Chief information officer Essay Example for Free

Chief information officer Essay Knowledge management at Accenture Richard Ivey School of Business 20090770 †¢2. Accenture A well known global firm that became a public company with a successful initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange in July 2001. Great revenue increment in 2001, 2004(two digit increment) Embarked upon a new strategy †High Performance Delivered† Substantially increase company’s focus on outsourcing Oriented to improving shareholder value for its clients Emphasizing the creation and application of intellectual and technological assets to apply in work with clients organizational structure also evolved 5 operating groups 18 industry groups which made up the five operating groups, eight capability groups †¢3. Knowledge Management In 90s Adopted a knowledge-oriented strategy: build a knowledge management organization under the chief information officer By the mid-1990s, the firm built thousands of knowledge repositories on the Lotus Notes platform: Knowledge Exchange From 2000 to 2002 Responsibility for KM was shifted from CIO to the training and learning organization at Accenture Learning knowledge management were combined into a single new group called capability development in 2001 In 2002, the toughening fiscal conditions, training budgets had been cut substantially for Accenture employees †¢4. Knowledge Management Substantial budget pressures on both the training and knowledge management groups Several of the most senior knowledge managers left Accenture 30% of all the knowledge managers left or were laid off Cost reduction by moving knowledge management functions â€Å"offshore† Capability Development organization had developed a KM staffing model in which decentralized groups would employ a few â€Å" onshore† knowledge managers with high domain expertise and a high need for contact with their internal client; the rest would move offshore Although the learning and KM activities remained largely separate and decentralized within Accenture’s business units, there were some joint initiatives. Developed a personalized learning management system called â€Å"myLearning† As the content of KM proliferate, information finding problems happened Accenture employees dedicated to developing new content often remarked that they found it more and more difficult to get the attention of partners and employees . KNOLEDGE MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY The problems for managing existing KM system The KM system was being replaced or augmented with Web-based portals Most major Accenture groups had their own portals Despite one central â€Å"Accenture Portal† that contained links to many decentralized portals, it could be confusing to find the information one needed Duplication of documents throughout the organization was very high The local optimization done by each local company, didn’t seem to work well It was very important that there be a clear governance structure for the new Knowledge Exchange to improve the consistency of the experience Target for the new KM system Barfield who was in charge of KM strategy, decided to develop a governance structure that incorporated senior representatives from each part of the organization †¢6. The new knowledge exchange Accenture changed the foundation of the Knowledge Exchange, from Lotus Notes to Microsoft’s Sharepoint Design of the new Knowledge Exchange were to leverage existing and packaged software to extend SharePoint only to support critical requirements The solution was designed to be simple, cost efficient and effective without an attempt to recreate all existing Lotus Notes functionality to contain all high-value content Opposed to trying to get everything working from the beginning from an end-user perspective user Internal Content Accenture Portal: Knowledge Resources Search (find.accenture.com) Job Aid / Topic page/ Community of Practice Collaboration: Submit question to experts/CoP’s Direct link via browser favorite Contributions/Accenture developed content Accenture purchased content(Research) Browse to other topic pages/COP myLearning courses method Answer from Accenture experts Accenture Discussions †¢7. The new knowledge exchange(cont’d) The strategy identified key insights that drove the overall design: Search quality is the most important aspect of the infrastructure Topic pages are very important for providing context to users who do not immediately find what they need or who are seeking a broader range of content about a subject While collaboration capabilities are not as widely used, this is a required capability for those who can’t find what they need or are working in an area that requires expertise †¢8. LEARNING AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT Training is an investment, not a cost: Vanthourrnout(later Chief Learning Officer) Training function at Accenture was revitalized Accenture employees were again rating training as one of the areas that most drove their satisfaction on the company’s annual employee satisfaction survey †¢9. STRATEGY SESSION 20 people critical to the delivery of Accenture’s KM capability came together to meet and discuss the future direction of KM There was a general feeling that the new Knowledge Exchange would provide a strong technical foundation for a renewed contribution from KM to Accenture’s corporate goals Knowledge Management Mission Drive value from knowledge to enhance revenue, reduce cost and foster innovation Knowledge Management Vision To create a world class knowledge-sharing culture and environment that contributes to Accenture’s success †¢10. Issues The way in which content was added to the system had to be designed Using SharePoint templates An initial typology for documents had been developed Focused on business processes, so that it was easy for people to find relevant documents Users be represented properly in the management and future development of the Knowledge Exchange KM would support, as completely as possible, the entire business cycle within Accenture from initial sales proposal to final client delivery Document obsolescence How can integrate learning and knowledge management? Too tightly integrating them might focus knowledge management on reuse and training and reduce its impact on innovation and collaboration 11. Knowledge Management Vision(cont’d) Five critical goals for KM Fostering and sustaining a knowledge sharing culture Improving the time to competency for new hires Enabling and enhancing Accenture’s sales capability Ensuring and improving the ROI for KM Improving margins and delivered quality on client engagements such as outsourcing and large consulting commitments through speed to capability, use of best practices, etc. †¢12. Five forces Making the knowledge available to the employees Accenture can make entrance barriers high Can analyze customers based on the customer information in KM system Can acquire the experts’ techniques to customers Can help delivery(finding the information of suppliers can be a help) There are plenty of information of substitution of products/services

Changes to British Identity and Attitude Since the 1950s

