Joseph Conrad was ‘a bloody racist Essay

This is the quote – ‘The conquest of the earth, which mostly means taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much’ This, I believe effectively tars conlonialism and conquest with the same brush as he is describing colonialism while saying conquest. I feel he is saying that the two are indestinguishable and that anybody who can define them is stuck on ‘the idea’ he goes on to mention – ‘†¦ belief in the idea – something you can set up, and bow down before’ I think he is saying that as long as people can hide behind the idea of colonialism and tell it apart from conquest they are happy but in essence the two are the same. Conrad might be saying that although we live in a civil age we are no different to the Roman conquerors. I believe this shows that Conrad is not racist as he is saying that ‘taking away’ the earth ‘from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves’ is wrong. This is a very anti-racist statement and Conrad would have been saying something way ahead of his time. Marlow is a mouthpiece for Conrad in the sense that they have experienced the same things to the extent where even the characters names are the same – When in the Congo, Conrad took over a steam boat formerly captained by a man called Frieslieben (Fresleven in the book), and he had to go and retrieve a man called Kurtz (same name, also in the book). – In another book when asked of the likenesses between him and Marlow he said. ‘It is experience pushed a little (and only very little) beyond the actual case for the perfectly legitamate†¦ ‘ I think that any reader thinking that Marlow and Conrad are one and the same would be virtually correct. This means in my view that any likenesses and quotes that Marlow does or says can be directly linked to what Conrad believes in, therefore it is not a factor of how similar the two are as I see them as one entity. When Heart of darkness first come out in 1899 (serialised in Blackwood’s magazine) it was in an age where the western world was scrambling to colonise many African countries, where England was fighting a second Boer war and were supreme in North Africa, and it was a time when Joseph Conrad was putting his reputation and respect as an author on the table. His contemporaries could easily have dismissed his book as modernistic drivel and slated him for his uncontemporary views. In this light we see that Conrad’s book was way ahead of its time, exploring racism and both physical and mental journeys – into the congo and into one’s self. I believe it could be said that Conrad was not racist even if there is an inkling of racist assertions in Heart of darkness because this racist view was accepted at the time, this can be said of his usage of the word ‘nigger’ in his novel (one of his earlier novels even had the word â€Å"nigger† in its title – â€Å"the nigger and the narcissus† 1897) but as this was regularly used at the time it can be wavered as it didn’t have the effect it does in today’s society when spoken. Apart from this I think it is clear that Joseph Conrad did not conform in a racist society and had seen the horror and pure incorrectness of colonialism first hand. I have shown that Conrad and Marlow are one and the same and have been led to the conclusion through close reading of the opening of heart of darkness that Conrad is not, as Chinua Achebe states, ‘a bloody racist’. In fact I believe the opposite statemen could be made – â€Å"Conrad was a minority voice speaking out against racism through his character Marlow in a time where racism was rife†. I believe I am right because the evidence against Conrad is scarce and what little textual evidence there is can mostly be put down to ignorance which in my opinion can be let go, due to the fact that his overall message is an anti-racist one. I feel people who think that Joseph Conrad is racist based on Heart of darkness is wrong because of the reasons stated. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Joseph Conrad section.

How convincingly the book creates a sense of social environment in which subject grew up?

Frank McCourt has used the main themes of his autobiography Angela's Ashes convincingly to create a sense of social environment he grew up in. Main themes include poverty, pauperized living conditions, poor sanitation and power of the Catholic Church. Alongside the main themes, McCourt uses symbols, memories, vivid descriptions, outside and narrative comments and events relating to the main themes. Poverty is the leading cause of pauperized living condition as well as poor sanitation, these lead to the social environment Frank spent his childhood growing up in. The living conditions in the slums of Limerick itself details Franks environment. The McCourt family leaves New York for a new start in Ireland and settle in Limerick during the depression. The Deprsssion symbolize hardship for many. Alcohol is a major concern that affects the McCourt's. Malachy's alcohol problem makes his family suffer. Any chance of the basic needs of survival is dependent on Malachy's wages. â€Å"Are you coming home so that we can have a bit of supper or will it be midnight with no money in your pocket and you singing Kevin Barry and the rest of that sad songs†. Angela is asking Malachy if the kids will be fed tonight or will they starve. The fact Malachy drinks way the money convinces us the family have no other means of survival and healthy state of living. Without money we sense and imagine the state they live in. â€Å"Out in the Atlantic Ocean great sheets of rain gathered to drift slowly up the River Shannon and settle forever in Limerick. The rain dampened the city from the feast and the Circumcicin to New Year's Eve. It created a cacophony of hacking coughs, bronchial rattles, asthmatic wheezes, consumptive croaks. It turned roses into fountains, lungs into bacterial sponges†. Franks description of Limericks sums up the environment. Miserable weather creating misery and diseases taking lives of many. McCourt's description gives us a visual images that somehow convinces us how miserable the conditions are. Franks gets a job delivering newspaper. One day there is an emergency and mayhem erupts. McCaffey and Frank and another boy Eamon are to rip out page 16 of the John O' London's Weekly. Ever single issue in the city no matter what people say. Here the boys are hysterically running around town ripping out the pages on birth control. McCaffrey shows such determination when the shopkeeper has said they have sold many issues he demands their names that they are in danger of losing their â€Å"immortal souls† This event convinces us the power of the Catholic Church is and the it impact on society. Birth control in â€Å"the holiest city† was banned. A one page article emphasizes the lengths Catholics go to protecting their religious beliefs. McCaffrey's biggest customer Mr. Hutchinson in cursing him for storming into his shop and creating havoc, and McCaffrey replies to him † See what happens when you're not a member of the True Church†. Protestants and Catholics dispute over religion. People in Frank's Community are greatly religious. School masters makes sure you know everything about Christ. Malachy treats the portrait of the Pope as though it is sacred and valuable. The honor of the Catholic Churc h is overwhelming and creates a sense of how holy the society is. The fact people followed the rules and were faithful to the Church gives us a sense of how religious the environment was. McCaffrey was prepared to go lengths to protect the faith and beliefs fellow Catholics. Frank has many memories of his childhood. There has been pain, misery and some happy times. The memories of his small house in Roden Lane holds many memories. In winter, downstairs floods, the family are forced to move upstairs. â€Å"It's like going away on our holiday to a warm foreign place like Italy,† Malachy assures the kids. Abandoning downstairs convinces us, the flood is extremely bad. We sense the condition are undesirable and deplorable. Convincingly this house creates a sense of social environment, the state of the house simply shows it. Symbol of the environment are seen in this book. The lavatory in the McCourt's rented home is a communal toilet shared by 12 families. It symbolizes poor-sanitation and lack of finances. It emphasizes the need for cleaner conditions, † the lavatory will kill us all with diseases,† Angela's says. In fact it is a concern, their health is at risk of germs that fill the household. Frank is awakened at night by sounds of people emptying their chamber pots suggesting no privacy. People coming in and out. It convinces us how rundown the society is. They can only afford one toilet a lane for 12 families. I can imagine from the lavatory the house is shabby making the society just as bad. We sense poor hygiene creating a sense in our mind of how Frank grew up. McCourt himself said if he † were to pick a symbol for my life, and image, it would be that lavatory that all the people emptied their buckets into. † Franks childhood was about surviving each day and feeding his family, his goal to reach America. He says, the lavatory symbolizes his life struggling to get through each day. Angela's Ashes includes many details used to create a sense of Frank's childhood social environment. Throughout the book many descriptions of memorable experiences and sights are used to detail the surrounding he grew up with. This whole book is about dealing with the slums and the dreadful conditions that we strongly sense in our heads. After reading Angela's Ashes you will be left with many visuals McCourt has got you to create and picture in your head that make out his â€Å"miserable Irish Catholic Childhood†.

Bicyclists and motorcyclists should be required by law t Essay

Bicyclists and motorcyclists should be required by law t - Essay Example When motorcycles and bicycles are involved in any accidents, the physical body of the human could be injured particularly the head or the brain part, leading to death and even if an individual survives, the life will be a living hell. This brings into the picture the importance of helmets and how helmets could save a person from death or from becoming a ‘Vegetable’. This being in argument, the other is how many motorcyclists and bicyclist are driving without helmets with a lot of comfort, and how helmets could cause accidents. Thus, this paper will focus on the role of helmet and how it can be a lifesaving tool on one side and how it is not such a lifesaving tool and could give discomforts on other side. Helmet worn by motorcyclists and bicyclists brings in a lot of advantages and importantly saves a lot of lives. That is, as helmets are like a strong armor for the head, any strong and dangerous impacts during an accident can be absorbed by the helmets. In most of the accidents and incidents involving motorcycles and bicycles, the riders will separate from the vehicle and the head of that individual will normally make a strong impact on other strong objects like the other vehicles, roadside objects and even the strong road. That impact could damage or break the skull leading to the damage to the brain resulting in death. Motorcyclists usually separate from the motorcycle at some time during a crash. It stands to reason that protective apparels like helmets are far more likely to be effective than protective equipment attached to the motorcycle In the event of a crash, no existing strategy or safety equipment offers protection comparable to a FMVSS 218 compliant helmet. (NHTSA). Helm eted riders have shown significantly lower injury impacts in all types of lesions in the body particularly in the head. A recent analysis from the Crash Outcomes Data Evaluation Systems (CODES) from six states demonstrated that helmets were 35 percent

