Prevention of Teenage Pregnancy Policy in the UK

Introduction This essay will discuss the current policies in place to prevent teenage pregnancy in the United Kingdom. Firstly, it will introduce the key concept of teenage pregnancy and discuss it against the context of the problems it creates. The current teenage pregnancy policy will then be presented and critiqued. Finally, a number of recommendations and conclusion will be drawn. Definition and Background According to the World Health Organization (WHO), teenage pregnancy is defined as pregnancy in a woman aged 10 – 19, whilst Unicef (2008) define it as conception occurring in a woman aged 13 – 19 (Unicef, 2008). On the basis of this definition, Unicef calculated that the teenage pregnancy rate in the UK is the highest in Western Europe (Unicef, 2001), and aside from a slight decrease in the birth rate to teenage mothers during the 1970’s it has remained relatively constant since 1969 (DoH, 2003). In 1999, the Labour Government’s Social Exclusion Unit (SEU) presented its report to parliament acknowledging the scope and seriousness of the problem, particularly with reference to damage to the mother’s academic and career progression, and the health of the child. The National Teenage Pregnancy Strategy The SEU implored the Government to commit to reducing teenage conceptions by 50% by 2010, and to address the social exclusion of young mothers. To meet the first aim, the SEU championed improved sexual education, both inside and outside school and better access to contraceptives. To achieve the second, it recommended the implementation of multi-agency government programmes designed to provide support in housing, education and training. To implement the recommendations of the report, the Government set up the Teenage Pregnancy Unit (TPU), which was located in the Department of Health, but required local authorities (LA) to produce their own strategies to reduce teenage conception by 50% by 2010, with an interim target of 15% by 2004. The majority of prevention strategies focused on four key areas; the use of mass media to increase awareness of sexual health, sex and relationship education (SRE) in schools and community settings, easily available services and information on sexual health and better-quality support for young parents to drop social exclusion (DCFS 2009). In 2000, the Department for Children, Schools and Family (DCSF) issued directives to all schools to ensure that SRE in schools aimed to enable young people to make responsible and well-informed choices about their sexual lives and desist from risky behaviours which influence unintended pregnancy (DCSF 2009c). LA gave their strong backing to ensure incl usion of complete SRE programmes into personal and social education lessons in all schools (DfES 2006). The methods of administering SRE differed across LAs. For example, the services of sexual health specialists were stretched outside clinical environment to encompass schools and community settings. Programmes outside of the school environment were implemented to expose teenagers to the realities of parenting and the advantages of sensible sexual choices, and included Choose your Life, Body Tool Kit, Teens and Tots, and the Virtual Doll Plan. The varying needs of culturally diverse communities were measured, and programmes were tailored to meet them. In LA containing the most at-risk teenagers, advanced SRE plans involving parents, teachers, school nurses, teachers and vanguard staff were made. Southwark LA for example, sought to improve the information of young people on early gestations, direct them to making reliable choices and in turn decrease the rate of teenage pregnancies ((NHS Southwark 2007; Fullerton et al 1997). The actions taken were in line with the goals and purposes of the agenda; studies have demonstrated that teenagers value a forum to discuss sex and relationship issues, and such forums are beneficial as they decrease the chances of earlier sexual contact (Allen et al. 2007; Fullerton et al. 1997). Nevertheless, local differences occurred that hampered with the distribution of SRE in the schools in some areas. Not all schools embraced SRE in their teaching syllabus, some of the teachers were uncertain of the degree to teach and were either uncomfortable or awkward about young people’s sexual matters. Some schools had a syllabus that excluded social or emotional topics, which play an important role (Chambers, 2002). Some areas included mixed sex classes; these were less successful as some teenagers, particularly females, felt inhibited (Stephenson et al. 2004). Additionally, some parents refused to support the policy and withdrew their children from SRE classes (Lanek, 2005). I n reaction to these difficulties, the Health & Social Care Scrutiny Sub-Committee (2004) made further recommendations, emphasising the responsibility of schools (particularly faith schools) to include SRE in the curriculum. Post 2010, the policy aims and objectives were to build on the existing strategy, and enable young people to receive the knowledge, advice and support they need from parents, teachers and other specialist to deal with the pressure to have sex, enjoy positive and caring relationships and have good sexual health. Policy Type Birkland (1984) and Lowi et al. (1964) have argued that knowing the type of policy one is dealing with will enable one to predict what may arise after the policy has been implemented. However, Wilson (1973) has criticized categorising policies, as some are too complex to be so simply defined. This is a criticism that can be fiarly levelled at the policy under discussion, which is both preventive and self-regulatory. It aims to reduce and prevent pregancies to bridging health and education inequality gaps that teenage mothers face, reducing child poverty and reducing the cost of teenage pregnancy on public funds. It is both distributive and pragmatic; distributive in that it permits benefit to a particular group (Birkland, 1984), and pragmatic in that it was designed to be practical and workable (Maclure, 2009). The Political Context According to Leichter (1979) contextual factors that can affect policy production can be political, social, economic, cultural, national and international, with some factors becoming major contributors to the policy. Taking the example of international factors, Levine (2003) states that interdependency of nations with the same social problem can affect the policy of the adopting nation takes to solve their problem. In the UK, international influences such as the European Union, WHO and countries facing the same high teenage pregnancy rate have all impacted UK policy on the same issue (Baggott, 2007). As a member state of European Union, the regulation of our national law by the Union takes priority in informing and sharpening our policies (Mclean, 2006). Politically in Britain, the ‘teenage mother’ has come to symbolise social decline. This began with the Conservative government in the 1990’s, who first politicised the single mother by describing her as typifying the prevalent moral standards (particularly amongst the lower social classes) that threatened society (Macvarish, XX). Following the election of the Labour party in 1997, this political perception was altered in line with the New Labour vision; a more optimistic national mood teamed with traditional Labour views on social equality. Under this perspective, issues such as poverty and unemployment were viewed as symptoms of ‘social exclusion’ whereby individuals were unfairly excluded from participating fully in society. Such communities were to be viewed sympathetically instead of being blamed, and it was within this context that the strategy evolved: reducing teenage pregnancy was one way of making the excluded included (Macvarish XX). Against this backdrop of poitical ideology, the UK has a democratic system of government whereby decisions and policies are made based on the influence of the stakeholders. The teenage pregnancy strategy had pluralist influences including the director of public health, consultants in public health, the director of social services, specialist midwifes and parents of teenagers. These contributions were multi-level; nationally, regionally and locally. At a national level, financial support and endorsement was provided by senior ministers, guidance and monitoring was provided at a regional level, and participation by young people and their parents provided the local input. Policy implementation Implementation is the process of turning policy into practice (Buse, 2005). The implementation of the teenage pregnancy policy was two phase: the first launched in 1999 and depended on ‘better’ sex education both in and out of schools, and improved access to contraception. The second phase came 10 years later in 2008 and relied upon different government programs designed to assist teenage mothers with returning to education or training, gaining employment or providing support with other social factors such as housing. The implementation of teenage pregnancy policy was also top-down. The purpose of the policy was to reduce and prevent teenagers from becoming early parents through support and increasing implementation of preventative guidance by the government and to combat social exclusion of teenage mothers. The policy can be seen to be self-regulatory because it was behavioral and aimed to provide the individual with the skills to make informed decisons regarding their sexual health (Bartle & Vass, 1998). There are additional factors that help to facilitate the implementation of policy; actors in policy, and experts in the agenda. Actors generally are individuals with power that can be excercised through influencing policy. They may be lobby or pressure groups and can include politicians, civil servants, and members of an interest group (Buse, 2005). The involvement of experts in the agenda setting was clear from the outset. The National guidance allowed the local areas to enlarge the scope of the policy using guidance. The involvement of local actors and the use of data from the local areas helped to motivate local action. Taking advantage of local knowledge or information facilitates matching policy to the specific needs of the teenagers. Analysis of policy successStrategy implementation related successFollowing the publication of the policy, the earliest the strategy could begin to be implemented was early 2000, but this was highly dependent on the employment of local teenage pregnancy co-ordinators. By the third quarter of 2000, 75% of these posts were staffed, rising to virtually 100% in 2001 (TPSE, 2005). With regards the communication strategy, the percentage of local areas that used media campaigns to reinforce the messages of the national campaign grew steadily from 2% in 2000 to 40% in 2001 (TPSE, 2005). The number of areas with at least one sexual health service dedicated to young people increased consistently from 68% in 2000 to 84% in 2001, while support for young parents with emphasis on reintegration into work and training rose to 70% according to TPSE (2005). Over the course of the strategy, 10,000 teachers, support staff and nurses were trained to deliver Personal, Social and Health Education in schools (TPAIG, 2010).Prevention related successThe original ambition of the teenage pregnancy strategy was to achieve a 15% reduction in under-18 conception by 2004 and 50% reduction by 2010, accompanied by a downward trend in the under-16 conception rate (TPSE 2005). The first phase of the strategy came to an end after a period of ten years without achieving its entire target. In the early part of tits implementation, the policy appeared to have moderate success. By 2002, the conception rate for under-18s had fallen by 9%, reversing the upward trend seen prior to the strategy implementation, and contrary to the relatively static rates observed over the past 30 years (TPSE, 2005). Success varied across the UK, but a steeper decline in conception rates in socio-economically deprived areas suggested that it had targeted the most ‘at-risk’ areas. For example, Hackney council reported a decrease in the rates of repeated abortion from 49% to 27% in under-18s, and they report that the majority of under-16s report not having sex due to understanding of abstinence. How successful the policy had been depended greatly on how robustly it was implemented across various local areas. In general, there was a reduction in areas that have carried out proper implementation, with some areas able to report a 45% decline, while other areas performed poorly due to poor implementation, with no reduction, or in some cases, an increase (TPAIG, 2010). However, the follow-up report ‘Teenage Pregnancy Strategy: Beyond 2010 found that the overall conception rate had fallen by 13.3% since 1998, falling well short of the projected 50% reduction. However the DoH add that births to under-18s had fallen by 25% over this period (DoH, 2010).They also point to the increase in access to sexual health services, information and advice as an additional indicator of success. The new phase goes beyond the original 10-year target, adding more content added to the policy, following an incremental process according to TPSE (2005). Incrementalpolicy according to Lindblom (1993) is a major achievement that is attained as a result of small steps taken which guarded against policy disaster. However, the new phase exists within a climate of austerity. The