Changes to British Identity and Attitude Since the 1950s How has British identity and attitude changed since the 1950s? Introduction Many people find it difficult to cope with changes in people’s attitudes and identity, particularly since the 1950s. They struggle with the direction in which society appears to be going. The expanding nature of contemporary society means that there are more opportunities for people, this coupled with an expansion in skills and a less authoritarian attitude in the workplace gives people greater individual freedom. However, the continuing changes that have taken place in society over the last fifty years requires that people develop a greater adaptability in regards to their personal identities their attitude towards self and society. They need to be ready to move along with the rate of change and this requires a corresponding change in how they understand themselves. Thus, for Giddens (1991), the self is an ongoing project whereby identity is made and remade to meet the conditions of modern life. This paper will look at how British identity and attitude have changed since the 1950s. There will be a brief look at what life was like in nineteen fifties and how identity was understood. This will then be compared to attitudes and identity today to highlight the changes. 1950s Britain Post-war Britain was quite different to today. In the early 1950s there was still a good deal of war damage which led the Government to introduce massive building programmes to ensure adequate housing for the population. Immediately after the war the welfare state was set up. The funding of this was based on the notion that the (predominantly male) workforce would continue to have full employment, which led the Government to claim that it would be able to look after its citizens from the cradle to the grave. They were overly idealistic in their views and in the last fifty years Britain has witnessed massive changes in both welfare and employment work and welfare. Attitudes have changed towards family structures and this, along with other cultural changes, has had corresponding implications for peoples’ identities. In the years following the Second World War people felt that they were secure in their employment. In industry working class men were conditioned to the view that if they worked hard then they would have a job for life, even though they may not have earned a lot of money (Giddens, 2001). This is no longer the case however, and is one of the many reasons that there are now so many women in the workforce (Abbott and Wallace, 1997). In 1950s Britain society was clearly class ridden and people did not often move from one class to another. The class into which a person was born therefore was very often the one in which they stayed and this had implications for their life chances in other areas. People did not have the choices that they have nowadays few women went out to work and it was the father’s responsibility to go out and earn money to support his family (Walby, 1986). In the years since the nineteen fifties the face of Britain has altered. There have been massive changes in employment patterns and this has, in many cases, led to changing roles in society which has had further implications for people’s sense of identity. Post-War immigration along with rapid social and technological change has brought with it n increasing focus on contemporary racialised and ethnicised identities. This mixing of new identities along with older ones, and the introduction of new cultural forms contributes to the sense of uncertainty that many people feel is a feature of modern life (Hall, 1992). British Identity The concept of identity is extremely important in sociological thinking, furthermore, constructions of identity are also closely linked to culture and people’s identities are reflected in the cultures and sub-cultures to which they belong (Willis, 1967).Smith (1991) claims that in Britain in the 1950s there was a fairly homogenous cultural, aristocratic sense of Britishness, which dated back to the sixteenth century. The British nation state, therefore was, essentially, seen as English with elements taken from Wales and Scotland. Langlands (1999) maintains that: As it is true of all national identities, the meanings and saliency attached to Englishness are fluid and have varied considerably; it has at some times drawn upon Celtic sources; and at other times it has been conflated with Britishness (the myth of our island race for instance) (Langlands, 1999:60). The Arts Council was established in 1947. This was an attempt to bring art to as many people as possible. Ballet, Opera and the theatre were publicity and held up as models of British cultural life. During the 1950s collectivist policies were pursued which resulted in cultural stability. Cultural heritage is of great importance. (the National Heritage site tells us) it is also crucial to the construction of identities and to social behaviour (Turnpenny, 2004). These policies which promoted what were seen as ‘high’ culture were stable until the late nineteen sixties and seventies. The growing number of immigrants was changing the way Britain looked and the way it had to find new understandings of itself By the 1970s things had changed and opinions on the far left held all cultural values as a reflection of the interests of white middle class males (Abbott and Wallace, 1997).. In the nineteen eighties the market principles of Margaret Thatcher’s Government meant that art had to justify its continued existence on the basis of its marketability. In 1986 the cultural policy advisors to the Greater London Council wrote: In an age when we know longer expect to find a single all- encompassing truth, the best strategies for survival often involve creating alternative, exclusive realms, which reject dominant modes (Mulgan and Worpole, 1986:32) When New Labour came to power in the 1990s it took over elements of the left and the right in an attempt to promote a more diverse and inclusive view of culture and cultural heritage (Pearce, 2000). Pearce contends that: Cultural heritage is something that can be inherited, which enables the inheritors to enter into their rightful states and be their true selves (Pearce, 2000:59). This cultural heritage consists of artefacts, practices, objects and cultural spaces which people recognise as part of their cultural heritage. Turnpenny (2004) maintains that this heritage relates to all aspects of a nation’s life. Current cultural policy concentrates on buildings or monument, making heritage very tightly defined and denying wider cultural interpretation (Turnpenny, ibid). Social practices which are a source of group identity have been omitted from Government legislation on cultural heritage yet they traditional, and cultural significance and should therefore be considered as part of our cultural heritage (Jones, 1996). Turnpenny (2004) argues that this is oppressive as it does not take into account community values and the communities’ perceptions of their cultural heritage and it thus contributes to social exclusion. Current cultural policy, in its neglect of the intangible, separates fact from value. In doing so it imposes a form of national identity that does not truly reflect the identity of community groups in Britain. Changes in society affect social structures which in turn affect people’s identities in myriad ways. Because identities are no longer fixed, but as Bradley (1996) has argued are fractured, they are a source of continuing uncertainty. This uncertainty leads to further changes in the social structure. Contemporary people’s identities are unsettled because the changes mentioned above tend to cross ethnic boundaries. For example the changing role of women and their greater inclusion in the labour market has affected not only women’s and men’s identities, it has also led to changes in family structures. Changing Attitudes and the Family Over the last fifty years, Britain has witnessed changes in marriage, household, and family forms that would not have been thought possible prior to the Second World War (Giddens, 2001). The rise in the divorce rate and the number of single