Pornography Censorship Essays - Feminism And Sexuality,

Pornography Censorship The censorship of pornography has been an issue that has been under constant debate in our society. There are many arguments for and against the censorship of pornographic materials. In the broadest of explanations, the argument supporting an increase in censorship is rooted in the belief that such material may cause direct and/or indirect detriments to society. Advocates for freedom of expression feel that increased censorship violates many basic human rights and consequently may harm our society. In looking at a topic such as this, one must take a close look at the positions of various individuals and groups. At that point it will become apparent that the debate on this issue cannot be confined by the broad explanation given earlier. As mentioned, it is important to examine the views of specific individuals and groups in order to gain a better understanding of this topic. For these purposes, this paper will attempt to summarize and evaluate the position of the author Wendy McElroy. The articles that will be examined are entitled: Liberal Feminist Arguments Against Censorship and Individualist Feminism: A True defense of Pornography. McElroy discusses various issues concerning pornography as they pertain to feminism. It is a popular belief that pornography through its negative portrayal of women has impeded the feminist movement. What McElroy attempts to argue through her articles is that pornography does the exact opposite of this. She attempts to explain that increased censorship of such materials in fact hinders the feminist movement. In the article liberal feminism: the glimmer of hope McElroy raises issues concerning the differences between the views of liberal and radical feminists as they pertain to the topic of pornography. It is her view that liberal feminist organizations such as the FFE are responsible for strengthening the feminist movement through their strong anti-censorship stance. The liberal feminist stance is one that supports anti-censorship, consequently freedom of speech and expression even as it pertains to the issue of pornography. McElroy outlines in detail the position of liberal feminists and their arguments against censorship. She states that there are three main articles in support of anti-censorship. In this article she introduces two of these arguments, the third is discussed in her second article; Individualist Feminism; A True defense of Pornography. The two arguments raised in this article are that Freedom of speech is a necessary condition for human freedom and The suppression of Pornography will hurt women. In the first argument McElroy points out that in using the argument for anti-censorship of pornography one is not necessarily in support of pornography but rather that one feels that the right of freedom should not be sacrificed despite their disapproval on this issue. McElroy points out that once the basic right of freedom of speech is breached through censorship then many works of art and literature would be scrutinized and in many cases banned. She also points out that this would put a damper on political expression and creative culture. McElroy?s second argument against censorship is rooted on the notion that the suppression of pornography will hurt women. In support of this argument she raises and addresses a serious of concerns. McElroy cautions against increased censorship as it may lead censors to include homosexuality under their definition of degrading material. It his her view that censorship may also lead to the banning of feminist literature. The author cites previous examples in history such as works by feminist author Margaret Sanger. McElroy also warns that censorship will be used against those who hold the least popular views. McElroy also feels that the anti-pornography crusade perpetuates the myth of women as victims. She feels that the pro censorship stance is often supported by the notion that women need protection under the law. This according to McElroy implies that women are helpless and require the protection that censorship provides. She is also states that many radical feminists in their pursuit in strengthening their anti-pornography position are compromising the feminist movement by siding with anti-feminists conservatives. McElroy points out the dangers in adding to the credibility of groups that may turn on a dime against them. It is also the position of the author that many radical feminists are in fact diverting many of the real issues confronting women today.

