General strain theory Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

General strain theory - Assignment Example The social control theory outlines that there may different social structures within the society which can actually induce a person to commit crime. General Strain Theory or GST therefore proved one of the most important and critical theories in criminology providing explanation to the issues such as the commitment of crime and deviance by the adolescents in a given society. (Agnew, 1992) GST can provide a set of plausible explanations to the crimes committed by the likes of John Wayne Gacy, Jr. This is owing to the fact that GST actually outlines as to whether some strains on an individual can actually force a person to commit the crime and engage into other activities in order to relieve such strain on him or her. GST on the whole therefore outlines different social elements which can combine together to help an individual to become more inclined towards crime and use crime as a tool to relieve pressure of such strains on him or her. This paper will therefore discuss the general st rain theory with special reference to the case of Wayne Gacy and will present the theoretical analysis of the same besides exploring the policy implications of the same. Description of the Offender John Wayne Gacy was one of the serial killers in US who have murdered and raped 33 teenage boys and men over the period of time. Most of his victims were buried in his own home whereas some of them were actually thrown into the river to discard them permanently. He was also nicknamed as Killer Clown because he would often dress like Pogo the clown in different charitable services and parties where he was a regular attendee. A closer analysis of the life of Gacy would indicate that his inclination towards the life of crime and sex was largely influenced by the environment in which he was living. He was offered a job of manager at three KFCs by his father in law in Waterloo, Iowa and it was in Waterloo that he started to engage himself in homosexuality besides forcing teenage employees of h is stores to make sex with him. (Cahil, 1986) He was psychologically examined after his first arrest and it was concluded by the doctors that he possessed antisocial personality and that it may be difficult to fully rehabilitate him out of such behaviors. What is however, critical to note that he was active in the community services and was also subsequently appreciated and rewarded for his community services also? Despite such behavior, he continued to commit the murder and rape of the teenage boys and other males to whom he described as male prostitutes. Overview of theory As discussed above that the General Strain Theory is a combination of different theories and finally culminated into a broader theory with focus on the sociology as well as the criminology. The basic postulates of the theory suggest that the social structures within society can pressure citizens to actually commit crimes and as such may result into the increased instances of the deviance and crime if society is not supportive for an individual. Robert Dubin, one of the earliest proponents of this theory outlined that the deviance is actually a function of the society and advocated to make a difference between the actual behavior of the individuals and the set of values which actually drive such behaviors. (Agnew, 1992) Explanation and Analysis General Strain theory is focused mainly on the interaction of the individuals and how the society can actually result into the adaptation of the crime as one of the means of relieving societal pressures. It is therefore argued that the general strain theory mostly focus on the negative relationships of the

Effect of the Inorganic Filler Contents on Polymer

Effect of the Inorganic Filler Contents on Polymer ANALYSIS OF ZIF 8/PAI AND CMS/PAI MEMBRANES FOR CO2/CH4 GAS SEPARATION Yohannan Subin Sabilon Department of Chemical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli, India Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks 8 (ZIF 8) nanocrystals and Carbon Molecular Sieves (CMS) particles were prepared by using standard procedures. UV visible spectroscopy and XRD tests were done for the confirmation of the particles prepared and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) analysis were done to study the morphology of the particles prepared. ZIF 8/PAI and CMS/PAI MMMs were successfully synthesized by using ZIF 8 and CMS inorganic fillers and Polyamideimide (PAI) polymer using phase inversion technique. Various weight contents (1%, 2% and 3%) of the inorganic fillers were incorporated in the polymer matrix. Reinforcing of the polymer matrix with inorganic fillers was done in the form of nano and micro particles respectively. The effect of the inorganic filler contents on the mechanical properties of the polymer was investigated. Hydrophilic nature and porosity determination test, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (F TIR) and SEM were done to study the hydrophilicity and morphology of the composite system. Keywords: Carbon dioxide, Methane, Mixed Matrix Membranes, Carbon Molecular Sieves,Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks INTRODUCTION Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the components of landfill gas, natural gas and biogas. It is also the main combustion product of fossil fuels and a leading contributor to global warming as its a greenhouse gas. In order to obtain fuel with enhanced energy content, to prevent corrosion problems in the gas transportation system and to reduce the climatic impact of CO2 gas it is quite essential to remove CO2 from those gas streams. This has driven the development of different technologies for CO2 gas separation. Among the different types of technologies being used membrane technology has experienced substantial growth, breakthroughs and advances during past decades [10]. Membrane technology offers high energy efficiency, simplicity in design and construction of membrane modules and environment compatibility. Although there are different types of membranes being used the combination of the superior performance of inorganic materials with the handling properties of the polymers is offered by Mixed Matrix Membranes (MMMs). Therefore in our study we will be using MMMs for CO2/CH4 gas separation. In the MMMs the inorganic fillers are added to the polymer matrix. Over the years different inorganic fillers have been used for preparing MMMs for CO2/CH4 gas separation out of which Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework 8 (ZIF 8) is known to show maximum selectivity while Carbon Molecular Sieves (CMS) is known to show maximum permeability [19]. In this study the preparation and characterization of these inorganic fillers is shown. These inorganic fillers were successfully incorporated in the Polyamideimide (PAI) polymer matrix and MMMs were prepared. The characterization and analysis of the ZIF 8/PAI and CMS/PAI MMMs have been done with different loading of inorganic fillers in order to choose the best possible membrane combination for CO2/CH4 gas separation. EXPERIMENTAL SECTION Materials Zinc hydrate crystals and N-methyl 2-pyrrolidone (NMP) required in the preparation of ZIF 8 nanocrystals were purchased from Merck Life Science Private Limited, Mumbai, India. Methanol used for washing during centrifugation was also bought from Titan Biotech Limited, Rajasthan, India. 2-methylimidazole and n-butylamine also required for the preparation of ZIF 8 nanocrystals were bought from Otto Group Hamburg, Germany, Polyamidieimide polymer was also purchased from UTM, Malaysia. Acetone was purchased from Merck Specialities Private Limited, Mumbai, India. All reagents were used without any further purification. Synthesis of ZIF 8 nanocrystals ZIF 8 nanoparticles were synthesized based on the procedure reported by Cravillon et al[3]. The ZIF-8 nanocrystals so formed was sent for UV spectroscopy, XRD, HRTEM and SEM analysis. Synthesis of CMS particles CMS particles were synthesized based on the procedure reported by De. Q. Vu et al[8] The CMS particles were then sent for XRD analysis. Synthesis of ZIF 8/PAI membranes Membranes of 3 different concentrations i.e., 1%, 2% and 3% of ZIF 8 nanocrystals were prepared by solution casting method. 17wt% of polyamideimide polymer solution was prepared by dissolving exactly 5.274g mixture of polyamideimide polymer i.e., Torlon and ZIF 8 nanocrystals in 25ml of NMP solvent in a beaker. A magnetic bead was cleaned and dried using acetone and was placed in the beaker. The 3 beakers containing the 3 different concentration solutions were kept on 3 different magnetic stirrer for complete dissolution. The exact amount of polymer and inorganic filler taken for respective concentrations is given in the table below: Table 1 Composition of ZIF 8/PAI membranes Concentration of ZIF 8/PAI Amount of PAI (g) Amount of ZIF 8 membranes (wt %) nanocrystals (g) 1 5.116 0.158 2 5.169 0.105 3 5.221 0.053 Now 3 glass plates and casting rods were washed and kept for drying. After drying the glass plates and the casting rods were cleaned and dried by using acetone. After complete dissolution the polymer solution in the 3 beakers were casted on 3 different glass plates using casting rods of 750 ÂÂ µm thickness. The glass plates after casting were allowed to dry at room temperature overnight for all the NMP solvent to evaporate. After drying the polymer membrane so formed was peeled off the glass plate. The membrane samples were sent for SEM analysis. Synthesis of CMS/PAI membranes Membranes of 3 different concentrations i.e., 1%, 2% and 3% of CMS particles were prepared by solution casting method. 