Literacy Survey of Bangladesh 2010 Essay Example for Free

Literacy Survey of Bangladesh 2010 Essay Indicator 1. Literacy Situation National 5 years and over Can write a letter for communication (Literate) 7 years and over Can write a letter for communication (Literate) Rural 5 years and over Can write a letter for communication (Literate) 7 years and over Can write a letter for communication (Literate) Urban 5 years and over Can write a letter for communication (Literate) 7 years and over Can write a letter for communication (Literate) 2. Literacy rate by Age group 05-09 10-14 15-19 20-24 15-24 25+ 15+ 15-24 3. Highest grade passed (5 years and over) Total No education ix 100. 00 38. 22 100. 00 35. 88 100. 00 40. 62 16. 43 67. 38 82. 17 75. 09 78. 63 52. 75 59. 82 78. 58 15. 78 64. 51 80. 57 76. 77 78. 67 58. 47 63. 89 78. 81 17. 10 70. 57 83. 98 73. 73 78. 86 46. 84 55. 71 78. 36 68. 40 70. 84 65. 95 65. 83 68. 09 63. 54 54. 19 56. 90 51. 39 51. 81 54. 39 49. 16 57. 53 60. 15 54. 84 55. 08 57. 56 52. 54 Both gender (%) Male (%) Female (%) The Bangladesh Literacy Survey, 2010 Indicator Class I-V Class VI-VIII Class IX-X SSC/equivalent HSC/equivalent Degree/equivalent Masters/equivalent Engineering/Medical Technical/vocational* Others 4. Training Received by Type of Training Technical/Vocational* Catering Service Garments/Tailoring Foreign Language In-service training Nursing Youth development training Other training 5. 6. Use of Internet Facility (15 years and over) Used internet Mode of Using Internet Cell phone Computer Both 7. Use of Internet by Level of Education (5 years and over) Total Class I-V Class VI-VIII Class IX-X viii 1. 12 0. 00 0. 48 3. 60 1. 49 0. 00 0. 54 4. 25 0. 74 0. 00 0. 43 2. 95 63. 80 33. 19 2. 98 63. 90 33. 30 2. 80 63. 68 32. 95 3. 37 1. 49 2. 00 0. 97 1. 38 0. 14 0. 70 0. 07 1. 26 0. 05 0. 34 1. 10 1. 92 0. 19 0. 74 0. 10 2. 05 0. 03 0. 53 1. 64 0. 84 0. 09 0. 66 0. 04 0. 46 0. 06 0. 14 0. 56 Both gender (%) 29. 56 13. 29 8. 05 5. 21 3. 08 1. 55 0. 85 0. 11 0. 08 0. 01 Male (%) 29. 80 12. 96 7. 97 5. 86 3. 81 2. 17 1. 24 0. 17 0. 12 0. 02 Female (%) 28. 30 13. 63 8. 12 4. 54 2. 34 0. 92 0. 45 0. 05 0. 04 0. 01 The Bangladesh Literacy Survey, 2010 Indicator SSC/equivalent HSC/equivalent Degree/equivalent Masters/equivalent Engineering/Medical Technical/vocational* Others Both gender (%) 3. 65 5. 95 13. 21 17. 76 27. 35 8. 00 4. 28 Male (%) 4. 27 6. 74 13. 47 18. 19 27. 20 8. 05 6. 36 Female (%) 2. 83 4. 62 12. 59 16. 57 27. 96 7. 84 0. 00 Indicator Radio 8. Use of Electronic Media by the Population for Education Purpose (%) Several times in last 3 months Several times in a month Several times in a week Daily No scope Male Television Radio Female Television 21. 94 6. 76 3. 06 2. 82 13. 60 22. 95 14. 24 10. 91 13. 87 9. 43 20. 46 5. 73 2. 67 2. 45 14. 17 21. 90 12. 08 9. 09 13. 01 10. 70 Indicator Library Book stall News stand Comm. centre 9. Visit to Public Places for Attaining Literacy Skill Several times in last 3 months Several times in a month Several times in a week Daily No scope 3. 04 0. 99 0. 41 0. 45 8. 26 10. 58 2. 73 0. 43 0. 27 6. 52 1. 72 0. 57 0. 26 0. 32 8. 00 0. 78 0. 18 0. 09 0. 36 9. 55 Notes: *= Technical/Vocational=Computer training, Motor driving/Motor mechanic, Welding, Electrical, etc, ix Acronyms BBS UNESCO UN UNV LFS ICT PSU UNDP UNICEF HH Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics United Nation Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization United Nations United Nations Volunteerism Labour Force Survey Information and Communication Technology Primary Sampling Unit United Nations Development Programme United Nations Children Emergency Fund House Hold xii The Bangladesh Literacy Survey, 2010 Section I Introduction and Overview 1. 0 Background Information pertaining to literacy is an important social indicator having direct bearing on different socio-economic factors, including employment. The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) has included a very detailed literacy module in the 2010 Labour Force Survey (LFS). The items that have been included in the literacy module are ability to write a letter, highest class passed, current enrolment in the educational institutions, skill development training, use of literacy skill in every day life, viewing of education-related programmes in electronic media such as radio and television, attending places having connection with educational attainment such as library, book-stall, news-stand, community-based educational centre, etc. , and use of latest Information and Communication Technology (ICT) such as internet for educational purposes. It may be mentioned that all the tables of the current report are weighted, based on 2010 Labour Force Survey. In Bangladesh, literacy rates available from different surveys and studies are significantly different. This is mainly due to the fact that the definition of a literate person is not uniform and standardized, and most of the surveys and studies are not based on competency test. In the present survey, literacy is defined by the ability of writing a simple letter for communication. The surveys and studies generally record the respondent’s statement relating only to his/her literacy status. However, comprehensive, reliable and timely data on literacy rate is important for formulating policies and improving the state of literacy level in the country. Statistical data on literacy rate is important for both government and other stakeholders. With this objective in mind, the UNESCO planned to carry out a household-based survey on literacy rate in collaboration with the BBS. 1 The Bangladesh Literacy Survey, 2010 1. 1 Objectives of the Survey The objectives of the survey were as follows: 1. To develop and adopt a methodology for providing regular quality data on the access and use of literate environment by individuals including adults and youth in Bangladesh. 2. To obtain regular quality data on the access of literacy program and usage of literacy skills in Bangladesh. 3. To build national capacities in monitoring the literacy program and measurement of individual access and use of literacy skills and literate environment. 1. 2 Scope of the Survey It is a nationwide household based survey. The entire country is the domain of the survey. The survey covered all persons who have attained the age of 5 years and above. However, people in special dwellings such as patients in hospitals, inmates in prisons, inmates in homes for special care (e. g. disabled, aged), boarders in boarding schools were not under the purview of this survey. This survey will produce national estimate by urban and rural. 1. 3 Sampling Design for the Survey The questionnaire of the household based literacy was part of the 2010 Labour Force Survey (LFS) questionnaire as a separate module, and this questionnaire was applied in the same PSU (Primary Sampling Unit) and in the same sample households. Therefore, it was not required to develop a separate and independent sampling design for this survey. A total of 43,945 households were covered of which 34,620 households were from rural areas and 9,325 households were from urban areas. The division wise allocation of the sample PSUs and households are as follows: 2 The Bangladesh Literacy Survey, 2010 Table 1: Distribution of PSUs by Divisions Divisions Rural Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Khulna Barisal Sylhet TOTAL 244 183 268 168 156 156 1175 Number of PSU Urban 126 63 46 42 26 22 325 Total 370 246 314 210 182 178 1500. Table 2: Distribution of Sampled Households by Divisions Divisions Rural Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Khulna Barisal Sylhet TOTAL 6829 5372 8277 5031 4361 4750 34,620 Number of Sampled Households Urban 3738 1785 1338 1111 690 663 9,325 Total 10567 7157 9615 6142 5051 5413 43,945 1. 4 Limitations of the survey The literacy survey 2010 is not a standalone survey, rather it is a modular survey. The information collected under the survey is based on the responses received from the respondents where no practical tests was administered. Therefore, there is a chance for an upward bias. The Bangladesh Literacy Survey, 2010 The survey was conducted with the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and the main focus was on labour force characteristics such as employment, underemployment, occupation, industry etc. This provided an opportunity to collect data on literacy. Therefore, there might be underreporting of some questions. Special training is required for this special type of survey, but it was not done and the training was given simultaneously with LFS which may have some negative impact about the quality of the data. 4 The Bangladesh Literacy Survey, 2010 Section II Population Characteristics 2. 