Women Studies and its Effect on the Perception of Women

Introduction Women have always been instrumental in various development activities in our societies yet very little is known about them. Until the second half of the 20th century, many scholars never bothered to talk about women in their writings. The few scholars that wrote about women simply mentioned them in passing, but they never gave them a critical analysis.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Women Studies and its Effect on the Perception of Women specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More â€Å"Women’s studies were first conceived in the late 1970s, as the second wave of feminism gained political influence in the academic circles, through students and faculty activism† (Austen and Pearce 12). Women studies became part of ethnic studies in the United States. The scholars who became interested in studying women had to endure myriad challenges. This paper therefore seeks to discuss women studies and its eff ect on our perception of women. Lack of evidence on women activities was a serious challenge in women scholarship. This is because many people who wrote the ancient history of their societies never mentioned anything to do with women. For example, many scholars only gravitated on men’s superiority and their writings mostly portrayed women as house helps. Therefore it was not easy to get information especially on women’s engagement in economic and political activities, which were predominantly men’s domain. Oral tradition and interviews were therefore used at large by the scholars that studied women. These sources failed to give a complete analysis of women. Many Europeans were really affected by the problem of racism and this was manifested in their historical writings about other races. For example, African history was mainly reconstructed by scholars from Europe and other countries, who had a negative feeling on African women. They therefore gave a biased acco unt of women. Scholars who started women studies had to rely on European documents to study women in different places. This was met by many challenges since they could not distinguish between genuine and biased information from those sources.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Scholars who studied the activities of women always received much criticism from gender biased people who never so the importance of those studies. They saw women studies as a competition against their history. Scholarship requires a lot of resources especially when one gets involved in a new academic field which is unpopular. It was therefore difficult for the women scholars to get funding because of lack of interest by some people. Women scholarship has really changed our understanding of the past in many ways. First, we have been able to get a better understanding of the political activities that happened in the p ast. Before women studies began, it was generally believed that men were the only people that engaged in politics. This perception was changed. Women indeed participated in politics at various levels. In some communities they had a complete control of their territories, while in some societies women took leadership positions in the government. Economic history has been reconstructed by the help of women studies which also reveals that economic activities in the past were partly developed by women. Such studies have indicated that women were part off trading and agricultural activities. Even during the colonial America, women went a head and engaged in black smith trade that was believed to be a men’s activity. Women studies have generally revolutionized our perception and attitude toward women. Through these studies we have been able to engage more women in politics (Kerber 189). This has enabled us to improve our governments since the decisions made by women politicians have proved to be equally important as those of men. Democracy has therefore been enhanced through women studies. Gender equality has been promoted by women studies which have reveled that women still remain largely marginalized in many ways. This has led to formation of interest groups that now fight for women empowerment and gender equality. Gender equality has enhanced efficiency in our societies because decision making and distribution of resources has become better due to women participation in politics. â€Å"Susan Antony ones said that women bring a new perspective in politics†. This statement has been adopted by many leaders and they have changed their attitudes toward leadership roles.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Women Studies and its Effect on the Perception of Women specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Conclusion Information about women remained obscure for a long duration, but it has now changed s ince the introduction of women studies in the academic circles. Today many scholars acknowledge the fact that women were important in the developments that took place in our communities. â€Å"John Edward Philips, in his book ‘Writing African History,’ mentioned that his ignorance of women in his writing of African history gave him an incomplete picture of the African situation† (Philips 120). Women studies has also brought paradigm shift from male dominated politics to equal political representation in many countries today. For example, â€Å"Ellen Joseph Sir leaf who was appointed as the first female president in Africa greatly changed our perception of women† (Austen and Pearce 204). With this change in perception about women, we therefore envisage a better future free from gender discrimination. We also hope that women will be empowered even more in all spheres of life. Works Cited Austen, Jane and Joseph Pearce. Pride and prejudice. Berkley: Ignatius Press, 2008 . Kerber, Linda. Women’s America: refocusing the past. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. Philips, John. Writing African history. New York: University of Rochester Press, 2005. This essay on Women Studies and its Effect on the Perception of Women was written and submitted by user Jayleen Z. 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.

