Affirmative Action: the Sensitive and Controversial Essay

Affirmative action has been a sensitive and controversial topic in the workplace since its existence. People on both sides of this controversial topic have been at each other’s throats for years and it does not seem to be going away anytime soon. A plan created to ease the hiring process of a group of people has in fact created more division in this country more than any other topic. What is affirmative action after all? It is a policy designed to redress past discrimination against women and minority groups through measures to improve their economic and educational opportunities. (Wordnetweb.com, 2010) In this paper, the writer will describe the elements of affirmative action as it applies to public and private sector employers and how it interacts with Title VII requirements of Employment Opportunity. The paper will also determine what employers are subject to affirmative action plans and why, what do the plans require employers to do and what happens if employers do not mee t the goals of the affirmative action plan. This country has been dealing with the issue of discrimination for a long time. Affirmative action was created in order to reduce discrimination in the workplace and in school. As it applies to the public sector, affirmative action prevents businesses with fifteen or more employees from discriminating on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin and physical capability in practices relating to hiring, compensating, promoting, training and firing employees. (uslegal.com, 2010) It also it allows the state and federal governments to favor women-owned and minority-owned businesses when awarding contracts, and to reject bids from businesses that do not make good faith efforts to include minority-owned businesses among their subcontractors. (uslegal.com, 2010) When it comes to federal contractors and subcontractors, affirmative action must be taken by covered employers to recruit and advance qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans. (uslegal.com) this proves that affirmative action affect both private and public emplo yers. The difference between Title VII and affirmative action is simple. As defined by authors Dawn D. Bennett-Alexander and Laura P Hartman, â€Å"affirmative action is the intentional inclusion of women and minorities in the workplace based on finding of their previous exclusion.†(Bennett-Alexander and Hartman, 2007); Whereas Title VII under the Civil Right Act of 1964 simply banned discrimination in employment. In other words, affirmative action requires employers both public and private to hire minorities and women in their establishments or face some consequences but under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it would be considered a crime to discriminate against a certain group based on race, color, religion and so on. â€Å"Title VII prohibits discrimination in employment but it does not impose affirmative duties on the employer. However, as a part of a remedies provided under Title VII, courts may order affirmative action. (Bennett-Alexander and Hartman, 2007) Based on the research conducted, it does not seem that affirmation action was part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 Not every employer is subject to affirmative action. For example, a private company like Wal-Mart does not have to comply with affirmative action regulations. However this does not mean that they will not be fined for blatantly discriminating against any one person. Affirmative action plans only apply to pubic employers and contracts. According to Dawn D. Bennett-Alexander and Laura P Hartman, â€Å"employers who contract with the federal government to provide goods and services of $10,000 or more must agree must agree to comply with the executive order.† (Bennett-Alexander and Hartman, 2007). Affirmative action plan is defined as a government contractor’s plan containing placement goals for inclusion for women and minorities in the workplace and timetables for accomplishing the goals. (Bennett-Alexander and Hartman, 2007) In other words, the employer set some goals for hiring women and minorities and these goals must be met in a timely manner. In addition, the plan requires employer post in conspicuous places, available to employees and applicants, notices provided by the contracting officer setting forth the provisions of the nondiscrimination clause, include all the contractors’ solicitations or advertisements for employees a statement that all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, or national origin. (Bennett-Alexander and Hartman, 2007) The plan also requires employers to include a statement of these obligations in all subcontracts or purchase orders. (Bennett-Alexander and Hartman, 2007) Although the requirements under the affirmative action plan seems very strict, it is clear and the government does require full and detail explanation on how the plan is being implemented. As with everything else that the government is involved in, there are many consequences an employer can suffer if the plan is not followed properly. If an employer does not meet its target goals, in other words, is not in compliance with the action plan, there are several penalties which the federal government apply. According to Bennett-Alexander and Hartman, these penalties include publishing the names of nonconforming contractors or labor unions, recommending to the EEOC or the department of justice that proceedings be instituted under Title VII, cancelling, terminating, or suspending the contract or any portion thereof, for failure of the contractor or subcontractor to comply with the discrimination provisions of the contract. In addition, the government may debar the noncom plying contractor from entering into further contracts until the contractor has satisfied the secretary that it will abide by the provisions of the order. (Bennett-Alexander and Hartman, 2007 The question which remain debatable even in today’s society, is is affirmation action necessary? There is no real answer for this question because affirmative action has been such a divisive subjects that no one will really agree on it. There will always be those who are against it and think that it is reverse discrimination against white males and there will always be those who support it because they feel it has not done fully what it was meant to do. Either way, as controversial as it is, affirmative action will not go away any time soon until something else comes along. References Affirmative Action. 2010 Retrieved on June 27, 2010 from http://www.wordnetweb.princeton.edu Affirmative Action Law and Legal Definition. 2010 Retrieved on June 28, 2010 from http://www.uslegal.com Alexande-Bennett D. D. and Hartman P. L 2007 5th ed. The Mcgraw Hills company

Response for “The Destructors”: themes, interpretations Essay

â€Å"Chaos had advanced. The kitchen was a shambles of broken glass and china. The dining-room was stripped of parquet, the skirting was up, the door had been taken off its hinges, and the destroyers had moved up a floor. Streaks of light came in through the closed shutters where they worked with the seriousness of creators – and destruction after all is a form of creation. A kind of imagination had seen this house as it had now become.† The Second World War had just finished and the boys were living in a hostile and indifferent world. They had had an idea, a dream, and using their imagination the gang had created a plan (p.176 â€Å"a wild invention†) to destroy Old Misery’s house. To accomplish their mission they needed energy, hard work and organisation, just like in a war. However, they weren’t doing it for hate, because hate requires a certain degree of passion and each and every one of them was cold-minded, and just followed the orders of their leader: Trevor, who was a mastermind of evil. It’s clear that the gang wanted prestige, distinction and fame (p.174 â€Å"The fame [†¦] been destroyed†); nevertheless it wasn’t just for that; they were doing it naturally and consciously and most significant: for fun. Destruction was part of them, maybe because they were â€Å"the sons of war† and they were living a period of transition when many important changes take place; but as far as I’m concerned, proportional episodes (with proportional consequences) happen nowadays. This leads me to think that â€Å"destruction† is part of human nature. Regarding their action, when the house was being smashed, sounds of carpentry were heard (creation) (e.g.: a clickety-clack, a bang bang, a scraping, a creaking †¦). The boys created destruction and they had to do it in a way so that nothing â€Å"build inside again was more beautifully than before†. â€Å"Beauty†, style and elegance was something they couldn’t allow. The question is why; as I said before, â€Å"destruction† could be taken as part of human nature, but perhaps this is always needed to create later. It could be considered as one more step in the ladder to produce changes. During this alteration disorder and uncertainty are present and it is normal from individuals to collectively (nations, corporations, mafias, gangs,etc) pull  their skills and talents in order to overcome difficulties and make modifications. It’s like a cycle which is always necessary. The problem is that in their cycle there had no immediate future. It was a need to exterminate leaving nothing but a spoilt landscape covered by rubble. Their plan had been as effective as an army or a missile. The place was clear for something new to be created, something different, but something human which soon or later would be also destroyed. These qualities inside members of the gang were the leftovers of the war. They had absorbed war and were part of its consequences. Rounding off and as far as I’m concerned, the story’s theme is centred on the idea of destruction and creation, and how these two relate with each other. War and pos-war are deeply connected with this main idea in the story due to the fact that it was a period of transition; the gang was leaving between destruction and the creation of something new. I believe that war is the perfect example to understand human behaviour, and how ideologies or interests may lead to fights, battles, and the constant look for evolution and change whereas terrible consequences can be suffered by anyone, no matter their innocence and age (like the boys did).

