The Problem Of Gangs And Violence - 995 Words

The problem of gangs and violence are commonly found in Chicago, especially during the night time. Although the rate seems to be lower compared to the past, the violence rate is still shocking compared to other states. Therefore, violence in Chicago s neighborhoods and communities cannot be overlooked. Statistics show that 1,109 school-aged youth were shot, and 216 of those were killed in 2010. As a student of UIC, I often receive crime alert emails as violence cases seemed to occur quite often around the campus area. In order to improve the public security to ensure residents’ safety, it is essential to find ways to solve these issues. It is because violence can cause negative effects in many different aspects. Besides individual’s physical well being, it may also lead to some long-term psychological problems; such as anxiety, eating and sleeping problem. Moreover, violence also affects the community as it became unsafe to live in. The value of the properties will decr ease because the quality of life became worse. These days, Chicago launched a ‘cure violence’ program to help prevent the violence, and this program is managed by the Chicago Project. The social problem this community intervention is trying to remedy is to lower down the cases of shooting and killings on the streets. As it could be challenging to change the individuals’ behaviors within a short period of time, this program focuses on developing protecting services towards the population that may have anShow MoreRelatedThe Problem Of Gang Violence1356 Words   |  6 PagesGang violence has grown to be a great problem in El Salvador in the last 30 years. Gangs have grown into large, complex organized crime units; the two largest gangs, MS13 (also known as Mara Salvatrucha 13) and Barrio18 (also known as Calle18), now encompass large parts of Central America. Both gangs rely heavily on local drug-peddling, which drives most of the general gang violence. The desire for control over certain areas had forged a fier ce rivalry, in which civilians are often endangered whenRead MoreThe Problem Of Gang Violence917 Words   |  4 Pages I already had personal knowledge about gangs but after taking this class, I have a much better understanding about them. From what I ve seen and heard, gangs are and will always be a part of our society. As we ve learned in this class, they have been around for hundreds of years. One thing that came to my mind while I was talking to my husband was pirates. They have territories over seas and anyone that passes their water gets robbed, in today s gangs it s a different setting but the same conceptRead MoreGang Violence : A Serious Problem1561 Words   |  7 PagesGang violence is a serious problem in America today, and it is also prevalent in the other countries in the world. â€Å"According to a national gang survey, the most recent estimate indicates that there were about 760,000 gang members in 24,000 gangs in the United States in 2004† this just supports the statement that it is a huge problem in the United States (Cooper, 2009, p. 1). Unfortunately, the Youth of America and these other countries have been a large demographic of these gangs for many yearsRead MoreThe Community Problem of Gangs and Related Violence1049 Words   |  4 PagesThe community problem of gangs and related violence is prevalent all over the United States. Young people join gangs for a variety of reasons. Some may feel isolated from their general school or social communities and search out the connections and community affiliation offered by gangs. Others are seduced by the importance attached to generally laudable qualities like loyalty and honor. In a gang setup, however, these are generally proven by violent or criminal activities. Some young people couldRead MoreEssay about Gang Violence: Problem on the Rise1896 Words   |  8 Pagesever say, when I grow up I want to be in a gang? According to the National Gang Th reat Assessment there are over one million gang members in California and over forty percent are under the age of eighteen. Just in Fresno alone there are over twelve thousand gang members and over 500 gangs (Overend). Gang violence is a growing problem and if we don’t try to control it now it will be a bigger problem in the future. According to the National Gang History, gangs started out in India in the year 1200 ADRead MoreWe Must Raise A Red Flag The Size Of Vatican City Essay1448 Words   |  6 Pageshad problems when it comes to gang violence, but only recently has this violence escalated to the immense issue it is today. I only just recently moved to Denver, and I can already tell that gangs are a major problem here-- that should raise a red flag the size of Vatican City. As an educated African American who has grown up in less-than nurturing environments, I have had much contact with gang members and witnessed gang activity. I extremely urge the policy makers, law enforcement, and gang members--gangRead MoreViolence Is An Everyday Act That We Have Seen In Society,1588 Words   |  7 PagesViolence is an everyday act that we have seen in society, and in result has become a problem. Gang violence, on the other hand, has been a social problem of violence for decades in the United States. In particular, it has been a serious problem in California that is has been known to be the â€Å"gang capital† in the United States, and a problem in a local scale. According to â€Å"FBI.org† , there are over 33,000 violent street gangs, motorcycle gangs, and prison gangs(FBI, 2015). Consequently, this bringsRead MoreChicago Gangs and History Essay1307 Words   |  6 PagesChicago Gangs, Then and Now with Solutions Nick Crot Marist High School Abstract This paper deals with gang violence in the city of Chicago since the beginning of time. It takes a deep look into the history of Chicago gangs and how they interact today. Also the past problems the City of Chicago made when dealing with gangs and the problems that gangs today have and how Chicago has the worst gang problem in the country. Also how gangs have turned themselves into big, and lucrative enterprisesRead MoreGang Violence And The United States1470 Words   |  6 PagesGangs have been a part of American culture in the United States since the early 19th century when immigrant youth organized themselves into street gangs as a means of urban and economic survival. Today, gang violence has reached an almost catastrophic level in the United States. Criminal street gangs have become one of the most serious crime problems in California. Gang violence accounts for one of the largest personal threats to public safety for nearly all the cities in this state. Salinas, CaliforniaRead MoreGun Violence1218 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿The Gangs In Our Communities By: Adam Taylor What set do you claim? Isn’t that a question we all hear at some point in our school years and maybe sometimes even after. Well I remember being in elementary school and not having to worry about nothing but recess. Those were the days of no worries and no stress. Then came middle school and that’s when things begin to change. Middle school is more about who you hang out with and how you dress. That’s where most of it starts. At the level of middle

What Is Drug Abuse Warning Network - 845 Words

Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) is a health surveillance program targeting patients from medical examiners, those in hospitals. The program also utilizes samples obtained from the victims who have died and taken to the mortuaries (Maxfield Babbie, 2017). The information, in form of data, is gathered from individuals who report to the hospitals due to drug ingestions or those who have been injured or killed, in which drug intoxication was a contributor. The study population was 380,000 episodes of drug abuse that was gathered from sampling frame of patients from 242 hospitals which were sampled from 66 metropolitan areas. Collectively, the participating hospitals surrender information to the Drug Abuse Warning Network for analysis.†¦show more content†¦Correspondingly, victimization surveys utilize specialized software, which not only expands use of this surveying technique but improve quality for analyzing local crime. Self-reporting crimes are the best survey for measuri ng crime that does not have recognized victims. Similarly, self-reporting surveys is significant for providing data regarding discrete crimes such as shoplifting, which can also be associated with drugs abuse. According to Maxfield Babbie (2017), local surveys are advantageous and efficient in that they can be conducted by the local government, community organizations, police department and other researchers. Besides, local crime surveys constitute valuable tool for citizens, public officials and many communities. UCR, SHR, NCVS provide the best counts for crime or murder cases especially if the victim was doing business or had commercial establishment. Information from NCVS, an acknowledged national survey, is highly reliable because it contains information regarding assaults as well as the information that has not been reported to the police (Maxfield Babbie, 2017). According to (Maxfield Babbie (2017), While NCVS survey is reliable for providing data regarding assaults and unreported cases, it is not useful in estimating victimization cases in states and citiesShow MoreRelatedTeen Suicide Essays1064 Words   |  5 Pages Each year, thousands of children are dying, not from cancer, getting shot, or car accidents, but by their own hands. They make the choice to take their lives; they commit suicide. To begin, what is â€Å"Suicide†? According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, suicide is the act or instance of taking one’s own life voluntarily and intentionally. The number of teenagers who take their lives is rapidly increasing each year. Teen suicide is escalating out of control and no one seems to realize just how severeRead MoreTeen Suicide Is A Complicated Tragedy1476 Words   |  6 Pagesconfidence, and they feel victimised by others so they exclude themselves from the real world. Adults are often unaware of what challenges teens are faced with today because in this universe, everyone is self-orientated. Not one child is the same, but behind every suicide is a teen who just wanted to be heard. Substance abuse can lead to serious health problems. Many teens try alcohol, drugs and tobacco for the â€Å"fun of it.† Some try it a few times and leave it alone, but others try it and it becomes addictiveRead MoreThe Effects Of Drug Addiction1074 Words   |  5 PagesDrug abuse is a rampant problem in the United States. Drug usage and consumption has grown over the years. Drug addiction is a dilemma that has greatly increased among our current day society. Addiction is a serious problem. This can be defined as continued involvement with a substance or activity despite ongoing negative consequence. Narcotics like marijuana, heroin, crystal meth and crack cocaine are generally called drugs. Men and woman either take these drugs orally or inhale them. Drugs, otherRead MoreReasons for Adolescent Suicide Attempts1173 Words   |  5 Pagesadolescent is at risk of suicide. Some of these situations are parts of depression, social pressure, drug abuse, and family difficulties. All of these factors make an adolescent feel overwhelmed and confused. There are many events that an adolescent goes through before taking their lives. Finding rates of suicide vary in males and females because the males use more fatal methods than females. What are the feelings that make adolescents take their own life? All the information can be useful to helpRead MoreThe Legalization Of Marijuana And Cannabis Programs854 Words   |  4 Pagesyears before being struck down by the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. However, with so much publicity the legal process of the petition generated within the drug culture of the 1960 s through the 1970 s in America, it likely convinced state authorities to reassess the restrictions against marijuana (Huntington’s Outreach Project for Education at Stanford, 2012). In 1982, 31 states and the District of Columbia had passed legislation granting the prescription of marijuana. In 1996, CaliforniaRead MoreEssay about Marijuana Should B e Legal913 Words   |  4 Pagesargue a subject of this nature. On one side there are some positive effects, which have been proven as the result of marijuana. Many legal drugs that you can purchase are more harmful then marijuana. My opinions based on legalization or marijuana is based on a number social and economic factors. That brings up the questions why not legalize marijuana as medical drug, which is proven to be less dangerous than heavy painkillers and morphine. It is possible to overdose on painkillers and morphine; howeverRead MoreThe Effects Of Drugs1127 Words   |  5 Pages Drugs have been abused for hundreds of years all over the world; their effects have been felt for just as long. Are drugs helpful in cases or are they an addiction? Should we be aware of what drugs our doctors are providing us with? Do drugs increase the chances of committing a crime or can they control ones behavior? As drugs can be everywhere nowadays they should be taken more seriously as they can affect everything! Every year there’s a new drug, is it because they want people to become addictedRead MoreMarijuan Why Not Even Once?935 Words   |  4 PagesMarijuana: Why Not Even Once? Treatment Admissions The National Institute on Drug Abuse writes that an estimated 9% of marijuana users will eventually become dependent on marijuana (National Institute, 2014). The American Society of Addiction Medicine defines addiction as â€Å"a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry. Dysfunction in these circuits leads to characteristic biological, psychological, social and spiritual manifestations. This is reflected in anRead MoreDrug Abuse: A Rising Concern in America1359 Words   |  5 Pageswhy drug abuse is a rising concern in this nation? Have you ever wondered what types of drugs get abused? Drug abuse is the new leading cause of death over vehicle related accidents, How drugs have overcome our society and innocence. Drug abuse is a growing problem that is sweeping across our nation. The many stresses of today’s modern living adds a new level to how children are raised, the influences surrounding them and the resources available. Universally the influence of drugs touchesRead MoreSubstance Abuse Among The Elderly1473 Words   |  6 Pagespopulation is that of substance abuse as it pertains to the increasing numbers of substance abusers, and/or the increasing rates of substance abuse among the elderly population. A national public health concern is that the rate of elderly substance abuse will rise sharply as boomers enter older adulthood. This research is not intended to be an entire comprehensive and exhaustive review of all research findings but a review to highlight those findings concerning substance abuse among the elderly. Literature