current downtrend of conception rates in the under-18 age group will be difficult to maintain against a backdrop of disinvestment, which has already led to widespread closure of specialist sexual h ealth services for under-18s.Gaps in the policyIn applying teenage pregnancy policy to the present situation, it can be said that the policy did not really look inward into the situation that the country was facing. It looked at the success rate of other countries without tailoring their measures to curb the problems specific to Britain. The policy is a social policy and as such it focussed on the social aspect of the problem without looking at the health issues that come with teenage pregnancy. Addiitonally, the time frame given to meet its target of a 50% was too short. Teenage pregancy is inextricably linked to both poverty, a social issue too wide to tackle in one decade. It is also strongly related to culture, and specifically the need to foster a culture of openess regarding sexual behaviour and health. This again is too complex to challenge in 10 years. Recommendations In the first instance, the coalition Government must address the shortcomings currently seen in sexual relation education (SRE). The former Government elected to not make SRE part of the compulsory curriculum, and as a result provision of SRE across the country is patchy. The Government should pass legislation ensure good practice such as SRE becomes compulsory. Additionally, refinements to existing SRE need to be made. In particular this should include devising ethnic and faith-based SRE programmes, which will better address the diversity of beliefs held in a modern multi-cultural Britain. Also, the deliberation of same-sex SRE classes should be completed and implemented (Fullerton et al 2001). More use should be made of robust team-working within communities, health sectors and schools in encouraging SRE, and the creative use and further training of more peer-educators to deliver the strategy within schools should be considered. Secondly, an approach which combines measures to prevent teenage conception and support teenage mothers must be in tandem to wider measures to address poverty and social exclusion. The loss of the Education Maintenance Allowance and the closure of many Sure Start centres disproportionately disadvantage the socio-economically deprived, and widen the gap in attainment between the rich and poor. Thirdly, the coalition government must be invested in making reductions to teenage pregnancy rates a priority. Ring-fencing of funds for specialist sexual health services and training in SRE must be guaranteed in order to not lose the small, but significant reductions in teenage pregnancy rates seen to date. Relatedly, strategies to address teenage pregnancy should be integrated into all future policies. Finally, the patchy nature of strategy deliverance across local authorities must be addressed. Areas that neglect to implement the strategy effectively should be identified, and supported according. Sharing of good practice across local authorities should be made routine. Conclusions In conclusion, this essay has outlined the teenage pregnancy strategy devised in 1998, its background and political context. It went on to discuss the outcomes of the first ten-year phase. At this point, it is still too early to say whether the second phase will meet its overall target, especially in the current economic climate, although the strategy focused attention on the problem and provided materials to help local, regional and national implementation of the strategy. As Britain remains a culturally diverse country, addressing this with regards teenage sexual health should remain a priority. In particular, adequate training of all personnel that will help and support teenagers in and out of school, increasing parental involvement in sex and contraception, and ring fencing specialist sexual health services should all be seen as important and complimentary factors in continuing to address pregnancy in UK teenagers. References: Allen, E., Bonell, C., Strange, V., Copas, A., Stephenson, J., Johnson, A.M. & Oakley, A., (2007). Does the UK government’s teenage pregnancy strategy deal with the correct risk factorsFindings from a secondary analysis of data from a randomised trial of sex education and their implications for policy. Journal of epidemiology and community health, 61(1), 20-27. BERTHOUD, R. (2001).Teenage births to ethnic minority women. Population Trends, 6(104):12-17. BONELL, C., ALLEN, E., STRANGE, V., COPAS, A., OAKLEY, A., STEPHENSON, J. and JOHNSON, A. (2005). The effect of dislike of school on risk of teenage pregnancy: testing of hypotheses using longitudinal data from a randomised trial of sex education. Journal of epidemiology and community health, 59(3), 223-230. BONELL, C.P., STRANGE, V.J., STEPHENSON, J.M., OAKLEY, A.R., COPAS, A.J., FORREST, S.P., JOHNSON, A.M. and BLACK, S. (2003). Effect of social exclusion on the risk of teenage pregnancy: development of hypotheses using baseline data from a randomised trial of sex education. Journal of epidemiology and community health, 57(11), 871-876. BOS, R. (2006). Health impact assessment and health promotion. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 84(11), 914-915. BREEZE, C.H. & LOCK, K., (2001). Health impact assessment as part of strategic environment assessment. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe. Buse, K., Mays, N. and Walt, G. (2005) Making health policy. Open University PressOxford English Dictionary. 1989. 2nd ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press. CAMERON, M. (2000).A short guide to health impact assessment. London: NHS Executive London. http://www.londonshealth.gov.uk/pdf/hiaguide/pdf (accessed 1 February 2010). Chambers, R., Boath, E. & Chambers, S. (2002).Young people’s and professionals’ views about ways to reduce teenage pregnancy rates: to agree or not agree. Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care, 28(2):85-90 DCSF. (2009). Sex and relationship education (SRE). http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/policy/health/sre/. (accessed January 30, 2010). DCSF. (2009). About Teenage Pregnancy Strategy http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/healthandwellbeing/teenagepregnancy/about/strategy/ (accessed January 10, 2010). DCSF. (2009). Teenage Conception Statistics for England 1998-2007. http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/resources-and-practice/IG00200/ (accessed January 17, 2010). DCSF, (2008). Teenage Pregnancy Independent Advisory Group. Annual report 2007-2008. http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/health/teenagepregnancy/tpiag (accessed December 27, 2009) DCSF. (2005). Teenage Pregnancy Strategy Evaluation. http://publications.dcsf.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/RW38.pdf (accessed December 29, 2009). DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND SKILLS. (2006). Teenage pregnancy: Accelerating the strategy to 2010. London: Crown. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND SKILLS. (2003). Sex and Relationship Education Guidance. DfES 0116/2000, 1-35. Available at http://www.dfes.gov.uk (accessed December 29, 2009). DoH (2010). Teenage Pregnancy Strategy: beyond 2010. http:// http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/11277/1/4287_Teenage%20pregnancy%20strategy_aw8.pdf (accessed July 25th 2012). DoH. (2007). Health impact assessment: questions and guidance for impact assessment.http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Legislation/Healthassessment/Browsable/DH_075622 (accessed January 17, 2010). Fullerton, D., Dickson, R., Eastwood, A.J. & SHELDON, T.A., 1997. Preventing unintended teenage pregnancies and reducing their adverse effects. Quality in Health Care, 6(2):102-8. HOUSTON, A. (2006). Neighbourhood Renewal Fund Strategic Gaps Health Inequalities: Reducing Teenage Pregnancy in Southwark: an evaluation report. UK: Houston Enterprises. KEMM, J., PARRY, J. and PALMER, S. (2004). Health impact assessment. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Joffe, M. & Mindell, J. (2005). Health impact assessment. Occupational and environmental medicine, 62(12), 907-12, 830-5. Joffe, M. & Mindell, J. (2002). A framework for the evidence base to support Health Impact Assessment. Journal of epidemiology and community health, 56(2), 132-138. Lanek, R., (2005). Communities & Outreach Presentation to the Multi-Faith Seminar on Sex & Relationships For Young People in Southwark. LOCK, K. (2000). Health impact assessment. British Medical Journal, 320: 1395-1398. Macvarish, J. (2010). Understanding the significance of the teenage mother in contemporary parenting culture. Sociological Research Online 15 (4). Metcalfe, O., Higgins, C. & Lavin, T. (2009). Health Impact Assessment Guidance. Dublin: The Institute of Public Health in Ireland MINDELL, J., BOAZ, A., JOFFE, M., CURTIS, S. and BIRLEY, M., 2004. Enhancing the evidence base for health impact assessment. Journal of epidemiology and community health, 58(7): 546-551. MINDELL, J., HANSELL, A., MORRISON, D., DOUGLAS, M., JOFFE, M. and QUANTIFIABLE HIA DISCUSSION GROUP. (2001). What do we need for robust, quantitative health impact assessmentJournal of public health medicine, 23(3): 173-178. MINDELL, J. and JOFFE, M. (2003). Health impact assessment in relation to other forms of impact assessment. Journal of public health medicine, 25(2), 107-112. NHS (2007). Southwark Vital Statistics. London, NHS NHS SOUTHWARK. (2009). Southwark Health Profile 2009. http://www.southwarkpct.nhs.uk/documents/5480.pdf. (accessed 28 December 2009) NHS SOUTHWARK, (2007). Southwark Young People’s Sexual Health &Teenage Pregnancy Needs Assessment & Equity Audit. NHS Southwark NHS SOUTHWARK, (2004). Southwark Teenage Pregnancy and Parenthood Action Plan 2003-04. NHS Southwark ONS (2009). Health Statistics Quarterly. London: Crown ONS (2004). Southwark Neighborhood Statistics. Key Figures for 2001 Census: Census Area Statistics. http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures PARRY, J., STEVENS, A. (2001). Prospective health impact assessment: pitfalls, problems, and possible ways forward. British Medical Journal. 323(7322):1177-82. PUBLIC HEALTH INSTITUTE SCOTLAND. (2004). Health Impact Assessment: a guide for local authorities. ROSS, D.A. (2008). Approaches to sex education: peer-led or teacher-ledPLoS medicine, 5(11), 229. SCOTT-SAMUEL A. (1988). Health impact assessment: theory into practice. Journal of epidemiology and community health, 52,704-705. SCOTT-SAMUEL, A., BIRLEY, M., ARDERN, K., (2001). The Merseyside Guidelines for Health Impact Assessment. Second Edition, May 2001. SEAMARK, C.J. and LINGS, P, (2004). Positive experiences of teenage motherhood: a qualitative study. The British journal of general practice: the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 54(508), 813-818. Sexual health charity, FPA. (2010) Teenage pregnancy factsheet: [Online]. Available at: http://www.fpa.org.uk/professionals/Factsheets/teenagepreggnancy (Accessed on 30 May 2012). STEPHENSON, J.M., STRANGE, V., FORREST, S., OAKLEY, A., COPAS, A., ALLEN, E., BABIKER, A., BLACK, S., ALI, M., MONTEIRO, H., JOHNSON, A.M. and RIPPLE STUDY TEAM, (2004). Pupil-led sex education in England (RIPPLE study): cluster-randomized intervention trial. Lancet, 364(9431): 338-346 Teenage Pregnancy Independent Advisory Group (2010). Teenage Pregnancy: Past Successes – Future Challenges. [Online]. Availiable at: https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/Past%20successes%20-%20future%20challenges.pdf (Accessed on 25th July 2012). WHITEHEAD, M. and DAHLGREN, G., 1991. What can be done about inequalities in healthLancet, 338(8774):, 1059-1063. WIGGINS, M., BONELL, C., SAWTELL, M., AUSTERBERRY, H., BURCHETT, H., ALLEN, E. and STRANGE, V. (2009). Health outcomes of youth development programme in England: prospective matched comparison study. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 339, b2534. World Health Organization (2004) WHO Discussion papers on Adolescence, [Online]. Available at: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2004/9241591455_eng_pdf (Accessed 30 May 2012). WHO (2002). Technical Briefing Health Impact Assessment: A tool to include health on the agenda of other sectors. EUR/RC52/BD/3. Brussels: European Centre for Health Policy, World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe. World Health Organization (2001). Health impact assessment. Harmonization, mainstreaming and capacity building. Report of an inter-regional meeting on harmonization and mainstreaming of HIA in the World Health Organization and of a partnership meeting on the institutionalization of HIA capacity building in Africa. Geneva: WHO. World Health Organization, 1999. Health impact assessment: main concepts and suggested approach. Brussels: European Centre for Health Policy, World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe. Unicef. (2008). Planning: Teenage pregnancy [online]. Available at: http://www.unicef.org/Malaysia/Teenage pregnancies_overview.pdf young people and Family TAYLOR, L., GOWMAN, N., QUIGLEY, R., 2003. Evaluating health impact assessment. Yorkshire, UK: NHS Health Development Agency. THOROGOOD, M. & COOMBES, Y., 2000. Evaluating health promotion: practice & methods. Oxford: Oxford University Press. WHO, 2010. Health Impact Assessment. http://www.who.int/hia/tools/en/ (accessed 30 January 2010)

