Recitation Choral Reading Essay Example

Recitation: Choral Reading Essay Recitation Reading Aloud Dr. Catherine W. Cordeiro Aims:When you have finished completed the reading you should be able to: See the difference between singing and recitation Features of recitation Types of recitation Planning the recitation Pre – task: 1. Is singing the same as reading aloud? 2. Do you think reading aloud is important? 3. Do you need listeners for this activity? 4. Does reading aloud mean â€Å"being able to just recognize and read the words on the page? 5. Look up the meaning of the words ‘singing’ and ‘recitation’ in a dictionary. Features of Reading aloud recitation : Being able to read well, is a skill which one can develop, keeping a few things in mind. Haven’t you ever wished that you could read aloud better? Brain storming : When do the audience listen and enjoy what you read aloud to them? To read anything aloud well you must understand what you are reading. Understanding is not just recognizing the words! You must also understand what the author meant to say / express. Task Read the following poem ‘Sea Fever’, then think about the following questions : 1. What kind of mood does the poem create? How does the rhythm of the poem help to create this mood? 2. Do you think the title of the poem is a good one? Share your answers with your partner and then with the whole class. Sea Fever I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky, And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by; And the wheel’s kick and the winds song and the white sail’s shaking, And a gray mist on the sea’s face and a gray dawn breaking. I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied; And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying, And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea gulls crying. I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life, To the guil’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife; And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover, And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over. John Masefield Task : Listen and follow the poem silently as it is being read aloud. Features : When one really understands a passage / poem, one should be able to express its meaning. Expression is important. We will write a custom essay sample on Recitation: Choral Reading specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Recitation: Choral Reading specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Recitation: Choral Reading specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer One can express excitement, boredom, grouchiness, happiness, weariness, simply by the way you speak. Reading aloud expressively also means being able to produce the sounds correctly and clearly. Reading to a group : When one reads to an audience. One must be able to get the thought, mood across to the listeners. The writer gives the words but the meaning is given by the reader. Suggestions for Better Reading Aloud : Know the through meaning before you start reading Read slowly and clearly enough so that everyone can hear you Breathe as naturally enough. Do not rush. Hold your book correctly. Not to far away or down below. Be relaxed as you read. Enjoy your reading. Look up occasionally. If there are amusing parts wait for the laughter to stop before you start again. Choral Reading and its Types : Poetry and must of prose should be read aloud for full appreciation. One has to imagine the sounds in a poem when it is being read silently. Task : Try reading these lines silently and then orally. Out Written He drew a circle that shut me out- Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout, But Love and I had wit to win: We drew a circle that took him in. (Edwin Markham) The sounds in the poem give it much of its beauty. Task : Read the poem above again, this time with everyone reading together at a time. This is called choral reading. Doing things together is fun. This is one reason why girls and boys big and small love choral reading. They derive much fun when they read well together, when they read as one person. Choral reading is a delightful way to help children interpret and share prose and poetry. Before the class actually starts reading a selection together, they must think about its meaning and how they can use their voice as an artist’s tool. They must think about the rhythm and sound of each line or sentence†¦. noting which words they need to stress and where pauses most naturally fall. This type of reading helps the class to enunciate clearly and to vary the volume, tempo, and quality of their voices for special effects. Choral reading is rewarding in many ways. Not only is it a creative and enjoyable activity, but it helps them learn to plan and work together. Students who are shy tend to lose thirir shyness and speak out in the safety of the group. They learn the importance of co-operation as they take turns to blend their voices in group response. Types of Choral Reading : 1. Refrain 2. Line-a-child 3. Antiponal 4. Unison Refrain : This type of reading is natural for a poem that contains a refrain. Usually the whole group says the refrain and one person speaks the other lines or the group can speak the lines, and one or two people the refrain. Line–a–child : In this type of reading, a number of lines are read in solo manner, each by a different child. Chosen parts of the poem are spoken by the group in