Teamwork free essay sample

The development of teams and teamwork has grown dramatically In all types of organizations for one simple reason: No one person has the ability to deliver the kinds of products and services required in todays highly competitive marketplace. Organizations must depend on the cooperative nature of many teams to create successful ventures and outcomes. Teams can be vertical (functionall horizontal (cross-functional), or self-directed (self-managed) and can be used to create new products, complete specific projects, ensure quality, or replace operating departments. Functional teams perform specific organizational functions and include embers from several vertical levels of the hierarchy. In other words, a functional team Is composed of a manager and his or her subordinates for a particular functional area. Accounting, personnel, and purchasing departments are examples of functional teams. Cross-functional teams are made up of experts in various specialties (or functions) working together on various organizational tasks. Team members come from such departments as research and development, design, engineering, marketing, and distribution. We will write a custom essay sample on Teamwork or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page These teams are often empowered to make decisions without the approval of management. For example, when Nabiscos xecutives concluded that the company needed to improve its relationship with customers and better satisfy customers needs, they created cross-functional teams whose assignments were to find ways to do Just that. Although functional teams are usually permanent, cross-functional teams are often temporary, lasting for as little as a few months or as long as several years, depending on the group tasks being performed. Self-directed work teams. or self-managed teams, operate without managers and are responsible for complete work processes or segments that deliver products or services to external or internal customers. Self-directed work teams (SDWTs) are designed to give employees a feeling of ownership of a whole Job. For example, at Tennessee Eastman, a division of Eastman Kodak Company, teams are responsible for whole product lines†including processing, lab work, and packaging. With shared team responsibilities for work outcomes, team members often have broader Job assignments and cross-train to master other Jobs. This cross-training permits greater team flexibility. No matter what type of team is formed, the benefits of teamwork are many, including synergy and Increased skills, knowledge, productivity, flexibility, and commitment. Among the other benefits are increased job satisfaction, employee empowerment, and improved quality and organizational effectiveness. Teamwork By annabergit The development of teams and teamwork has grown dramatically in all types of successful ventures and outcomes. Teams can be vertical (functional), horizontal team is composed of a manager and his or her subordinates for a particular performed. Self-directed work teams, or self-managed teams, operate without of teamwork are many, including synergy and increased skills, knowledge, productivity, flexibility, and commitment. Among the other benefits are increased Job Teamwork free essay sample Some of the advantages and disadvantages are found in teamwork recently. It is, however, apparent that there are a lot of facts shown that teamwork becomes more important between company departments or multicultural cooperations due to globalization trend. Having teamwork can make plan conduct effectively and efficiently whilst it may happen obstruction delaying the project if team members or the team founder do not take advantage of team-working. It is evident that teams are widely used in organizations present years while there is the need to solve problems and finish innovative tasks. In overview, there are two theories, Belbin (1981) 9 team roles model and Tuckman (1965) lifecycle of teams, shown that how to design teams for best creative and high-quality-reaching production. Moreover, what is the application during the team conducting itself illustrating afterwards. 2. Two theories analysis and application 2. 1 Belbin’s 9 Team Roles Model One of the most important theories of teamwork is 9 Team Roles Model (Belbin, 1981) which Belbin (1981) identified Plants, Resource investigators, Monitor  Evaluators, Co-ordinators, Implementers, Completer Finishers, Teamworkers, Shapers and Specialists (Belbin, 1981). We will write a custom essay sample on Teamwork or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page There is no perfect person but the perfect team before he developed this theory (Belbin, 1981). He also mentioned that ‘a team of six was found to be the most suitable for enabling a management team to tackle a complex problem’(Belbin, 1981, p. 116), meaning that there are some of the team members would have to perform as more than one role (Fisher et al. , 1997). There is, however, no scheme of power and control exploring in this well established team roles theory. It can not measure the power and control to form a group of subjects, whose functions are already recognized. That is to say, a forecast should be conducted regarding their attitude to the team from a consideration of each Belbin team role. If it is possible, then the validity of using Belbin’s 9 Team Roles model could have been built (Fisher et al. , 2000). In terms of the 9 team roles, it is still debatable though the 9 characteristics can be clearly defined one from another. It definitely looks like in vain to discriminate between implementer and complete-finisher roles in practical. Therefore, HR managers or specific trainers could take individuals with their strong preferences as exchangeable when it comes to the contributions to the team works (Senior, 1998). As regards resource investigators, the framers of teams should investigate the profiles of each individual to avoid the possibility of too much overlapping roles in a team, especially it would not work effectively on programs if there is more than one resource investigator with a shortage of other strong personality such as shaper and implementer (Senior, 1998). Besides, it should be balanced by more than one teamworkers arranging with a strong shaper. Although shapers would carry out the task along, there is still the requirement for other team members to cooperate helping finishing the works (Senior, 1998). In depth, it can be seen that it is beneficial if there are more than one shaper instead of only one in the team. It is undoubted that the more practical opinions in a team the better in terms of reality. There is, moreover, a limitation of this team roles model which neglecting distinct natural personalities of individuals. The likelihood of dislike each other may happen in the beginning; on the other hand, some of the team members may uneasy to get along with and work with. These can make the task procrastinate to be finished even they play every role mentioned in the team roles theory. In addition, there is no consideration about the interpersonal relationship in Belbin’s 9 team roles model (1981). Finally, in practical, while the project execution, it is constant changing in team activities whilst there is no description in the theory. 2. 2 Tuckman’s Lifecycle of Teams Another significant model of teamwork development procedure is that of Bruce W. Tuckman (1965), the lifecycle of teams. In this model, he shown what the stages of building a team and how this group works through the life cycle to become an effective team. Tuckman divided this process into five steps, namely: forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning (Feltham, 2012). At first glance, team members are polite and welcoming each others in Forming. People do not want to offend others because they intend to be accepted in the team. As the team decides how to work together, team member may discuss about setting the regulations and roles. Moving to the second stage, storming, there are more ideas and thoughts openly expressed in the team. Besides, conflict may also happen easily during this time. Team members may compete for the positions and the challenge. In Norming, team members start to feel the sense of belonging in the team. Each team member realizes own role and responsibility. There is an agreement among team members about the norms and expectation of the achievement. In terms of the fourth stage, Performing, until achieve this stage, it is eventually rely on the successful sequences through the previous stages. Team members understand obviously about what and why they are doing. The linkage among each person is strong. They can deal with the problems quickly and effectively. The last stage, Adjourning, is related to the end term of the teams. It can be carrying out successful accomplishments, yet there might be stressful due to the dissolve problems (Feltham, 2012). 2. 3 Application With respect to practical utilizing, it should be clearly defined who acts as. Besides, it is also noticeable that exploring the suitable roles depends on each team member’s personality in the stage one from Belbin (1981) 9 team roles model. During the team-working time, individuals who present the stronger preference, such as coordinator, shaper, completer finisher and implementer based on Belbin (1981), should evaluate which stage are the team in Tuckman (1965) lifecycle of teams as well as push the team to go forwards. Take the stage two, storming (Tuckman, 1965), for example, if team members come up with too much ideas and enjoy discussing the creative opinion too detailed, it not only waste time on the task which is not so important but also reduce the time for the following stages. Under these both theories, people are easily able to realize the time management and decrease the possibility of getting stuck in one stage. There is no doubt that the pusher is significant in a team, however, everyone should also have the thoughts of acting a teamworker. Despite there are other roles, teamworkers are the spirit of a team because they are the conductors who follow the rules and finish the assignments. 3. Conclusion As it become visible throughout the teamwork, the user of the teamwork is experiencing a challenge and chance depends on how people use it. Although, however, there are some of the limitations in both two theories, it is undoubtedly that it is still worth choosing them to apply in practical. Thus, while facing with any kinds of tasks happened, teamwork can be the most effective and efficient choice.