Insider Trading: Should It Be Abolished? Essay

Insider trading is defined as â€Å" trading whilst in possession of non-public information and if known to the public, may lead to a substantial movement in a security’s price† . In Australia it is prohibited by insider trading regulation (IT regulations) in the Corporations Law (CL) 1991 , though it was initially established from recommendations made by the Rae committee in 1974 on the mining company scandals . The latest law changed one single section to 20 wide and complex sections, causing critique of Australia IT regulations . Henry G Manne argued that IT regulations should be abolished supported by three basic economic arguments. This essay will examine the pro and contra of each argument and shows that IT regulations have spoiled the notion of fairness at the expense of efficiency, despite the objective of any securities markets regulation to promote both aspects . 1. Insider trading could compensate corporate entrepreneurs . Pro and Contra This argument is supported by Carlton and Fischel who argued that the IT regulations are the same with setting government regulation of terms and conditions of employment; similar to restrict salary bonuses, stock options, vacation leave, and the others which can motivate management for their entrepreneurial skills . However their assumptions ignore the difference between the volatile share price and a certain amount of normal compensation. As argued by Easterbrook, where there is a volatile share price, the management compensation argument reverts into a â€Å"lottery-ticket argument† . Because in the volatile share price, even informed traders will hardly predict the increase or decrease of share price in the future. The high fluctuation equalizes the possibility of losing their investment and getting profit, which as called ‘compensation’. From the two extremes, It can be concluded that compensation argument can be valid if the share price is relatively stable otherwise not all insiders can get their compensation through insider trading. Director’s fiduciary duty to Shareholder However, if IT regulation were only applied for a liquid market, what is the role of fiduciary duty? In Exicom’s case fiduciary argument was established where persons who are subject to a legal relationship of trust and confidence, arising from either a prior relationship with the securities issuer (typically directors, employees and corporate agents) or the other party to trade should not make a profit from that position or allow a conflict of interest to arise. Moore supports IT regulation on the basis of fiduciary duty. He reasons that directors have some fiduciary duty to their shareholder to fully disclose all information they could benefit from. His idea is supported by the fact that although there is no general principal that directors owe fiduciary duty to shareholders (in addition to the company), with the purpose to prevent directors when in the position of holding confidential information to spread the it to outsiders , such duty in recognized in Hooker’s case . Sub Conclusion Insider trading as a compensation for corporate executive is argued only happened in a stable market where they can use the information to predict the trend otherwise the profit compensation turn to be a lottery compensation. Here fiduciary duty of the insiders is questioned where in Hooker’s case it is possible that directors owe fiduciary duty to shareholder although there is no general principal on it. 2. Insider Trading Contributes to Market Efficiency Pro from Leland and Estrada Manne argued that ‘allowing an unfettered market in information will have salutary effects unheard of in connection with regulatory â€Å"disclosure†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ . Recently, Leland and Estrada also stated similar idea that insider trading contributes to market efficiency through signaling where signal-trading by insiders pushed share price more quickly towards its equilibrium price. Pro from Empirical Measures Theory Moreover, empirical measure presents a theory; the more information gets into market, the lower transaction cost, the more liquid the market and the smaller volatility produced. Since investors get more helpful information to predict market trend, the transaction cost here is lower. Transaction cost is the cost to take the risk if the companies, which they invest in, somehow default. Thus lower transaction cost is equivalent to lower risk, which can encourage more investor to trade. As trading in the market occurs significantly in one flow (either buy or sell) based on the information they got, the volatility, which represented by the bid-ask (difference between the buy and sell quotes at any one time), decreases. Consequently liquidity increases. Evidence from Real Study In practice, Dodd and Officer found evidence that no significant abnormal returns (return of a security over its average or expected return) occurred on the day take over rumour was published, although some abnormal returns typically occurred prior to the publicity of rumour. This prior abnormal return must be because of insider trading, as the unpublished information they possess allow them to predict the trend up to takeover bid, thus, at the date of take over published, market already reached equilibrium price. Contra from Cox and Georgakopoulos and Response from Wyatt However, there are some disagreements on Manne argument. First, Cox claims that insider trading cannot make the price movement towards equilibrium price purely by their own actions . Also microstructure theory by Georgakopoulos, which states that whether support or against insider trading is depending on the market liquidity . A liquid market as discussed in the compensation arguments will give more benefit to insiders because the votality is lower and they can easily predict trend in stable price, hence, IT regulations in this case can be useful. On the other hand, illiquid market leads both insider and outsider traders away regardless the information they received since the votality is high and even unpublished information may just let them gamble on the security’s price, hence, in such market the presence of IT regulations has no effect to the market. The idea is that the uninformed traders is discourage to involve in market because of unfairness arise from the profit making activity by informed traders, hence, reducing the market effectiveness. For all that, both claims can be doubtful considering Wyatt suggestion that outsiders follow insiders action and further can encourage market liquidity . His suggestion is also supported by the fact that trader’s identity is kept confidential, thus, uninformed traders cannot be certain of the percentage of informed traders which make them discourage from trading. IT Regulation Distorts Market Efficiency Further issue is whether IT regulation increase market efficiency or it just increase the cost of compliance for companies and financial services firms? If IT regulation inhibits market efficiency then it should be revised. IT regulations in Australia reinforces continous disclosure (CD) regulations such in Crown Casino’s case where the chairman, who has no power on the company’s behalf, disclosed information to outsiders before the board disclosed it to the Exchange. The court emphasized on the breach of continous disclosure specifically on the abuse of the term ‘immediately’ . If IT regulation is just a flip-case of CD regulations, then it is obsolescent, as CD regulation already governs tardy disclosure . Sub Conclusion nsider trading contributes to market efficiency by moving the share price more quickly towards equilibrium price is supported by empirical measure which shows that insider trading increase market liquidity, and by Dodd and Officer finding on significance abnormal returns prior to take over rumour instead of on the date of publicity. Although Cox and Georgakopoulos go against the concept, Wyatt response that their arguments can be the contrary, that informed traders can be an opportunity for uninformed traders to get profit by following them instead of discourage them by unfairness. 3. Insider Trading and Long-term Investors Pro and Contra Finally, insider trading does no significant harm for long-term investors , â€Å"whose market decisions will be a function of time† . In detail, Manne asserts that the less frequent someone trades, the less significant effect of the unfair use of valuable information from insider trading they receive. Such investors just make investment on the basis that they are timely and not affected by the share price, which is affected by insider trading. However, this view is questioned by Schotland . He argued that even long-term investor needs cash and when they need it they will consider to ait for a right price to sell it. Further, Manne suggest that long term investor can ignore price to avoid being harmed by the effect of insider trading, expect for one, which is the lost of not having inside information in the range of the buying and selling price so that it is insignificant. Here Manne only refers to one investment. Yet, how about when the investors have more than one (in which the common condition to diversify)? They may need to watch a series of share price otherwise they will end up will sell it with no profit after putting so much faith waiting for it. Sub Conclusion Insider trading does no significant harm for long-term investors as they just invest on the basis of time instead of share price and only need to watch insignificant loss from the valuable information exploited by insider trading. The idea is fully objected by Schotland by arguing even long-term investors need cash and should consider the right price to sell the share. Also the insignificant loss only refers to one share, but in practice long-term investor such as retirees diversify shares by holding more than one. Conclusion In summary, the essay demonstrates a number of both pros and contras of whether insider trading should be abolished. Looking the above discussion, insider trading should be outlawed as it can cause significant harm to investors. It is also contradict with fiduciary argument. However, Insider trading is also evidenced contribute to market efficiency. Moreover, as in Crown Casino’s case, IT regulation is criticized to be a mere flip-case of CD regulation and the presence just increase the cost of compliance. Therefore, It would be better if IT regulations is revised in a way that promote both fairness and efficiency equally.

