Gender Differences In Mobile Phone Use Media Essay

Gender Differences In Mobile Phone Use Media Essay The study aims at exploring the gender differences in mobile phone usage by the male and female. Two main dimensions of mobile phone use are voice call and texting. Following Rubin et al (1988)s six interpersonal motives, the study collects data from a cluster of graduate and undergraduate students to assess what communication motives do they feel gratified while using mobile phones in both the dimensions. Contemporarily, we are passing through a transformation phase where communication technologies are shaping the destinies of new world. Old fashion capital and labour-intensive technologies are being replaced by the innovative technologies which include robotics, cellular communications, miniature motors, super computers, software production and high performance materials. Contemporary technological advancement and improvement like internet and computer mediated communication indicate that the communication technology revolution is still young. Significant aspects of this revolution include speed, integrity, sophistication, and cost. Interestingly, the high cost of telecommunication has been reduced drastically as compared to what it was in the last decade: almost negligible. Similarly, superconductivity and data compression and integration techniques have made it possible to produce mobisodes short episodes for mobile viewers, and webisodes minidramas to view on net and in advertis ements (Vivian, 2007, p.197). The technological boom in the recent times has introduced new facets of media in the cultural settings of every society. Internet and cyber-spacing are stretching the commercial organizations to the boundaries of imagination. Paperless business transactions through e-mails and internet have altered the ways of doing business and changed culture in economic institution. National frontiers do not seem to exist anymore as business alliances have expanded beyond physical boundaries. Logical lines distinguish the businesss nature and extent, while complex transnational commercial alliances are taking place where the manufacturers do not know for whom they are producing and ordering agencies do not know where the products will be marketed and used. Competition has expanded worldwide and capital is flowing through satellites. Such business environment is absolutely unprecedented that has affected the cultural spheres with the same speed and spirit. Other face of technological development is the value of information. Information has become a commodity which affects economics immensely. Contemporary advanced technology has not only made economics to smooth and faster through rapid flow of data and information, but it has also created a culture conducive to economic growth. Similarly, unlike old indicators and predictors of economic growth, communication technology has set new standards and parameters to gauge development of a society. For instance, those who have access to modern technologies and benefit from them and those who dont have access are two main social classes with different cultural identities. Poverty and affluence are two binary features of every society, and they have ramifications on the construction and development of culture of a social system. Technological progress has also affected the primitive social stratification regimes which has bases in economic wealth. New social categories have been created by the technologies. These categories are less economic based rather rely on the degree of diffusion of innovative technologies in a society. The four distinguished features are: high-speed, knowledge intensive, transnational and highly disciplinarian. The old disparities between rich and poor have been overwhelmed by new differences: fast and slow, learning and static, plugged-in and unplugged and localized or globalized. Apparently, the difference between poor and rich is visible from their acquisition of education and institution of enrolment. This distinction is quickly vanishing as poorly staffed educational institutions are being upgraded almost overnight through virtual links with premier universities of the world. Virtual educational environment is developing on strong footings effecting cost and quality parameters of education. Now, due to technological enhancement, it is possible for people to learn anything, anytime, anywhere. Marshal McLuhan prophecies are proving true in present day media dominated societies. He, in early 1960s, focused on a different aspect of technological developments called media determinism. The epistemological assumption of media determinism explains that the society changes its ways of communication with the change of information medium. McLuhan says that new technologies alter the culture for better understanding of the technology and ways to use it. This indicates a constant change process of culture and societal ways of doing things due to fast growing information technologies and emerging media. Medium is the message is the title of McLuhans best selling book where he explains his ultimate position on media determinism. He believes that we shape our tools (media) and they (media) in turn shape us (Griffin, 2003, p.344). For him, it has less significant that what is said, rather how it is delivered matters. Besides global village and medium is the message, McLuhans phrase techn ology as extensions of the human body also attracted media theorist and generated a great debate. Similarly, he used tetrad  [1]  to explain the effects of technology on culture and society. Marshal McLuhan visualised the effects of mass media on society and culture in early 1960s when technological development had not hit media spheres as immensely as it seems now. Due to his prophetic approach in understanding the effects of technology on culture of a society, he gained the status of a cult hero and high priest of pop-culture  [2]  . Literature review The studies on mobile phone use draw on the telephone research based on uses and gratifications perspective. They attempt to explain the reasons people make use of (mobile) phone and what kinds of expectations or gratifications people like to have in (mobile) phone. According to telephone studies, generally two categories of motives are found: instrumental or task-oriented and intrinsic or social motives (e.g., Dimmick et al., 1994b; Fischer, 1988; Keller, 1977; Noble, 1987; OKeefe et al., 1995; Springer, 1981).  