A Critical Analysis of la Zola

How does SAT Superscoring Affect your Test Strategy

How does SAT Superscoring Affect your Test Strategy SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Lots of colleges "superscore" your SAT scores, or take your highest section scores across all your test dates. Besides making your application stronger, this policy can also be valuable forhow you approach the SAT. How does it accomplish allthis? Read on to learn how SAT superscoring affects your overall testing strategy. First, what are the major benefits of SAT superscore? Why Superscoring Really is Super If thecollege you're applying to has a policy of superscoring your SAT results, then it will take your highest section scores across all test dates. This means you have nothing to worry about if you have some ups and downs in your scores. It also could help maximize your scores to your highest composite score. This example illustrates just how much superscoring can affect your composite score across different test dates. This student scored highly on Critical Reading on Test 1, on Math on Test 2, and on Writing on Test 3. This studentscored a total of 1500 on each of hertest dates, butsuperscoring allowed hercomposite score to jump up to an impressive 2100! Section Reading Math Writing Composite Test 1 700 400 400 1500 Test 2 400 700 400 1500 Test 3 400 400 700 1500 Superscore 700 700 700 2100 This is a somewhat exaggerated example, as hopefully you won't drop 300 points in any section when you retake the SAT. But it shows just how much of an impact superscoring can have. It's clear that viewing score reports across different test dates in this way is helpful when you apply to colleges. But stepping back a year or more before your application deadlines, can this policy affect your strategy for taking the SAT in the first place? Let's get strategic, like a game of human chess! How SAT Superscoring Affects Your Test Strategy In general, students who do best on the SAT are the ones who have a plan. They plan how to study for the SAT, when to take it, and how many times to take it. Rather than stumbling onto high scores randomly, they are intentional aboutall aspects of preparing for and taking the SAT. As part of this strategic planning, you could use this superscoring policy to your advantage. The first step is researching your colleges' policies towards SAT scores. If the schools you're applying to do superscoring, as many schools do, then youmight consider incorporating this into your test plan. Like your colleges, you could "superscore" your own test by building up your composite scores gradually across different test dates. You might study intensively for math for your first test date to achieve a strong math score. For your next test, you could prep especially for Reading, and then ramp up your Writing prep for the third. This approach could help focus your studying, as well as take the pressure off of each test. You'd only be aiming for a strong score in one section each time, rather than worrying about performing well in all three sections. In this way, this strategy could help relieve stress, break up the test into manageable chunks, and prevent it from becoming overwhelming. This plan of building up your composite score across different test sittings means you would take the SAT two, three, or more times. This would involve starting early, at least a year or so ahead of your college deadlines. You could take the SAT first in the fall of junior year, again in the spring, and then for a third time in the fall of junior year. If you want to leave yourself even more opportunities to test, in case of a fluke testing day or unsatisfactory scores, then you could push this schedule back even further. If you're using superscoring to your advantage, you can see how you'd want to understand your colleges' policies a year or more before you're actually applying to those schools. If you're reading this and thinking this strategy sounds like something you want to try, you should also be aware of the potential pitfalls of this approach. Before jumping into it, consider this word of caution. Caution:this strategy could get slippery when peeled. Word of Caution About This Strategy Using each SAT test date to focus on scoring highly in one section at a time does not mean ignoring or skipping the other sections completely. This would be an unnecessary risk for several reasons. It could look strange to admissions officers if you have huge fluctuations in your scores from one SAT to the next, for one thing. Significantups and downs could also look suspicious to College Board, who are on the lookout for odd activity on score reports. An unexplained decrease or increase of several hundred points between test administrations, especially taken in the same year, could potentially result in your scores being audited, withheld, or even cancelled. Some change is normal, even expected if you take the time to prep between tests, but you wouldn't want to completely ignore one or two out of the three sections while using this SAT superscoring strategy. Plus it could just throw off your whole pacing of the test, and managing your time is a big part of mastering the SAT. Building up your section scores can be a useful and effective strategy. Just be careful that you don't take it to the extreme. You could perhapsdevote about half your time prepping for one section, while still taking 1/4 of your remaining prep time for the other two sections. I would recommend putting the majority ofyour study time toward one section of the test when using this strategy, but not all of it. My other word of caution involves being mindful of the number of times you take the SAT. While you can technically take it as many times as you want, I wouldn't suggest exceeding 6 test administrations. The time and money put toward taking the SAT any more than this would probably be better spent on prepping to achieve the scores you desire in less time. By starting early, you should have enough test dates within this range to meet your goals, especially if you have a clear understanding of your colleges' stance on test scores and why superscoring is so helpful. Let's quickly review the most important ways it can work to your advantage. Major Takeaways for Your Testing Strategy These are the most important points to remember for your SAT testing strategy: Research your colleges' policies towards SAT scores well in advance of your applications, so you can consider incorporating them into your study plan and testing schedule. If your schools SAT superscore, then you can maximize your composite scores by studying for and gaining a strong score in one section at a time. Avoid taking the SAT more than 6 times, as this time and money could probably be better spent on test prep. Unless your schools require that you send all your scores, then consider using College Board's Score Choice to just send the reports that will give you the highest superscore (Math + Critical Reading + Writing). By knowing your schools' application requirements, you can take the pressure off of each SAT and prep in a focused way, one section at a time, to gain your strongest SAT scores. Knowledge really is power. What's Next? Regardless of whether or not you're building up your SAT scores one section at a time, you want to be mindful about when and how many times you take the test. Read about how to choose the best test dates for your schedule here. Some colleges no longer require SAT scores, while others let you send Subject Tests or AP scores in lieu of the SAT. See the full list of test optional and test flexible schools here. Are you wondering how students achieve the elusive 2400 on the SAT? This fullscorer explains the strategies and study plan he used to achieve a perfect score. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points?We have the industry's leading SAT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and SAT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible. Check out our 5-day free trial today:

The Impact of Interactive Whiteboards on Teacher-Pupil Interaction Essay

The Impact of Interactive Whiteboards on Teacher-Pupil Interaction - Essay Example As per Reynolds and Ferrel, an inclusive approach towards education that encourages discussion is bound to enhance the quality of teaching (1996). Several experts and agencies have applauded the introduction of IWBs in the classrooms. Also a significant proportion of the teacher oriented journals and publications also testify to the efficacy of IWBs. The British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA 2003) while reviewing the available literature on IWBs noted that the very fact that the usage of IWBs in classroom teaching stimulated the students to interact physically and intellectually with the media certainly improved the overall quality of learning. Levy also praises the visual appeal of the IWBs to the students and the ensuing possibility of a more physical interaction, which motivated the students to respond to the teachers' queries (2002). Ball regards the IWBS to be a unique media that makes the entire teaching process more student centric, thereby giving students a sense of control and confidence (2003). Glover and Miller noted that IWBs pleased the students as a majority of the students liked making presentations before the class (2001). In the study conducted by Levy, a significant number of students reported that the mutual sharing of views facilitated by IWBs furnished a better articulation of ideas (2002). IWBs are considered to be more acceptable to the contemporary students because they are already used to media images in their day today life (Richardson 2002). Also in a large number of studies, the teachers agreed to the relevance of IWBs because of the element of anticipation that they brought to a lesson (Glover and Miller 2001). As per Kennewell, IWBs enhanced the students' attention and engagement in a classroom scenario by extending them the opportunity to discuss their work and views before a group (2001). The focus of this article is to establish the level of veracity of the above mentioned views in the light of the empirical evidence gathered through research. "Given the lack of empirical evidence to support many of the assertions made about the benefits of IWBs in promoting teacher pupil interaction, this study set out to investigate their impact on the interactive core of whole class teaching in the NLS and NNS with Year 5 pupils. The study was therefore designed to test the claims that IWBs can be used as a pedagogic tool to promote interactive forms of learning and teaching, thereby changing traditional patterns of whole class interaction and discourse (Smith, Hardman and Higgins 2006)." Key Terms Successful Teaching - "Teaching that is discursive, characterized by high quality oral work and interactive, encouraging, expecting and extending pupil's contributions (Department of Education and Employment 19

Bed And Breakfast Business Plan Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Bed And Breakfast Business Plan - Term Paper Example The business intends to capitalize on personalized services, and its unique location to attract new customers and retain the existing customers. The business also intends to create an environment that will facilitate a pampered comfort that is far beyond the projected business competitors. The business will as well incorporate contemporary technology in its operation to holistically renovate the flow of tourism in Georgia. Services The business plans to create rental units that will target foreign tourists. Secondly, the proposed bed and breakfast business also projects to tender a guideline services to foreign tourists on the most eye-catching tourist sites in the areas. The business as well projects to work together with others tourists’ agencies and businesses in order to offers packing slot at a special rates. A part from offering tourism services, the business also plans to offer breakfast services such as preparing breakfast foods to its customers as well as preparing hi gh quality and delicious meals to its customers. General Staffing For a starter, the business plans to employ 91 employees. Among them, seven professionals with be mandated with the responsibility of the general management of the business will the others will be regular employees with specific responsibilities. The business intends to employs over 40 well qualified and trained chefs. The business will recruit 20 tour guides who will be responsible of guiding tourists in the business’s area of coverage. The recruitment exercise in the business will purely be based merit and experience. There will be not favors in the business recruitment and promotion exercises. Rationale Lodge and hotel businesses have over years played an exceptionally decisive role in the success of tourism activity in Tybee Island and in the entire world. However, despite the encouraging benefits of tourism business in the Tybee Island, there are awfully limited hotels and lodging services in the area. The refore, the new bed and breakfast business intends to offer a prevalent, quality, and affordable rental facility to foreign and local tourists. On the other hand, the local government also intends to advance tourism business in the area by encouraging entrepreneurs to invest in hotels and development of rental units. Therefore, the projected business will to some extent be acting in response to the local government proposal to invest in hotels businesses. Benefits of the Business The business is projecting to attract more tourists in the area by offering quality services to foreign and local tourists. Moreover, tourists in the area will increase the Island income thus minimizing the poverty level in the area. The business will create more employment opportunities in the area. Most of the business employees will be proficient members of the surrounding communities. Finally, the business will benefit the area residents by offering quality and affordable breakfast services to the inter ested community members as well as local and foreign tourists. Chart of Accounts The rationale Based on the reality that, most small businesses relies on lenders and creditors to develop their operations, the choice of Charts of Account is incredibly essential in the analyses of the business available resources, the expected resources and how the business intends to use the available and borrowed resources. Charts of Account are as well especially vital in providing the interested parties with adequate understanding of the financial position of the proposed business. Assets Assets Amount Cash $ 4, 538 Accounts receivable $ 740 Other current assets $ 670 Long term assets $7, 000 Accumulated depreciation $9, 413 Total assets $12948

Letters to Editor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Letters to Editor - Essay Example ly opposing the message relayed in the original publications, these letters appear as an avenue for readers to express their opinions that contradict the information relayed by editors. The main purpose of these letters is to give responses to previous publications on sports-related issues on the newspaper. These letters are directed to the editor who relates to the publications attracting reactions through the given letters. To make reference to the publications, the writers of the letters give the titles of the publications and the dates they appeared on the newspaper, similar to referencing in academic writing. Thus, the writer needs not to give the message relayed in the publication but gives personal reaction outright. This style differs from general writing where an introduction, perhaps giving a summary of the message in the original publication and the objective of the current task, would be given to put the task into context. This difference could make readers of the â€Å"Letters to the Editor† not to have the requisite background information. As such, it could cause a failure in understanding the objective of the letter. However, it is clear that the letters critique, with a majority seemingly criticizing, the message relayed in past

