My General Psychology Instructor Lois Lowry Essay

Professor Reed, my general psychology instructor, assigned a list of novels for the class to choose from to write a book report. The author of the book I choose is Lois Lowry. This is a very short, but interesting book, in my opinion. This book has 256 pages, 10 million copies, and was published by Mr. Houghton Mifflin, in 1993. Mr. Mifflin also encouraged Ms. Lowry to write approximately 30 other children s books. Her reasoning and inspiration for writing such a questioning of authority novel such as â€Å"The Giver†, came from the controversial issues she encountered with her aging father, who long term memory was quickly fading. Without his long-term memory, he could no longer recall the things that caused him pain. She realized, if you re unable to remember the physical and emotional pain, it is impossible to understand what it feels like; so in reality, you haven’t experienced it. How can you be plagued by regret or grief if the things that caused it no longer exis t? This novel was awarded the prestigious Newberry Medal in 1993, along with one other novel she wrote. The name of the novel is what caught my interest and what intrigued me the most. Just from something as simple as a name I knew I would be able to relate to this novel, in some kind of way. I was right! Equally important, the main character is an eleven-year-old by the name of Jonas. He is like no other child in this monotonous world. The protagonist of this book, has the ability of perception that isShow MoreRelatedLibrary Management204752 Words   |  820 PagesEdition Arlene G. Taylor The School Library Media Manager, Third Edition Blanche Woolls Basic Research Methods for Librarians Ronald R. Powell and Lynn Silipigni Connoway Library of Congress Subject Headings: Principles and Application, Fourth Edition Lois Mai Chan Developing Library and Information Center Collections, Fifth Edition G. Edward Evans and Margaret Zarnosky Saponaro Metadata and Its Impact on Libraries Sheil a S. Intner, Susan S. Lazinger, and Jean Weihs Organizing Audiovisual and Electronic

The Long Term Goals Of The Family - 1156 Words

After discussing with the family, the nurse works with them to come up with some goals. The long-term goal is that the family will implement and comply with the prescribed treatments. By complying with the prescribed treatments, it will hopefully lead to less conflict. If Pat Sr. and Pat are taking medicine and going to therapy, the conflict should decrease. The family decides with the nurse that this is a good goal to work toward for long-term benefit. Another, more immediate, goal they decide on is that the family will keep the police from coming for the next two days starting today. This is a goal that the nurse will be able to measure easily. The neighborhood will benefit by not constantly having the police come. The family will benefit because the police come to check in when there is fighting. The family will make one adjustment in the usual activities to incorporate therapeutic regimens of its members. This could be watching Pat take his pills and being sure he actually does, it could be attending family therapy, or even taking some time to be together as a family. The point of this goal is to create a space for the individual members treatment can aid in reducing conflict in the family as a whole. Lastly, the family will express two triggers of tension to the nurse by the end of the session. By being able to verbalize the triggers, it can help the family see what causes conflict. Each person will have their own trigger and hopefully by verbalizing them it canShow MoreRelatedMy Family Is My Long Term Goal902 Words   |  4 Pagesdo what I can. Recently, I realized that I had to start taking care of well being and myself in order to care for others. Getting to that point in my life where I am situated and stable so that it becomes easier for me to do more for my family is my long-term goal. My parents were both born in Central America. 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Dos Attack Mitigation Free Essays

