Research Proposal on Absenteeism Essay Example

Research Proposal on Absenteeism Essay Absenteeism is the phenomenon and type of behaviour which is characterized with the denial of a person to fulfill her duties. At first the term absenteeism was used only for the people who denied taking an active part in the elections. The term is generally associated with the careless indifferent person who does not to participate in the public life of the country, like voting for elections, going to the meetings or supporting a certain political party. Now the term absenteeism is used to define the person who runs away from her duties. Naturally, such habit or behaviour is treated like the immoral one, because the employee who misses work influences the development of the whole organization badly. It is obvious that an employee earns money for his work, so he is expected to fulfill it properly. There are people who go to work day after day and explain their absence with poor health, problems in private life, etc. The boss can excuse rare absences in the extreme situations, but when the absence is too frequent, the boss starts thinking about the employee negatively and starts to look for the more reliable person for this position. On the other hand, the negative stereotype of absenteeism is useful for the employer and his profits, because with the run of time employees have got used to the negative attitude to any type absence at a workplace and they try to go to work even when they are ill and really have certain problems. We will write a custom essay sample on Research Proposal on Absenteeism specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Research Proposal on Absenteeism specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Research Proposal on Absenteeism specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer When a student has chosen to research the problem of absenteeism, he should prepare a good research proposal to persuade the professor that the selected topic is worth his attention. In order to succeed in research proposal writing, one should study the topic well and understand its positive and negative sides, factors which cause absenteeism and types of this habit. On the basis of the gained knowledge one will be able to weigh the problem soberly and even suggest some effective methods and solutions to the problem. The role of a research proposal is win the chance to investigate the chosen topic in detail and introduce something new into the discipline, so the paper should be informative, interesting and convincing. Many students fail to complete their research proposals correctly, so they look for help in the web to improve their chances to prepare a good paper. A free example research proposal on employee absenteeism is a good way out for students who have troubles with the organization of their papers. Professional writers share their experience and skills and assist students with the writing process with the help of free sample research proposals on absenteeism in workplace. At EssayLib.com writing service you can order a custom research proposal on Absenteeism topics. Your research paper proposal will be written from scratch. We hire top-rated Ph.D. and Master’s writers only to provide students with professional research proposal help at affordable rates. Each customer will get a non-plagiarized research paper with timely delivery. Just visit our website and fill in the order form with all proposal details: Enjoy our professional research proposal writing service!

buy custom Teaching Techniques essay

buy custom Teaching Techniques essay Teaching is the process of passing ideas or information to the learner so that they can gain knowledge about the topic in discussion. Teaching varies it may be formal or informal. Formal teaching takes place in learning institution, for example, schools while informal teaching takes place at home either by the child parents or the child themselves. Teaching begins from an early stage after giving birth of the baby until he or she completes all process. Early childhood teaching is vital to the child. It equips the child with basic learning, and it should be done in a way that the child will get information in an easier way. To enhance these teachers have to come up with some teaching technique to be used so as to enhance learning to the child. (Beecher, Dockett, Farmer, 2008) Teaching technique refers to the principles and ways used for providing instruction. The choice of teaching technique used varies depending the information and skills that the teacher wants to pass. Teaching technique influences the group under the teaching that is in terms of their class and age respectively. There are many teachings techniques used in children between the ages of 0-2 years in various learning institution and am going to discuss them. Discussion This teaching technique involves teaching by use of examples or illustration. Demonstration technique helps in proving of facts to the child so to enable the child to know what they are learning in their environment. This is technique is significant it helps the child in memorization as it aids in reduce the imagination the child have. This is because the child will know exactly what they are learning thus, grasping a lot out of it. In addition, demonstration helps in enhancing the interest of the child to a specific thing as it provides connection between facts and real world application. (Macnaughton Williams, 2009) This is the best technique for young children because it is more practical as compared to other techniques. Children tend to learn more with this technique because it uses teaching aid. Also, this method is not discriminatory to race, culture. But, a big challenge is when dealing with children with a disability. This because the blind may be able to to see what the teachers demonstrates. This will lead