The transformation of the protagonist in the Metamorphosis - Free Essay Example

Franz Kafka wrote one of his best-known works called the Metamorphosis which was first published in 1915. It tells the story of salesman Gregor Samsa that wakes one morning to find himself suddenly transformed into a huge insect and subsequently struggling to adjust to this new condition. It shows the readers how Gregor and his whole family is trying to adapt to his new appearance, but it’s not that simple. The novella has been widely discussed among literary critics, with differing interpretations being offered. Some of them view the transformation of the protagonist as symbolic rather than literal. I believe that Gregor does not really turn into an insect, instead, the author made an insect a metaphor for the life he lives and his relationships to those around him. Gregor is dehumanized by his boss in the way that he treats him at work. His presence at work proved more important to his boss than his well being. When Gregor neglected to arrive at work due to his unexpected physical transformation an attorney was sent to his house and exclaimed, â€Å"I hope its nothing serious. On the other hand, I must also say that we business people- for better or for worse, however one looks at it- very often simply have to overcome a minor infirmity for business concern† (20). The boss was so concerned about his business and how the absence of Gregor would affect him that he did not even bother to care about how Gregor was doing or why he had not shown up for work. He was seen as a minion to the boss. His only purpose pertained to earn more money for the company and if he was not doing that the boss saw him as a waste. The boss looked at him as a worker, not as a human being. Gregor is stripped of the emotional traits he possesses like his personalit y and seen only for the things that could help the company like his productivity. The way that the boss treats him and takes advantage of his passiveness is the first way that he is dehumanized. Gregor also experiences dehumanization through his lack of strong relationships. He does not go out with friends like a man of his age would usually do. Even before his transformation Gregor isolated himself and focused solely on his work. His mother describes, â€Å"I am almost angry that he never goes out at night; right now he’s been in the city eight days, but he’s been at home every evening† (20). In this situation, Gregor takes away his own human qualities. He does not waste what he views as precious time going out with friends, instead, he works hard long hours and comes home to his family. He does not let himself obtain relationships with friends even though his own mother encourages it. Gregor focuses intensely on his work and does not take time to reflect on himself. The time that he spends on his work draws away from the time he would need to make strong relationships and his lack of these relationships is what eventually leads to his dehumanization. H e does all of his hard work for one reason, to provide for his family. Gregor provides for his family which forces him to spend less time on his own needs and more time on his familys needs. Gregor hates his job and doesnt want to upset his boss because he knows that he provides his family s only income. When he debated whether or not to go to work he thinks to himself, â€Å"If I didn’t hold back for my parents’ sake I would have quit ages ago† (14). This shows that Gregor works not because he enjoys it but because he feels the need to pay off his familys debt. He feels as if it is his duty to provide for the family when they are under the financial distress they are experiencing. Although Gregor worked extremely hard his family takes advantage of him. While overhearing his family talking his father says, â€Å"In, addition, the money that he had brought home every month- he had only kept a few guilders for himself- had not been completely used up and had accumulated to become a small asset† (38). While Gregor worked hard at a job that he hated so he could pay off his family’s debt as quick as possible his father set away money and not caring about how his son felt about his job. This made it so he would have to work longer at his job to pay off the debts. If Gregor s family cared about his personal well being they would have done everything in their power for him to quit his job. Instead, they sat around living lavishly off of his hard earned money and let him do all of the work. This dehumanizes Gregor and shows that they view him as a paycheck instead of an important member of the family. Although dehumanized by his family, Gregor’s metamorphosis provides many unexpected positives. His father, mother, and sister all become more independent through his transformation as they are not able to depend on Gregor anymore. Despite how spoiled the family was by Gregor and his financial support, they quickly learned to adapt to their new lives without his help. After Gregors Metamorphosis, his father had to become the main provider for the family. He went from being dependent on his son to a supportive family man. He worked so often that he would t take his uniform off even to sleep. The text explains, â€Å"The father refused with a sort of obstinacy to take off his servant’s uniform even at home, and while the sleeping gown hung uselessly on a coat hook, he slumbered fully clothed in his place, as if he were always to serve and even here awaited the voice of his superior† (52). His father now works to the point of exhaustion, never for a second does he let himself relax. He works long hours and when he gets home he often times drifts into sleep even when he has not gone to lay down for bed. He wears his uniform to bed which shows that he is both subjective to his boss and proud of the work he is doing. His change in clothing at the end of The Metamorphosis signifies that the father has also changed. Gregor’s Father ch anged from a careless dependent into a proud hard working provider. Due to Gregor’s Metamorphosis, his mother learned to help support the family despite her sickness. The mother had asthma and used this as a reason she could not work for all of these years. She learned to help out in small ways, like sewing, although nobody ever forced her to work. The sister was worried she was working too hard and said to the mother, â€Å"My you’ve already been sewing for such a long time!