Tata Consultancy Services Research Report

25  November  2012 Sector:  IT  Consulting  &  Software   CMP:  1288   Rating:  BUY   Target  Price:  1500              Stock  Info Investment  Period:  15months   Introduction: Tata  Consultancy  Services  Limited  is  an  Indian   multinational  information  technology  services,  business   solutions  and  outsourcing  Services  Company  founded  by   JRD  Tata  in  the  year  1968  headquartered  in  Mumbai. TCS  is   a  subsidiary  of  the  Tata  Group. It  is  one  of  India's  most   valuable  companies  and  is  the  largest  India? based  IT   services  company  by  2012  revenues. It  has  183  offices   across  43  countries  and  117  delivery  centres  across  21   countries.It  also  has  58  subsidiary  companies. Products  :   TCS  provides  a  wide  range  of  IT  rela ted  products   such  as;  application  development,  BPO  (business  process   outsourcing),  consulting,  enterprise  software,  payment   processing,  software  management  and  education  services. Following  are  the  service  lines  and  their  percentage  to  the   total  TCS  revenue  in  the  Q2  2012? 13:? Application  development  and  maintenance:   ADM  is  a  part  of  IT  that  works  with  the  business  to  develop   new  software,  keep  it  running  and  make  ongoing   improvements.Asset  leverage  solutions:         Assurance  services:   Assurance  services  provide  independent  and  professional   opinions  that  reduce  the  information  risk  (risk  that  comes   from  incorrect  information). Business  intelligence:   BI  is  the  ability  of  an  organization  to  collec t,  maintain,  and   organize  knowledge. This  produces  large  amounts  of   information  that  can  help  develop  new  opportunities. Market  Cap:  2,52,109crs   Equity:  195. 7crs   Face  Value:  1   52  Week  H/L:  1438? 1045 Key  Financials  (in  crores)      Net  Sales   EBIDTA   Margin  %   Net  Profit   EPS   Dividend   FY  11? 12   38,858. 55   33. 87   13366. 33   55. 97   25   FY  10? 11 29,275. 0   29. 47   8700. 44   38. 62   14 Valuation  Summary FY  11? 12   20. 60   8. 5   55. 31   44. 24   0. 72 FY  10? 11   23. 7   10. 4   44. 38   38. 80   na Price  to   Earning   Price  to   Book   RoCE  %   RoNW  %   Beta Absolute  Retune 3months   1year   5. 3% 3years   131. 7% TCS 30. 1% Sensex   3. 70% 17. 90% 7. 70% Share  Holding  Pattern  (%)   Promoter   FII   DII   Retail   74   15   6. 5   4. 5 Promoter  and  Promoter  group:   Tata  Sons  Ltd  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  73. 75%   Others  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  0. 25%   Foreign  Institutional  Investors:   Number  of  FII  Shareholders  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  853   some  of  them  include;   †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Domestic  Institutional  Investors:   Life  Insurance  Corporation  of  India  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ . 10%   Franklin  Templeton  Investment  Funds   –  1. 67%   Others  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  1. 73%   Retail  :   Individuals  with  value  less  than  1lac  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚   3. 5%   Individuals  with  value  more  than  1lac   –  1% Dividend  Policy  (Mar’12):   Indicators   TCS   Wipro   EPS   D/P  Ratio   (%)   D/R  Ratio   (%)   Div  Yield   (%)   Face   Value   Book   value      55. 97   52   48   1. 94   1   19   36. 60   63. 40   1. 64   2 HCL   28. 13   49. 50   50. 50   1. 87   2   95. 25 Business  process  outsourcing:   BPO  is  a  subset  of  outsourcing  that  involves  the  contracting  of   operations  and  responsibilities  of  specific  business  functions   or  process  to  a  third  party  service  provider.Consulting:   IT  consulting  is  a  field  that  focuses  on  advising  businesses  on   how  best  to  use  information  technology  to  meet  their   business  objectives. Engineering  and  Industrial  services:  Ã‚   E deliver  engineering  excellence  and  operational  efficiency,   ensuring  a  competitive  advantage. Enterprise  solutions:   An  enterprise  solution  is  any  business  tool  that  reliably   empowers  you  to  access,  share  and  apply  resources  with  any   of  your  peers  and  customers,  anyw here,  at  any  time.IT  infrastructure  services:   IT  Infrastructure  Services  (IS)  Or  Infrastructure  Management   Services  (IMS)  deliver  end? to? end,  effective  and  reliable   solutions  that  transform  help  to  business  operations. Services   Contribution  to   Quarter  on   overall  revenue   Quarter  (%)   (%)   AMD   43. 1   3. 8   Engg  Srvcs   4. 6   4. 6   IMC   11. 4   12. 5   EAS   14. 9   2. 5   Consulting   3   12   Products   2. 7   0. 8   Testing   7. 7   5. 9   BPO   12. 6   1. 3   IMC  was  the  key  growth  service  line,  expanding  12. 5%  QoQ,   followed  by  Consulting  which  also  grew  12%  QoQ. BPO,  EAS   and  Products  lagged  during  the  last  quarter. Sector  Wise  Performance  (Q2  2012? 3):   Verticals   Contribution  to   Quarter  on   overall  revenue   Quarter  (%)   (%)   BFSI   Mfg   Telecom Healthcare   Retail   Transportation   Energy  Ã‚   Media   Hi? Tech   Others 126. 50   99 42. 8   8. 2   10. 3   5. 2   13. 4   3. 6   3. 6   2. 2   5. 9   4. 9 4. 6   9. 0   5. 1   3. 1   6. 6   2. 2   5. 1   5. 1   3. 3   7. 2 Capital  Structure  (in  crores)    Mar’12   Mar’11      Shareholder’s  funds   Equity   195. 72   195. 72         Preference   100   100   Reserves   24560. 90   19283. 77   Net  worth   24856. 63   19579. 50   Debt  funds   Secured  Ã‚   93. 47   35. 87   Unsecured  Ã‚   2. 76   5. 25   Total  Debt   96. 23   41. 12   Total   24952. 86   19620. 1   Capital   *Preference  Shares  worth  100crs  issued  to  Tata   Sons  Ltd  (the  holding  company)  which  would  be   redeemable  at  par  at  the  end   of  six  years  from  the   date  of  allotment  ie. March  28,  2008,  but  may  be   redeemable  any  time  after  3years  from  the  date  of   allotment  at  the  option  of  shareholder. These  shares   would  carry  a  fixed  cumulative  dividend  of  1%  pa   and  a  variable  non? cumulative  dividend  of  1%  of  the   difference  between  the  rate  of  dividend  declared   during  the  year  on  the  equity  shares  and  average   rate  of  dividend  declared  on  the  equity  shares  for   three  years  preceding  the  issue  of  redeemable   preference  shares. BFSI  grew  4. %  QoQ,  despite  being  affected  by  the  current   environment  and  contributed  87%  to  the  incremental   revenues. While  telecom  too  grew  at  an  impressive  5. 1%   despite   industry  trouble,  the  manufacturing  and  retail   verticals  grew  the  fastest. Geographies  Growth  (Q2  2012? 2013):   Verticals   Contribution  to   QoQ  (%)   overall  revenue   (%)   North  America   52. 8   3. 2   Latin  America   3. 4   7. 7   UK   17. 1   5. 2   Europe   9. 5   3. 5   India   7. 5   10. 5   APAC   7. 6   7. 4   MEA   2. 1   4. 6 *APAC  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Asia  Pacific,  *MEA  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Middle  East  and  Africa   Growth  was  driven  by  emerging  economies. India  (10. 5%)   grew  the  fastest,  followed  by  Latin  America  and  APAC  (7. %   . 4%)  respectively. UK  (5. 2%)  remained  strong,  with   Europe  and  North  America  growing  at  (3. 5%  . 2%). Board  of  Directors   †¢ Executive  Board  Members Weighted  Average  Cost  of  Capital  Ã‚     Rf  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚   Risk  Free  Rate  of  Return  =  8%,  Rm   –  Market  Return  (nifty)  for  1year  =   10. 80%  (moneycontrol. com),  Beta  =   0. 72  (reuters. com)  Tax  Rate  =   2390. 35/13366. 33  (tax  expenses/PBT)   =  17. 88%      We  (proportion  of  equity)  =  E/  (E+D)  =   24856. 60  /  24952. 85  =  0. 9961      Wd  (proportion  of  debt)  =  D/  (E+D)  =   96. 23  /  24952. 85  =  0. 0039      Kd  (cost  of  debt)  =  Interest  paid  /  total   debt  =  16. 0  /  96. 23  =  0. 1704      Tax  Shield  =  0. 1704  (1? 0. 1788)  =  0. 1399      Ke  (cost  of  equity)  =  Rf  +  B(Rm? Rf)  =   0. 80  +  0. 72  (0. 108? 0. 08)  =  0. 10      WACC  =  (We*Ke)  +  (Wd*Kd)  =   (0. 9961*0. 10)  +  (0. 0039*0. 1399)  =   10. 015% N  Chandrasekaran  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  CEO   S  Mahalingam  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  CFO   †¢ Non? Executive  Board  Members Ratan  Tata  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Chairman   S  Ramadorai  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Vice  Chairman   Cyrus  Mistry  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Deputy  Chairman   Suprakash  Mukhopadhyay  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Company  Secretary   Compliance  Officer   R  Sommer,  I  Hussain,  V  Kelkar,  A  Mehta,  V  Thyagarajan,   Laura  Cha,  C  M  Christensen,  P  A  Vandrevala  O  P  Bhatt  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚   DirectorsCompetitors:  Ã‚   Infosys,  Wipro,  HCL,  Mahindra? Satyam,  Tech  Mahindra,   Patni  Computers  etc. Financial  Summary   Profit  : Balance  Sheet:   2011 Revenue  from   operations   Other  Income   Total  Income   Expenses   a. Employee   benefit   expenses   b. Operation   and  other   expenses 2012 2012         195. 72   100   24560. 91   24856. 63      96. 23   118. 10   197. 59   154. 78   566. 70      2847. 18   1598. 56   4389. 74   8835. 48   34258. 81            4012. 16   51. 46   1399. 82   5463. 44   5150. 15   139. 74   4332. 81   2636. 88   17723. 02      538. 24   4. 14   1567. 47   9107. 72   3280. 07   1648. 2   389. 43   16535. 79   34258. 81 2011         195. 72   100   19283. 77   19579. 49      36. 33   69. 32   129. 91   76. 17   311. 73      2153. 38   1584. 27   2413. 94   6151. 59   26042. 81            3363. 78   58. 40   1072. 86   4495. 04   5457. 91   52. 03   2864. 09   2603. 26   15472. 33      337. 58   5. 37   836. 37   4806. 67   3120. 52   1369. 05   94. 92   10570. 48   26042. 81 38858. 54   29275. 41 2685. 18 494. 73 41543. 72   29770. 14 14100. 41   10221. 85 13372. 41   10290. 03 c. Finance  costs   16. 40   d. Depreciation   688. 17   and   Amortisation 20. 01   537. 82 Total  Expenses   28177. 39   21069. 1   Profit  before   Tax   Tax   expenditure:   a. Current  tax   13366. 33   8700. 43 2865. 38 1335. 73   30. 32   (235. 61) b. Deferred  tax   (38. 93)   c. MAT  credit   entitlement   Total   (436. 10) 2390. 35 1130. 44 Profit  after  tax   10975. 98   7569. 99   Earnings  Per   Share   55. 95   38. 61 Liabilities   Shareholders’  Funds   Equity  capital   Preference  capital   Reserves   TOTAL   Non? current  Liabilities  Ã‚   a. Long  Term  Borrowing   b. Deferred  tax  liabilities  (net)   c. Other  long? term  liabilities   d. Long  term  provisions   TOTAL   Current  Liabilities   a. Trade  payables  Ã‚   b. Other  current  liabilities   c. Short? erm  provisions   TOTAL   SOURCES  OF  FUNDS      Assets   Non? current  Assets   a. Fixed  assets   1. Tangible  assets   2. Intangible  asset s   3. Capital  work? in? progress   TOTAL   b. Non? current  Investments   c. Deferred  tax  assets  (net)   d. Long  term  loans   e. Other  non? current  assets   TOTAL   Current  Assets   a. Current  Investments   b. Inventories   c. Unbilled  Revenue   d. Trade  receivables   e. Cash  and  bank  balances   f. Short? term  loan   g. Other  current  assets   TOTAL   APPLICATION  OF  FUNDS Long? Term  Provisions  consist  of  provision  for  employees  include  gratuity  and  other  employee  benefits. Short?Term  Provisions  includes  provision  for  employee  benefits  and  for  proposed  final  dividend  on   equity  shares  . Current  Liabilities  includes  income  received  in  advance,  fair  value  of  foreign  exchange  forwards  and   currency  options  contracts  secured  against  trade  receivables  . Ratio  Analysis  with  Peer  Competition:? FY? 12      27. 52   29. 30   26. 15   55. 31   44. 24   126. 50 In  (%)      Gross  Profit  Margin  Ã‚   Operating  Profit  Margin   Net  Profit  Margin  Ã‚   Return  on  Capital   Employed   Return  on  Net  Worth   Return  on  Total  Assets TCS   Wipro   FY? 11   FY? 12   FY? 11            Profitability  Ratios   28. 2   17. 29   19. 62   29. 96   19. 63   21. 90   25. 44   14. 39   17. 96   44. 38   21. 41   22. 34   38. 80   99. 53   19. 23      20. 41 HCL  Technologies   FY? 12   FY? 11         24. 21   28. 18   25. 66   33. 64   29. 53      19. 13   23. 42   24. 31   21. 20   20. 45 Current  Ratio   Quick  Ratio   Debt? Equity  Ratio   Asset  Turnover  Ratio   Fixed  Assets  Turnover   Ratio   Debtors  Turnover  Ratio 2. 45   2. 43   0. 01   1. 74à ‚   5. 39   5. 59 Solvency  Ratios   2. 41   1. 92   1. 45   2. 40   2. 48   2. 20   0. 01   0. 22   0. 22   Management  Efficiency  Ratios   4. 91   1. 14   3. 45   4. 91   3. 81   3. 45   7. 19   4. 61   4. 87 1. 38   1. 42   0. 11   1. 26   2. 88   4. 88

