Women and Development Essays

Women and Development Essays Women and Development Essay Women and Development Essay Enhancing women’s participation in economic development is essential not only for achieving social justice but also for reducing poverty. World wide experience shows clearly that supporting a stronger role for women contributes to economic growth, it improves child survival and overall family health and it reduces fertility thus helping to slow population growth rates. In short investing in women is central to sustainable development. And yet, despite these known returns, women still face many barriers in contributing to and benefiting from development.It is from this backdrop that this essay seeks to describe the ways and means to promote women’s participation in economic development. The essay will begin by defining the concept of economic development, after that it will go into describing the ways and means to promote women’s participation in economic development, in this essay the ways and means will be broken down into five areas, edu cation, health, wage labour, agriculture and natural resource management and financial services. Thereafter a conclusion will be drawn.The concept of economic development can be taken to mean the sustained, concerted actions of policy makers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area. Economic development can also be referred to as the quantitative and qualitative changes in the economy. Such actions can include multiple areas including development of human capital, critical infrastructure, regional competitiveness, environmental sustainability, social inclusion, health, safety, literacy and other initiatives (Todaro amp; Smith, 2005).Education is the most important means of empowering women with the knowledge, skills and self confidence necessary to participate fully in the development process. Education is important for everyone but it is especially significant for girls and women. This is true not only because education is an entry point to other opportunities, but also because the educational achievements of women can have ripple effects within the family and across generations. Investing in girls’ education is one of the most effective ways to reduce poverty.Investments in secondary school education for girls especially yield high dividends. Girls who have been educated are likely to marry later and to have smaller and healthier families. Educated women can recognize the importance of health care and know how to seek it for themselves and their children. Education helps girls and women to know their human rights and to gain confidence to claim them (Thompson, 2004). In addition to this, the education of parents is linked to their children’s educational attainment, and the mother’s education is usually more influential than the father’s.An educated mother’s greater influence in household negotiations may allow her to secure more resources for her children. Educated mothers a re more likely to be in the labour force, allowing them to pay some of the costs of schooling, and may be more aware of returns to schooling. And educated mothers, averaging fewer children, can concentrate more attention on each child. Besides having fewer children, mothers with schooling are less likely to have mistimed or unintended births.This has implications for schooling, because poor parents must choose which of their children to educate (ibid). Closing the gender gap in education is a development priority. The 1994 Cairo Consensus recognised education especially for women, as a force for social and economic development. Universal completion of primary education was set as a 20- year goal, as was wider access to secondary and higher education among girls and women. Closing the gender gap in education by 2015 is also one of the benchmarks for the Millennium Development Goals.Therefore it must be stated that once women are educated, they are able to participate effectively in e conomic development (Vossenberg, 2013). Secondly there is the area of health, avoidable female deaths in the developing countries are strongly associated with health care and nutrition failures, whereas avoidable male mortality is associated more with behavioural occupational hazards that are less susceptible to prevention within the health sector, such as exposure to toxins, smoking, drug and alcohol use, violence and accidents.The low marginal costs of preventing women’s disability, illness, and premature death through family planning, nutritional supplementation, community based primary health care and safe mother hood programs (including safe abortion) argue for expanding such programmes in all countries especially in high mortality, high fertility settings. Health services that integrate nutrition training and supplementation, family planning, maternal and childcare and primary health care are the most effective in reaching women because they address a wide spectrum of w omen’s needs and responsibilities and save them time.In some settings the training of female health personnel may be particularly important, and combining care for women and children can help overcome some of the permission barriers that inhibit women from seeking health care. Ensuring that women have access to quality health care would enable them to effectively participate in economic development (World Bank, 1994). Thirdly there is the area of wage labour, unlike the strategies in education and health, those for increasing the participation rates of women and reducing wage differences between men and women are less proven.The main strategies here include increasing the productivity of women, reducing the constraints women face while participating in the labour market and improving the efficiency of the labour market. Providing childcare can reduce the household constraints that working women face, particularly in urban areas where the extended family often is not available to help. With broader childcare facilities available, women may not need to compromise on the type of jobs they accept. This would begin to bridge the male-female differences in earnings that cannot be attributed to human capital differences.For example the community childcare project in Colombia provides for the nutrition, health, and early-childhood development needs of children aged 2 through 6 in low income urban communities. Community mothers chosen by parents, care for about fifteen children each in their homes. The service support component of the project provides training to the community mothers and helps upgrade their homes to reach minimum standards for providing childcare. It increases the productive potential of mothers by offering alternative childcare arrangements, but its cost-effectiveness has yet to be evaluated (ibid).Removing policies of