An Educational Workplace Challenge Essay

â€Å"It is our deep faith that God is compassionate and merciful, and mercy is what he bestows upon His subjects. He is generous and beautiful, and beauty is what he gives. That is how we should see the world, beautiful, with all its resources and contents, known to us or unknown. Qatar, our beloved, is also rich in natural resources. Be it human buds or wild flowers. All are blossoms, all are natural, all are beautiful bearing Qatar’s name. Let us all work together, caring for our little buds. Lets us plant them deep in the consciousness of our land. Let us nurture them with love and care to help them blossom into flowers filled with beautiful scents and filling their surroundings with beauty. † Her Highness Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser Bin Abdullah Al-Missned. (Shafallah 2007) â€Å"A picture says more than a thousand words. † For an educational institution, the vision statement shows the picture of what the school will be at its best. On the one hand, the vision is the very basis for everything that the school, the management, the teachers, the students, their parents and the community, all work for. On the other hand, the mission is the means to achieve this vision. The mission determines the strategies that will be implemented by the school management to achieve its goals and vision. Leadership takes a significant role in the achievement of this mission. This paper discusses workplace challenges and the influence of leadership in the achievement of successful school reforms. The Shafallah Center for Children with Special Needs and its efforts to solve its major problems and improve the implementation of its educational programs will be discussed using the concepts on leadership. Specifically, the paper will focus on the concept of parallel leadership and the roles of the school management and teaching professionals as leaders in influencing the school’s needed reforms. The Workplace The School The Shafallah Center for Children with Special Needs is a non-profit private school located in Doha City, Qatar, providing comprehensive services and care to individuals with departmental learning challenges, their families and the community. It was established in 1998 through the efforts of community leaders who believe in the vitality and importance of the family and the child’s role in the society particularly those children with special needs. They want to provide the children with the best care, services and educational facilities that will enable them to adapt to the surrounding environment in order to live among others in the community, and eventually secure their future. The center provides diagnosis, evaluation, school programs, training and development services for all children with all forms of disabilities from ages three to twenty-one years old. The goals and objectives of the school are: To provide comprehensive educational, instructional, rehabilitation, social, vocational and recreational services for children with special needs. To provide support and family counseling services to families of children with special needs, including individual and group therapy. To provide community awareness on dealing with children with special needs, as well as fostering acceptance and understanding of the nature of disabilities. To provide training opportunities through Shafallah Center and establishing an international entity specializing in this field. To serve as an advocate for public policy and legislative support of appropriate educational and vocational programs for children with special needs. (Shafallah 2007) School funds are generated from local and international grants and from regular tuition and matriculation of the students. The school offers five (5) programs aligned for students depending on age and learning concentration. These are the Pre-school and kindergarten which enrolls students ages 3-5. The school unit 2 is for students aging 6-21 with mild and moderate challenges, its coursework are in pre-academic, academic and pre-vocational and emphasizes on social and daily life skills. Unit 3 caters to students with mild and severe intellectual and developmental disabilities from ages 6-21; its programs are aimed to increase independence and activities are centered on daily living, self care and basic communication including socialization and leisure education. Unit 4 is designed for those diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders, ages ranging from 6-21. The program uses the model TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic Related Communication Handicapped Children) and other models tailored for these children.

Interview With Manager Essay

Throughout the essay, the managers will be referred to as Mr X and Mr Y and their company’s will be referred to as Company X and Company Y respectively due to confidential reasons. The first manager that was interviewed in order to fulfil this task was Mr X. He works for Company X, which is, a large service based organisation at the position of ‘Head of Corporate Credit Administration.’ His key responsibility at this bank is to provide credit administration support to Corporate, Investment banking and SME business. Within Company X’s hierarchy Mr X appears to be a middle level manager at he is expected to report to the CEO of the company while he also supervises. The second interview that was conducted for this task was with Mr Y. He is a Creative Marketing Director at Company Y which is a marketing consultancy and IT development enterprise located in Malaysia. His organisation is also service based; however, it is a medium sized one. As a top level manager , Mr Y’s task is to direct and oversee the overall projects and ensure that they are carried out as planned and are successful. Management is the process of coordinating and overseeing the work activities of others so that their activities are completed efficiently and effectively (Robbins, Bergman, Stagg & Coulter, 2012). In the subsequent essay, the universality of management will be discussed in light of Fayol’s four functions and Katz’s three skills and how relevant these theories appear while analysing the information gathered from the interviews. Henri Fayol proposed that that all managers perform five functions: planning, organising, commanding, coordinating and controlling (Robbins, Bergman, Stagg & Coulter, 2012). During the course of the essay, however, the emphasis will remain on the four functions: planning, organising, leading and controlling. A skill is the ability either to perform some specific behavioral task or the ability to perform some specific cognitive process that is functionally related to some particular task (Peterson, 2004). For the purpose of this task Katz’s skills will be related to the interviews collected. Namely these are: Conceptual, Human and Technical skills. Mr. X is involved in a moderate amount of planning as he defines the credit policies fo r the corporate portfolio. Moreover, he has to cascade the defined goals to individual job levels and monitors them closely for accomplishment. In his organization, high achievers are often rewarded with awards and cash bonuses which serve as a motivation. Reports are also  compiled frequently to monitor portfolio behavior and to make sure that customer’s expectations at various occasions are fulfilled. At the same time, he is also expected to be able to work with various other departments to ensure smooth transactional processing. These tasks of Mr. X relate to the organizing function of Fayol, that is, the providing of everything essential in performing a particular task i.e. the right equipment and tools with right people and right amount of capital (Fayol, 1949, as cited in Lamond, 1998). It is not enough to just organize the employees and assign them jobs to perform. But what is more important is to know that which employee is specialized in which job (best suited for a particular task) and assign them jobs accordingly (Fayol, 1949, as cited in Lamond, 1998). Mr. X’s interview conveys that he is the most involved in leading, organizing and controlling with a moderate amount of planning. All this is in line with the existing theories of what a middle level manager ought to do. However, he has rated controlling as ‘4’ which is rather high for a middle level manager. Theory says that a middle-level manager is only expected to contribute 14% of his tasks to controlling (Stephen Robbins, 2012, p.19). Mr. X rated the need of human skills as ‘5’. These skills are important for managers at all levels (Robbins, Bergman, Stagg & Coulter, 2012).   Hence, it falls in line and confirms Katz’s theory. However, Mr. X’s rating of the other two skills and the theory related to those seem to be contradicting as he rates technical skills and conceptual skills as very much while according to Katz, a middle level manager is expected to possess moderate amounts of each. Thus, in Mr. X’s case, Fayol’s four functions seem to be evident while Katz’s theory appears to not be relevant to his job description and tasks expected out of him. Managers can manage action directly, they can manage people to encourage then to ta ke necessary actions, and they can manage information to influence the people in turn to take their necessary actions (Mintzberg, 1994). Being a part of a board member, Mr. Y claims that he is involved in a moderate amount of planning (rating of ‘3’), along with, employing the correctly skilled people for a task that is most suitable for them. Mr. Y feels that it is his responsibility, being a senior, to inspire his subordinates and provide them with the recognition that they require to be able to excel in their respective fields. A weekly reporting system is used in Company Y to check through the company’s progress and its employee’s  efficiency and effectiveness. Thus, there is quite a lot of leading and controlling, followed by organising and planning is the least of them all. Fayol’s four functions seem to be in accordance with Mr. Y’s job description except for the function of controlling which, for a top level manager, should be the lowest and in this case it is rated as a ‘5’ (very much). Technical skills are defined as the understanding of, or proficiency in, specific activities that require the use of specialized tools, methods, processes, procedures, techniques, or knowledge (Peterson, 2004). Relating back to Katz’s theory, a top level manager is expected to possess very little of technical skills which contradicts with Mr. Y’s rating of ‘3’ for technical skills. The real performance of the manager is the knowledge base of the manager (Carroll & Gillen, 1987). Being a top level manager, it is generally assumed that Mr. Y should have very much of conceptual skills which will enable him to think outside the box as he also claims that it extremely hard to be creative on demand, which is something that his job requires of him. Conceptual skills are generally thought to be needed more as the level of managing gets higher. Along with this, human skills are also vital for a manager at all levels. These skills allow the manager to train, direct, and evaluate subordinates performing specialized tasks (Peterson, 2004). However, Mr. Y has overrated technical skills and underrated conceptual skills in relation to his job. Hence, this contradicts with the outlined theory and Katz’s skills come across as irrelevant while analyzing Mr. Y’s job. Hence, it can be concluded that Fayol’s functions are more relevant and evident in Mr. Y’s descriptions of his job, as compared to Katz’s theory which is mostly contradicting with the information provided by Mr. Y. Although there is some empirical support for the influence of hierarchical level and functional specialty on managerial role requirements, the influence of these factors on required skills, knowledge, and abilities remains more speculative in nature (Pavett & Lau, 1983). If management is truly a generic principle, then what managers do should be essentially the same whether they are top level executives or low-level supervisors, in a business firm or a non-profit arts organization†¦(Robbins, Bergman, Stagg & Coulter, 2012). With advancements in technology and changing ideologies, the traditional definition of an organization is changing along with the traditional definitions of a manager. The roles that  managers play and the expectations that o thers have of them are evolving to reflect new forms of organization (Chapman, 2001). During the past ten years or so, the usefulness of the classical functions for classifying managerial work activities has been questioned by a number of writers (Carroll & Gillen, 1987). Similarities can be observed between the two managers with reference to moderate amounts of planning and organising involved. Both managers also recognized human skills as highly important. These similarities could be due to both the managers being linked with the service sector. On the other hand, there are some evident differences that cannot be ignored. Mr. X requires very much of technical skills and conceptual skills, while Mr. Y needs only a moderate amount of both. No significant difference can be obtained in light of Fayol’s functions. Mintzberg (1980) proposed that differences in managerial work involve the relative importance of the roles across hierarchical level and functional specialty (Lachman, 1985). Hence, these differences are probably due Mr. X being a middle level manager wh ile Mr. Y is a top level one. Also, Mr. X comes from a public sector while Mr. Y relates to a private one. Furthermore, Mr. Y works for a medium sized organization where the need for technical and conceptual skills rises very seldom which is why he rates it so low. On the other hand, Mr. X, working in a large organization rates them higher as the circumstances are different. Managers in both small and large organisations perform essentially the same activities, but how they go about them and the proportion of time they spend on each one are different (Robbins, Bergman, Stagg & Coulter, 2012). Regardless of their level, all managers make decisions and all managers are viewed to be performing the four functions of planning, organising, leading and controlling. However, the time dedicated to any particular function cannot be merely stated as a fact as it tends to vary from manager to manager. After analyzing the interviews, it can be concluded that Fayol’s four functions are found to be relevant in the light of the managers interviewed, but at a varied degree. How relevamt are Katz’s skills? Examining the interviews separately, the skills stated do not seem to support the theory, except for the human skills. Although these skills are defined and explained separately, they will be interrelated when enforced to managerial problems. Therefore, looking at the general overview of the functions and skills, they appear to be the universal guideline for managers  even though the level of importance for each individual function or skills may be different. Reference List Carroll, S., & Gillen, D,. (1987). Are the classical management functions useful in describing managerial work? Academy of Management Review, 12(1), 38-51. Chapman, J.A., (2001). The work of managers in new organisational contexts. Journal of management development, 20(1), 55-68. Hales, C,. (1999). Why do Managers Do What They Do? Reconciling Evidence and Theory in Accounts of Managerial Work. British Journal of Management, 10, 335–350 Lachman, R,. (1985). Public and Private sector differences: CEOS’s Perceptions of their Role Evironments. Academy of Management Journal, 28(3), 671-680. Lamond, D,. (1998). Back to the future: Lessons from the past for a new management era in G. Griffin (Ed.) Management Theory and Practice: Moving to a New Era. MacMillan: Melbourne. 3-14. Lau, A.W., & Pavett, C.M,. (1983). Managerial Work: The Influence of Hierarchical Level and Functional Specialty. Academy of Management Journal, 26(1), 170-177 Peterson, T. (2004). Ongoing legacy of R.L. Katz: an updated typology of management skills, Management Decision. 42(10), 1297-1308. Robbins, S., Bergman, R., Stagg, I. & Coulter, M. (2012), Management, (6th ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW, Australia: Pearson Education.