parent families, has largely been blamed on the 1960s rise of the feminist movement. There has also been a growth in the rate of women who have children but have not married (Social Trends, 2000). Attitudes have changed considerably in this regard and it is rare to hear of the lonely old spinster. People do not think that women who don’t want to marry are in some way strange. Parsons (1955) argued that (what has been called)the traditional family serves two major purposes that are common to societies, the primary socialisation of children into the norms and values of society, and the stabilisation of adult personalities. For Parsons the institution of the family provided the mutual love and support needed by individuals in order for them to be fit enough to take their places in society (Giddens, 2001). In 1997 when Blair’s Government came to power the above ideology of the family that had existed in Britain for almost a century was breaking down and unemployment was continuing to rise. Death, divorce, and the rise in the number of single parent families meant that the traditional ideal of the male breadwinner and the female carer/homemaker were becoming less common (Giddens, 2001). Single mothers (although not a strong favorite) were no longer seen as shamed women, as they might have been in the nineteen fifties. The concerns of the Welfare State were with the traditional, nuclear family where the man was the breadwinner and the woman cared for the home and children. It was not therefore, set up to deal with single parent households. In this way changing family structures result in an increase in other social problems, particularly poverty (Giddens, 2001). Traditional family structures are no longer the norm in the UK and this has led to a change of attitudes towards those w ho do not live in the traditional nuclear family that Parsons described. However, this leads to other social problems because the state system is not equipped to deal with either the increased burden on the benefits system or in making the employment and childcare systems more equitable. Conclusion British identities and attitudes have changed considerably since the 1950s. This is largely as a result of changing employment patterns, cultural policy, mass immigration, and changes in family structures. Human behaviour is based on guidelines that are shared by a group and in order for that group/society to function effectively the guidelines must apply to all its members. Thus culture is learned and shared and without it members of a society would be unable to communicate effectively and chaos would result (Giddens, 2001). This is why attitudes have had to change in Britain and this has had corresponding effects on how people understand both their Britishness and their identities. Bibliography Abbott, P. and Wallace, C. 1997. An Introduction to Sociology: Feminist Perspectives. London, Routledge. Bradley, H. 1997. Fractured Identities: Changing Patterns of Inequality. Cambridge, Polity Press. Cohen, R. 1996 â€Å"The poverty trap† Community Care; 1 Aug 96, p.26-7 Crowe, G. and Hardey,M.1992. â€Å"Diversity and ambiguity among lone-parent households in modern Britain†. In Marsh, C. and Arber, S. (Eds.) 1992. Families and Households: Divisions and Change. London: Macmillan. Giddens, A. 2001. (4th ed). Sociology. Cambridge, Polity Press. Giddens, A. 1991 Modernity and Self Identity Cambridge, Polity Press Hall, S. and Gleben, B. eds. (1992) Formations of Modernity. Cambridge, Polity Press in association with the Open University Press. Pearce, S. M. 2000 ‘The Making of Cultural Heritage’, In Values and Heritage Conservation, edited by E. Avrami, R. Mason and M. de la Torre. Los Angeles: Getty Conservation Institute (2000) 59–64. Parsons, T. and Bales, R. 1955. Family, Socialisation, and Interaction Process. Glencoe, Illinois: Free Press Smith, A. 1991 National Identity Harmondsworth, Penguin Social Trends 30 2000. General Household Survey in Giddens, A. 2001. (4th ed). Sociology. Cambridge, Polity Press.p.181 Turnpenny, M 2004 â€Å"Cultural Heritage, an ill defined concept? A call for joined-up policy† International Journal of Heritage Studies 10 (3) July 2004 pp. 295-307 Walby, S. 1986. Patriarchy at Work. Cambridge: Polity.

The Great Wall of China Essay examples -- History Historical China Chi

The Great Wall of China To the northwest and north of Beijing, a huge, serrated wall zigzags it's way to the east and west along the undulating mountains. This is the Great Wall, which is said to be visible from the moon. This massive wall has not only been one of the Ancient Seven Wonders of the World, but it has also been inspiration for many artists, and writers. The building of the Great Wall is one of the biggest tragedies, but through this tragedy arose triumph with the wall, being so much to so many people. The Great Wall of China is much more than a wall, and was built for many reasons that are hidden to most. Construction of the Great Wall started in the 7th century B.C. The wall states that under the Zhou Dynasty in the northern parts of the country each built their own walls for defense purposes. After the state of Qin unified China in 221 B.C., it joined the walls to hold off the invaders from the Xiongnu tribes in the north and extended them to more than 10,000 li or 5,000 kilometers. This is the origin of the name of the "10,000-li Great Wall". (Karls, Robert 10,000-li Great Wall) To understand everything about the Great Wall it is necessary to know the many components of the wall, and their purposes. The Great Wall was renovated from time to time after the Qin Dynasty. A major renovation started with the founding of the Ming Dynasty in 1368, and took 200 years to complete. The wall we see today is almost exactly the result of this effort. With a total length of over 6,000 kilometers, it extends to the jiayu Pass in Gansu Province in the west and to the mouth of the Yalu River in Liaoning Province in the east. What lies north of Beijing is but a small section of it. (Karls) The Badaling section of the Great Wall snaking along the mountains northwest of Beijing was built at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty in the 14th century. Being 7.8 meters high and 5.8 meters wide at the top on the average, it has battle forts at important points, including the corners. (Karls) Located 10 kilometers south of the Badaling section of the Great Wall and built in an 18.5-kilometre-long valley, the pass has always been an important gateway northwest of Beijing. The name is believed to have its origin in the workers and slaves conscripted to build the Great Wall in ancient times. Cloud Terrace, built in 1345, was originally the base of a pagoda over... ...arwick Press, 1986 4. Kalman, Bobbie. China the Land. New York: Crabtree Publishing Company, 1989 5. Kan, Lao Po. The Ancient Chinese. London: Macdonald Educational   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Holywell House, 1981 6. Nancarrow, Peter. Early China and the Wall. Minneapolis: Lerner   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Publications Company, 1980 7. Overbeck, Cynthia. Thompson, Brenda. The Great Wall Of China.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Company, 1977 8. Toy, Sydney. A History of Fortification. London: William Heinemann,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1955 9. Karls, Robert. 10,000-li Great Wall. New York, Crabtree Publishing Company, 1958 10. Forbes, Geraldine. Asian Studies. New York, Mifflin Company, 1993 11. China, A Country Study. United States Government, Federal Research Division, 1988; 11-15. 12. Twitchett, Denis and Loewe, Michael. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 1. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, England, 1986; 61- 63. 13. Twitchett, Denis. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 3. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, England, 1979; 56-59. 14. Ledoux, Trish. Ancient Civilizations: Sanfrancisco, Mixx publishers, 1984 15. Muyaka, Ho Chin, Huang River: New York, Penguin Publishers, 1994