to teacher looking for better techniques to enhance children to know what they are teaching. (Sawyer, 2006) The advantage of this method is that it is practical and exposes children to real practical issue, thus, enabling children to real world situation which helps solve the problem of imagination in children. Disadvantage of this method is that this method is expensive in acquisition of materials to be used in demonstration in class for children. Some schools may not afford this materials to be used in practical for the children, also, this technique is not appropriate with the person with a disability because other children may not be able to see demonstrations in class. Thus, becoming a challenge for the eacher to find the best technique for demonstrating to them. An aim of this technique is to enable children know the facts as they grow up. With the use of demonstration children will be able to learn of things in a practical way thus; making them know the real world situation. Reading Reading together with the child is vital in the learning process. This enables the child to know how to pronounce words in an easier way. Reading for children should be using of easy words those basic words that the child understands well. Reading also enables children below the age of two years to like reading because it creates more interests about learning. This is due the learning process involves a lot of reading. Once the teacher is through with reading he or she should give them time study on their own so that they can know how they understand, reading for children may include numbering, and short descriptive stories. (Macnaughton Williams, 2009) Reading may not be effective in areas where access to reading materials is difficult like in poor countries. Also, reading requires lots of patience from the teacher, sometimes children are not keen in class that may not get the words in an easier way. Children with a disability may not know to read thus making it difficult for them. Teachers in this case should use extraordinary material for the blind children. This is use of brails as a reading technique for the children. It requires teachers in this case to undertake special training in using these materials. (Beecher, Dockett, Farmer, 2008) Advantage of this method is that it makes children to learn pronounce words at an early stage thus equipping their reading skills at an early stage. Disadvantage of this method is that it may be expensive due to buying books, which some schools may not afford to do so; this is especially in poor states of the world. Also, special material for the disabled people is expensive in terms of requirement of teachers to undertake special training. The goal of this technique is to improve the reading skills of young children at an early stage. This technique is vital for young children because poor reading skills among many children resulted from the first stage of learning. Enabling this involves exposing children to reading materials at an early stage. Problem-solving This is a unique technique that teachers use when teaching children. Problem solving involves correcting a problem when it does occur. This is immense because it enables the child to know where they have done wrong, without doing so children may not be able to know where they are wrong. Problem solving should be one to one basis as it will enable the teacher to directly correct the child and give more explanation until the child knows how to it right. (Moos, 1979) Advantage of this technique is that errors when teaching children is that correection takes place at an early stage thus preventing future problems which may be unsolvable in the future. This technique requires the teacher to be close with the children so that they can understand the real problem of child. It is usually difficult to find the exact problem the child is suffering from. In some cases, race may be able among children, subjecting children to racism will affect their thinking about people of other race. Also, some children have a more complicated disability problem thus making it difficult for the teacher to know the problem facing the child. Poverty may also be a problem to the child because this affects the way of their living thus their social life as they grow up. (Osborne, Salzberger, Writtenberg, 1999) Advantage of this method is that is that teachers are able to identify and solve problems at early stages. For instances children usually hide their problems this due to fear. In addition, problem solving helps children correct where they have done wrong. With correction, it makes the children learn doing things in the correct way. Disadvantage of this method is that it some problems facing children are difficult to identify. This may be because some children cannot speak up for themselves. Also, some problems are cause of social set up the children resulting in children shying to say what their problem is. Another disadvantage of this technique is that a teacher needs to be patient when dealing with children. This is because some problems may take long before they come out clearly. Purpose of this technique is to ensure children learn doing things in the right way. This is because it will help young children know to do things in the right way in an early stage. Also, this technique helps parents understand their children at an early stage thus knowing where to improve before it gets worse. Teachers also will be able to know the problems of young children thus finding ways of dealing with them. Conclusion Young children need much attention in their early stage of learning. The way of teaching them will shape their future way of studying. Teachers need to be careful when handling young children. Appropriate techniques should be used when teaching these young children. Using appropriate technique well aid in children learning more and be able to memorize them in the future. Parents at home should also take more time with their children and use appropriate technique to teach their children. Use of learning materials especially with children is the best for young children. From experience, it has been evident that children understand more when there is the use of practical demonstration and experiment. Children with a disability should be given extra care when handling them. Their disability should be identified at an early stage so that special techniques are in use in teaching them. Giving disabled children more care they will grow up knowing that disability in not a problem and use it as their strengths. Buy custom Teaching Techniques essay

