Voice and Language in Their Eyes Were Watching God

Voice and Language in Their Eyes Were Watching God Oprisor Maria 1st year American Studies Voice and Language in Their Eyes Were Watching God In this paper I would like to focus on point of view and some aspects of stylistics in Zora Hurstons’ work Their Eyes Were Watching God. In particular, I will address the issue of narrative voice, the shifts between first person and third person, and I will also include in my analysis some aspects related to types of language variety and style variation. I have chosen this text because generally it is considered Zora Neale Hurston's most important piece of fiction, and because it is a proof of her ability to master language and voice. To illustrate my analysis I have selected some fragments which can be found at the end of the paper. I will make references to them whenever is necessary. The novel presents, in a combination of first and third person narration the story of Jamie Crawford and her three successive husbands. At several points in the text, Janie Crawford is prohibited from speaking, while at other points she chooses not to speak. Silence, then, is sometimes used as a tool of oppression and at other times as a tool of power. Even from the beginning of the novel it can be easily noticed the shifting narration; the viewpoint has moved from â€Å"every men† to â€Å"men† to â€Å"women† to â€Å"a woman† all these under the form of gossip of the front porch (see quote 1). While the earliest feminist interpretations put forward the idea that Janie achieves selfhood by claiming her voice, Barbara Johnson asserts that it is by accepting the inevitability of self-division that Janie gains the power of speech. She shows how Janie’s discovery that â€Å"she had an inside and an outside now and suddenly she knew how not to mix them†(Johnson: 50) has implications for Janie’s ability to speak. There are two paragraphs that highlight this aspect of inside and outside in Their Eyes Were Watching God (see quote 2). It can be noticed the image of Jody as an insider and in the second quote her image but this time as an outsider. Now she realizes that †looking at it she saw that it never was the flesh and blood figure of her dreams†. This proves that the inside and outside are never the same. When reading the novel the reader is introduced into a world where perspective and voice are in a permanent shift but it does not give the impression of unreliable narrators. The view point is controlled through a linguistic indicator of viewpoint, namely deixis. This is proved by adverbials of place like there and verbs like come. (see quote 2). Moreover through the novel we can mention the presence of social deixis_: Mr. and Mrs. _Turner or _Mrs. _Bogle: â€Å"Mrs. Bogle who was many times a grandmother, but had a blushing air of coquetry about her that cloaked her sunken cheeks. †(p. 230) When speaking about types of language variety we certainly can include dialect when analyzing Their Eyes Were Watching God. Zora Hurston manages, with great literary craftsmanship, to represent not only the speech and thought of her protagonist but also of the collective black community. She succeeds in doing this through free indirect speech. In the novel’s frame tale, Janie returns to Eatonville after a long absence. Townspeople sit on porches exchanging words full of drama and metaphor. In this context it is to be mentioned that phonetic changes as well as morphological changes exist at the level of the language. (see quote 3) Through all novel there are wonderful examples of dialogues that show literary craftsmanship of the twentieth-century Southern black vernacular speech. In terms of style variation, this is obvious at almost every page. It is easily detectable the â€Å"Systematic variation from one identifiable kind of language to another within the same text†(Short:1996)/ (see quote 3). All these demonstrate, without error, the way in which Zora Neale Hurston masters language and voice in Their Eyes Were Watching God. Hurston's great accomplishment is the creation of a literary language equivalent to the oral performances she admired as a child and studied as an ethnographer. Vernacular voices speak in and through the novel and the novel's words â€Å"[walk] without masters. † Their Eyes is a singular achievement. Quote 1: â€Å"Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board. For some they come in with the tide. For others they sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the Watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his drams mocked to death by Time. That is the life of men. Now, women forget all those things they don’t want to remember, and remember everything they don’t want to forget†¦So the beginning of this was a woman, and she had come back from burying a dead†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (p. 175) Quote 2: â€Å" So gradually, she pressed her teeth together and learned how to hush. The spirit of the marriage left the bedroom and took to living in the parlor. It was there to shake hands whenever company came to visit, but it never went back inside the bedroom again. So she put something in there to represent the spirit like a Virgin Mary image in a church. The bed was no longer a daisy-field for her and Joe to play in. It was a place where she went and laid down when she was sleepy and tired. † (p. 232) ~~~~~~~~~~ â€Å"Janie stood where he left for unmeasured time and thought. She stood there until something fell off the shelf inside her. Then she went inside there to see what it was. It was her image of Jody tumbled down and shattered. But looking at it she saw that it never was the flesh and blood figure of her dreams. Just something she had grabbed up to drape her dreams over. In a way she turned her back upon the image where it lay and looked further. She had no more blossomy openings dusting pollen over her man, neither any glistening young fruit where the petals used to be. She found that she had a host of thoughts she had never expressed to him, and numerous emotions she had never let Jody know about. Things packed up and put away in parts of her heart where he could never find them. She was saving up feelings for some man she had never seen. She had an inside and an outside now and suddenly she knew how not to mix them. † In the first paragraph the â€Å"marriage† moves outward from the bedroom to the parlor, replacing itself with the image of virginity. The second paragraph represents her image of Jody, but an image of an outsider. Know she realizes that â€Å"looking at it she saw that it never was the flesh and blood figure of her dreams†. Both paragraphs are an externalization of Janie’s feelings onto the outer surroundings. In figurative language, Barbara Johnson observes, â€Å"inside and outside are never the same† and she asserts that â€Å" Far from being an expression of Janie’ s new wholeness or identity as a character, Janie’s increasing ability to speak grows out of her ability not to mix inside with outside†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . (p. 233) Quote 3: â€Å"Seeing the woman as she was made them remember the envy they had stored up from other times. So they chewed up the back parts of their minds and swallowed with relish. They made burning statements with questions, and killing tools out of laughs. It was mass cruelty. A mood come alive Words walking without masters; walking altogether like harmony in a song. What she doin coming back here in dem overhalls? Can't she find no dress to put on? — Where's dat blue satin dress she left here in? — Where all dat money her husband took and died and left her? — What dat ole forty year ole ‘oman doin' wid her hair swingin' down her back lak some young gal? Where she left dat young lad of a boy she went off here wid? – Thought she was going to marry? — Where he left her? — What he done wid all her money? — Betcha he off wid some gal so young she ain't even got no hairs — why she don't stay in her class? â€Å"(p. 175) References: Barbara, Johnson, Metaphor, Metonymy, and Voice in Their Eyes Were Watching God, in Wall, 2000, ZORA NEALE HURSTON’S Their Eyes Were Watching God, New York: Oxford Un iversity Press. Short, M. , 1996, Exploring the Language of Poems, Plays and Prose, London, New York: Longman. Zora, N. , Hurston, 2002, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Library of America.

