The Taj Mahal A Tale Of A Romantic Love Story Behind It...

Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal is known largely as one of the most famous and beloved structures in India with a tale of a romantic love story behind it. The magnificent structure is located in Agra, India along the bank of the Yamuna River. Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned the Taj Mahal in 1632 for his beloved late wife Mumtaz Mahal meaning â€Å" Beloved Ornament of the palace† (TajMahal). Mumtaz also known as Arjumand Banu Begum Was born in April 1593 to Abdul Hasan Asaf Khan, her father who was a Persian noble (TajMahal). She was betrothed the Prince Khurram in 1607 and was married five years later in 1612 at the age of 19, becoming his third wife. Khurram became Emperor after a combination of military conquests and adroit politicking in 1628; he was the fifth Emperor of the Mughal Dynasty (Pg. 7, J. Harasta). Following their wedding he gave her the title â€Å"Mumtaz Mahal† which means, â€Å"Chosen one of the palace† in Persian (Pg.7, J. Harasta). Emperor Shah had 5 other wives besides Mumtaz, but she was the one he was closest to. The couple had 14 children together; some had died at birth or only lived to be two years old and then some becoming the future rulers over the Empire in events of overthrowing their father. The two had a close and loving relationship so much so that she would travel with him on any expeditions or military Campaign that was required of him and was free to partake in her favorite hobbies; she had a love for architecture and her favorite place was the Riverside

Customer Segmentation Analysis Free Essays

Customer analysis Segmentation: segmentation means the identification of customer group’s responds differently from other groups to competitive offering. It must have following features: feasibility, sustainability, and profitability. Generally speaking, we often use five criteria to segment the market. We will write a custom essay sample on Customer Segmentation Analysis or any similar topic only for you Order Now The segmentation can be defined by several methods; the first one is by demographic characteristics. It is effective partly because person’s life stage affects his or her activities, interests and brand loyalties. The second one is the benefits, because the selection of benefits can determine a total business strategy. The third one is price sensitivity, and it represents the trade-off between low price and high quality. The next important criterion is loyalty. Each cell of the brand loyalty matrix (organized by loyalty level and customer type) represents very different strategic priority and can justify a very different program. The last one is applications, as some products and services, particularly industrial products, can best be segmented by use or applications. In the end, we also have to pay attention that two distinct segmentation strategies are possible. Customer motivations: After identifying customer segments, the next step is to consider their motivations: what lies behind their purchase decisions. There are four steps to determine the customer’s motivations. The first step is to determining motivations. Although a group of managers can identify motivations, a more valid list is usually obtained by getting customers to discuss the product or service in a systematic way. The next step is to cluster the hundreds of motivation to groups and subgroups. Another task of customer motivation analysis is to determine the relative importance of the motivations. A fourth task is to identify the motivation that will play a role in defining the value proposition of the business. Also, there are three other important points that we have to pay attention to in understanding the customers’ need. Qualitative research, including the focus group, in-depth interviews, and customer case study, is a powerful tool in understanding customer motivation. It is particularly critical to gain insight into changes in customer’s priorities. Also, all the research should treat the customer as the active partner. Unmet needs: An unmet need is a customer need that is not being met by the existing product offerings. Unmet need s strategically important because they represent opportunities for firms to increase their market share, break into a market, or create and own new markets. There are two important points that we need to catch them. Firstly, use customer to identify unmet need. They are the prime source and marketer should get access to them and detect the unmet need from them. Secondly, ethnographic or anthropological research involves directly observing customer in as many as context as possible. By accurately observing not only what is done involving the target or service but why it is being done, companies can achieve a deeper level of understanding of customer’s needs and motivation and generate actionable insights. How to cite Customer Segmentation Analysis, Essay examples

Macroeconomic Policy Globalization and Development

Question: Discuss about the Macroeconomic Policy for Globalization and Development. Answer: Introduction: This study would be helpful to identify the economic position of South Korea for last 40 years. In order to identify the economic position, this study would take the help of some important macroeconomic policies such as consumer price inflation, real GDP growth, unemployment rate, fiscal policy, fluctuation of the balance of payment, short term and the long term interest rate and the exchange rate in the currency market etc. Presently, it can be mentioned that South Korea is at the fourth position in terms of the measurement of size of the economy in Asia. In addition, it can be stated that South Korea is eleventh largest economy in the world. As per the statement of Weale et al. (2015), it can be added that the economy of South Korea has been rising from the poorest position. The income level of the country has also increased. According to Fagiolo and Roventini (2012), it can be mentioned that the average rate of growth of South Korea has increased by 5% and being a high income economy. In the year of 1960, the per capita gross domestic product was $79, which is lower than the other sub Saharan nations. In 1986, the gross domestic product of the manufacturing sector was accounted by the amount of 30percent. In terms of purchasing power parity, South Korea is at the 13th position in the world. Consumer price inflation According to Rapetti (2013), consumer price inflation is the key factor, which can effectively control the rate of inflation of a country. From the above figure, it can e observed that the rate of inflation has been fluctuating and from the year of 2011, the rate of inflation of the country has been decreasing. As a result, it can be mentioned that decrease in the rate of inflation of a country, the prices of that economy will be increased at a slower rate. In the words of Tomlinson (2014), it can be mentioned that is the rate of inflation is falling between the 2.5% to 1.5%, and then the aggregate demand of the country will be decreased. From the above figure, it can be observed that in the year of 2015, the rate of inflation in South Korea has been decreased below 2.5%, therefore, it can be added that the growth of the economy of South Korea has been decreased. Therefore, it can be mentioned that the rate of unemployment of the country will be decreased. This adverse relationship between the inflation rate and the unemployment rate can be discussed with the help of Phillips curve. On the contrary, it can be mentioned that South Korea has planned to maintain that the rate of inflation is at 2% from the year of 2016, therefore, it can be mentioned that several policies would be formulated by the government of the country and the bank of Korea has also tried to meet the targeted inflation rate. In addition, Forder and Menon (2013) mentioned that during the time of global financial crisis, South Korea maintained their inflation rate by 4.7% in the year of 2008. Therefore, from this trend of inflation rate of the country, South Korea has the capacity to overcome the situation and can increase the rate of inflation. Real GDP growth: The above figure depicted that the rate of GDP growth of South Korea is constant from the year of 2010. Although during the time of global financial crisis, the rate of GDP of South Korea decreased. After that, the rate of GDP of the country has increased. In the point of Patnaik and Shah (2012), the average GDP growth rate of South Korea is 1.66 percent from the year of 1970 to 2016. In addition, it can be mentioned that the rate of GDP was 6.80 percent during the first quarter of 1988. It is known that the income level of South Korea is comparatively higher. During the time of financial crisis, the economy of South Korea was suffering from the liquidity crisis. Therefore, Ilzetzki and Jin (2013) mentioned that South Korea has followed and implemented relevant economic policies, which would make an impact on the development of the economy of the country. During this time, the country took financial aids from the global monetary fund. In the present year, the private consumption of the country has explored by 0.5 percent. In this purpose, it can be mentioned that as the expenditure of durable and the non durable goods has increased, the private consumption of the economy increased. In addition, it can be added that the governmental consumption of South Korea also increased by 1.4 percent. Kendrick (2012) added that fixed investment has also increased. On the contrary, it can be mentioned that the cost of manufacturing goods has decreased by 1 percent. It is known that South Korea is famous as the export oriented nation. As a result, it can be mentioned that countrys GDP has increased by 1.1 percent on a quarter bases for the export of fuels. However, Matsumoto, Hengge and Islam (2012) argued that with the rise in the population of the country, the future growth of GDP of South Korea will be decreased. Rate of unemployment: The above figure depicted that South Korea has tried to seasonally adjust the rate of unemployment, which is decreased by 3.7 percent in the month of October, 2016. According to Eichengreen, Frieden and Hagen (2012), it can be mentioned that the rate of unemployment was decreased by 4 percent in the previous month and this rate was better compared to the market prediction. In addition, it can be mentioned that this rate of unemployment was the lowest since the month of July, 2016. On the other hand, it can be stated that the rate of unemployment in South Korea was average from the year of 1999 and the rate was 3.63 percent. The unemployment rate was lowest in the year of 2013 and the rate was 2.90 percent. As per the statement of Patnaik and Shah (2012), it can be mentioned that if the rate of unemployment of a country is lower, then it can be stated that the countrys GDP is increased. The wage rate per employee is also increased. Therefore, it can be inferred that countrys growth wi ll be increased. Although during the time of global recession, the unemployment rate of South Korea was massively decreased, however, the unemployment rate of the country has decreased. As a result, it can be concluded that the GDP growth of the country has also increased after 2008. Fluctuation in the current account of balance of payments: It can be stated that the present account balance of payments of South Korea is comparatively stable to the other Asian countries. This stability has maintained by the country after formulating several economic policies after global financial crisis. Before the financial crisis, countrys current account balance of payment fluctuated and the economy was suffering from massive drawbacks. In the point of Kendrick (2012), it can be mentioned that South Korea made a record in the current account surplus in the month of October of 2016 and the rate was 8719.30 USD Million. On the other hand, it can be added that the rate of the current balance of payment was average from 1980 to 2016. In that time, the rate was 1313.06 USD Million. Nevertheless, Weisbrot and Jorgensen (2013) criticised that this rate of current account balance of payment was the lowest in August, 2008. Volatility of short term policy interest rates and long term interest rates yield on the government bonds: From the above figure, it can be observed that South Korea 10 year rose by 0.01 percent to 2.26 from the 2.14 from the previous trading session. As opined by Eichengreen, Frieden and Hagen (2012), it can be mentioned that in the year of 2001, the Government bond of South Korea reached to 7.91 percent and this rate was the highest and this rate was lowest in the year of 2016, the rate was 1.36. On the other hand, the government bond of South Korea is concerned by the national government and also is dominated by the currency of South Korea. The government yield of South Korea needed to the investors for funding the loans, which in turn reflect the countrys inflation expectation. Stability of the exchange rate in the currency market: As per the statement of Tomlinson (2014), it can be mentioned that there are four government bodies in South Korea, which can control the countrys exchange rate. The four governmental bodies are such as Bank of South Korea, supervisory services, ministry of finance and the economy and the South Korea customs services. These governmental bodies can manage the trade under the foreign exchange performance. Rapetti (2013) added that there are free floating exchange rate activities within the country. This rate can be measured with the help of demand and supply. Countrys exchange rate was stable in 1990. Conclusion After analysing the study, it can be observed that the economy of South Korea has been growing since 40 years. Although, the performance of the economy decreased during the time of global financial economic crisis, after that the performance of the economy of South Korea has been increasing. As a result, it can be mentioned that the implementation of relevant governmental policies will be helpful for the improvement of high gross domestic product. References Donadelli, M. and Persha, L., 2014. Understanding emerging market equity risk premia: Industries, governance and macroeconomic policy uncertainty.Research in International Business and Finance,30, pp.284-309. Eichengreen, B., Frieden, J. and Hagen, J.V. eds., 2012.Monetary and fiscal policy in an integrated Europe. Springer Science Business Media. Fagiolo, G. and Roventini, A., 2012. Macroeconomic policy in DSGE and agent-based models.Revue de l'OFCE, (5), pp.67-116. Forder, J. and Menon, A. eds., 2013.European Union and National Macroeconomic Policy. Routledge. Ilzetzki, E. and Jin, K., 2013. The puzzling change in the international transmission of US macroeconomic policy shocks.unpublished, London School of Economics.2013. Kendrick, D.A., 2012.Feedback: A New Framework for Macroeconomic Policy(Vol. 10). Springer Science Business Media. Matsumoto, M., Hengge, M. and Islam, I., 2012.Tackling the youth employment crisis: A macroeconomic perspective. ILO. Patnaik, I. and Shah, A., 2012. Did the Indian capital controls work as a tool of macroeconomic policy?.IMF Economic Review,60(3), pp.439-464. Rapetti, M., 2013. Macroeconomic policy coordination in a competitive real exchange rate strategy for development.Journal of Globalization and Development,3(2), pp.1-31. Tomlinson, J., 2014.British Macroeconomic Policy Since 1940 (Routledge Revivals). Routledge. Weale, M., Blake, A., Christodoulakis, N., Meade, J.E. and Vines, D., 2015.Macroeconomic Policy: inflation, wealth and the exchange rate(Vol. 8). Routledge. Weisbrot, M. and Jorgensen, H., 2013.Macroeconomic policy advice and the Article IV consultations: A European union case study(No. 2013-03). Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR).

