Strategic “Management in Digital Music Industry”

Strategic â€Å"Management in Digital Music Industry† Undeniably, significant changes have taken place in the music industry. Perhaps, these changes can be seen as a revolution, which has been propelled by advancement in technology. Even though the invention of the compact discs brought significant changes in the music business, the introduction of digital technology has given the music industry a new look. Unlike in the past, it is now possible distribute music through the internet, thanks to the invention of digital technology. It is also worth noting that, while this technology has contributed to loss of business opportunities to some organizations, it has also enhanced new opportunities to others. Perhaps, the negatively affected organizations include record stores, who have lost their business to online music distributing companies (Tschmuck, 2006). Consequently, for the losers to remain in business, undertaking strategic changes is inevitable. As an illustration, Sonicbids Corporation will be used in this analysis, to explain the importance of undertaking strategic change programme in the music industry in response to the invention of digital technology. Company Profile Sonicbids Corporation is one of the leading companies in digital music distribution industry. Particularly, it is considered a Social Music Marketing stage that brings together consumers brands, bands, promoters, as well as music fans. Sonicbids Corporation was established in 2001, in Massachusetts, Boston. Actually, it was among the first companies to be established, in reaction to the invention of digital technology. Possibly, this is one of the reasons behind the rapid growth of the Company, which now supports more than 360,000 bands and approximately 27,000 promoters from more than 100 countries in various parts of the world. In addition, currently the company has more than 100 million fans. The Company deals with various products, the most common being Internet Content Provider, Information Collection Delivery, Media, Sales Promotion Services, Advertising Marketing Services, as well as public Relations Services. Sonicbids Corporation initiated partnership with other companies , such as Red bull, Bonnroo Music and Arts Festival, Diesel Industry, and Marriott Hotels. However, since its incorporation, various companies have also ventured into the digital music industry; the most competitive being ARTST direct.com. Capital Sports Entertainment, LLC, and Buddy Lee Attractions, Inc (Sonicbids, 2012). Need for strategic change As mentioned above, significant changes have occurred in the music industry, particularly with the introduction of digital technology (Kilmer, 2010). Thus, to remain competitive, Sonicbids Corporations need to execute strategic changes, in reaction to the ever changing competitive business environment. Arguably, in this particular case, the need for implementation of strategic change programmes for Sonicbids Corporation could be best explained using porter’s five forces. Rivalry Although Sonicbids Corporation was among the first companies to venture into the Social Music Marketing business, the intensity of rivalry in this business has increased considerably. A number of companies have grown to be strong competitors to the Company, contributing to a decrease of its market share. Some of the strong competitors include ARTST direct.com. Capital Sports Entertainment, LLC, and Buddy Lee Attractions, Inc (Sonicbids, 2012). There is no doubt that venturing into social music marketing industry requires high investments, hence becoming a strong entry barrier. However, the high exiting costs has also contributed to the ever increasing competition for those companies already in this business. This implies that, the opportunity cost of companies already in this industry exiting from the industry is much higher than the opportunity cost of continuing operating in the industry. As such, for a company, like Sonicbids Corporation to enhance its survival in this industry, there is need to undertake strategic change in its operations. In order to increase or maintain its market share in this industry, there is need for the company to capitalize on its strengths in minimizing its weakness, in reaction to the increasing competitors. This does not imply that the company has failed completely in its competitive strategies. For instance, in the recent past, Sonicbids Corporation has established partnerships with other companies, both within and outside its line of operation, as a way of facilitating its grobal growth; hence improving its competitiveness (Tschmuck, 2006). However, with time, industry keeps on changing and there is need to cope with such changes. Threat of substitutes The products and services offered by Sonicbids Corporation face a considerably high degree of threat of substitutes. Since the beginning of the digital technology revolution, a number of companies have emerged in the music industry. In addition, those companies established long before this revolution, have also undertaken business process reengineering to cope with the changes taking place in their business environment (Mulligan, 2011). For instance, Sony, one of the leading companies in the entertainment industry, has undertaken strategic measures to ensure that its products and services embrace the growing digital technology. Based on this analysis, it is evident that Sonicbids has a lot to do regarding differentiation of its products. However, this does not imply that the company’s products are not differentiated. Actually, being among the first company to venture into the digital music technology industry, the Company has already established its reputation among the consum ers and other stakeholders, giving its brand an upper hand in the market. However, strategic changes are still needed, to differentiate its products and services further, in response to the ever increasing competition (Domingo, 2012). Threats to entry Digital music industry requires huge amount of investments. Nevertheless, due to the high opportunity cost of investing in this industry, more companies find it worth venturing into the industry. It is evident that lately, the internet has become one of the essential tools influencing strategic global expansion in most companies, given that digital technology and the internet go hand in hand, investing in this industry at whatever cost is viable in the long-run for any company. To some extent, this increases the threats of new entry to Sonicbids Corporation. However, Sonicbids has an upper hand in countering the impacts of the new entrants, given that it is already established in the digital industry (Domingo, 2012). The Company already has an advantage when it comes to economies of scale. This could be of greater significance to the Company in the intended strategic changes; particularly, in facilitating constant innovation in the attempt to differentiate its products from those of its existing competitors and new entrants. As the digital music industry grows, so does government regulations. This also acts as another barrier for the new entrants. However, to Sonicbids Corporation, this could be an added advantage to its strategic change policies. Given that the Company has been operating in the industry for quite a long time, it is obvious that it has taken government regulations into consideration in its business strategies. Hence, not much is needed when it comes to new government regulations, hence minimal impact is felt when implementing such changes in its business operations (Tschmuck, 2006). Suppliers’ power Sonicbids has suppliers from various parts of the world, where its products and services are accessible. Thus, the bargaining power of the suppliers is considerably low, reducing chances of the company suffering from any limitation of supplies. Nevertheless, as rivalry and new entrants increase, the bargaining power of suppliers also increases. An increase in competition and new entrants give the suppliers alternatives, which gives them an advantage when it comes to negotiating for their supplies. Consequently, if nothing is done to preserve its suppliers, Sonicbids is likely to lose the suppliers to its competitors and new entrants; which could be the beginning of reduction of its market share. Possibly, one of the strategic changes that the Company should focus on in the attempt to maintaining and acquiring new suppliers is to create a mutual relationship with its suppliers. For instance, the Company should consider negotiating directly with its suppliers, which will in turn, in ad dition to improving their relationships, ensure high quality supplies at a relatively lower cost. In the long-run, the high quality supplies obtained at low prices will allow the Company to further differentiate its products, hence improving its competitiveness. Buyers’ power As compared to the bargaining power of the suppliers, the buyers’ bargaining power in digital music industry is high. It is important to note that there is no cost associated with switching from one product or service to another (Tschmuck, 2006). Thus, buyers are at liberty to change from one brand to another, depending on their tastes and preferences. Thus, it is up to the players in this industry to up their game in producing better products, so as to maintain and attract new buyers. Perhaps, the ability of the buyers to easily switch from one product to another has been the most challenging for the Company to handle. Ideally, the only tool that the Company can use to maintain its customers is to continuously differentiate and innovate its products. Yet, again Sonicbids Corporation is advantaged when it comes to maintaining customers, thanks to its strong brand. Buyers tend to be inclined towards a given brand, and Sonicbids has succeeded in building its brand over the years it has been in operation. Thus, it is already a step ahead of its competitors and new entrants. Hence, the Company should be focusing on building its brand continuously, as a strategic change in connection to increasing its customer base (Domingo, 2012). External Environment In addition to the above analysis of the need for Sonicbids’ needs for strategic change, there is also need for the company to implement various changes, so as to realign itself to the needs of the external environment. Undeniably, there are various tools that can be applied in evaluating the need for change in connection to the external environment of the Company. Nevertheless, in this case, P.E.S.T analysis will be the most appropriate. This particularly includes the analysis of factors that affect business operations, but which are beyond the control of the company. Political factors Ideally, the government has powers to regulate the economy in general, to achieve the desired economic performance. Thus, companies are affected in one way or the other, once any changes are made in government regulations in a given industry. For instance, in the recent past global financial crisis, the United States government took strategic measures for reviving its economy. Such measure included stern conditions on how large companies managed their finances. Although such regulations were not directly imposed on Sonicbids, their impacts were felt within the Company, which forced certain changes to accommodate such impacts. Nevertheless, the same impacts were also felt by Sonicbids’ competitors. This implies that Sonicbids must come up with ideas on how to outdo its competitors in order to survive in the industry. Some of the government policies likely to affect Sonicbids include minimum wage for the workforce, the amount of tax to be paid, as well as the amount of VAT to be remitted by companies. These factors must be evaluated regularly to determine how they are likely to affect the performance of the company in the future (Wikstsrom, 2010). Economic factors Economic factors are