The Facts of Life Essays

The Facts of Life Essays The Facts of Life Essay The Facts of Life Essay Running Head: THE FACTS OF LIFE. Love, Marriage, Children, Ect†¦ Amanda Seigley Harford Community College Abstract Being a little older now, a freshman in college, I knew that soon I will be facing the marriage/family lifestyle before I know it. I wanted to prepare myself for what was coming in my future so I had a better understanding of what goes on. During this course, while reading the text, I was analyzing myself on how I related by doing the many scales, inventories and discussions within the class. I was able to find out that being married was not that easy. There are so many things to take into account before getting married, such as culture, different views and the different roles that will be played throughout the whole marriage. I think I can say that from taking this course I have been looked marriage and having a family in a new perspective than I had done before. I know I don’t want to rush into anything and let everything take its own course, but I can’t wait to have a family of my own. The Beginning of It All Marriage has many hidden aspects behind just the exchanging of vows. You have definitions of, frameworks, many concepts and gender role socialization. Marriage has changed a lot throughout the years, with women and men both working, getting divorces and being a single mother or father by choice. Marriage and the Family The definition of a marriage is a legal relationship that binds a man and a woman together for reproduction and the subsequent care and socialization of children (Knox Schacht, 2008). I have never been married but I have got the chance to watch my parents have a successful one. I believe that my parents are the definition of a marriage and I think they have done a fine job raising my sister, my brother and I. The definition of a family is a group of two or more persons related by blood, marriage or adoption. There are many types of families but I think the one that best fits my family is the modern family type. My mom and my dad both have worked full time since they’ve been married, and have been able to support their family in doing so. Some people may say that having two parents who work will experience a loss of support, love and may cause delinquent behavior. I don’t believe that is the case at all in my family. My siblings and I both have gotten all the love and attention we needed, and we were brought up in a good family environment. Frameworks There are four different frameworks to describe marriage and the family. They are theoretical, social exchange, family life course development, and structural function framework. Based on the definitions of these I believe that my family was built off the theoretical framework, as well as most of the families in the world, and that I am the result of social exchange framework. Gender Role Socialization Gender roles are the social norms that we are expected to do by society as in male and female behavior. This gets into further detail when you talk about gender role socialization. From society we learn almost everything we know, from attitudes, values, beliefs and behaviors and we adapt to what we’re supposed to do. Such as women can come off moody, easily embarrassed and men are competitive, sarcastic and sexual (Knox Schacht, 2008). There are many positive and negative things that are included in these social norms for both males and females. I myself fit into some of these categories for the negative such as, negative body image and for the positive keeping relationships on track. I’m like every other girl who watches T. V. and see the skinny actresses and wishes, â€Å"Man I wish I could have a body like that†, but I know that I’m not the only one out there that does that. From my experience with men and my current boyfriend I can pinpoint the most common negative and positive norms. For the negative it would have to be limited expression of emotions and fear of intimacy, and for the positive initiating a relationship and greater available pool of potential partners (Knox Schacht, 2008). The men are more likely to ask a woman out then a woman ask the man out, and every girl has probably noticed the amount of women one guy has been with, because lets face it, their easier at it then we are. I did the relationship involvement scale, which I found out that I am very involved in my relationship now. That’s one of the social norms for a woman is the level you’re involved and I think I’m doing a good job of following those social norms. Half Way There Dating and Cohabitation To some people love is a wonderful thing, to others they hate it, but to me, I’m in the middle. Love and every other emotion consist of three parts: a behavior/and or action, a thought and a reaction such as a heart beating faster when that special person is around. Men and women both have different views and thoughts on love. But before you get to love, dating comes first. I haven’t yet been able to live with any of my boyfriends but I have had over night stays and week long trips. I feel as though cohabitating should wait until the engagement or even later. You learn so much from a person by living with them, that I don’t really like the idea of waiting until marriage to live with someone. I have dated my fair share of men, and I feel as though ever women does, is that their all the same. I did the relationship dynamic scale and got a 12, which is the highest which gives me the green light towards a good relationship. Right now I’m in a wonderful relationship with my boyfriend of almost 2 years, and I hope many more years to come. Our love style is more Eros, and we’re in the romantic stage, right now. Jealously gets a hold of me sometimes but its normal, I think. The love attitudes scale showed I was more realistic then romantic when it came to love, which I think is correct. I want things to be more on the real side so I’m never left wondering. Mating Mating may sound like something animals do, but humans do it also, in a different way. We tend to select out mate based on intelligence, education, and background. Selecting a mate then may lead to alternative life styles, such as, staying single, being a single parent by choice, and also having a mate of the same sex. The involved couple’s inventory was a good way for me and my partner to look at what we have to offer each other. We compared the same questions that were important to use to see how we’re a like. I enjoyed spending this time just learning about him, and seeing why I chose him. It came down to us being on the same level with marriage, family, and careers. Multiculturalism I and my partner come from different backgrounds, which is the result of multiculturalism. This plays a huge role in almost everyone’s life. Multiculturalism is something that consists of many cultures in society. My background includes, Polish, Irish, Indian and German, so I’m a mix of a little bit of everything. Since my dad is almost full Polish and my mom’s a mix of the others they were both brought up different based on their cultures. Now my partner is a mix of some other different things such as German, Italian, and a few others. The way he was raised is completely different from the way I was raised, but we’re learning to get a long well. We both have different views on the way to raise children and to have careers. This happens in almost every relationship and all you have to do is communicate with one another and compromise. Communication Communication is the key to success. From doing the Supportive Communication Scale and relating it to my relationship, I found out that I and my partner have good communication. We take time everyday to sit down with out the T. V. on or anything distracting us and just talk about anything and everything. When we get into arguments that a different story. We both try to avoid each other to get away from the situation, which hurts or relationship. Communication also plays a big role in sexuality, especially non-verbal communication. Each gender looks at sexuality in a different perspective. Children and Parenting Blended Families Talking about sexuality leads to the next topic on children, parenting, and blended families. There are many factors that go into how to raise a child. Such as, the wiring of the brain, genetics, institutional differences, societal influences and peer influences (Knox Schacht, 2008). I believe that the way my parents raised I and my siblings were based off of the way they were raised. My mother came from a strict home with her father being a cop and her mother being a school teacher, she also had three other siblings. Since my mom was brought up in a strict environment, she reversed her parenting to being a laid back mom. My dad was the opposite; he came from a laid back family, now my dad is the opposite in being very strict towards us. My family is somewhat what you would call a blended family. My dad was married once before my mom and had one daughter, which was way before my sister, my brother and I. So I have a step sister, and she has a step mother. Getting Older Divorce I have never experienced any sort of divorce except from my friend’s point of view. I’m one of the lucky ones whose parents have stayed married, and not for the wrong reasons. From seeing some of my closest friends go through divorces, I’m glad I have never gone through it. My friends had blamed the divorce on themselves, instead of seeing that it had nothing to do with them. There are many factors that make up a divorce, and one of them is not the children. Today in American 40%-50% of all marriages end in divorce (Knox Schacht, 2008). Sometimes is not because they want to, it’s because they have to. More divorces are brought on because the spouse cheats on the other, or it’s because they are in an abusive relationship. Violence, Abuse, Neglect The Abusive Behavior inventory reveled that I was not in an abusive relationship, which I already knew, and trust me if I was, I would have left a long time ago. Relationship violence is a pattern of behavior in which one partner uses fear and intimidation to establish power and control over the other partner, often including the threat or use of violence. This abuse happens when one person believes they are entitled to control another† (Meggs ,Margaret L. 2003). I am a walking example of that, being physically and emotionally abused in my last relationship. I didn’t think I would be a ble to get out of that relationship, so I ended up staying for two years until I finally got the courage to leave him. It was hard but it had to be done. Although I have been a victim of abuse, I’ve never been neglected. Most neglect happens in younger children and elderly people, since they are the easiest to neglect and the most attention needed. Luckily I have never seen or been around anyone that has been neglected. Stress and Older Age Stress comes into play a lot whether you’re at an older age or not. I’m only 18 and I experience more stress than I should, from going to school full time and working full time. There are a lot of things that I try to relieve my stress such as exercise, or snuggling on the couch and reading a good book. With older age, comes more stress if you’re not careful. There has been an increase in grandparents parenting their grandchildren due to the alternative lifestyles that we have now today. There are gender differences in views of marriage and dealing with losses, when we talk about older age. Older aged men view marriage as idealistic while older aged women view marriage as more realistic with disagreements (Knox Schacht, 2008). Summary There has been a great deal of knowledge that I have taken in throughout this course, from marriage to getting older and being a grandparent. Marriage is not as simple as every one takes it out to be, and that’s the major thing I learned in this course. A family is hard to keep together if you don’t try to make it work, and there are just little things that can affect a marriage or a family. Bibliography ReSPONSE, Meggs ,Margaret L. (2003). What is Relationship Violence. ReSPONSE. from msun. edu/stuaffairs/response/relviol/domestic_violence. htm Knox D. Schacht, C. (2008). Choices in Relationships: An Introduction to Marriage and the Family (9th edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth

Silk Production and Trade in Medieval Times

Silk Production and Trade in Medieval Times Silk was the most luxurious fabric available to medieval Europeans, and it was so costly that only the upper classes- and the Church- could attain it. While its beauty made it a highly-prized status symbol, silk has practical aspects that made it much sought-after (then and now): its lightweight yet strong, resists soil, has excellent dyeing properties and is cool and comfortable in warmer weather. The Lucrative Secret of Silk For millennia, the secret of how silk was made was jealously guarded by the Chinese. Silk was an important part of Chinas economy; entire villages would engage in the production of silk, or sericulture, and they could live off the profits of their labors for much of the year. Some of the luxurious fabric they produced would find its way along the Silk Road to Europe, where only the wealthiest could afford it. Eventually, the secret of silk leaked out of China. By the second century C.E., silk was being produced in India, and a few centuries later, in Japan. By the fifth century, silk production had found its way to the middle east. Still, it remained a mystery in the west, where artisans learned to dye it and weave it, but still didnt know how to make it. By the sixth century, the demand for silk was so strong in the Byzantine Empire that the emperor, Justinian, decided they should be privy to the secret, as well. According to Procopius, Justinian questioned a pair of monks from India who claimed to know the secret of sericulture. They promised the emperor they could acquire silk for him without having to procure it from the Persians, with whom the Byzantines were at war. When pressed, they, at last, shared the secret of how silk was made: worms spun it.1 Moreover, these worms fed primarily on the leaves of the mulberry tree. The worms themselves could not be transported away from India . . . but their eggs could be. As unlikely as the monks explanation may have sounded, Justinian was willing to take a chance. He sponsored them on a return trip to India with the objective of bringing back silkworm eggs. This they did by hiding the eggs in the hollow centers of their bamboo canes. The silkworms born from these eggs were the progenitors of all the silkworms used to produce silk in the west for the next 1,300 years. Medieval European Silk Producers Thanks to Justinians wily monk friends, Byzantines were the first to establish a silk production industry in the medieval west, and they maintained a monopoly on it for several hundred years. They set up silk factories, which were known as gynaecea because the workers were all women. Like serfs, silk workers were bound to these factories by law and could not leave to work or live elsewhere without the permission of the owners. Western Europeans imported silks from Byzantium, but they continued to import them from India and the Far East, as well. Wherever it came from, the fabric was so costly that its use was reserved for the church ceremony and cathedral decorations. The Byzantine monopoly was broken when Muslims, who had conquered Persia and acquired the secret of silk, brought the knowledge to Sicily and Spain; from there, it spread to Italy. In these European regions, workshops were established by local rulers, who retained control over the lucrative industry. Like the gynaecea, they employed mainly women who were bound to the workshops. By the 13th century, European silk was competing successfully with Byzantine products. For most of the Middle Ages, silk production spread no further in Europe, until a few factories were set up in France in the 15th century. Note 1The silkworm isnt really a worm but the pupa of the Bombyx mori moth. Sources Netherton, Robin, and Gale R. Owen-Crocker, Medieval Clothing and Textiles. Boydell Press, 2007, 221 pp. Compare prices Jenkins, D.T., editor, The Cambridge History of Western Textiles , vols. I and II. Cambridge University Press, 2003, 1191 pp. Compare prices Piponnier, Francoise, and Perrine Mane, Dress in the Middle Ages. Yale University Press, 1997, 167 pp. Compare Prices Burns, E. Jane, Sea of silk: a textile geography of womens work in medieval French literature. University of Pennsylvania Press. 2009, 272 pp. Compare Prices Amt, Emilie, Womens lives in medieval Europe: a sourcebook. Routledge, 1992, 360 pp. Compare prices Wigelsworth, Jeffrey R., Science and technology in medieval European life. Greenwood Press, 2006, 200 pp. Compare prices

Throughout This semester you will work in a small group(maximum four Essay

Throughout This semester you will work in a small group(maximum four persons)to analyse the strategic activates and decisions of - Essay Example The importance of location when expanding internationally is further verified through the study of Luo (2000). According to the above researcher, the expansion of each firm internationally is likely to be influenced by three factors: ‘ownership advantages of a firm, location advantages of a market, and advantages related to the internal processes of a firm’ (Luo 2000, p.103-104). It is made clear that choosing the appropriate location can affect the internationalization efforts of a firm, depending on the existence of increased or decreased location advantages in regard to the country chosen. According to Neelankavil (2007) choosing the appropriate country for entry is quite important due to the following reason: the selection of an inappropriate country for entry ‘can lead to severe damages on a firm’s performance while the time period required for recovering from such damages can be quite long’ (Neelankavil 2007, p.82). ... This means that the location chosen should secure the achievement of the above target, even in the long term (Ebner 2011). China meets the above term; the country’s population is quite high and the demand of products of such type, i.e. of products related to the nutrition of babies, is quite high, as also analyzed below. 3.2.2 Geographic distance When reviewing the appropriateness of a country as a target market emphasis should be also given to the distance between the home market and the target market (Tallman 2007). Indeed, ‘geographic distance’ (Tallman 2007, p.295) is often regarded as a factor that can highly influence the success of a product in a new market (Tallman 2007). Developing strategic alliances locally can be an excellent method for limiting the risks related to such initiatives (Tallman 2007, p.295). 3.2.3 Local demand for similar products The level of demand of products of similar characteristics is critical for choosing the location of a firmâ⠂¬â„¢s international expansion. In the case under examination the choice of China as a target market for Aptamil Power milk can be characterized as fully justified. In terms of its economy China ranks among the most powerful countries worldwide. In a report published by Economist (2013) emphasis is given to the power of the Chinese economy but also to the threats that the particular economy has to face since it is mainly ‘consumer – led’ (The Economist 2013). For Aptamil Power milk the Chinese market seems to be an excellent destination due to the following two reasons: a) the demand for products of the particular type is quite high in China (BBC News 2013), b) a recent scandal related to the quality of such

Sega Corporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Sega Corporation - Essay Example Learning organizations are those who look to the future; organizations which are constantly in touch with their market and one step ahead of their competition. Sega Corporation, unfortunately, is not a learning organization and, as such, has adhered to strategies which may have been successful in the past but which are no longer so. As Sega’s OD advisor, I have prepared a report which outlines the roots of its failures and argues the efficacy of its adopting a learning organizational model. The literature reviewed underscores the benefits of doing so and precisely articulates what is involved in doing so. Should Sega implement these recommendations, its business performance, as measured through both financial and non-financial indicators will experience discernible improvement. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Sega Corporation has decided to transform the company into a learning organization, believing that in so doing, Sega will eventually be in a position to confront its competitors and regain the market shares it lost throughout the past decades. Indeed, Sega’s persistent failure to accurately gauge and effectively respond to changing trends in the electronic home gaming market has resulted in the almost complete loss market shares, not to mention yearly net losses on sales from the mid-1990s to the present.Sega’s inability to confront its competitors or to reclaim its lost market shares reflects a problem within the organization itself

Arthur Conan Doyle Essay Example for Free

Arthur Conan Doyle Essay Arthur Conan Doyles Sherlock Holmes Stories are antiquated with nothing to offer a modern day reader.  Arthur Conan Doyles distinctive and unique writing style lead to great success beginning in the nineteenth century when he created the original characters Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. His ingenious stories have had such a major impact on society that they are still significant today.  Sherlock Holmes is a difficult character to avoid as he is talked about constantly in the media. Sherlock Holmes stories have been translated into over fifty different worldwide languages and have become very popular nationally and internationally. These stories are all set in the late nineteenth century in Victorian London where reality consisted of Crime, filth and vast amounts of poverty. The population, overcrowded with prostitutes, beggars and rogues causing problems. Rubbish painted the streets and soot covered each surface. Victorian London was a dreary place and Doyles stories were based on reality. This is why everyone found they could relate to them.  Arthur Conan Doyles stories are written in nineteenth century prose. This can be classed as long-winded, arcaic and antiquated by modern day readers. For example The Boscombe Valley uses outdated phrases such as Masters the particulars which may not be understood today. The sentences can be long winded, become boring and complex. Paragraphs are also stilted. Todays Reader may encounter a number of problems when reading Sherlock Holmes stories. As well as language being complex and dated there are no pictures to encourage the imagination or help the reader to understand what is going on.  Doyle has been such a successful author that he has influenced subsequent detective fiction writers such as Nevada Barr and Agatha Christie. Even today programmes such as A Touch of Frost are influenced by detective stories like Doyles. Sherlock Holmes is such a popular character he still influences much today. As I typed in his name my search engine came up with over 21,000 websites! Sherlock Holmes is still extremely popular.  A detective story is full of anticipation and suspense. They cause the reader keep questioning their own mind. Who did it? How did they do it? This makes them carry on reading and make the book interesting and enjoyable. As well as this Doyle uses many features to keep the reader interested.  Atmosphere plays a huge part in each story. The Speckled Band creates atmosphere well by using speech and adjectives. Adjectives are used such as terror ferocious disgraceful brawls to create a possibly stereotypical horror type atmosphere. Ive got nobody to turn to This gives the story a mysterious atmosphere where odd things are happening. Dense darkness is also used which creates a scary impression of the atmosphere. Cat like whine is also very atmospheric. The man with the twisted lip also uses fantastic adjectives to help create atmosphere such as Bile shot eyes which creates a horror movie like atmosphere. Suspense also plays a major part in the success of Doyles stories. I think that Doyle builds up suspense by using clues to solve the mystery but not letting the reader know until the end. The speckled Band builds up suspense slowly. Near the beginning the sister died two weeks after she got engaged this gives an idea for a motive has been established. We can then deduce the reason on page 177. On page 177 the motive is identified about the annual allowance. Then again on page 186 the motive is reinforced because Holmes goes to get a copy of the will. When the ladys sister died she mentioned the line it was the speckled band This makes us wonder throughout the story, what is the speckled band? The video of The speckled Band also showed a scene where the clock moved hour-by-hour implying the time was going extremely slowly building up suspense.  In the Red Headed League clues are planted. The use of Red herrings  Descriptions of London life included mentions of Crime, middle class people, drugs and Dens. At that time Dens were not illegal and were on the fringe of society. The Red Headed League mentions the roadway blocked with the immense stream of commerce Footpaths were black with the hurrying swarm of pedestrians. It even mentions specific names such as Saxe Coburg Square The way Holmes deduces the answer to each crime is very logical and quite outstanding. In The Boscombe Valley Holmes starts by using the newspaper to find out facts about the crime. The newspaper is a highly detailed account, which is very unusual nowadays. We use different sources of the media to work out for ourselves what is going on; but rarely from just a newspaper. Holmes is a very observational character. He does only observe but today people generally take photographic evidence. Holmes gathers evidence by acute observation as he has no cameras and collects no forensic evidence. On page 93 when Holmes goes to observe clues at the crime scene it has just finished raining. So moist was the ground that I could plainly see the traces which had been left by the fall of the stricken man. Usually in present time people would have taped off the crime scene and studied it before it rained or any evidence became contaminated by other people. However here it seems like other people have already been onto the crime scene which could lead to contaminated evidence oh, how simple it would have been had I been here before they came like a herd of buffalo but Holmes still manages to solve the crime just by logical observation and no scientific reasoning. Twice he was walking, and once he ran swiftly so that the soles are deeply marked, and the heels hardly visible. That bears out his story. He ran when he saw his father on the ground. Just by commonsensical observation he managed to deduce this. On page 94 he knows what he is looking for when he specifies the exact description of the murderer. Is a tall man, left handed, limps with the right leg. This makes the reader wonder all along, how does Holmes know this? The case is slowly unravelled and the clues all return and fit into the sequence. On the other hand Holmes methods of observation are still relevant today however more scientific evidence and backups are needed. But Holmes uses logic as we do today and he can be quite scientific.  This keeps the reader interested.  The use of language creates atmosphere and contributes to the popularity of these books. Weather in each of these stories is rather stereotypical but effective as it helps create atmosphere.