Subverting the Conventional: Combining Genre in Kellys Donnie Darko Es

Subverting the Conventional: Combining Genre in Kelly's Donnie Darko While planning an evening at the cinema, individuals do not discuss the specific guidelines of genre while deciding the film of choice. A reason for seeing a Western is never because the genre has evolved from primarily racist films involving cowboys and Indians to movies that vindicate Indians and work toward demythologizing the old West. Similarly, broad generalizations of genre are constantly used to categorize film. Courtship-Romance Musicals or Rock Operas are often shuffled into the generic class of Musical, while the 1930’s films of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, examples of Courtship-Romance Musicals, are in contrast to such films as Tommy or Jesus Christ Superstar, models of Rock Operas. Genre is the most important tool in deciding taste in film, yet most people never get past discussing whether to watch a Comedy or Drama. Perhaps this tendency is due to mainstream films, which rarely challenge audiences to make decisions about complex genres, as formula films h ave become an accepted form of entertainment. Cinema must look to Independent film then to help create new forms, specifically in genre. Donnie Darko, an Independent film directed by Richard Kelly, successfully poses questions about hybrid films and complex genres. Donnie Darko transcends the typical conventions of genre to redefine cinema and set a new precedence for independent filmmakers interested in breaking the rules of tradition. Before exploring the subversion of genre in Donnie Darko, a look at genre theories is necessary. The regulations of genre have changed throughout the history of film and theorists constantly have differing ideas about the new contortions genre for... ...lins, Jim. â€Å"Television and Postmodernism†. Channels of Discourse, Reassembled. The University of North Carolina Press: Chapel Hill, 1992. Internet Movie Database. www.imdb.com. 1993. Kelly, Richard. Donnie Darko. Darko Productions, Inc, June 8, 2000. Klages, Mary. â€Å"Postmodernism†. http://www.colorado.edu/English/ENGL2012Klages/pomo.html). April 21, 2003. Lopez, Daniel. Films by Genre. McFarland & Company, Inc.: Jefferson, NC, 1993. Schatz, Thomas. â€Å"Film Genre and the Genre Film.† Film Theory and Criticism: Introductory Readings. Oxford University Press: New York, 1998. Schiff, Stephen. â€Å"Introduction: The Repeatable Experience.† They Went Thataway: Redefining Film Genres. Mercury House: San Francisco, 1994. Vogler, Christopher. The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Storytellers and Screenwriters. London: Boxtree, 1996.

Cosmology :: Essays Papers

No one knows how the universe began but there are many theory’s, and ideas man has created to explain how we got here and how everything else around us came to be. There are many different cosmologies. Cosmologies are theories of how the universe began. Physical, biblical, and mythical are theory’s based on personal beliefs. Some people don’t give the universe a second thought and like to stick to what they were first told. Others such as philosophers tend to explore all options and all aspects of how we came to. How did we become, how do we become, and what will we become are great questions. An even greater question is how everything we know did and even things we don’t know become? We probably in this lifetime will never know entirely, but if we do soon, that will be an even greater step for man than walking on the moon. Physical theories such as the big bang are based upon the universes finger prints. Radio active fingerprints that is. We can trace back a single pebble to at least 13.73 Billion years ago. The big bang theories are based off some theories you may or may not know like the string theory. The sting theories itself has many different theories based on it and many mathematical equations based on thoughts. Physical theories are well beloved by scientist, and have a lot of circumstantial evidence that back them up. But no one theory is 100% perfect. They all have a flaw in them somewhere. Biblical Theory’s are very unreliable and do not have a lot of evidence to prove them. Genesis 1 states. â€Å"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good and he separate the light from the darkness. God called the light day, and the darkness night. And there was evening, and there was morning.-the first day." Now this is all fine and dandy, but "God" has not told us how he came to be, or how when he said light it was just there cause he said it. Well if there was no light before how did "God" even know about light? Was he just living by himself in the darkness not doing anything so he got bored one day and decided to create life.

High School and Girls Education Unit Essay

1. INTRODUCTION South Africa has a high-cost, low-performance education system that does not compare favorably with education systems in other African countries, or in similar developing economies. There is a multitude of well-publicised problems, including a shortage of teachers, under qualified teachers and poor teacher performance. In the classroom, this results in poor learner standards and results, a lack of classroom discipline and is exacerbated by insufficient resources and inadequate infrastructure. On a government level, difficulties have been caused by a failure of appropriate inspection and monitoring, and confusion caused by changing curricula without proper communication and training. All this has lead to massive demoralisation and disillusionment among teachers and a negative and worsening perception of the teaching profession. Majority of learners in South Africa are bi- or multi-lingual, and attends school in a language that is not their first language. 2. INEQUALITIES FACING EDUCATION IN SOUTH AFRICA 2.1 Educational inequalities amongst blacks Amongst blacks, educational inequality largely follows the lines of income: more affluent Households are better able to support their children through school, implying increasing stratification within black society. Children from the top two black deciles progress Considerably better through the school system than their poorer counterparts and only at age15 start falling behind whites. Private resources were a major factor determining differential black educational outcomes under apartheid. Pupils in Better-off Black households do better in their education, and we find no parallel for Whites. That the education of Blacks but not Whites is constrained by financial resources is further supported by the fact that many Blacks who are not in school (but not Whites). Furthermore, greater recent access to formerly white schools for more affluent blacks may have accentuated qualitative educational differentials amongst blacks. Data from the 1996 census show mean earnings of full-time employed black workers for whom the educational level of a parent is known, children of the head of household still resident in the household to be substantially higher where the household head has at least matriculated. But is this perhaps solely due to more educated parents having more educated11 children, to differential attainment. In some way the better education of the parent translates into higher earnings for children even Compared to other young workers who also have matriculated, but where the parent had less education. However, it is not clear whether this measures the quality of education, or some other non-observed aspect of human capital transmitted from parents to children. Such premier does decline, though, to about 9% in cases where the children have graduated. 