The Environment of Crisis on the Nigerian Educational System

Comparative Education Volume 33 No. 1 1997 pp. 87 ± 95 The Environment of Crises in the Nigerian Education System CORDELIA C. NWAGWU ABSTRACT The Nigerian education system witnessed tremendous expansion between independence in 1960 and 1995. However, the rate declined after 1986 when economic depression resulted in the introduction of the Structural Adjustment Programme. A population explosion, frequent changes in the government due to military coups, a depressed economy and unplanned and uncontrolled educational expansion all created an environment of crisis in the education system.The crises included those of poor funding, inadequate facilities, admission and certi ® cate racketeering, examination malpractices, general indiscipline and the emergence of secret cults. Personnel management problems resulted in frequent strikes and closures and the abandonment of academic standards. The thesis is that any society which stimulates the uncoordinated growth of its education system and then fails to provide the necessary dedicated teachers, teaching and learning facilities and operating funds for staff and student welfare services, is creating an environment within which all types of problems and crises will ? urish. Lessons for other developing nations include the need for democratically elected stable governments instead of military regimes and better planning, funding and management of the education system. The National Policy on Education (NPE) It is necessary to examine brie? y the present system of education and its immediate past in order to appreciate the nature, causes and magnitude of the different types of crises in the system.The National Policy on Education (NPE) popularly referred to as the 6-3-3-4 system, was introduced in 1977 and then revised in 1981 (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1981). It marked a radical departure from the British system of education which Nigeria inherited at independence in 1960. Basically it adopted the American system of 6 years of primary education, 3 years of junior secondary school, 3 years of senior secondary school, and 4 years of university education. Primary education is free, but not compulsory.Junior secondary education is supposed to be free, but it is not yet so in any of the 30 states in the federation. The transition from primary to junior secondary education was planned to be automatic but many states conduct competitive entrance examinations since the available junior secondary schools cannot accommodate all the aspirants. A major emphasis in the NPE is the teaching of pre-vocational subjects to all students at the junior secondary level. The learning of Nigerian languages is also compulsory at the primary and secondary school levels.Much more attention is being paid to women’ s education and the teaching of science, technical and vocational subjects at the senior secondary and tertiary levels. Although many policy documents support decentralisation of the system of administratio n, there is an ever-increasing tendency towards centralisation of Correspondence to: Cordelia C. Nwagwu, Institute of Education, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria. 0305-0068/97/010087-09 $7. 00 O 1997 Carfax Publishing Ltd 88 C. C. Nwagwu ducational control especially as the federal government is called upon to assume a greater role in the funding of the education system at all levels. During the 1993 ± 1994 academic year, there were 38,254 primary schools, 5959 secondary schools, 55 colleges of education, 45 polytechnics and colleges of technology and 35 universities in Nigeria. Though some critics consider the above statistics inadequate for a country with approximately 100 million people, the number of institutions represents a phenomenal rate of expansion of the education system between 1960 and 1993.Indeed, at independence there was only one university college, one college of technology, no colleges of education (only 280 low-level teacher training colleges) and 443 se condary schools (Fafunwa, 1974). It is generally acknowledged that the system has developed quantitatively, but it lacks many of the ingredients needed for qualitative growth. The problems in the Nigerian education system which have reached crisis dimensions are direct consequences of the rapid, unplanned, uncontrolled and uncoordinated expansion of the system. Contextual and Theoretical FrameworkNigeria has been politically independent for the past 35 years. During this period, a democratically elected civil government has only been in power for 10 years. The remaining 25 years have witnessed military rule by different military regimes which seized power in military coups. All over the world, military regimes, which although they claim to be a corrective intervention, are usually seen as an aberration since they govern by force and not by the wish of the people. They tend to be unpopular, undemocratic, dictatorial, corrupt and unaccountable to anyone except themselves.In Nigeria, l ong periods of military rule have created problems of instability, uncertainty and degeneration on the political, economic, social and educational scenes. There are very many educational policies which are released in the form of decrees and edicts, but the policy implementation has been haphazard and quite unsatisfactory. Irregular and sudden changes in the government leadership result in good educational policies failing to be implemented in full or even started. In Nigeria there have been ten different governments since 1960, that is an average of one every 3. years. Many people have attributed the various crises currently plaguing the Nigerian education system to the poor and unstable national leadership, the ripple effects of which tend to hit education programmes and institutions hardest. For example, every new government prefers to start its own projects rather than to complete those started by its predecessors. Consequently, in many educational institutions, from universitie s to primary schools, we  ® nd uncompleted and abandoned buildings and other facilities.To make matters worse for the Nigerians and the education system, military regimes have no de ® ned mandate and duration, so the military of ® cers appointed by their seniors to administrative and political positions see their appointments as temporary. They have no constituency and, invariably, they are posted to administer a state other than that of their own origin. With little commitment to the people or to the development of the education system, they cannot afford the luxury of long-term planning. In this operational environment, the education system becomes very vulnerable to crisis.Moreover, in the view of MacKinnon (1960), it is unfortunately true that the opportunities for patronage and, in the Nigerian case, ethnicity and religion as well, will usually bring into power and government institutions people who have mediocre ability or who are more concerned with self-interest than w ith the welfare of the public and the education system. Therefore, the administrative style of the military governments in Nigeria has created a context within which ordinary organisational and managerial problems in the schools quickly turned into intractable crises.The military governments appeared more interested in exercisCrises in the Nigerian Education System 89 ing absolute control over the teachers and students, whom they perceived as potential troublemakers, than in intervening in educational problems which could not be settled quickly with decrees and edicts. This was especially so where the release of funds was involved. Educational planning has been described as the application of a rational, systematic analysis to the process of educational development so that national education can respond more effectively to the needs of individuals and society.Coombs (1970, p. 15) opined that although educational planning per se is not the source of policies and decisions, people who have such responsibilities need it to guide them. It is the argument of this paper that because the Nigerian leaders did not pay suf ® cient attention to educational planning, particularly during the long periods of undemocratic non-consultative military governments, they could not keep the intricate internal and external relationships of the educational system in a reasonable balance.As there were rapid dynamic changes in the social and economic circumstances of the country, the education system could not adjust quickly enough and so the environment of crises became inevitable. Whatever educational planning existed in Nigeria during the unstable and tense years of military regime exhibited the characteristics which Coombs (1970, p. 19) described as focusing on the mechanics and logistics of education rather than on the needs of the students and society. Such planning was therefore short-term in outlook, fragmentary in its coverage, non-integrated and non-dynamic.Moreover, the so cial demand approach to educational planning was emphasised by various governments in Nigeria, both civilian and military, for political and propaganda reasons. Thus, for example, the refusal to charge tuition fees in the universities and the policy of establishing a federal university and a polytechnic or college of education in every state in Nigeria were politically popular but educationally and economically irrational decisions. The policy was made when there were only 12 states in Nigeria.Now that there are 30 states, with the military government in the process of creating more states in 1996, the funding crisis in higher education is being further aggravated. Any education system that emphasises growth and expansion without due regard to the development of reliable sources of funding, an adequate supply of trained teachers for different academic programmes, infrastructural facilities to accommodate natural and stimulated increases in school population and a dynamic economy to absorb its graduates from the schools is laying the seeds that will, on germination, create an environment in which all types of crises will ? urish. Such is the experience of the Nigerian education system. Funding and Educational Development We can examine the crises in Nigerian education from two broad perspectives. One approach is to look at different periods in the development of education in the country and the major crises that featured during each period. This method was adopted by Ocho (1995) when he grouped the crises periods as follows. (1) The crisis of irrrelevance, 1842 ± 1954. (2) The crisis of unequal expansion, 1955 ± 1969. (3) The crisis of unplanned expansion, 1970 ± 1983. 4) The crisis of  ® nancial inadequacy, 1984 ± 1994. In this paper, we shall adopt the second approach which focuses on the crises which have plagued a given period. Here, we shall concentrate on Nigerian education in the last decade and a half, 1980 ± 1995, a period that has created alarm among educational administrators, parents, teachers, students and even the international community. The crisis of educational funding is a fundamental issue because critical shortages of 90 C. C. Nwagwu  ® nance have affected the organisation and administration of education at all levels.The oil glut in the world market in the early 1980s led to a sudden decline in revenue from petroleum products which had accounted for approximately 80% of Nigeria’ s income from exports. The consequences were immediate. The free universal primary education (UPE) scheme which was started by the federal government in 1976 was hurriedly handed over to state governments and the poor ones could not sustain the programme. Bursary awards for student teachers were stopped and subsidised feeding for students in higher education institutions was also abolished.The chairman of the Implementation Committee on the NPE, Dr J. S. Sofolahan, summarised the situation when he said in his 1991 report t hat `The National Policy was conceived in times of oil boom, born in times of oil glut, and nurtured in times of economic depression’ (Sofolahan, 1991). Chuta (1995) said it was important to note that there was a decline of 6% in real gross domestic product (GDP) between 1980 and 1990 and he referred to this as bad for the future of Nigeria.In 1994, the Central Bank of Nigeria reported that the money supply, particularly by way of de ® cit  ® nancing in the economy, increased from 5 N 24. 3 million in 1980 to over 5 N 64. 9 million in 1990. This led to tremendous increases in the prices of goods and services. The Nigerian currency was seriously devalued from the naira to US dollar ratio of 1:1 in 1985 to 85:1 in 1995. Neither individuals nor the educational institutions could cope with the rate of in? ation. Worse still, the federal government reduced its subvention to educational institutions.For example, while student enrolment in the universities continued to increase, the government expenditure per student declined from 5 N 3085 in the 1980 ± 1981 academic year to 5 N 3057 in the 1984 ± 1985 academic year, in spite of rising costs and in? ation in the economy (Akangbou, 1986). In 1994 ± 1995, the government spent 5 N 5000 per university student, but the real value in terms of 1984 ± 1985 purchasing power was only 5 N 500. The management of the education funding crisis has been very unsatisfactory.Basically, the strategy has been to pass the responsibility for  ® nding extra funds from one tier of government to another, and to ask parents to pay fees where none were paid before or to pay more where government subsidies had formerly been provided. For example, the annual tuition fees in state-owned universities increased from an average of 5 N 1000 in 1990 to 5 N 3000 in 1993 and then to 5 N 7000 in 1995 ± 1996. At the secondary level, the tuition fees, even in states that had free secondary education in 1990, rose from an average of 5 N 300 in 1993 to over 5 N 600 in 1995 ± 1996.To help pay primary school teachers’ salaries which were owed several months in arrears, the federal government established the National Primary Education Commission by Decree No. 31 of 1988. This was later abolished by Decree No. 3 of 1991, but was re-established by another government by Decree No. 3 of 1994. Another strategy to address the education funding crisis was the merging of some federal universities. However, the succeeding government, for political reasons rather than to improve the sourcing of funds, demerged them in the late 1980s and they exist today as separate universities.For their part, some institutional authorities embarked on the retrenchment of staff and a reduction in enrolments. These administrative decisions associated with poor funding created problems and shortages in the educational environment. Crisis in Facilities Management The inadequacy of the infrastructural facilities to cope with the very rap id rate of expansion in student enrolment is a major source of crisis in the education system. There are two main reasons for this situation. The  ® rst is a high birth rate of 3. % per annum, thus providing a relatively young population, with 48% of the total population under 15 years of age. The second reason is economic depression and in? ation which have made it dif ® cult to build new Crises in the Nigerian Education System 91 classrooms, maintain the old ones and buy new equipment. In 1985 ± 1986, there were 12. 9 million pupils in the primary schools. The  ® gure for 1993 ± 1994 was 15. 87 million pupils. During this period, very few new classrooms were built to accommodate the extra 3 million pupils, hence there is a problem of overcrowded classroms today.It was the same story in the secondary schools in the period 1989 ± 1994 as Table I shows. TABLE I. Classrooms and enrolments in Nigerian schools Primary schools Secondary schools Year Classrooms Enrolments Clas srooms Enrolments 1989 ± 1990 375,726 12,721,087 76,819 2,749,528 1991 ± 1992 377,439 13,776,854 82,930 3,123. 