Analysis of “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson Essay

A lovely summer morning in a quiet little village, is what Shirley Jackson describes in the birth of her short story, â€Å"The Lottery (1948).† The organization of her story makes it exceptionally easy to read. The appealing imagery, that Jackson uses, sets the mood of the day and event to come. With the same imagery, she carefully decorates the setting, describes the characters, and unfolds the plot; while keeping the reader from anticipating the conflict until it is upon them. Organization Jackson’s organization of the story is chronological. After the introduction and description of the setting, she explains the sequence of events. The children congregate first, then the men. The women join the men, and they call the children to settle. As the event starts, the heads of each household go to remove a piece of paper from the box. Then, as they completed the first round of the lottery, each member of the winning family drew again. All of these events, so nonchalantly, were leading up to the tragic stoning of one community member. Setting From the image that Shirley describes of the stories setting, the reader can feel the warmth of the summer day. One can see and just about smell the flowers and grass, and can hear the children playing around as everyone in the small village gathered together. The men were discussing tractors and taxes, and the women exchanging gossip while they awaited the day’s annual event. Mood and Characters Mr. Summers leads the community event they call the lottery. Jackson tells us that Mr. Summers, because he has time to devote, also leads the other civic activities such as the square dances and Halloween program. Tessy Hutchinson is late to the gathering, saying that she â€Å"clean forgot what day it was (p. 259).† Mrs. Dunbar says, â€Å"I wish they’d hurry (p. 261).† Most of the characters are in good spirits; although, they are anxious to get on with the rest of their day. Nothing about the mood could lead one to believe this story may have an unpleasant ending. Even the seemingly grumpy Old Man Werner, does not provide any clues as to what will happen. He is exceedingly headstrong about the tradition, however. Especially when the Adams attempt to discuss other village’s doing away with the lottery. Even the complaints from Tessy, when her husband draws the winning paper, did not change the mood of the story or the villagers. Conflict From the mood set in the story, the village’s tradition of the Lottery seems like it may be something enjoyable. The conflict comes about when Tessy begins to complain about her families unfair selection and then her own. Then one may start to get the impression this may not be fun. I wondered what could be so miserable they needed a lottery to determine the winner, or loser in this case. Is she going to be forced to be the village mortician or have to care for the village idiot or leper for the year? Then in almost the last sentence, when the villagers surround Tessy and the first stone hit her in the head, holding her hands out desperately screaming, â€Å"It isn’t fair, it isn’t right (p. 264).† Only then does Jackson make it clear that the prize won from the lottery is fatal. Conclusion It is extremely difficult to read about a lovely community involved in such a tragic tradition. Shirley Jackson’s charming imagery of the setting and mood lures the reader through this shocking story. Overall, I think Jackson has done splendid work writing about such a horrific event. A story most people would not finish if they knew in the beginning that someone would be stoned to death by the entire community. Works Cited Jackson, S. (1948). The Lottery. In X. J. Kennedy, D. M. Kennedy, & M. F. Muth, The Bedford Guide for College writers (pp. 257-264). Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin.

Despairing Companionship Essay

â€Å"Modern Love,† a poetic sequence by George Meredith, describes a skeptical opinion on the idea of modern love. Meredith’s devastating tone, complex similes and metaphors, and dark imagery convey a sad and regretful outlook on the love of this time. â€Å"Modern Love† is riddled with a tone full of regret and heartache, making this modern love seem more like the opposite of love. The speaker says â€Å"she wept with waking eyes† and her â€Å"strange low sobs† were â€Å"strangled mute.† The words describing this woman are full of grief, full of â€Å"vain regret.† Her husband is painfully aware of his wife’s sadness, through her reaction to â€Å"his hand’s light quiver by her head† and her sobs that were â€Å"dreadfully venomous to him.† The speaker’s worried tone shows how much the husband wishes for his wife to be happy, but his actions of loving care and cautiousness do nothing to quell her tears. This makes modern love seem hopeless and full of despair for both the man and his distraught wife. Use of intense simile and metaphor throughout â€Å"Modern Love† also demonstrates a grim view on the concept of modern love. The muffled cries of the wife are called â€Å"little gaping snakes† showing how afraid and vulnerable the husband is to them. The man’s wife has a â€Å"Giant heart of Memory and Tears† which shows the heavy, almost useless organ that the wife carries around within her, empty of love, only able to remember the sadness to which she has been subjected to. Then, the husband and wife are said to be â€Å"like sculpture effigies† in their â€Å"common bed,† lying â€Å"stone-still.† Instead of two lovers talking to each other and loving each other in their bed, a place shared between the two of them, they are â€Å"moveless† and silent. This makes modern love seem empty of joy, empty of companionship, and devoid of love. â€Å"Modern Love† also utilizes imagery to portray the sadness and tension of modern love. The wife is described as lying â€Å"stone-still.† They are both â€Å"moveless† as they look back through their â€Å"dead black years.† Their life is described as â€Å"black,† which provides the image of nothingness, as if there is no memory worth seeing. Their modern love provides no light with which their lives might be made happy. They are seen as â€Å"sculptured effigies,† wishing for the â€Å"sword that severs all.† Instead of wishing for a good relationship or positive time together, they want something to end their marriage, to end the one thing that ties them together. This modern love is not love at all, but a forced binding between two people who want nothing of it. The poetic sequence â€Å"Modern Love† by George Meredith conveys a dark and regretful view of modern love through heartbreaking tone, deep similes and metaphors, and intense imagery.

