To What Extend Is Operations Management a Strategic...

TO WHAT EXTEND IS OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT A STRATEGIC ACTIVITY? Be sure to give examples and views of literature. Paton, Clegg, Hsuan and Pilkington, (2011), defined Operation management as the activity of managing the resources of the organization that deliver goods and services. The activity is mainly to implement system and processes that are repeatable, consistent and reliable. Process design was first introduce by Frederick Taylor, who believe in rationalism and who wrote rules and procedures for unskilled workers to follow so as to replace uncertainty with predictability. All operations have similarities; they all transform input resources into output products, and however they differ in their characteristics which are; the volume of†¦show more content†¦ISO 9000 certification is one of the most widespread recognize and awarded quality certification in the world. To be certified ISO 9000 a company must show that they have a quality system and procedures that are being followed. Having such a quality certification give the company advertising benefits and their purchaser save money and time as there is no need to quality tests them. For example Hotel chain Ritz- Carlton it was more meaningful for them to have a perfect individual service, proving such by obtaining the Malcolm Baldridge Quality Award than the quality of food they offer. However quality is not achieved for a life time, it has to be maintain and is not only the responsibility of the managers but of the whole company. Therefore Empowerment is crucial. Empowerment is the giving of more power, leading to more autonomy. Everybody in the company need to be empowered to know, describe, measure, improve the process and make it reliable. Salegna and Fazel (2000) identified the lack of real employee empowerment as being an obstacle to TQM systems. Processes are own by the worker, who is working by following these processes, not knowing them and understand them it would be difficult for them to deliver quality. The Japanese companies, from which the TQM system was made, has turn out to be successful as th eir companies are build with a culture of quality. 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Cultural Assessment †Nursing Free Essays

