KIPP National Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

KIPP National - Case Study Example The founders have the drive and passion to give children of lower income families the skills to make it through college. This passion and skill has shown success. From the very beginning the founders worked for months trying to establish the right to operate as a school. This took months of waiting from the district to approve the original proposal made by the founders. Once approval was accepted the founders were able to begin recruiting students and convincing parents that their new school would greatly help their child academically. Over the next months the founders were able to recruit enough students to get the KIPP School started. The founders had many promises to live up to and this helped guide the success as they did not want to let parents and their children down. Having enrollment grow each school year proved that what the founders created a school that was turning out to be successful. Students were excelling at a terrific rate and the option for expansion was taken witho ut hesitation. Scores were improving and the students showed the willingness to want to succeed. The growth to New York showed that KIPP Schools were not holding back and were focused on helping kids who otherwise would not have a chance in a normal school environment. There are many elements in the KIPP operational model that set KIPP apart from other schools. ... Structure and not allowing any slack in commitment makes for KIPP’s successful operational model and sets them apart from the rest. 2) Should the KIPP schools be replicated? Can they be? What are the major challenges KIPP will face as it expands? The KIPP schools are mainly successful because of the hard work and determination put forth by the two original founders. The two original founders make sure that teachers, parents and students are focusing and functioning how they originally promised. Replicating this type of structure and discipline would be hard to replicate. The schools would be hard to replicate because the two founders would need to make sure they have teachers that are willing to give their all like the founders have. Many examples throughout the case refer to why it was important for the founders to lead the schools in the direction they are going in. Expansion can be done but it is likely that expansion will take away from the success that the two original sc hools already have. Expanding is one thing and can be achieved by funding and hard work. Expanding and being successful is another issue. One can expand but what is the point if the expansion is not going to be successful. By reviewing the case it is obvious that success was determined on the founder’s hard work. Two people alone cannot be at several locations at once to make sure teachers are acting how they need to be and students are living up to their agreements. If the founders are out taking on several new ventures the two original schools will lose leadership by the founders and can slowly become unsuccessful unless proper leadership is put in place. It is obvious that

Chabros International Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Chabros International - Essay Example Dubai is on the decline mostly due to tough economic conditions. A closer analysis of the facts provided in the case study would suggest important management and strategic issues which firm needs to focus on. Two of the important management issues are mode of entry as well as the marketing strategy of the firm. When entering into international markets, firms have relatively diversified options to exercise. From exporting to the establishment of a Greenfield projects, firms can choose the right strategy based upon the overall situation and the resources available to the organization. However, in order to expand into any market, it is also critical to highlight and explore language and cultural differences as well as the institutional differences as these factors tend to have significant impact on the way a firm has to develop its marketing as well as HR strategy. The initial strategy adapted by the firm was to enter into joint ventures with the firms which were not located in the region. This therefore created strong cultural and interpersonal issues for partners who were not used to the overall culture and business norms of the region. As such the firm entered into the market without actually making an effort to understand the local dynamics and importance of having local partners. Since firm was entering into different markets for the first time it was therefore important for it to either start through the exporting or founding joint ventures with the local firms. However, the firm, actually opened wholly owned subsidiaries in those regions with 100% ownership therefore the necessary capital was tied up in establishing new facilities. Secondly, the firm focused on one market while continued to expand in other markets despite the fact that major chunk of its sales were coming from one single market i.e. Dubai. Rather than

Sleep Deprivation Effects On Academic Performance

