Functions of Child Learning Through Play

Functions of Child Learning Through Play In New Zealand, play is considered as an important aspect of children’s learning especially in Early Childhood Education. Dockett and Fleer (2002) explain that Play is considered as a potentially powerful medium for learning and a strong experience for those involved in it. According to Oliver and Klugman (2002), â€Å"play is the way a child explores his world, builds skills and exercises his imagination and learns through experiences† (p. 66). What did I do or think in relation to children learning through play before the discussions and presentation? :- Before discussions I did think that play is just for fun, amusement and good time pass for children. Earlier play was important for me, but wasn’t that important as it comes clear after the discussions. What do I think now in relation to children learning through play :- Undoubtedly, play is the strong base for children’s physical, cognitive, emotional and social development. Importance of social confidence long-term effects (MoE, 1996). Physical play strengthens children’s gross motor skills through activities like riding bikes, swings, water play, running, climbing, kicking balls as well as fine motor skills by involving in activities of drawing, painting, cutting, playing with dolls. Play also holds significant importance for children’s cognitive development. It helps them in problem solving, reasoning and thinking while they are involved in plays such as puzzles, dramatic play, block play and storytelling. (Bruce, 2001) explains that language development through play is also fostered in children by verbal and non-verbal communication while expressing their feelings, interacting with playmates and listening to other’s language (Cited in New Zealand Tertiary College [NZTC], 2012). According to Glover (2001), through play, children develop and extend their social skills and develop relationships when they interact with others. Playing in groups or pairs (Cooperative play) allows them to practice their skills of sharing, turn taking, self-control and co-operating while participating in dramatic and creative plays. Children extend and practice their knowledge of the wider world through role play such as: fire fighter, doctor, father, etc. During group plays, children get the opportunity to express and control their feelings, understand others feelings, learn to resolve internal fears and conflicts. Active participation of children in their own world fosters mastery and control resulting in providing the feelings of competency and self-efficacy. Play also helps children to discover about self-including likes and dislikes (Klien, Wirth, Linas, 2004). According to the principle of holistic development in Te WhÄ riki, learning and development includes opportunities for open-ended exploration and play. For example, children love to play in sandpit, water, papers where there is no limit of amount of things that they can do with them. Materials can engage them for hours as they watch the effects that their actions can have on them (Ministry of Education [MoE], 1996). This theory is also linked with goal 4 of strand of exploration which explains that â€Å"children experience an environment where they develop working theories for making sense of the social, physical and natural worlds.†(MoE, 1996, p.90) and learning outcomes also include knowledge, skills and attitudes. Piaget believes that stages of development are directly related to stages of play (cited in Grey, 2010) .For example: Functional play (birth- 2 years) fosters sensory-motor skills in infants when they explore objects in a variety of ways using their different senses and physical abilities, can be linked to Te WhÄ riki, Goal 2 of Exploration strand and learning outcomes of â€Å"developing strategies for actively exploring and making sense of the world by using their bodies and all the senses† (MoE, 1996, p.86). Pretend play, which enables children to socialise, incorporate others in their play, use substitutions for real objects, respect other’s ideas and learn to negotiate. Lev Vygotsky’s theory is another perspective to explain the impact of play on children’s learning in early childhood education. According to McNaughton and Williams (2004), Vygotsky’s theory explains that play generates imagination through which children understand their feelings and desires. It also gives importance to rules to follow during the play to make it successful and also emphasize the importance of the social settings in which learning takes place. According to Docket and Fleer (2002), Vygotsky believes that play held greatest developmental significance in early childhood years. Children have rules and roles during the play and they learn and develop within a social and cultural context, which can be further linked to goal 3 of Contribution and strand of Communication mentioned in Te WhÄ riki. In his theory, play is explained as social learning and sometimes play is directed by the social world and children transmit social and cultural informati on and knowledge (cited in Dockett Fleer, 2002) . For example: If a child is playing alone and being mother, father or farmer, what these roles act and what social and cultural origin they have, varies with different social and cultural settings. It is also explained