† (52). She was not being overworked but she had done such a minute amount of work for the family for so long that even her small contribution seemed massive in comparison. The family was scared to let her work hard because of her medical condition and how weak and frail she had become with age. In reality, it was good to have her working. Gregor’s Metamorphosis helped his mother become more independent. Her small contributions that she made to the family by sewing gave her self worth and purpose. Gregor’s Sister, experience the largest change as she went from a spoiled girl with everything handed to her to a girl that had to work for what she had. Even after Gregor’s Metamorphosis he still thought of ways that he could make Gretes life better. He thought to himself’, â€Å"Only the sister still remained close to Gregor, and his secret plan was to send her, who differed from Gregor in that she loved music and knew how to play the violin movingly, to the conservatory next year† (37). Because Grete helps Gregor despite his change he still thinks of ways that he can help her out. Gregor soon realizes that this dream for Grete will no longer happen for her due to his physical state. Grete recognizes the financial situation of her family and knows that it is her duty to help. As explained in the text, â€Å"The sister, who had accepted a position as saleswomen, studied stenography and French in the evenings so that sometime later she, perhaps, would get a better position† (52). Grete worked hard as both a saleswoman in the day and student in the night. For the first time in her life, she took her destiny into her own hands and made it better without the help of Gregor. She dedicated herself to making her life better. Grete matures and takes Gregor s place as a provider of the family and becomes a strong independent woman through the process. Even before his metamorphosis occurred Gregor was dehumanized by his work was all that was important about him was his productivity, his lack of close relationships due to his extensive working, and his family treating him as nothing but an income. Although these things hurt Gregor and were the threshold for his metamorphosis to begin, he created positives for the lives of his entire family. His dad became a proud provider, his mother worked through her sickness and proved herself stronger than anybody expected, and his sister took it upon herself to become a saleswoman and get an education to better her own life. Having a family member transform into a bug may sound terrible but the outcomes may become better than ever expected.

When AmericanS Think Of Education, They Almost Automatically

When American s think of education, they almost automatically think of public education. Through the years it is slowly changing. Many parents today are deciding to home school their children. Although most people think that a public education is better, most statistics and facts tend to show that homeschooling is beneficial in more ways. It is estimated that parents are now teaching over two million children at home, rather than in public or even private schools. Education in our public schools has been on the down slope for over twenty years now. Public schools have lost all values and biblical morality. This was what our country was founded on and it has been replaced with humanism. One example of humanism in our schools is that they†¦show more content†¦In the last ten years, research shows that infants raised in daycare are more prone to behavioral problems as young children than their home-reared cousins (Klicka 124). If you keep your child at home from the start, you will be able to discipline and raise your children with the right morals. Because so much time is spend trying to clean up and keep our schools safe, we are more or less falling behind in our education. American s are farther behind in educational status than countries such as Japan, Taiwan, and China. The teachers spend too much time on the little things and forget the real reason why the children are there. Not only that, but the textbooks hold inaccurate information and do not contain the whole story. Some textbooks stated that the atomic bomb ended the Korean War (instead of World War II) and that only 53,000, rather than 126,000 Americans, were killed in World War I (Klicka 24 25). One book summarizes Abraham Lincoln s and George Washington s life in approximately six lines each. Not only are the wrong things written in the textbooks, they teach the children wrong values. In public school textbooks, marriage is never mentioned as the foundation of the family, and yet these boo ks are supposed to be the textbooks that introduce the child to an understanding of American society. Abortion is another issue. Mel and Norma Gabler s document states, Abortion is discussed as an aspectShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The F Word By Firoozeh Dumas1736 Words   |  7 PagesAsk You Again and Again Because You’ll Think I’m Dumb or You Might Get Upset or Something’† (739). In the quote, Firoozeh satirizes the American who is close-minded. A close-minded person is someone who is not open to new ideas and has very rigid ideas. In Farsi, her name has a beautiful meaning. In Firoozeh’s eyes, in America, it stands for not going to talk to you because your name is too complicated and I don’t want to appear dumb. It shows how American’s are rigid and firm in their beliefs ofRead MoreWhat Money Can’t Buy by Michael Sandel Essay1402 Words   |  6 Pagesissues in providing basic needs to your family. In today’s world, how much money you make is a big deal. Happiness is no longer the most important or easiest thing to achieve. Money, and how much of it you have, has taken over the minds of most American’s; they are starting