English: The Official Language?

English: The Official Language? For better or for worse, like it or not, English is in effect the official language of the planet. It is the most commonly used language of international commerce, politics, science, diplomacy, and the most commonly used language on the Internet. It is a lingua franca, or vehicular language, i.e. a language spoken and utilized outside of the country or countries of its origin, as opposed to a vernacular language, i.e. a language spoken within and amongst native speakers in the country of origin. English, like other lingua franca of the past, is often used as a second language to effect common communication for a specific purpose (such as diplomacy) between people for whom the lingua franca is not their first language. For example, French was once the lingua franca of diplomacy up until around World War I, only to be supplanted by English; scientists themselves declared English to be their lingua franca in a 1989 article in The Scientist magazine bluntly entitled The English Language: The Lingua Franca Of International Science. One may view the domination and global use of English as linguistic and cultural imperialism, and indeed we shall explore this notion further, but the simple fact is that the situation is unlikely to change any time soon. It is everywhere. Some 380 million people speak it as their first language and perhaps two-thirds as many again as their second. A billion are learning it, about a third of the worlds population are in some sense exposed to it and by 2050, it is predicted, half the world will be more or less proficient in it. (The Economist, 2001). It is thus in the best interest of citizens and governments of any nations that wish to participate on the global stage economically, politically, scientifically, etc., to embark upon official programs to ensure that people have the opportunity to learn English; in fact, it may be argued that the teaching of English should be mandatory in such nations. While there are cultural drawbacks to the institutionalized teaching of English in non-ENL countries, the benefits seem to outweigh the drawbacks, and we shall explore both as well. To understand the merits of education in English, as well as its drawbacks and the practical requirements therein, we must first understand something of the merits of the English language itself, the historical circumstances and cultures that spawned it, and why it continues to be durable and vital as a universal language. The global influence and power of the British Empire, and then subsequently the United States as the British Empires scope gradually eroded, is primarily responsible for the primacy of English as a de facto official international language. Latin, once the lingua franca for most of Europe, was gradually supplanted in the 17th and 18th century as global exploration and colonization; for a time, scholars and clerics who regularly traveled across the boundaries of national languages continued to use Latin and their lingua franca. But as knowledge of Latin declined and the rise of merchant and professional classes produced travelers unschooled in Latin,people sought alternative means of international communications. (Graddol,2000, p. 6) The victory of the Allies in World War II cannot be underestimated in terms of representing a huge step in cementing the destiny of English as the language eventually destined to be the universal language of the globe. The only two potential rivals at the time were French, mostly due to historical inertia, and German, mostly due to the astonishing rise to military and economic power of Nazi Germany in the 1920s and 1930s. Had the U.S. not lent its economic and military might to defeat the Germans and the Japanese, English might be a quaint relic of the planets short-lived experiment in democracy. Had Hitler won World War II and had the USA been reduced to a confederation banana republics, we would probably today use German as a universal vehicular language, and Japanese electronic firms would advertise their products in Hong Kong airport duty-free shops in German. (Eco, 1995, p. 331) Unlike almost every other major nation that fought in World War II, the United States emerged with its economy not only intact, but also thriving. It was therefore no surprise that the United States took the lead in forming and administering institutions to aid the reconstruction and reintegration of Europe, Japan, and many other regions of the world. In short order, English-speaking nations were also exporting their culture, not simply their goods and goodwill. The ongoing hegemony that the United States and Britain enjoy in terms of cultural communications film, television, books, music, etc., helps perpetuate the influence and staying power of English as an official language. Even such cultural communications that are translated into the native languages of individual countries are not immune to the Englishness of the communications, i.e., the distinctly American and/or British cultural elements that inform the language of the communications and therefore necessarily survive any competent translation and are inculcated into the minds of the listener/viewer/reader. In ways too intricate, too diverse for socio-linguistics to formulate precisely, English and American-English seem to embody for men and women throughout the world -and particularly for the young the feel of hope, of material advance, of scientific and empirical procedures. The entire world-image of mass consumption, of international exchange, of the popular arts, of generational conflict, of technocracy, is permeated by American-English and English citations and speech habits. (Steiner, 1975, p. 469) Other than the cultural, military, and political hegemony of the British Empire and of the United States, what might account for the staying power of English as a lingua franca? From a linguistic perspective, English is hardly the most sensible choice for a quasi-official global language. English, simply put, is not the most efficient and consistent language. English is an irregular and fractured language comprised of influences from Latin and Celtic, and later Scandinavian and Norman French tongues. Its syntax, construction, verb conjugation,spelling, and other grammatical constructions, etc., are riddled with maddening inconsistencies that at times befuddle even native speakers, to say nothing ofthose who struggle for years to master it as a second language. English lacks the simplicity and consistency of the Romance languages to the extent that it varies from its Latin and French influences, though it is certainly easier to learn and utilize than some Asian tongues. However, these same elements that make English a flawed language are also believed by many linguists to be strengths that assist in the durability and adaptability of English; it has historically adapted to and incorporated language influences with ease that it has encountered from around the globe. English has always been an evolving language and language contact has been an important driver of change Some analysts see this hybridity and permeability of English as defining features, allowing it to expand quickly into new domains and explaining in part its success as a world language. (Graddol, 2000, p. 6) As English owes its existence to the fact that it absorbs, not rejects