Segregation essays

Segregation essays In the past, many groups of people have been seen down on and are even hurt by another group that believes that they are supreme. In the United States of America, the African American group has been seen down on by the white group. There was segregation between these two groups for many years. There were many problems of poverty and discrimination faced upon the Black Americans. Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois show there different strategies for dealing with these problems. The Black Americans had many problems in the United States after they were freed. One of these problems was the education for them. Many whites felt that schools should be separated by race or color. The percentage of Black Americans enrolled in schools in the late nineteenth century was about thirty percent. The percentage of White Americans enrolled in schools was about fifty-five percent (Document A). These people were between the ages of five to nineteen years old. This shows the segregation of the two races in schools that were meant for everyone and anyone that is an American. As the years went on more and more Black Americans were able to go to school and get an education. By the 1920s, about fifty percent of the Black Americans were enrolled in schools. Segregation was not just in schools but in the communities as well. The Black American was considered dirty and disgusting to the whites. They were unable to drink from the same water fountain as the whites (Document J). Even on the bus, the Black American has to stand and allow the whites to sit. Furthermore, they had to stay in the back of the bus. There were many signs that stated whether things are for colored people or not. Another problem that the Black Americans faced was literacy in America (Document B). In the 1890s, sixty percent of the Black Americans were illiterate over the age of nine. The whites used this as an advantage fo...

Guernica the Most Famous Painting by Pablo Picasso Essay

Guernica the Most Famous Painting by Pablo Picasso - Essay Example The essay "Guernica the Most Famous Painting by Pablo Picasso" explores the painting of Pablo Picasso. The name of the painting is "Guernica". This painting was done after the Basque bombing of 1937, during the well known Spanish war. The bombing shocked and angered young Pablo and he decided to do a painting of the experience. According to Hensley, Guernica is 3.5 by 7.8 meters big. It is also black, grey and white in color and is painted in oil. Pablo’s Guernica painting was commissioned by the Spanish Republican Government for display of the Spanish culture in 1937. This painting has played an important role in politics as its main aim was to change the way people thought and viewed power. It portrays the tragedies of war and the suffering of the affected people, especially the innocent victims. Pablo’s painting portrays broken people and animals showing anguishing pain. The painting has monumental status and it became a perpetual reminder about the war. It made the world know about the Spanish civil war. The Guernica painting has the following symbols; a bull, a horse, a young woman holding a light, a dead person, a woman overlooking at the window, a bird and a vertical person at the end. The symbols in the painting have different meanings. For example, the bull and the horse are important animals in the Spanish culture. The painting represents at least three major themes in Pablo’s Picasso life and his art. The crucifixion, the national ritual of bullfighting, and the mythological tradition of the Minotaur.

