The Glass Ceiling is gone for women Research Paper

The Glass Ceiling is gone for women - Research Paper Example Of course, examples of favoritism in the workplace of some form will likely always take place but suggesting that somehow there has been a secretive, concerted, global conspiracy by immoral companies directed against women is ludicrous. This essay discredits the glass ceiling myth by exploring the arguments by the faction who would support the premise and by introduce perspective and context into the discussion. Before examining the multiple aspects of the imagined wage gap in the workplace between women and men, one undeniable facet should be addressed. This country functions on a capitalistic system. Companies small and large, in every service and industry, have one central objective which is to make money, the more the merrier. Consequently, it is an economic certainty that if a corporation could employ women who would agree to 25 percent less salary than a man to do the same task, as is commonly claimed, they would only hire women. Since this hasn’t occurred either nationa lly or locally, it can be assumed that there exists no gender-based discrepancies in wages, no unspoken scheme to discriminate against females, no glass ceiling. A study which surveyed almost 900 companies of assorted sizes found that approximately half said that it was at least somewhat probable its next CEO would be a woman. Forty years ago this would not have been the case when women, motivated by economic need, began entering the workforce in greater numbers. However, forty years later, after women gradually became more career oriented, they are just as likely to assume the top position in businesses as men, right on schedule. It is only realistic to assume that there was a discrepancy among the genders in holding the upper echelon positions in the early years of the historic role redefinition that began in the early 1970’s. However, â€Å"the rhetoric of the feminist movement in those early years decrying the gap in pay and position has not changed since that time even though that gap has been all but eradicated as a result of the natural evolutionary assimilation process.† (McNutt, 2002). In spite of all evidence to the contrary, the glass ceiling myth continues and has advanced to the point of being broadly thought of and accepted as true, but the circumstances have evolved over the past four decades. According to a national survey, today, a women’s paycheck is about 97 percent the rate their male colleagues receive. The statistic that is usually cited when comparing women’s earnings is they earn only 75 percent of what men are paid. This was ‘substantiated’ by the Women’s Policy Research in conjunction with the AFL-CIO. The cooperative study only included woman aged 50 and older, most of which were not as highly educated as their male colleagues. When today’s young women are in their 50’s, this circumstance will not be the case, in fact, and the opposite will be. â€Å"As opposed to the â⠂¬Ëœdisco era,’ now, the majority of associate, bachelor and master degrees are awarded to women. Forty percent of doctorate degrees are accepted by women. This illustrates again how the times have changed but the arguments supporting the existence of glass ceiling have not† (McNutt, 2002). Other research has shown that women, universally, earn about three-quarters what men receive. Assuming this information is up to date, which

Media and communication theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Media and communication theories - Essay Example The rate of online literacy is increasing day by day. People find different ways of communication. We send SMS messages, we leave the messages on answering machine if the person is not available on phone, we use search engines for surfing, we use scanners, and we create the websites, we communicate via mails to any person. The person from one corner of the world can easily chat with another person sitting at the other corner of the world just through the medium of the computer and internet. The person can share his opinions before the huge mass through blogs, website, pictures, and emails. The new media has occupied almost all the fields. It is the traditional media who sew the seeds of democracy among the people and it is the new media who taught the audience how to become democratic in real sense. Thus the audiences have become active and participative. Here in this paper the main focus is on the role of audience in media production as well as media consumption Communicating the huge mass or creating good rapport with the people has been the major need since ancient time. In ancient time the kings use to propagate themselves through the contemporary traditional media such as sculptures or by building monuments. In ancient India for example the Emperor Ashoka’s rock edicts and pillar inscriptions are the examples of the ruler’s attempt to communicate with the large number of people. The Roman rulers used wall posting including the imperial dicta to inform the public. They were types of news bulletins and were known as Acta Diurna (Daily Acts). Some historians considered them as the first newspapers. On the onset of industrialization the invention of the printing press changed the entire scenario and the newspapers started publishing and thus they became the major source of information for the people. Theatre and other performing arts also played the role of