Environmental Analysis of New Restaurant Essays

Environmental Analysis of New Restaurant Essays Environmental Analysis of New Restaurant Paper Environmental Analysis of New Restaurant Paper Restaurant Industry Analysis With an increasing number of people working in office environments and growing amply households with two parents in the workforce, time to prepare food at home is limited. Consumers under time constraints are opting to eat outside in cafes and restaurants, with price-conscious consumers often turning to fast-food options such as mobile trucks and street stalls. Restaurant industry has four general segments according to the service customers receive: full service, quick service, eating and drinking place and retail host. Full service dining locations do not require any food preparation by customer as well as service of food. Fast-food chains that offer buffets and aka-out service represent quick service locations. Eating and drinking place sector includes caterers and refreshment stand vendors. And the retail host is located within the gas stations and retail-host restaurants. Fine dining restaurants are full-service restaurants with an upscale menu and extensive beverage offerings. The restaurants generally have a more sophisticated dcore and ambiance, the wait staff is usually highly trained and often wears more formal attire, and there is often a dress code for patrons. The most important factors that customers expect from the upscale dining establishment are food quality, service and VII treatment. The profit of fine dining establishments depends for the most part on business entertaining, and the volume of the business people that charge their dinners on expense accounts declined dramatically after the recession. As a result, the upscale dining segment is reconsidering their offerings very carefully in order to be able to compete in the market and attract customers. Since the consumers are still watching their spending a majority of upscale dining restaurants went in the direction of new pricing strategies and innovations as well as creating casual dining environments. Trends Of casual fine dining have led to the implementation Of two different concepts within one establishment: casual bar areas with small-plate offerings and formal dining spaces for the whole experience. Key trends that help the restaurant industry to keep the balance and improve the sales are mergers and acquisitions, driven by private equity firms with greater access to the capital markets; open credit markets with improved rates, terms and required equity contributions and the focus on the local sourcing, sustainability, and nutrition that top menu trends. The environment that a company operates in goes far ended the industry and even farther than the industry segment where company has business. That environment is defined as companys macro- environment and is composed of seven components that have the potential to affect the company and its competitive environment: trends of technology, demographics, economic conditions, political and regulatory factors, social forces and global factors. These entire factors can influence the company in different ways and to different degrees. External drivers of the upscale dining segment in the restaurant industry are per capita disposable income, employment status, healthy eating index, nonuser spending and consumer sentiment index. Per capita disposable income determines the ability of the population to spend money on goods and services. Wealthy populations will be influenced by the tax rate and rising prices on the high end and luxury goods that could slow down the real income growth in 2013-2017. Employment status is positively correlated with the dining out and choice fewer and how often. Rising national unemployment rate can negatively affect the restaurant traffic, the upscale segment specifically. Healthy eating index is the percentage of a recommended diet that an average