in goal 3 of Communication in Te WhÄ riki. Moreover, Vygotsky also emphasised that parents and educators assume an important role in children’s learning which is again a vital component of Te WhÄ riki as mentioned in goal 1 of belonging. To summarise, Play is the central component in The New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum which fulfils all curriculum requirements and learning outcomes needed by the infants, toddlers and young children as mentioned in Te WhÄ riki. Moreover, above mentioned two theories strongly supports the role of play for development and learning of children in early childhood years. The strands, goals and principles of early childhood curriculum Te WhÄ riki also explain the significance of play in children’s learning and holistic development and make it a framework in early childhood education in Aotearoa/New Zealand. What does this teach me about future my role as a beginning teacher?:- Early childhood teacher plays an important role in children’s learning and development. Children need a safe and secure learning environment in which they should be given opportunities to explore and understand their feelings, emotions, experiences from which they will construct knowledge. Teachers can offer children with a range of quality learning experiences which will encourage active learning, problem solving, effective communication, creativity, social adjustment and participation. To provide children with active learning environment, teachers should understand the individual child by knowing children’s background, family situations, parental expectations play experiences and prior learning experiences. Dunkin and Hanna (2001) believe that teacher plays various roles such as facilitator (by providing ideas and strategies to extend their thinking and reasoning), co-learner (by using open-ended q uestions, supporting them in difficult tasks and by modelling of language), co-partner, listener/decoder, observer, planner, while involved in child’s learning through play. They also emphasize that a teacher should also have formal or informal observation of child’s strengths, interests and stages of development and should discuss and share the observation results with colleagues and families/whÄ nau. While engaging in children’s play, teachers should encourage them to express their ideas through communication. At the same time, allow children to play themselves to develop their own learning, providing different kinds of play such as physical, sensory, explorative, creative and individual and group play (Dunkin Hanna, 2001). To implement a play-based curriculum, the role of a teacher is very crucial. For example: In physical play, young children need opportunities to further develop their physical skills and practice to control their body movements, teachers need to facilitate these opportunities with availability of space and equipment. By providing sufficient range of equipment and materials, time and space, a teacher can support to develop their concentration skills by explorative play. Teachers can be play-partners or co-constructors for sensory play such as by providing opportunities to explore a variety of natural materials (sand, water, dust etc.) (NZTC, 2012). Teachers should also use strategies of problem solving, encouraging, praising and helping, questioning and suggesting (Macnaughton and Williams, 2009). They should use open-ended questions rather than direct answers and allow children to share their knowledge, ideas, beliefs and thoughts to extend their interests. Another very useful teaching strategy is following children’s Interest, where teacher can adjust the activities according to child’s lead rather than using own pre-planned activities. Implication for my teaching role in future;- Play is very important aspect of children’s learning especially in Early Childhood Education in New Zealand. It focuses on the learning and holistic development of child through various types of plays (social, physical, sensory, explorative and creative) and creates the right atmosphere for children to learn life skills and paves the way for holistic development (MoE, 1996). As children spend most of their waking hours in Early Childhood Education in New Zealand, so teachers play central role in their lives. As a future teacher I will focus on encouraging children for play and will create an environment which is non-violent, inviting, informative, fun loving and homely. Therefore, I will follow specific and effective teaching strategies which are already discussed earliar in previous section, to enhance and extend children’s learning through play. Reference List: Bruce, T. (2001). Learning through play: Babies, toddlers and the foundation years. London: Hodder Stoughton. Dockett, S., Fleer, M. (2002). Play and pedagogy in early childhood: Bending the rules. Southbank, VIC: Thomson. Dunkin, D., Hanna, P. (2001). Thinking together: Quality adult-child interactions. Wellington: New Zealand Council for Educational Research. Glover, A. (2001). The role of play in development and learning. In E.Dau (Ed.), Child’s play: Revisiting play in early childhood settings. Rosebury, NSW: MacLennan Petty. Klien, T., Wirth, D., Linas, K. (2004). Play: Children’s context for development. In D. Koralek (Ed.), Spotlight on young children and play. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children. Grey, A. (2010). Developmental theories in early childhood education. In B. Clark A. Grey (Eds.), Perspectives on early childhood education. Ata kite ate pae – scanning the horizon (pp. 46-54). North Shore, New Zealand: Pearson. MacNaughton, G., Williams, G. (2004). Techniques for teaching young children: Choices in theory and practice (2nd ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Education Australia. Ministry of Education. (1996). Te WhÄ riki: He whÄ riki mÄ tauranga mÃ…Â  nga mokopuna o Aotearoa/Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media. New Zealand Tertiary College. (2012). Play as framework for learning 1 study guide. Auckland, New Zealand: New Zealand Tertiary College Oliver, S. J., Klugman, E. (2002). Playing the day away. Child Care Information Exchange, 5, 66-69

New Product Launch Marketing Plan Essay

A marketing plan can be defined as a written document that summarizes what the marketer has learned about the marketplace and indicates how a firm expects to reach its marketing objectives. It contains tactical guidelines for the commercialization programs and financial allocations over the planning period (Kotler et al., 2012). This document can be considered one of the most important outputs from the marketing process as it provides direction and focus for a brand, product, or company (Kotler et al., 2012). Typically, the marketing plan includes the following elements: Executive summary, situational analysis, marketing strategy, financial projections, and implementation controls. Executive summary Founded in 2014, Luxury-Pedic is a start-up manufacturer of luxury mattresses offering a product line that is focused on creating a lull the senses into a deep, relaxing, and peaceful night’s sleep. With other competitive offerings like Tempur-Pedic, Icomfort, and Sealy Optimum, the Luxury-Pedic product line will focus heavily on being different. By providing a quality product at competitive price levels, excellent warranty, and service experience, Luxury-Pedic will stand out. Luxury-Pedic will realize vital market penetration by utilizing a market challenger strategy and attacking the market leader on the basis of competitive pricing. Additionally, Luxury-Pedic will thrive based on the following operating principles: hiring a top-notch management team with extensive industry experience; a solid business model and long-term planning; and careful evaluation and response to competitive opportunities. Situational analysis Luxury-Pedic is entering into its first year of operation. Thus  far, its products have been well acknowledged with the intention of further and rapider expansion to come based on the marketing efforts soon to be implemented. Luxury-Pedic offers memory foam mattresses in three varieties of firmness and a several varieties of types of memory foam. Market Summary Luxury-Pedic understands the existing market and has done extensive research to understand the common attributes of the target market. This research will be used better to understand the consumers, their needs, and how to communicate best with the market. According to Business Journal for the Sleep Products Industry (2015), the target market for the mattress industry includes the following: Mattress Involved Sleep Sufferers Healthy and Content Brand Selectors Apathetics There is no set geographic target area for mattress sales. By utilizing in-store sales, Internet sales and delivery services, Luxury-Pedic intends to serve both domestic and International customers. The market can also be narrowed down to the adult demographic, ages 18 and up. Behavioral factors will include the working class, the sleep deprived or fatigued population looking for a good night’s rest. Market Growth Potential The mattress industry is a steadily growing, altering, and evolving. As the mattress industry has changed, the consumer demographics have changed as well. Baby Boomer’s no longer are wanting to deal with horrible sleep conditions as it saved money in exchange for a better nights sleep that allows consumers to be more energized and feel younger. This changing of consumer wants to consumer needs has enabled the mattress industry to become more prosperous than ever. There is an unlimited market growth potential as consumers are becoming more educated on the benefits of a better nights sleep as well as more educated on the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of mattress products. According to Wise (2012), â€Å"The mattress trade group recently revised its estimate and expects the value of mattress shipments to rise 10.5 percent and the number of units to grow 6.5 percent† (p. 3). This increased consumer knowledge base has changed the mattress market potential from being a small market with potential immediate rewards into a market where long-term growth and increase opportunity has become to the key to market success. Competitive Analysis The Luxury-Pedic 100% memory foam mattress line will move into a highly competitive space. Outside of the 100% memory foam mattress line, there is the independent wrapped pocketed coil line and the interlocking coil or traditional coil lines of a mattress. These lines are built and designed by mattress companies that have been selling mattresses for 65 to 140 years by brands such as Sterns & Foster, Simmons, Sealy, and Hampton & Rhodes just to start. When it comes to the 100% memory foam mattresses, Sealy, Tempur-Pedic, Hampton & Rhodes, & Serta are the most popular companies today. All four of these businesses produce memory foam mattresses that range in price from $698 to $9,000 for a queen set. The none memory foam mattresses range from $198 to $4,800 for a queen mattress set. Competitor Product & Price Summary When it comes to the prices of the 100% mattress foam lines, Luxury-Pedic is unable to compete with the prices of Hampton & Rhodes and the introductory lines from both Sealy and Serta. The quality differences between the Luxury-Pedic mattress lines and the lower end lines of Sealy, Serta, & Hampton & Rhodes are the differences between night and day. For their price point, none of their mattresses are 100% memory foam. They contain mostly low-grade heat conductive standard foam that sleep hot by giving back all of the heat put into the mattresses. Additionally, they do not have proper edge support or prevent body impressions. When it comes to the higher priced 100% memory foam mattresses from the other competitive brands, Luxury-Pedic mattresses will stand out due to same high quality of material, temperature regulation, comfort, and edge support at a price point that undercuts all other competing mattresses. Tempur-Pedic mattresses are the only mattresses in the entire industry that are price locked at a that is almost double of what any other memory foam mattress costs. Tempur-Pedic owns SealyTempur-Pedic, and so the focus of the Sealy  100% memory foam mattress line is to be only two steps above the Serta memory foam line. Out of all of the memory foam mattress lines, the Serta collection is the worst at temperature regulation and has no pillow top product offering. Sealy is better at temperature regulation but is the softest of all memory foam mattresses. The prices of these two lines are very similar. They range from $1,299 to $2,499. Segmentation, Target Market, & Strategy The Luxury-Pedic mattress lines will focus on three different areas of the consumer market. The first will be focused on consumer medical needs. The medical benefits of the Luxury-Pedic mattress lines range from increased circulation, increased recovery times, decreased: aches, pains, and soreness, and an increase in an overall comfort allowing for a better nights sleep. The second area will focus on consumer comfort. The Luxury-Pedic line will come in 3 different comforts from firm, plush, and pillow top allowing a customer to be able to identify the mattress that best suits their comfort needs. The third and final focus will be on consumer value as the Luxury-Pedic line will be more cost effective than Tempur-Pedic but will provide all of the same advantages and benefits of Tempur-Pedic. According to Perry (2010), â€Å"The mattress industry must sell dreams if it wants to elevate its image, boost its sale price and give consumers a better shopping experience† (p. 34). With the implementation of using these three different market strategies focusing on consumer segmentation and target marketing, Luxury-Pedic will be able to establish a stronghold in the 100% memory foam market. Pricing The Luxury-Pedic line will consist of three different mattresses firmness levels. There will be a firm, plush, and pillow top. When it comes a firm mattress, Tempur-Pedic queen price set is at $4,199, Serta is at $1,699, and Sealy has not actual firm 100% memory foam mattress. The price for a Luxury-Pedic firm mattress will be $1,899 as the Serta mattress has poor temperature regulation and it out prices the Tempur-Pedic significantly. When it comes to a plush mattress, Sealy is priced at $1,799, Serta $1,999, and Tempur-Pedic at $3,499. The Luxury-Pedic mattress will be priced at $2,099. The focus is to build value in the concept of adding more material  increases the size of the mattress allowing which causes an increase in the cost of the mattress. There is not a real pillow top in any of the Tempur-Pedic, Serta, or Sealy mattress lines, making Luxury-Pedic a true one of a kind, but in soft equivalences Sealy is priced at $2,099, Serta $2,199, and Tempur-Pedic at $4,999. The Lux ury-Pedic pillow top will be priced at $2,299. The point is to no be cheaper than a low-end mattress, but to be at a lower price than Tempur-Pedic. We will be at a higher price than Sealy and Serta with the benefit of much better quality. Distribution Strategies The distribution strategy for Luxury-Pedic will be following Indirect distribution. Luxury-Pedic Mattresses will initially be built and assembled in two factories in New Mexico and Kentucky to allow for easy mass distribution to wholesalers and mattress retailers. As Luxury-Pedic’s increase in the success, additional factories will be built to shorten delivery times in order to allow for an increase in mattress sales. The objective of the distribution strategy is to be able to get new mattresses to wholesalers and retailers in less than 72 hours after ordering. Developing clear objectives is vital to a successful marketing plan. There are numerous essential elements to consider when creating effective marketing objective. It’s important that the objectives are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-specific or SMART for short. The SMART approach let you how