Ambition in Macbeth by William Shakespeare Essay Example for Free

Ambition in Macbeth by William Shakespeare Essay What is ambition? Ambition is described as eager for success, power or fame. For Macbeth. Ambition was what drove him to become great, it forced him to change his nature towards evil. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth was portrayed as a courageous soldier who fought for his King without mercy. But once the witches planted the seeds of greater things and Lady Macbeth fuelled his ambition, which lead him to become greedy and power hungry. Macbeth was led down to an unescapable road of doom by an outside force, namely fate in the form of the three witches. There was no supernatural force working against Macbeth, which therefore makes him responsible for his own actions and inevitable downfall. Macbeth is indeed responsible for his own actions, which are provoked by an unwillingness to listen to his own conscience, the witches, and his ambition. The witches tempted Macbeth with their prophecies, which made Macbeth ¡Ã‚ ¦s heart and mind slowly filled with ambition and his huger for power. The witches predicted, at the beginning of the play, that Macbeth would soon become the Thane of Cawdor and eventually the outright King. They tell Macbeth this, simply to ignite what would finally end up in him taking the life of King Duncan. Ambition, no matter how small, builds up, and becomes a need. When this ambition is built up and encouraged, it can influence a persons decision. Macbeth went to three witches, who prophesized that he would become King. This got Macbeth thinking of how he can become King. At this time, he was still unsure of whether he would take any action toward gaining the crown. When he comes back to his house, Lady Macbeth convinces him to murder King Duncan, through emotionally degrading him, shown in the quote: Art thou afeard/ To be the same in thine own act and valour/ As thou art in desire? (Act I, Scene IV). This quote shows how Lady Macbeth influenced Macbeths decision, because after hearing about the prophecy, she also had the ambition for her husband to become King. Macbeth slowly becomes accustomed to killing and does it more easily and without remorse. For example, after Macbeth becomes king, he begins to worry about the second part of the prophecy, when Banquos sons become kings. Knowing that he will not have any heirs, Macbeth dreads the idea of the  seeds of Banquo kings. Rather than so, come fate into the list, and champion me to the utterance (3.1.70-73). Since he committed a sinful act to fulfill his desire become king, Macbeth does not want to lose everything he got to Banquos royal bloodline This shows how corrupt and villainous Macbeth has become; he will not let anything, not even friendship, get in the way of his desire to be the King of Scotland. And if the destruction of friendship is not a symbol of how strong Macbeths ambition truly is, then the manslaughter of an innocent mans entire family is. When Macbeth sees the three apparitions, one of them tells him to beware Macduff. Surprisingly, after Macbeth learns that Macduff has fled to England, he responds by declaring that he will give to the edge o the sword his wife, babes, and all unfortunate souls that trace him in his line. (4.1.151-153). This shows how corrupt and evil Macbeth has become; he doesnt even care about who hes killing anymore. A wife and kids symbolizes purity and love in a mans life; the fact that Macbeth doesnt even consider the moral consequences of destroying a loving family and killing children shows how filled with ambition he has become. Macbeth is so afraid of losing to Macduff that he believes that by killing his family, Macduff will be broken beyond repair and not be able to face Macbeth. Unfortunately, he does not count on a certain someone to heighten Macduffs hopes to slaying Macbeth by using his sorrow to his advantage. That certain someone is Malcolm, the son of Duncan. After the murder of his father, Malcolms ambition to destroy Macbeth becomes so strong that he forgets all moral values and disregards the feelings of others; this ambition represents revenge. Though Malcolm is able to understand the feelings of others, he lets nothing stop him from achieving his goal; this is either due to his inexperience of the world, or because he is too bent on revenge to think about anything else. When Macduff learns that his family is murdered, he begins to despair. Malcolm, not wanting to let anything get in the way of his ambition, tells Macduff to dispute it like a man. (4.3.221). Since Malcolm is a young man; he does not have a wife or kids and disregards Macduffs pain as a sign of weakness. Note that even if Malcolm had a family and understood Macduffs pain fully, he would still have been reckless and put revenge above anything else. Malcolms  father was a good man who lost his life at the hands of the man he trusted the most; Malcolm is not going to let Macduffs personal tragedy get in the way of his goal of destroying Macbeth. When Macduff responds by saying that first he must feel pain like a man, Malcolm responds by telling Macbeth to make his grief be this the whetstone of your sword. Let grief convert to anger; blunt not the heart, enrage it. (4.3.230- 231). While Malcolm is more understanding of the pain Macduff feels, he still convinces him to move on. When he says let grief convert to anger, he means for Macduff to use his sorrow as his anger so he can move on with his life and destroy the man responsible for his sorrow: Macbeth. Malcolm truly does feel bad about Macduff losing his family, but unlike Macduff, he has no family to worry about and has not experienced every pain and sorrow Macduff has been through. Given this evidence, it is evident how much ambition Malcolm has for destroying Macbeth. Macbeth is not fully to blame for his ambition clouding his judgment since the audience knows that Lady Macbeth has him kill Duncan so she can be Queen; this ambition represents power. While Macbeth is to blame for all he has done to his country, his wife started a chain reaction that sent Macbeth down this dark path. Had Macbeth not told his wife about the prophecies, she would not have become so obsessed with power and she would not have sent her husband to kill Duncan so she could be Queen faster†¦and all of Macbeths victims would be alive and well. Lady Macbeth wants so desperately to gain power, she begs of the immortals to unsex me here and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty! (1.5.41-43). Lady Macbeth is asking the spirits (or gods†¦Im not quite sure; its pretty vague) to make her cruel and unforgiving so she can do the terrible deed of killing Duncan. This shows how evil and impatient Lady Macbeth is; had she waited for Duncan to promote Mac beth, she could have been Queen without her husband having to kill anyone, Macbeth would still have been a good person, and they would not have had to suffer so much guilt for all they did. Later, after Lady Macbeth drugs the guards, she boasts about the drugs that which hath made them drunk Sprouse  hath made me bold; what hath quenched them hath given me fire. Now Lady  Macbeth is almost certain that they will not fail; her ambition has clouded her better judgment and ignored the possibility of guilt haunting her and her husband. This ambition, the ambition of power, is by far the most deadly of all ambitions. If you want power so badly and very quickly, you forget about all the consequences that might come from it. In Lady Macbeths case, her consequence for her actions was the loss of her sanity and restless nights thinking about what she made her husband do, eventually causing her to take her own life. This being said, I think it is safe to say that too much ambition is NOT a promise of power or a sign of greatness.