unison. Each child having a solo part must watch his cue, as in dramatics, so as to speak his line promptly when his turn comes. This type works well with poems which have three or more characters. Antiphonal : This type of reading brings light and heavy voices into play against each other. It dramatizes a poem that contains dialogues, questions and answers. Or other elements giving contrasts. From the nature of the poem the class can decide which lines should be spoken by heavy voices and which by light. Unison : This is actually the most difficult type of choral reading. It requires students to stay together for a longer period of time. One can have this type of recitation for poems which have little change of moods and no dialogue. It tries to blend all kinds of voices in a suitable rhythm, volume, and tone. It is best to use this type of reading for a class that has little experience in choral reading. Poems for practice : Scythe song All:Mowers, weary and brown and blithe, What is the song methinks ye know. Endless over-work that the Scythe Sings to the blades of grass below? Scythes that swings in the grass and clover, Something, still, they say as they pass; What is the work that, over and over, Sings the Scythe to the flowers and grass? Girls:Hush, ah hush, Boys:the Scythes are saying Girls:Hush, and heed not, and fall asleep! Hush, Boys:They say to the grasses swaying, Girls:Hush, Boys:They sing to the clover deep! Girls:Hush- Boys:‘tis the lullaby Time is singing- Girls:Hush, and heed not, for all things pass, Hush, ah hush! Boys:and the scythes are swinging All:Over the clove, over the grass! OPPORTUNITY Solo:This I beheld, or dreamed it in a dream: Girls:There spread a cloud o fdust along a plain And beneath the cloud, or in it, Boys: raged A furious battle, and men yelled, and swords Shocked upon swords and shields. A prince’s banner Wavered, then staggered backward, hemmed by foes. Solo:A craven hung along the battle’s edge, And thought, Girls: â€Å"Had I a sword of keener steel- That blue blade that the king’s son bears, -but this Blunt thing -! † Solo: He snapt and flung it from his Hand, And lowering crept away and left the field. Boys:Then came the king’s son, wounded, sorre bestead, And weaponless, and saw the broken sword, Hilt-buried in the dry and trodden sand, All:And ran and snatched it, and with battle shout Lifted afresh, he hewed his enemy down, And saved a great cause that heroic day.

Comparing the Ideologies of Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber Essays

Comparing the Ideologies of Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber Essays Comparing the Ideologies of Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber Paper Comparing the Ideologies of Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber Paper Comparing the Ideologies of Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber were three historical sociologists. Their views have become world renown and have shaped many ways of interpreting the social structure of many modern societies. This essay will take a glimpse into the three sociologists’ ideals and expose the similarities and differences they may have. Karl Marx’s view of society was based around the economy. All other social structures according to Marx, such as religion, family values, and politics stem from the base, the economy. Religion played no part at all in Marx’s sociological views. He is known as an atheist. He believed that religion was nothing more than a burden on society. â€Å"The economy that forms from the means of production results in the division of labor and forms property† (Simon 1). Division of labor can be described as the way in which tasks are divided in a society. Certain people are assigned certain tasks which help to make sure that the social structure progresses smoothly. As society becomes more advanced, the division of labor becomes more advanced, because more tasks become necessary for society to stably exist. Therefore, in Marx’s opinion, the economy grows and advances society which fuels the division of labor that is necessary for harmonious living. Marx believed that social struggle was the main cause of social evolution. In a society there is always a group that is in some way oppressed. If we look back just a few hundred years we see this in slavery, and before that serfdom. So how does oppression promote social change? â€Å"It is the ruling economic class that determines the dominant ideology in a society†¦ And it is class interest that the proletariat must oppose with revolution. †(Simon 2). The upper class in society rules over all the lower classes. When the oppression becomes an unbearable horror for the lower class, they must revolt, according to Marx. We saw this with both given examples. Serfs often fled from their lords, and slaves sought refuge in non-slave states and sometimes even killed their owners. In the case of slavery, there was a complete societal split between the north and the south in America. The main dispute between the two sides was the subject of slavery. But if not for the slaves revolting and feeing, maybe no action would have been taken. This is Marx’s view of social evolution at its finest. The lower class fought for social freedom, and American society was forever changed. So basically, Marx’s cycle of social change is simply Oppression, revolution, uprising, and then the cycle repeats itself as another lower class