Sleep Deprivation Effects On Academic Performance Sleeping is a necessity for human survival and crucial to our health. Not getting enough sleep can result in hallucinations, irritability, depressive behaviour, diabetes, poor dieting, interference with daily activities, lack of alertness and motivation as well as poor academic performance among students. The majority of the population realizes the importance of a sufficient amount of sleep, yet based on the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) done in 2002, 18% of the population get an average of less than five hours of sleep each night.1 If teenagers are not getting the required 8.5 9 hours per night, they generally make up for it by taking long naps, or sleeping in on weekends. Both of which are counterproductive considering it throws off ones natural body clock.2 Late sleepers tend to interrupt their sleep cycle when they are either in the 3rd or 4th stage of sleeping, which are both considered deep sleep or during the 5th phase, REM (Rapid Eye Movement), leaving them feeling groggy and tired. As a result, teenagers sleep instead of attending class, sleep during lessons, or arent as alert and observant as they could be during school hours. A study was done on 1,000 high school students and 90% reported feeling lethargic from sleep deprivation, with supported evidence that it had affected their school performance.3 A lack of sleep at a young age also increases ones chances of developing a learning disorder. Although there are other factors that influence students performance, sleep is a major one. Background: This report outlines the relationship between sleep deprivation among high school students and their academic performance. Academic performance in a way is immeasurable. It is commonly thought that it is measured based on the students marks in school, however performance is defined as the manner in which something reacts or fulfills its intended 1 Shields, M. (2005, November 16). Study: Insomnia. Statistics Canada. Retrieved May 27, 2010, 2 Why Catching Up on Sleep Doesnt Work. (2007, July 24). Cure:Insomnia . Retrieved May 27, 2010, 3 Taras, H. (n.d.). Poor Sleep, Poor Grades. The National Parenting Center. Retrieved May 27, 2010, purpose.4 Meaning, its the amount of effort one puts into their work in an attempt to succeed. A student can try their hardest to complete an assignment yet they still may not fully achieve the teachers requirements leaving them with an adequate mark. Although that does not normally seem to be the case, it does happen. For the sake of this report however, it is being measured based on marks. The amount of sleep a person has had can evidentially enough, be measured on a timely basis (hourly, etc.). As one sleeps, they go through 5 series of phases which include5: Stage 1: This is the transition between wakefulness and sleep. It is a relatively light sleep stage. The brain produces high amplitudes of theta waves. Eyes tend to move slowly and muscle activity slows down. Many people get muscle contractions during this stage. Light sleep lasts from 5 to 10 minutes. Stage 2: Eye movement stops, brain waves slow down and occasionally produce bursts of sleep spindles (brain activity). Heart rate slows down and body temperature decreases. This phase lasts about 20 minutes. Stage 3: This is the transitional stage between light sleep to deep sleep. Very slow brain waves called delta waves start to produce. Stage 4: This is often known as the Delta Sleep since the brain excessively produces delta waves. There is no eye or muscle movement. It is during this stage that people experience sleep walking, nightmares and bed wetting. This deep sleep usually happens for 30 minutes. Stage 5: This is the most commonly known stage REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. This is when most dreams occur. Breathing becomes more quick, eyes move rapidly, limb muscles are temporarily paralyzed (to prevent ones body from physically acting out their dream), brain waves amplify to the equivalent level that they are at when one is awake, also heart and blood rate increases. It is during this stage that males typically develop an erection and if the person sleeping is woken 4 Performance Define Performance. (n.d.). Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words. Retrieved May 27, 2010, 5 Stages of Sleep. (n.d.). Sleepdex Resources for better sleep. Retrieved May 27, 2010, up, they most likely will be able to remember their dream. REM sleep occurs about 90 minutes after falling asleep. The first cycle of REM sleep lasts a short amount of time, but with each series that occurs, the phase can gradually get longer and longer. However, these sleeping phases do not happen in sequence. We start off in stage 1, move into stage 2, 3 and 4. After stage 4, we go back and stage 3 and 2 are repeated before we enter into stage 5. Once REM sleep is completed, the body goes back to stage 2 and the cycle repeats again up to 4-5 times on average, if one is getting the right amount of sleep. An insufficient amount of sleep, especially at a young age, can manifest into challenging illnesses. As previously stated, sleep deprivation can result in depressive and oppositional behaviour, irritability, poor impulse control and/or over activity all of which are some characteristics of common learning disorders. Research has shown that relationships exist between inadequate sleep among children and developing Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB), Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD), and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). 6 These syndromes can make simple tasks involved with learning, difficult for those who suffer from it. The Learn Disability Association of Canada (LDAC) found that over 80% of people with learning disabilities struggle with reading. 35% of students with learning disabilities end up dropping out of school all together. 7 A study showed that among adults ranging from 20-29 years of age, 28.3% had less than a high school certificate due to learning di sabilities. 