0 Population Characteristics Before discussing the education related information from the 2010 LFS, let us exercise the characteristics of the survey population in terms of their age-gender distribution and marital status. 2. 1 Age Gender Distribution Age-gender distribution of the population has been presented in Table-3. The highest proportion of population is in the age group 10-14 years, and the corresponding percentage is 12. 48 at the national level for both gender, followed by age group 0-4 (12. 22%) and 5-9 (11. 75%). These three groups constitute around 36. 5 % of the total population. Males constitute 37. 0% and females 36. 0%. There exist urban-rural variations in the age-gender distribution of the population. In the rural areas, the percentage of population for both gender of these three age groups was 37. 5% compared to 33. 0% for the urban areas. This may be explained by the higher fertility in rural than urban areas. Similar differences are also seen by gender. As regards population 70 years and over, the percentage is 2. 7% in rural areas and 2. 1% in urban areas. 5 The Bangladesh Literacy Survey, 2010 Table 3: Percentage distribution of population by age, gender and place of residence, 2010 National Both gender 100. 00 12. 22 11. 75 12. 48 8. 58 8. 80 8. 46 6. 83 6. 99 5. 55 4. 98 3. 69 2. 93 2. 45 1. 73 2. 56 87. 78 Both gender 100. 00 12. 65 12. 09 12. 77 8. 45 8. 45 8. 07 6. 60 6. 79 5. 45 4. 96 3. 68 2. 97 2. 56 1. 82 2. 71 67. 28 Rural Both gender 100. 00 10. 79 10. 64 11. 52 9. 04 9. 98 9. 77 7. 61 7. 66 5. 88 5. 02 3. 72 2. 80 2. 09 1. 44 2. 06 20. 50 Urban Male 100. 00 10. 83 10. 64 11. 68 8. 74 8. 52 8. 90 7. 58 7. 71 6. 16 5. 51 4. 33 3. 23 2. 28 1. 56 2. 35 10. 30 Female 100. 00 10. 75 10. 64 11. 36 9. 34 11. 46 10. 66 7. 63 7. 60 5. 61 4. 52 3. 10 2. 37 1. 89 1. 31 1. 75 10. 20 Age group Total 00-04 05-09 10-14 15-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 65-69 70+ 5+ Male 100. 00 12. 26 11. 70 12. 97 9. 03 7. 75 7. 67 6. 36 6. 87 5. 64 5. 28 3. 97 3. 15 2. 62 1. 88 2. 85 44. 46 Female 100. 00 12. 18 11. 81 11. 98 8. 12 9. 88 9. 27 7. 32 7. 12 5. 46 4. 66 3. 39 2. 71 2. 27 1. 58 2. 26 43. 33 Male 100. 00 12. 68 12. 02 13. 35 9. 12 7. 53 7. 30 6. 00 6. 63 5. 48 5. 21 3. 87 3. 12 2. 72 1. 97 3. 00 34. 16 Female 100. 00 12. 61 12. 16 12. 17 7. 76 9. 41 8. 85 7. 22 6. 97 5. 41 4. 71 3. 48 2. 81 2. 39 1. 66 2. 41 33. 13 2. 2 Marital Status The marital status of population 10 years and over by gender and place of residence is presented in Table-4 and Figure-1. Around 60% males and 66% females aged 10 years and over are married. The percentage of unmarried is 39. 29% for males compared to 25. 61% for females. The percentage of widowed /widower was 1. 05% for males compared to 8. 52% for females. There exist some differences in urban and rural areas with respect to marital status. In the urban areas, 33. 34% males aged 10 years and over are unmarried compared to 39. 92% in the rural areas. As regards females, 27. 70% are unmarried in urban areas compared to 24. 95% in the rural areas. The percentage of widowed was 1. 06% for rural males compared to 1. 01% for urban males. For the females, the percentage of widowed was 8. 81% in the rural areas compared to 7. 59% in the urban areas. 6 The Bangladesh Literacy Survey, 2010 Table 4: Percentage distribution of population 10 years and over by marital status, gender and place of residence, 2010 National Marital status Both gender Male Female Both gender Rural Male Female Both gender Urban Male Female Total Never married Married Widowed 100. 00 32. 54 62. 73 4. 73 100. 00 39. 29 59. 66 1. 05 100. 00 25. 61 65. 87 8. 52 100. 00 32. 29 62. 84 4. 87 100. 00 39. 41 59. 54 1. 06 100. 00 24. 95 66. 24 8. 81 100. 00 33. 34 62. 38 4. 28 100. 00 38. 92 60. 07 1. 01 100. 00 27. 70 64. 70 7. 59 Figure 1: Percentage distribution of population aged 10 years and over by marital status, 2010 Never married 33% Married 62% Widowed 5% 7 The Bangladesh Literacy Survey, 2010 8 The Bangladesh Literacy Survey, 2010 Section III Literacy and Training 3. 0 Literacy and Training This section deals with the literacy level of population aged 5 and 7 years and over and the training received by the population 15 years and over. Literacy by age and place of residence, level of education by gender and place of residence are also discussed in this section. 3. 1 Literacy Situation Literacy level of population aged 5 years and over is given in Table 5 and Figure 2. At the national level, 55. 08% are literate for both gender, and the percentages for males and females are 57. 56% and 52. 54% respectively. Table 5: Literacy rate of population aged 5 and 7 years and over by gender, 2010 National Type of literacy 5 years and over Both gender Total Can write a letter for communication (Literate) Can’t write a letter for communication (Illiterate) 100. 00 55. 08 Male 100. 00 57. 56 Female 100. 00 52. 54 7 years and over Both gender 100. 00 57. 53 Male 100. 00 60. 15 Female 100. 00 54. 84 44. 92 42. 44 47. 46 42. 47 39. 85 45. 16 9 The Bangladesh Literacy Survey, 2010 Figure 2: Literacy rate of population aged 7 years and over by gender, 2010 Female Male Both gender 0 20 54. 84 60. 15 57. 53 40 60 45. 16 39. 85 42. 47 80 100 Literate Illiterate The literacy rate of population aged 7 years and over is slightly higher, 57. 53% are literate at the national level, and the corresponding rates for males and females are 60. 15% and 54. 84% respectively. 3. 2 Literacy level by place of residence There exist variations in the literacy rate by rural-urban residence. The literacy rate for population 5 years and over by both gender was 51. 81% in the rural areas compared to 65. 83% in the urban areas. The corresponding figures for males and females were 54. 39% and 49. 16% in the rural areas compared to 68. 9% and 63. 54% in the urban areas. As regards literacy rate for population 7 years and over, literacy rate for both gender in the rural areas was 54. 19% compared to 68. 40% in the urban areas and male and female literacy rates in the rural areas were 56. 90% and 51. 39% respectively compared to 70. 84% and 65. 95% for urban areas. 10 The Bangladesh Literacy Survey, 2010 Table 6: Literacy rate of population 5 years and over and 7 years and over by gender and place of residence, 2010 5 years and over Status of literacy Rural Total Can write a letter for communication (Literate) Can’t write a letter for communication (Illiterate) Urban Total Can write a letter for communication (Literate) Can’t write a letter for communication (Illiterate) 100. 00 65. 83 34. 17 100. 00 68. 09 31. 91 100. 00 63. 54 36. 46 100. 00 68. 40 31. 60 100. 00 70. 84 29. 16 100. 00 65. 95 34. 05 100. 00 51. 81 48. 19 100. 00 54. 39 45. 61 100. 00 49. 16 50. 84 100. 00 54. 19 45. 81 100. 00 56. 90 43. 10 100. 00 51. 39 48. 61 Both gender Male Female 7 years and over Both gender Male Female 3. 3 Literacy by Age Group Table 7: Literacy (persons who can write a letter) rate of population by gender and age group, 2010 Both gender Age group 05-09 10-14 15-19 20-24 25+ 15+ 15-24 Can write a letter 16. 43 67. 38 82. 17 75. 09 52. 75 59. 82 78. 58 Cant write a letter 83. 57 32. 62 17. 83 24. 91 47. 25 40. 18 21. 42 Total 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 Can write a letter 15. 78 64. 51 80. 57 76. 77 58. 47 63. 89 78. 81 Male Cant write a letter 84. 22 35. 49 19. 43 23. 23 41. 53 36. 11 21. 18 Total 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 Can write a letter 17. 10 70. 57 83. 98 73. 73 46. 84 55. 71 78. 36 Female Cant write a letter 82. 90 29. 43 16. 02 26. 27 53. 16 44. 29 21. 64 Total 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 11 The Bangladesh Literacy Survey, 2010 Literacy rate by age group has been presented in Table-7 and Figure 3. The age groups that have been considered are 5-9, 10-14, 15-19, 20-24, 25+, 15+ and 15-24. The literacy rate increases with the age group up to certain level, and thereafter, it declines. This indicates that the attainment of literacy is a recent phenomenon. Figure 3: Literacy rate of population by age group Can write a letter Cant write a letter 17. 83 100 32. 