ZJZ Quality Department Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ZJZ Quality Department - Essay Example Quality control is an important determinant of final quality and it could be crucial to newly-introduced products since unexpected defects and malfunctions may have to be designed out. As products mature, competitors come out with copycat offerings, and in general, design know-how gets diffused across the industry, as the determinant both of quality delivered to customers and of quality differences among competitors. In this case, the quality department can monitor recent changes and innovations on the market and initiate changes. Following Rose (2005) a designed of the product does not guarantee superior quality. The functions and responsibilities of the quality department will be to monitor and control research projects and production of products and their components. The quality department will help ZJZ Corporation to establish culture of quality as a main organizational value. The purpose underlying all quality assurance efforts is to establish both methods and philosophies of working which lead to improved outputs (quality and value) as well as techniques for keeping track of progress toward these output goals.

Discuss the reforms made by SCAP and their legac Essay

Discuss the reforms made by SCAP and their legac - Essay Example At the same time, the demilitarization issue became so controversial because; despite the fact that military empowerment was banned by Article 9 of the constitution, Japan continued to sustain a strong military budget (Buckley 4). The reforms not only demilitarized Japan but also aimed to enhance democracy and the rule of law in the country. They influenced Japan to shift away from the Meiji Constitution and the Prewar forces and policies. An important pillar of the reforms was the introduction of the initiative that sovereignty comes from the citizens because it eliminates the higher privilege of autocracy. At the same time, the reforms aimed to protect the rights of women. The latter gave the Japanese women the power to vote. The endorsement of clause 9 of the constitution by the reforms helped to prevent Japan from becoming a violent military power. However, the United States later pressurized Japan to rebuilt its military power for self-defense against other outside ideologies such as communism in other parts of the world, including Asia. This came soon after the Korean War and the Chinese Civil War. During the war in Korea, the US military forces withdrew from Japan. This left the country almost defenseless. A national police reserve was also created that was armed with massive weaponry equivalent to the army. The reforms also led to the formation of the Japan Self-defense Forces that acted as an extension of the police force. Another reform was liberalization. The priorities of the US towards Japan gradually shifted from the liberal policies to a change in the political stability as well as economic recovery. Democratization and demilitarization lost their momentum and seemed to stall. For example, economic decentralization was uncompleted as the country responded to new imperatives. The US also encouraged industrial policies and business activities that have now become sources of

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 65

Marketing - Essay Example A SWOT analysis of the project illustrates that the availability of resources as defined by the budget will allow an investment on the project a success and able to meet goals. Additionally a marketing plan will allow the market to be aware of the service and interested in using it. In addition, there are opportunities in the market for future expansion. However the internal environment within the organization such as corporate culture and management strategies would determine the success of the project. There is a need for conducting an elaborate market research so that the willingness of the market to purchase, their needs and financial capabilities can be determined so that accurate objectives and goals of marketing and implementing the project can be designed. The marketing strategies will involve a competitive approach where technology is employed in achieving effective marketing communication for the mobile mammogram service. More importantly the 4 Ps as market variables will b e analyzed so that they would be implemented effectively in ensuring success of the marketing process for the mobile mammogram service within the target

Why I should be chosen to be the Muscle Activation Technique Trainer Essay

Why I should be chosen to be the Muscle Activation Technique Trainer for my company - Essay Example But to do this I will myself have to attend the lecture to get to know the concept inside out. This can transform lives and I don't want to miss this opportunity. The greatest pleasure is derived when a person helps another person and especially when a person is in excruciating pain, relieving him from his pain gives the ultimate joy. I firmly believe in this and this opportunity will surely give me a lot of joy and happiness. After learning the technique I will make it a point that I teach each and every one who comes in contact with me, so that this technique can pass on and be beneficial to several people. I have always wanted to do this right from my childhood; it is more like a dream to me than anything else. I would just like to say that I will be really lucky if I fulfill this dream of mine. I assure that I will certainly make a difference after learning the technique. The results will be in front of everyone to see. The satisfaction which I will derive from it would be the ultimate thing anyone would want.

What was the defining concept of military conflict during the Cold Essay

What was the defining concept of military conflict during the Cold War; nuclear weapons or proxy wars - Essay Example Various US policies and some significant events were clear indication that the Cold War was unavoidable (Whitton 1951). The USA fought the war using ideologies like the containment policy that had been fuelled by domino theory, Potsdam, and Yalta conferences, Iron Curtain Speech of Winston Churchill, Marshal Plan, and the Truman Doctrine and Russia responded with communist ideas (Ball 1998). Soviet expansion, proxy wars, nuclear arms race, the Berlin airlift, and Cuban Missile Crisis were some of the moments that clearly defined the tension between the USA and the Soviet Union. Therefore, there was no form of active military confrontation during the Cold wars as the nations were battling it out through political and economic ideologies. Whereas traditional wars had been defined through armed conflict, the Cold War was fought indirectly. Western and Eastern Europe countries created an atmosphere for advocating either for American or Russian processes of democracy and communism (Innes 2012). It is, therefore, important to discuss the defining concept of military conflict during the cold wars, whether it was based on proxy wars or Military conflict. When mankind had developed weapons too terrible to use like the atomic and nuclear bombs, the presence of these deadly weapons deterred the superpowers of engaging in active or direct confrontation (Stein, 1980). History holds that wars are always eminent, but development in arms race would discourage direct military action. Therefore, the best way for the super powers was to engage in limited wars that are only devastating to the participating countries and other people involved but not destructive to the global levels or result in mass destruction (Innes 2012). During the cold war, the world was divided into First, Second and Third Worlds (Ball 1998). The First Worlds comprised the western nations that had capitalist economies with

Economic Issues in 20th century Latin America Essay

Economic Issues in 20th century Latin America - Essay Example The economy of such countries as Chile, Mexico, Argentina and Peru is now much more open than before. Even in Brazil, where the resistance to market reforms continued in the 90 years, government policy as a whole turned in the direction of foreign trade liberalization and privatization. The changes in both spheres – political and economical – were rather difficult for the countries. In contrast to the predictions of many analysts new democratic regimes have proven to be viable even in a severe economic crisis. Ultimately, most of them show the ability to implement difficult but much-needed market reforms. Now the countries of Latin America are facing new, more complex tasks, which differ from the previous problems at least in two important aspects. First of all, conditions of policy have changed. In the past reformers were opposed by supporters of import-replacing model and the dominant role of the state. Before government did not pay so much attention to the problems o f private investment, market competition, and prudent macroeconomic policies. Now the debate is centered on the extent of state support to private sector and focus on the issues like distribution and the actual economic growth. There are the disputes around the economic policy which closely related to the changing nature of policy challenges facing the young democracies of Latin America. The task of overthrowing the military dictatorship and preventing the return to authoritarian rule gave way to the issues of efficiency and accountability of the elected governments. The results of these political challenges impact on the issues of economic growth and property. Economic overview and challenges The neoliberal reforms of 80-90-ies have been repeatedly criticized and continue to cause controversy today. The incentives for economic growth, which are created by market-oriented policies, derive from several sources. In the context of economic globalization, external financing is crucial f or the balance of payments in all countries. In Latin America, as in other developing countries, governments in most cases are aware of the importance of maintaining the confidence of private investors and institutions like the IMF and World Bank. The significance of these goals is well demonstrated by the Mexican peso crisis. In 80-ies a typical reaction to these events was to limit imports and capital movements, in the mid-90'ies answer to the crisis was the deepening of liberal reforms. The past experience has also demonstrated how important it is to maintain continuity of policy. Export-oriented East Asian countries have successfully emerged from the debt crisis, which sharply contrasted with the profound failure of the political experiments in Brazil, Argentina and Peru. The lessons of this experience are still being discussed, but already had a consensus on the need for a cautious approach to macroeconomic policy (Frieden, 2000). Finally, the probability of the direct cancella tion of the results of past reforms is limited by internal factors. In countries such as Chile and Mexico, the political influence of export-oriented business provides a powerful motivation for the continuity of policies. Moreover, the successful stabilization programs have gained wide popularity among lower-income groups, which particularly were affected by high inflation. Thus, although the opposition argue for more vigorous measures to

Marketing Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing - Article Example According to their article, there is a market - finance interface that exists in the operational sphere of every organization. This helps the organization interact with its external environment so as to create ample scope for the creation of market assets as well as cash flows. In this article, the writers have taken the focus away from mere sales growth and profit figures in order to show how the various aspects of marketing can contribute to the overall brand image and thus create a better environment for garnering of financial inputs as well as outputs. (Srivastava et al, 1998) In this regard the various aspects that have been dealt with are discussed in this paper as follows. According to the article by Srivastava et al, (1998), the basic theme of market research revolves around providing the means for an organization to broaden its horizons in terms of its goal achievement plan and its strategic positioning in the market. The implication of this theory revolves around the fact that the modern day organization needs to follow various steps in the research and examination of its various levels of operations and scope in the dynamic business environment that surrounds it. These steps include the following: Development of a goal or a mission in keeping with the basic capabilities of an organization. This includes knowing what the organization's basic output is in terms of its human resource base. A study of the market forces. This will help the organization realize the potential of the product in lieu of similar products that are being sold in the market through an emphasis on the demand and supply of the same. Grouping and organization of resources. This is a crucial element that can make or break an organization. Through the grouping of resources, an organization manages it finances in a better way so as to garner funds that will be circulated in the marketing activities. Through this process there is also a focus on creating a better market standing for the organization. The basic implications for these broad and age old principles in lieu of the article by Srivastava et al, demonstrates that the writers have shown an affinity for the broad spectrum of marketing research in the development of their market - finance interface. Market research is a primary function that gives rise to findings regarding the organization as well as its standing in the external environment. According to Srivastava et al, this has major implication for the market based assets. (Srivastava et al, 1998) The tools of market research help an organization create an identity in the following arenas: Change and knowledge management: The ability of an organization to cater for change and go along with the flow helps it earn more market based assets. The modern day economy is one that is changing with each passing day. The state of commerce is not what it used to be, say, a few decades ago. This is basically due to the fact that the new rule of thumb is that the only constant is change. The face of politics has greatly shaped the way the economy of a country and therefore, that of an organization, operates. In this way, there is a sense of constant interaction with the

