Effect of computer usage to the academic performance of the selected senior students Essay

INTRODUCTION Video games have come a long way since today’s adults sat down at a computer to play Pong or Donkey Kong. The newest-generation gaming consoles are as powerful as personal computers, and can accomplish many of the same things. And today’s games are increasingly realistic and technologically advanced. Social networking has even made its way into the video game industry with online gaming. These virtual worlds can be complicated and perplexing to parents, which is why it’s important for you to understand what your child is playing and when to get worried. Did You Know? In 2009, over 11 million people played World of Warcraft, an online, subscription fee-based multiplayer game. According to one study, nearly 1 in 10 young gamers displayed behavior patterns similar to addiction.1 The Kaiser Family Foundation found that 8- to 18-year-olds are exposed to an average of 10 hours and 45 minutes of media each day. Whether your child is an avid gamer or rarely picks up a controller, it’s important to understand the world of video games–especially in the age of online gaming–so you can make your child’s experience with games both a positive and a beneficial one. ————— 1. Douglas Gentile, â€Å"Pathological Video Game Use among Youth 8 to 18: A National Study,† CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Background of the study The youth of today no longer seem to spend their leisure activities like in the olden days; outdoor games or playing with toys, instead, they spend their free time in their homes, internet cafà ©s or computer shops simply to satisfy their hunger; and that hunger is Online Gaming. Online gaming has such a profound impact on not only the young, but dynamically every age group as well. So far, virtually anyone is able to go on a computer and  punch through the keys and mouse in order to get a high score, chat with players, get the rarest items, and level up as fast as possible. Yes, there seems to be no restriction as to whom, how or what online gaming can extend to. As in any situation where new technology is introduced, the social impact of the Internet is being looked at. One social problem that has been observed is that the Internet cafà © has become mainly game centres. About one-half to two-thirds of the computers in a typical Internet cafà ©, according to one study, are devoted to games (violent and gory games). The use of the remaining computers was roughly split between browsing, email, online chat, word processing and research. The Internet cafà ©s have become not just game centres. They are becoming centres off addiction among the youth, mostly boys, including elementary school pupils. According to one concerned Internet cafà © entrepreneur, â€Å"Internet cafà ©s are seducing youths to a new form of addiction, one which may not destroy their bodies as drugs do, but which is certainly twisting their minds. To the young play is reality and reality is play.† (Maslog C. (1998) Internet and Social Issues, Philippine Communication Today, Quezon City: New Day Publishers). Online gaming has emerged as a popular and successful source of entertainment and play for people of all ages, especially for the students. It refers to the games that are played over some forms of computer network, typically on the internet. These games are played online, in which you can connect with multiple players. It is normally platform independent, relying on the web browser and appropriate plug-in. It is one of the best inventions that is made ever by human beings. It has the ability to link players together. It has been one of the most popular activities in entertaining for younger people. Because of this, almost everybody is into it. Its fantastic characteristic makes a lot of students become hook on it. It provides entertainment and at the same time, online socialization with different kind of people. But sometimes, it causes negative effects. Development in technology brings many things that people don’t have many years back. One of these things is online gaming that is provided by the internet. Online gaming is one of the widely used leisure  activities by many people. Teenagers who are playing these online games said that they are playing these games just for fun, to keep away from the heat of the sun, without knowing that there are a lot of effects of playing these games that are more than what they think. Playing online games, according to some research is beneficial. It enables the mind of the players to be more active, especially those puzzle-based games. It helps the player to come up with decisions in tight situations, especially those adventure games that keep the players to be alert, active and strategic. Playing these types of games makes the player experienced different feelings because it is as if the player is really the one taking the challenges. Introduction As time passes by, technology continues to evolve. Because of technology, new things were created that sustains and lightens human work. Computers were created because of technology. Computers were the greatest thing ever invented by man itself. In the modern age, computers have become a part of man’s life. Almost all the things around us were made by computers with the aid of modern machines. From the edited books, design, special effects in movies, and televisions etc., were all made by computers. Along with the evolution of technology, computers continue to upgrade as well until the time that computer has now become a part of man’s everyday life that are hooked to computers. Computers can now edit documents to your PC, play mini games, search information you need using the internet, save documents to your PC and play online games. It’s like an all-in-one gadget that can do all the things you want anytime you need it. From 1990 to the present year, online games had a big impact to us especially teenagers. Online games have many genres, including FPS games, MMORPG, Casual games and multiplayer games. A game will become an online game if it involves in using a computer or a series of computers with one player in each computer to battle it out with other players using the Internet depending on the game genre. â€Å"Effects of computer usage to the academic performance of students† Chapter II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE The scope of Computer effects derives a wide scope of related literature that is worth mentioning. In this regard, this literature review concerning the effects of computer usage to the academic performance of students, will address the following areas relevant to this study: History of the Computer; Importance of Computers, Negative Effects of Gaming; Computer Crime; Computer Use recommendations; and conclusion. HISTORY OF THE COMPUTER Many people do not know how, or even when computers were first made. Even before the first electronic computers were made, many people believe that computers started with the abacus, a simple counting device. The abacus is believed to have been built in Babylon in the fourth century B.C. The â€Å"First Generation† of computers started in the very late 1930’s. These computers were grotesquely slow, colossal in size, created much heat, used hundreds of kilowatts of power, and were about as reliable as a used up match (www.pbs.org). As time went on, these computers evolved from using vacuum tubes to transistors. Transistors mark the beginning of the â€Å"Second Generation† of computers in 1947. Unfortunately, the 2nd Generation did not advance as much as most people hoped, but eventually, the â€Å"Third Generation† was brought about by the invention of integrated circuits in 1958. Integrated circuits replaced transistors, and many computer languages came out in this time. Many more computer companies were born during this time, and eventually this led to personal computers for everyday use. Microprocessors introduced the beginning of the â€Å"Fourth Generation† and a time where computers were in almost every house. What Is The Importance Of Computer? Computers are extremely important in the modern world of today. In the fast moving life of the modern world of today, computers hold tremendous significance. Many of us will feel crippled without a computer, as we have gotten so used to this machine. The importance of computers can not be denied in the corporate or business world, at the work place and even in one’s personal life. In the modern work place, pen are paper are becoming extent. It will not be long ,before pen and paper stop to exist altogether. Same is the case in schools and colleges. Children today are forgetting how to write and many blame their awful hand writing on this machine which has taught everyone to type at a speed of at least 50 to 60 words per minute. The children of today have bad handwritings and the children of tomorrow may not even know how to hold a pen. Thanks to the computer. Computer has become an important tool for keeping databases, filing systems, track records. It has made record keeping and account keeping much much easier than it ever was. It helps an organization save tons of times. It has made data analysis extremely easy, and it can be done at a single click of the mouse. Computers also serve as useful tools for communications . Normal post is now commonly referred to as snail mail, as the must faster email has replaced it. INTRODUCTION Development in technology brings many things that people don’t have many years back. One of these things is online gaming that is provided by the internet. Online gaming is one of the widely used leisure activities by many people. Teenagers who are playing these online games said that they are playing these games just for fun, to keep away from the heat of the sun, without knowing that there are a lot of effects of playing these games that are more than what they think. Playing online games, according to some research is beneficial. It enables the mind of the players to be more active, especially those puzzle-based games. It helps the player to come up with decisions in tight situations, especially those adventure games that keep the players to be alert, active and strategic. Playing these types of games makes the player experienced different feelings because it is as if the player is really the one taking the challenges. Despite those benefits, playing these games also bring negative effects. It requires much of the player’s time, leaving school activities and home works unattended. DEFINITION OF TERMS Online gaming —– are games that are played online via the Internet Internet ————— an electronic network of computers that includes nearly every university, government, and research facility in the world. ICAD——————- Internet Cafes Association of Davao City Eyestrain————- pain and fatigue of the eyes, often accompanied by headache, resulting from prolonged use of the eyes, uncorrected defects of vision, or an imbalance of the eye muscles. Obesity————— the condition of being obese; increased body weight caused by excessive accumulation of fat. Aping—————– the act, practice, or art of copying the manner or expression of another Epidemic———— as used in the study, is a widespread or scattering youth violence

Technical Events for Cse

Group discussion Introduction: The purpose of group discussion is not to win an argument or to amuse your classmates. The purpose of discussion is to help each group member explore and discover personal meanings of a text through interaction with other people. Qualities judged in a group discussion: †¢ initiative: initiative is the ability to take action with out being told. The candidate who starts the discussion has this quality †¢ subject knowledge: Here, selectors find the following points: ? . hether the candidate have understood the meaning of the discussion ? .whether the andidate have the proper general knowledge ? .whether they have original ideas and whether they can develop these ideas logically. †¢ Time management: Here the best candidate is the one who: ? Express all his views with in his own time limit. ? Give other candidates time to express their views †¢ Team work: The selectors look for candidate who have the ability to work as a team member.Impo rtant points in group discussion: †¢ How good you are at communication with others. †¢ How you behave and interact with group. †¢ How open minded are you. †¢ Your listening skill. †¢ How you put forward your views. †¢ Your leadership and decision making skills. †¢ Your analysis skill and subject knowledge. †¢ Problem solving and critical thinking skill. †¢ Your attitude and confidence. Do’s of participating in a GD: †¢ Listen to the subject carefully †¢ Put down your thoughts on a paper Initiate the discussion if you know the subject well †¢ Listen to others if you don’t know the subject †¢ Support you point with some facts and figures †¢ Make short contribution of 25-30 seconds 3-4 times †¢ Give others a chance to speak †¢ Speak politely and pleasantly. Respect contribution from other members. †¢ Disagree politely and agree with what is right. †¢ Summarize the discussion if the g roup has not reached a conclusion. Don’ts of participating in a GD: †¢ Initiate the discussion if you do not have sufficient knowledge about the given topic. Over speak, intervene and snatch other’s chance to speak. †¢ Argue and shout during the GD †¢ Look at the evaluators or a particular group member †¢ Talk irrelevant things and distract the discussion †¢ Pose negative body gestures like touching the nose, leaning back on the chair, knocking the table with a pen etc. †¢ Mention erratic statistics. †¢ Display low self confidence with shaky voice and trembling hands. †¢ Try to dominate the discussion †¢ Put others in an embarrassing situation by asking them to speak if they don’t want.

