Funny Boy And Running In The Family | Analysis

Funny Boy And Running In The Family | Analysis Searching for identity is big theme in Postcolonial studies. Identity or the sense of belonging plays a major role in everyones lives. Identity tells us who we really are and where we have come from. Identity can be either positive or negative. It gives us the sense of pride in being who we are. If we do not identify ourselves with our surroundings or the people we come in contact with, we are lost. We feel as if we do not belong there and hence we feel as if we have lost our identity. Actually, the search for identity is an ongoing g process and there is no ending for it. Many would do anything to find their identity and to search for the place where they belong. In both Funny Boy and Running in the Family, the search for identity is the main theme. These novels bring forth the challenges that the main characters face in the search for identity. The setting of these two novels is in Sri Lanka. However, Funny Boys Arjie faced negative challenges thrown at him whereas Running in the Familys narrators (Ondaatje) journey of self-discovery is more towards the positive side. In this paper, I will the journey of self identification by the protagonists of the both novels that I mentioned above. In Funny Boy, we are exposed to the history of Sri Lanka, Arjies homeland. A country like Sri Lanka that has just gained independence from the colonizers strives to build and recapture its own identity which was stolen by the colonizing powers. However, to form a unitary identity is not easy because Sri Lanka is made up of different ethnicities and religious beliefs. The history of racial conflict between the Tamils and the Sinhalese in Sri Lanka plays an important role in Arjies life. The rivalry between Sinhalese (Buddhist) and Tamil (Hindu) inhabitants of Sri Lanka is caused by the differences in religion and custom. Salgado argues that the connection between language and ethnicity which substantiate the discrete ethnic markers of Sinhalese and Tamil, was very much the product of British orientalism, and was embraced by the Sinhalese who stood to gain from it (12-13). The Tamil minority from India migrated to Sri Lanka between the 3rd century BC and 13th century AD whereas the Indo-Aryan in who migrated in the 5th century BC created the Sinhalese population in Sri Lanka. Since, the Sinhalese are more in population compared to the Tamils; they hold much of the political power. For so long, Sri Lanka has been under the Western powers like Portuguese and British before it gained independence in 1948, with both Sinhalese and Tamils uniting their forces. Somehow, this unity did not last long because the Sinhalese immediately assumed power and began to marginalize the Tamils. They began to treat the Tamils so badly till the Tamils had to struggle to make their voice heard. The conflict reached its peak in 1956 when the Prime Minister Solomon Bandaranaike declared Sinhala as the national language and when Buddhism was declared as the official religion; the Tamils grew angry. Arjies father says in Funny Boy, when asked about the riots, Sinhalese wanted to make Sinhala the only national language, and the Tamils did not like this. So there was a riot and many Tamils were killed (61). The Tamils after much pain and suffering from denial of rights begin to fight to establish their own nation and this is evident in Funny Boy. There was a group in Jaffna called the Tamil Tigers. They wanted a separate country and the Sinhalese were very angry about this. Ammachi often talked about the Tigers. She was on their side and declared that if they did get a separate state, which they would call Eelam, she would be the first to go and live in it. Father told her she was mad. This made Ammachi even more angry and they had many disputes about the Tigers. (61) These political and racist power struggles heavily influence many chapters in this novel and especially when it reaches the climax in the last chapter, Riot Journal: An Epilogue. In Pigs Cant Fly, Arjie clashes with his cousin sister Tanuja and disagrees with the common social norm which forbids him from playing feminine games with girls. In Radha Aunty, Radhas and Anils love situation is almost similar to Romeo and Juliet love story. Radha is Tamil and Anil is a Sinhalese and they are forbidden to get married because they belong to different religion. In See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Daryl and Nalini endeavor to expose the corruption of the government, a fruitless effort in a corrupt and laden society. In Small Choices, Arjies father and Jegan had to battle against the racial stereotyping and violence, while in The Best School of All, Arjie and Shehan both defy the authority of the principal named Black Tie. At last, in the Epilogue the conflict between the Sinhalese and Tamils got wor st which is the beginning of the civil war. Furthermore, binary oppositions the self and the other exists in every chapter of this novel in a form of stereotyping every person in their own category. Ania Loomba says that, stereotyping involves a reduction of images and ideas to a simple manageable form; rather than simple ignorance or lack of real knowledge, it is a method of processing information. The function of stereotypes is to perpetuate an artificial sense of difference between self and other (55). In Funny Boy, Arjies grandmother Ammachi cannot accept Anil because she cannot see him beyond the stereotype. She cannot see Anil for more than just a Sinhalese. What did I tell you? She was getting a lit from a Sinhalese. Only a Sinhalese would be impertinent enough to offer an unmarried girl a lift (58). Society expects its people to choose sides and in return they will be protected accordingly. Conformity makes someone feel safe and it ensures ones survival. In a power struggle, when one party has the upper hand claim on the country and affirm other minorities will be marginalized. In the Empire Writes Back, Bill Ashcoft et al claims that in post-colonial societies, the participants are frozen into a hierarchical relationship in which the oppressed is locked into a position by the assumed moral superiority which is reinforced when necessary by the of physical force (172). In Small Choices Arjies father explained the things Tamils might get in trouble with in which the Sinhalese will face no problem. When my father had finished relating the incident, Amma said, You should have taken Jegans side. After all, he is more important than the peon. As Tamils we must tread carefully, my father replied. Jegan has to learn that. Even I have to circumspect when Im talking to the staff. If I was Sinhalese, like Sena, I could say and do whatever I liked. Amma sighed. Its so ridiculous, she said. What to do? One