segregation and discrimination to promote access to jobs and making information available to lower the search costs associated with finding a job are other strategies. For instance the employment and training project in Turkey incorporates some of these actions, but it is too recent to provide insights about their effectiveness. In the ongoing projects in Turkey and Hungary, youth and adult counselling systems and career awareness are intended to be gender neutral.This is to ensure gender neutrality in job vacancies, the abolition of gender preferences can be specified as a project goal, as in the Turkey employment project. In countries where there is gender segregation, training projects for women could be designed to be more gender sensitive and address segregation issues. And where equal employment laws exist, countries can be encouraged to enforce them more rigorously. This would in turn ensure that more and more women are able to participate in economic development (Rakodi, 2005). The fourth area has to do with agriculture and natural resource management.The many responsibilities of rural women can im pose time and energy constraints on their participation in programs designed to increase their incomes. Part of the strategy, therefore is to increase their productivity in existing tasks. However, given the option, many women want to escape the drudgery of many of these activities, highlighting the importance of increasing women’s options in agriculture and in home production. Many projects of the World Bank and other agencies include three basic interventions to improve the delivery of extension services to rural women.One is to improve the delivery of appropriate extension messages to women as a separate clientele. The second is to increase the number of female agents and supervisors in the extension system or to separate facilities, transportation, and other resources for extension women farmers. Delivering appropriate extension messages to women may entail revising the content and orientation of extension in order to address women farmers’ needs (Farnworth amp; Mu nachoga, 2010). Furthermore, women bear the burden of environmental degradation, as they have to trek long distances to fetch fuel wood and water.Natural resource management projects and policy oriented studies need to fully evaluate the costs and adverse externalities of environmental damage by including the direct and indirect costs to women’s activities. Deforestation, for example impose both direct and opportunity costs on women. Direct costs result when fuel wood resources are depleted (and must be purchased) and indirect costs occur when women have to walk long distances to obtain fuel wood. When they can be trained to contribute to environmental conservation.Such training in research and analysis of environmental problems and their causes and consequences can equip women to participate effectively in decision making on issues relating to environmental policy. Technology transfer if appropriately designed and adapted, could lead to more efficient use of resources, yield significant environmental benefits and enhance women’s productivity to use resources more sustainably (Rakodi, 2005). Natural resources management projects need to identify and consult women’s groups in order to ensure environmental conservation and sustainable management.Failure to identify and acknowledge the role of women in environmental processes can result in inappropriate interventions and jeopardize the success of environmental projects. Wherever women play a role in influencing policymaking on environment, investigators could document and learn from experience. Women’s groups and environmental NGOs can also play an important role (ibid). Lastly there is the area of financial services, high transaction costs, and high perceived risks of default, lack of collateral and social resistance commonly bar women’s access to credit.One way to reduce transaction costs is group lending, in which members accept joint liability for loans this relieves the len der of the costly process of checking the creditworthiness of individual borrowers and lowers the administrative costs per loan, which is particularly important if the average loan is very small. The groups take over many of the screening, incentive and enforcement functions normally left to banking staff. Group lending also spares borrowers elaborate application procedures, transportation costs, and the need for collateral.Other techniques for lowering transactions include inexpensive and mobile offices, hiring of staff from client communities, and standardized and decentralized procedures for lending. Group lending also lowers the risk of default. The combination of peer pressure and cooperative gained from participation in a group has proved to be an effective motivator for repayment in many different countries and settings worldwide (Vossenberg, 2013). Lack of collateral is a pervasive problem for the poor, and particularly for women who rarely have title to significant assets.J oint liability groups replace collateral with a collective guarantee in many programs. Providing access to financial services is necessary but not sufficient. Women who have never used a bank must be taught how to do so. Training and confidence building are especially important for women, who are likely to have less formal education and less experience with formal organizations and procedures. Alongside financial services, it is imperative to equip women with training in small enterprise, entrepreneurship and management, how to begin and successfully sustain an enterprise.When women have access to financial services, they will be better equipped to participate effectively in economic development (World Bank, 1994). In conclusion, this essay has discussed various ways and means of enhancing women’s participation in economic development. The first one being education, which has been identified as being the most important, this is because education gives women power, self confid ence and the knowledge that can equip them to participate fully in economic development. The second one is health, access to good quality health enables women to effectively participate in economic growth.The third, point has to do with wage labour, there is need for more and more women to be incorporated into wage labour, this would ensure that women start getting a stable salary which would help them to have disposable income that they can invest in businesses, and eventually they would be able to participate in economic development. The last two points that have been discussed are agriculture and natural resource management and financial resources. When women are properly trained in the area of agriculture and finances, they are better able to participate in economic development.

