Sexual Harassment In Egypt Sociology Essay

Sexual Harassment In Egypt Sociology Essay Society incessantly undertakes transformations as it develops and grows with time. Social conflict and self-interest appear to be the essence of the way life goes. From my personal perspective, people only act accordingly to the rules and norms when and only when there is either a consequence or a reward; be it materialistic or intangible. The strive for power, social standing and self-fulfillment is what pushes people to make their decisions and take on these paths. The patriarchal Egyptian culture exemplifies the simplest theory; the conflict theory between men and women. Egypt has been changing drastically over the past thirty years and especially since the 25th of January revolution, the people have witnessed many changes in the political ruling system of the country and the frequent migrations to the city of Cairo. It has also seen increasing religious imposition, expanding poverty, pollution and inhabitants boost. One of the major changes is the westernization of Egypt. The country became more westernized due to interactions of Egypt with the West politically, economically, and socially (Homa Hoodfar and Diane Singerman). Our daily clothes, the movies we watch, the music we listen to, its all proof of the clear westernization that our culture is going through. In addition, traditionally Egyptian women often were the ones that stayed at home to raise-up the children while the men of the families were the ones out on the streets working (Nicholas S. Hopkins and Ibrahim Saad Eddin). But over the years, the traditional woman stereotype changed. Women started receiving full education of high level and getting jobs that only men had right to before. And with those huge transformational events taking places in our country and this new status that the women earned, the natural turn of events to expect is that the Egyptian women start earning more respect, at least as equal as the mens. But unfortunately this is not what is happening. Instead many men easily prove to us that our society is still years and years behind and that we are in no way even comparable to the developed countries. Not only the women are not as equally respected, in fact they are disrespected, mistreated and simply put, in a constant battle for their rights. And one example of the many abuses that women are forced to put up with each and every day is sexual harassment. To clarify what exactly is sexual harassment, it is the unwanted physical contact, remark, or attention which is often inappropriate and offensive and results in fear or embarrassment. Of course it is also frequent in many other countries, but in Egypt specifically, this social cancer is spreading at an alarmingly rapid rate. The Egyptian Center for Womens Rights (ECWR) did a survey proving that 83% of Egyptian women and 98% of foreign women in Egypt have been sexually harassed before (Komsan). Despite the fast and continuous changes that Egypt goes through, it still stays a very religious country especially compared to the developed countries of the West. This means that they heavily rely on Islam upon any rule or decision making. So how is it that such a religious country is so profoundly neglectful of the matter, whilst countries that take religion lightly such as America absolutely refuse to accept such behavior? And why is it that despite all of the changes, this behavior still remains unchanged? Although Islam is one of the oldest advocates of womens rights, Egypt lacks laws that protect its women from many important concerns including sexual harassment. Indeed, the regular and extreme occurrence of this phenomenon can be explained by the absence of laws that punish those who harass women. And the rates are increasing because these harassers know that they will get away with whatever they do and that they will just go unpunished. This attitude has been triggered or encouraged by social, financial, cultural, religious or psychological difficulties that men face as a result to the countrys changes. For instance, the societys hierarchical separation keeps getting more and more obvious not only between social classes but between genders as well. The Egyptian culture absolutely confirms the conflict between genders where women dont enjoy equal rights as men. While some patriarchal societies work perfectly, in Egypt men abuse the position that they have. Several psychologists believe that men who harass women do so because subconsciously they attempt to exert power over women (Florence L. Denmark and Michele A. Paludi). This could explain the fact that it has been projected to society that the males are superior and dominant. They believe it, take advantage of it and use it to make women feel inferior by harassing them and more. If women were given equal rights as men, they would contribute and be proactive members of society hence improve our way of life. But when it comes to Egypt, there isnt enough statistical evidence to either agree with or disclaim the fact that psychological factors contribute to the occurrence of sexual harassment. So, we could relate Egypts situation to another country where psychology of men has proven to be of importance to the issue of harassment, like the United States for example (Baker). Another key reason behind why men harass women is the economical and political situation of Egypt. Many sources including El Ahram Weekly and Europe News, write that since a huge percentage of the Egyptian population is under or just above the poverty line, lots of men cannot find jobs, cannot afford to start families because they cannot afford to get married, and just simply cannot afford decent lives. Both sources wrap up by explaining that the economic powerlessness of those men clearly shows itself in the form of repressed sexuality. And this male rage leaves them preying on women. The sources also add that due to the fact Egypt is a male central society and men are counted on to sustain their families financially; men feel powerless in a society when they cannot do that. And as a consequence of their economic incapacity, they resort to sexual harassment to empower themselves. In other words, Egyptian men harass women because it is ego enhancing for them; they feel that they have the power that way (Alison M. Thomas and Celia Kitzinger). Ahmed Salah, founder of the Respect Yourself campaign that addresses sexual harassers in Cairo writes, sexual harassment is a form of violence and anger at the current economic and political conditions that men bring against what they perceive as a weaker creature. (Diab). Since men in Egypt sometimes reach their late 30s without possessing an apartment nor a car, and without having a well paying job, they try to substitute their complete financial weakness in society together with their inhibited sexuality by their male powers that are manifested in their sexual actions towards women. But do men of upper social class harass women? Yes, but not nearly as often as men of lower social classes do. War Zone, a documentary by Maggie Hadleigh, followed an ordinary woman down the streets of New York and documented the incidents of sexual harassment that she experienced (Hadleigh-West). It was concluded that yes some poor or middle class men harassed the lady, but so did other wealthy ones in expensive suites and having prestigious jobs; however, the ratio of harassment of a poor man harassing a woman verses a wealthy man was about three to one. And therefore, this could apply to sexual harassment in Egypt. Another factor that has a great effect on the sexual harassment rate in Egypt is its political situation. The idea of democracy in Egypt has been a theory spoken of only and hardly ever applied. Due to the fact that there is no