Intrinsic use means that people communicate with others through telephone for the purpose of companionship or reassurance, while instrumental use refers to use of telephone for utility, for example, information seeking or making appointments. But the reasons people use mobile phones are a bit different from the reasons they use telephones. Leung Wei (2000) found not only social and instrumental motives of mobile phone use but mobility, immediacy, and fashion/status motives as well. In a similar way, Bae (2001) shows that the Korean peoples satisfactions sought from mobile phone are entertainment, sociability, transaction, Immediacy and privacy. In his study, immediacy and privacy reflect the characteristics of mobile phone communication. Besides, Lee (2001) suggests a variety of motives of Korean college students, like; time management, face and conformity, and showing off. Why do people communicate and what interpersonal motives they essentially gratify from mobile use are interesting aspects addressed in this paper. We understand that mobile phone is primarily a medium of interpersonal communication, of which motives assess ones functional preferences for communication (Rubin et al., 1988). Moreover, these motives affect who people talk to, how they talk, and what they talk about (Barbato et al., 2003, p.126). Interpersonal communication motives refer to basic reasons people communicate with others. Schutz (1966) suggests that interpersonal needs are fulfilled on both behavioral and emotional levels. Behaviorally, inclusion is the need to perform satisfactory interactions and associations with others. Emotionally, it is the need to maintain mutual interests and acknowledge others. Behaviorally, control is the need to initiate or preserve power and influence over others. Emotionally, it is the call for achievement or the need to maintain mutual respect for the capability of others. Behaviorally, affection is the need to initiate or keep relationships based on love, respect, and care. Emotionally, it is the need to achieve or maintain mutual support and connection with others (Schutz, 1966). In Rubin et al.s (1988) seminal study, six motives were identified: pleasure, affection, inclusion, escape, relaxation, and control. Those provoked to communicate for pleasure do so for leisure, stimulation, and entertainment. The people, who were motivated to communicate for affection, do so to show appreciation and concerned for others. Those motivated to communicate for inclusion do so to avoid being lonely. Those motivated to communicate for escape do so to avoid other activities and pass time. Those motivated to communicate for relaxation do so to chill out and rest. Finally, those motivated to communicate for control do so to gain compliance or obedience from others. Robin (1988) divided motives into further two categories: relationally oriented motives (affection, inclusion, pleasure, and relaxation) and personal influence motives (control and escape). Studies have examined motives for communicating in general and motives in specific interpersonal relationships, ranging from n on-intimate to intimate (Bailey et al., 2003). Graham et al (1993) argues that communicating for affective motives is common not just in family relationships but in other intimate dyads such as lovers and close friends. Bailey et al. (2003) adds more that although co-workers are motivated to communicate with one another for relaxation, they are not motivated to communicate with one another for inclusion. The motives to communicate with others of similar relationship type can be different; for instance, the motives to communicate with sons and daughters vary even if both are in parent-child relationships. With this background, we will pay attention to the relationships between six interpersonal motives and mobile phone use. Research is different from other uses and gratifications researches because social and interpersonal aspects of mobile phone use are the focal point; this study addresses how people meet their interpersonal needs through mobile phone. The basic function of mobile phone is to mediate two persons. We generally use a mobile phone to contact others. Especially for young generation, text messaging is one of the most favorite interpersonal channels (Grinter Eldridge, 2001; Kasesniemi et al., 2002). Text messaging seems equal, and in case of youth rather superior, to voice call. Obviously voice call and text messaging are separate and independent media although both are contained in one device. Voice call has higher level of social presence and is richer medium than text messaging. Social presence means the feeling that other actors are jointly involved in communicative interaction (Short et al., 1976, p.65). Likewise media richness refers to the ability of the medium to transmit multiple cues, immediacy of feedback, language variety and personal focus of the medium (Daft Lengel, 1986). Perse Courtright (1993) suggests that text-based interactions (e.g., e-mail, SMS, IMS) have been found to have less social presence or media richness than voice-based interactions (telephone or voice mail) as they lack nonverbal cues compared with other media. Therefore, it is clear that text messaging in a mobile device provides lower level of richness and social presence than mobile phone call does. We, therefore, consider voice and text channels included in a mobile phone as equal alternatives to be selected when people want to communicate with others apart. In gender difference theory, it is generally considered that women differ from men and vice versa. The difference has been typically referred as expressive and instrumental (Parsons Bales, 1955), or as communal and agentic (Bakan, 1966). Parsons Bales (1955) differentiate masculine and feminine quality as instrumental and expressive, respectively. Criterion of such division is situative motivation. So, instrumentality refers orientation of the person to achievement of the purpose outside the situation interpersonal interaction characterized