Health Risks Associated with Obesity Research Paper

Health Risks Associated with Obesity - Research Paper Example The report mainly outlines the problems that theses diseases may cause and to a certain extent their side effects as well. Obesity is not only a cosmetic glitch but a very serious future health issue. Many researches show that an over-weight person with excessive fat has more probability to develop certain diseases such as heart problems, diabetes, certain cancer-forms and many more (Sims, 2012). Some of the major diseases will be explained in this report. Risks Involved The diseases listed in the introductory section will be explained formulating the main theme of this report on Health risks linked with obesity. Every year, in the U.S alone, over 150 billion dollars are spent on obesity-related disease which causes about 300000 deaths, only in the U.S.A (Stanford, 2012). Some of the issues caused by obesity are listed and explained below. High Blood Pressure Additional fat tissues in the body need oxygen and nutrition to survive, which in turn need the blood vessels to provide exces sive blood to the fats. This in-turn increases the amount of blood-pumping by the heart, making it work overtime. It also means that the pressure on the artery walls in more than required by a low quantity of fat tissues. This high pressure exerted on the artery walls will cause a higher blood pressure in the body. ... Obesity causes resistance to insulin, the hormone that polices the blood sugar. Blood sugar level goes up as excessive fat resists the formation of insulin. Even a low amount of unwanted fat in the body can cause the peril of diabetes (Stanford, 2012). Heart Diseases The arteries of obese people are more prone to be hardened, research says by almost 10 percent compared to those people who are not obese. Coronary artery disease also prevails as the fat deposits on the arteries en-route the heart. Smaller passage for the blood in the arteries mean that the flow of blood is decreased which can cause angina or an in simple terms a â€Å"heart attack†. The fat deposit can also cause blood clotting which can also result in a heart attack (Stanford, 2012). Joint Problems Excessive fat can also affect the knees and hips as extra fat makes up extra weight causing more stress on the bones where joints exist. Any kind of a surgery on the bone joints is not advisable for a fat person as a rtificial or treated joints may not be sufficient enough to hold extra weight, causing further damage to the most used bones in the body. It also causes day to day pains in various joints like the knees and ankles which eventually become life threatening injuries or ones which can cause excessive pain (Stanford, 2012).. Sleep apnea and Respiratory Issues Sleep apnea causes lack of breath for short period of times is also a side effect of obesity. As stated before obesity causes many diseases indirectly on a later stage of life. This stoppage of breath causes lack of sleep as it may interfere in the sleep at night and stop from sleeping in the daytime. This can also be one of the prime reasons of snoring while sleeping. Due to excessive weight around the chest area, the lungs are

The Ebola Virus Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Ebola Virus - Research Paper Example The Ebola virus, Sudan and Zaire subtype in particular, were first discovered in an equatorial province west of Sudan and the nearby region of Democratic Republic of Congo formerly Zaire in 1976. The discovery was made after serious epidemics were reported in the village of Yambuku located in the northern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nzara village in the Southern Sudan. The Reston virus was discovered in the western pacific in 1989 during an outbreak of simian hemorrhagic fever virus (SHFV), while the Cote d’Ivoire species of virus were discovered in 1994 in a Tai forest in the country of Cote d’Ivoire (Peter, 2009). Some of the early symptoms characterized by the Ebola virus include: headache, sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain and sore throat. Vomiting, diarrhea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function often follows at an advanced stage of the disease, and in some cases both external and internal bleeding have been reported. Resear ch findings have shown low counts of white blood cells and platelets and platelets, as well as elevated liver enzymes (Ryabchikova, 2004). The Ebola Virus is said to be transmitted by direct contact with body fluids of infected individuals or blood, secretions. Transmission of Ebola has been linked to burial ceremonies where mourners have had direct contact with the body of the deceased person who suffered from this virus. The cause of infections of Ebola virus in humans has resulted from the human handling of infected non-human primates such as the chimpanzees, gorillas and consumption of forest antelopes either dead or alive or both. These cases have been reported and documented in the Cote d’Ivoire and the Democratic republic of Congo. The transmission of the Reston species, however, is because of handling the cynomolgus monkey (Bausch, 2011). Health care workers have not been left behind in the infection chain, and they have largely been infected in the line of duty. This is through treating the Ebola patients at a close contact, without following standard infection control precautions, and inadequate nursing procedures has always been the case in most African countries. The incubation period for the disease is put at a minimum of two days and maximum of 21 days (Ryabchikova, 2004). The natural reservoir of the Ebola Virus is still unknown to humans, despite the extensive studies directed to its course. All that is known is that it seems to reside in the rainy forests of the African continent and the western pacific, and although non-human primates have been the source of infections for human, they are believed to have been directly infected by the natural reservoir or some transmission chain in the natural reservoir. Some of the virulent factors that have led to Ebola infections in humans are linked to direct contact with chimpanzees, monkeys, guinea pigs, gorillas and porcupines in the rainy forests of Africa. However, there have been speculations that bats have played a role in maintaining the Ebola virus in the tropical forest since they caught the infection and did not die from it. This case forms one of the many hypotheses developed to explain the origin of the Ebola virus (Peter, 2009). Ebola virus test are extremely biohazard risk and are only conducted under maximum biological containment conditions. Diagnosis of the Ebola can be done under specialized laboratories where

Structure of the Legal Profession in the United Kingdom Term Paper

Structure of the Legal Profession in the United Kingdom - Term Paper Example Functionally, the legal profession in the UK is divided into two separate disciplines of barristers and solicitors. In England and Wales, solicitors outnumber barristers eight to one. Solicitors work behind the desk advising and preparing cases for the clients, whereas barristers represent the cases in the courts. Although diverse, the functions of solicitors and barristers are like two sides of the same coin. The basic qualifications necessary for these two branches are the same. It is only after graduation that those wishing to enter the profession as solicitors have to complete a Legal Practice Course according to the requirement of the Law Society, and those choosing to be barristers have to complete Bar Vocational Course franchised by the General Council of the Bar. Both these courses are of one-year duration. (Legal Education in the United Kingdom) Barristers have the right of audience in the Supreme Court and in all other courts, and they specialize in the different area of operations.   Some barristers may specialize in concerning criminal law, while others may be experts in civil cases. Even within the criminal and civil divisions, there may be sub-divisions. For instance, one barrister may specialize in homicidal matters and another may practice on issues concerning fraud, etc. For the ordinary citizen, solicitors are the first point of contact for legal advice and opinion. The solicitors may then advise the litigant on the appropriate barrister who could pursue the case in a court of law. There is yet one more branch of notaries who are small compared to barristers and solicitors. Notaries are authorized to perform functions such as attestations, authentication, administration of oaths, and other legal roles that are not of the litigious nature.   With the complexity of modern times in social, economic, environment and human rights affairs, together with greater awareness of the general citizenry of the legal opportunities available to them, solicitors and barristers have increasing professional challenges. Solicitors and barristers need each other as they perform complementary roles for one another.

Case Big Banks Big Bucks Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Big Banks Big Bucks - Case Study Example In other words, the assets of the financial institution would have been counted applying a different rubric than what was in actuality a clear representation of the current value. Additionally, before FAS 157 financial institutions were not required to clarify changes in credit risks, meet the same rigid disclosure requirements, or painstakingly disclose the hierarchies and means of measurement that they employed to measure their assets and liabilities. Measurement of assets is a tricky business. One of the most troublesome aspects of this is the fact that on any given day the assets and or liabilities of the financial institution are prone to move in either direction. Accordingly, it makes it difficult for leadership as well as the firm’s investors to make informed decisions about the actual net worth of the firm and in what direction it may wish to pursue based on the information. Likewise, in addition to the fluctuation of the daily stock market, the financial institutions now had to be cognizant of the changing nature of their assets with respect to the changes in market activity and financial instruments that help define the true market value of the securities and other mechanisms held by

HansonSymphony NO 2Romantic Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

HansonSymphony NO 2Romantic - Assignment Example The true romantic melody introduced later on by the mellow strings in the theme symbolizes the melody style of the 1930s The symphony used here consist of an English horn, two bassoons, piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 clarinets in B-flat, contrabassoon, 2 oboes, 4 horn in F, 3 trombones, 3 trumpets in C, tuba, snare drum, harps, cymbals and strings (Simmons, 2004). The noble, warm and soothing sounds of horns provides the color signature and signify thematic leadership in this symphony and epitomizes the 19th century Romantic sound from Mendelssohn to Tchaikovsky. The onset of the major movement begins by a dark three-note with an ascending motive being heard from the winds forms the introduction to the traditional sonata-form movement. Acceleration of the tempo forms the introductory part of the descending theme Holds the whole piece together and throughout the three movement actions of the composition, it returns severally – both as section tutties and solos. In a sense, it functions as sort of a â€Å"thematic glue† that binds the entire piece of music together The horns are launched in the culmination with a vibrant whoop of ballyhoos derived from the slogan theme, and later on expanded into an exhilarating horn-led brass opening at the midpoint of the movement midpoint (Cohen, 2006, p.