17wt% of polyamideimide polymer solution was prepared by dissolving exactly 5.274g mixture of polyamideimide polymer i.e., Torlon and CMS particles in 25ml of NMP solvent in a beaker. The exact amount of polymer and inorganic filler taken for respective concentrations is given in the table below: Table 2 Composition of CMS/PAI membranes Concentration of ZIF 8/PAI Amount of PAI (g) Amount of CMS particles membranes (wt %) (g) 1 5.116 0.158 2 5.169 0.105 3 5.221 0.053 A magnetic bead was cleaned and dried using acetone and was placed in the beaker. The 3 beakers containing the 3 different concentration solutions were kept on 3 different magnetic stirrer for complete dissolution. Now 3 glass plates and casting rods were washed and kept for drying. After drying the glass plates and the casting rods were cleaned and dried by using acetone. After complete dissolution the polymer solution in the 3 beakers were casted on 3 different glass plates using casting rods of 750 ÂÂ µm thickness. The glass plates after casting were allowed to dry at room temperature overnight for all the NMP solvent to evaporate. After drying the polymer membrane so formed was peeled off the glass plate. The membrane samples were sent for SEM analysis. TESTING AND CHARACTERIZATION Confirmation tests for inorganic filers UV visible spectroscopy analysis. The ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis)utilizes light to determine the absorbance or transmission of a chemical species in either solid or aqueous state. The UV Visible Spectroscopy analysis was done for the confirmation of ZIF 8 nanocrystals. XRD analysis. XRD can be done on a number of different kinds of samples. Smallvolume of sample was tapped on microscope slide glass. The intensity of the beam used was 40 kV and 40 mA. The XRD analysis was done for the confirmation of ZIF 8 nanocrystals and CMS particles. Morphological studies of Inorganic fillers and MMMs SEM with EDX analysis. The surface morphology of PAI polymer was observed usingthe JSM-6701F with high resolution field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) with the magnification of 5000ÃÆ'-. For EDX analysis the acceleration voltage was set to 20kV and the working distance was set to 14mm. The detector was moved down to 45mm. The sample was scanned by X-rays for a time of 200s. The elemental analysis of film in order to confirm the presence of carbon was done using an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX) with magnification of 3000ÃÆ'- and acceleration voltage of 15 kV. After the scan was completed the spectrum was plotted using the data obtained from the scan. SEM with EDX was done for the confirmation of the CMS polymer film. TEM analysis. The sample preparation was done by sputtering the same with gold.Then the chamber door was opened and the sample was placed in the sample holder. The chamber door was closed and the required input like voltage, acceleration and time for scan were given to the system connected to the TEM analyzer. The scan was started and the results were recorded. TEM analysis was done for the size determination of the ZIF 8 nanocrsytals. FTIR analysis. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) is a technique whichis used to obtain an infrared spectrum of absorption or emission of a solid, liquid or gas. An FTIR spectrometer simultaneously collects high spectral resolution data over a wide spectral range. Sulfonic acid group functionality of membrane was studied using attenuated -total-reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy (Thermo scientific Nicolet iS5 FTIR spectrometer). The spectra for all dried membranes were observed from the range from 4000 to 400 cm-1 wavelength. Mechanical strength test The material strength of the membranes prepared were studied by the performing Stress-Strain tests. The Universal Testing Machine was used to perform the tests. The samples of the membranes were cut into dimensions of height 30mm, width 10mm and thickness 0.45mm. The initial gauge length was set at 20mm. The samples were placed in a sample holder one at a time and the tests were performed. The data was recorded and the graphs were plotted for respective samples. Hydrophilic nature and Porosity determination test The hydrophilic or hydrophobic nature of the membranes were studied by immersing a 1cmx1cm membrane samples in different beakers each containing 20ml water. The beakers were kept on a rotary shaker for continuous mixing overnight. After 24 hours the membrane samples were taken out and the weight of the wet membranes were measured using a digital weighing balance. After that the membranes samples were dried in a vacuum oven at 60oC for 6 hours and then the weight of the dry membranes were measured similarly. The amount of water absorbed and the average porosity of the membranes were determined and the results were tabulated. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Confirmation of ZIF 8 Nanocrystals The UV Visible Spectroscopy analysis was done for the primary confirmation of ZIF 8 nanocrystals. UV of ZIF 8 nanocrystals 12 10 Absorbance 8 6 4 2 0 200 212 224 236 248 260 272 284 296 308 320 332 344 356 368 380 392 404 416 428 440 452 464 476 488 500 512 524 536 548 560 572 584 596 Wavelength Series1 Figure 1 UV visible spectroscopy result of ZIF 8 nanocrystals The penetration depth was found to be directly proportional to the exciting wavelength i.e., 325nm because of decreased absorbance which is in accordance with the reference paper, Liu et aL, (2013)[1]. Therefore we can confirm that its ZIF 8 nanocrystals. The XRD analysis was done for the secondary confirmation of ZIF 8 nanocrystals. Figure 2 XRD result of ZIF 8 nanocrystals When n-butylamine is added as the modulating ligand, nearly instantaneous formation of a solid is observed upon combining the component solutions, and pure-phase ZIF-8 nanocrystals are recovered after 24 h (see XRD pattern in Figure 2). An average size of 18 nm is estimated from the broadening of the Bragg reflections. The XRD results were also in accordance with the reference paper Cravillon et aL, (2011). Hence we can confirm that the particles synthesized were ZIF 8 nanocrystals. Morphology of ZIF 8 Nanocrystals ZIF materials constitute a new distinctive, rapidly developing subclass of crystalline porous coordination polymers (PCPs) or metal organic frameworks (MOFs). The tetrahedral framework structures of ZIFs are constructed from bivalent metal cations and bridging substituted imidazolate anions and frequently possess a zeolite topology. Numerous ZIFs combine the attractive features of MOFs (diversity of framework structures and pore systems, large surface areas, post-synthetically modifiable organic bridging ligands) with high thermal and chemical stability. Figure 3 SEM image of ZIF 8 nanocrystals It is this combination of properties which makes ZIFs very promising candidate materials for many technological applications. Properties and performance of porous materials rely much on their supply as nano and microcrystals of well-defined size and shape, as is well-known for zeolites. SEM images (Figure 3) reveal that the well-defined nanocrystals have a rhombic dodecahedral shape crystal structure. Figure 4 TEM image of ZIF 8 nanocrystals TEM images (Figure 4) show roughly spherical particles being Confirmation of CMS Particles It is not possible to directly measure permeation properties of CMS particles as with CMS films, replicate mixed matrix films prepared with the two different sieves give very similar effective mixed matrix film permeation properties using powder-pyrolyzed sieves versus the film-pyrolyzed sieves. XRD was performed on the CMS films and powder, as shown in Fig. 5. The XRD diffractograms show very similar peaks and d-spacings, suggesting similar planar dimensions between the film-pyrolyzed CMS and the powder-pyrolyzed CMS, thereby confirming that the particles produced were CMS particles. CMS particles Polymer film Figure 5 XRD results of CMS particles and CMS polymer film Surface Morphology of CMS Polymer Film The CMS membrane films have an intrinsic CO2/CH4 selectivity of 200 with a CO2 permeability of 44 Barrers at 35oC. For UltemÂÂ ®-CMS mixed matrix membrane films, pure gas permeation tests show enhancements by as much as 40% in CO2/CH4 selectivity over the intrinsic CO2/CH4 selectivity of the pure UltemÂÂ ® polymer matrix. Likewise, for MatrimidÂÂ ®- CMS mixed matrix films, enhancements by as much as 45% in CO2/CH4 selectivity were observed. Effective permeabilities of the fast-gas penetrants (O2 and CO2) through the mixed matrix membranes were also significantly enhanced over the intrinsic permeabilities of the UltemÂÂ ® and MatrimidÂÂ ® polymer matrices. These encouraging selectivity and permeability enhancements confirm that mixed matrix membrane behaviour is achievable with CMS particles. Figure 6 SEM image of CMS polymer film Fig. 6 shows top surface SEM micrographs of a CMS polymer film. These micrographs show a smooth surface without any defects. Figure 7 EDX result of CMS polymer film The table below shows the EDX analysis of the CMS polymer film. The sharp Silicon peak is present due to the Silicon detector used during the EDX analysis. Table 3 EDX result of CMS polymer film Element Series unn. C norm. C Atom. C Error (3 [wt.%] [wt.%] [at.%] Sigma) [wt.%] Carbon K-series 8.50 23.61 36.45 4.40 Oxygen K-series 9.89 27.46 31.82 4.26 Sodium K-series 1.16 3.22 2.60 0.31 Aluminium K-series 4.56 12.67 8.70 0.74 Silicon K-series 9.37 26.03 17.19 1.28 Calcium K-series 2.52 7.01 3.24 0.31 Total: 36.01 100.00 100.00 The Oxygen peak is due to the oxygen present in the atmosphere during EDX analysis. The Carbon peak denotes the confirmation of the CMS polymer film prepared. As expected it shows a maximum wt % of 23.61. Cross Sectional Morphology of CMS/PAI Membranes Scanning electron micrographs of the CMS fibers are shown in figures 8, 9 and 10 Figure 4.8 SEM image of 1% CMS/PAI membrane Although asymmetry appeared to be present in the CMS fiber morphology, the thicknesses of the layers were markedly different from each other and from those of the precursor fibers (compare with those of the precursor fibers in Figure 6). The original polymeric precursor fibers consisted of a