Saturday, December 28, 2019

Analysis Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein - 1541 Words

Background a. The following circumstances that Mary Shelley was in while she wrote the novel Frankenstein were not the average circumstances that an average author has. For an average author the typical setting setting would be in a peaceful calm environment where your head is clear so you can think only about the task in front of you. Mary Shelley did not have this at all but it was simply a blessing in disguise. Shelly comes from a very interesting background. Unlike others she has experienced tragedy throughout her life. Her first two children have died shortly after their birth, her sisters have died, and one of her first husband have died. This is quite an important aspect to her life considering she must have been a depressed†¦show more content†¦In Mary Shelley s case one of her favorite authors that she seeked for inspiration was John Milton in Paradise Lost. During the duration of the horrible storm she turned to Paradise Lost for developing the character Frankenstein. In the novel Frankenstein Victor plays the role of god by creating a human. He can be considered a god because he is creating a human from scratch wis is metaphorically compared to when people describe Gods works. In Paradise Lost Victor can be compared to Satan who is an archangel who is punished for seeking knowledge that he had no right to. Both can be compared because both define the character of God in each of their perspective novels. The the differences in the two characters is that both are portrayed completely differently. In Paradise Lost Satan s actions are seen as a positive and that he is helping society by discovering this knowledge whereas Victor is depicted as this mad scientist that only cares about the advancement of science. c. The time period that Mary Shelley lived in was controlled by religion where God played a key role in everyone s lives. Religion can date back from the beginning of time. But one aspect of religion that was mythological that people enjoyed reading about was Greek Mythology. Many writers and poets based their ideas around Greek mythology. Greek mythology is teaching about God and Heroes that are based off of ancient Greek rituals. One story in particular is Modern

Friday, December 20, 2019

Corporate Sustainability, Innovation And Sustainability

In today’s business landscape companies are measured on the corporate sustainability, innovation and also the ethical responsibility. Companies are being challenged to become agile and resilient in the ever changing market. Over the past ten years, many large corporate companies have expanded their markets and driven out many of the small business players. Companies that are looking to make it in this ever expanding competitive market will need to evaluate at their current business strategies and also instill new strategies for the future. Within my strategic plan that was outlined for week five I highlighted multiple initiatives that would need to be carried out for the company to be successful. The first strategic key business drivers†¦show more content†¦As new markets and trends begin to talk shows around the world the company needs to activating rather than reacting. Surveying the market across the globe will allow the company to be diverse and agile. By always having a global perspective to the business decision making will be more precise and less destructive when change happens. Expanding the business is looking at emerging products and also segments that need capital to help grow. This initiative is important to catering to more customers and increasing revenue. Many companies strictly look at acquisition at purchasing other companies. Although this is one type of acquisition you can also gain the competitive edge by hiring strategic employees that will give you the knowledge and passion for advancement. Currently at Garmin the company is always looking for companies that they might be able to acquire in order to continually having the competitive edge. Overall, I feel that this is a positive for the company in being resilient. When the company executes with these initiatives it will result in increased revenue. In addition, it give the company more diversification for the changing market. Lastly, the company will be preparing themselves for the future. Additional initiatives that Garmin will need to analyze is the product mix. Companies that offer the correct product mix are more likely to be successful. As outlined in the strategic plan

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Challenges of a Good Citizen free essay sample

A good citizen fights for justice. A good citizen resists unfair laws. And a good citizen also rebels to change the rules that they feel needs to be adjusted. Socrates in Plato’s Crito makes it a point that a good citizen follows the government of the place that raised them. His claim on why he fought for his right to go unpunished in Plato’s Apology is that he was hoping to create a change in the government, and this is a thoughtful favor for him to do because it is important that the members of a state are involved in politics and the government. Socrates was happy living where he was for about seventy years, so why would he be mad at the rules now? â€Å"You have had seventy years to think about [the laws], and during that time you were free to leave if we did not please you or if our agreements appeared to you to be unfair. † (Plato 61). A good citizen must respect his home and where he comes from. This appreciation to the citizen’s home will better help him be considerate for other places. Education is also an important factor in becoming a good citizen, according to Martha C. Nussbaum. Her work Education for Profit, Education for Freedom discusses on how education shouldn’t be limited to just books and numbers, but it should expand to teach students about critical thinking. Individuality