An Overview of Altruism from Darwin to the Present

Altruism itself is considered a virtue in today’s society and is present in many religions, humanitarian and philanthropic causes. This selfless concern for others of helping behaviour is not something that is only found in humans but can be found in most species and is actually a type of behaviour that has evolved with species. Though Charles Darwin first made note of com/common-core-ela-9-2014-ela3009-a-ic/">altruistic behaviour in his seminal work, The Descent of Man, the actually theory of altruism was not recognized until the early 1900s (Darwin, 1871, Kropotkin, 1902).Altruistic behaviour is difficult to understand and its evolution has proven to be interesting as the reason for behavioural changes cannot completely be defined. Additionally pure altruism is rarely found in nature, as those noble animals tend to die before they can pass down their genetic traits. Though Darwin did not completely understand altruism his work, the Descent of Man, is one of the first scienti fic published works that describes altruistic behaviour.His observation of animals helping others actually opposes his evolutionary theory of the survival of the fittest because in order for an individual to survive they need to take care of themselves and not sacrifice for others. According to natural selection theory, benevolent behavior should not evolve because it, technically, costs or even harms the doer’s fitness. Darwin did attempt to explain this phenomena by including it in group selection, as in order for groups to survive natural selection may actually favour groups of individuals and in this case the altruistic behaviours would be passed down to the next generation.(Darwin, 1871). This phenomenon of cooperation was not completely described until Kropotkin published a book, a collection of essays, dealing with mutual aid (Kropotkin, 1902). This work was a direct response to social Darwinism. Kropotkin was able to build a more satisfactory tie to individual natural selection and cooperation, displaying that mutual aid selection directly benefits individuals own struggle for personal success, so that cooperation between species will actually be the best path for individual success (mutual aid, 1955).Altruistic behaviour has since been researched and discussed by many scientists since its recognition in evolutionary biology. Scientists have thought that altruistic behaviour may be instinctual and that helping behaviour survives because it makes the individual feel good, particularly in humans (Wilkinson, 1988). There is also the theory that if an animal helps another then they may have the favour repaid back in the future, which can be found in human society (Kreb, 1952).Much research delving into altruistic behaviour and evolutionary biology cannot find a firm fit for altruism in general evolutionary terms. Inclusive selection or kin selection, in which species display behaviour that selections for those in their family to reproduce, cannot co mpletely explain altruism as it does not attempt to explain why differing species help each other (Hamilton, 1964). Symbiotic relationships, in which both species benefit, are based on specific conditions such as long-lives, dependence for food, performing a necessary service etc.(Trivers, 1971). In symbiotic relationships the help is eventually repaid by the species even if it takes a long time as the species my loss a little fitness at the current time but in the end the long term benefit will far outweigh any previous problems or disadvantages, known as reciprocal altruism. Much work has been done to investigate reciprocal altruism and inclusive fitness, particularly as evolutionary biology has evolved to include theories such as the game theory and predictive behaviour.Game theory points out that reciprocal altruism can also include negative behaviour, such as a cheater can expect to be punished in the future for its behaviour to others. (Trivers, 1971) It has been argued that t hese two types of behaviour, inclusive selection and reciprocal altruism are not truly altruism, as with altruism the species providing help does not get anything in return; much of research is devoted to study these evolutionary ideas (Rothstein and Pierotti, 1980). In the 1980s altruistic behaviour began to be investigated in Primates particularly with grooming behaviour.Primatologists noted that an individual’s status in a hierarchy seemed to be related to their relationships with others. Aiding dominant members seemed to be favoured. Juveniles needed to ingratiate themselves in the group and aiding a dominant female is a means of securing status in the hierarchical society of bonobos. (de Waal, 1989) Certain primates will chose to groom other primates and later they will gain some sort of benefit. A more recent study has shown a different aspect of reciprocal altruism as dominant female primates were found to groom subordinate primates, a type of grooming-down which had n ot been observed yet (Parr, et al.1995). Current altruism research is based around game theory and includes behavioural manipulation, bounded rationality, conscience, kin selection, memes, mutual aid, selective investment theory, sexual selection, reciprocity, and pseudo-reciprocity. The Price equation was developed to redefine Hamilton’s work on kin selection and describes natural selection and evolution. In this mathematical equation altruism is defined as a behavioural genetic predisposition that increases the fitness of the group which in turn causes the individual that belongs to that group to benefit.(Frank, 1997). A fantastic example of this is with slime mould. Slime mould live as individuals until they are starving when the aggregate and form a multicellular organism and some cells sacrifice themselves for the benefit of the group. Altruism in humans has begun to be investigated and shown that specific regions of the brain will trigger charitable or helping behaviour . It was found that altruism does not suppress selfishness but actually very basic to brain function and triggers a pleasurable response (Moll and Grafman, 2006).The theory of group selection has re-emerged when looking at aboriginal lifestyle in Africa. Individuals of groups were found to be more closely related then previously believe suggesting that the nicest really do survive. Those that shared food and other goods would reproduce and pass on their genes as individuals would ban together during difficult times (Fischer, 2006). Interestingly it is through religion that altruism is spread throughout the human population. Buddhism, Judaism, Sikhism, Christianity, Islam and Hinduism all place particular importance on altruism.There are many individuals that oppose altruism saying that it is a morality, more of an ethics branch than evolution, as individuals do not need to be altruistic to survive. Though as social beings an altruistic natural may make you more social it will not ul timately cause your death or the inability to pass on your genetics. Most of the controversy with altruism today revolves around the factor that altruism may not apply to humans, though humans do have symbiotic relationships with other species, (think of the bacteria in your digestive tract).There is a split between real altruism and psychological altruism though most will agree that those individuals that care for others, such as parents for their children will be able to survive in society much easier than those that do not care for anyone. Most of altruism in humans is psychological and not due to a selfish gene. Also due to advances in technology ands science natural selection has taken a bit of a turn or slowed down so understanding altruism in humans is possible quite different then observing altruism in other species. References;Darwin, C. (1871). The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex, New York: Appleton Fischer, R. , (2006), â€Å"Why altruism paid off for our ancestors† (NewScientist. com news service) Frank, S. A. , (1997), The Price Equation, Fisher's Fundamental Theorem, Kin Selection, and Causal Analysis, Evolution 51 (6): 1712–1729 Hamilton, W. (1964). The genetical evolution of social behavior. J. Theor. Biol. 7 I: 1–16. Moll and Grafman, (2006), Human fronto–mesolimbic networks guide decisions about charitable donation, PNAS, 103 (42);15623-15628Parr, L. , Matheson, M. , Bernstein, I. & de Waal, F. (1996). Grooming down the hierarchy: allogrooming in captive brown capuchin monkeys, Cebus paella. Rothstein, S. & Pierotti, R. (1980). Reciprocal altruism and kin selection are not clearly separable phenomena. Journal of theoretical biology, 87(2), 255-261. Trivers, R. (1971). ‘The Evolution of Reciprocal Altruism’, Quarterly Review of Biology, 46: 35-57. Wilkinson, G. (1988). Reciprocal altruism in bats and other mammals. Ethology and sociobiology, 9(2), 85-100. Ã'‹