POL DB 5 All Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

POL DB 5 All - Assignment Example The government, therefore, has a duty to protect its citizens from such crimes. The issue of crime is a national pandemic and cannot be overlooked. Therefore, the government creates an agenda to discuss it and find lasting solutions. There is the agenda of homicide and cyber-crime. Both have been robbing the country of either prominent people or lots of money. The policy formulation will include hefty penalties for anyone charged with a cyber-crime or a homicide. Actually, for a homicide, individuals could also receive a death sentence. For a cyber-crime, the individual will be required to pay up every cent to the last coin. The police on patrol will also increase and surveillances will be put in areas strategic, so as to identify the people carrying out different types of crimes. The policy evaluation will eventually be done to see how the two active policies are. The "government will then evaluate the facts on the ground and try to seal the loopholes" (Ãâ€"berg, Lundin and Thelander, 114). Thus, the system becomes more efficient. There are several needs that arise, and that require to be brought to the attention of the policymakers for them to review and make decisions. Crime is one such issue. One of the typical examples of crime is larceny and any such theft like robbery with violence and burglary. From the offense perspective, Plott states that "a rise in the practice of theft in a particular state may raise the alarm for the government to act on it" (25). It therefore, becomes an agenda in their list. There are different ways that to table this in parliament. The government may decide to look at the causes of the rise in such theft cases. What age is mostly involved in these acts? Why? Is it that the employment rate is high? The government then decides to focus on the "whys" to find a lasting solution. They then brainstorm on the possible causes. They are then able to draft a plan from their finding. For example, the paper

Unit 2 Public Demand for Medical Care and Health Insurance in the Essay

Unit 2 Public Demand for Medical Care and Health Insurance in the United States - Essay Example This measure provides an indication of the magnitude of cause specific mortality in a population (National statistics, 2011). The measure, however, underestimates the prevalence of deaths within a given population. Unadjusted mortality rates among groups sometimes is misleading especially in a case where the age distributions of the population at risk are different. This misleading report highly affects the planning of healthcare and decision making due to underestimated mortality in a population (Danver, 2010). Chronic diseases that include heart diseases has been a major cause of deaths in this state. The disease had higher adjusted mortality rates than the national average (National statistics, 2011). According to CDC heart diseases had leading causes of deaths.84% of the deaths occurred to people aged 65 years and above while 43% of the deaths occurred to people aged 85 years and above. The age adjusted mortality 3.32 which is slightly higher than the national average which stand at 3.01 (Danver, 2010). The rate is higher due to the unhealthy lifestyles of the people of this state. To solve the problem many factors come into play, organizational factors like schools and faith based organizations to influence and support health behavior change, Community factors that involve self-initiated programs to live healthy and health policies that favorably influence prevention of chronic diseases (Bluelow, 2010). Search Engine - Web - Seivo Web Search Engine. (n.d.). Search Engine - Web - Seivo Web Search Engine. Retrieved April 15, 2014, from

Foundations in human physiology- structure, function and permeability Assignment

Foundations in human physiology- structure, function and permeability of cells - Assignment Example One or more cells constitute all forms of life. Cells can only develop from pre-existent cells. The smallest form of life is cell. The human cell consists of an outer plasma membrane which encloses the minute organelles dispersed within the cytoplasm. These organelles include endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, mitochondria, ribosome, chromosomes, nucleus, lysosome, vacuoles and centrioles. A typical human cell (Carone, 2001) The outer cell membrane is made up of lipid molecules and provides the passage for interaction of cells with each other. Different kinds of human cells have distinct structures that aid in the functioning of their particular activity, such as the axons of nerve and brain cells which transmit signals out across distances to other cells via neurotransmitters. The neurons are specially adapted to perform this function as the axons are as long as one meter in length and the nerve impulse is transmitted from one neuron to another. The various functions performed by human cells include enzyme production, movement, transmission of electrical impulses and demolishing invaders. Among the various cells constituting the human body five main are: epithelial, nerve or