Progress of Agriculture Before and After Independence of India Essay

Agriculture has been the backbone of the Indian economy and it will continue to remain so for a long time. It has to support almost 17 per cent of world population from 2. 3 per cent of world geographical area and 4. 2 per cent of world’s water resources. The economic reforms, initiated in the country during the early 1990s, have put the economy on a higher growth trajectory. Annual growth rate in GDP has accelerated from below 6 percent during the initial years of reforms to more than 8 percent in recent years. This happened mainly due to rapid growth in non-agriculture sector. The workforce engaged in agriculture between 1980-81 and 2006-07 witnessed a very small decline; from 60. 5 percent to 52 percent. The present cropping intensity of 137 per cent has registered an increase of only 26 per cent since 1950-51. The net sown area is 142 Mha. The net irrigated area was 58. 87 Mha in 2004-05. Presently, the total net irrigated area covers 45. 5 per cent of the net sown area, the remaining 54. 5 per cent is rainfed. The degradation of land and surface as well as ground water resources results in fast deterioration of soil health. Losses due to biotic (insect-pests, diseases, weeds) and abiotic (drought, salinity, heat, cold, etc. ) stresses account for about one-fourth of the value of agricultural produce. The storage, transportation, processing, value addition and marketing of farm produce need to be improved to enhance household food, nutrition and livelihood security. Indian agriculture is characterized by agro-ecological diversities in soil, rainfall, temperature, and cropping system. Besides favorable solar energy, the country receives about 3 trillion m3 of rainwater, 14 major, 44 medium and 55 minor rivers hare about 83 per cent of the drainage basin. About 210 billion m3 water is estimated to be available as ground water. Irrigation water is becoming a scarce commodity. Thus proper harvesting and efficient utilization of water is of great importance. Intensive cultivation as a result of introduction of high yielding varieties in the mid 1960’s required higher energy inputs and better management practices. Land preparation, harvesting, threshing and irrigation are the operations, which utilize most of the energy used in agriculture. The share of animate power in agriculture decreased from 92 er cent in 1950-51 to 20 per cent in 2000-01. For desired cropping intensity with timeliness in field operations, animate energy sources alone were no longer adequate. Farmers opted for mechanical power sources to supplement animate power. Average size of farm holdings gradually reduced from 2. 58 ha to 1. 57 ha (Table 1). Small and marginal farmers have limited resources especially in rain-fed regions where only animate power is used resulting in low productivity. Though agricultural production is high, the per hectare productivity is much lower than world average. There is an urgent need to increase productivity.

Anna Quindlen Essay

When you think great American author, many people think of Anna Quindlen. She won many awards. They include but are not limited to a Pulitzer and two Clarion Awards. She is an older sister and a daughter, as well as a wife and mother. Anna Quindlen has published many, many literary works, including novels, children’s books, nonfiction works, columns, and new table pictorials. This woman is not only an author, but she is a role model and hero to some, having accomplished her dreams with great dignity and grace. Anna Quindlen was not always Anna Quindlen the famous author. First, she was Anna Marie Quindlen, the oldest of five children in Philadelphia, and later on, New Jersey. She has one sister and three brothers, all of which are younger than she is, her sister being the youngest of the five. When Anna was nineteen, her mother, an italian woman, died of ovarian cancer at age fourty. She uses that experience in much of her writing, such as â€Å"A Short Guide to a Happy Life.† This left her with only her father, and Irish man, as most of the characters in her books such as â€Å"Object Lessons’ are. Since she was a teenager, Anna Quindlen has been a feminist, and although her reasoning has changed quite a bit, she still remains one. Anna currently is married to a man named Gerald Krovatin and has three children. They all live in New York City. This incredible woman has written and published four best-selling novels. They are â€Å"Object Lessons,† â€Å"One True Thing,† â€Å"Black and Blue,† and â€Å"Blessings.† â€Å"Black and Blue’ was made into a movie as well as â€Å"One True Thing†. Anna also has three collection of her colums published. They consist of â€Å"Living Out Loud,† â€Å"Thinking Out Loud,† and â€Å"Loud and Clear.† She also wrote about her own personal experiences in â€Å"A Short Guide to a Happy Life, â€Å"Being Perfect,† and â€Å"Imagined London.† â€Å"Being Perfect† is a national bestseller as well as â€Å"A Short Guide to a Happy Life.† She was a columnist for the New York Times from 1981 to 1994, and 1990 was a big year for her. In that year she was given the title of the third woman in New York Times history to write a column for the Op-Ed page. In 1995 Anna became a full-time book writer and left her column and journalism. In 1992, Ms. Quindlen won a very honorable prize. In the category of Commentary, Anna Quindlen won a Pulitzer Prize. However, she did not stop there . She went on to win a Mothers At Home Media Award in 2001, and two Clarion Awards. The first, in 2001 for Best Regular Opinion Column in a magazine, and the second in 2002 for Best Opinion Column from the Association for Women in Communications. Annna has received honorary doctorates from Moravian College, Smith College, Denison University, Stevens Institute of Technology, and Mount Holyoke College. She was also give the University Medal of Excellence from Columbia. Ms. Quindlen was also a Victoria Fellow in Contemporary Issues at Rutgers, a Poynter Fellow in Journalism at Yale, and a Fellow of the Academy of Arts & Sciences. These things, among others, are what set her apart from others, and she has something to show for her achievements. And so Anna Quindlen accomplished more emotionally than any other woman on Earth. She was the third woman to write a certain column for the New York Times, and a best-selling author at the same time. As a role model for women everywhere, Anna Quindlen went from being little Anna Marie Quindlen to the great woman she is now. Her words have allowed the people of the twenty-first century to make great life choices and love people for who they are. Anna is thanked and revered for as long as she is remembered, which will definetly be for years and years to come.