new linguistic and cultural influences, its inherently hybridized nature makes it all the easier for English to assimilate characteristics of other cultures and languages, instead of reject them or demand they conform to some sort of rigid structure. As the rules of English are a bit fast and loose, English is well-suited to evolve on the fly. There are a variety of challenges facing both those who wish to learn English as a second language and those who wish to teach it. Some of these challenges are cultural, some are practical, but the utilization of English by non-native speakers in non-ENL nations is never as simple a matter as it might seem. Culturally speaking, some aspiring English speakers may feel pressure from the more traditional and/or conservative members of their own cultures to resist what they may label as American cultural imperialism, the decadent influence of consumer capitalist values from the West that are transmitted through theEnglish language. To embrace these values at the expense of ones own language and culture is frowned upon in many conservative cultures, for example, particularlyin fundamentalist Muslim cultures which have suffered from seriously strained relations with the United States in the past six to ten years. Often, proficiency in one or more indigenous or native tongues will co-exist, mingle, and/or exist in hierarchal forms of usage with English. The acquisition of English skills does not necessarily lead to the supplanting or replacement of the native tongue with English; the choice of which language to speak is often context- and audience-dependent. For example, in some cases speakers will employ code-switching, in which two participants in a conversation, who know both English and a local vernacular language, will switch back and forth between the two tongues as a means of negotiating and navigating their relationship, in some cases even alternating back and forth between languages within the same sentence. Graddol (2000) outlines some fascinating examples, including a situation in which a young job seeker enters an office in Nairobi, Kenya, seeking employment. The vernacular language in question is Swahili; the young man commences his job inquiry with the owner of the establishment by speaking in English. The Kenyan manager of the office, however, insists on using Swahili, thus denying the young mans negotiation of the higher status associated with English. (Myers-Scotton, 1989, p. 339) Their conversation goes as follows: Young Man: Mr Muchuki has sent me to you about the job you put in the paper. Manager: Uitumabarua ya application? [Did you send a letter of application?] Young Man: Yes,I did. But he asked me to come to see you today. Manager: Ikiwaulituma barua, nenda ungojee majibu. Tutakuita ufike kwa interviewsiku itakapofika. [If youve written a letter, then go and wait for a response.We will call you for an interview when the letter arrives.] (pause) Leo sina lasuma kuliko hayo. [Today I havent anything elseto say.] Young man: Asante.Nitangoja majibu. [Thank you. I will wait for the response.] (Graddol, 2000,p. 13) The managerasserts his authority as both manager and adult in a position that commandsrespect, and he utilizes his insistence on the vernacular tongue to indirectlycommunicate this authority and demand for respect from the young man. Theyoung man is shrewd enough a native speaker of Swahili to grasp the subtext ofthe exchange, which is in essence a command to show proper deference and notwalk into a shop trying to exploit the connection with a mutual Kenyan friendby speaking English. It is not that the manager does not speak English; hedoes, but he insists on a certain element of cultural integrity by insisting onSwahili. The young man picks up on this, and therefore switches to Swahili tobid the manager farewell and tacitly submits to the shopkeepers authority byconforming to his wishes. Had the young man entered the office and spokenSwahili, he might have been granted an interview on the spot, though it ispossible the boy meant no disrespect and in fact wished to display hiseducati on by speaking English. In any case, this example shows thefascinating, multi-layered cultural and personal interchanges that go on duringcode-switching. (Note also that the manager chooses to use the English termsfor interview and application, perhaps because there is no directequivalent in Swahili, or perhaps to illustrate his own ability with English asa point of both pride and warning.) As further examplethat the finding of linguistic common ground is not the cure-all forcommunications difficulties, we now turn to the topic of how speakers interactwhen they share only one language in common, i.e., English, instead of sharingin common speaking ability in both English and their own native, vernacularlanguage. Graddol (2000) provides us with another scenario from the studies ofFirth (1996), in which international phone calls between Dutch and Syrian goodstraders were analyzed to see how the respective parties interacted in English.In some cases, where one speaker is less proficient than the other, the formerwill employ a conversational strategy termed let it pass, in which the lessproficient speaker will mask his lack of understanding of what is being said bythe other by delaying a request for clarification, in hopes that what the firstspeaker said will become understood as the conversation continues. Onehumorous exchange went as follows, in which a Dane (D) and Syrian (S) discussan order of cheese that had gone awry. S: So I told himnot to send the cheese after the blowing in the customs. We dont want theorder after the cheese is blowing. D: I see, yes. S: So I dontknow what we can do with the order now. What do you think we should do withall this blowing, Mr Hansen? D: Im not uh(pause) Blowing? What is this, too big, or what? S: No, thecheese is bad Mr Hansen. It is like fermenting in the customs cool rooms. D: Ah, its goneoff! S: Yes, itsgone off. (Graddol, 2000,p. 13) What this exampledemonstrates is that an entire skill set and mode of sub-communication developsbetween non-native speakers who do not have another frame of reference incommon, i.e., the same vernacular language, further complicating theutilization of English in business and/or commerce situations. There are alsonumerous practical considerations that affect the utilization of English,particularly in teaching it to non-ENL speakers. For example, which versionof English should be taught? Despite the extensive global use of English, itis far from a homogenous language spoken and written in the precisely samemanner in each country. English, as befitting its history, is a language ofmany diverse dialects; British English is different from American English,largely in pronunciation, accent, and certain vocabulary words, and American Englishitself is sub-divisible into any number of different sub-dialects, includingBlack/African-American English, which in its purest form is so unique inaccent, grammar, and slang that it is almost completely unintelligible to manynative English speakers, to say nothing of speakers of English as a secondlanguage (ESL). The numerouschallenges presented by English pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary may alsoserve as a roadblock for both students and teachers. The difficulty ofteaching the ambiguities of unstressed vowels, consonant