becomes oppressed. Durkheim believed that social order is obtained through social integration, which is the extent to which the members of a society are held together. â€Å"Durkheim advances his theory of social transition where he argues that social order is maintained through social integration and regulations in a social equilibrium. All nations develop normative behavior patterns and belief systems in the evolutionary change process. During the transitional period the diffusion of new norms and values disrupts the equilibrium of traditional societies. †(Zhao 2). Durkheim believed that society is held together by social integration, but when society is evolving, chaos takes over until new social norms are set. After these social norms are integrated into the new society, social equilibrium is once again achieved; that is until the next social evolution. This in between stage of chaotic change is fueled by what Durkheim called anomie. Anomie is described as a breakdown of social norms regulating individual behavior and social interaction. †(Zhao 4). Durkheim claimed that is human nature to act in a chaotic manner and to seek evolution. The only way he believed that order was possible was through social integration. Religion was a factor in the sociological views of Durkheim. â€Å"Religion, in this ma nner, contributes to the constitution and protection of social order by supplying a moral order. That is to say that ‘since society will always require periodic reaffirmation, religion is an indispensable, permanent social fixture. †(Mazman 10). Durkheim does not hint whether he himself is religious or not, he simply states that religion is necessary to have social integration. He claims that a moral order is necessary in society. It is a set list of rights and wrongs for people to live by. This order is never changed or even questioned by the members of society in times of peace. This moral order cannot simply be insisted by a ruler of some sort, it is much more complex than that. The moral order must come from an unquestionable source. This is why religion is necessary. With religion ruling people, they are threatened not with a punishment in this life, but with eternal damnation. People fear what they do not understand; therefore religion is the only thing that can provide absolute social order. A higher being that no person can see or hear cannot be questioned. The fear of eternal punishment will force a large majority of members of society to submit to the moral and social order. Durkheim insists that religion is one of the greatest ways to prevent anomie which leads to the inevitable society revolutionizing chaos. Max Weber greatly opposed Karl Marx’s views on religion and economy. Weber believed that the economy was certainly not even close to the center of society. â€Å"Economies result from communities, which are arranged in such a way that goods, tangible and intangible, symbolic and material, are distributed. Such a distribution is always unequal and necessarily involves power. †(Simon 8). So in Weber’s opinion material possessions are the root of inequality. Nothing is distributed equally and therefore, leads to social injustice and in some cases oppression. Weber believed that religion was responsible for change in society. â€Å"For Weber, religion, because it calls forth a type of personality through beliefs in ethical values, affects social life and interactions. These ethical values and religious ideas, in turn, are affected by social, economic and political conditions in a given society. †(Mazman 13). Weber’s view on religion is similar to that of Durkheim. Weber believed that religion gave society a set moral order. Weber also claimed that as society advanced the religious views advanced to somewhat modernize the social order. Weber’s work is therefore an invitation to see the history of political institutions, the history of religions or the history of morals as guided by a diffuse program aiming at defining institutions, rules, etc. which will most efficiently respect the dignity and vital interests of all. †(Boudon 6) Weber also dug even deeper. He claimed that certain religions prospered more than ot hers. He actually did prove this. Weber showed that Protestants had the best religion, not in the sense of religious views, but socially and economically. Protestantism provided modern individuals with coherent, meaningful, ethical conduct in terms of seeking salvation and God’s blessing in their worldly activities. †(Mazman 13). The Protestants believed in vocation. They believed that whatever occupation they had in life was not simply by chance, but they were called to it. They were what most would call ‘workaholics’ who dedicated every free second of their time to work. This made the Protestants statistically the most financially well-off group in most societies. This goes back to Weber’s view of the social structure. The Protestants were the wealthiest so they would be the leaders of society. So as I have shown, these three sociologists, Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber, had world renowned views of society. They all had points that were unquestionable yet others that were flaky at best. We often saw views of each man overlapping. One cannot help but to ponder what if another sociologist came along and took the best parts of their works and put the pieces together. Would the perfect sociological view be formed? Only time can tell. ?

