Effect of Country Development on Technology

Effect of Country Development on Technology Introduction Technology is becoming increasingly very important to the success of all business firms, and to the national economic growth. The process of globalization is driven by technology development and the ability of corporations to uplift the use of technology effectively and rapidly. The technological gap between developed countries and emerging nations has narrowed but still remains huge. The first step to narrowing the gap is for emerging nations to absorb technology successfully. The rapid economic growth achieved by the newly industrialized economies has generated a vast amount of research on the mechanism behind the economic take off. According to F. Montes-Negret (2008), progress in developing countries reflects the absorption of pre-existing technologies not at the frontier inventions. In general terms, catch up refers to the ability of a country to reduce the gap in productivity and income with respect to the leading international countries (Fagerberg-Godinho,2005). Perez (1988) views catching up as a question of relative speed in a race along a fixed track, according to him, technology is understood to be a unidirectional process. Furthermore, he observes that every country is a beginner in terms of the newly emerging techno-economic paradigm, which implies the possibility of being a latecomer. Research has shown that in the catching-up process, the late-comer does not simply follow the path of a technological development of the advanced countries. Instead, they would rather skip some stages or even create their own individual ways which are different from the developed countries. By doing this, it may result in the developing countries becoming latecomers in technology advancing. For the country to have growth in economy and industrial development, it needs to have an absorptive capacity and ability to tap in the worlds technology pool. Cohen and Levinthal (2000) explains absorptive capacity as the ability to assess the value of external knowledge and technology and to make necessary investments and changes to absorb and apply these changes in a productive manner. The development of new-to-the world knowledge can be considered to be innovative which can be a costly learning activity that a country can employ in order to catch up with others through technology absorption. Innovation and technology absorption are two distinct processes, that is, innovation promotes absorptive capacity because the generation of human capital and new ideas, and the associated knowledge spillover effects, help build absorptive capacity. RD is a key input into innovation and is also an input into absorption capacity. Absorption of technology is considered a necessary step to promote the development of human capital and the productive base, paving the way for innovations at the global knowledge frontier. Research and development (RD), patents, trade, and foreign direct investment are major channels of technological absorption, allowing diffusion of new ideas and manufacturing best practices among countries and firms. R D is a key input into innovation and is considered to be a very important key in the absorption of technology (Cohen and Levinthal). Rogers (2003) defines examples of technology absorption as the adoption of new product and manufacturing processes developed in other countries; upgrading of an old product or process, licensing technology, improving organizational efficiency and achieving quality certification. This paper will discuss how properly designed economic policies can significantly influence the degree to which a country absorbs new technology, that is, it will discuss the pre requisites for technology catch ups. The need for a stable and conducive policy framework and a business-friendly investment climate is what makes the countrys ability to absorb technology and knowledge, and this depends on its organization and the skills of its workforce. Further more the paper will discuss the channels that developing countries can use to catch up with other developed countries through technology absorption such as trade flows, foreign direct investment (FDI), RD and patents. Literature Review The very rich literature on catch-up through technology is full of countries that in the past decades have managed catch up with the developed countries, others that have succeeded ahead and several that have fallen behind in technology and failed to be par with the developed world (Abramovitz, 1986). More research has identified a series of factors that have affected the sources of catch-up. One of the elements is regard to the presence of learning and capabilities in the domestic firms (Bell and Pavitt, 1993, Kim, 1997; 1999, Lall, 2001, Kim and Nelson, 2000, Lee, 2005). Catch-up countries should try to adopt the Schumpeterian view of the process of innovation, according to which economic agents are likely to innovate as a reaction to unexpected changes within the economic environment (Schumpeter, 1947). From the early traditional literature that emphasized how it was possible to close the gap though transfer of technology and the imitation of easily available technology, the liter ature on competences has forcefully moved to show the central role of the process of capability accumulation by domestic firms and the need of various types of capabilities for catch up: absorptive capabilities, innovation capabilities and complementary assets in