by tolerance to emotional reactions of other persons. Expressivity considers a fulfillment of interests of the person directly on a situation of interpersonal interaction according to emotional reactions of other persons (Parsons Bales, 1955). Similarly, Bakan (1966) notes that gender differences can be divided into communal and agentic dimensions. Communal dimension involves concern for others, whereas agentic behaviors signify a focus on inde pendence. Wajcman (1991) contends that women have been excluded from the connection between men and technology, and that the production and use of technology are shaped by male power and interests. To show the technologys masculinity, he illustrates various social processes interrelated make new technology; for example, computer into an unfamiliar culture for women. In this culture, people cannot help but think women as inferior to men in cognition and performance relating to technology (Ibid). Accordingly, in this study we examine the gender differences in motivations and uses of mobile media. Such exclusive qualities as relation-oriented vs. task-oriented have been identified in different researches. According to Deaux and Lewis (1984), stereotypical man is instrumental, assertive, competitive, dynamic, and task-competent; the stereotypical woman is kind, nurturing, sensitive, relationally oriented, and expressive. In a metaanalysis, Mazzella et al. (1994) concludes that gender differences in personality are generally even across ages, educational levels, and nations. Moreover, popular press propagates gender stereotypes. Masculinity presented by press is strong, ambitious, successful, rational, and non emotional while femininity is attractive, deferential, unaggressive, emotional, nurturing, and concerned with people and relationships (Wood, 1996). Perceptions about new technology are issue to gender analysis, and when observing communication habits, it is important to be aware of the different ways in which male and females view the telephone in general. Men are stereotypically expected to possess technological competence and know how, skills and interest (Lohan, 1997). In contrast to the task-orientated usage that characterizes the male use of the telephone, Lohan (1997) describes female style as person-oriented. Gossip is often a word used to describe what women do on the telephone. Such gender differences are also found in patterns of media behaviors. For a telephone, women use it more than men (Claisse Rowe, 1987; Fischer, 1992) and their motive for using it is primarily intrinsic or social one (Claisse Rowe, 1987; Dimmick, Sikand, Patterson, 1994a; Moyal, 1992; Rakow, 1988). They keep close personal relationship and set up their relationship with others who are at a distance. As for a mobile phone, the gender difference in conventional telephone use seems to have extended. In a research by Leung Wei (2000), men tend to use mobile phone as an instrument to do business while women tend to make social calls, and men make use of it more than women do. In addition women have more attachment to their mobile phones than man do, especially to text massaging (Sun, 2004). Ling et al. (2005), a Norwegian researcher found difference in texting behavior between sexes despite the fact that men were quicker in adopting mobile phone and women became the more enthusiastic texters. On the basis of his deep observations, Linger suggested that women are more adroit and more literary texters. Negating the statement that gender use of mobile phone is becoming similar, study among young Finns (16-20 years) identifies that males tend to ward trendy use (focus on design and technology functions) while females tended toward addictive use (focus on the use value) (Wilska 2003). In Europe, where mobile text messaging is more popular, a recent study shows that female users in the age group of 12 to 25 are apparently more enthusiastic about using SMS as a means of communication than male users (Peters et al, 2003). Samarajiva (2008), in a survey of low-income telephone users in India, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, found little gender differences in calls per month and call duration. Neilsen Mobiles recent data on texting in the U.S. shows a huge bulge in texting for ages 13-17, but the data are not broken down by sex. Theoretical Framework For this study, it has been found that Uses and Gratification approach propounded by Blumer and Katz is the most suitable theory to base the research and its finding. Media users have a free will to decide how they will use the media and how it will affect them. It is an optimistic view of the media according to uses and gratification approach. Blumler and Katzs uses and gratification theory suggests that media users play an active role in choosing and using the media.   Users take an active part in the communication process and are goal oriented in their media use. It is audience-centered approach that a media user seeks out a media source that best fulfills the needs of the user.  The actual needs satisfied by media are called media gratifications. Katz, Gurevitch and Haas (1973) developed 35 needs taken from the social and psychological functions of the mass media and put them into five categories  [3]  : cognitive needs, affective needs, personal integrative needs, social integrative needs, and tension release needs. With respect to modern technology such as mobile phone, this theory still applies. The mobile phone has multiple functions; communication device (voice calls, text messaging), entertainment device (music, games), information source i.e. mobile internet (Google-ing, online news, etc). For this study, mobile phone will serve the communication function of media and will investigate male and female interpersonal motives and the channel (voice call/ text messaging) they prefer most to satisfy their interpersonal needs. Out of above mentioned needs, only six interpersonal needs; inclusion, control, affection, pleasure, escape, and relaxation will be taken in the perspective of both voice calls and text messaging. Blumler Katz wraps up the model that different people can use the same communication message for very different purpose. Single media content may gratify different needs for