DDOS Attack and its Mitigation – Simulation in GNS3 Summary: A private LAN network comprising of hundreds of end devices and several servers in DMZ is protected by Cisco ASA (Firewall). In the internet the most commonly found network attack is to take down enterprise resources by DDOS(Distributed Denial of Service) attack either on Servers(which will impact hundreds of end users) or on the network resources like routers itself. In this practical simulation we will analyse how a DOS attack happens on web server placed in DMZ from the internet via traffic flooding, and how we can fine tune ASA to mitigate and stop further attacks on the network. We will write a custom essay sample on Dos Attack Mitigation or any similar topic only for you Order Now Devices used: a) b) c) d) e) Attacker PC – Windows XP – Service Pack3 Web server (Simulated in GNS3) ASA Version 8. 4 (Simulated in GNS3) Cisco Router – 3750 (Simulated in GNS3) Ethernet Switch (Simulated in GNS3) Software used: a) Wireshark (version – 1. 6. 8) b) GNS3 (Version – 0. 8. 3. 1) c) Net tools (Version – 5. 0. ) Step 1: Install Windows XP (SP3) on a virtual machine, (in this case we have used Oracle’s virtual box). This step is to make sure that the system may not get infected with the virus which comes packed with hacking and network monitoring tools. Furthermore, as we are using a virtual operating system, we will be sure that, our actual working pc may not be affected with our experiments. https://www. elance. com/s/feroz_sm/ https://www. odesk. com/users/~013128626566145b05 Page 1 Image 1: The Oracle virtual box manager showing windows XP(SP3) Step 2: Install GNS3 (Graphical Network Simulator) inside the virtual XP. Image 2: Image of GNS3 installed and running on virtual XP In the above image, the circle shows the virtual network appliances, i. e. routers, switches, bridges, firewall and IPS/IDS are available for simulation using GNS3. In most cases GNS3 comes with Putty, Wireshark bundled. In case if GNS3 doesn’t have Wireshark, we have to install Wireshark on the virtual XP machine too. https://www. elance. com/s/feroz_sm/ https://www. odesk. com/users/~013128626566145b05 Page 2 Image 3: This image represents the Wireshark software, installed and running on virtual XP. Step 3: Install Net Tools (Network monitoring Hacking Tool) in the same virtual XP machine. This tool can be used to monitor Network activities and can be used as a potential hacking tool. In this simulation we will use this tool to flood the server with icmp packets, which will lead to a DOS attack on the server. Image 4: This represents the Net Tools, which is installed and running on Virtual XP. Step 4: Now, we will setup the devices required to simulate a DOS attack, in the GNS3 software. a) Setup a Microsoft loopback adapter in Windows XP and assign a public IP address to this. This virtual XP will act as the attacker PC from the internet. b) To create a loopback adapter, the first step is to go to command prompt and type the command â€Å"hdwwiz. exe†, this is the shortest way to add a new hardware. https://www. elance. com/s/feroz_sm/ https://www. odesk. com/users/~013128626566145b05 Page 3 c) Now the â€Å"Add new hardware† wizard will come up and select the second option which says, â€Å"Install the hardware manually†, as shown in the above image. d) On the next screen, please select â€Å"Network Adapters†, from the hardware list, as shown in the above image. ttps://www. elance. com/s/feroz_sm/ https://www. odesk. com/users/~013128626566145b05 Page 4 e) On the next screen, please select â€Å"Microsoft† from the vendor list and â€Å"Microsoft Loopback Adapter† from the Network adapter list as shown in the above image. f) Now Microsoft loopback adapter is added to windows XP, and this can be viewed under Netwo rk Connections in Control panel, as seen in the below image. g) Next step is to configure an ip address to this loopback adapter, so that this adapter can be connected to one of the routers in the simulated internet cloud in GNS3. At this point we have to make sure that the Loopback adapter’s ip address should be something in the public IP range and the interface of the router which is pointing towards the internet should be in the â€Å"same†, public IP range. h) Let us configure the loopback adapter’s ip address as 20. 1. 1. 100/24, and set the default gateway as 20. 1. 1. 1 as shown in the below image. https://www. elance. com/s/feroz_sm/ https://www. odesk. com/users/~013128626566145b05 Page 5 i) The above configuration means that the virtual XP can also be access by the ip address 20. 1. 1. 100 and the default gateway i. . router’s interface which is connecting to the switch has an ip address of 20. 1. 1. 1. j) In the next step, we are going to create a topology, through which we can simulate the DOS attack, after we create the topology, we have to connect our virtual XP to the topology, which actually represents the internet cloud, a server placed in the DMZ of a corporate (in actual configuration it is placed in Inside zone) and the attacker PC in the internet (i. e. the virtual XP). Between the internet(outside) and the Corporate LAN, we have placed an ASA(Adaptive security Appliance) version 8. , which is has all the functionalities of a firewall and features like NAT, Routing, VPN, AAA services etc. hence it is called UTM(Unified Threat Management) device. The topology which we are going to use for the DOS simulation is in the below image. https://www. elance. com/s/feroz_sm/ https://www. odesk. com/users/~013128626566145b05 Page 6 Configuration: a) Web Server – IP address: 10. 1. 1. 100/24 Zone: Inside Device: Router c7200 used as a web server. Running configuration of this device : version 12. 2 interface FastEthernet0/0 ip address 10. 1. 1. 100 255. 255. 255. speed auto duplex auto ip http server no ip http secure-server ip route 0. 0. 0. 0 0. 0. 0. 0 10. 1. 1. 1 b) Firewall – IP address : https://www. elance. com/s/feroz_sm/ https:/ /www. odesk. com/users/~013128626566145b05 Page 7 Inside zone interface – 10. 1. 1. 1 (which acts as gateway for LAN users) Outside zone interface – 1. 1. 1. 1 Access-lists: Configuration before DOS security on firewall ASA Version 8. 4(2) ! hostname ciscoasa enable password 8Ry2YjIyt7RRXU24 encrypted passwd 2KFQnbNIdI. 2KYOU encrypted names ! interface GigabitEthernet0 nameif outside security-level 0 ip address 1. 1. . 1 255. 255. 255. 0 ! interface GigabitEthernet1 nameif inside security-level 100 ip address 10. 1. 1. 1 255. 255. 255. 0 access-list out-in extended permit icmp any any access-group out-in in interface outside route outside 0. 0. 0. 0 0. 0. 0. 0 1. 1. 1. 2 1 c) Gateway router for attacker PC: Ip address – Interface towards firewall – 1. 1. 1. 2/24 Interface towards attacker PC – 20. 1. 1. 1/24 Configuration – https://www. elance. com/s/feroz_sm/ https://www. odesk. com/users/~013128626566145b05 Page 8 interface FastEthernet0/ 0 ip address 1. 1. 1. 2 255. 255. 255. 0 duplex auto speed auto ! nterface FastEthernet0/1 ip address 20. 1. 1. 1 255. 255. 255. 0 duplex auto speed auto ! ip forward-protocol nd ip route 10. 1. 1. 0 255. 255. 255. 0 1. 1. 1. 1 no ip http server no ip http secure-server Attacker PC: Ip address – 20. 1. 1. 100/24 Operating system – Windows XP – SP3 Location – Internet Connectivity Tests: Now that we have all the devices setup and connected, we should test whether the attacker PC can actually reach the web server, after all if there is no reachability, the DOS attack is not possible. We can find this using a simple and trace route test, as shown in the below images. https://www. lance. com/s/feroz_sm/ https://www. odesk. com/users/~013128626566145b05 Page 9 https://www. elance. com/s/feroz_sm/ https://www. odesk. com/users/~013128626566145b05 Page 10 By the above images, we can find that, the attacker pc has access network reachability to the webserver from the internet. Launch of the attack on webserver using Net tools: In our simulation task we use Net tools 5, which is a network monitoring tool and a hacking tool as well. In the first step, we will check whether the Net tools is able to ping the webserver, by going into network tools - ping option, as shown in the below image. ttps://www. elance. com/s/feroz_sm/ https://www. odesk. com/users/~013128626566145b05 Page 11 We can verify that the software is able to send successful ICMP packets to the web server. This is possible, as we have opened an access control list (ACL) in the firewall which allows any ICMP packets from the internet to the LAN or DMZ. We will analyse what is happening during the Ping, at the packet level using Wireshark. As we can see, four ICMP packets have been sent from the source 20. 1. 1. 100 to destination 10. 1. 1. 100(web server) and the ping is successful. We can also observe that all the 4 packets we sent and received from the internet to the web server in 2 seconds. In the next step we are actually going to deliver the DOS attack on the server, without enabling DOS security on the firewall. To create the DOS attack, first we need to go to Network tools and Http flooder (DOS) in the NetTools, as shown in the below image. https://www. elance. com/s/feroz_sm/ https://www. odesk. com/users/~013128626566145b05 Page 12 In our case we need to give 10. 1. 1. 100 as the Ip to flood instead of 127. 0. 0. 1. As soon as we hit the start button, the web server is under DOS attack as seen in the below wireshark analysis. https://www. elance. com/s/feroz_sm/ https://www. odesk. com/users/~013128626566145b05 Page 13 As we can observe that hundreds of syn packets from the source 20. 1. 1. 100 are flooded to destination 10. 1. 1. 100 in less than â€Å"one† second. The below image from Cisco’s website, clearly elaborates, what happens in a typical syn flood attack, which represents the above Wireshark capture. The description of each packet says it is a â€Å"SYN† packet, that means it is a half open connection, without the TCP 3 way handshake. With these SYN packets, a certain amount of buffer is allocated for each SYN packet and in less than a minute all the server resources are allocated to these half open connections and the servers failed to respond to genuine queries, stating that it us under Denial Of Service (DOS) attack. https://www. elance. com/s/feroz_sm/ https://www. odesk. com/users/~013128626566145b05 Page 14 Mitigation techniques: As we have already discussed, a Cisco ASA firewall can be very helpful in mitigating and stopping DOS attacks on LAN or DMZ servers. The above image from Cisco’s website, describes how ASA firewall stop syn flood attacks can. In this process we will limit the number of â€Å"embryonic† or â€Å"half open connections† a client can have. If the embryonic connection limit is reached, then the security appliance responds to every SYN packet sent to the server with a SYN+ACK, and does not pass the SYN packet to the internal server. If the external device responds with an ACK packet, then the security appliance knows it is a valid request (and not part of a potential SYN attack). The security appliance then establishes a connection with the server and joins the connections together. If the security appliance does not get an ACK back from the server, it aggressively times out that embryonic connection. In this scenario we have used Modular Policy Frame work, which limits number of half open connections to the server and thus stops DOS attack. We have used the below configuration in the Firewall to stop half open connections, which will have a maximum of â€Å"100† open connections, a maximum of â€Å"200† embryonic connections, and a maximum of â€Å"10† embryonic connections from a particular client (identified by an IP address). Furthermore we have set connection timeout timer for a normal connection as 2 hours, timeout for embryonic connections as â€Å"45† seconds and â€Å"25† minutes for a half closed connection. Firewall(config)#class-map tcp_syn Firewall(config-cmap)#match port tcp eq 80 Firewall(config-cmap)#exit Firewall(config)#policy-map tcpmap https://www. elance. com/s/feroz_sm/ https://www. odesk. com/users/~013128626566145b05 Page 15 Firewall(config-pmap)#class tcp_syn Firewall(config-pmap-c)#set connection conn-max 100 Firewall(config-pmap-c)#set connection embryonic-conn-max 200 Firewall(config-pmap-c)#set connection per-client-embryonic-max 10 Firewall(config-pmap-c)#set connection per-client-max 5 Firewall(config-pmap-c)#set connection random-sequence-number enable Firewall(config-pmap-c)#set connection timeout embryonic 0:0:45 Firewall(config-pmap-c)#set connection timeout half-closed 0:25:0 Firewall(config-pmap-c)#set connection timeout tcp 2:0:0 Firewall(config-pmap-c)#exit Firewall(config-pmap)#exit Firewall(config)#service-policy tcpmap global Now we will run a DOS attack on the server after the security is enabled and check what will be Wireshark output. The below image shows that the attacker PC is still able to ping the web server, after we have enabled DOS security, but it is able to ping because, this is a normal ping. https://www. elance. com/s/feroz_sm/ https://www. odesk. com/users/~0131286265661 45b05 Page 16 The above image represents the wireshark capture between the Internet router and the firewall, which clearly shows that syn flood attack is happening from source 20. 1. 1. 100 to destination 10. 1. 1. 100, and we can see hundreds of packets flooding 10. 1. 1. 100 in less than a second. At the same time the above image shows the wireshark capture between the firewall and web server, which clearly explains that all the syn-flood packets have been dropped by the firewall as soon as they reach it. At the same time we can obser ve normal ping packets which came from the attacker pc which have been passed by the firewall. https://www. elance. com/s/feroz_sm/ https://www. odesk. com/users/~013128626566145b05 Page 17 Inference: The above simulation experiment shows that the firewall before the corporate network has stopped one of the most common attacks over servers, i. e. the DOS attack, using Modular Policy Frame work, which can be used to define intersting traffic and the actions to be taken on that traffic. https://www. elance. com/s/feroz_sm/ https://www. odesk. com/users/~013128626566145b05 Page 18 How to cite Dos Attack Mitigation, Papers

Smoking Health Promotion free essay sample

During the nights they had to sleep with a machine to help him breath but during the days he would still manage to get outside for a smoke while he was in recovery. Feelings. Obviously this was a bad thing that was happening to this patient as smoking can slow down recovery because it effects how the body works with regards to oxygen intake and oxygen circulation (Thibodeau Patton 2010). As smoker though, I can see how the patient would of benefitted emotionally as smoking can relieve stress and boredom, though these temporary fixes dont outweigh the health problems it was obviously causing the patient. One of the nurses on duty and myself tried talking to the patient about their smoking and the first thing we needed to know is if they ould like help to quit. As this is important because to change, the patient has to want to change (Cocoran N, 2007). We will write a custom essay sample on Smoking Health Promotion or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The model from Prochaska and diclemente (1984) illustrates this point very well with their trans theoretical model of change. We tried to explain how smoking could effect this patients ability to heal and also problems caused to their breathing during the night. I understood why the nurse was suggesting this and that I should be promoting health also but if the patient needed to smoke for that short term fix, then why shouldnt they be able to. Personally I felt ike a bit of a hypocrite because I smoke myself and to promote it to someone else that they should not smoke did not seem right, but as a nurse, professionally I know we have to do this, and I have to remember that it is the patient in the bed who needs to recover from surgery, not me. What sense I made of this. I brought this up with the nurse later on and asked if it wasnt better for the patient to have some emotional relief from smoking while they were in hospital, rather than saying they cant smoke and the patient becoming stressed out. The nurse said that I wasnt understanding health promotion properly. She explained that if the patient chooses to smoke whilst in hospital it is up to them, but that she was concerned with the long term effects of smoking, so the nurse was thinking about him even when he would be discharged from our ward. I understood what the nurse was doing now and saw logic behind what she was saying the patient and explaining to myself. My understanding as to why smoking effects the bodies healing ability is due to a number of reasons. Smoking destroys the cilia in the throat which helps us fght intections and rids us ot bacteria and micro-organisms (Layman 2 ). Also when eople smoke they intake carbon monoxide and other substances that obstruct and kill alveoli which passes oxygen into the blood (Norris and Siegfied 2012) and for tissue to heal it needs a good blood supply that is richly saturated with oxygen (Chambers and Leaper, 2011). We tried to explain this to the patient in a simple way so that there was not any medical Jargon. What did I do The patient seemed to be up for the idea of stopping smoking but I had feeling it was a little bit of lip service because he was being polite. We told the patient that there are numerous ways to help quit smoking. There was a smoking cessation nurse who would offer advice, tips, and plans to help to quit. We mentioned that there were numerous products help quit smoking such as chewing gum, patches, tablets and sprays. The patient asked about Electronic Cigarettes and I argued that it is a little healthier because all the toxins are not present that you would get in regular tobacco, but its not really an aid to quitting because there is still nicotine in the electric cigarettes and that is what we get addicted to. What could I of done During the time we were explaining to the patient about thinking to stop smoking here wasnt much I feel I could have done or added to what the nurse was already saying. The nurse covered most of the routes that help and support could have been provided. Action Plan If I came across this again I would hope that I know enough now to explain to a patient why they should think about not smoking whilst in recovery and also keeping it going long term so that they can benefit from it after they are discharged. I could give them some leaflets and things and getting them in contact with the smoking cessation nurse. I could empathise why they are smoking whilst they are in hospital ut maybe try and use a diversion tactic to try and get them avoiding smoking whilst they are in recovery on the ward.