string(178) " Even though her father’s parents were born in Germany, there is no indication that they were passing down many values, traditions, or food preferences to the new generations\." Cultural Assessment The population of the United States is continually rising. The birth rate continues to rise, but more importantly, the number of foreign-born immigrants that relocated to the United States in 2003 was a staggering 33. 5 million, and that number rises every year (Jarvis, 2008). We will write a custom essay sample on Cultural Assessment – Nursing or any similar topic only for you Order Now With such a large immigrant population comes the need for medical professionals that are culturally competent. Being culturally competent means that the caregivers, â€Å"understand and attend to the total context of the individual’s situation, including awareness of immigration status, stress factors, other social factors, and cultural similarities and differences† (Jarvis, 2008, p. 38). Because the United States is so diverse, it is a federal law that all caregivers must be culturally competent. It should be noted, however, that is not something that can be accomplished so easily. It is a process that can take a lifetime. To become culturally competent one must have knowledge in several areas. These include, but are not limited to, knowing one’s own personal heritage, the heritage of the nursing profession, the heritage of the health care system, and the heritage of the patient (Jarvis, 2008). When performing a cultural assessment of an individual one must take into account five important aspects of the individual’s heritage. These aspects will give the nurse an idea of the patient’s heritage consistency. First, is the individual’s culture. Everyone has a culture. There are four basic characteristics of culture. First, it is learned; from birth one is learning the language and socialization of that culture. Second, it is shared. All the members of the same group share that culture. Third, it is adapted. Culture adapts to environmental and technical factors, as well as the groups availability to natural resources. Finally, it is dynamic. Meaning, it is always changing (Jarvis, 2008). The second aspect of one’s heritage is ethnicity. This is a group within the social system that have a common geographical origin, race, religion, values, traditions and food preferences. The term ethnic is tricky in the United States (US) because of how large the US is, and the large diversity of ethnic differences it has. Religion is the third aspect of one’s heritage. Religion is extremely important because an individual’s religious beliefs play a huge part in one’s health-related behaviors and how someone perceives illness and death. There are roughly 1500 different religions in the United States which is why this aspect is so important when performing an individual’s cultural assessment (Jarvis, 2008). The fourth aspect of one’s heritage is socialization. When someone is raised in a specific culture, the person naturally acquires the characteristics of that group. Many people in the United States are bicultural, acquiring certain customs and traditions of the United States while staying loyal to their traditional culture as best they can. Time orientation is the fifth and final aspect of one’s heritage. Every culture has a different understanding of each other’s perception of time. Depending on the individual’s heritage, that person may focus on the past, the present, the future, or a combination of the three. It is important for the nurse to recognize the individual’s perception of time to gain a better understanding of how to individualize a plan of care. To gain a better understanding of cultural assessment and how it relates to health care and being culturally competent, a sit down interview was performed with an 84 year old female of German-American heritage, who believes that any belief or view differing greatly from hers are strange, and usually wrong (Riley, 2008). In order to preserve her right to privacy, she will be referred to as G. E. Heritage Assessment Cultural Group G. E. is 84 years old and was born and raised in the United States. She considers herself an American who is extremely proud of her German heritage. She is 100% of German decent. She had one older sister who is deceased. Her immediate family was all born in rural Illinois. Her father built a house in Coal Valley, IL when she was very young, where she lived until she was married at the age of 18. Her paternal grandparents were both born in Germany. It is unknown what city or village in Germany they came from, other than the northern part of Germany. They immigrated to the United States shortly before her father was born. She remembers her grandparents speaking little to no English, then, eventually broken English. Her father spoke English as a first language and some German. Her mother, her sister and she ever learned the German language. English was the only language spoken in the home. Her father was a coal miner and her mother took care of the home. In her culture, each generation lived in separate homes, whereas in some cultures, multiple generations live in the same household. However, her grandparents and extended family members did live nearby, so she s pent a lot of time playing with her cousins, and saw her grandparents, aunts and uncles on a regular basis. They would all get together on Sundays after church, and have lunch together. She lived at home until she married at the age of 18. G. E. ent to public schools, then to secretary school after graduation. Her husband was also 100% of German decent. They had two sons and a daughter. Both of her sons live close by, but her daughter lives in Nebraska. Her daughter and she talk on the phone every day. Her husband was in the US Navy during WWII and her husband and she were very patriotic. Like she has stated earlier, she is an American. Other than that, she did not know much about the war or Hitler or just did not remember. What she did remember when asked about this subject was the fact that a few of her husbands’ ancestors were drivers for Hitler during his reign. Ethnic Group G. E. ’s ethnicity focuses around her family and church. Even though her father’s parents were born in Germany, there is no indication that they were passing down many values, traditions, or food preferences to the new generations. You read "Cultural Assessment – Nursing" in category "Essay examples" By all accounts, they wanted to completely immerse themselves into the American way of life. The only German recipes that were passed down to her were for sauerkraut, German pigs-in-a-blanket, which included sauerkraut, and German potato salad. Her family also eats a lot of beef, pork, and chicken. Potatoes are also a staple of her diet. For many years, G. E. and her husband would grow a big garden and produced enough vegetables for the entire winter months. Traditions are very important to G. E. For many years her family would come to her house after church for Sunday lunch and also for Thanksgiving. The day after Thanksgiving the grandchildren would come over to decorate the Christmas tree. She still has her family over every Christmas Eve. She says she does not cook a meal anymore, she orders a meat and cheese tray, and makes some side dishes. The other family members bring over the desserts. She also used to have a birthday party for her children and grandchildren. She baked a cake and the family would come over and eat dinner. The birthday person got to pick the dinner, and would then open presents. Her grandchildren bring her great-grandchildren to see her at least once a month. She says she enjoys it when they come to visit. She really enjoys seeing the great-grandchildren. She says that it makes her feel proud. Religious Group Religion is the most important aspect of G. E. ’s life besides her family, and always has been. G. E. and her family are Protestants. Knowing that most of her ancestors came from the northern part of Germany, this is interesting because in Germany, Protestantism is practiced predominantly in northern Germany (Fuller Vossmeyer, 2004), which is where her ancestors lived. This is proof that their religion has been passed down through the generations and still continues to be practiced. Her husband and his family, who are all deceased now, shared the same ethnic and religious background as her family. She regularly attends a Presbyterian church at least once a week and is a very active member of the church. Her husband would fill in as pastor when the regular pastor could not. She practices her religion in her home every day by praying and reading the Bible. G. E. celebrates all of the holidays of her religion which are Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas with her family. She states that her religion has no influence on her diet or health practices. G. E. believes in heaven and hell, which is common to many German religions (Fuller Vossmeyer, 2004). She insists that younger family members who do not go to church attend church with her at least once a year. She does not like the fact that her other family members do not attend church. She feels in order to get into heaven one has to attend church occasionally. Social Group Most, but not all, of her friends share the same ethnic and religious background. She also has a few Hispanic friends whom she enjoys spending time. She still lives in her home in the same neighborhood in which she has lived for over 50 years. The neighborhood is located close to the church and most of her neighbors are close in age. Most of them attend the same church and are of the same ethnic background. She has always had a very active social life which can contribute to her excellent health. She goes to a senior activities hall twice a week to play bingo and has a swimming class twice a week to exercise and socialize with friends. She goes to have her hair done every Saturday which she has done for many years. She regularly goes out to lunch and to watch a movie with friends once or twice a month and is on the phone a lot with family and friends. She made sure to mention is that she absolutely does not like to travel and has never been outside of the United States. When her children were young they would take camping trips to Wisconsin and Minnesota. That was pretty much the extent of her travels. As a result, her sons do not like to travel much either but her daughter enjoys traveling. Her daughter has been to many countries and G. E. does not understand why she enjoys it so much. Time Orientation G. E. ’s time orientation focuses on the present and the future with little to no focus on the past. She feels at her age, focusing on the past is a waste of time. She says, â€Å"I just move on† (G. E. 2011). She does not like to dwell on the past. She says, â€Å"what’s done is done†. Although she misses her husband very much she believes she will meet up with him in heaven one day. She enjoys the thought of that. She does not think of health care in terms of the past either. She follows her doctor’s advice and is open to new treatments and medications. This is another reason she is in excellent health for an 84 year old woman. She does not like the thought of a doctor not knowing the latest in medical technology and treatments. She also is not bothered if health care personnel are not culturally sensitive to her heritage since she sees herself as an American who is proud of her German heritage. G. E. is uncomfortable with doctors who are not Caucasian. She also does not like to be cared for by male nurses or other male caregivers who are not doctors. Health Related Beliefs and Practices G. E. has health insurance and Medicare, so she is able to see the doctor on a regular basis. Lack of insurance coverage is not a factor for her. She never goes without her medication because of lack of prescription coverage. Also, with the money she and her husband saved over the years, plus both of their retirement packages and social security benefits, she lives comfortably and does not have to worry about not having enough money to live out the rest of her life in the lifestyle she leads. Developmental Situation G. E. remembers things her mother did when G. E. was a child to maintain and protect her health. She had to wash her hands regularly, especially before and after meals and after using the bathroom. She always had three meals a day which consisted of foods from all of the food groups. In the winter she could not go outside until she was bundled up. When she did get sick, she had to stay home in bed until her mother thought she was feeling better. This was solely the job of her mother since her father worked long hours in the coal mines. She states that her mother was the stereotypical strict, but loving, German mother. When she started her own family, she ran her home in the same manner. She was raised during the Great Depression and was raised to be hard working and to appreciate what one has, which G. E. has instilled in her children. G. E. is accomplishing all the developmental tasks of her age group and has successfully resolved Erickson’s last ego stage, which is the psychological conflict of ego integrity versus despair. In this stage, â€Å"resolution to this final conflict occurs when the adult accepts one’s one and only life cycle as something that had to be and that, by necessity, permitted of no substitutions† (Jarvis, 2008, p. 8). Causes of Illness G. E. describes illness as not being able to do the things she normally does and she defines health as having no aches or pains. She rates her health as good to excellent for a woman of her age. She has never smoked, however, her husband smoked a pipe for years. She does not use any devices to help her get around and she still goes up and down the stairs to do laundry. She states she has fallen a few times but has never broken a bone as a result, and was able to get back up on her own. She has never been hospitalized as a result of an illness, only for an occasional elective surgery. What she believe causes illness are environmental change, God’s punishment, grief and loss, stress and anxiety, incorrect food combinations, poor eating habits, smoking, inactivity, and viruses and bacteria. Cultural Practices in Healing and Health She maintains and protects her health by washing her hands regularly, taking her prescribed medications, staying active, eating a well-balanced diet based on the food pyramid, taking vitamin supplements, seeing her doctors regularly, staying inside when it is too hot or too cold, avoids people who are sick, and does not take on more than she thinks she can handle. When she does get sick she does not make a big deal out of it and does not feel the need to worry family members. She stays at home because she fears getting others sick as well, especially her great-grandchildren. She takes care of herself by getting enough rest, keeping herself hydrated, not eating certain foods she knows will make her feel worse, taking needed medications, and calling her doctor when she feels she needs to be seen. When G. E. feels she needs some lab work done, other tests, or has any concerns, she immediately calls her doctor. She trusts in her doctor’s advice and always follows his or her orders. It is because of all of this, she believes she is still living an active and healthy life. G. E. is also extremely concerned with the health and well-being of her family. When her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are sick, she worries about them and calls them regularly to check on them. She also prays for them to get well. Cultural Expressions of Illness G. E. does whatever her doctor suggests and does not believe he would do anything to jeopardize her health. However, as far as family and friends go, she will not outwardly express indications of pain. She states that it is because she does not want people to worry about her. G. E. believes this is due to her strict German up-bringing and growing up during the Great Depression. She believes one can never work too hard, so pain is seen as a weakness to her. The more she expresses pain or illness, the weaker she is seen, and possibly unable to effectively take good care of herself. Alternative assisted living is not an option G. E. needs at this point. G. E. feels she does not need it, and she absolutely will not burden her children with having to care for her. Cultural use of Alternative Therapies G. E. sometimes uses home remedies when she is ill. When she was a child her mother would use some vapor rub then put a sock around G. E. ’s neck. G. E. ’s mother would feed her chicken soup and give her juice or hot tea to drink, and keep her in bed. G. E. believes that healing and curing are the same and believes that praying, following the doctors orders, getting recommended treatments and taking prescribed medications brings healing. In the past few years G. E. has used alternative therapies to help with pain and arthritis. She gets acupuncture once a week, and sees a massage therapist occasionally. She admits, ten years ago she would have never done these types of alternative therapies, but her daughter is a nurse, and recommended it as an alternative to pain medication. She also admits that it does help, or she would not pay to go, but she feels it does not cure anything. She still has to supplement the pain with medications from time to time. Summary G. E. ’s interview was conducted at her home, and it took about an hour and a half. She would often change the subject, so having to restate questions happened often. She felt comfortable being in her home answering these questions, but often asked why an assessment of this type was so important. She has no issues with cultural sensitivity, or nurses being culturally competent, and has had little experience with other cultures. G. E. does not understand the need for such learning. Her views are ethnocentric, and at 84 years old, that will probably not change. During the interview, both open-ended and close-ended questions were used to gain the most information. She was very open to doing the interview, but stated she did not think she had much to contribute. She states she has lived a wonderful, privileged life with a loving husband, and a great family. She has never been disappointed by her family and is extremely proud of them. The only regret she has, has to do with her sister. They lived about five properties apart from each other, and some land next to her sister that G. E. owned, her sister planted a garden there for years. Well, G. E. gave the property to her daughter and son in-law to build a home. Her sister got extremely upset, which ended up with their families not talking for years. Then she received word that her sister was diagnosed with breast cancer, and G. E. called her up, and they reconciled. Unfortunately, she died shortly after that. G. E. has never gotten over that. Because of that, she is continually telling her family not to bicker over the small stuff, and that one’s family is all one has, and the people who love them the most in this world. Even though G. E. will not openly express pain to anyone except her doctor, the rest of her family will openly talk about any illness they have or pain they are experiencing. This is something she practically requires of them. She says it is like â€Å"do as I say, not as I do†. This goes back to her not wanting to be a burden on anyone, yet she has to know that her family is alright. It is perfectly fine for her family to be a burden on her, because to her it is not a burden. She sees it as her responsibility. She states that her family always tells her she will never be a burden, but she is too stubborn to listen to them. She is the mother and she knows best. She says her family jokes to her that they are 50 something year old adults, yet they still feel like children when they are around her and have to do what their mother says or there will be trouble. She finds this very amusing. She does not believe in cremation and plans to be buried alongside her husband. She has all of her final arrangements already planned and paid for, again, as not to burden her family. Many members of her family plan to be cremated and she cannot understand why. She believes one’s soul will not go to heaven if the body is cremated. There were no communication barriers while interviewing G. E. It was a very easy and pleasant interview. G. E. enjoyed talking about her heritage and family. G. E. is a very active and healthy woman for her 84 years, and she cannot wait until she can reunite with her husband in Heaven. She prays to her husband every night. Personal Reflection Writing a cultural assessment about someone from a different generation was very interesting for me. While some of the information I received during the interview was similar to my own personal beliefs, most were not. Being two generations younger than G. E. makes a huge difference in certain beliefs. My mother is 100% Swedish and my father was a Vietnam veteran who is 50% German, with some English, French and more German. Growing up, my family did not follow any ethnic traditions and had no heritage related beliefs other than being American. We were a middle class family and as a child I thoroughly enjoyed life. I have one younger sister, and we, for the most part, were spoiled. I think that has to do with having baby boomers for parents. We took dance classes and I was a gymnast through junior high school. We had a whole neighborhood of other children our age. We were outside from morning until evening, especially in the summer. Both of my parents worked and provided us with whatever we needed. My parents made me attend Sunday school every week until I was about 12. After that, I attended church only a few times a year. Religion does not play a big role in my culture. Even at Sunday school, it did not make much sense to me, but I was too young really understand. My parents and grandparents always had a strong work ethic and I also do as a result. My parents wanted me to be my own person and choose my own path as long as it was an honest path. I live within a mile from my parents and from my sister so we see each other frequently. My parents help out my husband and me with our children. I have two sons and a daughter who are ages three, four, and six. One thing that differs from G. E. and me is that I like to know about the past as well as the present and future. One thing that we agree on is that we see our doctor regularly and rely on the latest in medical technology and medications. When we are both ill, we tend to use the same methods to take care of ourselves. However, I am not one to hide any pain or illness I have from my family; when I am sick or in pain, everyone knows about it. Also, the way we in which we raise our children is different. G. E. raised her children in a loving, but more strict, manner. I do not raise my children in such a strict manner. I raise them like my parents raised me. They are very different styles, but I do not know that one is better than the other. They both have positive and negative parts to them. In G. E. ’s generation the woman usually stayed home to take care of the family. In my generation I feel many women enjoy getting an education and usually find it a necessity to work outside of the home. I know I would enjoy the best of both worlds, to contribute to the family income, yet limiting my work outside the home to part time until the children are older. One thing about religion I also learned was how important it was to G. E. Other than her family, her religion was most important to her life, which is very different from me. As I stated earlier, religion has virtually no importance in my life. Also, I do not consider myself to be ethnocentric. I have yet to meet a person whose religion, culture, ethnicity, or heritage shocked or bothered me. As long as I do not feel that I am being pushed into one belief or another, I am fine. Everyone needs to find the path that makes one happy, healthy, and whole. I want to be a nurse because I like people. I feel I can make a difference in this career by letting my patients know that I genuinely care for their well-being and want them to lead the best possible life they can. I have been a Certified Nursing Assistant for the last 6 years and I enjoy it. I think by becoming a nurse I can do even more to help them. It is an awful experience to go to see the doctor, and feel like cattle being shipped in and out of the office at record speed. I like the thought of, as nurses, we take a holistic approach to healing that I feel doctor’s lack. Patients need to feel they can openly discuss their problems and that someone is actually listening to them and taking time to talk about it with them without judgment or prejudice; to come up with a plan of care that suits everyone involved, as much as possible. I realize since I do work in a hospital that there will not always be a happy ending. Some patients can be difficult to care for, but as a nurse, I need to understand that they are there because they are ill, which has an effect on their personality and mental status. I must have empathy for them, as difficult as that may be sometimes. I know that when I am not feeling well, my personality changes, as does everyone’s. I feel the issues I need to work on most is the language barriers when they arise, and patient’s family dynamics. The diverse and often complex dynamics of a patient’s family is extremely difficult to understand. It will take time to develop a way to handle these often difficult situations. No family has the same relationship, so as a nurse I must go in prepared for anything, and keep an open, non-judgmental frame of mind while performing a cultural assessment on the patient. Writing this paper has made me even more sensitive to people’s cultural differences. No matter what background one comes from, most people essentially want similar things when it comes to healthcare. One wants to be seen as an individual, rather than a number. We want compassionate care. We want to be listened to. We want to get well. We do not want to be judged or belittled. We want to be understood and we do not want to be dismissed as just another â€Å"crazy patient†. Nobody reacts well to negativity especially when there is no need to be. These are the things I must keep in mind while doing cultural assessments in the future. References Alexopoulos Y. (2007). Illness, Culture, and Caring: Impact on Patients, Families, and Nurses. In Chitty, K. K. Black, B. P. (Ed. ), Professional nursing concepts challenges (5th ed. , pp. 237-269). St. Louis, Missouri: Saunders. Baxter, A. (2001). In search of your German roots, A complete guide to tracing your ancestors in the Germanic areas of Europe (4th ed. . A. Baxter (Ed. ), Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing. Carter R. (2008). Cultural competence: Cultural care. In Jarvis, C. (Ed. ), Physical examination health assessment (5th ed. , pp. 35-53). St. Louis, Missouri: Saunders. Downing J. (2008). Understanding each other: Communication and culture. In Riley, J. B. (Ed. ), Communication in nurs ing (6th ed. , pp. 46-62). St. Louis, Missouri: Mosby. Santos S. (2004). In Fuller, B. Vossmeyer G. (Ed. ) Cultures of the world, Germany (2nd ed. ). Tarrytown, New York: Marshall Cavendish. How to cite Cultural Assessment – Nursing, Essay examples