different individuals and there is not only one way that people use media, there are as many reasons for using the media as there are media users. In interpersonal motive context, one may satisfy his inclusion need through sending a text message but the other may feel it pleasure to send a text message. In the same way it may be an act of escape for a person to make a voice call but the other person may feel relax while making a call. Even a voice call/ text message may possibly satisfy more than one interpersonal needs of the sender/receiver. Research questions Following are the main research questions addressed in this research: RQ1: Are there differences between men and women in frequencies of using voice calls and text messaging. RQ2: Are there differences in men and women in interpersonal motives for using voice call and text messaging? In order to collect data on our main variable, we replicated Rubin et al.s interpersonal motives; inclusion, control, affection, pleasure, escape, and relaxation in context of both voice calls and text messaging. Methodology This is research is quantitative in nature, and data was collected in a survey using a close-ended questionnaire. The instrument was developed to measure the differences between men and women in the interpersonal motives for using voice call and text messaging. Respondents were also asked to report their frequency of mobile phone use, overall number of calls and text messages sent and received in a day. Like most of this kind of researches, we used ordinal level of measurement wherein attributes were rank ordered. Likert scale was used to measure the interpersonal motives.   The population under investigation is mobile phone users from all the universities of Islamabad the capital of Pakistan. Since these mobile phone users are diverse and discrete, it is not easy to investigate the entire population. The researcher adopted cluster sampling technique to collect a sample of 200 students all the six public sector universities, including 100 from each gender. Both genders have been divided in five faculties by randomly selecting forty students from each faculty. For this study, the variables that were conceptualized and operationalized include young adults, text messaging and interpersonal motives.   Young adult are those attaining age between late teens and early twenties. For data collection on this key variable, we selected a group of male and female ages between 18 and 26 as our target population.   According to PC magazine, sending short messages to a smart phone, pager, PDA or other handheld device is called text messaging  [4]  . For this study text message is conceptualized as Short Messaging Service (SMS) through mobile phone, which supports messages of up to 160 characters.   An emotion, desire, physiological need, or similar impulse that acts as an incitement to action is called motive  [5]  . The data have been collected on Rubin et al.s interpersonal motives; inclusion, control, affection, pleasure, escape, and relaxation. The six interpersonal motives have been conceptualized and operationalized in the following manner: Please: The gratification of the senses or mind or agreeable sensations or emotions is called pleasure  [6]  . For the purpose of research pleasure is operationalized as an act that a person do for entertainment, fun and enjoyment. Affection: Affection is a tender feeling toward another  [7]  and was operationalized for this study affection as an act of showing appreciation and care for others. Inclusion: The act of including or the state of being included is called inclusion  [8]  . We have conceptualized inclusion as the desire to be with someone. To avoid being lonely. Escape: Escape means to break loose from confinement or get free  [9]  . For data collection on this motive, we have operationalized escape as to pass the time or avoid other activities. Relaxation: Relaxation is generally taken as rest or freedom from activity/work/strain or responsibility and it is operationalized as an activity to chill out. Control: Controllability is to exercise authoritative or dominating influence over someone or to direct someone  [10]  . For the purpose of data collection on this variable we have operationaized it to gain compliance or obedience from others. Results Of the respondents, our sample was equally represented by both male and female. 24% of the respondents were between the ages of 18-20, 52% were 21-24 years, and 18% were in 24-26 years age bracket, while the remaining 7% were in over 26 years age group. Age distribution of the respondents dont show an even representation of all age groups as the research emphasis was on even gender representation. However in the income distribution, 33% of the respondents fell in the 20-30 (thousand) category, while 28% fell in 31-40 (thousand) category. Only 17% 21% fell in 41-50(thousand) and above 50 thousand categories respectively. In Pakistan, income below Rs.30,000 is considered below average, and average between Rs.30,000 and Rs.40,000, while people with income over Rs.40,000 is considered good. However, it greatly depends on the area one lives in besides the size of family. Gender difference in communication motives was calculated on the basis of six interpersonal motives (inclusion, control, affection, pleasure, escape, and relaxation) in context of voice call and text messaging and use of mobile phone was calculated on the basis of calls and text messages sent or received in a day. Results indicate that 36% of the respondents use mobile phone very often, 52% often, while 11% of the respondents use their cell seldom and only 1% reported that they dont use mobile phone daily. In the context of voice call and text messaging, inclusion and affection motives are closely related to each other as 68%, 56% agree, and 16%, 32% strongly agree to the statement respectively that they make a voice call / text messaging to show affection and care to their dear ones. While 50%, 49% agree and 14%, 30% strongly agree to the statement respectively that they make a voice call / send text message to be with someone or avoid being loneliness. RQ1: Are there differences between men and women in frequencies of using voice calls and text messaging. Descriptive statistics