order to adopt, adapt and modify technologies developed elsewhere or eventually generate new ones. Actually, the most current research has shown that any process of development and growth implies some kind of innovation, and that sequences of steps in the capability building process are necessary for development. The literature has also stressed the role of social capabilities (Abramovitz 1986) and the broad institutions of a country, including the research infrastructure (Mazzoleni and Nelson,2006) and financial institutions (Gerschenkron, 1962). In the catching up in income per capita or productivity public policy has often played a major role in different ways and forms in several countries such as Japan (Johnson,1982), Korea (Kim 1997), Taiwan (Wade, 1990) and Brazil (Mani, 2004). Also the upgrading of the level of human capital has proven a key element for catching up (Fagerberg and Godinho,2004 and Bernardes and Albuquerque, 2003). The literature further shows how technology in growth is the missing link between the developed and the less developed countries. There is a possibility of a catch-up scenario in the event that less developed countries are able to access and employ developed technology. In other words, less developed countries would grow at a higher rate until at such time that the differences between developed and less developed countries are negligible. This can be shown by the experience of East Asian countries (World Bank, 1993). Catching up is usually assumed to be dependent on the level of human capital and knowledge. Capital is a necessary tool for the economic success in the world today, because the countires need the capacity to mobilize knowledge and to use it to the fullest. A study by the World bank (2009) indicates that countries in the Sub Sahara of Africa (SSA) must harness both more capital and more knowledge. These African countries needs to invest heavily in physical infrastructure and productive capacity. However, maximizing productivity and achieving competitiveness will depend upon success in augmenting human capital and raising its quality. This has been shown by Namibia as it was ranked the second and fifth respectively in terms of technological sophistication and prevalence of foreign technology licensing in the competitiveness report. However, firm level absorption of this technology remains low as the country was ranked 15th. From this case we can learn that the use of technology require s skilled labor force. As earlier pointed out, investment in human capital remains a critical issue for Namibia and other developing countries. The use of technology requires supporting infrastructure such as good telecommunication and energy in particular. (?) Nations such as Australia, Chile, Malaysia, and Spain have responded by developing cross-sectoral policy frameworks to promote science, technology, and innovation. Within Sub-Saharan Africa, Mozambique, Rwanda, and South Africa have led the way with similar cross-cutting strategies. Other SSA countries that have produced national science and technology policies since 2000 include Ethiopia, Ghana, Lesotho, Malawi, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe (Mouton 2008). Better education system can assist the developing countries in †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Pre Requisites for technology catch up Technology absorption is often regarded as a pre requisite for breaking up a high cost economy and creating an economic competitive market internationally. The initial gap for countries which are trying to catch up with technology should not be too wide for them to be able to absorb knowledge from technological leaders. Moreover, late comers must have, or create, sufficient absorption capabilities. In this context, sufficient absorption capabilities are described as having qualified researchers who are able to understand external knowledge spillovers and recognize their value in operation. Developing countries need a strong human capital base that will be able to understand the new innovative systems that have been put in place by the advanced countries, hence they need well developed scientific, engineering and technical skills. Cohen and Levinthal (1990 pg .129) suggest that accumulated knowledge increases both the ability to put new ideas into practice. If the stock of knowledge i s increased, in general, additional learning will be facilitated. The growth of knowledge adds value to the countrys ability to adapt to new ideas thus becoming fast in catching up with technology. Technological progress depends on more than being exposed to foreign technologies. How fast it spreads within a country is at least as important and depends on the domestic technological absorptive capacity, the quality of technological literacy of the population and the quality of the business climate. Although major centers and leading firms may be relatively advanced, the rural population and the majority of firms do not exploit the best technologies, often because the necessary infrastructure and human competencies are not available. This may lead to some lags in technology catch up for developing countries. Nelson and Rosenberg (2003) explains the importance of the link between science and technology as this is one of the important tools for technology catch up. The technological progress requires the mobilisation, co-ordination and integration of many different types of knowledge, and thus involves different types of knowledge producing