The investment industry is composed of a wide vari Essay Example For Students

The investment industry is composed of a wide vari Essay ety of firms. The main players include independent full line brokerage firms, investment bank subsidiaries of chartered banks, and discount brokers. Independent full line brokerage firms offer a wide range of services, including underwriting, trading of stocks, advice and research. In essence, the full service brokerage subsidiaries of chartered banks offer the same services, however, banks brokerage firms may have a larger pre-established clientele. Finally, the discount brokers are basic stock brokers that perform trades for clients who do not want investment advice. Usually, this service is targeted toward the sophisticated investor who does his/her own research to incur minimal commission fees. Banks entered the investment industry in 1987, whereby they took over full-service brokerages, introduced mutual funds to the banking industry and became part of discount brokering. From this time on, chartered banks have expanded their dominance in the industry by acquiring key players in the industry or branching off into full brokerage services. For example, the brokerage firms for CIBC, Royal Bank, Toronto Dominion Bank, Bank of Nova Scotia and Bank of Montreal are Wood Gundy, RBC Dominion, Evergreen, Scotia McLeod and Nesbitt Burns respectively. In addition, the aforementioned chartered banks have also branched into the discount brokerage sector.As of December 1994, the Securities Industry as a whole included 158 firms, directly employs over 24,000 people, has operating revenue of $5.1 Billion and operating profit of $1.2 Billion (Appendix A). Within this industry the largest firms ranked by revenue are: RBC Dominion Securities ($1 Billion), Midland Walwyn ($480 million), Burns Fry ($416 million) and Nesbitt Thomson ($335 million) (Appendix B). It is evident that the industry is highly concentrated in a small number of companies. The top 4 leaders in the industry accounted for 44% of revenue, while the top 8 was 51%. We will write a custom essay on The investment industry is composed of a wide vari specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Industry information from 1993 displays further segregation, between retail, institutional and integrated firms. Integrated retail-institutionalized firms (RBC Dominion Securities, Scotia McLeod, Nesbitt Thomson, Wood Gundy) made up 66% of the industrys revenue, while strictly institutional firms (First Marathon Securities, Gordon Capital Corp. and Loewer Ondaatje McCutcheon Ltd.) made up 21% and Retail firms (Green Line Investor Services Inc.), 15% (Appendix C). The following analysis will outline the investment dealers industry, specifically the life cycle, critical success factor, strengths, weaknesses, target markets and profitability. Life CycleThe demand for investment financial services is expanding. This becomes evident by examining the average increase in revenue which has occurred over the 1990-1994, 5 year span. This amounts to a 114% increase in revenue, ($2.4 Billion and $5.13 Billion), (Appendix A). An additional indication of growth in the investment industry is the fa ct that the number of firms in the industry has increased from 119 in 1990 to 158 in 1995, and 163 by the second quarter of 1995 (Appendix A). Furthermore, firms are entering the market because they realize the increasing need for investment services as well as the potential for profits. It is obvious that the industry is growing, however the cause for this growth must also be addressed. Firstly, demographics of the Canadian society point towards an aging population. This aging society is comprised of active retired and semi-retired individuals who have knowledge, time and disposable income for investing purposes. Moreover, younger generations who fear the elimination of the existing CPP because of the aging population, are interested in building a retirement nest egg. (Fine, p. B21) Secondly, the fact that people want to be more educated about the investments industry, ties into an additional cause for growth in the industry. The market is offering more information to those who want to be part of it. This additional information reduces investors fear of not knowing enough, and if they choose to take advantage of the available information they can capitalize on it. Also, more information gives people the perception that they are able to make an increased number of hi gher quality investment decisions. Finally, the entrance of banks into the industry has increased public interest. First of all, banks carry a great deal of trust which is extremely important to the average investor. Second, banks are higher profile marketers so they reach a larger number of people. In addition, the large number of branches makes the product readily available and easily accessible. Banks also have a large existing customer base to which they can market products, and influence investing. Overall, banks have increased the demand for investment services by creating interest and awareness to people who would otherwise not give extensive consideration to investments. Critical Success FactorsThe investment industry is very volatile in that the upward trend in todays market does not guarantee the same trend tomorrow. Investment dealers cannot fully command the direction of their profits. The market they work with, i.e. capital markets, is greatly affected by external facto rs. Falling stock and bond prices can negatively affect industry profits, because they reduce capital market activity. In addition, volatility is affected by consumer confidence. If unsophisticated investors believe the market is unstable and fail to realize the problem may only be a rumor, then they may all pull out at the same time causing upheaval and drastic downturns in profit. In such a situation, investment dealers have no control over the situation or their profits. .u4798779a7d320a88edee21967252709a , .u4798779a7d320a88edee21967252709a .postImageUrl , .u4798779a7d320a88edee21967252709a .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u4798779a7d320a88edee21967252709a , .u4798779a7d320a88edee21967252709a:hover , .u4798779a7d320a88edee21967252709a:visited , .u4798779a7d320a88edee21967252709a:active { border:0!important; } .u4798779a7d320a88edee21967252709a .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u4798779a7d320a88edee21967252709a { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u4798779a7d320a88edee21967252709a:active , .u4798779a7d320a88edee21967252709a:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u4798779a7d320a88edee21967252709a .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u4798779a7d320a88edee21967252709a .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u4798779a7d320a88edee21967252709a .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u4798779a7d320a88edee21967252709a .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u4798779a7d320a88edee21967252709a:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u4798779a7d320a88edee21967252709a .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u4798779a7d320a88edee21967252709a .u4798779a7d320a88edee21967252709a-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u4798779a7d320a88edee21967252709a:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Sir Gawain Chivalry EssayEvery investor suffers the consequences of volatility. However, even though this volatility exists there are means to attract investors to the capital market, thereby outperforming competitors and increasing revenue derived from service fees. First, the investment dealer must build trust with the investor. This is of extreme importance to the potential client because of the amount and importance of the funds that they are investing. More importantly, trust is needed in order to attract new clients, through word of mouth, and maintain existing ones. Second, the client is greatly concerned with the performance or returns of their portfolio. Even thou gh the market is volatile, the investment dealer is trusted to properly assess their clients financial situation, level of risk aversion and investment decisions in order to establish the best portfolio. Their ability to carry out these functions will influence, to a certain degree, the performance of the investment dealer, i.e. through returns. Third, customers want continuous high quality service. This means that in addition to the service provided at the time of the portfolio selection, they also want a relationship with the dealer. Specifically, the customer may want to be kept informed on their portfolio as well as changes which may be occurring in the market. Being able to continue this high quality service will prove to attract many unsophisticated investors and establish a long-term clientele. At this point, it is important to know that the investment dealers must have the expertise to identify which investors want this service and which dont. Their failure to do this may ac tually cause the loss of sophisticated investors who do not want to be bothered. In short, clients said the most important factor in choosing an investment firm was trustworthiness, followed by performance and service (Roseman, p.B18). Aside from these three factors, the speed of processing transactions has equal importance to a customer. Since prices change very rapidly in this volatile industry, timing is everything,. For this reason, customers would prefer to have immediate accessibility to the trading floor without going through the middleman. Present changes indicate that the industry is headed in this direction. Presently, Instinet Corp. has introduced a new technology, Instinet, which allows foreign securities to be traded through electronic trading terminals thereby bypassing the brokers responsibility to contact a trader on the costly exchange floor (TSE). The trade would no longer require attendance to the exchange floor, since the transaction could be done electronically at designated institutions. Eventually, investment brokers will have to excel in areas which cannot be replaced by electronic technology, i.e. research, knowledge about the industry and building a trusting rapport with customers. Strengths and WeaknessesThe securities industry (and the financial services industry in general) is highly automated and technically advanced. This allows the industry to operate efficiently and cost effectively. The marginal costs of processing a $10 transaction and a $10-billion one are negligible (Campbell, in Dermer: p. 237). Technology gives investors (the clientele) the ability to make transactions easily and quickly. Therefore, investing becomes more attractive because of the relative ease and convenience of trade execution. The cost effectiveness of the industry also allows it to compete abroad with larger brokers thus increasing its customer base. The entrance of banks also boosted competition and led to further reductions in costs. Chartered banks have also given the industry a boost because of their large client base, credibility, high-degree of technology, marketing expertise, and retail store environment. Banks can offer an entire array of financial services and instruments which provides a great deal of convenience. Customers can easily open direct trading accounts with their branch and make transfers to and from their savings accounts. This one-stop shopping approach has made the securities industry more attractive and strengthened it. Although law prohibits the transfer of financial information about bank clients between banks and their investment dealing subsidiaries (to maintain confidentiality and credibility), the banks can still act as channels of information to potential customers. Toronto Dominion Bank, for instance, offers S.S.Q. points (Sales, Service, and Quality) to their customer service representatives whenever referrals are given for a TD-Green Line (discount broker) or TD-Evergreen (full se rvice) account. In essence, the industry has a large number of indirect employees acting as agents for their services. This creates awareness, and helps boost demand. .uc97af356f0c45791cb600321087ddaa3 , .uc97af356f0c45791cb600321087ddaa3 .postImageUrl , .uc97af356f0c45791cb600321087ddaa3 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc97af356f0c45791cb600321087ddaa3 , .uc97af356f0c45791cb600321087ddaa3:hover , .uc97af356f0c45791cb600321087ddaa3:visited , .uc97af356f0c45791cb600321087ddaa3:active { border:0!important; } .uc97af356f0c45791cb600321087ddaa3 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc97af356f0c45791cb600321087ddaa3 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uc97af356f0c45791cb600321087ddaa3:active , .uc97af356f0c45791cb600321087ddaa3:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc97af356f0c45791cb600321087ddaa3 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc97af356f0c45791cb600321087ddaa3 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc97af356f0c45791cb600321087ddaa3 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc97af356f0c45791cb600321087ddaa3 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uc97af356f0c45791cb600321087ddaa3:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc97af356f0c45791cb600321087ddaa3 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc97af356f0c45791cb600321087ddaa3 .uc97af356f0c45791cb600321087ddaa3-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc97af356f0c45791cb600321087ddaa3:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Greek Drama EssayA growing interest in the industry in terms of education can only help strengthen the industry. In the past year, 21500 students took Canadian Securities Institute programs, this number being 53% higher than the previous year (Fine: p. B21). This translates to a high number of knowledgeable people being employed within the industry. This helps the industry in that customers are better served, and thus they are inclined to invest more due to the fact that they trust the investment dealer. As such, more cash flow into the market means more profits for the investment dealers due to increased commissions. The industrys dependence on the performance of the securities markets can be considered a weakness. This is because the industrys main purpose revolves around the stock market itself. Thus if the stock market is lagging, profits will fall due to a lower number and value of transactions. In addition, firms are much less willing to enter a bearish market for new financing. This is also the case when firms are doing well since they may not require increased financing and may not need the services of an investment dealer (for underwriting) (IDA bulletin p2). Unlike banks who have CDIC protecting the accounts of their customers, investors portfolios are in no way secured in terms of value. This creates a negative sentiment towards investing because highly risk averse individuals would rather lock up their money in the bank. ProfitabilityThe Brokerage Industry derives the majority of its income from commissions (43% of 1994 revenues), underwriting (21%) and fixed income trading (16%) (Appendices A D). Since most of the revenue comes from commissions, it is apparent that revenue is largely dependent on volume and value of transactions. Transactions volume and values are dependent on the performance of the stock market. For example between 1992 and 1993, the TSE 300 gained approximately 29% in value. Reported operating profits for 1993 were $1.7 billion ($726 million net), which was up from 1992s operating profit of $676 million ($253 million) (Appendix A). Between 1993 and 1994 the TSE 300 lost 3% of value and this resulted in a decline in profits during the same period of $500 million ($300 million net). Thus, shifts in the stock market affect the stability of the industrys profits. Financial RatiosAnalysis of important financial ratios can help provide a better picture of the industry as a whole. Examining the quick and current ratios for some of the larger firms in the industry shows that investment dealers have an equal proportion of highly liquid assets to short term liabilities (approx. 1.0). This shows that the firms have little in terms of a maturity mismatch. In addition, accounts receivable as a percent of total assets is quite large (approx. 91% for Fahnestock Viner, and 65% for Midland Walwyn). This shows that the industry relies on its ability to give its clients lines of credit and the ability to finance them. In addition, the high level receivables increases the level of default risk for the industry. Thus, one must look at the quality of these receivables (that is who are these debtors) to evaluate the level of risk to the industry. Furthermore, these receivables can be a source of revenue for the dealers, for example, interest received from margi n accounts. ConclusionsBased on the above discussion, it is fair to say that the industry has a positive outlook for the future. This can be said despite the industrys dependence on stock market activity. A growing interest in the industry is proof of this, as the number of firms involved is increasing as well as the number of professionals entering the fields within the investment industry. An additional indication of the industrys growth is the increased participation of Canadian Banks, combining one of Canadas most vital industries with the investment industry. As the public becomes more aware of the potential gains from investing, the future of the industry will be reinforced. Long gone are the days when people held large sums of money in static bank accounts. Rather, a changed population (in terms of education, demographics etc.) is seeking a dynamic investment which can earn greater returns than a bank account. Considering this new demand for securities, investment dealers have a greater incentive to devise additional attractive financial instruments in order to attract the undecided. In short, a need for greater returns leads to increased asset demand thereby increasing market activity which in turn will strengthen the investment dealer industry as a whole.