Using Calculus to Calculate Elasticities

Using Calculus to Calculate Elasticities [Q:] I understand the equations you have on your site regarding the change in quantity demanded and change in price to calculate the elasticity. How would I convert this equation into those types? I dont quite understand what this equation means. No other info was given. Demand is Qx 110 - 4Px. What is price (point) elasticity at $5? [A:]Elasticity is given by the formula: Elasticity (percentage change in Z) / (percentage change in Y) We saw how to calculate various elasticities when were given numerical examples. But how do we calculate an elasticity when were given a formula such as Z f(X)? Use Calculus to Find the Elasticity! Using some fairly basic calculus, we can show that (percentage change in Z) / (percentage change in Y) (dZ / dY)*(Y/Z) where dZ/dY is the partial derivative of Z with respect to Y. Thus we can calculate any elasticity through the formula: Elasticity of Z with respect to Y (dZ / dY)*(Y/Z) Well look at how to apply this to four different situations: Using Calculus To Calculate Price Elasticity of DemandUsing Calculus To Calculate Income Elasticity of DemandUsing Calculus To Calculate Cross-Price Elasticity of DemandUsing Calculus To Calculate Price Elasticity of Supply Next: Using Calculus To Calculate Price Elasticity of Demand

Designers handbags for women Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Designers handbags for women - Assignment Example With the passage of time, the designer handbags have grown popularity and women have shifted from just handbags to designer handbags. Both might be considered the same by many but for women, designer handbags are statement of their style, their unique image and their temperament. Designer handbags have gained popularity in different parts of the world including in Asia. Women are now more comfortable with the designer handbags rather than just leather handbags. Designer handbags are the first choice of women when it comes to selecting between handbags and for the very reason Luxurious has aimed to provide the customers with an exclusive range of designer handbags in Asia. These designer handbags offered to the customers are unique and different from others in the market and because of their uniqueness in style they are liked by a large number of women. With the potential of the market and increasing demand of the handbags (Venugopal, 2010), this report analyses the possibility of introducing one of the designer handbags offered by Luxurious in Indian Market. Indian Market is one of the most lucrative and highly potential markets for handbags (Venugopal, 2010) and therefore this report analyses the positives and negatives of the Indian market and how fruitful Luxurious can be if it introduces its hand bags in the Indian Market. With the increasing competition in the designer handbags industry, there are different factors that influence the consumers to buy the handbag. Design although has always remained the most important factor, but the price has also played an important part to encourage the consumers to buy the product. Luxurious handbags in India would be offered with competitive and very reasonable prices and this has been predicted as the main reason why large number of consumers would be attracted to use the products of Luxurious. The competitive price of these Luxurious designer handbags would be helpful in gaining more attention as women are fond of collecting designer handbags but due to the high prices many of them are not able to afford such bags. There are number of factors that would help Luxurious to be successful in India and some of the major factors include; highly populated country, demand of luxury products including handbags, purchasing power of India, and culture of India etc. Luxurio us can enter the market of India and it can open up its outlets in the Indian market and at the same time offer its products online as well. This decision is based on the fact that the purchasing power of customers has greatly increased due to which the demand for quality designer handbags have increased and the trend of online sales have also been increasing. Background India being one of the fastest growing economies of the world has much potential than other markets of the world. The women in this region are more inclined towards designer handbags than any other local handbags available to them. The rising income is another factor due to which the demand for the designer handbags is preferred over simple and local handbags. The main reason to select this region over others is the potential growth and opportunities that could be availed in this market. India is emerging as one of the developing countries in the world. The designer handbags industry in this country is improving eve n though demand internationally has been reduced because of recession. With the rise in the income level in India, more and more women are intending to purchase designer handbags. The market has great potential for designer handbags as fashion industry in this

An overview of prevailing trend of Chinese hotel joining hotel chains Essay