to manage your marketing activities successfully. Luxury Pedic is always evolving. The mattress industry is continuously growing. Key performances indicators are an important part of information used to describe how companies such as Luxury Pedic will progress towards its marketing goal within the next three years. Retailing at competitive rates of $1899-2500 depending on the mattress performance level, Luxury Pedic is priced to achieve increased profit revenue continuously. The key performance indicators are based on legitimate data and business objectives, and they are not always financial but they are necessary for directing management to their full potential. Some other essential performances include new and existing customers’ status, customer segmentation by profitability or demographics, customer referrals, advertisement, and testimonies. Demand forecasting Demand forecasting and estimation gives businesses valuable information about the markets in which they operate and the markets they plan to pursue. The purpose of demand forecasting and estimation is to find a business’s potential demand so managers can make accurate decisions about pricing, business growth and market potential. Managers base pricing on demand trends in the market. Demand forecasting and estimation is critical for inventory management. Businesses buy inventory based upon demand forecasts. Demand forecasting and estimation methods are typically accurate for short-term business planning. Estimating demand for the long-term is difficult because there are many unforeseen factors that influence demand over time. The expansion of the global mattress industry is forecast to reach 3.7% p.a. in the coming years. Between 2007 and 2013 the market increased with an average annual growth of 4.9%. Currently, cellular plastic and rubber mattresses account for 40.9% of the global demand while the remaining market share is divided between other mattresses (41.8%), and mattress supports (17.3%). China, France, Germany, Japan and the United States represent the largest mattress markets while the strongest annual growth is forecast to occur in Tanzania (24.1%), Ethiopia (15.4%), Philippines (15.0%), Rwanda (14.8%) and Bolivia (13.3%). Marketing Objectives Developing clear objectives is vital to a successful marketing plan. There are numerous essential elements to consider when creating effective marketing objective. It’s important that the objectives are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-specific or SMART for short. The SMART approach let you how to manage your marketing activities successfully. Luxury Pedic is always evolving, the mattress industry is continuously growing, and key performances indicators is an important part of information used to describe how companies such as Luxury Pedic will progress towards its marketing goal within the next three years. Retailing at competitive rates of $1899-2500 depending on the mattress performance level, Luxury Pedic is priced to achieve increased profit revenue continuously. The key performance indicators are based on legitimate data and business objectives; they are not always financial, but they are necessary for directing management to their full potential. Some other key performances include new and existing customers’ status, customer  segmentation by profitability or demographics, customer referrals, advertisement, and testimonies. Implementation Milestones As a new company, setting milestones in a marketing plan allows your company to track the progress of company goals; allowing the business to determine if it can reach the task by a particular date and if there is enough data to move to the next activity. Luxury Pedic will identify their tasks, the start date, and the scheduled completion date, each event will continue until every task is finished. Creating a milestone table for your business sets the plan in concrete terms with real budgets and deadlines. Luxury pedic started by identifying each milestone, assigning a due date, allocating a budget, and designating a responsible person or group for each task, this is how a plan is implemented. Control Metrics It is important to set the rules of engagement within Luxury-Pedic. In order to measure success, we must be able to have a way to create company goals and establish the way to control what needs to be done in order to achieve the objectives set forth. We must be able to have a rule to measure current success, as well. We must be able to deliver efficiently on four types of marketing control. Those types are Annual Plan Control, Profitability Control, Efficiency Control, and Strategic Control. Annual Plan Control provides us with the ability to see if the results the company is looking for are being reached. Profitability Control shows us where we are making money and, even, where we are losing money. If it is found that money is being lost, we can adjust what is being done to produce a positive gain in revenue. Depending on the money that is lost, the product or idea will go directly to the end of life cycle to save cost in that area. Efficiency control gives us the opportunity to see how our marketing dollars are being spent in relation to the impact that our marketing strategy is having on our consumer base. Strategic control will give us a roadmap letting us know if the company is