Ethical Debate for Buying Organs for Transplant Research Paper

Ethical Debate for Buying Organs for Transplant - Research Paper Example (Goodwin, 2006); therefore, those in favor of organ selling and buying holds that clinicians and health care providers have a moral duty to save their patients’ lives and reduce their sufferings when it is in their capacity to do it. Researches indicates that various people die yearly because of inadequate organ supply. Similarly, patients in need of organs wait for years hoping that donors will come for their rescue, all these years suffering painful and expensive dialysis interventions. Therefore, allowing people to sell and buy organs could halt unnecessary deaths and increased sufferings and agony by such patient. People have the right to participate in any form of business that they wish as long as they make profit. Thus, hindering organs sales infringes donor’s freedom of choice of participating in a most profitable venture, (Wilkinson, 2003). Cash payment from organ sales increases taxpayers’ income power and will increase their willingness to donate their organs and increase organs supply. People should look at the commercial market prosperity in enhancing organ transplant success, given the increased number of donors who are willing to donate their organs at a cost. As long as poor people receive a compensation for their donations, this is crucial to alleviate poverty. This also would enhance the financial power of poor people and the poor, rich, and desperate patients in hospitals will equally benefit. Therefore, patients in hospitals will have increased chances of gaining better health. Additionally, increased organs supply forces the mechanism of market to reduce organ prices and thus increased number of patients will afford to purchase an organ and improve their life quality. Those against organs sales argue that the process entails various risks... This paper approves that people have the right to participate in any form of business that they wish as long as they make profit. Thus, hindering organs sales infringes donor’s freedom of choice of participating in a most profitable venture. Cash payment from organ sales increases taxpayers’ income power and will increase their willingness to donate their organs and increase organs supply. People should look at the commercial market prosperity in enhancing organ transplant success, given the increased number of donors who are willing to donate their organs at a cost. As long as poor people receive a compensation for their donations, this is crucial to alleviate poverty. This also would enhance the financial power of poor people and the poor, rich, and desperate patients in hospitals will equally benefit. The author of the paper talks that patients in hospitals will have increased chances of gaining better health. Additionally, increased organs supply forces the mechanis m of market to reduce organ prices and thus increased number of patients will afford to purchase an organ and improve their life quality. This report makes a conclusion that irrespective of the ethical measure involved, organ sale will continue to grow and thousands of donors will continue to die because of crime issues and health complications involved. However, the ethical issue around organ sales promises to survive for long. Therefore, people have to choose among controversial moral values sets, for instance, the value placed on pain relief and death prevention, and the value placed on human dignity respect and human commitment preserving humankind requirement s in a just and equitable way.

Consumer behavior Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Consumer behavior - Assignment Example Using the system has got many advantages over conducting a market research. First, it can collect data from a vast sample of shoppers thus increasing the reliability of the information as compared to the market research which only uses a small sample to represent the entire population. It is also cheap since getting this amount of information through market research can prove to be very expensive, especially when one needs to establish baseline data. Using the system also eliminates bias encountered during collection and entry of data. However, an actual market research is more applicable when looking for information before introducing a new product into the market since it can be based on the emotions and realities of the consumers’ lives and hence have greater chance of success (Pan, ПÐ °Ã ½ & ПÐ °Ã ½, 2008). Marketing strategies can also be evaluated before implementation. This is important as it helps a firm to increase the possibilities of success of the strategy (James, 2013) thus avoiding huge losses that may be incurred through failure of a marketing strategy. A successful marketing strategy is one which is measurable, clearly articulated, achievable and actionable (James,

International Arbitration Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

International Arbitration Law - Essay Example In normal circumstances, arbitration arises when the parties to a contract have agreed to arbitrate. Either the parties have included arbitration in the agreement as an arbitration clause or decide to adjudicate after the dispute has arisen. In both the cases, arbitration will be available to the parties to the contract to resolve a dispute. However, there are some clauses which give rise to arbitration as an alternative dispute resolution method to the parties without the fact that they have agreed to arbitrate or not. In an international arbitration clause, the primary element is international and the secondary elements form the basis of arbitration. In international contracts, it is of utmost importance that there are provisions in the contract that determine the forum, selection of law, arbitrators, seat and place of arbitration, and etcetera. According to Born (2005)2 these provisions can assume the form of arbitration agreement or forum selection agreement (p.2). These agreemen ts are followed by the choice-of-law clause which determines the choice of the parties for the substantive law that will be applied during adjudication (Ibid, 2005). The law stipulates that the arbitration agreement should give due reference to the mandatory clauses without which the matter will become uncertain and requires intervention by the civil courts having jurisdiction3. At the same time, there are non-mandatory clauses which are left at the discretion of the parties to decide. Therefore, the arbitration agreement that comprises of mandatory clauses are enforceable in law without further evaluation or decision making by the courts. The non-mandatory clauses can be adopted (1) by the parties to the contract per se or (2) they can follow their own terms and conditions or (3) adopt the rules of their respective association like UNCITRAL, International Chamber of Commerce and London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA). The mandatory clauses include the following checklist which is not exhaustive in nature: seat and place of the arbitration tribunal, providing the general means of fulfilling the non-mandatory clauses, ensuring separability of the arbitration agreement, post-death of party situation, time of initiation of the arbitration proceedings, number of arbitrators and details about arbitration tribunal, procedure of arbitrators’ appointment, chairman or umpire, revocation of authority, jurisdiction, consolidation, representation, general powers, powers of civil courts, preliminary point of law, awards, remedies, interest, time periods and appeal. These clauses as mentioned in the Arbitration Act 1996 cannot be overridden by the contrary agreement agreed by the parties. However, the non-mandatory clauses of the Arbitration Act 1996 are allowed to be changed by the parties with mutual consent and in the absence of such agreement, the clauses will become applicable automatically4. In practice, there are two types of arbitration clauses whic h are commonly used by parties, namely: (1) Informal Clause and (2) Sample Clause. The informal clause is one which does not use the formal language of the law. For instance, the clause â€Å"arbitration in London - English law to apply† is an informal arbitration clause as it does not use the standard legal language5. Nevertheless, the

Land Law - Land lease Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Land Law - Land lease - Essay Example In Bruton v London & Quadrant Housing Trust1, have upheld the existence of contractual, non-proprietary rights lease where the landlord has no proprietary estate from which to grant a proprietary lease. However, it must be created in the proper manner and it must satisfy the definition contained in LPA 1925 s. 205(1)(xxvii). The 1925 scheme was reformed in 1986 (Land Registration Act 1986) and again by the 2002 Act, which has been accused of introducing yet more confusion to the law of leases. There are 3 kinds of lease, legal lease, equitable lease and tenancies by estoppel. Legal lease created by deed, this includes periodic tenancies (LPA 1925 SS. 52, 54). Due to the doctrine of Walsh v Lonsdale2, a contract for a lease operates as an equitable lease without any further action being necessary. The LP (MP) A3 1989 s. 2 supersedes s. 40 of the LPA 1925. A tenancy by estopple operates where the landlord has no title to the land when a lease is granted. The LRA 2002 has made substantial changes to the formalities required for leases, most of which require registration or protection on the land register. Three types of lease are recognised by the 2002 Act: Most leases, which fall outside the scope of compulsory first registration, can be enforced either if protected by a notice on the register or if they fall within the overriding category. ... Leases requiring protection by a notice on the register. Short leases, which override the register. Most leases, which fall outside the scope of compulsory first registration, can be enforced either if protected by a notice on the register or if they fall within the overriding category. The ultimate aim is for as many interests as possible to be entered on the registered. But Leases of three years or shorter cannot be protected by notice and so are 'only' overriding. Short leases (not exceeding seven years) can override the register. Where the tenant is in actual occupation, this protects his Leases on first registration (Sched. 1 para. 2), or on a transfer either under the 'old' law (LRA 1925 s.70 (1)(g)) or the LRA 2002 (Sched. 3 para. 2). In Street v Mountford4, Lord Templeman suggested that there are three characteristics of a lease, these are exclusive possession, a determinate period, for a rent or other consideration. Exclusive possession means that the tenant has control over any one who enters the premises and can exclude everyone, including the landlord. There will be no exclusive possession if: the landlord is entitled to move the occupier at any time from one room to another according to Westminister city Council v Clarke5, there was held to be no exclusive possession. Someone merely has exclusive occupation, such as a hotel guest or a student in a university hall of residence or a resident in a nursing home (Abbeyfield) (Harpenden) Society Ltd v Woods6; In Marcou v De Silvesa7 the agreement required the landlord to provide services. There may be exclusive possession even if: In Aslan v Murphy 8 the landlord retains a set of keys. In Antoniades v

RCP 1 End of Chapter 1 H.W Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

RCP 1 End of Chapter 1 H.W - Assignment Example The company’s network comprises of the basic information security measurements; the C.I.A triangle. This is another assumption because all network security companies rely on this triangle as fundamentals of their business. Confidentiality, integrity and availability are the prime reasons why clients trust backup companies like Data Mart with their confidential information. An example of how Data Mart protects its data from untrusted network is shown in this diagram; The main asset category at Data Mart falls under intellectual assets, be it their staff or the company information they store in their 200 rack mounted servers. The assumptions are that the company has a simple setup of a typical backup protection company that offers additional services of data analysis. Here is a brief list of organization’s assets; Data Mart faces all those threats that can damage its data or somehow compromise its integrity that the customers trust it with. Network connections create the possibility of spilling problems due to an exogenous or endogenous attack that depends on the profile of security investments (Acemoglu, Malekian, & Ozdaglar, 2013).   Here are some specific threats that Data Mart faces; Bypassing the access controls is one of the favorite attacks. Making educated guesses about passwords or trying every possible combination of numbers and letters makes them finally guess the right password. In a denial-of-service (DoS) attack, the assailant sends a number of requests to the target. So, numerous requests are made that the system cannot appendage them. The system can crash or it may just be unable to accomplish different functions. In Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) the attacker(s) launches an integrated number of requests against an entity from numerous locations simultaneously. These threats include Trojan horses, viruses, worms, active web scripts etc. meant to destroy of steal