The United Nations Organization free essay sample

The United Nations Organization (UNO) or simply United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace. The UN was founded in 1945 after World War II to replace the League of Nations, to stop wars between countries, and to provide a platform for dialogue. It contains multiple subsidiary organizations to carry out its missions. The Charter of the United Nations is the foundational treaty of the I-JN. Some of the rinciples of the UN Charter are; the association principle, the hierarchy principle, the collective security principle, the regional principle, the mediation principle, the trusteeship principle the Judicial principle and the collective security principle. To be a part of I-IN, the country either a member or not, should be peace-loving, because, if one of the countries would try to begin hostilities between the UN members or other countries, the purpose of the UN would be marred. We will write a custom essay sample on The United Nations Organization or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Every country has its own dominance about some topics and according to that the UN have made some countries have more important ubiety than others. By this idea the ierarchy principle has been emerged. One of the aims of the UN is unlimited growth and prosperity for all and the economic and social council is trying to solve countries problems by the help of its seventeen agencies. Some examples are Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The charter decided that the nations should not form other organizations between them, because this could impair the association between the members of I-JN. Another important aim of the UN is to keep the peace between the adversaries and elp them to solve their problems by acting as the mediator. The United Nations Trusteeship Council, one of the principal organs of the United Nations, was established to help ensure that non-self-governing territories were administered in the best interests of the inhabitants and of international peace and security. The trust territories most of them former mandates of the League of Nations or territories taken from nations defeated at the end of World War II have all now attained self-government or independence, either as separate nations or by joining neighbouring independent countries. The last was Palau, which became a The Judicial principles main functions are to settle legal disputes submitted to it by states and to give advisory opinions on legal questions submitted to it by duly authorized international organs, agencies, and the UN General Assembly. Collective security can be understood as a security arrangement in which all states cooperate collectively to provide security for all by the actions of all against any states within the groups which might challenge the existing order by using sanctions and force. While collective security is possible, several prerequisites have to be met for it to work.

Multiple Source Essay Essays - Womens Rights, Criticism Of Feminism

Multiple Source Essay Just a Label Feminism is a subject that many people in modern society have a great deal of difficulty understanding. The main question that most people struggle with is " What exactly does it mean to be a feminist?" In my opinion, the word " feminist" is basically a label that has no specific meaning. The meaning depends upon personal opinions, beliefs, or stereotypes of a specific person. In other words, a feminist has a different meaning for every single person. Some people associate feminists with negativity and others find them to be courageous individuals who are not afraid to stand up for what they believe in. I plan to dissect the concept of what a feminist is by looking into the areas of the labeling and stereotypes of feminists, the difference between gender feminism and equity feminism, and the effect media has on feminism. When people are asked what they think feminism is, most usually get a clear idea or picture in their head. They may think of specific person that they correspond with feminism, or they may simply think of women's rights. As Farnham notes in "Male Bashing or What's in a Name?" , the most important definition of a feminist at this historical moment is the common meaning of the term on the street, in the dorms, and on the talk shows. That definition of a feminist can be summed up in the label " male-basher" (9). Along with the many negative labels, come many stereotypes of what a feminist should believe, look like, and even sexually prefer. Sternhell, author of "The Proper Study of Womankind," adds input into the categorization and stereotypes of feminists. After studying Sternhell found that many feminists are categorized and labeled as foolish people who are known for their closemindedness, hypocritical points of view, and infighting (331). Indeed, these stereotypes do have a definit e effect on the thinking of many young women and men. These young men and women have the misconception that to be a feminist one must live in poverty, critique constantly, be hostile towards men, never marry, censor pornography, and /or worship a goddess (Farnham 9). "When I think of a feminist, I think of a single, short-haired, blameful, hostile woman," states a students a the University of San Francisco (7). According to Farnham, this reflects the contemporary shift from a focus on who is a feminist to what a feminist believes- a shift from equating feminists with lesbians to insisting that feminism is nothing more than male bashing. Yet, if feminism is seen to be nothing more than trashing half the population, then who could be for that? Because there are feminists who share different points of view and focus on specific areas of feminism, there are many different branches of feminism. According to Beth Sommers, a professor of Women's Studies, feminism today is bad feminism, or what is known as " gender feminism" (Sternhell 331). As described by Farnham, gender feminists believe that women are systematically oppressed, and that our social and political arrangements assume and support male dominance. What she means by this is simply all the power and control of our country is in the hands of, for the most part, men. Sternhell states, "American feminism is currently dominated by women who seek to persuade the public that the world is built around a " sex/gender system" in which the dominant gender (men) work to keep women cowering and submissive" (331). As mentioned before, women with this belief seem to portray a negative image towards feminists. For example, Wendy Schwags, a self-declared feminist, claims, "?men are enemies, they are colonizers." (Gage 264). These examples are all connected to the fact that feminism is simply a label and revolves around personal points-of-view. Another type of feminism is equity feminism. Practitioners of equity feminism simply want equal rights under the law; they don't feel like victims and they aren't angry at men (Sternhell 332). However, the concept of equity feminism, for the most part seems to have died a hundred years ago. It seems as though society has been focused on what is sexist, what is offending, and what is feminism that we have lost sight of the original

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Abuse and the Family essays

Abuse and the Family essays In society today, marital abuse in any and all forms are due to the media that is all over. With the media that is on television and in the movies, marriages are crumbling apart due to violence in the marriage and/or abusive situations. Media all over the world is getting more and more evil each day. No movie that you see on television or in the theaters doesn't not have a bad guy in it. It seems that nowadays there is no good without evil. Take the television show Sopranos for example. I do love the movie, but the message that it sends to young boys on up to older men is disgusting. The message they send basically says that you can slap and beat up your wife and gumbahs because they are women that are yours and you can do whatever you want. This is what is fed into the minds of the male population these days. Young boys are what is worrisome. The minds of young boys are seeing these images and ideas in their minds and evaluating it and learning that it is okay to slap your wife or girlfriend around, but it is not okay and you don't see many movies about that. The only movies that I can think about are Enough with Jennifer Lopez and a couple Lifetime Television movies. The number one cause that most men say they do what they do is because they think in some corner of their mind that it is okay to do this. They have this unspoken right to be able to do this just one time to whip their girlfriend or wife into shape. WRONG! They have no right and they teach possible children of their own that this is how life is in a marriage or partnership. More and more in todays society, women are dying of abuse in their homes. Beatings, sexual abuse or manipulation, verbal abuse, these are all present in today's homes and it is happening because of the media and its portrayal of women and mens positions. Not only are the wives abused and treated badly, but the children in homes are watching and seeing thi ...

