Logistics and Supply Chain Management

Introduction This paper is based on the topic of globalization of logistics and supply chain management. It explores the topic using Wales as a case study. The paper is divided into two parts namely part one and part two. Part one is an overview of the current rail system in Wales.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Logistics and Supply Chain Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Part two is a comparison of the proposed high-speed rail and an integrated transport system. At the end is a conclusion which provides a definite solution to the client. The main issue in the paper is that the Welsh government wants to improve its transport infrastructure for transporting people and freight. It is, however, not decided on whether to build the proposed high-speed rail or set up an integrated transport infrastructure. On the one hand, the high-speed rail is expected to reduce the time used to transport people and freigh t between various cities in the United Kingdom, which would attract new investors. It is also expected to enhance efficiency of the supply chains. On the other hand, focusing on the high-speed rail at the expense of the other modes of transport would be counterproductive because trains are not the only means of transportation in Wales. As the consultant, I have addressed these issues in my analysis of the situation and the implications of the various options which are available to the client (the Welsh government). In the review, I have used different theoretical frameworks such as gap analysis and the theory of absolute advantage to illustrate the arguments. I have argued that the proposed high-speed rail is not adequate to deal with the challenge of poor transport infrastructure in Wales and as a result, there is need for an integrated transport system which would link the entire transport infrastructure in Wales.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The reason is that an integrated transport system would have more benefits than the proposed high-speed rail. Discussion Part one Gap analysis is a situation in which organizations ask themselves the questions of ‘where are we’ and ‘where do we want to be.’ It is very useful for managers because it helps them to focus on the real issues which affect their organizations. It also enables the managers to come up with the proper means of realizing their desired outcomes (Franklin 2006). In an effort to fill the gaps in organizations, managers use differentiation and positioning (McLoughlin Aaker 2010). According to Thompson and Martins, differentiation has to do with enhancing the popularity of products or services among the customers. For an organization to claim that it has differentiated its products and services, it has to ensure that it provides extensive details about the uniquene ss of its products or services. Many organizations engage in differentiation of their products and services for various reasons. However, economic analysts have argued that the whole idea of differentiation is to increase the competitiveness of organizations. Differentiation has the potential of influencing consumer behavior by ensuring that consumers understand what is unique about different products or services (Thompson Martin 2010). According to Armstrong and Kotler positioning is a strategy which complements differentiation. It has to do with using various strategies like product distribution and production of unique products with low prices to build an identity of a particular Company in the minds of consumers (Armstrong Kotler 2009).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Logistics and Supply Chain Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In many cases, positioning is done after differentiation so as to sta bilize and retain the positions of the differentiated products or services. It also ensures that organizations retain their competitive advantage in any given market. The current rail system in Wales is outdated since it was established many years back when the population of Wales was relatively small. At the time when the rail system was established, globalization had not taken effect and as a result, the demand for transport services was very low (Kendall Cole 2006). However, with the advent of globalization, there has emerged the need for people to move frequently from one point to another in different parts of the globe. Due to globalization, the business environment has become more competitive than ever. According to Scholte, the drivers of globalization include advancement in information and communication technology, improvement of transport infrastructure, and liberalization of trade and immigration policies (Scholte 2005). Due to globalization, people from different countri es are able to work anywhere in the world, irrespective of their cultural orientation. Through globalization also, people are able to study, marry, and stay in any part of the world (Cole 2005). Globalization has also enabled different cultures to coexist peacefully without cultural prejudice. The interaction of people in different spheres of life has made them to appreciate their cultural differences, a situation which has greatly reduced instances of racism and ethnicity (Chrysanthopoulos 2010). Due to its outdated status, the current rail system lacks the capacity to handle huge volumes of freight. It is also not suitable for transporting people because it is too slow compared to other modes of transport such as road and air.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In some cases, the current rail system makes firms to miss business opportunities due to the inability of the rail system to deliver goods on time. It also makes the supply chains of many firms to be inefficient, which increases the cost of production (Lan Unhelkar 2006). This situation is threatening the stability of the economy of Wales because many firms have threatened to relocate their businesses in other countries or cities which have efficient and reliable rail transport. As a result, there is need to upgrade the current rail system so as to restore the confidence of investors and attract others. That is why the high-speed rail has been proposed. Once in place, the high-speed rail would not only attract new investors to Wales, but it would also enable the existing firms to expand their businesses due to increased efficiency. It is essential to mention that the objective of multinational firms is to get access to cheap factors of production, such as raw materials, capital, la nd, and labor. The reason is that the cost of these factors of production varies from one country to another (Johnson, Scholes Whittington 2010). Consequently, the high-speed rail would enable the firms in Wales to get access to these factors of production. The interest of the Welsh government is to ensure that there are no barriers which restrict investors from getting opportunities to invest in Wales. However, the outdated rail system is a hindering factor to the growth of the economy of Wales. As a result, the high-speed rail would expand the economy of Wales and enhance growth. It would also have a multiplier effect in form of enhanced social and economic well-being of the citizens of Wales. For instance, many firms would be able to make huge profits due to reduced cost of transport. As a result, they would increase funding to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs. Different scholars have written about the concept of CSR. According to Carroll, CSR is generally used to explain the relationship between businesses and their environments. The reason is that almost all organizations operate in dynamic social, political, economic, and natural environments. CSR, therefore, looks into how businesses interact with these environments, either positively or negatively. Different scholars have come up with various components of CSR. However, the elements which are mentioned by many scholars include the ethical, regulatory, philanthropic, and legal components. When an organization establishes a business in any given society, the people in that society usually have different expectations from the business. While some expect to purchase goods and services at low prices, others expect to be employed by the organization. There also those who expect the organization to operate in manner which does not raise questions as far as quality of products and services are concerned. These concerns comprise the ethical component of CSR (Carroll, 1979). Due to the reduced cos t of transport, the firms in Wales would make huge profits. As a result, the tendency of the firms to engage in unethical behavior would be minimized. According to Aras and Crowther, the regulatory component has to do with abiding by all regulations which are established to protect shareholders, investors, and customers from unethical business practices. It also has to do with ensuring that organizations maximize their profits and minimize their operation costs with the aim of making more profits. Once organizations generate more profits, they are expected to increase the salary of employees because employees are essential stakeholders in the success of organizations (Aras Crowther 2010). The reduced cost of transport would enable the firms in Wales to generate more profits than before, which would enable them to take care of the interests of shareholders and customers. The legal component has to do with compliance to various laws and regulations which have been established in diff erent jurisdictions to govern all businesses and ensure that they operate legally. For example, there are laws and regulations which touch on protection of the environment, respect of employees’ rights, and production of quality products. The philanthropic component has to do with charity work. It is based on the argument that businesses must give back to the communities where they operate. There are many ways of giving back to the community. Some of them include initiating programs which directly benefit the community through provision of health and education services to the less fortunate in the community (Carroll 2008). The high-speed rail would enable the firms in Wales to generate more profits than before and as a result, they would be able to pay the various taxes to government authorities. Rail transport has been successful in many countries. In China, for example, there are modernized rails which are used by electric trains. These trains have made transport in China n ot only reliable but also cheaper than in other countries which do not have electric trains. Since the trains are powered using electricity, they move fast and are able to reach their destinations within a short time. Wales should, therefore, borrow the example of China and boost its economy and social well-being of its people through the high-speed rail. Part two Rail transport is a very reliable mode of