to believe that the more money you have means the more things you can get. According to Sandel, rich Americans are taking advantage of jumping the queue. People have the option to pay more money to get better service at airportsRead MoreMulticulturalism in Malaysia1504 Words   |  6 PagesNow, let us narrow down the point of focus: the issue of multiculturalism in Malaysia. As we all know, Malaysian is mainly consisted of three differing races, and automatically, culture: the Malays, Chinese and Indian. Most of the population lived in harmony and tolerance, but does segregation truly disappeared from the hearts of its people? That is the central theme of the film ‘Sepet’, a film directed by Allahyarham Yasmin Ahmad, released to cinemas all over the country in 2004. The title literallyRead MoreThe American Dream By John Adams1721 Words   |  7 PagesDaija Daniels Professor Metz History 101 21 March 2016 The American Dream When people come to America, they come because the want to live the American dream. But what actually is the American dream? Does it truly exist? When one thinks of the American dream they instantly think of the Declaration of Independence because they too also believe that all men are created equal but also believe in the beauty of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. United States citizens as well as immigrants, believedRead MoreAbortions Tug of War Essay1496 Words   |  6 Pagesthe woman’s decision and tries to desperately talk her into an abortion. 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AlthoughRead Moreimpact of martin luther king on civil rights3162 Words   |  13 PagesHow much impact did Martin Luther King have in changing civil rights for black Americans? Eyes on the Prize, American’s Civil Rights years, 1954-1965, Juan Williams Eyes on the Prize, Juan Williams On the bus boycott â€Å"When the trial of the boycott leaders began in Alabama, the national press got its first good look at Martin Luther King Jr., the first defendant. Four days later, King was found guilty. The sentence was a $500 fine and court costs, or 386 days of hard labour. The judge explained thatRead More Inspiration is the Key to Achievement Essay3849 Words   |  16 Pages The road to success of every achiever is filled with ample inspiration, something more powerful than words can describe, something that unbelievably plays such an important role in how someone approaches their lifetime goal, in how someone thinks, how someone acts, and how times fly, and how the world spinning around someone is – whether it is dynamic, hectic, chaotic, moderate, or deliberate. Without this incredible thing that may seem to be imaginary and invisible to some people, life would beRead MoreEssay on Media Influence on Black Children5404 Words   |  22 PagesMedia Influence on Black/African-American Children Abstract: An overview of how media in the decades since the 1950s had influenced the education of Black/African-Americann Students. Media in the decades since the 1950s has dramatically influenced the education of Black/African-American children. The media, which includes television, newspapers, magazines, radio, advertising and the internet, is a vital part of constantly creating and reinforcing stereotypes. Media affects and influencesRead MoreHealth Care Policy10795 Words   |  44 Pageslack of coverage leading to debt and personal bankruptcy results in billions of dollars in uncompensated care that get passed through the health care system to taxpayers when the uninsured obtain care from hospitals (Reinhardt et al., 2004). Approximately, $100 billion was spent in 2001 to care for the uninsured, therefore, when considering the cost of covering the uninsured with meaningful health benefits, it is fundamentally justified to create policy solutions. (Reinhardt, 2003). One strategy

Parable of the sower theme of Weakness and Strength - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 1 Words: 318 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2018/12/27 Category Sociology Essay Type Book review Level High school Tags: Community Essay Novel Essay Did you like this example? The parable of the sower has a wide range of themes developed. Among the themes that the author has tried to feature in the work is the theme of weakness and strength. The novel integrates the two themes in a manner that it is possible to tell similarly to a real world event. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Parable of the sower: theme of Weakness and Strength" essay for you Create order The themes are not straightforward as one wound expect them to be. More importantly in a world where violence prevails (Gerhardsson 167). The Laurens group may be viewed as a weak group. However, the team has some strength. For instance, a large number of the women in the novel have the knowledge on how to use a gun. These women include Zahra, Lauren, and Natividad. Moreover, the novel also show that the children have hiding skills, which is a notable strength inhibited by the group. The team is also strong as they are able to decide on a better way to get through the police. They fail to present threat, a quality that makes it easier for them to pass without being suspected by the police. The author tries to show the theme of strength through Laurens brother. The young man (Keith) has the determination to prove his manhood by trying to be part of a violent gun. However, his struggles makes him end up being brutally murdered (Gerhardsson 180). Also the community walls that appeared strong get breached leading to the community being destroyed. Also, the theme is displayed through Lauren, when she makes her decision to venture on the road (open) which is a dangerous place to be in; she gets the opportunity to constructing the community, a situation that had been her life-long dream. Which is a dangerous place to be in; she gets the opportunity to constructing the community, a situation that had been her life-long dream. Works Cited Gerhardsson, Birger. The Parable of the Sower and its Interpretation. New Testament Studies? 14.2 (1968): 165-193.

