Discuss How the Concepts of ‘Race’ and ‘Ethnicity’ Perpetuate Inequality in Australia Essay

‘As concepts, race and nation are largely empty receptacles through and in the names of which population groups may be invented, interpreted and imagined as communities or societies’ (Goldberg, 1993: 79). Race and ethnicity are major contributing factors of racism in Australia today, and the continued racist beliefs of many Australians are the driving forces of inequality in modern Australian society. To truly understand how this occurs one first needs to understand the forms and effects of racism. The modern history of Australia begins with British colonisation in 1788, and reveals many racist practises towards both immigrants and the native population. Until recently, many white Australians shared the belief that ‘civilisation did not begin in Australia until the last quarter of the eighteenth century’ (Manning Clarke, 1962: 3). Through the spread of disease, killings and sexual exploitation, the Aboriginal population was drastically reduced and did not begin to recover until the late 1940’s. To add insult to injury, government policy in the 1960’s produced the ‘stolen generation’, where, for the ‘common good’, Aboriginal children were removed from their families and placed with white foster families. This racist ideology was formalised in 1901 with the introduction of the Immigration Restriction Act 1901, more commonly known as the ‘White Australia’ policy, which excluded ‘Asians’ and ‘coloureds’ from Australian immigration. From the beginning of modern Australia, ideals of racial and ethnic superiority have shaped laws and popular opinions, as well as media representation of migrants and ‘Australians’. Continued division between ‘white’ Australians and Aboriginals, Muslim-Australians and Non-English Speaking Background (NESB) Australians stem from early misconceptions and continued misinformation in a so-called ‘multicultural’ Australia. ‘[Races] are said to be distinctive because members of those races allegedly share certain natural or biological characteristics. Racists believe that these biological characteristics explain why some races are naturally superior to others’ (Bessant J, 2002: 220). Racism itself is a constantly evolving entity, and is both individual and collective. In modern Australia, the most common forms of racism are New Racism, Biological Racism and Class Exploitation. New Racism, although not actually new, is more commonly accepted. By not claiming any biological superiority, new racists can, with good conscience, claim that they are not racist, but are simply trying to protect national identity which could be compromised when integrated with other cultures. New Racism has been an integral part of Australia for more than 200 years. Australia moved through three distinct phases of policy on immigration. 1947-65 was all about assimilation – migrants were expected to move to Australia and become Australians, to leave everything else behind. During this time, high levels of immigration were encouraged, with the majority being British, and only 1 in 10 non-British immigrants were allowed. 1965-72 spawned the idea of integration. It became apparent that assimilation was not working and education projects were put in place to assist migrants – especially those from non English speaking backgrounds. Finally, in 1973, the Whitlam Government abolished the Immigration Restriction Act 1901 and declared Australia to be a Multicultural society. Immigration slowed and the government began to recognise the special needs of ‘ethnic’ Australians. It was during this period of acceptance that, ‘a constitutional referendum gave Aboriginal people citizenship status in 1967’ (Bessant 2002: p225) and allowed Aboriginal people to vote – about 60 years after women. Despite the move towards multiculturalism, race and ethnicity are still determining factors of inequality in Australia, seen mostly through Biological racism and, stemming from this, class exploitation. Biological racism, by definition, is the assumption that our basic biological differences define us in a specific role, or make one group superior to another by a simple matter of genetics. The relationship between Muslim and non-Muslim Australians is a hot topic for debate today, and a perfect example of how biological preferences shape prejudice. Stemming from the historic view of immigration, a recent two year study delved into the issues facing Muslim-Australians and their non-Muslim counterparts. Throughout the study, information was gathered from consultation with religious, academic, community and political leaders, a national random survey of 1,401 Australian voters, focus group deliberations with Muslim Australians throughout the country and a Deliberative Poll assembling 47 Muslim Australians, 329 of those surveyed in the national random survey and a range of competing experts. Concluding a weekend of deliberations, held in Canberra, Australia on March 2-4, 2007, there was agreement between Muslim and non-Muslim Australians that misperceptions and lack of understanding by both parties (many encouraged by the media) are the motivating factors in reinforcing a negative spiral of fear and aggressive behaviour. Young Australian Muslims (mostly born in Australia) are being increasingly alienated and are therefore gravitating away from mainstream Australia – the biggest danger being they may turn to more radical sects of Islam. Many non-Muslim Australians perceive a threat to national security and social harmony by the presence of Muslims in Australia, and 69% of Australians agreed that the media was the biggest factor in straining relations between Muslims and non-Muslims (Issues Deliberations Australia, 2007: 4-5). To best demonstrate the inequality in representation of migrant women in the media, exploration of the content of television advertisements is necessary. Representation of Non English Speaking Background (NESB) women in television advertisements featuring Australians is almost non-existent, and Aboriginal women are totally absent from representation. The most common representation of NESB women in the media, where it occurs, is in the role of servant (for example, advertisements for Malaysian Airlines and Air Pacific) or as comic relief (the fat ethnic cleaner in the 1990’s Pro Hart ad for carpet cleaner). The ‘typical Aussie woman’ is usually represented as a mother. She is blonde, thin and invariably presented within a domestic environment. Advertisements are generally for ‘staples’ (such as shelter, food, cleanliness, finance, health and education) and appear in prime family viewing time slots, where women are placed at the centre of the Australian home. Not only does this image exclude migrants from being an ‘Aussie’ woman, it also suggests that women in Australia should be at home, with children and concerned only with the staples of running a household. Evidence suggests that these images have a negative effect on the self-esteem of ethnic minorities, especially in children, (Berry & Mitchell-Kernan 1982) and that the negative attitudes of the mainstream population towards ethnic minority groups results from these media representations (Committee of Arab Australians 1990: HREOC 1991). These stereotypical representations of ethnic women thus add to the perpetual inequality in Australia, by pigeon-holing migrant women in a submissive role. These advertisements also reinforce the perceptions of migrants as collectively working class citizens (Issues Deliberations Australia 2007) Class division/exploitation is arguably the largest factor contributing to inequality in Australia. The basis of this is that ‘class is not an abstract, objective quality; it has to do with the lived experiences of people, their encounters with hostility and deference and snobbery and exploitation’ (McGregor C 2001: 53) Many migrants become working-class citizens. Lower standards of education and training send immigrants (especially those from non English speaking backgrounds) into jobs using manual labour to earn an income. Working class people are less likely to move up the class ladder, ending up living in clusters. Working class suburbs generally produce working class people. Schools in working class areas are less likely to encourage students to go on to tertiary education and children are more inclined to ‘stick with what they know’ rather than pursue a new course. Ethnicity does not automatically place an individual into any one particular class; however, migrants generally arrive in Australia with little or no money and are disadvantaged from the start. Ethnic Australians are more likely to remain in middle or working-class situations, with very few exceptions to the rule (McGregor C 2001). As previously discussed, the Australian media does little to assist ethnic Australians. By the constant portrayal of migrants in servant/submissive roles, other Australians are less likely to see migrants as anything else, and expect them to remain in these positions of servitude. Throughout Australia’s history, race and ethnicity have played a major part in ensuring that the people of Australia are not treated equally. Media representations show that only a thin, blonde woman is a true ‘Aussie’ mum, and that the role of a migrant woman is only to serve. In addition, popular opinion demonstrates that Muslim Australians are a threat to national security and social harmony; and Aboriginal people have less right to manage their own affairs than do white Australians. Although popular opinion is not necessarily indicative of reality, it does dictate the perceived reality of existence within a society. It is these perceived concepts of one’s race or ethnic origins that cause inequality to prevail in modern Australian society and a huge shift in perception is required to create societal harmony. As concluded in the study by Issues Deliberations Australia, education of both migrants and other Australians is the key to equality for all citizens. Bibliography Bessant, J & Watts R 2002, ‘Chapter 9 – Neighbours and Nations: ethnic identity and multiculturalism’, in Sociology Australia, 2nd Edition, Allen & Unwin, St Leonards, NSW Burdess, N 1998, ‘Essay structure’, in Handbook of Student skills, 2nd edition, Prentice Hall, Sydney Hollinsworth, D 1998, ‘Racism: concepts, theories and approaches’, in Race and Racism in Australia, 2nd edition, Social Science Press, Katoomba, NSW. Issues Deliberations Australia/America 2007, ‘Final Report Summary’, Australia Deliberates – Muslims and Non Muslims, viewed 5th October 2007, ida. org. au/UserFiles/File/AUSTRALIA%20DELIBERATES%20-%20FINAL% 20REPORT %20SUMMARY. pdf>. Martin, J 1996, ‘Signs of the time: Race, sex and media representations’, in The teeth are smiling – The persistence of racism in multicultural Australia, edited by Vasta, E and Castles, S, Allen & Unwin, St Leonards, NSW McGregor, C 2001, ‘What makes class? ’, in Class in Australia: who says Australia has no class system? , 2nd edition, Penguin Australia, Ringwood, VIC.