Politics in the Middle East Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Politics in the Middle East - Essay Example That led to counter reaction and eventually and the current deplorable situation. In Iran on the other hand, the domestic politics remain complex with issues like the contentious nuclear program leads to instability. Furthermore, the president supports the Syrian president against ISS that exposes Iraq to risks of attack from the terrorist group. Black (2014) presents Syria political condition as the worst of all in the nations found in the Middle East region. The declaration of ISS of Syria as an Islamic State led to outbreak of war between the government and forces that backs it from Iran and the militiamen of Shia from Iraq. It is evident that efforts to eliminate the group remain far from bearing fruits. The impact however, proves more devastating with lost lives accounting to over one hundred and fifty civilians while immigrating civilians have led to creation of refugees’ crisis across Europe. Lebanon equally suffers mostly as a result of war in Syria and the existence o f a deeply fractured polity that the nation enjoys. As a result of Lebanon’s president defense to the Syrian president, tension remains high as the Sunni community reacts violently. War in Syria affects Jordan as more than six hundred refugees joined the country. Furthermore, tensions remain high with the political leaders of Jordan wary of Isis appealing to disaffected Sunnis. Turkey on the other hand provides support to anti-Assad rebels, but still worried about Isis as well as the independence of Kurdish (Black, 2014).

Selling own common stocks Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Selling own common stocks - Research Paper Example These methods are open market, fixed price tender, private negotiation, repurchase and Dutch auction. It was in the late 20th century that there was enormous increase in the share’s volume repurchase in American, which rose from $5 billion in the year 1980 to $349 billion in the year 2005 (Stock Buybacks). It has been noted that the reason behind the corporation’s enormous amount of repurchase and selling of their own common shares is subjected to some conflicting interpretations. However there is no satisfactory explanation to these changes that occurred in the repurchasing activity of these corporations over the last few decades. The dramatic increase in the repurchase of open market shares occurred in 1990’s and several factor led to its development. One of the factors is considered to be the improved regulatory environment which supported the repurchase of common stock which resulted from the adaption of rule 10b-18 introduced by the Security and Exchange Commission, or SEC in the year 1982. Another factor that contributed to the repurchase is considered to be economic conditions. This paper discusses the reasons why corporation sell and purchase their own stock. A study was conducted regarding the open market repurchases which concluded that it is the changes in the compensation policies that often led to the changes in the payout policy. The result also indicates that the firm usually announces repurchases when executives have several different options outstanding and when the employees too have several options present that are exercisable. Once the firm makes the decision of being engaged in a repurchase, the amount of stock repurchase can be positively related to the total number of options that were exercisable by the workers, independent of the option that the executives had. The result of this study remains consistent with the managers repurchasing both for funding

Cooking Green Beans with Salt Essay Example for Free

Cooking Green Beans with Salt Essay Introduction An experiment was conducted where two sets of green beans where cooked. One set had salt and the other one didn’t. One person who did not know which set of green beans had salt and which one didn’t got to taste and judge both of the sets on taste, texture and color. Chef Heston Blumenthal once asked ‘Why do cooks add salt (sodium chloride) when cooking vegetables, for example green beans? ’ Other chefs answered with these possible answers: * | * It keeps the beans green| * | * It raises the boiling point of water so the beans cook faster| * | * It prevents the beans going soggy|. * | * It improves the flavor. However, a scientist also replied saying these statements were untrue because: * | * Only the acidity and calcium content of the water affect the color of the beans| * | * Adding salt increases the boiling point of water but by such a small amount that it will make no difference to cooking times| * | * Vegetables will go soggy if cooked for too long whether salt is added or not| * | * Little salt is actually absorbed onto the surface of a bean during cooking – typically 1/10 000 g of salt per bean which is too little to be tasted by most people. The aim to this experiment was to prove or disprove these points. Materials:Listed below are the materials used for this experiment: * One bag of green beans containing about 250g * Two pans * Two bowls * One stopwatch * One strainer * A cutting board * A knife * A thermometer * SaltProcedure:First, the bag of green beans were washed and cut up. Then, they were evenly divided into two bowls; bowl A and bowl B. Bowl A had no salt in it and was then put into a pan and observed. The time it took to reach its boiling point and the temperature at boiling point were then noted. After that, the beans were places into a strainer and dried. This was also done with bowl B, except salt was added. DataAfter conducting the experiment, this is the data that was obtained:| | | | | With salt| Without salt| Taste| Tasteful| Dull, boring| Texture| Soft| Crunchy| Flavor| -| -|. As you can see, the only thing that didn’t change about the beans with salt was the flavor, which stayed the same for both experiments. Conclusion: Clearly, after this experiment, we proved the chefs right. Both the texture and taste where better with the salty beans. Some of the limitations where that we only tried this experiment once, therefore it is not 100% correct. We could have also had more people testing it, instead of just one person because there are some factors that could influence the opinion.

