Outline and Evaluate Cross-Cultural Studies of Gender Role Essay

There have been various studies that have observed elements of gender roles in other countries, one such study was conducted by Williams and Best, the study explored gender stereotypes in 30 different nations involving 2800 university students as participants. They were given a 300 item adjective checklist and asked to decide whether an item was most associated with men or women. What they found out was that there was a broad consensus across countries with men being seen as more dominant and aggressive and women being seen as nurturing and defendant. This supports the common stereotype of both genders, that males are â€Å"dominant and aggressive† and that females are â€Å"nurturing and defendant†. The findings from this study do have strengths, due to the sample used. The studies sample firstly was large and also very diverse in terms of culture, religion and ethnicity (expected of universities) and because of this the population validity of the findings increases and makes the results more generalizable and representative of the wider population, this means the conclusion of gender roles being consistent throughout cultures is applicable to the general population. However there is a flaw within the study, you could say that although the sample was drawn from a large geographical pool, which should indicate representativeness, they were all students who share common attributes and viewpoints and so they may not being necessarily representative of the population of their country and all social groups within. Also the construction of the checklist did not include an equal category alongside the male and female category, so this means that the division between the male and female categories may be exaggerated, thus prompting the students to believe that there is a gap between men and women and thus making them draw upon their inner stereotypical views. Also there are methodological flaws, the checklist comes into account again as it is developed by Western psychologists, because of this the westernised perspective behaviours considered in one culture to be feminine may not be considered feminine in another, so therefore the findings may be of little use to those in other cultures. This study suggests that there are universal stereotypes about male-female characteristics therefore indicating that gender roles are influenced more y our biology and evolution rather than socially constructed. However its arguable that the findings lack validity and that empirical evidence of cross-cultural studies on gender roles is less useful than initially believed. Another study is one conducted by Margaret Mead, she studied social groups in Papua New Guinea. Initially, she argued that the â€Å"Arapesh† men and women were gentle, the â€Å"Mundugumor† men and women were violent and the â€Å"Tchambuli†exhibited gender role differences with women being more dominant and men dependable. She concluded that this date demonstrated cultural determinism and that gender differences are determined by social factors. However Mead later changed her view to one of culture relativism. When she re-analysed her data she realised that although both sexes of the Arapesh were non-aggressive and both sexes of the Mundugamor were aggressive, in all three societies the men were more aggressive than the women. This suggests that some behaviours are innate and universal, but the degree to which these behaviours are expressed is relative to the particular culture. The study was a natural experiment, so Mead was observing the groups in their usual enviroment, it could be argued that she was noting their true behaviour, however it could be argued that the natives were simply providing Mead with the information she wanted to hear and therefore the study may not be as valid as it seems. Also there are methodological issues with the research conducted by Mead, as she used ethnographic field research and the data would have been gathered through participant observation, interviews and questionnaires, all methods whereby the results are easily subject to observer bias. Mead would have had to speculate on what the data potentially meant and acknowledge that her own cultural biases will have affected the interpretation. Due to the fact results may not be objective and the fact that non-scientific methods were used to collect data (both key features of psychology as a science), the validity of the findings seems to decrease and due to this reduced validity we cannot accurately conclude that gender roles do vary depending on culture to the studies methodological flaws. However, there is further evidence to support the assumption that gender roles are not consistent worldwide, Antonia Young carried out a study on the unusual gender roles in Albania. She found a group called the Albania virgins who were born into families which lacked a male presence and thus adopted the male role, committed to being a virgin and dressed and acted as men. The society accepted them as male and they were admitted to all male clubs and social groups. This suggests that societies create gender roles based on the needs of their society/culture and therefore shows that genders do vary across cultures. In conclusion, cross cultural studies help us to establish whether nature or nurture has the greater influence over gender roles. Both Mead and Young’s studies imply that nurture and social influences have a greater influence on gender roles, however evidence from William and Best lies on the nature side of the debate by indicating that our biology is more dominant.