Answer questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 12

Answer questions - Essay Example Here, issues of bank overdraft are nonexistent and the business is in a good business shape. An example of when underlying circumstances may be such that the accounts receivable turnover increases one period to the next and is favorable is when the accounts receivable turnover has a high value, which shows that there is an improvement in the process of collecting cash on credit sales. An example of when underlying circumstances may be such that the accounts receivable turnover increases one period to the next and is unfavorable is when the accounts receivable turnover has a lower figure that indicated inefficiencies in collection of credit sales. A example of when the underlying circumstances may be such that the accounts payable turnover increases from one period to the next is favorable is when a company is paying its suppliers longer than it should take. This means that the company is taking advantage of discounts that come with early payment. Credit analysis refers to the method used to investigate whether a company has the financial ability to repay its obligations. It is done through the development of classification-based approach that seeks to differentiate potential defaulters from non-defaulters. The basics of credit analysis can be understood through five C’s that include character, capacity, capital, collateral and conditions. The first C, character, refers to the general impression the customer has on the prospective investor or lender. The lender comes up with a subjective opinion regarding whether the company or client can be trusted to repay a loan or generate a return from the funds that are invested into the firm. The background of the company and the experience in its particular field of business are issues that must be considered including issues of employee experience, and the quality of the references given

An Evaluation of Academic Performance of Grade Essay Example for Free

An Evaluation of Academic Performance of Grade Essay Introduction â€Å"Bright minds make bright future! † Preparatory children nowadays are far  Ã‚  better than before they are more advanced in teaching and more capable of absorbing the methods of learning that used with them. Modern teaching accompanied with modules and analytical measures develop the  preschooler’s memory retention that serves as the foundation of their education. Kids today  are more willing and not afraid to  try to discover new ways and methods of learning. The value of preschool is a  hot topic these days. A small but growing number of  studies link enrolment in preschool or child care  centers (which typically include a  preschool curriculum) to higher cognitive and language scores on kindergarten-entry tests The early childhood stage is a  permanent learning stage. Whatever they learn now, they will take home. This preschool education is the provision of education for  children  before the commencement of statutory education, usually between the ages of three and five, dependent on the jurisdiction. The institutional arrangements for preschool education vary widely around the world, as do the names  applied to the institutions. Effective preschool education can help make all children ready to learn the day they start school and, more importantly, help close the  enormous gap facing children in  poverty. Preschool gives our kids the strong  foundation they need to be  successful in school and in life. Children who attend pre-kindergarten programs have bigger  vocabularies and increased math  skills, know more letters and more letter-sound associations, and are more familiar with words and book concepts, according to a number  of studies (Patson P. Opido 2010). The child is the ultimate concern in all educational processes. He is the beginning at the end of all educational efforts. The goal of education is to help every child grow up well-rounded; physically well-developed, mentally healthy, intelligently alert, emotionally secure and socially well adjusted. These can be truly achieved by giving attention to the child’s foundation. The first day of the children in school is a unique experience. It may be their first contact with big group of children. The difference among first grade pupils in their level of preparedness to grade one work may vary. The grade I teacher should be aware of the differences in the children’s readiness; some readiness is the springboard to do actions. Knowing pupil’s differences will guide the teacher on what to do to develop them to the fullest ( Lindberg and Swedo, 1995). A child born of a healthy, responsible and emotionally mature parents has a good foundation. His parents, especially the mother, guide him through the proper habits of eating, sleeping and cleanliness. An individual’s attitude toward himself and others, his behaviour either at work or at play, and his emotional roots in his early childhood experiences. What he learns at home constitutes the basis for future learning and adjustment. As the child develops social awareness, he needs to experience association with a larger group outside his home. Parents send their children to school simply because they want them to develop basic health habits and self sufficiency. Furthermore, this also includes the ability to use language patterns for simple and correct social attitudes in relation to the company of people around him, whether adults or other children and the appreciation of the aesthetic attributes of his immediate surroundings. Modern teaching accompanied with modules and analytical measures develop the preschooler’s memory retention serving as the foundation of their education. Kids today are more willing and not afraid to try to discover new ways and methods of learning. The value of preschool is a hot topic these days. A small but growing number of studies link enrolment in preschool or child care centers (which typically include a preschool curriculum) to higher cognitive and language scores on kindergarten-entry tests. The early childhood stage is a permanent learning stage. Whatever they learn now, they will take home. This preschool education is the provision of education for children before the commencement of statutory education, usually between the ages of three and five, dependent on the jurisdiction. Parents on the other hand, play a vital role in educating their children because they are their first teachers, which is the greatest contribution before a child ever begins his formal education in school. When a child enters the formal school, he carries out with him the acquired values from his parents. Just like the teacher’s task, if parents fail to perform their responsibilities, it may bring misbehaviour on their children which may directly or indirectly affect the child’s academic performance. In the Philippine public elementary schools today, inner tensions have been continuously affecting the learners going to grade one level, especially those who had never gone to any kind of schooling before. These learners entering grade one have many apprehensions. Most of them have no experiences in going to school. Parents are not capable of sending them to school especially those in remote and slum areas. Instead of giving their children a chance to study in Day Care Centers and Kindergarten in some public elementary schools, they ended up waiting for their to be accepted in Grade One. With these scenarios the pupils encounter difficulties in catching up with different skills like numeracy and literacy which are now the basic skills necessary in the first grade level of formal schooling. These children also suffer in relating themselves to their new environment, the school. In order to have a smooth transition from home to school and to prepare them socially and psychologically, the curriculum on the Early Childhood Experiences was recommended for adoption in all public elementary schools as included in Every Child A Reader Program ( ECARP). It aims to developing the reading readiness and developmental reading in Grade one as launched by the Department of Education. One of the major goals of the 2015 Education for All (EFA) is the expansion of the coverage and improvement of the quality of the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) programs in the country. The present government administration in its Ten-Point Agenda has declared a policy calling for the standardization of preschool and day care centers. The Department of Education (DepEd) in support of this thrust will administer School Readiness Assessment Test to All Grade One Entrants, effective SY 2005-2006. The School Readiness Assessment (SRA) is a tool to determine the readiness of Grade One entrants in tackling formal Grade One work. The School Readiness Assessment Tool will be administered by Grade One teachers assisted by the Grade Two and Three teachers one week before opening of classes. The assessment shall not be treated as an entrance test or examination. No child shall be refused entry to Grade 1 based on the results neither of this assessment nor without preschool experience. To continuously determine the school readiness of all Grade One Entrants, the School Readiness Assessment (SReA) was administered. One of the objectives of SReA is to assess pupils’ readiness across the different developmental domains – gross and fine motor, receptive/ expressive language, cognitive domain and socio- economic domain. The result obtained was the basis for grouping the Grade One entrants. It was also used to guide Grade One teachers in providing appropriate instruction and assistance to address specific needs of the pupils. The result of the School Readiness Test in May 2011 identified that there were at least forty two point ninety eight percent of the school population of Grade One entrants were not ready. Children with No Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) has low average in pupils’ readiness across the different developmental domains – gross and fine motor, receptive/ expressive language, cognitive domain and socio- economic domain. Background of the Study The researcher is motivated by the above mentioned situation and this led to the conceptualization of this study. As an educator, the researcher is faced with the fact that there is an imperative need to strengthen and streamline the internal management of educational arrangements in order to achieve efficiency and responsiveness to trends and challenges of the next millennium. It is therefore the aim of this study to empower parents and positively influence them on affirmative effects of pre-school education in the holistic development of their children particularly on the advancement of their academic performance. The value of preschool is a  hot topic these days. A small but growing number of  studies link enrolment in preschool or child care  centers (which typically include a  preschool curriculum) to higher cognitive and language scores on kindergarten-entry tests. The early childhood stage is a  permanent learning stage. Whatever they learn now, they will take home. This preschool education is the provision of education for  children  before the commencement of statutory education, usually between the ages of three and five, dependent on the jurisdiction. The institutional arrangements for preschool education vary widely around the world, as do the names  applied to the institutions ( Bustos Alicia and Espiritu 1985). The Early Childhood Experiences Curriculum, hence all Grade One teachers are expected to implement it. Teachers are also encouraged to make use of local songs, games, dances and indigenous materials to enrich the curriculum. It is hoped that the Early Childhood Experience for Grade One will greatly benefit the children and strengthen efforts to make the schools child-friendly. Theoretical Framework This study is anchored on Edward Thorndike’s, Jerome Bruner’s, and B. F. Skinner’s Theories of Learning. These theories enabled the researcher in the conceptualization of this work. The Law of Readiness as advocated by Thorndike is associated with mind set. It states that when an organism is prepared to respond to a stimulus, allowing doing so would be satisfying while preventing him would be annoying. This law works well in this study because the children is mentally ready to learn. The Law of Exercise states that the constant repetition of response strengthens its connection with the stimulus, while disuse of response weakens it. The exercises given to the children using a modifiable connection like instructional materials enables them to acquire the learning easier and faster because the responses will be utilized, the stronger the connection to be developed. Thus, when a modifiable between a stimulus and a response has been made, it is strengthened if its results in satisfaction as the Law of effect proves. Jerome Bruner’s (1915) theory of Instrumental conceptualization is also applied as it involves (3) three simultaneous processes as: Acquisition, Transformation and Evaluation. This theory of learning believes that the acquisition of whatever form of knowledge acquisition, who selects structures, retains and transforms information. Teaching without the use of proper strategic plans will result to failure. Through School Readiness Assessment Test (SReA), pupils will acquire knowledge through different techniques used by the researchers. Hence, learning to read is facilitated by Skinner’s Theory. Conceptual Framework This study focused on the evaluation of academic performance of Grade One pupils with and without Early Childhood Experience of Sto. Nino Elementary School. The independent variable consist of School Readiness Assessment Test (SReA) for children with and without Early Childhood Experience while the dependent variable is the academic performance of the respondents in terms of the following: Sensory Discrimination, Concept Formation, Numeracy, Reading Readiness and Construction and Visual Motor Integration. Research Paradigm Independent Variable Dependent Variable Figure 1 The above figure shows the relationship of independent variables to dependent variables of the study. Statement of the Problem This study intended to evaluate the academic performance of Grade One pupils with and without Early Childhood Experience (ECE) at Sto. Nino Elementary School, Division of San Pablo City. Specifically, this study sought to answer the following questions: 1. What are the mean pre-test scores of the two groups of pupils in terms of the following: a) Sensory, b) Concept Formation, c) Numeracy, d) Reading Readiness and e) Construction and Visual- Motor Integration? 2. What are the mean post-test scores of the two groups of pupils in terms of the following: a) Sensory Discrimination, b) Concept Formation, c) Numeracy, d) Reading Readiness and e) Construction and Visual Motor- Integration? 