Anthropological Feminism in The Piano :: Feminism Feminist Women Criticism

Anthropological Feminism in The Piano  Ã‚   There is a moment in The Piano when the crazed husband takes an axe and chops off his wife's finger. We do not see the awful blow, but both times I watched the film the audience gasped and a few women hurried from the theater. It is a disturbing but crucial scene, the culmination of a sado-masochistic screenplay which has been condemned by some as harmful to women and welcomed by others as an important feminist work. Critics have been more nearly unanimous in their praise for The Piano, and for writer and director Jane Campion. A New Zealander, Campion made two previous low budget films with relatively unknown actors which attracted little notice and small audiences. But their quirky originality established her reputation among film cognoscenti. The Piano, by contrast, is both an astonishing artistic achievement and a major motion picture. Featuring Holly Hunter and Harvey Keitel, it has made Campion an overnight celebrity. She is being hailed as a "natural" and "original" film maker , and no doubt she is. Campion was also trained as a social anthropologist, however, and that training -- particularly the work of Levi-Strauss -- has had a profound impact on her directorial imagination. More than just a spectacular period piece or a feminist tract, The Piano is an anthropological excursion into the 19th century. And for Campion herself, it marks a shift from ethnography to fable-making. Campion as Ethnographer Campion's first esoteric film, Sweetie, was more "clinical" case history than screenplay. If it fails as a movie, it can be recommended as an instructional film for family therapists. Sweetie, the beloved daughter who turned out badly, is a greedy, impulse-ridden woman who constantly discomforts her family. Fat, if not morbidly obese, she is an unattractive personality in an unappealing body -- repulsive to conventional movie audiences. Fellini, fascinated by the grotesque, often gave such ugliness cameo roles in his films. But it is difficult to imagine any commercial film maker, even Fellini, choosing someone so utterly lacking in glamour, so completely unphotogenic, as heroine. There can be no doubt, however, that this was Campion's conscious aesthetic choice, for we see traces of the same kind of "ugly" choices in her two subsequent films. Campion is interested in Sweetie for all of the anthropological reasons that would repel an "escapist" movie audience and makes no effort to p rettify her. Anthropological Feminism in The Piano :: Feminism Feminist Women Criticism Anthropological Feminism in The Piano  Ã‚   There is a moment in The Piano when the crazed husband takes an axe and chops off his wife's finger. We do not see the awful blow, but both times I watched the film the audience gasped and a few women hurried from the theater. It is a disturbing but crucial scene, the culmination of a sado-masochistic screenplay which has been condemned by some as harmful to women and welcomed by others as an important feminist work. Critics have been more nearly unanimous in their praise for The Piano, and for writer and director Jane Campion. A New Zealander, Campion made two previous low budget films with relatively unknown actors which attracted little notice and small audiences. But their quirky originality established her reputation among film cognoscenti. The Piano, by contrast, is both an astonishing artistic achievement and a major motion picture. Featuring Holly Hunter and Harvey Keitel, it has made Campion an overnight celebrity. She is being hailed as a "natural" and "original" film maker , and no doubt she is. Campion was also trained as a social anthropologist, however, and that training -- particularly the work of Levi-Strauss -- has had a profound impact on her directorial imagination. More than just a spectacular period piece or a feminist tract, The Piano is an anthropological excursion into the 19th century. And for Campion herself, it marks a shift from ethnography to fable-making. Campion as Ethnographer Campion's first esoteric film, Sweetie, was more "clinical" case history than screenplay. If it fails as a movie, it can be recommended as an instructional film for family therapists. Sweetie, the beloved daughter who turned out badly, is a greedy, impulse-ridden woman who constantly discomforts her family. Fat, if not morbidly obese, she is an unattractive personality in an unappealing body -- repulsive to conventional movie audiences. Fellini, fascinated by the grotesque, often gave such ugliness cameo roles in his films. But it is difficult to imagine any commercial film maker, even Fellini, choosing someone so utterly lacking in glamour, so completely unphotogenic, as heroine. There can be no doubt, however, that this was Campion's conscious aesthetic choice, for we see traces of the same kind of "ugly" choices in her two subsequent films. Campion is interested in Sweetie for all of the anthropological reasons that would repel an "escapist" movie audience and makes no effort to p rettify her.