Pornography Addiction Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Pornography Addiction - Research Paper Example Adolescents are more likely to have the ease of access via the Internet and other new technologies, leading to their likelihood to have addiction to pornography. Addiction to pornography is considered a sexual disorder marked by excessive and uncontrollable access to sexually explicit contents or images (Voros 243). With this associated behavior, researchers are interested in investigating the relevant negative impacts of addiction to pornography. Thus, most of the studies pertaining to addiction to pornography have focused on finding the potential risks and only a few of them have explored the linked benefits involved (Doring 1089). â€Å"There is evidence that the more men watch pornography, the more they categorize and objectify women – seeing them as an assemblage of breasts, legs, and buttocks† (King 424). According to a recent finding of the researchers from Cambridge University, porn addiction cannot be too far from alcoholism and drug addiction (Mills and Ungoed -Thomas). The study clearly states that the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of 19 addictive pornography users revealed similarity of brain activity to the way that an alcoholic’s brain might respond to liquor or beer commercials. Dr. Valerie Voon, the head researcher, said, â€Å"We found greater activity in an area of the brain called the ventral striatum, which is a reward centre, involved in processing reward, motivation and pleasure† (Mills and Ungoed-Thomas). In a study among adult males in the United States, it was found that Internet pornography users are more likely to have sex with multiple partners, either pay or be paid for sex, have extramarital affairs, and are less likely to use condoms (Wright and Randall 1410). These at some point could be evaluated as risky behaviors that porn may potentially contribute to its users. This study is a remarkable support to an earlier study investigating the exposure to sexually explicit web sites and adolescent sexual attitudes and behaviors (Braun-Courville and Rojas 156). The study surveyed 433 adolescents using an anonymous survey at a health center in New York City. It was found that of the 96 percent of respondents who have access to the Internet, 55.4 percent of them visited sexually explicit web sites. Using logistic regression analysis, the respondents who were exposed to sites with sexually explicit contents are more likely to have multiple lifetime sexual partners, substance abuse and higher sexual permissiveness. Again, the society and various experts can define these as potentially harmful or risky behaviors. In other words, if we based it on the available literature with information containing the potential risk of pornography and addiction to it, a substantial number of them will provide us the linked risky behaviors and attitudes of the users as potential implications. Porn May Be Beneficial but Promotes Sexual Intercourse Commonly, it is not a question that various porn movies are able to showcase how to initiate an actual act of intercourse. This is informative and even technically educational especially among inexperienced young viewers. Thus, in a way, porn is technically sex education, but unlike the academic treatment of sex education at school, it exactly shows the actual act of sexual intercourse. Sex education is important among adolescents as it is found to produce a remarkably good result. Sex education in school is found to increase

Causes for the 2007-08 Financial Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Causes for the 2007-08 Financial Crisis - Essay Example The property market was a major contribution to the financial crisis. The collapse in prices of mortgaged houses put homebuyers in debts as they had speculatively spent so much money on overvalued property. The financial crisis arose from weak financial policies, which permitted banks among other financial institution make precarious investments as the outline portrays. b. Response: The financial crunch affected investment in the real estate’s industry first in the United States before the effects spiraled to other major global economies thus reducing the volume of activities at major stock markets thus culminating in the crisis. a. Response: With intense speculation on the size and lucrativeness of the industry, numerous investors including financial institutions increased to invest and compete for the market (Starkman, 2014). b. Both commercial and investment banks thus competed for the market. They introduced precarious policies that permitted the banks to invest extensively in the industry without cushioning themselves from the unpredictable nature of the

A Railway Journey Essay Example for Free

A Railway Journey Essay I am a frequent traveller. That’s because I am a small town boy from Rourkela studying in the national capital of India. My batch friends who live nearby take every opportunity to go home be that a one day holiday or a week’s holiday. I on the other hand cannot exploit every holiday because travelling takes me 48 hours to reach home. Unfortunately there is no direct train from Delhi to Rourkela. So I have to switch trains in a preferable stop. I usually prefer Ranchi station. From Ranchi to Rourkela there is just one train in the evening that is the 7 pm train. My usual itinerary is that I travel from Delhi to Ranchi via Rajdhani which reaches there at 4 pm, and then I take the 7 pm train to reach Rourkela at 11 pm. I was so engrossed in my studies and exams that I forgot to book my ticket before time. When the holidays came near I suddenly realized that I hadn’t booked my ticket. I immediately opened IRCTC website from my laptop, and saw that my usual train Rajdhani was completely booked and no more tickets were available. I couldn’t risk booking a waiting list ticket so I booked an alternate train which takes relatively more time but I thought I’ll make it. It was supposed to reach Ranchi at 5:30 pm. I thought that I have a reasonable time gap and I can easily make it. Soon my exams got over and the time came for me to go home. To be frank, I usually get bored at home. But the idea of going home, the packing of my stuff, the travel and the journey is what excites me. I said goodbye to my friends, hugged them, and wished them happy holidays. A friend gave me chocolates for my journey and wished me happy journey. I just love this feeling. Since the exams were over they had nothing else to do, so they came with me to the station to see me off. I bought a bottle of Thums Up. Yes that’s my favourite drink. I went on and sat on my berth. I always prefer the side lower when I am travelling alone. There is a sense of privacy and is comfortable as well. I waved at my friends as the train started to move. I was very happy, but my subconscious was slowly telling me that this train better not be late because otherwise I am screwed. My father will scold me for my irresponsibility. Since it was not Rajdhani, its standard was not that good. Moreover I had to buy food for every meals and the compartment was also not that clean. But I knew I can manage as long as I get a charging socket nearby. I have a laptop and I love games. I can pass my time very easily. For some reason I don’t know why, I like to travel alone. One of the biggest and consistent problems faced by a youngster preferably male travelling alone is that someone always will request him to exchange his berth with someone who needs it more. Be that a senior citizen, or a family whose all tickets are concentrated in one area and only one is far away. Whatever it may be, we boys have to suffer. There is no point in booking tickets early if you don’t get the seat of your choice. And there is no way you can say no to them because they are elder people and they make such horrible requesting faces with puppy eyes that you just can’t deny. A fairly middle aged person requested me to trade my seat for his upper berth in a different coach skipping 3 coaches in the middle. I said let’s see in the beginning but later on I had to give in because I had no other option. He helped me shift my luggage and thanked me a lot later on. Travelling alone is some kind of a self-assessment time for me. I analyze what I have done in the past, I day dream a lot in this time and set personal goals. As soon as we cross Delhi and reach Ghaziabad my telecom service (Reliance) initiates the roaming facility and unfortunately my u nlimited SMS pack becomes void. My parents keep checking on me calling at regular intervals. After some point it becomes very irritating because it costs even to receive phone calls. I look at the scenes outside the window. I feel bad when I see the people living near the railway tracks, the slums and the poverty. I stare at the empty advertisements loaded with spelling and grammar mistakes on the boundary walls of the slums and on houses. Now the Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) came to check the tickets of the passengers. When my turn came I showed him the ticket, he said that my ticket is booked for a different compartment, which has different TTE, so I have to show it to him. I said we have exchanged the seat, but nothing that I said mattered. So I had to go back to the previous compartment and ask that person to show his ticket to the TTE of my compartment. Same thing would have happened to him so he took my ticket. It was an unnecessary exercise and I hated that person for the troubles he gave me. The sounds of children crying and yelling are sometimes intolerable, but there is nothing one can do about it. I try to console myself by saying that I was also like that one day, funny but true. The vendors keep on moving here and there shouting and selling. It’s okay up to a certain limit. After that you just can’t listen to their annoying voices anymore. There is total chaos. So I put on my headphones and listen to music. What a great relief that is! Soon the day came to an end, and I went to sleep early. The next day when I woke up I went out and brushed my teeth. After that I asked the attendant whether the train was running late or not. He said yes, one and a half hour late. I became nervous because then I’ll not make it on time and I’ll miss the connecting train. Hoping that the train will make up for the lost time I went back to my seat and lied down worried. What should I tell my parents if I missed the train? What will I do? Where will I go? Ques tions like these haunted me. I ate my breakfast and read the newspaper that I bought from a vendor. I tried to pass my time but my mind was unconsciously worrying about the consequences. As time passed I noticed the arrival time had crossed, and the train was still running one and a half hour late. My heart started beating faster with every second that passed. Soon the train came to a halt and I reached Ranchi at 6:45 pm. Ranchi has two different stations, one being Ranchi and the other Hatia. I had reservation up to Hatia, but if I had waited for the train to reach Hatia, I would have missed the connecting train. So I took a chance and left the train with my luggage and ran in search of an auto. I found an auto-driver, the first one that approached me. I asked him how much he will take to get me to Hatia station, to which he answered 100 rupees. I said I’ll give him 150 if he takes me there within the next 10 minutes. He being a sport took my luggage and placed it in his auto and I sat and then we rushed to through a different path. I became surprised as to why was he taking me through a different route. He said it is a longer road, but the road is very smooth so we will reach early if he drives very fast. As bad as this nightmare was, it was about to become worse because it started to rain and was becoming very dark. The driver was very instrumental, because he broke all the traffic rules, crossed all the red lights but we reached Hatia at 7 pm. I thought I had missed it. But still I paid him for his bravery and I took my luggage and rushed towards the station. To my surprise I found that my connecting train was still standing on the platform and my previous train had not yet reached Hatia. I took a sigh of relief and then I ran towards my compartment, and took a seat. Just as I sat on my seat, drenched from head to toe, the fellow passenger sitting next to me requested me to trade my seat for his in a different compartment. I was still breathing heavily. But I was so happy that I made it in time that I accepte d. We went to the very next compartment and he got me a lower berth. I was happy that things are turning my way. No one further wanted to exchange my seat. I sat down wiping my face with my handkerchief. Then I called my mother and shared my adventure with her proudly. She was amazed with the story but I could hear my father calling my irresponsible from behind. I could not help but laugh. I would have reached Rourkela by 11 pm. I was thinking of taking a bath and then would sleep. Just when I thought nothing else could go wrong the train stopped at a very small station at 10 pm. Then I saw people coming out of the train. I panicked. I asked my fellow passengers among which a boy of nearly my age. He said that this train has stopped and will restart at morning 6. It is a naxalite-attack prone area. So the train won’t run to prevent accidents in the dark. Suddenly I saw the police patrolling the train. I called my mother and updated her on the situation. This meant I’ll reach at 7 am in the morning. I was literally criticizing my luck. Many people went to the waiting room, but I stayed and so did the boy sitting next to me. We thought of sleeping, but it was unsafe. So we decided to keep up all night. So I took out my laptop and we decided which movie to see from the large movie database I had kept in hard drive. Luckily the socket was running and so was the air conditioner. We stayed up all night watching movies back to back. Slowly the people passing by or the people who heard the noise from my laptop came near our cubicle. They also got interested and sat down. Soon there was a gathering of 8-9 people. The few people who were sleeping nearby started to complain that we should sleep as we are disturbing them. But it was too late to stop now because there were a lot of people who were actually enjoying the movie. So we continued till 6 am in the morning. The train started at sharp 6 am. I reached Rourkela at 7:10 am. I came out and saw my father standing in the platform waiting for me. Finally I reached home. It was a huge relief. Surely it was a journey to remember. The ups and downs and the adventures were memorable. A railway journey surely takes more time and has a lot of problems attached to it, but has a lot of memories attached to it as well. This is one of the main reasons I always prefer to travel in train.