3. Is there a significant difference in the mean scores between the pupils with and without Early Childhood Experience (ECE) and their performance? Hypothesis The hypothesis stated below was tested in this study. There is no significant difference in the mean scores between the pupils with Early Childhood Experience (ECE) and those without Early Childhood Experience (ECE) and their performance in terms of the following: i. Sensory Discrimination, ii. Concept Formation, iii. Numeracy, iv. Reading Readiness and a. Construction and Visual- Motor Integration? Significance of the Study This study is of importance to the pupils, teachers, principals, parents and other researcher for the following reasons: Pupils are primary group which the study would benefit. They are the central point to be given much consideration because they are the recipients of this study. They will be assessed and it would be a big help for them to improve their academic performance. Teachers are the facilitators of learning. They may be able to undertake possible teaching alternatives that may be facilitate, enhance and improve their teaching skills to cater the needs of the pupils with and without Early Childhood Experience in order to improve their academic performance. They will specifically take cognizance of their status at present in terms of the problem arising in their own classroom. Likewise, they could assess definitely where the problem lie and thus, make remediation to solve them. Therefore the learners’ needs would be taken into considerations. The results of this investigation will also help other teacher in the field since the problems raised here may have also help them to improve the academic performance of their pupils. Principals are the ones who initiate support for every change that happens in the school. Good management and supervision of the school and the teachers, respectively, are the responsibility of the principals. Results which this study reveal may enable the school heads to plan out better and more effective ways to evaluate the academic performance of Grade One pupils with and without Early Childhood Experience. It is very important to take in consideration the needs of Grade One pupils because it is the foundation year for them. In that case the principal ought to have a plan to cater the individual needs of the learner to improve their academic performance to elevate the quality of education in the country. Parents are stakeholders of the school. The findings of this study are important to parents because they need to be informed about the performance of their school children in school. Through this, they will know the importance of Early Childhood Experience (ECE) for their children. For this reason, they will send them in preschool. So that their children will not be shocked with their new environment. The parents will work hand and hand with the teacher in facilitating strategies to evaluate the academic performance of the learners. They may also help influencing their children to have a good study habits. Their support to their children and school is important so that the goals will be attained. Other researchers who would be interested with this problem may gain further insights in developing their own research work. The data that will be revealed by this study may be used by other researcher to enhance their own studies. They may also use it as related study or augment data that they have to come up with a more comprehensive knowledge about the problem presented here into. Scope and Limitation of the Study The focus of the study to be conducted is An Evaluation of Academic Performance of Sto. Nino Elementary School, Dapdapan, District, Division of San Pablo City. It limits its coverage on the result of School Readiness Assessment (SReA) which includes the following areas – Sensory Discrimination, Concept Formation, Numeracy, Reading Readiness, and Construction and Visual Integration; the Pre test and Post test of School Readiness Assessment (SReA) and the instructional module being devised to answer the needs of Grade One pupils. The respondents of the study will be eighty (80) pupils of Sto. Nino Elementary School, forty (40) pupils with Early Childhood Experience (ECE) and forty (40) pupils without Early Childhood Experience (ECE). Definition of Terms For the interpretation of the study, the terms used are defined in order to avoid vagueness or ambiguousness meaning. Therefore, provide the reader a common point of reference. Public Elementary SchoolsThese are school managed, operated and maintained by the national government. It offers curricular programs for Grade One to Six children. Sensory Discrimination These refer to exercises in discriminating simplest form of mental operation that was clearly intellective. It includes exercises on identifying same and different shapes. Concept FormationThese refer to exercises that requires the learner to construct the properties of the object from the definition. It includes exercises on completing statements showing simple analogy. Numeracy The term refers the ability to learn the specific tasks in Mathematics like counting, arranging, sequencing sets of objects. The numeracy skills are designed to help with the more advanced levels of mathematics that pupils will encounter during the school lives and also into their adulthood. It includes exercises pointing out which has more or less sets. In this study, it pertains to the level of achievement of the Grade One pupils in different learning skills in Mathematics as perceived by their Grade One teachers. Construction and Visual-Motor Integration These skills refer to the smooth coordination of the eyes and hands working together. Sto. Nino Elementary School Public Elementary school situated in Brgy. Sto. Nino, San Pablo City where the present study is being conducted. Grade One Pupils. Refer to children entering the formal school in the primary grades as prescribed by the Department of Education, whose ages ranges from six (6) years old and above. Chapter II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES This chapter presents literature and studies which are related to the problem. The materials found in local and foreign books, educational journals and magazines, documents, guidelines and reports by Department of Education provided references. Related Literature Philosophy and Goals of Elementary Education. Philosophy of pre-school education as stated in DECS Memo no. 107 s. 1989 considers the child, the school and the teacher with the support of the family in the maximizing the child’s potential. Pre-school education is based on the knowledge that each child is unique individual with his own biological make up, interest, capacities, and ways of viewing the world. He has a tremendous capacity for learning. He is active and understands the world differently from adult. His language has developed with acquisition of wide vocabulary making him capable of communicating his ideas and feelings. A pre-school child is always on the process of becoming, and therefore if properly developed can become a critical thinker and a socially sensitive, directed, creative, responsible and caring individual. Pre-school education must aim to develop children in all aspects physical, social, emotional and cognitive so that they will be better prepared to adjust and cope with life situations and the demands of formal schooling. By doing so, learning gaps and dropouts may be reduced or avoided to the maximum. Objectives of Pre-School education is founded on the following objectives; (Inc.DECS Memo No. 45 1995). They are as follows: To develop the child in all aspects ( physical, social, emotional and cognitive) so that they may be better prepared to adjust and cope with the life situations within the context of his experience. To maximize the child’s potential through a variety of carefully selected and meaningful experiences considering his interests and capabilities, and; To develop the child in all aspects so that he becomes a self- propelling, thinking and contributing individual able to make decisions which all prepare him more complex demands for future life. DepEd Order No. 10, s. 2004 is the legal basis in the implementation of the Enhanced Eight-Week Early Experiences for Grade One. Its main thrust is development of academic skills among learners. It is because most Grade One entrants have not gone through pre-school experiences. Hence, the Early Childhood Experience has been enriched and aligned with the BEC making it’s integral part of the Grade 1 Curriculum. In 1995, Early Childhood Experiences for Grade One was institutionalized at the same time as the official age for entry into the primary school was dropped to six years of age. All Grade One teachers were requested to implement the Eight-Week Curriculum and gradually move to the regular Grade One curriculum. Pursuant to DepEd Order No. 15, s. 2005, which calls for the administration of School Readiness Assessment for All Grade One Entrants, all incoming Grade 1 shall undergo a school readiness assessment using the revised tool. The School Readiness Assessment (SRA) will be administered by Grade 1 teachers to be assisted by Grade II, III and master teachers of their respective schools. This assessment shall be administered twice. The first assessment given on May. The second shall be administered after the children have undergone 8-week curriculum, focusing on the competencies not manifested by the child during the first assessment. The SRA will determine the level of progress of Grade 1 entrants across different developmental domains that are critical in tracking Grade 1 learning competencies. The result shall be the basis for grouping the Grade 1 entrants. It will be also used to guide Grade 1 teachers in providing appropriate instruction and assistance to address specific needs of the pupils through the utilization of the 8-week curriculum. The assessment shall not be treated as an entrance test or examination as children may be anxious about passing or failing. No child shall be refused entry to Grade 1 based on the results of this assessment. â€Å" Educating our children at an early stage will give more chance for young Filipinos in the future to compete for jobs and opportunities in the new world order in which better educated and highly skilled persons have become the most valued resources. † Giving access to free quality early childhood education will bridge the gap between the rich and the poor that will give our less privileged countrymen a strong foundation for the challenges in the next millennium. (Eduardo J. Angara, 1997) The Early Childhood Care and Development ( ECCD ) Law, enacted in 2000, recognizes the importance of early childhood and its special needs, affirms parents as primary caregivers and the child’s first teachers, and establishes parent effectiveness, seminars and nutrition counselling for pregnant and lactating mothers. The law requires the establishment of a National Coordinating Council for the Welfare of Children which: (a) establishes guidelines, standards, and culturally relevant practices for ECCD programs; (b) develops a national system for the recruitment, training, and accrediting of caregivers; (c) monitors the delivery of ECCD services and the impact of beneficiaries; (d) provides additional resources to poor and disadvantaged communities in order to increase the supply of ECCD programs; (e) encourages the development of private sector initiatives the Republic Act 6972 known as â€Å" Barangay (village) Level Total Protection of Childen Act† has a provision that requires all local government units to establish a day-care centre in every village ; the law institutionalized the features of day-care programme that provide for young children’s learning needs aside from their health and psychosocial needs. The universalization of early childhood education and standardization of preschool and day care centers was established though the Executive Order No. 658 of 2008 (Expanding the Pre-School Coverage to Include Children Enrolled in Day Care Centers). (PTFE 2008). According to Clark (2002), in her article First Grade Readiness, there are signs one can look for, to know if a child is a ready for first grade. In the physical realm, the first grade child’s limbs are now proportion with the body and head . There is a loss of baby far and greater definition in the face. In the emotional realm, the young child who once expressed strong emotions through sudden outburst now has a feelings that begin to deepen. A child will talk of â€Å"hurt feelings† and being sad. Socially, the first grade ready child begins to form friendships which go deeper than before. The child feels loyalty for friends and often expresses the desire to be with them. In the mental realm, there is the birth of free memory. This is different than the memory of a four year old. The younger child’s memory must be triggered by a sight, smell, or rhythmic verse when the memory and recall it will. Kagan (2000) stated that the concept of school readiness has been defined and redefined over the years resulting in differing viewpoints. Several theories of child development and learning have been used to explain the term. In fact, there appears to be two types of readiness: readiness to learn, which involves a level of development at which the child has the capacity to learn specific materials, and readiness for school and readiness for school which involve specific set of cognitive, linguistic, social and motor skills that enable a child to assimilate the school’s curriculum. According to Quinto (2001) the lowering of entrance to six years old for grade one pupils in the Philippines public elementary schools have created inner tensions, especially to those who had never gone to any kind of school before. So, in order to have a smooth transition from home to school and to prepare them socially, psychologically, the curriculum on the Early Childhood Experiences was recommended for adoption in all public elementary schools. Studies show that child’s mind is almost full developed before he reaches the age of five. This presents a need for an organized early childhood education. Pre-elementary or preschool education is one of the latest trends in childhood education which gives equal opportunities to all children at the lowest step of educational ladder. Preschool education holds a prominent place, being that level in the school system wherein children are trained to be better prepared for grade one. For the development of the child, the curriculum focuses on these areas of development: physical ( gross and fine motor coordination through play and manipulated activities like games, simple work); cognitive ( communication skills, sensory-perceptual concepts, numeracy skills); personal social (health habits and independence in dressing, eating, sleeping, toileting; relating with teachers, peers and other people through group play and interaction; follow rules and routine. Groark (2006) stresses that the school and district administrators, as well as policymakers are increasingly recognizing that early education and intervention services for young children have a direct and positive impact on later school performance and quality. Soliven (1999) stated that an authority on child development, underscores the significance of pre-primary education to the mental development of children citing the results of research which showed that pre-primary education is important to the child, she pointed out the intellectual capacity of the child is most susceptible to reaches a substantially higher rate of intellectual development of Early Childhood especially in a favourable environment. It is apparent that intelligence is best developed in the first six years of life, if the child is exposed to a favourable environment for development during this formative period. Vittetow (1994) former Education Expert of International Cooperation Administration (ICA) in his Educational Series Bulletin for the Bureau of Public Schools gave growth characteristics of Pre-school Filipino children, which are true to all children at this level of growth and development. Said development and growth includes: 1) Physical Characteristics, 2) Mental Characteristics, 3) Social Characteristics, 4) Emotional Characteristics, 5) Spiritual and Moral Characteristics and 6) Aesthetic Characteristics. According to Kats (2001) what the children learn, how they learn, and how much they learn depend on many factors. Among the most important factor’s are the child’s physical well-being, and his emotional and cognitive relationships with those who care for him. The school readiness goal reflects two concerns about the education of young children. The first is that the increasing numbers of young children in poverty, in single-parent households have limited proficiency in English are affected by the drug abuse of their parents have poor nutrition, and receive inadequate health care. The second area of concern involves such matters as the high rates of retention in kindergarten and primary grades, delayed school entry in some districts, segregated transition in classes in others and the increasing use of standardized tests to determine children’s readiness to enter school. Standardized tests used to deny children entrance to school or place them in special classes are inappropriate for children younger than six. These trends are due largely to the fact that an academic curriculum and direct instruction teaching practices that are appropriate for the upper grades have gradually been moved down to the kindergarten and first grade. These two areas of concern suggest that reaching the school readiness goal will require a twofold strategy: one part focused on supporting families in their efforts to help their children get ready for school, and the second on helping the schools to be responsive to the wide range of development levels, backgrounds, experiences, and needs of children to bring them in school. Watson (1985) pointed out that groups of children of higher economic status have higher level of intelligence than those favored economic status, the higher their average IQ’s on Standford Binet or similar verbal test. The mismatch between the schools and children from low income working class families had led to concerted attempts to involve parents from these families in the schools. When the school can involve low-income parents, their children’s school attendance increases, the children are less disruptive in class and less aggressive on the playground, their classwork improves, and they are more likely to complete their homework. If they are raised in emotionally secured homes they tend to be emotionally secured children. If they are raised in homes which lack happiness and have little emotionally security they may in time tend to be unhappy and insecure. However, these differences between higher and lower socio-economic groups may be due to non-intellectual factors. Some of these factors serving to depress intelligence test scores among the lower socio-economic groups could be greater resistance to taking test, the effect of nutritional deficiencies, different attitudes towards education, suspicion, lack of support and the like. Although any or all of these factors seem reasonable, there are no definite research to establish the answer conclusively. It has been observed that most elementary teachers do not have the necessary educational background to teach visual arts. University of Hawaii’s Professor, Dr. Stephanie Feeny (1986); stresses the importance of the arts in the development of the thinking process in children.