The Positive and Negative Impacts of Sports Development in Malaysia and How It Boosts the Country’s Tourism Industry

The Positive and Negative Impacts of Sports Development in Malaysia and How It Boosts the Country’s Tourism Industry. Events Tourism is essentially an event that is staged by the destination to appeal and benefit from visitors, domestic and international. The event is the visitor’s primary purpose or motive for visiting, with the destination receiving either positive or negative impacts as a consequence of hosting it (McCartney, 2011). There are no doubt many events in Malaysia that enhance the interest of visitors are mostly done using sports. Hence, there are certain positive impacts of sports development in Malaysia. Despite the many positive impacts there is as a form of tourist attraction, it is disappointing that sports development in Malaysia has not been given much attention to as there are those who say many negatives impacts that may arise. Sport events generates diverse and heterogeneous flows of travelers that may include fans, athletes, coaches, media, team personnel, parents and family members (Gratton, Shibli & Coleman, 2004). The fact that sports events in Malaysia attract tourists is well established. Prominent examples are the Formula One Grand Prix, South East Asian Games, Thomas Cup Badminton Finals and the Commonwealth Games. Malaysia has never hosted the Olympic Games but will someday embrace the day when they do. The founder of the Olympic Games was none other than Pierre de Coubertin. He cited that, â€Å"competition produces harmony between competitors and the organizations or nations they represent’’. It was his believe that sport brings people and nation together. First of all, tourists travel away from home just to search for satisfying leisure activities. Not many might be interested in sports but rather somehow tourists are diverse and may participate in recreational sports event such as mountain climbing or white water rafting. These activities are also sports and they should be developed further despite being a recreational sport. For example, mountain climbing and white water rafting are 2 very famous sports in Australia and if tourists from Australia would come down to our country and wanting to do these activities, they would be disappointed. Although Malaysia has those 2 activities here and there but they are not taken very seriously. Thus, changing the diversity of the tourists where they would be forced to participate in sports that are more familiar in our country. Malaysia hosted the Commonwealth Games in 1998 and that has actually made a huge impact on the country’s tourism industry. How so? This is because there were participations from all the countries around the world to all compete in the Commonwealth Games. In that process, these foreign athletes are indirectly tourists as well. They are brought into our country to try our food, enjoy the weather, and experience the diversity of culture, also at the same time participating in the games. During their stay in our country, they will get to realize how beautiful our country is. In the long run, when the athletes are done with the games, they tend to tell the others from their countries what Malaysia is all about. The power of word of mouth will eventually start attracting more and more tourists to come in and visit. Hence the country’s tourism industry will be boosted and all it takes is by hosting a prominent event such as the Commonwealth Games in Malaysia. Malaysian’s sports developers can continue having international tournament for every possible sporting event there is to continue influencing foreign athletes and thus increasing the amount of tourists to come. However, Malaysian tourism industry must also meet the requirements of the tourists that will plan to visit. Much similar to the previous point, Malaysian sports developers can send local athletes out to foreign countries to also influence and spreading the wonders of our country. Thus, also another way of increasing the amount of tourists that hopefully will visit Malaysia. There is also a downside of sports development in Malaysia. Everybody knows that if the sports developers would to invest their funds wrongly, many things can go wrong. First of all, this would give a bad impression of our sport development among the foreign countries and would result in the decrease in the amount of tourists wanting to visit Malaysia. Next, foreign athletes or coaches will not be interested to come in as well. Even if a large sum of money would be involved, these foreign athletes are better of knowing that staying in a country where the sport development is depriving will just be a waste of their time. However, if the sports developers would want to invest their funds on a certain sport, they would have to try to enhance the athletes to get good performances and directly sending a message to other countries telling them how dominant we are in sports. If those foreign athletes knew how dominant we are in sports, most of them would want to come over to our country to train. Again that would be a golden opportunity for more tourists to come in. Foreign athletes that come over to train usually stay for months. So, they will be familiar with the culture of our country and also spread it among themselves when they get back to their country. Hence, they would want to know more about our country as they have only heard but not experience the lifestyle in Malaysia. However, it is a risk that the Malaysian sports developers have to take as they cannot predict how the Malaysian athletes will perform, but there are measures that can be taken to improve them. Once they are confident that the particular sport can bring glory to the country then they are able to invest their funds into them. By doing so, hopefully more and more foreign countries will recognize the potential in the Malaysian athletes and decides to come in and ‘blend’ with us Malaysians. However, some have that mentality stating it is because of the foreign coaches that are so called ‘betraying’ their country into coaching Malaysian athletes to glory. They need to be reminded that Malaysia will always welcome foreign coaches or athletes to come over and not to bring them in using external factors like money. It is clearly their preference and decision for them to come and visit Malaysia. Finally, it can be drawn from the points above that the Malaysian sport development is able to boosts the country’s tourism industry despite having negative impacts. It is essential to realize that there is a solution for those negative impacts which are yet to come. A study of what motivates tourist behavior must also take into account in relation to a variety of sport tourist profiles. Some chooses challenging sports, other prefers small amateur sporting event. They need to realize that the reason for an amateur event is for tourists to enjoy the leisure not to pressure or interrupt their free time. On the other hand, the focus is on performance in terms of skills when it comes to those who choose the more challenging sport. Nevertheless, the Malaysian sports developers will need to brainstorm on ways to offer different types of sport to associate with the preference of tourists who will be sitting our country. It is concluded that impacts on sports developments can boost the country’s tourism industry in many ways and in our country, they will keep finding alternatives to also improve the sports development to make Malaysia a powerhouse in years to come. From this conclusion, it’s interesting to know what really drives people to be sports tourists and more specifically what drives them to be a spectator of a sport event (Hendrik-Jan Ottevanger, 2007).