The Invention of Velcro

The Invention of Velcro Its hard to imagine what we would do without Velcro, the versatile hook-and-loop fastener used in so many aspects of modern life- from disposable diapers to the aerospace industry. Yet the ingenious invention came about almost by accident. Velcro was the creation of Swiss engineer Georges de Mestral, who had been inspired by a walk in the woods with his dog in 1941. Upon their return home, de Mestral noticed that burrs (from the burdock plant) had attached themselves to his pants and to his dogs fur. De Mestral, an amateur inventor and a curious man by nature, examined the burrs under a microscope. What he saw intrigued him. De Mestral would spend the next 14 years attempting to duplicate what he saw under that microscope before introducing Velcro to the world in 1955. Examining the Burr Most of us have had the experience of burrs clinging to our clothing (or our pets), and considered it a mere annoyance, never wondering why it actually happens. Mother Nature, however, never does anything without a specific reason. Burrs have long served the purpose of ensuring the survival of various plant species. When a burr (a form of a seed pod) attaches itself to an animals fur, it is carried by the animal to another location where it eventually falls off and grows into a new plant. De Mestral was more concerned with the how than the why. How did so small an object exert such a stronghold? Under the microscope, de Mestral could see that the tips of the burr, which appeared to the naked eye as stiff and straight, actually contained tiny hooks that can attach themselves to fibers in clothing, similar to a hook-and-eye fastener. De Mestral knew that if he could somehow recreate the simple hook system of the burr, he would be able to produce an incredibly strong fastener, one with many practical uses. Finding the Right Stuff De Mestrals first challenge was finding a fabric he could use to create a strong bonding system. Enlisting the help of a weaver in Lyon, France (an important textile center), de Mestral first tried using cotton. The weaver produced a prototype with one cotton strip containing thousands of hooks and the other strip made up of thousands of loops. De Mestral found, however, that the cotton was too soft- it could not stand up to repeated openings and closures. For several years, de Mestral continued his research, looking for the best material for his product, as well as the optimal size of loops and hooks. After repeated testing, de Mestral eventually learned that synthetics worked best, and settled on heat-treated nylon, a strong and durable substance. In order to mass-produce his new product, de Mestral also needed to design a special type of loom that could weave the fibers in just the right size, shape, and density- this took him several more years. By 1955, de Mestral had completed his improved version of the product. Each square inch of material contained 300 hooks, a density that had proven strong enough to stay fastened, yet was easy enough to pull apart when needed. Velcro Gets a Name and a Patent De Mestral christened his new product Velcro, from the French words velours (velvet) and crochet (hook). (The name Velcro refers only to the trademarked brand created by de Mestral). In 1955, de Mestral received a patent for Velcro from the Swiss government. He took out a loan to begin mass-producing Velcro, opening plants in Europe and eventually expanding into Canada and the United States. His Velcro USA plant opened in Manchester, New Hampshire in 1957 and is still there today. Velcro Takes Off De Mestral had originally intended Velcro to be used for clothing as a zipper-less zipper, but that idea was not initially successful. During a 1959 New York City fashion show that highlighted clothing with Velcro, critics deemed it ugly and cheap-looking. Velcro thus became associated more with athletic wear and equipment than with haute couture. In the early 1960s, Velcro received a huge boost in popularity when NASA began using the product to keep objects from floating around under zero-gravity conditions. NASA later added Velcro to astronauts space suits and helmets, finding it more convenient than the snaps and zippers that were previously used. In 1968, Velcro replaced shoelaces for the first time when athletic shoe manufacturer Puma introduced the worlds first sneakers fastened with Velcro. Since then, Velcro fasteners have revolutionized footwear for children. Even the very young are able to independently fasten their own Velcro shoes well before they learn how to tie their laces. How We Use Velcro Today Today, Velcro is in use seemingly everywhere, from the healthcare setting (blood pressure cuffs, orthopedic devices, and surgeons gowns) to clothing and footwear, sporting and camping equipment, toys and recreation, airline seat cushions, and more. Most impressively, Velcro was used in the first human artificial heart transplantation to hold together parts of the device. Velcro is also used by the military but has recently undergone some modifications. Because Velcro can be too noisy in a combat setting, and because it has a tendency to become less effective in dust-prone areas (such as Afghanistan), it has been temporarily removed from military uniforms. In 1984, on his late-night television show, comedian David Letterman, wearing a Velcro suit, had himself catapulted onto a Velcro wall. His successful experiment launched a new trend: Velcro-wall jumping. De Mestrals Legacy Over the years, Velcro has evolved from a novelty item into a near-necessity in the developed world. De Mestral very likely never dreamed of how popular his product would become, nor the countless ways it could be used. The process de Mestral used to develop Velcro- examining an aspect of nature and using its properties for practical applications- has come to be known as biomimicry. Thanks to Velcros phenomenal success, de Mestral became a very wealthy man. After his patent expired in 1978, many other companies began producing hook-and-loop fasteners, but none are allowed to call their product Velcro, a trademarked name. Most of us, however- just as we call tissues Kleenex- refer to all hook-and-loop fasteners as Velcro. Georges de Mestral died in 1990 at the age of 82. He was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1999.