AT&T Case Study Essay

1. Introduction In this report we will identify business risk that AT&T experienced due to their divestiture in 1982. We will conduct our analysis based on financial concepts, and finally recommend necessary actions that should have been conducted when the company formulated its financial policy in 1983. 2. AT&T Background AT&T was founded in 1876 by Alexander Graham Bell. Prior to the divestiture AT&T had been a force to be reckoned with for over a century within the telephone service industry. Before the divestiture the company served over 80% of the US telecommunications users. The sale of these services took place at their 22 local subsidiaries. AT&T was the largest enterprise in the world with total assets of $137.8 billion and revenue of $58.1 billion. Given the size of the company they had hired a total of 1,060,378 workers. With a total number of 3,055,495 shareholders, where 95.3% held less than 600 shares each. Ever since 1885 AT&T had continued to pay its dividend to the shareholders, they never lowered the payment. The divestiture that AT&T experienced was a result of an agreement of the Justice Department’s antitrust suit against the company in 1982, which required a major rearrangement of AT&T’s capital structure. The agreement lead to several changes in the structure of the company, and one major change that had a significant impact on the company was how they managed their distribution channels. Prior to the divestiture they sold their services through their 22 local telephone subsidiaries, the company would now be spun off into seven independent regional corporations; NYNEX, (N.Y. Telephone and New England Telephone), Bell Atlantic (N.J. Bell, Bell of Pennsylvania, Diamond State Telephone and four Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Companies), Bell South (South Central Bell and Southern Bell), Ameritech (Indiana Bell, Michigan Bell, Illinois Bell, Wisconsin Bell and Ohio Bell), U.S. West (Mountain Bell, Pacific Northwest Bell and Northwestern Bell), Southwestern Bell (Southwestern Bell) and Pacific Telesis (Pacific Telephone, Nevada Bell). 3. Historical Financial Policy AT&T’s overall financial policy, including target debt ratio and interest coverage, was designed to maintain an AAA bond rating, which allowed them to reduce borrowing cost and in addition make sure that funds were available in periods of severe financial dislocation. The dividend policy was relatively conservative for a utility with a target payout ratio of 60% and an actual payout of 58-67%. Their low payout ratio was determined by AT&T’s large capital requirements and the desire to provide some protection for maintaining the stability of dividends. Stockholders reinvested approximately one third of the dividends. Due to the increased competition and the volatile regulatory climate, AT&T returned to a more conservative financial policy. Between late 1970 and 1980 the managers were reluctant to issue more equity through sales of stocks because the company’s market value was below its book value per share. However, the financial history shows that AT&T allowed in vestors to purchase new stocks using their current dividends at 95% of current market price. 4. Principal Problem AT&T’s principal problem was not the need to raise funds to finance investments, but whether the debt and equity ratios were appropriate for the â€Å"new† AT&T. This needs to correspond with the company’s financial and strategic goals, and be adapted to the market and uncertainties that the company is facing. AT&T’s strategic goal has been to please the potential stockholders categorized as widows and orphans. Widows and orphans are used to describe stocks with a relatively high degree of safety and a stable dividend income. Due to changes in the market and uncertainties that the company was facing, their strategic goals needed to be changed. The change  was however not reflected in their balance sheet. We will further discuss what led to this situation, and give a recommendation on the changes that should have been made prior to the divestiture in 1984. 5. Pre Divestiture Business Risk As a consequence of the governments intervention, the AT&T lawsuit settlement, as well as the shift in the telecommunication industry, it was clear that AT&Ts local telecommunication business was slowly moving away from a monopoly franchise environment. It was moving towards a more competitive environment characterized with more consumer choice and greater competition. Companies such as IBM saw the divestiture of AT&T as an opportunity to provide new telecommunication equipment and services, which would allow them to gain a higher market share. AT&T’s stock had up till then been regarded as a stable utility-type stock because of its steady growth and consistent dividend yield. However, AT&T should have kept in mind that they would not have as much market control in the future as they did prior the divestiture, much due to the intensifying competition and regulatory environment changes. Firstly, the antitrust lawsuit followed by a sudden divestiture could cause uncertainties to wards the company’s future and might change the shareholders perception of AT&T in an unfortunate way. Second, the seven new corporations would be highly independent, and therefore a major rearrangement of the capital structure would be vital. It is likely that every corporation would differ in terms of e.g. management style and financial performance. These changes could mean that AT&Ts reputation of being a safe and profitable investment could shift to become more volatile and riskier for its shareholders. Finally, AT&T had relied for a long time on their old and out-dated patents, which included old machinery, equipment and plants in order to create profit. As more and more competitors emerged with new technologies and services, AT&T needed to keep up with all changes in the market. As a result of the divestiture the R&D was reduced at Bell Laboratories and the development-part was eventually intergraded into the Western Electric division. After these changes many concerns arose relating to the future profitability of Western Electric (WE). Firstly, they were concerned that WE might not be able to attain marketing and product development skills that were vital in operating in the  newly competitive markets. The main reason for this is that the workforce was used to working in a captive market, where competitors were almost non-existent. Secondly, WE’s manufacturing labor force had become unionized at the same time, as their plants were old. This meant that WE would have to invest in R&D to make sure that their competitors did not exceed them. Their unionized workforce would lead to a considerable increase in salary and WE would have to follow the regulations that were set by the labor union. As a consequence these factors would most likely affect both the firm’s market share and eventually the stock price in a negative way. 6. Analysis and Recommendation 6.1 The New Capital Structure Spin-offs often provide a unique setting to assess various capital structures, because one observes the initial capital structure of a mature firm. In a spin-off, a subsidiary is fully divested from a parent and becomes a stand-alone entity. Before this happens, the subsidiary is not able to issue new equity, and is dependent on the parent to finance its capital investments. When the divestiture has occurred, the firm’s assets are divided between the subsidiaries followed by a new capital structure of the independent firms. The total outstanding debt would be assumed divided between the seven regional operating companies, hence the sharply reduced total debt that is projected in the 1984 balance sheet. There is also reason to believe that AT&T chose to reduce $725 million of their total outstanding debt in 1982, which lead to the reduction in the debt ratio the same year. When looking at the projected balance sheet one can see that the total debt would be stable at the sum of $9.3 billion from 1983 to 1988, which equals a decrease of $37.8 billon from 1982. However, due to tax deduction the cost of issuing new debt is lower than using equity. This would mean that AT&T should issue new debt in order to create a balance when financing the investment in R&D, and rather use more of the company’s equity to set up an account with emergency funds that will function as a safety net given the unpredictable times ahead. 6.2 The New Distribution Policy When establishing a distribution policy, one size does not fit all. Some  firms produce a lot of cash but have limited investment opportunities. This applies for firms in profitable and mature industries where few opportunities for growth exist. Such firms typically distribute a large percentage of their cash to shareholders, thereby attracting investment clienteles that prefer high dividends. AT&T was in such an industry, but after the removal of the monopoly, the market became more volatile. During periods of market volatility, there are investment opportunities if you know where to look. In such markets the firms generally distribute little or no cash but enjoy rising earnings and stock prices, and thereby attracting investors who prefer capital gains. AT&T should have adapted to the changes in the market, which required more financial flexibility and a stronger balance sheet. A ‘strong’ balance sheet should consist of liabilities that are considerably outweighed by assets. If a company is having problems, the balance sheet (together with the cash flow statement) will tell you whether it can stand the strain. 6.2.1 Dividend Pay-out As mentioned above, AT&T has had a steady increase in dividends payout until the announcement of the divestiture in 1982. The company decided to reevaluate the amount of dividends and keep it steady at $5.40 per share. AT&T had been a market leader in this industry for a long time, yet their equipment and patents were old, as they had not invested in R&D development. In order for AT&T to have a stronger balance sheet and become more financial flexible in the face of the divestiture, AT&T should have cut their dividend payout much earlier. The company might have been afraid to cut the dividend since this often gives a signaling effect that the firm does not expect high earnings in the future. However, given that AT&T was forced into this divestiture, changes had to be made. An alternative measure could therefore have been to make a change in the dividend policy. This could be seen as a risky move, yet if communicated in an appropriate and thoughtful way the shareholders might understa nd that this was necessary for the company’s future growth. Another supporting factor is that approximately one third of the dividends payout were reinvested by AT&Ts stockholders, which shows that the current dividend payout was not very essential to some of the shareholders. 6.2.2 Repurchase of Stock The firm should also have repurchased stock some years after the dividend cut, to bolster the share price. Repurchase have a tax advantage over dividends as a way to distribute income to stockholders. Repurchase provides cash to stockholders who want cash while allowing those who do not need current cash. Moreover, repurchase announcements are viewed as positive signals by investors because the repurchase is often motivated by management’s belief that the firms shares are undervalued. Finally, repurchases is a effective way to produce large-scale changes in capital structures. 6.3 New Investment Plan The company should at the same time start looking for new possibilities and investments in order to overcome these volatile times. An alternative could have been to invest in R&D e.g. by acquiring a small company with the knowledge and expertise that were required in order to compete and be sustainable in the industry. By doing so they would expand their workforce with people who had more knowledge about the newer technology and therefore been better equipped when facing the challenges ahead. Not only would this allow AT&T to gain more human capital, but they would also gain newer equipment. It is also said that more good investments will most likely lead to a lower dividend payout, which supports our recommendation of changing the dividend policy. 6.4 Maintaining a Top-Level Credit Rating AT&T’s overall financial policy, including target debt ratio and interest coverage, was designed to maintain an AAA bond rating, which allowed them to reduce borrowing cost and in addition make sure that funds were available in periods of severe financial dislocation. As mentioned earlier AT&T worked hard to maintain the AAA rating, both through debt ratio and interest coverage. Although it should be noted that AT&T’s debt ratio of 43% was close to fall under the AA ratings. This would have resulted in an increase in average interest cost of 0.7% equal an expenditure of $335.3 million in borrowing cost. Based on this one can conclude that this was a wise decision given the circumstances, and the company should therefore keep their focus on this in the future. A top-level credit ranking will not only give AT&T better conditions when issuing new debt, but also allow them to emerge as a more attractive investment to current and potential new shareholders. Conclusion Due to the antitrust lawsuit and the shift in the telecommunication industry, AT&T needed to adjust their financial and organizational strategy in order to adapt to the changing environment. The main purpose of this report has been to identify the risk involved with the divestiture, and find ways to face the challenges ahead. The report recommends a new capital structure policy, where AT&T should issue new debt for further investments rather than using equity. For the distribution policy, dividends should be cut and thereafter consider repurchasing stocks. Furthermore, the company should invest in a R&D through an acquisition of a small high-technology firm that will enable them to gain knowledge and be more innovative. Finally, AT&T should seek to maintain a top-level credit rating to reduce borrowing costs, to assure better conditions when issuing debt and last but not least to be a preferred firm for investors.

Benefits And Drawbacks of Market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Benefits And Drawbacks of Market - Essay Example This paper stresses that the information the company is looking for is not present anywhere – Internet, library, databases and so on. If it happens, there is the need to conduct the specific primary research. Primary research activities include conducting the surveys to create the information, first hand observations, experiments. Each methodology uses sampling – making conclusions about the particular group of people with certain degree of accuracy. The samples does not need to be of a large size is often enough and can provide highly reliable results if analyzed by experienced researchers. When conducting primary research two types of information can be gained – exploratory and specific. Exploratory research is more applicable to the new products because it is open ended and helps to define the specific problem though unstructured interviews from the small group of people. This essay is broader and is used to solve the existing problem identified through second ary research. This reprot makes a conclusion that when conducting the mail surveys the costs are associated with printing of questionnaires and time taken to analyse the responses. When choosing telephone surveys the company should be ready to pay for phone charges, interviewer’s time and presentation of the results. Personal interviews have the same costs plus payment to interviewee. Group discussion is the most expensive because the payment needs to be done both to interviewer and the group members.

Science, math and engineering lead to professions that address global Essay

Science, math and engineering lead to professions that address global challenges. What are your long term professional and academic goals How will you make an impact - Essay Example demand for new devices has increased due to several factors such as changing scenario of medical diagnosis and treatment, in-depth understanding of existing diseases, concerns regarding safety of patients and various other competitive demands that have called for more flexible and easy-to-use devices. Medical devices include those which are directly used by patients such as spectacles, wheelchairs and hearing aids and those which are used extensively by physicians to aid in diagnosis and treatment such magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, arthroscopy, angioplasty, laser technology, dialysis equipment, total body scanners and the heart-lung machine. Devices such as artificial joints, heart pacemaker and bioengineered skin have been used to replace or substitute major body organs and thus enabled people to lead normal lives. In addition to these already available devices, I believe that newer technological advancements in biosensors, nanotechnology and robotics offer exiting prospects for the development of more specific and patient-friendly medical devices. I believe that development of Nano robots will help us understand bodily functions more precisely and also help in treating many diseases. These have the potential to cure deadly diseases such as cancer which require specific target mechanisms that would destroy the cancer cells while sparing the surrounding healthy cells. They will also find wider application as drug delivery systems by which the release of medications can be regulated. Their potential use in other areas of medical treatment such as gene therapy, repair of bones, imaging, surgery, medical monitoring and prenatal diagnosis are also been constantly explored. Another exiting new development that promises to offer exciting prospects is automated medical device manufacturing such as 3D- printing in which layers of tissue can be built with the help of automated machines. Several researchers have made use of this technology for the