Fluke, or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings Chapter 7~9

CHAPTER SEVEN Sanctuary, Sanctuary, Cried the Humpback When a visitor first drives into the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale Sanctuary – five baby blue shiplap buildings trimmed out in cobalt, crouching on the edge of the huge Maalaea Bay and overlooking the ruins of an ancient saltwater fish pond – his first reaction is usually â€Å"Hey, not much of a sanctuary. You could get maybe three whales in those buildings, tops.† Soon, however, he realizes that these buildings are simply the offices and visitor centers. The sanctuary itself covers the channels that run from Molokai to the Big Island of Hawaii, between Maui, Lanai, and Kahoolawe, as well as the north shores of Oahu and Kauai, in which there is plenty of room for a whole bunch of whales, which is why they are kept there. There were about a hundred people milling around outside the lecture hall when Nate and Amy pulled into the parking lot in the pickup. â€Å"Looks like a good turnout?† Amy said. She'd attended only one of the sanctuary's weekly lectures, and that one had been given by Gilbert Box, an ill-tempered biologist doing survey work under a grant for the International Whaling Commission, who droned through numbers and graphs until the ten people in attendance would have killed a whale themselves just to shut him up. â€Å"It's about average for us. Behavior always draws more than survey. We're the sexy ones,† Nate said with a grin. Amy snorted. â€Å"Oh, yeah, you guys are the Mae Wests of the nerd world.† â€Å"We're action nerds,† Nate said. â€Å"Adventure nerds. Nerds of romance.† â€Å"Nerds,† Amy said. Nate could see the skeletal Gilbert Box standing off to the side of the crowd under a straw hat whose brim was so wide it could have afforded shade for three additional people and behind a pair of enormous wraparound sunglasses suitable for welding or as a shield from nuclear flash. His gaunt face was still smeared with residue of the white zinc oxide he used for sun protection when out on the water. He wore a long-sleeved khaki shirt and trousers and leaned on a white sun umbrella that he was never seen without. It was a half hour before sunset, a warm breeze was coming off Maalaea Bay, and Gilbert Box looked like Death out for his after-dinner stroll before a busy night of e-mailing heart attacks and tumors to a few million lucky winners. Nate had given Box the nickname â€Å"the Count,† after the Sesame Street vampire with the obsessive-compulsive need to count things. (Nate had been too old for Sesame Street as a preschooler, but he'd watched it through grade ten while baby-sitting his younger brother, Sam.) People agreed that the Count was the perfect name for a survey guy with an aversion to water and sunlight, and the name had caught on even outside Nate and Clay's immediate sphere of influence. Panic rattled up Nate's spine. â€Å"They're going to know we're faking it. The Count will call us on it the first time I say something that we don't have the data to back up.† â€Å"How's he going to know? You had the data a week ago. Besides, what's this ‘we'? I'm just running the projector.† â€Å"Thanks.† â€Å"There's Tarwater,† Amy said. â€Å"Who are those women he's talking to?† â€Å"Probably just some whale huggers,† Nate said, pretending that all of his mental faculties were required for him to squeeze the pickup into the four adjacent empty parking spaces. The women Tarwater was talking to were Margaret Painborne, Ph.D., and Elizabeth  «Libby » Quinn, Ph.D. They worked together with a couple of very butch young women studying cow/calf behavior and social vocalizations. They were doing good work, Nate thought, even if it appeared to have a gender-based agenda. Margaret was in her late forties, short and round, with long gray hair that she kept perpetually tied back in a braid. Libby was almost a decade younger, long-legged and lean, blond hair going gray, cut short, and she had once, not too long ago, been Nathan Quinn's third wife. A second and totally different wave of anxiety swept over Quinn. This was the first time he'd encountered Libby since Amy joined the team. â€Å"They don't look like whale huggers,† Amy said. â€Å"They look like researchers.† â€Å"How is that?† â€Å"They look like action nerds.† Amy snorted again and crawled out of the truck. â€Å"That's not very professional,† Nate said, â€Å"that snorting-laugh thing you do.† But Amy had already walked off toward the lecture hall, a carousel of slides under her arm. Nate counted more than thirty researchers in the crowd as he walked up. And those were just the ones he was acquainted with. New people would be coming back and forth from the mainland all season – grad students, film crews, reporters, National Fisheries people, patrons – all hitchhiking on the very few research permits that were issued for the sanctuary. For some reason Amy made a beeline for Cliff Hyland and his navy watchdog, Tarwater, who was out of uniform in Dockers and a Tommy Bahama shirt, but still out of place because his clothes were ironed to razor creases – his Topsiders had been spit-shined, and he stood as if there were a cold length of rebar wired to his spine. â€Å"Hey, Amy,† Cliff said. â€Å"Sorry to hear about the break-in. Bad?† â€Å"We'll be all right,† Amy said. Nate strolled up behind Amy. â€Å"Hey, Cliff. Captain.† He nodded to each. â€Å"Sorry to hear about the break-in, Nate,† Cliff said again. â€Å"Hope you guys didn't lose anything important.† â€Å"We're fucked,† Nate said. And Tarwater smiled – for the first time ever, Nate thought. â€Å"We're fine.† Amy grinned and brandished her carousel of slides like a talisman of power. â€Å"I'm thinking about getting a job at Starbucks,† Nate said. â€Å"Hey, Cliff, what are you guys working on?† Amy asked, having somehow moved close enough into Cliff Hyland's personal space to have to look up at him with big, girly-blue eyes and the aspect of a fascinated child. Nate cringed. It was†¦ well, it was just not done. You didn't ask, not outright like that. â€Å"Just some stuff for the navy,† Cliff said, obviously wanting to back away from Amy, but knowing that if he did, somehow he'd lose face. Nate watched while Amy grated his friend's middle-aged irrelevance against his male ego merely by stepping a foot closer. There, too, was a reaction from Tarwater, as the younger man seemed to be irritated by the fact that Amy was paying attention to Cliff. Or maybe he was just irritated with Amy because she was irritating. Sometimes Nate had to remind himself not to think like a biologist. â€Å"You know, Cliff,† Amy said, â€Å"I was looking at a map the other day – and I want you to brace yourself, because this may come as a shock – but there's no coastline in Iowa. I mean, doesn't that get in the way of studying marine mammals?† â€Å"Sure, now you bring that up,† Cliff said. â€Å"Where were you ten years ago when I accepted the position?† â€Å"Middle school,† Amy said. â€Å"What's in the big case on your boat? Sonar array? You guys doing another LFA study?† Tarwater coughed. â€Å"Amy,† Nate interrupted, â€Å"we'd better get set up.† â€Å"Right,† Amy said. â€Å"Nice seeing you guys.† She moved on. Nate grinned, just for a second. â€Å"Sorry, you know how it is?† â€Å"Yeah.† Cliff Hyland smiled. â€Å"We've got two grad students working with us this season.† â€Å"But we left our grommets at home, to analyze data,† Tarwater added. Nate and Cliff looked at each other like two old broken-toothed lions long driven from the pride – tired, but secure in the knowledge that if they teamed up, they could eat the younger male alive. Cliff shrugged, almost imperceptibly, that small gesture communicating, Sorry, Nate, I know he's an asshole, but what am I going to do? It's funding. â€Å"I'd better go in,† Nate said, patting the notes in his shirt pocket. He passed a couple more acquaintances, saying hello as he went by, then inside the door ran right into a minor nightmare: Amy talking to his ex-wife, Libby, and her partner, Margaret. It had been like this: They'd met ten years ago, summer in Alaska, a remote lodge on Baranof Island on the Chatham Strait, where scientists were given access to a couple of rigid-hulled Zodiacs and all the canned beans, smoked salmon, and Russian vodka they could consume. Nate had come to observe the feeding behavior of his beloved humpbacks and record social sounds that might help him to interpret the song they sang when in Hawaii. Libby was doing biopsies on the population of resident (fish-eating) killer whales to prove that all the different pods were indeed part of one clan related by blood. He was two years divorced from his second wife. Libby, at thirty, was two months from finishing her doctoral dissertation in cetacean biology. Consequently, since high school she hadn't had time for anything but research – seasonal affairs with boat skippers, senior researchers, grad students, fishermen, and the occasional photographer or documentary filmmaker. She wasn't particular ly promiscuous, but there was a sea of men you were set adrift in if you were going to study whales, and if you didn't want to spend your life alone, you pulled into a convenient, if scruffy, port from time to time. The transience of the work drove a lot of women out of the field. On the other hand, Nate tried to solve the male side of the equation by marrying other whale researchers, reasoning that only someone who was equally obsessed, distracted, and single-minded would be able to tolerate those qualities in a mate. That sort of reasoning, of course, was testament to the victory of romanticism over reason, irony over rationality, and pure foolishness over common sense. The only thing that being married to another scientist had gotten Nate was a reprieve from being asked what he was thinking about while lying in bed in a postcoital cuddle. They knew what he was thinking about, because they were thinking about the same thing: whales. They were both lean and blond and weather-beaten, and one evening, as they were portaging gear from their respective Zodiacs, Libby unzipped her survival suit and tied the sleeves around her waist so she could move more freely. Nate said, â€Å"You look good in that.† No one, absolutely no one, looks good in a survival suit (unless a Day-Glo orange marshmallow man is your idea of a hot date), but Libby didn't even make the effort to roll her eyes. â€Å"I have vodka and a shower in my cabin,† she said. â€Å"I have a shower in my cabin, too,† Nate said. Libby just shook her head and trudged up the path to the lodge. Over her shoulder she called, â€Å"In five minutes there's going to be a naked woman in my shower. You got one of those?† â€Å"Oh,† said Nate. They were both still lean, but no longer blond. Nate was completely gray, and Libby was getting there. She smiled when he approached. â€Å"We heard about the break-in, Nate. I meant to call you.† â€Å"That's okay,† he said. â€Å"Not much you can do.† â€Å"That's what you think,† Amy said. She was bouncing on the balls of her feet as if she were going to explode or Tigger off across the room any second. â€Å"I think these might mitigate the loss a little,† Libby said. She slung her day pack off her shoulder, reached in, and came out with a handful of CDs in paper sleeves. â€Å"You forgot about these, I'll bet? You loaned them to us last season so we could pull off any social noises in the background.† â€Å"It's all the singer recordings from the last ten years,† Amy said. â€Å"Isn't that great!† Nate felt as if he might faint. To lose ten years' work, then reconcile the loss, only to have it handed back to him. He put his hand on Libby's shoulder to steady himself. â€Å"I don't know what to say. I thought you gave those back.† â€Å"We made copies.† Margaret stepped over to Quinn and in doing so got a foot between him and his ex-wife. â€Å"You said it would be okay. We were only using them for comparison to our own samples.† â€Å"No, it's okay,† Nate said. He almost patted her shoulder, but as he moved in that direction she flinched and he let his hand drop. â€Å"Thank you, Margaret.† Margaret had interposed herself completely between Nate and Libby, making a barrier of her own body (behavior she'd obviously picked up from her cow/calf studies – a humpback mother did the same thing when boats or amorous males approached her calf). Amy snatched the handful of CDs from Libby. â€Å"I'd better go through these. I can probably come up with a few relevant samples to play along with the slides if I hurry.† â€Å"I'll go with you,† Margaret said, eyeing Amy. â€Å"My handwriting on the catalog numbers leaves something to be desired.† And off they went toward the projection station in the middle of the hall, leaving Nate standing with Libby, wondering exactly what had just transpired. â€Å"She really does have an extraordinary ass, Nate,† Libby said as she watched Amy walk away. â€Å"Yep,† Nate said, not wanting to have this conversation. â€Å"She's very bright, too.† Sometime in the last week a tiny voice in his head had started asking, Could this get any weirder? In two minutes he'd gone from anxiety to embarrassment to anxiety to relief to gratitude to scoping chicks with his ex-wife. Oh, yes, little voice, it can always get weirder. â€Å"I think Margaret may be on a recruiting mission,† Libby said. â€Å"I hope she checked our budget before she left.† â€Å"Amy's working for free,† Nate said. Libby leaned up on tiptoes and whispered, â€Å"I believe that a starting position on the all-girl team has just opened up.† Then she kissed his cheek. â€Å"You knock 'em dead tonight, Nate.† And she was off after Amy and Margaret. Clay and Kona arrived just as Libby walked away, and, irritatingly, Kona was checking out Libby from behind. â€Å"Irie, Boss Nate. Who's the biscuit auntie suckin' face with ya?† (Like many authentic Hawaiians, Kona called any woman a generation older â€Å"auntie,† even if he was horning after her.) â€Å"You brought him here,† Nate said to Clay without turning to face him. â€Å"He's got to learn,† Clay said. â€Å"Libby seemed friendly.† â€Å"She's chasing Amy.† â€Å"Oh, she a blackheart thief that would take a man's Snowy Biscuit to have a punaani nosh. That Snowy Biscuit belong our tribe.† â€Å"Libby was Nate's third wife,† Clay volunteered, as if that would somehow immediately illuminate why the blackheart Libby was trying to steal the Snowy Biscuit from their tribe. â€Å"Truth?