Casual Internet Gamers in India

Casual Internet Gamers in India Casual Internet Gaming in India is the area of dissertation which will be researched. A phenomenon relatively new to the world, casual internet gaming is an area which is yet to be researched and fully understood. Computer gaming is an area close to my heart, as well as an exciting and challenging field to work on, where the markets are still evolving and promising great potential in the near future. Electronic gaming itself is a very wide subject which hasnt been properly researched, especially in India. Internet gaming is a subset to it, but again an area so vast that it cant be covered in one research. Going down further, I chose casual internet gaming because of the following reasons- Casual gaming is by far the most popular mode of gaming on internet in India. Internet speeds in India allows only casual gaming to grow currently. Social media is proving to be an ideal platform for their growth No research on this topic has been done so far. We are yet to understand why people and Indians in particular are attracted towards casual gaming. Till now, Indian Marketers have not taken a consumer-centric approach to make and deliver casual games. There is great scope in the field, as Indians discover casual gaming and get hooked on to it through various platforms According to a recent study by JuxtConsult , Of the 47 million Internet users, 39 million are based in urban areas, while only 8 million reside in the rural. Hence Internet penetration is largely limited in India and speeds are still slow. In such a scenario, the only games that can work well are casual games because they dont need high end computer/gaming systems, nor are the speed requirements a constraint. In fact, being the only mode of gaming which is viable, it has been the focus of the gaming industry as well. From dedicated websites like zapak to integration of casual games to social media networks like facebook, casual games are available across the internet. The surprising part is that no one has really tried to understand the reason for their popularity or the potential profitability of these games. The growth of Indias casual games market comes in line with the overall growth of the countrys games market and industry. According to founder of CasualGaming.biz, Gaurav Mirchandani the industry has changed substantially over the past few due to the growth of internet users in India whom now have broadband access in their homes, at work, and in restaurants and hotels. This change has sparked a new emergence of casual gaming in India as a leisure and as lead to new small companies setting up offices for game development outsourcing mostly for flash and PC downloadable games. The Industry focus has been on delivering casual games across platforms to the maximum possible user base. However, no thought has been given to the consumer and their needs. The Industry lacks a consumer-centric focus in game development and delivery. A deeper understanding of why these games are being played, and by whom they are being played is necessary to improve the standards and profitability of casual gaming as a business. As the world moves towards the virtual avenues provided by the technological revolution, internet gaming assumes significance as the next major frontier of the world. Brands are already investing in this area and can really cash on into this profitable business. Internet now provides people the choice of playing with other individuals over the cyber space. The constant advances in technology open up new possibilities regularly, taking computer gaming to new heights each time. Hence, the objective of the research will be to understand the psyche of the Indian casual gamer. This will help the Indian gaming industry understand the consumers better and hence deliver better products to them. Not only that, it will also help them improve the profitability of the business, by understanding what is relevant to the gamers, and what is not. This will be an exploratory study into the realm of casual gaming in India. Given the time constraints of a dissertation, I will be able to focus on limited aspects of casual gaming. Hence I am choosing only those aspects of the area, like why do gamers behave as they do and where and when they play games, which are important both for the Industry and the academia. Again due to the time constraints and vastness of the topic, everything cannot be covered in one research. Hence a study on the college-going gamers will be conducted. LITERATURE REVIEW Very little literature is available on consumers of Casual Gaming in India. I studied the gaming industry in general to find references to casual and internet gaming, especially in the Indian context. Gaming: India is All Set! -Rao, K. Rajesh (rajesh, 2008) Prospects for Animation Gaming Industry in India. -Kuruvila, A. O. (A.O, 2008) (Computer gaming on the go in India, 2004) India: The Final Frontier for Games? (Silicon india, 2008) Zapak Taking Casual Games seriously! (Vimali, 2008) Casual Gaming A Big Draw for VCs. (Khanna, 2008) Games people play (Marketing Management, 2007) Casual video gaming is now serious business (2007) Casual Computer Games Go Upscale (2007) Nothing casual about it Rajiv Fernando 2009 The article presents the authors views concerning the development of the gaming industry in India. He relates that the new generation is characterized by the evolution of interactive digital content and distributed model of games services. The author perceives good opportunities for game developers and providers associated with the increase of Internet penetration and digital content. The article starts off with a preface of the Global and Indian gaming and animation industry and goes on to dwell upon the statistics of the industry in India. It then follows up with a SWOT analysis of the Indian gaming Industry Reports on the report released by British Broadcasting Corp. in 2005 regarding the mobile gaming market segment in India. Increase in the number of mobile phone users in October 2004; Factors that influenced the growth in the mobile gaming sector; Number of game developers and mobile companies that provide games to their subscribers. The article provides an overview of the computer games industry worldwide, particularly in India. It explains the technology trends that might influence the advent of these games including powerful cellular telephones, cloud gaming and the growth of broadband networks. A historical background on the emergence of these electronic games is also presented. The article discusses the success of the online games introduced by Zapak Digital Entertainment in India. Zapak is influential to the success of the gaming industry through the launching of massive multiplayer online games (MMOGs), hardcore games and large format gaming cafÃÆ' ©es. The companys strategies in creating value chain for its customers and distribution network are mentioned. The article presents the views of the author on various issues related to the electronic games industry in India. It focuses on the casual gaming business. The author addresses the problems on piracy and financing animation and gaming projects in the country. Future opportunities for the casual gaming space are also cited. The article discusses conflicting studies concerning the target audience for casual games. A study by Information Solutions Group found that casual gamers are predominately female. In-game advertisement firm Eyeblaster backed this data up, claiming that the majority of casual gamers are females that are more than thirty years old. However, a study by Ipsos Insight showed that more than half of computer and video gamers are male, data that is backed up by a Universal McCann study about console gamers. The article reports on the growing competition among firms in the video games industry in New York City. According to IDC Research, revenues from casual video games are expected to increase by 68 percent to $750 million in 2007 and are forecasted to reach $2 million by 2009. Wade Tinney, co-founder of Large Animal Games, said that it is important for firms in the industry to be well-funded so that they can move quickly and make products that compete with those with other companies. The article talks about the demographics of casual gamers worldwide according to the various studies that have been conducted. It also talks about the distribution of these games and what the game developers are doing to fight off competition in the casual gaming segment. It takes the zapak example to show that casual games are here to stay. It further tells about the future plans of zapak and compares the groeth of casual gaming in India with increase in internet penetration.It re-iterates that industry observers believe that online games had great potential for growth in the Indian gaming market, as it overcame the problem of piracy. Sify eyes kids for gaming biz (2007, Infotech.indiatimes.com) Web 2.0: Online Communities, Personalization and the Web OS. (Singh, 2006) Casual Games White Paper -IGDA ,2003 The 2009-2014 Outlook for PC Casual Games in India Icon Group International, Inc. 2008 Insights on Casual Games, Nielson, 2009 Casual gaming study conducted by NPD Group China Gaming 2008à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"2012 Forecast and Analysis Casual Gaming Market Update James Kuai and Peter Shackelfor 3Q 2007 2004 China Casual Game Research Report (2005) It shows the interest of the industry in the casual gaming industry and an attempt to focus on the needs of the consumers, finally. I talks about Sify and its plan to acquire casual games and make them available all across Sifys cyber cafes. The article reports developments on Web 2.0 in India. Social networks and casual gaming continue to prevail in the major themes of Web 2.0. Online communities emphasize the notion of more sharing and connectivity on the Internet, as well as a strong focus on personalization. Another interesting phenomenon in the Web 2.0 world is the emerging space of online casual gaming. This article