277 1993 ± 1994 447,859 15,870,280 104,693 4,032,083 Source: Educational Data Bank, Federal Republic of Nigeria (1995). The crisis of the shortage of the infrastructure and facilities is felt everywhere and at all levels of the education system.The library facilities and books are grossly inadequate and so is the provision of classrooms, classroom furniture, laboratories and workshops. Hostels are not available in some institutions, including universities. Where some are provided, the rooms are crowded with students. Chuta (1995) observed that the hostel room shortage had become so acute that a black market racket had developed. In many institutions, buses for students have broken down beyond repair, while even electricity and good drinking water are not assured on a daily basis.To address the shortage of facilities, parents are often asked to provide chairs, desks an d beds for their children in the primary and secondary schools. The government obtained a World Bank loan to purchase books and instructional materials for use in the universities and for secondary schools the federal government secures equipment for vocational workshops under a bilateral agreement with some East European countries such as Bulgaria. Unfortunately, some schools cannot install and use these because they lack the necessary electricity and/or water for their operation, as well as trained technicians to manage and maintain them.The objectives of the NPE cannot be attained in the absence of teaching and learning facilities. Indeed, the environment of the critical shortages of the infrastructure, facilities and services is a frustrating and crisis-generating one. Crisis of Indiscipline and Standards Critics from within and outside education are often locked in serious controversy over whether the standards in Nigerian education are rising or falling because they cannot agr ee on what the standards ought to be in the  ® rst instance.However, Nwagwu (1990) argued that minimum standards in education should be perceived as yardsticks for responding positively to the challenges of relevance, need satisfaction, quality and excellence in the education system. Therefore, any system that fails to meet the population’ s expectations of providing the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes they require to solve individual and societal problems, has fallen below the expected standards. This, in the view of Coombs (1968, p. ), implies subjecting the input into the education system, the programmes and processes and the education system’ s outcomes or products to critical analysis. In this paper, the standards in Nigerian education have been deliberately linked to the various acts of indiscipline that appear to be on the increase at all levels of the system. Three 92 C. C. Nwagwu major acts of indiscipline? admission rackets, examination of malpracti ces and secret cult activities? will be discussed. Admissions MalpracticesDue to the limited vacancies and high demand for placement into secondary and tertiary institutions, there is an admissions crisis, which in turn has affected standards for two main reasons. Firstly, the quota system leads to the rejection of many brilliant candidates and the admission of weak ones because of their place of origin and the connections they have with important personalities. For example, the Federal Ministry of Education formula for admission into the federal secondary schools is as follows: merit 15%, states quota 40%, environment (catchment zone) 30% and exigency (discretion) 15%.The formula for admission into federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education is merit 40%, states quota 30%, catchment zone 20% and discretion 10%. Secondly and arising from a down-grading of merit as a basis for admission, there is much racketeering during the exercise. Bribery, corruption and nepotism become agents that ensure admission of weak candidates and, at times, even of the bright ones who have lost faith in merit, fair play and justice.As a result of this situation, mediocrity and economic power take precedence over academic standards. Examination Malpractices Related to the admissions crisis is the desperate need to obtain certi ® cates and, consequently, the serious crisis of examination malpractices. Chuta (1995) identi ® ed four main strategies for cheating in examinations by the code names given to them in Nigeria by the students. (1) Life mercenary service by which an academically able person enters the hall and writes the examination for the real candidate. 2) Hall assistance whereby materials useful for answering the questions are brought into the hall with the collusion of the supervisors and invigilators. (3) Express service by which the real candidate sits in the hall while a hired person writes the examination outside and later smuggles the answer script s into the hall. (4) Super express service whereby the candidate is given the question papers in advance; the candidate writes the answers at home and then brings the scripts into the hall on the examination day.Alarmed by this development, the West African Examinations Council and other examination boards cancel thousands of students’ results every year and ban some schools from serving as examination centres. The students affected are expelled or suspended. The Nigerian Government also directed that offenders should face special tribunals under the Miscellaneous Offences Decree to ensure speedy trials and stiff penalties. An important step in solving the problem is to examine the environment that has created the need for these vices and crises in the education system.A proper analysis puts the blame on two main factors. One is the education system itself which puts so much emphasis on examinations. Worse still, the assessment of a student’ s performance is placed on just one examination either for admission to or for the award of a particular certi ® cate. Continuous assessment is still new in the system and it is not a part of the evaluation process for many examinations, such as the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Examination for entrance into the universities, polytechnics and colleges of education. Crises in the Nigerian Education System 93Another factor is that Nigerian society, as in many developing countries, places too much value on the possession of certi ® cates rather than on the acquisition of requisite knowledge and skills. Many students, therefore, supported by their parents and teachers, even resort to criminal activities (including membership of secret cults) to pass the public examinations which will secure these cherished certi ® cates and help obtain admission into higher institutions or employment. The bogus certi ® cates which many people carry about are, in essence, a manifestation of what Dore (1976, p. ) refer red to as `the quali ® cation ± escalation ratchet’ and `the diploma disease’ . In Nigeria today, students refer to their educational certi ® cates as `meal tickets’ . Their main preoccupation is with how to obtain the certi ® cate and not with how much knowledge and skill they have acquired from the teaching and learning experiences in their schools. Unfortunately, the educational environment has not fostered positive attitudes towards the acquisition of essential knowledge, values and skills as a condition for deserving an educational certi ® cate.With educational institutions very poorly funded and with great shortages of quali ® ed teachers, instructional facilities and materials, very little effective teaching and, hence, learning, takes place in the schools. Confronted by employers and a society that are so certi ® cate conscious and competitive entrance examinations into higher education institutions, the environment for admissions racketeer ing, examinations malpractices and membership of secret cults is properly set. Personnel Management ProblemsAfter independence, there was an unprecedented popular pressure to build more schools and to train more and better teachers. The government responded positively to this social demand for education without serious regard to a cost ± bene ® t analysis of the implications. Consequently, between 1960 and 1985, primary school enrolment increased  ® ve times and secondary enrolment over 22 times, while higher education enrolment increased 84 times. As expected, there was also a tremendous increase in the number and quality of teachers.Part-time and sandwich in-service programmes expanded between 1985 and 1995 and led to many professionally trained teachers with the National Certi ® cate in Education (NCE) and  ® rst degrees in education. As a result of this positive development, salaries and allowances have also increased so much that some state and local governments can n o longer regularly meet their monthly obligations to teachers. With poor and sometimes unpaid teachers’ salaries and allowances, the environment has been created for frustration, indiscipline, a lack of dedication to duty and frequent strike action among teachers at all levels.Bereday (1969) remarked that `Financing education is an under-developed and unimaginative enterprise’ (p. ix) and this is very true in Nigeria. Today there are overcrowded classrooms, overworked and underpaid teachers and double sessions particularly in urban areas, yet there are many unemployed but well-trained professional teachers. Hardly a month passes without either a group of primary, secondary or higher education teachers being out on total strike action demanding improved conditions of service.This disrupts academic sessions, breeds ill-taught graduates and retards educational development in the country. The quality of all education systems re? ects the quality, dedication and motivation of its teachers. If teachers are well-supported by the government and society, they can use their commitment and teaching competence to help stem the crisis of student indiscipline and examination malpractices and to reduce the impact of the shortages of facilities and funds. 94 C. C. Nwagwu ConclusionThis analysis of the condition of education in Nigeria shows that unplanned and uncontrolled expansion of the system, inadequate funding, corruption and poor management are mainly responsible for the many types of crises there are today. The organisational climate is not conductive to serious teaching and learning. This is because over the decades, particularly under the military regimes, Nigeria has pursued the policy of an unrestrained positive response to the social demand for education.Thus, within the education system germs of problems had a fertile environment in which to grow until they have become chronic diseases that now threaten the very existence of the system. The Nigerian Government appear to have ignored the important advice given by educators such as Dore (1976, p. 8) that the effect of schooling, the way it alters a person’ s capacity to behave and do things, depends not only on what is learned, but also on how and why it is learned and the environment within which it is learned. There are a few general lessons to learn from the Nigerian experience.The  ® rst is the need for developing countries to aspire to be governed by stable, popular, democratically elected governments which can develop long-term as well as short-term plans for the articulated development of the nation and the education system. Military regimes are arguably incapable of providing such leadership because the hand-picked military junta does not have the training and experience nor the mandate, time and temperament to operate in this way. Secondly, good policies that are haphazardly implemented can create crises.For example, the quota system of admission came into bein g in Nigeria to meet the demands of the `federal character’ provision enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This was designed to ensure an equitable representation of all parts of the country in all the federal institutions and the protection of minority and disadvantaged groups such as women. Unfortunately, the formula produced by the government of ® cials for the quota system neither ensures equity nor merit because of its defective formulation and worse still, its poor, dishonest and undisciplined application.The Nigerian experience highlights the point that supervision of the effective implementation of education policies is thus as important as their initial formulation. Thirdly, Nigerian experience suggests that the planning and management of the education system should be left to professional educators who arguably have the training, experience and, above all, the interest and commitment necessary to achieve the effective development of th e system and the attainment of both short-term and long-term educational aims and objectives.Fourthly, schooling is not synonymous with education and political leaders should constantly be made aware of this. Therefore, a situation in which young people are stimulated to go to school but are then denied reasonable facilities and opportunities for effective teaching and learning experiences is likely to lead to a crisis, not only in the education system but also for society as a whole. In Nigeria today, there is a crisis of con ® dence in the ability of the education system to tackle the many serious problems confronting it.Nigeria is at a crossroads where she must develop the courage to  ® ght problems which range from home to school and through society to government. The  ® rst major step is a recognition that the environment that has generated and supported the identi ® ed crises in Nigerian education must be changed if an operational climate that will ensure effective tea ching and learning is to be achieved. In the  ® nal analysis, however, what is needed most are more stable education policies which are faithfully implemented, better planning and the management and utilisation of whatever material and human resources re available for developing and maintaining an effective and ef ® cient education system. Crises in the Nigerian Education System 95 REFERENCES AKANGBOU, S. D. (1986) Financing Nigerian Universities (Ibadan, University of Ibadan, Faculty of Education Lecture Series, No. 2). BEREDAY, G. Z. (1969) Essays on World Education: the crises of supply and demand (New York, Oxford University Press). CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (1994) Statistical Bulletin, 5(1). CHUTA, E. J. 1995) Money syndrome, paper presented at the 10th Congress of the Nigerian Academy of Education at Abuja (Abuja, November 9, 1995). COOMBS, P. H. (1968) The World Educational Crisis: a systems analysis (London, Oxford University Press). COOMBS, P. H. (1970) What is Educationa l Planning? (Paris, UNESCO IIEP). DORE, R. (1976) The Diploma Disease: education, quali ® cation and development (London, George Allen & Unwin). FAFUNWA, A. B. (1974) A History of Education in Nigeria (London, George Allen & Unwin).FEDERAL MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (1990) Statistics of Education in Nigeria 1985 ± 1989 (Lagos, Government Printer). FEDERAL MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (1995) Educational Data Bank (Lagos, Federal Ministry of Education). FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA (1981) The National Policy on Education (Lagos, Government Printer). FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA (1995) Educational Data Bank Statistics (Lagos, Federal Ministry of Education). MACKINNON, F. (1960) The Politics of Education (Toronto, University of Toronto Press).NATIONAL UNIVERSITIES COMMISSION (1993) NUC Statistical Digest 1988 ± 1992 (Lagos, NUC). NWAGWU, N. A. (1990) The Concept of Minimum Standards in Education. Second Nathan Ejiogu Memorial Lecture, Nsukka, University of Nigeria. OCHO, L. O. (1995) A history of the crisis in the Nigerian education system, in: O. ANIMBA, P. OMOLUABI & O. ANOWOR (Eds) The Nigerian Education System in Crisis, pp. 55 ± 63 (Enugu, Amazing Grace Publishers). SOFOLAHAN, J. S. (1991) Chairman’ s Report to the National Policy on Education Implementation Committee (Lagos, Federal Ministry of Education).