Assertive Discipline

â€Å"Miss Collin was a nasty teacher that I had when I was 6 or 7 years old and, as a result of the psychotherapy I underwent in later years, I am now able to say that this teacher is responsible for most of the psychological damage I suffered with resulting suicidal tendencies. She used terror and humiliation to keep order in the classroom and did not hesitate to use the strap as her method of control† (Warnes 1). School children shouldn†t be afraid to attend their school because the teachers humiliate students, are mean and have strict rules. The overall purpose of public schools is to provide a simple learning environment so a student can obtain a good education. All students should be treated equally no matter where they are and should have the same rights as adults so they can reach their goal of graduating. Discipline is more than keeping a group of children or young people quiet while being talked to. Preserving good behavior is certainly one aspect to discipline, for learning it in an atmosphere of confusion is difficult. Children have to learn to conform to the rules of behavior needed in a classroom. Teachers have the right to ask for a quiet class, keep the students in their seats, and have the right to discipline them if they do not cooperate. When a teacher expresses his or her thoughts, feelings, and beliefs in direct, honest, and appropriate ways that do not violate the right of others, and when the message does not humiliate, degrade, or dominate the one being talked to, he or she is using Assertive Discipline. In order for a teacher to maintain control of his or her class they must use Assertive Discipline. In order for a teacher to have his or her needs met, they can influence the behavior of the children. Without influence a teacher is â€Å"powerless† and will become â€Å"burned out. † (Canter, 2) There is no simple answer to why this happens. A number of complex factors have combined to create an environment in which teachers are having trouble in getting personal and professional needs met. Until the past decade, the teacher was looked at as the main person in the classroom by students and parents. The teacher, simply because of their role status, had respect and authority. Thus, the teacher was a â€Å"powerful† figure in the eyes of the students and could easily influence the student's behavior, often with just a look, smile, or a threat. All of that is now changed. Today, a teacher has to earn the respect of both the students and their parents. A teacher's basic techniques of influence, or discipline, is no longer as effective as getting the desired results. The discipline approaches of the 1950's and 1960's do not work with the students of the 1990's. In addition, the teacher cannot rely on the strong support of the parents anymore. Many parents are openly questioning, the education that their children are receiving, and do not feel they want to support the needs of their child's teachers. Teachers cannot get their needs met in a classroom unless they have an effective method of discipline in which they thoroughly understand and comfortable utilize. An assertive teacher is: â€Å"One who clearly and firmly communicates his or her wants and needs to his or her students, and is prepared to reinforce their words with appropriate actions. † (Canter,9) When a teacher is assertive, and clearly and firmly communicates their wants and feelings to a child, they send a clear message. This message simply states: â€Å"I mean what I say and say what I mean. (Collins, 155) Lee Canter, a child guidance specialist, has found that while most teachers make lesson plans as a routine matter, very few make discipline plans. Planning is essential to teaching well. Lesson planning is second nature to teachers. Lesson plans are part of a professional routine, and are done almost automatically when the need arises. However, planning for discipline is an entirely different story. The vast majority of teachers have learned or have been exposed to the steps involved in planning discipline programs, especially those to be used specifically with disruptive students. Because of teachers' frustrations, all we often hear is their complaining about how difficult the students really are. Such complaining may help to relieve the strain of dealing with difficult students, but it in no way helps to solve the problem. Planning your discipline efforts, and utilizing assertive principles, are as essential to teaching as a lesson plan. (Charles,128) Discipline planning will structure and guide classroom management efforts the same as lesson planning for academic efforts. Discipline plans are important and helpful to all teachers. Charles, urges to make discipline plans according to the following steps: Identify any existing or potential discipline problems, specify the behaviors you want the students to eliminate or engage in, decide on negative and positive consequences appropriate to the student and situation, and decide how to execute the negative and positive consequences. (Charles, 129) Discipline planning is the systematic applications of the assertive principles the teacher exhibits. It involves focusing your attention on any existing or potential discipline problems you may have. These discipline problems may involve an individual student, or a group of students, or an entire class. Having good discipline enables the teacher to deal assertively with their students. He or she will know how to maximize their potential influence to get their needs met, with more difficult situations it may be useful for the teacher to engage in problem-solving and discipline planning with peers, school psychologist, principle or anyone who may be familiar with the students or have successfully managed similar problems. One final area needed for discipline planning are special activities. Special activities are those activities the students do not consistently engage in, for example, field trips or assemblies. A day or so before such an activity, the teacher must have some basic discipline planning. Once again, the teacher must determine the behavior wanted and not wanted, the limit – setting and positive consequences, and how the program will be started. The assertive teacher recognizes the fact that he or she has wants and needs and has the right to get them met in the classroom. The teacher is also aware of the limitations and realizes that they have the right to ask for assistance, whether it is from the principle, parents, or peers. (Charles,37) The assertive teacher should be aware of the child's need for warmth and support. An assertive teacher is aware that a limit setting response must be delivered in as effective a manner as possible. Eye contact is very important when trying to get a point made. Whenever necessary, the teacher plans how to back up their limit setting statement with appropriate consequences. This is done in order to maximize the influence that his or her response can have on the behavior of the child. (Canter, 28) Whenever required, teachers should be prepared to back up their words with consequences in order to motivate the behavior of more difficult children. He or she is aware some children need more support than others and is prepared to give that child as much as they can. (Canter, 32). The children learn to trust and respect an assertive teacher. The children clearly know the parameters of acceptable and unacceptable behavior. This gives them an opportunity to choose how they want to behave while knowing fully what the consequences will be for their behaviors. This does not mean that every child will like an assertive teacher, and does not mean that every child will behave. Some children may still decide not behave for any reason. All that an assertive teacher can do by his or her behavior is try to establish an atmosphere where he or she maximizes the potential for a positive teacher – child relationship. The major area where being an assertive teacher helps a child is when the student has special needs or problems. This when a teacher needs to step things up a notch and become more assertive. Some teachers may lose track of their assertive potential, but they have to teach the child how to behave in the appropriate manner. (Canter, 46) One problem area where a child needs assertive discipline is when he or she is confronted with peer pressure. This is when the student's fellow peers force him or her to do something, like throw spit balls or make funny noises to win the approval of others. This problem can be solved by confronting the child and telling him what he or she is doing wrong. This problem can also be solved by giving out a punishment like, writing on the chalkboard or may be standing in the corner with his or her back turned to the rest of the class. If all else fails, the teacher may want to call the child's home and plan a conference with the student's parents. Though most teachers feel threatened and overwhelmed by parents, especially if they are pushy or manipulative, they need to take a stand and thoroughly explain the situation going on with their child. (Rich, 145) The teacher has to be assertive with the parents and the child. The teacher should not down grade the problems they are having with their child. Instead they should tell the parents the way things are. For instance a teacher should not call the child's parents and say, â€Å"we have a little problem with your son,† when in actuality, the child had a violent tantrum. The teacher should let the parents know that they need their cooperation to discipline the child at home for his tantrum. If the teacher does not tell the parents what they truly feel then the child's tantrum will be even worse the next time. The corner stone of assertive discipline is the potential positive influence teachers can have on the behavior of their students. † Hand in hand with influence goes responsibility. † (Canter, 57) When teachers accept the consequences of their potential influence they accept the consequences of their potential influence they accept the responsibility to choose, or not to choose, to utilize this potential for the best interest of both themselves and the students. Assertive teachers recognize the responsibilities they have for the children. They know they cannot assert themselves and get their needs and the children needs met. They know they can have the impact on their classrooms if they choose to do so. Other teachers choose not to accept the reality of their potential influence. Thus, they are confronted with the following situations: they place themselves in a powerless position. They view themselves as a helpless victim at the mercy of the students, their parents, the principle, and the school system. Such teachers become the complainers. They complain about everyone and everything that â€Å"victimize† them. Charles, 120) They end up blaming all of their problems on others, and never on themselves. Mandatory uniforms is an answer that some give to stop the recent and alarming rise in violence and drop out rates in our public schools. Those that support uniforms argue that uniforms disguise economic and ethnic backgrounds, so students are no longer jealous of others. The financial burden on parents is lifted. But do uniforms really give all of these benefits? Can just one change in public schools make them so much better? The wearing of uniforms in more of the nation's public schools has been a much-talked about issue recently, with President Clinton and several members of Congress voicing their support. Supporters of school uniforms say social and economic classes would no longer be revealed by students' clothing, schools will have more of a sense of community, and students' self-esteem will improve. Some gang members have hurt or murdered innocent people because of a colored item of clothing they chose to wear. Proponents assert that uniforms will reduce this type of violence in schools and, therefore, make classes safe and orderly. Uniforms have been shown to reduce absentee rates as well. In situations where there are several different financial backgrounds attending the same school students may be under pressure, and possibly ridiculed because of failure to conform to the latest fashion trends. Everybody wearing the same styles of clothes might eliminate that. In response to growing levels of violence in our schools, many parents, teachers, and school officials have come to see school uniforms as one positive and creative way to reduce discipline problems and increase school safety. They observed that the adoption of school uniform policies can promote school safety, improve discipline, and enhance the learning environment. As a result, many local communities are deciding to adopt school uniform policies as part of an overall program to improve school safety and discipline. California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, Tennessee, Utah and Virginia have enacted school uniform regulations. Even though social and economic barriers can be torn down, some schools have not had as much success. In fact, implementing mandatory school uniforms can be dangerous because it provides the community with a false sense of security. It is like putting a small bandage on an enormous wound, instead of attempting to find ways to truly deal with the bleeding. Although this can happen, uniforms prove to continue to be a success. In a recent study of uniforms in Georgia Schools, eighty percent of students stated that they did not feel that the uniforms reduced fights and 68. % felt that uniforms did not help to make them feel a part of school. I myself would not feel at any way individually squashed if I were made to wear a uniform. Everyone must look at the main issue pertaining to this topic. Our lives, without our individuality is meaningless. I would be more than willing to wear a uniform to school and be safe and let my personality express my individualism, and be judged for what I am than to be judged and be put into a life threatening situation for what color I was wearing.