62 80 70 Percent 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 83. 57 82. 17 47. 25 40. 18 90 24. 91 67. 38 75. 09 5-9 16. 43 10-14 15-19 20-24 25+ 52. 75 15+ 59. 82 15-24 Age group Literacy rate for population aged 05-09 year is 16. 43% for the total population, which increases to 67. 38% for age group 10-14 year, 82. 17% for age group 15-19 year, thereafter, it declines to 78. 58% for 15-24 and 75. 09% for 20-24. The literacy rate for population 25 years and over is 52. 75% and 59. 82% for population aged 15 years and over. It is notable that the literacy rate in the age group 5-9, 10-14 and 15-19 is higher for females compared to males, whereas, for age group 15-24 and 20-24, male literacy rate is higher than that of females. The recent high enrolment of females at the primary and secondary levels has contributed to this higher literacy for females. The literacy rate for 25+ and 15+ population is higher among males than females. The corresponding figures for males are 58. 47% and 63. 84% and 46. 84% and 55. 71% for females respectively. 12 78. 58 21. 42 The Bangladesh Literacy Survey, 2010 3. 4 Training Received By Type of Training. Training received by population 15 years and over by type of training has been presented in Table- 8. Only 5. 0% of the population aged 15 years and over received some sort of training in their life. Such percentage was 7. 2% for males and 2. 8% for females. Table 8: Percentage distribution of population aged 15 years and over who received any training by gender and place of residence, 2010 Type of training received Total No Training Received Technical/Vocational* Catering Service Garments/Tailoring Foreign Language In-service training Nursing Youth development training Other training Bangladesh Both gender Male Female Both gender. Rural Male Female Both gender Urban Male Female 100. 00 95. 26 1. 32 0. 17 1. 33 0. 07 1. 00 0. 08 0. 19 0. 58 100. 00 100. 00 94. 96 1. 38 0. 14 0. 70 0. 07 1. 26 0. 05 0. 34 1. 10 92. 79 1. 92 0. 19 0. 74 0. 10 2. 05 0. 03 0. 53 1. 64 100. 00 100. 00 100. 00 97. 16 0. 84 0. 09 0. 66 0. 04 0. 46 0. 06 0. 14 0. 56 96. 04 1. 02 0. 12 0. 51 0. 05 0. 86 0. 05 0. 33 1. 02 94. 33 1. 35 0. 17 0. 58 0. 08 1. 44 0. 04 0. 53 1. 47 100. 00 100. 00 100. 00 97. 77 0. 69 0. 07 0. 45 0. 02 0. 28 0. 05 0. 13 0. 55 91. 60 2. 52 0. 21 1. 29 0. 13 2. 49 0. 04 0. 35 1. 38 87. 95 3. 71 0. 26 1. 25 0. 18 3. 97 0. 00 0. 51 2. 17 Notes: Technical/Vocational=Computer training, Motor driving/Motor mechanic, Welding, Electrical, etc, There exist urban-rural variations among those who received training. In the rural areas, around 4. 0% received training for both gender compared to 8. 4% in urban areas. The percentage of male and female training recipients was 5. 7% and 2. 2% in rural areas compared to 12. 1% for males and 4. 7% for females in the urban areas. 13 The Bangladesh Literacy Survey, 2010 As regards type of training received, the highest was technical/vocational (1. 38%), followed by in-service training (1.26%), garments/tailoring (0. 70%) and youth development training (0. 34%). This pattern is true among both males and females as well as in both urban and rural areas. 14 The Bangladesh Literacy Survey, 2010 Section IV Reading Habit and Practice 4. 0 Reading Habit and Practice This section deals with the reading habits and practices by the population aged 5 years and over. The items that have been covered are different reading materials used, writing practice in the work of everyday usage, and viewing the electronic media (Radio and Television) for development of education skill. 4. 1 Reading Habits by Type of Reading Materials The reading materials that have been included in this survey are road signs, names of stores, posters, pamphlets, newspapers, magazines, story and novels, manuals, reference books, bill/invoices and charts and maps. Reading habits by type of reading materials have been presented in Table-9. It is observed from the table that 25. 70% of the population aged 5 year and above read road-signs or names of stores several times in the last three months. Road-signs or names of stores were read several times in a month by 6. 95%. Such an activity was performed by 3. 68% several times in a week and 5. 30% daily. Reading of posters or pamphlets was performed by 20. 62% in last three months 7. 75% several times in a month, 3. 40% several times in a week and 4. 53% daily. Use of newspapers and magazines was not high, with only 9. 39% reporting read such materials several times in the last three months, 3. 54% several times in a month, 2. 27% several times in a week and 2. 81% used daily. Story and Novels as reading materials were used by only 7. 19% several times in the last three month, 2. 55%, several times in a month 1. 0% several times in a week and 2. 53% daily. Manuals and reference books were used by an insignificant proportion of the respondents. Only 2. 48% respondents used such materials several times in the last three months,0. 61% used 15 The Bangladesh Literacy Survey, 2010 several times in the last months,0. 12% used several times in the last week, and 0. 14% used it daily. Bills and invoices were also read by fewer numbers of respondents. Charts and Maps were used by only 1. 90% of the respondents several times in the last three months, 0. 35% several times in a month, 0. 14% several times in a week, and 0. 09% daily. It may be noted that more than 40% respondents can not read, and therefore, they could not use such reading materials at all. However, a high percentage of the respondents never used those materials, though they could read those materials. There exist urban-rural variations in the use of these reading materials. Use of all reading materials was higher in the urban than rural areas, particularly, reading the road-signs and names of stores, posters and pamphlets and newspapers and magazines. Table 9: Percentage distribution of reading times in last three months of population aged 5 years and over by place of residence, 2010 Frequency of reading habits Road Posters Newspapers Story signs or Names of Pamphlets Magazines Novels stores Manuals Reference books Bills Invoices Charts Maps etc. National Cant read Never read Several times in last 3 months 100. 00 39. 14 14. 86 25. 00 7. 27 3. 87 6. 94 2. 91 0. 00 100 41. 94 14. 82 24. 24 6. 95 3. 68 100. 00 38. 66 20. 03 21. 19 7. 36 3. 51 5. 57 3. 68 0. 00 100 41. 47 19. 25 20. 62 7. 13 3. 40 100. 00 100. 00 38. 85 33. 14 9. 97 3. 91 2. 62 5. 00 6. 52 0. 00 100 41. 65 33. 67 9. 39 3. 54 2. 27 38. 57 40. 60 7. 59 2. 74 1. 03 2. 54 6. 93 0. 00 100 41. 41 39. 02 7. 19 2. 53 1. 00 100. 00 38. 54 51. 44 2. 39 0. 71 0. 26 0. 40 6. 25 0. 00 100 41. 13 50. 37 2. 48 0. 61 0. 12 100. 00 38. 34 51. 96 2. 92 0. 79 0. 15 0. 21 5. 63 0. 00 100 41. 13 50. 37 2. 48 0. 61 0. 12 100. 00 38. 35 53. 21 1. 96 0. 37 0. 14 0. 11 5. 86 0. 00 100 41. 13 51. 25 1. 90 0. 35 0. 14 Several times in a month Several times in a week Daily No scope Not reported Rural Cant read Never read Several times in last 3 months Several times in a month Several times in a week 16. The Bangladesh Literacy Survey, 2010 Table 9: Percentage distribution of reading times in last three months of population aged 5 years and over by place of residence, 2010 Frequency of reading habits Road Posters Newspapers Story signs or Names of Pamphlets Magazines Novels stores Manuals Reference books Bills Invoices Charts Maps etc. Daily No scope Not reported Urban Cant read Never read Several times in last 3 months 5. 30 3. 07 0. 00 100 29. 97 14. 98 27. 50 8. 35 4. 51 12. 32 2. 38 0. 00 4. 53 3. 59 0. 00 100 29. 43 22. 60 23. 04 8. 13 3. 85 8. 99 3. 97 0. 00 2. 81 6. 66 0. 00 100 29. 63 31. 38 11. 85 5. 11 3. 77 12. 19 6. 07 0. 00 2. 53 6. 32 0. 00 100 29. 26 45. 77 8. 90 3. 43 1. 13 2. 57 8. 94 0. 00 0. 14 5. 16 0. 00 100 29. 22 57. 88 2. 89 0. 86 0. 23 0. 48 8. 44 0. 00 0. 14 5. 16 0. 00 100 29. 18 57. 18 4. 38 1. 38 0. 27 0. 42 7. 19 0. 00 0. 09 5. 16 0. 00 100 29. 24 59. 66 2. 16 0. 45 0. 15 0. 18 8. 17 0. 00 Several times in a month Several times in a week Daily No scope Not reported 4. 2 Literacy Practice by Performing Different Activities Literacy practice by performing different activities in the last three months by the population aged 5 years and over has been presented in table-10. Only 7% wrote personal letters several times in the last three months, 2. 40% wrote personal letters several times in a month, 0. 34% wrote personal letters several times in a week, and 0. 10% wrote daily. As regards writing official letters, 2. 