Nutrition And Athletics

Good Nutritional practices play a very critical role in the physical performance of not only human beings but also all living creatures. To excel in any endurance physical activity, all the body systems must perform since the bioenergetics’ functions of the muscles has to be sustained in order to function at peak levels. (Berning, J. and E. Hultman. 1972)Energy providing nutrients, carbohydrates, lipids (which are also known as fats), and proteins provide fuel for the bioenergetics reactions, vitamins and minerals on the other hand speeds up the rate the bioenergetics’ reaction (acts as a catalysts); where water acts as a solvent for all these reactions and also serves as a cooling agents for the body from the heat which is produced by the bioenergetics reactions. (Bobb, A et al. 1969) All these nutrients are needed in appropriate quantities so as to enable the body function efficiently especially during exercise or sport. (Singh,V. N. 1992)Food is the major source of a ll these nutrients although sometimes nutritional supplements are used during critical times especially when a performer needs urgent nourishment either through oral or through introversions (IV) infusion. The gastro intestinal tract (GIT) helps to break down this food into smaller components (digests) so as to ease the process of absorption. The body cells then utilize the absorbed nutrients for all metabolic reactions in the body including energy production. (Asterita M. F, 1986) Studies show that the foods eaten today serves as a body part in the future therefore nutrition is very essential.This paper discusses the dietary requirements of an athlete, especially essential nutrients with regard to their forms, functions, food source, dietary recommendations and deficiency risks. BODY Athletes like all intensive /endurance physical activities is a high energy consuming exercise therefore diet is very critical and very essential for the health and performance of an athlete. However, Nutritional requirements for an athlete vary from one athlete to another depending on the time taken during training and actual performance. (Brouns, F. 1993)The aims of good nutrition in an athlete according to, (Buskirk, E. R 1997) include: o To help the athlete recover from performance or training o To prepare the athlete for performance or training o And to maintain the level of performance or training of an athlete Therefore unless an athlete is well nourished he/she may not exploit his/her full potential. This nutrition involves a balanced diet which is regular and with the required amount of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and water. The individual nutrient requirements and the deficiency side effects include: CarbohydrateCarbohydrate is a very important source for an athlete. It is required to help the athlete sustain the high level of the activity and to prevent muscle cramps and fatigue. (Consolazio, C. F, and H. L. Johnson. 1972). Carbohydrate in the body is s tored in the muscles and the liver as glycogen and these stores must be continuously replenished. (Burke, . L. M, et al. 1991) Research shows that a person can store enough glycogen in the body to help him/her sustain an exercise for a period between 90 minutes to 120 minutes but however taking a diet low in carbohydrates can reduce this time to less than 60 minutes.  (Chen, J . D. 1993)Recommended carbohydrate An athlete is supposed to consume a meal containing between 7-10g of carbohydrates per kilograms, body weight of the individual athletes per day (7-10g/kg/bwt/day) consequently he/she should consume a pre-exercise meal 1-4 hours prior to the event and the meal should contain 1-4g of carbohydrate per kilogram body weight, however if the exercise is prolonged, one has to consume a carbohydrate during the exercise and these should be 30-60 carbohydrate per hour.If the athlete is to participate in frequent activities he/she needs to consume in immediate post –exercise ca rbohydrate which is meant to aid in recovery in readiness for another performance (Bucci . L . 1995). He also says that this meal should contain 50-1000g of carbohydrate after every two hour until the normal meals resume. Signs of inadequate intake according to (Buxbaum, R, and L . J . M icheli) include: o Muscle heaviness o Lack of energy to train o Inability to concentrate for an extended period of time especially during an event o Poor recovery between training sessionsGenerally the carbohydrate requirement for an athlete will depend on the body weight, height, training, regime e. g. (Intensity and duration), Type of training and the gender of the athlete. Protein Requirements Protein is needed by an individual since it is involved in the building and repair of muscles and tissues the red blood cells, hair, finger nails, as well as synthesis of hormones. It is also required so as to reduce chances of development of iron deficiency anemia and improving the healing process incase o f an injury or disease. (American Dietetic Association and Canadian Dietetic Association, 1993).They further say that adolescent and adult athletes require 0. 6-0. 9g of proteins per kilogram per body weight per day (0. 6-0. 9g of protein/kg/bwt/day). During an intensive or enduring exercise energy production takes priority over tissue building however very little proteins is used as fuel when calorie supply is adequate in the body studies reveal that the best nutrients to provide fuel in athletic are carbohydrates and fats but they are inadequate or depleted gluconeogenesis takes place (process of converting non-carbohydrate sources such as Proteins to carbohydrates) to convert proteins in carbohydrates so as to provide energy.Proteins are the major sources of nitrogen in the body and nitrogen wastes produced after protein digestion require a lot of energy to eliminate which may otherwise be used during the event however nitrogen wastes are minimal when carbohydrates are adequate. Vitamins and Minerals. Fats are divided into two classes, first Fat soluble vitamins which include Vitamin A, D, E and K and second water soluble Vitamins which include Vitamin C and B complex vitamins.The body requires all these vitamins in amounts exceeding the recommended Dietary allowances especially in endurance exercises such as athletics but however care should be taken on fat soluble vitamins since if taken excess they may lead to toxicity which is detrimental to the health and eventually performance, but studies have shown that even if vitamins can be taken without conditions they do not contribute directly to the performance of an athlete, however, the reactions which the body uses to provide it with energy are controlled by chemicals which are mostly made up of vitamins and minerals that the body can only obtain from the diet.  (Allan ,J . G ,and K . A ,Overbaugh).Minerals on the other hand are very important in the health and performance of an athlete in that they act as catalysts and hence speeds the rate of reactions of energy provisions in the body. These minerals include calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, sulphur, potassium, sodium and chloride. It is therefore advisable that foods hat are high in vitamins and minerals especially fruits, green leafy vegetables, carrots as well as high biological valve proteins should be high in an athlete’s diet.Fats Fats are important sources of energy in the body. The body stores fat in the adipose tissue and under the skin it is the last to be used by the body incase of starvation or depletion of carbohydrates and fat stores in the body. However, in endurance sports especially athletics, excess body fat will often be detrimental to performance. This is because the increase in fat stores consequently raises the body weight and also the body uses a lot of energy to break down fats into fats acids so that it can be used.  (Chavez A, C et al, 1969)Excess fat in the body is not only caused by consumption of high fat diet but also by consuming large amounts of carbohydrates especially simple and sweet carbohydrates since they cause fat storage. Athletes are advised to consume high complex / high glycemic index carbohydrates since it releases energy slowly to the cells thus there is reduced fat storage. However athletes should eat smaller meals than non-sports people but in frequent intervals. Water Water is a non-calorific food because it does not give any calories to the body but it is extremely necessary.This is because the larger percentage about (60%) of the body is water and even small amounts of dehydration can have major effects on the performance of an individual. (Bobb, A, D . et al 1969) Water helps the body by protecting it against overheating (cools the body) and also as a means (blood) of transport for most substances in the body. Dehydration is very fatal in sports since it leads to reduced ability to exercise in the heat and also reduced mental skills such as concentr ation and decision making.Consumption of water is the key to optimal hydration but fluids such as diluted fluid juice or weak squash drinks after can help optimize hydration. While exercising athletes are often weighed before and after a session so that the fluid that has been lost can be replaced quickly. (Berning. J. R and S . N. Steen. 1991) Conclusion For excellence in exercise and sports, all body system must perform efficiently especially the muscles. This can only be enhanced through good nutritional practices. The body gets all the nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, lipids/fats, vitamins and minerals) from the food on consumer or nutrient supplements.Athletes require higher amounts of carbohydrates than other nutrients since they are the major sources of energy: however, other nutrients can be converted to carbohydrate through the process of gluconeogenesis incase there is inadequate carbohydrates or there is depletion of carbohydrate in the liver and muscles where it is st ored in the form of glycogen. Water which is defined as a non calorific food is very important in an athlete since the highest percentage of the body is water and even small amounts of dehydration can have significant effects on the performance (both sporting and mental performance).Additionally high fluid levels in the body help to protect it against overheating and also provide the means (blood) of transport for most substances in the body. The body’s digestive system breaks down food into smaller components which are easily absorbed by the body cells and tissues and utilized during an exercise. Diet therefore plays a very important part in the health and performance (both physical and mental performance) of an individual and should be taken seriously.

Coming of John WEB Dubois Analysis Essay

The veil is symbolic of ignorance. John was oppressed but didn’t know it. After returning home from the north he sees his world like he never saw it before, and his old world sees how much he’s changed. This is evident with this narration â€Å"He grew slowly to feel almost for the first time the Veil that lay between him and the white world; he first noticed now the oppression that had not seemed oppression before, differences that erstwhile seemed natural, restraints and slights that in his boyhood days had gone unnoticed or been greeted with a laugh. He felt angry now when men did not call him â€Å"Mister,† he clenched his hands at the â€Å"Jim Crow† cars, and chafed at the color-line that hemmed in him and his. † His new consciousness and level of knowledge allows him a certain regard of freedom from the rest of his race. This knowledge is indicative that he no longer identifies with his old traditions. This is evident when after returning home he gives a speech at the church in which he talks of the importance of education and learning, this idea is foreign to the people he is preaching to, however he did strike a critical nerve with the people after denouncing the need for baptism and religion. However some of the people see this and want to be educated, but are not in an environment and not cultured to do so. This is evident when her sister came to him after he was finished speaking at the church. â€Å"Long they stood together, peering over the gray unresting water. John,† she said, â€Å"does it make everyone—unhappy when they study and learn lots of things? † He paused and smiled. â€Å"I am afraid it does,† he said. â€Å"And, John, are you glad you studied? † â€Å"Yes,† came the answer, slowly but positively. She watched the flickering lights upon the sea, and said thoughtfully, â€Å"I wish I was unhappy, —and—and,† putting both arms about his neck, â€Å"I think I am, a little, John. † Being unhappy in this context means being wise, she recognizes that her brother has become educated and wise to the oppression of her race. All of this comes to a head in his conflict with the judge after informing him of his purpose and his place. After this meeting the term veil is used in a different context, this time to mean as a shield, he is hiding his contempt and true feelings for the town that he no longer feels connected and identified with, and also tyranny the judge advances after first informing him of his â€Å"place† and the â€Å"place† of his people, and how he would be allowed to start his school, but no real education or equality could be taught. John’s school is his symbolic â€Å"passing the rubicon†. Which leads ultimately leads to his final frustration of his school being shut down after the Judge hears of him deliberately disobeying his orders not to give a real education there. This story is a perfect case for why education is ultimately the most important factor in achieving ultimate equality and freedom. Without education, there is no advancement and no need for critical thought, without critical thought than there would be no reason for you to ever question your oppressed position, because you would not know you are being oppressed. I believe Thomas Jefferson sums up this sentiment perfectly, when he said, â€Å"Educate and inform the whole mass of the people†¦ They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty. † Without people knowing that there is alternatives to their current state of existence, there will be those who will fool them and rule over them, often under the guises of offering safety of security, or in the case of the judge, â€Å"reasonable aspirations†.

