Strategy and Strategic Management

Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Strategy and Strategic Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Twelve Olympians by Monsiau, circa late 18th century Introduction There is no unanimity among scholars and practitioners on the meaning of strategy. Texts on the subject discuss strategy from different and sometimes contradictory perspectives. The only issue, over which there is little debate, is the origin of the term strategy. â€Å"In its original sense, strategy (from the Greek word, Strategos) is a military term used to describe the art of the general (Harvard Business School, 2005, p. xi). This art is about plans for troop deployment in battles to win wars. Many writers acknowledge that the concept of strategy has military origins, with Sun Tzu’s â€Å"Art of War† being one the oldest treatise on strategy. Businesspersons seem to enjoy using military analogies to conceptualize the running o f businesses in the modern world. Indeed, the pressure of keeping a business afloat amidst a very volatile operating environment that the world has become can feel like war. It is the goal of this paper to seek to uncover the essential components of strategy and the process of formulating a coherent organizational strategy in the context of the built environment. Amid the differences that exist as to what strategy is, it seems more beneficial to embrace a wide-angled view of since each of the viewpoints has merit and contributes to the overall understanding of the concept. It is the approach that Mark, (2004, p. 11) advocates for in the context of business when he states, â€Å"One of the greatest benefits of a comprehensive approach to strategy is the surfacing and exploitation of multiple sources of attractive growth†. However, this growth should give due considerations the internal resources availability for now and for the future.Advertising Looking for essay on busi ness economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Essential Components of Strategy The first essential component of strategy is action. The Harvard Business School (2005) states, â€Å"Strategy is about doing the right things† (p. xi). Actions reveal an organizations strategy. A deliberate strategy informs its actions. However, actions not based on a defined strategy still qualify for consideration as part of organizational strategy. Secondly, strategy refers to a plan. Henderson (1991) states, â€Å"Strategy is a deliberate search for a plan of action that will develop a business’s competitive advantage and compound it† (p. 5). This plan informs the actions undertaken when the strategy is deliberate. Henderson (1991) assumes that all strategy must be formally planned. In the context of strategy, it is not the formalization of a plan but the deliberate choices a business puts in place that counts. Another view f orwarded by the Harvard Business School (2005) about strategy is that it is a resource control and utilization plan meant to protect the central interests of an organization. These resources include finances, physical infrastructure, and human resource. This view accomodates the lack of a deliberate centralized conventional business strategy made through a formal process. It simply refers to the arrangement of those resources in a sensible manner towards certain ends. Competitive advantage is the motive behind strategy. Robert (2005) succinctly states, â€Å"Strategy is about winning† (p. 4). This view is supported by Porter (1991) who states, â€Å"the essense of strategy formulation is coping with competition† (p. 11). The idea expressed reveals the intentional use of a plan to out-perform business rivals using unique traits of the organization in order to survive, and hopefully thrive. In this case, strategy answers the need to be the best among competitors. The fif th essential component of strategy revealed by Robert (2005) is organizational identity. He states, â€Å"At the most basic level, strategy making extends beyond questions of resource deployment and market positioning to address fundamental questions such as: what is our business? What are we trying to achieve? What is our identity as an organization?† (Robert, 2005, p. xi). This approach requires the organization to understand itself first before venturing out into the market with a clear direction. Wall (2004) agrees with this approach showing that strategy provides an organization with a â€Å"coherent sense of direction†, which is yet another essential component of strategy (p. 4).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Strategy and Strategic Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This coherence makes it possible for all members of the organization to act in a coordinated fashion, which is essent ial for the success of a business. This holds true for small firms as well as large corporations. The final essential component of strategy is context. Successful strategy is very contextual. â€Å"As soon as we move beyond general notions to more precise definition, then these depend upon the type of arena within which strategy is being deployed† (Robert, 2005, p. 7). This element accounts for the disparities in the views on strategy since some of the viewpoints are highly contextalized. Increasingly, in this era of multinationals and globalization, context is more difficult to delineate especially geographically, yet to ignore context when developing strategy is to court disaster. Towards a Unified View of Strategy Based on the viewpoints above, Mark (2004) seems to have developed the most comprehensive definition of strategy. He states, â€Å"Strategy is about raising and allocating resources, setting priorities, directing organizations, and demonstrating through decisive behaviour what will be done – and what will not – in the pursuit of a larger vision, goal, mission, or high level set of objectives† (Mark, 2004. p. xv). His definition is broad enough to capture most of the essential elements of strategy thereby avoiding the problem of high contextualization. It is also wide enough to cover the specifics of strategy that are valid in the strategic management of all organizations. This makes it useful in understanding the concept of strategy. Its other strength is that it leaves room for looking at strategy as either deliberate or consequential. The elements defined here do not require a centralized approach to strategy development but even if it is there, it does not disqualify it. Its major weakness is its lack of enviromental cognisance. It does not account for environmental factors that greatly influence the preparation and execution of strategy. This goes to demonstrate that the process of developing a unfied view of strate gy is a work in progress, and still requires effort to sysnthesize the essential elements into a comprehensive definition of strategy. This preferred view must include the nine essential componenents identified above and in addition it must allow for both the deliberate and consequential nature of strategy.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A definition that meets the above criteria will still be somewhat incomplete since there is still the problem of universality versus contextualization. The following is an attempt to redefine strategy to meet this criteria presenting a wider understanding of the concept. Strategy is a set of actions, planned or otherwise that influence resource acquisition and allocation, deployed for the express purpose of attaining competitive advantage based on a clear organizational identity expressed in terms of its place, power, problems and potential, which informs its direction and actions within its environmental context. This definition captures all the essential elements identified but its rather cumbersome. It is long and may not appeal to the wider audience who actually need a concise definition to capture the essence of strategy. Probably, the sensible thing to do is to settle for a simplified global definition, while providing working definitions for each field, as writers have alread y done. The Strategy Process As expected, there is no universality in the recommendation of an ideal process for strategy development. There are different views on it. â€Å"Henry Mintzberg and his colleagues at McGill Unversity distinguish intended, realized and emergent strategies†. (Robert, 2005, p. 14). Intended strategy is the one the organization deliberately plans and positions itself to implement. Emergent strategy is the one which developes unwittingly as an organization responds to evolving issues. When these two strategies interact, the result is the realized strategy which is the strategy the organization finds itself implementing. These three strategies are the result of three concurrent processes and they demonstrate the organic nature of strategy. Strategy therefore is not a static process but a dynamic one that evolves and requires regular refitting. There is much concurrence though when looking at strategy as a process. In fact, there is a deliberate encourag ement that organizations should take an active role in the developement of their strategy, other than waiting for one to emerge as they undertake their daily business. The Harvard Business School (2005) states, â€Å"strategy creation and its implementation should be approached as a process† (p. xvi). The school proposes a five level process for strategy development that is useful in understanding the strategy process. The steps in the process are developement of a mission, followed by identification of organizational goals. Thirdly, there is the actual strategy development succeeded by the strategy implementation process. The final level is performance measurement. The first level of strategy development is mission. â€Å"Strategy creation follows from the mission of the company, which defines its purpose and what it aims to do for customers and other stakeholders† (Harvard Business School, 2005, p. xvi). Mark (2004) underscores the importance of mission when he says that the identification and action upon a particular set of issues determines the success of a business. When the organization is clear about its priorities, then it can sucessfully engage in determining what is essential to its operations for success. The mission sets the rules governing its key relationships and functions. The next level is the identification of goals. â€Å"Strategy creation typically begins with extensive research and analysis and a process through which senior management zeros in on the top priority issues that the company needs to tackle to be sucessful inn the long term† (Harvard Business School, 2005, p. xvii). There is a difference in opinion as to the direction of flow of the process, and whether it is the top management that is best placed to set organizational goals. They have the tools and the authority but they lack in understanding of frontline issues that are key in implementation. Frontline staff on the other hand have clear views on what is not working for them but they lack the organizational overview. Probably, a middle line where the management gets input from the frontline is the best way around this challenge. Once the goals are set, strategy creation takes place. It involves determining the internal and external forces followed by the identification of the choices that the organization has to achieve its objectives. Many tools are used to examine the organization’s capacity to settle on a particular organizational strategy after an environmantal scan. While The Havard Busienss School advocates for SWOT as a method of conducting an enviromental scan, Robert (2005) feels that this approach is difficult to implement in practice and he advocates for a two way analysis of the environment, looking at internal and external factors. He contends that its not the four way classification but the â€Å"rigor and depth† in the analysis of these factors that counts (Robert, 2005). Another popular tool worth menti oning used to conduct an evironmental scan is the Porter’s Five Forces Analysis. This tool is useful when the organization’s bottom line is the impetus driving the organization’s effort in undertaking a stategic planning process. There is lesser contention on who developes organizational strategy. Many writers agree that â€Å"the job of creating an organization’s strategy over time falls to senior managers† (Walker, 2004. p4). The forth step in the strategy process is implementation. â€Å"A strategy that is formulated without regard to its implemetation is likely to be fatally flawed.