Achievement Motivation Essay Example for Free

Achievement Motivation Essay What is it? This links personality with the degree of competitiveness shown by an individual. Its main focus is the extent to which an individual is motivated to attain success. Some Theories about it   Murray (1938) indicated that it was natural for individual to strive to surpass another (genetically) like trait. Bandura (1977) believed that a competitive drive was a product of learning (social learning). Atkinson and McCelland (1976) has the view of an interactionist and predicts achievement motivation is generated through a combination of personality and situation factors. Atkinson and McCelland view of achievement motivation as a personality trait which is activated by a situation, the situation comprises the probability of success and the incentive value of success. -Probability of success;the extent to which success is likely;For example success is more likely of the task is found by the individual to be easy. -Incentive value of success;the incentive value experienced by the individual after success-been achieved. For example the harder the task the greater will be the incentive value because the probability of success is reduced. There are two personality types to determine achievement motivation and these are; 1.High need to achieve (high Nach) Linked with the low need to avoid failure (Low Naf). With these characteristic, desire to succeed overcomes the fear of failure. These performers=high in achievement motivation (high achievers) 2.Low need to achieve (Low Nach) Also linked with high need to avoid failure (High Naf). These characteristics the fear of failure overcome the desire to success. These performers=low in achievement motivation (low achievers) Characteristics of high and low achievement motivation personality traits. High Nach Personality Characteristics Low Nach personality characteristics High need to achieve Low need to achieve Low need to avoid failure High need to avoid failure Approach behaviour is adopted Avoidance behaviour is adopted Challenges is accepted Challenges is rejected Risks are undertaken Risks are declined Shows persistence and perseverance when task is difficult Curtails effort when task is difficult Success tends to be attributed to external factors Failure tends to be attributed to internal factors Failure is seen as a route to success Failure is seen as the route to further failure Aspire to mastery orientation Adopt learned helpessness Key Terms Approach behaviour-describes behaviour that accepts a challenge Avoidance behaviour-describes behaviour that rejects a challenge Attribution-The process that predict reasons for success or failure Mastery Orientation-The strong motive to succeed found in the high achievement. This type of person will expect to succeed but will persist when failure is experienced Learned helplessness-The belief that failure is inevitable and that the individual has no control over the factors that cause failure. Atkinson and McCelland Their theory of achievement motivation is best at predicting behavioural responses in situations where there is a 50/50 chance of success. This will trigger motivation for those performers with high achievement traits=likely  to display approach behaviour and mastery orientation characteristics in these circumstances. Incentive value=high when chance is evenly balanced. In contrast to performers who show low achievement motivation would experience greatest anxiety in situations with a 50/50 chance of success— later adopt avoidance behaviour and experience learned helplessness. Approach or avoidance behaviours likely to arise when in a evaluative situation=Situation in which an individual believes they are being assessed. Drawbacks 1.Achievement or success can interpreted in many ways. Some performers regard success as victory over others. For example a long jump athlete winning an event. These people are said to have ego goal orientation. Those with this believe that ability and comparison over others=criteria for success. 2.Others judge on the basis of person improvement in a given task-For example a second long jump athlete may view success as the achievement of an improved performance. These people are said to have task orientation. Those with the task orientation value internal goals and believe that effort and comparison with self=criteria for success. Sport Specific Achievement Motivation(Competitiveness) Competitiveness in this context means- motivation to achieve in sport. Gill and Deeter (1988), using their own test called the ‘Sport Orientation Questionnaire’ (SOQ), confirmed that athletes were far more competitive than non-athletes. As as statement, this would appear obvious. Evidence of greater significance-athletes favoured performance goals (task orientation) while non-athletes emphasised the importance of winning (ego orientation) The type of goal set by the teacher as the measure of success in sport-related activities has, therefore, a significant influence upon the decision to adopt and sustain an active and healthy lifestyle. The important association between sport-specific motivation (competitiveness), confidence and goal setting.

Effect of Compost on White Button Mushrooms

Effect of Compost on White Button Mushrooms ElisaBeth Shrom General Mushroom Information and Life Cycle A mushroom’s scientific name is Agaricus campestris. Mushrooms have been known for thousands of years as a food, medicine, and even to create â€Å"spiritual visions† (i.e. â€Å"magic mushrooms†) This mysterious organism, often thrown into the same category as plants, is actually another species altogether. An entire underground world remains unseen to the human eye, yet has the unbelievable power to change the world, one ecosystem at a time. Mushroom production begins in spores or â€Å"seeds,† (not the technical term,) are released from the gills of the mushroom underneath the cap. However, the mushrooms visible above ground are not the whole fungi; they are merely the fruiting bodies of an underground organism called fungi mycelium. Similar to vegetables like corn or potatoes, these fruiting bodies â€Å"fruit† slowly. When mushrooms fruit under the right conditions at the most beneficial site, they will produce there year after year. â€Å"It’s the reverse of photosynthesis. Mushrooms take in carbon and consume oxygen, while plants consume carbon dioxide, and create carbon and oxygen.† (Paul Stamets, founder of Fungi of Olympia, Wash. and author of six books on mushroom culture) Due to mushroom’s many benefits, this fungi is the only one humans cultivate intentionally. It is important to not assume a mushroom is healthy to consume from the wild, because many mushrooms are poisonous and it is difficult to tell poisonous types from others. When they are safe to eat, mushrooms play a huge role in keeping the human immune system healthy. Mushrooms are a simple addition to any household and require little work to produce a large quantity of a delicious ingredient for dinnertime. The major components to control while growing mushrooms at home are humidity and temperature. They thrive when the temperature starts at a humid 70 ° while the mycelium grows, then stays humid and around 55 ° and 60 ° F. Loose or bottled spawn or ready-to-go mushroom kits can be purchased from catalog companies to simplify and quicken the at home growth process. They come infused with the required nutrients and soil in a box, simply instructing the user to keep the topsoil moisturized and to store the box in a humid section Companies that produce huge amounts of mushrooms use marker assisted selection, an improved type of selection paired alongside classical mushroom breeding techniques. Other methods of increasing mycelium fungi production are being explored and implemented to modify and transform series of mushroom strains. Genetic transformation allows possibilities of genetic integration from efficient DNA traits of other strains or species to express themselves in one quality product. Mycelium Mycelium are thin, white, thread-like â€Å"roots† of fungi that must develop fully before any fruiting bodies become visible aboveground. Mycelia communicate signals from plant to plant. For example, it might send a chemical signal that a tree is sick that causes other trees nearby to build up their immune systems and avoid the same sickness. The largest known organism in the world is a 2,400 acre mycelium growth in Oregon, US. It is not unusual for a mycelium organism to stretch for miles under forests. Mushrooms are not the only ones with mycelium. In fact, most fungi grow with mycelium. Common household fungal systems recognizable to most are easily visible mycelia that provide an example for mushroom’s underground mycelium. Mycelia grows faster where there are less nutrients to search for a site rich in food. It grows slowly where its food is abundant so that it can extract the materials needed to stay alive. The explanation for mushrooms growing in â€Å"fairy rings† lies with mycelia. It grows in a donut ring shape, rather than a pie shaped, leaving an area drained of supplies to branch outward into new regions. â€Å" mushroom mycelium is hungry. It wants to run.