Semi Structured Individual Interviews Education Essay

Based on the consequences of the three open-ended focal point group interviews every bit good as the consequences of the semi-structured single interviews in Chapter 6 that Grade R instructors are knowing about the execution of Grade R. This determination is consistent with the Baseline Study Report ( South Africa. ECDoE, ( 2008a ) which states the followers: The research shows that the practicians know what their functions and duties are ( p. 90 ) . However, this research survey has besides found that there are incompatibilities between what the instructors say, believe, and what they implement in their schoolrooms. Harmonizing to the Baseline Study Report ( South Africa. ECDoE, ( 2008a ) one of the grounds why Grade R instructors and practicians do non implement their cognition in their schoolrooms is due to the fact that the Education District Offices in the Eastern Cape, do non carry through their function of support and monitoring of these categories. The deficiency of support and monitorin from the schools ; the deficiency of cognition in the schools as to the intent of the Reception Year ; the deficiency of execution of the NCS by all parties in the school and the deficiency of regular support and monitoring by the circuit directors and territory ECD forces hampers them in performin their competency ( p. 90 ) . The Report of Task Team for the Review of the Implementation of the National Curriculum Statement ( South Africa. DoE, 2009 ) emphasises that, despite the limited cognition and accomplishments of territory personell, particularly capable advisers, the execution of the NCS ( South Africa. DoE, 2002b ) prevarications on their shoulders as they act as â€Å" mediators between course of study policy and execution in the schoolroom † ( p. 8 ) . These offices have been capable to the same grade of alteration as instructors, and in many instances, a superficial apprehension around course of study exists. Further, in several states there are a big figure of late appointed capable advisers, who have received less developing on the course of study than the instructors themselves, and have non had the experiences of really learning the course of study ( South Africa. DoE, 2009, p. 23 ) . These findings, by both the Baseline Study Report ( South Africa. ECDoE, ( 2008a ) every bit good as the Report of the Task Team for the Review ( South Africa. DoE, 2009 ) have serious deductions for the execution of numeracy in the pattern or Grade R schoolrooms. The inquiry therefore must be asked, is above-named statement by the Baseline Study Report ( South Africa. ECDoE, ( 2008a ) whereby instructors do non hold sufficient and quality effectual support and monitoring, the lone ground why instructors do non implement what they have been taught? This survey nevertheless showed that the above-named ground is non the lone ground why Grade Roentgen instructors are non implementing numeracy efficaciously. The grounds are more complex and nuanced as Chapter 6 showed. There is a clear disjunction between theory and pattern, as reflected in the information analysis of the single interviews and their audio-video tapes of classrooms activities.7.2 Deductions for Theory and PracticeChapter 2 which focussed on the historical and political context of Early Childhood Development in South Africa revealed that Grade R instructors came from different backgrounds with different preparation experiences. This impacted on their execution of numeracy. Chapter 3 has described in deepness the course of study policy development and execution instructors had to implement since 1998. Again, instructors ‘ pattern as so, had to do major paradigm displacements in implementing numeracy in their schoolrooms. With the proposed debut of, yet another c ourse of study alteration, the CAPS ( South Africa. DoBE, 2010f ) in 2011, Foundation Phase instructors, including Grade R instructors and practicians, need to do another head displacement sing the execution of numeracy in their schoolrooms. However, the Report of the Task Team for the Review of the Implementation of the National Curriculum Statement ( South Africa. DoE, 2009 ) warns that if instructors do non hold a clear apprehension of course of study policy and how curriculum execution should take topographic point, it can non so be expected of instructors to implement such a course of study. It must nevertheless, be recognised that the copiousness of alteration has left many instructors bewildered. Our recent course of study history has been characterized by extremist alteration within a comparative short period. The consequence has been a high degree of confusion amongst instructors around what they are expected to make. These past alterations have left paths in instructors ‘ current apprehensions and pattern, peculiarly paths of Curriculum 2005 ( South Africa. DoE, 2009, p. 24 ) . Chapter 4 efforts to clear up how four acquisition theories, and particularly constructivism, relate to the execution of numeracy in Grade R. The importance of larning through drama, which includes geographic expedition, experimenting, find, doing picks and problem-solving was highlighted by Piaget, Vygotsky and Bruner. However, the written texts of the audio-video tapes in Chapter 6, reveal that many instructors are non utilizing these valuable instruction schemes. This determination is echoed by the Baseline Study Report ( South Africa. ECDoE, ( 2008a ) which states as follow: The bulk of schoolrooms did non show larning happening through active geographic expedition of the environment. Children were either playing by themselves ( without structured drama stuffs ) , sitting waiting softly, or being ‘taught ‘ Grade 1 work in the traditional manner ( chanting'sa Se Si so so ‘ over and over once more ) ( p. 89 ) . Jones ( 2005 ) argues that when instructors do interact with scholars ‘ drama activities, they frequently dominate this activity in order to keep subject and control ( p. 201 ) . In Chapter 1, Sheffield and Cruikshank ( 2000 ) advise that instructors need to interact and impart the drama activities of scholars on the one manus whilst on the other manus, they must be careful non to rule and command the drama activities. Sheffield and Cruikshank ( 2000 ) make it really explicit that â€Å" aˆÂ ¦activities can non by themselves teach. Augment them with reading, composing, treatment, illustrations, and idea † ( p. 356 ) . However, unless Grade R instructors and the Senior Management Teams at primary schools, are purchasing into the rule of larning through â€Å" drama with a intent † when the CAPS for the Foundation Phase ( South Africa. DoBE, 2010f ) is implemented in 2011, it will simply be paying lip-service to this rule ( p.6 ) . In position of the concerns expressed by the findings of the systemic ratings of 2001 and 2008, as expressed in Chapters 1 and 2, the danger might originate that instructors would instead concentrate on accomplishing the three Rs ( formal reading, composing and arithmetic activities ) than exposing scholars to activities where they freely explore, experiment and detect their environment. Harmonizing to Jones ( 2005 ) it was found that instructors would instead pass their clip learning numeracy and acquisition than leting scholars to prosecute with drama activities ( p. 202 ) . Jones ( 2005 ) argues that one of the grounds why instructors instead focussed on implementing a formal and direct instruction attack is that the formal attack has mensurable consequences whilst the consequences of free-play can non easy and straight be determined ( 2005, p. 202 ) . Although the said CAPS for the Foundation Phase ( South Africa. DoBE, 2010f ) makes proviso for structured and teacher-directed numeracy slots of 30 proceedingss per twenty-four hours, there is a concern that instructors will over-emphasise the completion of worksheets and hence disregard the importance of scholars sing a construct kinesthetically, concretely and semi-concretely ( p. 6 ) . In Chapter 4, Bruner states that cognition or rational development growing starts as an enactive manner and them moves to an iconic manner and later consequences in a symbolic manner. Harmonizing to Shunk ( 2008 ) the deductions of Bruner ‘s theory of cognitive growing are that new larning constructs need to be introduced concretely and three-dimensionally in the enactive manner ( pp. 6-7 ) . The bill of exchange CAPS for the Foundation Phase ( South Africa. DoBE, 2010f ) recommends that worksheets are merely to be given to scholars after they have experienced a construct kinesthetically, con cretely and semi-concretely ( pp. 6-7 ) . In Chapter 1, research workers such as Grouws and Good ( 1989 ) , Sawyer ( 1995 ) , and Faber and Van Staden ( 1997 ) show their concern sing the usage of worksheets. Grouws and Good ( 1989 ) point out that good problem-solving activities in text books are scarce and if they do occur, the job resolution is based on a subdivision of the â€Å" text edition that deals with verbal jobs † and necessitate merely from the scholar â€Å" to choose a computational operation † ( p. 60 ) . Grouws and Good ( 1989 ) advocator that adequate clip must be granted to scholars to discourse jobs with one another and to depict their ain effort at work outing a job. Faber and Van Staden ( 1997 ) argue that commercially bought larning stuffs frequently do non take awareness of the immature scholar ‘s anterior experience of mathematical constructs, cognition, accomplishments and attitudes and â€Å" be given to cut down liberty: instructors decide on the jobs, how many are to be tackl ed and when, and whether the replies are right or incorrect † ( p. 109 ) . Sawyer ( 1995 ) adds that the over-reliance on workbooks to learning mathematics is a contemplation of instructors ‘ insecurities with the content ( Sawyer, 1995, p. 141 ) . In order to antagonize instructors ‘ deficiency of assurance in learning mathematics, Sawyer ( 1995 ) stresses the importance of rendering effectual in-service preparation and go oning support, â€Å" so that their cognition and understanding base and their assurance in learning mathematics can be approved † ( p. 203 ) . Sawyer ( 1995 ) points out that the feelings and concerns of instructors sing â€Å" unfamiliar content, new instruction and appraisal schemes, the sum of required paperwork and record maintaining, and increasing force per unit areas and attendant emphasis † can non be ignore ( p. seven ) . In the research survey, Participant 15 agrees that work sheets are non exciting † It is non stimulating, no. Yes. Every twenty-four hours, they must make different, you see today, they did n't alteration. I like to make it like that. Tomorrow they will be busy with that activity, I will merely alter them. I change them, the scholars. Yes. Participant 1 has acknowledged that the usage of worksheets can lend to barriers to acquisition: There is a batch of paperwork which can go a barrier, alternatively of learning the instructor and scholar are excessively involved with paperwork. A 3rd concern that has come from the analysis from the information written texts of the single interviews every bit good as the analysis from the information written texts of the audio-video tapes is the call by seven of the nine participants in this research survey for farther preparation on how to turn to barriers with larning in their categories. Although the findings of the Systemic Evaluations of both 2001 and 2008 suggest that there is a crisis if two tierces of Grade 3 scholars are non numerate, the proposed CAPS for the Foundation Phase ( South Africa. DoBE, 2010f ) makes no reference of how to turn to numeracy barriers to larning in Grade R schoolrooms. There is therefore a serious spread in the execution of the current mileposts as stipulated in the Foundation for Learning Assessment Framework Grade R ( South Africa. DoBE, 2010a ) every bit good as the proposed CAPS for the Foundation Phase ( South Africa. DoBE, 2010f ) in how to travel approximately in helping a immature s cholar who is experiences numeracy barriers to larning. In both the pre-service every bit good as the in-service preparation of Grade R instructors, there needs to be a greater accent on barriers to larning and remedial intercession. In Chapter 1, Kirov and Bhargava ( 2002 ) emphasise that the informality of high-quality acquisition in the preschool old ages does non intend that there is no demand to be after for attentive mathematics activities. Contrarily, mathematics larning should concentrate on chances that will excite active acquisition that will heighten the usage of rich mathematical linguistic communication like â€Å" what? † â€Å" how? † and â€Å" why? † inquiries ( Kirov & A ; Bhargava, 2002 ) . Golbeck ( 2002 ) argues that if instructors plan numeracy activities that are developmentally appropriate, such a instructor will so hold lucidity non merely on the content that needs to be taught, but besides sing her function in how to learn the content. In Chapter 4, Branscombe, et Al. ( 2002 ) express their concerns sing a pre-designed course of study which is stiffly implemented harmonizing to prescribed stairss: the premise is that the end is to internalize a organic structure of information in a peculiar order and frequently in a peculiar signifier. Teachers who use this attack are likely to believe that the acquisition is a procedure of taking something from the environment and memorising it instead than building it based on the person ‘s ain actions and interactions ( p. 15 ) . However, despite the concern raised above by Branscrombe, et Al. ( 2002 ) , the proposed CAPS for the Foundation Phase ( South Africa. DoBE, 2010f ) prescribes the Grade R instructors with a structured hebdomad by hebdomad programme of how numeracy constructs should increasingly be taught ( pp.2-118 ) . However, a 4th concern is that the proposed CAPS for the Foundation Phase ( South Africa. DoBE, 2010f ) does non take into consideration the anterior numeracy cognition and accomplishments that a Grade R scholar brings to school. The first figure symbol that is being introduced to a Grade R scholar during the 3rd hebdomad of schooling, is 0 or naught, whereafter the Numberss are increased to 10 by the terminal of the twelvemonth ( South Africa. DoBE, 2010f, pp.2-118 ) . The NCS ( South Africa. DoE, 2003b ) provinces that The Grade R or 1 scholars come to school with varied experiences of figure work and figure cognition. Some can rote count whilst others merely know a rime or two. Learners can normally demo their age by seting up the right figure of fingers, but they frequently have no existent figure sense. Some scholars will be able to work with money and even give alteration to a certain extent, but they ca n't make formal calculatins affecting money jobs. Most immature scholars can portion nutrient reasonably without holding a construct of fractions. Differentiated learning activities should hence be created to suit all the scholars in the category ( p. 60 ) . In Chapter 1, research workers such as Schwartz & A ; Riedesel ( 1994 ) , Campbell ( 1997 ) , Chambers ( 2000 ) and Sheffield and Cruikshank ( 2000 ) , urge pedagogues to construct on scholars ‘ bing numeracy cognition. You are challenged to construct on what kids bring to the schoolroom and supply activities that help kids further grow and develop their mathematical thought and their apprehension of the constructs of add-on and minus ( Sheffield and Cruikshank, 2000, p. 154 ) . Harmonizing to Clements and Battista ( 2002 ) â€Å" larning mathematics should be thought of as a procedure of accommodating to and forming one ‘s quantitative universe, non detecting preexistent thoughts imposed by others † ( p. 6 ) . Therefore, a assortment of chances must be provided to immature scholars in order for them to research their