has to be realistic. (190). When the minorities do not have equal rights as the majority, this will lead to dislocation and alienation in their own country. This will result in vengeance and vendetta: You know, Sonali said, Sometimes I wish I was a Sinhalese or a foreigner. I dont, Diggy said. He glared at us again. Im proud to be Tamil. If those damn buggers come here, Illà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (196) Diggys reaction is understandable and its called retaliation. His reaction is much similar to the reaction of the Tamil Tigers. Tamil Tigers are consists mostly of young people who are unable to put up with Sinhalese demands and discriminations. Society draws a line between us and them so that people must confirm to either side, no matter how ridiculous it may seem. This applies to gender stereotyping as well. When asked why Arjie cannot play with his cousin sisters, his mother replies, It doesnt matterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Life is full of stupid things and sometimes we just have to do them (20). So what will become for those who refuse not to belong to just one category? What if they exist in a third space; in between? In Arjies case, he belongs to the Tamil minority as well as in gay community. Homosexuality is not tolerated in Sri Lanka and therefore Arjie is marginalized twice than an average Sri Lankan. Hence, it will be harder for Arjie to feel accepted and to have a sense of belonging. However, there many instance in Funny Boy where the characters try to defy the norm of life and social rules to live their life their own lives. This is evident in Arjies monologue below. How was it that some people got to decide what was correct or not, just or unjust? It had to do with who was in charge; everything had to do with who held power and who didnt. if you were powerful like Black Tie or my father you got to decide what was right or wrong. If you were like Shehan or me you had no choice but to follow what they said. But did we always have to obey? Was it not possible for people like Shehan and me to be powerful too? (274) Most of the time, the characters who decide not to follow the social rules or everyday norms are secluded and alienated by their family and country and people. For an example, Aunt Doris, the director of the stage play Arjie was involved in chose to go against her Burgher familys wishes and married a Tamil man. This of course ended her relationship with her family. Even Arjie, after thwarting his principal and realize who he is and who he wanted to be with, thought to himself, As I gazed at Amma, I felt a sudden sadness. What had happened between Shehan and me over the last few days had changed my relationship with her forever. I was no longer a part of my family in the same way. I now inhabited a world they didnt understand and into which they couldnt follow me. (285) Here Arjie is talking about his sexual awakening but his feelings also apply to those who made choices that alienate them from the people and places they belong to. However, to Homi Bhabha the third space gives people like Arjie a chance to create a new identity. This third space allows them to transcend their position and go against those suppress and oppress them. It gives them power and freedom to transcend boundaries society rules. They get the best of both worlds. It gives them self empowerment to move on in life and its a place where the can voice out their opinions. Most of all the third space gives them sense of belonging and identity. The third space is a mode of articulation, a way of describing a productive and not merely reflective, space that engenders new possibility. It is an interruptive, interrogative,and enunciative space of new forms of cultural meaning and productive blurring the limitation of existing boundaries and calling into question established categorizations of culture and identity (Bhabha, 1994) Before Arjie is even aware of his tendencies, his family would have makes sure that any un-stereotypical gender fondness would have been eradicated by his family. His father who was afraid that Arjie might turn out funny forbids him to play bride-bride with his cousin sisters. Well, on the other hand when Arjie plays with boys he was called a girlie boy. This separates him from the possibility of being a girl or a boy. Gender stereotypes are enforced by families and society to demarcate the separate worlds of boys and girls. This leaves Arjie caught between the boys and the girls worlds, not belonging or wanted either (39). His exclusion from both parties suggests us that he inhabits some third space between these two. This third space is addressed as funny and it has a shameful connotation. According to Gopinath, challenging gendered spaces in this novel which is portrayed by the main character. This is because he allows the inner space to be something more than a site of gender agr eement. He allows gender and fantasy play. And by doing this he reveal[s] how non heteronormative embodiments, desires, and pleasures surface within even the most heteronormative of spaces (170-171). Throughout the whole book, we follow Arjies journey growing up and attempting to search for his identity. Arjies search for identity is similar to Sri Lankas own research for identity amidst the warring ethnics. If the focus is just among the Tamils and Sinhalese, what about the homosexuals, Burghers and Muslims? Arent they part of Sri Lanka as well? Even though all of them are different in many ways, they yearn for a place to call home where they can be safe and live without persecution. Funny Boy also puts the story of the everyday people of Sri Lanka in the spotlight. It doesnt focus on one party but it focuses more on the struggle these people went through to live in a Sri Lanka they all own. It is not about finding a balance between your identities, or trying to define within a particular one, Selvadurai explained. Rather, he said it is about being open-minded and being accepting of how others define you (www.thecannon.ca//shyam_selvadurai_funny_boy_on_campus). In Running in the Family, Michael Ondaatje narrates the quest to search about his father by re-conceptualizing the past and patching up the fragments of his family history. Ondaatje searches for his identity by retracing back his familys past, especially his father in Sri Lanka. During certain hours, at a certain years in our lives, we see ourselves as remnants from the earlier generations that were destroyed. So our job becomes peace with enemy camps, eliminate the chaos at the end of Jacobean tragedies, and with the mercy of distance write histories(179). The framework that Ondaatje uses is a fictionalized memoir. This allows Ondaatje to create his own form of reality and his own truths. This enables him to challenge