Flowers vs Weeds Essay Example

Flowers vs Weeds Essay Weeds vs. Flowers Many people see weeds as weeds and flowers as flowers, but they never take into consideration the things that make them so different and similar. Flowers and weeds all have their own garden and emotional aesthetic values. Preparing food also holds some similarities and differences between the two. These flowers and weeds, although simple at first, also hold some value of medicinal uses. There is more to know than a simple vase for flowers and a trash bag for weeds. The most known differences between weeds and flowers are by far the customs we attach to their beauty and value. If you love someone, you’ll get them roses, it’s simple. For those of us less likely to know the difference, a handful of weeds would not suffice. Much like the value we put into a fragile stem and petals, we also have to put our time and love into them as well. Flowers take time to grow, along with mulch instead of dirt, and they have specific growing and watering conditions; whereas weeds simply grow anywhere at any time, no matter how much you ignore them and loath their existence in your garden. Although there are the similarities that create the make-up of the two, they have a stem, petals, scent and their own defenses. We will write a custom essay sample on Flowers vs Weeds specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Flowers vs Weeds specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Flowers vs Weeds specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The main difference though, is how much time and effort we put into raising a beautiful flower, and the time and effort we put into clearing our landscape of the vermin we know as weeds. Throughout history, seeds, stems, and leaves of both flowers and weeds have contributed to human cookery. The culinary use of flowers dates back thousands of years to 140 BC. Many cultures since then have incorporated flowers into traditional foods. Many ancient oriental dishes commonly made use of daylily buds, and the Romans are well known for their use of violet mallow in many recipes. Italian and Hispanic cultures gave us stuffed squash blossoms, while Asian Indians still use rose petals in many dishes today. Though their popularity of being eaten has declined over the years, flowers are still used as sweeteners, flavorings, and garnishes. The same thing can be said about weeds as they are also used as spices today. Though weeds aren’t used as often as flowers, the most commonly used weed is the dandelion, which is occasionally used to make wine and used as a saute in some oils. The most commonly used flower today is the hop. Many people are unaware that this cone like flower is one of the most common ingredients in beer. While delicious flowers are enjoyed my many people, they aren’t the only plants to be consumed by humans today. Though it is common to think of weeds as pests, many people all over the world also use a variety of weeds while they are in the kitchen. In contrast to flowers being used as sweeteners, most weeds are used as spices and bases for salads. Clovers, Chickweed, Bitter Cress, and Thale Cress weeds are all commonly used in salads today. An interesting fact unknown to most people is that wild garlic is considered a weed. Besides cooking with plants, some weeds are used such as cleavers, which are commonly dried, ground up, and used as a flavoring in coffee. Though weeds and flowers may greatly differ in appearances, they both have been and continue to be very beneficial to humans in the kitchen. One major similarity in flowers and weeds is that they both hold medicinal purposes. Even though weeds are usually considered an eyesore, they can be very useful. Marijuana, a well known â€Å"weed† in most cultures, provides a pain killer. It is used by mostly cancer patients who are seeking relief of the pain and nausea caused by cancer treatments. The Spiderwort flower was once considered a cure for spider bites. Its large chromosomes are now useful for lab studies in Cytology. The flower is now used as an inexpensive way to test for pollution being that it changes from blue to pink that there is too much pollution present. Of course we should not forget one of the most common weeds, dandelions; which are always considered a nuisance in our gardens, but surprisingly holds great value. Dandelions can be made into a tea with the leaves and dried roots. This provides relief for digestive problems. Shown the topics of values, food uses, and medicinal purposes, these are the highlights of the crop. These build the foundation for comparing flowers to weeds, as you can see, it is more in depth than a simple glance along a sidewalk. Once this paper has taken root and been shown the care of thought, you’ll wonder too about the vast array of similarities and differences between flowers and weeds, and notice them for being more than simply just plants.

Essay English Midterm

Essay English Midterm Essay English Midterm Synthesis In this day and age, technology can be viewed in multiple ways. We are in a century of rapid growth as compared to the previous generations. Some claim that technology has educational benefits. However, others believe that it is just a product and that it creates more problems than it diminishes. Although technology allows children to connect with other people easily, it’s negatives still outweigh it’s positive in the domain of school. Before adapting completely to this new world of technology, schools must consider its negative effects. It creates lack of skill and imagination due to the fast pace of life, which makes the child completely brainwashed by the widespread availability of technology. Although technology is the modern way of learning, a deficiency of valuable life skills are formed due to the ignorance made by technological advancements. As a result of technology, many students have actually grown less cultured and intelligent. According to David Gelenter, à ¢â‚¬Å"our skill-free children are overwhelmed by information even without the Internet† (Source E). The rise of technology has not necessarily improved education or schools in general. Children who spend all their time simply sitting around and playing video games, (which is very unproductive according to Dyson in Source 3), develop a lack of skills and lose the ability to do stuff which children used to do easily in our earlier generations. Just because the kids have the opportunity to use the technology in numerous ways, doesn’t mean it’s beneficial for them always. Gelenter picks at the irony of President Clinton’s argument that technology can give children unlimited access to the world; this would be information overload. Children of our generation are lacking behind due to the decrease in presence of mind because of the technology. Honestly, textbooks develop reading skills and basic focusing abilities. In addition, schools must ignore abundance of t echnology because new electronic devices have been known to distract children immensely causing a lack of imagination and short attention spans. Esther Dyson, in his article, states that the rise of technology in school curriculums is not necessarily a good thing, but is rather a significant, â€Å"Social problem†. He argues that â€Å"environment that often seems to stifle a child’s imagination rather than stimulate it† (Source C). The overfeeding of information usually makes children lose focus and diminish their attention spans. The reckless velocity of life and wide availability of information has stopped children from focusing on things and taken away the little bit of patience that they used to have. On the same hand, Gelenter also claims that, â€Å"Web is a propaganda machine for short attention spans† (Source E). If schools were to adapt these new standard of learning, they would merely contradict their purposes. Education is about overcoming sh ort attention spans and developing discipline on the path of knowledge. In addition due to

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Women Entrepreneurs In The Tourism Sector In Zimbabwe Economics Essay