democracy in Egypt, Egyptians, especially those in the low social class, cannot contribute to the decisions being made in the country (Nicholas S. Hopkins and Ibrahim Saad Eddin). And even though a revolution occurred on the 25th of January 2011, the feelings havent change much because this event has just led to more confusion, more societal division and even less empowerment. As a result of the lack of proper democracy that represents all citizens and not just one party, Egyptians lack total political power (Saadawi). These men are aware that they, both politically and economically, are powerless. And in an attempt to seek out any form of power, they sexually harass women who come into sight to them as the weaker being. Wrapping up, economic and political sit uations of men are probably major triggers behind their sexual harassment of women. Nonetheless, the most frequent excuse that men use to justify this intolerable and offensive manner is that since Egypt is a Muslim country, premarital sex is strongly condemned. It is religiously banned. In other words, men harass women because men are sexually repressed. And as previously mentioned, the financial difficulties that they are facing make the idea and plan of marriage very unfeasible. Even if they do get married, they live in poverty where big families are located in tight quarters, so no one has any personal space. This financial powerlessness leads to a sexual frustration that materializes in the form of harassment. It makes them feel more authoritative. But there are many other poor Muslim countries that live and survive in very bad conditions, like Libya for example, but they do not have the quantity of sexual harassment that is at hand in Egypt. So it is not about economic or religious complications. Each reason used by the men is just an excuse for their unaccept able and improper attitude. Sexual harassment in Egypt has been said to be the product of the fact that Egypt is a Middle Eastern Islamic country, and therefore is conservative, and when women dress modernly and European-like, they are harassed by those men who are overwhelmed by how different they look from other ordinary Muslim women (Alison M. Thomas and Celia Kitzinger). So what they are actually saying is that women are the ones to be blamed and that they bring it upon themselves by wearing tight provocative clothes. According to the fact that Muslim women should be conservatively dressed, men from upper Egypt, for instance, who come to Cairo and find women walking down the street in revealing clothes (according to those men) start to harass women. But those men who once lived in a small village then moved to the city arent representative of all Egyptian men. Also, many of those conservative men have been living in Cairo for several years, so the idea of women walking down the street, leaving their houses, and dressing provocatively, isnt new to them anymore; and yet they continue to harass women. Another theory implies that due to the fact that rural to urban migrations in Egypt have been increasing lately; about 18 million Egyptians have migrated over the past 5 years; sexual harassment by those new to the city life occurs (Nicholas S. Hopkins and Ibrahim Saad Eddin). And therefore, sexual harassment cannot be the result of how Western-like women are starting to dress, and not about how conservative men from small villages are amazed by what they see every day. And as a result, that is not a key element that contributes to why Egyptian men harass women. Sexual harassment is assumed to be based upon sexual triggers by definition. A theory supporting that belief says that, the more provocatively a woman is dressed, the more likely she is to sexually arouse men, and therefore, the more likely she is to be sexually harassed (Tarrant). However, survey by the ECWR (Egyptian Center for Womens Rights) concluded that the majority of women who said to have been harassed in Egypt were not dressed provocatively when harassed; and also, several women wearing the Nikab were harassed too (Komsan). So, is it possible that a man would find a woman who is literally covered from head to toe in black sexually attractive? Well, to clarify the image of those women wearing the Nikab in Egypt, they are often low or middle class women, probably married with a few children and often neither in great shape nor health due to the fact that they are relatively poor (Atassi). So no, it is highly unlikely that such women be harassed on the streets. And would a man find a native, 6-months pregnant, veiled woman sexually attractive too? After the incident in 2005 in which a group of young Egyptian men harassed a pregnant woman, the answer to this question is unknown (Saadawi). The problem of sexual harassment has evolved into a strange problem. In other words, sexual harassment been going on so often that men do not harass women who are sexually appealing to them anymore, they just harass any and every woman by in order to let out any boredom, anger, frustration or just to feel superior. (Leila). Also, if men harass women they are sexually attracted to, they would be more likely to harass women of the same age, race, or social class (Florence L. Denmark and Michele A. Paludi). To sum up, sexual harassment used to be triggered by sexual interests, but these days and in Egypt specifically, it has become a habit since the offenders see sexual harassment as an act of conforming to society in a way. And not only does that result in frequently occur ring harassment, it also became strange behavior manifested in the actions of young boys (under the age of 12) as well as of teenagers and middle aged men. To elaborate, a foreign woman was grabbed while walking down the street by an 8 year old in 2006 (Atassi). That young boy must have seen other men do that to women, and thought that he is becoming more of a man by conforming to their actions. The most probable theory is that it has nothing to do with their academic or social level because men from all different backgrounds harass women. It has to do with the parents education to their child. Are they good role models for their children? Do they teach them to respect women and have moral values? These young boys are imitating what theyve seen older men including their fathers do. They are following the people they admire and want to be like when they grow up. They want to feel integrated in the society as well and feel like powerful men. Although sexual harassment is mainly trigge red by sexual thoughts, nowadays, it seems to be triggered by assimilation and conformity rather than sexuality. In conclusion, all the reasons mentioned above that try to explain why does sexual harassment occur have one thing in common: Power. Men try to enforce power over women because they are economically or politically powerless in a male dominant society- one where men are expected to have the power. In a psychological attempt to feel powerful, men harass women because women are perceived by men as a weak creature; and therefore, harassment is an effortless way for men to feel better about themselves. So, according to my findings, the excessive sexual harassment in Egypt can be traced back to the need of men to feel the power that is lacked elsewhere- economically, politically, or socially. The unfortunate news is that women have actually accepted and confirmed their supposed inferiority through their silence. Some women just do not want to speak up for themselves in order to keep the social stability, in respect of their husbands, in habit of the way the society works or because they just think that there is no hope and that any objection is a lost cause. Also, the reason that women rarely come forward and press charges against that sort of assault is that they are aware of