closely connected to political factors on how they influence strategic changes in an organization. However, economic factors tend to largely focus on the performance of the economy and how such performance affects the purchasing power of the consumers. For instance, in the recent global financial crisis the economy of, not only the United States, but also other countries in various parts of the world, shrunk. This brought significant changes, the most common being increase in interest rates. This in turn affected the purchasing power of the consumers, implying that the performance of Sonicbids’ products in the market declined. This also contributed to changes in terms of tax contributions to the government from companies. Consequently, Sonicbids must take into account such changes, in monitoring and managing its performance in general. In addition, given that the Company is now available in different countries all over the world, the impacts of such change s are likely to vary from one country to another. To some degree, this will influence on how the Company will price its products, and investment opportunities to be given priorities (Mulligan, 2011). Social factors To some extent, the general performance of any given company largely depends on how it is perceived in a sociological context. Arguably, Sonicbids has done relatively well socially, thanks to the high quality products and services it provides. Nevertheless, the Company operates in a very volatile environment, given that technology keeps on changing. Thus, the Company should ensure that vital changes are incorporated in its business activities, for it to stay ahead of technology. Besides, the Company should ensure that all their activities are appealing to the society, because that will determine the future of the company. In this case, Sonicbids should ensure that it produces products that people will be proud to be associated with in the society. Although customers have various tastes and preferences, it is upon the Company to improve on their ideas on how the customers’ needs will be accommodated in their products and services (Wikstsrom, 2010). Technological factors Possibly, technological factors are the most significant for Sonicbids, given that all its activities surrounds the use of technology. Its productivity largely depends on productivity. In fact, almost all its operations are conducted through the internet, which is the main tool of connecting the buyers, sellers as well as other stakeholders. Therefore, investment in modern technology and updating the same from time to time accounts for a great percentage of its resources. The Company should make research a continuous process, as this will help it to update its technological requirements. As a way of differentiating its products, Sonicbids, should for instance ensure that customers can easily navigate through their websites in the process of window shopping. Besides, it should also ensure that the online payment system is easy and safe, to avoid financial losses. A continuous investment on new technology will be advantageous to the Company in various ways. First, it will contribute to reduction of costs. Lately, online marketing is among the most preferred methods of business marketing. It not only accesses a large number of potential customers, but it is also relatively cheaper as compared to other marketing alternatives. Secondly, technology leads to better quality products. This is as a result of the ongoing research on how the products can be produced at a lower cost, without compromising on the quality. Lastly, investment in technology is the key to innovation. With up-to-date technology, Sonicbids stands a better chance of producing new products within its line of operation (Kilmer, 2010). Outcome of the Strategic Change Programme The main objective of undertaking strategic changes as discussed above is to give Sonicbids a better chance of improving its competitiveness with the industry. In this case, the possible outcomes of the strategic change programme can be evaluated based on the SWOT analysis principle. This will particularly concentrate on how the Company is likely to capitalize on its strengths to improve on its weaknesses, as well as how the opportunities arising from the strategic change programme would help the Company in dealing with the threats it faces. Strengths One of the strengths of Sonicbids is an already established brand. As a result, the Company has established a fairly large customer base as compared to its competitors. This implies that, the impacts of the ever increasing competition would remain marginal as compared to the extent its competitors are affected. Therefore, focusing on building its brand will differentiate its products further within the market, hence enhancing its continued growth. The Company’s second strength is associated with its economies of scale. As such it has an advantage when it comes to investing in large projects, such as acquiring new technology, which would increase efficiency in the company. In fact, it is as a result of its economies of scale, that the Company has managed to venture into new market segments in various countries throughout the world. Last, the company has managed to attract high talented and innovative workforce, since its incorporation. Given that it was among the first companie s venturing into digital music industry, the management of the Company has managed to learn through experience on how to manage the operations of the Company for effective performances. Understanding the needs of the above discussed strategic changes will keep the Company at a better position of improving its strengths, hence high competitiveness (Kilmer, 2010). Weakness Despite the above mentioned strengths, Sonicbids has been facing a number of weaknesses. For instance, the Company offers a variety of products, as one of the strategies of diversifying its business. However, some of the products provided are not productive as such, contributing to a decline in its overall performance. In addition, as competition increases, sales of products tend to slow down. This is an indicator that strategic measures are needed to deal with this problem. Arguably, by focusing on implementing the above discussed strategic changes, the Company will be in a better position in dealing with these weaknesses. Opportunities One of the most significant opportunities for Sonicbids Corporation is venturing into new markets, which still remain untapped. There is no doubt that the digital music industry is yet to be flooded. There are various markets which remain untapped, and venturing into such market will be a great opportunity for this Company. In addition, the Company also has an opportunity of producing new products. It is well endowed in terms of resources, both human and financial, which could be invested in innovation projects. Lastly, the Company has a better chance of expanding its current market share, by investing and improving on its marketing strategies. All these opportunities are likely to be beneficial to the Company; it only focuses on implementing the above discussed strategic changes (Kilmer, 2010). Threats Competition is the main threat currently facing Sonicbids. Besides the previously mentioned competitors, within the context of digital music industry, Sonicbids also faces competition from such companies as: Bandcamp, RDIO, Soundloud, and Ticketley. However, based on the above discussed strategic change programme, Sonicbids will stand a better chance of remaining at the top of competition in the digital music industry. Conclusion As mentioned above, a revolution has occurred within the music industry, particularly with the introduction of digital technology. While the digital technology has opened new business opportunities, it has also been the main cause of business loss; particularly for the players who has failed to embrace this new technology. In this analysis, Sonicbids Corporation, one of the first companies to venture into digital music industry, has been used to†¦

Silicon Particles As Trojan Horses For Potential Cancer...

Silicon Particles as Trojan Horses for Potential Cancer Therapy Published in the Journal of Nanobiotechnology, 2014. Web link: http://www.jnanobiotechnology.com/content/12/1/35 Authors: Roberto Fenollosa; Eduardo Garcia-Rico; Susana Alvarez; Rosana Alvarez, Xiang Yu; Isabel Rodriguez; Susana Carregal-Romero; Carlos Villanueva; Manuel Garcia-Algar; Pilar Rivera-Gil; Angel R de Lera; Wolfgang J Parak; Francisco Meseguer; Ramà ³n A Alvarez-Puebla. Summary Cancer is a disease that involves abnormal growth of cells with a danger of spreading over other parts of the body. Modern biological researches being made to treat different forms of cancer have all been using one common material: nanoparticles. These particles have properties useful for the treatment of cancer like their stability in solvents, the adjustable surface chemistry for delivery, and the ideal size to deliver bio organic ligands to cells1. Even combining together nanoparticles with different functionality increases their potential use in cancer treatment. The common use of the particles in treatment is to direct them to target cells with antibodies attached to their surfaces. There is a monetary limitation to this method needing large and expensive machines. Some methods require the particles to be heated with a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine or an electromagnetic field which causes death of cells around the target cells. Porous silicon particles (PSiPs), because of their biodegradability and their

Storm Born Chapter Three Free Essays

string(109) " I fell into that gaze, feeling the response of nerves in my lower body that I’d thought were dormant\." I’d been people-watching for almost an hour, so I saw him as soon as he walked in. It was hard not to. The eyes of a few other women in the bar showed that I wasn’t the only one who’d noticed. We will write a custom essay sample on Storm Born Chapter Three or any similar topic only for you Order Now He was tall and broad-shouldered, nicely muscled but not over the top in some crazy Arnold Schwarzenegger way. He wore khakis with a navy blue T-shirt tucked into them. His black hair was not quite to his chin, and he had it tucked behind his ears. His eyes were large and dark, set in a smoothly chiseled face with perfect, golden-tanned skin. There was some mix of ethnicities going on there, I suspected, but none I could discern. Whatever the combo, it worked. Extremely well. â€Å"Hey, is anyone sitting here?† He nodded at the chair beside me. It was the only empty one at the bar. I shook my head, and he sat down. He didn’t say anything else, and the only other time I heard him speak was to order a margarita. After that, he seemed content just to people-watch, like me. And honestly, it was a great place to do it. Alejandro’s was right next to a midlevel hotel and drew in patrons and tourists from all sides of the socioeconomic scale. TVs showed sporting events or news or whatever the bartender felt like putting on. A few trivia machines sat at the other end of the bar. Music – sometimes live, but not tonight – forced the TVs to have closed-captioning, and dancing people crowded the small space among the tables. It was humanity at its best. Teeming with life, alcohol, mindless entertainment, and bad pick-up lines. I liked to come here when I wanted to be alone without being alone. I liked it better when drunk, stupid guys left me alone. I wasn’t sure about articulate, good-looking ones. One nice thing I soon discovered was that with Tall, Dark, and Handsome sitting next to me, no losers dared approach. But he wasn’t talking to me either, and after a while, I realized I’d kind of like him to – not that I’d have any clue what to say back. With the glances he kept giving me, I think he felt the same way. I didn’t know. A sort of tension built up between us as I nursed my Corona, each of us waiting for something. When it finally came, he started it. â€Å"You’re edible.