Education †Africa Essay

Introduction In this essay I will discuss all the situational factors that formed the basis of the reforms during the era of education reform from 1976-1994 in South Africa. The essay will critically discuss factors in detail regarding pre 1994 education. I will then give a conclusion on all the factors that influenced the educational reforms. The Soweto uprising in 1979 In 1979 there was a huge riot against the education act. The riot was about creating equal learning opportunities for everybody, black and coloured people rioted in the streets of Johannesburg because they were tired of being oppressed. While this was going on teachers lost the will to teach and learners lost the will to learn. Erosion of the culture of learning and teaching (C. O. L. T) Schools were closed, destroyed and sometimes even burnt down because of the inequalities of learning during this era. This made it very hard for students of â€Å"colour† to learn. Thus putting education for people of â€Å"colour† in a deep crisis. Students were upset with three major issues: the standard of education, the quality of teaching and finally the poor state of school buildings and equipment. These three issues made students not want to attend school and was a main cause to the Soweto uprising in 1976. The De Lange commission The De Lange commission was introduced in order to create a better education system, for example creating equal education opportunities for everybody. These were some of their suggestions: education must improve quality of life, must promote economic growth and education should be equal and available to every student regardless of their colour. The De Lange commission was considered by the HSRC and eleven points from the commission were put into place. The 1994 democratic elections In 1994 the first democratic elections took place, this is the first time that everybody was seen as equal, with equal rights and learning opportunities. People were also given the freedom to pick which languages they wanted to learn in, as well as have a choice on subjects they learnt. People were also given freedom of choice in other areas not only education and some of these choices are: freedom to vote, freedom to live where they want, freedom to marry between races and International sanctions, against South Africa, in sport and economics were lifted. Differences in schooling between the four different race groups Along almost any dimension of comparison, there have been, and are glaring inequalities between the four schooling systems in South Africa. This applies to teacher qualifications, teacher-pupil ratios, per capita funding, buildings, equipment, facilities, books, stationery and also to ‘results’ measured in terms of the proportions and levels of certificates awarded. Along these dimensions, â€Å"White’ schools are far better off than any of the others, and ‘Indian’ and ‘Coloured’ schools are better off than those for ‘Africans’. Schooling is compulsory for ‘Whites’, ‘Indians’ and ‘Coloureds’ but not for ‘Africans’. Which created unequal opportunities when it came to job opportunities. Curriculum during the apartheid era Curriculum development in South African education during the period of apartheid was controlled tightly from the centre. While theoretically, at least, each separate department had its own curriculum development and protocols, in reality curriculum formation in South Africa was dominated by committees attached to the white House of Assembly. So prescriptive was this system, controlled on the one hand by a network of inspectors and subject advisors and on the other hand by several generations of poorly qualified teachers, that had authority, controlled learning, and corporal punishment were the rule. These conditions were exacerbated in the impoverished environments of schools for children of colour. Examination criteria and procedures were instrumental in promoting the political perspectives of those in power and allowed teachers very little latitude to determine standards or to interpret the work of their students. The Bantu education act  The Bantu Education Act (No. 47) of 1953 widened the gaps in educational opportunities for different racial groups. The concept of racial â€Å"purity,† in particular, provided a rationalization for keeping black education inferior. Verwoerd, then minister of native affairs, said black Africans â€Å"should be educated for their opportunities in life,† and that there was no place for them â€Å"above the level of certain forms of labour. † The government also tightened its control over religious high schools by eliminating almost all financial aid, forcing many churches to sell their schools to the government or close them entirely. Christian national education(C. N. E) Christian National Education supported the NP program of apartheid by calling on educators to reinforce cultural diversity and to rely on â€Å"mother-tongue† instruction in the first years of primary school. This philosophy also exposed the idea that a person’s social responsibilities and political opportunities are defined by that person’s ethnic identity. The government also gave strong management control to the school boards, who were elected by the parents in each district. Official attitudes toward African education were paternalistic, based on segregation. Black education was not supposed to drain government resources away from white education. The number of schools for blacks increased during the 1960s, but their curriculum was designed to prepare children for menial jobs. Per-capita government spending on black education slipped to one-tenth of spending on whites in the 1970s. Black schools had inferior facilities, teachers, and textbooks. Conclusion In conclusion to the above essay there were many problems such as; Christian national education(C.N. E), The Bantu education act, Curriculum during the apartheid era, Differences in schooling between the four different race groups, The 1994 democratic elections, The De Lange commission, Erosion of the culture of learning and teaching (C. O. L. T)and The Soweto uprising in 1979. In all these situational factors that formed the basis of the reforms during the era of education reform from 1976-1994 in South Africa, the 1994 democratic elections were put in place so that everyone had equal opportunity at everything; it was the main â€Å"turn around† point after the period of 1976-1994. I have discussed some of them in detail so that you can get a better understanding of the reforms that took place during the period of 1976-1994. Words: 1024 References 1. http://upetd. up. ac. za/thesis/available/etd-05062008-091259/unrestricted/02chapter2a. pdf 2. http://jae. oxfordjournals. org/content/16/5/849. abstract 3. http://newlearningonline. com/new-learning/chapter-5-learning-personalities/apartheid-education/ 4. http://www. nwu. ac. za/sites/default/files/files/p-saeduc/articles/2009articles/Teksversorg_23nov09_ODAV. pdf 5. http://www. mongabay. com/history/south_africa/south_africa-education_under_apartheid. html

Understanding Your Fats and Fiber

When people discuss diet and health there are many stigmas, one of them being that all fats are bad. While fats can be harmful if taken in excess, there are many different types of fats that make up this category. The fats that make up category are: saturated fats, unsaturated fats, trans-fatty acids and hydrogenated fats. Each of these fats are different and all play a role in your diet, some give much needed nutrients, while others have low nutritional value. One of the essential things that is given from fats in your food are the essential fatty acids or EFA; these are essential and important to take in from your food because the body is incapable of producing EFAs (â€Å"Fat Facts: Good Fats Vs. Bad Fats†, 2013). Fat also carries other necessary vitamins to include: vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E and vitamin K. According to Dr. Wahida Karmally, â€Å"Fat is also necessary for maintaining healthy skin, and it plays a central role in promoting proper eyesight and brain development in babies and children. However, fats can still pack on the bulge, at 9 calories per gram, of any type of fat, has more than twice the calories of carbohydrates and protein (â€Å"Fat Facts: Good Fats Vs. Bad Fats†, 2013). Diets that are high in saturated and Trans fatty acids are known to raise blood cholesterol and can produce artery clogging compounds. This blocks oxygen flow to the heart, as well as, to the brain. Both saturated and Trans fat are daily fats that you need to limit in your diet. Saturated fats can be found in meats, butter and ice cream; while Trans fats are found in things such as margarines and packaged foods. Trans fats are present in fatty meats and full-fat dairy foods (â€Å"Fat Facts: Good Fats Vs. Bad Fats†, 2013), most Trans fats are an end product of hydrogenation. Hydrogenation converts oil into a firmer, better tasting product and giving it a longer shelf life, in this process, some of the unsaturated fat in the oil becomes saturated (â€Å"Fat Facts: Good Fats Vs. Bad Fats†, 2013). Unsaturated or monounsaturated fats should be the dominate type of fat in a balanced diet (â€Å"Fat Facts: Good Fats Vs. Bad Fats†, 2013). Some of the foods that are high in monounsaturated fats can be: olive and canola oils, avocado, almonds and cashews. Simply put you should try to stay away from Trans fatty acids and saturated fats whenever possible. Though fats have a bad reputation they are not all bad and have some essential vitamins and nutrients that can only be retrieved from things such as meat and dairy. Unsaturated or monounsaturated fats are the most beneficial fats for you and are to be taken in place of the others when possible. By eating lean meats, different assorted nuts and things like avocado you can reduce the risk of clogged arteries and high blood cholesterol.

Explain the Biological Mechanisms by Which Stress Can Induce Depressive Behaviour

Explain the biological mechanisms by which stress can induce depressive behaviour. Introduction Depressive behaviour is a core feature of several major psychological disorders, most obviously major depression (MD) and depressive episodes of bipolar depression (BP). Depression is also frequently found to be co-morbid with psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia and with anxiety-related disorders (e. g. social phobia or OCD). Depression is the biggest major risk factor for self-harm and suicide, thus posing a real clinical problem to try to understand and reverse the mechanisms involved.Traditional anti-depressant treatment has only shown a modest benefit to placebos in treating the disorder; therefore, more effective drugs that target the right biological mechanisms are imminently needed. The majority of experimental research in the area has used rodents to test medication and model known psychopathological aspects of depression in humans, such as learned helplessness, cognitive def icits and increased co-morbidity with anxiety-related behaviours. There are many factors that may explain why some people (around 16% of the population) will experience a depressive episode in their lifetime and others won’t.Genetic vulnerability and epigenetic changes, psychosocial support, socioeconomic status or even climate-related factors all have to be considered in considering the right treatment for individual cases. Whilst the causal link between many of these and the onset of depression is somewhat inconclusive, the strong association between chronic mild stress (CMS) and depressive behaviour is now a huge area of research, resulting in the stress-induced model of depression.Even where there is evidence for the role of genes in depression, such as allele variants for the 5-HTT promoter region, it is shown to vary as a function of exposure to stressful life events. The mechanisms by which environmental stressors can lead to depressive behaviour have been explored tho roughly, with a strong focus on the role of the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis and its dysfunction in depression. The consequent rise in levels of the glucocorticoid hormone cortisol, following HPA activation, has been shown to become chronic increased in depressed patients.This is thought to be due to the development of glucocorticoid resistance, whereby high levels of cortisol are present in the bloodstream and peripheral tissue but negative feedback to shut down the HPA axis no longer works. Due to the numerous roles of cortisol within the body, several biological processes may be affected as a consequence of CMS that may lead to depressive behaviour. Direct and indirect effects of HPA dysfunction include changes in immune response, neuronal damage, decreased rates of neurogenesis and the serotonin pathways.These processes tend to interact and exacerbate one another; therefore, understanding each proposed biological mechanism of stress-induced depression and their impa ct upon each other is likely to lead to a better treatment outcome. Acute Stress and the HPA Axis The experience of acute mild stress is a normal and adaptive process, triggered by an environmental ‘stressor’ deemed to be potentially harmful. From an evolutionary perspective, this serves to protect the individual from danger via activation of the sympathetic nervous system, preparing the individual for ‘fight or flight’ mode.Stress, as well as input from the amygdala, hippocampus and midbrain, directly activates the ‘stress response’ via the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis. The first immediate response is the release of corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH) from the hypothalamus, which travels to the pituitary where it binds to CRH Receptor 1 (CRHR1). CRH can also act directly on other brain regions, e. g. the amygdala at this early stage. CRH1 activation stimulates the release of adrenocorticotrophin release hormone (ACTH), which tr avels via the bloodstream to the kidneys, stimulating the delayed release of the glucocorticoid (steroid) cortisol.Cortisol acts throughout the body in all cells, via binding to cytoplasmic glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors (GR and MR) (see Figure 1). Figure 1: Cortisol can pass through the cell membrane due to its lipophillic properties. Binding of cortisol to the GR complex in the cytoplasm causes dissociation of GR from the complex, resulting in an active GR monomer. Two GRs then dimerise to form a GR dimer. This can act as a transcription factor in itself by attaching to Glucocorticoid Binding Elements (GBE), or it can interact with other Hormone Binding Elements and transcription factors to initiate gene transcription. http://jimlund. org/blog/? m=200910] A rise in cortisol levels, alongside CRH, leads to adaptive changes in behaviour, cognition and immune function. Importantly, this rise is followed by a negative feedback loop of cortisol and CRH acting upon its o wn receptors (NC3R1 and CHR2, respectively) to shut down the HPA axis once the ‘threat’ has been resolved. This homeostatic mechanism terminates the production of any more CRH and therefore brings cortisol levels back to baseline (pre-stressor), vital for returning the individual back to a normal ‘resting’ state.It is this negative feedback mechanism which has been shown to be disrupted in patients with depression. Chronic Stress and Glucocorticoid Resistance In a situation of CMS, the prolonged activation of the HPA axis leads to abnormally elevated cortisol levels. However, chronically elevated cortisol can be dangerous, due to its role in suppressing the immune system and increasing vulnerability to infection. It is possible that in order to counteract the constant influx of circulating cortisol causing potentially unwanted downstream effects, GRs in lymphocytes become unresponsive or resistant to glucocorticoids.This dysfunction of GRs is typically seen in depressed patients and has been shown numerous times using the dexamethasone suppression test (DST). Dexamethasone (a synthetic glucocorticoid) mimics cortisol by binding to GRs and shutting down HPA activity in healthy controls. Therefore, dexamethasone-treated individuals have almost no detectable cortisol over the course of the following day. On the other hand, in depressed patients, the DST doesn’t show any significant repression of HPA activity.Whilst they already show significantly higher overall levels of cortisol, they also show reduced suppression of dexamethasone during the DST. This shows that the GRs are unresponsive to glucocorticoids, leading to the typical feature of glucocorticoid resistance in depressed patients. The Inflammation/Cytokine Hypothesis Glucocorticoid resistance has important implications for immune system function. Under normal acute stress, cortisol suppresses lymphocytes in peripheral tissue from producing pro-inflammatory cytokines by act ivating intracellular GRs and leading to transcription of downstream regulatory genes.Key targets of GR-mediated transcription related to immune function include the upregulation of anti-inflammatory genes annexin-1, IL-10 and I? B? (inhibits NF-? B) and down-regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine genes, such as IL1-6, 9, 11-13, 16-18 and TNF-?. However, glucocorticoid resistance following chronic stress can mean that lymphocytes stop responding to cortisol, so there is an increase in the proliferation of leukocytes and production of pro-inflammatory cytokines.The proposed mechanism for how these peripherally-generated cytokines are able to affect the central nervous system (CNS) involves several pathways. These cytokines (IL-1? , TNF-? and IL-6) cannot typically diffuse across the blood-brain-barrier, but they can enter the CNS in regions of high BBB permeability or be actively transported across the BBB by endothelial cell transporters. Additionally, without crossing the BBB, cyt okines are able to activate endothelial cells to produce soluble factors (e. g.PG-E2) to indirectly activate neurons, as well as activating certain afferent neurons (e. g. the vagus nerve) that carry information to the CNS about the inflammation. In these ways, peripheral inflammation can cause typical changes in the CNS and ‘sickness behaviour’ seen in depressed patients: lethargy, anhedonia, reduced locomotor activity and sleep and weight disturbances. Support for this proposed mechanism comes from findings that clinically depressed patients show an abnormally high production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1? IL-6 and TNF-? ), cytokine-based immunotherapy often causes depression in cancer or hepatitis C patients and cytokine administration causes depressive behaviour in animal models. Reversal of this depressive behaviour can be seen by administration of anti-depressants, which target and reduce the inflammatory response in both patients and animal models. In a sim ilar fashion, anti-inflammatories such as cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitors or omega-3 have strong anti-depressant effects on behaviour. Inflammation-Induced NeurodegenerationAnother approach to modelling stress-induced depression has focused on the controversial findings of clinically depressed patients show changes in volume of structural brain regions, including the hippocampus, amygdala, anterior cingulated, prefrontal cortex and basal ganglia. The mechanisms by which some brain regions, in particular the hippocampus as implicated in stress-induced depression, might decrease in volume appear to be a combination of both neurodegeneration (increased apoptosis of neurons) and a decrease in adult neurogenesis in the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus (DG).Stress-induced HPA hyper-activity may explain the atrophy seen in some brain regions of clinically depressed patients. Glucocorticoids stimulate the breakdown of tissue into glucose for the quick release of energy; therefore, ch ronically increased levels may result in brain tissue loss in regions where cortisol acts, such as the hippocampus. Furthermore, the link between stress, inflammation and an increase in oxidative stress may also explain a large portion of the neurodegeneration apparent in depression.Inflammation has been shown to increase oxidation and the fact that the CNS has no proper defence against oxidative damage makes it very vulnerable to oxidative stress (OS). This has been demonstrated as a key feature in neurodegenerative diseases and depression, implicating a causal role of stress-induced inflammation in triggering degeneration. The damage caused by OS can lead to mitochondrial dysfunction, which can lead to further intracellular build up of damaging oxidised proteins.The only way for cells to cope in this situation is to activate programmed cell death (apoptosis), or in less controlled circumstances, necrosis can occur, leading to a decline in cell numbers and lateral effects on the ne ural network. This mechanism of oxidative stress-induced neurodegeneration can be slowed down and treated by the application of antioxidant enzymes, which serve a neuro-protective role. These enzymes eradicate free radical oxidising particles and also suppress pro-inflammatory cytokine action.A further damaging feature seen in neurodegeneration and depression is nitrosative stress (NS), which may contribute to neurotoxicity and therefore cell death. An increase in the production of cortisol after acute stress will temporarily cause a suppression of neurogenesis in the DG. Neurogenesis in the DG has been demonstrated to be vital for healthy cognition and memory, impacting mood, the sleep-wake cycle and appetite; all affected in depression. Therefore, CMS leads to prolonged suppression of neurogenesis and may explain the behavioural outcomes typical of depression.The decrease in neurogenesis following exposure to stress may possibly involve the neurotrophin Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), shown to be greatly reduced in regions that also show a decrease in neurogenesis and related to brain regions typically affected in depression. Animal models exposed to CMS show decreased neurogenesis and BDNF levels in overlapping brain regions and elicit depressive behaviours associated with dysfunction of these regions. Furthermore, anti-depressant treatment that successfully increases BDNF levels also leads to recovery from depressive behavioural symptoms.However, the causation here is not clear; whether the BDNF levels dropping are a result of other stress-induced mechanisms or whether it is partly the cause of the behaviour. Some evidence suggests that anti-depressants can work independently of BDNF restoration. Hagen and colleagues set out to control for possible variables such as age, time of cortisol readings and overall brain volume. Whilst there has been no robust evidence for a link between baseline cortisol levels and hippocampal volume, this study did fi nd that hippocampal volume was negatively correlated with length of depressive episode pre-hospitalisation.Furthermore, better responsiveness (lowering of cortisol levels) after treatment was predicted by greater hippocampal volume (relative to overall brain volume). b) antineurogenic effects and reduced brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels; and c) apoptosis with reduced levels of Bcl-2 and BAG1 (Bcl-2 associated athanogene 1), and increased levels of caspase-3. Stress-induced inflammation, e. g. increased IL-1? , but not reduced neurogenesis, is sufficient to cause depression. Antidepressants a) reduce peripheral and central inflammatory pathways by decreasing IL-1? TNF? and IL-6 levels; b) stimulate neuronal differentiation, synaptic plasticity, axonal growth and regeneration through stimulatory effects on the expression of different neurotrophic factors, e. g. trkB, the receptor for brain-derived neurotrophic factor; and c) attenuate apoptotic pathways by activating Bc l-2 and Bcl-xl proteins, and suppressing caspase-3. It is concluded that external stressors may provoke depression-like behaviours through activation of inflammatory, oxidative, apoptotic and antineurogenic mechanisms.The clinical efficacy of antidepressants may be ascribed to their ability to reverse these different pathways. Neuronal damage and apoptosis Activation of the Kynurenine Pathway (KP) 5-HT Accumulated evidence indicates a role of the hippocampal 5-hydroxy-tryptamine (5-HT) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) in the response to stress and modulation of depression, but it is unclear whether and how the hippocampal 5-HT and NPY systems make contributions to chronic unpredicted mild stress (CUMS)-induced depression.Here we observed that rats receiving a variety of chronic unpredictable mild stressors for 3 weeks showed a variety of depression-like behavioral changes, including a significant reduction in body weight, sucrose preference, and locomotion, rearing and grooming in open fiel d test, and a significant increase in immobility time in forced swimming test. These CUMS-induced behavioral changes were suppressed or blocked by intra-hippocampal injection of 5-HT (31. 25 microg/microl) or NPY (10 microg/microl). These data suggest a critical role of reduced hippocampal 5-HT and NPY neurotransmission in CUMS-induced depression.

The Corner and Nighthawks

Manuel Espinosa Professor Stefanovic ENC 1102 21 February 2013 NIGHTHAWKS â€Å"Nighthawks† by Samuel Yellen is a poem about three individuals who are troubled with life. These individuals are occupying the same space and they appear to be relatively close from each other, but they arein fact disconnected from one another. The speaker sets a hopeless tone to help the reader analyze and really understand the characters’ feelings. This is a poem based on a famouspainting by Edward Hopper that portrays people sitting in a downtown diner late at night.Yellen wants his readersto be able to recognize that caring and affection is the easiest way to a successful and joyful human interaction. The poem’s setting takes place at â€Å"the corner of Empty and Bleak† (1) and the time is the â€Å"night’s most desolated hour† (2). Empty corners and night hours are an infamous mix. Evil deeds are performed at desolate corners during odd hours of the night. I n the corner is â€Å"Al’s Coffee Cup or the Hamburger Tower† (3), only cheap and plain shops would stay open till late hours at night and the servers would use language like â€Å"be with you in a jiff† (7).Inside the establishment there are â€Å"three nighthawks seated there† (6). Yellenuses nighthawks because the characters meet at night and hawks are lonely animals which â€Å"in this drama do not speak† (4). Another connotation is to perceive hawks as ferocious and independent creatures or how Yellen better describe them â€Å"patrons of life† (6). One of the nighthawks, â€Å"[t]he single man whose hunched back we see† (9) challenged his fate when he â€Å"put a gun to his head in Russian roulette† (10). Even though he â€Å"won the bet† (11) his body posture indicates he is troubled or pensive. And now he lives his x years’ guarantee† (12). The speaker wants to clarify that the character might off ch eated death that time by dying is inevitable. Then, we have â€Å"facing us, the two central characters† (13). They â€Å"[h]ave finished their coffee, and have lit [a] contemplative cigarette† (14-15). These characters are meditative; cigarette smoking is associated with worried or stressed individuals. â€Å"His hand lies close, but not touching hers† (16). Now it is understood there is a male and a female character. The speaker points out that they are close but not ouching each other, describing no emotional connection between the characters. A sexual connection is implied when the speaker refers to â€Å"a darkened room† (17) and continues to give explicit details of this encounter â€Å"[m]outh burned mouth, flesh beat ground [o]n a ravaged flesh† (18-19). Yellen wants to show readers the difference between a sexual act and an intimate connection. This couple shared the ultimate bonding experience between two human beings and yet they were no t able to connect spiritually but only physically.The speaker gives example of this when he mentions â€Å"[n]o local habitation and no name† (20). The speaker finishes the poem with a sarcastic tone. He implies that everyone that â€Å"peer through that curve of plate glass† (5) should be fortune â€Å"to be none of these! † (21) referring to the nighthawks. He assumes that anybody who compares themselves with these characters, using the â€Å"complacent eye† (22), should be pleased with what they see. With this conclusion Yellen sets himself aside and delivers a powerfully message to the readers.He feels superior to the characters and wants to project that feeling to his readers, not taking in consideration or really understanding the reason the characters are in these situations in the first place. The last stanza â€Å"[o]ur satisfactions satisfy, [o]ur pleasures, our plesures please. † (23-24), makes emphasis on the way the speaker feels and w ants the readers to feel about their own accomplishments, but leaving out the way they should feel about their fellow man. The speaker projects itself as a selfish individual who does not care about less fortunate individuals.It is often said that to have a better world we should care for one another. Yellen’s idea of human connection shows the total opposite, he emphasizes on his characters’ faults instead of his qualities. This poem contains many problems that our society faces on a daily basis but unfortunately for the readers, Yellen focused on showing the problem but does not offer a solution. Work Cited McMahan, Elizabeth, Susan X Day, Robert Funk, Linda Coleman. Literature and the Writing Process. Ninth Ed. Boston: Longman. 2011. Print Rafeeq O. McGiveron (1998): Yellen's Nighthawks, The Explicator, 56:3,148-149

Sandra Drake

Andrea November 17 2010 Race and Caribbean Culture Sandra Drake addresses three issues in her excerpt â€Å"Race and Caribbean Culture as Thematic of Liberation in Jean Rhys’ Wide Sargasso Sea†. First we have the effects of the abolishment of slavery on the ex-slave owners and the Afro-Caribbean ex-slaves. Second we see the loss of identity that Antoinette had as she struggle to fit in the Caribbean culture and the English culture as well. At last, Drake turns her attention into the social tension that increasingly grows on Wide Sargasso Sea.The unexpected abolishment of slavery left Antoinette’s family in a bad social and economic situation. Her mother’s marriage and her own seem to be the only viable solution for their problems. Somewhat helpful but Antoinette still had to â€Å"struggle against the survival of the Caribbean and European patriarchy and empire† (Drake 195). The European colonialism and patriarchy on Antoinette is a mirroring image of what European Colonialism did to the Afro-Caribbean people.In her struggle to find an identity she became a â€Å"zombie†, a â€Å"ghost†, according to the ex-slaves or an â€Å"Antoinette-marionette†, according to Rochester (Drake 200). Her dependence on others, specifically, Rochester lead to her â€Å"real death† eventually by his English like suppression of her; just as the colonizers did to the Afro-Caribbean people. His inevitable English controlling personality is parallel to the subjugation of Coco by her English stepfather when he clipped his wings; which became a foreshadowing of her fate.In her pursuit for an identity â€Å"she betrays herself†, as she fervently tries to fit into the English culture by means of the Caribbean obeahs. Paying Christophine reflects her â€Å"denial of belonging to the Caribbean culture but rather wants to use the spell to complete her assimilation to England and to whiteness† (198), and a cock crew as a signal of betrayal. Ironically later on we find her calling out for Christophine to come and help her and protect her (202), she has flashbacks of her red dress and sees her Caribbean identity in it when she is in Thornfield Hall (WSS 86-187). This continuous struggles lead to her loss of identity; having recurring dreams about the fire at Coulibri Estate and the persistent questions â€Å"Qui est la? † and You frightened? â€Å"leave Antoinette with fear† (195). The answers to both of these questions are â€Å"Bertha, Bertha† (204) from the man that hated her. Alan Gordon suggests â€Å"Antoinette feels anguish at Rochester for subjugating her as her stepfather, another Englishman, subjugated Coco by clipping his wings.Antoinette's inability to recognize her voice as the source of the scream also reflects her loss of identity. Her perception of Rochester's calls to â€Å"Bertha,† an identity he imposed upon Antoinette, suggest Rochester's role in this loss. A clear comparison of what â€Å"English colonizers did to black slaves by changing their African names or giving them surnames† (198). In the midst of this conflict there is a strong social tension among ex-slave owners and ex-slaves. These conflicts were stronger than the friendship that Antoinette thought she had with Tia.When she realizes that Tia is part of the revolt she â€Å"bolts towards the natives, intuits that that is the direction not just of her past but of her future†. She doesn’t even see the stone in Tia’s hand, but she feels the blood running down her face (203). Such a brutal and heart breaking scene shows what the tension was in the Caribbean at that time; not even two innocent girls could see pass it. Drake clearly states the effects of the Emancipation Act at a personal, cultural and individual level as we read on Wide Sargasso Sea.The similarities of what English colonizers did to women and to black slaves are vast for us to compare. The power and subjugation in which they applied their authority was almost â€Å"total†, making them â€Å"clever like the Devil, more clever than God. Aint’s so? † (206). Work Cited Gordon, Alan. Dreams in Wide Sargasso Sea. 2006. 17 Nov. 2010 http://www. victorianweb. org/neovictorian/rhys/gordon14. html. Drake, Sandra. Criticism. Wide Sargasso Sea. By Jean Rhys. New York: W. W. Norton ;amp; Company Inc. , 1982. 193-206.

