Men in Othello Essay

It has been observed that men in Othello are portrayed as being incapable of selfless love. Discuss the ways in which this could be regarded as a feminist play. â€Å"Othello† is a tragedy written in 1603 by William Shakespeare, whose writing reflected his concerns with the universal theme of love. It deals with the love between a father and a daughter, a husband and wife and in addition also the relationship between a man and a prostitute. The main focus for this theme is the portrayal of men and their inability to love selflessly. In response Shakespeare’s female characters represent a direct challenge to dominant patriarchal authority. Consequently â€Å"Othello† can be regarded from a modern critical perspective as a feminist play. In â€Å"Othello† Shakespeare presents women as the victims of patriarchal society. Brabantio, a Venetian Senator, promoting control and order, sees Desdemona as a passive goddess and his property, â€Å"Stol’n from me, and corrupted†. These words reveal his views on women and their status. Iago’s reference to Desdemona’s elopement â€Å"you’re robbed† highlights the similarities in the way that both characters treat women. Iago insinuates that Brabantio’s property has been taken away from him. When Brabantio admonishes Roderigo stating, â€Å"My daughter is not for thee† the audience begin to understand that Desdemona is not only his daughter but she is also his possession. Clearly Jacobean England would sympathise with Brabantio viewing the elopement as an act against patriarchy and denying a father the right to marry off his daughter as he sees fit. A modern audience however would find it difficult to identify with a character who is materialistic in his attitude towards his daughter. He describes Desdemona as a â€Å"jewel† which shows that he sees her as a passive goddess who has been apprehended by a â€Å"thief†. The Duke deals with the elopement with restraint representing a judicious state. He responds to Brabantio with rationality † This is no proof† and urges Brabantio to reconcile himself to the marriage. A less positive interpretation of the Duke however might argue that private affairs do not concern him; his priorities lie with stopping the Turks from invading Cyprus. Venetian patriarchal society can be seen as one that patronises women and defines them in terms of their physical beauty â€Å"the guttered rocks opon men will fall†, expressing the idea that beautiful women are possessed by the natural elements. This society closely resembles Jacobean England. Emilia is arguably the voice of feminism in the play. She deals with reality unlike Desdemona, and voices a practical view of men, â€Å"They are all but stomachs†¦.They eat us hungerly and when they are full They belch us†, presenting the idea that most men show their true colours after a few years of marriage. At the start of the play Emilia is ostensibly loyal and obedient, however, this changes and by the end of the play she becomes the voice of reason that stops Iago’s evil progress. Emilia believes that women are individuals who have desires just as men, showing her realistic approach to life. She is not afraid to voice her opinions and in turn dies for her faith in womanhood, â€Å"Let husbands know Their wives have sense like them†. Patriarchal tyranny is explored as Emilia accuses men of â€Å"Throwing restraint upon us†, showing that women are cut off from freedom. Emilia teaches Desdemona that letting men realise that a woman is in control could potentially end in devastation. Whilst talking to Desdemona, Emilia shifts from prose to blank verse to deliver a serious message, â€Å"It is their husbands’ fault if wives do fall†, highlights men’s negligence and revealing her realistic view of adultery. To a modern audience she would be perceived as a pragmatic role model for women, however in a Jacobean society, Emilia would be seen as trying to encourage women to go against their husbands. Shakespeare conveys a class difference between Emilia and Desdemona through their speech. When Emilia, Iago and Desdemona discuss Othello’s description of Desdemona, â€Å"that cunning whore†. Desdemona can barely utter the word â€Å"whore†, conveying her innocence. Emilia shows signs of authorative experience whilst comparatively Desdemona is presented as being naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve and sheltered; the product of a Venetian elite that protects its women, due to social class. It is Desdemona’s naivety that makes her vulnerable whereas Emilia is able to stand up to Iago at the end at a price. A feminist reader would be interested in Emilia’s fate. In Jacobean society women were seen as child bearers and objects of male desire. Shakespeare has incorporated this idea in the role of Bianca, a vulnerable woman who like Desdemona is abused by men. â€Å"I must be circumstanced†, this shows Bianca to be a woman who accepts the conditions placed upon her by men. Sandra Clark at a sovereign lecture argued, â€Å"Her treatment at the hands of a misogynistic society reflects more broadly how women are victimed by men’s sexual hypocrisy†. Clark tries to convey the idea that in Jacobean society women were judged on a reputation that could easily be distorted by men. She suffers at the hands of social hypocrisy, as it is the men who visit her that condemn her â€Å"She’ll rail in the streets else†. Bianca is accused of killing Cassio as her appearance â€Å"gastness of her eye† is used by society as an admission of her guilt, however, due to her status and lack of power she cannot claim her innocence. Cassio does not want society to associate him with Bianca as he says that he does not want Othello to see him â€Å"womaned†, implying her insignificance as a woman in Venetian society and revealing disparaging attitudes. In â€Å"Othello†, Bianca is the weakest woman so it is ironic that she is the sole woman survivor. It can be construed that she survives because she is marginalized to the point of being completely insignificant. Infact she does not pose a threat to anyone. Desdemona, however poses a threat to white patriarchal society, as through miscegenation all heirs would be polluted and therefore towards the end of the play she is killed. Emilia is a threat to Iago’s plan and challenges his anti feminist perspective. Shakespeare in his writing seems to be saying that those women who voice their opinions and do wrong by their husbands are annihilated. In a patriarchal society â€Å"women are regulated to the bottom of the social hierarchy as weak and faithless† (Felicity Currie). According to the Jacobean chain of being the devil worked its way up the social hierarchy, through women hence the intense fear of witches. Women who were rebellious in a patriarchal society were seen as being under the influence of the devil. On many occasions Othello calls Desdemona a â€Å"devil†. Her name has connotations of the word demon. Ironically neither one is a devil, the real devil is Iago. Desdemona is a complex character. Audiences across history have responded to her representation of womanhood very differently. Desdemona appears to be both submissive and independent. When confronting her father it could be argued that Desdemona is given a voice, â€Å"What would you, â€Å"Desdemona†. Brabantio portrays his daughter as being innocent and submissive, â€Å"Is there not charms By which the property of youth and maidhood May be abused†. However, we see a dramatic change as she openly declares that she is ready for sexual intercourse, â€Å"The rites for which I love him are bereft me†. Desdemona is assertive when verbally attacked by Othello. â€Å"I took you for that cunning whore of Venice†. In contrast Desdemona’s portrayal of herself â€Å"No, as I am a Christian†¦Ã¢â‚¬  expresses a conventional Christian perspective implying that adultery is wrong. Desdemona cannot understand why a woman would want to commit adultery. She is far from Iago’s sexual stereotype of Venetian women as â€Å"subtle whores†, rather, she plays an active feminine role as she is decribed as â€Å"half the wooer†. A modern day feminist might argue that this behaviour is too obedient. Desdemona appears to be naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve as she defends her husband when he strikes her. At first she says, â€Å"I have not deserved this†. Othello’s behaviour is out of character and as a result of Iago’s insinuating words. Desdemona thereafter accepts the physical abuse and defends her husband. Lodovico analyses the situation and states, â€Å"Truly, an obedient lady†. A modern audience would find this hard to comprehend. Shakespeare presents Desdemona as a woman who is thought of highly in the Venetian state. She is seen to be making her own choices but also appears to be a victim. Through the character of Cassio Shakespeare provides a critique of the discourse of courtly love. Cassio is a courteous and noble character who idealises Desdemona. In Act 2, Scene 1 Cassio speaks in blank verse. He calls Desdemona â€Å"th’ essential vesture of creation†, placing her on a pedestool and suggesting that her beauty is without equal and worthy of all praise. Desdemona is praised as being divinely blessed with â€Å"the grace of heaven†. He therefore can be described as the voice of patriarchal orthodoxy using materialistic imagery and hyperbolic language to describe Desdemona as â€Å"the riches of the ship†. This imagery objectifies and idealises Desdemona as a physical possession. Patriarchal orthodoxy does not allow women to be judged upon their achievements or their own subjectivity, instead her beauty gives her status. Cassio represents this reductiveness. In Cassio’s underlying lack of respect for Bianca, â€Å"Throw your vile guesses in the devil’s teeth†, Shakespeare uses a technique where the sub plot echoes the main plot and presents sexual hypocrisy through Cassio. His undoubtedly high opinion of Desdemona means that other women cannot be her equivalent. Women, according to Cassio are either angels worshipped from afar or whores marginalized by respectable society. He is ashamed to be seen publicly with Bianca, yet he still sleeps with her. He ridicules Iago’s suggestion of marrying Bianca, â€Å"Do not think it so wholesome† (saying that it would be morally tainting) because like Othello he expects his wife to be â€Å"angelic†. Iago is employed by Shakespeare to dramatise misogynistic attitudes towards women. This becomes evident through his use of chauvinistic language â€Å"guinea-hen†. His belief is that all women are prostitutes who will betray their husbands eventually. On many occasions Iago dehumanises Emilia referring to her as a â€Å"strumpet†. His sexual jealousy leads him to believe that Othello slept with his wife, â€Å"I hate the Moor, And it is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets He’s done my office†. Iago speaks in prose to express his antifeminist view of women, which makes the tone of his opinions more down to earth. Upon reading the play the audience can see how cynical Iago is about women and how they employ their beauty to their advantage. He uses derogative terminology, â€Å"players in your housewifery† to imply that women are prostitutes and believes women’s humanity consists of lechery and faithlessness. Iago does not share the impractical antithetical view of Desdemona voiced by Cassio. He believes, â€Å"The wine she drinks is made of grapes† suggesting that she is human and like all other women. He views her as flawed as a result of her love for the Moor and he cannot comprehend why a wealthy aristocratic white woman would choose to marry a black man. There is a clear contrast between Cassio’s language of courtly love, â€Å"a most exquisite lady† and Iago’s colloquial language, â€Å"whore†. The power of Desdemona and Othello’s relationship lies in the couple’s love for one another, yet Desdemona’s influence over Othello is not acceptable to the misogynistic Iago. He cannot comprehend why Othello has given in to the feminine emotion of love, which he views as a sign of weakness. His perception of love is purely anatomical â€Å"carnal stings†¦a lust of the blood†, therefore he is dismissive of the emotional bonds between women and men. It can be argued that Iago represents the underlying misogyny and racism within liberal Venice. â€Å"Textwise† by Felicity Currie explores this idea and suggests that Iago’s, â€Å"discourse is â€Å"honest† in that it is an expression of dominant ideology, which ensures that the status quo is maintained†. Brabantio and Othello are both easily convinced of Desdemona’s unfaithfulness, therefore Iago appears to voice beliefs held by male society about women. Othello and Desdemona’s relationship does not conform to the expectations of a patriarchal orthodoxy; consequently perhaps Shakespeare holds it up as an ideal against which other relationships should be judged. At the start of this play, the relationship is distinguished as an ideal. It promotes equality and is built on loyalty. This mutual affection is apparent as Othello describes Desdemona as being â€Å"half the wooer†. The reunion of Othello and Desdemona highlights their love, â€Å"o my fair warrior!† and she responds â€Å"My dear Othello†. The equality and balance of power in their relationship appears to be a faà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ade, as when Othello kills Desdemona, he does not permit her to voice a defence. He loses all self-dignity as he pompously suggests that he is killing her for â€Å"all men that were abused†. A positive aspect of the relationship is that both talk movingly about their love for one another in front of a possibly censorious senate, â€Å"How I did thrive in this fair lady’s love†. When Othello asks the senate if Desdemona can come with him to Cyprus, their superficial need for one another can be seen. Othello is perhaps too ready to find Desdemona guilty, Shakespeare suggests, however, that his position as an outsider makes him particularly susceptible to jealousy. Othello was aware of his looks, â€Å"thick lips†, â€Å"the devil†, â€Å"old black ram†, separating him from the white Venetian public. His treatment of Desdemona can be perceived as that of a man who â€Å"loved too well†. In turn Othello becomes insecure causing him to doubt Desdemona to a greater extent. The relationship moves from optimism to pessimism. Desdemona becomes a threat as she is suspected of adultery is just a small step from the sexual independence that she demonstrated in choosing Othello. In a patriarchal society this would be unheard of, therefore Desdemona is seen as a woman who appears to be out of control as suggested by Felicity Currie. Their love was not based on trust, showing that the relationship was probably not as idealistic as the audience would have liked to think. Shakespeare presents Othello as a man who too readily accepted Iago’s antifeminist perspective and then egotistically murdered Desdemona arguing that he was upholding justice, ensuring that she does not abuse other men. Othello’s passionate words change to derogatory language, â€Å"subtle whore†. As Iago makes Othello aware of Desdemona’s power over him, it becomes understandable why he has the need to re-establish power-hence Desdemona’s death. Othello is now in a position where he controls the situation. He reinstates his power as a man by leaving Desdemona feeling vulnerable and frightened. Shakespeare’s female characters do not conform to stereotype. All three women have contrasting attitudes to men. In turn all three are treated differently in society. Desdemona is described as being a â€Å"fair wife†, by Emilia the voice of truth, â€Å"So come my soul to bliss as I speak the truth† and Bianca is the representation of a powerless woman. She is the only female who is denied a voice showing that her silence determines her existence in society and that women are at the disposal of men. The male characters in Othello are incapable of selfless love. Iago is unable to love, stereotyping all women as whores. Conversely, Cassio idealises women as goddesses, however, hypocritically uses prostitutes. Othello’s relationship with Desdemona seems to be based on mutual respect and love, however, we could argue that even he is incapable of putting his own pride before Desdemona. Shakespeare suggests that in Jacobean England women’s position in society was dictated by men and female identity was constructed according to reductive stereotypes. Bibliography * Othello: The New Cambridge Shakespeare: Edited by Norman Sanders * Othello: New Swan Shakespeare: Edited by Gamini Salgado * Introduction to Arden Shakespeare * Othello: â€Å"Textwise† By Felicity Currie * Sovereign education lecture notes: By Sandra Clark * Othello: York Notes Advanced * www.sparknotes.com * www.learn.co.uk * www.teachit.co.uk