† Not the opening I’d been expecting. â€Å"I beg your pardon?† â€Å"Your perfume. It’s like†¦like violets and sugar. And vanilla. I suppose it’s weird to think violets are edible, huh?† â€Å"Not so weird as a guy actually knowing what violets smell like.† It was also weird that he could even smell it. I’d put it on about twelve hours ago. With all the smoke and sweat around here, it was a surprise anyone’s olfactory senses could function. He shot me a crooked grin, favoring me with a look that could only be described as smoky. I felt my pulse quicken a little. â€Å"It’s good to know what flowers are what. Makes it easier to send them. And impress women.† I eyed him and then swirled the beer in my bottle. â€Å"Are you trying to impress me?† He shrugged. â€Å"Mostly I’m just trying to make conversation.† I pondered that, deciding if I wanted to play this game or not. Wondering if I could. I smiled a little. â€Å"What?† he asked. â€Å"I don’t know. Just thinking about flowers. And impressing people. I mean, how strange is that we bring plant sex organs to people we’re attracted to? What’s up with that? It’s a weird sign of affection.† His dark eyes lit up, like he’d just discovered something surprising and delightful. â€Å"Is it any weirder than giving chocolate, which is supposed to be an aphrodisiac? Or what about wine? A ‘romantic’ drink that really just succeeds in lowering the other person’s inhibitions.† â€Å"Hmm. It’s like people are trying to be both subtle and blatant at the same time. Like, they won’t actually go up and say, ‘Hey, I like you, let’s get together.’ Instead, they’re like, ‘Here, have some plant genitalia and aphrodisiacs.'† I took a drink of the beer and propped my chin in my hand, surprised to hear myself going on. â€Å"I mean, I don’t have a problem with men or relationships or sex, but sometimes I just get so frustrated with games of human attraction.† â€Å"How so?† â€Å"It’s all masked in posturing and ploys. There’s no honesty. People can’t just come up and express their attraction. It’s got to be cleverly obscured with some stupid pick-up line or not-so-subtle gift, and I don’t really know how to play those games so well. We’re taught that it’s wrong to be honest, like there’s some kind of social stigma with it.† â€Å"Well,† he considered, â€Å"it can come out pretty crass sometimes. And let’s not forget about rejection too. I think that adds to it. There’s a fear there.† â€Å"Yeah, I guess. But being turned down isn’t the worst thing in the world. And wouldn’t that be easier than wasting an evening or – God forbid – months of dating? We should state our feelings and intentions openly. If the other person says ‘fuck off,’ well, then, deal. Move on.† I suddenly eyed my beer bottle suspiciously. â€Å"What’s wrong?† â€Å"Just wondering if I’m drunk. This is my first beer, but I think I’m sounding a little unhinged. I don’t usually talk this much.† He laughed. â€Å"I don’t think you’re unhinged. I actually agree with you.† â€Å"Yeah?† He nodded and looked remarkably wise as he contemplated his answer. It made him even sexier. â€Å"I agree, but I don’t think most people take honesty well. They prefer the games. They want to believe the pretty lies.† I finished off the last of the Corona. â€Å"Not me. Give me honesty anytime.† â€Å"You mean that?† â€Å"Yes.† I set the bottle down and looked at him. He was watching me intently now, and his look was smoky again, all darkness and sex and heat. I fell into that gaze, feeling the response of nerves in my lower body that I’d thought were dormant. You read "Storm Born Chapter Three" in category "Essay examples" He leaned slightly forward. â€Å"Well, then, here’s honesty. I was really happy when I saw the empty seat by you. I think you’re beautiful. I think seeing the bra underneath your shirt is dead sexy. I like the shape of your neck and the way those strands of hair lay against it. I think you’re funny, and I think you’re smart too. After just five minutes, I already know you don’t let people screw around with you – which I also like. You’re pretty fun to talk to, and I think you’d be just as much fun to have sex with.† He sat back in his chair again. â€Å"Wow,† I said, now noticing I’d put on a white shirt over a black bra in my haste. Oops. â€Å"That’s a lot of honesty.† â€Å"Should I fuck off now?† I played with the rim of the bottle. I took a deep breath. â€Å"No. Not yet.† He smiled and ordered us another round. Introductions seemed like the next logical step, and when his turn came, he told me his name was Kiyo. â€Å"Kiyo,† I repeated. â€Å"Neat.† He watched me, and after a moment, a smile danced over his mouth. A really nice mouth too. â€Å"You’re trying to figure me out.† â€Å"Figure you out how?† â€Å"What I am. Race. Ethnic group. Whatever.† â€Å"Of course not,† I protested, even though I’d been trying to do exactly that. â€Å"My mother is Japanese, and my father is Latino. Kiyo is short for Kiyotaka.† I scrutinized him, now understanding the large dark eyes and the tanned skin. Human genes were exquisite. I loved the way they blended. How cool, I thought, to have such a solid grip on your ancestry. I knew my mother had a lot of Greek and Welsh, but there was a mix of all sorts of other things there too. And as for my deadbeat father†¦well, I knew no more about his heritage than I knew anything else about him. For all intents and purposes, I was very much the mongrel the keres had called me earlier. I realized then I’d been staring at Kiyo too long. â€Å"I like the results,† I finally said, which made him laugh again. He asked about my job, and I told him I worked in Web design. It wasn’t entirely a lie. I’d majored in it and in French. Both areas had turned out to be completely irrelevant to my job, though Lara swore having a Web site would drive up our business. We mostly relied on word of mouth now. When he told me he was a veterinarian, I said, â€Å"No, you aren’t.† Those smoldering eyes widened in surprise. â€Å"Why do you say that?† â€Å"Because†¦because you can’t be. I just can’t see it.† Nor could I imagine telling Lara tomorrow: So I was in a bar last night and met this sexy veterinarian†¦ No, those concepts somehow didn’t go together. Veterinarians looked like Wil Delaney. â€Å"It’s God’s truth,† Kiyo swore, stirring his margarita. â€Å"I even take my work home with me. I have five cats and two dogs.† â€Å"Oh, dear Lord.† â€Å"Hey, I like animals. It goes back to the honesty thing. Animals don’t lie about how they feel. They want to eat, fight, and reproduce. If they like you, they show it. If they don’t, they don’t. They don’t play games. Well, except maybe the cats. They’re tricky sometimes.† â€Å"Yeah? What’d you name all those cats?† â€Å"Death, Famine, Pestilence, War, and Mr. Whiskers.† â€Å"You named your cats after the riders of the apocal – wait. Mr. Whiskers?† â€Å"Well, there are only four horsemen.† We talked for a while after that about whatever else came to mind. Some was serious, some humorous. He told me he was in town from Phoenix, which kind of disappointed me. Not local. We also talked about the people around us, our jobs, life, the universe, etc., etc. All the while I kept wondering how this had happened. Hadn’t I just been noting how I lived outside of society? Yet, here I was, talking to a guy I’d just met like I’d known him for years. I barely recognized the words coming out of my own mouth. I didn’t even recognize my body language: leaning into him as we talked, legs touching. He wore no cologne but smelled like he looked: darkness and sex and heat. And promises. Promises that said, Oh, baby, I can give you everything you’ve ever wanted if you’ll just give me the chance†¦. At one point, I leaned toward the bar to slide an empty bottle across it. As I did, I suddenly felt Kiyo’s fingers brush my lower back where my shirt had ridden up. I flinched as electricity crackled through me at that slight, casual touch. â€Å"Here’s more honesty,† he said in a low voice. â€Å"I like this tattoo. A lot. Violets again?† I nodded and sat back in my chair, but he didn’t remove his hand. That tattoo was a chain of violets and leaves that spread across my lower back. A larger cluster of the flowers sat on my tailbone, and then smaller tendrils extended outward on both sides, almost to my hips. â€Å"Violets have sort have become my patron flower,† I explained, â€Å"because of my eyes.† He leaned forward, and I almost stopped breathing at how close his mouth was to mine. â€Å"Wow. You’re right. I’ve never seen eyes that color.† â€Å"I’ve got three more.† â€Å"Eyes?† â€Å"Tattoos.† This got his interest. â€Å"Where?† â€Å"They’re covered by the shirt.† I hesitated. â€Å"You know anything about Greek mythology?† He nodded. A cultured man. Cue swooning. I touched my upper right arm. My sleeve covered the skin. â€Å"This one’s a snake wrapped all the way around my arm. It’s for Hecate, the goddess of magic and the crescent moon.† What I didn’t add was that Hecate guarded the crossroads between worlds. It was she who governed transitions to the Otherworld and beyond. This tattoo was my link to her, to facilitate my own journeys and call on her for help when needed. I moved to my upper left arm. â€Å"This one’s a butterfly whose wings wrap around and touch behind my arm. It’s half black and half white.† â€Å"Psyche?† he asked. â€Å"Good guess.† He really was cultured. The goddess Psyche was synonymous with the soul, which the butterfly represented in myth. â€Å"Persephone.† He nodded. â€Å"Half black, half white. She lives half her life in this world and half in the Underworld.† Not unlike my own life. Persephone guided transitions to the world of death. I didn’t travel there myself, but I invoked her to send others across. â€Å"She governs the dark moon. And back here† – I tapped the spot behind me where my neck connected to my back – â€Å"is a moon with an abstract woman’s face in it. Selene, the full moon.† Kiyo’s dark eyes held intense interest. â€Å"Why not one of the more common moon goddesses, then? Like Diana?† I hesitated with my answer. In many ways, Diana would have served the same purpose. She, like Selene, was bound to the human world and could keep me grounded here when I needed it. â€Å"The others are†¦solitary goddesses. Even Persephone, who’s technically married. Diana’s a virgin – she’s alone too. But Selene†¦well, she doesn’t get a lot of press anymore, but she was a more social goddess. A sexual goddess. She opens herself up to other people. And experiences. So I went with her. I just didn’t think it’d be healthy to be marked with three goddesses who were all alone.† â€Å"What about you? Are you alone, Eugenie?† His voice was velvet against me, and I could have drowned in those eyes. They were like chocolate. Chocolate is an aphrodisiac. â€Å"Aren’t we all alone?† I asked with a rueful smile. â€Å"Yes. I think in the end, we all are, no matter what the songs and happy stories say. I guess it’s just a matter of who we choose to be alone with.† â€Å"That’s why I come here, you know. To be alone with other people. There’s isolation in a crowd. You’re hidden. Safe.† He looked around at the buzzing, moving sea of people in the bar. They were like a wall surrounding us. There but not there. â€Å"Yes. Yes, I suppose that’s true.† â€Å"Isn’t that why you’re here too?† He glanced back down at me, his expression a little less sexual and a bit more pensive. â€Å"I don’t know. I’m not sure. I guess maybe I’m here because of you.† I didn’t have any quick retorts for that, so I started playing with the bottle again. The bartender asked if I wanted another, and I shook my head. Kiyo touched my shoulder. â€Å"You want to dance?