† (Paul Stamets) The organism expands as spores germinate and produce hypha (aka, germ tube), which are similar to branches of a tree, except they are microscopic and grow outwards from other hypha. Hypha increase in growth only lengthwise the width stays around one one-hundredths of a millimetre around. They cross-connect, intertwining, which helps transport nutrients to where they need to be. Lots of hyphae grow in bundles, or mycelial cords and each species of fungi has a different type of branching pattern. In order to produce fertile mycelium, a network of cells with two nuclei fused in the cell and two spore mating types each are required. Meiosis of these non-sister cells produces a heterokaryotic mycelia. Single spore cultures can also produce mushrooms as long as one single spore â€Å"seed† has two mating types. In the big picture, mycelium restores the environment and neutralizes toxins with it’s natural digestion of nutrients. Some mushroom’s mycelia can digest recalcitrant bonds (bonds that are resistant to the breakdown of a substance into smaller, less toxic molecular bonds.) They can separate bonds in human-produced pollutants to keep the entire ecosystem thriving. Mycelia is able to transform polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from oil wastes or coal tar into food for itself. All types of fungi do this by releasing enzymes into the soil or surrounding area to break down polymers and absorb simple sugars from the waste into their hyphal walls. Mushrooms Breakdown Toxic Materials The discovery of mushrooms’ distinct ability to break down harmful toxins and pollutants has and will continue to benefit the environment. The fact that humans can play a huge role in creating a healthier ecosystem by treating toxics with mycelium has almost unlimited benefits. In 2003, the gas stations â€Å"Chevron† and â€Å"Texaco† were reported by over thirty-thousand angry Ecuadorians to dump eighteen and a half billion gallons of toxic waste into pits in Ecuador. This damaging act of spillage resulted in the flow of harmful poison into residents water systems, and injuring the environment in more ways than one. Research projects have been conducted on many sites to conclude how the disintegration of toxins is not unlike that of other materials. Fungi secrete enzymes that break down toxins in the same way they split wood and straw’s chemical bonds. In one project, two piles of toxic soils near an oil pit were treated with different substances. After a year, the soil with mycelium and substrate had invited worms and bugs to help restore the soil. There were no signs of crude, and the toxins had been completely neutralized. The pile that had not been treated with mycelium fungi was still very toxic, and had a crude odor and felt oily to the touch. This mycelium method proves effective on large scale oil spills from companies, and is a cheaper, more ideal answer to fuel wastes in backyards or farms. The conversion of waste to mushroom development, or mycoremediation, causes hundreds of environmental and community improvements to open up. Food is provided, jobs are created, family incomes are enhanced, the burning of waste is cut back. This helps lower air pollution, lessen forest fire danger, manage environmental cleanup, protect the mushrooms, and create opportunities to effectuate mushroom substrate for compost and bioremediation. Paul Stamets meant when he said, â€Å"Fungi govern the decomposition cycles, and make it possible for natural biological systems to operate. They are tremendous allies for the health of people and the planet.† Another huge use for fungi is to turn mushrooms themselves into a substrate for other plants. Mushroom substrates replenish humus and organic matter by cutting carbohydrates in the soil in half in as short a period as one week. Mushroom compost farms are helpful for the plant the mushroom substrate will be treating. It also helps in creating an outlet for the waste disposal of the materials put inside this nutritious plant formula. More productive composts are being searched for to mix substances in a substrate to support plant growth, eliminate toxins, and keep fungi surviving. The White Button Mushroom In the United States as of 2010, 90 percent of mushrooms consumed were white button mushrooms. They are simple to grow at home, and provide several important health benefits to the human body. White button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus, are valuable medicinally, but are mostly known as â€Å"portobello† and used as a soup ingredient, pizza topping, or other consumption delectable. A study on an animal-model and cell-structure experiment at Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center at Tufts University concluded that white button mushrooms support natural killer cells. The researchers found that these particular mushrooms produce many antiviral proteins and other helpful enzymes that can repair or protect tissue. They also found that white button mushrooms dendritic (transport functioning) cells to mature from bone marrow. The dendritic cells synthesize T cells, which are white blood cells that recognize other foreign materials and transport the materials from the pathogens to defense system cells. Here, the immune system cells are activated by an enzyme and begin defending against pathogens. This defense function will, when successful, defend against diseases like the La France disease that attacks white button mushrooms, and sneak-attacks the mycelium without any surfacely visible symptoms. Ideal Growth Mediums for Mushrooms New and improved cultivation techniques and the improvement of composting have been able to increase the available cultivation area of mushrooms. As more and more mushroom farms experiment, each type of mushroom’s food has been discovered and brought to its greatest potential as a nutrient. The best types of nutrients required for mushroom growth include many of the same things plants, animals, and humans need as fuel like sugars, starches, cellulose, lignan, and nitrogen. To prepare mushroom spawn before it starts to grow mycelia, grain or non-waste plants are excellent sources. Straw, sawdust, and other mixtures in a compost make good alternatives, though. A diet of horse manure and straw mixed in with the soil site for growth provides the exact nutrients mushrooms need. This method is proved to work best if the compost is first turned three or four times for a week before it is used. Another compost method involves corncobs, straw, water, leaf mold, tankage, granite dust, rotted compost, and sand combined into a multi-ingredient compost for mushroom growth. These organic materials all work perfectly, and mostly every natural material that would be found rotting into the ground is useful to provide necessary nutrients. Chopped hay, chicken, bullocks, and horse manure, cereal straw, elephant grass, or sawdust will also provide enough nurture for the organism. Fermented horse manure and chopped tobacco stems are the fastest growing substrate for Agaricus bisporus spawn. Over one hundred fifty types of waste have been tested to grow mushrooms. Depending on the type of fungi, obviously different types of compost will create more health and growth opportunities, but mushrooms will only survive where their conditions for life are met.

