The Jungle (1390 words) Essay Example For Students

The Jungle (1390 words) Essay The JungleThe JungleBy Upton SinclairThe Jungle portrays the lower ranks of the industrial world as the scene of a naked struggle for survival. Where workers not only are forced to compete with each other but, if they falter, are hard pressed to keep starvation from their door and a roof over their heads. With unions weak and cheap labor plentiful, a social Darwinist state of the survival of the fittest exists. The real story revolves around the integration and eventual disintegration of Jurgis Rudkis and his family, Lithuanian immigrants who move to the Chicago stockyards in hopes of a better life. Unfortunately, their hopes quickly disintegrate; like thousands of other unskilled immigrants at the turn of the century, financial necessity forces them into virtual slave labor in order to survive. For Jurgis and his family, the slave master is the ruthless and greedy meat packing industry, whose leaders value their workers no more than the animals they slaughter. We will write a custom essay on The Jungle (1390 words) specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The Jungle shows the relationship between the animals that were being slaughtered and the workers who were slaughtering them, from very early in the novel. It compares the workers to the animals who are penned up and killed every day in the stockyards, which are moved along on conveyer belts by machinery that cares nothing for their individual desires. In the monotonous killing of each of the hogs, They had done nothing to deserve it; and it was adding insult to injury, as the thing was done here, swinging them up in this cold blooded, impersonal way, without a pretense of apology without the homage of a tear.(Pg. 35) The key comparison is the condition of the workingmen; as cold, efficient machinery assimilates them, a blind fate swallows them up. A few of the men are even swallowed up literally when they would fall into huge vats and emerges as Durhams Pure Leaf Lard. (Pg. 99) The Jungle also shows precisely how wounded, diseased, and pregnant animals are turned into food under jus t the same unhealthy conditions that soon leave healthy men wounded and diseased; There was no heat upon the killing beds; the men might as well have worked out of doors all winter?. On the killing beds you were apt to be covered with blood, and it would freeze solid; if you leaned against a pillar, you would freeze to that, and if you put your hand upon the blade of your knife, you would run a chance of leaving your skin on it. (Pg. 79 ; 80) Grotesque injuries were inevitable, injuries for which the company would rarely take responsibility. While a man was laid up his family could starve or freeze to death, and after a series of such injuries, if he survived, he would be too crippled to go on doing the work. When Jurgis is healthy and overflowing with life, he gets a job immediately. When he becomes an empty husk of his former self he is reduced to beggary. Even among beggars he finds a jungle of savage competition, in which the truly needy are often at a disadvantage. And each of them had an individuality of his own, a will of his own, a hope and a hearts desire; each was full of self-confidence, of self-importance, and a sense of dignity. (Pg. 35) Here is another part of the story that shows the relationship between the animals and the people of packing town. Immigrants with peasant backgrounds, and even migrants from Americas own rural regions, are especially ill equipped to survive the urban jungle because of their stubborn individualism. Jurgis relies on his own strong back to carry his family, to cope with inhuman work, but he simply becomes a screw in the industrial machine, to be discarded as soon as he shows the signs of being broken. Jurgis and his family are desperate to own something, to be on their own, to make them feel more apart of their new country. To try to make their American dreams come true. .ucba58510f38e1812125fab4c4d2ea500 , .ucba58510f38e1812125fab4c4d2ea500 .postImageUrl , .ucba58510f38e1812125fab4c4d2ea500 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ucba58510f38e1812125fab4c4d2ea500 , .ucba58510f38e1812125fab4c4d2ea500:hover , .ucba58510f38e1812125fab4c4d2ea500:visited , .ucba58510f38e1812125fab4c4d2ea500:active { border:0!important; } .ucba58510f38e1812125fab4c4d2ea500 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ucba58510f38e1812125fab4c4d2ea500 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ucba58510f38e1812125fab4c4d2ea500:active , .ucba58510f38e1812125fab4c4d2ea500:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ucba58510f38e1812125fab4c4d2ea500 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ucba58510f38e1812125fab4c4d2ea500 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ucba58510f38e1812125fab4c4d2ea500 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ucba58510f38e1812125fab4c4d2ea500 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ucba58510f38e1812125fab4c4d2ea500:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ucba58510f38e1812125fab4c4d2ea500 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ucba58510f38e1812125fab4c4d2ea500 .ucba58510f38e1812125fab4c4d2ea500-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ucba58510f38e1812125fab4c4d2ea500:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Meet John Doe: Fighting for Social Integrity EssayAnd trusting and strong in faith he had gone about his business, the while a black shadow hung over him and a horrid fate waited in his pathway. (Pg. 35) Jurgis and his family tried as much as they possibly could to hold on to their hopes and dreams of truly succeeding in this town. Jurgis was the worst of all of them with his famous saying Leave it to me; leave it to me. I will earn more money- I will work harder. (Pg. 19) Even after Grandmother Majauszkiene told the family about the history of the house they lived in. How each of the families came in with the same hopes and dreams. Each time only being crushed by the jung le that they lived in. (pg. 65) Jurgis and his family were not going to give up they were going to be the ones who defeated the odds that were up against them. They were going to rise on top of this whole mess and live to tell the stories of the way it used to be. Each of them not realizing what they were in for, not knowing what the jungle had up its sleeve. Now suddenly it had swooped upon him, and had seized him by the leg. Relentless, remorseless it was; all his protests, his screams, were nothing to it-it did its cruel will with him, as if his wishes, his feelings, had simply no existence at all; it cut his throat and watched him gasp out his life. (Pg. 35) This passage, explaining the brutality of the slaying of the animals in the stockyards, also shows how similar the lives of the workers or the people of packing town were to the animals being killed. The passage also resembles the turning point in Jugis life when everything seems to fall apart. Starting from when Jurgis sprains his ankle and all the cursing and protesting did him nothing. Leaving him paralyzed and helpless from doing any sort of good for his family. Like the thumbscrew of the medieval torture chamber(pg. 109) the jungle starts to squeeze its grip around Jurgis neck when he finds out that the love of his life, Ona, has passed away trying to give birth to her superv isors baby. Then to finish him off, squeezing out his last breathe of air, his son, little Antanas drowns out in the street while playing outside, taking away the only thing left that was precious to him. And now was one to believe that there was nowhere a God of hogs, to whom this hog personality was precious, to whom these hogs squeals and agonies had a meaning? Who would take this hog into his arms and comfort him, reward him for his work well done, and show him the meaning of his sacrifice? (Pg. 36) This passage represents after all Jurgis went through, after all the work, pain, and suffering he has lived there had to be something out there for him. There had to be something to show him the meaning of his sacrifices. It is then that he happens upon a Socialist political meeting. At this point, Jurgis truly is a beaten man. However, when he listens to the political speaker, he finds that he expresses the essence of all his pain and frustration. He takes Socialism to his heart, believing that it is the only political philosophy that can save his kind. They were so innocent, they came so very trustingly; and they were so very human in their protests-and so perfectly within their rights!(Pg. 35) This is exactly how each of the immigrant families came over to America just like the hogs, cattle, sheep and many other animals that came into to the stockyards of Chicago only to find that a shadow of a deadly fate was awaiting their arrival. Each family arrived with hopes and dreams of succeeding in this free country were they could work for honest wages and live peacefully, but with each dream and hope came death and despair. It was a huge rat race, in which it was every man for himself, but not even the strongest could survive in this urban jungle for only the wealthy and corrupt were the ones who made it to the top. Book Reports