Battle of Okinawa in World War II

Battle of Okinawa in World War II The Battle of Okinawa was one of the largest and costliest military actions during World War II (1939–1945) and lasted between April 1 and June 22, 1945. Forces Commanders Allies Fleet Admiral Chester NimitzAdmiral Raymond SpruanceAdmiral Sir Bruce FraserLieutenant General Simon B. Buckner, Jr.Lieutenant General Roy GeigerGeneral Joseph Stilwell183,000 men Japanese General Mitsuru UshijimaLieutenant General Isamu ChoVice Admiral Minoru Ota100,000 men Background Having island-hopped across the Pacific, Allied forces sought to capture an island near Japan to serve as a base for air operations in support of the proposed invasion of the Japanese home islands. Assessing their options, the Allies decided to land on Okinawa in the Ryukyu Islands. Dubbed Operation Iceberg, planning began with Lieutenant General Simon B. Buckners 10th Army tasked with taking the island. The operation was scheduled to move forward following the conclusion of fighting on Iwo Jima which had been invaded in February 1945. To support the invasion at sea, Admiral Chester Nimitz assigned Admiral Raymond Spruances U.S. 5th Fleet (Map). This included the carriers Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitschers Fast Carrier Task Force (Task Force 58). Allied Forces For the coming campaign, Buckner possessed nearly 200,000 men. These were contained in Major General Roy Geigers III Amphibious Corps (1st and 6th Marine Divisions) and Major General John Hodges XXIV Corps (7th and 96th Infantry Divisions). In addition, Buckner controlled the 27th and 77th Infantry Divisions, as well as the 2nd Marine Division. Having effectively eliminated the bulk of the Japanese surface fleet at engagements such as the Battle of the Philippine Sea and the Battle of Leyte Gulf, Spruances 5th Fleet was largely unopposed at sea. As part of his command, he possessed Admiral Sir Bruce Frasers British Pacific Fleet (BPF/Task Force 57). Featuring armored flight decks, the BPFs carriers proved more resistant to damage from Japanese kamikazes and were tasked with providing cover for the invasion force as well as striking enemy airfields in the  Sakishima Islands. Japanese Forces The defense of Okinawa was initially entrusted to General Mitsuru Ushijimas 32nd Army which consisted of the 9th, 24th, and 62nd Divisions and the 44th Independent Mixed Brigade. In the weeks before the American invasion, the 9th Division was ordered to Formosa forcing Ushijima to alter his defensive plans. Numbering between 67,000 and 77,000 men, his command was further supported by Rear Admiral Minoru Otas 9,000 Imperial Japanese Navy troops at Oroku. To augment his forces further, Ushijima drafted nearly 40,000 civilians to serve as reserve militia and rear-echelon laborers. In planning his strategy, Ushijima intended to mount his primary defense in the southern part of the island and entrusted fighting at the northern end to Colonel Takehido Udo. Additionally, plans were made to employ large-scale kamikaze tactics against the Allied invasion fleet. Campaign at Sea The naval campaign against Okinawa began in late March 1945, as the carriers of the BPF began striking Japanese airfields in the Sakishima Islands. To the east of Okinawa, Mitschers carrier provided cover from kamikazes approaching from Kyushu. Japanese air attacks proved light the first several days of the campaign but increased on April 6 when a force of 400 aircraft attempted to attack the fleet. The high point of the naval campaign came on April 7 when the Japanese launched Operation Ten-Go. This saw them attempt to run the battleship Yamato through the Allied fleet with the goal of beaching it on Okinawa for use a shore battery. Intercepted by Allied aircraft, Yamato and its escorts were immediately attacked. Struck by multiple waves of torpedo bombers and dive bombers from Mitschers carriers, the battleship was sunk that afternoon. As the land battle progressed, Allied naval vessels remained in the area and were subjected to a relentless succession of kamikaze attacks. Flying around 1,900 kamikaze missions, the Japanese sunk 36 Allied ships, mostly amphibious vessels and destroyers. An additional 368 were damaged. As a result of these attacks, 4,907 sailors were killed and 4,874 were wounded. Due to the protracted and exhausting nature of the campaign, Nimitz took the drastic step of relieving his principal commanders at Okinawa to allow them to rest and recuperate. As result, Spruance was relieved by Admiral William Halsey in late May and Allied naval forces were re-designated the 3rd Fleet. Going Ashore Initial U.S. landings began on March 26 when elements of the 77th Infantry Division captured the Kerama Islands to the west of Okinawa. On March 31, Marines occupied Keise Shima. Only eight miles from Okinawa, the Marines quickly emplaced artillery on these islets to support future operations. The main assault moved forward against the Hagushi beaches on the west coast of Okinawa on April 1. This was supported by a feint against the Minatoga beaches on the southeast coast by the 2nd Marine Division. Coming ashore, Geiger and Hodges men quickly swept across the south-central part of the island capturing the Kadena and Yomitan airfields (Map). Having encountered light resistance, Buckner ordered the 6th Marine Division to begin clearing the northern part of the island. Proceeding up the Ishikawa Isthmus, they battled through rough terrain before encountering the main Japanese defenses on the Motobu Peninsula. Centered on the ridges of Yae-Take, the Japanese mounted a tenacious defense before being overcome on April 18. Two days earlier, the 77th Infantry Division landed on the island of Ie Shima offshore. In five days of fighting, they secured the island and its airfield. During this brief campaign, famed war correspondent