What is 'Queer Thoery' Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

What is 'Queer Thoery' - Essay Example In the stream of interest to set up new scholarly and popular frontiers, the orientation of this theory has been heavily directed at demonstrating how and why long-standing disciplinary accounts have fallen short to defend and do justice to queer groups. However, quite a handful of thorough analyses have investigated the implications and effects of these queer perspectives on current academic disciplines, or possibly will more significantly, in the framework of contemporary social life. The concept of ‘queer,’ in that case, is the deconstruction of common ideas regarding gender and sexuality, from their embodiment in literature, movies and music to their assignment to the social as well as in the physical sciences. The movement of ‘queer’ is in fact the ‘queering’ of traditions, spanning from the rereading of characters in literatures and movies to the reviewing of historical analyses. As a movement, we have witnessed the declaration of identity of queers, particularly labelled as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and transsexual, as human behaviour variations that possess their individual rights. As a theory, the origin of queer from post structuralism and postmodernism results into the elimination of all classifications as restricting and branded by prevailing power structures. Before the concept of ‘queer’ was, in its best notion, jargon for homosexual, in its worst, a notion of homophobic ill-treatment. In current years ‘queer’ has been used diversely, at times an umbrella concept for an association of culturally minor sexual self-identities and sometimes to illustrate an emerging theoretical framework which has emerged out of more long-established gay and lesbian studies. The abrupt development and reinforcement of gay and lesbian studies in universities almost two decades ago is matched by an increasing use of the concept of ‘queer’

Ethnic differences essay Essay Example for Free

Ethnic differences essay Essay ?Asses the claim that â€Å"ethnic differences in educational achievement are primarily the result of school factors† Most studies found that overall ethnic minorities tend to do less well than other members of the population when it comes to educational achievement. Many factors which occur inside the school are the cause of educational achievement however other factors contribute. The expectations of teachers on ethnic minorities have caused differences in educational achievement. Bernard Coard believes that teachers expect â€Å"Black† children to fail therefore labelling the child as a failure. Interactionalists are concerned with how teachers â€Å"pigeonhole† students this is the labelling theory, this is where the teacher makes a judgement of the child based on the child’s appearance, behaviour, previous family members and relationships with other students. However most labels are based on stereotypes rather than evidence, the reality is that once a label starts it is difficult to get rid of and this can cause problems for a student’s educational achievement. Teachers will discuss the students label in the staff room and other teachers will attach the same label to the child and this can lead to the child not being allowed to attend school trips. If a student is labelled as a failure by a teacher then the teacher is likely to put the student into a lower tier exam thus the pupil can only achieve a maximum of a grade C and can’t achieve to the best of their ability. When a student is labelled as a failure the student can begin to believe that the label is true and begin to make it part of their part of their identity, become a failure this is known as the self-fulfilling prophecy thus creating ethnic differences in educational achievement within the school system. David Hardgreves argues that anti school sub cultures can be formed as a result of negative labelling. However Maureen Stone and Swann both indicate that those who are labelled may not accept their labels. However many sociologists argue that it is external factors that affect ethnic differences in educational achievement. Cultural Deprivation is the term used to describe serious inadequacies in the socialisation process and its effects on educational achievement. Poor parenting means children underachieving in education. Many sociologists argue that ethnic minorities tend to be more fatalistic meaning that parents tend to have low aspirations and expectations for their child meaning less emphasis is placed on doing well in education. Whereas â€Å"White† middle classes would have high aspirations and high expectations. Socialisation focuses on the values, expectations and norms transmitted from parents to children. Children from Ethnic backgrounds tend to focus on immediate gratification where they try to reep their rewards at the earliest opportunity such as leaving school at 16 to earn money. Whereas â€Å"White† middle class children aim for a bright future described as deferred gratification which is putting off short term rewards to gain better rewards in the future. Cultural Deprivation can affect the way parents prepare their children for school. Working class children would sit and watch T. V. whereas middle class parents would take their children to museums. Driver and Ballard state that high achievement in Asian groups may be linked to the fact that they live in close knit families that can help each other. Price highlighted a high rate of single parent families in black Caribbean communities which may explain high underachievement. Nevertheless, some sociologists argue that it is internal factors which affect ethnic differences in educational achievement. Institutional Racism within schools can lead to educational achievement and the differences it causes within ethnic minorities. The â€Å"Swann report† found that a small number of teachers are consciously racist however there are a great deal of teachers who are â€Å"unintentionally† racist. Bernard Coard states that the British educational system makes children become educationally subnormal he states that â€Å"West Indian children are told that their language is second rate and unacceptable† he states that within the British educational system the word â€Å"White† is associated with â€Å"good† and the word â€Å"Black† with evil. Coard also states that the attitudes portrayed in the classroom are reinforced by the pupils outside of the classroom. Many sociologists would also argue that the mispronunciation of student’s names and not learning them can be classed as racism within the school system. Cecile Wright found that majority of staff are committed to ideals of equality but despite these ideals there are still considerable amounts of discrimination in the classroom. Asian children were often excluded from discussions and teachers expressed an â€Å"open disapproval of their customs and traditions†, these comments from teachers made Asian children feel more isolated from other pupils. Martin Hammersley found that racist comments in the staffroom did not lead to racism in the classroom. J. Taylor found that â€Å"most teachers are concerned to have a fair policy towards the treatment of black pupils†. Mac an Ghaill studied 25 afro Caribbean and Asian students studying A levels. He found that â€Å"although they disagreed over the extent of racism within education, this did not directly determine their attitude to education and their levels of academic success. The way that students responded to schooling varied and this was influenced by their ethnic group†. This could eventually lead to the formation of anti-school sub cultures. These are pupils who have rejected some or all of the values and rules set down in the school ethos. Peter Woods identified 8 different groups ranging from Ingratiation total conformity to Rebellion outright rejection of school rules and values. This can cause ethnic differences in educational achievement within the school system. However other factors such as linguistic skills affect this achievement. Linguistic Deprivation is the ability to use appropriate language which is an important factor in educational success. Bernstein came up with two codes of language Restricted and Elaborate codes. The Restricted code is used in casual situations. This is limited vocabulary and Simplistic grammar which can only be understood if you are aware of this topic. The Elaborate code is used in formal situations. This is sophisticated grammar and vocabulary and can be understood if aware of the topic. Bernstein found that White middle class children had the ability to switch between the two codes whereas children from ethnic minorities were limited to using the restricted code. This means they are severely disadvantaged in education where the language is all formal. In conclusion, it is probable that a number of factors work together in producing the lower levels of achievement found in some ethnic groups. The Swann report concluded that racial discrimination inside and outside school along with social deprivation were probably the main factors. Others would add that cultural factors also play some part in explaining the differences.

Free Essays On Shakespeares Sonnet Sonnet 107 :: Sonnet essays

Analysis of Sonnet 107 Not mine own fears, nor the prophetic soul Of the wide world dreaming on things to come Can yet the lease of my true love control, Suppos'd as forfeit to a condin'd doom. The mortal moon hath her eclipse endur'd, And the sad augurs mock their own presage; Incertainties now crown themselves assur's, nd peace proclaims olives of endless age. Now with the drops of this most balmy time My love looks fresh; and Death to me subscribes, Since spite of him I'll lime in this poor rhyme While he insults o'er dull and speechless tribes: And thou in this shalt find thy monument When tyrants' crests and tombs of brass are spent. This has been an important sonnet in trying to date the sonnets. Several words and phrases have prompted readers to ponder on the year it was written, ranging from 1588 to 1603. The main areas of concentration rely on the following: 1) the "eclipse" of the "mortal moon," in line 5; 2)who the "sad augurs" are and their "presage," in line 6; 3) allusion in lines 7 and 8, and if "confin'd doom" is in refernce to a certain event and which event that is. Of these, the most supported responses to 1 are: the Spanish Armada, 1588 (Butler, Hotson); the Queen's Grand Climacteric , 1595-6 (Harrison); the Queen's illness in 1599-1600 (Chambers); Essex's rebellion in 1601 (Tyler); the Queen's death in 1603 (eg. Massey, Minto, Lee, Beeching); a lunar eclipse, 1595 (O.F. Emerson); or an eclipse of the Queen's favour (Conrad). Answers to the second problem relate closely with the first, that is, with the addition of a fear of civil war as a result of Elizabeth's death and also the usual forecasts of political (and other) disasters that were forecasted from the eclipse. The third problem cites the confidence seen in lines 7 and 8,a dn therefore the overshoot of the proclaimed disasters. The fourth seems to refer to the imprisonment of some specific individual, eg. Southampton, who was released after James I accession to the throne. 1-4: 'Neither my own fears nor the foreshadowing of worldly disasters can control the extent of my only love, supposing [invented by fears] that it is a "confin'd doom." Lines 4 and 5 evoke a sense of death, saying that all will eventually die, and reading line 6 with stresses on "augurs" and "own" gives the sense that the prognosticators jeer their own predictions due to time being so joyous.