Gender-Based Household Divisions of Labour

Gender-Based Household Divisions of Labour THE DIVISION IN HOUSEHOLD LABOUR  BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN CONTENTS (JUMP TO) Abstract Introduction Literature Review Household Labour Defined The Gender Gap Research Methods Analysis Methods Historic Housework Gender Divisions   Global Housework Gender Divisions Reasons for Gender Gap Methodology Findings Recommendations Conclusion References ABSTRACT This study considers the gender gap in performance of household labour and its change over time, particularly in the last fifty years. Methods that others have used to research and analyse household labour, historic and multi-cultural gender divisions, reasons for the current and historic gender gap from a sociological perspective. This research then determines the most effective methods of data gathering and analysis and examines several studies over the last fifty years to conclude that the gender gap in household work is actually shrinking, albeit more slightly than some contend due to societal changes. Proposals for overcoming the disparity in household labour performance are assessed from a variety of published literature. Conclusions are drawn regarding the most likely factors affecting changes to the gender gap, namely changes in gender identities from a societal standpoint. Recommendations for further research and actions to further redu ce the housework disparity conclude th e study. INTRODUCTION Almost all research conducted in the past one hundred years has overwhelmingly and consistently supported a disparity between the household labour performed by women and men, with women typically outperforming men both in terms of more distasteful tasks and number of hours by significant margins. Since the beginning of the women’s movement in the 1960s, however, some inroads have been made regarding closing the gap between male and female performance. These must be weighed in light of overall changes in societal expectations and practise of household labour, but do show a trend towards greater egalitarianism in housework performance. This research begins with a thorough consideration of published literature regarding gender division of household labour and how such studies have been conducted and analysed, with reference to historic and multi-cultural gender divisions and sociological reasons for the persistent gender gap in housework performance. A survey of secondary research using the most accurate and informative data gathering methods is then conducted to determine whether the gender gap is indeed closing and if so, why, or whether broader societal and technological changes are merely affecting the performance of housework in general. The study concludes with recommendations for further research and suggestions from both others and the author regarding ways of moving towards a more egalitarian division of household labour performance. LITERATURE REVIEW As it applies directly or indirectly to almost everyone, much research and study has been performed regarding housework, the perceptions of those who perform it, and the assignment of household labour tasks within the home or family. This literature review provides a brief survey of some of these studies. An overview of the gender gap will be followed by six broad areas of consideration. First, the various methods by which housework study is conducted will be examined, as claims of inaccuracy are rampant for certain research methods. Similar consideration of different ways of analysing and interpreting this data follows. An overview of historic housework assignment, with particular focus on gender divisions and Britain, includes information stretching back several hundred years but concentrates on the previous century through the present, when statistical analysis and similar data began to be generated. Views of housework and gender division of tasks in other countries allow for a mo re holistic consideration of the topic. Finally, reasons for the gap between performance of household labour between men and women are from various studies are presented, with a number of researchers assertions of ways to overcome such disparity. Household Labour Defined In any study of household labour, also referred to as simply housework in this research, it is first beneficial to define what is meant by or included in the term. Some studies, for example, include only inside household tasks such as cleaning and cooking, excluding outside work such as gardening and exterior home repairs. Some studies include childcare as a household task; others place it in a separate category or do not include it. Lee and Waite (2005) note some research is based on a more restricted definition of housework, limited to physical tasks such as cleaning, cooking and laundry, whilst some include intangible components of household management, such as providing advice or encouragement, or planning and managing household tasks. For the purpose of this study all non-employment household tasks will be included, grouped broadly into inside and outside tasks, primarily because gender divisions often fall along these categorical divisions. Inside tasks are those performed inside the home, whilst tasks performed outside (yard work, taking out rubbish) fall in the latter category. In addition, based on the work of Coltrane (2000), tasks may be alternatively be considered from the standpoint of routine or occasional as another, and also typical, gender division. Coltrane (2000) defines routine tasks as the most time-consuming and most frequently performed, with little allowance for flexibility in task scheduling. Typical routine tasks include cooking, cleaning, shopping, and laundry. Occasional tasks, in comparison, are not as time-consuming on a daily basis and hence require less frequent performance, allowing more flexibility and discretion in when they are performed. Yard maintenance, home repairs (interior or e xterior), and paying bills are typical occasional tasks. Childcare will be considered in a separate category, although part of the overall household labour workload. This type of grouping is supported by many researchers such as Oakley (1981), Brines (1994), Press and Townsley (1998) and Alenezi and Walden (2004), who include childcare in household labour but place it in a separate category. Child rearing activities, such as bathing, disciplining, and the like may also be separated from recreational activities involving children, such as taking a child to the park or on an outing. In addition, Bianchi et al (2000) note that childcare is also an activity typically done in conjunction with other tasks, such as minding children whilst cooking or cleaning, or helping with homework whilst folding laundry. This is a further consideration when defining time spent and proportional contribution to household functioning. For the purposes of this study, therefore, all tasks involved in the establishment and maintenance of a household, including care for the persons of the household, are considered household labour or housework. Divisions within this household labour are made when specified, typically due to existing or to highlight gender differences between categories. The Gender Gap Current and recent historical culture in Britain and similar Western nations reveals a disparity in the performance of household tasks between women and men. Termed the ‘Gender Gap,’ this difference in housework reflects a much higher proportion of typical tasks performed by women than by men, even in dual-earner situations. Whilst there are other factors contributing to difference in allocation of household work, such as education, culture, and social class, Oakley (1974, 1981), Orbuch and Eyster (1997), Coltrane (2000), Lee (2002), Davis and Greenstein (2004), and Lee and Waite (2005) and many others have determined that gender