is on the International Casual Games industry. Numerous players continue to enter the market, business models are constantly changing, and new customers are found every day. This paper helps define the industry, and give everyone a base level of understanding of all aspects of this space. It is not intended to go into minute detail on any one subject, but provides broad understanding to the major factors involved in the casual game industry. This econometric study covers the latent demand outlook for PC casual games across the states, union territories and cities of India. Latent demand (in millions of U.S. dollars), or potential industry earnings (P.I.E.) estimates are given across over 5,000 cities in India. This report does not discuss the specific players in the market serving the latent demand, nor specific details at the product level. Nor does the report cover actual sales data (which are simply unavailable, in a comparable or consistent manner in virtually all of the cities in India) This study looks at data from more than 800 casual games for PC computers, which are defined as inexpensive to produce, straightforward in concept, easy to learn and simple to play. They say that casual gamers return more often to games and therefore play more often than hardcore gamers. The study, which surveyed nearly 3,000 U.S. gamers, identified 14 specific types of gamer within 39 different game genres. Casual gamers were divided into 10 classifications. The study also offered data that would seem to dispel the myth that casual gamers dont invest as much time playing games as core gamers do. This IDC study examines the dynamics of the China gaming market and focuses on online gaming. It looks at market drivers, dynamics, and strategies; the competitive landscape; and includes profiles of the top 10 vendors as well as a 2008à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"2012 forecast. The concentration of the China online gaming market improved significantly in 2007. The revenue sum of the top 10 vendors occupied 91.8% of the total market. Casual Gaming Market Update provides in-depth analysis of the current dynamics and future directions of the rapidly growing casual gaming industry in the USA, including quantitative forecasts, competitive analysis, consumer perspectives, and profiles of leading companies in the casual gaming value chain. According to iResearch, market size of China online casual game industry was RMB 25 million in 2003 and it reaches to RMB 410 million in 2004 with growth rate of 356%. The fast growth of online casual game industry is mainly attributable to the market success of QQ game platform and Shanda BnB. iResearch forecasts that market size of China online casual game industry will keep fast growth in the following years: its is estimated that market size of China online casual game will reach RMB 1.78 billion in 2007. The literature review failed to reveal any concrete consumer research done in the field of Casual gaming in India. Apart from references in articles in business and technology magazines, only two proper journal articles were found on the subject. No survey, scholarly article, book, dissertation etc on this topic covering the consumer angle and pertaining to India was found. Being a new research area, this is not surprising, but only logical. Hence we find a huge research gap here, particularly in the Indian context. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES FRAMEWORK We see that there is a wide research gap in this area. At best surveys, statistics and reports are available on the subject. While the consumers have been studied in the west and Asian markets like China, an Indian study to understand the consumer was not found on an extensive search. Therefore, in the proposed research we plan to- Understand the Indian college-going casual internet gamer No research was found on the above mentioned research field, inspite of extensive search. An exploratory research in this field is hence in order. The phenomena of Internet gaming and hence out study will be largely restricted to SEC A and SEC B in India ( JuxtConsult study,2009 ). This is due to the current limitations of internet penetration. Though a comprehensive study needs to be done on all existing and potential casual gamers, the proposed dissertation will be limited to college going gamers only. This will be so keeping in mind the time constraints of the dissertation. The research objectives: Find out reasons why college-goers play casual internet games What are usage patterns of casual internet-gaming in India Explore the casual gaming phenomena First we need to know the platforms where casual internet games are being played by college-goers. After that we will find the reasons why these gamers are hooked on to casual internet gaming. We will then find the relations between the usage pattern and the reasons of usage and explore this area of casual gaming from the consumer perspective. This will give us various hypothesis which then can be verified. Hence it will help develop a consumer-centric approach which is currently missing in the industry. A deep understanding of the casual internet gamers in India is necessary for this approach. The researchs objective is to develop this new approach for the industry and academia alike within the constraints of a research (college-going students only). PROPOSED RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY To find out the whys and hows of the Indian Casual gaming industry, a qualitative research will be in place. Here we are trying to understand the usage and behavior of the college going audience with respect to casual gaming, which requires a qualitative approach. Secondary research- Being an area which appears to be hardly studied, the starting point would be studies done on gaming in India, for example à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" IAMAI-IMRB report NASSCOM Animation Gaming Report IGDA reports These reports give an insight on the demographics of the Indian gamer and are a good place to start. A secondary research on the subject of Casual online gaming will tell us where to find the gamers and challenges of the Industry. It will basically give an industry point of view. With the help of these reports and an extensive online research, we will be able to find out the platforms where the gamers are playing casual games, for example- Dedicated Casual gaming websites Social media networks Mobiles Film/brand promotion websites A comprehensive list of all the casual gaming platforms on the internet will be made. Once we know where to find the college going casual gamer, we can move on to the next stage, which is to probe him/her. Apart from this, casual gaming phenomena in other countries will be studied where research has already been done on the subject. Quantitative studies on Indian gaming industry will be studied to form a strong base for the qualitative research to be undertaken. Primary research- We will through the secondary research know where to find the Indian casual gamer. We will then do a primary research to find the reasons why people play casual games. In- depth Interviews- To find out the reasons why people play casual internet games 15 in-depth interviews will be conducted keeping in mind that all possible platforms are covered. The hows and whys of the college going gamers will be found out. Questionnaire- To understand the usage patterns of the casual internet gamers, a qualitative questionnaire will be in order. It will give us the various attitudes of the gamers along with consumption patterns of the college-going gamers. We will be able to find out which games they are playing, when they are playing and how they are playing. A questionnaire will have a sample size of around 40 people from the college-going gamers. The results of the in-depth interview and questionnaire along with the secondary research will then be used to develop the psychographic profiling of the casual internet gamer. This will be done using the TGI software tool. The universe will be derived by the intensive secondary research. Sample size is proposed to be 15 in-depth interviews and 40 gamers (20 men and 20 women) for the questionnaire, keeping in mind our target, the college going gamers. Mere numbers are irrelevant here as our focus is on developing a deep understanding on the subject. As this is a qualitative study, a probability sampling method is ineffective and expensive; hence we will do non-probability sampling with convenience, quota and snow-ball sampling techniques. A content analysis technique will be undertaken. The analysis will be with a systematic description of behavior asking who, what, where, where and how questions within formulated systematic rules to limit the effects of analyst bias. Being an exploratory research, this will be a good basis to begin with. EXPECTED CONTRIBUTION The Indian gaming industry is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 49% to reach USD 830 million by 2012 which was USD 167 million in 2008. Casual internet gaming is an area of the industry which is popular and growing. And it is also an area where on an extensive search no concrete research could be found. Hence this area of research appeals to both the industry and academia. No consumer centric approach in this field has yet been observed. This research will perhaps be the first of its kind where the psychographic profiling of the college going casual internet gamers will be done and basic STP constructs on the same will be developed. For the industry, this approach will help them develop and deliver better products and being an exploratory research, for the academia the research output will provide further scope for researching in the field. This research only focuses on College going gamers. There are a lot of other segments which can be studied. Also, casual gaming is just a subset of computer gaming, which in itself is a large field to research on, given the dearth of studies done in the Indian context, leaving scope for further researches, using this research as a