60% wrote several times in the last three months 0. 94% wrote several times in a month, 0. 20% wrote several times in a week, and 0. 14% wrote daily. Filling out forms were done by 4. 89% respondents in the last three months, 1. 46% several times in a month, 0. 21% several times in a week, and 0. 13% daily. Writing a report several times in the last three months was done by only 1. 25%, 0. 42% in a month, 0. 13% in a week, and 0. 09% daily. 17 The Bangladesh Literacy Survey, 2010 Preparing bills and invoices in the last three months for several times was reported by 1. 19% of the respondents, 0. 49% several times in a month, 0. 12% several times in a week, and 0. 12% daily. As regards preparation of Charts and Maps, 1. 26% prepared these several times in last three months, 0. 27% several times in a month, 0. 17% several times in a week, and 0. 10% daily. Table 10: Percentage distribution of population aged 5 years and over by writing habit and performing activities, 2010 Frequency of reading habits National total Cant write Never write Several times in last 3 months Wrote personal letter 100. 00 46. 14 38. 53 7. 00 2. 40 0. 34 0. 10 5. 37 0. 11 Wrote official letter Filled in forms Wrote a report 100. 00 46. 22 46. 54 1. 25 0. 42 0. 13 0. 09 5. 18 0. 17 Prepared bills/ invoices 100. 00 46. 23 46. 72 1. 19 0. 49 0. 12 0. 12 4. 96 0. 17 Prepared charts , maps, etc. 100. 00 46. 37 46. 59 1. 26 0. 27 0. 17 0. 10 5. 03 0. 21 100. 00 100. 00 46. 20 44. 23 2. 60 0. 94 0. 20 0. 14 5. 56 0. 14 46. 10 42. 52 4. 89 1. 46 0. 21 0. 13 4. 55 0. 14 Several times in a month Several times in a week Daily No scope Not Reported There exist urban-rural variations in the use of writing skills, with more urban people using writing skills compared to rural people. 18 The Bangladesh Literacy Survey, 2010 4. 3 Use of Electronic Media by the Population for Education Purpose Use of electronic media such as radio and television for educational purposes has been presented in Table-11. Among the males, 21. 94% had listened to educational programmes of the radio several times in last three months, 6. 76% several times a month, 3. 06% several times a week, and 2. 82% daily. Educational programmes of television was viewed by more people than radio, where 22. 95% viewed it several times in last three months, 14. 24% several times a month, 10. 91% several times a week, and 13. 87% viewed it daily. Thus, although still low, watching television is more frequent than listening to radio programmes on education. The use of radio and television by females is slightly lower than that of males where 20. 46% listened to radio and 22. 95% viewed television several times in last three months. It is interesting to note that listening to educational programmes of radio or viewing of educational programmes on television was higher in rural than urban areas, with few exceptions. In the case of radio, 22. 44% rural males listened to it several times in last three months compared to 20. 28% for urban areas. For viewing the television several times in last three months, the percentage for rural males was 23. 18% as against 22. 20% for urban areas. In the case of females, 20. 65% listened to radio and 21. 68% viewed television several times during the last three months for the rural areas compared to 19. 83% for radio and 22. 64% for television in the urban areas. Table 11: Percentage distribution of population aged 5 years and over by gender, place of residence, habit of watching educational programmes in the electronic media in the last three months, 2010 Frequency of using different electronic media Male Never listen/observe Several times in last 3 months Several times in a month Several times in a week Daily National Radio 100. 00 50. 79 21. 94 6. 76 3. 06 2. 82 Television Radio Rural Television Urban Radio Television 100. 00 19. 40 22. 20 16. 77 9. 83 21. 51 100. 00 100. 00 27. 69 22. 95 14. 24 10. 91 13. 87 51. 74 22. 44 6. 72 3. 01 2. 51 100. 00 100. 00 30. 19 23. 18 13. 48 11. 24 11. 56 47. 64 20. 28 6. 86 3. 20 3. 87 19 The Bangladesh Literacy Survey, 2010 Table 11: Percentage distribution of population aged 5 years and over by gender, place of residence, habit of watching educational programmes in the electronic media in the last three months, 2010 Frequency of using different electronic media No scope Not Reported Female Never listen/observe Several times in last 3 months Several times in a month Several times in a week Daily No scope Not Reported National Radio 13. 60 1. 04 100. 00 53. 37 20. 46 5. 73 2. 67 2. 45 14. 17 1. 15 Television 9. 43 0. 91 32. 05 21. 90 12. 08 9. 09 13. 01 10. 70 1. 16 Radio 12. 59 1. 00 54. 75 20. 65 5. 62 2. 58 2. 03 13. 23 1. 15 Rural Television 9. 48 0. 88 35. 43 21. 68 11. 18 9. 23 10. 16 11. 13 1. 20 Urban Radio 16. 96 1. 19 48. 89 19. 83 6. 11 2. 98 3. 82 17. 22 1. 15 Television 9. 29 1. 00 100. 00 21. 06 22. 64 15. 03 8. 65 22. 27 9. 31 1. 04 100. 00 100. 00 100. 00 100. 00 20 The Bangladesh Literacy Survey, 2010 Section V Visit to Public Places for Attaining Literacy Skills. 5. 0 Literacy Skills Development Visit of the respondents to public places such as libraries, bookstalls, news-stands and village education community centres for reading purposes has been presented in Table-12. Only 3. 04% visited library several times in the last three months. Visits to other places such as book-stalls, news-stands and village education community centres were 10. 58%, 1. 72% and 0. 78% respectively. Visits to such places several times in a month were 0. 99% for library, 2. 73% for book-stalls, 0. 57% for news-stands and 0. 18% for village education community centres. Visit to these places several times in a week was 0. 41% for library, 0. 43% for book-stalls, 0. 26% for news-stands and 0. 09% for village education community centres. Daily visits to these centres were 0. 45% for library, 0. 27% for book-stalls, 0. 32 for news-stands and 0. 36% for village education community centres. There exist variations in the use of these places by gender and place of residence, with fewer number of people from rural area visiting these places compared to those in urban areas. Also, the number of females visiting such places were lower than their male counterparts. Table 12: Percentage distribution of population aged 5 years and over by gender, place of residence and habit of visiting different places of educational interest in last three months, 2010 Frequency of visit Male National Didnt get a chance Never Several times in last 3 months 100. 00 19. 55 67. 01 3. 04 100. 00 17. 29 61. 85 10. 58 100. 00 17. 42 71. 35 1. 72 100. 00 17. 64 71. 03 0. 78 Library Book stall News stand Comm. centre 21 The Bangladesh Literacy Survey, 2010. Table 12: Percentage distribution of population aged 5 years and over by gender, place of residence and habit of visiting different places of educational interest in last three months, 2010 Frequency of visit Several times in a month Several times in a week Daily No scope Not Reported Rural Didnt get a chance Never Several times in last 3 months Several times in a month Several times in a week Daily No scope Not Reported Urban Didnt get a chance Never Several times in last 3 months Several times in a month Several times in a week Daily No scope Not Reported Female National Didnt get a chance Never Several times in last 3 months 100. 00 17. 64 71. 03 0. 78 100. 00 19. 71 67. 85 2. 10 100. 00 18. 03 64. 90 7. 19 100. 00 17. 89 71. 71 0. 92 Library 0. 99 0. 41 0. 45 8. 26 0. 29 100. 00 18. 53 68. 74 2. 74 0. 94 0. 37 0. 45 7. 96 0. 28 100. 00 22. 94 61. 28 4. 02 1. 18 0. 54 0. 47 9. 25 0. 31 Book stall 2. 73 0. 43 0. 27 6. 52 0. 33 100. 00 16. 33 63. 56 10. 34 2. 65 0. 37 0. 28 6. 14 0. 33 100. 00 20. 49 56. 16 11. 37 2. 99 0. 63 0. 25 7. 78 0. 33 News stand 0. 57 0. 26 0. 32 8. 00 0. 35 100. 00 16. 29 73. 30 1. 47 0. 49 0. 21 0. 30 7. 58 0. 36 100. 00 21. 19 64. 89 2. 54 0. 87 0. 41 0. 38 9. 41 0. 32 Comm. centre 0. 18 0. 09 0. 36 9. 55 0. 37 100. 00 17. 15 71. 89 0. 90 0. 19 0. 11 0. 40 8. 99 0. 38 100. 00 19. 26 68. 20 0. 38 0. 13 0. 06 0. 21 11. 41 0. 35 22 The Bangladesh Literacy Survey, 2010 Table 12: Percentage distribution of population aged 5 years and over by gender, place of residence and habit of visiting different places of educational interest in last three months, 2010 Frequency of visit Several times in a month Several times in a week Daily No scope Not Reported Rural Didnt get a chance Never Several times in last.

