Causes of the boom years in the 1920s Essay Example for Free

Causes of the boom years in the 1920s Essay Causes of the boom years Employers were working fewer hours however were being paid more. This therefore meant industrial goods produced were also increasing. American’s had more time for leisure and more money so electrical labour-saving devices were being introduced becoming affordable by many people. Motor cars eased travel to and from work as well as for leisure pursuits. It was the golden age for cinema and sport attracted vast crowds. Reasons for prosperity: government policies Calvin Coolidge stated ‘the chief business of the American people is business. ’ This was his government policy to let business operate as far as possible, free of regulation. Andrew Mellon and him believed wealth filtered down naturally to all classes and to ensure increased living standards for all was to allow the rich to continue make money to invest in industrial development which therefore meant more job opportunities, more wage earners, more consumption etc. this policy was laissez-faire but the government intervened to support business in 4 ways: High tariffs: Fordney-McCumber Act 1922 à ¯ raised tariffs to cover difference between domestic and foreign production costs Cheaper to buy goods from USA than abroad Tariff level à ¯ foreign goods more expensive than USA even though produced cheaper in USA Foreign trade reduced = domestic demand for goods high Tax reductions: Government reduced federal taxes – 1924, 1926 and 1928 (benefited wealthy) Mellon à ¯ handed out tax reductions Coolidge à ¯ operated on surplus Aim à ¯ reduced national debt, federal tax cuts = meant little to poor as not able to pay taxes Fewer regulations: Federal Trade Commission à ¯ unable and unwilling to operate effectively causing businesses unhindered Foreign policies: Coolidge à ¯ avoided involvement in foreign affairs due to budget cutting an recognition that Americans didn’t want to see troops getting caught up in foreign disputes. This meant that investors would favour profit ever over ethical concerns Technical advances: Technical advances in industrial production made increases in quantity and variety of products Motor vehicle industry: This industry grew dramatically in the 1920s. It was the largest for commodities. Previously cars had only been for the wealthy but Ford wanted the ordinary to be able to afford one Effects of growth in car ownership: Ford thought this would strengthen traditional American values but it led to: Road deaths à ¯ 20,000 per year By 1929, motor industry employed 7% of all workers and paid them 9% of all wages Closure of Ford à ¯ factor to recession of 1927 Loss of business by companies providing components to Ford real problems in economy Road building: Breaking of laissez-faire à ¯ federal government expend on road building in 1920s Federal Highway Act 1921 à ¯ responsibility for road building to central government and highways. Construction = 10,000 miles per year by 1929 Chief Designer in Bureau of Public Roads 1936 à ¯ roads built unfit for use because of amount of traffic Motor vehicles à ¯ new service industries e.g. garages, petrol stations etc. Improved transportation = new opportunities for industry Electrical consumer goods: New technology = large scale development of labour saving devices as cheaper to produce Serious over production = problems in economy New business methods: Growth of huge corporations Large corporations manufacturing business = could invest in and exploit raw materials of USA on vast scale Large corporations could dominate industry by: Operating cartel (group of companies agreeing to fix output and prices to reduce competition and maximise profits). Although illegal, government accepted which involved exploitation of raw materials, retail outlets etc. Some organisations were able to adapt to holding companies which resulted in firms competing against each other Management science: Increased size of businesses à ¯ complex to manage = different management roles by different people in administration Growth of business schools Management science, occupation for upper class = indication harder to start own company Increased production Advertising and salesmanship: Cinema Millions of cinema-goers to copy lifestyle of stars meant potential for advertising was enormous Radio: Began with KDKA station which announced results in 1920 elections Radio’s controlled by 2 companies with a vast audience Constant need to create demand: Growth in industrial production needed a continuous market in order to fuel the boom as people needed to be convinced to buy things frequently. An aspect of a campaign needed to be bought in which would differentiate between one’s product and that of the competitors to promote unique selling point. Advertising techniques worked for many consumers. Easy credit: Massive consumer boom was financed largely by easy credit facilities 1929 à ¯ $7 billion goods were sold on credit – 75% of cars and half of major household appliances Availability of credit meant borrowers took on debts which they could not repay Influence in foreign countries: High tariffs were used to protect US markets however the government also encouraged businessmen to develop extensive interests abroad in terms of raw materials that fuelled technological developments. US exported vast amounts of manufactured products. In the 1920s with almost full employment, low inflation, high tariffs keeping foreign goods out of USA, benevolent government policies and a consumer boom the prosperity would go on forever.