basis. Casual Internet Gamers in India Casual Internet Gamers in India Casual Internet Gaming in India is the area of dissertation which will be researched. A phenomenon relatively new to the world, casual internet gaming is an area which is yet to be researched and fully understood. Computer gaming is an area close to my heart, as well as an exciting and challenging field to work on, where the markets are still evolving and promising great potential in the near future. Electronic gaming itself is a very wide subject which hasnt been properly researched, especially in India. Internet gaming is a subset to it, but again an area so vast that it cant be covered in one research. Going down further, I chose casual internet gaming because of the following reasons- Casual gaming is by far the most popular mode of gaming on internet in India. Internet speeds in India allows only casual gaming to grow currently. Social media is proving to be an ideal platform for their growth No research on this topic has been done so far. We are yet to understand why people and Indians in particular are attracted towards casual gaming. Till now, Indian Marketers have not taken a consumer-centric approach to make and deliver casual games. There is great scope in the field, as Indians discover casual gaming and get hooked on to it through various platforms According to a recent study by JuxtConsult , Of the 47 million Internet users, 39 million are based in urban areas, while only 8 million reside in the rural. Hence Internet penetration is largely limited in India and speeds are still slow. In such a scenario, the only games that can work well are casual games because they dont need high end computer/gaming systems, nor are the speed requirements a constraint. In fact, being the only mode of gaming which is viable, it has been the focus of the gaming industry as well. From dedicated websites like zapak to integration of casual games to social media networks like facebook, casual games are available across the internet. The surprising part is that no one has really tried to understand the reason for their popularity or the potential profitability of these games. The growth of Indias casual games market comes in line with the overall growth of the countrys games market and industry. According to founder of CasualGaming.biz, Gaurav Mirchandani the industry has changed substantially over the past few due to the growth of internet users in India whom now have broadband access in their homes, at work, and in restaurants and hotels. This change has sparked a new emergence of casual gaming in India as a leisure and as lead to new small companies setting up offices for game development outsourcing mostly for flash and PC downloadable games. The Industry focus has been on delivering casual games across platforms to the maximum possible user base. However, no thought has been given to the consumer and their needs. The Industry lacks a consumer-centric focus in game development and delivery. A deeper understanding of why these games are being played, and by whom they are being played is necessary to improve the standards and profitability of casual gaming as a business. As the world moves towards the virtual avenues provided by the technological revolution, internet gaming assumes significance as the next major frontier of the world. Brands are already investing in this area and can really cash on into this profitable business. Internet now provides people the choice of playing with other individuals over the cyber space. The constant advances in technology open up new possibilities regularly, taking computer gaming to new heights each time. Hence, the objective of the research will be to understand the psyche of the Indian casual gamer. This will help the Indian gaming industry understand the consumers better and hence deliver better products to them. Not only that, it will also help them improve the profitability of the business, by understanding what is relevant to the gamers, and what is not. This will be an exploratory study into the realm of casual gaming in India. Given the time constraints of a dissertation, I will be able to focus on limited aspects of casual gaming. Hence I am choosing only those aspects of the area, like why do gamers behave as they do and where and when they play games, which are important both for the Industry and the academia. Again due to the time constraints and vastness of the topic, everything cannot be covered in one research. Hence a study on the college-going gamers will be conducted. LITERATURE REVIEW Very little literature is available on consumers of Casual Gaming in India. I studied the gaming industry in general to find references to casual and internet gaming, especially in the Indian context. Gaming: India is All Set! -Rao, K. Rajesh (rajesh, 2008) Prospects for Animation Gaming Industry in India. -Kuruvila, A. O. (A.O, 2008) (Computer gaming on the go in India, 2004) India: The Final Frontier for Games? (Silicon india, 2008) Zapak Taking Casual Games seriously! (Vimali, 2008) Casual Gaming A Big Draw for VCs. (Khanna, 2008) Games people play (Marketing Management, 2007) Casual video gaming is now serious business (2007) Casual Computer Games Go Upscale (2007) Nothing casual about it Rajiv Fernando 2009 The article presents the authors views concerning the development of the gaming industry in India. He relates that the new generation is characterized by the evolution of interactive digital content and distributed model of games services. The author perceives good opportunities for game developers and providers associated with the increase of Internet penetration and digital content. The article starts off with a preface of the Global and Indian gaming and animation industry and goes on to dwell upon the statistics of the industry in India. It then follows up with a SWOT analysis of the Indian gaming Industry Reports on the report released by British Broadcasting Corp. in 2005 regarding the mobile gaming market segment in India. Increase in the number of mobile phone users in October 2004; Factors that influenced the growth in the mobile gaming sector; Number of game developers and mobile companies that provide games to their subscribers. The article provides an overview of the computer games industry worldwide, particularly in India. It explains the technology trends that might influence the advent of these games including powerful cellular telephones, cloud gaming and the growth of broadband networks. A historical background on the emergence of these electronic games is also presented. The article discusses the success of the online games introduced by Zapak Digital Entertainment in India. Zapak is influential to the success of the gaming industry through the launching of massive multiplayer online games (MMOGs), hardcore games and large format gaming cafÃÆ' ©es. The companys strategies in creating value chain for its customers and distribution network are mentioned. The article presents the views of the author on various issues related to the electronic games industry in India. It focuses on the casual gaming business. The author addresses the problems on piracy and financing animation and gaming projects in the country. Future opportunities for the casual gaming space are also cited. The article discusses conflicting studies concerning the target audience for casual games. A study by Information Solutions Group found that casual gamers are predominately female. In-game advertisement firm Eyeblaster backed this data up, claiming that the majority of casual gamers are females that are more than thirty years old. However, a study by Ipsos Insight showed that more than half of computer and video gamers are male, data that is backed up by a Universal McCann study about console gamers. The article reports on the growing competition among firms in the video games industry in New York City. According to IDC Research, revenues from casual video games are expected to increase by 68 percent to $750 million in 2007 and are forecasted to reach $2 million by 2009. Wade Tinney, co-founder of Large Animal Games, said that it is important for firms in the industry to be well-funded so that they can move quickly and make products that compete with those with other companies. The article talks about the demographics of casual gamers worldwide according to the various studies that have been conducted. It also talks about the distribution of these games and what the game developers are doing to fight off competition in the casual gaming segment. It takes the zapak example to show that casual games are here to stay. It further tells about the future plans of zapak and compares the groeth of casual gaming in India with increase in internet penetration.It re-iterates that industry observers believe that online games had great potential for growth in the Indian gaming market, as it overcame the problem of piracy. Sify eyes kids for gaming biz (2007, Infotech.indiatimes.com) Web 2.0: Online Communities, Personalization and the Web OS. (Singh, 2006) Casual Games White Paper -IGDA ,2003 The 2009-2014 Outlook for PC Casual Games in India Icon Group International, Inc. 2008 Insights on Casual Games, Nielson, 2009 Casual gaming study conducted by NPD Group China Gaming 2008à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"2012 Forecast and Analysis Casual Gaming Market Update James Kuai and Peter Shackelfor 3Q 2007 2004 China Casual Game Research Report (2005) It shows the interest of the industry in the casual gaming industry and an attempt to focus on the needs of the consumers, finally. I talks about Sify and its plan to acquire casual games and make them available all across Sifys cyber cafes. The article reports developments on Web 2.0 in India. Social networks and casual gaming continue to prevail in the major themes of Web 2.0. Online communities emphasize the notion of more sharing and connectivity on the Internet, as well as a strong focus on personalization. Another interesting phenomenon in the Web 2.0 world is the emerging space of online casual gaming. This article is