† I was pretty sure I hadn’t danced since high school, but some force compelled me to agree. We stepped out into a crowd of very bad dancers. Most were just sort of floundering around to a fast song with a heavy beat that I’d never heard before. Kiyo and I weren’t much better. But when a slower song came on, he wrapped me to him, pressing us together as close as two people could be. Well, almost as close. I couldn’t ever remember anything like this happening with a guy I’d just met, a desire for someone I actually wanted and not just someone who was available. His body felt hard and perfect against mine, and my flesh kept concocting ways to touch his. I was already picturing him naked, imagining what it would be like to have his body move against and inside of mine. What was going on with me here? The images were so vivid and real, it was a wonder my feelings weren’t written across my face. So I didn’t really mind when he slid his hand up the back of my neck and brought his mouth down to kiss me. It wasn’t a tentative kiss either. No first-date kisses here. It was the kind of kiss that meant business, the kind of kiss that said, I want to consume every inch of you and hear you scream my name. I’d never really made out in a public place, but it seemed kind of a trivial concern as that kiss burned between us, our tongues and lips exploring the contours of each other’s mouths. But when his other hand slid up and cupped my breast, even I was surprised. â€Å"Hey,† I said, breaking off slightly. â€Å"There are people around.† Amusing, I thought a moment later, that I was less concerned about him doing it than being seen doing it. He kissed the side of my neck, just below my ear, and when he spoke, his words heated my skin. â€Å"People only notice if you make a big deal about it.† I let him kiss me again and didn’t say anything else about the hand that continued to stroke the curve of my breast and tease my nipple into hardness beneath the shirt. His other hand slid down to my ass and ground me closer to him, letting me feel exactly what was underneath his jeans. The fact that we were doing this in public suddenly made it a lot sexier. I let out a small, trembling sigh and then broke away from the kiss again. Only this time, it wasn’t because of any prudish feelings. It was from need. My body’s suddenly urgent and excruciating need. â€Å"Are you staying next door?† I asked, indicating the hotel adjacent to the bar. â€Å"No. Out at the Monteblanca.† I let surprise show on my face. That was in the region near where I lived, in the Santa Catalina foothills. â€Å"That’s not a hotel. That’s a resort. A really nice one. Veterinarians must make a lot.† He smiled and brushed his lips against my cheek. â€Å"You want to see it?† â€Å"Yes,† I told him. â€Å"I certainly do.† How to cite Storm Born Chapter Three, Essay examples

The Duality Of Existence And Essence Through free essay sample

St Augustine And St Thomas Essay, Research Paper Ancient, Medieval Modern and Contemporary Philosophy HUM-3551-01 Karim Saliba Teacher: Dr. Robert L. Shearer The dichotomy of Existence and Essence through St Augustine and St Thomas Submitted: 11/8/2000 We have been analyzing in the class of the category the development of idea in the Western Civilization. This survey has of class started with the Grecian minds and philosophers. Their manner of idea has had a great consequence on the manner the whole western civilisation approached life, and the cardinal constructs behind it. Plato is the philosopher that most likely had the most influence on the manner idea has evolved in western society. But his logical thinking put Essence above Existence, which is in contradiction with the religion that is promoted subsequently on by Aristotle at first, and so by the reaching of Christian idea into the western universe. Plato was the first philosopher that promoted a manner in which Essence was the Urstuff, or what he would name the Good ( he besides called this the universe of dateless thoughts ) . Plato # 8217 ; s division of world and his theory of signifiers have influenced all farther western thought, and have besides found a manner to act upon Saint Augustine. Saint Augustine was seeking to happen a manner of idea that would be in agreement with his moral thoughts and still would be somehow rational. He found that thought in Plato # 8217 ; s thoughts, and most particularly in Plotinus # 8217 ; reading of those thoughts in his Enneads. Saint Augustine so converted to Christianity Plato # 8217 ; s thought, since this idea put a higher being ( that Saint Augustine identified as God ) as the foundation of the existence, and therefore this tantrum in the Christian tenet really easy. This is where Saint Augustine became someway contradictory with himself, since his uninterrupted efforts to do everything a theodicy, a justification of God # 8217 ; s being. Where Saint Augustine # 8217 ; s accounts and justification failed, Saint Thomas saw a cardinal defect, and sought for an account, non in more efforts at theodicy, but in a wholly different attack of the Christian tenet through the reading of Aristotle # 8217 ; s works. Indeed, Aristotle, even though he was Plato # 8217 ; s pupil and his rational follower, diverged on the building of his existence. Aristotle believed in a more Experiential point of position, in which # 8220 ; he could detect no decisive ground for denying that the universe ever existed alternatively of being created at a point in time. # 8221 ; ( S. Stumpf, 1994, p. 179 ) . This is really contradictory with Saint Augustine # 8217 ; s Essentialist position, and besides contradictory with the church # 8217 ; s tenet. Saint Thomas didn # 8217 ; t contradict the church on many things though, since his reading of Aristotle retains the thought of the Unmoved Mover as God, and the fact that everything is hence cause d by God. Still, even though he himself didn # 8217 ; t recognize it, Saint Thomas was pro moting an Existentialist position that was adhered to in portion by the church. So what precisely are Essentialism and Existentialism? # 8220 ; The kernel of a thing is what the thing is ; being refers instead to the sheer fact that the thing is. Therefore when I say? I am a adult male, ? the? I am? denotes the fact that I exist, while the predicate? adult male? denotes what sort of existent I am, viz. a man. # 8221 ; ( W. Barrett, 1958, p. 102 ) . Essentialism is a extremely religious manner of sing in which you think that Essence is the urstuff. Essentialism has been a ruling doctrine in western thought through the Christian tenet and besides in some Eastern doctrines, in which the psyche is normally precursor to the flesh, and reincarnation is possible. But throughout the ages, the people who have supported the Essentialist thought of the universe have tried to give their theory a foundation that would do sense, in both the existent universe ( what Plato would name the universe of visual aspect ) and the definition in relation to the construct of God/the Go od. This justification started with Plato, and continued with Augustine, and through all the other Essentialists. Existentialism on the other manus has an attack in which the being of the thing precedes its kernel. For Saint Thomas, the basic premiss that leads him into his peculiar position of Christianity is the followers: # 8220 ; Man is a rational animate being # 8221 ; . This thought of seting ground above all is common to both the Grecian philosophers and those who have picked up the thoughts of these Grecian philosophers. Reason has been a driving force, and has mingled with Faith in the Christian faith. But where Essentialism promotes the mingling of Faith and Reason, or Faith through Reason, since essentialist positions have to utilize some sort of justification to explicate the separation between thoughts and signifiers. Existentialism promotes Reason before anything else. We can therefore see that Essentialism and Existentialism, even though they are but two sides of the same coin, are two wholly different and detached views/constructions of world. Saint Augustine was the first Christian mind to dig into the Grecian doctrine and integrate it and accommodate it to the Christian tenet. He chose Plato # 8217 ; s position, which is an essentialist position, and therefore influenced Christian tenet. On the other manus, subsequently on in clip, when the church was confronted to a rise of the plants of Aristotle in the West, and that Reason was going an of import factor, Saint Thomas adapted Aristotle # 8217 ; s position to Christianity. These two ways of sing life are still really much nowadays today, and even though, through Sartre and other Existentialists, it seems that Existentialist thought is today more popular, both ways are still present and will stay because of their built-in dichotomy. Bibliography Mentions ? Stumpf, Samuel Enoch. Doctrine: History A ; Problems. McGraw-Hill, Inc, 1971 ? Barrett, William. Irrational Man. Anchor Books Editions, 1958

Panama Essays - Panama Canal, Panama, Republics,

Panama The official name of Panama is the Republic of Panama or (Rep?blica de Panam?). Panama is located on the narrowest and lowest part of the Isthmus of Panama that links North America and South America. This part of the isthmus is situated between 7? and 10? north latitude and 77? and 83? west longitude. Panama is slightly smaller than South Carolina, approximately 77,082 square kilometers. The countrys two coastlines are referred to as the Caribbean and Pacific, rather than the north and south coasts. To the east is Colombia and to the west Costa Rica. Pacific. Dominant features of their landform is highlands forming the continental divide. The higher elevations near borders with Costa Rica and Colombia. The highest point in the country is the Volc?n Bar? which rises to almost 3,500 meters. The lowest elevation is in the middle of the country where it is crossed by the Panama Canal. Most of the population is on the Pacific side of the divide. The population of the country is around 2.8 million with a growth rate of 1.5%. The racial and ethnic groups are 65% mestizo, 14% African descent, 10% Spanish descent, 10% Indian. The religion is 85% Roman Catholic, 5% Protestant, and 5% Islamic. Spanish is the official language, though United States influence and the canal zone reinforce the use of English as a second language. Panama's arts show its ethnic mix. Indian tribes, West Indian groups, mestizos, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Swiss, Yugoslav and North American immigrants have all offer contributed ingredients to the culture. Traditional arts are woodcarving, weaving, ceramics and mask-making. The capital city is Panama City with major cities of Colon, Bocas del Toro, Potobelo, El porvenir, Santiago, Tocumen, La Palma, David, Balboa, and el Dorado. Political culture traditionally characterized by personalism, the tendency to give one's political loyalties to an individual rather than to a party. Politics from 1968 until his death in 1981 dominated by General Omar Torrijos Herrera, Their form of government is Executive under provisions of their 1972 Constitution, as amended in 1978 and 1983. The chief executive is president of the republic, he is assisted by two vice presidents, all elected by popular vote for five-year terms. The unit of currency is the Balboa which is equal to the United States dollar. Balboas are available only in coins. Almost 500 rivers intertwine through Panama's landscape. Many of these rivers originated as swift highland streams. The R?o Chepo and the R?o Chagres are sources of hydroelectric power. The R?o Chagres is one of the longest and most vital of the 150 rivers that flow into the Caribbean. A part of this river was dammed to create Gatun Lake, which forms a major part of the transit route between the locks near each end of the canal. Panama has a tropical climate with high temperatures and humidity year round. Seasons determined by rainfall rather than by changes in temperature. The country is divided into nine provinces, plus the Comarca de San Blas, which is treated as part of Col?n Province. The provincial borders have not changed since they were determined at independence in 1903. The provinces are divided into districts, which in turn are subdivided into sections called corregimientos. The country claims the seabed of the continental shelf, which has been defined by Panama. In addition, a 1958 law asserts jurisdiction over 12 nautical miles from the coastlines, and in 1968the government announced a claim to a 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone. The major port on the Pacific coastline is Balboa. The principal islands are Archipi?lago de las Perlas in the middle of the Gulf of Panama, the penal colony, and the island of Taboga, a tourist attraction that can be seen from Panama City. In all, there are some 1,000 islands off the Pacific coast. The Pacific coastal waters are extraordinarily shallow. Depths of 180 meters are reached only outside the perimeters of both the Gulf of Panama and the Golfo de Chiriqu?, and wide mud flats extend up to 70 kilometers from the coastlines. As a result, the tidal range is outrageous. A difference of about 70 centimeters between high and low water on the Caribbean coast contrasts sharply with over 700 centimeters on