PACT analysis and prototype design for an interactive system Essay

PACT analysis and prototype design for an interactive system - Essay Example Also, the other people involved in the project are obviously going to be the users of the interface that will be developed in order to visualise what is being renovated. What is interesting is that the various stages of renovation can be accessed at various points of the program that is to be developed. This will allow users to be able to work from a blueprint and be able to assemble, by themselves, the Windsor Castle—at various stages of its development. The age range for this project would probably be starting at age 12 and range to 90+. Their means to do a lot would be limited with this program. Language should not be a major issue with the people involved in assembling the project (the users). (219 words) Activities. The activity that users actually do now is probably something like assembling one single hologram puzzle in which the image of the Windsor Castle is projected into the air. The special characteristics that this activity possesses is that users get to be intera ctive with the pieces as manipulatables, are able to assemble one version of the castle, and can see a finished product—a hologram of the Windsor Castle itself (but one version only). There is not much that can be done to eliminate repetition except to somehow eliminate the need to use pieces to tack onto the existing puzzle. In order to make the activity more fun, it might be nice to construct a computerized virtual model of Windsor Castle, and have this software be able to construct different models of the castle based on the time period in which the castle is being built. The activities that the new design will support will include as many different versions of the castle whereby the entire castle would be rebuilt, as well as the ability to walk through all the different rooms of the castle—major rooms only. (189 words) Context of use. The features of the current context are very rudimentary. Ideally, the environment in which the software is used would be leisurely and quiet. The system would need some level of training in order to use it, whereas the current puzzle game would require little to no training. Physical puzzles can be solved together with more than one person, while the prototype that would eventually be the product would probably only have room for one user at a time. The ecological acceptability of the design would be helpful in that it would use energy, i.e., power to run the computer. If one wanted to use a diamond to project holographic images, that would not be legally acceptable, especially considering that there are a lot of blood diamonds circulating. Whereas, with a puzzle, one is probably going to have to sacrifice trees to make the paper to make the puzzle pieces. Socially, a computer program is acceptable as a means of learning information. The legal problems that might be presented in demonstrating a building that might have copyrights associated with its image would have to be taken up with the proper authorities wi thin and without the monarchy of Britain. (197 words) Current Technology. The technology used now is computer software. However, a piece of computer software which would be able to project a hologram off of the screen would be quite novel. The problems with current holographical software regarding a virtual reality program is that the equipment to produce images using such a product is expensive, not to mention expensive to the

Interculture communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Interculture communication - Essay Example Technology changes the way we reason in identity and perceive other cultures. Technology mostly leads to movement of people making us to come in contact with many other people of different cultures. It has been established that young adults move more often than the other generations in the process changing the individuals not excluding myself as I moved from China to the U.S and adopted a little bit of the American cultures (Lee, 2011). Demographic intercultural communications are derived from the recent variation in the U.S population. The changing US demographics include the population increasingly becoming non-white and multiracial besides the workforce being female dominated and older. The changing immigration patterns result in immigration and economic classes. According to Lee (2011) demographic diversity results in varied world views which lead to prejudices and stereotypes though it can be a positive force in giving linguistic richness and research. The economic imperative based on globalization as the US economy is connected to other countries it does little in ding business with other countries. Domestic diversity also encourages business to be attentive in to cultural variations. The peace imperative gives an insight on the role of historical, political, religions and economic contexts. Most of the time contacts to other groups have led to conflicts. The interpersonal imperative helps us to comprehend our cultural diversity with the similarities and differences that exist in the universe. Communication is a symbolic, interpretive, transactional, contextual process in which individuals make shared meanings. Symbols define the shared meanings. Interpretive as people comprehend symbolic behavior of others. Transactional because people task together create comprehension among themselves communication is a process comprising of shared meanings. Interpersonal communication involves

