Current Events in Public Health Leadership and the Fiedler Contingency Assignment - 1

Current Events in Public Health Leadership and the Fiedler Contingency Theory - Assignment Example In adults, pertussis is starting as a cough but is ending up as a persistent cough (CDPH, 2014). The response of the department exemplifies the tenets of Fielder’s contingency theory. The director of the California Department of Public Health (CPDH) has acted by mobilizing his subordinates to launch a statewide campaign against the epidemic. The harmony with which the response has taken off demonstrates the good relationship that exists between the leader and his juniors. For example, some juniors have gone to local health departments and they are coordinating vaccination activities with physicians. They are providing a link between the physician in the grassroots with CDPH so that to ensure that there are enough supplies of the vaccines. Just as in Fielder’s theory, Dr Ron Chapman, the director of CDPH, comes across as a leader who can exercise control. He has been quoted assertively clarifying the rumours that the epidemic has killed people already (Kapur & Smith, 2011). An important observation that is in line with Fielder’s contingency theory is that Dr Chapman is using a task-motivated interaction with his subordinates. This is seen in the way the director has emphasized the nature of the epidemic and how fast it is spreading rather than his relationship with his subordinates. Based on his perception of the high volatility of the epidemic, Dr Chapman has taken a multisectoral approach to curbing the effects of the disease. Schools are one of the sectors that he has deployed some subordinates to sensitize teachers and students about pertussis and the available resources such as vaccine stations. He has directed others to work with media outlets in order to disseminate accurate information about the progress of the epidemic and about the actions that are being taken to curb its spread (Clements, 2009). The emphasis that Dr Chapman has demonstrated on the task of curbing pertussis shows that he has a low score on the least preferred co-worker.     

Free Speech on the Internet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Free Speech on the Internet - Essay Example These varying ideas and opinions provide the uninformed with a wide range of possibilities and sufficient grounds to make their own judgement. Hence freedom of speech, in this context, must remain untied with restrictions and laws. The criticism against freedom of speech is the fact that people may use this right in order to defame other people, develop controversies, provide an easy platform to make sex talks and the like common and negatively change people’s arguments. The criticisers believe that restrictions must be imposed in order to protect people’s privacy and reputation from the abusers of this freedom. The justification to their criticism is the increasing debates over political, social and religious issues. The increasing conflicts and worsening law and order situation provide them with the chance to stand against such freedom. In my opinion, all these arguments are, to a great extent, baseless. Milton describes in Areopagitica two kinds of people: the prudent ones and others who are imprudent. Prudent class of people are able to distinguish between good and bad, reasonable and unreasonable; imprudent, on the other hand, are unaffected by any judgements. In other words, we may say that prudent class has the power to analyze, asses and judge every event, claim or argument; whereas, imprudent do not have their own opinion and they lack the power of expressing and judging. Hence, imprudent remain unaffected by the opinions and expressions of others and prudent accept the claims only if they have any instance of truth in them. Moreover, it is also a noticeable fact, that any restrictions on freedom of speech may keep people from exposing the truth which is against society, political system or well-known personalities. In conclusion, we may say that freedom of speech is a right of people and must not be violated by unnecessary laws and regulations either in real life or on internet. Freedom

Effect of Business and Management on SACCOs

Effect of Business and Management on SACCOs The background gives a brief history of the savings and credit cooperative societies, highlights its importance to the society and touches on the problems that have influenced its performance of its roles and finally on the possible solutions or causes of actions. This preambles the statement of the problem, the purpose, significance, scope and limitations of the study together with the research questions. 1.2 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY One of the basic principles of Cooperative Savings and Credit Movement is the belief in co-operation and mutual self help for the uplifting of members standards of living. Kussco(2006). Members with a common bond join hands to form those quasi-banks institutions. With finances mobilized through such joint efforts the savings and credit society members build up the capital which they can use through local arrangements to finance their own social as well as economic development. The traditional form of cooperation involved working together on farms, hunting and gathering. All people have basic needs of food, shelter, security and belonging. People would invite neighbors to come and give a hand. Also people did not have money and resources, which enables individuals to employ people or machinery to do the work for them. In any community cooperation usually exists in the form of associations of people who come together as a group driven by their social and economic needs in order to cope with their problems and improve their conditions of living MOCD (2006) According to Odepo and Nyawinda (2004) , savings and credit cooperatives societies (commonly referred to as SACCOs), accept monthly payments for shares from which, members may borrow an amount equivalent to two or three times their own savings if they can get other members to guarantee them. They say that growth in SACCOs in the last twenty years has been spectacular. According to statistics from Kenya Union Of Savings and Credit Cooperative societies   (KUSCCO), the number of SACCOs rose from 630 in 1978 to 3,870 by the end of October 2002 while savings and share capital rose from Kshs. 375 million   in 1978 to Kshs. 80billion by 2003. Credit outreach similarly recorded significantly, having risen from 357 million in 1978 to kshs. 70 billion by 2003. Saccos active members numbered over 1.5 million by 2002 having risen from 378,500 members in 1978. Their rapid growth indicate that they have filled a need which had not been made by the financial institutions. Of the Kshs. 110 bill ion in the current share capital and deposits held by cooperatives, the statistics show that Kshs. 90 billion has been lent out to customers. However, the recent statistics from the ministry of cooperative development and marketing shows the position as below The internal management principles need to be enforced strongly to improve efficiency of collections, and even perhaps consider insuring the loans in case of demise of member loaned. The Sacco movement has the capacity to propel the economic lives of the citizens if indeed it is well managed. Its principles of democratic management, voluntary membership and common bond give it the base to take its members to new heights. The movement has been a boon for this country and many people would not be where they are now were it not for the harvests of the opportunities sowed in the garden of the movement. It mobilizes savings and finance and penetrates to areas not valued by other financial institutions, while serving special needs of members. The prospects for the industry are so huge. By identifying the fact that the easiest source of funding is the locally mobilized savings, the saccos should come up with innovative ideas to encourage the members of the common bond to save, as a first step. Other sources of funds like the cooperative bank, which all the saccos have a stake in, should be considered exhaustively. Besides they should think outside the box and get organi zations willing to empower members economically by allowing loans at a rate less than what saccos offer to its members. The saccos umbrella body- Kussco- has a fund to assist the member saccos when they are in need of the funds   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ( www.kusco.com) Saccos face numerous challenges that hinder the exploitation of their full potential. Mudibo(2005) raised concerns on the calibre of leaders who run saccos noting that since these are voluntary organizations, members can elect anybody they like, who may not necessarily have the skills to run a sacco. He suggested that before a member is elected, he should have certain number of shares so that he has something to loose if he mismanages the sacco. Non remittance and delayed remittance of cooperative dues by employers has led to inconveniences and loss of income by the societies. New rules have however provided stiff penalties for errant employers. Members are also at risk due to HIV/AIDS and ways to attract new members are required. Ngumo (2005), in his article the cooperative movement in Kenya; the eagle that wont fly Nairobi, Kenya institute of management raises several unsettled issues affecting the saccos. First the government should decide on whether to control or facilitate the cooperatives. Cooperative roles should be re-emphasized. One member one vote should be questioned. Instead he suggests the policy of one share one vote. Still, ownership and control should be de-linked for good corporate governance. Then business strategies need further scrutiny before implementation. He concludes that it will be sad for Kenyans to compose a eulogy for the movement after all this time. He said; We cannot milk a cow, refuse to feed it, cry that it was wonderful cow and blame God for its demise. According to National Micro and Small Enterprise (MSE) Baseline Survey (1999/2000), Kenya has a relatively well developed banking and formal financial sector. This consists of the Central Bank, 43 commercial banks, 16 non-bank financial institutions, 2 mortgage finance companies, 4 building societies , 8 developed financial institutions about 3870 cooperative savings and credit societies, 38 insurance companies, the Nairobi stock exchange and venture capital companies. The survey further indicates that nearly 89.6% of MSEs had never received credit and other financial services. Table 1.2 Sources of credit   to MSEs in Kenya 2000 Source: National MSE Baseline survey 1999/2000 (CBS, K-rep and ICEG) The unserved credit needs portrayed by the statistics in the table 1.2 in the background section above signifies a wealth of opportunities untapped by all the financial institutions. The proof of the existence of market implies that a lot needs to be done to raise what it takes to serve a market. The most basic need is the finance to lend in a discipline way. Voluntary savings from members is therefore imperative. Saccos abilities to improve their members wealth is determined by a number of factors, among them is the funding levels due to members marginal propensity to save, contributions; remittance by the employers, legal and regulatory framework, internal management principles and practices (e.g customer service, marketing, dividend / interest payment etc) amongst other factors. These factors level of influence on saccos ability to perform captured the attention of the researcher. It was the intention of the researcher to examine them and possibly recommend on the best way to miti gate the underlying challenges and take advantage of the available opportunities by exploiting existing strengths. Voluntary deposits / savings as a source of commercial finance for micro credit institution have generated a lot of interest and debate in recent years. Locally mobilized voluntary savings is potentially the largest and the most immediately available source of finance for some micro credit institutions, most of all the saccos. Bearing this in mind, one is left to wonder what is hindering the saccos from prosperity, given the access to its resources and the wealth of its opportunities. The purpose of this research is to broaden the discussion of what, when, why and how a sacco should use its resources, get the right framework, apply effective policies for improvement of the wealth of its members. Getting these elements right is a crucial part of meeting the demand for the unmet credit needs. The researcher will also seek to bridge the gap that exist between Saccos that have exemplary performance in their services to members and excellent returns and some others which barely afford to offer loans, leave alone dividends. According to Armstrong, performance is often defined in output terms the achievement of quantified objectives. But performance is a matter not only of what people achieve but how they achieve it. High performance result from appropriate behaviour, especially discretionary behaviour, and the effective use of the required knowledge, skills and competencies. 1.3 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Quite a number of Saccos e.g TENA sacco, have a long string of pending loan applications from members SACCO star ( 2006) . Some saccos pay out little or no dividends/ interests on members savings. Some others still have a low loan multiplier and / or limited concurrent loans compared to some well performing counterparts e.g Stima Sacco, Sacco star,(2006)- which has even started ATM services for FOSA customers and manages to advance more that three times the members deposits, can give up to four concurrent loans without closing any applications for the year and gives loans almost immediately it is applied for by the member , (mwaura (2004). Among the major problems hindering this is the unavailability of much needed cash to lend, when it is required. This therefore causes a mismatch in the availability of funds and the demand for loans. Other reasons could be poor investment decisions or lack of investment opportunities or delayed cash flow from employers/ members among others. Rutherford (1999) wrote that funding these large sums of money is the main management problem. The only reliable and sustainable way is to build them from savings. Saving- making a choice not to consume- is thus the fundamental and unavoidable first step in money management, without which financial services cannot operate. The poor themselves recognize the need to build savings into lump sums and contrary to the popular belief, the poor want to save and try to save, and all poor people except those who are entirely outside the cash economy can save something, no matter how small, When poor people do not save, it is for luck of opportunity rather for lack of understanding or of will. Most of the saccos have succeeded in mobilization of savings from members. Inspite of this, still they have a huge backlog in terms of loans advanced to members (Sacco star, 2005). Furthermore, most of the saccos pay little dividends/interests on deposits or none at all, in-spite of trading with the deposits/savings. It was therefore the intention of the researcher to seek to establish the determinants of saccos capabilities to improve its members well being. 1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY Main Objective The main purpose of this study was to investigate and refine our understanding of the major factors that determine the performance of saccos to enable them maximize their members wealth. Specific objective Specifically, the study sought: To find out the extend to which the nature of business/ check off system affects performance of SACCOs To establish the relationship between management practices and performance of SACCOs To examine the level of education and training of general members, committee members staff and their effects on performance of SACCOs To determine if long term investment affects performance of SACCOs 1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS To what extent does the nature of business/ check off system affect performance of SACCOs? Do management practices affect performance of SACCOs? Is education and training of general members, committee members staff a factor that affects the performance of SACCOs? Does long term investment affect the performance of SACCOs? 