Male Or Female Essays - Abortion, Gender Studies, Law,

Male Or Female? Overall, the rights and status of women have improved considerably in the last century; however, gender equality has recently been threatened within the last decade. Blatantly sexist laws and practices are slowly being eliminated while social perceptions of women's roles continue to stagnate and even degrade back to traditional ideals. It is these social perceptions that challenge the evolution of women as equal on all levels. In this study, I will argue that subtle and blatant sexism continues to exist throughout educational, economic, professional and legal arenas. Women who carefully follow their expected roles may never recognize sexism as an oppressive force in their life. I find many parallels between women's experiences in the nineties with Betty Friedan's, in her essay: The Way We Were - 1949. She dealt with a society that expected women to fulfill certain roles. Those roles completely disregarded the needs of educated and motivated business women and scientific women. Actually, the subtle message that society gave was that the educated woman was actually selfish and evil. I remember in particular the searing effect on me, who once intended to be a psychologist, of a story in McCall's in December 1949 called A Weekend with Daddy. A little girl who lives a lonely life with her mother, divorced, an intellectual know-it-all psychologist, goes to the country to spend a weekend with her father and his new wife, who is wholesome, happy, and a good cook and gardener. And there is love and laughter and growing flowers and hot clams and a gourmet cheese omelet and square dancing, and she doesn't want to go home. But, pitying her poor mother typing away all by herself in the lonesome apartment, she keeps her guilty secret that from now on she will be living for the moments when she can escape to that dream home in the country where they know what life is all about. (See Endnote #1) I have often consulted my grandparents about their experiences, and I find their historical perspective enlightening. My grandmother was pregnant with her third child in 1949. Her work experience included: interior design and modeling women's clothes for the Sears catalog. I asked her to read the Friedan essay and let me know if she felt as moved as I was, and to share with me her experiences of sexism. Her immediate reaction was to point out that Betty Friedan was a college educated woman and she had certain goals that never interested me. My grandmother, though growing up during a time when women had few social rights, said she didn't experience oppressive sexism in her life. However, when she describes her life accomplishments, I feel she has spent most of her life fulfilling the expected roles of women instead of pursuing goals that were mostly reserved for men. Unknowingly, her life was controlled by traditional, sexist values prevalent in her time and still prevalent in the nin eties. Twenty-four years after the above article from McCall's magazine was written, the Supreme Court decided whether women should have a right to an abortion in Roe v. Wade (410 U.S. 113 (1973)). I believe the decision was made in favor of women's rights mostly because the court made a progressive decision to consider the woman as a human who may be motivated by other things in life than just being a mother. Justice Blackmun delivered the following opinion: Maternity, or additional offspring, may force upon the woman a distressful life and future. Psychological harm may be imminent. Mental and physical health may be taxed by child care. There is also a distress, for all concerned, associated with the unwanted child, and there is the problem of bringing a child into a family already unable, psychologically and otherwise, to care for it. In other cases, as in this one, the additional difficulties and continuing stigma of unwed motherhood may be involved. (See Endnote #2) I feel the court decision of Roe v. Wade would not have been made in 1949. Even in 1973, it was a progressive decision. The problem of abortion has existed for the entire history of this country (and beyond), but had never been addressed because discussing these issues was not socially acceptable. A