Gender Construction of Roles and Social Learning Theory

Gender Construction of Roles and Social Learning Theory Contextualizing- Gender and Social Background to the Private and Public livelihoods of African women in the Diaspora (Case study -Gothenburg, Sweden). Introduction People in every community are ascribed to gendered attributes that shape and impact their life styles. Darly and Rake (2003) contend that such gendered attributes involve sex relations encompassing resources, social roles and power relations. Hence, the perception and doing of gender is very subjective and much so inferred according to social contexts and history (Gruber and Stefanov, 2002). The implication here is that the significance and consequence of gender construction and the way it is practiced is discrete upon background and contextual factors. The baffle often comes when individuals and groups of people settle on willful or involuntary choices to relocate to new places that have distinctive gender constructions and practices. How are they likely to cope; are their interpretations likely to change and embrace new ones-thereby turning out to be totally transformed? Would their gender norms be inflexibly maintained? Or would people consolidate and get lost between different cu ltures? Gendered research into migration demonstrates that migrant women (particularly those who originate from the developing world) as a rule experience troubles grappling with their changed gender roles as they settle in other countries (Gavanas, 2010; Sawyer,2008; Deacon, 2009). This is on the account that gender roles in the diaspora tend to differ from those of their original nations. This is especially so in the Western World where these tend to give more autonomy, self-determination and freedom (Deacon, 2009). This study sought to examine and clarify how the gender divisions of roles influence the status and position of a group of African women (living in Gothenburg) inside their families as well as their general participation in the Swedish society. The research was conducted between January to June 2012, as part of the fullfullment for my master study at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. The main research question was; How does the gender division of roles affect the s tatus and position of a group of African women (living in Gothenburg), within and outside their families? The current report will discuss the analysis outcome of three interviews with African women. The process of analysis Analysis can take various approaches including, literal; interpretive; and reflexive (Welsh, 2002; Miles and Huberman,1994). Miles and Huberman (1994) identify three types of activities that make up the analysis process. First, is data reduction. This refers to the process of selecting, focusing, simplifying, abstracting and transforming the data that appear in written-up field notes or transcriptions (Miles and Huberman 1994, p.10). This procedure may likewise be known as data familialisation (Fielding Lee,1991), indicating a process of condensing and consolidating of the data to make it sensible. The second activity is data display.This refers to an organised, compressed assembly of information that permits conclusion drawing and action (Miles and Huberman 1994, p.11). This includes transforming expanded writings into instantly available, minimal frames of reference so that the researcher can perceive what is occurring and either reach defended determinations or proceed onward to the following phase of investigation.This can als be known as the decriptive (Fielding Lee,1991) stage of data analysis. The final activity of data analysis is conclusion drawing and verification. Drawing conclusions relates to deciding on the actual meaning of phenomenon, in otherwards data is explained. On the other hand, verification means testing meaning for their plausibility, their sturdiness, and their confirmability (Miles and Huberman 1994, p.11). These procedures happen persistently and iteratively and feed into each other, for the entire duration of the research. Advantages and disadvantages of Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software (CAQDAS). There are different software packages ranging from text retrievers, code and retrieve packages as well as theory building software (Gibbs, Friese and Mungabeira, 2002; Fielding Lee,1991). This section discusses the importance and shortcomings of using CAQDAS sduch as Nvivo. Utilizing CAQDAS can save time and energy of a qualitative researcher. This is mainly because CAQDAS can help with the mechanical aspects of qualitative data analysis which include marking up the highlighted text with the codes, generating reports, searching the text for key terms (Gibbs, Friese and Mungabeira, 2002) which would be time consuming, inconvenient and fatiguing (Lee and Fielding, 1995) for the researcher. Besides, this also decreases the mistakes which could lead to some aspects of data being ignored by the researcher perhaps due to some bias or omission. Despite this though, the art and interpretation depends on the individual researcher. As Gibbs, Friese and Mungabeira (2002) have argued that conceptual aspects of the analysis such as reading the text, interpreting it, creating coding schemes and identifying useful searches and reports all depend on human art ( p.4). CAQDAS can enable teamwork and exchange of ideas throughout the whole analysis process which can thus reduce on delays and also help with member checking as ideas develop. The research team does so by uploading all filed notes into the software and these may be easily shared among them electronically (Lee and Fielding, 1995). The only challenge with this way of working is that attention paid to issue salience or uniqueness of cases and situations may be reduced as teams try to share ideas. CAQDAS such as NVivo decreases boredom which might be experienced in the repetitive procedure of transcribing and creating codes all through to the report writing stage. This is possible because other than the ordinary style working with just plain texts, these programs allow for incorporation of rich text, audio, videos and any multimedia data (Gibbs, Friese and Mungabeira, 2002) which can make the entire process of analysis interactive and engaging for researchers. The risk associated with this is ambiguity because as researchers attempt to deal with a blend of information, consideration might be moved to videos and the richness of content might be ignored. This may lessen the sort of depth of interpretation which they can give to any of the material. Aside from that, the software is not free, one may likewise require extra training in order to have the capacity to utilize it effectively. CAQDAS can also help to make the analysis process more effective and transparent more than the manual method. This helps to improve the quality of the research that is produced. Gibbs, Friese and Mungabeira (2002 ) argue that while in quantitative research there can be techniques for checking authenticity, this might be hard for qualitative researchers.The counter contention by Welsh (2002) is that validity and reliability difficulties still exist notwithstanding when the analysis is done using a software, as a result of the fluid and creative routes through which the themes emerge; suggesting that the human analysist is especially vital and cannot be separated from this process. Additionally, the theoretical lens through which the researcher uses to approach the phenomena, the strategies that the researcher uses to collect and construct data and his or her epistemological understandings about what might be relevant in answering the questions are all analytic process and influence da ta (Thorne 2000, p.68). Hence, the analytic process may not be entirely distinguishable from the actual