1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY This study is aimed at developing an understanding on major factors determining the accessibility to funds to process and dispense all loan requisitions in time by saccos in Kenya. It is seeking to examine and underscore the salient principles that have a bearing in the success in similar or related areas of focus, and hence suggest ways and means of overcoming failure. The study is aimed at benefiting, among others, the management teams. These are the people entrusted by the members to take care of their interests in saccos. They will study to understand and improve on policy setting and implementation for overall sustainability of the sector. The entire sacco membership will also get enlightened. The members of the common bond will appreciate their role in sustaining their welfare through sacco as a vehicle. They will be more willing to take a center role instead of quiting when they feel their interests are not being taken care of by the people they entrusted them with. It will also benefit the sacco staff/secretariate; these are the people who get their daily bread from the sacco. They will understand their role in the growth of the organization, hence acting to secure their source of livelihood. It will also be of good use to the government department in charge of cooperatives. The report will bring to light issues requiring framework and only them can attend to for the overall sustainability of the sacco industry. Finally other researchers in this area will find this useful. They will get recommendations for further research from this study. The beneficiaries will have access to the information on the findings from the compiled report. The final report will be available in selected major libraries, organized groups, especially the respondents will get a copy of the report on the findings. 1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY This studys scope was the saccos based in Eldoret. The researcher selected a suitable sample from the population by purposive convenience sampling. According to the statistics from MOCD/M, there are about 10 such saccos within Eldoret town. About 40 % of the population (4 saccos) were covered by the study. The study targeted the members of the central management committee (CMC) in the selected SACCOs. CHAPTER TWO 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction to literature review This section contains literature that has been reviewed and continues to be reviewed relating to the problem. Literature review involves locating, reading and evaluating reports of previous studies, observations and opinions relating to the planned study. It therefore enables the researcher to know what has been done in the particular field of study, makes one aware of what has been made and what challenges remain, and gives suggestions on the variables and procedures that could be used. Literature review logically leads to objectives on the study. 2.2 Past studies in the area 2.2.1 Background information According to Mwaura (2005) sessional paper No. 4 of 1987 on renewed growth through the cooperative movement highlighted the significance of the movement in national development. By this time there were 3500 registered cooperatives with more than 2million members and an annual turnover greater than 6billion. The paper noted that one in every two Kenyans derived its livelihood from the cooperative either directly or indirectly. The cooperative movement in Kenya is reputed to be the most advanced in the African continent. The Kenya Nordic agreement of 1967led to the establishment of the Cooperative college of Kenya at Langata, which is the main training ground for both ministry staff and the movement employees. According to MOCD (2002) the first Savings and credit Cooperatives in Kenya were started in the sixties. The Government annual economic survey shows that as at December 2002 there were more than 2,400 active SACCOS with membership in excess of 1.5 million people. Share capital stood at Kshs. 65 billion while outstanding loans were Kshs. 59 billion.. The structure of the cooperative movement in Kenya comprises of four tiers. These include the primary societies, secondary cooperatives, tertiary cooperatives and nationwide cooperatives. The Kenya Federal of Cooperatives (KNFC) is the only apex society in the movement. It was formed with an objective of promoting, developing, guiding, assisting and upholding ideas of the cooperative principles. KNFC is the link between cooperatives in Kenya and the international cooperative alliance. Of special mention here is the African Confederation of Cooperative Savings and Credit Associations (ACCOSCA), which is registered under the Societies Act, Chapter 108 of the laws of Kenya. Its area of operation is Africa and the adjacent islands. Its head-quarters is in Nairobi. It has twenty five affiliated organizations. It is affiliated to the International Cooperative Alliance through its members in the world council of Credit Unions (WOCCU). According to the cooperative Societies Act (Cap 490), persons desirous of forming a cooperative society must fill the prescribed form from the commissioner for cooperatives. It requires that at least ten members will sign the form, though for savings and credit the commissioner has been asked for more people. The form requires that the society makes its by-laws. For ease of convenience the commissioner has prepared model by-laws for the cooperative societies. The societies are nevertheless free to change these or come up with their own by-laws. The by-laws must detail the following; the name of the society, objects of the society, purposes to which its funds may be applied, disposal of surplus funds, qualifications for membership and terms and conditions of admission of members. For savings and credit cooperatives, the following are also includes, the rate of interest, the maximum amount loan-able, extension, renewal and recovery of loans and the consequences of default in the repayment of any sums due. On receipt of the application form the office of the commissioner will register the cooperative society on the advice of the cooperative officer in charge of the area of operation. Chapter 490 provides that no companies registered under the companys Act or any un-incorporated body of persons shall become a member of a registered society except with the written permission of the commissioner. It also provides that no person can join more than one cooperative society with unlimited liability. A member may nevertheless be allowed to join two or more cooperatives with limited liability if the two are in different areas of operation. A cooperative society just like a company, may be registered with or without limited liability. The commissioner has power to refuse to register a cooperative society. Nevertheless, the refusal must be given to the applicants in writing. Applicants can appeal to the minister for cooperative developments and finally to the high court. The commissioner may register the cooperative either provisionally or fully. A provision registration is given where some requirements for registration have not been met. The applicants are given a period o f one year to satisfy all conditions. A provisionally registered cooperative society may act as a fully registered in all ways. Upon registration such a cooperative society is deemed to have been registered on the date of the provisional registration. Upon registration a society becomes a body of corporate. According to Ouma(1980), the term cooperative in its widest sense simply means working together. In this context cooperation is as old as mankind and exists wherever the human family is found. Indeed such cooperation exists among animals, insects, bees and ants. Thus cooperation generally means working together for a common purpose. Thus group effort through traditional form of cooperation may be traced in all communities of the world. However its narrow sense as a movement, it means an association of people whose purpose for group work yields good results not only for the members but to the community in general and even to the humanity at large. Cooperative is a business organization by profit, but rather the result of mutual association whose objective is equitable economic betterment of man and the society in which he lives. According to the MOCD, cooperatives are regulated by a set of principals. These principles were formulated by a group of people who lived in a village in England known as Rochdale, and they are therefore referred to as Rochdale pioneers. They formed the first successful cooperative society   in 1884. This society which was a consumer cooperative society was formed in 1844 when Britain was undergoing industrial revolution. As a result of the revolution, a lot of people lost their jobs in the factories as machines were introduced to replace them. In addition to this there was general lack of credit and supply of essential commodities like salt, sugar, flour and cooking fat. Businessmen also took advantage of this situation and started offering impure products at high prices. It is against this background that Rochdale Pioneers decided to draw up some sort of principles which would guide their operation as cooperative society.   These principles were intended for the regulation of cooperative society as indicated by the great stress on the sale of pure products and the sale of goods for cash only. It was therefore found necessary to formulate the principles for adoption by other types of cooperatives. The International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) Commission of 1966 adopted the following principles which are genuine for the running of a genuine cooperative society:- Open and voluntary membership, democratic administration (one man, one vote), limited interest on share capital, payments of dividends and bonuses to members, promotion of education and cooperation with other cooperatives at local national and international levels. According to Ouma (1980), the traditional cooperatives have been in existence in Kenya, as it has been elsewhere, from time immemorial. Examples of such cooperative practices are to be found in Kenya. The group association is normally based on lineage according to the natural geographic environment in which the members of the group are born. This is usually based on clan or people who live within the same village. It can be stated with fair amount of certainty that the   traditional forms of cooperation do generally speaking, form the basis for the establishment of modern cooperative organizations. There is for instance in Luo, Saga whereby a group of people do ploughing, weeding or harvest for each member of the group in turn. In Kwath, members of the group look after their cattle together for three or more days consecutively, in turn. In Kikuyu there is what is called ngwatio (Mwethya in Kamba) whereby members of the group get together to build houses for themselves, each member of the group breinging what is required for the construction e.g. grass and poles. When the first house is completed then the members start on the next one. In Kisii, there is what is called obituary wherby men go on a job hunting exercise, and when they kill an animal, they will either divide it or take it home (village) where it mis cooked and eaten communally by all the villagers. Among the Kalenjin there is the practice of Kokwet wherby a group of people   would go out to harvest or weed the garden of their members in turn. The Kalenjin also have Loget whereby the men   go in a joint   effort to kill animals for food. According to Ouma(1980), practically all the ethnic groups in this country, whether small or big, has since time immemorial practiced mutual association in order to satisfy their needs socially, economically or otherwise. It is also necessary to point out that in the traditional forms of cooperatives, in contrast to the modern cooperatives, members had a great sense of commitment and belonging.. They had mutual trust and   were voluntarily involved in their activities and affairs.. It is of course not possible and it may not be expected that with the development of cosmopolitan populations consisting of different ethnic groups and tribes that members can still hold   together without some form of regulations. Hence the necessity to resort to legal reinforcement and education in order to develop efficient cooperative organizations. Although these associations of group effort could be deemed self help which is infect a for of cooperative , it is nevertheless true to say that the modern cooperative movement, born in Kenya during the beginning of twentieth century owed much of the cooperative idea to these earlier practices. It is also true that the modern cooperative associations in this country took a different approach and   mainly because of expediency. Its founders the British settlers- merely wanted to use it as a cheap means of business for easy profit making. They never spontaneously involved the indigenous people who already were familiar with cooperative effort. The early settlers were beset by very many problems as regards their agricultural activities. For instance prices for Agricultural products were very low, transport of the agricultural inputs and outputs to the markets by each individual settler were classical nightmares. Therefore this new system of farming with its large scale production caused the needs for associations by the few European farmers who undoubtedly had conceived the cooperative idea from the British cooperative movement back home. It will of course be recalled that the formal and successful cooperative organisations started in Britain in 1844. In 1908, they resolved to join together at a place called Lumbwa and formed Lumbwa cooperative Society Ltd. Although not registered as such under any cooperative Societies Act, it is deemed to be one of the modern cooperatives in Kenya. The main objective was to purchase merchandise; i.e. fertilizers, chemical seeds, and other agricultural inputs through collective effort, and to market their produce collectively thus taking advantage of the economy of scale. It would appear quite clear at this point that cooperatives in Kenya did not start as a poor mans defensive weapon against the exploitation by the middlemen, as it had started in Europe and elsewhere. It was on the contrary an easier means to enable the white settlers to receive high returns from their agricultural produce. Thus it was rather an economic necessity for the well to do and not the ordinary man with little or no means at all. It will be remembered that during this time, there was no cooperative societies ordinance to regulate and to assist the management of these cooperative efforts in Kenya. It is also not clear whether or   not Lumbwa Cooperative society ltd was registered even under the companies Act, otherwise calling it a co-operative society was misleading. However one thing remains certain, and that is that the settlers wanted to maximize their profits by trading under the pretext of a co-operative organisation, thereby enjoying its privileges. According to Ouma (1980) many self help groups, most of which were very small and un-economic, were started all over the country. But these were not economically viable and consequently had to be amalgamated into larger economic units. These were for instance Kenya farmers association (co-operatives), Kenya planters co-operative union, Kenya cooperative creameries and Horticultural cooperative union. It is a fact that these institutions formed the backbone and the base for formal cooperative movement in this country. These initial cooperative ventures in Kenya were unfortunately not quite in the spirit of the Rochdale Pioneer Cooperative Society. They never for example, observed the principle of membership, for no African could participate in it until later. The need to form formal cooperative organisations arose when some African peasant farmers realized that they were being exploited, especially by the Asian traders who were paying very low prices for their agricultural produce. As early as in the 1930s there were attempts to form cooperatives by the indigenous people of Kenya, in spite of lack of proper guidance. Of these early attempts two examples can be mentioned here, The Taita vegetable company and the Kisii coffee Growers cooperative. The farmers had 239 members and bought 3 lorries at the cost of $1170 out of the profits made from the operations. The group was producing, grading, transporting and selling on the mombasa market over 900,000Lbs of vegetables a year and the growers received over $4,500 out of a gross selling price of $ 6300. This was indeed too substantial an enterprise to be left without a legal basis. It was later registered as cooperative society. The Kisii coffee growers Association which was able to raise from the sale of its coffee a sum of $2470 of which   $1240 was paid out to the 251 members who had cultivated only 159 acres, but had already accumulated a surplus of $1065. In 1994, the British Colonial Office in London appointed Mr. W.K.H Campbell to come to investigate the possibilities of African participation in the cooperative organisations. He carried out his investigations by touring and visiting many towns and districts in the republic of Kenya and talking to the people. After all his investigations Mr. Campbell submitted his recommendations that subject to availability of capable staff attempts to organise cooperatives were worth while. It was also during this time that the first African Mr. Eliud Mathu was nominated to the legislative assembly, as the Kenya parliament was called then. He demanded in parliament and such people as Ex chief Koinange from outside, that the Government should come out openly to encourage African participation in the cooperative movement. It was as a result of Campbells recommendation that the cooperative societies (Registration) Amendment, Ordinance of 1932 was repealed and the cooperative societies Ordinance of 1945 was enacted under Cap. 287. It was as a result of this new ordinance that the department of cooperatives was created, although it was placed under different ministries at various times. Consequent to the establishment of the department, a registrar ( now called commissioner for cooperative Development) was appointed and together with his staff was responsible for registration and promotion of cooperative societies in the country. The 1945 cooperative societies ordinance further gave the registrar certain powers over cooperative societies, for example refusal to register a cooperative society, cancellation of certificate of registration, to audit societys books of accounts, authority to inspect books of society, authority to settle disputes in cooperat Effect of Business and Management on SACCOs Effect of Business and Management on SACCOs The background gives a brief history of the savings and credit cooperative societies, highlights its importance to the society and touches on the problems that have influenced its performance of its roles and finally on the possible solutions or causes of actions. This preambles the statement of the problem, the purpose, significance, scope and limitations of the study together with the research questions. 