organizations like firms, research institutes, and universities. Research organizations should be able to communicate to each other about technology innovations that are occurring within their countries. This will enhance knowledge diffusion. With respect to the co-ordination and integration of knowledge across the research sector, communication or even interaction is needed. This can be accomplished by co-operation, strategic alliances, clusters, and networks, all of which install channels along which knowledge can be communicated. If communication exists within countries, the developing countries may be able to learn this as a good tool for success in technology absorption. Knowledge is no longer the disciplinary monopoly of a few institutions of higher learning; rather, it is becoming the product of problem-solving endeavors conducted within a shifting network of often informal professional interactions (Gibbons and others 1994; Gibbons 1998). The technological progress in developing countries is mainly a process of adopting and adapting to pre-existing technologies, hence developing countries perform relatively little when it comes to research. For the developing countries, technological progress mainly occurs through the adoption and adaptation of already existing technologies. The rapid increase in technological achievement owes much too increased linkages between developing and developed countries. Globalization in the form of imports of advanced products, and the transfer of business process technology through foreign investment and increased linkages with emigrant populations have increased the exposure of developing countries to more sophisticated technologies. Technology absorption needs stable and conducive policy framework hence policy makers should ensure that openness is maintained, they need to concentrate on strengthening domestic competencies, promoting the dissemination of technology and reinforcing the local business environment in order to avoid the constrain on technological progress in developing countries. Patents as indicators of Technology absorption SUMMARY Catching up does not necessarily need to be viewed in a linear and unidirectional way. As long as technology is understood as a cumulative unidirectional process, development will be seen as a race along a fixed track, where catching up will be merely a question of relative speed. Speed is no doubt a relevant aspect, but history is full of examples of how successful overtaking has been primarily based on running in a new direction.xiv Indeed, in new fields such as biotechnology, the developing countries are making efforts to move to the scientific frontiers but they plan to apply the acquired knowledge in developing products that are more relevant to local needs. [T]he larger the technological and, therefore, the productivity gap between the leader and the follower, the stronger the followers potential for growth in productivity; and, other things being equal, the faster one expects the followers growth rate to be. Followers tend to catch up faster if they are initially backward.xv The explanation for this paradoxical suggestion has to do with the level of technology embodied in a countrys capital stock. Developing countries with the relevant human capital base are always presented with new windows of opportunity for entering new technological systems. But doing so requires other skills such as the capacity to monitor international trends, formulate long-term strategies and determine the locational as well as infrastructure advantages of the country. Most African countries, for example, do not have the capacity or the requisite institutional arrangements for monitoring technological advantages. Planning efforts are usually of a short-term nature and therefore unable to accommodate technological requirements for long-term growth. In more recent years, most countries have been forced to adopt short-term planning strategies to enable them to implement macro-economic stabilisation programmes. However, the challenge now is to put in place longterm structural adjustment programmes which are based on industrial transformation. Technological catch-up may also involve the use of advanced technologies to deliver new products and services that do not necessarily compete with those developed in the industrialised countries. Many of the products of biotechnology, for example, may be relevant to certain locales and of little interest to the major firms. Their technological requirements, however, may be just as high as those for the products of the leading firms. The paper has shown that there are three points of entry into the game of technological competition. The first relates to the accumulation of basic technological competence in society. This is related to human capital formation. A country without the requisite technical competence is unlikely to make sustained advances in technological development. The second issue is the ability of a country to make an early entry into a particular technological system. This step can only be achieved where the first one has been accomplished. The last issue is the potent ial for a country to occupy particular technological niches as part of a strategy for industrial learning. With the widening range of technological trajectories and systems, the opportunities for the developing adopting any of the three strategies or combinations thereof are relatively high. To achieve improvement of production technology, i.e. technological