Mobile Phone And Battery Recycling In Mauritius Environmental Sciences Essay

Mobile Phone And Battery Recycling In Mauritius Environmental Sciences Essay The mobile phone industry, because of its desire to maintain high environmental standards, has voluntarily developed the Mobile Phone Industry Recycling Program. The program aims to ensure that potentially toxic components in mobile phones and batteries do not end up in landfill, but rather are recycled. Orange (Mauritius) and Mission Verte joint green initiative has launched a collection recycling campaign for old phones and wasted batteries. The aim was to reduce noxious liquid that may be released from the battery and cause harm to the environment for example contaminating the water in Mauritius while other parts of the phone will be recycled. Collection or disposable points will be situated in all Orange shop outlets across the island. For the period year 2007, according to the Central Statistics, Mauritius has imported a whopping   175,000 cellular phones while batteries 25 million batteries. In Mauritius, Orange has launched a national program to develop the recycling of mobile phones and batteries in partnership with BEM Enterprises Ltd, the Port Louis Citadelle Rotary Club and the Mission Verte association. Some 15 collection points have been set up at Orange stores. The collected equipment is grouped together and then transported to the BEM Enterprises sorting centre. Plastics and metals are routed to local recycling centres. Batteries, chargers and other electronic circuits for which there is no local processing channel are sent to Europe for recovery at approved recycling centres. BATTERY RECYCLING Most batteries contain heavy metals which is the main cause for environmental concern. Disposed of incorrectly, the heavy metals may leak into the ground when the battery erodes. This contributes to soil and water pollution and endangers wildlife. Some components in batteries can be toxic to fish and make them unfit for human consumption. Batteries contain a range of metals which can be reused as a secondary raw material. There are well-established methods for the recycling of most batteries containing lead, nickel-cadmium, nickel hydride and mercury. For some, such as newer nickel-hydride and lithium systems, recycling is still in the early stages. Mobile phone Battery recycling in UK It is estimated that in 2000, almost 19,000 tonnes of waste general purpose batteries and 113,000 tonnes of waste automotive batteries required disposal in the UK.    Currently, only a very small percentage of consumer disposable batteries are recycled (less than 2%) and most waste batteries are disposed of in landfill sites. The rate for recycling of consumer rechargeable batteries is estimated to be 5%.   The average household uses 21 batteries a year. The UK generates 20,000 30,000 tonnes of waste general purpose batteries every year, but less than 1,000 tonnes are recycled. Automotive batteries, on the other hand, are more routinely recycled in the UK, with a current recycling rate of approximately 90%.   They are collected at garages, scrap metal facilities and many civic amenity and recycling centres. Whilst the exact chemical make-up varies from type to type (see below), most batteries contain heavy metals, which are the main cause for environmental concern. When disposed of incorrectly, these heavy metals may leak into the ground when the battery casing corrodes.   This can contribute to soil and water pollution and endanger wildlife. Cadmium, for example, can be toxic to aquatic invertebrates and can bio-accumulate in fish, which damages ecosystems and makes them unfit for human consumption. Some batteries, such as button cell batteries, also contain mercury, which has similarly hazardous properties.   Mercury is no longer being used in the manufacture of non-rechargeable batteries, except button cells where it is a functional component, and the major European battery suppliers have been offering mercury-free disposable batteries since 1994. A number of valuable materials are used in the construction of mobile phones, and they contain components which, if carefully removed, can be used again, for example in electronic devices. Perhaps more importantly, some cell phones and their accessories contain substances that are amongst the 10 most dangerous known to man including Cadmium, Rhodium, Palladium, Beryllium and Lead Solder (Ref: Cellular Reclamation Ltd, Nov 2004) and most of this ends up in a land fill site or the sea. Now with so many convenient mobile phone recycling schemes around, theres no need for this and no excuse for not recycling your old phone % of material recycled all over the worldg-waste_recyc_material-m.gif Paper recycling Paper recycling is the process of recovering waste paper and remaking it into new paper products. There are three categories of paper that can be used as feedstocks for making recycled paper: mill broke, pre-consumer waste, and post-consumer waste. Mill broke is paper trimmings and other paper scrap from the manufacture of paper, and is recycled internally in a paper mill. Pre-consumer waste is material which left the paper mill but was discarded before it was ready for consumer use. Post-consumer waste is material discarded after consumer use, such as old corrugated containers (OCC), old magazines, old newspapers (ONP), office paper, old telephone directories, and residential mixed paper (RMP). Paper suitable for recycling is called scrap paper. The industrial process of removing printing ink from paperfibers of recycled paper to make deinked pulp is called deinking, an invention of the German jurist Justus Claproth. Water and air pollution The United States Environmental Protection Agencyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ½ (EPA) has found that recycling causes 35% less water pollution and 74% less air pollution than making virgin paper. Pulp mills can be sources of both air and water pollution, especially if they are producing bleached pulp. Modern mills produce considerably less pollution than those of a few decades ago. Recycling paper decreases the demand for virgin pulp and thus reduces the overall amount of air and water pollution associated with paper manufacture. Recycled pulp can be bleached with the same chemicals used to bleach virgin pulp, but hydrogen peroxide and sodium hydrosulfite are the most common bleaching agents. Recycled pulp, or paper made from it, is known as PCF (process chlorine free) if no chlorine-containing compounds were used in the recycling process. However, recycling mills may have polluting by-products, such as sludge. De-inking at Cross Pointes Miami, Ohio mill results in sludge weighing 22% of the weight of wastepaper recycled. Recycling facts and figures In the mid-19th century, there was an increased demand for books and writing material. Up to that time, paper manufacturers had used discarded linen rags for paper, but supply could not keep up with the increased demand. Books were bought at auctions for the purpose of recycling fiber content into new paper, at least in the United Kingdom, by the beginning of the 19th century. Internationally, about half of all recovered paper comes from converting losses (pre-consumer recycling), such as shavings and unsold periodicals; approximately one third comes from household or post-consumer waste. Some statistics on paper consumption: The average per capita paper use worldwide was 110  pounds (50  kg). It is estimated that 95% of business information is still stored on paper. [Source: International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) Discussion Paper (IIED, London, September 1996)] Recycling 1  short ton (0.91  t) of paper saves 17 mature trees, 7 thousand US gallons (26  m3) of water, 3  cubic yards (2.3  m3) of landfill space, 2 barrels of oil (84 US gal or 320  l), and 4,100  kilowatt-hours (15  GJ) of electricity enough energy to power the average American home for six months. Although paper is traditionally identified with reading and writing, communications has now been replaced by packaging as the single largest category of paper use at 41% of all paper used. 115 billion sheets of paper are used annually for personal computers. The average web user prints 28 pages daily. Most corrugated fiberboard boxes have over 25% recycled fibers. Some are 100% recycled fiber. This articles factual accuracy may be compromised because of out-of-date information. Paper recycling by region European Union Paper recovery in Europe has a long history and has grown into a mature organization. The European papermakers and converters work together to meet the requirements of the European Commission and national governments. Their aim is the reduction of the environmental impact of waste during manufacturing, converting/printing, collecting, sorting and recycling processes to ensure the optimal and environmentally sound recycling of used paper and board products. In 2004 the paper recycling rate in Europe was 54.6% or 45.5  million short tons (41.3  Mt). The recycling rate in Europe reached 64.5% in 2007, which confirms that the industry is on the path to meeting its voluntary target of 66% by 2010. Japan Municipal collections of paper for recycling are in place. However, according to the Yomiuri Shimbun (Japanese newspaper published in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and other major Japanese cities), in 2008, eight paper manufacturers in Japan have admitted to intentionally mislabeling recycled paper products, exaggerating the amount of recycled paper used. United States of America Recycling has long been practiced in the United States. The history of paper recycling has several dates of importance: 1690: The first paper mill to use recycled linen was established by the Rittenhouse family. 1896: The first major recycling center was started by the Benedetto family in New York City, where they collected rags, newspaper, and trash with a pushcart. 