The role of women in the engineering profession

The role of women in the engineering profession Women have been categorised as inferior to men and as a result are assigned the position of minors in both public and private sectors of life (National Gender Policy Framework, 2003). Additionally, most women arguably accept secondary roles without hesitation (Mathur-Helm, 2005: 63).. Education at school level is only part of the battle to recruit more women into the construction industry. Male builders need to accept women in the building workplace (Thompson, 1996: online). There is a relationship between higher education and the employment choices of women (Phaahla, 2000). Women tend to congregate in areas considered traditional outlets for female employment. Female staff and students are typically drawn to faculties such as the humanities, education and the social sciences. Generally women do not make up large numbers in technology and applied science areas of study. Consequently, the jobs available to women are limited for social and economic reasons. The position of women is fur ther exacerbated by the fact that gender in South Africa is also racially and culturally segmented, creating inequalities that are race-bound. White and Black women have extremely different levels of experiences regarding job and development opportunities (Mathur-Helm, 2005: 67). Women encounter pervasive gender issues in their chosen careers which require specific strategies to deal with them (Phaahla, 2000). In particular, they need to contend with gender role stereotyping which believes that a set of traits and abilities is more likely to be found among one sex than the other (Schein, 1978: 259 Typically young people start contemplating their career choices at approximately the age of 16 or in their last years of high school. Gender-based career stereotyping makes it particularly difficult for young girls to establish their own career choices or to diverge from the career choices dictated by their parents. A sense of isolation is another reason for high defections, with women having little chance of meeting other women working in constructionThis chapter, will be a review of the primary information or the literature which has been written about challenges facing women, it will start by reviewing some literature on the skills shortages in South Africa and more specifically in the engineering sector, then women and work in South Africa and in general on the aspect of the glass ceiling. This chapter will also review literature on male dominated or traditional career. Skills shortages South Africa is experiencing a major shortage in skills in the engineering field, and the entry of women in this field is helping in trying to reduce skills shortages. There have been many changes in the pattern of work of women, more and women are now working outside the home. Some of the reasons that a sense of isolation is another reason for high defections, with women having little chance of meeting other women working in engineering, education at school level is only part of the battle to recruit more women into the engineering industry have been given as to try and explain why women work are: social changes and the changes in public attitudes towards women that have encouraged women to enter the job market (White et al, 1998). An overview of women and work All around the world, there is an increasing concern for gender equity and equality in the family and society for the benefit of children, men and women. Women have in the past contributed to different areas of economic and social life, for example, they are farmers, entrepreneurs, traders, homemakers etc and yet they share unequally in the fruits of their labour. Women constitute a large percentage of the worlds poor and continue to suffer disadvantage in education, health and employment (UN Report on the Advancement of Women, 1995). Nowadays, many more women are found in the workplace, in politics and more are getting educated than ever before. While women have advanced more rapidly in some societies than others, almost everywhere womens concerns are still accorded second priority and they continually face both subtle and flagrant discrimination (Hinson, R; Otieku, J; Amidu, M 2006). Women and work in South Africa Women are still regarded as secondary to men in South African business culture (Mathur-Helm,2005: 63). There is a view that women do not show leadership potential and behave differently from traditional male leaders (Mathur-Helm, 2004; Guppy Rick, 1994). According to Johnson (1999), they are emotional and cannot shoulder responsibilities. What women do is rarely defined as leadership, given that masculinity is an implicit construct of leadership (Kloot, 2004: 472). The South African definition of gender equality is guided by a vision of human rights which incorporates acceptance of the equal and inalienable rights of all men and women (Kornegay, 2000). Indeed, the rights of women need to be viewed as human rights. Equality is specified and enshrined in the Bill of Rights of the South African Constitution (South Africa, 1996). Section 9(3) of the Constitution provides that no one may unfairly discriminate directly or indirectly against anyone on any grounds such as, for example, race , gender and culture. This prohibition on discrimination forms an integral part of processes to achieve social justice in South Africa. Gender equality, therefore, requires that the underlying causes of discrimination be systematically identified and removed in order to give women and men equal opportunities in every sphere of life: In short, the economic integration of women, which comes only when market barriers are lowered and women are given an equal chance to attain decent work, remains a necessity for economic development and a worthy goal in its own right (ILO, 2008: 4). In South African society women historically faced the burden of unpaid household labour in addition to income-generating work. A rigid and uncompromising organisation of working hours and environment prevented them from performing well, considering that they needed to take time off for childcare and other family responsibilities (Ellison, 2001; Wilson, 1998). Often these demands reduced their chances of full- time paid employment. In addition, in terms of the South African Employment Equity Act of 1998, labour market discrimination arises when employers make decisions about employees for reasons that are not related to genuine work requirements (South Africa, 1998). Discrimination is most obvious when an employer focuses on irrelevant personal characteristics instead of work performance or merit. As a result women in many organisations have to work extra well and hard to gain any prospect of promotion. Unfortunately women have not been benefiting Acta Structilia 2009: 16(2) 50 from government policies and legislation to advance their careers (Mathur-Helm, 2005: 58). There is, therefore, no correlation between policy and practice. In South Africa, they have since put in place constitutional and employment legislation to try and eliminate direct discrimination; it is now against the law to discriminate on grounds of gender. But there are insufficient checks, resources and sanctions in place to enforce these provisions (www.mywage.co.za/main/women-and-work). The following are some of the characteristics of women working in South Africa face: Lower levels of pay in sectors which mainly employ women, Women traditionally work in welfare, such as care (nurses, social workers, etc.). Such jobs are less well paid than work, say, in production of goods and financial services (www.mywage.co.za/main/women-and-work). Jobs in sectors where both men and women do the same kind of work are valued differently. Here, too, there is no objective reason for the difference in pay, If women do work of equal value to that of men and still receive lower pay, this means that the employer simply is putting value on the chair and not on the person sitting on it (www.mywage.co.za/main/women-and-work). At the same time the characteristics associated with traditionally male jobs (leadership, technical insight, and heavy physical work) are over-valued. These very often subconscious valuations have to be overcome by making people aware of them and then act differently. In general it may be said that too low a value is placed on characteristics associated with women, e.g. social skills, physical and emotional care, concentration. (www.mywage.co.za/main/women-and-work) Barriers to Womens Advancement (glass ceiling) Morrison (1992) describes several organizational barriers which constitute the glass ceiling in organizations. These include; 1. Non-supportive working environments 2. Differences being treated as weakness 3. Exclusion from group activities 4. Lack of organizational insider knowledge While many women insist that the glass ceiling is a real barrier to accessing male-dominated positions in business, many challengers say that it exists mostly because women choose to focus more of their time on family and, in the end, cannot dedicate as much time to their career. Others claim that women think they want to focus on their career, but in reality choose family over career. A 2005 report, reports that 43% of highly qualified, educated women with children left their jobs voluntarily at some stage of their careers. Although 93% wanted to return to their careers, only 74% did so and only 40% went back to a full time position. Of those women who wanted to return to work, only five percent desired to return to the position they had left. (http://www.wisegeek.com) Non-Traditional jobs or male dominated careers Non-Traditional jobs and careers are ones that have traditionally been held by men. The Department of Labour classifies jobs as non-traditional when women are less than 25% of the workforce in that field. Non-Traditional Fields include: Detective, Architect, Barber, Machinist, Computer and Office Machine Repairer, Fire Fighter, Chef, Railroad Conductor, Construction and Building Inspectorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (http://www.womenwork.org). Benefits offered in non-traditional careers. Non-traditional careers offer women many benefits that traditionally female careers do not have, these include the following: Higher Pay Women in non-traditional careers generally make 20-30% more money than women in traditional careers, Opportunity for Advancement Non-traditional careers often have career paths that allow women to quickly move up the ranks, Better Benefits Packages Women in non-traditional careers generally have better benefits packages, including health care, vacation and sick leave, pension/retirement plans and life insurance, Expanding Job Availability Non-traditional careers are generally in fields that are growing, thus there are many new jobs and positions being created, (http://www.womenwork.org.) Challenges facing women in non-traditional careers Women are facing challenges in the non-traditional, though there are many resources and support programs to help women overcome these difficulties, some of the common problems encountered by women are as follows: Discrimination or Harassment Many women face discrimination and/or harassment in a non-traditional workplace, Hazardous Environments Non-traditional careers can be in hazardous conditions for example in the mines or engineering, Family and Friends May Not Be Supportive Many women find that their family and friends are not as supportive as they could be about their new career choices, Isolation With few other women in the non-traditional workplace, many women feel isolated and lonely in their careers. Again, women can find supportive networks and groups with other women experiencing the same situations and environments, Transportation and Child Care Difficulties Some non-traditional jobs are at odd times and sites. This can make transportation and child care difficult to find and maintain. Some of the strategies to deal with these challenges Young females who are in male dominated careers can try to alleviate the changes which face them at work, by having personal board of directors which can be a group of four to five people. Members of ones board can be mentors, peers, friends, or colleagues. These individuals will support you and are willing and able to help you get where you want to go, you should cultivate many developmental relationships instead of searching for one perfect mentor. Your personal board of directors is a group of four to five people, hand picked by you to be your own fan club. Members of your board can be mentors, peers, friends, or colleagues. These individuals can support them and help them get where you want to go. There is great power in the support the younger females receive from women facing similar challenges, the benefits include: Knowledge that youre not alone Concrete suggestions and helpful guidance A forum in which to share your thoughts and feelings with others who can relate One can build personal board of directors by following the following steps: the first step is to reach out to other women for support. Too many female professionals are afraid to ask women in their field for assistance and guidance. However, what most women do not know is that most accomplished women want to help others like them succeed. By developing these mutually relationships it can help one to create an alliances which is essential to a long and successful career. (http://www.eurekalert.org) Stereotype of engineers puts women off the job http://www.hrmguide.co.uk/diversity/engineering.htm March 10 2006 Classic stereotypes of engineers as men who are brilliant at and passionate about technology, but not very good at dealing with people, do not reflect real engineers and their work, according to Dr Wendy Faulkner from the University of Edinburgh. Moreover, such stereotypes are hampering efforts to recruit women into the engineering profession. According to Dr Faulkner, who interviewed and observed 66 male and female engineers from a range of industries,: Women and men engineers alike get excited about technology even though fewer of the women have a tinkerer background. There are gadget girls as well as boys and their toys in engineering. At the same time, many different types of men and women enjoy engineering work very few fit the classic stereotype. Wendy Faulkner adds: In practice, engineering encompasses a wide variety of jobs and roles. It is a broad church with room for a diverse range of people. Yet the image of engineering and often the culture remains a narrowly technical, nuts and bolts one. Retention is as important as recruitment many of those women who do complete engineering degrees dont go onto engineering jobs or leave the industry after only a few years, says Dr Faulkner. Part of the issue is that women who enter engineering have to become one of the lads in order to fit in. Many subtle aspects of the culture, which may appear trivial individually, when taken as a whole have a dripping tap effect making it harder for women to belong, and get on in engineering. Her study shows details how the topics engineers talk about, as well as their style of humour and the social activities they engage in, reflect mens interests and ways of bonding. Women are left on the margins of this male society, finding it difficult to break into the inner circles that carry influence on how the job gets done and who gets promoted. By contrast, engineering workplace cultures accommodate a range of men laddish blokes, family men, pranksters, macho men, nerdy men, urbane men, genteel men and so they are likely to feel comfortable to the great majority of men, says Wendy Faulkner. If more women are to stay and progress in engineering workplaces, there is a strong business case for employers to introduce sustained and sensitive diversity training, to raise awareness of these kind of issues and to nurture more inclusive workplace cultures in which everyone is comfortable, says Dr Faulkner. Engineering A Male Dominated Profession Coming from the first year engineering program at UBC, I couldnt help but notice how male dominated the program was. I recall sitting in my Physics 153 class and being able to pick out the number of women on one hand. I began to question as to why engineering is associated with males more than females. Is it course difficulty? Interests? Or simply stereotypes? Ive transferred schools and am now in my first year(yes, again) in Mechatronics Engineering program at SFU Surrey and Im still observing the same thing a larger male population in engineering. I decided to sit down with Rebecca, a first year Tech One student who plans to go into Mechatronics, and asked her a couple questions regarding my observation. Me: Hi, Rebecca. Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk to me. Rebecca: No problem, I had an hour break anyways. Me: So, what program are you in right now? Rebecca: TechOne right now, but I plan to go to Mechatronics Engineering if I get the grades after. Me: Good for you. What got you interested in engineering in general? Rebecca: Well, I really enjoy math. I also like problem solving and working in teams. Its always nice working with other people and getting everyones ideas together. After all, two heads are better than one! Me: Very true! Is there anything else besides that? Rebecca: Actually, my parents kinda pushed me to choose something right away. Mechatronics seemed to be the only interesting career path for me. It is a little weird though. Me: What is? Rebecca: I dont know if you notice but there arent that many girls in engineering Me: You took the words right out of my mouth! I noticed the same thing. How do you feel about that? Rebecca: I dont feel out of place or anything. Just because Im a girl doesnt mean Im not fit to be an engineer. It can be a little intimidating, though. Prior to choosing Mechatronics, I never wouldve expected this many guys in my class. Me: Why do you think there are so many guys in engineering? Rebecca: Well, I think its labeled as a males job. Typically, you see the majority of engineerings being guys. Thats basically it. Its stereotypical. Me: So does this change your willingness to stay in Mechatronics? Rebecca: Not at all. It is easy however, to question whether youre in the right program or not but for me, I dont think I would question it because there are so many guys compared to girls, but because I dont know if its something I can see myself doing in the future. Me: Well, thanks for answering some of my questions, Rebecca. Ill let you get back to your studies. Rebecca: No problem. Ive got a lot of math to catch up on. After speaking to Rebecca, I couldnt help but get a little bit of a better understanding about women in engineering. I dont think it matters to her, or to other women, that a mans job should only be meant for a man. At the same time, I dont find that women do it to prove to men and society the famous saying, Anything you can do, I can do better. When choosing a career path, its important to think about what youre interested in and whether you see yourself succeeding in that field. You can compare this same idea to male nurses. It is stereotypical to see a nurse as a female job but today, I see more and more men becoming nurses. In fact, a buddy of mine is studying to become one as we speak. Engineering is a challenging career path for anyone, male or female. Before making a career decision, it is important to block out any stereotypes that may come along with that profession. I strongly believe that people choose career paths to prove to themselves, and only themselves, that they can do anything they put their mind I. Introduction Attracting Women into Engineering a Case Study Malgorzata  S.  Zywno,  Member,  IEEE,  Kimberley  A.  Gilbride,   Peter  D.  Hiscocks,   Judith  K.  Waalen,   and Diane  C.  Kennedy,  Member,  IEEE   http://ewh.ieee.org/soc/es/Nov1999/10/BEGIN.HTM The economic well-being of Canada and the development of its technological base depends to a great extent on the effective employment of engineers. With the predicted shortage of engineers by the year 2000, employers cannot be satisfied with anything less than the very best engineers available, regardless of their gender [1], [2]. Statistics Canada figures released in April 1998 show that women make up only 12 % of 407,130 university grads in the science and technology fields, and only seven per cent of the 588,400 community college grads. Although women represent 55% of all undergraduate students in Canadian Universities, only 21% are enrolled in engineering programs. Furthermore, the percentage of women among practicing engineers in Canada is still very low, less than 5% [2]. For example, in 1998 only 3030 out of 61,340 (i.e. 4.9%) Professional Engineers registered in the Province of Ontario were women. Under-representation of women persists despite the fact that there are no diffe rences in academic ability between men and women and that men and women initially pursue engineering for similar reasons [3]. A. Enrollments in Engineering in Ontario Over the past decade the number of women in engineering undergraduate programs in the province of Ontario has been steadily increasing, but women are still significantly under represented in the applied science and engineering programs. While the climate for women in engineering has improved in recent years, misconceptions about engineering, lack of encouragement, peer pressure and other factors still act as barriers preventing more women to pursue a career in this non-traditional field. Trends in enrollment in engineering schools are shown in Figures 1,2 and 3 [4]. Fig. 1. Number of Men Studying Engineering at Ontario Universities. As shown in Figure 1, the number of male students in engineering has been declining since 1992. This is reflected in all the engineering disciplines. Fig. 2. Number of Women Studying Engineering at Ontario Universities. In contrast, the number of women students in engineering has been increasing, although their actual number remains much smaller than that of their male counterparts, as shown in Figure 2. The female enrollment in engineering programs in Ontario over a five year period has increased from 13% in 1992-93 to 18.5% in 1996-97 school year. Fig. 3. Percentage of Women Studying Engineering at Ontario Universities by Discipline. Figure 3 presents the percentage of women students in engineering by discipline. This graph shows a steady decrease in Aeronautical and Industrial Engineering enrollment since 1993. It has been suggested that women are moving from Industrial to Systems engineering, but the reason for the decrease in Aeronautical engineering is not known. It is interesting to observe that the total percentage of women students in engineering continues to increase, although the total number of women students has recently shown the same down turn as men. It has been suggested that initiatives to encourage women to study engineering will soon become unnecessary because the numbers are increasing so rapidly. This would be welcome news if it were true, but in fact the gains of women in the profession are not large and are not well established yet. Although the participation of women in engineering has increased every year since 1974 (when the first statistics were recorded), when only 2.9% of full time engineering students were women, the engineering profession has not been successful in attracting women in large numbers [5]. At about 18%, the percentage of women undergraduate students in engineering in Ontario is still well below the participation rates of women studying for other professions such as law, medicine, pharmacology or veterinary science. Women practicing engineers account for only about 5% of the profession. While women have made progress in the profession, they still encounter unacceptable attitudes and behaviours, as wel l as the glass ceiling [2]. B. Why More Women Dont Become Engineers There are a number of factors that tend to divert women away from engineering as a career: Streaming, or the Leaky Pipe Syndrome: Women are diverted from math and science courses early in their high school careers. It has been argued [6] that this is associated with issues of competition, isolation, lack of female role models and not of lack of academic ability. Systemic obstacles [1] include: cultural influences and gender stereotyping at home and in school, peer pressure and images in the media. Perception of Difficulty: Engineering is thought to be extremely difficult. Combined with the prevailing myth that women are poor at mathematics, women tend to choose something perceived as more achievable. Exposure: Women do not have as many engineer role models as for other careers such as business, medicine or law. There are few women science high school teachers, women in science textbooks and among university engineering faculty in 1995, only 5.5% were women [7]. Lack of Knowledge About Engineering: Engineering is perceived as a technical, often solitary pursuit, in which one works with machines rather than people. Career options in engineering are not well known by most adults, let alone teenagers, and are not well represented in high school curricula or through career guidance counseling. This affects girls disproportionately, as they typically have less access to information about engineering outside the school environment. Hobbies: Encouraged by parents and peers, boys engage in mechanically oriented hobbies, which prepare them better for the practical aspects of engineering. Social Status of the Profession: In North America, the profession of engineering derives from the skilled trades of Britain, and therefore may be associated with the working class. This is in contrast to the European tradition of engineering, where it has always been regarded as a profession allied to the sciences. Notice the difference between the derivation of the English word engineer (associated with engines) and the French word ingenieur(associated with ingenuity or invention). Thus engineering has a tradition of higher social status in the New World countries such as Venezuela, deriving their traditions from continental Europe, as opposed to British-influenced Canada. This is implicitly understood by parents who are considering professional careers for their daughters 4 Barriers to Womens Advancement in the Accounting Profession Morrison (1992) describes several organizational barriers which constitute the glass ceiling in organizations. These include; 1. Non-supportive working environments 2. Differences being treated as weakness 3. Exclusion from group activities 4. Lack of organizational insider knowledge Non-supportive working environments Many women in business are becoming increasing aware and indeed disillusioned with what they perceive as a lack of support in their work environments. The working environment is determined by the culture within a particular organization, namely the systems of shared values which create the behavioural norms. There are seven types of gender-related organizational culture, each of which in its own way contributes to a non-supportive work environment. The gentleman club reinforces the notion that the womans role as mother and homemaker and the mans role as breadwinner are natural and preordained; the barrack yard is an authoritarian culture where power delivers respects and as women rarely have senior status their interest are ignores; locker room is an exclusion culture, where men build relationships on the basis of common agreements and common assumptions and may frequently talk about sport and make sexual references to confirm their heterosexuality; the gender blind pretends that women live the same lives as men; the smart macho is driven by extreme competitiveness and is very much geared to the young and childless; the paying lip-service type of culture espouses equal opportunities policies but does little to assist practically in the development of Gender Behaviour 595 women employees: and the women as gate-keepers type of culture means that often the main resistance to women managers comes from other women who are less career-oriented or are wives of senior staff. 5 Differences treated as weaknesses The Institute of Management (1992) has identified the dominance of male culture in its many manifestations as the crucial barrier for women in business to overcome It is the prevalence and power of this culture, perceived as the norm, that lead directly to differences being regarded as weakness and hence to women being perceived successful managers to possess characteristics, attitude and temperaments more commonly ascribed to men and although female managers and management students no longer sex-type the managerial job, the concept of a scientific, rational and detached male manager still persists, as being the ideal to which one should aspire. This obviously presents problems for women in managerial roles because they will frequently be considered by male colleagues and subordinates as not fitting the mould, of being an outsider because of the gender, and they will constantly be measured against the male managerial stereotype as shown in the outline. Masculine and feminine stereotype Masculine Stereotype à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Competence à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Very aggressive à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Very independent à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Almost always hides emotions à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Very objective à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Note all easily influenced à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Very dominant à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Distance/inexpressiveness à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Uses harsh language à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Not at all talkative à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Very rough à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Not at all aware of feeling of others Feminine Stereotype à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Incompetence à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Not at all aggressive à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Not at all independent à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Does not hide emotions at all à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Very subjective à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Very easily influenced à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Very submissive à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Warmth/expressiveness à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Does not use harsh language at all à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Very talkative à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Very gentle à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Very award of feeling of others Source: White (1995) Hinson, R.; Otieku, J.; Amidu, M: Exploratory Study of Women in Ghana 596 6 Exclusion from group activities One of the problems resulting from the assumptions made about womens role in the workplace is that women are frequently excluded from group activities within those organizations where a strong male culture predominates. These activities may be business-related, for example, considering a female colleague too irrational to be involved in the development of a strategic plan, or too emotional to make a