progress, on a large scale, relatively more scientists and engineers must be engaged in research directly integrated in production of goods and services as opposed to the university and public research sector. Notwithstanding that universities and public research institutes play an important role in developing new products and processes, the majority of research is done by firms (Nelson and Rosenberg (1993)). For new products or processes developed by universities or research and development (RD) institutes, both domestic and foreign, to be implemented in firms roduction processes, the innovation must be adapted to firms specific organizational structure and production processes. This implies that firms understand the innovation and are able to revise it. Firms will have to do research themselves (Cohen and Levinthal (1989)) and might even have to repeat parts of the original research process, since they have only pa rtial knowledge about the innovation. This has important implications for the organisation of RD personnel: they should be employed in production as well. More RD personnel in production of goods and services will increase the possibilities for absorption and diffusion in this sector. because a weakening economic performance that threatens a return to the economic conditions of the 1990s would be a great human tragedy. But maintaining the current momentum, and accelerating growth wherever possible, requires measures that will substantially enhance economic competitiveness and nurture expansion of new tradable activities. To realize these objectives, The key to economic success in a globalized world lies increasingly in how effectively a country can assimilate the available knowledge and build comparative advantage in selected areas with good growth prospects, and in how it can enlarge the comparative advantage by pushing the frontiers of technology through innovation. The global knowledge economy has drawn attention to the value of â€Å"national innovation systems in the competition among nations (Nelson 1993; Porter 1990; Stern, Porter, and Furman 2000; Thurow 1999; World Bank 1999). Institutions that generate skills and knowledge, such as universities and rese arch institutes, are essential components of a national innovation system (NIS). In essence, an NIS is a melding of institutional capacities, coordination mechanisms, communication networks, and policy incentives that fosters innovation-led gains in economic productivity. In this web of institutional relationships, innovation can arise at any point. During the past decade, most African countries have pursued national economic growth strategies within the framework of Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs). Until recently, many PRSPs have been oriented toward attainment of the Millennium Development Goals, an internationally accepted set of performance targets spanning poverty alleviation, agriculture, and access to basic services. Concern with explicit growth promotion efforts as the means for sustainable poverty reduction is a relatively recent—but readily accepted—shift of strategic approach (Commission for Africa 2005). Bibliography Nelson, R. and E. Phelps (1966), Investment in humans, technology diffusion and economic growth, American Economic Review 56, 1/2, 69-75. Harding, T. and J. Rattsà ¸ (2008), Looking abroad to understand productivity growth: the world technology frontier and industrial sector productivity in South Africa, mimeo, Department of Economics, NTNU. Cohen, W.M. and Levinthal, D.A. (1989), Innovation and Learning: The Two Faces of RD,The Economic Journal, 99, pp. S.569-596. Cohen, W.M. and Levinthal, D.A. (1990), Absorptive Capacity: A New Perspective on Learning and Innovation in Administrative Science Quarterly, No. 35, pp. 128-152 Nelson, R.R. and Rosenberg, N. (1993), Technical Innovation and National Systems, in Nelson, R.R. (ed.), National Innovation Systems: A Comparative Study, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 3-21 Nelson, R.R. and Winter, S.G. (1982), An Evolutionary Theory for Economic Change, Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press. Calestous Juma and Norman Clark; Technological Catch-Up: Opportunities and Challenges for Developing Countries, 2002, London , Print Publishers Hiroyuki Oba and Hrushikash Panda; Industrial developmeny and Technology absorption in the Indian Steel Industry, 2005, allied Publisher, New Delhi The World Bank, 2009, Accelerating catch-up, Tertiary Education for Growth in Sub Saharan Africa, Washington D.C J.Ratlso, Puzzles of Convergence and Catching Up;Regional Income growth in Norway, Department of economics , Norwegian university of Science and Technology

Galaxy and Dense Gas Passes