transporting heavy goods. The reason is that the cost of transporting heavy goods using rail transport is usually less than the cost of transporting them using road transport. Transporting heavy goods using road transport also makes the roads to wear out too fast. When that happens, governments incur a lot of expenses in repairing the roads, which negatively affects the economy of countries. As a result, rail transport is not only cheap, but it is also durable because it does not require frequent repair like roads (Lysons Farrington 2012). In terms of conservation of the environme nt, rail transport is better than road transport because trains do not emit a lot of carbon dioxide like vehicles. Carbon dioxide is associated with greenhouse gases which lead to global warming. Rail transport is not affected by adverse weather conditions like road transport. For instance, when it rains heavily, vehicles may be unable to move due to flooding or poor visibility. Rail transport is also better than road transport when it comes to connecting with different countries. The reason is that there are more railway lines which connect countries than roads and as a result, firms are able to import goods in bulk from other countries and transport them using rail transport. Rail transport is also more secure for transporting containers carrying valuable goods than road transport. Even though the high-speed rail would have various benefits to various stakeholders, it might not provide long-term solutions to the problem of poor transport infrastructure in Wales. As mentioned earli er, rail transport is just a part of a wider transport network and as a result, the high-speed rail would need to be complemented by other modes of transportation such as air, sea, and road. An integrated transport system would have a higher economic value than the high-speed rail. It would also be more sustainable than the high-speed rail because it would provide various options for firms to transport their goods, labor, and raw materials. Using an integrated transport system lowers the cost of transport in a given sector or country. The reason is that in an integrated transport system, each mode of transport transports what it is capable of transporting. In other words, the transport infrastructure is not strained. Allowing each mode of transport to transport what it is capable of transporting enables firms to avoid the risks which are associated with transporting goods using the wrong mode of transport. For example, rail and sea are suitable for transporting heavy goods while roa d and air are suitable for transporting light goods and people. An integrated transport system also increases the competitiveness of a country. According to the theory of absolute advantage, competitiveness refers to the ability of a country to take a share of foreign markets. For countries to become competitive, they aim at exporting more than what they import. In fact, the theory of absolute advantage states that the objective of any country is to export almost everything and import nothing. However, it is almost impossible for any country to achieve this objective. Using an integrated transport system produces higher returns than using one type of transport such as rail. The reason is that an integrated transport system relies on public and private infrastructure. For example, a government of a country may authorize private companies to operate commuter services. It may also authorize them to operate cross-border transportation of commercial goods. At the same time, the governmen t may operate air and sea transport services. This combination enhances efficiency and maximizes productivity of different sectors of the economy. In addition, an integrated transport system has the benefit of enabling people of different social and economic status to get access to transport. For example, the elderly, the sick, and the disabled may be uncomfortable when they travel in a train. However, they may be comfortable when they travel in a vehicle because it enables them to reach their destinations within a short time. In any country, there are people of different economic status. Some are low-income earners, while others are high-income earners. The low-income earners may not be able to afford air transport, but they may be able to afford road transport. As a result, having an integrated transport system makes life comfortable for everybody because people use the type of transport which they are able to afford. Further to that, an integrated transport system is associated w ith minimal energy consumption. The reason is that each mode of transport uses a different type of energy. For example, some trains use electricity while vehicles use fuel. Relying on one type of transport may put pressure on a particular type of energy. For example, if a country relies on road transport alone, it means that the consumption of fuel in that country is higher than in a country which relies on several modes of transport. As a result, there is minimal pollution of the environment in a country with an integrated transport system (Mangan, Lalwani Butcher 2008). From the above discussion, it can be argued that the transport industry plays a vital role in enhancing the economic and social well-being of people in any country. It is therefore essential for governments to ensure that they have integrated transport systems which are reliable and sustainable. Sustainability addresses the issue of how resources are utilized. Economic analysts have argued that there is need for c ountries to utilize their resources in a sustainable manner so that the future generations would not face shortages of crucial resources. Utilisation of resources in a sustainable manner is the basis of sustainable development. The concept of sustainable development has gained popularity in recent years (Rugman Collinson 2006). In the transport industry, the reliance on high-speed rails is not sustainable as reliance on integrated transport systems. According to Elkington, sustainable development must emphasize on economic and social development as well as protection of the environment (Elkington 1994). As a result, it is unethical for corporations to be driven by utilitarianism. According to Sher, utilitarianism focuses on maximizing profits irrespective of the effects of the maximization. According to utilitarians such as Jeremy Bentham, any outcome which is desirable is also justifiable. It means that the means of arriving at a particular end are not as important as the end itse lf. An outcome is, therefore considered as good if it makes many people to be happy (Sher 2012). For example, if an organization is able to increase its profits by exploiting its employees by overworking them, then the act of exploitation is justifiable as long as the employees do not complain. If a legal action produces outcomes which do not make many people to be happy, then the action is not ethical. On the other hand, if an illegal action makes many people to be satisfied, then the action is not only ethical but also morally acceptable. Utilitarianism has the danger of destroying the values in a society. There is, therefore, the need of governments to enforce regulations which govern ethics in the society as well as in business. Utilitarianism makes many firms to use unethical means to generate profits. For example, some firms have been accused of giving false information to shareholders regarding the number of profits generated in a year with the aim of denying them their divid ends. Other firms have been accused of failing to pay taxes to the relevant government authorities. These practices are not only unethical, but they also compromise the ability of any country to realize sustainable development. Conclusion Based on the above discussion and analysis, I would advise the Welsh government to set up an integrated transport system comprising of road, rail, air, and sea transport. The reason is that for the proposed high-speed rail to be effective, it needs to be complemented by the other modes of transport. The integrated transport system would also be more sustainable than the high-speed rail. The Welsh government, therefore, needs to set aside resources for upgrading all the other modes of transport in Wales. For instance, it needs to expand the existing roads and build new ones. It also needs to expand the ports and the airports. The integrated system would not only boost the confidence of multinational corporations, but it would also attract other inve stors to invest in Wales. As a result, the economy of Wales would realize an exponential growth. The growth would have multiplier effects such as creation of employment opportunities, reduction of pressure on various energy resources, and increased competitiveness of Wales in international trade. Reference List Aras, G Crowther, D. 2010, A handbook of corporate governance and corporate social responsibility series, Gower Publishing Ltd, Farnham. Armstrong, G Kotler, P 2009, Marketing. An introduction, Pearson Education Company, Prentice Hall. Carroll, A.B 1979, ‘Three-dimensional conceptual model of corporate social performance’, Academy of Management Review, vol.4, pp.497-505. Carroll, A.B 2008, A history of corporate social responsibility, Oxford university press, Oxford. Cole, S 2005, Applied transport economics, Kogan Page, London. Chrysanthopoulos, M 2010, Cultural diversity and education, Lap Lambert Academic Publishing, New York, NY. Elkington, J 1994, ‘T owards the sustainable corporation: Win-win-win business strategies for sustainable development’, California Management Review, vol. 36, no. 2, pp. 90-100. Franklin, M 2006, Performance gap analysis: human performance improvement, ASTD Press, Alexandria, VA: Johnson, G, Scholes, K Whittington, R 2010, Exploring corporate strategy: text and cases, Prentice Hall, FT. Kendall, S Cole, S 2006, Wales and the Atlantic arc: developing ports, wales transport research centre, Kogan Page, London. Lan, Y Unhelkar, B 2006, Global integrated supply chain systems, Idea Group Publ, cop, Hershey, PA. Lysons, K Farrington, B 2012, Purchasing and supply chain management, Pearson Education Limited, Prentice Hall. Mangan, J, Lalwani, C Butcher, T 2008, Global logistics and supply chain management, Wiley, Malden, MA. McLoughlin, D Aaker, D 2010, Strategic market management: global perspectives, Wiley, Hoboken, N.J. Rugman, A.M Collinson, S 2006, International business, Prentice Hall, FT. S cholte, J.A 2005, Globalisation: A critical introduction, Palgrave Macmillan, Great Yarmouth. Sher, G 2012, Ethics: essential readings in moral theory, Routledge, New York, NY. Thompson, J Martin, F 2010, Strategic management: awareness and change, Cengage Learning, South Western. This essay on Logistics and Supply Chain Management was written and submitted by user Haley Pennington to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here. Logistics and Supply Chain Management