8 These factors obviously make it tough for students to achieve exceptional marks and work to the best of their ability, but what may be part of the solution would be setting good sleeping habits throughout their lives. 6 Ivanenko, A. (n.d.). Sleep and Psychiatric Disorders in Children and Adolescents. Google Books. Retrieved May 27, 2010, 7 Gudbranson, C. (2000, June 7). Learning Disabilities Association of Canada Library and Archives. Learning Disabilities Association of Canada Activities. Retrieved May 27, 2010, 8 PACFOLD. (n.d.). Highlights of Putting a Canadian Face. Retrieved May 27, 2010, Methodology: The information collected for this report to substantiate the negative effects sleep deprivation have on students academic performance was gathered from an online survey (which is attached as Appendix A) and was conducted on Wednesday, May 20th, 2010 at Iroquois Ridge High School. Thirty-five students from grades 9 through to Super Seniors took part in the survey. Since the analysis does not involve experimental manipulation, it is considered an observational study. Followed by the initial survey, students that were not getting the recommended amount of sleep each night were asked to do a follow up survey (which is attached as Appendix B) in order to determine the reason why they are not getting enough sleep, and to grasp their awareness on the topic. The data was accumulated by clustered/multistage sampling. The seven participants selected from each grade, all from different cliques, filled out the survey and represented the larger population of Iroquois Ridge High School and out of those, whoever was not getting the right amount of sleep did a second survey. Students were picked from different groups to help prevent bias opinions that can be influenced by friends. Seeing as the thirty-five chosen students do not make up for a significant percentage of the total population, this creates a bias since they are speaking for the entire school. Other components that could have skewed the final results would be response bias. There is the chance that some students may have lied about their average in school due to embarrassment, or even about having a learning disability or bedtime for the same reason. One way that the affects of this inclination could have been decreased would be if a larger population were surveyed, that way the response bias could be outweighed and the overall results would be more reliable. The students average in school, alertness and hours of sleep per night were questioned in order to correlate the effects that sleep has on ones academic performance. To get a good understanding of why the individuals who suffered from sleep deprivation lacked sleep, they were directed to fill out a second, slightly more in depth survey to get a grasp of the students awareness of the importance of sleep, by asking them to identify illnesses that connect with not getting enough sleep each night and for the reasons why they are not getting a sufficient amount of sleep. Results: Thirty-five students attending Iroquois Ridge High School were given a survey in order to answer the question: Does sleep deprivation have an effect on students academic performance? The results showed that sleeping patterns do affect ones performance and that 22 out of 35 students (63%) were not getting the recommended 8-9 hours of sleep per night, as shown in both Figure 1 and Figure 2. Figure 1 is a bar graph that displays the results that were collected when 35 high school students were asked How Many Hours of Sleep Do You Get Each Night? Most students seem to receive 6 to 7 hours of sleep per night. Figure 1 Figure 2 is a pie chart that shows the average hours of sleep students get each night. It represents each total as a percentage of all responses. Merely 37% of students are getting the proper amount of sleep while the other 63% are not. Figure 2 Trying to Catch Up Can Be Too Much As a result of not getting enough sleep, students tend to try and make up for lost time by taking long naps, sleeping in when they should be at school, during class and sleeping in during weekends. However, these methods are detrimental because they mess up with the persons body clock. In some cases, too much sleep can result in a disorder called hypersomnia. Hypersomnia is clinically defined as getting more than 10 hours of sleep per night and feeling daytime drowsiness.9 Surveyors were asked how often they would rate themselves sleeping in during their first period class and ending up late, due to tiredness. The outcome was that 12% of respondents never had this issue, 26% rarely did, 31% would experience it sometimes, 20% had it happen often and 11% of students always have this problem. Figure 3 is a frequency pie chart that shows how often students ranging from grade 9 through to Super Seniors, end up running late to their first period class due to over-sleeping. Figure 3 Participants who were depriving themselves of sleep were further questioned in order to find out why. What were they doing that was keeping them up during the night? The most common factors were having stressful lives, part-time jobs and staying up on the computer/ playing video games. Followed by that was too much homework, hanging out with friends, living in a noisy environment, watching television, participating in sports/exercising, and not 9 Sleep Disorder Types and Symptoms. (n.d.). Sleep-Deprivation.com. Retrieved May 28, 2010, being in a comfortable temperature. Options that were not factors at all included having bad dreams and doing chores. A Norwegian survey done on 25,000 people found that individuals who having problems sleeping are most likely suffering