milieus and environments. In this geographic expedition of the environment the scholar will utilize his/her current cognition to associate new information to that cognition ( Branscombe, et al. , 2002, p. 10 ) . In drumhead, it can be concluded that the ground why Grade Roentgen instructors are non implementing a developmentally appropriate, learner-centred and learner-based numeracy programme in their schoolrooms, can non be contributed merely to the deficiency of support and monitoring by territory functionaries. A 2nd ground why instructors do non implement their cognition and accomplishments of Grade R, is that they are overwhelmed with all the course of study alterations of the past 12 old ages as Chapters 2 and 3 of this survey described. A 3rd and possibly the most of import ground why Grade R instructors do non implement their cognition is in reply to the sub-research inquiries, viz. : What are the experiences of selected teacers in implementing numeracy in Grade R? What are the challenges that face Grade R instructors when they implement numeracy? and How make Grade R instructors ‘ experiences sing numeracy influence and impact their instruction and appraisal schemes in numeracy? Despite the fact that the selected Grade R instructors and practicians in this instance analyze believe themselves to be knowing and skilled sing numeracy in Grade R and hence, perceive themselves to implement numeracy efficaciously in their schoolrooms, the findings of the information analysis reveal that many of the selected instructors do non hold adequate cognition and accomplishments in how to implement numeracy in their schoolrooms ( See paragraph 6.4 ) . The deduction of the findings of this research survey for the pattern or execution of numeracy in the Grade R schoolroom is, that unless Grade R instructors receive extended preparation sing the undermentioned challenges and demands which were identified in this research survey, Grade R scholars will still miss the necessary cognition and accomplishments on which their numeracy and mathematical foundation in latter old ages are to be build: how to turn to barriers to acquisition ; how to implement numeracy constructs in practical, hands-on activities ; how to supply Grade R scholars with a assortment of educational playthings and equipment in and outside the schoolroom ; how to supply Gr R scholars with an copiousness of free-choice and free-play activities where numeracy constructs can be experienced, explored and discovered ; how to be after, organize and pull off schoolroom activities that will heighten numeracy development by immature scholars ; how to supply a schoolroom which includes the rules of the four acquisition theories, as identified in Chapter 4 ; how the instructor can supply a acquisition environment that is learner-centred and learner-paced ; how to travel beyond the minimal demands of the mileposts ; how to inquire open-ended inquiries which made an entreaty to scholars ‘ creative, thought, concluding and problem-solving accomplishments ; how to be after and implement developmentally appropriate patterns ; how to supply chances for larning through drama ; how to heighten scholars ‘ problem-solving and thought accomplishments.7.3 Strenghts and Restrictions of this SurveyThe strength of this survey lies in my usage of multiple informations aggregation instruments ( three open-ended focal point group interviews, nine semi-structured single interviews and nine audio-video tapes of the day-to-day programme in Grade R schoolrooms ) in order to unite different methods or â€Å" ways of looking † to obtain an in-depth apprehension of what the experiences and positions of Grade R instructors are in implementing numeracy in their schoolrooms ( Silverman, 2000, p. 177 ) . Harmonizing to Denzin and Lincoln ( 2003 ) the usage of multiple informations aggregation instruments or triangulation, which â€Å" is the show of multiple, refracted worlds at the same time † can be regarded as an option to proof ( p. 8 ) . This survey is further strengthened by its internal cogency. Internal cogency refers to the extent to which the readings and constructs have common significance between the participants and the research worker. The research worker and participants agree on the description or composing of events, particularly the significances of these events ( McMillan & A ; Schumacher, 2001, p. 407 ) . The interview model, which was compiled by the participants sing their apprehension, positions, experiences and beliefs about subjects prohibited me from interfering or pull stringsing the participants ‘ apprehension of the phenomenon. By following the interview model during the single interviews, research worker biasness was limited and objectiveness enhanced in this survey. It must be noted that entire objectiveness in a qualitative interpretative research paradigm is non possible. Stake ( 1988 ) emphasises that â€Å" Subjectivity is non seen as a neglecting needing to be eliminated but as an indispensable component of understanding † ( p. 45 ) . As the research worker, I was subjectively involved when I selected the participants for the focal point group and single interviews. My subjectiveness is besides apparent when I compared the transcripts of the day-to-day activities with the written text of the participant ‘s single interview. This research survey is besides strenghtened by its credibleness. Credibility, in penchant to the term â€Å" internal cogency † can be obtained in this research design by agencies of triangulation ( Shenton, 2004, p. 64 ) . It entailed that the same methodological informations aggregation methods of interviews ( for both focal point group and single interviews ) were used and thereby ensuing in its strength ( Shenton, 2004, p. 65 ) . Multi-method schemes such as focal point group interviews, single interviews and audio-video tape of activities assisted in obtaining different penetrations sing the phenomena. The semi-structured single interviews revealed thick descriptions to reflect a true and honorable image of the phenomenon which was under examination, whilst the audio-video tapes reflected the phenomena in a specific context chronologically. Credibility was enhanced when the transcripts of the focal point group interview in which the instructors and practicians participat ed were given to the semi-structured single interviewees to rephrased and probed to guarantee â€Å" that their words match what they really intended † ( Shelton, 2004, p. 68 ) . Dependability in the informations aggregation and analysis of this research survey, was obtained by guaranting that I captured through the audio-video tapes the â€Å" context- and situation-specificity † of each schoolroom ( Cohen, et al. , 2002, p. 120 ) . They are of the sentiment that Audio-visual informations aggregation has the capacity for completeness of analysis and fullness of stuff, cut downing both the dependance on anterior readings by the research worker and the possibility once more of merely entering events which happen often † ( Cohen, et al. , 2002, p. 313 ) . By comparing the audio-video tape written texts with the interview written texts an honest and comprehensive image was obtained in how Grade R instructors implement numeracy in their schoolrooms. In order to avoid go againsting participants ‘ privateness and cut downing them to mere research objects, I adhered to the undermentioned ethical considerations: I obtained written permission from the Eastern Cape Department of Education to carry on this research survey in the Grahamstown Education District. I met with all participants of focal point group and single interviews and explained the purpose of the research survey every bit good as the method of informations aggregation and analysis. I guaranteed confidentiality and namelessness by set abouting non to place them in transcripts of the interviews but simply to mention to them as participant 1, participant 2 etcetera. I undertook to protect their privateness by allowing entree to audio-video recordings of interviews and schoolroom activities merely to myself and my survey booster. I informed them of their right to stop their engagement at any clip if they felt uncomfortable with the research proceedings. All participants signed an Informed Consent whereby they acknowledged that they understood their function and engagement in the informations aggregation and analysis processs. They besides confirmed that aforementioned ethical issues were discussed with them. Letterss bespeaking permission to audio-video tape their kids in the day-to-day programme activities were given to parents and the signed informed consents of parents in this respect were collected ( Stake, 1988, p. 57 ) , However, the biggest strength of this research survey is the fact that Grade R instructors and practicians were given an chance to hold their voices heard sing their beliefs, perceptual experiences, cognition and accomplishments when they implement numeracy in their schoolrooms. Despite the above-named actions, restrictions of this research survey can be found in the audio-videotaping of the day-to-day programme in nine Grade R schoolrooms. Although I used the subjects of the Interview Framework to steer me when I audio-video taped the day-to-day programme activities, informations aggregation mistakes might hold materialized, as my subjectiveness and personal positions could hold clouded my function as a participant-observer and thereby inquiry the cogency and dependability of the observations. Cohen, et Al. ( 2000 ) underscore the fact that qualitative corporate instance surveies have a personal position in the reading by the research worker, as the research worker can non be divorced from the participants she is analyzing in-depth. Dependability of the observations is besides enhanced when there are a figure of observations, which point to emergent subjects or issues. ( Cohen, et al. , 2000 ) . Although I have tried to minimise the consequence of my invasi on into the natural scene of a Grade R instructor and her scholars it still had an impact ( Cohen et al. , 2000 ) . In this research survey, the visibleness of the audio-visual recording camera ( even if it was set up in such a manner that I tried non to pull attending to it ) , might hold a responsiveness impact on the scholars. I was unknown and a alien to them and hence they could hold acted otherwise from the manner they usually do in the category and school scene, when I and my audio-video recording camera are absent. External cogency limits this instance survey because the sampling was a non-probability convenience and purposeful, standard instance trying. Further, the research survey is embedded in a realistic interpretative paradigm research design, which is non intended to be representative and generalisable to the wider Grade R population. In utilizing convenience and purposeful instance trying I selected participants â€Å" in the full cognition that it does non stand for the broad population ; it merely represents itself † ( Cohen, et al. , 2001, p. 102 ) . Maykut and Morehouse ( 1994 ) agree that the focal point â€Å" is non the generalisation of consequences, but a deeper apprehension of experience from the positions of the participants selected for survey † ( p. 44 ) . External cogency refers to the extent to which consequences may be generalisable ( movable ) across either contexts or populations. It is non expected that the consequences of a survey of this nature will be generalisable across populations, but it is hoped that the consequences may bespeak certain rules that could be generalisable across contexts. In this survey, the point of generalisability is non whether the experiences of the instructors in the survey could be expected to be the same for other scenes. Rather, generalisability refers to possible wide subjects that may go possible given a certain instruction scene and context. A farther restriction refers to the fact that resources and mentions prior 1995 were non easy available. The curriculum resources from the Transvaal Department of Education, the Department of Education and Training and the Natal Department of Education are non decently referenced as I was able to roll up photostat transcripts of such resources from an ex-TED pre-primary school, a township school which hosted a Grade R category every bit good as the hand-outs from the Natal Department of Education from a antecedently capable adviser for pre-primary schools. These resources were distributed straight to the schools from the different Education Departments. Therefore, no publishing house and sometimes, no day of the months are available on these mentions and resources. Another restriction of this survey points to the position of the current NCS course of study. It is in theodolite and non clear adequate waies and publications sing the necessities of the CAPS, have come through. The course of study demands of the CAPS for the Foundation Phase ( South Africa. DoBE, 2010e ) is at this phase merely a bill of exchange papers. The possible wide subjects or findings that came to visible radiation when the information was analyzed can be used, non merely to heighten Grade R instructors ‘ apprehension, cognition and accomplishments when they implement numeracy, but besides to open up future research infinites sing numeracy.7.4 Deductions for Further ResearchDue to the fact that major course of study alterations are presently being made in order to implement the CAPS ( South Africa. DoBE, 2010e ) in 2011, it would be of import to reiterate this research survey and to look into whether the new and/or adapted course of study is implemented in such a manner that it is learner-centred, developmentally appropriate and taking the holistic development of the scholar into awareness. As stressed in above-named paragraph 7.2, the numeracy ability of Grade R scholars will onbly be enhanced if Grade R instructors receive extended preparation sing the challenges and demands which were identified in this research surv ey, Another focal point for farther research is to look into what are the Grade R instructor ‘s cognition and accomplishments to turn to numeracy barriers to larning. In this research survey, I did non include any probe sing the function linguistic communication plays in get the hanging numeracy constructs in Grade R. Although a female parent lingua or place linguistic communication attack was preferred in the NCS for Grade R, the Report of the Task Team for the Review of the Implementation of the National Curriculum Statement ( South Africa. DoBe, 2009 ) advises that both the Home Language and the First Additional Language, sooner English, are given a high precedence and therefore allocated 6 and 5 hours per hebdomad instruction clip in this respect ( p. 43 ) . Some Grade R scholars are being taught in either the First or Second Additional Languages and non their Home Language. It is hence strongly advised that farther research should be done on the function of linguistic communication dramas in geting numeracy cognition and accomplishments.7.5 Final WordI undertook this survey, non merely to happen possible replies for the underperformance of nu meracy in Grade 3, but besides to seek and understand what Grade R instructors and practicians are sing every twenty-four hours. As a topic adviser, it is of import for me to cognize the experiences of Grade R instructors and practicians before I can help and back up them. However, this research survey has non merely broadened my research cognition and accomplishments, but it has enriched me as a individual. I was inspired by the Grade R instructors and practicians, who go about with their mundane instruction with love, passion, dedication and committedness to immature learers, despite assorted challenges. This research survey was a really low experience.