Gender equality and Islam

Gender equality and Islam CHAPTER I Introduction Introduction Nowadays, in most of the time, whenever we consider about Islam, we immediately visualize suicide bombing, jihad, terrorism, violent protests, repressive regimes and veiled women in the Middle East. That means we, unknowingly, have a sense of negative feelings towards Islam world. Especially when we think about a muslin woman, we almost always think they are the victims who are suffering from gender discrimination, inequality and injustice. However, since my young age, whenever I found and met with muslin female friends, almost all of them are happy, friendly and peaceful and so I came to have doubts about the existence of gender inequality within muslin society. Especially when I started to study the course named Gender, Labor and Human Rights, I begin to have lots of questions on gender inequality issues in Islam world. This makes me to read a lot of books, papers and journals concerning gender problems in muslin countries. Therefore, in this paper, I try to make the analysis of ge nder inequality issues in Islam world. In my opinion, it is very important to know about another religion and culture properly and, otherwise, we can make wrong judgments on another religion and we can even make wrong accusation and improper insults on them. First of all, before we criticize any religion or any culture, we should remember what is written in Article 18 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance. (UN 1948) Therefore, we must respect their religion and, at the same time, we have to try to find ways to attain third Millennium Development goal which states Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women. Generally, it is mostly assumed that gender equality has been present in western countries long time ago. However, it is important to note that, until a hundred years ago, Western women had virtually no rights in law or practice. It means gender inequality has been in place for quite a long time not just in Muslim world, but also in a lot of countries around the world. However, when we look into the Quran, it can be seen that Islam gave far-reaching rights and a defined status to women before the first European woman suffragette. Therefore, the general assumption of the presence of gender inequality in Islam cannot be correct and so we do need to find out why gender discrimination came into existence in Muslim world and how we can help and bring gender equality for Islamic women. Therefore, in my paper, I will try to explore and analyze what caused gender discrimination to be present in Muslim world and examine whether is it is possible attain gender equality goal within the framework of Islam religion. Before I mention my analytical framework, I would like to describe seven types of gender inequality which is stated by Amartya Sen. He differentiated and categorized gender inequality into seven different forms such as mortality inequality, natality inequality, Basic facility inequality, special opportunity inequality, professional inequality, ownership inequality and household inequality (Sen 2001). It would be perfect if I can go into details in these seven issues and check whether it is prevalent and how intense it is in Muslim world. However, because of the limitation of time and space here, I will analyze based on four perspectives namely economic, educational, health and political perspectives, using two case studies on Tunisia and Indonesia. Finally, I will try to answer how gender equality could be achieved in Muslim World. Background Information of Islam What is Islam? The very word Islam translates from Arabic as submission or obedience (to the will and laws of Allah as set down in the Quran) and the word Muslim, with the same Arabic root, means that person or thing which obeys Allahs law. (Horrie and Chippindale 2001) One of the key institutions of Islam is the Islamic law (Sharia). The Sharia is derived from the Quran and Hadith the texts that record the sayings and practice of the prophet, which have been compiled over a century after the death of the prophet Mohammad (Starken 2005). In fact, when we look back into the history, it can be found that Islam, Judaism and Christian religions have quite close relations in the past, but, now, they have been quite different in their contents and beliefs. Whatsoever, it is not a deniable fact that those muslin countries in the Middle East did possess a glorious time in the past. Since 622AD (CE) when Islam was founded, this Religion has been spreading all over the world and, now, the number of Islam believers reached 1.5 billion in 2005. It became the second largest religion after Christianity and it is still growing at 19%. Additionally, throughout evolution over time, Islam has been differentiated into several categories. In certain ways, Muslims are the same everywhere, and yet their societies are different everywhere. Confronted by the wide range and diversity of Muslim societies, the present generation of writers suggests their categorization thus: Moroccan Islam, Pakistani Islam, Malay Islam and so on. (Ahmed 2002) Nowadays, at the time of globalization, Islam religion has been questioned by the west whether this religion is against human rights or not. At the same time, gender discrimination issue also becomes a very controversial topic for Islam among international scholars. CHAPTER II Islam and Gender Islam and Gender equality According to the global gender gap index 2009, it can be found that most Middle East and North Africa region countries not only continue to perform far below the global average, but also do not show much improvement over the last year or have deteriorated with the exceptions of Israel, Bahrain, Algeria, Morocco, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, each of which has improved as compared with their absolute scores in 2008. (Hausmann et al. 2009). Moreover, out of 134 countries, the countries which got the least overall gender index score are mostly from Muslin countries, with Yemen at the bottom. In addition, we generally perceived that muslin women are denied a number of basic human rights under Islam, which range from the requirement of a guardian to enter a marriage to the obligation of the wife to obey her husband (Starken 2005). Additionally, we are hearing lots of stories about how women were set at a lower standard and bullied by muslin men and so we are nearly blaming Islam religion and Prophet Muhammad. However, when we really want to understand the whole situation as an unbiased analyst, we must be very careful in criticizing another religion. When we look into Quran, we can find that the basic premise of Quran is that women are spiritually and morally equal to men. In one verse, the Quran states: The Believers, men And women, are protectors, One of another: they enjoin What is evil: they observe Regular prayers, practice Regular charity, and obey God and His Apostle. This ethical and religious equality between men and women can be summed up in terms of respect between spouses, obedience to God, and practice of the five pillars of Islam. Their roles are defined as complementary. Other Quranic laws preached several enlightened ideas in favor of women, such as property and educational rights (Halila 1984). Concerning education, the Quran Sura 35 Verse 28 states: Those truly fear Allah, among His Servants, who have knowledge. Moreover, Prophets Hadiths repeatedly emphasizes the acquirement of education and knowledge for every Muslim male and female. For example, one Hadith states that , Seeking knowledge is a duty of every Muslim, man or woman. (Ayisha Lemu 1978:25). Another Hadith states, Seek knowledge from the cradle to grave. (1978: 25). Another Hadith states that, Father, if he educates his daughter well, will enter Paradise. (The World Bank Report July 9, 1993: 25). Yet another Hadith states that, A mother is a school. If she is educated, then a whole people are educated (Shamley 2009). Moreover, there are still a lot of verses in which womens rights are well-stated and so it is sure that gender equality is not something incompatible with Islam religion itself. Factors for Gender Inequality in Muslim World Historical Factors First of all, we cannot forget about the long history of patriarchal dominance throughout the history in which most of the Islamic writings are almost exclusively in the hands of male religious scholars who interpreted in patriarchal way. Additionally, Muslins faced Eurepean colonization almost inevitable. Moreover, we can find lots of misusage of Islamic religion throughout the history by many a king. Hence, in 1981, Iman Khomeini said: Unfortunately, true Islam lasted for only a brief period after its inception. First the Umayyads and then the Abbasids inflicted all kinds of damage on Islam. Later the monarchs ruling Iran continued on the same path; they completely distorted Islam and established something quite different in its place. The process was begun by the Umayyads, who changed the nature of government from divine and spiritual to worldly. Their rule was based on Arabism, the principle of promoting the arabs over all other peoples, which was an aim fundamentally opposed to Islam and its desire to abolish nationality and united all mankind in a single community, under the aegis of a state indifferent to the matter of race and colour. It was the aim of Umayyads to distort Islam completely by reviving the Arabism of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance, and