Use of Digital Media within Organisations Case Study

Use of Digital Media within Organisations - Case Study Example In the recent years, facing stiff competition in industries and the high need to cut costs while still maintaining efficiency in businesses has seen the rapid growth and development of digital solutions for businesses. A key area in which digital media has greatly been used by the various businesses is communication. Communication is a critical success factor in the business world and hence the development and improvement of digital media such as web videos, availability of e-books and social media have been key turnaround factors for business organisations. In the above mentioned case study involving virgin media, it is demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt that the use of digital media has a positive rather than negative impact on the performance of an organisation depending on the overall objective for the incorporation of digital media was. Here, the objectives of the study were to raise awareness of Virgin Media HD football packages through online mobile marketing and this was sp ecifically targeting the users of iPhones. The brand basically wanted to use a new, innovative and creative mobile marketing form in a bid to get the attention of football fans browsing the Guardian mobile internet website. Virgin media was working I partnership with an advertising agency, 4th street advertising. The main objective that was to be achieved was to get the information on virgin media HD football channels to a specific target audience which was football fans who owned iPhones. This was done through the execution of a well laid out strategy that involved exposing the target audience to the advertising message and a clear action that encouraged the recipients to learn more about the products and services offered by virgin media. Additionally, the advertisement campaign provided value addition with a calendar sync option that enabled the users with a fixture list of all games to be televised of the English Premier League. The intended purpose was to improve customer loyalt y and give then pride in being virgin customers. The banner bearing the campaign on the website was easy to use and access and it provided users with two calls-to-action. â€Å"Find out more about Virgin Media Football Packages† and â€Å"Sync televised games with calendar†. The call to action that allowed the audience to find out more about various other packages offered allowed the organisation to put across all or other products that the potential clients may not have been well aware of. The results obtained from the implementation of digital media in communicating to the target audience produced splendid results for Virgin Media. The creative execution drove high interactivity with the brand from the target audience. During the quarter to December after the launch of the digitized media in August, Virgin added over 100,000 Sky premium subscribers to reach a total of 725,000. As depicted clearly, clear and simple messages via digital media are a really positive way to communicate to potential customers. I chose to break down the in depth analysis of the effect of digital communication in this above briefly introduced scenario within in topics that depict every step of the process. Goal of Organisation The goal of Virgin media, according to the scenario, was to raise awareness of Virgin Media HD football packages that were in store for avid football fans via mobile advertising and targeting specifically iPhone users. The brand aimed to employ innovative

Americas History of Immigration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Americas History of Immigration - Essay Example To begin with, the most notable point in the American Immigration history lies in the creation of its colonial era. The American experience was perceived as a colony where there would be freedom as well as a feeling of mutual bonding. (Parrillo, 2002) This was first demonstrated by the Puritans who built the first English colony at Jamestown, Virginia, in the year 1607. These efforts were replicated by various communities throughout the two century old immigration experience of the United States. Therefore, the turning point was the creation of a model which was to be followed by the variety of people arriving at the American shores, so as create an essentially American way of life. (Gjerde, 1998. Pp 288 to 290 ) Another turning point came in the form of the framing of the US Constitution in the nineteenth century. This helped the diverse American population gain an insight into what was typically American. The Constitution laid special emphasis on freedom, which led to the definition of various unique groups and their ways of living. The Constitution provided the necessary impetus that forced the people to unite on the common grounds of secularism and freedom. Also, with a new focus on new age terms like welfare state and public policy, there was a mass paradigm shift towards understanding the plight of the various communities and creating a platform upon which they may voice their issues and thus gain new insights into public life. (Parrillo, 2002) The election of Andrew Jackson in 1828, as the first "outsider" to be elected as the President, paved the way for the creation of an America that could expand its frontiers through the sheer power of diversity presented by the people thronging it. (Palmer, 2005) This trend was further fuelled through the modifications rendered to public policy to cater to the needs of minorities who were fast taking to America as their homeland. There was a new brand of administrative policy activism during this period, which triggered federal immigration policies to be restructured along dynamic innovative lines. Further, nationhood and social order were described during this period in terms of the ethnicities and their diverse needs. The coming of the Irish to the American shores during the 1800s ushered an age of renewed political agenda aimed at the so called "outsiders". The Irish settled around New England, poised for a greater role in the political affairs of the nation. This brought about a new breed of causal politicians who showed America what culture and refinement feel like. Having followed directly after the abolishment of slavery and the migration of the Southern Blacks towards the Northern industrial states, the migration of the Irish served to better understand and define freedom in terms of the ethnic diversity thronging the American shores. (Parrillo, 2002) Further, the progressive movement was closely followed by the First World War, where the traveling American was brought face to face with social issues on the home front. There was an acknowledgement of the fact that the social dictates of the land had grown to disproportionate dimensions in the face of multi cultural interactions. This led to the need for government action during the 1900s in a bid to demonstrate the ideal American family. While many Asian communities were averse to these trends, the second generation immigrants were more forgiving.

Literacy Information Influences Leadership Essay

Literacy Information Influences Leadership - Essay Example Do students ever check the accuracy of information they gather from dictionary.com, or about.com etc? Students simply search websites for information, with no sincere or serious thoughts about its accuracy, usefulness and applicability in their life. Information literacy is not just searching for information and finding them from easier sources, but applying them for professional or educational purposes. Information literacy greatly influences peoples’ scholarship, practice and leadership in any profession. A scholar is one who has knowledge and ability to apply it for a specific purpose. It’s widely believed that websites and e-libraries provide more convenient ways to researchers to access wide range of information, but they are very less likely to be information literate. This is a reason why information becomes obsolete very sooner in today’s; contexts. Information literacy is to be promoted at various educational levels in order to make learners and others i nformation competent. As Turusheva (2009, p. 127) pointed out, information competence occurs when a person is skillful in determining the size of necessary information, using information effectively, evaluating the information and its sources critically, developing own knowledge base, using the information for goal’s achievements and using the information ethically. These criteria aren’t generally found in today’s university learners and researchers and therefore they are less likely to be information literate. As and when they are not information literate, their processional leadership and educational scholarship can never be positively influenced. Turusheva’s (2009, p. 127) study concluded... This essay stresses that information literacy is to be promoted at various educational levels in order to make learners and others information competent. As Turusheva pointed out, information competence occurs when a person is skillful in determining the size of necessary information, using information effectively, evaluating the information and its sources critically, developing own knowledge base, using the information for goal’s achievements and using the information ethically. These criteria aren’t generally found in today’s university learners and researchers and therefore they are less likely to be information literate. As and when they are not information literate, their processional leadership and educational scholarship can never be positively influenced. Information, knowledge and intellectual capital are most valuable and powerful assets. These make people scholars or leaders to be fit for certain workplaces. In order to achieve this goal, information literacy needs to be effectively promoted at educational levels. There are many different suggestions on how to increase the efficiencies of today’s information literacy. This paper makes a conclusion that finding information has never been easier than today, but information never has become obsolete as quickly as it happens today. Universities and other educators require information literacy today more than ever before. This piece of research paper attempted to explain information literacy and how it influences scholarship in education and leadership in professions.

The problem of intrusive UI hints Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The problem of intrusive UI hints - Essay Example cated does not mean that the changes should be something that comes to appear in the eyes of the ordinary user as a change that has moved from good to bad or bad to worse. Rather, the changes should be one that can be seen as one that has moved from bad to good or good to better. The first rhetorical question that would be asked in validating the concerns and claims of the writers is; â€Å"where users of any kind considered in their advocacy for change?† A critical look at the articles presented by the writers would confirm that the writers gave very little concern to new and novice users of various computer software. Miller (2011) for instance would prefer that technical usability changes to aesthetic changes stating that â€Å"perhaps without the limitations of a finite number of colors and pixels to force simplicity, UI designers just dont know what to do with themselves. Id argue they do too much.† Meanwhile, there is no denying the fact that computer software gets new users everyday who cannot really much up with complicated mode of operating user interfaces. As far as new users are concerned to, new users are people who would be attracted by sight. For this reason, it is important to improve on aesthetic quality whiles maintaining the co mplexities in operations very minimal. Having noted this, it is not a point to suggest that there is no room being made for mature users of various software and that as the user interface hints keeps getting simple, they will be bored with the process. It is in the light of this that Siracusa (2011) uses the example of a car that explains all its gadgets and uses everyday to the driver for five year. According to the writer, the driver would feel bored of this. However, something that the writers did not consider is needed amendment for user interface hints. So as much as it would be admitted that when the operations are so simple, mature users will be bored, the alternative will be for system designers to add up options of

Occupational Therapy Assistant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Occupational Therapy Assistant - Essay Example The decision I made has been coupled by a lot of adjustments I have to make in my life so as to be the perfect person I want to be. Being that my occupation involves interaction with people of different ages, I am learning how to handle the old and young patients who might be put under my care. The old need special treatment as well as the young. Since the work as an occupational therapist assistant may mean working in hospitals, outpatient clinics, schools, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and even mental health facilities, I am currently adapting to different lives and different people. I know it is not a walk in the park working in a mental health facility, but yet again, I understand how much these patients need someone like me to look after them. For this reason, having understood the difficulty involved in working under these conditions, I have trained myself to be adaptable to any circumstances that might be associated with my