data produced (Thorne, 2000). That said, we cannot deny the fact that CAQDAS provides an efficient and smarter way of sorting and organizing data for proper management and analysis; much as it is critical to reflect on how much the software can be able to do. The software is not capable of undertaking the intellectual and conceptual procedures which are necessary for transforming data into useful research (Welsh, 2002; Thorne, 2000; Fielding Lee,1991). Process of analysis First, I uploaded the transcripts into NVivo 11 software. After that, I started developing general codes according to the study goals (Bazeley Richards,2000). However, as I read the transcripts over and over again, new nodes kept on emerging. With a full list of numerous nodes, I realised that some nodes actually expressed the same idea and could be merged, so I categorised and classified the related nodes, cut and pasted them into the parent nodes and came up with broader and expanded nodes. Bazeley Richards (2000) assert that codes can are essential for identifying topics, themes or issues and unite the data segments. Categorising the nodes helped me to get rid of the redundant nodes. And actually a few redundant nodes which I had formulated earlier on, have been excluded from the analysis since they could not add up to any thick description of the data. This exercise involved an iterative and reflective process of working back and forth through the transcripts so as to avoid mer ging nodes that expressed different ideas. I also made descriptions and memos as I coded which helped me to reflect on the nodes afterwards. This was also important in developing a deeper analysis of the data. Interview transcripts were analyzed through induction following a phenomenological approach. An analytic induction explores patterns and relationships in the data and uses such to generate tentative hypotheses or ideas so as to develop general conclusions or theory.I will borrow a few features from Grounded theory approach advanced by Strauss and Corbin (1990) and Miller (2000). The grounded theory approach allows for continuous and repetitive working with the findings in order to develop themes which can be built into models arising from the data. mechanisms of women towards addressing their health needs. The grounded theory approach was useful to draw comparisons (Thorne, 2000) between married women and the single woman. Thus, much as there are elements of grounded theory within my analytical approach, my research took a more inductive and phenomenological approach. All interview data were be analyzed using a phenomenological approach done in stages as proposed by (Hycner 1985,p.28 0-293). Firstly, Interview were transcibed verbatim and literally in the way it was it will be presented by respondents. In addition, all nonverbal and para- linguistic communications (Hycner, 1985) from the interviews were noted so as to draw meaning from them.Secondly, I engaged in bracketing and phenomenological reduction. Bracketing involves suspension of the researchers meanings and interpretations and entering into the unique world of the individual who was interviewed while (Hycner 1985). , Keen (1975, p.38 in Hycner 1985) alludes that: The phenomenological reduction is a conscious, effortful, opening of ourselves to the phenomenon as a phenomenon. And since, I already had the transcripts,I read through them with openness to derive meaning.The third stage involves listening to the interview or reading the transcription several times to get a sense of the whole. Hycner 1985 states that as you listen or read, its imporatnt to make memos; which aid in delineating the units of general mea ning. This fourth stage is about crystallization and condensation of the what the respondents said leading to a unit of general meaning while referring to the reseacrh question (p.282).This involves paying attention to the actual content of the findings while referring to the initial research question to see if the collected data is relevant and at this point irrelevant findings might be excluded from the analysis. Next is to have independent judges to verify the units of relevant meaning to see if the findings are authentic, then redundancies are taken out, depending on both the literal content and looking at the number of times and the way meanings were mentioned. The other step is clustering units of relevant meaning. This is an iterative process of working through the units of meaning through examining their essence. This also depends on the context under which a unit was mentioned. Next is to determine central themes from these clusters of meaning. This also involves interrogating the clusters as well as working through the segments of the transcript. After this, next a summary of individual interviews is done while trying to incorporate the themes, this also gives a sense of the whole. After this, Hycner recommends to do validity check with our interviewees to see if what we have actually represents what they tried to bring forward. In my research this process will be done retrospectively, that is, immediately after interviewing. After this then, themes are modified and then general and unique themes are identified for all the interviews. This step looks out for common themes in all the interviews as well as individual variations or uniqueness and these clustered under general themes. This step requires patience so as not to merge themes that do not match or are somewhat unique without which the significance of some themes may be lost. Finally, is the contextualization of themes. This step requires that all the general and unique themes from the rigorous process are placed back into the initial contexts from which they developed so as to get a deeper understanding of the phenomenon under investigation. As such the analysis is presented with evidence from the actual words of the interviewees. Hycner (1985) alludes that the process takes fourteen steps but in this research, some of these were done simultaneously as the research progressed. The phenomenological approach is not without limitations. For example, phenomenological analysis is associated with of the following challenges; Phenomenological analysis may be very exhausting if you are dealing with large amounts of data and since it is suitable for few cases, the data may be difficult to generalise. This holds water but does not eliminate the value of the findings since these usually represent the experience of individuals which is itself unique and informative (Hycner 1985). Secondly, there is the issue of randonmness and the subjective influence of the resaercher. The citisim is that respondents are selected because of who they are, or depending on their experienece with the phenomena. As result there might be subjective influence in both interviewing and in analysing data. The women were chosen purposefully to provide their experince, but the analysis has undergone a thoruogh process. Findings Gender and gender role formation Gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women (WHO, 2017). Gender categorization portrays cultural values and norms and is therefore an outcome of extensive interactions between individual socialization processes inside families and broader social-cultural order (Becker-Schmidt 1993, cited in Gruber and Stefanov, 2002). Buckingham-Hatfield (2000, p. 67) contends that the gender identity that individuals acquire over time infers two types of connections, that between the two genders and that between gender and society Gender roles thus allude to the degree to which standards and practices are social and patterned for women and men (Darly and Rake, 2003). The data shows that women mainly predominate in the traditional gender roles like cooking, taking care of children, doing laundry work and making their homes