The Bride Price Essays -- Literary Analysis, Okonkwo

Throughout the world, there are numerous cultures that practice various customs and traditions. These cultures have often set up guidelines for the people of the society to follow and adhere to. Some societies practice their customs and traditions in a more lenient manner. On the other hand, some societies are very strict with their practices and strive to maintain and preserve their culture by teaching the customs to the people and practicing them frequently. Such is the case in the Nigerian society. The Nigerian people follow specific rules and customs in regards to marriage practices, social status, and superstitions. The marriage custom is one specific aspect of their culture that is strictly enforced for all men and women of the society. The man’s family is supposed to pay the family of the bride a certain amount of money to marry the girl. This custom, along with many others, is demonstrated in the novel, The Bride Price, by Buchi Emecheta, when the main character, a you ng girl named Aku-nna, falls in love with a man named Chike, who comes from a family in which the people were once slaves. Throughout the novel, the customs of Nigerian society are explored while Aku-nna and Chike try or overcome their families’ adversities. Aku-nna and her brother Nna-nndo live in Lagos with their father at the start of the novel. The two siblings have grown up in Nigeria learning the customs and practicing them at a young age. Aku-nna, being the only female in the home takes on the responsibilities of the family much like all the other women in Nigerian society. The women acknowledge the fact that it is their responsibility to do so and comply without arguments. When Aku-nna’s father told her to make dinner, she does so willingly in orde... ...ous† (100). Not only do these superstitions play a role in the Nigerians’ daily lives, but some superstitions relate to the bride price custom as well. It was said, â€Å"if the bride price was not paid, she would never survive the birth of her first child† (168). Okonkwo would still not accept the bride price, no matter how much money was offered because â€Å"he still refused to consent to give his daughter to a slave† (162). When Aku-nna gets pregnant soon after, the Nigerian superstition is up held and she dies while giving birth to her child. Through Aku-nna’s upbringing, relationships, and experiences, the reader is able to gain an understanding of the customs and traditions followed in Nigerian society. The Bride Price by Buchi Emecheta is good demonstration of the many aspects of Nigerian culture such as marriage practices, social status, and superstitions.

Justice In “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee Essay

â€Å"†¦in this country our courts are the great levellers, and in our courts all men are created equal.† Describe and explain how justice and injustice are represented through events and characters in To Kill a Mockingbird. Justice, what is right and fair by all of society’s standards and morals, is represented, along with injustice, through events and characters in To Kill a Mockingbird. â€Å"†¦in this country our courts are the great levellers, and in our courts all men are created equal.† (Atticus, pg227). One type of justice is the legal kind, the kind in our courts, where men are found guilty or innocent. The other is any right or just act. â€Å"The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.† (Atticus, pg116). In To Kill a Mockingbird these justices and injustices are represented through Atticus, Tom Robinson, Arthur ‘Boo’ Radley, and through the prejudices of people. In To Kill a Mockingbird Atticus Finch represents the epitome of justice, through his belief in equality. He has a great belief in the legal system, and a belief that it will be fair and equal to all. â€Å"Our courts have their faults, as does any human institution, but in this country our courts are the great levellers, and in our courts all men are created equal. ‘I’m no idealist to believe in the integrity of our courts and in the jury system – that is no ideal to me, it is a living, working reality.† (Atticus, pgs 226-227). Atticus Finch, a lawyer by profession, has a deep rooted belief that the court system will be just and fair, as that is what it stands for. Atticus is also just in that he is not prejudice; he does not think himself above another man based on skin colour. â€Å"‘The handful of people in this town who say that fair play is not marked White Only; the handful of people who say a fair trial is for everyone, not just us; the handful of people with enough humility to think, when they look at a negro, there but for the Lord’s kindness am I.'† (Miss Maudie, pg261). Miss Maudie shared the same beliefs as Atticus, the belief that everyone is equal. Through Atticus there is also an injustice shown, not in how he treats others, but by how he is treated. â€Å"‘Mr Cunningham is basically a good man,’ he [Atticus] said, ‘he just has his blind spots along with the rest of us.’ Jem spoke. ‘Don’t call that a blind spot. He’da killed you last night when he first went there.'†Ã‚  (pg173). Because of his belief that Tom Robinson deserved a fair trial, he was a target for anger, which is an instance of injustice. Atticus shows that treating everyone equally is the right thing to do, and that is justice. On the other hand, Tom Robinson is a perfect example of injustice. He had a good character, and was a kind-hearted person who got accused, and convicted, of rape because of the basis that he was black. He tried to help Mayella Ewell, but was looked down upon because of this. â€Å"‘Yes suh. I felt sorry for her, she seemed to try more’n the rest of ’em -‘ ‘You felt sorry for her, you felt sorry for her?’ Mr Gilmer seemed ready to rise to the ceiling.† (pg218). It was unheard of in the 1930’s white society that this book was set in to have a black man feel sorry for a white woman, and this added to the reason why Tom got convicted. â€Å"‘Given,’ said Atticus. ‘Tom Robinson’s a coloured man, Jem. No jury in this part of the world’s going to say, â€Å"We think you’re guilty, but not very,† on a charge like that. It was either straight acquittal or nothing.'† (pg242). Tom was found guilty on the sole account of him being black. As a result of this conviction, Tom gave up hope and lost all reason to live. â€Å"Atticus leaned against the refrigerator, pushed up his glasses, and rubbed his eyes. ‘We had such a good chance,’ he said. ‘I told him what I thought, but I couldn’t in truth say that we had more than a good chance. I guess Tom was tired of white men’s chances and preferred to take his own.'† (pg260). Tom couldn’t live with being found guilty of a crime he was innocent of solely based on the fact that he was black, so he decided to try escaping, ultimately resulting in his death. That is one of the greatest injustices shown in To Kill a Mockingbird. Prejudice, a main theme of To Kill a Mockingbird, is another representation of injustice in the novel. Racism is the most obvious type of prejudice, and this is shown through the trial and the outcome of it. â€Å"Well, coming out of the court-house that night Miss Gates was – she was goin’ down the steps in front of us, you musta not seen her – she was talking to Miss Stephanie Crawford. I heard her say that it’s time somebody taught ’em a lesson, they were getting way above themselves, an’ the next thing they think they can do is marry us. Jem, how can you hate Hitler so bad an’ then turn around and be ugly about folks right at home – ?† (Scout, pg272). In the 1930’s, being  racist was seen as normal. Atticus, for example, was seen as unusual because he thought that whites weren’t above blacks. â€Å"‘Cry about the simple hell people give other people – without even thinking. Cry about the hell white people give coloured folks, without even stopping to think that they’re people too.'† (Dolphus Raymond, pg222). The prejudice of racism is shown throughout the book, and because of Atticus’ views, Scout begins to see it as unfair and unjust. Another type of prejudice that is briefly touched upon is that of sexual discrimination. â€Å"For one thing, Miss Maudie can’t serve on a jury because she’s a woman.’ ‘You mean women in Alabama can’t – ?’ I was indignant.† (Atticus and Scout, pg244). Like racism, sexual discrimination is seen as common practice. The third type of prejudice is the most basic kind, the kind where one has formed an opinion of something or someone before knowing all the facts, such as what happened with Arthur ‘Boo’ Radley. â€Å"Inside the house lived a malevolent phantom. People said he existed but Jem and I had never seen him. People said he went out at night and when the moon was high, and peeped in windows.† (pg9). Jem and Scout had a preconceived idea of what Arthur was like because of what they had heard from other people, but they had never themselves met, or even seen him. The way in which he was seen was unjust; most people would not have accepted him because of their preconceptions. In the end, however, Scout and Jem realise what kind of person Arthur really is. â€Å"Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough.† (pg308). Whether or not Arthur getting away with killing Bob Ewell is justice or not is a debatable one. On one hand, Boo was protecting the children, so it was a right deed. â€Å"‘I never heard tell that’s against the law for a citizen to do his utmost to prevent a crime from being committed, which is exactly what he did,†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Heck Tate, pg 304). Arthur is also a solitary creature, so if the fact that he killed Bob Ewell came into light, he would be in the limelight. â€Å"To my way of thinkin’, Mr Finch, taking the one man [Arthur] who’s done you and this town a great service an’ dragging him with his shy ways into the limelight – to me, that’s a sin. It’s a sin and I’m not about  to have it on my head. If it were any other man it’d be different. But not this man, Mr Finch.'† (Heck Tate, pg 304). Even Scout seems to understand Heck Tate’s arguments. â€Å"‘Well, it’d be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it?'† (Scout, pg304). On the other hand, Boo did kill a man, and according to the law he committed murder, even if it was in self-defence. â€Å"†¦it’s my duty to tell the town all about it and not hush it up.† (Heck Tate, pg304). In either case, the murder of Bob Ewell, and Arthur Radley being let off for it, is an example of justice, whether it is for the good of justice, or for injustice’s sake. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus, Tom Robinson, his trial and subsequent death, the treatment of Arthur Radley and Bob Ewell’s death, and the prejudice of people, whether it be racial, sexual, or a misconception show the issues of justice, injustice, and how they are represented throughout the novel.