Succubus Revealed Chapter 20

I thought about it for half a heartbeat, and even that was too long. There was no question what my decision could be. Seth and I were bound together. Even if it had been for Jerome's convenience, Seth had found my soul across the incredible reaches of the dream world. Seth and I had found each other, life after life, and continually fallen in love. Even if we didn't consciously remember each other, some inner part of ourselves had connected. I remembered Roman's words. Over and over, you find each other and lose each other, you bicker and fight, throw it all away on mistrust and lack of communication. Are you going to let that continue? No, the cycle was going to end. On my terms. These lives we'd lived . . . the pain we'd suffered . . . it wouldn't be for nothing. It didn't matter if Seth hated me and never wanted to see me again. I wouldn't abandon him – not now, not ever. â€Å"No deal,† I said to Roman. â€Å"Seth and I are doing this together, whether he knows it or not.† Roman didn't try to talk me out of it. He simply said, â€Å"You understand what's at stake?† â€Å"I do.† If we failed here, I wouldn't just lose my soul. I would also be looking forward to an eternity in Hell's service, with superiors none-too-pleased that I'd shaken up the status quo. I didn't doubt that there was some article or clause somewhere that said I couldn't be penalized for this, but as I'd noted before, Hell had plenty of ways of punishing people off the record. The Las Vegas position would probably no longer exist, forcing me to relocate to some truly terrible location. Hannibal called the court back to order, and Roman relayed my decision. Hannibal clicked his tongue disapprovingly. â€Å"Risking it all for the new car, eh? Well, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, it falls in your hands now. You've heard the evidence – and lack thereof. Do you believe there is enough ‘proof' to support the petitioner's case? Should both contracts – that these individuals willingly signed – be invalidated?† So much for justice being blind. The jury cast votes anonymously, which I found interesting. It was a small nod toward impartiality, theoretically providing protection to those who voted against their side's best interests. From what both Roman and Marcel had told me, I could see it happening among the angels. But did it ever happen with demons? Even if they knew the right or wrong of a situation, their ultimate goal was to accrue souls for Hell. Would any of them be moved by a case enough to go with their conscience? Was it possible that some spark of goodness could still endure in the darkness of this place? Judging from the quick way everyone scrawled their responses on the pieces of paper given, it didn't look like it. There was no hesitation. The demons wore cocky, self-assured expressions. Angels and demons came from the same stock, but I'd been told that once they spent enough time in Hell, that angelic nature was eroded away. These demons weren't going to lose any sleep about what became of my soul. The votes were collected by the bailiff. He sorted them into two suspiciously similarly sized piles and handed them to the judge. Hannibal did a quick count and nodded to himself before addressing us. A new stillness fell over the room. â€Å"Here we go,† murmured Roman. â€Å"The jury has spoken,† said Hannibal. â€Å"Six to six. We have a tie.† There was a collective exhalation in the room, and then the tension ramped back up as everyone waited for the next step. I shouldn't have been surprised by the tie, but some part of me had been hoping maybe, just maybe, a wayward demon would've voted in my favor. I had my answer. There was no spark of goodness here. It couldn't survive in Hell. â€Å"In accordance with article . . . fuck, I don't know . . . article something-or-other, we'll be going to a tiebreaker vote,† said Hannibal. The bailiff returned with an ornate vase, which he handed to the judge. Hannibal dumped out the contents, revealing a white marble and a black marble. â€Å"In this case, it really is as simple as black and white. If the black one's drawn, a demon casts the deciding vote. If it's white, an angel will.† He paused, looking bemused. â€Å"That's so cliched. I don't suppose we could switch the colors around? Just this once? No? Okay, let's get on with it.† He scanned the jury and pointed to an angel with curly red hair and long-lashed blue eyes. â€Å"You. You'll do the draw.† She nodded her acceptance and approached the bench gracefully. Again, another attempt at justice. If Hannibal had drawn the marbles, I would have been suspicious of the outcome. The fairness of the matter was future solidified when he made her swear to draw fairly, without using her powers to advantage. â€Å"I swear,† she said, placing the marbles in the vase. She shook them up and reached her hand in, casting a brief and – unless I was mistaken – sympathetic look at me. Her hand emerged, closed in a fist. When she opened it, no one could see the marble right away, but her face told the story. â€Å"Shit,† said Roman. The angel's palm revealed a black marble. She handed it to the judge who made no pretense at hiding his joy. He thanked her as she returned to her seat and then held the marble up for all the room to see. There was a murmur of excitement among the demons, delighted at having won the gamble he'd laid before us. I had a moment of regret, but only a small one. I could've walked away from here with my soul and life intact. I could've never brought this up and continued my life as a succubus undisturbed, living out the dream scenario in Las Vegas. Instead, I'd risked everything for the chance to free myself and Seth. And I'd lost for both of us. Had it been worth it? Yes. † ‘Fate' has spoken,† said Hannibal, still admiring the marble. â€Å"Per the rules, the decision now falls to a thirteenth juror, who will be randomly selected from a pool of Hell's illustrious servants. Doris?† Doris began clicking away at her laptop. After a few moments, she gave a nod toward the bailiff. He walked toward the back exit, presumably to escort in the thirteenth juror. My heart felt heavy and leaden, and I was startled when Roman again placed his hand on mine. â€Å"I'm sorry,† he said in a low voice. â€Å"I should have fought harder. Or pushed you to take the deal – â€Å" I squeezed his hand back. â€Å"No. You were perfect. The only thing you shouldn't have done was get involved with this mess.† It was impossible to believe, but whatever fate awaited me after my suit was denied wouldn't be half as bad as his. He gave me a playful smile. â€Å"What, and miss the chance to laugh in the face of Heaven and Hell? Besides, there's no way I could leave you to – â€Å" The courtroom had given way to chatter when the bailiff left, and now silence resumed upon his return. Whatever sentiments Roman had been about to say were lost, as he joined me in looking back to see the demon who would cast the last condemning vote on me. When I did, I had to do a double take. It was Yasmine. I almost didn't recognize her. It had been a year since I'd seen her, a year since I'd watched her fall from grace, transforming from an angel to a demon. Yasmine had committed a number of grave sins as an angel, starting when she'd fallen in love. That alone was forbidden for her kind, but it had gone one step further – she'd fallen for a nephilim named Vincent. Vince was a great guy, but like Roman, the standard reaction from angels and demons alike had been prompt destruction. One angel had finally acted on that impulse, and Yasmine had rushed to defend Vince – killing the other angel in the process. And with that, she had been condemned to Hell. I had seen it. It had been terrible. One angel's death, another's fall. It had all gone down the night Nyx had been found and recaptured. Vince and I had been in the cross fire of it. I'd done what I could for him, but there was nothing I could do to stop Heaven's punishment. Before leaving town, Vince had told me that it didn't matter what I thought I knew about Yasmine. He'd said that once she had spent enough time in Hell and around other demons, she'd become like them. It was what happened to all of them, how someone like Carter could become someone like Jerome. I hadn't believed it at the time but could understand it better after being surrounded in the despair and wrongness of this place. And when I studied her now, I could see it had happened to her too. I remembered a smiling, laughing young woman with sparkling dark eyes and shining black hair. The hair and eyes were ostensibly the same, but there was no light or laughter in them. Her eyes seemed fathomless, dark and cold as she stared straight ahead and walked to the front of the courtroom. She was wearing a gauzy black dress, reminding me of some Goth courtesan, and her long, flowing hair blended into the silken fabric. Even if I'd never met her or known her history, I would have instantly identified her as a demon. Just like the others in the room, there was something in the way she looked and carried herself. I was about to be condemned by someone who had once been my friend. Yasmine reached the front of the courtroom and was gestured toward the witnesses' table. She sat down, gazing around the room with an unreadable expression. â€Å"You've been following the trial?† asked Judge Hannibal. â€Å"Yes,† she said, in a voice as expressionless as her face. How she'd been watching, I couldn't say. With Hell, it could've been closed-circuit TV or a magic mirror for all I knew. â€Å"And you understand your duty?† asked Hannibal. â€Å"Yes,† she replied. Hannibal was trying to maintain some semblance of formality and procedure, but the self-satisfied smirk on his face was kind of negating that. He was too goddamned pleased with himself and this turn of events. â€Å"Cast your vote then, based on the evidence and arguments you've witnessed. If you believe the two contracts are both sound and have not contradicted each other, then cast your vote against the petitioner.† When silence followed, Roman spoke up. â€Å"And if she thinks the two contracts aren't valid?† â€Å"Yes, yes.† Hannibal made a dismissive gesture, annoyed at this obvious waste of his time. â€Å"If you believe the contracts do contradict each other, then cast your vote for the petitioner.† Yasmine was given a piece of paper and pen, just like the other jurors. And just like the others, she wasted no time in writing her vote, her markings swift and certain. When she finished, she looked up serenely, no change in her expression, no sign that we'd ever once known each other. As terrible as I felt about my own fate, I couldn't help but feel nearly as bad for what Hell had done to someone as good and kind as her. No, I thought. Not just Hell. Really, Heaven was just as guilty. What kind of group could advocate goodness and not allow its members to love? Hannibal took the paper from her with a flourish and held it out before him to read. â€Å"In accordance with the laws of this court, and the infallible Kingdom of Hell, the jury finds – † There was a pause, and the next part came out as a question. â€Å"In favor of the petitioner?† A spark of goodness in the darkness. . . . For a moment, nothing happened. The courtroom was silent, frozen in time. Then, several things happened right on top of each other. From behind me, I heard Jerome say, â€Å"Shit.† Yasmine winked at me. Roman hugged me. Hannibal reread the slip of paper, looked at Yasmine, and then swallowed before speaking. â€Å"Both contracts are declared invalid, null and void.† Most of the room was on its feet, voices raised in fury. I had no time to process what they were saying, though, because I was disintegrating away. â€Å"No, not yet!† I exclaimed. I reached desperately for Roman, whose arms had been around me, but couldn't get ahold of him anymore. I was becoming nothing, a will-o'-the-wisp, unable to grasp anything of substance. I tried, though. I tried to grab him and take him with me because there was no way I could leave him here, not in the midst of a bunch of demons pissed off over having just lost two souls. I even tried to say his name, but it didn't work. I had no mouth, no voice anymore. I was leaving this place, and he was staying. The last thing I saw was his sea green eyes regarding me with both happiness and sorrow. I thought I heard him saying something about â€Å"a far, far greater thing,† and then I perceived nothing. I would have screamed in fury if I could have, but I was gone. I was nothing. Only darkness.