Profile of Panama for Spanish Students

Profile of Panama for Spanish Students Introduction: Panama historically has had closer ties with the United States than any country in Latin America other than Mexico. The country is known best, of course, for the Panama Canal, which the United States built for both military and trade purposes at the start of the 20th century. The United States maintained sovereignty over parts of Panama until 1999. Vital Statistics: Panama covers an area of 78,200 square kilometers. It had a population of 3 million at the end of 2003 and a growth rate of 1.36 percent (July 2003 estimate). The life expectancy at birth is 72 years. The literacy rate is about 93 percent. The countrys gross domestic product is about $6,000 per person, and a little more than a third of the people live in poverty. The unemployment rate was 16 percent in 2002. Main industries are the Panama Canal and international banking. Linguistic Highlights: Spanish is the official language. About 14 percent speak a creole form of English, and many residents are bilingual in Spanish and English. About 7 percent speak indigenous languages, the largest of them being Ngberre. There are also pockets of Arabic and Chinese speakers. Studying Spanish in Panama: Panama has several small language schools, most of them in Panama City. Most of the schools offer home stays, and costs tend to be low. Tourist Attractions: The Panama Canal is on most visitors must-see list, but those coming for extended stays can find a wide variety of destinations. They include beaches on both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, Darien National Park and cosmopolitan Panama City. Trivia: Panama was the first Latin American country to adopt the U.S. currency as its own. Technically, the balboa is the official currency, but U.S. bills are used for paper money. Panamanian coins are used, however. History: Before the Spanish arrived, what is now Panama was populated by 500,000 or more people from dozens of groups. The largest group was the Cuna, whose earliest origins are unknown. Other major groups included the Guaymà ­ and the Chocà ³. The first Spaniard in the area was Rodrigo de Bastidas, who explored the Atlantic coast in 1501. Christopher Columbus visited in 1502. Both conquest and disease reduced the indigenous population. In 1821 the area was a province of Colombia when Colombia declared its independence from Spain. Building a canal across Panama had been considered as early as the mid 16th century, and in 1880 the French tried - but the attempt ended in the death of some 22,000 workers from yellow fever and malaria. Panamanian revolutionaries secured Panamas independence from Colombia in 1903 with military support from the United States, which quickly negotiated the rights to build a canal and exercise sovereignty over land on both sides. The U.S. started construction of the canal in 1904 and finished the greatest engineering achievement of its time  in 10 years. Relations between the U.S. and Panama in coming decades were strained, largely due to popular Panamanian bitterness over the prominent role of the U.S. In 1977, despite controversies and political snags in both the U.S. and Panama, the countries negotiated an agreement turning over the canal to Panama at the end of the 20th century. In 1989, U.S. President George H.W. Bush sent U.S. troops to Panama to oust and capture Panamanian President Manuel Noriega. He was forcefully brought to the United States, put on trial for drug trafficking and other crimes, and imprisoned.   The treaty turning over the canal was not fully accepted by many political conservatives in the United States. When a ceremony was held in Panama in 1999 to formally turn over the canal, no senior U.S. officials attended.

History of the Iron Lung or Respirator

History of the Iron Lung or Respirator By definition, the iron lung is an airtight metal tank that encloses all of the body except the head and forces the lungs to inhale and exhale through regulated changes in air pressure. According to Robert Hall author of History of the British Iron Lung, the first scientist to appreciate the mechanics of respiration was John Mayow. John Mayow In 1670, John Mayow demonstrated that air is drawn into the lungs by enlarging the thoracic cavity. He built a model using bellows inside which was inserted a bladder. Expanding the bellows caused air to fill the bladder and compressing the bellows expelled air from the bladder. This was the principle of artificial respiration called external negative pressure ventilation or ENPV that would lead to the invention of the iron lung and other respirators. Iron Lung Respirator - Philip Drinker The first modern and practical respirator nicknamed the iron lung was invented by Harvard medical researchers Philip Drinker and Louis Agassiz Shaw in 1927. The inventors used an iron box and two vacuum cleaners to build their prototype respirator. Almost the length of a subcompact car, the iron lung exerted a push-pull motion on the chest. In 1927, the first iron lung was installed at Bellevue hospital in New York City. The first patients of the iron lung were polio sufferers with chest paralysis. Later, John Emerson improved upon Philip Drinker’s invention and invented an iron lung that cost half as much to manufacture.