Kenneth Lay, The Founder Of Enron - 1662 Words

Kenneth lay, the founder of Enron, did not start his life as a deceiving criminal. He was born in Missouri in 1942. He went to school at the university of Missouri where he got a master’s degree in economics. After serving briefly in the us navy he got into the Gas business starting a career working for Exxon predecessor Humble Oil Refining. He quickly moved up the ladder and found himself as president and CEO of Houston Natural Gas Co in 1981. Four years later his company merged with InterNorth, a pipeline company from Nebraska, and Enron was born. Kenneth Lay was made CEO of Enron not long after the merger. (1) Enron went into debt during the merger. Enron right from the start was forced to come up with a new way to make money and pay off their debts. Enron shortly after lost its exclusive pipeline rights and Kenneth Lay had a huge problem and need a solution, he enlisted the help of Jeremey Skilling from Mckinsey Co to help come up with a solution. His solution was to build a ‘Gas Bank’. This was a concept that Enron would buy gas from network suppliers then sell it directly to consumers under a contract which would guarantee supply and price. This revolutionary idea lead to Skilling’s Employment at Enron in 1990 in a new division called Enron Finance Corp. Enron Finance Corp. had the responsibility of gaining access to suppliers and getting clients to sign contracts. They began to dominate the market and with such market power they were able predict future pricesShow MoreRelatedEnron : The Smartest Guy Essay799 Words   |  4 Pagesscandals to come to mind would be t he bankruptcy of Enron Corporation. If we apply and analyze the skills of a negotiator like Founder and Chairman Kenneth Lay, CEO Jeffery Skilling, and CFO Andrew Fastow it becomes clear how and why the actives of Enron were perpetuated for as long as they were. â€Å"This wasn’t about the numbers Enron was publishing, but rather it was about the people. This was a human tragedy† (Gibney). As expressed in the documentary, â€Å"Enron: The Smartest Guy’s in the Room,† the core issueRead MoreEnron Corporation : The Largest Energy Trading Essay1131 Words   |  5 PagesEnron Corporation is the largest energy-trading located in Houston, Texas. It was founded by Kenneth L. Lay in 1985. Enron has been form through the merger between Houston Natural Gas and InterNorth Incorporation and initially named it as HNG/Inter-North Incorporation, before renames it as Enteron. In 1986, the company name has been shortened to Enron Corporation. At the beginning of the operation, Enron only involved in the transmission and distribution of electricity and gas throughout the UnitedRead MoreThe White Collar Crime By Edwin Sutherland Essay1254 Words   |  6 Pageskey information, offering bad advice, and acting on inside information. Kenneth Lay was the founder of Enron in 1985 and was the chief executive officer for over 15 years. 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Enron, originally known as a â€Å"natural gas pipeline company [started by Kenneth Lay in 1985], soon became known as an energy-trading corporation that bought and sold gas as well as electricity.† (Fox, 1). With over 20,000 employees and 40 worldwide businesses, The Houston, TX Corporation soon became a prodigy of the times. Originally it made its profit by promising to deliver a particular amount of gas to certain businesses at market price on particular days. (O’Harrow Jr.). Soon, Enron becameRead MoreEnron , The Natural Gas Provider Essay923 Words   |  4 Pages Enron, the natural gas provider turned trader of natural gas commodities and in 1994, electric, was once touted as the seventh largest company in America. Kenneth Lay, founder, began changing Enron from just a provider into a financial energy powerhouse. Lay took advantage of the dot-com boom of the late 1990’s by creating Enron Online, an internet trading platform. 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The American Revolution Can be Blamed on Enland Essay

Prior to the Revolutionary War, during the 1760s, the contradicting opinions among the colonists living in England’s thirteen colonies separated them into two major groups, those loyal to the king and to Great Britain and those patriotic to colonial America. While the loyalists were content to be English subjects and wanted to remain under the protection of England, the patriots felt that it was essential that the colonies obtain their liberty from England. Some colonists were strongly opinionated, while others were undecided. However, a series of events, including the Proclamation of 1763, the Stamp Acts, the Townshend Duties, the Quartering Acts, the Boston Massacre, and the Intolerable Acts, caused the majority of colonists to desire†¦show more content†¦However, the colonists felt a strong antipathy and umbrage towards this explanation because they felt that England was trying to keep its colonies contained on the Atlantic coast. This theory is due to the fact tha t if the colonies all were located on the eastern coast of the Americas, it would be easier for England to keep control then if the colonists began moving into western territories. It also required that all lands within the Indian territory occupied by Englishmen were to be abandoned. Because the England sided with the Indians in the Proclamation of 1763, the colonists perceived England’s interests as against what was best for the colonial Americans. Thus began the extensive atrocities committed by England that created tension and distrust between the colonies and its motherland. As more and more colonists were undecided on whether to be loyalists or patriots, the various acts and duties, such as the Stamp Act, passed encouraged many to agree with the patriots. Passed on March 22, 1765 by the Stamp Act imposed a tax on the colonists by placing a stamp on items that were to have a tax including printed papers, including ship’s paperwork, legal documents, licenses, deeds, certificates, newspapers and other publications, as well as common household paper items, such as playing cards and dice. Though the Stamp Act was mild in its direct effects, it alarmed many colonists because of