should be more emphasized, and by having people think for themselves regardless of what others do or say, there would be more improvement on personal development. They know that they are responsible for their own actions and can one day create change in this world. Nussbaum argues that schools should focus more on global issues and have the students state their opinions on them. By having these opinions, students can then take what they know and become more involved in politics and other matters of society. â€Å"Education will promote the enrichment of the student’s own senses, imagination, thought, and practical reason†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Nussbaum 2). Students educated in critical thinking are, in Nussbaum’s and even Socrates eyes, good citizens because they will be active members of society. Using Socrates’ and Nussbaum’s ideologies on what defines a good citizen, the actions of Songlian from the movie Raise the Red Lantern, directed by Zhang Yimou, can be assessed and judged to determine if she fits the criteria of being a good citizen. Songlian is the fourth mistress of a wealthy master in China. She is forced to leave her home and live in a new household with the master and his three other wives. But Songlian, who was just a young woman in her late teens, was different than the other women in the house because she was educated. Her independent attitude in the beginning of the movie where she travelled to the master’s home by herself showed that she was independent and that she wasn’t going to be easily controlled. Songlian has to live within a new set of walls and rules, and throughout the movie, she is constantly testing her limits and her authority in the household. The wives all fought for respect through gaining the attention of the master. They would even scheme plans behind each other’s backs for their own benefit. Songlian soon found out that she had to play her own game to hold her standards in the house, and with her education, she felt the need to exert and know her place and power in the house. Songlian is placed unwillingly into a new environment where she felt misplaced. Her role as a mistress was to be an obedient her master. But along with that, she had to dodge the demeaning schemes of her â€Å"sisters†, who she calls the other wives of the master. To do so, she had to bend around the rules of the household. First of all, it must be noted that the household is not a democracy, which was the society that Socrates was in. Socrates’ appreciation for democracy was the reason why he didn’t push the challenge of his death sentence that was imposed on him. Songlian couldn’t change the master’s traditions, but she still managed to challenge them whenever possible just to push it to the limit. An example in the movie was when she requested to eat her food in her room instead of with her sisters. Normally, Socrates would not approve of this attitude, but since there wasn’t a democracy in Songlian’s world, Socrates would actually encourage this rebellion. He would hope that Songlian would test her boundaries and challenge the authority of the master. Also, the master’s home isn’t where Songlian is originally from, so Socrates would observe her to be just scrutinizing and pressing the new laws that are laid before her. The death of her father is the reason that Songlian had to stop her education halfway through her university. Her stepmother told her that there wasn’t enough money to have her continue her schooling and forcefully suggested her to get married and move on with her life. Even though Songlian wasn’t able to complete her education, 2 years is quite a significant amount of time to spend in college, especially for a woman in China at that time period. When the other ladies of Songlian’s new household found this out, they knew that she was a clever girl, and they had to somewhat be careful when they tricked her. Her behavior wasn’t always good, but according to Nussbaum, that is acceptable from an educated woman. â€Å"Knowledge is no guarantee of good behavior†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Nussbaum 5). The fact that Songlian is an educated woman completely contributes the way we look at her and the reasons for her actions. Nussbaum would argue that Songlian’s education was her motive to act the way she did. Regardless of what others thought, she felt that she was able to do whatever she wanted that pleased her. Although this leaning towards the selfish side, Nussbaum would still state that Songlian had her own values that she lived up to, and being educated, she was able to be an individual and adapt (and attempt to sway) the rules of the household. To me, Songlian would be considered a good citizen because she is able to first observe the unjust laws of her new living space and decided to resist it and try to cause trouble around it. She did listen to her stepmother in her original home and get married. She seemed to have a satisfying life back home, but when she was told to do something that she didn’t approve of, she couldn’t accuse her home of being horrible for doing so. This is just like what Socrates faced. He was content living in this democratic state for his life, so why should he defy the rules now? Both Socrates and Songlian agreed with the rules that they grew up in, and both couldn’t think to break the rules of their own homeland, even if the outcome wasn’t favorable. Therefore, Songlian in my eyes is seen to be a good citizen of her old home because of the way she respected her elders of the society that raised her. Using Nussbaum’s work, I can show how Songlian is a good citizen as well. Being educated means being opinionated and also being able to think like an individual. In the house, Songlian did things just to please herself, like asking for foot massages or her favorite dish at dinnertime. She doesn’t give in to the other mistresses and she is clever enough to catch on to their game. She