Title Critically discuss the ways UNICEF engage media techniques in their communications’ strategy.

Introduction Communication strategies are designed to help governmental and non-governmental organisations communicate effectively to meet core objectives. In the new digital age, communicating through the media has become an effective way of targeting audiences and persuading them to act by either providing support or giving money (Goodman and Hirsch, 2010: 2). The non-governmental organisation (NGO) UNICEF provides an example of how the effective use of persuasive media techniques in a communications strategy can help to generate capital and support. UNICEF uses a number of different techniques, which all help to raise awareness of the objectives that are trying to be achieved (Dijkzeul and Moke, 2005: 673). With particular focus on children, UNICEF is able to communicate with audiences to obtain humanitarian assistance. A higher degree of financial independence is acquired and subsequently used for humanitarian and development activities (Dijkzeul and Moke, 2005: 673). It is unlikely that such assistance would be obtained without the use of various media techniques. This essay will critically discuss the ways UNICEF engage media techniques in their communications’ strategy. Media Techniques and Political Communications The main objective of most media messages is to persuade or encourage the audience to believe or do something (MLP, 2014: 1). In doing so, a number of different techniques are used to grab the audience’s attention and to establish trust and credibility (Erwin, 2014: 104). One technique that is used by the media is the use of direct quotations from identified sources. This makes the reader believe the story being told and is often used as a powerful motivator to encourage the reader to act, for example, by giving money or purchasing something (MLP, 2014: 1). Where direct quotations are used, it is more likely that the message being conveyed will be successful received as the audience will believe what is being said. Such techniques are referred to as the â€Å"language of persuasion† and are essential media literacy skills (Changing Minds, 2013: 1). This was recognised by Lippmann who believed that persuasion had become a â€Å"self-conscious art and a regular organ of popular government (Denton and Kuypers, 2007: 1). Persuasion is thus a way of creating consent from individuals about a particular premise and is capable of modifying political communications in a very influential way. Unless communications are persuasive, it is doubtful that they will be effective since persuasion is the main communication tool that is required by the media. Governments use persuasion as a means of obtaining consent from the messages being conveyed, also known as political communication. Political communication is considered to have the following four elements; 1) short-term orientation; 2) based upon specific objectives; 3) primarily mediated; and 4) audience centred. Political communication is not exclusive to the political world as non-political actors also use this type of communication as a way of communicating messages to the public. This is generally done by organisations that have a political objective such as; non-governmental organisations (NGO’s). An NGO is an organisation that is separate and distinct from governments and profitable businesses. Although NGO’s can be funded by governments and businesses, they are usually set up by ordinary citizens to further an agenda (Welch, 2000: 1). Whilst the agenda’s of many NGO’s will differ, the methods of communication that are used will be similar in that they will all seek to effectively communicate their objectives to the targeted audience. The primary objective of most NGO’s is to ensure that human rights are being fully protected. Although NGO’s from different jurisdictions will not always have the same goals, they will still be structured in a similar manner. This is because NGO’s generally seek to promote human rights worldwide, which requires them to co-operate with governments and the United Nations (Wong, 2012: 37). NGO’s are also important in helping to bring public interest matters before the courts (Wadham, 2001: 1). The ma ss media is a useful tool that allows political communications of NGO’s to be effectuated, yet social, cultural and psychological problems are usually associated with media content and use (Perse, 2001: 1). It was stressed by Young that modern society engulfs its members through the media, education and participation within the marketplace (Young, 1999: 82). The media is capable of articulating beliefs by adopting various ideological approaches. It has been said by Croteau and Hoynes that the media do not promote a singular perception of ideology and instead communicate a number of different ideological perceptions (Croteau and Hoynes, 2012: 154). They noted that social ideologies are more domineering of society than mainstream ideologies because of the fact that people pay as much attention to street scenes, housing and clothing as they do to the commentary when watching international news (Thompson, 1995: 176). Arguably, it is clear from these assertions that the media is e xtremely powerful in influencing the minds of individuals, which is why it is a form of communication that is commonly used by NGO’s to further their agenda’s. The media is capable of shaping an audiences subjectivity through the representation of ideological belief’s. NGO’s thereby benefit from using media techniques to persuade their targeted audience to act in a certain manner. The media is extremely powerful in persuading the attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of society through the use of propaganda. Propaganda is a form of communication that influences an audience to act based on a particular agenda. Propaganda is used as a means of generating emotional responses to messages that are produced to influence societal attitudes towards a particular cause or position. NGO’s often use propaganda to fulfil their objectives and are thus considered effective cultural propaganda disseminators (Cull et al; 2003: 193). NGO’s have been considered politics of the poor on the basis that they represent political ideologies (Karim, 2001: 92). Political ideology is a set of ideas which represent the objectives, expectations and actions of a political party. A broad range of belief systems exist within different political parties and have generally been acquired from doctrines, ideals, myths, principles and social movements. Ideology is a system that is made u p of values and beliefs â€Å"regarding the various institutions and processes of society that is accepted as fact or truth by a group of people† (Sargent, 2008: 2). Political ideology therefore comprises the views of political parties on how the world should be. This allows political parties to allocate social values (Easton, 1971: 129) and determine what is considered an ‘ideal’ world. There are different views and opinions of ideological theory, though ideology is largely driven by competing groups in society who strive for hegemony (Hall, 1997: 13). Hegemony happens when the most dominant in society promotes, through the media and culture, a set of ideals that members of that society must conform to (Allan, 2004: 6). This is beneficial for NGO’s who use the media to establish an ideological perception of the rights in which they are trying to protect. In deciding whether certain behaviours conform to society, the set of ideals that have been created wi thin that society will need to be considered by the media when deciding what messages need to be conveyed. Many believe that this is unfair and problematic as ideology only serves the interests of one segment of society over all other segments (Curra, 2000: 6). This prejudices many parts of society as certain groups may not benefit from the established ideals that are created. As pointed out by Brown et al; ideology may only be beneficial to certain ethnic groups, genders or religions (Brown et al; 2010: 9). This does not provide an accurate reflection of the whole of society and whilst ideals are necessary in helping people to identify what is right and wrong, it seems unacceptable to segregate certain parts of society. This may, however, be necessary when protecting the rights of certain individuals. Political ideologies are subject to further critique on the basis that they do not consider the needs of modern society (Stankiewicz, 2012: 408), yet as pointed out by Selinger; †Å"There is no politics without ideology† (Selinger, 1975: 99). In effect, this appears to demonstrate that all political communications will have some element of ideology as moral judgements will be contained within them. Effectively, the objectives of NGO’s will be based upon ideological beliefs and will mostly have a political objective. An example of this can be seen in relation to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which is an NGO that provides humanitarian and development assistance to mothers and children in underdeveloped countries. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) created UNICEF on the 11th December 1946 to provide food and healthcare to children that had been affected by World War II. Although UNICEF is not operated by the government, it like many other NGO’s largely relies upon governmental support and political communications. NGO’s have, for some time, relied upon the mass media to expose violations of human-rights and encourage governments to put pressure on those found to be abusing them (Thrall et al; 2014: 3). This is intended to discourage human rights abuses from taking place and to help the perpetrators be put to justice. The effectiveness of this is arguable, though it seems as though greater support is being acquired by the likes of UNICEF as a result of this. Since the advancement of modern technology UNICEF is now able to establish new communication strategies for channeling information politics via the internet (Chadwick and Phillip, 2008: 3). It is arguable whether the strategies that are being undertaken by UNICEF are effective in persuading audiences to support their cause, though it seems likely given UNICEF’s use of the med ia. The media is largely proficient in influencing society of certain ideological perceptions through television programmes, newspapers, magazines, films and radio programmes (Long and Wall, 2009; 285). These forms of communication are used in a way that manipulates societal values and beliefs and will continue to influence the ways in which we think about things whether consciously or subconsciously (Kenix, 2010: 1). Not only does the media send out ideological messages to the public but media systems have also been intertwined into society’s ideological framework. This highlights the power of the media in shaping individuals values and beliefs within society. UNICEF’s campaigns are mainly in the form of mass media, radio programmes, posters, street plays and localised outreach (UNICEF, 2014: 1). Because of this, a wider range of support will be acquired. UNICEF is reaching out to a broader audience, which will generate a huge amount of support and funding that would not otherwise be available. Arguably, it is imperative that the media techniques being used in UNICEF’s communications strategy are effective in helping to shape ideological views on the rights of children. UNICEF is an advocate of children’s rights and so it is necessary for UNICEF to communicate how these rights are being violated and what protections need to be in place. This will help UNICEF to gain support and the message UNICEF is trying to put across will be better received by the public. Communications Strategy The communications strategy of UNICEF is vital in strengthening human development and avoiding missed opportunities. An ineffective communications strategy will generally yield poor results and stifle the development of UNICEF (UNDP, 2014: 1). UNICEF’s targeted audience will not receive the message that is being portrayed. This will prevent UNICEF from developing, which will impact its success.. Effective communications are important skills NGO’s need to survive and be successful (KDID, 2013: 28). To make an impact, UNICEF will thus be required to use effective means of communication to ensure that their views and opinions are heard. In doing so, they will most likely face a number of difficult challenges because of the fact that it has become increasingly difficult to deliver to society complex humanitarian crises. It is also difficult to explain to society who is involved in certain humanitarian crisis’ because of how widespread they generally are (ICRC, 2005: 673). A huge amount of NGO’s currently strive for media attention, thereby highlighting the need to have effective communication strategies in place (Thrall et al; 2014: 19). UNICEF must adopt a coherent and credible approach when conveying public communication so that its message can be heard. It has been said that in order to understand political communication, one must understand how consent is created (Denton and Kuypers, 2007: 1). UNICEF will thus be required to communicate messages in a way that allows consent to be obtained, which will need to be included within the communications strategy of UNICEF. A good communications strategy will help to certify good organisational branding and positioning, which will help to attract staff, donors and volunteers (KDID, 2013: 28). Successful branding through media communications will put an NGO in a desirable position within the community, which will help to garner support and belief from the public. This will require NGO’s to be completely transparent so that the messages in which they are trying to put across can be clearly communicated (Thrall et al; 2014: 19). Unless UNICEF adopts a transparent and clear approach, it will be difficult to gain support and belief from the public (Lilleker, 2006: 4). Public support is, however, crucial to the implementation of change (Rabinowitz, 2013: 3). Without public support, it is doubtful that UNICEF would be as successful as they are. It is debatable what the best techniques for gaining public support are, though an effective communications strategy that takes into account UNICEF’s agenda and identifies points that will require persuasive communication will most likely prove successful. It is important that the communications strategy identifies the appro aches and tools that are needed to make a particular event more effective. In developing a communications strategy, it first needs to be established what UNICEF is trying to achieve. Subsequently, it will then need to be considered what communications objectives will most likely support the objectives of the project (McManus, 1994: 58). The communications objectives of UNICEF will be those that are capable of being reached through various means of communications. Such objectives will also need a target audience. This will require UNICEF to consider who they are trying to reach. In reaching out to the target audience, UNICEF will need to develop appropriate messages which highlight the relevant issues; the actions that needs to be taken by the target audience; and the benefits of such action (KDID, 2013: 28). Once this has been done, UNICEF will then have to consider how these messages will be delivered. Different methods of communication will be considered depending upon the type of event that is being promoted such as; media conferences, social media, interviews, marketing, advertisements and news stories. Given that UNICEF targets underdeveloped countries, it is likely that difficulties will be faced when considering the political objectives of various countries. Political communications are likely to vary from one country to another, which will create a number of problems. An effective communications strategy will seek to address these difficulties, though it will remain arguable whether they will prove sufficient in achieving certain objectives (Thrall et al; 2014: 19). In Africa, for example, the media seems to control those in power by reporting to citizens. Whilst this demands a degree of institutional independence from the political system, it has been said that there is actually a â€Å"clear interdependence between the media and political systems† (Windeck, 2014: 17). Information from political systems is usually exchanged for coverage in the media system and vice versa. The media consequently rely heavily on the supply of information from politics, whilst