Community Placement in a Resources Center Essay Example

Community Placement in a Resources Center Essay Example Community Placement in a Resources Center Essay Community Placement in a Resources Center Essay This is a brooding essay taking to give an account and in depth analysis of a non governmental Scottish charity undertaking run by Muslim adult females for Muslim adult females in Glasgow, with a position of placing good pattern, relevancy to public wellness pattern development and the application of the theory to pattern. The topic of community arrangement will be referred to a the resource centre through out this contemplation in order to protect the existent names and individualities of the centre and its staff. The resource centre handles societal affairs like racial torment, mourning, divorce instances, entree to instruction, forced matrimonies, in-migration affairs, mental wellness issues, relationship affairs, lodging issues and domestic maltreatment. A community Development undertaking should be able to show the public wellness pattern in entireness, use the public wellness theories and set into pattern the community development principles one of which is being able to turn to the precedence demand of the community with their full engagement thereby authorising them and most significantly working within the societal theoretical account of wellness. The societal theoretical account of wellness is a theoretical frame work which considers the wellness of persons and the community as a consequence of complex and interacting societal, economic, environmental and personal factors. This model operates on the belief that improved wellness and well-being is achieved by concentrating on the societal and environmental determiners of wellness in tandem with biological and medical factors. A The benefit of working within the societal theoretical account of wellness is that it permits persons and communities to build their ain definition of wellness and hence, place of import factors that influence wellness depending on the specific context. The construct of a community is based on the idea that how people behave and their well-being is influenced by their interaction with others and an grounds based definition of a community is a group of people with diverse features who are linked by societal ties, portion common positions and prosecute in joint action in geographical scene or location.This definition therefore qualifies the Muslim adult females in Glasgow North as a community. For the intent of this essay I would be concentrating on Domestic Abuse. This write-up will travel a long manner to explicate and critically analyze the extent to which the protection, proviso and bar of domestic force against adult females project identifies with public wellness pattern. A brief reappraisal of literature domestic maltreatment will be discussed thenceforth. I will afterwards analyze the undertaking while discoursing issues like planning and resource allotment, methodological analysis, monitoring and rating as good public wellness patterns identified in the undertaking. I intend to eventually discourse the contemplation and relevancy of the survey while doing the necessary recommendations. Definition Domestic maltreatment could be defined as any incident of endangering behaviour, force, or maltreatment ( psychological, physical, sexual, fiscal, and emotional ) between grownups who are or have been in intimate spouses or household members irrespective of gender or gender. Gender-based force includes a host of harmful behaviors that are directed at adult females and misss because of their sex, including married woman maltreatment, sexual assault, dowry-related slaying, matrimonial colza, selective undernourishment of female kids, forced harlotry, female venereal mutilation and sexual maltreatment of female kids. Vulnerable individuals or a kid in the environment where they are witnessing domestic maltreatment are besides inclusive. The British Medical Association had in 2006 explained in its publication that a kid who has witnessed domestic maltreatment has an increased hazard of sing mental wellness jobs. The Scottish Partnership for domestic maltreatment gave a broad ranging and comprehensive definition of domestic maltreatment as follows: Domestic maltreatment can be perpetrated by spouses or ex-partners and can include physical maltreatment ( assault and physical onslaught affecting a scope of behavior ) , sexual maltreatment ( Acts of the Apostless which degrade and humiliate adult females and are perpetrated against their will, including colza ) and mental/emotional maltreatment ( such as menaces, verbal maltreatment, keep backing money and other types of commanding behaviour such as isolation from household or friends ) . Children are witness to and subjected to much of this maltreatment ; there is a correlativity between domestic maltreatment and the mental, physical and sexual maltreatment of kids. Domestic maltreatment is associated with broader inequalities in society, is portion of a scope of behavior representing male maltreatment of power, and is linked to other signifiers of male force, such as colza and kid maltreatment. Domestic maltreatment occurs in all societal groups, is non caused by emphasis, unemployment, poorness, intoxicant or mental unwellness, or by the adult female who experiences the maltreatment. The scope of common effects of domestic maltreatment includes physical hurt, hapless wellness and a scope of psychological troubles. The effects on kids who may witness the maltreatment, or who may be used in the maltreatment, are besides recognised as including a scope of signifiers of emphasis or fright, every bit good as the extra correlativity between domestic maltreatment and child sexual maltreatment. Violence against adult females has late been recognized by the United Nations as a cardinal maltreatment of adult females s human rights. The sensitivenesss and stigma associated with domestic force, the conceptualisation of it chiefly as a judicial and legal issue, and the deficiency of informations on the dimensions of maltreatment, have hampered apprehension and the development of appropriate intercessions. Relationship force is the figure one cause of hurt to adult females ages 15-44: more that rapes, muggings and auto accidents combined. There are fundamentally four chief types of domestic maltreatment: Physical maltreatment. This consists of any act one individual does to be given to do the other individual physical hurting. This includes amongst other things, slapping, squeezing, pluging, forcing, throwing objects at another individual, assailing person with an object or anything that brings approximately physical hurting or uncomfortableness to another. The attendant consequence of Physical maltreatment are contusions, black eyes, knocked out dentitions, broken castanetss, internal organ hurts, abortion, encephalon concussions, and even decease. Death is normally the most terrible effect of an act of domestic maltreatment. About 1 in 3 big adult females experience at least one physical assault by a spouse during maturity. Sexual maltreatment. Sexual maltreatment encompasses any signifier of debasement, use, force or control of sex. Every twelvemonth about 132,000 adult females study that they have been victims of colza or attempted colza, and more than half of them knew their attackers ; Every twelvemonth 1.2 million adult females are forcibly raped by their current or former male spouses, some more than one time. It s estimated that two to six times that many adult females are raped, but do non describe it. For every 1 colza that IS reported, 10 are NOT reported. Sixteen per cent of adult females and two per cent of work forces who have been a victim of any type of spouse maltreatment since the age of 16s have experienced sexual assault by a spouse. In add-on to the assault itself, adult females who suffer serious sexual assault suffer a scope of physical and mental hurts. Globally between 6 and 47 per cent of big adult females study being sexually assaulted by intimate spouses in their life-time. Forced or coercive sexual intercourse with an HIV septic spouse is one of the most common paths of transmittal of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections ( STIs ) . Psychological maltreatment. Domestic maltreatment has long-run effects on the mental wellness of its victims. Over a 3rd of female victims and a ten percent of male victims are likely to endure ( self-defined ) emotional jobs as a consequence. The maltreatment is perpetrated by a domestic spouse to keep power and control in the relationship. The World Health Organisation ( WHO ) reported in 2000 that abused adult females are more likely to endure from depression, anxiousness, psychosomatic symptoms, eating jobs and sexual disfunction. Male victims of domestic maltreatment are besides at hazard of increased depression but at lower rates than in adult females. In general, approximately 80 % of both court-referred and self-referred work forces in these domestic force surveies exhibited diagnosable abnormal psychology, typically personality upsets. Estimates of personality upset in the general population would be more in the 15-20 % scope [ ] As force becomes more terrible and chronic, the likeliness of abnormal psychology in these work forces approaches 100 % . Dutton has nevertheless suggested a psychological profile of work forces who abuse their married womans, reasoning that they have marginal personalities that are developed early in life. Fiscal maltreatment. Fiscal maltreatment most commonly occurs nem con with other signifiers of maltreatment by the maltreater to command a victim by insulating her from all entree to finance/money, and include stealing money, utilizing person s recognition without consent, prohibiting person to work, coercing person to work in a threatening or unsafe occupation ( for case, coercing person to sell drugs or make sex work ) , or prohibiting person entree to their ain money. Fiscal maltreatment is more normally seen in older people or people with disablements as they may be reliant on a close friend, comparative or attention worker to roll up their pensions, organise their bank histories, or move on their behalf on most fiscal affairs. Harmonizing to 2007 statistics from the Prevalence Survey Report by King s College, London and the National Centre for Social Research on behalf of Comic Relief and the Department of Health, about 57,000 people aged 66 and over had experienced fiscal maltreatment in the past twelvemonth. This falls in line with the old research carried out by Action on Elder Abuse, which revealed that 20 per cent of calls to its helpline were about fiscal maltreatment, doing it the 2nd most widespread type to be brought to