Analysis of Chapters 8 and 9 in Paradise of the Blind Essay

Write an analysis of how Chapters 8 and 9 explore the connection between culture, food and community The interdependent connection between culture, food and community is pivotal in the demonstration of the importance Vietnamese tradition in Paradise of the Blind. Chapters eight and nine focus on the importance of culture through family particularly evident in the way food acts as an expression of this culture. Food is also used to establish a sense of community, which is an important aspect in the Vietnamese culture. Food is presented as a direct reflection of a person’s wealth in Vietnamese culture. Limited in other forms of power, women like Aunt Tam can rely on materialistic objects, such as food, in order to display their wealth and earn respect. This is evident as one of the guests at the feast exclaims, â€Å"What a pleasure this evening has been. A sumptuous meal followed by such spellbinding stories. This is a blessing from heaven.† The use of words with strongly positive connotations, such as â€Å"sumptuous† and â€Å"spellbinding† displays the great degree of appreciation and thus importance that food has on Vietnamese culture. This idea is further emphasised with the reference to the Gods and ancestral beings through the use of the word â€Å"heaven†. Another example of food reflecting the idea of wealth is when another guest says, â€Å"A sticky rice flavoured with rose-apple juice! Why, it’s exquisite.† Aunt Tam responds to the compliment, â€Å"Oh please, will you stop it?† The use of the word â€Å"exquisite† again highlights the importance of food and its inherent effectiveness in delivering praise. The way in which Aunt Tam replies, almost rehearsed and clichà ©d, suggests that there was an unspoken expectation of praise and therefore respect in the original intention of the feast. The undeniable connection between food and wealth reflects the material-focused culture of Vietnam. Another idea that connects food to culture is the idea of the sacrifice, particularly in relation to food. Selflessness is a major part of Vietnamese culture and a certain amount of gratification can be achieved through sacrifice, which is shown in these chapters as sacrifice of food. Hang observes that Aunt Tam â€Å"ate almost nothing as if watching me gave her greater pleasure.† Aunt Tam’s sacrifice of her own wellbeing reflects the cultural idea that the strongest link between people is in family. Aunt Tam is willing, even happy to sacrifice her own well-being in order to cater for Hang. This idea of sacrifice can also be linked to the cultural idea of worship and fate, whereby it is believed those who perform good deeds in the present will be rewarded in the future. This idea of selflessness has evidently also affected Hang as she says â€Å"I played the part of the successful niece†¦ I smile dutifully at everyone. My lips stiffened into a permanent smile.† Although Hang is obviously uncomfortable, which can be seen through the use of words such as â€Å"dutifully† and â€Å"stiffened†, she continues to put on a faà §ade of happiness to please her Aunt. This reinforces the cultural idea of the strength of familial ties as well as the importance of sacrifice in solidifying these relationships. The practice of food preparation establishes a sense of community in the chapter. Food preparation appears to have a rehearsed, methodical quality which is evident in the line â€Å"The scene was lively but well-ordered as if all the feverish activity was directed by the iron hand of some invisible conductor.† The simile of the conductor draws a comparison of food preparation to an orchestra, thereby highlighting the importance of group collaboration. Furthermore, the juxtaposition of the â€Å"feverish activity† and its â€Å"well-ordered† nature suggests the idea of controlled chaos. Thus the great amount of activity that is required in the practice of food preparation can only be completed with the cooperation of each individual party. Finally, the unchanging nature of culture is shown to cause conflict within Hang’s character as she is caught in her desire to become a modern woman and her family’s strong links to cultural traditions. Hang describes the countryside as â€Å"Everywhere, an indescribable backwardness hung in the air, immaterial yet terrifyingly present: It would be like this for eternity.† This line suggests not only in restrictive nature of culture but also shows how difficult it is to shake culture. The use of the phrase â€Å"terrifyingly present† highlights the inescapable nature of tradition and the strong bond to which each individual in the book is tied to their traditions. The ideas of food, culture and community are explore in chapters eight and nine, particularly through the ideas of family relationships and its strong links to traditional Vietnamese culture.

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MGMT670 week 6 Conference - Assignment Example If you have yet to generate a company icon online, social media sites are the places to do it. There are innumerable principal benefits to carrying out marketing and promotional practices on global products. Foremost, the most significant merit is attached to brand recognition. Marketing and promotion of a global product assists in imprinting the product’s brand in the minds of the potential customers (Zimmerman & Blythe, 2005). Accordingly, the customers tend to seek a pre-identified brand rather than the product brand seeking for its users. In addition, once a brand has expanded its ground and founded its customer base, promotion enables it to keep hold of the potential customers. Another merit linked to promotion is the identification of potential customers rather than forcing a product on unenthusiastic purchasers (Marquardt, 2012). Furthermore, direct marketing enables companies to target specific customers by personalizing the meaning of the advert to have the best possible effect. The downside is that such promotions can be expensive. Companies have to spend on adverts as well as employing sales and marketing professionals (Stonehouse & Purdie, 2004). If a firm fails to conduct a proper market research then it might end up making unnecessary advertisement and marketing expenses. Some companies waste efforts in targeting unwilling customers using unsuitable media. Small businesses owners must, therefore, weigh the merits of conducting such marketing practices against the respective costs incurred. As well as the financial expenses, promotion requires sacrifice of time. The sales experts are expected to research on the most proper marketing approaches design the adverts and deal with customer reactions to the products. An example of how to market global products and services is by use of funny video clips. YouTube and other social network videos could be used to