phenomes, and stresstiming is considerable. English grammar and verb conjugation is extremelyirregular, requiring a considerable amount of rote memorization, instead of theapplication of logical and consistent rules, as found in Romance languages(Spanish and French rely on a consistent set of 13 verb tenses with largelyregular characteristics; English does not.) English vocabulary also requires a large amount of rote memorization, as the innumerable linguistic influences from which English draws its unusually large lexicon make it difficult to extrapolate and create words from basic linguistic structures as a speaker of Spanish can do. For example, the Spanish words pertaining to meat are all rooted in the Latin word carnivorus, whereas in English, they are not: carne = meat; carnicero = butcher; carnicerÃÆ'Â ­a = a store where meat is sold. For Spanish speakers, learning the underlying root word of a concept means the speaker should have little trouble deducing how to say related words; in English, there is no such consistency and therefore the barriers to effective learning and usage are high. On the other hand,there are inherent flaws in other major world languages, for which Englishprovides a natural compensation. One such example is Japanese, an ancient andbeautiful language rich in complexity and the capacity for subtlety and nuanceof expression, but also notorious -for those same reasons for itsinefficiency and lack of clarity when it comes to matters of politics, law,debate, and decision-making. In 1999, one of the most influential Japanesenewspapers, Asahi Shimbun issued a hotly debated call for English to beadopted as the official language of Japan, citing advantages ranging from theobvious greater Japanese ability to participate in science, internationaltrade, politics, etc. to the unusual, i.e., the newspaper asserted that theuse of English would in fact strengthen the usage of Japanese, whose linguisticweaknesses, the paper asserted, played a large part in the inefficiency of thegovernment. Quoting Yoshio Terasawa, a former director of Japans Economic Planning Agency, former member of the House of Councilors, and former president of Nomura Securities U.S. division, the newspaper delivered a stinging indictment of its own native language and recommended the usefulness of English when it came to decision-making in business and government: Japanese is fullof vague expressions, so people rarely talk in terms of black and white and itis very easy to blur responsibility. It is an everyday occurrence forgovernment ministers to spend 10 minutes answering a question in the Diet [theJapanese Parliament] without actually saying anything. But if Diet memberscould put their questions in English, it might be possible to do away with thenon-committal bureaucratic language that is too wishy-washy to translate intoEnglish. People wouldnt be able to fudge the issues any more, and not just inpolitics. (Kinomoto, 1999) The article wenton to remark, with some astonishment, that the expected outcries of culturalimperialism and the imminent demise of the celebrated individuality andindependence of the Japanese culture, were few and far between. The Japanesehave yet to make English their official language, unsurprisingly given theirhistoric national pride, but the open advocacy of the virtues of English usagewas remarkable. In the end, theutilization of English as a lingua franca second language has clear benefits.While the potential obliteration of cultural diversity worldwide, a constantsource of worry and debate, seems valid, one only need look as far as theexample of the Swahili-speaking office manager to see that indigenous speakersare finding ways for English and their own vernacular languages to co-exist,even with a bit of unease. So the challenge becomes not so much about whetheror not English is of neutral or positive benefit; it self-evidently is; butrather how to go about navigating the parallel use of English with otherlanguages across the globe, both augmenting the strengths of and compensatingfor the weaknesses of local cultures and local tongues. BIBLIOGRAPHY/ REFERENCES Fennell, Barbara. A History of English:A Sociolinguistic Approach, Blackwell Publishing, 2006. Garfield, Eugene. The English Language:The Lingua Franca Of International Science, The Scientist Magazine,1989, 3(10):12, 15 May 1989. The Triumph of English: A World Empire byOther Means, The Economist, 20 December 2001. Graddol, David. The Future of English?The British Council, 1997, 2000. Eco, U. The Search for the PerfectLanguage. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1995. Graddol, David, Dick Leith JoanSwann. English : History, Diversity and Change London: Routledge, 1996. FBailer, R. M. Gorlach,(eds.) Englishas a World Language. Ann Arbor: Michigan University Press, 1982. Myers-Scotton, C. Code Switching withEnglish: Types of Switching, Types of Communities, World English, Vol.8, No. 3., pp. 333-46. Kachru, B.. The Alchemy of English.Pergamon Press, 1982. Trudgill, P. J. Hannah. InternationalEnglish: A Guide to Varieties of Standard English, Arnold Publishers, 1982. Kinomoto, Keusuke. Should English Be Madethe Official Language? Asahi Shimbun, 29 August 1999.

Female Genital Mutilation :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Imagine a young girl; the harsh African sun is kissing her bronzed skin. The warm golden sand tickles her petite and tattered feet. The immense gold earrings she wears beats against her slender neck. Her stature is of a queen, yet she walks to an uncertain death. She stands in front of a small hut, or a tent. She glances back and sees the majestic sun that had once kissed her neck now set and somewhat leave her abandoned. She exists alone in front of that diminutive hut or tent and out comes a man. He is exhausted and is ready to go home to his companion and his supper. He looks a bit annoyed that she has come so late. His hands are stained with a ruby tint and his clothes the same. He motions the young girl in. Hesitantly, she makes small and meager steps to the entranceway. She steps into a minute room with little or no lighting. She stares upon two women and a rusty table that holds the screams of the girls that went before her. The man moti ons her to sit in the table. She slowly places her body on the stained and rusty table. She is a bit afraid that the table will not hold under her weight; nevertheless, she is held up. The man places his cold and clammy hands on her collarbone and pushes her back to the table. As she lies there she looks to her left and sees his instruments; a bloody and rusty razor blade. She sighs with relief. She has heard that a razor blade is the best instrument to use. She knew of women that had to take a piece of glass. She has prayed for courage and strength, yet it does not seem to arrive. The man runs his hands down the sides of her body. Has he pushes her skirt up he looks at her and says to her, "Don't move." He opens her legs and begins to operate. The glare from the poor lighting obstructs his view, but he continues any way. The heat has gotten to him and he is not as awake as he was in the morning. He blinks to regain some concentration and he takes his blade in his hands. He thinks a bout cleaning the blade first but the thought immediately escapes from his mind. He does not want to waste any more time on this girl.