Profile Of An Adult Numeracy Learner Free Essays

PA is attending an adult numeracy class because he was sent by his employer. His employer completed his Level 2 National Test last year and is now insisting that all his employees follow suit. Non-completion will result in no promotion and no annual pay rise Initial assessment The key implications here are that PA is currently working at Entry Level 3 in most numeric areas. We will write a custom essay sample on Profile Of An Adult Numeracy Learner or any similar topic only for you Order Now He should be able to increase his ability level and undertake Level 1 without too many problems. However he needs to achieve Level 2 in order to gain his pay rise and promotion so this will put him under a lot of preasure and additional stress. According to Tennant (1988), PA, as a 36 year old, is in his midlife transitional period and will be â€Å"Adopting a changing time perspective and revising career plans†; this can be substantiated as PA is attending a numeracy course because of changes that are taking place at work. His employer has stated that the course must be completed and the Level 2 National Test must be passed or PA will not receive a promotion or his annual pay rise. This is an unusual situation, as according to Charnley Jones (1987), â€Å"Getting a pay rise as a direct result of tuition is extremely rare†. Patterns of adult learning reflect class divisions in society and the different expectations and perceptions resulting from those divisions. Factors such as social class, gender and race impact on decisions to learn, as each is associated with particular cultural pressures and norms. According to Maslow (1973) once physiological needs have been met safety or security becomes predominant. In other words, there is a need for self-preservation and a common concern for the future e. g. , will we be able to maintain our property and our job in order to provide shelter and food tomorrow and the next day? It is likely that this is the stage PA is at particularly as he knows that if he does not pass the relevant exams he will not get a pay rise or promotion. Peer and reference group influences can also be extremely strong (Evans, 2000). People who are habitual learners tend to belong to groups where education is seen as a normal activity. They also tend to be involved in other forms of social participation. Non-learners belong to groups for whom engaging in learning is not part of normal behaviour – this is certainly true of PA who would not have engaged initially in numeracy earning through his own choice, and who, until recently would not engage in any social activity e. g. attending a school fund raising evening. Among male manual workers, for example, there is a strong culture of group conformity and solidarity. To engage in education that is not immediately job-related is seen as what women or children do and is, therefore, not a masculine activity (McGivney, 1996). Social class continues to be the key discriminator in understanding participation in learning. Over half of all upper and middle class (AB) respondents are current or recent learners, compared with one-third of the skilled working class (C2) and one quarter of unskilled working class people and people on limited incomes (Gallup Survey 1996). However, what and how much is learned can be influenced by the learner’s motivation (NIACE, 1997) and, from my own experiences within the post-compulsory education sector, I would have to agree with this. However, motivation to learn could be, in turn, influenced by an individual’s emotional states, beliefs, interests and goals, and habits of thinking. PA’s current, positive, beliefs about himself as a learner and the nature of learning appear to have had a marked influence on his motivation. It could be said that the rich internal world of thoughts, beliefs, goals, and expectations for success or failure may enhance or interfere with the learner’s quality of thinking and information processing. Motivational and emotional factors may also influence both the quality of his thinking and information processing as well as his individual motivation to learn. Positive emotions, such as curiosity, generally enhance motivation and facilitate learning and performance. Mild anxiety can also enhance learning and performance by focusing the learner’s attention on a particular task. However, intense negative emotions (e. g. , anxiety, panic, rage, insecurity) and related thoughts (e. g. , worrying about competence, ruminating about failure, fearing punishment, ridicule, or stigmatising labels) generally detract from motivation, interfere with learning, and contribute to low performance (Evans, 2000). This could be seen during PA’s recent Numeracy Level 1 National Test when he experienced mild anxiety, but was extremely motivated and positive about the experience and his ability – and he passed first time! Motivation is, therefore, not a simple issue, since individual motives and action are strongly affected by where people are located (socially, culturally and spatially) and the constraints or incentives that operate on their choices (NIACE). PA blames his current lack of knowledge and qualifications in numeracy on his underachievement at school. If we look more closely it becomes apparent that, because of his age, PA would have been attending school during the 1970’s and 1980’s. It was during this time that the early underachievement of boys first became evident, as large scale studies of children’s achievements at Primary school pointed to the fact that girls consistently out-performed boys (Myers, 2000). Therefore there was a shift away from public concern about girls’ achievement to boys’ achievement, or underachievement, at