neat. I dont even relax in the evening, I come back directly in the kitchen, starts cooking and then we eat around six oclock then we see homework and what happened at school and then you prepare them for bed (Married woman) Womanly in my view, I mean taking care of the home, having meals done and checking on the childrens work and following up to see that their home works are done, (Single woman) In addition, all the women indicated that they are bread winners. Contrastingly, the married women work mainly to supplement their husbands income but not necessarily to enhance their positions. As such, the married women take on part time work so that they can balance that with home assignments while the single woman labours to sustain her family. Kunovich and Kunovich (2008) contrasts that married women have less egalitarian attitudes toward housework and childcare compared with single women; that even in nations with more noteworthy gender equality (like Sweden) only have more libertarian attitudes toward separate spheres of work, yet not toward housework or childcare. On this account, Gavanas (2010) demonstrates that in European settings, care and household labor have been traditionally viewed as womens domaincarriedout for free as a labor of love. Determinants of womens roles The Swedish values and laws emerged as some of the factors that determine womens roles. According to the Swedish Ministry of Integration and Gender Equality (2009), the Swedish gender equality policy is aimed at fighting and changing systems that preserve the sex-based appropriation of power and resources in society; and, guaranteeing that women and men appreciate similar power and chances to shape their own lives. Such impacts however usually stream less to the immigrants henceforth Swedens gender equality discourse is dominated by various leveled classification of the population into Swedes and immigrants with representations of gender unequal immigrants being eminent(Towns 2002, p.157). Additionally, numerous migrant women are utilized in the informal economy, especially as domestic workers, mind specialists, nurses or entertainers- henceforth, reinforcing conventional gender segregation and inequalities in the labor market (Anja and Andrea 2010, p.48). None the less, Brettell (20 08) has put light to the new changes which happen in family and kinship patterns as an outcome of migration and highlighted the feeling of control that women gain as immigrants. To some extent, the women I interviewed have adopted the Swedish values of equality in their homes. This is partially because they are married to Swedish partners who are used to the values of equality and thus, occasionally accept to take on household chores flexibility. Yeah thats something special for Sweden. And also then taking paternity leave, its very special for Sweden because also a dad participates (Married woman) he earns more than me and he makes more decisions than me but also being in Sweden and being married to a Swedish person, they are very much about equality (Married woman) Further on, women have adopted equality values because of the demands on women. Women have familial roles yet they also have to work outside the home. Metz-Gckel (1993) and Becker-Schmidt and Knapp (1995) contended that the structural significance of gender is attached to the dual role of women in society from one perspective in the private reproductive sphere controlled by patriarchal power structures and then again in the market initiated societal sphere under the control of the profit-oriented organization of the productive sphere (cited in Gruber and Stefanov 2002, p. 3). Yeah its because I have changed, I have changed. I came to understand that its very important to help each other especially in this, this Europe. (Married woman) Aside from demands, the women have also been influenced by the Swedish women whom they see as autonomous and independent in the way they live their lives. These relationships have made African women to reflect on their positions within their families. Again being here and looking at Swedish women here, the way they are independent, the relationships between a man and a woman (Married woman) Yeah in one way I think, I have friends, I have Swedish friends and you see how people live, and you see them in the homes, how things are done, when I talk to my friends they say I did this, and it can a little bit yeah it can help you out (Married woman) The challenge however is that because of the hierarchical gender relationship, male dominance controls the private and public spheres (Gruber and Stefanov, 2002; LeVine, 1966). Despite that, adopting the Swedish values of equality has empowered the women to be able to discuss their grievances with their husbands. Norms also determine what women do inside their families and in general society circles. Each of the respondents battled that there are specific obligations which should be for women and others for men. In their view, the light tasks and those which are less stressful like dealing with the little things in the house are feminine. Male duties are those that need skill like fixing bulbs and those that require monetary assets like dealing with bills. This was alluded to irrespective of marital status. For stance, the single woman was content with the freedom she has-being the major decision maker for her children and family yet communicated trouble with taking care of bills. I think Im comfortable, they are moments when I sit and I think, now I think I need a husband in my life who is going to pay for the rent, I dont want to pay rent, I mean there are times, when I really have this mind that I need to turn down and also feel like a woman (Single woman) once my mother called and then she asked me where I was and I said ok- Im in the living room watching TV, and your husband? I said he is in the kitchen doing dishes so my mother was very hungry on the phone. What! You are sitting and your husband is in the kitchen doing dishes, I didnt teach you that. I was like ok, mama, this is Europe. Yeah its Europe but you are not European (Married woman) Social role theory deduces that people occupy positions in social structures associated with roles that may either be attributed or achieved (Payne, 1997). The model clarifies that the societal division of work produces diffuse gender roles for specific genders and in this way confers broad expectations depending on each gender (Diekman and Schneider, 2010). This sort of development implies that men and women take part in different household assignments to demonstrate and reaffirm their gendered selves as expected of them by others. Personality also emerged as an imperative component that determines womens roles and workload inside their families. For example, one woman insinuated the way she appreciates doing the family tasks yet for some, they are perfectionists trusting that they know best what is useful for their families. All these decide the workload of women and additionally whether they are ready to request for support from their partners and friends. But I sometimes feel that I take too much also and that way Patrick balances me and he tells me I dont think you need to do this, although you have made a commitment here and there. Its personality. (Married woman) I would say that I as a person Im a strong person who would really like to take on what Im not unable to do (Single woman) On the other hand, personality decides womens engagement in the public sphere. Women who are open and ready to connect with the wider society say, through welcoming friends to their homes really have a bigger network or social contacts and a number of social activities to engaged in. I mean naturally Im born, Im a social person. So I easily create social contacts and through that I see that Im reaching out