Future of the US Healthcare System and the Effects on the Practice of Hand Surgery.

The authors of the report stated in the paper that no commercial party will benefit from the results of the report. This gives the reader an idea that the results of the report are unbiased and are not for the benefit on one party alone. Although the entirety of the paper is straightforward with regards to the current status of the healthcare system in the country, the suggested solutions were still broad and indefinite. Current problems in the healthcare system in the United States were examined in the recent report.Possible solutions to the identified problems were proposed as to also address the pressing need to have equal access to proper and quality healthcare. Sixteen percent (16%) of USA's GDP is allotted for healthcare expenditures, unfortunately this is not directly related to quality and equality of access in comparison with other countries. With this regard, many proposals were made to improve the system. In addition, healthcare professionals believe that hand surgery has a lot to offer in providing answers to the identified problems.The history of the healthcare system was also presented to give a background on the system. The system of having a universal system was initiated by President Roosevelt in the 1930s, which evolved from a primarily nonprofit system to one that recognized the great opportunity for profit. Through the years, there was an exponential increase in healthcare costs attributed to ‘defensive medicine' and advancing diagnostic and pharmaceutical technology. With these problems, the authors of the report advise that the future of health care system in the USA may be leaning towards a more cost-effective system.Policy makers would like to take advantage of existing programs such as Medicaid or Medicare to expand the coverage of healthcare. It is foreseen that either (a) private insurance companies will no longer be on business and the government will be the one responsible for health care distribution for all or (b) private co mpanies will remain to be existent to give the public the choice on which health care provider they prefer. After reading the article, one is still left questioning what really is next for the health care system in the country.The undesirable reality has already been exposed and most people already know the disadvantages of the current system. The proposed new system of abolishing the private insurance companies to make way for the government to handle health care is a little too unrealistic. The country is being ran by the capitalists and removing these big companies will cost the country jobs and millions of dollars of losses. The author also had some points that campaigning and pushing through with the slogan â€Å"healthcare for all† is impossible.I personally think that this statement is untrue since a lot of nations have already implemented this as in the case of England and Cuba. Overall, the report is comprehensive and informative enough to be read and evaluated by pr oper authorities. They can review this and provide considerations for future policies to address the problems and improve on the existing healthcare system. Pushman, A. G. & K. C. Chung. â€Å"Future of the US Healthcare System and the Effects on the Practice of Hand Surgery. † American Association for Hand Surgery 2009 4:99-107.