school in exams. The concern about ‘boys’ underachievement’ has been characterised in educational policy initiatives at national, local and school levels, most significantly in the imposition of the national literacy and numeracy strategy (Barrs and Pidgeon 1998). However, overall improvements in achievement are often ignored and gender differences are ascribed to the detrimental effects of ‘the feminisation of teaching’ (Epstein et al, 1998). The concern for boys’ underachievement was highlighted by Murphy and Elwood (1998) who argued that improvement in female achievement is not shared by girls from low socio-economic backgrounds and may not be apparent in some subjects. Similarly, Epstein et al (1998) questioned the global application of the category of boys’ underachievement’ by asking, ‘†¦ hich boys? At what stages of education? †¦ according to what criteria? ‘ We could say that by definition, gender roles are the social norms that dictate what is socially appropriate male and female behaviour (Tobias, 1997), and are part of the socialisation process of human beings. These roles are also influenced by each individual’s cultural and economic background (Tobias, 1997). It could be said that gender roles influence women and men in virtually every area of life, including family and occupation. This is certainly true for PA, who feels that it is his duty to provide for his family and to have the greater earning capacity regardless of his lack of formal qualifications. Everyone recognises that there are significant differences between male and female, even if they are only physical. However, others see not only the physical but also the social, emotional and intellectual differences. In addition there is belief that, by the age of sixteen, females have matured more than boys by up to as much as two years (Skelton, 2001). This could mean that girls have an advantage by viewing exams in a far more responsible way and recognising the seriousness and importance of the academic and career choices in the future. PA agrees with this as he did not take his schooling seriously and, quite possibly due to the fact that PA knew he was underachieving and he was unmotivated, he left school at 16 with no formal qualifications. He has only recently started to regret his actions. The figures from the 1996 Gallup survey could also be used to illustrate this as more adult men (25%) are currently learning compare to adult women (21%). Now that he is within the adult education sector, PA appears to see learning numeracy as a process of liberation. This may be because PA now feels that the educational process is not static and that his learning is a cultural action for freedom. It no longer involves one person teaching another, but rather people working with each other to ensure each individual reaches their potential. This was also the understanding of Bruner (1973), who suggested that learning is an active process in which learners construct new ideas based upon their current / past knowledge. Adult learners also appear to be more receptive to learning if there is a context to the learning. Teaching adults numerical skills which ‘transfer’ means exposing â€Å"students to different contexts which have the same mathematical content† (Rees and Barr, 1984) e. g. electrical work, decorating, shopping or linked to employment. This is certainly true for PA who works better, and appears to have a deeper understanding, when he can see there is a relevance and context to what he is learning. According to Bruner (1973), the teacher and student should engage in active dialogue and the task of the teacher is to translate information to be learned into a format appropriate to the learners’ current state of understanding. During numeracy there are so many ways of doing and explaining one thing, one example would be the various descriptions used for the actions of ‘add’ and ‘subtract’, another example would be the various methods of teaching long multiplication. In addition, Bruner (1973) stated that the curriculum should be organised in a spiral manner, so that the student continually builds upon what they have already learned, â€Å"The concept of prime numbers appears to be more readily grasped when the learner, through construction, discovers certain handfuls of beans cannot be laid out in completed rows and columns† (Bruner, 1973). When working with PA, as for all my learners, I ensure that I question his current method and understanding of each numeric topic before I go into the topic in depth. This way I am constantly building on his current knowledge and understanding. A high percentage of the learners at Rochford Adult Community College are White British and PA falls into this group, ‘Rochford has one of the lowest ethnic minority populations, well below half of the national average’ (Rochford District Council, 2005). However, according to the Home Office’s Commission for Racial Equality, 2002, the United Kingdom is a changing society and these socio-economic changes are reflected in our growing cultural and ethnic diversity. These changes bring many gains, but sometimes there are tensions and divisions that may lead to fracturing within, and across, local areas and communities. However, whatever the nature of community divisions, the basis of the solution is often the same; community cohesion. The Home Office’s Commission for Racial Equality, 2002, suggests that community cohesion may be achieved by raising awareness and understanding and developing shared values with mutual trust and respect. The Home Office describes a cohesive community as one where there is common vision, a sense of belonging, where diversity is valued and where there are similar life opportunities with â€Å"†¦ strong and positive relationships being developed between people from different backgrounds†¦ in colleges and in schools†¦ † (www. homeoffice. gov. uk, 2003). This is also the ethos of Essex County Council and consequently Castle Point and Rochford Adult Community College (www. essexcc. gov. uk, 2005). How to cite Profile Of An Adult Numeracy Learner, Papers

