The sound and the fury by William Faulkner Essay Example for Free

The sound and the fury by William Faulkner Essay The sound and the fury by William Faulkner Introduction            The Sound and the Fury is an intransigently notorious and difficult novel that has received much acclaim and criticism in equal measure globally. Indeed, this is understandable of a book that literally transients the callous southern American tradition of slavery and racial profiling. Besides, the books depiction of a family that descents from acclaim to desolation and finally live in shadows of its past is one that most people would not love to read. Most importantly, the book traces the deterioration of an intelligent southern adolescent who, living by the traditions of the south, carries along racial conventions to his final plunge in water where he commits suicide. This paper trails Quentin along with his racism to Harvard, his new insights into racism and his family’s contribution towards his racist believes.            Indeed, Quentin Compson is the eldest of the Compson offspring. As thus, he feels inordinately obliged to carry on the family’s responsibilities and suffice its traditions of prestige and greatness. Quentin is first encountered in Chapter 2 where is currently pursuing studies at the Harvard, Massachusetts. It is through his prose that the reader develops an attitude towards him and the Compsons. Quentin is crucial because he presents the Compsons traditions and through him, the reader understands the racial profiling in the South. Interestingly, Quentin carried along the southern traditions with him to the university in the north. He, therefore, encountered feelings of abashed shame, hateful or blase. However, the university in the north is potential crucial because, through his encounters with other southern, he learns insightful details about the race.            Spoade represents one of the southerners at the university who taught Quentin on race. He was a senior student at the university and saw pride for â€Å"never [running] for chapel†. Besides, he is proud because he never wore a shirt till noon. Therefore, he did not fall into the traditions of the â€Å"Northern University†. In so doing, Spoade adhered to the mythological grace and slowness characteristic of the Southern life. Interestingly, Spoade had â€Å"five names that also bore the current English ducal house† indicating that he was a detached and self assured person. Spoade boasts in being a gentleman causing jitters of shame into Quentin because the latter lacked sexual experiences. Perhaps, this is meant to infer that Quentin was possibly a gay. Indeed, â€Å"Spoade, [called] Shreve my husband.† Shreve was Quentin’s roommate at Harvard University.            Other than Spoade, racial sense was taught into Quentin at the North by the Blands. This was an ostensibly wealthy family from Kentucky, in the south. Considering that this family shunned joining the confederacy, it distanced them from the â€Å"Lost Cause† idea. An assessment of this family’s lifestyle reveals that they are extremely arrogant and ungracious, perhaps worse than Spoade. Firstly, the she in the family is a dotty seeking her son. Mrs. Bland took an apartment at Harvard on rent to be close to her son. Her motives are questionable as she goes to great lengths to fancy her son. For instance, she sources his clothes from New York.            In addition, Mrs. Bland takes pride in the â€Å"Gerald’s niggers and Gerald’s horses and Gerald’s women†. According to her, Gerald reflected the splendid specimen that was a replica of the Old South Plantation boss. She is extremely snobbish and overly hateful and valueless to â€Å"these ignorant low class Yankees†. She shows some value only to the Southern Whites. It is through Mrs. Bland that Quentin learns of the disdain characters in Gerald, another white. Gerald features as a dashing handsome young brute who also turns out to be a virile womanizer. Gerald uses his physique to lure white women into his lair. It emerges that he is a viciously rudimental schemer who has no respect for women.            Quentin initiated a fist fight with him absentmindedly, and he ended up thrashing Quentin. This portrays Gerald in a bad light as an ungentle and respectful man as is Quentin. This is because he materialistically exploited his women rather than keep them safe and protected. Mrs. Bland inspires Quentin to think on issues of race. Her extreme obtrusiveness and condescending attitude disqualify her as a Southern lady. Quentin also questions the source of the bulk of wealth that the Blands have. Spoade’s mild hatred for the family coupled with their showiness reflects an upstart family in the guise of the Old South. Quentin is emphatic that Spoade’s image of the aristocratic family effectively concealed his mercenary and aggression Yankee antitype. Moreover, Quentin observes the imminent difference between Spoade and his ancestors who were parvenus.            Quentin takes racial insights on the insensitiveness of the Blands and Spoade. Each of them appears shallow, unkind and unsympathetic towards each other. For instance, the white Blands are detached from a fellow white, Quentin, and only the Yankee, Shreve shows sympathy, friendship and concern towards him. Interestingly, Quentin is from the South just like the Blands and only Shreve the Yankee from Canada showed interest. However, it is observable that Quentin secretly envies the Bland and Spoade for their masculinity and nonchalance. Quentin is attached to their opinions and envies their free sense of self. Therefore, he feels awkward and ashamed in their presence.            Quentin’s encounters with the blacks at the Northern University was seldom but impactful. For instance, he encountered the Deacon who was acquainted with the South’s social customs. According to Quentin, the, â€Å"Deacon could easily identify a Southerner at a glance†. Quentin expresses the dexterous skill that the Deacon had by continuing that, â€Å"once he heard one speak, the Deacon could identify your state.† This reveals that the Deacon probably resided in the South. Quentin is emphatic â€Å"de old nigger† sufficed their expectations by casting the slave role accurately and just perfect. Quentin believes that the Deacon managed to fool the inexperienced freshmen, but he had realized of his duplicity although he could not resist condescending him, although curiously. Quentin’s admiration for the black â€Å"old nigger† is evident because he searched him out and donated an old suit although he claimed to dislik e him.            