† (Robert, 2005, 14). In pushing the case for more frontline involvement, Daughtry and Casselman (2009) state, â€Å"Vision and strategy, critical though they are, are virtually useless without consistent execution right down to the frontlines† (p. 1 ). This requires good communication along the ranks of the organization. They add that â€Å"Strategy h as to be translated into the language and actions appropriate to each level in the organization† (Daughtry Casselman, 2009, P.5). The final level in the strategy process is performance measurement. This lacks in organizations that do not have deliberate strategy. They do not know what to measure since they have not categorically stated what their goals are. This five-step process is more useful as a conceptual model than as an actual implementation process. Wall (2004) warns that things do not work out this neatly in the real world where forces shift suddenly and without warning. Perhaps it is best to look at strategy development as â€Å"an iterative process that begins with a recognition of where you are and what you have now† (Henderson, 1991, p. 6). New information and circumstances feed into the old circumstances forcing us to change and adapt our methods. The role of strategic management is to ensure that the changes in the environment do not adversely affect the organization’s long term view, but that the organization prepares in advance to take advantage of these changes. Application of Strategy-Strategic Fit and Strategic Foresight Just like other organizations, construction companies exists within a certain environment defined broadly by the natural environment, demographic structures, social structures, legislative processes, technology, and economy. This environment has an immediate impact on their interest’s interests and influences everyday decisions. In addition, they have their own unique internal environments defined by organizational culture, resources outlay such as level capitalisation and expertise, and business processes defining how they find and execute construction contracts. The internal environment influences the realization of their aspirations and the momentum they sustain towards their realization. Certain other forces much larger in dimension constitute the business climate of companies in the built en vironment. These include the macroeconomic trends, political issues, and global trends. Montgomery and Porter (1991) observe, â€Å"Increasingly, both business units and corporations must compete globally† (p. xv). Dalic (2007) calls it â€Å"the convergence of cultures† (p. 4). The climate has long-term impacts on the industry though it may be a while before a particular company begins to feel the impact of climatic changes. They are a very strong motivation behind the strategy process. Before a construction company develops its strategy, it is beneficial and maybe crucial for it to determine what its environment looks like. This allows it to forecast the impact of its present actions thereby providing it with the range of presently available options and the limits within which it can operate profitably. The application of strategy and the strategy process allows an organization to determine two important contexts in strategic planning and strategic management. These are strategic fit and strategic foresight. Strategic Fit Strategic fit looks at the present. It refers to the process where an organization examines its current position to ascertain whether it is sitting squarely on its best possible footing or whether there is a mismatch, based on its objectives. In the built environment, a company looks at whether its level of staffing and financing corresponds to the available opportunities. The resulting plan from the process is a strategic plan to give the organization a better placement within its business context. Robert (2005) recognizes the need for strategic fit when he states, â€Å"For a strategy to be successful, it must be consistent with the firm’s external environment and with the characteristics of the firm’s internal environment- its goals and values, resources and capabilities, and structure and systems† (p. 14). Construction projects normally take very long from ideation to completion, and it is normal for v ery drastic changes in the business enviroment to occur within the life of the project. By seeking to attain strategic fit, a construction company ensures it takes advantage of the present opportunities which may dissapear because of environmental change. Strategic fit is the result of implementing measures concluded upon after conducting an environmental scan during the strategy process. Strategy and the strategy process may provide organizations in the built environment with the ability to determine their strategic fit to ensure that they are currently using their resources to the best effect. However, due to the dynamic environment in the present business context, for a small outfit such as small to medium enterprise construction industy, the strategy process considerations may pose challenges to them in utilizing their resources to the best outcome as it is somewhat restrictive in terms of time, cost and resource availability. Strategic Focus/Foresight On the other hand, strateg ic foresight, also known as strategic focus, refers to the preferred position of an organization usually at some point in the future. By looking at the medium and long-term opportunities, a construction company may find certain desirable positions they would prefer to occupy at that future date. Strategic foresight considers all the forces acting on the business environment within which the organization operates and seeks to determine their impact on the long-term objectives of the organization. This prepares it to take advantage of arising opportunities and prepares it to handle future challenges. â€Å"One of the biggest challenges facing executive teams is lack of strategic focus† (Daughtry Casselman, 2009, p. 7). Its long-term nature makes it easy to ignore especially for small construction companies with severe resource constraints. The pressure of the present seems to make strategic foresight an unnecessary burden on already overworked executives. By drawing on strateg y and the strategy process, a construction company creates strategic focus on its executives, thereby preparing them to handle the challenges the company will face in the future. It assures the long-term survival of the company. It is tempting to look at the strategy process in terms of strategic foresight without considering the implications of strategic fit on the desired future. Organizations in the built environment need to know that strategic foresight without strategic fit results in â€Å"a plan for the future without a plan for the present† (Wall, 2004, p. 13). On the other hand, strategic fit without strategic focus gurantees the present at the expense of the future. Hence, the outcome should be a balanced strategy where there should be a constant review of the corporate strategy and its implication on present and future resources, and the competitive advantage in the market place. Reference List Bacharach, S.B. (1989) Organizational Theories: Dome Criteria for Evalu ation. The Academy of Management Review, 14(4), 496-515 Bourgeois III, L.T. (1984) Strategic Management and Determinism. The Academy of Management Review, 9(4), 586-596 Dalic, T. (2007) Globalization of Marketing Strategies in Light of Segmentation and Cultural Diversity. Norderstedt: GRIN Verlag. Daughtry, T.C. and Casselman, G.L., (2009) Executing Strategy: From Boardroom to Frontline. Herndon, VI: Capital Books. Harvard Business School (2005) Strategy: Create and Implement the Best Strategy for Your Business. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Press. Henderson, B.D.(1991) Developing Strategy in C.A. Montgomery M.E. Porter, eds. Strategy: Seeking and Securing Competitive Advantage. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing Division. Li. Y and Peng, M.W. (2008) Developing theory from strategic management research in China, Asia Pacific Journal Manage, 25(3), 563-572. Mark, D. (2004) Strategy: A Step by Step Approach to the Developement and Presentation of World Class Business Strat egy. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan. Poppo, L. and Zenger T. (1998) Testing Alternative Theories of the Firm: Transaction Cost, Knowledge-Based, and Measurement Explanations for Make-or-Buy Decision in Information Services, Strategic Management Journal, 19, 853-887 Robert, M.G. (2005) Contemporary Strategy Analysis. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell. Smircich, L. and Stubbart C. (1985), Strategic Management in an Enacted World, The academy of Management Review, 10(4), 724-736. Teece, D.J., Pisano, G. and Shuen, A. (1997) Dynamic Capabilities and Strategic Management, Strategic Management Journal, 18(7), 509-533. Toffek, M.W. (2004) Strategic Management of Product Recovery, California Management Review, 46(2), 1-22 Venkatram, N. and Cumillus, J.C. (1984) Exploring the Concept of â€Å"Fit† in Strategic Management, The Academy of Management Review, 9(3), 513-525 Walker, G. (2004) Modern Competitive Strategy. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Wall, S.J. (2004) On the Fly: Executing S trategy in a Changing World. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons. D31BM – Business Management for Built Environment This essay on Strategy and Strategic Management was written and submitted by user Otto Skinner to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