The Negative Effects of Video Games on Children

Introduction Video games are games in which people interact with electronic devices like computers and small handheld devices like mobile phones to create tactile and visual display. Tactile displays are important for blind people whereas visual display is understood by those who can see.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Negative Effects of Video Games on Children specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More With improvement in technology, video games are played in many countries over the world. The number of children playing video games increases from time to time. This is because the cost of electronic devices has been lowered making them affordable to many families. Many parents are also willing to buy these devices for their children (Rideout, Vandewater Wartella, 2003). Thesis Statement Recent studies have concentrated on the effects that video games have on children. Video games have positive and negative impacts o n individual children playing them and the society at large. The paper will discuss the negative impacts of playing video games on children and the society like poor performance in schools and diseases. Discussion Performance in schools Playing video games has negative impacts on a child’s education. Studies have shown that out of four children, playing video games interferes with academic performance of one child. Some children spend most of their time playing games to the extent of not sparing some time to do their homework. Others dedicate all their time to playing games so that they do not study. Because of failure to take their studies seriously, most of them perform poorly in their academic work. This affects their lives because without education, there are no good jobs for them. Studies have shown that poor performance in school is directly proportional to time spend in playing games. The more the time, the poorer the child’s performance in school will be (Block , 2008). Diseases Playing video games has negative effects on the health of young people. Some youths tend to spend most of their time sitting and playing games without engaging in physical activities like sports. In addition, youths tend to feed on junk foods like cakes that supply the body with much energy. Consumption of excess energy-giving foods and lack of exercises results to overweight. Obesity is a common disease among youths who spend most of their time playing games.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Other healthy related problems include knuckle pads, seizures, muscle, postural, and skeletal disorders like carpal tunnel syndrome, nerve compression, and tendonitis (UK, House of Commons, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, 2008). According to Rushing, Sheehan and Davis (2006), knuckle pads are painful keratotic, circumscribed, and fibrous growths that develop on the joints of figures. Knuckle pads continue growing, become permanent, and they have no cure. Development of knuckle pads in children is associated with addiction to playing video games. An input device called game controller, which varies from one platform to another, manipulates video games. Some controllers may contain one or more joysticks and many buttons whereas others may have a joystick and a button. Chronic use of joystick may lead to development of knuckle pads and other figure-related diseases. Violent/ aggressive Behavior Recent studies have concentrated on the effects that video games have on children. Studies have shown that the likelihood of children who play violent video games to be violent is high. Most of the children cannot differentiate between the right and wrong, and they tend to copy what they see and put it into practice. With continued exposure to violent video games, many children become more aggressive (Rideout, Vandewater Wartella, 2003). In most of the games that children watch, violence is used as a method of solving problems. The result of this is many children accepting violence as an appropriate way of solving conflicts. For instance, some will be found to engage in fights when trying to solve minor differences with their friends instead of using a better conflict resolution approach. In some games where people winning in conflicts are recognized as heroes, children tend to see this as an achievement such that whenever in conflict with other children, they will use all means however exploitive and dangerous they are to win. There are incidents in which characters are rewarded for violence (Block, 2008).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Negative Effects of Video Games on Children specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Inadequate Lessons Playing video games is confusing to young children since they cannot differentiate between fantasy and reality. Most of the young childr en tend to think that what they see in video games is a reality. Some videos like adult videos are not good for youths because the content is not fit for them. Children learn vices from videos in which women are sexually abused and displayed as helpless and weaker characters (Bryant, 2006). Socialization Bryant (2006) argues that playing video games affects children socialization. Children spend much of their time playing games such that they lack time to socialize with their peers and parents. The activity contributes to antisocial behaviors among the youths. For instance, children borrow behavior, and abusive languages from characters. Abusive words are common among children who play video games compared to those who do not. A study conducted by National Institute for Media and the Family based on Minneapolis showed that children become addicted with watching video such that they cannot do without them. Addiction to video games increases anxiety and depression in children. Moreove r, social phobia characterizes addicted children. Conclusion Children should be discouraged from playing video games because of the negative effects they have been found to have on children. Instead, out-door games should be preferred because engagement in physical activities helps in proper physical development of children. References Block, J. (2008). Issues for DSM – V: Internet addiction. Journal of clinical psychiatry, 67(5), 821-826.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Bryant, J. (2006). Playing video games: motives, responses, and consequences. London: Routledge. Rideout, V., Vandewater, E. Wartella, E. (2003). Zero to six: Electronic media in the lives of infants, toddlers and preschoolers. Menlo Park (CA): Kaiser Family Foundation. Rushing, M., Sheehan, M. Davis, L. (2006). Video Game induced knuckle pad. Pediatric Dermatology, 23(5), 455-457. UK, House of Commons, Culture, Media and Sport Committee. (2008). HC paper 353-ii House of Commons culture, media and sport committee: harmful content on the internet and in video games, volume ii. London: The Stationery Office. This essay on The Negative Effects of Video Games on Children was written and submitted by user Justus Hays to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