the help-line s attending. EPIDEMIOLOGY/LITERATURE REVIEW OF DOMESTIC ABUSE Domestic maltreatment histories for 33 % of all the instances handled in this undertaking. Womans are more of the victims and work forces the culprits. This may non be a true representation of the extent of domestic maltreatment in Scotland as the undertaking deals with a little population of people in a little community in Glasgow. A survey by the Home Office has revealed that about 92 adult females are killed every hebdomad by a current or former spouse. This nevertheless constitutes 32 % of female homicides in the United Kingdom. This equates to one adult female every three yearss. A Research carried out over a nine months period by the constabulary recorded about 25,000 domestic incidents. More of the incident was recorded in the Grampian constabulary country with 766 incidents per 100,000 people and 363 per 100,000 in cardinal Scotland giving a Scots norm of 529 per 100,000 populations. Though this research was carried out over a long period of clip and involved a larger population which is a good research quality, it is arguable that it may non be a good step of the extent of domestic maltreatment in Scotland because non all instances of domestic maltreatment are reported to the constabulary or recorded by them. It is besides known that incidents between those with a stopping point relationship are peculia rly improbable to be reported to the constabulary. The Data on sex of the victim and culprit besides showed that 92 % of the incident recorded that the victim was female and the culprit male this may non besides be wholly true as some beginnings systematically reports that work forces are less likely to describe being victims of domestic maltreatment. The Scots Crime Survey ( SCS ) attempts to get the better of some of the jobs with constabularies statistics by transporting out a family study which involved inquiring people about their experience as victims.they study picked up study more offense than the official constabulary figures, because as celebrated above, non all offense gets reported to the constabulary, or recorded by them. The study had some challenges some of which are the fact that respondents were sometimes loath to uncover experiences to interviewers because they are afraid, or see the affair excessively private, abashing or straitening. It can besides be hard for interviewers to guarantee that no other member of the family is present when the study is being carried out and merely people populating in private families are included those in safeties are non covered by the SCS which could impact the consequence of the study. The 1996 SCS included for the first clip in the self-completion questionnaire inquiries on the respondent s experiences of domestic force. The figures derived from the study are based on a comparatively wide definition covering male and female victims of menaces or force from spouses or ex-partners defined as any hubby, married woman fellow or girlfriend. It besides includes all incidents, irrespective of where they took topographic point, in the past twelvemonth, or of all time. Sixteen per cent of the violent offenses reported to the SCS were classified as domestic and accounted for 30 % of all violent offenses against adult females. Six per cent of adult females and 3 % of work forces ( aged between 16 and 59 ) said that their spouse had used force against them in the last twelvemonth but 75 % of all respondents said that the incident had non been reported to the constabulary. Besides, adult females were more likely to hold been injured ( 79 % ) compared to work forces ( 59 % ) . Thirteen per cent of all respondents reported being the victim of either menaces or force from a spouse in 1995. Women reported higher victimization rates than work forces with 6 % stating they had been the victims of either menaces or force in the last twelvemonth compared to 4 % of work forces. Sing lifetime experiences, 17 % of adult females and 9 % of work forces reported being a victim of either menace or force by a spouse while 12 % of adult females and 5 % of work forces reported sing both menaces and force from a spouse. Of those who had of all time been threatened by a spouse 66 % considered that they had been a victim of domestic force while 60 % of those who had experienced the usage of force from a spouse thought that they had been a victim of domestic force. A recent equivalent offense study for England and Wales, the 1999 British Crime Survey ( BCS ) found that 23 % of adult females and 15 % of work forces had experienced domestic assault in their life-time. Like the SCS, the BCS found that adult females were significantly more badly affected than work forces being twice every bit likely to be injured in onslaughts and more likely to hold been the victim of perennial onslaughts. The united state considered that they range prevarications between 25 % and 50 % of all the adult females in the universe holding experient physical maltreatment by spouse A WHO survey based on interview with more than 24,000 adult females from rural and urban countries in 10 states carried out in coaction with London school of Hygiene and tropical medical specialty, PATH and National research institute and adult females organisation in the participating states which are Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, Japan, Namibia, Peru, Samoa, Serbia and Montenegro, Thailand, and United Republic of Tanzania show that adult females are more at hazard of force at place than in the street which has serious reverberation for adult females s wellness.The survey besides shows how of import it is to reflect a limelight on domestic force globally and handle it as a major public wellness issue. Kenny MacAskill, the Scots Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Member of the Scottish Parliament has provided the following tabular array which shows the information available on the figure of incidents of domestic maltreatment recorded by the constabulary, by constabularies force country, where sex of victim was recorded, Scotland, 1999-2000 to 2007-08. Approximately half of all incidents recorded lead to a offense or offense being recorded by the constabulary. Police Force 1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 All Incidents Where Sexual activity Recorded All Incidents Where Sexual activity Recorded All Incidents Where Sexual activity Recorded Female Male Female Male Female Male Cardinal 1,300 121 1,407 129 1,781 149 Dumfries and Galloway 653 47 626 72 876 113 Fife 2,569 180 2,013 87 1,868 60 Grampian 3,660 343 3,848 363 3,607 327 Lothian and Boundary lines 6,390 384 6,598 341 6,196 484 Northern 495 53 1,584 237 1,560 197 Strathclyde 13,135 1,244 13,228 1,268 13,572 1,564 Tayside 2,311 152 2,935 376 2,540 316 Scotland 30,513 2,524 32,239 2,873 32,000 3,210 Police Force 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 All Incidents Where Sexual activity Recorded All Incidents Where Sexual activity Recorded All Incidents Where Sexual activity Recorded Female Male Female Male Female Male Cardinal 1,471 149 1,651 162 1,863 181 Dumfries and Galloway 802 98 751 108 931 124 Fife 1,851 69 2,020 100 2,523 205 Grampian 3,693 435 3,756 513 3,810 563 Lothian and Boundary lines 6,516 648 6,862 714 6,974 861 Northern 1,444 136 1,453 162 1,358 167 Strathclyde 13,533 1,630 16,096 2,000 17,642 2,390 Tayside 2,967 385 3,549 281 3,049 466 Scotland 32,277 3,550 36,138 4,040 38,150 4,957 A Police Force 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 All Incidents Where Sexual activity Recorded All Incidents Where Sexual activity Recorded All Incidents Where Sexual activity Recorded Female Male Female Male Female Male Cardinal 1,787 177 2,249 203 2,887 384 Dumfries and Galloway 1,015 176 1,057 180 1,057 147 Fife 2,980 259 3,325 364 3,460 460 Grampian 3,106 454 2,760 377 2,979 427 Lothian and Boundary lines 7,708 916 8,614 1,002 7,788 1,178 Northern 1,383 171 1,086 138 1,014 123 Strathclyde 18,615 2,760 20,091 3,215 20,185 3,497 Tayside 3,246 534 3,182 525 3,132 537 Scotland 39,840 5,447 42,364 6,004 42,502 6,753 A Incidents of domestic maltreatment recorded by the constabulary: Crimes A ; offenses and behavior non amounting to a offense or offense, Scotland, 2000-01 to 2008-09. THE RESOURCE CENTER They Resource centre started its journey in 1997 and opened its doors to the populace in April 2002. It is a Scots charity run by adult females with the intent of interrupting down barriers and enabling Muslim adult females to take part in all facet of society without holding to compromise their belief and values. The critical demands and concern identified are: 1. Lack of cognition of aid available taking to hapless take up of mainstream services by Muslim adult females in demand. 2. Lack of assurance that they mainstream services will be able to understand the issues impacting them and institutional favoritism forestalling consumption of services 3. Addition in Islamophobia and fright of favoritism and torment taking to diminishing interaction with mainstream society at all degrees 4. Family and marriage jobs In order to turn to these concerns, they operate at three different degrees: Working with policy shapers and mainstream supplier to get the better of the barriers to civic engagement and entree to services ; set abouting development work to construct the assurance of Muslim adult females, address their issues and advance societal coherence and supplying a scope of direct assisting services to adult females in a manner that meets their specific needs the 24 hr aid line operates SCOTLAND broad from Glasgow office and Dundee. They center is managed by both staff and voluntaries who give high quality service to the community and in return receive preparation, work experience, make New friends and frequently increase their assurance, accomplishments and cognition. The Resource centre being wholly a voluntary organisation it receives funding from the council, Voluntary action fund, Scottish community foundation, Gannochy trust, Culture and athletics Glasgow, and adult females s Fund for Scotland. The centre is service user positive and involves full engagement from people of the community. they center has bead in Sessionss for clients during hebdomad yearss, free entree to computing machines and a resource library incorporating an spread outing scope of books, cusps, magazines, on different The Resource Centre is service user positive and involved full engagement of the clients and subjects particularly on Islamic subjects peculiarly Focused towards adult females. Information on services and resources in Glasgow and remainder of Scotland is besides available in the library. The centre receives clients from different cultural beginning. From January to December 2008 the cultural beginning of clients and their per centums are. Scots 1 % , Somalia 1 % , Srilanka 1 % , Anon 36 % , Afghanistan 2 % , African @ % , Arab 2 % , Bangladeshi 4 % , British 4 % , Eastern Europe 2 % , Egypt 1 % , Indian 45, Persian 1 % , Israeli 2 % , Iraqi 1 % , Kurdish 2 % , Malayan 1 % , Maroc 2 % , and Pakistani 42 % . And the linguistic communication accomplishment within the centre, spoken by the clients, voluntaries and staff within the centre includes. English, Arabic, Bengali, Cutchi, Farsi, French, Gujerati, Hindi, Kurdish, Punjabi, pushtu, Somali, Swahili, Turkish, Urdu, Kashmiri, Russian, and Italian. Partnership With more than 2000 clients and 60 voluntaries, the centre carry out Community development undertakings supplying listening ear to Muslim adult females and to foster it aims, they resource centre is actively involved in the undermentioned partnerships and Advisory groups to enable community coherence, and overcome stereotypes and misconstruing between communities. partnership is really good as it reduces fraudulence of attempt and better use of resources to guarantee that more demand based and priority