John Deere Steel Plow Essay Example

John Deere Steel Plow Essay Example John Deere Steel Plow Paper John Deere Steel Plow Paper We chose our topic, the Cast-Steel Plow by John Deere because we all live or have lived on a farm in some period of time and found it would be interesting topic to learn more about the cast-steel plow. We thought that since we have used some type of plow we wanted to know more about it and how it was invented. We found most of our research in books like John Deere’s Company: A History of John Deere And Company and its times, also John Deere Tractors and Equipment. We have contacted John Deere’s Company in Illinois, Living History Farms in Urbandale, and Pomery Living History Farms in Washington. Also more information from Deere. com, and also facts from our American History books. How we chose our presentation category was how all three of us were more familiar with creating good boards and thought that if we could all think about our topic together so we could get a lot more information about our topic, and wanted to come up with a good idea for our board. Our project relates to the NHD theme because the steel plow was a meaningful product to farmers of the 1800s. The John Deere Steel Plow changed history forever since the land was much too rich. The Cast-Iron Plow could only go for a couple of feet and then the farmers would have to scrape off the sod. The steel plow made it easier for the farmers of the 1800s to push and also farmers could plow more acreage then a cast-iron plow. The John Deere cast-steel plow impacted the farmers back in the 1800s and it affects us now in farming. It makes everything easier, now then it has ever before.