Toni Morrisons Sula - Breaking the Rules :: Sula Essays

Breaking the Rules in Sula A community separates themselves from other individuals in a given society. Certain communities carry their own separate rules or laws. It combines a number of people into one group, one way of thinking. Many communities come together because they share the same common goal or interests. On may occasions, a group or community forms when someone is different from the majority. A good example of that would be when a child is being teased in school because he has glasses or braces. Toni morrison's Sula is a story about a woman whose individuality brought a little town in Ohio together to side with each other against her. The novel Sula raises the question in how people or communities come together. In Sula's case, her abandonment of the town has sent her in a position of being an outcast. Sula's community views her carefree and wild ways obscene and inappropriate. A good example would be her need for many sexual partners. Sula beds with many of the men in her town, whether they were married or not. " It was the only place where she could find what she was looking for: misery and an ability to feel deep sorrow .Lovemaking seemd to her, at first, the creation of a special kind of joy." (122) Her community believes a good woman her age should be a mother, wife and server to her household. A woman should remain at home and be dutiful and respectful. Sula is was not any of those things. From the start, she has always have been different, she preferred to do whatever it is that she likes to do. She went away to college , something that most people from her town seldom did. Sula went away to pursue a caree r and to fulfill her need for knowledge. She wanted to do everything to see everything and experiences as much experience as she could possibly gain while she was still young. It was peculiar to see the town coming together when Sula arrived back from college. Suddenly people in the town started siding with each other against Sula. They started viewing Sula as an oddball, a devil, as one lady described her, comparing Sula to the town outcast named Shadrack. The town started to look out for each other as well as they try to look out for themselves. Toni Morrison's Sula - Breaking the Rules :: Sula Essays Breaking the Rules in Sula A community separates themselves from other individuals in a given society. Certain communities carry their own separate rules or laws. It combines a number of people into one group, one way of thinking. Many communities come together because they share the same common goal or interests. On may occasions, a group or community forms when someone is different from the majority. A good example of that would be when a child is being teased in school because he has glasses or braces. Toni morrison's Sula is a story about a woman whose individuality brought a little town in Ohio together to side with each other against her. The novel Sula raises the question in how people or communities come together. In Sula's case, her abandonment of the town has sent her in a position of being an outcast. Sula's community views her carefree and wild ways obscene and inappropriate. A good example would be her need for many sexual partners. Sula beds with many of the men in her town, whether they were married or not. " It was the only place where she could find what she was looking for: misery and an ability to feel deep sorrow .Lovemaking seemd to her, at first, the creation of a special kind of joy." (122) Her community believes a good woman her age should be a mother, wife and server to her household. A woman should remain at home and be dutiful and respectful. Sula is was not any of those things. From the start, she has always have been different, she preferred to do whatever it is that she likes to do. She went away to college , something that most people from her town seldom did. Sula went away to pursue a caree r and to fulfill her need for knowledge. She wanted to do everything to see everything and experiences as much experience as she could possibly gain while she was still young. It was peculiar to see the town coming together when Sula arrived back from college. Suddenly people in the town started siding with each other against Sula. They started viewing Sula as an oddball, a devil, as one lady described her, comparing Sula to the town outcast named Shadrack. The town started to look out for each other as well as they try to look out for themselves.

Gender Imbalances In Primary Education

The subject I have chosen to research is gender instabilities in primary instruction. This consists of the deficiency of male primary school instructors and why primary instruction is predominately female instructors. The ground why I have chosen this subject is because I feel that there is a important difference in gender instructors in instruction chiefly primary instruction. I am trusting to detect the chief grounds for this state of affairs in the literature. The subjects that I will be covering will hopefully associate up to the solution to this statement on the chief motivations and principle for gender instabilities. My purposes are to implement the spread I hope to repair and mend in the literature for this undertaking and the following undertaking. I hope to research more theories ( methodological analysiss ) readings and interviews ( methods ) on the subjects I have chosen for the following undertaking. One subject will concentrate on the statistics on the past and current state of affairs of gender instabilities in primary instruction amongst instructors. This will be a justification and an illustration to the readers that a gender instability is present and really exists. A 2nd subject will cover the pupils attitude and behaviour in instruction in a primary and secondary scene and why malenesss plays an of import function in make up one's minding what calling they hope to prosecute. The 3rd subject will concentrate on the ethnicity in schools and why this is mostly momentous to the gender instability statement. Finally, the Forth and concluding subject will be on the function theoretical accounts both males and females live up to in instruction and why primary schools are feminised. The statement that exists here is that many more misss than male childs will be seeking a topographic point in learning preparation. This is a job for males as already the learning profession is extremely feminised. There are many inquiries attached to this subject and I feel that it is imperative to detect and find the grounds behind this form. The ground why I chose primary instruction instead than secondary or any other educational field is because the gender instability is non as extremely important as the primary sector. I sense that adult females are choosing for traditional and new callings whereas work forces are choosing off from primary school instruction. This is the nucleus ground why I am spliting this reappraisal into subjects as these are used as ushers and stepping rocks to happen this spread in the literature.Statisticss on gender instabilities in primary instruction.The concern of gender instability and distinctively the low proportion of male appliers is an interna tional phenomenon in learning and in peculiar primary school instruction. Despite this being a immense instance in Ireland, it is tolerated in states such as the United States of America, Australia and France. The death of the male primary school instructor is apparent from the publication of the Irish National ( Primary ) Teachers Organisation. The statistics show that from 1970 the per centum of primary school instructors who are male were 32 % . Every ten old ages it is evaluated and it demonstrates a sudden lessening in per centum of male instructors. In the twelvemonth 2000 it dropped to 19 % and this twelvemonth it is an estimated diminution to 14 % . The anticipation from INTO is that there will be a diminution of a minimal 5 % male instructors every ten old ages until 2040 where there will be a mere 1 % of instructors in primary school considered male. This is an interesting tendency as the form is systematically worsening and shows no compunction