“Hills Like White Elephants” Response Research Paper Example

â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† Response Research Paper Example â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† Response Paper â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† Response Paper The setting in Ernest Hemingway’s â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† is as significant to the story as the dialogue between the two characters. It is clear that the man and his girlfriend, whom he refers to as â€Å"Jig,† are speaking about her having an abortion. The man is certain about his decision and he is trying to convince Jig as gently as possible to get an abortion; Jig has her concerns about it, especially because she doesn’t seem to agree that a child would be such an obstruction in their lives and she seems to be tiring of their lifestyle anyway, seeking something of more substance. She is conflicted about the decision mainly because it could possibly mean losing her man. Jig makes a comment about the hills in the distance looking like white elephants. This visual in itself is not the significant part as much as Jig’s description of it. A white elephant is an essentially useless possession, and one that is excessively expensive to upkeep, that serves no purpose aside from its sentimental value to the owner. The origin of the phrase â€Å"white elephant† in English is derived from the history of the giving of white elephants as gifts in Thailand- these gifts were sometimes used as a kind of Trojan horse, since the white elephant was sacred it could not be used for work but was, however, incredibly expensive to care for. A white elephant given to a nobleman who was not very rich would lead him to financial ruin- and since the animal was sacred, it was an honor to receive one and one was forced to keep it and care for it, no matter what the cost. In English the term came to refer to something that was more trouble than its worth, something that might be seen as being of value to others but that the owner is happy to be rid of. From this common usage of the term came the idea of a â€Å"white elephant sale,† which became synonymous with being able to buy something of apparent value for very little money. Jig referring to the hills as â€Å"white elephants† speaks a great deal about her emotional state and how she feels about the topic they are discussing. She could have described the hills in any number of other ways, so her (perhaps subconsciously) purposeful use of the term â€Å"white elephant† is perhaps also her way of describing her unborn child- or, at least, how her boyfriend feels about her unborn child. This is made even more clear when he fails to laugh at her little tongue-in-cheek observation and she questions him about it, and whether he would laugh again when she said clever things like that if she did what he wanted her to do. This little â€Å"joke† of hers was made for his benefit, though he failed to see her dark humor. Obviously this child of theirs is something he considers to be a burden, and she a blessing: one person’s value is another’s expense. Thus it is their white elephant. The train station is also significant to their story because it is the literal representation of them being figuratively at a crossroads. The express train can continue to whisk them away from one location to the next to the next, as they have been doing for some time (as seen by the number of stickers on their luggage), or they can (figuratively) stay off of the train, or take another path, and enjoy the beauty of what is around them, ceasing the endless running from one place to another. The opposing train tracks are the choices they have to make: one leads them down the same path they’ve been screaming down all along, and the other leads them down an entirely different path, with an entirely different pace and different priorities, but which has a beauty all its own- a beauty that Jig sees but her man does not.

Improving a Job Seekers Online Reputation

Improving a Job Seekers Online Reputation Managing your online reputation can help you get a job because it allows you to present your accomplishments and assets to companies wanting to hire. However, if your online reputation is less than good, it can have the opposite effect and keep you from finding your dream job. A few tips on managing your online reputation can make all the difference. According to a survey conducted on social media, 52 percent of recruiters use social media sites to help assess potential job candidates. 1. Fight the Negative With the PositiveIndividuals who Google themselves are sometimes surprised to see something negative pop up that happened years ago. For example, an ugly argument with someone or a photograph that doesn’t represent someone in a positive light can appear. The only real way to counteract negativity is to use positive posts to force the negative ones down in the ratings. Individuals who Google an individual, topic or other items generally don’t go past the first two or three page.2. Use LinkedIn to Your AdvantageLinkedIn is a great place to list your previous jobs, tenure and what you accomplished that benefitted those employers. You might even want to include links to some of your work so that recruiters can see what you have accomplished. Show a little of your personality by including why you picked a particular field and what you use for motivation. Don’t overlook the Recommendations feature. Use it to invite co-workers, bosses and clients to share what an asset you are as an employee.3. Pay Attention to Grammar and SpellingEven if the cover letter and resume you sent to apply for a job was perfect, pay attention to your spelling and grammar when you post on social media. Poor spelling or grammar is a turnoff for recruiters and can end up costing you a potential interview. Saying that you were in a hurry is no excuse. Recruiters may look upon more than the occasional error as a lack of attention to detail and that could reflect negativel y on your chances.4. Skip Controversial SubjectsWhile you may be keenly interested in politics, it might be a better idea to keep this type of post off social media. Recruiters at some companies may not be as appreciative of your opinion of the current slate of candidates, especially if it becomes heated. However, recruiters will look at what your interests are and whether you engage in discussions with others. This is an opportunity for you to present a positive side to a recruiter.5. Offensive or Thoughtless Posts on Social MediaIn a word – don’t. Getting into a discussion on social media is one thing and can leave a positive impression on a recruiter. Getting into an argument that turns nasty is another. Talking negatively about religion, politics, other people’s customs or sexual orientation can be found on Google without too much effort and reflects badly on the job candidate, according to recruiters. In addition, talking about and posting photos of the gre at beer bash from the previous weekend and other things of this nature is not a good idea.6. Use Social Media ProfessionallyStart with your personal website and check through it. Remove posts that may not show you in a favorable light, such as the weekend party with unflattering photos. Instead, use your personal website to share positive work experiences. You can even use it to show off your work history and include a link that can be downloaded. Do the same thing with your LinkedIn profile, Twitter account and Instagram. This is a good opportunity to be creative and show off what you know and what you can do.Using social media is one way a recruiter scouts out a candidate for a job. If there are other candidates for the same job, what you have posted on your social media accounts can make the difference in whether you will be considered for an interview. Having a good reputation online can help get your foot in that door.Just as social media can be used in a positive way to help l and you an interview for a job, using the right job site can help in the same way. TheJobNetwork does exactly that. When you sign up for job match alert, TheJobNetwork seeks job listings for you around the clock and alerts you as soon as new jobs open. In addition, you can use this job site to conduct your own job search.

Management information system Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Management information system - Assignment Example This has direct impacts on the business by touching on such aspects as finance, sales, marketing, accounting, customer service as well as the human resource aspects. It is the postulation of this paper that the adoption of e-commerce strategies is an effective tool towards reforming the cafà © especially in the modern day era of technological advancement. The Broadway cafà © would be more suited in adoption of electronic marketing strategies, computerized information management as well as adoption of an online system of ordering and correspondences. These are among other emerging features especially within the food industry such as in which the Broadway cafà © operates in. e-marketing strategies are not only convenient and efficient in saving costs of marketing but they increase the capacity of the advert to reach large number of target audiences easily (Baltzan, 2012). The internet has eased the mechanisms of advertisement and as such, the Broadway cafà © would have itself to blame in the event of failure to exploit the great opportunities brought about by internet and technological advancement in general. Information management as well as data handling is poorly done in the cafà © hence necessitating the adoption of the more improved systems of data/information management through computerized systems. Though the initial costs o f installing computers systems in the cafà © may be considered high, the efficiency realized through the system by far outweighs the costs incurred in installation. This would equally enable the management of the cafà © to adopt advanced services of data handling such as cloud computing. Moreover, this system would enable easy correspondences with customers through social media platforms among other improvements. This would be effective in business transactions of ordering and reservation placements as well as

Differentiated Instruction for Student Readiness Assignment

Differentiated Instruction for Student Readiness - Assignment Example All sated objectives in the lesson relate directly to the assessments, provided numerous opportunities for differentiated instruction. Based upon student interest, the instructor can tailor make various videos, multi-media, technology, and print based options for the students to learn the necessary concepts for this unit. Each of these strategies would fit the stated learning outcomes (that each student will understand the influence that others have on our way of thinking) and can be aligned to cover differentiated access, product, and content. Differentiated Access It is important the teacher of this lesson work hard to differentiate the way in which the learning objectives are taught to the students. This involves the process of helping the student make sense of the writings that influenced the Founding Fathers and to truly understand and develop an ownership of the key facts, concepts, generalizations, and learning objects of the lesson overall (Sousa & Tomlinson, 2011). The activ ities that are used in class to support the specific outcomes for this lesson on influential writing and the United States Constitution should be purpose driven and related directly back to the stated learning objectives for the unit. ... The teacher, then, should work to provide the appropriate level of support to each student based on that activity they have chosen, and the ability level that has been demonstrated to that point. Finally, the teacher can provide options and choices to the students in the class in terms of how they express what they have learned. Instead of mandating, for example, that the final project be a PowerPoint presentation on the influential writings of the Founding Father, choices can be given and the class lead towards a variety of assessment delivery options that can make the learning process come alive. Students could choose to create a dramatization, cartoon, or other form of media such as writing a letter to the editor of a newspaper, or developing a brochure aimed at illustrating the various influential writings that helped shape the foundation of the Constitution of the United States of America. Differentiated Product There are various products that can be utilized in this particular lesson to account for differentiated instruction. There are various ways to make sure that this in an effective unit. The instructor can work to allow students to design the products that they will be utilized to be centered around essential learning tools. The students can also be encouraged to express what they leavened in a variety of ways. This can occur by allowing them to present their projects in a format of their choosing. The assessment can also be offered as a group or individual project, to allow students the opportunity to complete the work in a way that is more suited to their own personal interest. In addition, it is important that the