Problems and Issues in Philippine Education Essay

1. Colonial historiography. Most of the past and present teachers, book authors, and Social Studies consultants give heavier premium to the history of the colonizers in the Philippines, and not to the history of Filipinos. Mostly, this has been the case in the teaching of History subjects from the elementary to tertiary levels and will most likely perpetuate in the next generations to come. The history of the Filipino people and the colonial history of the Philippines are two different topics altogether. 2. Internationalization of the division of labor. To a certain extent, the Philippine educational system conditions its students to be skillful in arithmetic and computer literacy, fluent in foreign languages (specifically English and Nihonggo), and docile in order to serve as workers of the transnational businesses of the advanced, capitalist countries. Take the case of the call center phenomenon in the Philippines, India and other developing states. see more:k-12 advantages and disadvantages 3. Emasculation and demoralization of teachers. Teachers, more often than not, are victimized by the over-worked and under-paid policy of the system of the past and present dispensations. This leads to the emasculation and demoralization of their ranks. This probably explains why the teaching profession is not attracting the best and the brightest from the crop of students anymore. Expectedly, this will correspondingly result to the vicious cycle of mediocrity in education. 4. Fly-by-night educational institutions . By any measure, the proliferation of fly-by-night educational institutions is counter-productive. In the long run, it produces a pool of half-baked, unprepared, and incompetent graduates. Alarmingly, the country is having an over-supply already. Some would even consider them as liabilities than assets. This case is true for both undergraduate and graduate studies. 5. Culturally and gender insensitive educational system. Women, the common tao and the indigenous people are almost historically excluded from the Philippine historiography in favor of the men, heroes from Luzon and the power elite. Women are marginalized and trivialized even in language of education. Take the case of the terms female lawyer (as if lawyer as a profession is exclusive only to men) and manpower (which should have been human resources or human capital to be more politically correct). 6. State abandonment of education. In the name of imperialist globalization, the state—in an incremental fashion—is abandoning its role to subsidize public education particularly in the tertiary level. This comes in the form of matriculation, laboratory and miscellaneous fee increases in order to force state colleges and universities (SCUs) to generate their own sources of fund. Ironically, the bulk of the budget (in fact, more than one-third in the case of 2005 National Budget) goes to debt servicing. 7. Sub-standard textbooks. Some textbooks which are already circulation are both poorly written and haphazardly edited. Take the case of the Asya: Noon at Ngayon with an identified total number of more than 400 historical errors. Unfortunately, it is just one of the many other similar atrociously written textbooks which are yet to be identified and exposed. This is a classic case of profit-centeredness without regard to social accountability. 8. Widespread contractualization. In the name of profit, owners and administrators of several private schools commonly practice contractualization among their faculty members. Contractual employees unlike their regular/tenured counterparts are not entitled to fringe benefits which consequently reduces the over-all cost of their business operation. Job insecurity demeans the ranks of the faculty member 9. Undue disregard for specialization. Some colleges and universities encourage their faculty pool to be generalists (under the guise of multidisciplinary approach to learning) in order to be  able to handle various subjects all at once. But some faculty members have turned out to be objects of mockery and have lost their self-esteem since some of them were pushed to handle Technical Writing, General Psychology, Filipino, and Algebra at the same time. This is prevalent among some franchised academic institutions even if the subjects are already off-tangent their area of interest and specialization. 10. Copy-pasting culture. Over-dependence to the cyberspace has dramatically reduced the capability of students (even teachers) to undertake research. ‘Copy-pasting’ has even turned into a norm among some students whenever they are tasked to submit a research paper or even a film review. Needless to say, plagiarism has already transformed into a more sophisticated form in the context of today’s electronic age. 11. Mc Donaldized education. The system, methodology, and even content of education in the Philippines are mere haphazard transplantation from the West. It is therefore Eurocentric, culturally insensitive, and non-reflective of the local milieu. This is based on the xenocentric (foreign-centered) premise that other culture or system is far more superior than one’s own. 12.The problem of non-sustainability and non-continuity. Teachers, administrators and publishers are all left in limbo whenever the DepEd would come up with another totally different directive from what it used to have in a rather very sudden interval. Take the case of the grading system, timeframe allotted to various subjects, MAKABAYAN program, readiness test, and learning competencies. 13. Poor regard for liberal art/education. Liberal education is intended to form a holistic individual equipped with communication, critical thinking, mathematical, creative, inter-personal and intra-personal skills. This explains why we also have Philosophy, Languages, Humanities, Natural Science, Social Science, Physical Education and even Theology in our college curriculum, and not only our major subjects. The curriculum is specifically designed to produce a total person, and not only  a technical specialist. Unfortunately, the desired objective is not being met at all since liberal education is regarded only as a set of minor subjects. With the way these subjects are being handled (taking into account both content and methodology), students view the entire exercise as an unnecessary duplication of what they have already covered in high school. Equally alarming is the lack of enthusiasm and motivation exhibited by some professors to handle the subject especially if they believe that it has nothing to do with the course or area of specialization of their students (say, Art Appreciation for Accounting majors or Algebra for Creative Writing majors). 13. Education a purveyor of myth. Education has been very effective in mainstreaming and perpetuating the social myths in a subtle and indirect manner. Some of these myths are the perceived superiority of white, educated men, ‘official’ history as advanced by the western point of view, globalization as the only way to achieve economic development, and stereotypes against the minoritized and the disenfranchised. 14. Further marginalization of the undersubscribed courses. In the name of profit and as a response to the dictates of the market forces, colleges and universities prefer to offer more courses in line with the health sciences like nursing, medical transcription, and care-giving. This is done at the expense of the already undersubscribed yet relevant courses like Area Studies, Pilipinolohiya (Philippine Studies), Development Studies, Philippine Arts, Art Studies, Community Development, Social Work, Islamic Studies, Clothing Technology, and Ceramics Engineering. 15. Monolithic education. Some educators in the name of conservatism and for the sake of convenience, prefer the old-style teaching paradigm where they view themselves as the fountain of knowledge and their students as nothing but empty vessels to be filled up (banking method of education). Modern education has ushered in learner-centered approach to education (from being the sage in the stage to just a guide on the side). 16. Atrociously boring teachers. As I always underscore, there are no boring subjects, only boring teachers. But at least we should recognize them because they still serve a purpose. They serve as bad examples. 16. Brain drain Apart from the much debated political, social and psychological aspects, this ongoing mass emigration constitutes an unparalleled brain drain with serious economic implications.Arguably, the phenomenon also has an educational dimension, as the Philippine society is footing the bill for the education of millions of people, who then spend the better part of their productive years abroad. In effect, the poor Philippine educational system is indirectly subsidizing the affluent economies hosting the OFWs. With 95 per cent of all elementary students attending public schools, the educational crisis in the Philippines is basically a crisis of public education. The wealthy can easily send their offspring to private schools, many of which offer first-class education to the privileged class of pupils. Read more:  Current Issues in the Philippines Problems and Issues in K to 12 Curriculum Overview It is not that difficult to understand why, despite the additional costs the program would entail, the public generally appears to take President Benigno Aquino III’s K to 12 basic education program sitting down. That is if state-sponsored surveys are to be believed. The House Committee on Basic Education claims majority of the public surveyed during its consultations favored the K to 12 program, while separate consultations by theDepartment of Education (DepEd) showed 77 percent of the 1,417 people consulted nationwide supported Aquino’s flagship education program. For one, DepEd tried to make the lengthening of the basic education cycle palatable by saying the additional junior and senior high school levels would make students ready for the world of work when they graduate in high school. Even as public elementary and high school education continues to be free under the new system, other expenses such as transportation, allowance, food, school projects and other school expenses would still burden families and take up a significant portion of the family budget. However, what apparently makes parents willing to shoulder such costs is the empty promise of employability after their children receive their hard-earned diplomas. In  the present scheme of things, the function of education is already reduced to the individual’s mere employability. The K to 12 program reinforces this societal function of education. Society also continues to regard education as essential to social mobility, an â€Å"investment† worth undertaking as the â€Å"costs do not outweigh the benefits.† Owing to its highly commercialized character, tertiary education has also become inaccessible for many Filipinos. Dominated by the private sector, higher educational institutions charge students with sky-high tuition and miscellaneous fees that remain unregulated and unchecked. Even as college education gives the student an advantage in the vicious and highly-competitive search for job opportunities, many youths forgo college schooling simply because they cannot afford it. This makes the K to 12’s employability factor more appealing and acceptable to the parents, who are made to believe that under the new education system, college education is a path which is not for everyone to tread. Lastly, any educational reform almost always appeals to many especially since there is a general consensus that our present state of education is in disarray. The word â€Å"reform† is always easy for the public to swallow because any move to veer away from the present arrangement of things is viewed as a welcome development. Reaction/comment Government officials and other advocates who are so insistent in adding two more years in the school cycle should thus join the clamor for higher wages and the regulation of prices of basic commodities and services, push for the expansion and institutionalization of student financial support systems and scholarships, and more importantly, fight for greater state subsidy to education at all levels. Any education reform program that does not take into account economic and other social factors that affect a person’s schooling is bound to fail especially when its supposed beneficiaries cannot keep pace. The public should not take the K to 12 program as a bitter pill to swallow. It should not pass judgment on the program based solely on its glittery promise of honing the student for employability, and the additional costs that parents have to shoulder. The heavy financial burden that comes with the implementation of the program is just one of the many issues on the surface. Basic problems such as lack of teacher training and the failure of the government to address input gaps are also considerations that if left  unaddressed may imperil the full implementation of the program. But a fundamental flaw of the program that merits equal attention is its inability to address the problem of decreasing access to education. Aquino’s K to 12 is anchored on improving the competencies of in-school youths but fails to consider the situation of the growing number of out-of-school youths in the country who should enjoy the universally-acknowledged right of access to educational services. Furthermore, school survival rates are not merely influenced by the student’s mental and cognitive abilities. Poverty, the peace situation, and other societal factors all contribute to the increasing drop-out rates that cannot be remedied by mere curricular reforms and additional years of schooling. What use does a more â€Å"enjoyable† learning experience have when the student cannot even afford to go to school due to his or her financial woes? The K to 12 is marketed as a program wherein the student is given the option to pursue different paths upon graduation: employment, entrepreneurship, and higher education. This freedom of choice touted by the K to 12 proponents, however, is illusory since the student’s choice is actually limited by the reality that higher education has become a privilege and that the worsening economic conditions in the country are pushing Filipinos to seek jobs instead of pursuing higher education. The program’s objective to produce â€Å"globally competitive graduates† also run counter to the supposed freedom that the student possesses in choosing his or her career path. In reality, under the present economic set-up, the prescriptions of market dictates shape our choices and decisions, be it in the brands we purchase, the artists we subscribe to, the course we take in college, and even in the profession or occupation we wish to have. With the government systematically and aggressively promoting the export of labor and the dependence on external sources of jobs and economic growth through its economic policies, it can be expected that majority of the jobs and fields of learning that the students would be pursuing are those that are in tune with the demands of global market—call center jobs, technical-vocational jobs abroad, etc. It is contemptible, how at a young age people are told to pursue whatever dreams they have but education agencies would be coming up with a list of courses that are highly discouraged simply because they are not what the global market demands. Thus, the observation that the real motive behind the K to 12 education reform program is to further intensify  labor export by systematically targeting the country’s young labor force, and further service the demands of multinational firms is not without basis. As seen from the K to 12 curriculum, there is a noticeable focus given to technology and livelihood education (TLE) during high school, with the learner even obtaining a certificate of competency required by industries. In Grades 7 and 8, TLE subjects are exploratory, which means that the learner is given the opportunity to learn 5 basic competencies: 1) mensuration and calculation, 2) use of tools and equipment, 3) interpretation of plans/drawing 4) occupational health and safety in the workplace 5) maintenance of tools and equipment. In Grade 9, the learner chooses one course to specialize in from among the exploratory courses and in Grade 10, he/she pursues the TLE specialization that he/she has chosen in the previous grade in order for him/her to obtain at least a National Certificate Level I or Level II. There is completely nothing wrong with developing the technical and vocational skills of the citizens if these are oriented towards genuine economic development through national industrialization. However, the present economic orientation of the country shows that tech-voc courses supply either the demands abroad or the pool of skilled reserve labor servicing multinational firms which take advantage of the country’s cheap skilled labor. While the intentions seem laudable at first glance, the underlying context of the implementation of the K to 12 program could be best understood by looking at the government’s problematic general development framework that is the Philippine Development Plan, which seeks to reinforce the country’s adherence to the flawed development paradigm of neoliberal globalization. The K to 12 program’s thrust of producing â€Å"21st century graduates† is nothing but an affirmation and a reinforcement of the country’s role in the uneven world order where economies such are ours are molded according to the interests of the powers-that-be. Thus, the K to 12 education program can be considered a sine qua non for the fulfillment of the government’s agenda of trawling the path of the globalization project, which has only made the country vulnerable to the world economic crisis and has yielded the very crisis that plagues  Philippine education. Our country ha s gone through many changes and development for the past few years. The continuous process made great impacts in the lives of millions of Filipinos. Relatively, the changes have given us advantages not to mention the disadvantages it brought causing downfall to many people. There are numerous questions concerning the issues and problems existing in the Philippine Educational System as to how we can resolve it the best way we could to attain that kind of quality of education we have been searching and longing for. Where do we begin and how do we respond to such? Public schools are the building blocks of our societies. They can be considered our foundational instruments. Although these venues of learning play significant roles, they are unable to provide the best they can, due to their numerous flaws. As I’ve gone through different readings and researches, questions were arising in my mind as to what solutions are applicable in addressing the problems about the quality of education, affordability, budget, mismatch, integration of sex education in the curriculum, R.A. 9710 (Magna Carta for Women) and other concerns which are somehow related to it. I will always stand for what I believe in according to my observations that we have good guidelines and policies on education but what is lacking is the ability to implement such in accordance to the needs of every school, majority of which belong to the public education system. Generally, Philippine Education aims to provide quality and free education both for the elementary and secondary public schools but again this have not been observed and understood well causing it to be a burden most especially to the students and parents.