Philosophy of Education for Foundations of Education Essay

Introduction Education is an ongoing process based upon experience. The old adage you learn something new everyday is very true, and nothing fascinates me more than simply talking to other people; you can learn so much from them. Education is the foundation of our American society, and the children of today are the future of our country, but educating them is not enough; we must be good role models and present a system of morals and values in our classrooms. Our objective in education is directly related to the social sciences in that the classroom is a microcosm of our society. As teachers we try to prepare our students for real-world situations. Interacting socially, communicating effectively and understanding other peoples’ emotions, feelings and points of view will help our students blossom into productive and understanding adults. Howard Gardner wrote about multiple intelligences, which I think is a huge step in improving the classroom environment and lesson plans to include ways that everyone can learn (Tomlinson, 2002). He identified eight different ways to be â€Å"smart† that traditional IQ tests would not show. This model allows students to excel in these categories through different types of instruction, such as verbal ability, referred to as the linguistic intelligence, or the ability to play an instrument, referred to as the musical intelligence (Johnson et al. , 2005). My classroom will be entertaining, first and foremost. I understand the material I am teaching elementary school children, but delivering that material effectively depends on how they feel about school. Motivating children and getting them excited about learning is not always easy, but it is a key ingredient to a successful classroom. As a male entering the elementary education field I understand my role as a possible father figure (Kindlon and Thompson, 1999) and recognize the importance. I want to make a difference in the world, and I see no better way than through the efforts of education. Definition of Philosophy From the perspective of a future educator, I see myself identifying with the qualities of existentialism the most. This theory can be hard to explain at times because it relies so heavily on the meaning we impose on our lives through education, an idea that cannot be expressed in a limited amount of words and one that differs from individual to individual. Existentialism is routed in the fact that our lives are meaningless; we live in a meaningless world and a meaningless period of time no different than any other. In essence, the quest to find meaning in our lives defines our life. A large part of this view is the idea that we are all free, an idea embraced in America but not typically recognized throughout the world or throughout history. Given this, our freedom allows us to make choices and these choices define us. The goal of the teacher through this philosophy is not to teach freedom, but to embrace it. Tracking, measurement and standardization homogenize the classroom, whereas our goal as teachers is to individualize the classroom and foster a healthy student-teacher relationship. The students’ feelings are important and we should not compare ourselves to an ideal self but who we actually are, and education is the tool that fills the gaps of understanding this. Because I have yet to become a teacher, I am not quite sure how and in what ways measurement and standardization negatively impact the classroom, but I am aware of the separation and animosity created my tracking. Getting the students to think positively about themselves will foster healthy learning and create a positive self-esteem that will drive them to learn both in the classroom and through questioning on their own. Sparking that fire is the idea behind existentialism, and in a world where we are essentially meaningless, it is up to us as teachers to inspire our students to grasp the freedom they have, bring meaning into their life, and use that excitement to find meaning in all that they do. Also, in sparking critical thinking, students will engage in a thoughtful and reflective process similar to Bloom’s taxonomy where a number of levels of learning are happening, dependent on how information in the classroom affects them and their existence as well as essence. Another important tool we can use to define our philosophy as a teacher is the Ways of Knowing. I feel like I identify most with the Eastern Way of Knowing, particularly the Chinese thought because of the emphasis on moral development. Understanding facts and theories is important in education, but sometimes it is hard to distinguish what is actually necessary from what is trivial. Preaching morals allows us to respect others, particularly elders, and gain from their knowledge, something that cannot always be taught in the classroom. Also, it will foster a more productive and peaceful society, one that is the best to learn in. Confucianism and Taoism play a large role in this type of knowing as well, and the reliance on harmony can be compared to the need for smooth transitions in the field of education. Although Confucius implemented the need for rules and standards, contradictory to my belief in existentialism, he has influenced society and education in particular for thousands of years. These rules help keep life orderly and efficient, and the success of Chinese government, business and family life can be attributed to this as well as the harmony between the three. Taoism affects the Chinese thought by suggesting that we should leave things alone and not force personal desires onto the way things will naturally occur. This eliminates the need for competition and is more consistent with the existentialist view. Competition can be good in many ways, but when comparing students we must be careful and considerate. There is no place in the classroom for making anyone feel inferior, and I feel more strongly about that than any other aspect of teaching right now. In relation to morals and respect, I will never allow a student to think they are better than any other student, and hopefully using this method will prepare them for life in the â€Å"real world,† where manners and morals can actually take you pretty far. Even if it’s not for achievement, preaching this will promote self-improvement and a genuine compassion for other students, which is what I strive for in the classroom. Based on the work of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and rooted in existentialism, humanism is the educational approach that I fell closest too. Humanism makes the assumption that we are essentially born good and that children enter the world not as a blank slate, but with innate qualities and dispositions. Consistent and nearly identical to existentialism, humanism stresses the role of individualism in the classroom and says that society turns people evil. Group-oriented education is rejected because it weakens the student-teacher relationship, limits self-actualization (based on the student’s feelings), and measures students as objects, effectively doing away with the individual self. Teachers involving humanism in the classroom look for student interests as guidelines for instruction and assessment and even go as far as letting the students pick the material and activities. Students discover their own opinions through divergent thinking and should not be influenced by the teachers’ views. Eastern influences on Humanism are also prevalent, as people should be looked at as valuable individuals that deserve respect, not as objects to be manipulated, described by the I-Thou and I-It example, respectively. I am an optimist; the glass is always half full. Therefore, I strongly believe that people are created equally, good and free. Society can have a negative impact on individuals, but it can also have a positive impact. Our goal as teachers is to become that positive force and to let every student know that we care about them as individuals. The book cites how a college classroom can consist of more than one-hundred students, leaving know room for a personal relationship with the professor. One of the main reasons I came to W and J was for that small school feel where I could have a personal relationship with my professors: I feel like I do better in my classes and that I also learn more and feel more confident about my abilities. If we can achieve this goal, rather than making our students just a number, we will truly succeed as educators. References Johnson, J. A. , Musial, D. , Hall, G. E. , Gollnick, D. M. , & Dupuis, V. L. (2005). Introduction to the foundations of American education (pp. 448). Boston: Allyn& Bacon. Kindlon, D. , & Thompson M. (1999). Raising Cain: Protecting the emotional life of boys (pp. 333). New York: Ballentine. Tomlinson, C. A. (2002). Different learners, different lessons. Scholastic Instructor, 9, 21, 24-26, 91.

Workplace Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Workplace Issues - Essay Example One of the more typical elements that lead to gender workforce diversity problems is the manner in which the company or firm views the independent skills and abilities of their workers, or the existence of bias and stereotyping in other people's behavior. For example, in corporate governance issues, the manner in which the company or firm views the responsibilities of males and females can inhibit or deny workers to particular occupations (Riccucci, 2002). The traits and attitudes of both males and females are also not the same from each other and can be identified as a major cause of gendered workplace problems. According to Smith (2003), males in the workplace are normally identified by dominant traits, which are the reasons why they are not lacking in self-belief, brute force, coercion, freedom, the will to win and the motivation to succeed. These traits of males enable them to utilize an aggressive managerial mechanism, which is helpful in persuading other people and enhancing the special capabilities of the workers. Meanwhile, females in the workplace possess serene traits that stand for love, respect, compassion and understanding. Females with serene traits normally talk with hesitation, manage a simple lifestyle and provide help to her co-workers (Lieberman, 2003). As these traits are not really significant components as to the manner that managers and presidents of organizations are typically viewed, females are not the immedi ate preferences for top level jobs in the firm. Males meanwhile assume their top positions as company managers and CEOs. d. What personality traits are beneficial and/or detrimental in your workplace In my workplace, males and females perform most of the time of acts as the foundation concerning how other individuals perceive them as potential CEOs of organizations. The interactive capacities for instance, which is an integral element of an excellent manager, are not the same among males and females in my workplace. As the interactive mechanisms of males are seen to be perfect for leadership positions, men in my workplace normally are always on the top candidates for highly coveted leadership jobs. e. Who is responsible for fostering motivation in the workplace Despite the various dilemmas concerning cultural workforce diversity, research studies prove that this is an essential factor of an excellent firm as well as gives positive points. According to Arredondo (1996), the hiring of an extremely diverse workforce with regards to race and ethnicity can be very helpful as it gives the company a greater roster of highly qualified individuals. This also improves the chances of the company to recruit workers that are capable enough for particular organizational deficits and necessities. In most organizational functions, workforce diversity can also support in providing a variety of helpful concepts that are critical in making informed choices. Therefore gendered workforce diversity widens the organization's views and improves its choices for establishing selections.

Using SAP in Electronic Government Research Paper

Using SAP in Electronic Government - Research Paper Example and Europe and will address the various challenges at "The Impact of E-Government in Europe" conference next month in Helsinki, said Ian Swann, vice president of SAP's public sector unit. Last year, SAP joined a program headed by the Center for Technology in Government at Albany State University in New York to help address the challenge of calculating return on investment for public sector IT initiatives. The center has conducted five case studies of organizations that have sought to assess the impact of the IT investments and has drafted a document offering a methodology for measuring ROI. Swann will present the findings of the five case studies and the ROI white paper. SAP is also participating in the European Union's E-Government Action Plan, aimed at helping Europe's sprawling public sector improve the efficiency of its internal operations and external services to citizens. The company is a contributor to the E.U.-funded Picture Project, a Web-based system that lets government officials measure the impact of information and communication technologies on organizational processes, enabling informed choices for long-term technology investments. While pointing to SAP's software expertise in areas such as accounting, human resources and logistics, Swann acknowledged an eagerness on the part of many governments, such as Germany and France, to create applications on "open architectures.†... ing, human resources and logistics, Swann acknowledged an eagerness on the part of many governments, such as Germany and France, to create applications on "open architectures.† Public-sector organizations will use "open source where it is appropriate and where it works," Swann said. But Swann was quick to use the word "open" in the context of SAP's new service-oriented architecture platform. The platform, he said, "opens up the delivery of services" and opportunities to work with independent software vendors. "All of this is about building more agile applications and creating more value out of existing investments," he said. Currently, sales to the public sector account for roughly 10 percent of SAP's total revenue and are growing, according to Swann. But selling to governments, which "are and will remain under severe financial constraints," will continue to be a challenge, he said: â€Å"That’s why we have to deliver value to what they're doing." E- Government complian ce We've seen the news reports with carloads of FBI agents, windbreakers and all, rushing into a business to seize paper records and servers. The evidence is analyzed later to prove a crime using computer forensics. However, the more likely use of computer forensics will be requirements around lawsuits: accounting records, emails, transaction data, and so on, all used to tell a story that will benefit either the plaintiff or the defense. The problem comes when we move data to the public clouds. How do we deal with legal issues, such as lawsuits and law enforcement? For the most part, organizations moving to the cloud have not even considered this issue. Indeed, according to Network World, "Any business that anticipates using cloud-based services should be asking the question: What can my cloud provider

Mothers' Health Conscious Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mothers' Health Conscious - Essay Example This essay talks about the survey analyses regarding mothers food decisions for their families. 1,000 American mothers were included in the survey. Many respondents felt that major brands were not able to address their individual needs, which meant that changes in the food and beverage marketing have to be implemented so as to appeal to moms. This article by Ben Meridith was published in a website which advocates healthy living. By using distributions from a survey, it was able to support its claim that more people are awakening to the need for a healthy lifestyle. At the end of the article Meridith said, â€Å"while food corporations are not known for their healthy messages, we can hope that they will approach marketing with a refreshing honesty† which in a sense meant that there is business in providing healthy food. Hence, in total, the article was able to support the website’s advocacy – that a healthy lifestyle is the new trend. While the writer for this article was successful in supporting his claims, one cannot say whether his interpretation of the distribution was correct or not. This is because he stated only the percentage distribution and not the actual frequency distribution of the survey. Moreover, there is no way for this researcher to check on the actual questions posted to the respondents and determine whether or not questions statements might have affected responses. Aside from this, only the averages were reported and there was no way of computing other characteristics of the distribution.