Ford Motor’s Financial Health Progress Report Essay Example for Free

Ford Motor’s Financial Health Progress Report Essay In the coming week, Learning Team B will discuss the financial health of Ford Motor Co. The discussion will include an analysis of the current financial condition after calculating profitability ratios, liquidity ratios, activity ratios, and solvency ratios. We will answer questions about where the company began, how the company manages their investments, and where the company is now financially. We will also look at the DuPont Method as it relates to Ford Motor Co. and their financial troubles. Specific Task that have been Accomplished How Much the Company has borrowed? It has been discovered that Ford Motor Co. borrowed 23.5 billion dollars in 2006 from the government in an effort to reduce debt. Ford Motor Company’s debt liabilities, long term-debts, current notes is the total of what the company has borrowed. Define the Business Need Because of the money borrowed, Ford is in better shape than General Motors and Chrysler. The financial ratios, profitability, liquidity, activity, solvency, have already been calculated. The business need will include high-level deliverables to resolve problems. The business needs of the Ford Motor Company is to improve in the area of return on equity and return on capital by addressing customer service needs and customer satisfaction as a means of retention of reputation and quality assurance. How liquid is the Company The liquidation of Ford Motor Company can easily be defined as the ability in which as asset can be converted into cash, to meet short-term financial obligations. In order for Ford to meet this obligation, the company has to have more liquid. The company can calculate their liquids by using financial rations such as cash ratio, quick ratio, and current ratio. How Efficiently the Organization is using its Assets This will be determined by using the Debt Ratios of the company’s liabilities and assets. Additionally, the straight line depreciation method will be used to determine if assets are profitable or assuming greater debt to the company. Strength and weakness The strength and weakness of an organization is crucial. According to (Titman, Keown, Martin, p. 79), â€Å"Financial ratios provide a second method for standardizing the financial information in the income statement and balance sheet. Ratios answer questions about the firm’s financial health or strength and weaknesses.† The relevant questions are how liquid is the firm, will it be able to pay on time, did the firm finance the purchase of assets, is the management efficient in utilizing assets to generate sales, is ROI adequate based on the organization financial goals and objectives, and are shareholders getting value for their investment. The ratio mechanism is liquidity, capital structure, and asset management efficiency, profitability, and market value ratios assessments. â€Å"The acid test is the current ratio to assess firm liquidity; we assume that the firm’s accounts receivable will be collected and turned into cash on a timely basis and that its inventories can be sold without an extended delay. But the truth is that a company’s inventory might not be very liquid at all, (Titman, Keown, Martin, p. 80).† Debt Equity Financing According to (Investorwords.com, 2014), â€Å"Debt financing requires borrowing money, usually as a loan from a bank, financial institution or commercial finance companies, to fund investment of the organization.† Organizations must keep in mind that debt builds credit that s supports lower insurance rates and future borrowing. Additionally, an organization can gain a tax deductible interest rate to lessen the impact of repayment. Equity financing requires investment partners that provide funding for a share of ownership. Each type of financing has advantages and disadvantages of appeal, organizations use both to finance investment ventures. Problems, Solutions, and Potential Issues The high-level of deliverables occurs according to the Britannica (2014)  website â€Å"because of financial struggles at the beginning of the 21st century, the company sold off Aston Martin in 2007 and both Jaguar and Land Rover in 2008.† In addition to selling â€Å"Ford manufactures passenger cars, trucks, and tractors as well as parts and accessories.† Next Steps The team should further expound on the business need of Ford Motor Co. The Market Value Added (EVA) and Economic Value Added (EVA) have been research, but need to be further researched to explain difference it makes for Ford Motor Co. All ratios and ROE need to be calculated and explained: ELIZABETH Profitability Ratio Liquidity Ratio Activity Ratio Solvency Ratio ROE DuPont Method Finally, the team needs to determine how profitable the organization is at the end of the research. Conclusion In concluding, Learning Team B discusses the financial health of Ford Motor Company within a progress report. The report includes an analysis of the current financial condition after calculating profitability ratios, liquidity ratios, activity ratios, and solvency ratios. The report answer questions about where the company began, how the company manages their investments, and where the company is now financially. The report finally looks into the DuPont Method as it relates to Ford Motor Co. and their financial troubles.

Forgiveness Essay -- Informative, Nazy Soldier

Simon Wiesenthal’s question â€Å"What would [you] have done† if one had the opportunity to forgive a Nazi soldier forces humanity to understand and apply our moral repertoire. My moral repertoire I mean the set of moral beliefs that informs our understanding of forgiveness and the criteria by which we evaluate its Karl the Nazi Soldier, who initiates our inquiry into forgiveness, represents multiple identities. He is at once a rational human being, a member and supporter of the Nazi military, a murderer, and actor and representative of the State. Because of the simultaneously occurrence and fluidity of these identities conflation is an easy mistake in constructing exactly who we are forgiving. To forgive Karl the individual is very different than forgiving the Nazis or the State as represented by Karl. Even Lawrence Lager in the Symposium writes â€Å"It seems to me that in refusing to extend forgiveness to the culprit, Wiesenthal unconsciously acknowledges the indissoluble bond fusing the criminal to his crime† (The Sunflower 178). The conflation of what Karl represents is a large part of what make Wiesenthal’s question so vexing because the rules of forgiveness alter depending on the actor. Karl the individual is due certain considerations simply because of his humanity while the Nazis and the State as represented by Karl are entangled in political considerations. Forever labeling Karl as a murderer forgoes his still present humanity. This is not to say that forgiving Karl the individual isn’t political, or that we shouldn’t acknowledge the enormity of his crime. This is to stress that the limits and criteria of forgiveness change whether it is person to person or person to political bodies. This separation of individual from sta... ...untry and the victims to move forward and be â€Å"free† as one symposium speakers says. To wallow with bitterness and despair is perhaps than acknowledging what happen, mourning what was loss, and beginning the process of rebuilding. Louise Mallinder in â€Å"Can Amnesties and International Justice be Reconciled?† posits the following hypothetical: â€Å"Amnesty for lower-level offenders could also mean that in their daily life, victims are frequently confronted by the individuals who caused their suffering which could cause further harm to the victims and even lead them to engage in vigilantism† (210). Forgiveness is not physical and can only be manifested through the mediums of words, actions and shared understandings. These traits gives forgiveness a spiritual quality that illustrates how it can transcend physical atrocity; to render the unforgiveable forgivable.

Child’s behavior Essay

Action speaks louder than words, the adage goes. The same applies for child rearing, specifically in setting a child’s behavior. Verbal admonitions, advices, and instructions are important to make it obvious to the child what the parent expects him to follow and do. Words specifically define the desired behavior parents want from their children. However, children are easily distracted, especially with long sentences, so that while talking to them, their attention or their mind strays from grasping every word thus deterring understanding. Another, words oftentimes have ambiguous meanings to the child so that the latter might not â€Å"get it† in spite of having been told. Actions leave more imprints into a child’s memory compared to words because actions explain more than words could express. Usually, when a parent verbalizes an instruction, he accompanies it with action. This is because the more senses are involved during the comprehension process, the better and more lasting the comprehension. Actions involve more senses. They engage the child more into the character-building process because they do not just hear; they also see it in action through their parents. Furthermore, when the parents’ behavior contradicts with what they say, it confuses the child and might diminish the parent’s trustworthiness and authority in the eyes of the child. Children imitate grown-ups a lot during their formative years since they still have to develop their own individual personalities and judgments. Children tend to think that whatever their parents do are always the right things. After all, in their yet young lives, parents have been doing a lot of things for them, feeding them, taking care of them, dressing them, etc. By doing the right and proper actions, therefore, the child would confidently follow—with this knowledge that whatever their parents might be doing could be right.

Aegean, Roman, and Greek Cultures Essay

Aegean civilization flourished during the Bronze Age in Greece and the so-called Aegean Age. Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations were among those civilizations in the Aegean that has made its zenith during this era. Minoan civilization developed on the mountainous areas of Crete. Crete naturally possessed a wide-range of harbors which made it possible for the Minoans to settle and establish permanent livelihood as traders and merchants. From 1700 BC, they were involved in various trades including the important tin trading that is used to make bronze. Minoans focused their belief on female deities (note that Minoan women were usually appointed officials – a symbol of respect and authority). Many archeologists believed that the Minoans have equal treatment to men and women. Evidences from Minoan artworks showed that the equal status of men and women. Minoan artworks also showed evidences of the development of the Minoan civilization (three periods of Minoan civilization – EM, MM, and LM). Among the surviving Minoan arts is Minoan pottery. Different periods of Minoan civilization also showed different modes of design of their ceramics which include spirals in the Early Minoan, natural designs like flowers and birds during the Middle Minoan. After the demise of the Aegean civilization (during the Hittite invasion of Asia Minor), Greece began to make advances in culture. The development of the city-state allowed the propagation of culture across geography – enabling city-states to develop its own cultural tools. It can be said that the zenith of Greek culture was during the Hellenistic period (lasted for about 200 years). The Greek Hellenistic period span from 323 B. C. up to the Battle of Actium in 31 B. C. The Hellenistic period paved the way to many transformations of Greek art. Though the Classical concepts in art were not thoroughly abandoned, the birth of the Hellenistic period made the artists create different and unique art concepts. The artists during this time explored and manipulated their imagination on their subject. It was also during this period that higher degree of Naturalism took place as a logical conclusion to great sculptors like Praxitelis and Lysipos whose works demanded for the art representation of the human figure. In a Greek art (Boy Jockey), the bold expression of energy and power during great pressure was represented. The change of focus of the Hellenistic art from religious and naturalistic ideas and concepts to human expressions, psychological concern and theatrical background, paved the way to the sculptures that includes the natural physical surroundings with creative landscaping and theatrical groupings. The Nike of Samothrace is a sculpture that embraced the true meaning and understood the world through the application of certain techniques and aesthetic conventions. The winged goddess with her outstretched wings gracefully prevents the stone from falling due to gravity. The sculpture also represented the physical human presence and the external force within it. The representation evidently speaks for the Greeks acceptance of the physical power of human being and all other external forces acting on it. Elsewhere in the Mediterranean Sea, a new power was on the rise. Roman expansion to the East resulted to: 1) consolidation of the Greek peninsula under Roman rule; 2) the destruction of Macedonia, weakening of the Seleucid Empire, and the incorporation of the states of Bithynia and Pergamum to Rome; and 3) increased Greek influence on Roman culture. Although Roman art is essentially a derivation of Greek art, it is different in two respects. First, Roman art is generally a modification of Greek art. The invention of concrete during the 1st century A. D. greatly advanced Roman art and architecture. For example, the simple amphitheatre of the Greeks was transformed into a colosseum. Concrete allowed the construction of more complex structures. Second, Greek art was essentially religious in character (this is assertion is debatable for some historians). Roman art and architecture was a mixture of religious and political philosophies. The Roman poet Ovid often referred to the Greeks as the champion of religious authority – the center of religious worship in the Mediterranean Sea, and the Romans as the bearer of Greek culture. Here, Ovid was essentially arguing that Roman culture cannot be solely religious in nature. As the forerunner of ancient democratic institutions, Rome must distinguish itself politically from its subject peoples. With Roman domination of the Mediterranean, Greek culture spread to all parts of the Roman Empire. In the East, it became the ethos of a new cultural revival – Greek in orientation. This revival was essentially the last if not the least of Hellenism prior to the rise of Christianity as the dominant religion in the Roman Empire. Before the Christian culture, Greek culture was the predominant mode of humanistic endeavor. However, one must understand that Greek culture was a partial derivation of Aegean culture – a culture which is embellished in myth, tragedy, and greatness. Here, one can clearly see the development of Western culture – a result of the transfusion of Greek culture and Christian learning.