Capital City of Canada Why Ottawa

Capital City of Canada Why Ottawa SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Whether you’re preparing for a geography exam or simply want to learn more about your friendly neighbor to the north, we’ve got you covered. In this guide, we'll answer an important question everyone should know the answer to: what is the capital of Canada?In addition, we'll explain how this place came to be the capital city of Canada and what all the capital cities of the Canadian provinces and territories are currently. What Is the Capital of Canada? The capital of Canada is Ottawa, which is located in Ontario- that is,the province directly above the Great Lakes and the US states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, and (part of) New York. Ottawalies on the south bank of the Ottawa River, which runs between and defines the borders of the provinces Ontario and Quebec. Opus Penguin/Flickr Together, Ottawa and the city of Gatineau, which is located directly across from Ottawa in Quebec, make up the National Capital Region called Ottawa-Gatineau. This specially designated region refers to not only the cities themselves but also their surrounding Census Metropolitan Areas. Due to Ottawa’s placement between the primarily English-speaking Ontario and the mostly French-speaking Quebec, it is one of the most bilingual cities in Canada. Beloware some quick facts to know about Ottawa, the capital city of Canada: Location: Southeastern Ontario Original Settlers: Odawa tribe ("Odawa" is said to mean "traders") in the mid-17th century Population (2016): 989,567 (Ottawa-Gatineau) Population Rank (2016): Sixth-largest city in Canada (Ottawa-Gatineau) Year Established: 1850 as town of Bytown, 1855 as city of Ottawa Climate: Continental, with warm summers (70℉) and cold winters (15℉) Major Employer: Federal government Landmarks: Parliament Hall, ByWard Market, National Gallery of Canada, Rideau Canal, University of Ottawa Closest US State: New York Closest Big City: Montreal in Quebec A Brief History of the Capital of Canada Ottawa has been the capital city of Canada ever since Canada became a self-governing country. But how exactly did it manage to become the capital of Canada- and why? In 1841, what was originally called the Province of Canada (the present-day provinces of Ontario and Quebec) came under British colonial control. The next 16 years witnessed ongoing disputes over what the capital of the new province should be; contenders included Quebec City, Toronto, Montreal, Kingston, and finally Ottawa. Each of these cities held the title of capital of Canada for varying lengths of time. Here is a chronology of exactly how the capital city of Canada changed in just two and a half decades: Kingston (1841-1844) Montreal (1844-1849) Toronto (1849-1851) Quebec City (1851-1855) Toronto (1855-1859) Quebec City (1859-1865) Ottawa (1866-present) It was clear already by 1857 that the decision of where to place the capital of Canada was going to be difficult and time-consuming. At this time, Queen Victoria was asked to select the capital city of Canada. Her choice of Ottawa- a fairly small and newly incorporated city- surprised many. Still, Ottawa had a lot of promise: it was starting to experience economic growth and was home to an impressive railway system; it also had a long history of trade due to its location near several rivers. Butnot everyone agreed with the queen’s pick,which led Toronto to remain the capital for another two years followed by Quebec City for another six years. It wasn’t until 1866 that Ottawa was officially designated the capital city of the Province of Canada and began to hold Parliament. In 1867, the Province of Canada became the Dominion of Canada, making it an official, self-governing colony of the British empire. This also meant that Ottawa was the first (and so far only) official capital of Canada as we know it. What Are the Capital Cities of Canada? We now know that Ottawa is the capital city of Canada, but what about the capital cities of all the provinces and territories within Canada? Similar to the United States, where there is a capital city for each state, Canada has capital cities for all 13 of its provinces and territories. The following chartdepicts the capital city of each Canadian province/territory and its population from the 2016 census. Provinces and territories are listed alphabetically. Province/Territory Capital City Capital City Population (2016) Provinces - - Alberta Edmonton 932,546 British Columbia Victoria 85,792 Manitoba Winnipeg 705,244 New Brunswick Fredericton 58,220 Newfoundland and Labrador St. John’s 108,860 Nova Scotia Halifax 403,131 Ontario Toronto 2,731,571 Prince Edward Island Charlottetown 36,094 Quebec Quebec City 531,902 Saskatchewan Regina 215,106 Territories - - Northwest Territories Yellowknife 19,569 Nunavut Iqaluit 7,740 Yukon Whitehorse 25,085 Note that while the capital city of Canada (Ottawa) is located in Ontario, it is notthe capital of Ontario itself- thisstatus belongs to Toronto. For most provinces/territories in Canada, the capital city is also the most populated city, but this isn’t always the case. Here are the biggest cities for the Canadian provinces for which the capital city is not the most highly populated: Province Biggest City City Population (2016) Alberta Calgary 1,239,220 British Columbia Vancouver 631,486 New Brunswick Saint John 67,575 Quebec Montreal 1,704,694 Saskatchewan Saskatoon 246,376 What’s Next? Are you taking the IB geography class? Then you might want some tips and resources with our comprehensive guide. Preparing for the AP Human Geography exam?Get an overview of what's on the test and then learn the best ways to study for it. You can also check out our expert picks for the best AP Human Geography prep books.

Growing online gambling industry and its effects socially, Research Paper

Growing online gambling industry and its effects socially, economically - Research Paper Example Instant messaging has replaced the meet-and-greet sessions that were always held as part of family tradition (Powers 45). To add salt to an injury, the most socially revered types of gaming, gambling, was introduced into the virtual world. People were allowed to take their gambling into the virtual world with loads of money at stake and with addiction becoming a key concern amongst several social researchers (Gainsbury 21). The internet then led to an increase in the number of gambling options that an individual could ascribe to with each improvement making betting more lucrative and enticing to people. Research shows that approximately 8 million people participated in online gambling in the year 2001 with the exponential growth expected to hit a higher percentile in the forthcoming years (Shaffer and Hall 169). Despite a myriad of legislations being passed, gambling has become a lucrative business with more people joining and more side effects being felt by those who are around the players. The report herein will seek to identify any social and economic side effects that have resulted with the continued growth of online gambling in the world and what legislations have been put in place to check such increases. To start with, gambling is defined as the waging of money or anything that may of material value based on an event and its outcome. It requires one to bet and thus forfeit the placed bet in case the outcome of the event is on the contrary. The main intent of all those placing their bets is to win with the stakes depending on how the outcome is. Thus, the fact that it has been allowed to go on by the increasing number of laws and betting sites on gambling, means that it has been accepted as a legal way of doing things and has to be conducted according to the gaming rules (Powers 50). The internet brought about the virtual connectivity of each player and made it easier for people to gamble from closed doors and in the comfort of their own homes. It has

Investors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Investors - Essay Example Monetary policy, in the broadest sense, includes all the tools enforced by the government to control the quantity of money in the economy. The quantity of money or the supply of money then affects the overall price level, exchange and interest rates, unemployment rate, and level of output. According to the Case and Fair (2007), U.S. monetary policy is formally set by the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), which sets goals concerning the money supply and interest rates as it directs the Open Market Desk in the New York Federal Reserve Bank to buy and/or sell government securities or debt and equity instruments. The capital market then is a market for securities where the government can raise long-term funds to finance its own projects usually regulated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to protect investors mainly against fraud. To give a quick summary of how monetary supply directly affects output or income, assume that there is an excess supply of money in the market. This will lead households, firms and buy bonds with their extra money so that it earns interest. This however will put downward pressure on the interest rate because many people will be investing their money in interest earning instruments. Investors, on the other hand, borrow money from the banks with the very same interest rate that households and firms determine. A low interest rate means more incentive for investors to borrow and put up their own businesses using their low-interest borrowings from banks. This, in conclusion, increases output and, in the long-run, stimulates output growth. According to Mankiw (2007), in recent years, the Fed has used the federal funds rate as its short-term policy instrument and when the FOMC meets every six weeks to set its monetary policy, it votes on a target for its interest rate and then directs the Fed Bond traders in New