Critical Analysis and Research on Sylvia Plath’s poems Essay

The literary tradition Plath is most closely associated with: Confessionalism, engenders robust biographical interpretation due to the innately self-revelatory idiom. Plath, even more so than other Confessional poets like Anne Sexton or Robert Lowell, explored the poetic possibilities of contemporaneous self-expression which involved intimate, sometimes deeply personal psychological and biographical revelation. This aspect, along with deftly executed figurative language, expressive and interesting prosody, and stark, often violent imagery distinguishes the poems of Plath’s most well-known book of verse â€Å"Ariel. † Plath’s most famous poem â€Å"Daddy† enjoys myriad biographical interpretations, an understanding of which are as necessary as understanding the poem’s other dimensions: prosody, rhyme, image, and theme for a thorough reading of the poem. Interestingly, Plath her self noted, in a reading for the BBC, that â€Å"Daddy† was â€Å"spoken by a girl with an Electra complex. Her father died while she thought he was God. Her case is complicated by the fact that her father was also a Nazi and her mother very possibly part Jewish. † (Plath, Nos. 166-188). These words express Plath’s attempt to pace a narrative distance between herself and the speaker of the poem and seem to indicate that she felt such a distinction failed to be strongly apparent in the poem itself. This latter conclusion is understandable; close inspection of Plath’s diary, biographies, and the lines of â€Å"Daddy† exhume a potent parallels between the events described in the poem and the events of Plath’s life. Beginning with the most obvious parallel as well as the poem’s central theme of a â€Å"girl with an Electra complex,† Plath’s journals reveal that she, indeed, suffered personally from an â€Å"Electra complex. † While undergoing treatment with her psychologist Dr. Ruth Beuscher, Plath experienced a cathartic emotional climax during psychotherapy and recorded her subsequent Sylvia Plath’s Poems Page -2- thoughts. Plath also noted that her father was an â€Å"ogre† and â€Å"tyrant† and that he kept a hidden Nazi flag in his closet which he occasionally paraded in front of while dressed in Nazi regalia. â€Å"He wouldn’t go to a doctor, wouldn’t believe in God and heiled Hitler in the privacy of his home. † Of her mother Plath observed, â€Å"She suffered{†¦ } bound to the track naked and the train called Life coming with a frown and a choo-choo around the bend. † (Plath Journal, 430) This latter turn of phrase (with its train imagery) informs the imagery of Daddy when Plath writes: â€Å"An engine, an engine/ Chuffing me off like a Jew. † Likewise, the Nazi imagery of â€Å"Daddy† conveys a sense of bleakest hopelessness, with Plath directly identifying her own childhood pain and loss of her father with the persecution of the Jews by the Nazis. â€Å"I have always been scared of you/ With your Luftwaffe, your gobbledygoo. / And your neat mustache/And your Arayan eye, bright blue. † Although the poem expresses the dramatic revelation of an â€Å"Electra complex,† the poem’s opening lines foreshadow a strange inversion of powers; the admonition â€Å"You do not do, you do not do/ Any more, black shoe† portends or infers that the speaker has won a victory over her oppressor (s); taken at their full impact, the opening lines convey not only a release from the familial neurosis implied by the aforementioned biographical details, but a sinister hint at the poem’s ultimately suicidal themes. The line â€Å"in which I have lived like a foot/For thirty years, poor and white† mean to strike to the heart of the poet’s entire life and not merely the â€Å"Electra complex† that is so obviously rendered. The â€Å"shoe† is all form of oppression and constriction, though throughout the poem there is a strong sense of male domination and patriarchal oppression. â€Å"Of the poems that Sylvia Plath’s Poems Page -3- concentrate on the family, those dealing with the father provide the clearest and most powerful example of Plath’s divided conception of the universe. † (Rosenblatt 119) That said, the poem gains its most sinister and perhaps most powerful energies from deeply autobiographical confession. Lines such as â€Å"In the waters off beautiful Nauset. /I used to pray to recover you. † can only be interpreted as personal motifs, since Plath summered in Nauset with her family and often referred to this time period as the most gloriously happy in her life. Memory, in the poem, is like the child remembers: â€Å"Daddy† brilliantly enlarges the memory of Plath’s father to legendary proportions. â€Å"Plath dramatizes the situation between daughter and father as if no time had passed since the father’s death: the emotional situation is still burning in her consciousness. † (Rosenblatt 160) This constant tension between the ideal and the real – the remembered and the present – the child and the grown woman mirror the universal experiences of most people whether the specific biographical details are similar. In order to firmly establish the mythical impact of her private â€Å"theater† Plath employs heroic exaggeration via the imagery of the poem: While most of the geographical references in Plath’s poetry are to New England or England, â€Å"Daddy† refers to San Francisco in the lines â€Å"Ghastly statue with one gray toe / Big as a Frisco Seal / And a head in the freakish Atlantic. † These lines identify the daddy in the poem as a colossus who stretches across America from the Atlantic to the Pacific–a colossus even larger than the one described in â€Å"The Colossus. † (ANO194) Similarly, Plath demonstrates that her personal life, as a focused theme for her thoroughly crafted poetry, attains a mythical stature in the process. This mythical resonance is prevalent in her poem â€Å"medusa,† which, while not as generally well-known as â€Å"Daddy† is actually a complimentary piece to the more famous work, with Medusa providing the maternal aspect of the Sylvia Plath’s Poems Page -4- two parentally themed pieces: â€Å"†Medusa† corresponds in Plath’s work to â€Å"Daddy†: both represent the search for freedom from parental figures. † (Rosenblatt 127) If â€Å"Daddy† drew upon events from Plath’s life and juxtaposed them with sweeping images drawn from world history, â€Å"Medusa† presents a more directly mythological connotation. From the title, alone, the reader is set to expect a resonance with Greek myth. However, what ensues is an inversion of the technique employed in â€Å"Daddy,† which utilized a mathematically precise rhyme scheme and colloquial diction to elevate the personal to the status of myth. In â€Å"Medusa,† a well-known myth is used as a kind of â€Å"anchor† by which the personal can be magnified and universally comprehended. Plath imagines her mother as the Medusa, capable of turning all who look at her into stone. â€Å"†Medusa† paints the portrait of a similar figure: she observes the speaker from across the Atlantic; she has a hideous head that can apparently turn the self to stone; and she wishes to hurt the speaker. † (Rosenblatt 127) One of the most interesting images in the poem is that of the Atlantic cable viewed by the poet as a â€Å"barnacled umbilicus† which keeps her tied to the â€Å"stone† world of Medusa with its â€Å"God-ball,/Lens of mercies† and Medusa’s â€Å"stooges† following the poet â€Å"Dragging their Jesus hair. † This image also allows the infusion of biographical details, as in â€Å"Daddy† and in nearly all of the â€Å"Ariel† poems, as functional a part of the aesthetic as meter, rhyme, and diction. â€Å"The reference in the poem to the umbilical attachment between the poet and Medusa identifies this figure as the mother. Plath also alludes to a visit that her mother made to England in the summer of 1962 in the line: â€Å"You steamed to me over the sea. â€Å"[†¦ ]†Medusa† attempts to cast off the parental image and to attain personal independence. † (Rosenblatt 127) Sylvia Plath’s Poems Page -5- The diction of â€Å"Medusa† is deliberately colloquial, conversational and punctuated by complex, corresponding imagery and figurative language. This alloy of disparate impulses, one toward the informality of a phone call or table-conversation, the other for the deep mythological reference and probing psychological confession, produces a brilliant and enduring poetic tension in Plath’s â€Å"Ariel† poems. Perhaps more than nay other single poem in the â€Å"Ariel† sequence, â€Å"Lady Lazarus† pushes the parameters of the poetic idiom described above. The subject of Lady Lazarus, like the subject of â€Å"Daddy† and â€Å"Medusa† is simultaneously autobiographical and mythological. In this poem, Plath conjoins her first suicide attempt with the Biblical story of Lazarus. And again, Plath produces a tension in diction by contrasting formal and colloquial language. â€Å"Lady Lazarus† defines the central aesthetic principles of Plath’s late poetry. First, the poem derives its dominant effects from the colloquial language. From the conversational opening (â€Å"I have done it again†) to the clipped warnings of the ending (â€Å"Beware / Beware†), â€Å"Lady Lazarus† appears as the monologue of a woman speaking spontaneously out of her pain and psychic disintegration. † (Rosenblatt 40) Against the predominantly colloquial diction, complex Latinate terms and phrases are contrasted providing the voice of the â€Å"establishment,† of the â€Å"enemy† and the numb, indifferent, objective world. â€Å" The Latinate terms (â€Å"annihilate,† â€Å"filaments,† â€Å"opus,† â€Å"valuable†) are introduced as sudden contrasts to the essentially simple language of the speaker. † (Rosenblatt 40) The prosody of â€Å"Lady Lazarus,† with its sporadic, nursery-rhyme like rhymes: â€Å"I do it exceptionally well/ I do it so it feels like hell† â€Å"A wedding ring,/ A gold filling† ventures near the territory of light-verse, but the poem’s themes and images are anything but light. The strain of the prosody and diction against the profound themes of suicide, Nazism, psychiatric and medical Sylvia Plath’s Poems Page -6- tyranny, and social-alienation is produced without poetic collapse due to Plath’s unerring control of language: â€Å"The inventiveness of the language demonstrates Plath’s ability to create[†¦ ] an appropriate oral medium for the distorted mental states of the speaker. The sexual pun on â€Å"charge† in the first line above; the bastardization of German (â€Å"Herr Enemy†); the combination of Latinate diction (â€Å"opus,† â€Å"valuable†) and colloquial phrasing (â€Å"charge,† â€Å"So, so †¦ â€Å")—all these linguistic elements reveal a character who has been grotesquely split into warring selves. (Rosenblatt 39) â€Å"Lady Lazarus† closes, like â€Å"Daddy† and â€Å"Medusa† with the affirmation of the speaker’s vengeful triumph over adversaries. This closing â€Å"sting† in many of the most successful of the â€Å"Ariel† poems suggests a rebirth for the fragmented self described in â€Å"Lady Lazarus. † The successful rebirth also indicates another, if secondary impulse, in the â€Å"Ariel† poems, that of communal identification or empathy. It is as though poet, having undergone the vivisections of â€Å"Daddy† â€Å"Medusa† â€Å"Lady Lazarus† and other poems, can now empathize with others who have been similarly wounded. An ironic take on this aspect is the pome’ The Applicant,† which substitutes the idea of salesmanship for compassion, admitting, however, that identification with the customer is a necessary component of selling. â€Å"One of the more bitter poems in Ariel is â€Å"The Applicant† ( October 11, 1962), a portrait of marriage in contemporary western culture[†¦ ] Somehow all interaction between people, and especially that between men and women, given the history of the use of women as items of barter, is conditioned by the ethics and assumptions of a bureaucratized market place. † (Annas 104) Plath’s melding of colloquial and formal diction in â€Å"The Applicant† results in an ironically bitter observation on the consequences of human-objectification, a theme which upon close inspection informs nearly all of the â€Å"Ariel† poems. Works Cited Annas, Pamela J. A Disturbance in Mirrors: The Poetry of Sylvia Plath. New York: Greenwood Press, 1988. Plath, Sylvia. The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath. New York NY Anchor Books. 2000. Plath, Sylvia. â€Å"The Source of the Vampire and â€Å"Frisco Seal† in Plath’s â€Å"Daddy†. † ANQ 4. 4 (1991): 194-194. Rosenblatt, Jon. Sylvia Plath: The Poetry of Initiation. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1979.

Evaluation - The Secret Garden Party Organisation Essay

Evaluation - The Secret Garden Party Organisation - Essay Example The report will also discuss the various options for the two strategic issues. Finally, the paper will concentrate on in-depth analysis of the annual music event. Section 1: Key Strategic Issues The management of Secret Garden Party Organization is grappling with several key issues, which will dictate its performance in the industry. One key strategy is the need to target internet viewers to its program. Such a move is justified by the fact that the literacy rate in UK is above 95% besides having high rate of internet users. The other critical issue that the organization is grappling with is the issue of bad weather. It is worth noting that the organization should consider conducting indoor events to avoid chances of bad weather ruining the event. The other two strategic issues that are of concern to the Secret Garden Party include the pricing of the tickets and the measures to ensure that this annual event does not clash with any other event. However, the two main issues, which will be put into perspective, include the pricing of the tickets and the measures to ensure that this annual event does not clash with any other event. In order to make sure that the annual event registers maximum attendance, it is prudent that the date in which the event is staged does not clash with any other major event. ... The event is always very memorable judging by how lovers of the festival always look forward to the event (Cronk & Hill, 2008). The other justification of setting a unique date is for the logistics reasons; planning such a global event is no mean fete, and it gets more difficult if several other programs are being organized around the same date. A program of that caliber requires security measures, humanitarian measures, and proper sanitation for the guests. All these requirements are always attained on this event thanks to the fact that it is set on a unique date. The other key strategic issue is the issue of pricing. Research by the event organizers revealed that majority of the lovers of this annual event are reluctant to attend the event owing to the fact that the ticket prices are beyond their reach. The event organizers must be alive to the fact that lowering the ticket prices will go a long way to increase the number of attendance to the event considerably. Indeed, it is bette r to reduce prices, which will increase the number of attendance thereby maximizing the revenues for the event (Kinnie, 2003). Reducing the prices will not affect the surplus at the event because the corporate sponsors associated with the event always shoulder most of the costs incurred at the event. Section 2 Several ways can be used to attain the strategic issues discussed in section 1 above. The issue of pricing is very critical to the financial viability of the annual event. The organizers of this event need to explore various options available to them regarding the issue of pricing of the tickets. Currently, the ticket prices are very high; this factor is blocking out potential lovers of the events from attending this otherwise popular event (Kuchler, 2013). One

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Organ donation - Research Paper Example The society is divided in two with regard to this issue. On the one hand, there are people who claim that it is a positive practice that brings a considerable number of positive consequences. On the other hand, the opponents of the above mentioned approach point out various personal as well as religious reasons why people should not perform it. In this essay, I will claim that organ donation is a positive phenomenon that saves lives, contributes to the improvement of the society and helps the families in various ways. To begin with, one should focus on the most positive as well as undeniable advantage of the practice in question: it is literally capable of saving lives of the people. Keeping in mind that being alive should be regarded as the most precious gift that a person is able to receive, there is no doubt that if one is capable to giving it, one should not hesitate for a moment. Indeed, not so many actions that are performed by people have such a positive outcome. Another point that should be mentioned with this regard is that a person does not only save one life by donating organ, but up to eight ("Donate Life Month"). In other words, a single person can help many other individuals and grant them a second chance. It is clear that every day all over the country people die; so, if they all donate their organs that every day eight times more people will be saved. This is surely a positive trend for the society in general. The significance of saving lives of citizens in obvious: it does not on ly allow particular families to be with their relatively longer, but it also strengthens the country in general as there will be more people who will work and contribute to prosperity. Moreover, it will reflect the spirit of value of every single life. The next positive aspect about organ donation that should be taken in close consideration is the fact that it contributes to formation of an effective framework within the