Engineering hero of your choice Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Engineering hero of your choice - Assignment Example The great hero started his engineering career by being an employee with different companies located in California and in these companies he was working the projects of creating life support systems that were based on the lunar module and the development of moon vehicle. After his early career operations, he started working on the Space Shuttle program for the company named Morton Thiokol. Boisjoly is recognized as an engineering hero not only because of his work, but even because of the purpose behind his great findings which could have saved important lives and heavy capital losses. On the date of 28th January, 1986, it was decided that the Space Shuttle Challenger mission was to take place but the mission was contradicted by Boisjoly and his colleagues as the figured out that the mission would foil and result in heavy losses. He later took the matter to the people managing the company Morton Thiokol who even agreed that it would not be correct to continue with the mission and they decided to inform NASA about it. The company informed NASA about their concerns but later added that they were not completely sure that their findings will prove to be true or not and the mission was not aborted (Vaughan, 1990). As soon as the mission started taking place, all the findings of the great hero started proving correct. As soon as the shuttle was started, the O-rings started b urning and this caused the occurrence of black puff as seen on the tapes of the event. Later the shuttle started taking off, at that very moment, Boisjoly believed that he was wrong as the shuttle did not explode, but while the shuttle was in air, it exploded into pieces and proved the hero correct (Dalal, 1989). Although, Boisjoly conducted a courageous act of identifying the fault with the space shuttle and tried to save cost and life, he was looked down upon by

Technology impact on the organization Research Paper

Technology impact on the organization - Research Paper Example Factors of production include the inputs required in the production process in order to accomplish an organization’s objective in achieving its desired output. The desired output may be a finished product or a service depending on the organization. They include labor, capital, land and enterprise or entrepreneurship (Lee & Edgar, 2002). This makes technological progress the mover of development in the economy. Labor in an organization is termed as either skilled labor or unskilled labor. Most organizations will prefer the use of unskilled labor as much as possible since it is cheaper as compared to skilled labor. It is also in many instances readily available. On the other hand, skilled labor is needed, especially where technology brings in the aspect of automation in processing. Capital is the initial amount of money required to carry out organization affairs. Depending on the investment targeted, an organization requires variant amount of capital. An organization with an automated computer controlled process cannot have the same amount of investment with another of the same kind. Initial cost of high technology is high, but this ends up becoming economical due to efficiency and high productivity in processing. This is a basic factor that deals with the management of a company. Workers in the managerial positions and are conversant with high grade technology know how to bring out better results. This brings in the aspect of â€Å"Just in Time† delivery of goods and services. One of the roles of technology includes increased productivity of the workers. This is enhanced by the use of efficient machines in operations, thus making it possible to exploit the worker’s potential. There is optimal resources utilization; this includes space, time, process, human resource among others. When there is no waste in a process, optimal profits are obtained, and making profits is the main goal of any business organization (Montano

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National Express rejects takeover bid from First Group (Financial Research Proposal

National Express rejects takeover bid from First Group (Financial Times, 29 June 2009) - Research Proposal Example 1.2 billion pounds to banks (Gill, 2009, p 1). The United Kingdom government has also complicated National Express financial woes by the government refusal to renegotiate the conditions for its East Coast rail franchise with the transport business. The hard-line position adopted by the government is attributed to East Coast rail franchise being the most lucrative in the United Kingdom serving the United Kingdom commercial hubs such as Edinburg and London. Besides, citing the government role in its financial crisis, National Express board also cited its quest to solve the ?1.2 billion debt as its first priority before reconsidering the bailout from FirstGroup limited. In, addition, National Express board viewed FirstGroup as their rival in the transport business and thus postulated a sellout of the company to FirstGroup as surrender to a business enemy. National Express boards were thus eager to retain the legacy of their company’s in the transport industry (Miller, 2011, p 85) . Despite, the rejection of FirstGroup offer, acquisition and acquisition provide the best bailout opportunity and option to rescue National Express from the current financial hardships. This research thus draws on the case sturdy of National Express and FirstGroup to rationalize on the best solution to solve a corporate organization financial solution. This involves an analogy acquisition and acquisition as a financial solution with other financial crisis solution mechanisms recommended in fiance and accounting. The research establishes higher financial crisis solution rationality from acquisition and acquisition formulated financial solution compared to other possible and readily available financial and accounting options. Literature Review An acquisition mimics government bailout to corporations during financial crisis. The similarity between acquisitions and acquisition is evident in the supply of a large amount of money to the corporation under financial crisis, which is subseq uently used to pay its bankruptcy threatening debts. These facts are manifest in the proposed acquisition between National Express and FirstGroup, whereby Nation Express was offered a large sum of money by FirstGroup to pay its 1.2 billion debts. The ?1.2 billion proposed buyout of National Express is comparative to the government’s financial bailout to financial corporation during the 2007-2008 global financial crises (Milmo, 2009, p 1). In United States, the government acquisition styled bailout totaled $13.9 trillion leading the government bailout to be considered as more of an acquisition buyout of the financial stricken institutions than a rescue bailout package (Birdsall & Fukuyama, 2011, p 31). Acquisitions and acquisition of financial stricken corporations is also licked to the nationalization of finically poor performing or financially endangered businesses by the government (Finkelstein & Cooper, 2010, p 116). The same financial crisis incident illustrates the role of nationalization which mimics acquisition and acquisitions in the rescue of financial institutions from bankruptcy during economic downturns. A typical example of this financial rescue strategy is illustrated by the nationalization of the Northern Rock Bank in the United Kingdom at the verge of its bankruptcy during the financial crises. The Northern Rock Bank case also illustrates the irrationality of the hard-line position by a corporation board or the corporate organization stakeholders,

The Effects of an Extended Day and Extended Year Elementary Schools on Dissertation

The Effects of an Extended Day and Extended Year Elementary Schools on Academic Achievement - Dissertation Example Curriculum, teachers, staffs, transportation and other developmental facilities are the other resources that are required for managing schools. Due to the scarcity of resources, members of the education department should ensure that time is best allocated in order to receive the highest benefits by incurring lesser costs. Thus, schools must focus on effective strategies for providing their basic objective of teaching children. However, apart from teaching, schools help to provide enhanced quality of education that enables people to interact communally and value ways to practice safe and healthy behaviors. Furthermore, effective schooling also helps in contributing reliably and ethically towards family, friends and community and to acquire basic knowledge about values and habits that are expected from an individual (Greenberg, Weissberg, Brien, Zins, Fredericks, Resnik & Elias, 2003). The essay will discuss the effects of an Extended Day and Extended Year Elementary Schools on the aca demic achievements of students. Moreover, it will discuss the different laws and school timings that differ from state to state or from country to country. The essay will also help to evaluate the various factors present in other countries whose students are believed to have the highest performance rates comparatively. Theory and current research using ALT Extended Learning Time (ELT) has evolved as an optional policy over the past periods, with increased interests in the future among various educational organizations. Extended learning is defined as lengthening of the school timing or period for all students studying in a particular school for enhancing the knowledge and skills by providing quality education to ensure students’ success. According to Farbman & Kaplan (2005), a research conducted by Massachusetts 2020 revealed that the continuous underperformance of primary and secondary public schools in the United States (US) prompted members of educational institutions to i ntroduce programmes for enhancing the performances of the students. Thus, ELT has been one of the preferred options for various institutional organizations which help students in gaining additional knowledge during non-schooling hours (Farbman & Kaplan, 2005). A research conducted by Chalkboard Project (2008) has revealed that ELT is beneficial to students who have various disadvantages or physical disabilities compared to children belonging to middle or high class societies. Moreover, the research suggested that ELT programs have been effectual during primary and secondary classes compared to middle schools. The report also revealed that ELT when compared to Extended School Year (ESY) is more cost-effective in providing quality education to students. However, in implementing ELT programmes successfully in institutional organizations, certain factors should be considered. The factors, such as having a bold leadership style, an environment that includes teachers’ commitment ef fective leadership, the programmes should be evidence based with sufficient data, engage support of parents, communities and partners along with providing focus on fundamental academics and improvement activities which are associated with other objectives and developments (Chalkboard Project, 2008). Thus, it can be stated that ELT programmes are effective, when implementing with consideration to the factors and addressing certain findings by the schools or

The Paradox of the Software Essay Example for Free

The Paradox of the Software Essay When believing in a certain god, people become biased towards justifying and asserting the greatness of their god. Naturally, a person like Thomas Aquinas would not have been dubbed a Saint if he did not have an immense faith towards his god, so therefore he would have a way to justify his god against this paradox, just as critics can find faults and inconsistencies to argue his reasoning.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to him, divine omnipotence is not merely being able to do anything any everything conceivable or inconceivable, but rather being able to do everything that is a logical possibility; the compatibility of the predicate to its subject. An effect can only be deemed possible if it has a logical cause. However, god’s omnipotence or what is logically possible for a divine being like him cannot be measured in terms of what is humanly possible. It would be very hard for someone with such devotion to god as that of a saint to accept that his omnipotence can be diminished by something as mundane as a computer software. Therefore, for a person like him, god, without question will always be omnipotent. To back that claim, saint Aquinas would argue that god being beaten by a software in chess is illogical, a predicate that is not compatible with its subject, and inconceivable, therefore, god’s omnipotence cannot be challenged by whether he could be beaten by a software or whether he could create such a software. There is a saying that a teacher’s greatness can be measured if he can be surpassed by his student. It would mean that the student has learned everything he could from the teacher and even more than the teacher could teach him. That could also apply to a creator; a creator’s greatness can be measured if he can be surpassed by his creation. It will always be possible for a creator for create something greater than him, because he would know his own limitations, therefore he could improve those in his creation. The only question is whether he would allow himself to be surpassed by something that came from him or if he will deliberately limit the capabilities of his creation thus maintaining his superiority over it. As I had mentioned earlier, people will always find ways to defend what they believe in; such as the case of Saint Aquinas’ philosophies regarding his god. The way he agued god’s omnipotence seems as if he just asserts gods divinity and that his greatness cannot be questioned or diminished. Given the earlier argument regarding the creator and his creation, it only seems that there is an omnipotent god because god himself may only be limiting the capabilities of his creations to a level lower than that of his to maintain his power over them. References Martin, C. J. F. (1997). Thomas Aquinas: God and Explanations. Edinburgh: Edinburgh   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   University Press. Paterson, C. Pugh, M. S. (2006.), Analytical Thomism: Traditions in Dialogue. Ashgate. Selman, F. (2007). Aquinas 101:A Basic Introduction to the Thought of Saint Thomas Aquinas.