The impact of culture on women entrepreneurship

The impact of culture on women entrepreneurship The author has been involved from the age of thirteen years old in business enterprise both Small and Medium Enterprises (SME). The author comes from a business orientated family and spent her working life both in family business and private capacity. This made the author believes that one of the most important issues that the women entrepreneur experiences in this business sector is culture challenges. The author believes that women entrepreneurship has got many opportunities but the impact of culture challenges these opportunities in particular if we compare UK and Sub-Saharan women entrepreneurship. Considering entrepreneurship sector it has long been considered an important factor for socioeconomic growth and development because it provides millions of job opportunities, offers a variety of consumer goods and services, and generally increases national prosperity and competitiveness (Zahra, 1999). Although in recent years women have been included in a number of studies on entrepreneurship, however, there has been little focus on challenging traditional definitions of entrepreneurship or on developing new methods to collect information on entrepreneurship (Moore 1990, p.278; Stevenson 1990, p.442; Moore and Buttner 1997). The entrepreneurship literature has increasingly acknowledged the desire by women to be economically independent and their role and contribution as female entrepreneurs in shaping the labour market (Goffee Scase, 1985). Entrepreneurship or self-employment normally involves setting up a new business or buying an existing business. Gartner, (1988) defines entrepreneurship as the behaviours associated with performing entrepreneurial activities (i.e. what an entrepreneur does rather than on whom the entrepreneur is). The entrepreneur environment is surrounding by many societal factors such as cultural, economic, political and social forces. These factors can join together to create threats or opportunities where entrepreneur operates. Despite the presence of a favourable environment, individuals who are motivated by factors such as financial rewards, achievement, social, career, and individual fulfilment, for these conditions or motives to encourage into entrepreneurship a national culture supports and encourages entrepreneurial activity is needed. Berger, (1991), points out that individuals personalities and behaviours, firms, political/legal systems, economic conditions, and social traditions are all intertwined with the national culture from which they originate. Hence, the study of entrepreneurship on a cultural basis seems appropriate. Furthermore, taking women themselves as subjects for analysis and comparison three levels of similarity or difference should be considered. First, no matter w here women live, they experience similar types of role complexity, especially when combining the roles of working mother and wife. Second, no matter where women live, they encounter similar problems when trying to get started as entrepreneurs or when trying to expand their business activities. Third, in contrast to male entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurs face unique challenges arising from the local environment in which they must operate. It is these differences arising from the specific social and cultural environments in which WEs operates that are the subject of investigation in this study as well as the differences between women themselves, their roles or their personal experiences. Consequently, this study takes the cultural approach to study the women entrepreneurs in sub-Saharan Africa compared to the U.K by examining factors in the environments in which Women Entrepreneurs (WEs) operate. The goal is to understand better how cultural barriers of many types impact the efforts of WEs. In order to address these gender-particular problems, social cultural is suggested to cover two goals: Addressing the changing social beliefs, attitudes and behaviours that negatively affect women entrepreneurs. The ways of improving conditions in institutional systems and environments in the women entrepreneurs The research questions The extant entrepreneurial literature has certainly increased our understanding of entrepreneurs and the gender dynamics of entrepreneurship, a key concern is the tendency for typical studies to focus on entrepreneurship issues in Western developed economies to the neglect of developing .If entrepreneurship is accepted as a key driver of economic growth and an essential component of national development, then a better understanding is needed of those factors which promote or inhibit womens entrepreneurship in the U.K and sub-Saharan Africa. Two questions are of principal interest in this study: Under what conditions do women become entrepreneurs in the U.K and sub-Saharan Africa? What types of cultural and environmental barriers must they face and overcome? The next section explains the methodology. We then present and discuss the findings and argue that while many challenges identified are common in this sector they are experienced differentially and are strongly influenced by the nature of the cultural values in context. Keywords: women entrepreneurs; sub-Saharan Africa; U.K, cultural environment The research methodology In order to understand the nature of WEs experience in the U.K and sub-Saharan Africa, it is necessary first to understand the socio-economic and cultural context in which they live and work. The present study is exploratory in nature. The study was carried out in the U.K with selecting women entrepreneurs doing different types of business. The study covered two types of participants women entrepreneurs from the U.K and others women entrepreneurs who originally came from Sub Saharan African countries settled and started a business in the U.K. The combination of the selected groups gives different business cultures. Our goal is to demonstrate both similarities and differences in the experiences of WEs trying to operate their own business. The data for the study was collected from both primary and secondary sources. Primary data was collected from selected women entrepreneurs through formal interviews. The participants from the Sub Saharan Africa were selected on a convenience basis to represent Somali, Ethiopian, Eritreans, and Ugandans. The reasons that made the researcher to perform samples interviews from both participants are the limited timescale for the researcher as well as the availability of these women in entrepreneur business in the U.K. Secondary data was collected from published data in books, journals, magazines report and newspapers. In trying to assemble relevant statistical data from secondary sources for this profile, the researcher encountered considerable difficulties with incomplete, out-of-date, or missing data. Even in publications produced by Department for Business innovation and Skills (BIS), banking system such as Nat west, in the U.K and leading international agencies such as the World Bank, UNESCO (2011), UN, and the CIA (2011), statistics proved to be inadequate for the purposes of this study. The next section presents the relation between the gender and the entrepreneur. Gender and the Entrepreneurial Career Choice The literature described the term entrepreneur with a particular emphasis on the view of the nature and purpose of entrepreneurial activities. Thus, an entrepreneur is defined as one who undertakes a commercial enterprise and who is an organisational creator and innovator (Gartner, 1990; 2004). Theoretically entrepreneur includes elements of smallness, competition, deregulation, innovation and risk (Verheul Thurik, 2000). Considering these features an entrepreneur historically assumed to be male (Green and Cohen 1995, p.299; Beggs et al.1994). However, Winn, (2005) stated that entrepreneur is the one who prospects for or exploits opportunities and who has a tenacity to face challenges. Whereas, Krueger and Brazeal (1994) described entrepreneurship as gender neutral who perceive themselves as pursuing opportunities irrespective of existing resources. This definition is in line with affirmation of Buttner and Moores (1997) that the entrepreneurship is a gender-blind career choice. Alt hough this assertion is theoretically true, in practice gender and environment act together to confirm the success or failure of women as entrepreneurs. Studies report that women entrepreneurs differ from men in terms of their motivations, the types of external barriers that they face, and the type of help available to women (Buttner and Moore 1997; Mattis 2004; Woldie and Adersua 2004). Cromie (1987) compares womens and mens reasons for forming businesses on 13 different criteria and notes that women are less preoccupied than men with economic gain, and more often cite child-rearing demands and career dissatisfaction as reasons for business formation. In a similar way, Hisrich (1989) summarises the comparisons that have been made between female and male business owners in terms of motivation, source of funds, occupational background, and reasons for occupational departure, personality, background, support group and type of business. Other studies similarly compare the motivation of female and male entrepreneurs (Cromie 1987; Birley 1989) and management styles in women-owned and men-owned enterprises (Chaganti 1986). Accordingly, the literature points to a variety of intrinsic and extrinsic factors that might influence women to choose an entrepreneurial career. Intrinsic factors include the persons personality or traits such as having a proactive, assertive personality, being self-governed and positive (Akrivos et al., 2007, Mordi, et, al., 2010). In this respect, female entrepreneurs have been found to be less oriented to financial reward than men (Rosa et al, 1996), valuing work satisfaction and challenge, and to hold androgynous or masculine self perceptions (Brodsky, 1993) such as confidence, a sense of adventure and risk taking. Extrinsic factors include family circumstances and family orientation, the influence of socio-cultural factors, the political-economic climate surrounding the business environment and dominant features of human resources within the labour market (Ituma Simpson, 2007). The aspiration to own and manage a business might stem from a desire to be self-sufficient, to gain personal satisfaction and esteem as well as a desire for more opportunities and flexibility than exists for women in the employed labour market (Carter, 2000; Winn 2004, 2005; Carter and Cannon, 1992). This quest for autonomy and flexibility may be particularly relevant for those women with caring responsibilities (Carter, 2000; Hewlett, 2002) who accordingly seek to combine work and non-work activities (Mordi, et, el., 2010). Using these comparisons and to develop a form of typical female entrepreneur the factors that describe the differences between the male and female entrepreneur can include women and men are socialized differently and as a result have different orientations especially when it comes to business; as women face certain structural and cultural barriers rather than men and finally women have distinctive ways of conducting and managing their own business (Amine Staub, 2009). Carter (2000) points out; women are not disadvantaged in the world of self employment because of their lack of mental, physical, educational and other kinds of abilities, but as a result of gendered categorisations. These categorizations have close links to other variables, such as cultural values, family commitment, lack of business capital and credit facilities that can act as limitations to the female entrepreneur (Mordi, et, al., 2010). Taking these differences there is anecdotal evidence that cultural beliefs about gender and entrepreneurship have consequences for women entrepreneurs. For example, women entrepreneurs frequently reported that perceived lack of credibility by investors due to their gender disadvantages them in their searches for credit (Moore and Buttner 1997; Carter and Cannon 1992). Kiggundu (2002) reported that most successful African entrepreneurs are male, middle-aged, married with a number of children, and are more educated than the general population. Staub and Amine (2006) argue that many women in sub-Saharan Africa are ready to go as entrepreneurs, if only environmental conditions are more favourable to their efforts. Consequently, theory suggests that gender stereotypes may systematically disadvantage women entrepreneurs as few studies have investigated the extent to which cultural beliefs about gender might impact men and women in the initial decision-making process of choosing to start a business in the first place (Heilman and Chen 2003). This gender carrier choice review highlights the significance and value of some of the cultural and environmental factors which is the focus of this study. To deepen our understanding for these factors the next section will present more cultural motivations and types of women entrepreneurs. Types and motives of Women Entrepreneurs Definitions of the term entrepreneur tend to assume and emphasise a particular view of the nature and purpose of entrepreneurial activities. Goffee and Scase (1985) distinguish between four types of female entrepreneurs (conventional, innovative, domestic and radical). Goffee and Scase (1985) argue that Conventional businesswomen are highly committed both to entrepreneurship ideals and to the conventional gender role for women. These women accept the fact that they have to work long hours to fulfil both their domestic and entrepreneurial roles. Goffee and Scase note that conventional businesswomen run their business in ways which are compatible with their domestic obligations and do not require family members to undertake additional tasks. Goffee and scase (1985, p.96) suggest that these women do not see the need for restructuring of gender relationship. However Innovative entrepreneurs, by contrast, are committed to entrepreneurship ideals but not to the conventional gender roles. D omestic businesswomen do not uphold entrepreneurship ideals but are committed to conventional gender roles. Radical proprietors have low commitment to both entrepreneurship ideals and to conventional gender roles. Through this framework, Goffee and Scase (1985) are able to explain some of the differences in whose willingness to compromise with the male business world and to sacrifice personal and family relationships for the sake of their enterprises enables them to overcome many of the obstacles which many women face'(ibid.,p.142). To be precise, innovators women entrepreneurs are likely to be booming entrepreneurs in so far as they imitate the male work norm. Considering these types of women entrepreneur Birley (1989, p.37) argues that profile of women entrepreneur in the future will continue to move closer to that of their male counterparts. To achieve this stage women entrepreneurs need certain motives to encourage them to be in business. Scholars emphasised different motives for entrepreneurs as general the most notably economist Cantillon and Marx who pointed out that profit maybe one motive of entrepreneur business. Furthermore, the entrepreneur may be driven not only by economic motives but also by psychological motives like the desire to innovate and create new products (Schumpeter, 1934). The desire to take risk and a spirit of adventure may be another (Knight, 1921). Moreover some entrepreneurs have greater access to information or knowledge and wish to exploit that advantage (Kirzner, 1973). However, the positive reasons alone may not motivate entrepreneurship as some individuals may have no other option but to choose self- employment (Basu Altinay, 2002). (references in london articles) Krueger and Brazeal (1994, p.101) asserted that favourable environmental