† Kona said, shaking his great gorgonation of dreadlocks in rag-doll confusion. â€Å"You married a lesbian?† â€Å"Whale willies,† said Clay, adding neither insight nor illumination. â€Å"I should go over my notes,† Nate said. CHAPTER EIGHT A Rippin' Talk â€Å"Biology,† said the pseudo Hawaiian, â€Å"dat bitch make sex puppets of everyone.† Clay had just told him the story. The story was this: Five years into her marriage to Nathan Quinn, Libby had gone for the summer to the Bering Sea to put satellite-tracking tags on female right whales. She had already begun working with Margaret Painborne, who was at the time trying to find out more about the mating and gestation behavior of right whales. The best way to do that was to keep constant tabs on the females. Now, sexing whales can be an incredibly difficult task, as their genitalia, for hydrodynamic reasons, are all internal. Without a biopsy or without being in the water with the animal (which means death in three minutes in the Bering Sea), about the only way to determine sex is to catch a female when she is with her calf or while the animals are mating. Libby and Margaret had decided to tag the animals while they were mating. Their base ship was an eighty-foot schooner loaned to the project by Scripps, but to do the actually tagging they used a nimble twelve-foot Zodiac with a forty-horse engine. They'd spotted a female trying to evade the advances of two giant males. The right whale is one of the few animals in the world that uses a washout strategy for mating. That is, the females mate with several males, but the one who can wash out the others' seed most efficiently will pass his genes on to the next generation. Consequently, the guy with the largest tackle often wins, and male right whales have the biggest tackle in the world, with testes that weigh up to a ton and ten-foot penises that are not only long but prehensile, able to reach around a female from the side and introduce themselves on the sly. Libby took the front of the boat, where she braced herself with a fifteen-foot fiberglass pole tipped with a barbed stainless point attached to the satellite unit. Margaret steered the outboard, maneuvering over frigid seven-foot seas, into the position where Libby could set the tag. Right whales are not particularly fast (whalers caught them in rowboats, for Christ's sake), but they are big and broad, and in the frenzy of a mating chase, a small Zodiac provides about as much protection from their thrashing, sixty-ton bodies as would wearing aluminum-foil armor to a joust. And noble Libby, action-girl nerd that she was, did look somewhat like a gallant knight in Day-Glo orange, her lance ready to strike as her trusty warhorse, Evinrude, powered her over the waves. And as they approached the big female, a male on either side of her, the two sandwiching her so she could not escape, she rolled over onto her back, presenting her genitals to the sky. At that she slowed, and Margaret steered between the two tails of the males so Libby could set the tag. The female stopped then and floated up under the Zodiac. Margaret powered down the motor so as not to rake the animal with the prop. â€Å"Shit!† Libby screamed. â€Å"Get us off! Get us off!† A swipe from the flukes of any of the animals would put them in the water, minutes from hypothermia and death. Libby had rolled her survival suit down so she could maneuver the harpoon. She'd be pulled under in seconds. Suddenly, out of the water on either side of them came two huge penises, the males searching for their mark, moving closer to the female, producing waves that knocked the two women into the floor of the boat. Above them the two pink towers curved around looking for their target, feeling the edges of the boat, running slime across the rubber, over the biologists, poking, beating about, and generally abusing the women. The female now had the Zodiac centered exactly over her genitals, using the rubber boat as an ad hoc diaphragm. Then the two giant whale willies encountered one another in the middle of the Zodiac, and each evidently thinking that the other had found his target and not wanting to be left out, they let loose with great gushing gouts of sticky whale semen, filling the boat, covering the equipment, the scientists, washing the gunwales, swamping the motor, generally leaving everything but the gal whale completely and disgustingly jizzed. Mission accomplished, off they swam t o strain a little postcoital krill out of the fray. Margaret suffered a concussion and a partially detached retina, Libby a dislocated shoulder and various scrapes and bruises, but the real trauma could not be assuaged with snaps, slings, and Betadine. Several weeks later Libby rejoined Nate, who was down at the Chatham Strait with Clay filming feeding behavior. She walked into his cabin, hugged him, then stepped back and said, â€Å"Nate, I don't think I want to be married anymore.† But what she really meant was â€Å"I'm done with penises forever, Nate, and pleasant as you are, I know that you are still attached to one. I've had my fill, so to speak. I'm moving on.† â€Å"Okay,† Nate said. He told Clay later that for hours he had been feeling hungry and kept telling himself that he should stop working and go eat, but after Libby showed up, then left, he realized that he hadn't been hungry at all. The emptiness inside was from feeling lonesome. And Nate had stayed relatively lonesome and mostly heartbroken since that day (although he didn't whine about it, he just wore it). Clay didn't tell Kona this part. Confessions made over whiskey and campfires were privileged communication. Loyalty. â€Å"So,† said Nate, â€Å"Since the song appears, in most cases, to actually draw the attention of other males, who often join up with the singer, it would seem that the song cannot be directly connected to mating activity, other than it happens in the mating season. And since no one has actually observed humpbacks mating, even this assumption could be in error. If, indeed, the song is the male attempting to define his territory, it would seem ineffective, since other males tend to join singers, even those escorting cow/calf pairs. The study recommends that more studies be done to find out if there is, as previously thought, any direct correlation between humpback song and mating activity. Thank you. I'll take your questions.† Hands went up. Here it came: the crystal gazers, the whale buggers, the hippies, the hunters, the tourists, the developers, the wackos, the researchers (God help us, the researchers), and the idly curious. Nate didn't mind the curious. They were the only ones without an agenda. Everyone else was looking for confirmations, not answers. Should he go to a researcher first? Get it out of the way? Might as well go right to the dark side. â€Å"Yes, Gilbert.† He pointed to the Count. The tall researcher had taken off his sunglasses but had pulled down the brim of his hat as if to conceal the glowing red coals of his eyes. Or maybe Nate was just imagining that. The Count said, â€Å"So with these small samplings – what was it, five instances of interactions among singers and others? – there's no real conclusion that you can reach about the relation to breeding or the robustness of the population? Correct?† Nate sighed. Fuckwad, he thought. He spoke to the strange faces in the audience, the nonprofessionals. â€Å"As you know, Dr. Box, samples for whale-behavior studies are usually very small. It's understood that we have to extrapolate more from the data with whales than with other animals who are more easily observed. Small samples are an accepted limitation of the field.† â€Å"So what you are saying,† Box continued, â€Å"is that you are trying to extrapolate the behavior of an animal that spends less than three percent of its time on the surface from observing its behavior on the surface. Isn't that akin to trying to extrapolate all of human civilization from looking at people's legs underwater at the beach? I mean, I don't see how you could possibly do it.† Nate looked around the room, hoping that one of the other behavior researchers might jump in, help him out, throw a bone to the podium, but apparently they were all finding the displays on the bulletin boards, the ceiling fans, or the wooden floor planks irresistibly interesting. â€Å"Lately we've been spending more and more time observing the animals under the water. Clay Demodocus has over six hundred hours of videotape of humpback behavior underwater. But it's only recently, with digital videotape and rebreather technology, that underwater observation has become practical to do to any extent. And we still have the problem of propulsion. No diver can swim fast enough to keep up with the humpbacks when they're traveling. I think all the researchers in this room understand the value of observing the animals in the water, and it goes without saying that any research without consideration of underwater behavior is incomplete. You understand that, I'm sure, Dr. Box.† There were a few stifled snickers around the room. Nathan Quinn smiled. The Count would not go into the water, under any circumstances. He was either terrified of it or allergic to it, but it was obvious from watching him on his boat that he wanted no contact whatsoever with the water. Still, if he was going to get his funding from the International Whaling Commission, he had to get out there and count whales. On the water, never in it. Quinn believed that Box did bad science, and because of that he had gone into consulting, the â€Å"dark side.† He performed studies and provided data for the highest bidder, and Nate had no doubt that the data was skewed to the agenda of the funding. Some nations in the IWC wanted to lift the moratorium on hunting whales, but first they had to prove that the populations had recovered enough to sustain hunting. Gilbert Box was getting them their numbers. Nate was happy to have embarrassed Box. He waited for the gaunt scientist to nod before he took the next question. â€Å"Yes, Margaret.† â€Å"Your study seems to focus on the perspective of the male animals, without consideration for the female's role in the behavior. Could you speak to that?† Jeez, what a surprise, thought Nate. â€Å"Well, I think there's good work being done on the cow/calf behavior, as well as on surface-active groups, which we assume is mating-related activity, but since my work concerns singers and as far as we know, all singers are males, I tend to observe more male behavior.† There, that should do it. â€Å"So you can't say definitively that the females are not the ones controlling the behavior?† â€Å"Margaret, as my research assistant has repeatedly pointed out to me, the only thing I can say definitively about humpbacks is that they are big and wet.† Everyone laughed. Quinn looked at Amy and she winked at him, then, when he looked back to Margaret, he saw Libby beside her, winking at him as well. But at least the tension among the researchers was broken, and Quinn noticed that Captain Tarwater and Jon Thomas Fuller and his entourage were no longer raising their hands to ask questions. Perhaps they realized that they weren't going to learn anything, and they certainly didn't want to try to pursue their own agendas in front of a crowd and be slapped down the way Gilbert Box had. Quinn took the questions from the nonscientists. â€Å"Could they just be saying hi?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"If they don't eat here, and it's not for mating, then why do they sing?† â€Å"That's a good question.† â€Å"Do you think they know that we've been contacted by aliens and are trying to contact the mother ship?† Ah, always good to hear from the wacko fringe, Nate thought. â€Å"No, I don't think that.† â€Å"Maybe they're using their sonar to find other whales.† â€Å"As far as we know, baleen whales, toothless whales like the humpbacks who strain their food from the sea through sheets of baleen, don't echolocate the way toothed whales do.† â€Å"Why do they jump all the time? Other whales don't jump like that.† â€Å"Some think that they are sloughing skin or trying to knock off parasites, but after years of watching them, I think that they just like making a splash – the sensation of air on their skin. The way you might like to dangle your feet in a fountain. I think they're just goofing off.† â€Å"I heard that someone broke into your office and destroyed all of your research. Who do you think would want to do that?† Nate paused. The woman who had asked the question was holding a reporter's steno pad. Maui Times, he guessed. She had stood to ask her question, as if she were attending a press conference rather than a casual lecture. â€Å"What you have to ask yourself,† said Nate, â€Å"is who could possibly care about research on singers?† â€Å"And who would that be?† â€Å"Me, a few people in this room, and perhaps a dozen or so researchers around the world. At least for now. Perhaps as we find out more, more people will be interested.† â€Å"So you're saying that someone in this room broke into your offices and destroyed all your research?† â€Å"No. As a biologist, one of the things you have to guard against is applying motives where there are none and reading more into a behavior than the data actually support. Sort of like the answer to the ‘why do they jump? question. You could say that it's part of an incredibly complex system of communication, and you might be right, but the obvious answer, and probably the correct one, is that the whales are goofing off. I think the break-in was just a random act of vandalism that has the appearance of motive.† Bullshit, Quinn thought. â€Å"Thank you, Dr. Quinn,† said the reporter. She sat down. â€Å"Thank you all for coming,† said Nate. Applause. Nate arranged his notes as people gathered around the podium. â€Å"That was bullshit,† Amy said. â€Å"Complete bullshit,† said Libby Quinn. â€Å"What a load of crap,† said Cliff Hyland. â€Å"Rippin' talk, Doc,† Kona said, â€Å"Marley's ghost was in ye.