2.2 CHALLENGES FACING FEMALES Over the years girls education has been given a high level of priority at the highest level. It has been boosted by initiatives, such as free education for girls, President’s Empowerment for Girls Education, just to name but a few. However, despite all these incentives, girls education in the country is still faced with a series of challenges. The challenges facing girl’s education include; âž ¢ early marriages âž ¢ teenage pregnancy âž ¢ poverty âž ¢ peer pressure âž ¢ low adult literacy As a result of these factors, it has become very difficult to retain the girl-student in school, especially in the rural areas. Our stand here is that girls must be allowed to finish their education to the highest level, before marrying them off. Parents should be encouraged to desist from such practices as it’s not in the interest of the girl child, female students must also be serious and do away with engaging with men until they complete their schooling. The most common saying among the local people, especially at the provincial areas, is that girl’s education is not important this mentality must be changed and people must understand that education is the key to development. The performance of girls in schools concerning because it is disheartening to know that despite numerous opportunities available to them, the performance of girls in school is not the least impressive. Something urgent must be done sooner rather than later, quality must not be compromised in our education system. The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education had set up girls education unit and introduced lots of initiatives towards addressing these challenges. Principal, among the initiatives, was the Sponsorship Trust Fund for Girls which was launched in 1999, to support the enrolment, retention and performance of girls in Upper Basic and Senior Secondary Schools in the Upper and Central River Regions. 2.3 Quality differentials in education One should not forget, though, that the quality of education still varies considerably. This is again not unique to South Africa. In some Latin American countries, the poor receive an inferior quality of schooling, with the result that individuals from the lower deciles receive a primary education whose quality is 35 percent lower than that. Although the old dividing lines of race have blurred in education, with many black pupils now attending formerly white schools, shows that most black pupils were still in schools which were predominantly black. About 5% of the pupils in mainly white schools were black, whilst in mixed schools 40% were black, but there is great quality diversity in mainly black schools, and as a group most formerly black schools still perform much worse than white schools, as reflected in matric pass rates. Judging by the high matriculation failure rates, lenient promotion policies in black schools may cause educational attainment at levels below matriculation to give an inflated impression of educational standards reached, as reflected in cognitive levels mastered. 3. CHALLENGES FACING PRIMARY SCHOOLS South Africa spends a bigger share of its gross domestic product on education than any other country in Africa. Primary schooling is compulsory for children aged 7 to 15 while an integrated approach to early childhood development aims to give all children between birth and school-going age the best start in life. A No-Fee Schools policy has abolished school fees in the poorest primary schools across the country, helping to attract poor, orphaned, disabled and vulnerable children to school, yet performance levels are lower than in many other countries in the region. High levels of school attendance, gender parity in both primary and secondary education and pro-poor school policies are achievements that contrast with the poor quality of education. Many children experience a broken journey through school, interrupted by irregular attendance, absent teachers, teenage pregnancy and school-related abuse and violence. Most public schools do not have running water; some do not have libraries and computers. There is limited provision for preschool and special education, the Department of Basic Education has devised strategies to improve learner achievements by 2014. One of these is the Annual National Assessment, intended to provide regular and credible data on learner achievement and inform decision making in the education system. The assessment in 2011 involved numeracy and literacy tests among six million foundation phase which is grade 1 to 3 and intermediate phase grades (4 to 6) learners at government schools. The findings revealed that the quality of teaching is poor, leading to low performance. The percentage of learners reaching a ‘partially achieved’ level of performance varied from 30 per cent to 47 per cent, depending on the grade and subject considered. Those attaining the ‘achieved’ level of performance varied from 12 per cent to 31 per cent. UNICEF supports government capacity to improve programme planning and results-based management while implementing innovative interventions to improve the quality of teaching and learning in schools. UNICEF also works to strengthen gender-sensitive life skills-based education for adolescent girls and boys in and out of school, with a focus on the prevention of gender-based violence, HIV and teenage pregnancy. The programme also pays particular attention to early childhood and the development of strategies for children’s equitable participation in quality ECD services. 4. SOCIAL FACTORS AFFECTING EDUCATION The biggest factor is parents, if parent’s place a high value on education and help their children do well and encourage them to push themselves and learn then it does not really matter how wealthy the neighborhood is. A school located in a lower income area will most likely have lower test scores than a school located in upper-middle class area; also our media as a whole in this country is among the factors does not really encourage higher education or even being smart as values. Even in movies where characters go to college, it is portrayed as a place to party, not to learn. Good parenting in early age of any child, like trying to get them early, and recognition of pictures of dogs, cats, pigs or other animals. Books at home are invaluable to further their education, early reading always enhances a child’s ability to grasp opportunities to progressing a fuller understanding of a subject. Parents who include their children in discussions and opinions are fitting them for communication with others at an early stage. 5. ECONOMIC FACTORS AFFECTING EDUCATION Money can be a factor in access to educational opportunities. In a perfect world, the amount of money in your bank account would have nothing to do with the quality of education to which you have access. But of course, this is not a perfect world. Truth is, despite various different initiatives to create more and better educational opportunities for the financially strapped, there remain many economic factors related to education on all levels. 