Abortion: Gathering Sources Online Essay

Read Lester pp. 39-60, â€Å"Gathering Sources Online,† and complete the answers to the questions below related to the chapter. Submit with answers written below each question: 1. What are two important things to be aware of when using online rather than print versions of an article? -The text may differ from the original printed version and may even be a digest. -Resist the desire to quote from the abstract and, instead, write a paraphrase of it or find the full text and cite from it. 2. What does .com indicate about a site? See more: Satirical elements in the adventure of Huckleberry Finn essay For-profit organizations, selling advertising space, they often charge for access, can be ISP sites 3. For research purposes, when evaluating sites, which two site suffixes should you prefer? .edu and .org 4. List 3 reasons to be careful of .com sites: -They are selling advertising space; they often charge you for access to their files; they can be ISP sites that people pay to use and to their â€Å"material.† 5. What are three ways to check for the professional affiliation of the writer of a Web article? -Opening credits or an email address – Search for the writer’s home page -Type the writer’s name in Amazon.com for a list of his or her books 6. What does the acronym URL stand for? Uniform Resource Locator 7. What does http:// in a Web address mean? Transmits data 8. What does the domain indicate? Names the organization feeding information into the server with the suffix to the label of the type of organization 9. What does html stand for and what does it name? Hypertext markup language; names the computer language used to write the file 10. What is the key difference between subject directory search engines like Yahoo! and Lycos and robot-driven search engines like Google and AltaVista? Directory search engines are human compiled and indexed to guide you to general areas that are then subdivided to specific categories. Robot-driven search engines respond to a keyword by electronically scanning millions of web sites. 11. What is a metasearch engine? List four examples of them. It examines your topic in several of the other two search engines and gives you the more relevant sites. For example: dogpile.com; mamma.com; metacrawler.com; surfwax.com 12. How can you find a specialized search engine? Go to one of the major sites, and ask â€Å"Where can I find a search engine on journalism?† The computer will name specialized search engines. 13. What is the best source on the Internet for academic journals? The library’s database collection 14. What are three ways to access an online academic journal? – First access your favorite search engine and use a keyword search for â€Å"journals† plus the name of your subject. -Second access a search engine’s subject directory. -Third, if you already know the name of a journal, go to your favorite search engine to make a keyword query, which will link you to the social science journal of that name. 15. List four directories that exist to help you discover articles in magazines: -NewsDirectory.com; Highbeam Research; Pathfinder; ZD Net 16. How can you find almost any newspaper in the United States? www.newspapers.com 17. Online books in the public domain are available through what Web address? http://digital.library.upenn.edu/books/ * Read Lester, pp. 107-131, â€Å"Evaluating Sources for Research.† Select and submit to me the title and author of a non-fiction book related to the Mississippi Delta and preferably one that relates to your broader research topic to read and critique for essay one (See the bibliography and annotated bibliography posted in this week’s folder for your choices.) Type this here: Crowe, Chris. Getting Away With Murder: The True Story of the Emmett Till Case. Dial, 2003. * Read â€Å"Five Myths of the Information Age† posted here. * Read the article â€Å"Ten Simple Google Search Tricks,† posted in this folder. * Watch the video lecture on using Google Scholar posted in this folder. * Search for and locate at least five Internet sources that you may be able to use in your larger research project. Submit to me an annotated bibliographic entry for each (see Lester, Glossary, page 371). Type this information here: Locate a book using Google Books that you may be able to use in your larger research project. Submit to me an annotated bibliographic entry. Type this information here: Crowe, Chris. â€Å"Getting Away With Murder: The True Story of the Emmett Till Case.† Dial, 2003. * Locate a scholarly article using Google Scholar that you may be able to use in your larger research project. Submit to me an annotated bibliographic entry for it. Type this information here: William Bradford Huie, â€Å"What happened to Emmett Till killers?† Look Magazine 63. (1956). Print. * Write a paragraph explaining the criteria you should use to evaluate an Internet source for possible use in a research project. Type this paragraph here: You must make judgments about the validity and veracity of the materials. You should look for professional affiliation of the writer, which you will find in the opening credits or an email address. You should also look for the writer’s home page. Look for a bibliography that accompanies the article. You should try to find the timeliness of the information on the site. Check dates of publication and how often the information is updated.

Consistency, parallelism and sentence variety are valuable techniques Essay

Consistency, parallelism and sentence variety are valuable techniques I have learned in this writing course - Essay Example consistent and concise essay, research paper, or other written document require special attention to be placed on the order of paragraphs and linking paragraphs. The order of paragraphs needs to be chronological with the importance emphasized with each sentence. Words and sentences should not be used unless they support the topic being discussed. Furthermore, to ensure consistency with the paragraphs more than the order is important, they also have to be linked. Linking paragraphs means keywords are repeated from one paragraph to another. It also means that transitional expressions and sentences are used. The thesis statement in this paper and topic sentence of this paragraph show how keywords can link one paragraph to another with a transition. Paragraphs are made up of words and sentences, which mean that sentence variety helps create a transition between the various thoughts in a paper through language awareness. Sentence variety means I need to use a mixture of long and short sentences to explain my idea. The words need to be concise, exact, fresh, and vary from the beginning. Discussing the use of words leads me to my next point with regards to parallelism. Parallelism requires the same tense, voice, person, number and tone to be used throughout a paper (Thurman, 2008). In a sentence I need to use the same verb tense. For example, washed, waxed, and vacuuming are not consistent. Washed and waxed are the same verb tense; however, vacuuming is a past progressive verb tense instead of past tense verb. Tone created by verbs and words in a sentence also needs to be consistent. Tone is considered the expression of the speaker (Abrams, 1999). If the tone changes the meaning of the paper may change or lead to confusion on behalf of the reader. Paragraphing techniques, parallelism, and sentence variety are the three main points I learned about in this writing course which all lead to a consistent and concise paper. I am able to take what lessons I learned from class

Journalist Martha Rountree Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Journalist Martha Rountree - Research Paper Example â€Å"At a time when the female's presence in television production was routinely dismissed as unfeminine, Martha proved that there is not only a niche for the female broadcaster; there is also potential for quality in any commentary regardless of gender†(Martha). Even though, Martha had no college degree, she mesmerized the anchor and journalist profession with her immense abilities and talents. This paper briefly analyses her life and contributions. At the age of sixteen, Martha’s father died which put her in major troubles in finding enough money for the completion of her education. She accepted a job in Columbia Record newspaper, mainly to find enough money for her education. However, she could not finish her college studies because of financial reasons. Since she started her career in a newspaper, she decided to continue her career in journalism and worked for many prominent publications like The Tampa Tribune in Tampa, Florida. In 1938, she resigned from Tampa tri bune and moved to New York City and started her career as a freelance writer. Along with her freelance writing career, she started a production company with the help of her sister which produced singing commercials and transcribed programs in 1944. Martha and her sister Ann succeeded in producing many unique programs which caught the attention of the public at that time. The interviews of women celebrities conducted by Martha and her sister gained much publicity and popularity in America during this period. Her first marriage was to Albert N. Williams, Jr. in 1941 which lasted around seven years and ended in 1948. She had no children in this affair. â€Å"Ms. Rountree married Oliver M. Presbrey in 1952. Mr. Presbrey, an advertising executive, died in 1988† (Files). She had two daughters in this affair. Rountree created a new radio show, called The American Mercury Presents: Meet the Press, on June 24, 1945. However, Meet the Press program which she started on NBC television n etwork, on November 6, 1947 is believed to be her master piece even now. Rountree developed her own ideas and implemented it successfully in this programs which resulted in huge popularity of this program. The major idea of this program was to have public figures respond to irritating questions without prior preparation. People enjoyed the agony and confusion of the celebrities in dealing with the unexpected questions of Martha, very much. Currently meet the press is the longest running television programs in the history of television. It is in the 57th year, at present. President Kennedy once referred to "Meet the Press" as the "fifty-first state," and since the Kennedy presidency, every man who has occupied the Oval Office has appeared on "Meet the Press" during his career. Every Sunday morning for 57 years strong, in times of peace or war, "Meet the Press" is welcomed into the homes of Americans to analyze, discuss and review the news of the week -- and to look ahead to the week to come -- with world-renowned guests (Martha). Foreign policy was the major theme discussed in the meet the press programs while interviewing political celebrities. Some of the prominent world leaders interviewed on this program are; Fidel Castro, Francois Mitterrand, Indira Gandhi, David Ben-Gurion, Golda Meir, Ferdinand Marcos, Jean Monnet, Mikhail Gorbachev, Anwar el-Sadat, Yitzhak Rabin, King Hussein of Jordan, Hamid Karzai, Pervez Musharraf, King Abdullah of

Sociological theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sociological theory - Essay Example His book - Suicide: In the preface of suicide Durkheim says,† There can be no sociology unless societies exist, and societies cannot exist if there are only individuals." In this quotation and throughout his book Durkheim insists that society constitute a reality in itself, and could never be reduced to individuals. The proper focus of sociology was not the individual, but social facts which for Durkheim deal with attributes of society, not of individuals. Durkheim argued that if acts like suicide were purely individual in nature, they would fluctuate wildly from year to year. Social facts in contrast would be far less likely to exhibit such wide fluctuations, because societies seldom change that rapidly. Durkheims famous study of suicide took suicide rates as a dependent variable. Durkheim argued that two central variables--social integration and normative regulation--were independent variables that explained variation in suicide rates. He said that individuality can prosper o nly in a free society that promotes voluntary bonds between its members. In ‘Le Suicide’ Durkheim argues that collective social forces hold the upper hand for suicide than extra social or individual causes. In this book Durkheim argues that suicide is something which primarily results from a lack of integration of the individual into society, and it provides an incredibly detailed and complex understanding of the impetus for suicide as well as on it psychological and physical impact not only on the victim but also on their family and society in general. Erving Goffman: June 11, 1922 – November 19, 1982), was a sociologist and writer. The 73rd president of American Sociological Association, Goffmans greatest contribution to social theory is his study of symbolic interaction in the form of dramaturgical perspective that began with his 1959 book The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life and was developed throughout his life. Goffman became one of the most

What is a Shaman Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

What is a Shaman - Essay Example There are three basic concepts of Shamanism. The first concept of shamanism is the belief that animals, plants, water and rocks all have spirits which have to be respected and cared for by the human race (Michael. 59). The second concept focuses on personal responsibility and involves the belief of Buyan which can be related closely to Karma. The concept states that taking responsibility of one’s action is mark of an upright individual. The third concept advocates for balance. It states that balance is an important aspect that maintains harmony in the environment, within an individual and the community at large. In shamanism, a Shaman is approached when things get out of balance within the community, homestead or an individual (Michael. 59). The concepts of shamanism help in the understanding of the link between the living and the spirit world. The first concept portrays this notion through the use of a Shaman as a mediator between the living and the spirit worlds. The second concept advocates for personal responsibility which is an important aspect in human beings as it promotes self actualization in an individual thus creating positive thinking towards development as well as other life responsibilities such as management of the environment, promoting a peaceful existence in the community and respecting the human race. The third concept promotes a balance in natural and anthropogenic factors thus creating a harmonious environment (Michael. 62). Harmony is an important entity in community build-up as it is used to create a social capital which is required for communal development. It also maintains peace in the

