Joys of Motherhood Essay

Though many themes and poignant arguments arise in Buchi Emecheta’s Joys of Motherhood, the most bold of these is the impact of colonial rule on traditional African society and its ambiguous affects thereafter. These themes specifically come about in the text as the clash between colonialists and Africans and how colonial occupation comes to alter the natural development of African cities and villages. It becomes obvious that the influences of colonial presence in Africa are and will continue to be disruptive and detrimental to the lives of Africans. Though this colonial disruption is highlighted immensely, the oppressed people continually move to sidestep the obstructions placed within their society. Even with the oppression of colonial rule upon them, Emecheta’s characters manage to create insular communities to maintain both dignity and tradition. Nnu Ego returns to her father’s house and is again married off, but this time to a fellow Ibo working in Lagos as a domestic for British colonials. The arranged marriage between Nnaife and Nnu Ego is never smooth, and indeed from her first sight of her husband on their wedding day in Lagos, Nnu Ego is disillusioned, though willing to follow custom and fulfill her duties as a wife (Emecheta, 43). Though Nnu Ego is unhappy with Nnaife’s duties as a domestic servant, she stays positive in the marriage in the hopes that her chi will bless the union by allowing her to become a mother. Though her first child dies, Nnu Ego eventually goes on to mother eight children. Despite his less than desirable position as a British domestic servant, Nnaife fully assumes his position as the male head-of-household in his home in accordance with Ibo custom (Emecheta, 47-48). As the eldest son of his family, upon his younger brother’s death, Nnaife marries his two sisters-in-law and brings one of them to Lagos and incorporates her and her children into the household with his family with Nnu Ego (Emecheta, 120). The marriage of Nnu Ego and Nnaife contain many examples of the endurance of traditional African culture throughout colonial rule. As an Ibo minority in Lagos among Yorubas and British imperialists, Nnu Ego and her family struggle and live below the poverty line. One of the main conflicts depicted for Nnu Ego, her family, and society is the navigation of the British imperialistic order. United against a common adversary, the Ibos and Yorubas in The Joys of Motherhood forge a loose knit community and rely on each other during hard times. This alliance between Ibo and Yorubas is especially apparent in the relationships between the women. For instance, as a new wife in Lagos, neighboring women show Nnu Ego the best places to market for cheap, fresh foods (Emecheta, 52). When Nnaife loses his job, the neighboring women help Nnu Ego find cigarettes and other goods to stock a roadside retail stand in order for her to earn extra money (Emecheta,103). Through these hard economic times under colonial rule, the enduring principle of African community values emerges strong as ever. The women of the town especially rely on each other when the men work away from home and during the war when many are drafted into the British army. When the British army commandeers her living quarters, Cordelia helps Nnu Ego move her children and belongings into new housing (Emecheta, 98). When Nniafe is drafted and Nnu Ego is unable to read his letters, Mama Abby helps to read the letters and deposit his allotment checks into the bank (Emecheta, 149-150). Though these allotment checks from the British are extremely useful in caring for the household, Nnu Ego is working constantly and not knowing when Nnaife will return. Though it seemed that colonialism provided new opportunities for the poor to improve their economic woes, would they have been as poor to begin with if colonialism was not the rule of the land? The separating aspect of taking the men from Africa was extremely detrimental not only to those left behind but also to those who go to war. Many return mentally scarred or are ostracized for their involvement with Europeans (Lunn, 45-46) Nnu Ego and her fellow neighbors experience the variations of a changing society but manage to do so without losing the essence of their traditions. As had become custom of imperialism, Africans suffered many hardships under colonial rule for the most part without knowing what the conflicts of the â€Å"Western powers† were about. Asks Nnu Ego of her friend, â€Å"But, Ato, on whose side are we? Are we for the Germans or the Japanese, or the other one, the British? † Ato answers back, â€Å"I think we are on the side of the British. They own Nigeria you know. † Nnu Ego responds back, â€Å"And Ibuza too? † â€Å"I don’t know about that,† Ato states (Emecheta, 98). The implication of this exchange demonstrates that while the British may have political and economic control over the country, the cultural essence of the people cannot be owned. According to Lunn, most African communities were staunch in asserting tradition and sticking to it in these colonial times, showing a strength that Europeans undoubtedly were not expecting (Lunn, 46). The Joys of Motherhood portrays a distance between the generations in the relationship between Nnu Ego and her children, and in particular, the relationship Nnu Ego has with her oldest son, Oshia. In keeping with tradtion, the family invests in Oshia by providing him with the best education, and respecting his status as an elder male, and in return he is expected to take care of the family (Emecheta, 190-191). As a product of an imperialist society, Oshia is educated in a British school system and goes abroad to college where he learns the western value of self-reliance and making his own fortune independently out in the world (Emecheta, 200-201). His selfishness is borne from two both traditional and colonial influences. The fact that he’s the first-born son grants him privileges and honor from the first day he is born along with his association with wealthy students at school teaches him to expect more from life. However, in the end it is the dissociating factor of colonialism and individualism that pulls Oshia away from his family duties. The demonstration of how Nnu Ego, Nnaife, and their neighbors maintain their traditions is embodied by the numerous celebrations they have throughout the novel. Although money and power are in short supply, the African society continues to celebrate births, homecomings, and marriages. The hosts of each party are certain to have large supplies of palm wine and food for everyone, even if they cannot afford it. Upon his mother’s death, Oshia returns to the village and throws a costly funeral celebration. The funeral puts him into debt which would take three years to pay off, but there is a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction that an expected ritual has been performed to honor the dead (Emecheta, 224). The new colonial economic order impacts cultural customs is always present, though. When Nnu Ego returns to Ibuza to visit her father, she is happy and becomes comfortable with the ease of being at home and surrounded with fellow villagers (Emecheta,156). However, a grand-aunt admonishes her to return back to Lagos and not to shame the family by failing to live up to her responsibilities as wife (Emecheta, 159). In this respect, tradition is extremely limiting, in that Nnu Ego’s life and her children’s lives would be much easier in Ibuza than in Lagos. Though traditions can be limiting, especially in the case of a traditional marriage such as Nnu Ego’s, the traditional bond is what links and sustains the community in Lagos. What on the one hand undermines tradition as limiting can also be seen as the thread of continuity necessary for the cultural health and identity of people. The issues about traditions that Emecheta raises stem from the dilemma of how a society reconciles and develops when ideals between cultures clash. British colonial rule certainly made life more difficult and even began to chip away at certain norms and traditions such as familial duty and class systems. The individuality espoused by British culture was in direct violation of the Ibo culture of Nnu Ego. A certainty represented in The Joys of Motherhood is when the community and family worked together, they would thrive. The individual must look to find acceptance in ways that merge into the larger cultural community and that are mutually beneficial to the traditional culture that remained steadfast and a rock during the tumultuous days of colonial rule.