Young Goodman Brown: A Self-Portrait

Nathaniel Hawthorne was undeniably interested in the roles of his ancestors in the Salem Witch Trials.   Much of his literature combines the elements of Puritan thought with the deeper, often evil desires of the human psyche.   Young Goodman Brown’s nighttime journey in the story of the same name is an allegorical re-visitation to the madness of the Salem witch trials.   Through this story, Young Goodman Brown and his journey become universal symbols for all mankind.Hawthorne juxtaposed 19th Century religious thought with 16th Century Puritan thought in several of his works, including â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†, whose title character represents, as his name implies, every man.   Ã‚  The religious thought of both the centuries in question operated on fear, which ultimately leads several individuals, under the guise of overcoming or even conquering their fears, into the world of evil.To Hawthorne, Salem was â€Å"the center of the witchcraft delusion, in the witc hing times of 1692, and it shows the populace of Salem Village, those chief in authority as well as obscure young citizens like Brown, enticed by fiendish shapes into the frightful solitude of superstitious fear† (Abel 133).     Brown, like all others of his village, is conflicted between accepting this fear and conquering it.   Unfortunately, for most, this battle has unhappy consequences.  Ã‚   Brown, as a representative for all people, is generally naà ¯ve and accepting, and thus ill-equipped to handle the terrifying night in the forest (Fogle 15).   After all, it is in the best interest of the Puritan religious leaders to keep people constrained under fear rather than behave after the realization that all people sin.Several symbols equate Brown’s journey to the journey of every individual who struggles with the conflict between religion and self.  Ã‚   The first is the forest, as a symbol for the dark and evil place where people are tempted to go. Brown , himself, is drawn into the forest, an archetype for evil and the unknown, for the reason presented above, as an attempt to overcome the fear brought on by religious dogma.   It is in the forest that he is exposed to his utmost fears and where he realizes the shortcoming of humanity.This realization begins with the temptation of man by the devil.   This devil â€Å"seeks to lure the still reluctant goodman to a witch-meeting.   In the process he progressively undermines the young man’s faith in the institutions and the men whom he has heretofore revered† (Fogle 17).   In doing this, Brown loses his ability to operate in the society of man and lives as a sadly disillusioned, miserable creature. According to Levy, he â€Å"is Everyman.   The bargain he has struck with Satan is the universal one . . . (117).  Ã‚   Thus, most people can relate to this type of demonic bargaining which has become a universal theme in literature.Anther symbol which connects Brow n to any human being is his stringent belief in another human being or institution – this time Faith, which represents both.   She is described as wearing a cap with pink ribbons, which suggest girlishness and naivetà ©. In this way, she is just like every woman Abel calls these ribbons â€Å"a badge of feminine innocence† (Abel 130).   However, when Brown finds the ribbon in the woods, separated from his Faith (and faith), the symbolic meaning of the ribbons changes.   Here, they signify a loss of innocence.   Fogle explains that the pink of the ribbons becomes deepened into the color of blood and fire which represents faith’s demonic baptism into sin (Fogle 24).  The tie of temptation and women hails back to the book of Genesis, and the realization of Faith’s supposed fall precipitates Brown’s loss.   Levy calls the ribbon â€Å"the tangible evidence of Faith’s desertion† (117) which parallels some defining moment in wh ich many people lose their faith.   This personalizes the loss for Brown, as it is for all people.As Brown traverses the forest, he encounters other individuals.   One, who looks strikingly like Brown, accompanies him for a while.   While the reader understands that this man must be one of Brown’s ancestors, Brown himself is blind to the similarities.   This man takes on the role of companion and implies to Brown that his own ancestors made a similar journey, which Brown also disregards. Their encounter with Goody Cloyse is symbolic for two reasons. First, the encounter has Biblical implications and second, it represents another moment if disillusionment for Brown.   The staff is mentioned several times in the Bible.   In one story Aaron throws his staff at the feet of the evil Pharoah and it turned into a serpent.   The serpent represents evil.   When the companion throws is staff at the feet of Goody Cloyse, it also turns into a serpent, indicating her evil nature as well (Hale, 17).This distresses Brown, who does not understand why his Sunday School teacher would be in the midst of the evil forest.   â€Å"That old woman taught me my catechism† (Hawthorne 303). The catechism was really the only source of literature about pious living other than the Bible.   Brown probably learned all about the sins of the flesh from Goody Cloyse and ironically, she is here in the forest of evil.   Brown continues to encounter other religious officials in the forest which parallels the astonishment and sadness of any person who discovers a religious icon has behaved in a hypocritical manner.Ultimately, Brown loses his internal battle.   The realization that everyone he had revered was not what he had imagined them to be forces him to give in to the evil of the forest wholeheartedly.   He screams out, â€Å"Come witch, come wizard, come Indian powwow, come devil himself!   And here comes Goodman Brown.   You may as well fear him as he fear you!† (Hawthorne 306).   Of course, the story ends with ambiguity.   Did Brown really witness a devilish marriage?   Did Faith really submit to the altar of the devil?   The reader and Brown never really know the answer to these questions.Once Brown awakens, all evidence is gone.   He returns to his Faith, his elders and his life.   Faith is once again adorned in her pink ribbons, which â€Å"†¦ suggest, rather than symbolize something light and playful, consistent with her anxious simplicity at the beginning and the joyful, almost childish eagerness with which she greets Brown at the end† (Levy 124).   Brown’s journey has come full circle.   Unfortunately, the reality does not matter as much as Brown’s interpretation of the events that may or may not have been a dream.   He is unable to reconcile his original conceptions of the people in his life (or himself) with what he experienced on his journey.  Ã‚   Though his life with Faith continues, â€Å"†¦ his dying hour was gloom† (Hawthorne 310).Clearly, this parallels with the experiences of mankind.   Disillusionment is prevalent, and it can cause misery, sin and even death.   Loss of faith in an individual or in an institution is devastating.   Many times this loss marks the person for life, preventing them from enjoying what life has to offer.   Acceptance of sin and corruption is very hard to take, especially of a loved one or a firmly held belief.Hawthorne clearly adopted the idea that â€Å"unlovely demons were everywhere, in the sunshine as well as in the darkness, and that they were hidden in men’s hearts and stole into their most secret thoughts† (Abel 133). Young Goodman Brown is indicative of every good man’s battle with such demons.   As the story implies, this battle is more often lost than won, but most people are able to continue living their lives in spite of this acquiescence to evil.   Som e, though, such as Goodman Brown, are not able to do so.   According to Abel, â€Å"such a battle often led to an inner despair.   They were constantly tormented because of the possible convictions and judgments of their peers.   This battle intrigued Hawthorne and he sought out its presence in Puritan literature† (133).     Ã¢â‚¬Å"Young Goodman Brown† is the story of all people’s inner battles.   Some win; some lose.Works CitedAbel, Darrel.   The Moral Picturesque:   Studies in Hawthorne’s Fiction.   Indiana:   Purdue UP,1988.Fogle, Richard Harter.   Hawthorne’s Fiction:   The Light and the Dark.   Norman:   U ofOklahoma P, 1952Hale, John K.   â€Å"The Serpentine Staff in ‘Young Goodman Brown.’†Ã‚   Nathaniel   HawthorneReview   19   (Fall 1993):   17-18.Hawthorne,   Nathaniel.   â€Å"Young Goodman Brown.†Ã‚   Perrine’s Literature:   Structure Sound and   Ã‚   Sense.à ‚   9th Ed. Arp and Johnson Eds. Boston:   Thomson, 2006Levy, Leo B.   â€Å"The Problem of Faith in ‘Young Goodman Brown.’† Modern Critcial   Views:Nathaniel Hawthorne.   Ed. Harold Bloom.   New York:   Chelsea House, 1986.   115-126.