on the International Casual Games industry. Numerous players continue to enter the market, business models are constantly changing, and new customers are found every day. This paper helps define the industry, and give everyone a base level of understanding of all aspects of this space. It is not intended to go into minute detail on any one subject, but provides broad understanding to the major factors involved in the casual game industry. This econometric study covers the latent demand outlook for PC casual games across the states, union territories and cities of India. Latent demand (in millions of U.S. dollars), or potential industry earnings (P.I.E.) estimates are given across over 5,000 cities in India. This report does not discuss the specific players in the market serving the latent demand, nor specific details at the product level. Nor does the report cover actual sales data (which are simply unavailable, in a comparable or consistent manner in virtually all of the cities in India) This study looks at data from more than 800 casual games for PC computers, which are defined as inexpensive to produce, straightforward in concept, easy to learn and simple to play. They say that casual gamers return more often to games and therefore play more often than hardcore gamers. The study, which surveyed nearly 3,000 U.S. gamers, identified 14 specific types of gamer within 39 different game genres. Casual gamers were divided into 10 classifications. The study also offered data that would seem to dispel the myth that casual gamers dont invest as much time playing games as core gamers do. This IDC study examines the dynamics of the China gaming market and focuses on online gaming. It looks at market drivers, dynamics, and strategies; the competitive landscape; and includes profiles of the top 10 vendors as well as a 2008à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"2012 forecast. The concentration of the China online gaming market improved significantly in 2007. The revenue sum of the top 10 vendors occupied 91.8% of the total market. Casual Gaming Market Update provides in-depth analysis of the current dynamics and future directions of the rapidly growing casual gaming industry in the USA, including quantitative forecasts, competitive analysis, consumer perspectives, and profiles of leading companies in the casual gaming value chain. According to iResearch, market size of China online casual game industry was RMB 25 million in 2003 and it reaches to RMB 410 million in 2004 with growth rate of 356%. The fast growth of online casual game industry is mainly attributable to the market success of QQ game platform and Shanda BnB. iResearch forecasts that market size of China online casual game industry will keep fast growth in the following years: its is estimated that market size of China online casual game will reach RMB 1.78 billion in 2007. The literature review failed to reveal any concrete consumer research done in the field of Casual gaming in India. Apart from references in articles in business and technology magazines, only two proper journal articles were found on the subject. No survey, scholarly article, book, dissertation etc on this topic covering the consumer angle and pertaining to India was found. Being a new research area, this is not surprising, but only logical. Hence we find a huge research gap here, particularly in the Indian context. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES FRAMEWORK We see that there is a wide research gap in this area. At best surveys, statistics and reports are available on the subject. While the consumers have been studied in the west and Asian markets like China, an Indian study to understand the consumer was not found on an extensive search. Therefore, in the proposed research we plan to- Understand the Indian college-going casual internet gamer No research was found on the above mentioned research field, inspite of extensive search. An exploratory research in this field is hence in order. The phenomena of Internet gaming and hence out study will be largely restricted to SEC A and SEC B in India ( JuxtConsult study,2009 ). This is due to the current limitations of internet penetration. Though a comprehensive study needs to be done on all existing and potential casual gamers, the proposed dissertation will be limited to college going gamers only. This will be so keeping in mind the time constraints of the dissertation. The research objectives: Find out reasons why college-goers play casual internet games What are usage patterns of casual internet-gaming in India Explore the casual gaming phenomena First we need to know the platforms where casual internet games are being played by college-goers. After that we will find the reasons why these gamers are hooked on to casual internet gaming. We will then find the relations between the usage pattern and the reasons of usage and explore this area of casual gaming from the consumer perspective. This will give us various hypothesis which then can be verified. Hence it will help develop a consumer-centric approach which is currently missing in the industry. A deep understanding of the casual internet gamers in India is necessary for this approach. The researchs objective is to develop this new approach for the industry and academia alike within the constraints of a research (college-going students only). PROPOSED RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY To find out the whys and hows of the Indian Casual gaming industry, a qualitative research will be in place. Here we are trying to understand the usage and behavior of the college going audience with respect to casual gaming, which requires a qualitative approach. Secondary research- Being an area which appears to be hardly studied, the starting point would be studies done on gaming in India, for example à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" IAMAI-IMRB report NASSCOM Animation Gaming Report IGDA reports These reports give an insight on the demographics of the Indian gamer and are a good place to start. A secondary research on the subject of Casual online gaming will tell us where to find the gamers and challenges of the Industry. It will basically give an industry point of view. With the help of these reports and an extensive online research, we will be able to find out the platforms where the gamers are playing casual games, for example- Dedicated Casual gaming websites Social media networks Mobiles Film/brand promotion websites A comprehensive list of all the casual gaming platforms on the internet will be made. Once we know where to find the college going casual gamer, we can move on to the next stage, which is to probe him/her. Apart from this, casual gaming phenomena in other countries will be studied where research has already been done on the subject. Quantitative studies on Indian gaming industry will be studied to form a strong base for the qualitative research to be undertaken. Primary research- We will through the secondary research know where to find the Indian casual gamer. We will then do a primary research to find the reasons why people play casual games. In- depth Interviews- To find out the reasons why people play casual internet games 15 in-depth interviews will be conducted keeping in mind that all possible platforms are covered. The hows and whys of the college going gamers will be found out. Questionnaire- To understand the usage patterns of the casual internet gamers, a qualitative questionnaire will be in order. It will give us the various attitudes of the gamers along with consumption patterns of the college-going gamers. We will be able to find out which games they are playing, when they are playing and how they are playing. A questionnaire will have a sample size of around 40 people from the college-going gamers. The results of the in-depth interview and questionnaire along with the secondary research will then be used to develop the psychographic profiling of the casual internet gamer. This will be done using the TGI software tool. The universe will be derived by the intensive secondary research. Sample size is proposed to be 15 in-depth interviews and 40 gamers (20 men and 20 women) for the questionnaire, keeping in mind our target, the college going gamers. Mere numbers are irrelevant here as our focus is on developing a deep understanding on the subject. As this is a qualitative study, a probability sampling method is ineffective and expensive; hence we will do non-probability sampling with convenience, quota and snow-ball sampling techniques. A content analysis technique will be undertaken. The analysis will be with a systematic description of behavior asking who, what, where, where and how questions within formulated systematic rules to limit the effects of analyst bias. Being an exploratory research, this will be a good basis to begin with. EXPECTED CONTRIBUTION The Indian gaming industry is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 49% to reach USD 830 million by 2012 which was USD 167 million in 2008. Casual internet gaming is an area of the industry which is popular and growing. And it is also an area where on an extensive search no concrete research could be found. Hence this area of research appeals to both the industry and academia. No consumer centric approach in this field has yet been observed. This research will perhaps be the first of its kind where the psychographic profiling of the college going casual internet gamers will be done and basic STP constructs on the same will be developed. For the industry, this approach will help them develop and deliver better products and being an exploratory research, for the academia the research output will provide further scope for researching in the field. This research only focuses on College going gamers. There are a lot of other segments which can be studied. Also, casual gaming is just a subset of computer gaming, which in itself is a large field to research on, given the dearth of studies done in the Indian context, leaving scope for further researches, using this research as a basis.