5.1 PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND HOUSING The best public schools are often located in the most expensive districts for homebuyers. When you are a child, you think all schools are the same and where you live has nothing to do with the quality of education you will receive. That is not the case, and it is the reason why many homebuyers and young families in the housing market say their number one priority is finding a home in a good school district. With so many families looking for good public schooling, the best districts are also often the priciest. 6. CONCLUSION Despite the lasting influence of apartheid, educational access is no longer a major problem in South Africa, as more than 90% of children of all race groups remain at school until attaining matric or reaching age 16. The racial gaps in educational attainment (years of education completed) have also been substantially reduced over the past decades. However, there are severe problems with the quality of education of a large part of the South African school system, as reflected in cognitive tests of numeracy and literacy and also shown by matriculation results. The deficient performance of particularly mainly black schools is a source of concern, as this shows that reduced earnings inequality may well be more difficult than rising educational attainment at lower school levels would indicate. Only limited scope remains for additional resource outlays to redress this malfunctioning of the major part of the school system. Moreover, the evidence shows that more resources is not the solution to bad educational performance, as some of the worst performing schools are well-resourced, whilst some schools perform excellently with limited resources. 7. REFERENCE Bellew, R. & King, E.M. promoting girls and women’s education: lessons from the past. Case, Anne & Deaton, Angus. 1999. School inputs and educational outcomes in South Africa. Quarterly Journal of Economics 114(3): 1047-1084 [WEB:] http://www.google.com [WEB:] http://mg.co.za/article/2012-07-29,world bank education; the only way to reverse inequality in SA

Much Ado About Nothing

‘The Jokes which society tells are a significant index of that society's concerns and anxieties'. (M. Mangan, A preface to Shakespeare's comedies, 1996) If this is the case what can we learn from ‘Much Ado About Nothing' about the ‘concerns and anxieties' of the society in which Shakespeare was living? Sir H Walpole once remarked that ‘a comedy should make us think', Shakespeare exploits this function of comedy by utilizing jokes on the themes of cuckoldry, infidelity and honour to permit the audience to think about the ‘concerns and anxieties' associated with these jokes within Shakespeare's society and what can be learnt from these jokes told. The figure of the Cuckold in ‘Much Ado About Nothing', a husband of a woman who commits adultery, is a running joke throughout the play. In the play, the character Benedick, who carries a misogynistic view of women, is the main instigator of these jokes, he says that being a cuckold is what happens when you get married and you would have to ‘hang' his ‘bugle in an invisible baldrick' and he vows never to allow the plucking ‘off' of ‘the bull's horns and' setting ‘them' on his ‘forehead', meaning he does not want to get married. Even though Benedick may be slightly bestial, it is clear there is a fear of getting married in Benedick's opinions. As Michael Mangan2 comments in ‘Huddling jest upon jest', the jokes made in ‘Much Ado About Nothing' about husbands and cuckolds indicate to the audience ‘the underlying anxieties about gender roles' and ‘about women's possible sexual licence' common in Shakespeare's society. The cuckold theme was the subject of many ballads and pamphlets in the Elizabethan Era. An Elizabethan Audience would have been familiar with cuckold jokes and would even probably know the place in London known as ‘Cuckold's Haven'. However, they would also relate to the concerns of infidelity amongst women, especially the men and some would share these misogynistic views and fears of women. These fears were so strong as a result of the male honour and pride which most men had and also the accosted idea of being the natural heirs. A modern-day audience would be able of relate to the ideas of adultery, as often portrayed in Serial Dramas such as ‘Eastenders' or ‘Coronation Street', nevertheless, they would probably not have the same fears as the Elizabethans as more people cohabit rather than marry and are more aware to such problems as adultery and that husbands are involved adultery as much as women. In most of Shakespeare's comedies there is a ‘shrew', an outspoken, independent, strong, female stock character, in ‘The Taming of The Shrew' this is Katerina and in ‘Much Ado About Nothing' there is Beatrice. The strong female character or ‘shrew' is one of the comic conventions that feature in all of Shakespeare's comedies and moreover it, is not unusual that there are jokes aimed towards the stereotype. In the play, the men refer Beatrice as ‘Lady Disdain! ‘ and that she has a ‘shrewd †¦ tongue' being ‘too curst'. It can be acknowledged that as the men make light of Beatrice's outspoken, shrewish behaviour, underneath it, they are intimidated by her intelligence and strength. An Elizabethan Audience would recognise the stock character but also correlate themselves with the anxieties of strong women. The social hierarchy was of common knowledge; where God came first, then the king or monarch who would be appointed by God, the man, the women and then beast. The Elizabethan men were just accepting Queen Elizabeth I, and would find it hard to adjust to women becoming strong and independent, feeling intimidated as a strong female character placed a threat to the social hierarchy. On the contrary, a modern audience would be accustomed to the idea of the strong woman as of the female rights campaigns throughout the Twentieth Century, women now occupy a more central and public role in society. Nevertheless, sexism does still exist in all spheres of society even after women's rights In ‘Much Ado About Nothing', Shakespeare applies sexual innuendos as jokes to comment subtly, on the freedom sexuality in his society and the limits. In the play the sexual innuendos were remarked by women, which would appear strange to an Elizabethan audience. In Act 1 Scene 1 Beatrice remarks whether ‘Signor Mountanto' has ‘returned from the wars' meaning ‘Signor Benedick' and the word ‘Montanto' meaning the thrust of male genitals and the ‘mounting' of a partner. Margaret also uses a sexual innuendo by commenting on ‘the weight of a man' making Hero's heart ‘heavier'. It was common in Shakespeare's comedies to use lower status characters to make such commons as not to offend any of the higher status audience and appeal to the lower status. Furthermore, Shakespeare has not only used these sexual innuendos to entertain the more bawdy members of the audience but also, to convey the concerns and anxieties on sexuality in the Elizabethan era, as even though, illicit sexual behaviour was not heard of in the courts and upper classes of society, it was extremely common among the lower classes and Shakespeare was trying to inconspicuously, portray his concern that the Upper classes ignored such behaviour and places such as brothels. An Elizabethan audience, would be able to relate, however, a modern day audience would be used to sexual innuendos as jokes as modern day morals are less religious and restricted. Love as a disease is another joke used in ‘Much Ado About Nothing', to highlight the concerns and anxieties in Shakespeare's society over love. In Act 3 Scene 2 , after Benedick has apparently fallen in love with Beatrice he claims to have ‘the toothache' and Don Pedro and Claudio tease him suggesting he ‘draws it' or ‘hang it' and