elizabeth Blackwell essays

elizabeth Blackwell essays Elizabeth Blackwells Legacy: Advancements in Medicine and Womens Rights Elizabeth Blackwell has contributed greatly to American society by expanding womens rights through her courage and determination to become the first woman doctor in America. In the mid and late 1800s, there werent many choices for women in the professions. Women mostly became housewives or worked in factories, and they only dreamed of becoming doctors, but Elizabeth Blackwell changed it all. Blackwell was accepted to Geneva College in New York because the medical students there had thought her application was a joke from a rival school. However, she soon gained her peers respect by her competence and hard work. After she graduated, she wanted it to make it possible for others to become doctors as she had. As a result, Elizabeth Blackwell used her writings to support her ideas that women are equal if not superior to men, and that they should be allowed to practice medicine. Blackwell used both religious and historical allusions in one of her books, The Laws of Life with Special Reference to the Physical Education of Girls, to illustrate how women are equal to men. In the Greek Myth, Athena is the goddess of agriculture and wisdom. Blackwell argues: when agriculture and wisdom were of such great importance, why would men name a woman as a symbol of these coveted concepts? Blackwell writes, Her mother was the wisest, her father the most powerful...she was the protectress of sate and of social institutions, and of all that gives t society its highest prosperity...maintained law and justice...she was the protectress of the defences of the state... (Blackwell 10). Men created a woman in the image of all these designations, and they worship her as she is part of a great deity, so then men should treat the women beside them at least as their equals. Elizabeth Blackwell further proves that women are equal to men th...

Arpit Essay

One of these slogans are Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past. This, as a whole, means that the past has an effect on the future, for previous events that occurred ensure the mindset of the people in the future, and whether or not they want to repeat history. Also, the party controls the people in the present, and can therefore control the past with the authority to go back and modify history on paper to control what is being taught to the masses. Events in the past have a great influence on events in he future.This is an ideal held to be true not only in the society in 1 984, but also in todays society. The past is recorded in history books, and is taught in schools. If the past was ideal, then people will try to re-establish it. However, if the past was horrendous, then people will try to ensure that such events wont happen again. This correlates to the technique used by the party. They created a past of desolation and anguish through altering history records, and claim to have liberated the people of Oceania.As a result, everyone fully bides by the Party, for they dont want to repeat the past. Therefore, who controls the past controls the future. Anagram 2 The Party itself controls the present, therefore it is able to control the past. Their main objective is to remain in total command at all times, and control everyone both physically and mentally. Physically, they use telescopes to monitor their subjects every move, so that they are under constant surveillance and put under pressure of the government. For the mental effect, they rewrite and manipulate the intent of historical resources. This allows them to have power over the way in which its subjects think about the past. This is an advantage, for all of their resources reflect the ideology of the Party itself, and they are able to show themselves in a positive manner so that they can stay in power. In addition, everyone is prohibited from keeping journals and other keepsakes from their pasts. As a result, the citizens of Oceania have an imprecise and fleeting memory, which allows the Party to tell them anything, knowing that they will live it.Thus, the Party controls the past with controlling the present. In 1984 by George Orwell, Party slogans are significant ways to hold their main principles. The slogan, Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past is noteworthy for its true meaning. It means that past events are influential on the future, and determines the recurrence of history. Also, it means that the government that controls the present has the ability to control the past, through changing historical records.

Competition-MicroEconomics Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Competition-MicroEconomics - Term Paper Example A large number of firms, product differentiation and easy entry and exit are the main characteristics of monopolistic competition. Competition is one of the important market forces. There are mainly two types of competition exist: price competition and non-price competition. Price competition is mainly experienced in a highly competitive market where perfect competition takes place. On the other hand, non-price competition occurs mostly in monopolistic market situations in which competing firms offer different attractive offers and special discounts with an aim of attracting and retaining customers. Competition provides an environment in which not only buyers benefit but also sellers enjoy normal profits. For the buyers, competition is a source to obtain reasonable but competitive prices for goods and services and they do not need pay additional charges for the goods and services. This mostly occurs in perfectly competitive market in which buyers have perfect information about the goods and services and homogenous products are sold. Monopoly is form of market structure in which there is only a single seller who controls the entire supply of goods or services. Monopolistic competition is a combination of both perfect competition and monopoly. In which, there are certain characteristics of both monopoly and perfect competition remain functional. In the following parts of the paper, first definition of competition has been provided and it is followed by types of competition. After defining each type of competition, a conclusion part has been included to sum up the paper. Firms observe two types of competition: price competition and non-price competition. The firms compete with each other to attract and retain customers. For this purpose, they adopt different competition strategies to entertain their business objectives. Diminishing the price of their product below the price of competitors is one way to increase

Reflected Best Self Exercise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reflected Best Self Exercise - Essay Example I have the ability to adapt to any situation when carrying out any responsibility given to me. In this case, I can work in an environment filled with pressure and be able to deliver without compromising the required standards. Therefore, I am able to remain calm and work situations out while levelheaded instead of becoming a hothead and failing to deliver. This effectively means that I am patient and ready to face the situation despite any inauspicious existing circumstances, which may affect my performance of certain roles and activities. One of my friends supports this view and pointed to me that I â€Å"try to maintain calmness and ask your colleagues to exercise patient regardless of the prevailing situation.† I like understanding other people well, and one of the things that I try to do is to show people compassion. Hence, I like putting myself in another individual’s shoes in order for me to experience their emotions. This way, I will be able to help them since I have ensured that I experienced their emotions, and there is the connection between us, which is the bond that sets the foundation for cooperation. In addition, understanding people well by showing compassion ensures that I am able to influence the choices and decisions that they made. In one situation, my cousin remembers how I influenced her decision to study law by making sure that I listened to her, understood her emotions, and influenced her to making the right decision. In creating relationships with other people, I try to get the sense of the people during our first interaction. In this case, I try to be as candid and open as I can in order to create a feeling of trust, honesty, and good-natured between my acquaintances and me. This way, I am able to cultivate a relationship based on trust, openness, and honesty. In view of this fact, a colleague whom I have developed a deep relationship with while in school, told me that he regarded me as an open and

Psychoanalytic Film Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Psychoanalytic Film Theory - Essay Example Using Lacanian and Freudian psychoanalytic terms, Mulvey examined how women are portrayed in cinema, as she analyzes the â€Å"male gaze† and its aspects of pleasure and nonpleasure (309). Mulvey's essay can be asserted as a historical document, due to her examinations of the pleasurable and controlling dimensions of â€Å"vision† that several disciplines studied before her and extended after her work. She argued that the â€Å"unconscious† of the patriarchal system has projected itself unto the film narrative. The male gaze had perilously affected the discourse between the dominant and dominated sectors of society, where political binaries of man/woman and active/passive are present. This paper will discuss the reasons why feminist film scholars adopted psychoanalytic film theory. It will also use feminist psychoanalytic spectatorship theory in studying Hitchcock’s Rear Window (1959). Feminist scholars adopted the psychoanalytic film theory, because the l atter aims to examine and depict gender identity using cultural, instead of biological, concepts that are present in films, so that the exclusion of women in dominant film discourses can be identified and dismantled for purposes of political empowerment by breaking the domination of the male gaze and reversing spectatorship from male to female gazing. Rear Window (1959) depicts scopophilia through sexual stimulations of visual pleasures and narcissism, and its pervasive use of the sexual objectification of women, where the film sees them as sources of both pleasure and nonpleasure. Psychoanalytic film theory Feminist film scholars, during the 1970s, were interested in analyzing the diverse forms of gender oppressions that relegated them to a â€Å"secondary† social and political status (Kaplan 1238). Their takeoff was the â€Å"cultural,† and not the biological, aspect of negative female experiences, where cultural semiotic systems present relationships in how women ar e seen and consumed in films and in societies where they live in. These scholars noted that the â€Å"objectification† of women, which limited their desires and objectives, could be the root cause of their oppressed conditions in real and reel life. Spectatorship theory asserts that the spectator generally refers to the male spectator, who wants to see and â€Å"control† women, because of the visual pleasures that the feminine form can provide (Sherwin 174). Psychoanalysis broadens spectatorship theory by unlocking the unconscious impulses that drive the male gaze (Mulvey 305). Thus, it could be seen that ideological feminism has strongly driven psychoanalytic film theory (Kaplan 1238). The primary appeal of psychoanalysis is that it presented a concrete framework for understanding preexisting conventions of women from the patriarchal perspective (Mulvey 305). It is a fitting theoretical framework for the budding feminist film theory, which still needs conceptual found ations. Freud and Lacan, in particular, provided terms and processes that can help explain how the male unconscious embeds itself unto society through its dominating gaze (Mulvey 305). The â€Å"erotic† processes of â€Å"seeing† have a direct impact on consuming the female form, and they also have implications on how women are portrayed in narrative films (Mulvey 305). Lacanian theory argues that films present a â€Å"mirror image† that underlies symbolic infrastructures (McGowan 28). The â€Å"gaze† represents the male â€Å"imaginary† and this imaginary builds the illusions of pleasures and nonpleasures (McGowan 28).