Representation of Women in Action Movies

If a man can fight, he’s a hero. If a woman can fight, she’s a b**ch! Representation of women in action films The film industry never seems to lack action films and there always plenty for the market to choose from however how many of those have women in a leading role? A handful. There aren’t that many films that feature women in lead roles within action films. But the question is why? Why haven’t a majority of these women been given a chance? Are actresses like Uma Thurman and Angelina Jolie one-woman-wonders or have they just been given a lucky break?I’ll be exploring the representation of women in action films through a semiotic analysis. David Gauntlett argues that â€Å"in contemporary society, gender roles are more complex and the media reflects this. The female roles today are often glamorous as well as successful in a way that they were previously not. Much of this is due to the rise of ‘girl power’ in the media, through ident ities constructed by music artists and contemporary actresses, for example, who are demanding less passive roles† which explains how films like Charlie’s Angels have made it to the forefront.Unfortunately, women have repeatedly suffered from a narrow set of representations in the media. They are regularly linked to the domestic situation i. e. housewives, or as sexual objects represented to entertain men. Furthermore, â€Å"the number of roles for leading women is far below that of men. † Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle is the film I’ve chosen explore and there several reasons behind this. I’ve chosen this text because it portrays women within dominant roles. Furthermore, the concept behind it breaks the pre-existing norm of women being the sexual object that entertains the male hero/spy.This isn’t the case in this film, they’re heroes fighting crime and saving the day. Not only are they stunning and beautiful but they also poss ess skills that crush and challenge existing stereotypes about women which is exactly why I chose this film. Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle is an action comedy film that was released on the 27 June 2003. The film was directed by McG and produced on a budget of $120 million. It was the sequel to the 2000’s Charlie’s Angels and it was number one at the box office for its opening weekend and produced a worldwide gross of $259. 2 million. The film was a success.It stars an ensemble cast including Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu. It also features notable actors and actresses such as Demi Moore, Shia LaBeouf and Matt LeBlanc. Diaz, Barrymore and Liu or the â€Å"Angels†, are three extremely talented, strong, sexy women who work as private investigators for unseen millionaire named Charlie. Prior to this film, they had starred in more passive roles in the romantic comedy genre. In most action films, â€Å"men were more likely to be adventurous, activ e and vicarious, whereas women were more frequently shown as weak, ineffectual, victimised, supportive, laughable or ‘merely token females† (Gunter, 1995).A film such as this allowed their fans to view them in a more dominant, powerful light. This immediately challenges the pre-existing stereotype of women because they are illustrated as superior to their male counterpart. The angels are independent women who aren’t tied down or held back by men. On-the-other-hand, the fact that they work for a male, wealthy character who controls their every move is ironic because in reality, many women are in similar situations and living in a patriarchal society. The opening scene of the film is a brilliant example of the female representation shown throughout the plot.It’s set in a filthy, hostile bar in the Himalayas in Mongolia. The bar is packed with lots of men drinking and jeering. The use of an establishing long shot works well to familiarise the audience with the initial setting and atmosphere. I believe the director did this in order to show the contrast between all of the men and the Angels. A dolly shot is used to track two men carrying a box so the audience become intrigued to learn the contents as they descend into the basement. To the surprise of the audience, Alex Munday (Lucy Liu) was inside the box; contortioned and tucked away.A high angle shot is used and the camera tilts in order to display the actresses’ flexibility. As she rises out of the box the camera zooms into a close up of Liu as she does a symbolic swipe of her long, dark hair; an iconic move for any female superpower. She’s dressed in a black leather ensemble which connotes mystery and obscurity. Perhaps out of the three angels, Liu is the dark horse. As she stands against the wall, a medium shot is used cleverly because not only can we see Liu against the wall but we can also see the hostage and his capturers in the room behind the actress.The connotatio n is accurate as she then saves the hostage by taking out the guards with some impressive combat. Her character is almost portrayed to be a female equivalent to Jet Li; she appears to be unstoppable and fierce. As she drags the hostage up the stairs, the lighting changes dramatically. The basement was very dark and low-key lighting was used which made the action stealthy and hostile. Whereas, the lighting used in the bar is high-key; very bright and there are few shadows.This is symbolic because it’s as if Alex has taken the hostage from hell (dark, unpleasant) and to heaven (bright, hope) which is essentially the purpose of an angel both contexts. Meanwhile upstairs, the atmosphere is volatile as a new character emerges dressed in a red, sleek kimono. Her costume connotes love, passion and warmth however in this scenario it connotes danger, sin and aggression. This is the 2nd angel; Dylan Saunders. The camera tilts over her shoulder and shows the male opponent smirking at he r and then it pans around the table to eventually show her face.As she throws back a shot of alcohol, she comes across as the bad angel, the bad girl of the trio. The use of red with Dylan in this scene is symbolic because it displays a wide contrast between her and Alex. She’s more masculine in her body language but the director has tried to mask this behind the sexy outfit and red lipstick. As she walks away she clasps one of the guards by the waist, grabs his keys and tucks them away subtly. The focus then turns to the doors of the bar and the audience anticipates the worst. As the doors fling open, a medium shot shows a tanned, petite and blonde angelic woman.This is the third and final angel, Natalie Cook. She’s dressed in a white, fluffy coat and a revealing white mini skirt. This connotes purity, happiness and honesty which would be fitting for a normal angel. However, Natalie is no ordinary angel. As she stands at the door, she looks lost and dazed and a close- up of her face supports this further. As the men stare at her beauty in awe, she jeers at them and they erupt with excitement. The men are so amazed they form a guard of honour for Natalie as she walks over to the mechanical bull.Whereas, when Dylan wanted to move through the men they simply didn’t move and didn’t even know she was there. The use of white dumbs the men and amplifies Natalie’s angelic nature. Furthermore, her body language also plays a part in stunning the men. She giggles excessively and winks at a few of the men. Also, Diaz flicks her pigtails every two seconds and is also chewing gum. She hardly challenges the existing stereotype of blonde women but adds fuel to the fire. This is supported further by the fact that her skirt is so short, the audience can see clearly underneath it.Perhaps Natalie is the ‘bimbo’ of the group. The director has clearly added to the stereotype of blonde’s being stupid through Natalie’s cha racter however this could be challenged throughout the plot. I believe this opening scene and in fact the entire plot supports Mulvey’s Male Gaze theory. It states that â€Å"media texts are created through the eyes of a heterosexual male and that women are viewed for the pleasure of men. † (Smith, 2009) She also claimed that â€Å"women are turned into sex objects through how they are shot in the media (Cinematography). (Smith, 2009) Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle demonstrates this. The plot should challenge the norm and allow women to break free however the body language and costumes used throughout diverges the male audience from the plot and to the women being sexualised. In a review by the BBC, Nev Pierce argued â€Å"some call it girl power, others demeaning. † Furthermore, â€Å"When female protagonists, for example, have to function as law enforcers and confront criminal behaviour – both associated with male authority and action – gendered conflict inevitably follows. † (Hall, 1997, p. 364)However, this film could mislead women into thinking they have to become successful and independent by wearing tight, revealing clothes and caking up their faces with make-up but of course this isn’t true. â€Å"It really makes me more and more angry. The aim is to rake in money, loads of money and people try to do that by all means of all these things – sex, beautiful people, wealth and you always have people who fall for it. † (Ang, 1997, p. 347) This opening scene shows three very different women with different talents however what they all have in common is their characters have been onstructed to appeal to different types of men but collectively appeal to all men. Although this action film had 3 women in lead roles, it failed to truly challenge the existing stereotypes of women having to be objects and requiring sex appeal to become successful. In reality, â€Å"a woman cannot be herself in the society of the present day, which is an exclusively masculine society, with laws framed by men and with a judicial system that judges feminine conduct from a masculine point of view. † References Websites Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle blog (non-official) http://c-angels. blogspot. co. uk/ Pierce, Nev. (2003). BBC film review. http://www. bbc. co. uk/films/2003/06/27/charlies_angels_full_throttle_2003_review. shtml Smith, Mr (2009). Representation Theory – http://www. slideshare. net/fleckneymike/representation-theory-2458490 Smcmediastudies, (2011). The Representation of Women in the Media http://www. slideshare. net/smcmediastudies/the-representation-of-women-in-the-media Books Ang, Ien. (2006). Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices, in association with Sage. Ang, I. (1985) Watching Dallas: soap opera and the melodramatic imagination, New York, Methuen. Ibsen, Henrik (1917). Ibsen’s Workshop.