The Life And Great Works Of John Updike :: essays research papers

The Life and Great works of John Updike   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An American novelist, short story writer and a poet, John Updike was a country boy with a great talent that needed to be unleashed. He wrote many novels and won many awards; his best works did involve the novels that told the story of a man’s life. The best-known and most widely analyzed work, John Updike wrote a great series of novels depicting a reoccurring theme of the life of a man, and his dream to have his high school wonders once again.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Updike was born on March 18, 1932 in Pennsylvania, outside of the big city and into the countryside. His parents were Wesley Russell Updike, his father, and Linda Grace (Hoyer) Updike, his mother. They raised John with great care and with great ambition to succeed in the harsh world. During his young life many things were taking place that would bring the American Society to a great fall; it was hard for a young American writer in the 1940’s and 50’s. Updike’s schooling was like any typical family, not any kind of high-class private school, just a normal kid. He attended public schools in Shillington in 1936, and he graduates all his schooling, of the public school system, in 1950. Updike was class president, and graduated as co-valedictorian. After grade school he attended one of the greatest colleges in the United States, Harvard University. His   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Plemons 2 writing was weak during grade school, but his great pieces came his senior year at Harvard. He became editor for the Harvard Lampoon, which is the school’s newspaper. With this under his belt for experience, Updike graduates from Harvard as the â€Å"Summa Cum Laude,† that which is a great honor for him. Now entering the working world, Updike starts a new job in New York; he is employed at The New Yorker, as an article writer/reporter in 1955. During his time at the news-printing place, he writes many short stories and some novels. Soon after, two years later to be exact, he starts to become a full-time writer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Updike and his wife, Mary E. Pennington daughter of Rev. Leslie T. Pennington and Elizabeth Daniels Pennington, decide to have a family. Their first child came in the year of 1955, it was a girl and Mary named her after her late mother, Elizabeth. Updike, being a man wanted a boy to carry the father’s name so, two years later, January 19, 1957, they have a baby boy; they named him, David.

The Late Middle Ages Essay -- History, The Dark Ages

The Middle Ages, often referred to as the Dark Ages, was regarded to be a time of despair, disease, and death. Just as the name the â€Å"Dark Ages† suggests, this period of European history seemed to be surrounded by darkness and hopelessness. Unfortunately, the majority of people only see this side of the Middle Ages when, in fact, the Middle Ages was a much more important era. Especially during the late Middle Ages, one can find a change in orthodox social structure, political instability mostly concerned with succession to the throne, and economic changes and how those changes went hand in hand with the change in society. After certain demographical changes and turning points such as the Hundred Years’ War, Europe began to transform drastically thus threatening traditional Europe. Therefore, unlike popular belief, the late Middle Ages was a time when absolute monarchy began to die and when social structure seemed to be flipping upside down due to drastic changes in economic practices. Politics in the late Middle Ages is best described as instable due to competition for succession and power. The most significant event during this time period was the Hundred Years’ War, basically a territorial conflict and competition for succession between the king of England and the king of France after the Capetian monarchy crumbled. (Spielvogel 281) After the Hundred Years’ War, Europe was put under a period of adversity in terms of their political stability. In England, â€Å"Parliament increased in prominence† and even the king came to â€Å"rely on Parliament to levy new taxes.† (Spielvogel 285) The English monarch no longer had absolute power; he had a â€Å"commitment to levy no direct tax without Parliament’s consent.† (Spielvogel 285) In France, absolu... ...came ever so popular during the Renaissance period. Although many people regard the Middle Ages only as a period in history when time seemed to stop and all advancements seemed to be put on hold, it proves to be a vital piece of European history. Results from the Hundred Years’ War and other territorial or succession disputes crumbled centralized monarchy and gave birth to political administrations that can be seen present day, such as the Parliament. Additionally, the Black Death brought shortage of population and labor thus allowing peasants to grow in value and lords to fall in importance. Economical patterns began to change direction and encouraged the peasants to continue climbing up the social ladder as lords no longer had the power to do whatever they pleased. Accordingly so, the late Middle Ages proved itself to be a turning point towards modern Europe.

Relationships and Attraction

From the beginning on time, being around others makes us feel affiliated. It is human nature to form relationships with people who attract us. As human beings, there has always been a desire to form relationships. The lack of relationships and bonds with other individuals can lead to negative feelings, such as loneliness. In order to figure out the need to form bonds we must analyze the benefits and factors of attraction and relationships. There are six factors that describe attraction. The mere exposure happens when we are around someone or something so much, we grow fond of it. For example, you go to training classes for your new positions for the next 4 weeks. When you are hired you are more likely to hang around the people who sat closest to you during your weeks of training. We are more attracted to individuals who are attractive. In a study that evaluated attraction bias and the effect it had on hiring managers, 112 managers were given four potential candidates resume and pictures to go over. The managers chose candidates who were more attractive (Marlowe, Schneider,& Nelson, 1996). We are attracted to individuals that we can relate to. For example, advocates for PETA and a person who works on a slaughter farm are less likely to be associated with each other. Along with being attracted to those we relate to, we are also attracted to individuals we look like. For example, in a room full of Hispanics and Blacks, Hispanics are more likely to mingle with Hispanics; the same with black individuals. We are less likely to befriend someone of another culture because of the factor, we are more attracted to individuals we look like. Feenstra also suggest we like individuals who are had to get because â€Å"they are selective in their social choices† (Feenstra, 2011, Ch. 3. 1, â€Å"We like Those Who Are Hard to Get†). If we can form a bond with this individual, it can possibly boost our self esteem because of the exclusivity of the relationship. Humans are more likely to be attracted to individuals they can benefit from. This involves equity. Equity in relationships is receiving back from your partner what you p ut in. A relationship can be under-benefited or over-benefited. Under-benefited relationships involve someone giving more than receiving; and an over-benefited relationship involves receiving more from your partner than giving (Feenstra,2011). Bonds and relationships are natural instincts we as humans want to have. We have an innate need to belong. The need for frequent positive contact and the need for enduring connections marked by mutual concern for the welfare of the other are two parts of the need to belong theory (Feenstra, 2011). Our social bond, emotions, and fear of deprivation are all connected to our need to belong. Positive emotions stem from relationships we have with others. Not being able to form relationships and bonds with others may lead to negative emotions. Social bonds are formed quickly and easily (Feenstra, 2011). For example, you go to a job interview and before the interview you are waiting with a group of people also waiting to get interviewed. You are more likely to end up talking to someone who is sitting next to you. We need contact and attention from others so that we do not feel deprived. Mental illnesses and depression stem from deprivation. Love is a word that is often spoken, and has many different definitions. For example, I love the Atlanta Falcons versus I am in love with Johnny Depp. There are three types of love. Being in love suggest having a desire for someone. There are three types of love, they include: companionate love, compassionate love, and passionate love. Companionate love involves intimacy and commitment. This love can be described as a love you may have for friends and family members. . Trust and past shared experiences contribute to companionate love. Passionate love describes the â€Å"in love† kind of love and involves desire, emotional arousal, and physical attraction (Feenstra, 2011). For example, a man decides to ask his girlfriend to marry him because he is in love with her. Compassionate love describes the love you may feel for your mother. This love is broken into two parts: communal relationships and exchange relationships. In communal relationships things are done for an individual without expecting something in return. In exchange relationships things are done based on whether or not something will be given in exchange. Communal relationships are ones we more likely will have with our friends and family members. For example, if your child is sick you will take care of him or her regardless if they will give you anything back in return. Communal relationships deal with people who aren’t apart of your close friends and family social circle. In Figure 14. 1, Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love distinguishes romantic love from empty love. Sternberg’s theory describes romantic love as passionate and having intimacy . Empty love is described as having only commitment (Feenstra, 2011). Along with these two theories, Sternberg also lists other different components of love. Intimacy, passion, and commitment are all components that make up the kinds of love listed in the table. Intimacy is the closeness you may have with an individual. Its about opening up emotionally and trust. Passion is the emotional desire you have for you partner. Commitments are the decisions we make within relationships. For example, a decision to move to another state along with your partner after they accept a job offers shows your level of commitment to the relationship. We stay healthy by forming bonds with others. When we are deprived we risk depression and other mental illnesses that can have lasting effects on ourselves and others around us. The benefits of relationships show us why we form bonds with other individuals.