Jeep Patriot Sports Car Advertisement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Jeep Patriot Sports Car Advertisement - Essay Example Adverts employ a tool of art called semiotics that involves the application of signs and symbols in conveying messages. This advert has different categories of the message to the buyer. These categories consist of both the words and images. There is a whole range of captions in the advert that portray a denoted message targeted at the buyer. In addition, Michael’s wife, surprises him, by declaring that she bought a jeep in a conversation. The captions and labels, it becomes clear to the buyer that she bought a jeep patriot sport car. The word ‘jeep’ in the advert represents a connoted meaning. The term communicates a deeper meaning to the buyer because it has a long history of use in the market. Just by its mention in the advert, it conveys a certain message. A jeep is a car that belongs to specific classes of people in the society because of its features. The unique feature is the quarter-ton that defines a jeep. In addition, there is a connoted message in the de claration of the wife that she bought the jeep. It confirms to the audience that she ‘could not hold back ‘. This adds sense to the persuasion at the end urging the audience not to ‘hold back’ from buying the jeep. In addition, the advert contains a symbolic message. The pictured movement of the jeep patriot car signifies its capability on the road and emphasizes on the value of the four-wheel drive system. In addition, the woman in the advert implies that the car is suitable for the feminine gender. She is a symbol for the suitability of the car to women. This is a crucial aspect of the advert because different cars suit male and female. There is an evident gender preference of some car models and any advert should highlight this fact. Moreover, the advert has literal message that the audience can conceive easily. A real couple indulging in a usual conversation gets the buyer’s attention. The two are getting ready to leave the house. The wife brings up the idea that she bought a jeep. This fact mesmerizes the husband, as it is evident from his facial reactions. The advert then features a real image of the ‘jeep patriot sport car’. From this real image, the features of the car become evident to the audience. The car looks compact but being a jeep, has an economic engine. The couple rides in the car portraying its suitability as a family car. The car has unique features for families that prefer to own a car with multiple capabilities. This jeep has sufficient room to accommodate both the heads and legs. This offers sufficient space for rear passengers. In addition, the car has a high capacity boot that provides a family sufficient space to carry luggage. The family setting highlighted in the advert persuades families to consider the jeep patriot as a favorable choice. Through a combination of the different messages, the advert provides the audience with details about the car. In addition, there is a denoted message t hat informs the audience of the price of the jeep. With a glance, potential buyers gain awareness of the product price. The advert utilizes different efficient aspects of visual art to communicate with the audience. The advert targets families and emphasizes on the suitability of the car to women as well. The concept of commodity fetishism comes out clearly in the advert.  

Either women's rights or body image Research Paper

Either women's rights or body image - Research Paper Example 74)†; some children seem to simply live with the television on, whether as entertainment or for background noise. The question that does exist is in regard to just how harmful all of this television viewing is to children and there are a few ways in which this question can be considered, all of which point to the damage that too much television can cause, and they are physically, mentally, and emotionally. Physically, it has been proven that too much television viewing is harmful to children’s eyesight, regardless of how close a child actually sits to the television screen (Comstock, pg. 38). Even though television has proven to not have lasting negative effects on the eyes, there are some implications that can cause temporary blindness or spots before the eyes, or longer lasting issues that need medical correction such as vision distortion or near or farsightedness. Most children tend to watch television in the dark, which causes the eyes to strain, which then often causes eye fatigue. This can be easily fixed by cutting down viewing times, by not watching television as often in the dark, and by sitting a safe distance away from the screen, but over time children can develop issues with their eyesight that might need fixing with glasses or else cause problems as they get older (Comstock, pg. 42). Another physical consequence of too much television viewing is the possibility of obesity. When children spend more time in front of the television, they are spending less time playing and getting exercise. Zimmerman et al (pg. 338) stated that â€Å"eating is a common activity in front of the television; the more that a child watches television, the more they eat, and the more they risk developing obesity†. They do not spend enough time exercising and ridding themselves of the fat that they take in while they are watching television. The fat builds up, causing obesity. When children watch television, they become more concerned with their entertainment

Asbestos Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Asbestos - Essay Example An estimated 1.3 million employees in the construction and general industry are at risk. No doubt, we are exposed to a certain level of asbestos material all the time. Asbestos, in the finished form, does not pose any health hazard. Remodelling, repair, maintenance, demolition, sale and transport combined with rough handling all can release these deadly fibres into water or air2. Inhalation of these fibres for a continuous period could be extremely dangerous. . Chrysotile, a fibrous mineral which neither burns nor rots, flexible with maximum tensile strength, extremely useful, lightweight, can create a formidable surface mixed with cementing materials, could be used as high temperature seals and gaskets, known over 2000 years, first mined in Russia, Italy and Canada. Old products, unlike today's improved technological ones, crumbled easily under pressure and released more harmful fibres. All these fibres are non-inflammable Asbestos is a highly emotive topic with two shrill schools of thought, one saying that asbestos should be banned; another arguing that asbestos of today would not be a killer. European Union (EU)3 and the United Kingdom (UK)4 both argue that asbestos is carcinogenic and targets multiple organs of the dust inhaler. According to their rules all types of asbestos are harmful and there is no safe level of exposure and the weight of evidence to support this is incontrovertible and historical. It is impossible to control the exposure to asbestos in workplace and hence, alternative products must be used. Asbestos should be discarded as a harmful object and should be banned, to protect public health. This risk-based approach depends on the fact that there is no identified lower exposure limit to which workers can be safely exposed.5 In spite of the overwhelming medical reports, there is little scientific research evidence to back this viewpoint and the entire exercise seems to be more of a public emotional grandstand. Asbestos is heat resistant and is used in a wide variety of industrial and domestic appliances and this makes it particularly difficult to avoid it completely. It is a mineral fibre used in a variety of building construction materials for insulation and it is also a fire-retardant. The necessity of completely stopping the usage too is questioned by many scientists. The Canadian Chrysotile Institute

LEGISLATION IS INTRODUCED TO PROTECT UNMARRIED COHABITANTS Essay

LEGISLATION IS INTRODUCED TO PROTECT UNMARRIED COHABITANTS - Essay Example Under the Children Act 1989, an unmarried mother has the sole parental responsibility over her children however this was amended under the Adoption and Children Act 2002 where parental responsibility shall be acquired by the father if he is registered as the child’s father; there is a parental responsibility agreement; or when the court orders that he shall have parental authority upon his application.  Under the Children Act 1989, an unmarried mother has the sole parental responsibility over her children however this was amended under the Adoption and Children Act 2002 where parental responsibility shall be acquired by the father if he is registered as the child’s father; there is a parental responsibility agreement; or when the court orders that he shall have parental authority upon his application.   The legislative pronouncement protecting cohabitation may be used by couples who are prescribed by law to marry by reason of legal impediment or public policy to cir cumvent the law. A case in point is B & L v the United Kingdom where a parent-in-law is prohibited from marrying their child-in-law unless both had reached aged 21 and both their respective spouses had died. B was L’s father-in-law, and they wished to marry. L’s son treated his grandfather, B, as ‘Dad’. However, upon application to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), it was ruled that the prohibition violates the right to marry notwithstanding its laudable and legitimate aim of protecting the family and any children of the couple. The prohibition was based primarily on tradition and considering the same situation, no legal prohibition exists when the couple would engage in an extra-marital relationship.   In fine, there are enough laws to protect the interest of unmarried cohabitants. They must only be vigilant in protecting their rights and interests so that they may not be unduly deprived of their rights and interests.... Under the Children Act 1989, an unmarried mother has the sole parental responsibility over her children however this was amended under the Adoption and Children Act 2002 where parental responsibility shall be acquired by the father if he is registered as the child’s father; there is a parental responsibility agreement; or when the court orders that he shall have parental authority upon his application.  Under the Children Act 1989, an unmarried mother has the sole parental responsibility over her children however this was amended under the Adoption and Children Act 2002 where parental responsibility shall be acquired by the father if he is registered as the child’s father; there is a parental responsibility agreement; or when the court orders that he shall have parental authority upon his application.   The legislative pronouncement protecting cohabitation may be used by couples who are prescribed by law to marry by reason of legal impediment or public policy to cir cumvent the law. A case in point is B & L v the United Kingdom where a parent-in-law is prohibited from marrying their child-in-law unless both had reached aged 21 and both their respective spouses had died. B was L’s father-in-law, and they wished to marry. L’s son treated his grandfather, B, as ‘Dad’. However, upon application to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), it was ruled that the prohibition violates the right to marry notwithstanding its laudable and legitimate aim of protecting the family and any children of the couple. The prohibition was based primarily on tradition and considering the same situation, no legal prohibition exists when the couple would engage in an extra-marital relationship.   In fine, there are enough laws to protect the interest of unmarried cohabitants. They must only be vigilant in protecting their rights and interests so that they may not be unduly deprived of their rights and interests. Any legislation that would be enacted would put the cohabitation relationship at par with marriage and civil partnership is a mockery to the institutions. It would further erode marriage and civil partnership and from the growing number of couples choosing to cohabit without the benefit of marriage or civil partnership, it is marriage and civil partnership that need protection. Unmarried cohabitation should be left alone to give the parties freedom to choose but they cannot invoke protection as this is a direct assault on the institutions of marriage and civil partnership.  