Women Entrepreneurs In The Tourism Sector In Zimbabwe Economics Essay This paper examines the challenges that women entrepreneurs face in the tourism sector in Zimbabwe. The research targeted female entrepreneurs selling curios in Masvingo and Victoria Falls which are the prime tourist destinations in Zimbabwe. Women entrepreneurship has been under spotlight in Zimbabwe because it is a source of economic growth. Despite the potential that lies in women entrepreneurs they face additional or at least different social, cultural, educational and technological challenges than men in establishing and developing their own enterprises, and accessing economic resources. From the interviews conducted women entrepreneurs in the tourism sector have difficulties in securing funding, inadequate business related education as well as social, cultural and religious impediments. This paper engenders to understand the gender biases embedded in society which constrain womens mobility, interactions, active economic participation and access to business development services. Lastly, appropriate interventions are recommended within the discourse of entrepreneurship. Key words: Entrepreneurship, Tourism, Gender, Enterprise development, Women Entrepreneurship Introduction Entrepreneurship is a key driver of capacity building and national development in any country. As such, this paper focuses on challenges faced by women in the tourism sector. On 21 May 2012 there was a forum on Womens Engagement in Africas Tourism Industry in Victoria Falls held during the African Travel Association conference. The presenters included the former Deputy Secretary General of United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) who alluded to the fact that tourism constitutes 30% of the worlds economy and offers 78% of workforce in the world. He further reiterated that research has explicitly shown the gender inequalities that exist in the tourism sector as mostly women and children as compared to the male counterparts are exploited. He further mentioned that in 2008, the UNWTO came up with a policy for gender equality which is envisaged under the United Nations Platform. In 2010, the Global report on Women in Tourism by World Tourism Organization and United Nations women encouraged women to participate in leadership roles in the tourism industry. The report held that although women constitute a high percentage of the workforce in the tourism industry, most of them occupy lower levels where they are subsequently lowly paid. Because of this report, UNWTO suggested that vocational training be offered to empower women in the industry. Tanzania and Gambia were the first two countries chosen to start the vocational training for women entrepreneurs in the tourism industry. Other countries to benefit from the training are from Latin America and Africa. Another presenter a Managing Director of Affluent Hospitality Group in America said that women make up 80% of Travel Agency in America and 80% of travel decisions are made by women in North America. This justifies the fact that women have an active role to play in the tourism industry. In addition the Marketing Director of Amalinda Collection in Zimbabwe gave a testimony of her experience in the Tourism industry. She admitted that as a mother she has a lot of family responsibilities that apart from being a working woman such that she faces the dilemma of choosing between family and business. At one time when her son fell sick at 4 months old she had to quit the job in favour of the family. Family roles represent one of the challenges that women entrepreneurs face in comparison with their male counterparts. The Governor and Resident Minister of Matabeleland North Province of Zimbabwe reported that, 60% of arts and crafts in Zimbabwe are produced by women from Binga who largely produce reed mats and baskets while the Gwaai women produce pottery artifacts. The interesting revelations made at the conference prompted the researchers to consider conducting a research on the challenges that women entrepreneurs face in the tourism industry in Zimbabwe. In current years women-owned businesses have become increasingly popular but entrepreneurship remains a deeply gendered institution (Anderson, 2008). Bushell (2012) considered entrepreneurship as expedition out of paucity and gravitation towards equity but this has not been the case because women remain marginalized globally. Given the constraints facing African women entrepreneurs their full economic potential is not actualized and they do not feature on the mainstream of the economic agenda (Ozigbo and Ezeaku, 2009). There is therefore need for countries to address gender disparities between men and women to achieve significant milestones in economic growth. In addition to those problems faced by all small-scale entrepreneurs, women face additional or at least different social, cultural, educational and technological challenges than men in establishing and developing their own enterprises, and accessing economic resources (Mayoux, 2001). It is important that such challenges be addr essed so as to enable women to prosper in their businesses. Chitsike (2000) and United Nations Industrial Development Organization (2003) mentioned that womens businesses in Zimbabwe tend to be small and are discriminated by the legal system which backs male ideologies. Literature Review In many countries entrepreneurship has been considered a means of generating meaningful and sustainable employment opportunities, particularly for those at the margins of the economy women, the poor and people with disabilities (ILO, 1998; Rajani and Sarada, 2008). However, very little literature exists on the role of women entrepreneurs in a global economy especially in Africa (Dudley, 2008) and this is one of the reasons why women continue to be marginalized in entrepreneurship development. In addition, in cases where the role of women entrepreneurship is articulated there still remains a gap in gender analysis (Dudley, 2008). Research factors affecting performance of women entrepreneurs of their businesses are limited in scope, as any existing research most often focuses on individual characteristics and motives as performance predictors (Teoh and Chong, 2007) at the expense of gender disparities. Despite the economic importance of female entrepreneurs their numbers are lower tha n those for men (Verheul, Van Stel and Thurik, 2006; Carter, 2000; Minniti et al., 2005) and therefore it is of importance to address the barriers to female entrepreneurship. This paper deviates from the former approach by focusing on challenges that women face in entrepreneurial development. Furthermore, the research applies an entrepreneurial development model adapted from Richardson and Howarth (2002a) to analyse the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in the tourism sector in Zimbabwe as shown in figure 1 below. The model is based on the cross sectional biological structure of a peach fruit. At centre of the model is the seed which represents the entrepreneurial opportunity identified. The inner part adjacent to the seed represents the mesopreneurial (fruit mesorcarp) factors based on the MAIR model by (Gibb and Ritchie, 1982) which include motivation or commitment, skills, abilities and experiences, idea in relation to the market as well as the resources. Williams (1997) co mmented that commitment and dedication of the entrepreneur is critical if they are to prosper whilst Zimmer and Scarborough (1996) attribute failure of small businesses to managerial incompetence and lack of experience among other factors and therefore women entrepreneurs need relevant skills and experience to fully exploit entrepreneurial opportunities. The mesopreneurial factors represent the basic ingredients of business success. The final structural component is the exopreneurial (fruit exocarp) factors which represent the macro environment in which the enterprises operate and it entails the following aspects: The enabling environment which focuses on policy issues, institutions and initiatives which impact on enterprise development in particular the tourism industry in Zimbabwe The socio-cultural and economic context which the social, cultural and religious factors that affect enterprise development. Enterprise Support Sector made up of initiatives and organizations developed to propel enterprise development and how these impact on enterprise development. The Economic/Market Environment which deals with opportunities and threats in the environment. Women entrepreneurs hardly have specialized support institutions to cater for their specific needs (United Nations International Development Organization, 2003). In most cases entrepreneurial and technical training, advisory and information programmes often have to be carried out within a non-conventional set-up (United Nations International Development Organization, 2003). Women entrepreneurs need to have a more supportive environment that is more favourable (Stevenson and St-Onge, 2005) if they are to gain similar recognition that of men. Training programmes developed must take into account their society, culture, community and empowerment (Agbà ©nyiga and Ahmedani, 2008). If significant milestones are to be achieved in female entrepreneurship support systems need to take into account the needs, challenges and unique situation of women to promote women entrepreneurship and avoid failure and lower levels of female entrepreneurship (Drine and Grach, 2010). It is vital to note that c ountries that have developed policies and legislation tailored for women entrepreneurship have witnessed tremendous growth and increase in the numbers of women in business. Enteprise support sector: Government, NGOs, Private Sector, Membership Organizations, donors Endopreneurial factor Seed Entrepreneurial Opportunity The Economic/Market Environment: Opportunities and Threats Enabling Environment for Enterprise: regulations, policies, institutions, institutions and processes Figure 1 Peach Fruit Concept of entrepreneurship: Adapted from Richardson and Howarth (2002a) Mesopreneurial Factors Exopreneurial factors Resources Socio/cultural context: Attitudes, aspirations, confidence and permission idea with market Skills, abilities and experience Motivation and determination Female Entrepreneurship Women Entrepreneurs refer to women or a group of women who initiate organize and operate a business enterprise (Jahanshahi, Pitamber and Nawaser, 2010). McClelland et al. (2005) define a woman-owned business as one which is at least 51% owned by one or more women or in the case of any publicly-owned business, at least 51% of the stock of which is owned by one or more women. In 2010 187 million women were involved in entrepreneurship ranging from 1.5-45.4% of the adult female population in 59 economies (GEM, 2010). It should also be noted that Ghana has 55% of women being involved in entrepreneurship and it is the only economy where there are more women than men entrepreneurs (GEM, 2010). One of the United Nations Millennium Development goals is to promote gender equity and empower women as agents of poverty eradication, hunger, disease and to stimulate sustainable development (United Nations Industrial Development Organization, 2004). Therefore promotion of women entrepreneurship is vital for the achievement of broader objectives including poverty reduction and economic development. A positive indicator to women entrepreneurship is that African leaders have pledged to take joint responsibility for promoting the role of women in social and economic development by reinforcing their capacity in education and training, facilitating access to credit and assuring their participation in the political and economic life (NEPAD, 2001). The increased role of women in economic development has forced many governments to take an active role in developing policies on women development and gender related issues. Mueller and Dato-on (2010) stipulated that women play a significant role in entrepreneurship but their role remains suppressed in comparison to that of their male counterparts across the globe because of family roles, traditions , cultural and structural constraints which diminish their abilities to lead business (Bushell, 2012). Women bear the responsibility for childcare and homecare and as a result this leads to work-family conflicts (Des, 2001 and Jahanshashi, Pitamber and Nawaser, 2010; Winn, 2005). Chitsike (2000) also stated that men view womens role as that of being at home and not engaging in any business activities that are reserved for men. One of the challenges that women face is unequal access to productive resources and services, including finance and skill upgrading opportunities (United Nations International Development Organization [UNIDO], 2003; Tumbunan, 2009; Sorokhaibam and Laishram, 2003). In many African countries, women inequality lies in economic rights and access to resources as men persist thus preventing women from taking full advantage of the economic opportunities (Ozigbo and Ezeaku, 2009). Degroot (2001) mentions that womens participation as owners of small medium sized business has been constrained due to poor access to market information, technology and finance, poor linkages with support service and unfavourable policy and support mechanisms ( De Groot, 2001). In Zimbabwe domestic chores and agricultural activities do not allow women time to travel to support institutions such as finance houses for advice and information on credit (De Groot, 2001). In many African countries, women spend most of th eir income on the household and fear investing their funds in business ventures for fear of business failure (Ozigbo and Ezeaku, 2009), particularly on food and education for their children. Many of them are afraid to invest their limited funds into a business for fear of failure. Many women entrepreneurs are seldom taken seriously in spheres of credibility and capability, competing and succeeding in a male dominated environment (Ozigbo and Ezeaku, 2009) and this is one of the factors that explain their relatively obscure role in economic development. Despite the fact that many women entrepreneurship is a source of job creation, economic growth and social development many women owned businesses remain stunted by lack of appropriate managerial skills, access to business resources, networking opportunities and access to new markets (Ozigbo and Ezeaku, 2009). The current institutional environment purposes to achieve gender equity but the traditional powers are tilted towards the patriarchal system and therefore maintains the status quo of gender inequity (Goheer, 2003). In Zimbabwe women have largely been marginalized from mainstream economic activities because of the predominant partriarchal system which confines women to domestic roles. 