boundaries between fiction and reality. Besides that, Ondaatje explores the autobiographical self and in his case, the quest for Mervin Ondaatje is an important detour in his search for his own identity. He uses the technique of searching about the other (his father) so that he can find his own identity. As Marlene Kadar points out, writing about life is the site of the other, and this other is autobiographical in one sense, and not at all in another (153).When Ondaatje is searching deeply about his familys and fathers roots he begins to shape his own roots. At the end of the book it is revealed that Ondaatje is the mirror image of his father. One could certainly claim that the end of the narrative is just the beginning of the discovery of the other (i.e. the father) through the self (i.e. the narrator) (Speaking Ones Truth: Reading, 3). In Running in the Family, Ondaatje uses the infusion of family tragedies, their life dramas, warmth and love to connect the dots and construct his identity. He includes both the public and private when he researches about his family past. By doing so, he is able to see the connections between his family and his colonial inheritance. As Patricia Hampl remarks, the truth memoir has to offer is not neatly opposite from fictions truth. Its methods and habits are different, and it is perhaps a more perverse genre than novel: It seems to be about an individual self, but it is revealed as a minion of memory which belongs not only to the personal world but to public realm (205). Sri Lanka is a country consisting of a complex social network because it is a multinational country which has many national and cultural identities. Ondaatje acknowledges Sri Lankas identity as hybrid and creolized nature. This almost similar to Ondaatjes family background: Every one was vaguely related and had a Sinhalese, Tamil, Dutch, British and Burgher blood in them going in back many generations. There was a large social gap between this circle and the Europeans and English who were never part of Ceylonese community. The English were seen as transients, snobs, and racists and were quite separate from those who had intermarried and who lived permanently. My father always claimed to be a Ceylon Tamil, though that was probably more valid about three centuries earlier (41). However, there is a tension between Ondaatjes endeavour to reunite him with his family and to keep a distance from his family so that he is able to break through his familys history from different points of view. It is as if when Ondaatje runs in with his family, he is also running away from his family. The running aids the author in a more complex search for his identity because it allows him to discover his identity in different forms. Here, Ondaatje is creating history while collecting data, fragments of both Sri Lankas and familys histories. As to fill in the gaps in his identity, he uses myth to provide explanations and to be as closer to the truth of that time and closer to the truth of his family. By researching his country of birth, he sees it as the other that he is constantly searching for. He is both the insider and the outsider who speaks for both the marginal and the central: I am the foreigner. I am the prodigal who hates the foreigner (65). Here Ondaatje represents the immigrants, immigration and culture. The framework of fictionalized memoir allows both writers to speak their souls truth (cf.Hampl, 203). The search of identity is a process where there is a need to rely on the national identity and family identities. Its like you cannot runaway from where you belong because they somehow make you who you are. Arjie and his family had to leave Sri Lanka because Sri Lanka was no longer safe to be their home and it was no longer where they belong whereas, Ondaatje has to come back to Sri Lanka because that is where he can find his identity through his familys history. Even though, Arjie and his family had to run to Canada to survive, they are still Sri Lankans and are part of that country. Arjies father sent Arjie to a different school so that Arjie wont turn out funny, Arjie found Shehan who strengthen his sexuality. When it comes to Ondaatje, even though he is settled in Toronto, Canada, he has to go back to his birth place to find his identity. He even has dreams of going back to Sri Lanka. At last, one had to admit that the main part of their identity depends on where you are born and where you came from whether you are accepting it or not. This is evident in Shyam Selvadurais Funny Boy and Michael Ondaatjes Running in the Family. Work Cited Ashcroft, B., Griffiths, G. and Tiffin, H. The Empire Writes Back. New York: Routeledge, 1994. Bhabha, H.K.(1994). The Location of Culture. London.Routledge Gopinath, Gayatri. Impossible Desires: Queer Diasporas and South Asian Public Cultures.Durham: Duke UP, 2005. Hampl, Patricia. I Could Tell You Stories: Sojourns in the Land of Memory. New York; London: Norton, 1999. Kadar, Marlene. Whose Life Is It Anyway? Out of the Bathtub and into the Narrative. Essays on Life Writing: From Genre to Critical Practice. Ed. Marlene Kadar. Toronto: U of T Press, 1992. 152-161. Loomba, Ania. Colonialism/Postcolonialism. 2nd Edition. New York: Routeledge, 2005. Ondaatje, Michael. Running in the Family. 1982. NCL ed. Toronto: McClelland Stewart, 1993. Salgado, Minoli. Writing Sri Lanka, Reading Resistance: Shyam Selvadurais Funny Boy and A. Sivanandans When Memory Dies. The Journal of Commonwealth Literature 39:1 (2004): 5-18. Selvadurai, Shyam. Funny Boy. United States: Harcourt Brace, 1997 www.academon.com/Essay-Identity-in-PostTexts/54654 Cached Similar www.hichumanities.org/AHproceedings/Miriam%20Rothgerber.pdf Similar www.thecannon.ca//shyam_selvadurai_funny_boy_on_campus

Importance of Culturally Appropriate Health Policies