In the street car, Quentin sat next to a black man who wore â€Å"a derby and shinning shoes†. He â€Å"[held] a dead cigar stub† replica to a normal, autonomous citizen. His passive demeanor of Quentin, the white, seated next to him brings Quentin to appreciating the equality between the whites and the black. It is until he is about to alight that he acknowledges Quentin by politely signaling request to pass. The incident retracts Quentin to an earlier episode in which he called a black man on a mule, in Virginia â€Å"uncle’. Quentin gladly offered a gift to him, and he humbly accepted. The two incidences with the black are a learning experience for Quentin on race issues. It irks him that he questions the stereotyping of the blacks whereby he realizes that the Northerner’s expectations influenced him. Therefore, his acquired insights were not natural but rather learned.            Quentin’s family played a major role in his build up to committing suicide. Quentin spent his early years in prestige and wealth. His family owned huge and expansive property, the plantation. He grew up observing the southern doctrines and traditions, and he became indoctrinated into them. He held the doctrines close to his heart, idealizing nebulous and abstract concepts of virtue, honor and feminine purity. The south traditions enunciated strict code of conducts and Quentin grew into these same codes. Therefore, he was stereotypic of the southern perception of the blacks.            As a Compson, Quentin thrived in the lives of commoners who owned lands and maintained plantations as well as several black servants. The commoners were aptly affluent and elite. For instance, Mr. Compson held a law degree and had an office in town. However, the Compson family degrades, deteriorates and their wealth reduces as Quentin grows into adolescence. His father had to sell off part of their plantation in order to raise money for the young Quentin to school at Harvard.            Quentin is absorbed by his sister Caddy. He is affectionate towards her and is willing to cover up for her mistakes. Quentin is thrown into disarray when he realizes the promiscuity that her sister has been exercising. He is disparaged when she turns out to be pregnant. He is infuriated and disappointed by her acts because it tarnished the family’s name. His absorption with sanctifying the family in line with the southern traditions leads him to claiming incest. He tells his father that he and Caddy committed incest, therefore, resulting to the offspring.            On realizing her sister’s promiscuity, Quentin turns to his father, Mr. Compson for guidance. However, this is a tragic because; the man who instilled the virtues of the south disregards the very pedestals that he raised him. Quentin, therefore, feels betrayed and cheated by both his father and his sister for failing to uphold the codes of the south. This torments him coupled with the deteriorated family statue. On his return to campus, he is a thoughtful, troubled and mentally ill person. He starts having disdained thoughts such as committing suicide. He thinks of eloping with his sister to indulge her into his suicide plan. His hatred and obsession with Caddy’s promiscuity made him draw a knife and lung for her throat ,sometimes when they quarreled. Worse stills, he was obsessed with Candy and the thought of Caddy sharing sexual intimacy with another man gnawed him overtly. He had occasionally threatened to kill her. His lover for her is disastrous as he draws a man into a conquest and he is willing to fight for her. Therefore, her forsaking of the south traditions by her promiscuity and out of wedlock pregnancy were unacceptable to Quentin drawing him into despondency and, finally committing suicide. References Faulkner, William. The sound and the fury. Modern Library ed. New York: Modern Library, 1992. Print. Source document

The Communication Style In Middle East Cultural Studies Essay

The Communication Style In Middle East Cultural Studies Essay In this chapter, an analysis of the communication style of Middle Eastern countries will be provided, with particular focus on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Before analysing our focus countries, it is interesting to provide an overview of the communication style in the Middle East compared to that in the West. Only after understanding the main differences between these two regions, can inner differences be explained. Western ventures as well as expat foreign workers that start working in the Middle East face many challenges due to the differences in their communication style. The nature of business communication style is the result of the combination of different factors, such as cultural, political, socio-economical and historical characteristics of a country. Some of the main cultural factors will be therefore analysed in the section. First of all, Middle East countries are very high context, meaning that people from this region take into consideration all the different aspects of a certain event in order to get the true understanding of it. Hidden meanings can be found by analysing the situation as a whole. This term was coined by Edward Hall (1976) and positioned in contrast to low-context countries, such as USA, in which the meaning of words can be taken directly from the message, without the necessity to analyse the whole context. As can be seen later in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia section, the high context characteristic can also be associated to the characteristic of the Arabic language as an associative language. This statement by Hall (1976, p. 98) effectively gives an effective understand of the meaning of high context When talking about something that they have on their minds, a high context individual will expect his interlocutor to know whats bothering him, so that he doesnt have to be specific. The re sult is that he will talk around and around the point, in effect putting all the pieces in place except the crucial one. Placing it properly this keystone is the role of his interlocutor. Secondly, Middle Eastern people tend to invest a huge amount of their time establishing personal relationships and getting to better know their negotiating parties before actually initiating the work (Badawy, 1980). Because of this, doing business in the Middle East usually takes longer than in other countries. Personal contacts are considered more important than procedures and standard processes for businesses. For example, creative sales techniques and media advertising are not as effective in these countries as in Western ones. Instead, business in the Middle East relies more on the cultivation of individual customers and on government officials (Badawy, 1980). Another characteristic that distinguishes Middle Eastern management communication style from that of the West is related to the perception of time and space. Middle Eastern countries have a primarily polychronic