political bod ies rely on the media to spread their messages and objectives (Windeck, 2014: 17). Political communication is an important tool in the political process, and will continue to influence politics. In effect, the political communications of certain countries will be driven by cultural and political factors, which may be difficult to overcome. Female genital mutilation is one area that UNICEF continues to campaign against, but is faced with many political objections from countries where FGM is prevalent; Asia, the Middle East and some parts of Africa (Gaber, 2007: 219). UNICEF are resultantly required to implement a strategy that is capable of strengthening the political commitment of governments. UNICEF’s Communications Strategy There are three components of communication that are used by UNICEF to garner support and funding. These are; advocacy, social mobilisation and behaviour change communication (UNICEF, 2008: 7). Advocacy is used to inform and motivate leadership so that a supportive environment can be created. This will allow the objectives and development goals of the program to be achieved. Social mobilisation seeks to engage support and participation from various institutions, social and religious groups, and community networks. It is intended that the development objectives of UNICEF will be maintained through the use of social mobilisation and that greater demand will be generated. Behaviour change communication involves face to face discussions with a number of individuals and groups to motivate, inform, plan and problem-solve. It is anticipated that by using this technique, the objectives of UNICEF can be met (UNICEF, 2008: 7). Various conceptual models are used by UNICEF to implement communica tion including ACADA, P-Process and COMBI. The ACADA (Assessment, Communication Analysis, Design, Action) model is frequently used by UNICEF to use systematically-gathered data to link communications strategies to development problems. The P-Process model, developed by The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health/Center for Communication Programs (CCP), is used for the strategic planning of evidence based communication programmes and contains the following five steps; 1) analysis, 2) strategic design, 3) development and testing, 4) implementation and monitoring, and 5) evaluation and re-planning (UNICEF, 2008: 7). The COMBI model uses a ten step process for communication planning, which are; 1) overall goal, 2) behavioural results/objectives, 3) situational market analysis, 4) results strategy, 5) plan of action, 6) management structure, 7) monitoring, 8) impact assessment, 9) scheduling, and 10) budget (UNICEF, 2008: 7). All three of these models seek to establish an effective communications strategy by analysing the different approaches that can be taken and considering the necessary steps needed. Analysis is integral to an effective communications strategy as it will enable any underlying issues to be identified and thereby dealt with accordingly. UNICEF undertakes a comprehensive analysis comprising of; the situation, the programme, the participants, the behaviours, and the communication channels (UNICEF, 2008: 7). The situation section describes the issues that are being addressed by UNICEF such as; child poverty, disease, malnutrition and trafficking. This is based upon data that has be en collected from local knowledge, programme documents and research. The data highlights the underlying social and cultural issues by demonstrating what changes need to be made to social structures and practices. The programme section is designed to establish where the objectives of UNICEF can be achieved by communication. The participant section establishes what people are required to achieve UNICEF’s objectives. The behaviour section focuses on setting behavioural objectives and analysing the behaviours or practices that have been selected for change. Finally, the communication channels section considers the available communication channels that are applicable in achieving the objectives. Once the analysis has been completed, UNICEF will have identified the participants, behaviours and channels of communications that are needed to encourage audience participation and accomplish its goals (UNICEF, 2008: 7). In order to ensure that the objectives of UNICEF are being met by changing the attitude and behaviour of individuals, knowledge alone will not be sufficient. Instead, a supportive environment will also need to be established (UNICEF, 2008: 37). Therefore, whilst the communications strategy of UNICEF will need to instil knowledge into the community so that support can be acquired, a supportive environment will also need to be created. This will involve creating policies that improve access to services and by using leaders that help to promote social and behaviour change amongst various members of society. Resources will also need to be allocated for the programme activities that are to be carried out and positive change will be effectuated by using a combination of communication techniques. UNICEF believes that communication goes way beyond providing information to the targeted audience and instead argue that communication is vital for development (Dijkzeul and Moke, 2005: 673). UNICE F has therefore set up a development programme, also known as C4D, which aims to engage communities through understanding people’s beliefs, values and social and cultural norms (Lenni and Tacchi, 2013: 16). This is achieved from listening to adults and children, identifying issues and working out solutions. This is considered a two way process that allows individuals to share knowledge and ideas through the use of various communication techniques that empower communities to take action in improving the lives of children (Lenni and Tacchi, 2013: 16). Advocacy is one technique UNICEF engages in its communications strategy, which is the â€Å"act of supporting a cause to produce a desired change† (Save the Children, 2014: 1). Advocacy is capable of influencing governments to effect change by communicating with the media, elected officials and influential leaders. Advocacy is able to encourage leaders to implement various changes such as; legal reform, policy decisions, addressing social and political barriers, and altering funding priorities. Advocacy efforts being used by UNICEF occur at global, national and sub-level and seek to influence the decisions of policy makers as well as political and social leaders. This is done through the creation of an enabling policy and legislative environment and by allocating resources appropriately to create and sustain social transformation (UNICEF, 2011: 1). For example, in 2010 when polio resurfaced in the Democratic Republic of Congo, there existed a lack of awareness of the disease and how it could be prevented. Influential leaders, such as Marco Kiabuta, did not believe that the vaccination of polio was necessary. After a number of debates with community mobilisers and leaders Kiabuta came to realise just how vital a vaccination was. This example demonstrates how effective communication techniques ca n make a huge difference in implementing change and possibly saving lives (UNICEF, 2011: 1). Advocacy is used by UNICEF to target political, business and social leaders at national and local levels. It is not used simply to create mass awareness but is also used as a means of generating change and leading to a specific action that is to be taken (UNICEF, 2010: 20). UNICEF uses advocacy to inform and motivate appropriate leaders to create a supportive environment by changing polices, speaking out on critical issues, allocating resources and initiating public discussion. Communication is a powerful tool, which is why it is important for various media techniques to be adopted by NGO’s such as UNICEF. Social mobilisation is another method of communication that is used by UNICEF to enlist participants, community networks, and religious groups to strengthen participation in various activities. This helps to engage and motivate partners and allies to raise awareness of UNICEFâ€℠¢s development objectives through face-to-face dialogue. Partners and allies subsequently work together to target audiences and convey certain messages. Social mobilisation is used as a way to facilitate change through a range of players that are engaged in interrelated and complementary efforts (UNICEF, 2012: 1). An example of this can be seen in relation to the training community health workers in Madagascar received from UNICEF. The health workers were trained to provide outreach to families on various issues including, hand washing, vaccinating children, and not defecating in the open (UNICEF, 2012: 1). This is clearly an effective communication technique that is used by UNICEF as it allows certain individuals to be trained up so that they can pass their knowledge onto others. This has a domino like effect and will enable the views of UNICEF to be conveyed to a wider audience than that which would have been possible through advertisements alone. Social mobilisation is therefore an effective way of spreading messages to targeted audiences and helping to achieve the objectives of UNICEF, which is to provide assistance to mothers and children in underdeveloped countries. Behaviour change communication is another method that is used to address knowledge, attitudes and practices that are linked to programme goals. This is done by providing participants with â€Å"relevant information and motivation through well-defined strategies, using an audience-appropriate mix of interpersonal, group and mass media channels and participatory methods† (UNICEF/INDA, 2012, 1). Behaviour change communication strategies focus on the individual to effect change. In order for behavioural changes to happen on a larger scale, social change communication needs to be employed. This technique helps to define and address social influences in life and is currently being employed by UNICEF through the Social Ecological Model framework† (UNICEF/INDA, 2012, 1). The media techni ques that are currently being used by UNICEF do appear effective in helping to persuade audiences to provide support. The more UNICEF does to spread its message, the more successful UNICEF will be in achieving its aims. The Meena Communication Initiative in South Asia gives an example of how mass media and interpersonal communication is used to enhance the self-esteem and self-worth of children by enabling them to become familiar with life skills that are essential empowerment tools. The programme is primarily school based and is centred around a nine-year old girl called Meena who seeks to fight against the stigma that surrounds HIV/AIDS (UNICEF/INDA, 2012, 1). A radio station called ‘Meena Radio’ was launched in 2010 to communicate with children, their parents, educators and community leaders. This provides an effective means of communication and provides a platform for UNICEF’s political beliefs to be heard. It is intended that the radio station’s audience will be persuaded to act so that the voices of children and communities can be heard through the power of communication. This helps to promote child survival, development, protection and participation (UNICEF, 2014: 1 ). It is clear that UNICEF uses a number of different media techniques in its communications strategy to achieve its objectives. Without the use of such techniques, the voices of children and communities would not be heard and UNICEF’s message would not be delivered to its intended audience. It has been said that UNICEF â€Å"raises considerable funds and carries out strong communication on its own through its national committees, press centre and media team† (Dijkzeul and Moke, 2005: 683). This signifies the importance of having an effective communications strategy is in place as it can generate a significant amount of funding that would not otherwise be available. UNICEF also uses high profile figures to be its ambassadors who have been considered a highly effective in persuading society (Stromback, 2011: 42). Conclusion Overall, an effective communication strategy in an important tool for helping governmental and non-governmental organisations communicate effectively to meet core objectives. Given that UNICEF relies on voluntary donations from members of the public, government departments, charitable trusts and event organisers, it is important that they are capable of successfully communicating their objectives. In doing so, they will be required to persuade or encourage their audiences to provide support or funding so that UNICEF’s end goals can be achieved. Given that UNICEF uses a number of different media techniques in its communications strategy, the approach that is currently being undertaken does appear workable. The media is a powerful tool in the art of persuasion, which is what UNICEF needs in order to survive. The use of media techniques will help to raise awareness of UNICEF’s objectives and obtain humanitarian assistance. It is unlikely that such assistance would be obtai ned without the use of various media techniques, which is why UNICEF’s communications strategy does appear largely effective. References Allan, S. (2004), News Culture. Bukingham: Open University Press. Changing Minds. (2013). Persuasive Language, [Online], Available: http://changingminds.org/techniques/language/persuasive/persuasive.htm [07 July 2014]. Chadwick, A. and Phillip, H. (2008). 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(2010) Corporate Communications: Strategic Adaptation for Global Practice, New York: Business & Economics. Hall, S. (1997). Representation Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices. London: Sage. ICRC. (2005). Public Communication Strategies of International Humanitarian Organizations. International Review of the Red Cross, Volume 87, Number 860, 673-691. Karim, L. (2001). Politics of the PoorNGSs and Grass-Roots Political Mobilization in Bangladesh. Political and Legal Anthropology Review, Volume 24, Issue 1, 92-93. KDID. (2013). Develop a Communications Strategy for Your NGO, Communications and Media Relations, Civic Activits Toolkit, [Online] Available: http://kdid.org/sites/kdid/files/28.%20Develop%20a%20Communications%20Strategy%20for%20Your%20NGO.pdf [08 July 2014]. Lennie, J. and Tacchi, J. (2013) Evaluating Communication for Development: A Framework for Social Change, London: Routledge. Lilleker, D. (2006). Key Concepts in Political Communication. London: Sage Communications. Long, P., and Wall, T. (2009). Media Studies: Texts, Production and Context, London: Longman, 1st Edition. McManus, J. (1994). Market Driven Journalism. London: Sage. MLP. (2014). Language of Persuasion, [Online], Available: http://medialiteracyproject.org/language-persuasion [07 July 2014]. Oxfam. (2004). Towards global equity: Strategic Plan 2001-2004, [Online], Available: [07 July 2014]. Thrall, T. Stecula, D. and Sweet, D. (2014) May We Have Your Attention PleaseHuman-Rights NGO’s and the Problem of Global Communication, International Journal of Press/Politics, Volume 19, No. 1. Rabinowitz, P. (2013) Gaining Public Support for Addressing Community Health and Development Issues, Community Tool Box, [Online] Available: http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/assessment/getting-issues-on-the-public-agenda/gain-public-support/main [14 July 2014]. Sargent, L. T. (2008). Contemporary Political Ideologies: A Comparative Analysis (14th Edition). London: Cengage Learning. Save the Children. (2014). Advocacy Techniques, [Online] Available: http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6152765/ [10 July, 2014]. Thrall, T. Stecula, D. and Sweet, D. (2014). May We Have Your Attention PleaseHuman-Rights NGO’s and the Problem of Global Communications. The International Journal of Press/Politics, Volume 19, Issue 3, 135-159. Selinger, M. (1976). Ideology and Politics. London: George Allen Unwin Ltd. Stankiewickz, W. J. (2012). In Search of a Political Philosophy: Ideologies at the Close of the Twentieth Century. London: Routledge. Stromback, J. (2011). Political Public Relations: Principles and Applications. New York: Taylor & Francis. UNDP., (2014). ‘Developing a Communications Strategy’ [09 July 2014]. Wadham, J. (2001). The Human Rights Act: Sufficient ProtectionNew Law Journal, 151 NLJ 1411, Issue 7001, 109-114. UNICEF Staff. (2010). UNICEF Annual Report 2009 London, UNICEF. UNICEF. (2011). 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Marketing strategies to attract buyers in times of financial crisis Essay