Implementation Of Performance Management System Education Essay

Purpose – The intent of this paper is to supply an overview of the manner the public presentation direction system is being implemented for Educators in State Secondary Schools in Mauritius, to measure its effectivity as a tool to better public presentation in secondary instruction in the populace sector and to do recommendations to policy shapers on countries necessitating betterment. Design/methodology/approach – Datas were obtained from studies of secondary school Educators in educational zone 3 of Mauritius ( n=245 ) . The research workers used chi-square trial, Pearson correlativity and factor analysis in order to measure whether the new system was carry throughing its intent and to associate apprehension of Performance Management System ( PMS ) to its effectivity in secondary schools. Findingss – The findings indicate that pedagogues in Education Zone 3 believe in the importance of the PMS to better quality of instruction. They agree that it is a good planned procedure up to the concluding assessment phase. There is a weak relationship between the sentiment of Educators on effectivity of the PMS and its really taking to school betterment. Career development programs did non organize portion of the PMS. They view the PMS as undependable to mensurate public presentation, drawn-out and clip devouring with no follow up on public presentation spreads and for developing demands of the appraised. PMS is implemented merely as another bureaucratic tool. Originality/Value – Bing the first research of its sort in the secondary instruction sector in Maurtius, this research might be of value to the Ministry of Education, every bit good as to Managers of Private Secondary Schools who wish to utilize the public presentation direction system as a tool to measure and better the public presentation of pedagogues and thereby take at ‘quality of instruction for all ‘ . Limitation – As merely secondary schools of zone 3 are in their 2nd twelvemonth of PMS, our sample was restricted to that zone merely. Cardinal words: Educators, Performance Management, Performance direction system, public presentation steps, State Secondary Schools, Mauritius. Introduction Globalization together with a competitory universe environment and developments in engineering have made it imperative for all sectors in the economic system to supply better services to their clients and secondary schools are no exclusion. The Government of Mauritius realized that human capital is an of import resource with which Mauritius has been endowed, and that optimal usage demands to be made of this resource in all sectors and the instruction sector was no exclusion. Being cognizant that public officers working in schools ( both primary and secondary ) need to be dynamic, proactive, vivacious, frontward looking, advanced, effectual, executing and consequences oriented, it became imperative to set in topographic point a system which would let non merely to measure the public presentation of Educators working in these schools but besides to analyse their preparation demands. In 1976, the authorities introduced free secondary instruction for one and all and in 2005, made instruc tion compulsory for all kids up to the age of 16 old ages. Since so, it has become the duty of the Educators working in secondary schools to bring forth citizens with the needed accomplishments and competences needed by the economic system. Bearing in head that the one-year budget for Performance Management for secondary instruction is Rs.1.2 million, it becomes imperative that authorities ensures that public financess are being decently used in order to run into the outlooks of the citizens. The vision of the Ministry of Education is ‘to provide Quality Education to All ‘ . To accomplish this vision it is of import that those who deliver the service in the instruction system execute to the best of their ability. Thus it becomes necessary non merely to measure the forces working in our secondary schools, but besides to look into their preparation demands. The PMS can let to function this double intent which was non being achieved through the present Performance Appraisal system i.e. the Confidential Reporting System in the Civil Service in Mauritius which dates back to colonial times. Confidential Reporting has been in topographic point since 1963 and amended twice since so in 1973 and 1979. However, as ment ioned above it is no longer functioning its intent due to its legion failings viz. , it is a cosmopolitan one tantrum system for all public officers, there is no engagement of the appraised and he is non made aware of his strengths and failings, therefore doing the system unjust and inconsistent, it has no yardstick to mensurate the grade of public presentation of assorted facets of the occupation as there are no fit professional criterions, all standards are assigned the same evaluation, thereby doing no difference between most of import and least of import standards, subjectiveness, prejudice and bias are ineluctable in this system of describing as it does non follow a scientific attack and the system is used merely for publicity and does non place the preparation demands of the officers in the visible radiation of ascertained public presentation. The restrictions of the Confidential Reporting System gave rise to the demand for better system whereby both valuator and appraisee would be taken on board. An effort was made to present a new public presentation assessment strategy in the mid-1990s but it failed likely due to its bad selling, which led to resistance from both Trade Unions and Public officers. Against this background, a Task Force on Performance Management was set up which created a Framework for all Ministries to follow corporate strategic planning and step accomplishment of organisational aims. Divisional work marks set against established public presentation indexs. The Draft Performance Management Framework stated that assessment should get down with a public presentation understanding based on work program prepared, with regular reappraisals and completed with an overall reappraisal of public presentation, appraisal of professional demands and acknowledgment of public presentation. The Task Force on Performance Management and the Pay Research Bureau ( PRB ) study 2008 recommended inter alia that all Ministries/ and Departments should measure and reexamine their public presentation in relation to put marks ; they should set in topographic point and implement a ‘Performance Review Scheme ‘ as an built-in portion of Performance Management on a uninterrupted footing. The Ministry of Civil Service and Administrative Reforms should move as a coordinating Ministry, responsible for debut of the Performance Management System and promote a Performance orientated civilization in the Public Service. Furthermore, the PRB 2008 in its study recommends that as from fiscal twelvemonth 2011-2012: ( I ) increases may be granted three months before for employees who perform beyond the acceptable criterions systematically for a period of one twelvemonth and nine months ; and ( two ) more than one increase may be granted at a spell, say two increases, for uninterrupted o utstanding public presentation for three back-to-back old ages. The PMS is still in its babyhood in State Secondary Schools being introduced in the educational system merely in 2008. Mauritius is divided into four educational zones and the navigation in secondary schools was done in all schools of educational zone 3 during the twelvemonth 2009 and in this current twelvemonth they are in their 2nd PMS rhythm whereas the secondary schools of the other 3 educational zones ( 1, 2 and 4 ) are in their first PMS rhythm. It is hence of import to analyze whether all stakeholders have the necessary cognition and apprehension of the Performance Management System, the nature of the current Performance Management agreements, the Performance Management Process, the Performance Measures in order to mensurate its effectivity in State Secondary Schools in Mauritius. 1.1 Knowledge and apprehension of PMS There are legion definitions of Performance Management, from the general position, as a agency for an organisation to recognize its aspiration ( IDeA, 2001 ) to the more specific one, aiming at single employees, directing and heightening their public presentation, therefore bettering organisational effectivity ( Williams, 2002 ) . However, the common characteristic of all definitions lies in the accomplishment of the organisations ‘s ends or aims: Performance direction is the procedure of bettering the quality and measure of work done, therefore conveying all activity in line with an administration ‘s ends. ( Walters, 1995 ) . Harmonizing to the Local Government Improvement and Development, UK public presentation direction is ; reacting to existent public presentations to do results for employees and the populace better than they would otherwise be. All these definitions merely give the intents of the Performance Management system. ( Armstrong and Baron, 2004 ) have stres sed that public presentation direction helps to guarantee that directors manage efficaciously ; that they guarantee their employees or their squad cognize and understand what is expected of them, have the accomplishments and competences to present on these outlooks, are supported by the organisation to develop the capacity to run into these marks, are given feedback on their public presentation and the chance to discourse and lend to single and squad purposes and aims. It is besides to guarantee that directors themselves are cognizant of the effects of their ain behaviour on the people they manage. They are encouraged to place and reflect positive behavior. Execution of a Performance Management System will assist to obtain better consequences from persons, squads and the organisation as a whole as both valuator and appraisee understand and manage public presentation as per an agreed model for planned ends, aims, criterions and competences. This appears to be a more comprehensive def inition of Performance Management as it gives all the of import phases in public presentation direction but does non speak on placing public presentation spreads and supplying the necessary professional development. ( Armstrong, 1999 ) identifies the chief extra characteristics of public presentation direction as: the engagement of all members within the organisation as spouses in the procedure, concern with inputs ( competencies and accomplishments ) every bit good as end products, based upon understandings refering answerability and duty, concern with public presentation of the person and the squad, uninterrupted procedure and non reliant on an one-year reappraisal, personal reappraisals focus on constructive patterned advance, betterment and development, recognizes the demand for preparation and dressed ores on ‘self managed ‘ larning ‘ , feedback is every bit much spontaneous as possible and non reliant on luxuriant signifiers. ( Engelmann & A ; Roesch 1996 ) identified negative effects of ill designed and ill administered strategies as: hapless motive and ego regard because employees receive unequal feedback on their work public presentation, small or no focussed communica ting about public presentation between directors and employees ; inefficient usage of directors ‘ clip and judicial proceeding over alleged prejudiced actions. The Performance Management Procedure: Performance direction means a shared committedness to better public presentation. It focuses attending on more effectual instruction and monitoring to better the quality of learning and to profit students, instructors and the school. It means giving appropriate and effectual personal preparation and development, a high degree of know-how and patterned advance of staff in their chosen profession1. Performance Management is an on-going, procedure inolving an employee and his/her supervisor. It involves the undermentioned phases: Pre-appraisal – Planning and holding on Performance: The valuator discusses and records precedences and aims with each of the instructors in his/her squad and discusses how advancement will be monitored through a two manner communicating between valuator and appraisee. A work program is developed and agreed upon by both parties. Mid-appraisal – Pull offing Performance: At mid term of the stage, the appraisee is called upon to transport out a self rating of the accomplishments and public presentation spreads as per the work program, following which the valuator arranges for a formal interview with the appraisee to discourse and enter advancement made on the public presentation understanding, therefore informing him of the countries that need betterment. Final Appraisal – Reviewing Performance. At the terminal of the one twelvemonth rhythm, the valuator reappraisal, buttocks and records the public presentation of the appraisee during the appraisal period. The appraisee is called upon to one time once more self evaluate his/her public presentation against the work program agreed upon during the pre-appraisal phase. The valuator carries out a concluding interview to give the appraisee relevant public presentation information with regard to good public presentation and to 1. [ Online ] available at hypertext transfer protocol: //www.burford.oxon.sch.uk/policy/performancemanagementpolicy.htm [ Accessed on 13 November 2010 ] supply any pertinent suggestions for betterment, and action programs are developed in audience with both parties for lacking countries. This type of communicating and certification allows chance for an appraise to concentrate on the expected consequences for during the following appraisal twelvemonth. 1.3 Nature of current Performance Management System Effective public presentation direction needs consistently determinant and pass oning what needs to be achieved ( purposes, aims, precedences and ends ) , a program to guarantee that it happens, some agencies to measure if this has been done ( public presentation steps ) and information making the right people at the right clip so determinations are made and actions taken2. The PMS ‘s function can be classified into three chief classs: ( a ) Strategic: consist the functions of pull offing scheme execution and ambitious premises ; ( B ) Communication: comprises the function of cheque place, following with the non negotiable parametric quantities, pass oning way, supplying feedback and benchmarking ; ( three ) Motivational: comprises the function of measuring and honoring behaviour and encouraging betterment and acquisition 1.3.1. Performance Management System in United Kingdom: Findingss of ( Andrew Brown, 2005 ) in ‘Implementing public presentation direction in England ‘s primary schools ‘ showed that considerable fluctuation exists among primary schools as to how they are implementing public presentation direction. This was due to confusion and uncertainness on the portion of all stakeholders refering the significance and intent of public presentation direction. He concludes that factors that influence the effectivity of public presentation direction in any one primary school are the extent to which: ( a ) the caput, instructors, governors and public presentation direction advisor have a common apprehension refering the significance of public presentation direction and the intents of presenting the enterprise into schools ; ( B ) all relevant stakeholder groups are suitably and sufficiently good trained to implement the enterprise ; ( degree Celsius ) the school ‘s organisational civilization is such that the determination to present a system of public presentation 2. [ Online ] available at hypertext transfer protocol: //www.idea.gov.uk/idk/core/page.do? pageId=4405770 [ Accessed on 13 November 2010 ] direction is perceived by the school ‘s caput, instructors and governors to be an appropriate and worthwhile one ; ( vitamin D ) the public presentation direction aims which the caput and instructors receive are sufficiently specific, mensurable, relevant and ambitious ; ( vitamin E ) the methods and indexs adopted to mensurate the public presentation direction aims of the caput and instructors are considered to be sufficiently varied and just ; ( degree Fahrenheit ) the construct of â€Å" overall public presentation † is sufficiently good defined, mensurable and accepted by both the valuators and appraisee ; ( g ) sufficient resources are available to implement instructors ‘ single professional development programs ; ( H ) the associated wage and wages systems are perceived to be both just and feasible. In short, England has a good established Performance system including Performance Thresholds, nevertheless, there is no consensus on whether fiscal inducements wo uld actuate instructors in advancing good instruction ( Croxson,2001 ) . 