from depression and anxiety. Its All About Routine and Discipline Based on the results of the survey, the vast majority of students are able to sleep whenever they want seeing as they do not have a set bedtime that is enforced by their parents. Figure 4 is the representation of the amount of students that have a set bedtime for every week night that has been imposed by their parents/guardian. It is evident that most high school students do not have such discipline, but a small 17% do. Figure 4 This leads to adolescents having an imbalanced body clock and if such a pattern develops at a younger age, it increases ones chances of developing a disorder, as previously mentioned. Teenagers with bad sleeping habits are 6.5 times likely to have metabolic syndrome than people who follow a good routine.10 Adolescents benefit from having constant sleep times that allow them to have the sufficient quantity of hours that they need. This is significantly affected by having regular bed times and rising times throughout the weekend as well. Just like when they were younger, parents need to get involved with their childrens sleeping schedule. Within this collected data 6 out of the 35 students claim to have bedtimes, all of which got approximately 8 hours of sleep a night with an average mark of 75%. While the rest of the students get about 7 hours of sleep a night with a 66% average in school. 10 Pytel, B. (2007, October 4). Lack of Sleep Can Kill: How Dangerous Is Not Sleeping?. Student Health Issues. Retrieved May 28, 2010, The Relationship between Hours of Sleep and Alertness A study done by the U.S. Army drew the conclusion that the loss of just one and a half hours of sleep can result in a 32% reduction in daytime alertness. 11 A similar outcome appeared in the analyzed data of the students attending Iroquois Ridge High School. Figure 5 (below) is a scatter plot that shows correlation between the students alertness from the time they wake up until lunch, based on the average amount of sleep they get each night. Each student was asked to rate their alertness on a scale of 1-5; 1 being not alert at all and 5 being extremely alert. This data was then correlated with the hours of sleep the students get each night, for a correlation of approximately 55.8%. Figure 5 The outcome of this examination had a strong correlation between alertness in the morning and the average hours slept at night. This means that the fewer hours of sleep someone gets, the less alert they will be and visa versa. The reason for this would be that the body was not able to completely rest and regenerate itself as it should, so upon trying to function normally the following morning, it will not be able to perform to the best of the persons ability. The correlation between these two variables was 0.56, proving that getting the right amount of sleep does greatly affect attentiveness. The Relationship between Hours of Sleep and Academic Performance/Grades Jennifer Peszka, a psychologist, conducted a survey on freshman at Hendrix College in order to distinguish students as either owls (later nighters), or larks ( moderately early birds). 11 Sleep Debt | Sleep Deprivation. (2010, May 8). Google. Retrieved May 28, 2010, From there she looked at how that associated with the students Grade Point Average (GPA). Sure enough, the owls averaged at 2.84 while the larks earned 3.18.12 The results of the survey done for students at Iroquois Ridge High School ended up with a very similar outcome. Figure 6 (below) is a scatter plot that shows correlation between the students average in school and the average amount of sleep they get each night. Each student was asked to identify their average in school based on the intervals of 10 from 0% 100%. This data was then correlated with amount of sleep each student gets per night, for a correlation of approximately 63.9%. Figure 6 The results from this portion of the survey had very strong correlation between the students grade and amount of sleep they were getting. Ultimately, this means that students who get the recommended amount of sleep each night consistently, will be able to work to the best of their ability during school which should help their overall average. On the contrary, students who lack sleep have a decrease in both physical and mental performance. The correlation between both variables was 0.64, further proving the point that sleep deprivation can negatively impact ones academic performance. Future Work: If more time and resources were available to do the survey, it would have conducted much differently. Firstly, a larger group of students would be sampled to get a better grasp of 12 Park, A. (2009, June 10). Larks and Owls: How Sleep Habits Affect Grades. TIME.com. Retrieved May 28, 2010, the general population as oppose to just thirty-five students representing everyone. As mentioned before, a larger population will also help outweigh the response bias. The written portion of the survey would be kept online because that appeals to my target audience (teenagers). However, the questions will be more concise. This way, there can be shorter questions that target certain areas of the study. To make the survey more reliable, various voluntary respondents, all with different lifestyles, will have their academic performance measured based on their visible level of alertness, as well as their actual marks. After going through their regular daily routine and prepare to go to sleep at whatever time is normal for them, they will be monitored in their sleep using an Electroencephalography (EEG). This measures brain waves and if read properly, it can tell the observant