going down the right path in product offerings and how we are going about to make these offers available to the public. With the proper control measures put in place, we can see a complete picture of how the company is doing at any particular time. We will be able to identify problem areas quickly and create contingency plans when needed adequately to address  any needs or areas of concern. Its falls on management to steer the company in the right direction. Creating a culture of success is vital. Frontline employees must be on board with the direction the company is moving. If it is determined that there are issue in that area by way in bad performance results, for example, it is up to management to find the right path to correct those performance issues. All parts of the business must work well together in order to serve our consumer base actually. Contingency Planning â€Å"Marketers must be ready to update and adapt marketing plans at any time† (Kotler & Keller, 2011, p. 55). There are many variables that can affect daily, monthly, and quarterly numbers in terms of production and revenue. We must be ready to address any and all areas of concerns promptly. The introduction of a new mattress company can affect the way we market and advertize to our consumer base. Competition in a marketplace can have several adverse effects. One thing we must be prepared to adapt to is the effect competition can have on pricing and promotions. Too much competition can drive prices down which mean Luxury-Pedic must change to be successful. We may need to invest in more cost friendly products that can deliver the same quality and comfort to cut cost, but will allow us to still deliver on our promise to our customer base with more affordable pricing. Major geological events can have an immediate impact on demand of our products. Floods, tornados, and hurricanes can create mass devastation that can leave our consumer base in need to rebuild. Adjustments in our offerings and promotion to assist in helping rebuild our community will increase our overall customer satisfaction. Community service events and product donations would be a way for us to stand out above the rest of our competition to show that we care about our customers and our community. During such a period, the company could see a short term dip in revenue. With the establishment of community service projects in the time of need, we can predict that we will reap positive long term success from that. Luxury-Pedic must be flexible in our approach and delivery of our products to our customer in order to achieve high success. In conclusion, a successful firm starts with a marketing plan within its first fiscal year. A marketing plan is a highly detailed and written document that summarizes how  a firm plans to reach its marketing objectives. Luxury-Pedic has outlined its marketing plans and detailed tasks to reach these elements, executive summary, situational analysis, marketing strategy, financial projections, and implementation controls will be discussed among other elements. This paper has defined the following objectives that Luxury-Pedic will implement to achieve this successful marketing plan. References BedTimes. (2012). Research Finds 5 Key Mattress Consumer Segments. Retrieved from http://bedtimesmagazine.com/2009/01/research-finds-5-key-mattress-consumer-segments/ Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2011). Marketing Management (14th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Perry, D. (2010). Mattress industry should sell dreams. Furniture Today, 34(37), 33. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.contentproxy.phoenix.edu/docview/346182942?pq-origsite=summon&http://search.proquest.com?accountid=35812 Wise, W. L. (2012). Going to the mattress. The Post and Courier Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.contentproxy.phoenix.edu/docview/1115405056?pq-origsite=summon&accountid=35812

A Confederacy of Dunces as a Criticism of Higher Education

Whether in an effort to become more educated and to obtain more lucrative jobs or due to the need for better education in an increasingly technological job market, the United States has seen a rising trend in the percentage of individuals who choose to attend college and graduate school. Not only has the number of individuals seeking higher education increased, but criticism of higher education has increased as well. Common criticism has included the idea of colleges and universities being more concerned with financial aspects than with their students, as well as the idea of students using higher education not to become more educated individuals, but to increase their chances of earning higher wages after college or graduate school. A Confederacy of Dunces' satirical focus on education and learning provides examples of these and other criticisms of higher education. More specifically, the characters of the story show the reader the educated are not always the ones who fare the best in terms of their emotional well-being and their ability to function in society. In looking at the characters in the novel there seems to be an inverse relationship in terms of the amount of education a character has received in comparison to that character's ability to function normally in society (to not cause others distress, to contribute physically and