A Study Of The Superiority Of Man Over The Environment As Depicted In Never Cry Wolf

A Study Of The Superiority Of Man Over The Environment As Depicted In Never Cry Wolf Man over Nature? In Never Cry Wolf Ootek tells Farley a legend that links man, wolves, and caribou in a perfectly balanced, continuos, natural cycle. Nevertheless, the whole novel uncovers the sad truth that man has altered this unique cycle and its own denial of it threatens to destroy it. This theme, suggests the idea that man, although being a part of nature, has abused the power that was granted to him only to have a better life at the expense of other living beings. In Ooteks tale, man is clearly referred as a superior being who plays the main role in nature. For example, the woman in the story and her sons, which in a way represent humanity, are given the caribou as a gift from the gods, a gift that would supply all their needs. so the sons of the Woman hunted well, and they were fed and clothed and had good skins to live in, all from the caribou (Mowat 84). In the same way, nature has provided humanity entirely with all its needs in a way where it can coexist harmonically with the living things around it. People, in a somewhat self-centric way, have viciously transformed the natural world for their own good in order to supply themselves with superficial things. Nevertheless, though hominids basically make nature work for their profit, they too form a part of it. On the other hand, man has surpassed its use of nature and has begun to destroy the delicate cycle it forms. No one can deny, how civilization has basically stripped jungles, polluted air and water, exterminated species and contaminated the land. The human beings have lost complete respect for nature and will probably have to face the consequences. It is incongruent to think that exploiting a planet will not end up harming all the living things that coexist together in it. In Never Cry Wolf, hunters face the problem of having few caribou to hunt. They immediately blame the wolves of being monstrous and obnoxious beats who savagely devour deer, and never stop to consider the possibility that this problem might be caused by their own addiction to make money by over killing animals. my predecessor supplied the Minister with an explanation of this situation in which it was his contention that there were fewer deer because the hunters had increased to the point where they outnumbered the deer about five to one. He was promptly shouted down by Members howling Liar! and Wolf-lover! (Mowat 9) The hunters in the story also lost respect for nature and the vital role the wolf plays in the life of the caribou. They decide to exterminate it. Slowly but surely, the lack of wolves will alter the caribou-wolf cycle by allowing the caribou population to grow weak and sick; this will eventually have repercussions on man himself. It could now be concluded, that man, as well as the hunters in Never Cry Wolf, have abused nature and have not tried to give something back by contributing to the circle of life. Because the discrimination against wolves, it cause an extensive rumor, numerous rumors, and several lies. Evidently the denial of this situation will soon backfire on man. This would bring out the question: why can man not look over his shoulder and care for others if this means caring for himself? It is now up to the future generations to become responsible for nature and give something back for all it has been taken from it.

Labor studies Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Labor studies - Research Paper Example The body gets into the resolution of disputes over the foreign market access and on the issues that influence the trade patterns between the signatories (Howse 134). All these are done with the intent of improving the lives of the people in these regions through free and fair trade between the countries. The objective to improve the lives of people on the trade links and platforms by the WTO are based on the efforts to ensure full employment to the people and regulation of the labor standards. The body was formed by the world laborers who wanted to improve the living standards of the workers through the establishment a candid and sound body to advocate for the rights of the laborers. The WTO has the power to review the laws of a nation which promote the unfair treatment of the workers. These laws are reviewed and various issues addressed so that the workers’ rights are advocated for. Through this mechanism, the WTO advocates for the lower wages for the workers. The organization also strives to meet the demands of the laborers on the issues linked to the labor rights and the free trade agreements and negotiations (Howse 131). Ideologically, it is proved to be wrong and unfair when the producers of the developed industrial countries compete with the imports from the nations with the low wage rates and poor labor standards. The economic effects of the unfavorable competitions are likely to lead to comparative disadvantages to the low wage-rates countries and their workforce. The general objective of the WTO in relation to the improvement of the living standards of the workers has been met through a number of actions in trying to protect the rights of the workers (Powell 91). The World Trade Organization has used the following strategies to realize the objective of creating the conditions of lower wages and the improvement of the lives of workers worldwide: The linking of labor rules is a method that has been used by the WTO to improve the

The Clean Air Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Clean Air Act - Essay Example From this study it is clear that the Act created the federal benchmarks for mobile sources of air pollution. The standards also extended to fuels as well as a source of over 187 hazardous air pollutants. Moreover, the Act provided for a cap-and-trade program for the emissions causing rain. Further, the Act culminated into a comprehensive permit framework for chief sources of air pollution. Furthermore, the Act deals with the prevention of pollution in areas with clean air as well as a safeguard of the stratospheric ozone layer.This essay discusses that  the Clean Act has been central to the Health sector. For example, it is estimated that over 22 trillion dollars have been saved in Health-Care Costs. As demanded by the Congress to ascertain the worthiness of the Act, EPA conducted periodic scientific studies assessing the benefits and cost of the Act. The report that was initially produced in October 1977 providing an in-depth retrospective examination of benefits and cost between 1970 and 1990 revealed overwhelming benefits attained by complying with Act over the cost of implementation. The EPA applied dose-response data from the scientific review. The study modelling projected over 184,000 annual reduction in premature deaths, and 674 chronic reduction. Moreover, the study revealed that over 22 million lost days at work, as well as other key outcomes.  The Act has also been central to promoting environmental protection leading to clean air to breath.

CRITICAL MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

CRITICAL MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVES - Essay Example Most contemporary literature in business and psychology strongly indicate that in order to gain high performance from employees, they must perceive a sense of belonging within the organisation. Very centralised organisations, which are being phased out by more inclusive decision-making models, simply cannot satisfy the complex needs of workers and produce negative psychological responses to management presence. Therefore, the role of line management within organisations is evolving with the necessity for managers to adopt more principles and ideologies that are aligned with contemporary human resources theory. Old school management models consider the role of management as being one of planning, organising, leading and controlling, however this is insignificant in the modern business environment if the organisation is to be adaptable to changing market conditions. Today, managers must take a softer approach to leading, a human resources philosophy that attempts to gain trust from emp loyees and where workers are considered highly valuable assets and management works directly to better develop their skills and competencies whilst serving as a role model to gain commitment and loyalty (Armstrong 2007). There is, therefore, an absolutely necessity for line managers to find congruence between traditional management practice and human resources to build a positive organisational culture that is cohesive and dedicated to achieving strategic goals. To develop this culture, which leads to competitive advantage through human capital development, managers must be visionary, communicate regularly with employees, and inspire to prevent resistance to change (Fairholm 2009). In an environment where change and adaptability is absolutely vital to revenue production and sustaining competitive advantage, line managers can no longer negate the absolute necessity to adopt human resource principles into their management models. This essay describes why such congruence in role respon sibility is vital to organisational performance and supersedes old-fashioned hard management models. What drives congruence inevitability Buchanan and Huczynski (2010) describe contingency theory which states that as external market conditions change, the organisation structure must be adaptable in order to remain competitively relevant. Pressures from the external environment mandate that the organisation makes changes to structure which often requires decentralisation in order to maintain flexibility and competitive advantages. In the traditional organisation with high levels of control and bureaucracy, organisational politics are part of the culture and there are significant levels of power distance between managers and employees. In this type of structure, senior-level managers attempt to coordinate power resources at the highest levels of the hierarchy which is defined as resources that one maintains whilst others lack. Such power resources can range from financial assets and b udget to knowledge. This type of organisational po

IS setup Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

IS setup - Essay Example In the recent times, the sales have been decreasing and the new CEO has contributed it to the lack of technology in its operation. It is observed that an effective computer based information system would greatly improve and improvise the delays in the various operations of the firm and help give it a competitive advantage. I agree with the CEO because the current functioning of the firm delays the access to vital information for efficient decision making vis-Ã  -vis various managerial decision making. There is lack of effective communication amongst the various branches which increases the overhead costs considerably. The diverse units of FYC need to be linked through effective system that would facilitate sharing of information within the departments and within the branches. Access to information represents the basic precondition for success of a firm (Drucker, 1998). Access to information is vital part of organizational management processes as it not only promotes efficiency and knowledge based discharge of duties by the employees but it a great tool for the management to exploit the available information to improve its performance. It would also facilitate timely and regular communication amongst the employees and branches. Information provides wide ranging knowledge about the existing and emerging paradigms of the business world which may have considerable impact on the organizational performance outcomes. Hence, organizations need to develop a comprehensive information system that would promote and accelerate the organizational aims and objectives. Use of IS would facilitate higher level of efficiency and organizational growth which would offset a competitive advantage over their rivals. Information system development is the new methodology of storing and manipulating strategic business information that are designed to improve the overall business prospects. The ISD has been evolved to encompass various spheres of the business including

Comparing and Contrasting Two works of Art Essay

Comparing and Contrasting Two works of Art - Essay Example These two works of art have a couple of similarities regarding their identity. The two effigies contain inscriptions. The Babylonian piece contains groups of laws. Similarly, the Roman column encompasses figures as well as an engraving that gives a remark so people can make sense of the structure. It talks about the people of Rome dedicating the image to Caesar. Moreover, the engravings were created following a certain order. The decrees were written in respect to the social status of the people. For instance, the rulings specified how a certain sanction will be applied to a noble citizen or to a slave. The column also has divisions in its carvings. The depicted wars were split into the two battles. The upper part portrays the war with the Dacians from 101 AD to 102 AD whereas the lower part showed what transpired from 105 AD-106 AD. Though their observable contents are dissimilar, their underlying theme is the same. The Code sought to honor Hammurabi’s wisdom and views on jus tice. Likewise, the Column commemorated the excellence of Trajan’s warfare skills. On the other hand, the differences regarding the statues’ identity are the material, artists, dating, and themes depicted. The artist responsible for the Code of Hammurabi’s construction is not yet verified since it is among the ancient works. It was found in 1901 by Gustave Jequier. He was an Egyptologist who was in an expedition. Nonetheless, the Column of Trajan was most likely overseen by Apollodorus, the known architect from Damascus. Furthermore, the material used in creating the legal code was a crude stone slab. Other duplicates of the manuscripts were found in other places (Freely, 2000). They were imprinted on tablets made of baked clay. Another copy of the Code is on a diorite stele and it is currently in The Louvre. The index shaped structure features an almost complete version of the laws. Regarding the Roman triumphal column, it is mainly made of marble (Lancaster, 1 999). The hollow beam consists of Carrara marble drums. Spiral stairs occupy the center. The huge edifice stands 30 meters or 98 feet high. The gap between the two works of art regarding their period is quite discernible. The Code came centuries before Trajan’s column. Their respective features speak of differences of craftsmanship that reflect the civilization of their times. The subsequent erection characterizes finer and more advanced craftsmanship. They also have distinctions as to their manifest content. While the Code of Hammurabi concentrates on what is accepted and what is not in their society, Trajan’s Column focuses on the settings that represent crusades against their enemies. A total of 2500 figures were found. Most of them were soldiers, priests, and soldiers. The emperor was illustrated 59 times. The 282 laws encompass conditions on trade, slavery, conducts, religion, and others (King, 2005). One of the most common decrees found in the slab is â€Å"an e ye for an eye† (Prince, 1904, p.602). The sanctions reflect how restrictions, punishments, and authorizations were being facilitated. Concerning the similarities of style, the two pieces are both realistic and geometrical. The king’s proclamations are credibly inscribed on the tablets and steles. Correspondingly, the column displays the realistic activities of the individuals organizing and involving in clashes. Particularly, Trajan’