Free Essays on The Rise Of Hate Speech On Campuses

The First Amendment has led Americans to believe in a sense of freedom that does not exist; freedom of speech. Freedom of speech in this country has never been absolute. You can’t yell fire in a crowded theater, solicit bribes, make terrorist threats, slander another, or intentionally inflict emotional distress or be obscene in public. What Americans do have a right to is their opinion and the means by which to express it, no matter if the opinion is favorable or not. â€Å"In recent years, American campuses have seen a resurgence of racial violence and a corresponding rise in the incidence of verbal and symbolic assault and harassment to which blacks and other traditionally subjugated groups are subjected† (Lawrence, 157). Among the settings of these expressions of intolerance are college and university campuses, where bias incidents have been occurring more since the mid 1980's. Understandably, outrage and demands for change are the responses to these incidents. But g iven the lack of racial and social diversity among students, faculty and administrators on most campuses; many universities, under pressure to respond to the concerns of those who are the objects of hate have adopted codes or policies prohibiting speech that offends any group based on race gender, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation. That's the wrong response, well-meaning or not. There are some advocates who support restrictions on unfavorable speech, like violent or racist remarks. Like Paul McMasters says, â€Å"[s]peech code advocates fail to see the irony and contradictions in their own positions. They would entrust, for example, fair enforcement of speech codes to the very individuals and institutions they have labeled racist, sexist, and other-ist† (McMasters, 173). And though the intentions behind such beliefs are made in good faith, it is unrealistic to believe the mission of filtering out racist speech could be completed without catching in the same... Free Essays on The Rise Of Hate Speech On Campuses Free Essays on The Rise Of Hate Speech On Campuses The First Amendment has led Americans to believe in a sense of freedom that does not exist; freedom of speech. Freedom of speech in this country has never been absolute. You can’t yell fire in a crowded theater, solicit bribes, make terrorist threats, slander another, or intentionally inflict emotional distress or be obscene in public. What Americans do have a right to is their opinion and the means by which to express it, no matter if the opinion is favorable or not. â€Å"In recent years, American campuses have seen a resurgence of racial violence and a corresponding rise in the incidence of verbal and symbolic assault and harassment to which blacks and other traditionally subjugated groups are subjected† (Lawrence, 157). Among the settings of these expressions of intolerance are college and university campuses, where bias incidents have been occurring more since the mid 1980's. Understandably, outrage and demands for change are the responses to these incidents. But g iven the lack of racial and social diversity among students, faculty and administrators on most campuses; many universities, under pressure to respond to the concerns of those who are the objects of hate have adopted codes or policies prohibiting speech that offends any group based on race gender, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation. That's the wrong response, well-meaning or not. There are some advocates who support restrictions on unfavorable speech, like violent or racist remarks. Like Paul McMasters says, â€Å"[s]peech code advocates fail to see the irony and contradictions in their own positions. They would entrust, for example, fair enforcement of speech codes to the very individuals and institutions they have labeled racist, sexist, and other-ist† (McMasters, 173). And though the intentions behind such beliefs are made in good faith, it is unrealistic to believe the mission of filtering out racist speech could be completed without catching in the same...