Profile Of An Adult Numeracy Learner Free Essays

PA is attending an adult numeracy class because he was sent by his employer. His employer completed his Level 2 National Test last year and is now insisting that all his employees follow suit. Non-completion will result in no promotion and no annual pay rise Initial assessment The key implications here are that PA is currently working at Entry Level 3 in most numeric areas. We will write a custom essay sample on Profile Of An Adult Numeracy Learner or any similar topic only for you Order Now He should be able to increase his ability level and undertake Level 1 without too many problems. However he needs to achieve Level 2 in order to gain his pay rise and promotion so this will put him under a lot of preasure and additional stress. According to Tennant (1988), PA, as a 36 year old, is in his midlife transitional period and will be â€Å"Adopting a changing time perspective and revising career plans†; this can be substantiated as PA is attending a numeracy course because of changes that are taking place at work. His employer has stated that the course must be completed and the Level 2 National Test must be passed or PA will not receive a promotion or his annual pay rise. This is an unusual situation, as according to Charnley Jones (1987), â€Å"Getting a pay rise as a direct result of tuition is extremely rare†. Patterns of adult learning reflect class divisions in society and the different expectations and perceptions resulting from those divisions. Factors such as social class, gender and race impact on decisions to learn, as each is associated with particular cultural pressures and norms. According to Maslow (1973) once physiological needs have been met safety or security becomes predominant. In other words, there is a need for self-preservation and a common concern for the future e. g. , will we be able to maintain our property and our job in order to provide shelter and food tomorrow and the next day? It is likely that this is the stage PA is at particularly as he knows that if he does not pass the relevant exams he will not get a pay rise or promotion. Peer and reference group influences can also be extremely strong (Evans, 2000). People who are habitual learners tend to belong to groups where education is seen as a normal activity. They also tend to be involved in other forms of social participation. Non-learners belong to groups for whom engaging in learning is not part of normal behaviour – this is certainly true of PA who would not have engaged initially in numeracy earning through his own choice, and who, until recently would not engage in any social activity e. g. attending a school fund raising evening. Among male manual workers, for example, there is a strong culture of group conformity and solidarity. To engage in education that is not immediately job-related is seen as what women or children do and is, therefore, not a masculine activity (McGivney, 1996). Social class continues to be the key discriminator in understanding participation in learning. Over half of all upper and middle class (AB) respondents are current or recent learners, compared with one-third of the skilled working class (C2) and one quarter of unskilled working class people and people on limited incomes (Gallup Survey 1996). However, what and how much is learned can be influenced by the learner’s motivation (NIACE, 1997) and, from my own experiences within the post-compulsory education sector, I would have to agree with this. However, motivation to learn could be, in turn, influenced by an individual’s emotional states, beliefs, interests and goals, and habits of thinking. PA’s current, positive, beliefs about himself as a learner and the nature of learning appear to have had a marked influence on his motivation. It could be said that the rich internal world of thoughts, beliefs, goals, and expectations for success or failure may enhance or interfere with the learner’s quality of thinking and information processing. Motivational and emotional factors may also influence both the quality of his thinking and information processing as well as his individual motivation to learn. Positive emotions, such as curiosity, generally enhance motivation and facilitate learning and performance. Mild anxiety can also enhance learning and performance by focusing the learner’s attention on a particular task. However, intense negative emotions (e. g. , anxiety, panic, rage, insecurity) and related thoughts (e. g. , worrying about competence, ruminating about failure, fearing punishment, ridicule, or stigmatising labels) generally detract from motivation, interfere with learning, and contribute to low performance (Evans, 2000). This could be seen during PA’s recent Numeracy Level 1 National Test when he experienced mild anxiety, but was extremely motivated and positive about the experience and his ability – and he passed first time! Motivation is, therefore, not a simple issue, since individual motives and action are strongly affected by where people are located (socially, culturally and spatially) and the constraints or incentives that operate on their choices (NIACE). PA blames his current lack of knowledge and qualifications in numeracy on his underachievement at school. If we look more closely it becomes apparent that, because of his age, PA would have been attending school during the 1970’s and 1980’s. It was during this time that the early underachievement of boys first became evident, as large scale studies of children’s achievements at Primary school pointed to the fact that girls consistently out-performed boys (Myers, 2000). Therefore there was a shift away from public concern about girls’ achievement to boys’ achievement, or underachievement, at school in exams. The concern about ‘boys’ underachievement’ has been characterised in educational policy initiatives