Has the restructuring of gender relations and employment led to a restructuring of European Societies?

Over the last number of years we have seen changes in the structure of gender relations in European States. Has this restructuring had continual effects on other aspects of European Societies or has it been an isolated incident? This is what is in question here. In order to assess as to whether the restructuring of gender relations and employment has led to a restructuring of European societies we must look at what is meant by gender relations and how it has changed. The first aspect of gender relations that we can look at is the theories of gender difference. It is important for us to go back a number of years in order to see how these theories have developed and transformed into gender differences, as we know them today. Patriarchy is one of the first and most prominent theories of gender differences. This theory is based on the historical belief that men are better then women. This can be seen in the way that institutions and organisations were established and in the way society initially only allowed men to vote, etc. Patriarchy was also attributed to the biological differences between men and women. It was believed that women's maternal instinct led them to be weak and caring and could be overpowered by men, while men were aggressive and dominant and so would fight for their positions and to keep them. The biological differences also contribute to women's lesser role in society through the fact that they were the ones who bore children. In order for society to grow and develop it was necessary for there to be ongoing growth and high fertility rates. This was the women's role, as well as caring and watching over the children and ensuring that they developed into contributing members of society. Historical patriarchy can explain much of the male dominance in society but cannot be said to apply from the 1960's onwards. The changes that came about in and around the 1960's can be explained through Hakims Preference theory as explained in her article ‘Women, Work and the Family in Europe'. She basis the differences in gender on five different factors: 1. Contraceptive Revolution 2. Equal Opportunities Revolution 3. Expansion of White Collar Jobs 4. Creation of Jobs for Secondary Earners 5. Increasing Importance of Attitudes, Values and Personal Preferences in Lifestyle Choices of Prosperous Liberal Societies. The first two factors came about due to changes in science and values. They allowed women to control their fertility and made it a precondition of actual choice whether to have a child and if so when. This allowed women to enter the workforce and control when they left by controlling when they had a child. The Equal Opportunities Revolution was a precondition of the feminist movements of the 1960's, which changed values about gender equality, and therefore changed how women were treated in the workforce. The final three factors in Hakims Preference Theory are also important in looking at whether the restructuring of gender relations and employment has led to a restructuring of European societies. The expansion of white-collar jobs and the creation of jobs for secondary earners in essence give women a more actualised choice to get a job for income. This is important in the realisation that employment has changed, as it has now made it possible for women to both hold a job and look after a family. The final factor in Hakims Preference Theory refers to a move to individualisation, whereby ones identity is not formed by ones social group but by oneself. This can be attributed to Post Materialist Values. This is an important factor as is points to how women began to make choices that suited them and not just do what they felt the must do in society. Each of the factors in Hakims Theory point towards the end of the Historical Patriarchy Theory of gender differences, as women were becoming more independent, were being given more freedom in relation to biological differences and also more opportunities. Another theory that could be applied from this point, where we saw changes in the labour market in relation to gender, onwards is the Marxist theory. This theory is based upon a dual market theory. From a capitalist workers point of view they wanted to divide the labour market into two segments and pit them against one another so they were more likely to get better results. This was also a method to develop skilled and unskilled labour. It was mostly men in this work force but in times when factory owners required more workers they would call in a ‘reserve army of labour'. This is where women came in, as they would work when it was necessitated for them to work, but not all the time. This theory again does not go as far to explain the situation, as we know it today in Europe as we can see today that both men and women work and that it is not just a ‘reserve army of labour' that is required. The most developed and established theory of gender differences, and also possible the most appropriate in European Societies today, is the Weberian theory. This theory is based on the belief that different social groups compete with each other to gain positions of class