60 Synonyms for Walk

60 Synonyms for Walk 60 Synonyms for â€Å"Walk† 60 Synonyms for â€Å"Walk† By Mark Nichol When you walk the walk, talk the talk: Replace the flat-footed verb walk with a more sprightly synonym from this list: 1. Amble: walk easily and/or aimlessly 2. Bounce: walk energetically 3. Clump: walk heavily and/or clumsily 4. Falter: walk unsteadily 5. Foot it: depart or set off by walking 6. Footslog: walk through mud 7. Gimp: see limp 8. Hike: take a long walk, especially in a park or a wilderness area 9. Hobble: walk unsteadily or with difficulty; see also limp 10. Hoof it: see â€Å"foot it† 11. Leg it: see â€Å"foot it† 12. Limp: walk unsteadily because of injury, especially favoring one leg; see also falter 13. Lumber: walk slowly and heavily 14. Lurch: walk slowly but with sudden movements, or furtively 15. March: walk rhythmically alone or in a group according to a specified procedure 16. Mince: walk delicately 17. Mosey: see amble; also, used colloquially in the phrase â€Å"mosey along† 18. Nip: walk briskly or lightly; also used colloquially in the phrase â€Å"nip (on) over† to refer to a brief walk to a certain destination, as if on an errand 19. Pace: walk precisely to mark off a distance, or walk intently or nervously, especially back and forth 20. Parade: walk ostentatiously, as if to show off 21. Perambulate: see stroll; also, travel on foot, or walk to inspect or measure a boundary 22. Peregrinate: walk, especially to travel 23. Plod: walk slowly and heavily, as if reluctant or weary 24. Pound: see lumber 25. Power walk: walk briskly for fitness 26. Prance: walk joyfully, as if dancing or skipping 27. Promenade: see parade 28. Pussyfoot: walk stealthily or warily (also, be noncommittal) 29. Ramble: walk or travel aimlessly (also, talk or write aimlessly, or grow wildly) 30. Roam: see ramble 31. Sashay: see parade 32. Saunter: to walk about easily 33. Scuff: to walk without lifting one’s feet 34. Shamble: see scuff 35. Shuffle: see scuff (also, mix, move around, or rearrange) 36. Stagger: walk unsteadily (also, confuse or hesitate, or shake) 37. Stalk: walk stealthily, as in pursuit 38. Step: walk, or place one’s foot or feet in a new position 39. Stomp: walk heavily, as if in anger 40. Stride: walk purposefully, with long steps 41. Stroll: see saunter 42. Strut: see parade 43. Stumble: walk clumsily or unsteadily, or trip 44. Stump: see lumber 45. Swagger: walk with aggressive self-confidence 46. Tiptoe: walk carefully on the toes or on the balls of the foot, as if in stealth 47. Toddle: see saunter and stagger; especially referring to the unsteady walk of a very young child 48. Totter: see stagger (also, sway or become unstable) 49. Traipse: walk lightly and/or aimlessly 50. Tramp: see lumber and hike 51. Trample: walk so as to crush something underfoot 52. Traverse: walk across or over a distance 53. Tread: walk slowly and steadily 54. Trip: walk lightly; see also stumble 55. Tromp: see lumber 56. Troop: walk in unison, or collectively 57. Trot: see nip 58. Trudge: see plod 59. Waddle: walk clumsily or as if burdened, swinging the body 60. Wander: see ramble Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Grammar Test 1How to Play HQ Words: Cheats, Tips and Tricks20 Ways to Cry

Case study aristotle Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Aristotle - Case Study Example He does not have much patience for theory for its own sake and neither do I. In my own life I try to ask the question, â€Å"Will it work in practice?† or â€Å"How do I do this?† I am much less interested in what is theoretically good or bad, and when I read Aristotle I see that he was similarly interested in the practical side of ethics rather than the theoretical side of things. In the world we live in so much of ethical thinking and philosophy is incredibly theoretical. Doctrines are written by academics who seem to have never left their ivory towers. They talk about symbols and dreams—but almost never about real people and real world concerns. They always describe an ideal world or a person they call the â€Å"Rational man.† In my own experience the world is not ordered in such a way that it can be useful to study exclusively theory. When we think of ethics, such an important part of our day to day lives, we don’t have time for theory. We need to know how to be good. Learning why we should be good, or what goodness truly means, or if goodness actually exists independently from any of us is much less important. With those who identify happiness with virtue or some one virtue our account is in harmony; for to virtue belongs virtuous activity. But it makes, perhaps, no small difference whether we place the chief good in possession or in use, in state of mind or in activity. For the state of mind may exist without producing any good result, as in a man who is asleep or in some other way quite inactive, but the activity cannot; for one who has the activity will of necessity be acting, and acting well. And as in the Olympic Games it is not the most beautiful and the strongest that are crowned but those who compete (for it is some of these that are victorious), so those who act win, and rightly win, the noble and good things in life. It is possible to think deep thoughts about what is goodness and do nothing that is good.