Winston Churchill essays

Winston Churchill essays Perhaps one of the most colorful and intelligent figures of his day, Winston Churchill was a master negotiator and superb leader. Drawing from his vast experience and wit, he successfully led Great Britain through many troubled times and hardships. His skill as a leader was unsurpassed and was only out done by his wry sense of humor. Winston Churchills exploits will forever be a part of history as he truly was one of the greatest leaders of his time. Winston Churchill was born on the 30th of November in 1874 and was the eldest son of aristocrat Lord Randolph Churchill. He graduated from the Royal Military College in 1895 and was soon commissioned as an officer in the Fourth Hussars. While acting as a war correspondent during the Boers War, he was captured by the enemy and held in less the humane conditions as a prisoner of war. He later escaped his captors and was recognized as a national hero upon his return to Great Britain. This newfound fame and heroism led him to the public spotlight and into what was to eventually become a historical political career. Shortly after his triumphant return, Winston Churchill was elected as a member of the Conservative Party. Later, in 1904, he was elected as president of the Board of Trade. Stepping through several other positions of power, he eventually became the Lord of the Admiralty. Unfortunately, after an unsuccessful campaign, he was forced to resign. Thus began a period of learning and self-reflection that eventually led into his transition as a great leader. In 1917, Churchills political career again flourished as he was elected the Minister of Munition and was a member of the coalition party until it collapsed in 1922. After several ups and downs in his political career, Churchill became the Prime Minister in 1940 as Nazi Germany and Hitler were knocking on Great Britains doorstep. Through his expert leadership and negotiations, he won the support of the Unit...

Income Elasticity of Demand

Income Elasticity of Demand A Beginners Guide to Elasticity: Price Elasticity of Demand  introduced the basic concept and illustrated it with a few examples of price elasticity of demand.   A Brief Review of Price Elasticity of Demand The formula for price elasticity of demand is:   Price Elasticity of Demand (PEoD) (% Change in Quantity Demanded) à ·Ã‚  (% Change in Price) The formula quantifies the demand for a given as the percentage change in the quantity of the good demanded divided by the percentage change in its price.   If the product, for example, is aspirin, which is widely available from many different manufacturers, a small change in one manufacturers price, lets say a 5 percent increase, might make a big difference in the demand for the product. Lets suppose that the decreased demand was a minus 20 percent, or -20%. Dividing the decreased demand (-20%) by the increased price (5 percent) gives a result of -4. The price elasticity of demand for aspirin is high a small difference in price produces a significant decrease in demand.   Generalizing the Formula You can generalize the formula by observing that it expresses the relationship between two variables, demand and price. A similar formula expresses another relationship, that between the demand for a given product  and consumer income Income Elasticity of Demand (% Change in Quantity Demanded)/(% Change in Income) In an economic recession, for example, U.S. household income might drop by 7 percent, but the household money spent on eating out might drop by 12 percent. In this case, the income elasticity of demand is calculated as 12 à · 7 or about 1.7. In other words, a moderate drop in income produces a greater drop in demand. In the same recession, on the other hand, we might discover that the 7 percent drop in household income produced only a 3 percent drop in baby formula sales. The calculation in this instance is 3 à · 7 or about 0.43.   what you can conclude from this is that eating out in restaurants is not an essential economic activity for U.S. households the elasticity of demand is 1.7, considerably great than 1.0 but that buying baby formula, with an income elasticity of demand of 0.43, is relatively essential and that demand will persist even when income drops.    Generalizing Income Elasticity of Demand Income elasticity of demand is used to see how sensitive the demand for a good is to an income change. The higher the income elasticity, the more sensitive demand for a good is to income changes. A very high-income elasticity suggests that when a consumers income goes up, consumers will buy a great deal more of that good and, conversely, that when income goes down consumers will cut back their purchases of that good to an even greater degree.   A very low price elasticity implies just the opposite, that changes in a consumers income have  little influence on demand. Often an assignment or a test will ask you the follow-up question Is the good a luxury good, a normal good, or an inferior good between the income range of $40,000 and $50,000? To answer that use the following rule of thumb: If IEoD 1 then the good is a Luxury Good and Income ElasticIf IEoD 1 and IEOD 0 then the good is a Normal Good and Income InelasticIf IEoD 0 then the good is an Inferior Good and Negative Income Inelastic The other side of the coin, of course, is supply.