Free

Free Trade Essay Free trade, alone, explains the varying fortunes of British industry and agriculture. How valid is this view of the period 1846-68? There is doubt that during the years 1846-68, the British industry and agriculture experienced a period of vast growth and varying fortunes. Free trade has been seen by many historians as the main motive for such a successful period, it in theory makes the world a richer place, but undoubtedly there were other remarkable improvements in Britain which accounted for the varying fortunes of industry and agriculture. There had been good developments in agriculture, seeing an increase in prices and exports. Firstly, there was stability in the price of wheat and other prices rose steadily; wheat in 1851-55 was 3% above the 1840 price. However, the best growth in prices laid in livestock related areas. A steady increase in major elements of production also had a good impact on farmers generally. There was a huge increase in drainage projects to help the quality of land and amount of land that was cultivated. This ignited a growth of technical efficiency; with much more intensive farming developments in production and use of fertilisers. Machinery, such as the steam-driven threshing machines made it possible for farmers to produced more output per acre and a lot of attention went into the correct feeding of animals, they way land was used and crops rotated. The British industry also saw great improvements in exports and growth. Over the period, the British industry enjoyed a remarkable export boom like which they had never experienced before. For example, exports in steel increased from 458,000 tones in 1845-9 to over 2,027,000 tones by 1856-9. Coal also endured the same growth in exports, with 2.5 million tones in 1845-9 to 9.86 million tones by 1865-9. The total value of exports from Britain in 1840-9 was set at à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½83 million, this figure rose to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½244 million by 1870. This was down to a steady rise in prices, although real wages grew, as did investment and production increase too. Free trade was a major cause for the growth in this area, due to a number of reasons. It allowed Britain to make a great deal of money in opening up and developing industries in other countries, e.g. at one stage in the early 18602, Brassey, the English Contractor, had railways building on five separate continents. In the period of 1846-68, between 20% and 25% of world trade was British. In addition, free trade gave more choice to consumers, adding to the GDP and growth of economy. This also allowed Britain to flood the world with cheap manufactured goods. Free trade was finally introduced by Sir Robert Peel in his controversial 1845 budget act, influenced greatly by the Manchester School, a group of northern industrialist who came to believe that tariffs were stifling British industry. Their judgement was by no means wrong, as import duties on raw material made them more expensive less foreign countries were willing to trade than they would be otherwise. This was also keeping production costs too high the British businesses and reducing their sales, hence corrupting the economy. In Peels budget of 1842 and 1843, Peel demolished large number of the remaining duties, so that after 1845, duties on over 600 articles had been removed completely. By 1853, the attack on tariffs had initiated yet again. Gladstones 1853 budget abolished nearly all remaining duties on partially manufactured goods, food and nearly all remaining duties on fully manufactured goods, effecting over 350 separate articles. The 1860 budget continued this trend; only 48 import duties on articles left once duties were abolished on a further 375 articles. This was restricted down further in 1864 when Gladstone reduced the duty on sugar and halved the duty on tea. This provided a great stimulus to the British economy and industry. The 1860 Cobden Treaty alone produced a three-fold increase in trade with France by 1880. Nevertheless, with the benefit of hindsight, you can clearly see that there were other causes for such a period of success in both industry and agriculture. Firstly, Britain was still enjoying the advantage of being the first nation to industrialize and competition from abroad was limited. The US were having tremendous difficulty in supplying their own rapid increase of population and was held back by the Civil War of 1861-5; Germany did not become unified until 1871 so both of these countries were interdependent on British manufacturing exports. Secondly, the population growth increased the demand for such manufactured products domestically. Britain saw population increase from 27.4 million in 1851 to 31.5 million in 1871, which acted as a stimulus to industry. One major factor which contributed to the boom was the spread of railways. The decade saw immense investments in railway building. In 1843 there was only 2000 miles of track, but this soon resulted in the construction of a further 5000 miles of track by 1850, and in 1873 a total of 14,510 miles of track was opened. The industry employed large amounts of labour which were spending their wages on item such as clothing and housing which was being pumped back into the economy and helped the growth of domestic demand. In addition, the industry also encouraged technological developments in the iron and steel as vast amounts were demanded for construction. The demand for coal grew, as did the demand for service from mechanical and civil engineers. Most important of all, railways made it possible to transport manufactured goods to the ports much moor quickly. One last factor which also contributed to the boom of British industry was the vast sums of capital available for investment. Banking and credit facilities became more reliable after the Bank Charter in 1844. Even investments abroad helped the demand of British manufactured goods, as railways and factory projects were implemented overseas; the foreigners were able to buy British goods. Motives for the prosperity in agriculture differ slightly. James Caird, a farmer, wrote the famous pamphlet high farming explaining his ideas how farmers should respond to the threat of foreign competition once the Corn Laws were abolished in 1843. He believed the answer was to maintain their land more intensively, using the latest techniques and inventions to increase yield at the lowest price possible. High farming resulted in much higher productivity. Farmers begun to use clay piping to improve drainage, and Britain saw an increase in mix farmer, ranging from crops and wheat, to cattle, sheep and pigs. Overall profit for farmers doubled, even farm labourers were becoming slightly better off as far as wages, housing and food were concerned. Another factor for varying fortunes in agriculture is the rapid growth in population, increasing the demand for farmers products, which consequently meant higher prices and profits. This was also a result from very little competition from abroad. In addition, the railway boom enabled livestock to be transported quickly and cheaply over long distances. This allowed farmers to sell into new markets. Finally, even the weather was kind to the farmers and gave mostly good summers and harvest between 1850 and 1873. In conclusion, you can see that free trade did help the British industry, by allowing cheap raw materials to businesses meaning cheaper products for consumers. This stimulated the economy and made British businesses more efficient from foreign competitors. However, you can only assume that free trade would not be as positive on agriculture, as farmers faced much competition from cheaper products abroad, and to an extend, you could say that there were weaknesses in British Agriculture. There was still a great deal of conservatism in farming, large amounts of investments were often had a poor return, and there was still insecurity of tenure for tenant farmers. There were other factors, arguably more important than free trade, for the varying fortunes in both British industry and agriculture. Large increase in population meant demand rose substantially, the railway boom stimulated jobs, provided more money for citizens, helped technical developments in steel and iron industry and enabled farmers to sell in new markets. Therefore, the validity of this view is weak, as there are many more factors contributing the varying fortunes of industry and agriculture.