Contemporary Issues In Accounting And Finance Essay

Contemporary Issues In Accounting And Finance - Essay Example 3, citing a 1966 definition). At the same time, accounting is grounded on philosophical assumptions about knowledge and on the â€Å"relationship between theory and practice†. Meanwhile, for Oatley (2001), financial regulation is about regulating banks to protect depositors and shareholders. For Carvajal et al. (2009), financial regulation is something more encompassing because its key objective is to â€Å"ensure that all financial activities that may pose systemic risks are appropriately overseen.† The same perspective is also in Truman (2009). For Carvajal et al. (2009), the scope or perimeter of financial liberation involves three aspects. First, it must provide regulators with the widest view of the status of regulation action. Second, it must enable regulators to monitor and respond to risks. Finally or third, it must provide regulators with early warnings of risks. The subject area of financial regulation is important because we have a highly â€Å"financialized economy† worldwide (Andersson et al. 2010). Accounting is important for managers (Webster 2004). At the same time, accounting financial statements can provide regulators with important tools through which they can monitor the financial system, check on the progress of regulation, and anticipate possible risks so they can be addressed or eliminated (Taylor 2009). Accounting financial statements can also be used to monitor the performance of nongovernmental organisations (Morgan 2010). Financial regulation, however, is not entirely dependent on financial statements because financial regulation can cover all of the economy while financial statements from accounting cover only the economic conditions of firms or group of firms under a conglomerate (Borio and Tsatsaronis 2005; HM Treasury 2010). For example, financial regulators would also be monitoring liquidity, interest rates, capital flows, and other macroeconomic variables, not merely financial statements. Another type of reg ulation also uses financial statements but is different from financial regulation: strengthening corporate governance. Academic research contributed to the sciences or fields of accounting, financial regulation, and corporate governance. In the process, academic research protected and advanced modern living and, thus, it can be said that academic research improved our lives. Although not all journal articles are academic research, I review a few accounting journals to illustrate how academic research has been developing the field of accounting and, relatedly, financial regulation. In doing so, I will attempt to illustrate how academic research contributes to protecting and advancing life (Humphrey and Lee 2004; Sterling 1975). Barth and Landsman (2010) examined how financial reporting contributed to the financial crisis. They concluded that fair value accounting played little or no role in the financial crisis. Unfortunately, however, the lack of transparency in securitization and d erivatives misled investors from assessing properly property values and the risk of bank assets and liabilities (Barth and Landsman 2010). Because of this, they proposed to require banks to â€Å"recognize whatever assets and liabilities they have after the securitization† to reflect better the â€Å"underlying economics† of banks. Further, they recommended â€Å"disclosure of more disaggregated information, disclosure of the sensitivity of derivative fair values to changes in market risk variables,

Foundations of teaching and learning Essay Example for Free

Foundations of teaching and learning Essay I am going to deliver a lesson to my students, which will include the three main schools of learning, Behaviourism, Cognitivism and Humanism. I will incorporate these ways of learning into my lesson plans to ensure my students are offered a range of learning strategies. â€Å"The behaviourist learning theory suggests that we learn by receiving a stimulus that provokes a response. So long as the response is reinforced in some way that response will be repeated. † (Reece and Walker 2007) I think behaviourism is important within the classroom as it is controlled Education, where the teacher takes control of the class and the environment that the students are in. Behaviourism is the educational theory that is based on the underlying ideology that the environment has direct influence on behaviour. Aims and objectives must be shown at the beginning of the class, to ensure the students are aware of what is expected of them. Reinforcement should be used to strengthen behaviour that you want to encourage. Students should be rewarded immediately so it gives the student motivation and confidence to move on to the next stage. Rewards can be offered in a variety of ways e. g. praise, letting them take part in something they enjoy doing, and should be used often when starting a new subject. To ensure students are kept motivated. Behaviourists look for rewards from others such as teachers, family and peers etc. †¦ Some behaviour is inappropriate so a punishment is given to stop that particular behaviour occurring again. People learn by copying from others, for example, performing a demonstration (you are the model) students will learn behaviours from the model. Within my lesson plan I have covered behaviourism with discussing previous background knowledge of subject matter so I am able to gain the required information to move on to the next stage and by applying praise to give them confidence to be able to move on to the next stage. I will take control of the class; the environment within the class will be relaxed and non-threatening. I will offer encouragement and appraisal throughout my lesson, before the end of the lesson I have arranged practical session as a reward. The Cognitivist school believes that learning by doing, and asking students challenging questions, will help students make their own sense of what they era studying, and enable them to make use of their learning in real life† (Geoff Petty2009) The Cognitivist approach to learning focuses on students and how they gain and store knowledge. It looks into how students interpret information given to them and what technique is best for them to use to understand it. The information that is given to the students must be understood to ensure leaning is taking place. It should be presented in a step by step fashion and goals should be in place for each stage, Feedback is essential and should be given out promptly to ensure learning has taken place before moving on to the next stage. There are three modes of learning †¢ The Enactive mode – learning by doing †¢ The Iconic mode – imagery- depends on visual senses †¢ The symbolic mode – using codes to learn This approach should be used in an attempt to promote learning using the cognitive structure. Students learn more when they have a greater understanding of the knowledge within the subject matter. This information is taken and added onto existing information, which is known as deep learning. Deep learning is where new learning makes a connection to old learning so you are able to build on knowledge, Deep learning is good learning; students should be taught a way that encourage them to adopt a way of learning, so they have a deeper understanding. There is also surface learning where there is no connection at all from old learning to new. There is only a small amount of cognitive skills used, and the new subject material has no relevance to previous learning. Studies more recently have shown deeper approaches to learning are related to higher quality learning outcomes† (Ramsden 1992; Prosser and Miller 1989; Trigwell and Prosser, 1991). Learning takes place through individuals changing and processing information from their social and physical surroundings. The teaching strategies for this theory should include things such has class presentations, debates and lectures, videos, readings and case studies. Work material should always be clear to understand, and produced in an organised manner, precise objective feedback should be given to facilitate learning. The amount of knowledge and understanding already attained will influence the speed and capability to add subsequent learning. I have used the cognitivism school of learning within my lesson plan by using deep surface learning, I am going to be building students’ knowledge through learning new subject matter to add on to old. I will take into account the structure of the subject matter delivering it in a step by step manner that is meaningful and understandable to them so they can relate new information to what they already know. My teaching methods will emphasis common principles and transferable skills. I have set tasks so they will have to think for themselves and discover new ways of finding out things about themselves and finding answers within the tasks. There will also be class discussions throughout the lesson, so students have the opportunitiy to express themselves, the classroom environment will be pleasant and relaxed so the students do not feel afraid to speak out. I will be performing a demonstration for students so they will be able to understand exactly what I want them to learn† by doing â€Å". â€Å"The only way to learn how to do something is by doing it! † (Paul Ginnis 2002) Humanism is about the learner feeling good about him or herself and being able to determine their strengths and weaknesses. The learner should believe that able to have the ability to improve. It is important that students feel good about themselves so they are able to set goals that are achievable; this should be encouraged by the teacher to help develop student’s self-esteem. ] All topics should be relevant to the student so it keeps them interested and motivated. Students should not feel that they have done wrong, but use mistakes as an opportunity to learn. Hierarchy of Basic Human Needs [pic] Abraham Maslow 1962) It is essential that the lower needs are met before moving up to the next level in a step by step way. In a classroom setting, these needs must be fulfilled to ensure effective learning can take place. Starting with physical needs working up to self- actualisation. The teacher should make the classroom environment feel warm and friendly with a positive atmosphere, and give students the choice to work at their own pace and let them take responsibility to learn for themselves, so that they become highly motivated by working in an area of their own interests and curiosity. Humanistic teaching enables students to figure things out for themselves because over helping from the teacher will discourage and de motivate the student. Students are encouraged more by active learning than passive learning. It gives the student great motivation when they are able to solve their own problems. The prize for the humanistic theorist is through self-evaluation and self-direction humanists like to reward themselves. Self-assessment is a crucial skill it helps students to be responsible for their own improvements where tests set by teachers are thought of as discouraging – and lowering student’s self-esteem. I have incorporated humanistic teaching within my lesson plan through classroom environment; the layout of my class room is designed to suit the student’s needs. There will be adequate breaks, I will ensure comfortable surroundings, all students will be treated fairly and with dignity and confidentiality will be maintained at all times. I intend to promote interaction between students and show that I care. I will encourage independence and welcome ideas and offer prizes when appropriate, promote optimism and be enthusiastic and supportive and be positive about their future plans. So with this support I have applied basic needs within the classroom so my students will reach self-actualization I have set tasks where students will have to think for themselves and come up with their own conclusions. I have also included a practical activity where students will work in pairs and have to think between them to evaluate the outcome. We will be in an environment where the students are comfortable and the learning subject matter is relevant to the learner’s objectives. I think that the three main schools of learning should be incorporated within a lesson because I strongly agree with Maslow’s hierarchy of basic needs. You need to meet physical needs to be able to move up the ladder without these needs you are unable to achieve or reach self actualisation. I believe that the humanistic approach to teaching and learning is used through all ages of teaching but is more influenced with adult education. Whereas behaviorism I believe is for the younger generation. Behaviorism teaching starts from an infant they are influenced by reinforcements and that is how good behavior is determined from bad. I think this is more effective with school age children. It helps to promote learning when a child is praised. The cognitivist theory plays a big part in learning, learning should be a part of life humans have a natural urge to learn, discover and develop new skills. I agree that it is important that the learning that is taking place and the information is recognized. Marking and feedback is essential and plays a big part in student achievement, so you can evaluate where the students understood.