Operations Management Principles and Tools Essay

Operations Management Principles and Tools - Essay Example 5). I think our company would benefit from a systematic enhancement to the communication of policy and procedures, similar to the tools implemented by other organizations, which would save time for managers and ensure compliance with corporate directives. As a good model for operations management ("OM") success, I have looked at several companies and decided to use FedEx as an example of one company that has successfully implemented OM tools. "FedEx provides access to a growingglobal marketplace through a network ofsupply chain, transportation, business and related information services" (FedEx, 2006, p. 1), and is very dependent upon efficiently operating its world-wide services. Located in Memphis, Tennessee, the organization is known as the industry leader in fast package delivery for individuals and businesses. Its management and delivery of information data to its various departmental leaders is a key source of profitability, as it enhances efficiency and policy compliance. My sources for researching this information are included in the References section of this report. I selected Robert Lowson's book on Operations Management to provide me with general information, relied on the FedEx website to give me specific company information, as well as the website of Quadralay's WebWorks product information for specific quotes and insight from Joe Lakey, the Senior Technical Writer for FedEx. The primary OM initiative for FedEx that I consider applicable to my company is their electronic provision of operations manuals and policies. As the WebWorks article, using the corporation's slogan, points out, "to 'absolutely, positively' guarantee the on-time delivery of nearly three million packages...managers rely on the business operations manuals located on their corporate intranet (Quadralay, 2006, p. 1). In this OM initiative, FedEx has determined that their Ground Operations Station Managers need instant access to the manuals that govern corporate procedures and operational directives. The benefits already being reaped by FedEx are numerous. They operate within a fiercely competitive environment, and the backbone of their success lies in two areas; the ability to have efficient operational guidelines to prescribe procedures, and the communication of those instructions to line managers. In this case, the Quadralay article points out that "[t]he documentation supports the highly efficient, high-speed operations of FedEx's largest division and North America's largest provider of overnight package delivery services" (2006, p. 1). For FedEx, the key words are "highly efficient" and "high-speed." This is a company whose business depends on speed, and whose competitive advantage hinges on efficiency. Through the successful implementation of the OM information system, the organization reaps the benefit of both. As Mr. Lakey notes, the managers of the company's stations are very busy people, and they "don't have time to spend digging through information to find what they n eed. So anything we can do to save them time and make their job easier is extremely helpful" (Quadralay, 2006, p. 1). Thus, this single OM initiative of providing operational manuals via the company's intranet is seen as a key part of the organization's

Instrumentation principles for media technology microphone technology Essay

Instrumentation principles for media technology microphone technology - Essay Example According to Snoman, a microphone, casually referred to as mic or mike, is a device that â€Å"converts sound into an electrical current that is then transformed into an audio signal at the end of the chain† (152). How well the sound gets captured by the microphone and un-obstructively reproduced and transmitted to the audience, and how well the microphone meets the live or studio requirements of sound, is the main concern. There is no doubt that when you go for a high quality microphone, you are ultimately ensuring excellence of the sound; however, every microphone has its own tonal quality that is different from other microphones. Thus, choosing the right microphone is what requires good sensible knowledge about the microphone technology and some basic tips and tricks of utilizing this technology. â€Å"Microphones are a key factor in achieving high quality recordings and sound reproduction†, says Peterson. The first microphone ever developed consisted of a metal diaphragm connected to a needle which was further connected to a metal foil. When the diaphragm would catch differences in air pressure, it would cause the needle to move which would scratch out specific patterns onto the metal foil. When these scratches were later run by the needle, they would cause the diaphragm to move which reproduced the recorded sound (How Stuff Works). The latest microphone technology, however sophisticated, works on the same principle that is, converting air pressure waves into electrical current. Whatever the type of the microphone is, all have one thing is common. That is the diaphragm which is actually a thin paper or a thin piece of aluminum or plastic, located in the head of a typical microphone, and vibrates when it catches sound waves produced by differences in air pressure (see Fig. 1). Vibrations in this diaphragm cause vibrations in other modules of the microphone as well

Compare the view of class in Homer, Boccaccio, Austen Essay

Compare the view of class in Homer, Boccaccio, Austen - Essay Example With his kindness, Odysseus wins the total loyalty of his thankful slaves. In Homer’s poem there are moments when Odysseus is described as inconsiderate and stubborn. He loses his caution when he is elated by his triumph over the strong Kyklops Polyphemos. Because of his temporary loss of common sense his puts his men in great danger. Despite his crew unwillingness, Odysseus embarks into the Kyklops’ island. There are other scenes in which Odysseus shows his selfish nature, for example the moment when he sends his crew to the unknown land of Kirke. He does this to avoid a potential danger which puts his life in peril. Although the initial description that Mentor gives is true, to an extend he idolizes Odysseus and portrays him in idealized fashion. In comparison, the protagonist in Dante’s Inferno is Dante himself. The novel is written from first-person perspective, which indicates that the character Dante is narrating the story. In Inferno we have to distinguish between the author Dante and the protagonist Dante. The author creates his character as a fictional one. The novel represents a journey of the protagonist Dante, written as if it was happening to the author Dante. At the beginning the protagonist has pity for the sinners in Hell. He shows how merciful he is. Then he realizes that the sinners deserve to be punished for their wrongdoing. Here the protagonist is described as ruthless. Dante’s character undergoes a noticeable change throughout his journey. His compassion for the sinners reduces as he goes down through Hell. The protagonist is also described as curious and caution at the same time, because he asks Virgil for advice every step on his way. Dante’s character is also adventurous during his journey. He is not afraid of what is happening around him and shows no fear. The protagonist is also wise, because he knows that he can not be hurt, and he can prevent the suffering that the sinners experience. In Emma, Jane

Branding Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Branding Analysis - Essay Example Consumers identify a brand's distinctive capabilities based on their perceptions that have themselves been created by the marketers over a period of time. A genuine brand is "the internalized sum of all the impressions received by the customers and consumers resulting in a distinctive position in their mind's eye based on perceived emotional and functional benefits" (Knapp). Attributes: Attributes are things that usually speak about the product. A brand usually conveys attributes of the product in order to inform existing customers and at the same time attract new potential customers. For example, the attributes of Raymond's suits are stylish, fashionable and modern and stitched of high quality premium clothing. Benefits: In order for a brand to be successful in the market, it is necessary that the product attributes eventually transform into both emotional and functional benefits of the same. If the same example of Raymond's suits which was mentioned above is considered attributes like style and fashion will transform into emotional benefits and the quality of clothing will transform into functional benefits. ... Values: Most of the brands associate some value with themselves. For example, the baseline of the brand Raymond - 'The Complete Man,' communicates a value proposition that the clothing makes a man complete and perfect. Culture: Brands also represent a certain culture. Even this aspect can be better explained with the same example of Raymond that we've been discussing all through. Raymond projects a culture of family bonding like father and son, husband and wife along with Indianness like respect for elders etc, in its advertisements. Personality: Brands communicate personality status. Raymond suggests that it is a brand for a man who cares for his family, society, and himself. User: Brands clearly state their user segments. Raymond is targeted at upper middle class and upper class customers. Brand Personality Brand personality is of immense importance to a firm. This is evident from the fact that most companies spend a lot of time, money and energy in brand building along with the brand's personality. It would be difficult for a company to imagine existence without the brand name and brand personality. For example, if a customer is asked to select one of two chocolates kept in front of him/her, one with the Cadbury's brand name on it visible and the other, also a Cadbury's but with the brand name hidden, the customer, in all probability selects the one with the Cadbury's name visible on it. This shows the importance of the brand name. Companies have to understand that brands and their personality mean a lot and are at the heart of any business activity. Hence, it is necessary that a firm has to exercise full control over its brands. It is often felt that most of the companies have a constrained perception about their brands. They tend to feel