† CHAPTER NINE Relativity Leathery bar girls worked the charter booths at the harbor, smoking Basic 100s and talking in voices that sounded like 151 rum poured into hot grease – a jigger of friendly to the liter of harsh. They were thirty-five or sixty-five, the color of mahogany, skinny and strong from living on boats, liquor, fish, and disappointment. They'd come here from a dozen coastal towns, some sailing from the mainland in small craft but forgetting to save enough courage for the trip home. Marooned. Man to man, boat to boat, year to year – salt and sun and drinking had left them dry enough to cough dust. If they lasted a hundred years – and some would – then one moonless night a great hooded wraith would swoop into the harbor and take them off to their own craggy island – uncharted and unseen more than once by any living man – and there they would keep the enchantment of the sea alive: lure lost sailors to the shore, suck out all of their fluids, and leave their desiccated husks crumbling on the rocks for the crabs and the black gulls. Thus were the sea hags born†¦ but that's another story. Today they were just razzing Clay for leading two girls down the dock. â€Å"Just like outboards, Clay, you gotta have two to make sure one's always running,† called Margie, who had once, after ten mai-tais, tried to go down on the wooden sea captain who guarded the doorway of the Pioneer Inn. Debbie, who had a secret source for little-boy pee that she put in the ears of the black-coral divers when they got ear infections, said, â€Å"You give that young one the first watch, Clay. Let her rest up a bit.† â€Å"Morning, ladies,† Clay tossed over his shoulder. He was grinning and blushing, his ears showing red even where they weren't sunburned. Fifty years old, he'd dived every sea, been attacked by sharks, survived malaria and Malaysian pirates, ridden in a titanium ball with a window five miles down into the Tonga Trench, and still he blushed. Clair, Clay's girlfriend of four years, a forty-year-old Japanese-Hawaiian schoolteacher who moved like she was doing the hula to a Sousa march (strange mix of regal order and island breeze), backhanded a hang-loose shaka at the cronettes and said, grinning, â€Å"She just along to pour buckets on his reels girls, keep him from burning up.† â€Å"Oh, you guys are so friggin' nautical,† said Amy, who was wrestling with a huge Pelican case that held the rebreather. The case slipped out of her grip and barked her shin before she caught it. â€Å"Ouch. Damn it. Oh yeah, everyone loves your salty friggin' charm.† A chorus of cackles from the charter booths wheezed into coughing fits. Back to the cats, the cauldrons, the coconut oil, the sacred Jimmy Buffett songs sung at midnight into the ear of drunken, white-bearded Hemingway wannabes to make that rum-soaked member rise from the dead just this one last time. The leathery bar girls turned back to their business as Kona passed by. â€Å"Irie, Sistah Amy. Give up ye burden,† said Kona, bounding down the dock to sweep the heavy rebreather out of Amy's grip and up onto his shoulder. Amy rubbed her arm. â€Å"Thanks. Where's Nate?† â€Å"He go to the fuel dock to get coffee for the whole tribe. A lion, him.† â€Å"Yeah, he's a good guy. You'll be going out with him today. I have to go along with Clay and Clair as a safety diver.† â€Å"Slippers off in the boat,† Clay said to Clair for the hundredth time. She rolled her eyes and kicked off her flip-flops before stepping down into the Always Confused. She offered Clay a hand, and he steadied her as if escorting a lady from the king's court to the ballroom floor. Kona handed the rebreather down to Clay. â€Å"I can safety-dive.† â€Å"You'll never be able to clear your ears. You can't pinch your nostrils shut with those nose rings in.† â€Å"They come out. Look, out they come.† He tossed the rings to Amy and she deftly sidestepped, letting them plop into the water. â€Å"Oops.† â€Å"Amy's a certified diver, kid. Sorry. You're with Nate today.† â€Å"He know that?† â€Å"Yeah, does he know that?† asked Clair. â€Å"He will soon. Get those lines, would you, Amy.† â€Å"I can drive the boat.† Kona was on the edge of pleading. â€Å"No one but me drives the boat,† said Clay. â€Å"I'm driving the boat,† corrected Clair. â€Å"You have to sleep with Clay to drive the boat,† said Amy. â€Å"You just do what Nate tells you,† Clay said. â€Å"You'll be fine.† â€Å"If I sleep with Amy can I drive the boat?† â€Å"Nobody drives the boat,† Clay said. â€Å"I drive the boat,† Clair said. â€Å"Nobody sleeps with Amy,† Amy said. â€Å"I sleep with Amy,† Clair said. And everyone stopped and looked at Clair. â€Å"Who wants cream?† asked Nate, arriving at that moment with a paper tray of coffee cups. â€Å"You can do your own sugar.† â€Å"That's what I'm saying,† said Clair. â€Å"Sisters are doing it for themselves.† And Nate hung there in space, holding a cup and a sugar packet, a wooden stir stick, a baffled expression. Clair grinned. â€Å"Kidding. Jeez, you guys.† Everyone breathed. Coffee was distributed, gear was loaded, Clay drove the Always Confused out of the harbor, pausing to wave to the Count and his crew, who were loading gear into a thirty-foot rigid-hull Zodiac normally used for parasailing. The Count pulled down the brim of his hat and stood in the bow of the Zodiac, his sun umbrella at port arms, looking like a skeletal statue of Washington crossing the Lethe. The crew waved, Gilbert Box scowled. â€Å"I like him,† Clay said. â€Å"He's predictable.† But Amy and Clair missed the comment. They were applying sunscreen and indulging in girl talk in the bow. â€Å"You can talk like such a floozy sometimes,† said Amy. â€Å"I wish I could be floozish.† Clair poked her in the leg with a long, red-lacquered fingernail. â€Å"Don't sell yourself short, pumpkin.† The ersatz Hawaiian stood on the bow rail like he was hanging ten off the twenty-two-foot Mako, waving to the Zodiac crew as they passed. â€Å"Irie, science dreadies! We be research jammin' now!† But when the Count ignored his greeting, Kona gave the traditional island response: â€Å"What, I owe you money?† â€Å"Settle, Kona,† Nate said. â€Å"And get down off of there.† Kona made his way back to the console. â€Å"Old white jacket givin' you the stink-eye. Why, he think you an agent of Babylon?† â€Å"He does bad science. People come to me to ask me about him, I tell them he does bad science.† â€Å"And we do the good science?† â€Å"We don't change our numbers to please the people who fund us. The Japanese want numbers that show recovery of the humpback population to levels where the IWC will let them start hunting them again. Gilbert tries to give them those numbers.† â€Å"Kill these humpies? No.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"No. Why?† â€Å"To eat.† â€Å"No,† said the blond Rastaman, shaking his head as if to clear the evil from his ears – his dreads fanning out into nappy spokes. Quinn smiled to himself. The moratorium had been in effect since before Kona was born. As far as the kid knew, whales had been and always would be safe from hunters. Quinn knew better. â€Å"Eating whale is very traditional in Japan. It sort of has the ritual of our Thanksgiving. But it's dying out.† â€Å"Then it's all good.† â€Å"No. There are a lot of old men who want to bring back whale hunting as a tradition. The Japanese whaling industry is subsidized by the government. It's not even a viable business. They serve whale meat in the school-lunch program so kids will develop a taste for it.† â€Å"No. No one eats the whale.† â€Å"The IWC allows them to kill five hundred minke whales a year, but they kill more. And biologists have found whale meat from half a dozen endangered whale species in Japanese markets. They try to pass it off as minke whale, but the DNA doesn't lie.† â€Å"Minke? That devil in the white war paint killing our minke?† â€Å"We don't have any minkes here in Hawaii.† â€Å"Course not, the Count killing them. We going to chant down this evil fuckery.† Kona dug into his red, gold, and green fanny pack. Out came an extraordinarily complex network of plastic, brass, and stainless-steel tubing, which in seconds Kona had assembled into what Quinn thought was either a very small and elegant linear particle accelerator or, more likely, the most complex bong ever constructed. â€Å"Slow de boat, brah. I got to spark up for freedom. Chant down Babylon, go into battle for Jah's glory, mon. Slow de boat.† â€Å"Put that away.† Kona paused, his Bic lighter poised over the bowl. â€Å"Take de ship home to Zion, brah?† â€Å"No, we have work to do.† Nate slowed the boat and killed the motor. They were about a mile off Lahaina. â€Å"Chant down Babylon?† Kona raised the lighter. â€Å"No. Put that away. I'll show you how to drop the hydrophone.† Quinn checked the tape in the recorder on the console. â€Å"Save our minkes?† Kona waved the lighter, unlit, in circles over the bowl. â€Å"Did Clay show you how to take an ID photo?† Nate pulled the hydrophone and the coil of cord out of its case. â€Å"Ride Jah's herb into the mystic?† â€Å"No! Put that away and get the camera out of that cabinet in the bow.† Kona broke down the bong with a series of whirs and clicks and put it back in his fanny pack. â€Å"All right, brah, but when they have eated all your minkes, will not be Jah's fault.† An hour later, after listening, and moving, and listening again, they had found their singer. Kona stood balanced on the gunwale of the boat staring down in wonder at the big male, who was parked under the boat making a sound approximating that of a kidnap victim trying to scream through duct tape. Kona would look from the whale to Nate, grin, then look back to the whale again, the whole time perched and balanced on the gunwale like a gargoyle on the parapet of a building. Nate guessed that he would be able to hold that position for about two minutes before his knees locked permanently and he'd be forced to finish life in a toadish squat. Still, he envied Kona the enthusiasm of discovery, the fascination and excitement of being around these great animals for the first time. He envied him his youth and his strength. And, listening to the song in the headphones, the song that seemed so clearly to be a statement of mating and yet refused to give up any direct evidence that it was, Nate felt a profound irrelevance. Sexually, socially, intellectually, fiscally, scientifically irrelevant – a sack of borrowed atoms lumpily arranged in a Nate shape. No effect, purpose, or stability. He tried to listen more closely to what the whale was doing, to lose himself in analyzing what exactly was going on below, but that merely seemed to underscore the suspicion that not only was he getting old, he might be going crazy. This was the first time he'd been out since the â€Å"bite me† incident, and since then he had convinced himself that it must have been some sort of hallucination. Still, he cringed a bit every time the whale humped its tail to dive, expecting to see a message scrawled across the flukes. â€Å"He's making them up noises, boss.† Nate nodded. The kid was learning fast. â€Å"Get your camera ready, Kona. He'll breathe three, maybe four times before he dives, so be ready.† Abruptly the singing in the headphones stopped. Nate pulled up the hydrophone and started the engine. They waited. â€Å"He went that way, boss,† Kona said, pointing off to the starboard side. Nate turned the boat slowly in place and waited. They were looking in the direction in which Kona had seen the whale moving underwater when he surfaced behind them, not ten feet away from the boat, the blow making both of them jump, the spray wafting across them in a rainbow cloud. â€Å"Ho! Dat buggah up, boss!† â€Å"Thank you, Captain Obvious,† Nate said under his breath. He pulled down the throttle and came in behind the whale. On its next breath the whale rolled and slapped a long pectoral fin on the surface, soaking Kona and throwing heavy spray over the console. At least the kid had had the sense to use his body to shield the camera from the splash. â€Å"I love this whale!† Kona said, his Rastaspeak melting, leaving behind a middle-class Jersey accent. â€Å"I want to take this whale home and put him in a box with grass and rocks. Buy him squeaky toys.† â€Å"Get ready for your ID shot,† Nate instructed. â€Å"When we're done with him, can I keep him? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeze!† â€Å"Here he goes, Kona. Focus.† The whale humped, then fluked, and Kona fired off four quick frames with the motor drive. â€Å"You get it?† â€Å"Rippin' pics. Rippin'!† Kona put the camera down on the seat in front of the console and covered it with a towel. Nate pointed the boat toward the last fluke print, a twenty-foot lens of smooth water formed on the surface by the turbulence of the whale's tail. These lenses would hold on the surface sometimes for as long as two minutes, serving as windows through which the researchers could watch the whales. In the old whaling days the hunters believed that fluke prints had been caused by oil excreted by the whale. Nate cut the engine and let the boat coast over the fluke print. They could hear the whale song coming up from below and could feel the boat vibrating under their feet. Nate dropped the hydrophones, hit the ;record; button, and put on the headphones. Kona was recording the frame numbers and GPS coordinates in the notebook as Nate had taught him. A monkey can do my job, Nate thought. An hour's experience and this stoner is already doing it. This kid is younger, stronger, and faster than I am, and I'm not even sure that I'm smarter, as if that matters. I'm totally irrelevant. But maybe it did matter. Maybe it wasn't all about strength. Culture and language completely screwed up normal biological evolution. Why would we humans have developed such big brains if mating was always predicated on strength and size? Women must have chosen their mates based on intelligence as well. Perhaps early smart guys would say something like â€Å"There, right behind those rocks, there's a tasty sloth ripe for the spearing. Go get him, guys.† Then, after he'd sent the stronger, dumber guys running off a cliff after the imaginary sloth, he'd settle down with the best of the Cro-Magnon cuties to mix some genes. â€Å"That's right, bite my brow ridge. Bite it!† Nate smiled. Kona was looking over the side at the singer, whose tail was only twenty feet below the boat (although his head was forty feet deeper). He was only a couple of minutes into his song. He'd be down at least ten minutes more. â€Å"Kona, we need to get a DNA sample.† â€Å"How we do that?† Nate pulled a set of flippers out of the console and handed them and an empty coffee cup out to the surfer. â€Å"You're going to need to go get a semen sample.† The surfer gulped. Looked at the whale, looked at the cup, looked over the side at the whale again. â€Å"No lid?†