mentally, etc. ) For example, Ignatius has the greatest amount of education and proves himself the most socially backwards, followed by Myrna, then by Mrs. Levy, an overconfident psychologist with no more than community college experience. Also, the reader is shown that the most educated characters are also the most satirized and laughable characters in the story. Two obvious characters, the characters of Ignatius Reilly and Myrna Minkoff, illustrate some of the possible detrimental effects of higher education. Although it is difficult to comment on Myrna, evidence is provided throughout the novel that portrays Ignatius as a much more sociable and pleasant individual before his days at college. For both of these characters education has distorted their view of society in such a way that it makes them miserable to be part of such an â€Å"abominable and debauched† society. Ignatius complains throughout the novel about other's lack of intelligence and their supposedly â€Å"distorted† view of society. Not only has Ignatius and Myrna's view of society been affected by higher education, but their ability to function socially in society has been affected as well. Neither character is able to maintain a long lasting relationship with others than themselves. Also, Ignatius has difficulty finding employment and has even greater difficulty keeping any job which he obtains. Myrna herself would undoubtedly face similar difficulty if she did not receive substantial funding from her father. Finally, Myrna's view on sex, one that clashes with the social norm, and her propensity to discuss this subject almost gets her raped by a university janitor. Another character who is highly involved in academia, Professor Talc, helps to illustrate the criticism of college being a business for those who run it and by those who work for it. Professor Talc himself admits that he does not know or teach much at all-that his lectures are vague, that he is only popular because of his humor, and that he is not qualified to teach college level Social Studies. Talc's disinterest in educating his students supports the idea that many professors view their work only as a secure job with substantial benefits. Another example of Professor Talc illustrating criticism of higher education comes in the episode of his meeting with a female student. While Talc originally believes that the student set up the meeting either because of her interest in his class or because of her interest in him, the actual motive of the student is only to find out the grade of her most recent project. This episode represents the common criticism of higher education simply providing a means to an end. While the primary goal of a college education was at one time to become a more educated individual, this goal has shifted to receiving good grades, obtaining a good job, making a lot of money, etc. In the author's final attempt to satirize, and therefore criticize, higher education, Professor Talc, the novel's symbol of higher education itself, ends the story being mocked and ridiculed by both teachers and students. In comparing the less-educated characters of the story, the reader is shown that although these characters may not be the most materially well-off or have the greatest intellectual capacity, they do finish the story as the most emotionally, and in some cases financially, stable characters of the story. Also, although they are not formally educated, these characters are able to function well in everyday, practical situations. One such uneducated character who finishes the novel better off than many of the educated characters is Ignatius' mother. By the end of the story, Mrs. Reilly is free of Ignatius, who oppresses her social interests and forces her to cook and clean, and has a chance at marrying Claude Robichaux, a well-off and apparently sympathetic man. Mrs. Reilly has little education and therefore seems to expect and desire little. Unlike those who desire a good job and a good income simply because they attended college, Mrs. Reilly is satisfied by more simple pleasures: the company of friends, dancing, bowling etc. Her simple pleasures illustrate the ideal of the Zen road to affluence-if you do not desire a lot, it takes very little to be happy. In comparing this to higher education, again many of those individuals who attend college and/or graduate school do expect and desire more: a more lucrative job, more socially affluent friends, a wealthier, more attractive spouse. Higher education may also perpetuate the need to be competitive-the need to work increasingly hard in order to get ahead. Evidence of this idea can be found in the fact that an increasing percentage of the population attend college and/or graduate school than in years past. No longer is a high school education sufficient to secure a well-paying job. Both Darlene and Jones also prove to be less educated characters who end the story in better emotional and financial situations than many of those characters who have received some type of higher education. Both Darlene and Jones finish the story with better, more secure employment as well as newfound happiness. Darlene, who is portrayed in the novel as somewhat flaky, demonstrates the idea that â€Å"ignorance is bliss†. As a result of her lack of intelligence, Darlene expects very little, and her highest goal is only to be