which stage of sleep the person is in. Upon waking up at their normal time, the phase at which they were sleeping in until they were woken up will be able to be determined. With that, predictions can be made on the type of day the person will have due to their emotional, physical and mental behaviour. Medical Records of the surveyor as well as any information on their family history will be reviewed to get a better understanding of where they came from and what their health is like. Ambitions, goals, hobbies, failures, fears, successes and experiences (good or bad) will be discussed with each candidate in hopes of figuring out where their head is at. A factor that could have been tested would have been the level of discipline with each student whether itd be with oneself or at home from their parents/guardian in terms of school work and sleeping habits. This data could be collected simply by asking; however, physically accompanying the student and observing would be much more reliable. The importance of this topic is not as widely known as it should be. Students, parents and teachers need to be informed about the effects that sleep deprivation can have on not only students, but everybody. The negative impact sleep deprivation can have on someones body, whether its physical, mental and/or emotional, is alarming. Try combining all of those struggles and productively make it through a day of school. If the topic were to be further discussed, studied and brought to awareness, academic levels of children all around the world could increase. Not to mention a decrease in depression, mental illnesses, insomnia and more if people decide to change their sleeping patterns to better themselves. Conclusion: The relationship between the amount of sleep a person gets and their performance academically correspond to one another quite well. This summative and the statistical data as well as research within it proves that the less sleep a student has will typically result in lower grades. Whereas getting the right amount of sleep (but not too much) can positively influence their performance. The key is to get your required amount of sleep each night. For teenagers, that is anywhere between 8.5 to 9 hours of rest. Out of the students surveyed at Iroquois Ridge High School, 34% claimed to be getting the proper amount of sleep. Adolescents would greatly benefit from having a regular, consistent sleeping pattern throughout the week, including the weekend. Meaning they go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. This helps their body clock run by routine. Not getting enough sleep can result of a number of illnesses which in turn, will affect not only the students marks but their health as well. 63% of students surveyed said they got less than the recommended length of rest time. In both Figure 5 and Figure 6, it is evident that this took a negative toll on the students alertness as well as grades in school. Due to not getting enough rest during the week, teenagers often catch up by sleeping in on weekends. Contrary to popular belief, it is not possible to make up for lost sleep whether itd be by napping or sleeping in on weekends. Getting too much sleep can cause Hypersomnia which leaves victims feeling drowsy all day after having 10 or more hours of sleep the night before. Only 3% of surveyors stated to be getting more sleep then they need. However, in correlation to alertness and marks, it did not seem to have much of a negative impact. If the subject were to be discussed and researched even further, conclusions as to what chemicals are released when they body is at rest can be drawn. With this information, medication and cures for sleeping disorders can be create d to help those who suffer. Generally speaking, sleep and performance seem to go hand in hand. Teenagers need to set up their body clocks so that there is a set routine, with consists of falling asleep and waking up at the same time every day. Ultimately this will result in better academic performance as well as health. Work Cited Gudbranson, C. (2000, June 7). Learning Disabilities Association of Canada Library and Archives. Learning Disabilities Association of Canada Activities. Retrieved May 27, 2010 Ivanenko, A. (n.d.). Sleep and Psychiatric Disorders in Children and Adolescents. Google Books. Retrieved May 27, 2010, PACFOLD. (n.d.). Highlights of Putting a Canadian Face. Retrieved May 27, 2010 Park, A. (2009, June 10). Larks and Owls: How Sleep Habits Affect Grades. TIME.com. Retrieved May 28, 2010 Performance Define Performance. (n.d.). Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words. Retrieved May 27, 2010 Pytel, B. (2007, October 4). Lack of Sleep Can Kill: How Dangerous Is Not Sleeping?. Student Health Issues. Retrieved May 28, 2010 Shields, M. (2005, November 16). Study: Insomnia. Statistics Canada. Retrieved May 27, 2010 Sleep Debt | Sleep Deprivation. (2010, May 8). Google. Retrieved May 28, 2010 Sleep Disorder Types and Symptoms. (n.d.). Sleep-Deprivation.com. Retrieved May 28, 2010 Stages of Sleep. (n.d.). Sleepdex Resources for better sleep. Retrieved May 27, 2010 Taras, H. (n.d.). Poor Sleep, Poor Grades. The National Parenting Center. Retrieved May 27, 2010 Why Catching Up on Sleep Doesnt Work. (2007, July 24). Cure:Insomnia . Retrieved May 27, 2010 Why Sleep is Important and What Happens When We Dont Get Enough. (n.d.). American Psychological Association. Retrieved May 28, 2010 Appendix A Appendix B

Graduation Speech: God has Blessed Us Richly :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