Importance of Culturally Appropriate Health Policies Bernard F. Richards Explain the importance of culturally appropriate health policies. Lederach (1995) defines culture as â€Å"the shared knowledge and schemes created by a set of people for perceiving, interpreting, expressing, and responding to the social realities around them (p. 9). Damen (1987) notes that culture can be defined as â€Å"learned and shared human patterns or models for living day-to-day living patterns and include thoughts, styles of communicating, and ways of interacting†. This incorporates sociocultural factors such as race and ethnicity, nationality, language, gender, sexual orientation among others. The WHO (2014) notes that â€Å"health policy refers to decisions, plans, and actions that are undertaken to achieve specific health care goals within a society. An explicit health policy can achieve several things: it defines a vision for the future which in turn helps to establish targets and points of reference for the short and medium term. It outlines priorities and the expected roles of different groups; and it builds consensus and informs people.† It is a truism that a community or society is a complex construct with individuals who can be hurt, who have varying needs and respond differently to any intervention initiative. This signals the need for health policies to be crafted in a culturally appropriate manner in order to impact individuals and his community. Studies have shown that culturally-appropriate health policies produce valuable results and assist in driving the accuracy of diagnosis, improve the likelihood of acceptance and adherence to the recommendations made and could possibly prevent or minimize the inappropriate use of health care facilities like clinics, hospitals and diagnostic centers. Experts have concluded that a modifications in health care delivering systems that are culturally oriented will promote quality improvement and should be applied at all levels of planning and execution. It is also suggested that a culturally appropriate health policy will have the effect of assisting in the reduction of any racial, ethnic or social health disparities. In this regard, effective communication must be an important consideration. In order for any policy to effective they must be enunciated and disseminated in a clear, simple and precise manner. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) (2010) notes that an operational plan moves a static prevention policy from being mere words written on a piece of paper into an effective and affective construct ready for action. Cultural appropriate health policies speak to the affective and contemplate the ability of systems to deliver patient care to a population or society having diverse values, beliefs, and behaviors and eliminating any disparities in health care. Although policies that improve the quality of care have both direct and indirect cost they can be used to improve quality and improve behavior at the level of the individual. It is also known that a society where the population is healthy has a higher propensity to generate wealth and wellbeing. Explain how one can develop a policy so that it gets the support of the community. Public health agencies worldwide are engaged in formulating policies and developing strategies to promote health within populations. Population health begins at the community level where smaller sub-groups can be targeted and engaged. However, to effectively execute strategies, support from stakeholders, including the community, is pivotal. An important consideration then is how promote the view of the strategy being ‘our policy’ rather than that from an outside, disconnected entity. Before formulating the policy, a thorough research of community dynamics is important. Campbell (2010) explains that anthropology is vital to public health practice. Such research provides information which will fuel the understanding of a community’s cultural beliefs and ideology regarding health related issues and practices (pgs. 76-77). Knowledge of community beliefs and practices can better guide policy makers in formulating health interventions that will be more accepted and supported by community stakeholders. According to Pittet (2001), a major factor contributing to change resistance and compliance is ignorance. People are more likely to accept something they have been involved in and can associate with. Stakeholders should be educated as to the health problem that exists in the community and why change is necessary. Involvement from these grass root stages will promote greater acceptance policy as community members will see that addressing the problem is the responsibility of individuals and the community as a whole. Resistance is possible at any stage of the change process. Therefore, open and continuous communication should be fostered with the community. Rabinowitz (2014) purports that fostering community support for health policy is a continuous process. New information at every stage, from formulation to implementation, should be shared with the community. Additionally, community stakeholders should be actively involved in the specific health interventions governed by the policy. Additionally, publicly lauding the successes of the interventions will draw further support from even sectors that initially against the program. Explain how you might engage the community to be part of the voice when developing a policy Health policy comprises methods put in place by health agencies to promote a particular health outcome (Cherry Trotter Betts, 2005). The health care system consists of a number of forces acting to impact the system for their interest. These forces include political entities as well as private and public sector groups that have the capacity to impact the health care system and influence the health policy-making process. Policy specialists advocate that political interface occur when individuals participate in the decision making process and cooperate in actions to improve said process. Mention must be made of the numerous stakeholders who have an interest the outcome of a health care policy who employ different means of activism to shape the health system. Public policy is described as a governmental act which embodies a response to health needs. According to Gregory, Hartz-Karp and Watson (2008), community engagement is a process whereby the community is involved in all stages of policy planning and formulation. With respect to health policies, community engagement implies fostering participation with community members in the development and execution of policies that will affect community health. Factors included comprise health service delivery, budgetary allocation, and wider issues affecting the health system. The community contributes meaningful and valuable input in any health related strategy. Therefore, effective collaboration with these stakeholders will serve as a major driving force behind any policy aimed at positively influencing health. The process of community engagement requires strategic actions at several levels. These levels include information gathering, education, discussion and partnership. To effectively put in place policies to counteract sources of ill-health in a community, it is important to first uncover what health issues exist. Coulter (2009) explains that health needs assessment is a methodical technique by which the health issues affecting a population are uncovered. This facilitates consensus as to the priorities that exist which will gear the allocation of resources (p. 11). This is usually one of the first steps in health planning and community engagement and facilitates formulation and application of steps to counteract such inequalities. Knowledge equips one with the necessary