knew and tested her authority in the household, and she never silenced herself because she wanted to make a statement and show her strength. In the end, Songlian is rebellious when she sets up the third mistress’s house as a ghost home when she was brutally murdered by the master’s guards. She felt that the third mistress shouldn’t die in vain, and justice needed to be set. Songlian proves to be a good citizen by the way she respected her old household rules and rebelled against her new and unjust ones. The filmmaker Zhang Yimou shows us how taking this girl from er home into a new society can be harsh, and how her education and her opinions of how a household should be affected her actions in the master’s house. Socrates established that a good citizen fights for her democratic rights, and also obeys them justly, even if there are consequences to be faced. Being opinionated and alert is also important, according to Nussbaum, because Songlian is able to challenge the traditions and test her limits. Bad behavior doesn’t demonstrate the actions of a poor citizen, but of a citizen who isn’t afraid to question the laws of a different society.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Importance of Communication in Workplace-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Disucss about the Management Communication. Answer: An organization usually encourages teamwork amongst its employees to ensure collective decision making, problem-solving and hence higher productivity. Where there is a group of people working towards a common goal, conflicts and disagreements arise due to different reasons. Every person has an idea or a particular perspective which differs from that of the other team members. The way a manager would like to organize his team might not be pleased with the individuals under him who might end up complaining about the strategies put in place (Nahavandi, 2014). When different parties have varying approaches to a particular issue, then conflict arises as they both want their ideas implemented. A conflicting situation cannot be resolved by a single individual regardless of their position on the team. All the members have to agree to be able to make a peaceful working condition between them all (Nahavandi, 2014). The case study is of the workers in the sales and marketing department of a Glo bal Patent and Trademark Firm. It would be helpful for the team to solve their internal issues and sort their disagreements as it helps them in dealing with clients and the external market. The team at the firm mentioned above has undergone a few changes in the way the management and other operations are carried out following a 26% loss in the department. Mr Tadokoro, the managing director, was forced to make changes in his district by firing some of the employees and make implementations to ensure that the team is set to rectify the situation (Nahavandi, 2014). However, the changes made the situation even worse as some marketing personnels were given new positions that they did not like. Terry, Nashira and Narco were in charge of sub-divisions before the reshuffling and now have to work under Mr Hans who was the business director. The three individuals felt like they have been demoted and with less power to make changes in their areas of specifications while Hans felt more dominant as he was controlling the team (Doherty Guyler, 2008). These individuals hold essential positions which might cost the firm a lot of losses if they do not work up to their work expectations. As a consultant, the situation can be solved by first of all setting ground rules that govern the way they deal with each other (Doherty Guyler, 2008). It is clear that Hans has just been given a chance to lead the team in achieving the new goal that he proposed to the director. It is therefore essential for them to hold a meeting and agree on what Hans can do and what he cannot do. Since it is critical to ensure that there is someone to control the team, his powers should be limited to ensure that it does not threaten the position of others. Secondly, the team should also learn to compromise specific situations that will lead to coexisting while at work. The lead should be able to listen to what the other members have to say and put into consideration to give each a fair chance of participation, and the vice versa is true (Doherty Guyler, 2008). F inally, they should reach an agreement concerning the whole process of resolution and settle at the same decision on how they will be relating to each other to make their activities efficiently. Marketing is an essential department of an organization and determines the success or failure they attain, hence the importance of having a supportive team. References Nahavandi, A. (2014). Organizational behavior. Doherty, N., Guyler, M. (2008). The essential guide to workplace mediation conflict resolution: Rebuilding working relationships. London: Kogan Page.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Representations of Global Femininity/Masculinity in Contemporary Media

Introduction The change in time and events from a conventional world to one that is sophisticated and modern has been accompanied by changes in representation of masculinity and femininity. This is with regard to how the contemporary media represents both man and woman and its position on this.