Free Education Essay

Performance of students is a product of socio-economic, psychological and environmental factors. Education plays a significant role in political, economic and social realms of development. Secondary school placement, and to some extent admission, depend on the achievement in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examination in standard eight. This study aimed at finding out factors that contribute to poor performance in Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examination in public day primary schools in Mwimbi Division, Maara District, Kenya. Descriptive survey design was used and a sample of 6 head teachers, 51 teachers and 146 standard eight pupils participated in the study. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data obtained. The study realized the following as factors contributing to poor performance in primary national examination; inadequate learning resources, inadequate monitoring by head teachers, understaffing, high teacher turnover rate, inadequate prior preparation, lack of motivation for teachers, large workload, absenteeism by both teachers and pupils, pupils lateness, lack of support from parents. The following recommendations were made; more teachers to be employed to reduce workload, Ministry of Education to organize induction courses for head teachers to equip them with managerial skills, parents to be educated on the importance of basic education for their children, mode of rewarding teachers to be established. The study is expected to give insight reference to policy makers, scholars and researchers in order to improve the weak areas. Key terms: Examination, Factors, Performance, Primary Schools 1. Introduction The development of the education sector has been a long standing objective of the Government of Kenya since independence in 1963. Education is considered by various stakeholders and players as a basic need and a basic right. Performance ranks high on the national agenda, with educators and policymakers focusing on testing, accountability, curriculum reform, and teacher quality, school choice and related concerns. Conspicuously absent has been an examination of how school conditions affect teaching and  learning, even though extensive literature exists that links school facilities to the quality of education and to teacher morale and teacher productivity (Mark, 2003). This study documents factors in school and in the community that affects teaching and learning negatively to an extent of poor performance in KCPE in Mwimbi Division of Maara District.  © Centre for Promoting Ideas, USA www. ijhssnet. com. The introduction of Free Primary Education (FPE) in January 2003, following the passing of the Children’s Act in 2001, has led to vital educational achievements. Enrolments in public schools increased significantly from 5.9 million in 2002 to 6. 9 million in 2003- a 17% increase; representing a Gross Enrolment Rate (GER) of 99% (102% girls and 97% boys). The Government provides funds, through both the School Instructional Management Book Account (SIMBA) and the General Purpose Account (GPA) to procure need based materials and improve on some infrastructure, thereby raising the quality of education. The Kenya’s education system is dominated by examination-oriented teaching, where passing examinations is the only benchmark for performance because there is no internal system of monitoring learning achievements at other levels within an education cycle. It is generally agreed that the most important manifestations of quality education have to do with literacy, cognitive abilities, performance and progression to higher levels of learning. There is reliance on scores and transition rates as core measures of achievement. In Kenya, examinations are generally acceptable as valid measures of achievement (Maiyo, 2009). Secondary school placement, and to some extent admission, depend on performance of Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination in standard eight (Michael, Miguel & Rebecca, 2004). Although the government has channeled funds into basic education, performance at KCPE shows that most of the students making transition to top schools are from private schools; this creates inequality to access of opportunities to national and top performing provincial schools (Ngugi, 2007). In 2009 KCPE results out of 1374 candidates who sat for the examination in public day primary schools, none gained admission to the well endowed national schools in the country. The KCPE examination is marked out of a maximum mark of 500. Information on Table 1 shows the mean score for some schools from 2005 to 2009 in Mwimbi Division. Table 1: KCPE Mean Grades from 2005 to 2009Public Primary School 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Mutindwa 213. 24 210. 44 214. 11 200. 67 178. 75Wiru 222. 08 203. 79 219. 47 212. 04 198. 08 Ndunguri 195. 54 223. 94 213. 69 208. 41 199. 57Kirumi 228. 04 217. 17 187. 30 193. 74 200. 91 Source: DEO Maara District (2011)Results on Table1 indicate that KCPE performance in the public day primary schools is poor. Pupils may not be admitted to national schools or provincial schools with this kind of performance as it is too low. Therefore, these trends needs reversing and improve performance in national examinations by day public primary schools. 2. Statement of the Problem Performance in national examinations by day primary schools has been poor. Therefore, this study sought to establish factors that contribute to thier poor performance in KCPE in Mwimbi Division, Maara District, Kenya. 3. Objectives of the Study The objectives of the study on factors that contribute to poor performance in KCPE in Mwimbi Division were to:- i. Investigate the school based factors ii. Find out teacher based factors iii. Determine the community based factors iv. Establish the pupil based factors 4. Methodology. Descriptive survey design was used in conducting the study. The participants were six head teachers, 51 teachers and 146 standard eight pupils. Questionnaires for the head teachers, teachers and pupils were used to provide the needed data. Data obtained was analyzed using descriptive statistics. 5. Results The following results were obtained from the study; 5. 1 School-Based Factors that Contribute to Poor Performance in KCPE Various school based factors were identified as contributing to poor performance in KCPE examinations. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Vol. 2 No. 5; March 2012 129 a) Commencement of Learning The time allocated for teaching and learning is a factor influencing pupils’ academic performance. There are three school terms every year with holidays in between in the months of April, August and December. The study therefore sought to find out when learning begins after a holiday. Results obtained indicate that majority of pupils (55. 5%) start learning in the second week after school opens and 43. 8% indicated that they start learning after the first week of the school term. This indicates that there is a lot of time wastage before learning begins. Eshiwani (1983) noted that most schools loose many teaching/ learning hours at the beginning of the term, this wastage leads to less work being covered and syllabi not being completed on time hence, contributing to poor performance in KCPE examinations. b) Adequacy of Learning Resources The adequacy and use of teaching and learning materials affects the effectiveness of a teacher’s lesson. Teaching and learning resources enhances understanding of abstract ideas and improves performance. The study sought adequacy of learning resources like text books, library books, wall maps and the exercise books. Data on Table 2 shows that text books provided in class and exercise books are adequate to but library books and wall maps are not adequate. Table 2: Adequacy of Learning Resources Learning Resource Adequate F % Inadequate F % Text Books Provided in the Class 80 54. 8 66 45. 2 Library Books 14 9. 6 132 90. 4 Wall Maps 11 7. 5 135 92. 5 Exercise Books 121 82. 9 25 17. 1 This makes learning of subjects like Social Studies very abstract to the pupils and could be a factor contributing to poor performance in national examinations. Schneider (2003) found out that school facilities have a direct effect on teaching and learning. Text books enable the pupils to follow the teacher’s sequence of presentation and aids in understanding of lessons (Ubogu, 2004). c) School Administration The quality of school administration plays a vital role in academic performance as it is concerned with pupils, teachers, rules, regulations and policies that govern the school system. In analyzing the efficiency of school administration, the following aspects were looked into: Frequency of staff meetings, frequency of checking teachers’ schemes of work and lesson plans, adequacy of teachers’ prior preparation, frequency of class observation by the head teacher.i. Frequency of Staff Meetings in a Term Data obtained shows that majority of the respondents (64. 7%) indicated that staff meetings are held twice a term, 19. 6% indicated once only in a term and 15. 7% indicated that they hold staff meetings more than twice in a term. Few staff meetings may lead to less co-ordination of curriculum implementation. Findings by Kathuri (1986) asserted that the first aspect of administration is staff meetings as they facilitate co-ordination of various activities in the school. This implies that there was less monitoring and reporting of the progress of the schools activities to the teachers and this could be a factor contributing to poor performance in national examinations. ii. Frequency of Checking Teachers’ Schemes of work The responsibility of checking the professional documents like teachers’ schemes of work and lesson plans lies in the hands of the head teacher. This may be done in person or he may delegate to the deputy head teacher or the senior teacher. Preparation and use of schemes of work by the teachers enhances sequential teaching and results to improved achievement. The frequency of checking teachers’ schemes of work was therefore looked into and allhead teachers (100%) indicated that they randomly check the teachers’ schemes of work only once a term. This reflects that head teachers do not do any follow up on curriculum implementation during the course of the term. Checking of teachers schemes of work should be done frequently to allow the head teacher monitor curriculum implementation. Lack of this close monitoring could be a factor contributing to poor performance in national examinations.  © Centre for Promoting Ideas, USA www. ijhssnet. com iii. Frequency of Checking the Teachers’ Lessons Plans Teachers’ lesson plan is a professional document prepared by teachers for the purpose of presentation of a lesson. The teacher indicates whether the lesson has been taught and objectives achieved; if the lesson is not taught, then the teacher indicates the reason why and when he intends to cover it; if the lesson objectives are not achieved, the teacher plans for remedial lesson in order to make the concept understood by the pupils. Table 3: Frequency of Checking Teachers’ Lesson Plans Number of Times Percent Once a month 83. 3 Once a term 16. 7 Total 100. 0. Information on Table 3 shows that majority of the head teachers (83. 3%) check teachers lesson plans once a month and 16. 7% indicated that they are checked once a term. Head teachers should monitor lesson plan preparation frequently; otherwise it may lead to poor performance by in national examinations. iv. Adequacy of Teachers’ Prior Preparation Adequate prior preparation before a teacher goes to class leads to good performance by the pupils. This promotes sequential presentation of concepts by the teacher to the learners. Information on Table 4, head teachers indicate that teachers’ prior preparation is fair (66.7%). Table 4: The Adequacy of Teachers’ Prior Preparation This is an indication that head teachers are not satisfied with the teachers’ prior preparation. Always, prior preparation by the teachers leads to systematic delivery of concepts to pupils and enhances performance. Therefore, teachers prior preparation was not sufficient and could be a factor leading to poor performance by the pupils. v. Observation of Classes by Head teachers One of the roles of the head teacher is to carry out internal supervision of curriculum implementation in his/her school. This involves physical observation of teachers’ lessons in progress. Results on Table 5 shows the frequency at which the head teachers observed classes conducted by the teachers. Table 5: Observation of Classes by the Head-teachers Number of Times Percent More than twice 33. 3 Not at all 66. 7 Total 100. 0 Majority of the head teachers (66. 7%) do not at all observe classes conducted by the teachers in a given term. One of the head teachers’ roles is regular class supervision in order to promote curriculum goals. Failure to do so may lead to poor performance in national examinations. d) Teacher-Based Factors. These are the factors within the teachers that could hinder or promote academic performance of pupils in their schools. The study sought to analyze the following aspects of teacher based factors: teacher commitment, teachers’ frequency of absenteeism, teachers’ motivation and teachers’ work load. i. Teacher Commitment Level Good performance is as a result of high commitment levels by the teachers. All head teachers (100%) indicated teachers’ commitment as moderate. Rating Percent Good 33. 3 Fair 66. 7 Total 100. 0International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Vol. 2 No. 5; March 2012 131. No teacher was rated as having high commitment to their work. Ubogu (2004) asserts that teachers who lack enthusiasm are unable to teach effectively, making pupils not to learn well. This could be a contributing factor to poor performance by the pupils in national examinations. ii. Frequency of Absenteeism among Teachers Teachers’ rate of absenteeism was looked into and majority of the head teachers (66. 7%) rated them as moderate, while 33. 3% indicated their rate of absenteeism as low. When teachers absent themselves from school frequently, pupils go unattended and do not do well in examinations. Absenteeism by teachers reduces the amount of instructional time and this result in the syllabi not being completed. This in return results to lower output of work by the pupils (Ubogu, 2004). iii. Teachers’ Motivation Majority of the head teachers (66. 7%) said that teachers were not motivated, while 33. 3% indicated they are. World Bank Report (1986) acknowledges that teacher satisfaction is generally related to achievement†¦ satisfied teachers would concentrate hence enhancing academic performance of their pupils. iv. Teacher Turn-over Rate The teacher turnover rate in the last one year was also looked into. Results obtained indicate that 50% of teachers were transferred once, 33. 3% twice and 16. 7% were transferred five times in a year. This is a factor that contributes to poor performance in examinations. According to Schneider (2003) high teacher turn over forces schools to devote attention, time and financial resources attracting replacement of teachers. v. Teachers’ Workload The number of lessons teachers take per week out of possible 40 lessons was looked into and majority of the teachers (80. 32%) had a work load of between 36 and 40 lessons, 19. 68% had lessons between 31 and 35 lessons out of a possible 40 lessons. This implies that teachers are not overloaded hence; their output in terms of national examinations performance should be good. 5. 2 Pupil-Based Factors These are the factors within the pupils that could enhance or hinder their academic performance. In the pupil based factors; the following aspects were looked into: pupils’ language use, pupils’ rate of absenteeism and pupils’ lateness to school. a) Pupils’ Language Use Data on language used by pupils in class among themselves is indicated on Table 6. Table 6: Pupils’ Language Use. Language Used F % Mother Tongue 18 35. 3 English 5 9. 8 Kiswahili 26 51. 0 English and Kiswahili 2 3. 9 Total 51 100. 0 Majority of the pupils (51%) used Kiswahili to communicate among themselves, 35. 3% use their mother tongue, 9. 8% use English, and 3. 9% use both Kiswahili and English. Pupils who interact using English language tend to understand it better and do well in examinations as all examinations are written in English language; pupils who use mother tongue for interaction are disadvantaged as they end performing poorly in examinations which are written in English. Ubogu (2004) asserts that the prevalence of the use of local language means that pupils would lack a lot of vocabularies in English, which would be needed to understand teachers’ lessons and the textbooks they read. b) Pupils’ Frequency of Absenteeism The aspect of how frequent pupils absented themselves from school was looked into and 41% indicated they moderately miss school, 29. 4% indicated their rate of absenteeism is high and 29. 4% indicated low. When pupils absent themselves from school, they tend to lose many concepts and definitely may not do well in exams.  © Centre for Promoting Ideas, USA www.ijhssnet. com 132 The effect of absenteeism and irregular school attendance is that materials taught is difficult to understand when studied on one’s own. Continued loss of classes results to loss of content and knowledge. Assignments and exercises would not be properly and correctly done leading to poor performance (Ubogu, 2004). From the analysis above, quite a number of pupils absent themselves from school and therefore this could be a factor contributing to poor performance. c) Pupils’ Lateness Information on Table 7 shows majority of teachers indicated pupils’ rate of lateness as frequent. This would definitely lead to poor performance in examinations. Table 7: Frequency of Lateness among Pupils Frequency Percent Very Frequent 31 60. 8 Not Frequent 20 39. 2 Total 51 100. 0 5. 3 Community-Based Factors Community based factors are factors within the community that impede or enhance pupils’ academic performance. In analyzing the community based factors, the following aspects were looked into; a) Parents’ Consultation with Teachers Good performance is realized when parents work in consultation with the teachers in order to understand their children better. The study therefore sought to find out how often parents consult the teachers on matters pertaining their children’s education. Data obtained indicate that majority of parents (62%) rarely consult teachers on education matters of their children, 20% indicated they sometimes consult and 8% do often consult but 10% never consulted teachers. This is an indication that most parents were not so much concerned about education of the children. Ubogu (2004) indicated that parents’ interaction with teachers enables them to know what their children are encountering in school and what could be done to deal with the problems. It would also put pupils on alert and study in school as they would know that their parents would inquire about their performance. Parents may not be able to provide much guidance and help their children’s performance improve when they are ignorant of what happens in school. b) Parental Response to Provision of Learning Materials Results on Table 8 shows, parents’ poor response to provision of learning materials. Table 8: Parental Response to Provision of Learning Materials Rating F % Good 5 10. 0 Satisfactory 17 34. 0 Poor 28 56. 0 Total 50 100. 0 Ubogu (2004) asserts that lack of basic school needs like learning materials  could not provide a stable mind and conducive environment for the pupils to study. Lack of learning materials contribute to poor performance in national examinations. c) Parents’ Willingness to Participate in School Development Results on Table 9 indicate Parents are not willingness to participate in the general school development. Schools where parents are actively involved in school development do well in exams as pupils are encouraged by both the teachers and the parents. Table 9: Parents Willingness to Participate in School Development F % Willing 2 33. 3 Not willing 4 66. 7 Total 6 100. 0International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Vol. 2 No. 5; March 2012 133 d) Assistance Pupils get at Home Majority of the pupils (69. 2%) did not get assistance to do homework at home, but 30. 8% does. Those students who do not receive assistance at home to do homework end up performing poorly in national examinations. References Eshiwani, G. S. (1983). Factors Influencing Performance among Primary and Secondary School Pupils in Western Kenya Province. A policy study. Bureau of Educational Research, Kenyatta University. Kathuri, M. J. (1986). Factors that Influence the Performance of Pupils in CPE. KERA Research Report. Nairobi: Kenyatta University, Bureau of Educational Research. Maiyo. J. A. & Ashioya, L. A. (2009). Poverty Alleviation: The Educational Planning Perspective. Department of Educational Planning and Management, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology. Michael, K. Miguel, E. & Rebecca, T. (2004). Incentives to Learn, BREAD working paper Number 086, Bureau for Research and Economic Analysis of Development, U. S. A. Ngugi, P. (4th January, 2007). â€Å"400,000 Assured of Places †¦Ã¢â‚¬ . In the Daily Nation. Nairobi: Nation Media Group Ltd. Schneider, M. (2003). Do School Facilities Affect Academic Outcomes? Washington, D. C. :National Clearing house for Educational Facilities Strategic Public Relations and Research LTD, (2005). Review of the Status of Provision of Education to all Children in Kenya. ANPPCAN. Ubogu, R. E, (2004). The Causes of Absenteeism and Dropout among Secondary School Students in Delta Central Senatorial Districtof Delta State. Unpublished Ph. D Thesis, Delta State University, Nigeria: Abraka. World Bank. (1986). A Report on School Quality and Achievement. Washington DC: World Bank.

Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 8

Ethics - Essay Example This level of ethical expectation extends to a great litany of different areas and portends a high level of expectation for the individual educator. As such, the article that will be analyzed â€Å"teaching to the test† reveals the way in which rigid state and federal standards have encouraged many struggling school districts, and individual teachers, to attempt the unethical approach of teaching to the test as a means of passing whatever requirement might exist at the given time. Naturally, this practice in and of itself is troublesome; however, when one considers it from both the standpoint of the utility that the student gains and the ethical ramifications for how the educational process takes shape, a nuanced understanding of the impact of such an approach is able to be understood. The core ethical issue that must be understood is the fact that the educators themselves are encouraging a level of unethical behavior that is both unfair to the educational process as well as u nfair to the end student. In order to understand this unethical behavior, it is necessary to delve in to the motivating factors that encourage it take place initially. Ultimately, the educational system, as it exists today, as both state and federal standards that must be met at multiple times throughout any given school year. As such, teachers are not only required to transmit the information that they are responsible for providing to the students, they must also take a sizable chunk of their time to instruct and prepare the students for taking standardized tests that will not only rank the student as compared to the rest of the students within the state, school system, or nation, they also have a profound impact upon the overall level of school ranking and funding levels that are received in subsequent periods. As such, the overall importance of these standardized tests cannot be understated. Unfortunately, even thus far in my own professional and student development, I have seen this take place. The first time that it was evidenced to me was with regards to taking the PSATs in high school. Rather than using this opportunity to fill in the gaps of any education that the students might have missed out on, the teacher merely hurried to provide a way of what can only be described as â€Å"educated guessing†. The second time this practice was noted it was in an 8th grade classroom that I was observing. The teacher, although highly qualified spent the bulk of her time going through a standardized test and pointing out how to delineate the correct answer; rather than teaching the material and explaining what the rationale behind it was. The third time that this took place was in my final year of high school as state standards of educational attainment from K-12 were being measured. Although the senior year of high school is normally at a slower pace than the other years, the educators cut short much of the information that would otherwise have been presente d as a means of focusing on the standardized test that was of more importance to the local district and the funding levels that the educators would have to divvy up than it was to the individual students. Accordingly, as the article notes, a highly unethical practice has emerged within many of the more troubled school districts throughout the nation. In addition to not spending enough time on the subject at hand, educators throughout the system have been teaching to the test instead of

Managing Budgets and Financial Plans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Managing Budgets and Financial Plans - Essay Example II. Objectives that are important to Kitchens2Go: Ultimately, it appears that the Manager is concerned with the profitability and long term prosperity of the firm, so all of the objectives that are important to the Manager should be important internally as well. III. Measuring the Objectives: The objectives can be measured by the use of Statement of Financial Performance, cash flow analyses, analysis of cost of goods sold, expense analysis, etc. All of these will show how much revenue is being generated as well as how much the firm is spending. Ultimately, the Statement of Financial Performance shows whether or not a profit is being generated, and exactly how much profit, or the lack thereof. IV. Integration of the Objectives: These objectives could be integrated into budget and reporting systems by performing a given analysis as it relates to a specific department, as well as an overall analysis of the entire operation. It appears that the Bank Manager would like copies of Kitchens2Go's financial statements every year in order to monitor expenses, revenue, and profit or loss, so that a clear picture of the health of the firm can be examined. The most useful calculations that the bank can be doing on these statements are calculations of the cost of the goods sold, value of inventory on hand, labor

JP Morgan Chase Proposal Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

JP Morgan Chase Proposal Analysis - Essay Example The essay "JP Morgan Chase Proposal Analysis" talks about the in-house software development process to solve one of JP Morgan Chase challenges in cyber security. Through research and development, the technology team at JP Morgan Chase will come up with a system that will use in protecting the intrusion of hackers. The process of developing software to deal with the problem of cyber security is as important as the outcome. Through the development of the system from scratch, the information and technology team will have a greater understanding of the functionalities. In designing the system, for instance, the description of the data flows help the development team to identify any potential weak point in the system. Through charts and diagrammatical explanations, other members of the organization can also easily understand the underlying processes in the system. In most organization, the introduction of new ideas and ways of doing business is often met with a degree of resistance. The r esistance will stem from the fact that the members of the organization have little or no understanding of the system. As such, implementing the change brings with it a high level of challenge. Through this process, JP Morgan Chase staff involved in the change to the new system will receive an in depth understanding that is crucial for the system’s successful implementation. As a direct result of the comprehensive understanding of the system, the employees involved in the development process can also easily troubleshoot the system.

Summarize three articles or Web resources from the surveying bodies Term Paper

Summarize three articles or Web resources from the surveying bodies resources, from the studies in this unit, that apply to your - Term Paper Example It was reauthorized in 2009 as Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA). This will run through 2013 and is expected to cover even more uninsured children. This program also is jointly undertaken by the Federal and State governments (CHIPP Policy). A health care professional needs to have a fair knowledge of these three programs to ensure that no needy individual suffers without an appropriate health insurance plan. Department of Health and Human Services. As part of public health and medical services support, the Department of Health and Human Services has guidelines for the First Response in the event of a disaster. Disaster being always a local phenomenon, the local government agency services need to be prepared to respond immediately in the event of a disaster. The state and local authorities will have to coordinate with each other in providing rescue and medical emergency services. If the disaster is beyond the State’s control, the Governor o f the State may ask for support from the Federal Government. Financial and other assistance are provided under the Robert T.Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act).