status and political power. Women can be seen as a social group in their own right and so can be one of the groups who compete against others, i.e. men. This can be said to be the theory of gender difference in society today as shall be seen later we now see women competing alongside men for employment. So far we have looked at the gender differences in society, but it is also necessary for use to look at other aspects of gender relations. Another of theses is gender equality. Today there are a couple of different theories of gender equality in Europe. The first of these, and also the most minimalist of these, is equality of opportunities in public sphere. This means giving women equal opportunities as men in regards to gaining access to jobs, through education, labour market, politics etc. The next step on from this is equal opportunities and outcomes in the public sphere. This is the same as the previous theory but also allows for equal outcomes. This means that provisions are made to ensure that both genders receive equal treatment in the public labour market. This may be through state creation of jobs with quotas or laws and enforcements of gender equality. These two theories can be related to liberal market based approach to society. These societies can be said to take a minimalist approach to gender equality, either only focusing on equality of opportunity or else only considering equality of treatment or outcome to be of very little importance. In some countries the equality of outcome will only go as far as to mean no sexism or sexual harassment, and sometimes this may be regulated through laws. Examples of some countries who employ this approach to gender equality are Ireland and Great Britain. These societies have and understanding of what gender equality is and understand that it must be addressed, but do not have an extensive move towards complete gender equality. The final theory of gender equality and also most extensive theory is equal opportunities and outcomes in both the public and private sphere. This refers to the attempts to ensure equality of opportunities and outcomes in the public sphere, but also in the private sphere. This can mean provisions for childcare, parental leave, etc. allowing both men and women to compete with as much equal footing as possible. This theory of gender equality is most closely associated with the neo-Corporatist approach to gender relations. In this respect the state assumes the role of creating gender equality and makes a number of extensive provisions to allow for equal opportunities and outcomes in almost all areas of society though the resources of the welfare states. Examples of countries where this approach can be found are in the Scandinavian countries such as Norway, Denmark and Sweden. In her article ‘Dual Breadwinners between State and Market', Anne Lise Ellingstaeter makes reference to these three countries and their welfare states. She explains, â€Å"in general there are several models for modifying the tensions between employment and childcare. Three policy elements are central: (1) time to care, (2) money for care, and (3) care services.† (Lise Ellingstaeter, 1999: 41) She then goes on to explain in some detail how the welfare state of these countries have restructured gender relations and employment by providing better care facilities, etc. In order to understand why improved care facilities, money for care and time to care are so important in the restructuring of gender relations and employment we must realise that it was not always the case that women worked. For many years there was simply the belief that there was one breadwinner in a family, and that was the man. This can be related back to the historical patriarchy theory, but as we have already seen this theory on gender differences has developed into the Marxist theory and the Weberian theory, and we can understand that the breadwinner model has also developed. In her article ‘The Modernisation of Family and Motherhood in Western Europe', Brigit Pfau- Effinger develops the ‘Beyond Breadwinner Model'. This model goes beyond Hakims Breadwinner Model to a less traditional Dual Breadwinner Model using gender division of labour and gender relations. The different models can be characterised as: 1. Family Economic Model 2. Male- Breadwinner/ Female- Carer 3. Male- Breadwinner/ Female- Part timer 4. Dual- Breadwinner/ State Carer, or Market Carer 5. Dual- Breadwinner/ Dual Carer (Pfau- Effinger, 1999: 62-63) The first of these models, the Family Economic Model, is the very traditional model that is most closely associated with farming and family orientated business. In this model it is believed that all members of the family take part in all aspects of the family life including generating income. The Male- Breadwinner/ Female- Carer model is also a traditional model and can be said to be related to Hakims Breadwinner Model. This model places men as the earners in the family and women as the carers. While societies have developed from this what must be realised is that women still do have a choice in what they do, and that even though this model may be dying it can still be seen significantly in society today. 