Gender Comparisons in Cognitive Abilities Essay Example for Free

Gender Comparisons in Cognitive Abilities Essay Gender differences are not only noticeable in physical and reproductive areas as far as men and women are concerned. These physical and reproductive differences are minimal in terms of the determinants of how men and women operate as far as other issues relating to their cognition are concerned (Gur et al. 1999). Sex hormones that are secreted during their development are responsible for the difference in brain organizations of men and women. Men and women have been shown by several studies to learn differently due to the difference in their cognition. Kimura (2000) postulated that even at infancy, girls gaze at objects longer than boys an argument that gives premise to the fact that boys have attention problems. Their sensory systems show a discrepancy even at such a young age, something that persists into old age. In addition to the above, women tend to remember some things like land marks better than the men who remember directions and distance. These are the spatial cues that the men are better off in as opposed to women (Kimura 2000). A myriad of other differences have been suggested especially in linguistic, interpersonal, logical and mathematical, musical, intrapersonal and linguistic among other areas. As the environment starts acting on the individual boys and girls after birth, they already have wired brains that show differences in how they respond to the above areas that lead to the differences. The females and males differences in their intellectual faculties lie in their abilities rather than their Intelligence Quotient, which may be the same in girls and boys, all other factors held constant but the sampled girls and boys will have differences in their linguistic and most probably their spatial abilities. Different areas of the brain are suited for various tasks and which the males and females have differing usage abilities in. Spatial differences On average, studies have found that male outperform female in spatial activities/ spatial visualizations like in situations that require the rotation of objects in a given space or in manipulation of objects in one way or another or just mental rotation. They are also able to outdo women in tasks which deal with maneuvering of their way through a maze of routes but this does not include grasping of landmarks for use as a means to remember their routes while women are able to recall landmarks more than men can. In addition to this, men are better off than women in the accuracy with which they target objects either in movement or in their static positions. They also do well in disembedding hidden objects. This extends to interception or guiding of projectiles and ability to realize any movements in the field of vision. This performance cuts across all ages as shown by Kaufman et. al (1999) that used the Weischeler Adult Intelligence Scales-Revised (WAIS-R) in determining fluids and crystallized differences in men and women. The study states that the ability to target an object develops well before puberty. The performance of men and women on Block Design, Digital Symbol and Information showed that men outperformed women in Block Design and Information while women did better than men in Digital Symbol. Verbal fluency In 2003, Shaywitz et al. were able to discern differences in gender as far as the brain’s language functional organization is concerned. They used a study called the functional resonance imaging and through this, females showed more abilities in verbal fluency than men. This included their manner of acquisition and longer spans of attention in conversation unlike men who lagged behind. They also tended to excel in memory tasks like fluency in generation of synonyms and better rapidity of identification of matching objects or items because their perception skills are better than those of their male counterparts (Shaywitz, B et al. (1995,). Kimura, 1996). They demonstrate better recall ability linked to verbal fluency than men in addition to having a higher episodic memory. They also show a greater ability to reckon words that begin with a certain letter more than the men can do. The fields of priming, semantic and primary memories do not however show any difference in men and women. Men on the other hand showed better performance in semantic measures and a higher order in the crystallized factor of intelligence. Due to the bigger cortical space in females assigned for language and its functions, there is less space left for the working of the spatial space which implies that females cannot be better than men in both language and spatial abilities. Problem-Solving Tasks There are differences in gender as far as the brain’s problem-solving tasks are concerned as reported by Gur et al. (1999) that conducted various studies and presented test to a sample of men and women under same condition. The results were basis for the conclusion drawn. First, arithmetic differences tests showed that men are higher cognitive abilities in terms of mathematics calculations and reasoning than women. In this test, set of mathematical based questions were asked to the selected sample; men responded more accurate and quick than women who displayed slowness and inaccuracy in calculated responses. In another experiment, a piece of paper was folded with a punched hole, and then the participants were asked to determine where punched hole shall fall if the paper shall be unfolded. Most men responded correctly and quickly in determining where the hole shall fall should the paper be opened than their female counterparts. Moreover, objects and images were placed before the participant and asked to rotate objects and manipulate the images. Men excelled better than women on this problem-solving task. Lastly, studies show that when men and women are targeting or aiming at an object, men are more likely to get their target than women can. This implies that women are less accurate in target-directed motor skills for example intercepting projectiles. To assert this finding, the practical example that can be used to explain this target-direct motor skill is by essence that men are good at target involving games like dart playing than women. Therefore, problem-solving task favors men than women in the sense that men perform better than women in spatial undertakings like tasks that involve mental rotating objects. Emotional coping Cognitive abilities of an individual to great extend help in process of coping with stress or depression. The essence that facilitates connection between coping with emotions and cognitive abilities is because through use of intelligence that a person can think, perceive and react to the surrounding. In this regard, intelligence needed to cope with emotions is defined as cognitive ability and content of the thought which differ greatly in men than women (Shaywitz et al. 1999; Gur et al. 1999). The meta-analyses studies conducted found that men are less affected with emotions than women. For instance, women were found to be affected by maladaptive or negative thinking about an emotional problem than male. Men usually indulge in alcoholism, aggressive behaviors and violent behaviors. While women are worse affected by the emotional since are usually depressed and can develop various eating and psychological disorders like bulimic or anxiety. Differences in precision in manual tasks Women are a bit faster than men in precision as far as some manual tasks like placing pegs in the holes on a given board. Coupled with their ability to recall the positions of objects more precisely than men, women show a greater likelihood of replacing an object to its initial position with a greater accuracy than men or state whether a given object had been displaced or not. Women therefore show a better fine motor coordination as compared to men The neuroanatomic difference in males and females has been found to contribute to cognitive abilities especially those that are sexual in nature. Females have XX genetic make-up while males have XY. These genes play a great role in differentiation and it is due to the absence of the Y chromosome in females that leads to the release of androgens which are the male hormones. These hormones cause the female to develop. Some periods when there is the release of sex hormones, there is an impact in the brain which leads to differences in cognition from the periods when there is no hormonal release. Prenatal development period has shown the greatest levels of hormone release according to several researches done (Shaywitz et. al 2003). During puberty the levels of the hormones do rise again and these fluctuations continue throughout one’s life span. Research has established that girls who were exposed to high testosterone levels were shown to display greater spatial skills when compared with other girls who had not been exposed to the hormone. This shows that the male hormone testosterone is responsible for the spatial abilities that males have. Males show some excellence at problem-solving in school more than females in addition to working out multiple choice tests better than females. Such examinations like SATs are performed in better by males than females who, apparently do well in written and untimed tests while getting higher overall grades in their schooling years. Girls have also proved to be better performers in math than males up to high school level where they drop, an aspect that has been attributed to the inclusion of m ore spatially oriented math in which the girls appear to be lower in performance than males (Shaywitz, B et al. 1995). Males are known to have a larger brain than females with a size which is 10% larger than that of females. Some researches have indicated that there is a correlation between the size of the brain and intellectual abilities. The males’ brains have more cerebrospinal and white matter than the brains of females. More white matter according to Gur et. al 2000 (cited in Shaywitz et. al 2003) is responsible for the information transfer to other regions of the brain thus contributing to their superb spatial abilities while the women who have more of the grey matter enhance greater processing capacity and efficiency. As has been stated earlier on, the brain is laterized such that one hemisphere dominate t6he other in a given or given fuction(s). The brain’s two halves are more laterized in the performance of some cognitive functions. In males, the laterization is more pronounced than in the females due to the neurohumoral interactions mediated by the testosterone hormone. Fourie and Stuart (2006) carried out an investigation on the role of gender and temperament in Functional Hemispheric Asymmetry and perception of emotional stimuli. In this investigation, they used a total population sample of 112 with females being 58 and men 54. The sample had four groups of students who were right-handed and chosen in terms of their gender, and temperament. Their levels of neuroticism, introversion and extroversion were measured using a personality questionnaire. The Divided Visual Field Technique, their differential hemisphere performance regarding latency and accuracy were determined. After the use of T-square test (Hotelling’s), the results showed that the accuracy in terms of the response time scores in men and women had a great difference in the way the two genders process their emotional stimuli. Women were found to do so faster and more accurately than their male counterparts in the processing and response to emotional stimuli. There are also some gender differences in maladaptive thinking and coping with stressful situations. The risk of depression in men is 8-12% while in women it has been found to be between 20-26%. Disorders related to depression affect about 70% of women and 30% of men due to the fact that women show uncontrollability in perception more than men (Kaufman, 1999 Voyer, 2005). Individuals with unilateral brain lesions or damages were studied (Inglis Lawson 2001) and it was found that males lost their verbal ability more than the females after both genders suffered damages in the left hemispheres. Men also lost their spatial abilities after a brain damage on their right hemispheres. Women were found to be better off than men in verbal ability even after suffering the same damage on either lobe. This justifies the fact that language and spatial abilities are bilaterally represented less in men than in women. Brain organization The human brain organization is an important part aligning for performing the cognitive tasks. The human brain has two hemispheres which are specialized in carry a specific kind of activity better that the other hemisphere. Brain organization for male is more lateralized to its cognitive functions than women brain. The major difference in lateralization of the brain is the hormonal roles (Shaywitz, et al. 1999). For instance, the testerone hormone facilitates neurohormonal linkage during early stages of cognitive development creating dimorphism in cerebral (Kimura, 1992). On the other hand, women brain is less lateralized with more of its portion assigned to verbal or language tasks. In electrical activities, men show they use their right hemisphere for spatial activities as opposed to women who use their left hemisphere. Conclusion In conclusion, the paper has discussed with illustrations the major gender cognitive difference between men and women. In the discussion, the paper has Spatial differences, Verbal fluency, Problem-Solving Tasks, Emotional coping, Differences in precision in manual tasks, and Brain organization. However, a point of worth to note is that there is distinct difference between the female and male cognitive abilities which is influenced by brain structures such as hypothalamus region. Moreover, SDN (sexually dimorphic nucleus) is smaller in women while larger for males. References Gur, RC et al. (1999) â€Å"Sex differences in brain; correlations with cognitive performance† Journal of Neuroscience, 29, p. 4042-4059 Kimura, D. (2002). â€Å"Sex, sex hormones and sexual orientation influence on human cognitive function† Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 16, p. 261-268 Kimura, D. (1998). Sex differences in the brain, Scientific American, 10, p. 26-31 Kaufman, A et al. (1999), â€Å"Intellectual growth pattern and decline across the adult life-span for women and men† Journal of Clinical Psychology, 37, p. 759-802 Shaywitz, B et al. (1995), â€Å"Sex differences in the functional organization of the brain for language† Nature, 363, p. 595-610. Shaywitz, S et al. (1999). â€Å"Estrogen changes functional organization of brain† Journal of the American Medical Association, 271, p. 1103-11513. Voyer, D. (2005) â€Å"A meta- analysis of Magnitude of sex differences in spatial abilities† Psychological Bulletin, 107, p. 252-273