Use of Hopfield Networks as Analytic Tools

Use of Hopfield Networks as Analytic Tools Through the study of Sheikhan Hemmati (2011), it is seen that Hopfield networks act as a means for researchers to understand the processing and retrieval of memory in human beings (Sheikhan Hemmati, 2011).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Use of Hopfield Networks as Analytic Tools specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The reason behind this is connected to the concept of memory vectors which are utilized as a way in which patterns are conceptualized, retrieved then subsequently pieced back together in order to create a somewhat synonymous pattern as its original conception. As an analytic tool, this helps researchers to better understand how memories are retrieved and then combined to create the thoughts and actions that we have at the present. What must be understood is that while cognitive psychology has enabled researchers and students alike to understand how memory works, there is still a gap in knowledge in being able to see so to speak how memories from a variety of different memory vectors are combined into what we know as memory. This is where Hopfield networks come into play, they are designed as an artificial neural network from which the input of content utilizing a variety of learning rules are implemented so as to understand how they would be applicable in a human neural network. Through this, psychologists are better able to understand the processes that go into learning and potentially discover new methods that could help to resolve learning impairments or even improve the process of learning as a whole. One possible theoretical approach to this can be seen in the study of Hsu (2012) which explained that as analytical tool, the Hopfield network can actually be considered an early start to the development of artificial learning networks which could potentially create an A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) (Hsu, 2012).Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Le t's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Hsu (2012) explains this by stating that over time the processes that go into creation of computers will increasingly attempt to replicate the efficiency and learning ability of the human mind. As such, understanding how learning actually works is the first step to creating an artificial neural network that is independent from outside input and can merely learn on its own. Other potential applications of the network can be seen in the study of Menezes Monteiro (2011) which proposed that the discrete-time neural network proposed by Hopfield can be used for storing and recognizing binary patterns (Menezes Monteiro, 2011). Through their study, which investigated the removal of simulated neurons within the network, helps to show how there is the potential for the use of the Hopfield model to potentially help in the rehabilitation of individuals that suffer from memory loss as a direct result of da mage to some part of their brain which would impact either their short term or long term memory. For example, one model for understanding the processes involved in working memory is the Baddeley and Hitch (1974) multi-component model which states that working memory operates via a system of slave systems and a central controller which supervises the transmission and coordination of information (RepovÃ…   Baddeley, 2006). Despite understanding how memory works and is retrieved to a certain extent, it is still unknown what processes go into combining it to create what we know of as working memory. The Hopfield model helps to resolve this issue by presenting a â€Å"rough sketch† of what we perceive of as a model of a neural network in order to understand that processes may go into the individual memory vectors resulting in present day learning mechanisms.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Use of Hopfield Networks as Analytic Tools specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One example of this process at work can be seen in the astronomical charts and models that are used to represent the present day solar system. While they are not 100% accurate in terms of correctly showing how the planets move, they do give a rough approximation of positions and processes thereby enabling a better understanding of the process as a whole. The same can be said of Hopfield networks wherein researchers are aware that they are not a 100% accurate method of understanding the complexities of neural networks and the processes that go into them. However, by gaining a rough idea of how such mechanisms work in the first place, researchers are able to know how they work and through such discoveries enable the creation of more accurate models and theories regarding the means and methods of human learning and memory creation. Inherent shortcomings The inherent shortcoming of such a network though lies in the fact that intrusions can, and often do occur, and, as a result, it cannot really be stated that Hopfield networks act as a mirror for the associative memory mechanisms of the human brain. On the other hand, studies such as those by Liu, Huang Chen (2012) attempt to explain such intrusions by stating that even in human memory, the retrieval mechanisms are not 100% accurate with the brain filling in so to speak the apparent gaps that occur. It is this filling in process that Liu, Huang Chen (2012) associates with the intrusions within Hopfield networks as the network attempts to conceptualize the initial image it had to work with the jumble that came about as it was processes through the network (Liu, Huang Chen, 2012).Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The end result is a kind of filled in image that is based on the network trying to fill in the gaps with what information it had available. Thus, for (Martinelli, 2010), the Hopfield network is an accurate representation of a primitive associative memory network (Martinelli, 2010). However, it should also be noted that the degradation of information in the Hopfield network is also explained instances such as the Ericsson and Kintsch (1995) model which explains that all individuals utilize skilled memory in everyday tasks however most these memories are stored in long term memory and then subsequently retrieved through various forms of retrieval mechanisms (Martinelli, 2010). When these memories are retrieved there is no degradation and in fact the act of daily retrieval actually reinforces the memory. The Hebb learning rule attempts to explain this by stating the learning (as seen in humans or in the case of the Hopfield network) occurs as a direct result of weights strengthening th e retrieval mechanism. Thus, over time and repetition, the accuracy of a retrieved image gets better. Such is the case when it comes to Hopfield networks wherein daily retrieval of the memory does result in a more accurate image. Hopfield Networks and Learned Behavior Based on the article Extended Hopfield Network for Sequence Learning: Application to Gesture Recognition by Maurer et al., it can be seen that Hopfield networks can be utilized in order to model what is known as learned action. It is described as sets of motion that are learned based on observation and mimicry (i.e. shooting a basketball, swinging a baseball bat etc.). However, it must be questioned whether Hopfield networks are an accurate representation of the brain’s learning behavior or if it is merely a vague representation of how information is accurately brought up and translated into action. It is often the case that people associate memories as a collection of neurons and synapses working in conjunction with each other in order to record pertinent information on a daily basis yet few think of the way in which the concept of memory can be comparable to that of a library where information is stored, recorded and categorized based on its type and attributes. In the case of learned behavior, the application of Hopfield model as a means of understanding how the brain works is applicable if we assume that memory vectors within the human mind exist which result in the retrieval mechanism of memories. For example, a memory vector can be considered as a node which connects other memories together that is utilized by a central controller in order to create a distinct action or image. The action of turning on a faucet can thus consist of several nodes where aspects related to vision, mechanical action and grasping are derived and combined by the central controller in order to create the motion of turning on a faucet. This can be seen in the case of the Hopfield networks wherein multiple node s act in order to reproduce the information/image that was inputted into them. One way in which the Hopfield model, as an accurate model for examining the learning behavior of the human brain, has attempted to be proven can be seen in studies as those by Popescu et al., (2012) which explain that the memory models such as those by Ericsson and Kintsch show that it would be impossible to hold so to speak all memories within our working memory rather what occurs is that individuals hold only a few concepts related to a task within their working memory and then use those as indicators to retrieve the information from long term memory (Popescu et al., 2012). As such, the way in which nodes within the Hopfield model work are the same as how memory retrieval mechanisms work in real life wherein what you consider as learned behavior is the result of combined information from various nodes which in turn result in memory that is being sought. Unfortunately, studies such as those by Liu et al. (2011) indicate that while the Hopfield model may seem to be an accurate model of how learning mechanisms work over time, it still fails to properly show the connection between storage and retrieval. What you must understand is that the input mechanism of the Hopfield network is not the same as what is present in the human mind. The nodes in the model essentially receive information from different sources and attempt to create an approximate â€Å"whole† from the collected information. This action does not explain how the memory vectors within the human mind know how to store the correct kind of information (Liu et al., 2011). Despite this, Liu et al. (2011) does state that Hopfield networks are capable of helping us understand how memories are learned and reinforced but not necessarily the mechanisms that enable them to be stored in a variety of possible storage locations. Reference List HSU, W. (2012). Application of competitive Hopfield neural network to brain-computer in terface systems. International Journal Of Neural Systems, 22(1), 51-62. Liu, Y., Huang, Z., Chen, L. (2012). Almost periodic solution of impulsive Hopfield neural networks with finite distributed delays. Neural Computing Applications,  21(5), 821-831. Liu, W., Fu, C., Hu, H. (2011). Global exponential stability of a class of Hopfield neural networks with delays. Neural Computing Applications, 20(8), 1205-1209. Martinelli, G. (2010). A Hopfield neural network approach to decentralized self- synchronizing sensor networks. Neural Computing Applications, 19(7), 987-996 Menezes, R. R., Monteiro, L. L. (2011). Synaptic compensation on Hopfield network: implications for memory rehabilitation. Neural Computing Applications, 20(5), 753-757 Popescu, D., Amza, C., LÄÆ'ptoiu, D., Amza, G. (2012). Competitive Hopfield Neural Network Model for Evaluating Pedicle Screw Placement Accuracy. Strojniski  Vestnik / Journal Of Mechanical Engineering, 58(9), 509-516. RepovÃ…  , G. G., Badde ley, A. A. (2006). The multi-component model of working memory: Explorations in experimental cognitive psychology. Neuroscience,  139(1), 5-21. Sheikhan, M. M., Hemmati, E. E. (2011). High reliable disjoint path set selection in mobile ad-hoc network using Hopfield neural network. IET Communications,  5(11), 1566-1576.

Works of Karl Marx and Georg Simmel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Works of Karl Marx and Georg Simmel - Essay Example The so-called "commodity fetishism," as Marx (1976) tell us, is the fact that a "definite social relation between men themselves' assumes here, for the, the fantastic form of a relation between things, [or] to the producers' the social relations between their private labours appear' as material relations between persons and social relations between things." (p. 165) This concept was conceived wherein humans are the real actors whose social relationality was obscured in the reified commodity form. (Brah & Coombes 2000, p. 116) The concept of "autonomy of objective culture", on the other hand, is Simmel's characterization of the prevalence of monetary relations in modern society. Here, he is suggesting that, paradoxically, it is the fact that money empowers us that accounts for the fragmentation of subjective life and that monetary freedom is abstract and devoid of substance because it becomes alive and valuable only through being incorporated into the substance of real social relations. (Dodd 1999, p. 38) This principle by Simmel is, in a way, an extension of Marx's commodity fetishism to cultural production in line with the idea that objective culture exists in an autonomous realm that follows an immanent developmental logic. Here, the commodity, money and capital - with money as the "consummate fetish" of money making more money - appear in such a way that they are immediately present on the surface of the bourgeois society but their immediate being is pure semblance. (Simmel 200p, p. xxvi) The comparison of the commodity fetishism and autonomy of objective culture is best illustrated in Marx and Simmel's discourse on money, the aesthetic sphere and freedom. On Money A common ground between Marx and Simmel is their extensive discourse on money and its effects on culture. Marx utilized the Shakespearian theme of money in Timon of Athens wherein it was said that money is an unnatural power which converts the morally bad into the morally good, the antisocial becomes social and that the ugly becomes beautiful. In Shakespeare's Timon of Athens, Timon talked about his gold: Thus much of this will make black, white; foul, fair; Wrong, right; base, noble; old, young; coward, valiant' Thou common whore of mankind, that putt'st odds Among the rout of nations. (Timon of Athens: Act 4, scene 3) Marx adopted this and elaborated more in his effort to illustrate that money is an alien medium - one that conceals the true value of labor and that it takes upon itself and its possessor qualities that are external to man. To quote: That which money can create for me, that for which I can pay (i.e., what money can buy)- that I, the possessor of the money, am. The extent of the power of money is the extent of my power. The properties of money are the properties and essential powers of me - its possessor. Thus what I am and what I am capable of is in no way determined by my individuality. Therefore I am not ugly, for the effect of ugliness, its power of repulsion, is destroyed by money. I - according to my individual nature - am lame, but money gives me twenty legs, therefore I am not lame. I am wicked, dishonest, unscrupulous, stupid man; but people honour money, and therefore also its possessor. (cited in