Describe and evaluate a large-scale planned organisational change that Essay

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History Today Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

History Today - Essay Example The causal ordering follows to provide modal categories for the factual propositions. In this system the logical contradiction is resolved by ordering the factual propositions. These will be according to the causal categories. 1 The counterfactual cause involves the unconventional views from the point of Niall Ferguson a Scottish Historian. These views are regarding the imperialism and the origins of conflict in the twentieth century. He is a specialist in financial and economic history. His recent publication is ‘The War of the World† in 2006. He has become historian inspired by AJP Taylor. Ferguson’s significance lies in his well versed nature in economic matters as he was in history matters. He wrote a book named cash nexus arguing that the money makes the world go around is wrong and proved that the human actins are more important for history to go around. He feels that the US is not sufficiently in the affairs of the world. In his books Colossus and Empire, he shows potential virtues of US when compared to British Empire. He also analyzed the World War I that generated much controversy. In that he suggested that it could have been more beneficial to Europe if Britain has stayed out o f the war by Germany making a win. 2 2.1Fergusson’s Significance: He is considered as a leading champion of counterfactual history that involves the counterfactual cause. It is because he likes to imagine alternative outcomes as a way of stressing the contingency aspects in the history. According to his counterfactual causal analysis of history, the great forces are not only responsible for the history and in fact the individual’s doings pre determine the course of history. He argues that the world is neither progressing nor regressing. His view is that the actions of individuals will determine the better or worse world. His book the war of the world explains the violent 20th century. According to his argument the economic volatility, ethnic

How is childhood presented in Games at Twilight Essay Example for Free

How is childhood presented in Games at Twilight Essay There are many similarities between the ways that childhood is presented in these two short stories. When acting as a group, the children are frequently portrayed as cruel and aggressive. In The Red Ball the young boy is given a variety of cruel names by other children due to his thin frame, for example Thinny Boney and Match-stick foot. This shows the brutal honesty of children of a young age. In Games at Twilight the children are rough and belligerent, shown by the shoves became harder and the frequent quarrelling of the children over who will be It in their game of hide and seek. In Games at Twilight the children are frequently shown in an animalistic light. The authors use of vocabulary reveals this, for example wild, maniacal, and snarling. Words such as prey, stalked and pounded relate to hunting in the animal kingdom, and therefore reinforce the authors portrayal of children as animalistic. In The Red Ball Bolan is said to have waited like a small animal, so children are again compared to animals. The fact that the children in both stories play their games in large groups could represent the packs that animals exist in in the wild. By using animalistic images the authors are able to reinforce their portrayal of children as cruel and aggressive. Childish games seem to hold great significance to the children in both stories. In Games at Twilight the author says that the children are desperate to start their business the business of the childrens day which is play. By making the children in the story so dependent on games the author suggests that the children have basic, immature values, since play is not an adult business. In The Red Ball games also hold a great significance for the children it is Bolans ability to play cricket well that gains him acceptance amongst the other children. It is obvious that friendships are built when games are participated in, as Bolan steals money from his parents to buy a red cricket ball in order to be more highly thought of by his friends. It is interesting to see that the games in both of the stories are carried out outdoors. In The Red Ball the author writes the boys played cricket until the fireflies came out. In Games at Twilight Raghu is described as crashing and storming in the hedge wilder. Thus the children in both stories are more closely linked to nature, reinforcing the authors portrayal of them as animals. In both stories the main characters are portrayed as outcasts. In The Red Ball the young boy watches other children play cricket from the outskirts of the park, and in Games at Twilight young Ravi hides alone, only to find that the other children have quite forgotten him. The difference between the stories is that the young boy in The Red Ball is eventually accepted by his peers and revered by them he becomes their star bowler and therefore essential for their game. In Games at Twilight we are led to believe that Ravi will eventually be accepted by the other children for winning the game of hide and seek he smiled to himself at the thought of so much victory. However Ravi never achieves such victory as the other children forget about him having disappeared from the scene, he had disappeared from their minds. Clean. By using such a short sentence, clean, the author is stressing the fact that Ravi was forgotten by his peers, and therefore emphasises his insignificance to the other children; he is bottom of the pecking order. In Games at Twilight young Ravi is portrayed as rather unintelligent and cowardly. He is frequently described as fearful Ravi shook with fear. His desperation to be accepted by his siblings shows that he is not highly thought of, and is also somewhat pathetic. Thinking that he will win the childish game of hide and seek he thinks that nothing more wonderful had ever happened to him. His unimportance is confirmed in the final sentence of the story he lay down full length on the damp grass silenced by a terrible sense of his insignificance. In The Red Ball Bolan is portrayed as a somewhat more intelligent, wise individual. He is capable enough to understand that by replying when he is called offensive names by the other children, he will be labelled with those names. He is also able to comprehend more difficult family situations, and shows perception and intelligence when the author writes it was one of those moments when he felt as if he had held his mother in front of him as a sort of shield to save himself from a rain of blows. In conclusion, the presentation of childhood in the two short stories, Games at Twilight and The Red Ball varies. The main characters, when alone, are portrayed as more innocent individuals, whereas when in larger groups, the children seem to be more cruel and hostile. Games at Twilight offers the less favourable impression of children overall, frequently incorporating animalistic images into the story to describe the children.

