Socialization Essay Example for Free

Socialization EssaySocialization can be defined from a dictionary as a chronic process whereby an individual person acquires a personal identity and learns the norms, values, behavior and social skills appropriate to his or her social position. Socialization is a straight disembodied spirit process, but is in general divided into two very distinct groups elemental socializing and secondary socialization. But has socialization changed over the eld? If so, what has been the driving force behind this change? Could it be because of the difference in the primary socialization in the home?Or perhaps the multicultural golf club in which we straightaway live? Socialization occurs throughout life but is most effective in infancy and early tykehood. Primary socialization occurs in the home between the p atomic number 18nt and child. It is a process by which a child learns the cultural norms from their parents. Primary social groups are small intimate groups which let in family, c lose friends, work colleagues and neighbors. It is from everyday group living with the family that a child gets his or her first introduction to acceptable norms of behavior, values, and morals.Ely Chinoy, in a 1960s regular textbook on sociology, says that socialization serves two major functions On the one hand, it prepares the individual for the authoritys he is to play, providing him with the necessary repertoire of habits, beliefs, and values, the appropriate patterns of emotional response and the modes of perception, the required skills and knowledge. On the other hand, by communicating the contents of culture from one generation to the other, it provides for its persistence and continuity. Chinoy, 1961 75 The parent or guardian also passes on their views on language, customs, and religion in a comfortable informal way.The family acts as an agent of social control by teaching its members right from wrong and great(p) its members for wrongdoing. One extremely interesting po int of note about socialization is the prominence that is sited on mothers and the role that mothers play in the socialization process. We are told that it is mothers who are primarily involved in the earlier unconscious stage of socialization. However has this intimate relationship changed over the years? Undoubtedly the task of primary socialization has undergone immense change in the last thirty years.The rise of the Celtic tiger has meant the role of primary socialization has become harder to enforce. The increase in the numbers of women returning to the work force has influenced the way that socialization had previously been structured in the home. More and more children are being cared for by child minders or in creches. Thus this means that the role of primary socialization has become an area which involves a much wider circle of people. From the beginning of the past decade, the mass of children in this state where being cared for by their mother in the home.Today life and families are not so straight-laced. Families are a complex social unit that incorporates ideas that never occurred in past generations. The ideals of a family consisting of a father breadwinner and head of household, and a mother who was involved in mainly household tasks and the rearing of the children, where currently forgotten. Instead these where to be replaced with the new concepts of blended families, one or lone parent families, foster families and adopted families. Another major change in the life of the family that would influence primary socialization is the average number of children in the family.The decrease in the number of children in the average family home has changed the environment of the home dramatically. Parents now ca-ca fewer children than past generations. This in turn leads to parents having much more time to instill values, morals, religion and other customs in their children. The rise in children attending these playschools means that a child is expose d to secondary socialization at an earlier age. Secondary socialization is another example of how our socialization patterns remove changed over time. Secondary socialization occurs in groups that are usually larger and more impersonal than primary groups.Members usually see each other on an infrequent basis, and these groups are not considered to be permanent. Examples are trade union memberships, religious and ethnic groups, pressure groups, voluntary organizations and the schooling administration. This form of socialization is commonly introduced when a child starts school. It is a childs first experience of formal teaching and reinforces his or her past knowledge from primary socialization. This type of socialization has shown great distinction from previous eras. The multicultural and ethnic times we live in have changed the way this eneration socializes.The school system has had a major role to play in this. According to Christine E. Sleeted, during the 1960s, textbooks cle arly featured experiences and viewpoints of white middle class and elite people, mainly men. Over the past twenty-five years textbooks have gone through phases of active revision. (Christine E. Sleeter 1996 91). The world in which this generation grows is wholly unalike to the more guarded and constrained world of the past. The integration of different cultures and ethnicities into Irish society has made a series of changes to the way we now socialize.Children are integrated into a society that incorporates the views of different races, religions and customs. For this reason the education system has undergone immense change and as Christine E. Sleeted insists, almost any textbook published over the last ten years appears t be well integrated. many teachers work to make their curricula multicultural. The implications of this multicultural curriculum are the increase in the level of understanding and acceptance in society as a whole. (Christine E. Sleeter 199691).Similarly Antonia Da rder claims that in liberal educational American schools they strongly incorporate the central pedagogical themes of appropriation, subjectivity, and interionality, along with a strong humanistic emphasis on the uniqueness of the individual. (Antonia Darder 19918). This vital socialization enables society to combat issues such as classism, racism and sexism. The change in the socialization process is incontrovertible. In twain of the distinct areas of socialization primary socialization and secondary socialization change has certainty occurred and is evident in the socialization patterns of the past decade.The substantial transformation of the family has wedged on the aspect of primary socialization. While it is evident from research that the secondary socialization process is adjusting and amending its teaching methods to incorporate a new multicultural generation. The crew of the two reformed socialization processes has undoutedly changed the way this generation sees society. Du e to the new teachings of acceptance and equality, life has changed for people in Ireland to a life that incorporates and supports a divers(a) society.