Ernie Pyle was killed by Japanese machine gun fire. Grinding South Though fighting in the northern part of the island was concluded in fairly rapid fashion, the southern part proved a different story. Though he did not expect to defeat the Allies, Ushijima sought to make their victory as costly as possible. To this end, he had constructed elaborate systems of fortifications in the rugged terrain of southern Okinawa. Pushing south, Allied troops fought a bitter battle to capture Cactus Ridge on April 8, before moving against Kakazu Ridge. Forming part of Ushijimas Machinato Line, the ridge was a formidable obstacle and an initial American assault was repulsed (Map). Counterattacking, Ushijima sent his men forward on the nights of April 12 and 14, but was turned back both times. Reinforced by the 27th Infantry Division, Hodge launched a massive offensive on April 19 backed by the largest artillery bombardment (324 guns) employed during the island-hopping campaign. In five days of brutal fighting, U.S. troops forced the Japanese to abandon the Machinato Line and fall back to a new line in front of Shuri. As much of the fighting in the south had been conducted by Hodges men, Geigers divisions entered the fray in early May. On May 4, Ushijima again counterattacked, but heavy losses caused him to halt his efforts the next day. Achieving Victory Making skillful use of caves, fortifications, and the terrain, the Japanese clung to the Shuri Line limiting Allied gains and inflicting high losses. Much of the fighting centered on heights known as Sugar Loaf and Conical Hill. In heavy fighting between May 11 and 21, the 96th Infantry Division succeeded in taking the latter and flanking the Japanese position. Taking Shuri, Buckner pursued the retreating Japanese but was hampered by heavy monsoon rains. Assuming a new position on the Kiyan Peninsula, Ushijima prepared to make his last stand. While troops eliminated the IJN forces at Oroku, Buckner pushed south against the new Japanese lines. By June 14, his men had begun to breach Ushijimas final line along the Yaeju Dake Escarpment. Compressing the enemy into three pockets, Buckner sought to eliminate enemy resistance. On June 18, he was killed by enemy artillery while at the front. Command on the island passed to Geiger who became the only Marine to oversee large formations of the U.S. Army during the conflict. Five days later, he turned command over to General Joseph Stilwell.   A veteran of the fighting in China, Stilwell saw the campaign through until its finish. On June 21, the island was declared secure, though fighting lasted another week as the last Japanese forces were mopped up. Defeated, Ushijima committed hara-kiri on June 22. Aftermath One of the longest and costliest battles of the Pacific Theater, Okinawa saw American forces sustain 49,151 casualties (12,520 killed), while the Japanese incurred 117,472 (110,071 killed). In addition, 142,058 civilians became casualties. Though effectively reduced to a wasteland, Okinawa quickly became a key military asset for the Allies as it provided a key fleet anchorage and troop staging areas. In addition, it gave the Allies airfields that were only 350 miles from Japan. Selected Sources U.S. Army: Okinawa - The Last BattleHistoryNet: Battle of OkinawaGlobal Security: Battle of OkinawaU.S. Army: Okinawa - The Last Battle

EOH Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

EOH - Essay Example The measurements are calculated based on a series of questions answered by the person or institution involved (Carbon Footprint Ltd, 2011; World Wildlife Fund, 2007). Briefly, the questionnaire allows the assessment of how much of the pre-determined emission factors are utilized by the institution. The methodology of such calculations is made by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) of the British government, which is used by Carbon Footprint Ltd. or the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States‘ Department of Energy, which has its own Carbon Footprint calculation program, and is used by Lexington Global Warming Action Coalition. This report enumerates the carbon footprint value of ’s family, as calculated using different web hosts of carbon footprint calculations. Means of reducing the carbon footprint is also suggested. Finally, the idea of purchasing carbon offsets is tackled in this writing. MY CARBON FOOTPRINT VALUE Table 1. Summa ry of Carbon footprint values, expressed as tons CO2,.as calculated using five different websites. ... The average of the calculated values is 34.92 tons CO2, with a standard deviation of 13.54. What could have caused these high variation in results? COMPARISON OF THE FIVE WEBSITES All of the calculators used the activities at home, specifically the use of appliances, for the estimation of carbon footprint. However, US EPA only takes note of the housing energy consumption, as opposed to the other five websites, which also added transportation as an emission factor. As stated by the Lexington Global Warming Action Coalition, assessment of the carbon footprint using household activities alone is the most basic way of calculating because necessary information can be easily obtained from electric bills. Aside from housing and transportation, coolcalifornia.org also reported greenhouse gas emissions from shopping, which most likely caused its resulting carbon footprint calculation to be the highest of the five. Meanwhile, differences in the values obtained by Carbon Footprint, carbonfund.o rg, and Lexington may be attributed to the differences by which they accounted housing and transportation emissions. Looking closer at the environmental costs of transportation, both carbonfund.org and Carbon Footprint found out that most of the family’s carbon footprint was from car use, which, according to calculations, releases 31.74 and 41.74 tons CO2 respectively (see Appendix). These differences should be taken into consideration. A standardized calculation of Carbon Footprint should be made, because it is a reflection of the countries’ concerted effort on saving the environment. COMPARISON WITH THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLDS According to coolcalifornia.org, the carbon footprint of ‘s family were mostly caused by shopping expenditures. Briefly,