information to fuel informed action. Furthermore, active dialogue with community representatives will inevitably foster cooperation. Practical ways to secure the informed participation of the various groupings of a population being served is through small groups interactive talks, church promotion and school base interactions, spot meetings and though the development of literature and health education materials which reflect their level of health literacy and cultural norms. In developing a policy that gets the support of the community it is necessary to engage community representatives in the planning meetings whether as part of a swat or focus group or even formally as board members. This ensures ‘buy in’ by those they represent since they will have a voice at the formulation stage of the policy process. Engagement should endeavor to uncover what will work in the best interest of the jurisdiction being targeted, aid in the achievement of the stated policy, assess what resources are needed, how those resources should be allocated and utilized in the implementation of the policy, fairness and equity and effectively how the policy reflect the values of society. When all these elements are factored in the process then the much anticipated shared value can be a reality. It has also been noted by researchers that increasingly the population of society has become very diverse and experience huge disparities in health. As we grapple with the severe differences in race, gender, ethnicity, and negative experience in the socioeconomic status of the world community research shows that health policies affect the health behavior of individuals, their socioeconomic standing and their work environment. Health policies therefore must be carefully planned, implemented and evaluated. They must also be inclusive and seek the involvement of stakeholders. The DHHS (2010) discloses that the U.S. health expenditure is by far more than for any other nation however, this has not demonstrated superior results. Analysts have suggested that one of the possible reasons for this unfavorable outcome might be a failure to actively involve the population in strategic planning and execution. It can be concluded that in order to develop a policy that gets the support of the community the overarching principle is a merging of the efforts of policy makers and the community individuals who must regard the policy as relevant to their needs and are able to see the benefits they offer. References Campbell, D. (2010). Anthropology’s contribution to public health policy development. MJM, 13(1), 76-83. Cherry, B. Trotter Betts, V. (2005). Health policy and politics: Get involved! In B. Cherry S. Jacobs (Eds.) Contemporary nursing: Issues, trends management (pp.211-233). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Inc. Coulter, A. (2009). Engaging communities for health improvement: A scoping study for the Health Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.health.org.uk/public/cms/75/76/313/597/Engaging communities for health improvement.pdf?realName=788l5U.pdf Damen, L. (1987). Culture Learning: The fifth dimension on the language classroom. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. Department of Health and Human Services (2010). Healthy People 2010: Understanding and Improving Health, 2nd ed. Washington, D.C., U.S. Government Printing Office. Gregory, J., Hartz-Karp, J. Watson, R. (2008). Using deliberative techniques to engage the community in policy development. Australia and New Zealand Health Policy, 5(16), doi:10.1186/1743-8462-5-16 Lederach, J.P. (1995). Preparing for peace: Conflict transformation across cultures. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press. Pittet, D. (2001). Improving adherence to hand hygiene practice: A multidisciplinary approach. Emerg Infect Dis, 7(2), doi:10.3201/eid0702.700234. Rabinowitz, P. (2014). Gaining public support for addressing community health and development issues. Retrieved from http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/assessment/getting-issues-on-the-public-agenda/gain-public-support/main. World Health Organization (WHO). (2014). Health policy. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/topics/health_policy/en/

The Battle for Control of Political Science Education :: Political Science Politics

The Battle for Control of Political Science Education Abstract Quantitative analysis, formal modeling, and other forms of hard science dominate the leading journals and research institutions of American political science. To justify a hard scientific approach to the study of politics demands elaborate philosophical argument. In particular, it demands answers to three questions: What is the character of political life (the ontological question)? How and what can we know about politics (the epistemological question)? What purpose should political knowledge serve (the normative question)? Yet few of today’s hard scientists offer sophisticated answers to these questions because one by-product of their hegemony in the discipline has been the banishment of political philosophy to the margins of the curriculum. Indeed, political philosophy is the most distinguished victim of today’s â€Å"normal science.† This essay offers graduate students a program by which to test the claims of hard science in a radical manner. It demons trates how reflection on personal experience, the study of history, and the study of philosophy offer different ways of scrutinizing the ideology of hard science. Each raises formidable challenges to the hard-scientific project. Some see the current conflict in American political science as little more than a battle over occupational resources. It is a battle over who gets hired, who gets published, and who leads our professional associations. What meager response the current â€Å"Perestroika† protest movement has elicited from hard scientists has focused on these issues. The conflict is partly a battle over scarce resources, but the protesters have also presented a radical critique of hard science as a means to study politics. Hard scientists have met this critique with silence. The protest will not disappear with a more equitable division of occupational spoils. Its substantive challenge, too, demands a response. The focus of the debate is the definition of â€Å"science† as it is applied to the study of human beings. Today’s protest movement is not anti-scientific, as some adherents of the hard-scientific establishment have tried to stigmatize it. Unlike post-modern thinkers, most protesters associated with Perestroika think of themselves as scientists. But what sort of science is possible when the object of study is a human society? Science has always been a contested concept, even in the realm of the physical sciences, and it remains so today.