Performance Management - Research and Assessment Term Paper

Performance Management - Research and Assessment - Term Paper Example SM Energy Company has a goal planning sessions which undertakes development of goals by the employees which are later approved by managers (Aguinis, # 10). The business strategy in SM energy is done through cascading goals in order to support the process of performance management effectively and efficiently. Board of directors is the ones who sets and approves the goals and the goals are communicated to the organization by the management. The company has formulated training and education for workers which are formulated based on performance management. Performance management is an ongoing activity. Each employee should be kept updated thus why training is vital (Rausch, #34). SM Energy employee’s views performance management as effective and fair because they do not dispute its process. Evaluation of performance is done twice per year. Employees should be given the chance to give their opinions concerning performance management thus enhancing the handling performances issues that are difficult. Poor performance is well addressed in SM Energy Company. It is majorly based on progressive discipline. Before taking disciplinary actions, coaching is done first and later performance improvement plan is used to address the problem. Performance improvement plan is described as a structured document that discusses mainly the problem or the influence of the problem on department, person or the organization. It acts as a letter of warning before one is terminated from the organization. There are several measure that SM energy company employs like any other organization to determine whether the performance management process is effective. The first one is that at the end of each year they observe the distribution of ratings. This means that majority of the employees are meeting their set goals. Another measure is Lake Woebegone effect, this is the feeling that each person should be above average

Why is old world wine dropping down in uk Essay - 3

Why is old world wine dropping down in uk - Essay Example During the same period the author find that the New World wine has grown by 3.4%, whereas Old World wine has lost the market share by around 2%. xliv The wine market in UK has been the central hub of wine collection from all over the world. Until recently the Old World economies have been leading in the UK wine market for supplying the classic wines. However, with the emergence of the New World wine producers offering a huge array of wine to choose from along with aggressive promotional strategies have overpoweringly grabbed the market from the hands of the Old World wine manufacturers. The Old World countries like France which used to enjoy monopoly for decades in exporting its tradition-rich wines to the UK markets are now being dominated by the New World economies like Australia with incredible marketing techniques. Factors like poor branding, restricted labelling, inconsistent quality and inept promotional strategy have together led to the decline of the Old World wine producers in the UK wine market. To combat this severe threat an intensive reviewing of attitudes towards brands is exactly what is required for the Old World wine producers to recapture the wine market in UK from the hands of the New Wold wine manufacturers. Understanding the consumers’ needs in today’s modern wine market, adopting clear labelling, recognizing the increasingly stylish wine supply chain, filling the huge information gaps is exactly what is required from the manufacturers of Old World wines. Hence, it is only through the union of innumerable small Old World wine producers reviewing their entire branding strategy that the possibility of their sustainability in the UK wine market prevails. Various European wine producing economies are undergoing tough times in UK wine market (Harrop, 2006). France, Spain, Italy and Portugal, the leading wine producers of the world are gradually losing their