The Evolution of Linux Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Evolution of Linux - Research Paper Example This document focuses on the evolution of Linux since its establishment to the present version. The main reason for discussing the development of Linux is to understand various changes that have occurred in Linux. In addition, studying the evolution of Linux is of importance to planning for future development of the computer system. The origin of Linux can be traced back to the establishment of UNIX in 1969. UNIX was developed and created at Bell Labs in the process of developing a simple system with recyclable code. However, the primary development of Linux occurred in 1991. Linux was initially developed as a self-contained kernel by Linus Toverlds with a goal of enhancing UNIX compatibility. Development and evaluation of Linux have extensively relied on user collaboration and experience with the operating system from many parts of the world. The system is designed to operate reliably and efficiently on common personal computer hardware although it can also run on other platforms (Silberschatz, 2002). Linux has undergone evolution from one version to the other since it was developed. The first version of the Linux Kernel is Linux version 0.01. The version was developed in May 1991 by the Linux developer Linus Toverlds. Linux version 0.01 had limited features and was limited to specific processors and hardware. The version was only operating on PC hardware and 80386-compatible Intel processors. In addition, Linux version 0.01 was only supported by the Minx file system. It was also difficult to network with the Linux version 0.01 because it had no networking capability (Silberschatz, 2002). On October 5th, 1991, Torvalds released a better version of Linux known as Linux version 0.02 that required Minix to run. However, it received more attention than Linux version 0.01. The kernel improved rapidly within the year, and large number of users and volunteers communicated through social media on the internet. In December 1991, an operational,

The Millennium Development Goals Mdgs Sociology Essay

The Millennium Development Goals Mdgs Sociology Essay The Millennium Development Goals are an integrated set of eight goals and 18 time-bound targets for extending the benefits of globalization to the worlds poorest citizens. The goals aim to stimulate real progress by 2015 in tackling the most pressing issues facing developing countries poverty, hunger, inadequate education, gender inequality, child and maternal mortality, HIV/AIDS and environmental degradation. UNDP helps countries formulate national development plans focused on the MDGs and chart national progress towards them through the MDG reporting process (Wacc, 2006). In most developing countries, gender inequality is a major obstacle to meeting the MDG targets. In fact, achieving the goals will be impossible without closing the gaps between women and men in terms of capacities, access to resources and opportunities, and vulnerability to violence and conflict. Millennium Development Goal 3 is to promote gender equality and empower women. The goal has one target: to eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005 and to all levels of education no later than 2015. Four indicators are used to measure progress towards the goal: the ratio of girls to boys in primary, secondary and tertiary education; the ratio of literate women to men in the 15-to 24-year-old age group; the share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector; and the proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments. The existence of a separate goal on gender equality is the result of decades of advocacy, research and coalition-building by the international womens movement. Its very existence demonstrates that the global community has accepted the centrality of gender equality and womens empowerment to the development paradigm- at least at the rhetorical level. Gender inequality means inequality between men and women in accessing the existing resources (Saroukhani 1991:673). In the view of Krammara Treicehr any kind of behavior, policy, languages, and other actions that represents a fixed, comprehensive, and institutionalized view in regard to women as inferior beings, means gender inequality. (1985:185). Therefore, gender inequality refers to the differences between men and women in receiving social and economic advantages which is often to the benfit of men at the expense of women, which means men take superiority over women. Men and women experience the world of work quite differently. Wage disparities, occupational sex segregation, and gender differences in authority, for example, are well recognized (e.g., Padavic and Reskin 2002). Despite distinguished changes in work, meaningful differences in these areas remain persistent features of contemporary society (England 2006, 2010). While there are certainly other factors at play, this paper focuses on discrimination in a variety forms, including in hiring (Gorman 2005; Goldin and Rouse 2000), promotions (Olson and Becker 1983), wages (Meitzen 1986), glass ceiling, and as well as sexual harassment (Welsh 1999).Of course, documenting the contemporary occurrence of gender discrimination in employment is only a first step. As Reskin (2000, 320) argues, We need to move beyond demonstrating that employment discrimination exists, and investigate