1.3.2 Performance Management System in New Zealand: Effective public presentation direction involves sharing an apprehension of what needs to be achieved and so pull offing and developing people in a manner that enables such shared aims to be achieved ( Dransfield, 2000 ) . In New Zealand, since 1997 public presentation assessment is compulsory for all instructors who are appraised against nine Professional Standards which include: professional cognition, professional development, learning techniques, pupil direction, motive of pupils, publicity of Te Reo Maori linguistic communication, effectual communicating, support for and cooperation with co-workers and part to wider school activities. These professional criterions aid to guarantee that employer and direction outlooks are clear and consistent across each school. Based on these criterions public presentation indexs are developed which require the school to place cardinal facets of public presentation ( that can be verified ) , fi nd what information is needed to measure public presentation against each of the professional criterions, make up one's mind how public presentation is to be assessed ( the appraisal method/s ) , design methods for roll uping the public presentation information. Performance indexs are reviewed from clip to clip to guarantee they are still relevant and appropriate. The public presentation assessment is carried out which focuses on the nine professional criterions and leads to a written appraisal study for treatment and audience with the instructor. This public presentation assessment includes readying of a statement of aims which are discussed and agreed upon at the beginning of the public presentation direction rhythm. Then there is an interim assessment, the intent of which is to supervise advancement against professional criterions and to foreground success and turn to any concerns. It besides provides an chance to discourse and enter any alteration to the agreed public presentati on outlooks. The reappraisal may affect observation of instruction, an interview and readying of an interim study. The following phase is the Final Appraisal whereby the valuator and appraisee meet to discourse the instructor ‘s public presentation over the twelvemonth based on professional criterions and indexs. The valuator informs the appraisee of the accomplishments and discusses what needs to be addressed in the undermentioned twelvemonth in footings of farther professional development. Teacher public presentation may besides include equal assessment, parent feedback, pupil feedback, pupils ‘ public presentation consequences and documental grounds such as lesson programs, appraisal records and resources used. Once instructors have met the appropriate degree of professional criterions they entree the 2nd tranche of salary rates ( Ozga, 2003 ) . Principals may postpone patterned advance for instructors who have non met the professional criterions at the appropriate de gree during the assessment period but so they must set in topographic point a plan for support and development to help the instructor to run into the criterions. If a instructor disagrees with the recess of the salary increase the instructor may, within 14 working yearss of being notified of the deferral seek a review3. However, ( Carol Cardno, 1999 ) states that in New Zealand the public presentation direction system has non good started and has non improved the public presentation of instructors and pupils. The New Zealand policy resembles closely our Mauritanian system, whereby the primary intent is to supply a model for bettering quality of learning. There the school board is responsible for seting in topographic point an assessment procedure with appropriate professional development orientation ( Cardno, 1999 ) . ( Rohento, 1992 ) found that instructors supported the debut of pecuniary inducements, and believed that a performance-related wage strategy would increase their attempt and have a positive consequence on student attainment. Harmonizing to some caputs, although the public presentation direction was non used to penalize hapless executing instructors, it was a utile agencies of placing and turn toing countries of failings with instructors ( Burgess et al, 2001 ) . 3.Draft National Guidelines for Performance Management in Schools, Ministry of Education, 1995.1.3.3 Performance Management System in Malaysia and CanadaMalaysia has adopted a Result-based Management Approach ( RBM ) , which focuses on systematic and structured public presentation direction, whereby, the Intergrated Performance Management Framework ( IPMF ) helps in being results-oriented in plan planning and delivery4. Canada is in its early phase on public presentation direction which has replaced the â€Å" Supporting Teaching Excellence † which was the instructor public presentation assessment policy. The policy model for pull offing people is effectual as of July 2010. It applies to the nucleus public disposal and is said to necessitate sustained leading and investing of clip and money5. 1.3.4 Performance Management System in Mauritius In the Mauritian context small research has been done as the PMS is still in its early phase. The lone research on the effectivity of Performance Management System has been carried out by ( Chittoo and Ramphul, 2006 ) in the Health Sector where they claim that Performance Management in the instance of Mauritanian infirmaries is still a implausible thought because irrespective of how good a technique it is, there is a fright to implement it due to swerve deficit of staff who still have to fulfill the clients to the ‘extent possible ‘ . The execution of public presentation direction may do affairs worse in the present state of affairs. The failings and prejudices that can do the PMS to neglect include absence of engagement, organisation civilization, low dignity, high outlooks and inaccurate evaluations ( Lukheenarain, ( 2009 ) . Published in a imperativeness article, caput instructors and school principals are said to be kicking about an overload of paperwork. Performance Management is seen as a good thing where instructors can hold their say in their public presentation assessment, nevertheless, tonss of administrative work coming with the system, can be a hurdle6. 4.http: //www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pol/doc-eng.aspx? id=14226 5.http: //www.minedu.govt.nz/NZEducation/EducationPolicies/Schools/SchoolOperations/EmploymentConditionsAndEvaluation/PerformanceManagementSystems/PMS 6.Kot Zot Mauritius Portal Mauritius Newspaper Syndicating Mauritanian News. Effectiveness and Efficiency ( Anthony and Young, 1994 ) argue that efficiency and effectivity are the two key standards for judging public presentation. Effectiveness is seen as the relationship between an organisation ‘s end product and its aims ( results or consequences ) and efficiency as the ratio of end products to inputs ( e.g. disbursals ) , or the sum of end product per unit of input. In add-on, ‘Economy ‘ ( i.e. inputs ) is frequently added to finish what is normally referred to as the ‘Three Es ‘ of public presentation measuring ( Hyndman & A ; Anderson, 1997, Boland and Fowler, 2000 ) . To enable the rating of economic system, efficiency and effectivity, it is necessary to mensurate inputs, end products and results ( or consequences ) . However, in public sector organisations which frequently have multiple, long term non-financial aims focused on social impact, it can turn out hard to mensurate the ‘three Es ‘ and hence hard to measure public presentation ( Hyndman & A ; Anderson, 1997 ) . ( Neely, Kennerley and Martinez, 2004 ) reported that there has been much prescription sing the design of PMS but really small consideration of whether such systems really work ( Neely et all, 2004 ; France & A ; Bourne, 2003 ) . It is deserving observing that Speckbacher et Al ( 2003 ) have reported that 8 % of 174 German talking states decided non to implement a Performance Measurement System because they could non see the advantages or ‘positive impact ‘ particularly given the attempt required to implement such systems. The above literature reappraisal raises a figure of issues which are in line with this survey. In peculiar whether public presentation direction in schools leads to improved public presentation or merely answerability. It is merely through a farther research on the effectivity of public presentation direction for pedagogues in State Secondary that it would be possible to convey out the strengths and failings of the system and aid to do recommendations to the governments on how to better the system so every bit to carry through the vision of the Ministry of Education of ‘Quality instruction for All ‘ and besides do it sustainable in all province secondary schools in the hereafter. Hypothesis The Performance Management System for Educators in State Secondary Schools, if decently understood and implemented will assist to better School Effectiveness in footings of both pupil and instructor public presentation. Methodology 2.1 Purpose of the survey The research paper has assorted aims. First given the increased accent on public presentation direction in Mauritius following the defects of the Confidential Reporting system, the paper examines the extent to which both Educators and Curates have a cognition and apprehension of the Performance Management System. Second it provides an overview of how the current public presentation direction system is being implemented in secondary schools in Education Zone 3 in Mauritius. Third it looks into how assorted standards used in the measuring of single public presentation in schools are related to teacher attitudes and perceptual experiences. It probes into the strengths and weaknesses/problems and troubles being encountered both by valuator and appraisee in the execution of the system. Last it makes an attempt to measure the effectivity of the Performance Management System as it is presently implemented in province secondary schools and do an effort at explicating recommendations to polic y shapers on the betterments needed to do this system sustainable in secondary schools in the hereafter. The usage of multiple methods in a survey secures in-depth apprehension of the phenomenon in inquiry because it adds energy, comprehensiveness and deepness to the probe ( Cresswell, 1994:174 ; Denzin & A ; Lincoln, 1998:163 ; Salomon, 1991: 10 ) . Therefore, both quantitative and qualitative informations aggregation techniques were used. Research Design: The research documented in this paper relied on informations obtained from both primary and secondary beginnings. Survey Questionnaire: The quantitative attack involved a questionnaire study, because it helps to garner informations at a peculiar clip with the purpose of depicting the nature of bing conditions ( Cohen & A ; Manion, 1995:83 ) . Questionnaires were used for both Educators and Rectors and included chiefly closed inquiries and three unfastened ended inquiries. For the closed inquiries the Likert graduated table was used. The questionnaire foremost asked for demographic informations such as age, gender, station held and old ages of experience in the station. Then respondents were asked inquiries on their cognition and apprehension of the Performance Management System. Next, respondents were asked their positions on the nature of the current Performance Management System agreements at their school, the Performance Management procedure and the standards used in the measuring of single public presentation. Open ended inquiries refering the strengths and failings of the current PMS at the ir school and the betterments they would wish to see in the present system. The questionnaires were designed in a logical and specific mode to accomplish the necessary consequences. The subsequent stairss were pursued in the undermentioned order: Shaping ends and aims, planing the methodological analysis, finding feasibleness, developing the instruments, choosing a sample, carry oning a pilot trial, revising the instruments, carry oning the research, analysing the information and devising recommendations. Questions for both classs were dispensed on a pilot footing in one school and necessary amendments were made. Interviews: In add-on to questionnaires, qualitative information was collected through semi structured interviews with Curates and the Zone Director in order to acknowledge their perceptual experiences on the effectivity of the Performance Management System in Secondary Schools in Zone 3 and notes were taken. The notes consisted of statements and remarks made by the interviewees which were identified as being important and of import. Triangulation: While questionnaires and interviews were the primary methods of informations aggregation, the secondary methods of informations aggregation included survey of statistics from the Ministry of Education and other relevant paperss such as the Performance Management Guide by the Ministry of Civil Service Affairs, the Pay Research Bureau Report 2008 and the Confidential Reporting system. 2.3 Participants In Mauritius, there are 3439 Educators ( appraisee ) and 63 Curates ( valuators ) in State Secondary Schools over the island. For the intent of this research the mark population consisted of 660 Educators ( appraised ) and 12 Curates ( Appraisers ) working in State Secondary Schools in Zone 3 as they are the lone secondary schools which are finishing their 2nd PMS rhythm, the first one holding been completed on a pilot footing in 2009. Zones 1, 2 and 4 have non yet completed a full Performance Management rhythm. Questionnaires were administered to 280 Educators and Curates from 8 province secondary schools, who formed the sample population. 245 Educators and all 8 Curates responded favorably. Semi-structured interviews were held with the 8 Curates and the Zone Director who is by and large responsible for the overall direction of different schools in this Zone. 2.4 Analysis Techniques Chi square trial, Pearson correlativity and Factor analysis are carried. The consequences are used to mensurate the cognition and apprehension of both Educators and Rectors of the current Performance Management System, its procedure, the importance of its different standards in the measuring of the public presentation of persons, respondents ‘ attitudes and perceptual experiences on the public presentation steps, the strengths and failings of present Performance Management System and the betterments they deemed necessary. These findings are so related to the literature findings. They are analyzed in order to judge the efficiency of the present system so as to explicate necessary recommendations for policy shapers to do it more effectual and sustainable as a agency of mensurating public presentation of all Educators in Secondary schools in Mauritius. Datas Analysis Questionnaire informations were computerized utilizing SPSS package. Open ended inquiries were categorized harmonizing to the response. For the structured interviews, qualitative informations, forms and classs were identified and described. Validity was ensured through triangulation whereby study informations from pedagogues were verified with study informations from curates and farther supplemented by the interviews of the Rectors and the Zone Director. 3. Findingss The perceptual experiences of the effectivity of the execution of PMS in our State Secondary schools are discussed and linked with the literature harmonizing to the undermentioned classs: cognition and apprehension of PMS ; nature of current PMS agreements ; Performance Management Process ; public presentation steps ; and PMS from an administrative point of position. Educators who responded to the questionnaire have a average age of 36.4 ( SD=0.889 ) , an mean old ages of 8.2 ( SD=1.48 ) old ages of learning experience, 58.5 % of whom were female and 18.3 % held place of duty as caput of section. They were all appraised by their curate. 