Similaries of Ancient Worlds - China India Egypt Mesopotamia Essay Example for Free

Similaries of Ancient Worlds China India Egypt Mesopotamia EssayThere are many major civilizations in the instauration today. The first four major civilizations all formed in river valleys. These civilizations are Egypt on the Nile River, China on the Huang He River, India on the Indus River, and Mesopotamia on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. River valleys were a exigency in Early civilizations. The Nile, a river that runs through Egypt played an important role in the creation of the civilization. The river was used for irrigation of their crops. The river make a good soil with a lot of silt.Egypt was called the breadbasket because it produced an incredible amount of grain and crops. The people of Egypt also new exact His code consisted of 282 sections dealing with most aspects of daily life, for example, centre for an Eye and a Tooth for a Tooth. For example the river provided an irrigation dust for the crops along the Fertile Crescent, the negative impact was that the pe ople of Mesopotamia didnt know when the rivers would flood, so the flood ruined their crops and homes.They made a calendar of twelve months, and they were advanced in mortuary science or mummification. ly when it would flood, therefore the people were prepared for the dangerous floods. They needed a legal system and also needed a military. The Tigris and Euphrates, two rivers that ran along the Mesopotamia civilization gave positive and negative impacts on the civilization. Architects were needed to build monuments and farmers to produce food. Another important lineament that led to the development of these early civilization was they needed to organize people, they made a government with government officials and a system of writing that helped keep records and scribes to write them.In conclusion the early civilizations had an advanced form of human culture, had some form of writing and were skilled in science and technology. Mesopotamia was mostly made up of citystates that were usually governed by representatives such as a council of nobles and an assembly of citizens. Many civilizations if not all of them were polytheistic, or believe in more than one god. Their exponent was not only a military official but a high priest as well. They had many achievements, A system of writing hieroglyphics pyramids and monuments made for pharaohs. A major achievement in Mesopotamia was Hammurabis law code.

Theoretical Framework Essay Example for Free

Theoretical Framework EssayAmongst the continued violence in the midst of Sudan governments Army and Minnawis SLM/A, Minni Arcua Minnawi, was sworn as the senior assistant to Sudans President Omar Al-Bashir. This appointment was a result of the agreement that was sign by the SLM/A and the government in the Darfur calm Agreement (DPA). The Darfur Peace Agreement was signed on May 5, 2006 between the Sudans government and the mixed factions in the clownish that were involved in civil war since the cultivation five decades. It would be worthwhile if we female genitalia go through the disturbing memoir of Sudan which has hardly known what peace is since its independence. The Sudan Peace operate A comparison of the Addis Abba Peace agreement of 1972 and the plenary Peace agreement of 2005 by Sara Basha in march 2006 not only gives a comprehensive revue of the violent past of the country provided too compares the two most important peace agreements in the country that pr omised peace to its people.According to Sara Basha, the reason the tension started brewing in the country was the divided rule that the Britishers implemented. They had demarcated such a strong line between the north Sudan and South Sudan that people no more got along each other.The Britishers deliberate emphasis on the North in toll of governance, business and appreciation led to its growth as more developed and rich when compared to south. In fact, at the time of independence, there was only one domesticate in the whole of south Sudan. Over time, religion and ethnic differences also contributed to the conflict thereby making it a North Arabs vs. South Christians war.Sara Bashas review gives a clear outline of the two civil wars that was fought in the country. The first civil war broke out immediately after independence, i.e., from 1955 and it lasted till 1972 when the Addis Abba Peace Agreement was signed. There was period of ten years of null when the people of Sudan first tast ed peace. The agreement was signed under the rule of General Jaffer Nemeiri who was quite implemental and influential in Sudans political history. It was due to his compliance and non-compliance of the agreement that failed the whole peace process. The first civil war, as Sara Basha reveals, was fought for South Sudans indecorum from the oppressive North.The Addis Abba Agreement sought to address that issue and South Sudan was given regional autonomous powers. Peace, according to Sara, was brought in to the picture when two the parties dutifully detect the conditions in the agreement. However, from 1977, hitherto peace-engaging ruler, Nemeiri started Islamization of the whole country and in 1983, imposed some new decrees and division of the south Sudan into three provinces without even consulting the regional heads of the South.That proved the last straw and the second civil war broke out which lasted for twenty one painful years. As Sara mentioned, this time the reason cited was not autonomy but a New Sudan. The faction fighting wanted a united Sudan that would ensure a fresh beginning to the nation. The war ended in 2005 when the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed between the Government and SLM/A. This historical agreement was signed in January 2005.The review fixs the various provisions in the agreement that can work wonders if they were followed strictly. The review also questions how effective this peace process can be. Provided the non-compliance of the conditions in the previous peace agreement by the Government, the review does seem a bit pessimistic about the outcome of the process. It specially mentions the not-so-enthusiastic face the government has managed to put forth about the power sharing between the rebel factions and it. Moreover, the regeneration of the SLM/A from a rebel faction to a governing body was also under question.The current study seeks to fill this gap and gives the situation post-2005 when the carrying out of CPA star ted. The Sara Bashas review had come up with a hypothesis that the CPA can bring lasting peace in the country if both the sides adhere to it.The current study gives further credence to this hypothesis as it clearly explains the steps taken by the Sudanese government to implement the provisions. The choice of Minnawi in the cabinet, the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA), the efforts to resolve problems with the Eastern Front give weight to the whole peace process. There are, however, continued reports of deteriorating situation in the country where the human rights have been violated unabashedly.This partly answers the various questions and hypothesis raised by Sara Bashas review. Though the current review does not explicitly state that the peace process would be a failure, the unabated violence in the country definitely leaves much to be desired. The current review cleared plenteousness of gaps that Sara Bashas review sought in future reviews.One of the main issues was the Darfur confl ict and others that it could not cover. The current review not only covers that but also gives insights in to the latest developments in the issue. And the latest development doesnt yet give promise of the lasting peace that Sara Bashas review wished for. ReferencesBasha, Sara. 2006. Sudan Peace Process A comparison of Addis Abba Peace Agreement of 1972 and the comprehensive peace agreement of 2005. Online. Available from internet,http//web.uct.ac.za/depts/politics/depnews/ProposalPresentations/2006/Proposal%20Basha%20S%2017mar06.doc

A Case study of j boats