why it persists in work organizations. We must look at processes that lead to unequal outcomes for women and men. The real challenge is to uncover how discrimination unfolds in actual work settings. The issue of gender inequality can be considered as a universal feature of developing countries.One of the areas of disparity between males and females is related to the difference in their employment status which is present through occupational segregation, gender-based wage gaps, and womens unequal image in informal employment, unpaid work and higher unemployment rates (UNFPA, 2005). As women in developing countries have low status in the community, the activities they perform tend to be valued less; and womens low status is also perpetuated through the low value placed on their activities (March et al., 1999). In the case of Mauritius, even though there has been a rapid change in the society where women have reached a high level and hold status such as Judges, Directors, Engineers which were unconceivable to be the fields where women could emerged; there are still some occupation where women are entangled in the culture norms and could not take the lead. For example, there are some sectors such as Fire Men at the Fire Services where there are no female officers. There are less women who work as Electrician, Plumber or even Carpenter, as these occupations do not allow women to perform well due to their physical strength. Besides there is no doubt that there are organisations which are gender biased. Most of the organisations are entirely rules by male managerial culture as when organisations were first performed; only males were in the paid workforce.   Despite there has been an increased in the education field at all level and the increase of women in the workforce, there has been a minor change to the men dominated culture in the workplace where women are still treated as inferior agents. Our study focused on how gender inequality still has an impact on the Mauritian female within the workplace. General context An Overview of Gender Inequality in Developing Countries The issue of gender inequality can be considered as a universal aspect of developing countries. Unlike women in developed countries who are, in relative terms, economically empowered and have a powerful voice that demands an audience and positive action, women in developing countries are generally silent and their voice has been stifled by economic and cultural factors. Economic and cultural factors, together with institutional factors state the gender-based division of labour, rights, responsibilities, opportunities, and access to and control over resources. Education, literacy, access to media, employment, decision making, among other things, are some of the areas of gender disparity. One of the areas of disparity between males and females is related to the difference in their employment status which is distinct by occupational segregation, wage inequality, and womens unequal representation in informal occupation, unpaid work and higher unemployment rates (UNFPA, 2005). As women in developing countries have low status in the community, the activities they perform tend to be valued less; and womens low status is also perpetuated through the low value placed on their activities (March et al., 1999). In-depth analysis of DHS by Hindin (2005) showed that only 17% of women in Zimbabwe, 12% in Zambia and 4% in Malawi have higher status job than their partners. The respective percentages of women whose partners have higher status jobs are 52, 43 and 53. Women are also overrepresented in the informal sector. In Sub-Saharan Africa, 84% of womens non-agricultural employment is informal compared to 63% of mens. The figure is found to be 58% and 48% for women and men, respectively in Latin America (UNFPA, 2005). Studies generally show that women are more likely to be engaged in work which is for longer hours than men. For instance, in 18 of the 25 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, greater than 50% of women were employed and even in six of these countries the percentage of employed women was greater than 75% (Mukuria et al.,2005). However, as most of the employed women work in agricultural and other activities which are mostly considered to be having limited or no financial returns, their employment does not contribute much to their status in the workplace. Thus, women in those countries are dependent on their partners in most aspects of their life. In spite of its importance in enabling women to get access to information about personal health behaviours and practices, household, and community, the percentage of women exposed to different types of media is limited in most developing countries. Womens limited access to education, employment opportunity, and media, attached with cultural factors, reduces their decision making power in the society in general and in a household in particular. Regarding their participation in decision making at national level, though the number of women in national parliaments has been increasing, no country in the world has yet achieved gender parity. According to the millennium indicators data base of the United Nations, cited in the UNFPA (2005), the percentage of parliamentary seats held by women in 2005 was 16% at world level, 21% in developed countries, and 14% in developing countries. This low representation of women in national parliaments could be due, among others, to type of electoral systems in different countries, womens social, economic status and beliefs about womens place in the family and society, and womens double responsibilities for work and family (UNFPA, 2005). Women are underrepresented in the formal sector of employment. The survey conducted by the Central Statistical Authority (CSA, 2004) showed that women account for less than half (43%) of the total