53% of all economic activities in Zimbabwe are performed by women but, this figure remains invisible because it is not accounted for in national statistics and most of the activities are characterized by poor working conditions. It is also worth mentioning at this stage that religion, culture and the socialization process are some of the major factors perpetuating gender inequity in Zimbabwe. This is evidenced by the fact that under the current customary law, women cannot own/inherit land (Chitsike, 2009) and land is one of the resources that are important for entrepreneurial development. Research Methodology Baines and Wheelock (2000) mention that many women have ventured into entrepreneurship but little research has been done on gender and female entrepreneurship. The reasons behind increase of entrepreneurial variances arising out of gender remains unresolved is because women feel that by exposing these issues they deepen their entrepreneurial differences (Calas et.al. 2007 as cited in Peris-Ortiz, Rueda-Armengot and Benito Osorio, 2011). Studying women entrepreneurship is critical because it is an important source of economic prosperity and presently research efforts, policies and programs tend to be skewed towards men and neglect the needs of women entrepreneurs and potential women entrepreneurs (OECD, 2004). In the African context there are very few studies that have focused on female entrepreneurship particularly in the tourism sector and therefore this research seeks to close this gap. In addition, Gelb (2001) states that this is due to lack of indigenous research, inadequate info rmation and methodological constraints (Ozigbo and Ezeaku, 2009). Despite the increasing role, women entrepreneurship theory development and empirical evidence only offer a very blurry picture of women entrepreneurs (Tann, 2008). Subsequently, improved understanding of women entrepreneurs challenges is essential in order to assess their needs, and provide solutions to teething problems they encounter. Although there have been some studies of small businesses in Zimbabwe, none has provided rich qualitative data of female entrepreneurs (Mboko and Smith-Hunter, 2008) and this study endeavors to contribute towards addressing this deficiency. This study is based on the small and medium business entrepreneurs in Zimbabwes Arts and Crafts industry in Masvingo and Victoria Falls. 10 women in Masvingo from Dzimbahwe Crafts and Art Center and 15 from various Crafts Centers in Victoria Falls who were trading at Elephant Hills Hotel during the 37th ATA Conference between from 18-22 May 2012 were interviewed for this research. These towns are top tourism destinations in Zimbabwe and are home to reputable attractions which are The Great Zimbabwe and the Victoria Falls respectively. Interviews were conducted at Dzimbahwe Craft Center situated along the highway to Masvingo Town. For the effectiveness of the conversations, we had to talk to the women while viewing the different artefacts they make. The conversations included negotiations over the products prices that made the interviewers buy some of the items to encourage the women to talk freely. The interview started with more general introductions, some business questions that included who makes the products, how (i.e. whether there is use of machines or just ordinary hands), where, when and why the people do this business. The interviews also covered issues to do with any support the women received in terms of finance, human and material resources, marketing and other business operational areas. In the process, we had to go to the extent of observing the women doing the work like crocheting and weaving the mats, bed and table covers, polishing and decorating the wooden plates, basins and bowls while some were even carving the different items according to their area of specialization. This one day session took us about one and a half hours and we spent $30 to buy some items from the different women who added up to a total of 10 entrepreneurs. In Victoria Falls, we took the advantage of the 37th African Travel Association conference (ATA) that we attended from the 18th to the 22nd of May 2012 at Elephant Hills Hotel. Some selected male and female arts and crafts entrepreneurs from various selling centres of Victoria Falls were given the opportunity by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) to come and sell their wares free of charge at the venue during the conference days. To promote the entrepreneurs, the ZTA had in their conference program a session for Meeting the African Culture when both mid-morning and afternoon teas were being served at the grounds where the entrepreneurs were selling their products. This was a good opportunity for the conference delegates to meet and discuss with the sellers while at the same time viewing and buying the handicrafts. As researchers, we took advantage of this to carry out our study for 3 consecutive days. On the first day we toured the various stands just to view the items on display and we asked some few general questions like what we did in Masvingo. Some of the questions were about how they come to be part of the ATA conference and the benefits they were expecting from the conference. On the second day we got into in-depth interviews to get details of their operations, marketing, any support and assistance from any institutions towards the success of their businesses. To probe for more information we were appreciating their achievements and sympathizing with their challenges as we were discussing with them during the tea breaks. For the other two days we had to share a table with some women during lunch time so that we could talk more. At times we had to sit together in the conference venue, commenting on what the presenters were saying about tourism entrepreneurship. One good example was a debate on the presentation done by a representative from the Zimbabwe Ministry of Youth, Dev elopment, Indigenization and Empowerment. On the final and third day, we selected some of the artefacts to buy that included the bowls, the big five, basins, Zimbabwe bird (Shiri Hungwe) for Blessing, one of the researchers totem and other items. We spent $50 for the items and we left the women in a very happy mood. As a way of appreciating our concern for them some women gave us some of the items at very low prices and in return we influenced some of our colleagues to buy from them. The total of the interviewees was 25 women. Analysis and Discussion The demographic Profile of Interviewed Women Entrepreneurs Table 4.1 Geographical Location of the Women Entrepreneurs RESEARCH AREA LOCATION Urban LOCATION Rural Masvingo 3 7 Victoria Falls 9 6 Out of the 10 women who were interviewed in Masvingo, 7 were residing in the rural areas and only 3 were from the urban area. From the 15 interviewees in Victoria Falls, 9 were urban residents and only 6 were from the rural area. This data reflects that the handicraft business is done in both rural and urban settings provided there is favourable environment. In Masvingo the majority of entrepreneurs come from their rural homes that surround Nemanwa Arts and Craft center because operating from home reduces any rental costs that can be incurred. The few who stay in the urban area have their husbands working in the town and this business supplements their spouses income. In Victoria Falls the majority of women who are urban dwellers reported that they own houses in the town from the cooperative that was formulated by the Arts and Crafts business operators sometime in 1990. The remaining percentage constitutes those women who own homes in the peri-urban area of the town and are permanent residents of the area. Table 4.2 Age of Women Entrepreneurs AGE GROUP NUMBER Below 25 years 2 26-30 years 4 30-45 years 15 46-50 4 The survey results suggest the relationship between a womans age and entrepreneurs. The likelihood of a woman venturing into business positively increases with the 30 to 45 years age range have the greatest number of women entrepreneurs. Very few women below the age of 25 years want to get into this business probably because they are unable to do the job or have better things to do. Motivations Women who are in art and craft business in Victoria Falls and Masvingo said that they are into this business because they grew up doing the weaving, knitting and pottery activities and to them they see it as a way of their living. In the yester years when tourism was still vibrant in Zimbabwe they could earn more than other people in some professions but as from 2004 to date the business has slowed down due to the economic crisis. These women admitted that they cannot go out of this business because they have no alternative means of survival since their environments are basically in the dry regions of the country. Therefore what is evident in what the women are saying is the fact that tourism fits very well in their livelihood strategies as a source of income. From the findings it emerged that the women are motivated into employment by push factors such as unemployment, inadequate family income and the need to accommodate work and home roles as in the Zimbabwean scenario the womans p lace is the home. The same sentiments were echoed by Vijaya and Kamalanabhan (2009) and Drine and Grach (2010) who reiterated that women are motivated by the desire to provide security for the family and flexibility that entrepreneurship offer between home and family roles. Access to Financial Resources The women entrepreneurs in the arts and crafts industry revealed that their major challenge is their inaccessibility to both investment and operational capital since they have no personal assets to use as collateral which is a prerequisite at the financial institutions. If they happen to get the starting capital they may even face more challenges of getting adequate operational capital to meet their daily supplies of raw materials such as reeds, steel wires, finishing oils, threads, wood, polishes and others to use for their business. At times they may need transport to take their products to and from their homes for security reasons. If these people are operating from the designated sites the local councils would need the rentals every month for the upkeep of the places. The problem of lack of capital usually arises from the fact that the enterprises are the major contributors to the survival of the family, and this puts a brake on efforts for improvement of womens enterprises in Zi mbabwe (Degroot, 2001). On the accessibility to capital, one woman at the ATA conference for Young Professionals in Victoria Falls narrated her ordeal of trying to get financial assistance from the Ministry of Indigenization and Youth Development that promotes indigenous entrepreneurs in the country. Grace said, When I went to the offices I was told to bring a project proposal. I prepared that at my own expense. After that they gave me a pile of forms to fill in whose other requirements i could not understand. As if that was not enough, I was told to wait for a response that never came to my attention and these people lie that they are supporting us financially. Another woman, Nyaradzo narrated that, The Ministry of Indigenization and Youth Development, asked for a list of all entrepreneurs who needed financial assistance and the specific amounts requested and were handed to the ministry but nothing materialized. The ministry later on asked the women entrepreneurs to pay $20 per person for a weeks training in financial management. After paying the money nothing has been done since November 2011. She said Vanhu ava matsotsi anodakubira varombo, havana basa nesu, (These people are conmen, who steal from the poor and they do not care about us). This is a major challenge for the women who are vulnerable to all sorts of financial risks in business. Most women also revealed that most financial institutions were not keen to finance their business initiatives. This negative attitude towards financing of women entrepreneurs is explained by the traditional patriarchal system division which spells out the differences of male-female roles in society as supported by Ozigbo and Ezeaku (2009). Protection of intellectual property rights A number of women entrepreneurs fall prey to political promises and business intermediaries. One woman who failed to get funding from the Ministry of Indigenization and Youth Development later discovered that her project was being implemented by one of the government officials in Victoria Falls. She had no voice over it. Because of this, many women in the sector feel betrayed and humiliated because of such practices. This rhymes the Shona proverbs that murombo haarovi chine nguwo (This literally means the poor will never challenge the rich). It is important for women entrepreneurs to be well versed with their intellectual property rights so that they can challenge those who prey on their ideas in judiciary. Production and space-related challenges The study has revealed that a number of Zimbabwean women who are arts and crafts entrepreneurs have no fixed place for their business operations as they are dotted from their homes, forest and some few designated arts and craft centres. The designated centres have no permanent structures put in place but there are some temporary shades which are brought by the individuals from their homes. These offer no security at all as they are just open spaces for business and in addition one is exposed to the harsh forces of the natural environment. Those who operate from the forests (source of raw materials) cite transportation problems as one of the challenges. For example, if a wood carver finds a good tree in the forest which is too big to carry home or at the designated area she has to work on it from there and then carry the finished products. These pose a lot of risks to the females since there are a lot of dangers associated with forestry environments. Storage space for the finished products is another problem for most women entrepreneurs. Most leave the products covered by some cloths or tents during the night in the presence of either a guard or unattended at owners risk. Lack of storage space puts the products at risk of theft. The most special wares are taken back home daily which is a tiresome task for the females since most of them walk a distance of about 5 kilometres every day from their homes to the designated centres. Family roles At home there is usually a challenge of divided concentration between home chores and work and at home the working space is limited and not conducive for business operations. One woman (Maria) even expressed that, handingazosiyi mumba mune tsvina nekuda kwebasa (I cannot leave my house dirty because of work). Already this indicates how busy women entrepreneurs are with household and business responsibilities at any given time of their lives and this is a hindrance to effective business operations. In support, De Groot (2001) posits that household roles deprive women of time to travel to enterprise support institutions or to attend training sessions to acquire skills in various fields. As long as womens responsibilities remain divided between work and domestic roles their contributions to economic development will remain obscure. Marketing operations There is a general belief that Zimbabwe arts and crafts are unique worldwide and they are found in many countries these days in China besides the Americas which used to be the countrys chief tourism source market. These products have made Zimbabwe boast of its rich and unique culture The majority of women sell their products to the foreign tourists. Financial constraints make it difficult for the women to access regional and international markets despite the high demand for the Zimbabwe art and craft in these markets. It was reported that in the past years when tourism was at peak (i.e. between 1990 and 1999) business was lucrative and there was no worry of exporting the products as buyers could come to the country and buy the products. During the period business was very lucrative. Masundire (2011) identified the need to assist arts and crafts producers to access foreign markets as 90% of their wares are in demand in Europe, America, Australia and South Africa. As a result of inaccessibility to foreign markets, there is now the emergence of market intermediaries popularly known as the cross boarder traders who buy and sell the products from arts and crafts producers in foreign markets. The major problem these intermediaries pose is that they bid to buy the wares at a very low price at the expense of the producers because of the low local demand. In fact, the women entrepreneurs end up with no fix