Law of Evidence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Law of Evidence - Essay Example The burden of proof aims to provide a jury with at least enough evidence to support the position of a reasonable doubt of the guilt of the accused. Therefore what must be determined in this case is whether the defendant will be obliged to adhere to a legal or evidential burden of proof. The leading case in the nature of the legal burden of proof in English criminal law1 is that of Woolmington v. Director of Public Prosecutions2, in which Viscount Sankey stated that â€Å"it is the duty of the prosecution to prove the prisoner’s guilt subject to†¦.insanity†¦.[and also]†¦statutory exception.† Therefore, applying the standard set out in this case, it would appear that the onus of the burden of proof will be placed upon the prosecution rather than on the defence. However, research suggests that this has not generally been the case. A study conducted by Ashworth and Blake showed that the legal burden of proof was placed upon defendants to prove a statutory defence in at least 40% of the Crown court cases3. Therefore, in a criminal case the defendant may likely bear the burden of proof, depending upon the circumstances and the statute (in this case, the Road Traffic Offenders Act of 1988)4. In the recent case of Sheldrake v DPP5 the question of whether driving offences would come under the purview of criminal offences and could therefore constitute a requirement for a legal burden of proof from both prosecution and defense was raised. In arriving at its decision, the Court also took into account the question of whether imposing a legal burden of proof on the defendant and thereby rendering him liable for conviction even when a reasonable doubt existed, would be in contravention of the presumption of innocence that works in favor of every defendant in a criminal case. The question of whether a legal or evidential standard of proof was to be levied required the Court to strike a balance between the

Identity among American Indians Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Identity among American Indians - Essay Example outdated practice as the quantum blood policy can be seen not only as a way for the federal government to reduce the number of Indians who are dependent on its support but also as a way of eventually forcing the dissolution of Indian tribal groupings in time and the eventual assimilation into the mainstream American way of life. In reality, the majority, if not all, the current Indians can be said to be of mixed blood to a certain degree. Miscegenation between European settlers and Indians began within the first century of European arrival in North America and has continued since then to modern times. Moreover, as the other racial groups came to America, they also inevitably mixed with the Indians. In the 2000 census more than 1.6 million American Indians reported descent from two or more races and at the beginning of the twenty first century, at least 40% of American Indians were of mixed blood. The lives of Indians is always complicated by the non Indian opinion of how the Indians should look and act because they are often envisioned as noble savages and are expected to look and act just the way their ancestors did during the time of the Pilgrims at Plymouth or as they are depicted in books and movies. What most people in America do not realize is that the Indians have developed and adapted to the modern world just as they themselves have and that their cultures today are not so different to be distinguishable. It is a fact that many of them live and work in the urban areas of America and that they are so well assimilated that it would be very hard to actually recognize them to be phenotypic Indians. A large number of Indians are marrying outside their own communities and in doing so, the number of mixed race Indians has also increased dramatically. This brings us... Some Indians identify very strongly with their native cultures and actively participate in them while others are all for the abandonment of their culture and see the adoption of mainstream American culture as the only way to secure their future. There are others who take a stand in the middle believing that the best course is to adopt the best from both Indian and American cultures and use them as a basis for their future. The majority of those who support the latter are mixed blood Indians who tend to identify with both cultures but are unable to comfortably fit within either culture. Most of the young unemployed Indians in the reservations would prefer to abandon their culture and go to the cities where they feel that there are better opportunities for them than in the reservations. There are however some Indians who have experienced mainstream American culture and have not found it to be fulfilling. This has led to their rediscovery of their native culture and their participation in it which has filled a void within them. In conclusion, it is my opinion that the current means of identifying and determining who can be considered an Indian and who cannot should be changed. It is my belief that all people with Indian blood, however minimal should be identified as an Indian because doing otherwise as it is being done today is very discriminatory. It should be remembered that no race in the world, whether red, black, white, or yellow, is genetically pure because over the ages, racial mixing has been inevitable.

Project topics - Journal of Engineering Research and Studies Essay Example for Free