Carbene Addition Lab

Synthesis of 7, 7- dichloronorcarane in Carbon Addition Reaction CHM 337 | Dr. Pettit Abstract: A solution of cyclohexene, aqueous sodium hydroxide, and benzyltriethylammonium was used to synthesize 7,7 – dichloronorcarane by the following reaction: + CHCl3 + OH – H2O + + Cl – After completion of the experiment, the percent recovery was calculated to be 46. 21% Introduction The purpose of this experiment was to form 7,7-dichloronorcarane by means of carbene trapping.Cyclohexene, aqueous sodium hydroxide, and benzyltriethylammonium chloride were used to synthesize 7,7 – dichloronorcarane by the following reaction: + CHCl3 + OH- H2O + + Cl- In order to carry out this reaction in reasonable time, a two phase reaction was used, avoiding the lengthy requirements to carry out the experiment as a single phase reaction, as well as the risk of undesirable products due to the presence of water. The components of the two stage reaction were as follows: An organic pha se containing the alkene and CHCl2; and an aqueous phase containing the base OH –.Since the reactants, CHCl2 and OH – would separate into different phases, benzyltriethylammonium chloride was added as a phase-transfer catalyst. Because the benzyltriethylammonium chloride has both hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties, it could cross the phase boundary and facilitated the transport of the hydroxide ion from the aqueous phase to the organic phase. Expected spectral changes in IR and 13C-NMR Procedure To begin, 0. 324g of cyclohexene was mixed with 1 ml of 50% aqueous sodium hydroxide, 1ml of chloroform and 0. 040g of the phase transfer catalyst benzyltriethylammonium chloride.The reaction was stirred and heated at 40 degrees Celsius for an hour before extracting the 7,7 dichloronorcarane through 2 methyl chloride extraction processes (1ml methylene chloride). The product was then air dried until no more liquid would evaporate, and weighed giving a percent recovery of 43 %. The substance was then used to conduct an IR and 13C-NMR spectra test giving the results. Results and Calculations Calculating moles of cyclohexene (81g cyclohexene/1ml) * (0. 40ml cyclohexene) = 0. 324g cyclohexene 0. 324g cyclohexene*(1mol cyclohexene/82. g cyclohexene) = 3. 95 * 10^-3 mol cyclohexene Calculating moles of chloroform 1. 49g/ml chloroform * 1ml of chloroform = 1. 49g of chloroform 1. 49g of chloroform * (1mol of chloroform/119. 4g chloroform)= 1. 25 * 10^-2 moles chloroform. Calculating moles of benzyltriethylammonium chloride (1. 08g benzyltriethylammonium chloride/ml) * 0. 040ml of benzyltriethylammonium chloride = 0. 0432 grams benzyltriethylammonium chloride * 1mol/227.8g benzyltriethylammonium chloride = 1. 896 * 10^-4 moles benzyltriethylammonium chloride Finding the limiting reagent CHCl3 +OH- H2O + Cl- (balanced as is with catalyst in rxn) 3. 95 * 10^-3 mol cyclohexene 1. 25 * 10^-2 moles chloroform 0. 058 moles of sodium hydroxide * Cyclohexane has the l owest amount on reactant side and is the limiting reagent. Amount of 7,7 dichloronorcarane= 3. 95*10^-3 moles * 165. 06g 7,7dichloronorcarane/mol= 0. 652g 7,7 dichloronorcarane theoretical yield Experimental yield of dichloronorcarane= test tube with – test tube without (27. 159grams – 26. 890grams)= 0. 269grams dichloronorcarane Percent recovery (Actual mass yield/ theoretical mass yield) * 100%= percent recovery (0. 69grams/0. 652grams) *100%= 41. 26% yield recovery Formation of 7,7 dichloronorcarane + CHCl3 + OH- H2O + Cl – Discussion and Conclusions Discussion Topics and Questions a. Compare IR and 13C-NMR spectra of cyclohexene and 7,7-dichloronorcarane and point out changes in IR vibrational frequencies and 13C-NMR resonances that support the formation of 7,7-dicholoronorcarane. Be sure to identify the C-H stretch of the cyclopropane ring hydrogens. b. Why did you need to stir the mixture vigorously during the reaction?Since the reactants are in different phases, stirring vigorously allowed the catalyst to transfer a hydroxide ion from the aqueous phase to the organic phase, allowing the reaction to proceed as desired. c. Why did you wash the organic phase with saturated sodium chloride solution? The saturated sodium chloride was important for the removal of water. If the water was not removed from solution, it could react and create undesirable reactions, such as those described in Pavia: (4) (5) d. Describe two chemical tests and the visual results that would indicate whether cyclohexene is present or absent.Bromine in methylene chloride – If the addition of bromide (red liquid) results in a colorless solution, cyclohexene is present. Potassium Permanganate (Baeyer test) – This reaction depends on the color change from purple MnO4- ion into a brown precipitate of MnO2 e. Draw the structures of the products that you would expect from the reactions of cis and trans-2-butene. Be sure to comment on the stereochemistry of the products (enantiomers and meso forms). f. Provide a mechanism for the formation of the following products of a carbine addition reaction

Doctrine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Doctrine - Essay Example In order to provide a comprehensive understanding about human nature, Marx made a clear distinction between the actions of animals and the activities perform by human beings differentiating themselves as a superior creature in the earth (Sayers 610-612). In the identification of human nature and taking into concern Marx’s distribution theory, it can be affirmed that Marx had given a distinct place to the individuals in society. According to him, individuals are no longer slaves in the prevailing communist societies. They can play a decisive role in the development of modern societies. In the background of communist society and Marx’s distribution theory, individuals not only tend to generate greater value for themselves but also serve the best interests of every community member. Thus, labor forces are not only selected by the individuals but also play a foremost role in making greater contribution towards the welfare of the communist societies (Rosen

Literacy in Mulicultural Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Literacy in Mulicultural Society - Essay Example At this stage in life, the child emulates the way the parents and people around communicate to each other through language. It is automatic that a child will take up the language spoken by his mother and thus the popular phrase, mother tongue. According to Ruiz (1984) the following are three ways in which language can be viewed, first as a problem, secondly as right and thirdly as a resource. An individual’s language can either be an advantage or a disadvantage depending on location and people in the vicinity. It has been possible for people to overcome the limitation of speaking only one language. Overcoming the limitation is through learning more than one language, also known as bilingualism. This paper will give a discussion of how language is a problem, a right or a resource in relation to literacy in a local and global, multicultural environment. Language Language is a form of communication organized systematically and, it incorporates the use of symbols and signs. Formal languages contain four components semantics, pragmatics, phonology and morphology (Bochner & Jones, 2004). The following are explanations of how language develops in an infant. The first one is cognitive explanation, which puts emphasis, on the relationship between language and cognition. Secondly, behaviorist explanation stresses that an infant develops language from interaction he has with the environment. Lastly, interactional explanation states that children learn through interacting with family members (Bochner & Jones, 2004). Language as a problem Language is a problem when it discriminates against those who do not speak the same language as the native speakers (Haugen 1987). Minorities have suffered their share of discrimination to the extent of denied their human rights. Individuals, whose language is inferior, have also been considered to be of low class. Immigrants have faced language as a problem in many occasions because of the fact that, they find themselves in a new e nvironment in which the native people who are the majority have their own language. The minority language is a problem to the immigrants since they cannot communicate using their own language is not appreciated or acceptable. It is evident that literacy in a multicultural environment involves using certain languages. In educational institutions, only major languages are used in learning, this means that individuals speaking minority language have to learn the major language which is used during the learning process. It is also important to note that, in major academic fields books have only been published using the main languages, local languages have not been considered in this case. Students, speaking minority language with goals of attending major universities on the global scale have employed the strategy of learning the acceptable languages during their early years of education. This has proved to be advantageous to them since they are no longer limited by a language barrier (M cIntosh, 1998). In many occasions, the issues faced when language is a problem is solved by bilingualism. Bilingualism entails understanding and speaking more than one language. Language as a problem has gone to the extent to which immigrants miss chances for admission in educational institutions. Social injustice in terms of discrimination due to language has seen to it that foreign language speakers miss the benefit of education. Individuals speaking foreign languages come to the point of abandoning their languages

Organizational Culture in Different Countries and Regions Term Paper

Organizational Culture in Different Countries and Regions - Term Paper Example Taken negatively, this culture can be used as a shield and process that people withdraw to when they intend to sideline their common sense. It is a form of groupthink or herd mentality that could be used to shrug responsibility (Savio, 2007). But when properly understood, the barriers of cultural differences can come down and the authenticity of the people emerges transcending the old collective and herd thinking enabling one to find homogeneity and common ground to do business. But understanding the eccentricity or idiosyncrasy of a particular culture can be a challenge and may even take some time to be understood and perhaps after committing some blunders and faux pas that could cost the business itself. Seemingly innocuous behaviors, when not properly understood can be costly to the one doing the business who is unaware of the national culture that is being reflected in the bigger organization. To illustrate, a businessperson attending a dinner by a Chinese host may be aware that he has to be gracious being familiar of guanxi(Hwang, 2009). But knowing the host or Chinese counterpart is not enough (Bedford, 2011). Little things such as not following the nuances of dining protocols may even inadvertently offend the business counterpart. In the example cited, the guest, in his effort to be gracious to his host, ate every food that was served to him (there are 12 courses in a Chinese meal) even if he was full with the hope of getting the impression that he i s an appreciative guest. Only to be confounded that the host’s warmth disappeared and turned cold as the evening ended. It took some time for the guest to realize that in Chinese context, cleaning up your plate meant that the host did not feed you enough and that is quite offensive in doing business in Chinese context (Balderrama, 2010). Another example is the customary bringing of whisky to a Japanese counterpart which can be considered as a thoughtful gift but is offensive to Dubai nationals (Tulshyan, 2010). To better understand particular cultures and how they reflect and differ in the larger culture of an organization in different countries, Hoftstede formulated a cultural assessment tool whereby dimensions of one’s cultural strength can be assessed by assigning a scale ranging from 0 to 100 (Hoftstede, n.d.) . This tool of Hofstede is a popular tool among managers who would like to understand another culture apart from their own. The five cultural dimensions of P ower Distance, Individualism, Masculinity, Uncertainty Avoidance, and Long-Term Orientation; Hofstede’s five dimensions of culture in details are (MCCULLIGH, 2010); Small vs. large power distance – This refers to how a society handles inequalities and the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions (like family) accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. Individualism vs. collectivism  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Behavior towards community. The degree to which individuals are integrated into groups or are expected to look after themselves and self-actualize. Masculinity vs. femininity)