The Sweet Hereafter Essays

The Sweet Hereafter Essays The Sweet Hereafter Essay The Sweet Hereafter Essay The Sweet Hereafter – Essay Outline Losing a loved one is hard for any and every one, and coping with the loss is a big mission. In the Sweet Hereafter- a novel by Russell Banks- after a terrible bus crash occurs, resulting in the death of 14 children, many of the town’s people isolate themselves due to their loss and grief. Through the many different narrators, the author of this book shows how grief affects different people in different ways. One of the people affected by this tragic accident, Billy Ansel (also one of the narrators), copes with the loss by becoming an alcoholic.He doesn’t take anyone’s sympathy and stays in his home. Tragedy is inevitable; it affects all human beings at one point or another. Russell Banks illustrates this universal truth brilliantly in The Sweet Hereafter. Bank’s characters, Billy Ansel, Nicole Burnell and Dolores Driscoll all face tragedy, and all gain insight into themselves. However, not all characters react to tragedy consistently. To some this is beneficial, although to others this is the greatest tragedy of all.Billy Ansel deals with tragedy consistently throughout the entirety of the novel. However, his consistent coping methods leave him hopeless and alone. Ansel experiences death and terror at the age of nineteen while fighting in Vietnam. He believes that because terrible things had happened to him while at war, it was impossible for terrible things to happen to him now. Unfortunately, Billy is quite mistaken, as he loses his wife, Lydia to cancer, and then eventually his children to a tragic bus accident.

The Awakening by Kate Chopin †English Essay

The Awakening by Kate Chopin – English Essay Free Online Research Papers The Awakening by Kate Chopin English Essay The Awakening identifies those things that were viewed important within society at the turn of the century; responsibility and duty. The culture portrayed visibly reflects a similar emphasis on proper lifestyle. The main character finds her wanting to stray from her responsibilities of marriage and unspoken rules society, embrace her intense desire for personal fulfillment. Ednas choice to escape shows two elements: rebellion to the suppression of her adventurous spirit and the lack of fulfillment in her personal relationship. She invests so much time into social requirements that she loses any happiness that she could hope to achieve. After being reasonable for the twenty-eight years of her life, Edna breaks down. She wants to pursue love and disregard her duty to her husband and children. She falls in what she considers girlish love with the character Robert. Ednas life has been riddled with reason and duty, essentially giving of herself to the people around her. This devotion to responsibility causes her to break away from her common behavioral pattern and moves her to focus on finding her inner happiness. Edna was not engaged in the pursuit of her finest abilities. She lived her life for oth ers, not for herself. In the initial text it states that Mrs. Pontellier was not a mother-women, further along in the novel. For the duration of her marriage she stayed in her place as a child-bearing wife, doing little but existing for the pleasures of her husband as a prized token more than a companion. Being subdued by society, the character Edna Pontellier, has no other choice than to rebel and find happiness by redefining her position in life. I would give up the unessential; I would give my money, I would give my life for my children; but I wouldnt give myself. Her unwillingness to sacrifice herself for her children and her husband demonstrates that she does not want to give herself away in order to make others happy. Edna can give her children superficial items, yet because of her new found awakening she can no longer truly serve to provide for their happiness. The only point that she makes clear in that statement is that she would give her life for her children, showing that she loves them but cannot define herself based on creating their happiness. Her awakening evolves into a selfish agenda, concerned only with her own happiness and disregarding all others. She loves her children, though she cannot give them the same type of nurturing, and care as the other women around her. She simply will not allow her inner self to be crushed by the bounds of mother hood. By nature she craves freedom and happiness, and as a mother she can neither provide that to her children or herself. Edna says the following to Robert: I love you . . . only you; no one but you. It was you who awoke me last summer out of a life-long, stupid dream . . . Oh! I have suffered! Now you are here we shall love each other. Nothing else in the world is of any consequence. In this Edna is craving the adventure, love, and freedom that has been void from her life since her birth. Her dream, as she notes, has truly been her nightmare, a prison containing her very life. This statement marks on e of her greatest transitions, from a woman in a relationship of comfort to one trying to build a relationship on love. Now that love consumes her nothing else matters to her, she exists to find happiness, even if it means awakening from her dreams of responsibility and duty to do it. Gradually, Edna finds herself by a series of awakenings throughout the story. These events give her justification for actions that most readers would perceive as selfish and avoiding responsibility. She has an inherent inability to deal with her emotions and lacks the responsibility to maintain her freedom. Mrs. Pontellier no doubt loves her children, yet she seems to lack any motherly characteristics of the Creole women around her. After her first liberation in the water, she begins to distance herself from both her husband and children. She is willing to give up her children in order to avoid being crushed by the bonds of motherhood. Edna craves freedom from her family in order to find happiness. To facilitate this, she allows her children to be sent to their grandmothers home, where they stay for the remainder of the book. Edna then purchases a house that is noticeably small which displays another indication of her avoidance of responsibility. The house provides little room for th e children to reside, if she had allowed them to return. This act presents a clear example to the reader of Ednas avoidance of her responsibilities. Her selfish lust for freedom and happiness separated her from her children. One of the main themes of Ednas awakening came from her relationships with various men. Her most scandalous relationship took place with Alcee Arobin, a notorious ladies man in the Creole society at her time. She selfishly uses him as a form of rebellion against all that she believes held her back in the past. She no longer cares for her husband and her affair demonstrates this. Ironically when she pondered the act with some regret, it was not directed towards her husband, but to her betrayal of her fantasy love Robert. Edna makes her greatest transitions when she falls in love with Robert. She transforms from a woman in a relationship of comfort to one attempting to build a relationship based on love. Amazingly she even betrays her fantasy love Robert by reject ing him after he returns from Mexico for her. Edna goes from one man to another at her whim, taking what she needs from them. She uses her husband for security, Robert for a feeling of being adored, and Alcee for pure lust. In reality she probably cares very little for these men, but rather what they could provide for her. Her relationships after each awakening prove her to be weak and shallow. Her major decisions result in her disassociation from her children and her manipulation of various lovers. Her venture to the horse track gives the reader a prime example of Ednas disregard for others. She needs to gamble at the horse track to rebel against the values of her family and her society. To further rebel against her husband and her father she refuses to go to her sisters wedding, disregarding her own sisters feelings. This action demonstrates a blatant disregard for the feelings of others. Mrs. Pontelliers final act of irrational selfishness relates directly to her own demise. Alth ough she embraces her new found freedoms, she commits suicide by swimming out into the water she attempts to escape responsibility. She can not face life and her freedom so she responds with her typical behavior and runs away in fear. Many scholars have dealt with the question of whether to live a life of servitude or to pursue ones greater happiness. During this period, society of the nineteenth-century gave a heightened meaning to what it means to be a woman. According to the commonly known code of true womanhood, women were supposed to be docile, domestic creatures, whose main concerns in life were to be the raising of their children and submissiveness to their husbands. Women were uneducated, not allowed to hold office or to vote. Some that were outspoken, those women with active sexual desires, who dares to stray from her husband and have an affair. These individuals were ostracized within societies relm, thought of as protagonist to create upheavals within the natural order of life. Research Papers on "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin - English EssayHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionEffects of Television Violence on Children19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesWhere Wild and West MeetThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationThe Spring and AutumnRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoHip-Hop is Art