Marketing strategies to attract buyers in times of financial crisis - Essay Example The aim of this paper is to find out how companies in different parts of the world have responded to the global financial crisis in terms of changing their marketing strategies to address the changed needs and preferences of the customers during the financial crisis. Questions that are answered in this paper include; what are the patterns of change in the needs and preferences of the customers during the financial crisis? What are the principles of successful marketing during the times of financial crisis? What should be the companies’ focus during financial crisis to sustain their business and profitability despite the economic pressure? A lot of research has been recently made to study the effects of the recent global financial crisis on the companies as well as the consumers. During any financial crisis, consumers generally become worried about their future psychologically whether or not they have experienced the physical effects of the financial crisis in terms of lack or insufficiency of money themselves. This causes the consumers to become very much concerned about proper use of their money. The preferences of consumers change from luxuries to basic necessities, and they become very critical about the quality of products they purchase. This has many implications on the companies because they need to redesign their marketing strategies to address the changed needs and preferences of the consumers. Findings of this research and the topic of this term paper is of huge significance to the companies that are doing business in the contemporary age when the economy is recovering from the effects of the recent global financial crisis. Also, companies can benefit from these findings in the future during any possible financial crisis. Answers to the aforementioned questions have been found from a review of literature based on the findings of latest researches made to study the effect of the recent global financial crisis on the consumers’ behavior and the market strategies of the companies. 2. Current Research on the Topic 2.1 Effect of Financial Crisis on the Customers’ Behavior and Companies Market Strategies in Romania (Nistorescu and Puiu) conducted a qualitative study to study the way marketing strategies were adapted by the Romanian retailers to the changed buying behavior of the consumers during the global financial crisis. To accomplish this, (Nistorescu and Puiu) collected the empirical data from two companies, namely Carrefour and Real Hypermarket that belong to the Romanian retail sector. The researchers collected the primary data from the information shared on their websites, articles, as well as their annual reports. (Nistorescu and Puiu) observed the implementation of similar changes in the needs and preferences of their consumers during the crisis. Accordingly, both companies adopted similar marketing strategies during the financial crisis e.g. both used loyalty programs and in-store commercial to strengthe n their contact with their respective customers. 2.2 Effect of Financial Crisis on the Customers’ Behavior and Companies Market Strategies in Turkey (Koksal and Ozguk) conducted a quantitative research to examine the effect of financial crisis