Role Of FDI In Higher Education Economics Essay

Role Of FDI In Higher Education Economics Essay The post-liberalization period witnessed an increasing trend of FDI inflows in India with a high growth rate. The relaxation of policies towards international trade and investment supported by a positive response from capital exporting countries is also considered as a major determinant of FDI inflows into India. Whether it is education sector or information technology or telecommunication sector there is a continuous fluctuation in FDI inflows into these sectors over the years. Thats why FDI in education sector has become a point of discussion among the researchers. India with its diversity fascinates one and all. Indian Education has recently gained world recognition. FDI inflows in the education sector during May 2012 stood at US$ 31.22 million, according to a release by the Ministry of Commerce Industry. Higher education is assuming an upward significance for developing countries, especially countries including India which is experiencing service-led growth. Higher education is all about generating knowledge, encouraging critical thinking and imparting skills relevant to this society and determined by its needs. Education general and higher education in particular, is a highly nation-specific activity, determined by national culture and priorities. The growth of Indias higher educational institutions has indeed been outstandingly rapid. The numbers of universities have doubled since 1990-91, and enrolment has become more than doubled. India is one of the most attractive education markets but historically the government has not encouraged foreign participation in this sector. It faces a massive challenge to provide education to young people, especially in remote locations. According to the National Knowledge Commission estimates, the country needs to build 1,500 universities within a period of five years to endow enough people with the skills to sustain rapid growth. Given this state of higher education in India, liberalization would be considered as the best solution. The major concern regarding such liberalization is that it can lead to commercialization of higher education which may have an effect on a large section of society adversely. The present paper aims to analyse the need of FDI in higher education in India and its implications on the Indian education system and to examine the importance of regulatory bodies in inviting the foreign universities and make recommendations for changing the present scenario in Indian higher education.The study is based on secondary data. Secondary data had been collected from various books and journals. The study covers the thoughts and writings of various authors in the stream of industry, academicia, and research. The study reveals that India must act in its self-interest. India must manage to launch a proposal and commit to areas where there are strategic opportunities to be exploited through trade. Regulation of higher education in India should be achieved through the correct approach. This will ensure that profit making is not exploitative but channeled to raise the quality of education. In short, a pro-active rather than defensive approach is required to benefit from the liberalization of higher education services. Keywords: FDI, Higher Education, liberalization, commercialization of higher education, ROLE OF FDI IN HIGHER EDUCATION: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES INTRODUCTION Today knowledge explosion is taking place across the world. Knowledge has become the key driving force in economies to become fast moving and rich based on use of knowledge effectively. Knowledge industry is nothing but education and it is becoming a key factor in the process of development of a nation. The Higher education in context with India has become very critical success factor to sustain the economic growth it has experienced in last 20 years which is partly due to knowledge based industries such as IT/ITES. India is moving and will continue to move towards services industry led growth and higher education is the most critical input in that domain. Higher education is all about generating knowledge, encouraging critical thinking and imparting skills relevant to this society and determined by its needs. The growth of Indias higher educational institutions has indeed been outstandingly rapid. The numbers of universities have doubled since 1990-91, and enrolment has become more than doubled. But this has been at the expense of quality, increased rigidity in course design, poor absorption of knowledge, and growing lack of access to laboratory facilities, journals and opportunities for field work, etc. The average Indian graduate compares poorly with her/his counterpart in most countries, including many developing ones. All this calls for reform, administrative changes, more funding, greater flexibility, quality improvement, etc. In 2007, the Indian Government announced a nine fold increase in higher education spending over the next five years. For India to maintain its economic growth in a global market place fueled by the knowledge economy, it needs to nearly double its number of students in higher education by 2012. Fifty-one percent of Indias population is under the age of 25. According to the National Knowledge Commission estimates, the country needs to build 1,500 universities within a period of five years to endow enough people with the skills to sustain rapid growth. India is one of the most attractive education markets but historically the government has not encouraged foreign participation in this sector. Since the impact of privatization, liberalisation and globalisation is penetrating in all sectors of the Indian economy, it is bound to affect education sector as well. Education is no longer need to be viewed only as a charity or social service but should be considered as a necessary input for economic growth. In this effort towards human resource development, the private sectors including foreign players through FDI has to play a major role since it is a major beneficiary of the knowledge industry. Government has proposed 100 percent foreign direct investment in higher education and hinted at making reservation mandatory in the institutions to be set up by foreign universities in the country. Once approved by the Cabinet and passed as law, the Foreign Education Providers (Regulation) Bill will grant deemed university status to such instituti ons. OBJECTIVES The basic aim is to focus on the following aspects: To study the status of Indian higher education system. To analyze the need of FDI in higher education in India. To examine the importance of regulatory bodies in inviting the foreign universities. To find out the implications of bringing in FDI in Indian higher education sector. To study the aspects of FDI entry in different countries in higher education. METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY The study is based on secondary data. Secondary data had been collected from various books and journals. The study covers the thoughts and writings of various authors in the stream of industry, academician, and research. The Journals and books have been referred were described in the bibliography. REVIEW OF LITERATURE The importance of FDI and human capital accumulation, education for economic growth or FDI in higher education has largely been discussed in many literatures which are given below: Feenstra and Markusen, (1994), in their studies have highlighted the importance of FDI for economic growth and human capital accumulation. Economic theory recognizes FDI and human capital as two important conduits for economic growth. They found that FDI can contribute directly to the growth of an economy by improving knowledge, technical know-how and technology spillovers, by boosting capital stock and by instigating domestic production and consumption. Stijns (2001,2006) in his study, on the role of natural resource abundance on human capital accumulation in various developing and developed countries suggests that FDI can have a lasting effect on countrys per capita income through a higher human capital stock. Sharma, Rajesh Kumar (2006) in his article FDI in higher education: official vision needs corrections, examines the issues and financial compulsions presented on the consultation paper prepared by the commerce ministry. This article raises four issues which need critical attention: the objectives of higher education, its contextual relevance, the prevailing financial situation and the viability of alternatives to FDI. The conclusion of the article is that higher education needs long term objectives and a broad vision in tune with the projected future of the country and the world. Higher education will require an investment of Rs. 20,000 to 25,000 crores over the next five or more years to expand capacity and improve access. For such a huge amount the paper argues, we can look to FDI. Buegelsdijk et al (2008) have highlighted the impact of FDIs on economic growth and found that FDIs have different impacts on human Capital accumulation and education depending on the type of FDIs. Vertical FDIs or efficiency-seeking FDIs look for cost advantages, mostly cheap low qualified labour. On the contrary, it may lead to specialization into low value added products, thus providing the local population little incentive to participate into higher education. Horizontal FDIs or market-seeking FDIs pursue increased market shares in the host countries, competing directly with one another as well as with the local firms. This is generally synonym to technology transfer, thereby contributing to the host countrys technological upgrading and human capital accumulation. Chaudaha, Rahul (2010) has also conducted a study on the primary motives of foreign universities interest in India and their influence on key Indian higher education trends, and stated that foreign universities would concentrate on metro cities and states that have high demand, pricing power, accessibility and employment opportunities for students. This means that they are not going to start campus in regions that actually require quality institutions. Sharma,Brahm (2012) has concluded in his study India a lucratve destination for fdi in higher education that Higher education in todays global environment , is neither charity nor a purely social objective. Higher education is an economic requirement for the country for growth. Government must consider seriously corporatization of higher education so as to allow corporate houses to enter higher education and deliver education of global standards. This will also facilitate several private universities, research houses, large Corporates to consider foreign direct investment in Indias higher education market. PRESENT SCENERIO OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN INDIA The system of higher education now existing in India was originally implanted by the British rulers in the mid-19th century to serve the colonial, economic, political and administrative interests, and in particular, to consolidate and maintain their dominance in the country. It was inherited by the state managers after independence (in 1947) as a colonial legacy, and has been expanded phenomenally during the last five decades. Knowledge is the driving force in the rapidly changing globalized economy and society. Quantity and quality of highly specialized human resources determine their competence in the global market. It is now well recognized that the growth of the global economy has increased opportunities for those countries with good levels of education and vice versa. The first Prime Minister of India considered foreign investment as necessary not only to supplement domestic capital but also to secure scientific, technical, and industrial knowledge and capital equipments. As par t of globalization, the economic reform packages were introduced in India in the beginning of 1991. These reform packages have imposed a heavy compression on the public budgets on education sector, and more specifically on higher education. The Indian education system starts at preschool level and goes on till Post doctoral level. It has core sector which consist of schools and higher education. The noncore sector mainly consists of vocational course such in IT/ITES and in other areas as airhostess training, sales management, and other vocational training etc. The growth of higher education providers in terms of Universities and Colleges had been spectacular since independence. There were 20 Universities and 500 Colleges at the time of independence. Now, India is the third largest higher education system in the world (after China the USA) in terms of student enrolment, with 33, 657 number of institutions (634 universities and 33023 colleges). According to 2011 statistics ,India has 43 Central universities, 297 State universities,129 deemed universities, 15 Institutes of National importance and 17 Institutes established and functioning under the State Act; 33023 colleges including 203 Autonomous colleges. Of these there are 67 unaided deemed universities with enrolments of 60,000 students and 7,650 private colleges with enrolment of 3,150,000 students. The gross enrolment ratio (GER) signifies the health of higher education in the country and indicator of the level of participation in higher education. Indias annual enrolments in higher education have grown since independence but the GER (Gross Enrollment Ratio) of 15 % as estimated for 2011 is far below the global average of 26%. After nearly six decades of Independence, higher education is not accessible to the poorest groups of the population. In US and UK, percentage of enrolment in higher education is 82.4 and 60.1 respectively. In India, regardless of recent increment due to private players, current enrolment is merely 12 %. Even South East Asian countries have higher enrolment rate like 31% in Philippines, 27% in Malaysia, 19% in Thailand and 13% in China. To maintain the positive trends and an economic growth rate of 7 percent, Indiaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s higher education gross enrollment ratio (GER) would need to boost from 12 to 20 percent by 2014. The Indian government has set a target of achieving a GER of 30% by 2020.Even with such a huge system in place, higher ed ucation in India is still in a miserable condition. This poses a severe constraint on the supply of qualified manpower. According to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), public spending on higher education in India has one of the lowest public expenditure on higher education per student at US 406 dollars, which compares adversely with Malaysia (US 11,790 dollars), China (2728 dollars), Brazil (3986 dollars), Indonesia (666 dollars) and the Philippines (625 dollars). This expenditure in the USA is 9629 dollars, in the UK 8502 dollars and in Japan 4830 dollars. India needs to deal with issues of both quantity and quality. In view of this shortage of public spending, parents and students are increasingly looking to private education for a solution. Every year nearly 0.4 million Indians go abroad for higher studies spending approximately $12bn. This leads to not only loss of foreign exchange, but also Brain Drain, as most of these rarely comes back to India subsequent to completing their courses. The primary reason for a large number of students seeking professional education abroad is lack of capacity in Indian Institution. There is no doubt that the state of affairs in public universities in India is not so good. Also, with increasing enrollment in higher education, it is not probable for the government to provide higher education on its own. But, the private institutions are themselves ailing. Many donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸t have experience and many are trying to just grow money without quality. ROLE OF REGULATORY BODIES AND GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES FOR PROVIDING HIGHER EDUCATION Governments of India has taken several bold initiatives and legislation to allow FDI in