Leisure Time And Cultural Values Of Biodiversity Environmental Sciences Essay

Leisure Time And Cultural Values Of Biodiversity Environmental Sciences Essay Many people derive value from biodiversity through leisure activities such as hiking, birdwatching or natural history study. Biodiversity has inspired musicians, painters, sculptors, writers and other artists. Many culture groups view themselves as an integral part of the natural world and show respect for other living organisms. Popular activities such as gardening, fishkeeping and specimen collecting strongly depend on biodiversity. The number of species involved in such pursuits is in the tens of thousands, though the majority do not enter mainstream commerce. The relationships between the original natural areas of these often exotic animals and plants and commercial collectors, suppliers, breeders, propagators and those who promote their understanding and enjoyment are complex and poorly understood. It seems clear, however, that the general public responds well to exposure to rare and unusual organisms-they recognize their inherent value at some level. A family outing to the botanical garden or zoo is as much an aesthetic and cultural experience as an educational one. Philosophically it could be argued that biodiversity has intrinsic aesthetic and spiritual value to mankind in and of itself. This idea can be used as a counterweight to the notion that tropical forests and other ecological realms are only worthy of conservation because of the services they provide. Key words:Biodiversity;leisure,aesthetic Introduction Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or on an entire planet. Biodiversity is one measure of the health of biological systems. Life on Earth today consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The year 2010 was declared the International Year of Biodiversity. Biodiversity is not consistent across the Earth. It is consistently rich in the tropics and in specific regions such as the Cape Floristic Province; it is less rich in polar regions where conditions support much less biomass. Rapid environmental changes typically cause extinctions.[1] 99.9Â  percent of species that have existed on Earth are now extinct.[2] Since life began on Earth, five major mass extinctions have led to large and sudden drops in Earthly biodiversity. The Phanerozoic eon (the last 540 million years) marked a rapid growth in biodiversity in the Cambrian explosion-a period during which nearly every phylum of multicellular organisms first appeared. The next 400 million years was distinguished by periodic, massive biodiversity losses classified as mass extinction events. The most recent, the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event, occurred 65Â  million years ago, and has attracted more attention than all others because it killed the nonavian dinosaurs.[3] The term was used first by wildlife scientist and conservationist Raymond F. Dasmann in a lay book[4] advocating conservation. The term was widely adopted only after more than a decade, when in the 1980s it came into common usage in science and environmental policy. Use of the term by Thomas Lovejoy, in the foreword to the book Conservation Biology,[5] introduced the term to the scientific community. Until then the term natural diversity was common, including by The Science Division of The Nature Conservancy in an important 1975 study, The Preservation of Natural Diversity. By the early 1980s TNCs Science program and its head, Robert E. Jenkins,[6] Lovejoy and other leading conservation scientists at the time in America advocated the use of biological diversity. The terms contracted form biodiversity may have been coined by W.G. Rosen in 1985 while planning the National Forum on Biological Diversity organized by the National Research Council (NRC) which was to be held in 1986, and first appeared in a publication in 1988 when entomologist E. O. Wilson used it as the title of the proceedings[7] of that forum.[8] Human benefits Biodiversity supports a number of natural ecosystem processes and services.[10] Some ecosystem services that benefit society are air quality,[11] climate (e.g., CO2 sequestration), water purification, pollination, and prevention of erosion.[11] Since the stone age, species loss has accelerated above the prior rate, driven by human activity. The exact rate is uncertain, but it has been estimated that species are now being lost at a rate approximately 100 times as fast as is typical in the fossil record, or perhaps as high as 10,000 times as fast.[12] Land is being transformed from wilderness into agricultural, mining, lumbering and urban areas for humans. Non-material benefits include spiritual and aesthetic values, knowledge systems and the value of education..[9] Human health Biodiversitys relevance to human health is becoming an international political issue, as scientific evidence builds on the global health implications of biodiversity loss.[13][14][15] This issue is closely linked with the issue of climate change,[17] as many of the anticipated health risks of climate change are associated with changes in biodiversity (e.g. changes in populations and distribution of disease vectors, scarcity of fresh water, impacts on agricultural biodiversity and food resources etc.) Some of the health issues influenced by biodiversity include dietary health and nutrition security, infectious diseases, medical science and medicinal resources, social and psychological health.[18] One of the key health issues associated with biodiversity is that of drug discovery and the availability of medicinal resources.[19] A significant proportion of drugs are derived, directly or indirectly, from biological sources; At least 50% of the pharmaceutical compounds on the US market are derived from compounds found in plants, animals, and microorganisms, while about 80% of the world population depends on medicines from nature (used in either modern or traditional medical practice) for primary healthcare.[14] Moreover, only a tiny proportion of the total diversity of wild species has been investigated for medical potential. Through the field of bionics, considerable advancement has occurred which would not have occurred without rich biodiversity. It has been argued, based on evidence from market analysis and biodiversity science, that the decline in output from the pharmaceutical sector since the mid-1980s can be attributed to a move away from natural product exploration (biopr ospecting) in favor of genomics and synthetic chemistry, neither of which have yielded the expected breakthroughs; meanwhile, natural products have a long history of supporting significant economic and health innovation.[20][21] Marine ecosystems are of particular interest in this regard,[22] although inappropriate bioprospecting has the potential to degrade ecosystems and increase biodiversity loss, as well as impacting the rights of the communities and states from which the resources are taken.[23][24][25]. Conservation of biodiversity Conservation biology matured in the mid- 20th century as ecologists, naturalists, and other scientists began to collectively research and address issues pertaining to global declines in biodiversity.[26][27][28] The conservation ethic differs from the preservationist ethic, originally led by John Muir, that seeks protected areas devoid of human exploitation or interference for profit.[27] The conservation ethic advocates management of natural resources for the purpose of sustaining biodiversity in species, ecosystems, the evolutionary process, and human culture and society. [26][28][29][30] Conservation biology is reforming around strategic plans that include principles, guidelines, and tools for the purpose of protecting biodiversity.[26][31][32] Conservation biology is crisis-oriented and multi-disciplinary, including ecology, social organization, education, and other disciplines outside of biology.[26][28] Preserving biodiversity is a global priority in strategic conservation plans that are designed to engage public policy and concerns affecting local, regional and global scales of communities, ecosystems, and cultures.[32] Action plans identify ways of sustaining human well-being, employing natural capital, market capital, and ecosystem services.[33][34] and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Strategies for biodiversity Strategically, focusing on areas of higher potential biodiversity promises greater return on investment than spreading conservation resources evenly or in areas of little diversity but greater interest in the conservation. A second strategy focuses on areas that retain most of their original diversity. These are typically non-urbanized, non-agricultural areas. Tropical areas often fit both sets of criteria, given their natively high diversity and relative lack of development.[35] However, many animal species are migratory, meaning that focusing only on specific locations is insufficient. Wildlife corridors can help support migration, and is considerably cheaper and easier than clearing/preserving entirely new areas. Some habitats may require restoration before standard conservation techniques can be effective. Conclusions Popular activities such as gardening, fishkeeping and specimen collecting strongly depend on biodiversity. The number of species involved in such pursuits is in the tens of thousands, though the majority do not enter mainstream commerce. The relationships between the original natural areas of these often exotic animals and plants and commercial collectors, suppliers, breeders, propagators and those who promote their understanding and enjoyment are complex and poorly understood. It seems clear, however, that the general public responds well to exposure to rare and unusual organisms-they recognize their inherent value at some level. A family outing to the botanical garden or zoo is as much an aesthetic and cultural experience as an educational one. Philosophically it could be argued that biodiversity has intrinsic aesthetic and spiritual value to mankind in and of itself. This idea can be used as a counterweight to the notion that tropical forests and other ecological realms are only worthy of conservation because of the services they provide.

