Ishell Robinson Essays (1276 words) - Gender, Social Status, Biology

Ishell Robinson Elizabeth Kim English 10:40 7 August 2015 Complications of Gender When talking about gender one automatically classifies on by sex, male and female. However, gander has a more socially constru cted meaning towards it, one being masculine and or feminine. Gender is socially constructed by what society believes how women and men should act. In the novel Caucasia , by Danzy Senna, Birdie demonstrates the concept of gender. Birdie who is the protagonist in the novel deals with not fitting in how society perceives feminine to be. Birdie understands gender as a structure, she experiences gender as stratification, and Birdie sees/reacts to gender as a process . In the article," The Social Construction of race" Judith Lober argues that gender is socially constructed through human interaction. Birdie's gender is socially constructed by the students in the Nkrumah school. Birdie states, "I started wearing my hair in a tight braid to mask its texture. I had my ears pierced and convinced my mother to buy me a pair of gold hoops like the other girls at school wo re " (Senna 62-63). Birdie is describing the way she changes her appearance. Birdie never use d to dress this way because she was homeschooled before. There was no norm of how she should look. She changes her appearance due to the other females in her ne w school, Nkrumah. Birdie feels as though if she changes her appearance it would allow her to meet Nkrumah's perception of being feminine. The female students in Nkrumah wear earring and not the boys, to be seen as more feminine. Since Birdie wants to fit in and be accepted Birdie went out of her way to convince her mom to even allow her to wear the hoop earrings. The females in school wear earrings and According to Lorber, "As a process, gender creates the social differences that define woman' and man.' In social interaction throughout their lives, individuals learn what is expected, see what is expected, act and react in expected ways" (Lorber 115). By Birdie seeing the other females in her school she reacted to their appearances by changing her own appearance. The expectations of the students in Nkrumah impacted Birdie. The students impacted Birdie to change her own ap pearance . Birdie took on a more feminine appearance that she was not use to and or did not care for before. The students in Nkrumah allowed Birdie to understand and want to change to a more feminine appearance . Birdie did not use to wear earrings. Seeing the girls in Nkrumah wearing earrings allowed Birdie to think wearing earrings is a female thing that would allow her to become more socially accepted. In the article "The Gender Blur" Blum states, "We're born with predispositions, but i t's s ociety that amplifies them, exaggerates them. I believe that- except for the sex differences in aggression. Those differences are too massive to be explained simply by society." Birdie was able to grasp a better understanding of how gender is socially constructed through "Divorced Father's Day." Deck only comes to see his daughters, Birdie and Cole on Saturday mornings after he left them and their mother, Sandy. Birdie says, "He usually came for us on Saturday mornings. Cole called it Divorced Father's Day.' She said all her friends had them too" (Senna 55). This led Sandy to be the main caretaker for Birdie and Cole, while Deck is viewed as the secondary caretaker. Cole calls these Saturday morning s "Divorced Father's Day." Cole explained that all her friends at school had those days as well. This implies that as mother's it is their job/responsibility to take primary custody of their children no matter what , and that the child would be better off with the mother. Society made it whereas the fathers are not capable to carry out the primary caretaker's role and that is why the mother automatically receives the child. The f ather might be capable of caring for the child but not better than how the mother can. Lorber writes, "As a structure, gender divides work in the home and in economic production, legitimates those in authority, and organizes sexuality and emotional life" (Lorber 117).