undertakings are done though some writers feels that the ground for partnership working comprise of the demand for joint addition to accomplish consequences better than that which would be achieved by an single group. The resource centre is actively involved in the undermentioned partnership and consultative groups ; The Black and Ethnic minority substructure in Scotland ( BEMIS ) -represented on board of Directors, Scottish adult females s convention ( SWC ) , Women national committee ; Muslim adult females s web ( MWN ) represented on webs, Equal chance Commission ( EOC ) represented on Advisory, Glasgow Violence Against adult females partnership ( GVAWP ) , Glasgow south BME Community safety Forum, Glasgow South and metropolis broad Area Implementation Groups ( AIGS ) , Govanhill colony and integrating Network, Cruse Bereavement attention Scotland, Scottish Marriage attention, REACH Community Health Project, Taleem Trust, Violence Against Women, Highlands wellbeing Alliance Inverness, Aberdeen City Council, Home office Forced matrimony unit, YYI centre Dundee, Grampian constabulary Aberdeen, GCC Culture and Sport Glasgow, Career Scotland, Community acquisition, Gorgals community forum, Faith in community Scotland, Glasgow adult females library, Women athletics undertaking, Greater Glagow developing pool, Hemat Gryffe adult females assistance, Strathclyde constabularies, NHS SCOTLAND, Voluntary Action Fund, Arklet Housing Association, Rape crisis Scotland, Proc urator financial office, Castle milk jurisprudence Centre, Volunteer Scotland, REED in partnership, REMIT ( Recruitment of cultural Minority into learning ) , THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT Domestic Abuse has over the old ages been the highest per centum of all instances presented by clients at the centre thereby taking to the development of the Protection, Provision, Prevention of Violence Against Women undertaking ( PPP Project ) The undertaking aims to Prevent, Protect, and Provide in relation to Get the better ofing Violence against adult females and domestic Abuse. Prevention is aimed to raise consciousness of the issue within the community and overcome stigma to get the better of cultural attitudes that condone maltreatment by Educating adult females and adult male in the community about Islamic values and opinions that forbid such behaviour. Protection: To increase adult females s consciousness of mainstream support services available to assist supply preparation and support to mainstream organisations helping them develop religion and culturally appropriate support and to feed into policy development to guarantee policies that will back up development of mainstream religion and culturally sensitive services for Muslim and other minority cultural adult females. Provision aims to supply advice and support to single adult females confronting domestic maltreatment. The Undertaking has gone through exciting alterations and has been expanded to Scotland broad. Two development officers of north and south Scotland runs the undertaking in partnership with 15 organisations and it receives funding from Scots Government until 2011. The Approach in usage to accomplish the purposes of the undertaking includes ; 1. Information and Advice-Free, confidential, religion and culturally non judgmental information and advice on Domestic Abuse and household issues is provided chiefly through bead in Sessionss and besides by assignment. Service users ab initio receive appraisal and aid on their first visit and may be referred with their understanding for other services in the centre or elsewhere. The service is provided in the service user preferable linguistic communication as most of the staff and voluntaries are bilingual and translators are besides available. 2. Advocacy: This is a service where the service user is spoken on behalf of if she is non confident in seting frontward her ain instance, guaranting that she understands all facets of the state of affairs and that her positions are good represented. Three degrees of protagonism is being provided by the project-supported referral where the service user is accompanied to one or two assignments with an bureau to help with the debut to the service. These include: on-going professional protagonism by telephone ; face to face with the service user and ongoing protagonism in household issues. Besides through representations in the acquisition nexus Scotland policy and Executive commission, consciousness is being drawn to the demands and issues impacting Muslim adult females entree to acquisition and instruction. Advocacy besides provides a voice for Muslim adult females that contribute to the authorities audiences, policy, and Strategy in grownup acquisition issues. 3. Guidance: This service is provided by trained voluntary counsellors and reding attack is used with the service users to enable them do informed determination and picks. For many adult females this helps them to speak through personal issues while besides having practical aid, and for bulk of the clients the discovery this attack really appropriate. Formal guidance utilizing individual centered attack is besides provided where necessary. 4. Provision of Helpline and Help mail: The helpline service is to offer information, advice and a listening ear in a religion and culturally sensitive manner. Majority of the calls continue to be about Domestic Abuse, closely followed by adult females by adult females seeking Islamic advice and information about lodging rights and issues. The Helpline operators speak English and besides have available translators and they use assorted mediums to make out to the most vulnerable and stray Muslim adult females in Scotland. They helpline staff continue to endeavor to work in partnership with both mainstream and private sector organisation to guarantee that the Muslim adult females are able to prosecute and voice out their demands in the society. They Help mail is a dedicated confidential electronic mail reference available for adult females who would prefer the mail.its receives over 200 mails and its increasing going popular with bureaus seeking advice and information on issues referin g Muslim adult females. 5. Provision of friends and support to isolated, lonely and abused Muslim adult females who lack assurance to make things entirely. The befrienders are matched with the befriebdees harmonizing to involvements and demands. Soon there about 16 befrienders who are available and willing to be matched with the adult females in demand of friends. There is a capacity edifice programme running within the PPP undertaking which aims to develop the capacity and accomplishment of disadvantage Muslim adult females in the community. Increase their employability and enable them to prosecute to the full in societal, economic, and civic life in the society and besides to increase societal coherence by supplying chance for interaction at a scope of degrees between Muslim adult females and other groups in the society. These purposes are achieved through forming joint work, classs, workshops, and seminars in order to authorise the adult females. The helpline Statistics for the Resource Center from April 2009 March 2010 is best described in the diagrams below: 535 adult females have so far contacted the administration about Domestic Violence and other related issues such as Forced Marriage A ; Sexual Abuse between the period of March 2009 March 2010. The chart shows that 13 % of the issues handled by the administration within the period relates to domestic maltreatment. Some of the undertaking s accomplishments are: Self Employment chance Workshop: This was organized in partnership with and delivered by Business Gateway Glasgow. About 14 adult females attended the workshop where they were sensitized on the demand to be freelance to enable them to be financially dependent. Money Advice workshops: A series of four workshops was organized in partnership with Glasgow metropolis Councils fiscal inclusion squad to supply information about fiscal issues with the purpose of authorising adult females to let them to cover with fiscal issues and troubles. The participants found the workshop really enlightening and educating and this was evidenced by a remark from one of the participants. I thought I could nt manage money and allow my hubby make it all but now I h

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Underrepresentation Of Women In Science And Engineering

Underrepresentation Of Women In Science And Engineering Women run the risk of lagging behind in the fields of science and engineering. A wide gap exists between men and women in these fields. Women tend to have overrepresentation in social sciences and humanities, and underrepresentation in science and engineering. Although the number of women in the fields has grown steadily, women remain underrepresented at high levels of these professions. Social norms, culture and attitudes, play a significant role in undermining the role of women in the aforementioned fields. In many cases, the achievement and excellence of women are measured using male oriented standards. Even for those that excel, their salaries are in many cases dissimilar with their male counterparts. However, countries can use several recommendations that can help boost the presence of women in these fields. Inclusion of women in science and engineering is a crucial factor that can significantly accelerate technological advancement in the contemporary society. Discussion Underrepresentation of Women in Science and Engineering There is a marked underrepresentation of women in science and engineering although the contemporary society needs technology most society. Science and engineering are historically According to statistics revealed by Blasdell (19); over 50 percent of the population is composed of women of whom 44 percent is in the workforce but only 13 percent in science and engineering. Recruitment of women in science and technology can help mitigate the drain of engineering talent through the provision significant resources. However, several barriers impede this inclusion and / or advancement of women in science and engineering. Challenges and Reasons for Underrepresentation Social norms and culture come as the most significant factors impeding the advancement of women male dominated professions. Traditions, values and styles lean and suit the male gender has shaped the culture in SET fields. The culture is not suited for the needs of women in social and learning environments. From time immemorial, women are regarded as caretakers where their work is fundamentally taking care of their families. This social norm leads to a stereotypical view on women where many men regard the abilities of women in these fields negatively. As documented by Bystydzienski (24), many men respond negatively on the capability of women to excel in technical (science) and engineering fields. The societal norms dictate that a woman cannot be successful as a mother and a wife while in these career paths. According to the International Labor Organization, science and engineering are associated with pervasive gender roles that encourage women to engage in soft subjects (hawks and Joa n 250). This undermines the excellence of women in the aforementioned fields. Additionally, women who take SET careers are associated with a loss of femininity in their societies (Hall 82). This impedes their development in the fields since they may feel that their intuitive and imaginative styles do not fit to scientific research. Female stereotyping also is a key element among social norms that impede the accomplishments of women in SET. Women scientists are usually featured as atypical women and atypical scientists. This implies that, not only is their deficiency in science attacked, but also their gender identity. Female norms are more associated with collaboration than competition. However, the societal norms set by