The impact of Japanisation, lean production and high performance work Essay

The impact of Japanisation, lean production and high performance work practices in the UK Workplace - Essay Example The effectiveness of these techniques in practice has led many managers internationally to adopt these techniques; in this way the so-called ‘japanisation’ has become a common phenomenon within modern firms (referring to the management styles used throughout modern organizations). In most cases, the effectiveness of Japanese management techniques is based on the radical increase of employees’ performance; lean production as developed primarily by Toyota is extensively used by firms within the modern market in order to support the improvement of organizational performance: a target that is being achieved in most cases. On the other hand, because there are cases where the adaptation of Japanese management techniques do not lead to the increase of the employees’ performance (and the following increase of the firm’s profitability) it is necessary to identify the key elements of the Japanese techniques’ potential failure ensuring at the same time t hat alternative management techniques – effective ones – will be available to managers worldwide. The design and the development of management practices in workplace should be decided taking into account the cultural and social characteristics of the specific region. The culture of the particular organization should be also taken into consideration. The specific issue was examined by Soutar et al. (1999, 203) who noticed that ‘culture is an important idea as it deals with the way people live and approach problem solving in a social and organizational context’. In accordance with the above view, management practices in countries around the world are expected to present significant differences; however it has been proved in the literature and the empirical research that in modern workplace the practices followed by managers are similar; it’s just the fact that this similarity is further increased when referring to firms established in the same country.

The Founding of the Caliphate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Founding of the Caliphate - Essay Example People’s right like social security, family structure, rights of women and children were tremendously improved in his time but his sudden death in 632 created disarray in the society (Ahmad 246–248). He never specified anyone as his successor who will rule the Muslim ummah after his death. Soon after his death, a debate started over the selection of the next leader among two groups of the regions, Al-Tabari and Ibn Hisham, however, these debates were not reaching to any implications. Background One of the Helper groups of Muhammad was Banu Sa’ida. It was a Jewish tribes from Medina who helped the Muslims when the emigrated from Makah to Medina. They were also included as the allies of Muslims in the constitution of Medina. But soon after Muhammad’s death the group gathered and decided to take the authority of Medina. They said that their tribe has precedence in religion and merit in Islam that no Arab tribe had and now is the time to take the authority bac k. They said that Allah has conferred merit on them and they were the ones who fought more heavily than any other for the glorification of Islam and Muhammad against his enemies in the Holy wars (Edmund). They were acclaiming that it was through their swords that people came near to Muhammad and Islam and now after His (PBUH) death, it is only their right to keep the authority for them and not for anyone else. On the other side, many of them were also thinking that emigrants of Quraish, the first companions of Muhammad who came with him to Medina, would refuse their authority. This news reached to Umar, the companion of Prophet who approached to Abu bakr with this news. Abu-Bakr was preparing for the burial of Muhammad’s body (PBUH) at that time and was in a state of shock. But Umer insisted his presence outside. He informed him that Helpers have gathered in the porch of Banu Sa’ida and willing to confer the authority to Sa’d Ibn Ubada. Abu-bakr joined Umer with his companions and sat in a meeting with Banu Sa’ida to resolve the issue of authority. Umar ibn al- Khattab wished to make a speech there but Abu Bakr asked him to let him speak first and afterwards he speaks whatever he wants to. Speech of Abu Bakr To settle the situation at that time and to avoid any kind of chaos in the state, Abu-bakr made a historical speech. He started his speech by praising Allah and said that Allah sent Prophet Muhammad to His creatures to lighten up their hearts and to show them the right path of worshiping Allah and Allah alone. He said that they were living in darkness and worshipping various gods and considering them as intercessors for them with God, though they were only made of stones and carved wood. In such situation it was a tremendous thing for the Arabs to abandon the religion of their forefathers and accept Islam as the true religion. He said that it was the Allah’s blessing that Emigrants (people of Makah) were the first HE sele cted for His religion. Allah showed them the right path with the guidance of Prophet Muhammad and they soon recognized the truth that Allah is the only one worth worshiping. Emigrants were few in numbers in the beginning, their tribes were against them but they never got afraid and stand stiff against all the enemies of Islam. Abu Bakr said that Emigrants are Prophet’s friends and among his clan and he believes that they are the best entitled of all the men to