Lord Of The Flies Essays (1030 words) - English-language Films

Lord Of The Flies Essays (1030 words) - English-language Films Lord Of The Flies Lord of the Flies Cruelty and savagery are all parts of human life. When the reigns of civilization are lifted, cruelty and savagery are left alone to roam freely. William Golding expresses the need for civilized order to maintain the cruel savage beast in us all. In Golding's Lord of the Flies, the theme of discovering one's true self is displayed through object symbolism, analytical symbols of the cruel tribe and beast, and analysis of key character symbols. The use of object symbolism develops the structure and meaning of the novel. The symbolic meaning of certain items in the novel provide a degree of certainty of what the theme pertains to. An example of object symbolism is noted in the large conch shell. The shell symbolizes order and civilization due to its power to create order through organizing meetings. The conch also symbolizes destruction of order once Roger crushes it beneath a boulder. The act of destroying the shell provides an illustration of how uncivilized the island has become. Another example of object symbolism is depicted in the signal fires that Ralph sternly suggests should exist. These fires symbolize a hope for rescue and a return to order and civilization. Once Jack, who is in charge of the fire, shuns the importance of a signal fire, it then symbolizes lost hope. Once Piggy suggests reigniting the fire it then symbolizes a restoration of hope. Another portrayal of Golding's object symbolism exists in Piggy's sp ectacles. The spectacles symbolize comfort and dependability due to their fire creating capabilities. Soon power to create fire is prevalent due to the lack of fire making ability of Jack's tribe. Once Jack's tribe takes the glasses the glasses then symbolize a shift in power. A further depiction of object symbolism is noted in the appearance of the naval officer toward the end of the novel. The officer symbolizes home, but the symbol is ironic in the fact that the officer is taking the boys from a war torn island to a war torn country. The appearance of object symbolism establishes the theme of looking inside one's true soul and describes the biblical battle between good and irrational evil. The establishment of Jack's tribe and the systematic accounts of the beast provide further evidence of a theme of the introduction to one's true self. Jack's tribe and fear of the beast contribute to the overwhelming belief that savagery, not order, and is needed to survive on the island. A description of this is noted in the behavior of Jack's tribe. The tribe symbolizes total disarray and cruelty, which is exhibited in their treatment of fellow man. The boy's derive pleasure from their bloody slaughter of the pigs. The boys paint their faces and join in savage war dances to satisfy the bloodlust they desire. The tribe continually terrifies the little boys on the beach and takes what Jack commands. Another portrayal of the savagery of the tribe is exhibited in Roger. Roger pretends to be a pig while the others attack almost killing him due to their being overcome by frenzied blood lust. Another section of the novel that creates symbolism is found in the hunted pigs and beast. The de ad pig, for example, creates an overflow of wild emotion in the tribe. For instance, the boys chant a warlike song and carry the carcass of a pig. Another example is noted once the pig's sharp tusks wound Jack. This action causes a change in Jack and promotes more brutality. The brutality by Jack and the allegiance of his followers cause Jack to become god-like. An example of this is symbolically noted in the pig's head on a stake. The symbolic pig's head is Jack's beastlike nature while the flies around it are his followers who swarm about his appealing actions. All of Jack's power resides in the fear of a beast on the island. An example of this fear is noted in the tribe's beating and killing of Simon. The tribe's irrational fear causes them to act in a manner that supports Jack's position of warlike protection. Another example of Jack's control by fear is depicted in his denouncing Ralph's leadership and demanding he

The Muslim brotherhood in north america Research Paper

The Muslim brotherhood in north america - Research Paper Example Practical politics of the Muslim brotherhood in the US have had some impact on the American domestic scene as well as the way US deals with the Islamic world. This writing traces the development of the Muslim Brotherhood and tests the movement’s readiness to conform to the rules of the emerging American society. In achieving strong union, it is not advisable to sacrifice liberty to attain unity. Although it is always necessary to attain a strong union, liberty is equally important and therefore it should not be neglected. A strong union may be triggered by economic reasons such as unequal distribution of wealth or the zeal for different religious beliefs or perhaps an attachment to different leaders who are contending for power, which may largely divide a society. Some scholars argue that unity can only be achieved when diversity is respected as this implies the paradox of democratic life. Despite the fact that independent systems are always desirable in a democratic world, th eir freedom and independence may somehow entitle them to do harm. It is worth noting that globalization has made America to become part of the world as the world as also turned out to be part of America although the challenge with the American democracy may not live up to expectations if citizenship becomes meaningless. According to Lopez Muslim Brotherhood is an oldest and the most