Western Civ Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Western Civ - Essay Example Firstly, at the end of the British feudalism, after the 17th Century English Civil war, scientific knowledge and entrepreneurial skills quickly started growing in Britain creating an onset of the industrial revolution. Many people wanted things to change for the better. They wanted to improve efficiency and quality of activities they were doing. According to Pearson Education (2010), these people wanted improved transport; manufactured cloth to match with growing demographic needs; maximize agricultural production; agricultural produce to be preserved in the best way; trade to expand beyond the frontiers and others. As such, many people with scientific and entrepreneur skills engaged in heavy technological advancement. Scientists started inventing various technologies such as improved textile machines and the steam engine whilst entrepreneurial capitalists supported the inventions with funding. Such technologies later improved transportation, cloth manufacturing and agricultural prod uction. While this was happening in Britain, other countries had not yet started. Secondly, Britain had a very big advantage over the other countries on natural resources. She had a very big base of natural resources such as iron, copper, coal, lead, tin, limestone and water power. Such minerals were abundant in places such as the English Midlands, South Wales and Scottish Lowlands. Pearson Education (2010) agrees that advancement in technology, agriculture and abundant labor made it easy for Britain to extract the natural resources and use them to expand manufacturing. On the other hand, other countries had limited natural resources; and it was difficult to extract them because of several reasons such as insufficient capital, poor political systems and lack of labor. Such a situation gave Britain an opportunity to lead in industrial revolution. Thirdly, it should also be noted that aristocracy in continental Europe helped to

Student teachers, educational judgement In the 21st century classroom, Essay

Student teachers, educational judgement In the 21st century classroom, 'using the knowledge of good ends to decide appropriate - Essay Example This paper provides a brief philosophical view of education to identify the good ends that mentors should aim for in their teaching education program. Guided by traditional and modern philosophy of education and the insights offered by the current literature in the field, the present paper hopes to contribute to the proposal of identifying good ends to decide appropriate means for training 21st century teachers. Identifying the ‘good ends’ ‘Good ends,’ in the teaching field are the ideal characteristics student teachers should possess in order to prepare them for the challenges in the field. Good ends would serve as guide to help mentors determine the process that student teachers should undergo during education. To identify these qualities, we take light from the wisdom of the great philosopher, Aristotle. In addition, we dig upon the current literature to reveal further insights on the qualities of an effective teacher. Coulter and Wiens (2002) explored Ar istotle’s view of phronesis and related it to the desirable qualities of a teacher. According to the authors, the term phronesis may mean the same as practical wisdom or practical judgment. By practical wisdom, Coulter and Wiens (2002) mean the possession of knowledge and the ability to apply knowledge in actual terms. In their discussion of phronesis, Coulter and Wiens consider the arguments made by Hannah Arendt, a Jew philosopher who distinguishes between good thinking and making good decisions. Coulter and Wiens point out that there are teachers who possess knowledge yet are unable to transform their ideas into concrete actions, in other words, they are unable to attain phronesis as they stop in merely possessing knowledge. A review of current literature on the qualities of an effective teacher confirms the importance of knowledge or subject matter expertise as one ideal teacher quality (McNamara and Webb, 2008; Auger and Wilderman, 2000; Chickering and Gamson, 1991). How ever, the said sources do not reflect qualities relating to the concept of phronesis, thus confirming the lack of realisation of the difference between the possession of knowledge and its application. Coulter and Wiens (2002) articulate Arendt’s argument that to possess phronesis, teachers should be ‘judging spectators’ and ‘judging actors’ at the same time. Judging spectators are able to think and reflect on what is happening around them. They possess an understanding of occurrences, and are able to interpret these occurrences on their own. Following this, future teachers should be trained to make good judgments. This is possible if teachers will be allowed to think and decide for themselves. Krishnaveni and Anitha (2007: 28) identify the exercise of autonomy and proper decision making as a form of teacher empowerment. Thus, to promote the attitude of judging spectators, mentors should provide opportunities for student teachers to make their own dec isions whether in terms of instruction, classroom management, and assessment. Moreover, teachers who are judging spectators are able to deal with ‘plurality’or the ability to coexist with others, even those from other cultures.

Parental Influence On Children

Parental Influence On Children A human is a social animal. In social life gender stereotypes and biases, children regularly learn to adopt their roles in the society that are not fair and same for both sexes. As children reach into adolescence, they are exposed to the different layers of the social life, this exploration knowledge has been gained through different sources among these sources, their parents are the main sources of their knowledge. Parents are the most influential personality for their children. Social life is categorized in many functions layers that a person has to perform in the particular era of his age. Every child have to play his gender role in the society as it grow up and passes through various stage of its growth life cycle.(Martin, Wood, Little, 1990). INTRODUCTION Children learn often very soon what it means to be a boy or a girl in our society through numerous activities, encouragements, discouragements, opportunities, overt behaviors, covert suggestions, and various forms of guidance, children experience the process of gender role socialization. This is very difficult for a child to grow to the adulthood without experiencing some form of the limitations and privileges that a gender does have in our society. These privileges and limitations are called the gender roles that a human being has to play based on relation with the same gender. (Martin, Wood, Little, 1990). A childs mushrooming sense of self, or self-concept, is a result of the whole host of ideas, attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs to which he or she is exposed and the knowledge stream flow around the child surroundings. This surrounding has been initiated from the parents and then it widens with the growth of the children.(Santrock, 1994). As children moves in the larger world their social circle widens and they include the friends and other members of family and teachers and so many people who make them realize their social responsibilities and rights. Parental Influence A childs earliest exposure to what it means to be male or female comes from parents (Lauer Lauer, 1994; Santrock, 1994; Kaplan, 1991). The parents treat their children male or female in different manners when they are babies. The discrimination has been made in the style of dressing, type of dressing, colors of the dresses and their toys and expecting different behavior from the children belonging to different genders.(Thorne, 1993). One study indicates that parents have differential expectations of sons and daughters as early as 24 hours after birth (Rubin, Provenzano, Luria, 1974). Children began to respond the internal messages of their parents belonging to their gender roles of social life when they are just of two years old. (Weinraub et al., 1984). A research has resulted with a conclusion that children of the age of two and a half years of age use gender stereotypes in negotiating their world and are likely to generalize gender stereotypes to a variety of activities, objects, and occupations (Fagot, Leinbach, OBoyle, 1992; Cowan Hoffman, 1986). Parents provide first glimpse of social behavior to his child. They instruct their child how to converse with each class and category of the social components of the whole society. Parents are the first social teachers of their children; they teach them how to react and how to resolve the conflicts of the life and how to advance in social life. (Fagot, Leinbach, OBoyle, 1992; Cowan Hoffman, 1986). Role Models The most important influence on the social life of a child that the parents have is the role modeling. Parents are the first role models for the child. This is proven fact that visualization and practical implications have deeper effects on the mind in comparison of listening. When the children observe the practical behavior of their parents towards different people relating to their social circle they learn the same and implement in their upcoming life. For example, if a child observes a polite behavior of his parents towards the home servants, they would also start to respect and polite attitude with them and if their parents would be rude with them, they would be like wise. This also have been researched that the children of the shy and non-confident parents remain shy and non-confient and unsuccessful and the children of sharp and intelligent parents become socially strong and confident. This is all because of role modeling effect. (Hoffman, 1977). Instilling Confidence:C:Documents and SettingsNaveedDesktopindex.jpg Socialization revolves around the globe of confidence. Confidence is the key to achieve success in every portion of life. Parents can instill confidence in their children in a number of ways. Parents can instill confidence in their children through allowing them in independence and providing them friendly and cooperative environment.. As the children grows up and enter his feet in the Middle School or high school this concept become so important. Children start to build the basis of their career and social life from this age. Children with great deal of confidence become the team players and team leaders depending on their level of confidence that have been given through their parents. If a parent has taught her child that the sky is the limit and has promoted his self confidence, he will be more likely to act upon that, leading him to make friends easier and stand up for himself. But here is a very important factor to consider by the parents the independence would be folded in the s ocial and moral limits. Independence does not mean to be unsocial or beyond the limits of the morality and modesty. (Haslett, Geis, Carter, 1992). Social Image and Ambition Building: Many studies have shown that parents treat sons and daughters differently (Jacldin, DiFietro, Maccoby; Woolett, White, Lyon; Parke OLeary, in Hargreaves Colley, 1986; Snow, Jacklin, Maccoby, 1983; Power, 1981). However, parents play vital role in the development of the sense of ambition about the social status for the children. For example, if the parents are constantly encouraging the child and seeking to mold its attitude towards someone great, the child is more likely to believe that this fate is possible. So the children will be confident enough to speak with college admissions counselors or potential employers, because all of her life he or she has had a support system that told her she could do it. On the other end the children who are taught the limitations of destiny ad fate, they always would be least confident and put all their lack of efforts at the fate and luck and would not try much in life to attain the expected social and professional expectations imposed by his or her parents. . (Miller Lane in Ber- ryman-Fink et al., 1993). Conclusion: Parents are the key elements in the social life of the children. As the consolidated and strong base ensures a strong and reliable building. Likewise, parents are start of the social life of the children and they are role model to their children. Their social behavior would be developed with observation of their parents social behaviors. Children first friend would depend on the social circle of their parents. Their per-school and school, their field of study and their social status would all be dependent on their parents.