Universal Characters Of Human Rights

Universal Characters Of Human Rights One of the most essential characteristics of human rights is universality. The concept of universality has been analyzed, discussed, and used in several contexts and different ways by various scholars. This argument gives rise to the debate between realists and nominalists. The Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary simply defines the word universal (universus) as a general term or concept having universal effect or application at all times and in all places. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, the word universal means a quality or property which each individual member of a class of things must possess. It further explains that universals are the qualities of individual things, or particulars. For example, the quality of redness (a universal) is possessed by all red objects (which are particulars). However, in other ways universals are quite unlike particulars. For example, redness, unlike red objects, cannot be picked up.  [1]   Michael J. Loux underlines that in metaphysics, a universal is what particular things have in common, namely characteristics or qualities. He analyses three major kinds of qualities or characteristics of universality basing on realists view: i) types or kinds to which things belong (e.g. mammal); ii) properties which they possess (e.g. short, strong); and iii) relations into which they enter (e.g. father of, next to). These are all different types of universal. It is known as shared entitles universals.  [2]  For St. Thomas Aquinas, the word universal can be considered in two ways: the universal nature may be considered together with the intention of universality viz. the relation of one and the same to many; the universal can be considered in the nature itself, for stance, animality or humanity as existing in the individual.  [3]   The Catechism of the Catholic Church uses the word universal in the sense of according to the totality or in keeping with the whole.  [4]  Hence, each particular Church is universal to which all men are called and belong in different ways.  [5]   Human rights advocates maintain that if human rights are the rights that belong to everyone regardless of sex, race, color or religion, simply because one is a human being, then they are universal by definition itself. It clearly states in the article one of UDHR: all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Mary Ann Glendon, the author of The World Made New: Eleanor Roosevelt and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, notes: The title universal meant that the declaration was morally binding on everyone, and not only on the governments that voted for its adoption. The universal declaration, in other words, was not an international or intergovernmental document; it was addressed to all humanity and founded on a unified conception of the human being.  [6]   In his work on The Future of Human Rights, Upendra Baxi places the concept of universality in a Hegalian context. For Hegel, the combination of universality and particularity is already implicit in the moment of abstract universality, in the same way as a tree trunk and branches are implicit in a seed. So, referring to Hegels method, Baxi uses the synthesis of abstract universality and abstract particularity which brings about concrete universality so that we may understand the concept of universality of human rights more easily. He logically connects Hegalian method with the concept of universal human rights by distinguishing three moments: first, the UDHR is addressed to every human being; it is the objective movement of abstract universality; second, it is particularized by the series of norms such as workers rights, womens rights, rights of children, or right to life; third, the concrete universality can be achieved where rights and man meet in his life.  [7]  However, nomina lists do not agree with realists idea about the concept of universality and conceptualists accept it partly. Objection of Universality The question of whether universals exist is a tricky logical one. The rationalists believe that universals are real and they exist independently, whereas the nominalists believe that all that is real is particular, and therefore, universals are just words which at best apply to resemblances among real things. The conceptualists believe that universals exist as concepts. Antifoundationalists  [8]  argue that Universal human rights are simply impossible because what counts as human and as rights belonging to humans, are context-bound and tradition-dependent. There is no transcultural fact or being that may be called human to which universal human rights may be attached.  [9]   And yet, there are still various objections to the concept of human rights as universal. In her article History of Universal Human Rights up to WW2, Moira Rayner denies the idea of human rights as universal although she maintains that human rights are rights possessed by people simply because they are human beings. She says, The idea of human rights is not universal it is essentially the product of 17th and 18th century European thought and even the idea of rights does not necessarily exist in every society or advanced civilization. Universal human rights are, historically, the flower of what was originally a European plant.  [10]   For Blair Gibb, human rights are not necessarily universal because he argues that the rights established by the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights may not be applied to all nations. He then points out that even those nations that have singed it, and in practice they still have limitations and difficulties to realize them fully in their own territories. Furthermore, he argues that the UDHR pushes western values that are not always agreeable to eastern nations. He gives an example that civil or political rights such as the right to criticize the government openly or complete freedom of opinion and expression, threaten cohesive Asian societies. For him, the UDHR is a bit idealistic and it is better applied more to developed nations than developing nations.  [11]   According to Raimundo Panikkar,  [12]  the concept of human rights is a Western conception and it is not a universal concept.  [13]  However, he does not mean that we should abandon the responsibility of declaring or enforcing human rights. He accepts that human rights can bring an authentic human life in this contemporary world and the defense of human rights is a sacred duty. For him, no concept as such is universal. Each concept is valid primarily where it was conceived.  [14]  To put it in the other way, although the word God is universally used in all contexts of world religions, its concept is different from one another, because humankind presents a plurality of universal discourses. Panikkar believes that there should be at least two conditions to be fulfilled in order to make the concept of human rights become universally valid: (i) it should eliminate all the other contradictory concepts and (ii) it should be the common point of reference for any problem regardin g human dignity.  [15]   In order to clarify the debate on whether human rights are universal or not, the 1993 Vienna Declaration reaffirms the universal character of human rights as follow: All human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent and interrelated.  [16]   The Vienna Declaration invites the international community to treat human rights globally in a fair and equal manner, on the same footing, and with the same emphasis; and to promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms. At the opening ceremony of the World Conference on Human Rights in1993, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, emphasizes on the important of the common essence of universality and underlines how human rights are necessarily to be common standard for all members of the international community. He invites the international communities to go beyond ones own culture and values in order to realize the true meaning of human rights in ones life, as he states, The human rights that we proclaim and seek to safeguard can be brought about only if we transcend ourselves, only if we make a conscious effort to find our common essence beyond our apparent divisions, our temporary differences, our ideological and cultural barriers.  [17]   Human Rights as a Common Language of Humanity Generally people accept that human rights are the product of history and they are born from historical events. The word right exists sine ancient time. In history, Egyptian, Geek, Roman and the like were known as great lawmakers who published codex of various laws and established series of rights and duties. The worlds religions such as Judaism, Hinduism, Christianity and Buddhism, have also established moral codes of conducts based on divine law or teaching in order to protect the rightful behavior of the people so that there might be peace in human society. These principles and laws are generally based on human dignity and concerned with responsibilities of man to his fellow men, to governors, to the nature, to God and to the whole creation. Then, as time passes by, the constant changing world has been always shaping social system and political order, sweeping away old regimes, old rivalries and old obstacles and replacing them with new system and ideas. Autocracy decreases and dem ocracy increases. Awareness of ones won rights and freedom is stronger and stronger. The people learn from the failures of the past and look for a better and peaceful society. The age of colonization is a good example to point out how the language of human rights is extended to the oppressed people. In that period, there were some human rights advocates who defended for the rights of indigenous people. For example: Bartolome De Las Casas (1484-1566), Spanish historian and Dominican missionary in the Americans, opposed the oppression of the Indian by European and called for the abolition of Indian slavery.  [18]  He defended against the ill treatment of native peoples by the Spanish colonists and advocated before King Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor on behalf of rights for the natives. His intentions are: to stop the suppression of all encomienda  [19]  ; to liberate the Indians from all forms of slaves; to restore the ancient Indian states and rulers; and to have the rightful owners of those lands.  [20]   Francisco de Vitoria (1485-1546), Spanish theologian, was best known for his defense of the rights of the Indians of the New World against Spanish colonists and for his ideas of the limitations of justifiable warfare. He was also known as one of international law pioneers because he contributed the theory of just war and international law.  [21]   Anthropologists such as Sally Engle Merry presume that the treaty of Westphalia (1648) is the foundation for the language of international human rights law. It is a series of peace treaties  [22]  and agreements among European states which end the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) and the Eighty Years War (1568-1648) in Europe. As result, these treaties and agreements gave birth to a new system of political order in central Europe, i.e., the system of sovereign state governed by a sovereign. During this period, international law and affairs were based on the notion of state sovereignty. However, the treaties did not restore peace throughout Europe because France and Spain remained at war for the next eleven years. But the Peace of Westphalia at least created a basis for international legal norms or the language of international human rights law.  [23]   In 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the UDHR which has become a universal standard for the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide. This adoption is a clear affirmation of the international coexistence which is commonly based on human dignity and respect for all peoples rights in everywhere. However, some criticize that the Universal Declaration was politically impossible during the Cold War to meet both civil or political rights and social or economic rights. Western human rights law focused on political and civil rights such as the right to freedom of speech or religion and so on, whereas socialist and communist countries focused on economic and social rights such as the rights to work, food, housing, etc. International human rights law, however, has developed a dominant language of global justice that ends the cleavages dominant during the Cold War. Today, the language of human rights has become the language common to all humanity, a global lingua franca addressing social, political, cultural and economic issues worldwide. It is shifted from political discourse to a more unified language of global justice. It is a language that guides every human being in an era of globalization. Mary Robinson, the former High Commissioner for Human Rights, once said that: All of us, in our different forms of expression, can speak the common language of humanity, the language of human rights, which is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  [24]   As the World Conference on Human Rights began on 14 June 1993, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, gave the opening statements to the assembled diplomats as follow: Human rights should be viewed not only as the absolute yardstick which they are, but also as a synthesis resulting from a long historical process. As an absolute yardstick, human rights constitute the common language of humanity. Adopting this language allows all peoples to understand others and to be the authors of their own history. Human rights, by definition, are the ultimate norm of all politics. As an historical synthesis, human rights are, in their essence, in constant movement. By that I mean that human rights have a dual nature. They should express absolute, timeless injunctions, yet simultaneously reflect a moment in the development of history. Human rights are both absolute and historically defined.  [25]   However, there are some politicians who use the term human rights in a very narrow sense for their own benefits. As a result of misinterpretation of the term, the UDHR becomes no worth than bourgeois rights or Western rights. Some argue that the fundamental idea of human rights does not go along with the specific characteristics of local or regional cultures and customs. For some, recognizing human rights differently in different contexts according to ones own culture and custom is a better solution for all. But the article 27 of the UDHR proves that the language of the declaration does not exhibit any cultural preference since human rights are a common language of humanity.