influential Islamist movement founded in Egypt in 1928 and was strongly opposed to colonial rule (Web). Muslim Brotherhood based its discourse on Islam and believed that Islam is the only answer to Western military, political, economic as well as cultural influence in the Muslim world. The movement used a modern method of political ideas to mobilize support and spread across the world. In US, the nucleus, which began with the Muslim Student Association in the 1960s, laid numerous movements such as Islamic Association of North America as well as the Council on American Islamic Relations that had a common financial sources and occasional participation in common initiatives (Vidino Web). The groups included affluent, well connected, highly educated and motivated leaders with strong followers whom US authorities reach out to when seeking to engage the Muslim Community. Brotherhood movement have access to government because of the dynamics and although they have ideological ties with the middle east they are independent. Many organizations are currently linked with the Muslim Brotherhood and in the past decades, they have changed their tactics and objectives (â€Å"DiscoverTheNetwork† Web). â€Å"DiscoverTheNetwork† posit that the Brotherhoods’ goal to the west is very different and some critics posit that they intend to impose sharia law in the west (Web). One of the movement’s goals in the US is to preserve Islamic identity amongst American Muslims through a conservatism and openness approach without applying g isolation. Moreover, Muslim Brotherhood normal ly wants to be designated as an official representative of the Muslim community of America although there unrelenting in activism has not attracted many members. Most American Muslims usually ignore the movements’ claims thus prompting the organization to associate with the American elites who may financially support them and provide political support as well as legitimacy. They deemed it necessary to connect with elites so that they can

Contemporary Middle East History (US INVOLVEMENT IN IRAQ) Essay

Contemporary Middle East History (US INVOLVEMENT IN IRAQ) - Essay Example The incidents of September 11, 2001 drawn the attention of the public, legislators, and analysts on identifying, under disastrously altered conditions, the political and policy purpose of the U.N. charter’s declaration in Article 2(1), which designates the â€Å"sovereign equality of its Members† (Weis et al. 2004, 232). This was specifically true provided that the attacks were at that point bound for at the global solitary superpower, whose instinctive comeback was to bring its bear its armed forces, also its economic and political powers, and to formally oblige itself to a permanent war against any act of terrorism. As anyone would have thought, the early tendency of the United States, involving the bulk of its population, was to take in response directly and without using up time on widespread multilateral discussions. However, the body of states at the United Nations articulated advocacy for self-defense procedures in the Security Council and General Assembly in September 2001. And the moment the instigators of the attack were named, the U.S. labored significantly through multilateral channels in chasing Al Qaeda in their temporary defensive fortification in Afghanistan, and the Taliban administration that harbored them. Since the collapsing of the latter, legislators have been looking for reasonable next move in the war on terrorism (Crane & Terrill, 2003). It is at this point in time that matters of rightful response to September 11 become more difficult. The war on Iraq apparently became section of the war on terrorism through evasion, and U.S. decision and action took in a focal point in the debate regarding the use and applicability of multilateral channels, including the U.N. The resulting disagreement over self-autonomy, human rights and war at times appeared to neglect the development of the previous five decades (ibid, 105). There are still questions regarding the factors that persuaded

The Meaning Of Freedom Of Expression

The Meaning Of Freedom Of Expression Nations across the world have different constitutions and laws that govern the countries, apparently some may similar depending on the country, and some are also different. However, the Freedom of Speech and Expression is common in most of them, especially in countries that are not under dictatorship ruling. The freedom of speech has to do with freeing people to express their thoughts however they want without any type of interference. This is a major issue across the world, with no exception of Malawi. Furthermore, the issue of expression has to do with the media because these are the watchdogs of the society and they link the people with the government. The press has to do the researching for the nation, it has to be transparent and accountable in its news reporting, and so the media and press do meet up with lots of problems. The freedom of speech is defined as the freedom to speak without censorship and limitation or both. It goes on to give political rights that enable one to share ideas. Basically, the Freedom of Expression comprises of things that enable one to impart, receive and seek information without looking at the strategy used. It is said to help in democracy to work and also public participation in decision making because citizens cannot freely express their obligations if they do not have the freedom empowered to them. An article in the universal declaration read that, the free communication of ideas and opinion should be considered as mans greatest right.