Family Created Essay -- essays research papers

The Family Created The dream of a getting married, starting a family , a house with a white picket fence, two kids and a dog eludes a huge number of couples in America and abroad. The perfect picture of a family is usually made complete with the addition of children. There are now more options to create a family than the traditional natural conception. The advances in technology have opened up the option of assisted reproduction such as artificial insemination, invitro fertilization, donor egg or sperm, and assisted hatching. Another option for family creation is adoption. Each option has advantages and drawbacks. With either option there are emotional, financial, and moral issues associated with these options. Finding a perfect fit for the fertility impaired couple, each option, assisted reproduction, or adoption, must be reviewed and weighed for the emotional, moral, and financial aspects, to see whether the end justifies the means. It is important to explain the emotional issues associated with infertility. A couple who has tried for many months to conceive a child and find that there are physical issues that are causing this continued problem, are emotionally mortified. The shock causes feelings of loss and failure that at affect the very core of a person, delivers a terrible blow to their self esteem and self value. Once the shock has passed and decisions need to be made about the option of assisted reproduction or adoption, a whole new slew of emotions arise. In assisted reproduction the initial testing and prodding and digging into the couples lives and sexual history causes a huge amount stress and emotional strain. There are skeletons in the closet for most people that are exposed, in an attempt to find a cause for the infertility. The secrets exposed very possibly can lead to a breakdown of the trust respect and bonds for a couple, discussions then become loaded and judgmental. Once the testing is over and the relationship is back on a somewhat even keel, the treatment plan comes along. The person who is found to have the main infertility problem suffers additional emotional trauma besides being the cause of the problem they are now being pumped with either pills or shots of hormones. These hormones cause such a change in that persons chemistry their emotions are swinging from moment to moment. The time comes near for the plan to ... ...range of $3000.00, just to find the root of the fertility problem. The range of costs for the medications associated with the procedures can be anywhere from $10,000 to $18,000 for one cycle. Many couples do not have insurance policies that will cover the costs, because it is generally deemed as elective. For adoption the costs can be free if state adoption is a consideration. The children that are wards of the court have been victims of some sort of abuse. Infants usually have been abandoned or are drug addicted. The time involved in seeking termination of parental rights is a drawn out process. The other options for adoption would be either private domestic adoption or foreign adoption. The costs for either are in the ranges of $8,000 to $25,000. In review, both assisted reproduction and adoption come at extremely high costs, emotionally, morally and financially. The decision in choosing one or none depend heavily on the situation and desperation of the people who are trying to create a family. The considerations are great and the outcome is dependant on many outside individuals. The question still remains which end justifies the means for the perfect family.