indicate no significance difference in mobile phone use among male and female users. Almost equal percentage (male: 92% female: 84%) of our population used mobile. Hence, the results do not indicate any significant difference in mobile phone by both the genders. Five bands with options 0-10, 11-20, 21-30, 31-40 and over 40 calls in a day were employed to observe the differences in call making in both the genders. The sample was described in three categories, viz; casual, moderate and excessive users of mobile for calls and text messaging. Our results indicate that female casual and excessive users make more phone calls than male casual and excessive users, while there is hardly any significant difference in mobile call making between the moderate users of both the genders. On the other hand, the results indicate that males are more profound texters than females in almost all the categories of users. RQ2: Are there differences in men and women in interpersonal motives for using voice call and text messaging? The study collected data on six interpersonal motives as defined earlier, namely; pleasure, inclusion, control, affection, escape, and relaxation in the context of both voice calls and text messaging. Our data predict that male segment strongly disagrees (54%) with this notion that when they are interested to seek pleasure they opt for call making as compared to a relatively smaller proportion (31%) who opt for making a call when seeking for pleasure. Females are also not found to be very different from males in this context. The prime reason seems to be the call rates which are though not very high, but most of our population is not earning hands rather students, for them cost for pleasure seeking matters. On text messaging for pleasure, the results indicate that most of our population (65%) agrees to that they opt for SMS use. However, males have been found to be heavy users of text messages for pleasure seeking motive as compared to females. For the interpersonal motive of inclusion, our results show that majority (65%) of both males and females opt for making a call to their friends. But, 28% of both the genders could not to judge their opinion on this. In gender difference perspective, the male segment of our population has been found to be making more voice calls than females in order to talk to or be with someone. On the other hand for text messaging, the results point out that majority (75%) opts for text messaging to gratify their interpersonal motive of inclusion. Furthermore, as compared to females (60%), male (99%) send more text messages when they need to talk to someone. For interpersonal motive of relaxation, considerably large number (45%) of our population has been found to be using voice call option. For reasons to be explored, it has also been found that about 23% of our population did not opt for either agreement or disagreement rather was suffering from ambivalence. And both the genders were equal in size on ambivalence state. Nevertheless, female segment has been found to be using voice calls slightly more (45%) than males (38%) to satisfy their interpersonal motive of relaxation. On text messaging pretext, data collected indicates that a good number of respondents (65%) opt for SMS to chill out. We could not find out any significant difference between the genders on the use of text messaging to relax. Interestingly, about 60% of both the genders have been found to be uncertain in their feelings whether they do opt for voice call to gratify their interpersonal motive of control which was operationalized as to gain compliance or obedience from friends and people around when they ask them anything to do. Only 33% of the respondents have agreed that they opt for voice call to gain obedience or compliance from their friends, of which males (46%) are greater in size than females (21%). The picture has not been very different in text messaging as about 53% of the sample was confused about their action. We could not observe any significant difference in gender usage of text messaging for this interpersonal motive. When affection motive is investigated for gender difference in context of both voice call and text messaging, it is revealed that females (91%) prefer text message to show affection while males (77%) like to make a voice call to show love and care to their dear ones. Though males have not been lesser in size (80%) who wish to convey affection to their friends and family through text, however, conveying their affection through voice calls is their preferred mode of communication. With regard to escape as interpersonal motive, we have found a confused response as a handful number of the respondents (30%) opted for dont know option. For voice call, we have found clear divide among the respondents, of almost same size, opting for a voice call and not agreeing to making a voice call to gratify their interpersonal need of escape. There is no significant difference of gender variable on this variable. Same response has been found in text messaging in both the genders. An ambivalent response to whether they opt for text messaging to gratify their interpersonal motive of escape, and same almost equal divide in their responses as we observed voice call option. Besides above variables, the study attempted to know the quantum of calls made, received and text sent and received on average in a day by the both the genders. For all the categories, three classes have been constructed: causal, moderate

Loves Song, with Two Goldfish Essay