Case Study Report - Introduction to Marketing Essay

Case Study Report - Introduction to Marketing - Essay Example They are efficient in their own term of making the product efficiently, however they did not have any proper marketing knowledge to launch their product. Here we try to help them by considering different issues to evaluate the market. What types of customers are able and like to buy the urban shack product is discussed by consumer segmentation. Here we try to find the group of customers, who will be their target customer. Next we try to identify the business segmentation of Eco Shack. Irrespective of the individual customers, in terms of B2B business that can be approached also the findings in this sector. The branding and positioning of the product also discussed here. What strategies will maximise the customer attraction is the main motto here. In pricing approach, the company is likely to use the cost based approach. What are the basic advantages and disadvantages of this approach is also discussed here.... Some may needed a spare room for their business, or accommodate study or for the older parents or children. As the New Zealander also love to go summer vacation in different destinations like sea beach or mountain, most of them are situated in remote areas, where they need accommodations. A shack which is a type of small, often primitive shelter can use for these type of needs. As the environment is changing one should consider the environment factor while considering the accommodations. As it authorised by the Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EFCA) new building developers increased the usage of insulation rating requirements. Mr. Dough who holds a diploma degree from National Diploma in Architectural Technology (NDAT), and Mr. Paul, who is a qualified welder have come up with two Eco products – Eco shack and urban eco shack. Eco –Shacks are 2.4 to 3 meters wide and varying length from 3.6 meters long transportable building. This can be easily transported by an He rb truck or by Helicopter. It also maintains the NZS3604 standard. With a minimum50 years of life, it has several features like it built on timer framing, eco-ply cladding, wind turbine, battery storage, composting toilet, phone and data connection, long run colour, steel roofing and many other features. It will cost around NZ$35,000 to $40,000. The Urban Eco Shack is having some more features like wool carpet, Sensor light, smoke alarm. It sized about 3.6*2.4 meter floor area with 0.9*2.4 meter deck. The unit cost will be NZ$12,500. However this has been advertised on Trade &Exchange and in The New Zealand Herald, the owner is unable to find any response. In the following areas we try to find different market segmentation. Consumer segmentation Consumer segmentation

Resource Project (Motivation) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7250 words

Resource Project (Motivation) - Assignment Example Carrefour is listed as the Europe’s leading retailer and the second-largest in the world followed by Wal-Mart. It was selected for this study because of its success and achievements in the world retail industry. In fact, more than 10 million customers annually visit Carrefour stores and 25,000 suppliers provide fresh food, grocery and other items such as small house-hold goods, textiles, home appliances (photo equipment, DVDs, sound and multimedia equipment) to these stores. Annual net sales at Carrefour amounts approximately 76,789million Euros of which forty-six percentage, proportion is generated in France and the rest from abroad. Fournier, Badin and Defforey founded Carrefour in France in 1959 with the purpose of â€Å"creating, acquiring and operating, in France and abroad, stores for the sale of all items, products, food and merchandise and, secondarily, providing within the said stores all services that may be of interest to the customers† (Carrefour 2012 p.272) . Now Carrefour is a multi-format, multi-channel and multi-local group, comprising of 9,994 stores in thirty three different countries in the Europe, America, Middle-East and Asia. Employee motivation is viewed traditionally as the â€Å"struggle to get more for less† because more the performance of individual employees, less the cost of salaries for the company (Perry & Porter 1982). Cutting down the number of employees however helped sustain some businesses during the last economic recession. It suggests the importance of improving the workforce productivity rather than hiring new labour. In a study conducted in Germany revealed the economic recession in 2009 affected employment in many companies. Some employers had modified employees’ working conditions and pay in addition to the employment levels and staffing measures. Example, 67% of respondents in metalworking and electrical industry, 53% of respondents in chemical industry, 47% of respondents in financial

Similarities and differences between Salvador Dali and Rene Magritte Research Paper

Similarities and differences between Salvador Dali and Rene Magritte - Research Paper Example Although these two were surrealists, they have several differences and similarities. The two are referred to as the representational surrealism’s masters. Everyone made use of his own way to make his work more impressing to the viewer. Rene Magritte’s painting work has a lot to talk about the sense of reality, the real things, and those that are not real. Rene Magritte used painting just as a tool or symbol to illustrate at least his views about the everyday world, and how painting relates to the world. On the other hand, Salvador Dali never dealt with the types of ideas relied on by Rene Magritte. Large piece of Salvador’s work tends to link with his struggle with the sexual power and symbols. The use of symbolism in his painting is the self-made idea or a sense of the outside world. Therefore, the simple landscape painting that symbolizes that landscape turn into a highly complex observation of his inner work of the mind, and the relationship that exists between reality and imagery. Rene Magritte insists that, the inner working of our minds is similar to the real outside happenings. This ring to be true comparing to the way both neuroscientists and psychologists have to conclude about the form in which our mind works. On the other hand, Salvador Dali never dealt with the types of ideas Rene Magritte relied on. Large piece of Salvador’s work tends to link with his struggle with the sexual power and symbols. Comparing the two artists, Salvador Dali highly concerted with symbolism and imagery of what his dreams comprised and fantasies.

Technological advancement or invention from 1815 to present Essay

Technological advancement or invention from 1815 to present - Essay Example Discussion Air conditioning was first conceptualized in the tradition of refrigeration. Refrigeration came about due to the need to preserve foods (Air Conditioning Systems). It was discovered that by keeping the temperature around food at below 4 degrees Celsius, it was possible to reduce the growth of bacteria and to prevent food spoilage. From the development of refrigeration, air conditioning came about. The basic foundations of refrigeration seen in 1824 indicated that liquefied ammonia could cool the air when it is evaporated (Air Conditioning Systems). These foundations laid the groundwork for the invention of the commercially available air conditioning units. The need for air conditioning was seen because industrialists saw the need to reduce air temperature in their industries. In 1902, Willis Haviland Carrier invented the first electrical air conditioning unit (Air Conditioning Systems). At that time, his invention was very much relevant in the manufacturing process of a pr inting plant where controlled temperature and humidity assisted in making the printing process more efficient because it maintained consistency in the paper size and ink alignment (Air Conditioning Systems). ... Carrier’s legacy was soon improved and conceptualized for its human suitability. However, not until 1928, with the discovery of Freon by Thomas Midgley, Jr. was the home use of air conditioning considered (Air Conditioning Systems). Freon was considered a safer and less toxic refrigerant. The invention of the Freon followed the more widespread of the air conditioner as its use was then seen in The White House in the 1930s; and in the 1940s and 1950s, its demand would continue to increase for many homes (Air Conditioning Systems). With these demands, the air conditioner also took on various physical changes, with its build being made smaller. Moreover, improvements to the technology integrated changes which included its applicability as a heating mechanism during winter months. Carrier patented his ‘apparatus for treating air’ in 1906. The term air conditioning was actually not Carrier’s term. It was coined and introduced by Stuart Cramer in a patent he file d in 1906 for a device he invented which incorporated water vapor to the air in textile plants (Bellis). Willis Haviland Carrier shared his Rational Psychometric Formula with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in 1911 and this formula is still being used in the air conditioning industry today (Bellis). Due to Carrier’s invention, industries were able to operate well because they now had the ability to control temperature and humidity levels while operating their machineries and carrying out their work processes. Different industries like film, tobacco, processed meats, medical capsules, textiles, and other products were able to carry out their processes well without fear of straining their machineries and other equipment (Bellis). In 1921, Carrier patented the centrifugal

Rabies Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Rabies - Research Paper Example This research paper outlines the rabies disease, its history, signs and symptoms. Rabies was well identified in Europe at some stage in the medieval times, and was in all probability transmitted to the New World, where it became widespread in North America and the West Indies by the eighteenth century and in the early nineteenth century it reached South America as well. Record of the disease in Asia is not well recognized but rabies has been in existence since the early times in China and India. Scientific studies on the disease were started in the year 1803 by Zinke who discovered the transmission of the disease by saliva. Louis Pasteur had developed the view that rabies is a disease of the CNS. Vaccinations were thereby worked on and gradually discovered over time. The time period between the initial infection and the onset of the symptoms usually takes around four to eight weeks or it may be a year at times, depending on the distance between the CNS and the site of infection. The initial symptoms in a rabies disease include fever, headache, fatigue, pain at the place of the wound, and even loss of appetite. Symptoms with respect to the two different forms of rabies have been identified. The symptoms of furious rabies include anxiety and agitation, neck becoming rigid, seizures, tears and saliva overproduced, convulsions, enlarged pupils, unusual understanding of light and temperatures, fear of water, insomnia, partial paralysis, hallucinations, abnormal mental clarity, and confusions.