Nora Helmer of A Dolls House, a Play by Henrik Ibsen

Nora Helmer of 'A Doll's House,' a Play by Henrik Ibsen One of the most complex characters of 19th-century drama, Nora Helmer prances about in the first act, behaves desperately in the second, and gains a stark sense of reality during the finale of Henrik Ibsens  A Dolls House. In the beginning, Nora exhibits many childish qualities. The audience first sees her when she returns from a seemingly extravagant Christmas shopping excursion. She eats a few desserts which she has secretly purchased. When her condescending husband, Torvald Helmer, asks if she has been sneaking macaroons, she denies it wholeheartedly. With this minor act of deception, the audience learns that Nora is quite capable of lying. She is most child-like when she interacts with her husband. She behaves playfully yet obediently in his presence, always coaxing favors from him instead of communicating as equals. Torvald gently chides Nora throughout the play, and Nora good-naturedly responds to his critics as though she were some loyal pet. Nora Helmers Clever Side However, Nora has been leading a double life. She has not been thoughtlessly spending their money. Rather, she has been scrimping and saving to pay off a secret debt. Years ago, when her husband became ill, Nora forged her fathers signature to receive a loan to save Torvalds life. The fact that she never told Torvald about this arrangement reveals several aspects of her character. For one, the audience no longer sees Nora as the sheltered, care-free wife of an attorney. She knows what it means to struggle and take risks. In addition, the act of concealing the ill-gotten loan signifies Noras independent streak. She is proud of the sacrifice she has made. Although she says nothing to Torvald, she brags about her actions with her old friend, Mrs. Linde, the first chance she gets.  Basically, she believes that her husband would undergo just as many hardships, if not more, for her sake. However, her perception of her husbands devotion is quite misplaced. Desperation Sets In When the disgruntled Nils Krogstad threatens to reveal the truth about her forgery, Nora realizes that she has potentially scandalized Torvald Helmers good name. She begins to question her own morality, something she has never done before. Did she do something wrong? Were her actions appropriate, under the circumstances? Will the courts convict her? Is she an improper wife? Is she a terrible mother? Nora contemplates suicide in order to eliminate the dishonor she has wrought upon her family. She also hopes to prevent Torvald from sacrificing himself and going to prison in order to save her from persecution. Yet, it remains debatable as to whether or not she would truly follow through and jump into the icy river. Krogstad doubts her ability. Also, during the climactic scene in Act Three, Nora seems to stall before running out into the night to end her life. Torvald stops her all too easily, perhaps because she knows that, deep down, she wants to be saved. Nora Helmers Transformation Noras epiphany occurs when the truth is finally revealed. As Torvald unleashes his disgust towards Nora and her crime of forgery, the protagonist realizes that her husband is a very different person than she once believed. Torvald has no intention of taking the blame for Noras crime. She thought for certain that he would selflessly give up everything for her. When he fails to do this, she accepts the fact that their marriage has been an illusion. Their false devotion has been merely playacting. She has been his child-wife and his doll. The monologue in which she calmly confronts Torvald serves as one of Ibsens finest literary moments. The Controversial Ending of A Dolls House Since the premiere of Ibsens A Dolls House, much has been discussed regarding the final controversial scene. Why does Nora leave not only Torvald but her children as well? Many critics and theater-goers questioned the morality of the plays resolution. In fact, some productions in Germany refused to produce the original ending. Ibsen acquiesced and grudgingly wrote an alternate ending in which Nora breaks down and cries, deciding to stay, but only for her childrens sake. Some argue that Nora leaves her home purely because she is selfish. She does not want to forgive Torvald. She would rather start another life than try to fix her existing one. Or perhaps she feels that Torvald was right, that she is a child who knows nothing of the world. Since she knows so little about herself or society, she feels that she is an inadequate mother and wife. She leaves the children because she feels it is for their benefit, painful as it may be to her. Nora Helmers last words are hopeful, yet her final action is less optimistic. She leaves Torvald explaining that there is a slight chance they could become man and wife once again, but only if a Miracle of miracles occurred. This gives Torvald a brief ray of hope. However, just as he repeats Noras notion of miracles, his wife exits and slams the door, symbolizing the finality of their relationship.