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Why has the concept of Persian Gulf Security changed in the War on Terror - Essay Example But when they did-as in the case of Kuwait with a pre-oil population of perhaps no more than seventy to one hundred thousand, Qatar with no more than forty thousand, and Abu Dhabi with less than twenty-five thousand-they sometimes struck it very, very rich. These three shaykhdoms literally had money to burn, and did. At the same time, they could not escape changing the government, the society, and the economy†.1 From the years of pre-oil discovery to the present post 9/11 years the security issues concerning the Persian Gulf States have undergone a radical and conceptual change in the geo-political reality of the globe. Traversing temporally the issues of regional conflicts and supremacy to issues concerning partnering on either side of the iron curtain divide to support ideological hegemony and expansion; the Persian Gulf States have now emerged as independent, affluent, modernized nation states that are accountable both for their internal security to their own populations a nd responsible for their alleged and tacit cooperation to varying hues of terror activities globallyy as evidenced by the 9/11 and subsequent events in London Bombings. With the drawing down of the iron curtain and emerging globalized world this accountability has been brought to sharper focus than ever before. This essay examines the emerging shape of the Persian Gulf security amongst these countervailing considerations.This paper would traverse the entire gamut of Persian Gulf security right from British control days to the present post WTC and Iraq War policy initiatives of the US. The now popular and actively sought after phrase war on terrorism had its origin in a spate of bunched and planned terrorist activities the world over with the US as the prime target. Examples of such Muslim extremist actions in civilian arena received negative western press in the world trade center and pentagon episode-where Muslim extremist organizations had strategically planned to put pressure on the

Microcredit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Microcredit - Essay Example From the research paper of Agnes Loteta Dimandja, the economical status of Africa and the status of the women of the region and the present situation of the country in context of the human rights of the women can be concisely understood. Statistics from IMF, World Bank and other institute revealed that the poorest person on the earth lives in the Sub-Saharan Africa and probably she is a woman. As per the current situation of the Africa, where the basic human right are being violated, women are denied their dignity. It has been observed that the women in these societies came to be some of the first victims of the ongoing situation of violence and this is because of their internal wars. Women in these nations are found to beg for peace as peace is something that should exist as the necessary condition for development. This picture depicts the dominated position of the African women (Dimandja, 2004). Niara Sudarkasa has conducted a study regarding the status of the women in the indigenous African Society. As per her view, in the African Societies the female and the male have been time and again described as the complementary and separate. Usually it has been seen that, whenever any writer compare female and male in Africa, in most of the occasions, they certify men with a higher status and to be in a better situation and the women are portrayed as a saddle in home and domesticity (Sudarkasa, 1986). Wail S. Hassan has discussed about the â€Å"Man & Masculinity† in his article â€Å"Gender (and) Imperialism†. In his article, he had added the view of Judith Butler, who argued that gender assumed normative masculinity which has balanced against the femininity interpreted as deviation. This normative masculinity declares itself in colonial dissertation. During that time, as per the Frantz Fanon and Cornel, the racial discourse has symbolized the

Global relevance from a diversity of perspectives in International Essay

Global relevance from a diversity of perspectives in International Relations Theory - Essay Example This paper will evaluate the issue of global relevance from a diversity of perspectives in relation to International Relations Theory. The paper will discuss the issues surrounding global relevance and the implications on the how the various international relations theories relate to global relevance. Specifically, the paper will discuss critical theoretical perspectives in International Relations Theory such as Constructivism, Feminism and Marxism in regards to global relevance. The study will investigate the various aspects that can influence the global relevance of a state or a country and how these aspects can be controlled. It is important to note that global relevance is critical; especially in this era of globalization. Therefore, the study will endeavor to establish the critical issues that surround the issue of global relevance and how International Relations Theory affects global relevance. In order to attain the purpose of this paper, the first section will describe the is sue of global prominence in the context of global relations. The normative and theoretical perspectives in International Relations Theory that influence global relevance from a diversity of perspectives will be discussed. ... No country in the globe can prosper in solidarity and international cooperation is essential for every country. It is imperative that countries which dominate the international landscape have put in place policies that make them globally relevant (Hobson, 2009). Despite the diversity that is evident throughout the world, all countries are interlinked for mutual benefit. The aspect of global relevance can be evaluated from a diversity of perspectives that influence international relations. One of the major aspects of global relevance is economic status. The economy of a country is an important indicator of its development rate. It is important to note that economically powerful countries benefit the most in the realm of international trade. The formation of international and regional trade bodies such the World Trade Organizations imply that the exchange of goods and services is an important issue for every country. Suffice to say, trade is implemented through the principle of willing buyer and willing buyer. Therefore, in order to be able to dominate in the international trade, it is necessary for a country to improve its production capabilities (Hobson, 2009). The manufacturing, services and agricultural industries are some of the main areas of international trade. Thus, countries that can export more products and services while keeping their imports at a low level have the capability to stay globally relevant. The challenge for emerging economies that aspire for global dominance is the policies that they have to put in place in order to attain this goal. Countries that are unable to be globally relevant may invariably end up lagging behind economically. The political landscape in a country is an important

Authority Essay Example for Free

Authority Essay Define the term â€Å"authority.† What does it mean to be authoritative, and how do you go about establishing whether a source is, indeed, credible? Why is it important to not only invite authorities to speak in your writing, but also to establish your own authority as you write? Authority by definition: the power to give orders or make decisions, or the power or right to direct or control someone or something, or the confident quality of someone who knows a lot about something or who is respected or obeyed by other people (Merriam-Webster, 2010). Figures of authority are extraordinarily significant to the credibility within any paper. Including citation from members of society with an advanced skill set will not only solidify proposed ideas, but can also aid in swaying an argument (Ballenger, 17). Valid credibility can go a long way in improving the impact a piece makes on its reader. While it is important to include factual information of the writers proposed idea, it is equally important to establish a voice within the piece. Each article of information that comes from a professional standpoint can be a stepping stone towards the finished product of the writers work. Weaving an authoritative voice simultaneously strengthens the paper as well as the validity of the writers work. Lastly, citing authoritative individuals in a piece will grant the permission of their facts without sending the writer towards plagiarism. Although it is often unintentional, plagiarism happens quite frequently. It is imperative to the writer that citations of an authority figure (ie: scholars, researchers, critics, or specialists) are included in their piece to ensure the professionalism of their message can be brought to light using convincing sources.

Rhetorical Strategies for Distinct Image Ads in Same Product Essay Example for Free

Rhetorical Strategies for Distinct Image Ads in Same Product Essay Rhetorical Strategies for Distinct Image Ads in Same product Advertisement is a form of communication intended to persuade consumers to purchase or to accept the ideas, products or services. Advertising persuasion strategy not only has logic, but also has a unique artistry that advertisers use to find many effective persuasions for various kinds of target markets. Different ways to persuade customers for the same product could have distinct effects by analyzing targets, appeal methods, and angles of vision. Two different image advertisements for watches are analyzed with rhetorical strategies thereinafter, which have entirely distinct groups of the target audiences. The first ad analyzed is an ad for the Witinauer Watch in Essence Magazine, which displays a young woman in her late 20s holding a Witinauer Watch. The color of the background of the Witinauer Watch ad is black. The woman’s face occupies almost the entire upper right corner of the ad. Half of her face is showing, from the lower half of her nose to her chin. A light comes from the upper right onto her face, shadowing a small section below her nose and lips. Her neck is in darkness. She has a slightly parted mouth with bright red glossy lips. Exposed are her last three fingers of the right hand, which have finger nails the same red color as the lips. Those three fingers stick out from the darkness holding onto the top watch links of the Wittnuer Watch next to the right corner of her mouth. The watch is in front of the background. The color of the watch is silver, and its shape is elliptical. Around the watch face and links appear to be diamonds. The shapes of the diamonds which stand for the numbers of time on the watch face are similar to a parallelogram. The word â€Å"WITTNAUER† and a straight line with a small â€Å"w† in the middle are on the upper middle of the dial, and the word â€Å"SWISS† is located to the middle bottom of the dial. Th ere are words â€Å"Into the Night† with white color and Times New Roman font in front of the shadow of her lips. On the right side bottom there is the logo â€Å"WITTNAUER† in yellow, Times New Roman font and Calibri font for the word â€Å"SWISS.† In front of the background, on the left side bottom there are two jewelry company names: Zales and Gordon’s Jewelers. Their websites are also listed. On the left side of the ad, in a vertical direction, are the identifier and the watch website. The second ad analyzed is an ad for a Rolex Watch in Outside Magazine, which displays a man who is in his 50s, wearing a Rolex Watch. There are two parts of the Rolex Watch ad: the main color of the upper five  sixths is dark colored and the bottom is dark green. In the above five sixths of the ad, the color gradually fades from the four corners to the words on the upper left. On the upper left, there are seven rows of words: the first six rows are the interview of the man, and the last row is the advertising slogan. The man with short hair folds his arms, smiling, looking towards the le ns camera on the right hand side. He is wearing a gray anorak jacket, and wearing a Rolex Watch on his left hand. Under his right arm there is a coil of blue and white climbing rope. In front of the background, a silver round shaped Rolex Watch is on the left bottom. The watch links are connected with oblong blocks. There are twelve even numbers that lap around the watchcase, and are separated by inverted triangles. There are sixty minute marks and twelve geometric shapes around the white dial. An inverted triangle is on the top of the middle of the watch; two rectangles mark the quarter of an hour. There are four different shaped hands behind the glass: the hour hand has two bars with an object like a Mercedes–Benz logo on the end of the bars. The minute hand also has two bars; the second hand has a long single bar with a circle near the end of the bar. There is also a red hand with a triangle at the end of the bar. The logo of the watch has two parts: the above is a shape of a golden royal crown, and the bottom is the word â€Å"ROLEX† with white color and Times New Roman font. There is a Rolex logo with several words on the middle upper of the dial, two rows of words just below the center, and two words on the middle bottom. In the lower right of the watch, in front of the dark green background, there are words â€Å"OYSTER PERPERTUAL EXPLORERâ… ¡Ã¢â‚¬  with white color and Arial Unicode MS font. On the right corner, in front of the dark green background, there is a Rolex logo and its website below. On the middle bottom, there are two rows about the product official contact number and sponsoring brands. Although both ads are all about watch, the target market strategies are distinguished. The appeals for the Rolex Watch ad and the Wittnauer Watch ad are logos, ethos and pathos. Both ads use logos, logical evidences to support the value of the products. For example, the Rolex Watch is on the arm of a rugged-looking man, and the Wittnauer Watch is in the hand of a sexy beautiful model. Equally important, in the Rolex Watch ad and the Wittnauer Watch ad, the watch is on the left because English is read from left to right, so the watch is the first thing that the reader sees. Likewise, the two ads use  ethos to emphasize the characters of the products to obtain the trustworthiness from readers. For instance, the model of the Rolex Watch ad is a sports star that has a high status in the adventure world. His name is Ed Viesturs, a famous high–altitude mountaineer who achieves marvelous achievements. The model has a high status in the adventure world. It indicates that the Rolex Watch is so famous that well–known people support it as well. People who like adventure will be attracted by this ad because of him. The Wittnauer Watch ad provides a famous brand as well. There are two well known jewelry companies’ names that appear in the ad, Zales and Gordon’s Jewelers. They are the sellers of the diamond–shaped watch. This improves the market value of the Wittnauer Watch. Both of the ads use a famous person or brand to appeal credibility to readers. Furthermore, both the Wittnauer Watch ad and the Rolex Watch ad have pathos. In the Rolex Watch ad, the word â€Å"Rolex, a crown for every achievement† appears after the introduction of the model. This attracts people who are successful or want to be an achievement because it makes a belief for readers, and makes people feel happy and proud when they are imaging having this product. Similarly, the Wittnauer Watch ad is favored by women because the surface of it is full of diamonds, which makes the watch look more glorious. Compared with the Rolex Watch ad and the Wittnauer Watch ad, both of them appeal to readers by logos, ethos and pathos. After analyzing the target audiences for both ads, the advertisers tried to persuade their target viewers by the angle of vision. In both of the Wittnauer Watch ad and the Rolex Watch ad, the products are in visible locations that it catches readers’ eyes. The watch in the Wittnauer Watch ad is in front of the dark background and most of the surface of the watch appears to be diamonds, which makes the watch dazzling. It shows this product is not only a watch, but also jewelry. Similarly, in the Rolex Watch ad, the watch appears from the dark background. The big round shape, large lap around–numbers, sporty clock hands, and geometric shapes makes the watch look like a timer, but not only a simple watch. In addition, the ads use different types of models to express different types of watches. The model of the Wittnauer Watch ad is a mature young lady. Her three long fingers and bright red glossy lips show a very sexy beautiful woman, which shows a rich high status. As well, the model in the Rolex Watch ad is a 50–year old rugged-looking man, and expresses that this man is full  of experienc es. Furthermore, the object or the words in the ads help to explain the product or introduce the model. In the Wittnauer Watch ad, the word â€Å"Into the Night† beside the watch, which appears from the dark, means the watch is as bright as a diamond at night. This shows how luxury the watch is. Likewise, in the Rolex Watch ad, the grey anorak jacket and the coiled blue and white climbing rope under the male model’s right arm helps to indicate the model as a mountaineer. Overall, the angles of vision of these two ads use the watch impression, selected models, property, and background to convince their potential customers. In conclusion, advertisers use many strategies to attract their target audience. They are very intelligent that they can take a simple product and turn it into the perfect thing for a certain group of consumers. Using angle of vision and Aristotelian Appeals of logos, ethos and pathos, advertisers to convince audiences their products will make them glamorous, athletic or successful. These advertisements are very attractive, but consumers should not just believe the advertisers because ad is a persuasive tool that it only shows their target audience the impressive parts of products. Consumers should concern more about the reality that whether these products are worth to purchase. They must consider the facts.