work style, they usually engage in multiple activities and goals at the same time. In the Middle East, time is an open-ended concept. It is a mixture of past, present and future. The word bukra (literally tomorrow) that is often used in this region refers to the fact that what cannot be done today will be done tomorrow and the word inshallah (literally God willing) underlines that God is in control of time (Martin and Chaney, 2006). Therefore, time is considered to be a flexible concept, being late at meetings and not respecting strictly deadlines is usually not seen as offensive behaviour. Moreover, being late could also be a tactic used by Middle Eastern managers to demonstrate their superiority and power over their subordinates (Martin and Chaney, 2006). As far as space is concerned, business conversations in Middle Eastern countries usually occur simultaneously among different people and in the same office, similar to a round table discussion (Badawy, 1980). Having described some of the main features that characterise the communication style of the Middle East, this paper will now focus on the two considered countries, UAE and Saudi Arabia. The aim of the two subsections is to provide an analysis of the two countries in respect to some factors that either distinguish the Emirati or Saudi communication style from the general concept of business communication style in the Middle East or that underline differences between the two regions. United Arab Emirates The UAE is a very particular Middle Eastern country as we have seen in the previous sections. As far as the communication style is involved, studies have shown sound insights. On one hand, the high percentage of expatriate workers and western organisations have been influencing the communication behaviour of Emiratis. Many UAE companies have adapted their norms and communication style to match the Western ones (Willemyns et al., 2011). This has been a progressive process, driven by the fact that today more and more expatriates work in the UAE and that Emiratis employed in large companies can usually speak fluent English. On the other hand, specific patterns of communication style can be found within UAE companies. Our main reference will be the study performed by Willemyns et al. (2011) and described in their research paper Communication and Social Identity Dynamics in UAE Organizations. The study was conducted among 192 Emiratis (34 women) who worked in different companies in Dubai and were asked to complete a survey about their interaction with Western expatriate colleagues . However, before proceeding with the analysis of the findings, a short overview of the theoretical underpinnings behind them will be provided. More specifically, the social identity theory has been considered. This theory proposes that ones self-concept is compromised of a personal identity (based on idiosyncratic characteristics such as bodily attributes, abilities and psychological traits) and of social identities, based on groups memberships (Willemyns et al., 2011). A certain person would thus see themselves as part of a group (ingroup) and would compare their ingroup to an outsider group (outgroup), composed of people that are not part of the ingroup (Williams and Giles, 1996). This theory can therefore be used to understand and explain how the Emiratis interact with their foreign colleagues, whether they relate to them as part of the ingroup or the outgroup. The study has shown three main communication patterns. The first category relates to Interpersonal Control, which refers to the interpersonal control adopted in the interaction of Emirati nationals with their foreign colleagues. This study has stressed the importance of the ingroup dimension to many Emirati employees. In fact, a high percentage of them feel that they are perceived by their co-workers as belonging to the same group, on an equitable level. Furthermore, Emiratis try to understand the single individual when they interact with their co-workers rather than classifying them as part of a stereotypical cultural outgroup. Examples of this perception are related to non-work and friendship role relationship, similar values and interpersonal similarities. In a broader sense of the individualization process just described, Condon and Yousef (1975) have highlighted the difference between individualism, which indicates independence from the group, and individuality, which relates to the freedom of an individual to act, individuality ref ers to the persons freedom to act differently within the limits set by the social structure (Condon and Yousef,1975). Thus, in this specific case, the study refers more to individuality than to individualism of Emiratis. This sense of individuality can also be traced in the Quran where an individual (a prophet) would go against his group in order to proclaim his faith and belief in God. Therefore, for Arab people and in this specific case, for Emiratis, individual dignity and honour are extremely important. (Ayish, 2003). Therefore, if on one hand the belonging to ingroup is an essential part for Emiratis, on the other hand, the individual as a unique person is highly respected. This fact shows that it is probably too simplistic considering Emiratis as a collectivistic culture (Zaharna, 2009). The second category analysed is discourse management, which refers to the ability of a person in creating written and oral texts. In the specific case, we consider discourse management in relation to conversations held at work between Emiratis and their Western counterparts. As far as discourse management is concerned, the ingroup and outgroup sides seem to be balanced. More specifically, if on one hand, some Emiratis perceive high cultural difference with their colleagues, for example they feel their ideas are not listened to nor understood, on the other hand, some other Emiratis express an open, transparent and efficient communication process. Significant examples of this aspect are related to the willingness or unwillingness of colleagues to listen and communicate or to participate in small talk and self-disclosure. Small talks are defined by DeVito (2001) as short conversations typically used to break the ice between people. They are also defined pathic communication, term that w as coined by the anthropologist Malinowsky (1923) and refers to short discussions of low information content that are used to build and maintain relationships, to saving face issues. Finally, a balance can also be found in the last category, face issues. Emiratis value face-to-face communication as an important feature. Face-to-face communication could lead to both positive effects, for example a foreign colleague expressing explicit praise, congratulations and encouragement and negative consequences, for instance by embarrassing in public an Emirati, through criticism and negative feedback and by asking inappropriate questions such as questions related to wives and or sisters. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia In this section, an analysis of some interesting factors that shape the business communication style in Saudi Arabia will be provided. First of all, the environment highly influences the communication style of Arab countries. In particular, Ali (1990) underlines how Arab people are subjected to behave in different ways depending on the characteristics of the environment in which they are and have relationship with. More specifically, in an authoritarian environment, an Arab tends to be conservative, dependent on authorities and on higher status people and refrains from debate and discussions (Ali and Hayward, 1993). In Saudi Arabia, the communication style is more indirect and conservative compared to the communication style of other Mideastern such as the Emiratis due to their stricter environment. Moreover, Saudis show a higher avoidance of public conflict and criticism, preferring personal to impersonal procedures to resolve conflict and one-to-one business communication (Ali, 1995). Saudi Arabia is the place of birth both of Islam and Arabic. As Arabic is the language of the Quran, the spread of Islam to non-Arabic countries, such as part of South Asia, Europe and North Africa, has also implied the diffusion of Arabic language in them (Hitti, 1970; Hourani, 1992; Chejne, 1965). However, even though all countries in the Middle East have a common heritage in the Arabic language, not all of them have employed Arabic as official first language. Arabic is therefore one of the most important factors that influence the communication style in Saudi Arabia. According to Kabasakal and Bodur (2002), the Arabic language has a very strong influence on the identity of an Arabic person as well as on their communication style. Arabic manages to develop a feeling of identity among Arab people that also has crucial consequences on the communication style. In particular, the Arabic language is very associative, different examples of association can be found within the Arabic language and in the Quran (Zaharna, 2009). Therefore, in order to get the true understanding of a text written in Arabic, the ability to read Arabic is not sufficient; it is instead necessary to understand the different associations among words within a certain context. Likewise, Saudis use an indirect business communication style, where single words will not probably be of significant meaning. According to Katz (2006), a simple word like yes might mean possibly and i t will be very rare that a Saudi would answer with a direct no. Instead, Saudis value beautiful, elegant rhetoric over concise and accurate communication. Eloquent people are considered to be more worthy of trust and respect and so they will often use extremely descriptive, emotive and even poetic language to communicate their point indirectly. This can often make it difficult for Westerners to decipher the intended message. Furthermore, body language and eye contact is very important in the Middle East, however in Saudi Arabia it is more restricted and controlled. The final aspect that will be analysed in this section refers to the interaction of Saudis with the foreign corporations and colleagues. Unlike UAE, as seen in section 1.2 where Emiratis have shown a more open, transparent and positive behaviour, Saudi Arabia is a much more conservative and closed society that also regulates the way Saudis work with expatriates (Mackey, 1987). Having a local intermediary can therefore be extremely important for a foreigner to initiate a business relationship with local people. The intermediary will help providing the contacts and leveraging on existing relationships. (Katz, 2006). In fact, as described previously, personal relationships are crucial in Middle East and in this particular case, in Saudi Arabia.

Income Inequality Reduction in South Africa

Income Inequality Reduction in South Africa â€Å"The disparate distribution of a nations gross domestic product amongst its population†. That is how (Sullivan Sheffrin 2003) define income inequality. It is usually characterised by two underling issues; the inability of an economy to efficiently utilise its factors of production, and limited social mobility ranging from social classes to ethnicity and even nations. History demonstrates how inequality can act as a barrier to sustainable development; highlighted in the Brundtland Report (UN, 1987). â€Å"Quality economic growth† is the significant expression emphasised in the report in an attempt to illustrate the requirements of a more equal and democratic society. Up until recent times, South Africa has boasted the largest economy in Africa. This has resulted in heavy examination of economic growth levels in the country. Between 1960 and 2013, the country recorded average growth rates of approximately 3.25% (World Bank 2013). However, this growth hasn’t been enjoyed by the masses, approximately 23.7 per cent of the country’s labour forces were unemployed in 2009 and 25 per cent in 2012 (World Bank 2013). In South Africa, there are combinations of factors working together causing income disparity in the country. However, even in post- apartheid South Africa, race is still a significant factor responsible for the gap between the rich and poor. (Sherer, 2000) and (Ozler. 2007). This is significant because it has been observed that societies that are more equal experience longer periods of economic growth (UN, 1987). The Gini coefficient measured at 0.6314 in 2009, is incongruously high for an upper-middle-income nation (World Bank 2 013) Gini Coefficients: South Africa According to (World Bank 2013) the Gini index â€Å"measures the extent to which the distribution of income or consumption expenditure among individuals or households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution†. Gini coefficients measures the variances between all pairs of incomes and their and sum their absolute difference. Between 1948 and into the early 1990s no official data was collected with regards to inequality levels in South Africa. Throughout this period, South Africa was still under the apartheid regime and the government were far from concerned by the clear inequality in the country. Observing the graph above it appears that inequality decreased following the dissolution of the apartheid regime and has gradually increased for most of the first decade in the most-recent millennium. Having said that, perspective is required as the data set is extremely limited, and it is possible that fluctuations may be a result of standard economic business cycles. Therefore