Difference Between General Perspectives :: essays research papers

What is the difference between the general perspectives? How does the work of Ritzer attempt to overcome this problem? Micro theories examine the processes of face-to-face contact among individuals and personal points-of-view in society; whereas, the macro theories deal with large-scale social events of society - meaning things that have public concern. The theories that are apart of the micro-level are symbolic interactionism, dramaturgy, ethnomethodology, and exchange theory. Symbolic interaction is an individual-based theory that uses constructed symbols, such as language and gestures, to which people give meaning in their everyday interactions. Dramaturgy, best stated by Goffman (1959), is what actors portray on a the theatrical stage is similar to the way people act in society. Ethnomethodology is basic common-sense used in for general situations in everyday life (Ritzer, 77). Exchange theory is a given relationship is found to be attractive whereas the rewards tend to outweigh punishment (Blau, 1964). Structural functionalism and conflict theory are two types of macro-theories. Structural functionalism (Perrucci, 1983) has three main ideas: 1) society is a system containing interdependent and interacting parts bound together in time and space, 2) shared values among members of the system are social â€Å"glue† that helps hold it together, 3) and systems have a need for stability and therefor attempt the parts working together harmoniously. Conflict theory is the belief that society contains basic inequalities in wealth, power, and prestige (Coser, 1967; Dahrendorf, 1959). Ritzer, like many other sociologists, wants to disintegrate the split between the micro and macro sociology. Ritzer attempts to do this by â€Å"adding on† to Gurvitch’s insights . Ritzer views the micro-macro issue, not by subjective-objective continuum, but the phenomena as subjective or objective; therefore, concluding that there are four major levels of analysis (See Table I) that are a product of dialectical interrelationships (Ritzer, 1996). Table I - Ritzer’s Major Levels of Social Analysis MACROSCOPIC I. Macro-objective Examples - society, law, bureaucracy, architecture, technology, and language  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   II. Macro-subjective Examples- culture, norms, and values III. Micro-objective Examples - patterns of behavior, action, and interaction  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   IV. Micro-subjective Examples - perceptions, beliefs; the various facets of the social construction of reality MICROSCOPIC In row 1, the macro-objective, involves the large-scale basic standards and â€Å"material realities† (Ritzer, 359) by which the general populous abides by; whereas as the macro-subjective is the large-scale intangible ideals such as norms and values which shape our everyday lives. In row 2, the micro theories also have the objective and subjective consistencies but on a smaller scale.