the lack of concern among the police. The policemen participate sometimes in the harassment. They can say comments while women are crossing streets, for example. So it is natural that women do not feel comfortable in taking proper action against the harassment since the people that are supposed to protect them from that kind of abuse are already taking part in it. So in order to represent these women and encourage them to speak up and take action, many groups try to launch awareness campaigns in different kinds and forms. For example, the Egyptian Initiatives group has launched a Stop Sexual Harassment in Egypt campaign. They organize events that inform people about the situation, explain to women how to defend themselves and encourage the women to speak up. Another campaign that is even more successful is the Banat Masr Khat Ahmar campaign (Egypts Women are a Red Line, e.g. a line in the sand) was launched this year to raise awareness on the problem  through communicating with people in the streets (Samir). We neither argue with the harassers nor lecture them. We simply talk with them in their own language, Dina Farid the founder of the Banat Masr Khat Ahmar movement said, explaining that her personal participation in the revolution taught her how to build a movement (Samir). During the Eid Al-Fitr holiday that wraps up the holy fasting mon th of Ramadan, the movement focused on downtown and the Nile Corniche area. Also, the dream of Welad El Balad (The Countrys Sons) an Alexandria-based initiative founded by Karim Mahrous in 2011 to clean Alexandria of sexual harassment. To reach this dream, Welad El Balad also organized street-level awareness campaigns (Samir). Before engaging with people, the initiatives volunteers first get trained. They learn of the legal aspects, including the constitutions articles that affect sexual harassment and they also focus on the psychological aspect of the problem, including the different kinds of harassers and how to address them (Samir). We explain to women that the law is on their side and that they should not tolerate sexual harassment. We also educate men on the serious consequences of this act, Zeinab Ayoub, Welad El Balad campaign coordinator noted (Samir). Estargel (Behave like a Man) was also launched two months ago to stop the rising problem of men riding in the women-only car riage in the Cairo underground metro which also leads to sexual harassment, says founder, Sherine Badr. Estargel launched door-knocking campaigns in downtown Cairo to stir discussion on sexual harassment (Samir). The fact that society has started to realize the problem and talk about is in itself a good milestone, Badr explained. Welad El Balad have partnered with certain neighborhoods in Alexandria, where they have shops there hanging their posters and cooperating with them to stop harassment and make their areas safe territories (Samir). Also Banat Masr Khat Ahmar has managed to secure the support of street venders in some areas in Cairo who help them fight the problem and intervene in case of any harassment happening in the area. Another way to raise awareness is through social media, art and cinema. Many Youtube and Facebook groups were created. These groups not only encourage women to speak up and empower them, it also allows them to post any images or videos the harasser so they will be found by others and dealt with. That not only helps the women psychologically but it also threatens these harassers. And regarding the arts and cinema, in 2010  an Egyptian film entitled 678 brought the issue to public attention (Ibrahim). The film told the stories of three women from different social classes who were all victims of harassment one way or another. It shows how they dealt with it and how at the end all they had to do is speak up and be strong united women. Other than the awareness that has been growing in different types, the government and some NGOs have been trying to take actions instead of just awareness against the issue. But, in my opinion, none of them have succeeded so far. For example, the government has started new method for fighting sexual harassment in Cairo via the Web. It is called Harassmap. They locate where the incident took place and try to track the man down. It also calculates the amount of sexual harassment in each area so before going out of her home, a women can check out the map and see which area had the most sexual harassment complaints and opts to take another road. In my personal opinion, this project is a complete failure because these men dont just stand there. They move. So the number of complaints by area is not really an indicator. I also dont see how they could be tracked down. Besides, this project has been up and running only for a few months now. Therefore, its efficiency is still uncertain. But two issues arise as we look at the solution the government provided the women. Not all women have a way to the Internet. In particular the poor ones are those who need it the most since they are most likely to get harassed in the po orer neighborhoods with less security. And even for those who do get to have access to the Internet, only a very few know about the project. It is not well marketed, therefore only some women know about it and use it. Another major initiative that took place but also failed is parliament representative Amr Hamzawys. Hamzawy tried  to pass a law against harassment when he was an MP but faced resistance from Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, and Al-Nour Party, run by Salafists; as he explains: I tried during the period of the parliament to push for proposing tougher sanctions to ensure law amendments to some articles in the penal code, but the majority from both of FJP and Al-Nour parties overturned it and emptied its content. It exceeds personal bitterness to grieve what Egyptian women have to face daily and around the clock from the systematic violation of their dignity, and the male enforced twist of the catastrophe by a very bad vindicatory speech. (Hashim). After a profound analysis of the issue, even though some of the initiatives werent very successful, we can see that the country is progressing in the right direction. Many support groups and measures have been initiated in order to make the women feel powerful, protected and secure. The most significant battle to be done right now is for the women to express their will to have equal rights and respect that they have so rightfully earned and merited. The more economically developed a country is, the more opportunities women have to attain their rights; countries that are more critical of injustice towards women are actually improving their societies because they provide it with more productive members that are involved in advancing it. The stereotypical stance on women being inferior to men must be erased from society; the notion that females are incompetent merely because they are female is a sign of intense sexism and discrimination. Men try to assert their power and gain respect as alpha males by suppressing the women around them; this fractures our society. Instead of using these differences to discriminate, we ought to use them to balance out society and benefit it. The feminist conflict theory advocates for equality of basic human rights, it depicts why gender roles are planted within us and explains how all this is backfiring on society as a whole. It is not easy to change norms and status quos that have been carved so deeply into our minds, but we must acknowledge that change is not a spectator sport. By understand the role that gender plays in controlling society, we can understand it better and do more to improve it. So by uniting and coming together, they might finally balance the society and make it function more like it should be.