it is impossible to use Gini data to provide empirical evidence for or against income inequality patterns. Lorenz curves: South Africa â€Å"The Lorenz curve plots the percentage of total income earned by various portions of the population when the population is ordered by the size of their incomes† (Gastwirth, 1971) Figures in the graph below are centred on monthly per capita household expenditures in 2000 ZAR (South African Rands) The Lorenz curve illustrated above is a graphical representation of the distribution of income among the South African population. It is clear for the graph that the Lorenz Curve for South Africa in the year 2000 is underneath that of the year 1995 until it reaches the 85 per cent percentile. The Lorenz principle is void in this case as there is a intersection in the Lorenz curves. Results from the Lorenz curve should not be taken as factual as it does not take into account key dynamics that are responsible for income inequality. For example, trade union bargaining, land ownership and educational achievement (Azam Rospabà ©, 2007). Kuznets Ratio: South Africa The Kuznets ratio can be defined as a measurement that observes the income share attained by the richest 20 per cent of the population divided by that held by the poorest 40 per cent. Data for Kuznets ratio table in South Africa is based on data available from the World Bank to date. Above is table illustrating the Kuznets ratio in South Africa, this table is based on the data available from the World Bank to date. Looking at the table it is clear that the disbandment of the apartheid lifestyle inequality seems to decrease. This is observable by comparing the 1993 and 1995 Kuznets ratios. From the data available it can be deduced that from 2000, inequality in South Africa has been increasing (7.24 in 2000, and then 9.30 in 2009). This hypothesis matches that of the Gini-coefficient data which proposes a notion of inequality rising since the turn of the twenty-first century. 20:20 Ratio: South Africa The 20:20 ratio is a measurement of the income share of the richest 20 per cent compared to that of the poorest 20%. Its methods in measuring inequality are similar to that of the Kuznets ratio. However the 20:20 ratio can be more revealing of the actual impact of inequality in a society. This is because the effect of outliers is reduced on the top and bottom and prevents the middle 60 per cent concealing inequality levels. Data for 20:20 ratio table in South Africa is based on data available from the World Bank to date. Results from the 20:20 ratio follow similar patterns to that of the Kuznets ratio. Inequality is seen to decrease between 1993 and 1995, however again like the Kuznets ratio it increases at the turn of the twenty first century; (20.5 in 2000 but then 25.26 in 2009). Theil-T index: South Africa The Theil-T index is another statistic that measures inequality in societies. The Theil-T index however is unique compared to other economic inequality measurements. It is a specialised form of the entropy index, differentiating inequality between and across various groups in society. According to (Woolard, 2002) approximately 40 per cent of inequality in South Africa is between races. 33 per cent is â€Å"intra-African† and 21 per cent â€Å"intra-White. Average household monthly wage by race and spending quintle (ZAR) Mean hourly wages by racial group (ZAR/Hour) The unproductive nature of rural farming in rural South Africa has had an effect of encouraging a culture of dependency. Rural families have become heavily reliant on migrated â€Å"family member’s remittance†. Due to this culture, labour market access has played a key role in providing income for job seekers, and to those who depend on them to repatriate income. (Allanson Atkins 2005) claim that African worker’s wages have improved by roughly 30 per cent. It is believed that the introduction of minimum wage policies (OECD 2010) has caused this change. These policies were introduced in an attempt to start rectifying the injustices of apartheid. Looking at the figure 6 above, it is clear that there has been an improvement in the wages of rural migrants. Pro-labour acts as well as increases in labour mobility have meant that more rural migrants have been able to find employment in urban areas. However, the introduction of minimum wage policies as mentioned before has not been completely successful. In fact, it has significantly contributed to the high unemployment levels currently witnessed in South Africa. The African National Congress (ANC) attempted to combat this problem through wage subsidies. However this attempt has been mostly unsuccessful in reduce inequality as businesses prefer highly-skilled workers (Delfin 2010) Access to Crop Land and its use in Rural Areas â€Å"Apartheid institutionalised both conflict and environmental degradation †¦ by allocating, through the homelands system, 14 per cent of the nations land to 72 per cent of the population† (UN, 1987). Figure 7 above illustrates how, across rural South Africa post-apartheid, the three most deprived quintiles, measured by consumption, had relatively smaller quantities of land which were shared communally, and were un-irrigated. Research undertaken by (UNDP, 2003) has hypothesised that inequitable land distribution within the country has been a stumbling block to the eradication of extreme poverty in rural South Africa. (UNDP, 2003) also highlights how â€Å"In 2002, 37.3 per cent of households’ disposable income was from property†. This indicates that the property right concentration policy enforced under the 1912 Native Lands Act, continues to extend income disparities in South Africa. At this time the African National Congress (ANC) was the new party in power. They developed a â€Å"reconstruction and development programme† (RDP) in order to combat the underlying issues in South Africa. The foundation of the programme was based around three key land-reform pillars; restitution, redistribution and tenure reform. The ANC took a market-led ‘willing seller, willing buyer’ approach. The main objective of this approach was to promote economic growth, social and food security (UNDP, 2003). According to the work of (Philip David, 2003) roughly 1 per cent of entitled South Africans applied for restitution under the above-mentioned RDP. (UNDP, 2003) cites the fact that since redistribution was not complemented by the provision of a sufficient support scheme, success has limited. Cross-sectional studies conducted in Limpopo, (province in South Africa), established that the resources required by rural farmers to make land arable were too expensive (Eastwood, Kirsten, Lipton, 2006). The Department of Agriculture and Land Affairs (DALA), who is responsible for implementing the land reforms, were allocated only a third of a per cent of the South African national budget in 2002 (UNDP, 2003). A DALA report on the quality of life of South African farmers, found that only 22 per cent of those farmers who profited from the land reform were able to make sufficient revenue from the land (UNDP, 2003). Academic specialists of rural South Africa believe that â€Å"suitably adapted land reform could play an important part in restructuring the rural sector in South Africa† (Deininger, 1999). This hypothesis is backed up by the fact that pilot studies led by the South African government have successfully increased rural farmer’s income. This increase has been a chieved by facilitating joint schemes between White and African commercial farmers, resulting in increased access to credit, technology and consumer markets (UNDP, 2003). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_inequality_metrics Unequal access to humdamian capital has been one of the biggest income-inequality drivers within post-apartheid South Africa. It has led to racial wage discrimination, both as a result of skills biased technological change and institutional racism (Azam Rospabà ©, 2007). These factors have led to an increase and fall in the demand for white and black workers respectively (Michaud Vencatachellum, 2003). These low returns to education for black children have negatively affected African parents’ human capital investment. As shown in Graph 7, South Africa, in comparison to most other Sub-Saharan African countries, has had relatively high levels of primary school enrolment. However, it is also worth observing that during the apartheid, the 1953 Bantu Act restricted the quality of education available to ‘non-whites’ (Michaud Vencatachellum, 2003). â€Å"Roughly, for every 4 R spent on a White child, only 3 R were spent on an Indian child, 2 R on a Coloured child an d 1 R on a Black child.† (Thomas, 1996). A panel study in Cape Town found that the amount of African students enrolled in school was positively correlated with grade repetition (Lam, Ardington, Leibbrandt, 2011). This was as a result of the inadequate internal assessment procedures undertaken across predominantly-black public schools. Hence, grade progression within these schools was sparsely linked with cognitive ability. The study concluded that, often, for African students grade advancement is a lottery. Inadequate management within South Africa’s public school system makes human capital investment too costly for poorer African households (Edmonds, 2006). The inability of the poorest South African parents to invest in future generations’ educational attainment has exacerbated income inequality. A study into the effects of credit constraints on schooling decisions, found that, amongst the poorest black South African families, the opportunity costs of sending children to school decreased as anticipated pension eligibility increased (Edmonds, 2006). The study found that â€Å"each additional schooling year of exposure to a male pensioner increases the probability that a male completes primary school by three percentage points. (Edmonds, 2006)†. Another study (Duflo, 2004), found that increases in an elder female’s pension increased the height of younger females in the same households by 1.16 standard deviations. Cash transfers in South Africa have had successful re-distributional effects, which have extended beyond their recipients in the form of increased spending on children’s wellbeing. Within both state-run and private South African educational institutions, school fees directly limit the quality of education poorer households have access to (Seloda Zenou, 2003). The schools with higher fees tend to offer better facilities and higher teacher-student ratios, but are often further away from the black students. A study (Seloda Zenou, 2003) assessed the cross-cultural human capital effects of transportation subsidies, private-school vouchers and public-school spending in Central Business Districts and Black Townships. The study found that a ‘restricted-voucher’ policy, which could be offered to low-income families, would offset the fee-setting behaviour in predominantly-white areas. The study estimated that if the policy was financed by a 1% income tax rate, it could increase black student’s access to better schools by over 50 per cent (Seloda Zenou, 2003) . In conclusion, income inequality reduction measures have been, for the most part, unsuccessful in South Africa. Market-led principles, which have driven reforms in education, labour and land markets, have not achieved the desired trickle-down effect on many of the poorest South Africans. Rather, they have directly increased the returns to factors which have traditionally been monopolised by the white minority population (Murray Leibbrandt, 2010). However, more recent signs indicate that inequality may be falling across races but increasing within them (OECD, 2010). In light of falling world commodity prices and an uncertain global economic outlook, I believe the long-term success of South Africa’s economy primarily hinges on initiatives, such as cash transfers, which will help poorer households finance their children’s access to higher-level human capital.

Beckett, Brecht and Endgame Essay -- Beckett Endgame Essays

Beckett, Brecht and Endgame      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Irish playwright Samuel Beckett is often classified amongst Absurdist Theatre contemporaries Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, Jean Genet, and Eugene Ionesco (Brockett 392-395). However, Endgame, Beckett's second play, relates more closely to the theatrical ideology of German playwright Bertolt Brecht, father of epic theatre and the alienation effect. Through the use of formal stage conventions, theatrical terminology, and allusions to Shakespearean texts within Endgame, Beckett employs Brecht's alienation concept, distancing the audience empathetically from players of the game and instead focusing attention upon the game itself.    Bertolt Brecht, whose final work, Galileo, was last revised three years before Beckett published Endgame, was personally and professionally influenced by Marxist theory and the political events which plagued the middle of this century. According to drama anthologist Oscar G. Brockett, Brecht asserted that theatre must do more than simply entertain the passive spectator; theatre must recognize and incite change. Brecht suggested a system of "productive participation, in which the spectator actively judges and applies what he sees on stage to conditions outside the theatre" (365-366). Brecht's alienation effect was a direct means of evoking this participation-the audience is emotionally distanced from characters to allow objective observation. "The audience should never be allowed to confuse what it sees on the stage with reality. Rather the play must always be thought of as a comment upon life- something to be watched and judged critically" (Brockett 366).    