Scope Of Study And Limitations English Language Essay

Scope Of Study And Limitations English Language Essay At the mention of the term chick lit, it is unavoidable to assume that it is a colloquial form of chick literature or something more elaborate. Campbell (2006) puts it aptly when she says that we should acknowledge that the very term is demeaning and probably peppered with a tinge of sexism. Chick is a derogatory term for the presumably empty-headed girls or young women who are both the characters and the readers; lit is an ironic reference to the assumed lack of quality writing in the form (p. 487). Most definitions of chick lit outline its characteristics; highlight the general plot, the illustrations on the cover and its target audience which do not quite explain the genre as a whole or do it any justice. This study therefore will use the definition describing the genre as heroine-centred narratives written by women that focus on the trials and tribulations of their individual protagonists, to appeal to other women (Kent, 2007 Smith, 2008). Chick lit has been at the brunt of a lot of criticism. According to Razdan (2004), it is wildly successful and that is where the problem lies. Most critics cannot seem to get past the covers in pink or fluorescent green, highlighted with flirty, fashionable accessories like purses or high heels (Ferriss Young, 2006b). However, it does not end there. The major attack is due to it reflecting postfeminist values through its protagonists, themes and plots. The characters in chick lit are young women with newly found independence dealing with careers and the demands of urban pop culture (Campbell, 2006). Ferris Young (2006b) describe them as women who commit errors at the workplace, drink excessively at times, are hopeless when it comes to cooking, or are attracted to unsuitable men quite unlike the flawless women of romance fiction. In short, these characters generally embrace or portray postfeminist values, acknowledging that feminism has taken place and won them equality but all the same, they do not want to be called feminists because of the indulgences feminism has rejected in the past like romance. When it comes to the themes, despite their timelessness and universality, they seem to be rubbing people the wrong way probably because the lifestyle choices this novels centre around are seen as a betrayal of feminism and its call for equality (Davis-Kahl, 2008). Unfortunately for those who hold this view, the themes addressed in chick lit are claimed to be the representation of sociological truths about womens lives today (Knowles, 2004). Although this might seem unsettling, Ferriss and Young (2006b) put forward that chick lit focuses on the issues dear to cultural critics heart. It appears that some just refuse to acknowledge that times are a changing. Looking at the plot, Knowles (2004) claims that many variations can be found in the genre itself but the fundamental structure of the main character looking for satisfaction in a romance-consumer-comedic vein usually characterizes writing in these texts. The inevitable fact for this genre is its broader focus on relationships (Davis-Kahl, 2008, p. 5). Almost every novel has a protagonist pining for a man, dealing with issues like weight, self-image, career burnout and other things along the way once again reflecting these post-feminist values. In her paper, Glasburgh (2006) puts forward five postfeminist characteristics defined by Faludi (1991): 1) negative reaction to second wave feminism, 2) focus on the individual instead of a collective sisterhood, 3) desire for more traditional femininity through domesticity, consumerism, romance, and motherhood, 4) female identity crisis causing fears of a man shortage, a loudly ticking biological clock, and career burnout, and 5) feelings of anxiety over ability to make the correct future decisions. Based on content analysis on ten chick lit books, she concluded that the protagonists generally did reflect characteristics of postfeminism (Glasburgh, 2006, p. 76). These postfeminist characteristics are what critics are debating about. Some feel that chick lit should be taken seriously because it is about the current generation of women while others feel chick lit is force-feeding the current generation with postfeminist values. This study attempts to explore students perspectives on this matter. 1.2 Statement of Problem Even before the existence of chick lit, womens writing has suffered a long history of scoffing (Davis-Kahl, 2008). They have been described as frothy, prosy, pious, pedantic (Eliot, 1856, p. 35) and women writers have been referred to as a damned mob of scribbling women (Ticknor, 1913, p. 141). On the 23rd of August, Beryl Bainbridge, then Booker Prize favourite, called Bridget Joness Diary a froth sort of thing (Davies, 2001), echoing George Elliots words two centuries before. At that point, chick lit had become the new form of womens writing which was under attack. This intentional sidelining of womens fiction has been said to stem from sexism. Both men and women place value on different things such as men on sports and women on fashion and as a result, all things associated with men have been viewed as important while women pursuits have been considered trivial, transcending even into the value placed on books (Woolf, 1929). Chick lit has now been subject to bashing by critics for more than a decade. The most popular claim is that chick lit is force-feeding society with postfeminism values while supporters of the genre claim that chick lit is merely reflecting todays culture. Whether or not chick lit has been affecting culture or the other way round is yet to be seen as not much research has been done in that area. Most certainly, chick lit is a force to be reckoned with based on its soaring popularity. One thing that must be noted in light of this situation is that there has been very little research on the area of chick lit in the academic field. Even in the small number of researches that have been conducted, the majority of it focuses on content analysis from romance, feminist and postfeminist perspectives. This study will focus on the students perspectives towards chick lit from a postfeminist approach as opposed to stand alone text analysis. In their courses on classic womens fiction and chick lit, Ferris and Young (2006b) have concluded that students were certain that despite the fascinating cultural issues raised by chick lit novels, they could not quite contend with the work of Jane Austen, the Brontà «s, Virginia Woolf and Zora Neale Hurston but were unable to state why. This study attempts to go a step further in trying to uncover the issues in which students can relate to and understand the reasons behind it. 1.3 Purpose of Study This study aims to:- Find out the perspectives of students towards chick lit in relation to post-feminism. Uncover the reasons behind these perspectives. 1.4 Research Questions 1. What are the perspectives of students towards chick lit in relation to post-feminism? 2. What are the reasons behind these perspectives? 1.5 Significance of Study The results of this study will reflect the reception of undergraduate students towards chick lit from a postfeminist point of view. It will also explore the reasons behind these perspectives. These results will help to determine whether chick lit should be incorporated into the syllabus to be considered as part of a genre of literature like classic womens fiction. If the reception towards chick lit in light of postfeminism is found to be good, even on a micro-level, it opens up a very viable premise for chick lit to be used as a foundation for teaching literature. Allowing students to utilize materials which they can relate to as a basis of their exploration and providing them with the ability to clarify the plus points as well as shortcomings of a book or a genre is powerful (Davis-Kahl, 2008). Characteristics of postfeminism have been found to be present in chick lit novels to a certain extent. Therefore, chick lit has been claimed to be the document of a new generation quite unlike the era in which writers like Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters lived in. While it is important to note that cultural, social and geographical factors counts for something, the ability of students to relate to a piece of work does a lot to help discuss its literary value. In fact, these novels have the potential to be used in the classroom to explore the generational differences in feminism, uncover the reasons why classic fiction stand the test of time, and to develop an appreciation for the intricate plots, subtle characterizations, memorable language of such works (Ferriss Young, 2006b). Chick lit can be used as a basis for discussions as to the reasons for the significance of womens writing, the changes it has undergone, and the opinions of women in fiction, be it popular or literary. This evolution that fiction in general and womens fiction has gone through is an area worthy of study especially due to its popularity, ease of access and representation of issues that modern women face (Davis-Kahl, 2008, p. 8). Furthermore, chick lit will be viewed as an important representation of modern womens writing, doing this new area of popular womens writing some justice (Ferriss Young, 2006b). This establishment of chick lit as a learning tool or viable area of study in the academic sphere will eventually lead to it being readily available in academic libraries allowing students with interest to gain access to them. 1.6 Scope of Study and Limitations Participants involved in this research are Year 3 Trimester 2 Bachelor of Arts (Hons) English Language students selected through purposive sampling. This study has a number of limitations. First, the sample may not accurately reflect the opinions of students in general towards chick lit. Secondly, the sample does not contain an equal mix of genders to accurately reflect views towards chick lit. Thirdly, some participants may be unfamiliar with the genre itself and therefore incapable of providing their perspectives towards it. However, a brief set of definitions are provided in the questionnaire to help respondents to familiarize themselves with the subject area. 1.7 Definition of Key Terms Chick lit : heroine-centred narratives written by women that focus on the trials and tribulations of their individual protagonists, to appeal to other women (Kent, 2007 Smith, 2008). Feminism: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the belief in the social, political, and economical equality of the sexes (Rowe-Finkbeiner, 2004) Post-feminism : A shift away from the feminist idea of needing to right the wrongs of a patriarchal society with regard to women (Faludi, 1991). Post-feminist Backlash Theory: The claim that popular culture has been the direct cause of a backlash on feminism, understood as postfeminism, by attempting to blame it for the supposed misery of women today and calling for a return to a more traditional femininity (Faludi, 1991). 1.8 Organization of the Thesis This study consists of a total of five chapters; Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Findings Analysis, and Discussion Conclusion. The first chapter which is the Introduction addresses the background of study, statement of problem, purpose of study, research questions, significance of study, scope of study and limitations, the definition of key terms and the organization of the thesis. The second chapter, Literature Review will outline the history of chick lit, the history of post-feminism, address the five post-feminist characteristics used in this study as well as discuss past researchers study. The third chapter, Methodology will explain the research design, sampling, instruments used for data gathering, the pilot study, procedures as well as the data analysis. The fourth and fifth chapter will present the findings and discuss its significance in relation to the study as well as provide recommendations for further research respectively.