A Case study of j boatsObjective The objective of this essay is to look at the issue of organizational tensions and bedrock for successful strategy via the case study of J Boats. This essay introduces the case study of J Boats and the key players, details the five forces analysis, looks at resources and capabilities, tensions, the 4 Ps of strategy and finally comes up with the future recommendations to management and strategic risks faced by J Boats.J Boats and Key players J Boats is Americas well-nigh successful and storied boat-builder. Over the period has won many awards. J Boats operates its line of reasoning in eight countries Argentina, Australia, Italy, France, England, Japan, Brazil and South Africa. Each year, over 100,000 people around the piece sailed on one of their boats. It is operated by only five individuals of a single family. Rod who is the founder of J boats made his first gear boat Ragtime in 1974. Bob is the co-founder of the company and elder br cutting(p renominal) of Rod and he made the strategy of business. Jeffery, son of Rod became president of the company in 1987. Stuart and Drake sons of Bob became vice-president and gross revenue manager in the same year 1987. Alan, son of Rod became product development manager. In 1993 Drake left his position and Jim (nephew of Rod and Bob) became sales coordinator. Tillotson Pearson International (TPI) is the major supplier of the company. J Boats has a network of 65 independent of dealers around the world.Five Forces Analysis The five forces analysis provides a useful framework and checklist for analyzing the challenger dynamics of any given industry (Simons 2000, pg 19). The five forces that determine the degree and nature of competition in boating industry ar industry1. menace of new entrantsEasy to set up for example boat manufacturing bottom take place in home garage. High investment in inquiry and development and product innovation required. J Boats has created professional deal er network distribution. J Boats have a huge history of heavy advertising and this has realize brand equity and loyal customers all over the world.2. SuppliersAll the Boats of J boats are building by TPI and this gives supplier, TPI, a lot of bargaining power. On other hand there is mutual agreement between TPI and J Boats where TPI is exclusive manufacture for J boats.3. SubstitutesLarge numbers of recreational activities available e.g. skiing, swimming and alfresco sports such soccer etc.4. BuyersBuyers are price sensitive. Buyers can easily switch to different suppliers. Dealer earn industry standard margin.5. Industry competitorHigh fixed cost increases the firms willingness to discount to utilize capacity, increasing rivalry.Firms Resources and Capabilities Resource is more broadly defined as strength of the business embodied in the tangible or intangible assets that are tied semi permanently to the firm (Simons 2000, pg 21). Capabilities refer to the special resources and know-how possessed by a firm that gives it agonistic expediency in the market place (Simons 2000, pg 23).J Boats has strengths in the major functional areas of a business, such as research and development and marketing and sales. It has king to respond quickly and effectively to market adopts. J Boats capabilities are excessively created by being first at creating new design- a first doer and locking out competitors.Tension in organization Organizations are complex entities in which managers must poise a variety of forces (Simons 2000, pg 7). J Boats needs to balance opportunities and attention. It has three projects in production J/160, J/32 and J/100 that absorbs time and money. It is hard for a company to decide which project to act up with for next years. The managers must ration their time and attention wisely.Secondly, J boats are attempting to grow it business however an excessive emphasis on growth can lead to danger without consideration to profitability. J boats ne ed to balance profit, growth and control. J boats need to make strong financial formulation. Only when a business is profitable can managers focus on growing the business (Simons 2000, pg 8).The 4Ps of Strategy These are Perspective Mission, Position in Industry, Patterns of Action and Plans Goal. These are explained below.Mission avouchment A mission statement is a formal commitment to stakeholders that the companys strategy incorporates and recognizes their claims on the organization (Hill 2007 p 34). J Boats mission is to become one of Americas most successful and famous boat- builders.Position in Industry Means what industry position it wants to achieve through its strategies? (Hubbard, Jaynes, Clowes, Winter, Samuel, Pg. 3.7, 2009). J Boats wants to build best performance sailboats, so creating value by offering quality products.Patterns of Action To succeed over the long term, managers must keep their eyes focused on customers and competitors and their ears to the ground. They must hear and learn (Simons 2000, pg 37). J Boats is a best performing brand because of product innovation, advanced research and development and networks and relationships with suppliers and buyers. J Boat is very creative and straightaway moving with a new idea and currently its moving in low cost boat.Plan Goals Goals are the ends or results that management desires to achieve in implementing the business strategy. Plans and goals can be used to communicate strategies and coordinate actions (Simons 2000, pg 32). From management perspective greater success of company is to handover J Boats successfully to next generation.passport These are a few recommendations that could support company to perform in more effective and efficient manner in future. These are explained below.Effective planning system Effective financial planning means the development and implementation of co-ordinate plans for the achievement of a clients overall financial objectives (Leimberg 2007, p 3). J boats need to make strong financial planning. These will tell the J boats that whether the company is running as efficiently as possible or not. It will also help management to analysis cash flow position, further investment objective and goals.Quality and performance By being the first mover (means first to create a new performance boat design) in the niche product segment ( i.e. quality and performance) alone is not sufficient to ensure this advantage is maintained, and J Boats must continue to innovate in product development, maintain good supplier and dealer network and stay one step ahead of its competitors.Expansion To create long-term strategic advantage, J Boats really needs to look to involution options that ensure strong growth and profitability. On this basis, expansion of new low cost boat and different supplier bases will provide a good foundation.Strategic Risk The process of overseeing the management of all the firms risks is strategic risk management (Hubbard, Jayn es, Clowes, Winter, Samuel, 2009). However, it is vital that the risk attached to any options is carefully considered by J Boats before embarking on these options. They will significantly change the primal business model of J Boats, increasing the level of complexity and uncertainty associated with revenue streams generated from new products and markets. In order to successfully integrate any expansion into the existing business, J Boats must ensure that risk management becomes an essential component of the business planning cycle.Conclusion Future growth and development are clearly important factors in the J Boats business model. The development of brands loyalty and consistency of product innovation and expansion into low cost boat is in all likelihood to be the way to success. J Boats ensured that one of the Johnstons was represented on the class association executive board to monitor closely any proposed changes in move rules that might affect specifications and allowable equ ipment when racing, this a good example of how the company is ensuring its well placed for the future and has strong capabilities that are able to meet the strategic goals of the company.Company should understand running a business on one supplier base is much more risky in term of long future plan thus its vital to have more than one supplier. Finally we recommend J Boats to consider rotation of duties for fear that if misfortune give to a family member the business will continue in future without major interruption.