3.1 Knowledge and apprehension of PMS Figure 1. Knowledge and apprehension of PMSQuestions were framed harmonizing to literature findings as referred to in Figure 1. The survey has revealed that more than 50 % of pedagogues believe in the importance of PMS for set uping a high public presentation civilization, concentrating on end product and procedures of accomplishing consequences and bettering the procedure of instruction and acquisition. As Walter ( 1995 ) stated that PMS improves the quality and measure of work done, therefore associating them to the administration ‘s ends and aims. 3.2 Nature of current PMS agreements An analysis of the public presentation direction procedures and activities in the school provides an apprehension of the execution of PMS. 74.5 % of pedagogues believe that PMS is a good planned procedure. One of the purposes of PMS in to better public presentation of schools. Harmonizing to Jenny Ozga ( 2003 ) , the nucleus premises of public presentation direction are that public presentation degrees in the public sector can be raised, that is to do the schools on Scotland more efficient and effectual than in Finland. Reliance on mark scene and monitoring as a cardinal component of the direction of instructors rises concern about the possible distorting effects of marks on relationship between instructors and directors, and on instructors ‘ definition of their nucleus undertaking. Teachers and caputs experience under force per unit area to show good public presentation. This position was besides reflected in our survey, the sentiment of pedagogues on effectivity of PMS in the ir school and whether current PMS agreement leads to betterment in public presentation of school have been analysed utilizing cross tabular matter and Chi-square ( I†¡2 ) trial to happen out if there is an association between these two variables. The formulated hypothesis is H0, there is no association between sentiment on effectivity of PMS and PMS really taking the betterment in public presentation and H1, there is an association between sentiment on effectivity of PMS and PMS really taking the betterment in public presentation. Table 1 shows that bulk of pedagogues do non hold that PMS leads to betterment ( 33.1 % ) and are decrepit linked to school effectivity ( 40 % ) . I†¡2 50.248 with grades of freedom 8. Probability ( 0 ) is 5 % . Therefore at 5 % degree of signifigance H0 is rejected and we accept H1. Cramer ‘s V value being 0.320 shows weak relationship between the two. Table 1. PMS arrangement – betterment in school public presentation * Opinion of PMS as appraisee Crosstabulation Opinion of PMS as appraisee Entire Not effectual Reasonably uneffective Neither effectual nor uneffective Reasonably effectual really effectual Disagree Count 11 11 26 11 1 60 Expected Count 5.9 5.9 19.8 24.2 4.2 60.0 Neither agree nor disagree Count 12 12 33 44 3 104 Expected Count 10.2 10.2 34.4 42.0 7.2 104.0 Agree Count 1 1 22 44 13 81 Expected Count 7.9 7.9 26.8 32.7 5.6 81.0 Entire Count 24 24 81 99 17 245 Expected Count 24.0 24.0 81.0 99.0 17.0 245.0 In the survey on â€Å" Implementing public presentation direction in England † s primary school † , ( Brown, 2005 ) , 24 out of 30 headteachers considered the public presentation direction preparation which they have received as unsatisfactory and most of the instructors stated that there was no formal preparation in public presentation direction. Merely 20 % of curates ( 8 in all ) and 25 % of pedagogues ( 247 in all ) agree that sufficient preparation was given before execution of PMS, and they believe that the preparation was non effectual and excessively brief ( based to open ended inquiries and interview ) . Training on PMS is believed to be deficient, there has been no farther preparation or follow up and new recruits are non offered any signifier of preparation or briefing. PMS, so far, has non helped to better school effectivity or pupil public presentation. They are non confident about the success and sustainability of PMS. Once the PMS rhythm is over, there is no coverage and follow up and pedagogues are non offered developing harmonizing to their demands. The biggest job they are confronting is clip restraint, to follow single pedagogue and transport out one to one interview. Interviews carried out with curates gave farther penetrations into the execution of PMS. All curates believe that PMS is an of import tool for estimating public presentation and guaranting answerability. PMS is seen as really much adapted to the new direction paradigm, quality confidence and undertaking based budgeting ( PBB ) . It is being implemented without major jobs, all staff are join forcesing, there is no job with the work program, midterm assessment and terminal of twelvemonth assessment. Everything is being done satisfactorily and curates find PMS better than the â€Å" confidential study † . They view PMS as bettering collegiality and believe that with clip it will further better. However, it is done automatically because they all know that they have to follow. 3.3 Performance Management Process Harmonizing the survey on ‘Teacher perceptual experience of the effectivity of instructor assessment in Botswana ‘ ( Monyatsi, 2006 ) , bulk of respondents ( 44.7 % ) agreed that assessment procedure in Botswana motivates instructors. However, in our survey on the province secondary schools in zone 3 merely 20 % of pedagogues find PMS utile and the bulk ( 66 % ) are apathetic to public presentation direction but go through the gestures. 52 % of the respondents agree that the valuator invites self-appraisal and uses congratulations to actuate pedagogues. Confidentiality and trust issues, particularly in relation to appraisal coverage and who has entree to the information was one on the participants concern, ( Cardno, 1999 ) . 57.2 % of the pedagogues responded positively when asked whether they trust PMS procedure in their school and 75 % feel that confidentiality is maintained throughout the PMS procedure. This shows that confidentiality and trust is non an issue in our s chools. An analysis of discrepancy ( ANOVA ) is used to compare current PMS taking to betterment in public presentation of pedagogues to the existent assessment procedure is given in table 2 below. As the homogeneousness of discrepancy trial ( .000, .001, .019 ) is & lt ; .05, the ANOVA tabular array was constructed as shown in table 2. The significance value being & lt ; 0.05, we reject the void hypothesis and accept that there is a difference between the current PMS agreements taking to betterment in public presentation of pedagogue and the assessment mechanism carried out by the curate as promoting for pedagogues. Table 2. ANOVA to compare current PMS taking to betterment in pedagogue public presentation and the existent assessment mechanism by utilizing congratulations, discuss public presentation and non personality and encourages self-appraisal. Sum of Squares ( combined ) df Mean Square F Sig. Curates use congratulations to do motivate pedagogues 46.599 2 23.300 19.481 .000 Curates discuss public presentation non personality 35.246 2 17.623 15.834 .000 Rector invites self assessment 45.989 2 22.995 24.768 .000 Brown ( 2005 ) besides investigated how PMS would assist to better professional development of instructors. The positions of both caputs and instructors were assorted. On the positive side, some instructors felt that a formal one-year reappraisal, to reflect on assorted facets of their public presentation enabled them and their leader to jointly explicate a extremely individualized development program. However, it was reported that even though an appropriate program had been formulated, it had non been implemented due to shortage of clip and resources. One of the premier importance of PMS is staff development. Khim Ong Kelly et Al ( 2007 ) stated that there are important challenges in efficaciously measuring the aptitude of instructors for different calling paths and in measuring what constitutes good public presentation. In England primary schools, ( Brown,2005 ) , the positions of both caputs and instructors about public presentation direction assisting to better professional devel opment of instructors are assorted. The boxplot ( Figure 2 ) show a normal unskewed distribution with 32 % response as impersonal, same applies for public presentation reappraisal being a preparation program for each pedagogue. This shows that the same uncertainness applies to our system. Table 3. Rotated Component Matrix Component 1 Problem work outing accomplishments .787 Duty .756 Versatilty .755 Leadership .739 Planing .730 Strategic thought .710 Technical cognition .703 1 Strongly disagree-15 % 2 somewhat disagree-14 % 3 neither agree nor disagree34 % 4 somewhat agree-32 % 5 strongly agree-4 % 3.4 Performance steps One ground for replacing the confidential study is because it has no yardstick to mensurate the grade of public presentation of assorted facets of the occupation as there are no fit professional criterions. Furthermore, there is general consensus from all the research conducted that the ends of public presentation direction system or assessment are to better quality and answerability. In their survey, Chittoo and Ramphul ( 2006 ) , referred to the systems attack with the 3e ‘s – economic system, efficiency and effectivity. However, the extent to which this mark is achieved remains blurred due to restraints such as clip, fiscal resources and staff. The great bulk ( around 80 % ) of respondents agree that the standards in the measuring of single public presentation ( student focal point, competency, attending and promptness, communicating accomplishments and others ) are of import or critical. Factor analysis was carried out to happen out which PMS measures pedagogues see to be more of import. The 26 PMS steps rated by the respondents were considered in this trial which is applicable as the determiner ( 1.11 ) is greater than 1A-10-5. Table 3 shows the revolved constituent matrix with some PMS steps in footings of precedence as seen by the pedagogues. It is interesting to observe that the first three steps are related to personality traits and accomplishments. However, 60-70 % pedagogues believe that PMS is undependable to mensurate public presentation, is drawn-out and clip consuming, with excessively much paper work and that there has non been follow up for the preparation demands identified during assessments. These findings are confirmed utilizing bivariate correlativity trial. At 1 % degree of significance ( two-tailed ) , there is a weak but negative correlativity ( Pearson Coefficient ( R ) is -0.002 ) between the standards to be assessed and the manner of appraisal in PMS. 3.5 PMS from an Administrative point of position This survey confirms information published in local imperativeness article, that is PMS is seen as a good thing but tonss of administrative work coming with the system can be a hurdle. The Zone Director monitors the execution of PMS in the schools. She confirmed that all schools in zone 3 are implementing PMS as instructed. Curates do kick about PMS being clip devouring but they all managed to finish the procedure. However, she is non satisfied with the execution of PMS, accent is laid on measure, guaranting that PMS is implemented in all schools, but there is no quality, no clip for analysis of public presentation, rating and proper coverage. The Ministry is concerned with the completion and entry of the PMS, but there is no construction for follow up and developing. As Lukheenarain ( 2009 ) stated, certain failings and prejudices can do PMS to neglect, some of them as revealed by our survey are: no analysis, no follow up and deficiency of support from higher governments, no clear g uidelines of what to make after one PMS rhythm, deficiency of forces and clip restraints. The strength of PMS is that pedagogues and curates are cognizant of what that are supposed to make harmonizing to their work program, they hence make the necessary attempt to accomplish their cardinal consequence countries by executing the cardinal undertakings. The Zone Director is unable to state if some schools are making better than others because of PMS as there is no analysis done, but she believes that if done decently with an appropriate mechanism for analysis, preparation and coverage, PMS is traveling to be fruitful. The whole PMS needs reappraisal, harmonizing to her it has to be seamster made for instruction sector and should be user friendly and attractive for both valuator and appraisee. To do PMS sustainable, at the terminal of each rhythm there should be a mechanism for coverage, analysis and forming preparation Sessionss to make full in the public presentation spreads identifie d. Furthermore, some pedagogues proposed the debut of wage related public presentation in order to actuate and promote them to follow the system. We would wish to thank Mrs R. Koomar for her valuable aid and back up throughout this research paper. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS. The intent of this paper, as stated at the beginning, has been to look at the effectivity of the execution of public presentation direction system for pedagogues in province secondary schools of educational zone 3. All schools in Zone 3 are implementing PMS as instructed by the Ministry of Education and Human Resources. The bulk of pedagogues believe that execution of PMS can be good as it will set up a high public presentation civilization in the instruction system. However, the bulk of pedagogues in Zone 3 are apathetic to PMS but merely follow with another bureaucratic standard. Analysis has shown that execution of PMS is non linked to effectiveness in the sector. This survey shows that all those involved should possess the cognition and apprehension of its intents, procedures and step, if the whole procedure is to be effectual. There is a deficit of work force to work on public presentation direction system in schools and therefore it is seen as an extra undertaking. Curates and pedagogues likewise in Zone 3 believe that execution of public presentation direction system has resulted in more paper work instead than concrete action. There is no proper staff development follow up in topographic point and as a consequence pedagogues and curates feel PMS has non produced the coveted results. Allotment of financess and proper preparation are non in topographic point to run into the demands of pedagogues and curates likewise. Emphasis is laid on completion of the public presentation direction rhythm and the results are kept in shortss and no proper actions taken to rectify any failings or reward those who are executing to the satisfaction of the top direction. Bearing in head the benefits which the public presentation direction system can convey to bettering the effectivity of services in province secondary schools, the undermentioned steps should be looked at and set in topographic point. Curates and pedagogues should be given more appropriate preparation on public presentation direction system which is tailored to the demands of instruction. It should be related to pay ; extrinsic wages can assist to better pedagogues ‘ public presentation. Educators who are executing outstandingly should be rewarded with another increase on the wage spinal column that is the pedagogue can leap two graduated tables on the wage ladder. There should be more committedness from the top degree of disposal ; the Ministry of Education should be committed non merely to measure ( figure of schools who have completed the rhythm ) but besides to quality of the results. It will add drift and motivate staff to take public presentation direction more earnestly. The Ministry should look into geting more financess for formal and on-going preparation. Professional development of the staff should be given due consideration so that pedagogues can profit from it and happen the exercising of public presentation direction system fruitful. Protected clip should be given to the valuator and appraise likewise so that they both can give due consideration PMS. Regular update should be held at regular intervals during the twelvemonth so that all freshly recruited pedagogues and curates are acquainted with the system. PMS should be reviewed, updated at sensible periods so as to aline it with the vision of the Ministry of Education of â€Å" Quality instruction for All ‘ . Further research on the topic should be encouraged by the Mauritius Research Council, the University of Mauritius, the University of Technology, Mauritius and other third establishments through the Student Research Grant Scheme as proposed in the Budget for 2011 and recommendatio ns made should be studied and implemented where executable. Professional Standards for Educators should be worked out in coaction with this cell because it is good known in direction that if the person/s who are traveling to be affected by policy determinations are taken on board in the treatment phase, they feel a committedness to the determination and will seek to stay by them and make the ends set. Those non making the set marks should non be regarded as ‘ failures ‘ , instead they should be given in service and professional development classs to assist make full the public presentation spreads identified during the execution phase. Use of engineering can be of aid in cut downing the excess paperwork.