Gender inequality in the developing world

Gender inequality in the developing world Gender differences in labour market outcomes affect whether women enter the marketplace, care for children, or partake in other labour activities. In the developing world, gender differences in political access and wages can have large effects on the well-being of females and their families. Discuss gender differences that exist in the developing world, why they are important, and what role they play in shaping outcomes of females and children. Are there policy prescriptions that would increase societal welfare? TABLE OF CONTENTS: Introductionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦3 On Gender differences and well-beingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦4 Gender Discrimination, Property Rights and Investment in Agricultureà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..6 Impact of Reservations in India on Policy Decisionsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.8 Prevalence of adverse sex ratio à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.11 Where are all the Missing Women à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.12 Conclusionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..17 Referencesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦19 INTRODUCTION: For centuries, women have played the role of a homemaker, caring for her children. While men were the breadwinners of the family. This stereotypical image of men and women, though less profound is still to be found in many parts of the world. This is especially true of the developing countries. Biologically, women and men are different, beyond the obvious. Their brains function differently. Hormonal differences make them behave in different ways. However, the sexist attitude towards gender differences has been forced not only by the government, but also by almost all the institutions of public life. In the developing world, we frequently find that women are discriminated against by men. In many countries, a girl-child is considered to be a burden, and may not receive the same care that a boy would. A woman is often forbidden to work outside the house as the society frowns upon such activities. And also women continually receive lower wages than men for the same work. In the past decade, the governments of many countries have put into place many policies to help empower women. Some policies have been successful, while others have not done much to reduce this gender gap. Various studies have been conducted to see whether the policies were actually implemented, and if yes, what impact they had on womens welfare. Many studies have been conducted to measure the impact of these biases against women, on the welfare of their families, on their well-being, and their status in society. On Gender differences Well-being One such study by Esther Duflo (2000) measures the impact of a cash transfer, specifically old age pension, on the nutritional status of a child, depending on the gender of the recipient. Policies targeted towards improving womens position relative to mens are desired not only for equity basis, but also for the effects they may have on childrens welfare. Being malnourished can affect a childs physical and mental health. Hence, receiving adequate nutrition at a young age is important for economic growth, distribution, and welfare. Thomas (1990, 1994) found evidence that income or assets in the hands of women are associated with larger improvements in child health, and larger expenditure shares on household nutrients, health and housing (Duflo, 2000; pg.1). Her paper investigates whether redistributing resources from men to women would increase investment in children. With the end of the apartheid the benefits and coverage of the South African social pension program was expanded in the early 1990s to include the black population. The program was successfully implemented with almost a universal coverage. This led to a permanent exogenous change in income, after household formation. Most families are extended households, and over a quarter of African children under the age of five live with a pension recipient. The paper takes into account the weight for height, and height for age of children below the age of five to see whether the pension recipients gender has any effect on these indicators. The South African social pension was started in 1928, but it was only after 1993 that the same amount was paid to all racial groups. Women over 60 years, and men over 65 years are eligible for pension, subject to a means test. During the Apartheid era, the system was racially discriminatory in many respects. Firstly, different means tests were applied to each race. For Blacks benefits were withdrawn for incomes larger than R700, while for Whites the limit was at R2250. Secondly, benefits for Whites were 10 times higher than those for Blacks. Thirdly, Whites received pensions through postal offices, while Blacks had to collect their pension through mobile pay points that didnt cover much area. Finally, officials often intentionally took people off the list, or limited access of legally eligible Blacks to save the cost of pensions. The weight for height of children reflects short run nutrition and illnesses and recovers quickly once proper nutrition is resumed. The nutrition in turn is determined by individual preferences, non-labour income, the weights given to members of the household, and child specific variables. Before controlling for the presence of non-eligible members over 50, the coefficient for girls is positive but insignificant. However, when the controls are introduced it improves the weight for height of girls by 1.19 standard deviations, if pension is received by a woman. For boys, the coefficient is positive, but insignificant. However, a pension received by a man has a small, negative and insignificant effect on girls weight for height. Also it seems that there exists an all female link, as the pension seems to be most effective if received by the mothers mother. Some problems which may bias upward the estimates of the effect of pension on weight for height are discussed and are as follows; Fir stly, being a three generation would mean that the household is relatively healthy. Secondly, the pension program might have led to a change in the composition of the household. For this Duflo examines the height for age of young children, as this reflects nutrition status over the life of the child. Height for age is different from weight for height, in the sense that it depends on accumulated investments over the life of the child. Nutrition at a very early age has long lasting consequences on child height. And the possibility of catch-up skeletal growth after an episode of low growth in infancy is limited (Duflo, 2000; pg.13). Her basic idea is to compare the differences between height of children in eligible and non-eligible households and between children exposed to the program for a fraction of their lives and children exposed all their lives. Results show that pensions received by women led to an increase of 1.16 standard deviations in the height of girls, and had a much smaller effect on boys. While pensions received by men didnt have any impact on the height of either girls or boys. Duflo concludes that the nutritional status of a girl improves significantly if the pension receiver is a woman, and has an insignificant negative effect if the pension receiver is a man. She tests for these by measuring the weight for height, and height for age of children between 6 to 60 months of age. Also this result rejects the unitary model of the household and suggests that pensions received to women may increase efficiency more than pensions received by men. Gender Discrimination, Property Rights and Investment in Agriculture It is often the quality of the economic institutions of a society that determine its economic growth. This is especially true of property rights, as investment incentives depend upon expectations of rights over returns to that investment. Goldstein and Udry (2004) conduct a study in Akwapim, Ghana and examine the connection between property rights and agricultural investment, and in turn to agricultural productivity. In much of Africa the Western notions of private property doesnt exist. Most of the land cultivated by farmers is controlled by the local leaders. It is allocated to individuals, and families based on their perceived need and political influence. In many African societies, agricultural production is managed by individuals or households. Soil fertility primarily depends on an individuals decision regarding the span of the fallow period, i.e. when the land is left uncultivated to regain fertility. Rights over a plot can be lost while it is fallow, and induces shortening of the fallow period. There also exist opportunity costs and transition costs associated with fallowing. They select four village clusters, and within each cluster they select 60 married couples. They measure productivity via returns to cassava/maize cultivation on similar plots of men and women within a household in a given year. Conditioning on plot characteristics and household fixed effects, they find women produce much less cassava/maize than their husbands. Hence, earn lower profits. They also find that education and age are not responsible for this difference in productivity. They do however find that duration of the last fallow period is strongly positively related to current profits. Gender of the cultivator has no effects on profits, once they condition for the duration of the last fallow. Tenure security seems to be closely related to fallow decisions. Due to the complex and flexible property rights women often rely on allocated household land, given by their husbands. Men are more active on the land market. A primary reason for uncertainty of tenure, especially for women, is that leaving the land fallow might weaken future rights over the plot. Leaving the land fallow, might signal a lack of sufficient need by the village heads. A second model is based on the idea that tenure security varies with the political position and method of acquisition of land. Their results reflect that tenure security depends highly on the individuals position in the political and social hierarchy. But even conditioning on the individuals position, it depends on the circumstances through which she obtained the particular plot. The complex and overlapping rights to land act as barriers to investment in land fertility. The difference in profits within a household, from similar plots can be attributed to the fact that women are generally not in a position of power. They tend to leave land fallow for a shorter duration, to maintain their rights over the plot. Impact of Reservations in India on Policy Decisions In a paper by Chattopadhyay Duflo (2004) they study the impact of political reservations on womens leadership and policy decisions. They show that reservation of seats for women impact the investment decisions on public goods and are biased towards the gender of the Pradhan. In 1993 an amendment to the constitution of India made it mandatory for all village councils (GPs) to reserve one-third of all positions of chief (Pradhan) to women. The paper focuses on two districts, Birbhum in West Bengal, and Udaipur in Rajastan, and compares investments made in reserved and unreserved GPs. The major responsibilities of the GP are to administer local infrastructure, and identify targeted welfare recipients. The main source of funding is the state, and the money is allocated through four broad schemes: the Jwahar Rozgar Yojana for infrastructure, a small drinking water scheme, funds for welfare programs, and a grant for GP functioning. The GP has full flexibility in allocation of these funds. The Panchayat is required to setup two meetings per year in which all voters may participate. Additionally, the Pradhan must setup regular office hours, where villagers can lodge complaints. In both Rajastan, and West Bengal the policy was strictly implemented. And women elected once due to the reservation system were not re-elected. A rationale for reservations for women is that, the cost of running for office is higher for a woman than for a man. These high costs can prevent women from participating in the political process in the absence of reservations. So the two candidates must have an equal chance of winning. The outcome will then be symmetric around the median voter. Also, when women run because of the reservation, this can increase womens utility and the median voters utility. Some limitations of this model are: Firstly, when the Pradhan is a woman it might be easier for women to influence policy process ex-post, moving policy in a pro-woman direction. Secondly, after reservation, relatively weak women with strong pro-women views will be as likely to run as strong women with more moderate preferences. Thirdly, the model ignores the possibility of strategic behaviour on the part of the elected official, which would exist in case of future elections. Chattopadhyay Duflo (2004) use the data on formal requests and complaints that are brought to the Pradhan. Since complaining is costly (time consuming), the complaints reasonably measure preferences of individuals. Women are more likely to have a higher cost