Comparing a yellow star, a blue star, and a red star, we could determine Just from color that the hottest star was the 10. One. BLUE Rotation curves of spiral galaxies show that stars' orbital speeds don't drop off with distance from the galactic center as expected, and thus imply the existence of . The main sequence includes the following kinds of stars: B) Hot, blue, large, massive ones and cool, red, small, low-mass ones 12. Which of the following was not an era In the history of the universe?The phases of the moon are caused by D) The alignment of the Earth/moon/sun system making a different portion of the Spectra help us determine the composition of astronomical objects because A) Each element, compound, or ion has a different set of spectral lines. 15. Dark energy is the most important factor in the of the universe. A) Accelerating 16. Universe scenario for the fate The outer planets are more massive than the inner planets because C) Both of the above 17. The three basic types of galaxies are B) Spiral, elliptical, and irregular. 8. A planet orbiting a star feels a force due to the star's gravity that C) Increases with the star's mass and decreases with the square of the distance. 19. Massive main sequence stars A) Have hot cores, use their hydrogen rapidly, and go supernova after a short life. 0. Hubbub's law gives us an indirect way to measure a galaxy's D) Distance. 21. We can determine an object's temperature from its thermal (or â€Å"blackbody') spectrum by finding the wavelength at which it emits the most electromagnetic radiation.Galileo findings from his telescopic observations were revolutionary because he showed that the heavens were not perfect. B) FALSE 28. If the sun had begun fusion later, so it did not clear the solar nebula of its remaining gas so soon, Uranus and Neptune might have become as large as Jupiter and Saturn are now. A) TRUE 29. If the sun somehow instantaneously became a 1 solar mass black hole, the Earth According to Hubbub 's law, the reediest of a distant galaxy is directly related to its temperature. B) False

Imperialism and socialism in the context of Africa Essay

Cecil Rhodes Social Darwinism advocate states, â€Å"I contend that we are the finest race in the world and that the more of the world we inhabit the better†¦Ã¢â‚¬  King Leopold of Belgium, â€Å"To open to civilization the only part of the globe where it has yet to penetrate †¦is, I dare to say, a crusade worthy of this century of progress.† From the above assertions, it is prudent to note that, colonial powers thought Africa to be devoid of an organization in social, political and economic perspective and therefore they wanted â€Å"to make Africa, England.† In that thought of naivety of the Africans, there were societal structures and organizations which British did not care to observe. However, it was not going to be easy as where two or three cultures interact a clash is inevitable. Although Africa was not a plain or bear continent, Africans had their way of life, structure of government, religion, economic activities, education, systems of marriage and development plans for their societies, nevertheless the British brought their systems which conflicted with Africans established way of life, this was because the British, as many other European powers were economically depressed and Africa appeared to be the only way out. The British wanted to pass the three C’s; Commerce, that is to make money through the acquisition of free labor form Africans, raw materials for their industries as industrial revolution back in Britain was rapidly taking place, a market for their surplus production; Christianity to save Africans.Explorers such as David Livingstone, Vasco Da Gama, Portuguese Diego Cam and Arabs with Muslim faith had missionary zeal. The last C is for Civilization, they wanted to civilize Africans in terms of education, culture and many other aspects. Thu s, to a larger extent, the activities of British heartened conflicts. African traditional religion is rooted in the African culture, it was difficult for Christianity to penetrate through. Portuguese tried in the fifteen century and failed. For Christianity to take the course the Africans had to abandon their culture which was hard so to say. The Missionaries in the nineteenth century, however, came up with an elaborate plan for them to spread Christianity. They introduced through religion, education and health centers which contradicted informal learning and the institution of medicine men. Africans gradually began to embrace Whiteman’s way of life but not without several clashes. These battles are seen in various forms such as spiritual, doctrinal, cultural and practical. The African religion has been given several definitions by different scholars, for instance, Mbiti has elaborated aspects of African religion. In his book African Traditional Religion, Mbiti (1991) African religion is very pragmatic and realistic (p2), he explains that it is applied in circumstances where the need arises. In addition, he states that religion is rooted in the local language, so to comprehend the religious life of an African society one has to understand the local dialect. He further affirms, â€Å"To be an African in the traditional setup is to be truly religious.† (p30) He states that the religion can be seen in five aspects of culture; beliefs, practices, ceremonies and festivals, religious objects and places, values, and morals and religious officials and leaders. He defines African religion as: â€Å"The product of the thinking and experiences of our forefathers and mothers that is men and women of their generations. They formed religious ideas, they observed religious ceremonies and rituals, they told proverbs and myths which safeguarded the life of individual and his community.(pp 13-14) Mbiti notes that African religion has no scriptures as compared to Christianity and other religions, it is written in peoples history, hearts and experiences of the people.(p14) Awolalu in his book Sin and its Removal in the African Traditional Religion defines African religion as â€Å"†¦largely written in the people’s myth and folktales, in their songs and dances, in their liturgies and shrines and in their proverbs and pithy sayings. It is a religion whose historical founder is neither known nor worshipped; it is a religion that has no zeal for the membership drive, yet it offers persistent fascination for Africans, young and old.