Marijuana as a Social Problem Essay Example for Free

Marijuana as a Social Problem Essay Introduction Marijuana is a green, brown, or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant. You may hear marijuana called by street names such as pot, herb, weed, grass, boom, Mary Jane, gangster, or chronic. There are more than 200 slang terms for marijuana. All forms of marijuana are mind-altering. In other words, they change how the brain works. They all contain THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), the main active chemical in marijuana. They also contain more than 400 other chemicals. Marijuanas effects on the user depend on the strength or potency of the THC it contains. The potency of marijuana has increased since the 1970s but has been about the same since the mid-1980s. Marijuana inherits its name from Mexico, although it has a past steeped with global tradition. Long before its U.S. debut, marijuana was widely used, and popular among, some of the world’s earliest civilizations. History documents show that the fiber-rich cannabis plant was used to produce rope and woven fabrics around 7000 B.C. in Central and South Asia. Additionally, it was referenced in Chinese manuscripts dating back to 2700 B.C. and ancient Indian scriptures have attributed medicinal properties to it. After being used by half of the world for nearly 8,000 years, marijuana traditionally reached North America with Christopher Columbus in 1492 A.D. Initially, cannabis was only used to make industrial goods; its recreational use in America didn’t become popular until the early 20th century. It wasn’t until then that the misunderstandings about cannabis truly began to popup. The recreational use of marijuana soon became considered as harmful as cocaine or heroin. However, it has never led to a single case of human death from overdose in its entire history. This is a sharp contrast to the heavy mortality rate of its supposed counterparts. Nonetheless, the use and cultivation of the cannabis plant was made illegal at the hands of many capable antidrug advocates. Domestic production of the marijuana plant was encouraged in various parts of America during the 17th century. The cannabis sativa plant, whose dried flower extracts can form potent recreational marijuana, was in great demand because of its long fibers which could be used for the production of clothing, ropes, and sails. In fact, The Assembly of Jamestown Colony, Virginia, passed legislation in 1619 making it compulsory for every farmer to grow the Indian hempseed – ironically America’s first marijuana law. Other colonial states like Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania allowed hemp to be exchanged as legal tender and could even be used to pay taxes. The plant was an essential requirement during war times and farmers would be jailed if they were not able to produce enough hemp. Men who Americans hold in great reverence grew and encouraged the growth of hemp. George Washington grew hemp as his primary crop in the late 18th century for fiber production at Mount Vernon. Thomas Jefferson grew the plant as a secondary crop at Monticello and urged farmers to grow hemp in place of tobacco due to its many useful qualities. Even Benjamin Franklin used cannabis as the raw material to start one of America’s pioneering paper mills. By the mid-19th century, marijuana’s medicinal properties were recognized in North America and it was used as a popular ingredient in many medicinal products. The United States Pharmacopeia had marijuana on its list of pharmaceuticals from 1850 until 1942, and many companies like Brothers Smith, Eli Lilly, Parke-Davis, and Tildens produced a cannabis extract, which Sir William Osler, â€Å"the father of modern medicine,† pronounced as the best treatment for migraines. Marijuana was prescribed for various pain-relieving and mood-altering conditions such as nausea, labor pains, and rheumatism. A score of medical papers were published in this era flaunting the curing abilities of cannabis, and even the personal physician of Queen Victoria, Sir John Russell Reynolds, announced cannabis as having amazing powers to treat painful maladies. It was sold openly and was easily available in public pharmacies. However, during this time, marijuana was also starting to be used more often as an intoxicant. The recreational use of marijuana started on a small scale in the late 19th century in the northeastern United States with the opening of many Turkish smoking parlors. It was also during this time that about two to five percent of America’s population had unknowingly become addicted to morphine as most over-the-counter medicines contained levels of the substance. Among the addicts were soldiers, businessmen, housewives, and children. In response, the American government passed the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906 and formed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in part to help counter and control the addiction situation. The law, though not targeting marijuana specifically, also required cannabis -based medications to have its contents mentioned on the label. TThe Spanish-American War, and the subsequent Mexican revolution of 1910, also influenced the marijuana scene in America. During the post-revolution years there was a great influx of Mexican-Americans who mostly found work on large farms in American fields. These immigrants cultivated marijuana, which they brought with them from Mexico, and indulged in its smoking for recreational purposes. Strong prejudice against the immigrants caused many to view the plant as an addictive and violence-inducing drug that created criminals, murderers, and delinquents. Not until the 1930’s, when the Federal Bureau of Narcotics and its director, Harry J. Anslinger, began drafting a bill to tax marijuana did an all out smear campaign begin, which eventually led to its national ban. State regulation of cannabis started in Massachusetts in 1911 and in New York and Maine by 1914. California passed the first state marijuana prohibition law in 1913, outlawing the preparations of hemp or â€Å"locoweed,† which was more a prejudiced controlling measure over the Mexican immigrant population than a controlling measure over the marijuana itself. More states came up with laws that banned marijuana, including Wyoming in 1915, Texas in 1919, and Nebraska in 1927. The states of Iowa, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and Arkansas took this step in 1923. Marijuana was prohibited by 29 states by 1931 due largely to the poor socio-economic conditions during The Great Depression. With unemployment at its peak, many American’s found they competing against Mexican immigrants for jobs in the fields. Consequently, Mexican workers and their associated drug marijuana became easy targets for attack. By this time, marijuana’s misleading reputation began to overshadow its historic medicinal and industrial applications.