the same aim is still pursued by the leaders of certain Arab countries, who declare openly their desire to revive the Arabism of the Umayyads, which is nothing but the Arabism of the Fahiliyya. (Ahmed 2002) Moreover, concerning one of the most well-known issues, head scarf, it is not really according to Islam religion since Quran itself instruct women to cover their hair, breasts and private parts in public and not ask anything more. However, forcing women to cover their entire bodies as in much of Arabia and Iran is again cultural rather than Quranic, as are many other examples of discrimination against, or maltreatment of, women throughout the Muslim world. These include the practice of removing parts of the female genitals, so-called female circumcision or genital mutilation which is widespread in Muslim Arabia and Africa. Whilst the Quran does place restrictions on Muslim women, it also guarantees them the right to own and inherit property, to participate fully in political affairs and to sue for divorce in short a complete, separate legal identity. (Horrie and Chippindale 2001) Even though Prophet Mohammed did not discriminate women, after his death, religious scholars, kings and administrators elaborated and exaggerated the idea of mens role as protectors and very much reshaped Quranic injunctions in ways that suited them (Halila 1984). Colonial Factors Another important causal factor for gender inequality lies in colonialism. The impact of colonialism from the last century onwards affected society externally and internally in the most extreme manner. First and foremost, the already existing sexual divisions and roles of labour were further exaggerated. Colonialism imposed foreign values at the same time as it destroyed or eroded native ones. As a result, society collapsed internally, its destiny unsure, its confidence evaporated. Man retreated into the shell of rigid customs and sterile ritual, finding a form of security there. They also forced their women to hide behind burkhsa (shuttlecock veils) and remain invisible in the courtyards of their homes. In India, Mughal princesses were reduced to becoming prostitutes. The stereotype of Oriental females as chattels and playthings was formed. It was a bad time for Islam, a time of retreat. When the European masters began to leave from the middle of the twentieth century Muslim women were to be glimpsed still in various degrees of deprivation and subjugation. They still have to recover. Too much has been damaged. Deprived of economic and hereditary rights, and everywhere behind men in education, women formed into an inferior class. The actual situation of women, their social status and privileges, is usually far removed from the Islamic idea, whether in the tribe, village or the city. (Ahmed 2002) In fact, the Islamic civilization was virtually wiped out during the era of Colonialism, and thus what is left is a confused jumble of customs, religious ideas, imported governmental structures, political turmoil, and poverty (Emerick 2002). Economic Factors One important point we could miss to take into account is economic impact on gender issues. First, we cannot deny the existence of gender discrimination on labor issue in this world. Before we solve the division of labor and wages problems among men and women, it is very important to introduce women into the labor industry which will keep them out of their confined kitchens where they cannot learn anything and can get no idea to improve their gender role. As long as the women are engaged in Labor force, they can still at least get access to economic opportunities which have lots of impacts on their lives. However, it depends on the type of economy in which the country is introduced for women to get better access to labor markets. In Middle East oil-rich countries, the economic growth due to oil and mineral extraction is found to be a major cause for underrepresentation of women in the workforce. First of all, oil production did shape the country economy. When countries discover oil, their new wealth tends to produce an economic condition called the Dutch Disease, which is characterized by a rise in the real exchange rate, and a transformation of the economy away from the traded sector (agriculture and manufacturing) towards the non-traded sector (construction and services) (Corden and Neary 1982). Hence, in oil-rich Middle East countries, the traded sector cannot flourish and only non-traded sector becomes dominant. In many developing countries, women are largely employed in the traded sector, in low-wage jobs in export-oriented factories and agriculture; and they are excluded from many parts of the non-traded sector, such as construction and retail, since these jobs typically entail heavy labor, or contact w ith men outside the family (Anker 1997). Therefore, oil booming resulted in the inability and failure of women to join the nonagricultural labor force in non-traded sector. In fact, the entry of women to the labor force can boost female political influence since women in the workforce get a chance to form and join informal networks by which they can later attain collective action to lobby, influence and change a nations policy for the betterment of women. In those oil-rich Middle East countries, since the women miss chances to join workforce, they are far from acquiring collective bargaining power and they cannot influence in politics and policy making of the country. Hence, the lack of womens participation in economy has important policy implications. First, it reduced economic opportunities for women. Second, it reduced their political influence. Third, it may foster Islamic fundamentalism (Ross 2008). A recent study of 18 countries found that when Muslim women had fewer economic opportunities, they were more likely to support fundamentalist Islam (Lisa Blaydes and Drew Linzer 2006). Therefore, here, it is very important to accept and admit historical, colonial and economic causes as the real causes for gender inequalities in Islam. CHAPTER III CASE STUDIES Case Study One: Tunisia Background Information of Islam in Tunisia Tunisia was decolonized from French colonial rule in 1956, and Tunisia was led for three decades by Habib Bourguiba, who advanced secular ideas, including emancipation for women, the abolition of polygamy and compulsory free education. Within a few months after independence, the government changed the former family code and accelerated the enrolment of girls in primary and secondary schools and so, by the 1980s, enrolment rates for both girls and boys became very high. In 1987, Ziane El Abidine Ben Ali, who continued with a hard line against Islamic extremists, became president and he is still in power up to now. Tunisia is in the centre of North Africa and it has the population of 10.2 million according to UN in 2009 (BBC 2009). Its human development index (HDI) in 2009 is 0.769, falling in medium development group and it got 98th rank around the world (UNDP 2009). Even though it is a muslin country, womens right in Tunisia is among the most advanced in the Arab world. Gender Equality Movement in Tunisia In Tunisia, womens liberation movement went hand in hand with the efforts to free the country from colonization. The first advocates of womens liberation were the first nationalist leaders. The most prominent nationalist and feminist figure in Tunisia was Abdellaziz Thoalbi, who coauthored a progressive book called The Liberal Spirit of the Koran published in Paris in 1905. In this book some Quranic laws pertaining to women were reinterpreted from a liberal point of view, and education reforms and a progressive unveiling of women were called for (Halila, 1984). In 1930, when the feminist movement gained momentum, Tahar Haddad, a young intellectual, worte a revolutionary book called Our Women in Islamic Law and Society, in which he called for reforms in favor of women. In 1935, another attempt was led by a group of nationalist students, studying in French universities, who published the first feminist journal, Leila, in which the problems involved in the progressive emancipation of Tu nisian women were addressed.their emancipation platform included important points such as access to education and the abolition of the veil. As feminism and nationalism ran parallel in the 1930s, so did effective emancipation and social modernization in the postindependence era (Halila, 1984). Economic Impact on gender role in Tunisia Unlike other Middle East countries, Tunisia has a diverse economy with important agricultural, mining, tourism and manufacturing sectors (Horrie and Chippindale, 2001). Tunisia expanded its textile industry (traded sector) since about 1970 through exports, relying on low-wage female labor, and weathering changes in European trade policies and, now, it has the highest female labor participation together with Morocco in the Middle East. This high rate of womens participation in labor force has contributed to its unusually large and vigorous gender rights movements. Moreover, Tunisia has womens organizations that focus on female labor issues, including the right to maternity leave, raising the minimum work age, sexual harassment, and gaining rights for domestic workers. The womens movement began with an important advantage: shortly after independence, President Bourguiba adopted a national family law that gave women greater equality in marriage, and opened the door to major improvements in female education and employment (Rose 2008). Impacts and Achievements