Supply Chain Managmet Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Supply Chain Managmet Case Study - Essay Example and Jill, a representative of Success Inc. Company. Mike Vanne’s company was a supplier to Success Inc. Time context Based on the conversation, Mike Vanne’s company started experiencing management problems from 1998 soon after its establishment. In 1999, the company also changed its fiscal year. This change in fiscal years twice in a row is an indication of short sighted and indecisive leadership. Viewpoint Mike Vanne’s viewpoint is that the company is fast growing. He defends this viewpoint with the fact that they made eleven acquisitions in a time span of two years. He links the company’s prosperity with the acquisitions. In addition to this, Mr. Vanne believes his company is in good shape since he has good employees. However, Jill is of a different viewpoint. She questions the nature of leadership in Mr. Vanne’s company. This indicates that she believes the company’s leadership is the cause of the potential problems. Central problem The ce ntral problem in this case is poor leadership. Mr. Mike Vanne has little knowledge of the business yet he is the owner. In addition to this, he is complacent in taking radical steps to ensure the company does not get under problems in the future. He chooses to ignore the fact that his company has been faced with several lawsuits. As if that is not enough, he brushes off the idea as bad publicity of the company. Out of a series of ten meetings, Ari Villa happens to have attended one or two board meetings yet he is the chairman to the board. Mike Vanne justifies Villa’s actions in proposing that villa is a busy man. Another leader, Sandra Chia fails to attend a meeting with one of their business associates yet she is the Chief financial Officer to the company. As a CFO, it is important for her to attend meetings concerning their business associates since the impression she gives could either work for or against the company. From these illustrations, one concludes that the leade rship in X Inc. is in shambles. The leaders are allowed to run the company as they wish and are not accountable to anyone. According to Jones (p.1), lack of collaboration amongst the company leadership is one of the signs of a dysfunctional leadership. Statement Objectives Statement objectives form the backbone of any business. They relate what the business plans to achieve (Complete Business start up p.1). X Inc.’s objectives are as follows: To provide quality service in the technologic business field. To ensure continuous growth of the business through establishing a wider market base and capturing profitable business opportunities. To create a strong leadership team that will channel the company towards growth. Areas of Consideration In solving the problem at hand, a SWOT analysis will reveal the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of X inc. business venture. SWOT analysis analyses external and internal factors that are key to the attainment of a companyâ€⠄¢s objectives (Hill & Westbrook pp.12) External Environment The external environment assesses threats and opportunities. One takes into consideration macroeconomic matters, technological advancement, changes in the market, competition and legislation. In looking at X Inc., it has several opportunities. X Inc., is one of the leading technological companies. This opportunity helps them to wade off unnecessary competition. In addition to that, its ability to form mergers and acquisitions opens it up to a larger

Writer's choice Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 10

Writer's choice - Assignment Example risk the loss of those great powers with which you have been endowed?† Through the passage, Watson questions Sherlock Holmes over his cocaine use and the effect it may have on his detective abilities. The chapter symbolizes how good neutralizes evil through the interaction of Watson and Holmes. Watson humanizes Holmes. Through Watson, Holmes loyal friend, the audience gets to see a great detective in Holmes despite his arrogance, cold-calculating nature and detachment. In his book ‘orientalism’, Edward Said examines a number of assumptions by the West about the East. Said redefines the term orientalism to encapsulate the false assumptions that western attitudes have on the cultural representations of the people from Middle East and mainly Arabs. A quote from his work states â€Å"so far as the United States seems concerned, it is only a slightly overstatement that Muslims and Arabs are essentially seen as either oil suppliers or potential terrorists† (Said 112). This quote emphasizes an almost true representation of western attitudes on the Middle East. I am in agreement with Said. Be it in the news or films, people from Middle East are mostly portrayed in that taste. Said’s work is significant in shifting and questioning the post-colonial view of the Middle East. It helps to shape a world view that is not distorted through cultural misrepresentation of people dependent on their regional backgrounds. Yes, there is a connection between Said’s theories about the ‘other’ with Hamlett’s text. This can be viewed through the character Joel Cairo who is commonly referred to as ‘the Levantine’ in reference to the Mediterranean region he seems to come from. Cairo is also portrayed as effeminate through his talk and dressing. Said criticizes western writing for depicting the orient as weak, irrational, and feminized and this is evident in the writing by Hamlett (Said 36). The falcon can be viewed as an ‘othered’ object as it depicts the wealth of

Creating a new business venture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Creating a new business venture - Essay Example This mission is ideal since it seeks to consolidate the company’s commitment to provide quality transport services to different targeted customers in the healthcare sector. Vision To be the market leader in the transport sector where the company seeks to cater for the interests of different customers in need of healthcare related transport services. Brief description of your organization Accarpio Transport’s business model is based on the notion of establishing a company that will specifically offer transportation services for those in need. The company will target different categories of people in its operations as shown below. Transportation of those in wheelchairs, those who use walkers, and those who can walk. Priced reasonable so anyone that needs our services can have them. The strategy of offering reasonable prices is specifically designed to attract as many customers as possible since there are also other actors in this particular sector of business. This strate gy will help the company to gain a competitive advantage in its operations which is the essence of any business venture (Strydom, 84). Brief historical review Accarpio Transport The business model of the company is unique in that it seeks to offer transportation services that are not provided by most ambulance companies. Most ambulance services are primarily concerned with offering services to patients who want to be taken to the hospital from their respective homes. Some of the service providers only provide transportation to doctors who have appointments. However, Accarpio Transport will provide transport to people who want to perform different errands such as going to the grocery stores or shopping malls, visiting friends or any other errands such as going to the park for refreshment. Current Marketing Situation Market overview The company intends to prioritize various trends that will give it a competitive advantage over other actors in the transport industry. For instance, the company seeks to offer consistent transport services to all clients. It intends to fulfill all their interests and needs so as to create loyalty among them. The company also seeks to harness the philosophy that no transportation job is too small in its operations since it is designed to cater for different types of customers. Market segmentation In theory, market segmentation is described as the process of dividing a heterogeneous market into smaller segments of people who have similar interests (Kotler, 87). In this particular case, geo-demographic segmentation will be used by the company. Geo-demographic segmentation is loosely defined as the process of identifying groups of people in a certain area who have similar demographic characteristics such as age, gender as well as lifestyle (Kotler,88). For instance, people living in the same geographical location may share similar interests such as the use of the same transport services as well as their interests towards different marke t offerings. In this case, Accarpio transport will target individuals interested in carrying out their personal errands such as visiting the hospitals. The company will also target patients intending to use transport to different places such as shops for their personal business. Target market The company will mainly target hospitals and it will offer transport to people visiting patients or carrying out any other business. The company wil

How should organisation manage psychological contracts during PR Essay

How should organisation manage psychological contracts during PR Scandals - Essay Example Thismakesitessentialfor an organization to manage Psychological contract before theyare affected by publicrelationscandals. Therefore, managingpsychologicalcontract is important during publicscandals like fundembezzlement, falseaccusations of theftorsexualabuse within theorganization (Conway, 2005). In theprocess of managingpsychologicalcontract, an organization should performsomeactions. First, theorganization should be fair to allemployees and customers in terms of promotion, work allocation, payments, forexample, salaryandallowancesand deliverance of goods and services.Employeesalsoexpect to be consulted in making organizational decisions since theyfeelmoreimportant to theorganization. In case of a publicrelationscandal like misconduct of an employee, theorganization should be fair in judging theemployee. Forinstance, theemployee can be suspendedforsometimerather than beingsacked.An example of a real life situation is a case whereby during the presidential debate, KitchenAid tweeted to it fans â€Å"Obamas gma even knew it was going 2 b bad! ‘She died 3days b4 he became president†. The tweet was immediately deleted, and an apology was posted. The apology was posted on behalf of the employee who had tweeted(Male, 2009). Secondly, in case of a publicrelationscandal like an accusation, theorganization should maintaineffectivecommunication with theaffectedparties. Communication within theorganization should flowwell. Everymanager, employee or customer,should getthecorrectinformation within therighttimeschedule. Theemployer should alsoenhanceface to facecommunicationbecausethisgivestheemployee a chance of expression (CPID, 2010). Dialoguealso is a goodway to wintheemployees’ and customers’cooperation. Some companies fail to communicate to their customers effectively hence leading to future scandals. In 2000, executives of Merck failed to recall their drugs after

Impact of Technology on Consciousness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Impact of Technology on Consciousness - Essay Example The cognitive theory, therefore, defines brain and the mind as two independent entities that work in tandem to produce actions and reactions of man, to an event. The need to know the working of mind becomes all the more important because of the fact that all our intentional and non intentional decisions and emotive expressions have a definite voluntary and involuntary actions associated with them. Hence our state of mental causation results in some form of physical actions. In other words, our beliefs and desires are linked with some definite actions that are designed to rearrange the physical aspects of our surrounding through the movements of our body parts which is caused by the directives of the mind. Hence, the concept of mental causation becomes relevant because of the sheer physicalitism of the world, surrounding us. â€Å"Physicalists, according to Jones, means people who believe that â€Å"this world of ours is only physical† (Jones, 2006). Since technology has become embedded into our system of ‘physicality’, the impact of technology on our consciousness can be explained through the impact of communication, inf ormation or other technology on our consciousness. Descartes treated body and mind of a man separately. He believed that body is inanimate object that acts only at the behest of the mind. It is also known as Cartesian dualism. He says that one cannot find out the nature of physical things without the participation of ‘intelligence’ which instead of ‘seeing’ judges them do be so. The mind therefore understands and recognizes other objects like technology because of its inherent ability to represent complex structures rather than relying on sensation and imagination (Descartes, 1901). The theory of dualism, though controversial at that time, was much appreciated and even corroborated by the later philosophers. Kim, through his theory of causal closure and overdetermination, has tried to correlate mind and body. The