As springtime fades to summer and my years in high school draw to a final end, I have often felt within me a gentle beckoning to moments of quiet and thoughtful repose. Here memories of times long past, of friends new and old, of dreams born and forgotten, of affections kindled and discarded so deluge my mind that I am thoroughly overwhelmed by their sweetness so curiously mingled with their sorrow. Then often I turn to gaze pensively at the future, clouded and unsure, yet gloriously bright with hope and expectation. And in these blessed times of sweet recollection and ready anticipation, I have found one enduring joy, one unshakable rock, one sure haven in the unending faithfulness and love of my Lord and my God. Truly, His mercies have been new every morning. He has upheld me with His righteous right arm. "He [has led] me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake." He has broken me that I may delight in Him alone. And when I have fallen, He has clothed me in the garb of His clemency; washed me in the sea of His grace. I know He will keep me in the years to come. Oftentimes in these last months, when I wonder about the future -- where I will go, what I will do, who I will become -- I find a solace in the words of Paul: "Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, ... to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen." I cannot fathom the depth of such a statement -- that He can carry me exceeding abundantly beyond all my greatest dreams, all my highest aspirations, all my wishes and desires and hopes. He can give my life meaning beyond what I could ever imagine. What a glorious hope, what a bright future there is for those in Christ! Yet so many have not found this future. Tonight I feel a tinge of fear, a chill of imminent peril for myself and for you, my dear class. I have no doubt that your discipline will earn great success, for God has blessed you richly with many gifts and talents. Nor do I fear that you will fail in this life or slip into any great evil. I do not even doubt that most of you will remain in the blessed ways of our Lord, learning to love and cherish Him more and more.

Literary Theme Essay Essay

The Privilege of Freedom â€Å"Only the educated are free.† Said by Epicetus, this simple quote demonstrates the importance of education. A solid education will provide for an excellent future and give one freedom: freedom to take on a career, to jump at opportunities, and to make choices. There is no saying where the future might take an educated man. Dangarembga uses highly educated and successful characters to illustrate the privilege of education and the power, control, and freedom that it provides. Dangarembga shows that education can change a life for the better by presenting the main character, Tambu, with the privilege of attending an outstanding school. When Tambu is given the opportunity to live with her uncle and go to the mission school, she is thrilled to become educated. Before her brother died, â€Å"the needs and sensibilities of the women in† her â€Å"family were not considered a priority,† and school was not an option for her (Dangarembga 12). Education has provided Tambu with the privilege to escape her old life on the homestead and â€Å"take another step upwards in the direction of† her â€Å"freedom† (Dangarembga 186). Also, education has given Tambu the power to use her education to control the rest of her life. â€Å"By the time she has finished Form Four,† she â€Å"will be able to take† her â€Å"course, whatever it is that† she chooses (Dangarembga 183). â€Å"In time,† she â€Å"will be earning money,† which will then lead to a career and onto the rest of her life (Dangarembga 183). The wealth that Tambu will earn when she is successful will provide for her and her entire family. Education builds the foundation of Tambu’s future, and â€Å"the prospect of this freedom† is unlimited (Dangarembga 186). The character, Babamakuru, is used by Dangarmebga to demonstrate that one educated relative effects an entire family. Education is â€Å"not just an individual blessing† but one that extends to all members of a â€Å"less fortunate family† (Dangarembga 89). For example, Dangarembga shows that one educated man can support the whole family. Babamakuru, â€Å"who had obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in South Africa,† is extremely generous and provides resources and opportunities for his entire family (Dangarembga 13). Whenever Babamakuru goes to visit the homestead, he comes bearing food, gifts, and supplies for the family to thrive off of. Also, Babamakuru is responsible for Tambu’s education and her coming to the mission school. To Tambu’s family, â€Å"Babamakuru was God†, â€Å"big brother to all†, and â€Å"his divinity† filled them â€Å"with awe† (Dangarembga 70, 36, 88). â€Å"As an early educated African,† Babamakuru has â€Å"found himself in positions that enable him to organize his immediate world and its contents as he wished† (Dangarembga 88). His great power has insulated him â€Å"from the necessity of considering alternatives unless they were his own† (Dangarembga 88). Education has given him opportunities that have led to great power and control over others; nobody â€Å"dares to challenge his authority† ((Dangarembga 117). Without a well-educated, successful man like Babamakuru, Tambu’s family would not be as the same. Throughout Nervous Conditions ¸ Dangarembga exemplifies the key role that education plays in becoming wealthy and successful. The basis of a good future begins with education. Such a privilege can lead to so many new things, and when one is educated, the possibilities are endless. Works Cited Dangarembga, Tsitsi. Nervous Conditions. New York: Seal, 1989.