of Womens Rights Movement within Islamic religious Framework Thanks to all-out efforts of feminists along the history, Tunisia achieved lots of success in gender issue. One of the spectacular successes in the history of emancipation was the abolition of polygyny. The third verse of the fourth Surah mentioned as: If ye fear that ye shall not Be able to deal justly With the orphans, Marry women of your choice, Two or three, or four. And the same verse of Surah IV goes on to say: But if ye fear that ye shall not Be able to deal justly (with them), Then only one In a latter verse, it is mentioned Ye are never able To be fair and just As between women, Even if it is Your ardent desire: (Surah IV, Verse 129) Mahmoud Al-Annabi, president of the Court of Appeal, remarked: In order to protect the family, it was decided to take into account the impossibility of treating two or more wives equally. Moreover, President Bouguiba stated in his official speech on 13 August 1976 as: Polygamy is no longer acceptable in the twentieth century and constitutes an insult to the spirit of justice God never ordered that womans dignity should be trampled underfoot nor that she should be made mans victim. Finally, the modern Tunisia simply chose to outlaw polygyny in Article 18: Polygamy is prohibited. Marrying more than one shall incur a punishment of one years imprisonment and a fine of 240,000 francs or either of these. The legislation wanted to prove that, while polygyny was implicitly permitted, it was not an obligation (Halila, 1984). Additionally, lots of reinterpretation of Quran were done and women got more spaces in other issues such as marriage, divorce, dowry, the veil, etc. Later on, the womens movement has been more successful, raising the fraction of female-held parliamentary seats form 6.7% in 1995 to 22.8% in 2002 the highest in the Middle East, and higher than in Western countries like the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada (Rose 2008). Concerning education, the percentage of matriculation of girls in primary and secondary school increased from 34.6% in 1967 to 40.9% in 1980, and from 25.8% in 1964 to 36% in 1980 respectively (Halila, 1984). According to the Gender Gap Index 2009 Report as in the figure 2, Tunisia scored 0.623 and it was ranked as 109th out of 134 countries (Hausmann et al. 2009). In terms of political empowerment, it ranked 77th and it got 97th in terms of educational attainment. Concerning health, its maternal mortality ratio per 100,000 live births is 100 and maternity benefits are well covered by social security services and so Tunisia got 90 the rank. Concerning employment issue, female adult unemployment rate is 17.33% and male adult unemployment rate is 13.11% and so the gap is not much different. Even though Tunisia is a muslin country, it has been very successful in gender relations and so it means gender inequality issue does not totally depend on the religion. In case of Tunisia, it is very obvious that their gender equality can be promoted thanks to the reinterpretation of the Quran and their way of economic growth depending on traded sector which brings and engages lots of women into the workforce. Nowadays, Tunisia became a unique example of successful reform among Arab and Muslim countries. Therefore, we cannot blame the religion all the time for gender inequality issue and Tunisia is a very remarkable example that gender equality is possible to be achieved within the Islamic religious framework. Case Study: Indonesia Background Information of Islam in Indonesia The Republic of Indonesia is the world fourth most populated country and it got independence on 17 August 1945 after Japans surrender (Database 2008). Its human development index (HDI) in 2009 is 0.734, falling in medium development group and it got 111th rank around the world (UNDP 2009). It has the largest population of Muslims in the world and it is commonly stated that 90% of its over 230 million inhabitants are Muslims (wieringa 2006). Islam came into existence in Indonesia during the 13th century and, since the beginning of 19th century, due to the spread of Dutch colonialism, patriarchal culture was strengthened and institutionalized primarily in the legal system. Accordingly, even though the constitution guaranteed every citizen equality under law and government, Indonesian family law still applied different legal principles to different groups based on religion, customs and gender. This can be primarily attributed to a patriarchal interpretation of Islam (Katjasungkana 2004) . Soon after independence, Islamic groups have been fighting for the establishment of an Islamic state. In the late 1965 and the early 1966, at the time when Sukarno was replaced by Suharto, the two major groups, namely Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and the more rigid Muhammadiyah, grew closer and Suhartos New Order state was built on womens social, political, and sexual subordination, a policy justified by both anti-Communist and Islamic sentiments (wieringa, 2006). Various laws were enacted in which womens subordinate position was entrenched, such as the 1974 marriage law (Katjasungkana and Wieringa, 2003). As a result, the women became more suppressed than ever before. It has been a long way Indonesian feminist scholar, activists and women have struggled for womens rights within Islamic religious framework. Gender Equality Movement in Indonesia A Muslim feminist discourse is built around the reform of Islam along gender-sensitive terms, incorporating womens rights, such as those contained in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) (wieringa, 2006) . In those movements for Womens Rights, non-governmental organizations (NGO) play a major role and so UNIEFM stated and recognized that Indonesia has a strong NGO base, working to end violence against women, fighting for new government policies and providing assistance for women who have experienced violence (UNIFEM 2009). After the destruction of the womens movement in 1965-66, after the fall of Surkano, Yasanti founded in 1982 by some young Muslim activists was the first reappearing feminist organization (Wieringa, 2006). One of the best-known womens rights organizations is the Indonesian Womens Association for Justice (Asosiasi Perempuan Indonesia untuk Keadilan, APIK) which was established in August 1995 to fight for gender justice in Indonesia, using the concept of gender and transformative legal aid. APIK launched legal assistance program, its core program, by which it provided direct legal aid to women who are victims of violence and discrimination. APIK conducted this program in the form of consultations (direct, via email or by telephone) and litigation (representing and accompanying clients, who are referred to as partners so as not to form a patronage relationship inside and outside the court). It was also active in the fields of legal advocacy and training, and conducted research (Research and Policy Study Program) on The history of the Marriage Law The response of religion towards gender stereotyping The impact of gender stereotyping in the Marriage Law on various state policies The attitude of poor communities towards gender stereotyping Discrimination of women in the legal system as observed from CEDAW Articles in the Quran and Hadith that support the principle of gender equality The position of women under Islamic Law in Indonesia Baseline research on VAW Impact of gender stereotyping on the working conditions of low-income women An alternative Report on the implementation of CEDAW in Indonesia Moreover, APIK provide legal information to the public and specific target groups through campaigning and public education. It also strengthened a national network for feminist legal activities, both nationally and internationally (Katjasungkana 2004). APIK claimed that Islam is not only for women but for the whole of humanity, women included. They distinguished between the basic principles of Islam, which are unchangeable, and fiqhi, the thoughts of the ulema (Muslim scholars), who are only human after all and therefore prone to biases. They advocated legal reform in Indonesia in which gender biases introduced by fallible fiqhi are eliminated (Wieringa, 2006). Nursyahbani Katjasungkana, APIKs founder, introduced the concept of gender-sensitive transformative legal aid (Katjasungkana and Wieringa, 2003). Then, a broad range of womens organizations were involved in these debates and struggles. The major groups are APIK, the Womens Research Institute, and the mass-based Koalisi Perempuan Indonesia (KPI; Coalition of Indonesian Women for Justice and Democracy), the secular Womens Human Rights Commission. Even Shinta Nuriyah who is the wife of NU leader and former president Abdulrachman Wahid and Musdah Mulia who is the head of the gen der unit of the otherwise very conservative Ministry of Religion joined the movement (Wieringa, 2006). Impacts and Achievements of Womens Rights Movement within Islamic religious Framework Needless to say, womens organizations fought a very long, hard and tough battle in the midst of suppressive regime, Islamic fundamentalists and extremists. Often, they were violently intervened by arresting, detaining, even kidnapping and murdering female activist (Katjasungkana, 2004). However, because of their relentless efforts, women can move much forward than ever before. On top of their couragous advances, the downfall of the New Order government of Soharto in 1998 offered great opportunities to non-governmental organi