Parallel Structure for ACT English Grammar Rule

Parallel Structure for ACT English Grammar Rule SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Parallel structure is a grammar rule that is often referenced yet often misunderstood. After reading this article, you’ll comprehend parallel structure and be able to correctly answer ACT English questions that test your knowledge of parallel structure. Because you will most likely see parallel structure questions on the ACT, let’s learn this rule and raise your ACT English score. In this post, I'll do the following: Explain parallel structure. Detail the types of parallel structure questions on the ACT English section. Offer strategies to correctly answer parallel structure questions. Provide additional practice questions to test you on what you've learned. What Is Parallel Structure? Parallel structure means using the same pattern of words for two or more words or ideas in a sentence. Using parallel structure shows that the words or ideas have the same level of importance and makes the sentence easier to understand. The basic parallel structure rule is that the things in a list should be in the same grammatical form. If you're listing three things, the construction of that list should benoun, noun, noun,orverb, verb, verb,orgerund, gerund, gerund,etc. Any inconsistency within the list is an error in parallel structure. Here's an example of a sentence with an error in parallel structure: LeBron James often dunks, steals, and blocking the basketball. The sentence is listing three things that LeBron James does with the basketball. The first two things are verbs. The last thing, "blocking," is in the gerund form. A gerund is a verb that acts like a noun and ends in "ing." All three things should be in the same grammatical form. To correct the error in parallel structure, the last item in the list should be in the verb form, too. Here's what the sentence looks life after it's corrected: LeBron James often dunks, steals, and blocks the basketball. Now all the items on the list match. Excellent! So how does the ACT English section test your knowledge of parallel structure? Parallel Structure on the ACT There are two primary types of parallel structure questions that appear in ACT English. Parallelism Type #1: Lists The example from above was a parallel structure list sentence. Generally, in list questions, three things are listed and you have to verify that all the items in the list are in the same grammatical form. This is another "list" sentence that contains a parallel structure error: Martin Luther King is admired for his courage, his dedication, and being intelligent. Can you recognize the parallel structure error? The first two items are nouns, traits that people admire in MLK. In the last item, "being intelligent," the word "being" is a gerund and "intelligent" is an adjective that describes MLK. We want all three items in the list to have the same construction. After fixing the parallel structure error, this is our sentence: Martin Luther King is admired for his courage, his dedication, and his intelligence. All of the list items are in the same form. The sentence reads better and the structure is parallel. Let's go over some tips for how to figure out parallel structure list questions on the ACT. ACT English Strategy To correctly answer parallel structure list questions, first identify that there is a list of items. Usually the list will look like this: x, y, and z. Make sure that the commas are separating items in a list and are not just separating clauses. Once you have identified the list, determine whether the items in the list are as consistent with the other items in the list as possible. How do we do that? Break down each item in the list by identifying the parts of speech of the words and make sure that all the items match. We want each item to be in the same grammatical form. After breaking down the list items, there should be no inconsistencies. Once we fixed our previous example sentence, the items in the list included "courage" (noun), "dedication" (noun), and "intelligence" (noun). While the list questions are relatively basic, there's a second type of parallel structure question that can be a bit more challenging. ParallelismType #2: Phrases Parallel structure phrase questions are slightly more complicated than list questions, but they follow the same principle. The parallel structure rule regarding phrases is that the construction of a phrase on one side of a conjunction must match the construction of the phrase on the other side of the conjunction as closely as possible. Definition of a Conjunction Conjunctions are words that connect phrases or clauses. Examples of common conjunctions includeand, or, but,andso.Some of you may be familiar with the acronym FANBOYS. It stands for For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So. Those are all conjunctions. Additionally, there are correlative conjunctions, also known as word pairs. Literally, these words come in pairs. The items correlative conjunctions compare follow each half of the word pair. Examples of word pairs include either...or, not only...but also, as...as, and both...and. Conjunctions!! Example Sentences Now that we know the rule and the definition of a conjunction, we can learn how this rule should be applied. This is a sentence with a parallel structure error: The ACT English section challenges students and frustration is found in them. There are two items in the sentence: the two things that the ACT English section does. The two items are connected by the conjunction "and." Let's break down each item by the parts of speech of the words in each item. The first item, "challenges students," is VERB+ NOUN. The second item that follows the conjunction is "frustration is found in them." That phrase's construction is NOUN + VERB + ADJECTIVE + PREPOSITION + PRONOUN. Even if you struggle identifying the parts of speech of certain words, you should be able to immediately recognize that the phrases are not consistent and the sentence has a parallel structure error. So how do we correct the sentence? We change the wording in the phrase following "and" to match the VERB + NOUN construction of the first phrase. This is the corrected version of the sentence: The ACT English section challenges students and frustrates them. The corrected sentence should appear more consistent and read better to you. Now the phrases have the same construction and there's no longer a parallel structure error. Also, it's perfectly acceptable to use a pronoun in the place of a noun as long as the pronoun has a clear antecedent. In case there's any lingering confusion, let's go over another example: Kanye West displays both reprehensible behavior at awards showsandon late night talk shows behaving bizarrely. The two items in the sentence are two things that Kanye West displays. Those things are connected by the word pair "both..and." Again, let's break down the parts of speech of the words in those things. Phrase #1 is "reprehensible behavior at awards shows," and "reprehensible"=ADJECTIVE, "behavior"=NOUN, and "at awards shows"=PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE. The basic construction of phrase #1 is ADJECTIVE + NOUN + PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE. Phrase #2 is "on late night talk shows behaving bizarrely." What is the construction of phrase #2? Well, "on late night talk shows"=PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE, "behaving"=GERUND, and "bizarrely"=ADVERB. The construction of phrase #2 is PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE + GERUND + ADVERB. We want the constructions of the phrases to match as closely as possible. Think about how you could change the sentence to fix the parallel structure error. Here's the corrected version of the sentence: Kanye West displays both reprehensible behavior at awards shows and bizarre behavior on late night talk shows. I changed phrase #2 to match the construction of phrase #1. Both phrases are now in the form of ADJECTIVE + NOUN + PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE. Check it out: "bizarre"=ADJECTIVE, "behavior"=NOUN, and "on late night talk shows"=PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE.Success! The constructions of the phrases match and the sentence is easier to understand. ACT EnglishStrategy If you see a conjunction connecting or comparing two items, identify the items. Then, break down the words in each item by their parts of speech and determine each phrase's construction. Make sure that the phrases are parallel. The construction of the phrases should match as closely as possible. Also, a preposition used on one side of a conjunction or word pair must appear on the other side. Look at this example with a parallel structure error: The mixed martial artist was complimented not only for his tenacity but also in his technique. In the above sentences, the prepositions "for" and "in" correspond with "complimented." The sentence is saying that the mixed martial artist was "complimented for" this and "complimented in" that. Hopefully, your knowledge of idioms would tell you that it's incorrect to use the expression "complimented in." Even if you weren't aware of the idiom error, to keep the sentence consistent and follow parallel structure rules, use the same preposition before and after "but also." This is how the sentence should look: The mixed martial artist was complimented not only for his tenacity but also for his technique. Let's apply these strategies and our knowledge of parallel structure to actual examples from the ACT English section. Actual ACT Examples Look at the following question from a real ACT and determine if there is an error in parallel structure. As a young woman, she wrote of pining for a valentine and of visiting the Chinese museum in Boston. F. NO CHANGE G. visiting to H. of her visiting to J. of her visiting at Explanation: There is nothing grammatically incorrect within the phrase "of visiting." Let's look at the phrase's function within the sentence. It follows the conjunction "and," and it's one of two things that she wrote about. For the sentence to be parallel in structure, the phrases before and after the conjunction should have as close to the same construction as possible. Phrase #1 is "of pining." After breaking down the words in the phrase, we can determine that the construction of that phrase is "OF" + GERUND. Phrase #2, "of visiting," also has the construction "OF" + GERUND. The phrases are parallel. The answer is F. If you're wondering why I didn't include "for a valentine" and "the Chinese museum in Boston," those phrases just provide descriptive information about what she pined for and where she visited; they do not alter the basic construction of the sentence. Here's another parallel structure phrase question from an ACT. Others, salt-encrusted, "sleep" in ancient caverns, waking after centuries to feed and to be bred. A. NO CHANGE B. for breeding C. to breed D. breeding Explanation: There's nothing wrong within the phrase "to be bred," but what's the phrase's function within the sentence? It's one of two listed reasons why the others wake after centuries. The reasons are connected by the conjunction "and." Reason #1 is "to feed." The construction of that phrase is simply an INFINITIVE ("to" + verb). Reason #2's construction is INFINITIVE + PAST PARTICIPLE. Even if you were unsure of the part of speech of "bred," you should notice that the construction of reason #2 is inconsistent with that of reason #1. To make the phrases parallel, reason #2 should be in the infinitive form. The answer is C. Here are some general tips to help you correctly answer parallel structure questions on the ACT. General Strategies for Parallel Structure SAT Writing Questions #1: Any Word or Phrase Underlined Within a List Indicates a Possible Error in Parallel Structure When you see a list of items, make sure that all those items are in the same grammatical form. #2: Make Sure Phrases that Appear Before and After Conjunctions are Parallel The "phrase" parallel structure questions tend to be more difficult. Common conjunctions and correlative conjunctions (word pairs) include and, but, not only...but also, so...that, at once...and, both...and, either...or, as...as #3: Break Down the Construction of Items Within a List or Phrase Identify the parts of speech of words within a list or phrases that precede and succeed a conjunction. Make sure the construction of the items matches as closely as possible. I've created some realistic practice problems to test you on your knowledge of parallel structure. Additional Practice Apply what you've learned in this article to help answer the following realistic ACT parallel structure questions. 1. More than twice as many people inhabit Nigeria as Ethiopia. A. NO CHANGE B. as in Ethiopia C. than Ethiopia D. as inhabit Ethiopia 2. Unsurprisingly, the diligent student completed his homework punctually, studied the material thoroughly, and his presentations were delivered well. A. NO CHANGE B. his presentations were well delivered C. delivered his presentations well. D. his delivery was good on his presentations. 3. Greg reached his dream not only of having a family but also of becoming a successful entrepreneur. A. NO CHANGE B. to become C. becoming D. became 4. Before leaving your house on the morning of the ACT, make sure you have pencils, a snack, and remembering a calculator. A. NO CHANGE B. a calculator C. to remember a calculator D. have had remembered a calculator 5. Because Matt does not get enough sleep, he has difficulty focusing and to stay alert. A. NO CHANGE B. stays C. staying D. OMIT the underlined portion Answers: 1. D, 2. C, 3. A, 4. B, 5. C What's Next? I commend you for putting in the effort to improve your ACT scores. Your investment should pay off. As you continue to study for the ACT English section, make sure you check out this post on 5 critical concepts to ace ACT English. Also, I highly recommend that you read this article about commas on the ACT. For those of you wondering whether the SAT or ACT is better for you, review this thorough breakdown of SAT Writing vs. ACT English. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this English lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