† The African traditional religion was not homogeneous as the communities had different ethnic background thus the religious practices such rituals varied one community to the other. It is worth noting that it was oral, not scripted or written and was passed from one generation to the other by word of mouth, as I earlier alluded in the definitions of religion. Within their organized societal structures, Africans believed in supernatural beings together with ancestral spirits. The ancestral spirits were believed to link the living societal members to the gods. Therefore, the African traditional religion was and still is interweaved to the African culture. From the above insights, one cannot talk about African religion without African values as they are intertwined and inseparable. African religion was embedded in moral values or codes or standards which were believed to originate from God through the ancestral spirits, these values when observed one would be rewarded with maybe good harvest from their cultivation of land or increased number of the flock of cattle. When these values have violated the culprits were reprimanded. The concept of values is a vital point as one talks of the African religion. For that reason, African religion is drawn from the African values and Culture. African Culture was the source of law through the moral codes and values passed from generation to generation. From the above description, we can see that law or rules of conduct were embedded in religion and that African religion was interweaved in the African culture. Local dialect was the medium through which African culture and religion were propagated. The African religion had some institutions as Mbiti points out in the aspects of African religion, who presided over religious functions, these institutions were believed to communicate directly to ancestral spirits (living dead) who in turn would communicate to the gods and grievances of the living societal members would be heard. In the Kenyan context, these institutions include Orkoyot of the Nandi, Oloibon of the Maasai, Seers, Diviners, and Rainmakers depending on the ethnic communities which they came from. These institutions apart from the veneration of the ancestors, they blessed warrior before going for war, advised the political leaders, offered sacrifice to god and conducted rituals for the culprits who violated moral values in the community. The gods had some specific names for instance, in Kenyan context, we had Enkai for the Maasai, Encore for the Abagusii, Mulungu for Akamba, Asis the Nandi, Ngai for the Agikuyu and Nyasaye for the Luo. There were specific worship plac es which were regarded as holy, this places included shrines, mountaintops some special trees such as mugumo, hills, and some caves. The diversity of the names given to gods and places of worship, show the lack of uniformity in the African Religion. Consequently, Africans were of different ethnic background and had their own religion, gods, and religion as a community. The clashes can be seen in the five aspects as earlier alluded in Mbiti’s work that is beliefs, practices, ceremonies, festivals, religious objects and places, values, and morals, religious officials and leaders. These aspects of African religion differ from those of Christianity. The Africans believed that their religion was sourced from god, who they believed long before their ancestors’ existence. The British Missionaries conflict with Africans by telling them about the existence of a God who had a son and lived among them many years ago. The religion of British was written (Bible) thus one had to have the ability to read and write in order to understand it, whereas that of African was passed from generation to generation by oral tradition. There is an introduction of a new system of identifying the origin of religion which conflicts with the African system. Language is also conflicted as Africans could not comprehend English, hence missionaries such as Ludwig Krapf translated the Bible into the local dialect. The Africans revered in special caves, Mountaintops, hills, Forests, Special trees (mugumo) and shrines. The British tell Africans that they should worship God places called Churches. This encounter shows that there is a bit of clashing as the African places were very clearly defined and preserved by the community members. The British also seized African land to construct churches or chapels, Africans, as a result, became very hostile as they had distinct worship places which occurred naturally. They believed that their land was in cultivation and a gift from their gods. The Africans practiced their religion by reverence to their ancestors, offering human and animal sacrifices and invoking the ancestral spirits, for instance, the Umira Kager clan believed in spirits in the S.M Otieno case. They offered sacrifices in order to get favors in terms of harvest. The African worship was communal that is, all community members used to convene to pray for rain and ask for the wellness of the community. The British religion had an aspect of confession of one`s sins before worship, repentance, and forgiveness of sin are granted. This aspect of forgiveness of sins lacks in the traditional African religion, one had to be punished for wrongdoing. British missionary religion brings out an