Diversity in Early Childhood Programs Essay

This essay is going to look at the various ways in which you can identify and promote learning opportunities for children of all ages. It will describe how the early education frameworks assist in supporting the learning of early year’s children. This essay will also explain how to plan activities in order to meet all the children’s needs. Finally it will describe how to monitor and assess the children’s learning through a variety of assessment techniques. Within early learning provisions it is important for them to support the children’s learning by following the guidelines set out for them by the early education framework in this country. There are two parts to the curriculum framework in England; Early Years Foundation Stages (EYFS) and the National Curriculum. The EYFS sets the statutory standards that all early years providers must meet. This includes all maintained schools, non-maintained schools, independent schools and all providers on the Early Ye ars Register. (EarlyYears) The EYFS is set out for the age group three to five and it aims are to provide consistency between early years settings, through the use of shared resources and information thus promoting the same key concepts, skills and knowledge. The EYFS also aims to provide settings with a secure foundation which will allow all the children to progress through school. Moreover the EYFS hopes to provide partnerships between different practitioners and parents or carers. They also hope to promote equality of opportunity for all children through the EYFS. The national curriculum contains the programmes of study and attainment targets for all subjects, at all key stages, except key stage 4. ‘The national curriculum provides pupils with an introduction to the essential knowledge that they need to be educated citizens.’ ‘The national curriculum is just one element in the education of every child†¦ The national curriculum provides an outline of core knowledge around which teachers can develop exciting and stimulating lessons to promote the development of pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills as part of the wider school curriculum.’ (Curriculum) The national curriculum is set out for chil dren aged five and over, it leads all the way through until the age of sixteen. It is a set curriculum which ensures that standards are consistent and maintained across the country, the National Curriculum should be implemented in all schools  after children have reached their fifth birthday. Learning aims and objectives are put in place to ensure that activities planned meet the required needs in the chosen area of development. An aim is what you intend to introduce to the children, it should set the scene and limit the activity to a certain type of activity although it does still need to be flexible enough to incorporate change of direction if necessary. The objective is shows how this is going to be achieved. The objective should break the activity down into smaller units so it is measureable. For example by the end of the day the children will be able to understand that heat causes ice to melt. An example of this was during placement at 5-8 age group I completed my observations, my aim was to promote their fine motor development and objectives were to observe during structured play. Early years settings also provide learning opportunities for their children by using an integrated approach. This approach provides the children with a greater learning experience. ‘The adult should integrate their planning into a theme. The lesson or session can be mapped and planned around the theme along with the curriculum. For example if the theme is transport then the children can count the wheels on different vehicles in maths, read a story about transport in literacy and in art the children can draw different vehicles.’ (IntegratedApproach) Within the school I’m on placement on at the minute, 5-8, we have a house and homes theme, we have incorporated this into most of the activities and currently they are designing, writing about and constructing the houses. When on my previous placement with 0-3 years they had a Christmas theme whereby their activities were designed around this. They produced Christmas cards, completed displays, sung songs about Christmas and read books all based on this theme. At my placement working with 0-3 they had a theme for one week on growing, the children that were able to have to draw pictures of themselve s, they also had to bring pictures in from home of when they were little or of them over a period of time so we could look at how they’d grown. When designing and teaching these activities it is important for the teachers to take into account inclusion. There must not be any barriers stopping any child from learning, it is essential to remove these so all children can take part; this does not just include special needs or specific needs children but everyone. Activities may need to be adapted or differentiated in order for all the children to  take part. Moreover it is essential for the school to promote an anti-discriminative practice, this is a fundamental part of early years care and education and it must be taken seriously. Discrimination comes from many sources and not everyone will know what they are saying, this is why it is vital to tackle any remarks or actions immediately, in a sensitive manner, so everyone knows how important this issue is. At my placement which is age range 5-8 there are children with speech difficulties, the teachers must ensure that they treat all the children as individuals and treat them fairly. They always include them in class discussions and give them the chance to answer just as like any other children. In my experience of working with 0-3 they ensure anti-discriminatory practise is maintained by providing ramps for push chairs and they also welcomed children from different cultures. Within an early years setting it is important to plan effectively so all areas of learning are covered and a wide range of activities are presented. Planning can be long, medium or short term and it will need to consider the curriculum as well as the individual needs of the children. The length of long term planning varies from setting to setting, most settings will see a long term plan as anything over six weeks, commonly in schools long term plans are for a whole academic year. Long term plans tend to include ‘an outline of how the curriculum is to be delivered, a consideration of the themes that are used over the period.’ CCLD Long term plans mean that you plan activities and observations in advance, you follow the curriculum when planning these and you have to be able to change and adapt your activities to suit different situations. The length of a medium term plan or curriculum plan depends mainly up on the length of the long term plan. In the majority of schools the medium term plan shows coverage for a half term. The main features of a medium term plan include details of the types of activities of which are to offer, how the activities link to the EYFS or NC and the order the activities will be carried out. Medium term plans will include learning outcomes and will include themes and topics. Short term plans show what is to happen each week or session; these plans may be referred to as ‘session planners’ or ‘weekly planners’. This sort of plan includes details such as staffing and resources, it also shows the order the activities will be carried out. Moreover it will display details of how activities will be adapted to provide opportunities for particular children. It will also set out the learning outcomes and show which activities will be assessed. Finally the short term plan will demonstrate how the adult can support specific children through the activities and outside of these. At my placement 5-8 they have a whole week of working with money and understanding the different denominations; at the end of the week the children have the golden box whereby the children who received the most gems for their work through-out the week are rewarded with prizes. Early years settings must cater for all children and their individual needs. When planning activities for young children it is important to take into account their specific needs. All activities must accommodate children at whatever level or with whatever need they have. It is important for the teacher to differentiate activities in order for all the children to take part. Within my placement 5-8 my teacher ensures there are different sized pencils out on the tables for all the children to use, she also makes sure there are right and left handed scissors out on the tables for those children who need them. In my experience working with 3-5 I have also had to cater for a child who could not use sugar paper therefore whenever we were doing creative activities I had to make sure she was using normal writing paper or card. Whenever planning activities it is important to make all the children feel equal, a child with an individual need should not be left out or be made to stand out from the rest. When planning activities and classes it is also essential to take into account children with IEP’s (individual educational plan), this is so you know where they are at with their learning and you can help them to the full extent through-out activities. In addition it is important to take into account different ways of teaching, some children may find it easier to learn if they are hands on doing practical work whereas others may find it easier if they are writing all the information down, so ensure that you cater for all these children in your plans. In order for activities to be suitable for all children you will need  to differentiate them, make sure there’s levels within your activity. Within the classroom there should also be equipment for all children to use scissors which are left and righ t handed, paper which is suitable for all, big pencils and small ones. Changes should take place to make all the children feel ‘the same’ none of them should stand out for being different. Through-out early year’s settings observations must be used this is to ensure you find out what stage of development the children are at. Once you know and understand which level each child is at you can match your activities to their ability and organise the activities to meet their needs. Within my placement 5-8 my teacher plans activities to coordinate with her observations that she has made throughout the year. The activities are differentiated according to ability. For literacy the children had to match up homes of different animals to the animal that lives there, for the less abled children they had to cut out the pictures and stick them together for the more abled children they had to write the sentences out below the pictures. Once observations have been completed on the children the teacher can use her data to effectively plan her lessons to cover the curriculum and meet the children’s needs. Within early years settings it is important that children take part in a variety of play. As all types of play provide learning opportunities for children it is essential that the day is varied to incorporate as many play activities as possible. Children should take part in activities which promote all areas of development. Within my placement 3-5 we had a role play area whereby the children could use their minds to create imaginative play. The soft play castle also gave the children a chance to use their imagination and develop their own play ideas. The various play activities can be categorized as imaginative play; role play and home corners can come under this category. Art activities and DT activities can be categorized as creative play. Within my placement 5-8 we did mendi patterns outside in the playground using chalk, as well as this developing their creative play it also promoted their physical motor development. Physical activities such as PE and play time can promote their gross physical development. Walking through fields and exploring the various animals and plants that you can  find can develop physical motor skills as well as the children’s exploratory skills. In my experience 0-3 a child discovers and promotes their development through sensory play, when outside the children played with sand, water, foam and jelly. The children were sat playing in it with hard toys, they could discover how the different materials felt. It is important for children to also use ICT as this can support their learning. There are a wide variety of programmes that children can use to promote all areas of their learning. Within my placement we use a program which the children can control themselves, on this site there are activities for numeracy, literacy and art as well as most of the national curriculum. This site is accessible for key stage 1 and 2. Parent involvement tends to be encouraged within schools and early year’s settings as often parents and children can provide the skills and knowledge to introduce new ideas. For example a parent from another culture may be able to go in and show the children what their diet is like. Within my placement 5-8 a parent helper will come in every Tuesday afternoon to help with the activities that are on that day. The parent may help with reading and creative activities. There is also a parent who comes into placement and teaches athletics, she is a marathon runner herself so she often helps at sporting events and at athletics club. Within early years settings there are also occasions when professionals and agencies may get involved in providing learning opportunities for the children. Within my placement 5-8 a speech therapist will come in once a week to visit two children who have speech impairments, she will take them to one side for an hour to support them through their speech programme. Another professional who also comes into school is the sports teacher from the local leisure centre who teaches one PE lesson a week to each class. As part of the adult role within an early years setting you must ensure that all the correct resources are available for the children to use and that there are enough materials for any situation. The resources need to be sorted out in advance of an activity or situation either by the teacher or the school, depending on who provides them. The resources must be age appropriate, fit for purpose and all the children who are participating  should be able to learn from the experience. Early years settings also need to consider whether the use of ICT would assist with the children’s learning. Within my placement 3-5 the staff would organise their activities at least a week in advance and would pass on a list of anything they needed to the managers who would be able to buy the materials and resources. They could then discuss in advance how much of anything they needed and if for any reason something wasn’t available they had time to change their activity. It is important for the adults within the setting to monitor the children’s learning. During activities the children should be monitored to make sure they are learning from these experiences. If the activity has been planned with aims and objectives, you should be able to determine whether the outcomes have been met; this can be observed by discussion or observation. Participation levels should also be monitored to see how long children stay at the activities which have been set out and which ones are the most popular. Activities should grasp the children’s imagination and should stimulate their learning. The more captivating an activity is the longer a child will want to be at it. At all my placements over the three age ranges I have evaluated the activities that I have carried out. Within my evaluations I have written about how long the children stayed there and whether they enjoyed it, I can use the information I found here to plan my activities for the future. Formative assessments are ongoing assessments that monitor the children’s strengths and weaknesses. This information can then be used to form informal parts of activities. Assistance can be provided to give children the opportunity to gain confidence in developing new skills and plenty of opportunities are provided to enable the child to practise and master them. Summative assessments draw together all the information gathered about the children and it is often used to compile a written report. It is seen as a ‘summing up’ of a child’s progress to date. It is very difficult for practitioners to be completely objective when carrying out observations as they are used to working so close with the children; this known as observer  bias. The danger of observer bias is that the observer may bring in behaviours or skills of the child that confirm their current view. One way of determining that this does not happen is to set clear aims for observations. It is important for adults to try and incorporate observations on skills into planned play activities, many children will not ‘perform’ well if they know they are being watched. While at placement 5-7 the teacher will set out activities that enable her to observe the child carrying out the skills whilst in a ‘normal’ play environment. If she would like to see their social development she may set up games that requires teamwork, or if she feels some of the children need to work on their fine motor development she may set up an area which get the children to put pegs in boards or use scissors to cut out pictures. When observing babies and young children it is important to remember that there play and interests change within a few days. As they discover more things within their world they will move from one interest to another. Once a child has been observed or assessed this information can be used to inform the future planning of activities which will help promote development for the individual child. Planning will only be effective if the information that is gained from observation is used to structure activities, and fulfil the child’s developmental needs. For example if a child cannot use scissors do not provide them with an activity whereby they have to cut round a picture; this may lower their self-confidence and self-esteem. Most evaluation criteria’s involve checking whether children have reached the intended learning outcomes, however this can be difficult to measure unless an assessment takes place during or after the activity. A child may have appeared to understand something or enjoyed playing with materials but they may not have necessarily learnt anything new. By building in assessments to activities practitioners can see what the child has understood and learnt. It is important that assessments are not seen in any way as a test. Within my placement 3-5 a member of staff would often be in charge of observing activities and evaluating what they believe the children have gained from it. The staff member would also be able to ask questions and work alongside the children at the activity to see how much they have  learnt and understood. Reference Snaith, M. , Tassoni, P. , Squire, G. , (2007). , Children’s Care Learning and Development. , 2nd Ed. , Oxford. , Heinemann. IntegratedApproach. , Available at www.sagepub.com/upm-data/9679_010979.pdf. , Accessed on 29/04/14 Curriculum. , Available at http://www.schoolzone.co.uk/schools/NCres/docs/MASTER_final_national_curriculum_11_9_13_2.pdf . , Accessed on 29/04/14 EarlyYears. , Available at https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/improving-the-quality-and-range-of-education-and-childcare-from-birth-to-5-years/supporting-pages/early-years-foundation-stage. , Accessed on 29/04/14