Curleys Wife in Of Mice and Men :: John Steinbeck

OF MICE AND MEN Essay. Curley's wife is seen as a cheap possession, a toy that belongs to Curley. A possession that he gets to control. His lack of love, respect and attention results to her death in the end. By all the men she’s seen as a tramp, they think that she’s out cause trouble. But the truth is she’s desperately lonely. She just wants someone to talk to. She’s missed out on a wonderful life that could have been hers, and that hurts her. Curley’s wife is a beautiful woman, whose blossoming with love, with big hopes for the future. She dreams of becoming a big actress n Hollywood. She wants to become rich and famous, and have nice cloths. She wants to make something from her life. Because of her beauty she was promised great things. But in reality her dreams never came true, the letters she awaited never came, the promises that were maid to her were never fulfilled. â€Å"Could’ve been in the movies, an’ had nice clothes†. She refused to stay where she would be a nobody. â€Å"Well, I wasn’t gonna stay no place where I couldn’t get nowhere or make something of my life†. So one night she meat Curley at the Riverside Dance Palace, and she married him, he became her ticket out from her desperate life. She never married him out of love and passion just of desperation. â€Å"I don’t like Curley. He aint a nice fella†. Curley’s relationship with his wife is very distant. He treats her with no respect, his very possessive of her, he tries to control who she talks to and what she can and can’t do. His also disloyal. Only after weeks of their marriage his already going to â€Å"cat houses†. His cheating her left right and center. And like any person she needs to be loved, she needs to be cared for, she needs attention and she needs companionship. Curley's Wife in Of Mice and Men :: John Steinbeck OF MICE AND MEN Essay. Curley's wife is seen as a cheap possession, a toy that belongs to Curley. A possession that he gets to control. His lack of love, respect and attention results to her death in the end. By all the men she’s seen as a tramp, they think that she’s out cause trouble. But the truth is she’s desperately lonely. She just wants someone to talk to. She’s missed out on a wonderful life that could have been hers, and that hurts her. Curley’s wife is a beautiful woman, whose blossoming with love, with big hopes for the future. She dreams of becoming a big actress n Hollywood. She wants to become rich and famous, and have nice cloths. She wants to make something from her life. Because of her beauty she was promised great things. But in reality her dreams never came true, the letters she awaited never came, the promises that were maid to her were never fulfilled. â€Å"Could’ve been in the movies, an’ had nice clothes†. She refused to stay where she would be a nobody. â€Å"Well, I wasn’t gonna stay no place where I couldn’t get nowhere or make something of my life†. So one night she meat Curley at the Riverside Dance Palace, and she married him, he became her ticket out from her desperate life. She never married him out of love and passion just of desperation. â€Å"I don’t like Curley. He aint a nice fella†. Curley’s relationship with his wife is very distant. He treats her with no respect, his very possessive of her, he tries to control who she talks to and what she can and can’t do. His also disloyal. Only after weeks of their marriage his already going to â€Å"cat houses†. His cheating her left right and center. And like any person she needs to be loved, she needs to be cared for, she needs attention and she needs companionship. Curley's Wife in Of Mice and Men :: John Steinbeck OF MICE AND MEN Essay. Curley's wife is seen as a cheap possession, a toy that belongs to Curley. A possession that he gets to control. His lack of love, respect and attention results to her death in the end. By all the men she’s seen as a tramp, they think that she’s out cause trouble. But the truth is she’s desperately lonely. She just wants someone to talk to. She’s missed out on a wonderful life that could have been hers, and that hurts her. Curley’s wife is a beautiful woman, whose blossoming with love, with big hopes for the future. She dreams of becoming a big actress n Hollywood. She wants to become rich and famous, and have nice cloths. She wants to make something from her life. Because of her beauty she was promised great things. But in reality her dreams never came true, the letters she awaited never came, the promises that were maid to her were never fulfilled. â€Å"Could’ve been in the movies, an’ had nice clothes†. She refused to stay where she would be a nobody. â€Å"Well, I wasn’t gonna stay no place where I couldn’t get nowhere or make something of my life†. So one night she meat Curley at the Riverside Dance Palace, and she married him, he became her ticket out from her desperate life. She never married him out of love and passion just of desperation. â€Å"I don’t like Curley. He aint a nice fella†. Curley’s relationship with his wife is very distant. He treats her with no respect, his very possessive of her, he tries to control who she talks to and what she can and can’t do. His also disloyal. Only after weeks of their marriage his already going to â€Å"cat houses†. His cheating her left right and center. And like any person she needs to be loved, she needs to be cared for, she needs attention and she needs companionship.