Wastewater Management Essay Example for Free

Wastewater Management Essay In this age of rising costs and depletion of natural resources due to over use by the ever growing population on our planet, it is absolutely essential that we find ways to recycle and conserve wherever possible. One way of doing this is by managing wastewater. The first step in the process replicates what occurs in nature; the only difference is that it is faster. In this initial step, called primary treatment, water is collected in huge tanks and the solid particles are allowed to settle by force of gravity while the remaining mixture is allowed to run off. This process removes about 60 percent of the suspended particles and is only suitable for irrigation of trees or other non consumable crops in remote areas. The secondary treatment is significantly different from the primary in that it involves the biological removal of the organic materials contained in the wastewater. The most common form is called activated sludge method, where the wastewater is placed in tanks which are aerated with oxygen to encourage the growth of microbes found in the waste. The microbes eat the organic matter and the solids are allowed to settle to the bottom. Trickling method is another option in the secondary treatment method. In this process tanks of coarse material are filled with rocks three to ten feet in depth. The rocks are used as surface area on which bacteria called biomass is allowed to grow. Next, a long arm-like distributor sprays the waste water in the air over the biomass, which feeds on the organic waste and allows the remaining liquid to trickle through the rocks. Here water is collected and then sedimentation is allowed to take place. The final method is known as Lagoons. In this method large ponds are used. Algae grows in the ponds and with the use of sunlight produces oxygen. The oxygen then is used by the microbes in wastewater to breakdown the organic material and the solids then settle at the bottom of the pond. After applying the primary and secondary methods the water then is treated with chlorine or other disinfectants. The tertiary treatment goes beyond what is done in the secondary treatment and can involve chemical, physical or biological processes to further remove contaminants, Tertiary processes include filtration, lagooning, nutrient removal and disinfection. Filtration is a common tertiary treatment method. Water is allowed to pass through sand or activated carbon, which allows the particles in water to stick to the filer material used and water to pass through. In some cases the excessive levels of nitrogen and phosphorous must be removed before releasing the water to the environment. If water is released into the environment without removal of these compounds, they can cause over growth of algae and other water plants which in turn can throw the ecosystem out of balance. Some wastewater treatment plants use one tertiary method others a combination of methods. There are many uses of reclaimed water, for example it can be used for irrigation, power generation, decorative fountains, fire control, aquifer recharge, cooling or other industrial processes. Reclaimed water contains nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and oxygen which help fertilize plants. The use of reclaimed water reduces pollution in areas which are sensitive. It cannot be used in swimming pools, or other places where it comes in contact with the body, cooking, drinking, or irrigation of herbs and vegetables. Recent studies show there may be a possible public health effect when using reclaimed water. It has been known for some time that treated wastewater effluent, or reclaimed water, contains pathogens that could be transferred to people through contact and some parasites are not killed by chlorination A water treatment plant in Lake Tahoe, California has been producing drinking quality water from wastewater and astronauts reclaim all their wastewater and use it for drinking. Using wastewater to recharge the water basin and using that for drinking is not an issue provided WHO guidelines for the quality of drinking water are maintained. This means that tertiary wastewater treatments will have to be used before the wastewater can be used to recharge the basin. Since this process is more expensive than secondary treatments, it may not be feasible in the long run.Using secondary wastewater treatments to recharge basins and using that for drinking poses health issues and is not advisable. REFENCES Primary Treatment. (2010). In Encyclop? dia Britannica. Retrieved May 24, 2010, from Encyclop? dia Britannica Online: http://www. britannica. com/EBchecked/topic/476238/primary-treatment An Introduction and Comparison of Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Wastewater Treatment Methods. (2003-2010). Conjecture Corporation. Retrieved May 24, 2010, from http://www. brighthub. com/environment/science-environmental/articles/68537. aspx Using Wastewater as a resource. By Mark Shwartz. Woods Institute for the Environment Stanford University. Retrieved May 24, 2010 from http://woods. stanford. edu/cgi-bin/index. php. Asano T, Wassermann KL (1980). Groundwater recharge operations in California. Journal of the American Water Works Association, 72(7):380–385. Cotruvo JA (1988). Drinking water standards and risk assessment. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, 8:288–299.