Societal Determinants of Health

Societal Determinants of Health Louise Matthews Determinants of Health Tutor: Liz Footsoy Introduction This essay will be looking at how an individual’s health is determined within society. Epidemiologists who study the pattern of disease, have found that not all groups have the same opportunities to achieve good health (Naidoo, 2009). There are many factors that effect a person’s health such as where a person lives, the state of the environment in which they live, employment, income, education levels and relationships that person has with their family and friends. Using employment as an example. If a person is in employment they will receive an income, which can be used to fund food, a home and bills. Therefore they have shelter, heating and a decent chance of a steady healthy life. In comparison if a person is unemployed they would not receive an income to fund food, a home and bills. This would have a detrimental effect on their health, not only physically but also mentally. Financial worries and stress could easily cause mental health problems such as depression and the person would have low levels of self-esteem. They are also at risk of having to live in damp housing which could cause long term respiratory disease (Deaton, 2003). This essay is going to have an in-depth look at how income and education effect the lifestyles of different levels of social class. It will then look how this determines the health of these groups in society. Statistical sources will be used as evidence to show how mortality rates are effected by high and low levels of income and education in England compared to America. The essay will finally be drawn to a conclusion, using all the information and statistical facts found throughout the writing of this piece of work. An excellent introduction – good use of sources. Main Body[i1] In the 1900’s the major causes of death were infectious diseases such as Tuberculosis and Influenza but with advances in science and improvements in medicine, deaths from these sort of diseases have been dramatically reduced. As infectious have been eliminated, other illnesses have replaced them as leading causes of early death in Western culture. In modern day the main causes of death are known as chronic lifestyle related conditions such as chronic heart disease, respiratory disease, obesity, diabetes and certain forms of cancer (Mc Graw Hill, 2014). These kinds of diseases are most common amongst lower socioeconomic groups. It is the lifestyle that this group of society lead that causes these kind of diseases. Things like excessive drinking, smoking; low levels of physical activity and high levels of stress, depression and poor diet are all factors that contribute towards ill health (Naidoo, 2009). Cardio vascular disease in England is amongst the highest in the world, being the cause of death in 40% of men and 38% of women (Mayes, 1991). For a person to have good health and well-being they need to have access to fresh fruit and veg[i2] daily in order to eat well. Regular physical activity is essential for disease prevention and health promotion. Good fitness reduces the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease. Good fitness also contributes to the mental well-being of an individual, making them feel good about themselves and improving their self-esteem and increasing energy levels. Fewer than 40% of adults meet physical activity guidelines and this generally declines with age (Mc Graw Hill, 2014). People in higher social class groups live longer and enjoy better health than disadvantaged groups, for example a man in a professional job is likely to live seven years longer than a man in an unskilled or manual job. It would seem that if a man was unemployed the life expectancy would decline even further (Naidoo,2009). The major inequality in social class is wealth, income and education. Many economists argue that better educated people live longer than poorer, less educated people. This is because with good education, comes good knowledge and understanding and stands well educated people in better positions to get higher paid jobs, bringing them good income and wealth. Meaning they can afford better things in life, like good fresh food and housing which in turn should lengthen their life expectancy. A varied, healthy diet is essential in promoting good health. A person needs to eat to survive, food supplies energy for growth and movement, Protein for muscles and dietary fibre for roughage. A low intake of dietary fibre is suggested to be the cause of many diseases such as constipation, bowel cancer, coronary heart disease and varicose veins (Mayes, 1991).