Global Positioning System: Decreasing Crop Chemical Application on wit

Decreasing Chemical Application with Technology Works Cited Not Included Many people may wonder why it is so important to decrease chemical application on the farm. When people go to the store they often do not think about what goes into the apple or piece of bread they eat. The more chemicals that farmers use on the crops that are sold to the general public increase the chance that those chemicals get into the food we eat. There are many ways that the government and farmers are trying to reduce the amount of chemicals they are using. These range from simply doing crop rotation to genetically modifying plants and animals. Some of the most common ways farmers are decreasing chemical application with technology are biotechnology, GPS units, and improved equipment. These are all ways that will help reduce the amount of chemicals that get from the field to the dinner table. Biotechnology refers generally to the application of a wide range of scientific techniques to the modification and improvement of plants, animals, and microorganisms that are of the economic importance. (Persley, Gabrielle pg. 1). Biotechnology has occurred in two stages. In the first stage, genetic modifications have included input traits such as pest resistance and herbicide tolerance, providing advantages to farmers in the production phase without changing the final product. The input traits of the first stages in genetically modified crops may increase farmers’ net profits through savings in production costs, reducing chemical use, increased flexibility in crops planted, and in some cases increased crop yield. The second stage of genetic modification will focus on output traits such as improved nutritional features and proc... ...nd more atomization fewer chemicals will have to be used and it will reduce the amount of chemicals that are wasted. In conclusion I hope that this information will help explain the ways that biotechnology, Global Positioning Systems and advanced equipment can help reduce the amount of chemicals that are used on the farm. Biotechnology is not a bad idea and is possibly the only way that we can keep up with ever changing weeds and pests. GPS system can help improve field records and give you more precise farming and will pay for themselves in the end. Last but not least always look for new advanced technology and don’t be afraid of it. Technology is always changing and every day there are new advances in this field that can help farmers produce more with fewer chemicals so that in the end fewer chemicals will reach the dinner table.