Project topics Journal of Engineering Research and Studies Essay Journal of Engineering Research and Studies E-ISSN0976-7916 Research Paper SEPARATION OF OIL AND PECTIN FROM ORANGE PEEL AND STUDY OF EFFECT OF pH OF EXTRACTING MEDIUM ON THE YIELD OF PECTIN Shekhar Pandharipande*a, Harshal Makodeb Address for Correspondence *a- Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Laxminarayan Institute of Technology, Rashtrasant Tukdoji Maharaj Nagpur University, Bharat Nagar, Amravati Road, Nagpur,India. b B. Tech student, Department of Chemical Engineering, Laxminarayan Institute of Technology, Rashtrasant Tukdoji Maharaj Nagpur University, Bharat Nagar, Amravati Road, Nagpur, India. ABSTRACT An orange, specifically, the sweet orange (Citrus sinensis (L.)) is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world. The present work addresses to the development of the part of the process needed for the extraction of value added products like orange oil and pectin from orange peel, which is the waste of orange juice processing industry. The outcome of the present work highlighted that the sweet orange peels are good source of orange oil and pectin and does have the potential to become important raw material for food processing industries. Two methods namely simple distillation leaching have been explored for separation of oil from peels. The remains of cake in this part is further treated for isolation of pectin. It is found from the experimental observations that the peel source, for extraction of pectin, when taken after extracting orange oil through simple distillation gives higher yield than leaching residue. It is concluded that the process in which orange oil is first extracted using technique of simple distillation followed by acid extraction of pectin is most suitable for industrial production for isolation of pectin. These results demonstrate the successful extraction of orange oil and pectin, providing potential benefits for  industrial extraction of pectin from an economic and environmental point of view. KEYWORDS orange peel, pectin extraction, orange essential oil 1.1 INTRODUCTION An orange, specifically, the sweet orange (Citrus  sinensis (L.)) is the most commonly grown tree fruit  in the world. Orange trees are widely cultivated in  tropical and subtropical climates for the sweet fruit,  which is peeled or cut (to avoid the bitter rind) and  eaten whole, or processed to extract orange juice,   also for the fragrant peel. Citrus fruits are at the top  not only in total production, but also in economic  value. The albedo is the main source of pectin. Pectin  includes all the esterified polygalacturonic acids at  different degree of neutralization. In the presence of  saccharine and small quantities of organic acids  (usually citric acid), pectins gelatinized, and this  property is exploited by the agrochemistry and  pharmaceutical industries for pectin isolation. Orange  essential oil is present in small ductless gland  contained in the peel of the orange fruits. The main  constituent of orange peel essential oil is d-limonen e  (present to the extent of at least 90 %), which is the  only hydrocarbon present. The d-limonene is  extracted from orange rinds or solids. The rinds and  pulp are sent to an evaporator and the d-limonene is  steamed out. It is widely known for its pleasant scent  and degreasing properties. d-limonene is currently  being used in many applications such as chlorinated  solvents replacements, hand cleaners and sewage  treatments. The orange processing industry can get a  complete makeover if due importance is given for  separation of useful ingredient from orange peel.  Researchers and Scientists have been working on the  separation of oil and pectin from orange peel and  reporting their findings in journals of repute. A brief  summary includes orange peel: organic waste or  energetic resource(1), Waste to wealth: Industrial raw  materials potential of peels of Nigerian sweet orange  (Citrus sinensis)(2), method of distilling a volatile  constituent from liquid mixture(3), Optimization of  pectin acid extraction from passion fruit peel  (Passiflora edulis flavicarpa) using response surface  methodology(4), Extraction and Qualitative Assessment of African Sweet Orange Seed Oil(5), JERS/Vol. III/ Issue II/April-June, 2012/06-09 Comparisons between different techniques for waterbased extraction of pectin from orange peels(6) , microwave-assisted Isolation of essential oil of  Cinnamomum iners Reinw. ex Bl.: Comparison with  Conventional hydrodistillation(7), Microwave-assisted  extraction of pectin from orange peel(8), microbial  production of pectin from Citrus peel(9), Optimization  of Pectin Extraction from Peel of Dragon Fruit  (Hylocereus polyrhizus)(10), Determining the Yield  and Quality of Pectin from Fresh Peel Pectin  Pomace(11) and Microbial Production of Pectin from  Citrus Peel(12) . The present work (13) explored the possibility of  separation of essential oils and pectin from the  orange peels. Nagpur is major orange producing  centre in the subcontinent and even recognised in the  name of oranges as, Orange city. 1.2 MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present work is divided into following parts: I. Separation of oil from peels. a) Using the method of simple distillation b) Using ethanol as solvent in the method of leaching II. Extraction of pectin from oil peels a) From fresh peels, the leftover b) From dried cake remained after simple distillation and leaching as in part I 1.2.1 Separation of oil from peels: Raw Material: The raw material taken under examination for the extraction of orange oil (d-limonene) and pectin is orange peel. Orange peels are removed from fresh oranges which are procured from local market and which were harvested in the month of December 2011 to January 2012. Methods: Simple distillation is employed for removal of essential oil from orange peel. Dried and fined ground orange peel powder is added with known quantity of water which is simple distilled off for approximately one hour. The solid remains of the residue are dried to obtain the dry cake. The distillate Journal of Engineering Research and Studies E-ISSN0976-7916 resulted in to two phases, oil and water. Two phases  are separated and orange oil is obtained. For 350 gm  of orange powder taken, 8 ml of oil and 126.3 gm of  dried cake is obtained. The method of leaching is also explored for removal  of oil from peels. 380 gm of fresh orange peel are extracted with 225 ml of ethanol. After adequate  contacting, two phases, solid and liquid are separated,  198 gm of wet slurry resulted into 150 gm of dry  cake. However oil could not be recovered following  this method. The dried cake obtained is further  treated for separation of pectin in next part of present  work.  1.2.2 Extraction of pectin from orange peels:  The objective of this part of work is extraction and  isolation of pectin from fresh orange peel sample and  the dry cake sample left after extraction of oil using  simple distillation as in part I. The objective includes  the study of the effect of pH of the medium on the  yield of pectin extracted. The process flow chart is as shown in the figure 1. Table no 1: Experimental observations of yield of pectin at different pH Fig no 1: Process flow chart for extraction of pectin from orange peel sample Citric acid in distilled water solutions of desired pH  values 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4 and 5 are prepared. Orange peel samples weighing 10 gm each are dipped in to the  solution and heated at 800C for 10 minutes. After  cooling the solution, it is filtered using cloth filter  and Whatman filter paper under vacuum. Ethanol is  added to the filtered solution to facilitate filtration of  pectin. The solution is filtered using fine filter cloth  or centrifuge at 8000 rpm for 15 min at 100C to  separate jelly pectin which is dried under vacuum at  500C and -100 mmHg gauge for two hours. Dried  pectin is thus obtained. The observations are given in  table no 1.  Yield % of pectin is based on the gram of peel sample taken, and is calculated by formula as given below; Fig no 2: Pectin yield at different pH of extracting medium 1.2.2.1: Comparison of yield of pectin from the dry cake residue left after simple distillation and leaching: Same procedure is applied for separation of pectin in  this part of present work, as followed in part 1.2.2.the  observations are tabulated in table 2 pictorial  details output of process are depicted in fig 3. Table no 2: Experimental observations of  comparison of yield of pectin from the dry cake  residue left after simple distillation and leaching  where Ypec (%) is the extracted pectin yield in per cent (%), P is the amount of dry pectin in g and Bi is the initial amount of orange peel in gram. Results and discussion: The maximum yield of pectin is obtained at   extraction medium pH of 1. However negligible yield  is obtained at pH of 4 and 5 as can be seen from  graph plotted between pectin yield % obtained for  various values of pH of medium as shown in fig 2. JERS/Vol. III/ Issue II/April-June, 2012/06-09 Journal of Engineering Research and Studies Result and discussion: The yield of pectin obtained is highest in turbid  extract, but this might be due to some suspended  impurities present in the extract. The maximum  overall yield of the pectin is obtained from orange  peel residue sample through simple distillation. Therefore, in the process of orange oil and pectin  extraction from orange peel, it is recommended on  basis of results obtained, that to first extract oil using  simple distillation and then isolate pectin with acid  hydrolysis technique. 1.3 CONCLUSION Nagpur region is well known in central Asia as  largest orange producing region. It is also known as  the California of India, producing excellent quality  oranges in large number. Though it has great  production of oranges, the downstream processing  and value added product manufacturing technology is  not yet developed. The present work is dedicated for E-ISSN0976-7916 the development of the part of the process technology  needed for the extraction of value added products i.e.  orange oil and pectin from orange peel, which is the  waste of orange juice processing industry. The  present work revealed that the sweet orange peels are  good source of orange oil and pectin and does have  the potential to become important raw material for  food processing industries. It is found from the  experimentation that the peel source, for extraction of  pectin, when taken after extracting orange oil through  simple distillation gives higher yield than leaching  residue. So it can be concluded that the process in  which orange oil is first extracted using technique of  simple distillation followed by acid extraction of  pectin is most suitable for industrial production. These results demonstrate the successful extraction of  orange oil and pectin, providing potential benefits for  industrial extraction of pectin from an economic and  environmental point of view. Fig no 3: Pictorial presentation of the process for comparison of yield of pectin from the dry cake residue left after simple distillation and leaching Amboni. (2009). optimisation of pectin acid extraction REFERENCES 1. 2. 3. 4. Martà ­n M.A, Siles J.A.1, El Bari H, Chica A. F, Università © Ibn Tofail. Facultà © dos Sciences. Kenitra (Maroc) .(2008). Orange Peel: Organic Waste or Energetic Resource? Tobias I. Ndubuisi Ezejiofor, N. V. Eke, R. I. Okechukwu, R. N. Nwoguikpe and C. M. Duru. (2011) Waste to wealth: Industrial raw materials potential of peels of Nigerian sweet orange (Citrus sinensis). African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 10(33), pp. 6257-6264. Gorden P. Gerow, Davenport, Fla.(1982). Method Of Distilling A Volatile Constituent From Liquid Mixture. United States Patent, 4,326,926. Erika Kliemann, Karina Nunes de Simas, Edna R. Amante, Elane Schwinden Prudeˆncio, Reinaldo F. Teo ´ filo, Ma ´ rcia M. C. Ferreira Renata D. M. C. JERS/Vol. III/ Issue II/April-June, 2012/06-09 5. 6. 7. from passion fruit peel (Passiflora edulis flavicarpa) using response surface methodology. International Journal of Food Science and Technology, 44, 476–483. Nwobi BE, Ofoegbu O O B Adesina. (2006). Extraction And Qualitative Assessment Of African Sweet Orange Seed Oil. African Journal of food agriculture nutrition and development. Vol. 6 ISSN 1684-5374. S. Yeoh, J. Shi, T.A.G. Langrish. (2008). Comparisons between different techniques for water-based extraction of pectin from orange peels. Elsevier, Desalination 218, 229–237. Weerachai Phutdhawong, Rungthip Kawaree, Samart Sanjaiya, Waya Sengpracha Duang Buddhasukh.(2007). Microwave-Assisted Isolation of Essential oil of innamomum iners Reinw. ex Bl.: Journal of Engineering Research and Studies Comparison with Conventional Hydrodistillation. Molecules ISSN 1420-3049 8. Zheng Jie, Yang Ting, Wu Qiang, Li Jing, Wang YaNa. (2009). Microwave-assisted Extraction of Pectin from Orange Peel. Vol. 30, No. 20, p. 134-137. 9. P.Y. Tang, C.J. Wong and K.K. Woo. (2011). Optimization of Pectin Extraction from Peel of Dragon Fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus). Asian Journal of Biological Sciences, ISSN 1996-3351, Knowledgia Review, Malaysia, 4 (2): 189-195. 10. P. G. Crandall, R. J. Braddock, and A. H. Rouse. (1978). Determining The Yield And Quality Of Pectin From Fresh Peel And Pectin Pomace. Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 91:109-111. 11. Takuo Sakai Minoru Okushima. (1998). Microbial Production of Pectin from Citrus Peel.Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Vol. 39, No. 4, p. 908912. 12. Harshal Makode (2012).Project report submitted for B Tech to Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University,Nagpur. JERS/Vol. III/ Issue II/April-June, 2012/06-09 E-ISSN0976-7916

Boise Art Museum Essay Example for Free

Boise Art Museum Essay Boise Art Museum is located in a serene environment with beautifully manicured lawns adorned with various artifacts. I had the privilege of visiting this renowned museum on 18th August 2003. During this time an exhibition showing the ceramic artistic works of Wanxin Zhang was ongoing. The ceramic works featured Chinese figures molded to the height of an average person and each piece having its own uniqueness. Each of the figures represented different emotions and personalities. Some of the figures even had clothing that depicted a combination of tradition and modernity. One astonishing aspect about the figures is how the artist managed such art with such huge ceramics. This depicted mastery of the art. Although all the figures were brown in color and more or less of the same size, it was very easy to discern differences in terms of the emotions and personalities displayed by the clothing, posture and facial expressions. This outlined how diversity can be achieved in art just by varying aspects such as posture and facial expression. The technique was superb as the artist managed utilize contour to bring out contrast in different parts of the body and to create outline for the clothing. The finishing was also smooth and rough surfaces were meant to bring certain aspects of the figure such as clothing. The figures are also amazing due to the extent that they manage to combine tradition and modernity. Looking at the figures one also notices the sense of humor of the artist. Some figures were adorned with glasses and some had neck ties. This gave the figures a funny and a ridiculous look. Generally the artist outlined how possible though ridiculous it would be to combine tradition and modernity in a single piece of work. This is actually a very rare observation considering that the figures still manage to look artistic and portray a rich Chinese culture. Reference: Boise Art Museum. (2010, August 18). Wanxin Zhang: A Ten Year Survey. Retrieved August 18, 2010, from Boise Art Museum: http://boiseartmuseum. org/exhibit/current. php