neuron, connective, adipose and muscle cells. The four main selected to be explained in the given text include epithelial cells, neuron, connective and adipose cells (Marieb & Hoehn, 2010). Nerve Cells Nerve cells or neurons are specialized cell often referred as the structural and functional unit of nervous system. A characteristic neuron consists of a cell body known as soma, an axon and dendrites. The thin structures arising from the cell body are dendrites that frequently extend for hundred micrometres and forming multiple branches thus forming a complex called "dendritic tree". An axon on the other hand is a peculiar cellular extension that originates from the axon hillock and travels as far as one meter (Chudler, 2012). A typical Neuron (Chudler, 2012) Synapse is a specialized c onnection of these neurons with other cells that facilitates chemical signal. Neurons communicate by electrical and chemical (via neurotransmitters like GABA, dopamine and glutamate) synapses in a process referred as synaptic transmission. Action potential is the basic process that activates synaptic transmission, a disseminating electrical signal that is produced by tapping the electrically impulsive membrane (the myelin sheath) that encloses the axon of the neuron. This is also known as a wave of depolarization. Neurons are the central part of the nervous system consisting of the spinal cord, the brain and peripheral ganglia. A great number of these specialized neurons exist and are classified on the basis of their function as sensory, motor and inter-neurons. The inter-neurons connect other neurons within the spinal cord or brain while the motor neurons transmit the response generated from brain and spinal cord to the organs. Sensory neurons respond to light, sound, touch, taste and legion other stimuli impacting the epithelial cells of the sensory organs (Levitan & Kaczmarek, 2001). Dorsal root ganglion The sensory neurons cell bodies are settled outside the spinal cord and brain in ganglia or in the sensory organs. Ganglia situated along specific cranial and spinal nerves accommodate the sensory neurons

Criminology Research Methods

Criminology Research Methods Using examples from published research, critically consider that way that choice of study design might influence research findings and conclusions.   A study design is a fundamental component of any piece of research, providing a structure within which to implement a suitable methodology for the collection and analysis of information and data. The choice of study design employed in criminological research will inevitably influence the findings and conclusions drawn, which may subsequently be used to shape the direction of future policies and interventions within the sphere of criminal justice. This is particularly the case in relation to domestic violence, which remains a socially and politically contested area with regards to the extent to which it merits and requires criminalisation. I therefore intend, with reference to published research, to critically examine how choice of study design may yield different findings and contributions to contemporary understandings of domestic violence. Before considering the various types of study design, it is necessary to provide a brief account of the nature and context of domestic violence. Academics highlight that it is a distinct phenomenon from other forms of conventional violence, often characterised by a series of ongoing violent episodes as opposed to one discrete event and a typical reluctance on the part of victims to recognise and voice their victimisation (Mirrlees-Black, 1999). Criminological research in this area has assumed heightened importance in recent years due to shifts in Government policy towards criminalisation  [1]  . It is therefore vital that any research in this area necessitates an appreciation of the contextual circumstances within which perpetrators and victims operate. A number of study designs are available for the purposes of criminological research, the primary distinction existing between experimental and non-experimental designs; which include randomised control trials, quasi-experiments, cross-sectional and longitudinal designs as well as ethnographic studies. The choice of design will affect the strength of both the internal  [2]  and external  [3]  validity of the findings and conclusions. Bryman notes that the study design chosen reflects a decision about the priority being given to an array of dimensions. These include articulating causal connections, generalising the findings, understanding behaviour in a specific context and having a temporal awareness of social phenomena (2008:35). In addition, certain designs may lend themselves more easily to quantitative or qualitative data, which may impact upon a researchers choice of design given the fundamentally diverse characteristics of both.  [4]   The true experimental design is often referred to as the gold standard (Bryman, 2008:38), despite being rarely employed in criminological research (Wesiburd, 2000:181) due to its potential to yield findings with strong internal validity, particularly if randomised control trials are employed. The experimental design involves the manipulation of the independent variable in order to elicit variation in the dependent variable, a classic example being Bushmans (1995) investigation into the impact of violent films on those pre-disposed to aggression. In randomly assigning subjects to control and experimental groups, he was able to control for rival causal factors, resulting in findings with strong internal validity. True experiments may be either laboratory experiments  [5]  or field experiments  [6]  , although it can be argued that conclusions drawn from laboratory experiments may not have the same level of generalisation due to their artificial setting. However, it is argued th at it is the