conditions such as support from political, social, and business leaders and a team spirit in the community effectively encourage entrepreneurship among both men and women. Social support from family and friends who provide positive role models, as well as from parents who promote entrepreneurial aspirations during childhood, all contribute to create positive environmental conditions favouring womens entrepreneurship. In contrast, (Mordi, et, al., 2010) argue that lack of access to seed funds and working capital are two environmental factors that particularly discourage women entrepreneurs. It is clear that motivations of women entrepreneurs based to some extent on the gender beliefs. Thus in the next section the relation between the gender beliefs and entrepreneurship will be discussed. Gender Beliefs and Entrepreneurship This section presents the shared cultural belief about genders by prescribing different expectations of competence for women and men or gender status beliefs in the area of entrepreneurship. Then analyze the implications of those beliefs for womens as entrepreneur business choice. It is reported that women often perceive they lack credibility because of their gender when they seek funding (Carter and Cannon 1992; Moore and Buttner 1997; Smallbone et.al. 2000). To discuss this sociologists increasingly understand gender as a multilevel structure, which includes cultural beliefs and distributions of resources at the macro level, patterns of behavior at the interactional level, and roles and identities at the micro level (Ferree, Lorber, and Hess 1999; Ridgeway and Correll 2004; Risman 1998) (Reference- baud2010.SPQ.snap article). The influence of culture on entrepreneurship was first emphasised by Max Weber at the beginning of this century. As Weber (1976) famously argued, Protestantism encouraged a culture that emphasised individualism, achievement motivation, legitimation of entrepreneurial vocations, rationality, asceticism, and self-reliance. Based on that Hoftstede (1991, p.5) defines culture as a collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another. In this sense Hoftstede (1991) regards culture as a collective phenomenon that is shaped by individuals social environment, not their genes. In this way he defines culture a set of shared values, beliefs and norms of a group or community. Basu Altinay, (2002) argue that these cultural values and norms will either converge or conflict with a societys ability to develop a strong entrepreneur orientation. For example, thinking about a new business ventures means confronting a great deal of uncertain ty. Moreover, in the development of new ideas, entrepreneurs have to make their own decisions in setting where there are few, if any, historical trends, and relatively little direct information (Basu Altinay, 2002). Accordingly, Hofstedes in his research shows that national culture affects workplace values across a range of countries. Basu Altinay (2002) views the cultural differences result from national, regional, ethnic, social class, religious, gender, and language variations. Hence, values are held to be a crucial feature of culture and cultural uniqueness. Consequently, Berger (1991) argues that any modernisation in countries must include cultural transformation. As such, entrepreneurship develops from the Bottom up such that culture gives rise to entrepreneurial potential. Thus, Bergers stated that it is culture that serves as the conductor, and the conductor, and the entrepreneur as the catalyst (to entrepreneurship) (Berger 1991, p.122). To widen our understanding to the effect of culture on the women entrepreneurs it seems necessary to take some examples on this field. In the United Kingdom, notably in the East Midlands (Nottingham and Leicester) Somali women have challenged the male-dominated perception which portrays women as housewives with little contribution to the public arena. Study by Hassan (2002) reveals how Somali women in the UK rejected their traditional culture that gives husbands authority over their wives. A traditional power relation at the household level that allows husbands to control their wives is no longer accepted in the UK. A Somali woman narrates Men should learn how to cook, do the laundry and change the nappies (Hassan 2002), a new male role which used to be a female role in Somali. This led to an increase in marriage breakdown. However, women have become shapers of their lives. On the other hand men seem not happy with the new culture that they need to understand and to response to posit ively. They put religion to stop women taking new roles. Men are using religion as a scapegoat when they say that women are abandoning Islam. This is the way this country is, and we should adapt to it, said a female interviewee (Hassan 2002). In the city of London Ethiopian and Eritrean women have improved their entrepreneur skills and become engaged in different small business activities such as restaurants and cafes to generate income to help them to support themselves and to improve their living standard as well as to send remittances to their families and communities in their homeland. Thus, challenging the economic exclusion is that many women in Diaspora are exposed to and also giving them financial independence and economic power. Moreover, gaining economic power could lead to decision-making power at household level. Thus, challenging the patriarchal system that perpetuates males domination. In a study comparing indigenous African entrepreneurs to entrepreneurs of European and Indian descent operating in Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, Ramachandran and Shah (1999) found significant differences between sample members. Differences were seen in their education, networks, and business growth rates, with entrepre neurs of European or Indian descent having more formal education and better business networks. Despite the considerable progress many countries have achieved in developing their economies, entrepreneurial activity remains relatively limited in many these nations (Berger 1991) Cultural Challenges of Women Entrepreneur The literature showed that women entrepreneur businesses are generally smaller, grow more slowly, and are less profitable (Fasci Valdez, 1998; Hisrish Brush, 1984; Kalleberg Leicht, 1991; Rosa Hamilton, 1994). Buttner and Rosen (1988) similarly found that American loan officers rated women as significantly less like successful entrepreneurs on the dimensions of leadership, autonomy, risk taking, readiness for change, endurance, lack of emotionalism, and low need for support when compared to equivalent men. More generally, scholars have argued that entrepreneurship is an activity that involves a sense of dominance tied to notions of masculinity within modern capitalist cultures (Bruni, Gherardi, and Poggio 2004; Connell 1995; Mirchandani 1999). A number of theorists attempt to identify barriers which female business owners face. These theorists focus on the social structures, which support gender differences. Several authors maintain that research on women entrepreneurs suffers from a number of shortcomings. These include a one-sided empirical focus (Gatewood, Carter, Brush, Greene, Hart, 2003), a lack of theoretical grounding (Brush, 1992), the neglect of structural, historical, and cultural factors (Chell Baines, 1998; Nutek, 1996), the use of male-gendered measuring instruments (Moore, 1990; Stevenson, 1990), the absence of a power perspective, and the lack of explicit feminist analysis (Mirchandani, 1999; Ogbor, 2000; Reed, 1996). Loscocco et al. (1991), for example, examine why women-owned businesses are typically less financially successful than businesses owned by men. They argue that womens lack of industry experience and family situation (in particular responsibility for childcare) explain part of the difference in income. Other reasons include the fact that women-owned businesses are typically small in size and are concentrated in poorly paid sectors of employment. Other barriers are identified by Aldrich who studies entrepreneurial networking and notes that women tend to form larger numbers of strong ties; this over-investment in the maintenance of networks can translate into business disadvantage as a woman entrepreneur risks spending much of her time on relationship matters rather than business ones (1989, p.121). Woldie and Adersua (2004) reported that aspiring WEs face additional barriers to success arising from negative social attitudes. Prejudice against WEs is experienced much more severely in Africa than in developed Western nations, arising from deeply-rooted, discriminatory cultural values, attitudes, practices, and the traditions of patriarchal cultures. Local prejudice is expressed through differential attitudes toward women in general, and through different standards and expectations for womens social behaviour in particular. While social attitudes are not the only factors hindering womens entrepreneurship, they are recognized by Gartner (1985) as critical factors. Lack of educational opportunities for girls throughout sub-Saharan Africa puts women at a tremendous disadvantage in adult life. Not only are they unable to improve their own intellectual and social abilities through education, they also suffer from social subservience and an inability to engage in business on an equal footing with men. Inadequate education leaves women ill-equipped to resist normative pressures from society for them to conform to traditional social role expectations for division of labour. Educational deficits also make it difficult for women to counter pressure by their husbands and family members to conform to social norms. In Muslim communities of sub-Saharan Africa (such as in Nigeria), it is not considered socially right or proper for a woman to work outside the home or to own her own business. It is feared that a married womans access to an independent source of income will change traditional roles in the family, undermine patriarchal domestic relations, and affect the balance of power within the household, potentially leading to divorce and the possibility of self-determination. Socially constructed meanings may interpret the fact of a married woman working for pay outside the home as deriving directly from a mans inability to control his wife or to provide adequately for his family without her assistance. Fearing such a loss of control, personal honour or social standing, many men simply refuse to allow their wives to start or operate their own businesses. An even greater threat is the social stigma that might attach to a man if his wife is seen to be more successful than he is (Njeru and Njoka 2001). Such deep social embarrassment and dishonour of the family name are deemed intolerable outcomes in many cultures of the world, not just in Africa. (See, for example, studies of the social impact on families of womens employment in the maquiladora factories along the US-Mexican border over the last 30 years [American Friends Service Committee AFSC 2006].) While such fears are grounded in traditional socio-cultural beliefs, attitudinal change can be accomplished through education of both men and women, allowing women to achieve self-determination and men to enjoy a more prosperous family life with their wives financial contribution to the household. Recommendations on how to bring about this type of change in attitudes towards women, work and independent enterprise will be addressed in a later section on social marketing. Some type of problem or proposed shortcomings of women. Women are discussed as: (the references on articles on women) Having a psychological makeup that is less entrepreneurial or at least different from that of a mans (Fagenson, 1993; Neider, 1987; Sexton Bowman-Upton, 1990; Zapalska, 1997) Having less motivation for entrepreneurship or for growth of their businesses (Buttner Moore, 1997; Fischer et al., 1993) Having insufficient education or experience (Boden Nucci, 2000) Having less desire to start a business (Carter Allen, 1997; Kourilsky Walstad, 1998; Matthews Moser, 1996; Scherer et al., 1990) Being risk averse (Masters Meier, 1988) Having unique start-up difficulties or training needs (Birley et al., 1987; Nelson, 1987; Pellegrino Reece, 1982) Using less than optimal or perhaps feminine management practices or strategies (Carter et al., 1997; Chaganti, 1986; Cuba et al., 1983; Olson Currie, 1992; Van Auken et al., 1994) Behaving irrationally by turning to unqualified family members for help (Nelson, 1989) Not networking optimally (Aldrich et al., 1989; Cromie Birley, 1992; Katz Williams, 1997; Smeltzer Fann, 1989) Perceiving other women as less cut for the role of entrepreneurship (Fagenson Marcus, 1991) Attributing loan denials to gender bias instead of flaws in the business plan (Buttner Rosen, 1992) The Africans we interviewed display an impressive confidence in their entrepreneurial ability. Insert your interview quotation here Women entrepreneurship problems explanation Hisrich outlines the central problems faced by women entrepreneur and develops prescription for (their) success (1989, p3). These prescription include the need for women to gain experience in financial management by taking loans and managing family finances, obtain occupational experience in middle management, study engineering, science, technical or business-related subjects, learn to prioritize between organizational and family responsibilities, and develop support systems and mentors. According to Hisrich suggests that women need to develop a girls network (1989,p.280 to parallel theold boyss network, and to learn to delegate business or family responsibilities to others when necessary.) Aldrick argues that women need to increase their network diversity by adopting, like male entrepreneurs, an assertive and instrumental orientation to personal networks (1989,p.128). Goffee and Scase argue that real potential for the growth of small business (1985,p.142) lies with women who have a low attachment to conventional gender roles, such as the innovators whose willingness to compromise with the male business world and to sacrifice personal and family relationships for the sake of their enterprises enables them to overcome many of the obstacles. Recommendation and conclusion This study allows us to make several points about the impact of culture on women entrepreneur. This review of the literature on women entrepreneurship and gender presents a complex picture of critical environmental barriers, social challenges and practical problems that men, and more particularly women, must overcome, if they want to become entrepreneurs or expand their small businesses. In sum, this study supports the theory that cultural beliefs about gender and entrepreneurship play a key role in determining who becomes an entrepreneur and who does not. This finding is substantial given that entrepreneurship, unlike any one specific job or occupation, is an entire form of work. That is, entrepreneurs cover a wide range of occupational skills and educational backgrounds, not just those that are particularly male-dominated. Thus, the simple fact as reviewed that cultural beliefs benefit men at the task of business construction restricts the alternative of otherwise qualified, creative women. Furthermore, there is no doubt that entrepreneurs generate jobs and contribute to economic development and innovation. If widely held cultural beliefs about gender constrain womens involvement in that process, then their role as leaders in society, and in economic production more specifically is also constrained. The specific recommendations of this study are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To contribute to building a strong studies on women entrepreneur on a long-term vision favouring stability in this field that can lead to sustainable development and regional integration among ent