Influence of Peer Pressure on Teenage Sexual Behaviour

Influence of Peer Pressure on Teenage Sexual Behaviour Research Proposal Introduction: The budding of a child from the innocence of childhood to the maturity of an adult can be a complicated phase for many. An important factor that plays a very significant role throughout a persons life is their sexual behavior. After the mass commercialization of every product imaginable and available to consumers through print advertisements or TV advertisements, the idea of sex is being marketed to these young children almost on a daily basis. This influence is not only limited to print or TV but the internet has also started playing an important role in being a medium which provides access to teenagers and young adults to explicit content. Responsible adults of the society and the Government should make sure that those affected by sexual harassment are given proper rehabilitation facilities (Gilgun, n.d) and that perpetrators who have committed such heinous crimes are punished. Statement of problem: Many young adults become sex offenders as they grow up and some fall victim to prey like sex addiction. Also, due to exposure to explicit content on porn sites and other inappropriate material on the web these juveniles fall prey to blackmailers, sex offenders, rapists and manipulators. In girls, this could lead to unwanted pregnancy. Purpose of the study: The purpose of undertaking this study is to predict sexual behavior in teenagers due to the kind of exposure they get from experiencing peer pressure about sex at school to movies and internet that are all filled with subtle messages about sex and how wonderful it is when the consequences of their actions are not even fully clear to the teenagers undertaking this activity and how it impacts their life ahead and also to explore what rehabilitation and recovery facilities may be provided to teenagers who have being harassed. Hypothesis: The relationship between the exposure to sex related content and sexual habits of teenagers is positive and correlated. Methods and Procedures: The method used in this study was to conduct some literature review on the topic and also gather responses through teenagers and young adults through a small survey. The questions posed to them constituted of topics ranging from the influence of the media to any personal experiences they might have encountered. Also, peer pressure was an important factor included to see the effects of how many teenagers engage in sex to fit in or submit to their peers demands. Variables used: The variables used in this questionnaire were teenagers and young adults who answered the questionnaires on the topic of how they think sexually explicit content or subtle hints at selling sex to youngsters through advertisements, movies, TV shows and even billboards. Some impromptu personal interviews were also taken to see if people are biased in their opinion when communicating spontaneously vs. if they are given more time to choose and think their options. Limitations and delimitations: The limitation in this study comes out in the form of bias. The respondents in order to not let the interviewer or survey taker make judgments about them or relate the responses to their experiences subconsciously may give well thought out or morally fair answers rather than what they actually believe or think. Also since the scope of the study is limited to predicting sexual behavior in teenagers, factors such as puberty, violence, infatuation and internet play a stronger role in eliciting responses and decisions rather than rationality. Significance of the study: The significance of this study is that it will help point out the factors which can help us understand teenage psychology and behaviors better in order make policies or take collective community action to protect our children and rehabilitate and bring back to life those who have suffered. References Abstract Predictions about Teen Sexual Behavior When children grow up to step into the adult phase of their lives they are faced with perhaps the most difficult situations in their lives. They are presented with new ideas, new peers, social and peer pressure and their introduction to puberty. A lot of teenagers face the emotions of infatuation, obsession, becoming cool and doing something that would establish their reputation in front of their friends. In this age of media and mass commercialization, teenagers are exposed to sex in all forms available. It is seen in movies, TV channels, TV shows, internet, music industry and even cartoons like Simpsons where sexual references are not uncommon. It is surprising to see that while 58% of girls studying in 8th to 11th grade have faced some sort of sexual harassment occasionally or in some cases almost daily boys are also being subject to sexual harassment (Carney, 2007). The reason for such outcomes or trend seen in recent years can be the extreme exposure to sex in our culture especially to kids at an inappropriate age. This incompatibility can confuse these children who are in the process of becoming mature and distort their perceptions of sexual behavior and hinder their normal and healthy development process. Exposure to explicit content can be in the form of visual content such as is common on billboards, TV, cartoons and internet. It can also be of verbal content. A child whose parents curse and swear or use sexually explicit language and exhibit violent behavior towards each other or the society at large is subject to take the impact of such exposure and replicate such behavior when he/she grows up to be a teenager and later in their life. Perhaps, the greatest impact is of personal experience in predicting the sexual behavior of teenagers and that is usually when a person has been subject to incest or any other form of sexual and physical harassment. Such an individual becomes bitter and rebellious towards the society and takes revenge by doing those very actions and deriving satisfaction from the pain inflicted on others as a compensation for their suffering. A recent research has linked the race, age and weight of adolescents to their sexual behaviors in case of girls. Some interesting findings that came in spotlight included but are not restricted to the fact that over weight and sexually active girls and underweight girls do not practice safe sex. Latino girls were most likely to engage in risky sexual behavior including having greater than four partners, not practicing safe sex and rampant use of alcohol (Nauert, 2009) This finding indicates that as opposed to generalizing all teenagers exhibiting rogue sexual appetites; sexual behavior in teenagers can greatly differ based on their geographical location, their environment, age and even gender. Important findings that help predict teenage sexual behavior include that, teenagers who watch sexually explicit content more often than their counterparts are likely to engage and initiate sexual intercourse earlier (Collins et al., 2004) (Also see Exhibit 1) Furthermore, the impact of verbal reference to sexual activities is the same as visual impact in teenagers leading them to become sexually active at an earlier stage in their adolescence. However, it is imperative to know that if teens are shown movies or educated about the practices of disadvantages of having sex earlier or without safe practices it can put a positive impact and create awareness among them and influence their sexual behavior. Recently, the internet has proved to be yet another medium through which teenagers who are still in the phase of development and are excited by puberty and the various opportunities to socialize and go to parties, meet new partners and become equal to their peers is present, the access to sexually explicit content such as images, videos, pornography and the latest addition to the list; social networking websites present a great danger of eliciting harmful sexual behavior. In a recent study it was found that those teenagers who use the internet and social networking websites were subject to online sexual harassment such as unwanted requests to converse about sex, provide personal information, sexual solicitation or requests to do something sexual. 33% reported online harassment including the highest percentage on instant messaging (43%) and chat rooms (32%). (Ybarra Mitchell, 2008) Such consequences have made internet a bane in some cases instead of a boon with negative impacts on no t only the mental health but physical development of a child as more and more people suffer from complex about their bodies and abilities due to sexual references and discrimination. Sex at an early age for some can be damaging to moral and ethical values along with inflicting psychological problems. About 3 million teenagers contract a sexually transmitted disease such as Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and even AIDS. Most agree that teenagers tend to be reckless in their behavior, and unprotected sex is just one of a host of risky behaviors in which they engage. But even for those who are always careful, accidents can happen and contraceptives can fail. Moreover, some teenagers are exploited or coerced into having sex and thus have little control over contraception (cited in Besharov Gardiner, n.d) As exhibit 2 portrays that those engage in sex and risky behavior include marijuana, drugs and alcohol that further adds to the problem of active sex drive in teenagers. Feral children like Genie who have had no contact with the outside world for 13 years of their life and confined to a solitary room where no auditory signals or visual signals could reach rendered this child completely different from normal teenagers. Genie could not stand erect and unable to even communicate effectively with words. She was fed baby food, cereals and eggs to keep her alive. (Curtiss, 1977) This kind of treatment rendered her completely isolated from other human beings where she was unable to communicate or understand normal human emotions or any sort of sexual desires or tendencies. Another important factor which has influenced sexual behavior in teenagers is music. According to a research article published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, April 2009, Brian Primack made the statement that in a sample of adolescents listening to lyrics of a song that feature sexually explicit lyrics the tendency to engage in pre-coital activities and sexual intercourse was higher. This finding is a cause of concern and demands educational intervention because such activities by female teenagers which result in teenage pregnancies are a matter of public health concern. References Exhibits EXHIBIT 1: TV exposure and Contribution To Initiating Sex EXHIBIT 2: Early Sex and Risk Taking Behaviors

The First World War (WWI) :: World War 1 I One

World War II or the Second World War was a global conflict that began on 7 July 1937, in Asia and 1 September 1939, in Europe and lasted until 1945, involving the majority of the world's countries and every inhabited continent. Virtually all countries that participated in World War I were involved in World War II. It was the most extensive and expensive apocalyptic armed conflict in the history of the World. Attributed in varying degrees to the Treaty of Versailles, the Great Depression, nationalism, and militarism, the causes of the war are a matter of debate. On which date the war began is also debated, cited as either the German invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939, the Japanese invasion of China on 7 July 1937 (the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War), or earlier yet the 1931 Japanese invasion of Manchuria. Still others argue that the two world wars are one conflict separated only by a "ceasefire". Fighting occurred across the Atlantic Ocean, in Western and Eastern Europe, in the Mediterranean Sea, Africa, the Middle East, in the Pacific and South East Asia, and it continued in China. In Europe, the war ended with the surrender of Germany on 8 May 1945 (V-E and Victory Days), but continued in Asia until Japan surrendered on 15 August 1945 (V-J Day). Approximately 57 million people died as a result of the war, including acts of genocide such as the Holocaust, the Rape of Nanking, and General Ishii Shiro's Unit 731 experiments in Pingfan. As a case of total war, it involved the "home front" and bombing of civilians to a new degree. Atomic weapons, jet aircraft, and RADAR are only a few of many war-time inventions. Post-war Europe was partitioned into Western and Soviet spheres of influence, the former undergoing economic reconstruction under the