Should companies be required to be more Green (environmentally Research Paper

Should companies be required to be more Green (environmentally friendly) even if it costs more - Research Paper Example In some countries such as China, the issue of environmental pollution is so serious that if not checked, it could reverse the economic gains achieved over the years. This clearly shows that environmental protection should become a priority especially for companies, which contribute significantly to environmental pollution. Accordingly, companies should be required to be environmental friendly even if it is a costly venture. One of the reasons why companies should be required to become environmental friendly is that growth which is achieved at the expense of the environment will only be short term. In degrading the environment and depleting natural resources, a company’s success can only be short term, since such resources are needed for future production. In this case, protecting the environment also protects a company’s long-term productivity. Companies should therefore ensure that their activities do not harm the environment in order to achieve sustainable development. Although environmental protection is quite costly, the cost of reversing the effects of environmental degradation may be higher for a company (EPA). Companies should also be required to become environmental friendly because it is also beneficial for them. As people’s awareness of environmental pollution rises, they look out for companies that show concern for the environment. Consequently, customers or clients will be more likely to purchase products or services from companies which are actively engaged in environmental protection. A company that is environmental friendly will therefore retain its existing customers, while acquiring new ones. In the end, this has a positive impact on a company’s productivity, which outweighs its costs in environmental protection (Scherzer). As seen from the text, environmental protection is a costly venture, thus companies maybe unwilling to become environmental friendly. In order to make this requirement a reality, policymakers

Chapter Summery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chapter Summery - Essay Example The objective of this book is to introduce the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP), which has been proven to be an effective method of teaching learners of English not only language but content as well. The model has resulted in increasing the chances of the learner to succeed in school. Middle school teachers have already been trained to implement the SIOP model not only in urban schools but also in suburban and rural schools across the United States. It is notable that the SIOP model is not an inflexible framework that cannot be customized but rather a framework that can be adapted to teach any course or subject. With the SIOP model the teacher has to adhere to a list of fundamental instructional principals that are essential to meet the unique language development needs of the student. Once the principals are adhered to the teacher is then free to be creative when designing the delivery of the particular lesson. As the reader proceeds through the book he/she will have many opportunities to try out different methods to supplement, improve and even enhance his/her method of teaching and instruction delivery.