Cultural Diplomacy: a Filipino Perspective Essay

I. WHAT IS CULTURAL DIPLOMACY? Considered as a relatively new term in international relations and among governments, a commonly cited definition of cultural diplomacy is that of Milton Cummings, an American Political Scientist which defines Cultural Diplomacy as â€Å"the exchange of ideas, information, values, systems, traditions, beliefs, and other aspects of culture, with the intention of fostering mutual understanding† between or among nations (Kang, 2013) or simply put, it pertains to a cultural form of international communication between and/or among nations (Kieldanowicz). It was only during the past decade when governments started to and have increasingly paid attention to the practice of Cultural Diplomacy and have acknowledged the growing importance of cultural dimensions in analyzing the ever-increasing complexity of foreign affairs (Kang, 2013). Art and culture are two important aspects of cultural diplomacy, as these are the forefront of many countries’ promotional efforts. The showcasing of a country’s cultural heritage, as made possible by cultural diplomacy, provides a country with the opportunity of showing who they are and create a positive image which will help them achieve their political aims (Kieldanowicz). This belief was echoed by Philippine DFA Secretary Albert del Rosario was quoted saying â€Å"DFA recognizes the impact of culture in modern diplomacy and sees it as an effective tool in protecting our national interest, in advancing our advocacies and in achieving the development agenda of the country in the international arena. Cultural diplomacy is described as â€Å"†¦a course of actions, which are based on and utilize the exchange of ideas, values, traditions and other aspects of culture or identity, whether to strengthen relationships, enhance socio-cultural cooperation or promote national interests; Cultural diplomacy can be practiced by either the public sector, private sector or civil society.† From this definition, we can gather that cultural diplomacy is similar to an agreement between two countries for the purpose of strengthening their relations through their cultures. II. PHILIPPINE ISSUES IN LINE WITH CULTURAL DIPLOMACY The first issue which the group considers significant in line with the establishment of cultural diplomacy is the young population’s patronization of Korean, Japanese and American pop culture. As previously mentioned, art and culture makes up our identity as Filipinos, however with the continuous and increasing â€Å"Japanesation, Koreanisation and Americanization† of our young generation, the young population is slowly losing its Filipino identity this then becomes a hindrance to the promotion of local Philippine culture, so the question is how could the Philippine local culture be promoted abroad if locally, there is difficulty in promoting, much less preserving it. III. PROJECTION OF ISSUES ON FOREIGN POLICY The ‘Japanesation’, ‘Koreanisation’ and ‘Westernization’ of the Filipino pop culture must be addressed by the Philippine government. We believe however, that action must first be taken in the local or domestic level and extend it later on to the international level by virtue of foreign policy. In line with this issue the government may sponsor students to study sociology with focus on Philippine culture, or establish art competitions such as song-writing and painting contests and the like. This will later on be reflected in the foreign policy by the establishment of government sponsorship of foreign students studying of Philippine culture and society. As we know, globalization is defined as â€Å"worldwide integration and development† and it has helped in improving the economy of different countries. Nowadays, there is a need for all the countries need to improve their exports to be able to make it in the international market. But despite that, globalization has also caused problems such as in cultural diplomacy, an example of this is the Business Process Outsourcing Industry. Even though the pay is nice in such an industry, there is an issue concerning cultural clashes. Since most of the BPOs came from the western side of the earth and then merely outsourced, there is a clash of what are the ways of living in one certain country and the ways of doing things when brought to the receiving country. There would be a lot of issues that would need to be addressed which causes in problems in cultural diplomacy. Let’s use the call center business as an example. Let’s us say that there is a new call center has been outsourced here in the Philippines. In the country where the call center originated they do no not celebrate Christmas or Lent but here in the Philippines we do celebrate these events. This is where the clash begins, because these are two different countries with two different cultures, it would be hard to make or form a cultural diplomacy. There is a need to have talks to address such issues and so that both parties can agree on decide on something to agree on to form a partnership through cultural diplomacy.