43% of households in Ireland still apply to this model. As already stated Ireland takes a Liberal approach to gender equality and so it may attributed to this. It may, however, have other factors to realise. Hakim puts forth the theory that there are different types of women who focus on different aspects of life. She claims that 10-30% of women are home centred, i.e. that they do not want to work, but instead want to stay at home and look after the family. She goes on to explain that the other two theories are that 10-30% of women are work orientated and that 14-18% are adaptive. While the first group of women explains the Male -Breadwinner/ Female- Carer Model, the other two categories explain the following models. In their article ‘ Employment, Careers, and Families: The Significance of Choice and Constraint in Women's Lives', Crompton and Harris put forward the theory that there are, â€Å"three ‘qualitatively different' types of working women, the ‘committed', the ‘uncommitted', and the ‘drifters' or ‘adaptives'.† (Crompton and Harris, 1999: 131) These different theories on the different types of workingwomen are contributing factors in understanding the different models of gender relations. What is also a factor that must be considered in this regard is the states approach towards gender relations. The Male-Breadwinner/ Female- Part timer can be said to have developed from the growth of equal opportunities and the expansion of white-collar jobs. This model allows for women to be part of the work force while also taking care of the family. The growth of the model has come from the growth of the group of women known as ‘adaptives' or ‘drifters'. The most dramatic changes of the structure of society in relation to gender relations and employment can be connected with the final two models. In both of these models women are dual- breadwinners. This means that these women would be ‘committed' women in the sense that they part take full time in employment. In the Dual-Breadwinner/ State Carer or Market Carer Model, it is the states approach to gender equality and relations that in effect defines who it is that looks cares for the children. As already stated the Scandinavian countries can be said to have the most overall approach to gender equality by providing for childcare. The state either provides direct childcare facilities or pays for childcare. This ensures that women have equal opportunities and outcomes in relation to employment. Other countries, however, take a different approach, as they see child care as a market of its own. Ireland is a good example of one of these countries, as people pay other s to look their children so creating a demand for nannies, which then necessitates people to be trained to look after the children. The state can also take the approach of believing that it is women's jobs to look after the children and so will pay them to stay at home and look after them. This can be said to be not promoting the more progressive models and reverting back to the previous simple Male-Breadwinner Model. The final model of Dual-Breadwinner/ Dual- Carer is the ideal model, which as of yet cannot be said to have been fully implemented in any country. The closest that has come so far are in the Scandinavian countries whereby equal opportunities and outcomes does not only apply to women, but also to men. Overall what can be said is that over the last few decades there have been a number of changes in relation to gender and employment. This can be seen from the changes in gender development, gender equality, and also the changes in values, science and society. All the these changes have led to changes and restructuring of European Societies through changing peoples attitudes towards women working and also in how working women are treated and provided for. This largely depends on the states attitude toward gender equality and treatment, and what has been seen is that different European countries take different approaches to this, and so while European Societies are restructuring they are doing so at a different pace. It not only depends on the states attitude, however, but also those of employers. While women may have so far shown themselves to be equally able as men in a number of jobs there are still number of obstacles in their way at management level, i.e. the ‘Glass Ceiling'. Another aspect of these societies that can be said to be changing is in the family life. Previously it was strongly felt that men went out and worked and that women stayed at home and watched over the children. The increased numbers of women working has changed this approach and now many children are influenced by members outside of the family and by school. It has yet to be seen how this will affect society in the future, but what may be seen is a reduction of the emphasis that is placed on the family. And so while it can be said that there the restructuring of gender relations and employment has led to a restructuring of European Societies, there is still a way to go before we seen complete gender equality. As well as this there are also a number of changes to European Societies, which will inevitably come about due to this restructuring, and how this will be seen will be interesting to assess.