Criminal justice system Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Criminal justice system - Assignment Example Thirdly, they both have a privilege against self-incrimination. Fourthly, both the juvenile and the adult have a right to notice of the charges in court. Nevertheless, both adult and juvenile offenders have the right to receive the Miranda warnings. During the court process, they both receive equal protection of their rights (Harry & Dammer, 2010). Finally, in both systems, before a can be convicted of any crimes, there must be a proof of unreasonable doubt that the person committed the crimes or the delinquent acts (Harry & Dammer, 2010). There are numerous comparisons between the juvenile justice system and the adult criminal justice system. On the first note, the juvenile justice system is a characteristic of the criminal justice system. Juveniles are charged in civil proceedings and receive no criminal record unlike the adults who are charged in a criminal proceeding and on being find guilt are forced to carry a criminal record of one’s adult life. Juvenile court proceedin gs are carried out in an informal way whereas, in an adult criminal justice system, court proceedings are carried out in a formal manner (Harry & Dammer, 2010). There are many significant differences that exist between the juvenile justice system and the adult justice system (Harry & Dammer, 2010). In the juvenile justice system, the primary and viable goal is the rehabilitation, community protection and treatment of the individual. In a criminal justice system, punishment is the primary focus.... Another difference is the accessibility of records and proceedings. There is private public access to juvenile records and confidential court proceedings in a juvenile court unlike in the adult criminal court where criminal records and court proceedings are open to the public (Harry & Dammer, 2010). Also, in a juvenile system, a juvenile offender faces a hearing which is based on both his social history and legal factors whereas, in a criminal justice system, defendants are put on trial based on legal factors. Referring to public jury trial, the juveniles have no right to a jury trial unlike in the case adult criminal justice where defendants have a right to a public jury trial (Harry & Dammer, 2010). On the other hand, juveniles are persecuted for delinquent whereas defendants in a criminal court are judged as either innocent or guilty. In cases where the delinquent acts are serious, they might be considered as crimes and the juvenile will be tried in the adult courts (Harry & Damme r, 2010). There are some important differences between the juvenile and the adult justice systems that protect the offenders. For example, in the juvenile courts the nature of the offense and age is taken into consideration (Harry & Dammer, 2010). By considering these factors, a juvenile is protected from being tried as an adult in the adult courts. Similarly, in juvenile courts, parole is based primarily on surveillance only whereas in an adult criminal justice, parole is based on monitoring of illicit behaviors and surveillance (Harry & Dammer, 2010). The juvenile justice system is different from the adult criminal justices because in the juvenile courts,

Neolithic development Essay Example for Free

Neolithic development Essay Neolithic development is characterized by the first agricultural revolution, when people moved from hunting gathering to agriculture and settlement. They developed tools for farming, pottery, spinning, and weaving. 2. The Hebrew is chosen by their God to go to the Promised Land. The Hebrew covenant with their god is characterized by the Ten Commandments that they have to follow throughout their lives. The Talmud is a set of discussions regarding Jewish laws, ethics, customs and history and is held important in Rabbinic Judaism. The Hebrews came to Palestine because some parts of it were defined as part of the Promised Land or Canaan. 3. It was Ahmose I who reunified Egypt in the 8th century by conquest and expulsion of the Hykos and reassertion of Egypt’s power over Nubia and Canaan. 4. It was the Sumerian people who invented taxation in order to make taxation easier. Sumerian scribes are record keepers, which are usually for the records of taxation. Mesopotamia was generally polytheistic, or the belief in many gods. These gods are the ones which provided them whatever they needed to survive. With the harsh environment of the Middle East, these people adapted laws that would punish offenders severely so as to avoid repetition of crimes. Egyptian and Mesopotamian religions differ with the gods they rule and the characteristics of these gods. 5. After Solomon’s death, the Hebrew state became separated, as the ten northern tribes revolted and successfully seceded to create their own kingdoms. 6. The Battle of Kadesh marked the first international peace treaty ever made, and it was between Egyptians and the Hittites. 7. Assyrians maintained political cohesion and military preparedness because they all followed only one rule, and that is of their King. 8. The Magi is a group of people from Media who were known for their religious and funerary practices of the people of ancient Persia. Zend-avesta refers to the interpretation of the Avesta or the primary collection of sacred texts of Zoroastrianism in the Avestan language. Zoroaster taught religion and philosophy, about the universe and the struggle between truths and lies. Ahriman is basically the demon in Zoroastrianism and Ahura Mazda is the god. Satraps are the governors of Median and Persian empires. 9. The weaknesses of the human condition can be overcome by not overindulging or by following a simple life. Attachment and craving can be ceased by following the eightfold path. Nirvana is the state of being of a person wherein he is free from suffering and the cycle of being reborn. Human beings, like all things are impermanent, and there is no constant self. Human existence can be associated with suffering. 10. Jains preach that by cultivating a person’s own personal wisdom and control, he can achieve spiritual development. According to the Bhagavad Gita, the human condition is temporary and can still transcend to a supreme being. Dharma is the duty of a person that he must fulfill. Upanishads teach about the universal spirit and the individual soul and how both asserts an identity in an individual. Here, ascetism is characterized by doing away with wants and desires and following a life away from human indulgence. 11. Zhou China boasted of an organized medical system wherein physicians have specialties. Zhou was different in the aspect of government because it became feudal. Mandate of heaven means that the rulers are legitimately blessed by the heavens, and if the heaven would be displeased, the mandate would be revoked. 12. Yao, Shun, and Yu are the holy and virtuous mythical rulers of China who divided it into its regions. According to Confucius, the family is the basic unit of the society. A just and peaceful society would be obtained if people follow the rules. Mutual obligation would only be evident in the family, of parent and child and of husband and wife. 13. Yin and yang are the two opposing forces in any phenomenon. They are at the same time complimentary, and this is the basis of the system of correspondence in the Chinese philosophy and study of science. Daoism teaches reverence for nature, as it is a way of life. Han Feizi taught Legalism, wherein the ruler should be the one that controls the state. This is based on the concepts of his position of power, certain techniques and laws. Sima quan is a scribe of emperor Wu who made detailed biographies of Royal affairs. Tang is known as the period of golden age for arts and literature, as they called for perfection in one’s skills if they ever wished to pass the examinations of the empire. 14. Geography affected the development of Greece because it is surrounded by other areas. This made Greece a melting pot of intellectuals though this made them vulnerable to the advances of invaders. Hoplites are the soldiers of Ancient Greek, while Polis is the city state itself. Agora on the other hand, is an open place of assembly for the Greeks. Women in Athens are revered and treated highly while women in Sparta are treated inferior to the males. Messenian helots were mistreated and humiliated, and a Spartan can do anything he desire without fear of punishment to a Messenian helot. Greek’s defeat of Persia boosted their confidence and has set forward to more conquests. 15. Sophists taught philosophy and rhetoric. Socrates taught using the Socratic Method wherein you have to ask a series of questions in order to learn. He taught politics, philosophy, ethics, and many more. Socrates was executed because of his pursuit of virtue and truth, and he has praised Sparta which is the rival of Athens. Women were given more importance in the public affairs in the Hellenistic society. Solon was the founding father of the Athenian polis. Greek drama originated from Greek tragedy, wherein performances were made in various festivities. Epicurus advocated for a life without pain and with the pursuit of pleasure. 16. Mystery religion restricted to those who underwent certain secret rites or process. Greek religion is highly based on what the current ruler believes in, and the people would just follow suit. Philip II unified Greek by conquering the lands and using a great destructive army to threaten enemies to submission. The consequence of Alexander’s conquest of Macedonia is that many people aspired for his power, and when he died, the empire was divided. 17. The Bactrian camel was important because it was the only means of travel that could withstand the long arduous trade route for the Chinese. Hans used advance technologies, like cast iron and steel. Han cities were advanced with efficient agriculture and iron industry. In order to solve the poverty among peasantry, some rich Han people were stripped of their land and was given to the peasants for them to work on. The Hans invent Hydraulic powered hammer for agriculture and iron sector and winnowing machine for agriculture. Emperor Wu expanded the Chinese territory, nearly doubling its size. Buddhism in these countries aimed to resolve the problems in a simpler way of life. Korean Buddhism made variations to it because of its inconsistencies. Shinto is a Japanese religion that was native of the country and was considered once as the state religion of Japan.