The Composition and Publication History of Samuel T. Coleridges Kubla

The Myth of Fragmentation - The Composition and Publication History of Samuel T. Coleridge's Kubla Khan Although the exact date remains unknown, it is believed that Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote his poem Kubla Khan sometime in the fall of 1797 and began revisions of it in the early spring of 1798. Interestingly, although no original manuscript has been found, the Crewe Manuscript of Kubla Khan was discovered in 1934. Currently, the Crewe Manuscript is the earliest know version of Kubla Khan and is believed to have been written around 1810. After Lord Byron’s zealous response to Kubla Khan, Coleridge published the poem for the first time in May of 1816 under Byron’s publisher John Murray. While the poem was initially bound with two of his other poems: Christabel and Pains of Sleep, Kubla Khan was then published in 1828 within Coleridge’s collection Poetical Works. The final publication of Kubla Khan during Coleridge’s lifetime came in 1834, when a cumulative version of Poetical Works was introduced, which included some of Coleridge’s early, unpublished works. When Kubla Khan was first published in 1816, contemporary reviewers noted the poem’s fragmentary nature and spoke of its nonsensical style, imagery, and content. The poem was, in a sense, viewed as not a â€Å"wholly meaningful poem, but only meaningless music.† More recent studies by scholar E. S. Shaffer asserted that Coleridge intended for Kubla Khan to be a part of his project to create â€Å"a new kind of epic poem† that was to be called The Fall of Jerusalem. Shaffer believes that Coleridge was unable to complete this epic project, and consequently, left Kubla Khan as â€Å"an epic fragment† that has bred a myth of fragmentation that has followed the poem since its initial publi... ...w York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1972. Google Image Search. Online. Available at: http://images.google.com. Holmes, Richard. Coleridge: Early Visions (1772-1804). New York: Pantheon Books, 1989. Holmes, Richard. Coleridge: Darker Reflections (1804-1834). New York: Pantheon Books, 1998. Lindgren, Agneta. The Fallen World in Coleridge’s Poetry. Sweden: Lund University Press, 1999. Newlyn, Lucy (editor). The Cambridge Companion to Coleridge. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002. Samuel Taylor Coleridge Archive. Online. Available at: http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/stcColeridge/stc.html Stillinger, Jack. ~~Coleridge & Textual Instability: The Multiple Versions of the Major Poems~~. New York: Oxford University Press, 1994. Supplement to the S. T. Coleridge Archive. Online. Available at: http://www.mindspring.com/~mtiefert/poetry/coleridge.html

Jane Eyre :: English Literature

Jane Eyre What do you learn from Jane's arrival at Thornfield and her first meeting with Mr Rochester? When Jane first arrives at Thornfield she is greeted by Mrs Fairfax, she receives a warm welcome and an inquiry into whether she is cold and a subsequent offer to warm by the fire. This something Jane is not used to, in the past at the Reed's house, Gateshead, and certainly at Lowood her reception had been quite cold and harsh. At Gateshead Jane was treated badly and received no love. Bessie the servant was the only person who even showed some sort of interest in her. In my opinion Bessie cared for Jane as her own, reading to her many times out of the books by the window seat. Of course the 'Reed' children were treated much more fairly and there was biases towards them, but this was down to Mrs Reed's dislike for Jane, which is stated later in the story just before she dies. In chapter three Jane has been in the red room as a punishment and when she comes out she has suffered greatly and needs to see a doctor. However Mrs Reed only sends for a apothecary, if one of her own children had been ill a proper doctor would have been called, which again shows Mrs Reeds poor treatment of Jane. When finally Jane is sent to what Mr Lloyd thinks will be a better place for her, Lowood School, she is faced with more distant relationships and hard conditions. However Miss Temple and Helen Burns are of great contrast to the main theme at Lowood and provide at last someone Jane can trust and relate to. Miss Temple has a kind character and concerns herself with Jane's well being when she arrives at the school. She later becomes the closest Jane gets to a role model in life. Helen is Jane's first friend and has a profound effect on her in many ways as well as being a counterbalance to Jane's character and teaching her to be self-controlled and well disciplined and studious to get on in life. As I put earlier when Jane first comes to Thornfield she is meet by Mrs Fairfax. As always Jane is quick to form impressions in her mind which as readers we learn and can appreciate. She describes her as "the neatest imaginable little elderly lady." Which you see as quite a likeable and welcoming character. She then goes on to say "A more reassuring introduction for a new governess could scarcely be conceived." This shows the perfect setting for Jane at last, which is

Research Problem Essay

1 WHAT IS A RESEARCH PROBLEM? A research problem is the situation that causes the researcher to feel apprehensive, confused and ill at ease. It is the demarcation of a problem area within a certain context involving the WHO or WHAT, the WHERE, the WHEN and the WHY of the problem situation. There are many problem situations that may give rise to research. Three sources usually contribute to problem identification. Own experience or the experience of others may be a source of problem supply. A second source could be scientific literature. You may read about certain findings and notice that a certain field was not covered. This could lead to a research problem. Theories could be a third source. Shortcomings in theories could be researched. Research can thus be aimed at clarifying or substantiating an existing theory, at clarifying contradictory findings, at correcting a faulty methodology, at correcting the inadequate or unsuitable use of statistical techniques, at reconciling conflicting opinions, or at solving existing practical problems. 2 IDENTIFICATION OF THE PROBLEM The prospective researcher should think on what caused the need to do the research (problem identification). The question that he/she should ask is: Are there questions about this problem to which answers have not been found up to the present? Research originates from a need that arises. A clear distinction between the PROBLEM and the PURPOSE should be made. The problem is the aspect the researcher worries about, think about, wants to find a solution for. The purpose is to solve the problem, ie find answers to the question(s). If there is no clear problem formulation, the purpose and methods are meaningless. Keep the following in mind: †¢ Outline the general context of the problem area. †¢ Highlight key theories, concepts and ideas current in this area. †¢ What appear to be some of the underlying assumptions of this area? †¢ Why are these issues identified important? †¢ What needs to be solved? †¢ Read round the area (subject) to get to know the background and to identify unanswered questions or controversies, and/or to identify the the most significant issues for further exploration. The research problem should  be stated in such a way that it would lead to analytical thinking on the part of the researcher with the aim of possible concluding solutions to the stated problem. Research problems can be stated in the form of either questions or statements. †¢ The research problem should always be formulated grammatically correct and as completely as possible. You should bear in mind the wording (expressions) you use. Avoid meaningless words. There should be no doubt in the mind of the reader what your intentions are. †¢ Demarcating the research field into manageable parts by dividing the main problem into subproblems is of the utmost importance. 3 SUBPROBLEM(S) Subproblems are problems related to the main problem identified. Subproblems flow from the main problem and make up the main problem. It is the means to reach the set goal in a manageable way and contribute to solving the problem. 