Outline and assess the different uses of strategy Essay

Outline and assess the different uses of strategy - Essay Example Rivals can have the same goals and objectives like ours. The nature of goals and objectives may be such that their realisation can accommodate only one individual or organisation or only a few individuals and organisations. Thus, strategy must have something to say on how several rivals should be dealt with so an organisation or individual can outsmart rivals. Resources are only available in limited states of abundance and scarcities. Individuals and organisations must therefore took stock of the most relevant resources for meeting goals and objectives and must establish a resource use policy or resource use combinations consistent with the resources that are available in terms of quantity, profile, and abundance. There are also rivals that can be competing for the same resources as well as in the realisation of the same objectives and goals. Goals and objectives are often pursued wherein there are obstacles to their realisation. The obstacle can be apparent or may only emerge in the course of pursuing the goals and objectives. Thus, strategy must be able to identify obstacles and anticipate the possible emergence of obstacles as goals and objectives are pursued. In the pursuit of goals and objectives, there are stakeholders involved. ... It can involve the combination of various forms of organisations, activities, and tools. III. Use of strategy by firms and non-firms Strategies are used by military organisations, businesses, and non-profit organisations. According to MacMillan and Tampoe (2000, p. 170), a business strategy defines the following: the scope of a business the consumer’s current and future needs that it wants to address within its scope of business the specific capabilities that will give its business a competitive advantage and the general conduct that will allow a business to gain territory within its area of business. Earlier, Porter (1996, p. 64) asserted that the essence of strategy is to choose of activities that are different from what rivals do. It can involve cost leadership, differentiation and focus (1996, p. 67). According to Porter (1996, p. 68), at the core, strategy is â€Å"the creation of unique and valuable position, involving a different set of activities†. It involves p ositioning, positioning trade-off, as well as operational effectiveness (Porter 1996, p. 67-68). Alone, however, operational effectiveness is not strategy (Porter 1996, p. 78). Strategy covers what not to do, making trade-offs in competing, and combining activities (Porter 1996, p. 70). It is about a whole system of activities and not just a collection of activities (Porter 1996, p. 70). Strategy also involves forging a fit among activities (Porter 1996, p. 77). Mintzberg (1987, p. 11) described that strategy have two essential characteristics: they are planned in advance and are developed consciously and purposefully (1987, p. 11). At the same time, however, Mintzberg (1987, p. 11) stressed that the field

Lesson 16 - Analyzing Direct Costs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Lesson 16 - Analyzing Direct Costs - Essay Example Based on the above computation, Question 5, Dept A, generates a lower factory overhead cost because the factory overhead rate of Question 5, $8.79 is lower than the Question 1, $9.20 factory overhead rate. On the other hand, Question 5 Dept B, generates a higher factory overhead cost because the factory overhead rate of Question 5, $12.07 is higher than the Question 1, $12.00 factory overhead rate. Dept A reduces the profit of Job 123 by $0.41 per direct labor hour. The total profit of job 123 is reduced by $77.40. (4) The buyers would prefer the plant-wide rate. The plant-wide rate is lower than the department rate. Consequently, the buyers will pay a lower price for the manufactured products, when the plant-wide rate is chosen. The underabsorbed did not benefit the company or the customers (Schneider 128). With the actual amount higher than the applied amount, the company’s net profit will decline. Likewise, the customers have to pay a higher price for the product, if the company will increase its selling prices to recuperate the higher actual factory expenses. In the same manner, the underabsorbed amount did not benefit the company or the customers. With the actual amount higher than the applied amount, the company’s net profit will decline. Likewise, the customers have to pay a higher price for the product, if the company will increase its selling prices to recuperate the higher actual factory expenses. In the same manner, the underabsorbed amount did not benefit the company or the customers. With the actual amount higher than the applied amount, the company’s net profit will decline. Likewise, the customers have to pay a higher price for the product, if the company will increase its selling prices to recuperate the higher actual factory expenses. (3) In the Motley issue, the company is required to provide historical cost data of the $845,000 amount. The historical cost data is more reliable source

Corporate Finances Case study Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Corporate Finances Case study - Research Paper Example In this case, the business has to take some precautionary measures to cushion the business form such financial meltdown. In a business, it does not matter the amount of profit your company is making in a day, a month or quarterly, the most important thing to ensure is the continuity of the cash flow of the business. In this case a cash flow forecast is important and an integral part of any business successes. Without doing the forecast, one is destined to have problems in paying suppliers as well as meeting the basic business financial obligation and this will results into failure of the business to operate (Ross, & Westerfield, 1996). In this regard based on the information of the cash flow of the business, there are several options open for the business to evade the financial crisis. There are several ways of mitigating on a looming cash flow crisis; these are considered depending on the analysis of the business performance and cash flow. In the case of Manson the following are considered; The mainstream sources of cash flow are the revenues collected from sales of the business products. Mason Corporation must then ensure that they constantly meet the projection of the sales to ensure collection of sufficient cash (Ross, & Westerfield, 1996). Money borrowed to make up for a looming financial problems associated with poor cash flow are not always the best option. The business should ensure that the sales targets are met and that there is no viable market that is left unattended to. For instance, if a business has the potential of making sales of up to $ 2 million and manages only $1million, this will imply that the business will be short of the $ 1 million untapped. This always makes businesses to opt for other sources of income to meet their financial obligation, which are paid at extra cost. Mason should thus endeavor to rationalized its credit policy and significant reduce the debtors. Mason

The physics of Sonography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The physics of Sonography - Essay Example In the study of waves, under physics, discoveries were made of some waves that were invisible to the human eye, but that would be extremely useful in imagery. Sonography depends on ultrasound waves, which are used to generate images coming from an object from which reflection occurred (Abu-Zidan, Ashraf and Peter 501). The physics, which is involved in the studies, address the properties of the waves as well as how the waves relate with other environmental elements. The physicians have to analyze the effect and results obtained by propelling the ultrasound waves onto the human body. In addition, doing this establish whether the technology is safe as well as useful to the field. By conducting experiments on the ultrasound wave properties, the physicians can identify the elements, which pose a challenge to the technology, and possibly device ways in which they can be eliminated. In sonography, elements such as shadows (Abu-Zidan, Ashraf and Peter 502) may cause wrongful data collection thereby drawing the need to have a means by which the shadow effect is reduced. Physics in this case focuses on perfecting the sonography operation by ensuring that the data obtained by use of the ultrasounds is accurate and free of errors. Data interpretation is another element of physics that is of great use in sonography. By using sonographic technology, the aim of the experience is to obtain data from the body without having to put the patient through vigorous methods. Different conditions, persona and deformations in the human body are bound to produce different result results under sonographic study (Abu-Zidan, Ashraf and Peter 508). It is important to engage physics in the studies since by the use of physics the densities, volume, texture, color and activity of the specimen under investigation can be determined. It is essential in the case of sonography since the medical practice cannot allow trial and error techniques that

Fundamentals of Leadership - BMW Case study Coursework

Fundamentals of Leadership - BMW Case study - Coursework Example The focus in this paper is on BMW as the most important competitor in the global automotive industry; the organization’s employees, for 2010, have been estimated to 95,453. The organization operates in about 34 countries. The success of the organization in the global market has been related to the leadership style of its leader, Joachim Milberg, who was appointed as the firm’s CEO in 1999. Milberg initiated the restructuring of organization’s operations promoting the alteration of organizational values and mission. The leadership style of Joachim Milberg is presented and evaluated in this paper; the trait leadership theory is used for explaining the success of Milberg as the leader of BMW. Other leadership theories, such as the Blake and Mouton’s Leadership Grid, the team leadership theory of Hill and the Skills approach of Katz have been employed for evaluating the characteristics and the effectiveness of leadership in BMW, as reflected in the continuous development of the organization in the global market. It is made clear that in BMW leadership has been used not just for developing effective organizational strategies but also for improving communication and cooperation across the organization; in other words, in BMW leadership has been a framework for supporting the transformation of the organization to a highly competitive one but also for enhancing the team working and the participation of employees in key organizational plans. 2.0 Leadership in BMW – Presentation and analysis 2.1 Evaluation of Joachim Milberg as a leader – leadership theory Joachim Milberg can be characterized as an exceptional leader. Since his appointment as the leader of Milberg, in 1999, Milberg managed to significantly improve the company’s performance, a target which was mainly achieved by emphasizing on the openness of the organization and the respect to the perceptions