India. The Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulation of Entry and Operations) Bill, 2010 is such one initiative to regulate the entry and operation of foreign educational Institutions in India which is currently pending with parliamentary standing committee. At present India is allowing 100% FDI in higher education through automatic sector. But, still no university has established a campus here, due to a large no. of guidelines and regulation. Also, many rules are vague. Right now 106 institutions are running programmes in India with collaboration with foreign universities. But, only 2 out of 106 are approved by AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education). Indian government does not allow foreign universities to honor any separate degree. It could only provide dual degree with collaboration with local institutions. Currently, many degrees given by these foreign universities are not even recognized in their own countries. The main governing body at the tertiary level is the University Grants Commission (India), which enforces its standards, advises the government, and helps coordinate between the centre and the state. As of 2009, India had 20 central universities, 215 state universities, 100 deemed universities, 5 institutions established and functioning under the State Act, and 13 institutes which are of national importance. Most of these institutions are public funded. Some of these institutions have been globally applauded. However, India has failed to produce world class universities like Harvard, Stanford, Oxford, Cambridge or the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). If The Foreign Educational Institutional Bill will be passed, it will not only permit foreign universities to set-up campuses and award degrees in India, but simultaneously facilitate Indian government regulation of their operations. The purpose of the bill is to regulate entry, operation and quality of education by the foreign universities. Foreign Education Institutes will have to get a deemed university status by UGC. All Foreign education institutes operating before commencement of the Act (once the Bill is passed) will have to get themselves registered and accredited within 6 months. The programs offered in India have to be comparable to that offered in the country of origin of the Foreign Education Institutes. They will have to maintain a minimum corpus fund of INR 100 million and Foreign Education Institutes may not utilize more than 75% of the income derived for the development of their institution in India and balance 25 % as corpus of fund. FEATURES OF THE FOREIGN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS BILL PROPOSED LEGISLATION FOR FDI No foreign institution can provide degree to Indian student unless such institution is confirmed as Foreign Educational Provider by Indian Government. Have to maintain a fund of at least 500 million rupees. At least twenty years of establishment in its own country. Quality of education, curriculum, method of imparting and the faculty employed will be in accordance to guidelines of UGC. Institution has to publish prospectus writing clearly about fee structure, refund norms and amount, number of seats, condition of eligibility with min and max age, detail of faculty, process of admission, min pay payable to each category of teachers and staff, infrastructure and other facilities, syllabus, rules and regulations, etc. at least sixty day prior to date of commencement of admission. In case of violation of any guidelines a penalty of min 10 million and max 50 million rupees along with tuition fees should be refunded to the student. At max 70% of the income raised from the fund can be utilized in the development of institution in India and rest should be added to the fund. No part could be used in any other purpose other than growth and development of the institution established by it in India. Any foreign institution not confirmed by Indian government as Foreign Education Provider which is awarding any certificate to Indian students should submit a report regarding course to the commission. GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TRADE IN SERVICES (GATS) AND HIGHER EDUCATION: Beyond the establishment of foreign universities, the bill and the government must deal with the relationship between foreign direct investment and education. In 1995, the Indian government signed the WTO treaty the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). The agreement aimed to give the international community access to the Indian services sector by deregulating markets. According to GATS, the private education sector qualifies as a tradable service, and therefore the Indian government is required to remove any barriers to the trade of that service. Several countries are exporting higher education and making huge profits. The United States has shown largest trade surplus in education. The trend of treating education, particularly higher education, as a tradable commodity has affected the economy and education system of many developing countries including India. India has received desires (for opening up of services) from several countries (Australia, Brazil, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, USA) in education services in the new round of service trade negotiations launched in January 2000 (GATS 2000 round), which mostly focus on higher education, adult education, and other education services. All requests to India are for full market access and national treatment commitments. India has not made any proposal in education services in the GATS 2000 round due to sensitive public good nature. There was a general perception that from January 1, 2005, India is obliged under the WTO to open up its higher education sector to foreign providers and to end public subsidies, with adverse consequences for the quality and affordability of higher education. Its worth noting that India did not schedule education services either in the Uruguay Round or in its revised commitments under the ongoing Doha Round. Hence, India has no multilateral obligation under the WTO to open up higher education services to foreign participation. Whatever liberalization has occurred in this area, such as allowing 100% FDI on automatic route and permitting foreign participation through twinning, collaboration, franchising, and subsidiaries, has been autonomously driven. But its unlikely that India will agree to such demands of liberalization in future. The issue then is largely a domestic one. The impact of opening up higher education services is shaped not by the WTO but by domestic factors, including the domestic regulatory framework and the state of the domestic education system in terms of quantity, quality, costs, infrastructure and finances. In this context, evidence suggests that some of the concerns about opening up education services may not be so misplaced. NEED FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF FDI IN HIGHER EDUCATION SECTOR Developing and transition countries are further challenged in a highly competitive world economy, because their higher education systems are not adequately developed for the creation and use of knowledge. If we look at the problem India is facing in expansion of higher education, one may say that FDI are being acceptable just because we dont have sufficient money to spend on this area. But, the problems are others too which FDI will focus. FDI in higher education will resolve the problem of enrollment rate as we are in a situation of less supply high demand. Some new tools and techniques will be used in teaching. Indian money and talent going abroad will come in check. FDI in higher education sector will improve the Infrastructure. It might happen that India may develop one of its own world class universities. An increase in facilities, both in terms of physical magnitude and geographical spread, for inculcation of vocational skills backed by an increase in the general quality of higher education. India needs to fill the technological lag as fast as it can to compete with China. The resulting competition with local universities would also induce us to become internationally competitive through quality improvements brought about by changes in curricula and other responses to an evolving market. Further, FDI in education would generate employment. Allowing FDI in education might lead to export of Indian education abroad in which there are large potentials There will be better scope for research as foreign universities have different methodology to run and generate revenues. India may move towards practical study based learning rather than rote learning. Existing institutions need to be rebranded to overcome their poor image. NEED FOR ADDRESSING POLICY CONSTRAINTS A brief formulation of one set of policies for Indiaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s higher education could include the following components: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Provide public funding only for those higher education activities such as RD that have public goods characteristics and which would not be privately funded to the socially optimal degree. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Eliminate all public support for those higher education activities the result of which has sufficient private returns to envelop the costs. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Ensure equality of opportunity and access to higher education in reply to expressed needs and demands of the population. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The range of disciplines must match the range of skills needed and changing opportunities available in a dynamic economy. A competitive market-liberal system must be allowed to operate instead of central planning. INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCES IN RESPECT OF FDI Internationalization of higher education is occurring quickly through the spread of international branch campuses. Most such campuses have been established since the mid-1990s and they are concentrated in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, with growth currently occurring in India, China and Central Asia. U.S. and Australian universities have the largest number of branch campuses, with smaller numbers operated by institutions based in the United Kingdom, Malaysia and Singapore. Most are branches of universities but some are polytechnics or vocational training colleges. Singapores Ngee Ann Polytechnic, for example, is establishing a campus in Shenyang (China), primarily for Chinese students, but also for their Singaporean students to gain international experience. The Malaysian-based University College of Technology Innovation has embarked on an Indian Ocean strategy, with overseas campuses in Colombo (Sri Lanka), Karachi (Pakistan), Panipat (India) and Perth (Australia). Some Indian institutes have also set up campuses abroad, primarily imparting education in Information Technology (NIIT, Aptech). Even developed countries are continuing with reforms in higher education. Despite the fact that the USA has the finest system of higher education in the world, it has set up a commission to ensure that America remains the worlds leader in higher education and innovation. For this purpose, the USA intends to make an investment of US $134 billion in higher education over the next ten years. Faced with deteriorating standards and low accountability in its public sector higher education, UK government has now allowed the universities to compete for students and charge variable fees, bringing an end to the regulated fee regime in the UK. In many developing countries in Asia, (Japan, Philippines and South Korea) and Latin American (Chile, Brazil and the Dominican Republic) private higher education has become the main venue for increasing access to higher education. These c ountries have majority enrolment in private sector. Agarwal (2006) has discussed that two trends in higher education have been observed worldwide: (i) towards transformation from elite to 9mass (or even universal) and (ii) privatization. Countries have responded to these challenges in various ways. Some examples are: KOREA: Korea has one of the highest gross enrolment ratios in higher education in the world with more than 80 per cent of it being in the private sector. In 1995 the Government began loosening controls since the problems from serious regulation were becoming uncontrollable. The government gave small incentive grants to reward act and introduced competition among universities and colleges by making them more autonomous and more competitive. MALAYSIA: Foreign Universities can set up campuses as branches by invitation. Twinning Arrangements with Universities abroad is also possible. Five foreign Universities have set up Branch Campuses, namely Monash, Curtin and Swinburne Universities of Australia, SAE Institute of Australia and University of Nottingham, UK. There are17 public Universities, including 6 university colleges with enrollment of 300,000. In addition, there are 600 private institutions with similar levels of enrollment. Private institutions can be set up by: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Large corporations or organizations closely linked to Government (e.g. Petronas Technology University, Telekom Malaysia etc.) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Large corporations that are public listed companies à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Political Parties (e.g. MICs TAFE College Seremban, MCAs Kolej Tunku Abdul Rahman, and UMNOs UNITAR etc.) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Independent Private Colleges à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Local branches of Foreign Universities CHINA: China is creating new universities of different kinds to supply to different needs. The government has confirmed education, science and technology to be the strategic driving forces of sustainable economic growth. It is now working towards loosening of statutory control over their higher education systems. The most recent legislation governing FEPs in China was released in 2003. The legislation governing FEPs in China (2003) contains the following features: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Foreign institutions must partner with Chinese institutions; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Partnerships must not seek profit as their objective; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ No less than half the members of the governing body of the institution must be Chinese citizens; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The post of president or the equivalent must be a Chinese citizen residing in China; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The basic language of instruction should be Chinese; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Tuition fees may not be raised without approval. However, this is not the whole story. There are a number of institutions in China (including NIIT from India), which provide education on commercial terms. Moreover, there is inadequate data on the scale of activity of FEPs in China. There are a total of 72 joint programs that are approved by the Ministry of Education (Garrett, 2004). In addition, there are a number of other non-approved programs or those programs that are approved at other levels of government (Municipal, Provincial or Local Governments). This is made amply clear by the data from the Australian Vice-Chancellors Committee (AVCC) in May 2003, which states that 27 Australian Universities offer 200 current offshore programs in China, 157 (79 percent) of which involve either Australian bachelors or masters programs. It is reasonable to assume that America, United Kingdom and other major source countries are also offering non-approved degree provision on a similar scale. Hence the level of FEPs activity is far in excess o f that reported by the Ministry of Education. It appears that the regime for FEPs is far more liberal and flexible than that indicated above. SINGAPORE: There is no regulation governing FEPs and Singapore has also not offered any