Professional and Managerial Ethics Caselet Essay Example for Free

Professional and Managerial Ethics Caselet Essay Limaha Inc. is a world-renowned toilet manufacturer founded in 1967. Limaha led the innovation of advanced bathroom utilities and mainly caters to First Class airports and 5-star hotels. The recent Asian economy boom has led to increased demands of Limaha toilet bowls for the business expansion of their loyal clients. In response, the company has decided call for this unprecedented increase in production that must be met as soon as possible.Jenny Panaguiton, the purchasing manager of Limaha’s main office, was tasked to choose a supplier of premium porcelain to be used in the production of their patented No Pressure toilet bowls. This production will include a big production contract with a new posh hotel in the country’s capital whose construction is about to end with the installation of their bathroom fixtures. After careful analysis from 20 suppliers by the purchasing department, Jenny was presented and left to decide between two suppliers: O Mang China and Teddy B. Solutions. O Mang China offered superior porcelain at a high price. This price along with other costs necessary to deliver the porcelain to the production plants was estimated to exceed the company’s budget. Although Limaha can choose to go ahead and allocate more capital for this transaction, it could result to lower company profits if the previously agreed sales price of No Pressure toilet bowls is not increased. If Limaha decides to charge a higher price on their new product, there is a high possibility that the hotel client would back out from the contract and change to another toilet manufacturer for confirmed business ventures next year. Teddy B. Solutions, on the other hand, offered a lower price for the porcelain materials which is well within the company’s budget. Christopher Barrido, the company’s Vice President for Production even greatly encouraged Jenny on choosing Teddy B, as the really low price of the porcelain would bring significant favorable variances in their division’s costs. Not only would their division have a pretty image in front of the Board, there would even be a possible salary increase. He even promised Jenny of a bright future in the company if she makes the right decision. Jenny, however, doubts their VP’s motives, as Christopher would not normally recommend any supplier and would just leave the Purchasing Department on their decisions. She thinks Christopher’s actions have something to do with the generous gifts Christopher has been receiving recently from his long-time friend and classmate, Teddy B. Teddy B’s proposal is highly attractive when just considering the company’s profits. However, the production team who reviewed the samples from Teddy B showed results that were a far cry from O Mang’s porcelain. Materials from Teddy B produced inferior quality toilet bowls. The production team voiced out their concerns through Pie Bread, the production manager. Pie greatly discouraged the use of Teddy B materials to Christopher Barrido, arguing that the use of such materials would greatly affect their quality, and the name of Limaha Inc. could be tarnished through this. They were also very concerned that the hotel might withdraw previous arrangements with Limaha because of the fact that these inferior toilet bowls were simply not appropriate for the posh hotel. Christopher just won’t have any of Pie’s arguments. He argued that the employees under her department were only exaggerating about the quality of the samples. Teddy B has long been in the business of supplying porcelain, so he argued that the problem is not on the materials, but on the workers handling the production who are not being efficient enough to produce at the expected quality. Pie and Christopher’s debate had been long, and word travelled that Pie was even threatened of demotion if results with the Teddy B samples still would not improve. Needless to say, people from production are now pointing daggers to the purchasing department, as their decisions could cause them their jobs. And so Jenny tried to negotiate the price offer of O Mang China and asked for any other possible alternatives their company could have. Its owner, Osmong, however presented her a very outrageous offer. Osmong is her former lover from a very bad and traumatic relationship.  Osmong, feeling bitter, is still deeply in love with Jenny even after she broke up with him six months ago for a number of undisclosed reasons. Since the breakup, Jenny has vowed to never reconcile with this man again. In a desperate attempt to get Jenny back, Osmong offered to significantly reduce their price to go lower than that of Teddy B, if and only if, she agrees to go back together with him again. This new price would mean that there would be no need for a price increase on the No Pressure toilet bowl, and they could even attract more potential long-term customers because of their high-quality products at a really low price.  To add to the list of her worries, Jenny received a note to come to a private meeting in a nearby cafà © with Bea Wing, Limaha’s Internal Auditor. The meeting had been really stressful, as the topic was Teddy B’s alleged recent romantic interest with Jenny. Teddy has been sending Jenny many gifts and invitations to dinners since the start of the year, and they had gone to a few dates. Jenny, however, just treated their relationship as platonic, and concluded that nothing can come out of their business meetings. Bea however would not believe any of it. Bea had been married to Teddy B for three years. Sadly, a gap in their relationship has formed due to their busy schedules. She noticed her husband’s special attention to Jenny, and thought that a possible divorce could be coming to her soon if Jenny continues to â€Å"lead him on† with her business partnerships. Bea thinks that this new materials supplying contract could be the last straw. She later vowed, that if Jenny makes one wrong move on choosing her husband and destroy her marriage, she would definitely destroy her life. Jenny was visibly shaken, given that Bea really has the power to do so, with a few alterations on her department’s financial statement, and some words with Board of Directors regarding her process of choosing the material suppliers. Jenny really has a lot riding in this decision. The company\ profits, the production employees, her personal relationships, her co-workers, and her own job are at stake in this one important decision of choosing the supplier of porcelain for the No Pressure toilet bowl model. She could not afford to lose her job now, given that it is the only way for her to pay for the medical bills of her five dogs in the hospital. This one decision could make  or break her life. Even more so, she’s not even sure if it is right. What do you think would be the best action to take?