Music Masters and Rhythm Kings Essay

It is a rare opportunity to witness masters of the old tradition relishing in their element: sweat on their foreheads as beats and strings pulsate the story of a past almost forgotten. It is a gift if one is fortunate enough to see them live, but seeing them and hearing their music on the limited capacity of film is still a treasure, much like watching some of the best keepers of old time Southern music in Peggy Bulger and Melissa Shepard Sykes’ film Music Masters and Rhythm Kings. We review musicians Eddie Kirkland, Neal Pattman, Homer â€Å"Pappy† Sherill and the Hired Hands, and Florencio Baro as they recount the origins of their music and how they have come to imbibe it. Southern music is essentially an amalgam of two musical cultures combined despite a clash of ideals and beliefs, and despite centuries of oppression and dispute. As Charles Joyner, a Southern Culture historian mentions in the film, it is impossible for the Southern peoples not to be influenced by the culture of another race, especially if they are so ingrained in their society. Though these people might argue against these relations, there is no denying the immense influence of African culture in the language, the mannerisms, and especially, the music of the South. History dictates that traditional South American music finds its roots in the harsh working fields. Pappy Sherill phrases this perfectly when he says that these farmers do â€Å"as a way of putting joy to themselves [sic] while they’re working. † At the same time, Southern music also represented the subversive culture of the African slaves. Their music became their way of expression because they knew that the â€Å"white man can have no control†. Bringing their own kind of musical tradition from their homeland, they created a new one that came to represent and signal the changing dynamics of the American South. In the film, we see Pappy Sherill and the Hired Hands, one of the few old-time string bands that play actively in the South. Their music embodies the respite that Southern farmers crave after a day of toiling under the hot sun. It is a fast-paced jig that consists of music from a fiddle, a guitar, a banjo, and a cello, all coming together in an energetic symphony of strings. Pulling it all together is Sherill, who at a very ripe age still remains as one of the best fiddle players in the country. Folklorist Glenn Hinson defines his playing as propelled by advanced technique that harkens back to the days when fiddlers made their instruments cry and sing. Playing professionally since he was thirteen years old, Sherill was a prodigy who created music despite financial setbacks. He only owned a proper wooden fiddle when he managed to save money from a side job, and only after using a tin fiddle for some time. In 1976, Sherill won the award for Best Old-Time Fiddler in the National Fiddlers Championship, opening doors for him to play in many road show and concerts. But, when Pappy sang and played out of joy, Eddie Kirkland and Neal Pattman sang the sonorous, highly emotional tunes of the blues. Eddie Kirkland grew up harvesting cotton, and during the production of the film had once again stepped foot in the cotton fields. Drawing back to memories of those hardships, Eddie remembers doing this grinding, back-breaking work as a child. It was only the â€Å"field hollers, work songs†¦ and spirituals† of the African-American people that pushed them to go on. Arising from this work songs were the Blues, a uniquely Southern music that Kirkland loves so dear. As we can hear from the film, Kirkland’s music is derived from years of toil and work, echoing a time of inequality and hardship. He describes it as â€Å"heart-wrenching Blues. † And so it is, with the soft, poignant, yet irregular riffs of his guitar accompanied by his soulful voice, we feel sadness and desperation. But, he goes beyond this by also singing songs of love following the Blues format. It is a rare opportunity to hear the Blues as it could’ve been played at the beginning of the 19th century, in the backwaters of the rural South. Also reminiscent of Kirkland is Neal Pattman, a maestro of the blues harp, who also rose from the working fields. His music, as any Blues music would be, touches the heart and with his harp he creates an even more wrenching elegy. We follow the flow of his music as it rises and stops, as he accompanies it with his voice. We listen and we are transplanted back into the days of old when the whiteness of the cotton fields is an unwanted sight. Hailing from further South is Cuban musician Florencio Baro. A singer and percussionist, his music remains a pure representation of his African heritage. His songs are sung in his ancestors’ native African language that as a child he has learned to understand and to appreciate. Much like South American music, his music as a combination of two cultures brought together despite odds. Historically, his music arises from the spiritual cult of Santoria, a religion established by African slaves brought to Cuba. What started out as spiritual hymns as a way to once again reconnect with their distant land, is now heard as Afro-Cuban music. It is played with an energetic combination of African percussions and Cuban guitars. In Baro’s hands, the music achieves a life of its own. The beats throb as Baro’s voice sing of the woes of the African slave, weaving itself in and out of the notes, all in a way that is dramatically hypnotic. And entranced the audience were as they glimpse at this fragment of the past that, unfortunately, seldom reaches the majority’s ears. These men represent a bygone era of music that is formed when culture clash and are forced to combine. But, in retrospect, what we are singing of now and what our music is today, all boils down to the undying pursuit of expression that these men have achieved.

Predatory pricing of petrol Essay

Supermarket price wars are putting Britain’s small petrol stations out of business at the rate of one a day. Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda and Morrisons have this year embarked on a war to attract hard-hit consumers and the price of fuel has been central to their campaign. Morrisons is offering loyalty points on its new fuel card while Asda has launched a price comparison app for mobile phones to convince shoppers it has the cheapest fuel. Both Sainsbury’s and Tesco have offered money-off vouchers for petrol customers. The Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI), a trade association representing the interests of 6 000 small petrol stations, is hoping the OFT inquiry will support its members, who believe that unfair and predatory pricing by the supermarkets and some major oil companies is making it impossible for them to compete. There are now about 8 000 small petrol retailers compared with 21 000 two decades ago and 40 000 in 1966. It predicts that in five years there will be very few independent petrol retailers left. The OFT inquiry comes at a time when the supermarkets have proved particularly effective at building up a huge stake in the petrol market. With the recession dragging on, households are keen to save even one or two pence a litre, particularly those families whose livelihoods depend on the use of a car. Between June 2007 and June 2012 – a period that saw  considerable crude oil price volatility – the price of petrol rose by 38% while diesel rose by 45%. In 2011, supermarkets accounted for 45% of total fuel sales from just 1 316 sites compared with 37.4 % in 2010. The OFT said the fuel market for Britain’s 33 million motorists is worth around  £32 billion a year, and accounts for 5p in every  £1 of household expenditure. But many have also blamed the Government and increases in fuel tax for soaring petrol prices. It takes 60% of the price of every litre of petrol in tax – the highest rate in Europe.

Managerial Economics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Managerial Economics - Assignment Example 4) the content of MBA programs available in colleges or universities in the Kansas City area (With my limited resources and time, are there MBA programs that can take me in?). Q2: I bought an iPod, a tube of toothpaste and a branded pair of shoes. Elasticity measures the change in demand with a change in price. I bought the iPod (as did four friends) because prices went down, so the demand for iPods is elastic. I bought toothpaste because I ran out of it, even if the price went up by a few cents, so demand is perfectly inelastic because I had no choice unless I wanted my social life to suffer. I bought the shoes because I liked the brand, so this purchase is relatively inelastic. I bought it as the price seemed just right. These reasons – price discount, need and brand desire – made demand elastic (iPod) or inelastic (toothpaste and shoes). Q3: Price discrimination is the practice of charging customers different prices for the same product because of factors like capacity to pay, geography or order size. Some universities practice price discrimination with financial aid, allowing them to charge rich kids higher fees and extending scholarships or tuition discounts to students from poorer families. If a theater showing Avatar charges less if they watch before 6:00 p.m., then it practices price discrimination to encourage more viewers on off-peak hours. Would I watch before 6:00 p.m.? It would depend on whether I am available, how much I can save, and what entertainment substitutes there are. The benefits of the lower price must be equal to or exceed the costs of my availing it. 1. List four factors that affect the demand for MBA degrees in the greater Kansas city area and How those factors affect the demand for MBA. Not that I am not asking about company hiring a person who has a MBA degree, I am asking about a person like you who is pursing a MBA degree. 2. List three things you purchased in past two weeks and tell whether your demand for goods or

Mini short story response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mini short story response - Essay Example g the story together to the final line, where Elisa is â€Å"crying weakly – like an old woman.† The way that Steinbeck does this can be discovered by taking a closer look at how Steinbeck uses imagery and action to illustrate the depth of Elisa’s isolation and frustration on a physical and emotional level. Steinbeck’s description of Elisa’s garden illustrates how isolated Elisa is physically from the rest of the world. The flowers are totally fenced in a specifically defined space. Although the fence is low, it still manages to serve as a barrier between Elisa and the other characters. Her isolation is added to by the description of the location where she lives. Steinbeck tells the reader about how â€Å"the high grey-flannel fog of winter closed off the [valley] from the sky and all the rest of the world.  Ã‚  On every side it sat like a lid on the mountains and made of the great valley a closed pot† (Steinbeck). This setting illustrates how Elisa is sealed within the ‘closed pot’ of the smothering cloud cover of social rules. Reinforcing that this is a symbolic concept, Elisa stands at the beginning of the story watching her husband talk to strangers at a location not far away from where she stands. Although she is curious about what they’r e saying, custom and expectation prevent her from leaving her garden to join them. The flowers within the garden are also symbolic of Elisa’s frustration in life. Steinbeck makes this connection by pointing out how she works with the flowers, â€Å"the chrysanthemum stems seemed too small and easy for her energy† (Steinbeck). The force and energy that she expends while she is tending to her plants is an outlet for the frustration she feels as she realizes that she cannot just join her husband. At the same time, Elisa obviously takes a great deal of pride in the beauty of her plants. This is Steinbeck’s way of pointing out that part of Elisa’s frustration is her failed ability to fulfill the role of

Packaging Power Proposal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Packaging Power Proposal - Assignment Example The new proposed packaging will be made up of plastic. The plastic will have a similar shape to the traditional packaging used, but the packaging will have the capability of individually packaging each egg. The packaging can be separated into 12 individual mini boxes that protect each egg. There are many advantages to the new packaging design. The customers who buy the dozen will be able to separate the eggs which will save the customers freezer space. The stores who sell eggs including supermarkets will have the ability to sell eggs by the single unit instead of forcing the customers to buy 12 eggs. For a single person 12 eggs are sometimes too much since the person will not be eating eggs every day. Another advantage of the new packaging is that companies can put designs in the plastic material to make the product more attractive. Appendix A: Packaging of eggs (Babylon, 2011). References Babylon.com (2011). Dozen egg carton. Retrieved June 10, 2011 from http://search.babylon.com/?q =dozen+eggs+carton&babsrc=HP_ss&s=img&as=0

Women Suffrage and Civil Rights Movement Research Paper

Women Suffrage and Civil Rights Movement - Research Paper Example The suffrage movement of women represented many issues which till date appeared trivial but they surfaced when it was realized that it was the right to vote which could resolve the problems faced by the women in the patriarchal society where the father and the husband dominated and controlled a woman’s life. This gradually led to anti-discriminatory movements, which was renowned as the Civil Rights movement. The paper traces the development and importance of both these movements in American history. The women’s suffrage movement commenced in order to advocate the right for women towards voting. Abigail Adams could be recalled as the first female personality of the suffrage movement. Ladies were not given the power to make decisions after marriage according to the New Jersey’s law only single women could be eligible to vote since after voting all rights went into the hands of their husbands. Divorce was even more painful by law and since they had no right to vote, the lawmakers paid hardly any attention to their problems (Durrett, 25-27). The spark was initiated when the 15th Amendment was passed after the Civil War to ensure ‘voting rights for all â€Å"citizens of the United States â€Å" regardless of race or color’.... The members of the conference were previously associated with other processes of reform such as Lucretia Mott (associated with anti-slavery movement) and this also included some male personalities like James Mott who took over the role of chairperson and Frederick Douglass, the secretary. Issues like equal position of women in the eyes of law and access to quality education were picked up. (The Beginnings of the Women's Suffrage Movement) Stanton was introduced to Susan B. Anthony in the Seneca Falls and turned out as a significant leader of the movement. Stanton was a powerful writer, which Anthony delivered her influential speeches along with the support of her husband and Mott provided the essential wisdom to the movement. Initially the leaders worked in favor of property right of women after marriage and gathered signatures of 60 women in support of the Married Woman’s Property Act which was finally passed. Then came the dress reform and suffragists began wearing the loose fitting pants instead of the uncomfortable gowns. (Keller, 17-20) The woman suffrage movement’s history stands for an important period in American reform. The faith in republican citizenship status as derived from the American Revolution was the key to the demand for the right to the ballot. The evolution of the suffrage movement might be categorized into three stages. Prior to the Civil War the movement was more of a reform targeting the universe. During the Reconstruction period, the reform group got divided into divided groups and after 1885 the movement came up as a well-knit organization at the national level. The split occurred with respect to the 15th Amendment where Stone (Anthony’s husband) and others believed that the Amendment

Provisions of the Corporation Tax Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Provisions of the Corporation Tax - Assignment Example While the company can claim all the business expenses incurred by it during any financial year, there are certain other provisions governing the capital expenses incurred by the company for the purposes of the business. These are called capital allowances and these allowances cover the expenses incurred for the improvement of the business of the company. By allowing these capital expenses the Corporation Tax Act promotes the working of the companies towards progress. The company can write off all the revenue expenditures incurred by the company against the income being earned by the company. These expenses are in the nature of the expenses which the company has spent on the promotion of the business of the company. For claiming a deduction, these expenses should have been incurred wholly for business purposes and during the previous year. The examples of these expenses include salaries of employees, insurance expenses and other administrative expenses like auditor fees. The company is authorized for the deduction of the interest paid by the company to the banks or other financial institutions for the loans availed by it for business purposes. The interest should have been paid actually during the previous year.The first allowance is in the nature of depreciation on all working assets including industrial buildings and plant and machinery that are being used by the company for the manufacture of products. An amount equal to 4 percent of the cost of the industrial buildings can be claimed by the company by way of writing down allowance. For claiming this deduction the company should have put to use the building in respect of which the deduction is being claimed. When the company constructs some building in an enterprise zone the company can claim the whole cost of the building as a deduction from the chargeable income. The position of the writing down allowance in respect of the plant and machinery belonging to the company is as follows: In general 25 percent on the written down value, a method is allowed as a deduction for the large companies. In the case of small and medium companies, there is a first-year allowance equal to 50 percent of the cost of plant and machinery that can be claimed as a deduction from the income of the company. The companies that spend capital expenditures on machinery which are using energy saving technology can claim the total value of the machinery in full without limits by way of enhanced capital allowance. Bu for claiming the enhanced capital allowance the technology should be one recognized by the government. The amount of capital expense can be claimed in full in the first year itself. But if the company feels that the company would be in an advantageous position then the company may choose to carry forward the deduction for the future years and claim the allowance in part.  