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

Ottoman Empire - Essay Example The great disruption of the Ottoman economy was caused by the inflation due to the inflow of gold, silver, and other precious metals from the New World. "The Ottomans experienced the impact of the increased flow of precious metal before the 17th century. The flow of American silver probably began to affect the Ottoman economy by 1580. While the first effects of the New World silver were experienced in Ottoman Anatolia by 1580, the most significant response of Ottoman prices occurred between 1585 and 1606." (Bulut, 65) Therefore, the effect of gold and precious metals on the economy as well as social life of the Ottoman Empire is important to recognize and this paper makes a reflective analysis of the impact of precious metals on the Ottoman Empire. In a profound exploration of the impact of precious metals on the Ottoman Empire, it becomes lucid that the Empire was self-sufficient with regard to the availability of various precious metals. The political supremacy over the neighboring nations offered an important opportunity to the Ottomans to import metals which were not available in the Empire. Thus, it may be noted that grain and other foodstuffs, iron, copper or cloth for everyday use were manufactured in sufficient quantities with the territories of the Empire. The Ottomans were largely autocratic in terms of war materials and the other precious metals were imported into the Empire. The Ottoman political elite and the better-off townsmen consumed Indian spices and Yemini coffee. "All these Indian and Yemini imports led to a significant outflow of silver and gold, but precious metals were mined on Ottoman territory only in very moderate quantities. Although by the middle of the sixteenth century, most of Hungary was in the hands of the sultans, the mines that had supplied raw materials for the country's famous fifteenth century gold- and silversmiths remained outside Ottoman control and, moreover, were less productive than they had once been." (Faroqhi, 14) Therefore, the impact of precious metals on the Ottoman Empire is unquestionable and the introduction of gold and precious metals to the Ottoman Empire had a vital influence on their economy as well as social life. It is important to realize that the introduction of gold and precious metals had a vital impact on the Ottoman economy. Significantly, the introduction of various precious metals played a major influence on the European economy. Similarly, gold and precious metals played a major impact on the various aspects of the economy and these metals contributed to the increase in prices in the Ottoman Empire towards the end of the sixteenth century. "The great change in the European economy wrought by all this precious metal also had its effects on the Ottoman Empire. Since European merchants traded in Ottoman territories, some silver from the New World found its way to the Ottoman lands. The Ottoman rulers encouraged the import of these coins. The Ottomans could not find a way to use these coins as investments in their economy. They tried to keep this money within the country. As an important factor the import supplies of silver contributed to the inflation." (Bulut, 65) Thus, a reflective an alysis of the various aspects of the Ottoman economy confirms that the impact of gold and preci

Database & Privacy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Database & Privacy - Research Paper Example es (Custers, 2013).  Indeed, the tension between database technology and privacy will play out with the growing number powerful database applications across the globe. Database privacy leaks usually occur through SQL injections and the victims of such leaks usually feel demoralized because it can risk their life, property, and fortune. Statistical disclosure control has had an enviable reputation because of the protection of the personal details of members of a particular population. Based on Mathematical Optimization, many techniques can be used to solve privacy issues. Frequency tables produce solutions that are biased while algorithms are expensive. Even with the advent of powerful database technology such as modern cryptography, the tension between such technology and privacy concerns will not fade out. Nonetheless, Enhanced Controlled Tabular Adjustment is a modern technique used to overcome most of the privacy challenges (PSD & Domingo-Ferrer, 2014).   Databases play important roles in the society and the more advanced they are, the better they serve the people. Most people recognize the impending risk to their privacy and a 1996 poll proved that 24% of Americans have at one time or the other experienced privacy invasion. In addition, 80% of Americans did not trust how companies used and circulated their personal data during the previous year. Some of the most important roles of databases include ensuring that the fair allocation and distribution of resources (Garfinkel, 2000). In this regard, database privacy leaks reduced the participation of people in keeping better information in such databases, especially hospital and government database privacy breaches. It is however, worth noting that some of the database leaks are beyond control and they should not spark much tension except in circumstances where sheer negligence has led to such breaches (PSD & Domingo-Ferrer, 2014).   Privacy and discrimination have become major issues in the information society.

Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay Example for Free

Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay At first, Frankenstein agrees (after being convinced), but then is afraid of what could happen if two creatures like the first one were alive, therefore destroys the creation he has not yet finished. Henry is killed by the creature, in which Frankenstein is blamed, who again falls terribly ill again; there he gets acquitted of his crime. He marries Elizabeth who gets murdered by the creature on her wedding night. Frankenstein dies and therefore the monster commits suicide as his creator has died. The creature is grotesquely described, mainly in chapter five, a main scene in the novel. Words such as his yellow skin scarcely covered the work of arteries and muscles beneath are used, which give the reader horrific images of how this creature must look, Shelly then contrasts the image created with nice images, such as teeth of pearly whiteness, juxtaposition is used here because after the reader is made to believe the creature looked lovely, the view rapidly changes, but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with the watery eyes, that seemed almost the same colour as the den white sockets in which they were set, showing how horrific this creature truly looked. This description is that of an adult, however the creatures mind has been reborn so he must now be pure and innocent, therefore shouldnt be described in such horrible ways, making us feel sorry for him. The creature is seen as a child, this is because he has never been born or seen the world before, so couldnt possibly have an adult mind, he did not know how to speak, read or write when born, and had to teach himself this knowledge, as Frankenstein did not help. Frankenstein should of treated the creature as if he was a new baby, and help him, because he had not done anything wrong at this point, until he had abandoned him, so he was lonely and confused. He tried to befriend Frankenstein during the beginning of his life by muttering words to him in a friendly manner, although Frankenstein took this as though he was going to attack him, He held up the curtain of the bed; and his eyes, if eyes they may be called, were fixed on me. His jaws opened and he muttered some inarticulate sounds, while a grin wrinkled his cheeks but I escaped and rushed downstairs. The grin was taken by Frankenstein as an evil grin, signifying that the monster did not like Frankenstein, but in reality, the creature was just trying to be friendly. However, Frankenstein was disgusted with his creation, and decided to leave the apartment, not to return, therefore the creature was abandoned and lonely, also he wouldnt have known what to do seeing as he could not understand the world, and they could equally not understand his hideous looks, therefore making the reader feel sorry for the monster as he hasnt done anything, I did not dare return to the apartment which I inhabited, this also shows he is scared to return. The perception created by Shelley of the monster, is one that he cannot possibly be friendly because of how ugly he is, therefore people shout abuse and refuse to talk to him in a civilized way without mocking him or commenting on how ugly he looks. Other people may be scared of him, so try to run away when he gets close, this will make him feel angry with all the people who judge him by first impressions, without taking the courtesy to get to know him. He could of easily been a good man but society cast him out so he rapidly became the opposite, which makes us feel sorry for him as he cannot help being ugly and never gets a chance to show his nice personality, such as saving children from drowning. He is a victim of Frankensteins ambitions and then abandonment, as Frankenstein was very eager, almost too eager, to create him, but after he saw what he had made, quickly despised him, left him alone, with no easy way of living, thus upsetting the creature because he never did anything wrong, just wanted to be loved. Frankenstein should of looked after his creation because it is his responsibility, or should of never even created him if he had thought of the possibilities/consequences that could of happened, creating sympathy for the creature because no one wants him, not even his own father. The creature uses religious imagery when speaking to Frankenstein, such as; Remember that I am thy creature; I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel and he is telling Frankenstein that he has just been born and is inquisitive like Adam and Eve were when venturing into the garden, but now he has fallen because of his abandonment, so perceives himself as a fallen angel. Also, relating to Adam, shows he believes he must have an Eve, such as a bride. Frankenstein uses questions at their meeting on the glacier, such as Do you dare approach me? And do not you fear the fierce vengeance of my arm wretched on your miserable head? trying to intimidate and draw the creature in, also he uses the word, Devil, to explain how much he hates the creation and thinks he is pure evil, this is also relating to religiousness. Then the creature explains to Frankenstein about how he feels about being alive and looking the way he does, which makes Frankenstein feel quite sorry for him, although the monster had admitted he murdered his family, but only because he wanted to get back at Frankenstein. The creature reasons with Frankenstein and asks him to create a lady creation, Still thou canst listen to and grant me thy compassion, Frankenstein agrees to do this as long as he leaves him alone and does not harm any more people. Frankenstein beings working on his creation on the second creation, but one night he sees the creature and realises what destruction has already took place, which frightens him about the destruction that two creations could do, creating devastating consequences. We then feel sorry for the creature because he has no friends and will carry on being lonely, but our feelings drastically change when the creature threatens to be with him on his wedding night, making the reader feel angry with the creature for creating such havoc in Frankensteins life, although in the back of the readers mind, they still feel sorry for the creature because he is forever lonely. We can see the creature as romantic, as he would like a bride, this relates to Frankenstein when he is calm and peaceful in the mountains, acting almost romantic towards the scenery; The pleasant sunshine, and the pure air of day, restored me to some degree of tranquillity; and when I considered what had passed at the cottage. Frankenstein should of acted like a father to the creature because he created him so should take care of him, show him whats right and wrong, how to read/write/speak and general life skills. Instead, Frankenstein does none of these and does the opposite, abandoning him, leaving him to fend for himself. He also created the creature out of different body parts from other peoples bodies making him look disproportional and abnormal, as well as looking ridiculous. He had been designing and creating this creation for so long and wanted to create him over such a long period, that when the creature was finally created he truly repulsed it, I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into inanimate body. For this I deprived myself of rest and health. I had desired it with an ardour that for exceeded moderation, showing that he desperately longed for a great creation, we then feel sorry for him as he had spent so much time and effort, just for it to turn out in a catastrophic way. He was very careless when creating him, which would obviously cause problems for the creature when setting foot in the public eye; this was not fair on the creature. He also talks about the creature in a grotesque way, making the reader feel afraid of him, and at the same time, sorry for Frankenstein for having to live with the consequences of this disgusting thing, therefore having to either look after him or find a way of getting rid of him. He then becomes afraid about what he has created and the consequences that would arise from doing so, so therefore being seriously mentally ill, as he cannot cope with the fact that he has created something so ridiculous and destructible. The reader feels sorry for him because he has become ill and this isnt fair. Frankenstein challenges the creature to a fight, Be gone or let us try our strength in a fight, in which one must fail, this is because he is so angry and repulsed with the creature for ruining his life that he wants to settle this finally and this makes the reader believe how upset he is, wanting to clear the creature out of his mind and life. His anger spirals out of control as he vulgarly insults the creature; Relieve me from the sight of your detested form, showing how much he truly dislikes the creature, therefore he must be causing pain to him in some way, mentally or physically. However finally Frankenstein decides to give the creature a chance and reasons with him about creating a lady monster, which is a good deed, making us honour him because he is trying to treat the creature well. Frankenstein then becomes afraid of what two creatures would cause and destroys his creation, at this point, the creature promises Frankenstein he will be with him on his wedding night. On the wedding night, the creature carries out his ultimatum and murders Frankensteins wife, which shocks and devastates Frankenstein because he was not expecting him to murder his bride, and rather killed himself instead. This upsets the reader because this would really harm Frankenstein, and was truly an act of pure evil. Also, earlier in the novel, the creature had killed his younger brother and his best friend to get back at him, which truly devastated Frankenstein, also a very horrific type of payback. Frankenstein could be perceived as a hero of modern day science because he went to extraordinary lengths and research to create human life, using science, which no one else before him had ever successfully done. He was also portrayed as a villain for playing with nature and God because people should take life how it is and not try to create more complex designs that God did not want to happen. However I do not believe that Frankenstein was a victim of the time he lived in because he simply shout not have created life without considering the drastic consequences that would happen. I think the perspective of this novel is that Shelley had lost the three of her four children and also her mother, during labour, possibly reflecting as a feeling of abandonment and loss due to death, she can therefore relate to the creature and Frankenstein because his close family and friends were murdered. I have sympathy for the creature more than Frankenstein because he was abandoned when he was first born, this was unfair because he hadnt done anything wrong and could not help the way he looked. Frankenstein should not have created him if he had thought properly about what he was doing; he had acted selfish for leaving the monster behind and abandoning him. Also, Frankenstein gets the creatures hopes up by saying he will create a companion for him, but then destroys his dream, which upsets the monster greatly. He has no friends, family etc. and this is not fair on him. 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 Mary Shelley section.