Virgil and Dante Essay example -- Virgil Dante Inferno Essays

Virgil and Dante In the note to Canto V regarding Francesca and Paulo, the Hollanders exclaim that â€Å"Sympathy for the damned, in the Inferno, is nearly always and nearly certainly the sign of a wavering moral disposition† (112). Indeed, many of the touching, emotional, or indignation rousing tales told by the souls in Hell can evoke pity, but in the telling of the tales, it is always possible to derive the reasons for the damned souls’ placement in Hell. However, there is a knee-jerk reaction to separate Virgil and, arguably, some of the other souls in limbo from this group of the damned, though, with careful perusal of the text, the thoughtful reader can discern the machinations behind their damnation. Although the dynamic between Virgil and Dante shifts dramatically through Purgatorio, throughout the Inferno, Virgil is the teacher and Dante the pupil, often bordering on an almost father-son relationship. It is the Roman, in Canto V, who asks the famous guiding question, â€Å"What are your thoughts?† (V.111), forcing the Florentine to pause and reason through what he is learning. Again, in Canto XXIV when Dante begins to weary, which is of little wonder: the poem begins at dawn with Dante lost from already being â€Å"so full of sleep† (I.11), Virgil manages to revitalize Dante’s spirits, calling for him to â€Å"Cast off sloth† (XXIV.46) and â€Å"Get to your feet† (XXIV.52), while reminding him of the â€Å"longer stair that must be climbed† (XXIV.55), Purgatory, which lies only a mere ten cantos ahead. Unarguably, this close relationship which forms between the two poets makes the reader’s heart pity Virgil’s damnation. This pity is doubled when one considers Virgil’s special situation: he is in Limbo, the circle of the virtuous pagans, thos... ...le to consider that Dante has erred in his placement of Virgil, noting how successfully that works with the rest of the allegorical levels. Perhaps then the answer and the problem which demands this answer, lies not with Dante or the poem, but within the reader. It is easy to identify with Dante, a man riddled with flaws; Virgil then becomes closer as a father figure. Thus, all the complex emotions wrapped in the bizarre web of paternity are translated onto Virgil. When one sees Virgil, one sees oneself; one sees one’s father. The damnation of the Roman I puzzling, paradoxical, and confusing, but not unjustified: many other souls in Hell fall under the same category. That to pity Virgil is to pity the part of ourselves which fears damnation and to pity our family before considering justice, is a lesson which can only be learned in the fire and ice of Hell. Virgil and Dante Essay example -- Virgil Dante Inferno Essays Virgil and Dante In the note to Canto V regarding Francesca and Paulo, the Hollanders exclaim that â€Å"Sympathy for the damned, in the Inferno, is nearly always and nearly certainly the sign of a wavering moral disposition† (112). Indeed, many of the touching, emotional, or indignation rousing tales told by the souls in Hell can evoke pity, but in the telling of the tales, it is always possible to derive the reasons for the damned souls’ placement in Hell. However, there is a knee-jerk reaction to separate Virgil and, arguably, some of the other souls in limbo from this group of the damned, though, with careful perusal of the text, the thoughtful reader can discern the machinations behind their damnation. Although the dynamic between Virgil and Dante shifts dramatically through Purgatorio, throughout the Inferno, Virgil is the teacher and Dante the pupil, often bordering on an almost father-son relationship. It is the Roman, in Canto V, who asks the famous guiding question, â€Å"What are your thoughts?† (V.111), forcing the Florentine to pause and reason through what he is learning. Again, in Canto XXIV when Dante begins to weary, which is of little wonder: the poem begins at dawn with Dante lost from already being â€Å"so full of sleep† (I.11), Virgil manages to revitalize Dante’s spirits, calling for him to â€Å"Cast off sloth† (XXIV.46) and â€Å"Get to your feet† (XXIV.52), while reminding him of the â€Å"longer stair that must be climbed† (XXIV.55), Purgatory, which lies only a mere ten cantos ahead. Unarguably, this close relationship which forms between the two poets makes the reader’s heart pity Virgil’s damnation. This pity is doubled when one considers Virgil’s special situation: he is in Limbo, the circle of the virtuous pagans, thos... ...le to consider that Dante has erred in his placement of Virgil, noting how successfully that works with the rest of the allegorical levels. Perhaps then the answer and the problem which demands this answer, lies not with Dante or the poem, but within the reader. It is easy to identify with Dante, a man riddled with flaws; Virgil then becomes closer as a father figure. Thus, all the complex emotions wrapped in the bizarre web of paternity are translated onto Virgil. When one sees Virgil, one sees oneself; one sees one’s father. The damnation of the Roman I puzzling, paradoxical, and confusing, but not unjustified: many other souls in Hell fall under the same category. That to pity Virgil is to pity the part of ourselves which fears damnation and to pity our family before considering justice, is a lesson which can only be learned in the fire and ice of Hell.

The Urinary System :: science

The Urinary System How do the urinay system work Your body takes nutrients from food and uses them to maintain all bodily functions including energy and self-repair. After your body has taken what it needs from the food, waste products are left behind in the blood and in the bowel. The urinary system works with the lungs, skin, and intestines--all of which also excrete wastes--to keep the chemicals and water in your body balanced. Adults eliminate about a quart and a half of urine each day. The amount depends on many factors, especially the amounts of fluid and food a person consumes and how much fluid is lost through sweat and breathing. Certain types of medications can also affect the amount of urine eliminated. The urinary system removes a type of waste called urea from your blood. Urea is produced when foods containing protein, such as meat, poultry, and certain vegetables, are broken down in the body. Urea is carried in the bloodstream to the kidneys. The kidneys are bean-shaped organs about the size of your fists. They are near the middle of the back, just below the rib cage. The kidneys remove urea from the blood through tiny filtering units called nephrons. Each nephron consists of a ball formed of small blood capillaries, called a glomerulus, and a small tube called a renal tubule. Urea, together with water and other waste substances, forms the urine as it passes through the nephrons and down the renal tubules of the kidney. From the kidneys, urine travels down two thin tubes called ureters to the bladder. The ureters are about 8 to 10 inches (200 to 250 mm) long. Muscles in the ureter walls constantly tighten and relax to force urine downward away from the kidneys. If urine is allowed to stand still, or back up, a kidney infection can develop. Small amounts of urine are emptied into the bladder from the ureters about every 10 to 15 seconds. The bladder is a hollow muscular organ shaped like a balloon. It sits in your pelvis and is held in place by ligaments attached to other organs and the pelvic bones. The bladder stores urine until you are ready to go to the bathroom to empty it. It swells into a round shape when it is full and gets smaller when empty. If the urinary system is healthy, the bladder can hold up to 16 fluid ounces (500 ml) of urine comfortably for 2 to 5 hours.

Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

The Class of 2012. How long have we heard these words applied to us? Long years starting with broken crayons in kindergarten to inside-out sweatshirts in middle school to late English essays — 13 years of learning from the simplest counting to complicated algebra and calculus, from reciting our ABCs to reading Shakespeare. Imagine, us coming out of our respective middle schools into this monster of a campus. With three times as many people — people who drive. People who have cars and are legal adults. We’ve been here for four years. Count the quarters: there are 16 of them. Remember freshmen year: that infatuation with older students, and how being friends with a senior gave you immeasurable social status? There were some sophomores who didn’t tease us for being freshmen, and we clung to them. Remember walking in late to every class on the first day of school, and maybe the second... maybe the third... Every morning we rode the yellow school bus. Our first pep assembly was amazingly loud and we walked out half-deaf. The cheerleaders were trying to get us to shout something, alter we figured out it was "double-oh." Remember when our "commitment to graduation" banner was stolen out of the library? And that first last, day of school: promising to meet everyone again come September. Four down, 12 to go. Sophomore year. Well, maybe by the time we were sophomores we may not have been completely settled into our own high-school persona but at least we knew where we were. And maybe, that first day of school, we still were late to every single class. We learned the meaning of the word â€Å"sophomoric† that year, and teased the freshmen, getting some symbolic retribution for what the sophomores did to use the year before. Eventually... ...ers ago, so were we. Yesterday has passed. Now we stand on the brink of adulthood. We have counted the cost, we’ve counted the quarters and paid the price, we’ve paid four years. Sixteen quarters. Right now we all have a legacy that we’ve left on Ayer High School, a legacy developed from four years of walking down the halls, eight semesters of sitting in the classrooms and sixteen quarters of developing our personalities. We were the anxious freshmen, the obnoxious sophomores, the lazy juniors and the graduating seniors. But, in 10 years, who are we going to be? Will we still drink Sobes, Jones or Yogochinos? Have the same wallpaper on our computer monitors? Will we still fly out at any hour of the night to go to Dick’s or Taco Bell? Whatever the answers, what we’ve each learned here will remain at the core of the people we become. We are the Class of 2006.

Public Policy on Business Competition Essay

Summary American businesses have been at a disadvantage from their foreign competitors due to the flawed economic system and the capitalist economy of the country. The foreign companies have been continuously improving their efficiency and effectiveness in relation to their American counterparts which means that they have now become more competitive and can even surpass that of the American products. The very strict government regulations and tariffs designed to protect the American economy is now the cause of the lesser jobs available for American workers. Outsourcing had definitely reduced the number of jobs and somehow the capitalist society that America has has relied on outsourcing as a way of cutting costs. Capitalism has its own evils as compared to socialism. Socialism is the opposite of capitalism, in socialism the government has to see to it that wealth is allocated to all members of society. Although, socialism has provided for all of its members it also brought the economy of the country to its downfall. The principle of comparative advantage is the key to ensuring that nations coexist and become interdependent on one another. Comparative advantage means that each country produces a specialized product which is becomes the economic strength of the country. It may have it’s own disadvantages but each country will have their own comparative advantage and disadvantage.   Public Policy on Business Competition   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For more than four decades now, American businesses have been losing ground to foreign competitors. While 24.8 percent of all vehicles sold all over the world were made in the United States in 1986, by 1992 the U.S. share had declined to 20.7 percent. Now, this number goes further down to a little over 16 percent (OICA). A number of factors have contributed to the loss of the United States’ manufacturing competitiveness. First, foreign competitors have invested in more efficient equipment and processes and have instituted other programs that have raised worker productivity relative to the United States. Second, governments of some foreign manufacturing industries have provided planning, financial subsidies, favorable tax rates, and other industrial policies designed to nurture and support their industrial base. But perhaps the greatest reason why the United States is slipping in terms of global competitiveness is because of public policies based on coddling.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Arbitrary trade barriers, unrealistic quotas, and overly-restrictive tariffs are the norm when it comes to the government’s current stand on business competition. American workers and businesses are in a constant state of consciousness wherein a sense of entitlement pervades. They constantly lobby because they feel that the government is supposed to protect them from the deluge of competition from overseas. The thing is, Americans will continue to lose their jobs to the Indians and the Chinese. Companies aim to cut costs wherever and whenever they can. Given a choice, they will outsource to whomever can give them the best value. Instead of whining and lobbying, Americans should look for ways to adjust. They should do away with wanting to do menial tasks and start looking towards jobs that require more expertise and mental acuity. Not wanting to improve and instead asking for protection from the tides of change will not advance society at all and instead degrades it. In fact, it is the basis of a concept that was proved ineffective and impracticable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Socialism is based on the flawed notion that members of society should be equals and the government must see to it that everyone is being cared for. One of the major complaints levied by socialists has been that capitalism permits surplus value to flow to capitalists, making capitalism a very unequal, class-ridden society. By contrast, a socialist society would share the return to capital among the workers, thereby promoting much greater equality than a market economy. This â€Å"strength† as socialists put it, proved to be socialism’s downfall.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Indeed, the experience of socialist countries exemplifies how attempts to equalize incomes by expropriating property from the rich can end up hurting everyone. By prohibiting private ownership of businesses, socialist governments did reduce the inequalities that arose from large property incomes. But the reduced incentives to work, accumulate capital, and improve – just because the government will provide for every man – crippled this system and impoverished entire countries.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The principle of comparative advantage holds that each country will specialize in the production and export of those goods or services that it can produce at relatively low cost because it is more efficient in producing them than other countries. Conversely, each country will import those goods which it produces at relatively high cost or those that it is incapable of producing at all. This simple principle provides the unshakable basis for international trade (Samuelson & Nordhaus 663). The most efficient and productive pattern of specialization is that nations should concentrate on activities in which they are relatively or comparatively more efficient than others. And even though countries may be absolutely less or more efficient than all other countries, each and every country will have a definite comparative advantage in some areas while having a definite comparative disadvantage in others. Conclusion The international economic sphere is complex and it is primarily governed by the most powerful country. The American economy had been one of the strongest economic players in international trade. When a country becomes too dependent on other countries for their economic products and services, like the American society, it can be assumed that they are putting their economic welfare at the hands of other nations. This can have a tremendous impact on American economy as the most basic services continue to be outsourced, monetary strength is diminished. It is similar to a gardener who is watering the neighbor’s lawn. The American society is pouring their money to foreign economies without thinking of whether that foreign country will do business with American companies as end consumers. In order to turn the tide, the American government should pursue and adopt the principle of comparative advantage, instead of relying on capitalism or socialism alone. With comparative advantage each country specializes in one or two products and services, thus equalizing power and influence in the international economy. American industries should look into the dangers of outsourcing, the disadvantages of cutting costs in the expense of unemployment and the ill-effects of over dependence on foreign countries. Therefore, the government should realistically examine the present position of the country in international trade. Comparative advantage holds the key for economic stability and progress.   Reference: Hitt, Michael A., Ireland, R. Duane and Hoskisson, Robert E. South-Western College Publishing, 1999. Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d’Automobiles. Available: http://oica.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/worldprod_country-revised.pdf., January 19, 2008. Samuelsson, Paul A. and Nordhaus, William D.2.