Definition Of Resistance To Change Management Essay

Definition Of Resistance To Change Management Essay This chapter will cover the definition of change and resistance to change, then each variable which may potentially influence middle managers attitude towards change are discussed separately which include: middle managers perceived benefits of change, and middle managers involvement in change. Secondly, the chapter will also discuss the influential factors which may influence attitude towards change, based on extensive literature of researches carried out which include: organization benefits, organization barriers, employees age, employees education, and demographic characteristics. Finally, the chapter will end with a conclusion. As cited by Jia, Li, Song, Tsui, Zhang (2008) middle managers are taking an important position in organizations. They are accountable for achieving organizational goals by translating and implementing organizational strategies, managing change, creating optimal working environments, ensuring smooth running of operations, building teams and motivating subordinates, and so on Delmestri Walgenbach (2005), Floyd Wooldridge (1997), Huy, (2002),Barsoux, Kieser, Ganter, Stewart Walgenbach(1994). In order to survive, organizations rely on the creativity and innovation of middle-level managers Dutton, Ashford, Oà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸Neill, Hayes, Wierba(1997). Resistance to change introduces costs and delays into the change process Ansoff (1990) that are difficult to anticipate Lorenzo (2000) but must be taken into consideration. Resistance has also been considered as a source of information, being useful in learning how to develop a more successful change process Beer and Eisenstat (1996), Gol dstein, 1988; Lawrence(1954), Piderit ( 2000), Waddell and Sohal (1998). In previous research, middle managers were identified as the key group in organizations that covers a wide range of responsibilities. Mintzberg (1980) identified as one of the responsibilities of middle managers were translating strategy into operations. Miller Shamsie (1996), stated that knowledge has become one of the most important assets in economic life. Unlike physical assets, which have traditionally been considered the basis of competitive advantage, knowledge assets are the source of todays organizations ability to outperform their competitors In addition, Carney (2004) also stated that middle managers are the ones who developed strategy. Beckwith, Glenzer Fowler (2002), defined middle managers as the ones capable of leading change from the middle. Other definition of responsibilities of middle managers are championing, synthesizing, facilitating and implementing FloydLane (2000); Anderson-Ashcraft (2007) 2.2 Definition of Change Change can be defined as the process of transitioning from one state to another (Newton, 2007). According to Newton the word transformationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ is often used as a synonym for change. According to Herold Fedor, (2008), organizational change defined as alterations of existing work routines and strategies that affect a whole organization has become a central focus in the strategic and change management literatures Beck, Bruderl, Woywode, (2008); Huy,(1999) Pettigrew, Woodman, Cameron, (2001). A common distinction made in the management of organizational change is between incremental and radical change (Lee, 2011). Arris (1999) referred to incremental change as continuous improvement. Radical change is according to Lee (2011) often referred to as transformation. According to Miller and Friesen (1984) and Greenwood and Hinings (1996) radical change is a qualitative alteration of an organizations rules of organizing the fundamental rules that members use to interact cognitive ly and behaviorally with the world around them. Kotter, Schlesinger Sathe (1986), underscore this by commenting that most managers approach change with a simple set of beliefs and end up exacerbating the problems that arise because they fail to understand them in any systematic manner. However, in many cases, sometimes estimated to be as many as 50 percent of all changes, organizational change has failed to deliver expected results and or meet intended objectives Marks,(2006); Paper Chang, (2005); Quinn, (2004). Similarly, a recent survey of global companies reported that only one-third of organizational change initiatives were considered successful by their organizational executives Meaney Pung, (2008).Former empirical researches concluded that attitudinal and behavioral implications of employees had An important participation in the success of organizational change. For instance, researchers have found that individual employees change related attitudes and behaviors are related to post change organizational performance Kim Mauborgne, (2003), Robertson, Roberts, Porras, (1993) and their work performance following change Neubert Cady, (2001). Paton and Mc Calman, (2000) stated that change management approaches and theories generally stress the need to multi-task and to view change holistically. They also stated by means of research done that women middle managers are likely to be far better suited to multi-tasking than their male colleagues. Dempster, (1998) confirmed that it is not surprisingly, that they tend to manage change differently. 2.3 Definition of resistance to change Lewin (1951) was one of the first researchers to consider the notion of employee resistance to organizational change in the management field. His conception of the term was drawn from the physical sciences and considers resistance to be a restraining force attempting to maintain the status quo Piderit, (2000). Bouckenooghe (2011) stated that the majority of the literature about attitudes toward change, including resistance toward change, focuses on planned, top-down driven organizational change and the individual level of analysis. The term resistance always implies a sense of opposition Hollander Einwohner, (2004). Bouckenooghe (2010) and Piderit (2000), stated that in recognition of the varying definitions of resistance to change and similar concepts that have emerged, such as cynicism about organizational change, some authors have tried to create a more integrative view of attitudes toward change. They also stated that, This notion of attitudes toward change is used to bring toge ther the varying ways of conceptualizing peoples reactions toward change by incorporating cognitive, affective or emotional, and intentional, behavioral components The specific problem in this research is to determine how two main potential determinants, perceived benefits of change and involvement in change impacts middle managers attitude. This research verified how these factors acts as possible mediator to influence the attitudes of middle managers in a positive or negative way towards change, in organizations. Giangreco (1999) argues that the distinction between overt and covert forms of resistance to change is particularly important in relation to middle management roles. He stated that middle Managersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ dissent usually takes the form of passive resistance than of open rejection. Van Zandt (2004) argues that manager resistance comes from a slightly different perspective than the other employees. According to him, the leading reason for managersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ resistance to change is fear of loss of power and control. The two factors directly related to this are the perceived benefits of change and the involvement in the chan ge process. Attitude of a person is determinant how he will perceive whatever change has to be applied. This is in line with Ajzen and Fishbeins (1980) theory of reasoned action suggesting a direct link between peoples specific attitudes towards a given phenomenon and their behavioral reaction to it Bandura,(1977); Fishbein and Ajzen,(1975). Change often eliminates something over which the manager had control or introduces something over which the manager does not have control. As cited by Van Zandt, some managers perceive a change as a personal attack by other managers and react to the change initiative as a battle for turf. Prosci,(2003). They feel an overload of their current tasks, the pressures of their daily activities, and limited resources to assist them with the new responsibilities given to them during the change process Durant, (1999). Giangreco and Peccei (2005) suggest that the most common factors that affect employee level of resistance to change in organizations are perceptions of the cost and benefits associated with change and the extent of their involvement in the actual process of change. They noted that the perception of the cost and benefits associated with change relates to the content of change. Braaf, P (2011) said that it specifically refers to individualsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ perceptions of the possib le impact that the change could have on them, of the personal advantages and disadvantages associated with the actual change itself. Dempster, (1998) also stated that, gender issues in the workplace have also faced a great deal of scrutiny, however there has been little or no research linking gender differences to the management of change. These factors that go along with change can cause substantial fear and anxiety amongst individuals involved in the change process and; hence, can become an important source of resistance to change Caruth, Middlebrook, Rachel(1985), Mc Crimmon(1997), Hegarty(1993), Nadler (1993), Hultman, (1995), Folger and Skarlicki (1999); Pardo del Val and Martines Fuentes (2003). According to Giangrecco and Peccei (2005) individuals will exhibit higher levels of resistance when they perceive more costs from change than benefits. Regarding the process as the other major influence on resistance, Giangrecco and Peccei (2005) argue that it relates to the way the change itself is managed. It refers to the way in which individuals affected by the change Figure 1-Model Source: Giangreco and Peccei (2005): Middle managers resistance to changehttp://imageserver.ebscohost.com/img/imageqv/archive/3cc/20051001/1481384.jpg?ephost1=dGJyMNXb4kSepq84v%2bvlOLCmr0qepq5Srqa4SK6WxWXS are involved in the process of change, and the extent to which they participate in various aspects of the development and implementation of the change within the organization. Following the explanatory model of resistance to change Giangreco and Peccei (2005) gives the relational factors that affects attitude towards change. This conceptual model, (Figure 1-1),showed the interrelationship of the dependable Resistance To Change and Attitudes towards change, with the two independent variables Perceived benefits of change and the Involvement in change. This study, however was to investigate the involvement in the change process and the perception of the cost of change on managers attitudes towards the change itself, and how this, influence their reactions towards change Kotter and Schlesinger, (1979), Lawrence, (1954), Pugh, (1993). As mentioned in limitations the direct and indirect influences on resistance to change were excluded. The two independent variables involvement in the change processes and perceived benefits of change are the factors that directly, influence attitudes towards change, which could acts as mediator to positively or negatively influence middle managers reactions toward change. Hence, the factors perceived benefits of change and involvement in change both can have a direct or indirect effect on change, through the indirect influence of factors that impact managers attitudes towards change. 2.4 Perceived Benefits of Change The variable Perceived benefits of change represents how the middle managers filter their preferences and appreciation of the changes to happen. Isabella, (1990), Lau and Woodman, (1995), Smollan,( 2006) stated that success of a change process is not determined or dictated by how change is described, explained, or understood by scholars, but by how it is experienced and what it means to those directly affected. The cognitive aspect of Change is a determinant on the attitude of middle managers. Mintzberg (1990), Floyd and Wooldridge(2000) stated that middle managers can both be thinkers and doers of strategy .The social conception and personal values or self interest are some critical triggers to the attitude of middle managers to accept change. Change can be viewed and understand by managers in different ways. According to Bartunek, Lacey and Wood, (1992); Stubbard, Meindl and Porac, (1994); Weber and Manning, (2001), participants view change, it is filtered through their preferences and appreciated and accepted or resisted accordingly. Such preferences are a function of social cognition or sense-making Weick, (1999). Atkinson (1984), Brett, Stro, Reilly, (1993) stated that job changes within the company are usually seen as a positive phenomenon, contributing to organizational flexibility and employee development. The perception is the key factor for a manager to decide if he engaged to change to be applied in an organization if considered desirable or undesirable. DiBella (1996) stated that Perceptions of the change varied at different levels of analysis and across the organizations department-based subcultures. Kotter and Schlesinger (1979) state that there are four common reasons for employees resistance: a desire not to lose something of value, a misunderstanding of the change and its implications, a belief that the change does not make sense for the organization and a low tolerance for change. Diener, Smith, Fujita, 1995; Shaver, Schwartz, Kirson, OConn or 1987 defines that, like moods, emotions can easily be classified into positive and negative categories, however, research has shown that there are many more than two distinct emotions. Kotter (1995) also observed more than 100 companies in a decade and reported that when organizations attempt a major change, the employees often understand the new vision and want to make it happen, but there are obstacles that prevent execution. Taylor, and Weaver (1977), Penley and Hawkins (1980), Quinn, Smes and McCullough (1973) stated that yet womens attitudes toward their jobs are often more favorable than mens. All mentioned, are based on how a manager can perceive the benefits or the loss regarding its position in a new process of change which affects its attitude towards change. 2.5 Attitudes towards change Attitudes of middle managers are considered as the mediating tool for success or for failure. Alreck Settle (2004) defined attitudes towards organizational change as the beliefs of a manager about organizational change and their likelihood to take action based on these beliefs. If the influence on the attitude of the middle manager is negative, his total attitude towards delegation of change strategies will be negative. In addition, Blau, Ferber, and Winkler,(1998),Jacobs (1992) observed that although women have made progress at moving into management positions in recent years, gender segregation of organizational hierarchies persists, with women often concentrated in lower and middle level management positions rather than the more salient upper-level positions Beer, Eisenstat, and Spector (1990) found that in the fundamental flaw as the fallacy of programmatic change that the place to begin an organizational change is with the knowledge and attitudes of individuals. Middle managers are the ones who interpret actions, experience and observation in both directions to the top management and to the work floor. Burgelman (1994), Currie (1999) Currie and Procter (2001), all stated that middle managers play a central role in developing new ideas with the reshaping of firm capabilities and affecting strategic renewal. Strategy implementation and strategy formulation are closed interrelated, half of the strategic decisions in organizations fail for reasons relating to strategy implementation rather than formulation Jarzabkowski, (2008); Mintz- berg Waters, (1985) Hickson, Miller, Wilson, (2003); Nutt, (1999). Mcshane and Von Glinow (2008), gave another dimension of attitude toward change indicated that, it generally consists of a persons cognitions about change, affective reactions to change, and behavioral tendency toward change. Allen and Meyer(1993;1997), Mowday, Porter, and Steers,(1982) found out that, older and more tenured workers have more access to positive work experiences, explaining their higher levels of commitment. Explaining the different satisfaction levels that men and women have experienced. Hakim (1991) and Fagan and Rubery (1996) have also suggested that women in full-time and part-time employment have qualitatively different working attitudes than men, explaining the different satisfaction levels that men and women have experienced. Chreim (2006) also stated that attitudes function as predictors of subsequent behavior with regard to participation in the process of change. Therefore, whenever change occur attitudes towards such change should be taken into consideration because it predicts success and failure of the programs. Meyer and Allen (1991), stated that organizational commitment is expressed by attitudes and behavior that reveal an employees identification and involvement with the organization and it has been linked to increased productivity and reduced absenteeism and turnover. Keck (1997,) argued that, demographic studies showed that young, less tenured and heterogeneous middle managers have the composition most likely to produce strategic and structural changes in turbulent contexts. According to Rosabeth Moss Kanter (1993,1994),the gender balance in the workplace is changing, this is one of the most significant demographic phenomenon ever to face organizations. As stated by Kanter (1991), Mintzberg (19 94), Pascale (1997), Boddy and Paton(1998), Paton and Mc Cal-man (2000), given the emphasis placed upon developing a transformational style, or culture, when managing change, or when formulating and implementing strategic initiatives, one could speculate that women may be better equipped to manage such situations than men. 2.6 Involvement in change The second variable involvement in change is the experience of the middle managers participation in the development of the strategies that will affect its attitude towards the change itself. Floyd (1992),Wooldridge (1997) and Balogun (2003), stated that the middle manager role in strategy, is implementing top managements intended strategies. Westley (1990) stated that the first condition for championing middle managers is the inclusion in the process of planning. Hardy(1996); Balogun (2005), Gioia and Chittipeddi (1991)   stated , that by mobilizing process and resource power, several middle managers were able to influence meaning making and position themselves as major sense givers, with great influence on others sense making. Kanter,(1977), Burt (1992; 2001); Lane and Bachman,(1998) have underlined the importance of trust during organizational change, but their main focus has been on trust as a factor that facilitates change or that positively moderates the relationships between facets of the change process and successful implementation of change. The involvement of middle managers in strategy planning affects their attitude positively toward the change. Floyd and Wooldridge, (1997); Huy, (2001) claimed that top management can gain advantages from involving middle managers more closely in strategy development. Akerlind (2005) and Padilla (2008) stated, while the development of staff has received attention in terms of teaching, and to a lesser extent, research there is a gap in the literature regarding female academics development in their administrative or management roles, particularly at the middle levels. Huy (2002) concludes that middle managers are at least as important as senior executives in facilitating radical change. Balogun (2003) also found that middle managers are not per se a blockage to change, but can make an important strategic contribution. De Marco (2002) speaks of the `critical role of middle management. Research has increasingly shown t hat middle managers play a pivotal role in developing new ideas, reshaping firm capabilities, and affecting strategic renewal Burgelman, (1994); Currie, (1999); Currie and Procter, (2001). Popper and Lipchitz (1992), Redshaw (2000) also stated that coaching has been defined in several ways; as a process of giving guidance, encouragement and support to the learner, or as a day to day, hands on process of helping employees recognize opportunities to improve their performance and capabilities. Allen, Eby, Poteet, Lentz and Lima (2004) explains that mentoring consists of three parts; vocational support, psycho social support and role modeling. Mintzberg (1990); Floyd and Wooldridge (2000), stated that middle managers can both be thinkers and doers of strategy. Mintzberg, (1994), Wooldridge and Floyd, (1990), Kogut and Zander, (1996), all stated that, involvement of middle managers in strategic planning is said to be beneficial for organizations as they provide valuable soft information on key stakeholders, improve the quality of strategic decisions and generate a sense of ownership and identification with organizational goals By participating middle managers in the whole process of change brings only advantage for the organization. This enhance the trust on both sides and brings a more clear understanding to the managers mind the why and how changes has to be applied, making for him more easy to convince employees toward the change that affects also the manager attitude in a positive manner. 2.7 Conclusion In conclusion; This research, focused on two factors perceived benefits of change and the involvement of change. The perceived benefits of change and the involvement of change were investigated as influential drivers of the attitudes towards change. In this study, the approach to attitudes towards change was based on the behavior of middle managers towards change as a form of passive oppositions to manifest their dissent towards organizational change to be implemented. Middle managers, conscious of their position do not express in such violent ways and choose a milder form of resistance to express their dissatisfaction. Gianfranco (1999) stated that this distinction between more overt and covert forms of dissent, linked to notions of opposition and resistance to change, respectively, is particularly important in relation to middle management roles. According to the literature, middle managers reactions to change and their role in processes of organizational change more generally have, nevertheless, attracted considerable interest and attention in literature Balogun ( 2003), Dopson and Neumann (1998), Floyd and Lane (2000). As already mentioned the two main factors which potentially affect employees attitudes towards change are: perceived benefits of change and involvement in change. Furthermore, factors as employees age, highest completed education, tenure and gender profile were also studied. The outcome of this study, will provide important information to organizations of Curacao, for effectively assess organizational change. It will also give new dimensions of thinking, how to implicate middle managers in organizational change and valuate more deeply middle managers functions in organizations on the island of Curacao. The literature review used in this chapter was used to validate the questionnaire used in this survey. The literature review verified also the results obtained from data collection, with the results mentioned in the literature theory. The following chapter will elaborate more on the methodology used for this study.