(David 2012) In as much as the people are given absolute rights to speak and publish whatever they like, it is also said that the law is likely to take its stand whenever any of the rights is abused. This means that the freedom of expression is something that is very important and has to be thought of on a huge note. Even the article 5 of the universal declaration does endorse this and adds on to say boundaries are not necessary as far as the freedom of expression is concerned. (David 2012) Background of the Freedom of Expression The freedom of speech dates back in the 5th and 6th BC in the Roman Republic whereby the main rights were freedom of religion and freedom of speech, also, it was talked of by Rashidun and Al-Hashimi, Islams, in their letter to one of the religious opponents. As years passed, various people fought for it in so many ways until the first state proclaiming freedom of speech was issued on December 4, 1770 in Denmark- Norway. People like John Stuart Mill pointed out that without freedom there can hardly be achievement in in things like politics and other things related, which according to him needed free expression. However, the Freedom Forum Organization said that it is important to recognize the limits of the freedom of speech as it may conflict with other things. (David 2012) The Malawi government has also adopted the concept of freedom of speech ever since it got its independence from Britain and had the democratic government. Democracy deals a lot with the voice of the people; apparently that is why it goes hand in hand with the freedom of speech and expression. The Malawi Constitution guarantees the freedom of expression and views it as a basic right. It strives for the public to enjoy their right to be informed through unrestricted access to information. Aims and Objectives To find out whether there has been an advancement of the freedom of expression or whether it has/is deteriorating. Since its establishment, things have been happening that it has not been easy to tell whether or not this freedom is really working out there or maybe it is long gone. To examine the flow of the rights in the government and reflect how the citizens are being handled with reference to the freedom of expression. How exactly is the government implementing its policies on the people, is it being over authoritative or perhaps it is imposing issues on the people without considering their rights, or perhaps it is doing just fine. To evaluate the extent of the freedom the press has here in Malawi How far does the Malawian government take its freedom of expression, to what extent does it authorize it. To find out the media has they truly are doing their jobs freely without hindrances Are the media houses truly free to report anything that they are obligated to report to the nation of Malawi? Or perhaps they have setbacks? To estimate how the freedom of speech is being used by the media and press on the people. To see through how the freedom of expression and speech have been flowing over the years. To understand what exactly it means to have that kind of freedom, and also learn its limitations. Problem Statement The media is a watchdog for the society, and its job is to keep the nation informed, entertained and educated, it has to do anything in its power to be there for the society and look out for it. However, in Malawi, the freedom of expression, or press freedom is said to have been adopted many years ago, apparently as early as when independence from the British government was granted. Now, the problem is that there seems to be a hindrance on this freedom of expression and the way the media is doing its job. Its either it is not being granted to them in full or there are lots of misconceptions about it. The media is suffering and there is no accuracy in its job, this only means that the nation is not getting accurate information, and is therefore not being treated fairly. Hypothesis Upon conducting a research on the evaluation of the freedom of speech and expression, the possible outcomes are anticipated. The government sometimes tends to take charge of the media practitioners, thereby limiting their freedom of speech and expression. When the people, media and press properly exercise their freedom of expression, they tend to come out with positive results because that is a job well done for them to serve the nation in a proper manner without limitations. Some media practitioners misuse their rights and cross their limits all in the name of having freedom of expression, as a result other peoples rights are violated. LITERATURE REVIEW So much has been said or research on the topic of freedom of expression and the media, organizations, and even individuals have quite a bit to say about it, others give some emphasis on it as in its importance in the media and others even give an overview of how it is flowing in the country and also how or what the media thinks about it. Freedom of speech has to do with people being able to give their views on things of their interest, and the freedom of the press gives the rights to the print media in order for them to freely express what they truly believe. However, having the freedom of speech does not mean having the right to hurt or discomfort other people. The freedom that is involved here has to do with how much creativity one can bring for the aim of improving the societies that we live in. this freedom is there to empower people to analyse their government and achieve what is best for both of them, in other words it has to do with criticizing the leadership both positively and negatively and end up having what is best for the nation. To live without freedom is binding but with freedom comes responsibility in reporting. (Orwell 2009) Freedom of expression is very important if