[LF3] The type of housing a person lives in also has a massive impact on that person’s health. If someone lives in a damp free house, situated in an area of low pollution levels, they should have lesser chance of suffering from respiratory problems than someone who does live in damp conditions. A person from a lower class group, that has no choice but to live in damp housing because of income is at risk of ill health. With damp housing comes all sorts of problems for an individual’s health. It can cause respiratory problems and infections, allergies and asthma, the environment can also affect the immune system (NHS, 2014). More than one million children in England live in bad housing. Poor housing conditions increase the risk of severe ill health or disability by up to 25% during childhood and early adulthood. Respiratory problems such as coughing and wheezing, means losing sleep, restricted physical activity and missing school. Therefore growing up in poor housing can have a long term impact on a child’s life chances because of the effect it has on their learning and education, lower educational attainment, greater likelihood of unemployment and poverty (Harker, 2006). It is thought that better educated people are more able to understand and use health information and are better placed to benefit from the healthcare system. The knowledge that the higher class people have learnt prevents them from partaking in risky behaviours like binge drinking and smoking, like the lower socioeconomic, less educated people do.[LF4] Both education and income promote health in different ways, like stated before good education makes it easier to use new health information and technologies and income makes life easier for the individuals, reducing stress and worry financially. Not having to worry about child care costs and being able to go on relaxing family holidays, giving them a better quality of life and better state of mental health. Reducing stress levels is just as important as a healthy diet and exercise regime in reducing the risk of chronic heart disease and certain forms of cancer. Cities with higher average education or higher average income have lower mortality rates (Deaton, 2003). Children born into well educated, high income households will also be given the best chance at a bright, healthy future. They will realise the importance of education and along with education comes power and the ability to earn a decent income. This is obviously not the case for children born into less educated poorer families. These children arrive at adulthood with poorer health and poorer educational attainment. This has a massive knock on effect to that individual’s ability to earn themselves a good income in adulthood. These individuals will also suffer high levels of stress and low levels of self-esteem which will have a negative effect on their mental health and well-being. An excellent discussion – well done! Conclusion It is obvious at the end of this report that not everyone is given an equal chance at a healthy life. People do not get chronic diseases because they are unlucky; they get these diseases because of the lifestyle in which they lead. These people may not choose to lead these lifestyles; it can be because of reasons out of their control why they are in these situations. Lack of education and income can all impact upon their health and lifestyle. A good education is the building block to a healthy life. Education increases a person’s chance of employability and ability to cope with many situations, allowing the person not to get overwhelmed with stress which could have a detrimental effect on their mental health. Employment provides income and thus access to health promoting resources such as a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables, good housing and heating. People need to take education more importantly from an early age to increase the whole of society’s life expectancies and to close the gap between different social classes. Very clear, decisive conclusion however it is important to consider factors such as a healthy balance between foods, drinks and exercise. Some people who exercise excessively when they are young will often suffer ill health later in life etc. Overall an excellent report – well done! Table of Reference Mayes, A. (1991) ‘The A-Z of Nutritional Health’. London: Harper Collins Publishers. Naidoo, J., Wills, J. (2009) ‘Foundations for Health Promotion’. (3rd edition) London: Bailliere Tindall ELSEVIER. Deaton, A. (2003) ‘Health, Income and Inequality’ [Online] Available at: http://www.TheNationalBureauofeconmicresearch.com [Accessed – 12th May 2014] GOV.UK. (no year) ‘Can damp and mould affect my health?’ [Online] Available at: http://www.nhs.co.uk [Accessed – 5th May 2014] Harker, L. (2006) ‘The impact of bad housing on children’s lives’ [Online] Available at: http://www.england.shelter.org.uk [Accessed – 12th May 2014] Mc Graw Hill. (no year) ‘Lifestyle for health, fitness and wellness’. [Online] [Accessed 5th May 2014] Very good range of sources! 1 [i1]Should be discussion of findings [i2]Always write in full i.e., vegetables [LF3]Very good points of discussion and very good use of sources. [LF4]I do agree however this could go the other way too – more money means you can afford to behave more riskily e.g., drug taking alchol.