in Act 3 scene 4 after Beatrice has supposedly fallen in love with Benedick she claims to be ‘sick' and Margaret and Hero suggest ‘cardus benedictus', a holy thistle and a clever pun on Benedick's name. Shakespeare discreetly portrays how Benedick and Beatrice's alliance with their honour provokes them to fear being reliant in another person and this explains Benedick's fear of marriage. Shakespeare is vividly commenting on the fears of love and its effects in Messina as a microcosm of Elizabethan England. An Elizabethan and a modern day audience could relate to this concern, as there are many pressures and problems that come with falling in love such as suitability, personality, appearance and many more. They could also make a connection to the effects love has on a person where it makes them a victim, oblivious to all things around them, gives them a loss of their sense of reality and a blindness to their lover's faults. In Shakespeare's society fashion was very topical and in ‘Much Ado About Nothing' he addresses this with jokes about fashion. In Act 2 scene 3 Benedick ponders to himself why Claudio is interested in the ‘fashion of a new doublet' remarking that love has changed Claudio and yet, ironically, in Act 3 scene 2 Claudio and Don Pedro teasingly comment that Benedick now has the ‘appearance of fancy in him' and that he ‘rubs himself with civet' a perfume. Furthermore, being interested in fashion was a sign of a loss of dignity and honour and a person without substance, also the theme of fashion exposes the superficiality of the male code of honour. An Elizabethan audience would appreciate the connection between fashion and a loss of dignity, whereas, in a modern day audience's society, appearances are the threading that holds together all impressions of a person and wearing the latest style or fashion has become a great necessity for most people. Subsequently, they would not comprehend the concerns and anxieties over fashion. In the Elizabethan era, the Male Code of Honour was a foundation established and seen of great importance, however, in ‘Much Ado About Nothing' Shakespeare exposes this code of honour, by means of jokes, to depict how shallow it was. In the play Beatrice mocks this code of honour by calling Benedick ‘a stuffed man' and ‘a very valiant trencher man'. She also remarks less humorously, ‘manhood is melted into curtsies' and that ‘men are †¦ turned into tongue and trim ones'. Therefore through Beatrice, Shakespeare discloses the concerns and anxieties of the male code of honour and how it is superficial and lacks substance in the behaviour and speech which is always very fanciful and uses a lot of hyperbole; Shakespeare shows this by having the men speak in verse in iambic pentameter to demonstrate them as one-dimensional. Especially, in the scene after Claudio has seen Hero and is professing to be in love with her. An Elizabethan audience would be able to network with this theme as they would have held this code in high esteem, on the other hand, a modern day audience would not identify with why the male code of honour would be so highly valued and they would be concerned with matters such as money, status, fashion, love and others. In ‘Much Ado About Nothing', Shakespeare discreetly uses the malapropisms of the Police Constable Dogberry as a joke to unmask the concerns and fears over the law in Shakespeare's society. In the play, Dogberry says such things as ‘senseless' instead of sensible, ‘tolerable' instead of intolerable and many more. These malapropisms appeal to the audience showing the humour of Dogberry's behaviour and the stereotypical behaviour the police and authorities in Elizabethan society, who were not taken seriously and often laughed at, which proved to be a major concern in that society. An Elizabethan audience would find the joke humorous but also be aware of the serious undertone, that there is an anxiety over the incompetence of the police force not keeping society safe and secure. A modern day audience would not shoulder the same fears, as the police authorities are respected and feared by law abiding citizens. Out of all the several factions of humour, incongruity of practical jokes are used the most in ‘Much Ado About Nothing' as forms of deception. This conveys the anxieties and concerns that Shakespeare was trying to demonstrate. All of the deception is plotted by men which parallels back to Balthasar's song ‘men were deceivers ever' and deception comes naturally to men. In Kenneth Branagh's adaptation of ‘Much Ado About Nothing' Balthasar's song is implemented with all the men listening to the song and paying particular attention to it, this places the importance on to how relevant the song is to the men of the play. In the famous gulling scenes Don Pedro, Claudio, Leonato, Hero and Ursula try ‘to bring†¦ Benedick and †¦ Beatrice into a mountain of affection' with them fashioning ‘it'. As well, Don John and Claudio try to ‘cross' the ‘marriage' of Claudio and Hero and they ‘misuse the prince, to vex Claudio'. As the deception of these practical jokes may appear comical, they underline the concerns, in Shakespeare's society, of deception, as Shakespeare uses it in all of his comedies; ‘Twelfth Night', ‘The Taming of the Shrew', ‘A Midsummer Night's Dream', ‘As you like it' and ‘Much Ado About Nothing' this illustrates that deception was not only an entertaining comic convention but a serious and sever anxiety within his society because in that period of time there were many who tried to deceive others, however, the deception was well hidden. A modern day and an Elizabethan audience would be able to connect to this as deception was and still is a very common occurrence witnessed by many in societies. In the title of 3Peter Holindale's essay on the subject of comedy remarks that there are ‘serious voices in a Comedic world', this is viewed in Messina and paralleled to Elizabethan England. The jokes crafted and exploited by Shakespeare in ‘Much Ado About Nothing' elaborate and reiterate the anxieties that not only the Elizabethan era faced but every generational society faces and adds to as each day passes and furthermore, make each new generation of audience laugh at these anxieties. Much Ado About Nothing In the book Hero & Claudio love is the main plot. the whle story line is based on Hero and Claudio. When one reads the book it may bring up many questions do they or dont they love each other? There are many situations when in the book when you say â€Å"there is no way they love each other. † For example when Claudio returns from war, and he first laid eyes on Hero he insisted that he was that he was in love with her; because he was with Benedick and he says â€Å"Can the world buy such a jewel? † he then goes on and says † I would scarce trust myself, though i had sworn the contrary, if Hero would be my wife. I think it was abit too fast for Claudio to say or to conclude his already in love with someone he has just seen. To make things worse Claudio allows his very good friend Don Pedro to woo the woman that he insists he loves, Don Pedro tells Claudio † I know we shall have a revelling tonight I will assume thy part in some disguise, and tell fair Hero I am Claudio,† i think if Claudio loved Hero as much as he says then he wouldnt let another man go woo her; he would r he should confidently tell her how he feels. Even after Don Pedro woo's Hero, there is never a point when Hero and Claudio talk or express their feelings for each other . Like Benedick and Beatrice who's love story is the sub-plot of the story. Beatrice and Benedick fight alot but ina way its inderstandable: but after they were ttricked they actually