theoretical principles that are being generalised, not the specific characteristics of the sample, setting or measure (Anderson and Bushman, 1997:22). The experimental design was utilised by Sherman (1984) in investigating the specific deterrent effects of arrest on perpetrators of domestic violence, whereby three types of police response (arrest, mediation ad separation) were randomly assigned to legally eligible cases. The dependent variable, in this case recidivism, was measured over the course of 6months following police intervention using both official data and victim reports. The studys conclusion, that swift imposition of a sanction of temporary incarceration may deter male offenders in domestic violence cases (Sherman, 1984:270), is often cited in support of mandatory arrest policies. However, given that experimental designs are notorious for their weaker external validity  [7]  , it is questionable whether Shermans findings lend themselves to such a sweeping generalisation. Indeed, follow up studies in other US cities revealed more mixed results, with some concluding that arrest had negative effects for victims (Garner et al. 1995). The findings and conclusions by Sherman have been attacked on a number of grounds. Dobash contends that the experiments were designed and carried out with little knowledge of existing and theoretical positions regarding violence against women (2000:254). Indeed, it can be argued that the failure to appreciate the possibility that the reason the arrest of perpetrators resulted in lesser recidivism was not due to its deterrent effects but a result of the victim failing to call the police again or to report their victimisation to interviewers due to fear of a repeated retaliation by the perpetrator that might have followed the initial arrest. This is particularly since qualitative studies have revealed the extent to which victims reluctance to involve the police are a direct product of their fear that an arrest will lead to an escalation of the violence (Felson et al.2002). In addition, Fagan highlights that the short follow-up period of 6months failed to take into account the episodic and cyclical patterns of family violence (1989:382). It therefore appears that Shermans pre-occupation with experimental form, in this case a randomised control experiment, precluded a proper consideration of the nature and contextual characteristics of domestic violence. A variation of the true experimental design is the quasi-experiment, commonly employed in the evaluation of criminal justice interventions due to the ethical difficulties associated with random assignment. Such experiments have been used to research the effect of rape law reforms on the number of rapes reported to the police.  [8]  However, due to the absence of random assignment, such a design may not yield findings that are considered as strong in terms of their internal validity due to the lack of control over intervening causal variables. The Violent Men Study (Dobash, 2000) employed a non-equivalent control group design to evaluate the impact of different criminal justice sanctions on domestic violence, involving the matching of subjects within the different groups. The qualitative data revealed much higher rates of re-offending than the quantitative arrest records portrayed, leading the authors to remark that these stark differences cast grave doubt on the veracity of criminal justice statistics as indicators of the levels of violence or of the effectiveness of interventions (Dobash, 2000:267). In addition, in contrast to the experimental study of arrest that merely speculated the reasons for reduced levels of recidivism following arrest (Sherman, 1984), the Violent Men Study was able to contribute to an understanding of both how and why certain interventions could lead to a cessation of violence (Dobash, 2000). Such findings were arguably facilitated by the fact that the study design was more attuned to the context and dynamics of domestic violence, such as the fact that it was longitudinal in nature, tracing victims experiences and perpetrators criminal involvement over a period of 12months at regular intervals and drawing a comparison between the two sets of data  [9]  . The advantages associated with this design have led to a replication of it in subsequent research.  [10]   An example of a non-experimental study design is the cross-sectional, involving the collection of information and data relating to a designated phenomenon at a particular instance in time. A classic example is the investigation of the effects of visible public and social order on evolving crime rates in Chicago (Sampson and Raudenbush, 2001). However, the problems associated with such a design relate to both the internal validity and the ambiguity of the direction of causality, which may therefore significantly influence any conclusions drawn, as was the case in the Chicago study which could not establish whether the high crime rates resulted before or after a variation in social control (Bachman and Schutt, 2007:154). A study by Hoyle and Sanders (2000) of victims within Thames Valley police force areas utilised a cross-sectional non-experimental design to investigate victims perceptions of the value of various criminal justice interventions. The non-experimental dimension facilitated a more in-depth exploration of victims experiences and beliefs and a deeper contextual understanding of the nature and effects of domestic violence, with the authors highlighting that the more powerful the controlling behaviour of their partners, the less likely it is women will seek to involve the criminal justice system (2000:21). However, a significant drawback of the cross-sectional design is that it results in findings that inevitably fail to capture the recurring and ongoing nature of domestic violence. By contrast, a longitudinal design, involves