A Comparison of The death of a hired man and Out, Out- by Robert Frost

A Comparison of The death of a hired man and Out, Out- by Robert Frost Robert frost was born in Vermont in 1874 and died in 1963. Robert Frost was a farmer and lived in Vermont, USA. Both poems 'The death of a hired man' and 'Out, Out-' are set on a farm in Vermont which is probably because of where Robert Frost lived and worked. I will know begin to discuss the similarities. As I said previously both poems are set in a farm enviroment. The poem 'The death of a hired man' is probably set in winter so there would not be a lot of work to be done therefore Warren; the owner of the farm would not need to hire any workers because he would be able to do the work himself. The poem ?Out, Out is set in summer therefore there would be a lot of work to do and this is the reason why the boy, at his age, is working. My next similarity is that both poems flow through chronologically from beginning to end and this can be said to be the first level of understanding, the next level of understanding is that the poem portrays the last part of time that Silas and the young boy have alive; the poem starts off and they?re alive and as soon as the poems end so does their lives, thus giving the poem an abrupt ending, just like actual death. So time plays a major role in these poems. Another example of time is that both of the poems have a passage of time in them. In ?The death of a hired man? the passage is when, ?I?ll sit and see if that small sailing cloud Will hit or miss the moon.? After this there is a passage of time, which portrays Warren spending time with Silas. ?It hit the moon.? This is like Mary telling us that Silas has died. My next similarity is that in both poems the poet shows a wider pic... ...ing that each has of each other and it seems to me that both knows how the others mind works. In ?Out, Out-? there is no sense of relationship between any of the characters, I sense that the boy is very alone in his workplace and that he is probably out of the way from everybody else. Out of the two poems I liked the second poem better. The reason why I liked this poem better was because I felt that ?Out, Out-? was a more conventional poem and I liked the use of personification to make the saw seem to be alive. I could also relate more with the young boy, as I understand him to be around the same age as me and personally I would not be happy to be in his situation and to be working and I feel quite privileged to be at school when compared to his life. The thing I like about ?The death of a hired man? is the loving relationship between Mary and Warren.

Gerne Will Ich Mich Bequemen

Johann Sebastian Bach composed this piece. This piece is part of the St Matthew Passion, BWV244. It is a musical composition from the Passions written by Bach in 1727. The St Matthew Passion is written for solo voices, double choir and double orchestra. Picander (Christian Friedrich Henrici) is the libretto of this composition. This is a scared music. Only 2 out of 4 or 5 setting of the Passions survived. Bach was a devouted Christian, so he composed it for Good Friday. Gerne will ich mich bequemen (Gladly will I am comfortable) is the title of this piece. The context of the song is based on biblical story and it is in German text. It is in Da capo aria form where A section is repeated. The instrumentation for this aria are 2 violin which intermingle between the melody and a basso continuo. Bach give more variation to the melody by switching its mode from major to minor mode. This alter its emotional significance completely and is used to provide vivid contrast. The idea of a change of mode in a melody implies some harmonic considerations. He exploited harmonic variation to marvelous effect in this piece. This shown in the starting of the piece in G minor in the ritornello section and then it modulates to D minor at bar 25, and it is back to G minor at bar 65. The first section of the piece starts with a Ritornello and then come the aria. After the aria, there is the ritornello section again which use the first half of the Ritornello, this can be found in bar 24. Bach often writes pieces for human voices that can fit in instrumental idioms for example the Ritornello section at the beginning of the piece and where the bassist starts to sing, the melody is similar. This is how Bach imply his knowledge into his work. Symbolism, symmetry and mathematical relationships can be found in this piece : whenever there is this word â€Å"Kreuz† which mean cross, Bach will always have a sharp in it. The sharp (#) represent + (cross). This is one of the way he uses symbolism. Word painting can be found in this piece in bar 61 â€Å"trink† (drink) the melody is going up with chromatic melodies, Bach wanted to portrait the action of drinking. The piece only have 2 dynamic throughout the piece which are : piano and forte There are lots of Diminished 7th chords in this piece which is not common in Baroque period, during these time, Church plays a very important role in music, they believe that dissonance is not a good sound to praise the god. Bach uses these chords and sudden modulations to accompany Jesus’s apocalyptic prophecy. The recitative often set the mood for a particular passages by highlighting emotionally changed words such as â€Å"Gerne† (gladly). There is a bit of development in the B section but we doesn’t conclude that section as a development section because only part of the melody and rhythm change, we still can see the same use of Fortspinnung in the B section. Fortspinnung (spinning forth), it was conceived in 1915, it is the development or â€Å"spinning out† of a short melodic motif to form a complete phrase, often using sequences or intervallic change. It is much used in the Baroque period rather less in the Classical period. In this piece, Bach tries touch upon many basic human problems such as love, hatred and betrayal. The story itself is given to the Evangelist. Sometime Bach put his signature in some of his composition. His signature can be found in bar 65.