1.2 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY One of the basic principles of Cooperative Savings and Credit Movement is the belief in co-operation and mutual self help for the uplifting of members standards of living. Kussco(2006). Members with a common bond join hands to form those quasi-banks institutions. With finances mobilized through such joint efforts the savings and credit society members build up the capital which they can use through local arrangements to finance their own social as well as economic development. The traditional form of cooperation involved working together on farms, hunting and gathering. All people have basic needs of food, shelter, security and belonging. People would invite neighbors to come and give a hand. Also people did not have money and resources, which enables individuals to employ people or machinery to do the work for them. In any community cooperation usually exists in the form of associations of people who come together as a group driven by their social and economic needs in order to cope with their problems and improve their conditions of living MOCD (2006) According to Odepo and Nyawinda (2004) , savings and credit cooperatives societies (commonly referred to as SACCOs), accept monthly payments for shares from which, members may borrow an amount equivalent to two or three times their own savings if they can get other members to guarantee them. They say that growth in SACCOs in the last twenty years has been spectacular. According to statistics from Kenya Union Of Savings and Credit Cooperative societies   (KUSCCO), the number of SACCOs rose from 630 in 1978 to 3,870 by the end of October 2002 while savings and share capital rose from Kshs. 375 million   in 1978 to Kshs. 80billion by 2003. Credit outreach similarly recorded significantly, having risen from 357 million in 1978 to kshs. 70 billion by 2003. Saccos active members numbered over 1.5 million by 2002 having risen from 378,500 members in 1978. Their rapid growth indicate that they have filled a need which had not been made by the financial institutions. Of the Kshs. 110 bill ion in the current share capital and deposits held by cooperatives, the statistics show that Kshs. 90 billion has been lent out to customers. However, the recent statistics from the ministry of cooperative development and marketing shows the position as below The internal management principles need to be enforced strongly to improve efficiency of collections, and even perhaps consider insuring the loans in case of demise of member loaned. The Sacco movement has the capacity to propel the economic lives of the citizens if indeed it is well managed. Its principles of democratic management, voluntary membership and common bond give it the base to take its members to new heights. The movement has been a boon for this country and many people would not be where they are now were it not for the harvests of the opportunities sowed in the garden of the movement. It mobilizes savings and finance and penetrates to areas not valued by other financial institutions, while serving special needs of members. The prospects for the industry are so huge. By identifying the fact that the easiest source of funding is the locally mobilized savings, the saccos should come up with innovative ideas to encourage the members of the common bond to save, as a first step. Other sources of funds like the cooperative bank, which all the saccos have a stake in, should be considered exhaustively. Besides they should think outside the box and get organi zations willing to empower members economically by allowing loans at a rate less than what saccos offer to its members. The saccos umbrella body- Kussco- has a fund to assist the member saccos when they are in need of the funds   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ( www.kusco.com) Saccos face numerous challenges that hinder the exploitation of their full potential. Mudibo(2005) raised concerns on the calibre of leaders who run saccos noting that since these are voluntary organizations, members can elect anybody they like, who may not necessarily have the skills to run a sacco. He suggested that before a member is elected, he should have certain number of shares so that he has something to loose if he mismanages the sacco. Non remittance and delayed remittance of cooperative dues by employers has led to inconveniences and loss of income by the societies. New rules have however provided stiff penalties for errant employers. Members are also at risk due to HIV/AIDS and ways to attract new members are required. Ngumo (2005), in his article the cooperative movement in Kenya; the eagle that wont fly Nairobi, Kenya institute of management raises several unsettled issues affecting the saccos. First the government should decide on whether to control or facilitate the cooperatives. Cooperative roles should be re-emphasized. One member one vote should be questioned. Instead he suggests the policy of one share one vote. Still, ownership and control should be de-linked for good corporate governance. Then business strategies need further scrutiny before implementation. He concludes that it will be sad for Kenyans to compose a eulogy for the movement after all this time. He said; We cannot milk a cow, refuse to feed it, cry that it was wonderful cow and blame God for its demise. According to National Micro and Small Enterprise (MSE) Baseline Survey (1999/2000), Kenya has a relatively well developed banking and formal financial sector. This consists of the Central Bank, 43 commercial banks, 16 non-bank financial institutions, 2 mortgage finance companies, 4 building societies , 8 developed financial institutions about 3870 cooperative savings and credit societies, 38 insurance companies, the Nairobi stock exchange and venture capital companies. The survey further indicates that nearly 89.6% of MSEs had never received credit and other financial services. Table 1.2 Sources of credit   to MSEs in Kenya 2000 Source: National MSE Baseline survey 1999/2000 (CBS, K-rep and ICEG) The unserved credit needs portrayed by the statistics in the table 1.2 in the background section above signifies a wealth of opportunities untapped by all the financial institutions. The proof of the existence of market implies that a lot needs to be done to raise what it takes to serve a market. The most basic need is the finance to lend in a discipline way. Voluntary savings from members is therefore imperative. Saccos abilities to improve their members wealth is determined by a number of factors, among them is the funding levels due to members marginal propensity to save, contributions; remittance by the employers, legal and regulatory framework, internal management principles and practices (e.g customer service, marketing, dividend / interest payment etc) amongst other factors. These factors level of influence on saccos ability to perform captured the attention of the researcher. It was the intention of the researcher to examine them and possibly recommend on the best way to miti gate the underlying challenges and take advantage of the available opportunities by exploiting existing strengths. Voluntary deposits / savings as a source of commercial finance for micro credit institution have generated a lot of interest and debate in recent years. Locally mobilized voluntary savings is potentially the largest and the most immediately available source of finance for some micro credit institutions, most of all the saccos. Bearing this in mind, one is left to wonder what is hindering the saccos from prosperity, given the access to its resources and the wealth of its opportunities. The purpose of this research is to broaden the discussion of what, when, why and how a sacco should use its resources, get the right framework, apply effective policies for improvement of the wealth of its members. Getting these elements right is a crucial part of meeting the demand for the unmet credit needs. The researcher will also seek to bridge the gap that exist between Saccos that have exemplary performance in their services to members and excellent returns and some others which barely afford to offer loans, leave alone dividends. According to Armstrong, performance is often defined in output terms the achievement of quantified objectives. But performance is a matter not only of what people achieve but how they achieve it. High performance result from appropriate behaviour, especially discretionary behaviour, and the effective use of the required knowledge, skills and competencies. 1.3 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Quite a number of Saccos e.g TENA sacco, have a long string of pending loan applications from members SACCO star ( 2006) . Some saccos pay out little or no dividends/ interests on members savings. Some others still have a low loan multiplier and / or limited concurrent loans compared to some well performing counterparts e.g Stima Sacco, Sacco star,(2006)- which has even started ATM services for FOSA customers and manages to advance more that three times the members deposits, can give up to four concurrent loans without closing any applications for the year and gives loans almost immediately it is applied for by the member , (mwaura (2004). Among the major problems hindering this is the unavailability of much needed cash to lend, when it is required. This therefore causes a mismatch in the availability of funds and the demand for loans. Other reasons could be poor investment decisions or lack of investment opportunities or delayed cash flow from employers/ members among others. Rutherford (1999) wrote that funding these large sums of money is the main management problem. The only reliable and sustainable way is to build them from savings. Saving- making a choice not to consume- is thus the fundamental and unavoidable first step in money management, without which financial services cannot operate. The poor themselves recognize the need to build savings into lump sums and contrary to the popular belief, the poor want to save and try to save, and all poor people except those who are entirely outside the cash economy can save something, no matter how small, When poor people do not save, it is for luck of opportunity rather for lack of understanding or of will. Most of the saccos have succeeded in mobilization of savings from members. Inspite of this, still they have a huge backlog in terms of loans advanced to members (Sacco star, 2005). Furthermore, most of the saccos pay little dividends/interests on deposits or none at all, in-spite of trading with the deposits/savings. It was therefore the intention of the researcher to seek to establish the determinants of saccos capabilities to improve its members well being. 1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY Main Objective The main purpose of this study was to investigate and refine our understanding of the major factors that determine the performance of saccos to enable them maximize their members wealth. Specific objective Specifically, the study sought: To find out the extend to which the nature of business/ check off system affects performance of SACCOs To establish the relationship between management practices and performance of SACCOs To examine the level of education and training of general members, committee members staff and their effects on performance of SACCOs To determine if long term investment affects performance of SACCOs 1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS To what extent does the nature of business/ check off system affect performance of SACCOs? Do management practices affect performance of SACCOs? Is education and training of general members, committee members staff a factor that affects the performance of SACCOs? Does long term investment affect the performance of SACCOs? 1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY This study is aimed at developing an understanding on major factors determining the accessibility to funds to process and dispense all loan requisitions in time by saccos in Kenya. It is seeking to examine and underscore the salient principles that have a bearing in the success in similar or related areas of focus, and hence suggest ways and means of overcoming failure. The study is aimed at benefiting, among others, the management teams. These are the people entrusted by the members to take care of their interests in saccos. They will study to understand and improve on policy setting and implementation for overall sustainability of the sector. The entire sacco membership will also get enlightened. The members of the common bond will appreciate their role in sustaining their welfare through sacco as a vehicle. They will be more willing to take a center role instead of quiting when they feel their interests are not being taken care of by the people they entrusted them with. It will also benefit the sacco staff/secretariate; these are the people who get their daily bread from the sacco. They will understand their role in the growth of the organization, hence acting to secure their source of livelihood. It will also be of good use to the government department in charge of cooperatives. The report will bring to light issues requiring framework and only them can attend to for the overall sustainability of the sacco industry. Finally other researchers in this area will find this useful. They will get recommendations for further research from this study. The beneficiaries will have access to the information on the findings from the compiled report. The final report will be available in selected major libraries, organized groups, especially the respondents will get a copy of the report on the findings. 1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY This studys scope was the saccos based in Eldoret. The researcher selected a suitable sample from the population by purposive convenience sampling. According to the statistics from MOCD/M, there are about 10 such saccos within Eldoret town. About 40 % of the population (4 saccos) were covered by the study. The study targeted the members of the central management committee (CMC) in the selected SACCOs. CHAPTER TWO 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction to literature review This section contains literature that has been reviewed and continues to be reviewed relating to the problem. Literature review involves locating, reading and evaluating reports of previous studies, observations and opinions relating to the planned study. It therefore enables the researcher to know what has been done in the particular field of study, makes one aware of what has been made and what challenges remain, and gives suggestions on the variables and procedures that could be used. Literature review logically leads to objectives on the study. 