An overview of prevailing trend of Chinese hotel joining hotel chains - Essay Example With the exposure to the foreign markets most of the single hotels are adopting the trend of joining the chains in order to get the advanced facilities with continuous renovation and updation. "Increasingly the chains are offering a better and better selection of services and products from around the world, which is rapidly exposing the Chinese consumers to products that they would otherwise not have the opportunity to sample." (Tibbits, 2003) "The growth of China's inbound tourism market appears to have matched its economic growth and has consistently outstripped the world wide average. Between 1990 and 2000, international visitor arrivals to China increased by an average of 11.8% pa, while global tourism grew by a modest 4.3% pa. During 2001, the disparity was magnified. In the face of a global decline of 1.3%, international visitor arrivals to China increased by 6.7% to reach 89.0 million. This growth continued into the first six months of 2002, with international arrivals increasing by 9.4% over the six months to June 2001. The World Tourist Organisation recently announced that China was set to overtake Italy, US, Spain and France and become the top destination by 2020, attracting 130 million international visitors" (Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, October 2002) Most of the hotels in China are undergoing the process of management improvement. The new techniques of planning by objectives and improved decision making are being implemented by following the lines of the foreign hotels in order to achieve the competitive edge among the industry participants. Another trend, which is gaining popularity in the industry, is the collaborative projects and ventures of the domestic and foreign hotels proving fruitful for both. The foreign personnel trains the trains the domestic employees about the modern techniques on the other hand the local hotel facilitates environmental and legal adjustments of the foreign hotels in the market. The Chinese regulatory bodies have opened the hospitality industry for the foreign hotels but restricted them to the level of 3 star hotels in order to save the domestic hotels having weak position (Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, October 2002). But with encouraging the foreign hotels to support the domestic hotels the Government has taken cautious measures to limit the role of the foreign hotels to effect the tourism market of the country. Most of the Chinese single hotels are joining into hotel chains in order to undertake better development and provision of strong financial back up in order to respond to the competition posed by the foreign hotels laced with most advanced facilities management and booking system. Most of the single hotels need to undertake strong and aggressive strategic steps to keep themselves present in the market. This surge of drastic steps forces them to affiliate with the foreign large hotel chain such as Six continents, which are the symbol of aggressive and effective strategies. The adoption of the pattern of joining the hotel chain by the single hotels in China has lead to the domination of the large international hotel chain domination in the

Problems of Working Women

Problems of Working Women While discussing the issues and concerns about working women, the main emphasis should be on the opportunities for women, as it is of utmost importance. Like every human being, a woman has a natural desire for the expression of her inborn knack and abilities; even a small baby shows his natural guts through his actions and movements. So, if a woman learns something, she craves for expressing it in some way. It is quite encouraging that nowadays, women have much more opportunities and prospects for the assertion of their individuality and talents. The services sector has increased the chances for women with its comfortable environment, where they can actively participate and excel, even from a distant place. Hence, if the focus is right, this issue will, hopefully, find its way towards a positive solution. In short we need revamp in all round corners with respect to working womens lives. We need to help each other, join together in chorus to raise our issues, put them in a proposal to government for new legislations angled at improving working womens lives. 1. Introduction In India, men do not share on most of the household chores, it is women who have to cook, clean the house, do the dishes, wash clothes, get their children ready for school etc. Men just took care of few chores that are to be dealt outside the house. So the major burden of running the family is on the shoulders of women. It was alright for women to handle all the chores as long as they were homemakers. Now with their increasing need for getting some income for the family, they have to work all the more harder. They have to take up a 9 to 5 job plus handle all the household chores that they handled as a homemaker. Mens role has not changed much. The status of Indian women has undergone considerable change. Though Indian women are far more independent and aware of their legal rights, such as right to work, equal treatment, property and maintenance, a majority of women remain unaware of these rights. There are other factors that affect their quality of life such as age of marriage, extent of literacy, role in the family and so on. In many families, women do not have a voice in anything while in several families; the women may have a dominating role. The result is that the empowerment of women in India is highly unbalanced and with huge gaps. Those who are economically independent and literate live the kind of life that other women tend to envy about. This disparity is also a cause for worry because balanced development is not taking place.1 2. Objectives of the study: To study the status of working women in India. To study the problems faced by working women in India 3. Scope of the study: The scope of the study is limited to the present status of working women in India 4. Review of Literature: Hate (1978) in her book stated that there is positive change in the political, economics and social status of middle class working and non-working women living in four cities in Maharashtra with the advent of independence. Robinson and Skarie (1980) in their article on stress of working women stated that in the area of stress and its relationship to locus control reveals that internally oriented individuals show less perception of role overload and role ambiguity Chandrika (1982) in her study stated that in the last decade of the 20th century the spotlight fell on various specific issues of women, these include multiple feminine identity, gender and sexuality, feminization of poverty environment and sustainable development, planning and power globalization, sex tourism, sexual