Comparing Poems First Love, Amen and Porphyrias Lover :: English Literature

Comparing Poems First Love, Amen and Porphyrias Lover First love is a poem describing when a man falls in love for the first time. This poem is very well worded, with similes and adjectives. It describes how love takes over everything; your mind, your body, your soul. It hits you like a bullet, and stops you dead. â€Å"I ne’er was stuck before that hour with love so sudden and so sweet.† The poet describes at the beginning how he first noticed the woman’s beauty, and how at each second he gazed at her, the more mesmerising she became. â€Å"Her face it bloomed like a sweet flower and stole my heart away complete.† In a way, I think that the poet is trying to convince us that love is capable at first sight. He uses clever words and phrasing to make sure we are convinced. Still in the first stanza, he describes how the sighed of this woman froze him in his tracks. His muscles tensed, and his face lost colour. â€Å"My face turned pale as deadly pale, my legs refused to walk away.† Love drew him to a stop. In a way, that’s what I think the poet is trying to do. He’s trying to draw a picture of the uncomfortable feelings etc. I also think he’s done a good job. In the second stanza, it explains what happened after he looked away. He described it as he could not see anything, as the love had covered his eyes. He also explains how the blood suddenly rushes back into his face. â€Å"And then my blood rushed to my face and I took my sight away. The trees and bushed round the place seemed midnight at noonday.† In the second half of the second stanza, he talks of the joy he experienced from this sudden rush of love. He makes it that his heart began to sing. â€Å"I could not see a single thing, words from my heart did start; they spoke as chords do from the string and blood burnt around my heart.† In the last stanza, he talks about how he left his heart with her on that last day, and it never returned. â€Å"Amen† can be compared to â€Å"First Love† as more confusing and not as romantic. It is written in a different style, with different wording. Each verse starts with a question: â€Å"It is over. What is over?† â€Å"It is finished. What is finished?† â€Å"It suffices. What suffices?† It is hard to say whether this poem is about love itself, or her love for something, or even a love that she’s lost. Reading the first stanza three times made me realise the poem is about

Ukraine: Population crisis Essay -- essays research papers fc

Purcell Consulting Company is world’s foremost independent consulting company regarding policy issues for governments, and we are glad that you have chosen us in helping with your policies. As addressed in your personal statement, you are extremely concerned about your country’s population decline, and the years to come. This problem, distressing to say, is notably related to the way your government is governed, as well as other factors including health issues, and economics that puts a strain on the your population. In this assessment I will brief on specific reasons for your countries declining population, as well as sufficient solutions in solving this apprehensive problem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First I would first like to address health issues surrounding this problem. Ukraine, like many other Eastern European states generally have poor health conditions. Most Ukrainian citizens drink more alcohol, have bad nutrition, and visit doctors less frequently. As a result death comes quick, along with diseases, and lowered fertility rates (Jamestown). According to the 2001 Census, Ukraine registered a 6.1 percent decline in population. Dr. Oleh Wolowyna, a professor at the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute, also reports mortality rates in infants and adults have risen due to a poor health care system. The main reason behind an increase in infant death rates is due to an increase in â€Å"perinatal complications,† that arise from birth---low birth weight, poor-prenatal nutrition, birth/pregnancy problems, and pre mature birth---- of which are all related to a poor health care system. Adult mortality rates has also risen almost 60% due to a â€Å"circul atory diseases† --- stroke, heart attack, and high blood pressure (Jarosewich). Moreover, AIDS has contributed generously to Ukraine’s declining population. According to the UN, AIDS is growing faster in Ukraine than any other post-communist European country and is also growing faster then anywhere else outside Africa (Jamestown). The UN predicts that about 400,000 people are affected by AIDS of which almost to none will survive (FHI). Nevertheless, we must not be quick to blame your citizens for a poor health care system, or a declining population. We must concentrate on economics, and how it contributes heavily on your declining population. .  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Economics is a theory of business science... ...xample, women should know about the risks of malnutrition when carrying a child. She should know about the dangers, and risks of other substances that may harm the baby or herself; while men should learn about the health risks of high blood pressure, diabetes and other diseases. In addition, education about the HIV virus should be taught at schools and in the community, in terms of how to prevent from getting the virus, and how to treat it. By emphasizing proper nutrition and health care amongst men, women and children, Ukraine’s birth rate will exceed death rates, ensuring a steady increase in population.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, you, the Ukrainian government, must create jobs, and educate your citizens about proper health care in order to increase your country’s population. If your government follows these simple guidelines, Purcell Consulting will guarantee your population to increase, and continue to grow for the ages to come. Works Cited Kuzio, Taras. The Jamestown Foundation. 4 Feb. 2003. 30 Mar. 2005 . Jarosewich, Irene. Ukraine's Population Suffers Dramatic Decline In Health. 24 Aug. 1997. 30 Mar. 2005 . Family Health International. 30 Mar. 2005 .

The Roles of Nigerian Association of Model Islamic Schools (Namis)