The Fashion Industry of Lebanon, SWOT Assignment

The Fashion Industry of Lebanon, SWOT - Assignment Example This paper will examine the strategies incorporated into fashion and will analyze the strengths and weaknesses that are a part of the culture. The fashion industry is one that is continuing to grow in various regions, specifically because of the growth and changes in the economy. Currently, the movement into global capitalism and the focus that is incorporated into different industries is the central focus. The fashion industry began to change with the industrial revolution, specifically because it allowed for mass production and exploitation at an international level. Industry leaders in fashion are known to have two components. The first is based on global trends that are reaching different regions. The second is from ethnically diverse types of clothing, all of which help with a combination of trends and fashion forward thinking that is based on regional concepts. This is further combined with different regions that combine industrial materials that are available as resources with the fashion that is available (Chandler, 303, 2004). The several changes that are a part of the fashion industry at large have also affected t he fashion industry structure in Lebanon and the different concepts that apply to this. The Lebanon fashion industry has over 92 companies that produce different levels of fashion. The fashion is divided first by accessories, design, footwear and overall fashion. This is further divided by the expected industry that is based on global expectations, specifically which combines the economic scale of fashion with the production. Haute couture is the most expensive. This is followed by luxury items for those who still require high quality but want a lower price. Affordable luxury is the next target market followed by  mainstream brands and discount brands. The most fashion-forward area is in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon.  There are over 5,000 artisans working in this area as well as a Beirut Art Center, which includes exhibition spaces for artists.   Schools specifically designed for the visual arts are also a part of the culture.  Ã‚  

The audiences attention in a number of different ways Essay Example for Free

The audiences attention in a number of different ways Essay The opening scene catches the audiences attention in a number of different ways. Discuss how the playwrite, Willy Russell, has achieved this and whether he has been successful. The opening scene of Educating Rita is one that really catches the audiences attention in many different ways and to which some can relate to, be it through actions taken or through a characters attitude. The scene deals with and introduces the problems of both Frank and Rita, without going into depth over either of the characters troubles too soon. It is the instant clash of wit that catches the audiences attention. Russell also uses stage direction aswell as his characters personalities to keep information on these two characters flowing. He also uses symbolism as a further way of describing his characters without it being too obvious to his audience that hes letting on more and more about them. Act 1 scene 1 is the introductionary stage to Russells characters. In the first five minutes of this scene, we get to know Frank quite well. We learn that Frank is a university lecturer who appears to have grown tired of his job and the same old people. We see him searching the rows and rows of literature in his office for an author beginning with E; he then seems to decide he wants Dickens. Once he finds his collection of Dickens, he pulls them out, to reveal a bottle of Whiskey. We learn now that Frank also has a drinking problem. The phone then rings, just as Frank is about to take a swig of his Whiskey, and it turns out to be Julia, Franks girlfriend. They have a conversation that increases in venom until theres a knock at Franks door. Whoever is on the otherside of the door is having trouble making their way inside, and so Frank begins to get irritated with their posistant knocking after he has already said, Come in.. a few times. Eventually Frank hangs up the phone and Rita (actual name: Susan White. Likes to be called Rita after the author of Rubyfruit Jungle, Rita Mae Brown) bursts into the room. This womans behavior and language stun Frank, until they get talking and realize they get on well. Soon we learn that Rita/Susan (a hairdresser) has signed up for an Open University course, and Frank is to be her tutor. At first meeting, these two people appear to contrast greatly, but soon enough the audience begins to understand they have more in common than first thought. Frank is run down due to his heavy drinking, and his perception of the world is dim. He can no longer be bothered with his job, teaching the same old things, hearing the same old opinions and tutoring the same old people. His relationship with his girlfriend, Julia (an ex-student) is well and truly on the rocks, which the audience can tell from their frosty phone conversation at the beginning of the scene. Rita is also bored of her job. Shes bored of the same conversations with the same sort of people over the same sorts of haircuts. We dont learn about Ritas husband in scene 1, but things arent going well between them, like Frank and Julia. Denny believes Rita should stay home, take care of the house and every couple of years have a child, the usual behavior for a housewife in the 1980s; he isnt happy with Ritas choice of enrolling in an Open University course at all. In Rita, Frank finds the breath of fresh air both he and his job need, and in Frank, Rita finds someone to support and listen to her throughout her studies. Despite these similarities between the pair, there are still differences. Ritas idea of a classic novel is an erotic one (Rubyfruit Jungle) and her idea of a classic poet is Roger McGough. Franks main use for literature as Rita burst into his office is to hide his liquor, and he gave up on poetry long before Rita entered his life. Also, Rita is born-and-bred working class, whereas Frank is comfortable as Middle-class. This differ in social stature has an important effect on the language the two use and their accents. Still, nevertheless, the two click immediately. The stage directions at the beginning of scene 1 are very important, as through them we can fully imagine the setting of Russells play. We are told that the scene is set in a Victorian-built university in the north of England, so immediately we sense some class about the attendees of this place. We then get a description of the room, which is important as we understand the symbolism Russells uses right from the beginning. The book itself tells use about both the setting and the props used, but nothing about music or costume. In the film, directed by Lewis Gilbert, the music used is not something that could be found in the charts around the 1980s. Its a string piece that helps in setting the scene of a university where the students are more than happy to act a class above their own. But, we have to consider that even though the music used in the film was perfect for setting the scene for the theme throughout the entire play, its only one directors choice of music. The same goes for the costumes used in Gilberts production. The audiences attention is sub-consciously caught through Russells use of symbolism throughout the play. Franks office is a huge reflection on his own attitude. He hid his whiskey behind Dickens, and in real life he dodges the subject of his drinking problem with lines from classic literature. Also, nothing really has a place in Franks office, apart from his alcohol, also like real life. The more obvious symbolism used in scene 1 is Franks window and his door. His door can be thought of as the door to Frank himself. Its hinges are stiff, and so people have trouble getting past it, and always have done, but when Rita comes along, its different. The more Rita goes to see Frank, and comes into contact with this door, the easier it is for her to get past it. At first she oils it, but eventually theres no need for oil or force, it just opens. This is when Rita has broken through to Frank, and has worked her way through to his heart. This is something that no one has done before. Also, we could consider the door symbolism of Ritas entry to higher education. She desperately wants to study, but neither her mother nor her husband think she should. The trouble Rita has getting the door open could symbolize the last obstacle. From then on she struggles with this education, and with the door, but in the end she finds both easy to handle. The use of the window in Franks office symbolises a point in each characters development. Rita is ambitious to be like other students in the university, after she watched them from Franks window. She watches them, and asks Frank whether they could have a tutorial on the grass, but she fails to convince Frank of the benefits. The window, like Frank hasnt been opened for generations. Rita desires the breath of fresh air and wants to get educated. In contrast, Frank is more than content to remain isolated and remain in his insular office. I believe the opening scene of Educating Rita is very effective when capturing the audiences attention. The introduction of both characters traits, and how they react to each others opinions and personalities is both funny and moving throughout the play, but most interesting in this opening scene. This play also has underlying messages which make sense even nowadays, around 20 years after the play was written. Such as Ritas perseverance with her higher education instead of giving in to the stereotype of a woman at this time even though everyone around her (her mother and her husband) thinks she shouldnt be enrolling in her Open University course. In this respect, Rita is admirable, and shows that anything can happen to anyone if they simply keep at it. The audience simply must keep reading, as together Rita and Frank spark. Rita can study without judgement, and Frank is happier around Rita than he has been for years. These two characters gradually learn to help each other, and it is that element of their relationship that keeps the audience interested.