Analyze the Conventional Wisdom Regarding the Iliegal Immigration Essay

Analyze the Conventional Wisdom Regarding the Iliegal Immigration Debate - Essay Example Besides, the arguments on illegal immigration deeply influence the development of conventional wisdom on the same subject. Thesis statement: The conventional wisdom regarding the illegal immigration debate in America is deeply influenced by the arguments in favor of and against illegal immigration and the related problems. Arguments in favor of illegal immigration The scope of the policy of amnesty and illegal immigration As pointed out, the arguments in favor of illegal immigration deeply influenced the conventional wisdom regarding the illegal immigration debate. To be specific, the people of America are aware of the fact that their lineage is rooted in immigration from European nations, African continent and some parts of the Asian continent. One can see that the native population of the American continent consists of the American Indians. Almost all the other racial groups in America are related to immigrant population. Therefore, those who are in favor of illegal immigration arg ue that illegal immigration must not be considered as illegal because economic disparity is the main reason behind it. Steiner opined that â€Å"More likely, illegal immigration rose because the United States economy demanded it, and illegal immigration would have risen even if amnesties had not been granted† (41). Those who try to immigrate to America are not aware of the problem of illegal immigration. ... They believe implementation of laws and regulations related to illegal immigration can reduce the problem in future, and the current laws cannot solve the problems faced by the illegal immigrant in America. In addition, those who are not in favor of illegal immigration argue that the illegal immigration must be considered as an international problem, not as a regional or national problem. Humanitarian consideration/ human rights and illegal immigration Those who are in favor of illegal immigration argue that deportation or similar actions against the so-called illegal immigrants are a violation of human rights. The liberal humanitarians including the working class in America consider that the government must take apt measures to reduce the problems faced by the illegal immigrant population in America. Hill stated that â€Å"It is little wonder that these kaleidoscopic overlaps and divergences lead some to argue that the real divide in the immigration debate is between educated and d efenders of the U.S. poor and working class† (196). Besides, those who are in favor of illegal immigration argue that illegal immigrants face marginalization in the American society. They argue that governments must try to amalgamate the illegal immigrants into the core of the mainstream society. At the same time, the strict implementation of laws related to illegal immigration/human trafficking can reduce the scope of problems related to illegal immigration. Arguments against illegal immigration Barbed-wire fences and border security As pointed out, the conventional wisdom regarding the illegal immigration debate is influenced by anti-illegal immigration arguments. The history of

The Social Security Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Social Security Program - Essay Example The essay "The Social Security Program" talks about the social security program, the most efficient run program in all state oriented activities in the United States. Under the Social Security sector, aspects of pension income for the retirees, unemployment and fund assistance to the physically and financially challenged; are the major programs reflected. Involvement of insurance agencies and compensation companies and how they relate the persons mentioned above is also monitored by the Social Security program. The progress of these three aspect programs has undergone stiff completion. Maintenance and management of the pension income of the retired have been in the limelight of the actions of the Social Security. This has had success in ensuring the security of insurance and necessary compensation to the retirees over the years. This program has operated amidst its authoritative, incentive and capacitative techniques in order to offer quality services to the retirees. It is the first and main â€Å"Social Security† of America initiated initially for soldiers in 1776. Its vivid historical background of pension security is dated back to the era of civil wars whereby the retirees of the war were honored by paying them off a reduced amount from their original salaries. It was due to the fact that a lot of citizens were left orphaned and widowed by the dead war veterans. The pension fund has increased and broadened its wings to other professionals such as doctors, teachers among others.

How To Create A Facebook Page And Computer Mediated Communication Research Paper

How To Create A Facebook Page And Computer Mediated Communication - Research Paper Example In most cases therefore, there should be two or more computers involved. The current page that was created was created based on the idea of computer mediated communication. Specifically, it was a Facebook Page. It would be noted from the presentation and the programming of the page that the Facebook Page makes the exchange of as many forms of messages as possible. These include text messages, video messages, audio messages and still graphics messages. The commonest form of messaging that takes place is however the use of text and pictures (still graphics). Through the Facebook Page, other online users of Facebook can be reached and communicated to. Those users must however accept the invitation of the host to communicate. In most cases, a friend request is sent to a person with whom the host wants to communicate. The invitee then accepts the friend request if he or she knows the host or is interested in the friendship. Once the acceptance is done, there can be inbox messaging, text c hatting and video chatting between the two parties. Once a while, a user of Facebook can also post a message that can be viewed by all friends even if the message posted at a time those friends were offline. Overview of Specific Concepts that were utilized in the Page Creation Identity construction All people have identities in the very usual world in which we live in. once you meet a person, it is easier to identify the person by the kind of clothes, hair colour, facial shape and other things like that. In the same way, Estoisia et al (2009) note that computer mediated communication such as Facebook, â€Å"people are likewise identified by language in what they write, and how they choose to visually display themselves.† Identity construction therefore refers to the kind of identified image that a person gives to him or herself on the social network. Self disclosure Again as a characteristic of communication, it is virtually impossible to know everything about a person after just one encounter of communication. The ability to know more about a person therefore happens at a gradual pace and with time (Walther et al., 2008). The same is true with computer mediated communication whereby the disclosure that a person gives to him or herself on the Facebook Page created will happen on a gradual basis. As a matter of fact, one must follower a specific user for quite a long time to really come to terms with who that fellow truly is. Self Deception Social networks actually serve as platforms for which people create positive identities of themselves. For this reason, it often happens that one may deny the obvious positive facts about others so that they would keep a clean and flamboyant mental image about themselves. This indeed is the basis of self deception as Skeptic’s Dictionary (2012) states that â€Å"Self-deception, in short, is a way we justify false beliefs about ourselves to ourselves.† Privacy management In computer mediated communication , efforts are made to keep certain parts of a person’s life as private as possible because people who tend to be our friends on Facebook Pages are not necessarily people who really know and can trust. For this reason, it is always important to have privacy management features on the page to sieve the rate of information about a user that goes out to the public. Description of how Specific Concepts were utilized in the Page Creation In the present page that was created, identity construction was utilized in such a way that it would certainly take the host of the page the need to give certain basic information to identify the host as a user before the

PRINCIPLES OF CARE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

PRINCIPLES OF CARE - Essay Example The legal and policy context: A variety of legislations have been put into place in order to protect the rights of individuals may not have the resources to protect their own rights. Some of these are: Data Protection Act of 1998 NHS Community Care Act of 1990 The Department of Health's 'Fair Access to Care' (FACS) 2003 Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act of 1970 General Social Care Council of 2002 (GSCC) The NHS Community Care Act of 1990 states that it is a duty of the social services to undertake an Assessment of Needs under s47 (National Health Service and Community Care Act, 1990). In addition, it is also a duty to offer direct payments and a carer's assessment. The Carer's Equal Opportunities Act of 2004 offers the carer the right to an assessment in their own right. Under the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act of 1970 (s1), it is the social workers' duty to identify the needs of locals and offer specific information to meet those identified needs. In the event of identification that a patient may be isolated from society; he/she (the patient) may be offered day – care facilities so that they have a network of support. This may assist in preventing isolation and may assist patients to socialise with others in the community. Service User's Perspective: During the researcher's assessment of a case, the staff at the nursing home reported that the case – B (an aged female patient) – was not receiving the required quality of care. B was aged, a resistant nature that may have been due to her age, and most importantly, she was suffering from Dementia. They were unable to meet her requirements of care, which included more attention as part of her day-to-day care since they did not have the facilities to care for a patient coping with Dementia. According to the nursing home staff, it was quite unfair to B that she had to continue living there when her needs could not be met. A day after the initial assessment of the case, B's niec e was contacted in order that her views on B moving into a residential home be taken on board. This would be a home that catered to the needs of patients suffering from Dementia. The niece stated that she would be very happy if the transfer were to go ahead. She also reported that she has had a lengthy conversation with the manager of the nursing home with regards to B's safety at the home and really wanted the best for B. The assessor of this project was informed about the opinions and decisions of the nursing home and B's niece. During supervision sessions the possibility and the procedure for finding an appropriate placement for B were discussed. A resource request was then sent to Home Care requesting a list of residential care homes registered to offer care to patients with Dementia that had vacancies. The list sent in response mentioned three homes; information about which was passed to B's niece so that she could contact these homes, makes appointments for a possible viewing and then decide which one would be the best for B. Social Work Values and Anti-Oppressive Practice: The General Social Care Council (GSCC) code of practice is the corner stone of social work values. Social workers are bound by this code of practice; and action can be taken against them if they fail to do so. The GSCC code also forms a part of the legislation, employer’