Immersion Education In Korean Elementary Education Education Essay

Immersion Education In Korean Elementary Education Education Essay As the world is globalised and English-speaking countries have dominant roles in politics, economy and culture, English is universally recognised as a global language. With the importance of English as a global lingua franca and the necessity of having a command of English, South Korea (hereafter Korea) has perceived the importance of English language education and tried to improve students English proficiency by suggesting multilateral methods. Many language education specialists, scholars and policy-makers have suggested many methodologies applicable to the Korean public education system. In 2009, the Korea Herald (2009) reported, for example, that Korea ranks 89th out of 120 countries in terms of TOEFL (Test of English as foreign language, led by Educational Testing Service, U.S.A) results, achieving a score below the international average. Korea has still been ranked bottom in the English Proficiency Test, especially in the speaking section (Korea Times, 2011). Demand for a high level of English is increasing because English has become the most important part of Korean peoples lives. English proficiency tests, such as university entrance exams, TOEIC (Test of English for international communication, see reference C) are now essential elements for going to a good university or getting a good job or promotion. Especially, English proficiency is a major component in university admission. A recent survey led by KDI (Korea Development Institute) mentions that academic cliques are voted as the top-ranked factor of individual success. This leads to English education fever in Korea and students parents have spent colossal amounts of time and money on English education for their children. When the current government was launched in 2008, its campaign in terms of English education was Anyone who graduates from high-school can communicate with English without inconvenience, and when President Lee was selected, his transition committee of education brought in the Immersion education concept, known in Korea as Mol-ib. In particular, the committee focused on early English education, and targeted elementary school students for this imme rsion scheme. After severe controversy, the committee had to withdraw the policy, but some offices of education from cities and provinces still encourage their elementary/middle schools to adopt immersion education voluntarily. Especially, the government allowed four international middle schools to adopt English immersion education and accordingly many offices of education in cities and provinces considered establishing a specialised middle school. Accordingly, the new governments cancelled policy resulted in unintended consequences that led to overheated early English education. There was a rush of students who would go to private language institutes to prepare for going to the new schools. Students living in rural areas moved to the cities where four International middle schools are located. Other students and their parents have also recognised that English education in public school is not enough and searched for private institutes which provide the Immersion programme and classe s taught by English native speakers. Contrary to the governments expectations, many middle-class students have to rely on private language institutes and their parents have to spend more money for private English tutoring and sending their children abroad for Summer/Winter language programmes. Especially, as the new presidential election approaches, this policy is mentioned again by new candidates, education policy-makers and educators. Accordingly, the interests of teachers at public schools and private institutes are reaching the climax of new policy. This case study explores the suitability of the English immersion programme in South Korea from two immersion teachers experiences and attempts to answer the following research questions: 1) How do Korean immersion teachers teach in an immersion education environment for elementary students? 2) What difficulties do non-native speakers have when teaching in the target language? 3) Is immersion education suitable for English language e ducation in Korea? The study first observes Korean immersion teachers classes. It then investigates their opinions in terms of immersion education. Finally, it looks into the suitability of immersion education in the Korean education system. Although this case study is small-scale, the findings will show some suggestions to the persons concerned with English education in the next government. 2. Background 2.1 Theories of bilingual education From the twentieth century, the worlds globalisation has greatly influenced language education in every country. According to Baker (1996: 165), one of the illusions about bilingual education is that it is a twentieth century phenomenon. Some countries, such as Hungary, Finland in Europe, Canada, and Hong Kong have applied bilingual education officially or unofficially and optionally or compulsorily. This phenomenon explains why people cannot deny current globalised times and must recognise the importance of communication across the globe. Paulston (1992: 80) argues that unless we try in some way to account for the socio-historical, cultural, and economic-political factors which lead to certain forms of bilingual education, we will never understand the consequences of that education. In this sense, characteristics of bilingual education can be deeply related to ones societys history, culture, economy, and politics and can be changed according to these aspects. Two terms, immersion education and CLIL, are introduced briefly in this chapter, as they require a wide range of theoretic background. One of very well-known bilingual education programmes is immersion education. Baker (1996: 180) introduces the term Immersion bilingual education as an intended outcome, and therefore represents a strong use of the term bilingual education. In this sense, from the view of teaching general subjects in English, English immersion education is a different approach from TEE (Teaching English in English) or teaching other subjects integ rated partially in an English class. Johnson and Swain (1997: 6-8) discuss the core features of a prototypical immersion program. They present that there are eight common features which exist in spite of the variable features in each immersion education programme: 1. The L2 is a medium of instruction. 2. The immersion curriculum parallels the local L1 curriculum. 3. Overt support exists for the L1. 4. The programme aims for additive bilingualism. 5. Exposure to the L2 is largely confined to the classroom. 6. Students enter with similar (and limited) levels of L2 proficiency. 7. The teachers are bilingual. 8. The classroom culture is that of the local L1 community. On the other hand, there is another immersion education programme, which is called CLIL; Content and Language Integrated Learning. According to Dalton-Puffer (2007: 1), CLIL refers to an educational setting where a language other than the students mother tongue is used as a medium of instruction. Garcà ­a (2010: 210) takes the stance that CLIL-type programmes aim at achieving a functional competence in both receptive and productive skills, particularly when the target language takes a low portion of curriculum time, as in vocational or professional training. Garcà ­a refers to Hammerly and Swain in noting the difference between them, as follows: (2009:209-2010) Full immersion offers intensive contact with the target language and aims for native or near-native competence at least in receptive skills of comprehension and reading. However, many early total Canadian immersion pupils, even by the end of the program, continue to reveal striking grammatical inaccuracies in their speaking and writing (Hammerly 1991; Swain, 1985). 2.2 Current theoretic trend of English immersion education in Korea Since the latter part of the 20th century, the introduction of the immersion programme as one of bilingual education and the research of its necessity in the Korean education system has been shown. J. Park (2000) suggests the importance of bilingual education, and especially the application of immersion education to English classes in Korea. His paper provides three key objectives; showing successful cases of other countries in terms of immersion education, exploring the applicability of the immersion scheme in Korean education and arguing that partial subjects need to be taught in the immersion education system. There is updated research based on teachers cognition to apply immersion education in the Korean curriculum. S. Park (2004) broadly surveys the subject of teachers ideas in relation to English immersion education in Korean elementary schools in the Seoul metropolitan area. He suggests several ideas based on his research findings and some representative suggestions from parti cipants are summarised as follows (2004: 277-278): English immersion education should be fundamentally implemented after cultivating professional immersion teachers and should not give pressure on general subjects teachers. Teachers emphasise the need for government policies to give thoughtful consideration to immersion teachers in order to make them into immersion teachers. Additionally, preliminary arrangements in terms of curricula and materials would be needed to minimise the possibility of disorder and inconvenience caused by insufficient preparation. In relation to induction timing, they recommend slow and partial induction of immersion education and the government should suggest this policy to schools in the form of a voluntary, not compulsory, aspect in the beginning stage. The idea of working with English native speakers is recommended and desirable for team-teaching, but Korean teachers should lead the initiative. They recommend that in the later phase, Korean teachers who are fluent in English should lead the class alone. Especially, social equality between the students from diverse family backgrounds is insisted upon and policy-makers are required to suggest proper methods of selecting beneficiaries. Furthermore, teachers argue that the induction of immersion education should not foster the growth of the private education market. Additionally, J. Park and S. Park (2007) suggest a time of induction of English immersion education, appropriate subjects of immersion, its curriculum, a selection scheme for students of this programme, immersion education teachers, types of immersion class, a plan for improving teachers English proficiency, and developing materials in a practical manner. 3. Methodology This chapter describes the methodological framework. It first describes participants and their recruitment. The description is followed by a detailed description of the procedures and techniques of data collection. The chapter ends with an account of data analysis methods as well as ethical issues related to the study. 3.1. Participants Two immersion teachers participated in the survey. I recruited them at a public elementary school and a private educational institute through my personal network. Both are male and their average age was 32. I made this decision in order to listen to different voices from public and private institutes. A public school teacher (hereafter Teacher A) received a BA in Math Education from one local university and gained a teaching license from the Korean education council. He has taught English in elementary school for 7 years, but his immersion teaching experience is only 1 year. Another teacher (hereafter Teacher B) from a private institute gained a BA in science education and spent a total 6 years in U.S.A. His immersion teaching experience is 2 years in Korea. 3.2. Data collection This study tries to employ qualitative data collection and analysis methods. These characteristics of qualitative research match this studys research purposes. The focus of the study is to observe immersion classes in Korea and particularly to get Korean teachers opinions about English immersion education. Therefore, qualitative research methods were prioritised in this study. Among various qualitative data collecting tools, interview was used as a primary data collection tool, and observation served the purpose of getting referencing data. 3.2.1. Observation Due to geographical distance, I had to observe their classes via videos which were uploaded on their institutions websites. Teacher As video was produced and uploaded onto the web because the school was designated as an exemplary immersion school. On the other hand, teacher Bs video was produced for the purpose of marketing for recruiting students. One reason for classroom observation was mainly to build up a background knowledge of immersion education in Korea. The second reason is to develop my questionnaire and see the consistency between what interviewees think about immersion education and what they actually do in their classroom teaching. 3.2.2. Interview The interview was followed by two interviews separately via Skype and was conducted with a pre-provided questionnaire (Appendix A) which was sent to them by E-mail. In order to allow for flexibility, some questionnaires were additionally made to get their opinions. All the interviews were conducted in Korean and audio-recorded with Evaer Skype Recorder. 3.3. Ethical issues When I found the appropriate participants, I contacted them via Facebook and explained the purposes of the case study. They informed me that they would accept my offer under the condition of anonymity. I had to promise to protect the confidentiality of the participants and that I would secure their anonymity by using pseudonyms as well as the institutes names. I assured them that the interview results would not be released to anyone with whom they work, or to any institutes at which they work. 4. Research findings 4.1 Immersion programme in two institutions The below contents are collected from interviews with two participants and information from school/institute homepages and are summed up. The general approach to immersion is similar but they have slight differences of purpose and characteristics. 4.1.1 Programme purpose and characteristics of Teacher As school This programme is sponsored by the Office of education, Busan city. This school is designated as an exemplary school which provides immersion education. Three subjects, which are maths, science, and sociology, are taught in English, not in regular classes but in extracurricular classes for voluntary students. Students English levels are diverse. The mission of the programme is to assist EFL elementary students in developing English language proficiency while fostering an interest in their studies. This programme enables the students to learn English additionally at school and review subjects which were taught in Korean at regular classes. In class, the Korean teacher leads the class and an English native speaker supports the Korean teacher. The textbooks are provided by the government and have similar contents to Korean textbooks. 4.1.2 Programme purpose and characteristics of Teacher Bs institute The programme enables highly intelligent elementary students who have a good command of English to complete a series of elementary-level subjects in immersion education. This programme is designed to meet the interests of elementary students who plan to go to International Middle school (Appendix B) or secondary school in English-speaking countries. In order to be considered for this programme, candidates must possess over 700 points in their TOEIC score and their ranking in their class should be within the top 5% of total subjects. The mission of the programme is to provide the upper level contents to elite students and to enable them to prepare for studying in an English environment. The main subjects, such as maths, science, and sociology, which are core courses required to prepare for junior high school, are taught in English. All teachers are English native speakers or Koreans who speak English fluently and have a relevant degree from English-speaking countries. The materials ar e diverse; from American elementary books to self-translated books into English. 