The Lady’s Maid and Cinderella Essay Example for Free

The Lady’s Maid and Cinderella Essay In â€Å"The Lady’s Maid,† by Katherine Mansfield, the narrator and maid is named Ellen. (Name similarity?) She, much like Cinderella, is loyal and quiet in performing her daily duties. Ellen is also searching for something to complete her life. But several incidents in Ellen’s life contribute to her un-Cinderella-like ending, including the fact that she does not have a mythical figure to help her out. These scenes, which are shown through Ellen’s responses to interactions with characters around her, prove Ellen to be a very complex character. Both Ellen and Cinderella experience sadness from childhood experiences and devotion to the ladies that they serve, but whereas Cinderella overcomes her problems in the end and finds happiness, Ellen carries her emotions so deeply that she cannot break free from her enslaved life. When comparing Cinderella and Ellen, a their childhoods are obviously similar in many respects. Both the girls lack a constant loving home and a strong mother figure. Losing a parent at a young age is distressing to Cinderella in much the same way as it is for Ellen. Because the girls were never close with their parents because of death, they never developed the ties of loving mother-daughter relationships. Cinderella worked for her stepmother at a very young age, and after Ellen lived with her grandfather and an aunt, she was sent to work as a maid at age thirteen. The shuffling of parental figures for both Cinderella and Ellen causes them intense emotional trauma and likely triggers feelings of guilt for the loss of their parents. Cinderella and Ellen spend their days devoting much time and attention to those people in their lives who do give them attention. Because they never feel the true love that a parent can give, they mistake the orders from the old ladies as parental love. The maternal instincts that these girls both feel are similar, because they are struggling with the lack of parental influence and consequently cope by devoting their energy to those who give them any attention at all. And because they end up devoting much of their lives to those people who give them negative attention, neither Cinderella nor Ellen have anyone who truly care for them. As Cinderella and Ellen were growing up, they had no one that loved them the way a parent can love. Cinderella and Ellen had unfulfilling childhoods that later caused them to attach later in life to anyone who should care for them. Because of their dependence to these people, the girls are both easily manipulated. Cinderella does all her chores for her stepmother and constantly cooks and cleans for the family. She feels that it is her duty to serve the family for allowing her to live with them. Cinderella is very dependent on the malicious, unloving family because she has no one else who cares about her. The stepmother and stepsisters are very cruel to Cinderella, and she does not like the way she is treated, yet she still does her work cheerfully, constantly singing and talking with the birds and the dog. Cinderella seems to create happiness for her and for others, seemingly drawing from an internal reservoir of pure heartedness, goodness, and beauty. There is no external source refilling her with love, support, and comfort. Ellen’s lady does not treat her cruelly, but Ellen’s life is emotionally unfulfilling, like Cinderella. Her lady wants her to be happy, but still places high demands on Ellen, like an employer. The lady does not offer any true feelings of love to Ellen that a young woman needs to feel. At this age in the girls’ lives, they need to be feeling love as experienced in a marriage. Similar to Cinderella, Ellen attaches herself to the lady because there is no one else, and is controlled into pleasing the lady. Ellen has become so devoted that her primary concern is pleasing the lady. She says, â€Å"I’ve got nobody but my lady† (Mansfield 37). Ellen and Cinderella feel emotionally isolated throughout their young adult lives, and in order to feel needed, they attach themselves to their respective ladies. Cinderella and Ellen have very similar lives until it comes time for them to break free of their mundane lives. Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother appears on the night of the ball, makes her a beautiful dress, and whisks her off to the ball in a pumpkin carriage. There, she meets Prince Charming, and eventually they are married and live â€Å"happily ever after† (Cinderella). She overcomes her problems and escapes her cruel stepfamily, to eventually be happy. Perhaps this is because of the intervention of her Fairy Godmother, a luxury that Ellen does not have. The mythical godmother provides outside assistance that may be paralleled to divine intervention, referring to a force that is greater than one. Perhaps, when Cinderella was written, this force was very important in daily lives. And when â€Å"A Lady’s Maid† was written, this divine force was not as powerful as a truth in daily lives, which is why Mansfield did not include it in her story. Ellen cannot esc ape her life with the lady. Harry, Ellen’s suitor, has lives full of flowers and family planned out. The couple will live above his flower shop while running the business. However, Ellen rejects the idea of marriage, telling Harry â€Å"I’m not going to marry you. I can’t leave my lady† (Mansfield 40). Ellen’s choice to stay with her lady over being with a man that cares about her shows her abnormal amount of loyalty and devotion (almost puppy-like) to her lady. There is no one to show Ellen the way to happiness, as there was for Cinderella. Ellen concludes her story by saying, â€Å"She says, ‘Good night, Ellen. Sleep sound and wake early!’ I don’t know what I would do if she didn’t say that, now† (Mansfield 40). Ellen is so devoted to her lady that she cannot leave her, even though she had a better life with Harry. Her guilt, desperation to please, dependence, and devotion to her lady overcome her desire to have an emotionally fulfilling adult relationship in the end. Instead, she stays with her lady. The loss or gain of marital love is a prevailing theme throughout both stories. The difference in the endings for Cinderella and Ellen is significant; Cinderella obtains happiness while Ellen remains in her state of near-slavery. The reason for the difference is not in their characters, because they have experienced the emotional trauma from an early age, and consequently both have very similar thoughts, actions, and emotions. From Cinderella, the reader sees an oppressed young girl who obtains freedom from her evil stepmother by marrying Prince Charming with the help of her Fairy Godmother. The reader understands that mythical forces, such as fairy godmothers, are there to help out when times are tough, and that eventually everyone will get their own Prince Charming. Katherine Mansfield wants the reader of â€Å"A Lady’s Maid† to see Ellen’s desperation to please and her devout service to the lady, all while revealing deep inner troubles of a character who is not able to resolve herself in the end. While Cinderella is a charming, mythical story that children of all ages love, Mansfield’s modern story form provides a realistic and truthful ending.