Ethical Principles of Psychologists & Code of Conduct Essay

What is it about each of these studies that makes them unethical? The Milgram experiment In the Milgram experiment the people who played the role known as the teachers, were intentionally tricked. Based on the Code of Conduct 2 where pretext may be ethically admissible. It was the way that Milgram did so that was not ethical by today’s standards. For human participants the codes cover topics such as deception, consent, withdrawal of data, confidentiality etc. The Little Albert experiment It is argued that conducting the experiment was unethical. There is no clear evidence that Little Albert developed at rat phobia after maturity. Though he was never desensitized because of lack of time, life would sooner or later desensitize him anyway. The only evidence of being unethical was lack of consent by Little Albert’s since he was only a 9 month old baby, he couldn’t very well do so himself. Consent was given on his behalf by his parents and it was Little Albert whom endured distress while being involved in Watson’s experiment. The blue eyes and brown eyes experiment According to supporters of Elliott’s approach, the goal is to reach people’s sense of empathy and morality. Two professors of education, Goodson and Sikes say that what Elliot did was unethical because the exercise was psychologically and emotionally damaging. â€Å"She has been accused of scaring people, breaking the school rules, humiliating children, being domineering, angry and brainwashing.†4 Does the benefit of learning the results of these studies outweigh the potential harm of conducting the studies? Why or why not? The Milgram experiment In the Milgram experiment there was psychological harm, which was not as bad  as initially thought, because of Milgram debriefing the teacher immediately after the experiment. With 40 year hindsight, this particular study does outweigh the potential benefit verses harm. The Little Albert experiment With Little Albert it was fear that was imposed on him, involuntarily. Being only 9 month old probably didn’t produce any permanent or longer term fears, the short term effects where not humane, especially to a 9 month old baby. The blue eyes and brown eyes experiment It’s known as a lesson of a life time in history. When Elliot did the exercise 37 years ago, she changed the lives of the children in her class forever. The experiment, it’s self was not looked upon in Elliott replied, â€Å"Why are we so worried about the fragile egos of white children who experience a couple of hours of made-up racism one day when blacks experience real racism every day of their lives?†6 If you wanted to replicate these studies, what (if anything) could you do in order to meet the APA’s Code of Conduct and ethical standards? The Milgram experiment If I wanted to duplicate The Milgram Experiment, I would do so based on the guidelines of the APA’s Code of Conduct and Ethical Standard. Starting with not withholding the truth how the experiment was to be conducted and make all parties involved aware. And allowing the participant’s to leave or quit the experiment at any time they became uncomfortable. The Little Albert Experiment The only way to be able to do this experiment is with full knowledge and consent. A 9 month old baby couldn’t give that. The best way would be to allow only adults, 18 years and up. The blue eyes and brown eyes experiment Even though there was so much controversy in 1960. Times are different and have come a long way. Without doing the experiment on different age groups back then and now, I am not sure of how profound the outcome may be opposed to The Lesson of a Lifetime!

How to Write a Good Physics Research Paper

How to Write a Good Physics Research Paper Just like any other field, Physics offers students with a wide range of topics that they can choose for research and writing. This gives students an upper hand since most lecturers allow them to choose a research topic of their own interest. Students nowadays are lucky to have a bunch of professionals who can help them write their research papers. Research paper writing has formed a new career line where professionals are trained and start doing these research papers of behalf of students. To ensure that the research papers are of good quality and relevant research papers, students could get advice on how to write a good physics research paper. Students as well as these professional writers should be advised to search different sources for the key words of the topics that they wish to base their Physics research on. When they choose a topic o write about, it should be a combination of different keywords. To get relevant materials while doing research, the use of these key words is a must. If the key words are not followed, then these two parties risk having their work deemed irrelevant. It is not fair for a student or research writer to do all the time consuming work only to have it disqualified for one reason or another. Physics research paper could be confusing especially if the topic chosen is too wide. Students in this case will have to write an outline and give it to the supervisor to check. The outline will only cover the subtopics and a few sentences explaining how the subtopics will be integrated to form the main topics of research. It acts as a guideline to the student or writer since it enables them create points that talk about the thesis, hence avoiding the risk of deviating. While writing the outline, students can write the guiding sentence right below the subtopic then have several statements following after it. These sentences should not be full since they only guide the person writing the physics research paper on what to discuss under that sub topic. Arranging the research work logically is one of the ways of creating meaningful outline. Reliable sources of information that can be used in writing physics research papers can assist the student in coming up with the outline within a short time. This eases the task of organizing work, which is one of the most important stages of writing a research paper. It makes the writing and research tasks easier and faster. The lecturer will give good grades for such a research paper because it becomes easy to follow. Students should not be scared of writing drafts since it is one way of ensuring quality and well researched papers. Also, you can buy a research paper written from scratch by academic writers at CustomWritings.com custom writing company. High-quality research paper writing help on any Physics topic.