Challenges That Women Entrepreneurs Face Commerce Essay

Challenges That Women Entrepreneurs Face Commerce EssayThis paper examines the challenges that women entrepreneurs face in the tourism sphere of influence in Zimbabwe. The explore targeted womanish entrepreneurs swaping curios in Masvingo and Victoria Falls which atomic number 18 the prime tourist destinations in Zimbabwe. Women entrepreneurship has been under spotlight in Zimbabwe beca subprogram it is a reference point of sparing growth. Despite the potential that stays in women entrepreneurs they face additional or at least different social, cultural, educational and technological challenges than men in establishing and developing their protest enterprises, and accessing sparing resources. From the inter forecasts conducted women entrepreneurs in the tourism sector birth difficulties in securing funding, inadequate strain related education as hearty as social, cultural and spectral impediments. This paper en sex activitys to understand the gender biases embedded i n society which constrain womens mobility, interactions, active economic participation and access to seam conclusion services. Lastly, appropriate interventions argon recommended within the discourse of entrepreneurship.Key words Entrepreneurship, Tourism, Gender, Enterprise development, Women EntrepreneurshipIntroductionEntrepreneurship is a key driver of capacity building and national development in whatsoever country. As such(prenominal), this paper focuses on challenges faced by women in the tourism sector. On 21 May 2012 the researchers waited a forum on Womens passage of arms in Africas Tourism Industry in Victoria Falls held during the African Travel Association group discussion. The presenters included the former Deputy Secretary General of join Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) who alluded to the fact that tourism constitutes 30% of the worlds economy and offers 78% of perishforce in the world. He further reiterated that research has explicitly shown the ge nder inequalities that exist in the tourism sector as to the highest degreely women and children as compared to the male counterparts are exploited. He further menti matchlessd that in 2008, the UNWTO came up with a constitution for gender equality which is envisaged under the united Nations Platform. In 2010, the Global report on Women in Tourism by World Tourism Organization and United Nations women encouraged women to participate in leadership roles in the tourism industry. The report held that although women constitute a high percentage of the workforce in the tourism industry, most of them occupy lower levels where they are subsequently lowly paid. Because of this report, UNWTO suggested that vocational training be offered to appoint women in the industry. Tanzania and Gambia were the first both countries chosen to start the vocational training for women entrepreneurs in the tourism industry. Other countries to benefit from the training are from Latin America and Africa.An other presenter a Managing Director of Affluent hospitality Group in America said that women make up 80% of Travel Agency in America and 80% of break down decisions are make by women in North America. This justifies the fact that women have an active role to play in the tourism industry.In addition the Marketing Director of Amalinda appeal in Zimbabwe gave a testimony of her experience in the Tourism industry. She admitted that as a mother she has a lot of family responsibilities that apart from being a functional woman such that she faces the dilemma of choosing amidst family and business. At one conviction when her son fell sick at 4 months old she had to quit the production line in favour of the family. Family roles represent one of the challenges that women entrepreneurs face in comparison with their male counterparts.The Governor and Resident Minister of Matabeleland North Province of Zimbabwe reported that, 60% of arts and crafts in Zimbabwe are produced by women from B inga who largely produce reed mats and baskets while the Gwaai women produce pottery artifacts. The interesting revelations made at the conference prompted the researchers to subscribe to conducting a research on the challenges that women entrepreneurs face in the tourism industry in Zimbabwe.In current years women-owned businesses have become increasingly pop only if entrepreneurship expects a deeply gendered institution (Anderson, 2008). Bushell (2012) considered entrepreneurship as expedition bulge of paucity and gravitation towards equity but this has not been the case because women remain marginalized globally. Given the constraints facing African women entrepreneurs their full economic potential is not actualized and they do not feature on the mainstream of the economic agenda (Ozigbo and Ezeaku, 2009). There is because study for countries to address gender disparities between men and women to achieve significant milestones in economic growth. In addition to those probl ems faced by all little entrepreneurs, women face additional or at least different social, cultural, educational and technological challenges than men in establishing and developing their own enterprises, and accessing economic resources (Mayoux, 2001). It is important that such challenges be addressed so as to enable women to prosper in their businesses. Chitsike (2000) and United Nations Industrial instruction Organization (2003) mentioned that womens businesses in Zimbabwe tend to be low-down and are discriminated by the legal system which backs male ideologies.Literature ReviewIn m either countries entrepreneurship has been considered a means of generating meaningful and sustainable employment opportunities, specially for those at the margins of the economy women, the poor and good deal with disabilities (ILO, 1998 Rajani and Sarada, 2008). However, very little literature exists on the role of women entrepreneurs in a global economy especially in Africa (Morgan and Ojo, 20 08) and this is one of the reasons why women continue to be marginalized in entrepreneurship development. In addition, in cases where the role of women entrepreneurship is articulated on that point still remains a gap in gender analysis (Morgan and Ojo, 2008). Research factors affecting performance of women entrepreneurs of their businesses are limited in scope, as any(prenominal) existing research most often focuses on individual characteristics and motives as performance predictors (Teoh and Chong, 2007) at the expense of gender disparities. Despite the economic importance of female entrepreneurs their modus operandis are lower than those for men (Verheul, wagon train Stel and Thurik, 2006 Carter, 2000 Minniti et al., 2005) and thusly it is of importance to address the barriers to female entrepreneurship. This paper deviates from the former approach by focusing on challenges that women face in entrepreneurial development. Further more(prenominal), the research applies an entre preneurial development position adapted from Richardson and Howarth (2002a) to analyse the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in the tourism sector in Zimbabwe as shown in figure 1 below. The model is based on the cross sectional biological structure of a peach fruit. At centre of the model is the seed which represents the entrepreneurial opportunity identified. The national part adjacent to the seed represents the mesopreneurial (fruit