Analyses eu-ecowas historical relation

Analyses eu-ecowas historical relation 1.1 INTRODUCTION EU-ECOWAS relations did not commence until 1975 due to the fact that ECOWAS only came into existence on May 28th 1975 with the signing of Treaty of Lagos by its member states (ECOWAS, 2010). However, prior to ECOWAS formation in 1975, some of its member states, particularly the Francophone countries such as Benin, Cote dIvoire, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Togo had been foundation members of Associated African states and Madagascar (EAMA). This group of countries had been actively involved in the ‘regime of association as enshrined in the Treaty of Rome (1957) which arranged a relationship between the former French and Belgian colonies with the EC (ACP, 2010). The early relationship with these ex-colonies became a key aspect of the process of European integration and also established the basis and rationale for subsequent arrangements (Reisen, 2007; Holland, 2002). The Commonwealth countries within the ECOWAS grouping such as Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone did not participate in EC cooperation programme until the UK accession to the EC in 1973. With regards to ex-colonies activities in EC cooperation programme prior to 1973, it had been a case of domination of development agenda by France (Holland, 2002). So, the inclusion of the ECOWAS Commonwealth countries was necessitated because the UK was keen to put its special trading preferences for bananas and sugar under the EC umbrella and to extend its assistance to some former colonies beyond bilateral support (European Commission, 2010a). Since ECOWAS establishment in 1975, EU-ECOWAS relations have been framed by the trade policy understandings as well as other development cooperation arrangements as contained in the partnership agreements that the EU has entered into with developing countries in Africa, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACPs) countries (World Bank, 2007; Oyejide and Njinken, 2002). The ACPs currently comprises 79 countries (48 African, 16 Caribbean and 15 Pacific). The EUs relations with the ACPs are today governed by the ACP-EU Partnership Agreement signed in Cotonou, Benin in June 2000 which came into force in 2003 (ACP-EEC, 2005). However, it has since been revised and the revised Agreement entered into force in July 2008. In a sense, both ECOWAS and ACPs are closely linked but the paper focuses on EU-ECOWAS relations with a view to unravelling its specificity in historical perspectives. 1.2 BACKGROUND OF ECOWAS ECOWAS is a regional group of fifteen West African countries, founded on May 28, 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos. ECOWAS is one of the pillars of the African Economic Community and its mission is to promote economic cooperation and integration. The overall objective of ECOWAS is to promote co-operation and integration in order to create an economic and monetary union for encouraging economic growth and development in West Africa (ECOWAS, 2010a). The grouping contains a very wide diversity of economies in terms of size, development and resources (EBID, 2005). There were 16 nations in the group until very recently when Mauritania voluntarily withdrew its membership from ECOWAS. The countries include the 7 UEMOA countries of Benin, Burkina-Faso, Chad, Cote dIvoire, Mali, Niger, and Senegal. Other non-UEMOA member countries are Cape-Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone. The UEMOA is the French acronym of West African Economic and Monetary Union. It is an organization of eight states of West Africa established in 1994 to promote economic integration among countries that share a common currency, the CFA franc. In terms of achievements, UEMOA member countries are working toward greater regional integration with unified external tariffs than ECOWAS. It is both a customs and monetary union and has initiated regional structural and sectoral policies which ECOWAS is adopting. Within ECOWAS also, there is a West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ) which comprises a group of five countries (mainly English speaking) that plan to introduce a common currency, the Eco by the year 2015. The WAMZ was formed in 2000 to try and establish a strong stable currency to rival the CFA franc. Though, the desired goal is for the CFA franc and Eco to merge, with a view to giving all of West Africa countries a single stable currency (ECOWAS, 2010b). 1.3 OVERVIEW OF EU-ECOWAS RELATIONS ECOWAS shares a resemblance with the EU in its objective and modes of cooperation for regional integration among member states. Though, their history of establishment differs. Unlike the ECOWAS model, in which all countries came together at once (except Cape Verde which joined in 1976) to form an economic arrangement, only six countries initiated the current EU arrangement, while other European countries joined at different points through its enlargement and accession strategy (Alaba, 2006). It has often been argued that integration in the West African sub-region has largely been informed by the integration processes in Western Europe, primarily because of EUs ‘commitment to regional integration (Smith, 2008; Ogbeidi, 2010). A point of departure between the two groupings however, lies in their performances over the years. While their performances could be a reflection of the level of development of the member states that constitutes the membership of the sub-regional unions, the most important single factor is their level of commitment towards achieving their goals. Unlike the EU arrangement, commitment to various protocol meant to facilitate the achievement of the vision of ECOWAS has been very low and implementation targets have never been met. For example trade liberalisation within the ECOWAS region has been generally low and ineffective (UNCTAD, 2009). The same compliance failure applies to an ECOWAS protocol on free movements of persons, the right of residence and establishment which was agreed as far as back 1979 (World Bank, 2007). 1.4 TRADE AND ECONOMIC STRUCTURE OF ECOWAS WITH EU For virtually all ECOWAS countries, the EU is the main trading partner (Eurostat, 2008). This high dependence of the countries on the EU market is largely due to their historical links and the nature of their trade patterns which has often made them trade dependent (Fontagne, 2008; Greenidge, 1998). The economic structure of the West African sub-region is largely dominated by agriculture which is closely followed by mining. Agriculture contributed about 25.17%, to sub-regional GDP as at 2006, up from 24.19% in 1995, while mining accounted for 22.13% slightly higher than 21.45 in 1995. Trade contributed about 14.64% of the Groups GDP, down from 15.39% in 1995 (Ecostat, 2010). Most of the ECOWAS countries tend to be highly specialised in a few key products such as petroleum and a few unprocessed agricultural commodities such as coffee and cotton. ECOWAS is the largest trading partner of all the EUs sub regional groupings/cooperation. It accounts for about 40% of total trade with the EU by regions (Eurostat, 2008). Out of the fifteen ECOWAS countries, thirteen of these countries are ranked as Least Developed Countries (LDCs) while three are non-LDC (HDR, 2009). The non-LDC countries in the region are Nigeria, Ghana and Cote dIvoire. These 3 non-LDC countries and Senegal to some extent account for the bulk of trade relations with the EU. In 2008 EUs rankings of African countries in terms of value of goods traded, Nigeria and Cote dIvoire ranked the 4th and 10th for all EU imports while Nigeria, Senegal and Ghana were ranked 5th, 9th and 10th respectively for all EUs exports (Eurostat, 2009). West Africas main exports are oil from Nigeria (50% of West African exports) and agricultural tropical products (cocoa, bananas, pineapples, wood) mostly from Cà ´te dIvoire and Ghana (European Commission, 2009) while Senegal is noted for groundnut (Bergtold et al, 2005). For nearly all the countries the leading import items are heavy equipments, chemical and chemical products and textiles, rubber and metal products. 