a well-paid exotic dancer. After reaching this goal at the close of the novel, Darlene's exuberance again shows that if one does not have a lot, it will not take much to become content. Although also appearing uneducated, Jones proves to have a great deal of common sense that allows him to function in society. In this way Jones provides the reader with evidence that knowledge gained through higher education is not the only type of knowledge one needs in order to be successful and achieve goals. In comparing Ignatius with Jones the reader notices this difference between â€Å"book smarts† and â€Å"street smarts† and their use in functioning in society. Using his common sense, an intelligence that Ignatius clearly lacks, Jones can tell when whites are scared of him, and is also able to figure out Lana Lee's scam, using it to maintain job security and eventually to get a more desirable job. In an apparent attempt to both satirize and criticize higher education, John Kennedy Toole creates characters in A Confederacy of Dunces who offer proof that the business of higher education perpetuates competition and the desire to achieve more than others. This increased competition in turn causes both stress and an increased likelihood of falling short of set goals, both eventually leading to unhappiness. Also, as seen in the character Ignatius, the intelligence gained as a result of college or graduate school may cause the educated to look down upon and even to dislike the members of society with average or below average intelligence. The author further mocks education by leaving each character in a particular position at the end of the novel. While the uneducated characters tend to end up better off, the educated characters generally prove unhappy by the end of the story.

Feminism The Purest Form Is Defined As The Belief That...

Feminism in the purest form is defined as the belief that men and women are equal in all aspects of life- socially, economically, and politically. As times have evolved, society has come to recognize the feminist movement as a credible and truthfully real social issue. Yet, women are still valued less than men. Women are still portrayed in a light that does not shine as a bright as a man’s. In the late 19th century, the term â€Å"feminist† became a widely known term due to the high demand of woman’s rights not only in the United States but as well as other countries such as China and Egypt. I selected to write about three of the four primary sources towards the end of Chapter 18. The primary sources that I have selected all focus on global feminism, in which each author provides their own voice and stance on women’s rights. The first one is a speech discussing how women’s rights aren’t separate from all equality. The second document discusses how women are treated in general in comparison to slavery. The third and final document that I had selected is told by a woman discussing her opinions on the idea of Islamic women covering themselves up with a veil in public. What united all three of these primary sources is the idea that women’s rights aren’t equivalent compared to a man. The fact that such prejudice is still a factor throughout the years and what is shocking that it’s still an issue today. SUMMATION: For the purpose of this paper, I read and gathered my primaryShow MoreRelatedAbortion : A Feminist Polemic4215 Words   |  17 Pagesindividuals and groups, motivated by feminism, religious ethics, politics and medical ethics. I have chosen a feminist focus for my inquiry and aim to shed light on the opinions offered by many areas of feminism. I have chosen several questions to help my research: why is abortion an ethical issue?; what are the feminist points of view concerning abortion?; what has been the impact of feminism on women s access to abortion? Why is abortion an ethical issue? Abortion is defined as â€Å"the expulsion or removalRead MoreEssay on Womens Roles in Religion2728 Words   |  11 PagesWomen’s Roles in Religion Contemporary women are faced with oppressive traditions that restrict their roles in world religions, but notable women are taking steps to promote a more egalitarian future. Nick Maki Historically, women have held prominent and influential roles in several religions, but women have been deprived of these roles as the majority of religions have become increasingly institutionalized. In this analysis, I will review women’s roles in Indigenous Religions, HinduismRead MoreThe Importance of Demography to Development11868 Words   |  48 Pagesfrom Greek, and the stem socio- which is from the Latin word socius, meaning member, friend, or ally, thus referring to people in general. It is a social science involving the study of the social lives of people, groups, and societies, sometimes defined as the study of social interactions. It is a relatively new academic discipline which evolved in the early 19th century. Because sociology is such a broad discipline, it can be difficult to define, even for professional sociologists. One useful wayRead MoreRastafarian79520 Words   |  319 PagesEnnis Barrington Edmonds The moral rights of the authors have been asserted Database right Oxford University Press (maker) All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reprographics rights organization. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope