Psychology and Behavior

1. Abstract The research area is classroom management, and specifically dealing with student’s behavior problems in a real classroom situation. It is universally recognized that the teacher is the key person in an education system and a well-managed classroom can provide an exciting and dynamic learning experience for everyone involved. The main objective of the research is to identify approaches for managing student behavior in order to apply valuable ways to achieve effective and positive classroom management.The present research was cross-sectional, and researcher used this type of research because it can be both qualitative and quantitative. Researcher hence endeavors to collect information from a smaller group or subset of the population in such a way that knowledge gained is representative of total population of the study. 2. Introduction Statement of the research is â€Å"Student Behavior Problems† The present research was cross-sectional as the researcher focuse d on one particular point. The major advantage of cross-sectional research is that data can be collected from different type of people in a short time period.The researcher used this type of research because it can be both qualitative and quantitative. The Researcher used non-probability sampling for this study. The sampling framework which suited the research was convenience sampling. The researcher used the questionnaire survey and classroom observation as research tool. 2. 1. Research Problem How should a teacher deals with students’ behavior problems in a practical classroom situation? 2. 2. Sampling Detail When defining the population upon which the research is to be focused, the researcher must take sampling decisions in the overall planning of the research.Due to the factors of expense, time and accessibility it may not be possible or practical to obtain measures from a population. Researchers, hence endeavor to collect information from a smaller group or subset of the population in such a way that knowledge gained is representative of total population of the study. The Researcher used non-probability sampling for this study. The sampling framework which suited the research was convenience sampling. It involves the nearest convenient individuals to serve as respondents and continuing the process until the required sample size has been obtained.Non-probability sampling is best suited for a small scale survey. It’s far less complicated to set up, less expensive and adequate if researchers don’t intend to generalize the findings beyond the sample in question. The researcher visited 5 English medium schools for questionnaire survey and classroom observation, which were located in urban area of Lahore city. All the schools were private and all girls’ institutions. The researcher observed the students of Grade 7th in the real classroom situation and tried to assess the ways teachers can control/minimize misbehavior in their classro oms.The total number of sample population was 60 students. Age of the students was 12-13 years old. Next chapter talks about the literature review. 3. Literature Review 3. 1. What Is Classroom Management? Classroom management is a term used by teachers to describe the process of ensuring that classroom lessons run smoothly despite disruptive behavior by students. The term also implies the prevention of disruptive behavior. It is possibly the most difficult aspect of teaching for many teachers and indeed experiencing problems in this area causes some to leave teaching altogether. Canter. 1997) Teachers feel overwhelmed and â€Å"powerless† in dealing with behavior problems in their classrooms. Canter (1997) pointed out that in the past, a simple stem look or warning was sufficient to shape up a classroom. â€Å"Misbehavior,† as Doyle contends, â€Å"is any action by one or more students that threatens to disrupt the activity flow or pull the class toward a program of a ction that threatens the safety of the group or violates norm of appropriate classroom behavior held by the teacher, the students, or the school's staff† (Doyle, 1986; p. 396). 3. . The Emphasis in Classroom Management 3. 3. Influences on Classroom Management: According to Emmer and Stough (2001), some studies have used student achievement or attitude as outcomes. But most classroom management research today has been concerned with identifying how teachers bring about student engagement with each other and limit the disruptions in the classroom. The following account will summarize the work of some important behavior theorists and in turn will identify the influences that each has made on classroom behavior and management. 3. 3. 1.Burrhus Frederick Skinner Burrhus Frederick Skinner's philosophies can be related to the issue of classroom management. Skinner (Sprinthall, 1981) emphasized his research on how the organism learns, regardless of its inherited potential, regardless o f its stage of physical or psychological development, and often regardless of its species. In regards to the classroom, Skinner (Conte, 1994) stated that by rewarding students for good behavior and ignoring or punishing wrong behavior, students would come to understand how to behave in a classroom environment. . 3. 2. William Glasser Glasser's Reality Therapy (Emmer and Stough, 2001) stressed the use of choice as the cause of behavior, good or bad, and thus instructed teachers to direct students towards making value judgments about their behavior. By making value judgments, students would come to realize the importance of â€Å"good† choices in behavior and continue to make them again in the future. Therefore, students were taught the difference between a â€Å"good judgment†, and a â€Å"bad judgment.In today's classrooms, rewards are given for â€Å"good choices† and consequences are given for â€Å"bad choices†. This process t is used to promote good behavior and diminish bad behavior in the classroom. 3. 3. 3. Jacob Kounin Jacob Kounin and his colleagues engaged in substantial classroom management research. His work focused on determining whether specific behavior settings and environmental conditions influenced behavior. He also identified a set of teacher behaviors and lesson characteristics, including, wittiness, smoothness, momentum, overlapping and group alerting.These characteristics would describe a teacher who knew what was going on at all times in the classroom and was able to deal with more than one issue or problem at a time. Kounin (Conte, 1994) thought teachers who could be that â€Å"aware† would be better managers of children in the classroom. 3. 3. 4. Abraham H. Maslow Maslow's research on hierarchy of needs has also influenced effective classroom management. Helping students meet their own needs is of the utmost importance to enhance student learning opportunities and to maintain teacher longevity in the classroom.Maslow (as cited in Sprinthall, 1981, p. 327) an important psychologist in the area of motivation theory, has suggested that there is a definite order in which individuals attempt to satisfy their needs. Maslow had declared there is an â€Å"order-of-importance† that is universal among all humans. Herbert Grossman (Gordon, 2001) recaps students' basic needs and the order which those needs must be met to produce well balanced members of society. 3. 4. Role of Teacher as Classroom Manager:According to Honeyford (1982) a major limiting factor in any classroom is the teacher; not only do his character, personality and competence play a large part in determining the atmosphere of the lesson, the sort of relationships which exist, the styles of communication and the rules and regulations governing the formalities, but the teacher also performs a key role in influencing the pupils’ view of himself and the sort of progress he/she makes. Successful classroom manageme nt has been defined as producing a high rate of work involvement with a low rate of deviancy in academic settings (Laslett and Smith, 1984).Well-managed classrooms did not result from magic, but that carefully established and maintained procedures should be at work (Sadker and Sadker, 1997). 3. 4. 1. Time management skill Academic learning time in the classroom has emerged as an important variable. Studies have shown that the amount of on-task behavior can vary as much as 40 percent from one classroom to the next. Even how quickly a teacher calls the class to order can vary all the way from one to ten minutes. Thus, how fficiently you have your lessons, how long you take to get started, how you handle digressions, off-task behavior, discipline and how you handle transitions will have an effect on student learning(Walberg,1988). 3. 4. 2. Seating arrangement Arrangements of space and furniture in ways that bunch students together or obstruct the teacher’s view make it more diff icult for a teacher to detect behavior task initiations early (Duke and Rehage, 1979). Seating arrangement must depend on the type of lesson to be taught, and the type of classroom furniture.Proper arrangement of furniture also contributes to the functionality of classrooms. Furniture is arranged so that students are oriented to the primary source or sources of information (e. g. , the teacher, audio-visual materials), while at the same time having access to other sources of activities (e. g. , work areas, computers) without disturbing in the classroom (Nitsaisook and Anderson, 1989). According to Anderson (1991) desks, chairs and tables can be arranged in a variety of ways; light and temperature can be increased or decreased. 3. 4. 3. Discipline in the classroomCallahan (1996) asserts that the best classroom environment is one that results in efficient learning. Discipline involves employing guidance and teaching techniques to encourage students to become self directive and thus to create an atmosphere conducive to learning. A teacher establishes classroom rules either with his or her students or before the school year begins. Rules are best if they are few in number, simple and easy to understand, and fair. Also rules should be posted in the classroom for all to see, and the teacher should go over the rules on the first day of school. 3. 4. 4.Dealing with disruptive students In order to handle misbehaving student, the following suggestions may prove helpful: †¢Deal with the present, current problem immediately, not with the past instances of the student misbehavior. †¢Talk to the student directly, instead of talking about him with others. †¢Don’t be harsh and provoked. Stay calm and address firmly. Anger, empty threats and physical handling must be avoided. †¢If the student’s misbehavior is impeding the teacher in teaching, â€Å"1statements† be used by explaining to the student why you are upset by his behavior. 3. 4 . 5. Exhibit Assertive BehaviorAssertive behavior differs significantly from both passive behavior and aggressive behavior. This researcher Emmer elaborates that teacher’s display assertive behavior in the classroom when they: †¢Use assertive body language by maintaining an erect posture, facing the offending student but keeping enough distance so as not to appear threatening and matching the facial expression with the content of the message being presented to students. †¢Use an appropriate tone of voice, speaking clearly and deliberately in a pitch that is slightly but not greatly elevated from normal classroom speech, avoiding any display of emotions in the voice. Persist until students respond with the appropriate behavior. Do not ignore an inappropriate behavior; do not be diverted by a student denying, arguing, or blaming, but listen to legitimate explanations. 3. 5. Addressing Problematic Student Behavior Reports of problematic behaviors are on the rise nation ally in Pakistan, not only in the classroom but in society at large (Kowalski, 2003). Some of these immature, irritating, or thoughtless behaviors or â€Å"classroom incivilities† include: †¢Lateness or leaving early †¢Side conversations †¢Disregard for deadlines Grade grubbing †¢Sniping remarks †¢Cheating These behaviors are not just instructors’ pet peeves; they have real costs including: †¢Distracting other students and instructor in class †¢Reducing student participation †¢Lowering other students' and instructor’s motivation in or out of class †¢Affecting fairness in grading †¢Using instructor time unproductively †¢Feeling disrespected as a fellow learner or authority figure 3. 6. Possible Causes: In order to limit or deal effectively with these behaviors, it is important to understand the factors that cause or facilitate them. . 6. 1. Attention Dreikurs believed that most students start misbehaving by s eeking attention, and when this fails, they move on to more problematic goal-seeking behaviors, such as power. 3. 6. 2. Power Some students don't hesitate to take a stand on matters important to them and are often disruptive and confrontational in reaching their goal. 3. 6. 3. Revenge Some students compensate for real or imagined hurt feelings and they target teacher or students for revenge. Revenge may come in the form of a physical and/or psychological attack. 3. 6. . Avoidance of Failure Wanting to avoid repeated failure, some students appear to be discouraged and helpless. This phenomenon, described as â€Å"learned helplessness† by psychologists, is characteristic of students who fail needlessly because they do not invest their best efforts. `3. 7. Possible Strategies: Sorcinelli (2002) suggests 4 principles to reduce incivilities. The principles are broad and so each one can be used to generate several concrete strategies. 3. 7. 1. Define expectations at the outset. â⠂¬ ¢Make good use of the first day of class.Use the first day to create the right climate for productive interaction. †¢Allow student participation in setting ground rules. Having students participate in setting the rules for classroom behavior and interaction 3. 7. 2. Decrease anonymity †¢Engage students one-on-one. Use the time right before and after class to make small talk with students. Ask about the weekend, or the homework, or common interests. †¢Learn and use names consistently and let students know that you are trying to memorize their names in the first weeks. 3. 7. 3. Encourage active learning.Meaningful engagement has obvious benefits for student learning and performance, but it can also bring some side benefits with respect to student behavior in the classroom. In fact, Sorcinelli (1991) points out that in classes that use active learning effectively, students †¢Feel more responsible for coming to class, and coming prepared †¢Pay more attention in class †¢Feel more responsible for their learning. The next chapter deals with research methodology. 4. Research Methodology In this chapter of research methodology, researcher has talked about the main research questions, research instruments and procedure. . 1. Research Questions: The present study focused on the following two questions: 4. 1. 1. How can the teacher maintain positive student behavior in the classrooms? 4. 1. 2. How far do the classroom rules have a significant effect on student’s behavior? 4. 2. Participants When defining the population upon which the research is to be focused, the researcher must take sampling decisions in the overall planning of the research. Due to the factors of expense, time and accessibility it may not be possible or practical to obtain measures from a population.Researchers, hence endeavor to collect information from a smaller group or subset of the population in such a way that knowledge gained is representative of total popu lation of the study. The Researcher used non-probability sampling for this study. The sampling framework which suited the research was convenience sampling. It involves the nearest convenient individuals to serve as respondents and continuing the process until the required sample size has been obtained. Non-probability sampling is best suited for a small scale survey.It’s far less complicated to set up, less expensive and adequate if researchers don’t intend to generalize the findings beyond the sample in question. The researcher visited 5 English medium schools for questionnaire survey and classroom observation, which were located in urban area of Lahore city. All the schools were private and all girls’ institutions. The researcher observed the students of Grade 7th in the real classroom situation and tried to assess the ways teachers can control/minimize misbehavior in their classrooms. The total number of sample population was 60 students.Age of the students was 12-13 years old. 4. 3. Research Instruments: The researcher used two tools. 4. 3. 1. Questionnaire Survey Questionnaires were used by the researcher to obtain the required data. It was an easier way to get relevant data from a large population. The researcher distributed questionnaires among 30 teachers and asked them to fill in their responses. The questionnaire was piloted before it was given to the participants. The questionnaires were administered to middle school teachers and the responds were examined. In this way data was collected from English medium schools of Lahore.Questionnaire contain 20 questions, among them 15 questions are close ended and 5 questions are open ended. Questionnaires can provide quantitative data using closed (or fixed-response) questions, where the respondent is presented with a number of alternative responses to a question and asked to mark the one that they feel is most appropriate. Researcher has used licked scale for this, which include five op tions such as strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree and strongly disagree. Closed questions have been criticised for forcing people to choose their answer from the alternatives provided rather than answering in their own words.Qualitative data can be gathered using open (or free-response) questions to which respondents are asked to write their own answer 4. 3. 2. Classroom Observation Classroom Observation was undertaken in order to get a proper insight into the problem being explored. The researcher undertook four classroom observations that are widely used to measure changes in classroom behaviors. Classroom observation is confidential and it is an objective recording of what the instructor is doing and saying, what the students are doing and saying and interactions between the instructor and students.The researcher visited 5 different schools, and observed the students of Grade 7th in the real classroom situation. Classroom observation as a research and evaluation method can p rovide reliable and valid data on how teachers and students behave in the classroom before and after an intervention. It will explain the criteria for selecting an appropriate classroom observation protocol and examine under what circumstances classroom observation protocols can be used effectively.In the context of the current study special emphasis was placed on the use of classroom observation to examine how the teacher dealt with problematic students in the real classroom situation. 4. 4. Pilot Testing Both the research instruments, questionnaire and classroom observation was piloted before it was given to the participants. 4. 5. Ethical Considerations The information provided by the participants should remain confidential. For this purpose of confidentiality, informed consent form was signed by all the participants before the study was started. 4. 6. ProcedureThe researcher distributed questionnaires among 30 teachers and asked them to fill in their responses. The questionnaire s were administered to middle school teachers and the responds were examined. In this way data was collected from English medium schools of Lahore. Researcher distributed questionnaire among participants and collect the filled questionnaires from them next day. Researchers left the questionnaires with the participants and give them time of one day, so that they can have enough time to fill them. 5. Analysis For the coding of data, researcher runs spss. . Conclusion The effective use of behavioral and cognitive strategies in the classroom may appear daunting even to experienced teachers. The purpose of this research was to determine which management techniques and practices were most effective in the classroom in controlling student behavior, based upon critical analysis of the research literature. The aim of the research was to enable students to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes about classroom management and the objective was to identify approaches for managing student b ehavior.However, changing your behavior and strategies is often the most efficient and effective means of improving all types of classroom behaviors, both disruptive and non-disruptive. So is has been concluded after the research that teachers first need to understand these problems regarding students behavior and then try to find solutions by seeing the world through the eyes of their students. And then developing and using a set of intervention strategies on a regular basis, problems of emotions and behavior can be effectively managed and changed in the classroom. Psychology and Behavior 1. Abstract The research area is classroom management, and specifically dealing with student’s behavior problems in a real classroom situation. It is universally recognized that the teacher is the key person in an education system and a well-managed classroom can provide an exciting and dynamic learning experience for everyone involved. The main objective of the research is to identify approaches for managing student behavior in order to apply valuable ways to achieve effective and positive classroom management.The present research was cross-sectional, and researcher used this type of research because it can be both qualitative and quantitative. Researcher hence endeavors to collect information from a smaller group or subset of the population in such a way that knowledge gained is representative of total population of the study. 2. Introduction Statement of the research is â€Å"Student Behavior Problems† The present research was cross-sectional as the researcher focuse d on one particular point. The major advantage of cross-sectional research is that data can be collected from different type of people in a short time period.The researcher used this type of research because it can be both qualitative and quantitative. The Researcher used non-probability sampling for this study. The sampling framework which suited the research was convenience sampling. The researcher used the questionnaire survey and classroom observation as research tool. 2. 1. Research Problem How should a teacher deals with students’ behavior problems in a practical classroom situation? 2. 2. Sampling Detail When defining the population upon which the research is to be focused, the researcher must take sampling decisions in the overall planning of the research.Due to the factors of expense, time and accessibility it may not be possible or practical to obtain measures from a population. Researchers, hence endeavor to collect information from a smaller group or subset of the population in such a way that knowledge gained is representative of total population of the study. The Researcher used non-probability sampling for this study. The sampling framework which suited the research was convenience sampling. It involves the nearest convenient individuals to serve as respondents and continuing the process until the required sample size has been obtained.Non-probability sampling is best suited for a small scale survey. It’s far less complicated to set up, less expensive and adequate if researchers don’t intend to generalize the findings beyond the sample in question. The researcher visited 5 English medium schools for questionnaire survey and classroom observation, which were located in urban area of Lahore city. All the schools were private and all girls’ institutions. The researcher observed the students of Grade 7th in the real classroom situation and tried to assess the ways teachers can control/minimize misbehavior in their classro oms.The total number of sample population was 60 students. Age of the students was 12-13 years old. Next chapter talks about the literature review. 3. Literature Review 3. 1. What Is Classroom Management? Classroom management is a term used by teachers to describe the process of ensuring that classroom lessons run smoothly despite disruptive behavior by students. The term also implies the prevention of disruptive behavior. It is possibly the most difficult aspect of teaching for many teachers and indeed experiencing problems in this area causes some to leave teaching altogether. Canter. 1997) Teachers feel overwhelmed and â€Å"powerless† in dealing with behavior problems in their classrooms. Canter (1997) pointed out that in the past, a simple stem look or warning was sufficient to shape up a classroom. â€Å"Misbehavior,† as Doyle contends, â€Å"is any action by one or more students that threatens to disrupt the activity flow or pull the class toward a program of a ction that threatens the safety of the group or violates norm of appropriate classroom behavior held by the teacher, the students, or the school's staff† (Doyle, 1986; p. 396). 3. . The Emphasis in Classroom Management 3. 3. Influences on Classroom Management: According to Emmer and Stough (2001), some studies have used student achievement or attitude as outcomes. But most classroom management research today has been concerned with identifying how teachers bring about student engagement with each other and limit the disruptions in the classroom. The following account will summarize the work of some important behavior theorists and in turn will identify the influences that each has made on classroom behavior and management. 3. 3. 1.Burrhus Frederick Skinner Burrhus Frederick Skinner's philosophies can be related to the issue of classroom management. Skinner (Sprinthall, 1981) emphasized his research on how the organism learns, regardless of its inherited potential, regardless o f its stage of physical or psychological development, and often regardless of its species. In regards to the classroom, Skinner (Conte, 1994) stated that by rewarding students for good behavior and ignoring or punishing wrong behavior, students would come to understand how to behave in a classroom environment. . 3. 2. William Glasser Glasser's Reality Therapy (Emmer and Stough, 2001) stressed the use of choice as the cause of behavior, good or bad, and thus instructed teachers to direct students towards making value judgments about their behavior. By making value judgments, students would come to realize the importance of â€Å"good† choices in behavior and continue to make them again in the future. Therefore, students were taught the difference between a â€Å"good judgment†, and a â€Å"bad judgment.In today's classrooms, rewards are given for â€Å"good choices† and consequences are given for â€Å"bad choices†. This process t is used to promote good behavior and diminish bad behavior in the classroom. 3. 3. 3. Jacob Kounin Jacob Kounin and his colleagues engaged in substantial classroom management research. His work focused on determining whether specific behavior settings and environmental conditions influenced behavior. He also identified a set of teacher behaviors and lesson characteristics, including, wittiness, smoothness, momentum, overlapping and group alerting.These characteristics would describe a teacher who knew what was going on at all times in the classroom and was able to deal with more than one issue or problem at a time. Kounin (Conte, 1994) thought teachers who could be that â€Å"aware† would be better managers of children in the classroom. 3. 3. 4. Abraham H. Maslow Maslow's research on hierarchy of needs has also influenced effective classroom management. Helping students meet their own needs is of the utmost importance to enhance student learning opportunities and to maintain teacher longevity in the classroom.Maslow (as cited in Sprinthall, 1981, p. 327) an important psychologist in the area of motivation theory, has suggested that there is a definite order in which individuals attempt to satisfy their needs. Maslow had declared there is an â€Å"order-of-importance† that is universal among all humans. Herbert Grossman (Gordon, 2001) recaps students' basic needs and the order which those needs must be met to produce well balanced members of society. 3. 4. Role of Teacher as Classroom Manager:According to Honeyford (1982) a major limiting factor in any classroom is the teacher; not only do his character, personality and competence play a large part in determining the atmosphere of the lesson, the sort of relationships which exist, the styles of communication and the rules and regulations governing the formalities, but the teacher also performs a key role in influencing the pupils’ view of himself and the sort of progress he/she makes. Successful classroom manageme nt has been defined as producing a high rate of work involvement with a low rate of deviancy in academic settings (Laslett and Smith, 1984).Well-managed classrooms did not result from magic, but that carefully established and maintained procedures should be at work (Sadker and Sadker, 1997). 3. 4. 1. Time management skill Academic learning time in the classroom has emerged as an important variable. Studies have shown that the amount of on-task behavior can vary as much as 40 percent from one classroom to the next. Even how quickly a teacher calls the class to order can vary all the way from one to ten minutes. Thus, how fficiently you have your lessons, how long you take to get started, how you handle digressions, off-task behavior, discipline and how you handle transitions will have an effect on student learning(Walberg,1988). 3. 4. 2. Seating arrangement Arrangements of space and furniture in ways that bunch students together or obstruct the teacher’s view make it more diff icult for a teacher to detect behavior task initiations early (Duke and Rehage, 1979). Seating arrangement must depend on the type of lesson to be taught, and the type of classroom furniture.Proper arrangement of furniture also contributes to the functionality of classrooms. Furniture is arranged so that students are oriented to the primary source or sources of information (e. g. , the teacher, audio-visual materials), while at the same time having access to other sources of activities (e. g. , work areas, computers) without disturbing in the classroom (Nitsaisook and Anderson, 1989). According to Anderson (1991) desks, chairs and tables can be arranged in a variety of ways; light and temperature can be increased or decreased. 3. 4. 3. Discipline in the classroomCallahan (1996) asserts that the best classroom environment is one that results in efficient learning. Discipline involves employing guidance and teaching techniques to encourage students to become self directive and thus to create an atmosphere conducive to learning. A teacher establishes classroom rules either with his or her students or before the school year begins. Rules are best if they are few in number, simple and easy to understand, and fair. Also rules should be posted in the classroom for all to see, and the teacher should go over the rules on the first day of school. 3. 4. 4.Dealing with disruptive students In order to handle misbehaving student, the following suggestions may prove helpful: †¢Deal with the present, current problem immediately, not with the past instances of the student misbehavior. †¢Talk to the student directly, instead of talking about him with others. †¢Don’t be harsh and provoked. Stay calm and address firmly. Anger, empty threats and physical handling must be avoided. †¢If the student’s misbehavior is impeding the teacher in teaching, â€Å"1statements† be used by explaining to the student why you are upset by his behavior. 3. 4 . 5. Exhibit Assertive BehaviorAssertive behavior differs significantly from both passive behavior and aggressive behavior. This researcher Emmer elaborates that teacher’s display assertive behavior in the classroom when they: †¢Use assertive body language by maintaining an erect posture, facing the offending student but keeping enough distance so as not to appear threatening and matching the facial expression with the content of the message being presented to students. †¢Use an appropriate tone of voice, speaking clearly and deliberately in a pitch that is slightly but not greatly elevated from normal classroom speech, avoiding any display of emotions in the voice. Persist until students respond with the appropriate behavior. Do not ignore an inappropriate behavior; do not be diverted by a student denying, arguing, or blaming, but listen to legitimate explanations. 3. 5. Addressing Problematic Student Behavior Reports of problematic behaviors are on the rise nation ally in Pakistan, not only in the classroom but in society at large (Kowalski, 2003). Some of these immature, irritating, or thoughtless behaviors or â€Å"classroom incivilities† include: †¢Lateness or leaving early †¢Side conversations †¢Disregard for deadlines Grade grubbing †¢Sniping remarks †¢Cheating These behaviors are not just instructors’ pet peeves; they have real costs including: †¢Distracting other students and instructor in class †¢Reducing student participation †¢Lowering other students' and instructor’s motivation in or out of class †¢Affecting fairness in grading †¢Using instructor time unproductively †¢Feeling disrespected as a fellow learner or authority figure 3. 6. Possible Causes: In order to limit or deal effectively with these behaviors, it is important to understand the factors that cause or facilitate them. . 6. 1. Attention Dreikurs believed that most students start misbehaving by s eeking attention, and when this fails, they move on to more problematic goal-seeking behaviors, such as power. 3. 6. 2. Power Some students don't hesitate to take a stand on matters important to them and are often disruptive and confrontational in reaching their goal. 3. 6. 3. Revenge Some students compensate for real or imagined hurt feelings and they target teacher or students for revenge. Revenge may come in the form of a physical and/or psychological attack. 3. 6. . Avoidance of Failure Wanting to avoid repeated failure, some students appear to be discouraged and helpless. This phenomenon, described as â€Å"learned helplessness† by psychologists, is characteristic of students who fail needlessly because they do not invest their best efforts. `3. 7. Possible Strategies: Sorcinelli (2002) suggests 4 principles to reduce incivilities. The principles are broad and so each one can be used to generate several concrete strategies. 3. 7. 1. Define expectations at the outset. â⠂¬ ¢Make good use of the first day of class.Use the first day to create the right climate for productive interaction. †¢Allow student participation in setting ground rules. Having students participate in setting the rules for classroom behavior and interaction 3. 7. 2. Decrease anonymity †¢Engage students one-on-one. Use the time right before and after class to make small talk with students. Ask about the weekend, or the homework, or common interests. †¢Learn and use names consistently and let students know that you are trying to memorize their names in the first weeks. 3. 7. 3. Encourage active learning.Meaningful engagement has obvious benefits for student learning and performance, but it can also bring some side benefits with respect to student behavior in the classroom. In fact, Sorcinelli (1991) points out that in classes that use active learning effectively, students †¢Feel more responsible for coming to class, and coming prepared †¢Pay more attention in class †¢Feel more responsible for their learning. The next chapter deals with research methodology. 4. Research Methodology In this chapter of research methodology, researcher has talked about the main research questions, research instruments and procedure. . 1. Research Questions: The present study focused on the following two questions: 4. 1. 1. How can the teacher maintain positive student behavior in the classrooms? 4. 1. 2. How far do the classroom rules have a significant effect on student’s behavior? 4. 2. Participants When defining the population upon which the research is to be focused, the researcher must take sampling decisions in the overall planning of the research. Due to the factors of expense, time and accessibility it may not be possible or practical to obtain measures from a population.Researchers, hence endeavor to collect information from a smaller group or subset of the population in such a way that knowledge gained is representative of total popu lation of the study. The Researcher used non-probability sampling for this study. The sampling framework which suited the research was convenience sampling. It involves the nearest convenient individuals to serve as respondents and continuing the process until the required sample size has been obtained. Non-probability sampling is best suited for a small scale survey.It’s far less complicated to set up, less expensive and adequate if researchers don’t intend to generalize the findings beyond the sample in question. The researcher visited 5 English medium schools for questionnaire survey and classroom observation, which were located in urban area of Lahore city. All the schools were private and all girls’ institutions. The researcher observed the students of Grade 7th in the real classroom situation and tried to assess the ways teachers can control/minimize misbehavior in their classrooms. The total number of sample population was 60 students.Age of the students was 12-13 years old. 4. 3. Research Instruments: The researcher used two tools. 4. 3. 1. Questionnaire Survey Questionnaires were used by the researcher to obtain the required data. It was an easier way to get relevant data from a large population. The researcher distributed questionnaires among 30 teachers and asked them to fill in their responses. The questionnaire was piloted before it was given to the participants. The questionnaires were administered to middle school teachers and the responds were examined. In this way data was collected from English medium schools of Lahore.Questionnaire contain 20 questions, among them 15 questions are close ended and 5 questions are open ended. Questionnaires can provide quantitative data using closed (or fixed-response) questions, where the respondent is presented with a number of alternative responses to a question and asked to mark the one that they feel is most appropriate. Researcher has used licked scale for this, which include five op tions such as strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree and strongly disagree. Closed questions have been criticised for forcing people to choose their answer from the alternatives provided rather than answering in their own words.Qualitative data can be gathered using open (or free-response) questions to which respondents are asked to write their own answer 4. 3. 2. Classroom Observation Classroom Observation was undertaken in order to get a proper insight into the problem being explored. The researcher undertook four classroom observations that are widely used to measure changes in classroom behaviors. Classroom observation is confidential and it is an objective recording of what the instructor is doing and saying, what the students are doing and saying and interactions between the instructor and students.The researcher visited 5 different schools, and observed the students of Grade 7th in the real classroom situation. Classroom observation as a research and evaluation method can p rovide reliable and valid data on how teachers and students behave in the classroom before and after an intervention. It will explain the criteria for selecting an appropriate classroom observation protocol and examine under what circumstances classroom observation protocols can be used effectively.In the context of the current study special emphasis was placed on the use of classroom observation to examine how the teacher dealt with problematic students in the real classroom situation. 4. 4. Pilot Testing Both the research instruments, questionnaire and classroom observation was piloted before it was given to the participants. 4. 5. Ethical Considerations The information provided by the participants should remain confidential. For this purpose of confidentiality, informed consent form was signed by all the participants before the study was started. 4. 6. ProcedureThe researcher distributed questionnaires among 30 teachers and asked them to fill in their responses. The questionnaire s were administered to middle school teachers and the responds were examined. In this way data was collected from English medium schools of Lahore. Researcher distributed questionnaire among participants and collect the filled questionnaires from them next day. Researchers left the questionnaires with the participants and give them time of one day, so that they can have enough time to fill them. 5. Analysis For the coding of data, researcher runs spss. . Conclusion The effective use of behavioral and cognitive strategies in the classroom may appear daunting even to experienced teachers. The purpose of this research was to determine which management techniques and practices were most effective in the classroom in controlling student behavior, based upon critical analysis of the research literature. The aim of the research was to enable students to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes about classroom management and the objective was to identify approaches for managing student b ehavior.However, changing your behavior and strategies is often the most efficient and effective means of improving all types of classroom behaviors, both disruptive and non-disruptive. So is has been concluded after the research that teachers first need to understand these problems regarding students behavior and then try to find solutions by seeing the world through the eyes of their students. And then developing and using a set of intervention strategies on a regular basis, problems of emotions and behavior can be effectively managed and changed in the classroom.

Career Counselor Interview Essay

It is never too early to start thinking about the career that you want. This is asked by many parents of children at an early age, teachers in grade school and junior high, again in high school, but what is not always asked is â€Å"what is needed to accomplish or reach that career choice?† With school counselors’ roles evolving over the years, many students see them as leaders and someone they can turn to for advice. Counselors work in â€Å"diverse community settings designed to provide a variety of counseling, rehabilitation, and support services† (Counselors, 2010). This student interviewed, Miranda Angeles, an enrollment counselor at Mt. San Jacinto Community College (MSJC), in Menifee. Miranda has a BA in Psychology from the University of Phoenix. She has been with MSJC for a little over a year and works primarily with the incoming freshmen. During the interview, this student learned what Ms. Angeles’ responsibilities were and how vital they are to h er students. Ms. Angeles is in charge of a competency-based guidance program. This program â€Å"is designed to assist students with the development of their educational, personal, and career goals† (2014). She stated that she feels since college freshman are transitioning into adulthood and/or the work field, as well as separating from their parents and figuring out their own independence, this program is extremely helpful in outlining their goals. Students need a sense of guidance with making decisions, when making them for the first time on their own and that it were school counselors can help guide them. Ms. Angeles also shared the importance of picking a college and what the student should consider. First, does the college have a program that peaks your interest in a potential career. Second, is the school accredited, meaning will your credits transfer elsewhere should you decide to change schools or want to further your education. Third, the location of the school and the student population in regards to class size for learning depending on your learning style. A smaller campus may be more appealing to you if you do better in smaller, close group setting. Fourth, the services offered at the school for the student. Do they have a student body, organized events such as dances or sports team. Lastly, what are the admission and financial aid process. Students wanting to attend college should talk to those who know the  admissions policy, so that the student can make sure they are on the right track. Many colleges and universities, as well as community colleges have their own set of requirements such as a certain grade point average (GPA), high school diploma or official transcripts, SAT or ACT scores, along with tuition fees. This sounds simple enough, however for incoming freshmen going through this alone, they could become overwhelmed, thus enrollment counselors are so important in helping guide the student. Since, Ms. Angeles works at the community college level, she shared that many community colleges have specific teachings for certain careers that can be completed for certification, shortening the time in school verses receiving a degree. Many students choose this route, while others want the degree, with either the degree itself or many of the courses transferring to a four year college if desired, once the student is accepted into the new college or university. Also, with community college, tuition is usually much lower than a four year, which appeals to many students if they have to use financial aid. Another plus to choosing community college over a four year is, â€Å"Community colleges have formed a partnership with traditional institution and serve a great diversity of students regardless of age, professional background, academic ability, and educational goals,† (Williams & Southers, 2010). This students understanding of this is that no matter your age, background, prior grades or educational goals, everyone pretty much is accepted into community college and can better not only themselves but family as well at any time. While interviewing Ms. Angeles, this student asked how she helps guide students who are set on a specific career. Ms. Angeles said that she often receives emails about upcoming community events and services and will share these on the bulletin board and with teachers in a specific field to share with students. She feels that â€Å"students who seek personal development are the ones who desire a long career and personal growth, and is an asset to the field of their choice† (2014). Ms. Angeles also feels that by being involved with school activities, projects and affairs, she is showing students her commitment to not only the  school but to them as well. â€Å"Being a counselor is a great career choice for those wanting to help others, you often times get to create your own ideas and things that will leave your client, or student in this case feeling a sense of accomplishment and good about themselves,† (2014). When asked about how she sees technology, such as iPads, influencing students, Ms. Angeles responded with â€Å"it is never too early to develop skills or have an interest in a specific career, such as a police officer or firefighter for boys and a princess or nurse for girls,† (2014). This left this student wondering, if there are places that students from elementary through high school can go and explore their interests and see how many of them follow through with making something bigger of those interests. They almost seem like dreams that we all have as children, one day growing up and wanting to be someone. With school counseling evolving over the years, it is important to not only ask children at an early age what they want career wise, but to educate them on what that includes as far furthering their education. During this interview, this student learned that counselors are not only there for the academic purposes, but emotional, social, and career wise as well. This student also learned that having a strong counselor at school will set the student up with a solid foundation for school and hopefully the beginning of a successful career with the choices the student has made along the way to find their own independence. References: Angeles, Miranda. (2014, July). Career Counseling Interview. Brown, D. (2007). Career Information, Career Counseling, and Career Development, 9th Ed. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. Counselors. (2010). United States Department of Labor. Retrieved 2011, from Bureau of Labor Statistics website: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos067.htm Williams, M. R. & Southers, T. (Winter-Spring, 2010). Blurring the lines between high school and college: Early colleges and the effect on adult learners. Adult Learners 26(5), 210-212.

Yanomami Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Yanomami - Essay Example These groups of tribes are divided into more than 400 villages. The weather of the Amazon rainforest can be different by extremes of rain and scorching heat of the sun. This expects a lot of adaptability of the people of the tribe. The foods in the summer season can ripe fruits which enable the tribe to gain good diet. The plants as observed for food and herbs use are gathered by Yanomamis from the rainforests (Schwartz). Almost 3000 types of fruits have been noticed to consume by the Yanomamis. It is the main reason of behind well-being of the Yanomamis. When the rain season is noted to be on its peak, the plants start to grow with a slow pace which deprives the villagers to consume more food. The genetic or physical adaptation as noted in the Yanomamis is their combat qualities. The tribes’ men are better in combating with their enemies. Yanomamis show strength of the able men and real humans who are very strong and can adapt environmental change to the fullest. The cultural adaption of the Yanomamis is their ability to fish and hunt during the rainy weather. They also hunt the wildlife during summer. This is important because they can use the wild life for created decayed basis of their huts and keep themselves warm with the animal skins (Milliken, Albert and Gomez). The language of the Yanomami culture is housed into one family which is referred to Yanomaman. These languages have had their region in the Brazilian region to Southern Venezuela. The Yanomaman language groups include a number of languages but the most widely spoken language by the Yanomamis is Xirianian. There are several dialects which had made difficult for the tribes to follow one language. It is for this reason that there are different languages being spoken. But these tribes can easily understand the each other with the Xirianian language even if they cannot speak identically (Schwartz). The gender roles as per the definition of Yanomami culture include boys and girls. The

Communicating Effectively. Public Relations campaign and effectiveness Assignment

Communicating Effectively. Public Relations campaign and effectiveness of the communication techniques - Assignment Example Creating public relations is not just informing and administering the information flow between the college and the publics. In fact, it is a communication chain that involves and engages the targeted publics in building relationships and binding closely with the organization. Developing successful communication disciplines with the publics will lead the organization to achieve its strategic goals (Bland, Theaker, Wragg, 2005, p. 243). The college also has to ensure that publicity and managing public relations is not the same thing. The event can be publicized in various ways on various mediums but public relations will target specific groups using broad strategic communication capabilities of the organization (Bowdin, Allen, O’Toole, Harris, McDonnel, 2006, p. 122). The students are the customers for the college and they play an important role. Their performance and participation affects the organization’s goals and strategies directly. The students can be reached through various ways of effective communication. The college assembly takes place every week and every student is bound to attend it. The college can announce about the celebration in the assembly where the students are gathered. This is a traditional method of communication but has proven to be effective especially in schools and colleges. The students can also be given formal invitation cards with their names on them. All the students are equally important and it is the college’s duty to ensure every student is invited. Telephone calls can be made to those students who are not present. Telephonic communication is considered an effective communication channel as it supports two way communication (Cornelissen, 2011, p. 56). Announcements would be the most effective to rea ch the students because students are aware that important announcements are made in assemblies, thus they pay attention. The large number of students can be reached quicker and the message can be conveyed face to face. The invitation cards can be given out to students in order of their roll numbers. The parents and families of the students are the beneficiaries of the services of the organization. They are important groups and must be reached for the celebration. The communication channel to be used for them can be formal letters for invitations. These can be sent through the students to their homes. This is also a traditional method of communication in colleges and schools (L’Etang, 2008, p. 75). Mostly, the parents are accessed through their children. However, nowadays many modern and easy methods of communication allow the college officials to connect directly with the parents without consuming much time. For those students’ parents who are not present, the college must post the invitation cards to their homes. This can be the suitable communication channel as the students know that according to the rules and policies of the college, they must handover the invitations to their parents. Strict actions are taken against those who don’t; hence it is believed that communicating via students is an effective way. The board of directors and investors of the organization should be reached through formal communication methods (Diggs-Brown, 2013, p. 421). The most efficient traditional way is to call for meetings. Annual meetings and emergency meetings are often called up and

The Developing Manager Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words - 1

The Developing Manager - Assignment Example It is highly important for the managers in the hospitality industry to develop effective managerial and leadership strategies and skills in order to maintain effective workplace environment. However, frequent changes in the business environment make it important for the hospitality managers to develop potential skills in order to establish and maintain a bright career. Recently, several organizations within the global hospitality industry are trying to develop and implement workplace diversity strategy in business operation process in order to enhance strategy development and knowledge sharing process. Moreover, several leading domestic and multinational organizations are trying to make changes in goal development and strategy implementation process due to constant and critical changes in the global business environment. Therefore, it is highly essential for the managers to assess own management skill performance.   Communication skill is one of my major personal as well as managerial strengths that help me to meet the developed organizational goals. It is true that employees are the major assets of an organization. It is highly important for each and every manager in an organization to maintain an effective relationship between the employees and top-level management through transparent and cl.ear communication. I always try to listen to both personal and professional needs and wants of employees as it is an important job responsibility of the manager.

Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 15

Business Ethics - Essay Example The leadership style of Robert Nardelli is described as autocratic and directive. He was a task oriented and directive leader who employed severe strictness and inflexibility in Home Depot during his tenure as the CEO in the organization. The leadership style of Nardelli was characterized by centralized control without considering the behavior and acceptance of the employees and the customers. The incorporation of extensive technologies and new organizational procedures harmed Home Depot bringing down its stock prices in the long term and negatively affecting the shareholders. Though the immediate effects of his leadership were not erosive but after few years the growth of the company slowed down to a great extent due to the increased dissatisfaction of the employees as well as the customers of Home Depot (Baack, 2012). The management style of Nardelli was criticized to be inflexible and callous. But the leadership style of Nardelli was much influenced by his tenure at GE as a result of which he focused more on technology and goal driven business plans. But this kind of leadership was not suitable in the retail industry as the leadership style required in Home Depot needed to be more people oriented creating better employee and customer satisfaction. The reputation of home Depot suffered and the share prices feel whereas the competitor companies succeeded through the creation of better customer experience and satisfaction levels. Home Depot needed a constructive and participative leadership style as opposed to the autocratic leadership style of Nardelli. Due to the directive leadership style of Nardelli, the financial metrics of the company improved initially but the metrics of customer service and employee satisfaction declined. Home Depot need a situational leadership from the CEO but Nardelli was not able to respond to the requirements of the changing situation related to the

International Marketing Beverage Industry Case Study

International Marketing Beverage Industry - Case Study Example The competitive market in Australia is also change very fast with most international companies now trading in the country. This has affected the segmentation of the market and fierce competition is being witnessed currently. With the change completion in the market, most companies have been coming up with new juice product in order to suit the consumer preferences. Tao Ti has been a product that has been doing well in the Hong Kong market. However it is in the class of mixed juices which has been facing a stagnated growth in the Australian market. In order to introduce the product in the Hong Kong market, there have to be strategic approach to the market. To venture into the market there will be need to carry out marketing strategies to introduce the product in the competitive market. The entry strategy will determine how the product will perform. The market strategies will need to have a direct entry in the market rather than merging with other companies. It will also need to have a retail distribution chain to be close to customers and as per the trend in the market. The marketing strategies will also need to brand the product to identify with the health concerns of the customers. This means that it will have to pack the product in a new attractive package which will appeal to the consumer. The price of the product must be adapted to the local market. Price can be set lower than for other products in order to create price competitive edge. There will also be a number of promotions to accustom the product to the market. The marketing strategies will also be revised from time to time to access its effectiveness. Introduction This paper will discuss on the introduction of Telford International Co. Ltd Tao Ti Mandarin Lemon from Hong Kong to the Australian market. The paper will fist look at the Australian market and various marketing issue in the beverage industry. It will then at the various international factors that can affect the introduction of the new product. The paper will then discuss the marketing strategy that can be used in order to help the product to venture into the market. It will look at various components of the marketing strategies and how they will be used. Description of the product Tao Ti Mandarin Lemon is a product produced by Telford International Co. Ltd. It is a beverage product which has been retailing in the Hong Kong market for along time now. It is not produced by the company but rather it is a blend of various beverages that the company imports. It has been rated fourth in the Hong Kong market which means it has a large market share in the bevergage category. The product is packages in attractive packages and is sold on the point of its attractiveness to the consumers based on branding and also on the quality of the product. The product has been doing well in the market but introducing it in the Australian market may be a bit tricky since it is in the class of mixed juice which is not doing very well in the market. Therefore there has to be product adjustment to be made to introduce it in the market. (GMID, 2008b, p. 7; GMID, 2008c, p. 2) Environmental analysis Fruit/vegetable juice industry in Austria has been recording poor growth. In 2007, the industry recorded 1% growth. This has been contributed by many factors in the consumers. The consumers have started rejecting nectars in favour of pure juices. This has been the main

War, Politics, and Culture in Modern Mass Society Assignment

War, Politics, and Culture in Modern Mass Society - Assignment Example Culture in modern mass society is the distinct ways which people who live in the post-medieval Europe or at a global level differently classify and represent their acts and experiences creatively. Therefore, primary sources about Europe from 1871-1939 on war, politics, and culture are the original materials, artifacts, or documents. In this case, the primary sources that lead or related to the first-word war and how this has influenced the culture of the mass society to date (Teich and Porter, pp, 307-315). Europe from 1871-1939 experienced numerous revolutionary events, conflicts, and wars and at the peak of it was the First World War between 1914 and 1918. They are several primary sources that relate or lead to this particular war and they are into four categories. The four sources include printed sources, micro format; Personal reminiscences that are letters and diaries and eyewitness statements (Luebke, pp, 92-97). Printed sources are printed documents, newspapers articles, magazines, and journals. In the year 1914, the war was declared on Serbia by the government of Austro- Hungarian. In their statements, they stated that the whole Europe should prepare for war. The Ogden Standard in the same year also reported that Austria had chosen war. The Washington times seconded the report in the same year. It did not take long after the reports when war between these countries started. Microformat sources were also used to report the war in Europe. Microformat sources are types of open source data format that is upon existing and widely adopted frameworks. These micro format records consist of documents from the archives of the German Foreign Ministry that concerned with German involvement in Irish affairs during World War Impersonal reminiscences, on the other hand, give first-hand information on the happenings of the event.  

Chinese Pharmaceutical Industry Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Chinese Pharmaceutical Industry - Research Paper Example Theses firms are additionally required to set aside a minimum of 5.5% of the total revenue for R&D expenses. This Shanghai province necessitates a minimum expenditure of 4%, on similar lines to the Fuji Province which necessitates that the minimum R&D expenditure for such firms should be 5%, an increase of 2% from the earlier 3% prior to 1999. On similar lines, different provinces provide different benefits to the HTIE, with the basic structure remaining the same. These Articles of diverse provinces outline several benefits including tax reductions, discounts on capital purchase, lending support by the government and other operation priorities related to the pharmaceutical HTIE units. The Shenzhen Article 2.2 gives numerous benefits to HTIE units that have operated for more than a decade. The government promises that the income tax for the first and the second year of operation would be waived off completely, and would be reduced by fifty percent by the time they reached the eighth year of functioning. Article 2.3 states that for products concerning National innovation, twenty-five percent of the total share of the local government tax should be returned by a minimum of fifty percent by the municipal government for three years in a row. Article 3.3 further affirms that financial support as debt would be provided by the government to the tune of twenty percent to the HTIE firms. Article A-4.2 assures a discount between ten-twenty percent on rent and A-13.5 assures HTIE firms to have a priority on exports. Article-A/10 reduces the taxes on R&D expenditure. Although the basic vision and goals of the provinces remain the same, slight differences occur in terms of per centage numbers among the provinces of Shanghai, Fuji, Shangxi and the Zhejiang. The role of the government in supporting the HTI Enterprises is obvious by the measures taken to provide aid and support to these enterprises. However, the benefits mentioned in the Articles are applied universally, as a whole to diverse industries, including Information Technology, Bio-technology, Modern agriculture, Environment protection along with the Pharmaceutical Industry (Article 5, Shanghai, 2001-7-2). The government ignores the fact that the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry play a crucial role in R&D spending with nearly fifty leading Chinese global firms spending 16.4% of their total revenue on R&D activities whereas only four-to-six percent was set aside for the HTIE qualified units in China. The figure of 4-6& is understandably sufficient for other industries' innovation and development, but not so for the Pharmaceutical industry. It is therefore necessary to segregate the Pharmaceutical industry from the HTIE, providing it with a distinct status and consequentl y separate substantial waivers and rewards by the government for these actual innovative Pharmaceutical enterprises to flourish and prosper. Price Ceiling In China, the unequal distribution of medication is a serious social problem because of the differences in the price of drugs and regional incomes. In the year 2000, China ranked fourth last among 191 countries of WHO with regard to health service equality and accessibility. The 2003 national health census, confirmed that 48.9%

Basic Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Basic Economics - Essay Example The next step of the decision making model is to explore alternative options or solutions. Decision makers always face some challenges at the time of taking decisions. Decision makers are required to have some alternatives, which influences their decisions. The forth step of the decision making model is to make prediction for the future consequences. Prediction is important for decision makers to be prepared for the future. The fifth step is to prepare and make a selection of all the outcomes of the model and last and very important is to execute a sensitivity analysis for ensuring that decisions are made on the basis of analysis. For instance, absence of any step in the procedure of decision making will be accountable for inappropriate analysis of a situation, which will be accountable for making unsuitable decision by managers leading to losses in businesses (Samuelson and Marks 7-14). Marginal analysis is an important factor in managerial economics for the managerial decision making. There are several advantages of marginal analysis in the business as well as individual life. Marginal analysis helps to maintain the balances among the desire of individual needs and business needs. A firm is benefited from marginal analysis in the procedure of decision making, so that business operations can be conducted systematically. Additionally, marginal analysis aids policy makers of firms for managing the resources in a proper manner (Samuelson and Marks 29-75). The marginal cost is the additional cost, which occurs at the time of production. Marginal cost includes the extra cost of labour and materials cost. On the other hand, marginal revenue is the additional profits earn by a firm at the time of surplus sale of products. Marginal revenue aids a company in performing business operations in a better competitive nature. Marginal analysis is mainly calculated at the time of additional turnover. In this

Chimney Sweep Essay Essay Example for Free

Chimney Sweep Essay Essay The Chimney Sweeper William Blake addresses the political issue presented at the time: the morality of the children sweepers. Blake attempts to describe the working conditions through two perspectives, one being through the eyes of an experienced chimney sweeper and the other through the eyes of the innocent. In the eyes of the experienced, the conditions described are explicit whereas the one through the eyes of the innocent are implicit. The innocence is represented by Tom Dacre. His thoughts, which are seemingly longer than that of the other poem, are unaware of the oppression that is taking place. The diction can reveal this in the sense that the innocent has proven to be darker and more cynical whereas the second poem seems happier and optimistic. For example from the first poem is, Hush, Tom! Never mind it, for when your heads bare, you know that the soot cannot spoil your white hair. (Line 7) However Tom’s dream of freedom characterizes the theme that purity still exists but also shows us the ugly reality. The second poem, the eyes of the experienced, understands that he is a victim. Blake in fact satirizes the second poem accordingly in the line â€Å"And because I am happy, and dance and sing,† (Line 9) for the sole purpose that the reader understands how miserable the victim actually is. The second poem also carries repetition which proves to be meaningful because it affirms that deeper level of the tone. The lack of repetition in the first poem sends a message to the reader that the narrator, Tom, truly believes the cruelty will end. While both poems have significant oppositions, both must be read in order to understand the other. Both emphasize religion and government and how they impose cruel treatment while enhancing lives of others. The two poems also have a rhyme scheme, implying that they are both happy, which is not the case. Both poems demonstrate the actions of cruelty and inhumanity imposed on the children, and through literary devices Blake is able to expose these problems within society. Finally, although the viewpoints in each poem differ, both show the difficulties of the chimney sweepers and while one represents hope and the other anger, the reader must acknowledge the betterment Blake is trying to enact.

Cancun Highlights Essay Example for Free

Cancun Highlights Essay Beaches Naturally, the beaches are the biggest draw in Cancun with their soft, white sand and brilliant turquoise-blue water. Cancuns Hotel Zone is really just one long beach separated from the mainland by a system of lagoons. The dazzling white sand of Cancuns beaches is light in weight and cool underfoot even in the blazing sun. Thats because it is composed not of silica but rather of microscopic plankton fossils called disco-aster. Cenotes It is estimated that there are more than 6000, although only 2400 are registered. All the fresh water rivers are underground. Being porous, caverns and caves formed where the fresh water collects the cenotes or water sinkholes. The water that gathers in these subterranean cenotes is a crystal clear turquoise color with a very pleasant temperature of 78 ° F (25.5 º C). The stalactites and stalagmites that form inside the cenotes are true natural works of art. In many, holes in the ceiling allow the sunlight to filter into the cenotes, giving the scene a magical feeling. The cenotes of Yucatà ¡n are a natural treasure that should be seen by all, keeping in mind that they should be protected so that man does not destroy in a few days what nature took millions of years to create. Adventure Parks Xplor is a unique underground world, with 7 amazing circuits that invite you to rediscover your emotions and senses within nature. Dare to ride our 13 zip lines among the Caribbean’s lively nature and enjoy refreshing water landings and amazing suspension bridges; take a trip through the jungle on unstoppable amphibious vehicles, explore an underground paradise where you can swim surrounded by amazing stalactites and stalagmites, discover a matchless raft route across stunning subterranean caverns while paddling with your own hands, and to complete your feat, a nutritious and light buffet, that will recharge your energy. Hidden worlds Hidden Worlds is the Yucatan Peninsulas best known location for exploring the fascinating world of cenotes. Its system of underground caverns and waterways lay hidden within dense tropical foliage over many centuries. Experience the Jungle! This is not a Disneyland tour, it is truly in the Mayan Jungle. Tours take off at Hidden Worlds Every hour. You will Skycycle, Jungle Zipline, Rappel into a cenote, Splash down Zipline, Ride the Avatar (a roller coaster Zipline) and Snorkel through the most famous underground cave system in the world. Nature Parks Xcaret It was opened in December 1990 as eco-archeological parkwhere visitors from all over the world can enjoy the splendor of Mexico’s biodiversity and cultural heritage. Due to its great success the park has been preserved with an environmental management system. Xcaret park * Under ground Rivers * Beach, Lagoon and pools * Tropic Jungle Trail * Main plaza * House of whispers * Rotating Scenic Tower Attractions * Butterfly Pavilion Butterfly Pavillion * Regional Wildlife * Breeding Farm * Coral Reeff Aquarium * Living Museum of Ochirds and Mushroom Farm. Most Important Accommodations Resorts and hotels The world class all-inclusive resorts in Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel and the Riviera Maya offer a variety of activities, entertainment, and cuisine, all for one price. No hidden costs. You pay for your all-inclusive accommodations, airfare, and transfers, and you dont have to worry about carrying your wallet around with you everywhere you go, and you dont have to budget once you get there. Its economical, and makes for a worry free vacation. Even taxes and tips are included in the rates. Cancun Tower A unique architectural concept where each condominium has absolute privacy and large facades, having a spectacular and incomparable view of Cancun city, the hotel zone, the spectacular golf course and the beautiful Caribbean Sea. One of Cancun Towersapos; most exclusive characteristics is that all the 3 bedroom units have direct elevator service to each condominium, one of few developments that offers the privacy you need. Restaurants and Night-Clubs Mexican Food. La Parrilla Is the most traditional restaurant in Cancun, recognized for its fine Mexican food. Since 1975, La Parrilla has rescued the dishes and traditional recipes, which combines with art, tequila and mariachi music, bringing the guest a unique Mexican experience. This Mexican Restaurant is a typical family restaurant, full of color and folklore. Party atmosphere and decor with arches, fountains and balconies are reminiscent of the old Mexican haciendas. The casual ambient, friendly and cheerful harmony with the very Mexican mariachi. 35 years of exquisite taste, tradition and Mexican music. Non-Mexican Food. Chocolate City Chocolate City is a family restaurant with a capacity of 210; it operates as a FAMILY RESTAURANT FUN BAR and offers its customers delicious delights, as well as exciting entertainment. Upon entering, guests can enjoy a spectacular chocolate fountain that holds up to 1000 kilograms of liquid chocolate that falls from one plate to another. Night-Clubs Coco Bongo With it ´s 1,800 people capacity is located in the heart of the bustling hotel zone, the mutli-level seating and nightly Rock and Roll and Salsa bands make coco bongo the most exciting and unique club. Combine all this with Coco Bongo’s extraordinary musical mix. Get ready for flying acrobats, bar top conga lines, movie clips projected on to high tech video screens, live bands; and more shows that you can imagine. History and Culture Coba The archaeological site of Coba has increasingly become more visited by national and international tourism. One of the main attraction to visitors of Coba is the Ancient Pyramid which unlike Chichen Itzas Kukulkan Pyramid, is still open for the public to climb its 120 steps up to the top of the site. Additional to this, Coba has several Tour operators with excursions available to this site from almost any point within the closest and top Touristic destinations of Cancun and its Riviera Maya. Tulum Tulum is a beautiful village on the south end of the Rivera Maya that enjoys a deep rooted history in the important culture of the ancient Mayan people. In recent years,Tulum has flourished in trades that stem directly from the skills utilized by the ancestors of the area. To appreciate the history and making of Tulum, one must understand the history of the Mayan people. Chichen-Itza it is one of the more impressive pyramids in the world With the popularity of Cancun and vicinity for both tourists, and cruise ships, well, there are only so many places to go, and Chichen Itza is on the top of the list. This place is known for the vast history of the Maya, their advanced mathematical knowledge, their incredible understanding of the solar system.

Article Analysis: Foreign Bank Penetration to Nordic Market

Article Analysis: Foreign Bank Penetration to Nordic Market ABDULAZEEZ OLUWAFUNMIKE ASMAU ASSIGNMENT: Journals of international financial markets, institutions and money, vol.11 (1); 53-63 by Engwals, L., Marquardt, R., Pedersen,T. and Adrian E Tschoegl (2001)‘foreign bank penetration to the newly opened market in the Nordic countries. To explain the aims of the research and how the researcher carried out theses aims. Critically analyse the article from a methodology perspective. (1000 WORDS) Abstract This work is based on the research articles of Lars Engwall, Rolf Marquardt, Torben Pedersen, Adrian E Tschoegl (2001). The authors research is to determine the impact of foreign bank in the newly opened market in some Nordic countries which includes Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The opening of foreign bank in these Nordic country provides them with the opportunity to study the analysis of the foreign bank sector in the case where the sector had a specific start date. Three hypothesis were examined and the result leads to how parent market and the difficulty facing the domestic competition is fully in agreement in the situations of Denmark, for Finland and Norway it’s mixed and indeterminate, and fully disagree in the situation of Sweden. The result were consistently with the Stiglits – Weiss argument that the foreign banks bought entry by accepting worse lending risks. (Engwals, L., Marquardt, R., Pedersen,T. and Tschoegl, A., E. 2001). Introduction This research focuses on how foreign bank gain access to the newly opened market in some Nordic countries. Denmark in 1971 was the first to deregulate its domestic banking markets and the entry of foreign banks. Just one foreign bank entered initially and the number of foreign banks grew slowly over time. Finland opened next (1978) but no foreign banks entered until four years later when further deregulation made entry attractive. Norway (1984) and Sweden (1985) opened after Denmark in more than a decade and a number of banks all entered at once. After falling from its peaks, the number of foreign banks and their share of each countrys banking system assets are recovering. (Lars Engwall, Rolf Marquardt, Torben Pedersen, Tschoegl, A., E. 2001). Foreign bank was developed with the evolution of an economy or a technology in the Nordic countries not until the government removed the barriers. Opening up to foreign bank in Nordic countries exist to the process of deregulation which leads to competitive turbulence. Foreign banking was welcome by the authorities for the competition and also new capabilities which they establish to the domestic market. However, the effect of the entrant on monetary policy, credit control and soundness of the existing domestic banks are the concerns of the authorities. (Engwals, L., Marquardt, R., Pedersen,T. and Adrian E Tschoegl 1999). The objective state to examine the determinant of the evolution of the foreigner market share of the asset of the banking system as a whole, not the survival and success of the individual banks. The three hypotheses related to the determinant of foreign bank sectors was formulated, which they relates the foreign banks’ market share to a time trend, to each host countrys trade balance, and to the banking systems loan loss experience. (Engwals, L., Marquardt, R., Pedersen,T. and A,. E,Tschoegl 2001). The first variable captures learning and selection, the second proxies for access to business related to the foreign banks’ access to their home markets. And the last captures the effect of a possible crisis-induced lack of competitiveness of the host-country banks. The result shows that in Denmark it is fully in agreement, for Finland and Norway it’s mixed and indeterminate, and fully disagree in the case of Sweden.(Engwals, L., Marquardt, R., Pedersen,T. and Tschoegl, A., E. 2001). Literature reviews Foreign direct investment in banking has drawn substantial theoretical and empirical attention over the last two decade and empirical attention. Engwals, L., Marquardt, R., Pedersen,T. and Adrian E Tschoegl(2001), Williams (1997) provides a comprehensive survey of the theoretical literature. However, the literature on the market share of the foreign banks is sparse and almost entirely cross-sectional in nature. Some other authors like Walter (1992) argue that bank-oriented financial systems are hostile to new entry, whether that of banks or markets. In line with Walter’s argument, Steinherr and Huveneers (1994) provide evidence that foreign bank penetration of loan markets is lower in countries where a small number of domestic banks dominate the banking sector. Yafeh and Yosha (1995) propose a model in which domestic banks respond to foreign bank entry by increasing the resources that the domestic banks devote to the formation of ties with firms. (Engwals, L., Marquardt, R., Pedersen,T. and A., E, Tschoegl 2001). Hypotheses The literature reviewed provides the basis for the three hypotheses about the influences of learning, access to parent-country related business, and the effect of impediments to the competitiveness of host-country banks. The foreign banks can be subject both to selection and evolutionary learning (Baldwin and Rafiquzzaman 1995). (Engwals, L., Marquardt, R., Pedersen,T. and A., E. Tschoegl 2001). Firstly, the time trend captures a second effect that has a debateable implication for the sign of the variable. (Engwals, L., Marquardt, R., Pedersen,T. and A., E. Tschoegl 2001). H1: The longer foreign banks have been present, the larger their market share. Second, they expect the foreign banks’ market share of banking system assets in a country to correlate positively with imports to the country and negatively with exports (Heinkel and Levi 1992). (Engwals, L., Marquardt, R., Pedersen,T. and A., E. Tschoegl 2001) H2: The market share of foreign banks should wax with a trade deficit and wane with a trade surplus. Lastly, financial crises should correlate positively with an expanded role for the foreign banks. (Engwals, L., Marquardt, R., Pedersen,T. and A., E. Tschoegl 2001). H3: The foreign banks’ market share should wax when domestic banks are facing loan losses and wane when the domestic banks are less burdened. Methodology and Result OLS regression was use to examine the three hypotheses with time trend, trade balance losses and the financial crisis) the three hypotheses served has an independence variances. Their results shows that in Demark all three independent variables had the correct sign and all were statistically significant at the 5% level and beta coefficients from the regression on the standardized variables shows TIME as the most important variable and TRADE BALANCE having a larger effect than LOSSES. (Engwals, L., Marquardt, R., Pedersen,T. and Tschoegl, A., E. 2001). In Finland country, TIME had the correct sign, but the other two variables had perverse signs. All three variables had a large impact in the sense that a one standard deviation change in the independent variable. As for Norway, TIME was the only important factor. For Sweden, TIME had a negative effect but was not an important factor. (Engwals, L., Marquardt, R., Pedersen,T. and Tschoegl, A., E. 2001). Conclusion In all four Nordic countries, the survival rate among the initial foreign entrants appears low. Absent acquisitions of domestic banks, the foreign banks have not carved out a large role in any of the four Nordic countries. The result is consistent with what they would expect from theory based on the role of relationships in banking and from Steinherr and Huveneer’s (1994) argument and empirical results. The difference is congruent with differences in the elapsed time since opening; to recapitulate, the order of opening to foreign banks was Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. (Engwals, L., Marquardt, R., Pedersen,T. and A., E. Tschoegl 2001). Word count; 1007 Bibliography Engwals, L., Marquardt, R., Pedersen,T. and Adrian E Tschoegl (2001) ‘foreign bank penetration to the newly opened market in the Nordic countries, ’Journals of international financial markets, institutions and money, vol.11 (1); 53-63. Engwals, L., Marquardt, R., Pedersen,T. and Adrian E Tschoegl (March, 1999) ‘foreign bank penetration to the newly opened market in the Nordic countries. pg. (1-38) 1 Does the EU Suffer From a Democratic Deficit? | Essay Does the EU Suffer From a Democratic Deficit? | Essay The overall goal of EU integration has been to create an ever closer union in which decision are taken as closely as possible to the citizen (Cini, Michele, Borragan, 2010). However, still the most enthusiastic backers of the EU must accept that it has been more a progression commencing and sustained by elites, than by a popular front for change. The claim that the standard European citizen has virtually no possibility of directly affecting the work of the EU, along with the negative impact of integration on popular support for the EU, has given rise to the term the democratic deficit. Although there is no one single definition, the concept behind the notion of the democratic deficit is that decisions in the EU are insufficiently representative of, or accountable to, the nations and the people of Europe (Lord, C, 2001, p165). It is not merely an additional layer of governance, further removed from the peoples of Europe but as a result of such an organisation, each Member State can n o longer claim to be the source of its own legitimacy (Eriksen, Fossum, 2002, p401). It is important to make a distinction between two different types of theories behind the democratic deficit. The institutional perspective focuses on the institutional power sharing and on institutional reform as a solution to the perceived problems of EU level democracy (Cini, 2010, p378). The socio-psychological viewpoint, however, places much emphasis on the lack of a European civic identity and the absence of a European demos. The classical argument, through a socio-psychological point of view, of cases where it can be said that the EU suffers from a democratic deficit is that the nonexistence of representative and direct democracy within the EU. The set up of the EU results in policy-making being dominated at the European level by executive actors, state based ministers in the Council, and government appointments in the Commission. This does not inevitably lead to democratic deficit; unless, as happens, the decisions taken by the executive departments at the European stage are outside the authority of domestic parliaments. Even with the creation of European Affairs Committees in every national parliament, ministers when conversing and voting in the Council, national representatives when constructing policies in The Council and bureaucrats in the Commission when drafting or implementing legislation, are much more isolated from national parliamentary scrutiny and control than are national cabinet ministers or bureaucrats in the domestic policy-making process (Follesdal, Andreas, Hix, Simon, 2005, p2). As a consequence, governments are able to successfully disregard their parliaments when deciding upon policies at the European level. Therefore, European integration has resulted in a reduction of the influence of national parliaments and an enhancement to the authority of executives. Perhaps the institution to come in for the heaviest criticism from the Eurosceptics is the Commission which is seen as an archetypal undemocratic institution, in that it is a civil service composed of appointed members (Cini 2010, p381), who contain extensive policy-making powers. In spite of its authority over initiating and developing new European laws, the Commission is subject to little direct or even indirect public accountability (McCormick, John, 2008, p124). Appointments have to be accepted by Parliament, but apart from that they are made lacking reference to the electorate. The President of the Commission is selected as an outcome of behind the scenes bargaining and conciliations directed by the leaders of the member states. The commission also stands for the views of the EU in numerous international forums devoid of a mandate from the citizens. Moreover, there are very modest openings for people to take part in or contribute to the deliberations of the Commission and only l imited occasions for the EP to hold it accountable for its decisions; although this has increased, being seen most clearly by the parliaments new powers under the Lisbon Treaty. Secondly and associated to the first aspect, the majority of commentators on the democratic deficit claim that the European Parliament authority is insufficient. The movement of legislative powers from national parliaments to the EU institutions has not been matched by an equivalent degree of democratic accountability and legislative input on the part of the European Parliament (EP) (Cini 2010, p380), the solitary directly elected body at EU level. In the 1980s, many analysts argued that there was a direct trade-off between the powers of the European Parliament and the powers of national parliaments (Follesdal, Hix, p 4), where any addition to the authority of the European Parliament would result in a concomitant decrease in the powers of national parliaments (Holland, 1980). However, by the 1990s, such an argument had departed as academics began to understand European integration as a decline in the authority of parliaments at the national level relative to executive powers. The ans wer, most claimed, was to increase the power of the European Parliament relative to the governments in the Council and the Commission (Williams, S. (1991). One of the key the arguments against the claim that authority has moved to the executive, is that national governments are the most directly accountable politicians in Europe. As Moravcsik claims The democratically elected governments of the Member States, dominate the still largely territorial and intergovernmental structure of the EU (Moravcsik Andre, 2002, p112). According to this argument, the EU is still principally an intergovernmental institution; where the verdicts at the European Council and the Council of Ministers are as accountable to EU general public as the policies of national cabinets. Furthermore the New Lisbon Treaty has increased the national parliaments capacity to contribute along with the European institutions in the work of the EU. A new clause clearly sets out the rights and duties of the national parliaments within the EU. It deals with their right to information, the way they monitor subsidiarity, and for reforming the treaties.The EU can be seen to strength en the state, challenging arguments of a democratic deficit, as the democratically elected national executives play an increasingly dominant role in the EU. Against the claims that the executives are outside the power of elected institutions, the most noteworthy institutional progress in the EU from the 1980s, has been the enlarged influence of the EP in the legislative progression and in the appointment of the Commission. The EP now has veto-power over the choice of the Commission and is progressively more prepared to employ its muscle against heavy lobbying from national governments, as was seen with the Parliaments veto of the first proposed line-up of the Barroso Commission in October 2004 (Follesdal, Hix, p 20). Also, the alterations in the use of the co-decision procedure which started under the Maastricht Treaty of 1996 and has only been increased by the last three treaties, has developed from the idea of merely cooperation first commencing under the SEA in 1986, legislation cannot be passed under the co-decision procedure without majority support in both the Council and the European Parliament (Follesdal, Hix, p 22). The extensio n of the co-decision procedure can be seen in the areas including legal immigration, penal judicial cooperation (Eurojust, crime prevention, alignment of prison standards, offences and penalties), police cooperation (Europol) and some aspects of trade policy and agriculture. It can therefore be argued that the EU has addressed the democratic deficit by significantly increasing the powers of the EP and in giving it a role in almost all lawmaking, in turn weakening the powers of the less representative institutions. Despite the extension of the co-decision procedure under The Lisbon Treaty it remains true that the EP does not possess several of the powers of a real legislature. For one it is unable to increase revenues or initiate novel laws and has a highly restricted ability to keep the Commission accountable for its judgments. While the EP may have the ability to veto national governments selection for the Commission President and the group of the Commissioners, the governments rem ain the agenda-setters with regards to the appointments of the Commission and in any new policy implemented in the EU. The trouble with the institutional approaches to the democratic deficit is that they ignore the equally significant socio-psychological viewpoints of this uncharted occurrence. The bigger dilemma is the connection, or lack of it, between the rising democratic politics inside the EU institutions and the opinions of the public. In spite of the rising influence of the EP, there are no European elections, largely as a result of there being no European demos. EU citizens vote for their governments, who represent them in the Council and nominate Commissioners. EU citizens also elect the EP. Nevertheless, none of the domestic elections neither the EP elections are actually European; elections: they are not fought over the personalities and parties at the European level or the direction of the EU policy agenda (Follesdal, Hix, p 4). State based elections are about national as opposed to European concerns, as parties collude to keep the issue of Europe off the domestic agenda (Hix, S, 1999, p 78). EP elections also tend to be decided on issues unrelated to Europe, as parties and the media treat them as mid-term national contests (Follesdal, Hix, p7), this can be shown recently by the success of many radical fringe parties in the 2009 election as a sign of discontent with the political elite and the failures of many government parties, notably the Labour party in the UK. Protest votes as a way of voicing displeasure with parties in government and increasingly failing turnout at European elections signify that as described of the first EP elections as second-order national contests (Reif K, Schmitt H, 1980, p44), is increasingly relevant. Although many national states have also endured their own form of democratic deficit, the perception remains that the trouble is considerably stronger in the EU, which has given way to a disturbing detachment between the EU institutions and its citizens. Psychologically, the EU is so unlike the national democratic bodies that citizens struggle to identify with it. As a result the institutions often appear distant and mysterious, meaning it is certainly not unexpected that anti-European media are capable of engendering public suspicion and resentment towards the EU. The Lisbon Treaty has attempted to give a more influential voice to its citizens; thanks to the Citizens Initiative, one million citizens from a number of Member States have the possibility to call on the Commission to bring forward new policy proposals. Only time will tell if this policy has the desire effect, but if it would have to be an unexpectedly successful policy for it to make any real impact with regards to voter enthusiasm for the EU. In conclusion, whether there is a democratic deficit depends partly on how the EU is understood. If it viewed as a Federation, or has a desire to turn into one, in that case the necessary links between citizens and the EU institutions are indeed weak. But if it is viewed as a confederation, then the links are unusually strong (McCormick, 2008, p126). indispensable links connecting citizens and EU institutions are certainly too frail; however, if understood as a confederation then the links are remarkably tight; where they are only expected to be indirect with national governments representing their citizens at the central authority. There may well be a persuasive case claim that the EU is not deficient with regards to democratic practices or formal legitimacy, but a question mark does linger over the unions social capacity. Democratic or not, the EU doesnt yet seem to have won over the hearts and minds of its citizens'(Smith, Julia, 2003, p3); meaning that no new constitution will on its own solve the problem of a democratic deficit within the EU. Why Was Marie Antoinette So Hated? Why Was Marie Antoinette So Hated? Assess the arguments raised by Zweig, Fraser, Lever, Dunlop, Amand as to why Marie Antoinette became such a hated figure? The following will assess and discuss the arguments raised by Zweig, Fraser, Lever, Dunlop and Amand as to why Marie Antoinette became such a hated figure in France before, during and after the revolution of 1789. The arguments of these historians will raise common and different factors that contributed to the unpopularity of Louis XVI’s Austrian born wife. The arguments raised by Zweig, Fraser, Lever, Dunlop and Amand could also be used to assess the hatred aimed towards Marie Antoinette and the effect this had upon the stability of the Ancien Regime in France. The factors and arguments that these historians have raised about Marie Antoinette are based around her personal qualities and faults, as well as upon political, social, and economic factors that were arguably outside her direct control. The assessment of the arguments raised will go into greater detail than whether Marie Antoinette became such a hated figure in France just because she was an Austrian and she had advis ed her poorer subjects to eat cakes when they did not have any bread. Above all else the arguments that are assessed will demonstrate whether her position as a hated figure was based upon justifiable reasons, fact or misplaced perceptions of her influence on events and her role within the monarchy. Marie Antoinette’s marriage to Louis XVI had been a diplomatic and dynastic match that had been intended to maintain peace between France and the Habsburg Empire, political motives came ahead of popularity amongst the French people. Like all royal families during the 18th century, the Bourbon dynasty in France did not believe its future depended on its public popularity or whether its Queen was a hated figure. Stefan Zweig argued that the reasons behind Marie Antoinette being a hated figure in France were due to her personal faults, her perceived arrogance and lavishness, combined with a dislike of her husband and declining respect for the monarchy itself. Zweig argued that Marie Antoinette’s emergence as a figure of hatred was strongly related to her being Austrian. As already noted she had been married to Louis XVI to seal the alliance between France and Austria. France had been the enemy of Austria for the best part of three hundred years; a great deal of hatred towards the Habsburgs still persisted in France. It was only natural that hatred should be directed towards Marie Antoinette once she married Louis XVI. Louis XVI himself was not believed to like Austria or Austrians with the exception of his wife. The Queen’s popularity was not helped by the failure to have children at the early stages of her marriage, although that was due to the King’s medical condition, rather than disliking his wife. Throughout her time in France though her Austrian birth did not help her popularity (Zweig, 1932 p.21). Zweig argued that Marie Antoinette inadvertently made herself a hated figure by influencing royal and therefore government policy. Here was a case in which the public perception of her influence was greater than her actual influence. Although that was because previous Queens had virtually influence at all. Louis XVI was more prone to influence from his wife than previous French Kings’ had been by their wives. Interfering in state affairs did not endear the Queen to her subjects, especially those that wanted reform. Marie Antoinette’s interference in politics may have been carried out with good intentions, yet it proved disastrous for the French monarchy. From the start many suspected that Marie Antoinette would only interfere to serve her selfish interests or those of Austria. As opposition to the monarchy increased, the number of people that were prepared to believe that Marie Antoinette’s interventions in government were either inept or directly contrary to Fre nch interests also increased. Marie Antoinette did not intervene in politics as frequently or as successfully as her opponents believed or stated she did. At the end of the day once her children had been born she wished to concentrate on her role as a mother, although her position as Queen meant that she was not able to do so (Zweig, 1932 p. 144). Zweig argued that Marie Antoinette helped to make herself a hated figure due to the lavish lifestyle she led. The Queen enjoyed a luxurious standard of living and liked to appear very wealthy. Marie Antoinette was regarded as being frivolous, fun loving and even uncaring. People grew to hate the displays of wealth and believed she knew little and cared even less about the harsh conditions that the poor had to endure. The Queen did her popularity no favours with allegations and rumours concerning her love life. Respect for her and the monarchy was weakened by such rumours. Her relationship with Fersen was far from discreet with questions raised about the paternity of her children. There were also rumours about affairs with other men including an Archbishop (Zweig, 1932 p. 144). The Queen’s reputation was severely damaged by the ‘Diamond Necklace Affair’, although she did not do anything wrong the verdicts and testimonies heard at the Paris Parlement were disastrous (Zweig, 1932 p. 170). Zweig argued that the faults of Marie Antoinette and the well-publicised rumours or the intrigues of those that disliked her made her hated. However, these factors would not have proved catastrophic if circumstances had been different. Unfortunately for the Queen all circumstances conspired against her. Poor harvests, the failure to reform the economy combined with government insolvency, the return of veterans from the American War of Independence, and finally a weak King proved a recipe for revolution. Zweig contends that these events and factors were critical in turning Marie Antoinette from being unpopular with some of the people into a woman hated by a majority of the people (Zweig, 1932 p. 156). Antonia Fraser put forward the arguments that Marie Antoinette’s decline from popularity to been a figure of hatred were due partly to how she was perceived by the French public and also due to circumstances beyond her control. Fraser argues that the French disliking foreign-born princesses and Queens had been customary before Marie Antoinette married the future Louis XVI. Previous princesses and Queens though had the advantage of maintaining a lower profile than Marie Antoinette did, whilst Louis XIV and Louis XV were more forceful than the indecisive Louis XVI was. The flamboyant Marie Antoinette stood out from her reserved husband; from her arrival in France she attracted both admirers and detractors. Unfortunately for her the ridicule and dislike that some regarded her with turned into being hated by the masses (Fraser, 2001 p. 44). Fraser points out that Marie Antoinette should have taken her mother’s advice to behave impeccably, obey her husband, and give no cause for scandal or rumours. Marie Theresa believed that avoiding scandal was the best way for her daughter to remain popular and not become a hated figure. The Empress also believed that Marie Antoinette could serve Habsburg interests more effectively if she was a popular Queen. The future Queen was also advised not to get too close to her future subjects, least they lose respect for her and the French monarchy. Whilst Marie Antoinette could keep away from her subjects, her knack of getting embroiled in scandal or upsetting people without intending to do so contributed to her becoming a hated figure. Fraser does note that Marie Theresa was partly to blame for some of her daughter’s faults. Marie Antoinette’s ability to be a good and successful Queen was hampered by a lack of education. She did not always know how to act like a Queen should, neither could she deal with complicated political issues. When she arrived in France she was naà ¯ve in many respects about politics and courtly intrigues (Fraser, 2001 p. 46). Marie Antoinette did not keep herself free of scandal and rumour. Such court rumours and tabloid pamphlets turned her innocent activities at court into orgies that never took place and the widespread circulation of them could not be prevented. Pamphlets that originally contained unfounded gossip would later prove more damaging in making her a hated figure. Louis XVI attempted to have such publications banned, although censorship was bypassed by using Dutch and British presses (Fraser, 2001, pp. 134-35). For a time after the birth of her eldest son, Marie Antoinette seemed to have achieved a measure of popularity amongst her subjects. The pamphleteers continued to try to undermine her popularity by spreading rumours about the child’s paternity and later the paternity of her other children. The motives of pamphleteers would change from making profits to attacking the monarchy and making the Queen hated (Fraser, 2001, pp.178-79). The Queen did not help matters by buying the palace at Saint Cloud for the royal family to live in; this showed insensitivity during a time when people were suffering from worsening economic conditions. People were shocked about how much was spent on the palace, the actual amounts spent was high enough yet rumours about its costs dented the Queen’s popularity further. Those that knew how precarious the royal finances were regarded it as unjustified expenses. Others regarded it as being another sign of Marie Antoinette’s power over the King and her pretensions to hold power in her own right. The Queen simply believed that the purchase was needed for her expanding family (Fraser, 2001, p.203). Fraser argues that Marie Antoinette’s reputation never recovered from the Diamond Necklace Affair, in which Cardinal de Rohan had been tricked into buying a necklace supposedly for the Queen. The Parlement in Paris reached verdicts that punished the conspirators, yet their testimonies tarnished Marie Antoinette’s reputation, even though she was cleared of any wrong doing (Fraser, 2001, p.225). Marie Antoinette became a hated figure amongst the nobility due to her being blamed for the monarchy’s financial deficits. Fraser however, argues that the Queen was not to blame for the spending cuts and the reduction in the number of prestigious court positions (Fraser, 2001, p.236). Fraser mentions that a factor that made Marie Antoinette a hated figure was that people had no qualms about expressing their hatred for the Queen, whilst they still felt unable to say things about the King (Fraser, 2001, p.251). The dislike of Marie Antoinette would further increase after Austria, Prussia, and Britain went to war against France. The Queen was still disliked for being foreign, which was coupled with the fear that the armies of Austria and Prussia could restore the monarchy which meant that the republican regime wished to execute her (Fraser, 2001, p.383). Marie Antoinette was executed following a show trial in which the charges against her were almost entirely false. She acquitted herself well; her spirited denials that she had never abused her son met approval in the court, although she had no hope of being acquitted in such a biased trial. Her execution was meant to symbolise that the monarchy would never return (Fraser, 2001, p.425). Evelyne Lever presents Marie Antoinette in largely favourable terms, particularly when putting forward the arguments as to why the Queen became such a hated figure in France. Lever argues that Marie Antoinette inadvertently began the process of being a hated figure by not realising how to behave at the Court of Versailles. Whilst Louis XV was still alive the future Queen had attempted to snub his mistress Madame Du Barry, only to be told by her mother to stop, in order to influence the King. She also set powerful noble families against her by not paying them enough respect (Lever, 2000, pp. 42-43). Lever notes that Marie Antoinette was popular in Paris before she became Queen, for her beauty and her good -humoured nature (Lever, 2000, p.52). Lever argued that a cause of Marie Antoinette becoming a hated figure was that Louis XVI did not have mistresses. In previous reigns the King’s mistresses were frequently detested and blamed for unpopular government decisions. Mistresses were usually scapegoats for the King, if Louis XVI had a mistress then perhaps she would have become hated instead of the Queen. Marie Antoinette was instead detested and used as a scapegoat for her husband’s faults and policies as well as her own actions (Lever, 2000, p.64). Marie Antoinette’s busy social life in the early years of her husband’s reign attracted much attention and criticism. The Queen gave a great deal of scope for gossip and those that wished to spread more malicious rumours had ample opportunities to do so (Lever, 2000, pp.110-11). Marie Antoinette lost respect and gave people cause to hate with her behaviour and attitudes. For instance: gambling was a frequent event, especially in the early years of her being Queen (Lever, 2000, p. 119). Marie Antoinette became a hated figure, especially amongst the poor, due to the amount of money she spent. Lever cites the cost of changing the Trianon Gardens, the expense of dances and fetes, as well as the provision of royal pensions to her closest friends and other hangers on (Lever, 2000, p.121). Marie Antoinette did not choose her friends wisely, nor try to limit the dangers of ignoring powerful families or stopping the spreading of rumours. The Queen did not use her patronage sensibly, for instance: the Comtesse de Polignac’s friends and family were given honours and pensions for doing services to the Queen of France yet doing nothing good for their country (Lever, 2000, p.160). Ian Dunlop presents a more sympathetic view of Marie Antoinette than most historians including the other four whose arguments are assessed here. Dunlop stresses that Marie Antoinette’s faults usually receive more attention than her attributes have done, that she was in fact more capable than her contemporaries often admitted, or historians have given her credit for. Dunlop comments upon the initial popularity of Marie Antoinette in France, particularly in Paris. She was originally regarded as having the qualities that a Queen needed. She was beautiful, loyal to the King and she looked the part. Her expensive clothes and lifestyle were not viewed with horror at that point (Dunlop, 1993, p.146). However, Marie Antoinette’s initial popularity declined for various reasons. Along with Louis XVI, the aristocracy and the higher clergy, Marie Antoinette lived in luxury, whilst many French people faced poverty and harsh living conditions. Although the Queen’s extravagance had not been widely resented at the start of her husband’s reign, it contributed to a growing hatred of Marie Antoinette as economic conditions went from bad to worse to disastrous. Opposition to the monarchy had the chance to be heard with the first gathering of the States General since 1614 in 1789. For the Queen it also coincided with the death of her eldest son. Such was the desperation of the political situation that the royal family gained no sympathy for the loss and faced increasing hostility (Dunlop, 1993 p.254). The monarchy and the French State headed towards bankruptcy due to the failure to achieve economic reforms and the costs of supporting the American War of Independence. The monarchy’s near bankruptcy was coupled with a series of bad harvests, which meant that more French people found it harder to survive. Marie Antoinette still appeared to be excessively privileged and wealthy to the poor that could not afford to feed themselves. The Queen became a h ated figure due to the fact she could still eat as much as she wished. Poverty and jealousy fuelled hatred, not only of Marie Antoinette but also the King, the aristocracy and the higher clergy. The claim that she said the poor should eat cake if they could not afford bread appears to have been made up. However the believe that she said it maximised the number of people that hated her (Dunlop 1993 p.258). Dunlop argues that the belief that Marie Antoinette interfered with how France was ruled contributed to her becoming such a hated figure. Dunlop argues that Marie Antoinette had tried to keep out of politics and concentrate solely on being the Queen consort. When she did become involved it was to protect her family’s interests and in her view those of France. To supporters and detractors of the monarchy the Queen was seen as more capable than her weak and indecisive husband was. Opponents of the crown targeted the Queen, their propaganda greatly contributed to her growth as a hated figure. The desperate poor, especially in Paris, readily accepted that their Austrian Queen was misguiding the King to feather her own nest at their expense. The fact that Marie Antoinette was Austrian reinforced their perceptions that she was an enemy of France and to blame for their plight. After the revolution radicals promoted campaigns against the Queen, they saw her as a danger to change. Her links to the Habsburgs meant that if she lived she could attempt to restore the monarchy with foreign help (Dunlop 1993 p. 385). Amand’s arguments concerning the unpopularity and hatred of Marie Antoinette can be regarded as being more traditional in stance than the others assessed simply because his book first appeared in 1891. Amand’s biography also differs from the other historians mentioned above as he was only writing about the events of 1792 and 1793. Amand argued that the hatred of Marie Antoinette was a significant factor in the fall of the French monarchy as she was hated more than the King. That hatred had been fuelled by years of negative rumours and propaganda against the Queen. The Queen’s weaknesses had contributed to some of those rumours whilst elements of the revolutionary movement were highly skilled in turning the population against her. This was the period in which the hatred of the French masses towards their Queen reached its fatal conclusion. The facts that France was at war with Marie Antoinette’s native Austria further antagonised the revolutionary elements of the French population against her. She was widely regarded as being a traitor, which further intensified her being a hated figure. Marie Antoinette could be stripped of her crown, her wealth, and all her titles, yet she would always remain an Austrian (Amand, 1891). Amand argued that Marie Antoinette became a hated figure due to the wealth and extravagance that she had formally displayed. Revolutionary propaganda portrayed her as been rich, selfish, and uncaring. Her unpopularity was promoted by jealousy and poverty. Hearsay and rumours were more important than fact in making her a hated figure. The Queen arguably made herself a hated figure by attempting to persuade the King to take decisive action. Radicals believed Marie Antoinette alongside her brother-in-laws bore the main responsibility for Louis XVI trying to resist revolutionary change. However the King’s indecisiveness meant that consistent and successful counter-revolutionary policies were never fully implemented. The Queen’s position as a hated figure was increased whenever the King had tried to reverse the revolution. Perhaps the one act that sealed the fate of the monarchy was the attempt to escape France that resulted in the royal family’s capture at Varennes. That failure to escape meant the revolutionary government could accuse the King and Queen of treachery. Hating the Queen was therefore a revolutionary and patriotic duty (Amand, 1891). There are some convincing arguments as to why Marie Antoinette became such a hated figure in France. Her Austrian origins were always going to be a potential banana skin. France and the Habsburgs had a long history of war and rivalry; therefore it was not surprising that members of the royal family, the nobility and the French people did not always trust her. Mistrust of the Queen’s intentions and loyalty to France were frequently played upon by opponents of the monarchy in general as a means of targeting Marie Antoinette to increase her unpopularity. She was an unpopular and later a hated figure as it was believed she was serving Austria’s best interests rather than those of France. Although Marie Antoinette did try to influence French foreign policy to suit the Habsburgs interests, she was as the frequent complaints from Vienna attest, particularly ineffective at doing so. Of course, once the revolutionary France was at war with Austria, it further increased hate towa rds the Queen. Radical elements successfully took advantage of the fear that Marie Antoinette would use her family connections to reverse the revolution. The royal family’s unsuccessful escape bid meant that they were hated even more. Accusations of treachery and duplicity certainly made the Queen a detested figure. Opponents of the monarchy regarded Marie Antoinette as a figure to be hated, as they believed she was a threat to their ambitions of reform or revolution. They used propaganda, such as pamphlets to discredit her. Her private life allowed them to spread many rumours, although with the exception of Fersen these would appear to be unfounded. Perhaps the most damaging rumour was that she said ‘let them eat cake’ when grain was scarce and the cost of bread was too high for the poor. France’s severe financial problems certainly made a contribution to Marie Antoinette becoming a hated figure. Much more than that, these factors acted as a catalyst for revolution. The Queen could not be blamed for the bankruptcy of the Crown or food shortages, but all the factors noted already meant that a majority of the French population saw her as a scapegoat who needed to be punished before their lives would get any better. Her apparent greed, adultery, conservative political outlook, and the belief that she was looking after Austrian interests all combined to make her hated. In Marie Antoinette’s defence it has to be mentioned that she was not the cause of France’s long-term problems and that there was little she could have done to solve them. Louis XVI was a weak and indecisive man, completely unsuited to be a King. The cost of the Seven Years War and the American War of Independence were the main cause of the Crown’s crippling debts and not the Que en’s expenditure. The government was certainly unable to deal with food shortages, yet that was mainly due to the scale of the problem than deliberate neglect. As Queen, Marie Antoinette performed her main duties of being the King’s consort and producing heirs to the throne. After the revolution she attempted to protect her family’s position and later their lives. She acted in a way that the majority of her royal contemporaries did. She was hated as much for what she represented, as opposed to who she was. To conclude, Zweig, Fraser, Lever, Dunlop, and Amand present common and different arguments as to why Marie Antoinette became a hated figure. They all point out the Queen’s personal faults as important causes of her unpopularity. Zweig attempts to explain those faults by the argument that Marie Antoinette was just an ordinary woman that through the accidents of birth and marriage became the Queen of France in a period in which its monarchy faced many problems. Fraser, Dunlop, and Lever attempt to account for the Queen’s failings by pointing out that she was inadequately educated for her roles. Dunlop is sympathetic to Marie Antoinette in that he argues that circumstances conspired against her. Fraser, Lever, and Zweig are more critical of her shortcomings, although also sympathetic to her position. As Amand concentrated on the years 1792-1793 he argued that hatred of Marie Antoinette was promoted by the war against Austria, Prussia, and Britain. She was hated for trying to prevent the revolution destroying her family, even if she could not prevent the end of the monarchy. All the historians argued that Marie Antoinette was hated due to the rumours and propaganda that was spread against her. Before the revolution the government had tried to censor such publications. After the revolution, particularly once the monarchy was abolished, the revolutionary government targeted Marie Antoinette. Ironically enough, Marie Antoinette was a bigger political threat after Louis XVI was executed. Her trial featured all the crimes or errors she had committed since arriving in France, greed, immorality, treachery and being of foreign birth. Bibliography Dunlop I, (1993) Marie Antoinette, Sinclair Stevenson, London Fraser A (2001) Marie Antoinette, Weidenfeld Nicholson, London Lever E (2000) Marie Antoinette: The Last Queen of France Saint- Amand I (1891) Marie Antoinette and the Downfall of Royalty Zweig S, (1933) Marie Antoinette: The Portrait of an Average Woman