BUSINESS OUTLOOK REPORT for a food retailer of your choice but not to Essay

BUSINESS OUTLOOK REPORT for a food retailer of your choice but not to include Tesco - Essay Example ercent share is genuinely an accomplishment when taking into consideration that this type of business model has very high operating costs and with growth in convenience stores in the country that provide competitive threats to the chain. This report identifies long-run prospects for Sainsbury’s over the next five to ten years with an emphasis on specific trends in the external market that will likely serve as the drivers of change with the retailer and with the food sector. The report further provides an evaluation of whether Sainsbury’s is well-positioned for key changes in the external environment. Sainsbury was highly responsive in adapting to changing market conditions, especially as it pertains to consumer growth in ethical consumption. Ethical consumption is a type of consumer activism that dictates whether to boycott a product or make purchases based on consumer perceptions that the organisation offering the product maintains an ethical stance and set of ethical objectives and values (Grande 2007). Contemporary business research recognises that companies with the aforesaid ethical values and focus maintain higher profitability (Lys, Naughton and Wang 2013). As a result of recognising these trends, the company began adding what is referred to as Steering Committees that are involved at the highest level of governance in areas of assessing the firm’s commitment to corporate social responsibility, providing a quality and enjoyable place to work for employees, and even a climate change committee (Sainsbury 2011). All of the activities and strategies developed by the St eering Groups are highly publicised to ensure that consumers are drawn to the ethical framework of business practice provided by the company leadership. Having such a strong ethical set of values and beliefs also provides Sainsbury’s with minimised costs in relation to human resources. Companies that have very strong ethical cultures also have much less problems with employee turnover

Enhancing Employability in Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Enhancing Employability in Marketing - Essay Example The world has achieved tremendous grounds in the technological advancement and therefore much of the marketing is done through technology based communication (Clark 2004, p. 203). As such, a little creativity is needed which will determine whether graduates secure jobs and afterwards they can keep them by being able to perform. Bolstering a marketing degree with other professional qualifications related to finance is also important so that potential employers can be attracted to your technical capabilities in marketing (Gibbs, Steel & Kuiper 2011, p. 379). Current Employability/Graduate Trends in Marketing According to recent studies and research in the job market, marketing careers are on the increase whereas other careers are decreasing. This is a good indication that the marketing industry is growing and opening new areas for graduates to work and explore. Despite the fact that many industries have recently undergone serious cutbacks during the previous economic hard times, market ing is still an important aspect of firms. Marketing forms the basis of attracting and selling a firm to new clients while still maintaining the already existing clientele. It follows then that in the face of a shrinking economy and earnings, firms have to invest in marketing in order to keep afloat in the corporate world. Thanks to technology, the marketing can be simple or complicated depending on the amount of capital available (Bennett 2002, p. 464). Gone are the days when business directories were the major modes of advertising a business. With the advent of the internet, marketing campaigns have become relatively easy because all that a firm needs is to open a website and upload all its required information there. In the past, business firms needed to spend a lot of capital in sending mail to their customers. When potential customers go online to search for goods and services, there is are huge potential that is created for sales both now and in the future. These adverts are c reated by marketing career people because they know what the client wants and they understand their goods and services. As such, being able to understand the market trends and having IT skills is very important in the marketing filed (Achrol & Kotler 1999, p. 152). Recent changes in the way business reposition themselves for competitive advantage has led changing trends on what is required of marketers. Marketing people must also change with time and adapt to the new market demands by first becoming technology savvy. This entails being able to develop and implement all the different ways in which business can market themselves through technology. The jobs in marketing can be very vague (generalized) or specialised depending on a business’s size. In large business firms, there are many activities and campaigns that need coordination and therefore they usually need specialized marketers. On the other hand, small business outfits need a marketer who is able to handle all forms o f challenging marketing problems with no specialized training. However, some firms usually need a marketer who can popularize their goods and services to the general public without much use of resources or technology (Brousseau, Driver, Eneroth & Larson 1996, p. 59). Career Paths of a Marketing Degree Marketing as course encompasses a wide array of activities that are related to conceptions about the delivery of goods and services. In this regards, there are many options in which career paths may be oriented

Strategic Human Resource Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategic Human Resource Planning - Essay Example "The range of activities and themes encompassed by SHRM is complex and goes beyond the responsibilities of personnel or HR managers into all aspects of managing people and focuses on management decisions and behaviors used, consciously or unconsciously, to control, influence and motivate those who work for the organizations - the human resources" (Price, 2007) What Charmagne was considering was a combination of this and Issues-Based Strategic Planning, under which goals are prioritized. According to her, producing products with good quality corresponding to the specifications of the contract is more important than getting the larger contract. She is also carrying out a cost-benefit analysis which helps her predict that recruiting trained workers from the market in this short span of time means high costs for the firm. Probably even higher than the benefits that they will enjoy from the large contract. However, she is more concerned with delivering a good quality product rather than motivating Proper Corporate Strategic planning comes with proper analysis of all the different aspects of the scenario, its alternatives and the external factors affecting decisions. Charmagne's strategy is not based on impulse but has facts, figures and practical study to support her argument. And when she is challenging Brian, this strategic plan will help her put forward her points to him concretely and more clearly.

Paul Lutus Advertising Essay Example for Free

Paul Lutus Advertising Essay In his article entitled Consumer Angst written in 2007, Paul Lutus claimed that â€Å"No matter how true any single advertisement is, modern advertising, taken as a whole, tells a lie — that you need the thing being advertised. † To explain his point, Paul Lutus further claims that valuable consumer goods need not be advertised because it is a necessity by itself and no promotion is needed for it to attract and obtain sales. Moreover, he explained that the quality of the product should speak for itself and there is no need to â€Å"waste company’s money asserting the obvious†. In his above-mentioned arguments, Paul Lutus obviously focuses only on one aspect of advertising which is to sell. He missed to appreciate the other function of advertising which is to inform. Advertising, as defined by Wikipedia. org, â€Å"is the form of communication whose purpose is to inform potential customers about products and services and how to obtain and use them†. The primary purpose of advertising is to create public awareness about a certain product or service that is being advertised. It aims to communicate to the intended audience that such a product or service exists. As Taflinger (1996) claims â€Å"the basic purpose of advertising is to identify and differentiate one product from another in order to persuade the consumer to buy that product in preference to another. † Advertising is usually used to create a unique image that will be identified to a product or service. The message that is being communicated usually highlights the best features of the product – its uniqueness, usability, best characteristics, etc. – that will customer’s attention to it. After providing information on the product or service features, advertising’s goal is to entice customers to try out the product. It is therefore safe to claim that the end-goal of any advertisement is to generate sales in terms of product or service. However, while it is true that every advertising campaign is aimed at generating revenue for the brand that is being advertised, it is not proper to claim that all advertisements are lies. Even premium brands such as Nike, Armani, Prada and others do advertise their products. These brands are sought after and have all proven to be of good quality. But these brands still invest on advertisement. Advertising has become an important part of today’s business. With new products sprouting like mushrooms everyday, competition has become stiff and advertising has taken a big role in allowing the product or service to compete in the market. In his article entitled â€Å"Educating the Consumer about Advertising: Some Issues† Stephen Gotlieb (1991) explains that advertising â€Å"promotes competition among producers of products and services, keeps prices low through the development of mass markets, encourages store owners to stock a variety of items, supports free expression by funding media sources, and spurs invention†. The more you are seen and understood by your customers, the bigger chance you have to stay in the mainstream. It is therefore important to get you message through, so that your product or service gets noticed. Or else, your offer will just perish. Also, with the competition getting tighter, advertisers today cannot afford to rely on false claims for their products of services. With a lot of other options available in the market, a single wrong claim will trigger the customer to try out other product. It is the role of advertising to entice customers and encourage them to try out the product. Once the customer is convinced with the advertising claim and decides to avail the product or service, it is now the role of the product to prove itself and embody what is being stated in the advertising claim. It is therefore crucial to communicate the message that best embodies the product. Once advertised, the product or service is already exposed to t he public eye and scrutiny. Unless the customer has already tried out the product or service, their perception of the product will depend on the advertisement. It will either make or break the future of the product or service depending on how you position the message about the product. Therefore, while an advertisement is typically used to create or alter the consumer’s perception of a product and induce them into buying it, it cannot be said that it is Always  a lie. For obvious reasons, advertisements only highlight the good side of the products or services. We cannot blame the advertisers to do this. While they are obviously banking on the good side of their offer, we cannot accuse them of telling us a lie. The beauty of advertising is it gives the customers the chance to evaluate the competing products or services even before purchasing it through the product claims.