The School of Athens and Raphael’s Portrayal of: Diogenes, Heraclitus,

Raphael was born on April 6, 1483 in Urbino in the Marche region. In 1491 when Raphael was eight, his mother died. Bette Talvacchia, author of Raphael cites that not much is known about Raphael’s personal life because he kept to himself about many things, but many historians believe that his personal life is portrayed through his paintings (8). Richard Cocke, author of The Complete Paintings of Raphael states that at the age of seventeen Raphael began to gain popularity as an artist and was, at that time, first commissioned as an artist (Cocke 83). Raphael was known for his historical paintings, such as The School of Athens, the way he painted the nude, and his amazing ability to make colors look vivid using oil paint (Cocke 5). Historical paintings are a type of painting genera that focuses on the story line rather that one specific moment, as in a portrait. Also, when painting with oil paint, it is difficult to make colors bright, so Raphael excelled at that. One of Raphael’s styles that he used was idealization rather than realism. Richard Cocke notes that â€Å"Raphael himself wrote to his friend Castiglione in 1514 about the problem of painting a beautiful woman: â€Å"I use a certain idea, which comes into my mind.† (5) Also, many of Raphael’s self-portraits show him dressed up as an elegant man rather than an artist, leading some to believe that he did not want to be viewed as an artist (Talvacchia 8). Raphael has an amazing ability to keep his artwork well balanced and organized (Talvacchia 8). Bette Talvacchia discusses: One of Raphael’s primary contributions to painting was to perfect the unison of classicizing technique with the tenets of naturalism. When composing a figure, for example, he referred to the visual evi... ... century. It is a constant invitation to think, reflect, and grow in knowledge. Works Cited Bell, Daniel O. "New Identifications in Raphael's School of Athens." The Art Bulletin 77.4 Dec. (1995): 643. Google Scholar . Web. 24 Apr. 2012. Cocke, Richard. The Complete Paintings of Raphael. N.p.: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1966. 5-102. Print. Hall, Marcia, ed. Raphael's School of Athens. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 42. Print. Kahn, Charles H. The Art and Thought of Heraclitus. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1979. 2. Google Scholar . Web. 17 May 2012. Matthews, Roy T., F D. Platt, and F X. Noble. The Western Humanities. 7th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2011. 346-55. Print. Sandbach, F H. The Stoics. 2nd ed. Bedminister: The Bristol Press, 1989. 14. Print. Talvacchia, Bette. Raphael. New York: Phaidon Press Limited, 2007. 8-90. Print.