4.2 Classroom observation In order to observe two different classrooms, I borrowed Fortune (2000)s immersion teaching strategies observation checklist (appendix D). I observed how teachers would operate the class and how students responded to find similarities and make comparisons between their two programmes. There are several areas of classroom observation, but I focused on teachers methods of 1) Making input comprehensible, 2) Integrating language with contents, and 3) Interacting with students. 4.2.1 Teacher As class Teacher A teaches maths for the 5th grade (age 11) in English immersion. In his class, there are about 25 students. This class is not in the regular course curriculum but is additionally conducted for the purpose of immersion education. This is an alternative measure to avoid making students parents worried in terms of childrens scholastic attainments. When the class begins, teacher A and a native speaker share greetings in English to catch the students attention and to inform them that only English is to be used in the class. He leads the class with relative ease and simplicity in order not to give pressure or stress to students. His intention seems to focus on the understanding of the English language, especially vocabulary. He tries to provide activities by asking questions. He also asks the native speaker to talk to students individually. The native speaker tries to tailor her English to a level that the students, with their limited English proficiency, can understand. 4.2.2 Teacher Bs class Teacher B teaches science to the 6th grade (age 12) in English immersion. In his class, there are 12 students. He explains some contents and their structures and vocabularies simultaneously. He focuses not only on speaking, but also on reading and writing skills. In order to develop students English skills, he encourages students to write their thinking after the teachers explanation and to have a discussion with a partner. He uses American material from California state for grade 7 (12-13 years of age). He tries to correct the students English and seems more focused on students understanding of content. In order to familiarise them with Western classrooms and culture, he uses an American Home school DVD as a visual aid to supplement information to get positive feedback from his students. 4.2.3 Similarities and differences between them The main intentions of both of the programmes are to promote academic instruction so that all students become proficient in English through the implementation of immersion education. Their classes aim to provide students with a Western-like environment and to provide some opportunities for positive interactions. Both programmes seem to employ a lesson plan that facilitates English language development. Lessons are designed to promote English language skills, rather than to deliver content. As students have a limited understanding of English, teachers try to speak English slowly and explain things simply. They allocate some minutes for providing opportunities for students to produce language on their own to practice English. After their response, teachers provide positive feedback, although the students make some mistakes, so that students get involved and interested in another language and class. Although there was not a significant difference between the two classrooms, one particul ar finding is that Teacher A delivers some content in Korean to help students understand information. His class focuses on helping children become comfortable with the English language. His intention is to make his students become familiarised with the English language and to grow slowly in their English skills. Students feedback is rather limited and this class is generally teacher-centred. This case is not the original class of immersion education because this class is for reviewing what students have already learned. Repeating the lesson in the target language is the main purpose; thus, it does not fit in the basic principle of immersion education. In contrast, teacher Bs class is slightly different. Because of the student body, which is composed of elite students, his class provides an environment that promotes positive attitudes towards the English language. It allows them to simultaneously learn content on a topic as well as acquiring vocabulary and the ability to speak in Eng lish. This programme seems to focus on individual academic strengths. The teachers main interest includes students developing high levels of proficiency in the English language and performing at or above grade level in academic areas in both languages. 4.3. Interview results and discussions This section shows the findings from the interviews based on questionnaires. A copy of the questionnaire can be found in appendix A and copies of the completed questionnaires can be found in appendix B. The public school teacher is referred to as Teacher A and the private institute one is referred to as Teacher B. I summarise the findings with 4 themes, as shown below. 4.3.1 Target language proficiency and self-confidence Teachers are not sure whether immersion education should be introduced in public school. They point out that their English proficiency is the main problem and they lose confidence when teaching. They also worry about the teaching quality due to delivering lessons. When I was selected as an immersion teacher, I was excited, but on the other hand, I was worried about my English proficiency. I had some English communication classes in college, but that was for general English classes. Although I have quite a high score in TOEIC (Test of English for international communication by ETS), I have had no exposure to an English environment. I am planning to go abroad for intensive English. (Teacher A) Although I studied and gained a B.A. degree in U.S, its very challenging to teach in English. Policy-makers need to understand that an American degree cannot make foreign students get the language level of native speakers. There is no option but to improve English proficiency at this moment. (Teacher B) These two participants recognise the teachers English proficiency as a starting point for immersion education. They understand that the language issue is critical for adopting immersion education. However, they appreciate that the future trend of English education in Korea will be similar to the immersion education system. Thus, in order to strengthen their teaching competitiveness, they are going to language schools after work or are planning to go overseas. 4.3.2 Relationship with their parents and the market of private institutes One of the key issues in introducing immersion education is dealing with students and their parents. Especially, they have common ideas that immersion education should require parents permission and agreement. These are quotations in terms of this theme: In the beginning, it was very difficult to persuade parents. Thats why immersion class is executed in extra-curricular class, not regular class. One particular thing is they regard my class as another opportunity to expose themselves to English language. (Teacher A) Parents intentionally send their children to my institute, as it is one of a few institutes which provide immersion education in this town. Most of them expect their children to go to middle school of science; thus, their expectation is very high. They pay a significant amount of money. I think immersion teaching would be limited in public school and the market of private institutes will be bigger. (Teacher B) As shown above, it is found that getting permission from students parents is not easy and general explanation needs to be provided to parents in the beginning stage. One interesting finding is that this immersion programme increases the role of private education, which is contrary to the governments intention. Furthermore, this points to the fact that the immersion programme creates a gulf between the rich and poor. 4.3.3 Interaction with students Interaction between teachers and students is a very important factor in the classroom. As a teacher, he/she needs to monitor whether students understand the content and can follow what he/she teaches and be aware of any difficulties the students have. Especially, this is very important in the immersion classroom because a foreign language is the main delivery method. This is the most important issue that I object to in the adoption of immersion education. Most students start learning English from the age of ten in public school. To be honest, their English proficiency is not enough to understand a class in English. Accordingly, they lose interest in the class. Although the class deals with elementary-level content, students feel difficulty in understanding new English words and contexts. (Teacher A) As a matter of fact, class in a foreign language is difficult not only for teachers but also for students. My students English is definitely better than other students in the same grade. However, understanding, presenting and asking questions is not that easy. Fortunately, they are aiming to go to international middle school and they try their best. In my position, I try to utilise many visual aids to catch their attention. (Teacher B) In terms of this issue, the language issue is mentioned again. One of the key principles of immersion education is linguistic knowledge. In Korea, one of EFL countries, where English is rarely used in real life, it is once again confirmed that by teaching in a foreign language, it is not easy to make academic content comprehensible to learners. 4.3.4 Qualified native speaker and tailored materials The basic requirement for any class is material. The two participants agreed that they were not sure about which materials they should use. They also had some difficulties in finding qualified native-speakers to work with. These remarks are exemplary in relation to this theme: To be honest, selecting materials is beyond my capacity. There is no official textbook for immersion education. I use an American textbook but the curriculum is very different. Thus, I translate Korean textbooks into English before class and hand them out in class. (Teacher B) Working with a native speaker is very beneficial to me and to students. However, I have to spend more time to prepare for class because the native speaker and I have to prepare together in advance. In particular, getting a qualified one is very difficult. Most of them come to Korea to teach English, not maths or science. Even finding a qualified one who meets the school recruitment standard is very rare. (Teacher A) As shown above, producing material tailored to the Korean education curriculum is recognised as one of the most challenging aspects. Currently, the average monthly wage for a native-speaker is about 1300-1500 pounds, which is quite a lot lower than other East Asian countries. The Korean government needs to organise a task-force for implementing the necessary conditions. 4.3.5 Testing and assessment Language assessment is a very important factor in helping to understand students academic outcomes or proper development and even help them to learn the target language effectively. Unfortunately, at this moment, it is difficult to assess students learning process. City office education has not mentioned about testing. Fundamentally, my class is not on regular curriculum and I feel little necessity of testing. If I have to, then I need some support from school or city office of education. (Teacher A) As the interview result shows, Bax (2010: 52) also describes in terms of immersion education in Korea that there is an absence of firm test data by which to evaluate the academic success of English language learning in Korea in comparison with other countries. Assessment should have been considered when the immersion scheme was introduced in Korea. 5. Conclusion 5.1. The findings and implications This case study shows some limitations of employing the immersion programme. In order to gain a successful immersion programme, sustainable support and interest is needed from educational policy-makers, administrators, teachers and students. In this sense, the results of this case study have some implications for other schools and private educational institutes, and particularly for policy makers of English language education. As discussed in the interview chapter, the teachers have difficulty in teaching their subjects in an immersion education environment in several respects. First of all, English language proficiency is considered to be a very important tool in educational contexts. Secondly, although the immersion educational policy has attempted to strengthen English language proficiency for students, the current educational system cannot cover their willingness. Thirdly, the sudden change in language education policy has been generating many constraints, such as teachers low En glish proficiency, the lack of materials and English native speakers. In this sense, all of the relevant people share many weaknesses and shortfalls of immersion education in Korea and thus may benefit from the results and findings of this study. The results of the study may also have implications for people who plan to teach their subjects within immersion programmes. They need to study how they can deliver their education to students within immersion environments effectively. Native English speakers who plan to teach English in South Korea or EFL settings may also benefit from this study about English language teaching, as they are informed of the realities of teaching EFL in the current trend of South Korean situations. For these reasons, this case study can be a useful source of information. Korea has a tendency to quickly benchmark things which are deemed good policies, or systems from developed countries, without thorough preparation. This also seems to apply in this case. Stu dents and teachers recognise this scheme is clumsily prepared without all circumstances being set up. 5.2. Limitations and suggestions for future research directions This study employs two means of data collection; interview and observation. However, in terms of combining quantitative and qualitative research instruments, the study has not fully provided a better understanding of the suitability of English immersion education in South Korean education. Instead, this study rather focuses on teachers beliefs about the English immersion education, their perceptions of it, and their attempts to implement newly suggested immersion education into their classroom teaching. In this sense, the study is rather small-scale. There are three big limitations of this study. One is the difficulty of persuading participants to have interviews. For finding interviewees, I managed to recruit some of the candidates through my personal network. However, it was very difficult to get their permission for interviews. As I described in the interview results section, they hesitated to accept my interview proposal, because they also understood that most of their ideas would possess negative views of immersion education. Therefore, at their request, we agreed to have interviews on condition of the anonymity of all of their names, schools and mentioned people. The second limitation concerns a lack of real class observation. Due to the long distance between us, although they provided me with video cl