1.5 EU-ECOWAS EPA NEGOTIATIONS As mentioned earlier, EU-ECOWAS relations are governed by the agreements between EU and ACP group of States. In order to achieve their objectives, the relations between the two bodies have historically been framed by a series of conventions. For EU-ECOWAS relations, the most operative conventions are Lomà © Conventions (1975-2000) and Cotonou Agreement (2000-2020). The Lomà © Conventions (1975-2000) consist of four regimes of conventions from Lomà © I which was first signed in February 1975 in Lomà ©, Togo to Lomà © IV which ended in 2000. The Lomà © Conventions are a trade and aid agreement between the European Community (EC) and the ACP group of states. The first Lomà © Convention was designed to provide a new framework of cooperation between the then European Community (EC) and developing ACP countries. The Lome Conventions most important attribute is its non-reciprocity, which allows ACP exports duty free access to the European market while enabling the ACP states to maintain tariff barriers against European goods. It introduced the STABEX and SYSMIN system which were designed to compensate ACP countries for the shortfall in agricultural export earnings and mining industry activities respectively due to fluctuation in the prices or supply of commodities (ACP-EEC, 1995; 1975). The Lomà © Convention was a commitment to an equal partnership between Europe and ACPs (Holland, 2002). A critical review of the trade agreement/convention however, shows a perpetuation of unequal power relations between both parties. For example, the reciprocity clause has always been geared towards meeting export interests of European firms (Orbie, 2008) and the negotiation for the Lomà © convention itself was a reflection of Third World commodity power, which the EU was keen to preserve through its privileged access to these commodities via its ex-colonial links (Gibb, 2000). Nevertheless, Lomà © conventions have been considered as the hallmark of the EUs policy with the Third world and the most institutionalised of all EUs group-to-group dialogues. It marked a distinctive progression from a regime of association to what could be called a forum of partnership and cooperation (Hurt, 2003; Holland, 2002). It has also been argued by Crawford (2007) that Lomà © Convention is the most significant agreement for Sub-Saharan Africa. The Cotonou Agreement (2000-2020) is the most recent agreement in the history of ACP-EU Development Cooperation. It is based on four main principles: partnership, participation, dialogue and mutual obligations, and differentiation as well as regionalization (ACP-EEC, 2000). One of the radical changes and fundamental elements of the Cotonou Agreement concerns trade cooperation between EU-ACP states. This is not surprising given the fact that EU has exclusive trade competencies and trade policy instrument has been a key strategy of its external policy (Lightfoot, 2010; Orbie, 2008; Bretherton and Vogler, 1999). The most striking feature of the new trade cooperation is the fact that the non-reciprocal trade preferences have been replaced with a new scheme of Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs). The EPAs are schemes aimed at creating a Free Trade Area (FTA) between the EU and ACP countries (ACP-EEC, 2000). The EPAs are a response to continuing criticism that the non-reciprocal and discriminating preferential trade agreements offered by the EU are incompatible with WTO rules. Apart from the issue of WTO compatibility, it was also argued that generous trade preferences were not enough for economic take off (European Commission, 1995). It was therefore seen as having achieved limited success in terms of promoting accelerated development in ACP countries. So, what does the EPA signify for EU-ECOWAS relations? The negotiations on an EPA between ECOWAS and the EU were launched in Brussels in 2002 (ECA, 2007). However, the negotiations have so far been inconclusive due to some concerns that the EPAs will lead to large trade imbalances in West African economies, as well as substitution of local and regional production by European imports (Perez and Karingi, 2007). The decline in import duties due to the preferential tariff elimination has also been a major concern for West African countries (Busse and Grobmann, 2004). In particular, the reciprocity condition implicit in the agreement, implied that at some time before 2020, the ECOWAS countries must have to open up their economies to imports from the EU countries. This may invariably lead to trade diversion, trade creation, loss of trade revenues and deindustrialisation (World Bank, 2007; Adenikinju and Alaba, 2005). In a study on the impacts of the EU-ECOWAS EPAs, Lang (2006) found that Ghana and especially Guinea-Bissau could lose up to 20% of their Government budget revenues in case of a full liberalisation of EU imports. Although tariff revenue falls were considered highest in Nigeria in absolute dollar terms, those two countries will be the most affected. In a similar study on the impacts of the EU-ACP EPAs in six ACP regions, Fontagne et al (2008:6-7), ACP exports to the EU are forecast to be 10 percent higher with the EPAs than under the GSP/EBA option. On average ACP countries are forecast to lose 70 percent of tariff revenues on EU imports in the long run. The most affected region is ECOWAS. The implication of a loss of tariff income would translate into public budget constraints and could therefore pose great developmental challenges for ECOWAS countries. Nevertheless, both Cote dIvoire and Ghana agreed and endorsed interim EPAs with the EU in December 2007 (European Commission, 2009). These agreements were principally put in place because full regional EPAs could not be agreed upon. Of these three largest trading partners with the EU, Nigeria opted out of an interim EPA. For now, the country can only benefit from the regular EU Generalised System of Preferences (GSP). This is far less advantageous than the nonreciprocal Lomà © preferences because the GSP covers fewer products and has stricter rules of origin (Hurt, 2003). Though the Nigerian Government has twice applied to be placed on the GSP+ status, the EU has rejected the applications purely for political reasons (Nwoke, 2009). The rest of the West African region is largely made up of Least Developed Countries (European Commission, 2009). They have an option not to negotiate since they have duty free access to the EU under the ‘Everything But Arms (EBA) scheme (Orbie, 2008; Bilal, 2007). The EBA is the differentiation component of Cotonuo Agreement made in the treatment of least developed countries (LDCs) and non-LDCs. For these thirteen countries, the EPA may not carry additional benefits over the EBA except for the technical and financial support that the former may carry (Adenikinju and Alaba, 2005). So, their level of commitment to signing full EPA is marginal. It needs pointing out that the small gains which might result from the EBA initiative are expected to fade away as a consequence of the EU negotiations on EPAs (Kohnert, 2008). Besides, the contentious nature of EBA scheme due to its unilateral introduction makes it less attractive (Bilal, 2002). As Flint (2008:60) argues the EU has highlig hted further problems facing policymakers by the split into separate blocs of LDC and non-LDC. This is very illustrative of EU-ECOWAS relations. From the foregoing, it is discernible that in effect, the EPA will play a significant role in terminating the ECOWAS group as the main development partner of the EU. Prior to the EPA negotiations, ECOWAS countries have not had great success at significantly enlarging trade amongst member states. Intraregional trade as a proportion of total trade remains much lower in African regional integration (UNCTAD, 2009). And, with the new EPAs strategy that seeks for unilateral negotiation in practice, trade improvement amongst member states is further undermined (Borrmann et al, 2005). Concisely, the EPA is detrimental to the cause of regional integration. For EU-ECOWAS, the two principles of reciprocity and deeper regional integration are likely to pull in different directions (Lang, 2006). 1.6 AID FOR TRADE AND DEMOCRACY PROMOTION IN EU-ECOWAS RELATIONS The Aid for Trade initiative emerged within the Doha Round out of the need to help all countries to benefit from trade i.e. to maximise the gains from trade. Yet, demand for, and capacity to absorb, aid for trade still exceeds available resources (World Bank, 2005). The EU Aid for Trade strategy adopted in October 2007 confirms the European commitment to provide EUR2 billion per year in Trade Related Assistance by 2010 and to increase spending for the wider Aid for Trade agenda (ECDPM, 2009). A review of Aid for Trade however shows that donors have achieved their pledges simply by applying the modified WTO-OECD monitoring rules, without initiating any new projects (Brà ¼ntrup and Voionmaa, 2010). So, for ECOWAS countries whose capacity building and supply-side constraints have been a major factor in the lack of competitiveness and the relatively poor trade and growth performance (AU, 2006), Aid for Trade can only be meaningful if it is translated into genuine fresh aid for utilisati on. Also, the issue of democracy promotion in EU-ECOWAS relations is more of rhetoric than accomplishment. Crawford (2005) argument that the EUs interests in Africa focus less on democracy promotion and more on the perceived burdens and security threats to Europe arising from political instability and conflict seems more instructive and matter of fact. 1.7 CONCLUSION The EPA negotiations to establish a Free Trade Zone between EU and ECOWAS in line with Cotonuo agreement for a period of 12 years have significant implications on the economies of ECOWAS countries. Given the structure and trade patterns of ECOWAS countries in which manufactures account for about 75% of the EUs export to ECOWAS, full liberalisation of their economies will result in loss of revenue, deindustrialisation and will make the countries to be more vulnerable in the global economy. It is less to be seen if the IEPAs/EPAs negotiations would engender trade that will result in development and poverty reduction for the West Africa sub region. The trade cooperation upon which EPAs is founded symbolises regional integration in principles but its strategy of interim EPAs among individual countries of the region and EBA for least developed countries encourages unilateralism in practice. 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Searching for knowledge: method, gloss, and the failure of information :: Ethnography