mesorcarp) factors based on the MAIR model by (Gibb and Ritchie, 1982) which include motivation or commitment, skills, abilities and experiences, idea in relation to the trade as well as the resources. Williams (1997) commented that commitment and dedication of the entrepreneur is critical if they are to prosper whilst Zimmer and Scarborough (1996) attribute failure of small businesses to managerial incompetence and need of experience among other factors and therefore women entrepreneurs need relevant skills and experience to fully exploit e ntrepreneurial opportunities. The mesopreneurial factors represent the basic ingredients of business success. The final structural section is the exopreneurial (fruit exocarp) factors which represent the macro environment in which the enterprises operate and it entails the following aspectsThe enabling environment which focuses on policy issues, institutions and initiatives which impact on enterprise development in particular the tourism industry in ZimbabweThe socio-cultural and economic context which the social, cultural and religious factors that affect enterprise development.Enterprise Support Sector made up of initiatives and organizations developed to propel enterprise development and how these impact on enterprise development.The Economic/Market Environment which deals with opportunities and threats in the environment.Women entrepreneurs hardly have specialized shop at institutions to cater for their specific needs (United Nations International Development Organization, 200 3). In most cases entrepreneurial and technical training, advisory and information programmes often have to be carried out within a non-conventional set-up (United Nations International Development Organization, 2003). Women entrepreneurs need to have a more supportive environment that is more favourable (Stevenson and St-Onge, 2005) if they are to gain equivalent recognition that of men. Training programmes developed must take into account their society, culture, community and empowerment (Agbnyiga and Ahmedani, 2008). If significant milestones are to be achieved in female entrepreneurship support systems need to take into account the needs, challenges and unique situation of women to promote women entrepreneurship and avoid failure and lower levels of female entrepreneurship (Drine and Grach, 2010). It is vital to note that countries that have developed policies and legislation bespoke for women entrepreneurship have witnessed tremendous growth and increase in the turn of event ss of women in business.Figure 1 Peach Fruit Concept of entrepreneurship Adapted from Richardson and Howarth (2002a)Enteprise support sector Government, NGOs, Private Sector, Membership Organizations, donorsEndopreneurial factorSeedEntrepreneurial OpportunityThe Economic/Market Environment Opportunities and ThreatsEnabling Environment for Enterprise regulations, policies, institutions, institutions and processesMesopreneurial FactorsExopreneurial factorsResourcesSocio/cultural context Attitudes, aspirations, dominance and permissionidea with marketSkills, abilities and experienceMotivation and determinationFemale EntrepreneurshipWomen Entrepreneurs refer to women or a group of women who initiate organize and operate a business enterprise (Jahanshahi, Pitamber and Nawaser, 2010). McClelland et al. (2005) define a woman-owned business as one which is at least 51% owned by one or more women or in the case of any publicly-owned business, at least 51% of the stock of which is owned by o ne or more women. In 2010 187 zillion women were mixed in entrepreneurship ranging from 1.5-45.4% of the adult female population in 59 economies (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor GEM, 2010). It should also be noted that Ghana has 55% of women being involved in entrepreneurship and it is the only economy where there are more women than men entrepreneurs (GEM, 2010). One of the United Nations Millennium Development goals is to promote gender equity and empower women as agents of poverty eradication, hunger, disease and to stimulate sustainable development (United Nations Industrial Development Organization, 2004). Therefore promotion of women entrepreneurship is vital for the achievement of broader objectives including poverty reduction and economic development. A positive indicator to women entrepreneurship is that African leaders have pledged to take joint responsibility for promoting the role of women in social and economic development by reinforcing their capacity in education an d training, facilitating access to credit and assuring their participation in the political and economic life (NEPAD, 2001). The increased role of women in economic development has forced many a(prenominal) governments to take an active role in developing policies on women development and gender related issues.Mueller and Dato-on (2010) stipulated that women play a significant role in entrepreneurship but their role remains suppressed in comparison to that of their male counterparts across the globe because of family roles, traditions , cultural and structural constraints which hang their abilities to lead business (Bushell, 2012). Women bear the responsibility for childcare and shellcare and as a result this leads to work-family conflicts (Das, 2001 and Jahanshashi, Pitamber and Nawaser, 2010 Winn, 2005). Chitsike (2000) also stated that men view womens role as that of being at home and not engaging in any business activities that are reserved for men.One of the challenges that women face is unequal access to productive resources and services, including finance and skill upgrading opportunities (United Nations International Development Organization UNIDO, 2003 Tumbunan, 2009 Sorokhaibam and Laishram, 2003). In many African countries, women inequality lies in economic rights and access to resources as men persist and then preventing women from taking full advantage of the economic opportunities (Ozigbo and Ezeaku, 2009). Ulusay Degroot (2001) mentions that womens participation as owners of small medium sized business has been constrained due to poor access to market information, technology and finance, poor linkages with support service and unfavourable policy and support mechanisms ( Ulusay De Groot, 2001). In Zimbabwe domestic chores and agricultural activities do not allow women time to travel to support institutions such as finance houses for advice and information on credit (Ulusay De Groot, 2001). In many African countries, women spend most of their income on the household and idolize devoteing their funds in business ventures for fear of business failure (Ozigbo and Ezeaku, 2009), particularly on food and education for their children. Many of them are afraid to invest their limited funds into a business for fear of failure.Many women entrepreneurs are seldom taken seriously in spheres of credibility and capability, competing and succeeding in a male dominated environment (Ozigbo and Ezeaku, 2009) and this is one of the factors that explain their relatively obscure role in economic development. Despite the fact that many women entrepreneurship is a source of job creation, economic growth and social development many women owned businesses remain stunted by lack of appropriate managerial skills, access to business resources, networking opportunities and access to new markets (Ozigbo and Ezeaku, 2009). The current institutional environment purposes to achieve gender equity but the traditional powers are tilted towards the patria rchal system and therefore maintains the status quo of gender inequity (Goheer, 2003).In Zimbabwe women have largely been marginalized from mainstream economic activities because of the predominant partriarchal system which confines women to domestic roles. 