Strategic Options That Globalization Offers To Firms Marketing Essay

Strategic Options That Globalization Offers To Firms Marketing Essay This report looks at how firms can explore opportunities that globalization offers if they wish to grow with established or new products in a new or existing market. The report looks at a number of strategic options which can be pursued to gain competitive advantage over other firms. Strategic options which are available mainly offered by the ansoff matrix are discussed. Other strategic options such as Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), Collaborative ventures, Exporting, Take over, mergers, acquisitions, franchising and licensing and many more. Examples of firms that exploited opportunities that Globalization offers are also discussed in this report. Some of the companies are Samsung, Virgin group, Vodafone, SWIFT, LNM (Mittal), Google, Motorola, McDonalds, Sony, BMW, SABMiller and many more. INTRODUCTION Globalization of markets refers to the gradual integration and growing interdependence of national economics. Globalisation allows firms to view the world as an integrated market place. Globalisation has a broader meaning and also refers to the interconnectedness of national economies and the growing interdependence of buyers, producers, producers, supplies and government in different countries. Market globalization in manifested in by the production and marketing of branded products and services worldwide. Declining trade barriers and the ease with which international business transactions take place due to the internet and other technologies are contributing to a gradual integration of most national economies into a unified market. Early civilization in the Mediterranean Middle East, Asia, Africa and Europe have all contributed to the growth of cross-border trade over time. Bursts of cross-border trade have been triggered by world events and technological discoveries. LITERATURE REVIEW The globalization of markets has opened up countless new business opportunities for internationalizing firms. Globalisation allows firms to explore opportunities in new established markets, with new or existing products. According to H. Ansoff, firms wishing to go international can use the Ansoff product and/or market matrix which provides a simple way of generating four basic alternative direction for strategic development; Market Penetration, Product Development, Market Development and Diversification. Firms can go global with the following scenarios. An existing product in an existing market (market penetration consolidation), an existing product in a new market (Market Development), a new product in an existing market (Product Development); and a new product in a new market. Market Penetration Consolidation This strategic option is when a firm increases share of its existing product range, is on the face of it the most obvious strategic direction. It builds on existing strategic capabilities and does not require the firm to venture into uncharted territory. The organizations scope is exactly the same. Greater market share implies increased power vis-a-vis buyers and supplies, greater economies of scale and experience curve benefits. Firms seeking greater market penetration may face two constraints; Retaliation from compellation and legal constraints. Retaliation and Competitors Increasing market penetration is likely to exacerbate industry rivalry as other competitors in the market defend their share. Increased rivalry might involve price wars or expensive marketing battles, which may cost more than any market shares gains are actually worth. In low growth or declining markets, it can be more effective simply to acquire competitors. For example; in the steel industry the Indian LNM (Mittal) moved rapidly in the 2000s to become the largest steel producer in the world by acquiring struggling steel companies around the world. Acquisition can actually reduce rivalry. Legal Constraints Greater market penetration can raise concerns from official competition regulators concerning excessive market power. Most countries have regulators with the powers to restrain powerful companies or prevent mergers and acquisitions that would create such excessive power. Example in the UK, competition commission can investigate any merger or any acquisition that would account for more than 25% of the national market and either half a deal or proposed measures that would reduce market power. Consolidation This is when firms focus defensively on their current market with current products. Product Development This is where firms deliver modified or new products to existing markets. This strategy can be undertaken by firms who wish to explore opportunities in existing market with a new product. This is a limited extension of organisational scope. Product development implies greater degrees of innovation firms who wish to explore opportunities in established markets with new products can fare challenges because it is expensive and high-risk activities because of the following: New Strategic Capabilities Product development typically involves mastering new technologies that may be unfamiliar to the firm. For example, banks entered online banking at the beginning of this century but suffered many setbacks with technologies so radically different to their traditional high street branch means of delivering banking services. Project Management Risk Product development projects are typically subject to the risk of delays and increased costs due to project complexity and changing project specification over time. For example, 7.6bn Airbus A380 double-decker air line project, which suffered two years of delays in the mid 2000s because of wiring problem. Air bus had managed reveral new aircraft developments before but the high degree of customization required by each airline customer and incompatibilities in computer-aided design software, led to greater complexity than the Airbus project management could handle. Market Development If product development is risky and expensive, firms wishing to explore opportunities to go global can use Market Development has a strategy where the firm offers existing products to new markets. Markets development might take three forms: New statement. For example in the public services, a collage might offer its educational services to older students than its traditional intake, perhaps via evening courses. New Users. An example would be aluminium, whose original users packaging and cutlery manufactures are now supplemented by users in aerospace and automobiles. New Geographics. It is essential that market development strategies are based on products or services that meet the critical success factors of the new market. Strategies based on simply off-loading traditional products or services in new markets are likely to fail. Moreover, market development faces similar problems as product development. In terms of strategic capabilities, market developers often lack the right marketing skills and brands to make progress in a market with unfamiliar customers. On the management side the challenge is coordinating between different segments, users and geographics, which might all have different needs. Example Diversification Diversification is defined as a strategy that takes an organisation away from both its existing products. (Johnson et al, pp 262). It radically increases the firm scope. A good deal of diversification in practice involves building a relationship with existing markets or products. Market penetration and product development entail some diversifying adjustment of product or markets. Diversification is just one of the directions for Globalisation and needs to be considered alongside its alternatives. Opportunities which may drive firms to go global are Efficiency Gains. Efficiency gains can be made by applying the organizations existing resources existing resources or capabilities to new markets and products or services. These are also called Economics of Scope. If an organisation has utilized resources or competences that it cannot effectively close or sell to other potential users, it can make sense to use these resources or competences by going global using diversification into new activity. Stretching Corporate Parenting Capabilities. At the corporate parent level, managers may develop a competence at managing a range of different products and services which can be applied even to businesses which do not share resource at the corporate parenting skills as the dominant general management logic. For example, a French Conglomerate LVMH includes a wide range of business form champagne through fashion and perfumes, to financial media that share few operation resources or competences. Increasing Market Power. With many businesses, an organisation can afford to cross-subsidize one business from the surplus earned by another, in a way that competitors may not be able to. Types of Diversification Firms wishing to explore opportunities in new or established markets, with new or existing products can diversify through Related diversification or Unrelated diversification. Related Diversification This is corporate development beyond current products and markets, but within the capabilities or the value network of the organisation ( ). For example, Procter and Gamble are diversified corporation, but virtually all of their interests are in fast moving consumer goods distributed through retailers. Their various business benefit therefore from shared capabilities in research and development, consumer marketing, building relationships with powerful retailers and global brand development. Related Diversification can be done in two ways; Vertical integration describes either backward or forward integration into adjacent activities in the value network. Backward integration refers to development into activities concerned with the inputs into the companys current business. Forward integration refers to development into activities which are concerned with a companys outputs. Horizontal integration is development into activities which are complementary or adjacent to present activities. Unrelated Diversification Unrelated Diversification is the development of products or services beyond the current capabilities or value network. Unrelated diversification is often described as a Conglomerate Strategy because there are no obvious economies of scope. DISCUSSION Globalisation allows companies to explore opportunities in new or established markets with new or existing with new or existing products. Firms go global to mainly maximize profits by increasing their market share and exploiting opportunities in other geographic areas. As market globalization intensifies, firms are compelled to respond to challenges and exploit new advantages. Many firms proactively pursue globalization as a strategic move. They become more aggressive at identifying foreign market opportunities, seeking partnerships with foreign firms and building organisational capabilities in order to enhance their competitive advantage. Market globalization is driven by a number of factors World Wide Reduction of Barriers to Trade and Investment. Many national governments have reduced trade and investment barriers, this has accelerated global economic integration. For example, in South Africa, tariffs on the imports of automobile, industrial machinery and countless other products have declined nearly to zero encouraging free international exchange of goods and services. The China government has committed its self to make its market more accessible to foreign companies. Reduction of trade barriers is also associated with the emergence of regional economic integration blocs, which is a key dimension of market globalization. Industrialization, Economic Development and Modernization. Industrialization implies that emergency markets are moving from being low value-adding commodity producers, dependant on low-cost labour, to sophisticated competitive producers and exporters of premium products such as electronics, computers and aircraft. For example, Brazil has become a leading producer of private aircraft and the Czech Republic excels in the production of automobiles. India is now a leading supplier of computer software. Integration of World Financial Markets. Integration of world financial markets makes it possible for internationally active firms to raise capital, borrow funds and engage in foreign currency transactions. Financial services firms follow their customers to foreign markets. Cross-Border transactions are made easier partly as a result of the ease with which funds can be transferred between buyers and sellers, through a network of international commercial banks. For example, Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) connects over 7,800 financial institutions in some 200 countries, it facilitates the exchange of financial transactions. Advances in Technology. Technology is a remarkable facilitator of globalization and provides means for internationalization. Firms wishing to explore opportunities in other countries or connects can interact more effectively with foreign partners or subsidiaries and value-chain members than ever before. Technology advances have made the loss of international operation as affordable for all types of firms. For example, information technology allows firms to more efficiently adapt products for international rich markets Intel and Motorola, two of the worlds premier technology companies, both receive a substantial portion of their revenue from sales in china because China is a place to be when it comes to technological progress. It is very important for firms wishing to explore their opportunities globally through development of new products to take technology seriously for its spurs good appeal to a global audience. To adequately explore the opportunities that globalization possess forms can pursue a number of strategies that forms wishing to explore opportunities the global market can pursue. Market Penetration and Consolidation. Market penetration is where an organisation gains market share with existing products in an existing market. For example LNM (Mittal) an Indian company rapidly in the 2000s to become the largest steel producers in the world. Acquisitions can actually reduce rivalry thereby increasing market share by taking out independent players and consolidating them under one umbrella. However, this strategy has constraints such as Retaliation from competitors and legal constraints. For example, Gaz de France and Suez, two utility companies with dominant positions in France and Belgium, decided to merge in 2006, the European Commission insisted that the two companies reduce their power by diverting some of their subsidiaries and opening up their networks to competitors. Consolidation mainly focuses defensively on their current markets with current products. Product Development is where firms deliver new products or modified products to existing markets. An example of a firm which developed its products is Sony, it developed its products from walkman portable music system from Audio tapes, through CDs to MP3 based systems. Effectively it involved the same markets but the technologies are vatically different. Another example is Samsung which developed its brand and this has continuously rising strong. According to Jan Luedermana, global managing director of Inter Brand said that Samsungs key success factor is management ambition and determination to make Samsung a continuos product developing brand. However, product development can be an expensive and high-risk activity for two reasons, new strategic capabilities and project management. For example, a  £7.6 billion Airbus A380 double-decker air project, suffered 2 years of delays in the mid 2000s because of wiring problems. Market Development is where existing products are offered in new markets. For example, German car maker BMW launched a new factory in South Carolina, US in order to readily access the huge US market. Globalisation drove BMW to relocate key value-adding activities to most advantageous location in the world. Diversification is a strategy that takes an organisation away from both its existing markets and its existing products. An example of a firm which used diversification to go global is the Virgin group. Virgin in one of UKs largest private companies, its highest profit business was Virgin Atlantic which had developed to be a major force in the international airline business, among them where financial services, trains, cinemas and music stores. It later globalised or went global spreading to other continents such as Africa, Asia and North America. Another company which diversified in a related industry, horizontally is Internet search company, Google which spread into news, images and maps amongst other services and Zodiac a French firm which was founded in 1896 to manufacture only dirigible airships but due to the downfall in the market of Airships, Zodiac decided to leverage its technical expertise and moved from dirigibles to inflatable boats. It later diversified further because of increasing competition from Italian manufacturers by taking over Aerazur, a company specialised in parachutes, but also in life vests and inflatable life rafts. The Ansoff framework helps firms with strategic options to pursue in different market. However, like other models, it has its own limitations. It is imperative to look at other strategic models such as PESTEL and SWOT. For example, the Ansoff analysis of McDonalds a US company was launched in India using market development. It suffered huge losses because of the Indians do not eat beef from cows, cultural aspects are very important when choosing a strategy to explore in internationalization. Therefore, when conducting a strategic analysis, it is essential that the SWOT and PESTEL are critically analyzed also. Other strategic options that a firm which wants to explore opportunities in new or established market with new or existing products or services are: Firms can use strategic alliances, which is an arrangement between two companies who have decided to share resources in a specific project or business. Franchisees and licensees, a company can enter a new market through franchising or licensing by using well established brand names to gain competitive advantage and build on its own brand. For example, McDonalds has given licensees to firms such Mr. Green, Vulet services and many others. Acquisitions, mergers and take over are strategic options open to firms wishing to go global. For example, Zodiac took over Aerazur, a company specializing in parachutes, life vests and inflatable life rafts. Another example is SAB, a South African Brewery which Acquired Miller in 2002 to become SABMiller, this acquisition made them become the second largest Brewery in the world acquired Miller in 2002 to become the second largest Brewery in the world. Thereby, creating a completion advantage over other firms. Foreign Direct Investment can also be used to explore opportunities globally. This is a strategy in which a firm establishes a physical presence abroad by acquiring productive assets such capital technology, labour, land, plant and equipment. For example, Vodafone, one of the leading wireless phone services providers which offers telecommunication and data services, multi media portals, cellular operations, satellite services and retail shops. In 1993, Vodafone had invests in mobile phone networks in Australia, Greece, Hong Kong, Malta and Scandinavia. The firm bought stakes in operations throughout Europe, the Americans and parts of Asia and Africa. Vodafone drew funds from global capital markets. Collaborative venture is essentially a partnership between two or more firms and includes equity joint ventures, project-based non equity ventures. A joint venture is essentially a special type of collaboration involving equity investment by the parent firms. For example, Procter and Gamble (PG) is in a joint venture with Dolce Gabbana (DG) an Italian fashion house. Under the deal, PG produces perfumes, while DG markets them in Europe, leveraging the strength of its strong local brand name. Samsung, the Korean electronics firm began internationalizing in 1970s through joint ventures with foreign-technology suppliers such as Sonya, NEC and Corning Glass works. The partnership allowed Samsung to acquire product designs and marketing outlets and gave management increasing confidence in foreign operations. Samsungs earliest foreign manufacturing effort was via a joint venture in Portugal, launched in 1982. Exporting can be another strategic option for firms wishing to go global. This is a strategy of producing products and services in one country and selling and distributing them to customers located in other countries, this can be done through franchising and licensing. SUMMARY Globalisation offers many opportunities which firms wishing to maximize, profits, market share and other stakeholders expectation can explore. International trade has opened up these opportunities which opened up these opportunities which until right strategies can fully be exploited. As market globalization intensifies, firms are compelled to respond to challenges and exploit new opportunities. Globalisation has fostered a new dynamism in the world economy the emergence of regional economic integration blocs, growth of global investment and financial flows, the conà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. of buyer lifestyles and needs and the globalization of production. Firms wishing to go global can gain competitive advantage when they apply correct strategies in a particular region, country or continent. Firms can pursue a number of strategies. The Ansoff framework which looks at established and/or new market strategies to pursue are market penetration or consolidation, product development, market development and diversification. Firms can pursued the above strategic in many ways such as Exporting existing or established products or services in new or existing market. Forming strategic alliances with other firms by sharing resources in a specific project. Franchising and Licensing. Acquisitions, mergers and takeovers. Firms in a global market can operate successfully by engaging strategies that will aid in achieving competitive advantage over other global barriers and threats that globalization faces