Assignment in Sales Management Essay

1. What is Sales Management? -Sales management is a business discipline which is focused on the practical application of sales techniques and the management of a firm’s sales operations. It is an important business function as net sales through the sale of products and services and resulting profit drive most commercial business. 2. What is salesmanship? -Salesmanship is a personal action or effort on the part of an individual which is intended to bring about the sale of the goods for sale. More broadly speaking, salesmanship is the art of selling something to somebody, and everything which contributes to the consummation of this exchange is necessarily a part of salesmanship. – salesmanship is the Practice of investigating and satisfying customer needs through a process that is efficient, fair, sincere, mutually beneficial, and aimed at long-term productive relationship. 3. What are the marketing mix? -The marketing mix and the 4 Ps of marketing are often used as synonyms for each other. In fact, they are not necessarily the same thing. â€Å"Marketing mix† is a general phrase used to describe the different kinds of choices organizations have to make in the whole process of bringing a product or service to market. The 4 Ps is one way – probably the best-known way – of defining the marketing mix, and was first expressed in 1960 by E J McCarthy. The 4Ps are: Product (or Service) Place Price Promotion A good way to understand the 4 Ps is by the questions that you need to ask to define you marketing mix. Here are some questions that will help you understand and define each of the four elements: Product/Service What does the customer want from the product/service? What needs does it satisfy? What features does it have to meet these needs? Are there any features you’ve missed out?  Are you including costly features that the customer won’t actually use? How and where will the customer use it?  What does it look like? How will customers experience it?  What size(s), color(s), and so on, should it be?  What is it to be called? How is it branded? How is it differentiated versus your competitors? What is the most it can cost to provide, and still be sold sufficiently profitably? Place  Where do buyers look for your product or service?If   they look in a store, what kind? A specialist boutique or in a supermarket, or both? Or online? Or direct, via a catalogue? How can you access the right distribution channels?  Do you need to use a sales force? Or attend trade fairs? Or make online submissions? Or send samples to catalogue companies? What do you competitors do, and how can you learn from that and/or differentiate? Price What is the value of the product or service to the buyer? Are there established price points for products or services in this area? Is the customer price sensitive? Will a small decrease in price gain you extra market share? Or will a small increase be indiscernible, and so gain you extra profit margin? What discounts should be offered to trade customers, or to other specific segments of your market? How will your price compare with your competitors? Promotion Where and when can you get across your marketing messages to your target market? Will you reach your audience by advertising in the press, or on TV,  or radio, or on billboards? By using direct marketing mailshot? Through PR? On the Internet? When is the best time to promote? Is there seasonality in the market? Are there any wider environmental issues that suggest or dictate the timing of your market launch, or the timing of subsequent promotions? How do your competitors do their promotions? And how does that influence your choice of promotional activity? The 4Ps model is just one of many marketing mix lists that have been developed over the years. And, whilst the questions we have listed above are key, they are just a subset of the detailed probing that may be required to optimize your marketing mix. Amongst the other marketing mix models have been developed over the years is Boom and Bitner’s 7Ps, sometimes called the extended marketing mix, which include the first 4 Ps, plus people, processes and physical layout decisions. Another marketing mix approach is Lauterborn’s 4Cs, which presents the elements of the marketing mix from the buyer’s, rather than the seller’s, perspective. It is made up of Customer needs and wants (the equivalent of product), Cost (price), Convenience (place) and Communication (promotion). In this article, we focus on the 4Ps model as it is the well-recognized, and contains the core elements of a good marketing mix. 4. What is marketing and sales strategy? Marketing strategy is defined by Prophet’s David Aaker as a process that can allow an organization to concentrate its resources on the optimal opportunities with the goals of increasing sales and achieving a sustainable competitive advantage.[1] Marketing strategy includes all basic and long-term activities in the field of marketing that deal with the analysis of the strategic initial situation of a company and the formulation, evaluation and selection of market-oriented strategies and therefore contributes to the goals of the company and its marketing objectives.[2]

Republic Day Speech

Respected Correspondent, Principal, teachers, parents, and dear brothers and sisters of my country, I would like to wish you all Happy Republic Day 2014. It has been my Privilege that I got an opportunity to speak in front of you all on this occasion. It has been 64 years from the day our constitution came into effect. In these 64 years our country has gone through a long journey of changes. I am going through some light on the history of our country. Before 1600 AD we were living a peaceful life, although there were some disputes between some states but it was not bothering normal citizens at all. But when in 1600, East India company came into India, things started changing. Slowly they started taking their grips to the steering of our country and till 1800 we were completely in control of British Government. In 1857 some real patriots stood up for the country and started a revolution against the British Raj. After a very long time and different-different revolution at several place s, finally we became free on 15th August, 1947. Then some rules and regulations were required to drive the country. So a committee was organized, which was given the work of writing the constitution for India.After the constitution was ready it came into effect from 26th January 1950, since then every year we remind that auspicious day and celebrate it as our Republic day. This day is called, because India became a republic country from this day. When we became republic country, things started changing. The command of country was in the people of the country. Elections were started and people selected their representatives. For sure we have done a lot of improvements after becoming republic but many problems like corruption and unemployment has grown up rapidly. So we need to find the solution for these problems, only then our country can become the best place on earth to live.Jai Hind, Jai Bharat!!

Aims of education Essay

Culture is activity of thought, and receptiveness to beauty and humane feeling. Scraps of information have nothing to do with it. A merely well-informed man is the most useless bore on God’s earth. What we should aim at producing is men who possess both culture and expert knowledge in some special direction. Their expert knowledge will give them the ground to start from, and their culture will lead them as deep as philosophy and as high as art. We have to remember that the valuable intellectual development is self- development, and that it mostly takes place between the ages of sixteen and thirty. As to training, the most important part is given by mothers before the age of twelve. A saying due to Archbishop Temple illustrates my meaning. Surprise was expressed at the success in after-life of a man, who as a boy at Rugby had been somewhat undistinguished. He answered, â€Å"It is not what they are at eighteen, it is what they become afterwards that matters.† In training a child to activity of thought, above all things we must beware of what I will call â€Å"inert ideas†-that is to say, ideas that are merely received into the mind without being utilised, or tested, or thrown into fresh combinations. In the history of education, the most striking phenomenon is that schools of learning, which at one epoch are alive with a ferment of genius, in a succeeding generation exhibit merely pedantry and routine. The reason is, that they are overladen with inert ideas. Education with inert ideas is not only useless: it is, above all things, harmful – Corruptio optimi, pessima. Except at rare intervals of intellectual ferment, education in the past has been radically infected with inert ideas. That is the reason why uneducated clever women, who have seen much of the world, are in middle life so much the most cultured part of the community. They have been saved from this horrible burden of inert ideas. Every intellectual revolution which has ever stirred humanity into greatness has been a passionate protest against inert ideas. Then, alas, with pathetic ignorance of human psychology, it has proceeded by some educational scheme to bind humanity afresh with inert ideas of its own fashioning. Let us now ask how in our system of education we are to guard against this mental dryrot. We enunciate two educational commandments, â€Å"Do not teach too many subjects,† and again, â€Å"What you teach, teach thoroughly.† The result of teaching small parts of a large number of subjects is the passive reception of disconnected ideas, not illumined with any s park of vitality. Let the main ideas which are introduced into a child’s education be few and important, and let them be thrown into every combination possible. The child should make them his own, and should understand their application here and now in the circumstances of his actual life. From the very beginning of his education, the child should experience the joy of discovery. The discovery which he has to make, is that general ideas give an understanding of that stream of events which pours through his life, which is his life. By understanding I mean more than a mere logical analysis, though that is included. I mean â€Å"understanding† in the sense in which it is used in the French

How Does Hosseini Tell the Story in Chapter 17? Essay

Chapter 17 is potentially the most important chapter in the novel for structuring the shape of the narrative and may be seen as the turning point in the novel. During this chapter, Amir is handed a letter by Hassan writing about his son Sohrab and how life in Kabul has changed dramatically since he and Baba fled to America. Rahim Khan explains how Hassan and Farzana were killed by the Taliban and as his dying wish, Amir must go and rescue Sohrab. It is revealed that Baba is Hassan’s father, making him and Amir half brothers. Hosseini uses 3 different narrative voices in chapter 17 opposed to other chapters with just Amir narrating. This gives us a much more personal perspective into Hassan’s life, adds realism to the narrative and how corrupt Kabul has now become. ‘†¦suddenly a young Talib ran over and hit her on the thighs with his wooden stick’, contrasting hugely with Amir and Hassan’s childhood. Amir’s usual retrospective first person narrative is present however Hosseini also uses the present tense to make Hassan’s death more emotive as we can imagine it more vividly as a reader. ‘Hassan slumps to the asphalt, his life of unrequited loyalty drifting from him like the windblown kites he used to chase.’ Not only is this quote used so we can see Hassan dying but it links the whole novel together by using the recurring motif of kites, linking back to chapter 7 when he ‘chased’ the blue kite, and his ‘unrequited loyalty’ is evident throughout the majority of the novel, ‘Hassan never denied me anything’. Although Hassan’s death is foreshadowed however in chapter 16, ‘God help the Hazaras now’, Hosseini creates suspense and dramatic tension towards Hassan’s death by giving Amir the letter first before revealing his death, giving Amir hope and making the reader assume his journey to redempt ion would soon be over. ‘I dream that someday you will return to Kabul and re-visit the land of our childhood. If you do, you will find an old faithful friend waiting for you.’ This quote again creates a more dramatic and emotive response to Hassan’s death both from the reader and Amir after Hassan’s optimistic and promising letter. Hassan’s death is instrumental in shaping the narrative of the novel and is arguably the turning point as it forces Amir to seek his redemption and debt to Hassan to Sohrab. The reason Amir came to visit Pakistan in the first place was to apologise to Hassan and being the only person alive and able, ‘Now everyone in that photo was either dead or dying. Except for me’, Amir was the only one left to save Sohrab from the Taliban and Assef. Another key event in the chapter is the unveiling of Hassan’s true father, Baba. Amir reacts badly to the news and Hosseini portrays this using Westernised language to contrast with Rahim Khan’s traditional language. His anger is emphasised through the repetition of ‘you goddamn bastards’. This contrasts with the earlier chapters in the novel where Amir always speaks to Rahim Khan politely and with respect and could represent the influence America has had on him. Finding out that Hassan and he were half-brothers also makes his decision to save Sohrab even more crucial and makes the reader more anxious to see whether or not he will betray Hassan again or redeem himself. His decision to save Sohrab is foreshadowed in chapter 14 when General Tahiri says ‘blood is a powerful thing, bachem, never forget that’ suggesting that the bond of blood and brotherhood is so strong, Amir must save Sohrab, his own blood relative in order to fully complete his journey to redemption and atone for his sins.