or betterment to this job h armonizing to this publication. This tendency can merely be understood in the context of wider societal alterations and phenomena, including those impacting the socialization of male childs and the division of caring duties. Although male instructors are in a little minority, they are clearly non a deprived minority. Their over representation in promoted stations, while bit by bit cut downing over recent old ages, together with the much smaller proportion of male instructors on the lower points of the salary graduated table, gives rise to a gender spread in the wage. That creates the inquiry that is this gender instability in primary schools down to salary. Males prosecuting a different calling could be the cause of the low pay income. Salary is doubtless a consideration for all workers in taking a calling. Yet the get downing wage of a primary instructor with an honours grade is ˆ33,901, compared with ˆ27,483 for an applied scientist, ˆ30,124 for a medical houseman and ˆ32,029 for an designer. Most concern alumnuss start on a batch less than this when they leave college. The lone difference is those occupations mentioned would lift in salary with more experience whereas the primary schoo l instructor would offer no greater important rise in the sum of salary. So is this a instance of the deficiency of occupation chance? The figure of instructors in Irish schools has increased by over 4,500 in recent old ages. Job chances range from little one or two instructor schools to big 24 instructor schools, learning in mainstream categories, as resource instructors for kids with particular demands or as place school affair instructors. Ireland ‘s instruction system besides offers a pick of linguistic communication, ethos and location – with 3,200 primary schools. This clearly demonstrates that there is a huge chance for males and females with a figure of different functions that the student/trainer can acquire involved in. The chances are present nevertheless ; the undistinguished wage rise or deficiency of great publicity may change a male pupil ‘s determination in prosecuting this calling. It is interesting to observe that the Numberss for primary school learning from 2003 was justification that a gender instability occurs. The highest proportion of male appliers on the Central Applications Office ( CAO ) was in 2002 with 16.6 % .Males as a per centum of the entire appliers to the primary colleges of instruction exceeded 19 % in 1993, but has ne'er reached that degree later since that twelvemonth. This proves that there a important diminution in male appliers for primary instruction and illustrates this gender instability.Masculinity and effects gender instabilities have on school kidsA really of import facet of the gender instability in primary instruction is that of maleness. This is a cognitive theory that must be examined and understood in order to accomplish and detect the spread in the literature. Masculinity is something traditionally to be considered a feature of a male. This could be a quality characterized by physical and behavioural characteristics such as p hysical strength which is normally known by males. Masculinity is a cultural thought that many work forces support, but do non needfully embody. ( Williams 1995 ) . This cognitive theory would be present for pupils in make up one's minding their hereafter approximately around the age of 15-18 old ages. Every pupil has their ain purposes. They can include a desire to hold an excess making or a accomplishment for calling intents, addition cognition or better themselves in any field. One of the efficient ways to accomplish them can be separated categories. Some scientists support this theory as misss and male childs vary greatly both physiologically and psychologically whereas other bookmans claim that the advantages of single-sex categories are non so obvious. The chief factor which supports the benefits of single-sex categories is the differences between males and females. The most important among them are physiological. The encephalons of misss and male childs differ in an of import manner. These differences are genetically programmed and are present at birth. Furthermore, misss and male childs have different acquisition manners. The National Association for Single-Sex Public Schools has found that boys prosper a competitory environment whereas girls prefer a collaborative attack to acquisition. Besides research workers mention that single-sex environment has a positive influence on registration in non-traditional capable countries for male and female pupils. For case, misss are more likely to larn higher degree scientific discipline and maths while male childs are more likely to analyze higher degree linguistic communication and humanistic disciplines. As a consequence, separated schools offer alone educational chances for misss and for male childs. This doctrine on the difference between males and females in a physiological sense exists particularly during their secondary instruction. This draws to the argument that is the learning profession suited for males and their features? There are possible grounds why this proves to be the instance. Is it career counsel? There is grounds to demo that calling counsel instructors are more likely to urge instruction as a calling to their top female pupils instead than their top male pupils. Some male childs may besides experience that their equals or parents would non be supportive of them taking a calling as a primary instructor. Another ground that the male childs are non prosecuting this calling is because of the instruction barrier they face. Surely misss are acquiring higher points in the go forthing certification but the figures show that male childs are non using for instruction, so points are non the issue. The honours Irish demand does look to be a barrier as fewer male childs take Irish at honours Leaving Cert degree than misss. Here lies a quandary as there is besides a demand to keep and so better the criterion of Irish in our schools. Lowering the demand for a C3 in higher degree might assist work out one job but compound another. However, the feminisation of instruction is a world-wide tendency so we can barely claim that the honours Irish demand is act uponing the gender balance in states such as America, Australia or France.Gender Imbalances in the primary schoolroom – Ethnographic HistoryAs explained earlier that in order to happen the links behind the gender instability, it is imperati ve to look at its historical context. This following portion will concentrate on the ethnicity of pupils in the schoolroom and why this could be a possible ground for the deficiency of male instructors in primary instruction today. It is good established particularly in assorted schools, male students receive more instructor attending than do females. Harmonizing to Brophy and Good, Boys have more interactions with the instructor than misss. As a consequence of this they by and large appear to be more cardinal, dominant, of import and salient in the instructors ‘ perceptional field. Stanworth ( 1981 ) states that instructors have a general and overall penchant for male students. Why is this state of affairs the instance and does it hold an impact on the calling the pupils they hope to follow? After an analysis on the engagement turns in a schoolroom, the duty for gender instabilities rests mostly on the instructor. By ‘turns ‘ I mean the figure of times a pupil participates in the schoolroom or the pupils ‘ input for the continuance of the schoolroom. The instructor holds an of import duty to give every pupil a just portion of bends and go preferred to gender or biased towards one sex. The instructor may be seen to ensue from him/ her being socially and psychologically predisposed to beg parts to the lessons from the male pupils at the disbursal of affecting the female pupils. Again Stanworth suggests that male childs are more likely than misss to volunteer information to do heavier demands on the instructors ‘ clip. This indicates to me that male pupils are more comprehensive to work with and could take up more of the instructors ‘ valuable clip donated to the female