Samuel Beckett distances the audience from his comment on life throug... ...tieth Century Interpretations of Endgame: A Collection of Critical Essays.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1958. Cohn, Ruby. "Endgame." Chevigny 40-52. Easthope, Antony. "Hamm, Clov, and Dramatic Method in Endgame." Chivgny 61-70. Lell, Gordon. "Discussion of Value in Shakespeare's Hamlet" English 401X Lecture. Concordia College. 8 April   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1998. Shakespeare, William. "Hamlet." The Complete Works of Shakespeare. Ed. David Bevington. New York:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Longman, 1997. Shakespeare, William. "The Life of King Henry the Fifth." The Complete Works of Shakespeare. Ed. David   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bevington. New York: Longman, 1997. Shakespeare, William. "The Tragedy of King Richard the Third." The Complete Works of Shakespeare. Ed. David   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bevington. New York: Longman, 1997. Beckett, Brecht and Endgame Essay -- Beckett Endgame Essays Beckett, Brecht and Endgame      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Irish playwright Samuel Beckett is often classified amongst Absurdist Theatre contemporaries Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, Jean Genet, and Eugene Ionesco (Brockett 392-395). However, Endgame, Beckett's second play, relates more closely to the theatrical ideology of German playwright Bertolt Brecht, father of epic theatre and the alienation effect. Through the use of formal stage conventions, theatrical terminology, and allusions to Shakespearean texts within Endgame, Beckett employs Brecht's alienation concept, distancing the audience empathetically from players of the game and instead focusing attention upon the game itself.    Bertolt Brecht, whose final work, Galileo, was last revised three years before Beckett published Endgame, was personally and professionally influenced by Marxist theory and the political events which plagued the middle of this century. According to drama anthologist Oscar G. Brockett, Brecht asserted that theatre must do more than simply entertain the passive spectator; theatre must recognize and incite change. Brecht suggested a system of "productive participation, in which the spectator actively judges and applies what he sees on stage to conditions outside the theatre" (365-366). Brecht's alienation effect was a direct means of evoking this participation-the audience is emotionally distanced from characters to allow objective observation. "The audience should never be allowed to confuse what it sees on the stage with reality. Rather the play must always be thought of as a comment upon life- something to be watched and judged critically" (Brockett 366).    Samuel Beckett distances the audience from his comment on life throug... ...tieth Century Interpretations of Endgame: A Collection of Critical Essays.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1958. Cohn, Ruby. "Endgame." Chevigny 40-52. Easthope, Antony. "Hamm, Clov, and Dramatic Method in Endgame." Chivgny 61-70. Lell, Gordon. "Discussion of Value in Shakespeare's Hamlet" English 401X Lecture. Concordia College. 8 April   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1998. Shakespeare, William. "Hamlet." The Complete Works of Shakespeare. Ed. David Bevington. New York:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Longman, 1997. Shakespeare, William. "The Life of King Henry the Fifth." The Complete Works of Shakespeare. Ed. David   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bevington. New York: Longman, 1997. Shakespeare, William. "The Tragedy of King Richard the Third." The Complete Works of Shakespeare. Ed. David   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bevington. New York: Longman, 1997.

Character Analysis of The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck Essay

Analysis of The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck â€Å"Apart from Mayor Orden, the characters in â€Å"The Moon Is Down† remain two dimensional† John Steinbeck’s â€Å"The Moon Is Down† is a novel about human relationships, the relationships between a small town and its invaders, the relationships between town officials and the towns-people, and the relationships between the members of the invading army. Although it is a short novel Steinbeck has made a few strong and well-defined characters in these 122 pages. While there are many characters that only have a few pages in which to define themselves, the major characters seem to be very well thought out, and most are quite well rounded. Most of the characters in the novel receive a small paragraph with a description of who they are, these paragraphs are very detailed and help to make the character whole. They not only provide a description of what the character looks like, they give an insight into what the character is thinking. Even to small characters this adds a feeling of understanding on the part of the reader. It allows the reader, in some way, to have a connection to the character, and while the dialogue of â€Å"The Moon Is Down† may be a bit thin, it makes the characters seem more real. Mayor Orden is indisputably, not only the main, but also the most realistic of all the characters in â€Å"The Moon Is Down†. He was made to be Mayor of the town, and nobody would ever dispute his position, however, the first few pages of the book show Doctor Winter and the Mayor’s serving-man (Joseph) offhandedly referring to the Mayor as if he was a little apathetic and vague towards his own appearance. â€Å" ‘What’s the Mayor doing?’ ‘Dressing to receive the Colonel, sir.’ ‘... ...the towns-people pose, he does know that they are the one fault in his leaders plan. Steinbeck wrote this character with a clear insight into the human mind. Colonel Lanser doesn’t want to be in the town any more than he is wanted there, but a Colonel in an army must do as their leader instructs. â€Å"The Moon Is Down† may be a short book, but it does have a lot going for it. Though many people may find the dialogue a let down, the characters are strong, and full of hidden quirks. Steinbeck didn’t directly create â€Å"three-dimensional† characters, but rather let the readers do the work for him. The way this novel is written brings enough life to the story to make every character seem slightly more real, no matter how small their part to play was. Biliography =========== The Moon Is Down by John Steinbeck. First published by William Heinemann Ltd. 1942.