In the poem, â€Å"(love song, with two goldfish)† by Grace Chua, the author describes the evolution of a young romance between two goldfish with its consequential rise and fall using imagery and metaphors. From the title we can automatically understand what the poem will be about and the parenthesis give an image of the shape of the fishbowl, creating a setting. The title is not capitalized because it is not just a statement, but is in fact part of a story that is constantly evolving and has many aspects. Upon the first stanza, we immediately get the impression of unrequited love. In the first sentence, â€Å"he’s a drifter, always floating around her, he has nowhere else to go,† we meet the two characters, him and her, and we encounter a lot of water imagery with words such as â€Å"drifter† and â€Å"floating†. These words however give off the impression that he’s alone and would be lost without her to follow. As if she’s his everything. We get the impression though that his love for her is not returned when Chua says, â€Å"he wishes she would sing, not much, just the scales.† The reader can understand from the word â€Å"wishes† that her singing is not something often received and because he doesn’t even want her to sing much, we can infer that his attention towards her is not reciprocated. However, I do not think that the fish is necessarily bitter about the circumstances because he uses humor when he says that he wishes she would â€Å"give him the fish eye† or â€Å"sing just the scales.† Because the characters are fish, the light-hearted metaphors offset the melancholy first sentence of unrequited love. Transitioning to the second stanza, we again see this fishbowl imagery. Just as the first stanza was in parenthesis, so is the second one, but now the reader gets the impression that the fish are in separate fishbowls when Chua says, â€Å"Bounded by rounded walls she makes fish eyes and kissy lips at him.† The word â€Å"bounded† gives the impression that she is trapped and being kept away from him, but we also learn that the feelings felt by the male goldfish are now felt by her as well. We also get a fun, flirtatious feel from this stanza which hints at a budding relationship. In response to him, she â€Å"makes fish eyes†¦kissy lips†¦darts behind pebbles.† I find the darting to be flirtatious because it hints at the caution she feels towards this new love, but as even pebbles are too small for a goldfish to hide behind, it shows her tentative openness towards the budding romance. Finally at the end of the stanza it says she â€Å"swallows his charms, hook, line and sinker.† The metaphor for the fishing line imagery again adds humor, but it also alerts the reader that she has completely fallen in love with him – an idea that progresses into the third stanza. Throughout the third stanza, we come across a certain ambiguity about whether the two goldfish are actually separate from one another. No longer are the two fish only referred to as â€Å"he† and â€Å"she† but by the end they’ve become a â€Å"they†. Both fish are also referred to within the same parenthetical statement which hasn’t occurred before this point. Unfortunately, they remained trapped in the bowl, and words such as â€Å"could† and â€Å"would† are scattered throughout the entire stanza. Depicting images of what the two would do if they could escape. One of the activities he describes is, â€Å"he would take her to the ocean, they could count the waves.† I think that this phrase describes his feelings towards the relationship very well. Because he’s with her and her company is all that matters to him, he doesn’t need to go out and have lavish experiences. He says that, â€Å"in the submarine silence, they would share their deepest secrets.† The consonance here with the â€Å"s† sound helps progress their seclusion from the rest of the the world along with the depth of their love with words such as â€Å"submarine† and â€Å"deepest†. The stanza ends with a simile stating that they would â€Å"dive for pearls like stars†. I think that the simile could have a much deeper meaning than them just diving to the bottom of the ocean. While the phrase could be seen as their love growing stronger and deeper, I see it as almost the opposite because of the constant usage of the words would and could in the stanza. The use of the heavens in love poems often give off the impression that love is infinite, but here they can’t reach the heavens as they are trapped within the bowl. Their entrapment symbolizes the lack of growth in their relationship and how they have not been able to move past the initial flirtatiousness of new love. By the fourth stanza we have reached the end of the relationship, and it becomes apparent that the fish could be metaphors for a human relationship. The goldfish could’ve been chosen to represent actual human beings because of the simplicity associated with a goldfish’s character and the similarly simplistic relationship. The stanza opens with her ending the relationship, and fish-related death imagery becomes common with phrases such as â€Å"belly-up†, â€Å"sinks like a fish† and â€Å"drowns†. While in previous stanzas, the fish imagery added a humorous note, here they add a much darker tone where the dead-fish imagery becomes metaphoric to the death of the relationship. The reader can infer that the ex-lovers were in fact humans when Chua says, â€Å"He drinks like a stone. Drowns these sorrows, stares emptily through glass.† The word drown here might not be relating to the actual act of drowning, but to the act of getting drunk and possibly drowning his sorrows in liquor. As he â€Å"stares emptily through the glass,† the glass could symbolize both the fishbowl and the end of his drink, and the loneliness that would accompany both. Finally in the last stanza, we learn as to why the couple broke up, and the use of parenthesis plays a major role in exhibiting their distance- as if they’re in two separate fishbowls once again. This stanza is the shortest, and it goes, â€Å"(the reason, she said/ she wanted)/(and he could not give)/ a life/beyond the/ (bowl).† Here we see the two separate sides, and how she left him because she felt trapped within the relationship. This theme of entrapment is noticeable throughout the entire poem with the fishbowl imagery, along her desire to escape with the words â€Å"would† and â€Å"could†. When lines 26-27 don’t use the parenthesis, it shows her dream of exploration and moving past the known realms of the fishbowl. The break-up was her escape from the binding fishbowl, and her ensuing freedom from the confining relationship. Throughout the poem, Chua described the evolution of a relationship from the bubbly excitement and tentativeness of new love, to its downfall from confinement and resulting break-up with emotions ranging from sorrow to freedom. Real human emotions are expressed through those of goldfish to express the simplicity of their relationship and to create a metaphor through the entrapment they must feel within the bowl.