Education System in Pakistan Essay

The education system in Pakistan is generally divided into five levels:- 1) Primary (Grades one to Grade 5) 2) Middle (Grades six to Grade 8) 3) High (Grade Nine to Grade 10) Also known as Secondary 4) Intermediate (Grade eleven to 12) Also known as Higher Secondary 5) University (Undergraduate and Graduate degree) (14 to 16 Years of Education) 1) Primary Level of Education The standard national system of education is mainly inspired from the British System. Pre-School education is designed for 3-5 years old and usually consists of three stages (Play Group, Nursery and Kindergarten (KG)). After pre-school education, students go through junior school from grade 1 to 5. Only 80% of Pakistani children finish primary school education. 2) Middle Level of Education After passing grade 5 Examination which is conducted by the Punjab Examination Commission Lahore, students are promoted in to Middle Level ie grade 6 to 8. At middle level single-sex education is usually preferred by the community but co-education is also common in urban cities of the Pakistan. Subject Taught at Middle Level of Education: At middle level of education the eight commonly examined subjects are Urdu, English, Mathematics, Arts, Science, Social Studies, Islamiyat and sometime Computer Studies. Some institutes also give instruction in foreign languages such as Turkish, Arabic, Persian, French and Chinese. The language of instruction depends on the nature of the institution itself, whether it is an English medium school or an Urdu medium School. 3) High/Secondary Level of Education After passing grade 8 Examination which is conducted by the Punjab Examination Commission Lahore, Students are promoted to High/Secondary Level ie grade 9 to 10 which is also known Secondary School Certificate (SSC). Students are required to pass a national examination administered by a regional Board of Intermediate & Secondary Education (BISE). Upon successful completion of these two examination, they are awarded a SSC Certificate. This locally known as â€Å"Matriculation†. Subject Taught at Secondary Level of Education: The curriculum usually includes a combination of eight courses including elective subject such as (Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Computer) as well as compulsory subject such as (Mathematics, English, Urdu, Islamiyat and Pakistan Studies). 4) Intermediate/Higher Secondary Level of Education The students are promoted to grade 11 after passing of grade 10. Upon successful completion of grade 11 and grade 12 Examination by the BISE, students are awarded the Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC). This level of education is also called the FSc/FA or â€Å"Intermediate†. There are many groups that students can choose for their 11 and 12 grades, such as pre-medical, pre-engineering, humanities and commerce. Subject Taught at Intermediate/Higher Secondary Level of Education: At Intermediate level each group consists of three elective and as well as three compulsory subject of English, Urdu, Islamiyat(grade 11 only) and Pakistan Studies (Grade 12 only). 6) University Level of Education (Undergraduate and Graduate degree) After earning HSSC (Higher Secondary School Certificate), students may study in a professional college/University for Bachelor’s degree courses such as engineering (B.Engg/BS Engg), medicine (MBBS), dentistry (BDS), veterinary medicine (DVM), law (LLB), architecture (B. Arch), pharmacy (Pharm-D) and nursing (B. Nurs). These courses require four or five years of study. There are some councils and boards that will handle all the educational matters in these cases and they are known as the PMDC, Pakistan pharmacy council and Pakistan nursing council. Students can also attend a university for Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (B. Sc), Bachelor of Commerce (B. Com). At university level there are two types of Bachelor courses in Pakistan: Pass or Honors. Pass degree requires two years of study and students normally read three optional subjects (such as Chemistry or Economics) in addition to almost equal number of compulsory subject such as English and Pakistan Studies. Honours degree required three or four years of study, and students normally specialize in a chosen field of study such as Microbiology (BS Hons. Microbiology). After successful completion of B. A,B. Sc, students enrolled in Master degree programme that require 2 years education to get the Master degree. Masters in Philosophy (M. Phil) is available in most of the subject and can be undertaken after doing Masters. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) education is also available in selected areas and is usually pursued after earning a M. Phil degree. Students pursuing M. Phil or PhD degree must choose a specific field and a university that is doing research work in that filed. M. Phil and PhD education in Pakistan requires minimum of 2 years of study. Dr. Qaisar Abbas Janjua M. A (Education).

Wal-Mart Performance

Globalization has had a positive impact on planning in Wal-mart organization. This is because Wal-mart stakeholders are able to estimate the profit it can make by allowing its cheaply manufactured and inexpensive goods and services to cross the borders and reach other countries of the world. (James, 1999) defines industry attractiveness as the prevailing situation in the core business of an organization which favors the specific organization for example in monotheistic business environment, a business is more likely to be favor in terms of business performance since it can manipulate market forces to its advantage. Even in a market environment, less than 4 competitors are likely to influence the market situation to their advantage hence creating an attractive market environment. Wal-Mart’s performance has been termed as sterling by many business analysts. The chain has recorded a profit after taxes of above $200 billion. By applying concepts like vendor managed inventories as well as just-in-time concept, Wal-Mart has continued to maintain leadership in the retail market in the US. Wal-Mart endeavors to remain a low-cost retailer, and by that it has been very effective in maintaining market attractiveness. By all means Wal-Mart has achieved low cost retail prices mostly because it manages to source goods at the best possible market prices. This is possible through the strategy of replenishing stock daily in which it allows its key suppliers to access data on sales, which in turn ensures that stocks are supplied just in time. Wal-Mart has successfully cut expenses in that it is able to save costs which would otherwise have gone to hiring warehouses, paying for the storage and security of the goods in warehouses, the costs which goes with insurance as well as the risk of destruction resulting from fire, and other natural calamities as well as expiry of perishable goods. By paying the suppliers based on what is sold the company ensures a zero cost in inventories, this in turns affords the company an opportunity to lower prices since there are less expenditures. In long term, this contributes to industry attractiveness. The other area in which the company has achieved competitive advantage is in terms of adapting information systems. By doing that, Wal-Mart, has become a low cost producer in that it achieves effectiveness and therefore minimizing losses. The organization has set out to be a market leader. In terms of incorporating information technology, Wal-Mart has computerized its purchasing systems to incorporate E-purchasing. As a purchasing strategy, e-purchasing is economically reliable and cost effective. Compared to a competitor who does have not adopted the e-purchasing concept, Wal-mart has been able to save a lot of money and time. According to (Kendel, 2004), competitive advantage also depends on how companies utilize and take advantage of the buyer power. To this end, Wal-Mart has outshone all its competitors in that, it is refuted to be one of the organizations in the US, which has been able to