The success of Apple with the application of Porter's strategy theory Essay

The success of Apple with the application of Porter's strategy theory - Essay Example In 1996, Jobs arrived on Apple's campus for the first time in nearly 11 years, becoming interim and then permanent CEO† (Kanter, 2010). Many commentators therefore separate Apple’s history under Jobs as â€Å"Jobs I† and â€Å"Jobs II,† with the latter being his re-introduction to the company. Apple, during its early years, was quick to establish a core competence. As one group of authors states, â€Å"A company’s core competence can relate to any of several aspects of its business: expertise in building networks and systems that enable e-commerce; speeding new or next generation products to market; good after-sale service; skills in manufacturing a high-quality product; (and) innovativeness in developing popular product features;† these authors also stress the importance of â€Å"speed and agility in responding to new market trends and changing competitive conditions; know-how in creating and operating a system for filling customer orders ac curately and swiftly; and expertise in integrating multiple technologies to create families of new products.†(Thompson and Strickland, 1997). ... â€Å"We are living through extraordinary times for the music business. One of the great success stories of the 20th century is turning unpleasantly sour in the 21st† (Cook, 2003). From this perspective, it is fairly impressive that Apple has been able to capitalize in a market where it is essentially competing with a free product by putting its own 99 cent downloads up against it, successfully. â€Å"Apple has sold more than 500 million songs in 19 countries since it introduced iTunes in the United States over two years ago. While iTunes by itself is not viewed as a big money maker for Apple, it has helped drive sales of its wildly popular iPod portable music player† (Apple, 2005). From this perspective, the service is selling the hardware. Another major issue facing Apple is that if consumers do not see what they want aligned with their needs in a retailer, they are likely going to go someplace else to hire the product they are seeking. â€Å"The record companies hav e never had it so bad. The world is still saturated with popular music, but somehow its very omnipotence has taken the shine off its profitability: as popular as pop stars are, many of us have had enough of them† (Cook, 2003). Porter’s framework applied Porter’s Five Force analysis has achieved wide credibility as a form of industry analysis. Also, some of Porter’s key concepts can be applied to Apple. â€Å"The intensity of industry competition and an industry’s profit potential are a function of five forces of competition: the threats posed by new entrants, the power of suppliers, the power of buyers, product substitutes, and the intensity of rivalry among competitors† (Schmalnese, 1985). Porter’s Five Forces model of industry analysis is, stemming rationally from the