Education Finance Essay

1. 1Background to the Study The importance of education particularly in the 21st century to the total development of an individual is increasingly being over emphasized. This is due to the fact that an uneducated individual has little or nothing to offer the society; in terms of acquired wisdom. It is therefore not surprising that most parents are now developing keen interest about the education of their children, a situation that leads them to want to know more as well as partake in what goes on within the school system. In all countries of the world, education is recognized as the cornerstone of any structure for sustainable development of any nation. It is a fulcrum around which the quick development of economic, political, sociological and human country revolves. In Nigeria, the demand for popular education is so high because education is not only an investment in human capital, but also pre-requisite as well as correlated for economic development (Adeyemo 2000). The belief that education is an engine of growth rests on the quantity and quality of education in any country. In fact, the National Policy on Education (1981:6) states that education is the greatest investment that the nation can make for the quick development of its economic, political, sociological and human resources. It further adds that education shall continue to be highly rated in the national development plans because education is the most important instrument of change and that any fundamental change in the intellectual and social outlook of any society has to be preceded by educational revolution. Education, from the pragmatics perspective could be seen as the organization of experience into a holistic social intelligence for dealing with future experiences. The idealists see education as the cultivation of the desirable state of mind. Sociologically, it is seen as the dissemination of culture to the young generation. In other words, education is the â€Å"process by which the individual acquires the many physical and social capabilities demanded of him by the group into which he is born and within which he must function†,(Ohikhokhai, 2002 :154). A Similar definition by Fafanwa states: It is the aggregate of all the processes by which a child or adult develops the abilities, attitudes and other forms of behaviour which are of positive value to the society in which he lives, that is to say it is a process of disseminating knowledge either to ensure social control or to guarantee rational direction of the society or both. (Fafanwa, 1972: 8) There is no gainsaying the fact that Nigeria’s educational system at every level (Primary, Secondary and tertiary) has been experiencing a down turn in the last few years. One of such reasons could be attributed to the under financing of the educational sector. The success of a child in education depends largely on what the child is taught in primary school. In other words, primary school education is a foundation upon which all other levels of education are built. Many researches have revealed that good teaching particularly at the primary level, lay a solid foundation for higher studies and can make a lot of difference in pupils learning and ability to cope with other life challenges (Adepoju 2001). In order words, since the rest of the education system is built upon primary education, the primary level is the key to the success or failure of the whole system. Apart from home as the first agent of socialization, primary school is the first place that introduces formal education or literacy to the children. The National Policy on Education [2004] defines Primary Education as the â€Å"education given in institutions for children aged 6 to 11 plus† for a duration of six years. This definition is also supported by the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) which states that, â€Å"Primary Education (ISCED level 1) also known as elementary education, refer to the education programmes that are normally designed on a unit or project basis to give pupils a sound basic education in reading, writing and mathematics, along with an elementary understanding of other sources such as history, geography, natural science, social science, art and music† The goals of primary education as stated in the National Policy on Education [NPE, Section 3(16) is to: i. Inculcate permanent literacy and numeracy, and the ability to communicate effectively; ii. Lay a sound basis for scientific and reflective thinking; iii. Give citizenship education as a basis for effective participation in and contribution to the life of the society; iv. Mound the character and develop sound attitude and morals in the child; v. Develop in the child the ability to adapt to his/her changing environment; vi. Give the child opportunities for developing manipulative skills that will enable him to function effectively in the society within the limits of his/her capacity vii. Provide the child with basic tools for further educational advancement including preparation for trades and crafts of the locality Inspite of government’s commitment to the provision of basic education for all, dwindling financial resources coupled with sectoral competition for resources may hinder its progress. According to Hallak (1990), successive waves of economic and educational crises affected the efforts of government and social demand for education so that education both the general tensions in the development of education and the imbalances that had emerged in the previous two decades were aggravated. Nevertheless, inspite of the huge financial commitment and the high priority given to education, experts and scholars still doubts the adequacy of the fund in meeting with the growing students’ enrolment. In view of the foregoing, the government alone may not be able to meet the social demand for quality basic education. Therefore, private sector participation in the ownership and control of schools is inevitable thereby complementing the efforts of government. The decade from 1990 witnessed an upsurge in the number of private institutions of learning in Africa in general and Nigeria in particular. Before this decade, most African Countries committed much of their expenditures on public education, which served as an instrument for building the nation, following independence. Today, there is pressure on African governments to shift from subsidization to privatization of their educational systems. Friedman’s (1955) theories on the privatization of education were and continue to be supported by researches who contended that public educational institutions lack incentives to improve educational systems. Among others, Chubb and Moe (1990) and Coleman (1997) argued that allowing school choice, mainly through the promotion of private schools, would improve educational markets. Many important educational decisions are related to costs of schooling. Information on costs is necessary to monitor resource allocation over time, to diagnose the function status of the education system, and to evaluate the efficiency in resource utilization (Tsang 2002). Specifically, cost of education refers to the resources used in the production of education services. They include not only public expenditure on education, but also private resources invested in education (Tsang & Kidchanapanish, 1992) Costs in this study are used to signify private cost of education incurred by the individual pupils and their families, and institutional costs of education incurred by the institution of learning. Tsang (1995), refers to private cost of education as those resources provided by household, individuals, and the community to support the production of educational services, which could be in form of Direct Private costs [Tuition Fees] which is only included in this study, Private Contribution [donations in the form of cash/gifts] and indirect costs [economic value of forgone opportunities of school] Babalola [1995] defines institutional costs of education as costs borne by the institution of learning. They consist of recurrent and capital cost. The recurrent costs are mainly what we are concerned with in this study. An ideal costing system relative to the input-output will enhance quality decision and planning programme for schools. The accurate knowledge of costing pattern will aid decision makers in the schools on the best alternative that may be considered in the management of the schools system. An ideal costing system will also enable parents, families etc to determine the cost effectiveness of enroling their children into private primary schools. 1. 2Statement of the Problem. The problem of rising cost [tuition fees] in educating pupils in private primary schools in Akinyele Local Government which has become an issue of concern to parents, families, wards and stakeholders alike. There is the need for private primary school administrators to pay serious attention to the causes and consequences of these rising costs [which could sometimes be as a result of high recurrent costs], with a view to controlling them while keeping pace with quality and productivity in the private primary school system. In view of the above therefore, this study endeavours to provide answers to the following research questions: 1. 3Research Questions 1. What is the total enrolment of each of the five [5] selected private primary schools in Akinyele Local Government Area from 2006-2010? 2. How much is the amount incurred by the schools in the five (5) years period on recurrent cost? 3. How much is the amount borne by families, parents or wards with five (5) years period on direct private cost per pupil [tuition fees]? 4. What is the correlation between direct private cost per pupil [tuition fees] and recurrent cost per pupil? 5. What are the sources of revenue available to the schools in sourcing for funds for the smooth running of the school? 1. 4Purpose of the Study The main aim of this study is to attempt to provide an analysis of the total direct private cost [tuition fees], total recurrent cost and sources of finance of private primary school system in Nigeria over the period of 5 years (2006-2010 academic years) with private primary schools in Akinyele Local Government as the case study. The study also attempt to highlight on the following: a. To determine the total enrolment of the five (5) selected private primary schools in Akinyele Local Government Area from 2006-2010 b. To determine the recurrent cost per pupil incurred by the school for five (5) years. c. To determine the direct private cost [tuition fees] per pupil borne by pupils, parents families etc for five (5) years d. To determine the Correlation between direct private cost per pupil and recurrent cost per pupil incurred will be determined for the five years (2006-2010) e. To determine sources of revenue available to the schools from 2006-2010 1. 5Significance of the Study This study will be significant in the following ways Firstly, it would serve as a source of statistical data information to primary school administrators and stakeholders alike for effective and efficient planning and cost control in private primary schools. Secondly, the study will provide the basic x-ray of cost pattern in Nigerian private primary schools from which future judgement with respect to plans, policies and programmes can be made. To this end, primary school administrators will be able to guide against any future deviation from expected goals Thirdly, the study could also provide private primary school administrators knowledge on the best decision to make with regards to the issues of pupils enrolment, staff employment, maintenance and so on. Also, the study will disclose the amount of money expended by the five (5) schools within the five (5) years period in recurrent costs. Furthermore, the study will disclose the direct private cost borne by pupils, families etc in the schools within the five years period. Lastly, the study will find the relationship between private direct cost per pupil and recurrent cost per pupil in the five (5) selected schools 1. 6Scope and Limitation of the Study This study focuses on the historical analysis of recurrent costs, private direct costs [tuition fees] and revenue sources using private primary schools in Akinyele Local Government as a case study. The study is, however limited to 5 out of the 24 registered private primary schools in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo state as at 2006-2010. Owning to the fact that the recurrent education expenditure increasingly accounts for greater percentage of the total capital and recurrent expenditures in Africa, this study concerns only the recurrent expenditure incurred by the schools, direct private costs borne by the pupils, families etc and sources of finance. This is in line with Coombs and Hallak (1987:55) and Mingat and Tan (1988:26) who rightly observed that most analysis of unit costs focus on recurrent spending because capital costs typically are only small part (in Africa, less than 20 percent) of the cost of education. According to Mingat and Tan, unless the objective is to access the cost of building additional school places (which is not the case in this study), the analysis of unit costs is usually directed at recurrent spending. Federal government primary schools and public primary schools are not included in this study because the study deals with only selected private primary schools 1. 7Operational Definition of Terms In order to enhance better understanding of this research project, certain operational terms that were used are clearly defined to reflect the specific situation with which they are used. Cost: This refers to the actual or notional expenditure incurred on or attributes to, a specific thing or activity. It refers to what is given up in order to educate an individual or group of individual. Although, total cost in education is a function of capital and recurrent cost, the cost referred to in this research work is specifically recurrent expenditure which constitutes about 80% of the total expenditure in the primary schools. Cost is used interchangeably with expenditure in this research Institutional Cost: This refers to what the institutions of learning (primary schools) have to give up in order to provide education or train the pupils. They are both capital and recurrent costs. However, institutional cost in this project excludes capital costs. Private Cost: These are borne by the individual pupils and their families. They relate to both direct and indirect costs of education which are borne through tuition fees, earning forgone, additional living costs, books uniform and transport. However, private cost in this project includes only tuition fees [direct private cost] Recurrent Cost: These are those costs for goods and services consumed in the course of a budget year, and which must be regularly replaced. Here, it include such expenses incurred on items such as staff salaries and allowances, maintenance, payments of electricity bills, purchases of materials needs etc Recurrent cost is also known as the running cost of education Unit Cost: This is the average cost incurred in providing academic service to the pupils. It is calculated by dividing the total expenditure per session by the number of students enrolled. In its operational term, the unit cost here refers to the actual amount or expenditure incurred per pupil during the course of the teaching-learning process in the primary schools. Its determination here does not however include expenditure on Capital items. Finance: Finance according to the context of this study is the act of raising or sourcing for funds for the running of the school. School: A school according to the context of this study refers to primary schools where formal teaching process takes place. CHAPTER TWO REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE In this chapter the literature review is made under the following headings: 1. Concept of Cost 2. Cost of Education 3. Private Cost of Education 4. Direct Private Cost of Education [Tuition Fees] 5. Institutional Cost of Education 6. Recurrent Cost 7. Unit Cost of Education 8. Cost Determinants 9. Cost Control Strategies 10. Sources of Revenue for Education 1. CONCEPT OF COST The definition of cost is very open, as it means a lot to different people. People tend to define or use it to say their purpose. To some cost is the price paid for a commodity or for the consumption of goods and services. In economic term, the concept of cost if perceived as something which is given up in order to have another. In more a precise way, we can monetary say that cost is alternative forgone. It may be the monetary expense on education. In its broad usage cost implies the resources [money, materials and men] used up for the operation of a business enterprise [Lipsey, 1976; Aghenta, 1993] Babalola [1991] also gave credence to this assertion that cost is a measure of what is given up in order to produce or consume a commodity. Adedeji [2002], see cost as a measure of what is given up in order to produce or consume a commodity, Agunbiade [1997] citing Pandit [1979] stated that expenditure is the total financial resources allocated to a specific economic activity for a given period usually a year. Unit cost analysis helps the understanding of the internal efficiency of the use of resources at the institutional level. Cost effectiveness analysis relates cost of inputs used up in the teaching-learning process with the output. This helps decision makers to make rational choices between various alternative courses of action. Unit cost helps planners to know the cost of keeping a student at school, operating a school etc. The unit cost required by a student in a year is referred to as input and educational planners have of recent named it the â€Å"student year†. Unit cost has been the basis for funding education in Nigeria, for example, when the Federal Government launched its Free Education Programme in 1977, it used unit cost in allocating funds to the scheme, that is forty naira per pupil (Daily Times of Nigeria, 4th January 1980, Editorial Comment). Longe (1988) maintained â€Å"cost information is crucial in decision making as it facilitates efforts to make the best but the least costly choice among alternatives†. In the event of embarking on any programme without considering the cost such programme end up being a white elephant project which will only lead to wastage of heard earned resources. 