2.2 Past studies in the area 2.2.1 Background information According to Mwaura (2005) sessional paper No. 4 of 1987 on renewed growth through the cooperative movement highlighted the significance of the movement in national development. By this time there were 3500 registered cooperatives with more than 2million members and an annual turnover greater than 6billion. The paper noted that one in every two Kenyans derived its livelihood from the cooperative either directly or indirectly. The cooperative movement in Kenya is reputed to be the most advanced in the African continent. The Kenya Nordic agreement of 1967led to the establishment of the Cooperative college of Kenya at Langata, which is the main training ground for both ministry staff and the movement employees. According to MOCD (2002) the first Savings and credit Cooperatives in Kenya were started in the sixties. The Government annual economic survey shows that as at December 2002 there were more than 2,400 active SACCOS with membership in excess of 1.5 million people. Share capital stood at Kshs. 65 billion while outstanding loans were Kshs. 59 billion.. The structure of the cooperative movement in Kenya comprises of four tiers. These include the primary societies, secondary cooperatives, tertiary cooperatives and nationwide cooperatives. The Kenya Federal of Cooperatives (KNFC) is the only apex society in the movement. It was formed with an objective of promoting, developing, guiding, assisting and upholding ideas of the cooperative principles. KNFC is the link between cooperatives in Kenya and the international cooperative alliance. Of special mention here is the African Confederation of Cooperative Savings and Credit Associations (ACCOSCA), which is registered under the Societies Act, Chapter 108 of the laws of Kenya. Its area of operation is Africa and the adjacent islands. Its head-quarters is in Nairobi. It has twenty five affiliated organizations. It is affiliated to the International Cooperative Alliance through its members in the world council of Credit Unions (WOCCU). According to the cooperative Societies Act (Cap 490), persons desirous of forming a cooperative society must fill the prescribed form from the commissioner for cooperatives. It requires that at least ten members will sign the form, though for savings and credit the commissioner has been asked for more people. The form requires that the society makes its by-laws. For ease of convenience the commissioner has prepared model by-laws for the cooperative societies. The societies are nevertheless free to change these or come up with their own by-laws. The by-laws must detail the following; the name of the society, objects of the society, purposes to which its funds may be applied, disposal of surplus funds, qualifications for membership and terms and conditions of admission of members. For savings and credit cooperatives, the following are also includes, the rate of interest, the maximum amount loan-able, extension, renewal and recovery of loans and the consequences of default in the repayment of any sums due. On receipt of the application form the office of the commissioner will register the cooperative society on the advice of the cooperative officer in charge of the area of operation. Chapter 490 provides that no companies registered under the companys Act or any un-incorporated body of persons shall become a member of a registered society except with the written permission of the commissioner. It also provides that no person can join more than one cooperative society with unlimited liability. A member may nevertheless be allowed to join two or more cooperatives with limited liability if the two are in different areas of operation. A cooperative society just like a company, may be registered with or without limited liability. The commissioner has power to refuse to register a cooperative society. Nevertheless, the refusal must be given to the applicants in writing. Applicants can appeal to the minister for cooperative developments and finally to the high court. The commissioner may register the cooperative either provisionally or fully. A provision registration is given where some requirements for registration have not been met. The applicants are given a period o f one year to satisfy all conditions. A provisionally registered cooperative society may act as a fully registered in all ways. Upon registration such a cooperative society is deemed to have been registered on the date of the provisional registration. Upon registration a society becomes a body of corporate. According to Ouma(1980), the term cooperative in its widest sense simply means working together. In this context cooperation is as old as mankind and exists wherever the human family is found. Indeed such cooperation exists among animals, insects, bees and ants. Thus cooperation generally means working together for a common purpose. Thus group effort through traditional form of cooperation may be traced in all communities of the world. However its narrow sense as a movement, it means an association of people whose purpose for group work yields good results not only for the members but to the community in general and even to the humanity at large. Cooperative is a business organization by profit, but rather the result of mutual association whose objective is equitable economic betterment of man and the society in which he lives. According to the MOCD, cooperatives are regulated by a set of principals. These principles were formulated by a group of people who lived in a village in England known as Rochdale, and they are therefore referred to as Rochdale pioneers. They formed the first successful cooperative society   in 1884. This society which was a consumer cooperative society was formed in 1844 when Britain was undergoing industrial revolution. As a result of the revolution, a lot of people lost their jobs in the factories as machines were introduced to replace them. In addition to this there was general lack of credit and supply of essential commodities like salt, sugar, flour and cooking fat. Businessmen also took advantage of this situation and started offering impure products at high prices. It is against this background that Rochdale Pioneers decided to draw up some sort of principles which would guide their operation as cooperative society.   These principles were intended for the regulation of cooperative society as indicated by the great stress on the sale of pure products and the sale of goods for cash only. It was therefore found necessary to formulate the principles for adoption by other types of cooperatives. The International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) Commission of 1966 adopted the following principles which are genuine for the running of a genuine cooperative society:- Open and voluntary membership, democratic administration (one man, one vote), limited interest on share capital, payments of dividends and bonuses to members, promotion of education and cooperation with other cooperatives at local national and international levels. According to Ouma (1980), the traditional cooperatives have been in existence in Kenya, as it has been elsewhere, from time immemorial. Examples of such cooperative practices are to be found in Kenya. The group association is normally based on lineage according to the natural geographic environment in which the members of the group are born. This is usually based on clan or people who live within the same village. It can be stated with fair amount of certainty that the   traditional forms of cooperation do generally speaking, form the basis for the establishment of modern cooperative organizations. There is for instance in Luo, Saga whereby a group of people do ploughing, weeding or harvest for each member of the group in turn. In Kwath, members of the group look after their cattle together for three or more days consecutively, in turn. In Kikuyu there is what is called ngwatio (Mwethya in Kamba) whereby members of the group get together to build houses for themselves, each member of the group breinging what is required for the construction e.g. grass and poles. When the first house is completed then the members start on the next one. In Kisii, there is what is called obituary wherby men go on a job hunting exercise, and when they kill an animal, they will either divide it or take it home (village) where it mis cooked and eaten communally by all the villagers. Among the Kalenjin there is the practice of Kokwet wherby a group of people   would go out to harvest or weed the garden of their members in turn. The Kalenjin also have Loget whereby the men   go in a joint   effort to kill animals for food. According to Ouma(1980), practically all the ethnic groups in this country, whether small or big, has since time immemorial practiced mutual association in order to satisfy their needs socially, economically or otherwise. It is also necessary to point out that in the traditional forms of cooperatives, in contrast to the modern cooperatives, members had a great sense of commitment and belonging.. They had mutual trust and   were voluntarily involved in their activities and affairs.. It is of course not possible and it may not be expected that with the development of cosmopolitan populations consisting of different ethnic groups and tribes that members can still hold   together without some form of regulations. Hence the necessity to resort to legal reinforcement and education in order to develop efficient cooperative organizations. Although these associations of group effort could be deemed self help which is infect a for of cooperative , it is nevertheless true to say that the modern cooperative movement, born in Kenya during the beginning of twentieth century owed much of the cooperative idea to these earlier practices. It is also true that the modern cooperative associations in this country took a different approach and   mainly because of expediency. Its founders the British settlers- merely wanted to use it as a cheap means of business for easy profit making. They never spontaneously involved the indigenous people who already were familiar with cooperative effort. The early settlers were beset by very many problems as regards their agricultural activities. For instance prices for Agricultural products were very low, transport of the agricultural inputs and outputs to the markets by each individual settler were classical nightmares. Therefore this new system of farming with its large scale production caused the needs for associations by the few European farmers who undoubtedly had conceived the cooperative idea from the British cooperative movement back home. It will of course be recalled that the formal and successful cooperative organisations started in Britain in 1844. In 1908, they resolved to join together at a place called Lumbwa and formed Lumbwa cooperative Society Ltd. Although not registered as such under any cooperative Societies Act, it is deemed to be one of the modern cooperatives in Kenya. The main objective was to purchase merchandise; i.e. fertilizers, chemical seeds, and other agricultural inputs through collective effort, and to market their produce collectively thus taking advantage of the economy of scale. It would appear quite clear at this point that cooperatives in Kenya did not start as a poor mans defensive weapon against the exploitation by the middlemen, as it had started in Europe and elsewhere. It was on the contrary an easier means to enable the white settlers to receive high returns from their agricultural produce. Thus it was rather an economic necessity for the well to do and not the ordinary man with little or no means at all. It will be remembered that during this time, there was no cooperative societies ordinance to regulate and to assist the management of these cooperative efforts in Kenya. It is also not clear whether or   not Lumbwa Cooperative society ltd was registered even under the companies Act, otherwise calling it a co-operative society was misleading. However one thing remains certain, and that is that the settlers wanted to maximize their profits by trading under the pretext of a co-operative organisation, thereby enjoying its privileges. According to Ouma (1980) many self help groups, most of which were very small and un-economic, were started all over the country. But these were not economically viable and consequently had to be amalgamated into larger economic units. These were for instance Kenya farmers association (co-operatives), Kenya planters co-operative union, Kenya cooperative creameries and Horticultural cooperative union. It is a fact that these institutions formed the backbone and the base for formal cooperative movement in this country. These initial cooperative ventures in Kenya were unfortunately not quite in the spirit of the Rochdale Pioneer Cooperative Society. They never for example, observed the principle of membership, for no African could participate in it until later. The need to form formal cooperative organisations arose when some African peasant farmers realized that they were being exploited, especially by the Asian traders who were paying very low prices for their agricultural produce. As early as in the 1930s there were attempts to form cooperatives by the indigenous people of Kenya, in spite of lack of proper guidance. Of these early attempts two examples can be mentioned here, The Taita vegetable company and the Kisii coffee Growers cooperative. The farmers had 239 members and bought 3 lorries at the cost of $1170 out of the profits made from the operations. The group was producing, grading, transporting and selling on the mombasa market over 900,000Lbs of vegetables a year and the growers received over $4,500 out of a gross selling price of $ 6300. This was indeed too substantial an enterprise to be left without a legal basis. It was later registered as cooperative society. The Kisii coffee growers Association which was able to raise from the sale of its coffee a sum of $2470 of which   $1240 was paid out to the 251 members who had cultivated only 159 acres, but had already accumulated a surplus of $1065. In 1994, the British Colonial Office in London appointed Mr. W.K.H Campbell to come to investigate the possibilities of African participation in the cooperative organisations. He carried out his investigations by touring and visiting many towns and districts in the republic of Kenya and talking to the people. After all his investigations Mr. Campbell submitted his recommendations that subject to availability of capable staff attempts to organise cooperatives were worth while. It was also during this time that the first African Mr. Eliud Mathu was nominated to the legislative assembly, as the Kenya parliament was called then. He demanded in parliament and such people as Ex chief Koinange from outside, that the Government should come out openly to encourage African participation in the cooperative movement. It was as a result of Campbells recommendation that the cooperative societies (Registration) Amendment, Ordinance of 1932 was repealed and the cooperative societies Ordinance of 1945 was enacted under Cap. 287. It was as a result of this new ordinance that the department of cooperatives was created, although it was placed under different ministries at various times. Consequent to the establishment of the department, a registrar ( now called commissioner for cooperative Development) was appointed and together with his staff was responsible for registration and promotion of cooperative societies in the country. The 1945 cooperative societies ordinance further gave the registrar certain powers over cooperative societies, for example refusal to register a cooperative society, cancellation of certificate of registration, to audit societys books of accounts, authority to inspect books of society, authority to settle disputes in cooperat

Free College Admissions Essays: Studying Criminology :: College Admissions Essays

I am Interested in Studying Criminology I am interested in studying Criminology, This is because I'm fascinated by Topics like why/what people commit crime, Drugs and Society, and in fact all aspects of crime interest me. Various career options attract me including Probation, and Criminal Psychology. The courses I have chosen are BSc (Hons) Criminology and Criminal Justice, and BSc (Hons) Psychology and Criminology. I know that I'll have to work hard to gain a Degree but I'm prepared to do whatever it takes, I work well under pressure. I have chosen Portsmouth university primarily because of the reputation its Criminology Department has, and also my partner is currently doing a degree at Portsmouth as are many of my friends so I know a lot about student life at Portsmouth. I can apply experience and personal skills gained in a variety of working and personal environments. I am finding the Access course very exciting, I love all the subjects, and it seems one subject would cease to exist without the other. I am particularly enjoying Sociology, as I was sixteen the last time I studied it, now I feel like I have a greater understanding of the subject. Psychology is a topic I have always followed. I'm enjoying Law, its such a diverse subject but I especially like Criminal law, the debates we have in the classroom really get me energized. I enjoy reading about crime; I am currently reading a book called Hunting Humans; which is various profiles of serial killers. I am an inquisitive person and also very suspicious, I tend to read between the lines, so its not surprising I love Psychological thrillers like "Seven" and "Silence of the Lambs".