harassment at work place, Dalit womens issues, tribal women and minority womens problem, womens rights as human rights, communal fascism, women and media. These yielded truly in depth analysis, studies and discussions and action programmers. Seta Vaidayalingam (1994) discussed the problem and concerns of Indian women. According to working women are subject to more explanative problems and pressures then their non- working sisters. Finding a suitable occupation in the first problem right and proceeds it and of course fighting for the right amount of education to secure a decent job, tops it all, after having completed her education when a women steps the field of vocation are not quite correct, we find to be womens staying capacity and the usual remarks is adequate. This kind of attitude spoils a womens changes at all levels and particularly in the field of self -employment with a job come other problematic situations, kinds of people at work especially men. Number of lawyers do not encourage women simply because the later to level the office at about 6 p.m. in order to reach home early despite the fact that a busy lawyers office is at its best after 6 p.m. Single working women have the accommodation problem, if working i n a city their families do not live with them. One has heard and read in the newspaper of the unfavorable conditions prevailing in hostels which in any case among to meet encouraged to need. My own mother has never done a days work despite having secured a medical education from the Madras Medical College. Let us look at some of the basic problems faced by working women in modern-day India. 5. Status of Working Women in India Status of Indian working women is far from being satisfactory.. 6. Data Analysis Interpretation Most commonly used development indicators are work and employment as an economic empowerment measure for women via-avis men, participation in Decision Making in Administrative and Political power. The status of working Indian women has been shown in Table 1 during the recent past of post independence period. From 1971-2001 the overall work participation rate for women has gone from 34.3 percent to 39.26 percent, just a marginal increase of 5 per cent over a long period of three decades. Ideal share in work participation of women should have been equal to sex ratio of women in the total population of the country. We are far away from this ideal even after 65 years of independence. Work participation in higher administrative posts is miserably low. Though there has been a cry for equal political participation for women in political decision making, barring a single exception of Womens participation in Local Self Government bodies, the rate of womens participation in state assemblies has hardly increase by .0.5 percent over the period of 15 years from 1985 to 2000 whereas the participation in MPs in Parliament has increase just by 4 per cent over a period of 20 years from 6.1 per cent to 10.1 per cent. Shall we be able to bring gender equality in near future? How long we should wait for bringing gender equality in real terms? 7. Problems of Working Women Acceptance As Working Professionals Most Indian men are yet to come to terms with the fact that women are also capable of working with them, shoulder to shoulder, in any field or professional sphere. They still visualize women as individuals who should be in charge of the kitchen and other domestic affairs. Work is either seen as a temporary evil for women whose husbands do not earn enough, or the domain of women who do not know their place. As a result, Indian working women do not get the respect they require from their male colleagues in the workplace. Balancing Work-Family Life No matter how high their position or designation is in the office, women in India are still viewed as the family manager back home. They are expected to return home at a certain time, cook, clean and take care of family affairs. In fact, men who help out around their house are often the butt of jokes by their male friends. This makes life extremely stressful for women who have little help around the house and have to do it all. Travelling For Work is Not Acceptable One of the problems faced by married working women is that they cannot travel or go on tours without having to answer uncomfortable questions by most of their friends and family. This is especially true for married women, who also have a flourishing career. Their professional obligations often depend on the support and understanding of family members. A married man can go on long official tours outside his home city, without raising eyebrows and questions from his family members and peers, but his equally-successful wife would face disapproval. As a result, women often have to opt out of jobs than involve travel or settle for not being promoted as a result. Safety Of Working Women The nosey questions factor aside, there is still the concern for safety of working women who need to travel on official business. Women travelling out of their home city for work trips are considered vulnerable and an easy target to fulfill the lewd intentions of their chauvinist male colleagues. Checking into a hotel alone is one of the problems faced by working women, even if the trip is purely official. Many hotels refuse to allot a room to a single woman (under strange pretexts) because of their own safety concerns or if a woman decides to stay alone, she is viewed with suspicion. Unequal Pay One of the raging topics of discussion in the context of problems faced by working women (not only in India, but also in many other nations) is that of equal pay. Legally, a woman is entitled to get the same salary as their male colleagues for the same kind of work done by them. However, gender discrimination is rampant as many companies still do not adhere to these guidelines and pay women less than their male colleagues. Education Though it is gradually rising, the female literacy rate in India is lower than the male literacy rate. Compared to