the collection of information and data at several points in time, which can also resolve any ambiguity concerning the direction of causal influence. Thus, academics assert that the value of longitudinal data is so great that every effort should be made to develop longitudinal research designs whenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦appropriate (Bachman and Schutt, 2007:155). A study by Sullivan and Bybee (2004) interviewed 278 women, who has just left a domestic violence shelter, at various intervals for three years. By collecting and analysing data over a substantial period of time, the study was able to provide a greater understanding of the unique trajectory of domestic violence. However, the problem of attrition is particularly salient for longitudinal designs, with Bachman and Schutt highlighting that those in greatest need are often the most likely to drop-out (2007:159). This has obvious implications for the validity of findings, since a drop-out of the most domestically victimised subjects could mask the extent and seriousness of domestic violence. An interesting study design that is rarely employed, but could nevertheless provide a valuable insight into the phenomenon of domestic violence, relates to ethnography. The purpose of which is to look more in-depth at the mechanisms underlying a social process and to gain an insight into the interpretations and perceptions of actors (Crow and Semmens, 2008:37). Such an approach was taken by Websdale, who provided a critical ethnography of how rural patriarchy shapes the perpetration and policing of domestic violence (Adelman, 2004:135). Although such findings and conclusions cannot obviously be generalised, ethnographic designs serve to reveal important details about the experiences of particular sub-groups of the population, which may not be adequately reflected in the findings of more conventional study designs. In conclusion, it is apparent that choice of study design in criminological research can have a marked influence on the findings and conclusions drawn. In relation to domestic violence, whilst it appears that true experiments yield results with the strongest internal validity, they nevertheless fail to account for the dynamic processes operating which trigger the variation in the dependent variable. The context-specific approach taken by other designs may have the potential to fill this gap by affording a greater emphasis on process as opposed to outcome. In addition, longitudinal designs are vital in capturing the intrinsic trajectory nature of domestic violence which is often ignored by cross-sectional designs. However, it is apparent that a deeper and proper understanding of domestic violence, in order to implement effective policies, necessitates the exploitation of the various strengths of both experimental and non-experimental study designs. To conclude otherwise would be to ig nore the inherent nature of domestic violence and to relegate it to the status of any ordinary violent crime, from which it is clearly distinct. Word Count: 1992

Creativity in Literacy Practices

Creativity in Literacy Practices: A TEXTUAL AND CONTEXTUAL APPROACH by Agatha Xaris Villa INTRODUCTION AT PRESENT, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OF LINGUISTIC CREATIVITY. THEY DIFFER IN THE WAY THE WAY THAT THEY CONCEPTUALIZE WHAT COUNTS AS CREATIVENESS OR ‘LITERARINESS’ IN LANGUAGE AS WELL AS IN THE METHODS THEY USE TO IDENTIFY AND ANALYZE CREATIVITY IN EVERYDAY LANGUAGE.This essay begins by discussing and exploring the premises of an analysis of creativity at text level following a textual approach to literacy and creativity; assessing the extent to which it is effective in identify creativity in literacy practices such as diaries, letters and graffiti.However, I would like to continue by presenting the argument that while literacy practices do offer opportunities for creativity at text level, the study and identification of creativity in literacy practices may be more productive when studied with a broader perspective – one that goes beyond the limits of the text and considers the influence of context in the production, reception and processing of texts, literary practices and creativity. Creativity in literacy practices at text level LITERACY IS AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF EVERYDAY LIFE AND IS A PART OF EVEN OUR MOST MUNDANE SOCIAL PRACTICES.WHILE THE ROLE WHICH LITERACY PLAYS IN SITUATIONS MAY VARY IN IMPORTANCE, IN THE CONTEXT OF LITERACY EVENTS WHERE LITERACY PLAYS A SIGNIFICANT ROLE, INDIVIDUALS DEVELOP CHARACTERISTIC AND PATTERNED WAYS OF USING AND INTERACTING WITH TEXTS. THESE HABITUAL PATTERNS HOLD DIFFERENT MEANING AND VALUES FOR INDIVIDUALS AND ARE WHAT WE REFER TO AS LITERACY PRACTICES. Creativity in literacy practices at the level of the text may be identified by focusing on special linguistic forms that stand out in texts. This pproach is modeled after what Carter (1999) called an inherency perspective which perceives creativity as being ‘inherent’ in the creative uses of language intrinsic in text. Th e focus is on the writer’s skill in the manipulation of linguistic forms that constitute text on the phonological, grammatical and semantic level. Roman Jakobson (1960), one of the well-known advocates of this approach, was concerned with the ‘poetic function of language’ which was believed to be in close relation to literariness in text.He argued that the poetic function of language involves the ‘foregrounding’ of language forms which have the ability to draw attention to themselves – making a noticeable impact on the reader. Foregrounding results from stylistic choices which may come as (1) deviations from the norms of everyday language (e. g. the use of different writing systems, lexis and ‘figurative language’ such as metaphor and simile or (2) prominent patterns of parallelisms in