of complaining given the social norms that limit their mobility, and conditions under which they can speak to a man. Hence, womens complaints will be more biased towards extreme preferences. In the model, allocations are made closer to womens needs in reserved GPs because of the selection of women candidates and possibly due to the reduced cost of speaking to a women, and not because women are more responsive to complaints of women. Authors find that in West Bengal, drinking water and roads were the issues most frequently raised by women. Next were welfare programs, followed by housing and electricity. Issues of roads, irrigation, drinking water and education were raised by men. In Rajasthan, drinking water, roads, and welfare programs were the issues most frequently raised by women. This pattern reflects the activities of both men and women in these areas. Women are in charge of collecting drinking water, and benefit from the welfare programs. In West Bengal, they work on roads. In Rajasthan, both men and women work on roads, and so have a common motive. But, men travel frequently in search of jobs and so have a stronger need for good roads. In both Rajasthan and West Bengal the gender of the Pradhan affects the provision of public goods. Individual women are not particularly more responsive to the needs of women and men in their communities. Rather it is because their own preferences are more aligned to the pr eferences of women that they end up serving them better. These results are unaffected when controlled for the Pradhans characteristics ( like education, experience, social status etc). This suggests that the allocation of public goods can be largely attributed to the gender of the Pradhan, rather than on its other effects. Prevalence of adverse sex ratio The aim of the paper by Khanna et al (2003) is to determine whether the skewed sex ratio in India can be explained by less favourable treatment of girls in infancy. They measure deaths from all causes in infants aged less than one year, in a community health project undertaken in urban India. According to the 2001 census in India, the sex ratio was at 933 females per 1000 males. Ordinarily, females outnumber males, possibly because the extra X chromosome makes them less susceptible to infectious diseases. However, the skewed sex ratio in India suggests the existence of sex discrimination. Despite the banning of sex determination tests, the practise of female infanticide has continued. Even after birth, mortality remains higher in females, and girls are more than 30%-50% more likely to die between their 1st and 5th birthdays. Various studies have shown that compared to boys, girls are often brought to health centres at a more advanced stage of illness, are taken to less qualified doctors, and have less money spent on them. The basis of their study is the record of deaths maintained by midwives working in St. Stephens Hospital in Delhi. The hospital caters mostly to the poor, who have an average per capita income of Rs. 600 per month. The combined population of the area is about 64000 people. The results find a significant difference in mortality between girls and boys for diarrhoea and unexplained deaths. But there was no significant difference between deaths from less preventable and less treatable diseases. For diarrhoea, the mortality for girls was twice that of boys. In the case of unexplained deaths, the parents werent able to give a satisfactory explanation for the cause of death. Most deaths were of females in this group, and were thrice as much as those in boys. Although the cause of these deaths is unexplained, improvement in access of health care, and education of health professionals to pay more attention to girls could be beneficial. Where are all the Missing Women In her paper Gender equality in Development Ester Duflo (2005) addresses the interrelationship between economic development and gender empowerment particularly in the spheres of education, health, employment opportunities and political power. Empowerment can accelerate development. It is estimated that there are between 60 to 100 million missing women in developing countries. The term missing women was coined by Amartya Sen to describe the observation that the proportion of women is lower than what would be expected, if women in the developing countries were not discriminated against. Economic development leads to a reduction in poverty, by relaxing the constraints faced by poor households. This suggests that economic growth, by increase opportunity and alleviating poverty, can lead to more equity between women and men. Studies find that women are most likely to be discriminated against when ill or when the household faces a crisis, such as food scarcity. Here, an improvement in health services, or free medical insurance for the poor would disproportionately help the women. Also increasing the ability of poor households when they face a crisis would improve the condition of women more. Hence, economic development reduces poverty. It insures the poorest against sickness and hunger. Thus, economic development, though reducing the vulnerability of the poor, helps women disproportionately. Similarly, the increase in opportunities in the labour market has led to change in households, moving it towards greater gender equality. Earlier, it was perceived that since women dont work outside the house, they dont need to as strong and health, and dont require formal education. Many parents believed that girls dont need formal education as theyre expected to only marry and take care of the house. The rise in employment opportunities for women has led to favourable outcomes for women in terms of equity. Duflo finds evidence that economic development isnt enough to improve the condition of women. The skewed sex ratio favouring boys has persisted and even worsened in China, despite rapid economic growth and reforms. This illustrates the fact that economic growth, and availability of technology, can have perverse effects on gender equality, if it reduces the cost of discrimination against girls. Another aspect is the disparity in earnings at all levels of qualification. There is a widespread implicit bias, shared by both men and women, associating men with career and sciences, and women with family and liberal arts. And this stereotype has persisted despite increased women participation in these disciplines. This bias reduces rewards for women participation in the labour market, or for higher education, by persuading them that they arent as good as men. As long as these biases exist, gender equality will not be achieved. Similarly, while various factors hinder the representation of women in politics, one of the strongest barriers to greater participation of women in politics is the notion that women are not competent leaders. This bias is most pronounced when the leadership role is typically considered a male role. And although many studies confirm that women are better policymakers, and are less corrupt, it seems theres a significant cultural barrier to recognizing women as competent policymakers. Evidence such as those above, support the idea of reservations or quotas for women in policymaking positions, as perceptions are biased and womens achievements arent recognised by the electorate. To achieve a balanced gender representation in politics it seems that policy action need to be taken. Yet, the gains from policies targeted towards women, come at an expense for men. This is evident in politics. The reservation of seats for women means that a man doesnt get the seat. The gains are less explicit in the measures taken to improve access of girls to schools, through say, scholarships, or proper bathrooms in schools. These are expensive, and in developing countries these transfers to girls come, at the direct expense of boys. This transfer spent on scholarships could have alternatively been used to hire more teachers, which wouldve benefited both boys and girls. Thus, policies which favour women need to be justified, not only to bring about gender equality, but also their desirability taking in account their costs. In the second part of the paper, the author (Duflo, 2005; p.10) examines the justification that the trade-off between various people in the short run is transitory; in the long run there is no trade-off between helping women more and helping everyone, because increasing the share of resources going to women will increase the amount of resources so much that everyone will be better off. The basic arguments that support active policies to support women are; Firstly, women are currently worse-off than men, and this inequality is offensive in itself. Secondly, women play a fundamental role in development. The gender gap in education, politics, and employment should therefore be reduced not only for equity, but also to increase efficiency. The argument that empowerment raises efficiency has shaped economic policies the world over. Micro-credit schemes, welfare programs, transfers conditioned on school enrolment, reservations in politics have all been directed towards women. The argument for efficiency proposes that sending girls to school, or improving their employment opportunities is good because the development outcome is higher for a given increase in the education and earnings of women than from an equal increase in the education and earnings of men. Although substantial studies find a correlation between a womans education and earnings with child welfare, she (Duflo, 2005; p.11) points out that there are two fundamental problems with interpretation of these results. Firstly, a womans education, earnings, and political participation may be correlated with unobserved dimensions of her ability, family, and community background. Secondly, the comparison between the coefficient of husbands and wives education or earnings might be obscured by a correlation between wives education or earnings and unobserved characteristics of husbands. To get around these problems, researchers analysed specific circumstances that changed the distribution of power, education, or earnings between husbands and wives and had nothing to do with their individual choices. Duflo concludes that womens empowerment and economic development are closely interrelated. While development brings about women empowerment, empowering women changes decision making, which directly impacts development. She suggests that in order to bring about gender equality, it might be necessary to continue taking policy actions that favour women at the expense of men for a very long time. And while this might bring about some benefits, the costs associated with such redistribution might not always be sufficient to compensate for the distortions. CONCLUSION It can be concluded from the above literature that in the developing world, gender differences exist, and discriminate against women. All spheres of a womans life, from the time she is in the womb to the time she dies, are affected by this bias against women. The study conducted in South Africa (Duflo, 2000) finds that a non-contributory cash transfer to an eligible female pensioner actually significantly increases a girls welfare, measure by weight for height, and height for age. And that given to a male pensioner has a small insignificant negative effect on girls welfare. Similarly when it comes to property rights, women have almost no power and have to depend on their husbands to secure land for them to cultivate (Goldstein Udry, 2004). In Ghana, property rights are complex, flexible and overlapping. There is no notion of private property. Women also have almost no security of tenure as they are not in a position of power in the political or social hierarchy. This leads to a shor ter fallow duration, which means lower productivity and hence, lower profits than their male counterparts working a similar plot. This leads to inefficiency and lower economic growth. In the political sphere, women are under-represented, which has adverse impacts on womens utility (Chattopadhyay Duflo, 2004). Reservations however have changed the picture, but is not due to women being more responsive to womens needs, but rather depends on the gender of the leader. The study concludes that the reserved GPs invest more in public goods important for women than the un-reserved GPs. This helps to improve womens utility, even if indirectly. Another aspect is the skewed sex ratio observed in India, and many other developing countries. This is due to the perception that girls are a burden on their parents (Khanna et. al. 2003). This can be blamed on the lack of access for women to health, education, politics, employments, and biased societal norms. Finally, it can be conclude that policies that benefit women such as reservations in politics, scholarships for girls etc. are necessary, even if they come at the expense of men. Not only because they lead to efficiency gains and economic development, but also because the discrimination between men and women is not acceptable in itself. The stereotypical image of women has continued, despite the fact that more and more women have forayed into supposedly male dominated areas and excelled. This discrimination is present not only in the developing world, but also in the developed countries, like USA where the wage-gap between men and women exists till today.