Festivals In Indonesia

Festivals In Indonesia Events Odalan Festival Located in Bali, Indonesia The thousands temples that is located in Bali, Indonesia has its own distinct way of celebrating its own Odalan Festival which mark the anniversary of each temple’s building completion which is celebrated every 210th day. It has more than 20,000 temples and each festival would last for 3 days. There are several Odalan Festivals that would take place all throughout the island. Each temple having its own rituals and traditions but normally, the first day of Odalan Festival would start with the local women all dressed in their traditional Balinese clothing as they join the long procession to the temple where they can then lay their cherish gifts and offerings to the gods. The next two days are usually spent in intense prayer meetings, trance – like dancing and music, puppet theatre and feasting. Rice Harvest Festival Located in Indonesia The country celebrates the annual Rice Harvest Festival at the end of the harvest season. This event is a joyous time and a great occasion to be in Bali Island. This event is contributed to the ‘Rice God’ Dewi Sri. The local farmers would offer their great gratitude and praise for their abundant harvest of the year. Visitors to such festivals can try several of their dishes which are cooked as in offering in honor of the ‘Rice God’. Pasar Baru Festival Located in Jakarta, Indonesia Even though there are those huge and gigantic shopping centers today, Pasar Baru shopping center was one of the pioneering centers of its kind in the island of Jakarta. It was constructed in the 1960s. It celebrates its status as the region’s first shopping center annually with big events like shop decoration competitions, shopping discounts, food and drinks events and prize giveaways. Sriwijaya Festival Located in Sumatra, Indonesia This yearly event aims to uphold and support the ancient culture of the country by bringing its great history to the daily life of the locals through a program of grand performances, activities and exhibitions. Every single year, it never fail to attract both locals and tourists alike, the Sriwijaya Festival is a joyful and lively week – long event that also includes mesmerizing storytelling activities, groovy dances and live musical performances. Also there are new events that would include those speed boat races at the impressive river of Musi. This festival was a tradition from the ancient Sumatran Kingdom that has an important rule in the cultural and trade industry during the 13th century. This yearly affair brings forth the importance of history to life. Jakarta Fair Located in Jakarta, Indonesia Jakarta Fair is part of the region’s anniversary big celebrations. It showcases the exhibits from all across the country – a wide display of different variety of products and goods that ranged from specialty foods items to those exotic traditional handmade arts and crafts. Also, visitors and guests would enjoy the live entertainment of cultural performances, dance and music. Code Village Purification Location in Yogyakarta, Indonesia As the locals offer their great gratitude to their god because of the gift of their precious Code River that runs all the way through the Yogyakarta, this yearly Code Village Purification is the most important ceremony for the locals and villages of Code Uatara area. This has been an ancient ritual as the villagers would carry out the traditional dances, ceremonies and parades in thanking the gods for the life – giving Code River. Senggigi Festival Located in Lombok, Indonesia Tourists and visitors can truly take pleasure in a week long events during the Senggigi Festival as it aims to uphold Lombok’s tourism. It is held yearly at the striking Senggigi beach area. Its events would range from the art exhibitions, cultural demonstrations to those conventional crafts. It also has several activities particularly those activities for children which make this big event a great day out for families. Firework Display and Youth Night Located in Jakarta, Indonesia This big event is held annually on the eve of Jakarta’s anniversary celebrations. This event is a series of events that range from lively music and grand theatre performances to those storytelling and conventional ceremonies. Same as those good celebrations, this big grand event comes to a noisy end with a magnificent fireworks display at midnight.

High School Curriculum :: Education Argumentative Persuasive Papers

High School Curriculum When reviewing the literature regarding the past, present and future of educational curriculum, several main points seem apparent, namely that curriculum is cyclical, that a dilemma or paradox exists, and that curriculum must be looked at with a sensitive view. According to Lashway (1999) educators once saw educational reform as cyclical. Every ten years or so one could expect a public outburst followed by frantic efforts to mend a broken system. However, in the last twenty years there seems to have been a perpetual reform. Looking to the past it seems that curriculum became diluted. Schools offered many electives; schools even watered down the curriculum hoping to â€Å"keep† students (which was later found to only compound the problem) (Mclaughlin 1990). Curriculum resembled a lawn sprinkler covering a lot of area yet having very little force. In the 1980’s a report called â€Å"A Nation At Risk† stated that American children had fallen behind in such subjects as math and science. Thus came the advent of education’s increased focus on literacy and numeracy, accountability and academic standards. These high standards, according to Dumas (2000), are the most significant trend in schools today. These new standards seem to be focusing more on both accountability and back to basics. As a math teacher I can be delighted by this focus. However, as a potential administrator, I realize this is too myopic a view. Indeed these standards have created a dilemma -- a conundrum -- a paradox. Back to basics? BUT these basics must be taught differently, by stressing higher level thinking and life/work appreciation. Additionally, all children must be taught, be they rich, poor, learning disabled, foreign speakers etc. Cut frills but be creative Do not forget educating the â€Å"whole† child. Do well on standardized test while remembering and accounting for fewer standardized kids. Be literate and professional but as pointed out in numerous articles, care, and be a good moral person. Additionally include character education for students. This has led some educators to express reservations about these current trends, mostly because of fears that reform will be driven by conformity to policy mandates rather than the educational needs of children. John Goodlad (1999) observes, â€Å"The language of school reform virtually eschews reference to the measuring of self, civility, civic-mindedness, democratic character and participation in the whole of the human conservation.

Essay --

Many people here in America are hardworking and resourceful, but an insecure economy can have a long-lasting effect on a diverse group of people. One of the greatest manifestations of this is the inability to consistently afford a healthy diet. In a report by done by researchers in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, ‘in 2011, 14.9 percent or 17.9 million people in America were food insecure (Coleman-Jensen, Nordic, Andrews, & Carlson, 2012).’ Although many different organizations such as the â€Å"Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program,† or the SNAP food stamp program has set out to eradicate hunger, by giving assistance to low income participants, to help them afford food, it does still exist in many different people’s lives, at one point or another. While many other underdeveloped countries have harder times with hunger, many of them, due to socioeconomic difficulties, hunger still causes many problems for different people in America. Hunger, by definition is: â€Å"A feeling of discomfort or weakness caused by lack of food, coupled with the desire to eat (Oxford dictionary, 2013),† and is usually a direct result of poverty and the ability to afford food. Although hard to believe, hunger is an issue that is very sensitive to many people here in America, because it signifies shame to many, from a social standpoint. But statistically, having the national median income of roughly 53,000 dollars annually (United States Census Bureau, 2013), shows that the economy can be very burdensome to many people sometimes, with having added expenditures, like cable and cell phone bills along with your daily gas, electricity, and water bills, and can sometimes overwhelm some people and leave them with empty pockets. For example, Mississippi’... ... Poverty is known for having some well noted, negative outcomes to those dealing with the issues they are facing. There are many who suggest, that being poor causes people to commit crimes; either out of desperation, or bad-mindedness, some people are thought to break the law. Many people ignorantly assume that criminal activities are some ways poor people in urban areas, survive, and that the underprivileged people are the main cause of the majority of crimes. While there are higher instances of crimes in urban areas, it is only because there is a much larger population compared to that in rural or suburban communities. â€Å"The Federal Bureau of Investigations† data consistently shows a steady decline in all major criminal activities since the 1990s, mainly due to, more structure in both the law and police systems in America (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2010).

Companies and the Customers Who Hate Them Essay

How can customer dissatisfaction lead to higher profits for the company? Companies have found out that ill-informed customers can be beneficial for them in terms of profits. Some companies have abused their customers intentionally, however others unwittingly exploited and took advantage of them. The Slippery slope: There are two major ways in which companies make profits by misleading their customers: * Offering the customers a broad variety of services or products, which can be very confusing, especially when there is lack of transparency. Moreover, if even the information is complete for the customers, the companies can take advantages of consumers’ difficulties in predicting their needs. * Using fees and penalties for offsetting costs and discouraging undesirable customer behavior. These hostile strategies are common from banking and hotel industries to video stores and car rentals. Here particularly 3 industries will be discussed in details: cell phone industry, retail- banking industry and health club industry. Cell phone industry: When a customer signs up for a service plan, he chooses a certain pricing option with different ranges of minutes. These plans can have various restrictions and allowances. However, these varied plans are not a result of customer-centric strategy. They are rather ways to take advantage of customer’s unawareness of which plan to choose, in the result of which customers can be penalized either for using too much time or for not using enough. However, such strategies cannot always guarantee profits for the company. They can increase the dissatisfaction among customers, the proof of which can be thousands of complaints that the U. S. Federal Communications Commission gets annually. These complaints should be worrisome to companies because customers can switch toward a transparent and friendly alternative. Retail-banking industry: Another sphere in which the company-centric strategy is used is retail-banking industry. For signing up in the checking accounts people are offered dozens of alternatives. If the customers cannot precisely predict their needs, they can have losses. Here are some examples of situations when the banks take advantage over the customers’ ignorance * The customers receive less interest when the consumers’ balances are above the minimum of the balance bucket and if the alances fall below the minimum level, they have to pay some penalties. * Banks usually debit the consumers’ checks in the order of size, rather than in a chronological order, for the rest of the checks to bounce and to cause multiple overdrafts, consequently penalties. The company-centric strategy of banks led to the customers’ dissatisfaction and it became so pervasive that New York congresswoman Carolyn Maloney reintroduced the Consumer Overdraft Protection Fair Practices Act to forbid banks charging overdraft protection fees, unless the customers explicitly are informed about the service. Health club industry: Health clubs tempt customers to sign long-term contracts, knowing that they will rarely visit the club. They realize that all their customers will not completely use the facility and therefore sell more memberships than they have the floor space to accommodate. Moreover, an investigation conducted by the New York City Council concluded that 41% of clubs didn’t explain their fees in writing, 81% didn’t give potential members a contract to read at home and 96% didn’t inform customers of all the ways they could legally cancel a contract. In New Jersey a lot of complaints have brought litigation against almost two dozen health clubs that provided fraudulent contracts. Health clubs require to spend more time to attract new customers because their existing ones try to find a way out. Moreover they even encourage ways to retain customers with reward points for members who work out regularly. The warning signs: According to the research most of the executives are acknowledging the negative effects of the functions described above but they mention that those actions do not represent an intentional strategy. The executives know that because of these negative practices the companies slid down the slippery slope and have difficulties for purchasing on the way back up thus becoming vulnerable for the competitors. For avoiding this practice the executives should ask themselves the questions mentioned bellow. * Are our most profitable customers those who have reasons to be dissatisfied with us? * Do we have rules we want customers to break because doing so generates profits? Do we make it difficult for customers to understand or abide by our rules, and do we actually help customers break them? * Do we depend on contracts to prevent customers from defecting? Climbing back into favor: Effective CEOs are able to recognize the opportunities and eliminate the negative effects which make the company vulnerable. The company centric strategies can cause loss of the target market and profitability in a long-term period, thus many companies prefer being economically sustainable.