The Gender Discrimination In Pakistan Sociology Essay

The Gender Discrimination In Pakistan Sociology Essay This paper demonstrates a societal status of women and their pondering image in a perspective of social, political and economic contexts in Pakistan. The explicit spectrum of gender in different academic shapes does not rectify the comprehensive mode of subject due to lack of research and policy implementation. This thesis provides an appropriate source in the light of Islamic sharia law, cultural and uneducated state regulations towards gender understanding in Pakistan. Social injustice, economic domination by men and culturally bindings and borders make an oppressed environment for womens. Urban and rural, tribal and family moralistic restrictions amidst more and broader complications to the uplift of women in various areas of Pakistan. Women in Pakistan are living in critical social scenario and struggling to gain its level role and rights in all spheres of life. This study provides a precise shade of womens situation in Pakistan by connecting to social, political, and economic as pects of discrimination. Research needs more empirical academic work to identify issues and solutions regarding this burning topic. Chapter 1 1.1 Introduction Womens right in the world is an important indicator to understand global well-being. No society can function properly without women. Aristotle the father of political science had said that the state is a union of families and villages. Family plays a very important role in society, and makes the foundation of the state .Happy families build healthy societies and healthy societies are prerequisites of strong political order in democratic societies. A woman is an architect of society. She forms the institution of family life, takes care of the home, brings up the children and tries to make them good citizens. Her role in totality contributes to the building of an ideal family, ideal society and an ideal state. In order to build the prosperous and healthy society both men and women demand for equal rights. About half the mankind consists of women and they are treated as second class citizens all over the world, but especially in developing states they are oppressed in different sectors of life. In these developing countries one of the living examples is Pakistan which has been coming across this issue since it got independence in 1947. Womens lives are controlled and shaped by various gender discriminatory structures in Pakistan. Their contribution to the production and physical hardships are not acknowledged. A woman suffers in education, health and gender biased feeding and recreation practices. As a human being she is denied from her own identity. In some parts she is considered as commodity owned by her brother and father before marriage and then by her husband. She does not have the power to make a decision for her life. Someone else takes decisions on behalf of herself about marriage, education or giving birth to a child. In this paper I will explain the situation of women with a special focus on discrimination against them in different sections of society. What are the main obstacles in the development of womens rights. Furthermore I am also going to explain womens rights from an Islamic point of view, since this is sometimes used as an explanation or an excuse, for violating womens human rights. The essential teaching communicated to each woman in this patriarchal society where I myself grew up, is to stay a quiet viewer, even as a silent party to any unfairness done by a man. Women from 48% of the inhabitants in Pakistan. A huge number inhabits in countryside areas, where essential facilities are lacking and womens rights are mistreated. In those areas they are kept away from education, dont have access to schools and colleges and usually became victims of honor killings, rape, early marriages and gender discrimination. In remote areas, women are treated as slaves and remains under their men only as a labor force. Usually their fate will be decided by their husbands, fathers and brothers, which are often called male dominating societies. They do not have the right to make a decision concerning important aspects of lives. For instance, marriage is also a kind of business among rich and poor families; this tradition exists both in the villages and cities, which is extremely infringing on their rights to exist. In some of the areas the customary act of Swara is largely prevalent especially in Khyber Pakhtoon Khwa and Balochistan ( provinces of Pakistan), by the virtue of which, instead of giving blood money as badl-e-sulha(retribute) an accused family gives their girl or girls in marriage to an aggrieved family as compensation to settle down the blood feud between them. In this study I have used the concept of Martha Nussbaum ,, capability approach,, According to her the ten capabilities are life, bodily health, bodily integrity, senses, imagination and thoughts, practical reason, Emotion, Affiliation, Other species, Play, and control over ones environment. These capabilities are related to one another in many complex ways. It must be protected and guaranteed in order to have happy and successful life. 1.2 Aims of the thesis The topic of this assignment is discrimination, a very broad term which for this thesis have been narrowed down to,gender discrimination in Pakistan.In this study my aim is to analyze the situation of womens rights in Pakistan. How they are discriminated in different spheres of life and what are the main causes of discrimination. 1.3 Research Questions My research question is following. 1. What are the major causes of gender discrimination in Pakistan? 1.4 Methodology and material This thesis is a qualitative case study of Gender discrimination in Pakistan in order to collect qualitative data for this research I have chosen to use secondary materials such as books, internet materials, and some relevant articles related to my study. In theory. I have used the book Women and human development by Martha C. Nussbaum except from course literature. I have used the main book Al-Quran and different articles from journals. Apart from this I have also used materials from UN resources such as articles from very conventions sources from internet and data from newspaper have also been used. 1.5 Chapter Outline In this paper I start my work with a brief introduction to the field. In the second chapter womens situation in Pakistan is described briefly and some articles from CEDAW and the constitution of Pakistan is described. Furthermore the women status under sharia law has also been discussed. The subsequent chapter 3 discussess the main reasons of creating discrimination and inequalities between men and women in Pakistan. In chapter 4 I have analyse the topic and then finally I have given the conclusions with the answers to the research questions. 1.6 Theory. Martha Nussbaums Capability Approach Nussbaum presents the important ingredients necessary for living an honorable life. Her concept is derived from the Aristotle notion of human beings as a political animal and from Marx idea that the human being is a creature. She thinks that her approach is a defensible theory of justice and although a partial one and calls it the capability approach. Capabilities are important for the achievement of well-being for everyone. It helps to compare one nation to another. In Nussbaum view, the capability approach is used in analysis of women human rights. This is because the capability approach provides a social and political framework to implement the solution to the problems of human welfare. It also provides a guide for policy makers and governments ( Nusssbaum 2000, P-14). According to Nussbaum the ten capabilities are following. Life. A person must be able to live to the end of a human life of normal length, not dying prematurely, or before ones life is so reduced as to be not worth living. Bodily health. A person should be healthy, including reproductive health, to be adequately nourished and to have proper shelter. Bodily health. Must be able to move freely from one place to another, having ones bodily boundaries treated as sovereign, i.e. being able to have physical security and having opportunities for sexual satisfaction and for choice in matters of reproduction etc. Senses thought and imagination. Everyone in society has to be able to use the senses, to think, to imagine and reason. To do all these things in the proper way they all need adequate education and basic scientific and mathematical training. In order to be able to use thought and imagination everyone has the right to freedom of expression, choice of religion and free association in order to be able to search for the ultimate meaning of life in ones own way( Nussbaum 2000, p-78). Emotion. Everyone has the right to be attached to things and people outside ourselves, to care and love for those who care and love for us, to grieve at their absence, in general, to love, to grieve, to experience longing, gratitude, and justified anger. Do not harm other emotions with fear and anxiety. Practical reason. Everyone in society has the right to plain their own life in a good way without any interference from others. Affiliation. Being able to recognize and show respect for other human beings, to engage in different forms of social interaction, to be able to understand the situation of another and to have compassion for that situation. Further to have the ability for both friendship and justice. Being able to be treated as a respectable human being whose worth is equal to that of others. Protection against any type of discrimination on the ground of sex, race, religion, ethnicity etc. ( Nussbaum 2000, p-79) Other species. ,, Being able to live with concern for and in relation to animals, plants, and the world of nature,, Play. Everyone has to be able to have recreational activities and to be able to laugh and to play. Control over ones environment. A. Political. Being able to take part in political activities of their own choices, having the right of protection of free speech, association and political participation. B. Material. Being able to hold movable and immovable property, having equal property rights of possession and ownership, having equal opportunity for employment. (Nussbaum 2000, p-80). The above items on the list are interrelated to one another in many complex ways. One of the most effective ways of promoting womens control over their environment and their effective right of political participation, is to promote womens literacy. According to Nussbaum a woman who can seek work outside the home have exit option that helps them protect their bodily integrity from assaults within it. She futherly says that reproductive is related to many complex ways to the practical reason and bodily integrity. As a result this gives us more reason to avoid promoting one at the expense of the others ( Nussbaum 2000. P-81). Women do not have a chance to live a valuable life. Nussbaum thinks that this is because of lack of support for basic functions of a human life. She thinks that the capability approach serves as a good basis for a specific political conception and a specifically political overlapping consensus (Nussbaum 2000, p. 14)Â  . According to her these capabilities are very important for individuals lives and are connected to each other in many complex ways. These capabilities must be fulfilled by the government instutions especially in women casese in order to have happy and successfull life. As we see that in a country like Pakistan all the above capabilities are mostly missing in womens lives and leads them to discrimination in different spehers of life. Chapter # 2 2.1 Women situation in Pakistan Pakistani society is a male dominated society where women are isolated from different spheres of life which is perhaps due to the traditional norms prevailing in society. The status and role of Pakistani women in all aspects of life have been highly undermined. Most women in rural areas work in the fields and industries in Pakistan. It is a poor and illiterate majority, which usually lead a life of physical hardship, long hour work for which there is neither reward nor compensation (Mumtaz/ Shaheed, 1987:p-78). Most of women in rural areas have to perform double burden of domestic and outside work. Usually they get up first and last to bed. They are the first to prepare breakfast, clean the house and wash the utensils before setting out on their outside work. Although in urban areas the conditions of women are better than those of the rural, yet the old traditions and religious restraints have hindered the independent and free movement of women (Mumtaz/ Shaheed, 1987:78). The women in Pakistan are approximately equivalent to men in numbers. They live in the most diversify site of the tribal, feudal or urban culture. In Pakistan women can be an extremely qualified and self-confident professional or a diffident peasant toiling along with her menfolk. They have traditionally been expected to live under the constraints of purdah. Therefore, the analysis of womens life and status in the society cannot be adequately carried out without taking into account the importance of purdah as a constant element in everyday life in Pakistani Muslim culture. Mostly women observe Pardha while coming out of domestic environs or mixing up with other sections of society. Basically Pardha, or veil, is meant to segregate the womenfolk from the male section of the society. Women are not prohibited from working but at the same time are supposed to observe strictly the rules of morality (Hanna Papanek, p 517,518). Due to Pardha system, most of women have to take up work at home. They involve themselves in dressmaking, embroidery, knitting etc. In the areas like Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa and Balochistan, life is regulated and governed by strict beliefs and behavioral patterns (Fariha Razak Haroon p 5). In remote areas women do not have rights to say anything in all aspects of their lives including their marriage choice. In populated provinces of Punjab and Sindh a woman can keep her connections with her family after marriage. She can expect support from her fathers and brothers in case of separation and divorce from her husband. In Sindh and Punjab, women work in the fields with their menfolk collecting fuels and in some cases working on the construction sites shifting material from one place to another. 2.2 State violation of womens rights in Pakistan Almost all kinds of crimes are committed against women in Pakistan, including, murder, rape and gender discrimination. In 1971 Pakistani military took action on the East Pakistan now called Bangladesh in which serious crimes were committed against the civilians and especially women. During 9 month operation Pakistani military raped 200,000-400,000 women and young girls. In 2002 at 28 years old women Mukhtara Mai was gang-raped in Punjab in front of her village by the Jirga (court of village elders) decision for the alleged wrongdoing of her 12 years old brother. In 2006 in her blog for the BBC, Mukhtara tells another story of a rape victim in Punjab, Shamshad Bibi, a poor woman who was gang-raped during a visit to the famous town shrine town of Uch Shareef the police declare it to be a case of consensual sex. (Soraya Makhdoom, 2009:1) To add insult to injury the Pakistani president and Dictator General Pervez Musharraf complained that his country was unfairly portrayed a place where women were subjected to violence. The Washington post, published in an interview with General Pervez Musharraf in which he stated, A lot of people say if you want to go abroad and get a visa for Canada or citizenship and be a millionaire, get yourself raped( BBC, 16 September 2005). According to the same paper the Canadian government and human rights activists declared Pervez Musharrafs assertion as outrageous lie: only one known rape victim, a lady doctor assaulted by a military officer had moved to Canada. That lady doctor was Khalid Shazia, working in Pakistan petroleum in Baluchistan. She was raped by an army captain in January 2005. This incident made the local Bugti tribe furious for whom such outrageous acts were against their norms and values. As a result they attacked the gas field. But instead of presenting the rape issue General Pervez Musharraf sent more soldiers and arms to guard the installation. Baloch leadership wanted justice for the rape victim. Nawab Akbar Bugti said, As long as the perpetrators of this heinous crime are not dealt with, there can be no talks. As a result General Pervez Musharraf regime killed Nawab Akbar Bugti an eighty year old leader fighting for his country Balochistan in august 2006 (Suraya makhdoom , 2009:P-1). 