more to others So in that way I have more activities than I really want. (Single woman) like I said, Swedes are very cold people, very difficult to have, its hard to have a relationship with a Swede, I remember I really worked on it because I wanted to meet them. I remember I was calling, inviting people home and all the friends we have now are from me, I mean from my efforts. I did really effort to have them (Married woman) Socialisation is the other factor that determines womens roles. Women implied the way they were raised and indicated pride for their social childhood. The Social learningtheory explains how gender roles are produced in everyday lives particularly in childhood depending on the setting. The model is grounded on three main concepts including, observational learning, imitation, and modeling (Ormrod, 1999). This theory deduces that behavior is acquired through re-enforcements and modeling; however, in the absence of these, social learning may occur through observation and imitation of others (Golombok and Fivush 1994, p.76). Subsequently, gender role practices are acquired through the same procedures as every other conduct (Bandura, 1977, cited in Golombok and Fivush 1994, p.76).Miller (2011) demonstrates that the interplay between cognitive, affective, biological, and socio structural aspects influence the process of gender role development. Many women alluded to their childhood and the qualities they saw and learnt as children. I think its me. I think its also has to do with African upbringing and being the eldest. (Married woman) You have to help your parents. Because I remember when my dad told us about that. We were there not to just lay back and sleep but we were there to help our mum (Married woman) Interestingly these women are married to Swedish partners but one of them maintained that her Swedish partner emphasised the patriarchal structure through encouraging her to maintain her African thing. Now this is not known if this particular husband is really happy with the so called African thing or if it is a strategy for him to relax as the woman takes on the donkey work. Like I said from the beginning my husband is more African than- I mean more Congolese than me, he says to me E, I feel you are losing that African thing when I tell him my husband help me he says that E, men in Africa are not in the kitchen. (Married woman) In the African tradition, family and kinship are the most imperative institutions and social life is mainly structured on norms (Therborn, 2004); thus gender is generally a collective classification with regard to general norms and values (Adkins and Lury 1995, in Gruber and Stefanov, 2002). Therborn (2004, p.118) alludes that African custom is for male control of women and that wifely subordination is still a major phenomenon of African social life. Spirituality is likewise critical in determining what roles women take on as well as the decisions they make for themselves and their families. All the women said that they are Christians and that God is an essential figure in whatever they do. As one of them described, Of course Prayer is the foundation that builds a home. Indeed, they all specified congregational activities as a major aspect of the social activities they take an interest in. One of them recounted, I devoted my life ever since I came to Sweden to do Gods work and that I can do, normally when you are doing dishes, you dont clash with any one. When you are doing your cleaning or dishes (Single woman) These responses mirror Foucaults elucidation of the social distribution of roles by referring to nature. He alludes that gods directly prepared the womans nature for indoor works and the man for works of the open air. Thus, the natural oppositeness of man and woman and the specificity of their aptitudes are indissociably tied to the good order; and inversely, order demands them as obligations (Foucault 1984, in p.158-159). Impact of roles on the status of women One of the effects of gender roles on women has to do with sacrifice. The dual role of women, makes it is inevitable for women to make sacrifices. They need to negotiate between seeking after their careers or to tend to their families. For instance, all the women perceived the significance of education and actually disclosed that they had enrolled for training courses. However, this meant negotiations on the priorities, they felt that they needed to deal with their family demands to start with, before they could consider undertaking courses or even pursue careers. Moreover, women do take on part time jobs as a sacrifice for their families particularly when they have little children. The less priority which women ascribe to activities outside the family further suggests that in the meantime, they forfeit their own economic progress. Family reasons, I mean my children are still young and I had to settle down in my job and I mean, somehow have a base in my working life and also balance it with the children at home, because now being a single mother in Sweden, it takes up all the energy and everything that I have so then I havent been able to take on extra studies beyond what I can do on a normal day. (Single woman) I dont work full time. From the beginning we decided with my husband that I will not do full time. He did- doing full time. We felt like I was needed home (Married woman) These discoveries are not unique to these women. Research elsewhere demonstrates that women are more committed to the private sphere as moms, carers and domestic workers while men are more concentrated in the public circles (Buckingham-Hatfield, 2000; Donato et al, 2006). For instance, in a survey of European women, it was discovered that 90 percent of women valued the family as the most significant sphere of their life (Gruber and Stefanov 2002, p.21). Besides, women are also not completely accepted in the public arena but are rather permitted to participate there just on sufferance (Buckingham-Hatfield, 2000). Thus, for majority of partnerships in Central Europe, housework and caring for children are undertakings performed principally by women while fathers primarily play and only share their leisure activities with the children; yet women who struggle to be productive need to sacrifice child care and much more house work to the formal paid employment (Esping-Andersen, 2009; Grube r and Stefanov, 2002). Finally, power developed as one of the advantages that women derive from the sort of roles they undertake. Because women take care of the homes and children, they are more required in basic leadership and decision making particularly in matters regarding household welfare. This is for both the married and the single woman. In any case, the reasons behind this control are distinctive. The single woman derives her power from the reality that she is the sole provider in the home; whereas for the married women, it is mostly in light of the fact that their spouses tend to distance themselves from family unit matters. I have freedom of independence that at times I feel in myself and say thank you Lord, Im able to make decisions on my own whether I make wrong decisions I come back to myself and say I did that wrongà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Independent in every way economic, social, independent woman, very powerful. (single woman) Keeping in mind the end goal to see how gender roles, impinge on the societal position and prosperity of women in the private and open circles; it is reasonable to consider the measure of assets at womens disposal and also power relations (Sen, 2001). Such viewpoints explain the agency aspects (like, womens earning power, ability to act, economic role outside the family, literacy and education, property rights) which exceptionally contribute to womens voice, independence and empowerment (Sen ,2001). For example, working outside the home and acquiring an autonomous wage enhances and upgr