Part of Speech Recognizer

Improving Identi?er Informativeness using Part of Speech Information Dave Binkley Matthew Hearn Dawn Lawrie Loyola University Maryland Baltimore MD 21210-2699, USA {binkley, lawrie}@cs. loyola. edu, [email  protected] edu Keywords: source code analysis tools, natural language processing, program comprehension, identi?er analysis Abstract Recent software development tools have exploited the mining of natural language information found within software and its supporting documentation. To make the most of this information, researchers have drawn upon the work of the natural language processing community for tools and techniques.One such tool provides part-of-speech information, which ?nds application in improving the searching of software repositories and extracting domain information found in identi?ers. Unfortunately, the natural language found is software differs from that found in standard prose. This difference potentially limits the effectiveness of off-the-shelf tools. The pres ented empirical investigation ?nds that this limitation can be partially overcome, resulting in a tagger that is up to 88% accurate when applied to source code identi?ers.The investigation then uses the improved part-of-speech information to tag a large corpus of over 145,000 ?eld names. From patterns in the tags several rules emerge that seek to improve structure-?eld naming. Source Part of Extract Split Apply Source ? Code ? Field ? Field ? ? Speech Template Code Mark-up Tagging Names Names Figure 1. Process for POS tagging of ?eld names. The text available in source-code artifacts, in particular a program’s identi?ers, has a very different structure. For example the words of an identi?er rarely form a grammatically correct sentence.This raises an interesting question: can an existing POS tagger be made to work well on the natural language found in source code? Better POS information would aid existing techniques that have used limited POS information to successfully improv e retrieval results from software repositories [1, 11] and have also investigated the comprehensibility of source code identi?ers [4, 6]. Fortunately, machine learning techniques are robust and, as reported in Section 2, good results are obtained using several sentence forming templates.This initial investigation also suggest rules speci?c for software that would improve tagging. For example the type of a declared variable can be factored into its tags. As an example application of POS tagging for source code, the tagger is then used to tag over 145,000 structure?eld names. Equivalence classes of tags are then examined to produce rules for the automatic identi?cation of poor names (as described in Section 3) and suggest improved names, which is left to future work. 1 IntroductionSoftware engineering can bene?t from leveraging tools and techniques of other disciplines. Traditionally, natural language processing (NLP) tools solve problems by processing the natural language found in do cuments such as news articles and web pages. One such NLP tool is a partof-speech (POS) tagger. Tagging is, for example, crucial to the Named-Entity Recognition [3], which enables information about a person to be tracked within and across documents. Many POS taggers are built using machine learning based on newswire training data.Conventional wisdom is that these taggers work well on the newswire and similar artifacts; however, their effectiveness degrades as the input moves further away from the highly structured sentences found in traditional newswire articles. 1 2 Part-of-Speech Tagging Before a POS tagger’s output can be used as input to down stream SE tools, the POS tagger itself needs to be vetted. This section describes an experiment performed to test the accuracy of POS tagging on ?eld names mined from source code. The process used for mining and tagging the ?elds is ?rst described, followed by the empirical results from the experiment.Figure 1 shows the pipeline used for the POS tagging of ?eld names. On the left, the input to the pipeline is mode=â€Å"space†/> (683 came from C++ ?les and 817 from Java ?les). A human accessor (and university student majoring in English) tagged the 1500 ?eld names with POS information producing the oracle set. This oracle set is used to evaluate the accuracy of automatic tagging techniques when applied to the test set. Preliminary study of the Stanford tagger indicates that it needed guidance when tagging ?eld names.Following the work of Abebe and Tonella [1], four templates were used to provide this guidance. Each template includes a slot into which the split ?eld name is inserted. Their accuracy is then evaluated using the oracle set. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Sentence Template: List Item Template: Verb Template: Noun Template: . – Please, . is a thing . Figure 2. XML queries for extracting C++ and Java ?elds from srcML. source code. This is then marked up using XML tags by srcML [5] to id entify various syntactic categories. Third, ?eld names are extracted from the marked-up source using XPath queries.Figure 2 shows the queries for C++ and Java. The fourth stage splits ?eld names by replacing underscores with spaces and inserting a space where the case changes from lowercase to uppercase. For example, the names spongeBob and sponge bob become sponge bob. After splitting, all characters are shifted to lowercase. This stage also ?lters names so that only those that consist entirely of dictionary words are retained. Filtering uses Debian’s American (6-2) dictionary package, which consists of the 98,569 words from Kevin Atkinson’s SCOWL word lists that have size 10 through 50 [2].This dictionary includes some common abbreviations, which are thus included in the ?nal data set. Future work will obviate the need for ?ltering through vocabulary normalization in which non-words are split into their abbreviations and then expanded to their natural language equiva lents [9]. The ?fth stage applies a set of templates (described below) to each separated ?eld name. Each template effectively wraps the words of the ?eld name in an attempt to improve the performance of the POS tagger. Finally, POS tagging is performed by Version 1. 6 of the Stanford Log-linear POS Tagger [12].The default options are used including the pretrained bidirectional model [10]. The remainder of this section considers empirical results concerning the effectiveness of the tagging pipeline. A total of 145,163 ?eld names were mined from 10,985 C++ ?les and 9,614 Java ?les found in 171 programs. From this full data set, 1500 names were randomly chosen as a test set 2 The Sentence Template, the simplest of the four, considers the identi?er itself to be a â€Å"sentence† by appending a period to the split ?eld. The List Item Template exploits the tagger having learned about POS information found in the sentence fragments used in lists.The Verb Template tries to encourage the tagger to treat the ?eld name as a verb or a verb phrase by pre?xing it with â€Å"Please,† since usually a command follows. Finally, the Noun Template tries to encourage the tagger to treat the ?eld as a noun by post?xing it with â€Å"is a thing† as was done by Abebe and Tonella [1]. Table 1 shows the accuracy of using each template applied to the test set with the output compared to the oracle. The major diagonal represents each technique in isolation while the remaining entries require two techniques to agree and thus lowering the percentage.The similarity of the percentages in a column gives an indication of how similar the set of correctly tagged names is for two techniques. For example, considering Sentence Template, Verb Template has the lowest overlap of the remaining three as indicated by it’s joint percentage of 71. 7%. Overall, the List Item Template performs the best, and the Sentence Template and Noun Template produce essentially identical resu lts getting the correct tagging on nearly all the same ?elds. Perhaps unsurprising, the Verb Template performs the worst.Nonetheless, it is interesting that this template does produce the correct output on 3. 2% of the ?elds where no other template succeeds. As shown in Table 2 overall at least one template correctly tagged 88% of the test set. This suggests that it may be possible to combine these results, perhaps using machine learning, to produce higher accuracy than achieved using the individual templates. Although 88% is lower than the 97% achieved by natural language taggers on the newswire data, the performance is still quite high considering the lack of context provided by the words of a single structure ?eld.Sentence List Item Verb Noun Sentence 79. 1% 76. 5& 71. 7% 77. 0% List Item 76. 5% 81. 7% 71. 0% 76. 0% Verb 71. 7% 71. 0% 76. 0% 70. 8% Noun 77. 0% 76. 0% 70. 8% 78. 7% this context is used to represent a current state, and is therefore not confusing. Rule 1 Non-boolea n ?eld names should never contain a present tense verb * * ? * * Table 1. Each percentage is the percent of correctly tagged ?eld names using both the row and column technique; thus the major diagonal represent each technique independently. Correct in all templates Correct in at least one template 68. 9% 88. 0% Table 2.Correctly tagged identi?ers As illustrated in the next section, the identi?cation is suf?ciently accurate for use by downstream consumer applications. 3 Rules for Improving Field Names As an example application of POS tagging for source code, the 145,163 ?eld names of the full data set were tagged using the List Item Template, which showed the best performance in Table 1. The resulting tags were then used to form equivalence classes of ?eld names. Analysis of these classes led to four rules for improving the names of structure ?elds. Rule violations can be automatically identi?ed using POS tagging.Further, as illustrated in the examples, by mining the source code it i s possible to suggest potential replacements. The assumption behind each rule is that high quality ?eld names will provide better conceptual information, which aids an engineer in the task of forming a mental understanding of the code. Correct part-of-speech information can help inform the naming of identi?ers, a process that is essential in communicating intent to future programmers. Each rule is ?rst informally introduced and then formalized. After each rule, the percentage of ?elds that violate the rule is given.Finally, some rules are followed by a discussion of rule exceptions or related notions. The ?rst rule observes that ?eld names represent objects not actions; thus they should avoid present-tense verbs. For example, the ?eld name create mp4, clearly implies an action, which is unlikely the intent (unless perhaps the ?eld represent a function pointer). Inspection of the source code reveals that this ?eld holds the desired mp4 video stream container type. Based on the contex t of its use, a better, less ambiguous name for this identi?er is created mp4 container type, which includes the past-tense verb created.A notable exception to this is ?elds of type boolean, like, for example, is logged in where the present tense of the verb â€Å"to be† is used. A present tense verb in 3 Violations detected: 27,743 (19. 1% of ?eld names) Looking at the violations of Rule 1 one pattern that emerges suggests an improvement to the POS tagger that would better specialize it to source code. A pattern that frequently occurs in GUI programming ?nds verbs used as adjectives when describing GUI elements such as buttons. Recognizing such ?elds based on their type should improve tagger accuracy. Consider the ?elds delete button and to a lesser extent continue box.In isolation these appears to represent actions. However they actually represent GUI elements. Thus, a special context-sensitive case in the POS tagger would tag such verbs as adjectives. The second rule consi ders ?eld names that contain only a verb. For example the ?eld name recycle. This name communicates little to a programmer unfamiliar with the code. Examination of the source code reveals that this variable is an integer and, based on the comments, it counts the â€Å"number of things recycled. †While this meaning can be inferred from the declaration and the comments surrounding it, ?eld name uses often occur far from their eclaration, reducing the value of the declared type and supporting comments. A potential ?x in this case is to change the name to recycled count or things recycled. Both alternatives improve the clarity of the name. Rule 2 Field names should never be only a verb ? ? or ? ? Violations detected: 4,661 (3. 2% ?eld names identi?ers) The third rule considers ?eld names that contain only an adjective. While adjectives are useful when used with a noun, an adjective alone relies too much on the type of the variable to fully explain its use.For example, consider th e identi?er interesting. In this case, the declared type of â€Å"list† provides the insight that this ?eld holds a list of â€Å"interesting† items. Replacing this ?eld with interesting list or interesting items should improve code understanding. Rule 3 Field names should never be only an adjective ? Violations detected: 5,487 (3. 