plays a major role in task and work disparity, and this will be examined more fully under â€Å"Reasons for the Gender Gap† later in this literature review. General explanation of the gap itself is provided in this section of this study. Baxter (2001), after considering a number of studies regarding housework and gender, concludes â€Å"women do a much larger proportion of child care and routine indoor housework tasks than men, regardless of marital status† (19). This is supported by similar reviews of literature by Berk (1985), Ross (1987), Becker (1991), Ferree (1991), Brines (1993), Greenstein (1996), Orbuch and Eyster (1997), Coltrane (2000), Lee (2002), Davis and Greenstein (2004), and Lee and Waite (2005). The number of hours women spend has been declining over time, from over sixty hours per week prior to 1970, as reported by Oakley (1974) and others, to less than twenty in current reports such as Lee and Waite (2005), with men’s hours moving from less than three to nearly ten in some research. However, a substantial gap between men and women’s contributions to household labour still exists, as documented by Lee (2002), Rivià ¨res-pigeon, Saurel-Cubi zolles and Romito (2002), Alvarez and Miles (2003), Davis and Greenstein (2004), Alenezi and Walden (2004), Leonard (2004), Lee and Waite (2005). A gender gap between the types of household tasks performed also remains prevalent, with men performing more outdoor housework activities and fewer routine, inside tasks or childcare activities. Men are also more likely to describe their activities as enjoyable, such as playing with children or yard work, whilst women’s participation in activities they describe as enjoyable, such as baking and decorating, have decreased with fewer hours devoted to household work. Baxter (2001) concludes that in all reviewed studies â€Å"the differences are quite stark† (19). â€Å"Wives spend substantially more time than their husbands on family work, even though women do less and men do slightly more now than 20 years ago† (Bianchi, Milkie, Sayer Robinson 2000, 192). It was initially expected that with the growth of the women’s movement the gender gap would disappear. For example, Leonard (2004) reports â€Å"a number of UK studies optimistically predicted that womens entry to paid work outside the household would be accompanied by mens increased participation in unpaid work within the household† (73). Unfortunately, research in the UK and elsewhere continues to â€Å"demonstrate the resilience of traditional gender roles within the household irrespective of womens labour market status† (Leonard 2004, 73). This research will later examine the narrowing of this gender gap and the reasons behind both its continued existence and gradual lessening. Research Methods When comparing secondary data, it is important to consider the methods implemented in data collection. In direct relation to this study, for example, Lee and Waite (2005) amongst others found â€Å"conclusions about the size of the gender gap in housework depend substantially on who provides the information about time spent on housework, what information that person is asked to provide, and how housework is defined† (334). Shelton and John (1996) and Coltrane (2000) list typical methods of data collection regarding household labour distribution and performance include interviews, surveys, time-diaries, and most recently electronic recording methods. Lee and Waite (2005) explain that interviews and surveys typically ask respondents to estimate the number of hours and type of tasks they or their spouses spend performing housework tasks. Time-diary studies ask respondents to report all their daily activities, usually within the day be ing tracked or by the next day at the latest. It is not surprising, therefore, that differences in time of reporting lead to differences in accuracy. Becker (1991), Lee and Waite (2005) and others have all found that interviews and surveys, which require respondents to both recall and estimate contributions and tasks, are highly inaccurate. Time-diaries, which require respondents to document how they spend their time daily or throughout the day, are significantly more accurate, as supported by Becker (1991), Bianchi et al (2000), and Lee and Waite (2005). For example, Bianchi et al (2000) reports a typical difference of fifteen hours per week reported by men and women regarding women’s household labour, and a typical difference of nearly four hours in reporting of men’s contribution. Similarly, Press and Townsley (1998) report that, on average, husbands estimated spending approximately eighteen hours per week on household tasks, whilst wives estimated their husbands contribution at just under thirteen hours per wee k, a statistically significant difference. In comparing data from electronic data recording versus data from similar populations collected by survey, Lee and Waite (2005) concluded â€Å"wives make accurate estimates of husbands’ time on housework, whereas husbands overestimate their own time† (333). They additionally found some evidence that both wives and husbands may substantially overestimate the amount of time wives spend on housework. For example, Lee and Waite (2005) found wives’ responses to survey questions regarding hours spent on housework estimated twenty-six hours per week of household work, but measurement of the same individuals via an electronic data recording system (ESM) resulted in an average of only fifteen hours per week. In all, the differences between survey measures and ESM [electronic data recording] time-use measures are statistically significant and-for some estimates-quite substantial† (333). Further, broader consideration of types of tasks within household labour resulted in greater hours of contribution on the part of men, but made little difference in the weekly housework hours of women. For example, Lee (2004) found that whilst in one study both types of childcare activities were counted equally towards housework contribution, husbands’ time â€Å"tended to involve recreational activities rather than those tasks that constitute the daily grind of child rearing,† which were left to women (254). Baxter (2001) similarly found that men participated in housework primarily on weekends, and tended to perform occasional tasks such as yard work; women performed housework tasks throughout the week and weekend, being responsible for almost all routine tasks such as cooking, cleaning, and laundry. Analysis Methods Research is equally divergent in the methods of analysis employed to interpret data regarding gender divisions in household labour. Some methods , such as commonly used empirical models, focus solely on time allocation and the variables contributing to allocation decisions. Bargaining models, time allocation models, and the household production model are three of the more common of these types of analysis methods. Mahoney (1995) describes various bargaining theories, which contend that since women earn less, they have less power in the household and are therefore relegated to performing the majority of housework tasks. For example, Alvarez and Miles (2003) found women with university degrees, and hence greater earning power, have reduced housework time. Alenezi Walden (2004) note, however, that the inverse is true for husbands. The more educated a man is, the more likely he is to contribute a greater number of hours to housework. Bargaining models in general, however, as summarized by Alenezi and Walden (2004) all present consumption and labour supply within the family based on some form of bargaining between family members based on each member’s earning potential and similar characteristics. This type of analysis generally categorises the various attributes, market wage, and similar for family members and uses such categorisation to evaluate gender divisio n of household labour. Time