Factors Affecting Customer Satisfaction

Factors Affecting Customer Satisfaction Purpose The purpose of this paper is to test the effect of different service quality factors as quality of food, music, ambience, waiter service on customer satisfaction in a restaurant and to study how the customer satisfaction ultimately relates to customer loyalty for the restaurant. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire was given to MBA students of XLRI Jamshedpur in the age group of 21-30 asking questions to ascertain the different levels of service in the Sonnet restaurant. The results of these questionnaires were analyzed using factor analysis. Findings The factors that are crucial for obtaining customer loyalty are waiter politeness, waiter promptness, space, music and food quality. The waiter promptness, space, food quality are partially mediated by customer satisfaction. Of these factors, music negatively affects customer loyalty and positively affects customer satisfaction. Only waiter promptness, aesthetics, music and food quality affect the customer satisfaction. With customer satisfaction as the mediating factor to obtain customer loyalty, we find waiter politeness, waiter promptness, space, music and food quality are significant factors. Research limitations The study was limited only to the patrons of Sonnet, Jamshedpur. The respondents to the survey consisted of students of XLRI Jamshedpur who have visited Sonnet. Future research may be done on number of restaurants instead of a particular restaurant. Future research may also be conducted such that the respondents reflect a more heterogeneous group in terms of age, income level and location. The solitary effect of servicescape on the overall satisfaction level for the customer may also be explored in future research. Practical Implication Hoteliers and restaurant operators should try to ascertain which aspect of the service quality is perceived as more important by their patrons. They can then focus more to improve on these particular aspects as in future these would lead to more satisfaction for the customer. The customer satisfaction in turn will lead to customer loyalty and thus will increase the overall profit for the organization. Originality/value This paper provides insights into how music affects the satisfaction and loyalty for restaurant patrons. The effect of music on customer loyalty has not been conclusively proved in any research paper so far. The other factors of service quality that affect the satisfaction level and loyalty of a patron of the Sonnet restaurant in Jamshedpur have also been explored to provide a complete picture. Keywords Service Quality, Customer Satisfaction, Customer Loyalty Introduction In todays fast paced world meals are no longer a very well planned event, on most occasions it is an afterthought. The proportion of women in the workforce has increased, As a result women have less time to cook meals at home. Hence there has been an increase in the trend of eating out. This results in a flourishing restaurant industry. Like any lucrative industry which attracts a number of players, the restaurant industry is also highly competitive. It is very important to get a feel of this industry from the viewpoint of the customer. It is the customer who makes the final decision of how much to spend and what, when and most importantly where to eat. Thus in order to offer the right service to the customers, restaurant owners and managers need to have a clear understanding of the factors that influence customer satisfaction. Customer Satisfaction Customer satisfaction is the state of the fulfillment of the customers expectations from the establishment. When the difference facets of the service provided to the customers exceed the expected level, then the customer is positively satisfied. On the contrary if the perceived level is less than the expected level then the customer may develop negative perceptions towards the establishment. Customer Loyalty Customer loyalty basically indicates a repeat patronage of the particular facility whose services have already been experienced by the customer. Loyalty consists of both a behavioral dimension as well as an attitudinal dimension. Once a customer has a strong positive experience with an establishment, he is more likely to be loyal to it which may be exhibited through behavior as repeat patronage and recommendation (generally exhibited through positive word of mouth). Constituents of service quality The different factors of service quality which influence the customer satisfaction level include: Music: The music played at restaurant has a significant impact on the satisfaction level of the customer. Customers are generally more satisfied in an environment playing music they preferred than in an environment of no music. Music may also have an impact on the spending pattern of customers. Food Quality: Although restaurants have gained importance as a place for socializing, food is the primary reason why a customer visits a restaurant. Thus the quality of food and beverages as well as the variety influences the customer satisfaction level. Waiter Service: Waiters serve as the medium of interaction between the restaurant owners and the customers. Thus the service provided by the waiters often forms the image of a restaurant. Careful, pleasant and attentive behavior on the part of the waiter leads to high customer satisfaction. Ambience: Ambience ( dà ©cor and artifact, odor, noise level , temperature, spatial layout) forms the impression of the restaurant. Research background and hypothesis Music and Customer Satisfaction It has been often agreed upon by researchers that different aspects of service like ambience and layout affect the experience quality of a customer and thus influence his satisfaction. Music helps in creating the proper ambience in the restaurant and has important role to play in customer satisfaction. Studies in social psychology often indicate that there is a strong correlation between music and the social context in which the customer hears it. This relationship can also be extended to the setting of a restaurant. In 1996, North and Hargreaves studied the effect of music on atmosphere in a university cafeteria (North and Hargreaves, 1996). Results suggested that customers liking of the cafeteria increased with their liking for the music played within it. In their research conducted in 1996 North and Hargreaves also found that liking the music in a restaurant had a positive relationship with the customer returning to the establishment in future. According to Stephanie Wilson in her article, The effect of music on perceived atmosphere and purchase intention in a restaurant the music could be used by restaurants to create the proper atmosphere. This can also be used to distinguish itself from the competitors. The research states that the absence of music had the most negative impact on the atmosphere and thus on customer satisfaction. Wilson in her research actually found out that in an environment of no music the respondents were willing to pay the least maximum price. Wilson also found out that the type of music played may also have an important bearing on the customers overall experience as well as his spending habits. Ronald Milliman, in his article The Influence of Background Music on the Behavior of Restaurant Patrons, has proved that background music can significantly influence the behavior of patrons in a restaurant. This view is supplemented by Smith and Curnow (1966), who have proved that inappropriate, loud music creates an avoidance condition and thus can affect the customer perception about a restaurant negatively. In such cases music actually detracts from the service experience. J. Duncan Herrington and Louis M. Capella in their article Effects of music in service environments have stated that often music can be used by service providers in order to a distinctive image in the minds of the customers and thus get a competitive edge. Restaurants can take the aid of music to create an environment which complements their service offerings. Restaurants serving international food can play the music of the particular nation and restaurants serving a particular type of food can also similarly use music. Food and Customer Satisfaction: Variety and presentation of food and beverages and quality of the menu are one of the most important factors influencing the customers feelings towards the restaurant. According to Kincaid and Baloglou, in their article What Really brings them Back (2008), this has tremendous practical significance for restaurant operators. It should be made sure that an interesting variety of food and drinks are presented in unique ways. Food and drink quality is very important to the patrons of a restaurant and restaurant operators should ensure that a strict quality control is in place to make sure that only high quality food is being offered to the customers. Andaleeb and Conway in their article Customer satisfaction in the restaurant industry: an examination of the transaction-specific model(2006) has also opined that food quality is one of the major components which can be improved in order to enhance customer satisfaction. Hong Qin and Victor R. Prybutok in their research, Perceived service quality in fast-food restaurants: empirical evidence from China found that the quality of food was a critical factor in the customers overall level of satisfaction and often influenced the customers decision about selection of a restaurant. Ambience and Customer Satisfaction The ambience and layout of the establishment has an important role to play in the experience quality of the customer. Bitner (1992) coined a new term servicescape which denoted the physical constituents of a service environment. The different tangible constituents of servicescape such as optimum temperature, noise, furnishings and layout combine together to influence the customer satisfaction and repeat patronage level. In comparison to other service industries as banks servicescape plays a more important role in service industries as restaurants where the customer spends a greater period of time. Wakefield and Blodgett(1996) proposed a servicescape framework, the service environment comprised of five important factors: Proper layout and accessibility of the premises (i.e. how furniture, service area and equipments are organized within the establishment) Aesthetics of the establishment ( the interior decoration and architectural design) Seating comfort Electronic equipment ( arrangement of displays and lighting and electronic equipment) Cleanliness All these five factors together had a combined effect on customer satisfaction. As per Grayson and Mc Neill in Using Atmospheric conditions in service retailing, the proper servicescape leads to customer comfort. This comfort has two aspects: Physical comfort and emotional comfort and safety Both these factors together affect the satisfaction level of the customer. Han Ryu in their research The Roles of the Physical Environment, Price Perception, and Customer Satisfaction in Determining Customer Loyalty in the Restaurant Industry had studied the effect of physical environment on customer satisfaction. In the research they categorized the physical environment into dà ©cor and artifacts (which contributed to the attractiveness of the physical environment i.e. floor coverings, wall decorations, pictures, paintings etc), spatial layout (arrangement of objects as furniture and equipment) and ambient conditions (background characteristics as scent, temperature, lighting etc) . The research showed that of all the three dà ©cor and artifacts had the most significant and direct effect on customer satisfaction. The researchers have expressed their opinion that restaurateurs should give paramount importance to physical elements in the restaurant. These can be used as marketing and operational tools to improve the customer experience and resultantly imp rove the customer behavior. Waiter Service and Customer Satisfaction: How a patron is actually treated by the waiter in the course of service is also an important parameter which contributes to his satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Even if there is a service failure, a competent employee can take proper actions which can actually lead to service recovery (Bitner and Booms, 1990). Hence waiter and waitresses who serve as a liaison between the restaurant and the customer play the most important role in the success of the establishment. J.D. Pratten in his article The importance of Waiting Staff discusses that poor waiter service may consist of slow service, serving cold food, spoiling the presentation at the table, causing delay in the carriage of food (as a result of which different dishes at the same table may arrive at different times) failure to have all the accompaniments as sauces at the table, not having the proper cutlery etc. Any of the above occurrences may spoil the experience of a customer thus leading to customer dissatisfaction. A lot of competency and effort is required from the waiting staff to ensure that the experience of the customer is pleasant thus leading to satisfaction. Apart from the basic competencies mentioned above, the personal contact attributes of the waiters and waitresses with the customers including whether the employees were helpful, attentive, prompt, courteous, neat in appearance, and understood customer needs are also very important. Winsted in his study Service Behavior that leads to Satisfied Customers found that the three most important qualities which had a strong correlation with customer satisfaction in a restaurant are careful (.77), attentive (.76) and pleasant (.75). It has been also suggested that managers and owners of restaurants can actually have specialized training programs which will enable as well as encourage the employees to improve their service quality. This, coupled with regular tracking of performance can lead to increase in the customer satisfaction level. Pratten in his article Customer satisfaction and waiting staff (2003) emphasizes