Philippines the Center of the Marine Fish Biodiversity

Environmental Science The Philippines is the center of the marine fish biodiversity and the home of the most diverse marine ecosystem in the world in the study of two biologists Kent Carpenter and Victor Springer. The title of there is â€Å"The Center of the marine shore fish diversity: The Philippine Island,† we have are the center of the marine in the world and the former Environment Secretary Elisea Gozun said in her presentation of the status of the country’s coastal and marine resources at the Philippine Plaza Hotel in Pasay city.We must protect our marine ecosystem so that we can prove to the other country that we can also have a healthy marine that other countries can’t have. Second larges reef Most of the endemic species ar found in the Verde Island passage between Mindoro Island and the main island of Luzon We must improve our reef so that we can still have the second largest reef or the most largest reef on the world we must stop the dynamite fish on t he other side of the Philippines so the we can have a healthy and large reef so that our marine species have a shelter to make them live long and to multiply and we will have a large marine.Most Threatened Save the coral reef stop destroying the corals and stop the muro-ami style of fish and also the dynamite fish it destroys the corals and the are disturbed and the others die because of the toxic that affect the fish and the other marine species.Do not cut the mangroves beside of the river or lake because fishes also live in there it is alright that we make some fish pond but not to much that we need to cut mangroves just to have a fish pond 70% of mangrove have lost because of converting them into fish pond. Compared to the other counties with similar coastal resources, the people in the Philippines doesn’t know how to use our coastal resources.

Vulnerable Population; Poor

Vulnerable Population: The Poor â€Å"A vulnerable population is a group or groups that are more likely to develop health- related problems, have more difficulty accessing health care to address those health problems, and are more likely to experience a poor outcome or shorter life span because of those health conditions. † (Maurer & Smith,2009, pp. 533) Poverty is linked with marked deprivation of well-being of an individual due to inability to meet basic needs.It could be due to lack of income or resources to buy goods and services or inability to access them. Thus poor people in the population are considered vulnerable as socioeconomic status is closely linked to a person’s health status. People who are poor or belong to low income group have difficulty in providing basic necessities of life e. g. food, clothing, and shelter for themselves and their families. They lack resources and opportunities to improve their quality of life. Their behavior and choices are determ ined by their socioeconomic status.In United States poverty is determined by comparing annual income to threshold which is set of dollar value that vary by family size, number of children and age of householders. If a family’s income is below their threshold that family is considered to be in poverty including all members. (Bishaw, & Macartney, 2010) According to the United States Census Bureau in the year 2011 the poverty rate was 15% indicating 46. 2 million people in poverty range. People living in poverty tend to live in certain neighborhoods rather than evenly distributing in different neighborhoods.This increases burden on families beyond their circumstances because disadvantageous neighborhood brings more problems in their lives. Resources in these areas are scarce as the area becomes disadvantageous banks, stores; shopping places or new business doesn’t go in these areas because they don’t see any profit. There is lack of good public schools, housing and sanitation are inadequate, access to health is non-existent and employment opportunities are limited. These people don’t have access to healthy food as it is expensive compare to unhealthy food which cost less and feed more people.They have more fast food places and liquor stores in their areas. There is no place or a safe place for physical activity and recreation as a result people stay at home this limits there physical activity as well as social interaction. The crime rate in such areas is high therefore residents face constant threat to their lives. Youth and adults do not have any positive outlet or recreation available and they adapt behavior as smoking, drinking alcohol and use of drugs.It was also shown in PBS videos that across the country polluting industries are found in communities where population is poor or belong to minority causing pollution and other health problems. Population living below poverty line usually doesn’t have health insurance. Even if they are employed they either do not get insurance from employer owing to small business or if they get insurance they do not enroll to save cost of monthly premium. For them basic needs are priority while health is secondary. Because of the cost they have to choose between needs and health.They usually delay seeking care or avoid going to health care altogether making them sicker. As a result they end up using acute care services e. g. emergency department and have poor health outcomes. In PBS video it was highlighted lack of health care is not the cause of their illness but chronic constant stress in their daily lives exposes them to risk of chronic diseases. High level of stress hormones over time increases arterial plaque raises blood pressure and weakens immune system. This can result in heart disease, diabetes and other diseases.There are certain initiatives by government to address these issues the first example is providing food stamps to the families who doesn’t have any source of income. In PBS video it was shown the amount sometime is not adequate enough to fulfill need of the family where a woman has 200 dollars for the month to feed four people. Second example is providing reduce price meals or free meals to school children whose family fall under poverty level. Finally PPACA has increase access to health care by ensuring health insurance for all but does it solve the problem? The poor population will be oing back to same stressful environment after treatment so they might become frequent visitor of healthcare facility with ongoing health issues increasing frustration in HCP as they will not see any improvement. I would like to conclude by saying to improve health status and life expectancy of this vulnerable population social reforms are essential to provide opportunity to improve quality of life along with improve access to health care. References Bishaw, A. United States census Bureau, (2011). Areas with concentrated poverty: 2006 œ2010 American community survey briefs (ACSBR/10-17).Retrieved from website: http://www. census. gov/prod/2011pubs/acsbr10-17. pdf Bishaw, A. , & Macartney, S. United States census Bureau, (2010). Poverty: 2008 and 2009 American community survey briefs (ACSBR/09-1). Retrieved from website: http://www. census. gov/prod/2010pubs/acsbr09-1. pdf Documentary series: Unnatural causes [Web]. (2008). Retrieved from http://www. unnaturalcauses. org/video_clips. php Maurer, F. , & Smith, C. (2009). Community/ public health nursing practice: health for families and population. (Fourth ed. , Chapter 21). Saunders.

Law as A Social Institution Essay

What does it mean to say that law is a social institution? In the light of a legal positivist view, law embodies and is contingent to the social construct within our society. Legal positivism is the notion that law depends on social fact and that its merits do not and should not reflect its intrinsic nature1. Law is simply not a set of rules and regulations that govern the way in which our society should be, but rather, an exhibition of how our society exists as it is2. That being said, a social institution is a pattern of beliefs and behaviors over time, as defined by Nicosia and Mayer as ‘a set of activities performed by specific people in specific places through time3. Therefore, law encompasses numerous social institutions such as family, homosexuals, or more specifically the Indigenous community etc. – an exhibition of how society exists as it is. The concept that law is a social institution will be discussed in the legal positivist framework particularly in close regard to homosexuality. Traditionally, homosexuality was seen as an immoral act, it was encoded under the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885 Section 11 that an act of ‘gross indecency’ between two males led to a term of 2 years imprisonment. In the last century same-sex relationships have been considered acceptable in society. Harsh amendments in legislation against homosexuality grew unacceptable and argument arose that it was an ‘overreach’ in criminal law concerning homosexual behaviour4. As aforementioned, a social institution is the ‘interaction among activities, people, and places over time’5. The law essentially is a product of these institution’s morals, ideas and standards. The idea that law is a social institution is illustrated by the changes in law over time and the changes in attitudes towards homosexuality that arise simultaneously. There has been a gradual acceptance and legal recognition of same-sex relationships. This is evident in the evolving attitudes towards homosexuality reflected in various cases and legislation, in which the law has responded positively to the changes in these social standards. As seen in the case of Hope & Brown v NIB (1995)6, where the couple, Andrew Hope and William Brown attested to the Equal Opportunity Tribunal (EQT), arguing that NIB Health Fund Ltd had denied them access to a family health insurance policy on the basis of their sexual orientation. The EQT coerced  the insurance company to recognise the couple as a family in order for them to receive insurance. It was acknowledged that the policy was in fact discriminatory. A year later, the federal government recognised homosexual couples as a family unit in the 1996 consensus7. Additionally, amendments to the Health Insurance Act 1973 were carried through to recognise same-sex couples and their children as a family. In relation to the theory of legal positivism, these social standards have molded the law, reinforcing that law is dependent on a social construct. One of the most significant legislative changes was the passing of the Property (Relationships) Legislation Amendment Act 1999 (NSW)8, which granted rights to same-sex couples for the division of property and claiming finances, as well as access to the District Court in a relationship break down. This Act also gave same-sex couples inheritance rights in line with heterosexual couples. However, bearing in mind the theory of positivism, where law depends on social fact, there are other institutions such as religious groups, like the Australia Lobby Group that curb the acceptance of homosexuality in light of their own social standards. This is evident where the law does not encompass every aspect in the recognition and protection of same-sex couples. In addition, the Howard government passed the Marriage Amendment Act 2004 (Cwlth) consolidating that marriage in Australia is the union between man and woman only9. In effect, this governance affirmed their social institutional beliefs: opposition to same-sex marriages. Thus, demonstrating that law is a social institution because the law directly reflects the beliefs of the social institution, namely the government. We can infer that although the issue of marriage equality is shelved, it does not equate to the idea that the whole of society disapproves of marriage amongst same-sex couples, but that certain structured governances limit the extent to which these ideas are legislated. Law is based upon our morals and therefore should be an exact carbon copy of the beliefs and ideas of social institutions. However external systems, for example, law systems and governments, can limit the degree to which the law wholly represents social  institution, in this case, homosexuality. The fact that a policy may be seen as discriminatory, unjust, inefficient does not mean that policy is the law, or the fact that the policy is fair, just and efficient also does not make it law. By taking these authoritative systems out of the equation, law is intrinsically a social institution. In 2006, the Human Rights Commission published a report titled ‘Same-sex: Same Entitlements’, which found that 58 federal laws discriminated against same-sex couples in areas of financial and work-related entitlements10. This caused social upheaval amongst the homosexual community. The law responded and shaped into these morals, by means of the Family Law Amendment Act 2008 (Cwlth)11. Changes and alterations were made in federal laws to remove the provisions discriminating against homosexual couples, and thus, they were granted rights pertaining to financial matters. The theory of legal positivism is demonstrated here, where the Amendment mirrors the social fact that there is no sufficient reason for same-sex couples to be discriminated based on sexual orientation and should receive the same benefits, as heterosexual couples. Homosexuality is now a greatly accepted institution12 whereby the law embraces same-sex couples as equals with heterosexual couples. The Family Law Amendment Act 200813 and the Miscellaneous Acts Amendment (Same Sex Relationships) Act 200814 is significant in the sense that same-sex marriage is now the point of legislative inequality between heterosexual couples and same-sex couples15. In essence, legal positivism is a construct that gives a greater understanding of law as a social institution. It is inextricably linked to the social order of society. Homosexuality exemplifies the positivist model through the alignment of developing attitudes and legislation amendments over time. This demonstrates the notion that the morals of our society set ideals for law to abide by. The way law and social construct interconnects means that law is man-made and built upon on patterns of beliefs and behaviour over a period of time. Word Count: 1318 References: Primary Sources of law: Family Law Amendment (De Facto Financial Matter and other Measures) Act 2008 (Cwlth) Hope & Brown v NIB Health Fund Ltd [1995] 8 ANZ Insurance Cases 61-269 Marriage Amendment Act 2004 Section 88EA Miscellaneous Acts Amendment (Same Sex Relationships) Act 2008 Secondary Sources of law: Austin, John (1832). The Province of Jurisprudence Determined. Ed. W.E. Rumble, 1995. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Anthony, T. Sanson, M. Worswick, D (2010) Connecting with Law (2nd Edition), Chapter 1: Introduction: Overview of the Book, 4. Baker, MJ and Saren, M. (2010). Marketing Theory: A Student Text (2nd Edition). 154 Wilson, P and Brown J.W. 1973. Crime and the Community. St Lucia: University of Queensland Press. Boesenberg, J, Derwent, B, Hamper, D, Hayes, M, Thiering, N. Legal Studies HSC (Third Edition), Chapter 18: Contemporary issues concerning family law. 278 -297 â€Å"Marriage Equality and Public Opinion† Fact Sheet: http://www.australianmarriageequality.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/AMEpollfactsheet@Jun11.pdf

Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior

In the article, â€Å"Why Chinese mothers are Superior, Chua describes her efforts to give her children what she describes as a traditional, strict â€Å"Chinese† upbringing. ] This piece was controversial. Many readers missed the supposed irony and self-deprecating humor in the title and the piece itself and instead believed that Chua was advocating the â€Å"superiority† of a particular, very strict, ethnically defined approach to parenting. In fact Chua has stated that the book was not a â€Å"how-to† manual but a self-mocking memoir. In any case, Chua defines â€Å"Chinese mother† loosely to include parents of other ethnicities who practice traditional, strict child-rearing, while also acknowledging that â€Å"Western parents come in all varieties,† and not all ethnically Chinese parents practice strict child-rearing. Chua also reported that in one study of 48 Chinese immigrant mothers, the vast majority ‘said that they believe their children can be â€Å"the best† students, that â€Å"academic achievement reflects successful parenting,† and that if children did not excel at school then there was â€Å"a problem† and parents â€Å"were not doing their job. ‘ Chua contrasts them with the view she labels â€Å"Western† – that a child’s self-esteem is paramount Amy makes it clear that the Asian kids are not born smart (For the most part, at least) It is hard work and training from the parents that shapes the children into these wonder kids. To prov e her point she lists up a number of things that her daughter were never allowed to do, such as: * Have a play date * Watch television or play computer games * Attend a school play. And so on.. Prohibitions that seems totally unreasonable for us â€Å"westerns†, as she loosely has named us. Throughout the text she covers several perspectives on parenting, which of a few I surprisingly agree on. Most of her viewpoints I deeply disagree with though and is far from my idea about proper parenting. Each time she lists up one of her perspectives, she compares the Chinese perspective with the Western perspective. She does this in a very subjective manner I think. She is very clever rhetorically. At some parts of the text, I actually caught my self being very close to getting dragged towards her side. I found it quite amusing to feel the power of pathos, but at the same time a bit daunting. According to Amy, the main difference between Chinese parents and Western parents is the way they see their children. Western parents believe that respecting their children’s choices, their individuality and always encouraging them to pursue their true passions is the way. In contrast, Chinese parents believe that preparing their children for the future, and.. Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior Children all over the world are raised in hundreds of different ways. Some parents strive to get a successful child, some are more casual, and some parents even relive their youth through their kids. China is on the running course with the rest of the world, and when it comes to creating masterminds, China is way ahead of everyone else. Should we follow, or should we simply go on the way we always have? In the article â€Å"Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior† by Amy Chua, we’re informed about the differences between the western way of raising children and the Chinese way.She is a Chinese mother herself, and from her perspective she explains how she has raised her children by excluding them from every social activity, both within school, but also during their extracurricular.Her opinions are pretty clear, and she doesn’t hesitate to express how much she thinks her way of raising children is better than the western way. She explains that not all Chinese mothers are l ike her â€Å"Conversely, I know some mothers of Chinese heritage, almost always born in the West, who are not Chinese mothers, by choice or otherwise†1.Throughout the article, she states that the western way of raising children is not as good as the Chinese, and even though some western parents think they’re strict towards their children, it’s nothing compared to the Chinese idea of strict â€Å"†¦even when Western parents think they’re being strict, they usually don’t come close to being Chinese mothers. (†¦ ) my Western friends who consider themselves strict make their children practice their instruments for 30 minutes every day. An hour at most.For a Chinese mother, the first hour is the easy part. It’s hours two and three that though†2. This proves that she truly thinks that she, and the rest of the hardworking Chinese mothers, are superior. Throughout the article, she also resorts to studies, that have examined the opi nions of 50 western women and 48 immigrated Chinese women, all mothers. â€Å"Almost 70% of the Western mothers said either that â€Å"stressing academic success is not good for children† or that â€Å"parents need to foster the idea, that learning is fun†Ã¢â‚¬ 3.The opinion of the Chinese mothers was a whole different story, though â€Å"By contrast, roughly 0% of the Chinese mothers felt the same way†4. Dragging these studies into her article doesn’t only make her reliable, she also argues very well for her case. The fact that she is a professor at Yale Law School also backs up her reliance. Being a professor for future lawyers usually requires being good at arguing, which she certainly is.In her article, she has included stories and experiences from her own life, in which she was also raised the Chinese way: Play to be the best, or don’t play at all. The first experience she explains is how her father used to call her names when she was disres pectful towards her mother â€Å"†¦ when I was extremely disrespectful to my mother, my father angrily called me â€Å"garbage†Ã¢â‚¬ 5, but she also states that she was never negatively affected by his name-calling â€Å"I felt terrible and deeply ashamed of what I had done.But it didn’t damage my self-esteem or anything like that†6. Throughout the article, she uses humor even though she seems to be a strict lady, that doesn’t waste time messing around â€Å"One guest named Marcy got so upset she broke down in tears and had to leave early. My friend Susan, the host, tried to rehabilitate me with the remaining guests†7. This shows that she does, even though it might be a bit hard to detect, have a sense of humor. She is pretty subjective in this article, since she assumes that every Chinese child is an A-class student.This is, though a bit of a paradox, since she in the start of the article wrote that not all Chinese mothers are the same â₠¬Å"If a Chinese child gets a B – which would never happen – there would be a screaming, hair-tearing explosion. †8. She is convinced, that a Chinese parent can treat their child in any way they want to, calling them names and forcing them to do things, they don’t want to do, whereas western parents can’t be critic at all or demand anything of their child without ruining the self-esteem of their child â€Å"Chinese mothers can say to their daughters â€Å"Hey fatty – Lose some weight.†By contrast, Western parents have to tiptoe around the issue, talking in terms of â€Å"health† and never mention the f-word, and their kids still end up in therapy for eating disorders and negative self-image†9. In the modern world, it’s all about stepping up and making a name for yourself, no matter if you’re on Wall Street or a part of the underground music revolution. Many years ago, China’s economy was a wreck, peopl e starved and you had to be the best to survive.Call it Darwinism, but these people had to fight to be something, and I think this is how this Chinese way of raising children was created, and we learned from Amy’s article, that Chinese children are still raised this way. If a young child is brilliant at for example an instrument and a video is posted on Youtube and it goes viral and people hear about it, they sometimes ask â€Å"Is the kid Asian? †. Then people laugh, but it’s funny because it’s true!The Chinese, not to speak of rest of Asia, has conquered a big part of the market for manufactured products, and everywhere you go you see the stamp â€Å"Made In China†. No wonder if everyone in China raise their children like Amy does. When all this is said, I think children should be allowed to be children. It’s healthy for them to create social bands, but if they’re cut out from all social activity by their parents, they will automati cally become the outcast in their class.This is why we on American high schools always see white and black kids hang out together, but the Asians are usually for themselves. It’s natural to make boundaries for your child, the child should know the difference between right and wrong, but should definitely not learn that socializing is wrong. Maybe Amy didn’t get damaged in the process of being perfected by her parents, but I’m sure not every Chinese child is like her. We keep talking about leaving a better planet for our children – But how about leaving better children for our planet? Why chinese mothers are superior â€Å"Nothing is fun until you’re good at it.† That statement is the essence of the Chinese way of parenting. Studies show, that Chinese parents spend about 10 times as long as Western parents on academic activities with their children on a daily basis. But the question is, will all that discipline and those high expectations really create content and successful adults or does it in fact create children who will eventually resent their parents?The article was brought in The Wall Street Journal in 2011 and it is written by Amy Chua’s and from her point of view. She is a professor and a mother of two. She believes in the Chinese way of parenting – that discipline and expecting nothing less but perfection from your children, will eventually create happy and successful adults. In the article she argues for the reason why the Chinese upbringing is successful. She is married to a Westerner and therefore she has recognized three big differences in the Chinese and Western parental mind-sets.Amy believes these three differences to be the reason why Chinese children have a tendency to perform better at school. First of all, she thinks that Western parents are too concerned with their children’s self-esteem. As she says it: â€Å"Western parents are concerned about their children’s psyches. Chinese parents aren’t. They assume strength, not fragility, and as a result they behave very differently.† This statement is somewhat true. Western parents have a tendency to tiptoe around an issue; because they are petrified they might hurt their child’s feelings or damage their child’s self-esteem.If you expect your children to be fragile, they most likely will become fragile. If you on the other hand expect strength, and that they can handle the truth without getting a damaged self-esteem, they will be strong. But as always there must be moderation in all things. Amy Chua says: â€Å"That’s why the soluti on to substandard performance is always to excoriate, punish and shame the child. The Chinese parent believes that their child will be strong enough to take the shaming and to improve from it.†Punishing your children for a disappointing performance at school by castigating the child is very far from the Western parental mind-set. If you are disappointed in your children, it is better to be honest with them and tell them you know they can do better and what you expect of them in the future. It is unnecessary to lambast your children. It seems, that in Amy Chua’s mind respect and fear is the same thing, which in my mind seems hopelessly out of date.You should not fear your parents; instead they should be the ones in whom you could always seek comfort and support. Amy Chua has a completely different mind-set on where children are in the social hierarchy, which is the next big difference between Chinese and Western upbringing.Amy Chua believes that the second big difference between Chinese and Western upbringing is, that Chinese parents believe their kids owe them everything. In this part she uses her husband as an example of what a Westerners view is: â€Å"It’s parents who foist life on their kids, so it’s the parents’ responsibility to provide for them. Kids don’t owe their parents anything.†This is an opinion most Westerners share. It is a culture difference. It is  not only the Chinese culture, but also the Muslim, Jewish etc. that have this type of social hierarchy, where it is the older you are, and the higher status you have. Amy Chua may exaggerate when she says Chinese children owe their parents everything, but a lot of Westerners could learn to show more respect towards the elderly people. We could learn something from each other’s way of parenting, even though they are opposite of each other.In the next part Amy Chua points out the last big difference between the two very different ways of parent ing. â€Å"Third, Chinese parents believe that they know what is best for their children and therefore override all of their children’s own desires and preferences.† To explain the reasoning behind this statement, Amy tells a story from her own life, when her  daughter refused to play a piano piece because it was too hard. But Amy made her do it and in the end she did it and performed it perfectly. To a certain degree, it is okay for parents to make their children do something they do  not want to, because it takes practice.What you have to be careful about is keeping them away from the things they want to do. If they have a desire to something, not allowing them will only enhance that desire, and in the end that might cause some kind of drastic reaction from their part. Once again it is a really big difference between the Chinese and the Western mind-set. Western parents usually encourage their children to pursue their desires and support their decisions, whereas the Chinese parents believe they know what is best for their children.The fact that Western parents allow their children to do what they want with their lives, makes the Chinese parents think that Chinese parents care more about their children, because they won’t let them turn out badly. On the other hand, Westerners think that Chinese parents are callous people, who do not let their children be children. Amy think’s that is a misunderstanding on both sides, because as she says: â€Å"All decent parents want to do what is best for their children. The Chinese just have a totally different idea of how to do that.† Amy respects both ways of parenting, but it is oblivious throughout the article that Amy Chua believes the Chinese way of parenting is the right way to go.Amy Chua’s views on parenting might be slightly provoking to a lot of people, but she argues well for the reasoning behind it. In the article it seems that there are no consequences of the Chine se parental mind-set. But there always is. There is a possibility that Amy Chua’s way of parenting might cause her children to resent her at some point, when they realize that not every parent is like that. Also undermining the creative subjects like gym and drama is not the way to go.A lot of studies show the importance of creativity in a child’s life and exercise is crucial for children as well. It is also important to remember that the social intelligence is just as important as  the logical one, and maybe more. When the children are going to job interviews etc. it is very important to be socially qualified, and they won’t learn that by being kept away from sleepovers, play dates and so on. There are definitely consequences of the Chinese way of upbringing that Amy describes, just as well as there is of the Western way.Even though Amy is an advocate of the Chinese way of parenting, she does not glorify it. She uses humour and exaggeration to engage the read er for example: â€Å"If a Chinese child gets a B – which would never happen – there would first be a screaming, hair-tearing explosion.† She amplifies a lot in the examples she uses in order to emphasize just how different Western and Chinese parents are. An article is not engaging if it only consists of statistics and surveys. But like Amy does use those statistics and surveys to back up her own story. By doing that, the story becomes more believable. As readers we are much more interested to hear a personal story that is part of a greater hole.Amy also engages the reader by making a bold headline: â€Å"Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior†. When we read that we instantly feel a desire to know why and which arguments she has for making such a statement.The article ends with a summary of the contrast between the Western and Chinese parental mind-set. Both are very positive, but still very different. In that way Amy enlightens how both ways of parenting can be equally as good. The message of the article is that we should learn from each other’s way of parenting, and just because one environment is different, does not mean it is not equally as loving and nurturing as the other.