Myself As the King Consumer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Myself As the King Consumer - Essay Example Therefore, I believe that I cannot make a mistake when making a purchase because it comes highly recommended by trustworthy people. Then, of course, there are the trending Tweets when it comes to the latest trends in gadgets, fashion, accessories, music, etc. There is a whole multimedia campaign going on here just because Taylor Swift wants me to go back to 1989. the question is, do I spend my hard earned money just on the say-so of the brand marketers? As a consumer, it becomes increasingly difficult for me to purchase items because of all the outside factors that involve themselves in my purchasing decision. However, I find that once I break free from the influence of the brand marketers and my family members, I am even more lost than ever before I purchase something. Why is that? There are too many brands out there that all tout themselves to be better than the other for me to make a personal judgment about the item I wish to purchase. This is when my purchases begin to enter the â€Å"Hail Mary† phase. I make a decision, don't look back, or allow the salesperson to sales talk me into looking at another item before I head to the cashier. I made my decision, I can only hope it was the right one. That is what purchasing decisions have come to these days. Too much influence from other sources has spoiled the shopping experience for me. I can't even buy a tube of toothpaste these days without comparing prices, checking coupons, and googling product reviews, right there in the middle of the supermarket! That just goes to show that there is no such thing as a King Consumer anymore. These days, people know what they want, the problem, is which brand to choose. This is when the practical side of me comes into play. I believe that if I buy something too cheap, it'll break within the day. If it is too expensive, I get bells and whistles that I don't really need. So I try to  shoot for the middle brand.

Macro & Micro Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Macro & Micro Economics - Essay Example The characteristics of the market include durability, heterogeneity, high costs of transaction, long time delays, an investment as well as a consumption good, and immobility. The housing market possesses the importance of second hand transactions. According to the largest lender of the country, 5% of the total transaction is for the purchase of new properties while the rest is for purchase of either old or modern property. Two reasons can be accounted to assess the importance of the housing market for the economy of UK. The first reason states that the purchasing of houses is one of the biggest single purchases for the household and the purchased commodity represents the biggest single item of the wealth of the consumer. The changes in the prices of the houses have the potential to affect the entire economy. Current UK housing market The real estate industry is suffering from another wobble as the lenders are raising the rates of mortgage. The potential buyers are feeling the heat of consumer squeeze. Analysts are of the opinion that it is going to be a tough year ahead and the prices of the houses are taking the declining curve. The market outlook reports that the average price of the new properties failed to take the rising curve in the months of April-May, 2012. The market is driven by the release of equity. According to the nationwide house price index for the month of April, the property values have declined by 0.2 percent. It also states that the house prices are going to fall further as the households are uncertain of any possible recovery in the economy. The lenders are putting double squeeze on the home owners. The experts of the industry concluded that this is the greatest threat for the industry and it has come at the time when the economy was showing the signs of recovery. The seasonally adjusted net balance of headline price recorded a slip of 19%. The newly agreed sales value turned to negative again. The price outlook of the three months declined in the month of April and net balance witnessed a drop from -3 to -17 (RICS, 2012, p. 1). Several economists have noted that the housing market has moved out from the impacts of business cycle for the major economies including that of UK (Jones, Colin and Watkins 2009 p.1). Some writers opined that the housing market of the country is correlated with that of the economy while some others opposed it. Some writers concluded that the market is dominated by the investors and that is why demand may be artificially high or low for a long time. The interest rates act as the key economic variable for the housing market and the level of the interest rate will have impact on the demand for housing as it has the potential to determine the cost of credit for the buyers. In order to boost the economy, the interest rates have been set at a lower level. The different stages of supply and demand controls the housing market and so the market for UK is same as the market as in any other part of the World. There are two potential risks that are associated with the housing market. The first is the interest rate and the second one is mortgage indebtedness. The borrowing costs are a significant factor that determines the rates of mortgage and the ability to pay back the loans. The repayments of the mortgages become expensive as the interest rates rise and the previous crashes occurred due to this reason. The offered mortgages vary from nominal fixed rate to variable rate or index