Can Disability, Chronic Conditions, Health and Wellness Coexist Essay

Can Disability, Chronic Conditions, Health and Wellness Coexist - Essay Example Additional activities that enhance the physical well-being incorporate the avoidance of drug abuse and maintenance of proper hygiene. . According to Wright & Ellis (2010), mental health is the cognitive and psychological well-being. People with good mental health do not have psychological disorders acknowledge their abilities and can easily manage the stress emerging from daily processes. Additionally, they can improve the community financial status by working productively. Countries that are able to maintain good health through the provision of proper health care are very productive. Most developing countries do not have proper health care facilities and this contributes to slow rate of economic development. This is because they spend a lot of money trying to control diseases instead of using the money to development the country. According to Wright & Ellis (2010), environmental conditions, genetics, income levels, educational levels, and relationship with other individuals in the society determine good health. Illness is a negative occurrence that causes suffering and hinders proper body functioning. According to Wright & Ellis (2010), it is the major cause of death in the world. The two types of illnesses are chronic and curable. The curable illness can be treated and prevented with proper medication. Malaria is an example of curable illness. Illnesses can affect the financial systems of many countries (Wright & Ellis, 2010). Optimum health is the highest level of mental and physical well being that one can achieve. It is the total absence of both curable and chronic disease (Rankin, London & Stallings, 2005). One can reach optimum physical health if he effectively prevents diseases by maintain good nutritional habits and physical exercises. Moreover, optimum mental health can be achieved through effective management of stress and maintaining a good relationship with other people (Rankin, London &

Ellis College Admission Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ellis College Admission - Essay Example Ellis College believes in delivering superior education to the students. I can take the first major step towards achieving my career goal at Ellis. I do not have an American diploma but what I know is Ellis values the experience gained by the individual over the years, which will help me as I have plenty of experience in the profession. I am planning to join another organization because right now I have a decent job, but with not much of growth potential. I firmly believe that to grow up, there must be opportunities for capable persons, which in turn provide motivation to perform still better. 5. As you advance in your career, what are your priorities related to advancement? For example, these priorities may include finding a stable position, reaching a certain salary level, fulfilling a personal interest, using specialized skills, being challenged intellectually, or providing benefits to others. You may have other priorities than the examples listed here, and you are encouraged to discuss them. My short-term goal is to gain credentials as a qualified learner, who’s ready to accept the challenges and learn from them. Therefore my first priority is to reach a stable position using specialized skills. Ellis College will help me in polishing my skills. I’ll do all my sincere efforts to consolidate my position thereafter. And after reaching a certain salary level I’ll consider having my own enterprise. Having received so much from the society, I consider it my solemn duty to pay my due share back to the society as well. I’ll, therefore, do my bit to help in reducing the agony of orphan kids by providing them with toys and books. Ellis College is certain to provide me the edge in interpreting the challenges arising out of globalization and competition. I am sure Ellis can help me in restructuring my knowledge and broadening the knowledge base.

Global & International Business Contexts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 2

Global & International Business Contexts - Essay Example etailers of the world, one can find that the company has more than 2,300 supermarkets & convenience stores and has employee strength of 326,000 people. Tesco’s main business is located in Great Britain, where it is the largest private sector business house in United Kingdom and also has the largest food retail business, has more about 1,900 stores (Tesco, n.d.). In continental part of Europe, Tesco have businesses in Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, the Republic of Ireland, Slovakia, and Turkey. In Asia, this company has business in Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. It also has financial services known as Tesco Financial Services that have 4.6 million customers which is roughly divided into credit card holders and car insurance policy holders. It also has 100-unit Tesco Express chain, due to which the company is ranked as the largest seller of gasoline in United Kingdom. It also has small urban stores known as Tesco Metro and hypermarkets known as Tesco Extra. It is now expanding its business with a TV channel and a "retail based education institution†. The SWOT and PESTAL analysis show that Tesco currently has the resourcing capabilities to introduce the baby wear segment in the market and able to implement a market developing strategy built on the success of its stores in the country. Tesco targets the high-end marketing segment with the differentiation strategy. It opts for introducing a segment of baby wear in Sweden, although there numerous stores operating in Sweden. The current report, using PESTLE and SWOT analysis, will analyze Tescos situation in market and that will be a valuable information for the management team to opt for the correct and definite strategies mainly in corporate level and international level which relates to introduce designer baby wear for infants & toddlers in Northern Europe i.e. Sweden. This report shows that how Tesco tend to diversify market and will also handle its own corporate portfolio. Tesco can

Explain three (3) world arguments for birth control and two (2) world Essay - 1

Explain three (3) world arguments for birth control and two (2) world arguments against birth control - Essay Example This paper discusses some of the argument for and against birth control in how it also affects world population, the quality of life, and sustainability of subsistence supplies. The first argument against birth control is that any form of birth control is necessarily an ethical question. It means birth control is largely unethical because it is against natural law which is for any native population (human or animal) to be allowed to reproduce to full capacity. The ethics of population control goes beyond mere religion because it is a universal issue that in turn affects the very right of every living organism to be born. On the other side, Nature expectedly will cull the population to limit its growth through diseases which eliminate the sick, the weak, and the infirm. Birth control is just superfluous because Nature will take care of over-population and further, any control is dangerous as it can lead to eugenics (Chesterton & Perry, 2000). A second argument against birth control is that any form of birth control is a variation of a mass suicide. Some authors like to call it the modern version of race suicide as it eliminates the entire race or an ethnic group as its population will gradually dwindle over a period of time. The natural tendency is to let populations flourish and not allow them to perish (Parry, 2013). The first argument is birth control is much preferable compared to allowing conception that is unwanted that will in turn result into the more gruesome abortions. Many pregnancies had ended in tragedy because some females decide to terminate the gestation and this endangered the maternal health in addition to the emotional toll it exacts on the expectant mother. Many of these unwanted pregnancies are from the teenagers and young adults unable to comprehend the complexity and implications of parenthood and birth control will spare them from this agony. A second argument for birth control is it allows for a better

Social Engineering Attacks and Counterintelligence Case Study

Social Engineering Attacks and Counterintelligence - Case Study Example Social engineering is seen to mostly rely on people’s innate inability to effectively keep up with the current culture that heavily relies on information technology, this essentially refers to the fact that most persons happen to not be well aware of the actual value of the information that they happen to possess and are therefore rather careless about its protection (Rouse, 2006). It is not uncommon for most social engineers to try and search dumpsters in a bid to try and obtain valuable information, engage in the memorizing of access codes by essentially looking over someone else’s shoulder in a technique that is commonly referred to as shoulder surfing, or taking full advantage of people’s natural inclination to constantly choose passwords that happen to be meaningful to them and can be easily guessed (Rouse, 2006). Most Security experts have taken to proposing that as the modern day culture continues to become ever more dependent on information, it is increas ingly evident that social engineering will ultimately remain as the greatest threat to any possible security system. What is Counterintelligence? According to Hawkins (1997), counterintelligence has actually been around for as long as espionage has been. Traditionally, counterintelligence has mainly been thought of only in the context of solely attempting to counter human espionage efforts. However, modern counterintelligence is designed to be a multi-disciplinary effort and can be defined as being the detection and effective neutralization of the activities and opportunities of a given competitor with the sole objective of gaining proprietary advantage over a certain given organization by using a raft of unethical and illegal methods. Competitors can be identified as being anything from a local or foreign business enterprise or individual to a foreign government. Hawkins further notes that, over the past ten years, counterintelligence has been redefined by the United States federal government to counter more than the threat from human intelligence to now include imagery and signal intelligence collection. The Potential Implications of Social Engineering and Counter Intelligence in respect to the Leaked Iraq War Logs and Afghan War Diary It is probable that social engineering was primarily used to trick Bradley Manning who is the 22 year old U.S Army Intelligence analysis suspected of leaking an approximated over 700,000 secret government documents to the Wikileaks website. As such, it is seen that Manning may have been tricked into going beyond his already established user rights into divulging this information. The Wikileaks website owner Julian Assange is however seen to refuse to divulge exactly who it was that provided him with the leaked documents. To this end, it is seen that the United States counterintelligence efforts happened to experience a serious lapse in that such important and classified information could be copied and sent to an outside source unofficially. As a result of social engineering and inefficient counterintelligence efforts, the United States military is now seen to be exposed as the Pentagon claims that it is aware that a number of various terrorist organizations are currently actively engaged in mining the leaked Afghan War Diary documents in an effort to try and obtain

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been - Essay Example The story describes Connie as a young and beautiful girl who grows up in the Suburbia in the years between 1960. During this period, the author describes there were few beautiful girls who would be determined to expose their beauty to the entire society. Although the young girls were beautiful, most of the parents opted for their daughter to remain indoors. Joyce Carol Oates the author of the story, â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been† illustrates that since Connie was young, she spend most of her time in front of a mirror confirming her beauty. This made Connie’s mother irritates and pissed off since her daughter was wasting time in confirming her beauty instead of concentrating on other life aspects (Oates 1). At some point, the author, Joyce quotes in the story â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been† that, â€Å"stop wasting time and gawking at yourself, who do you think you are, you think your pretty†. Joyce identifies that the mother was provoked with the number of times her daughter wasted time in confirming and bragging her beauty. Connie also had an elder sister, June but she was not as beautiful as the young and attractive Connie appeared. Although June was the eldest of the two, one would mistake Connie to be the first-born. June was older at the age of twenty-four and still lived with the parents. She worked in a high school as the secretary and saved the maximum money she could to rescue the family (Oates 4). June was innocent and never made any trouble to the family as Connie did to the rest of the family. June always listen to her mother’s words and followed every instruction given. This was totally contrary to the sister, Connie, who decides to listen to the friends. In the story, â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been†, the author, Joyce identifies that Connie continued with her trends and even started going out with friends. This made the situation even worse after she was introduced to