Impact of Informality on Consumption

Impact of Informality on Consumption Abstract By using a simple model, it will be analyzed the impact that informality has in the amount of consumption of the workers during their life cycle. This paper deals with the interconnections of under-reported earnings, savings and old-age pension. The workers sampled for this analys have been divided into three groups: 1. Low income emloyees, 2. Higher income employees who declare all incomes, 3. Employees who under-report their incomes .In this paper the analysis is based on two pension models: the model that calculates pension in conformity with the incomes (proportional model) and the basic model, whose objective is poverty reduction for the â€Å"third age†. The major result is as follows: Given the fact that the basic pension system favors employees that under-report their incomes and the fact that the impact of informality is greater in the basic system than in the propotional pension system, the application of basic pension system in the Albanian might be problematic. KEY WORDS: informality, pensions, proportional model, basic model, Albania Introduction There are many examples around the world, how different countries have adapted their pension system in comformity with the important changes they are experiencing. However what works well in a country does not necessarly work well in an other country. Pension reforms should be in accordance with the economic, political and social characteristics of the country. The issue referring to the appropriate scheme to be implemented in Albania has been the concern of the governments. . In such circumstances, when the â€Å"Pay-As-You-Go† system is failing every day, the problem of a reform seems as urgent as it is necessary. Pension systems have been one of the serious issues, which all Albanian governments have been facing. They have been a constant source of criticism from international bodies and are one of the schemes that aggravate the state budget a lot, therefor impeding the development of the Albanian economy (Treichel, 2001) As a result of a misconception of this scheme since the beginning, the current system has generated high evasion and informality, distorting effects on the labor market and not providing a long term solution for the pensions. The main problem has to do with the amount of contributions and incentives to pay these contributions. Using a simple model, it will be given an idea about the impact that informality has in the amount of the workers consumption during their life cycle. For this reason two pension models have been analyzed: the model that calculates pension in conformity with the incomes and the basic model, whose objective is poverty reduction for the â€Å"third age†. Augusztinovics, (2005) concludes that increasingly social tensions can be reduced by e replacing the pension system related to incomes with a basic pension system. Given that this topic presents a great complexity and at the same time is so current and present in our daily lives, it would be interesting to treat it in order to provide an alternative for solving such a so sharp problem. 2Proportional pensions In recent years, the Hungarian Economists of the Academy of Sciences have conducted a series of empirical studies regarding pension systems, especially in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The assumptions used in their model, have a lot in common with the Albanian reality. According to (Simonovits, 2008), the assumptions of the model are: †¢ The population is taken unchanged †¢ The young population is active in the labor market †¢ Every elder person has retired Consequently, R is the number an employee working years and S, the years of an individuals’ retirement. Dependency rate, expressed as the ratio of pension years to those of work, is marked with ÃŽ ¼ = S / R. Although, the difference between the contribution rate of employers and employees is clear in the current pension system clear, in this analysis, this difference is not taken into account. The total salary, which represents the total cost of the work, is marked by w. Individual contribution, paid to the pension system, is calculated at the rate t, of the total reported salary. Health insurance contributions and income tax impacts have been left out of the model. To be closer to the Albanian reality, it is assumed that the rate of employed persons who declare their exact income, are not directly related to the pension system. The system is suposed in equilibrium; the revenues of the system are equal to its expenditures. The scale of the informal economy in Albania is one of the highest in the Central and Eastern Europe countries. The informal economy is assumed at 34 percent according to (Schneider, Buehn, Montenegro, 2010). For this reason, it is foreseen to classify the employees in three different groups: 1. Low income emloyees, who are marked with (U) It is presumed, that employees who do not fully declare their income are part of the second group. For this group, it is made the following subdivision: 2. Higher income employees who declare all incomes, who are marked with (P) 3. Higher income employees who under-report their incomes, who are marked with (N) The frequency of these employees is: Æ’U, Æ’P and Æ’N. These frequencies are positive numbers, the amount of which shall be equal to 1. Considering all the employment as a unit, the number of employees is marked by 1. In special cases it may occur that one of the frequencies is equal to 0, as it is the case of economies where informality is in very low levels near 0. In this model, it is assumed that pensioners receive their pensions, in proportion to the income declared, which are marked with *, (t*, is the rate of the contribution to the system). The current income of workers according to salary levels, are: wP = wN and wU. While the benefits from the system during the retirement period, are: bP* and bN* =bU*. Based on the above assumptions, the benefits are commensurate with the income declared; bP* = ÃŽ ²* wP and bN* = ÃŽ ²* wU, where ÃŽ ²* is the replacement rate of the pension system related to income (proportional). As it is observedou, wU represents the minimum wage and any potential changes will affect the overall level of formal employment. This problem will not be considered, because of the complexity that it presents. In the following equations are presented: total real income (WP) and the total income declared (WU). WP = (Æ’P + Æ’N)wP + Æ’UwU and WU = Æ’PwP + (Æ’N+ Æ’U)wU Since the system is in equilibrium, then, t * WU = ÃŽ ¼ÃŽ ² * WU. Consequently, subsequent connection between the contribution fee (t *) and the replacement ratio is: ÃŽ ²* : t* =  µÃŽ ²* It is assumed that those who declare all the incomes do not save for theretirement period, as they believe that the replacement ratio is sufficiently high. In contrast, people who do not report their total incomes, are supposed to save for the retirement, that hidden amounts. In some cases these rates may be even lower than the rate of social security system, which would make them save for their whole lifetime. So the saving rate is marked with ÏÆ', which is: 0 and the annual savings are: ÏÆ'(wP wU). It is assume that the hidden savings during the R years of work are used for consumption Ï (wP wU) during the S retirement years. For comparative reasons the level of consumption is analyzed during two stages of life (work and pension). This analysis will provide a more complete picture throughout the whole life cycle, of the consumption during the work period, which is labeled â€Å"youth consumption† and the consumption during retirement, which is labeled â€Å"elderly consumption†. Based on the above equations, â€Å"youth consumption† would be: cP* = (1 – t*)wP ; cN* = (1 – t*)wU + (1 – ÏÆ')(wP – wU) ; cU* = (1 – t*)wU While the â€Å"elderly consumption† would be dP* = bP* ; dN* = bU* + Ï (wP – wU) ; dU* = bU* Basic pension system Some researchers (Augusztinovics Kà ¶llÅ‘, 2008), (Kollo, 2008), (Kertesi G., Bonn 2003) consider the replacement of the proportional pension system with a basic pension system as a way to reduce the increasing social tensions. Since the goal of this system is the reduction of poverty during the â€Å"third age†, it is assumed that it is given a definit benefit b0 which is funded by a consumption tax rate à ®. Each individual pays his/her taxes proportionally after spending money for consumption and for mathematical simplicity it is assumed that the basic benefits are net. Pensions obtained from this system are: One of the innovations that this model offers is the assumption which does not take into account the possibility of consumption tax evasion, in contrast to the case of non-payment of pension contributions. The implementation of this model faces with some difficulties in our country, such as problems with the informal economy (tax evasion) and the indirectly calculation method of VAT. In the model analyzed there is no total savings and total consumption is equal to total income. Based on the equation that shows the dependency ratio, the tax equation is as follows: The decreasing contributions, tw finance only the reduced pensions of employees. , pra For comparative reasons, it is assumed that the total costs of pensions are invariable. This assumption is clearly expressed in the following equation: By substituting à ® from the previous equation to the new equation the following formula is obtained: Consequently, the reduced contributions will be as follows: In order for the contribution to be a positive rate, it should be assumed that: . So, The â€Å"youth consumption† is: ; ; While the â€Å"elderly consumption† is: ; ; As it can be noticed from the above equations, consumption and benefits of employees who declare all their incomes has decreased, while consumption and benefit of employees with low incomes and workers that under-report their incomes have increased in comparison with the proportional pension system. 4The Albanian Case For study reasons it is worth presenting a numerical simulation. In the above mentioned models are used features of Albanian pension system. Based on the Albanian legislation for social security, the working years that an employee must have to obtain a retirement pension, are 35. Consequently, R = 35 years. According to official data from the World Bank (2012), the average of life expectancy for the Albanian population is 77 years. By subtracting from this age the average age of the entry into the labor market, which is 22 years (qualified employees, as well as unqualified have been considered as), it is concluded that the average number of years spent in retirement for every Albanian, is S = 20 years. Dependency rate, which represents the ratio of average years spent in retirement, with the average years spent in work, is ÃŽ ¼ = S / R = 20/35 = 0.57. The calculation of incomes is attained based on the data on employment and average salary for each sector of the economy. It is assumed that: †¢ All employees of public and private sector and non-agricultural privat sector are classified as employees with high average incomes. †¢ For purposes of analysis, the informal economy is assumed at 34 percent according to (Schneider, Buehn, Montenegro, 2010). So, 34 percent of private sector employees do not declare their real incomes. †¢ Employees of the agricultural sector are assumed as employees with low income. Based on the above assumptions and on the (INSTAT, 2014) data the distribution of workers by sector is: Æ’U = 0.49 , Æ’P = 0.39 , Æ’N = 0.12 According to INSTAT data (2013), the average salary in the public sector is 52,150 ALL (Albanian lek), the average of high salary in the private sector is 97,000 ALL and in the agriculture sector it is assumed that the salary is equal to the minimum wage 22,000 ALL. Based on these data, the income distribution is: wP = 4.4 dhe wU = 1 While the average stated salary is: WU = 2.326 So, the average salary declared, based on the above analysis, is: 2.326 x 22’000 = 51’172 ALL. This indicator has a outcome close to the average salary of 52’150 ALL declared in Albania. It is assumed that the amount of benefit in the basic system is equal to half of the benefit of the pension system related directly to income. b0 = tWU/ 2 µ Also, it is assumed that the worker that does not declare his/her real income, saves half of the money, ÏÆ' = t/2, which, Social Security, would make the employee save from the income that are not declared. Table no 1: The Key Indicators Source: Author Calculations 4.1Basic Model The distribution as per basic assumption is: Æ’P = 0.39, Æ’N = 0.12, Æ’U = 0.49 In the table below have been presented the characteristics of both pension systems that are being analyzed Tabel no 2: Characteristics of pension systems Source: Author Calculations The above characteristics are calculated in the case of Albania, where the contribution rate paid to the social security, is 21.6 percent for the proportional pension system. As it can be observed from the above data, when moving from a proportional pension system to the basic pension system, the contribution rate paid to the pension system is halved. A consumption tax at the rate of 9.2 percent is added to the basic pension system in contrast to the proportional pension system. Refering to the calculations, there is a significant difference regarding the replacement ratio between the two pension systems. In the proportional pension system the value of this ratio is 38 percent, which is reduced to 18.9 percent in the basic pension system. We see the impact of two pension systems to the amount of consumption for the three groups taken into consideration. Table no 3. Consumption amount Source: Author Calculations By analyzing the above results, it can be observed that: †¢ The â€Å"youth consumption† is the highest in three groups on the basic pension system compared with the proportional pension system. †¢ As expected, the â€Å"elderly consumption† with low income at basic pension system is higher than the consumption of the other system. Characteristic of the basic pension system is the support for people with low incomes. †¢ The â€Å"elderly consumption† with high incomes at the proportional pension system compared with the consumption at the basic pension system is about 50 percent higher. †¢ A weakness in the basic pension system is that it favors the group of pensioners who under-report their incomes. 4.2Full reporting of incomes The analys of the â€Å"ideal case† where all employees report all their income, although it seems utopian, it is worthwhile analyzing. Division of employees according to the declaration is: Æ’P = 0.51; Æ’N = 0; Æ’U = 0.49 Table no 4. Characteristics of pension systems Source: Author Calculations The rate of contribution to the proportional pension system is 21.6 per cent, as it was in the case of the basic model. As observed from the above table, the characteristics of the basic pension system, has changed in the â€Å"ideal case† compared to the basic model. The rate of contribution in the â€Å"ideal case† decreased at 10.7 percent compared with 10.8 percent in the basic model. While the tax rate has increased to 11 percent from 9.2 percent in the basic model. Changes in the ratio of replacement are negligible. We see the impact that the two pension systems have to the consumption quantity of the three groups who have been analyzed. Table no 5. Consumption amount Source: Author Calculations By analyzing the results above, we can say that: †¢ The â€Å"youth consumption† and the â€Å"elderly consumption† have not changed for the proportional pension system for both cases. †¢ Into the basic pension system there is a reduction in the consumption quantity at the young age and a very small increase in the consumption during the â€Å"third age†. †¢ So, the basic pension system is more sensitive toward informal economy than the other pension system that is taken into consideration. 5Conlusions The elementary model.has already been analized. Finally, by analyzing the cases discussed above, it can be concluded that: The consumption and benefits of employees who report all their incomes has decreased in the basic pension system compared to the proportional pensions system. The consumption and benefits of employees with low incomes and those of the employees who under-report their incomes increased in the basic pension system compared to the proportional pensions system. The basic pension system favors employees that under-report their incomes. The impact of informality is greater in the basic pension system than in the proportional pension system. So, in the Albanian reality the application of basic pension system might be problematic.