Oil Drilling

Have you ever seen an animal covered in sludge, helpless and weak? Offshore oil drilling is one of our world’s biggest concerns. Offshore oil drilling is the discovery of finding oil or gasoline resources underwater. Usually the oil is found off the coasts of each continent and can also be found in lakes and small seas. Drilling for oil provides the energy to make fuels for cars and other machinery. Many different platforms can be used for offshore oil drilling such as drill ships, jack up barges, steel jackets, and semi-submersibles for deeper water areas. The issue at hand is that oil drilling can lead to oil spills into oceans, seas, and lakes and can harm the environment. Barge collisions, explosions, leaks, spills, and pipeline corrosion are all key factors in the harmful effects of oil drilling. Drilling leads to pollution in the environment and kills many organisms and aquatic animals. Animals play a key role in society, especially the marine animals. Long term effects create damage to the food chain, fisheries, health, the ecosystem balance, and enjoyment of nature. Oil spills harm the lives of marine life and the federal government allows them to be killed during gas and oil drilling. When explosives are used to remove the oil rigs, pipelines can be demolished the oil will spill everywhere. Aquatic life is endangered around these oil rigs and causes many hatchlings not to be brought into the world. Sea turtles are attracted to bright lights and if the oil rig has created an explosion, they will head toward that direction, endangering their own lives for vicious predators along the way. Not only is marine life affected, but birds. Many types of birds are endangered as well like ducks, seagulls, and pelicans. If the ocean is polluted with toxic oil and they decide to swim in it, all the oil will get stuck on their feathers not allowing them to fly. Oil drilling is dangerous and can lead to the extinction of many animals. The United States needs oil, but offshore drilling is not the way to get it. There are plenty of other alternatives we can use to create gasoline such an ethanol. Ethanol uses agricultural products to make an alternative gas product and it has proven to proven to be cost effective. The U. S. should also use hybrid cars and electric vehicles instead of relying on oil. Forms of transportation should also be aware of the oil efficiency and should begin using smart growth to make less pollution and reduce gridlock. Air pollution will be cut and the amount of oil used will be reduced for a better environment. Offshore oil drilling does provide large amounts of oil, but there should be a limit on how much should be consumed at one given time. Another key factor of oil drilling is the cost. President Barack Obama has come up with energy proposals to help the environment and cut the costs our nation has put on oil. â€Å"In order to save energy and taxpayer dollars, my administration is doubling the number of hybrid vehicles in the federal fleet, even as we seek to reduce the number of cars and trucks used by our government overall,† Obama said. His plans are too drill along the Southern Atlantic coastlines and move away from Alaska, for it is too dangerous and risky for the environment. Expanding drilling is definitely not the solution our country needs and therefore; something needs to be done. Since the land that is going to be drilled cannot provide a base for offshore drilling as it does for onshore drilling, an artificial platform must be created. This artificial platform can take many forms, depending on the characteristics of the well to be drilled, including how far underwater the drilling target is. One of the most important pieces of equipment for offshore drilling is the subsea drilling template. Essentially, this piece of equipment connects the underwater well site to the drilling platform on the surface of the water. This device, resembling a cookie cutter, consists of an open steel box with multiple holes in it, dependent on the number of wells to be drilled. This drilling template is placed over the well site, and usually lowered into the exact position required using satellite and GPS technology. A relatively shallow hole is then dug, in which the drilling template is cemented into place. The drilling template, secured to the sea floor and attached to the drilling platform above with cables, allows for accurate drilling to take place, but allows for the movement of the platform, which will inevitably be affected by shifting wind and water currents. There are two basic types of offshore drilling rigs: those that can be moved from place to place, allowing for drilling in multiple locations, and those rigs that are permanently placed. Moveable rigs are often used for exploratory purposes because they are much cheaper to use than permanent platforms. Once large deposits of hydrocarbons have been found, a permanent platform is built to allow their extraction. The sections below describe a number of different types of moveable offshore platforms. Drilling barges are used mostly for inland, shallow water drilling. This typically takes place in lakes, swamps, rivers, and canals. Drilling barges are large, floating platforms, which must be towed by tugboat from location to location. Suitable for still, shallow waters, drilling barges are not able to withstand the water movement experienced in large open water situations. Semisubmersible rigs are the most common type of offshore drilling rigs, combining the advantages of submersible rigs with the ability to drill in deep water. A semisubmersible rig works on the same principle as a submersible rig: through the ‘inflating' and ‘deflating' of its lower hull. The main difference with a semisubmersible rig, however, is that when the air is let out of the lower hull, the rig does not submerge to the sea floor. Instead, the rig is partially submerged, but still floats above the drill site. When drilling, the lower hull, filled with water, provides stability to the rig. Semisubmersible rigs are held in place by huge anchors, each weighing upwards of 10 tons. These anchors, combined with the submerged portion of the rig, ensure that the platform is stable and safe enough to be used in turbulent offshore waters. Semisubmersible rigs can be used to drill in much deeper water than the rigs mentioned above. Drillships are exactly as they sound: ships designed to carry out drilling operations. These boats are specially designed to carry drilling platforms out to deep-sea locations. A typical drillship will have, in addition to all of the equipment normally found on a large ocean ship, a drilling platform and derrick located on the middle of its deck. In addition, drillships contain a hole (or ‘moonpool'), extending right through the ship down through the hull, which allows for the drill string to extend through the boat down into the water. Drillships are often used to drill in very deep water, which can often be turbulent. Drillships use what is known as ‘dynamic positioning' systems. Drillships are equipped with electric motors on the underside of the ship’s hull, capable of propelling the ship in any direction. These motors are integrated into the ship’s computer system, which uses satellite positioning technology, in conjunction with sensors located on the drilling template, to ensure that the ship is directly above the drill site at all times. Offshore oil drilling creates disasters not only in the ocean or seas, but generates explosions of the oil rig itself. Bits and pieces of the rig can rust at the bottom of the ocean and endanger precious reefs and homes of animals. I believe offshore oil drilling is a mistake and should be limited around the world. There are plenty of renewable energy sources to survive off of. Fuels can be costly but the environment would be a safer place to live in. Having a limited supply of oil can save millions of aquatic lives and provide worries from environmentalists will be satisfied. Drilling should be banned all together to save human lives as well. Many have been lost because of accidental explosives. Hopefully oil drilling will end soon and promote the general welfare of living in a clean, oil-free environment. Works Cited http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2525743/posts http://english.aljazeera.net/business/2010/03/201033118235692566.html

Fellowship Opportunities for Writers in Berlin

Fellowship Opportunities for Writers in Berlin Berlin has long been known for its thriving international arts and literary communities. It is equally known for the support that exists for writers and artists in the city. Centrally located within Europe, it is an easy train ride or flight to other major cultural destination cities, including Barcelona, Florence, Paris, and Prague, and serves as a font of inspiration for creative people from all artistic walks of life. Many are familiar with writers such as Christopher Isherwood, Franz Kafka, and Robert Walser, who found inspiration for their stories in Berlin, and musician David Bowie, who recorded three albums while living in the city. Since moving to Berlin in July 2013, I have immersed myself in the local literary community and have found the following resources for international writers seeking short-term residencies here. American Academy in Berlin americanacademy.de/ Located in the lakeside Hans Arnold Center in the Wansee neighborhood of Berlin, the American Academy offers annual Berlin Prize fellowships to scholars, writers, and artists who represent the highest standards of excellence in their fields. Past Fellows include poets Susan Howe, Tom Sleigh, and C.K. Williams, and novelists Kiran Desai, Jonathan Safran Foer, and Ha Jin. The upcoming class of Fellows for 2014-2015 includes writers Mary Jo Bang, Tom Drury, and Adam Ross. Fellows commit to spend one academic semester (fall or spring) at the Academy, and the prize includes a monthly stipend, partial board, and a residence at the Center in Wansee. The deadline for applications for 2015-2016 is September 29, 2014. Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst/German Academic Exchange Service DAAD North America daad.org The Artists-in-Berlin Program (Berliner Kà ¼nstlerprogramm) of the German Academic Exchange Service (commonly referred to as DAAD) provides about 20 grants to international artists in the fields of visual arts, literature, music, and film, for an approximately one-year stay in Berlin. The grant includes a monthly stipend, an apartment, workspace (studio), and funds for projects. U.S. writers who spent a year in Berlin through the program include Eugene Ostashevsky, Robert Creeley, and Rosmarie and Keith Waldrop. The deadline for applications to the program is January 1, 2015. ZK/U-Zentrum fà ¼r Kunst und Urbanistik zku-berlin.org/ The ZK/U-Zentrum fà ¼r Kunst und Urbanistik (Center for Art and Urbanistics) provides residencies of two to eight months for artists, scholars, and practitioners (curators, activists, autodidacts, etc.) interested in cross-disciplinary theory and practice dealing with the city. Recent participants include poet Stephen Motika and novelist Alan Cunningham. For individual fellows selected for the program, depending on the studio-apartment and the length of the stay, costs can be between 500 and 800 Euros per month. ZK/U will work with selected fellows in support of efforts to obtain funding to cover the cost through external grants. The deadline for applications for the Autumn-Winter 2014-2015 residency is July 27, 2014. American poets who wish to spend time in Berlin, Germany (or other cities abroad), can also consider applying for the competitive Amy Lowell Traveling Scholarship (amylowell.org/), which awards one scholarship of approximately $54,000 to an American poet who agrees to spend the entire year abroad. The deadline for applications for the scholarship is October 15, 2014. Inspiration can be found everywhere. But sometimes, the opportunity to travel can bring you out of a rut and lead your writing in unexpected, and exciting, directions.