Othello by Shakespeare Essay

This is the beauty of great works of art in any of its forms; humanity does not change. Throughout time, we still and always will appreciate the things that stir our emotions: love, honour, betrayal, courage, sorrow, death. Are you familiar with Shakespeare’s gripping tale of â€Å"Othello†? If so, here is your opportunity to become re-acquainted with this masterpiece while enjoying exceptional acting, adept cinematography and the absorbing tragic tale true to its origin. If you are unfamiliar with the tale, prepare yourself for many mind-blowing twists and turns at the hands and lips of the master evil conniver, Iago. The Plot†¦ Very Simplified: Othello, a respected Army General, secretly marries Desdemona, much to the envy of his friend, Iago. Iago, motivated by jealousy and complete lack of compassion toward others, has â€Å"hatred & jealousy† to motivate his every move†¦ and evil-doings at the mercy of a brilliant manipulator and ruthless rogue means tremendous trouble and sorrow for all. But I get ahead of myself. To begin, Iago awakens Desdemona’s Father with the news of the clandestine joining: â€Å"A dark ram is topping your white ewe†¦. â€Å"Ah! Shakespeare! Desdemona is a lovely and gentle young woman with more than her share of admirers ~ not only Othello, whom she dearly loves, but Iago, who covets her. Others prove to be the tools that Iago manipulates to bring an end to the newlywed’s happiness. With ploys too intricate and devious for most minds to conceive, and certainly too involved for me to detail here, Iago begins his clever and destructive scheme to undermine the couple’s union. As Iago says, â€Å"There are many events in the womb of time†¦ which will be delivered†. Iago manipulates people and events to cast suspicion on Desdemona and make it appear as though she may be having an affair. He uses her own loving spirit and good nature against her: â€Å"I shall turn her goodness into pitch and out of her own goodness make the net that shall unmesh them all†, confesses Iago to the viewing audience! By inference and the planting of false evidence, Iago successfully raises suspicion of a love triangle to Othello. Othello is successfully becoming undone by seeds of suspicion. The plot thickens. And it weaves and bobs and twists and turns and takes us on a delicious yet unsettling serpentine chase through treachery and trickery. This is Shakespeare, after all – a master storyteller! But †¦. what about the production? Is a modern filming of Shakespeare for everyone’s taste? Clearly, no. The Language True to the Bard’s original, â€Å"Othello’s† dialogue comes from the pages of Shakespeare’s work. And it is difficult†¦ at first. The heightened speech of the day is not we are accustom to: there are no short cuts taken – characters express themselves at great length and with great eloquence and wit. And one cannot deny the beauty of the language – delicate even when being bold; polite, even when being brusque. But don’t be prematurely put off by this. Bear with it a short time and it pays off. If you make it past the first five minutes, you may eventually become comfortable, as the rhythm starts to become internalized and soon begins to sound quite accessible. Despite the initial difficulties in comprehension, I became rapt in the plot and the intense concentration required proved to my benefit , as I became completely involved in the drama. The Acting To compliment the language, the acting proves impeccable and indispensable! The characters lend vibrant facial expressions that betray their motives and emotions. In fact, one can say that in any modern version of Shakespeare, average audiences must rely heavily on other cues – like facial expressions and actions, to bring greater understanding to the rapidly moving dialogue and storyline. This version is a great success! I have never been more impressed with Laurence Fishburne’s acting than in this film. In this challenging production, he demonstrated his considerable skill. But Kenneth Branagh , as Iago, was the real scene stealer! Few can do â€Å"ruthless† like Branagh! And, though the role seemed to require less energy and scope, Irene Jacob was convincingly the sweet and gentle Desdemona. The love between Othello and Desdemona is demonstrated so clearly, so unmistakably, that as a viewer, I was angered by Iago’s attempts to destroy it. A good film makes you care! This is a good film! I cared about Desdemona; I was abhorred at Othello’s stupidity for believing the trap set by Iago. It was horrible to watch the jubilant happiness of the new lovers become undone. The perception of the heartbreak to come was intense. I detested Iago for his ruthlessness and hatefulness! All the emotions audiences felt so long ago – they still exist today. What Else? There a couple of scenes that were unusual – when Iago speaks to the camera – to the audience-and I suppose this might have been originally a soliloquy. But they seem very out of place. All of a sudden I was jolted out of my â€Å"suspension of disbelief† and cosiness of the play, by the intrusion of a personal message from one of the actors! On the other hand, Iago, though a cruel character, is a treat to watch as he spins his webs of deception then glances knowingly at the camera. This is one of Branagh’s most inspired roles! Although it has been many years since I read â€Å"Othello†, the film seems to remain true to its original while benefiting from new technology and artistic perceptions. It is a commendation to William Shakespeare (though he doesn’t need it from me) as well as the Director and actors who moved the production from â€Å"theatre in the round† to â€Å"Castle Rock Productions†. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Miscellaneous section.