very thin dense skin (1000-2000 Ã…) on a porous core. This skin layer in polymeric fibers has been observed at very high resolution under SEM. In figure 8, high magnification of the wall in the cross section of the PAI CMS fiber reveals a gradual transition from the porous inner core to the denser outer micropore structure. In contrast, high magnification of the PAI CMS fiber shows a uniform dense micropore structure in figure 9. Figure 9 SEM image of 2% CMS/PAI membrane Figures 8, 9 and 10 show SEM micrographs of a mixed matrix film after these modifications. These micrographs demonstrate smaller CMS particles (mostly Figure 10 SEM image of 3% CMS/PAI membrane Cross Sectional Morphology of ZIF 8/PAI Membranes Figures 11, 12 and 13 shows SEM images of ZIF-8/PAI mixed matrix dense films, which indicates good contact of bare ZIF-8 to the PAI matrix without sieve-in-a-cage morphology at each loading. It is noteworthy that the good contact was achieved without any surface treatment of the sieve. This should be due to the hydrophobic nature of ZIF-8, proved by TGA measurements in reference paper Zhang et. al. (2012). Interestingly, in the SEM images of ZIF-8/PAI mixed matrix dense films, as shown in figures 11, 12 and 13, we observe a morphology that has not been previously reported in mixed matrix membranes prepared with other molecular sieves. Other than well-dispersed 10 nm ZIF-8 particles, there also exist many non-ideal large clusters of ZIF-8 with size ranging from 50 nm to several microns, which is more than an order of magnitude larger than single ZIF-8 particles. Also, volume fraction of large ZIF-8 clusters in the matrix increases with increasing ZIF-8 loading. Figure 11 SEM image of 1% ZIF 8/PAI membrane Unlike agglomerations of molecular sieve particles that have been previously reported in mixed matrix membranes prepared with other molecular sieves, the surface of these large ZIF-8 clusters as revealed in figures 11, 12 and 13 looks fairly smooth. Also, almost no defects were observed for these clusters among all the ZIF-8/PAI dense film samples. Since film samples were randomly fractured for SEM analysis, we believe that the mostly non-defective feature of these large ZIF-8 clusters shown in figures 11, 12 and 13 is representative of their interior structures. It is important to understand the formation mechanism of these large ZIF-8 clusters and their impacts on gas transport properties of the mixed matrix membrane to allow extension to practical asymmetric structures. By achieving the desired uniform distribution of individual ZIF-8 particles with the PAI matrix we can achieve outstanding gas separation results. Figure 12 SEM image of 2% ZIF 8/PAI membrane Figure 13 SEM image of 3% ZIF 8/PAI membrane The cross sectional view of the ZIF 8/PAI membranes shows good adhesion between the inorganic filler ZIF 8 and the polymeric membrane PAI. The figures show the SEM images of 1%, 2% and 3% ZIF 8/PAI membranes prepared respectively. FTIR Analysis of ZIF 8/PAI membranes The FTIR results shows that the aluminosilicates are present in the ZIF 8/PAI membranes prepared. The aluminosilicates are present due to the presence of ZIF 8 nanocrystals. FTIR Results Conjugated cyclic Aluminosilicates 120 100 %T 80 Unsaturated aromatic 60 40 20 ketoaldehydes or enols dimer esters and lactones 0 3691 2970 4000 3897 3794 3588 3485 3382 3279 3176 3073 2867 2764 2661 2558 2455 2352 2249 2146 2043 1940 1837 1734 1631 1528 1425 1322 1219 1116 1013 910 807 704 601 498 cm-1 Series1 Series2 Series3 FTIR Analysis of CMS/PAI membranes The FTIR results shows that the carbon bonds are present in the CMS/PAI membranes prepared. The carbon bonds are present due to the presence of CMS particles. FTIR Results Carbon bonds 120 100 %T 80 60 unsaturated aromatic 40 dimer ketoaldehydes or enols 20 0 Conjugated cyclic esters and lactones 3691 2970 4000 3897 3794 3588 3485 3382 3279 3176 3073 2867 2764 2661 2558 2455 2352 2249 2146 2043 1940 1837 1734 1631 1528 1425 1322 1219 1116

Plagiarism and the Internet :: Cheating Education Essays

Plagiarism and the Internet The web today has everything at your fingertips and is a savior to any student trying to research a paper and is in need of information. You are able to look up any topic you want on the internet and in seconds everything you need to start your paper is right in front of you. There are even sites that allow students to look up their topic and let them receive papers that were already written by other student on that topic. Being able to take other peoples words and thoughts seem like the easiest way to go about things. You donà °t have to do any research, you donà °t have to organize your thoughts, and there is no long process of sitting down and actually writing a paper because it is already done for you. Students who decide to plagiarize think that they are taking a short cut and finding an easier way of doing things, but really they are just getting themselves in to a whole lot of trouble. Plagiarism