Unfair Public School Funding

Eryka English 102 Research Paper Public School Funding: Closing the Education Gap In America we have spent billions of dollars on public school funding in hopes of educating the youth that will one day run the country. Without a solid foundation for the next generation to succeed, America will not be able to continue to improve and move forward. But if the education of our children is such an importance; why are we not giving every public school the right amount of funding to succeed? Just as there is an unequal opportunity in the work force; it also happens in the public school system.Schools that perform better are given more funding than schools that are not. Public school funding in America should not be determined by the academic achievement of a school, but should all receive the same amount of funding. Although many Americans would agree that the education of their children is a top priority, not many of them would know how funding is distributed throughout the country. It is the general idea that students do better in a well-funded school and that the public schools should all provide the same opportunity for every student to succeed.But if the belief is all public schools are the same then why are there private schools? And why do many parents decided to move and live in an area that as a great school system. There is no secret that some schools are better than others; it’s the point in which how the schools are able to become â€Å"better† than other public schools that’s the problem. Nearly half of the funding for public schools is provided from local taxes in the community the school is located in. Which means that funding for public schools varies across the country between the wealthy and poorer communities in America.At both the state and federal level there have been efforts to change the deficit the schools lack compared to others, but the idea has been taken negatively by the wealthy and powerful to choose how their school community functions. Others would argue that more money given to the schools will not improve the education of students; that individual success depends on the student and not the resources that are available to them. Such as Eric Hanushek, an academic reviewer wrote: â€Å"Detailed research spanning two decades and performance in many different educational settings provides strong onsistent evidence that expenditures are not systematically related to student achievement† (Hanushek 49) This claim has been a factor to the driving force that money can only go so far in a student’s educational life. But it has also been contradicted by academic researchers of public school funding by Rob Greenwald, Larry Hedges, and Richard Laine wrote: â€Å"school resources are systematically related to student achievement and that those relations are large [and] educationally important. (Greenwald et al. 384) With such a controversial topic, which one should we believe?How can we pos sible know for sure more money given to schools is the best option to improve the education our students receive from the government? And why should we change the way wealthy community schools are run when they are already successful in their academic achievements? How large is the difference in the amount of funding that each public school receives? Public school funding comes from federal state, and local sources, which nearly half of those funds are from local property taxes(National Center for Education Statistics).Because of the local property taxes from the community this is where the uneven funding for public schools start that makes a difference from the wealthy and impoverished communities. For example in 1998, New Jersey had an annual funding rate per student of $8,801, while Utah had a yearly rate of $3,804 per student(National Center for Education Statistics). Just from these numbers it shows that students from New Jersey where given twice the level of education than tho se students in Utah. While America funds its schools by the local wealth of the communities, we are the only country that does that.This type of funding system makes a huge difference in the quality of school building, faculty, equipment, class sizes, and technology resources for a student’s education. In other countries public schools are funded through state taxes and the communities. But what makes other countries educational system different than our own is each school gets the same amount of funding needed to run the school. As Robert Slavin a psychologist focusing on community and education said: â€Å"the U. S. is the only nation to fund elementary and secondary education based on local wealth.Other developed countries either equalize funding or provide extra funding for individuals or groups felt to need it. In the Netherlands, for example, national funding is provided to all schools based on the number of pupils enrolled, but for every guilder allocated to a middle- class Dutch child, 1. 25 guilders are allocated for a lower-class child and 1. 9 guilders for a minority child, exactly the opposite of the situation in the U. S. where lower-class and minority children typically receive less than middle-class white children. Slavin 520)† Poorer and minority students face more difficulties in their life as they are more prone to experience more difficulties in the family. But also these students are also forced to go to school at poorly funded schools. There is often commonly a language boundary that keeps many of the children from having a proper education in a school system. Teachers that are starting out in their educational career are sent to schools that are having a hard time developing their students into academic achievers.Schools in poorer communities are in need of more experienced teachers, but there is not enough money to recruit a quality teacher that has not already been recruited to teach at a higher paying and more academically achieving job and environment. Teachers are a learning tool that helps the students get to where they can be successful in life. The quality of materials that students have available to them impact the way they learn and also the pace they learn. With little funding students are left to work without dated technology and second hand books.The effect of outdated technology can be an intimidation for a student to not continue onto college. Many students feel as though schools did not prepare them for an institution that has technology far beyond than what they know how to use. On the other side of the argument, students are given their own choice to either achieve or fail in their education. In other words, success and failure results from individual effort and not a group interaction of the student by the community the student lives in. Even if less funded schools are given more money; more than half of adults say that poverty is a personal problem (Smith).The community that the scho ol was built into has already set the standard of the school. Depending on the community influences the child is more likely to follow into the footsteps of their parents. If the parents are mechanics and the child follows in their footsteps, does that make them a failure if the student does not go on to be a doctor or an over achiever? The effects of the community on a child can change the way education is viewed in the family and home. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, politician and sociologist, argues that minorities are disadvantaged because of the â€Å"social traditions† of the minority communities().Which means that students have the ability to learn but the social culture in their communities hinder them to take their education seriously unless their family does. This belief that students come from impoverished homes lack the support system to benefit from a quality education drives the idea that there is no need for more funding. Even though there are outrageous numbers that can be easily equaled out for all students. America has focused on the idea to invest in the students that have a more promising future in the long run. Why would we waste money that will become a gamble, and we will not know if the outcome will be positive or not.The wealthy communities have been able to produce those students that have continued to succeed. The states believe that if they reward those schools that are producing results then it will give the other schools incentive to achieve to retrieve more money for the state. But how can a school be able to climb its way to the top if it’s stuck in the bottom, working with the resources that it already has. The biggest survey done on the relationship of the amount of funding and the impact of students’ education was called The Coleman Report.The report was a study that randomly selected thousands of students from all over the nation and tried to connect the issue of money and education. From the report it was lin ked that students’ home background and peer groups were a major part of achievement, but the quality of the school had little to no impact on their education. Which researchers wrote: â€Å"Schools bring little influence to near on a child’s achievement that is independent of his background and general social context† (Cain 325). Schools that are also well funded are able to get familiarized with the current technology that is popular in today’s life.From the advantage of having the practice with technology has already put themselves ahead of others who have not gotten the chance to learn that kind of technology. Students who are not able to access technology are behind to those who have and will lack in their technology skills in college. Being updated with the latest technology helps students want to continue in into college to learn more new things. The quality of materials that students have available to them impact the way they learn and also the pac e they learn. With little funding students are left to work without dated technology and second hand books.The effect of outdated technology can be an intimidation for a student to not continue onto college. Many students feel as though schools did not prepare them for an institution that has technology far beyond than what they know how to use. Without confidence in the education that they have received, students are hesitant to ask for help and get the help that they need to succeed into a higher education level. If the materials the schools are using are outdated and not taken care of, then the students will also return the same respect to the books in the condition that they are in.Schools no longer become a place for opportunity, but a place where students are required to attend with old material, that will not get any better as the years go on. The quality of the materials the students are given the more respect and effort they will give to the course material. If American is able to provide the entire students with the equal opportunity to succeed then there would be more achievements in the nation, but also a higher achievement in the country. There needs to be more awareness of the effect that funding in public schools has on the students.Statistics in the nation vary from state to state, but with the same amount of material for each student. Most Americans say they support equal funding for public schools, but they are not willing to take the necessary steps to improve and provide equal funding for all the schools across the country. Some reasons why wealthy people and communities do not to anything about unequal funding is because of: not even admitting that there is a funding difference, to keep personal taxes low, and the thought that poverty is brought onto the person instead of trying to better themselves through their education.It is better to keep the money going to the schools that continue to have academic success with their students. Studie s indicate that the level of student advantage within the home or community matters a lot to the outcome of the student’s education. But also that funding will help the student be more educated and motivated to go onto college. Greater one on one time with a teacher will help the student learn more material. Two main aspects that have been tied to higher levels of student achievement: stronger teacher qualifications, and smaller class sizes in the early grades.Getting the bases of an early education but also a quality education helps the student in the long run to adapt to the education system in a positive environment. The achievements of disadvantaged students in poorer communities are more likely to suffer America’s public school system because of two main reasons: those students are more likely to attend poorly funded schools, and they are more likely to be hurt by lack of academic resources when there is not enough funding that the school needs.Legal and political efforts to improve funding have not been very successful at the federal level, but a lot of activity has been present in the state courts and there is a realization to increase school funding. The future effects have increased in state funds for poorly-funded districts while leaving funding for rich, suburban districts up to the communities to continue with their educational support. We have concluded that well-funded schools are able to obtain higher educated teachers that continue to increase the school progression.In addition to better funded schools, schools are able to reduce the class sizes which will improve the students learning to be more focused and engaged in the classroom. Which is a huge advantage because a main problem in low funded schools, is that there is so many students in one room that a single teacher is not able to guarantee that that material is being understood from every student. Resources Cain, G. G. & Watts, H. W. (1970). Problems in making policy inferen ces from the Coleman Report. American Sociological Review, 35(2), 228-242.Hanushek, E. A. (1989). The impact of differential expenditures on school performance. Educational Researcher, 18(4), 45-65. Kluegel, J. R. & Smith, E. R. (1986). Beliefs about inequality: Americans' view of what is and what ought to be. New York: Aldine de Gruyter. Greenwald, R. , Hedges, L. V. , ; Laine, R. D. (1996). The effect of school resources on school achievement. Review of Educational Research, 66(3), 361-396. Moynihan, D. P. (Ed. ). (1969). On understanding poverty: Perspectives from the social sciences.New York: Basic Books. National Center for Education Statistics (2000a). Common core of data for school years 1993/94 through 1997/98 (a compact disk). Washington, DC: Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U. S. Department of Education. National Center for Education Statistics (2000b). The condition of education 2000. Washington, DC: Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U. S. Dep artment of Education. Slavin, R. E. (1999). How can funding equity ensure enhanced achievement? Journal of Education

Essay on Wonder Woman