2. COST OF EDUCATION Many scholars have tried to define cost of education over the ages. Akanbgou [1981] defines cost of education as being â€Å"all the real resources used up in the production of human assets†. He agreed with Pandit and Bourgeis who define cost as the real resources used up in the form of educated manpower. Obasi [1983] observed cost of education as â€Å"the sum total of all the resources used up in the production of human capital asset in the form of educated manpower†. Longe [1988] defines cost of education as the value of all the resources in terms of money and sacrifice used to accomplish educational project. That is, to produce and educated person. This definition could imply not concerned with monetary outlay and expenses on education but also the income forgone on opportunity cost which represents the real charges resulting from the operation of the educational system. Babalola [1995] posited that education cost is a measure of what a student, an institution of learning or the public has to give up in order to educate an individual. While Adedeji [1994] quoted by Oladejo [2002] opines that educational cost represent the value of all the resources in term of money and sacrifice used to accomplish a given educational or project. This definition implies that the expenditure in an educational institution is the monetary expenses incurred by the institution to produce an educated person. In the view of Babalola [2000], he sees cost of education as the â€Å"total resources devoted to education, this includes direct money outlays† [tuition fees, expenditures on additional living items, books, uniform and transport]. They also include indirect financial burdens [in form of opportunity cost measured as the loss of income incurred either by the individual or by the society as a result of schooling]. He stressed further by saying cost of education include non monetary cost [which include such things as the burden of study and for some students, pain of being away from home]. The loss of opportunity to earn wages or salaries in the labour market is the true cost of the individual student of his or her decision to enroll in a full-time or part-time course of education. The cost of education to a country consists of total public education expenditure, total direct private cost, total indirect private cost measured in terms of forgone earnings, improperly estimated educational cost on government education expenditures. Expenditure on education overtime has been observed to be on the increase across different levels of education in most countries of the world and in Nigeria in particular. It should be noted however, that the cost of emphasizes is the recurrent cost which constitute a greater percentage share of total expenditure in education and direct private cost [tuition fees] According to Ojo [1986] quoted by Oladejo [2001], education has enjoyed a higher share of national budget over the years due to the increasing level of expansion brought about by a continue increase in education demand. Agunbiade [1997], observed that there was a staggering figure for educational expenditure during the third national development plan. This expenditure has continued to be on the increase over the years in most different institutions which of cause differ from one institution to the other. However, as an institution’s enrolment increases, the tendency is that both the expenditure and revenue should increase equally. But, according to Agunbiade [1997], revenue do not correspond with the increase in enrolment. Psacharopulars and Woodhall [1997] posited that attitude towards educational expenditure began to change as predicted by Jallade [1973] partly due to the huge increases that has occurred during the period. According to them there is increasing evidence of financial constraints in many developing countries as proportion of expenditure has began to decline. However, Zymelman [1982] cited Psacharopoulos and Woodhall [1997] explained that expenditure on education at all level in African nations including Nigeria has remained fairly constraint. Afolabi [2001] in his article asserted that the cost of education in recent times in Nigeria has become astronomical which according to him is attributed to increase in teachers salaries and allowances to meet with the hyper-inflation condition in the country. This statement is posited by Shehan [1973:16] where he explained that real expenditure per pupil has risen in many countries of the world. Real expenditure in this context means money expenditure deflated by appropriate price indices for the various inputs [teachers, books, equipment etc] which are used in the educational system. The higher level of education demand more expensive buildings and equipment and more emphasis on high-cost research activities. Enrolment increases has been greatest at these high cost levels. The increase in enrolment at the high-cost end of the system continue to increase demand for more resources [that is, financial resources which represents the expenditure to be incurred in the production process] Institutions overtimes, have witnessed continue increase in the expenditure pattern. This continues expenditure increase as argued by Shehan [1983] have a weakening effect on institutions considering the overall level of finance available to them, hence the need for a comprehensive system of cost control private primary school system. 3. PRIVATE COST OF EDUCATION. Concepts of cost from the viewpoint of economic analysis; the proper definition of cost (real cost or economic cost) of an input to education is its opportunity cost, which is measured by the value of the input in its best alternative use. Applying this concept to the cost of an education system, the real cost of education includes not only public expenditure on education but also private costs (Bowman, 1966). Private resources to education can be classified into three categories: direct private costs of education, household contributions to school, and indirect private costs of education (Tsang and Kidchanapanish, 1992). Direct private costs of education are expenditures by parents on their children’s schooling, such as expenditures on school fees (tuition and other school fees), textbooks and supplementary study guides, writing supplies, uniform, school bag and transportation. Expenditures on school fees are part of the revenue for a school to be used to finance institutional costs; they may be used to pay teachers in a private school or used to support non-personnel costs in a government school. Non-fee expenditures are additional financial resources to schooling not captured in institutional costs. For primary school pupils in some countries there are also boarding costs. Household contributions to school are contributions, in cash or kind from families to school and/or school personnel (e. g. teachers). Contributions to school can be used in a variety of ways, for example, to purchase reading materials for a library, to purchase sports equipment, or to construct a school building. They are captured in the institutional costs of a school. In some countries, household contributions to teachers are the main source of income for rural primary teachers (Paulsen, 1981; World Bank, 1991). Household contributions can be important in the financing of education in that they augment public resources to education and they can be managed by school personnel. Indirect private costs of education refer to the economic value of the opportunities foregone as a result of schooling. The opportunities foregone can be a child’s labor in family production, in looking after younger siblings, and/or in performing other household chores. Such costs are usually difficult to estimate and assumptions have to be made about the economic value of a child’s labour, nevertheless, they are still important to consider in that parents sometimes withhold their child from school because of the need for the child’s labor, especially for parents in the rural areas (Psacharopoulos and Woodhall, 1985). In a recent study of India, Tilak (1985, p. 22) estimated that the indirect private cost in terms of foregone earnings accounted for about 40% of the real cost to education, based on 1977-78 data. For purposes of improving education quality, there are at least four reasons for considering private resources to education. First, direct private costs and household contributions are direct private resources that augment public resources to education. Some of these direct private resources (such as school fees and household contributions) can be used by the school as intentions to raise quality. Second, how parents allocate their resources to schooling is also relevant. Parents may be encouraged to spend more on items (such as textbooks and other learning materials) directly related to student learning. Third, differences in private resources to education among social groups may exacerbate educational inequalities among social groups. A good understanding of the variations in private resources to education will inform educational policies designed to mitigate educational inequalities. And fourth, the omission of private resources can significantly underestimate the true costs of education and may lead to erroneous estimates of the costs of quality-improvement interventions. To date, there are very few studies of private resources to education in developing countries, and information on private resources to education in these countries is either lacking or fragmentary (Tsang, 1988). However, the available evidence indicates that private resources to education are very substantial (Tilak, 1985; Tan, 1985; Paulsen, 1981); they also vary significantly among countries and type of school (Wolff, 1985; Schiefelbein, 1986). These preliminary findings indicate the potential of private resources to education as a policy option for educational decision makers for influencing educational quality. 4. DIRECT PRIVATE COST OF EDUCATION [TUITION FEES] According to Tsang (1995), Direct private costs are defined as household educational expenditure related to a child’s schooling, including tuition expenditure and non-tuition expenditure (such as spending on other school fees, textbooks and supplementary study guides, uniforms, writing supplies, school bag, transportation, and boarding). Thus, direct private costs are divided into two components, non-tuition costs and tuition costs. Non-tuition costs are put into two groups: instruction-related costs (such as parental expenditures on textbooks, workbooks, and writing supplies) and non-instruction costs (such as parental expenditures on uniform, school bag, transportation, shoes and sportswear, and school fees on sport activities and other school events). However, private direct cost in this project includes only tuition fees. Wolff provided measures of the direct private costs for students in secondary schools in nine eastern African countries (1985, pp. 51-55). The ratio of total direct private cost to total cost per student varies according to the type of secondary schools and country. It ranged from 0% for day schools in Somalia for 1981-82 to 81% for assisted Harambee schools in Kenya for 1981-82. The ratio for boarding schools was consistently higher than that for day schools. On the average, direct private costs accounted for one third of the total cost per pupil. High direct private costs were also reported in Tan’s study of secondary schools in Tanzania (1985b). She found that even though state school students paid no fees, their school-related expenditure added up to US$139 per student in 1981. The direct private costs for students in private schools were even higher (US $439). Bray (1996) surveys educational cost studies in nine East Asian countries. He finds that direct private costs as a percentage of total costs in public primary schools range from less than 10% in Lao PDR to over 70% in Cambodia. Most hover around 20%. Carnoy and Tores (1994) finds that parents assume about 30% of the total cost of public primary education in Costa Rica. Carnoy and McEwan (1997) carry out a similar study in Honduras. Restricting their attention to uniforms, school supplies, and matriculation fees, they find that direct costs account for 43. 5% of total costs; under more conservative assumptions, the figure is still 27. 4%. 5. INSTITUTIONAL COST OF EDUCATION This consists of capital cost and recurrent cost. Capital costs are associated with durable educational inputs particularly land, building, furniture and equipment which are made use of in a single fiscal year. Usually people talk of capital stock versus capital flow. The stock of capital is inventory of buildings equipments and other capital items out sting at a given point in time. It is like reservoirs that can be drained down by depreciation or renovate and enlarge by new inflows. The volume of an educational system capital stock can be measured by depreciating the original cost of each in the inventory at the appropriate rate (adjusted for major repair, additional and replacement made in the items). Educational expenditures are those that contribute directly to teaching, learning and research, for example, teachers’ salaries and allowances, salaries and allowances of administrator, that is, non-teaching staff, expenses on books and stationeries, transport cost other consumable materials like water, electricity, post and telegram etc. and additional buildings. Thus, expenditures on consumable goods such as materials and personnel salaries, rent, interests, grants etc used up within an accounting year are classified as recurrent expenditure (cost). While capital (cost) expenditures include the purchase of durable assets such as buildings or equipment, that are expected to yield benefits over a longer period. To Psacharopoulos and Woodhall (1997), the crucial distinction between recurrent and capital cost lies in the source of finance. To them, recurrent expenditures are financed from current income or revenue, while capital expenditures are financed by loans from international agencies as well as other sources of income. Owning to the fact that the recurrent education expe.   