First Time in College Essay

College is extremely different from high school – creating new friends, dealing with more school work, and being responsible. In some ways it can be a good thing but it can be a frightful thing as well. It is one of the biggest challenges most teenagers will encounter to be successful in life. After all those four years of high school, it is now the time to join the ranks of the high school graduates who have chosen to achieve a higher education. Some might think it is very exciting while others might have a different opinion about it. Regardless of how they feel, being able to attend college is the primary step to the real world. As what Jason Rich, author of The Everything College Survival Book, has mentioned, â€Å"This is the time when you are making that life transition from living at home with your parents to becoming an adult.† It is most likely that these intimidating words will haunt a high school graduate’s mind until the first day of college. Still, there are plenty of ways to deal with the hardships a student may face while walking into college the first time. One of the foremost things on any student’s mind is that you do not know anyone, unless you have a couple of friends that decided to take the same program as you. The thing is, so does everyone else! You can see this as the perfect opportunity to meet and make new friends that can help you get through this last chapter of your studying days. Like everybody else, many students are nervous and no one talks to anyone on the first day of classes. However, students try to overcome that fear and take a risk. In the end it will all be worth it and as each semester passes by, most of them might become the best of friends or even roommates if they live away from home. If for some reason it does not work out during the first week, try to attend on-campus events or sign up for extracurricular activities. This way you can meet and connect with a bunch of great people, not only from your program but also from the entire school. Another difficulty many students may deal with is feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of work they may receive during the first month. During those 30 days, the course load is much harder compared to the amount of work in high school. For example, on the first day, the professor has already designated an assignment that will be due in the next couple of classes. In addition to that, another instructor from a different class might say there will be a test on the same day the assignment is due. Hearing this right after a long summer break will definitely overwhelm a student’s mind, especially if he has come directly out of high school. Therefore, before the stress keeps piling up, students may have to find a way to make adjustments to their old study habits. A great deal of effort must be put in each of their work and must not waste time. After all, no one would spend a huge amount of money on college just to fail. In addition, going to college will expose you to brand new freedoms that require a higher level of maturity and responsibility. In comparison to high school, no one is going to check if you have done your homework or if you have studied for a major test. If the instructor says when the due date is going to be, that is the only day you can submit your work and there will be no exceptions; unless there is an emergency then that will be a different story. There is a very limited opportunity that an instructor will take his time assisting hundreds of students. Although college life is about meeting new people, it is extremely important to know your boundaries and do not let your social life interfere with your studies. Managing your time well and being able to organize properly will be a great help to be able to go through college without a problem. As previously mentioned, there are various differences between high school and college. Attending classes could become more difficult due to the unusual atmosphere and having more independence. However, despite the numerous challenges that come with having a fresh start in college, believing that you belong is the best way to overcome them. Given the time to adjust to all the changes, sooner or later, students will start to feel right at home in the new environment. College will be a way to help students shape their individuality and prepare them for the worst possible scenarios in the competitive world. Thus, high school graduates that decided to cross the bridge to attend college are one step closer to become successful in life.

The Beatles1 essays

The Beatles1 essays Music is an entertainment. yet, sometimes it can make history. A song is simply just words with sound. Yet, sometimes it can be passionate. A band is simply just people who transport music. Yet, sometimes they can be a big influence to others. They are the most popular musical artists in Rock and Roll through out the century. They are the one who most likely captures the media's attention. They are the most famous band in the World during the 60s and the 70s. They are the Beatles. The foursome guys who have talent with style, and together they create art in the musical World. Talking about the Beatles, nobody can refuse to mention the origin of the band, as well as their influences in the music, and their lives during the glorious times. The band was the combination of the four young talented musicians and singers, John Lennon, Paul Mccartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. All four Beatles were born and grown up in working class families in the same city of Liverpool. Yet, they never knew each other. John Lennon, a trouble maker and intelligent young student at the time, and a few friends formed the band. Since John later met Paul and Goerg, the history began. Ringo didnot join the band until their career made a turn to victory. The band first was named "The Quarry Men". However, going through many changes, eventually, they played under various names, icluding the Moondogs, the Werbles, Johnny, and finally the Beatles. ...

Marketing and Internal Marketing Audit Essay

Marketing and Internal Marketing Audit Essay Marketing and Internal Marketing Audit Essay Business and the Business Environment FC009 Summer 2013 The Marketing Plan Below you will find the heading for a framework to aid you in preparing the group coursework report. It is strongly recommended that you read the course text-book, the recommended supplementary book list and any relevant academic/professional resources in order to learn about the marketing planning process and framework in more detail, as the information included here is meant to serve as an introduction/overview only. The Marketing Plan (proposed specifications) 1. Executive Summary The executive summary describes the report’s objectives, major findings in relation to the analysis of the market, and strategic recommendations. It is designed to provide a busy reader with the major issues contained in the report. The executive summary allows the reader to gain insight to key outcomes without having to read all of the report. Bullet-points can be used to present the key points in the executive summary. 2. Business and industry background A brief description of what your company is about and what is planning to do accompanied by a description of the relevant industry for your business. 3. Environmental Scanning The environmental scanning is an essential part of the marketing plan as it based on auditing the external and the internal marketing environment of a business. It is a systematic examination of a business marketing environment, objectives, strategies and activities, with a view to identifying key strategic issues, problem areas, and opportunities. It provides the basis upon which a plan of action to improve marketing performance can be built. The external marketing audit focuses on the macro-environment and the micro-environment (mainly customer analysis and competitor analysis) of your business. The internal marketing audit focuses on the activities and performance of the company in the light of the external marketing environment. You are not expected to present a lengthy discussion of these issues in your group project, as you are using a fictitious company and the only information you have on the company derives from the scenario. It is expected that SWOT analysis will provide you a good basis to evaluate the strategic position of the business by identifying its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. In relation to the internal marketing audit, the SWOT analysis provides a simple method of synthesizing the results of the marketing audit by summarizing the company’s strengths and weaknesses as they relate to external opportunities and threats. Strengths and weaknesses will derive from the analysis of the internal marketing audit and micro-environment.

Reading response 25 enteries of mistakes made from slip of the tongue Essay

Reading response 25 enteries of mistakes made from slip of the tongue - Essay Example The existence of phonemic or lexical errors in the above sentences offers evidence that the speakers are engaging on forward planning of their utterances. It can be noted from the speech errors that speakers need to adhere to a certain set of linguistic rules. For instance, phonetic constraints prescribe the possible sequences of sounds. Additionally, the studies on speech error have found that there is existence of rules that stipulates the manner in which morphemes are pronounced or how they need to be used together with other morphemes. According to Garrett (1980), the examples below show that speech errors also observe these rules. From the speech errors it can be deduced that elements that interact with each another have a tendency to semantically or phonetically to be same to one another. This means that vowels and vowels exchange and consonants with consonants, the slips are consistent with the language phonological rules, and lastly, in speech errors there are consistent stress patterns. Primarily, both interacting segments receive minor or major

Cometition law in international context Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

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