Cell Phones And Driving: Dangers Involved with Cell Phone Use While Dr

Most people don’t abide by the rules and regulations of the road. Most people don’t even know that they are breaking the law because they do it so often. Talking on the cell phone and driving has become a very popular thing these days. Technology is coming out with the newest phones that can do everything for you and people are attracted to that. There are people that don’t have hands free and drive their car with only one hand, people that text and totally take their eye off the road and type conversations to each other. Bluetooth is another technological breakthrough where you wear an ear piece and can receive phone calls by one touch of a button on the ear piece. This alone takes our attention off the road and into the cell phone. This is ridiculous and everyone has these gadgets and they drive their car day in and day out. Whether it be talking using your hands, talking by text or talking hands free; are all dangerous. It is likely that everyone has ta lked on the cell phone while operating a motor vehicle. I believe that this is a very bad issue that we have going on and not much enforcement is being made. I have five different sources that all say that driving and talking on the phone is dangerous, even fatal. The Governor Highway Safety Association(GHSA), presents us with cell phone driving laws and has made a chart showing the states that have cracked down the cell phone usage with laws. They say that several states restrict cell phone use while driving. This shows us that this is a problem and that states are making laws to control drivers to obey the rules and pay attention on the road. 29 states have collect crash data from cell phone use and driving. 9 states have preemption laws. 5 states have handh... ...elf, or another person due to a non important conversation that could wait depending on the drive. Just pull over and talk. Remember, you have voicemail for a reason. Works Cited â€Å"Cell Phone Driving Laws† by Governor Highway Safety Association, 30, March 2008. http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html Insurance Information institute, â€Å"Cell Phone and Driving† April 2008. http://www.iii.org/media/hottopics/insurance/cellphones/ Live Science, â€Å"Drivers on Cell Phones Kill thousands, snarl traffic† 01, February 2005, http://www.livescience.com/technology/050201_cell_danger.html Cnet, â€Å"Cell phones as dangerous as drunk driving,† 01, July 2006. http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-6090342-7.html ABC News, Why Cell Phones and Driving Don't Mix, 29, June 2005. http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/DyeHard/story?id=889064&page=1

Core Elements of Health Education and Risk Reduction Activities Essay

Core Elements of Health Education and Risk Reduction Activities A number of core elements should be considered in health education and risk reduction program and evaluation activities. Effective Health Education and Risk Reduction program activities: †¢ State realistic, specific, measurable, and attainable program goals and objectives. †¢ Identify methods and activities to achieve specific goals and objectives. †¢ Define staff roles, duties, and responsibilities. †¢ Define the populations to be served by geographic locale, risk behavior(s), gender, sexual orientation, and race/ethnicity. †¢ Assure that educational materials and messages are relevant, culturally competent, and language- and age-appropriate. †¢ Include professional development for all program staff. †¢ Include a written policy and personnel procedures that address stress and burnout. †¢ Include written procedures for the referral and tracking of clients to appropriate services outside of the agency. †¢ Provide for collaboration with other local service providers to assure access to services for clients. †¢ Assure confidentiality of persons served. Effective Health Education and Risk Reduction evaluation activities: †¢ Include process evaluation. †¢ Require consistent and accurate data collection procedures, including number of persons served, quantity and type of literature or materials distributed, and demographics of persons served. A description of the tools to be used and definitions of various measurements (e.g., "unit of service" and "contact") should be outlined. †¢ Include staff supervision, observation, evaluation, and feedback on a regular basis. †¢ Include feedback from persons served. †¢ Designate staff who are responsible for evaluation and quality assurance activities, for compiling and analyzing data, and for documenting and reviewing findings. †¢ Define methods for assessing progress toward stated proc... ...apters to read Aug. 21 - Course outline 26 - The Meaning of Health and Wellness 1 28 - The Meaning of Health and Wellness 1 Sept. 2 – Health Promotion 2 4 - Health Promotion 2 9 - Health Education 3 11 - No class 16 - History of Health Education and Health Promotion 4 18 - History of Health Education and Health Promotion 4 23 - Health Education and Promotion as a Profession 5 25 - Health Education and Promotion as a Profession 5 30 - Settings for Health Education and Promotion 6 Oct. 2 - Settings for Health Education and Promotion 6 7 - Mid-term exam 9 – Fall break 14 - Coordinated School Health Programs 7 16 - Government Initiatives 8 21 - Programs that work 9 23 - Programs that work 9 28 - Learning and Behavior Change: Theories and Models 10 30 - Learning and Behavior Change: Theories and Models 10 Nov. 4 - Needs Assessment, Planning, and Program Implementation 11 6 - Needs Assessment, Planning, and Program Implementation 11 11 - Evaluation 12 13 - Evaluation 12 18 - Current and Future Issues in Health Education and Health Promotion 13 20 - PPD 25 – Interview presentations 27 - Thanksgiving Dec. 2 - Interview presentations 4 - Interview presentations FINAL TBA

Technology, Criminal Investigations, and Ethics :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Abstract  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This paper discusses several implementations of modern technology in criminal investigations, and the ethical issues that accompany these techniques, focusing on the tradeoff between security and privacy. Specific topics include centralization of information, telecommunications, and general technology. Cases are cited for each topic, as well as a discussion of the ethical issues involved.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With the advent of modern technologies, the face of criminal investigations, and indeed daily life, has been irrevocably altered. In addition to locating criminals with ease, authorities now have the ability to monitor potential criminals before they can commit crimes. However, with an increased ability to detect comes an inevitable tradeoff in privacy. To monitor society as a whole is to monitor both the innocent and the guilty. Phases of sudden change imply a period of social adaptation, namely debates centered on the 4th amendment and personal privacy. Cases related to the 4th amendment reflect the difficult application of 200 year-old principles to a changing society, while the latter examine the tradeoff between privacy and protection.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Despite a large number of high-profile cases surrounding general technology and criminal investigations, the majority of advancements in the field have been undeniably beneficial to the law enforcement community. Ballistics, the study of dynamics of projectiles, has aided authorities in tracing countless criminals. By maintaining a record of firearm and ammunition types, sources, and characteristics, investigators are given an invaluable tool in collecting information about crimes. The recent advent of DNA testing and analysis allows for incontrovertible identification of individuals. Traces as insubstantial as fingernails, hair, and skin cells can place an individual at the scene of a crime. Police who are equipped with laptop computers can instantly look up the history of a vehicle, including whether it was reported as stolen or owned by an individual with outstanding warrants. Many innovations have indisputably aided criminal investigat ion without causing controversy. However, there have been a multitude of technologies that have incited oversensitive privacy advocates. Centralization of information is one concept that has provoked debate. Large databases can contain information about an entire state or country, which has been done for years in paper form. The distinction is that when information takes electronic form, its location is often indeterminate and the data is prone to corruption or piracy. Given the potential to integrate information about an individual into a single record, there is reason to worry about misuse. Technology, Criminal Investigations, and Ethics :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers Abstract  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This paper discusses several implementations of modern technology in criminal investigations, and the ethical issues that accompany these techniques, focusing on the tradeoff between security and privacy. Specific topics include centralization of information, telecommunications, and general technology. Cases are cited for each topic, as well as a discussion of the ethical issues involved.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With the advent of modern technologies, the face of criminal investigations, and indeed daily life, has been irrevocably altered. In addition to locating criminals with ease, authorities now have the ability to monitor potential criminals before they can commit crimes. However, with an increased ability to detect comes an inevitable tradeoff in privacy. To monitor society as a whole is to monitor both the innocent and the guilty. Phases of sudden change imply a period of social adaptation, namely debates centered on the 4th amendment and personal privacy. Cases related to the 4th amendment reflect the difficult application of 200 year-old principles to a changing society, while the latter examine the tradeoff between privacy and protection.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Despite a large number of high-profile cases surrounding general technology and criminal investigations, the majority of advancements in the field have been undeniably beneficial to the law enforcement community. Ballistics, the study of dynamics of projectiles, has aided authorities in tracing countless criminals. By maintaining a record of firearm and ammunition types, sources, and characteristics, investigators are given an invaluable tool in collecting information about crimes. The recent advent of DNA testing and analysis allows for incontrovertible identification of individuals. Traces as insubstantial as fingernails, hair, and skin cells can place an individual at the scene of a crime. Police who are equipped with laptop computers can instantly look up the history of a vehicle, including whether it was reported as stolen or owned by an individual with outstanding warrants. Many innovations have indisputably aided criminal investigat ion without causing controversy. However, there have been a multitude of technologies that have incited oversensitive privacy advocates. Centralization of information is one concept that has provoked debate. Large databases can contain information about an entire state or country, which has been done for years in paper form. The distinction is that when information takes electronic form, its location is often indeterminate and the data is prone to corruption or piracy. Given the potential to integrate information about an individual into a single record, there is reason to worry about misuse.