admit their love to each other Benedick tells Beatrice † I do love nothing in the world so well as you† Benedick even allows to kill his own friend just to prove his love for Beatrice he says, † enough, I am engaged, i will challege him, Claudio shall render me a dear account. That to me is true love. I dont see or feel any of this passion with Claudio and Hero. Another point is when Claudio sees Margret in the window with Borachio and thinks its Hero. His reaction at first is justified, but in my opinion he should have taken time to calm down and go confrim the story for himself. It was stupid to trust Don John again: because when Don Pedro was wooing Hero, Don J ohn went to Claudio and told him he heard Don Pedro went to Claudio and told him he heard Don Pedro swear his affection to her. Borachio then adds fuel to the fire by saying â€Å"so so did i too, and he swore he would marry her tonight. † After he hears this immediately gives up on her because he says † farewell therefore, Hero. † And at the wedding his reaction was too exaggerated if he really loved her, he would not have publicy mistreated and embarassed Hero the way he did, and all these actions just proves how much Claudio does not trust Hero. Another strange event is when Hero's name is cleared and Claudio realises that it was his fault that she's dead. At first his reaction is exactly what you would except what you would except; but after he told Leonato to take revenge, Leonato told him he would marry Antonio's daughter and he immediately agree's to marry her. Hero the woman he claims to love just died and it was his fault, and his already agreed to marry another woman. If he truly loved her he would have told Leonato with all due respect i need time to mourn but he didnt he just agreed to it. but at the same time maybe Claudio wanted to punish himself, because Leonato would remained him of what he did to sweet Hero. With all these poits we cant ignore that there were also some signs that indicated that they were in love. Like in the end when Hero is revealed we could tell also Hero's reaction when she started crying it showed that they definetly had feelings for each other. If i was in Hero's position i would definetly not take Claudio back because he humiliated me infront of my family and friends at my wdding and two he has caused my death . So there is a possibility that they loved each other. This could be an I can live with you and can't live without you relationship. Much Ado About Nothing To what extent is ‘Much Ado about Nothing’ a dramatic representation of the comedy of deception? The title of ‘Much Ado about Nothing’ indicates that there is a lot of fuss over topics which have little importance in the play-for example if Claudio wasn’t rash and hot headed then Don johns ill deceived plan would not of worked at all. The use of deception throughout makes the plot so complex.An evident example is when Don John who operates as a plot-device falsely slanders Hero for his own mischievous behaviour, â€Å"the lady is disloyal† (Act 3 Scene 2, 87-88), (he is not one of Shakespeare’s most complex villain which reminds the audience that ‘Much Ado about Nothing’ isn’t supposed to be a tragedy), countered by Friar’s deception who pretends Hero is dead to get back at Claudio for publicly humiliating Hero. Alternatively, the Friar’s plan to pretend that Hero is dead is yet another illusion created to prevent the truth being told.He knows of the ‘strange misprision in the princes’ yet recommends further plotting. Hero becomes a passive character throughout the play as she does little in the play but becomes an interesting character through the other characters deceptions. Hero is supposed to be the main female character in the play though she has the fewest lines, she only reacts to the actions and commands from the other characters, she hardly acts herself.Even when Claudio publicly humiliates Hero at their wedding she doesn’t defend herself at all meaning the audience won’t question Claudio’s accusations and believe him. Even when the accusations against her are cleared and after she’s witnessed Claudio’s reckless behaviour, she accepts him back into her life without asking for an apology. This exposes Hero’s vulnerability to circumstances and the minimum distinguishing characteristics she has. Though deception is known to be bad it is used to bring out positive results in the play of which are actually artificial and easily undone.An example of a positive result is in Beatrice’s and Benedick’s gulling scenes. The deception in these scenes is used in a comic style; manipulating Beatrice and Benedick into falling ‘in love’ with one another. The use of deception in these scenes is needed as it’s the only way to convince the other characters to allow in their lives. In ‘Much Ado about Nothing’, all of the characters seem to be willing to be deceived; for example Claudio doesn’t think to suspect that Don John may be lotting against him; Benedick and Beatrice seem to change their views on love in both of their gulling scenes; Claudio is willing to marry Hero whom he doesn’t appear to know that well to appease Leonato. Deception is so closely linked into the play that it becomes too familiar to the characters of ‘Much Ado about Nothingâ⠂¬â„¢. Shakespeare shows that deception does not have to be evil in ‘Much Ado about Nothing’; he reveals that it can be used for positive and negative results.However, in the play it is difficult for the audience to differentiate between good and bad deception; During the masked ball, Claudio declares his desire to woo Hero but he’s too nervous, Don Pedro woos Hero claiming its for Claudio’s benefit, Don John uses this opportunity to convince Claudio that he’s being deceived, similar to how the audience temporarily believe. The theatre creates illusions for the audience and also for the characters, which become caught up in these illusions of which they help create for each other.The illusion of Hero’s honour is debated in public by Claudio-she is the ‘sign and semblance of her honour’- for Claudio’s appearances are not only deceiving but amount to honour itself. Furthermore, in the masked ball Benedick and Beatrice flirt with one another, pretending not to know who is hiding behind the mask but in fact are aware of each other’s presence. Another example of masking is when after ‘Hero’s death’; Claudio is made to marry Leonato’s niece (who is actually Hero wearing a mask), Claudio must wed blindly. Hero assumes the mask of passive victim, the masking of Hero exposes how marriage has little to do with love.Claudio’s willingness to marry an unknown person relates to his guilt of slandering the innocent, and the fact he was deceived by male passions not by women, he cares more about appeasing Leonato then marrying for love. Shakespeare uses deceit for neither a positive or negative effect, it is a means to an end. In the period of time of which the play is set, ‘nothing’ was a homophone of ‘noting’. There are various examples throughout the play of ‘noting’ type statements, for instance Claudio notes the scandal with his own eyes.The characters see what they want to see and take note. In the play there is ‘much ado about nothing’; lots of things happen and by the end nothing has changed really. Though Benedick and Beatrice declare their love for each other and they get married, perhaps they already loved each other, but just know it now. Deception is not the result for the mishaps in ‘Much Ado about Nothing’, the main plots in the play occur by the characters susceptibility to suggestion. The characters see what they want to see, they’re no more mislead then which they allow themselves to be.