53% of all economic activities in Zimbabwe are performed by women but, this figure remains invisible because it is not accounted for in national statistics and most of the activities are characterized by poor working conditions. It is also outlay mentioning at this stage that religion, culture and the socialization process are more or less of the major factors perpetuating gender inequity in Zimbabwe. This is evidenced by the fact that under the current customary law, women cannot own/inherit land (Chitsike, 2000) and land is one of the resources that are important for entrepreneurial development.Research MethodologyBaines and Wheelock (2000) mention that many women have ventured into entrepreneurship but little research has be en make on gender and female entrepreneurship. The reasons behind increase of entrepreneurial variances arising out of gender remains unresolved is because women odor that by exposing these issues they deepen their entrepreneurial differences (Calas et.al. 2007 as cited in Peris-Ortiz, Rueda-Armengot and Benito Osorio, 2011). Studying women entrepreneurship is critical because it is an important source of economic prosperity and presently research efforts, policies and programs tend to be skewed towards men and neglect the needs of women entrepreneurs and potential women entrepreneurs (OECD, 2004). In the African context there are very few studies that have focused on female entrepreneurship particularly in the tourism sector and therefore this research seeks to close this gap. In addition, Gelb (2001) states that this is due to lack of indigenous research, inadequate information and methodological constraints (Ozigbo and Ezeaku, 2009). Despite the increasing role, women entrepren eurship theory development and empirical evidence only offer a very blurry picture of women entrepreneurs (Tan, 2008). Subsequently, improved understanding of women entrepreneurs challenges is infixed in order to assess their needs, and provide solutions to teething problems they encounter. Although there have been some studies of small businesses in Zimbabwe, none has provided rich qualitative data of female entrepreneurs (Mboko and Smith-Hunter, 2008) and this study endeavors to contribute towards addressing this deficiency.This study is based on the small and medium business entrepreneurs in Zimbabwes arts and Crafts industry in Masvingo and Victoria Falls. 10 women in Masvingo from Dzimbahwe Crafts and Art Center and 15 from various Crafts Centers in Victoria Falls who were trading at Elephant Hills Hotel during the 37th ATA Conference between from 18-22 May 2012 were interviewed for this research. These townships are screening tourism destinations in Zimbabwe and are home t o reputable attractions which are The Great Zimbabwe and the Victoria Falls respectively.Interviews were conducted at Dzimbahwe Craft Center situated along the alley to Masvingo Town. For the effectiveness of the conversations, we had to talk to the women while viewing the different artefacts they make. The conversations included negotiations over the products prices that made the interviewers buy some of the items to encourage the women to talk freely. The interview started with more common head introductions, some business questions that included who makes the products, how (i.e. whether there is use of ma slaughters or just ordinary hands), where, when and why the people do this business. The interviews also covered issues to do with any support the women received in terms of finance, human and material resources, marketing and other business operational champaigns. In the process, we had to go to the extent of observing the women doing the work like crocheting and weaving the mats, bed and table covers, polishing and decorating the wooden plates, basins and bowls while some were even carving the different items according to their plain of specialization. This one day session took us about one and a half hours and we spent $30 to buy some items from the different women who added up to a total of 10 entrepreneurs.In Victoria Falls, we took the advantage of the 37th African Travel Association conference (ATA) that we attended from the 18th to the 22nd of May 2012 at Elephant Hills Hotel. Some selected male and female arts and crafts entrepreneurs from various selling centres of Victoria Falls were given the opportunity by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) to come and sell their wares free of charge at the venue during the conference days. To promote the entrepreneurs, the ZTA had in their conference program a session for Meeting the African Culture when both(prenominal) mid-morning and afternoon teas were being served at the grounds where the entrepre neurs were selling their products. This was a good opportunity for the conference delegates to meet and discuss with the sellers while at the same time viewing and buying the handicrafts. As researchers, we took advantage of this to carry out our study for 3 consecutive days.On the first day we toured the various stands just to view the items on display and we asked some few general questions like what we did in Masvingo. Some of the questions were about how they come to be part of the ATA conference and the benefits they were expecting from the conference. On the endorsement day we got into in-depth interviews to get details of their operations, marketing, any support and assistance from any institutions towards the success of their businesses. To probe for more information we were appreciating their achievements and sympathizing with their challenges as we were discussing with them during the tea breaks. For the other two days we had to share a table with some women during lunch t ime so that we could talk more. At times we had to sit together in the conference venue, commenting on what the presenters were saying about tourism entrepreneurship. One good example was a debate on the presentation do by a lesson from the Zimbabwe Ministry of Youth, Development, Indigenization and Empowerment.On the final and third day, we selected some of the artefacts to buy that included the bowls, the big five, basins, Zimbabwe bird (Shiri Hungwe) for Blessing, one of the researchers totem and other items. We spent $50 for the items and we left the women in a very happy mood. As a way of appreciating our concern for them some women gave us some of the items at very low prices and in return we influenced some of our colleagues to buy from them. The total of the interviewees was 25 women.Analysis and DiscussionThe demographic Profile of Interviewed Women EntrepreneursTable 1 Geographical Location of the Women EntrepreneursRESEARCH AREALOCATIONurbanLOCATIONRuralMasvingo37Victor ia Falls96According to.1 out of the 10 women who were interviewed in Masvingo, 7 were residing in the country-style areas and only 3 were from the urban area. From the 15 interviewees in Victoria Falls, 9 were urban residents and only 6 were from the rural area. This data reflects that the handicraft business is done in both rural and urban settings provided there is favourable environment. In Masvingo