Soul Of Descartes Essays - Philosophy Of Mind, Cognition

Soul Of Descartes Out of all the philosophers we have examined in this unit, Rene Descartes (On Thinking and the Soul) presents the best argument about what a soul and body are. In contrast, I believe that Locke`s interpretation of the body, mind, soul and self was my least favorite interpretation. Rene Descartes believed the soul is a pure, unitary thinking thing that has no weight and occupies no space. The soul, according to Descartes, has clear and distinct ideas of matters that can be conceived of in mathematical terms. The body, according to Descartes, is a material thing that operates mechanically, in accordance of cause and effect. The body moves mechanically through muscles and nerves and generates its own heat. Identity, Descartes believed, comes from the soul. The body acts as a container for the soul and is completely separate from a person`s identity. Descartes also believed that thoughts in the soul depend only on the soul and not on the body. Therefore, since the only thing that the soul can do is think than he must be a soul. Locke believed that Descartes equation of the soul is completely false. Locke noted that if the soul left the body during sleep (Descartes) than it could body hop into other individual. This outcome of Descartes theory is completely absurd to Locke. Locke believed that the identity of a person comes from his/her body. According to Locke, the same soul criterion used by Descartes won`t do as an explanation. He believed that same matter could not be used as a criterion for human identity because matter in ones body turns over through the death of old cells and the birth of new ones. I agree with Descartes notion of self-identity because the soul is separate from the body. I believe that ones body is plagued with several particulars such as hair, arms, legs etc. The soul is a universal entity, meaning everyone has one. I disagree with Locke`s account of the body as a person`s identity because he believed that people could lose consciousness or memory over parts of their lives. This lost part of someone`s life would cause that person to change his/her identity. I believe that if the soul is the thinking agent and if it is universal, than it could not and would not lose consciousness or memory, causing a person to keep his/her original identity. Rather, when consciousness or memory is lost, it is lost due to the imperfections found in a person`s material shell, the body I believe, thanks to Descartes, that a person has two separate entities. The first is the body. The body is made up of particulars and other matter that allows it to function like a container. The second entity is the soul. Here, all thinking processes are done, the function of the brain is to separate the sensations throughout the body.

I.e. vs E.g. vs Ex. Which Is Which

I.e. vs E.g. vs Ex. Which Is Which SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Struggling to figure out when you should use e.g. vs i.e.? What about i.e. vs ex.? E.g. vs e.x.? Those are enough abbreviations to make your head spin! In this article, we’ll break down what i.e., e.g., and ex. all stand for and explain how to use each properly in a sentence. We’ll also give you some quick tips for remembering which is which. The Bottom Line: What’s the Difference Between I.e., E.g., and Ex.? I.e., e.g., and ex. are all abbreviations. I.e. and e.g. are abbreviations for Latin phrases and ex. is an abbreviation for an English word. Let’s take a deeper look at each them. What Does I.e. Mean? â€Å"I.e† is an abbreviation for the Latin phrase â€Å"id est,† which translates to â€Å"that is† or â€Å"in other words.† Here’s a look at â€Å"i.e.† in action: â€Å"I am a vegetarian, i.e., I don’t eat meat.† In the example, â€Å"i.e.† is used to provide more clarification about what being a vegetarian means. You could also read the sentence as, â€Å"I am a vegetarian, in other words, I don’t eat meat.† What Does E.g. Mean? â€Å"E.g.† is an abbreviation for a Latin phrase as well. The Latin phrase â€Å"exemplia gratia† is the longer form of â€Å"e.g.† â€Å"Exemplia gratia† translates to â€Å"for example.† Let’s take a look at an example of â€Å"e.g.† in a sentence: â€Å"I love to eat vegetables, e.g., carrots, spinach, and arugula.† You use â€Å"e.g.† to introduce examples of something. In the sentence above, it’s used to introduce examples of the vegetables that the subject of the sentence likes. What Does Ex. Mean? â€Å"Ex.† is another abbreviation, but for an English word: â€Å"exercise.† Writers use â€Å"ex.† in their work to refer to an exercise. Many people think that â€Å"ex.† stands for example, but that’s a common mistake. â€Å"Ex.† is used to introduce exercises. Here’s a look at how: â€Å"Please refer to ex. 4.† The sentence instructs the reader to refer to an exercise later in the text, likely in an appendix. Rules for Using I.e., E.g., and Ex. in Writing Now that we know what e.g., i.e., and ex. mean, let’s look at how to use them correctly in writing. E.g., i.e., and ex. should all be written in lowercase when you use them in the middle of a sentence. E.g. and i.e. should be followed by a comma, as seen in the following examples: â€Å"There were many flavors of ice cream at the shop, e.g., chocolate, vanilla, cookie dough, and mint chocolate chip.† â€Å"I don’t like eating raw fish, i.e., sushi.† Even though e.g. and i.e. are both Latin abbreviations, you don’t need to italicize them in your writing. Tricks for Using I.e. vs E.g. vs Ex. Stuck trying to figure out when to use i.e. vs e.g., i.e. vs ex., or e.g. vs ex.? Don’t worry, there are a few tricks for remembering which abbreviation works for which situation. You don’t need to remember the Latin translations for i.e. or e.g. to know when to use them. Instead, remind yourself what each means! â€Å"I.e.† is another way of saying â€Å"in other words.† You can remember this because â€Å"i.e.† and â€Å"in other words† both start with the letter â€Å"i.† Whenever you write a sentence with â€Å"i.e.,† read it back to yourself and replace â€Å"i.e.† with â€Å"in other words.† If it makes sense, you’re using it right. If not, take another look at the sentence. â€Å"E.g.† in Latin is â€Å"exemplia gratia.† â€Å"E.g† means â€Å"for example,† so you can remember that â€Å"e.g.† is used to introduce different â€Å"exemplia† or â€Å"examples.† If you’re writing a sentence with â€Å"e.g.,† read it back to yourself and replace â€Å"e.g.† with â€Å"for example.† If it makes sense, you’re all set! If not, you’re probably using â€Å"e.g.† incorrectly. â€Å"Ex.† is short for â€Å"exercise.† You can remember that because â€Å"ex† and â€Å"exercise† both start with â€Å"ex.† Final Thoughts It’s tricky to remember the differences between i.e. vs e.g. vs ex. But it doesn’t have to be! Each has its own specific usage: â€Å"I.e.† is another way of saying â€Å"in other words.† â€Å"E.g.† is another way of saying â€Å"for example.† â€Å"Ex.† is an abbreviation for â€Å"exercise.† Remember that and you’ll be all set! What’s Next? Are you studying clouds in your science class?Get help identifying the different types of clouds with our expert guide. Need help with English class- specifically with identifying literary devices in texts you read?Then you'll definitely want to take a look at our comprehensive explanation of the most important literary devices and how they're used. Want to know the fastest and easiest ways to convert between Fahrenheit and Celsius? We've got you covered! Check out our guide to the best ways to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit (or vice versa).