Identify and explain both the immediate and underlying causes of Essay

Identify and explain both the immediate and underlying causes of stress in your life. Give clear, detail, derailed example that - Essay Example Some of the most common ways to handle stress include focusing on the cause of stress, working on what you can control, stop thinking about negative prospects, believe in your own abilities, and find pleasure in what you have. If I talk about myself, I would say that stress that directly affects my ability to think or react appropriately. In this paper, I will describe the immediate and underlying causes of stress in my life. The thesis statement of this paper is, ‘whatever the immediate cause of stress is, the primary reason or underlying cause behind all stresses in most of the cases is the way we perceive things’. Stress is a problem that does not have any particular reason to occur. It has unique reasons to occur for all of us (Koplow). It may occur due to personal life reason or due to some matter related to professional life. In my professional life, one of the main sources of stress for me is my manager’s order to deliver my work quickly. As Akrani states, â€Å"excessive work load leads to stress as it puts a person under tremendous pressure† (1). For example, when my manager asks me to upload completed work within a short span of time, I feel stress on me that not only affects the quality of work but also make me nervous at times. The underlying cause of this stress is often my own personal responsibilities due to which I cannot show required work progress. Because of this, the work continues to compile for me and ultimately causes stress when my manager asks me to deliver it. Less opportunities or chances of promotion in my company is also a source of stress for me that I often feel both at work and at home. I want to make a quick professional progress but in the company where I work, I have seen many people working on the same positions for years. I have the aim to reach one of the top management positions in whatever company I work. For example, if I am working in a call center company as a sales official, I would like to jump onto the position of sales team manager within weeks. I do not want to work for the same position for longer periods. Whenever I see some of my teammate or some other employee getting promotion to some higher level, I feel stressed. The underlying cause of this stress is again my own will to gain promotions as early as possible. It is obvious that one has to work hard for years or at least for a few months to get promotion. Promotion to the next level is not given on the performance of a few weeks in any company to anyone. I know this fact but still want to make quick progress, which is the underlying cause of stress for me whenever I see someone getting promotions. Here, I would also like to mention one of the main sources of stress related to my personal life. I cannot put up with criticism of any type from anyone. I want everyone to praise me in whatever I do and when I feel that someone is trying to teach me or guide me about something which, according to my own perception, I am doing right, I feel stressed. For example, while driving my car, I do not want anyone to instruct me how I should drive. It is my habit to drive a little fast. Often the traffic cops stop my car and say to me, ‘hey, how are you driving, don’t you know the way to drive?’ Such comments from others put me in stress. I know I should not feel such comments because the mistake is at my end in these types of cases but I start feeling pressure on my nerves. The underlying reason of stress in such cases is again my attitude of not accepting the criticism of others.

Marketing Strategies Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Marketing Strategies - Personal Statement Example It also highlights how Phil addresses the gaps that are present in products provided and customer expectations. Table of Content Executive Summary of the Marketing Plan 5 Company Introduction 5 Mission Statement 6 Branding 6 Pricing 8 Distribution Plan 10 Integrated Marketing Communication 11 Customer Satisfaction Plan 11 Marketing strategies 12 SWOT 13 Strength 14 Opportunity 14 Differentiation strategy 15 Be a leader of follower 15 Macro Environmental Issues 16 Significant Business Trends 16 Marketing Plan 17 Reference 21 Executive Summary of the Marketing Plan Phil has been planning to expand its business. Africa is having the maximum demand for electronic goods in the world so Phil has been planning to set up its base in this area. Phil is planning to launch both low as well as medium end phones in this market. Along with providing goods according to the requirement, Phil has been providing variety of services. Effective after sale services and repairs will help in the expansion of the company. The basic market plan is to produce only those goods that are of high demand. Provide good after sale services so that it can gather some loyal customers who would stick to the brand for a long time. The requirements of different markets are different so Phil has carried out an effective research of each product. The aim of the company is to become a market leader in future. The target customers need to be estimated and accordingly the profit and sales plan needs to be prepared. This would invariably help the marketing plan of the company. The marketing plan that it follows in the west is different from what it has been following in Africa as the taste and preferences differ from place to place. It needs to effectively execute its marketing plan for the success of the company. Company Introduction Phil Company Limited was set up on 12th April 2008. It is a private company which deals in manufacturing of electronic goods. Phil Samuel founded this company. The headquar ters of Phil Company Limited is situated in Cambridge, USA. There are two manufacturing sites in Kingston and Jamaica. Phil Company Limited is a manufacturing company in USA. The company is owned by Dick Harry, Phil Samuel along with 8 other partners. The products that the company manufactures consist of television sets, radios, micro waves, cell phones and computer hardware. Phil Company Limited has been in manufacturing business for the last 4 years. Phil Company Limited generally manufactures goods based on the orders from the various retailers existing in the market. The total employee strength of Phil Company Limited stands is about 2000, which include its sites in US and Jamaica. The company has been steadily increasing its market share in both domestic as well as international market because of the company's experience in this sector as well as the company's performance. The company is striving hard to increase its market share. Mission Statement The Mission Statement consist s of the purpose of the organization. The main purpose or mission of the organization is to become the leader in manufacturing as well as marketing the electronic goods not only in USA but throughout the world. The organization is trying to bind in the latest technology which would help in production of advanced electronic products which would carter to the requirements of the people and thus will be successful in its mission of becoming the largest manufacturer of electronic goo

Collapse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Collapse - Essay Example The paper will conclude with a critical evaluation f Diamond’s book and summarization of the main points discussed in the whole paper. The author has succeeded in bringing out his message in the book. He has discussed the reasons as to why many societies collapsed especially in the 13th and 14th centuries. Some of the reasons as t why the societies collapsed include outbreak of deadly disease (Bubonic Plague), changes in climatic seasons, and war. Due to the above factors, many people in the societies lost their lives and this led to the reduction of people in the society. There is also the discussion of how the societies were able to recover from the loss. For one, there was strengthening of the army which enabled strong defense against the members of the society. There was cultural survival whereby the culture of the Mongols was dropped and the societies embraced the Chinese cultural traditions. There was multiplication of population due to increase of birth rates. This made the society to replace the people who were lost during the war. According to Diamond, societies collapsed mainly in the fourteenth century due to the outbreak bubonic plague. Since the societies were crowded, the disease widely spread and caused lot of deaths to the people. The outbreak continued up to seventh century whereby by then it had claimed a lot of lives. The disease had spread and had covered most parts of Asia, Europe some parts of north Africa (Diamond 2011 , p. 350). In 1340s, merchants from Mongols and other travelers assisted in the spread of the plague along all the trade routes that were used by the Chinese people. By the year 1348, the disease had spread throughout the Mediterranean basin and most parts of Western Europe. The other reason for the collapse according to Diamond was the changes in climatic seasons whereby in 1300 B.C there was a continued cool season for five years. This made famine to ravage the

Unit 2 Equlity, Diversity and Rights Essay Example for Free

Unit 2 Equlity, Diversity and Rights Essay Discriminatory practice is infringement of rights. This means that you are not respecting individual’s rights or beliefs. (Mills, 2013) There are many ways that people can discriminate against others. Discrimination can involve making a judgement on someone; whether it be for race, gender, sexuality or disability. Discrimination is an unfair act based on prejudice. Sexuality: There are many different sexualities. These include straight, lesbian, gay and bi sexual. A service provider may discriminate against a service user’s sexuality. If a gay, elderly man in a care home needs to be washed, a male member of staff might refuse to do this because it may make him feel uncomfortable knowing the man’s sexuality. This would be seen as discriminatory practice. Disability: Many care homes have service users that may have a form of disability. This can be anywhere from a learning disability, to a physical disability. Some service providers may not approach the service user (if they have a disability) to inform them something, they might just approach the nurse/carer beside them. Service providers would do this because they wouldn’t know if the service user would be able to understand. This would be discriminatory practice. Age: In a Health and Social care environment, only people under a certain age may be allowed on day trips. This would be done and the activity could involve too much physical strength and ability for the elderly service user. This would be seen as discrimination to the elderly. Social class: In a health and social care setting, people may be discriminated against due to their social class. A service user may be treated with more respect because of their higher social c lass than someone who has a low social class. For an example, someone who was very successful in life may be treated with more respect be seen as more important than others. This would be discrimination against the elderly. Religion: In a caring and social environment, religion should always be accepted and respected. In some cases it is not. Because of stereotyping, a care/social worker may refuse to deal with a service user because of their religion. For example, if a service user is muslin, a service provider may refuse to deal with them, purely because of their religious beliefs. This would be seeing as a discriminatory practice. Describe the potential effects of discriminatory practice on those who used health or social care services All of the discriminatory practises stated above would have a huge, negative impact on the service users. Sexuality: Social workers may not recommended a foster family to foster children if they are a gay couple. There would be no reasonable excuse for this act. This would be discrimination against the couple. It is likely that this would strongly affect the couple and possibly ruin their self-esteem and their confidence. Disability: In the example stated before, by not approaching the service user directly, it is indicating that you think the service user is unable to respond to what you are saying. This is discriminatory practise. This could leave the service user feeling depressed, isolated and ignored. Age: In the example used previously, if you are leaving people over a certain age out of an activity, this is limiting them to what they can do. You are leaving them out of an activity, likely to leave them feeling lonely. This is unfair and discriminatory practice. Therefore the service user may end up feeling isolated (because they aren’t involved in the group) and lose self-confidence which could affect other areas of their life. Social class: An example of someone with a low social class feeling isolated would be a former prisoner who has now moved into a care home. Service providers may assume the worse of him and therefore treat this service user with little respect. This may cause the service user to become isolated. Religion: Another discriminatory practice would be sex. If a Muslim lady was in a care home, they could be discriminated against by insisting that they would have to be dealt with by a male service provider. Another would be to offer a menu with the main meat on the dishes being pork as it is against the Muslim belief to eat pork. This would not be respecting their religious beliefs and therefore would be discriminatory practic e. This could cause the service user to suffer low self-esteem (which means that someone is losing their self-worth and self-esteem), humiliation, and worthlessness. Asses the effects on those using the services of three different discriminatory practices in health and social care settings Sexuality: If a homosexual couple were recommended to not foster children, and this did cause them to lose confidence in adopting, it could lead to depression and anxiety at their status in society. They may then feel it necessary to hide their sexual orientation. This could then make them feel unworthy in life which could lead to severe depression. Social class: If a former prisoner in the care home did feel isolated, it wouldn’t be surprising if they may rarely join into group activates. This would ultimately lower their self-confidence and mean that they would withdraw more over time. If this was to happen, they could find themselves being depressed and having very low self-esteem. Religion: If a Muslim woman was forced to be treated by a male doctor, even after asking not to be, she would be unable to use the service, purely because of her religious beliefs. This would be discriminatory practice. She would then feel humiliated, which would ruin her self-confidence. If this happened then she may not have the confidence to use the health service again which could end up with serious consequences.