The Effects Of Farming On The Environment Environmental Sciences Essay

The Effects Of Farming On The Environment Environmental Sciences Essay By 5000 BC the Sumerians had developed core agricultural techniques including large-scale intensive cultivation of land,  mono-cropping, organized  irrigation, and the use of a specialized labour force. Intensive farming or  intensive agriculture  is an agricultural system that aims to produce maximum yield from available land. Besides, its also an  agricultural  production system characterized by the high inputs of  capital,  labour or heavy usage of technologies such as  pesticides  and chemical  fertilizers  relative to land area. You could say food is produced in large quantities with the help of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The products such as eggs, meat and many agricultural products available in many supermarkets are produced using modern intensive farming. Intensive farming is practiced widely by many of the developed economies of the world. Sustainable intensive farming, intensive aquaculture, intensive live stock farming and managed intensive grazing fall under intensive farming. Environment issues of Intensive Farming Intensive farming may bring some issues to the environment. For instance:- Intensive farming includes the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and insecticides.  It is also associated with overpopulated animal farms, which are often associated with pollution and animal sickness. And even more disturbing is the fact that the majority of working farms use intensive farming. This means more chemicals on our plate at each meal. The use of such massive amounts of nitrogen based fertilizers contaminates the area lakes and rivers. Forests are destroyed to create large open fields and this could lead to soil erosion and affects natural habits in the forest. The pesticides sprayed on crops destroy pests, contaminate the crops and kill good insects. Eventually, these chemicals are passed on to the human beings.   The fruits and vegetables bought from farms that promote intensive farming are covered with invisible pesticide. These are not easily washed off. The residue of the pesticide affect the health of human beings.   Use of pesticides has numerous negative health effects on workers who applied those, people that live nearby the area of application or downstream from it and consumers who eat the pesticides which remain on their food. INTENSIVE FARMING IN MALAYSIA Livestock farming in Sabah once seen as backyard farming and pose no threat to the environment, but with the rapid development in the livestock industry, particularly in monogastric subsector, coupled with rapid expansion of urban and peri-urban area, livestock farming has become the critical issue. Excessive livestock waste as a result of intensive farming system need to be addressed. Although animal waste can be utilized as a manure to improve the physical and chemical properties of soil, it can also cause environmental hazard if not managed properly. It can caused malodour or odour nuisance to environment, surface water contamination, secondary pollution and also religious sensitivity. Table 1. Estimated Livestock Population of Sabah, 1999 Species Number (Head) Cattle 44,837 Buffalo 50,741 Goat 37,285 Sheep 1,900 Pig 100,000 Chicken 3,400,000 Duck 113,000 Source: (Anon.1999b) Livestock Species Population Waste Produce (m.t.) per Year Poultry 2.4 millions 178,000 Duck 0.5 millions 55,000 Pig 85,000 248,000 Cattle/Buffalo 97,000 1,416,000 Goat/Sheep 38,000 70,000 Total 1,967,000 Source: (Mokhtar and Chia, 2000) Table 2. Total livestock population and the wastes produced per year The rapid growth of the livestock industry caused on environmental problem-related to the livestock waste generated from the intensive farming system. Livestock waste generated from an extensive or semi extensive farming system does not seem to cause any major environmental problem as shown in table 2, cattle or buffalo wastes amount to 1.4 million metric ton compare to pig wastes about 248,000 metric ton. The problem is further aggravated with the rapid development of the urban and peri-urban area where most of the livestock farms are situated. The total livestock population and the waste produced per year for selected animal is illustrated in Table 2. Environmental problems cause by livestock farming Water Pollution Main environmental problem cause by livestock farming is water pollution, according to The Malaysian Environmental Quality Report, 12 rivers in the state were polluted with ammoniac nitrogen (NH3-N) due to livestock farming and domestic wastes in 1997. Water pollution cause by livestock farming occurred due to malfunction of waste lagoon or accidentally spill over from flooded lagoon or deliberate flushing of wastes directly into river system. Water may turn reddish brown and may destroy the fragile ecosystem. Pollution from nutrients contained in animal manure, namely phosphorous and nitrogen is one of the most serious problems, leading to excess algae growth, robbing water of oxygen which may lead to mass destruction of fish. Air pollution The anaerobic decomposition of stored animal wastes generates various volatile metabolic compounds of which a dozen contributes to odour, in particular hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and ammonia. These can cause continuous source of strong, persistent and unreasonably offensive hog/poultry odours. The resulting of air pollution is interfering with surrounding areas. Air pollution in the form of ammonia nitrogen can cause respiratory illness in the neighborhood up to two miles away from the site. Potential source of diseases Beside serious environmental problem, animal waste also may become a source of various diseases such as infectious worm larvae hatched from the worm eggs passed out with the faeces; contamination encrusted with organic matter is an ideal breeding ground of harmful bacteria. Arthropods such as flies, lice, fleas that are attracted by animal waste may trigger outbreak of infectious diseases, because they are the vectors to transmit diseases such as viruses, rickettsiae, protozoa and helminthes. WAYS TO PREVENT There are several ways to prevent Environmental problems cause by livestock farming, fr instance:- To minimize environment problem caused by pig waste there should be proper animal waste management system such as improving the housing adopting by the Pit Recharge System and Concrete Floor unit.   The adoption of the Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBBR) with an Automation, which is waste water treatment system with the function of stirring, aeration and settling.     To reduce the odour emitted from farm, a close housing system with regulated ventilation is used. Thats mean, by using high efficiency fans at one end of the building; fresh air is sucked ion from outside environment passing through the cooling pad to reduce the temperature before being delivered into the building. Livestock Farming Rules, 2001. In the meantime the Department of Veterinary Services and Animal Industry is well aware of the need to control and rectify irregularities in the livestock farming practices. Base on this, Livestock Farming Rules, 2000 (Draft) was introduced. This regulation was created under the existing Animal Ordinance 1962 (Amended 1998). Under this legislation, all livestock farms shall be operated under the permit of Department of Veterinary Services and Animal Industry, Sabah (DOVSAI). CONCLUSION Intensive farming or  intensive agriculture  is an agricultural system characterized by the high inputs of  capital,  labour or heavy usage of technologies such as  pesticides  and chemical  fertilizers  relative to land area. Intensive farming is practiced widely by many of the developed economies of the world. However, it may bring disadvantages to our environment. Livestock farming has become the critical issue. The rapid growth of the livestock industry in Sabah caused on environmental problem-related to the livestock waste generated from the intensive farming system. Excessive livestock waste as a result of intensive farming system need to be addressed. If not managed properly, it can caused malodour or odour nuisance to environment, surface water contamination, secondary pollution and also religious sensitivity. RERERENCES http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intensive_farming http://www.buzzle.com/articles/advantages-and-disadvantages-for-intensive-farming.html http://www.buzzle.com/articles/advantages-and-disadvantages-for-intensive-farming.html http://www.fao.org/docrep/007/y5019e/y5019e0l.htm http://kb.rspca.org.au/RSPCA-Policy-B2-Intensive-farming-practices_165.html http://www.sabah.gov.my/jpas/news/SITE/SITEppr12.pdf Water pollution in a rural stream due to farming activity APPENDIXC:UsersEnd_UserPicturesuntitled.bmp photo06.jpg Pesticides drift The use of pesticides in agriculture C:UsersEnd_UserDesktopimage.jpg

Female Characters in William Shakespeares Othello Essay -- William Sh

Female Characters in William Shakespeare's Othello Throughout history, women’s place and role in society has vastly changed, as well as their sexuality. In the Victorian era, it was considered abnormal for women to masturbate or feel pleasure from sexual intercourse with her husband. They were led to believe that they were sick, and thus went to their doctor who would â€Å"rid† them of their â€Å"fever† through vaginal stimulation. The patriarchal society did not want women to know or understand their sexuality because that would give them power and control over their bodies. Additionally, in many African tribes, when a girl reaches womanhood, it is custom to mutilate her genitals in order to keep them chaste until they are married. During the Elizabethan era, women were considered second-class citizens. They lived in a society in which a woman was either a whore, or a good, angelic wife. The three female characters in Othello, Emilia, Desdemona, and Bianca, all vary in their personalities and roles, yet they all share one common trait, in that they are all women living in a patriarchal society and thus by suffering together, their female bonds become stronger. Emilia is a very outspoken, strong, independent women who believes her husband Iago, to be a mischievous, deceitful, idiot. Although Iago treats Emilia rather badly, she still stands up to him. In Act 3, scene 3, Emilia has discovered Desdemona’s handkerchief and brings it to Iago in which Iago call his wife â€Å"foolish† and a â€Å"wench.† Emilia stands up to Iago by defending Desdemona’s keepsake by questioning Iago why he wanted her to steal it in the first place, and then finding out his cruel intentions, â€Å"What will you do with’t, that you have been so earnest t... ...owever, after looking at Iago’s harsh portrayal of Bianca, he clearly does not understand the situation Bianca is in, and thus Bianca shares the secret life of a female as does Desdemona and Emilia and therefore indirectly, establishes the female bond. The women of Othello have different characteristics, yet all share one common bond. Desdemona is submissive, but loyal and true to the men in her life. Emilia thinks quite low of her husband and is a strong, smart, assertive woman. Bianca knows her place in society and was unfortunate to succumb to a life of prostitution. However, all these women share the same knowledge, which brings them together as females. They all live under a harsh patriarchal society that does not allow them to think and act freely and naturally as men do, even though unlike the men, they know they are of equal human qualities.

The Realtionship Between Salamano And His Dog The Stranger By Albert C :: essays research papers

Misery Loves Company Salamano and his dog have a strange relationship. They are always together and even look similar, but Salamano is constantly beating the dog. One would think that since the dog was Salamano’s only companion then he would treat it better. Salamano and his dog symbolize the absurdity that occurs in our everyday life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both the dog and Salamano have reddish scabs and the dog has â€Å"sort of taken on his masters stooped look, muzzle down, neck straining†(pg. 27). They’ve been together for eight years, always doing the some routine, so they’ve started to take on each other’s personalities, as well as looks. They say that â€Å"misery loves company†- which is exactly the case with Salamano. He got the dog after his wife died, for companionship, but he has never really been happy. He probably figures that if he can’t be happy, then neither can the dog.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The relationship between Salamano and his dog is utterly absurd. They’ve done the same routine day in and day out for eight long years, yet neither one will ever change or learn from their mistakes. Salamano won’t learn to let the dog finish peeing so that it won’t go in the house and the dog won’t learn not to pull the leash. They are both resistant to change, probably because they don’t know anything else, except how to be miserable together.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the most absurd things of all is how upset Salamano is when he looses his dog. He doesn’t treat the dog well or appreciate it when it’s there, but is distressed when it is missing. When Meursault suggests that he get a new dog, Salamano replies that he â€Å"was used to this one.† It’s not about loving the dog, it was about feeling comfortable and â€Å"used to† the routine that they had together.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many people are resistant to change. They become comfortable with their lives and don’t dare to venture outside of the box.