50s TV :: essays research papers

This is a revolutionary invention that is compared to the Light Bulb. It is large box with shades of black and white that replaced the every day listened to radio by a mile. What is it you say? It is the Television. This new device brought the images of the world to every home of America replacing the only listened to radio shows easily. As popular as the radio shows were this new addition of picture made TV shows soar in popularity. With a variety of shows ranging from Westerns to Game Shows the TV was unquestionably to invention of the decade all thanks to the outstanding competitive broadcasting of the TV Shows. Although their were many great shows in there 50’s a few stand out from them all, â€Å"I Love Lucy† maintaining 4 number 1 spot rankings, Gunsmoke with 3 number 1 spot rankings, and The 64,000 Dollar Question.. Gunsmoke the king of all Western Shows was the longest running Western of all time, and was also televison longest running series with continuing characters. "Gunsmoke" was about a Mrshell by the name of Matt Dillon ,stared by James Arness, in the frontier town of Dodge City, Kansas in 1873. His kindly companion was Doc Adams , played by Milburn Stone, was the town physician who spent many hours chugging beers at the Longbranch Saloon, owned and operated by the shapely Kitty Russell, who was always attracted to the marshal. In the 50’s a new type of show became huge. This type of show was called â€Å"Game Shows†. These gave prices to lucky contestants who would answer correct questions. The biggest of these Game Shows was The 64,000 Dollar Question. Although many loved it, it was still fixed, and so were many other game shows to. The producers of these shows would give the answers to the most likeable contestants so they would win.

Fighting for Ameican Manhood

Omar Perez-Velazco Hist. 460 Dr. McDonough February 18, 2013 Since the beginning of time the topic of human gender its differences has been a controversial subject that always attracts attention. After the Spanish-American War, many men were seen as heroes, some even put into important positions in our nations’ government. Men like McKinley and Roosevelt, for example, used such praise and recognition to reinforce their positions of President and, later on, Vice President, respectively. One of the men who benefited from this line of thought was President McKinley, who no doubt was delighted to find that being a commander in chief during a war restored his image as a capable leader† (110). Roosevelt was a man with power, being the assistant secretary of the navy, but he gave it up to join 1st United Stated Volunteer Cavalry, more commonly known as the Rough Riders. He received nationwide praise and everyone knew him as a hero. â€Å"Two years later, Roosevelt’s mil itary record helped him win the vice presidential slot on the Republican ticket† (112).Women held many important roles during this war, such as nurses. While women were vital to the war effort, many people did little to spread the news. â€Å"In magazines and newspapers of the time, stories glorifying soldiers and sailors are hard to miss. In contrast, stories covering women’s wartime contributions are difficult to find† (128). How does considering gender change our views of the Spanish-American and Philippine-American wars? This is the argument that Kristin Hoganson makes in Fighting for American Manhood.I believe that without the aid of women in the camps, the wars would have gone much differently. â€Å"This book shows how international relations affected ideas about gender, how gendered ideas about political authority affected American democracy in an imperial era, and how high politics served as a vibrant locus of cultural struggle† (14). I can agree with the author on all these points and I believe that women and also minorities during the wars had a great impact from their local factories and towns. Fighting for American Manhood collects its information from a wide variety f sources, some being magazines and journal articles, and others being more in depth, like family letters. There is also a large quantity of political cartoons from the time, depicting such people as President McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, and the iconic Uncle Sam. Some of the primary sources, the letters, come from places like the Alabama Department of Archives and History, or the Cincinnati Historical Society, which provided information in the form of the Wheeler Family Papers, and the Joseph Benson Foraker Papers, respectively.While a lot of these family accounts were safely in the hands of the state, many other accounts from the day were residing in university libraries, such as the Harvard University Houghton Library, and the University of North Carolin a Wilson Library: Southern Historical Collection, from which Hoganson uses the Theodore Roosevelt Collection, from the Charles Eliot Norton Papers, and the Edward Ward Carmack Papers, respectively. The secondary sources that the author compiled were mostly magazine entries and newspaper articles, like those from the New York Times, or the Washington Post.The chapter that I found most interesting was Chapter 6 – The Problem of Male Degeneracy and the Allure of the Philippines. I was just amazed with the United States when our government, using the power of the Treaty of Paris, decided for the Philippines that they wanted to be ceded into the United States. †The peace treaty with Spain, signed on December 10, ceded the Philippines along with Guam and Puerto Rico to the United States. The treaty, known as the Treaty of Paris, then went to the U. S Senate for ratification.But the Filipinos who had been fighting for independence from Spain did not want to be ceded† (13 3). This angered the Filipino nationalists and almost brought an all out war. The reasons that the U. S government officials gave to try and justify their takeover of these territories also surprised me and showed me just how far some countries will go to expand, both physically and mentally. â€Å"Imperialists based their assertions that the Filipinos were unfit for independence on three stereotypes that gave meaning to racial prejudices by drawing on ideas about gender.All three presented the Filipinos as lacking the manly character seen as necessary for self-government† (134). These men were considered less than human, along with Native and African Americans. I thoroughly enjoyed this chapter because of all the different aspects it covers related to gender and the ceding of the Filipino territories. The chapter that I found least interesting was Chapter 2 – Cuba and the Restoration of American Chivalry. While the information in the chapter was important to get the m ain argument across, it just didn’t appeal to me, and it didn’t get any better in my opinion as I kept reading.American citizens fantasized about the Cuban rebels, about how chivalrous the men were and how responsible and loyal wives the Cuban women are. â€Å"In contrast to American men, who seemed to be losing sight of knightly values in their single-minded pursuit of riches, Cuban men appeared to exemplify chivalric character† (47). American men drew inspiration from these fantasies, often showing how Cuban men drew their inspiration from women in illustrations and cartoons. â€Å"Their images as acquiescent, traditional women made Cuban women seem to be perfect feminine foils for assertive American women.In addition to appearing well worth defending, Cuban women appeared eager for rescue† (46). This chapter was important to getting the point across but I felt like it was sort of out of place. Fighting for American Manhood is a very interesting read an d it really makes me think. When did anyone every really stop and think so deeply about how gender can affect wars? The book is unique and I recommend it to anyone who wants to study the topic of gender affecting war.