Analysis of UK`s income tax provisions relating to antu-avoidance, tax Essay

Analysis of UK`s income tax provisions relating to antu-avoidance, tax planning and tax avoidance - Essay Example The Progressive taxation is said to minimise inequalities in the society as wealthier people has to pay more taxes as compared to less income group thereby offers some aid from the inadequate demand for consumption in capitalist’s economies. As per Keynes, progressive taxation helps to alleviate unemployment. For reaping the greatest benefits, the whole tax system of a nation should follow the progressive taxation system. USA is having highest progressive individual taxes like the federal income tax and death or estate duty .Besides; it is also having a number of regressive taxes like sales taxes levied by the majority of the states and excise duties imposed by the federal government1. A progressive tax system is a system where the average rate of tax increases as income soars. Thus, rich people have to pay heavy taxes whereas poor people have to pay less tax. The ability to pay is the main theme behind the progressive taxation. Thus, rich people are expected to contribute mor e to the national chequer for public spending. The ardent supporters of progressive taxation are of the view that such a tax system is equitable, and that helps to redistribute the income among the society to maintain the equilibrium. Lorenz was the first economist who found that there is a relationship between the cumulative size of income and cumulative size of income receiving components when they are organised in the ascending order of their income as early in 1905. This has been popularly known as the Lorenz curve which is being extensively employed to calculate inequalities of wealth and income in many nations around the world. Lorenz curve is being employed extensively for formulation of public policy. For instance, it can be demonstrated from the scrutiny of Lorenz curve that post-tax income is evenly allocated than that of pre-tax income if the mean rate of taxes soars with the level of income. Moreover, if the tax-income ratio stays constant, inflation does not alter the d istribution of post-tax revenue even if the tax function is altered or shifted every fiscal year. Lorenz curve is also being employed widely to assess poverty2. Progressive tax system also produces fiscal drag impacts and when a nation’s economy is developing rapidly and there are more citizens in work thereby earning salaries and wages and incomes seem to increase faster than prices of commodities thereby pushing citizens into the higher income-tax range and thereby enhancing the aggregate flow of tax income into government exchequers account. This can be explained as a partial automatic stabiliser for the economy as increasing tax receipts is being contributed from citizen’s disposal income. From the table given below, one can understand under the progressive tax system, the less income groups have contributed just ? 263 million by 2460 taxpayers whereas high-income group of just 8 people contributed ? 6,370 million to the UK’s exchequer. â€Å"Regressive Tax System† In the regressive tax system, the higher-income group of a country contributes the lesser share of taxes to the government and whereas poor people of a nation is taxed heavily at higher rates as compared to the higher-income group. Thus, regressive tax system can be said to be just contrary to the progressive t

Incentive Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Incentive Plan - Assignment Example During the period 2001-2005 which was considered the worst period for airlines it still made money on each and every year. A key to its success is keeping its planes full by capturing enough flying passengers. However, there is one other key aspect of its success that is rarely talked about and that is its incentive plan for its employees. Southwest Airlines has an outstanding corporate culture that encourages all its employees to render extra services to make flying with them a satisfactory experience. The founder of Southwest Airlines, Mr. Herb Kelleher, attributes the airline’s success to its unique culture that is intangible and hard to imitate by its competitors. It is this spirit of competitiveness that has propelled the airline forward to continuous profits over the years. In this regard, the airline adopts the total rewards style of management that recognizes employee performance (Jenses, McMullen & Stark, 2007, p. 61). The management uses incentive plans so that it gets employee buy-in and total commitment to its corporate objectives. The purpose of the program is to attract and retain top talent. Southwest Airlines has one of the longest hiring policies that lasts up to about six weeks through a series of tests and interviews to make sure that prospective employees fit into its fun culture termed as â€Å"LUV† as hiring managers emphasize work attitudes more than work skills. Once hired, employees are expected to help keep costs down so the airline will remain profitable despite its low fares. A reason why Southwest is profitable is because its employees are very productive, using a ratio of passengers per employee (Southwest: 2,400:1, United: 1,175:1 & Continental: 1,125:1). All employees of Southwest Airlines are eligible for its incentive plan which is profit-sharing. In fact, the firm implemented the first

Compare and Contrast the aims, strategies and personalities of Charles Essay

Compare and Contrast the aims, strategies and personalities of Charles Stewart Parnell and Daniel OConnell - Essay Example The greatest and common mission of the two personalities was to agitate for liberation of Ireland that they ended not achieving. The two personalities used various strategies in advancing their views. Some strategies were similar while others were different. Following are similarities and differences in terms of personalities, aims and strategies of the two Irish icons with relations to their political and social life. One of the similarities is that both Charles Parnell and Daniel O’Connell were children of Ireland born in Ireland. Both attained university education and were reliable members of their respective societies in the advancement of the rights and needs of their people. Daniel and Parnell had similar feelings about Ireland and wanted to see their country freed from British anarchy and enabled to practice self-rule. Despite being Catholics, the family of Daniel O’Connell also owned land, as did the Parnell family. Daniel O’Connell entered politics in 1828 as the British Member of Parliament for County of Clare1. This happened after he spent a lot of time in activism, which was contrary to Charles Parnell who entered politics short time after graduation. Same to Charles Parnell, Daniel O’Connell used the poor peasants and farmers to agitate for the advancement of his views. Charles Stewart Parnell was a remarkable Irish nationalist born on 27th June 1846 in the County of Wicklow. Parnell was the third son and seventh offspring of an Anglo-Irish father John Parnell Henry and American mother Delia Stewart Tudor. Charles Stewart Parnell gained higher education from Cambridge University. Historical records also show that Charles Parnell attained most of his education in England. In 1875 after completing his studies, Charles secured election into the parliament where he served as collaborate of the Irish

The Yoruba Rites of Passage Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Yoruba Rites of Passage - Term Paper Example The Yoruba is considered as one of the largest ethnic communities in Africa having a population of approximately 30 million people (Johnson 16). The community is mostly found in countries such as Nigeria, Benin and Togo, though it is possible to find that there are some who have migrated to other countries such as the US and other destinations for immigrants. These subgroups are 20 in number and are as a result of the fact that the community had 20 kingdoms, each led by an independent king and when the kingdoms were dissolved, the communities continued to recognize themselves in that scope. Much of the economic activities conducted by this community mainly involve farming (Akintoye 29). However, due to industrialization and subsequent rapid urbanization, some of the members have migrated to urban areas in search of formal employment, but it is observed that even in these areas, the Yoruba people still engage in crop production though in a minimal scale. As with any other community in Africa and the world in general, the Yoruba’s have their own unique culture which is greatly respected and strictly followed by the members. This is despite the fact that the community is surrounded by diversity, especially in religious dimension, which has the capacity to influence and assimilate these people thereby resulting to abandonment of traditional practices (Ambibola 22). This paper will examine the Yoruba’s culture in the context of rites of passage, i.e. traditional practices conducted in defining moments such as birth, marriage and eventually, death. Birth The birth of a child is an event that is received with great joy and happiness as it involves the introduction of a new life to the world. It facilitates the continuation of a family lineage and the existence of a community, which may otherwise become extinct in the absence of new births to compensate lost lives. The Yoruba people are no different from other communities in recognizing the importance of new births. This may be the reason why every newborn child must undergo two major processes that include welcoming and naming which are celebrated in two different occasions. In these occasions, tradition demands that parties be held and in this case, Iko Omo and Isomo Loruko are the two words that are used to refer to the welcoming and the naming parties respectively (Akintoye 41). In both Iko Omo and Isomo Loruko, the family must ensure that proper planning is done as these are considered to be the most important and probably defining moments for the child’s future. Depending on the financial capability of the family, it is a requirement that food be in plenty and to achieve this, most of the people opt to slaughter a cow or a goat. Buying of new clothes is also a component of these celebrations as family members must look smart and presentable in an effort to signify their status and also to symbolize their joy for the arrival of the new born (Lawal and Sadiku 22). It may be observable that buying of new clothes during important occasions such as Christmas. It is a common practice in most of the societies and this may be interpreted to signify their celebratory mood. It is also common for parents and the family of the newborn to hire celebrities such as musicians to entertain the crowd with music. Also, when these celebrations are in progress, traffic along the streets near the venue of the celebrations may be disrupted as a result of people blocking the roads while singing and dancing such that anyone familiar with the Yoruba culture would definitely tell what is

See the Truth, Perceive the Lie Essay Example for Free

See the Truth, Perceive the Lie Essay Nietzsche explains nature as an overall relative to humans; he proposes a potent and significant explanation of the development of language and the realization of concepts. He achieves this by exploiting the successive effects on human awareness. He suggests that originally humans were an artistically creating subject as he puts it. Whose essential human determination is the construction of metaphors? Due to evolution, humankind developed a capacity to reason, distrust, remember, and control. Humans were driven by instincts which established themselves directly into inventive sounds, gestures and metaphors. Humans thereof signify the motivation, which ultimately develops into the base of language. As a result, humans manipulate this metaphor of understanding a stimulus, which may well vary from one to another; as it is totally subjective. The ossification of language begins, these instinctual sounds are combined and expanded throughout a community, and arise to turn into ordered and solid words which in sequence combine into a progressively established language. In such manner, language turns into an unyielding, sum of common notions, perceptions, and ideas. Now, as soon as the reader gets comfortable with Nietzsche’s view of language. Everything changes, language arbitrates amongst the human perception and the reality being sensed, this transition happens when he explains that, in order for us to further study the development of concepts. We need consider that â€Å"every concept arises from the equation of unequal things† which he considers â€Å"cases which are never equal and thus altogether unequal†, in other words, every word immediately becomes a concept exactly to the extent that it is not intended to function as a reminder of the sole and fully individual unique experience to which it owes its source; but it would be better to say, a word converts into a concept in that it all together has to fit a myriad more or less related cases, in which situation if I consider only the boundaries proposed by Nietzsche, I conclude in harmonizing with his point of view. In addition to constructing language, humans likewise form concepts for everything they come across. Nietzsche describes that concepts are groupings wherein the mind unconsciously collects analogous matters into, despite the fact that actually, each person is sole and individualized. Nietzsche gives the example â€Å"Just as it is certain that one leaf is never totally the same as another, so it is certain that the concept leaf is formed by arbitrarily discarding these individual differences and by forgetting the distinguishing aspects†. Wherein one comprehends a leaf, were many have ever been alike who have similar physiognomies thus we classify each one as a leaf. This in my opinion is tremendously subjective as he proves it. Consider the Platonic realism, or even, in metaphysics, a universal. Where it is explained what particular things have in common, namely characteristics or qualities; by Plato these are inherit to our existence and just scaled to what is grasped. But for Nietzsche, humans clutch everything in order to have a certain kind of organization and case inside their personal environment, crafting yet an additional sense of truth. In distinction to the unexpected, unsettled realm of sense, in Nietzsche’s view, the structure of ideas exhibits solid uniformity and breathes out in reason the power and â€Å"coolness† which characterizes mathematics. As Nietzsche declares, no one who has sensed this calm gasp of reason will hardly be certain that even the concept that is as â€Å"bony, foursquare, and transposable as a die† is nonetheless just the â€Å"residue of a metaphor† , and that the impression which is involved in the creative conversion of a nerve stimulus into images, is the foundation of every single concept. But in this sense truth means â€Å"never violating the order of caste and class rank†. This relation of math, logic, and reason with â€Å"truth† is the only case were I wholly come to an agreement with Nietzsche, and wish to point out the importance, especially of math, as a tool used to understand the surrounding world. Nietzsche reasons that concepts do not occur in nature for the reason that each solitary creature and object is individualized and sole in one way or another and as a result, cannot be considered an additional foundation of truth. Essentially, Nietzsche trusts that we ought to take every incentive and consider it according to its distinct features as an alternative of grouping them into concepts. The conceptual order is stratified by a pyramidal order according to castes and degrees, the creation of a new world of laws, privileges, subordinations, and clearly marked boundaries†. The conceptual direction challenges humanity as more dense, more general, better recognized, a â€Å"new world†. This new world as Nietzsche describes â€Å"seeks a new realm and another channel for its activity, and it finds this in myth and in art generally†. This determination constantly puzzles the conceptual categories and groups by bringing onward new changes, metaphors, and metonymies. It persistently shows a passionate need to alter the world which presents itself to humans, so that it will remain as â€Å"colorful, irregular, lacking in results and coherence, charming, and eternally new as the world of dreams†. But there is one detail left unnoticed by Nietzsche. The tendency of humans to rule over one’s kind. Governments, religions, all bring forth ranks, classes, castes. Every human under such parent, directly or indirectly is never able to freely sense â€Å"truth† in its most accessible form so to build upon it, which results in the imprisonment and trickery forced upon such humans into building up on virtual, man-made â€Å"truths†. Nietzsche considers this environment of fixed concepts is in need of an insolent, inventive reply. â€Å"But man has an invincible inclination to allow himself to be deceived D and is, as it were, enchanted with happiness when the rhapsodist tells i him epic fables as if they were true, or when the actor in the theater acts more royally than any real king. So long as it is able to deceive without injuring, that master of deception, the intellect, is free; it is released from its former slavery and celebrates its Saturnalia. † he endorses an existential valor that declines the power of the conceptual order, its sanctions and embargos, and its inevitabilities. This transition is one from sanction to character. The artistic determination is not strictly defeated but hardly restrained. In other words, this enormous charter and laying of concepts to which the penurious man grips his entire existence so that he may reserve himself is but a framework and puppetry for the most daring acts of the freethinking intellect. In a few words, I myself do not completely agree with Nietzsche on the matter of language and concepts. If for example we take into consideration any other intelligent species on our planet besides humans, we can clearly note that a form of communication exists between them, and furthermore there exist a primitive form of conceptualization. If for example dogs are considered, it is evident that dogs are clearly able to communicate with each other, even with humans at some degree; this could be a form of language (for them). Again dogs, can obviously distinguish a car from a human, they can even tell apart humans from one to another as a dog will not attack his owner, or even the owners friends and family, when guarding the house. In my opinion this demonstrates how it is natural to manifest language and concepts, which shows that it is nature’s choice to be projected to us in such manner. Nietzsche’s sole target, in my understanding, is to demonstrate that language, concepts, truths, and lies are all unreal, just a view, since humans were the ones who fashioned language and in sequence, concepts, which in Nietzsche’s opinion do not truly exist in nature. Instead, we use it to sort and organize our own surroundings while using it as a way to cooperate with other humans. But if we really wish to be so subjective about our surroundings then even Nietzsche is wrong. If we really aim to judge what is true and what is not, then we should consider a higher form of perception, our brain itself. We see through our eyes, but are these images the actual view of this world? We hear with our ears, but are these sounds really there? We smell with our nose, but is this the actual scent? We feel when we touch, but is there really something there?