THE ROLES OF NIGERIAN ASSOCIATION OF MODEL ISLAMIC SCHOOLS (NAMIS) IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATION IN OYO STATE: A CASE STUDY OF NAMIS, EGBEDA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA CHAPTER. BY SHITTU, AFUSAT OMOBONIKE (MRS) (MATRICULATION NUMBER 04/060854) BEING A PROJECT REPORT SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ARTS & SOCIAL SCIENCES, EMMANUEL ALAYANDE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, OYO. IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF NIGERIA CERTIFICATE IN EDUCATION (N. C. E) JANUARY, 2009. CERTIFICATION This is to certify that this study was carried out by Shittu, Afusat Omobonike (Matriculation number 04/060854) in the Directorate of Sandwich Programmes of Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo, Oyo State. ______________________ _____________________ Alhaji S. L. Akano Date Project Supervisor ___________________ ___________________ H. O. D Date DEDICATION This project is dedicated to Almighty Allah for sparing my life from the inception of this N. C. E programme till the end of it. ACKNOWLEDGMENT All praise and adoration is due to Almighty Allah (S. W. T), the Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscience, and the Fountain of knowledge for making it possible for me to complete this NCE programme. He made it a successful one despite all odds. May his infinite peace and blessing be upon our noble prophet Muhammed (S. A. W), his households, his companions, and those who follow his footstep till the day of accountablity. My profound gratitude goes to my able and dynamic supervisor in person of Alhaji S. L. Akano who made necessary corrections, constructive citicism and useful suggestion during the course of writing this project, may Allah assists him in all his endeavours (amen). I equally tender my sincere appreciation to other lecturers in the department for great task done in imparting knowledge on me while in the college, may Allah continue to guide them in all their undertakings. My sincere appreciation goes to my husband, Mr. Abdul Akeem Shittu for his encouragement and support morally, financially and his love during my course of study, may Almighty Allah be with him in all his undertakings and countinue to shower his blessing on him. I also appreciate the effort of the member of executive of NAMIS such as Mrs F. D. Ali, the Chairperson of Oyo State chapter; Mrs S. B. Ogundiran (the proprietress of Al-Hayyu group of schools) and Mr. S. K. Animasahun for their moral support and precious contributions given to me while writing this project, may Almighty Allah reward them in this world and hereafter â€Å"Jazakum Lahu khaeran† I would not forget the contributions of Mr. Abdul Wasiu Ibitoye and Mr Uthman K. Afolayan to the success of this project report, may Almighty Allah be with them in all their undertakings and reward them abundantly. Finally, my unreserved appreciation goes to my course mates and friends for their contributions in one way or the other, people like Tanimowo Baliqis, Ganiy Mariam, Adeyemo Oluwaseun, Ajani Margaret, Ojetola Nike. and others in Emmanuel Alayande College of Education (Urban Day Center) are all my nice colleagues in the college. ABSTRACT This study investigates the roles play by the Nigerian Association of Model Islamic Schools (NAMIS) in the development of education in our immediate society. The study is a case study of NAMIS, Egbeda local government area chapter. The research work is subdivided into five chapters. It starts by focussing on education as a tool for development; the need, activities and organisation of NAMIS are also discussed. Review of relevant past literatures from some established authorities was subsequently carried out. Responses from respondents were captured using questionnaire; data analysis was carried out using descriptive technique, frequency counts and simple percentage. The study rounded up with summary, conclusion and recommendation for all concerned skakeholders. TABLE OF CONTENT Title page Certification ii Dedication iii Acknowledgement iv Abstract vi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1. Background to the study 1 2. Statement of the problem 3 3. Purpose of the study 5 4. Significance of the study 6 5. Scope and limitation of the study 6 6. Operational definition of terms 7 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEEW . 1 Meaning, goal and important of education 9 2. 2 The need for Islamic schools 10 2. 3 Roles of private schools in education 12 2. 4 NAMIS Objectives and Activities 14 2. 4. 1 NAMIS Aims and Objectives 14 2. 4. 2 Educational contributions of NAMIS 15 2. 4. 3 Religious contributions of NAMIS 16 2. 4. 4 Socio-cultural contributions of NAMIS 18 CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3. 1 Population 2 0 3. 2 Sampling procedure and sampling technique 20 3. 3 Research instrument 21 3. 4 Validity and reliability of instrument 21 3. 5 Administration of instument 22 3. Method of data analysis. 22 CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS OF RESULT AND DISCUSSION. 4. 1 Analysis of demographic data 23 4. 2 Analysis of resesrch data 24 4. 2. 1 The need for Islamic schools 24 4. 2. 2 NAMIS as an organised body 26 4. 2. 3 NAMIS and Islamic schools’management relationship. 28 4. 2. 4 Roles of NAMIS to educational development. 30 CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5. 1 Summary 33 5. 2 Conclusion 34 5. 3 Recommendations 34 References 36 Appendix I: Questionnaire 38 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1. BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY Education is generally accepted as a major source of development of any civilised society. Francis Bacon in his words said â€Å"Crafty men condemn studies; simple men admire them, and wise men use them†. The importance of education to the development of the society has made all concerned stakeholders to be interested in its administration, planning and dissemination to the entire populace. Religious missionaries, most especially Christian missionaries were the fore-runners of western education in Nigeria. Education was used by those organisations as tool for grassroot evangelism as well as public enlightenment. Muslim communities were faced with challenges of getting their children educated in western way without getting them converted into Christianity. Various Muslim organisations rose up to this challenge lately by establishing formal western oriented schools. Muslims are enjoined by Prophet Muhammed to â€Å"seek for knowledge from the cradle to the grave†; and even â€Å"go in quest of knowledge even unto china (edge of the earth) Various Muslim organisations realized this call to tackle the challenges facing Muslim children in the path of obtaining western (formal) education. For instance, Ansar Ud Deen Society of Nigeria, Ahmadiyya Muslim Society of Nigeria, and hosts of other Muslim organisations were early enough to tackle the challenges. Most recently, another Muslim organisation established to contribute to solution of these challenges is Nigerian Association of Model Islamic schools (NAMIS). Nigerian Association of Model Islamic Schools (NAMIS) is a body comprising owners of Islamic Schools, both primary and secondary. The objective of the association is to provide qualitative education to Muslim children in accordance with the requirements of the Islamic religion. NAMIS is a voluntary non-political organisation which aims at constituting a forum of exchange of ideas and instill co-operation among private Islamically-oriented nursery, primary and secondary schools in Nigeria. NAMIS also engages in the formulation and implementation of programmes and policies aimed at assisting the regulation, growth and improvement of standards in member-schools. NAMIS serves as a mouth piece for member-schools in relation to government. Nigerian Association for Model Islamic Schools was established in 1995. The initiative originated from Hajia Aisha Lemu. It held its first national seminar in Minna, Niger state in 1997. NAMIS operates states chapters at state level and local government chapters. Oyo state chapter of NAMIS was established in 1995, while the Egbeda Local Government Area chapter was inaugurated in year 2002. The elected state coordinators are members of the National executive officers of the association. NAMIS also form committees such as monitoring committee to standardise operations of member schools; other committees are disciplinary, annual conference, teachers’ workshop, welfare and international relation. 1. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Islam offers man a complete code of life in the Quran and the sunnah (teachings of the Prophet), which if, followed wholeheartedly, will lead man towards the realization of the greatest glory that Allah has reserved for him as His vicegerent. Man needs training from his childhood both at home and in the society in order to adequately follow the code of life and attain consciousne ss of himself as Allah’s vicegerent on earth. Education should aim at a balanced growth of the personality through training of the spirit, intellect, rational, self feelings, and bodily senses of man. The training imparted to a Muslim must be such that faith is infused in the whole personality and creates in him an emotional attachment to Islam and enables him follow the complete code of life (Niaz, 1995. ) People keep historical accounts of their heritages, culture and religions through the educational system they establish for their children; they transmit their value and belief system through such institutions as schools. Keeping up with religious duties during the school days establishes a strong connection between students and their faith, and enhances possibility of practicing their religion as they grow older. In history of education in Nigeria, early schools in the southern part of the country were founded by Christian missionaries whom were allowed by the British colonial power to set up mission schools, government schools also were generally Christian-oriented. Lemu (2002) writes that any Muslim student in these schools would be forces to study Bible knowledge and in most cases attend church. Conversion was frequently a condition for admission. No teacher was provided for Islamic studies. All the aforementioned problems gave rise to the establishment of private Islamic schools for Muslims in the South-Western part of Nigeria. These Muslim schools faced initial challenges like getting government approval through registration, fashioning out of competent educational-curriculum and syllabi that will infuse their belief in the regular curriculum. Other challenges being faced by these schools are infrastructural inadequacies, administrative bottlenecks and general acceptability. NAMIS was established as controlling and collaborating body for all Muslim-oriented schools. This study focuses on the ability, capability and competence of this organisation in performing her primary assignment. 1. 3PURPOSE OF THE STUDY The main purpose of this study is to investigate and examine the contributions of Nigerian Association of Model Islamic schools (NAMIS) to the development of education in Egbeda Local Government of Oyo State. The research work, precisely, has the following objectives: a) To evaluate the contributions of NAMIS in upgrading standard of education of Muslim schools in Egbeda Local Government. ) To assess the commitment of founders of these Muslim schools towards funding of the established schools. c) To compare the existing Muslim schools with other conventional (and non-Islamic missionary) schools with respect to infrastructural resources, man power and academic performance. d) To examine problems confronting NAMIS as a body. e) To establish constraints affecting Muslim schools towards discharge of high and quality academic standard. f) To sugg est possible solutions for future success and remedy for prevention of existing problems in the future. . 4SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY The findings from this study will provide statistical assessment on the roles of Nigerian Association of Model Islamic Schools (NAMIS) in the development of education. The outcome of this work will enlighten the general public of the activities and focus of NAMIS towards quality academic standards. The research will also enable founders of Muslim schools to further understand the importance of their unrelenting contributions towards better control and funding of their schools. The work is expected to enlighten NAMIS leadership of the problems confronting the association and suggest possible solutions to the issues. In addition, the research will arouse the interest of wealthy Muslims towards the establishment of more schools to serve the needs of numerous Muslim populace. The output of the research will be of usage to the generalities of Muslims in particular and Nigerians in general. It will be useful for all stakeholders in education such as parents, teachers, students, educational policy makers, school administrators and the likes. 1. SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY Due to limited time constraints and financial incapability of the researcher, all schools cannot be consulted with respect to the research study and collection of data. The scope of the study shall be some selected NAMIS member-schools in Egbeda Local Government. Some of these selected schools are: a) Al-Hayyu Nursery and Primary school, Olaogun, Ibadan. b) Ar-Rosheed Nursery and Primary school, Gbagi, Ibadan. c) Noble Foundation School, Gbelu, off Olode/Adekola, New Ife road, Ibadan. d) Assalam Nursery and Primary school, Alarere, Ibadan. ) Pillars of Islam Comprehensive school (PICOS), Oloya, Monatan. Eighty (80) respondents shall be contacted for data collection from these selected schools comprising of forty (40) teachers, twenty (20) parents (or guardians) and twenty (20) members of schools management boards. The study shall be limited to the roles of Nigerian Association of Model Islamic Schools (NAMIS) to the development of education in Egbeda Local Governemtn Area of Oyo State. 6. OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS Association: A society of people joined together for a particular purpose. Model: A person or thing that can serve as a perfect example or pattern, worthy to be followed or copied. Education: Systematic procedure for the transfer and transformation of culture, through formal or informal training of people in a society. It deals with the mental, physical, psychological and social development of the citizens in a given society. Development: Growth integrated with economic, scientific, political and home based technological expansion. Islam: The religion of peace which means the way of achieving total submission of ourselves to God. Muslim: Adherent of Islam. Literally, Muslim means one who submits himself or herself to the commandment and will of Almighty God (Allah). School: An institution for the instruction (and education) of children or other people. Egbeda Local Government: This is one of the thirty-three local governments of Oyo State. Its headquarter is located in Egbeda. There are eleven wards in the local government and it is geographically surrounded by Lagelu, Ona-Ara, and Ibadan North-East Local Governments of Oyo State on one part and Osun State on another part. CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 1. MEANING, GOAL AND IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION Kellerman (1980) defines education as the process of teaching and training of the child. It is the imparting or acquisition of skills for a particular trade or profession in which applicable methods are used. Fafunwa (1983) views education as all positive efforts, conscious and direct, incidental and indirect, made by a given society to accomplish certain objectives that are considered desirable in terms of the individual’s needs as well as the needs of the society where the programme is based. Education is therefore, a systematic procedure for the transfer and transformation of culture, through formal or informal training of people in a society. It deals with mental, physical, psychological and social development of the citizens in a given society. The goal of education is manpower development, aimed at national growth integrated with economic, scientific, political and home based technological expansion. However, development may be difficult in poor countries without qualitative and quantitative education. In her desire to achieve meaningful educational development of the country, the Federal Government of Nigeria through her National Policy on education (2004) prescribes two major goals for formal education. The first goal is to civilize and enlighten every individual to lead the good life in society as a citizen of Nigeria while harmonizing with and sharing in the world’s cultural heritage. The second goal is to equip every individual with the skills and job competencies for gainful employment. Education has enabled man to conquer the nature around him and invent certain gadgets for his convenient use. Man has been able to improve his quality of food, clothing and shelter through education. The improved quality of life can be seen in area of transportation, health care delivery, industrialisation, etc. 2. THE NEED FOR ISLAMIC SCHOOLS A fundamental function of formal education advocated by National Policy on Education (2004) is to produce a knowledge based work force for national development. However, this function was not addressed in totality by the system of education introduced by the missionary during the pre-independence period of Nigeria. Oghuvbu (2007) affirmed that Muslim education came into Nigeria by over 300 years before the arrival of Christian education around the 1840’s. However, Muslim education was retarded because education in the middle of the 19th century in Nigeria tended to mean Bible Knowledge, Christian ethics, Christian moral instructions, Christian literature, some arithmetic, language and crafts; directed towards the production of good Christians (Fafunwa, 1975) The goals of Christian missions Education was to produce teachers to assist in the teaching of the gospel and commercial activities. According to Boyd (1975:418), â€Å"the Church undertook the business of education not because it regarded education as good in itself, but because it found that it could not do its own proper work without giving its adherents, and especially its clergy, as much of the formal learning as was required for the study of the sacred writings and for the performance of their religious duties†. Furthermore, Bowen (1857:17) an early missionary, in Ejiogu (1988:3) stated that â€Å"we desire to establish the Gospel in the hearts and minds and social life of the people, so that truth and righteousness may remain and flourish among them. This cannot be done without civilization. To establish the Gospel among any people, they must have Bible†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ they must read the Bible and this implies formal instruction (i. e. education)†. The early system of formal western education in Nigeria was, hence, aimed at achieving selfish ends in religion and trade. Lemu (2006) positioned that â€Å"the western education system had then negative effects of the secularization and de-Islamization of young Muslim generations, as most of the graduates of this educational system became the potential victims of secular culture. The Muslim community was faced with the challenge of getting their children educated (in western system) without getting them converted into Christianity. Muslims also wanted their children to be taught Islamic education alongside the western system of education. Some Muslim organisations rose up to this challenge, one of such is Ansar-Ud-Deen. The Muslim organisation was established in 1923 for t he purpose of educational development of Muslims and also as a body to enhance the moral and social development of the Muslim community. (Wikipedia, 2008). 3. ROLES OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN EDUCATION. Government has been largely responsible for the provision of education in Nigeria. There has been a tremendous public sector participation in educational provision in the country (Emunemu, 2008). Public funding of education includes direct government expenditure (for buildings, teachers’ salaries and instructional materials) as well as indirect expenditures in form of subsides to households such as tax reductions, scholarships, loans and grants. There have been many cases of increase in active demand for education pioneered by an increasing number of children, youths’ and adults’ need. Government alone cannot meet these demands; there is need, therefore, for a greater community and civil society participation in providing, managing and funding education. The issue of quality of educational output has been a matter of serious concern not only to the public but also the private sector. The private sector for primary and secondary education has been growing for the past two decades. The proliferation of private schools has been attributed by Emunemu (2008) to the widespread loss of public confidence in public primary and secondary education. The success recorded by private participation at primary and econdary schools levels inspired the Federal Government of Nigeria to lift ban on the establishment of private universities in 1993. Private schools provide helping hand for government in its effort to achieve education for all. Private schools provide qualitative education by employing competent teachers through the fees parents are being charged. They provide adequate amenities needed for effective discharge of educational services such as libraries, laboratories, classrooms. In rounding up, private participation in education improves effectiveness in a cost effective manner and without compromising equity. Private participation encourages the public sector to improve the quality and efficiency of public schools. Competition among providers of services can lower costs and improve responsiveness to the needs of consumers. However, there is a need for a coordinated and focused response particularly as regards partnerships and collaborations in the private sector. The Nigerian Association of Model Islamic Schools (NAMIS) is the coordinating body to institute partnerships and collaborations among private Islamic Schools in Nigeria. 2. 4NAMIS OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES NAMIS as an association of many Islamic Schools is guided by a constituted mission and vision which encompasses its aims and objectives. The association also shoulders some activities and responsibilities towards educational, religious and socio-cultural engagements in pursuit of its vision and mission. 2. 4. 1NAMIS AIMS AND OBJECTIVES According to NAMIS Constitution, the following are the aims and objectives of the association: (a)To propagate Islam in our schools (b)To constitute a form for the exchange of ideas and to steer cooperation among private Islamic Schools. c)To engage in the formulation and implementation of programmes and policies aimed at assisting the regulation, growth and improvement of standards in member schools. (d)To serve as a mouth piece for member schools in relation to government. (e)To establish peaceful co-existence between both Muslim and Non-Muslim schools. (f)To encourage achievement of a world accepted standard for Islamically oriented schools. (g)To c onnect (and inspire) owners of model Islamic schools in Nigeria in order to place so much premium on the education and spiritual development. (h)To prepare young Muslims for future challenges. i)To fulfill Muslims first objective in life which is to fruitfully serve the creator (Allah) in our schools. (j)NAMIS is committed to the achievement peace and harmony towards the development of our community and Nigeria. 2. 4. 2EDUCATIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF NAMIS In order to impart knowledge to the young generation, NAMIS focuses its attention most on education. Some of its educational activities are discussed here. 2. 4. 2. 1 Workshops and Seminars NAMIS organises workshops and seminars on various aspects of school administration for teachers and owners of schools. Regular workshops and seminars are held to update knowledge of participants. NAMIS also recommends textbooks and teaching methods to Islamic Schools to meet the required standard in the society. 2. 4. 2. 2 Aisha Lemu Quiz Competition NAMIS conducts an annual inter school quiz competition among NAMIS registered schools. The competition which starts at local government chapters to state chapters and finally to national level features subjects like English Language, Mathematics, Sciences and Islamic Studies. 2. 4. 2. 3 NAMIS Joint Mock Examination NAMIS at local government levels organise an annual joint mock examination to prepare their final-year primary school pupils for entrance examinations into secondary schools. Egbeda local government chapter held its last 2007/2008 session join mock examination at Al-Hayyu Nursery and Primary School Olaogun where many member schools participated. 2. 4. 2. 4 Inspection and Visitation to Schools An inspection committee is set up at local government chapter level by NAMIS to inspect and monitor the academic operations of member schools. During the visitation, the committee identifies lapses and recommends solutions to the problems in order to ensure the upliftment of the standard of the school being visited. The monitoring committee also serves as an agent of awareness among member schools. 2. 4. 3RELIGIOUS CONTRIBUTION OF NAMIS NAMIS inculcates the teaching of Islamic knowledge into the curricula of its member schools. Prominent among religious activities (and roles) of NAMIS are as follow: 2. 4. 3. 1Teaching of Islamic Studies, Arabic, Quran and Dawah as Subjects in Schools. NAMIS schools’ managements are enjoined to include these subjects separately on their time table. This will enable students to gain more knowledge on Islamic education along with the Western education. 2. 4. 3. 2. Annual Quran Competition NAMIS organises annual Quran quiz competition to test their students’ knowledge about Quran recitation and memorization. The Competition is held at local government level, State level and national level. The winners are awarded prizes to motivate other students. 2. 4. 3. 3. Observation of Daily Prayers at School In accordance to the commandment of Almighty Allah which stipulates that Muslims (believers) should observe their respective prayers at the appointed time (Quran, Chapter 4 verse 103); NAMIS schools provide period for observation of prayers (solat). The two afternoon prayers (Zuhr and Asr) are to be offered in the schools by students and their teachers. 2. 4. 3. 4. Islamic Moral Teachings in Schools. NAMIS enjoins its members to lay emphasis on Dawah (moral and religious propagation) teaching. The teacher will be teaching Dawah as a subject. Lectures and Sermons are given to students during the school assembly period. 2. 4. 4SOCIO CULTURAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF NAMIS Some of the activities of NAMIS in area of Socio cultural contributions are as follow: 2. 4. 4. 1 Art Exhibition, Cultural and Drama Display. NAMIS organises competition on art exhibition, drama and cultural display whereby various art works of schools are displayed. Song and rhymes are also performed during the competition which comes up along with Aisha Lemu Competition. The winner and the best actor or actresses are awarded prizes. 2. 4. 4. NAMIS Eid-el-Kabir and Hijrah get-together A get-together forum is organised annually by NAMIS to bring all Muslim children together to celebrate Muslim sacrificial festival (eid-el-kabir) and the Muslim new year (Hijrah). The get-together features events like match past, Islamic songs, rhyme and drama. Lecture is also delivered by notable Islamic scholar. 3. Children Day Celebration Nigeria government declares holiday annu ally on 27th of May for children day. NAMIS gathers school pupils together to celebrate the event on the particular day whereby match past, sing songs and lectures take place. . NAMIS Youth Camp Muslim students are invited into camp by NAMIS during the Yuletide (Christmas) period to educate them on Islamic teachings and develop them spiritually. The camp imbibes in the participants the spirit of living together with other pupils from other schools. The youth camp features lectures, quiz, video shows and other Islamic teachings. CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3. 1POPULATION The study focuses on the roles of Nigerian Association of Model Islamic Schools (NAMIS) in the development of education in Oyo State of Nigeria, it ses NAMIS Egbada Local Government Area chapter as the case study. The population of the study comprises of privately owned Islamic schools in Egbeda Local Government. In order to adequately evaluate the roles of NAMIS, some of such schools were selected for the pur pose of data collection. 2. SAMPLING PROCEDURE AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUE The study selected the following schools which are under the umbrella of NAMIS in the course of data collection: a. Al-Hayyu Nursery and Primary School, Olaogun b. Ar-Rasheed Nursery And Primary Schools, Gbagi c. Noble Foundation School, Gbelu, Off Olode/Adekola d. Assalam Nursery and Primary School, Alarere e. Pillars of Islam Comprehensive School (PICOS) Oloya, Monatan. Eighty (80) respondents were selected from these schools comprising of forty (40) teachers, twenty (20) parents or guardians, and twenty (20) members of schools management boards. The simple random sampling technique was used to select the needed respondents from the chosen schools. 3. 3RESEARCH INSTRUMENT Structured questionnaire was the research instrument used to gather reliable information from the sample drawn. The questionnaire was made up of two sections A and B. Section A captures the respondent’s personal data information. Section B comprises of eighteen (18) instrumental questions carefully designed to ascertain the roles of NAMIS in the educational development of Oyo State taking Egbeda Local Government area as a case study. Section B was designed on two point like scale, seeking the respondent’s feeling to each particular items which was either agree (true) or disagree (false). Respondents were simply required to tick the appropriate column indicating their feelings. . 4VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF INSTRUMENT Some steps were carried out in order to ensure that the research data collection instrument (that is, the questionnaire) adequately measure what it is meant to measure and make it reliable and relevant to the research work at hand. The questionnaire was exposed to the thorough scrutiny and constructive criticisms by the project supervisor and other research experts. Necessary corrections and amendments were done before the final authentication and approval of the instrument by the supervisor. 3. 5ADMINISTRATION OF INSTRUMENT Visitations were made to the selected schools in the local government area of study to administer the questionnaire and to carry out other relevant investigations. The questionnaire were distributed and collected back immediately after their completion by respondents. The researcher was assisted by the teachers of the visiting schools in the course of administration of the questionnaire. 3. 6METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS The analysis of the data obtained from the questionnaire was carried out using descriptive analysis technique, frequency counts and simple percentage. These statistical methods were employed to reflect the respondents’ opinions in the questionnaire (shown in the appendix). CHAPTER FOUR DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS OF RESULT AND DISCUSSION This chapter focuses on presentation and analysis of data collected and discussion of the major findings of the study. The findings are presented in tabular form; sample percentage format coupled with discussion are made. 4. 