Extended commentary of ‘The Pine Planters’ by Thomas Hardy Essay

On the Title: A simple reference to the characters described in the first part of the poem. Overall, though, it refers to an earlier work by Hardy, named ‘The Woodlanders’. Marty South – note the lack of explicit gender reference in the name – is a character from ‘The Woodlanders’ whose thoughts are expressed in an odd, stream-of-consciousness-esque reverie. Hardy is interested in the melancholy of both human relationships and within nature; the lack of meaning he can find in natural suffering. Overall Structure: Hardy splits the poem into two parts, with two very different structural styles: 1. Part I takes a ballad form; 8 English quatrains with a mostly ABCB rhyme scheme, but with the occasional use of an alternate scheme when emphasis is required. Hardy uses very simple language throughout this stanza – the images presented are equally so. 2. Part II contains three stanzas of 12 lines, with an alternate rhyme scheme. Consequently, the poem loses its sense of ballad and, as the lines increase in length, becomes more abstract and ‘deep’. This allows for an increased intensity, both in the content and exploration of the images produced. It allows for no more emotive punctuation either! Despite being linked in content, the two parts have very different structural nuances. Difficult Language Notes: â€Å"Halt and hoary† is an archaic phrase for ‘old and grey’. Themes: Nature’s lament, Man and Nature, Relationships Notes on Part I The poem must be discussed separately, in terms of its parts, before comparing the two. However, Hardy writes in such short stanzas that analysing each one would be pointless, yet the meaning behind Hardy’s ‘Part I’ is described very gradually. Therefore, a summary: Hardy writes, in the first person, of a couple who work in forestry. It is assumed that the persona is female (or otherwise homosexual, which would present an interesting perspective) and is called ‘Marty South’ – in this case, the ambiguous name is quite certainly female. South is a character originating, as mentioned before, from Hardy’s earlier work ‘The Woodlanders’. South is engaged in a relationship with a partner upon whom she dotes, but is slighted due to the male’s ‘wandering eye’. South ‘writes’ to explain his apparent indifference towards her. However, Hardy uses this idea of suffering (in relationships) and applies it, in Part II, to the trees that the pair plant. In Detail: Relative movement of the two characters is of great importance to Hardy – or rather, the fact that the persona doesn’t move and therefore suffers the cold of the ‘blast and breeze’. This is made clear, along with the setting for her predicament, in the first stanza; â€Å"He fills the earth in/ I hold the trees†. The woman has no mobility. This is made clearer in the second stanza; â€Å"what I do/ Keeps me from moving/ And chills me through.† More importantly, though, â€Å"he does not notice†. This simple observation of a married man not noticing his wife’s routine suffering (suffering, as it is later revealed, which is endured only to be near him.) is shocking to the reader. The wife is made initially into a tragic beast of burden – this lack of physical motion will eventually come to represent her inability to achieve any motion in life. Hardy deliberately utilises the understatement and plainness of speech to accentuate this fact. In the next stanza, he reveals why. â€Å"He has seen one fairer†. Again, utilising understatement, Hardy introduces (in a noticeably less ‘fixed’ reality) a third figure to the poem – the male’s true love interest. Hardy, by portraying such a betrayal from the victim’s eyes (as well as condemning the male to interest based upon attractiveness alone) again achieves a sense of sympathy from the reader. The male’s â€Å"eye†¦ skims me as though I were not by.† Apart from the obvious sense of being ignored, Hardy’s use of ‘skims’ is particularly effective in emphasizing the male’s partial glimpse of his partner. [Add. Note: The last line of each stanza is somewhat contracted, drawing attention to it. It is therefore noticeable that each ‘4th line’ features an emotive sentiment – all express revealing elements of the characters’ relationships. This is equally accentuated through the rhyme scheme, which draws both the 2nd and 4th lines together.] Hardy’s key emphasis next is that â€Å"since she passed here† the male has thought only of (the new) ‘her’ and the forest; â€Å"the woodland hold him alone.† Equally, the persona is busy with her thoughts – presumably in the form of this reverie! This stanza’s final line is particularly noticeable through its contraction. On a different note, there is an element of complaint in the persona’s tone; she â€Å"never win[s] any small word of praise!† This highlights a coming theme, in that the pair fail to talk to each other at all. They are both equally silent with their thoughts and he, as above, never offers praise – nor, it seems, any verbal or emotional contact. What makes the relationship tragic is that she makes no effort either: The final two stanzas of the first part require more focussed analysis, as they begin to move to action on the part of Marty – or rather (as it may be) to further inaction. â€Å"Shall I not sigh (1) to him That I work on Glad to be nigh to him (2) Though hope is gone (3)? Nay, though he never Knew (4) love like mine, I’ll bear it ever (5) And make no sign (6)!† Desperation, along with paradoxical pleasure, dominates Hardy’s final stanzas: ‘sighing’ has always been a poetic expression of desperation, enforced by the visible expression of hopelessness (3). One therefore questions Marty’s judgement; if she is aware that her relationship with her male partner has been afflicted to its present demise (an argument further supported by the use of the past tense at (4)) then why does she stay there? Why is she unable to move herself physically, emotionally or verbally from her fixed spot? She is like the tree which she plants; immovable but suffering because of it. Much as one can muse upon Hardy’s own Modernist views (see the previous poem for the question of Modernist principles upon human suffering) on the matter, the persona suggests a very simple answer – see (2). She still loves the male. This creates a scenario – an immovable object, enduring suffering, refuses to resign from desperation because Nature/emotion has dictated it must stay – which is passed on to Part II. [Note the irony of the persona: she says, through the medium of literary suspension, that she can make no sign. But we are reading it†¦ She’s making a sign, therefore†¦ So, perhaps Marty South’s Reverie is her paradoxical sign?]

Final study guide peds

Monitor & Co's for balance, Dally weights most Important. Nutrition fluids/delete/internal (gut) feedings/TIP. Medications admit protocol, path, meds dioxin *ion chromo, toxicity =n/v, halo, labs 0. 5-Eng, apical HER. Watch K+ levels(3. 5-5. 5) don't give if hypo because ? Diuretics, morphine Protocols for giving meds to children know weight, give parents s/s side effects, don't regime meds if child thru it up because you don't know how much they got, parents need to know the dos/don't of medications.Don't tell them Its candy. Always start off with your first action being nursing. Example position before 02. Respiratory-remember everything is smaller Nose breathers till 6 weeks(? ) NSA assessment D, nose flaring, grunting, nasal flaring, anxiety (restlessness fidgety or listlessness), tachyon, sweating, BAG, 02 stats.. Interventions position increase head of bed, suction, 02, medication, do in that order. Care of tracheotomy. Know NC, blow by, mask. .NET, et as far as 02 methods. Nur sing care management Pre-pop Postoperative Care Positioning -prone with head turned to the side Careful suctioning, only if necessary NO coughing, clearing throat, blowing nose Inspect all vomits for s/s fresh bleeding Pain management Entitlement as needed Cool water, ice pops no red or brown colored liquids C] No milk or ice cream Neuron Always a change in LOC is right unless it's already In the question. Especially with ICP. Know fontanels.For MS focus on the word document on EBB Corollary Increase In growth hormone after bones have closed C.V.- cardiac defects cyanic ?hyperemia & agnostic= not as severe hyperemia as cyanic pale TWOFOLD, AAA, AS, AURA SODA atrium VOSS ventricle construes aorta PDA closure DAD HP For all of this know top 3 AND, measles, BBC, nursing and perfusion(C)) positioning semi or high fowlers, decrease HOB if in shock or if crease BP to get blood back to the heart. Monitor I & Co's for balance, Daily weights most important.