pupils. The damages of instabilities in teacher attending does non needfully follow from the redress of male based attitudes in instructors. This is of class unless they do go sensitive to the interactive methods used by students in procuring attending and colloquial battle. Male pupils put themselves out at that place more than misss and demo more trouble towards the instructor but does non needfully intend that this is a negative attitude towards the instructor. This type of behaviour could find the maleness work forces demonstrate in a schoolroom environment. As discussed before, this type of cognitive theory could find what career work forces hope to take or follow. This is why I feel that male ‘s behaviour in a schoolroom determines what attitude they utilize in their determination doing accomplishments in the hereafter. In this subject, the literature chosen for this subject claim that there is a gender instability in bends at talk and therefore in the distribution of instructor attending. I would hold with this statement as the instructors part is critical in footings of how much attending is gained from the pupils and how much information was gathered and added to the cognition of the pupils. In decision, this survey is a utile part to this field of survey, in peculiar for its attending to forms of differential engagement among male childs and for the fresh thoughts in explicating gender instability that it presents. However, it may hold some defects and these indicate countries where farther contemplation and research is required. I hope to research more in-depth research and thoughts on this subject for undertaking two and this will hopefully assist me associate those spreads in the literature.Role Models in TeachingThere are many grounds why there is an highly short per centum of males involved in primary school instruction. A immense duty for a primary school instructor is the fact that there involves a batch of caring for the pupil. The male might experience that in their caput that adult females are more responsible for this function, therefore they would look elsewhere for a occupation in the work force. The major ground given for work forces why they are so rare in the work force is hapless wage. In add-on work forces find it hard to acquire employment because of frights of maltreatment and a widely held perceptual experience that adult females are better at caring for immature kids. These perceptual experiences are besides common in the U.K. Skelton surveyed pupil instructors to determine their perceptual experiences of the different qualities brought by work forces and adult females to primary school instruction. Work force instructors held a position that adult females instructors have better communicating accomplishments and are by and large more lovingness. This is from a stereotyped point of position as there is non much grounds to back up this statement. Women pupils believe that work forces have important functions to play in furthering good attitudes to analyze among male childs and are needed for function theoretical accounts. The statistics show that the Numberss for male instructors in primary schools are worsening and a consequence of this could be the deficiency of proviso of function theoretical accounts for work forces. From the 1970 ‘s the Numberss of male instructors dropped from 32 % to 14 % this twelvemonth. Skelton and Carrington ( 2002 ) conducted a big graduated table survey of male and female pupils ‘ image of primary school instruction as a calling. All of the pupils felt that primary instruction was suited for both instructors and that it was as intellectually demanding as secondary instruction. Seventy two per centum of work forces and 76 % of adult females disagreed with the statement that adult females instructors are more caring than work forces. Carrington ‘s respondents are positively working against the stereotype that primary instruction is a female occupation and that what is required if we are to increase the figure of work forces in the profession is to work against the stereotype. The research suggests that what primary instruction is approximately is non supplying function theoretical accounts but exciting instruction. It is a possibility that the exhilaration of primary instruction will non thrill the males and therefore they would seek to another adventuresome occupation or calling. Now that it is established that there is a important spread in gender when it comes to primary school instruction, a chief concern could be the initial behaviour of males in the schoolroom. A critical point in this statement is the manner in which for boys the behavior protects from neglecting. In rejecting academic work, they are insulated from the consequence of failure or rejection. At the same clip the behaviors are consistent in keeping traditional masculine hegemony. The simple infliction of male function theoretical accounts would non and could non perforate those behaviors since the schooling policy takes no awareness of the significances and maps of those behaviors for their culprits. The nucleus ground why there is a deficiency of proviso of function theoretical accounts for males is due to the historical premises that primary school is frequently feminised. Historically the profession of primary school instruction has been a female dominated one. We can reason that the current policy enterprise concentrating merely on increasing Numberss of male recruits ignores both historical and modern-day world. In the instance of male accomplishment despite the deficiency of male function theoretical accounts in primary instruction, the media have seemed to hold made much of the deficit of male instructors. Is this down to their attitudes in the schoolroom or infact their ain job with the feminization of primary schooling? My rating to this inquiry is that primary schooling is seen as caring instead than academic from a male ‘s point of position and although work forces are encouraged at first to take this function, they are so regarded as suspect by current policy shapers because of the lovingness function. My feelings are that work forces and adult females are every bit capable of fiting in footings of lovingness and duty, nevertheless their maleness and attitudes towards deficiency of function theoretical accounts and instruction at the age of determination devising separates them. This is why I feel that primary instruction is predominated by females. Overall, my decision to this subject is that there is a mostly important difference in gender to primary school instruction and generates an instability that is historical and will go on to make so in the hereafter. Regardless if this is debatable or non the statistics continue to demo that primary school instruction is feminised and predominated by females. There are many households in the state where kids may non hold a strong male presence in their lives. The different positions, scope of involvements and outlooks that male instructors bring to a school can supply existent function theoretical accounts for all kids. Greater Numberss of work forces in learning agencies kids benefit. Teaching is a calling which offers the chance to model and act upon the following coevals and to assist every kid to make their possible. It is a calling which allows for the usage of all accomplishments and endowments – in communicating, leading and direction – in the class of the on the job twenty-four hours. I summarise that the research and thoughts of others have provided me with the model for my ain work in undertaking two. The fact that this reappraisal has been divided into subjects has helped me derive more cognition and better understanding on this subject and hopefully does the same with the reader. This reappraisal is regarded as a cardinal procedure and worthwhile research. I think the subjects that I have displayed throughout the paper on the statistics, male malenesss, ethnicity and the deficiency of proviso of function theoretical accounts for males have showed critical consciousness on this subject. These are what I feel are the most accurate grounds for the ground that primary school instruction is predominated by females.