I. Sketching Knowledge I have a recurring nightmare that I am on my way to becoming a post-modern positivist. In the dark recesses of my inner sanctum, my constant justifications of the worth of inductive, nonhypothesisdriven, participatory, and emic-centered research finally give way under the pressure of graduate student’s dismissal of methods as unimportant and an all too often dismissal of anthropology by some given that its â€Å"just† anecdotes. These fears are backed by a frightening realization that I have colleagues in other disciplines (i.e., critical geography, social work, and even sympathetic political science) who appear to take our method more seriously than we do. Is anthropology doomed? This semester I am teaching ethnographic methods to a class of first year graduate students and I am often struck by how keen they are to know â€Å"how it is done.† But simultaneously, how difficult it is for them to specify any concrete method beyond interviewing and observing. Often they are actually most interested in questions of logistics: the real â€Å"how is it done† questions. How did you get a visa, where did you live, how long did you stay, how did you afford it, did your partner come with you, were you insured? And of course, a professor who has taught the course before advised me that I shouldn’t prepare lectures, but rather just â€Å"tell stories.† So I spend a lot of my time in this class telling stories, (which satisfies my pedagogical fears over not knowing enough about method to cover 20 hours of course-time – having had a significant part of my own training in the â€Å"go out and do it† approach), but also imploring these anthropologists-in-training to think about what information they are interested in, and the best ways to get it. I tell them that we need to take data collection seriously, or at least we need to have a serious think about what will answer our questions. However, some of them seem to think of it as busy-work. As they repeatedly tell me, one of the dogmas of Malinowski-as-practiced dissertation fieldwork is â€Å"your 2 questions will change once you are in the field,† so why should they spend loads of time thinking about how to answer their original question? Also, some ask, doesn’t this jeopardize the nature of inductive research? I believe in the necessity of the anthropological flexibility that these students are highlighting through their questioning of research preparation. However, it seems to me that some of them are conflating fixity and research design, rather than giving real consideration to particular methodological