Boko Haram

Boko Haram From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Boko Haram People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet's Teachings and Jihad | Participant in the Nigerian Sharia conflict| Active| 2002–| Ideology| Islamism Islamic fundamentalism Oppose man-made law Support strict sharia law| Leaders| Mohammed Yusuf Abubakar Shekau[1] Mallam Sanni Umaru[2][3][not in citation given]Abu Qaqa – spokesman[4] Abu Zaid – spokesman[3]| Headquarters| Kanamma, Nigeria|Area  of operations| Northern Nigeria| Opponents| Nigerian State| Battles/wars| Nigerian Sharia conflict 2009 Nigerian sectarian violence| Map of Nigerian states that currently implement Shariah (in green) People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet's Teachings and Jihad[5] (Arabic: , Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati Wal-Jihad), better known by its Hausa name Boko Haram, is a jihadist terrorist organization based in the northeast of Nigeria. 6] It is an Islamist movement which strongly opposes man-made laws. Founded by Mohammed Yusuf in 2001[7] or 2002,[8] the organisation is a Muslim sect that seeks to abolish the secular system of government and establish sharia law in the country. [9][10] The group is also known for attacking Christian churches. [11] The movement, whose name in the Hausa language, Boko Haram, translates as â€Å"Western education is sacrilege†[9] or â€Å"a sin†,[12] is divided into three factions, and in 2011, was responsible for more than 450 killings in Nigeria. 9] Though the group first became known internationally following sectarian violence in Nigeria in 2009, it does not have a clear structure or evident chain of command. [13] Moreover, it is still a matter of debate whether Boko Haram has links to terror outfits outside Nigeria and its fighters have frequently clashed with Nigeria's central government. [9] Contents * 1 Etymology * 2 Ideology * 2. 1 Criticism * 3 History * 3. 1 Background * 3. 2 Origin * 3. 3 The beginning of violence * 3. 4 Reemergence * 4 Assessment * 5 Funding * 6 See also * 7 References * 8 External links| EtymologyThe group has adopted its official name to be People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet's Teachings and Jihad, which is the English translation of Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad ( ). In the town of Maiduguri, where the group was formed, the residents dubbed it Boko Haram. The term â€Å"Boko Haram† comes from the Hausa word boko meaning â€Å"western education† and the Arabic word haram figuratively meaning â€Å"sin† (literally, â€Å"forbidden†). [14][15][16][17] The name, loosely translated from Hausa, means â€Å"western education is forbidden†.The group earned this name due to its strong opposition to anything Western, which it sees as corrupting Muslims. [18] Ideology Boko Haram is an indigenous Salafist group which only turned itself into a Salafist Jihadist group in 2009. [6] It propagat es that not only interaction with the Western World is forbidden, but it is also against the Muslim establishment and the government of Nigeria. [19] The group publicly extols its ideology despite the fact that its founder and former leader Muhammad Yusuf was himself a highly educated man who lived a lavish life and drove a Mercedes Benz. 14] The members of the group do not interact with the local Muslim population[20] and have carried out assassinations in the past of any one who criticises it, including Muslim clerics. [18] In a 2009 BBC interview, Muhammad Yusuf, then leader of the group, stated his belief that the concept of a spherical Earth is contrary to Islamic teaching and should be rejected, along with Darwinian evolution and the concept of rain originating from water evaporated by the sun. [21] Before his death, Yusuf reiterated the group's objective of changing the current education system and rejecting democracy. 22] Nigerian academic Hussain Zakaria told BBC News that the controversial cleric had a graduate education, spoke proficient English, lived a lavish lifestyle and drove a Mercedes-Benz. [21] In the wake of the 2009 crackdown on its members and its subsequent reemergence, the growing frequency and geographical range of attacks attributed to Boko Haram have led some political and religious leaders in the north to the conclusion that the group has now expanded beyond its original religious composition to include not only Islamic militants, but criminal elements and disgruntled politicians as well. Boko Haram has become a franchise that anyone can buy into. It's something like a Bermuda Triangle,† said Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima. [23] Criticism Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, the Niger State governor, has criticised the group saying â€Å"Islam is known to be a religion of peace and does not condone violence and crime in any form† and Boko Haram doesn't represent Islam. [24] The Sultan of Sokoto Sa'adu Abubakar, the s piritual leader of Nigerian Muslims, has called the sect â€Å"anti-Islamic† and, as reported by the website AllAfrica. om, â€Å"an embarrassment to Islam. â€Å"[25] The Coalition of Muslim Clerics in Nigeria (CMCN) have called on the Boko Haram to disarm and embrace peace. [26] The Islamic Circle of North America,[27] the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada,[28] The Muslim Council of Britain,[29] the Organization of Islamic Cooperation[30] and the Council on American Islamic Relations[31] have all condemned the group. History Background Main articles: Islam in Nigeria and Colonial NigeriaBefore colonisation and subsequent annexation into the British Empire, the Bornu Empire ruled the territory where Boko Haram is currently active. It was a sovereign sultanate run according to the principles of the Constitution of Medina, with a majority Kanuri Muslim population. The Bornu Sultanate emerged after the overthrow of the Kanem-Bornu Empire ruled by the Saifawa dynasty for over 2000 years. The Bornu Sultanate of the Kanuri is distinct from the Sokoto Caliphate of the Hausa/Fulani established in 1802 by the military conquest of Usman dan Fodio. 6] Both the Bornu Sultanate and Sokoto Caliphate came under control of the British in 1903. However, due to activities of early Christian missionaries who used Western education as a tool for evangelism, it is viewed with suspicion by the local population. [18] Increased dissatisfaction gave rise to many fundamentalists among the Kanuri and other peoples of northeast Nigeria. One of the most famous such fundamentalists was Mohammed Marwa, also known as Maitatsine, who was at the height of his notoriety during the 1970s and 1980s.He was sent into exile by the British authorities, he refused to believe Mohammed was the Prophet and instigated riots in the country which resulted in the deaths of thousands of people. Some analysts view Boko Haram as an extension of the Maitatsine riots. [32] Origin The group was founded b y Mohammed Yusuf in 2002 in the city of Maiduguri with the aim of establishing a Shari'a government in Borno State under former Governor Ali Modu Sheriff. [7][32] He established a religious complex that included a mosque and a school where many poor families from across Nigeria and from neighboring countries enrolled their children. 18] The centre had ulterior political goals and soon it was also working as a recruiting ground for future jihadis to fight the state. [18] The group includes members who come from neighbouring Chad and Niger and speak only Arabic. [33] In 2004 the complex was relocated to Yusuf's home state of Yobe in the village Kanamma near the Niger border. [22] Human Rights Watch researcher Eric Guttschuss told IRIN News that Yusuf successfully attracted followers from unemployed youth â€Å"by speaking out against police and political corruption. Abdulkarim Mohammed, a researcher on Boko Haram, added that violent uprisings in Nigeria are ultimately due to â€Å"t he fallout of frustration with corruption and the attendant social malaise of poverty and unemployment. â€Å"[34] The beginning of violence Timeline of incidents| 7 September 2010| Bauchi prison break[35]| 31 December 2010| December 2010 Abuja attack[36]| 22 April 2011| Boko Haram frees 14 prisoners during a jailbreak in Yola, Adamawa State[37]| 29 May 2011| May 2011 northern Nigeria bombings[38]| 6 June 2011| The group claims responsibility for the 2011 Abuja police headquarters bombing[39][40]| 26 June 2011| Bombing attack on a beer garden in Maiduguri, leaving 25 dead and 12 injured[41][42]| 10 July 2011| Bombing at the All Christian Fellowship Church in Suleja, Niger State[43]| 11 July 2011| The University of Maiduguri temperory closes down its campus citing security concerns[44]| 12 August 2011| Prominent Muslim Cleric Liman Bana is shot dead by Boko Haram[45]| 26 August 2011| 2011 Abuja bombing[46]| November 2011| 2011 Damaturu attacks[40][47][48]| 25 December 2011| December 2011 Nigeria bombings[49]| 5–6 January 2012| January 2012 Nigeria attacks[50]| 20 January 2012| January 2012 Kano bombings[51]| 28 January 2012| Nigerian army says it killed 11 Boko Haram insurgents[52]| 8 February 2012| Boko Haram claims responsibility for a suicide bombing at the army headquarters in Kaduna. [53]| 16 February 2012| Another prison break staged in central Nigeria; 119 prisoners are released, one warder killed. 54]| 8 March 2012| During a British hostage rescue attempt to free Italian engineer Franco Lamolinara and Briton Christopher McManus, abducted in 2011 by a splinter group Boko Haram, both hostages were killed. [55]| The group conducted its operations more or less peacefully during the first seven years of its existence[6] That changed in 2009 when the Nigerian government launched an investigation into the group's activities following reports that its members were arming themselves. 56] Prior to that the government reportedly repeatedly ignored warnings about the increasingly militant character of the organisation, including that of a military officer. [56] When the government came into action, several members of the group were arrested in Bauchi, sparking deadly clashes with Nigerian security forces which led to the deaths of an estimated 700 people. During the fighting with the security forces Boko Haram fighters reportedly â€Å"used fuel-laden motorcycles† and â€Å"bows with poison arrows† to attack a police station. [57] The group's founder and then leader Mohammed Yusuf was killed during this time while in police custody. 58][59][60] After Yusuf's killing, a new leader emerged whose identity was not known at the time. [61] Reemergence After the killing of M. Yusuf, the group carried out its first terrorist attack in Borno in January 2010. It resulted in the killing of four people. [62] Since then, the violence has only escalated in terms of both frequency and intensity. In January 2012, Abubakar Shekau, a form er deputy to Yusuf, appeared in a video posted on YouTube. According to Reuters, Shekau took control of the group after Yusuf's death in 2009. [1] Authorities had previously believed that Shekau died during the violence in 2009. 63] By early 2012, the group was responsible for over 900 deaths. [64] Assessment Boko Haram is considered a major potential terrorist threat affecting Nigeria and other countries, and U. S. officials believe it is potentially allied with Al Qaeda. U. S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) Commander General Carter F. Ham stated in September 2011 that three African terrorist groups – Shabab of Somalia, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb across the Sahel region, and Boko Haram – â€Å"have very explicitly and publicly voiced an intent to target Westerners, and the U.S. specifically† and that he was concerned with â€Å"the voiced intent of the three organizations to more closely collaborate and synchronize their efforts. â€Å"[65] General Ham reitera ted his concern after the Christmas Day 2011 bombings of churches in Nigeria: â€Å"I remain greatly concerned about their stated intent to connect with Al Qaeda senior leadership, most likely through Al Qaeda in the lands of the Islamic Maghreb. †[65] The US House of Representatives Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence urged the Obama Administration and U.S. intelligence community in November 2011 to focus on Boko Haram as a potential threat to United States territory. [66] Nigeria's National Security Adviser, General Owoye Andrew Azazi, has been working with other African governments, European and Middle Eastern governments, and the U. S. government to build cooperation against Boko Haram. He met in 2010 with then-CIA Director Leon Panetta, and in 2011 with AFRICOM Commander General Ham, and other U. S. fficials, and was in the United States when the congressional panel was preparing its report on Boko Haram. He participated in a CIA conference at about the sam e time. [67] After the Christmas 2011 bombings carried out by Boko Haram, President Barack Obama's office issued a statement that confirmed that the U. S. and Nigeria were cooperating at a senior level against the terrorist group. [68] Funding A spokesman of Boko Haram claimed that Kano state governor Ibrahim Shekarau and Bauchi state governor Isa Yuguda has paid them monthly. [69][70]