men are more competitive than they are collaborative. However, women are oriented towards win-win settings (Bystydzienski 39). The competitiveness and desire to prove oneself significantly impedes the desire of women to advance in these career fields. Legal systems to a lesser extent than norms affect womens excellence in science and engineering. In several countries, anti-discriminatory laws require that universities offer differential entry conditions for women. However, the weakness of the legal systems in several other countries (especially developing ones) has left women at a disadvantage in the inclusion of science and engineering programs. Legal trends encourage institutions to alleviate discrimination and other institutional norms and practices that bar women from engaging in SET courses. However, with high levels of female stereotyping in different societies, women still lag behind in their advancement, in these fields (Steel and Emily 91). Female Dominant Science Fields Although few women re found in the engineering field, there are other science fields where there is a sizable number. Nursing is one of the most prominent science professions where women are found. Nursing, as a science, attracts a significant number of female students. Additionally, this field has also been stereotyped, and it is more associated with women than with men. One factor that leads to a high number of female nurses is the negative attitude that a man will look unmanly if he joins the course. Hawks and Joan (257) add that women are capable of interacting better with other people than men are. This implies that women can interact with patients more efficiently in hospitals than men can. Additionally, nursing combines feminine values with professional values of support and care. Furthermore, women are at an added advantage of taking nursing courses since in many cases, men are excluded. Academic Achievement of Women in SET The academic achievement of women in science and engineering remains low. The achievement of women in the fields falters especially immediately after the entry in the first year in universities. According to Hall (102), of the 40 percent of the students who entered university in 2010 in USA, 11 percent were female. Once they join institutions of higher learning, their performance may also deteriorate significantly. Lack of confidence in their capability to balance family responsibilities and science career significantly influences their academic achievements in the fields. Additionally, the portrayal of science and engineering male-oriented courses exacerbate their fears of their excellence. Additionally, in undergraduate science and engineering classes, women in many cases feel isolated. They also feel resented by their male counterparts since they think that their opinions are not respected by their male counterparts. Furthermore, women who have high levels of confidence in science and technology classrooms elicit negative responses from their male counterparts. According to sociologists, women also express lower levels of self-esteem than men in these fields do. The combination of these effects affects the academic achievement of women negatively. Many women will tend to mask their academic abilities to evade alienation and ensure that they achieve social success. Hawks and Joan (108) add that women win acceptance through the loss of personal terms. As he observes, women who achieve highly in these fields are likely to lose their gender roles. To avoid this, women recede to standard gender roles. In such a situation, women do not ask many questions or explore alternative option, but rather, they pursue and follow what they are taught. This significantly affects their academic achievement and thy end up lagging behind their male counterparts. To exacerbate the situation, even with their assumption of standard gender roles, the presence of women in a science o r engineering class draws a lot of attention (Steel and Emily 125). This inundation with social attention creates uncomfortable learning environment that may interfere with their academic achievement and/or progress. In America, women currently earn approximately 41 percent of PhDs in SET fields but make approximately 28 percent of the workforce in these fields. As observed by Nut, the low number of women involved in the workforce is because of high dropout rate in SET field. Decreasing the dropout rate of women in SET careers is significantly essential in the pursuit for gender equality since women in SET jobs earn approximately 35 percent more than in non-SET fields (Blaisdell 24). Cross-gender Disparity in Salaries Albeit the fight for equality in all fields of life, there still exists a wide disparity between the salaries of male and women workers. In the fields of science and engineering, this disparity is highly pronounced. Data collected through the census in the United States depict a significant dissimilarity between the workers in these fields. In 1999, the average salary for female scientists and engineers was almost 22 percent less than that of their male counterparts. However, this was regarded as a significant increase since this reflected a 25 percent increase from the figures posted in 1993. In 1999, among scientists and engineers who had held their degrees for less than 5 years, women earned 83 percent of what men earned. Salary differential at this time depended on the field. In life sciences, women earned 23 percent lesser than their male counterparts while in, computer science, the difference was 12 percent. However, the difference has reduced over the years. In 2009, independe nt surveys by Glassdoor revealed that women earned approximately 93.7 percent of what men earned. This applied for those who had zero to three years of experience. For scientists and engineers who had more than ten years of experience, women earned approximately 89.1 percent of what men earned. Another survey conducted in 2012 reveals that the gap is steadily being close, albeit at a significantly slow pace. Women scientists and engineers with zero to three years of experienced earned 95.2 percent of what their male counterparts earned. For those with over ten years of experience, women earned 92.6 percent of what men earned. Albeit the underrepresentation, it is evident that the salary gap is being closed. Factors such as emphasis on equality between men and women play a noteworthy role in changing these dynamics. Additionally, stereotyping and discrimination are diminishing, and these fields are now more cross-gender than they used to be several decades ago (Hall 124-130). Cross-cultural Differences in Status of Women in SET The status of women in science is in many cases vary from culture to culture. This is because the norms observed by one culture may be different from those of another culture. Studies conducted by Blaisdell (29) indicate a wide disparity in the way different cultures uphold women in science and engineering. These differences are more pronounced in societies that have stuck to their traditions than in the modernized societies. Among the African Americans and other black societies, gender roles are highly emphasized. This implies that women are expected to take care of their families while their male counterparts act as breadwinners. On this note, women need to maintain their femininity in these societies. In these societies, a career in science and engineering is highly associated with a loss of femininity. In this regard, women are regarded negatively in these societies once they take to science and engineering. This cultural stereotyping has significantly contributed to a few black women getting involved in science and technology. Through women empowerment, the number of women taking careers in science and technology in several other cultures or societies has increased. Western cultures are becoming more liberal and, thus, more women are being accepted into these male dominated careers. This increase can be attributed to less strict cultural norms, constitutions promoting equity and discouraging discrimination and government strategies promoting inclusion of women. According to statistics posted by the United Nations (quoted in Blaidell 30), the Asian communities (especially in the United States) have the highest number of women scientists and engineers. Among the Asian communities, SET (science, engineering and technology) courses are considered part of the community. Although their culture also emphasizes on gender roles on women, they show significant liberalism regarding women engaging in science and technology. The above observation indicates that, in soc ieties where cultural norms, discrimination and stereotyping are high, number of women entering into the field of science and engineering is less and vice versa. Opportunities for Women in SET Regardless of the challenges, women engaging in SET fields have a multiplicity of opportunities. In the United States, the government has increased its effort in having women included in Set programs. Through affirmative actions, the entry standards for women into university in SET fields are lower than for men. This is encouraging an additional number of women engage in science and engineering. Additionally, other governmental and non-governmental research centers are including more women than it was a few years ago. Additionally, these institutes engage in campaigns and trainings to raise the number of women in science and engineering. For example, through the Executive Office of the President, NASA was involved in a national convention to encourage girls and women to engage in SET. Through their presence, girls had hands-on experience on NASA activities to inspire them in pursuing SET careers (Steel and Emily 200). Recommendations Based on the challenges facing women in SET, a lot remains undone. Several recommendations can help increase the presence of women in SET. First, the culture and social norms should be redefined to have an increased number of women in SET. As noted by Bystydzienski (209), women need first to adjust to the system with the system in which they have modest prior knowledge. In this regard, women need to develop coping strategies to have high representation in this field. Additionally, the cultural and social norms of the modern societies should change. Stereotyping and discrimination at entry level in universities are some of the most significant challenges for women wishing to engage in SET courses. With government strategies, discrimination and stereotyping can be reduced thus increasing the number of women in SET. Furthermore, a change in the competitiveness in SET can help increase the number of women. According to Blaisdell (21), dissatisfaction and intimidation arise among women wh en faced by competitiveness at work. To mitigate this problem, group activities and non-threatening environments should be encouraged. Additionally, standards for assessment should be reduced to help women feel integrated. Furthermore, connected teaching can help integrate women in science and engineering. In connected classes, truth is constructed through consensus, but not conflict. This helps reduce intimidation among women. Conclusion Inclusion of women in science and engineering can help in the growth of innovation. However, women are significantly underrepresented in SET fields. Social norms and some oppressive legal systems have been found to contribute to this underrepresentation. Even for women who advance in these careers, a marked disparity exists between their salaries and those of their female counterparts. However, women, through government efforts, have a multiplicity of opportunities in advancing in these fields. As identified, several strategies can be used to allay the challenges women face in SET fields. The inclusion of women in SET fields is crucial for growth of innovation thus additional women should be encouraged to join SET courses.