Failure Analysis Strategy Change Essay

Movies have always been a past time enjoyed by many. As the technology continues to grow, many video stores are going out of business and digital or online movies are rising in popularity. Blockbuster Video and Netflix are businesses that have been affected by these changes. Blockbuster opened in 1985 with the mission statement of â€Å"Our corporate mission is to provide our customers with the most convenient access to media entertainment, including movie and game entertainment delivered through multiple distribution channels such as our stores, by mail, vending and kiosks, online and at home. We believe Blockbuster offers customers a value-prices entertainment experience, combining the broad product depth of a specialty retailer with local neighborhood convenience† (Farfan, 2010). Blockbuster continued with the vision statement of â€Å"At Blockbuster, diversity means valuing differences. It’s corporate value that must be continually developed, embraced, and incorporated into the way we do business† (Farfan, 2010). Blockbuster operated with more than 7,400 stores worldwide and also operated through 1,600 franchise stores. As technology started to change, customers began streaming movies from the Internet as well as using kiosks, such as Redbox, for movie rentals. Competition became a large factor in Blockbuster and the failing of the company, but a large part of the failure was due to manage changes and misunderstanding of the business as a whole (Dunston, 2014). Blockbuster Failure In 2006 and 2007, Blockbuster was approached by the CEO of Netflix, Reed Hastings, asking them to acquire Netflix. Hastings knew that Netflix had not formulated a plan to stop Blockbuster from stealing their customers, at the rate of a million per year. Blockbuster decided that the company did not  need Netflix because Blockbuster had a stronger and larger growth, but then a change that was never expected happened. A new CEO was named for Blockbuster after a boardroom dispute. The man appointed CEO didn’t fully understand the business and what Blockbuster needed in order to remain above the competition, especially Netflix. The CEO started changing plans for the company and even pulled out the Internet efforts that had been in place for Blockbuster. Within 18 months, 85% of the capital value of the company had been lost; within in 2 years, it was completely gone (Dunston, 2014). Netflix Netflix views themselves as â€Å"freedom of on-demand and the fun of indulgent viewing† (Netflix, 2014). Netflix also focuses on the convenience of the no-hassle, online cancellation and offer movies and TV series network. Technology and good leadership is how Netflix became the leader in the industry (Halal, 2010). Netflix executives understood that the emerging technology was rapidly changing the delivery of movie rentals. CEO, Hastings, developed â€Å"strategies involving Internet streaming, convenient customer service, and the virtual organization to deliver it cheaply and flawlessly† (Halal, 2010). Another part of Netflix’s technology strategy was to avoid the burden of having to go to a video store for customers. Customer service is key to a successful business, so Hastings used a monthly subscription to allow customers to have access to unlimited rentals, including no late fees. Instead of the hassle of renting movies, the focus is providing convenience. With the mission statement and vision of â€Å" Our core strategy is to grow our streaming subscription business domestically and globally. We are continually improving the customer experience, with a focus on expanding our streaming content, enhancing our user interface and extending our streaming service to even more Internet-connected devices, while staying within the parameters of our consolidated net income and operating segment contribution profit targets,† shows that the company wants the best for the company as well as their customers (Netflix, 2014). NetFlix Organizational Theories In reading many articles online about the success of NETFLIX the two organizational behavior theories that have been seen in this company have been decision-making and system approaches. Netflix’s huge decision to become a virtual DVD rental via online instead of going to actual in-store purchases like Blockbuster, has placed them at the top of the food chain. The technological advances alone for Netflix has change the industry forever, they took the systems approach by understanding the company’s input and output process and integrated the drive in developing new adaptive capacities and innovation. Blockbuster’s organization theory of scientific leadership placed a great deal into how the company ran it’s in store business and how the objectives and decisions were placed within the company. If Blockbuster could focus more on the click feature like how Netflix did, and not dismiss the idea that it would be a revolutionary change in the industry and within Blockbusters stockholders. Roles of Leadership and Management Per Netflix (2014) it has a â€Å"functional organizational structure, which aims at its functions themselves, rather than by customer segments or regions†. They have a CEO; Reed Hastings has 6 departments that have managers within them that run it. The organization beyond those 6 managers is not as structured as the top echelon is, they run their departments as they see fit. The CEO has instilled in their managers the management style of â€Å"Context, not Control† (Siegler), implying that very little control is given to employees, rather employees are held responsible for their actions and are expected to work efficiently and independently. Because of this idealists approach to management and how successful the company has been with it, they have found that they have no need to change their management style yet. Organizational value within Netflix has been on promoting the â€Å"stunning colleagues† (Netflix.com, 2014), and their importance in a great workplace. They have 9 values that they show is priority number 1 at Netflix, â€Å" judgment, impact, curiosity, innovation, courage, passion, honesty and selflessness (Siegler). The basic values that they believe as a company are workplace efficiency, emphasis on effective over effort, management best practices, retention practices, and large emphasis on a large salary, rather than stock options and bonuses. They believe that this  creates an environment that promotes productivity, and efficient work environment, which shows in colleague retention and overall happiness at Netflix. Part 2: Leading Organizational Change As the CEO of Blockbuster it is my responsibility to evaluate the organizations structure as well as the power and political issues within the company. The CEO can be disconnected to what is going on at the operations level of the company if he or she does not put forth the effort to be involved. As the CEO I will be involved in the operations of the company and be a leader employees can look up to. To implement the organizations change I will use a strategy based on John Kotter’s 8 step plan for change. John Kotter’s 8 steps are â€Å"establishing a sense of urgency, forming a powerful guiding coalition, creating a vision, communicating the vision, empowering others to act on the vision, planning for and creating short-term wins, consolidating improvements and producing still more changes, institutionalizing new approaches†(Mintzberg, Lampel, Quinn 2003). As the CEO of blockbuster I see that technology is changing and we must keep up. If we do not keep up with the technological advances we are doomed to fail. I see the company as a technology company and not just a movie rental company. I do not want Blockbuster to just survive, I want Blockbuster to thrive. Blockbuster will start investing in new internet technologies and streaming services. We will align ourselves with major motion picture studios to ensure that we get the newest movies and offer our customers the best services possible. Upper management will actively seek new opportunities and new world markets to expand our services. All employees will be encouraged to provide new ideas and mediocrity will not be accepted. Every aspect of the company will be evaluated and our services will provide our customers with the greatest movie streaming value. Reference Dunston, Dain (2014). When Blockbuster Forgot What Business They Were In. Retrieved from www.daindunston.com Farfan, Barbara (2010). Company Mission Statements – Complete List of World’s Largest Retail Missions. Retrieved from www.retailindustry.about.com Halal, Bill (2010). How Netflix Beat Blockbuster: An Exemplar of Emerging Technologies. Retrieved from www.billhalal.com Mintzberg, H., Lampel, J., & Quinn, J. B. (2003). The Strategy Process: Concepts, Contexts, Cases (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall Netflix Long Term View (2014). Retrieved from http://ir.netflix.com Netflix Capstone and Final Report (2014). Retrieved on January 7, 2014. http://mgmtclarity.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/capstone_final_report.pdf