A Constitutional Framework: The Relationship of Supreme Power and Indiv

A Constitutional Framework: The Relationship of Supreme Power and Individual Rights in the Second Treatise The supremacy of legislative power is a deceptive phrase in the Second Treatise. If one were to follow Locke’s blueprint for the original formation of the commonwealth closely, it would become apparent that supreme power in political society rests with the people, not the legislature, because ultimately, there must be a constitution that is written by the people. In order to most clearly see this, a distinction must be drawn between the basic political society and the higher level institution of government, and the events that take place in each sphere must be differentiated. In light of this distinction, the relationship between individual rights and the rights of the legislative can be seen to be much more dynamic as supreme power may shift from one to the other depending on the actions of the legislative and the reactions of the people. The retention of individual natural rights within Locke’s government becomes significantly less problematic than if the legislative were invariably supreme, although the recourse available to the individual who finds himself outside the majority is still relatively limited by the power of the majority in political society. The fundamental premise that a commonwealth is formed before its government is created implies that there exists a space of time between men’s leaving the state of nature and the establishment of a government, and it is this time that separates Locke’s initial â€Å"political society† from his later stage of political society with a government; he later calls this stage â€Å"society† itself as distinct from â€Å"government† (XIX, 211) . The events of the transition stage are cri... ...im others, like the protection of his property and the right to appeal to disinterested judges. The constitution is the means by which these rights may be preserved against the power of the legislative in government, and the standard by which the people may measure the justice of the laws promulgated by the legislative. Within the constitutional framework, Locke provides for the protection of the individual from the government through the codification of his natural rights, and the protection of the individual from the majority is at least partially secured by the protection of his property. The problem of the tyranny of the majority is not wholly solved by the introduction of a constitution into political society, but Locke seems to see his safeguards as the most expansive that can be achieved under a government to which men in nature must give something up to enter. A Constitutional Framework: The Relationship of Supreme Power and Indiv A Constitutional Framework: The Relationship of Supreme Power and Individual Rights in the Second Treatise The supremacy of legislative power is a deceptive phrase in the Second Treatise. If one were to follow Locke’s blueprint for the original formation of the commonwealth closely, it would become apparent that supreme power in political society rests with the people, not the legislature, because ultimately, there must be a constitution that is written by the people. In order to most clearly see this, a distinction must be drawn between the basic political society and the higher level institution of government, and the events that take place in each sphere must be differentiated. In light of this distinction, the relationship between individual rights and the rights of the legislative can be seen to be much more dynamic as supreme power may shift from one to the other depending on the actions of the legislative and the reactions of the people. The retention of individual natural rights within Locke’s government becomes significantly less problematic than if the legislative were invariably supreme, although the recourse available to the individual who finds himself outside the majority is still relatively limited by the power of the majority in political society. The fundamental premise that a commonwealth is formed before its government is created implies that there exists a space of time between men’s leaving the state of nature and the establishment of a government, and it is this time that separates Locke’s initial â€Å"political society† from his later stage of political society with a government; he later calls this stage â€Å"society† itself as distinct from â€Å"government† (XIX, 211) . The events of the transition stage are cri... ...im others, like the protection of his property and the right to appeal to disinterested judges. The constitution is the means by which these rights may be preserved against the power of the legislative in government, and the standard by which the people may measure the justice of the laws promulgated by the legislative. Within the constitutional framework, Locke provides for the protection of the individual from the government through the codification of his natural rights, and the protection of the individual from the majority is at least partially secured by the protection of his property. The problem of the tyranny of the majority is not wholly solved by the introduction of a constitution into political society, but Locke seems to see his safeguards as the most expansive that can be achieved under a government to which men in nature must give something up to enter.