Republic Day Essay Example for Free

Republic Day Essay Republic Day is one of the three national holidays of India and the greatest festival celebrated in the country. It is celebrated every year on January 26, in New Delhi with great pomp, fanfare and pageant. While in the capitals of the States and other headquarters, it is marked with patriotic fervor. The most spectacular celebrations are marked by the Republic Day Parade that takes place in the capital of New Delhi at Rajpath. It includes march past of the three armed forces, massive parades, folk dances by tribal folk from different states in picturesque costumes marking the cultural unity of India. Further, the streak of jet planes of Indian Air Force, leaving a trial of colored smoke, marks the end of the festival. It was the Lahore Session of the Indian National Congress at midnight of December 31, 1929 January 1, 1930, that the Tri-Color Flag was unfurled by the nationalists and a pledge was taken that on January 26 every year, Republic Day would be celebrated and that the people would unceasingly strive for the establishment of a Sovereign Democratic Republic India. The professed pledge was successfully redeemed on January 26, 1950, when the Constitution of India framed by the Constituent Assembly of India came into force, although the Independence from the British rule was already achieved on August 15, 1947. It is because of this fact that August 15 is celebrated as Independence Day, while January 26 as Republic Day. The festivity of Republic Day concludes officially with the intriguing Beating Retreat ceremony on the evening of 29th January. This enthralling ceremony is performed by the military, the Indian Air Force, India Navy and India Army in the Raisina Hills, New Delhi, in front of the President of India as the Chief Guest.

Importance Of Story And Drama For Teaching

Importance Of Story And Drama For Teaching The purpose of this study was to determine the importance of story and drama as a teaching element in children literature. How do teachers scaffold childrens learning through story and drama in Turkey? Also what is the effect of using creative drama method on attitudes and reading strategies in Turkish lessons? In the study literature review and interview was used to investigate how much literature teachers apply story and drama techniques in their literature classes and how they are practical or useful on Turkish childrens learning who are studying in middle schools. Population of this research is Turkish secondary school teachers who have experience in story and drama teaching. As a sample, it was interviewed 4 middle school Turkish literature teachers to learn their teaching experiences and attitudes to research topic. Collected data was analyzed and consequently findings indicated that story telling and creative drama methods had significant effect on make and begin and carry on a relationship, self control social skills and learning well by experiencing in Turkish lessons. INTRODUCTION Childrens literature is for readers and listeners who are about 2-14 years old. Childrens literature is a resource no literature teacher can do without. This study investigates a sample of pieces that are middle schools Turkish children literature according to scaffolding childrens learning through story and drama. Scaffolding is a well-known metaphor widely used in education and language teaching to describe the guidance, collaboration and support provided by teachers to lead children to new learning (Read, 2006). Stories and drama share a number of features, which make it natural to integrate and combine them in scaffolding learning during language lessons with children (Read, 2007). When working with children, storytelling and drama techniques can be integrated and combined in multiple ways to provide robust and flexible scaffolding. This underpins and props up childrens learning in initial stages. It also provides appropriate support as they gain in confidence, and opens the way to new learning and the internalization of language and skills in enjoyable and creative ways (Read, 2006). Then what is literature? Literature is thought, experiences and imagination shaped into oral or written language that may include visual images. Children learn best in social situations, when content is meaningful and is interrelated. And literature is so available for these applications. Research Questions are; What are the importance of story and drama as a teaching element in Children Literature in middle schools especially based on life experiences of Turkish Language and Literature (TLL) teachers? How do you scaffold as a teacher to childrens learning through story and drama in secondary schools? How children literature scaffolds their effective learning by using drama and story in Turkish lessons. It could be analyzed effects of drama technique examining by how the effect of the creative drama method on the attitude and reading strategies in Turkish teaching, effects of creative drama method on the reception of some social skills, and evaluation of the attitudes of the Turkish teacher candidates towards creative drama. On the other hand, it could be analyzed effects of storytelling technique examining by evaluation of the attitudes of the Turkish teacher candidates towards children literature and children literature course, the function and importance of tale in language acquisition cultural worth instruction process, evaluation of the attitudes of parents who have 4-10 Years old children towards children literature and children books in Turkey. It was considered to analysis and combine effects of story and drama based on these topics. LITERATURE REVIEW In this study literature review and interview was used to investigate how often literature teachers apply story and drama techniques in their literature classes and the researches that have already been done about the topic how they are practical or useful on Turkish childrens learning who are studying in middle schools. On this research project topic, there was no specific thesis or research that points out directly this study which includes both story and drama features. For this reason, it is preferred that to classify and analysis each researches that have already been done about the topic. By this way, it was considered to analysis and combine effects of story and drama, attitudes of Turkish teachers, Turkish teacher candidates, and parents to story and drama. Thats why; it was analyzed that 6 of studies are on the effects of children literature that 3 of them are directly related with drama and 3 of them are related with story during Turkish Language lessons with children. Thes e studies contains well studied on research methodology, sample or population, and evaluation etc. After analyzing of collected data consequently findings were combined and indicated that story telling and creative drama methods had significant effect on make and execute a work with a group, begin and carry on a relationship, self control social skills and learning well by experiencing in Turkish lessons. Examined research studies are chosen from especially from Turkish educators intentionally to analyze how often they use and how are practical or useful on Turkish childrens learning who are studying in middle schools. Because of there was no specific thesis or research that points out directly this study it is chosen to inform two most closest researches to this research project topic in drama and story head topics. The first one is done by Fatma KÄ ±rmÄ ±zÄ ± Susar, Pamukkale University in Denizli Turkey, in 2008. This article was efficient to identify the effects of using creative drama method on attitude and reading strategy in Turkish lesson. Drama has a language all of its own and draws on various forms of literacy. Students develop literacy skills in many ways through the range of activities they participate in during the drama class. In the study experimental design with pre and post test control group was used. There were 75 fourth grade students (female=37, male=38) in Turkish classes. The study was conducted in a primary school Ä °zmir, Buca, during 2005-2006 education year and lasted seven weeks in data collection, reading comprehension attitude was reading scale and reading strategies scales was used. In the experimental group creative drama technique, in the control group Turkish course teaching program was applied. In data analysis Mann Whitney U-test were u sed. This test can be used for very small samples. It can also be used when the variable being recorded is measured using an arbitrary scale which cannot be measured accurately (e.g. a color scale measured by eye or a behavioral trait such as aggression), (Billiet 2003). As a result, creative drama method was more effective on using reading comprehension strategies than Turkish Lesson teaching program group. The second research study is done by Hasan BaÄÅ ¸cÄ ± in 2007. This study had take place in National Education Journal which is published by Turkish Ministry of Education in Ankara. This study gave a direction to this research project because it was the closest study to this research. And also it helped to this study to examine attitudes of the Turkish teacher candidates towards children literature and children literature course based on story books and storytelling on lessons. The purpose of the study was to investigate the attitudes of the Turkish teacher candidates towards children literature and children literature course. A 35 item children literature attitude scale prepared to find out attitudes of the Turkish teacher candidates towards children literature and children literature course was given 180 third year students at the Turkish Teacher Department of the Faculty of Gazi Education, Gazi University in 2004-2005 academic years. It was found out that attitudes of the Turkish teacher candidates towards children literature and children literature course are generally positive. The findings were evaluated on three dimensions according to the gender, teaching program and lesson success marks towards the results of the research. There were no significant gender differences found between male and female candidates and the type of teaching program (primary program or secondary program) attitudes towards children literature. Nevertheless, there is a significant difference in attitudes of the Turkish teacher candidates towards children literature and children literature course with respect to children liter ature lesson success based on grades. As a result, it was seen that using story and drama techniques in literature lessons are effective if it is done by systematically. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research Design: In this study interview was used to know how much literature teachers apply story and drama techniques in their literature classes. Four middle school Turkish Language and Literature teachers were interviewed to learn their life experiences, case problems like learning difficulties, comprehension skills and effects of using story and drama on childrens learning in middle school. It was determined that how were the teachers attitude towards using story and drama in their lessons. There were some Turkish lesson researches that have already been done about this research beside these studies and it was found that if teachers use them effectively in classes they were so practical or useful on Turkish childrens learning who are studying in middle schools. The advantage of interview was that the researcher could adapt the questions as necessary, clarify doubt and ensure that the responses are properly understood, by repeating or rephrasing the questions. Especially in my research project the literature teachers attitude to the importance of story and drama as a teaching element in Children Literature was so essential because the research project would both study on literature review and teachers life experiences. Sampling: The research project was related to the Turkish Language and Literature teachers who have experiences about teaching in middle school classes. Thats why; 4 following TLL teachers were interviewed about the topic. Population of this research was Turkish secondary school teachers who have experience in story and drama teaching. As a sample it was chosen to interview 4 middle school Turkish literature teachers to learn their teaching experiences and attitudes to research topic. The limitation of this study was having limited sample to interview. Yet, to recover this limitation the teachers are tried to chosen variously cities, schools, genders, teaching experiences. The interviewed teachers and interview questions are shown below: A Female, 30 years Turkish Teacher in TED Ankara College, Ankara. B Female, 8 years Turkish Teacher in BLIS College, Ankara. C Female, 3 year Turkish Teacher in Private Istanbul College, Istanbul. D Male, 15 years Turkish Teacher in Iskenderun Public School, Hatay. Interview Questions: Do you use story and drama to catch childrens attention to literature class in middle schools? And how often do you use them? What are the beneficial activities do you use in childrens literature in middle school? What are the limitations about using these activities in class environment? According to your experiences, in which ways this age group of children do learn best? Could you give a specific example on this topic according to your teaching memories? DATA ANALYSIS In this study, for data analysis it is preferred so separate questions and answers topic by topic that according to the teachers who are interviewed on storytelling and drama techniques to scaffold childrens learning. 3 teachers answered about using story and drama to catch childrens attention usually at the beginning of the lesson to catch students attention, interest, and curiosity. Just 1 teacher said that he uses rarely based on students motivation and amount of the class but he informs that he was working in a public school and amount of the classes were so high. Yet he added also using this activities sometimes help students social and communal. Using beneficial activities teachers answered this question in groups of shown below: Memory nails (1) Novel rooms (2) Empathy model (1) Hot seat play (3) Role playing (4) One teacher answered she uses Memory Nail activity which is efficient when analyzing story or novel in class. The activity aims creativity and subjectivity. Teachers want from students to produce a scene from story or novel using significant objects, characters, images which are take place in story. It could be done in a shoe box in 3 dimensions or if opportunities are limited students could prepare a poster too. Two teachers, who are working in a private school, informed that they were using Novel Rooms to make students engage with the lesson. Each student brings an object that take place in the novel and they produce a room then students talk about why they choose this object and its importance for the novel. One teacher said that we usually use Empathy Model when we are analyzing the characters of novels or stories. Hot seat play was the one of the popular activity that teachers informed. It was building an empathy with the character of novel. Four all teachers informed them all u se role playing especially in drama texts to encourage students to be social and communal. It was realized that like each activity was up to teachers creativity. Teachers could change or add something to activity according to students learning needs. Almost all teachers agree that these techniques if they are well-applied arouse interest; attention and curiosity of students and that make vocabulary memorable more easily. Most of teachers said that they made pupils think from within the story and explore significant issues. By using guided questioning techniques, children think about the implications of the characters actions and analyze their behavior. They all referred to that is a kind of transferring action that gives children an opportunity to relate and apply their understandings from the story to their own lives. Although there are so much positive effects of story and drama, it is referred that there are also limitations about using it. First of all, three teachers agreed that if the class is crowded, it is hard to control the class according to class management. Four all teachers agreed that keeping students on task is also difficult when they are using these activities. Yet in contritely teachers agreed that children learn easily because of these techniques are playful and so engage with their real life. Thats why; they suggests about arranging the class atmosphere by using preparatory work before using these techniques. These preparatory works could be small games and activities connected with story and drama. As another point, it is said that, public schools are so willing about using these techniques but they are less trained about this issue. By this way, they wanted to improve themselves and investigate. They found 2 different and interesting events about this issue. At that time, I as a researcher learned a different thing almost at the end of this study. One of them is a research center in Ankara University called Child and Young Literature Application and Research Center. (Ankara ÃÅ"niversitesi, Çocuk ve Genà §lik EdebiyatÄ ± Uygulama ve AraÃ…Å ¸tÄ ±rma Merkezi (ÇOGEM)) and the other is an International Storytelling Conference which was April, 9th 2011 in Istanbul. It is hoped that this kind of works helps teachers and students. There are the web site addresses of these events at the end of references section to look at in detailed. CONCLUSIONS In this study, it was realized that stories and drama share a number of features (Read, 2007), which make it natural to integrate and combine them in scaffolding learning during language lessons with children. As research topic scaffolding describes the guidance, collaboration and support provided by teachers to lead children to new learning, it is preferred to show conclusion part, synthesis of data analysis and literature review, could be shown below point by point like a ladder. Using storytelling and drama techniques help; Attention, interest, curiosity at the beginning of the lesson. Using storytelling and drama techniques help catch students attention, interest, and curiosity at the beginning of the lesson. Increase students motivation Motivating students can be a challenging in sometimes, for example there are so many technologies and distractions that adolescents have. Make students engage with the lesson Children are encouraged to engage with the lesson through prediction, hypothesizing and using their imaginations. Make students social and communal Both stories and drama are take place in classes. They makes students increase their social skills such as cooperation, collaboration, listening. Multiple intelligences Stories and drama provide opportunities for students to use different combinations of their Multiple Intelligences. Connection with daily life It was oblivious that students learn best when they make connection with their daily life because they are concreting the abstract information. Transfer previous information This stage gives children an opportunity to recall and transfer their previous information. Internalize The final stage and desired outcome is that children internalize information from story and drama.