4 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The statement of the problem involves the demarcation and formulation of the problem, ie the WHO/WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY. It usually includes the statement of the hypothesis. 5 CHECKLIST FOR TESTING THE FEASIBILITY OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM | | |YES |NO | |1 |Is the problem of current interest? Will the research results have social, educational or scientific value? | | | |2 |Will it be possible to apply the results in practice? | | | |3 |Does the research contribute to the science of education? | | | |4 |Will the research opt new problems and lead to further research? | | | |5 |Is the research problem important? Will you be proud of the result? | | | |6 |Is there enough scope left within the area of reseach (field of research)? | | | |7 |Can you find an answer to the problem through research? Will you be able to handle the research problem? | | | |8 |Will it be pratically possible to undertake the research? | | | |9 |Will it be possible for another researcher to repeat the research? | | | |10 |Is the research free of any ethical problems and limitations? | | | |11 |Will it have any value? | | | |12 |Do you have the necessary knowledge and skills to do the research? Are you qualified to undertake the | | | | |research? | | | |13 |Is the problem important to you and are you motivated to undertake the research? | | | |14 |Is the research viable in your situation? Do you have enough time and energy to complete the project? | | | |15 |Do you have the necessary funds for the research? | | | |16 |Will you be able to complete the project within the time available? | | | |17 |Do you have access to the administrative, statistic and computer facilities the research necessitates? | | | | |TOTAL: | | |

Malawi Less Developed Countries Essay

Malawi is one of the world’s poorest countries, ranking 160th out of 182 countries on the Human Development Index. Progress towards reaching the Millennium Development Goal of eradicating extreme poverty has been limited. According to the United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Report for 2009, about 74 per cent of the population still lives below the income poverty line of US$1.25 a day and 90 per cent below the US$2 a day threshold. The proportion of poor and ultra-poor is highest in rural areas of the southern and northern parts of the country. Country indicators GDP per capita average annual growth rate (%), 1990-2012 1.2 Underweight (%) 2008-2012*, moderate & severe 12.8 Secondary school participation, Net attendance ratio (%) 2008-2012*, male 9.7 Secondary school participation, Net attendance ratio (%) 2008-2012*, female 10.4 GNI per capita 2012, US$ 320 Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) 74.77 Infant mortality rate 71 HDI( human development index) 0.388 All these indicators show Malawi is a LDC according to the UN criteria for the identification of an LDC. Reason for the low levels of development in Malawi Despite the availability of better technologies, the productivity of most crops has not improved since the 1970s, largely as a result of declining soil fertility. Also contributing to the low yields are poor access to financial services and markets, unfavourable weather, small landholdings and  nutrient-depleted soils, coupled with limited use of fertilizers. The use of improved varieties, together with fertilizers, better crop husbandry and irrigation, has the potential to greatly improve yields. Post-harvest losses are estimated to be around 40 per cent of production. The recurrence of shocks frustrates attempts to escape rural poverty. The most common shocks are weather-related, such as crop failures and increases in the price of food. Illness or injury is also very common, as are shocks associated with death of family members, heightened by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which has affected 11.9 per cent of the population. Shocks often force households to sell assets, thereby undermining their ability to engage in productive activities. As a result, poor households have to adopt costly coping strategies such as selling assets, withdrawing children from school and reducing food consumption. Poor rural people in Malawi are unable to diversify out of agriculture and tend to remain underemployed for part of the year. More than a third of rural households earn their livelihood only from farming or fishing. An additional 25 per cent combine work on their farm with other jobs, largely in agriculture. Other income sources tend to be limited to poorly paid agricultural labour. Few economic opportunities combined with the marked seasonality of rainfed agriculture leads to labour shortages during the critical phases of the cropping season, with underemployment for the rest of the year. Access to education, a major driver of relative wealth, is highly inequitable as well. Almost 30 per cent of poor children do not even start primary school, which is free in Malawi. Secondary and higher education is largely confined to non-poor households, mainly due to the required enrolment fees. Limited access to markets and services is another constraint. Poor rural people tend to live in remote areas with few roads and means of transport, which limits their economic opportunities. Access to financial services is severely restricted, especially for smallholder farmers. Only 12 per cent of households have access to credit. What is being done to tackle Malawi’s problems? In May 2002, the Government launched the Malawi Poverty Reduction Strategy (MPRS), with the goal of achieving â€Å"sustainable poverty reduction through empowerment of the poor† over a three-year period. The MPRS achieved a modest decline in poverty levels while real gross domestic product (GDP)  growth averaged only 1.5 per cent per annum. In 2005, the MPRS was reformulated as the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS), which remains the overarching policy framework for social and economic development. Under the MGDS, real GDP growth for 2006-09 averaged 8.4 per cent and is expected to continue to be strong, helped by increased revenue from mining. While growth was somewhat lower during 2009-10, it seems that Malawi will weather the global financial crisis. The fiscal deficit has been brought down, and debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative has greatly reduced the burden of debt service. Notwithstanding good recent performance, the a bility to maintain a level of economic growth to ensure poverty reduction remains limited by: ï‚ §the narrow economic base; ï‚ §the small domestic market; ï‚ §poor infrastructure/high transport costs; ï‚ §erratic power supply and heavy reliance on energy imports; ï‚ §the presence of the State in the business sector; ï‚ §Government intervention in key markets; ï‚ §and weak management capacity in the public and private sectors. Agriculture provides over 80 per cent of exports and contributes some 34 per cent to GDP; services make up 46 per cent of GDP and industry 20 per cent. The performance of agriculture is therefore critical for the economy. Average growth in the sector is highly dependent on climatic factors, and reached nearly 7 per cent during the 1990s and 9 per cent between 2002 and 2006, with a drop to -9 per cent in the 2005 drought. Growth has subsequently recovered with improved seasonal conditions, boosted by the Farm Input Subsidy Programme. The Farm Input Subsidy Programme was launched in 2005-06 to increase agricultural production and ensure food security, by providing government-subsidized agricultural inputs to smallholding farmers. The scheme has coincided with a significant jump in maize production, although it is unclear how much of this is attributable to the subsidy and how much to improved seasonal conditions. The subsidy programme is now a firmly established pillar of agricultural policy. However, it presents a number of policy dilemmas: †¢the cost of the programme is so high that most  other initiatives have to be sidelined, including the extension and research services needed to ensure optimal use of the inputs; †¢the programme has tended to displace commercial input purchases by farmers; and the distribution of inputs has tended to favour the more food-secure households.