Government business relations paper Essay

Government regulation has always been an important part of business as â€Å"regulations are essential for the proper functioning of society and the economy† (Ingram , n.d). A business is designed to generate revenue for its employees, employers and shareholders (Chindamo, Pg. 4-9, 2011). In a bid to keep increasing revenue, businesses throughout history have conducted trade using dubious, unsafe, and exploitive methods. In a bid to stem companies conducting business in an unsafe and unethical manner, the government has employed several methods to regulate this issue (Ingram, n.d). Business regulation has been highly debated in the past as there both advantages and disadvantages, but the benefits of business regulation greatly out way its costs. (Ingram, n.d) The government uses diverse methods of regulation, which include advertising, environmental protection and privacy. (Holt, n.d) The government regulates businesses in the advertising of products and services. (Holt, n.d) Laws exist by fair trading to protect consumers and keep businesses truthful about products and services. (Holt, n.d) A good example of when a business advertised falsely was in 1990 when a government investigation of GNB Australia Ltd, Pacific Dunlop secondary had falsely mislead the public through advertising that their batteries were made in Australia, when actually their batteries came from Asia and New Zealand (Holt, n.d). Government intervention made GNB confess that they had been using inappropriate signs, brands and flyers (Holt, n.d). Pacific Dunlop gave actions in February 1991 that involved an obligation to improve its compliance advertising program during five years (mainly on marketing and advertising); remedial marketing; different marketing of batteries. (Tamblyn, pg.157, 1993) Businesses can often leave carbon footprints when operating. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates this aspect of business trading. (Holt M, n.d) They regulate laws about environmental protection through education and have done so when enforcing it through penalties to landlords in the state of Philadelphia America amounting to $14,850 and $5500 for not telling residents of lead-based paint within their properties. (Collins, 2008) These fines, proposed by the EPA on July 28, 1998, are part of the implementation of federal lead-based paint disclosure laws. (Collins, 2008) In Business practice, privacy is an ethical and potentially unlawful issue, private information is taken from workers and consumers when leasing and whilst business transactions are being conducted, privacy laws are another way governments regulate business to stop businesses from releasing this information at will. (Grossman, 2013) Information taken could be a social security number, address, name, information about health, debit card and bank numbers and private history (Holt, n.d). Many laws exist to stop businesses from releasing his information, and people can indict companies for misuse of their private information (Holt, n.d). Those laws in place are another way why governments should regulate business. (Holt, n.d) Without government regulation of the key areas of business such as advertising and marketing, companies could take unfair advantage of consumers. The environmental pollution issues which are an ethical issue would have had no stand point if not for government regulation. Privacy would also be violated which is unfair to the consumer and also an ethical issue, which must be addressed in all forms of business. Hence, government regulation of business is needed to keep trade fair and balanced for the good of the economy. References Chindamo P, (2011), ‘national CEO survey: Business Regulation’, Australian Industry Groupm, Pg. 4-9, http://www.aigroup.com.au/portal/binary/com.epicentric.contentmanagement.servlet.ContentDeliveryServlet/LIVE_CONTENT/Publications/Reports/2011/10259_ceo_survey_web.pdf Collins M. 26/03/08 â€Å"United States Environmental Protection Agency Proposes Large Fines For Residential Property Owners Who Violate Lead-Paint Disclosure Regulation† Viewed 18th February 2013 http://corporate.findlaw.com/business-operations/united-states-environmental-protection-agency-proposes-large.html) Grossman RJ. 2013. â€Å"No Federal Regulatory Relief in Sight.† HR Magazine Vol 58 (issue. 2), pg 24-2 Holt M, n.d, Five Areas of Government Regulation of Business, Viewed 18th February 2013, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/five-areas-government-regulation-business-701.html Ingram D, n.d, Government Regulation Factors in Business, Viewed 18th February 2013, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/government-regulation-factors-business-2966.html James G, 25/10/13. â€Å"Government regulation is good for business†, Viewed 29th February 2013, http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505183_162-28552608-10391735/government-regulation-is-good-for-business/ Tamblyn J et al CH 11, Pg. 157, ‘Progress Towards a More Responsive Trade Practices Strategy’, Date published: 1993 (Australian Institute of Criminology), Viewed 29th February 2013, http://www.anu.edu.au/fellows/jbraithwaite/_documents/Manuscripts/businessreg.pdf)

Michael Jackson Social Media Idea Essay

Michael Jackson, often referred to as The King of Pop or simply MJ, is one of the most entertaining individuals in the history of the entire world. Armed with more awards than any aspiring artist could ever dream of, he produced hit songs over forty years ago in 1970, such as â€Å"ABC†, â€Å"I want you Back†, and â€Å"I’ll Be There.† Michael continued to dominate the 80’s when he wrote songs such as â€Å"Thriller†, â€Å"The way you Make me Feel† and co-wrote â€Å"We are the World† with Lionel Richie in an attempt to help raise money for charity. Even into the early 90’s Jackson’s glamor was simply unmatched, as he set the foundation for future Super Bowl halftime shows with a flashy show in 1993 during Super XXVII, the first time ever a network actually gained viewers during the half time performance. However, as with all iconic celebrities, Jackson had a multitude of problems to deal with himself. After a strict, vicious childhood, Jackson dealt with multiple child sexual abuse scandals, both of which he was never convicted in, as well as a huge public controversy over his skin tone. Michael Jackson was found dead on June 25, 2009, the autopsy revealed it was a homicide from cardiac arrest; his physician was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for administering the drugs. When Jackson died in 2009, it triggered a social media outburst of grief, with nearly one billion people watching the Memorial Service online. From the sheer amount of fans Jackson had and still currently has, if a social media site were to catch on that featured Jackson, the possibilities would be endless. Before any idea can be developed, the audience and demographics must be taken into account for first. Since the death of Michael Jackson was so popular, companies actually took polls and notes from their audiences when they tuned into the Memorial Service. CNN (2009) polled over one thousand Americans to try and understand the demographics of MJ fans better. Michael Jackson fans were split relatively evenly among gender, with 52% of fans being male. Almost every person over 55 was not a MJ fan, while his hottest age demographic were age 39-49. Even the young generation who was not really around during his peak still considered themselves fans. Over ? of non-Caucasian respondents claimed they were MJ fans, while a majority of white respondents claimed they were. It is important to note that these were taken via telephone call, not the internet in any way. The key is to take these demographics and integrate them with internet users, particularly internet users. From my internet marketing textbook titled E-Marketing, by Judy Strauss and Raymond Frost (2009), the average demographic of an internet user is age 19-35, white, educated, and an average income around $75,000. However, the African-American segment of the race demographic is growing the fastest of any. Mixing the two of these, the potential client base would be highest if it were aimed towards young to middle aged adults, with a very strong common bond that unites everyone on the website, Michael’s music. I think it would be considered a crime if you attempted to try to start a relationship type of website with Michael Jackson’s name all over it, or at least the PR and media would tear it down to the bone, but perhaps any attention, good or bad, is considered advantageous when your business is still in its early stages. Anyway, the idea I would propose would be an all-out fan club for Michael Jackson. There is a site or two like this already, but it is very poorly done. It would have trivia contests, best dancing contests, look-alike contests, name that tune contests, etc. The key to the website would be the amount of users on it, which allows the user to become interactive with the website. I think that would appease to the younger population, uploading constant photos and videos, watching them, etc. For the older generation, there needs to be videos of old Michael Jackson performances, classics. The live performance at the super bowl, the vintage Jackson 5, the numerous Grammy awards, etc. From those videos, other current events in the world at that time would show. It would seem as if the user it going backwards in time, exploring Michael’s life, but in reality, the user connects epic, surreal moments from Jackson’s life, just as if he is re-living his own life thirty years ago. I think there would be two people who would go to the site, younger, less passionate fans of Michael who would go there for the social aspect and the older, less social media intense, but very Michael and music heavy users. Perhaps it is a stretch, but there are already so many niche social media networks out there, it is tough to fully see what works best. As with any business, it is not going to be perfect right away, the key is to constantly listen to users to help edit the site that appeals to the masses. There are a ton of 35-50 year olds out there who really loved there music during the 70-80’s, especially Michaels’s. The thing is that most men that age do not even really know the first thing on how to let alone accurately use, set up a Facebook account. The navigation would have to be so simplistic, that senior citizens could not even lose their ways. You would advertise with other huge artists of the time, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, etc. Before you know it, you have created a social network for older generation men who want to get home from their honest days’ work, light a cigarette, drink a beer and listen to the king. Works Cited Strauss, J., & Frost, R. (2009). E-marketing (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Poll: Majority of Americans are Michael Jackson fans – CNN. (2009, July 3). Featured Articles from CNN. Retrieved November 8, 2012, from http://articles.cnn.com/2009-07-03/entertainment/us.jackson.poll_1_michael-jackson-fans-new-national-poll?_s=PM:SHOWBIZ

Beh 225 Assignment Diagnosis and Treatment

Assignment: Diagnosis and Treatment Beh 225 July 10, 2011 Assignment: Diagnosis and Treatment According to the American Psychiatric Association, there is a fifteen percent prevalence of mental disorders in the United States. Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive, is a mental disorder. Symptoms of bipolar disorder include extreme highs and extreme lows with periods of normal mood in between. Manic symptoms are being extremely active, talkative, distractible, unlimited hopes with no follow through, aggression, hostility, and violence.Depressive symptoms are feeling overwhelmed and worthless, loss of interest, insomnia, loss of concentration, and suicidal thoughts. Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States. Roughly, 29,000 people commit suicide each year. Bipolar Disorder can create marital and occupational problems as well as financial dismay. Mood disorders are thought to be caused by nature and nurture. Biological factors that may lead to a bipolar episode are chemical imbalances in the brain, hormonal imbalances, and inherited traits. Physiological factors that may lead to a bipolar episode include maladaptive cognitive distortions. The text defines this as â€Å"an illogical and maladaptive response to early negative life events that leads to feelings of incompetence and worthlessness that are reactivated whenever a new situation arises that resembles the original events. † (Morris and Maisto,2005) Studies suggest that women are two to three times more likely to have a mood disorder than men. Being diagnosed with bipolar disorder is a lifelong and reoccurring illness. There are different types of bipolar disorder. The symptoms of bipolar I are severe mood swings from manic to depressive that lasts at least seven days. Bipolar II occurs when mood swings are less manic, or hypomania, and shift back to depressive. When one’s symptoms are not determined to be either of these the disorder is called bipolar disorder not otherwise specified. These symptoms are not as fierce as the I and II characterization. Cyclothymiacs is a mild form of bipolar disorder. These milder forms of symptoms continue to shift over the course of two or more years. When a person has four or more episodes a year they are referred to as a rapid cycler. Although the onset of this disorder usually occurs in the twenties and thirties some children are also diagnosed. Children are more likely to be diagnosed early if they have two parents with the disorder. The child’s odds increase up to seventy-five percent in some cases. Many bipolar patients self medicate with drugs and alcohol. This action can trigger or prolong the symptoms. Bipolar disorder patients are at a higher risk for many diseases. These diseases include heart disease, diabetes, obesity, migraines, and thyroid disease. When one suspects they have bipolar disorder, a doctor needs to be consulted.The doctor will perform a physical examination, interview the patient, and order testing. There is no test for bipolar disorder but these tests will rule out other ailments. After reviewing all tests and lab reports a mental health evaluation will be preformed. Family history will be taken as well as interviewing the family of said patient. Bipolar patients tend to seek help in the depressive state rather than the manic state. This disorder is treated with medications and psychotherapies. Over the course of treatment, several medicines may be tested. The first choice of treatment is a mood stabilizer.The FDA approved lithium in the 70’s for treatment of mania. In 1995, the FDA in treating mania approved depakote. Recently, the FDA in treating bipolar disorder approved an anticonvulsive medication. Anti convulsive medicines are lamictal, neurontin, topomax, and trileptal. Atypical antipsychotic, or second generation, medicines are also used occasionally. These medicines are zyprexa, abilify, seroquel, risperdal, and geodon. These medications relieve sudden and severe mania symptoms. Anti depressants are used in treating the depressive side of bipolar disorder.Prozac, paxil, Zoloft, and wellbutrin are all examples of anti depressants. Mild side effects to medicines include headache, rashes, and heartburn. These side effects usually go away as one get used to taking the medicine. Serious side effects can occur, as with any medicine, such as tardive dyskinesia. This is uncontrollable muscle movement, usually around the mouth, that needs to be discussed with a doctor. In addition to medication, psychotherapy is recommended. These therapies include cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, and social rhythm therapy.