Osamu Dazai Essay Example for Free

Osamu Dazai Essay Osamu Dazai was one of Japanese novelist and considered one of the most important storytellers of postwar Japan. While known primarily as a novelist, Dazai also earned recognition for his numerous short stories, including â€Å"Omoide† (â€Å"Memories†), â€Å"Sarugashima† (â€Å"Monkey Island†), and â€Å"Ha† (â€Å"Leaves†), which were published in Bannen, his first collection of short stories. Like most of his longer fiction, Dazais short stories are autobiographical and reflect a troubled life marred by alcoholism, drug addiction, and several suicide attempts. Nevertheless, Dazais fiction showcases his artistic imagination and unique confessional narrative technique. Dazai was born the youngest of ten children in Kanagi, a small town in northern Japan, to one of the wealthiest families in the region. While Dazais later years were turbulent, he grew up a sensitive child in comfortable surroundings. Later in his life, however, his wealthy background led to self-consciousness, contributing to a nagging sense of isolation that is an undercurrent throughout his fiction. Dazai underwent his apprenticeship in writing during the 1920s while attending secondary schools in Aomori and Hirosaki and published many of his early stories in magazines founded and run by aspiring young authors. By the time he attended Hirosaki Higher School, however, Dazai began to live the unconventional lifestyle that brought him much fame. Despite his widely recognized talent, however, alcoholism, drug addiction, affairs with geishas, suicide attempts, and frequent psychological traumas plagued him the rest of his life. In 1930, Dazai enrolled in the Department of French Literature at Tokyo University, but by the end of his first year, he ceased attending classes. Instead, Dazai became involved with left-wing politics, caroused, and renewed his relationship with a geisha he met while attending Hirosaki Higher School. His family disapproved of this relationship, leading to one of Dazais suicide attempts. He attempted to take his own life on at least three other occasions and finally succeeded in a double suicide with a young war widow in 1948. This episode, among several instances of double suicide in Dazais fiction, is retold in his widely acclaimed novel, No Longer Human. Dazais highly autobiographical fiction first garnered popular and critical attention after the publication of his first collection, Bannen (The Final Years). The first and most significant of these stories is â€Å"Omoide† (â€Å"Memories†). With its highly personal tone, â€Å"Memories† reveals a common narrative technique in Dazais writing. Revealing his childhood and adolescent traumas, as well as his need for companionship and love, Dazais first-person narrative attracts the readers sympathy while raising doubts about the authenticity of the narration because of exaggerated rhetoric. â€Å"Gangu† (â€Å"Toys†), another tale in Bannen, illustrates Dazais playfulness. In this tale, the narrator — after briefly relating his financial troubles — details his plans to concoct a tale recounting the memories of an infant. While these and other early pieces exemplify the personal tone of much of Dazais work, another group of tales shows his talent for imaginative storytelling. Two tales — â€Å"Gyofukuki,† translated as â€Å"Metamorphosis,† and â€Å"Sarugashima,† translated as â€Å"Monkey Island† — provide good examples of this. In place of the Dazai like protagonist present throughout most of his other short fiction; â€Å"Metamorphosis† is about a peasant girl who, on the verge of puberty, takes on the appearance and identity of a fish. â€Å"Monkey Island† presents two humanoid monkeys as its protagonists. In astonishment, one of the monkeys soon realizes they are the objects of atte ntion, rather than the spectators, of the humans walking through the zoo. In his final years, he composed a series of stories that evince his interest in domestic issues, as titles such as â€Å"Villons Wife,† â€Å"Father,† and â€Å"Family Happiness†Ã¢â‚¬â€suggest. As critics have remarked, the stories of these collections are among the few works of artistic value produced by a Japanese author under the strict government censorship during World War II. While famous in Japan and avidly read — especially by the younger generation — Dazai has not achieved the international stature of Japanese writers such as Natsume Sseki, Kawabata Yasunari, Mishima Yukio, and End Shusaku. This is partly due to problems with translating Dazais highly personal style. Yet Dazai has earned himself a position in modern Japanese letters more or less comparable to that of an F. Scott Fitzgerald, as opposed to a William Faulkner, in modern American literature. Donald Keene, Dazais principal English translator, has described him as a Japanese writer â€Å"who emerged at the end of World War II as the literary voice of his time.† While Dazais body of work is sometimes criticized for its narrow scope, many critics maintain that his fiction contains some of the most beautiful prose in modern Japanese literature. Dazai became celebrated for two short novels, The Setting Sun and No Longer Human, both translated into English. I read both of them back when I was reading all the Japanese fiction I could get my hands on, but did not care for either, and have not read either again. The Setting Sun was published in 1947, and is set in those years shortly after the end of the war. It was a very popular novel, and the title came to represent Japanese of the upper classes who had fallen because of the war and American occupation. But Dazai was already well known for personal characteristics reflected in the major characters as wellnihilism, drunken dissipation, despair (a kind of model for our hippie generation)so, although the central character is a young woman, Kazuko, the novel is read as strongly autobiographical. This is true for No Longer Human, too, which is perhaps even more autobiographical, and, as Donald Keene describes it, is an attack on the habits and traditions of Japanese society, but above all a record of his alienation from society. (1063) I was not attracted to the narcissistic qualities in these two novels, or to the fact that Dazai, after having failed in two previous love suicides (in which the women succeeded) succeeded in a love suicide June 13, 1948 (he and the woman drowned in the Tamagawa Reservoir). I just didnt much like him or his charactersnever used those novels in courses I taught. But I did use one of his short stories, Villons Wife, several times, because it was in the anthology I most frequently used in the survey course of Japanese Literature, Donald Keenes Modern Japanese Literature, and I actually came to like that story very much (sort of like Oes The Catch, the exception that proves the rule). The husband in the story may be the closest self-portrait of all, and the most despicable, in his drunken dissipation, unfaithfulness, and unforgivable treatment of his wife, but the story is told by the wife, who, in her attempts to accommodate herself to all of this comes through as an attractive and courageous characterand you realize that even Dazai, in his more sober moments perhaps, must have appreciated her virtues. Anyway, thats the one I recommendthen, if you want to read either, or both, of the novels, you will be reading fiction that was very popular in Japan in the decade after the end of the war, and may, indeed, reflect some of the values in flux in that traumatic time, particularly for young Japanese who would have seen themselves as having lost everything. I will be comparing Akutagawa to Edgar Allan Poe next month for their short lives and some of the qualities of their fiction, and it is easy to compare Dazai to Akutagawa (1892-1927), as well. Akutagawa was more of Tanizakis generation, but died in his late 30s, as a suicide, as Dazai did. But, I am happy to say, I am very fond of Akutagawaa highly disciplined literary artist. (MAIN BODY) â€Å"NO LONGER HUMAN† This book, by Osamu Dazai, is an example of the Japanese genre of shishosetsu, a kind of autobiographical fiction. Its different from what we think of as autobiography, in that the purpose is not so much to tell a story there is no real emplotment, beginning, middle, end in the traditional (or Aristotelian) sense, but rather, the text is a sort of rambling exploration of the self. Style is de-prioritized, sincerity and immediacy are tantamount. There is no constrained form, but rather, an attempt to establish a direct link between author and reader, to explain a particular perspective. The book is largely autobiographical, based on events from Dazais own life. He was a literary rock star, but a deeply miserable guy, attempting suicide several times before finally succeeding. Theres actually a monument at the spot where he killed