Literature Review 2.0 Spending Behavior

Literature Review 2.0 Spending Behavior Nowadays, the marketers are facing great competition among themselves to market the products and services to the consumers. The study of consumer spending behavior enables the marketers to understand how consumer thinks, feels and react to the subtle environment when purchase a product(Wassana Suwanvijit, 2009). Hence, the marketer can predict the consumer spending behaviors and develop a proper marketing plan to address the products to the consumers. According to businessdictionary.com, consumer spending could be defined as goods and services bought by households in the satisfaction of their needs and wants. In addition, Spending is defined as the act of expending and behavior is defined as response of an individual to an action, environment, person, or stimulus. While Kotler (2000) stated that consumer behavior studies how individuals, groups and organizations select, buy, use and dispose of goods, services, ideas or experiences to satisfy their needs and desires. In our research context, spending behavior is defined as the act of disbursing money in response to an action, environment, or person in the satisfaction of needs and wants. 2.1 Factors Wilson, et.al, 2005 stated that consumer spending behavior is strongly influenced by four factors: Cultural factor (culture, sub-culture, social class), Social factor (groups, family, roles and status), Personal factor (Age and life cycle stage, life-styles, occupation, economic situation, personality and self concept) and Psychological factor (motivation, perception, learning, beliefs and attitude). Understand these four factors could help to address customers needs and wants and finally increase sales. In addition, there is another factor so-called economic factor which would affect consumers spending as well. 2.1.1 Personal Factor Wassana Suwanvijit, (2009) conducted a study to examine factors affecting consumer life-styles and purchasing behaviors. He found that consumer life-styles are derived from and personalized through social and cultural learning and consumer demographics will influence consumers behavior. In this study, Wassana Suwanvijit,(2009), administered a questionnaires to 300 consumers at Songkla province. The result indicated that demographic and socio-economic factors affecting the consumer life-styles and purchasing behaviors. In Songkla, average spending rate was approximately 550 baht per time and the factor affecting the spending per time was consumer income. The author also found that consumer promotion will affect consumers spending behavior and sales. Chetsada Noknoi, Sutee Ngowsiri, and Wannaporn Boripunt, (2009) also conducted a study to test the relationship between demographic characteristics and the consumer behavior. The study found that consumer behavior is dependent on the demographic characteristics such as income, age, marital status, occupations, etc. Besides, based on the research paper done by Juma K. Salim, the researcher proved that various life cycle stages and socio-demographic factors such as region of residence, race of the reference person, and sex of the reference person were found to be substantial factors of the pattern of expenditures within each occupational group. The researchers results are consistent with the results found by Abdel-Ghany and Sharpe (1997), Cage (1989), and Jacobs, Shipp, and Brown (1989). The researcher also proved that the occupation influence expenditure between teachers and non-teachers. Teachers spend a lot in only two categories of expenditure, education and miscellaneous, compared to professionals and administrators or managers.Besides occupation, level of education also influences spending behavior. Income, education, and occupation are some of the factors that influence ones position in society. Vanessa G. Perry and Marlene D. Morris (2005) examined the relationship between consumer financial knowledge, income and locus of control on financial behavior. In this research, it suggested that consumers propensity to budget, save and spending depends partly on their level of perceived control over outcomes as well as knowledge and financial resources. Apart from that, race and ethnicity can also affect the consumer financial behavior. According to Rotter (1966), locus of control was being defined as a general, relatively stable propensity to see the world in a particular way, capturing general beliefs about the causes of rewards and punishments. The research showed that individual self-concept influenced both financial and non-financial preference and behaviors. Consumer spending behavior is also affected by a persons personality and attitude. Cordell et. all (1996) and Cadha (2007) explained that the consumers are drawn to purchase counterfeits of luxury brands due to the desire of owning the prestige and status symbol that the trademarks brand shows. T. Min, P. Ian and Curtain had viewed the attitudes towards counterfeiting of luxury brands can be influenced by a person personality variable (e.g. value consciousness, integrity, personal satisfaction, trend tracking and the status consideration). They reviewed the theories established and examined their understanding that the desirability of purchasing the counterfeit products was affected by the good value of the brand name (which labeled on the counterfeit product and add value to the product). Below are the explanations of the personality variables which could reveal a person spending behavior. i. Value consciousness Human have the curiosity to seek variety and difference of a certain products/services and they try to spend on the news fashion products in order to satisfy their curiosity. For those who can afford the branded products, they will obviously spend a lot of money in order to obtain the value of that product. Nevertheless, people will try to attain the value of the luxury brand things by choosing the counterfeit product with lower prices. ii. Integrity If the consumers view the integrity as an important value, there will be less people to purchase the counterfeiting of luxury brands and this indirectly change their spending behavior to buy non-branded things with possess a cheaper prices-low consumption. iii) Personal Satisfaction Accomplishment, social recognition and desire to enjoy the valuable things are the personal satisfaction variables in their spending behavior where consumer will be more conscious of the appearance and visibility by purchasing the fashion products. By spending on the new arrival of products which is more expensive, they diluted their income and incurred more expenditure in their own saving-spending portfolio. iv) Status consideration Status consideration is refers to consumer who are both seeking self-satisfaction and recognition as well as for showing to surrounding people. Because of this status recognition, people tend to spend more to purchase the luxury brand which indirectly changed their buying behavior. 2.1.2 Cultural Factor M. Pierre, (1958) claimed that individual spending pattern shows a person class position despite from the persons income. He classified that a person spending structure was affected by the influences from family, their colleague, voluntary association, age and gender. These influences variables on affecting a person spending behavior integrated together in order to classify the persons class position in his/her social unity. Pierre also mentioned that the ranked status system involved all the members of a society in term of hierarchy (from super-ordinate to sub-ordinate). Whereby, whether a person will or will not attempt to buy a thing are strongly related to his/her class membership, and depend on whether the person is mobile or stable. He specified that the consumption patterns included a several factors such as class replacement, choice of store, communications skills, save versus spend, and psychological differences. In his studies, he realized that there are six-class system which is Upper-Upper Class (old families), Lower-Upper Class (newly arrived), Upper-Middle Class (professionals successful business men), Lower-Middle Class (white collar salaries), Upper-Lower Class (wage earner skill labor groups), and Lower-Lower Class (Unskilled labor groups). i) Class Placement M. Pierre explained that the class placement can be determined in three categories which included the occupation, source of income and housing type (e.g. luxury apartment, banglo). In his research in metropolitan area (Chicago), he discovered that the Upper-Lower class people possess expensive house and the home was equipped by the solid heavy appliance. While, the Lower-Lower class people have less property minded (lack of intention to buy or maintain a home) and they intended to spend their income on their clothes or automobile. ii) Choice of store M. Pierres studies revealed the relation between choice of store, pattern of spending and class membership. He described the people are very realistic in the way of spending in order to match their values and expectations refer on which type of store they choose (e.g. high status branded shop-Nike, Addidas). He verified that the social status of the department store becomes the primarily basis to identify the consumer class position. He mentioned that people are not going to take action by entering to a store where he/she might not affordable. iii) Communications Skills The kind of super-sophisticated and clever advertising is almost meaningless to Lower status people. M. Pierre stated that the lower class people may not comprehend the subtle humor in the advertisement(s) and they are difficult in extracting the art of the advertisement(s) information. They also have a different approach in determining the information given. In other word, they lack of intelligence and have different understanding in their communication skill. These indirectly defined the spending behavior between class positions of a person. (iv) Saves versus Spends M. Pierre clarified that the Middle-Class people usually have the financial knowledge place in their thinking for the forms of saving whereby they tend to choose the investment saving. While Lower-Status people intended to save in an almost low-risk funds (non-investment saving) which can quickly converted to spend-able cash. This clearly showed that the lower status people have more spending habit. Pierre mentioned that the Lower-status people will spend on artifact-centered products (cheaper items) and the Middle-Class people will spend on experience-centered products (planned spending).But, Pierre stated that the spending behavior of a person still governed by class membership in his/her society. (v) Psychological differences M. Pierre explained that the spending-saving analysis has a very obvious effect in psychological implications to differentiate the classes. Middle Class Lower Status Pointed the future Pointed present and pass More urban identification More rural identification Stress on rationality Non rational essential Greater sense of choice maker Limited sense of choice maker See themselves tied to national happening Concern their own and family members 2.1.3 Psychological Factor D. Ap S.K.Pamela, (2005) argued that consumer behavior is often strongly influenced by the subtle environment and traditional perspective on consumer choices. They explained that people always occasionally purchase the things on the spot where they choose the products at the moment of awareness and occupied with things rather than thinking on selecting an affordable groceries to purchase. This resulted in troubling the consumers spending habit. Bargh(2002) described the consumer behavior are cast items of the cognitive psychology. While, Chaiken(1980) and Petty, Cacioppo and Schuman(1983) explained that, before people buy(or choose or decide), they are less initiative to collect the products information. Attitudes can be based on cognitive beliefs such as when a person finds a product which is very useful or more benefit effect, or the product show and possess symbolic meanings (Venkatraman Mac-Innes, 1985). Karen M. Stilley, J. Jeffrey Inman and Kirk L.Wakefield (2010) conducted two studies to investigate the effects of promotional saving on both planned and unplanned spending, and how does it varies according to income level. In order to test the hypotheses, Karen M. Stilley et al. interviewed 400 customers who entered two grocery stores located in a southwestern U.S. city. Every tenth shopper or one every five minutes was selected, whichever came first. In addition, respondents were first asked what items they planned to purchase and how much were they planned to spend in total. Then, In-store slack (ISS) was calculated by subtracting the itemized portion from the total respondents planned to spend. Besides, respondents were required to indicate their household income before they exit the grocery shops. For the purpose of increase the response to such sensitive question, respondents were given seven choices of range rather than gave a specific figure of household income. The results o f the research showed that the promotional on unplanned grocery items would attract customers to spend more and this is increased with the higher income level. Apart from that, Ajay Kalra and Mengze Shi (2010) also examined sweepstakes reward structures that maximize consumers valuation. They claimed that consumers value maximizing sweepstakes should effectively motivate consumers participation and thus increase sales. From the other perspective, sweepstakes and contests would increase consumers spending on a certain products. Ajay Kalra et al. defined sweepstakes and contests as the promotional tools used by organizations to attract more customers, which in turn gaining additional sales. By having sweepstakes, consumers are tend to spend more in order to increase the probability of winning grand prize. In addition, the introduction and increased usage of electronic transfer systems has led to the likelihoods of a cashless society (Humphrey et al., 1996; Humphrey and Berger, 1990; Olney, 1999). In the research paper done by Mohamad bin Ali (2004), the variables been developed are hedonic motivation, credit cards used, unplanned purchase, peer influence, TV viewing and shopping frequency. The results exhibited the positive correlation of hedonic motivation, credit card use and unplanned purchases with compulsive buying tendency. Many people spending to release stress and treat it as retail therapy. Shoham and Brencic (2003) stated that people go to shopping as retail therapy are expect that shopping could reduce their stress. Credit card is encourages compulsive buying because credit card eliminate immediate need for money to buy thing. Furthermore, Fusaro (2006) argues that debit card users make more frequent and smaller withdrawals to control their spending behaviour. A cashless transaction takes off the pain of transferring cash and may encourage consumers to spend more. From a hedonic perspective, a cashless transaction does not recap the thought of the amount of money spent at the time of purchase as compared to cash payment which recaps thoughts about costs or benefits of purchase at the time of purchase (Prelec and Loewenstein 1998, p.25). D. Ap S.K.Pamela, (2005) made a several statement on the factors of unconscious spending behavior of the consumers: i. The choices of buying the product are influenced by automatically response or one persons attitudes ii) Attitudes were not really guide the behavior of the persons spending and people tend to buy things on impulse and the impulse choices are strongly affected by the subtle environment. From the above statements, they reviewed and discussed about their studies on consumer behavior. They pointed out two important results on their understanding which: Perception-behavior link is a mere perception of a social environment which leads people to face in direct effect behavior. This mean that the behavior of a person is often imitative (follow others action) and thus this behavior is contagious (spread and affect others-ripple effect) Automatic goal pursuit related to the goal-directed-behavior where the consumer purchasing behavior is often unconsciously guided by the environment. 2.1.4 Social Factor A persons spending may be affected by his social group of people, which normally being called virtual communities. It is defined as self-selecting groups of individuals engaged in sustained computer-mediated interactions around common interests or goals, governed by shared norms and values, and serving individual and shared needs (Bagozzi and Dholakia 2002; Dholakia, Bagozzi and Pearo 2004). Such characteristics of virtual groups as open, non-discriminatory participation, possibility of anonymity, and low visibility of product usage suggest that virtual communities potentially employ mechanisms of influencing shopping decisions that are different from those of other reference groups. Some virtual communities apply informational influence on shopping decisions by aiding the transfer of information among reference group members regarding product opinions (Deutsch and Gerard 1955). In virtual communities information can be spread through what other members post about their product and brand use, or shown through picture sharing and in occasional face-to-face meetings. 2.1.5 Economic Factor Rex Y. Du and Wagner A. Kamakura (2008) examined how consumers allocate their discretionary income to meet different consumption needs and how the resultant consumption pattern will change in response to changes in prices and budgets. For instance, how does escalating gas price affect consumers spending on food and apparel. Rex Y. Du et al. had used the CEX family extracts made available by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) for the 1982-2003 period. The CEX was collected from different samples each year and 66,368 households were being examined in this research. Besides, Rex Y. Du et al. had conducted three policy simulations to test consumers reaction to environmental shock. Those three policy simulations were reactions to shift in energy costs, reaction to a tax rebate and welfare losses due to spiraling costs of prescription drugs. The result for the first simulation showed that consumers reduce their spending when the energy costs increase, especially the poorer qui ntile. For the second simulation, the result showed that tax rebate would increase consumers spending even though for those nonessential items, such as airline fare and charity. For the last simulation, the result showed that consumers could have reduced their prescription drug expenditure by an average of 37% while maintaining the same level of treatment. Indeed, economic condition would affect consumers spending behavior. Conclusion Indeed, consumer spending behavior is strongly influenced by the factors such as personal, cultural, psychological, social and economic condition. Demographic characteristics such as income, age, marital status, occupations, etc. would have direct relationship to consumer behavior (Chetsada Noknoi et al. 2009). In the research done by Wassana Suwanvijit (2009), 300 questionnaires were distributed to the respondents in Songkhla. For a city with a population more than seventy thousands of people, it would be better if the number of respondents could be at least 500 in order to draw a more convincing conclusion about the results. Next, the influences from family, colleague, friends, etc. would affect a person spending behavior. Besides, it has to depend on several factors such as class replacement, choice of store, communications skills, save versus spend and psychological differences as well (M.Pierre, 1958). In addition, the promotional savings, sweepstake contests, ease of payments, etc would motivate consumers to spend more, which directly affect their spending behavior. In the research done by Karen M. Stilley, J. Jeffrey Inman and Kirk L. Wakefield (2010), they collected respondents household income through provided choices of range to the respondents instead of asking a specific figure from them. This action was more effective in getting information from the respondents due to confidential problem. Apart from that, virtual communities may affect a person spending behavior through the information given among reference group members (Deutsch and Gerard, 1995). Lastly, the economic factors such as changing in gas price, tax rebate, etc. would affect consumers to change their spending as well.