8% ?eld names identi?ers) An interesting exception to this rule occurs with data structures where the ?eld name has an established conventional meaning. For example, when naming the next node in a linked list, next is commonly accepted.Other similar common names include â€Å"previous† and â€Å"current. † The ?nal rule deals with ?eld names for booleans. Boolean variables represent a state that is or is not and this notion needs to be obvious in the name. The identi?er deleted offers a good example. By itself there is no way to know for sure what is being represented. Is this a pointer to a deleted thing? Is it a count of dele ted things? Source code inspection reveals that such boolean variables tend to represent whether or not something is deleted. Thus a potential improved names include is deleted or was deleted.Rule 4 Boolean ?eld names should contain third person forms of the verb â€Å"to be† or the auxiliary verb â€Å"should† * ? is | was | should * 5 Summary This paper presents the results on an experiment into the accuracy of the Stanford Log-linear POS Tagger applied to ?eld names. The best template, List Item, has an accuracy of 81. 7%. If an optimal combination of the four templates were used the accuracy rises to 88%. These POS tags were then used to develop ?eld name formation rules that 28. 9% of the identi?ers violated. Thus the tagging can be used to support improved naming.Looking forward, two avenues of future work include automating this improvement and enhancing POS tagging for source code. For the ?rst, the source code would be mined for related terms to be used in sug gested improved names. The second would explore training a POS tagger using, for example, the machine learning technique domain adaptation [8], which emphasize the text in the training that is most similar to identi?ers to produce a POS tagger for identi?ers. 6 Acknowledgments Special thanks to Mike Collard for his help with srcML and the XPath queries and Phil Hearn for his help with creating the oracle set.Support for this work was provided by NSF grant CCF 0916081. Violations detected: 5,487 (3. 8% ?eld names identi?ers) Simply adding â€Å"is† or â€Å"was† to booleans does not guarantee a ?x to the problem. For example, take a boolean variable that indicates whether something should be allocated in a program. In this case, the boolean captures whether some event should take place in the future. In this example an appropriate temporal sense is missing from the name. A name like allocated does not provide enough information and naming it is allocated does not make l ogical sense in the context of the program.A solution to this naming problem is to change the identi?er to should be allocated, which includes the necessary temporal sense communicating that this boolean is a ?ag for something expected to happen in the future. References [1] S. L. Abebe and P. Tonella. Natural language parsing of program element names for concept extraction. In 18th IEEE International Conference on Program Comprehension. IEEE, 2010. [2] K. Atkinson. Spell checking oriented word lists (scowl). [3] E. Boschee, R. Weischedel, and A. Zamanian. Automatic information extraction.In Proceedings of the International Conference on Intelligence Analysis, 2005. [4] B. Caprile and P. Tonella. Restructuring program identi?er names. In ICSM, 2000. [5] ML Collard, HH Kagdi, and JI Maletic. An XML-based lightweight C++ fact extractor. Program Comprehension, 2003. 11th IEEE International Workshop on, pages 134–143, 2003. [6] E. Hà ¸st and B. Østvold. The programmer’ s lexicon, volume i: The verbs. In International Working Conference on Source Code Analysis and Manipulation, Beijing, China, September 2008. [7] E. W. Hà ¸st and B. M. Østvold. Debugging method names.In ECOOP 09. Springer Berlin / Heidelberg, 2009. [8] J. Jiang and C. Zhai. Instance weighting for domain adaptation in nlp. In ACL 2007, 2007. [9] D. Lawrie, D. Binkley, and C. Morrell. Normalizing source code vocabulary. In Proceedings of the 17th Working Conference on Reverse Engineering, 2010. [10] L. Shen, G. Satta, and A. K. Joshi. Guided learning for bidirectional sequence classi?cation. In ACL 07. ACL, June 2007. [11] D. Shepherd, Z. P. Fry, E. Hill, L. Pollock, and K. Vijay-Shanker. Using natural language program analysis to locate and understand action-oriented conerns.In AOSD 07. ACM, March 2007. [12] K. Toutanova, D. Klein, C. Manning, and Y. Singer. Feature-rich part-of-speech tagging with a cyclic dependency network. In HLTNAACL 2003, 2003. 4 Related Work This section brie?y reviews three projects that use POS information. Each uses an off-the-shelf POS tagger or lookup table. First, Host et al. study naming of Java methods using a lookup table to assign POS tags [7]. Their aim is to ?nd what they call â€Å"naming bugs† by checking to see if the method’s implementation is properly indicated with the name of the method.Second, Abebe and Tonella study class, method, and attribute names using a POS tagger based on a modi?cation of minipar to formulate domain concepts [1]. Nouns in the identi?ers are examined to form ontological relations between concepts. Based on a case study, their approach improved concept searching. Finally, Shepherd et al. considered ?nding concepts in code using natural language information [11]. The resulting Find-Concept tool locates action-oriented concerns more effectively than the other tools and with less user effort. This is made possible by POS information applied to source code. 4

Essay on Macbeth and female roles

Moreover, I find It to be one of his more Interesting plays as It Includes misguided ambition, bravery, paranoia as ell as betrayal and It Is a perfect example of how one story can be projected upon different ages. Macbeth, who Is a conscientious man, Is being overpowered by his vaulting ambition. The tragedy In this play Lies In him degenerating from a noble and brave warrior to a simple killer who commits gruesome murders to save himself. Ironically from the repercussions of his own crimes. Looking at this play from different angles allows me to get a better impression of how the gender roles are presented between the different characters.I found the role women play in Macbeth specially intriguing, as they seem to be the ones pulling all the strings. Therefore, I am going to show how they are being defamed and portrayed, among other things, as cold and monstrous. Moreover, I will show how those perceptions of women can be seen in relation to the classical perception of women, as we ll as the perception that people had during the Middle Ages and how these and biblical pictures could have formed such personages as Lady Macbeth and the three witches.To be able to analyze those characters in depth I am going to limit myself to specific scenes involving Lady Macbeth and the three witches. Furthermore, I am going to use information I found in various books as well as the text † The Great Chain of Being† to put my findings into perspective. The role of women in Shakespearean Macbeth The Setting Macbeth takes place in Scotland around 1600 with the exception of a single scene In England (Act 4 Scene 3). The tragedy unfolded among the upper classes of society, namely Kings and thanes.Women did not have the greatest Influence; one could say that men owned them and they behaved accordingly. 2 An example of this Is the tragedy of Macadam leaving his wife and children despite Lady Macadam's contrary linings towards his decision (Act 4 Scene 2). The play starts o ut with a lightning storm, creating a gloomy atmosphere that sets the mood and Indicates the general atmosphere of the play. The three weird ones I chose to analyze two scenes describing the three witches (they are also called â€Å"weird ones†, â€Å"weird women† or ‘Modeled sisters†) In â€Å"Macbeth†, namely Act 1 Scene 1 and Act 1 Scene 3.In my opinion, those are best suited to show how the three weird ones are being portrayed and in addition. They demonstrate how important their role included, as it isn't certain that Shakespeare wrote those. Instead many scholars live that Thomas Middleton wrote Act 3 Scene 5 and parts of Act 4 Scene 1. 3 Since I want to analyze Shakespearean play, it seems natural to exclude those two scenes. Act 1 scene 1: Meeting the witches This scene is the shortest opening scene in Shakespearean works and introduces us immediately to the three sisters.What's more interesting, though , is that they aren't introduced as wit ches or any other kind of other negative name, but they call themselves â€Å"we three†, whereas in the rest of the play others name them as the â€Å"weird sisters† or â€Å"weird women†. This might be owed to the old English word â€Å"weird† meaning â€Å"fate†, and considering there are three of them, one could associate them with the Pearce, who were the three mythical creatures that controlled human destiny. Parallels can be drawn from the mythical creatures to those three sisters controlling Machete's life, as if those three sisters decided how his life should be and how it should end. Another interesting aspect of the first scene of this play are the paradoxes used. The most interesting of those is: † fair is foul, and foul is fair†, which seems to be a contradiction in it itself and therefore a violation of God's natural order. Lars Sabers idea on this is that it is a typical Shakespearean drama with the theme of â€Å"The See ming versus the Being†6.This seems to be a fitting assumption, although it needs a deeper explanation. The main theme of the play is described by this quote and means, simply put, that nothing is what it seems. For instance, Lady Macbeth is named a â€Å"gentle lady† by Macadam (Act 2 Scene 3 line 79), but in reality, she is the one to blame for the execution of Dunce's murder. Another example is Banquet, who in the beginning, appears to be Machete's right-hand man and friend. Soon thereafter, however, we can see that he negates that picture of him.This confirms that the witches know exactly what is going to happen and to whom, and thus the assumption of them being a Shakespearean version of the Pearce. Act 1 Scene 3: The witches meet Macbeth and Banquet The beginning of this scene shows that the three witches driven by evil and vengefulness are not only malicious but also very destructive. When one of the sisters asks where the other has been, the second answers that s he was out killing swine, which back in their time, as Eva Poss.. And Clinician Gabon wrote, according to popular belief was something witches did.This shows how ruthless they are and that there is a lack of compassion for animals or other living beings. As the first sister explained her whereabouts, she tells about a sailor's wife eating chestnuts, and having asked for some she was denied the food (Act 1 Scene 3 line 1-5). This resulted in them cursing that woman's husband. The evil of the weird sisters is shown clearly in their choice of words and their actions; by taking a better look at this curse, one can see the connection between the captain's and Machete's in life several places. For one her chant: â€Å"I'll dad, I'll do, and I'll do.I'll drain him dry as hay;† can be linked to the sterility of Machete's marriage and as she chants: â€Å"Sleep shall neither night nor day', she curses this man to suffer from insomnia, Just as Macbeth will suffer from lack of sleep, w hich will ultimately push him over the limit and make him go mad. Lars Jabber explains in his book: â€Å"De err linefeed, dies hisser, go some en slag's metastasis mafia hover De sigh p deem, deer anger at subsidized deem. â€Å"9 1 do agree about the evil deeds they have committed, it can be easily overlooked that this curse also shows the limitations to their power.Specifically when looking at this quote: â€Å"Though his bark cannot be lost†, which shows that they are not capable of making this man's ship sink. (Act 1 Scene 3 line 23) As the play continues they interrupted when they hear Macbeth arriving. At that point he exclaims: â€Å"So foul and fair a day I have not seen† (Act 1 Scene 3 line 36). This is an echo of the three witches' â€Å"Foul is fair and fair is foul†, for so many men have been slaughtered in battle, yet Macbeth had achieved a great victory. When Banquet sees the witches, he describes them as being withered and wild† in attire .He says that they don't look like they were from this earth and further describes their looks with choppy fingers and skinny lips that are often used to describe a person that is not trustworthy or even likeable. People often associate it with somebody who has a calculating personality,10 and this is the same feeling you get from those witches when you hear their description. He also says that they should be women, and yet their beards forbid him to interpret them as such. (Act 1 Scene 3 line 37-45) All of this depicts how unnatural and unusual Banquet thinks these women are.When the witches start to talk, they hail Macbeth as the soon-to-be Thane of Castor and King of Scotland. Whilst Macbeth is stunned by these fair-sounding prophecies, Banquet demands the witches to also tell him about his future, and he is told that, although he shall not be royalty, his offspring will. As abruptly as the witches had appeared, they disappear, and messengers from King Duncan arrive and inform Ma cbeth of his newly gained title of Thane of Castor. When they hear the news, Banquet suddenly remarks: ‘What, can the devil speak true? His utterance once more demonstrates Banquets lack of belief in those witches, ailing them the devil. Macbeth is astonished by the news and tries to hide his mind's preoccupation