the people are to participate in decision making issues, especially for countries that are said to be democratic like Malawi itself. People can not be able to participate freely in what is going on around them if they do not have the freedom, for instance things like choosing of leaders to guide them. Therefore, this issue is not only necessary for personal gain but also it helps in maintain the democratic spirit that the country has. This freedom clearly gives the society to voice out their thoughts on issues freely without any disturbances. Furthermore, this is something that needs full support because of its position in democracy and public participation in political issues and also the media. On a journalistic point of view, the freedom to give out knowledge can come under different attacks. Pressure on the journalists poses a very big threat. An article released by MISA said that Freedom of expression is a basic right, which is expressly guaranteed in the Malawi Constitution. Therefore, this programme seeks to campaign for the public to enjoy their right to be informed through unrestricted access to information. This one continued to say that MISA is campaigning for the Access to Information (ATI) bill. Section 37 of the Malawi Constitution provides for access to information. The framers of the Constitution however made this right to access information subject to an act of parliament but did not set a timeframe for the enactment of the law on access to information. On the other hand, some information clearly states that 13 years since the adoption of the Constitution, there is still no enabling act for access to information. Apparently, according to Malawi Institute of Journalism, a minister once said that the case of the July 20 demonstrations that were held in the country, he observed that some jouranalists who were cov ering the demonstrations were beaten up by the police and some radio stations put off air by the Malawi communications Regulatory Authority MACRA (Malawi Institute of Journalism 2012) Still on the concept of the freedom of expression being violated, the government has been named as the biggest violator of the freedom of expression in Malawi followed by the general public, and this is according to the Media council of Malawi (MCM). Mr Anderson Fumulani of the MCM said that a survey revealed government as a major violator of press freedom. (Ganthu 2002). Capitol Radio managing director Al Osman warned that with repressive media laws been introduced, freedom of expression is under threat. He continued to say that the media just provide a platform and that freedom of expression is not exclusive to the media. On the contrary, it was argued that Malawi is enjoying the freedom of expression now than before, according to Edson Mwamvani, southern regional information officer, the freedom of expression has improved in the last ten years, however, the freedom of expression has to look at the responsibilities as well (Gondwe, 2011) In addition to the violation, The Malawi Chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) noted with disappointment that there is lack of respect for media freedom and in the country. The media in Malawi is continuously being violated not only by the government, but also some individuals of the public. Apparently, the latest threats came from the late State President Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika, who warned that he was going to stop the work of some media houses and also arrest some individual journalists that continued to report negatively about his administration. He further pointed out that journalists in the country are being careless and false in their work of reporting. Furthermore, MISA Malawi also said it was aware of threats on some journalists as well as media houses from people who claim to be misrepresented in some stories published by journalists. MISA said that such things do interrupt work of the media as watchdogs of the country because it gives them fear and they d ont work to the best of their abilities. It also continued to say it feels that it is very easy in such circumstances to think that the government is actually thinking of taking little steps to ending the freedom of expression in the country. The media in the country really is trying so hard to do its job right , however, it is meeting many problems regarding its freedom of expression. MISA said it emphasizes that it does not condone irresponsible reporting, it said it is urging journalists to be truthful in every single thing they tackle. Irresponsible reporting should not even be heard of here in Malawi and around the world. The media should therefore be allowed to represent the people and take care of them accordingly. The organisation said it expects the government authorities and other people who happen to have problems against journalists and media people to give their issues to the correct bodies that are put in place for this. Freedom of expression and the right to report is given in the constitution of the country and they are both said to be protected by the head of state. The president must not be the first person to rob the media of its freedom, its simply not acceptable. The organisation was actually referring to the recent government that it should promote media freedom in Malawi. Not only that but also appealing to the media practitioners to support the people and keep alert. MISA finished by encouraging the government to continue to support media outlets. (Augustine 2010) The issue of rights being violated in Malawi, with no exception of the freedom of speech was addressed by the United Nations whereby showed that it is only a matter of time before the United Nations