phonology, grammar and semantics (e. g. meter, rhyme, etc. (Maybin and Pearce, 2006, p. 6 – 9). By highlighting the ‘poetic usages of language’, we can identify creativity in diaries at the text level. The metaphoric descriptions and dramatic portrayal of entities and events in diaries are ways in which individuals attempt to explore their feelings regarding their experience of the ‘real world’ that are often difficult to describe. In addition, repeated structures and rhythms are commonly used in diaries as a form of emphasizing points in the writer’s diary entry.Such examples of ‘poetic language’ may also be identified in letters. In Margaretta Jolly’s (1997) study of war letters, she states that letters are probably ‘the most common form of creative writing. ’ Her examples point out the creative way in which letter-writers are able to use language forms such as imagery, metaphoric and rhetorical devices as well as parallelism (more commonly related to literature) for the purpose increasing the text’s emotional and persuasive impact and highlighti ng contrast and subtleties of meaning (Maybin, 2006, p. 72). The â€Å"art of graffiti† is a long-standing tradition with the ability to exhibit creativity at text level both in its traditional and embellished form. Creativity is seen in the use of rhythmic repetition, puns and contradictory voices (as in parody and irony), the use of non-standard spelling and punctuation (usually in line with a particular artistic style) and the use of text and decoration for aesthetic and communicative purposes.While it is possible to be able to identify creativity in literacy practices at text level, this approach is somewhat limited because it fails to take into account: (1) the interactive features and functions of literacy practice, (2) the influence of its socio-cultural and historical context and more importantly (3) the creativity in language practices that is inherent and emergent from social practices in particular contexts.Therefore, I suggest that a better and more efficient way to identify and evaluate creativity in literacy practices, is one that approaches literacy from a more contextual approach, more specifically from an ethnographic perspective. Creativity and literacy practices from an ethnographic approach According to the ethnographic approach defined by Papen and Tusting (2006, p. 312-359), creativity refers the production of something ‘new’ and ‘original’. In written language, creativeness should not be perceived as a decontextualised, individual activity or as being entirely shaped by context.It should be seen as being dependent on and emergent from the creative literacy practices through which texts are constructed because they are shaped by people, who in pursuit of their own goals and purposes, actively draw on the interactional, contextual and socio-cultural possibilities available in the particular social situation they are embedded. Literacy practices are inherently creative in and of themselves. The ethnographic perspective takes into account the broader social-political context within which creativity is located and through their examination of iteracy practices and texts, advocates of the ethnographic approach found three major characteristics of creativity in writing. To begin, by focusing on people’s literacy practices rather than just texts, they noted that creative texts are produced as a result of interactive collaboration. Diaries, although written by a single person, emerge from an individual’s account and reflection of events and various conversations and interactions with people.Diaries and journals are dialogic practices wherein the writer addresses and responds to a ‘reader’ and have the potential to be re-contextualized in different publications to address a wider readership (Maybin, 2006, p. 269) This dialogical aspect is more evident in web blogs or online journals in which people often (1) write in response to the entries of others, (2) write entr ies addressed to others and (3) write with the expectation and even the goal to get as much response from others. Maybin (2006, p. 73) tells us that letters are even more intensely dialogic in nature. I believe that letters are best viewed as mediums of ‘correspondence’ wherein we present written versions of our personal experience, relationships and identities in relation to an assumed reader who then responds by confirming or questioning. Letters are shaped by and inspire collaborative practices An interesting characteristic of graffiti that I believe exemplifies the collaborative nature of creativity is the way that graffiti attracts graffiti (Macdonald, 2006).A graffiti-covered wall may look like vandalism to law-enforcers or a rather threatening cacophony of ‘names’ to the common passerby but it constitutes a symbolic exchange between members of a sub-group. In the world of graffiti, tags located on the same space are often interpreted in relation to t heir positioning and proximity to each other. They may be viewed as a sign of respect, acknowledgement or outright disregard – a reflection of the intensely competitive nature of this practice.In addition to the collaborative nature of creative literary practices, the ethnographic approach pays careful attention to the influence of the context of reading and writing in the development of creative practices (Papen and Tusting, 2006, p. 320). They argued that in any given opportunity, there is particular set of possibilities and constraints that provides the opportunity for creativity. This involves affordances (i. e. properties of the environment, arising from its material characteristics which may be positive or negative depending on the individual) from new forms of technology, discourse conventions as well as inter-textual and material resources available to producers of text. An important thing to note is while possibilities may