that the role of waiting staff in customer satisfaction is paramount and thus if this is not recognized and acted upon there will be a loss of business for firms. Customer satisfaction as a Mediating Variable Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty: It seems only logical that satisfied customers of any establishment will turn into loyal customers and will grant their patronage again. Researchers have also found that there exists a strong relationship between the two. As per Szymanski and Henard (2001), there are fifteen significant positive correlations between customer satisfaction and loyalty. Bearden and Teel (1986) have also proved that there is a relationship between satisfaction and loyalty. Thus a satisfied customer turns into a loyal one and brings more revenue to the restaurant. Fornell,Rust Dekimpe, in their research The Effect of Customer Satisfaction on Consumer Spending Growth has proved that an increase in customer satisfaction leads to growth in future customer spending. On the other hand, an unsatisfied customer can cause negative word of mouth publicity. He can actually cause other prospective patrons to turn away from a particular restaurant. Smith and Swindyard (1983) found that in case of a service which is consumed by the customer at the spot, the attitude and the satisfaction level of the customer is an excellent predictor of future purchases. Thus extending this if the consumers are satisfied by the service level at a restaurant then it is actually increases the probability of revisit by the customer. Namkung and Young (2007) in their research found out that food quality significantly affects customer satisfaction as well as behavioral intentions and the relationship between customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions is mediated by satisfaction. Kivela, Inbakaran and Reece in their research Consumer research in the restaurant environment, Part 1: A conceptual model of dining satisfaction and return patronage (2000) made certain observations related to dining satisfaction and return patronage. The study revealed that satisfaction had a strong positive influence on return patronage .The factors having significant influence on the customer included first and last impressions, service excellence, food excellence and ambience. Hypotheses From the above literature review, the following hypotheses are proposed: H1: Waiter service is positively related to Customer loyalty which is mediated by Customer Satisfaction H2: Ambience is positively related to Customer loyalty which is mediated by Customer Satisfaction H3: Music is positively related to Customer loyalty which is mediated by Customer Satisfaction H4: Food quality is positively related to Customer Loyalty which is mediated by Customer Satisfaction Methods Sample The young men and women of age between 21 to 29 years were identified as the target respondent group for the survey. One of the major reasons for choosing this specific respondent group was its availability and ease in communicating to them the questionnaire and getting the response. Since majority among this population has visited Hotel Sonnet during their stay in Jamshedpur, Sonnet was chosen as the hotel on which the questions would be based. The questionnaire was floated through a website and the respondents were asked to fill the questionnaire online. To encourage participation and increase the number of responses a disclaimer declaring the confidentiality of individual data was assured. A total of 164 respondents filled the questionnaire of which 156 responses were considered for the analysis and hypothesis testing. The reasons for not including the rest of the responses were incomplete data set and falling out of our target respondent group. Measures Based on the discussion in the above sections a theoretical model was developed and the following constructs were measured using different scales. Waiter Service Food Quality Ambience Music Customer Loyalty Customer Satisfaction Waiter Service, Ambience, Music, and Food Quality are considered as factors that determine Customer Satisfaction which in turn leads to Customer Loyalty. Waiter Service: Participants were asked to respond to Likert-type scales of 21 questions. The scale used was adapted from Kivela et al. (1999). The questions framed to assess consumer knowledge are consistent with prior literature. The scoring rule was to assign a numerical value to each of the response ranging from 1= Least Important to 5 = Very Important. Factor analysis has been done on the individual responses to determine the factors that constitute waiter service. The appendix reports the questionnaire items used. The content validity for the used scale has been established in the study and since we have used a very similar questionnaire and the scale, the scale can be considered as content valid. Ambience: The significance of ambience to an individual has been measured through 20 questions asked in the questionnaire. The scale used was adapted from Kivela et al. (1999). The questions framed to assess consumer knowledge are based on the questions used in the study and the literature review done during the research. The responses were recorded using 5-point Likert-type scales ranging from Least Important to Very Important. Questions asked to ascertain the importance of ambience are present in the questionnaire attached in the appendix. The individual responses were run through factor analysis to obtain the factors that determine the importance of ambience. The scale has been adopted from the aforementioned study and content validity has been established in the study. Music: Significance of music has been measured on a five-point Likert-type scale adapted from Kivela et al (1999). The individual responses have been subjected to factor analysis to obtain the factors that determine the significance of music. The content validity for the used scale has been established in the study and since we have used a very similar questionnaire and the scale, the scale can be considered as content valid. The appendix reports the questionnaire items used. Food Quality: 7 Likert-type scales have been used to determine the importance of food quality to an individual. Factor analysis has been done on these individual responses to get the factors that determine the food quality. The questions have been framed in accordance with the scale used by Kivela et al (1999). The questionnaire attached in the appendix. Customer Loyalty: 3 questions of Likert type scales have been used to obtain the responses from the respondents. Factor analysis has been run to obtain the factors comprising the customer satisfaction. Questionnaire used by Kivel et al (1999) has been used and the scale is content validated. The appendix reports the questionnaire items used. Customer Satisfaction: 4 questions have been asked regarding customer satisfaction and factor analysis has been run on this data to obtain the factors affecting customer satisfaction. The questionnaire used is same as one used by Kivela et al (1999). The questionnaire attached in the appendix. Analysis The factors for Ambience were found out by running exploratory factor analysis on the 20 items related to Ambience. It was found to contain 2 factors. Similarly the factor analysis was run on Waiter service (21 items), Music (9 items), Food quality (7 items), Customer satisfaction (4 items) and Customer loyalty (3 items) and they were found to contain 2,1,1,1 and 1 factors respectively. The three-step method developed by Erich B. Bergiel, Vinh Q. Nguyen et all for mediation analysis is used in this study. The first step uses Customer loyalty as the criterion variable in the regression equation and the 6 factors identified as predictors. The second step uses Customer satisfaction as the criterion variable in the regression equation and the 6 factors identified as predictors. The third step uses Customer loyalty as the criterion variable in the regression equation and the 6 factors identified as well as customer satisfaction as the predictors. Initially, multicollinearity was found initially between Customer satisfaction and Customer Loyalty (tolerance of 0.161 and VIF greater than 5 were observed). In order to solve this, a factor analysis with all the items corresponding to the 6 factors, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty were done. The items which were correlated to other factors were eliminated. Thus the items corresponding to the factors were brought down. After this, the three-step method of Erich B. Bergiel was used. Results The following were the factors that were identified and the component scores of items under each factor: Waiter service Waiter politeness Respects me .928 Uses very polite language .944 Is helpful and understanding .925 Makes me feel comfortable .932 Waiter promptness Responds to my comments .882 Is quick to attend and serve .804 Tables were cleaned quickly .780 Aesthetics Pleasant fragrance .816 Floor and carpet that are done with aesthetics .816 Ambience Space Spacious ceiling composition .837 Adequate parking facilities .890 Easily accessible location .854 Music Music I feel relaxed when my favorite music is being played in the restaurant .799 I like it when my friends like the music played in the restaurant .799 Food quality Food quality The food meets the expectations from the description in the menu .787 The food is a good value for money .787 The KMO of all the above factors were above 0.5 suggesting that the factors were sound. The Bartletts test of sphericity was significant for all the factors. The communality of all the items was above 0.4. The total variance explained was above 60% for all the factors. Varimax rotation was used to ensure homogeneity of items within factors and heterogeneity with other factors. The correlations between the factors are as follows: Customer loyalty factor Waiter Service Factor 1 Waiter Service Factor 2 Ambience Factor 1 Ambience Factor 2 Music Factor Food Factor Customer Satisfaction Factor Customer loyalty factor 1.000 Waiter Service Factor 1 .632 1.000 Waiter Service Factor 2 .561 .180 1.000 Ambience Factor 1 .712 .779 .440 1.000 Ambience Factor 2 .431 .287 .452 .410 1.000 Music Factor .349 .489 .455 .614 .414 1.000 Food Factor .670 .596 .551 .673 .456 .542 1.000 Customer Satisfaction Factor .665 .400 .683 .580 .494 .559 .658 1.000 All the above correlations were significant at 0.01 levels. Regression Analysis Regression analysis has been carried out with the following six identified factors on Customer Loyalty with Customer Satisfaction as the mediating variable. Waiter Politeness Waiter Promptness Physical Space Aesthetics Music Food Step 1: Regression of the factors on Customer Loyalty Model 1 Unstandardized Coefficients Standardized Coefficients Sig. Collinearity Statistics B Beta Tolerance (Constant) 3.731 .000 Waiter Politeness .358 .330 .000 .327 Waiter Promptness .390 .360 .000 .537 Physical Space .359 .331 .000 .269 Aesthetics .092 .084 .118 .708 Music -.341 -.314 .000 .557 Food .200 .184 .010 .411 R Square Adjusted R Square .696 .684 The above table shows the results of regression with the six mentioned factors as independent variables and Customer Loyalty as dependent variable. The value of R square is 0.696 shows positive correlation between the six factors together and Customer Loyalty. The inference from Value of Beta and Significance is as follows: Waiter Politeness on Customer Loyalty: Significance of 0.00 and Beta of 0.33 shows that Waiter Politeness affects Customer Loyalty positively. Waiter Promptness on Customer Loyalty: Significance of 0.00 and Beta of 0.36 shows that Waiter Promptness affects Customer Loyalty positively. Space on Customer Loyalty: Significance of 0.00 and Beta of 0.331 shows that Restaurant Space affects Customer Loyalty positively. Aesthetics on Customer Loyalty: Significance of 0.118 is higher than a threshold of 0.05, which indicates that this has insignificant effect on Customer Loyalty. Music on Customer Loyalty: Significance of 0 and Beta of -0.314 shows that Music affects Customer Loyalty negatively. Food on Customer Loyalty: Significance of 0.01 and Beta of 0.184 indicates that Food affects Customer Loyalty partially. Step 2: Regression of the factors on Customer Satisfaction Unstandardized Coefficients Standardized Coefficients Sig. Collinearity Statistics B Beta Tolerance (Constant) .000 1.000 Waiter Politeness -.014 -.014 .872 .327 Waiter Promptness .384 .384 .000 .537 Physical Space .132 .132 .175 .269 Aesthetics .103 .103 .089 .708 Music .134 .134 .050 .557 Food .246 .246 .002 .411 R Square Adjusted R Square .621 .606 The above table shows the results of regression with the six mentioned factors as independent variables and Customer Satisfaction as dependent variable. The value of R square is 0.788 shows positive correlation between the six factors together and Customer Satisfaction. The inference from Value of Beta and Significance is as follows: Waiter Politeness on Customer Satisfaction: Significance of 0.872 shows that Waiter politeness on Customer Satisfaction is not significant. This indicates that the impact of Waiter Politeness on Customer Satisfaction is insignificant. Waiter Promptness on Customer Satisfaction: Significance of 0 and Beta of 0.384 shows that Waiter Promptness affects Customer Satisfaction positively. Space on Customer Satisfaction: Significance of 0.175 is higher than a threshold of 0.05, which means that we cannot comment on the effect of Space on Customer Satisfaction Aesthetics on Customer Satisfaction: Significance of 0.89 and Beta of 0.103 shows that Aesthetics affects Customer Satisfaction positively. Music on Customer Satisfaction: Significance of 0.05 and Beta of -0.134 shows that Music affects Customer Satisfaction partially in a positive manner. Food on Customer Satisfaction: Significance of 0.002 and Beta of 0.246 indicates that Food affects Customer Satisfaction partially in a positive manner. Step 3: Regression of the 6 factors and the mediating variable (Customer Satisfaction) on Customer Loyalty Unstandardi