turns on the sanction button against the current government led by Mrs. Joyce Banda. According to the UN this is mainly following Malawi Government failure to uphold Human Rights and other laws of natural justice as enriched in the UNs Convention on Human Rights. Section 19 of the Convention gives everyone the ability to express opinions without any hindrances. About the media, the convention adds that everyone has the right to perform and work effectively with no boundaries when it comes to freedom. In 2011, the UN Human Rights Committee adopted what is known as the General Comment No 34, which is guaranteed by Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This comment strengthens the protection of the international law on freedom of expression including the Cou rts of Law in its member states of which Malawi is inclusive. According to Article 19, a well-known international organisation which is committed to defend the right to freedom of expression and fights against repression of the media, both the UN convention and its general comment define freedom of opinion and freedom of expression as indispensable conditions for the full development of a person. The organisation adds that freedom of opinion and expression are essential for any democratic society considering that it provides the basics of what democracy is all about. The freedom of expression provides for the exchange and development of opinions. With Malawi being a democratic country as it is called, others may question as to whether it really is a democratic state or an authoritarian which demands people to bow to the opinion of the government. the current government in Malawi has been criticised by various organisations such as Council of NGOs in Malawi for violating some sections of the constitution with no exception to the freedom of expression. According to Article 19, freedom of expression is a necessary condition for the realisation of the principles of transparency and accountability that are, in turn essential for the promotion and protection of human rights. In countries where democracy is embraced, a free uncensored and unhindered press or other media is considered as essential to ensure freedom of opinion and expression and the enjoyment of other covenant rights. Ironically, the Malawi constitution particularly Section 35 and 36, aff irms that every person shall have the right to express oneself, not onlyt in Malawi, but also in foreign countries (Nkhoma 2012) On the same issue, freedom of expression has been said to be something that is put in place in the Malawi Constitution, but it seems like lately it is sliding back to the time when it was not available. It is unfortunate that it does not matter which party is ruling or whatsoever, but the fact of the matter remains that the freedom of expression is currently not on a very good positions. Apparently after many press conferences, the late president Dr. Wa Mutharika after arguing with the media ended up shaking hands with journalists and continuosly said aluta continua, meaning let the struggle come to an end, because Malawi is a democratic country (Munthali 2010) On the area of print media, the importance of freedom of speech is important in the newspaper or print industry is that the print media does a big job of keeping the people informed. The people need to know what their leaders are doing and this is almost impossible to happen effectively is the publishers are controlled by the government. Some information has been given regarding the freedom of speech with respect to the internet in Malawi, and this is including media areas like television, radio or written press. These things are being limited by certain principles of public order, and this is what has been proposed against in the bill (Muwamba 2012) Freedom of press released an article where it talked of how the freedom of the press is constitutionally guaranteed in Malawi even though they are restricted in practice. On April 13, 2007, the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) banned all private media outlets from broadcasting political rallies live without prior permission from the MACRA. This move intended to avoid messages that would be against the government. The government does not exercise over censorship, but freedom of expression in Malawi is threatened in many ways. One journalist was reportedly attacked in 2007. Dickson Kashoti, a reporter for the private Daily Times was physically attacked by Joseph Njobvuyalema, a member of parliamrnt over an article that had been critical of him. (freedom house 2008) The Freedom of information Act in 1966 gives the right to know, and also views the press as a very crucial an part of the freedom of expression, and a bridge between people and social institutions. So the press is the mediator of relationships with institutions of society family, religion, economy and many more. In addition to that, article 19 of the universal declaration of human rights adopted in 1948 continues to give the public its freedom to feely express itself and also get first hand information. However, some situations and writings have showed that the freedom of expression is not entirely valid in Malawi since it was written by George Ombuluka that the United States official also commented on the Malawian freedom of expression when he extended his speech to the late president Dr. Bingu Wa Mutharika to say that he should respect his citizens right to freedom of expression. Anthony Livuza said that the government of Malawi promised to encourage the freedom of the media and this was after it met with international delegations on the issue of press freedom, the government resolved to being open and also fully supporting the media in its work . According Emmanuel, Freedom of expression in Malawi regarding television, radio, or print is set to be limited by certain principles of public order; this is said by the new bill. (Muwamba 2011)