Marketing Story

Bad reputation and feedback trot some experienced guest from other companies may affect In the capacity of registering of the potential guest strength: * Unique, unpopular, perspective type of tour especially In Vietnam Vietnam Is an agricultural country which is new and unfamiliar with the foreigners. This tour is unlike many other tours, It give the tourists some realistic views and have new Interesting experiences which they can have never been before about the local peoples life. New services, activities held up such as life by taking part in some agricultural activities, cooking traditional foods, visiting the carat village and doing charityÃ'›_ Tourists can also taste, enjoy and bring the products they made as souvenirs. Which are much more memorable and remarkable than normal gifts. Weakness: * New Corcoran, low reputation, small scale due to Limited capital As a new comer, the company hasn't got much reputation so It's not easy to attract many guests, The limited capital u rged the company to balance carefully expenditures.At first, the scale of the tour may not big, the Limited number of a group Is about 1 – 10 people to get experiences, fix the problems and complete the tour plan. * Place: far from central area The organic tour requires a quite large natural areas, which can provides the tourists to only the space for the activities but also the finest and most relaxing delusion_ The location is in the curbs of Hanoi, far from the urban area where has more modern facilities: hospital, shopping mall, recreation center†¦. The tour may takes much time to travel among tourist destinations. The distance between the place to the destination such as the nearby craft village may take more time to arrive. * Inquire investment on providing facilities: The tour Corcoran can be together with the host providing or upgrading the facility to the houses in order to bring to the guest he most convenient living condition. It's up to the contract between t wo sides: The host or the company pays for the expense. This can cost the company a lot.Upturning: plans and activities according to the region culture. Many places have some advantages to develop this type of tour is in the Red river delta, Mekong river delta, the central of Vietnam†¦ * Attract guests for new services, new programs in the tour: recording videos, playing games, volunteer activities, visiting craft villages and earning how to make the traditional product, trekking, biking, riding around to enjoy the scenes, having a tour around the city†¦ Threatens: * Facility condition This is one of the most required in the tour.Tourists want to be provided basic facilities to meet their basic needs, to entertain, to communicate,†¦ The cleanses, convenience, comparability, privacy,†¦ Are the standard elements. The provider/host have to make sure that the facility is always ready to serve the guest in the best condition. However, the company can't always control this thing, it depends on how he host work. * The host's attitude and action directly influence in the quality and guests' perception and satisfaction.Local people is a very important element in deciding the tour is success or not. They live, communicate with the tourists so they affect directly on the tour quality. If the host has a positive and enthusiastic attitude, try to show and help the guests, this could lead to a good result and make the guest satisfied. In contrast, if the guest is served with a bad attitude by the host, this can influence to the company's reputation, which is absolutely not goodÃ'› especially for a new company. Bad reputation and feedback from some experienced guests from other companies may affect in the capacity of registering of potential tourists. Nowadays, people often pay more attention and read reviews about the place/ service/product they are willing to spend money on. If there are companies which also operate this type of tour and haves some ne gative comments on it, this may lead to the consequence is that some others tourists don't want to use the service, and change the plan.

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius Essay

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius is a great name for this novel because it is heartbreaking. One of the key features of this novel and one of my favorite parts is the way in which Eggers writes. He uses this stream consciousness writing style which basically means he writes what he thinks. This type of writing really connected with me because Eggers doesn’t just tell you what happened in his life but he makes you feel it. Much of what happens to Eggers is heart wrenching, made my stomach turn, and my heart pound. Eggers is the main character in this really horrific story that deals with the death of both his parents and his life afterward. I think that I liked this novel because it really deals with death in a very real and raw way. Often, authors attempt to sugar coat the idea of death and everyone who has ever experienced death knows that it is messy physically and emotionally. When the Egger brothers lose their parents so close together it really effected me. I had to wonder what would happen to me and my siblings if and when my parents die. Many people think that a child only becomes an adult after they lose their parents. I think about Dave and how long it really took him to become an adult. Dave has a really witty, and sarcastic narration. He writes and gives a whole lot of detail. I think when Dave talks about his relationship with his younger brother and more importantly his ability to parents it both humorous and also disturbing. Dave writes about things that were not only milestones in his life but also in mine. For example he talks all about the idea of exhibitionism and the idea of reality television. He writes about his experiences auditioning for MTV’s Real World. I think this is really important because I live in a world that really likes reality yet this reality television is real at all. I think that is what Dave’s writing really emphasizes – the idea of appearance versus reality. Dave really does a great job of catching the spirit of youth. The idea that young adults have all the freedom in the world to do and be whatever they want. At the same time we have so many societal pressures that can lead to misbehavior, addiction, and abandonment. This book is considered a memoir and not exactly an autobiography. He shows how the human memory works. It is not literal it is full of imperfections and non-facts, and full real emotion. Our memories, like Dave explains, are just as real as any real thing that has happened. Humans remember in exaggerated fashion, emotions become more intense or fade. In the end this is a story about one man’s memory of how he lost his parents and tried to find his life. This book is not beautifully written. It is full of grammatic errors, and run ons. But it is the perfect metaphor for the human mind, memory, and ultimately life is imperfect, heartbreaking, and genius.