Christopher Marlowe :: essays research papers

Christopher Marlowe Many major and influential authors emerged during the Renaissance. Among these talented individuals was Christopher Marlowe. Marlowe and his fellow writers of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, impacted the course of writing, which preceded their life. Their works continue to be read and studied by numerous people, to this day. Christopher Marlowe was a dominant English poet and playwright, who perhaps was William Shakespeare’s most important predecessor in England (Britannica 917). Of all writers in the Elizabethan era, he was perhaps the most dashing, tempestuous, and appealing (Microsoft Encarta). Although Marlowe was considered the most important dramatist, prior to Shakespeare, his entire career as a playwright lasted only six years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marlowe was born on February 6th, 1564 in Canterbury, England. His father, John Marlowe, was a shoemaker and tanner. His mother, Catherine Author, was the daughter of a clergyman. Marlowe attended Kings School in Canterbury, England. At Kings School, he received a very regimented education, which was considered one of the best available during that time. The school day began and ended with a prayer at six am and five p.m. respectively. In addition to daily instruction in religion and music, they also sang the morning mass in the Cathedral. The boys were allowed to speak solely in Latin, even while at play. He was granted a scholarship, established by Matthew Perry, to attend Corpus Christi College in Cambridge. (Gale Research) After receiving his BA in 1584, he became known as “Dominus'; Marlowe(. At age twenty-one, his motto was “That which nourishes me, destroys me'; (Kunitz 823). This statement foretold and shaped his writing style. From thereafter, many absences from the university were recorded. In 1587, he was allowed to obtain his Masters, only after the Privy Council sent a letter to the university making it very clear that his service to the government had frequently taken him abroad. He left Cambridge after six and a half years of study with the intention of taking holy orders and entering the Anglican Church, as ordained by his scholarship. However, instead he entered the government service, as an agent. In edition, Marlowe became a playwright for the London theatres. As an occasional actor in 1589, Marlowe maintained his role as a regular dramatist for the Lord Admirals Company. He also wrote for The Earl of Nottinghams Companies. Marlowe was often in trouble with the law, and little is known about his life, aside from his writings.

The Development of the Ideas Needed to Create an Atomic Bomb Essay

The Development of the Ideas Needed to Create an Atomic Bomb I. Introduction Where did the atomic bomb come from? In this paper, I will look at the development of the ideas needed to create an atomic bomb. Specifically, what did scientists need to know for them to theorize that a cataclysmic explosion would result when a critical mass of certain elements undergo a chain reaction of nuclear fission. However, I will only look at scientific ideas generally, as they progressed towards fission. This development of ideas was propelled by genius, persistence and tenacity, coupled with flashes of insight into the nature of the universe. We see that this development is tied closely to the ability to free the teathers of erroneous paradigms and build better models of the universe in their place. We will be concerned, principally, with the development of physics. Einstein wrote the following on the definition of physics: "What we call physics comprises that group of natural sciences which base their concepts on measurements; and whose concepts and propositions lend themselves to mathematical formulation." (Weaver, 78) Although physics today is more focused, this is the basis of all science. One of the first groups of people to freely think about the universe and make an attempt to explain their world scientifically were the Greeks. II. The Greek Ideology The Greek's investigation of science demonstrate that their minds were on par with the best of this era, specifically Aristotle (384 - 322 B.C.), who formed many brilliant theories. He, along with others, put the theories into sophisticated form that created the basis of scientific thought for close to two millennia. In his universe were four "elements": Earth, Water, Air, and Fire. The Earth was the common center of all the solid materials and had a natural place as the center of the universe. If all the solid material sought a location as close to the center as possible, then the Earth had to be a sphere. He had likewise ordered the other "elements" into spheres. Water had its natural place on the surface of the sphere Earth. Air had its natural place on the surface of the sphere Water. Fire had its natural place outside the sphere of Air. Observations corresponded to this view of the universe. However, he performed no experiments. He stated that heavier objects would want to move faster tow... ...tion to the Atomic Age", (Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press, 1991) Weart, Spencer R., "Nuclear Fear", (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard Press, 1988) Weaver, Jefferson Hane, "The World of Physics", Vol 1 (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1987) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bibliography Asimov, Issac, "The History of Physics", (New York: Walker and Company, 1983) Taylor, John R.; Zafiratos, Chris D.; "Modern Physics for Scientists and Engineers", (Engelwood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1991) Sachs, Mendel, "Einstein Versus Bohr", (La Salle, Illinois: Open Court, 1988) Segre, Emilio, "From Falling Bodies to Radio Waves", (New York: W. H. Freeman and Company, 1984) Segre, Emilio, "From X-rays to Quarks", (New York: W. H. Freeman and Company, 1980) Stoff, Michael B.; Fanton, Jonathan F.; Willans, R.; "The Manhattan Project: A Documentary Introduction to the Atomic Age", (Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press, 1991) Weart, Spencer R., "Nuclear Fear", (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard Press, 1988) Weaver, Jefferson Hane, "The World of Physics", Vol 1 (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1987)