Managed Globalization Essay

While imperialist thinking wreaks havoc around the world, the trend toward greater globalization offers hope, provided that adequate efforts are made to ensue that globalization is managed well. Globalization is the most popular trend in international economics. Increasing integration of world markets and exchanges of information and technology are definitely expected to help the least developed nations, thereby bridging the gap between the haves and the have-nots. Thus, the thesis of Bhagwati’s book, â€Å"In Defense of Globalization† – that, in fact, globalization helps the poorest people of the world – must be agreed with. After all, foreign direct investments are an extraordinary boost for the economies of the developing world. Moreover, by importing and exporting more goods and services than before, a developing nation may very well increase its income and also improve the standard of living of its peoples. It is generally believed that an increase in international trade is accompanied by an increase in income inequality, seeing that the majority of the people in developing nations are poor and cannot afford to purchase relatively expensive foreign goods in the local market, nor form gigantic enterprises to sell to the foreign public. Furthermore, globalization involves the risk of foreign companies taking advantage of the undeveloped regulatory structures in developing nations. As an example, a foreign water company in Argentina, after the mass privatization of Argentinian business, was said to have been very ethical before it entered Argentina. The company had connections with France and the United States. All the same, the company turned to poor service in Argentina soon after privatization. The water company was eventually taken over by the Argentinian government for its careless, irresponsible behavior. If managed correctly, though, globalization is expected to help our world in significant ways. The famous observation of Thomas Friedman must also be considered in this analysis: â€Å"No two countries with McDonald’s have fought a war against each other since each got its McDonald’s. † Indeed, peace is conducive to global economic growth. But, so is equality. Even though the gap between the haves and the have-nots has been widening in recent years, good management of globalization may work wonders for the global economy. BOOK REFERENCES Bhagwati, J. N. (2004). In Defense of Globalization. New York: Oxford University Press. Friedman, T. L. (2000). The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization. New York: Anchor Books. WEBSITES Hacher, S. (2007). Argentina Water Privatization Scheme Runs Dry. Global Policy Forum. Retrieved from http://globalpolicy. igc. org/socecon/bwi=wto/wbank/2004/0226argwater. htm.

Sonia Nazario s Enrique s Journey - 1698 Words

A young child with lifeless wide eyes, teeters on broomstick legs, which are little more than skin stretched over bones, her ribs protruding as her emaciated arms hold a mud pie that she sits chewing on desperately trying to stave off the pangs of hunger. In most of the world we are ignorant of what it is like to be constantly hungry. In the United States, we are blissfully unaware of what it means to have a food shortage. But what do desperate, motivated, mothers and children resort to when faced with starvation, furthermore, what is the corresponding result on, not only their own families and countries, but the countries that they go to, to seek help, as well as refuge from. Sonia Nazario’s book Enrique’s Journey illustrates the struggles and issues that surround illegal immigration into the United States, however, I feel that as a nation, we should investigate further the reasons behind this influx in addition to what drives people to make this harrowing and dangerou s journey to the United States through South America or from the Caribbean moreover, can this situation be rectified at its source. Have you ever thought about what it is like to be constantly hungry as a result of not having access to adequate food? For some people in the world this is a reality. In my interview with Melinda Vonderhorst she recounts her personal observations from her five trips to Haiti, where she helped to build a school along with working in an orphanage and clinic, of countless childrenShow MoreRelatedEnrique s Journey By Sonia Nazario1387 Words   |  6 Pages Enrique’s Journey Introduction In this story, Sonia Nazario recounts how a Honduran boy called Enrique passed many dangerous situations in his travel to the United States in order to finally meet with his mother. Enrique began his travel to the United States eleven years after his mother left him in Honduras. Enrique faced gangsters, bandits and corrupt police officers when he was in the train called â€Å"El Tren de la Muerte†. The only thing that he was carrying was his mother’s phone number. But EnriqueRead MoreEnrique s Journey By Sonia Nazario872 Words   |  4 PagesEnrique’s Journey In the book Enrique’s Journey written by Sonia Nazario, a projects reporter for