at national, local and school levels, most significantly in the imposition of the national literacy and numeracy strategy (Barrs and Pidgeon 1998). However, overall improvements in achievement are often ignored and gender differences are ascribed to the detrimental effects of ‘the feminisation of teaching’ (Epstein et al, 1998). The concern for boys’ underachievement was highlighted by Murphy and Elwood (1998) who argued that improvement in female achievement is not shared by girls from low socio-economic backgrounds and may not be apparent in some subjects. Similarly, Epstein et al (1998) questioned the global application of the category of boys’ underachievement’ by asking, ‘†¦ hich boys? At what stages of education? †¦ according to what criteria? ‘ We could say that by definition, gender roles are the social norms that dictate what is socially appropriate male and female behaviour (Tobias, 1997), and are part of the socialisation process of human beings. These roles are also influenced by each individual’s cultural and economic background (Tobias, 1997). It could be said that gender roles influence women and men in virtually every area of life, including family and occupation. This is certainly true for PA, who feels that it is his duty to provide for his family and to have the greater earning capacity regardless of his lack of formal qualifications. Everyone recognises that there are significant differences between male and female, even if they are only physical. However, others see not only the physical but also the social, emotional and intellectual differences. In addition there is belief that, by the age of sixteen, females have matured more than boys by up to as much as two years (Skelton, 2001). This could mean that girls have an advantage by viewing exams in a far more responsible way and recognising the seriousness and importance of the academic and career choices in the future. PA agrees with this as he did not take his schooling seriously and, quite possibly due to the fact that PA knew he was underachieving and he was unmotivated, he left school at 16 with no formal qualifications. He has only recently started to regret his actions. The figures from the 1996 Gallup survey could also be used to illustrate this as more adult men (25%) are currently learning compare to adult women (21%). Now that he is within the adult education sector, PA appears to see learning numeracy as a process of liberation. This may be because PA now feels that the educational process is not static and that his learning is a cultural action for freedom. It no longer involves one person teaching another, but rather people working with each other to ensure each individual reaches their potential. This was also the understanding of Bruner (1973), who suggested that learning is an active process in which learners construct new ideas based upon their current / past knowledge. Adult learners also appear to be more receptive to learning if there is a context to the learning. Teaching adults numerical skills which ‘transfer’ means exposing â€Å"students to different contexts which have the same mathematical content† (Rees and Barr, 1984) e. g. electrical work, decorating, shopping or linked to employment. This is certainly true for PA who works better, and appears to have a deeper understanding, when he can see there is a relevance and context to what he is learning. According to Bruner (1973), the teacher and student should engage in active dialogue and the task of the teacher is to translate information to be learned into a format appropriate to the learners’ current state of understanding. During numeracy there are so many ways of doing and explaining one thing, one example would be the various descriptions used for the actions of ‘add’ and ‘subtract’, another example would be the various methods of teaching long multiplication. In addition, Bruner (1973) stated that the curriculum should be organised in a spiral manner, so that the student continually builds upon what they have already learned, â€Å"The concept of prime numbers appears to be more readily grasped when the learner, through construction, discovers certain handfuls of beans cannot be laid out in completed rows and columns† (Bruner, 1973). When working with PA, as for all my learners, I ensure that I question his current method and understanding of each numeric topic before I go into the topic in depth. This way I am constantly building on his current knowledge and understanding. A high percentage of the learners at Rochford Adult Community College are White British and PA falls into this group, ‘Rochford has one of the lowest ethnic minority populations, well below half of the national average’ (Rochford District Council, 2005). However, according to the Home Office’s Commission for Racial Equality, 2002, the United Kingdom is a changing society and these socio-economic changes are reflected in our growing cultural and ethnic diversity. These changes bring many gains, but sometimes there are tensions and divisions that may lead to fracturing within, and across, local areas and communities. However, whatever the nature of community divisions, the basis of the solution is often the same; community cohesion. The Home Office’s Commission for Racial Equality, 2002, suggests that community cohesion may be achieved by raising awareness and understanding and developing shared values with mutual trust and respect. The Home Office describes a cohesive community as one where there is common vision, a sense of belonging, where diversity is valued and where there are similar life opportunities with â€Å"†¦ strong and positive relationships being developed between people from different backgrounds†¦ in colleges and in schools†¦ † (www. homeoffice. gov. uk, 2003). This is also the ethos of Essex County Council and consequently Castle Point and Rochford Adult Community College (www. essexcc. gov. uk, 2005). How to cite Profile Of An Adult Numeracy Learner, Papers