The Things They Carried Essay -- Literary Analysis, History

Joy Kogawa and Tim O’Brien: two authors that have wielded their mastery of the English language to yield literary masterpieces that reflect not only their own struggles, but the hardships of multitudes around them. In her acclaimed Obasan, Joy Kogawa illustrates the intense discrimination that was faced by Japanese-Canadians during World War 2, and provides many reflective anecdotes to give the reader some insight on her personal situation. Tim O’Brien accomplishes basically the same goal in The Things They Carried by giving the reader many brief stories about his time in the Vietnam War. These two books- though incredibly different on the surface - share a plethora of themes and symbology, as well as many similar events. They do not, however, emphasize or present these ideas in the same way. Each of these authors has a unique way of incorporating their own themes or values into their writing, which gives the reader an entirely different view of what may be happeni ng. The brain is an amazing thing. It allows us to think, blink, walk and talk; it enables us to run, hide, seek, and stride; but most importantly, it allows us to remember. Neither literary work takes a firm stance on their opinion of memories, as both have many different characters with many different opinions. Naomi views and even loosely mirrors Obasan’s opinions on memory; that the past be left to the past and the future will bear what is to come (65 Kogawa). This â€Å"Ashes to Ashes† stance is mirrored by Rat Kiley in The Things They Carried (SparkNotes Editors). Though Obasan has a much tougher exterior and is able to keep her composure, they are both haunted by cruel memories that they are trying to suppress. Rat, however, doesn’t have as much luck as ... ...n previously expected. Things aren’t always what they seem; a concept that applies to the characters themselves. Obasan is more than just a wrinkled old lady, just as Rat Kiley is more than just an infantry soldier. Don’t judge a book by its cover, and don’t jump to conclusions; everyone is different. Take some time to find out and get to know someone, and you might just be surprised by The Things They Carried. Works Cited SparkNotes Editors. â€Å"SparkNote on Obasan.† SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2007. Web. 22 Feb. 2012. SparkNotes Editors. â€Å"SparkNote on The Things They Carried.† SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2002. Web. 22 Feb. 2012. Kogawa, Joy. Obasan. 1981. New York: First Anchor, 1994. Print. The Purdue OWL. Purdue U Writing Lab, 2010. Web. Feb. 22 2012. O'Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1990. Print.

nature and foundations of australian law Essay -- essays research pape

The nature of law in Australian society is both complex and dynamic. The case of McBain v Victoria and the historical analysis of the legal response to Indigenous Australians in the 200 years following British colonization informs an understanding of the nature of law in Australian society, while also revealing characteristics of Australia’s constitutional framework. An understanding of the nature of law in Australian society is informed by the McBain v Victoria case, which illustrates the dual function of law as a chronicle of social narrative and personal stories and institutionally as an instrument for social order and dispute resolution. In this case the concept that law operates in ‘different ways at various levels’ shows that law is a fundamental aspect of daily of life in Australian society. It also suggests that law is intertwined with social conflict, changing values and political issues and that despite the legal ideal of autonomy law reflects these values and is also influenced by them. In McBain v Victoria, the unmarried Ms Meldrum sought access to IVF technology treatment from Dr McBain. However, McBain was precluded from treating Meldrum due to legal regulations located in s 8(1) of the Infertility Treatment Act 1995 (Vic) (State Act), which was exclusive in permitting treatment of only married women or women living in genuine de facto relationships. The exclusion of unmarried and lesbian women prescribed by the State Act reflects the perceived societal value o...

Development of Feminism and Its Impact on Religion

Feminism is a movement concerned with the advocacy of uplifting the roles and status of women. This struggle of campaigning for women's rights has started from the nineteenth century up to the present. It takes in various forms of protests and activities, all of which are geared towards the attainment of equal rights for women from different classes. This movement has gone across different borders including their struggle in the areas of politics, economics, social status, and in the religious aspect.Over the history, the disparity of rights between males and females is noticeable. Women have become victims of discrimination and double standards. However, the growth of the feminist movements is considered successful in the way that women have become more empowered and represented in different arenas. In the area of religion, feminism has become a distinct philosophy and it has gained influence and respect from different groups. In certain religious groups, women are now allowed to ho ld certain positions of power.Women are now ordained as clergy, hence granting them rights that were in the past held solely by men (â€Å"Feminism and Religion). Feminist philosophers of religion also became widely influential in the study of religion, and as such they were able to provide remarkable standpoints on how religion is to be viewed in a perspective that is beneficial to women. Thus, this has served as a useful tool for women in expressing their own beliefs, ideas and relate their experiences to other people in a way that they are properly heard without being negatively criticized (Frankenberry 2005).This development in the feminist movement was able to seek transformation in the society by challenging social insitutions and attempting to change social norms and standards. The emergence of female heroic figures and saints is an example of how feminist movements have developed over time (Hunt 2004). The challenges posted by feminism became strong that feminists around th e world were able to gather support and hasten changes in the society, not only in political and economic aspects, but also in the field of religion which was for long been dominated by men.