determine what is possible in any given cont ext, the possibilities associated with a setting do not determine what is created.For example, while people may be able to describe events, sights and even people through the practice of diaries and letters, there are abstractions such as feelings and intensely traumatic situations (such as in war) that are far more difficult to describe and articulate. In order to overcome this type of ‘constraint’ on expression, writers make use of metaphoric language and parallelisms, enabling them to represent their feelings and experiences in ‘words’ that their readers may be able to relate to. Creativity may also emerge from socially-constrained situations.Graffiti emerged from the same socially and economically impoverished areas in America where gangs are notoriously prominent. Because graffiti is an act of illegitimacy and opposition, graffiti artists face the constant risk of being caught by the police or by rival gangs each time they make a ‘tag’ or do a ‘piece’. But this high-risk and intensely competitive literacy practice is a stage on which young men may choose an identity of their own making, present it in the style of their choice and regain control of their own ‘fate’ – free from the constraints of their socio-economic backgrounds (Mcdonald, 2006).Social, economic or technological changes may result in the introduction of new affordance and constraints to any given context (Papen and Tusting, 2006, p. 325). For example, the popularization of the internet brought about the development of Computer Mediated Communication (CMC), resulting in the creation of new literary genres and changes in literacy practices. According to Kress (2003), creativity may be perceived as inherent in CMC using the two concepts of ‘transformation’ and ‘transduction’.Transformation is the way that the text producers manipulate the forms of signs within a mode to suit their needs and intere sts. Transduction, on the other hand, refers to the movement of ‘semiotic material’ between modes where meaning configured in one mode is moved to another. Online diaries, known as online ‘blogs, perform the same function as traditional diaries and even employ the same linguistic forms. However, bloggers now have access to a greater degree of interactive, inter-textual and multi-modal resources.Whereas in the past, writers creatively used language to express their thoughts and feelings through metaphors and similes, bloggers can now make use of pictures, videos, music, emoticons, avatars and (through hyper-linking) other texts to represent themselves and their lives online. Similarly, the literacy practice of letter-writing is far from extinct in today’s modern ear but has taken up a new form – that is, electronic mail (e-mail). As a medium of communication, email has enabled cross-cultural communication and the creation of online relationships and à ¢â‚¬Ëœnetworking’ communities.Finally, the ethnographic perspective sees creative literacy practices in everyday life as being embedded in socio-cultural practices situated in institutional, political and economic structures. These structures are in a constant state of movement and change therefore taking on a historical perspective towards literacy practices is a necessity. Based on observation and study, changes in socio-economic conditions are often accompanied by changes in the linguistic and semiotic means available to a community as in the case of the following account of changes to a Nepali rural community Papen and Tusting, 2006, p. 328). The 1980s was a time of great social and economic change in Junigau, Nepal. In 1983, the village set up its first high school, providing greater access to education for men and women – resulting in great changes to the literacy practices used by the young. A new form of ‘prolonged courtship’ (i. e. , love-letter w riting) had become increasingly popular among the youth, improving gender relations and changing marriage practices (as the young were becoming more resistant towards arranged marriages).The way in which these love-letters encapsulated new ideas on personal identity and individual agency which held no cultural precedent in their village is an example of how social and cultural change is closely related to the creation of new literacy practices (Papen and Tusting, 2006, p. 328) Conclusion ANALYZING CREATIVITY AT TEXT LEVEL, ALLOWED US TO IDENTIFY CREATIVENESS IN TEXTS AS IS REVEALED BY THE USE OF POETIC LANGUAGE OR LINGUISTIC FORMS COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH LITERATURE.THIS APPROACH HOWEVER WAS VERY MUCH LIMITED DUE MAINLY BY THE NARROWNESS OF THE INHERENCY MODEL’S DEFINITION OF WHAT CONSTITUTES AS CREATIVITY AS WELL AS TO ITS LACK OF CONSIDERATION OF CONTEXTUAL FACTORS AND THE INHERENCY OF CREATIVITY IN LITERACY PRACTICES. In taking an ethnographic/historical perspective, chara cteristics of creativity that are inherent in literacy practices become more salient. Through our understanding of the three characteristics of creativity in literacy practices, we’ve identified creativity beyond the level of the text.This contextual approach showed us how creativity is exhibited in literacy practices in the way that (1) texts are read and used, how the writer interacts with other individuals;(2) how people are able to creatively use language in relation to the possibilities and constraints available in particular contexts and finally, (3) individuals are able to adapt and respond to changes in discourse practices and socio-cultural conditions. References CARTER, R. (1999). ‘COMMON LANGUAGE: CORPUS, CREATIVITY AND COGNITION’, LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE, 8(3), P. 196-216 Jakobson, J. (1960). Closing statement: linguistics and poetics’, in T. A. Sebeok (ed. ) Style in Language, MIT Press. Jolly, M. 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