How GPA Conversion Works, With Charts

How GPA Conversion Works, With Charts SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Because final class grades are usually given either as letters (A-, B+, etc.) or as percentiles (87, 92, and so on), you might be a little stuck onhow to convert them into the decimals used to calculate GPA. No worries - this article is here to help! Keep reading to see how to translate all your grades into GPA-ready numbers. What Is a GPA? GPA stands for "grade point average" and it is exactly that: an average of all the final class grades that you received during your high school career.The GPA scale converts the letter and percentile grades your school gives youinto a decimaltypically ranging from 0.0 to 4.0, and then uses those decimals to calculate one summary number. Your GPA is one of the most important pieces of your college application. It allows colleges to very quickly assess your intelligence, skills, work ethic, and willingness to challenge yourself. At the same time, it’s a way for them to see how you stack up againstother people who graduated from your school, and all of the other applicants. Think about it: for an admissions officer, it's easy to have one handy numberthat compares you with other applicants at a glance. It's way harder to have to round up eachof your grades, then compare them with each of the other person's grades, and so on and so forth for thousands and thousands of applicants. Sisyphus thinks about going through applicants one grade at a time and is all, "Uh, no thanks, I'll stick with the giant boulder." How Are Letters and Percentiles Converted Into GPA Scale? Different schools use different systems to convert your grades into your GPA. Sometimes, they take the difficulty level of your classes into account, and sometimes all classes are treated the same. Sure, they're both pumpkins - but a weighted comparison would be helpful. Unweighted GPA Conversion Most schoolsuse anunweighted GPA. This means that all of your final grades get equal treatment, sogrades earned in honors/AP courses get the same numerical value as grades earned in standard/college prep courses. In other words, if Matangets an A in AP Calculus and Camille gets an A in standard level Chemistry, they will both convert these A’s to 4.0. Here is the typical conversion scale for an unweighted GPA: Letter Grade Percentile GPA A+ 97-100 4.0 A 93-96 4.0 A- 90-92 3.7 B+ 87-89 3.3 B 83-86 3.0 B- 80-82 2.7 C+ 77-79 2.3 C 73-76 2.0 C- 70-72 1.7 D+ 67-69 1.3 D 65-66 1.0 F Below 65 0.0 Weighted GPA Conversion Some schools also calculate a weighted GPA. This grade point average takes into account how challenging each course actually is. So,final class grades in Honors-level courses have .5 added to them, while final grades in AP/IB courses have 1 added to them. For this reason, weighted GPA scales usually range from 0.0 to 5.0. In our previous example, since Matan's Acame from an AP class, it would convert to 5.0. Meanwhile Camille’s A, which came from a standard class, would become 4.0. The typical weighted GPA conversion scale looks like this: Letter Grade Percentile Honors GPA AP/IB GPA A+ 97-100 4.5 5.0 A 93-96 4.5 5.0 A- 90-92 4.2 4.7 B+ 87-89 3.8 4.3 B 83-86 3.5 4.0 B- 80-82 3.2 3.7 C+ 77-79 2.8 3.3 C 73-76 2.5 3.0 C- 70-72 2.2 2.7 D+ 67-69 1.8 2.3 D 65-66 1.5 2.0 F Below 65 0.0 0.0 Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Steps Let's work through a couple of examplesto seehow grade conversion works for a transcript that uses letter grades and one that uses percentile grades. How to Convert Letter Grades Into a GPA First, let's check outa transcript where final grades are given as letters by taking a look at the high school career of renowned secret operativeJohn Doe: Here's how its conversion works. Using the unweighted conversion table from before, we can see that, year-by-year, the grades John earned are: 9th Grade 10th Grade th Grade 12th Grade 2.7 2.3 3.0 4.0 2.7 4.0 3.3 3.0 2.3 3.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 2.7 2.7 3.3 3.7 3.0 3.3 4.0 3.3 3.3 3.7 2.3 2.0 4.0 2.0 2.0 4.0 3.0 4.0 3.0 Now, to figure out John'sGPA, first we have to add up his grades to get the sum. Then we have to count how many classes he took. Finally, we divide the sum by the number of classes and round to the nearest tenth: 9th Grade 10th Grade th Grade 12th Grade Total Grade Sum 28.0 25.3 27.0 21.6 101.9 Number of Classes 8 8 9 7 32 So: 101.9 / 32 = 3.1 (John's cumulative high school GPA) To figure out the GPA John would submit on college applications, we just leave off the senior year grades and repeat the same process: 28 + 25.3 + 27 = 80.3 (sum of final grades from 9th to th grade) 8 + 8 + 9 = 25 (number of classes taken from 9th to th grade) 80.3 / 25 = 3.2 (GPA sent on college applications) How to Convert Percentiles Into a GPA The process for converting percentiles into GPA is almost exactly the same. Let’s see it in detailby calculating the GPA of John’s archrival and spy nemesis, Jane Smith: First, we'll convert her grades into GPA scale, and then find the sum and the number of courses she took: 9th Grade 10th Grade th Grade 12th Grade Total 4.0 3.3 3.7 4.0 3.7 2.7 4.0 3.7 3.3 2.3 3.0 4.0 2.3 4.0 4.0 3.3 4.0 3.0 2.7 3.7 3.3 3.7 3.3 2.3 3.0 3.3 3.7 3.0 3.7 3.3 4.0 3.3 Sum 27.3 25.6 28.4 27.3 108.6 Number of Courses Taken 8 8 8 8 32 So: 108.6 / 32 = 3.4 (Jane's cumulative high school GPA) And, leaving off the senior year we see that: 81.3 /24 = 3.4 (the GPA shewill submit to colleges) What’s Next? Still confused about how weighted and unweighted GPA calculations work? Let us help you figure it all out with our comprehensive explanation. Worried about how your GPA will measure up? We explain what a good or bad GPA score is, and run the numbers on the average high school student. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Labor and The Civil War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Labor and The Civil War - Essay Example This demands laid in the constitution went unattended since African America slavery grew once again mainly in the southern part of U.S.A. Among the major reasons for slavery reinvigoration were cotton gin discovery and its consequent spreading (Shapiro, 17). Such is the case that this machine permitted southern farmers to cultivate a variety of cotton, short staple, which thrived in the Deep South climate. Even with such an invention, the farmers still experienced another major problem with regard to removing seeds from cotton fibers. A later invention of the Eli Whitney’s gin offered solved this problem and even made it more economical. Following this, many planters in the south got attracted to cotton growing, a factor that increased labor demand. During this time, cotton growing was labor intensive, and African Americans became the main target to supply the labor. A day in the life of a slave would commonly constitute long working hours on the farm. When considering a field hand, working day would always begin just before dawn and last until the sun sets, usually with a lunch break of about two-hours. African Americans lacked control over working as they worked under strict supervision, constantly threatened with physical punishment by their supervisors. Indeed, even with the most kind hearted slave owner, the slaves still missed that very fundamental gift of every human being, â€Å"freedom† The better part of the period preceding Civil war, majority of the planters employed physical violence not only to boost productivity but also maintain labor discipline (Shapiro, 60). Certainly, the nature of work in the cotton field demanded lots of endurance and slaveholders understood this. Consequently they employed force and threats of force to persuade their slaves to endure the gruesome demands of cotton growing in the south. Colonial farmers forced their enslaved servants that included the elderly, children and pregnant

The Role of Investment Bankers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Role of Investment Bankers - Essay Example As far as the role of investment banker is concerned, it encompasses three major activities: origination, risk bearing, and distribution. Origination requires decisions about the type (e.g., debt, equity), quantity, price, timing, and other features of the new securities issue and the determination of the method of distribution. Risk bearing comes into play when the issue is a firm-commitment offering, in which the underwriter buys the securities from the issuer at a fixed price and resells them to the public. It is by far the most common form of underwriting. If the price of the securities falls before they can be resold, the underwriter will suffer a loss, thus the risk associated with this activity. Occasionally, underwriters suffer substantial losses due to abrupt declines in some underwritten offerings. The investment bankers have been the subject of more industry analysis than has the overall broker-dealer industry. Pugel and White ( 210-14) studied the investment-banking industry using the structure-conduct-performance paradigm in a consideration of allowing commercial bank affiliates to underwrite corporate securities. Rogowski and Sorensen Investment banking has always been a highly profitable but risky business for securities firms. Before Rule 415 was enacted, underwriting was very profitable, especially for the leading firms. Some of the profits were the result of entry barriers into the ranks of the top underwriters. But with Rule 415, the profitability of underwriting traditional corporate issues has declined. Now, the high-profit lines are not quite as profitable, although, there are always opportunities for securities firms, because of the ever-changing market conditions. For example, the opening of Eastern Europe may provide an area in which the ability of Wall Street firms to develop new products might be put to good use. As the Eastern European countries introduce more market-oriented approaches to economic management, there may be a need for unique securities instruments that would be compatible with the types of ownership that will emerge in these countries. (Mandelker, 683-94) The riskier economic environment and the importance of innovations and diversifications for securities firms call for a new regulatory approach. The central focus of federal securities regulation has been to provide investors with sufficient material information to make informed investment decisions, to prohibit fraud in connection with the sale of securities, and to provide a safe and sound securities industry environment. (Dale, 3-13) The broad regulatory charge of protecting investors and maintaining fair and orderly markets grew out of the stock market crash of 1929 and the fraud, securities price manipulation, and other practices that took place before the crash. In the current, more volatile environment for securities firms, regulators must be more responsive to the needs of the regulated firms. Important new financial instruments have helped securities firms manage the increasing risks they face, and the regulators should facilitate the development of these instruments. Entry into the basic