European Cultural Adoption of the Cherokee Indians Essay

European Cultural Adoption of the Cherokee Indians - Essay Example One of the most talked about and studied groups of Native Americans are the Cherokee Indians, a group of native occupants of the American continent. Historians believe that the Cherokee Indians occupied the southeast part of America ling before the forces of civilization and the American colonization took center stage. â€Å"Cherokee lands covered parts of Tennessee, North Carolina, south Carolina, Virginia, west Virginia, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, and Arkansas.† The tribe was one of the strongest tribes in the American continent and had significant influence during the 14th and 15th century. They existed in smaller groups and sub-tribes ruled by chiefs and kings and other religious leaders who had significant influence on this group of people. â€Å"The various Cherokee villages formed a confederacy. There were two chiefs per village a red (or war) chief and a white chief (most beloved man or woman) who was associated with civil, economic, religious, and judicial functions . Chiefs would be male or female and there was little or no hereditary component† The history of the Cherokee Indians is highly complex and is characterized by episodes of resistance, war conflicts and revolutions that rocked the American continent. Thirteen colonies of North America decided to break from British rule. To register their displeasure towards the new occupants of the American continent who were now fighting against the British, the Indian Cherokees fought from the British side against the Americans. â€Å"Cherokee support towards the British during the American Revolutionary war (1755-1783 brought retaliatory attacks from southern states militia†5 During this time and prior times, the interaction of the Indian Cherokees with the British and other foreign occupants of the country flourished; the tribe experienced a major tribal revolution that resulted into adoption of new cultural and significant cultural assimilation and integration. â€Å"After the Amer ican Revolution, the Cherokee adapted British style farming, cattle ranching, business relation, and government becoming cohesive and prosperous†6 In the paper, the cultural assimilation and adoption that occurred during the 17th and 18th century among the Cherokee Indians will be highlighted. It will thus seek to provide a description of the events that characterized the cultural changes and integration during this period. The adoption of foreign and new cultures significantly affected the lifestyle of the Cherokee Americans that resulted into assimilation and the loss of the prior cultural identity that the tribe enjoyed. The first documented history of the contact between the Cherokee Indians and the Europeans was around 1540. â€Å"The Cherokee encountered Hernando De Soto around 1540, probably not long before they arrived in their historic homeland†¦

Educational applications of Bandura, Piaget, Gissell, Erikson, and Research Paper

Educational applications of Bandura, Piaget, Gissell, Erikson, and Vygotsky at early childhood sites (Preschool to2nd grade) - Research Paper Example The mind of children especially those in the stage where they are introduced to learning concepts are very navigating are exploring thus they are supposed to be given an opportunity to explore their curiosity and in the end they will develop both mentally and cognitively (Follari, 2007). The psychology of children is not inferior to that of adults it is only that children have limited line of thinking within which they level of understanding is limited (Pound, 2011). Theories about the manner in which children learn and acquire knowledge at their tender age however they at some point tend to conflict with each other since they were advanced by different people who conducted their research at different historical times and under varied circumstances (Robinson & Jones-Diaz, 2006). However, they whole tend try to explain the fundamental issues concerned with child psychology that influences the manner in which children acquire knowledge and understanding of things (Morgan, 2011). Bandura took a behaviorist approach in advancing his thoughts on how children in preschool as he believed the manner in which children developed mentally and cognitively was generally based on their behaviors. Bandura indicates that learning for children is a gradual process which continues perpetually throughout one’s life (Pound, 2011). Even after maturity the learning process goes on as a mature person continues gathering new knowledge and skills from his/her surrounding or from formal education in schools. Development in children is regarded as a conditional behavior which is special in nature as in the manner in which a particular child behaves determines how he/she develops mentally and cognitively (Mooney, 2013). The behaviors that children develop according to Bandura are not inherited from their kins they are due to the child’s interaction with his/her immediate environment that makes a child behave in

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT - Essay Example Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Introduction 4 During CEO Jim Cantalupo Management 4 Strategic Vision 4 Core Competences 5 Competitive Advantage 5 Resources Used 6 Successful Management Strategy and the Reasons and Elements of Jim Cantalupo’s Strategy 6 After CEO Jim Cantalupo Management 9 The New Strategic Approach McKinsey’s 7-S Framework 9 New Strategic Approaches through the Application of Ansoff Growth Matrix 13 Conclusion 16 References 17 Bibliography 20 Introduction McDonald’s has been operating in the US market for many years and has grown internationally by establishing its brand value in the world. There were various challenges during the development phase of the company and there were problems related to business strategies implementation in expanding the stores of McDonald’s. The study reflects the business strategy that was implemented by CEO Jim Cantalupo during his tenure in McDonald’s. During CEO Jim Cantalupo Management Strate gic Vision Strategic vision of a company is the representation of the core values, beliefs and philosophies (Air University, 2010). Jim Cantalupo’s strategic vision was upon developing new customers and not increasing the numbers of the restaurants. Since the market was focused upon targeting the competitors’ customers, he concentrated upon new customers. Jim Cantalupo’s vision was upon offering healthier food. For existing customers, his vision was to enhance the level of service with hygienic environment and commitment to deliver service within stipulated time. His vision was upon innovation and introduced new products for all categories of customers. Core Competences Core competencies are the unique attitude, skills, knowledge and behaviour that contribute to excellence (University of Nebraska–Lincoln, 2002). McDonald’s core competence is in its operations and infrastructures. The organisation is competent for production and timely delivery of a ffordable foodstuffs to wide range of customers. The company has developed its core competency through low cost foodstuffs, high speed service and consistent quality strategy. These factors influence the customers to be attracted and being loyal towards the company. The core competency of the company is supported through its brand image, relationship between customers and suppliers, strong financial resources, market leadership and product value (Zamarripa & Wylie, 2000). Competitive Advantage According to Investopedia, â€Å"The advantage that a firm has over its competitors assisting in generating margins and sales and retaining customers than its competitors is firm’s competitive advantage† (Investopedia, 2010). McDonald’s competitive advantage is gained in the industry of fast food restaurants. The company’s innovative menu and introduction of wide range of foodstuffs have made the company gain competitive advantage over others. The food is affordable and value for money offerings aid in retaining the customers. Its franchisee based model has been able to strengthen its financial position and played a significant part in their global expansion. It is a ‘penny profit’ business but still with hard work, it has been successful. Through the global presence, economies of scale operations have led McDonald’s to gain competitive advantage over others in national and international markets. Resources Used

Minigrant for integrating technology in the elementary Language Arts Essay

Minigrant for integrating technology in the elementary Language Arts classroom - Essay Example The use of computers has increased drastically in the last decade, especially in the educational field. Experts in the elementary educational field are of the opinion that trying to find out the mistakes in grammar, spelling and organization in one’s own writing is one of the best methods of learning. Introducing computers in the elementary level are highly useful in these processes. Computers increase the effectiveness of the elementary language teachers while drastically reducing their work load. In this application, an estimated budget and advantages of introducing technology in the Elementary Language Arts Class room are also briefly mentioned. Elementary school teachers play a crucial role in the development of children. Generally, children are influenced by what they experience and learn in the school which can also greatly shape their views of the world or about themselves and can be a crucial factor for their failure or success in their personal lives and work. Elementary school teachers introduce pupil to language, mathematics, social studies and science. Teachers use various tools like music, games, films, artworks, books and computers to teach basic skills. Computers can play an integral role in the Elementary Language Arts Program which â€Å"provides balanced instruction in reading and writing.† (Elementary Reading and Language Arts).

Art of Modern China Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Art of Modern China - Research Paper Example â€Å"Chinese painting, which is based on graphic conventions, builds from a planar, rather than an optical, structure. Early pictorial representation, using graphic symbols, reads both horizontally along register lines and vertically in an open field in the picture surface.† (Fong, 2003, no page number.) This close relationship between the written word and the pictorial image lasted for many centuries right into the twentieth century. The administrators and courtiers of successive imperial dynasties were generally the only people who possessed the literary skills necessary to be an artist and they produced beautiful monochrome pictures in black ink, sometimes with washes of carefully chosen colors, representing landscape or birds, fish and animals. In the sixth century a set of six laws of painting were formed by Xie He (active c. 500-535) and they are Spirit Resonance, or vitality; Bone Method, a type of brushwork; Correspondence to the Object, or depicting of forms, Suitabi lity of Type, a method of laying on colors; Division and Planning, which means arrangement or composition; and Transmission by Copying, which is a way of ensuring that ancient models are passed on to future generations. (Clunes, 2009, p. 46). As technologies such as woodblocks and various kinds of printing developed, so the range of colors grew, and experimentation in the use of lines and washes also. The key ancient features of Chinese painting styles were cumulative, and change was gradual, that is to say, successive generations of artists consciously incorporated the earlier techniques of the masters, and carried them forward by synthesizing them into new compositions. Copying older works was advocated as a way of improving, and this is why there is such a consistent and recognizable line of tradition all the way through Chinese ink painting so that â€Å"every compositional detail, every outline, texture and ink wash had its origin in an ancient source.† (Sullivan, 2000, p. 258). Simpler peasant styles, especially portraits, with clear ink outlines were popular alongside the more sophisticated literati styles. Contribution of The Shanghai School to Chinese Ink Painting. Things began to change, however, in the middle of the nineteenth century when China began to open up to influences from the West, and one city in particular was most receptive to this new phenomenon: Shanghai. As a thriving port city it was the point of arrival for many ships and it became the most international of all art scenes in China, fuelled by the profits of traders from within China and beyond. Artists from the provinces flocked to Shanghai in the hope of finding buyers and patrons for their work. In the 1840s and 1850s the prevailing style was still was traditional bird-and-flower paintings using a wash without outlines. This style was used by Zhang Xiong (1803-1886), a