Caffeine - Ginkgo Essay Example for Free

Caffeine Ginkgo Essay There are only a few good things about energy drinks, but there are still good things, however. B Vitamins, Ginseng, Ginkgo Biloba, Carnitine and Antioxidants are all good ingredients that an energy drink contains. But, like anything, they’re only good in small amounts. Vitamins and Minerals are good for us. B Vitamin is supposed to wake up our bodies and kickstart them, which is why energy drinks put these type of vitamins in them. Ginseng is an herb that is known to increase energy levels, and alleviate stress. Ginseng is created naturally by the body, so it’s okay to have. But the levels of supplementation and energy drinks dont match up well when you drink energy drinks on a regular basis. Another good ingredient is Ginkgo Biloba. Along with Ginseng, this is another emerging herb. It is said to help your memory, concentration, and blood circulation. This also is made for the regulating of stress levels, which means its something that is made for and okay for your body to consume. Energy drinks also contain Carnitine and Antioxidants, which are actually very good things for your body. Carnitine speeds up your metabolism. So, by drinking one a week, you can gradually increase your metabolism and lose weight in a somewhat-healthy manner. Antioxidants are in most vitamins. They kill the free radicals in your body and can recover from the damage they can sometimes leave. But their are much better ways of getting antioxidants than drinking energy drinks. Although energy drinks have some good qualities, they are, overall, extremely bad for you. Their common ingredients are B Vitamins, Antioxidants, Ginseng, Gingko Biloba, Carnitine, Taurine, Inositol, and Guarana Seed. As I said before, the first four ingredients (B Vitamins, Antioxidants, Ginseng, and Gingko Biloba) are good. But, the bad ingredients are bad enough that they completely cancel out the good things. Energy drinks are a secretly bad combination of soft drink and psuedo-nutritional supplement. But one of the main concerns with the use of the herbs in these drinks is their source. The manufacturers of these drinks aren’t required by law to say whether or not the herbs they use have been sprayed with toxic pesticides, irradiated, or watered with contaminated water supplies. So there is no telling what other toxins are contained in these drinks, or whether or not these herbs will have a negative effect on the body. The caffeine in these drinks is dangerous enough on its own. Caffeine is addictive, and it acts as both a stimulant and a diuretic. The stimulant in it can cause anxiety attacks, heart palpitations, and insomnia. When people drink it in large or regular quantities, caffeine can also make you jittery or irritable. The diuretic in caffeine causes your kidneys to remove extra fluid from your body. They have also found that, if you consume energy drinks while sweating, the effects can be dangerous, maybe causing you to become severely dehydrated quickly. Alcohol and caffeine dehydrate our bodies enough when taken separately. But many younger people have started mixing energy drinks with alcohol because it makes them feel alert and energetic, even when they’re drunk. I have never, nor will I ever, try an energy drink. I think all people should avoid drinking them as much as possible. They decrease our bodies internal water supply and natural detoxification processes. And medical professionals don’t know the long-term effects of consuming these drinks. What we do know, though, is that they do nothing to provide our bodies with any necessary nutrients or fluids, and they can cause heart attacks and elevated blood pressure. http://www. globalhealingcenter. com/natural-health/the-health-dangers-of-energy-drinks/ http://www. globalhealingcenter. com/natural-health/dangers-of-taurine/ http://planetprose. com/1660/are-energy-drinks-bad-for-you/ http://ezinearticles. com/? Energy-DrinksAre-Energy-Drinks-Good-For-You? id=1990557 http://www. whyev. com/energy-drinks. html.

Crafting a Research Study Outline Essays -- Research Management

The title of my research simulation is Early childhood caries and the effects on young children’s emotional well-being. This study will examine how parental perception of early childhood caries impacts young children’s emotional well- being. The overall goal of this study is to identify barriers to treatment of early childhood caries in preschoolers. In addition, the study will describe the 1) prevalence of ECC in a preschool population, 2) parent oral health knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors, and 3) the impact that early childhood caries have on young children’s quality of life. â€Å"Early childhood caries (ECC) has been defined as the presence of one or more decayed (noncavitated or cavitated lesions), missing (due to caries), or filled tooth surface on any primary tooth in children up to 71 months of age† (Hallett & O’Rourke, 2003) . â€Å"Severe early childhood caries (S-ECC) is currently defined by American Association of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) as any sign of decay on smooth tooth surfaces in children younger than 3 years of age, or, in children aged 3 to 5 years, carious involvement of one or more smooth surfaces of the upper front teeth† (Virdi, Bajaj, & Kumar, 2010). Early childhood caries was originally called baby bottle tooth decay. There are several factors which contribute the promotion of ECC. â€Å"Factors such as dietary practices, familial socioeconomic background, lack of parental education over dental hygiene and lack of access to adequate dental care attribute to the widespread prevalence of ECC† (Virdi, Ba jaj, & Kumar, 2010). Early childhood caries have become the most prevalent preventable childhood disease. Oral health status is related to the overall quality of life for children. The impact of untreated ... ...ing Early Childhood Research: International Perspectives on Theory & Practice (2 ed.). New York: Mc Graw Hill. Ryan, K. J., Brady, J. V., Cooke, R. E., Height, D. I., Jonsen, A. R., King, P., et al. (1979, April 18). The Belmont Report Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the protection of human subjects of research. Retrieved June 25, 2011, from National Institute of Health: http://ohsr.od.nih.gov/guidelines/belmont.html#gob3 Tinanoff, N., & Reisine, S. (2009). Update on Early Childhood Caries Since the Surgeon General's Report. Academic Pediatrics, 9(6), 396-403. Virdi, M., Bajaj, N., & Kumar, A. (2010, September 07). Prevalence of Severe Early Childhood Caries in Pre-School Children in Bahadurgarh, Haryana, India. The Internet Journal of Epidemiology, 8(2). Whiting, L., & Forbes, J. (2009, June). Research involving children. Paediatric Nursing, 21(5), 32-36.