Effects of European Expansion in N.America Essay Example for Free

Effects of European Expansion in N.America Essay The news of a New World spread like a forest fire throughout Europe and the race for colonies between Portugal and Spain began. Each country started to conquer the ancient civilizations and exploit the continents raw material. This collision deeply affected all of the Atlantic societies. The conquistadors had a powerful effect that began to create a truly new world in Latin America; the New World would never then be the same after 1492. When Columbus waded shore two ecosystems amalgamated and clashed. When the Europeans arrived, they brought diseases that the Native Americans were not immune to including small pox, measles, bubonic plague, influenza, typhus, diphtheria, yellow fever, malaria and the scarlet fever. Devoid of natural resistance to these diseases, the Native Americans died in great masses. Within fifty years of the Spanish arrival, the population of the Taino natives in Hispaniola dwindled from 1 million people to about 200. In return, the Europeans were infected with syphilis, which they acquired from the Native Americans. Other than disease, the Europeans introduced new crops and plants such as wheat, sugar, rice, coffee, dandelions, daisies, and Kentucky bluegrass. The Europeans also introduced new domestic animals such as horses, cows, and pigs. The introduction of horses caused North American tribes like the Apaches, Sioux, and Blackfoot to adopt these animals, transforming their cultures into highly mobile societies. On the other hand, the Europeans acquired gold and silver as one Aztec described them: They thirsted mightily for gold; they stuffed themselves with it; they starved for it; they lusted for it like pigs. The Europeans were also introduced to new crops such as corn, potatoes, pineapples, tomatoes, tobacco, beans, vanilla, chocolate, and sweet potatoes. Other than material things and disease, the Europeans and the Natives created a new race. This happened when Cortà ©s conquered Mexico and began to encourage intermarriage with the surviving Natives. Although Cortà ©s encouraged intermarriage, he enslaved many of the Native Americans. This created a new and distinctive culture of mestizos. These were some aspects of the collision between the two worldsSpains colonial empire grew swiftly and impressively and as it did it deeply affected all the Atlantic societies. The Spanish success reached France and England causing French and English voyages to be sent in order to get part of this colonial success. In Florida on the borderlands, Spanish  erected forts to protect sea-lanes to the Caribbean, to secure the northern periphery of their New World domain against such encroachments, and to convert Native Americans to Christianity. Unlike the rest of the colonies, the Spanish settlers in New Mexico found little gold fur, but they did discover wealth of souls to be harvested for the Christian religion. The Roman Catholic mission became the central institution in colonial New Mexico until the missionaries efforts to suppress native religious customs provoked a Native uprising called the Pope Rebellion. The Pueblo rebels destroyed every church in the province and killed a score of priests and hundreds of spinach settlers. In California, no serious foreign threat loomed and Spain directed its attention there only belatedly. Rodriguez had explored the California coast in 1542, but he failed to find San Francisco bay or anything else of much interest. For some two centuries after California slumbered undisturbed by European intruders. Then in 1769 Spanish missionaries led by Father Serra found San Diego. Father Serras Franciscan friars toiled with zealous devotion to Christianize 300,000 Native Americans. They gathered the semi-nomadic Native American into fortified missions and taught them horticulture and basic craft. These mission Native Americans adopted Christianity, but they also lost contact with their native cultures and often lost their lives as well, as the white mans diseases doomed these biologically vulnerable peoples. These changes helped create a truly new world in Latin America including the borderlands of Florida, New Mexico, and California; all of which later became part of the United States. In conclusion, the Spanish invaders did indeed kill, enslave, and infect countless natives, but they also built a colossal empire, stretching from California and Florida to Tierra del Fuego. They grafted their culture, laws, religion, and language into a wide array of native-societies, laying the foundations for a score of Spanish-speaking nations.

Virginia Woolf’s Orlando Essay -- Literary

Virginia Woolf’s Orlando Born in the late nineteenth century, Virginia Woolf’s visionary mind emerged in a social climate that did not cultivate the intellectual development of women. In England’s waning Victorian era, the upper classes of women were encouraged to become nothing more than obedient wives, self-effacing mothers, servile hostesses, and cheerful, chattering tea-drinkers, expectations that Virginia Woolf shunned, renounced, and ultimately denounced in her writings. Beside being born into a patriarchal culture, Virginia Woolf was also born into a family headed by a man who made it clear that he "expected more from his sons than his daughters" (Bazin 4). Although he considered Virginia as "the darling, the pet" (70) of the family, after the death of his second wife, her father Leslie Stephen fell into a deep depression that commanded "demands upon his children for pity and devotion [that] were almost unbearable" (4). Woolf herself wrote in her diary that she would never have been able to produce as much work as she did had her father not died fairly early in her life: "His life would have entirely ended mine. What would have happened? No writing, no books:-- inconceivable" (Gilbert and Gubar 192). Although he "allowed" Virginia to read and write, Leslie Stephen can be attributed with only a little more than genetic contribution to his daughter’s genius. Orlando is the paragon of Virginia Woolf’s literary genius. Published in 1928, the novel is a fictional biography of Woolf’s friend Vita Sackville-West. The novel is dedicated to Vita and "has been called ‘the longest and most charming love letter in literature’" (Meese 469). This crucial biographical context is often overlooked, a displacement which hinders the f... ...a Woolf. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1986. 223-230. Marder, Herbert. Feminism & Art: A Study of Virginia Woolf. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1968. Meese, Elizabeth. "When Virginia Looked at Vita, What Did She See; or, Lesbian: Feminist: Woman- What’s the Differ(e/a)nce?" Feminisms: An Anthology of Literary Theory and Criticism. Ed. Robyn R. Warhol and Diane Price Herndl. New Brunswick: Rutgers UP, 1997. Moi, Toril. Sexual/Textual Politics: Feminist Literary Theory. New York: Routledge, 1985. Walker, Nancy A. Feminist Alternatives: Irony and Fantasy in the Contemporary Novel by Women. Jackson: UP of Mississippi, 1990. West, Paul. "Enigmas of Imagination: Orlando Through the Looking Glass." Virginia Woolf. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1986. 83-100. Woolf, Virginia. Orlando: A Biography. 1928. New York: Penguin Books, 1946.

Personal space and territoriality Essay

In psychology, the notion of personal space is mainly applied to humans, while the notion of territoriality traditionally belongs to animal psychology domain. Human personal space is also different from that of nonhumans. The concepts of territoriality and personal space are integrally linked to the modes of communication humans and nonhumans choose in their daily social and psychological interactions. Although the concept of personal space is different across cultures, Cassidy (1997) refers to the four common personal space zones that are mostly similar across different cultures: intimate zone, personal zone, social zone, and public zone determine the specific communicational and behavioral patterns and require following specific social standards. Psychology professionals need objective understanding and evaluation of personal space cultural differences. For example, Japanese people promote the importance of large personal space; in America, foreigners need time to psychologically adjust to the extremely narrow understanding of personal space that Americans use in their daily lives. Ultimately, the concept of personal space forms a unique psychological climate that is never common for all cultures. In many aspects, our territorial behavior is similar to that of animals: â€Å"territories are like elastic discs – the center is well defined and defended aggressively by the occupier, but further away from the center the intruder is dealt with far less aggressively† (Cassidy, 1997). Like animals, we also display animal territorial habits; very often we tend to take the same seat in class; in public places, we use different means of marking our personal spots. However, as animal territorial behavior is determined by instincts and impulses, human personal space is heavily impacted by the complex set of social and psychological factors. Age and gender substantially change one’s perceptions about personal space; some cultures make people more sensitive to the boundaries of their personal space. It would be appropriate to suggest that â€Å"although personal space area is not constant, it is a constant variable impacting the psyche† (Cassidy, 1997). Conformity and obedience Conformity and obedience form close relationship in psychology. Compliance is the general characteristic of the two concepts that links them to a complex system of group relations. Huffman (2005) provides extensive evaluation of how human psyche reacts to group pressures; conformity and obedience are referred to as the most frequent components of group interactions. Conformity is a form of compliance where the individual is pressured by social factors and where compliance is driven by the fear of isolation, embarrassment or social anxiety. Sometimes, conformity can be voluntary, when we consciously choose to join a particular group of individuals. Conformity often turns into a form of compliance that is involuntary and is not fully conscious. When we are compelled to follow certain behavioral norms (for example, we should be polite with elder people), we do change our behavior, but we do not necessarily change our attitudes toward these people. That is the essence of conformity: the behavioral change takes place without changing the attitude (Huffman, 2005). Obedience is very similar to conformity in that it represents another form of compliance, which involves the concept of authority and implies that the person is forced to follow commands. It is not rare that people are forced to step over their attitudes and morals to follow the rule of authority. Conformity may turn into obedience, but as we seek conformity to become socially accepted and to be praised and recognized, obedience is the result of our natural desire to avoid punishment. Conformity and obedience are the two ends of the one social continuum, representing the two ultimate forms of compliance in human behavior. Through the cultural prism, conformity is a prevalent characteristic of collectivistic environments, while obedience is the necessary feature of authoritarian behavioral style.