COMMUNICATING WITH AND LEADING PEOPLE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

COMMUNICATING WITH AND LEADING PEOPLE - Essay Example 5 Question 4 Evaluate how the existing processes & channels of communication might have affected team-working and the organisation’s performance and make recommendations for improvement. 6 Question 5 Justify how the implementation of your recommendations will benefit the organization & ensure greater integration of communication systems. 7 References 9 Question 1 What are the current issues and problems relating to Graham’s company and his teams? Write your analysis of the case study. Graham’s company currently faces a series of problems which seem to be related to the following fact: the lack of effective communication between employees at all organizational levels. More specifically, in Graham’s company conflicts have become a daily phenomenon in the workplace. At managerial level, the lack of awareness of employees’ needs have led to the development of ineffective strategies. Indeed, managers ignore the challenges that employees face and promote strategies that are quite difficult to be implemented. Graham has repeatedly tried to intervene and promote appropriate solutions but the elimination of conflicts in the workplace seems to be impossible. The expansion of conflicts across the company can be explained if taking into consideration the company’s development through the years. The company has faced a quite rapid growth. In its first form, the company had just four managers who were the company’s founding members. Through the years, the expansion of business activities led necessarily to the hiring of staff, including managers. The changes on the company’s culture have been inevitable. However, no plan was implemented for managing change and for securing effective communication in the workplace. The lack of such plan has resulted to the company’s current communication problems. The lack of respect and trust in the workplace has caused the further expansion of the company’s communication problem. The elimination of communication problems in Graham Company is primarily related to the willingness of managers and staff to collaborate so that team-working is promoted across the organization. Question 2 Do you agree with the strategies used by Impact Consulting? Justify your answer and make recommendations as what other strategies the company could use to promote team spirit to help motivate & provide support to the teams. In general, Impact Consulting has focused on the improvement of the leading skills of the firm’s managers. Indeed, at a first level a questionnaire has been used for identifying the managers’ thought on critical issues; in this way, the strengths and weaknesses of managers, as leaders, can be revealed. The response of the managers to the particular initiative has been positive setting the basis for the development of an effective communication plan between managers and employees at lower levels of the organizational hierarchy. In addition , a series of sessions has been arranged for helping managers to improve their strategic planning and collaboration skills. Particular emphasis has been given on the CEO’s training. Coaching sessions have been arranged for increasing the CEO’s skills in managing culture changes. This means that the consultants in Impact Consulting have understood the vital role of culture in the firm’s performance. However, the effective management of culture in each organization is not related only to the

CORPORATE FINANCE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

CORPORATE FINANCE - Essay Example ssaro has also provided clear reasoning to the businesses as to why they should not be unsure or fear reinventing the business to cope with the market changes and the complete global financial crisis. Based on the responses that the author has provided, I completely agree with the author. The recommendations like understanding that review means a lot for companies especially in times of recession. As the author has discussed, the decision involves a number of people, and also involves quick and accurate decision been taken by the management of the firms. I completely agree with the recommendations that have been provided by the writer. Massaro has provided clear cut out issues, solutions and recommendations for companies. The recommendations that have been provided show a very positive possibility for the firms to be able to overcome the recession and continue to make profits. It is also seen that the author has taken care in ensuring that the steps are expressed in simple terms and is not too technical hence can be used by any industry and any business size. A stockholder dropped by my office the other day and brought up a very interesting and important question. She said that as a company grows, agency problems develop within the company. Of course I nodded knowingly. She asked how we were going to help reduce the agency issues at the top executive level. She left and I started to look up definitions. Do you have any way of helping me get her an answer? What do we do to reduce this agency problem thing? How do we measure the top executives, what other safeguards do we establish to make sure no one is harming the company or its stockholders? Agency problems are a common issue that is found in companies. This normally occurs when there is a conflict of interest between the creditors, management and also the shareholders. This is majorly due to differences in the goals. Having agency problems in a company can lead to increased costs that the company requires to

CONSTITUTION & ADMINISTRATIVE LAW Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CONSTITUTION & ADMINISTRATIVE LAW - Coursework Example He argues that they are indeed acts of necessity, which the government performs in sudden and extreme emergency, especially when it is in the public interest to do so. This essentially contradicts Dicey’s understanding of the royal prerogative. This is so considering that the power of war, which is generally, one of the significant powers of the prerogative, would anyway be an exception. The above differences in argument, therefore, call for reexamination into other theories in order to understand the significance of the royal prerogative2. In Attorney General v DE Keyser’s Royal Hotel Ltd , Lord Parmoor said that a right may be common to the rulers and the subjects; nevertheless, that does not qualifies it to be a prerogative right. Instead, he argued that Royal prerogative means a privilege in the executive that may be of an exclusive and a special character. Similarly, Blackstone concurs that the prerogative covers those actions that no person or institution other than the executive may undertake3. Among prerogatives contemplated in this explanation include the making of treaties and the deployment of armed forces. However, it is observable that the Blackstone’s argument contradicts the judicial reasoning as to what the prerogative is. To shed more light on this, an examination of the case of R v Criminal Injuries Compensation Board, Ex parte Lain will be of help. In this case, the board that was to investigate and make recommendation on the compensation to victims of violence through ex gratia payments, was appointed by the executive4. The key issue here is that the board was set up by the executive in disregarded the agreement between the Judiciary and the applicant. Clearly the prerogative act was used in doing this, arguably though, giving out money to the victims of violence is not such unique to deserve direct action of the executive. Moreover, Wade an administrative theorist agrees with the arguments of Dicey and Blackstone albeit at

Business Employment Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Employment Law - Case Study Example Notably, Mr. Dunlap presented claims that showed the aspects of priority given to the white over the black people, irrespective of them having better qualifications and work experiences than the white people. However, Mr. Dunlap failed to prove the case regarding disparate impact. The case later proceeded to the U.S. Court of Appeal with the legal issue being, to establish whether Dunlap fulfilled the burden of proof in the case, in addition to establishing the correctness of the District Court findings. The Court of Appeal confirmed the decisions of the District Court in the case, as they cited the insufficient evidence for disparate treatment. They also upheld the decision on awards for the damages and fees. However, the Court of Appeal reversed the verdict on disparate impact.Why the plaintiff’s disparate, impact claim failedMr. Dunlap suit alleged that TVA manipulated the process of selection, causing the disparate impact on the minority candidates. He alleged he was a vic tim of intentional disparate treatment that both violate the Title VII. In the analysis, the impact theory expects the employee or job applicant to ensure they demonstrate that an apparent employment practice affects a given group harshly. In addition, that the employment practice favors the other side without justification. The countering side, that is the employer, in this case, TVA should show that the manifest procedure relates to the employment process, an argument called â€Å"business necessity† justification.

Questions # 9 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Questions # 9 - Essay Example e burden of explaining of showing that she receives relatively lower pay than a male co-employee, for undertaking work substantially equivalent in skill, effort and responsibility under the prevailing identical working circumstances (Johnson & Everhart, 2011). This comparison ought to be made factor by factor with an existing opposite comparator. Therefore, the formation of the prima facie case under the Equal Pay Act fundamentally hinges on the underlying selection of a proper comparator (Twomey, 2010). For instance in this case, John would be a proper comparator to Jena under the Equal Pay Act. This is because Jena was employed in order to handle complex accounting problems which required similar skills and responsibilities. Moreover, Jevan had more responsibilities than John (Johnson & Everhart, 2011). Under these prevailing facts, the court will definitely observe that Jena meet her burden of depicting that she undertook work substantially equivalent in skill, effort and responsibility under the working conditions similar to the John’s. Indeed, Jena undertook more than that she and John are paid different salaries. Therefore, she can put forth an adequate prima facie case under the Equal Pay Act. The outcome of the case falls firmly in the Fourth Circuit’s mainly established jurisprudence with regard to Equal Pay Act (Snell & Bohlander, 2013). In such cases Fourth Circuit is analyzed an Equal Pay Act claim within the higher education context. The court has affirmed either a grant of summary judgment or corresponding dismissal of the action based on the plaintiff’s failure to establish a prima facie (Twomey, 2010). Similarly, in cases where the prevailing plaintiff has identified a specific comparator, but the comparison clearly is an unsuitable one thus the Fourth Circuit must immediately uphold the summary of the judgment. In case Jena fails to establish a prima facie claim under the Act then it would be cumbersome for a plaintiff in an Equal Pay Act