1ANALYSIS OF DEMOGRAPHIC DATA Table 1: Distribution of respondents by relationship to the school. RELATIONSHIP |FREQUENCY |PERCENTAGE (%) | |Teacher |40 |50 | |Parent (or guardian) |20 |25 | |Management |20 |25 | |Total |80 |100 | The table shows that majority of respondents (50%) are teachers. A quarter 25% of category of respondents are parents (or guardians), and same proportion of respondents are management. This frequency distribution shows that teachers were more available than other categories of respondents in the course of research instrument administration. Furthermore, teachers are in best position to judge the roles of NAMIS in the education development in the educational system. 4. 2ANALYSIS OF RESEARCH DATA The findings of this study are grouped into four sections representing the need for Islamic schools; impact of NAMIS as an organised body; impact of school management; and effects of NAMIS to educational development. 4. 2. 1THE NEED FOR ISLAMIC SCHOOLS This point shall be determined by considering responses to questions 1,2,14, and 15 of section B of the questionnaire. Table 2: Frequency distribution table of response on conversion of Muslims in the course of acquiring western education in colonial missionary schools. OPINION |FREQUENCY |PERCENTAGE (%) | |Agree |78 |97. 5 | |Disagree |2 |2. 5 | |Total |80 |100 | Table 3: Frequency distribution table of response on the need for the establishment of Islamic schools by Muslim community. |OPINION |FREQUENCY |PERCENTAGE (%) | |Agree |80 |100 | |Disagree |0 |0 | |Total |80 |100 | Table 4: Frequency distribution table of response on the adequacy of Islamic schools now. |OPINION |FREQUENCY |PERCENTAGE (%) | |Agree |13 |16. 25 | |Disagree |67 |83. 75 | |Total |80 |100 | Table 5: Frequency distribution table of response on NAMIS encouragement of Muslim philanthropies and associations to establish more Islamic schools. |OPINION |FREQUENCY |PERCENTAGE (%) | |Agree |70 |87. 5 | |Disagree |10 |12. | |Total |80 |100 | Tables 2 to 5 reveal that majority of respondents agreed that Muslims were converted to other religions in the course of acquiring western education in colonial missionary schools. There is hence, the need for the establishing of Islamic schools by Muslim community as there is insufficient of those schools now. NAMIS is noted by majority for her effort in encouraging Muslim philanthropies and associations to establish more Islamic schools. 4. 2. 2NAMIS AS AN ORGANISED BODY This point shall be judged by considering responses to questions 3, 11, 16 and 18 of section B of the questionnaire. Table 6: Frequency distribution table of response on awareness of NAMIS existence |OPINION |FREQUENCY |PERCENTAGE (%) | |True |74 |92. | |False | 6 |7. 5 | |Total |80 |100 | Table 7: Frequency distribution table of response on NAMIS laying of emphasis on teaching of only Islamic related subjects in their member schools. OPINION |FREQUENCY |PERCENTAGE (%) | |Agree |36 |45 | |Disagree |44 |55 | |Total |80 |100 | Table 8: Frequency distribution table of response on sufficiency of funding of NAMIS to carry out its required activities. OPINION |FREQUENCY |PERCENTAGE (%) | |Agree |37 |46. 25 | |Disagree |43 |53. 75 | |Total |80 |100 | Table 9: Frequency distribution table of response on necessity of all Islamic s chools to be members of NAMIS. OPINION |FREQUENCY |PERCENTAGE (%) | |Agree |77 |96. 25 | |Disagree |3 |3. 75 | |Total |80 |100 | All tables in this section expose the awareness, operation and relationship of NAMIS with respect to coordination of activities of Islamic schools. Majority of respondents are aware of NAMIS, they do not agree that NAMIS emphasises the teaching of only Islamic related subjects in their members schools. NAMIS is not adequately funded to carry out its required activities as opined by majority of respondents. The greater number of respondents (77) agreed that all Islamic schools should be members of NAMIS. 4. 2. 3NAMIS AND ISLAMIC SCHOOLS MANAGEMENT RELATIONSHIP Responses to questions 5, 13, and 17 of section B of the questionnaire will be used to decide on the level of relationship between NAMIS and management of Islamic schools. Table 10: Frequency distributions table of response on full implementation of NAMIS regulative guidelines in Islamic school. |OPINION |FREQUENCY |PERCENTAGE (%) | |Agree |72 |90 | |Disagree |8 |10 | |Total |80 |100 | Table 11: Frequency distribution table of response on adequate funding of Islamic schools by the management to ensure better performance of pupils. |OPINION |FREQUENCY |PERCENTAGE (%) | |Agree |75 |93. 75 | |Disagree |5 |6. 5 | |Total |80 |100 | Table 12: Frequency distribution table of response on membership of NAMIS by Islamic schools. |OPINION |FREQUENCY |PERCENTAGE (%) | |Agree |77 |96. 25 | |Disagree |3 |3. 5 | |Total |80 |100 | The tables in this section illustrate the relationship between management of Islamic schools and NAMIS. Greater number of respondents agreed that these schools are executing NAMIS regulative guidelines fully. Also, majority agrees that there is adequate financial commitment on these schools by their managements to enhance pupils’ performance. A lot of existing Muslim schools are members of NAMIS. . 2. 4ROLES OF NAMIS TO EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT Respondents examined the specific roles of National Association of Model Islamic schools (NAMIS) in their answers to questions 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12. Table 13: Frequency Distribution table of response on NAMIS increasing the religious awareness of pupils and personnel of Islamic schools. |OPINION |FREQUENCY |PERCENTAGE | |Agree |77 |96. 5 | |Disagree | 3 | 3. 75 | |Total |80 |100 | Table 14: Frequency Distribution table of response on contribution of NAMIS to the elevation of educational standards of Islamic schools. OPINION |FREQUENCY |PERCENTAGE | |Agree |76 |95 | |Disagree | 4 | 5 | |Total |80 |100 | Table 15: Frequency Distribution table of response on relevancy of NAMIS organised events to the upliftment of academic standard and socio-cultural understanding of pupils. OPINION |FREQUENCY |PERCENTAGE | |Agree |76 |95 | |Disagree |4 |5 | |Total |80 |100 | Table 16: Frequency Distribution table of response on effective coordination of religious activities of Muslim schools by NAMIS. OPINION |FREQUENCY |PERCENTAGE | |Agree |74 |92. 5 | |Disagree |6 |7. 5 | |Total |80 |100 | Table 17: Frequency Distribution table of response on enhancement of performance of Islamic schools with NAMIS coordination. OPINION |FREQUENCY |PERCENTAGE | |Agree |69 |86. 25 | |Disagree |11 |13. 75 | |Total |80 |100 | Table18: Frequency Distribution table of response on achievement of required level of academic standard obtainable at non-Islamic schools by Islamic schools. OPINION |FREQUENCY |PERCENTAGE | |Agree |68 |85 | |Disagree |12 |15 | |Total |80 |100 | Tables analysed in this section illustrate the contribution of NAMIS to educational development of the society through its coordination of Islamic schools. Majority of respondents agreed as follow: i) NAMIS increases the religious awareness of the pupils and personnel of Islamic schools. ii) NAMIS contributes to the upliftment of educational standards of its member schools iii) Events organised by NAMIS are relevant to the elevation of academic standard and socio-cultural understanding of pupils. v) NAMIS coordinates religious activities of Muslim schools effectively. This and other activities make performance of these schools enhanced to the extent that academic standard obtainable at non-Islamic schools are now achievable at NAMIS schools. CHAPTER FIVE SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5. 1 SUMMARY This study aimed at investigating the contribution of Nigerian Association of Model Islamic Schools (NAMIS) to the development of education in Egbeda local government area of Oyo state in particular and Nigeria in general. In the course of the study, issues relating to the need for Islamic schools, activities of NAMIS relating to coordination of these schools and upliftment of academic standard and socio-cultural understanding of pupils were examined. The result of the data analysed earlier specifically reveals the following salient points. i) There is need for establishment of more Islamic schools as the existing number now is insufficient to cater for academic and socio-cultural education of Muslim children. ii) While NAMIS is trying a lot to uplift academic standard of Muslim schools, it is still being confronted with funding problem. ii) NAMIS ensures that Islamic schools are adequately funded by their owners and that pupils have sound academic and religious understanding. iv) NAMIS facilitates the achievement of required level of academic standard by Islamic schools obtainable in any good non-Islamic school. 5. 2 CONCLUSION The researcher, basing her opinion on findings in the course of this resea rch, concludes that Nigerian Association of Model Islamic schools (NAMIS) plays crucial roles to the development of education in Egbeda local government area of Oyo State in particular and Nigeria as a country. Development of education involves growth integrated with scientific, political and technological expansion encompassed in the process of teaching and training of children. This is unachievable without contribution of well focused private bodies such as NAMIS. The body immensely contributes to the development of education in the society through the coordination and indirect management of Islamic schools. 5. 3. RECOMMENDATIONS In view of the findings derived from this research work, the under listed recommendations are proffered by the researcher. ) NAMIS should ensure that there is wider publicity and awareness about the association among Muslim schools in each local government and get them involved in the participation of her activities. b) Private schools should be viewed as participating partner in the course of educational development by the government. There should, hence, be a reduction or cancellation of registration and annual renewal fees and other levies collected from them by the government. ) Muslim parents should be informed about the gain and benefit awaiting their children by registering them in Muslim schools whereby Islamic education can be combined with western education. d) There should be call for mutual cooperation among the management, teachers and parents for the progress of our Islamic schools. e) There should be more call and encouragement for the establishment of Muslim schools due to the inadequate number of operating ones now to cater for the large population of Muslim children. ) The researcher finally suggests that related studies should be carried out on a wider population and society. REFERENCES 1. Akanbi, G. O. et al (2005), â€Å"History of Education†, Foundational Courses in Education I. Oyo: B&K Publishers. 2. Alli Faozeyah (2007, January 18th), â€Å"NAMIS at a Glance†. Address of the Oyo State president of NAMIS at the Annual Ileya Children Get-together at BCOS, Ibadan. 3. Boyd, W. and E. J. King (1989), The Hi story of Western Education. London: Black. 4. Ejiogu, A. M. (1988), Landmarks in Educational Development in Nigeria. Lagos: Joja Educational Research and Publishers Ltd. . Emunemu, Benedict O. (2008), â€Å"Private Sector Participation In Education And Skills Development In Nigeria†. Online reference paper on internet. 6. Fafunwa, A. B. (1975), History of Education in Nigeria. London: George Allen and Unwin Ltd. 7. Fafunwa, A. B. (1983), Development of Education in Nigeria, Trends and Issues in Nigerian Education. Ife: University of Ife Press Ltd. 8. Hornby, A. S. (2003), Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary Of Current English. New York: Oxford University Press. 9. IBERR, International Board of Education Research and Resources (2004), Vision For Muslim Schools. Cape Town: IBERR Publishers. 10. IBERR (2004), The Concept of Islamisation. Cape Town: IBERR Publishers. 11. Ibitoye, Q. A. (2008), â€Å"The Status Of Students’ Motivation In Teaching And Learning Of Islamic Studies In Some Selected Secondary Schools: A Case Study Of Ibadan S. E. Local Government†. Unpublished NCE thesis at Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo. 12. Kellerman, D. F. (1980), The Lexicon Webster Dictionary. U. S. A: Delair Pub. Company Inc. 13. NAMIS (2000), â€Å"Nigerian Association of Model Islamic Schools (NAMIS) Constitutions†. Ibadan: Peace Compuprint. 14. Ogbuvbu, Enamiroro (2007), â€Å"Education, Poverty And Development In Nigeria: The Way Forward In The 21st Century† in European Journal of Social Sciences. Online reference paper on internet. 15. Raimi S. O, et al (2003), Education, Healthy Living and National Development. Lagos: SIBIS Ventures. 16. Wikipedia (2008), â€Å"Ansar Ud Deen Society of Nigeria†. Online reference paper on internet. Appendix I: Questionnaire ROLES OF NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MODEL ISLAMIC SCHOOLS (NAMIS) IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATION IN OYO STATE: A CASE STUDY OF NAMIS, EGBEDA LOCAL GOVERNMENT CHAPTER. QUESTIONNAIRE Dear Respondent, The questionnaire is designed to identify the roles of NAMIS in the development of education in Oyo state taking Egbeda Local Government as the case study. Please give correct and accurate responses, your responses shall be treated with confidentiality. Briefly state or tick your view where appropriate. Thank you. SECTION A 1. Name of your school (of your child or where you teach or manage): †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. .. .. †¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 2. The local government where the school is located: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. . Your relationship with the school: Teacher Parent (or guardian) Management. SECTION B Instruction : Tick agree (true) or disagree (false) as appropriate to your view. |S/No. |Question |Agree (True) |Disagree (False) | |1. |A lot of Muslims were converted to other religions in the course of acquiring western | | | | |education during the pre-colonial era in missionary schools. | | | |2. Muslim community needs the establishment of Islamic schools. | | | |3. |Are you aware of NAMIS existence? | | | |4. |NAMIS encourages Islamic schools to provide adequate teaching facilities and personnel | | | | |in their schools | | | |5. |My school management implements NAMIS regulative guidelines fully in the school | | | |6. NAMIS increases religious awareness of pupils and personnel of Islamic schools | | | |7. |NAMIS contributes to the elevation of standards of education of Islamic schools | | | |8. |Events organized by NAMIS are very relevant to the upliftment of academic standard and | | | | |socio-cultural understanding of pupils | | | |9. |NAMIS coordinates religious activities of Muslim schools effectively | | | |10. Islamic schools perform better under NAMIS coordination than before the association | | | | |came into existence | | | |11. |NAMIS lays emphasis on teaching of Islamic related subjects only in their member | | | | |schools | | | |12. Islamic schools achieve required level of academic standard obtainable at other | | | | |non-Islamic schools | | | |13. |The management of my school fund it adequately to ensure better performances of pupils | | | |14. |There is enough number of Islamic schools now | | | |15. NAMIS encourages Muslim philanthropies and associations to establish more Islamic | | | | |schools | | | |16. |NAMIS is adequately funded to carry out its required activities | | | |17. |Is your school a member of NAMIS? | | | |18. |All Islamic schools should be members of NAMIS. | | |