allocation models, in contrast, contend that individual contribution to household tasks is based on available time. Each family member individually determines contribution to the household based on market wages, leisure activities, and family consumption. Bittman et al (2001) notes that these analysis methods, however, do explain in part the differences in the effects of certain variables, such as education level, on men and women within a household. As Alenezi and Walden (2004) describe, time allocation theories are difficult to use as a basis of empirical research, as they depend on individual decision versus measurable inputs. This form of analysis typically begins with the labour division and works back into variables, rather than documenting variables and then considering activity, as is typical of bargaining theories. Becker (1991) presents the most often used method of analysis for time allocation of household labour, the household production model. This analysis method divides the household consumption of goods into those that are market-produced and those that are household-produced, and measures household utility and the gender division of household tasks, as described by Alenezi and Walden (2004) as â€Å"a function of the consumption of market-produced goods, household-produced goods, and leisure time of the husband and wife†(83). Bryant (1990) describes how households â€Å"spend† their two major resources, money and time. In certain circumstances, a household might spend more money to save time, such as by using outside cleaners or eating take out food. In other circumstances, the family may chose to spend time, painting a room themselves rather than hiring the painting out, for example. A lenezi and Walden (2004) conclude â€Å"households make decisions about using time wor king for pay, working on household tasks, like child-rearing and meal preparation, or for enjoyment (leisure)† (81). Berk (1985) criticises the household production model as making undocumented assumptions about joint production, preferences, and estimation of the shadow price of housework, but it remains one of the few empirical analysis methods that factors in a large number of variables and takes into consideration complexity and diversity within and between households. As Alenezi and Walden (2004) assert, the household production model â€Å"still remains the standard for analyzing household time allocation due to its ability to account for many complex relationships in household decision-making† (86). Some researchers such as Bittman et al (2001) and Alvarez and Miles (2003) contend, however, that empirical analysis methods such as those described above place too much emphasis on economic variables in general, and therefore explain only a limited share of the inequality in housework performance. As Oakley (1981) and Becker (1991) describe, gender division in household labour can also be considered from a more sociological approach. Becker (1991) affords that sociological theoretical models offer a wide and divergent variety of explanations for the unequal division of housework tasks along gender lines, but all provide relevant areas of consideration. For example, Alenezi Walden (2004) contend, â€Å"differences between husbands and wives housework time, spousal age, educational attainment, and number of children by age should be highlighted† (101). Given the difficulty in practise of considering the wide number of variables that could play into gender division of household labour, however, many studies choose to concentrate on the societal and sociological implications of one or two of what the individual researchers consider to be the most important or effectual inputs. As such, many studies have considered the impact of education levels, presence of children, age, social class, race, and value beliefs as determinants of household labour allocation. One of the most often considered variables is gender identity. As Oakley (1981) describes, men and women are instructed in what their particular society considers appropriate gender roles and actions from an early age. As such, women in Britain are typically raised to believe that housework is their responsibility, and therefore perform the bulk of household tasks. In this analysis, which will be described in greater detail later in this study in the section presenting reasons for the gender gap, researchers examine the development of gender identity, then its impact on household labour allocation, and further investigate impacts of changes in gender roles across society on household functioning. Historic Housework Gender Divisions Oakley (1974) provides a thorough and insightful study of historic gender divisions of household labour in Europe, concentrating on Britain. Prior to the nineteenth century, women were typically employed in the family business, as were the rest of family members. This business was housed within the home, and all members of the family might perform a given household task. Fathers were considerably more involved in child rearing, and tasks such as cleaning and cooking were not divided along gender lines. Women were often equal partners in business with their husbands, could be afforded guild membership on their own standing, inherited their husband’s trade privileges upon his death (versus them passing to a son), and â€Å"were not prevented from entering any occupation by reason of their sex† (31). As such, Oakley (1974) describes women as always occupying the role of productive worker, earning a market wage and enjoying ful l market employment participation. In the 1800s, Oakley (1974) describes the gradual displacement of vocation from the home to the factory. Women followed their traditional work out of the home and into the factories through the middle of the century. In fact, men, women, and children often worked side-by-side in various factory endeavours, just as they had in home-based vocational activity. However, this societal movement of employment from home to factory meant multiple family members were no longer physically present within the household to perform housework tasks or render childcare for small children. By the 1840s, societal pressure began on women to remain at home to render these services, and a simultaneous and not surprising belief became popular that women were naturally domestic and the appropriate carers for children. Male factory workers also began to ask for limits on child and female labour, ostensibly for the women and children’s own protection. By the end of the 1880s, the traditio nal role of w omen had shifted to the keeper of the home and rearer of children, whilst men had assumed sole provider role and worker outside the home. In the early 1900s through the Second World War, women were typically employed outside the home until marriage, at which time they left paid employment and assumed responsibility for housework tasks. Most women lived with their families until their marriage, and assisted their own mothers with work in that household but were not primarily responsible. After the war, women typically worked until their first child was expected, and often returned to paid work after their children left home. However, the notion of housework as a women’s responsibility was already culturally entrenched, and continued regardless of her employment status. This was supported by various legislative measures. For example, both Ireland and Britain had marriage bars, which legally excluded married women from working in public service or administration. Leonard (2004) notes that in Ireland, â€Å"up until 1973, women had to leave paid employment in the public sector upon getting mar ried† (74). This sole responsibility for household management was not a light one, either in terms of hours or tasks. Summarising a number of studies conducted in Britain, France, and the United States from the 