Love in LA Essay

The difference between two separate opinions of love could be very similar, yet could be drastically contrasting. In the story â€Å"Love in L. A. â€Å", written by Dagoberto Gilb, Jake has, what would appear to a normal person, a skewed vision of love. Out of everything in his world he could chose to love, it is his car that he loves. His car means everything to him and it seems as if nothing else matters. In the story â€Å"The Love of My Life†, by T. C. Boyle, two teenagers seem to love each other so passionately that they are willing to risk the life of their own child to keep, what they consider in their eyes, a perfect life. Like Jake in â€Å"Love in L. A. † and the teenagers in â€Å"The Love of My Life†, people’s view on love can sway many different ways, sometimes clouding their ability to make the proper decision. In â€Å"Love in L. A. † Jake has a deep love for his car and everything about it. Even as he rides in his car, he thinks of ways to make it better. While he describes adding accessories such as â€Å"crushed velvet interior†¦ warm heater and defroster†¦ and cruise control,† Jake falls even further into a daze. To the reader the car is just an old piece of junk. This old piece of junk is more than enough to keep Jake happy. Without any friends or someone to talk to, his beat up Buick is the only thing he is able to connect with. For example, his awkward encounter with Mariana shows how strangers perceive him, which could be a contributory reason to why he has such a connection with his car. Instead of having a relationship with a human being, in a way he has a relationship with an inanimate object. The teenagers in â€Å"The Love of My Life† have an offbeat view of love. They love each other greatly and will do anything for love, even if it means throwing their newborn baby in a dumpster like a piece of unwanted garbage. Both of them are at fault for the situation that they now find themselves in. Even though the Jeremy is in jail for murdering their young child, the girl pressured him into doing so. If they both love each other as they claim, the girl wouldn’t have pressured Jeremy into murdering the baby, and the guy should not have given in for the sake of love. Their view of love is off in the sense that they are too caught up in loving themselves and believe that having a baby will ruin their lives. They don’t want to take the time to love their baby because it will take away time that they would get to spend together. If they truly loved each other, they would take the baby into their lives and love it like they love one another. Along with not having a view of love that would be considered â€Å"normal†, Jake does not seem to have a real grasp of what is acceptable and what is not. After giving fake information to the girl he just rear ended while day dreaming about his beloved car, he drives away pondering what just unfolded. He feels some guilt and shows signs that hint towards knowing what is right and wrong, â€Å"[taking] a moment or two to feel both proud and sad about his performance. But soon after he is content and the only thing on his mind is getting new license plates for his car since he stole the old plates off of an old junk car. His love for the car clouds his reasoning and forces him to make decisions influenced by him loving his car. As most teenagers would say, having a baby before the age of twenty is a burden someone of that age could go without. The teenagers in â€Å"The Love of My Life† seem to hold the same opinion, but the teens in the story took a route not heavily traveled upon. Without thinking of a plan to safely get rid of the baby, like adoption, their first reaction was to throw the baby in a dumpster. Short term fix, ending with heavy consequences. The reason for their decision was based off love. In Jake’s eyes, the love that he has for his car is no different than loving something physically. The car that he drives makes him happy and gives him something to do. It is clear that nothing, not even a fender bender, can keep him from loving his car. On the other hand, the lack of love the teenagers show towards their child in â€Å"The Love of My Life† shows that they have tunnel vision when it comes to love. They are focused on themselves and they will stop at nothing to keep their love intact. Depending on how a person is raised or influenced throughout life, love can have many different meanings. Like Jake in â€Å"Love in L. A. †, love doesn’t always have to be associated with other people. Love can influence people in a negative way like â€Å"The Love of My Life,† but could also have a positive impact. As experienced in both stories, people’s views on love can sway many different ways, sometimes affecting their ability to make the proper choice.

Character Analysis of Hugo’s Javert Essay

Hugo’s character Javert sees anyone who may have commit a crime as simple as the theft of a loaf of bread as a social malefactor, a blight on all of society, a prime evil who needs to be eliminated, removed from the general population, and a devil that can be neither reformed nor tamed. Javert is the true rationalist. Like Medieval philosophers, he believes that people will naturally resort to evil, and that these people can never be saved or reformed. Javert is the true rationalist because he believes the law is the highest authority, sees Jean Valjean as purely evil, and because he wholeheartedly believes in the infallibility of the law. Javert believes the law is the highest authority throughout Les Miserables. When his character is first described, Hugo states â€Å"It will be easily understood that Javert was the terror of all that class which the annual statistics of the Minister of Justice include under the heading: People without a fixed abode† (57). Javert believes that all of those that live in poverty are destined to be criminals because they are forced to live without being able to satisfy certain wants, and that people, who are naturally bad, will violate the law to satisfy themselves. Javert, quick to punish anyone of a low social status, is also quick to punish himself. When he falsely accuses Monsieur the Mayor of being a convict, he asks to be dismissed. To the Mayor, he says â€Å"I denounced you as a convict- you, a respectable man, a mayor, and a magistrate. This is a serious matter, very serious. I have committed an offense against authority† (69). He believes that he has violated the law and should therefore be punished for it, even though he has proved himself to be a worthy inspector and only is guilty of a minor infraction. He believes that any man, despite any previous or future actions, is inherently evil if he has ever done wrong, so Javert automatically condemns himself because he has commit a crime. Javert also believes that the word of the law always supercedes the word of a normal man. Champmathieu, who denied being Jean Valjean, was, in fact, not him, but Javert was positive that he was because the police had accused him of it. When Champmathieu proclaimed his innocence, Javert said of him â€Å"Champmathieu plays off astonished† because he believes that there is no shadow of a doubt  on whether this man is Jean Valjean. The police accused him of this, so they must be right. The police, because they are the envoy of the law, the supreme judge of character, must not be wrong, they are infallible in his eyes. Javert is a true rationalist because he believes that the law decides what kind of person you are, and the law is the highest authority, and that once judged by the law, a man cannot change. Javert is a rationalist because he believes that man is incapable of reform. Throughout the novel, Javert pursues Jean Valjean because he is a convict who is a danger to society. In M_ sur M_, Jean Valjean showed he was reformed by giving to his fellow man before taking for himself. In M_ sur M_, Jean Valjean made 600,000 francs, but not without giving 1,000,000 to the people of the town. Javert pursues him even though he proved himself to be good for the community. Javert is relentless in his pursuit because he firmly believes that a convict is incapable of reformation because he has shown himself to be a doer of evil, and someone who has done evil is inherently evil. When Jean Valjean saved Cosette from the Thenardiers, he showed that he was capable of love and that he was no longer bitter from years of incarceration. Nevertheless, Javert chases after him because he believes he is still a threat, because of his evil nature. Afterwards, Jean Valjean made it his life’s purpose to raise Cosette and give all his money to the poor, to better their circumstances. When Thenardier intended to kill Jean Valjean, Javert came not to stop a crime in process but to get Jean Valjean. Javert even pursued Jean Valjean after he had spared Javert’s life at the barricade. Even after the innumerable good, selfless deeds that Valjean performed Javert pursued him because he thought Valjean was still and would always be evil, because a man’s soul cannot change, is predestined to good or evil, love or violence. Javert shows he is a rationalist because he is blind to the fact that Valjean has reformed, because it is impossible for a man to do so. Javert shows he is a rationalist because he believes the law is infallible with all his soul. When saved by Valjean, Javert is confronted with a moral dilemma. He knew that he had to bring back Valjean or else he was in violation of his duty, and that if he were to let Valjean be free he would  be equally as evil. Hugo describes this predicament â€Å"Javert felt that something horrible was penetrating his soul, admiration for a convict† (336). Javert felt that he was becoming evil because he empathized with a purely evil man. As he empathized with Valjean, â€Å"all the axioms which had been the supports of his whole life crumbled away† (336). Javert was infected by a terrible disease, compassion. Compassion blinded his objectivity and was rendered an unworthy judge, now he was merely a wretch of a man, with a soul as black as Jean Valjean’s. Because in his mind, the mind of a true rationalist, there was only right and wrong, there were only two ways about this. He could either turn the evil man in or die for aiding and abetting the fugitive. Javert must do either the right, and prove himself true, or do wrong and prove himself evil. He must be either good or evil, because there is no such thing as a gray area, and no such thing as compassion, only seeds of evil in his soul. He was his own judge, jury, and executioner. He killed himself because he had failed before the eyes of the law, he failed to do right and was thus proven evil, and did not deserve to live. For this he was a rationalist. Javert represents the true rationalist in this novel because he believes the law is the highest judge of men. The law is the world’s guiding light and is always true. It is infallible, and the judge, a dispensary of the law, is the direct envoy of God. Jean Valjean is purely evil, and his attempts at repentance are only attempts to get out of trouble and to once again be assimilated into his surroundings, so he can once again do evil. Valjean is only a wolf, attempting to wear a sheep’s skin. His beliefs lead him to be so close minded that he is unable to deal with the fact that the law might be wrong. His mind is his own gallows, because he believes in the supreme power of the law. His rationalist beliefs are his noose, the ultimate cause of his death.