with kingship, while Banquet warns him of the dangers these prophecies might bear. He compares the sisters to the darkness when he says: â€Å"And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, The instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us with honest trifles, to betrays In deepest consequence. † (Act 1 Scene 3 line 119-125) Are those women simply prophets, or do they actually set events in motion?During our first encounter with the weird ones, it is unsure where they've come from or who r what they actually are, or even what they have in mind when they plan on meeting Macbeth. As the play continues, the feeling of them manipulating events becomes more apparent, and t heir maliciousness emerges step by step. The words Shakespeare used for their dialogs and chants can be interpreted as negative, and even though some might have a positive use, they are turned into something bad, just as their first â€Å"prophecy', of fair being foul and foul being fair, predicts.They plot mischief, using prophecies against Macbeth and their predictions turned the noble Macbeth into a murderer. It is unclear whether the witches had their knowledge from somebody else, or whether they are the ones toying with human destinies. As mentioned before they have a staggering resemblance to the Pearce, who controlled the thread of life and thereby every humans' destiny. The way Shakespeare chose to portray the weird ones makes it seem as if they took some kind of perverse delight in using their knowledge to destroy human beings and their fates.Looking at the witches from afar gives a clear picture of what it means to be malicious, vengeful and This woman is more than Just a n interesting character. She goes through several developmental stages, and in contrast to the three witches, the evil, or coldness that is within her cannot be seen through a dialogue but through the thoughts that occupy her mind. Lady Macbeth is one of the most powerful female characters in literature. The fact that she is alone in the beginning shows that we are privy to her innermost thoughts and feelings.Act 1 Scene 5: Lady Macbeth is determined to be queen This scene opens with Lady Macbeth, who received a letter from her husband. In his letter, he calls her â€Å"dearest partner of greatness†, which she indeed is and becomes even more so as she manipulates Macbeth into giving in to his passions. To a certain degree, she even controls his actions, resulting in the crimes committed. This means that, even though she is not the one to deliver the fatal blow herself, she definitely is responsible.As she finishes reading the news of his success in battle and his encounter wi th the witches that promised him that he will become king – and thus her queen – she exclaims: â€Å"Glacis thou art, and Castor, and shall be What thou art promised; yet do I fear thy nature, It is too full thimble of human kindness. â€Å"(Act 1 Scene 5 line 14-16) What she means is that he shall become what he was promised, namely king. This seems to be reflecting the witches' prophecy, and one could say that she follows the witches' lead and becomes herself an agent of fate.Nevertheless, according to Lars Jabber she believes him to be somebody that would let others cheat to achieve his goals, as long as it wasn't he who was cheating 1. As her thoughts seem to battle over whether her husband could fulfill this prophecy she can see only one solution: â€Å"Hi thee hither, That I may pour my spirits in thin ear, And chastise with the velour of my tongue†. Act 1 Scene 5 line 24-26) She practically says that she wants to empower him with her poisonous words and he should renounce any of his doubts and be brave enough to kill Duncan.Since the masses back then must have seen Hamlet before Macbeth, they might have remembered that in Hamlet's Act 1 Scene 5, the father's ghost reports that he was killed by poison: â€Å"And in the porches of my ears did pour The leprous despoilment†12. This parallel darkens Lady Machete's words instantly. As the play continues, Lady Macbeth descends further and further into her dark self. When a messenger arrives, she compares him o a hoarse raven, an omen of death in itself, and calls upon dark spirits to â€Å"unsexes† her, saying: â€Å"Come to my woman's breasts And take my milk for gall†.Jennies La Belle argues that Lady Machete's outbreak isn't only a psychological one but one that asks for her to eliminate her basic biological characteristics of femininity. 14 Meaning that the body and mind are connected, and to achieve such an unfeminine consciousness is to become a man and leave a ll female attributes and weaknesses behind. This once more shows how ambitious she is, and that she doesn't shy away from hard assure.I am not sure I would go as far as Jennies La Belle and connect the physiological with the psychological, but there is a definite connection between Lady Machete's words and her desire to be tougher and more hardened like a man. This is once more a contradiction that fits the witches' prophecy. A woman is supposed to be nurturing and soft, whereas a man is supposed to be tough and aggressive. Soon thereafter, Macbeth arrives and they have a brief and urgent talk about Dunce's rather cruel, because it contains a paradox. The warmth of the sun is contrasted withDuncan, who won't ever see it again. In the following lines she uses several metaphors to conceal her actual thoughts:† Your face, my thane, is as a book, where men May read strange matters†(Act 1 Scene 5 line 61-62); followed by an amusingly ironic allusion to Genesis 5:† You h and, your tongue; look like ethnocentric flower, But be the serpent underwent. â€Å"(Act 1 Scene 5 line 64-65) The â€Å"paradise† that was promised by the witches turns, as they called it, from â€Å"fair to foul†. The last line of the scene: â€Å"Leave all the rest to me†, has quite a chilling tone to it and is very imperative.It seems as if she completed her transformation to a man and takes over the active and leading role in their relationship, whilst Macbeth becomes a mere accomplice. Act 1 Scene 7: Macbeth debates whether to murder Duncan The imagery of Machete's soliloquy in the beginning of this scene exposes his objective, for example Dunce's murder and his own success, but his use of words reveals a mind that is suffering from confusion and indecisiveness. This becomes particularly obvious because of the repetition of some specific words like:† if, were, but and so on† that show his confusion.Finally, when Lady Macbeth enters, he inform s her that he has changed his mind. She responds contemptuously to his change of heart: ‘Was the hope drunk Wherein you dressed yourself? Hath it slept since? And wakes it now to look so green and pale At what it did so freely? From this time, Such I account thy love. Art thou afeard to be the same in thin own act and velour, As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that Which thou system's the ornament of life, And live a coward in thin own esteem, Letting â€Å"l dare not† wait upon â€Å"l would†, Like the poor cat Tightwad's? (Act 1 Scene 7 line 36-45) She does not only accuse him of being a coward but taunts him by comparing him to a cat that wanted a fish yet didn't want to get its paws wet. Lady Macbeth essentially tells him that he can't be trusted, even concerning his love towards her 16. Furthermore, she urges him thereby to get over himself and kill Duncan to prove his manhood and love for her. On top of convincing her husband to kill the King, she bre aks his first illusion of not involving anybody else by prompting him to blame the murder on Dunce's officers.This reveals how manipulative she is and that she has control over her Cubans like a puppeteer over his puppets. What really shows the darkness and the evil that lingers inside of her, though, is how far she would go to achieve her goal; she said that she would dash the brains out of her own child whilst it was sucking on her nipple and smiling lovingly at her if she had sworn as he had done. (Act 1 Scene 7 line 54-58) This is a shocking and monstrous thing to say, and no woman could call herself a woman, being able to say that about her own offspring, or any child for that matter.This declaration proves a complete absence of compassion, mercy or sense of lilt. Act 5 Scene 1: Revelation of Lady Machete's guilt during her sleep This scene is critical to understanding Lady Macbeth as a character and as a woman. Even though she felt no, or close to no remorse in the preceding s cenes, this one changes the perception of her abruptly; she is haunted by her guilt and confesses those gruesome deeds in her sleep. At this point the decline of the Macbeth family begins, Lady Macbeth doesn't play the role of the leader of their relationship anymore, and Macbeth is slowly turning mad.The psychological impact all those deeds had on Lady nine 64-66) Her speech patterns have become fragmented, and the wife that had once been in control of herself and her surroundings is now reduced to a woman who cannot connect two sentences correctly, and one who has lost connection to reality due to her devastated mind. As she sleepwalks with a candle that she has ordered(Act 5 Scene 1 line 20-21) to be by her side at all times, I agree with Lars Saber's opinion that it seems as if the only thing important to her now is saving her soul, with the light being the only symbol of hope left to her. 7 Is Lady Macbeth a 2- dimensional character, or is there more to her? Lady Macbeth, who i s an incredibly ambitious woman, shares the same aspirations as her husband. During the first couple of scenes, until Macbeth starts shutting her out, she seems to be the one who is most ruthless and the one who pulls the relationship forward. As the play continues and her husband follows her urges to kill Duncan but turns colder and more paranoid, their relationship suffers. Macbeth starts a bloodshed and Lady Macbeth finally succumbs to her guilt and goes mad.Her state of mind is even more damaged than her husband's, and her conscience ultimately forces her to commit suicide. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth seem to have a perfect partnership They feel passion for each other and think alike, but as the story continues and Lady Macbeth persuades him to kill the King, they become more and more alienated from each other, and their feelings for each other turn to sheer numbness. Looking at this woman under a magnifying glass reveals that she isn't a simple two-di mensional character but Just as Pushpin described Shakespearean characters in general to be.She is a complex and multifaceted character, with all the inconsistencies that a person of flesh and blood has, and she reveals her different acts in the wide range of situations she is put nine. In the end one can't deny that Lady Macbeth has a tough outer exterior, and could be called an â€Å"Iron Lady', but she also has softer sides to her, which only comes to shine through if one begins to scratch below the surface. Are women in Macbeth evil? This question is a difficult one to answer.As I progressed from reading the play to analyzing the witches and then Lady Macbeth, my perception changed gradually. It seemed as if various authors had agreed on either putting those women into one drawer or the other, but in my opinion, they should not be stereotyped. For instance, the witches are indeed portrayed as evil and calculating, but if you take into account that they could be the ones on the receiving end of information about various humans' â€Å"fate†, then you can't call them as evil as you would probably like to.The fate of Macbeth would not lie in their hands any longer, and their actions would not matter; his path would have been predestined. When trying to understand what lies behind Lady Macbeth, many authors are very trigger-happy and call her monstrous, cold and evil. And yes, her actions, manipulating her husband into killing the King aren't the actions of an innocent soul. Still one has to look behind the curtain, to see that she did those things out of love, because she is familiar with her husband's shortcomings.Finally, she starts feeling remorse and succumbs to her guilt, but only when her husband starts shutting her out and she feels isolated. Therefore, I neither want to call those women evil nor good, rather women that are in different situations and do what they feel is right. Portrayals of women in Macbeth and the perception To start with, I will take a peek into a possible point of history where the general reception of women in the Elizabethan era might have originated. The authors of the book â€Å"Brisker till skivvies histories† retell the Greek mythological story of human creation.The titan Prometheus creates men from clay, and the goddess Athena gave them the breath of life. As the story goes, Prometheus and the human kind had angered Zeus; therefore, he let Hyphenates create Pandora, a mortal of stunning beauty. They gave her many gifts of wealth as well as a deceptive heart and a lying tongue. She becomes the first women on earth who carries one final gift: a Jar filled with all evil, sorrow and misfortune but also hope. 9 This is Just one of many examples of how lowly people thought of women.One can also recall the Christian mythology, where – Just as in Greek mythology – the woman was created after the man, and of course, it is she who causes their eviction from paradise, or for that matt er Lithe, who according to Jewish mythology, is Dam's first wife and a succubus who sleeps with different men and strangles newborn babies. 