Geggus, David Patrick. Haitian revolutionary studies. Essay Example for Free

Geggus, David Patrick. Haitian revolutionary studies. Essay After the 1695 Ryswick Treaty between France and Spain, France took control of St. Domingue (Willie 2001, p 36). The legal rights bestowed upon the French gave them the jurisdictional capacity to reign over the western region of Hispaniola. Government officials from France took care of the administrative and governing bodies of St. Domingue. The Ryswick Treaty paved way for the French to colonize St. Domingue and take preeminence in virtually every fundamental aspect of the region. The social, economic and political realms of the people of St. Domingue were largely defined by the French colonial systems in place (Willie 2001, p 36). The weighty colonial systems of the French in St. Domingue led to a stratified social system, dividing the people into social classes. The Les Grand Blancs were the superior whites who consisted of the planters and royal officials of the colony. The Les Petit Blanc, considered as the lowest group of whites consisted of the artisans, shopkeepers and bookkeepers in St. Domingue. By 1789, the total umber of whites in St. Domingue was 30, 000. The Mulattoes or free coloreds, numbering 28,000 by 1789, consisted of children fathered by white French men with black women (Willie, 2012, p 38). Emancipation of the free coloreds gave them an opportunity to own slaves as their white counterparts. They possessed one third of the real estate in St. Domingue. The slaves, who numbered 450, 000 by 1789 were the least in the social ladder (Ghachem 2003, p 4; Willie 2001, p 38). They literally owned nothing and were devoid of any degree of liberty compared to the other social classes. The social stratification structure in St. Domingue resulted into social, economic and political disparities that constantly caused friction among the social classes in the social ladder. Every social class sought to defend its rights and freedoms; the quest for justice and liberty was deeply engraved in each of the social classes (Geggus 2002, p 14). A critical analysis of the perceived economic and social injustices experienced by the groups is ultimately significant in understanding the causes and aims of the St. Domingue Revolution. Indeed, a critical evaluation of the social ladder in the French colony is imperative in comprehending the causes and aims of the St. Domingue Revolution from 1791-1804. The economic demography of St. Domingue in the late 18th century               Ã‚  One cannot talk about the St. Domingue Revolution (1791-1804) without expounding on the economic demography of the then, largest French colony. Dominated by agriculture and trading relations, the French colony was indeed export motivated. The colonial economy maximized on sugar, coffee, cotton and indigo plantations. The colony had 3000 coffee plantations, 800 sugar plantations, 800 cotton plantations and 2950 indigo plantations (Willie 2001, p 36). The expansive plantations placed St. Domingue strategically among the French colonies; in fact, it was the richest plantation colony of the French. The second half of the 18th century saw St. Domingue expand to become the largest exporter of coffee and sugar in the world; this placed France at a strategic place in the world economy (Willie 2001, p 36). The increased growth and demand in the colonial economy in St. Domingue triggered the colonialists to continually restructure the plantation systems. A constant increase in the number of slaves in the colony by the colonialists fueled the destabilization of the social balance in St. Domingue. In a bid to maintain a robust and thriving colonial agricultural economy, the colonialists subjected the slaves into hard labor, which consequently eroded their state of freedom and liberties. The lowest social class in the French colony experienced social and economic deficiencies that exacerbated their poor living standards. The poor living standards meant that the mortality rate of the slaves, sky- rocketed and necessitated the capture of more slaves for the further expansion of the colonial economy. The complicated economy in late century St. Domingue saw an increase in the number of slaves, which led to slave insurrections prior to 1791(Marsh and Nicola 2011, p 21). The desire of the slaves to attain freedom and liberty precipitated the St. Domingue revolution that historians claim changed the landscape of world affairs, and contributed to the demise of slavery. Hence, the social imbalance created by the economic demography of St. Domingue led to the inception of the revolution. The economic and social disparities of the social groups               Ã‚  Economic and social disparities were at the height of the causes and aims of the St. Domingue revolution (Geggus 2002 p 14). The social classes often clashed with one another in a bid to secure their social, economic and political justices. However, this was not an easy endeavor; hence, precipitating repeated crises that brought social and economic imbalances in the colony. The colonial masters sought to maintain the colony’s economic valor, and for this to happen, the relentless friction among the social clashes continued inevitably. Certainly, the social ladder triggered disparities that heightened the imbalances in the colony. The Les Grant Blancs who were born in the colony expressed feelings of discontent against the whites born from France, their motherland. The whites from France took charge of the most important government offices in the colony. The whites born in the colony (creoles) expressed dissatisfaction because they wanted to participate effectively in the government (Geggus 2002, p 6). The inability of the Les Grant Blancs to have a greater autonomy in the running of the colonial administration affected their social status in the colony. The group perceived that being on top of the social ladder deemed it right to have autonomy over the affairs of the colony. The planters and wealthy members of the group perceived that the ceremonial positions they were given in the assembly was not tantamount to their social status. The reduction of their status to minor aristocrats precipitated their desire to command more grounding against the European-born colonialists. As a result, there was a social stru ggle and imbalance as the group sought to gain the legal rights of controlling the colony. The Les Grant Blancs also wanted to have the freedom of trade. As the plantation owners, they wanted to have more economic autonomy from the proceeds of their produce. Apparently, the colonialists controlled the produce from the island, which was its major asset because of the strategic economic benefits associated with it. The French government introduced the Exclusive trade system, which ensured that the control of goods had to come exclusively from France. Moreover, the high taxation levied on the colony did not auger well with the group. The white plantation owners continually sought to have economic independence from the French government and the colonial administrators. The economic struggles between the Les Grant Blancs and the royal French colonial administrators brought economic imbalances that often threatened the integration of the groups. The white planters saw that the economic advances were creating injustices that needed to be addressed. According to Willie (2001, p 39 ), the Les Grant Blancs believed that the colony officials wasted St. Domingue’s resources. Therefore, the plantation owners and members of the assembly constantly attacked the executive officials from France. It was widely acknowledged that the wealth of the French colonies was primarily meant to benefit France, but not the colonies. This brought mixed reactions in the colony, with the superior whites advocating for the abolishment of heavy taxes and a greater control of the colony’s trade relations. The Les Petit Blanc consisting of poor white men did not have good relations with their rich counterparts. The social disparities between the two groups caused sharp conflicts that often resulted into physical violence. The Les Petit Blanc did not like the fact that their rich counterparts had immense wealth, which they could only imagine. The privileges that the Les Grant Blancs enjoyed created a stratified social structure that made the Les Petit Blanc inferior. The Mulattoes or free coloreds were also inferior to the wealthy planters and civil officers. The interaction between the poor whites and the Mulattoes as well as the slaves made the rich whites to perceive them as less important in the economic status of the colony. The economic and social superiority of the rich whites resulted into strained relationships between them and the â€Å"Les Petit Blancs†. Undoubtedly, the strained relationships stemmed from the economic and social disparities of the colony’s stru cture. Of importance still, is the relationship between the whites and the Mulattoes/ free coloureds. The disparities between the social classes came because of the economic and social characteristics of the Mulattoes. The free coloureds were seen as extremely ambitious and a threat to the social and economic dominance of the whites. They were strong and showed great prospects of social mobility and capacity to compete with the whites. Additionally, most of the Mulattoes were highly educated; hence, posing challenges to the dominant whites. The whites did not like the fast-rising nature of the free coloureds; they wanted them to remain inferior to them and settle at the bottom of the social class ladder. The social and economic disparities between the groups caused numerous conflicts that destabilized the power of the colonial administration. Due to the massive influence of the Mulattoes/free coloureds, the colonial legislature introduced strict laws to limit their influence (James 1963, p 97). The enacted laws forbade them from holding public office, joining the colonial army, wearing European clothes, organizing social functions, marrying whites and residing in France. They were also forced to work for free for a certain number of days per year, according to the French law. The free coloureds were economically and socially deprived of their rights because of their race and their prospects of social mobility. The Mulattoes did not agree with the social and economic injustices committed against them; hence, they sought to find for their rights (Ott 1987, p 67). These factors caused tensions between the whites and the Mulattoes and consequently led to the intense fighting between the groups in 1791. The slaves, majorly from African origin were subjected to hard labor and deprivation of their rights as humans. They were the lowest in the social ladder, and yielded nothing in respect to their social and economic statuses. They experienced harsh conditions subjected to them by the superiors. The economic and social disparities between them and the other groups denied them the opportunity to enjoy their rights and dignity. In 1791, as the Les Blancs, Les Petit Blanc and free coloureds were fighting one another because of the prevalent social and economic disparities, the slaves maximized on the opportunity to start revolts in St. Domingue (James 1963, p 110). The slaves, favored by their numbers, fought against the whites and free coloureds because of the torments they faced as inferiors in St. Domingue. Undeniably, the social and economic disparities among the social classes in the colony contributed greatly in the St. Domingue Revolution. The Declaration of Rights of Men               Ã‚  The Declaration of Rights of Men of 1789 was an instrumental document of the French Revolution in the expression of human rights. The document played a vital role in the establishment of the fundamental human rights that have continued to influence the modern world. In the wake of the French Revolution, there was need for setting up of laws that recognized the basic human rights and the equality of all people before the law. The declaration came at a time when rights and liberties were highly violated at the merit of a few. The French Revolution sought to fight for liberty, equality and fraternity rights (Manigat 1977, p 420). Certainly, the Declaration of the Rights of Men played a dominant role in the start of St. Domingue Revolution. After the document brought the realization of human rights and universal laws in France, the social classes in St. Domingue sought to fight for their rights and privileges in a highly stratified colony. The Les Blancs wanted the right to makes laws, the abolishment of trading restrictions from France and wanted to have social equality with the French whites. They also wanted the scrubbing off, of royal bureaucracies in St. Domingue. The Declaration of the Rights of Men inspired the free coloureds to fight for social and political rights and the abolishment of discrimination. On the other hand, the slaves fought for their personal freedom from the oppression by the other social classes. Based on the discussion above, it is worth noting that the Declaration of the Rights of Men inspired the St. Domingue Revolution. Conclusion               Ã‚  In conclusion, it is notable to assert that the St. Domingue Revolution (1791-1804) was because of various factors. Social and economic disparities in the colony were a major factor in the start of the revolt that certainly ended slavery in the island. The social classes that lived in St. Domingue often clashed in respect to the economic and social factors defining them. The deprivation of rights and liberties among the social groups led to conflicts that often turned physical. The need for economic and social rights and the quest for justice in the late 18th century St. Domingue led to a successful slave revolt that resulted into the birth of the nation of Haiti. As historians put it, the St. Domingue Revolution was significant in defining the history of European colonialism. Indeed, the upheaval is significant in understanding the history of French imperialism. References Geggus, David Patrick. Haitian revolutionary studies. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2002.Ghachem, Malick W. Slavery and citizenship in the age of the Atlantic revolutions. Alfred, N.Y.: Alfred University, 2003. Print. Ghachem, Malick W. The Old Regime and the Haitian Revolution. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012. Print. James, C. L. R. Parliament and Property. In The Black Jacobins; Toussaint LOuverture and the San Domingo Revolution. Second Ed. New York: Vintage Books, 1963 Willie, Doris. Renaissance and Revolt. In Lest you forget: a study and revision guide for CXC Caribbean History. Kingston, Jamaica: Jamaica Pub. House, 2001. 38-65 Manigat, Leslie F. The Relationship between Marronage and Slave Revolts and Revolution In St. Domingue-Haiti. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 292, no. 1 Comparative P (1977): 420-438.Marsh, Kate, and Nicola Frith. Frances lost empires: fragmentation, nostalgia, and la fracture coloniale. Lanham, Md.: Lexington Books, 2011.Ott, Thomas O. The Haitian revolution, 1789-1804. 1st ed. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1987. Source document