the majority of entrepreneurs come from their rural homes that surround Nemanwa Arts and Craft center because operate from home reduces any rental costs that can be incurred. The few who stay in the urban area have their husbands working in the town and this business supplements their spouses income.In Victoria Falls the majority of women who are urban dwellers reported that they own houses in the town from the cooperative that was formulated by the Arts and Crafts business operators sometime in 1990. The remaining percentage constitutes those women who own homes in the peri-urban a rea of the town and are permanent residents of the area.Table 2 Age of Women Entrepreneurs board GROUPNUMBERBelow 25 years226-30 years430-45 years1546-504Table 2 shows the relationship between a womans age and entrepreneurship. The likelihood of a woman venturing into business positively increases with the 30 to 45 years age range have the greatest number of women entrepreneurs. Very few women below the age of 25 years want to get into this business probably because they are unable to do the job or have better things to do.MotivationsWomen who are in art and craft business in Victoria Falls and Masvingo said that they are into this business because they grew up doing the weaving, create from raw material and pottery activities and to them they see it as a way of their living. In the yester years when tourism was still vibrant in Zimbabwe they could earn more than other people in some professions but as from 2004 to date the business has slowed down due to the economic crisis. These women admitted that they cannot go out of this business because they have no ersatz means of survival since their environments are basically in the dry regions of the country. Therefore what is evident in what the women are saying is the fact that tourism fits very well in their livelihood strategies as a source of income. From the findings it emerged that the women are motivated into employment by push factors such as unemployment, inadequate family income and the need to book work and home roles as in the Zimbabwean scenario the womans place is the home. The same sentiments were echoed by Vijaya and Kamalanabhan (2009) and Drine and Grach (2010) who reiterated that women are motivated by the desire to provide security for the family and flexibility that entrepreneurship offer between home and family roles.Access to Financial ResourcesThe women entrepreneurs in the arts and crafts industry revealed that their major challenge is their in accessibility to both investment and oper ational dandy since they have no personal assets to use as collateral which is a prerequisite at the financial institutions. If they happen to get the starting capital they whitethorn even face more challenges of getting adequate operational capital to meet their daily supplies of raw materials such as reeds, steel wires, finishing oils, threads, wood, polishes and others to use for their business. At times they may need transport to take their products to and from their homes for security reasons. If these people are operating from the designated sites the local councils would need the rentals every month for the nutriment of the places. The problem of lack of capital usually arises from the fact that the enterprises are the major contributors to the survival of the family, and this puts a brake on efforts for improvement of womens enterprises in Zimbabwe (Ulusay Degroot, 2001).On the accessibility to capital, one woman at the ATA conference for Young Professionals in Victoria Fa lls narrated her ordeal of trying to get financial assistance from the Ministry of Indigenization and Youth Development that promotes indigenous entrepreneurs in the country. Grace said, When I went to the offices I was told to bring a project proposal. I prepared that at my own expense. After that they gave me a packet of forms to fill in whose other requirements i could not understand. As if that was not enough, I was told to wait for a response that never came to my attention and these people lie that they are supporting us financially. Another woman, Nyaradzo narrated that, The Ministry of Indigenization and Youth Development, asked for a list of all entrepreneurs who needed financial assistance and the specific amounts requested and were handed to the ministry but nothing materialized. The ministry later on asked the women entrepreneurs to pay $20 per person for a weeks training in financial management. After paying the money nothing has been done since November 2011. She said Vanhu ava matsotsi anodakubira varombo, havana basa nesu, (These people are conmen, who steal from the poor and they do not care about us). This is a major challenge for the women who are open to all sorts of financial risks in business. Most women also revealed that most financial institutions were not keen to finance their business initiatives. This negative attitude towards financing of women entrepreneurs is explained by the traditional patriarchal system division which spells out the differences of male-female roles in society as supported by Ozigbo and Ezeaku (2009).Protection of intellectual property rightsA number of women entrepreneurs fall prey to political promises and business intermediaries. One woman who failed to get funding from the Ministry of Indigenization and Youth Development later discovered that her project was being employ by one of the government officials in Victoria Falls. She had no voice over it. Because of this, many women in the sector feel betrayed and humiliated because of such practices. This rhymes the Shona proverbs that murombo haarovi chine nguwo (This literally means the poor provide never challenge the rich). It is important for women entrepreneurs to be well versed with their intellectual property rights so that they can challenge those who prey on their ideas in judiciary.Production and place-related challengesThe study has revealed that a number of Zimbabwean women who are arts and crafts entrepreneurs have no fixed place for their business operations as they are dotted from their homes, forest and some few designated arts and craft centres. The designated centres have no permanent structures put in place but there are some temporary shades which are brought by the individuals from their homes. These offer no security at all as they are just open spaces for business and in addition one is exposed to the harsh forces of the natural environment.Those who operate from the forests (source of raw materials) cite trans portation problems as one of the challenges. For example, if a wood carver finds a good tree in the forest which is too big to carry home or at the designated area she has to work on it from there and then carry the finished products. These pose a lot of risks to the females since there are a lot of dangers associated with forestry environments.Storage space for the finished products is another problem for most women entrepreneurs. Most leave the products covered by some cloths or tents during the night in the presence of either a guard or unattended at owners risk. Lack of storage space puts the products at risk of theft. The most special wares are taken back home daily which is a tiresome task for the females since most of them walk a distance of about 5 kilometres every day from their homes to the designated centres.Family rolesAt home there is usually a challenge of divided