1920s through the 1970s, Oakley (1974) reports that average hours of housework performed by women consistently ranks over sixty hours per week, with women in urban areas often averaging over seventy hours per week of labour. As of the early 1970s, Oakley (1974) reports a British study found eighty-five per cent of all women between the ages of sixteen and sixty-four were housewives, â€Å"they carried the responsibility for running the household in which they lived,† and â€Å"nine out of ten women who were not employed were housewives, so were seven out of ten of those with a job outside the home† (6). She concludes that housework is therefore clearly women’s major occupation. Important conclusions from historical data related to gender division of household tasks are that the notion of housewifery as a â€Å"natural† condition of women is a recent one, and not supported in previous centuries. Although various ethological, anthropological, and sociological â€Å"proofs† have been offered for a woman’s role as primarily wife and mother, Oakley (1981) demonstrates that these are not supported either historically or cross-culturally. She further contends that both housework allocation and â€Å"the impact of childbirth on the roles of parents in clearly a cultural construct,† and as such should be an area given consideration as needing change, rather than held as a biological absolute. Global Housework Gender Divisions Indeed, when considering gender division of housework cross-culturally, many assumptions regarding appropriate gender roles breakdown, particularly when considering cultures outside the capitalist Western model. Using data from the International Social Justice Project, Davis and Greenstein (2004) describe the division of housework tasks in married couple households across twelve nations: four Western nations (Great Britain, the United States, Germany, and The Netherlands), seven former Soviet nations (Russia, Slovenia, Estonia, Bulgaria, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary), and one Asian nation (Japan). Of note, as some data is historic, it divided East and West Germany, which the researchers took into account in analysis. Oakley (1974) quotes Lenin as writing, â€Å"No nation can be free when half the population is enslaved in the kitchen† (222). Not surprisingly, some of the former Soviet countries in Davis and Greenstein’s (2004) research evidenced the smallest gender gap in household labour. In Russia, for example, sixty-seven per cent of men and sixty per cent of women feel that housework is equally divided, with less than ten per cent of women or men allocating such work always to the wife. Interestingly, research exampled by Davis and Greenstein (2004) in post-Soviet Russia stated that fewer Russians believed they had egalitarian marriages in 1995 than in 1989, a demonstration of perception and practise change accompanying dramatic societal reforms. Such results reinforce the concept of gender divisions in household labour being culturally rather than biologically based. In a similar example, whilst Estonian households had traditionally divided household labour along gender lines prior to Communism, at the close of the Soviet era Davis and Greenstein (2004) report they had moved significantly toward shared housework, with over forty per cent of households reporting equal contributions. â€Å"Estonian women’s attitudes reflected a desire for personal efficacy rather than a complete focus on their husbands’ demands† (Davis and Greenstein 2004, 1263). Considering gender patterns over time, Davis and Greenstein (2004) reported several other research studies found â€Å"Czech women’s and men’s time spent on household work is becoming more similar, mainly because of the changing employment patterns of Czech women,† and â€Å"Czech households were more egalitarian in their division of labour than were Hungarian and Polish households† (1262). Poland was typical of half the f ormer Soviet nations and all Wester n nations in the study, with Polish women performing the majority of the housework regardless of their education or employment status, men’s housework contributions increasing with their education levels, and the most egalitarian division of housework responsibly in couples where both spouses are employed and have high levels of education. British, Dutch, and German women all were substantially more responsible for household labour than their former-Soviet counterparts, with over sixty-five per cent of households reporting household labour as primarily or always a duty of the wife, and twenty-five per cent or less reporting an equal distribution of work. Davis and Greenstein (2004) found Dutch women experienced the greatest disparity, with over seventy per cent of men and eighty per cent of women reporting housework as primarily or always the responsibility of the wife. Gender allocation of housework in the Netherlands is most affected by the presence of young children and the husband’s economic resources, with education also being a relevant variable. For example, the higher the education level of the couple together, the greater the husbands’ contribution to household work; when the wife has slightly more education than her husband, the husband performs more housework; but when she h as a significantly more education than he, there is no increase in his household contributions. Similar studies in Spain, Ireland and Germany reinforce cultural differences, even amongst European nations. In a study of dual-earner couples in Spain, Alvarez and Miles (2003) found persistent gender inequality of similar per cents to the Davis and Greenstein overview. In addition, education levels of the man were found to effect division of household labour, whilst the woman’s education and earning power had little effect. The researchers concluded, â€Å"habitual patterns of gender-differentiated activity at home are mainly the result of gender identities† (240). Alvarez and Miles (2003) find opinion polls demonstrating a clear trend in Spanish attitudes towards egalitarian gender division of labor, more so amongst younger respondents. However, similar to their findings in most developed countries Alvarez and Miles (2003) report that behaviour has changed much less than attitude and as much as two thirds of the total housework is perfo rmed by women, particularly th e more repetitive or physically demanding work. Leonard (2004) reports that in the past two centuries, Irish society â€Å"has placed a great deal of emphasis on womens role as mothers, â€Å" with the 1937 Irish Constitution specifically referencing â€Å"the special contribution to Irish society of women within the home† (74). Cooke (2004) uses the German SocioEconomic Panel to explore the division of domestic labour in Germany, finding â€Å"East German men report that they contribute a significantly greater percentage of household time than West German men† (1251). Also of note in the German study, men’s increased share of housework also increases the likelihood of divorce in childless couples, leading Cooke (2004) to conclude that within German society â€Å"childless couples with fewer gendered family roles (given the absence of mother and father roles) are more stable when they have more traditional gendered displays in the remaining domestic areas. Using data from the International Social Justice Project previously mentioned, Davis and Greenstein (2004) found support for bargaining power models in the United States, which had the greatest equality of distribution of household labour of any of the Western nations studied. US households were much more influenced by the wife’s participation in the workforce, with husbands performing at least half the housework twice as often in dual-earner families than in families where only the husband was employed outside the home. The wife’s income level had little effect on divisio