Mitigating Global Warming Essay

Change in global climate became a widely accepted social problem in the last two decades. However, in those early days, controversies existed about the certainty of global warming; while scientist and environmentalist pointed out that the world was getting hotter due to the increasing release of greenhouse gases and other human activities, multinational corporations and some national governments refuted such claims, under the guise that there were no sufficient scientific evidence to support such claims (McCright and Dunlap, 2000). Fortunately or unfortunately, recent scientific evidences point, irrefutably, to the fact that the world is indeed getting dangerously hotter. The Stanford SOLAR Center defines global warming as the ‘gradual increase in planet wide temperatures, while McCright and Dunlap (2000) defines it as ‘discernable increase in mean global temperature resulting from the release of greenhouse gases produced by human activities’ (p. 499). Whichever way global warming is defined, the apparent truth, as has been voiced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the U. S National Research Council, the American Geophysical Union (AGU) and countless other bodies and research institutions, is that the globe is hotter than it has ever been in history and if nothing urgent is done, serious danger looms. The Problem In the early days when stories about a warming earth was first heard, there were several counterclaims and numerous challenges to scientist to prove that the earth was indeed getting hotter. In recent times, however, it is clear that the issue of global warming has passed that stage. There are now countless irrefutable evidences from both government and private interests to show that there is indeed a problem at hand. The Stanford SOLAR Center points out that it is certain now that the earth is presently the hottest it has been in at least 400years and possibly even over the last 2,000years. It has been shown that the mean global surface temperature has increased by an estimated 0. 5-1. 0 °F (0. 3-0. 6 °C) within the last century alone and this is documented as the largest temperature rise in surface temperature over the last 1,000years. The IPCC (2007a) also states that eleven of the last twelve years (1995-2006) rank among the twelve hottest years since record of global surface temperature started in 1850. They also stated that from 1900 to 2005, precipitation increased significantly in the eastern parts of the North and South America, Northern Europe and Northern and Central Asia and that the most significant increases were experienced from 1970 onward. To buttress this stand, the body pointed out that in the last fifty years, cold days and cold nights have been significantly infrequent, while hot days and hot nights have become more frequent. The frequency and intensity of heat waves and heavy precipitation events over land areas have increased globally, especially since 1975. Further, there is irrefutable evidence that the average Northern Hemisphere temperatures during the last half of the 20th century were the highest observable in any fifty year period over the last 500years and possibly the highest in the last 1300 years. All these hard facts point to the same conclusion; the earth is getting hotter, faster than any time in history and the trend does not look like it is ready to reverse. We have a grave global problem on our hands, which require urgent and drastic steps. The Causes Before recommendations can be made about how to go about mitigating this Herculean problem, it is pertinent to first provide a brief overview of the causes of this problem. In most studies and reports, the release of greenhouse gases (e. g. , carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons and their substitutes, methane, nitrous oxide, etc. ) have been severally indicted as the primary cause of the problem. It is important to know that these gases, especially carbon dioxide methane and nitrous oxide, are natural components of the atmosphere. These gases reabsorb the heat reflected from the earth surface, regulating Earth’s temperature, which is essential for life. However, since the industrial revolution of the 1700s, these gases have been released into the atmosphere in higher than normal concentration, thus offsetting the normal balance. Carbon dioxide is released from burning fossil fuels and other industrial activities, while deforestation and increasing land use, causes more nitrogen oxide gases to be released into the atmosphere. The increasing concentration of the gases in the atmosphere trap heat radiated from the earth, preventing additional thermal radiation from leaving the earth and thus excessively increasing the temperature of the earth’s surface (Global Warming, 2008; IPCC, 2007a; IPCC, 2007b). Another factor that has been indicted in the cause of global warming is solar variability; changes in the heating capacity of the sun. Studies on the sun activities have shown that the sun exhibit slight variation in activity. Although, this has been named as one of the factors responsible for global warming, there exists consensus that the role of solar variability, if present at all, is very minimal. Solar irradiance measured over the last 30 years has shown changes of only a few tenths in solar activity, and this depends essentially on the solar 11-year cycle. The NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), in this regard, states that â€Å"The Sun is once again less bright as we approach solar minimum, yet global warming continues. Eventually, we are left with greenhouse emission as the primary cause of global warming. Why We Must Act Now That the earth is warming up might sound far fetched to many, however, the report the global warming is already having its toll on, not just the environment, but also on plants and animal lives, will drive the point home. The IPCC reports that changes in snow, ice frozen ground can be attributed to global warming. Ice melting has caused sea levels to increase continually, with the resultant flooding experienced in several parts of the globe. The reduction in snow and ice cover over mountains and frozen ground and reportedly increased the number and size of glacial lakes, increased ground instability in mountain and other permafrost regions and led to changes in some Arctic and Antarctic ecosystems. Changes in algal, plankton and fish abundance can be linked to increasing water temperatures as well as related changes in ice cover, salinity, oxygen levels and circulation. And these are just a tip of the iceberg, of the results and pending results of global warming. To make matters worst, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that â€Å"with current climate change mitigation policies and related sustainable development practices, global greenhouse gas emissions will continue to grow over the next few decades† (IPCC, 2007a p. 4). The implication is that something better and more drastic needs to be done to curtail global warming. Recommendations The IPCC states rightly that a wide variety of national policies and instruments are available for the nation to create the right incentive for mitigation action. Since the primary and most significant cause of global warming has been identified to be greenhouse gas emission, several policy instruments exist to curb emission of the gases, at least to reduce the emission to reasonable limits. Government must set stringent regulations and standards for greenhouse gas emission. Large and small corporations must be enticed or forced (whichever is appropriate) to obey these regulations on gas emission. Taxes and charges can also be used to control gas emission. For example, setting a higher price for carbon emission will drive large corporations to look for more cost effective ways of disposing their waste or stay within their gas emission limits. Another modern way of reducing gas emission is through gas tradable permits. Companies that can efficiently manage their gas emission below their limits could sell such gas emission points to other corporations. Government can also provide incentives, such as subsidies and tax credits to companies that develop more efficient and better technologies of managing gas emission. This could drive large corporations to spend more on R&D as it concerns gas emission management. Governments might also enter into mutual agreement with industries, though it is reported that the majority of such agreements have not yielded any significant gas emission reduction, it should be hoped that better understanding between both parties created through such agreements would eventually pay off. Automobiles and other individual items also add to the greenhouse gas build up in the atmosphere, therefore, increased information campaigns about the dangers of global warming would increase awareness in the populace. This could help influence behavioral changes, such as increasing preferences for items that do not negatively impact the environment e. g. fuel economy cars. The impact of such changes might be difficult to measure, however any step, instrument or policies that could reduce greenhouse gas emission in whatever level or degree should be welcomed. Bibliography Global Warming (2008). Stanford SOLAR Center. Available at http://solar-center. stanford. edu/sun-on-earth/glob-warm. html (Mar 14, 2008). Goddard Institute for Space Studies (1999). Link Between Solar Cycle and Climate is Blowin’ in the Wind. NASA: New York N. Y. Available at http://www. giss. nasa. gov/research/news/19990408/ (Mar 14, 2008). Human Impacts on Climate (2003). American Geophysical Union. Available at http://www. agu. org/sci_soc/policy/positions/climate_change. shtml (Mar 14, 2008). Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC] (2007a). Summary for Policymakers. In: Climate Change 2007: Mitigation. Contribution of Working Group III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [B. Metz, O. R. Davidson, P. R. Bosch, R. Dave, L. A. Meyer (eds)], Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC] (2007b). Summary for Policymakers. In: Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Group III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [B. Metz, O. R. Davidson, P. R. Bosch, R. Dave, L. A. Meyer (eds)], Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA. McCright, M Aaron and Riley E. Dunlap (2000). Challenging Global Warming as a Social Problem: An Analysis of the Conservative Movement’s Counter-Claims. Social Problems, 47(4): pp. 499-522.

Case Digest Aglipay vs Ruiz

Facts: In May 1936, the Director of Posts announced in the dailies of Manila that he would order the issuance of postage stamps commemorating the celebration in the City of Manila of the 33rd International Eucharistic Congress, organized by the Roman Catholic Church. The petitioner, Mons. Gregorio Aglipay, Supreme Head of the Philippine Independent Church, in the fulfillment of what he considers to be a civic duty, requested Vicente Sotto, Esq. member of the Philippine Bar, to denounce the matter to the President of the Philippines. In spite of the protest of the petitioner’s attorney, the Director of Posts publicly announced having sent to the United States the designs of the postage for printing. The said stamps were actually issued and sold though the greater part thereof remained unsold. The further sale of the stamps was sought to be prevented by the petitioner.Issue: Whether the issuance of the postage stamps was in violation of the Constitution. Held: Religious freedom as a constitutional mandate is not inhibition of profound reverence for religion and is not a denial of its influence in human affairs. Religion as a profession of faith to an active power that binds and elevates man to his Creator is recognized. And, in so far as it instills into the minds the purest principles of morality, its influence is deeply felt and highly appreciated.When the Filipino people, in the preamble of their Constitution, implored â€Å"the aid of Divine Providence, in order to establish a government that shall embody their ideals, conserve and develop the patrimony of the nation, promote the general welfare, and secure to themselves and their posterity the blessings of independence under a regime of justice, liberty and democracy,† they thereby manifested their intense religious nature and placed unfaltering reliance upon Him who guides the destinies of men and nations.The elevating influence of religion in human society is recognized here as elsewhere. Act 4052 contemplates no religious purpose in view. What it gives the Director of Posts is the discretionary power to determine when the issuance of special postage stamps would be â€Å"advantageous to the Government. † Of course, the phrase â€Å"advantageous to the Government† does not authorize the violation of the Constitution; i. e. o appropriate, use or apply of public money or property for the use, benefit or support of a particular sect or church. In the case at bar, the issuance of the postage stamps was not inspired by any sectarian feeling to favor a particular church or religious denominations. The stamps were not issued and sold for the benefit of the Roman Catholic Church, nor were money derived from the sale of the stamps given to that church.The purpose of the issuing of the stamps was to take advantage of an event considered of international importance to give publicity to the Philippines and its people and attract more tourists to the country. Thus, ins tead of showing a Catholic chalice, the stamp contained a map of the Philippines, the location of the City of Manila, and an inscription that reads â€Å"Seat XXXIII International Eucharistic Congress, Feb. 3-7, 1937. † The Supreme Court denied the petition for a writ of prohibition, without pronouncement as to costs.