himself (along with his mistress), and apparently people gather there on the anniversary of his death every year. In any case, the book itself is interesting. It makes me want to learn Japanese, for starters, because no matter how great the translator, theres no getting around the fact that the grammatical structure of Japanese is completely different from that of English, most importantly, for this book perhaps, in that it is entirely possible, and even common, to construct a sentence in Japanese with no subject. Apparently the entire book is written in this form, which would be particularly appropriate to the work itself. Though I wonder if the Japanese reader would really think of this as particularly artful, given that its apparently a standard thing to them. But I guess thats a question for psycho-linguists to answer. The book is the related story of a very unhappy guy who is essentially chronicling his downward spiral. Though its hard to say if its really a downward spiral though he does pinpoint a moment at which he ceased to be human, its not entirely clear that he was ever really human (by his own definition) to begin with. One question is what it means, in his eyes, to be human. There is a clear parallel to Notes from the Underground (Dazai was big into Dostoevsky, and the main character refers to Crime and Punishment), in that both are notes from deeply unhappy men who are convinced of their own uniqueness, but there are definitely differences. Dostoevskys character is raging against rationality, and the way in which it dehumanizes people, so in a sense, though he calls himself a mouse, etc, he could be seen as claiming that he is really the only human. Dazais character, Yozo, sees himself as inhuman, mainly, it seems, because he lacks certain basic human traits. He claims, for instance, that he has never felt hungry. However, there is also a certain issue of domination at play he is unable to say no to anyone, to turn down anything. In this sense, one could say that he is entirely determined by the outside world. Despite the fact that he has an inner life, he keeps it hidden from the outside world. In fact, his behavior is entirely, he claims, an act, he plays the clown for the amusement of others, refusing to let his own feelings show. But Im not certain if this is really the case. For instance, he wants to be an artist, and actually disobeys his father in order to pursue his artistic career, and confesses to the other authority figure in his life, Flatfish, that he wants to make art. So it seems as though the masking process is incomplete in this case, and at times he does behave authentically. I wonder if the same could be said for the Underground Man? I think that its slightly different in his case, in that the construction of the Underground Man is such that he cant behave authentically, because he has no stable self. Yozo, on the other hand, certainly has an inner life, its just a rather empty one. He doesnt seem to have any real will of his own, or rather, the will that he does have is purely towards self-destruction he can get booze and drugs, and drink himself into a stupor, without any difficulties. But then again, he also seems to have a brief lull of happiness, directly following his marriage. But even there, its hard to say if hes happy. Maybe its most accurate to say that he is so constructed as to be incapable of happiness? Hmmm. Theres more thinking to be done here. Unfortunately, I seem to like each Dazai Osamu (1909-1948) book less than the previous one. No Longer Human (Ningen Shikkaku, 1948) is more epigrammatic that The Setting Sun (Shayo, 1947), but perhaps I am too old for it (as I was once too young to read Proust) to be much moved for the plaint of a creature too delicate for the world. I cant muster sociological interest in it as social history of the 30s either, since dissipitation is basically timeless (though the preferred means vary). I read the epilogue differently from translator and longtime Columbia professor Donald Keene: as showing the notebooks writer was successful at mimicking good nature, not that his widow is right and the writer wrong. (In the way that most men fail to see their own cruelty, Yozo had not noticed his gentleness and capacity for love-p. 9; really? a capacity for love? and gentleness? or solipsism mixed with diffidence?) I am not so sure that Keene was right that the Japanese are certainly much more like A mericans than they are like their ancestors of one hundred years ago. As far as literature is concerned, the break with the Japanese past is almost complete (p. 7), though this is more credible now than it was six decades ago. Dazai seems very traditionally Japanese to me in many ways, a descendant of Sei Shà ´nagon both in wit and to some degree in aesthetics (Dazai is still plenty delicate and fairly indirect, even about what she would have considered vulgar and even sordid matters, very regretful and very perishable). Would Keene have been moved to translate Dazai, if there was nothing of the Japanese tradition that Keene venerates in Dazai? Let alone, recall translating Dazai as if I were writing a book of my own, an experience he only otherwise had with Kenkà ´s Essays in Idleness (On Familiar Terms, p. 189). I like Keenes characterization of Yozo as a man who is orphaned from his fellows by their refusal to take him seriously (p. 8, see p. 139), which in turn is a result of his desperate clowning. Of course, this resonates with my experience of people not believing I could possibly be serious when I am, and feeling Im not like other people, incapable of getting by. And unusual or extravagant things tempt me (p. 23). It is interesting that someone who felt himself different from an early age and for whom it would be no exaggeration to say that my only playmates while I was growing up were girls (48) became a diffident lady-killer rather than a homosexual. Ã…Å'ba cannot forget his abuse by a female servant when he was young. In high school, he played the buffoon. At university, he finds bad influence from Horiki and leads a life of debauchery (nonstop smoking, alcohol abuse, promiscuity), culminating in a double suicide (it cannot seriously be billed a love suicide) in which the married woman drowns and he survives. After being expelled from the university, Ã…Å'ba is clan and sober for a time in a relationship with an innocent young woman, but Horki shows up and leads Ã…Å'ba back into temptation, now adding morphine to alcohol abuse and being incarcerated in a mental asylum, where he is numb rather than violent. As for being zombified by Japans defeat, Dazai seems to me to have been as self-destructive and intellectually nihilistic while the Japanese Empire was rising as in the general anomie after Emperor Hirohito renounced divinity and the US occupied the archipelago. (Imamuras Pigs and Battleships show some of this social breakdown and women who were better at surviving it than the men.) The original publication sold more than six million copies in Japan, more than any Japanese novel other than Kokoro (1914) by SÃ… seki Natsume. A manga version was published in 2009, the centenary of Dasais birth, and also filmed. (CONCLUSION) Attending Meiji Gakuin University from the age 15 to 19, Toson gradually became aware of literature under the influence of unconventional traditions of the school. Toson literature is even said to originate during his days at the university. Toson joined Bungakukai, a literary group, and as a romantic poet, published a collection of poems including Wakanashu. Later, Toson turned a novelist and published Hakai (â€Å"The Broken Commandment†) and Haru (â€Å"Spring†), and is thus regarded as a prominent naturalist novelist. His other works include, Ie (â€Å"Family†), considered to have achieved the highest level in Japanese Naturalism literature, Shinsei (â€Å"New life†), a confession of his own incestuous relationship with his niece, Yoakemae (â€Å"Before the Dawn†), a historical novel modeled on the life of his father. Altbough he began his serialization of Tohonomon (â€Å"The Gate of the East†) in 1943, he died of a stroke at his own hom e in Oiso, Kanagawa prefecture on 22nd of August. (BIBLIOGRAPHY LIST) Dazai, Osamu, and Donald Keene. No Longer Human. Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle, 1981. Print. Lyons, Phyllis I., and Osamu Dazai. The Saga of Dazai Osamu: a Critical Study with Translations. Stanford, CA: Stanford UP, 1985. Print. Hachimaki, Emi. ä º ºÃ©â€"“å ¤ ±Ã¦   ¼. é â€™Ã§ © ºÃ¦â€"‡å º «Ã£â‚¬â‚¬Aozora Bunko. Aozora, 1 Jan. 1999. Web. 15 Nov. 2011. http://www.aozora.gr.jp/cards/000035/files/301_14912.html. (REFERENCE) http://kirjasto.sci.fi/dazai.htm http://www.jlit.net/authors_works/dazai_osamu.html http://wlc.drake.edu/wordpress/japanese/2010/02/28/osamu-dazai%E3%80%80%E5%A4%AA%E5%AE%B0%E6%B2%BB%EF%BC%89/