A Critique of Tess Onwueme’s Tell It to Women Essay Example for Free

A Critique of Tess Onwueme’s Tell It to Women Essay ? To Women, we travel back to a Nigerian village in postcolonial Africa. The story enlightens the audience about the dichotomy of traditionalism versus modernism and the ways in which different cultures interact. It ends by revealing the true meaning of culture; the real quality in a society that arises from a passion for what is excellent in arts, manners, and customs. Overall, the play discusses the role of women within this Nigerian village and largely examines the conflict of whether it is better to advance with the rest of the world, or to hold on to the traditions that truly make a society independent and beautiful. The play begins with Yemoja, the most important woman in the village, in a house with Daisy and Ruth, two feminist western-educated scholars. They are the primary antagonists in the play. At this early stage, we see that Daisy and Ruth are not fond of Yemoja. Daisy and Ruth are leaders of the â€Å"Better Life for Rural Women† campaign, which inspires women to believe that they are not only equal to men in many ways, but are even superior in others. The two of them select Yemoja as the mediator between the village and the western world that they are so desperate to force upon the women. The movement causes a great disturbance in the village between the men and women, and especially with Yemoja’s husband and father. Back in Daisy’s home, she has been getting into many disagreements with her family. Her husband Okei, disagrees with her passion about the feminist movement and they frequently fight about it. Her mother-in-law, Sherifat, still encourages Yemoja to participate in the village’s traditional tribal rituals. Sherifat expresses that it would a terrible fate if Yemoja attempts to assimilate to the modern culture and loses her roots. As the story goes on, Daisy becomes estranged from her daughter Bose, as Bose is beginning to understand more and more the culture of the village and becomes closer to Yemoja and Sherifat. Towards the end of the play, the villagers organize a march, for which Daisy gives Yemoja steps to teach to the rest of the women. It becomes clear to Yemoja at that point that western culture is not for them. Daisy and Ruth’s superior arrives to enlighten the women about her ideas of feminism. She is the one that will decide whether or not the movement has succeeded or not. When it is time for Yemoja to perform the dance, however, she and Sherifat perform one of the Idu rituals instead. Bose even joins in the dancing. Ruth falls and becomes extremely injured while Daisy is thrust into the middle of the action. The play ends here in a beautifully tragic scene as Ruth chokes to death while the rest of the villagers celebrate having revitalized their culture. Tess Onwueme’s play was delightfully written and captivating to any audience. The story was intriguing and definitely matched it’s title. Now I see that, Tell It To Women, is a statement on how the women of the village are always being told to do or be something. Whether it is by Daisy and Ruth or by their husbands, the women never really find their own voice until the very end. We see in the first movement, Sherifat telling the chorus of women that being a wife is â€Å"meaning that a wife deserves to be treated like a daughter and not something that you possess. † Yet, throughout much of the story, we see the women being treated like servants and as subhuman to Daisy and Ruth, the village men, and western civilization as a whole. However, I believe that even as a woman, the author was at times, very objective in her portrayal of feminism. She was able to write a play that showed both the positives and negatives of modernism, while advancing the ideals of traditionalism. She does all this without losing sight of what is most important to women of a small village like that. At one part she even has Ruth say â€Å"these rural women are very gullible, you know. All you need to do is make them feel they are important†¦ we need them anyway, maybe even more than they need us. † The author is commenting here on the passive-aggressive attempts of Daisy and Ruth but also shows that the village women do not actually need to be modernized. Perhaps here, the author is a little biased because she is making Daisy and Ruth out to be selfish and slightly cruel. To a western reader, the play was not very easy to read. The names of the villagers were at times tongue tying and I found myself changing opinions about a character because I in fact, thought they were another. Onwueme also does not really explain the native African dialect and proverbial expressions that are used, which was slightly confusing as well. Many play-writes include footnotes at the bottom of the page to explain vernacular that is not known to the reader and that would have been very helpful here. That being said, the true meaning of the play was present the entire time. The clash of cultures and the lingering pains of colonialism in Africa come through wonderfully in the author’s interpretation. In one eloquent line we see that colonialism left its mark of the villagers. Sherifat says to Daisy that â€Å"it’s easier for those who inflict the pain on others to forget. † Tell It To Women, while at times was hard to follow, beautifully captured the struggle of traditionalism versus modernism and is a true mark of feminism. Overall, I thought that the play was well written and captivating. Even as a man, when sometimes it is hard to understand the desires of women, let alone women of another culture, I was able to grasp the true value of this play. It enlightened me about African culture and the roles of men and women in society. I believe Onwueme did a tremendous job in exposing the struggles of postcolonial Africa in an artful representation. A Critique of Tess Onwueme’s Tell It to Women. (2018, Nov 12).

Discuss the contributions of iron technology to the process of state Essay

Discuss the contributions of iron technology to the process of state formation in Bantu Africa - Essay Example Generally, the highlight of the state formation process in Bantu Africa was in the rate of growth, where within a very short time frame, the people had occupied a very wide area of land. Starting from Cross River region around Nigeria and Cameroon border, the people had by 1000 B.C expanded into Lake Victoria and later to southwest and south (Dubrulle, 2002). Wagner (2006) has explained that one important factor that could be accounted for the rapid process of state formation is the social and economic changes that involved other tribes tying up with the Bantu people as they moved along through interracial marriages. Regardless of the argument made for the social and economic changes that made the process of state formation possible and rapid, one aspect of growth factor that cannot be overlooked is the role of iron technology. Iron technology can be explained as the smelting of iron through the use of advantaged mechanisms in ensuring that the irons are refined into usable tools and equipment (Dubrulle, 2002). Generally, iron technology did not develop among Bantu Africa as an isolated trade. Rather, it came as a necessity to help in the boost of agricultural growth, which was identified as a major economic viability for the people. Agricultural growth in itself was also dependent on the fact that population was growing at a rate that was very high. Due to this high rate of population growth, it was necessary for the people to find a means of feeding themselves. But the old forms of tools made from stones, bones and woods were found not to be durable and strong enough to help them achieve this purpose. To this end, the people fell on iron technology for the production of various farm tools that were deemed to be more durable. Examples of such tools are axes, arrows, knifes, spears and hoes. Though the original intent was not iron technology as a trade, iron technology would eventually become the catalyst behind which Bantu Africa would