Cultural profile of China The WritePass Journal

Cultural profile of China Cultural profile of China Chapter 11.0 Introduction1.1 Cross-cultural management1.2 Definition of culture1.3 Characteristics of cultureChapter 22.0 Cultural profile of China 2.1 Geert Hofstedes five cultural dimensions2.1.1 Power distance2.1.2 Individualism2.1.3 Masculinity2.1.4 Uncertainty avoidance2.1.5 Long-term orientation in ChinaChapter 33.0 Challenges and recommendations expand business to ChinaChallengeRecommendation3.2 Differences of business cultureChallengeRecommendation3.3 Guan Xi (Relationship)Recommendation3.4 Government RegulationChallengeRecommendation3.5 Legal EnvironmentChallengeRecommendation3.6 Local CompetitorsChallengeRecommendationChallengeRecommendation3.8 Business PartnerChallengeRecommendation  Chapter 44.0 ConclusionRelated Chapter 1 1.0 Introduction As an American Chinese, the cultural profile of a country that I am going to choose is China in this assignment. This is because the rate of GDP growth was strong in China in 2010 with an estimated 10% year-on-year growth. This means that it is benefits to the investors who are going to invest or expand business in China. Before U.S. companies decided to expand business into China, they must understanding the cultural profile of China in order to make profit on their business. To be clear about the Chinas cultural profile, Hofstedes five dimensions of culture are being applied into this assignment. Every country has their cultures. Therefore, here are the explanation about subject of cross-cultural management, explanation of culture, and characteristics of culture to provide a theoretical background for this report. 1.1 Cross-cultural management Basically human races came with different background. Cultural background. When people from one cultural background, meet, understand, interact and deal with people from other cultural background. That is a cross-cultural management. In recent years, with the increase in globalization and diversity in the workplace, cross cultural management has become an important element of organizational life. Cross-cultural management is the study of the behavior of the people in organization located in cultures and nations around the world. It focuses on the description of organizational behavior within countries and cultures, on the comparison of organizational behavior across countries and cultures, and, perhaps most importantly, in the interaction of peoples from different countries working within the same organization or within the same work environment (Nancy J. Adler, 1983). 1.2 Definition of culture Culture has been defined in a number of ways, but most simply, as the learned and shared behavior of a community of interacting human beings(J., Useem, R,1963). According to English Anthropologist Edward B Taylor, culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society. Culture gives us an identity which makes us unique and different from people of other cultures. The culture of the society becomes the dominant culture and those of the immigrants from the subculture of the community, when people with different cultures migrate and settle in another society. People usually settle in other nations imbibe the new culture; while at the same time strive to preserve their own. (Deepa Kartha, 2000-2011). 1.3 Characteristics of culture There are different characteristics or qualities of cultures throughout the world. First characteristic of culture is that culture is learned. Culture is not inherited; it is acquired through learning and experience. People can learn behavior patterns including language and many other attributes if they grow up with that particular culture. The second characteristic of culture is that culture is shared by a group of people. We can consider a thought or an action as a culture if it is commonly shared and believed or practiced by a group of people. It can be considered as their culture when a group of individual share and believe with each others. The third characteristic of culture is that culture is cumulative. The knowledge of culture can be passed from one generation to another generation. As time passed by, more and more knowledge is added in the particular culture. It may work out solutions of problems in the life as the particular culture goes with time. The fourth characteristic of culture is that culture is dynamic. This is the characteristic of culture that stems from the cultures cumulative quality. As there is no culture remains on the permanent state, culture is considered as changing frequently as added in new ideas and new techniques to change the old ways. The fifth characteristic of culture is that culture gives us a range of permissible behavior patterns. Culture has structure and is integrated as a change in one part will bring changes in another. It tells us how to dress based on gender, statue, occasions, and many more. Chapter 2 2.0 Cultural profile of China China is located in eastern Asia. China is formally known as ‘The People’s Republic of China’ (PRC). As the worlds population is approximately 6.7 billion, China represents a full 20% of the worlds population so one in every five people on the planet is a resident of China. Chinas population growth has been somewhat slowed by the one child policy, in effect since 1979 (Matt Rosenberg, 2010). Confucianism is a system of behaviors and ethics that stress the obligations of people towards one another based upon their relationship. The basic tenets are based on five different relationships in China which are ruler and subject, husband and wife, parents and children, brothers and sisters, finally, friend and friend. Confucianism indicated the duty, sincerity, loyalty, honor, filial piety, respect for age and seniority (Mandarin Today, 2005). 2.1 Geert Hofstedes five cultural dimensions In this part, Geert Hofstedes cultural dimensions have been used to introduce cultural profile of China. He had analyzed about the way of culture influence working relationships in a multicultural environment along five dimensions which are power distance, individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, and long-term orientation in China. Below is the diagram of USA vs China by hofstedes five dimensions. Figure 1: USA vs China by Hofstedes five dimensions Source: geert-hofstede.com/hofstede_dimensions.php?culture1=95culture2=18#compare According to figure 1, China has long-term orientation in the highest ranking factor and lowest individualism than United States. And also, it has high in masculinity, power distance and low in uncertainty avoidance culture compared to United States. 2.1.1 Power distance Power distance refers to the level of acceptance by a society of unequal distribution of power in institutions. The extent to which subordinates accept unequal power is socially determined. United States scores around 40 with low ranking power distance in figure 1. It indicates that there is a greater equality between societal levels, including government, organizations, and even within families in United States. This orientation reinforces a cooperative interaction across power levels and creates a more stable cultural environment (Geert Hofstede,1967-2009). However, the power distance remains high in China which scores around 80 in the diagram above. This means that the Chinese society is characterized by a very high level of inequalities in power and wealth, and that these are accepted by the individuals (Carletti Mathilde, 2008). Also, the individual representing the authority in any organization (family, undertaking, etc.) is highly respected, because that individual has the dec ision-making power. In China, there is a strong differentiation of roles, competences and respect due, according to the individual’s position on the hierarchic scale. In China, individuals with power enjoy greater status and privilege than those without power, and subordinates are less likely to challenge or express disagreement with superiors (Matthew Earnhardt, 2009). In other words, the rank structure is clearly delineated between management and subordinates, and disagreement with management is frowned upon. Information control is one of the predominant sources of power in China. Critical information in China is selectively preserved instead of being distributed widely. It is quite obvious in e-government practices in China where branches of government purposely hold back some information and obstruct large-scale information sharing in order to keep their power and interests (Lucian E. Marin, 2010). 2.1.2 Individualism Individualism describes the relationship between the individual and the immediate community. The high individualism ranking for the United States (88) indicates a society with a more individualistic attitude and relatively loose bonds with others (Kimberley Roberts Stephen Taylor, 1998-2008). However, low individualism is important for learning the Chinese way of thinking which scores 20 in figure 1. Interpersonal relationships and group affiliation are focused in China (Matthew Earnhardt, 2009). They will act with good manner at all the times and will not do anything that caused other people embarrassment in the public. It can be observed by the use of silence in structure meetings. A person will remain quite although a person   disagrees with what another person says, rather than disagree publicly,   This is giving respect to the other person, while speaking up would make both parties lost reputation. In China, a collectivistic culture, individuals are willing to sacrifice personal goals for the good of the group (Matthew Earnhardt, 2009). This loyalty is promoted across all aspects of Chinese culture, including the workplace. Loyalty is a highly regarded trait in a society where relationships are strong and is, therefore, it is importance to most of the Chinese people (Simon Kriss, 2006). This links back to their high long term orientation above. The collectivist thinking of a culture, China tends to be extremely parochial, with people and businesses not changing suppliers lightly for fear of the impact on relationships (Simon Kriss, 2006). So, it is a good idea to select a good strong partnership that has potential to last a long time when doing business with others. 2.1.3 Masculinity Masculinity refers to the role share between men and women, and the differences of equality that exist between the two genders. The highest the score the more assertive and competitive the culture (Masculine), the lowest the score the more modestly and caring (Feminine). The United States has score around 72.5 and China has score around 75 in the figure1. Therefore, China has high masculinity in their culture and has a strong role differentiation between men and women. Men hold most of the responsibility and power positions. The role of women in China is very limited, even though it seems to be taking more importance in the cities and more developed regions (Carletti Mathilde, 2008). Especially in the rural areas their status is inferior. The country is far from setting up men-women parity. This is the one dimension in which China most aligns itself to the rest of the world, and yet, it is often totally missed by businessman of United States, who think that the women in China are, fo r the most part, ignored (Piseth 2009). 2.1.4 Uncertainty avoidance Uncertainty avoidance refers to the extent to which people in a society feel threatened by ambiguous situations. Uncertainty avoidance has many implications for leadership characteristics and leadership traits such as habitual, formal, cautious, and orderly is perceived as an outstanding form of leadership in some countries while a negative form in others (Matthew Earnhardt, 2009). A high ranking of uncertainty avoidance dimension in United States (45) is indicate that society has fewer rules and does not attempt to control all outcomes and results while doing business. It also has a greater level of tolerance for a variety of ideas, thoughts, and beliefs (Simon Kriss, 2006). But, China presents a low degree of acceptance of uncertainty which scored 30 is a characteristic of a society that does not try to take control of the future, and that is not afraid of unforeseen situations. It is also characteristic of a society that is more tolerant towards opinions, behaviors that are differ ent from its own, and changes (Carletti Mathilde, 2008). It is a more meditative society which does not feel the need of controlling its environment. 