2.3 The CEDAW convention and Pakistan. The convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) has enriched of Articles regarding how to eliminate gender discrimination against women. Article 2 of the convention states that the state party has the responsibility to assure legal protection and the laws which leads to gender discrimination should be changed or abolished (Article 2 of CEDAW). In article 3 it has been stated that the upbringing of children needs shared responsibility which means that a father should also contribute in upbringing the kids, as it is not only a mothers job. The convention states that women have equal rights as men e.g. they can work with NGOs, they have the right to cast votes, this part has a very vital role as this approach can help a countrys economic growth too. The convention has emphasized on the equal rights of women in education, sports, career and health etc. (Article 10 of CEDAW). In article 14 it has been stated that state should overlook the problems faced by rural women. This is the most relevant article from Pakistan as the rural women come across lots of problems and they do not have awareness how to deal with such problem s. Another important article is 16 which usually violated in Pakistan, which is about the marrying of women to a person of their own choice. In Pakistani society especially in pushtoon (Pakhtoonkhwa) and Balooch (Balochistan) tribes, the parents take the decision on behalf of the girl, without even asking her opinion (Aniqa, 2010 p-1). The above articles are mostly relevant for our society,which is also covered by Nussbaum in her apparaches but it is sad to say that any of the articles and approaches has not been enacted in Pakistan. Article 18 has clearly stated that the parties to the convention has suppose to report to UN within a year of signing the convention regarding the progress, whereas Pakistan joined the CEDAW convention in 1996 and has reported only once yet (May 2007) (Aniqa, 2010 p-1). 2.4 Womens rights in constitution of Pakistan In constitution 1973 of Pakistan from article 8 to article 28 describe the fundamental rights which are to be available to all citizens, men as well as women wherever they are, as well as all people temporarily or permanently in Pakistan. However the freedoms guaranteed can be curtailed or taken away by the government on the grounds of integrity of the sovereignty of Pakistan, maintenance of public order, public morality. But these restrictions can be challenged in the superior courts. The executive is bound to implement these rights and the judiciary is bound to take notice of violation and provide redress on individual complaints (constitution of Pakistan 1973 article 8 and 28). The basis of fundamental rights is laid out in Article 4, which states that it is the inalienable right (i.e., can never be taken away) of individuals (citizens wherever they may be as well as individuals currently in Pakistan) to be treated in accordance with the law. It guarantees the protection of liberty, life, body, reputation and property of an individual (constitution of Pakistan 1973 article 4). 2.5 Women Status under Sharia Law In Arabic sharia means, path, It is a position which guides all aspects of Muslim life including daily routines, familial and religious obligations and financial matters. It primarily derived from the Quran and Sunna the practices, sayings and teachings of the prophet Muhammad (PBUH) It is a position which covers every aspect of life for both men and women and is incompatible with the standards of liberal Western societies and the basic principles of western human rights that include equality under the law and the protection of individual freedoms. The Shariah code gives equal roles to men and women and not contradictory roles, when women had no rights in the world it declared, And women shall have equal rights to the rights against them, according to what is equitable (Al Quran Surah Baqara 2.28). However the task assigned to both of them is not same. They have given different capabilities by their creator, and the task assigned to them is based on those capabilities. This distinction is natural and not an error which has to be corrected, this is only for the purpose to build a healthy and prosperous society. In different verses in the Quran God has discussed women as well as mens rights. Allah says, for Muslim women and Men, for believing men and women, for women and men who are patient and constant, for true men and women, for men and women who humble themselves, for men and women who guard their charity, for men and women who fast, for men and women who engaged in best practices, for them God have forgiveness and great reward. (Al Quran Surah 33.35) Any kind of discrimination based on gender is severe offenses and are against the teaching of Quran and the sayings of the Prophet (PBUH) teach the lesson of equal rights of men and women. Islam does not consider women as subordinate to men and just follow them without any reason. Women have full freedom as individual and will be asked for her practices. ( Jamal Badawi 2007, p-6). As we have discussed earlier Pakistan is a country where culture and traditions have great influence on people lives, they follow it without even caring of sharia laws. 2.5 Sharia law in Pakistan In Pakistan there is triple legal system. Which consist of the general law (state law) of Pakistan, secondly the customary law and thirdly Sharia law. In general law or in constitution the current status of Sharia law is unclear. It provides for the existence of the triple legal system, acknowledges the existence of Sharia law in Pakistan and recognizes the associated court system, but the jurisdiction of Sharia courts is set to matters of personal status and therefore does not extend to the criminal jurisdiction. This is attributed to it by the penal codes that have been adopted at the level of states. The Constitution does not explicitly state, however, that criminal matters are the exclusive jurisdiction of federal courts and it is therefore possible to address criminal matters in Sharia courts. Regardless of the jurisdiction of Sharia courts, it is possible to appeal Zina (Sex without marriage) cases on the grounds that their punishment is inconsistent with the human rights provisions of the Pakistani constitution. For instance, Chapter II Article 19 enshrines human dignity as a value of the Pakistan legal order. It seems unlikely that the public nature and prolonged pain associated with lashing and stoning sentences would be found to be consistent with the dignity provision of the Constitution (Walter, 2001). Chapter # 4 4 Reason of Women Discrimination in Pakistan 4.1 Male domination Pakistani society is mostly male dominated society. The behavior towards women is reflected like women are the males property. She has to remain under the mans control. She cannot take any decision on her behalf. In some areas of rural Sindh and Khyber pakhtoonkhwa ( provinces of Pakistan) a girl cannot decide for her marriage. Her parents have to take decision on her behalf. If she takes the decision for herself she can be killed or punished.Household responsibilities are given to them at a very young age. Taking care of others and sacrificing her rights is a part of her life and to get married is her ultimate goal in her life. In rural areas the the violence against women is considered the right of man. Usually men use their power to beat and abuse women in all spheres of public and private life. It is present in the workplace, family and in the community. Intimidates, humiliates, violence and perpetuated fear in women. As women are weak so they usually controlled by men in many sp heres of life (Allama, G.A. 1998,P-22). 4.2 Customs and laws Womens lives are usually governed by local customs rather than statutory laws of the country. Customs and tradition deny women basic rights. Access to legal rights is usually denied. The bad customs like honor killings are highly praised in rural areas of Pakistan.The law of Diyat and Qisas (retribution and family distribution of money) contains discriminatory provisions and ambiguities. The Qisas and Diyat law may encourage the murder of women by making it possible to absolve murders. Another area of discrimination against women in mostly rural areas of Pakistan is linked to the question of the age of puberty. As girls reach to puberty at an early age, they are considered mature at a younger age than boys. Therefor they receive harsher punishments for the same crimes in the same age as the boys. For instance if a young boy is found to be guilty of rape, his punishment will be less than that of a girl of the same age. In Pakistan generally men dictate women in different sectors. They want to dominate them.physical mobility of women is restricted. They are not asked in mate selection. In the name of tradition and culture a woman is told that she must be gentle, submissive, patient and forgiving. She is not allowed to go anywhere without the consent of her husband even to her parents house. Culture of oppression exists in rural areas of Pakistan. Men believe that women are inferior. They usually marry twice or thrice. This is a culture that denies their social, political and legal rights. It gives them no identity at any level (Allama, G.A. 1998,P-24). 4.3 Income disparity One of the reason of women discrimination is income disparity which has made them economically weak. Improvement in womens financial status is very important to their overall betterment. Women cannot get their rights until they are financially strong and economically independent. Women play the main role in national development. But unfortunately their role is rarely recognized. Usually women work is unpaid and even if they are paid its usually less than men. Women are not given property rights and usually husband has the control of money and property (Allama, G.A. 1998,P-25). 4.4 Role of media Media play a key role in reflecting the values and norms of ones society. It helps to change peoples views. Media shows that the women are physically weak and subordinate to men. The media are controlled by the state, electronic media especially television, have been hesitant to highlight the issue, avoiding documentaries and talk shows domestic violence, rape and incest. While highly severe incidents like gang rape may occasionally appear in the regular news bulletin. The local rural press media have a mixed policy covering women issue not infrequently with negative slant and giving far more space to barbaric and traditional perspectives and viewpoints on women. In all over the rural areas the patriarchal attitude persists in the newspaper .The media either electronic or print have the same attitude towards sexual harassment violence. If a girl is sexually abused, the entire blame is put on her clothes, on her beauty or on the the fact the she was in the street at that time, whereas the abuser act is usually justified because he was young, he was drunk and his sexuality was out of control. Thus we can say that the media also play a vital role in gender discrimination in a society (Allama, G.A. 1998,P-26). 4.5 Lack of practical implementation of rules Regulations One of the main reasons of gender discrimination in Pakistan is the lack of practical implementations of rules and regulations. The 1973 constitution of Pakistan is enriched of the fundamental rights to all citizen men as well as women. The executive is bound to implement all the fundamental rights and the judiciary is bound to take notice of violation and provide redress on individual complaints (1973 constitution of Pakistan ). Article 4 of the convention covers inalienable rights (i.e., can never be taken away). It guarantees the protection of life, body, protection of liberty, reputation and property of the individual. The above rights are also mentioned in Nussbaums capability approach. According to her theses rights are connected to each other in many complex ways and necessary to be satisfied in order to have a happy life and the government is responsible to take care of these rights. But as we see that all the above rights are mentioned in the constitution but are not practic ally implemented in Pakistan (1973 constitution of Pakistan,Article 4). Pakistan is also a party to the convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women which has enriched of Articles regarding how to eliminate gender discrimination against women. But it is sad to say that no articles of the convention has been practically enacted in Pakistan. 4.6 Islamic fundamentalism In Islamic fundamentalists think that the struggle for womens rights as a western conspiracy. They consider women as inferior and their main duty is to please men. Women have been oppressed and segregated from from different spheres of life in the name of Islamic culture. According to many Islamic scholars, the customs and traditions are un-Islamic. But fundamentalists defend them in their own way. They include the practice of honor killing which allows male members of the family to kill female members for having sexual relations without marriage. Swara is a custom in the tribal district of Khyber pakhttonkhwa and Punjab (provinces of Pakistan) under which girls are given in marriage to men of rival or tribes in order to settle cases of murder and other blood feuds (daughters and sisters of accused murders are given to affected families to release their fathers and brothers). The girl is then treated harshly in the rival clan. Islamic fundamentalists never raised their voices against these inhuman and cruel customs and traditions. Love marriage is considered a crime and sin according to the religious leader. These fundamentalists and religious parties are against the ,Hudood, laws. These were the laws introduced by the military dictator, General Zia-UL- Haq, in 1979 to viciously curb womens rights. According to theses horrific laws, a rape victim needs the evidence of four male witnesses in order to prove her claims in the court. If she fails to provide this, she will be charged with adultery (sex with her own consent) which means imprisonment for between 5 and 15 years. These laws were made by a dictator for their own interest but in the name of Islam. According to a report made by professor Shaheen, a minister during the period 1999 to 2002: 95 % of cases registered under the Hudood laws are false. Hudood laws have proved to be instruments of personal interest. These religious leaders are using religion to oppress women and other sections of society. The rise of fundamentalism is a threat to womens rights (www.socialistalternati