employees in the country. Considering the percentage of female employees from the total number of employees by employment type, the highest was in domestic activities (78%) and followed by unpaid activities (59.3%). In other types of formal employment (e.g. government, NGOs, private organizations), the percentage of female workers is less than 35. On the other hand, the survey showed overrepresentation of female workers in the informal sector. About 58% of working women work in the informal sector whereas the percentage of working men in the informal sector was 37.7 % (ibid).The breakdown of the federal government employees by occupational groups also indicated gender disparity. From federal government employees found in the clerical and fiscal type of jobs 71.3 % were female, while the percentage of females was slightly more than half (51%) in custodial and manual type of jobs. Women make up 25% and 18% of the administrative and professional and scientific job categories, respectively, indicating that upper and middle level positions are overwhelmingly dominated by men (Federal Civil Service Commission, 2005). This concentration of women in the informal sector and low level positions has implication on their earnings. In this regard, the survey showed four out of ten women civil servants earn Birr 300 a month compared to two out of ten for men (Federal Civil Service Commission, 2005).Ethiopian womens access to mass media is one of the lowest. In their DHS comparative report, Mukuria et al. (2005) show that, among 25 Sub-Saharan African countries. Chapter 2 Component of gender inequality-horizontal and vertical segregation Jonung (1984, p. 45) defines the presence of occupational gender segregation as when women and men are given different occupations that is reliable with their overall shares of employment, irrespective of the nature of job that they have. Gender segregation mean when the percentage of one gender is higher than that of males and females in an occupation. It reflects the gender differences in employment opportunity. The number of occupation with segregation against women is far greater than the number of occupations with segregation against men. Occupational gender segregation consists of two main component dimensions known as horizontal and vertical segregation (Blackburn et al, 2000). Horizontal segregation is known as under or over representation of certain group in the workplace which is not ordered by any criterion (Bettio and Verashchagina, 2009). According to Anker (1998) horizontal segregation is an absolute and universal characteristic of contemporary socio-economic systems. It focuses mainly when men and women possess different physical, emotional and mental capabilities. Such discrimination occurs when women are categorized as less intelligent, hormonal and sensitive (Acker 1990). Women are labeled as unreliable and dependent workers when they are pregnant. They are less competent as they will not work as long and hard as others. They become more stressful and sensible to tiny issues happen in the workplace. Martin (1994) declared that in masculine management style, most of the time women possess soft skills and men possess hard skills. It is this concept which creates gender segregation in the workplace. Vertical segregation referred to the under or over representation of a clearly identifiable group of workers in the workplace at the top of an ordering based on desirable attributes such as income, prestige, authority and power. Huffman (1995) finds that women do not possess enough supervisory authority at work, in education, occupational experience and prestige. One reason that women lack authority is because most women are more concentrated in female-dominated occupations which comprise fever position of authority than male-dominated occupations. Moreover, it is viewed that mens have greater status value, that is mens personality are more valuable than womens and they are much more skilled. (Broverman et al. 1972; Deaux and Kite 1987; Eagly 1987). Men possess more powerful position in the workplace (Bridges Nelson 1989). Womens wage rates are lower than mens even if their qualifications are similar. As women enter in the workplace, this reduces the level of prestige related with the task and men leave these occupations. Sex discrimination-discrimination, harassment and glass ceiling In many parts of the world, women have experienced breakthroughs in their rights in employment. Despite these advances, women from every country and culture continue to face sex discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace. The international community has recognized both discrimination based on sex in the terms and conditions of employment and sexual harassment as violations of the fundamental human rights of women (Gudrun and Danya, 1998). Although sex discrimination is prohibited by law, it continues to be a widespread problem for working women. There are three forms of sex discrimination that have an effect on women in organizations: overt discrimination, sexual harassment and the glass ceiling. Each has negative effects on womens status and ability to perform well at work. Overt discrimination Overt discrimination is defined to make gender as a decisive factor for employment-related decisions. This type of discrimination was targeted by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited making decisions based on sex in employment-related matters such as hiring, firing, and promotions. It consist such behaviours as to refuse to hire women, to pay them inequitably or even to steer them to womens jobs. Overt discrimination also led to occupational sex segregation where jobs are classified by low pay, low status and short career ladders (Reskin, 1997). Sexual Harassment MacKinnon (1979:1) defined sexual harassment as the unwanted imposition of sexual requirements in the context of a relationship of unequal power. As in overt discrimination, sexual harassment is a persistent gendered problem for women in the workplace around the world. Sexual harassment is a type of sex discrimination, but one manifestation of the larger problem of employment-related discrimination against women. It now appears obvious that sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination. There are three psychological dimensions of sexual harassment that continued to persist worldwide: sexual coercion, gender harassment and useless sexual attention ((Fitzgerald et al., 1995; Gelfand et al., 1995). The case of sexual harassment in the workplace is mainly due to obtain more power and status than the opposite sex (e.g., Baugh, 1997; McKinney, 1992; Piotrkowski, 1998; Riger, 1991; Welsh, 1999) Statistical discrimination is another form of sex discrimination in the workplace, it consists of sex-typed job assignment (i.e. error discrimination-Aigner Cain 1977, England McCreary 1987, Bielby Baron 1986a). For example, employers put men into jobs which consist physical demands and women into jobs demanding social skills (Bielby Baron 1984, Farkas et al 1991). However, employers introduce gender segregation in job assignments exceeds technical or economic justifications: within the mixed-sex occupations that either sex could presumably perform, small differences in job requirements were accompanied by large differences in sex composition (Bielby Baron 1986a:782). The Glass ceiling The term the glass ceiling was coined in a 1986 Wall Street Journal report on corporate women. The glass ceiling is a concept that most frequently refers to invisible or artificial barriers that do not allow women from advancing past a certain level in corporations, government, education and nonprofit organization (Federal Glass Ceiling Commission -FGCC, 1997; Morrison and von Glinow, 1990). These barriers reflect discrimination a deep line of demarcation between those who prosper and those left behind. The glass ceiling is the unseen, yet unbreachable barrier that keeps minorities and women from rising to the upper rungs of the corporate ladder, regardless of their qualifications or achievements (Federal Glass Ceiling Commission 1995b:4; emphasis added). This official description suggests that the definition of glass ceiling must know that it reflects job inequality that is unexplained by a persons past qualifications or achievements; it reflects labor market discrimination, not ju st labor market inequality. For the purpose of this study, the glass ceiling concept is discussed regarding women who suffer from discrimination in the workplace. The usual method to know where there is discrimination is to look for inequalities that are unexplained by prior personality of the employees. Inequalities that originate from past discrimination in education or training or from choices that people make to pursue nonmarket goals such as family, volunteer work or leisure are not generally measured as part of a glass ceiling. Therefore, glass ceiling inequality represents a gender or racial difference that is not explained by other job-relevant characteristics of the employee. The glass ceiling is a third type of discrimination that affects women in the workplace and it is an important factor for women who do not get enough access to power and status in organizations. It also includes gender stereotypes, lack of opportunities for women to get promotion and prevent women to get higher income than men.

La Cancion de mi Corazon :: essays research papers

Memories to me are songs that play over and over again in my head. My heart keeps the beat and notes fall from my breath. After awhile not even the physical self exists. My soul is squashed between bars and lines. Sometimes I’m running, other times I’m resting. I see images flash by in four-four time then three-four time then six-eight time†¦there is no pattern. Erratic sharps lift me up and make me smile only to become flat again and drop me back into confusion. Confusion is the endless melody that carries on in my blood. The music stops only when I think of him, my lost harmony, my Che†¦   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My father would hold me on his lap and tell me that the wind whispered of change. He said the sun was beginning to light the way to a new path for Cuba. He’d tell me the water was stirring in anticipation of underground action. These things bounced off me and rolled into unswept corners of my mind. When my father spoke to me each day I was too preoccupied chasing chickens (add more detail bit about chasing chickens). Now that I think back to those times I realise my father spoke more to reassure him self than me that the country would find its glory.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My mother was less optimistic about the future improvement of Cuba. Perhaps this was due to the realities of our current standard of living. My mother’s bitterness splashed down upon us as she complained of the lack of a morsel of meat in the house. She complained of our scrawny chickens and how my father sold their eggs. Many times as a child I would hear her say to my father â€Å"How can I raise our children to be strong when you sell our eggs and bring home no meat?† My father would sigh and in a tired voice would reply â€Å"Tomorrow will be better.† But it never seemed to be. I suppose though that no matter how destitute a child’s life is one’s imagination can serve as a comfort. I would stave off hunger by flipping through my recollections of life beyond the rural land of Mantanzas. The city of Havana, despite the crime and corruption, held me firmly fixed in fascination. The last time the city came into my sight my mother was buying a new dress. She seldom bought machine made, market quality clothes.