Asian Blepharoplasty As A Type Of Body Modification Essay

Asian Blepharoplasty As A Type Of Body Modification - Essay Example What stands out from all these procedures is the fact that body features of Whites continue to prevail among the Asian culture and to the Asians, attaining such an ideal look is worth any cost. They feel that the Western look is more appealing compared to their own looks. These procedures from the brief, fair kind ones to the most dangerous, are dynamically provoked by the fashion industry or simply wanting to look good (Joo, 2012). Many advertisements in the Asian media relate individual and professional success to people with Western and Caucasian features and clear messages that in order to achieve significant things in life, then one has to follow the Western way of life, which involves looking like them (Nguyen et al., 2009). The Western way of life demands one to have a beautiful, appealing body from head to toe. During these efforts, Asians risk affecting their well-being and financial security due to the high expenses involved in these surgeries (Chen, 2001). This risky trend should be halted, but it will not happen if Asians continue to endorse Western fashion in their own fashion industry. This research will discuss the factors that cause Asians to feel pressured to endorse Western beauty by focusing mainly on Asian Blepharoplasty. It will also discuss tough issues brought up by these societal influences and propose the resolution to this social problem. As Epstein and Joo (2013) confirm, modification of the human body has been there for as long as humans have willed themselves in order to fulfill the established modes that they feel satisfy societal standards. These modifications have been practiced in many ways and for different reasons. Historical evidence reveals that red dye removed from hematite was applied to the body with the aim of decorating it. After this, archaeological evidence confirms that over 10,000 years ago, animal bones, teeth, and colorful stones were considered as human adornments (Chen, 2001).

Transistor level implementation of karaoke machine with 6 band graphic Essay - 1

Transistor level implementation of karaoke machine with 6 band graphic equalizer - Essay Example The project, entitled "Transistor Level Implementation of Karaoke Machine with six-band Graphic Equalizer," aims to develop a transistor-based, Karaoke-type amplifier that is able to run from the mains power supply and consists of the following elements: 1. a 12-V regulated power supply, 2. two inputs: a microphone and a line input, 3. a Common-emitter mixer/preamplifier stage, 4. a six-band graphic equalizer stage, 5. a Common-emitter voltage amplifier stage, 6. a Common-collector power amplifier stage, and, 7. a loudspeaker output; as indicated in the schematic diagram below. Figure 1. Project Schematic Diagram Circuit Design and Operation Power Supply Power supplies, as defined by Howard (1998), are electronic circuits, basically composed of four sections: transformer, rectifier, filter, and regulator, designed such that an input ac signal is converted to dc, at any desired level. Shown below is a block diagram of a basic power supply. Figure 2. Basic Power Supply Block Diagram Th e input line voltage is either stepped up or stepped down by the transformer, depending on the application; in this case, a step-down transformer, T1 rated at 9.5Vac (10.5Vac on actual testing), was used, giving a peak voltage of 14.84V (Vp = 10.5 x ?2), and allowing the device to run from the mains power supply. In addition to that, the power supply is being isolated by this section from the power line. The rectifier section, specifically a full-wave bridge rectifier D1, then converts the resulting signal, still ac, to a pulsating dc, which is made purer by a simple capacitor (C18) filter section, giving a dc hold capacitor peak voltage of 13.44V (Vp – 2(0.7) = 14.84 – 1.4). This leaves enough voltage overhead for the final section, the 12V-regulator IC1 (LM7812) that maintains output at a constant level of 12V and about 1.3A continuous, regardless of changes in load current and/or input line voltages. This configuration has minimum power loss, and negates the need fo r a heat sink on IC1. The capacitor C19 removes any spikes from the regulator for a smoother output. Howard (1998) Mixer/Preamplifier When a combination of two or more audio signals is expected in a single output, simply connecting the inputs will result to the degradation of system efficiency and poor overall performance due to impedance mismatches of different signal sources and the amplifier input. Furthermore, the differing signal amplitudes of the sources, too, presents another problem since direct connection may result to higher-amplitude inputs obliterating the weaker inputs, and even worse, damage the sources. By isolating inputs and providing independently variable gains at each of these inputs, an audio mixer eliminates both dilemmas aforementioned, allowing input signals to be blend in the desired ratio. (Gibilisco, 2002) Shown below is a sample circuit of a simple transistor-based two-channel mixer/preamplifier. Figure 3. Transistor-based Two-channel Mixer/Preamplifier I n this project, two signals, one from a microphone (J1) and another from a line input (J2) are to be mixed. Potentiometers (R1 and R4) were utilized as volume controls for each channel, adjusting the amount of signal passing from the inputs, from a maximum of the entire signal (Rmicin = R1||R3||RQ1in = 10k||10k||2.3k = 1.58kohm, Rlinein = R4||RQ1in = 10k||2.3k