Insanity vs Cleverness

Insanity and cleverness are defined as the state of being seriously mentally ill; madness and mentally bright; having sharp or quick intelligence. In this essay I will analyze the similarities Insanity and murder versus cleverness and murder as demonstrated in â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† and â€Å"Twins†. The information being examined will convey how insanity and cleverness are proven by the two characters the wife, Lucy, and the narrator, how both murders are planned and viewed in both perspectives, and the reactions towards their murders. To begin, insanity and cleverness are proven by the characters in a variety of ways.In â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† the narrator displays insanity by the characters desire to eliminate the eye, due to his mental instability. It was not his intentions to rob the old man nor kill him, it was his perceived threat and his obsession that consumed him and Influenced actions. â€Å"You should have seen how wisely I proceeded – with what caution – with what foresight – with what dissimulation I went to work! † (Poe, 1) the narrator, at this point had it planned in his mind that he needed to pursue his impulse and eliminate the eye. With precession and caution he knew exactly how he anted to proceed with this madness.The constant obsession of the eye demonstrated that in fact he was insane, shown by his periodic observations of the old man at night through the crack of his door, and his fixation with destroying the eye. The narrators frequent reassurance to himself that he was not mad rationalize his abnormal behaviors. The wife In â€Å"Twins† demonstrated cleverness by remaining calm about her husbands plan to murder her. As a result of her intuition it resulted in her survival. Lucy had no plan to react towards her husbands madness until he recorded with making his story come to life. â€Å"It wasn't a game.She said, it wasn't going to work† (Eric, 3) At this point she k new that her husband was going to shoot her, and with the advantage of knowing he had a gun she had unloaded it in order to save her life. This proves that she was clever by her removing the bullets out of the gun, and how she reacted to the gun being pointed at her. Due to her applied intelligence and understanding of the situation allowed for a positive outcome. Both murderers, Lucy and the narrator, had two deferent ways of proceeding with heir actions. The narrator displays madness when planning his murder by evolving the suspicion that he wanted to kill the evil eye.This was demonstrated by him changing his actions to be perceived as being pleasant towards the old man. With that, in his perspective he wasn't doing anything wrong but eliminating the eye, which increased his level of insanity. Also he appreciates the thought of murdering the evil eye to end the horror It put him through. â€Å"l made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye fore ver† (Poe, 1) this quote hill Lucy didn't. She had waited to see if her husband would re-load the gun when the time came to kill her.Lucy had listened to her husbands story and it allowed her to be intuitive and manipulated how the story was going to end. She had found the gun and unloaded it and waited in anticipation for her husband to pull out the gun and try to shoot. As she said â€Å"if she had not long known about the lady in the condominium, and if she had not come across his fishing tackle box with a loaded gun, the wig, the makeup kit, packed ready to go, while she was searching for a pair f pliers, she would never have wondered what he was up to† (Eric, 3), when the wife had found everything she did not allow the gun to make her react differently.As her husband pointed the gun at her she was confident that the bullets were not in the gun and had shot him her self. When the time came for the cops to find him she would be sure that a story could be made up. Fin ally, Lucy and the narrator had individual reactions towards their murders which caused them to be clever and insane. The narrator had woken the old man and had to make his move or there wouldn't be another chance † I placed my hand upon the earth and held it there many minutes. There was no pulsation. He was stone dead. His eye would trouble me no more. At this point his conscience had taken over and created a heart beat that only he could hear. The heart beat had made him panic and give in and admitted to the murder â€Å"Villains! † I shrieked, â€Å"dissemble no more! I admit the deed! ?tear up the planks! ?here, here! ?it is the beating of his hideous heart! â€Å". This proves his insanity for the reason that he continuously heard a heart beat that was boisterous. When Lucy was at gun point and she noticed there were no lets, her response was to kill her husband with the knowledge that her husband would try to kill her.Lucy had remained calm and collected and co ntinued his story however the story flipped and he was killed. In addition, she used her cleverness to wait until she called the cops to report her husband missing. When the cops had been called she was positive towards her reactions and her husband would not be found until spring. â€Å"When the first snow fell she knew they wouldn't find him until spring at the earliest, and then what would they find? A body, with no money in the allot, and the gun that killed him. She had used her cleverness to overpower her husbands murder plan and to her advantage her husband had already arranged the murder. The evidence above shows that the wife, Lucy and the narrator demonstrate insanity and murder versus cleverness and murder by the two characters the wife, Lucy, and the narrator, how both murders are planned and viewed in both perspectives, and the reactions towards their murders. As you can see with the evidence provided you are able to determine the differences between insanity and murde r versus cleverness and murder.

Obesity and Motor Skills

There are 3 areas of Physical development. |Gross Motor Skills |The use of large muscles in the body and can include things like walking or riding a | | |bike. | |Fine Motor Skills |The use of smaller muscles in the body and including using building blocks or juggling,| | |also activities that involve hand-eye coordination. | |Fine Manipulative skills |The use of the arm, hand and wrists muscles and include activities like using a pen. | Both fine motor skills and fine manipulative skills are also the use of hands and fingers. This form of development also has a holistic element as it links into the other areas of development; Social, Emotional, Intellectual/Cognitive, Communication/Language and Creative. When looking at physical development it clearly shows that a child’s development begins at the head, then it continues down the body. To aid with physical development, children need to be physically active. This can help prevent the harmful effects on health and wellbeing in both the long and short term. In the short term, physical activity can boost energy and help children to get rid of any excess stress or anxiety. It also shows that children are more physically active, have better eating and sleeping habits. They are also less likely to get illnesses like cold and flu bugs. In the long term, physical activity helps with the issue of obesity in children. This can also help with preventing other health problems like heart disease and stage 2 diabetes. It has also been shown to reduce the risk of some forms of cancer. Physically active children also have improved psychological wellbeing. They can gain self confidence and higher self esteem. It is important for children to have lots of space and access to outdoor activities as this can benefit all areas of development. Children follow a sequence of development. Gross and fine motor skills are the starting points and lead into other areas. Locomotion uses the large movements and the ability to move around under ones â€Å"own steam†. This begins with a baby learning to first crawl or bum shuffle, and then develop the ability to walk. There is also balance which is the fist of the senses to develop. This is crucial to a child’s posture, movement and proprioception. Proprioception is the sense that starts to inform a baby of the areas of the body that are mobile. An example of this is when a young child rolls backwards and forwards on the floor with no goal insight, they are getting balance ready for sitting, standing and walking. As physical development is linked to the other areas of development, each affect and are affected by the others. Emotional Development; if and when a baby masters the ability to crawl, they are then free to explore their environment alone. This makes the child more independent and confident and more likely to cope with separation from familiar adults. Cognitive Development; hand-eye coordination help with the ability to reach and grasp at objects, this develops at around 6 months of age and often results in a surprised reaction at first. As babies are interested in edges they soon learn where one object ends and another begins, this area of development is important. Language Development; movement activities help children by giving them plenty of opportunities to talk and use new vocabulary that is related to the activity. Social Development; learning social skills are achieved when playing with other children. They also learn to appreciate others and help them gain confidence.