Societys Rejects and Barry Hines Kestrel for a Knave Essay -- Barry

Society's Rejects and Barry Hines' "Kestrel for a Knave" A kestrel for a knave is about a poor troubled Yorkshire lad by the name of Billy Casper. What he imagines to be out of reach and unbelievable are things we take for granted. He imagines love from his parents and just normal, every day things like fish and chips for supper and someone being nice to him. For Billy, that is a dream that will never become reality. Treated as a failure at school and unhappy at home, Billy discovers a new passion in life when he finds Kes, a kestrel hawk. Billy identifies with her silent strength and she inspires in him the trust and love that nothing else can. I don’t think that Kes gives Billy the power to revolutionize and turn around his social life, because she doesn’t. But Kes is extremely close to Billy’s heart. Kes gives Billy a sense of satisfaction and achievement. Kes gives Billy the will to live another day while other is Billy’s position would have given up on life long ago. Kes is effectively Billy’s best friend and whom he spends most of his spare time with and would have continues to do so after he left school if event wouldn’t have gone the way they had done. Billy is portrayed as someone who has given up on everything as he knows he wont get a second chance, and that he’s future is going down the same road as his older brother Jud. Billy has been made to look after himself for most of his life as he’s dad has left him and his mum is too busy worrying about herself. He’s had to learn to find ways to find food and that is stealing from anyone, anywhere. For example he takes a bottle of milk from the milkman, he steals sweets from the little store where he has a job to deliver newspapers. The shop ... ...assroom. This is also a good example for his punctuation as he uses short sentences, â€Å"the scuffle of a turning page† etc. the problem with using so much description is that it leaves the readers having no imagination on the scene or character. Most of the book is written as Billy’s thoughts on things and he doesn’t use speech that much to describe things. This book reflects on many issues that still carry on today but have got even more serious. It shows how lucky we are to have a family who care and love us and how important it is not to take it for granted, as there are many children who don’t know the feeling of being loved. I think Barry Hines used a very good story to bring the message across on how people can be made to feel. And that everyone deserves a second chance and should not be judged on wealth but on the persons morals and personality.

Symbols, Symbolism, and Metaphor in The Great Gatsby Essay -- Great Ga

Metaphors and Symbolisms in The Great Gatsby    In the novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses many different metaphors and symbolisms to express his point.   In this essay the point that I wish to make is how Fitzgerald uses colors to develop image, feelings, and scenery depiction to let the reader feel the emotions and other aspects being portrayed in that particular part in the book.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Like every other essay one must address the major points that will be addressed.  Ã‚  Ã‚   This essay suggests the hopefulness of Nick's venture in the East and of Gatsby's dream to win Daisy.   Fitzgerald uses the colors of white and green as suggestions of future promise.   As the novel unfolds and the uselessness of the dream is developed, the colors become garish shades such as gold, silver, and pink.      Ã‚  Ã‚   White and green are shown throughout the beginning of the novel, first, through green and white luminous light.   Daisy is constantly shown in white. When Nick first sees his cousin (Daisy), she is wearing a white dress.   In my mind, white depicts virginity, innocence, honesty, wealth, and the appearance of cleanliness.   Later on I will discuss how this image of Daisy is false. She is extremely corrupt, and all her actions are based on self-gratitude. Green is also portrayed in the earlier parts of this novel.   It is a symbol of hope.   This probably is referring to Gatsby's second chance at romance with Daisy, and his dream with America being able to make all your dreams come true.   Gatsby believes that there is hope for his future relationship with Daisy.   We view his r... ... being swollen with silver, as if to say that it was done in a bad way.      Ã‚  Ã‚   The last color portrayed heavily when discussing the character of Gatsby is pink.   Pink is a sign of embarrassment.   When Gatsby states that Daisy never loved Tom, she has always been in love with him, he was shocked to hear from her own mouth that she loved both of them.   This placed Gatsby in a very uncomfortable situation and   this event finally brought him over the edge.      Ã‚  Ã‚   Over the course of this novel we saw how the plot slowly changes from the rich and exquisite life of the wealthy, to the stubborn, arrogant, and selfish values that each of these characters possessed, especially Gatsby. Corruption reigned so high in their society; it was viewed as something to be of usual nature.    Symbols, Symbolism, and Metaphor in The Great Gatsby Essay -- Great Ga Metaphors and Symbolisms in The Great Gatsby    In the novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses many different metaphors and symbolisms to express his point.   In this essay the point that I wish to make is how Fitzgerald uses colors to develop image, feelings, and scenery depiction to let the reader feel the emotions and other aspects being portrayed in that particular part in the book.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Like every other essay one must address the major points that will be addressed.  Ã‚  Ã‚   This essay suggests the hopefulness of Nick's venture in the East and of Gatsby's dream to win Daisy.   Fitzgerald uses the colors of white and green as suggestions of future promise.   As the novel unfolds and the uselessness of the dream is developed, the colors become garish shades such as gold, silver, and pink.      Ã‚  Ã‚   White and green are shown throughout the beginning of the novel, first, through green and white luminous light.   Daisy is constantly shown in white. When Nick first sees his cousin (Daisy), she is wearing a white dress.   In my mind, white depicts virginity, innocence, honesty, wealth, and the appearance of cleanliness.   Later on I will discuss how this image of Daisy is false. She is extremely corrupt, and all her actions are based on self-gratitude. Green is also portrayed in the earlier parts of this novel.   It is a symbol of hope.   This probably is referring to Gatsby's second chance at romance with Daisy, and his dream with America being able to make all your dreams come true.   Gatsby believes that there is hope for his future relationship with Daisy.   We view his r... ... being swollen with silver, as if to say that it was done in a bad way.      Ã‚  Ã‚   The last color portrayed heavily when discussing the character of Gatsby is pink.   Pink is a sign of embarrassment.   When Gatsby states that Daisy never loved Tom, she has always been in love with him, he was shocked to hear from her own mouth that she loved both of them.   This placed Gatsby in a very uncomfortable situation and   this event finally brought him over the edge.      Ã‚  Ã‚   Over the course of this novel we saw how the plot slowly changes from the rich and exquisite life of the wealthy, to the stubborn, arrogant, and selfish values that each of these characters possessed, especially Gatsby. Corruption reigned so high in their society; it was viewed as something to be of usual nature.   