Hamlet: Masks We Wear Essays -- essays research papers

Masks A mask is a covering worn on the face or something that disguises or conceals oneself. All the characters in Shakespeare's Hamlet hide behind masks to cover up who they really are, which contridictes a main idea, expressed by the fool, Old Polonius, "To thine ownself be true" (Polonius - 1.3.84). All the characters share strengths and triumphs, flaws and downfalls. Instead of revealing their vulnerabilities, each of them wears a mask that conceals who they are and there true convictions. The masks brought about feelings such as fear, hatred, insanity, indecisiveness, ambitiousness, and vengeance all of which contribute to the tragic ending of the play. Shakespeare reveals the idea of the masks in the first lines of the play, "Who's there" (Barnardo - 1.1.1). "Nay, answer me. Stand and unfold yourself" (Fransisco - 1.1.2). These masks are upon each character, placed there by either society, self-ignorance, or guilt. Ophelia, Polonius' daughter and Hamlet's lover, hid behind a mask, just like Queen Gertrude's. It was, according to the society and the culture of the time, in the best interest of the woman to display a passive behavior for their personal preservation, which served as Gertrude's mask. Gertrude was brought up to believe that when a woman protests her innocence, in any matter, too much then people will begin to think otherwise. Gertrude revealed the idea of her mask, when responding to Hamlet inquiry of her likes to the play, her response was a bold reply, "The lady doth protest too much methinks" (Gertrude - 3.2.254), while viewing "The Murder of Ganzago." Hamlet's disgust with his mother's lack of strength, in regards to Claudius' sexual temptations, was evident in his soliloquy, after Gertrude begged him to stay with her and Claudius in Elsinore. "And yet, wi th a month let me not think on 't; fratility, thy name is woman." (Hamlet - 1.2.149-50) Gertrude's submissiveness is also evident in her refusal to face the pain of the true nature of her husband's murder. Gertrude begs "O Hamlet, speak no more! / Thou turn'st my eyes into my very soul, / And there I see such black and grained spots / As will not leave their tinct" (Gertrude - 3.4.99-103). In relation to Gertrude, Ophelia is even weaker and more passive. ... ...e murder of his father, Hamlet Sr. After Hamlet killed Polonius, and stored his body, when first asked of him the location of Polonius' body, and Hamlet replied with a riddle; "The body is with the King, but the King is not / with the body. The King is a thing-" (Hamlet - 4.2.27-28). This riddle strange in itself was evidence to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern of Hamlet's insanity. Once the King banished him to his death in England, Hamlet replied with "Farewell, dear mother." (Hamlet - 4.4.58). Shocking to the King, being his father and or uncle, and Hamlet forgave an explanation to the King of why he called him his mother; "My mother. Father and mother is man and wife, / Man and wife is one flesh, and so, my mother" (Hamlet - 4.4.60-61). Hamlet's mask of insanity had fooled the King, the Queen, Ophelia, Polonius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Though he had fooled these people he always kept a full grasp of reality and his true convictions. "To thine own self be true," (Polonius - 1.3.84) the words of a fool followed only by the tragic hero, Hamlet. The masks of the characters were what lead each to their tragedy.

History as the Key to Unlock the Future in Omeros:Philoctete’s Healing, Achille’s Completion, and the Narrator’s Inspiration :: Omeros

History as the Key to Unlock the Future in Omeros:Philoctete’s Healing, Achille’s Completion, and the Narrator’s Inspiration â€Å"Time is the metre, memory the only plot† (129) Derek Walcott forced the literary world to disagree with him when he denied that Omeros was an epic. Some critics suggest that, like his narrator, Walcott is not sure where his work belongs. Others suggest that Walcott denies its obvious genre in order to avoid being categorized. Regardless, Derek Walcott repeatedly says that the purpose of his writing is to wrestle with the duality within himself and that of the Caribbean islands, specifically St. Lucia. Despite occasionally downplaying the significance of any existence, Walcott utilizes a history/ time motif to explore history’s importance in forging an identity and the future (Bloom 135). Set in St. Lucia, Walcott’s Omeros reveals an island possessing a rich past. St. Lucia, a former colony, has a history of ‘pagan’ religion and tradition, a different language, and an economic background based namely on fishing. Locals must try to reconcile their heritage prior to colonization, the influences of colonization, and how to create a new culture from the ashes of the others (Hogan 17). Through most of, if not the entire epic, the island is related to a woman. At times the references are general and at times they refer specifically to Helen. These references take many forms including a nurturing nature and physical attributes. The significance of relating the island to a woman lies in a somewhat matriarchal past where women would hold the secrets to healing and have a close link to the intrinsic nature of the island. This is in contrast to the men, who are all in search of something, and while closely linked with the island, they shy away from tradition – cutting down trees, turning from the old gods, focusing on tourism and money. Characters like Philoctete and Achille try to reconcile their knowledge of the old traditions with the new island, where tourism becomes a staple, as does the Christian religion. Others, including the Narrator, search for a place to belong. In the opening of the epic poem, Philoctete recounts to tourists the chopping down of a sacred grove of trees for canoes, replacing the old gods and values with a new God and varying values. This replacement, or at least shift, of the old with/ to the new runs throughout the epic following most, if not all, characters, each possessing a wound, which only heals upon some sort of reconciliation.