2.1.5 Long-term orientation in China The fifth dimension, long-term orientation specify the extent to which a culture is devoted or not devoted to â€Å"traditional, forward thinking values† (Hofstede, 2001). High or short-term orientation predispose countries to resist it or accept to change. In countries in which people display high long-term orientation suggests that the country has long-term commitments to tradition and fosters a strong work ethic as a plan for future rewards outweigh the need for rapid change. Cultures with a short term orientation focus on values such as ‘saving face’ and respecting tradition while cultures that focus on the longer term tend to focus on thrift and perseverance. The US has a scored around 29 in this dimension. China has the highest ranking for long-term orientation which scored around 110 in figure 2.1. China slow and steady wins the race for business deals compare with United States. China is having a building strong, reliable, lasting relationship which is the key for the Chinese (Eric Yee, 2008). A certain amount of trust must be gained before any decision is met. The Chinese prefer to deal with people they knew and trusted before starting to conduct business with others (Vincent Lo, 2011). It may take three to four times the length of time to finish the business deal after finish meeting. So if do not come to a fast agreement, dont be discouraged, make the client feel comfortable and show patience to Chinese. The Chinese never like to rush into things. The company has to maintain the relationship if want to do more business with Chinese. Chapter 3 3.0 Challenges and recommendations expand business to China To be successful in the Chinas market, the United States companies need to have an understanding of major practical challenges they may face in China. China has a different culture because the way they implement their business tends to differ from US. China market is a complicated filed to those companies that are familiar to the Chinese culture would be able to move around in the market. Hence, cultural differences are always the barriers between foreign companies and the locals. For a successful partnership, both parties need to learn more about each other culturally and their business styles (Starmass International 2001-2011). Below are the challenges that foreign company may face in China. 3.1 Communication Challenge There will be a failure business if misunderstanding happened when communicate with Chinas companies. Therefore, language barrier is the biggest challenges for many U.S. companies when they want to enter into the China market. Although there are an increasing number of Chinas people learning English, but there still have majority of locals are unable to communicate in English and also many foreigners are unable to speak Chinese. The way they written and verbal English spoken is totally different with Western countries. Recommendation Individuals need to understand what the other party wants before start to conduct business with Chinese people. By this, they have needed to spend money for hiring person who can carry the responsibility to interpret and as an effective translator to communicate with the locals. Individuals are required to provide their interpreter the relevant information which can effectively execute their task in work. It is better to spend some time to discuss with the interpreter what an individual want to achieve out before each of the meeting to avoid any negotiations. 3.2 Differences of business culture Challenge Foreign investors unfamiliar with the business culture in China are the second major reasons that they failed to enter the China market. To be succeeded in the China, the U.S. investors cannot simply apply their own business models into China market. Due to the culture difference, many of them do not always adapt to accept Chinas standard. As Chinese are very respectful to others, they tend to carry out their business according their beliefs and values. Chinese would like to seek others opinions and advices before making any decision but that take longer time. If the investors do not respect Chinese, there will not have deal between both parties. Hence, U.S. investors need to respect them while talking or having meeting with Chinese. Recommendation The U.S. companies should take more time to do research on the Chinas business culture with fully understanding it. This action may help them to do business with Chinese people in the long-run. The investors have to understand that the Chinese are not indecisive but rather respecting the view of others in doing business. Hence, they must be more patient when dealing business with Chinese. But once they decide to move ahead, the investors must get ready for it because Chinese may expected to proceed it immediately. 3.3 Guan Xi (Relationship) Challenge China likes to build strong relationship in their business compare to United States. It is an important element in achieving successful business in China. However, many U.S. investors may think that it is wasting time in socializing but to the Chinese, it is all the part of the business. Chinese more prefer to work with someone who more familiar with them to reduce disagreement and conflict. Thus, they need to develop wide interpersonal relationship with Chinese. Recommendation The company would benefit in many different ways with buildup good relationship in China. First, a trust would be able to establish between U.S companies and locals. Thus, they would be very comfortable working with each other. Second, good relationship may helps to resolve any problems if a company would to encounter any problems in any field. The investors must learn how to socialize like sing karaoke, having drinks and so on. It is important when entertain or having fun with Chinese. It does not matter whether you are a gifted singer or not. Besides that, the investors must learn how to drink. If you hear ganbei that means Chinese expected you to empty your cup and have fun with them. There are a good places and better ways to build up relationship with them. 3.4 Government Regulation Challenge Chinas government placed heavy restriction on foreign investment in the retail sector. Under the restriction, investors must make concessions on the size and independence of their business to access Chinas market. However, the investors must go through stricter licensing procedures compared to other domestic competitors. They could apply approval only from the government to establish business in China. The investors must first obtain a business license from MOFCOM and then registration approval from the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC). The licensing process is also opaque and can be slow and inconsistent, adding extra costs and burdens for the investor. In recent years, pushed by foreign business communities and governments, MOFCOM and SAIC have delegated certain approval authorities to local governments and streamlined the licensing processes for foreign retail investors (US-China Business Council (2010). Recommendation A strong government relationship remains an important factor to do business successfully in China as Chinas government plays an important role in influencing market movement and administering foreign investments. There are unnecessary procedures and delays if the foreign companies have good relationship with the government officials. This is because China is not a free-market economy and it has an authoritarian communist government. While they employ some of the same terms and strategies as full-fledged capitalist markets, political control is everywhere (Ehow, 2011). 3.5 Legal Environment Challenge Before enter into China market, U.S. investors have to be familiar with the China market laws. The china laws may be frustrating as they seem to be very complicated. In China, the wording of contract may look relatively vague compared to what you are used to. If any dispute arises, consider the contract as a guide, but do not expect it to offer much protection legally. Recommendation Interacting with the locals would allow a better understanding of the Chinese culture and laws and it will be useful in doing business. Hence, a lot of foreign companies would undertake a local company as partner to help them with the registration process and negotiation with the Chinese. 3.6 Local Competitors Challenge One of the challenges that U.S. investors need to be faced are the local competitors. However, one must not overlook small local companies in the China market as the Chinese have a very strong national pride thus they tend to be more supportive towards their local products. Recommendation U.S. companies would really need to do a detailed market and consumer research if they want not only enter the China market but also market their products to the local market. The investors can also seek for the outside help when trying to get into the China market. The Chinese culture would help tremendously when approaching familiar with the China market as they would know the tactic on how to handle any problems. 3.7 Local Pride Challenge In addition, U.S companies do not really know what are the preferences and needs of the Chinese consumers in China. Chinese consumers often prefer to deal with local, Chinese-run companies rather than western enterprises. This also extends to favored treatment from political officials, and it can influence bids on projects and other ventures. Carrying out a consumer research may not be very useful as the information collected may not truly reflect the true responses as the Chinese may not be comfortable giving out information to foreign researches. Recommendation There are normally more reliable if companies engage a local research company to carry out the market analysis research. As low cost of material and labour in China, the products that the U.S. companies offers must at the cheaper level to compare with the local products. 3.8 Business Partner Challenge It is not an easy task for foreign investors to find a good business partner to build up business. A good business partner shares your vision and enthusiasm, bringing expertise in the areas in which you are inexperienced. Its someone who understands the legal and financial responsibilities endemic to sharing a business. Most importantly, its someone with whom you get along. Recommendation Most of the U.S. companies are not well in network of China because they are unable to find reliable business partners in China markets and meet a lot of bureaucratic problems as they are unfamiliar with the laws of China. Therefore, it is important to choose a right business partner. He or she as a business partner in China must be able to speak well in both English and Mandarin. Having enthusiasm for the companys products, strong relationship with import and export agencies and also appropriate storage of the companys products are the factors as a reference for the foreign company to choose a good business partner. In addition, a strong and stable financial background is the most important factor for the company to make sure individuals are able to be a responsible business partner with them.   Chapter 4 4.0 Conclusion In this section, I would like to conclude that it is important to understand others cultural profile before start doing business with them. Geert Hofstede five cultural dimensions in China which are long-term orientation, individualism, masculinity, power distance, and uncertainty avoidance are important elements for the foreign investors to understand cultural profile of China. Once they started to understand the Chinese culture, the foreign investors can have a good cooperation with the locals and succeed to develop their enterprise in China. Maintaining good relationships in China is very important to help foreign investors to success in the China market. Chinese are making business deal depend on how much they see your personal relationship with them. Being respectful and do not make others lose their reputation in the public are the ways to build relationship with Chinese. Besides that, collectivist dimension of Chinese culture where the group is more important than the individual. From this assignment, I learned how it is essential to understand the different culture in an unfamiliar country. And also, I had understand to the Chinese culture or ways to doing things in their business dealing. Besides that, communication tools and skills to face the challenges are learned through this assignment.