Implications of Growth and Development

Implications of Growth and Development An overview of the Myanmar economy SWOT analysis of the Myanmar Economy Myanmar’s HDI value is 0.498 Economic Drivers Agriculture The development of agriculture is a main pillar of Myanmar’s growth strategies. It is natural for the Myanmar government to prioritize agriculture as a source of economic growth, since it accounts for 36% of GDP and employs a majority of labor force, and generates nearly 30% of exports according to 2010 figures. Although the agricultural share and employment usually decline as an economy grows, it is not a sunset industry. Methods exist for increasing agriculture’s value added other than the growth of labor and land inputs. According to Myanmar’s report on agriculture, the key strategy is to enhance three productivity measures: labor, land and total productivity. Successive governments have attempted to reclaim new agricultural land and the military government (1988-2011) has successfully increased the news sown area for the last two decades. Cultivable waste other than fallows remains at about 8% of national territory. Thus, further reclamation of cultivable wasteland in Myanmar is possible. Agricultural labor productivity in Myanmar is USD 301/person, the lowest among South Asian countries. Focusing on rice production which is Myanmar’s most important crop, farmers have less elaborate irrigation facilities as compared to its rivals like Vietnam. The need of the hour is mechanization which is a way to improve labor productivity. It can also enhance total agricultural productivity by adopting a new method of acquiring quality seeds, farm management, and improvement in post-harvest system, processing, and marketing to provide high-quality agricultural products. Since agriculture is not rice dominated today, Myanmar could diversify crops according market demand. Its targets call for moving along the value chain of production from farming to higher value added activities such as R and D and after production activities like services, distribution and marketing. Although it does not seem like the agricultural sector will be absorbing more labor force in the long term. Mining Myanmar is rich in natural resources. 90% of the world’s rubies come from Myanmar. The country is also known for producing sapphires. While this is a sector which can be banked upon, inhuman working conditions in quarries and the government’s control on the trade by means of direct ownership of mines hinders major countries from importing gems from Myanmar. A complete ban has been encouraged by the Human Rights Watch as all the profits are directly hoarded by the ruling government. This lack of interest by the parties in power result in the continuation of the deplorable conditions of workers at the mines resulting in zero exports. While there is a chance here to earn a fair amount of profit for the economy, the rulers choose not to concern themselves with the development of the working conditions causing unwanted loss for the economy. Health The government spends 2% of its GDP on healthcare facilities. 2% is a significant amount as compared to the actual GDP that this economy earns. The health standards are stable but not accelerating in terms of quality and the ability to cater to a large population. Despite adequate funds, this economy is faced with a string of healthcare problems which can be explained by two factors. Insufficient no. of doctors owning to lack of education and the fast spreading epidemic of a variety of diseases. Low purchasing power explains the inaccessibility to basic nutrition and food by yet a large population thus increasing the load on the healthcare infrastructure. The incidence of major infectious diseases takes a toll on the health levels ultimately affecting the profession of the person. If the number of patients is large, poor and low medical facilities do not suffice. Myanmar suffers from epidemics such as :- Food or waterborne diseases: Bacterial and Protozoal diarrhoea, Hepatitis A, and Typhoid fever Vector borne diseases: Dengue fever, Malaria, and Japanese encephalitis Water contact disease: Leptospirosis Animal contact disease: Rabies Myanmar does not have highly specialized medical institutions or even sufficient no. of clinics to cater to the large no. of diseased. The Burmese Minstry of health recognizes HIV as a disease of concern. Education The above figures indicate a lot many factors to consider. There seems to be almost no gender disparity in terms of literacy. And in order to sustain oneself in a developing economy, the ability to read or write overpowers the level of education attained. As observed, the enrolment ratios decline from primary to secondary to post secondary. This suggests that there is no strong inclination of being academically sound. This can be owed to the fact that Myanmar is an agrarian economy which employs almost 60% of its population thus indicating that all drop outs are getting absorbed in the labour force. This is a good sign as then the unemployment rate remains an all time low. But in order to progress into a developed economy, the sectoral employment should tend towards the tertiary sector and not the primary sector like in the case of Myanmar. It is also upto the government to promote the importance of education. On the contrary, in Myanmar, owing to the military regime which was standing for a very long time treated education for civilians as relatively unimportant. It was only concerned with the development of military universities. The effects of this approach can be seen even today with the low enrollment rates. According to the Bertelsmann Stiftung Transformation Index report of 2012, since the government does not provide enough money to the schools, and the schools charge children many fees, many parents in rural areas cannot afford to send their children to school beyond the primary level. Although 85% of children attend primary school, over 40% do not go on to middle school (UNDP, 2010). The quality of higher-level education has also declined, especially since the government began encouraging university students to take distance-learning courses. Employment on the secondary and the tertiary sector is to a large extent dependent on school and high school education. The Secondary enrollment rate is 54.28% which is not very remarkable as this means fewer people will enter business and management and other vocations like medicine. The funds allocated for education spending are 0.8% of Myanmar’s GDP in 2013. It has decreased compared to 2009 when it was about 1% of GDP. Throughout all years however, the military budget continues to remain above 20% which is a clear indicator of the fact that the long standing regime has complete control and dominance over how the government in power decides to allocate its funds. Military medical and engineering universities have been established so that the military will have properly trained doctors and engineers. The military has hardly expressed any interest in investing in Research and Development. It almost never heeds to or approaches any technocrat for advice with regard to policy-making. Thus everything undertaken is military oriented and favourable to the army divisions on all accounts. In recent years however, the no. of private school allowed to open has increased and trends show that the elite class have enrolled their children in private schools due to the poor quality of public schools. Class structures and Gender Disparity In Myanmar, the gender gap in power has been reinforced and perpetuated by the long history of militarization. Top offices are reserved for the military. Active military service does not admit women. They are also thus effectively excluded from political participation. Ethnic minorities are also excluded to a very large extent. Women have also been ineligible for the employment opportunities, access to educational facilities, chance to enter the business world, participating in joint ventures created by the military status. Pre 1962, there was a small elite concentrated in government administration, party bureaucracy and the military on the one hand, while the peasants, small traders, business and hired laborers were on the other hand. In between the two now, is a very small group of middle-class people and skilled workers. Accordingly, the primary problem is Myanmar’s class structure which appears to be in a state of extensive flowing. The need of bridging the gap between the elites and the rest of the population and facilitate communication could be achieved by a more institutionalized differentiation of the sub-elite strata. The ‘non congruent’ status groups could be capable of serving as intermediaries between the elites and the more sophisticated, differentiated population. Living Standards 70% of Myanmar’s population yet lives in the rural areas. The rate of urbanization is barely 2.49%. According to reports, the trend of expenditure across is households is, 70% on food and the rest on healthcare and education. The rate of savings is low thus the rate of investments is also low. Despite Myanmar being a large producer of rice, it comes as a surprise that more than 5 million people are living under the food poverty line. (The Food and Agricultural Organization, 2009) Access to clean drinking water and a considerably moderate rate of sanitation facilities cannot suffice the development path of an economy. The area tapped by electricity does not cover even half the inhabited land. Since the factories and industrial places cannot operate without electricity, it is safe to assume that the number of household covered in this 47% is going to be far less. Banking, Foreign Borrowings, Exports According to the Heritage Foundation’s 2011 Economic Freedom index, Myanmar is one of the world’s 10 most repressive economies. In 2003, the rice market was officially liberalised but the government has maintained significant interventions and restrictions in terms of permissible cultivation areas, production, transportation, export policy, and choice of crops. Currency convertibility is difficult in Myanmar according to the IMF report. The official exchange rate has been fixed at approximately six kyat per U.S. dollar, while since 2009, the real market exchange rate has been around 1000 kyat. In the domestic market, since market leaders are in accordance with the military and a handful of cronies, there is no market contestability at the level of large enterprises. Although the environment for middle-sized businesses shows better market contestability, market entry barriers for companies are still huge. Myanmar has been a World Trade Organization (WTO) member since 1995, foreign trade has not been liberalized in reality, because of its extensively controlled economy. The country is the least open to trade among its Southeast Asian neighbours. Myanmar also has a large informal trade in arms, narcotics and forest products. The banking system are dominated by state owned banks and the government has complete control over the central bank. There is no proper capital market although the number of private banks is more than a dozen. Myanmar is unable to establish a stock market, and has no real market for bonds. Although banks in Myanmar operate under formal regulations, but with hardly any supervision and enforcement. The banking system is not transparent. The central bank has not enforced a consistent and effective inflation control policy, or an appropriate foreign exchange policy. Since the Central banks is completely controlled by the government, it has imposed arbitrary policies such as printing money to solve budget deficits, leading to fluctuating inflation rates. The government has also made arbitrary decisions such as to increase salaries sharply and remove subsidies. Myanmar lacks consistent and sound fiscal and debt policies to support macroeconomic stability. Instead, its arbitrary fiscal and debt policies are motivated primarily by political concerns. Private Property In Myanmar, there is no effective protection of property rights, including intellectual property rights. According to the 2008 constitution, the state ultimately owns all the land and natural resources, although it permits some exercise of private property rights. This means that citizens can own land, but that the state can confiscate the property if it so desires. In fact, most ordinary people do not have legal title to their land and other property. The state has confiscated many private plots for government projects, including the establishment of military camps and businesses, without providing compensation. To attract foreign investment, special economic zone laws include protection for foreign investors, but these are still conditional to the extent that they may not contradict existing laws. This gives leeway for the state to intervene. A wave of privatization of state assets and enterprises was performed suddenly in 2009 – 2010, and was not done in accordance with market principles. The process was neither transparent nor competitive, since the government sold the assets very quietly and quickly to a handful of enterprises with close military ties. Myanmar has no official social safety nets, and poverty is widespread. However, family members, friends and religious organizations have traditionally provided a social safety-net function, especially in terms of helping with food, clothing and accommodation, although widespread poverty and the paucity of job opportunities in the country has weakened this over time. As a result, tens of thousands of young and middle-aged Myanmar have travelled to bordering countries including Thailand, Malaysia, China and India to work as migrant labourers. Based on statistics from reports, many send remittances back to their family members, a factor increasingly becoming a primary source of financial support for those left inside the country. However, the amount of remittances seems to have gone down in 2009 in the wake of the global economic slowdown, during which some migrant workers lost their jobs and went back home. Political factors which lead to migrants leaving their state of origin for other countries are the risk of persecution, suppression of rights, human rights abuses, political and/or ethnic oppression, internal violence and/or armed conflict are considered political factors. Those deemed as political migrants are often considered refugees. Economic factors include the following: International labour migration movements triggered by economic factors such as poverty and Economic underdevelopment in countries of origin and the existence of considerable discrepancies  in standards of living and wages between these countries and receiving Many Burmese migrants quote economic hardship and an oppressive taxation system as  reasons for migration.