get suppliers to act according to its terms. In fact some have argued that, it manipulates and coerces suppliers to enter into concessions, which end up benefiting the retailer but harming the suppliers. In terms of the threat of substitutes, it is widely believed that, Wal-Mart no longer competes with any one, it has taken virtual control and is a major player of the US economy leave alone the retail business. In terms of supplier power, the suppliers are no longer able to contain the pressure from Wal-Mart; there have been reports of CEO’s agreeing to terms, which end up harming their businesses. Wal-Mart as earlier mentioned often coerces its suppliers into deals, this is not the case with its competitors which do not necessarily have the power to match it. Finally Wal-Mart unlike so many of its rivals have been able to penetrate with ease and so far commands a good share of the retail business in the US. However, it is Wal-Mart’s expansive sales returns that continue to put it ahead of competitors in that, they can powerfully bargain with suppliers for best offers, which on their part the competitors cannot match. By integrating IT through out the whole retail chain Wal-mart ensures that, its partners are free and feel respected and therefore trade is done in an environment of cordial relationships. With a retail network of over 140 branches all over the world, the management styles as well Wal-Mart's purchasing, distribution and warehousing, in-store operations, marketing, Information Technology, Human Resource Management, and organization and management systems/style have to be maintained at a high notch. Otherwise, it would be impossible for the outlets to achieve unity of purpose. With such a huge work force, success can only be achieved only if there is proper human resource management. The organization has introduced performance based pay, which has gone down very well with the employees. A well motivated staff is the greatest asset for a company and therefore Wal-Mart has been able to achieve that through introducing modern employee management systems which aims at ensuring that, the best staff are retained and also that, staff get well compensated for their hard-work. This has given Wal-Mart a cutting edge advantage, in that, it is able to attract and keep the best workers. In terms of supplies, Wal-Mart has been able to cut lead time after streamlining its supply chain management. By doing that, Wal-Mart have come to be regarded as the industries leaders in terms of efficiency and cost cutting. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc is the world’s largest retailer with over $200 billion worthy of annual sales. The organization has adopted various strategies to become and remain a market leader in the industry. Of all strategies, it is its low cost of products that has made the biggest contribution to its market attractiveness as well as its competitive advantage. Human resource management. According to available statistics, the company has over 1. 3 million employees also known as associates, it is spends a lot on employee development something which gives it a competitive edge as one of the most preferred employers. Wal-Mart has been ranked by the Fortune magazine as one of the most admired places in the world. This translates to attractiveness to both business partners and customers. Also as a strategy in supplies management the organization has avoided reliance on single suppliers but has instead engaged different suppliers. This helps in ensuring that, the suppliers do not dictate the terms since they are aware that they can be substituted. This is effective in that, it becomes very hard for suppliers to collaborate and decide the terms for the organization. Wal-Mart also ensures proper communication through the setting up of a satellite network, which interlinks all its branches to a central command. This has seen the company investing heavily in information technology, which in return has ensured that the company achieves economies of scale. Competitive advantage. Kmart is one of the key competitors which has found the going getting tough and has almost been left struggling to remain in business. The fact that, Wal-Mart controls over 70% of the retail business clearly shows that, the competition is not as stiff. Therefore, Wal-Mart is poised to remain a force even into the foreseeable future. The threats which it should deal with and undertake to solve include: negative publicity in that, the fact that it drives many other businesses out of business can lead to harmful price wars which could lead to the company loosing its current market share. Management Systems Several, problems and challenges such as shoplifting caused the company to invest in costly surveillance systems aimed at addressing the arising issues. Managers at Wal-Mart are motivated in that, the organization always rewards creativity and effort as well as originality. This has been a plus for the company as productivity is always related with highly motivated staff as well as employees who can identify well with the organization. Its people-friendly approach has led to such a good relationships with customers that, a very loyal client base has been achieved. By adopting new technology, production, administration and leadership in the company are one of the best in the world. The styles from other successful organizations of the world so that it can experience great success. Wal-Mart has now heavily invested in technology like computerized tracking systems, which enables them to track supply and monitor progress. Wal-Mart has experienced rapid growth partly due to a human resource policy, which handles. Globalization has enabled the organnization to expand the organization from rural small towns to urban areas. Also Wal-Mart enjoys a very loyal consumer base. Globalization has also enabled the leadership of Wal-Mart to expand the organization to so many areas externally, where they attract a lot of customers therefore making lots of profit. This has been achieved by lowering the prices of the goods, as a result of global nature of manufacturing. In terms of sustainability, Wal-Mart’s strategy is market tested and it is very likely that, customers will always go for cheaper quality and therefore the strategy of low-cost will lead the organization from success to success. The fact that, Wal-Mart does not spend on inventories but uses a system where by delivery of goods is done by the suppliers saves the company a lot of money. This affects prices f commodities in that, so many suppliers want to engage the organization in business and therefore are willing to operate under terms that the organization dictates. Wal-Mart although has been favored by globalization needs to be wary of emerging issues such as the ones touching on ethics. Other threats for Wal-Mart include: Ethically, it has been accused of oppressing suppliers to an extent whereby, they are forced to lay-off employees hence causing joblessness as well as leading to closure of manufacturing plants on the US in favor of imports which are cheaper and therefore can be distributed to the retailer at much cheaper rates. Bargaining power is another crucial strength for the company, it virtually controls all the decisions or contracts entered with other companies that is, suppliers. Wal-Mart engages in a continuous improvement campaign in what consumers view as being on the move every time. To consumers and customers, this is viewed as an advantage since they know that every time the retailer makes a move, prices drop and therefore the company is seen as a better option by many. Efficiency is one factor that Wal-Mart has achieved by investing in modern systems. The company has been able to transact business worldwide with ease while at the same time minimizing cost. The fact that Wal-Mart has created a positive image for itself has ensured a constant demand for services and goods something which competitors have not been able to match. Wal-Mart has maintained a public image and therefore this helps.