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Representations of Global Femininity/Masculinity in Contemporary Media specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Contrary to the conventional style of representation where the woman was overshadowed by the man, she is now gaining representation in a powerful and autonomic manner that reveals her self-confidence. This paper will bring into light the changing, as well as the adamant phenomenon of representation of masculinity and femininity by the contemporary media. How Contemporary Media represents Masculinity and Femininity The great shift to contemporary visual media has been accompanied b y a change in the representation of women. According to the contemporary media, the woman is faced with a lot of responsibilities which she must see to it that they are all handled accordingly. As a result the media has brought out the woman as one who is faced with a lot of challenges, making it difficult for her to live up to other people’s expectations. However, it has been shown that, amidst their dilemmas, women resort to traditional intervention with regard to femininity for a solution. Different articles will explain the different ways which women act in relation to femininity. Men on the other hand have always taken up the authoritarian role that depicts power and strength (Leavy, Gnong and Andrea 261-292). Typical images of the modern woman, for instance pop stars like Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez represent a unique kind of femininity. In this kind of representation, the woman is independent and entitled to her own life. This shows the liberation of women while compared to what was previously the perception of femininity where the woman stayed at home to look after her children and husband. Now, the woman has become more educated and liberated, but the main theme of femininity that has not changed a single bit is beauty. Contemporary media has given the picture of a woman as one who is adventurous, and in so doing has continued to encourage this kind of behavior. This woman is able to capture the best man who is sexually desirable. She then retains this man as long as he is interesting. This kind of woman will also be seen pursuing a great career at the same time. This is a demonstration of the change in representation of femininity in contemporary media which in other words can be considered to be cosmopolitan. It is very different from the traditional method of representation of women as wives and mothers. It is therefore clear that great changes have occurred and transformed the perception of women by the media (Leavy, Gnong and Andrea 261-292).Advertising Looking for research paper on gender studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The representations of masculinity and femininity by the media are constantly changing and so are the perceptions. The change in representation is what leads to the change in perception as the media is very powerful in influencing people’s attitudes. Previously, the woman was represented as a submissive and obedient wife and mother. Currently, this is not the case as women strive to gain equality with regard to gender. Men on the other hand were represented as having power and authority over the woman. This representation has however changed as men have turned out to become violent so as to acquire hegemony, which is linked to masculinity (Andersen and Gray 446-450). Contemporary media may have a negative impact on the representation of the woman and associated femininity. For example, the implications of the media on porn ography tend to have a negative impact on the women as opposed to men whose hegemony is very evident. The contemporary media fosters growth and availability of pornographic materials. However, as pornography grows, so does its violent nature that is entailed in its content. The video, which is the latest kind of contemporary media, shows very sad sexual fantasies. The perception brought out by this kind of representation is cruelty and unfriendliness to the femininity of women but on the other hand, encourages dominance by the man. This dominance has been portrayed through activities of sexual molestation (Andersen and Gray 446-450). Femininity and masculinity are two different kinds of images which are seen to vary considerably. The femininity of a woman in contemporary media is shown through pictures that bring out the beauty and attractiveness of the woman. The appearance of a woman in enhancing her femininity in certain jobs especially in the tourism industry is very important. The femininity of a woman is portrayed by her feminine appearance. A feminine appearance requires the woman to make her hair, wear make-up and suitable uniform that enhance her femininity. This is opposed to men whose attractiveness or masculinity with regard to the physical body is not required for the application or maintenance of a job. Irrespective of the empowerment that women have obtained, the media still maintains a position of hegemony with regard to gender. An example of this is where, irrespective of the masculine women like Cristina Yang in Grey’s Anatomy and feminine males like George O’Malley, conventional gender expectations are very evident, representing either femininity or masculinity.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Representations of Global Femininity/Masculinity in Contemporary Media specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This can be argued from the point that women continue to be attractive even if they tend to drift towards masculinity. On the other hand, the masculinity aspect among men who try to act in a feminine way is dominant thus will persist (Leavy, Gnong and Andrea 261-292). Contemporary media has used the mind-body dichotomy to bring out differences between men and women and associated masculinity and femininity respectively. This aspect of body and mind is seen to create disparity between masculinity and femininity. Masculinity places a lot of emphasis on the mind while femininity is all about the body. A quote from Bartky Sandra â€Å"Woman’s space is not a field in which her bodily intentionality can be freely realized but an enclosure in which she feels herself positioned and by which she is confined† depicts this (cited in Leavy, Gnong and Andrea 261-292). The concept of women’s space is taken to bring out a common idea of enclosed space. It could mean power or lack of power. This space could also be a symbolic rep resentation of the woman’s body as it is perceived to be associated