U01A1 Zara Rapid Fire Fullfilment

U01a1 Zara Rapid-Fire Fulfillment Steven A. Shapiro Capella University European clothing retailer Zara has been highlighted in several publications as a model for its supply chain management. This retail chain exists as a subsidiary of â€Å"Spain’s largest apparel manufacturer and retailer† (Chopra & Meindl, 2012, p. 14). The most telling account of Zara’s success is detailed in an article for Harvard Business Review entitled, ‘Rapid-Fire Fulfillment’. Here, authors Ferdows, Lewis and Machuca (2004) describe three key principles that Zara relies on to maintain its success†¦ * Close the communication loop Stick to a rhythm across the entire chain * Leverage your capital assets to increase supply chain flexibility (Ferdows, et al. , 2004) The first of these principles, ‘Close the communication loop’, outlines the processes by which information is transferred quickly between its valuable customer base and the designers. This open and nimble communication allows Zara to have a better understanding of the pulse of its customers; which in turn, allows the company to stock its stores with clothing the customer wants when they want it.The next principle, ‘Stick to a rhythm across the entire chain’ is outlined by Ferdows, et al. (2007) when they wrote, â€Å"at Zara, rapid timing and synchronicity are paramount† (p. 107). The authors go on to highlight the rigidness by which Zara holds its retail stores to time-bound deadlines for things like product ordering. Missing a deadline is highly frowned upon and can result in a retail store losing that opportunity to obtain additional products.The third principle, ‘Leverage your capital assets to increase supply chain flexibility’ is fairly self-explanatory. The concept is that Zara funds the supply chain not only to run at an efficient manner with their in-house processes, but it outsources the easier parts of the processes as well. The auth ors of the article write, â€Å"[Zara] produces complicated products in-house and outsources simple ones† (Ferdows, et al. , 2004, p. 107). These guiding principles allow Zara’s supply chain to drive the company’s growth and success versus its less agile competitors.One example of this is given in the text, Supply Chain Management, by Chopra and Meindl (2012), these authors demonstrate this, saying, â€Å"Whereas design-to-sales cycle times in the apparel industry have traditionally averaged more than six months, Zara has achieved cycle times of four to six weeks† (p. 14). That difference is significant and is what allows Zara to take action based on the communication they receive above and rapidly react to customer demand in a way their competitors cannot.The most unique aspect of Zara’s supply chain model is its level of control over all aspects of its business; far more than its competitors. The authors of the HBR piece build on this point, stat ing, â€Å"Instead of relying on outside partners, the company manages all design, warehousing, distribution, and logistics functions itself. Even many of its day-to-day operational procedures differ from the norm† (Ferdows, et al. , 2004, p. 106). Another component of Zara’s success, beyond just its maniacal control, is its belief in ensuring its processes and departments are funded for success.This is especially true for the information technology department. A fact which Chopra and Meindl (2012) conveyed when they wrote, â€Å"Zara has also invested heavily in information technology to ensure that the latest sales data are available to drive replenishment and production decisions† (p. 14) In conclusion, though Zara has been highly praised for its innovative supply chain management techniques, this praise is well deserved. It is clear from reading these two disparate accounts of Zara’s practices that they have truly developed a successful and unique sup ply chain to enhance their business.The three principles that are at the core of the Zara philosophy serve to enhance their customer’s experience and continue to deliver value for their customer where competitors cannot. References Chopra, S. , & Meindl, P. (2012). Supply chain management (5th ed. ) [Electronic]. Indianapolis, IN: Prentice Hall. Ferdows, K. , Lewis, M. A. , & Machuca, J. D. (2004). Rapid-Fire Fulfillment. Harvard Business Review, 82(11), 104-110.

Human Resources Presentation Outline Essay

Complete a slide-by-slide outline of your Human Resources Presentation using Microsoft ® PowerPoint ®. Consider the layout and the speaker’s notes for each slide in addition to the wording on the slide. Include the following in your outline: On each slide: List the main topics. List two or three subtopics. In the speaker’s note section: Describe the layout or appearance of the slide. Include a brief description of the text the speaker notes will contain. Human Resources Presentation â€Å"Team Presentation† As senior members of the human resources team, you have been asked to give a presentation on the state of the union to the board of directors. The presentation must include past, present, and future legal issues. Create a 12- to 15-slide Microsoft ® PowerPoint ® presentation with detailed speaker notes summarizing your findings to the board. Use complete sentences, with correct grammar and punctuation, to fully explain each slide as if you were giving an in-person presentation. In your presentation, include at least two main points for each of the following bullets: †¢State and federal statutory and regulatory enactments related to patients’ rights and responsibilities †¢Current principles of patient consent and the resulting implications for the health care industry †¢The current state and future trends of physicians’ rights and responsibilities in the delivery of health care †¢Current components and implications of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) (LINDA’ part) †¢Brief summary of current and future trends for statutory, regulatory, and common law requirements of confidentiality in the health care industry  (LINDA’s part) †¢Current and future legal and ethical obligations relating to the documentation, retention, storage, and use of medical records Format your presentation consistent with APA guidelines and References. Each one of us is doing a total of 4 slides 2 for each bullet, so I only need a total of 4 slides.