Elude vs. Allude vs. Illude

Elude vs. Allude vs. Illude Elude vs. Allude vs. Illude Elude vs. Allude vs. Illude By Michael The commonly misused words elude, allusion and illusion share a common root word (Latin ludere: to play), but their meanings arent similar at all. Fortunately, recognizing the prefixes can help keep these two words separate in your mind. The Latin prefix e means out, so elude originally suggested the end of a game or a sword fight, where a clever winner tricked his opponent by playing out. A fugitive can elude his pursuers by making them look for him outside of where he really is. The prefix a or ad often comes from the Latin ad, which means to. For example, an adjunct professor is a part-time instructor who is joined to the faculty to teach a few classes. So an allusion is an indirect reference played to something else, such as a quotation that you expect your readers will recognize without having to be told where it came from. The prefix in or sometimes il or im often comes from the Latin in, which means at, in, toward, among other things. It gives illusion the meaning of play with. An illusion is something that isnt real somebody is playing with your mind and trying to fool you. 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 Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Types of Rhyme15 Words for Household Rooms, and Their Synonyms5 Tips to Understand Hyphenated Words

Self Healing Plastics essays

Self Healing Plastics essays In June of 2001, the United States Air Force Office of Scientific Research and researchers at the University of Illinois (UI) at Urbana-Champaign, funded by a UI Critical Research Initiatives grant, reported significant progress in the development of a self-healing plastic. AFOSRs Aerospace Materials Science Directorate was the first major funding agency to step forward and award the UI research team a three-year grant in 1999. Without this grant, could not have assembled the required number of people needed to work on this project. This breakthrough substance consists of a microencapsulated healing agent and a special catalyst that are embedded in a structural matrix. The material was designed to increase the reliability and longevity of thermosetting polymers used in applications ranging from microelectronics to aerospace. This new material was inspired by biological systems in which damage triggers an automatic healing process. This new material is being designed to heal itself whenever cracked or broken. The initial results were published in the journal Nature 1 and received extensive national media coverage. The upside to this research for the Air Force is based upon the fact that there are many polymer based composites in aircraft, and they frequently experience structural damage in the form of micro cracks. The cracks are very hard to detect because they form deep within the aircraft and are almost impossible to repair. Therefore with this potential new material the repair process becomes transparent since it begins as soon as a micro crack forms. The hopeful end result is lengthened service life for many new and old aircraft, as well as spacecraft. Usually once a crack has formed inside of a typical polymeric material the structural integrity is greatly reduced. However in this new material once a crack forms, the microcapsules in the structural matrix rupture, and instantly release ...

Harlem Hellfighters Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Harlem Hellfighters - Essay Example In this era, the 369th, a military organization for black people was formed in Harlem. This remarkable group fought for the French in World War I and helped the French defeat their enemies. It is this success that led to a dilemma within government quarters on what to do with the black soldiers during World War II. The Negroes were seen as inferior to the white combatants, apparently because the former were lacking in intelligence and discipline (Graebner & Waller 1996, p.194). Majority of white people were opposed to the inclusion of black men in the U.S army arguing that the blacks would fail miserably in the military and would only bring shame to America. Nonetheless, as a result of mounting public pressure, President Roosevelt was compelled to include black people in the military. The 369th was called up to duty in the Antiaircraft. For the black people in Harlem, 369th was not only fighting for the honor of their country, but also for that of the black people in America. The success of 369th would represent the success of the black community in America. 369th spent a year in training at Oswego and came out as professionally trained soldiers. On their mission to Hawaii, 369th encountered racist ideas such as; black men had tails and that a relationship with a black man would lead to a baby with a tail. The 369th also had to deal with incidents of fellow white soldiers getting drunk and insulting black men. According to Graebner & Waller (1996, p. 197) the latter would physically fight back for equality and honor. Some street fights had fatal consequences, as it happened on two occasions when white soldiers died in a street fight. The black men involved in the two incidents were, however, acquitted on grounds that they were fighting for their honor. In the military, the 369 was able to command respect even from junior white soldiers who were forced to salute their â€Å"black seniors†. By the time the

Application and development of relevant business management knowledge Essay - 2

Application and development of relevant business management knowledge - Essay Example Moreover, in order to make the best use of knowledge, a firm is required to have a system for regulating and organising knowledge management processes and this invariably involves changing organizational culture, technological processes and methodologies (Bhatt). In other words, effective knowledge management manages people, technologies and methodologies and does not focus on one or the other. Gold, Malhortra and Segars argue that successful organizations have the ability to realize economic goals via stockpiling knowledge and distributing it throughout the organization. However, Argote and Ingram caution that while it is important to create and distribute knowledge within the firm, managing knowledge, particularly business knowledge is very important to safeguard against the risk of internally created knowledge is not leaked to competitors. Regardless, Wig maintains that organization managers are persistently looking for ways to enhance the firms outcomes and performance. As a result, managers are consistently attempting to understand â€Å"underlying, but complex mechanisms such as knowledge† which influence the firm’s effectiveness and efficiency (Wig, 6). According Wig: Knowledge is said to be divided among a number of categories. For example, knowledge can be â€Å"tacit† and â€Å"explicit† (Stenmark, 36). Tacit knowledge is that which possessed by individuals and is observed by their activities and behaviour. Explicit knowledge is that which is easier to express and is often contained in manuals, regulations, procedures and can be distributed. Knowledge can also be cultural, encoded, â€Å"encultured† and embedded (Stenmark, 36). Although business knowledge narrows the field, it is also complex. The Fraunhofer CCKM construct of business knowledge management is demonstrative of the complexities involved in the creation, application and distribution of business

Personal Financial Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Personal Financial Management - Research Paper Example Following are my observations while reviewing the plan. During the first week while I was reviewing the expenses, it was an eye opening situation that the major spending were on account of food stuff, clothing and spending leisure time. The total expenses were $1,312/- excluding my credit card payments, rental payments and groceries. I then thought for remedial measures to curtail my expenditure and sort out the problem with the fact that if I start cooking myself, search for the discounted items and spend less to spent leisure and by doing this I can not only manage my finances, live my life accordingly but also save something for the rainy day. While reviewing the data of the second week I noted that I certainly curtail my expenses on food stuff by 33% and the overall expenses reduced from $1,312/- to $ 850/- in second week excluding my house rent and credit card payments which shows betterment and my interest towards savings, but still the major expenses were made on account of gr oceries where I spent $223.83/- and for spending leisure I spent $118.81. I realized that the daily log is helping me in managing my finances and I immediately checked my spending and realized that I must engage myself instead in some sports activities for spending leisure time rather to go to the massage parlor or some other places where I spend much more than sports and for the prosperous future I have to develop future goals and by realizing the importance of savings, I immediately create three stages of my future goals through which I can live a prosperous, happy and comfortable life and the stages are: Short Term Goals, Intermediate Term Goal and Long Term Goal. Short Term Goals are those that can be achieved within a year and can increase my future saving. For e.g. If I purchase a car it will save my transportation cost and the amount which I am expensing out every week will be saved. Intermediate Term Goals are those that can be achieved with in the period of 2 to 5 years and includes things that will certainly increase my savings. For e.g. If I purchase house it will be a onetime investment but it will save my monthly mortgage installment on which I have to pay interest. Long Term Goals are those that can be achieved after six years with no upper limit like my retirement plan which has no upper limit and more I save money during my employment, happier I will live my life after retirement. While selecting the amount which is to be expensed out on weekly basis in order to achieved the target, I set the priorities and assign education the highest priority with the weekly expense of $170/- and the total expense were of $420/- per week accumulating $1,818/- per month. My Intermediate Goals are several including purchase of house, starting own business, education and buy a new car. For this purpose after thorough discussions with my friends, I have once again given highest priority to the education with the expense amount of $350/-per week accumulating $18,2 00 per year and by doing this much saving I will be able to achieve the college funds for my children by the end of 2016 i.e. in 3 ? years. My final goal is to save something for myself which can be used in case of need and this the financial plan helps me lot and by the help of the plan, I not only opted a semi retirement plan but also plan to save some thing for the cruise which I always aiming for and for the accomplishment of both the aims I have started saving $5/- per week for the cruise and $250/- per week for

Socrates, Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Socrates, Philosophy Essay ?Socrates was a Greek philosopher, who is often considered to be the father of Western philosophy, and a key figure in the development of Western civilisation. The unexamined life is not worth living for a human being. Socrates Republic 38c He left no actual writing so impressions of Socrates have come primarily from the writings of his student, Plato. There are also other contributions from Xenophon and a contemporary playwright Aristophanes. It is possible that Plato embellished the legacy of Socrates by making him appear the most noble philosopher; an ideal to be cherished and followed. The extent of this embellishment is hard to quantify, but the life of Socrates remains a great inspiration to many. Socrates married Xanthippe and together they had three children. Tradition suggests that Xanthippe was argumentative and hard to please, with Socrates the model of philosophic calm. Aristotle came to Athens as a teenager and studied with Plato for 17 years. After Plato’s death in 347 BCE, he traveled widely and ended up in Macedonia where he served as the private tutor of Alexander the Great. In 335 he returned to Athens and founded his own school, called the Lyceum. He was forced to leave in 323 because the death of Alexander allowed free reign to anti-Macedoninan sentiment and Aristotle was too close to the conqueror to dare stick around. Plato was probably born in 427 BC, and died around 347 BC, aged about 80. But the earlier extant biographies of him we may read have been written hundreds of years after his death : that of Apuleius, sometime during the second century AD, and that of Diogenes L? rtius, in his Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, no earlier than the third century AD. And these bear very little resemblance with what we expect from a biography nowadays. To make things worse, Plato almost never talks about himself in his dialogues (he does so only twice, once in the Apology and once in the Ph? do, each time in connection with the trial and death of Socrates). But, if we accept the authenticity of the VIIth Letter (which I do), we have there the closest thing to an autobiography we can dream of owing to the scarcity of our sources, though quite limited in scope despite its late date in Platos life (it could not have been written before Dions assassination in 354 BC, to which it refers, that is, at a time Plato was over 70).