Project management for business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

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Principles of Criminal Investigation Term Paper

Principles of Criminal Investigation - Term Paper Example However, lack of advanced forensic technology in the 1980s can be regarded as one of the reasons it took too long to link someone with the Green River killings. In 1982, authorities found five murdered women in the Green River. One unique thing about the murders is that all the killings had happened through strangling and the murdered women practiced prostitution. The discovery of the bodies alerted the locals on a possibility of having a serial killer targeting prostitutes. The area where the murdered bodies were discovered had Sheriff Officers and everyone had optimism that the murders would be resolved as soon as possible. Contrary to locals’ expectations, more bodies were discovered in and around the Green River. The bodies mostly include those of teenage women found naked and without any possession (Morehead, 2012). The police department remained to collect skeletons of unknown women without any trace of the murderer. Over a period of two years (1982-84), the police department listed 49 murder victims and described them victims of the Green River Killer. This could be later followed by the formation of the Green River Task Force that had the mandate of looking into the increased serial killings. The task force comprised of detectives from police departments across the United States. The task force conducted investigations on the murders and obtained a lot of evidence from hundreds of suspects. Unfortunately, none of the evidence gave any definitive evidence that could link anyone to the serial killing (Morehead, 2012). The continued delays in getting hold of the serial killer added budget constraints on the task force, which led to reduction of personnel within the task force. By 1992, only one detective had remained to deal with the Green River case (Reichert, 2005). According to Reichert (2005), in the 1980s, forensic technology was less advanced, which posed numerous challenges during the collection of evidence. In such cases,

Making lessons accessible for English language learners Essay

Making lessons accessible for English language learners - Essay Example In this case the goals consist of i) helping the non-speaking English students overcome their lack of confidence in giving proper expression to their views in response to a given topic or issue in English language ii) knowing how to begin with critical approach iii) being able to convey their views to others iv) helping them avoid summarization. The whole process of teaching this particular lesson would help in reinforcing their analytical thinking (Schneberger). The modifications I find most essential to be done for specifically the English language learners is in the topic on which they are to write in response. I would like to bank on the visual sense as I believe it is the most effective way of getting a response. Therefore I would present a descriptive picture before my students and ask them to write down a few lines on what they see in the picture. At this point I think it is important for the teacher to explain the meaning and importance of ‘Response Writing’ to the students as they are not so familiar with the English language. They are also to be made aware of the stages of ‘Response Writing’ (Schneberger). I feel that it would be needful to ask the students to share their observation with the rest of the class. They are to be asked to read aloud individually. This would not only help the teacher check upon their reading skill but also whether they have got down the points correctly or not? The teacher should then ask them to note down the similarity in the points between each other (Schneberger). After listening to the students, the teacher is to write the word ‘summary’ on the board (Schneberger) in order to point out specifically the difference between ‘critical response’ and ‘summary’. It is always better to write out than tell while teaching. By writing down the difference and definitions the students get a better understanding of the meanings. The teacher should distinctly point out to the students

Fossils and their interpretations essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Fossils and their interpretations - Essay Example Several paleontologists have managed to collect close to 2000 Eusthenopteron specimens, which have been effective at providing room for the detailed study of this species. Basing on the anatomy, Eusthenopteron shares several unique features that are common with some earliest known tetrapods. The largest individual was capable of growing up to 1.8 meters in length, while is also shares the similar pattern of the skull roofing bones with other forms, such as Ichthyostaga and Acanthostega. Eusthenopteron like any other tetrapodomorph fisheries had internal nostrils, which are only found in the land animals. From this fossil, one can develop a thesis that all creatures developed from a transition of other creatures. The image of this fossil is as shown below; Figure: Eusthenopteron foordi. University Museum of Zoology Cambridge specimen GN. 786. Scale bar is 10 millimeters. Photograph by JAC Pathologists Jennifer A. Clack (2002) believes that Eusthenopteron showed some characteristics of crawling across the dry landscape with the help of its fore fins while moving around. This fossil also shows that it had labyrinthodont teeth, which are characterized by the infolded enamel, which also characterizes the rest of earliest known tetrapods as well. ... The appendicular long bones of this fossil shows that it had some epiphyseal growth plates that were essential at allowing substancial longitudinal growth through the endochondral ossification, as similar to the case of tetrapod long bones. The genus has six appendicular bones that also occur in tetrapods and are thus a synapomorphy of the large clade of sarcopterygians, which is also possibly the subclass Tetrapodomorpha. This genus also lacks some superficial odontodes on its elasmoid scales, which are composed of the dentine and enamel. The lack of such similarities implies that there is a synapornorphy with more crownward tetrapodomorphs. The genus Eusthenopteron also differs from the later Carboniferous tetrapods basing on the apparent absence of some recognized larval stage and the definitive metamorphosis. But on the even smallest known specimens of the Eusthenopteron foordi, when it attains a length of 29mm, the lepidotrichia is able to cover all the fins, which on the contra ry do not happen with after metamorphosis occurs in the genera like Polyodon. This has the implication of stating that Eusthenopteron developed directly, with its hatching already managing to attain the general body of the adult species. This therefore implies that Palaeospondylus gunni might not have been the larva of Eusthenopteron. The author responds to these claims about Eusthenopteron with some sort of analysis. There are emerging issues that now, nearly 20 years of which this subject has undergone a renaissance; there is much enriched fossil record to draw implications from. However, much of this recent work is yet to reflect on the popularity of the accounts on this subject. There is some assumption that Devonian tetrapods and the respective close fish relatives originate

Comparative Economic System Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Comparative Economic System - Term Paper Example On the contrary the government of North Korea in order to improve the economic system plans and develops strategies and even focuses on its major goal of being prosperous and a strong nation. The North Korean government gives more importance to the foreign investment and considers this to be the tool for improving living standard of the region. However the overriding concern of the government is its political control that is likely to inhibit certain fundamental reforms in the present economic system of the region. According to Gregory & Stuart (2013), the economy of South Korea grew enormously and the structure of the economy has even transformed radically since 1962 with the support of First Five Year Plan of Economic Development. The GNP of the region had expanded by 8% annually. In 1962 GNP of South Korea was US$2.3 billion which increased rapidly and in 1982 it became US$204 billion. The economic growth that rapidly increased however slowed down in the year 1989. In comparison to the previous year, the growth rate was decreased to half and even there was an increase in inflation rate which was associated with rapid increase of wages. In the year 1990, the region even had witnessed a trade deficit and the various forms of developments indicated slowing down of an economy that was rapidly maturing. However the domestic demand of South Korea was increasing that clearly stated that the economic system would be healthy until there is no such political crisis that would create an adverse effect on the economy. The growth of industrialization in the country was majorly due to the adoption of a strategy that was more of outward looking in the year 1960. This strategy proved to be very effective as the natural resource endowment was very poor in this region, the domestic market was small and savings rate was also low. There have been great economic reforms in

Storyteller Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Storyteller - Essay Example As the audience comprises of second grade students, both the story: Picking Peas and The Old woman and her pig, were one of the best materials that could be used in order to let the audience learn as well as participate in it. As for the setting, nothing can be better as the place, our own school, was the best setting one could have. It is because it's hard for the students to transfer to a different location plus the fact that the school can decorate the class with the help of the students so as to enhance and to encourage their cooperation in the storytelling. It also gives them a sense of belongingness that the event was theirs alone. - The proper gestures for the storytelling were present in Ms. Jones' act. She had the proper breathing, posture and eye contact enough to enrapture the crowd of second graders and enough to have the students listen and cooperate during the storytelling. Quality of voice: (a) volume, (b) pleasing inflection, (c) sense of excitement, energy - The quality of voice is excellent. There was enough inflection on it and the voice quality is superb. For every scene, there was a different voice projection and it followed that if the scene was sad, the voice was sad too and so on. You can feel the flow of the story just by listening to Ms. Jones' voice. - As stated above, if the voice quality is superb, it follows that the facial expr