concentration between home chores and work and at home the working space is limited and not tributary for business operations. One woman (Maria) even expressed that, handingazosiyi mumba mune tsvina nekuda kwebasa (I cannot leave my house dirty because of work). Already this indicates how busy women entrepreneurs are with household and business responsibilities at any given time of their lives and this is a hindrance to effective business operations. In support, Ulusay De Groot (2001) posits that household roles deprive women of time to travel to enterprise support institutions or to attend training sessions to acquire skills in various fields. As long as womens responsibilities remain divided between work and domestic roles their contributions to economic development will remain obscure.Marketing operationsThere is a general belief that Zimbabwe arts and crafts are unique worldwide and they are found in many countries these days in China besides the Americas which used to be the countrys chief tourism source market. These products have made Zimbabwe boast of its rich and unique cultur eThe majority of women sell their products to the foreign tourists. Financial constraints make it difficult for the women to access regional and international markets despite the high demand for the Zimbabwe art and craft in these markets. It was reported that in the past years when tourism was at peak (i.e. between 1990 and 1999) business was lucrative and there was no worry of exporting the products as buyers could come to the country and buy the products. During the period business was very lucrative. Masundire (2011) identified the need to assist arts and crafts producers to access foreign markets as 90% of their wares are in demand in Europe, America, Australia and South Africa.As a result of inaccessibility to foreign markets, there is now the emergence of market intermediaries popularly cognise as the cross boarder traders who buy and sell the products from arts and crafts producers in foreign markets. The major problem these intermediaries pose is that they bid to buy the w ares at a very low price at the expense o

Judith Lorbers The Social Construction of Gender Essay -- Socializati

Judith Lorber is able to convey galore(postnominal) of her ideals about our contemporary conceptions of gender in her essay, ?The Social Construction of Gender.? Not only does she clearly express her opinions on the roles of physiological differences of the virile and female bodies, but she also elaborates on the roles of the mass media and professional sports among other things. It rapidly becomes clear that there are many authorized arguments that support this movement for near or complete equality in genders and the roles that they perform.Clearly, society has been created around two separate classes or genders men and women. Lorber argues that much of what we fill to be gender has no place in the natural order of the things. She is able to begin her argument by citing that gender has often been a veridical creation of man in many cases such as those of hermaphrodites. Should a baby be born with characteristics that do not fully represent the male or the female gender, a doctor will judge the baby based on the size and shape of its gentiles, and then transform him/her into one or the other. Though there are more advanced techniques employed in this process today, this does illustrate the arbitrary meanings of gender.Lorber holds many of the same views as the average libber and more. She agrees with the view that genders are nothing more than a ?cultural overlay? and is oppressive to females. Though she does not dispute the fact that there are many differences in physical, intellectual, and emotional characteristics between men and women, Lorber claims that these differences are socially meaningless until social practices transform them into social facts.? (Lorber, Page 40) These include most activities from professio... ...ation of people by their behavioral patterns and their physical or mental aptitudes and shortcomings rather than gender alone. Though this hardly seems like a feasible solution with the state of contemporary society, it a ppears to put to work some of the most deep-rooted problems of gender inequality.Larry Gross is able to offer some insight into resistance of this culture by suggesting the support and growth of media that twain produced by and aimed at specific genders and sexual minorities. Though such changes are already beginning to take place in the media today, it will surely by quite some time before these goals are realized in magnitude sought after by Gross. Though both of these authors present practical advancements for their ideals, they are truly up against powerful opposition and are not likely to see their desired changes any time in the near future.

Naturalism and Symbolism in the Poem Design by Robert Frost Essay

Naturalism and Symbolism in the Poem Design by Robert FrostThe poem Design by Robert Frost is a praise written about mans relationship with nature. Frost deliberately uses the form of a sonnet, using the octave for a discussion and the sextet for questioning the fact that in that respect is a force that controls our existence. There are natural characters and some degrees of irony also that give this poem a naturalistic feel. Frost uses the style of a sonnet in Design to present a philosophical problem - who controls our destiny. The octave is a single, smooth flowing sentence full of description. We are introduced to third things the narrator happened upon one day. There is a scene of contradictory pictures. The color of the white heal--all, the white spider, and the white moth all suggest purity and innocence. These are the, as the speaker describes them, characters of death and blight. The octave has a lighter tone than the sextet. Even thought the tone is l ighter there still seems to be a tautness and seriousness that flows evenly to the sextet, which seems to bring chills to the readers spine. The sextet is a series of questions that reveals a blend of emotions. The sextet brings about an unexpected change in tone. The poet is no prolonged observing, but questioning. The first question sounds like he is questioning something that doesnt fit in. The next question brings about a harsher image. The last question is the revelation into the speakers torment. In the sextet, where the issues are raised, they should be solved in the following octet. They are not. Frost poses three unanswerable questions. The speaker seems reluctant to asks these questions and face them openl... ...ting there. It may be considered essential. The fate of the moth lay in the spider eating it. It was born to fly near that white flower and feed the spider. There is also a third debate that could be addressed. Naturally, a white m oth would be attracted to a white flower as camouflage from predators. The white spider would use the flower as projection screen from prey. There is a design at work but not a design of darkness. It is simply an order of nature. It can be attributed to survival of the fittest. The utmost verse however calls to doubt not just evidence of natural darkness but the entire epistomogical basis of the poem. Is there someone or something supreme us or are we so small that is doesnt really matter in the grand scheme of things. If design govern a thing so small questions the result and method of the rest of the poem.