How To Deal With A Person Who Essay -- essays research papers

How to deal with a person who is angry? We are taught to control our emotional feelings when we are young. We learn to be polite, patient, and hide our anger to people in everyday life. Most of us express our feelings indirectly: slamming doors, sullen silence, or snubbing others. Therefore, it is important to learn how to release anger in safe but effective ways. Unexpressed anger can smolder, causing stress and affecting physical health. After all, anger can escalate into violence. So, when we are dealing with a person who is angry, here are some strategies we can use: understand his/her anger, communicate with him/her, and help him/her to express the anger. First of all, when we are dealing with someone who is angry, try to understand what his/her anger is. If we are talking with an angry person, the first thing we have to do to control ourselves is not to be involved in his/her strong emotions. So, calm down, and ask why he/she is mad and listen to what he/she wants to say to us. Understanding the elements and the background that make this person angry makes it easier for us to communicate with him/her. Do not try to ask someone who is already angry to calm down; it is the same as asking someone who is sobbing not to cry. Secondly, try to communicate with him/her. It is possible to deal with anger by talking with someone. So, when we are trying to help an angry person, try to talk with positive manners. For example, avoid blaming, or accusing him by putting him on the ...

The Dragon Rises: China’s Growing Economy

China, both as a race and as a geographical place, is a something that the world cannot ignore. The size and population of the country is formidable, and as such, China’s recent economic reforms have called the attention of global market. In just a span of over two decades, China was able to turn its economy around and currently, stands among the world’s major economic forces. (Hui 2003) Its growth has been phenomenal and is still growing at an unprecedented pace. In the past twenty years, China has been able to increase its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by four times, and now is recognized as a global economic power. China has quickly worked its way up in the global economic scene and currently stands in the sixth position of the top trading countries of the world. These events have also lead to the influx of foreign investors which leads to even more growth. (Pei 2007) Experts believe that China’s potential is as large and wide as its physical size and population. (Wanwen 2003) The ebbs and ties of China’s economy have been directly related to the sociological changes that it has been going through, particularly in its more recent history. As such, this paper intends to look at how these sociological events have been instrumental in creating the China that we know today and how its history as a nation continues to shape its people’s collective and individual destiny. In terms of our collective history, China has always been a major world presence, not just in terms of economy, but more so in terms of the legacies that the Chinese civilization has given to us. However, whatever presence that China has had over the course of its history has been obscured by internal conflicts and divisiveness which resulted in China falling to communist rule. Distracted by domestic conflicts and territorial disputes, China failed to keep pace with the Industrial Revolution that swept Europe during the 18th and 19th centuries. China fell too far behind and was unable to recover. When the last of its emperors fell, China was left to languish in the shadow of communism which was at its height during Mao Zedong’s rule. (Pei 2007) The failure of communism to provide a better life for the Chinese sowed the seeds of discontent. China’s communist government initiated a series socioeconomic policies that brought more suffering to the people, and an already stumbling country to its knees. Mao’s Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution left what is left of China in ruins. (Mackerras, 2001) After barely half a century of communism, China was ready for a change. When Zedong and his first-generation Chinese communist hardliners died, they were replaced by Deng Xiaoping, a more liberal ruler who laid the foundations for political and societal reforms, which in turn created an environment more conducive to economic growth. As a society, China was gradually emerging from its isolationist and repressive communist past with a government more cognizant of the need for change and openness. In 1979, after decades of isolation, China opened its doors to foreign investors. This was a turning point in the country’s economy. The tremendous size of China’s population, as well as its cheap labor costs made it a haven for production. (Wang 2003) Soon, other multinational businesses followed suit, realizing the cost-effectiveness of manufacturing in China, and the country never looked back since then. Of course, the act of opening China for foreign investments would not have been successful without the creation of more liberal policies that made China attractive to businesses. The government began laying the foundations that would encourage a more market-oriented economy, while maintaining a tight political structure that characterized its socialist orientation. Aside from allowing foreign business to operate in China, these social and economic reforms also included the privatization of agricultural lands. The change from communal farming to individual operations allowed farmers more freedom in so far as the production of their crops is concerned. Mackerras, 2001) More authority and responsibility were passed on from the central government to local officials, who in turn created an environment that encouraged backyard business to develop and flourish. (Wang 2003) Indeed, these massive and sweeping reforms have been successful in effecting the desired changes in China. However, Xiaoping and his followers have been keen to emphasize that the liberalization of society and economy as well as the easing of institutionalized control structures were done not so much to abandon socialism, but to improve it. Tianyu 2003) The Chinese, while eager to embrace change, is more reluctant to admit that socialism is wrong. In the end, the main goal of these reforms was to create a strong socialist country through democratization and modernization of society. The main tenet was that rather than struggle with the West, socialist China had better chances at proving its worth by cooperating with the West, through common economic interests. (Tianyu 2003) China was able to benefit from the initial attempts at reforms made by the European socialists, primarily the Soviet Union and Poland. Coming after their heels, China was able to learn from the mistakes their predecessors have made. China was able to maintain a strong centralized government, while allowing for the decentralization of economic functions. (Tianyu 2003) These societal and economic reforms continued unabated from the late 1970’s until the early 1990’s when China was ready to enter the second phase of its reform campaign. In 1993, Deng Xiaoping announced China’s main goal: that of becoming â€Å"a socialist market economy. † (qtd. n Wang 2003) After successfully laying down the necessary social and legal infrastructures for a free-market, China was now ready to stake its claim in the global market stage. The main characteristic of this second phase revolved around the gradual shift from a planned or constructed economy to one that is more spontaneous and free-flowing. (Wang 2003) Privately owned business flourished, alongside foreign businesses. The goal was to advance the gro wth and penetrate the global arena. In 2001, China marked a milestone with its acceptance in the World Trade Organization (WTO). Finally, the global recognition China has been yearning for has been given, and it was well worth the long wait. By 2003, the third wave of reforms was laid out, with the main goal of creating a stable socialist market economy by 2010 and a perfect socialist market economy by 2020. (qtd. in Wang 2003) The goals are indeed lofty, and while much still remains to be done, it is apparent that China is on the right track, based on the sustained growth the country has been experiencing as of late. Indeed, the social changes that have been put in effect in China have resulted in the economic growth and political power that the country enjoys in the world community. Had China remained a repressed and isolated society, it would still be trapped in the chaos and darkness of its communist past. Of course that is not to say that these changes did not come at a great price. Some sacrifices had to be made, and none of them were easy to do. The modern Chinese society that is modern and liberal was built upon the sacrifices of those who were willing to risk their lives in order to demand for change. Also, while the economy of China is generally healthy, it does not mean that every Chinese individual is experiencing this prosperity. These changes have also created an imbalance in society, where people in urbanized areas enjoying a better standard of living than people living in rural, undeveloped areas of the country. This inequality must be addressed by the Chinese government if it is to be successful in achieving the goals that it has set for itself. In the final analysis, the liberalization of China has been a long time coming. For so long it has languished under ineffective and cruel governments and an oppressive society that has no respect for the individual; a society that China has created for itself. Albeit belatedly, China has now come to its senses and has woken itself up. The winds of change have blown over this great country, awakening the dragon that has been sleeping for so long. For better or for worse, the rising of the dragon is completed and for China, there is no looking back. References Hui, Q. (2003). The Issues of the Chinese Economy Changing Tracks, Social Justice, and Democratization at the Turn of the Century. Chinese Economy, Volume 36, Number 2. pp. 21-89. Lin, Y. (2000). State and Markets under China’s Transformation: Rethinking China's Economic Transformation. Contemporary Sociology, Vol. 29, No. 4. pp. 608-613. Mackerras, C. (2001). The New Cambridge Handbook of Contemporary China. Cambridge University Press. Pei, M. (2007) Changing State-Society Relations in China. Retrieved on November 28, 2007 from http://www.ceibs.edu/ase/Documents/EuroChinaForum/minxin.htm Tianyu, C. (2003). The Theory and Practice of the Chinese Path. Chinese Economy, Volume 36, Number 4. pp. 67-98. Wang, J. (2003) China and the World Economy. CIEBS. Retrieved on November 28, 2007 from http://www.ceibs.edu/ase/Documents/EuroChinaForum/China's_Economy_World_files/frame.htm. Wanwen, C. (2003) Globalization and Economic Development. Chinese Economy, Volume 36, Number 1. pp. 48-88.