1993: The first year when more paper was recycled than was buried in landfills. Today, over half of the material used to make paper is recovered waste. Paper products are the largest component of municipal solid waste, making up more than 40% of the composition of landfills. In 2006, a record 53.4% of the paper used in the US (or 53.5 million tons) was recovered for recycling. This is up from a 1990 recovery rate of 33.5%. The US paper industry has set a goal to recover 55 percent of all the paper used in the US by 2012. Paper packaging recovery, specific to paper products used by the packaging industry, was responsible for about 77% of packaging materials recycled with more than 24 million pounds recovered in 2005. By 1998, some 9,000 curbside programs and 12,000 recyclable drop-off centers had sprouted up across the US for recycles collection. As of 1999, 480 materials recovery facilities had been established to process the collected materials. In 2008, the global financial crisis resulted in the price of old newspapers to drop in the US from $130 to $40 per short ton ($140/t to $45/t) in October. Recycling Plastic Bottles ( UK ) Plastic bottles can be found almost anywhere on Earth. This attests to the fact of their usefulness and to the ease and low cost in making these items. Indeed plastic bottles are so useful that almost any liquid beverage or food product can be found being sold in plastic bottles. So why do we recycle? The practice of recovering scraps and waste plastic and reprocessing these materials into new products is called recycling. Recycling makes use of materials that are at the end of their useful lives which otherwise would be added to the waste stream and end up in landfills or (sadly) in the ocean and on our shores. Recycled plastic bottles are an indispensable and ubiquitous part of our lives. They are light in weight and almost unbreakable when used for their designed purpose. This is also the reason why plastics and plastic bottles account for a large part of the waste generated by our throwaway society. Plastic bottles are the most recycled plastic items but still the recycle rate is only about 24 percent.    What are the benefits to recycling plastic bottles? Conservation of Oil. When a ton of plastic bottles are recycled approximately 3.8 barrels of petroleum is saved.   Reduction of Greenhouse Gas emissions. The substitution of recycled materials reduces the emission of greenhouse gases that are produced in the manufacturing of virgin materials. Saving of Landfill Space. Not having millions of plastic bottles in the landfill results in a saving of 6.7 cubic meters of landfill space that is at a premium right now. Plastic bottles also take an average of 500 years to biodegrade. Conservation of Energy. Water and soft drink bottles are made of polyethylene terephthalate or PET.   Recycling of one pound of PET results in a saving of approximately 12,000 BTUs (British Thermal Units). Benefits of Reuse. Recycled bottles can provide an environmentally friendly source of materials for the manufacture of new products and substitutes recycle materials for virgin materials. Recycling Plastic Bottles / Is the Recycling of Plastic Bottles Economically Feasible? Up to the present there is still continuing discussion and debate over whether the recycling of plastic bottles is economically feasible. Local government units and municipalities largely see the fiscal benefits of recycling plastic bottles because of the savings in landfill space and reduced landfill costs. Statistics from a Technical University of Denmark study show that recycling is still the most efficient method to dispose of household waste in 83 percent of all cases. Critics of recycling often claim that more resources are wasted in recycling than is saved. However municipal recycling is still worthwhile if the net costs do not exceed the landfill or other disposal costs.

Are Computers Putting Our Childrens Education at Risk? :: essays research papers

Computers are woven into every aspect of our lives. From the microwave oven that small children can learn to use to heat up a hot dog, to the computers under the hoods of our cars, we interact with computers whether we realise it or not. (Campbell, 1999). But when it comes to the education of our children, the use of computers becomes a controversial issue. Of course, as stated above, computers are an everyday tool in the education of children, but the question being asked is, what effect do these computers really have on our children? Are computers being used in age-appropriate ways? Do program designers take into account the developmental needs of children? Are teachers receiving sufficient technology training? Is "learning software" really what it purports to be, or is it simply "edutainment" that reinforces impulsive point-and-click behaviour in the pursuit of a trivial goal? (Healy 1998) Many people are beginning to wonder about these questions, and are comin g to the conclusion that computers may be very harmful to the development of our children. Academically, physically, socially and emotionally. There are many negative issues surrounding the use of computers as educational tools. These range from ineffective learning, impacts on children’s health, creativity, brain development and social and emotional growth. Also, besides the issue of computers affecting children’s development, there is the ongoing issue of costs of this new and constantly updating technology. These issues, combined with many others, are beginning to emerge, and we can see why many people are reconsidering the validity of computers in education, especially that of young, primary school-aged children. In relation to the issue of the negative effects computers have on the physical development of children, Jane Healy has presented the following fact: The American Academy of Paediatrics has expressed concern about the amount of time children spend in front of various types of screens, and several experts in eye development have stated that computer use is creating problems in children developing visual systems. (Healy 1998, p.18) Healy also cites literature that suggests that during the first six years of life, misuses of technology may adversely affect brain maturation and development. Computers do have physical effects on those who use them, and these effects can be serious and long lasting, even permanent. Moreover, they contribute to a wide range of disorders – to muscle, joint and tendon damage, to headaches and eyestrain, to seizures and skin problems.

The Role of African Americans in the Revolutionary War Essay -- essays

The Role of African Americans in the Revolutionary War An estimated 100,000 African Americans escaped, died or were killed during the American Revolution(Mount). Roughly 95% of African Americans in the United States were slaves, and because of their status, the use of them during the revolution was inevitable(Mount). This led many Americans, especially those from the North, to believe that the South's economy would collapse without slavery due to the use of slaves on the front lines. However, only a small percentage of the slave population enlisted in either army. The concept of using slaves as soldiers was hardly revolutionary. Blacks had served our country with honor and bravery since the country's earliest days. Not only did the black troops fight for the United States, but also for England. The British crown used their heads and made an agreement which would help them draft slave troops. This was a chance for emancipation of slaves who fought against their masters. African Americans were active prior to the start of the war. The Boston Massacre was an event which created a want for independence. On March 5, 1770, the British troops stationed on King Street in Boston were confronted with an uprising and began shooting into the crowd(Davis 206). Crispus Attucks, a black man, led the 1770 uprising against British troops that resulted in the Boston Massacre. It is alleged that he cried out, "Don't be afraid!" as he led the crowd of protesters against armed British...

Flashbulb Memories :: essays research papers

Do Flashbulb memories differ from other forms of memory? â€Å"Our past is preserved in a variety of memories of very different nature† (Salaman, 1970) There are many proposed divisions and sub-divisions of human memory, such as working memory, procedural memory, semantic memory or episodic memory. Many of the systems seem to overlap, with each having varying functions related to the maintenance of what is essentially human life. For example, episodic and autobiographical memory fundamentally share the same functions. One of the many functions is what Tulving (1983) called â€Å"Mental time travel†, the ability to experience past event. Autobiographical memories are thought to be structured at different levels of temporal and spatial specificity that together are used as reference for the construction of â€Å"self†. This mental time travel can take place through different hierarchic levels of autobiographical organisation. The hierarchy level can be as general as â€Å"university† or as specific as remembering the topic of conversation with a certain person on a certain day (Cohen, 1998). Autobiographical memor ies are therefore seen as being autonoetic in that they carry information about the context in which they were experienced. One example of an extreme form of contextual specific memory is the death of Princess Diana. Many people especially the media ask a common question such as â€Å"what were you doing when you heard the news†. Many people claim to be able to remember such major moments with unusual clarity and vividness, as if the events were etched on their minds throughout their lives. The question is whether these â€Å"flashbulb memories† are functionally different to all other types of memory such as autobiographical memory. Brown & Kulik (1977), introduced the term flashbulb memory to describe memories that are preserved in an almost indiscriminate way. They postulated that these flashbulb memories were indeed different from ordinary memories, with some defining characteristics. Although these memories are thought to be photographic in their clarity and detail, they do not preserve all features of an event. Conversely Brown & Kulik proposed that idiosyncratic event details are remembered. These details help form what has been described as a â€Å"live† memory in that the â€Å"reception field† is remembered including ‘where’, ‘when’ and ‘who with’ factors of an event. Brown & Kulik (1977) studied memories for important events such as the death of John F Kennedy. They found that irrelevant details were often recalled and it appeared that they had retained â€Å"a brief moment of time associated with an emotional event† (Smyth et al, 1994).