An American Indian Providing their Perspective of the English Assignment

An American Indian Providing their Perspective of the English - Assignment Example Primarily coming from the southern states of America, my forefathers had later settled in the northern part, in quest of better living. Recounting my experience is interesting because history has long since been regarded as a very important document of a country’s inheritance of its cultural values, people and its socio-political and economic evolution. While some of the historical events can be gleaned from the written accounts of the eyewitnesses, the authenticity of the same is always in doubt and helps the historians to delve deeper into the myriad aspects of evolving time. Indeed, my children grandchildren tell me that there is well-documented information about America from the time it was discovered by the Spanish conquistadors. But we are the original inhabitants of this country and I think, history should be interpreted from the accounts of our people and sot solely accepted from the foreigners who have now been declared as rightful citizens of this land! History for us is the tales of the times that are passed on to from generations to generation and added from the inputs of the succeeding generations. Frankly speaking, the stories of my forefathers, as told to me by grandparents, are a mixture of the good and the bad. The good things comprise of our culture and the pride in our tradition and values. We value human beings as the creation of God and they have the responsibility of maintaining good relationships with all the things that God has created. Thus, conservation of the environment is an intrinsic part of our heritage. I think this was the major issue that has brought about so much of conflict in our lives through the times. The clash of ideas and the ambitious and often nefarious intentions of the Europeans have resulted in the formation of a new social order where racial discrimination has superseded human values.

Effect of interest rate and inflation rate on the islamic shares Dissertation

Effect of interest rate and inflation rate on the islamic shares listed in the united arab emirates - Dissertation Example The Shariah Principles, which dates back to almost fourteen hundred years ago, has put forward certain immaculate methodologies and customs pertaining to establishment of a financial system. These principles and ideologies can be applied even in the dynamic and robust global economic scenario of the twenty first century without any downside. The Islamic financial system strongly condemns the inclusion of interest in the transactions between the borrowers and the lenders and has labeled any such transaction as repugnant to the principles of Shariah or ‘Haram’. Following the same principles, not only such transactions are unlawful according to the principles of Islam, but investing in any of such companies and earning return form such are also unlawful. With the passage of time, the development of the Islamic financial institution started taking place at a rapid pace. The trend was not only confined to the Middle Eastern and Far East Asian countries, but the effects were f ar stretched to the European and the North American countries as well. The supporters of the conventional economic system soon realized that the rationale behind the Islamic financial structure and the concepts of an Islamic financial institution. Several major conventional banks have since launched various Islamic products and experienced impressive response from the individuals as well as from corporations. Shariah principles related to Islamic financial system not only provide guidance on the financial products pertaining to Islamic banking, but it has also issued pronouncements on how companies can regulate their operations and bring them in line in accordance with the laws of Islamic Shariah. Investing in the equity security of the Shairah compliant companies is allowed for the investors and the return earned on such investment is permissible and ‘Halal’. There are certain conditions which the company needs to implement in its operational and financial strategy in order to become Shariah compliant. The main The business of the company must not be prohibited as per the laws of Shariah If debt ratio of the company is higher than 33% of its equity capital, then buying the shares of such company is not permissible as per Shariah Islamic scholars have allowed the interest income to be less than 5% of the total income of the company for it to be permissible for investment Relationship between the interest rate and the inflation has been discussed at large in various economic literatures. Both of these variables are responsible for shaping the essential aspects of the economy such as monetary policy and regulating the supply and demand of several commodities. Various studies have been conducted in order to understand the relationship between the interest rate and the rate of inflation. It is generally considered among the economist that the nominal

Globalisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Globalisation - Essay Example The World War I & II were the central points that proposed the idea of globalisation. The World Wars adversely affected national economies. On the basis of numerous studies conducted, economists realised that the concept of globalization would contribute to the rapid economic restructuring. In addition to the economic benefits, nations could improve its political as well technological relations globally. It is argued that globalisation can benefit developing countries more in achieving rapid economic growth. Obviously, it has several negative aspects too. This paper will critically analyse notable strengths and weaknesses of globalisation. Strengths According to Devetak and Hughes (34), globalisation connects nations through a global network, and it assists a nation to get access to foreign markets and customers. Sometimes, an organisation can attain more benefits from foreign markets than from domestic markets since the offshore country may provide better business conditions. The fa vourable conditions include cheap raw materials and labour, liberal government laws, and large number of potential customers. The removal of trade barriers promoted import and export activities by which a government acquires foreign investments. The emergence of a global financial market can be directly attributed to the concept of globalisation, which assisted the borrowers to get better access to external financing. The increased volume of national and international trade transactions will probably boost the rapid economic development of a country. The economic development of a country may raise the standard of living of its citizens. Moreover, every nation gets access to highly developed technologies so that organisations can take advantages of these improved technologies in order to enter the next phase of growth. Hence, technological improvement and increased productivity are some of the positive outcomes of globalisation. As per statistical data, â€Å"everyday more than $1.5 trillion is now swapped in the world’s currency markets and around one fifth of products and services are generated per year are bought and sold† (Benefits of Globalisation). The global interconnectedness helps nations to attract more and more investors and thereby complete their capital accumulation process successfully. It is evident that potential investors are invaluable assets of every organisation as these investors have the capacity to raise additional capital in times of unexpected contingencies. The buyer group also acquires benefits from world trade as they get better selection options through which a buyer can purchase quality goods at lower prices. Another fascinating feature of the globalisation is that it can keep inflation level lower. This feature greatly aids governments to trim down public sector spending and minimise troubles associated with a higher inflation level. The increased global trade creates a lot of employment opportunities across the glob e and thus it effectively contributes to each nation’s economy. Globalisation brought some excellent economical results in 1980s and it can be attributed to increased global trade activities. In 1986, commerce as a percentage of gross world product has risen from 15% to 27%; in addition, globalisation process brought revolutionary developments in the number of mobile phone subscribers and internet users during the last few decades (Benefits of Globalization). Weaknesses As in the case of any other potential

Comparing West German Women and East German Women's Economic and Research Paper

Comparing West German Women and East German Women's Economic and Social Statuses Before and After Unification - Research Paper Example Restrictive policies especially the race of women in economic field and family positioning has formed a fundamental base into study of human rights. Like many world countries had assumed their government bureaucracies, Germany was languishing in self destruction and struggle for self actualization. The contrasting policies have shaped the current Germany society, which forms the thesis of this research paper. East versus West Germany women: before and after unification Introduction Four decades (1949-1989) after Second World War, Germany was split into two countries. This period brought unequalled experiences concerning the effect of policies and institution on gender and work between the two states (Ruspin, 2002). The communist Germany Democratic Republican (GDR) of the east, and the Western Federal Republic (FRG-Federal Republican of Germany). Just like the division in the country, the two sides had diverse philosophies. This paper explores the contrasting policies of the East Germany- a side, which lived in socialistic domain of a central economy, communist employment, and embracing family welfare. For the western side, this research further clarifies on the conservatism approach they embraced. A controlled welfare for the people, a multiparty congress, and market economy was what defined this side of Germany. This division had far-reaching consequences not only in the state affairs, but also the family was as well affected. While West Germany confined their women into selective rules, the Eastern counterpart valued and recognized paid labor for both genders. In this respect, the Western side had confined working into men alone (Fasang, 2011). Work discrimination was highly evident affecting women to a larger degree. One extend of socialist dictatorial political system with a planned economy and the pluralist democratic system operating in a market economy, their social status was not that valued. The decade is fiercely characterized by effects it caused to family and the women in particular. For example, the paper analyses how family life in East Germany was affected by cultural heritage of the bourgeois family, unyielding labor policy and the free socialist society. Despite their policies embracing a considerable modernity and gender equality, freedom was still limited. Gender equality, integration on occupations and the division of labor at home was more

DB5 Part 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

DB5 Part 1 - Essay Example He connected with the canvas in a form of expression that had not previously been seen before. His work was emotional, the paint on the canvas an infliction of his emotional self, much the same as is achieved by the solo artist, opera soprano singer, a classical pianist, and all the other artists whose art bears the infliction of their emotional commitment and intensity. For the art world, Pollock’s work was the introduction of new and innovative ideas into an environment where abstract had become the norm, and expressionism still in many ways resembled abstract. There was not a distinct enough approach between impressionism and abstract to differentiate it until Pollock’s Convergence. Pollock ushered in what social scientists refer to as â€Å"cultural convergence (Jenkins 2006 viii).† That is when the new and old converge, transitioning to the new cultural direction (Jenkins 2006). Convergence is about bridging the gap between the old and the new, transitioning to the new cultural direction, and building upon the old through new creative styles and expressions across the range of media and mediums (Jenkins 2006).

Law Making in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Law Making in the UK - Essay Example Such things as local byelaws or professional rules are delegated legislation. 3. Devolved parliaments such as the Scottish Parliament can pass both primary legislation and also separate legislation on devolved issues e.g. those that apply particularly to their regions. 4. Precedent. ( page 141) This is a legal term in common law. It refers to a decision made based upon earlier judgments. The lower courts base their decisions upon principles which have been laid down in higher courts. 5. Common Law. ( page 189) This term refers to the substantive rules, i.e. rules about which behaviour is allowed, and procedural rules i.e. how things should be done.. Both of these kind of rules judges create and use in court. Common law alters according to changes in society i.e. what society considers to be allowable or not during a particular period. . 6. European Union law. ( page 225) Laws passed by the European Parliament are valid in the member countries of the European Union. Primary legislatio n includes laws based upon treaties and agreements between members. Secondary legislation includes such things as directives and guidelines. Also included are judgments made in the European Court of Human Rights. Question 2 Explain the role of the judiciary in developing common law. Does this role assist with law making? Common law, otherwise known as case law, is case centred i.e. it depends upon the particular cases that occur. This distinguishes it from statutory law i.e. that detailed in Acts of parliament. I t is judge centred as it is the judiciary, at various levels, who make the decisions. Common law develops in a very gradual way depending upon circumstances i.e. which cases come to court. It is based upon precedent, that is what has preceded it. Where a new case presents the same situation as an earlier one then the earlier decision will be followed. It is not planned ahead. It is a system used by the United Kingdom and still in place in many of her former possessions such as Commonwealth countries and the United States of America. The European Court of Justice was established under different rules – those based upon Roman and German styles of Civil Law, but in practice is basing its decisions more on a case by case style, although based upon earlier decisions it has made i.e. it is building up a common law base to be used by its judiciary when making rulings on particular cases.. Hobhouse is cited as saying ( page 190) that common law must develop as â€Å"circumstances change and the balance of legal , social and economic needs change.† Society is in a constant flux and judges need to be able to make decisions based upon the changing circumstances. This can be done by overruling earlier decisions made in a lower court. Lower courts are bound by decisions made in higher courts. Judges are not necessarily required to follow the precedent of earlier rulings. It can be a matter of distinguishing – pointing out particular circumstan ces which mean that somewhat different principles might be applied in a certain case – mitigating circumstances for instance. The disadvantage of this system is that it only works for cases that are actually brought before the courts - the courts only rule on these cases not hypothetical ones that might or might not occur. Some would consider this a disadvantage, but at least time is not wasted considering what might have been. The real

The effect of nitric oxide and cGMP on follecogenises Essay

The effect of nitric oxide and cGMP on follecogenises - Essay Example to female disorders, 20% of male origin, 27% resulting from abnormalities in both man and woman, while 15% of the cases could not be attributed to either partner (de Kretser, 1997). According to Evers (2002), five types of disorders leading to infertility have been recognised. They are summarised in Table 1. Ovulation disturbances are a common cause of subfertility in women (Snick et al., 1997). Ovulation problems due to disturbances in reproductive hormones present themselves as irregular or absent menstrual periods viz., oligomenorrhoea or amenorrhoea (Hamilton-Fairley and Taylor, 2003). Hormonal balance governing the ovarian cycle is a critical factor in female fertility. Several factors including stressful lifestyles, extremes in body weight, diet, certain hormonal diseases (e.g., pituitary gland tumours) and endocrine disrupting chemicals, such as PCBs and some pesticides can impact a womans hormonal balance and, thereby, the ovulatory pattern (Farr et al., 2004). Age is another important factor that influences female fertility (Maheshwari et al., 2008) which starts to decline around the mean age of 37.5 years (Hourvitz, 2009). Fecundity of a woman declines with age because of the loss of follicles from the ovary. Advancing age could lead to infertility in a woman on account of poo r oocyte quality related to a higher number of chromosomal aberrations and cytoplasmic malformations in the oocytes (Laufer et al., 2004). Furthermore, advancing maternal age could adversely influence the capacity of the oocyte to sustain early embryo development vis-a-vis biochemical and molecular processes promoting fertilisation, embryo formation and successful development to term (Gilchrist et al., 2008); Male infertility resulting in the reduced ability of the female partner to become pregnant is usually on account of low sperm counts, obstructive azoospermia or primary spermatogenic failure including reduced motility and/or abnormal morphology of sperm (Snick et al., 1997);