Movie: Disaster At Hillsborough :: essays research papers

Movie: Disaster at Hillsborough Summary The movie "Disaster at Hillsborough" showed the complexity of a stampede. From the build-up of people outside the gate, to the disaster that ended in the death of 95 people. The film started out outside the stadium where 95 people died at a soccer game. The stadium was not equipped for the masses of people to show up all at the same place at the same time. According to the officer interviewed there was no plan in case of an emergency and no problems anticipated. The atmosphere outside the gates was pleasant and people were looking forward to a good game. The stampede started when the people in the rear realized that the game was to start before they were going to get in. The stampede could possibly been averted if the kickoff were delayed but the man "in charge" refused to delay. Just as at the "Who" concert the people in the rear of the line were in an acquisitive panic to get into the stadium. This pressure was recognized by the police in the front of the line and due to poor communication nothing could be done to stop it. A large gate "gate C" was finally opened to let off the pressure in front. This is when the true disaster occurred. People funneled straight onto the already full pens and created the stampede which killed the 95 people. People in the rear were in an acquisitive panic and the people in the front who were getting crushed were in a fearful panic. The emergency gates would open but the police, not realizing the situation, kept people in and closed the gates. Critique This example could not be anymore perfect to show a stampede and panic. All four components were met. (1) Partial entrapment; the reality is complete entrapment. As at the Who concert the only avenue of escape was blocked by the police. (2) Perceived threat; this comes from both ends of the panic. The people at the rear were threatened by the fact that they would miss the kickoff of the game or even not be able to get into the game. The people at the front were facing the threat of being crushed. (3) The partial breakdown of escape routs is obvious from the front. The gates to get out were blocked by the police and there was a high fence blocking everyone on all sides except the tunnel which was blocked by people trying to get into the pens. (4) Front to rear communications breakdown occurred when the people at the fence realized the

Goya foods Essay

Started in 1936, Goya food is more famous in the American market where it has targeted the diverse Hispanic market the in the new markets it is targeting. With its headquarters in Secaucus, New Jersey the company deals in canned foods and other food products such as juice and cooking oil. Some of the major brand names in the market are extra virgin oil, Paela, Adobo and an assortment of designed recipes and mixes for the market. These products are spread out in four major industries †¢ Bakeries †¢ Beverage manufacture and bottling †¢ Coffee and tea manufacturing Fruit and vegetable processing †¢ Meat and food products processing †¢ Cereals and other foods processing Conrad Colon, the group’s marketing director says that the idea behind their vesting into different food products such as beans and rice is to transform ordinary products to Goya specials (Luther, 2008, pp 69). Ranked number 366 in the Forbes magazine largest private companies the company has shown that it is on its way from climbing form the small enterprises category to one of the top 20 multinationals. The firma has grown over time in size and form. At the moment the company is using its success in the American and South American market as a motivation to launch its products in the Asian market such as Singapore and Taiwan, Malaysia and Hong Kong otherwise known as the Asian tiger economies. These economies are currently experiencing very high economic growth. Consumer spending is on the rise as the welfare of the society improves (Thang, 2008, pp 28). Competitive analysis Goya Foods is to enter the market at the height of its success as a brand offering something more than the common. Its brand is synonymous with creativity in recipes (Luther, 2008, pp 67). In addition to this, Luther (2008 says that the company has transformed canned beans to more than canned beans to Goya beans. He notes that this is the notion that the company is riding high on: brand identification with quality and customer loyalty. Goya Foods, which had revenues of $713 million last year, has become synonymous with Hispanic packaged products of every persuasion. He cites the case where retail outlets and supermarkets have transformed form labeling Hispanic food aisles as so to Goya foods. This is against the traditional labeling systems where aisles are labeled as â€Å"Asian foods†. Of this, Conrad says â€Å"We have been selling our products for 60 years, so that some of our products, like our black beans, fruit nectars and olives, have become part of the culture†. The company has reciprocated this embrace with recognition of Hispanic culture such as celebrating the Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York. Advertising and promotion is done both in English and Spanish even in their websites (Telvin, 2006 pp110) Moving on to the culturally rich market could then be a turning point for the company and the market if the entry to the market is well strategized and the timing is correct. This gives the company a competitive advantage in that the markets in Asia have traditionally been shaped by the Asian culture. Making a move into the market would appear to critics as â€Å"banging your head on a wall. † This is more so because China has dominated the processed foods market in China and has manage to penetrate the US and European market. The strength of this growth in the market for Chinese products is pegged on low pricing other than brand name and quality. However, Colon sees this as a marvelous opportunity to challenge the status quo and introduce another culture in the market. He believes that the same cultural experimentation that has taken place in the US can be replicated in Asia using the right marketing strategies. He says their strength lies in the identification of the company’s brand name with Hispanic culture which is very important in targeting the culturally adventurous market in that region. Therefore, Goya’s entry into the Asian market can be viewed as a cultural export form the Hispanic world. Telvin (2006, pp112) sees that the 2005 donation by Goya foods to tsunami victims in South East Asia as courting strategy in the region before the marketer makes a lurk into the market. Goya Foods recognizes their major competitors in the American market are Del Monte, Can Agra and Kraft foods as shown in the company’s website. Del Monte is one of the largest competitors with a global presence well represented in Asia by its Del Monte Pacific branch. The growth of this Pacific branch serving the Asian and American market has been experiencing double digits growth since the turn of the millennium. Former Chairman of Del Monte Pacific, Tony Chew says that the company’s 100 plus years presence in the industry has created strong brand name for the company whose regional head marketer attributes to â€Å"leveraging our strengths in production, marketing, and distribution, and expanding our business through synergistic alliances or strategic acquisitions† One of the integration alliances are with the Cadbury Schweppes in US, Nabisco in Canada and Seven-up. Such alliances combined with an experienced management, strong financial base from shareholders and a long history has contributed to the company’s labeling as â€Å"one of Asia’s highest value creators† This has created a kind of market entry barrier in the market with a lot of customer loyalty and strategic alliances forming the base of the barriers. Industry forecast The bakeries industry as on of the very competitive market is expected to grow by 5% in 2009. This is a significant rise after the decrease in consumer spending hurt the market with estimated growth for 2008 only expected to be 2% in the American market. The growth will steady up to around 4% in the next four years as per market predictions. Colon attributes their continued growth and dominance in the Hispanic American market to â€Å"knowing the Hispanic market better than any competitor† through market research. Given that there exist many of opportunities in a country like Malaysia, good market research in the country should be expected to yield good results. According to an industry report on the status of the processed food industry in Malaysia the industry has a lot of opportunities short listed as flour based products such as pasta, biscuits, pre-mixes, frozen pastries and chocolate confectionery †¢ cereal-based products such as breakfast cereals, muesli and rolled oats †¢ pure fruit juices, orange juice concentrates, frozen vegetables, edible nuts and canned fruit †¢ condiments, seasoning and sauces †¢ nutritional snacks such as fruit rolls and yoghurt bars †¢ health foods and bars †¢ halal-processed meat such as corned beef CanAgra as a competitor to Goya deals in brands such as Rosarita, Blue bonnet and Gilroys foods is already making a gradual exit from the Asian market after years of disappointing sales by cutting operations. With an extra room created by CanAgra, Goya can enter the making to have a share of the profits. Canned, frozen food processing industry is experiencing good growth despite the fall in this year’s consumer spending which has hurt sales across all industries. This industry is expected to register a increment of 1% to 5% from last year’s and maintain the same in 2009. Subsequent years are estimated to see the industry fall back to 4%. This increase in growth is largely tied to increase in population. In addition, India’s processed food industry is growing at an average of 12% per year. Such opportunities exist for companies such as Goya to make full use of by venturing into the market. Goya’s product strategy Recognition of culture as the main selling pint by the company has been put into full utilization through market segmentation by culture. Goya recognizes that eating habits from one cultural grouping to the other changes a lot. Therefore the company has realized the need to satisfy all markets by segmenting the niche markets and developing specific products for that market. According to a link in the company’s website http://www. goya. com/english/recipes/recipe_category. html? id=6 the markets are divided into four major categories. These are Mexico, Central and South America, Spanish and the Caribbean. In each market there are various products in form of recipes that are unique to that market only. However, the aspect of cultural exchanges does allow variety in that cultural experimentation through Goya products is facilitated. The company has strategically made use of promotional and marketing campaigns that are well publicized. Alliances with traditional supermarkets and large retail outlets have helped in product placement as a form of advertising. In addition, the fact that Hispanic foods are all being labeled Goya is working well for the company’s policy. However, the same labeling can lead to loss of market. Poor quality products meant for the Hispanic market can be viewed by the market as belonging to Goya which is not the case and hence the company loses customer loyalty on the basis of poor quality products. This would d be against the company’s slogan: If it’s Goya, it has to be good. Profitability and budget analysis Increased commodity prices and decreased consumer sending has for the better of this year proved problematic to marketers. In a bid to remain afloat, Goya and her other industry competitors were forced to increase their prices. Therefore, as Kraft foods admitted their increase in profits this year was partly due to a 7% increase in the prices of their products. Again, going by the same argument, the target of Goya hitting the $1 billion mark this year in sales is definitely going to be a reality (Thang, 2008, pg 27). Del Monte as the other competitor has also reported profits at 11. 1%. Given that all the industries in which Goya operates are estimated to be on the rise ceteris paribus, then the market share for Goya in particular and to all the players in the industry is going to increase in the near future. Marked by such an increase in sales and profits, Goya is increasing her expenditure on marketing and promotional activities. Last year the company reportedly tripled its marketing budget to counter market encroachment by competitors. Again, there have been increased sponsorship and philanthoppy activities by the company. As a result more Americans in addition to the Latinos are turning to Goya foods for an alternative to the traditional American food to more stylized processed food.