Minigrant for integrating technology in the elementary Language Arts Essay

Minigrant for integrating technology in the elementary Language Arts classroom - Essay Example The use of computers has increased drastically in the last decade, especially in the educational field. Experts in the elementary educational field are of the opinion that trying to find out the mistakes in grammar, spelling and organization in one’s own writing is one of the best methods of learning. Introducing computers in the elementary level are highly useful in these processes. Computers increase the effectiveness of the elementary language teachers while drastically reducing their work load. In this application, an estimated budget and advantages of introducing technology in the Elementary Language Arts Class room are also briefly mentioned. Elementary school teachers play a crucial role in the development of children. Generally, children are influenced by what they experience and learn in the school which can also greatly shape their views of the world or about themselves and can be a crucial factor for their failure or success in their personal lives and work. Elementary school teachers introduce pupil to language, mathematics, social studies and science. Teachers use various tools like music, games, films, artworks, books and computers to teach basic skills. Computers can play an integral role in the Elementary Language Arts Program which â€Å"provides balanced instruction in reading and writing.† (Elementary Reading and Language Arts).

Management accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management accounting - Essay Example However, with the right tools information and skills, a company is guaranteed to stay afloat in a world where businesses keep dropping out of the corporate world. How companies manage their finances and workforce dictates whether the company is bound to open its doors come the next financial year. One of the major concerns in management is the management of accounts which is usually handled a company’s accountants in conjunction with the management of the company. Management accounting specifically deals with generating information pertaining to a given company and basically relates on how to minimize costs while improving sales and boosting profits within the available company’s resources. In short this is information that helps the management to make crucial decisions. Financial accounting on the other hand deals with generating information based on information relayed by external users and mainly deals with control of cash inflow and outflow in the company. So why is management accounting so important? Among the most important reasons why management accounting is important to company include; 1) Planning-this basically deals with making decisions pertaining to the company’s products where and when to make them, who to sell them to, how much labor it will use and so on and so forth (Caplan, 5). 2) Operational Control-management helps the top officials in identifying and minimizing production error from the time a product is initiated for production to the time it is released to the market for sale. 3) Performance and Evaluation-this involves evaluating the efficiency and effectiveness of different products and different managers within the company. When dealing with management of accounts two concepts become clear: Variable (Direct) costs and fixed production overhead costs

Given Danziger’s Claims Essay Example for Free

Given Danziger’s Claims Essay Given Danziger’s claims about ‘methodomorphic theories’ and given what you know of quantitative and qualitative research methods and psychology in general, what do you think would be the obstacles to attempt to break free of the ‘methodological circle’? Research methods in modern psychology offer a variety of methodological options for researchers to utilise. However, there are issues associated with all methods. This essay will examine problems associated with the ‘methodological cycle’, such as the monopolisation of statistical methods in social sciences. These ‘issues’ continue to be common practice in psychological research and present obstacles to moving towards a less rigid, constrained method of working. This will be followed by exploring approaches that move forward, towards a more fluid and inclusive method of empirical psychology, such as Theoretical Sampling in Grounded Theory and Relational metatheory. Danziger coined the term ‘methodological circle’, asserting that many psychological researchers adopt methods based on certain assumptions about the subject matter, which in turn â€Å"only produce observations which must confirm these assumptions† (Danziger, 1998, p 1). These assumptions continue to be common practice in current psychological research, and pose as a barrier to moving away from the ‘methodological circle’. Psychology as Pure Science Kuhn (1962) described ordinary science as involving discussion of problematic truth claims and is carried out within the context of implicitly shared metatheoretical frameworks; on the other hand â€Å"paradigms† involve discussion that challenges these metatheoretical frameworks themselves. Psychology operates within both of these frameworks. ‘Ordinary science’, also known as Scientism, involves uncritically accepting that science is both highly distinct from, and superior to, common sense and methods for identifying cultural patterns. However, factors that a social scientist may wish to study do involve facets that are not static and are defined by the context in which these facets operate. An example of this could be trauma. Trauma is viewed by individuals in Western society as a concept which individuals or a collective may suffer after a disrupting or distressing event. However, in less developed societies, such as in Rwanda which suffered mass genocide, no instances of trauma are reported (Alexander et al, 2004). Such examples highlight the problems presented by adopting a purely scientific (positivist) approach to a social phenomenon. In addition to this, it must be remembered that even though research will always endeavour to be as objective as possible they will, ultimately, use their common-sense knowledge of how social phenomena operate in order to define and measure these variables for precise investigation (Silverman, 1993). Psychologists who work purely in line with Scientism make the error to totally remove itself from common sense, rather than acknowledging and working with it, adopting, say, a more constructivist approach e.g. Conversation Analysis. Kock (1973) sums this up assumption beautifully by saying â€Å"The entire subsequent history of psychology can be seen as a ritualistic endeavor to emulate the forms of science in order to sustain the delusion that it already is a science (Kock, 1973, p. 66). Dependence on statistics The use of statistical methods in psychology can be said to have become â€Å"institutionalized† (Danziger, 1998, p. 4). According to Danziger, such institutionalization presents 3 main problems: 1. It assumes that statistical conclusions are the only means of providing reliable and valid results for interpreting and developing theory; 2. It asserts that certain rules and models are constant, and cannot be amended or updated by new evidence; 3. it postulates that methodology must lead theory formation, and not the other way round. Such facets create a rigid environment, which restricts ways in which the social scientist can explore social phenomena which focuses on interactions between figures rather than meanings of interactions. The importance of the meaning behind words was acknowledged as far back as Freud, who stated â€Å"In medics you are accustomed to see things†¦in psychoanalysis, alas, everything is different†¦Words were originally magic and to this day words have retained much of their ancient power†¦Words provoke affects and are in general the means of mutual influence among men† (Freud, 1918, p.12). This statement emphasises the importance in not just, say, overt behaviour in the amount of words one uses (i.e. numerical data) in an interview, but also what one says and the meaning behind those words (i.e. qualitative data). Artificial settings to measure real life Psychology is the science of the real life, cannot be manipulated in artificial models. In its attempt to become a ‘pure’ science, psychological research methods tend to prefer to use controlled, experimental procedures, where one variable is directly manipulated by another variable, controlling for any other influencing factors. While such methods offer detailed and reliable statistical information, details of social, political, economic, and historical contexts can be overlooked (Waitzkin, 1990). The variety within psychology Psychology is a broad discipline with a variety of approaches such as Social and Cognitive Psychology. Social Psychology looks at qualitative interactions in the real world between people, whereas Cognitive Psychology examines the thought processes involved in individual reasoning. The former cannot be effectively manipulated in a controlled laboratory experiment, whereas the latter can be. If one attempts to artificially create and conduct a social experiment which uses solely statistics as a method of obtaining and interpreting results, one will miss the rich data that can be gained through qualitative measurement, looking at meanings and interpretations. A degree of flexibility is required in theory construction and method development, taking care to acknowledge how applied the science is and the vast array of methodological procedures to adopt. Top down vs. bottom up When conducting empirical investigation in psychology, the research question should lead the methodology, not the other way round. However, with the dominant quantitative method, researchers tend impose theories on data and see whether or not the data supports the theory. Upon these results, the researchers either accept or reject their hypotheses, rather than further exploring any discrepancies. Alternatively, researchers who adopt a qualitative method allow the data drive the theory and design models and theory from data. This is unpopular with many as it can oversimplifying complex social phenomena. As we can see, both designs appear to be poloarised, with little or no room for convergence. Deductive vs. Inductive Another assumption that perpetuates the ‘methodological circle’ is the belief that quantitative methods always must use a hypothetico-deductive approach and qualitative methods an inductive approach. Again, this restricts the way in which researchers can work with their subject matter, and rather than adopting an antithetical approach, researchers should endeavor to focus on the rationale of the study and the research question. Realism vs. Idealism In a similar vain to the short discussion above, there is the determinist assumption that all quantitative researchers are realists and qualitative researchers are idealist in their approach. This assumption enforces more restrictions on the way research would be carried out. Indeed quantitative research could do well to accept more subjective and individual attitudes, as qualitative methods could with more objective, measurable approaches. Moving forward Acknowledging the obstacles above, I will now explore ways in which psychology can move forward, away from the ‘methodological circle’ towards an approach that recognises and embraces both ‘quantitative’ and ‘qualitative’ virtues. Such an approach should not be concerned with paradigmatic purism but more concerned with identifying effective ways of conceptualising and discovering answers to the research questions. Grounded Theory -Theoretical saturation and sampling When using Grounded Theory, researchers use Theoretical sampling until they reach ‘Theoretical saturation’, where researchers collect data â€Å"until (a) no new or relevant data seem to emerge regarding a category, (b) the category is well developed in terms of its properties and dimensions demonstrating variation, and (c) the relations among categories are well established and validated.† (Strauss Corbin, 1998, p. 212). Such a fluid and flexible approach provides a useful means in theory construction because it builds the theory as it evolves from incoming data, offering an alternate perspective on how the results are interpreted than the restrictive positivist, deductive approaches. Relational metatheory Relational metatheory offers a relational dialectical perspective in which interpretation (a more quantitative, positivist approach) and observation (a more qualitative, construstivist approach) are both acknowledged and used (Overton, 1998; 2003). Relationism metatheory acknowledges that there is interconnection between the person, culture and biology (Hase, 2000), which is a much more fluid and explorative method then a split metatheory (using only quantitative or qualitative). This results in more complex, self creating, self organising, self regulating and adaptive systems that function and develop in relation with sociocultural constructs. In conclusion, there is a range of obstacles researchers encounter when attempting to break free of the ‘methodological circle’. These include both theoretical considerations such as theory construction and practical considerations such as the dependence on statistics. In order to move away from these imposed restrictions, researchers should consider adopting a more inclusive, flexible approach such as Grounded Theory and Relational Metatheory. As Danzgier concludes we must overcome these problems associated with the ‘methodological circle’ in psychological research; if not â€Å"theory testing in psychology will be a matter of choosing among different versions of a theoretical position, the fundamental features of which are in fact beyond dispute.† (Danziger, 1985, p.13). References Alexander, J. C., Eyerman, R., Giesen, B., Smelser, N. J., Sztompka, P. (2004) Cultural Trauma and Collective Identity, University of California Press, CA Danziger, K. (1985) The methodological imperative in psychology. Philosophy of the Social Sciences, 15, 1-13 Freud, S. (1918) The Complete Introductionary Lectures on Psychoanalsis, Alden Press, Oxford Hase, S. (2000) ‘Mixing methodologies in research’, NCVER conference, Coffs Harbour, April. Koch, S. (1963) Psychology: A Study Of a Science, (Koch, S. (Ed.). (1959-1963), McGraw-Hill, New York Kuhn, T. S. (1962) The structure of scientific revolutions. University of Chicago Press, Chicago Overton, W. F. (2012) Paradigms in Theory Construction, (Eds L’Abate, L.) Springer; US. Silverman, D. (1993) â€Å"Beginning Research†. Interpreting Qualitative Data. Methods for Analysing Talk, Text and Interaction, Sage Publications, Londres Strauss, A. L. Corbin, J. M. (1998) Basics of qualitative research: techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory, Sage Publications, US Waitzkin, H. (1990) On Studying the Discourse of Medical Encounters, Medical Care. 28:6, 473-487