Early childhood education Essay

Friedrich Wilhelm August Froebel (1782-1852) was a German educator born in Oberweisbach. He is known as the founder of â€Å"Kindergarten† and was one of the most influential educational reformers of the 19th century. Froebel had a difficult childhood. His mother died when he was still young, and his father, a pastor, and stepmother neglected to care for him. Finally, an uncle took over his care and ensured that he receive a high school education. It was there that young Froebel grew up with a love for nature and strong Christian faith, which led him to seek happiness and unity in all things. Froebel’s faith also led him to think as an educationalist. Froebel studied at the University of Jena for a short time. In 1805, while studying architecture in Frankfurt, he was persuaded to become a teacher by the model school at Frankfurt. He then studied with Pestalozzi at Yverdon, before returning to the University of Gottigen and Berlin in Germany. Froebel believed that there was something missing in Pestalozzi’s theory- the ‘spiritual mechanism’. According to Froebel, this was the basis of early childhood education. â€Å"Pestalozzi takes man existing only in appearance on earth,† he said, â€Å"but I take man in his eternal being, in his eternal existence. † (Shapiro, 1983, p. 20. ) Froebel took a break from studying to join the army for a year from 1813-1814. Afterwards, he received a position at the mineralogical museum in the University of Berlin. Two years later, he founded a school at Greisheim (which later mover to Keilau) which he called the Universal German Educational Institute. It was there that he taught his methods to other teachers. Froebel opened the first Kindergarten in the year of 1837 in Bad Blankenburg. Later, he also founded a Kindergarten training school at Liebenstein. Froebel felt that children, like plants in a garden, need to be cared for and shielded from outside influences. Froeble believed that children need to imitate a teacher’s values and morals. Therefore, teachers need to be respected, receptive, and easily approachable. Among Froebel’s subordinates, however, there were constant disputes, which he was unable to control. He encountered more problems when the Prussian government did not approve of his ideas. In 1851, an edict was issued, which forbade the establishment of Kindergartens. This decree was repealed almost 10 years later- in 1860. Froebel was not alive at that time and had no idea of the impact he left on the school system worldwide, and especially in the United States. The philosophers of his times, Johann Gottlieb Fichte (1762-1814) and Friedrich Wilhelm Schelling (1775-1854), also influenced Froebel’s educational ideas. He placed an emphasis on self-activity, physical training, and pleasant surroundings in the development of children. His most important work was the book he wrote in 1826 called Menschenerziehung (tr. The Education of Man, 1877). References: Lilley, Irene M. , (1967). Friedrich Froebel: A Selection from His Writings. Kilpatrick, William H. , (1916). Froebel’s Kindergarten Principles Critically Examined. Retrieved from http://www. uv. es/EBRIT/micro/micro_221_12. html Froebel, Friedrich. (1896). The Education of Man, trans. W. H. Hailman. New York: Appleton. Retrieved from http://www. answers. com/topic/friedrich-wilhelm-august-fr-bel.

Short Run and Long Run

A2 Markets & Market Systems Short Run and Long Run Production|   | As part of our introduction to the theory of the firm, we first consider the nature of production of different goods and services in the short and long run. The concept of a production functionThe production function is a mathematical expression which relates the quantity of factor inputs to the quantity of outputs that result. We make use of three measures of production / productivity. * Total product is simply the total output that is generated from the factors of production employed by a business.In most manufacturing industries such as motor vehicles, freezers and DVD players, it is straightforward to measure the volume of production from labour and capital inputs that are used. But in many service or knowledge-based industries, where much of the output is â€Å"intangible† or perhaps weightless we find it harder to measure productivity * Average product is the total output divided by the number of units of the variable factor of production employed (e. g. utput per worker employed or output per unit of capital employed) * Marginal product is the change in total product when an additional unit of the variable factor of production is employed. For example marginal product would measure the change in output that comes from increasing the employment of labour by one person, or by adding one more machine to the production process in the short run. The Short Run Production FunctionThe short run is defined in economics as a period of time where at least one factor of production is assumed to be in fixed supply i. e. it cannot be changed.We normally assume that the quantity of capital inputs (e. g. plant and machinery) is fixed and that production can be altered by suppliers through changing the demand for variable inputs such as labour, components, raw materials and energy inputs. Often the amount of land available for production is also fixed. The time periods used in textbook economics are somewhat arbitrary because they differ from industry to industry. The short run for the electricity generation industry or the