Educational Needs Assessment Essay

Continuing education plays an important role in the development of nursing professionals in any healthcare institution (Waddell, 1991). However, different institutions have different needs to address with respect to their nurses professional competencies (Gould et. al. , 2004). According to Billings & Rowles (2001), the primary question that institutions have to answer is what particular educational needs their nurses have that are most relevant to the working environment. This paper seeks to determine and prioritize the needs of the Medical-Surgical/Bone Marrow Transplant Oncology Nursing Unit of Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento through the administration of a survey questionnaire to a sample of seven (7) registered nurses and a qualitative analysis of the results. Background Sutter Medical Center is a non-profit hospital that specializes in providing acute and advanced care to patients living in Sacramento and the surrounding area. Its mission is to provide quality primary and tertiary care along with a continuum of services to meet the healthcare needs of the people throughout Northern California. During the previous year, the hospital has been able to generate 58,274 patient days spread across seven (7) hospital units with 20% of which coming from the nursing unit of interest to the study. The unit has 14 registered nurses with varying levels of proficiency and experience. Results There were seven key questions inquired from the seven registered nurses that comprise 50% of the total unit population. Based on the analysis of the results, the particular areas where that the nurses feel should be the focus of any educational program of the institution include chemotherapy patient care, professional stress management, cardiac emergency protocols, infection control, and telemetry. These were the post frequently mentioned topics throughout the questionnaire and thus appear to be the most important concerns according to the nurses surveyed. From the nurses’ responses, it is apparent that many of the nurses consider these subjects as underdeveloped in their professional experience and as such, they are very open to undergoing further education in order to be better equipped in the said areas. Some of the nurses prioritized special topics on patient care due to the large number of patients undergoing chemotherapy. Others consider learning proper stress management as a priority and claim that while they are equipped with the knowledge to care effectively for patients, they often find themselves stressed out in the process and some commented to eventually being in need of care themselves because of the demands of the work environment which they believe that can handle more effectively with appropriate training. With regard to how this new educational program should best be carried out, the nurses surveyed had varying suggestions but what was common among them is the preference of nontraditional educational programs over conventional programs such as actually going back to an institution and enrolling in a course that one has to be physically present to attend. The nurses generally preferred one of two options which are either to learn under the expertise of experienced mentors at work or to get enrolled to online learning classes at home. These preferences underscore the stress that the nurses are already experiencing at work which leaves them with no energy left to actually pursue further studies by traveling to an institution and being physically present to attend class. Hence, some of the surveyed nurses preferred to combine work and study by undergoing active learning under mentors who are experts at particular fields. The other half of the nurses surveyed preferred to learn through online courses that they can take at the comforts of their home and accomplish at their own pace. Common strengths cited by the nurses surveyed include the experience gained as nurses in the institution along with their strong proficiency with the use of current technology. The nurses justifiably claim that their exposure to various situations have honed their abilities in dealing with the same situations. However, they also cite that this is not the best way to learn as it places patients at some risk when they are handling a situation with the patient for the first time. Nurses believe that their expertise in utilizing web resources would allow them to have better access to continuing education since there are many specialized nursing courses available online. Furthermore even without enrolling in online courses, the internet provides knowledge sources that the nurses can access for free. Still, some commented on the level of reliability that these sources have. On the other hand, while the surveyed nurses claim that their experience has improved their competence, they also cite the demanding responsibilities given to them at work for their inability to pursue other educational courses in their profession. Some responded that the time that they spend between work and their families practically make up all the time that they have, and cite this fact as one of the major weaknesses in undergoing an educational program. In analyzing the sample’s assessment of hospital management’s sensitivity to their need for more specialized education, there is a general dissatisfaction perceived based primarily in the inability of management to respond to the staffing needs of the unit. The nurses stressed that while there are some educational programs being offered by the institution, these programs simply cannot be availed of by many of the nurses because of the physical and mental pressures brought about by their workload. One barrier to education that was highly prevalent with the sample is the lack of time due to the 5:1 nurse-to-patient ratios that the hospital has not been able to improve over the past years. Nurses need to prioritize their patients over other professional responsibilities and so continuing education takes a backseat. Some of the nurses also suggest that the hospital should give incentives to nurses who are willing to undergo additional training and education in order to motivate nurses to find the time for the task. Conclusion There is clearly a need to effect effective educational programs for the Medical-Surgical/Bone Marrow Transplant Oncology Nursing Unit of Sutter Medical Center. The nurses surveyed all agree that an effective program will be able to provide them with much needed professional development that they can use to improve the overall quality of service that they provide for their patients. However, the barrier of a highly toxic workplace caused by understaffing need to be addressed first before any program can be implemented that can capture the interest of the unit nurses. Thus, the top priority need of the unit involves the installation of a stress management program that would be able to help the nurses cope with their demanding responsibilities might be effective in taking out some of the pressure and allowing room for the nurses to accommodate professional training programs and academic work. A secondary need would be to address content that the nurses feel are lacking in their professional competence such as specialized subjects in chemotherapy patient care among others mentioned in the survey. It is anticipated that based on the administration’s thrust, they will be receptive to the results of this study and conduct efforts to help their nurses find the time to develop professionally. References Billings DM, Rowles CJ. (2001). â€Å"Development of continuing nursing education offerings for the World Wide Web. † J Contin Educ Nurs. 32(3):107-13. Gould D, Kelly D, White I, Chidgey J. (2004). â€Å"Training needs analysis. A literature review and reappraisal. † Int J Nurs Stud. 41(5):471-86. Click here to read Waddell DL. (1991). â€Å"The effects of continuing education on nursing practice: a meta-analysis. † J Contin Educ Nurs. (3):113-8.