Organizational Leadership Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Organizational Leadership Philosophy Essay The ingredients of my leadership philosophy which I believe will be most effective have been summarized into three pages. It is undisputable that vision, values, leadership development, managing change, care for soldiers and their families and a sense of humour are all important elements in a leadership philosophy. It is in this that I have a conviction of the ideology that, a military leader must have a personal philosophy since it will enhance accomplishment of a comprehensive and integrated view of life which is of critical essence. Personal philosophy is therefore of absolute necessity because it gives a foundation to other areas in life. To start with, vision is one of the most important elements to be put under consideration when creating a leadership philosophy. One of this is the fact that, vision ought to be idealistic in order to reflect the mental model of the organization for now and in the future. It must also have the characteristics of appropriateness, purpose, direction and standards of excellence (Wallace, 2008). It must be simple to understand, well articulated and ambitious. The organizational vision which corresponds to commander’s intent can be divided into three concepts. Operation is used to describe the intent of the commander. Purpose is what unifies the operations and involves what the organization is meant to do. Lastly, endstate is the final result that has been achieved. From the above perspective, the vision I have communicated should be understood and shared by everyone in the organization if we are to achieve our objective. We should also apply the concept of vision and revision where our vision acts as a way-point which is subject to adjustment along the way Value is the second element and it entails the morality and virtues which should form the central theme of the human nature. As an organization, the values of the U. S. army are the foundation to provide service to the country. The seven major values which guide this philosophy can be essential in any organization which includes loyalty, duty, respect, selfless-service, honour, integrity, and personal courage. The values are moral guidelines for each soldier to lead us through the intellectual, emotional and philosophical issues that surround our lives and organization. Every leader should therefore adhere to the seven values and ensure that they play the central role in their leadership philosophy. Organizational success depends on the values of the company, its stand and the belief of its people. People who think that we cannot change or train values are wrong and should therefore go for basic training in the US Marine Corps model. In addition, I believe that lack of enough discussion and understanding of values is the major reason for unethical behaviour which the media highlights. It is my duty therefore to establish a formal training program that will enhance values within the army. Caring for one another is the third element of my leadership philosophy just as it is emphasized by the soldiers. This kind of care extends to all other people such as ensuring that soldiers and their families are taken care of. This is in as ensuring that, any mission set forth is successfully accomplished. This may appear as competitive imperatives but both of them must be successfully accomplished by a talented leader. Taking good care of my soldiers will involve ensuring quality life, safety, family support, proper equipment and training, and timely recognition of excellence. This aspect is greatly concurred within the army as the attribute is emphasized in form of an aggressive program which provides for and serves the soldiers welfare as an essential catalyst that ensures unit bonding. The full potential of a soldier is reached when their leaders are caring because modern combat needs love and care of soldiers and soldiering. Leader development is another element made up of three important components which include formal schooling, leader training and empowerment. Among the professional training I intend my soldiers to undergo include the Basic as well as the Advanced Non-commissioned Officer Course, and many other courses that will promote professional development. Although the formal educational courses may collide with training and exercises, subordinates must receive these training to sharpen their specialities. Leader development is a continuous process and I will promote attendance to formal education to supplement our professional development programs (Wallace, 2008). I will also ensure that subordinates are empowered through delegation of duties to encourage the growth of leadership within the organization The next element which is inevitable will be to manage change. Frequent deployment, downsizing, modern technology, and increased personnel and operations tempo will require the army to deal with tremendous change. My mission and purpose for the organization will clearly elaborate the need to manage change because it will be necessary for general improvement. Leveraging diversity is another element of leadership philosophy which is often overlooked by many people. Soldiers from different ethnic, religion, racial experience backgrounds should be treasured since they add value to the organization. The mechanism that I intend to use to ensure that diversity is appreciated includes open-door policy, visibility and small-group sessions in the organization. Moreover, any personnel who do not value diversity will not be tolerated. Lastly, maintaining a sense of humour ought to be preserved since it is an important element for diffusing tension (Wallace, 2008). Humour is important in developing personal rapport and enhancing the cooperation spirit. References Wallace, A. (2008). Organizational leadership: Major Principles for Effective Leadership. A Journal of Human Resource Planning, Vol. 45, p. 23-32