Auditing Ethics

The natural setting, that we are predominantly in an imperfect world, brings about the question of ethics in many spheres of the human endeavor, including auditing.It is therefore a pre-liquisite for all auditors in any organization to understand and give concerted considerations to the human factor (both within the organization and outside) as they conduct ethically sensitive audits as well as determining the required audit coverage. It is common practice for most organizations to have some postulated ethical guidance procedures-the codes of ethics- the comprehensive principles and values statement that should serve as a daily guide to auditors in their daily work.This gives an outline regarding not only the ethical requirements but also the professional obligations that should be emphasized whenever any critical decisions relating to the business proceedings are to be made (Matthias, 2004, 16).There should be prior, clear communication and reinforcement of such ethical codes among the suppliers, customers, and employees (including the internal and external auditors). However, the extent and the nature of any audit coverage are critically determined by the management’s degree of commitment to high ethical and integrity standards.DiscussionIt is paramount to understand at this point that there are several risk factors that are involved in the process of auditing ethics. This implies that the auditors must be well conversant with all the functional fields in an organization so as to identify activities and functions in which ethical implications would pose the greatest risks. After such risks have been identified, a value (such as low, medium or high) is assigned to facilitate proper allocation of audit efforts (Usoff, 2001, 21).Among the most considered risks by auditors include, but are not limited to the following: ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sensitive data/information disclosure ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Perceived business loss ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Adverse publicity ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Probable injury to employers, employees, and/customers and ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Adverse legal implications.Some areas are imperatively more risk prone than others and auditors should therefore allocate them more ethical auditing time. One of these is the procurement and purchasing department in most, if not all enterprises. Red flags must always be raised in times when larger gratuities and gifts are offered by suppliers. These also include other nominal gifts offered, and every employee who is involved in purchases must be thoroughly reminded of the company policy on gratuities and gifts.Another are that require careful consideration at all times is the environmental, health issues, and safety department. An elaborate example deliberate audit denial is the Soviet’s Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident which they refused to acknowledge until other European neighbors complained ab out the nuclear fallouts.Environmental issues have been among the major challenges to industries world wide, with many other stakeholders such as the media, the public and regulatory bodies demanding apt responses on the part of the companies to make responsible precautions (Caplan, 2003, 14).

Irish Music Assignment Essay

The term Sean-nos or traditional Irish singing in the Irish Language, is a style of singing, which is rooted in the Gaeltacht regions of the Ireland. There are three main styles of Sean-nos, corresponding to the three areas where Irish is still spoken as a community language, the Gaeltachtai of Munster, Connacht and Ulster. Munster Gaeltachtai includes parts of Kerry, Cork and Waterford, the Connemara region of Connacht and the Ulster Gaeltacht in Donegal. Although Sean-nos is practised outside these areas, only in these 3 areas would it be the most popular. Even though all these areas have all share the same interest in singing they all have there own unique ways of performing Sean-nos songs. Sean-nos singing is normally unaccompanied and performed as a solo art. The person who sings a Sean-nos song is usually telling a story through the song by combining many vocal techniques, especially through the use of ornamentation and variation. Sean-nos singers use different techniques to ornament the performance of a song, One syllable in a word can be sung to several notes and the notes can be varies from verse to verse. Sometimes the notes to be ornamented can be adjacent to each other and at other times the gap between them is wide. This style of singing is confined mainly to Munster. Different notes can be stressed for a particular effect, or a note can be held over several beats. for example the famous Sean-nos singer from munster Iarla Ó Lionà ¡ird shows off these techniques of Ornamentation and variation in his most recent album Foxlight which was released in September 2011. Another obvious difference between the Sean-nos style of singing can be seen in the Ulster style. Donegal sean-nà ³s has been heavily influenced by Scots Gaelic song, which is much less ornamented than sean-nà ³s. Donegal singers tend to keep a steady pulse throughout the song. The melody is presented with minimal ornamentation grace notes, and may also contain a steady pulse throughout the song. The Donegal style of Sean-nos singing can be heard through Doimnic Mac Giolla Bhrà ­de who is a well known sean-nà ³s singer from Gaoth Dobhair, Co. Donegal who was the winner of Corn Uà ­ Riada, the Oireachtas sean-nà ³s singing competition, in 2009. Dominic released his own album in 2004 called Saol na Suà ¡ilce, presenting us with the unique Ulster style of Sean-nos singing Like the Munster style of singing Connacht Sean-nos singing in the Connemara area is also highly ornamentated with forms familiar to a traditional instrumentalis and also alot of variation making it difficult to tell the difference between the two, Seosamh Ó hÉanaà ­ from Connemara a famous Sean-nos singer that passed away in 1984 had recorded hundreds of songs using his distinct Connemara style of singing.

Israel P.L.O. Peace Treaty essays

Israel P.L.O. Peace Treaty essays The Middle East has always been known as the Holy Land, the land of the Bible. For centuries, prophets have walked there, nations have collided and conquerors have come and gone. While Jews claim a three thousand-year-old attachment to this ancient land, Arabs also stake their devotion. In 1993, these two peoples, involved in a tragic conflict that has lasted more than half a century, saw the possibility of a new beginning. It was called the Oslo Accord, and it transformed the political realities of the Middle East (Peres, p.2) However, there have been many turbulent events that have followed the signing of the Accord, events that have undermined the agreement and are threatening to drive Israelis and Arabs apart once again. Since the founding of Israel in 1948, there has been continuous conflict between Israel and the Arab states. This conflict has been marked by six bloody wars. In 1867, during the six-day war of Syria, Jordan and Egypt, Israel captured the West Bank, Sinai and the Gaza strip. Subsequently, a population of over a million Palestinian Arabs, together with their land was now under Israeli control. (Spencer, p.70) It was during this time that a Palestinian leader emerged, Yasser Arafat. Labeled a terrorist by Israel and the United States, he and his Palestine Liberation Organization called for the eviction of Israel from the occupied territories by force of arms. In 1979, Israel returned Sinai to Egypt by a peace treaty. Although Egypts Prime Minister Anwar Sadat was assassinated in 1982 by anti-peace forces, the peace still remained between the two countries. This paved the way for negotiations with Jordan, Syria, and the Palestines. (Hunter, p.17-20) However, Israels continued occupation of the Palestinian territories led to the uprising of Arab youth in the West Bank and Gaza, known as the Intifada. For the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, the Intifada provided them with a new and assertive Palestin...