can be defined as stealing and passing off ( the ideas or words of another) as your own or use someone elseà °s production as your own. (Merriam Webster Dictionary) When someone is using information from the internet or any website, they must cite the source from which they received the information. Many teachers or professors are trained to detect plagiarism. They can detect plagiarism by looking at the format of the paper, and by reviewing the bibliography and seeing if it matches the sources referred to in the paper that the student has written. There are many sources on the internet today that allow professors to enter just a couple of words from the paper in which they suspect plagiarism and they are able to find the sites that they may have plagiarized from. Many professors have different ways in dealing with plagiarism. Some may take the paper away and give the student a zero without any explanation, while others will take more drastic measures and fail the student for the semester. I must admit that it is very easy to take other peoples words and idea and use them as your own.

Gender Mainstreaming: Taking Action, Getting Results Essay

Outline Gender approach, gender analysis and consideration of gender- sensitive indicators are required for developing gender-sensitive programs and achieving the goals of gender equity and equality. I. Definitions of gender blindness, equality, equity and bias. II. The most important events in evolution of gender and development approaches. III. The role of gender analysis in gender mainstreaming. IV. Examples of gender sensitive indicators. V. GDP as a gender blind indicator. VI. Plan for reducing prevalence of male patients at STD clinics. VII. Gender-sensitive advocacy plan. VIII. Difference between a network and coalition in the context of advocacy. Gender approach, gender analysis and consideration of gender- sensitive indicators are required for developing gender-sensitive programs and achieving the goals of gender equity and equality. The approach ignoring the social and economic differences between men and women is considered to be gender blind. A comprehensive analysis of the country’s economics is impossible without considering this significant aspect. Gender perspective needs to be applied to economics analysis of the rate of women’s unemployment in developing countries, for example. Terms of gender equality and equity have got similar meanings. Thus, gender equality means equal rights for both men and women, while gender equity denotes fairness in distribution of men’s and women’s responsibilities. For example, men and women can have a claim on the same executive post. Still, most managers are men, while women are expected to be under their ferule. The majority of employers would give preference to male specialists because they will not need maternity leaves. This phenomenon of favouring men over women is called gender bias. First Conference on Women held in Mexico in 1975 was a significant step forward. The main objective of the meeting was women’s full integration into  the society development. The second Conference on Women was held in Copenhagen in 1980, the third – in Nairobi in 1985. The questions of women’s’ equal footing with men were raised at these meetings. Nairobi conference indicated a shift to gender perspective in economics analysis, considering the difference between women and men within various spheres of life. Gender questions were discussed at a number of UN meetings in 1990s. Human rights conference in 1993 coined the concept of reproductive rights as human rights. The evolution of understanding presupposed the shift of emphasis from statistic and medical aspects to accepting the differences between genders and providing equal rights and opportunities in various spheres of life. The term gender mainstreaming denotes the strategies aimed at achieving the goal of gender equality. It presupposes shift to the gender perspective an accepting the existing differences in men’s and women’s opportunities. Other ways for reaching the goal are taking into consideration gender relations, changing the current legislation concerning the problem and gender analysis. Gender analysis consists of investigation of the nature of differences and establishing of the cause-and-effect relations between gender differences and inequality. Knowing the roots of the problem, it would be easier to look for its solutions. For this reason, gender analysis may be regarded an integral part of gender mainstreaming. It is helpful for defining the socio-cultural variables and following manipulating them. A gender-sensitive indicator denotes qualitative or quantitative measurements of changes in gender-related spheres in the course of time. This testing is helpful for monitoring the differences between men and women arising from their gender roles. The latest measurements indicated decreasing the gender gap. The United Nations Organization conducts statistical researches in three main dimensions, such