American consumes. The overall trend towards eating vegetables drove up the vegetable prices as well as produce prices. Another trend is low carbohydrate and high protein diets that will increase meat consumption. Consumer spending is defined as amounts spent by the population on services and goods inside the country and abroad. A brighter outlook of the economic recovery and higher employment drive the increase in consumer spending rather than savings. Consumer sentiment index was affected by growing corporate profits in the last two years and ability of businesses to keep wage costs down. All of that stimulated the customer sentiment. In April 201 2 consumer sentiment index reaches its highest for the last year that will be reflected hopefully later in the increase Of restaurants visits. Technology Factors Going mobile and moving faster is the technology trend in the restaurant industry that shapes all the segments through different innovations. The use of a smart phone and ability to access restaurant booking system from mobile platforms decreased the number of phone calls for reservations as well as allowed the restaurant operators to gather data for marketing purposes. Another trend is check in services like Foursquare that presents context-aware type of advertising and attracts the customer with its sophistication. Mobile payment systems like GOOGLE wallet that stores your credit cards and loyalty cards as well as promotional offers will speed up the payment process and secure customer information. Demographic Factors In June 2011 persons aged from 24-35 were the most frequent visitor to the fine dining establishments. This age group represents 31 percent of the population visiting fine dining restaurants. In regards to household income, those who earn one hundred thousand dollars or more are the most frequent visitors to fine dining establishments. That is great insight for the marketing department of the fine dining segment to study the preferences and address them as well as it is a clear target for customer attraction. Economic Factors The economic situation should improve cautiously through 2014 with positive outcome for all the industries as well as fine dining sector of food service. The industry still shows low measures of consumer sentiment and cautiousness of firms about full-speed operations. There is also the presence of weak labor market conditions and slight gains in manufacturing production as well as elevated risk premiums. All these factors result in the slow process of economic upturn. Political Factors There are many policies and regulations that can affect the upscale segment of the restaurant industry, many of them related to the health and food issues, jobs and career as well as profitability of the business. If final regulations that are related to nutrition disclosure issues will be published in 201 2, when the law takes effect, restaurants with 20 or more locations will be required to provide caloric information on menus. There are two bills still pending in Congress to make the 1 5-year restaurant appreciation schedule permanent, which will allow restaurants to write off, or depreciate, the cost of improvements and new construction over 15 years, rather than 39 years. This uncertainty is holding many companies from capital expenditures since it reduces the cash flow by approximately four thousand a year. Business meal deduction from DID percent to 50 percent in 1992 decreased the profitability of restaurants and affected the upscale segment that is heavily relies on conference room business. A proposed 80 percent business meal deduction could Increase business meal sales by 7 billion dollars. Socio-cultural Factors Socio-cultural forces that include attitude of the society, families lifestyles and change in values impact the industry over time. Shift in preferences is obvious: people are looking for healthy and freshly prepared food, leaning towards premium products and value.