Cultural Issues in Esl

Cultural Issues in ESL One main issue with English being a second language is cultural differences. It brings great distress to most international students who are studying abroad because though they strive to learn with a higher level of excellence and performance, their cultures will always find a way to limit that ambition. It’s hard to be in a classroom with students who do not understand the culture from whence you came. It is also hard to understand your fellow classmates and teachers for they have their own cultures, some of which we might find very different. English is harder to learn when you are placed in that situation, for it is hard to get used to the culture at the same feeling the pressure of studies and socialization. The people in this category are mainly international or exchange students. Given the privilege to study abroad for a better education, these students are hard working and efficient. But the disadvantages are inevitable. There are cultures in their former school that their current school does not practice. Proper behavior, salutations, programs, and methods vary in different schools. Even in local schools, it is hard for some to practice English, because majority of the students’ families could possibly not have the complete knowledge of English, thus speaking incorrect grammar to their children, giving them a confusing perception in English. When materials in class are passed in English, those students who are used to different materials in their past schools have great difficulty in studying, thus making them seem stupid or lazy. In reality, they are just not used to this kind of culture and way of studying. The cultures in Asia are different from those in Europe and America. Culture is a beautiful thing when you see different ones all around the world, but in terms of English being a culture’s second language, it is pretty complicated to attain and retain. The religions, cultural backgrounds, and language barriers each have its own way of communicating in the local land but unfortunately English is still a major problem in most countries when these cultural differences are shared. As it was studied, there has been a vast improvement though in some countries in Asia such as Singapore, the Philippines, and Malaysia. Not everyone has learned all there is to know, but English is already taken as a second language, next to the other dialects. Many students find it laborious when studying in a different school or when interacting with foreign students. When there are groupings or projects in school, it is very hard to communicate. Communication is very important, but the very source of the miscommunication is the language itself and the culture that is keeping the students from interacting with each other. They cannot express their thoughts as much as they can, which the result of their lack of culture link. There is a friction in most international schools if the students are not informed well enough. The differences are very easy to see. From the way they talk to the way they act, foreign students are distinct. You can see the stress in them as they try to communicate if they aren’t used to speaking straight English. Students who are of a different language mustn't be deemed as a weaker or more advanced student in the classroom. Equality must be present at all times. If it isn't practiced, it will lead to biases and favoritism, misunderstandings and miscommunication across the classroom. It is very uncomfortable for a non-English speaking student to ask for help from the teacher as they will be criticized for their actions, when in actuality, they have no other intention but to get the work done. The local students may feel unimportant to the teacher if such help is given to the foreign student, so teachers must be very careful and sensitive to equivalence. If I were to become the teacher of a school, whether it may be an international or local school, I must be the example of a nondiscriminatory standard. Dealing with students is a huge responsibility so we must be mindful of the issues that may be happening in our schools today. There are numerous non-English speakers who are determined to try their best at learning English yet we still do not take them seriously. It would be so much easier for the local students to interact with the international students if we ourselves encouraged fellowship between the races. We should avoid conflicts that would offend any of them and continue to appreciate each culture. Although some may have religions that the other students do not approve of, we must respect each religion even if we do not agree with the teachings. And if we share the same belief with a student, we must not be biased with the student. Whatever the differences may be, racism is a meaningless and prideful thing to do. The fact that these international students want to learn English is an honor already. They have a respect for it and want to communicate with it to those who speak English and teach it to those who can’t. Everyday is a challenge to them as they continue to learn the art of English. But why can't we use the disadvantages for good? Why do we discriminate? English is the easiest to learn yet we still have issues with it being a second language. It is challenging for foreigners to communicate in English, but without challenge we will not learn to work hard for a great benefit. Wouldn't it be a wonderful thing for other countries to communicate and to share friendships? If only every one of us spoke English as their second language. But unfortunately, there are people who disagree with the idea. Although patriotism is good, there must be peace with other nations and cultures. English did not even start in America. It was developed using different languages. It is a testimony to the idea of unity with different nations. Great things can be accomplished when we accept and learn from issues such as English being a second language. English as a second language would be easier to adapt to if every culture had an effort to introduce it to their people. As English speakers, we must put value in the language we have attained and put it to good use. So many people all around the world have the desire to learn this language and so we shouldn’t make it an issue. It is a good problem. As long as there are learners, we must be willing to teach. And if we accomplish that, English would be universal and our nations would be united even in language.