as social resources, political power and employment. Analysis of quantity of women-parliamentarians, women-managers or women receiving a post graduate degree might be good examples of gender-sensitive indicators. Still, statistics data is insufficient for making all necessary measurements, and qualitative testing requires conducting surveys and further analysis of the  answers. Status within the family, material resources, time burden and career choices are the most popular dimensions for making the measurements. Thus, the examples of gender-sensitive indicators might be analysis of participation of women in family decision-making and/or bread-winning, analysis of statistics data concerning the number of women owning land and women’s answers concerning the distribution of household chores in their families. Gross Domestic Product (GPD) measures official economic output of the country using technical approach to data analysis. For this reason, it might be regarded a gender blind indicator. The fact is that only quantitative data is used for assessing this parameter, while its qualitative characteristics are not taken into consideration. At the same analysis of gender differences could have a significant impact on these results. For example, notwithstanding the present day moving towards gender equality and equity, there are certain differences in financial compensation for men’s and women’s labour. It might become hindrance for estimating GPD per capita precisely. Notwithstanding the evolution of gender approach and emphasis on human rights of reproductive health, Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) clinics enjoy wider popularity among men that among women. Due to their misconceptions concerning the rules of examinations at such institutions, women do not attend STD clinics as often as men do. Prevalence of male patients in these institutions might be considered to be one of gender-sensitive indicators. Women might be afraid of being tested against their wishes or of their partners’ disapproval. The main goal of a gender sensitive program is to guarantee the equal rights for reproductive health for both men and women. It is important to raise the awareness of population concerning the procedures of clinical testing, putting emphasis on its optional and anonymous character. â€Å"It is achieved also through the set of learning mechanisms in ongoing socialization experiences† (Klein 40). The measures that need to be taken for achieving these goals are creating separate sex sessions at clinics and spreading information concerning the clinical testing and its benefits. For enhancing the effectiveness of the  program, its developers should choose gender sensitive indicators, such as comparative analysis of male and female patients and their motivation for undergoing a test. Advocacy is defined as a set of actions aimed at mobilization of individuals and organizations for supporting specific policies. Gender sensitive advocacy presupposes supporting gender related programs, strategies and legislations. Producing a gender sensitive advocacy plan requires preliminary analysis of significance of the problem, its actuality for both male and female population as well as expected positive consequences of changing the existing situation. â€Å"Questions concerning change of gender relations within the organization must be understood and addressed before they can truly implement a gender and development strategy as part of their organizational structure† (Mudgal 225). After defining the program objectives, it is possible to proceed to planning concrete actions, evaluating possible risks and identifying the target audiences. The next step after collecting the necessary information would be search of potential partners, such as women’s organizations, for example. Three most important ways for making the plan gender-sensitive are analysis of the program on both male and female target audience, choice of gender-sensitive objective and gender-sensitive indicators. The main difference of the concepts of a network and coalition is in sharing the common interests by the participants. Members of a network have got common interests; it might be a smaller group, such as women labour union at a concrete organization. Members of this union have common interests and objectives. Coalition would consist of labour unions of several organizations, not sharing common interests but uniting their efforts for achieving the main goals of gender equity and equality. Women have been struggling for equal civil rights with men since nineteenth century. Within the latest decades the gap was decreased, still, the question of gender discrimination remains topical. Bibliography Gender Mainstreaming: Taking Action, Getting Results, UNFPA, 2008. Klein, Susan. Handbook for Achieving Gender Equity through Education. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2007. Print. Mudgal, Shubha. Feminism and Status of Women. Jaipur: Book Enclave, 2007. Print.