boys, far fewer girls are enrolled in the schools, and many of them drop out. According to the National Sample Survey Data of 1997, only the states of Kerala and Mizoram have approached universal female literacy rates. According to majority of the scholars, the major factor behind the improved social and economic status of women in Kerala is literacy. Under Non-Formal Education programme (NFE), about 40 Per cent of the centers in states and 10 Per cent of the centers in UTs are exclusively reserved for females. As of 2000, about 0.3 million NFE centers were catering to about 7.42 million children, out of which about 0.12 million were exclusively for girls. In urban India, girls are nearly at par with the boys in terms of education. However, in rural India girls continue to be less educated than the boys. According to a 1998 report by U.S. Department of Commerce, the chief barrier to female education in India are inadequate school facilities (such as sanitary facilities), shortage of female teachers and gender bias in curriculum (majority of the female characters being depicted as weak and helpless). Discrimination at Workplace However, Indian women still face blatant discrimination at their workplaces. A major problem faced by the working women is sexual harassment at the work place. Further, women employees working in night shift are more vulnerable to such incidents. Nurses, for example, face this problem nearly every day. There is nothing that is done in hospitals to tackle and address the danger they face. Such blatant disregard of current Indian laws is one reason why sexual harassment at the workplace continues to increase. Also, Indian women are often deprived of promotions and growth opportunities at work places but this doesnt apply to all working women. A majority of working women continue to be denied their right to equal pay, under the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 and are underpaid in comparison to their male colleagues. This is usually the case in factories and labor-oriented industries. Land and property rights In most Indian families, women do not own any property in their own names, and do not get a share of parental property. Due to weak enforcement of laws protecting them, women continue to have little access to land and property. In fact, some of the laws discriminate against women, when it comes to land and property rights. The Hindu personal laws of mid-1956s (applied to Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains) gave women rights to inheritance. However, the sons had an independent share in the ancestral property, while the daughters shares were based on the share received by their father. Hence, a father could effectively disinherit a daughter by renouncing his share of the ancestral property, but the son will continue to have a share in his own right. Additionally, married daughters, even those facing marital harassment, had no residential rights in the ancestral home. After amendment of Hindu laws in 2005, now women in have been provided the same status as that of men. In 1986, the Supreme Court of India ruled that Shah Bano, an old divorced Muslim woman was eligible for maintenance money. However, the decision was vociferously opposed by fundamentalist Muslim leaders, who alleged that the court was interfering in their personal law. The Union Government subsequently passed the Muslim Womens (Protection of Rights upon Divorce) Act. Similarly, the Christian women have struggled over years for equal rights of divorce and succession. In 1994, all the churches, jointly with womens organizations, drew up a draft law called the Christian Marriage and Matrimonial Causes Bill. However, the government has still not amended the relevant laws. Crimes against women Police records show high incidence of crimes against women in India. The National Crime Records Bureau reported in 1998 that the growth rate of crimes against women would be higher than the population growth rate by 2010.Earlier; many cases were not registered with the police due to the social stigma attached to rape and molestation cases. Official statistics show that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of reported crimes against women. Domestic Violence Globally, one out of every three women faces violence at the hands of their husbands, Fathers, or brothers and uncles in their homes. Domestic violence can be described as when one adult in a relationship misuses power to control another through violence and other forms of abuse. The abuser tortures and controls the victim by calculated threats, intimidation and physical violence. Although men, women and children can be abused, in most cases the victims are women. In every country where reliable, large-scale studies have been conducted, results indicate that between 16 and 52 Per cent of women have been assaulted by their husbands/partners. These studies also indicate widespread violence against women as an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Such violence may also include rape and sexual abuse. Psychological Status of Women in India: Problems and concerns 25violence includes verbal abuse, harassment, confinement and deprivation of physical, financial and personal resources. For some women emotional abuse may be more painful than physical attacks because they effectively undermine womens security and self-confidence. In India, violence within the home is universal across culture, religion, class and ethnicity. The abuse is generally condoned by social custom and considered a part and parcel of marital life. Statistics reveal a grim picture of domestic violence in India. The National Crimes Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India reports a shocking 71.5 Per cent increase in instances of torture and dowry deaths during the period from 1991 to 1995. Dowry Another serious issue in modern India is Courts are flooded with cases related to death due to dowry harassment by husband and in laws. In ancient times women were given Stridhan when they departed from the house of their parents. This amount of money was given to her as a gift which she can use on her and her children but her in-laws did not have any right on that amount. This amount was supposed to help the girl in time of need. Slowly this tradition became obligatory and took the form of dowry. Nowadays parents have to give hefty amount in dowry, the in laws of their girl are not concerned whether they can afford it or not. If a girl brings large amount of dowry she is given respect and is treated well in her new home and if she does not bring dowry according to expectations of her in laws then she has to suffer harassment. Due to this evil practice many newly wed women of India have to lose their lives. 