Cosmic Creation Myths Across Cultures Paper Essay

For years, there have been some inquiries about how the world came to be. Included in those inquiries are who create the world and how human kind came to exist. To answer the unanswered, different cultures have their own version of how it was created. The creation myths explain the destruction that has or is going to happen. Different creation myths can also explain natural accident or the cosmic conditions. The different creation myths from different cultures all have similarities and difference in their level of creation, creators, cosmic elements, and creations. When it comes to the Navajo Legend, each song is a prayer to the Holy People who takes care of them. Ceremonies are taken place to help cure the sick and to help protect their herds, crops, families, and/or homes. During the ceremonies they sing songs which include a Blessingway Song. The song brings a blessing for a happy and long life. It I also used to bless new marriages. However, the Inca culture was directed by a great coordinated priesthood and engaged on honoring royal ancestors as well as gods. The priests relied on fortune-telling to answer all types of phenomenon’s, from analyzing sickness to deciding who’s innocence or guilty to figuring out what type of offering to give to which god. The Navajo legend includes three underworlds where crucial events happened to shape the fourth world which is the present. Their creators gave them the name Ni’hookaa Diyan Dinà © which means Holy Earth People. Today, the Navajo people just refer to themselves as Dinà © which means The People. The first world (black), which was called Nihodilhil, had four corners and above these appeared four clouds. The four clouds were also the elements of the first world and the colors were black, blue, white, and yellow. The second world (blue), Nihodootlizh, was created due to the battle in the Nihodilhil, the First Man (Atse Hastin), First Woman (Atse Estsan), and the Coyote called the First Angry crawled up from the World of Darkness and Dampness to Nihodootlizh. The third world (yellow), which was called Nihaltsoh, was founded by Blue Bird as he was the first to come through. After the Blue Bird, First Man, First Woman, and Coyote also came to Nihaltsoh. The fourth world (white), Nihalgai, founded by The Locust. The Locust saw that the world was covered with water that glittered and everything looked white. The others followed the Locust to the Nihalgai. The Navajo creator god, Dinà © BahaneÊ ¼, created First Man and First Woman and the twins got to this world, it was all covered with water. But winds came and blew the water off of some of the land, so people could live on it. Then First Man got help from the diyin dine (spirit people) to make all the things on earth. He had a sacred medicine bundle and he took out the things in the bundle one by one and sang to it, and so he turned it into a mountain, or a tree, or an animal, or a time of day, or something else. The Inca creator god, Viracocha, was believed to have had a special bond with the Inca king Pachacuti, who dreamed that the god helped his people gain victory in a war they were fighting. After winning the war, Pachacuti built a great temple to Viracocha at Cuzco. The temple contained a large solid gold statue of the god as a bearded man. According to Inca tradition, Viracocha had white skin, which explains why some of the Indians at first thought that the bearded, pale-skinned Spanish soldiers were representatives of their creator god. When it comes to the Navajo legend, there was the Great Flood. Coyote named took two Water Monster babies and brought on the flood by stealing from the Water Monster mother. First Man and First Woman brought them back through the passage and on to the bank. Coyote had also wrapped them in his skin coat with white fur lining. The Inca also had a Great Flood. In their legend, the great flood was used to wiped away the wicked and unruly people. During ancient time people were cruel and greedy and failed to pay proper attention to the gods. Then one day, two respectable brothers observed that their llamas were sad and acting abnormal. The llamas spoke to the brother and said, â€Å"A great flood is coming†. The brothers took their herds and families to the high caves. It rained for months, drowning the world below. Then one day the sun god Inti arose and with the warmth of his smile dried the earth. Reference http://bigmyth.com/myths/english/2_navajo_full.htm http://bigmyth.com/myths/english/2_inca_full.htm

Linear correlation coefficient and linear regression principles

Flouris, Metsios and Koutedakis (2006) studied the contribution of muscular strength in cardio-respiratory fitness tests, which are multistage shuttle run test (MSR), square shuttle run test (SSR) and maximal laboratory treadmill test (MT). The last minutes of an endurance race depended on muscular strength and anaerobic power. There however has no study yet on how lower extremity muscular strength performed in cardio respiratory fitness tests. The purpose of this study is to determine the levels of muscular strength independent using MT, MSR, and SSR. The participants of the study were thirty-eight healthy male individuals aged between 18 and 29 years old. To qualify for healthy individuals, those who smoke and hard benign medical history, were excluded from the study. Participants visit the data collection sites individually on three different occasions phased with a minimum of 96 hours between assessments. All these three assessments were done within two weeks. Time of assessment was between late morning and early afternoon. The first visit was for laboratory assessments: 1) progressive maximal laboratory treadmill test (MT) to exhaustion, where maximal attained speed (MAS) and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2MAX) were measured, and 2) isokinetic dynamometry, where measures of concentric peak torques of knee extensors (PTEX) and flexors (PTFL) and combined torque generated by both legs (PTC) were obtained. The remaining visits were for the field assessments of 20 meter multistage shuttle run test (MSR) and 20 meter square shuttle run test (SSR), where for each test the maximal attainment speed was measured. The linear regression analysis used in the square shuttle run test (SSR) was the equation: MASMSR = PTEX + PTFL + PTC. The beta-coefficients derived through the regression analysis however were not reported. From the isokinetic dynamometry measures, only combined peak torques of both legs had significant R2 increase, which was 0.04. This means that combined peak torques of both legs explained four percent of the variation in the data for maximal attained speed while performing the square shuttle run test. The relationship between MASMSR and PTFL was found to be highly positive, r(38)=0.58, p