How to Research Loyalist Ancestors

How to Research Loyalist Ancestors Loyalists, sometimes referred to as Tories, Royalists, or Kings Men, were American colonists who remained loyal to the British Crown during the years leading up to and including the American Revolution (1775–1783). Historians estimate that as many as 500,000 people - fifteen to twenty percent of the population of the Colonies- opposed the revolution. Some of them were active in their opposition, actively speaking out against the rebels, serving with British units during the war, or supporting the King and his forces as couriers, spies, guides, suppliers, and guards. Others were more passive in their choice of position. Loyalists were present in large numbers in New York, a refuge for persecuted Loyalists from September 1776 until its evacuation in 1783. There were also large groups in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and in the southern colonies of North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.1 Elsewhere they were a large minority of the population but least numerous in Massachusetts Virginia. Life as a Loyalist Because of their beliefs, Loyalists in the Thirteen Colonies were often treated as traitors. Active Loyalists may have been coerced into silence, stripped of their property, or even banished from the Colonies. In areas under Patriot control, Loyalists could not sell land, vote, or work in occupations such as doctor, lawyer, or schoolteacher. The outright hostility against the Loyalists both during and following the war ultimately resulted in the flight of about 70,000 Loyalists to British territories outside the colonies. Of these, approximately 46,000 went to Canada and Nova Scotia; 17,000 (primarily Southern Loyalists and their slaves) to the Bahamas and West Indies; and 7,000 to Britain. Among the Loyalists numbered not only colonists of British heritage, but also Scots, Germans, and Dutch, plus individuals of Iroquois ancestry and former African-American slaves. Begin with a Literature Survey If you have successfully traced your ancestry back to an individual living in America during the American Revolution, and clues seem to point to him being a possible Loyalist, then a survey of existing published source materials on Loyalists is a good place to begin. Many of these can actually be researched online through free sources that publish digitized version of historical books and journals. Use search terms such as loyalists or royalists and your area (state or country of interest) to explore available resources online in Google and in each of the historical books collections listed in 5 Free Sources for Historical Books Online. Examples of what you can find online include: Siebert, Wilbur H. The Loyalists of Pennsylvania. The Ohio State University Bulletin, 24 (April 1920). Digitized copy. Archive.org. http://archive.org/stream/pennsyloyalist00siebrich#page/n3/mode/2up : 2013.Lambert, Robert Stansbury. South Carolina Loyalists in the American Revolution, second edition. Digital book. Clemson: Clemson University Digital Press, 2010. clemson.edu/cedp/cudp/pubs/lambert/lambert.pdf : 2013. When searching specifically for historical publications, try various combinations of search terms such as United Empire Loyalists or loyalists pennsylvania or south carolina royalists. Terms such as Revolutionary War or American Revolution can turn up useful books as well. Periodicals are another excellent source of information on Loyalists. To find articles on this topic in historical or genealogical journals, conduct a search in PERSI, an index to over 2.25 million genealogy and local history articles appearing in publications of thousands of local, state, national and international societies and organizations. If you have access to a university or other large library, the JSTOR database is another good source for historical journal articles. Search for Your Ancestor in Loyalist Lists During and after the Revolution, various lists of known Loyalists were created which may name your ancestor. The United Empire Association of Canada has probably the largest list of known or suspected Loyalists. Called the Directory of Loyalists, the list includes about 7,000 names compiled from a variety of sources. Those marked as proven, are proven United Empire Loyalists; the rest are either unproven names found identified in at least one resource or those who have been proven NOT to be Loyalists. Most of the lists published during the war as proclamations, in newspapers, etc. have been located and published. Look for these online, in U.S. state archives, in Canadian provincial archives, and in archives and other repositories in other areas where Loyalists settled, such as Jamaica. Sources: 1. Robert Middlekauff, The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763–1789 (New York: Oxford University Press, 2005), pp 549–50.

Women and their Rights to Sexual and Reproductive Health Essay

Women and their Rights to Sexual and Reproductive Health - Essay Example This system of patriarchy is supported and intensified by our society through the continuous reinforcement of the male domination via different institutions such as religion, government, economy, family, and often than not, the institution of education as well. Likewise, one among the roles being played by these social institutions is the shaping of gender roles between men and women. It is the case that how people are supposed to behave and how they act are something that is already influenced and anticipated by the society. On the one hand, the unjust power dynamics between men and women has affected greatly women in our society in general. It is not just the old, middle – aged, young, or even those females who are not born yet who are affected but generally, all women are troubled. This is for the reason that women are clearly situated at a disadvantageous point because of the unfair and unequal power relations between men and women. Women are considered as second class cit izens who are powerless and need to depend on men. Women lack the power to control their lives and even to rule over their own body since the normative standard expects men to dominate over women. Because of the fact that women cannot even have power over their own bodies, they are not given priority and are usually ignored to have the rights to the sexual and reproductive health. In this regard, this argumentative paper will dwell on the position that women, who lack the control over their bodies, must have the rights to their sexual and reproductive health. I am saying this not just on behalf of those women who are infected by sexual infections and diseases, but I am stating this on behalf of all the women. Not all women may have the full awareness that they are limited because of gender but just accept what the society dictates them. However, sexual and reproductive health is one of the many things that women do not have. Thus, they should have these rights as women. Human immuno deficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), as stated by Amzat and Abdullahi (2008), has turned out to be a challenging global health concern for having around 40 million infected people in Africa. Indeed, this health issue is indeed a global concern but the condition of Africa is something that is really shocking. It is the case that seven (7) out of ten (10) infected with the disease are residing at this region. What contributes to this bulk number of infected people is not just the lack of awareness of having protected sex and the lack of safe sex practice however, according to the United Nations Development Programme – Pacific Centre’s (UNDPPC) (2009) report, there is a close connection between the spread of HIV as well as the distinct and unfair experiences of women and men and together with the unjust power relations between them that leads to the gender – based discrimination of different sorts suffered by women. Moreover, the r esult of the new report has been consistent to the United Nations’ old report in 1996. Both have asserted that gender is still suggested to be considered as a concern in order to address, stop and invert the increase of HIV as well as the other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The case of the spread of HIV in the Pacific is marked by risky sexual behaviors of men who have happened to hold more social power and have more freedom in having sexual activities as compared to women (UNDPPC, 2009). Meanwhile, the society has constructed its ideas on masculinity whose common features link to their likelihood of acquiring this sexual infection. Men’s physical and sexual prowess together with their authority in the society has altered the