21 All of those mythological stories show a rather misogynistic perception of women. No doubt, this influenced centuries to come and I would like to argue that it also influenced Shakespeare to write Macbeth.I am tempted to compare the play to the 2nd part of the history of creation in Genesis. The role of Lady Macbeth is similar to Eve's. To a certain extent both are temptresses. In both Genesis and the play, the characters do not realize the luck and â€Å"wealth† they are in, and finally yet importantly, both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth as well as Adam and Eve regret their actions in the end. To explain those three similarities further, one has to take a deeper look at both stories.Adam and Eve are told by God that they are allowed to eat any fruit in the Garden of Eden apart from the ones from the tree in the middle. None of the two trie s any of these fruits, until the devil in the disguise of a snake deceives Eve and tempts her into eating the forbidden fruit by telling her stories of the wisdom and knowledge she will gain from eating them. When she tries the fruit, she tempts and convinces Adam to do the same and try the forbidden fruit. Looking at the play of Macbeth, the same goes for Lady Macbeth.Instead of being tempted by the devil, it is the thought of her and her husband becoming royal that tempts her. She gives in to that temptation. The symbolical forbidden fruit here is the murder of King Duncan, ND Just as Eve convinces Adam to take a bite of the fruit, Lady Macbeth convinces her husband, who has doubts but believes in his â€Å"partner in greatness† Just as Adam believes in Eve, to conspire and ultimately kill Duncan and take the throne. The end of the stories have their own parallels. Adam and Eve's feelings of guilt derive from their betrayal of God's trust.When they eat the forbidden fruit t hey learn the feeling of shame, which finally makes them feel guilty for their crime. Due to the betrayal of God's trust they are expelled from Paradise and became mortal. On the other hand, we have Macbeth and his wife. Their betrayal is of a more complex kind. Not only do they betray the trust of others, but, more importantly, they also betray themselves. Their ambition makes them betray themselves and the guilt that springs from it gradually nags at them, makes them lose their mind, and in the end, it is their guilt and their actions that kill them.Perception of women throughout the middle ages, royals and the common people In the book Women Defamed and Women Defended, etymology studies to depict the roots of antihistamines tradition. In those studies, they compared men to women and decided that women were deformed men. 23 This fits he Christian idea that Eve was created from Dam's rib, thus she must have been a lesser version of a man. By reading through these sources the percep tion men had of women unravels before one's eyes.Even though time has passed by, the belief in those myths, as well as the hierarchy that followed these â€Å"bible† stories hasn't disappeared fully. SST John Chromosome, for example, was an advocate for chastity and censor of women and one of the strongest voices of his time to deny authority to women or the right to teach. His reason was that, since Genesis, men had had to be the highest ranked in the hierarchy. Thus, women should not be allowed to speak in church, because they can only learn in silence.According to him, God made women subject to men, and therefore their husbands should rule them. 25 This seemed to be the common truth, though, with exceptions if one looks a little deeper at queens or noble women. Lisa Benz explains in her book Three Medieval Queens that queens were looked upon as a version of Virgin Mary on earth and therefore had the same responsibilities, for one being a mother and giving birth to the next male heir but also being an intercessor. Mary being a mediator between Heaven and earth, made he Queen be the intercessor between the King and his people.She also explains that the Queen's duties were to act as a regent in case their King wasn't capable to rule, for example due to health issues or young age. Another of their duties was to help their King and other nobility to spy on rivals, help ignite conflicts or even wars, be of strategic help and help to spread information, whether false or true, to help the King achieve his goals, whatever those might be. 26 In my opinion, there are clear parallels between the duties and roles of a queen in the Middle Ages and Lady Machete's behavior.For starters, Lady Macbeth, Just like a queen, is ready to do anything in order to help her husband achieve his goals. It is easier to see the parallel by looking at one of her first statements, namely that he shall be King as he was promised, even though in her opinion he doesn't have the manhood to do what has to be done without her support. However, I think Lady Macbeth is capable of going much further than a usual queen would have. In the Middle Ages Theresa Rearrange says, queens that were sterile were shunned and even murdered.The fact that Macbeth and Lady Machete's relationship does not result in a child must Hereford be a vital reason for her to do everything possible to please her husband by helping him achieving what he strives for, even if it crosses his or other's boundaries. This shows Lady Machete's behavior to be that of a Queen, before she actually becomes one. Another parallel is Lady Machete's way of ruling. She is the one with the strategic head on her shoulders and plans the assassination on King Duncan.Moreover, she figures out the best way to shift the blame off them and onto somebody else by drugging and placing the dagger used to murder the King in the Kings officers' hands, all of this to wash her husband's and her hands clean of guilt. Another grea t example are the tales that were written in the book of the wiles of women. This book contained tales of women and their – so it seems – pathological misconduct, adultery, their sharp tongue that shifted the blame from them onto others and simply female deceit.Those were popular antihistamines anecdotes, and general perception turned to women being deceiving liars no man could or should trust. An interesting chapter on how a â€Å"good† wife was supposed to behave in the Middle Ages from Georges Dubos and Michelle Parrot's book A history of women bevels that women were lower in the hierarchy than their husbands. â€Å"Saint Thomas went as far as to say that the basic reason for getting married was to ensure a male figurehead for the education of the offspring. â€Å"29 The only function left for the woman/mother was to nurture the child.According to them, there was one point on which there was a unanimous agreement – that a good wife is one that takes care of the house. From Aristotle on there were two areas, which were divided between man and woman: production and conservation, where the men were the ones to be productive, while the women â€Å"conserved† what they had. 0 This explains the division between the house (the female domain) and everything that is outside of it (the male domain), leading to the woman managing the family and being responsible for her family behavior. 1 We can apply these characteristics to Lady Machete's behavior, but it becomes quickly apparent that Lady Macbeth is not the type who can be connected to adultery or sexual misbehaving. On the other hand the deception of her and her actions is enormous. She does however, not deceive her husband, as was the case in those earlier tales, but the ones who stand in their path to success, particularly King Duncan. Another point to be noted is the sharp tongue. This description fits her like a glove.Examples ranging from calling upon dark spirits to unsex es her to the harsh and insulting words she uses to convince her husband of murder are excellent proofs of her resolution and her capability of using her tongue to manipulate her husband or others into doing or believing what she says. Lady Macbeth seems to fit the description of a Queen or noblewoman very well. Her one shortcoming, apart from being childless, however, is opposed to what women were supposed to be. Lady Macbeth is a bad hostess.Not only is it her husband that plans social gatherings but it is she who plots the King's demise, when she should be the one to cater to the Kings needs. The Great Chain of Being and Macbeth Being a logical human being, the first instinct is to divide things into two without overlaps, but it is impossible to name a precise moment in history when, for example, the Middle Ages turned in the age of Renaissance. Thus we cannot say that the cultural and intellectual ideas, politics or for that matter other areas can be separated into two different chunks of history.Quit to the contrary, there are overlaps of two different ages. Shakespeare, who lived (1564 – 1616) during England's Renaissance, demonstrates this overlap in his play Macbeth which is a very good example of The Chain of Being's concept but, more importantly, the consequences of somebody disturbing precisely this chain. This so-called chain was actually a description of how our world and the beings in it are connected and in which order. This order was based on the proportions of â€Å"matter† and â€Å"spirit†.The more spirit a being had, the higher up the chain that being would be. Inanimate things in nature, such as for example minerals, were at the lowest end. Above them were plants, insects, and other creatures that weren't noble , like lions, bears or wolves. Then there came humans: the king, who back then was thought to be chosen by God, was the highest ranked among humans, and women were the ones who were lowest highest. Since God was the one to create the chain, it was of course unthinkable to disturb it. Repercussions and chaos could have been the outcome.Looking at the play, Macbeth and hereby Lady Macbeth disturb this chain by murdering King Duncan, who is the highest-ranked of all human beings. This regicide has to have consequences, and the fact that Duncan is a noble and good king cannot help that matter. This killing does actually demonstrate two disturbances of The Great Chain of Being, we have on one hand Macbeth committing regicide, but Lady Macbeth disturbs the chain by leaving her place in the hierarchy and placing herself higher than she should be. I would consider this first murder to a of catalyst for the rest of the misfortune to come.As the story continues, Macbeth loses his courage and hires other men to kill for him, while Lady Macbeth starts to fall apart and feel remorse. However, the death count continues and the bodies for whose death he is responsible pile up. Mayhem erupts throughout th eir kingdom, and it becomes apparent that The Great Chain of Being is more than Just disturbed. The expected chaos has come and it does not seem like anything could stop it. Even the horses are attacking each other, and the natural order breaks down as less noble creatures overcome the noble and stronger ones.Nobody sees Macbeth as a king; instead, â€Å"his† people are calling him the tyrant. While looking at the whole play from afar, death seems to be a motif that persists and shows the crimes Macbeth commits and the impact these crimes have upon The Great Chain of Being. His kingdom seems to be engulfed in a morbid atmosphere, as different animals appear that are associated tit death and decay, such as ravens. As the play continues and more of those morbid signs appear, Macbeth loses his mind and starts hallucinating. Having committed all those crimes, he induced his own phantasmagoria.In the end it isn't only his kingdom that falls apart, but also his relationship to Lady Macbeth and further on the abrupt cut with her, as she commits suicide. If he had not had committed those crimes, according to The Chain of Being, everything would have remained in equilibrium, and the kingdom would be in a state of order, but because he does, his kingdom turns into chaos. Conclusion Working in depth on this play, more specifically the female roles in it and the history regarding the perception of women, I have to conclude that the role of women in Macbeth cannot be described in simple words.While looking at the surface, the depiction of Lady Macbeth and the witches is evil and monstrous, but it should not be categorized as obvious. These women, Lady Macbeth as well as the witches, achieve their goals through dangerous, sinister and most importantly subtle manipulation. The prophecies the witches foretell are not straightforward but play on Machete's ambition and the way Lady Macbeth questions his manhood convinces IM of committing murder. The story would not unfol d the way it does without these women.Both parties, Lady Macbeth and the witches, are important driving forces behind what happens. The witches' counterparts are the Pearce, who controlled the thread of life, while Lady Machete's counterpart is Eve, who is blamed for the original sin – the fall of humankind and its expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Even today, Eve still stands as one of the ultimate examples that connect women and evil. The Middle Ages as well as the classical perception of women had an incredible influence