with gender performance. On the other hand, the masculinity of men is not confined to their bodies. It entails attitudes, ability to think and perception. The dichotomy used reveals that as opposed to women, the masculinity of men is more realized by their ability to hold power and think wisely as opposed to a woman whose femininity is in her beauty (Andersen and Gray 446-450). Conclusion The media is actively involved in representation of both men and women in the content of masculinity and femininity respectively. The perception of masculinity and femininity will continue changing for as long the media keeps on changing the representations of both men and women. Despite the changing representations, one thing is for sure, femininity of a woman with regard to beauty can never change. On the other side, masculinity and power are inseparable. Works Cited Andersen, Robin Gray, Jonathan (Eds). Battleground: The Media. Westport: Greenwood Press, 2008.Advertising Looking for research paper on gender studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Leavy, Patricia, Gnong, Andrea Ross, Lauren. â€Å"Femininity, Masculinity, and Body Image Issues and College-Age Women: An In-depth and Written Interview Study of the Mind-Body Dichotomy†. Qualitative Report, 2009 (14), 261-292, Bibliography Component Bibliography 1. O’ Barr, William. Representations of Masculinity and Femininity in Advertisements. Advertising Educational Foundation, 2006. Reason The article by O’Barr on representations of masculinity and femininity, asserts that advertisements that are represented by the media form a strong ground for emulation and reaction by the concerned parties. The relevance of this article with regard to the topic at hand is brought about in its explanation of what is entailed in masculinity and femininity. Masculinity is associated with power, virility, competitiveness, strength and athleticism. Femininity on the other hand is related to nurturance, beauty, cooperation and submissiveness. The article argues that both m en and women indulge in different activities that reveal their femininity or masculinity. The woman will bring out her femininity through her beauty and provocative postures that lay much emphasis on her sexuality. The femininity of a woman is used to show beauty, attractiveness, passiveness and cooperation. Masculinity on the other hand is associated with aggression, power and strength. Among other aspects of masculinity and femininity that will change, the ones mentioned above are inherent as they are used to define the difference between a man and a woman. It is very clear that both men and women have different roles to play in order to show their masculinity and femininity respectively as represented by different kinds of media. It is worth noting the masculinity and femininity begins at birth after determining the sex of a child. The media has been used to enhance this difference by demonstrating the different ways through which a woman can show her femininity. In addition, it has been applied to represent and show how masculinity is manifested in men (O’ Barr 213-221). 2. Millington, Bradley. Learning Masculinities: Youth, the Media, and Physical Education. Queen’s University, 2004. Reason According to the article by Millington, the media is filled with stereotypes about men and masculinity. This is especially true with reference to violent videos and movies. Since time in memorial, man has always been regarded as the greater sex. Contemporary media represents masculinity in terms of violence. Men have been seen to engage in violent and brutal acts in an attempt to bring out their masculinity. This may not work well for the young males as they will adopt this kind of behavior too. In a bid to reveal and show their masculinity, cases of violence against women will continue to prevail for as long the media will place masculinity in close link with violence. This research article is relevant to the topic as it shows how masculinity is represen ted by the media in the form of violence. This raises a lot of concern on how the young males and females will perceive the different representations by the media. The contemporary media is involved in presenting stereotypes on what is entailed in masculinity and femininity. The media presents the woman as one who is submissive and in so doing, embraces culture in the view of femininity. On the other hand the highly upheld and believed concept of hegemony with regard to masculinity is represented. However, the current position of both masculinity and femininity is not that which alienates femininity from masculinity as the search of equality continues to be contentious. This article raises concerns with reference to the perception of representation of masculinity versus femininity by the media. This is because the young people will be greatly influenced by the media to the extent that they will tend to follow what is represented in the media. The media has always been considered to have a very great impact on the people. This comes about due to misunderstanding that revolves around the issue of representation of masculinity and femininity by the media. This is explained by the fact that people are easily carried away by the media and will tend to follow what the media shows regardless of whether it is favorable or not (Millington, 23-45). Works Cited Millington, Bradley. Learning Masculinities: Youth, the Media, and Physical Education. Queen’s University, 2004. O’ Barr, William. Representations of Masculinity and Femininity in Advertisements. Advertising Educational Foundation, 2006. This research paper on Representations of Global Femininity/Masculinity in Contemporary Media was written and submitted by user K1nley to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Free Essays on Population Between Two Countries