National Curriculum for USA

Since the early 1980†³s, the issue of America†s faltering public school system has become a serious concern. The crisis in K-12 education is one of the biggest challenges facing the nation. Should there be set standardized tests given to students, and furthermore, should the United States adopt a national curriculum to keep up with the standards of other countries? Lynn Davey and Monty Neill suggest in their essay entitled, â€Å"The Case against a National Test† that, â€Å"U. S. olicymakers and the public have been deluged with proposals for national testing†, because the failure of the nation to adequately educate the students of America has an endless list of negative effects. The pathetically low results of American students through international test scores in the United States suggests that with the lack of proper education, generations of children are growing up without the basic, essential knowledge needed to be able to compete in the workplace. Lynn Davey also states, â€Å"But because the United States has no national system of achievement testing, we cannot validly compare students† performance across the nation†, in her essay entitled â€Å"The Case for a National Test†. Albert Shanker, who was president of the American Federation of Teachers claims in his essay entitled, â€Å"Are American Schools Too Easy? † that, â€Å"In countries where there is a national curriculum, fewer students are lost, and fewer teachers are lost because they know what the students who walk into their classroom have already studied†(122). This is a good point, but in the United States students and teachers are allowed to express their ideas creatively. Not all teachers in the U. S. teach in the same manner, and for this reason it would be hard to establish a national curriculum in which all teachers taught the same things at the same time. In his essay entitled, â€Å"The Tyranny of a National Curriculum† Marc Bernstein suggests that, â€Å"People that support a national testing program believe that too many students are failing to perform to their potential and that drastic steps need to be taken to improve their education†. But what American students need is school reform, not more testing. â€Å"More test scores will not magically produce educational improvement† (Davey & Neill). The people that support national testing should slow down for a moment and realize that testing is not the first step in learning, and start focusing on helping students in rural towns as opposed to larger cities. While there are real differences in the educational opportunities of poor and rich students, standardized tests exaggerate these differences by their biases and confuse lack of ability with lack of exposure† (Davey & Neill). â€Å"France and Japan, for instance, have strict national curriculums† (Davey). â€Å"Since a government agency decides educational content, if the agency makes a mistake, all schools are forced to go along with it. Such a risk can be avoided if the power to decide educational content is transferred to state and local governments† (Chapter 3). The American educational system operates in this way, leaving the choices for educational content up to the 50 state and local governments. This is beneficial to the United States because with such a diverse population it leaves the door open to adjust content if needed to suit certain schools in different towns and cities. Freedom is the trademark of America, and people of other countries because of this admire Americans. The American educational system tries to develop freedom and creativity among its students. It allows students to explore their ideas freely and teaches them to believe they can do anything they put their minds to. One can say that the American educational system is different from other countries educational systems. However, one cannot express the idea that the American system is worse than any other educational system. Sure the system does need some reform, but to drastically say we need a national curriculum, I think not.

Han Chinese and Starbucks Essay

Han Chinese and Starbucks Essay Han Chinese and Starbucks Essay Case Study Chapter 4 Starbucks 1) In my opinion, the key factors Starbucks had to consider before opening shop in China were all based on one thing; Starbucks had to determine why the Chinese would go to a cafà ©. Since the majority of China’s population is tea drinkers, they had to figure out what they could do to bring tea drinkers into a coffee shop. One of these factors is the fact that Starbucks has determined its target market to be the young people in china coined â€Å"little emperors†. They appeal to these young people and their desire for change and sophistication. Another factor Starbucks uses to its advantage is the fact that the Chinese want a comfortable place outside of their small dwellings where they can meet with family and friends. Starbucks capitalized on this by creating larger meeting areas than their North American stores. They made these areas comfortable and cool places for the people to get together and have a latte. Another important factor is that Starbucks has m ore food items on their menu such as duck sandwiches, and green tea cheesecake. Starbucks is not just a drink in china it is a place to meet and look modern. 2) China is a dictatorship so change to how a business operates can happen overnight. One of the key things Starbucks had to do to bring their brand to China was they had to find a Chinese partner that would understand the political and business markets in China. They did this by authorizing local companies to use their brand and the partnering with them. Starbucks started small in China buy only receiving royalties on the licenses, but in 2006 they started buying up shares so they could have more control over their company. China entering the World Trade Agreement in 2001 made buying out their partners and going at the business on their own a lot easier. 3) The Demographic Factor that was

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