the Los Angeles Times, Nazario talks about the true story of a young Honduran boy named Enrique that was abandoned at the age of 5 by his mother Lourdes. His mom left to the United States as an immigrant to work so she can be able to give her poor children a better living. After 11 years of tears, sadness and loneliness pass Enrique decides to go to North Carolina in search of his mother. Family is theRead MoreEnrique s Journey By Sonia Nazario Essay1314 Words   |  6 PagesEnrique’s Journey written by Sonia Nazario is a work of non-fiction that follows the journey of a young Central American boy to find his mother Lourdes, who left him at the age of five. Before Nazario introduces Enrique she discusses the experiences she put herself through to gain a better understanding of the travels a migrant child and adult go through in their conquest to make it to the United States. While going thr ough the trials that many migrants put themselves through Nazario learns the storiesRead MoreA Brief Note On Enrique s Journey, By Sonia Nazario Essay1552 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"If you move, I’ll kill you. I’ll break you in two† (Nazario 87). Enrique’s Journey, a nonfiction book by Sonia Nazario, painstakingly follows the trek of a young teenage boy’s treacherous journey to the United States from Honduras. At the tender age of five, a horrified and confused Enrique watched his mother Lourdes walk away from him and onto El Norte, The North. Eleven years later Sonia Nazario, a project reporter for the Los Angeles Times, traces each bitter step of Enrique’s gruesome and longRead MoreAnalysis Of Sonia Nazario s Enrique s Journey 1622 Words   |  7 PagesIn Sonia Nazario’s book, Enrique’s Journey, Enrique rides on top of slow-moving railroad cars in hopes of reaching his mother, who left him at a very young age to find work in the United States. Most of the immigrants in the book are fleeing because they are trying to escape poverty, but it does not go into a lot of depth about how drug wars play a big role in immigration. The persistent violent behavior in Mexico executed by drug cartels, caused a generous amount of Mexican natives to flee to theRead MoreAnalysis Of Enrique s Journey And Journalist For La Times1344 Words   |  6 PagesEnrique’s Journey I only knew 3 things about those who immigrated to the US. One, the majority were Mexican families. Two, they only migrate to the US, because they are poor and there are more job opportunities with better pay. Three, they got to the US by being smuggled in a van over the Border. All these things listed are true to an extent, but on a much deeper level. Sonia Nazario, author of Enrique s Journey and journalist for LA times, has opened my eyes with Enrique s Journey. Enrique is a youngRead MoreEnriques Journey Essay1498 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿ Enrique’s Journey Case Study Samantha Wix Our Lady of the Lake University According to President Obama (2014), â€Å"If we are serious about economic growth, it is time to heed the call of business leaders, labor leaders, faith leaders, and law enforcement- and fix our broken immigration system. Republicans and Democrats in the Senate have acted. I know that members of both parties in the House want to do the same† (President Obama, 2014). The United States of American has long been theRead MoreEnrique s Ecological Analysis And Analysis1721 Words   |  7 Pagesextreme poverty. Enrique’s Journey depicts a five year old Central American boy from Honduras who mother leaves the country to find employment in the United States on January 29, 1989 (Nazario, 2007. p. 5). Within Enrique’s journey it is clear that he has experienced poverty and oppression on every level. Lourdes (Enrique’s mother) grew up in extreme poverty and hope that she will be able to protect her children from it (Nazario, 2007. p. 4). Lourdes is a single mother of Enrique and Belky, his sevenRead More Rhetoric in the American Immigration Debate Essay1659 Words   |  7 Pagesdebate, US president Obama, journalist Sonia Nazario, and Arizona congressman J.D. Hayworth, we can evaluate the effectiveness of the different rhetorical approaches by whether or not they reach their intended audiences. Nazario fulfills her journalistic raison d’à ªtre by succeeding at objectivity, while Obama and Hayworth as politicians succeed by lying by omission in speeches and in writi ng in order to pursue policy goals and appease supporters. Sonia Nazario, herself an immigrant, was aware ofRead MoreStrains Among Enrique And Lourdes1582 Words   |  7 PagesStrains amongst Enrique and Lourdes start to rise. Enrique hates his mom for having abandoned him, and says that cash does not unravel anything (197). He blames her for cherishing Belky more than she did him, contending Belky got a decent home while he was left with a reckless father. He tells Lourdes that he considers his grandma, Maria, to be his genuine mother. Lourdes tells Enrique that he ought to accuse his dad for leaving, and his grandma for making him offer flavors in the city when he