The Red Tent - An Unforgettable Testimony to Women’s Strength and Power

The Red Tent - An Unforgettable Testimony to Women’s Strength and Power The Red Tent by Anita Diamant illuminates one of the greatest testimonies to women’s strength: childbirth. On a creative level, Diamant did something extraordinary. She took a small passage from the Bible about the character Dinah, and made her story into an unforgettable testimony to women’s strength and power. Overlooking women’s role in Biblical life is easy because there is practically nothing written by or about women. Even though Diamant’s story is fictionalized, there is truth in showing that women did exist, that there was a very important role played by women of that time period, and in showing the power and strength of women in a way that can never be forgotten. Images inspired by Diamant’s work flooded my conscious. Perhaps I was experiencing flashes of my rememory, my collective unconscious coming to life on the paper in front of me. However, it was not just The Red Tent providing me with stimulation, but other works such as Toni Morrison’s Beloved, Ntozake Shange’s for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf, Mary Oliver’s â€Å"The Fish,† Judy Chicago’s â€Å"The Dinner Party† and The Book of Genesis. Each work embodied themes of childbirth and motherhood to self-love and social standing, in which I could find connections that affected me creatively. Aesthetically, I intended my visual art to be full and consistent in texture and fecund in my use of sensuous lines. My hope is to celebrate women and the strength that comes from battling adversity, challenge, victimization and in actualizing the power of childbirth. In all of these works, a connection is made: th ese are stories of women that need to be remembered and cel... ...or the strength and power that they possess. Inspired by other great women artists, my intent was to capture that strength and power brought to life through their words. In a world where women’s lives, contributions and powers are easily overlooked and forgotten, my hope is to give a voice to the strength of women. Works Cited Diamant, Anita. The Red Tent. New York: Picador, 1997. Morrison, Toni. Beloved. New York: Penguin Group, 1987. Oliver, Mary. â€Å"The Fish.† Twelve Moons. Little, Brown and Co., 1979. Shange, Ntozake. â€Å"for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf.† Ed. 1st Collier Books. Ntozake Shange: New York, 1977. Sullivan, Stephanie. The Dinner Party. N.pag. On-line. Internet. 7 May 2001 Available WWW: http://public.csusm.edu/public/thedinnerparty/index.html The Catholic Study Bible, The Book of Genesis.