Her mission is to bring love, peace, and sexual equality to a world torn by the hatred of men. The heroine Princess Diana of Themyscira, more famously known as Wonder Woman, has gone through various reimagining and different retellings in both media and comic books. But all of these have the same basic origin. She was born and lived the majority of her life on the isolated paradise island of Themyscira, an island inhabited entirely of Amazonian women.Everything changed one day when pilot, Captain Steve Trevor crashed on the mysterious island. Soon after he crashed, as he was being held and treated on the island, Queen Hippilyta held a tournament to decide who would have the honor of escorting Captain Trevor back to the United States. Against her mother’s wishes, Princess Diana participated in said tournament and won. At this point the narrative diverges depending on its retelling.In the 1975 pilot, set in World War II, named, The New Original Wonder Woman directed by Leonard H orn, Wonder Woman fights Nazis during the World War II era soon after leaving the island. In the 2009 animated movie, Wonder Woman, directed by Lauren Montgomery, Wonder Woman fights to stop the reign of the Greek god of war, Ares and his army of undead Amazons. Wonder Woman has always been widely considered as a feminist icon, thus these movies are supposed to reflect such a message. Thus each movie shows how the times and sexual equality has changed over the years.These can be shown by the relationship between Princess Diana and Steve Trevor in which one movie portrays them fighting on equal footing against a common threat much like co-workers and the other not so much which is apparent in a multitude of fighting scenes; Wonder Woman’s behavior and personality through both movies but mostly with her passive behavior in one fight scene in the 1975 pilot and her aggressive behavior in the 2009 animated movie; and Steve Trevor’s difference in behavior and personality bu t mostly toward women and is most apparent in the 2009’s hospital scene.In the 1975 pilot episode, The New Original Wonder Woman, the relationship between Steve Trevor and Princess Diana seems to be focus on the fact that Wonder Woman is more so smitten and dependent on Trevor in order to be happy. This can be clearly seen when she pretty much stalks him, after his safe return to the U. S. , by disguising herself as his nurse while he’s recuperating and at the end where she disguises herself as his personal assistant, Diana Prince.This acts as a contrast to the 2009 DC animated movie, Wonder Woman where Steve Trevor is smitten by her but instead of being dependent on her, he acts as her sidekick, as they fight Ares as equals, but usually Wonder Woman showing her superior strength and fighting skills. This further shown when they are about to first encounter Ares and thus have to infiltrate a military base. They violently take down the soldiers silently but cooperativel y, Steve with his combat knife and Wonder Woman with her boomerang like tiara.Princess Diana of Themyscira is portrayed very differently in both adaptations of the same character. In the 1975 adaptation, Wonder Woman was rarely allowed to engage in hand-to-hand combat, instead relying on simply throwing bad guys around. But in the 2009 animated movie it embraces the fact that she is a skilled warrior and not only can she throw punches but more surprisingly allowed to receive them too. In the 2009 adaptation of the super heroine, she is a strong, smart, aggressive independent woman who needed no man.For example in the 2009 animated movie, when Princess Diana and Steve Trevor are about to get mugged in a dark alley, the muggers say that if they do what they say, no one will get hurt; and she replies with, â€Å"Maybe I want someone to get hurt. † But in contrast, the 1975 Wonder Woman was a soft-hearted, kind, naive, passive young woman who needed a man in order to take action. For example in the 1975 pilot, when Diana quit her circus job and is subdues her ex-boss after he tries to pull a firearm on her, she claims that she was taught to avoid conflict and did not like fighting or hurting others.In the 2009 movie she is not in need of a man or in love with Steve Trevor right off the bat, but instead he earns her love by proving himself by helping in the hunt down Ares. She also does not stalk him like the 1975 counter-part but instead it’s him following her around but instead of stalking her, helping her; and in the end she is not in disguise from him as his assistant but instead in disguise from everyone else but as a friend, or possibly his girlfriend because it is never clearly explained. Captain Steve Trevor’s 2009 character differs vastly in comparison to his 1975 counter-part.In the 1975 adaptation he was merely a flat characterized damsel in distress who tried to act as a symbol of the American ideal. But in the 2009 animated movie h e was more fleshed out and given more characterization and more of a major role in the plot. The 2009 version of Trevor was a witty, brave, and a symbol of sexual equality. Also Steve Trevor in this movie more so acted as Wonder Woman’s sidekick in the fact that many of the times in which there was action they both worked cooperatively to defeat any threat.In the 1975 movie, Steve Trevor never or rarely ever talked about sexual equality while Wonder Woman talked more so like a feminist extremist. But in the 2009 animated movie, after Wonder Woman keeps talking down about men and claiming Steve Trevor was a sexist, he had enough and expressed his mind more than his 1975 counter-part. In the scene, Wonder Woman wakes up in a hospital bed after their first encounter with Aries.Then she starts berating him on the fact that he didn’t stop Aries and that he merely saved her because she was a woman and if she were a man he would have acted differently. This causes Steve Trevo r to have enough of her ranting about men and himself, and thus he goes and pretty much sums up the theme of the whole movie. The outraged Trevor tells her, â€Å"Cutting yourselves off from the outside world was cowardly! Not to mention STUPID! [Yeah] like less communication between men and women is what the world needed.And I didn’t save you because I thought you were some damsel in distress. I saved you because†¦because I care about you, Diana. And I’m not going to abandon a friend in need. Man or woman. † This quote says a lot about Trevor in that the viewer’s view of him prior to this moment, being a womanizer, was not in fact his actual personality and that there was more depth to this man than meets the eye. This also expresses the change toward sexual equality we have strived for through the years since the time of the 1975 pilot.Both movies featured Wonder Woman as a symbol of feminism and sexual equality. But both movies were vastly differe nt in their take on the heroic icon, due to the time period they were conceived. Movies like these tend to come off as either overly preachy or decide to blame all the world’s ills on man. In the 1975 adaptation it tried to portray her as the heroine that was in the comic books, but in the movie they were successful in that feat but only in describing her background but was unable to show her tough-as-nails  personality due to restrictions during the time period; and due to this, showing Wonder Woman acting as a contradiction in which she is in love with a man right off the bat, but is sexist against men and think women are more superior.But in the 2009 animated movie they were able to take a more balanced view. Steve unlike his 1975 counter-part had a more active role and was a more rounded, fleshed out character that was witty and quirky but also loyal and brave.The faults of men are shown in ample detail, as well as the faults of women were shown equally as examples such as Etta Candy’s overall flirtatious uselessness and Persephone’s final words of admonishment to Hippolyte. Both genders are represented as flawed and both movies themes are expressed through the 2009 Steve Trevor’s speech to Diana. In the end of it all, the world needs more understanding and congregation between men and women rather than isolation and distrust. In both media and literature, Wonder Woman will always be that icon of feminism and sexual equality.