High school Essay Example for Free

High school Essay CHAPTER ONE 1. 0 INTRODUCTION In an effort to improve universal access to education, the ministry of education made a decision to introduce the re-entry policy. The policy is meant to accord girls who drop out of school owing to early pregnancy an opportunity to be re-admitted six months to one after delivery. This initiative has since scored a number of successes as some girls have gone back to school and successfully completed their secondary education , though some, order the age initially would have done so, Fifth National Development Plan(2006-2010). Before October 13 1997, it was considered an expellable offence for girls who fell pregnant while at school. But the re-introduction of the re-entry policy on that date was a measure and recognition of the importance of addressing gender inequalities in national development and the need to narrow down the gender gap in the education, Ministry of Education (1996). Child pregnancy has been persistent factors in household and hence, the re-entry policy has enabled government and families to recoup the investment made in educating such girls and that the nation has been accorded the much needed educated human resource for national development. 1. 2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM There has been a marked increase in the Forum for women educationist of Zambia has endeavored to play in the support and sensitization of the re-entry policy in enhancing girl child education in Zambia. However, despite this increase not all have been able to go back to schools. This is a serious omission particularly when a good number of girls can utilize the given opportunity and when concerted effort has been made to enhance girl child education. In addition, all efforts and resources pumped in will go to waste. 1. 3 THE PURPOSE OF STUDY The purpose of this study is to find out the role FAWEZA is playing in promoting the reentry policy in enhancing girl child education and to find out the response of the policy by the girl child. 1. 4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ To find out the role of FAWEZA in promoting the re-entry policy. To find out whether school managers do comply with the policy. To find out the response of the re-entry policy by pupils. To find out whether the re-entry policy is a success or failure. To find out whether teachers and parents support the policy. To find out measures in improving the re-entry policy. 1. 5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ What is the role of FAWEZA in supporting the re-entry policy? Do school managers comply with the policy? What is the response of the re-entry policy by pupils? Is the re-entry policy a success or failure? Do teachers and parents support the re-entry policy? What measures can improve the re-entry policy? 1. 6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY The study’s findings and recommendations may assist the Forum for Educationist of Zambia FAWEZA and the Ministry of Education in promoting and supporting the re-entry policy in enhancing girl child education in Zambia. 1. 7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY Because it was an introduction to research at degree, this research only covered a small part of Lusaka urban district. Secondly, money was a problem to access at the right time hence it delayed the process of collecting data. However, the researcher tried by all means to use the available resources, time to make sure that this is a success. @siamef Page 2 1. 8 DEFINITION OF TERMS ENHANCE; To improves or adds to strength. RE-ENTRY; An act or instance of somebody going back to enter. POLICY; A set of principles on which they are based @siamef Page 3 CHAPTER 2 2. 0 LITERATURE REVIEW 2. 1 Policy Formulation In contrast to the policy of exclusion that preceded it, the re-entry policy advocates that girls who drop out of school due to pregnancy should be readmitted after giving birth. The aim of this policy is to find more innovative measures to help prevent the exclusion of young mothers from education. In the event of a girl being forced out of school due to pregnancy, the Ministry of Education in Zambia has provided policy guidelines to assist schools and other stakeholders such as FAWEZA etc. †When the women’s movement in Zambia grew in strength, one of the issues they decided to fight for was injustice for girls who were thrown out of school after getting pregnant. In June 1995, the Zambia Association for University Women organized a conference on the situation of the girl-child in Zambia. The conference, which was held in preparation for the Fourth World Conference on Women, proposed to government that girls who became pregnant should be re-admitted into school once care for the child was assured† (FAWEZA, 2008, Ministry of Education, 2009). The policy is grounded in the outcomes of the Beijing Conference of 1995, a conference at which the Women’s Movement drew up its own priorities and action plan. The conference demanded that girls who dropped out of school because of pregnancy should be readmitted. In addition to this, Zambia is a signatory to most of the international instruments that promote the rights of children and women. The country recognizes education of all children as a basic human right as enshrined in Article 26 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It further recognizes education as a right that is also guaranteed by the policy of Education for All (EFA), the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the United Nations Platform for Action, and the Millennium Development Goals. In addition to the international instruments, major national policy developments within the education sector were initiated, culminating in the development of the third Ministry of Education (Moe) policy on education in the document â€Å"Educating Our Future† (1996). In 2000, the government adopted a National Gender Policy. The policy states that it will facilitate the readmission of girls who become pregnant back into school as a way of readdressing imbalances and inadequacies in the provision of education. The 2001 FAWEZA @siamef Page 4 workshop made a number of recommendations to improve the implementation of the re-entry policy. The recommendations were sent to the Ministry of Education for approval. Though there was no official acceptance, some of the recommendations were adopted, and that has made the policy work well, (FAWEZA, 2010) 2. 2 Response of the Policy In Zambia, some girls, especially in rural and peri-urban areas, fail to continue with their education as a result of teenage pregnancies. Although the Ministry of Education has a policy of allowing teenage mothers to go back to school after delivery, few are doing so. They find it difficult to leave their babies and stay in school for eight hours and are often ridiculed by others. The men responsible for their pregnancies often abandon them without any form of support. Unlike boys, a girl-child seems to have so much on her shoulders. This is due to cultural inequalities that continue to define societys way of life. Maybe this should be the focus of most of the gender discussion going on. Some girls in rural areas who fall pregnant are normally kept at home to help with domestic chores, or care for terminally ill parents. Others are forced into early marriages and thus denied the opportunity to further their education. Government, through the programme, has been seeking to bring teenage mothers back to school. Educating a girl-child has been a high priority for the Zambian Government, (Zambia Online). In realizing the re-entry policy, FAWEZA (2009) reports that† Interviews with girls also revealed a high level of appreciation for the policy among schoolgirl mothers who had reentered after giving birth. They reported that they were grateful that the policy had given them a second chanceâ€Å" Achievements highlighted by the head teachers and teachers were with regard to the increased number of girls who were readmitted after giving birth each year and the level of awareness of the policy by the parents who sent back their daughters after giving birth. These positive stories are set however against the background of the high number of girls who fall pregnant before finishing school each year. 2. 3 Successes and Failures of the Re-entry Policy Despite the policy being put in place in Zambia, an increasing number of girls do not return to school after giving birth. Social economic and cultural factors have been commonly cited as reasons for this failure. The annual statistics from the Zambia Ministry of Education @siamef Statistical Bulletin shows increased number of pregnancies. In addition, data from the Zambia Page 5 Demographic Health Survey (CSO, 2007) reveals that each year approximately 30% of the girls who drop out from school, do so because of pregnancy. The main reason stated for dropouts is the lack of financial support. The survey reveals that generally girls from disproportionately poor backgrounds drop out of school due to pregnancy compared to those from better off households. The survey shows a link between poverty and early adolescent pregnancy, which consequently leads them to be temporarily excluded from school. Zambia has seen a tremendous increase in access to education with pupil’s enrolments growing Over 9% since 2000. Further, the illiteracy rate in Zambia has been halved over the past three Decades from 90% to 45%. In addition, in the past two decades, Zambia has vigorously embarked on formulating interventions to eliminate gender based discrimination against girls and women as a strategy towards creating more equal societies, FAWEZA ANNUAL WORK PLAN (2012). Despite this achievement, many challenges remain in education delivery in Zambia. There is a huge gap in reaching the millennium development goals (MDG) and Education for All (EFA) goals by 2015. This particularly is a challenge given the country’s significant population growth and deep poverty. In addition, gender inequality is a long way from being realized. Despite the significant rise in female enrollment at primary school, fewer, female compared to male, enroll in high schools (particularly in rural areas) as many tend to drop out before completing secondary school. According to the FAWE ANNUAL WORK PLAN (2005-2009), â€Å"Despite the challenges in the re-entry policy, the government-civil society interaction and the consultative process in Zambia represent one of the best-practice cases in sub-Saharan Africa. The policy is appreciated by a broad spectrum of people. Internationally, Zambia has been cited as a best example for implementing the policy. Representatives from a number of countries in the region, including Malawi, Botswana and South Africa have come to Zambia to learn about policy implementation. † Interviews with the ministry of education DEBs, the national coordinator from a civil society organization (FAWEZA), head teachers, teachers and pupils indicated a high level of optimism for the ultimate success of the policy. Schools confirmed that the â€Å"re-entry policy is a good policy and indeed a historical watershed to the government of Zambia†. FAWEZA has provided 4,750 scholarships at basic, high school and tertiary levels in ratio of 7:3 girls and boys respectively. With the aim of improving the performance, retention and contribute to progression and pass rates of boys and girls on the scholarship @siamef Page 6. programme, FAWEZA has created and continued supporting 390 Study Groups at upper basic school level and high school levels. FAWEZA will also facilitate the showcasing of the repackaged SMT Tele quiz DVDs in 25 schools aimed at inspiring girls to take up SMT subjects. The activity is intended to help FAWEZA track the impacts of using the media to sensitize communities, girls and women that girls are capable of performing well in SMT subjects as the boys. 2. 4 Compliance of the Policy by School Managers. According to the Strategic Plan close out Report (2005-2009:20) â€Å"The creation of gender responsive school environments is cardinal in fostering access, retention and completion of girls in their education. In consideration of this, FAWEZA conducted training for 40 High School Managers in guidelines for gender responsive school environments and gender analysis and mainstreaming, while 58 female school managers took part in training in public image projection, which included role modeling, public speaking force field analysis and gender budgeting. Further, using the MOE/UNICEF Girl-Friendly school module, provincial executive members and CWA members were oriented for them to orient school managers; Out of 63 school managers invited to the gender mainstreaming training, 54 attended; Various PECs and DECs met the newly appointed PEOs and DEBS to solicit support. † Hence if such interventions are being carried out, various doors will be open to allow the success of the policy. @siamef Page 7 CHAPTER THREE 3. 0 Research Methodology The purpose of this chapter is to show how this study was conducted. It looks at the instruments used. The methodology gives in depth principles used to analyze and collect data in the research. This is a qualitative case study research that makes extensive use of primary and secondary data. 3. 1 Research Design The research design which was used in this study was the descriptive survey. This study was aimed at collecting information from respondents on the role of FAWEZA and the re-entry policy in enhancing girl child education in Zambia. The researcher used both primary and secondary data. Primary data was obtained through interviews with the FAWEZA representative, DEBs and administering questionnaires to Head teachers, teachers, Parents and Pupils while secondary was found from the internet, policy documents, statistical bulletins, books and magazines. 3. 2 Description of the sample. The proposed study targeted a sample of fifty (50) respondents. The sample included representatives of FAWEZA, DEBs, Ten (10) parents, five(5) teachers, five(5) guidance and counseling teachers, twenty(23) pupils and five(5)school managers. The sample was drawn from five schools namely Matero Girls High school, Kamwala High school, Olympia Park High school, Kabuionga Girls High school and Libala High school within Lusaka urban District. In this study, purposive sampling was used in which both male and female were used in data collection. 3. 3 Sampling Procedure The study was purposively sampled on the basis of public secondary schools that had girls. The sampling of the schools was also purposive; this was done with the help of head teachers who reported that their schools had student-mothers enrolled or pregnant girls that dropped out of school. Of the several schools in Lusaka urban District; 5 schools were chosen. However, due to the fact that schools closed, the pupils were drawn from those that used to go for studies during holidays. While the head teachers of the five schools confirmed having had schoolgirl pregnancy cases in their respective schools. @siamef Page 8 3. 4 Description of Research instruments In the process of data collection, in depth interviews and questionnaires were administered. The use of both instruments formed a complementary approach towards collecting data using qualitative type of research 3. 5 Data Collection In this study, in depth interviews were carried out to the representative of FAWEZA and the DEBs because detailed information was needed. Questionnaires were administered to school managers, parents, teachers and pupils 3. 6 Data Analysis Data analysis commenced after the process of data collection exercise. This included systematic arrangement of data from the field. This study is more qualitative to the perspective of the objectives and hence making qualitative research more reliable. 3. 7 Questionnaires In this instrument,  data was covered over the required sample. The content of the Questionnaires included: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Respondent’s role on the re-entry Policy in enhancing girl child education. Respondent’s compliance on the re-entry policy. Respondent’s support of the re-entry policy Respondent’s view on the measures to improve the re-entry policy. Respondent’s knowledge of the re-entry policy. 3. 8 Interview Guide Semi-structured interview were used as the main research technique in this study. The interviews covered various questions such as; †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ The role of FWEZA in the re-entry policy. Measures to improve the re-entry policy. Successes and challenges of the policy. Compliance of the policy by school administrators. Page 9 @siamef CHAPTER 4 4. 0 Findings and Discussions of the study. This section presents research findings based on the data collected from the DEBs; FAWEZA; head teachers; teachers ,parents and students from Matero Girls High School; Olympia Park High School; Kamwala High School; Libala High School; Kabulonga Girls High school in Lusaka urban district of Zambia. The findings are given under full heading derived from the objectives of the study. 4. 1 The role of FAWEZA in the re-entry policy The FAWE representative was interviewed on the role that FAWEZA plays in the re-entry policy by enhancing girl child education in Zambia. The representative confirmed of the major role that FAWEZA has undertaken in the support and implementation of the re-entry policy. In realizing the re-entry policy guidelines, the organization has realized various initiatives to bridge the persistent gender gaps in education. To mitigate the problem, the organization conducts various initiatives. Some of the actions that are being undertaken include: †¢ Advocacy to ensure pregnant girls go back to school after giving birth and they mix freely with other pupils. †¢ Guidance and Counseling services are being offered to girls who fall pregnant in all the schools. †¢ Bursaries are offered to girls, orphans and vulnerable children. FAWEZA has been able to take over the financial responsibility for some of the most vulnerable girls. The support does not cover only the school requirements. A little extra money is given for the girls’ toiletries. Some of the girls who have had children fall into this category and benefit from the support, too. Girls who may have stayed away from school for financial reasons have been able to continue their education. Affirmative action for girls which lowers entry points into higher grades and tertiary have been implemented †¢ Workshops and discussion forums are being held to discuss challenges encountered by implementing the policy and how these can be addressed in order to reduce gender imbalance in the education sector. @siamef Page 10 †¢ Stiffer Rules have been instituted in schools that protect girl children from Gender Based Violence and other abuses. Schools have come up with strategies to help girls avoid pregnancies. One of them was Kabulonga Girls in Need Association. A teacher who saw the need for girls to talk about the problems they faced started the club. He adopted tactics that helped the girls gain selfconfidence. When FAWEZA visited the school, it was impressed by what had been achieved. The school was asked to transform the club into SAFE, an American concept that stands for the Student Alliance for Female Education. SAFE clubs, which are student networks for the promotion of female education, operate under the auspices of FAWEZA. SAFE aims to use peers or mentors to improve the wellbeing of the girl-child. The mentors come from institutions of higher learning such as the University of Zambia and the Evelyn Hone College. Girls who volunteer to become mentors are trained in adolescent reproductive health and counseling. They counsel victims of abuse, STI/HIV/AIDS and other related cases. The mentors help the club members to: ? Take responsibility and make informed choices ? Resist negative pressures ? Build their self -esteem ? Discuss issues affecting them openly and freely ? Avoid risky behavior The Kabulonga SAFE club has become a national model. SAFE clubs have been opened throughout the country. They now admit boys as supporters. This will help the boys and girls to work together and grow to respect each other. The clubs are helping remove the stigma against re-entry girls. Another intervention introduced by FAWEZA is the Communication Box. A locked box stands outside the school. Girls drop suggestions or complaints into the box. Only teachers trained by FAWEZA are allowed to open the boxes. If there are allegations against the school for further action. This has reduced cases of verbal and other abuse by teachers and students alike, FAWEZA REPORT (2004). @siamef Page 11 4. 2 Evaluation whether school managers comply with the policy In response as to whether school managers comply with the policy, respondents who responded to the Questionnaires and interviewed agreed that the Head teachers in their schools complied with the policy. Of the (5) school managers interviewed in the five (5) different schools,(100%) reported that they actually comply with the policy and follow the reentry policy guidelines. This can be attributed in the high increase in the enrollments rates. The Head teachers comply with the policy through the following processes. 4. 2. 1 Readmission of girls who dropped out. The head teachers reported that they have massively been recruiting the young mothers who had actually dropped out of school due to early pregnancies. They said they have been doing so in order to support and comply with the policy guidelines because they were involved in the formulation of the policy at its initial level, Hence they needed to add a hand in the support of the policy. The head teachers added that they do not hesitate to readmit the girls who had dropped out of school due to pregnancy or finance but the girls are supposed to produce the documents granting maternity leave and the medical report confirming pregnancy. 4. 2. 2 Moral support, encouragement and equal treatment. The head teachers reported that they have been offering moral support, encouragement and equal and fair treatment to the teen mothers with the rest of the students through the Guidance and counseling teachers in the schools. From the findings obtained, it was confirmed by the key informants that the head teachers comply with the policy. However, it can be stated that the policy faced much resentment by several figures of the public. According to FAWEZA Report (2009; 14) â€Å"In the first year or two, there were newspaper reports of head teachers who would allow girls back only after intervention by the Ministry of Education. † It can be said that at the early stages of the introduction of the policy, there was much needed sensitization on the benefits of the re-entry policy in enhancing girl child education in Zambia. In one case, during the collection and sampling stage of this research with the District Education Office (DEBs), when asked if he had any cases of pregnant girls or studentmothers in the schools, he stated that he had some â€Å"unofficial cases‘ as they are yet to be @siamef Page 12 reported to his office by the girls‘ parents. Upon further probing on the issue of officialising‘pregnancy cases and why he would not take the initiative to confront such cases, he pointed out that this is due to fear of parents‘reaction to news of their daughter‘s pregnancy. Depending on the prevailing religious and socio-cultural beliefs, parents are more likely to react negatively to news of their daughters‘pregnancy. This view was shared by two other teachers from the schools that took part in this research. 4. 3 Response of the Policy by the pupils Views of the girls who responded to the Questionnaires converged with those of the head teachers, teachers, and the parents. Both categories of girls interviewed stated that the policy was good and it was well responded to although it did not address most of their concerns. When asked what their concerns were, adolescent schoolgirl mothers reported that the policy should have spelt out the need for providing counseling sessions to those who returned. They reported that while at school, they felt stigmatized by their friends and teachers through derogatory remarks such as addressing them by their children’s names: â€Å"Bana Mary (Mother of Mary), aunt Lucy etc† which made them feel out of place. It was the view of the pupils that the Ministry of Education was doing very little to enforce the implementation of the policy and ensure that girls who  returned to school were protected from verbal abuse by the teachers. At least 63% of the girls reported that they faced challenges with regard to combining the two roles of being a mother and a schoolgirl particularly when their children fell sick or needed to be taken to Under 5 clinics. They reported that they absented themselves from school and missed classes whenever they had to take their children to hospital. They further reported that the policy should have put in place mechanisms for following up those who for some reason decided not to return. At the household level, three key factors prominently influence the likely-hood of young mothers returning to formal schooling. These factors are; fathers support over the decision to return to school, the structure of the house-hold, and finally the availability of financial support from either the young mother‘s children partners or the extended family. Evidently, household characteristics and behavior have a strong effect on the re-entry policy; more so parental and community willingness to support school re-entry for the young mothers, most of whom are jurally minors. At another level, how the households interact with other institutions and the external socio-cultural environment that mediates these interactions @siamef Page 13 may affect the chances of schools re-entry. These factors have to be identified and understood by policy makers and programme managers if education for all including student-mothers is to be realized. 4. 4 The re-entry policy a success or failure FAWEZA has been successful in implementing programmes to achieve its objectives. Among them are the programs designed to improve performance, progression and completion rates such as theScholarship program that has seen 2,426 girls and 1287 boys completing the 12 year cycle. Further,a total of 27 students completed tertiary education. Further, the SMT programmes have stimulated the interest of girls in participating in the activities and are performing well. In the quizzes held in SP2005-2009 there were more girls scoping prizes than boys. In program area two, FAWEZAcontinued to sensitize communities on the policies that protect girls’ education. At school level the informants were asked if the policy guidelines were clear enough to provide them guidance for implementation, more than half (60%) of the informants, a majority of whom were teachers and headteachers (4), reported that because the policy was new, they needed to be oriented to it, before being asked to implement it. 4. 5 Do teachers and Parents support the re-entry Policy? In response to the support of the policy, (8) 80% of the parents who responded to the questionnaires were in favor of the policy. Though, (2) 20% of the parents were not fully sure of the re-entry policy guidelines. Of the teachers who were against the policy, (3) 30% were men and (7) 70% were female who reported that they fully in support of the policy. Therefore, only male teachers have remained constant in opposition to the policy. Commenting on this, one girl said the male teachers and the boys who were still against the policy were afraid of facing the mothers of their children every day. A female teacher said men like to dominate. When they see an intelligent girl, they want to curtail her education. They will do all in their power to frustrate her, including making her pregnant. Parents reported that the policy has made both boys and girls reckless. There was a feeling that the re-entry girls were in a vulnerable position because male teachers and schoolboys perceive them as having low morals. They come back with the sole purpose to study and pass their examinations. Therefore, they become better students. There is fear among some groups e. g. the parents and the teachers that the policy has led to increased cases of pregnancy @siamef Page 14  among the school girls. The policy has been looked at as a lee way to immorality because the girls definitely know that they be returned to school. 4. 6 Support of the re-entry policy When informants were asked to state the kind of support they received from the ministry to implement the policy, the DEBs and the school level implementers reported that they had received funds neither to photo-copy the circular for the parents and/or the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) nor to conduct local sensitization meetings on the policy. At the same time, the DEBs stated that the ministry was committed to ensuring that the policy gets fully implemented in all schools. Funds were planned to be set aside to conduct â€Å"massive sensitization meetings† and workshops targeted at school level and members of the public. FAWEZA organization on the other hand reported that they were planning to advocate and lobby members of parliament and some permanent secretaries to ensure that the re-entry policy be included in the Education Bill which was to be tabled in parliament in July 2010. It is evident from this finding that the policy was introduced in schools before it was discussed and enacted in parliament. The finding echoes that of Hoppers (2007) in Uganda in which he described the decision by some policy actors to implement a draft version of the policy before it is submitted to parliament. Similarly, the re-entry policy in Zambia was first declared as a policy by the then minister of education before it was discussed in parliament. 4. 7 What measures can improve the re-entry policy Respondents were asked to give measures to improve the re-entry policy. Their views were critically assessed and analyzed. In order to ensure that re-entry programmes are successful; the following measures were outlined by the respondents in implementing the policy: 4. 7. 1Political Will: The Zambian government did not capitulate, even when there appeared to be more voices against the policy, than those which support it. It maintained that expelling pregnant girls would make gender equality in the education system impossible. Hence, there is need to follow the political will of the nation @siamef Page 15 4. 7. 2 Guidelines: Availability of proper guidelines on how re-entry policy will be conducted is very essential. The guideline development should involve all stakeholders including the teen-mothers. The policy should be geared upon providing an opportunity for these girls to obtain another chance into the education programme and not to perpetuate immoral behavior. 4. 7. 3 Acceptance of Change: There is a need for community to change and accept that this program is for the benefit of the girls and the community at large. In Zambia after seeing the benefits of the program many families have accepted and supported their children. 4. 7. 4 Financial Support Not only to take over the financial responsibility for some of the most vulnerable girls. A little extra money to be given to the girls’ for other needs such as sanitary pads is essential. Some of the girls who have had children fall into this category and can benefit from the support, too. Girls who may have stayed away from school for financial reasons can continue with education. There is great awareness that there is a fear among people that re-entry of young mothers to school might influence others to immoral behavior knowing that they will also be readmitted if they get pregnancies. But studies in the area have shown that there is no concrete evidence which reveal constructive societal returns from expelling pregnant schoolgirls and young mothers from education. However, parents, community and the government at large should provide life skills education for girls and boys to make them aware of effects of pregnancy and should be encouraged to be more responsible for building their future through education achievement 4. 7. 5 Strengthen rules regarding the policy. Regarding the strengthening of the rules, 45 (90%) of the informants reported that there was need to strengthen the rules. In Zambia, the policy guidelines states that once the girl has been given maternity leave, the father should also be suspended from school until the girl returns to school. If the teacher is the one responsible for the pregnancy, it states that the teacher should be disciplined.