telecommunications sector varies from that appropriate for newspaper and magazine publishing and small-scale production of foodstuffs and beverages.Much depends on the time scale that permits a business to alter all of the inputs that it can bring to production. In the short run, the law of diminishing returns states that as we add more units of a variable input (i. e. labour or raw materials) to fixed amounts of land and capital, the change in total output will at first rise and then fall. Diminishing returns to labour occurs when marginal product of labour starts to fall. This means that total output will still be rising – but increasing at a decreasing rate as more workers are employed.As we shall see in the following numerical example, eventually a decline in marginal product leads to a fall in average product. What happens to marginal product is linked directly to the productivity of each extra worker employed. At low levels of labour input, the fixed factors of production – land and capital, tend to be under-utilised which means that each additional worker will have plenty of capital to use and, as a result, marginal product may rise.Beyond a certain point however, the fixed factors of production become scarcer and new workers will not have as much capital to work with so that the capital input becomes diluted among a larger workforce. As a result, the marginal productivity of each worker tends to fall – this is known as the principle of diminishing returns. An example of the concept of diminishing returns is shown below. We assume that there is a fixed supply of capital (e. g. 20 units) available in the production process to which extra units of labour are added from one person through to eleven. Initially the marginal product of labour is rising. * It peaks when the sixth worked is employed when the mar ginal product is 29. * Marginal product then starts to fall. Total output is still increasing as we add more labour, but at a slower rate. At this point the short run production demonstrates diminishing returns. The Law of Diminishing Returns | Capital Input| Labour Input| Total Output| Marginal Product| Average Product of Labour| 20| 1| 5|   | 5| 20| 2| 16| 11| 8| 20| 3| 30| 14| 10| 20| 4| 56| 26| 14| 20| 5| 85| 28| 17| 20| 6| 114| 29| 19| 20| 7| 140| 26| 20| 0| 8| 160| 20| 20| 20| 9| 171| 11| 19| 20| 10| 180| 9| 18| 20| 11| 187| 7| 17| Average product will continue to rise as long as the marginal product is greater than the average – for example when the seventh worker is added the marginal gain in output is 26 and this drags the average up from 19 to 20 units. Once marginal product is below the average as it is with the ninth worker employed (where marginal product is only 11) then the average will decline. This marginal-average relationship is important to understanding the nature of short run cost curves.It is worth going through this again to make sure that you understand it. Criticisms of the Law of Diminishing ReturnsHow realistic is this notion of diminishing returns? Surely ambitious and successful businesses do what they can to avoid such a problem emerging. It is now widely recognised that the effects of globalisation, and in particular the ability of trans-national corporations to source their factor inputs from more than one country and engage in rapid transfers of business technology and other information, makes the concept of diminishing returns less relevant in the real world of business.You may have read about the expansion of â€Å"out-sourcing† as a means for a business to cut their costs and make their production processes as flexible as possible. In many industries as a business expands, it is more likely to experience increasing returns. After all, why should a multinational business spend huge sums on expensive research and development and investment in capital machinery if a business cannot extract increasing returns and lower unit costs of production from these extra inputs? Long run production – returns to scaleIn the long run, all factors of production are variable.How the output of a business responds to a change in factor inputs is called returns to scale. * Increasing returns to scale occur when the % change in output > % change in inputs * Decreasing returns to scale occur when the % change in output < % change in inputs * Constant returns to scale occur when the % change in output = % change in inputs *    A numerical example of long run returns to scale| Units of Capital| Units of Labour| Total Output| % Change in Inputs| % Change in Output| Returns to Scale| 20| 150| 3000|   |   |   | 0| 300| 7500| 100| 150| Increasing| 60| 450| 12000| 50| 60| Increasing| 80| 600| 16000| 33| 33| Constant| 100| 750| 18000| 25| 13| Decreasing| In the example above, we increase the inputs of capital and labour by the same proportion each time. We then compare the % change in output that comes from a given % change in inputs. * In our example when we double the factor inputs from (150L + 20K) to (300L + 40K) then the percentage change in output is 150% – there are increasing returns to scale. In contrast, when the scale of production is changed from (600L + 80K0 to (750L + 100K) then the percentage change in output (13%) is less than the change in inputs (25%) implying a situation of decreasing returns to scale. As we shall see a later, the nature of the returns to scale affects the shape of a business’s long run average cost curve. The effect of an increase in labour productivity at all levels of employment Productivity may have been increased through the effects of technological change; improved incentives; better management or the effects of work-related training which boosts the skills of the employed labour force. |