CEDAW and Saudi Arabia Essay Example

CEDAW and Saudi Arabia Essay Example CEDAW and Saudi Arabia Essay CEDAW and Saudi Arabia Essay Name: Tutor: Course: Date: CEDAW and Saudi Arabia Introduction The convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination (CEDAW) is a treaty adopted by the United Nations (UN) general assembly in 1979. It has a preamble and thirty articles, which define the meaning of discrimination against women and details the means of ending such discrimination. States and governments, which accept the gathering, have to commit themselves towards ensuring that they end any form of discrimination towards women. This includes trafficking and any exploitation of women. Governments must ensue that women have equal chances of representation in employment and political matters. They must ensure that women receive the right of education and healthcare. To enhance accountability, countries have to prepare and submit reports detailing the measures they have taken towards realizing the objectives of the treaty after every four years (UN).[1] CEDAW is the only international treaty that focuses on prejudice not in favor of women. By November 2010, 186 countries ha d ratified or acceded to the gathering. Countries not party to the gathering include Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Tonga, Nauru and Palau.[2] Some of the countries, such as Saudi Arabia, which have ratified the convention, continue to face varying levels of discrimination towards women. This makes many people question the advantage of signing such a treaty. Since its inception, the gathering has laid out different measures that help towards fulfilling its objectives. Supporters of the gathering claim that it has helped to bring some level of equality for the women, and it has helped many governments to set up agendas and establish laws that will help in enhancing women’s rights. However, those who oppose ratifying the gathering site different reasons such as interfering with a country’s sovereignty, and the inability of the gathering to make any significant changes regarding women’s issues. Saudi Arabia ratified CEDAW in the year 2000. However, Saudi Arabia had some reservations when it ratified the gathering. The kingdom â€Å"does not consider itself bound by paragraph 2 of article 9 of the gathering and paragraph 1 of article 29 of the gathering.† Paragraph 2 of article 9 states, â€Å"States parties shall grant women equal rights with men respect to the nationality of their children (UN).† Paragraph 1 of article 29 states, â€Å"any dispute between two or more states parties concerning the interpretation of application of the present gathering which is not settled by negotiation shall, at the request of one of them, be submitted to arbitration. If within six months of arbitration the parties are unable to agree on the organization of the arbitration, any one of those parties may refer the dispute to the International Court of Justice (UN)†.[3]Another reservation is that the kingdom is not under any obligation to observe any terms of the gatherin g, which are contrary to Islamic law. Analysis Saudi Arabia is an Islamic country bound by Islamic laws, culture, traditions, beliefs and practices. Saudi Arabia operates under the sharia law, and this law hinders it from engaging with other countries at an international level. Many Islamic countries do not sign or ratify international treaties if they consider them contrary to sharia law.[4] Several questions arise regarding the kingdom’s commitment towards fulfilling its obligations because of the decisions made to make the reservations. The kingdom refuses to recognize women’s full and equal rights to men because of its refusal to observe paragraph two of article nine of the gathering. Since the country places its laws above international treaties, it continues to observe the restrictive Islamic sharia laws, most of which are prohibitive. In addition, many Islamic governments do not agree on the interpretation of different sharia laws. Some of these governments tend to be more liberal regarding women’s iss ues, while some are conservative and restrictive. For instance, women in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to drive or vote.[5] People’s attitudes regarding women’s freedom and equality depend on their attitude and perception. Thus, although some prohibitive practices are not contained in the country’s laws, people continue practicing them because of what they believe. Despite the reservations, the kingdom had managed to identify mechanisms, which had helped in addressing violence towards women by 2008. Furthermore, the kingdom had established laws that would recognize women’s rights. It had amended several laws, in recognition of the rules and policies of the gathering.[6] Many Islamic states are patriarchy states, and Saudi Arabia is no exception. Discriminatory policies in Saudi Arabia are protected by the law. Thus, women will have second priority in matters, family, social, political, education, and civic life. Saudi Arabia enforces sexual segregation, and this makes it an excuse for women to lack jobs, receive an inferior education, and miss an opportunity to participate in political affairs. Although the convention does not discourage sex segregation in education, it requires that both men and women receive the same quality of education. However, women in the kingdom continue to receive inferior education and they have unequal opportunities.[7] For instance, women are not allowed to enroll in certain courses such as engineering, geology, and politics because they will interact with men and the government does not encourage this because it supports sex segregation in all sectors of life.[8] Saudi Arabian women lack a voice in many issues. They have few chances of getting meaningful employment, even after going through university education. They do not get a chance to participate in public affairs because they do not engage in political and civic life. Sex segregation made it impossible for women to vote. Socially, women are not allowed to drive cars or go to some places when unaccompanied by their guardians, who include husbands, fathers, and brothers.[9] The requirement that countries submit reports towards showing the measures they have established to safeguard women’s rights, does not help matters, in Saudi Arabia, as the government does not give satisfactory results and it avoids responding to sensitive issues regarding women’s rights.[10] The reports are supposed to pressurize the government towards ensuring that it recognizes the rights of women. The reports are also a way for various groups in the country to check on the level of the government†™s commitment. Different NGOs in the country submit a shadow report to CEDAW. The report contains additional information on the government’s performance, other than that submitted formally by the government.[11] Different UN agencies help the NGOs in producing the reports. Over the years, the role of these organizations has become more important. The NGOs are allowed to sit through meetings in the conference room, although they are passive participants in the proceedings.[12] Producing shadow reports in Saudi Arabia is challenging because there are no NGOs in the country. However, different individuals, under the group Saudi Women for Reform, worked together to produce a shadow report in December 2007. The report asserted that women continue facing discrimination, and there is no end in sight for this discrimination to end. Further, the report noted different forms of discrimination that women face daily.[13] The report observes how women face different forms of sexual abuse under me. Women know very little concerning their rights and they do not know about CEDAW. Some Saudi Arabian nationals oppose the idea of women’s rights and equalities because they consider it a western issue. Women in Saudi are considered holders of tradition, and they are important in ensuring that the western way of thinking does not permeate the society.[14] Allowing them to have some level of liberty regarding certain issues is tantamount to giving them the freedom to abandon their culture. Reports on women discrimination in the kingdom are further confirmed by amnesty international. The organization observes how women continue to face discrimination in law and in practice.[15] More reports by Human Rights Watch confirm different forms of discrimination. The organization notes how the authorities have failed to protect women, and how injustice continues to reign in the country in form of unfair trials. Such cases of discrimination are demonstrated in women’s lives. For instance, women receive education, some up to the highest level possible, but they are not allowed to practice their profession.[16] The BBC reported the case of a woman who had to struggle to become a surgeon. Her father only allowed her to study on the condition that her family would receive and use her salary. Further, she was not allowed to marry the man of her choice. The woman was punished every time she dared to speak out against the injustice she suffered. Her story represents many women in the country, who have to go through many obstacles to secure simple life necessities.[17] Negative Aspects of the Convention Those who oppose the gathering cite some factors such as the limiting issues in Saudi Arabia. The gathering has failed to achieve greater equality for the women in the kingdom. There is greater scrutiny of women issues in the kingdom. Different international organizations have raised issue of the detail that women in the kingdom continue facing high levels of discrimination. Since the country ratified the treaty, it has not done much to advance the standing of women in the nation. The gathering does not have sufficient powers to ensure that the nations that have confirmed the treaty do not make reservations, and that they observe gender equality. Therefore, countries can ratify the treaty but they can in turn make as many reservations as they want. The reservations made are contrary to the intention of the gathering. Some of the countries, other than Saudi Arabia, which have ratified, the treaty, continue to deny women their rights, and to exercise different forms of abuse. Women con tinue to suffer varying forms of discrimination in different countries around the world. They continue to lack economic, political, and education opportunities. Saudi men continue oppressing women and they get away with it because the judicial system encourages different forms of abuse. A Saudi woman can be beaten by her husband, her father, or even her brother. Saudi men control women’s lives, including any movement they make through the male guardian system. Women need men permission or accompaniment to register in school, get jobs, and go to the hospital for treatment.[18] Some governments do not take any other effort of ensuring that they have solved women’s problems and issues, since they rely on the gathering as the only source of such information. Such governments end up denying women their right of equality. This is the case in Saudi Arabia. The government has not taken any other measure to ensure that it has established laws that will protect women. It continues depending on the gathering, despite the measures it has taken to make the reservations.[19] The gathering cannot work alone, since it needs the input of other gatherings and treaties, as this will ensure maximum benefits for women.[20] Some of the principles contained in the gathering are not as strong, and they do not cover the necessities to ensure a realization of women’s rights. For instance, the gathering takes a general approach regarding women’s issues, and it does not recognize the need of mentioning the importance of maintaining racial equality.[21] Some coun tries fail to submit their reports or they submit them long after they are due. This could be a reflection of failure in those countries in failing to meet their objectives. Change in perception regarding the importance of recognizing women’s rights directly relates to people’s mindsets regarding women. Irrespective of how many policies the gathering committee recommends, countries will only be able to recognize the equality of women if they manage to change people’s mindset and attitude. Some people continue to hold different stereotypes regarding women’s issues, and for such people, they will not want to recognize women’s rights and equality. The gathering does not have the power to do anything. It cannot impose any fines or penalties to the countries that fail to submit its reports or follow the recommendations set by the gathering. The conference can only name and shame the countries that have failed to meet their objectives.[22] Shaming countries is not enough to ensure that it develops any measures to recognize women’s rights. Some critics have claimed that the gathering is a form of inequality because of i ts central focus towards women. It does not recognize the complexities of gender and race, and it continues to advocate for women’s rights.[23] Other critics claim that to appreciate and recognize women’s rights fully, people have to go beyond observing gender issues to identifying other dissimilarities amid men and women, such as physical strength and reproductive issues.[24] Positive Aspects of the Convention Those who support the gathering cite the benefit of the gathering in raising awareness on women’s issues. Many governments have been able to recognize the need to consider women for various appointments because of the gathering.[25] Some governments have gone as far as incorporating the laws and policies of the gathering in their legal framework. They have been able to change the domestic laws, which were not in agreement with the laws set by the gathering, and this has enabled them to improve the affairs of the women in their country.[26] The introduction of the gathering in many countries helped in redefining the role of women, and in strengthening women activists and individuals in many countries. Over the years, there has been a general perception that women’s role within a society involves bearing children and looking after the home. For a long time, many women, especially in the developing regions, held on to this perception. Thus, they never did anything differen t to build their lives. However, the introduction of the gathering in many state laws has ensured that women have greater opportunities. Despite the obvious limitations, Saudi Arabia has made some changes that favor women, or minimize the level of discrimination leveled towards them by the men. The kingdom has introduced new laws that will allow women to work as lawyers. [27] The kingdom has made changes by allowing women to take governing positions. The king has granted women thirty seats on the top advisory council. This is the first time that woman are holding such a position. Women will run for political office as they seek to be elected in the municipal elections in the year 2015.[28] This is a great stride for the women since they were previously not allowed to vote. The king has gradually introduced reforms in the country, although they are all conditional since they have to comply with the strict religious laws. The government has given permission for women to participate in sports. This is on condition that they do it under the supervision of the female teachers, since men cannot see the women wearing trouser s.[29] Women are now allowed to ride bikes and motorcycles, though they can only do so when wearing the full Muslims attire, and in the company of male guardians. Women recognize that they can do more with their lives, apart from engaging in family duties. The gathering has enabled many women to engage in different economic activities in addition to contribute in the running of the country. This would not have been possible without the introduction of the caucus, along with the willingness of many governments to participate in ensuring that the gathering becomes practical. The gathering has helped in ensuring that women receive equal shares in wealth, especially through inheritance, and that they have an equal share in marriage and divorce agreements. The gathering has given many women the chance to have their voice heard. It has given women a platform to raise various concerns, and they have been able to raise awareness on the violence they face, and on any other forms of abuse. This has ensured that governments and other organizations are more active towards ensuring an end to different forms of gender and sexual based abuse. The gathering receives reports from other agencies, which enables it to determine the extent of discrimination against women. For instance, Food and (FAO) has established gender inequalities in land distribution and ownership among women in rural community. Through the policies set by CEDAW, the agency has been able to determine some of the appropriate measures it can take to ensure that rural women are able to cultivate their land and benefit from it.[30] The gathering has increased awareness of women’s issues, as element of human civil liberties. It has fuelled interest among other organizations, and these organizations use the awareness raised by the gathering to influence other national policies and agendas.[31] Because of this, nations have addressed other issues of concerns including race and disability issues. Countries are able to learn from each other, as they identify the measures that each of them is taking towards realizing the fulfillment of the intentions of the gathering. Countries of a more similar cultural background will identify with each other, and they will learn better from each other. Such countries may decide to formulate different recommendations from those offered by the committee. Those who support the gathering agree that it has several limitations, which render it ineffective. The success and the effectiveness of the gathering depend upon the willingness of the respective governments. If the governments are not willing to recognize women’s rights, then they will establish several reservations, such as the case in Saudi Arabia. These reservations will reduce any chance that the country has of ensuring that women have equal representation in all sectors of life. Some countries continue to be tied to their traditional, cultural, and religious practices. They place their practices above the laws of any international treaties and gatherings. This has limited their willingness towards ensuring that they abide by the recommendations and rules of the gathering. In many countries, culture is a major hindrance towards realizing women’s equality.[32] People are set in their cultural ways, and they do not want to deviate from them. This is especially the c ase regarding family and marriage issues. The gathering recognizes that cultural values are different, but it does not expect people to abuse basic human rights as an excuse of observing their culture. Religion plays a major part in determining whether people will recognize women’s rights. However, this is mostly in Islamic countries, where religion tends to define not only the law, but also cultural beliefs and practices. Conclusion CEDAW has a noble and great idea of humanizing the position of women around the world. It has managed to raise awareness concerning many issues affecting women globally. This has made many governments to recognize the importance of upholding women’s issues. Some governments have integrated the policies and recommendations set by the gathering within their domestic laws and by doing so, they have ensured that women’s rights are guaranteed in their country. The gathering has managed to attract many countries to ratify it since it was first established. More than one hundred and eighty countries have ratified the gathering. However, some of these countries have made several reservations, some of which have exempted them from observing the fulfillment of the objectives. Saudi Arabia ratified the gathering, but its decision to place the Islamic laws above any other treaty or law seems to have defeated the principle of the gathering. The gathering does not have enough power t o enforce countries to follow its policies. In addition, many women around the world continue facing discrimination, even though their countries have ratified the treaty. Bibliography Institutional Documents Amnesty International. Annual Report 2012: Saudi Arabia. Last modified 2012, amnesty.org/en/region/saudi-arabia/report-2012#section-31-6 FAO. The Role of FAO: FAO and the Technical Cooperation Programme. Last modified 2007 Retrieved from fao.org/docrep/008/y5951e/y5951e04.htm UN. Gathering on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women. Last modified 2009. un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/text/econvention.htm#article9 United Nations Department of Public Information. Short History of CEDAW Convention. un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/history.htm Books Abiad Nisrine. Sharia, Muslim States and International Human Rights Treaty Obligations: A Comparative Study. London: BIICL, 2008 Blanchfield Luisa. U.N. Gathering on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW): Issues in the U.S. Ratification Debate. Darby: DIANE Publishing Goonesekere Savitri. Violence, Law and Women’s Rights in South Asia. Thousand Oaks: SAGE, 2004 Krivenko Y. Ekaterina. Women, Islam, and International Law: Within the Context of the Gathering on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Leiden: BRILL, 2009. Merry, E. Sally. Human Rights and Gender Violence: Translating International Law into Local Justice. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2009 Opeskin, Brian, Perruchoud Richard and Jillyanne R. Cross. Foundations of International Migration Law. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012 Seznec Jean-Francois and Mimi Kirk. Industrialization in the Gulf: A Socioeconomic Revolution. Oxford: Taylor Francis, 2010 Waters P. Christopher. British and Canadian Perspectives on International Law. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2006 Periodicals Rosenblaum, Darren. â€Å"Unsex Cedaw, or what’s wrong with Women’s Rights.† Columbia Journal of Gender and Law20 (2011) Warren, S. Christie. â€Å"Lifting the Veil: Women and Islamic Law.† Cardozo Journal of Law Gender15, (2008): 33-64 Zwingel, Susanne. â€Å"From intergovernmental negotiations to (sub)national change: A transnational perspective on the impact of cedaw.† International Feminist Journal of Politics7, no. 3 (2005) Newspapers and Broadcasts Alyami, Ali. â€Å"What Saudi Veils cannot Conceal.† Sharnoff’s Global Views, May 7, 2013. sharnoffsglobalviews.com/saudi-veils-044/ Associated Press. â€Å"Saudi King Allows Women on Top Advisory Council.† The Guardian, January 11, 2013. guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jan/11/saudi-king-allows-women-advisory-council Associated Press. â€Å"Saudi Arabia to Allow Girls to Play Sport at Private Schools.† The Guardian, May 5, 2013. guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/05/saudi-arabia-allows-women-sport Lee, Dave. â€Å"Saudi Arabian Women challenges male guardianship laws. BBC, June 29, 2011. bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13932287 Paddison, Laura. Can Law Firms with Offices in Saudi Arabia take Women’s Rights Seriously? The Guardian, October 23, 2012 Unpublished materials Human Rights Watch. Perpetual Minors: human Rights Abuses Stemming from Male Guardianship and Sex Segregation in Saudi Arabia. Last modified 2008. hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/saudiarabia0408webwcover.pdf Human Rights Watch. World Report 2013: Saudi Arabia. Last modified 2013. hrw.org/world-report/2013/country-chapters/saudi-arabia Saudi Women for Reform. The Shadow Report for CEDAW Prepared by ‘Saudi Women for Reform’ Saudi Arabia. Last modified December 2007. http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cedaw/docs/ngos/womenreform40.pdf [1] United Nations Department of Public Information. Short History of CEDAW Convention. un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/history.htm