Easy and Fun February Writing Prompts

Easy and Fun February Writing Prompts February can be a tough month for many students with very few if any days off. Many school districts across the nation do not take Presidents Day off. Following is a list of themes and writing prompts for each day of February. These can be used any way you see fit in your class. They are great as warm-ups or journal entries. February Holidays American Heart MonthBlack History MonthChildrens Dental Health MonthInternational Friendship MonthResponsible Pet Owners Month Writing Prompt Ideas for February February 1 - Theme: National Freedom DayOn this day in 1865, Abraham Lincoln signed the Amendment that would outlaw slavery once it was ratified. If slavery was outlawed with the 13th amendment, why were amendments 14 and 15 needed?February 2 - Theme: Groundhog DayAccording to weather data kept since 1887, the groundhog at Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania has only been accurate 39% of the time. Why do Americans still celebrate this day even though its accuracy is so low?February 3 - Theme: Elmos Birthday (Sesame Street Character)What was your favorite television program as a small child? Which characters do you remember most? Why?February 4 - Theme: Rosa Parks BirthdayPretend you were Rosa Parks in 1955. What would you have felt like as you decided not to give up your seat to a white man?February 5 - Theme: National Weatherpersons DayMeteorology is the study of the atmosphere, especially as it relates to the weather. Do you think that being a weatherperson would be a difficult job? Why or why not? February 6 - Theme: Monopoly First SoldWhat is your favorite board game? Explain why you like it.February 7 - Theme: Charles Dickens BirthdayIn the past, individuals who did not have the money to pay their bills were thrown in debtors prison, a theme which is key in many of Charles Dickens novels. Do you think that this is an appropriate punishment for not being able to pay off your bills? Why or why not?February 8 - Theme: Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts (Officially Boy Scout Day)Were or are you a boy or girl scout? If so, what did you think of your experiences as a scout? If not, do you wish that you had participated in the scouts? Why or why not?February 9 - Theme: Chocolate (Founding of Hersheys Chocolate)Describe your favorite candy bar. You can choose to do this as prose or as poetry.February 10 - Theme: Chinese New YearIn the western calendar, a leap day happens every four years. However, in the Chinese calendar, a leap month happens about every three years. Come up with and explai n at least three issues that might arise if the west decided to use this calendar instead of the one that is currently use. February 11 - Theme: National Inventors DayHave you ever come up with an idea for an invention? If so, describe it. If not, what do you think is the best invention of the 20th century.February 12 - Theme: Abraham Lincolns BirthdayAbraham Lincoln said, Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be. What do you think he meant by that quote? Do you think its true?February 13 - Theme: International Friendship MonthDo you have any friends that live in another country? If so, explain how you became friends. If not, if you were to become a penpal with someone from a foreign country, which country would you choose? Why?February 14 - Theme: Valentines DayWho do you care about the most? Why do you care for them so much? Explain.February 15 - Theme: Susan B. Anthonys BirthdayAt the time that womens suffrage passed, there were many women who argued against giving women the right to vote. Why do you think this was?February 16 - Theme: American Heart MonthWhat do you do to lead a healt hy lifestyle? What do you think you could improve on (e.g., eat better, exercise more, etc.)? February 17 - Theme: Random Acts of Kindness DayHave you ever performed a random act of kindness? If so, explain what you did and why. If not, come up with a random act that you can perform later today and explain your plan.February 18 - Theme: Pluto DiscoveredWould you ever consider going on a trip to the moon? Why or why not?February 19 - Theme: Phonograph was PatentedHow do you buy and listen to music today? How does this differ from the way your parents did it? In your opinion, how have these changes affected music and the music industry?February 20 - Theme: Responsible Pet Owners MonthDo you or does your family own a pet? If so what type of pet is it? What are the pros and cons of owning a pet?February 21 - Theme: Washington Monument DedicatedHave you ever been to Washington, D.C.? Why do you think that the nation has created monuments like the Washington Monument or the Jefferson Memorial? Do you think they are important symbols? Why or why not?February 22 - Theme: George Washi ngtons BirthdayThe story that George Washington could not lie when asked if he cut down a cherry tree is not true. It was written after his death. Explain why you think a biography might create a story like this when writing about someone famous who they admire. February 23 - Theme: Iwo Jima DayDo you think that you would like to join the military at some point in the future? Why or why not?February 24 - Theme: Andrew Johnsons ImpeachmentTwo presidents have been impeached: Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton. However, no president has actually been removed from office. It only takes a simple majority of the House of Representatives to be impeached (or basically found guilty of a crime). However, it takes 2/3 of the Senate to remove a president from office. Explain why you think the founding fathers made this so difficult?February 25 - Theme: Paper CurrencyWhat are the pros and cons of having paper currency instead of carrying around coins made of gold, silver, or some other precious metal?February 26 - Theme: Grand Canyon EstablishedWhy is it important for the national government to protect and manage natural treasures such as the Grand Canyon?February 27 - Theme: National Strawberry DayWhat is your favorite fruit? What do you like about it? If you do not like any fruit, explain why not. February 28 - Theme: Republican Party FoundedWhich political party do you think represents your views the most? Why do you think this is so?February 29 - Theme: Leap DayExplain how a person could logically claim that they have only had 8 birthdays when they are actually 32 years old.