Strange Place

Alayna Grant Dr. Bellah English 1301-015 February 15, 2013 Strange Place On July 11th it will be twelve years since I discovered the magical world of yuccas and mesquite trees. I remember the day like it was yesterday. I remember driving all the way down the road that seemed like miles and miles of nothing but wilderness. We seemed to have driven for forever. There were no houses or mobile homes or much of anything. Then we came to a dirt road, and I said â€Å"Daddy I hope we are not going to drive into there. † There looked like an unmarked, mysterious place.It was a new unfamiliar place that I would be the first to discover. As soon as we got out of the truck I started asking questions. â€Å"Daddy is there dinosaurs here? † Then he explained that I would have to go check for myself, so I made that my personal mission. We came back a few days later because he was going to set up the layout of the house, and all that good stuff was going to be put together. I came pre pared this time; I had my binoculars, my toy gun, and my camera. I had my pink binoculars so I could see trouble that I might get into far away.I had my gun in case there was a dinosaur. Finally I had my camera so I could prove to my dad that there were dinosaurs. â€Å"Well here I go. † I said to myself. I start walking and before I know it I’m in this mysterious place. I am seeing things I never saw before. All these trees around me look evil; they have very long, sharp, pointy thorns on them. There were these weird plant look-alike things that I accidently stepped on that poked me and made blood droplets on my leg. There was this mean looking frog that had horns. And before you knew it I had gotten in too deep and was lost.All I could see that was familiar was the baby blue sky and the bright golden sun. So I kept going hoping I would find maybe a sign or a trail. I held my gun close to me just in case I found a dinosaur. Then out of nowhere hops a little grey bunny , he stops to look at me for a second then starts to hop off. I thought to myself â€Å"Maybe if I follow him I can get back to my daddy. † So that’s what I did until he was out of sight. I grabbed my binoculars to try to find him, but he was long gone. He hopped way too fast and I could not hop over the weird looking plants fast enough.So there I was again stuck alone and there were still no signs of any dinosaurs yet. â€Å"Maybe there are not any dinosaurs out here in this place. † I thought to myself, but I’ll keep looking. Gazing through my binoculars I came across something black, something that looked like I had seen before. I start walking faster and faster towards it. And before too long I was back at my dad’s black truck. â€Å"Whoa I thought I was going to be lost forever out here. † I said to my dad. He asked me â€Å"Did you find any dinosaurs’ baby? † And with a sad sounding voice I said â€Å"No but if we build a house out here I can look forever! †

Educational Changes in the Schools Essay

The educational system is viewed to be an important aspect for the progress of each individual and the society as a whole. Through the involvement with the educational system, each individual personal skills and potential are harnessed and further developed to be used as his or her medium for attaining greater things in life in certain fields such as exploration, discovery, development and others. The progress reflected from the historical basis of the society shows that the civilization has greatly developed transcending the numerous boundaries that their primitive self has and this is mainly attributed to the constant pursuit of knowledge by the people through their educational system. However, in the present, the educational system of the society is faced with numerous problems and challenges, which often negates their benefits and effectiveness it has on the concern of personal and social development. People often argue that these problems are the result of the lack of change in the educational system over the last decade. Indeed, on some aspect, this argument is true as some of the concern and fields in the educational system remains constant over the years thus, unable to cope with the changes in the social condition resulting to certain problems and complications. The social condition over the years is rapidly changing such as problems of poverty, overpopulation, government and military issues and others, and these primarily affect the involvement and the practical application of the educational field in the society. The inability of the educational system to cope with and address the dominant social problems resulting to its ineffectiveness to promote development within an individual and the society he or she is involved in. However, the educational system over the years has also changed addressing and incorporating most of the critical social problems and condition in its concern resulting to the progress that is has already founded over the century. Comparing the face of the educational system in the past with the present will present important insights regarding the development that the said field has already taken to promote further its effectiveness and influence. The educational systems has developed new aspects in its field such as scholarship and financial assistance for poverty issues, new facilities and modernized equipments to cope with the rapid influx of its student population, modernized subjects and courses to address the new trends and needs, and others. If one will consider the problems in the educational system, these are rooted in the perspective and opinion of the people towards the influence of the said field and not in the system of the schools in the present. Education sometimes becomes ineffective not due to its inefficiency but because people negate and disregard its importance. Generally, the field of education is constantly changing and developing further for the promotion and expansion of its benefits and positive influence. Over the century, the educational system has grown and progressed aiding the society to develop into its modernized present self.

The Phases of Life Essay

We are born to this world to feel hatred, pain, happiness, heartbreak, anger, fear, sadness, being trust and distrust, devastation, love and the different phases of life. The unfairness and gladness, that’s we called life. According to Albert Einstein, â€Å"Life is like a riding bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.† Before you learn to ride in a bicycle, you must get hurt first but it doesn’t mean you’ll stop doing it because hurt can make you stronger and braver. The two wheel represent your life, sometimes your up, sometimes your down. Always remember that those wheel has no edges, means you must keep going even if your on the road that full of stones. Stones represent challenges; you must be brave and have trust in yourself. That is life, in every disappointment you’ll get and every happiness you’ll take, you must keep moving. Just like when my innocent’s lost, I’m slowly facing the real meaning of life. Way back when I’m inside my mothers’ womb. I’m naive, unfleshed and my body and my soul covers innocence. My brain begins to go through development changes. At the age of 6, when my mind develops and I reach childhood, there were no computer games, no cable TV and definitely no internet. But, we did have a wild and creative imagination and playing with my sister and friends at our province. I experienced my childhood momentous memories with my best childhood friends at our province. Me and my sister guarded by my caring grandmother and cool three uncles. My parents are working here at Manila for us. I’m contented with my life back then, playing Rock-Paper-Scissors, Patintero, Chinese Garter, hide and seek, strolling in our neighbours’ friends and finding ghost house, sleep over, roaming in plaza, walking along the river, playing with my three handsome uncles, going to market with my lovely grandmother, storytelling with my superb auntie, eat so much food because you don’t care what will you look like when you get fat, you don’t care with your body and how your hair looks like. You always look like a mess after playing outside the street, you don’t care how your dress smells. It seems like everyday in your life feels perfectly. The only time you feel down when your still a child is scolding by your guardian and start crying not realizing that they are only advising. Your always alert to hide when  they already have a piece of slipper or belt. Every time you remember the past memories and the funny things, you keep asking to yourself â€Å"Did I really do that?†. You will miss the stupidity things you did in the past. Less problems, free from complicated life and your still innocent. Everthing in this world will change. Our life is temporary so live your life to the fullest. You don’t know what will happen in the near future. Just like my life, many things has changed. Many years passed, after I leaved at my province and since 7 years old I already here at Manila with my parents to continue our study. I lost my communication with my childhood friends. Because of environment I’m living today, I found new friends and bestfriends. We forgot each other. They all still together but me and my sister separates between our friendship. This is life so we must accept all changes. When I was 10 years of age, my eyes and my mind opened in the unfairness of life. I saw how my mother felt broken and devastated when my father cheated on her two times. I saw her how she cries a lot. How my grandmother in Manila discriminates us when we was younger. How my cousins ignored and disrespect us. How my parents suffer when my younger sister always at the hospital in the middle of strong typhoon. This stage of life you’ll see the difference between real friends and fake friends, the respectable and disrespectable person you will encounter. If others respect you, respect them. If they disrespect you, still respect them. Do not allow the actions of others decrease your good manners, because you represent yourself, not others. Stop trying to please everyone to respect you, they will respect you if you are worthy respected. In the year 2013, the most important lesson I learned in my life is to gain happiness. Despite of all challenges, trials, past memories, unexpected thing, random people you met in your life that leaves a mark and to the people who leaves you, always remember that some people go but some people replace in your life. There is one person who will change your poor attitude, accepts all your flaws and still love you whatever your past is. In life, there are always be unexpected things and problems happened. We  come across many challenges that we want to end our life. That we think that there is no solution to our problem. Were not realizing that nothing in this world is bigger than God. In any decisions we will take, we must take the consequence and learn from it. We need how to handle it correctly and properly. Majority of us want to give up but the one who won’t give oneself up will be the ones to face the brighter side in the darker side of the day. Just like our life is like a riding bicycle, to keep your balance, you must keep moving. In order to be healthy emotionally and mentally, you should move past any bad memories. And look towards the future. I also think it might be about not over thinking things as well. At the end of the road your taking off, that is your future. Believe in yourself, your confidence will lead you to success and happiness. Don’t be afraid to get hurt, because getting hurt is a big part of your life. If you don’t have ups and downs in life. It simply means your dead.