Bio capital in India Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Bio capital in India - Essay Example There is a reconfiguration of the relationship of imperial power to colony into one of the vendors to the client. 1.3 Indebtedness Indebtedness is found at all levels and especially in interactions between corporations and their investors (1). Even entrepreneurs are indebted to the venture capitalists and are forced to relinquish control over their companies. Consumers also remain indebted to the biotechnological and pharmaceutical industries for undertaking high-risk, decade-long drug development ventures for therapies for otherwise untreatable diseases. This indebtedness is the symbolic capital for the industry. Thus indebtedness operates at multi-level even in India, observes Rajan. When India was in the midst of a crisis in 1991, it was suggested that India take further loans from IMF which would put India into a further state of indebtedness. The terms of the loan made India more fiscally responsible for the debts. A stage was thus created for moral reforms. Chapter 2 2.1 Biocap ital in India The strategic articulations of India do not resist the global orders of techno-scientific capitalism. Rajan has tried to establish a relationship between global capital and local forms of indebtedness. He has shown the ways in which touches down in different contexts in India. ICICI Knowledge Park in Andhra Pradesh and the Genome/Wellspring Hospital, Mumbai are the two locations where Rajan concentrated as both there are institutions and they represent the political ecologies within which they are situated.

Managing foreign exchange risk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Managing foreign exchange risk - Essay Example This sort of currency disparity amongst the loans of the financial organizations and the assets by which the organizations are funded result in a huge risk where, if at all, the local currency of the nation in which the organization functions reduces against the U.S. Dollar, then the finance organization will be burdened with a substantially huge obligation of liabilities. This paper delineates the efficacious management of Foreign Exchange Risks with regards to hedging. Moreover, we would be able to seek a practical and a prolonging solution to it by applying an affiliation between the private sector and the benevolent communes to quintessentially conquer a chief hurdle which presently holds back the private sector from facilitating risk management assistances to the financial organizations. ... For many years, the South African Development Community has been subjected to poor grain harvests, when the government of both the countries tended to import grains at high prices. Concurrently, the foreign exchange of South Africa witnessed a gradual increment in the trading values of its cereals raising a positive flag for the likelihood of hedging regional import prerequisites (Dana et al, 2006). The hedging of imports can easily be accomplished by means of future contracts and associated financial options. The buying of elongated positions resolves the consequent SAFEX amount basis which construes to the fact that hedging, by bringing into use these instruments alone in unable to defend against the transformations in transport costs and economic costs for the reason that all of them may tend to vacillate widely. This results in a significant element of risk. As a result, the hedging schemes and replication results delineate that hedging by means of various futures or options may appear to increase the import costs with time passing by, which results in reduced inconsistency and likely producing lower standard prices. These advantages augment only if hedging is brought into implementation when domestic prices are at less than the import equivalence and also, if at all the hedge is powered. Nevertheless, there are chances for problems to stay as intra-regional transport prices stay elevated (Dana et al, 2006). A