Underrepresentation of Women in Canadian Politics

Underrepresentation of Women in Canadian Politics In November 2015, new PM Justin Trudeau made headlines around the world when he chose a cabinet made up of 50% women. Yet this in fact constituted only 30% of the women Liberal MPs elected in 2015. In the 2015 federal election Canadians elected 88 female MPs, or 26% of all MPs in the House. But this represented only a 1% increase from 2011, when 25% of all MPs elected were women. As we can see from this analysis, although PM Trudeau seemed to have figured out a way to bridge the gender gap, it however is only a percentage better than that of women representation in parliament back in 2011. Till today the representation of women in politics is still quite low. Canada is currently ranked 62nd amongst the 193 countries included in the Inter-Parliamentary Unions classification (IPU, 2017). Around the globe there has been progress when it comes to the aspect of bridging the gender gap in politics but Canada has remained stagnant for a very long time even though there have been some period s of progress. The Trudeau government now currently holds the record for greatest percentage of women representation in Canada but this still isnt enough to make significant progress. In this paper, I will be looking at the underrepresentation of women in Canadian politics, as well as reasons for this gender inequality in Canadian politics and barriers to the election of females into politics. In addition to this I will also touch on reforms that could be made to the political system to encourage more women to enter politics. A useful guide to understanding how political candidates are chosen is the demand and supply framework outlined by Pippa Norris and Joni Lovenduski. The demand side being the demand for political candidates by political parties, and the supply side on the other hand is the supply of political candidates that is the result of individual decisions to stand for election. That is the supply of individuals willing and able to step forward to stand for office (Brenda ONeill, 2015). The demand side, which is the selected candidates, suggests that the selected candidate must be the candidate with the least risk, that is, the candidate most likely to win the seat. The electoral system practiced in Canada (the first-past-the-post system) is the cause of this mentality. The electoral system being a winner take all system ensures that political parties have to put forth their best candidates in order to challenge for the seat. Existing networks and past experiences have set a standard for the pe rception of the right candidate and this has influenced choices towards candidates who meet the perception of who is most likely to win. The masculinized environment of Canadian politics that privileges power and competition hinders women from getting into politics because politicians are seen to be assertive, active, and self-confident, all these being male stereotypes. Women would have to go against their stereotypes in order to be selected for seat. Women who go into politics tend to be seen as less feminine than other women but not as masculine as men. They are defined by what they lack, femininity and specific masculine traits (Melanee Thomas, 2013).   There is no safe place for women who go into politics, they will be criticized one way or the other. Another reason for the under representation of women in Canadian politics is the concept of sacrificial lambs, women who are nominated to run in ridings where the party is not competitive (Melanee Thomas/Marc Andre Bodet, 2 013). The continuing competitiveness of Canadian politics helps notice the effect of the sacrificial lamb hypothesis. Parties are more likely to nominate men than women to run in districts that they believe can be won (Brenda ONeill, 2015). Another point to consider as to why women are under represented is the fact that party systems vary. Parties on the right side of the ideological spectrum have refused to make special opportunities to help enhance women representation. Some examples of these right winged parties with poor women representation; the Wildrose Party in the 2012 Alberta election had 13% female representation; in the 2014 Ontario election, the PC Party had 25% female representation (Brenda ONeill, 2015). The left side of the spectrum in contrast to the right has created sufficient opportunities to enhance female representation. The New Democratic Party in the 2012 Alberta election had 47% female representation and 48% back in 2009 (Brenda ONeill, 2015). The supply side ; an important factor affecting the supply of women is gender norms. In society, today, the expectations from women is quite different to that of men. They both have varying public and private roles. Men are seen to be the bread winners, that is, the person who brings income into the family, so they are brought up in a brute and disciplined manner, they are pressured to go to school in order to get a job in future which would help sustain their families. Females on the other hand are raised in a more pampered manner because they are seen to be more delicate than men and they have specific duties like taking care of their children which require extreme care and attention. Gender norms shape everything in society, from the education and occupations women and men choose to the level of political interest and knowledge that they exhibit (Brenda ONeill, 2015). Along with the existing societal norms comes the willingness of women to participate in politics. Women feel that since the socie ty doesnt deem them fit they shouldnt try to contest for candidacy if not theyll just attract unnecessary back lash from both society and the media. Another factor affecting the supply of women is time. As mentioned earlier, according to norms, women are meant to take care of their children and this eats up a huge amount of their leisure time, especially those women working full time. Research on leisure time availability shows some slight difference between women and men. Womens leisure time is eaten up by child care and unpaid domestic chores while men have theirs eaten up by extra working hours (Melanee Thomas, 2013). In addition to this, research shows that women are less interested in politics than men, so this low level of interest might hamper their willingness to run. And politics being a blood game causes for women to shy away from it. This low level of interest by women in political participation is quite problematic. It is problematic for three reasons. First, women are a historically underrepresented group (Melanee Thomas, 2013). In the past, they were blocked from access to political activities because it was seen as something women werent built for and therefore could not handle. Although these barriers affecting women representation have been removed over time, informal barriers such as media still hamper women representation. These informal barriers stop the Canadian political system from being just and fair. The second reason is that women are a heterogeneous group with a diversity of political opinions and preferences (Melanee Thomas, 2013). They view situations in a different light than men. However, due to the small number of representatives and activists, it is quite impossible for all these diverse political opinions to be represented. The final reason being the result of research. Research shows that in the legislature, womens and mens decision-making behaviour changes with the gender composition of that group (Melanee Thomas, 2013). So, men paired alongside women are more likely to have outcomes that represent both male and female perspectives towards the situation at hand unlike a team made up exclusively of men. Women are more likely to prioritize the wellbeing of the people first and this might affect the society as a whole while men who are more straightforward in making decisions, not looking at how the people would be affected but at how the society will benefit in the long run. This current low participation rate of women in Canadian politics makes us aware of the fact that there are still some barriers hindering women from participating. These barriers exist at the individual, social, and political levels (Melanee Thomas, 2013). Individual barriers include, education and income. Over time, women rights have been advocated for to bridge the existing inequality gap. The earliest studies of political behaviour argued that as womens level of education, income, and occupational status caught up to mens, so to should their levels of political participation and engagement (Melanee Thomas, 2013). This phenomenon is known as the pipeline theory of political representation. This theory assumes that once women take on the same occupations, have similar levels of education, and earn similar incomes to men, their numbers as legislators would naturally increase (Brenda ONeill, 2015). This has not been the case though. Women remain underrepresented and the education of w omen has sky rocketed compared to back in the days but women are pushed towards more feminine areas of study such as family studies, catering, social services, etc. Only a few go into areas of study which would then lead them into politics and this causes for the underrepresentation in the upper echelon of many professions despite the overall education gains. Women still earn lower than men in todays society. Women in comparison to men earn 80 cents to each dollar a man earns.   The lack of campaign finance regulations makes income a barrier. Some provinces and municipalities lack regulation and this requires for candidates to rely on conventional sources of campaign finance, including personal income (Melanee Thomas, 2013). This reliance on personal income therefore affects women because they dont earn as much as men. Social barriers are raised from societal views. As mentioned earlier, womens progress in politics is hampered by the views of society. This view that well paying jobs and jobs that require critical thinking are more masculine. These societal views have pushed women away from these jobs because they do not see themselves as capable of handling those types of jobs. And these jobs are the jobs which most Members of Parliaments held before going into politics. The top occupation for Canadian Parliamentarians in 2011 was businessman. This job does not appear in top 10 for women parliamentarians. Instead, the women who enter politics are most likely to be teachers and consultants (Melanee Thomas, 2013). The media is a major social barrier. They perceive women politicians in a discriminatory light. They feel like they are not fit for the positions which they hold and so they (the press) tend to pick on these women politicians. Womens personal relationships and physical appearance receive fa r more scrutiny from the press and other politicians than do male colleagues, and the tone of the press coverage women politicians receive is disproportionately negative (Melanee Thomas, 2013). After exceeding individual and social barriers, women still have to face political barriers. These political barriers being nomination procedures. Political parties have varying nomination processes. The Conservative Party has very few formal nomination rules. The NDP on the other hand, has a very formal nomination process. Formal nomination processes help with the representation of women in politics, that is because these processes require to seek out qualified candidates from historically underrepresented groups. However, the right-wing parties are the ones in competition for the seat and they are also the majority so they choose to pick out the best possible candidate due to the winner take all nature of the electoral system. And the best possible candidate based on the standards set by history would be a male. The candidate would most likely be male as politics is a masculinized environment and males should be accustomed to such an environment as they were brought up for living i n such an environment (Melanee Thomas, 2013). So, there is a gender bias when it comes to nomination processes. Parties on the left wing of the ideological spectrum (NDP) assist in women representation but in some cases, the strength of women representation held by these parties still leave women underrepresented. provinces with electorally strong parties on the left of the ideological spectrum will often reveal greater gender equality. BC, Quebec, and Manitoba, for example, have enjoyed strong showings amongst parties on the left and rank among the top provinces for women representation in politics. However, Saskatchewan, despite the strength of the NDP in the province, does less well (Brenda ONeill, 2015). A lot of research has gone into figuring out how to deal with this continuing underrepresentation and some solutions have been brought up to help fill in the existing gender gap.   A major solution that has been proposed is, the reform of the political system. This would help encourage more women to enter politics. A change to the current electoral system would be in favour of women representation. The current electoral system practiced in Canada is the first-past-the-post system and this being a winner takes all system is sort of masculinized therefore making sure that political parties view male candidates as the most suitable candidates in such an environment. This discourages women representation. Many of those advocating for reform seem to prefer the proportional representation system. Most countries where women occupy at least 30% of the parliamentary seats use the PR system (Julie Cool, 2011). However, the PR system might not benefit women representation. The PR system where the most widely used form is the list system may contain a lot of bias when these lists are being made. People use their own discretion to choose the names that appear on the list and nothing says that those selecting the names on the list would look to balancing gender inequality when there are more pressing issues, like the well being of the society, to focus on. PR systems need to be supplemented with more incentives in order to ensure impartiality on party lists. While some people believe electoral reform is an efficient means of bridging the inequality gap in parliament, others believe that slight electoral change would be better off. That is, Canada would function the same but with new additional rules that enable them better women representation. Some of these additional rules might include the introduction of quotas. Majority of the countries that reached the 30% mark for women representation in parliament used quotas (22 of 30 countries as at 2009). The core idea behind quota systems is to recruit women into political positions and to ensure that women are not only a few tokens in political life (Drude Dahlerup, 2009). These quotas can either be legislative or voluntary. Legal quotas are mandated in a countrys constitution or by law, usually in the electoral law. All political parties must abide by legal quotas, and may be subject to sanctions in case of non-compliance. Costa Rica, Belgium and Argentina have legislated quotas, which spec ify that a certain percentage of candidates for election must be women. There are firm legal sanctions in place if the provisions are not met (Julie Cool, 2011). Voluntary quotas on the other hand are developed at the discretion of political parties. Other additional rules proposed to help women representation were the introduction of spending limits on nomination campaigns, and tax credits for contributions to support prospective candidates seeking nomination. These rules were to aid women in the aspect of income.   (Julie Cool, 2011). Lastly, the introduction of campaign schools for women and a change in political environment. Women should be encouraged to enrol into campaign schools. These campaign schools help women to be better prepared for the tough nature of the political realm. It teaches these women how to portray themselves and fight against the barriers which stand in their way. These campaign schools are developed mainly by women or equality organizations, based on consultation from academics, civil servants, and elected officials. Some organizations that host these campaign schools in Canada are, the Nova Scotia Advisory Council, Equal Voice Canadian Women Voters Congress, and the College of Continuing Education at Dalhousie University. Although a systematic study on full effects of these campaign schools has not been undertaken in Canada, we can see that they have made significant impact in bridging the inequality gap in places like America (Melanee Thomas, 2013). Alongside these campaign schools there should also be a change in political environment in Canada. It has to be more of a women-friendly environment. The political system being highly masculinized blocks women from freely participating in politics and this causes for the masses in Canada to question the democratic status of the country. Special attention to the values, norms, rules, procedures, and practices in parliament should ensure that, once they are elected, women can apply their unique and diverse perspectives (Julie Cool, 2011). Among other options, parliaments could consider reorganizing their work to become more gender-sensitive, for example, by instituting family-friendly hours, ending parliamentary business at a reasonable time; reorganizing work schedules to allow for family days; or spreading parliamentary business over a number of shorter days (Julie Cool, 2011). Canada has remained stagnant in women representation for a very long time and it is about time to move on from this stagnation. Canadas electoral system doesnt work in favor of women because it is very masculinized and at the same time a very difficult job. This however defies the status of democracy that Canada holds. In a democracy, everyone is equal but this is not so as women are discriminated against and stereotyped as not being suitable for politics, and those who manage to get into politics are criticized as not being feminine enough and at the same time not cutting the mark for masculinity. Media bashes women politicians for the littlest of reasons, and this is because there is this established view that women are more suited for the home and not jobs that require aggression and critical thinking. All these existing barriers have then led to women looking down on themselves feeling that they are not capable of handling the nature of such a difficult job. However, we need to r ealize that we cannot just bring women into politics just because we want to bridge the gender gap. They have to work for it, just as hard as their male counterparts did. So instead of trying to advocate for a womens agenda in parliament, we should work towards the development of workable, sustainable, dynamic strategies to increase women representation in politics. BIBLIOGRAPHY Facts and figures: Leadership and political participation. UN WOMEN, UN Women, Aug. 2016, www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/leadership-and-political-participation/facts-and-figures. Accessed 28 Feb. 2017. Woolf, Nicky. Canadas new parliament is most diverse ever. theguardian, 22 Oct. 2015, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/22/canada-new-parliament-most-diverse-ever. Accessed 28 Feb. 2017. Women in national parliaments. Inter-Parliamentary Union, IPU, 1 Jan. 2017, www.ipu.org/wmn-e/classif.htm. Accessed 28 Feb. 2017. Cool, Julie. Women in parliament. Parliament of Canada, Library of Parliament, 10 May 2011, www.lop.parl.gc.ca/content/lop/ResearchPublications/2011-56-e.htm#a9. Accessed 28 Feb. 2017. Brenda ONeill, Unpacking Genders Role in Political Representation in Canada, Canadian Parliamentary Review (Summer 2015), vol. 38:2, pp. 22-29 Melanee Thomas, Barriers to Womens Political Participation in Canada, UNB Law Journal (2013), vol. 64, pp. 218-233 Melanee Thomas and Marc Andrà © Bodet, Sacrificial lambs, women candidates, and district competitiveness in Canada, Electoral Studies (2013), vol. 32, pp. 153-166 Myrna Driedger, Is there such a thing as a Womens Agenda in Parliament?, Canadian Parliamentary Review (Spring 2013), vol. 36:1, pp. 11-12