Two Ways to Belong

Two Ways to Belong in America Tiffany Detter PRPE 108 October 3, 2012 Caparas Mukherjee states, â€Å"In one family, from two sisters alike as peas in a pod, there could not be a wider divergence of immigrant experience. † (p. 282). Bharati Mukherjee was born and raised in Calcutta, India and immigrated to the United States in 1961 to earn an M. F. A. and a Ph. D. in literature. In â€Å"Two Ways to Belong in America,† Mukherjee addresses the issues that confront immigrants in America. In this passage we see how two of the same people can suddenly feel or experience the same thing in two different ways.Mira and Bharati immigrants from Calcutta have lived in the United States for some 35 years. The Mukherjee sisters find themselves on different sides in the current debate over the status of immigrants. Bharati is an American citizen and Mira is not. When the Mukherjee sisters moved from India they were almost identical in appearance and attitude. Their original plan was to endure two years in America, secure their degrees, then return to India to marry the grooms of their fathers choosing.However, Mira ended up marrying an Indian student and acquired the labor certifications necessary for the green card. Mira lives in Detroit, is nationally recognized for her involvement in the fields of pre-school education and parent-teacher relationships. After 36 years as a legal immigrant she clings passionately to her Indian citizenship and has hopes to return to India when she retires. Bharati married an American of Canadian parentage. She was able to bypass the labor-certification requirements and the race-related â€Å"quota† system.The Mukherjee sisters have remained sisterly close by phone. They probably pitied one another. Mira, for the lack of structure in Bharati’s life, the erasure of Indianness, the absence of an unvarying daily core. Bharati, for the narrowness of Mira’s perspective, her uninvolvement with the mythic depths or the superficial pop culture of this society. Mira feels manipulated and discarded. She believes its such an unfair way to treat a person who was invited to stay and work. Mira’s employer went to I. N. S. and petitioned for the labor certification.She believes that if America wants to make rules curtailing benefits of legal immigrants they should only apply to immigrants who arrive after the rules are in place. Mira’s voice is not just the voice of the South Asian community but of an immigrant community of the millions who have stayed rooted in one job, one city, one house, one ancestral culture, one cuisine, for the entirety of their productive years. Nearly 20 years prior Bharati was living in her husbands ancestral homeland of Canada where she too was always well-employed but never allowed to truly feel part of the Canadian society.Through a green paper that invited a national referendum on the unwanted side effects of â€Å"nontraditional† immigration, the go vernment officially turned against its immigrant communities, particularly those from South Asia. Bharati was able to feel the same feeling Mira currently has and will never be able to forget the pain of that sudden turn. A sense of betrayal had its desired effects and drove Bharati and thousands others from the country.Although the Mukerjee sisters differ, Mira being happier to live in America as expatriate Indian than as an immigrant American and Bharati have the need to feel like a part of the community in which she has adopted. The price that the immigrant pays is the trauma of self-transformation. My sister and I came to face similar hardships as the Mukerjee sisters only in a different way. There is one thing in life all kids eventually have to endure, that is unless you are home schooled. This place can be the most evil place or it can be fun and exciting. No matter what your outlook on this place is, you will have to go.We call this place HIGH SCHOOL!. It is the place of pee r pressure, cliques, different classes and TONS of students roaming the hallways. My sister, Brittany, and I went through this process, and that’s where the most evil thing happened. This is when our close relationship was turned upside down. Brittany was â€Å"cool† and â€Å"popular†. How could she not be? She had the looks, long blonde hair, super model figure, and a dark tint to her skin. Plus she was a cheerleader. Everyone loved the cheerleaders, or so it seemed. I on the other hand was know as â€Å"the brain† or even sometimes â€Å"nerd†.I had to everything to make it through those four dreadful years, only problem was everything was all up in my head and not in the looks. When we entered high school we promised each other that nothing would split us up. We ALWAYS did everything together. BOY WAS THAT A JOKE! This promise was soon to be broken. I wasn’t considered â€Å"cool† enough to hang out with Brittany and her â€Å"po sse†. No one wanted the little sister around or even the â€Å"nerd† to be interfering. Brittany even asked one day at home, â€Å"Why do you HAVE to hang out with me don’t you have your own friends? † So we parted our separate ways.I made friends and Brittany stuck to her group. We were still very close at home when it came to being around family but we were never caught around each other if her friends were around. It wasn’t until Brittany had graduated high school that some of her friends realized that I was more than just â€Å"the brain. † It was as if they had opened up their eyes and realized that I was actually pretty cool in my own way. I had all the quirks and qualities Brittany had except I had none of the drama. It took them constantly asking about Brittany in order for them to realize this fact though.Although I had learned how to cope on my own through high school, Brittany and I still kept our close connection behind closed doo rs. Just like the Mukerjee sisters, Brittany and I â€Å"have stayed sisterly close† (p. 281). We speak on the phone just about every week mostly about our families and children, and when we are with family we are always together. Brittany has showed me how to spice up my wardrobe as I have helped her learn to memorize and maintain her professional job as a nurse. Even though you may experience one thing two different ways you will always know how it feels when met with a situation that another is going through.

A tragicomedy is a comedy with serious elements or overtones*. To what extent can the History boys be classed a tragicomedy?

The play is comic and shows clear features of comedies throughout, such as slapstick humour and farce. This is combined with ‘serious elements’ (often used for humour) such as Hector fiddling the boys, which fits in with the genre of tragicomedy. The debate rises where the serious elements seem not to fit into a comedy, such as the protagonist dying, potentially preventing a happy ending. Some argue there are too many elements that do not fit into the genre of comedies, for ‘The History Boys’ to even be classed a tragicomedy. Serious elements are used for humour in the play, which fits into the definition of a comedy with serious ‘overtones’. The obvious example for this is Hector fiddling with the boys. When Dakin asks Scripps ‘What happened with Hector? On the bike? ’ he replies with comic dialogue, saying ‘I think he thought he’d got me going. In fact it was Tudor Economics Documents, Volume Two’ (pg21). This line always gets a laugh from the audience, and the humour fits into the genre of comedies. As the boys do not take the paedophilia seriously (the audience is aware Scripps is not affected, as he cracks a joke and acts normal), the audience do not either. This distancing effect of comedy allows the ‘serious elements’ to be viewed in a comic, light-hearted way, which fits in to the definition of a tragicomedy. Another example is when Hector hits the boys for using ‘foul, festering, grubby-minded’ language. This is slapstick humour, commonly found in comedies, originating out of a serious ‘element’ of a teacher hitting their students. However, some would argue the play couldn’t be classed as a comedy at all, as it does not have a happy ending, which is vital for comedies. The protagonist, Hector, ‘came off’ his motorbike in a crash. Scripps makes what happened to Hector clear when he says ‘someone dies at school and you remember it all your life’(pg 106). Normally in a tragicomedy the ending will have a sense of catharsis, but there is arguably not one in the play, as it ends on what seems to be his funeral, where (according to stage directions) there are ‘photographs of Hector as a young man’(pg106). The reflection on Hector’s life is melancholy and the tragic effect of Hector’s death negatively affects the boys, as Scripps ‘remember(s)’ it all his life. Despite this, it is possible to argue the ending is cathartic and does fit in to a genre of comedy and tragicomedy. In response to Hector’s death, the audience could see it as an optimistic release for Hector from a life of discontent: his marriage is passionate- his wife married him for ‘lukewarm attentions’ (pg92), his career is over as ‘boys have become work’(pg95), his future is ‘buying a van, filling it with books and taking it round country markets’(pg94). Read also History Quizzes Also, there is the ‘splenid news’ of all the boys getting into Oxbridge- even Rudge (the ‘dumb’ character, often a feature of comedies). This is particularly cathartic, as it structurally mirrors how Dakin explains to Hector (and consequently the audience) that they are ‘all going in for Oxford and Cambridge’ in the third scene. This was the purpose of the boys being at the school for this period, and was commonplace in society at the time, when there was (and still is) huge competition to get into Oxbridge (the top two universities of Britain*). For the audience to watch them work for it and achieve their aspirations, a sense of catharsis is created, resulting in a happy ending, especially as the boys are mainly successful in their future lives, becoming ‘solicitors’ and ‘chartered accountants’(pg107). As the ending is happy, it can fit into the genre of tragicomedy. Some would argue that the character of Posner prevents the play being a comedy. He is outcast and isolated throughout. Posner perfectly demonstrates his problems in a list, saying ‘I’m a Jew. I’m small. I’m homosexual. And I live in Sheffield. I’m fucked. ’ He is even viewed as an outcast by Hector, who dismisses him, saying ‘never mind’ when Posner volunteers for a lift when Hector asks if he ‘can give someone a lift’(pg17). Normally in a comedy, an outcast will find redemption and improve his/her life, resulting in a happy ending. This is not the case. Posner drops out of university and is the only boy who leads a terrible life. This is shown in a structural shift where Mrs. Lintott describes the boys’ future. Posner ‘lives alone†¦ has periodic breakdowns’ and only has friends ‘on the Internet’(Pg108). This tragedy is heightened by the fact that Posner was the cleverest boys- ironic for the audience, as they would be aware of this wasted potential. Bennett also based Posner on himself, as when he was a teenager he was under-developed, which made his ‘school days unhappy’. Posner seems to represent the stereotypical outcast. A character like this, some argue, is so tragic it (along with a couple of other factors, such as the ending debatably not being happy) prevents the play from being a comedy and therefore a tragicomedy. This argument can be countered by the view that serious messages are often at the heart of tragicomedies. As Ustinov said, ‘comedy is simply a funny way of being serious’. This dates back to Shakespearean time, where the dangers of irrational love are portrayed in a humorous forest scene in A Midsummers Night Dream. Bennett could be raising the serious issue of teaching methods, as Posner was the only one that failed, but the ‘only one who truly took everything to heart’(Pg108) from Hector. This suggests Irwin’s methods are better, which rings true in Bennett’s personal life, who claimed he used Irwin’s methods to get in to Oxford. Furthermore, Posner contributes to the genre of comedy by creating humour. Verbal humour is used when he lists his problems and concludes that he is ‘fucked’, one of play’s famous lines. There are other serious messages throughout the play that also create humour, such as Hector’s message of ‘pass the parcel’ with literature. For example, Hector making the boys recite poems and being appalled by Irwin’s suggestion to use quotations he had taught to be ‘trotted out to make a point’(Pg48) is a form of absurd behaviour, common in comedies. A teacher’s job is to help make students make points and do well in exams- Hector does not see this. These ‘serious elements’ have important messages, but also create humour, which fits in to the genre of tragicomedy. Erma Bombeck once said â€Å"there is a thin line that separates laughter and pain, comedy and tragedy, humour and hurt†.