There are many indications within the poetry of Tony Harrison that he considers his work within the context of the canon

‘Whether one thinks of the canon as objectionable because formed at random or to serve some interests at the expense of others, or whether one supposes that the contents of canons are providentially chosen, there can be no doubt that we have not found ways of ordering our thoughts about the history of literature and art without recourse to them. ‘ (Kermode, p. 20). In what ways do you believe Tony Harrison to be affected by the canon. Use analyses of the poem to illustrate your answer. There are many indications within the poetry of Tony Harrison that he considers his work within the context of the canon. The repeated referencing of other poets1 and conscious emulation of the form of other poems (‘v. ‘ is an adaptation of Gray's ‘Elegy on a Country Churchyard' ) suggest that Harrison's work is heavily influenced by other poets, despite his seemingly original style. The way that he uses his referencing is not straightforward, however; it could be suggested that the more traditional references are ironic, as Harrison contrasts his brash modern style with the more ‘genteel' feel of the poets in the canon. The continual allusions to the opposition his poetry has faced, and his subsequent under confidence, can have said to have led to a need for the reassurance of the canon: using the models of other poets to validate the worth of his own poetry. Alternatively, Harrison may feel that the only way to express the voice he wishes to project, that of a working class northern man with authority is by using the â€Å"enemy's weapons†2, and establishing a scholastic side to his work, in order to be taken seriously by the ‘cultural elite'. It has been argued that Harrison uses other people's words and forms to justify his own work; that his feeling of social inferiority reveals itself as an insecurity in his poetry3. Whereas in Gray's ‘Elegy' the last stanza is a contemplation upon the life of the poet, filled with a sense of repose, Harrison ends his epic poem ‘v. ‘ still striving to justify his choice to become a poet. By placing it as a viable occupation alongside other more manual lifestyles, such as the production of â€Å"the beef, the beer, the bread†,4 and anticipating possible reactions: â€Å"How poems can grow from (beat you to it! ) SHIT†5, Harrison tries to protect himself from derision. Critics relate the closing stanzas of â€Å"Elegy on a Country Churchyard† to Gray's fears about his poetic destiny. Damien Grant states â€Å"The poet writes conscious of his own possible doom, to be ‘preserved beneath deep permaverse' like any other victim of evolution†6, but he is considering Harrison's ‘epitaph'. By using a recognised canonical poet such as Gray, Harrison has a model to explore his feelings about his own destiny, investigating his own experiences regarding death: â€Å"taking a short cut home through the graves here/ they reassert the glory of their team/ by spraying words on tombstones, pissed on beer†7, within a controlled and set form. The way that Harrison himself views the canon determines his reaction, and therefore his poetry. The canon could be construed as an enabling, useful force, giving Harrison ideas and structures to work with8, and Harrison himself admits to the influence of classical authors, such as Milton9. Altieri notes that â€Å"contemporary writers†¦ need to address specific canonical works and engage the same degree of emotional and intellectual energy that canonical works provide†10, and Harrison seems to have taken up this mantle, engaging it with his desire to keep poetry relevant to his experience and therefore, to him, alive. Harrison is not trying to be one of the classical authors; he is trying to respond to them in a way that is different but not necessarily inferior11. Indeed, Kermode agrees that â€Å"the best commentary on any verse is another verse, possibly placed very far away from it†. Harrison accepts that he writes from a different world perspective than many of the ‘canonical' authors, but to illustrate the similarities he uses similar forms and quotes them, either to show his awareness of their work or his reaction to it. â€Å"Mute ingloriousness†13, for instance, explores the theme of the difficulties of articulation, and is a direct quote from Gray. Harrison uses it to illustrate the difficulties he has found in developing his own poetic voice. Damien Grant draws comparisons between the symbolism in â€Å"v† and erotic images drawn by other, more traditionally ‘established' poets. The skinhead's addition of a â€Å"middle slit to one daubed v†14 is not an obscenity, it can be argued, but merely Harrison joining a long line of established authors invoking â€Å"the erotic image†¦ to serve public purposes†. 