What methods are available to the Four Seasons Essay Example

What methods are available to the Four Seasons Essay Example What methods are available to the Four Seasons Essay What methods are available to the Four Seasons Essay This posh consumer looks toward the Four Seasons, which has a relatively positive brand image in its marketplace, for providing superior accommodations at the aesthetic level and also as far as how the brand links image with the self-concept of traveling consumers. The Four Seasons does not currently utilize any form of loyalty programmer, with the brand considering points-based programmer as decrease and unimportant to the hotels money-is-no-object clientele Monsoons, 2005; Bentley, 2005). In the past, this type of belief has driven a very solid profit model as consumers return to enjoy the modern and upscale accommodations offered by this pricey, yet consumer-focused hotel chain. However, the problem in this situation is that todays consumer, even the shifting trend in this demographic target group where value and cost savings are coming acceptable and common beliefs, in a variety of different product and service varieties. This shifting trend maintains the ability to erode customer loyalty from the Four Seasons if the business is not able to project a sense of value to even the more upscale consumer. Failure to adopt a loyalty programmer could spell financial problems for the hotel chain as consumers respond, in a difficult economy, with changing social values which lead to less loyalty toward a specific brand. Therefore, the problem with Four Seasons is a leadership focus on traditional marketing objectives which are likely not as effective for todays value-focused nonuser in building loyalty. II. Background The achievement of brand loyalty, in the hospitality industry, especially noticeable in the hotel industry, is what drives the highest marketing return on investment (Rica, 2009). Brand loyalty can best be defined as the achievement of such a powerful consumer sentiment about the products brand or service elements that they begin to demand this particular brand over all other competitors in their similar marketplace. Brand loyalty, by this definition, is not likely to be achieved without significant investment into marketing promotion with concentrated advertising. Loyalty marketing is a strategy, not a tactic (Humbly, Hunt and Phillips, 2004, p. 1 2). Today, it appears competition are using loyalty schemes with various points accumulation for incentive-based marketing (Thornton, 2006). According to Shogun (2005), current loyalty programs appear to be unrelated to the creation of brand loyalty. Long gone are the days of the one-size-fits all loyalty program (Vantage, 2008, p. 4). This should give opportunity for todays hotel industries to actively reexamine existing loyalty programs to consider whether it is bringing positive ROI to their marketing investment into these programs. It is important for the hospitality industry to understand that the best return on promotional investment is to achieve this brand loyalty, therefore it becomes paramount to recognize how best to achieve this loyalty through contemporary marketing which fits the consumers lifestyle and needs profiles. There seems to be a fundamental shift in what drives brand loyalty in todays hospitality industry, where consumers are not as driven by visual images and logo presentation but are requesting aspects of service quality and reward in order to offer their loyalty to any particular brand. As illustrated by Figure 1, this industry is in a period of significant sales decline. Figure 1: Tourism Forecast to 2010 Sales in Billions Growth 2009 Growth 2010 Travel and Leisure 41 . 335 -11. 3 -4. 9 Source: Techno. Com (2009). Customer loyalty is driven by consumer sentiment toward the brand. In some instances, a longer-lived brand could have been a part of negative publicity or a scandalous scenario during its life cycle which damaged its brand reputation in its target client audience. In reverse, the brand could have achieved high volume of positive public relations or had satisfied many consumers and achieved a quality tutus amongst competitors. It would seem logical to assume that in order to achieve brand loyalty, the brand must have a quality reputation in its competitive, consumer- driven marketplaces. With this noticeable shift in consumer behavior and their responses to marketing promotion, and the need for loyalty to exist in order to provide ROI on marketing efforts, it becomes vital to understand what methods are available for the Four Seasons Hotel to ensure customer loyalty. That is what this study intended to uncover. The hospitality industry, in most developed, consumer-driven regions, is a very nominative marketplace with the need for differentiation strategies, as part of marketing, to create a solid brand name which maintains characteristics unique from competition from the consumer perspective. There is little research information available regarding the achievement of brand loyalty both in difficult economic environments or during a period where consumer sentiment has apparently shifted radically in terms of their response to promotion. These are two noticeable contemporary trends in consumer behavior, therefore this study maintains the ability to provide the Four Seasons Hotel with quality insight into new consumer values and heir willingness to provide loyalty based on demands or personal needs. To discover: what methods are available to the Four Seasons Hotel to ensure customer loyalty. Since the Four Seasons does not currently utilize loyalty programmer to build better consumer interest in the brand, despite the evidence provided of its importance in this industry, it is important to understand what methods of loyalty-building would be beneficial for this hotel chain. Objectives 1 . Identify what drives todays customers to choose one hospitality industry over another in highly competitive hospitality markets. 2. Identify the current marketing activities of several hospitality-oriented companies (case studies) in which positive customer loyalty has been achieved in order to assist Four Seasons with developing a relevant model for loyalty-building. 3. Understand what the Four Seasons is currently performing in terms of marketing to build loyalty. IV. Research Design Qualitative analysis is the most logical data source for uncovering a trend in consumer values related to brand loyalty in the hospitality industry today. This type of analysis is interpretative in which personal knowledge in a variety of domains of duty is used as a Justification for analysis of various secondary source materials to uncover noticeable trends. Thus, this study consulted with recently published marketing- and hospitality-oriented Journals and other secondary source materials as the logical starting point for consumer trend analysis. Because the information required for analysis is needed from both the consumer and the industry standpoint, the development of a primary research study would be impractical due to time and budget restrictions. Primary research, in the form of consumer research studies, could have provided this study with valuable, real-time nonuser sentiment. However, secondary source analysis provided this study with valuable, rather surprising data which did not Justify the viewpoints of marketing professionals identified when this study was first proposed. Instead, the achievement of brand loyalty is driven by factors more closely related to lifestyle and through service-oriented efforts on behalf of the hospitality organization. This trend was more noticeable when looking at the situation from the industry perspective rather than the consumer perspective and by assessing the nature by which competitors in these resource analysis provided significant value to the fulfillment of the study objectives without the biases sometimes included in consumer sentiment surveys or questionnaires. Journals were selected from both domestic sources and international sources, as many hotels and restaurants operate in the global environment. Therefore, in order to gain the perspective of foreign consumers as well, the online environment was chosen as a logical medium for this study research methodology to locate Journals and other marketing publications for these consumers. Global hoteliers and saturates who operate in multi-national, multi-cultural environments, it was determined, might best benefit from this broadened consumer analysis. To ensure reliability, each of the secondary source materials consulted and utilized for this study was assessed for quality in relation to the publications reputation or the authors professional skill-set. No resources which presented opinionated or columnist-style viewpoints were deemed appropriate for this study and were rejected for their lack of reliability and credentials of authorship knowledge. There were no ethical issues involved with this study as it involved no primary search or use of human study participants. V. Data Presentation and Data Analysis 4. Background Due to todays difficult economic conditions which are occurring in many regions today, nearly two-thirds of consumers polled in a recent survey identified that reward points were either very important or extremely important when choosing a hospitality and travel brand (Wing, 2009). However, much to the industry dismay, only one-third of these same consumers actually belonged to a travel loyalty or rewards program (Wing). This shows a very strong disconnect between marketing effectiveness, the return on investment, as consumers have identified their importance but are not subscribing to these benefit programs. The Four Seasons, if choosing to adopt a new loyalty programmer, must be concerned with low subscriber ratios and work to promote the new programmer to build consumer interest. Though many travelers identify the importance of these loyalty- based concepts, low subscriber ratios could enhance the problem of implementing such a programmer at Four Seasons. This would have to be an immediate focus It seems, also, that women are the most logical target market when considering who s most able and willing to provide tourism dollars in this industry. Cavalier (2008) identifies that women make up 83 percent of all consumer purchases, thus to capture the woman buyer you have to understand the woman psyche and it has been discovered that trust is central to female loyalty (Cavalier, p. 1 7). Since women are likely the contributing force behind the decision to travel and frequent the hospitality industry, marketers should also focus on women when trying to create vacation promotions or lifestyle connections. Fortunately for the Four Seasons, the brand has built a positive reputation in its archetypal and there is a considerable amount of trust in the brand in relation to service provision and accommodations excellence. If implementing a new loyalty programmer to build higher sales volumes and increase loyalty, the company should direct the majority of its marketing toward the female customer as they will make most of the traveling decisions, even in the more upscale market audience. 4. The consumer profile The winners will be the brands that offer exceptional value and service, offers Betsy Resource, senior UP of marketing at Yamaha Worldwide, a hotel with over 7,000 units (Blitz, 2008, p. ). Value would seem to represent cost-savings from this viewpoint during an economic period where traveling consumers are not satisfying profit objectives. Travelers hate being nickel and dimmed to death for every service like Internet access, local calls, use of a business centre or gym (Blitz, p. 2). Brand loyalty can likely not be established when service-oriented charges are present based on this trend toward value orientation. The Four Seasons could benefit from this new value-focused consumer by promoting internal cost reductions on previously-charged-for services. Even though these efforts could undercut return on investment costs for items like Internet or telephone calls, the pricing used for a single nights stay is some of the highest in the hotel industry, thus these changes would likely represent a better focus on value provision, therefore enhancing loyalty in the process. These are small-scale steps to solve the problem which exists at the Four Seasons today, in terms of holding onto traditional marketing which might no longer generate the same loyalty in the mind of the value- focused traveler. Some restaurants in the hospitality industry have recently been using eat free loyalty orgasm where a specified amount of stay is required to earn free meals, when the hotel offers such amenities. However, two marketing experts identify that such efforts are counterproductive with the forms difficult to fill out for the foreign user Moons and Commodity, 2008, p. 268). Such eat free programs seem to have little to do with loyalty creation. An eat free loyalty programmer could appeal to the value-minded traveler without much cost to the business operational model. Offering these small-scale perks, by delivering them face-to-face to clients to express appreciation, could be the loyalty ump needed to satisfy new beliefs on total value with a nights stay at Four Seasons or any other competitor. Recent statistics illustrate that when consumers have a problem related to staff, they are 47 percent less likely to return to that hotel again (Barky and Nash, 2007, p. 4). This is a very high volume of people who can be affected by staff relationships, therefore internal issues should be considered as part of management focus for building brand loyalty. And, offers Mettles (2007), any negative issues should be handled quickly to repair damage to reputation. Barky and Nash (2006) further identify that people are influenced toward loyalty through value for price , the cleanliness of the room, the employees positive attitude, and friendliness of the concierge or front desk. These are relatively simple, fundamental consumer values which would likely be easy to coordinate for organizational structures designed for service focus. A comfy bed Just doesnt stand out anymore (Higgins, 2007, p. 42). Holiday Inn Hotels Resorts, a multi-demographic, multi-unit global hotel organization recognized this and developed a People Notice service program designed to each internal employees owe to be an everyday hero to guests to make them feel recognized and special (Higgins, p. 42, Brine, 2006). Service-minded organizations appear to be making positive ground with consumers in terms of brand loyalty. Having positive internal staff which is efficient, rapid response time to internal problems, and programmer designed to recognize individual consumers are activities which are currently undertaken at the very efficient Four Seasons Hotel. The brand is well-known for its capable staff and has a positive reputation in this regard. Though the internal accommodations are posh and upscale, clearly having a comfy, esthetics environment will no longer work for the chain in building loyalty when value focus describes todays traveler for this hotel. The Four Seasons needs to go the extra proverbial mile to reinforce the value of consumers and ensure that internal activities are efficient, friendly, and creates positive relationships with people in order to build loyalty. Hotels must clearly define what they are and what they want to be in the eyes of their guests and their employees. Brand loyalty is maintained by offering guests a consistently excellent experience (Gunter, 2006, p. 24). The key in this situation is that consumers are demanding consistency in service delivery, which would point toward developing staff as a step toward brand loyalty for the Four Seasons. To build loyalty, a business must: Look through the lens of the customer, exceed their expectations, and make it easy to do business with you (Hanoverian, 2007, p. 54). This again points toward another service-oriented aspect, an industry issue, as a step toward satisfying client demands. Again, this is where the Four Seasons excels, therefore in terms of building loyalty, the company is on the pent more than $43 million in advertising in 2008. However, the business is expected to obtain revenue of 1. 2 billion. Clearly marketing is a significant investment in this competitive industry in the pursuit of building brand loyalty. Further research identified that nearly 50 percent of some hotels, in ideal marketplaces, have guests which stay from seven to 29 days (Chipping, 2006). This is a significant margin, thus service provision would likely be highly scrutinized by this long-staying guest when choosing future hotels for extended stays, an aspect which would drive brand loyalty. This is a much more profitable customer. The Four Seasons hotel must also recognize that long-term guests represent a very significant profit margin and work consistently in providing better service than other upscale hotel competitors. A renewed focus on staffing and positive service provision is key to building loyalty in this chain. 4. 3 Costs and consumer satisfaction One representative of the hotel industry identifies that online concierge services are helping to build loyalty (McMullen, 2006, p. 22). If consumers are turning toward the ease and convenience of online services, they will likely appreciate a flexible and odder brand which is able to make their stay as convenient and hassle-free as possible, which was suggested by Hanoverian (2007) as a key success tool for building loyalty. Research did not uncover whether Four Seasons is making use of an online concierge, however with the growing trend toward Internet usage and mobile technologies, keeping an image of modernism can build loyalty for Four Seasons. Some hotels are even offering pet-friendly environments to appeal to the consumer needs. However, only 2 to 5 percent of guests actually bring animals (Chipping, 2006), thus this is not mass-market focused and likely not a success factor unless engendering niche marketing to diversify clientele. The Four Seasons upscale client often have cherished pets which they pamper and spend considerable resources on. Recognizing that some upscale travelers view their pets much like children could be a new loyalty focus. In terms of value-focus, the dog-loving consumer would likely appreciate the ability to bring their child on vacations with them, thus giving Four Seasons a competitive edge in this regard. An emotional bond must be created with the consumer in order to achieve loyalty (Mantilla, 2006). Emotions play a dominant role in explaining satisfaction and brand loyalty (Back and Kim, 2009, p. ). Since it is cheaper to keep current customers than to obtain new ones (Tepees, 1999), achieving a positive brand reputation and brand proposed by Pence (2008) at this study proposal stage offering a model known as the VALS 2 chart, assessing eight distinct consumer personality and lifestyle trends per demographic group. Emotions are clearly key to reputation and loyalty-creation. The emo tion attached with the new pet-friendly loyalty campaign speaks to the potential effectiveness of this strategy for Four Seasons with the new lifestyle focus marketing and promotion. Red Lion Hotels recently changed its brand name (previously West Coast Hospitality) in order to deliver on a promise to make guests comfortable (Browning, 2008). The ability to deliver on a distinct brand promise can increase demand and build customer loyalty (hospitality. Org, 2009). Further, Kiang, Dave and Oar (2002) offer that brand extensions are helpful in building consumer loyalty, likely because the leveraged brand name has a positive market reputation. The brand promise tends to commit to the consumer with another focus on service delivery. Four Seasons leadership does not believe that any extended brands or brand name hanged should be under its parent company umbrella for reasons of brand identification and reputation for the hotel chain on the market. The hotel desires to stay the Four Seasons and is not looking for expansion. However, evidence suggests that a rebinding or altered brand strategy, using new hotels with new brand names, can give opportunities to change any reputation damage and also reinforce the quality of the parent brand company. Four Seasons may wish to reconsider this aspect when building loyalty as a meaner to extend and publicly promote the diverse family of brands under the Four Seasons direction. Linking a positive brand name with a new brand can give Four Seasons new flexibility and design a variety of loyalty programmer to a new client demographic. There is clearly a consumer shift moving toward the quality and consistently of service delivery when determining which hospitality brand deserves more loyalty than other competing hospitality brand. Since they consider the loyalty program and rewards associated with them to be of high priority when determining travel, it would make good business sense for the Four Seasons to implement them to best fit consumer demands and lifestyle-related expectations. Such efforts would require Taft members to be developed as consistent, motivated and professional service providers to satisfy consumer demands and deliver the consistent quality of service that guests come to expect. Consumers are watching their economic portfolios, something which was evident when analyzing their dissatisfaction with being nickel and dimmed to death as described by Blitz (2008). The current economy across the globe is forcing many individuals, at all levels of financial backgrounds, to reexamine their spending policies. A points-based loyalty programmer at the Four Seasons would be good business sense based in the information provided.