Barriers and solutions to international trade

Barriers and solutions to international trade INTRODUCION This essay provides an overview of the barriers to international trade faced by economies today with examples of barriers faced in various countries, and their solutions. International trade promotes high standard of living for trading nations and hence, despite its various ill effects, it is best to practice international trade as it provides economic and social benefits to economies bringing about an upturn in global economy. This essay attempts to bring to light, the general barriers international trade faces presently and its solutions with recent examples. INTERNATIONAL TRADE: AN INTRODUCTION Trade among countries has existed for a long period now. The trade between Asia and Europe marks this fact as Morrison (2006, pp.314-315) examines that these two continents have engaged in Trade since a long period. He also suggests that with time, international trade has come a long way as far as volume and patterns of trade between nations is concerned. Morrison (2006) has referred to figures by the World Trade Organisation (2004, cited in International Trade Statistics 2003, World Trade Developments 2002) from the official website of the WTO that Asias share of global merchandise exports has gradually increased, Northern Americas share has slightly decreased and Western Europes share has recovered from a downfall in 2001, but not as much as it did in 1990. Morrison further suggests, from 2000 to 2002, Chinas exports and imports rose by 30 per cent and today, China is one of the worlds largest traders. Therefore, we may note that International trade plays a very essential role in g lobalization trends in the world economy. UNDERSTANDING TRADE PROTECTIONISM Protectionism is The deliberate use or encouragement of restrictions on imports to enable relatively inefficient domestic producers to compete successfully with foreign producers, or to protect and preserve those industries and producers considered of critical national interest. (McCracken, 2005) Coughlin et al (1988) state that Protectionist Trade Policies are meant to improve the position of domestic products as compared to its foreign equivalents, and that this may be done through various policies by increment of the market price of the foreign product or by barring access of foreign products to the domestic market. They explain that protectionist trade policies aim to expand domestic production in the protected industries for the benefit of the owners, suppliers and workers of the protected industry. However this may lead to a downturn in the consumption of protected goods due to either associated rise in its price or consumers start using less of other goods as a result of the decline in outputs and increase in prices. Coughlin et al hence, argue that domestic consumers are said to be impaired as the price of the protected goods keep increasing. Hence, imposing of tariffs lead to domestic producers and the governments gain, while domestic consumers and other domestic producers loss. These trade policies also affect foreign interests. FREE TRADE ITS THEORIES Free Trade is trade between nations that is unhampered by Government constraints such as tariffs, restrictions, and other barriers. (Financial Times Limited, 2009) Theory of Absolute Advantage Barnat (2005) highlighted certain points from Adam Smiths The Wealth of Nations 1776 that explain what this theory talks about. He mentioned that the countrys practicing or willing to practice free trade should work towards maximising the efficiency of the goods and products they deal in, and that this theory is based on the assumption that the nation producing a certain good is absolutely better at production of that good or commodity than the rest of its trading partners, hence calling this the absolute advantage of the nation over the other nations. The theory of Absolute Advantage suggests specialization through free trade as it benefits the consumers if they can afford foreign-made products at a comparatively cheaper price than domestic products. (Warhurst, 2009) Theory of Comparative Advantage Barnat (2005, cited in Ricardo, 1817) had postulated that in Ricardos theory of comparative advantage even if a certain nation is able to produce all its goods at a comparatively lower cost than another country then it benefits the trade of both the countries, based on the comparative costs. Coughlin et al (1998, cited in Ricardos Principles of Political Economy and Taxation, 1817) demonstrated that two countries viz. England and Portugal were shown to produce the same two goods wine and cloth and the only production costs were labour costs. It was shown that England was comparatively less efficient to produce both goods as it was comparatively costlier to produce those goods in England. Therefore, it was said in this demonstration that Portugal had an absolute advantage in these two goods. According to this example, labour was the only resource considered to produce these goods when labour is among the many resources used to produce these goods. Also, the production costs of the additional units have been taken to be constant in this demonstration, but unit production as mentioned by Coughlin et al here, is subject to decrease or increase depending on the production. Elwell (2005) suggests that the gains from trade are mutual despite either nations absolute advantage or disadvantage in the efficiency with which they produce all tradable goods. The difference in rate of production of one good must be limited for the expansion of another good among countries such that there is a comparative advantage among the two nations such that both benefit efficiently from trade. A nation is not to compete but look at the mutual benefits from trade. Therefore, each country must produce what they do best relatively. Comparative advantage is evident in activities that make use of profuse productive resource. Elwell explains this statement with the help of an example of the U.S. and China. He states that China, with a relative abundance of low skilled labor would find it beneficial to engage in production that requires low skilled labor, in trade. On the other hand, the U.S. specializes in production of goods that require high skilled labor. Also, the production of goods can be practiced such that a part of the good is produced in one country while another country can deal in producing another part required for the production of the good hence practicing the theory of comparative advantage. For example American hardware companies send their products to China since it is much more cost effective due to low waged labor in China. This acts as a comparative advantage for both countries. Due to political motives, various governments still try to obstruct the system of free trade in spite of its acceptance globally, in Hendersons view. BARRIERS TO INTERNATIONAL TRADE Tariff Barriers Tariffs according to Coughlin et al (2009) are taxes imposed on goods entering a country from another country. They suggest that tariff revenues are paid to the government of the country that allows the goods to enter its nation and this revenue is used to finance government services. Therefore, as Sumner et al (2002?) state, Tariffs are among the oldest form of government intervention and are implemented for the purpose of providing revenue to the government and they also provide economic returns to firms and suppliers of resources of the domestic industry that face competition from imported products. Sumner et al further suggest that in 1948, when average tariff on manufactured goods increased by 30 percent in many developed countries, these economies negotiated for the reduction of tariff on manufactured goods under the General Agreement on Tariff Trade (GATT), however, only in the most recent negotiations on this issue in Uruguay, the trade and tariff restrictions were addressed. Tariffs are capable of hampering nation-to-nation trade, or as Sumner et al add, if tariffs set are very high then it can block international trade and hence, act like import bans. Quota System Henderson (2009), states, in the quota system, there is a lot more bureaucracy involved and in this case, the government is not the source from where the revenue is generated. Under the quota system as suggested by Coughlin et al (2009), the prices increase in the home market and this enables domestic producers to increase production and consumers to reduce consumption. Coughlin et al further state that the quota generates a revenue gain to the owner of import licenses. Non-Tariff Barriers (NTB) The Non-tariff barriers can be classified further as the regulatory barriers, subsidies and exchange controls. Subsidizing domestic producers is one way to restrict terms under which foreigners can compete in the home market as suggested by Coughlin et al (2009). They also state that restricting access to foreign money to buy foreign goods is known as Exchange Control. Example Karugia et al (2009) state that the main type of non tariff barriers faced in East Africa during Maize and Beef trade were customs documentation and administrative procedures, quality inspection, transiting procedures and immigration, which are all cumbersome and expensive. He states that these barriers reduce the possible benefits of trade preferences, lead to huge welfare loss as cost of business activities increase. As a result of this, trade among the East African nations, in beef and maize was found to be very low as Karugia et al suggest. Tariff-Rate Quota Sumner et al (2002) have also discussed what is called a Tariff-Rate Quota (TRQ). It is said to be the combination of the ideas of tariff and quota. The implementation of a TRQ is a very good idea for the benefit of both countries that importing and the one exporting, and the concerned governments. Policies like the Tariff-Rate Quota help implement trade practice between countries in a healthy manner as it not only implements low tariff prices but also keeps a check on the quantity of products being imported. According to TRQ, a low tariff is set against imports of a fixed quantity and if the quantity of the imports increases, a higher tariff is set against the goods. Sumner