An Analysis of Miss Havisham’s Madness Essay

This paper will attempt to explore the atypical behavior of Miss Havisham, arguably the most memorable character in Charles Dicken’s novel, â€Å"Great Expectations†. The analysis shall be done in the context of the society she was part of and the events she had been through. MADNESS DURING THE VICTORIAN ERA During the eighteen hundreds, a common belief was that those who had mental illness suffered because they had a â€Å"disease of the soul† (Goldberg, 24). Their strange behavior was attributed to inherent malevolence and they were treated apathetically in asylums by naive caretakers who have insufficient understanding of mental illness. They were treated as animals. Patients in these early asylums were kept in cages, given small amounts of often unclean food, had little or no clothing, wore no shoes, and slept in dirt. Because the patients could often live many years in such conditions, the caretakers became more confident that these human beings were in actuality closer to animals and thus deserving of such abuse (Ussher, 65). Moreover, effective treatments for mental disorders were unavailable, with the only measures being such procedures as, drugging, bleeding, or purging, which produced few objective results (Carson et al. 47). Bleeding, also known as phlebotomy or bloodletting, was utilized to release â€Å"bad blood†. This was usually the initial treatment. It seemed like a logical solution to restore health based upon the four humors: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. Patients were cut with a lancet or â€Å"leeched†; blood or milk was dripped over a vein to encourage the leech to bite and suck from that vein. A doctor often bled a patient until they fainted. Bleeding was performed not just by doctors but also by barbers. This procedure did very little to help, but did a great job in regards to weakening the patient. (Krausse) Purging involved giving patients heavy doses of laxatives or emetics to expel â€Å"poisons† from the body. It was believed that diarrhea was relaxing the interior of the body while puking was thought to relieve tension on the arteries. (Krausse) Fortunately, in the mid-eighteen hundreds, beliefs about mental illness began to change and treatments improved. Moral management of asylums was encouraged. Insanity was no longer viewed as punishment from God but as a disease of the brain, a biological occurrence that could be studied and eventually cured. This initiated a change in treatment of patients; they were given decent food and clothing. They were released from their shackles and brutal confinements and were treated humanely. Women and mental illness. During the19th century, women were deemed to have weaker intellectual faculties than men. It was believed that women were lacking in mental strength and, thus, were more susceptible to mental aberrations. It was in the Victorian era that madness was called ‘a female malady’. These attitudes were reinforced by medical science of that time which defined women in biological terms as naturally passive, dependent, sexually disinterested and born to be mothers and ‘helpmeets’ to men. These beliefs severely reduced women’s freedom of expression and limited their access to education, employment and ownership of property. Women who rebelled against these codes found themselves vulnerable to being diagnosed as ‘mad’ for exhibiting a wide range of ‘deviant’, ‘unnatural’ and ‘unwomanly’ behaviors. (Jones) Medical writing at this time made it clear that doctors’ believed women uniquely vulnerable to mental instability; protecting her involved regulating her sexuality and cycles. Mothers were advised to try and delay menstruation in girls and doctors sought to regulate women’s minds by regulating their bodies. Dr. Isaac Baker Brown pioneered the surgical practice of clitoridectomy as a cure for female insanity which he carried out at his private clinic in London. One of his patients was only 10 years old and the ‘madness’ of several others consisted of their wish to take advantage of the new divorce act of 1857. Another young woman was brought to the clinic by her family because she had suffered ‘great irregularities of temper’, was too assertive in sending her visiting cards to men she liked and spent ‘much time in serious reading’. (Jones) Anorexia, though prominent for many years prior, was officially recognized as a mental disease in 1873 (Ussher, 77). It flourished during the nineteenth century as women wished to exemplify their femininity. In denying food, a woman could truly be passive and become a weightless accessory for her husband. The physical and spiritual ideal of anorexia also became a status symbol for many women. Working class women had to eat in order to have energy to work. Thus, only middle to upper class women could afford to be anorexic. Cures included being admitted to an asylum where women rested and were excessively fed. The idea of the Wondering Womb also developed in this era, as madness was associated with menstruation, pregnancy, and the menopause. The womb itself was thought to wander throughout the body, acting as an enormous sponge which sucked the life-energy or intellect from vulnerable women (Ussher, 74). As a result, women became synonymous with madness, as they were pronounced to be emotional and unstable. If a woman of the Victorian era were subject to an outburst, perhaps due to anger or frustration, she would be proclaimed insane. The word Hysteria became the general term for women with mental illness and cures included bed rest, seclusion, bland food, refraining from mental activities such as reading, daily massage, and sensory deprivation. Though these treatments do not seem too appalling, they were comparable to solitary confinement and would often drive a woman to further insanity. (Frick) MISS HAVISHAM’S LIFE Miss Havisham was raised by her wealthy indulgent father after her mother died when she was just a baby. She also came to inherit her father’s money after his death. As a young woman, Miss Havisham fell deeply in love with a crook named Compeyson, despite warnings from her cousin that the man was only after her money, they decided to get married. On their wedding day, Havisham received a letter from her fiance and realized she had been betrayed and jilted. From that moment on she refused to remove her wedding dress and wears only one shoe because she was on the process of putting on the other when she received the letter. She also had all the clocks in Satis house stopped at twenty minutes to nine, the moment she realized Compeyson’s deception. After adopting Estelle, she isolated herself from society and remained wandering the mansion in her tattered wedding dress with the remnants of a reception that never came to be. MISS HAVISHAMS MADNESS Miss Havisham’s seclusion is indicative of hysterical insanity, which Conolly classifies. His definition reads: There is a form of malady, more frequent among the wealthier classes than the poorer, in which apparent bodily ailments of a changeful or obstinate character become associated with an infirmity of mind, at first slight and occasional, but afterward more fixed and confirmed†¦. This form of disorder is chiefly seen in hysterical women†¦ the mind is agitated by every trifle, and every feeling is in excess, and seeks for sympathy with a morbid eagerness. It would seem as if to all the various portions of the brain, some unrestrained energy were directed, producing endless caprices of the mind and ever-changing bodily sensations†¦ they are affectionate, suspicious, amatory, cold, and repulsive by turns†¦. Incapable of steady friendship or affection, or of adherence to any of the duties of common life, they usually, by degrees, concentrate their attention on their own feelings and morbid sensations, and, laying claim to excessive sensibility, are really only regardful of themselves. (Conolly, 77) The fundamental characteristics of hysterical insanity are applicable to Miss Havisham. She has the status of wealth, a social group which Conolly considers vulnerable to hysteria. She is extremely whimsical. She is pleased with Estella’s rapidly changing mood, a copy of her own fickleness. Miss Havisham’s restless temper parallels her impatient bodily reactions. Whenever Pip visits her, he is aware of â€Å"impatient movement of her fingers† (Dickens, 146) and her frequent hitting out with a stick in irritation is equivalent to ever-changing bodily sensations. To Pip as a child, Miss Havisham’s impatient finger movement is a cue of her whimsical demands to him. She apparently indulges Estella, but her love of her ward is egotistical. At the point of death, she is reconciled with Pip, but she cannot form steady friendship or affection with Estella. Her withdrawal into the deserted Satis House is, in other words, the renunciation of the duties of common life, which her wealth permits. Miss Havisham neatly fits Conolly’s classification. (Takei, 3) Havisham’s madness is not a choice. It is the effect of the conglomeration of various aspects in her life. The death of her mother robbed Havisham of a loving presence and a feminine role model, had she grown up with a mother, she could have been taught how to choose men intelligently, and she would have learned how to conduct relationships well. Growing up with a father that employs the Permissive-Indulgent parenting style, in which parents are high on warmth but low on discipline and control (Carson et al. 104) had made Miss Havisham accustomed to getting her way. This has her fixated on her wedding day, the event of her rejection and humiliation. Children reared with this type of parenting style are also observed to be manipulative, which is apparent in the relationship between Estelle and Havisham. Also, children of these types of parents grow up to be individuals who readily enter into relationships without much thought, which is exhibited in the engagement between Compeyson and Miss Havisham. Following the unfortunate incident, Havisham has secluded herself from the world. The once magnificent rooms in Satis house has been reduced to ruins filled with dirt and rotting furniture. The air within is stagnant and rancid. The garden is desolated and choked with weeds. Havisham has denounced even daylight; this contributes to her illness even more. An environment rife with squalor, painful memories and rotting reminders will inevitably take its toll on her already frayed sensibilities. Another contributing factor is the views of the society during that period. Spinsters were considered mentally unsound, during the 19th century doctors claimed that being without continued male interaction would cause irritability, anemia, tiredness and fussing (Ussher). Havisham could have been initially affected by the opinions of society after she was jilted, the possibility of facing a judgmental and hypercritical crowd could have helped push Miss Havisham over the edge. Desertion on the wedding day in the Victorian social climate caused her an irrecoverable social stigma in addition to agony. Her decaying body exhibits social pressure on deserted women: â€Å"Her chest had dropped, so that she stooped; and her voice had dropped, so that she spoke