Hamlet Quotes Explained

Hamlet Quotes Explained Hamlet is one of the most quoted (and most parodied) plays by William Shakespeare. The play is well-known for its powerful quotations about corruption, misogyny, and death. Yet, despite the grim subject matter, Hamlet is also famous for the dark humor, clever witticisms, and catchy phrases we still repeat today. Quotes About Corruption Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.(Act I, Scene 4) Spoken by Marcellus, a palace soldier, this familiar Shakespeare line is often quoted on cable TV news. The expression implies a suspicion that someone in power is corrupt. The scent of decay is a metaphor for a breakdown in morality and social order. Marcellus exclaims that something is rotten when a ghost appears outside the castle. Marcellus warns Hamlet not to follow the ominous apparition, but Hamlet insists. He soon learns that the ghost is the spirit of his dead father and that evil has overtaken the throne. Marcellus statement is important because it foreshadows the tragic events that follow. Although not significant to the story, its also interesting to note that for Elizabethan audiences, Marcellus line is a crude pun: rotten references the smell of flatulence. Symbols of rot and decay waft through Shakespeares play. The ghost describes a [m]urder most foul and a strange, and unnatural marriage. Hamlets power-hungry uncle, Claudius, has murdered Hamlets father, the king of Denmark and (in a deed considered incestuous) has married Hamlets mother, Queen Gertrude. The rottenness goes beyond murder and incest. Claudius has broken the royal bloodline, disrupted the monarchy, and shattered the divine rule of law. Because the new head of state is rotten as a dead fish, all of Denmark decays. In a confused thirst for revenge and an inability to take action, Hamlet appears to go mad. His love-interest, Ophelia, suffers a complete mental breakdown and commits suicide. Gertrude is killed by Claudius and Claudius is stabbed and poisoned by Hamlet. The notion that sin has an odor is echoed in Act III, Scene 3, when Claudius exclaims, O! my offence is rank, it smells to heaven. By the end of the play, all of the lead characters have died from the rot that Marcellus perceived in Act I.   Quotes About Misogyny Heaven and earth,Must I remember? Why, she would hang on himAs if increase of appetite had grownBy what it fed on, and yet, within a month - Let me not think ont - Frailty, thy name is woman! - (Act I, Scene 2) Theres no doubt that Prince Hamlet is sexist, possessing the Elizabethan attitudes toward women found in many of Shakespeares plays. However, this quote suggests that he is also a misogynist (someone who hates women). In this soliloquy, Hamlet expresses disgust over the behavior of his widowed mother, Queen Gertrude. Gertrude once doted on Hamlets father, the king, but after the kings death, she hastily married his brother, Claudius. Hamlet rails against his mothers sexual appetite and her apparent inability to remain loyal to his father. Hes so upset that he breaks the formal metrical pattern of blank verse. Rambling beyond the traditional 10-syllable line-length, Hamlet cries, Frailty, thy name is woman! Frailty, they name is woman! is also an apostrophe. Hamlet addresses frailty as though speaking to a human being. Today, this Shakespeare quote is often adapted for humorous effect. For example, in a 1964 episode of Bewitched, Samantha tells her husband, Vanity, they name is human. In the animated TV show The Simpsons, Bart exclaims, Comedy, thy name is Krusty.   Theres nothing lighthearted about Hamlets accusation, however. Consumed with rage, he seems to wallow in deep-seated hatred. Hes not simply angry at his mother. Hamlet lashes out at the entire female sex, proclaiming all women weak and fickle. Later in the play, Hamlet turns his fury on Ophelia. Get thee to a nunnery: why wouldst thou be abreeder of sinners? I am myself indifferent honest;but yet I could accuse me of such things that itwere better my mother had not borne me: I am veryproud, revengeful, ambitious, with more offenses atmy beck than I have thoughts to put them in,imagination to give them shape, or time to act themin. What should such fellows as I do crawlingbetween earth and heaven? We are arrant knaves,all; believe none of us. Go thy ways to a nunnery.(Act III, Scene 1) Hamlet seems to totter on the brink of insanity in this tirade. He once claimed that he loved Ophelia, but now he rejects her for reasons that arent clear. He also describes himself as an awful person: proud, revengeful, ambitious. In essence, Hamlet is saying, Its not you, its me. He tells Ophelia to go to a nunnery (a convent of nuns) where she will remain chaste and never give birth to arrant knaves (complete villains) like himself. Perhaps Hamlet wants to shelter Ophelia from the corruption that has infested the kingdom and from the violence thats sure to come. Perhaps he wants to distance himself from her so that he can focus on avenging his fathers death. Or perhaps Hamlet is so poisoned with anger that hes no longer capable of feeling love. In Elizabethan English, nunnery is also slang for brothel. In this sense of the word, Hamlet condemns Ophelia as a wanton, duplicitous female like his mother. Regardless of his motives, Hamlets rebuke contributes to Ophelias mental breakdown and eventual suicide. Many feminist scholars argue that Ophelias fate illustrates the tragic consequences of a patriarchal society. Quotes About Death To be, or not to be: that is the question:Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to sufferThe slings and arrows of outrageous fortuneOr to take arms against a sea of troubles,And by opposing end them? - To die, - to sleep, - No more; and by a sleep to say we endThe heartache, and the thousand natural shocksThat flesh is heir to, - ’tis a consummationDevoutly to be wish’d. To die, to sleep;To sleep, perchance to dream - ay,  theres the rub:For in that sleep of death what dreams may come...(Act III, Scene 1) These morose lines from Hamlet introduce one of the most memorable soliloquies in the English language. Prince Hamlet is preoccupied with themes of mortality and human frailty. When he ponders [t]o be, or not to be, hes weighing life (to be) versus death (not to be). The parallel structure presents an antithesis, or a contrast, between two opposing ideas. Hamlet theorizes that its noble to live and fight against troubles. But, he argues, its also desirable (a consummation devoutly to be wishd) to flee misfortune and heartache. He uses the phrase to sleep as a metonymy to characterize the slumber of death. Hamlets speech seems to explore the pros and cons of suicide. When he says theres the rub, he means theres the drawback. Perhaps death will bring hellish nightmares. Later in the long soliloquy, Hamlet observes that fear of consequences and the unknown- the undiscovered country- makes us bear our sorrows rather than seek escape. Thus, he concludes, conscience does make cowards of us all. In this context, the word conscience means conscious thought. Hamlet isnt really talking about suicide, but about his inability to take action against the sea of troubles in his kingdom. Confused, indecisive, and hopelessly philosophical, he ponders whether he should kill his murderous uncle Claudius. Widely quoted and often misinterpreted, Hamlets [t]o be, or not to be soliloquy has inspired writers for centuries. Hollywood film director Mel Brooks referenced the famous lines in his World War II comedy, To Be or Not to Be. In a 1998 film, What Dreams May Come, actor Robin Williams meanders through the afterlife and tries to unravel tragic events. Countless other Hamlet references have made their way into books, stories, poems, TV shows, video games, and even comic strips like Calvin and Hobbes.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dark Humor Quotes Laughter in the midst of death isnt a modern idea. Even in his darkest tragedies, Shakespeare incorporated cutting wit. Throughout Hamlet, the tedious busy-body Polonius spouts aphorisms, or snippets of wisdom, that come off as silly and trite: Neither a borrower nor a lender be;For loan oft loses both itself and friend,And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.This above all: to thine own self be true,And it must follow, as the night the day,(Act I, Scene 3) Buffoons like Polonius provide dramatic foils for the brooding Hamlet, illuminating Hamlets character and highlighting his anguish. While Hamlet philosophizes and mulls, Polonius makes trite pronouncements. When Hamlet accidentally kills him in Act III, Polonius states the obvious: O, I am slain! Similarly, two clownish gravediggers provide comic relief during a painfully ironic churchyard scene. Laughing and shouting crude jokes, they toss rotting skulls into the air. One of the skulls belongs to Yorick, a beloved court jester who died long ago. Hamlet takes the skull and, in one of his most famous monologues, contemplates the transience of life. Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio: a fellowof infinite jest, of most excellent fancy: he hathborne me on his back a thousand times; and now, howabhorred in my imagination it is! my gorge rims atit. Here hung those lips that I have kissed I knownot how oft. Where be your gibes now? yourgambols? your songs? your flashes of merriment,that were wont to set the table on a roar?(Act V, Scene 1) The grotesque and absurd image of Hamlet addressing a human skull has become an enduring meme, posted on Facebook and parodied in cartoons, TV shows, and films. For example, in the Star Wars episode, The Empire Strikes Back, Chewbacca imitates Hamlet when he lifts the head of a droid. While prompting laughter, Yoricks skull is also a gruesome reminder of the underlying themes of death, decay, and insanity in Shakespeares play. The image is so compelling that a dying pianist once bequeathed his own head to the Royal Shakespeare Company. The skull was removed, cleaned and, in 1988, put to service. The actors used the skull in 22 performances of Hamlet before deciding that the prop was too real- and too disturbing. Sources Hamlet. Folger Shakespeare Library, www.folger.edu/hamlet. Hamlet in Pop Culture. Hartford Stage, www.hartfordstage.org/stagenotes/hamlet/pop-culture.Heymont, George. â€Å"Somethings Rotten in the State of Denmark.† The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 12 June 2016, www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/somethings-rotten-in-the-state-of-denmark_us_575d8673e4b053e219791bb6.Ophelia and Madness. Folger Shakespeare Library. 26 May 2010, www.youtube.com/watch?vMhJWwoWCD4wfeatureyoutu.be.Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark: Open Source Shakespeare, Eric M. Johnson, www.opensourceshakespeare.org/views/plays/playmenu.php?WorkIDhamlet.  Women In Hamlet. elsinore.ucsc.edu/women/WomenOandH.html.