aspect of offerings in terms of money and tithe which is ten percent of one`s total earnings. The British advocated for human rights and therefore disregarded and condemned human sacrifices. In African religion, worship was led by Diviners, Rainmakers, and Seers who were considered righteous. The work of religious leaders was taught through apprecentiship and was hereditary from specific clans in the community. There were certain clans from whom diviners would descend. They were highly respected in the community. The British Christian religious leaders attend school to be trained mainly in theology. They study formalities of worship and nature of God. Any member of Christian family can become a religious leader although there are some myths which say one has to be ‘called’ by God. A Christian leader has to have the ability to read and write so as to pass the scriptures to his congregation. African traditional religion was diverse from one ethnic community to the other due to the linguistic differences, migration patterns and origin. Christianity is introduced as a homogeneous religion as the author of it is Jesus Christ, a common ancestry and reference point for all Christians. The diversity of worship is dismantled by the British introduction of this even religion. Africans were notoriously religious as it was found in each group. Africans who lived as per the traditional way of life were regarded as very religious.it is also worth acknowledging that Africans are at crossroads due to the fact that religion is embedded in the African culture and language. It is thus difficult for Africans to fully be committed to Christianity as being fully whole-hearted means they will have to abandon some of the partaking of African culture and indigenous dialect by embracing the Whiteman’s language and culture. This has already happened as some dedicated African Christians according to Quarcoopome (1987), refer to traditional religion as paganism, fetish, and animism. References. Awolalo, JO, Sin and Its Removal from the African Traditional Religion (1976) History and Government Form One to Four, KLB Fourth Edition. The People of Kenya Up to the 19th Century Kwasi W, Towards Decolonizing African Religion and Philosophy, African Studies (1998) Quarterly volume 1 Issue 4. Ojwang’ JB and Mugambi JNK (eds), The SM Otieno case, Death and Burial in Modern Kenya, (1989) Nairobi University press Mbiti, JS, African Religion and Philosophy, Oxford, England, (1999) Heinemann Educational Publishers. Mbiti, JS, Introduction to African Religion Oxford, England, (1991) Heinemann Educational Publishers. Uchenna O, African Crossroads: Conflict between African Traditional Religion and Christianity, (2008) The International Journal of Humanities vol 6 No. 2 Quarcoopome, TNO, West African traditional religion. Ibadan, Nigeria: (1987) African Universities Press. NAME: MUNYALO, DANIEL MUTHENGI REG.NO: G34/102614/2017 COURSE: GPR 100 LEGAL RESEARCH AND WRITING CONVENER: DR. NKATHA KABIRA â€Å"The encounter between the British and Africans was a case of two worlds colliding.† Discuss†¦

Susan Glaspell s Trifles - 1220 Words

Trifles Symbolism Essay Symbols are important, especially in literature. They have been known to inspire hope and life, in turn inspiring some of the most profound actions in the history of the world. Yet, humanity’s statement to symbols goes beyond us finding meaning in innominate or non-human objects. People assign humanity into objects, almost a part of themselves. This concept is clearly demonstrated in Susan Glaspell’s play, Trifles. The work contains many element of symbolism that make important and relieving comments on the characters of the play and the themes of the story. One of the first symbols introduced in the work, Mrs. Wright’s apron is deeply symbolic of her personal struggle in her home and marriage. Physically, the apron†¦show more content†¦While the apron symbolizes, the domestic restrictions placed upon women, the canary represents the societal limitations that women were also held to during the twentieth century. Throughout the drama, Mrs. Wright and the canary share many similarities. For example, Mrs. Hale, the wife of Mr. Hale, describes that Mrs. Wright â€Å"was kind of like a bird herself—sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and—fluttery† (185). Overall, the quotation describes Mrs. Wright as a gentle and submissive woman, the type of woman society expected her to be. In addition, although Mrs. Hale compares her to a bird in a favorable manner, she also defines Mrs. Wright as a woman that is fragile and uncappable of providing for herself, another social stereotype that women were subject to. Ulti mately, however, the rigid social expectations for women served to reiterate their role in the home and to further confine them to the homestead itself, especially as society typically objectified and trivialized women, celebrating the conforming wife while condemning women to have their wings clipped by society’s standards. In this way, beyond her personality, Mrs. Wright becomes even more synonymous with the canary, an estranged creature confined behind bars as an aesthetic spectacle that is unable to sing an independent song. Lastly, Mrs., Wright’s quilt is directly symbolic of the empathetic relationship representative of the daily experiences of the woman, her namesake trifles, and serves toShow MoreRelatedTrifles : Susan Glaspell s Trifles940 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is a trifle? A