Things Fall Apart Novel Analysis Essay Example for Free

Things Fall Apart Novel Analysis Essay 1. Title: The title of the novel is Things Fall Apart. The title gives foreshadowing details of the book. Things falling apart is a common theme through the entire novel. At the beginning, Okonkwo is the one of the most famous in his village because he threw The Cat in wrestling. Though, at the end Okonkwo commits the worst disgrace possible, he kills himself. The title also describes what happens to the tribes religion. As Western Civilization begins to colonize the African tribes, the Africans culture diminishes. Soon many Africans have left their own religion and gods to become Christians. Many of the Africans lose their own values and begin to value the customs of Western culture. The title is also very simple and mysterious. Other books titles are normally an object or saying from the book, but Things Fall Apart is never talked about or brought up in the novel. The reader is forced to wonder what falls apart or what this title has to do with the book. Things Fall Apart is basically the center of the story. Achebe took the title of his book from The Second Coming (wr. 1919; pub. 1921), by William Butler Yeats (1865-1939; Irish). The poem is very similar to Okonkwos life and it makes sense that Achebe would use the line Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; (Yeat 3). Okonkwo is too high in power and wealth and he cant hold those things forever. He begins to lose everything that he has worked so hard to have. He first loses Ikemefuna and becomes depressed and angry, and then he gets exiled to another village after killing a man on accident. Nwoye leaves him after to become a member of the church and after coming back to Umuofia, he kills a representative for the Missionary and kills himself out of fear. As it says in the poem, Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Okonkwo cant hold forever, so Things Fall Apart. 2. Biographical Sketch: Chinua Achebe or, Albert Chinualumogu Achebe, was born November 16th, 1930 in Ogidi, Nigeria. His father, Isaiah, was a Protestant teacher in a missionary school. Chinua was raised religious which probably gave him the idea of the white men converting the Villages many religions. Achebe attended University in Ibadan to 1953 and received a B.A. in English from the University of London. Originally, Achebe studied Medicine but it became too hard and he switched to English. If Achebe had not switched to majoring in English, we would probably not have his literary works. A friend later convinced him to teach English and the school he taught at was built on land where the locals believed the spirits were unfriendly. This is how Achebe found the idea of the Evil Forest from Things Fall Apart. Things fall apart was published in 1958. The novel was influenced by Achebes early life, including the dilemmas of religion and culture shift in Africa. His first book was an instant success and was even turned into a play. Many authors do not become a successful, famous writer on their first, second or even third book, Achebe did. He married Christie Okoli and had four children together as he continued to write books. Other novels include No Longer at ease (1960), Arrow of God (1966) and Anthills of the Savanna (1987). On Achebes sixtieth birthday, he was in a car accident and his legs are now paralyzed. Achebe is now 79 years old and teaching at Bard College in New York. Chinua Achebe has become one of the most influential writers in Africa. His novels have become accepted in Western Culture without his writing being influenced with the trends of western culture. Achebe will be one of the classic African writers forever. 3. Themes: A major theme in Things Fall Apart is things fall apart. As previously talked apart, one of the major conflicts with Okonkwos life is everything around is falling apart. Okonkwo was clearly cut for great things. He was still young but he had won fame as the greatest wrestler in the nine villages. He was a wealthy farmer and had two barns full of yams, and had just married his third wife.(Achebe 8) This is taken from the first chapter of the book. Okonkwos life could not get any better; he had the successful farm, wives and children but as his years progress, he loses a lot of that wealth. By the last chapter of the novel, Okonkwo has lost his first born son Nwoye, his religion, and his village. Okonkwo has even committed suicide, an act considered to be an abomination in his village; he cannot even be properly buried. The theme of things falling apart reoccurs throughout the entire book. Another theme in Things Fall Apart is the problem of Western colonization. During Okonkwos exile, rumors begin to spread of these white people on iron horses and the destruction they caused in another village. Finally white people come to the other villages to build churches and try to get others to follow their strange religion. Western colonization is has its pros and cons. For example, without colonization, some people wouldnt be able to enjoy the comforts we have today. But Western colonization also destroys ethnic cultures. In the novel, many people begin to follow this taboo religion which divides the village into old and new culture. This division creates a separation between the people and causes a lot of animosity between both sides. Okonkwo loses his son to the Christian religion and he feels like Nwoye is a trader to him and his village. The problem of Western colonization begins in Chapter 15 and continues to the end of the novel. Masculinity is a primary theme for the main character. Okonkwo constantly talks about masculinity and how important it is to be masculine. To him, something is either feminine or masculine, and if it feminine he does not do it. This condescending sexist attitude affects his relationships with people too. He does not like to be associated with anyone slightly considered effeminate. This theme easily translates to our world too. Many men consider things to be too effeminate and will not be involved with these activities. Men are either too proud or not comfortable with themselves to break out of the classic masculine stereotype. Okonkwo has this same problem and he has to be doing masculine things or else he feels like a woman (which is not a bad thing). His masculine character is responsible for many of his actions in the novel. We see this theme reappear constantly throughout the novel. 4. Narrative Style: The book is written in third person. The narrator does not seem fully limited or fully omniscient either. They never explain what is going on inside a characters head but they know things that someone with a limited view would not know. An example of this is in this quote, He woke up once in the middle of the night and his mind went back to the past three days without making him feel uneasy (Achebe 75) The narrator knows what is in Okonkwos mind but doesnt tell the audience what hes words are in his mind. This shows the narrator either is really good at picking up on a peoples emotions and actions (limited) or knows what is in a characters mind but doesnt share it with the reader (omniscient). The narrative style adds to the reading because the constant foreshadowing and unknowing future causes the reader to be enveloped into this foreign world. Each page causes the reader to wonder what else will happen to Okonkwo and what will become of his future? The third person detail makes the reader feel like they are watching the story from above. This Narrative style adds a god-like feel to the book and gives us descriptions to make a movie of the book in our mind. 5. Main Characters: Okonkwo, the central character, tall, bushy eyebrows, lean and walks quietly and has a very quick temper. Okonkwo is in the story because it is his life that falls apart. Nwoye, Okonkwos son who is very similar to Okonkwos father, he likes to play, tell folk stories and be marry. He is the one that causes Okonkwos worrying, Okonkwo is constantly concerned that Nwoye will not be a man like he is. Ikemefuna, a boy from a neighboring village is given to Okonkwo to take care of. Ikemefuna becomes a part of Okonkwos clan; he works hard and shows the qualities of a real man. His masculinity rubs off on Nwoye which causes Okonkwo to become even fonder of him. When Okonkwo takes part in Ikemefunas murder, Nwoyes relationship changes with his father and it causes him to become Christian later on. Ikemefuna is not in the entire novel but he must be considered a main character because his death is the beginning of the downward spiral for Okonkwo. Mr. Brown is one of the first Christian missionaries to come to the Ibo Villages. His is a very nice man, very Christian-like. He helps convert many of the villagers. Nwoye is with him now in the missionary and has left his dad to become part of the Church. Minor Characters: Unoka, Okonkwos Father who is lazy and a debtor. His troubles cause Okonkwo to become so work driven and masculine. Ezinma, Okonkwos daughter, is also the only child of Ekwefi. Okonkwo often wishes Ezinma was a man. Ekwefi, Ezinmas mother is constantly worried about losing her only child because she has had miscarriage many of times. The bond between her and Ezinma is very strong and she treats Ezinma with rare foods like eggs that are meant for special occasions. She is the second wife of Okonkwo. Priestess or Chielo, the Oracle of the Hills and Caves is around a lot but as two different people. During the day she is around the village as Chielo and is one of the normal women. She goes to the market and events in the village but at night she becomes the Oracle of the Hills and Caves and its like she is taken over by another power. She taught Ekwefi a lesson about being too close with her child and she is also a representative for the Gods. Reverend James Smith, very mean and strict replacement for Mr. Brown. He causes much grief throughout the village and causes many problems with the people of Umuofia. Okonkwo kills himself because of Smiths actions. The District Commissioner, he appears at the end of the novel and doesnt really know about the customs of the people. He summarizes the entire novel from a westerners point-of-view. 6. Symbols: 1. Yams- Yams in Things Fall Apart were a very big deal to Okonkwo. The yams symbolized what Okonkwo wanted the most for his family, masculinity. Yams were a job for men only; women could grow other fruits or vegetables but yams were what real men grew because they required hard work. Yam didnt just symbolize a mans masculinity but they also provided food and an income. The Yams were what Okonkwo wanted the most for his family and it was what he grew the most of. 2. Locusts- The locusts in Things Fall Apart symbolized something new coming. In the book, it was said the locusts only visited the Umuofia only once a generation. While the locusts excited everyone, they soon became a pain and brought something else with them, death. Ikemefuna was sacrificed by the Umuofia to get rid of these locusts. Locusts could also represent Western culture because everyone is excited to see white people at first, but soon they become annoying and bring death to others including Okonkwo. 3. Christianity- Christianity represents the truth. Umuofia reacts harshly to the idea of a different religion. Many say that Ignorance is bliss. (Thomas Gray Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College) and the villagers, including Okonkwo, dont want to hear the truth. This can be compared to people today who do not what to hear the truth either. For example, those who belive global warming is not occurring or that President Obama is not a United States Citizen. No matter what era, people are not going to want to hear the truth. 4. Art- Art represents femininity. Okonkwo could not stand any type of art; to him, it is for women. He hates his dad because he was musical; he wishes also his son was more masculine when Nwoye tells folktales or legends. 5. Evil Forest- the Evil Forest represents the superstitions and fears. In the book, many things that people felt were taboo were put into the evil forest out of fear. Achebe chose all of these symbols because they can be related to our own life in western civilization. Each is a symbolic representation of what we go through every day. 7. Setting: There are many different settings in the novel. The main setting is in a village in Africa named Umuofia. The time period was in beginning of the 1900s before western civilization had really explored Africa and other foreign Countries. Umuofia has many huts scattered and farms growing vegetables, like yams. The people of Umuofia are very strong and cultural people. They stayed with the customs their ancestors high regarded like the nobility of taking titles that select few could get or the respect of their gods. When Okonkwo accidentally kills another member of the tribe, he is exiled from Umuofia for 7 years. Okonkwo moves to the village where his mom was raised, Mbanta. After his exile was over, Okonkwo moved back to a very different Umuofia. The missionary had become a big part of the town. They even built a school and hospital. With trade going in and out of Umuofia, the town became bigger and wealthier. A court system also put in place at Umuofia and it is run by the missionaries. The setting of Umuofia changes from the beginning to the end due to the missionaries colonizing. 8. Plot: A. opening incident: The first incident occurs when all the men in Umuofia are called to the marketplace for a meeting. One of the villages killed a mans wife from Umuofia. To prevent war the village provided the man, Udo, with a virgin to take for a wife and also gave a boy named, Ikemefuna. The boy was chose to live with Okonkwo until they found what to do with the boy. B. building incident a: Years after, Ikemefuna has become a part of Okonkwos clan. Hes become best friends with Nwoye, his son, and helps with the crops. Locusts invade the town and the locusts are everywhere. To get rid of these locusts, Ikemefuna must be sacrificed. Okonkwo is warned not to see him sacrificed but he still goes. Once in the forest, one of the men slashes Ikemefuna with a machete and he falls in pain screaming. Okonkwo instinctively slabs Ikemefuna and kills him. building incident b: After being exiled, Okonkwo hears rumors of white men in nearby villages. Soon after, white men are in their town building a church for the people of the village. The men of this strange religion begin to convert people in town with their folktale stories about their religion. Okonkwo finds this religion strange because they only worship one god who has very strange qualities. C. climax: The climax of the story occurs when Okonkwo and a few others are thrown in jail for burning down the Christian church in the village. Okonkwo and his friends are tied up, beaten and made fun of for believing in their gods. After returning to the village, there is a meeting with all of the villages and soon representatives from the Christians come to disperse the crowd. With Okonkwos fierce temper, he loses his control and he kills one of the messengers. During the chaos that followed, Okonkwo slipped away and went home. D. resolution: The District Commissioner goes to Okonkwos home. He finds Okonkwos body hanging from a tree. Okonkwo committed suicide by hanging himself. The District Commissioner decides to put this in his book The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger. Okonkwo has gone from great man to a chapter in a book about Primitive Tribes. 9. Quotations: 1. Okonkwo was clearly cut for great things (Achebe 8) In this quote, the narrator tells the reader that Okonkwo is clearly made to achieve great things in life. This is a quote from the first chapter, where Okonkwo is at his success peak in life. This quote is important in the book because Okonkwo is so proud of these great things hes already accomplished in life that it leads to his downfall. He was made to accomplish more things in his life but his pride in his masculinity causes his doom. 2. But he was always uncomfortable sitting around for days waiting for a feast or getting over it. He would be much happier working on his farm. (Achebe 37) This quote is shows a part of Okonkwos personality. He would rather work than relax so he can accomplish more things. He feels like resting is feminine so he does not feel comfortable being comfortable. 3. I am worried about Nwoye. A bowl of pounded yams can thrown him in a wrestling match. His two younger brothers are more promising. (Achebe 66) Okonkwo is primarily concerned with his boys masculinity. Again we see Okonkwos stereotypical position about men being masculine and females being feminine. Yams are a symbol of masculinity and Okonkwo compares Nwoye to them. He is basically saying that Nwoye is not manly enough. This constant worrying about Nwoye being masculine is what drives Nwoye away from his father and to the Christian religion. 4. A sudden fury rose within him and he felt a strong desire to take up his machete, go to the church and wipeout the entire vile and miscreant gang. (Achebe 152) In the quote, Okonkwo is showing his sudden anger. This rage he has is often what causes him to get in dilemmas constantly. In the end, this sudden rage he has is what causes him to commit suicide at the end of the novel. 5. He had already chosen the title of the book, after much thought: The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger (Achebe 209). The title of the book in quote is what Okonkwos life could be summarized as from a Westerners point of view. As someone reads Things Fall Apart, they become a part of the story but if the reader steps away from the book and looks at this title, it all makes sense. This is the last sentence in the novel which makes it even more fitting because it shows how the colonization in Africa has destroyed the African culture and the foreigners do not really care what they have done. In fact, those who colonized Africa find themselves to be heroes because they saved the Niger villages from Hell and allowed them to go to Heaven. 10. Additional Comments: I found the book to be very interesting because it broke away from the somewhat normal books we read in school. Thing Fall Apart was an actual world literature instead of the books that are set in western civilization. Achebe made this book so we could see the antagonists we have become, as a culture, to those in foreign countries. As Americans, we normally think that were saving these people in other cultures or that were doing more good than harm. But with this novel, it shows that colonizing foreign counties is destroying other cultures rather than helping them. As I read this book, I continued to say, Wow, this book is pretty tribal but its actually quite opposite. The people in Umuofia were less tribal before the westerners came. With the colonization it made many of the villagers do things they would never do; like kill a sacred object or burn a building down because of hate. The ending is also very surprising to me. Seeing how the District Commissioner saw the African tribes, I would have seen the tribes the same way if I saw the story from a missionarys point of view. You dont truly see how another culture is until you see it from their eyes and I think Achebe accomplished that very well. He made it possible for the reader to experience the culture of African tribes in the early 1900s and be able to relate this foreign culture to their daily lives. We can take an example or a theme that the Africans had to deal with and use it in our daily lives. I found the theme of masculinity to be the most relatable for any high school boy. Achebe also showed that no matter the time or place, humans will still have things in common. Even though we are in separate countries, environments and times, we still have the same human elements, like emotions, in common. Works Cited Chinua Achebe: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinua_Achebe#Anthills_and_paralysis Chinua Achebe: http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/achebe.htm Chinua Achebe: http://www.postcolonialweb.org/achebe/achebebio.html Chinua Achebe: http://www.notablebiographies.com/A-An/Achebe-Chinua.html