A Gambling Addict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A Gambling Addict - Essay Example Ultimately, it invades, undermines and often destroys everything that is meaningful id a person’s life. This paper will seek to address the social concern that gambling addicts present to their livelihood and to those close to him as well as the steps that most often result to one being a compulsive gambler. Moreover, this paper will endeavour to correct popular myths and misconceptions which have been associated with gambling. In pursuance of this, it trails the life of Harry, a responsible family man who at first was an occasional gambler and together with his wife engaged in gambling for fun. however, after a couple of wins and exposure to several predisposing factors ended being a compulsive gambler and in the process causing a lot of pain to his family but subsequently being able to overcome the ugly addiction that gambling can turn out into being. Harry was a normal plain John, newly wed to his longtime girlfriend a few months now passed. He worked with behaviorally impa ired adolescent boys. In this field, the support staff was dominated by males who usually had a background that included at some level, participation in competitive sports. Such men were supposedly more equipped to deal with the rough nature of clients involved. It was in this world that he was first introduced to the world of sports gambling. The circumstances were that a colleague would pick up a bookie sheet (a form containing a list of all the available games that could be bet on during a particular day) and bring it to work. Initially, he only looked at college and professional football that were played on the weekends. This, however, did not produce the winnings he imagined. His gambling eventually became a daily, if not a twice daily habit. A Popular belief is that gambling is a choice and therefore a result of a lack of willpower, on the contrary, gambling is a disease like any other and it can affect anyone, even those with strong moral character. In the beginning, Harry pa rticipated with his wife in the ‘fun’ of gambling. The very occasional wins were encouraging and euphoric. As he began to delve deeper into the gambling and more loses, however, as an occasional gambler would do, she got bored of the loses and began to see less pleasure in the hobby and ceased gambling all the same. In fact, she encouraged Harry to get out of the practice. But then the compulsion was too great for him, while she quit, Harry’s compulsion could not allow him. He was growing into a compulsive gambler, no longer being the one making the decision but the impulse of gambling. He began to spend a large portion of his salary on gambling, and this created a strain on the marriage. His wife was a certified teacher and made a considerable amount of money working with students who were emotionally and behaviorally impaired in a private educational setting. In one year, according to their tax returns, they earned nearly $60,000, nevertheless, they had to file for bankruptcy on several occasions. The bank account could not keep up with the mounting losses. This caused a strain in their financial lives and affected their relationship more and more. This was against the widely believed perception that addiction was a victimless activity, as on the contrary, the negative effects of the gambling problem trickle down to the immediate family of the addict and to those dear to him. Harry’s ambition in life became the same as other compulsive gamblers, to get his money back. He always believed that he was going to win big. Be persistent- that was his thought pattern. He was now in the second step in the evolution of gambling addiction, that’s the, losing phase. Harry was losing money and he was trying to recoup his loses by

Lab Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Lab Report - Essay Example Newton's laws of motion are three physical laws that, together, laid the foundation for classical mechanics. They describe the relationship between a body and the forces acting upon it, and its motion in response to those forces. This report stresses that Newtons laws find many applications in the life experiences for example, rocket and jet propulsion in which the third law is widely applied, garden sprinklers, firing guns, dynamic lift and balances of forces in helicopter among many applications. The major limitations of Newtons laws in motion is that they cannot be applied in objects travelling at the speed of light. Additionally newtons laws fail when they are applied to very small objects such as atomic and subatomic particles in which they fail in the concepts of quantum mechanics. This paper makes a conclusion that the free body diagrams enable one to set the problem properly and solve for the unknown forces that act on a body in real life situations. The diagrams learnt in this Lab are useful in understanding what is likely to happen to a body before applying the equations of motion. The distance time graphs are very useful in approximating various quantities such as the possible time one can take to travel from one place to another, the critical velocities and acceleration necessary to avoid accidents and crashes. Additionally, one is able to understand the conditions feelt when one uses an elevator system and the manufacturers of the elevators apply the knowledge while making and installing elevators.

Pride Essay -- essays research papers

Pride   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The word pride in itself isn’t an important word but it’s meaning implies many things. There are several different definitions for pride. Pride can be referred to as a type of plant, a form of body ornamentation, or even a group of lions. The most commonly used definition of pride is being proud, or having a feeling of great accomplishment and feeling self-satisfaction. The word pride both positive and negative meanings that can be seen throughout history. In 1297AD, pride was described as â€Å"A consciousness or feeling of what is befitting or due to oneself or one's position, which prevents a person from doing what he considers to be beneath him or unworthy of him; esp. as a good quality, legitimate, ‘honest’, or ‘proper pride’, self-respect; also as a mistaken or misapplied feeling, ‘false pride’† (OED 4). This type of pride is personal pride and the image a person must maintain to keep it. A person cannot allow them self to act in such a way that would be demeaning. An example of this would be a drill sergeant getting down with his recruits and performing the same demeaning drills as they are. The sergeant’s years of hard work and service would not be taken seriously if he were to lower himself to the level of their recruits therefore lowering his sense of pride. Too much pride can lead to conceit or what we commonly call a big head. By 1340 AD, pride was comparable to arrogance. (OED 1) Later during the Middle Ages there were seven...