et al have given the example of United States that follows this policy for various products like beef, sugar, peanuts and other dairy products. In these cases, the initial tariff is said to be low but the over-quota tariff is very highly priced and in some cases, even unaffordable. GLOBAL TRADE IN PRESENT ECONOMIC CLIMATE Post the economic crisis, the general belief of countries is to be very careful as far as dealing with international trade is concerned and to protect their economies, nations are practicing protectionism, however, free trade is in the interest of most countries, but it is not in the economic interest of the nations to practice free trade in times of crisis. There are some basic solutions for the removal of trade barriers put forward by Crean (2009, ed. Baldwin and Evenett, 2009) one of which is G20 leadership such that countries lift each other up rather than pull each other down through protectionism. He adds that the G20 can play an important role in encouraging open trade flows between countries. Here is a notable example as proposed by Crean To help open markets in Washington, Australia helped build support to execute considerable measures last year with the agreement of G20 leaders by putting forward an Action Plan for the purpose of restoring growth, addressing the progress of the WTO Doha negotiations and to put a halt to protectionism. He proposes, it is important to avoid inefficient incentives while crafting the fiscal and industry support packages and also, huge subsidies will give rise to competitive response. Crean further suggests, it is of utmost importance especially in these times post economic crisis to preserve open trade flow among nations. He adds growth and prosperity are transmitted within countries through trade. He mentioned, according to Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) analysis, a 10 percent increase in trade is associated with a 4% rise in per capita income, however, the crisis has now brought about a slowdown in trade. World Bank has predicted that 2009 will be the first year in over a quarter century in which international trade is forecast to fall, Crean sites. He has spoken of the export statistics of China and Japan and certain other countries and noted how drastically the crisis has affected the trade of these countries. He argues that protectionism gradually only lessens competitiveness, growth, employment and real incomes. I am now going to focus on the barriers to international trade in businesses in the U.S. and EU and talk about the measures they have decided on taking to attain a healthier global trading system bearing in mind the current economic climate. Also, I will further add what steps Canada and EU have decided on taking to address the trade barriers. Trade Barriers and Solutions: US EU The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) 2009, states, the National Trade Estimate Report 2009 describes significant barriers to trade in the US. The barriers, as cited in the report, according to USTR, obstruct access to markets for the products of American workers, irrespective of the workers employment status self or employed by company. The various tariff and non tariff barriers by foreign governments that need to be addressed are highlighted in the report difficulty in testing and requirements of certification on thousands of consumer goods, inspection and registration of a wide range of import products by new means, ineffective enforcement against counterfeiting and copyright piracy; subsidies being exported illegally was another issue of concern, onerous import requirements or bans not based in science and also said to not be competitive internationally; approval processes for biotech products were said to be cumbersome and ineffective; imported products are made to pay rates 10 to 43 times higher than before as according to discriminatory excise taxes; foreign participation in the telecom market is very limited, and many other such issues were raised. The USTR states that exports contribute about 13 per cent to the US Economy; therefore, measures by the USTR and the Government for the sake of the economy of the country, is necessary. The report, as USTR suggests, states what measures could be taken by the United States Trade Representative to embark upon these barriers. After reading this article, I have tried to pull together the matter in brief. The article suggests that the USTR is reviewing the functioning of the existing trade agreements, including enforcement of labour and environment provisions. The USTR is going to prioritize the trade barriers put forward by the report, in order of importance and hence, deal with each barrier according to relevance tackling the most vital barrier at first. They are planning on handling these cases by multilateral and bilateral dispute resolution. The USTR is also working with the Congress to improve the trading system in the country. The US Trade Representative Ron Kirk (2009) proposed the opening of new markets around the world. The USTR suggests that manufacturers and service providers and the American workers should make use of the benefits of previous trade agreement s through strong enforcement. Kirk, in 2009, as cited in the USTR (2009) suggests that the proposals made will also help in the economic recovery procedure and incremental gains in market access and in reduction of trade barriers and thus, will help Americans attain good salary jobs. Castle (2009) states that European exporters have faced many new trade barriers since the global economic crisis however, measures to prevent protectionism have been taken by the EU. He adds that global trade volumes in August 2009 were 18 per cent below its peak in 2008 due to the economic crisis. Castle (2009, cited in Ashton, 2009) states that classical tariff increases, import and export bans or ceilings, non-tariff barriers and government procurement and investment measures are the major trade barriers faced in the EU with classical barriers alone affecting about 5 per cent of the EU exports. Another trade restricting measure according to the Foreign Manufacturers Legal Accountability Act of 2009 in the US that states that it aims to protect US customers and businesses from defective products manufactured abroad, is, another barrier between EU and US trade as Castle (cited in Ashton, 2009) has mentioned. Castle further cites, one of the bills state that it is unsafe to grant unfair tax disadvantages to subsidiaries of the EU companies in the US in the insurance sector. The EU and U.S. are each others most important trading and investment partners and hence it is important for these two sides to work towards the reduction of these barriers. As cited by Palmer (2009), the two sides have agreed on meeting for identification of labeling, energy efficiency and nanotechnology for increased cooperation on regulation; and that these two sides have plans for a new US-EU Energy Council and also to set up a dialogue dealing in creating jobs in various sectors such as IT and energy. Addressing Trade Barriers: Canada EU Another notable example of nations that have pledged to remove trade barriers is that of Canada and The EU. Czech Trade (2009) suggests, these two nations have signed a summit to remove trade barriers and that the Canadian Government is trying their best to remove trade barriers for Canadian exporters and open Canadas market to foreign companies such as the EU. Canada is one of EUs main trading partners and the fact that Canada has maintained a healthy economy despite the global economic crisis, has helped EU promote its business and trade relations with Canada. It has been said to be believed that both countries will benefit largely in terms of economy post this summit in the next couple of years. Cohen (2009) suggests that there is a Canada-EU Free Trade deal expected by 2011 as intended by Former Quebec premier Pierre Marc Johnson. CONCLUSION Trade should satisfy the theory of comparative advantage benefitting both nations engaged in trading activities. It has a positive effect on economies, both economically and socially, but it also has its ill effects for example, as Elwell (2005) suggests, while it helps benefit the economic condition of relatively efficient activities, it hampers the relatively less competent activities. However, impressing barriers prevent nations from economic gain. Elwell further suggests that tariffs, quotas and non tariff barriers result in a loss of the exporting sector and gain of the importing sector. But, it is also important to note that this may lead to an increase in prices and reduced goods available to the consumer, thereby, leading to the downfall of the economy. It is true that it is important for the domestic industry to protect, improve and sell their products but it is also important to note the profits foreign goods bring to both economies and thus, it is important for the benefit of every economy to work towards addressing the barriers they face today. Trade, either in the form of import or export contributes largely to the economy of the country. Just like the U.S. Government and the U.S. Trade Representatives are working hand in hand to fight the barriers hence working towards the security of the countrys economy, other economies should also address their respective barriers. The G 20 must also help trade flow in developing countries. Developed countries should aim to remove all trade barriers and try giving up on protectionist measures like The EU and The U.S. have pledged to do for the economic benefits of either country. Also, ideas like the free trade deal between Canada and the EU should be encouraged and worked upon by other nations as well, hence, encouraging trade among nations which in turn, shall benefit the global economy. Reference: Books Morrison, J. (2006) International Business Environment: Global and Local market places in the changing world, Second Edition, Palgrave. E-books Crean, S. (2009) The collapse of global trade, murky protectionism and the crisis [pdf] London, Center for Economic Policy Research Available at http://www.voxeu.org/reports/Murky_Protectionism.pdf [Last Accessed 01 December 2009] Elwell, C. 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