low, and with a dead lull upon her; altogether, she had the appearance of having dropped, body and soul, within and without, under the weight of a crushing blow. †(Dickens, 107) These factors that were part of her upbringing, social and physical environment, may have contributed to the emotional instability of Miss Havisham. Another proof of Havishams madness not being a choice is the fact that she had sought to find a way to regain a sort of meaning and purpose to her life when she asked for a daughter she could adopt and care for. I had been shut up in these rooms a long time (I don’t know how long; you know what time the clocks keep here), when I told him that I wanted a little girl to rear and love, and save from my fate. I had first seen him when I sent for him to lay this place waste for me; having read of him in the newspapers, before I and the world parted. He told me that he would look about him for such an orphan child. One night he brought her here asleep, and I called her Estella (Dickens, 713). This was Miss Havisham’s original goal, before her mental instability nudged her to manipulate Estelle into becoming a heart-breaker that would wreck havoc on the lives of men as a kind of revenge for what happened to her. Towards the end when Estelle leaves to marry Bentley Drummle. Havisham realizes the extent of damage she had caused with Pip’s heartbreak. To see her with her white hair and her worn face kneeling at my feet, gave me shock through all my frame. I entreated her to rise, and got my arms about her to help her up; but she only pressed that hand of mine which was nearest to her grasp, and hung her head over it and wept (Dickens, 709) †¦ Until you spoke to her the other day, and until I saw in you a looking-glass that showed me what I once felt myself, I did not know what I had done. What have I done! What have I done! ’ And so again, twenty, fifty times over, What had she done! (Dickens, 710) Havisham’s utter remorse and guilt when she realizes that Pip has been through the same heartache she has experienced is proof that the perverse influence she provided Estelle was not done because she deliberately chose it, rather, she had reached emotional instability because of the events in her life that enabled her to do such actions. As soon as she realized the effect it had on Pip, she was horrified and begged forgiveness. She recognizes that she has tormented Pip, whose heart is as vulnerable as her own. Havisham says, â€Å"I am not all stone† (Dickens, 705), her sympathy and the kindness of a human heart still remains. By her ethical awakening, she recovers her sanity for a short while. Havisham’s madness was not a choice; the events in her life, the environment she lived in, the social interactions she subjected herself too, and her personal flaws, all of these played a part in her mental fragility. Miss Havisham had truly loved Compeyson. This is apparent in one of her conversations with Pip, Havisham exclaims, â€Å"I’ll tell you, what real love is. It is blind devotion, unquestioning self-humiliation, utter submission, trust and belief against yourself and against the whole world, giving up your whole heart and soul to the smiter – as I did! † (Dickens, 426). The intense passion and complete commitment she had felt for Compeyson corresponds to the utter heartbreak she went through and the unbearable pain she felt over his betrayal. This was the principal event that led to her insanity, unable to cope; she manages to survive only by retreating into her own mind and withdrawing from the difficulty of moving on with a normal life. She believed her mental illness was necessary for her existence. Works Cited Carson, C. , Butcher, J. , Mineka, S. Abnormal Psychology and Modern life 11th edition (Needham Heights, MA:), 2000. Print Dickens, Charles. Great Expectations, Planet PDF format (online publication: Planet PDF). Web Ussher, Jane M. Women’s Madness: Misogyny or Mental Illness? (Ameherst, Ma: University of Massachusetts Press), 1991. Print Takei, Akiko. Miss Havisham and Victorian Psychiatry, (PDF format) . Web Conolly, John. On Some of the Forms of Insanity (London), 1850. Print. Jones, Claire. Women and madness, Herstoria magazine (Jones5 Publishing Limited) . Web Goldberg, Ann. Sex, Religion, and the Making of Modern Madness (New York: Oxford University Press), 1999. Print Summary Mental illness during the 19th century had initially been attributed to inherent malevolence or punishment from God; it was during the mid-eighteen hundreds that doctors have begun to view it as a disease of the brain, a biological occurrence that could be treated. During the Victorian Era it was believed that females were more susceptible to mental imbalance because of their weaker minds. Society dictated that the roles of women should be strictly confined to household and they must all be under the support of men. Miss Havisham’s madness was not a choice. It was a result of the conglomeration of various aspects of her life: the environment she lived in, the family she grew up with, the events she had been through, the society she is part of and the personal flaws she had. All of these have played a role in her madness. The breaking point had been the abandonment and betrayal of her fiance Compeyson, whom she loved deeply. In her devastation she proceeds to let her life revolve around the wedding day she never had. Havisham wanders the ruined halls of her Satis home wearing the yellowed wedding dress she refuses to take off and using only one shoe because she was in the process of putting on the other pair when she received the letter from Compeyson. She also had all the clocks in her home stopped twenty minutes to nine- the moment she realized she was betrayed. She adopted a girl named Estelle and proceeded to influence her to become a cold and ruthless girl to wreak havoc in men’s lives. She saw this as a type of revenge to all men for the pain she’s been through. Towards the end of the book Havisham regains sanity for a short while after realizing the pain of heartbreak Pip has been through because of her machinations. Guilty and remorseful, she begs Pip for forgiveness and realizes her mistake.

Article Public Opinion of Police by Different Ethnic Group Essay

Down though the years there has always been tension and an on and off relationship between the community they serve and law enforcement agencies. And as with any relationship between two people there are misunderstanding, break-up and disagreements and the same is with the relationship between the community and its law enforcement agencies but just with any relationship at day’s end both the community and law enforcement have and share common concerns such as justice and deterrence. With many of communities in America being incursion of immigrants within the last few decades; with this incursion of immigrants many communities are being bombard with so many new language and cultures diversity. Because of this wide range of ethnicity now living within many the walls of our communities and society on a whole now have different opinions and views of law enforcement. Now due to the various ethnicities flooding our communities the author will investigate how a few of these ethnicity groups like: African Americans, Asians and the Hispanics neighborhoods views racial profiling, discrimination and past experience with law enforcement agencies. Taking a look at the traumatized relationship and association between the two, as well as the interaction and reaction from the law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve. Since the conception of the law enforcement agencies race has long since been a vital playing card in policing. Even with the knowledge, awareness and understanding of this there has been some improvement but not enough. Racial opus of law enforcement alongside the racial outline of arrest, the raise in the number of arrest of non- minority like â€Å"Caucasian† by non-white law enforcement officers, while there were lower numbers of arrest by the same officers on other ethnic groups. On the flip side of that coin, more. â€Å"Caucasian† officers had a boost in the number of non-white arrest in comparison to the number of arrest involving â€Å"Caucasians†. Race has been a polarizingelement the in the society of America for years. And this is every so prevalent within the criminal justice system. Clashes involving both the communities and law enforcement are the flashpoint for practically every current inner- city riot. Ethnic Groups The raise of culture variety and immigration has from time to time made interaction with law enforcement difficult. Hispanics and Asian neighborhoods are often apprehensive of law enforcement officers due to their past occurrence. Their past incidents vary from their motherland of origin that was overwhelmed by civil unrest and war. This included exploitation of power by those of authority as well as much dishonesty within law enforcement agencies of that country. For this cause many minorities groups have a apprehension and more often than not an aversion to law enforcement officers. Like within the Hispanic neighborhoods, they often feel that law enforcement agents differentiates them by racial profiling them all because of their nationality. In Arizona this is a very contentious SB 1070 unlawful migration bill that passed given law enforcement agents the power and authority to inquire of certain individual (Hispanic) of proof of documentation of legal right to be in America. This law is being adopted in other states as well like New Jersey and Texas, any where there is a high population of Hispanics. IthasbeenreportedbytwoethnicgroupsAfricanAmericansandHispanic/Latinos affirm subordinate levels of agreement concerning their relationship with police officers as compared to those of their counterpart â€Å"Caucasians†. African Americans and Hispanic/Latinos claims that there is less willingness to obey and to follow orders given by authorities especially of Caucasian origin. Racial profiling has consistently been one of the most confounding, divisive and controversial issues the police department confronts. A perception that police target members of specific ethnic or racial groups creates a deep divide between the police and the communities we serve. But as an officer who has spent a lot of time patrolling the city’s streets, I just don’t think the perception is accurate. (Dutta, 2010) True racial profiling, in which people are targeted solely because of race or ethnicity, is both illegal and immoral. It destroys public trust and reduces the effectiveness of the police. There is no place for it in law enforcement. And I firmly believe that most LAPD officers support that viewpoint. Even the reported statement of the officer that he couldn’t do his job without racial profiling was most likely misinterpreted. (Dutta, 2010) Differentiation between minorities and Caucasians is how they relate and response to law enforcement agents and how fairly or unjustly he or she feels their treatment was. This is a how many African Americans and Hispanic/Latinos responded when asked by authorities regarding their relationship with law enforcement agencies this is less equality than when Caucasians reported.