Free Essays on Necrophilia

Necrophilia is the practice of having sex with corpses. Necrophilia, a Greek word that means â€Å"love of the dead†. It is a very common act among serial killers. Various well-known serial killers have been diagnosed with necrophilia, such as: Earl Leonard Nelson a/k/a â€Å"Gorilla Man†, which is known as the first American serial sex killer of the twentieth century. Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Ed Gein and many more among the ones mentioned. Although necrophilia seems to be rare and uncommon in our society, it is a very common disorder within a serial killers profile. Necrophilia may sound like a rare illness due to the fact that it isn’t being reported the way it should be. When necrophilies take action, the most common place they break into is funeral homes. A reason for not reporting these acts would certainly be that funeral homes do not want the publicity. When funeral homes report that there has been a break in and that bodies have been disturbed, no one will want to bring their deceased friends and family members, fearing that their loved one will be taken advantage of. The press/media is an effective way of informing and educating the public about what goes on in our society. Necrophilia is hidden from society because it is not normal behavior. Necrophilia is immoral and unethical. Therefore, society tends to turn away and pretend as if nothing is wrong. Research indicates that 90% of necrophiliacs are primarily heterosexual males. 60% of necrophilies were diagnosed with personality disorders and 10% of those diagnosed with personality disorders are also psychotic. Funeral homes are not the only places where necrophilies are attracted. They are very popular within hospitals, mortuaries, funeral parlors, and cemeteries. Necrophilies are attracted to the odor of blood and the feel for dead skin. Some necrophilies have used parts of the bodies of their victims to furnish their homes and even for the use of sil... Free Essays on Necrophilia Free Essays on Necrophilia Necrophilia is the practice of having sex with corpses. Necrophilia, a Greek word that means â€Å"love of the dead†. It is a very common act among serial killers. Various well-known serial killers have been diagnosed with necrophilia, such as: Earl Leonard Nelson a/k/a â€Å"Gorilla Man†, which is known as the first American serial sex killer of the twentieth century. Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Ed Gein and many more among the ones mentioned. Although necrophilia seems to be rare and uncommon in our society, it is a very common disorder within a serial killers profile. Necrophilia may sound like a rare illness due to the fact that it isn’t being reported the way it should be. When necrophilies take action, the most common place they break into is funeral homes. A reason for not reporting these acts would certainly be that funeral homes do not want the publicity. When funeral homes report that there has been a break in and that bodies have been disturbed, no one will want to bring their deceased friends and family members, fearing that their loved one will be taken advantage of. The press/media is an effective way of informing and educating the public about what goes on in our society. Necrophilia is hidden from society because it is not normal behavior. Necrophilia is immoral and unethical. Therefore, society tends to turn away and pretend as if nothing is wrong. Research indicates that 90% of necrophiliacs are primarily heterosexual males. 60% of necrophilies were diagnosed with personality disorders and 10% of those diagnosed with personality disorders are also psychotic. Funeral homes are not the only places where necrophilies are attracted. They are very popular within hospitals, mortuaries, funeral parlors, and cemeteries. Necrophilies are attracted to the odor of blood and the feel for dead skin. Some necrophilies have used parts of the bodies of their victims to furnish their homes and even for the use of sil...

Stone, Oliver essays

Stone, Oliver essays The much loved, much loathed, and arguably the most controversial filmmaker of our era was born in mid September 1946. His timing was impeccable as his father was at the height of his career as a stockbroker and had set his family in an apartment overlooking the East River in New York City. In 1964 Stone enrolled in Yale University, then dropped out only one year later to move to Vietnam where he taught English to children. Another year later he wrote a novel and lived in Mexico for a short while. Then, in 1967, at the age of 21, Stone joined the army and the war in Vietnam when most men his age were doing anything they could to avoid such a fate. Serving fifteen months in the infantry division, Stone was awarded a Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster for being shot in the neck and a Bronze Star for single handedly taking out a machine gun nest with a grenade. This period just over a year would prove to change Stones life and catapult his career as a filmmaker. Upon returning from the war in 1968 Stone went back to his birthplace and entered New York Universitys Film School where he studied under the renowned Martin Scorcese. After graduating, Stone moved to Hollywood in 1976. Here he would begin his career adapting scripts for the screen and writing original versions as well. Some of Stones earlier screenwriting include such credits as Midnight Express in 1978, Conan the Barbarian 1981, and Scarface 1983 (Washington Post Filmography). However, Oliver Stone was yet to show his true calling until he became a film director. Through his films, Oliver Stone has attempted to give a factual and refreshing account of controversial times and their meaning that transcends the obvious. Drawing attention to Platoon (1986) and The Doors (1991) one sees two seemingly different, but comparable films. Oliver Stones Platoon tells the story of the Vietnam War from the point of view of a young, naive infan...

The Gospel Message Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Gospel Message - Coursework Example Although they know that the things they are doing are wrong, they choose to satisfy their desires and this makes them reject the gospel. One emotional reason why people reject the gospel is being unworthy of God’s love because they have sinned too much and should not be forgiven. Some are just too proud to acknowledge their sins and humble before God. Others have been hurt so deeply they would not like to forgive and so they reject the gospel because they know they that if they turn their hearts to God, they must forgive. People argue that the gospel does not answer all life’s questions the way science does. Some question the validity of the stories in the Bible. Others question God’s attributes. For instance they ask, â€Å"If God is good, why is there hell?† or â€Å"If God is almighty, why is there chaos and hardship?† Christians should have a good grasp of the gospel so that they will be able to point out the specific verses that answer specific arguments. In addition, they should be sure of their convictions so that they can use their own personal experiences or encounter with God to convince others like Paul

Curriculum and Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Curriculum and Design - Essay Example The funds are distributed equally to various educational organizations as per the EETT proposals. The main peculiarity is that 25% of the grant available can be utilized for giving proper training to teachers and improve the process of learning among students. The comprehensive training programs to teachers make them capable to deal the proposed curriculum so perfectly. More over the teachers are authorized to give proper instructions to students to promote learning by conducting useful researches regarding the subjects. Thus the new methodology on learning makes the students grasp the matter with less effort. This plus point of the scheme has attracted every educational expert and they have recommended this scheme for better outcome from students. Students enjoy certain advantages by implementing this special curriculum. Preliminary among them is student’s achievements. Students can develop remarkable achievements by means of this technical education. Then students can be technically proficient when they complete their school education. Result oriented research based educational programs is the other advantage of this education. All these can be made available by proper teachers training and adequate renewal of curriculum from time to time. One of the advantages of this education is that the teaching and learning methods can be practiced from concerned website. The valuable data which are available through their Laptops from the website must be helpful to provide students considerable basements with respect to the curriculum. In order to promote aims the EETT grant has some special proposals. Accordingly one position called Grant Coordinator cum staff developer is to be created. Next certain renewed projects which can boost the technical education should be designed. Then digital educator scholarship should be organized for encouraging students. Online training and learning facilities and sources should