8. Conclusion: Thus, while discussing the issues and concerns about working women, the main emphasis should be on the opportunities for women, as it is of utmost importance. Like every human being, a woman has a natural desire for the expression of her inborn knack and abilities; even a small baby shows his natural guts through his actions and movements. So, if a woman learns something, she craves for expressing it in some way. It is quite encouraging that nowadays, women have much more opportunities and prospects for the assertion of their individuality and talents. The services sector has increased the chances for women with its comfortable environment, where they can actively participate and excel, even from a distant place. Hence, if the focus is right, this issue will, hopefully, find its way towards a positive solution. In short we need revamp in all round corners with respect to working womens lives. We need to help each other, join together in chorus to raise our issues, put them in a proposal to government for new legislations angled at improving working womens lives. A couple of visibly clear steps the government can take to improving working womens lives are: Give higher interest in all bank deposits to women Give 30-50 Per cent discount in all Rail/bus/plane fares to women Legislate strict laws against sexual harassment in offices Setup special courts for handling complaints of working women against their employers Legislate leeway for special leaves needed by working women Legislate laws to curb inequality

Newspaper article to evaluate Essay

Newspaper article to evaluate and review the purpose of faith schools in multi-faith and multicultural Britain. Faith schools in Britain are schools that teach general national curriculums but using religious principles and aims within their teaching. The extremities of these principles vary between different faiths and different schools. The term â€Å"faith schools† was first used in 1990 when Muslim institutes demanded for more freedom within education. There is approximately 7000 faith schools in Britain, almost a third of all state funded schools with around one and quarter million pupils but many ask if there is any need for such a large number of faith schools in a society that is becoming more secular. In 2006, 197 faith schools made up the 209 primary schools in the UK that achieved â€Å"perfect† results in that year’s league tables. All students reached the expected standard for 11 year olds in English, maths and science. The best school in the tables was North Cheshire Jewish primary school which offers â€Å"a traditional Jewish education†. The most improved school was St Anne’s Roman Catholic primary school whose results tripled within three years. Some would say that faith schools create a â€Å"social sorting† of children according to class, ability, religion and academics. This could be backed up by the fact that faith schools achieve higher exam results on average in the UK. However, the pupils who attend the secondary faith schools who have been to high-achieving primary schools appear to be from more well-off families. As well as this, according to a report for the Government, faith schools only achieve better results as they select the best pupils, not because of their religious ethos thus raising the question in whether if there is a need for faith schools. The Politics Show South has surveyed all the secondary schools in the region and found that 72% of pupils at the region’s faith schools got five good GCSE results, as against a national average of 53. 7% getting five good GCSE results. Four out of five faith schools in the South beat the national average. A parent at the Islamia Primary School in Queen’s Park, North London, also sees cultural advantages for her children in faith schools. â€Å"I wanted them to have a sense of pride as a Muslim but also to be following the English curriculum so that they could hopefully continue on to university and mix with everyone else. â€Å"But at the same time they’d know about Islam from a Muslim and not a Christian point of view. † As well as result statistics, faith schools are also keen on imposing discipline and teaching ethics to students. Some say that â€Å"the force of their religion and faith and the ethos of how to become a good citizen will be there all the time. † This means that students who study at these faith schools may have difficulty indulging in a crime or hating people or doing something which is not like their religious ethos. However a lot of people would agree that the rise of multi faith schools within the country would actually produce more secular societies as the rise in numbers and funding of one particular faith for schools could lead to unsettlement from other faiths. Also, single faith schools can also leave children unequipped to deal with life in mainstream Britain as only select things are taught within single faith schools. Director of National Secular society said: â€Å"If they are moving from restricted communities into a single faith school, they have very little contact with those from the majority community. And then suddenly, when they are 16 they come out into the majority community for the first time and into the workplace. I’m worried about the implications of that.†