The Invention of Paper

The Invention of Paper Try to imagine life without paper. Even in the era of emails and digital books, paper is all around us. Paper is in shopping bags, money, store receipts, cereal boxes, and toilet paper. We use paper in so many ways every day. So, where did this marvelously versatile material come from? According to ancient Chinese historical sources, a court eunuch named Tsai Lun (or Cai Lun) presented the newly-invented paper to the Emperor Hedi of the Eastern Han Dynasty in 105 CE. The historian Fan Hua (398-445 CE) recorded this version of events, but archaeological finds from western China and Tibet suggest that paper was invented centuries earlier. Samples of even more ancient paper, some of it dating to c. 200 BCE, have been unearthed in the ancient Silk Road cities of Dunhuang and Khotan, and in Tibet. The dry climate in these places allowed the paper to survive for up to 2,000 years without entirely decomposing. Amazingly, some of this paper even has ink marks on it, proving that ink was invented much earlier than historians had supposed. Writing Materials Before  Paper Of course, people in various places around the world were writing long before the invention of paper. Materials such as bark, silk, wood, and leather functioned in a similar way to paper, although they were either much more expensive or heavier. In China, many early works were recorded on long bamboo strips, which were then bound with leather straps or string into books. People world-wide also carved very important notations into stone or bone, or pressed stamps into wet clay and then dried or fired the tablets to preserve their words. However, writing (and later printing) required a material that was both cheap and lightweight to become truly ubiquitous. Paper fit the bill perfectly. Chinese Paper-Making Early paper-makers in China used hemp fibers, which were soaked in water and pounded with a large wooden mallet. The resulting slurry was then poured over a horizontal mold; loosely-woven cloth stretched over a framework of bamboo allowed the water to drip out the bottom or evaporate, leaving behind a flat sheet of dry hemp-fiber paper. Over time, paper-makers began to use other materials in their product, including bamboo, mulberry and different types of tree bark. They dyed paper for official records with a yellow substance, the imperial color, which had the added benefit of repelling insects that might have destroyed the paper otherwise. One of the most common formats for early paper was the scroll. A few long pieces of paper were pasted together to form a strip, which was then wrapped around a wooden roller. The other end of the paper was attached to a thin wooden dowel, with a piece of silk cord in the middle to tie the scroll shut. The Spread of Paper-Making From its point of origin in China, the idea and technology of paper-making spread throughout Asia. In the 500s CE, artisans on the Korean Peninsula began to make paper using many of the same materials as Chinese paper-makers. The Koreans also used rice straw and seaweed, expanding the types of fiber available for paper production. This early adoption of paper fueled the Korean innovations in printing, as well. Metal movable type was invented by 1234 CE on the peninsula. Around 610 CE, according to legend, the Korean Buddhist monk Don-Cho introduced paper-making to the court of Emperor Kotoku in Japan. Paper-making technology also spread west through Tibet and then south into India. Paper Reaches the Middle East and Europe In 751 CE, the armies of Tang China and the ever-expanding Arab Abbasid Empire clashed in the Battle of Talas River, in what is now Kyrgyzstan. One of the most interesting repercussions of this Arab victory was that the Abbasids captured Chinese artisans, including master paper-makers like Tou Houan, and took them back to the Middle East. At that time, the Abbasid Empire stretched from Spain and Portugal in the west through North Africa to Central Asia in the east, so knowledge of this marvelous new material spread far and wide. Before long, cities from Samarkand (now in Uzbekistan) to Damascus and Cairo had become centers of paper production. In 1120, the Moors established Europes first paper mill at Valencia, Spain (then called Xativa). From there, this Chinese invention passed to Italy, Germany, and other parts of Europe. Paper helped spread knowledge, much of which was gleaned from the great Asian culture centers along the Silk Road, that enabled Europes High Middle Ages. Manifold Uses Meanwhile, in East Asia, paper was used for an enormous number of purposes. Combined with varnish, it became beautiful lacquer-ware storage vessels and furniture. In Japan, the walls of homes were often made of rice-paper. Besides paintings and books, paper was made into fans, umbrellas, even highly effective armor. Paper truly is one of the most wonderful Asian inventions of all time.