Subject: Society, Space and the Environment (TG1090) Topic: "Compare and contrast the differences in population characteristics between developed and developing countries." Grade Awarded: Distinction Tutor’s Comments: Your essay shows good command of academic referencing and contains useful, interesting, illustrative material. It is way over the word length. I think you could easily have made it shorter by some editing - I've edited some parts for you to eliminate the padding. You need to focus on making your writing more succinct, and ensuring that you always make your meaning clear. Use of sub-headings may help. You have analysed some of the differences and presented a reasonably coherent line of argument. Marking Schedule: CRITERION MAJOR POINTS POSSIBLE MARK YOUR MARK Relevance to topic Answers questionContains relevant detail 10 7.5 Analysis Development of issues 10 7 Readability & expression Grammar, sentence construction. Ability to communicate main points effectively.Correct spelling Punctuation 10 7.5 Organisation & structure IntroductionConclusionParagraphs 10 7 Referencing Correct referencing styleProper list of referencesHas the literature on the topic been mentioned? 5 4 Illustrative material Relevance of maps, tables of data and diagramsCorrect conventions on mapsProper titles & sources on maps etc 5 3.5 (Note: This sample is provided in the exact form it was submitted and corrections and comments made in the text by the lecturer are not included. Tables, maps and diagrams have not been included in the sample.) Comparing and contrasting population characteristics of developed and developing countries give valuable insights into social, political and economic processes of countries. All numerical data given in this essay are in tables 1. and 2., and is correlated from the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) website (ODCI, 1998). It is important to point out that countries that were picked were c... Free Essays on Population Between Two Countries Free Essays on Population Between Two Countries Subject: Society, Space and the Environment (TG1090) Topic: "Compare and contrast the differences in population characteristics between developed and developing countries." Grade Awarded: Distinction Tutor’s Comments: Your essay shows good command of academic referencing and contains useful, interesting, illustrative material. It is way over the word length. I think you could easily have made it shorter by some editing - I've edited some parts for you to eliminate the padding. You need to focus on making your writing more succinct, and ensuring that you always make your meaning clear. Use of sub-headings may help. You have analysed some of the differences and presented a reasonably coherent line of argument. Marking Schedule: CRITERION MAJOR POINTS POSSIBLE MARK YOUR MARK Relevance to topic Answers questionContains relevant detail 10 7.5 Analysis Development of issues 10 7 Readability & expression Grammar, sentence construction. Ability to communicate main points effectively.Correct spelling Punctuation 10 7.5 Organisation & structure IntroductionConclusionParagraphs 10 7 Referencing Correct referencing styleProper list of referencesHas the literature on the topic been mentioned? 5 4 Illustrative material Relevance of maps, tables of data and diagramsCorrect conventions on mapsProper titles & sources on maps etc 5 3.5 (Note: This sample is provided in the exact form it was submitted and corrections and comments made in the text by the lecturer are not included. Tables, maps and diagrams have not been included in the sample.) Comparing and contrasting population characteristics of developed and developing countries give valuable insights into social, political and economic processes of countries. All numerical data given in this essay are in tables 1. and 2., and is correlated from the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) website (ODCI, 1998). It is important to point out that countries that were picked were c...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The Investigation of an Ethical Issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Investigation of an Ethical Issue - Essay Example Even while acknowledging the validity of a number of the ethical concerns raised, the fact is that not only are they resolvable but the merit scheme is a meritorious strategy. As school populations increase, teacher populations decrease. While the obvious solution to the problems associated with public school teacher shortages is the recruitment and employment of more teachers, Cornett and Gaines (2002) quite rightly maintain that this is a non-solution insofar as public teachers’ wage and benefit packages dissuade potential recruits from joining the public school system. Added to that, both federal and state resources are simply insufficient to meet the demand for across the board pay increases. Needless to say, long working hours and intense levels of on the job-stress versus low pay and unattractive benefits, de-motivates teachers and discourages a significant percentage from investing and dedicating themselves to their work (Cornett and Gaines, 2002). There is, however, a sizeable percentage of public school teachers who do dedicate themselves to their job, put in the extra hours their students by need and, indeed, invest themselves in their te aching. The merit scheme, according to Cornett and Gaines (2002) arose in response to the two points mentioned: low salaries and differentiations in teachers’ performances. Merit pay is designed to compensate the deserving for low salaries while, at the same time, encourage and reward the latter group of educators. Merit pay, when perceived of in the terms outlined in the preceding, does not simply emerge as a solution to the identified problems but as a meritorious concept insofar as it is fundamentally based on rewarding the deserving. As Johnson (2000) maintains, however, merit pay has been critiqued by many as fundamentally flawed and, ultimately, unethical. To this end, Johnson (2000) quotes Olsen (1987, p. 2) as saying that merit