My Last Duchess and Othello: Striking Comparisons

In the dramatic form, be it monologue, dialogue or full theatrical scene, the author cannot step into the action to comment or interpret for us, as he can in a novel.   We must draw our own conclusions from what we see and hear, and this makes for powerful effects, as a character reveals him- or herself to us by what he or she says or does.   In the monologue My Last Duchess Browning misleads us with great skill before we realize that we are listening to a criminal lunatic.The dramatic force lies in the surprise we feel as the truth finally emerges.   In Act IV, scene iii of Othello there is again an agonizing irony for the viewer, who knows more than Desdemona and is of course impotent to help her.   Shakespeare works like a dentist without an anesthetic, and the pain for the audience derives from the unbearable innocence of the doomed Desdemona, who is surely something like the Duchess in Browning’s poem, helpless and bewildered in the face of a murderous insanity in her husband.Browning’s Duke sounds so sane!   He is wonderfully gracious and articulate – â€Å"Will’t please you sit and look at her?† (5).   As he tells his story he seems to weigh his words with great caution, as if he is quite free of the distorting power of anger or any other passion, and is keen to avoid any unfairness in his judgment: â€Å"She had / A heart – how shall I say? – too soon made glad† (21-2), â€Å"†¦but thanked / Somehow – I know not how – as if she ranked†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (31-2). He never raises his voice, and speaks with a measured confidence that quite takes us in.At first we might be tempted to believe that his attitudes are reasonable: â€Å"Sir, ‘twas not / her husband’s presence only, called that spot / Of joy into the Duchess’ cheek† (13-15).   His manner is restrained even as he hints at her infidelity.   The painter flattered her about her appearance, as of course he would, being a Renaissance artist totally dependent on patronage, but she was charmed by it – foolishly, the Duke suggests.   â€Å"She liked whate’er / She looked on† (23-24).   She was delighted by the beauty of the sunset, and the little tribute from the man who gave her the cherries, just as much as â€Å"My favor at her breast† (25).What he seems to be objecting to is her failure to be properly selective and aristocratic in her tastes.   This is a rather extreme sort of snobbery, but perhaps not unprecedented; we may not find it attractive, but we may accept it as a feature of a proud man. In Browning’s My Last Duchess, the murder is implied. It is not described in explicit terms as in Othello. In the lines, â€Å"Paint/Must never hope to reproduce the faint /Half-flush that dies along her throat† ,the speaker adores the ‘faint half-flush’ on his wife’s face that no paint could re-add and at th e same time leaves a slight hint that she had been throttled to death[dies along her throat].The intelligent monologue is enough to make the point overt and covert at the same time.All the time, Browning is luring us up the garden path.   We begin to detect the problem.   The Duke is immensely proud, a man of great heritage, while she is free of snobbery, charmed by the delights of the world and human kindness, and genuinely innocent. (Infidelity does not now seem to be the Duke’s concern.)   Then we begin to see how his pride is really pathological arrogance.   â€Å"Even had you skill / In speech – (which I have not)† (35-36), (he lies, of course) to explain your objection to her behavior – which is clearly quite â€Å"normal† – it would involve â€Å"stooping, and I choose / Never to stoop† (42-3).So, rather than speak to her about his dissatisfaction, which would involve impossible condescension by him, he chose to solve t he problem rather more radically: â€Å"This grew; I gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped altogether† (45-6).   It takes a moment for us to register what he did, so unbelievable is it and so evasively phrased.â€Å" †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..She thanked men,—good; but thanked /Somehow†¦.I know not how †¦.as if she ranked /My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name /With anybody’s gift,†-   the last part of the speech clearly brings forth the envy rankling in the speaker’s heart!The unbending pride of the Duke comes out through the turns of phrases of this part of this long monologue, â€Å"†¦.and if she let/Herself be lessoned so, nor plainly set/Her wits to yours ,forsooth and made excuse,/-E’en then would be some stooping and I choose/Never to stoop.†The Duke can hardly ‘chose to stoop’to give in to the childish demeanors of his beautiful wife.Again, jealousy seems to be prevalent in the tone of these words: â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..Oh ,Sir, she smiled no doubt,/Whene’er I passed her; but who passed without /Much the same smile?†Then having confessed to murder, or, rather, boasted of it, he continues his negotiations for his next Duchess, celebrating, incidentally, one of his favorite art works, â€Å"Neptune†¦ Taming a sea-horse† (54-5), the very image of the brutal control that he has himself exerted over his innocent last Duchess.The willow scene from Othello works differently, of course, because it is a dialogue, though it is the inner workings of Desdemona’s mind that the dramatic form reveals here, just as much as is the case in Browning’s poem There is an almost intolerable pathos about this scene because Desdemona is so helpless.   She has a good idea of what is going to happen – â€Å"If I do die before thee, prithee shroud me /   In one of those same sheets† (24-5) and is impotent in the face of her fa te.There seems to be no defence against the ruthless execution of Othello’s enraged will. She is in a sort of trance, a hypnosis of shock.   All she can do is wait for the end, and the pathetic simplicity of her reflections here is the sign of a wounded spirit in retreat from reality.   The tragic atmosphere is given additional poignancy by the occasional interruption of the everyday details of â€Å"undressing for bed†, the habitual continuing because there is nothing else to do in the face of the worst – â€Å"Prithee unpin me† (21).She continues at moments to pretend that this is just an ordinary night: â€Å"This Lodovico is a proper man† (35), not a comparison of Othello with her country forms, but a pathetic attempt at gossip. But her real thoughts emerge in the obsession with the willow song, which she cannot resist. It is the perfect mirror of her own fortune: â€Å"And she died singing it; that song tonight / Will not go from my mindà ¢â‚¬  (30-1). Like a detail from a psychoanalyst’s casebook comes the unprompted line in the song that gives away the deepest thoughts of the willing victim.–Let nobody blame him, his scorn I approve, —Nay, that’s not next.   Hark!   Who’s that knocks?–It is the wind.† (51-3)She corrects herself, but the absolute terror of realisation goes through her.   Compared with Desdemona’s helplessness in the face of the corruption of Othello, Emilia’s jokes have an immensely remedial health.   It is not a criticism of Desdemona, but it is a firm placing of trust in the human by Shakespeare.In Shakespeare’s Othello,the Moor can hardly be blamed for his rash decision of murdering Desdemona, who had been black-painted   by his ‘honest Iago’ and it was Iago again who had sown the seeds of jealousy in his mind. Desdemona pleaded her innocence at last and asked to call for Cassius but Othello ran berserk m addened by sexual jealousy.Othello could hardly be blamed for the attitude, as he was a Moor and unfamiliar with the ways and manners of the Venetian Republic. Naturally, he fell victim to Iago’s insinuations and committed the murder of hi beautiful wife, Desdemona, who was actually, innocence incarnate.In Act IV, sc ii, Othello in reply to Desdemona’s pleading innocence disgustingly cried out, â€Å"O Desdemona, away! away! away!†Desdemona , being totally unaware of the handkerchief she lost tried to reason with her husband, â€Å"Am I the motive of these tears my Lord?†It might have been possible that Othello could have turned deaf ears to Iago’s   vitriolic comments or aspersions cast on Desdemona, but as he was new to their society and culture, it became easy for Iago to prison him against his wife, a paragon of beauty.By way of rejoinder , when Othello speaks out, â€Å"Had it pleased Heaven/To try me with affliction ;had they rained/All ki nds of sores and shame on my bare head/Steeped me in poverty to the very lips/Given to captivity me and my utmost hopes/I should have found in some place of my soul/A drop of patience†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†and at last turns to the question of â€Å"complexion† , â€Å"Turn thy complexion thee..  Ã‚   †¦Ay there look as grim as hell!†, we find Othello a dejected, frustrated ,lost soul feeling small for being a Black Moor who was lien to the Venetian culture! Question of Culture and Identity assails him, no doubt!  Othello decided to put an end to the life of his unfaithful wife at last and as he uttered the words in Act V, Sc ii, â€Å"Yet, I’ll not shed her blood;/Nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow/And smooth as monumental alabaster/Yet she must die,else she’ll betray more men†,Did he not sound the same as the Duke of My Last Duchess who had been driven mad by sexual jealousy? The murder could not be justified, but , Othello was quite a lover and a compassionate person than the Duke. He needed evidence to prove Desdemona’s betrayal, he had to fight immensely with his own conscience to come to the decision of murder.As a person, Duke was cold-blooded, but Othello was emotional and irrational at he same time. If this had not been so,   â€Å"†¦I will kill thee,/ And love thee after.One more and this the last./So sweet was ne’er so fatal. I must weep/ But they are cruel tears ;this sorrow’s heavenly ;/IT STRIKES WHERE IT DOTH LOVE,†could he utter such words? The Duke of My Last Duchess was never so overpowered with emotions to give vent to his pent-up goodness. Did he have any goodness, if at all?In Act V, sc i, Othello is making his mind up to vent his rage upon Desdemona. Here he again finds enough reason to slaughter Desdemona. On hearing the footsteps of Cassius, he blurt forth, â€Å"’Tis he;-O brave Iago, honest and just†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦minion your dear lies dead/and your unblest fate hies, strumpet I come†Till Lines 31 of Act V   Sc ii, we find Othello raves and rails on the murder of Desdemona. Othello seemed to give a chance to Desdemona to prove her innocence by saying, â€Å"If you bethink yourself of any crime/Unreconciled as yet heaven and grace /Solicit for it straight.†But he meant the murder and perpetrated it! In Act III ,Sc iii, when Othello grows blind in rage provoked by â€Å"honest Iago’s† words, he finds every reason to kill Unfaithful Desdemona and utters, â€Å"Monstrous , monstrous!!†On hearing Cassio’s dream-mutterings on his secret affair with Desdemona, Othello got green with anger and envy and saw betrayal from the cruelest possible angle.He found terrible monstrosity in it, profound mendacity in the whole episode, running on the sly.When Emilia came after the murder talking of Desdemona’s profound love for her husband ,Othello could not keep his cool, he blurted, â€Å"O cursed slave!/Whip me ye devils/From the possession of this heavenly sight/Blow me about in the winds, roast me in sulphur/Wash me in steep-down gulfs of liquid fire†¦O Desdemona, Desdemona, DEAD!!†[Act V, Scii] Could we ever expect the Duke speaking in such touchy, sentimental terms after committing the murder?No, never!!!Works Cited1.Shakespeare, William:Othello, Arden, London, 1974.2.Young, W.T.:Browning’s poems,Macmillan, London, 1975.