trifle is something that has little to no importance (dictionary.com). For instance, the color of your nails would be considered a trifle. In Trifles by Susan Glaspell, women are criticized and made fun of by men because of the little things they worry about, such as the color of their nails or their hair. This exhibits the gender role difference portrayed during the play’s time period. The central conflict is what the plot is centered around. In Trifles, the central conflictRead MoreSusan Glaspell s Trifles 1732 Words   |  7 PagesSusan Glaspell (1876-1948) was an American-born Pulitzer Prize winning writer of both plays and fiction. Glaspell came from humble beginnings and went on to study at Drake Uni versity and the University of Chicago. Much of Glaspell s work dealt with the relationships between men and women and the negative effects they have on women. In Glaspell s play Trifles, it is revealed that the operations of patriarchy are just an illusion that men have created to make themselves feel superior to womenRead MoreSusan Glaspell s Trifles 1577 Words   |  7 Pagesfeminism are published. One of those is ‘Trifles’ by Susan Glaspell as the American feminist movement addressed feminism at that time (Manuel, 57). There are several factors in Trifles representing the disadvantages of absence of feminism and the importance of feminism such as setting and situation. First, the setting, a first factor, implies the importance of feminism. In Trifles, the main setting is an isolated rural farmhouse. From the line 9 in Trifles, Mr.Hale mentioned the husband as a passiveRead MoreSusan Glaspell s Trifles 3309 Words   |  14 Pagesit’s all just a different kind of the same thing† (561) is a line spoken in Susan Glaspell’s play, Trifles. Writers look at the world around them and envision the way it should be. They take bits and pieces of their life’s landscape, add a liberal dose of surreal ideology and finally toss in human oppressions. To that end, the writer hopes to create a memorable character that can touch the human soul for eternity. Susan Glaspell, a writer in the early twentieth century, lived during a time when womenRead MoreSusan Glaspell s Trifles Essay1460 Words   |  6 PagesAn Analysis of Susan Glaspell Trifles The play, Trifles by Susan Glaspell shows her preoccupation with gender and sex roles as notions of culture. The author is spells out the treatment of women as mere trifles in the society, as less important when compared to men. This calls for the questioning of the role of both men and women in the society with regard to the value and devalue given to perspective and knowledge. The reader should thus realize that women have an important role to play in theRead MoreSusan Glaspell s Trifles Essay2025 Words   |  9 Pagescoming?† (Welty qtd. In Literature ). Trifles is a short play, by Susan Glaspell that was written in the 20th century when women were possession of the husband. The division between men and women in the play not just mentally or emotionally but it was also physically , and that symbolizes the different between genders at this time. Susan Glaspell shows that through her characters in this play. Glaspell uses the characters (Mr. Wright and Mrs. Wright) to prove how men wereRead MoreSusan Glaspell s `` Trifles ``924 Words   |  4 Pagesher hope for children, leaving her baron in her womb and her heart. He was a control maniac and demanded power in every aspect of this poor woman’s life; No Children, No Song, No Friends; she had nothing, which meant nothing to lose. In Susan Glaspell’s drama, â€Å"Trifles†, we explore the gender inequality between men and women of that time and why that has such a large influence on the murder investigation. The women in this novel and of this time period seemed to have hope pre-marriage, Mrs. WrightRead MoreAn Analysis Of Susan Glaspell s Trifles 983 Words   |  4 Pagespreconception someone makes based on gender, race, or religion that in this case is by gender, and affects women based on their expected gender roles. Women endlessly have expectations that go along with being a wife, mother, or simply a female. In Trifles by Susan Glaspell, 1955 by Alice Walker, and Girl by Jamaica Kincaid women are stereotyped by men and told to follow unwritten but expected roles such as being seen and not heard. As well as how they present themselves, their behavior, and tasks they needRead MoreSusan Glaspell s The Play Trifles1410 Words   |  6 Pages The play Trifles by Susan Glaspell is a very powerful play that conveys a strong meaning to the audience. The meaning that Susan Glaspell conveys through this play is the importance of women to stick together and rise up against the suppression of their gender. This message can be felt strongly while reading this play. Susan Glaspell does an outstanding job incorporating this message into an interesting, captivating plot. This play was written around the time where woman’s social equality wasRead MoreSusan Glaspell s Play Trifles870 Words   |  4 PagesIn the Susan Glaspell s play Trifles, gender plays a huge roll in everyday life. Trifles is an exemplary example of the war between male and female. It creates a scene where women are less deserving than the men. Women are used as stepping stones or told to remain dedicated to the male power. Females are the lesser creatures compared to the men who have the power. The play paints a scene where women are in compliance to this unwritten code of conduct expected for them. Towards the end of the play