Dispositional vs. Biological Theory Essay

Dispositional personality theories are quite different from biological personality theories. The two will be compared and dissected in this article. The Big Five Personality Test will also be analyzed and how it is used to study personality will be examined. Dispositional personality theories contend that each person per certain stable, long lasting dispositions. These dispositions make a person display certain emotions, attitudes, and behaviors. These dispositions appear in many different kinds of situations, which lends the belief that people behave in predictable ways even when they are in different situations. The theory also states that each person has a different set of dispositions, or that their sets of dispositions have different strengths which assembles a unique pattern. There are two different types of dispositional theories, type and trait theories. Type theories assign people to different categories. These categories depend on the individual’s temperament. Hippoc rates and Galen suggest temperament is based on body fluids (which sounds a bit outlandish). Blood is said to represent the sanguine temperament. This is a person who is warmhearted, optimistic, and laid back. Phlegm is a phlegmatic person who is lethargic, calm, and slow to action (when one thinks about this in relation to actual phlegm it is quite disgusting). Black bile is a melancholic person, an individual who might be very sad and depressed. Last but not least, is yellow bile, which represents a choleric personality. A choleric personality is someone who is angry, assertive, and quick to action. The theory states that whichever body fluid is highest determines the personality type. As a modern person this theory sounds implausible. If one has a cold, and therefore more phlegm does that change their personality? And for how long does the personality change last? As long as the cold lasts  or longer? The other type of dispositional personality theories is trait theories. Trait theories assume people have many traits that are continuing qualities that individuals have in different amounts. Allport’s theory suggests that there are 3 main traits: central, secondary, and cardinal. A central trait is a characteristic that controls and organizes behavior in various situations. A secondary trait can be described as a preference and is specific to certain situations. A cardinal trait is very general and pervasive. It is so pervasive that an individual is governed by it and it dictates everything a person does. The limitations to dispositional theories are that they describe people more than they strive to understand them. It is also confining to think of a personality being put into a box instead of being given room to grow and change as lives and experiences evolve. As an individual one does not like to think they are always to have the same personality or be the same for their entire lifetimes. One wants to learn, grow and change as they experience life instead of depending on the levels of body fluid they might have on a particular day. The strengths are that they helped develop objective personality tests that have become very common in personality assessment. Biological theories suggest genetics have a big part to play in personality. Some have suggested that people with high cortical arousal are introverts who avoid stimulation. While individuals with low cortical arousal are extroverts who look for stimulating experiences. These may be genetic. One would think that biology does indeed play a part in personality; especially in younger years before life experiences alter one’s personality. This author has seen it in babies. One child leans strongly towards the father’s personality, more serious, organized, bossy, and controlling. The other child, although very close in age and with the same parents leans more towards the mother’s personality, carefree, messy, easily laughs, silly, and fun. They are too young to yet have life that has influenced how they behave, but naturally their personality mimics that of their different parents. This lends the belief that while biology may not dictate one’s personality for one’s entire life, certain traits can indeed be passed down through generations. The strengths of biological theories are that one may observe previous generations and make decisions based on the personalities of those before them, either copying success or avoiding pitfalls. The limita tion is that one is not  confined to be just like parents. One has the freedom of choice in how they conduct themselves and that can change one’s personality over time. The Big Five Personality Test is a test that determines the strongest personality traits an individual possesses. There are 5 broad dimensions of personality used to describe an individual’s personality. The five factors are neuroticism, openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, and agreeableness. The test determines which factor is the highest, lowest, and the ones that fall in between. This author took the test, and in this time of life, found it to be fairly accurate. The highest score was agreeableness and that plays out regularly in everyday life. The Big Five Personality test helps one study personality over time because it gives a way for one to measure personality changes over time. One can also see how traits relate to other variables such as confidence, music preferences, and more. One can also observe how different stages of life change which traits are dominant. Overall, dispositional and biological personality theories give one a lot of insight into personality, whether it is correct or not, it is a way to delve deeper into oneself to learn about motivations and behavior. Some theories seem a little crazy, such as type theories, and others make a little more sense and give insight into the behaviors of others and oneself. The personality test is the most interesting of all, giving yourself a glimpse into your personality and how it changes over time. References Feist, J., Feist, G. J., & Roberts, T. (2013). Theories of personality (8th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Psychology Today. (2011). Big five personality test. Retrieved from http://psychologytoday.tests.psychtests.com/take_test.php?idRegTest=1297