15 Another way of viewing the canon is that of â€Å"codified by a cultural elite, with power to influence the way the country thinks across a broad range of issues†. 16If the canon reflects simply a cultural emphasis, then Harrison should be considered part of that canon, as he is widely taught and studied, to a high level. If, however, the canon is set by the ‘cultural elite', then Harrison's use of some of the more standard forms and obscure classical references may be an attempt to be accepted by this elite, in order to propagate his own cultural emphasis and make his own stance widely known and acceptable. â€Å"Harrison is provoked by the persecution of an RP English teacher to fight back with the enemy's weapons, on the enemy's own ground†18; â€Å"So right, ye buggers, then! We'll occupy/ your lousy leasehold Poetry†. 19 Harrison wishes for his voice to be heard, and is not afraid of using techniques supposedly alien to his class to achieve this. Harrison takes canonical influences and makes them seemingly more accessible to a wider cross section of society, introducing more modern themes such as the problems of the Thatcher era. This is in part to make poetry more relevant and acceptable to those he seeks the approval of the most: the uneducated and the cynical, such as his parents. Catherine Packham suggests that the canon may seem oppressive and intimidating to Harrison; his feeling of insecurity may have led him to feel that all of the timeless themes that he wishes to cover have been explored extensively, by people who are better educated and suitable to be ‘poets'20. Harrison's poetry is full of the issue of self doubt and self worth: â€Å"Poetry's the speech of kings. You're one of those/ Shakespeare gives the comic bits to: prose! â€Å"21 , and seems at times to want to distance his writing from the recognisable canon to show a progression of attitudes and innovation, and perhaps attempting to demonstrate that he is not competing with the established canon. This can be seen in the fact that of the many â€Å"versus† couplings in ‘v. , a major one is that of Harrison's version versus Gray's. The very title of another poem, â€Å"On Not Being Milton†, shows that Harrison is aware of the canon and embraces his differences to it, but the poem itself, with its lyricism and innovative use of language in fact recalls the epic poetry of Milton himself; this is an irony that the poet seems to enjoy. Harrison obviously appreciates the fine crafting of established authors, and wishes to learn from them, whilst staying true to his e arthy subject matter. The touch of some of the word handling may hint at Miltonesque heights, but the subject matter of a man returning to his roots (â€Å"my growing black enough to fit my boots†22) and the outsider becoming a hero (Tidd the Cato Street Conspirator), with his â€Å"Sir, I Ham a Very Bad Hand at Righting†23 indicates that Harrison believes that education is not everything; this, in a poem littered with reference to historical figures and epic literature, hints at play. The theme of articulation is prevalent24: Harrison is concerned with the way things are said, and who they are said by, as he is aware of the impact that other works have had upon him. It would be impossible to ascertain exactly what sway the canon has had upon Harrison's poetry: nevertheless, if we are to judge his work within the context of the canon, then we must consider his literary intentions. We must ask whether his intentions are to be considered within the same school of those that he references and quotes so copiously, or if in fact these references were designed to show the vast differences between their worlds. I believe Harrison to be stuck in between the two worlds, but supremely in command. He is aware that to gain a recognition as a poet, certain rules must be followed; and he adapts these rules to suit his own purposes. Harrison incorporates enough traditional ideas and forms not his work to stay credible, but he fills his poetry with subjects and contexts unfamiliar to the ‘cultural elite'. These are the subjects and contexts that he wishes to bring into the public domain and make issues of, and by taking on the timeless element of the canonical works, Harrison ensures that he pushes poetry forward: into unfamiliar territory, and to unfamiliar readers.