Child Trafficking In Nigeria Social Work Essay

Child Trafficking In Nigeria Social Work Essay Human trafficking in Nigeria has been one of the greatest problem in Nigerian history. Human trafficking can be traced to the period colonialism when human beings are been traded for mere commodities to the Europeans, to help them in their plantations in their own country. Due to the abolishment of slave trade in Nigeria by 1885-1950, the act of human trafficking was reduced and some few years later they started child trafficking since the children are more vulnerable. Child trafficking is a form of human trafficking that involves the transportation, harbouring, receiving ,recruitment of children in the purpose of exploitation. The issue of child domestic labour is very complex and problematic. Domestic child labourers are among the most invisible child labourers. The number of children exploited in private households is unknown because of the hidden nature of the work. Many of these children are girls and in many countries domestic service is seen as the only employment option a girl might have. Children exploited in domestic service are paid little or nothing, are malnourished, are very vulnerable to further abuse and exploitation, and do not go to school. However, because child domestic workers are employed within an informal family environment, they cannot be integrated as a professional group within conventional working systems because such integration would presuppose an acceptance of the idea of child domestic labour. At the same time, without legal initiatives, it is difficult to combat child domestic labour. Furthermore, the terms, norms and standards to regulate the employment of children are lack ing because children work in a largely invisible domain outside law and the public sphere and their domestic labour cannot be integrated under normal labour laws. Although the final goal of all laws should be the prevention and elimination of child domestic labour, it is acknowledged right at the outset that this is a long term goal. In the interim, there is a need to accept that children do, and will continue, to work until effective alternatives make it unnecessary for them to work. In the meantime, the best interest of the child principle together with the notion of the child as a rights holder should guide any lawmaking on child domestic work. Law and policy reform can play a powerful constitutive and transformative role in improving and changing the lives of both the girl child and male child domestic worker; however, in envisioning workplace and domestic arrangements it is important to see that sex stereotypes are not reinforced. Just as much as law has the profound power to p revent and regulate domestic labour, it has the power to reinforce it by creating loopholes through which employers can continue to hire child domestic workers. Laws can often spark social change only if they are translated into action. In drafting new laws or revising existing laws, child domestic labour should be seen in the context of historic sex discrimination. There is an apparent tension when laws and policies are blind to the differences between the girl child domestic worker and the male child domestic worker such as the girl childs weak bargaining position and low status, which increases her vulnerability to coercion by her family and employer. Child trafficking in Nigeria is something the government has not really put enough effort to ensure that child trafficking is reduced or eradicated this is due to the lapse (corruption) of the whole government system because most of the child traffickers are top government officials and this makes it very difficult to investigate any problem that has to do with child trafficking. According to a research carried out by United nation children fund (unicef) say the average age of children been trafficked in Nigeria is around 15years but the age varies, especially with girls and also it says 60-80% of girls in the sex trade outside the country are in Italy (over 700 in Italy while Belgium and Holland is experiencing an upsurge in the number of Nigerian girls. On the average About 10 children pass Nigerian borders daily originating from fostering and extended family system. Children that are been trafficked has so many reasons which include domestic help, prostitution these are especially for girls while boys are used as scavengers, car washing, bus conducting, drug peddling and farming. Child trafficking has so many effects on both the child and the country. Trafficking of migrant children has unquestionably affected individual children and their communities in various immediate and long term ways. It sometimes endangers the childrens lives. The obvious impacts of child trafficking often mentioned is on deteriorating their education, physical and mental development. Moreover, the trafficked migrant children are disempowered in many ways. They are in the foreign country with foreign customs and foreign language. They are transported and sold or deceived as bonded labour, treated like property, and work under slavery-like conditions. Whenever they feel depressed, or suffering, or face difficulties, or are tortured, commonly they have no one they can turn to as they tend to live in isolated areas. Even if they have a chance to seek help, they often do not know where to go or what to do or whom to ask because they are illegal migrants and are afraid of police. In some c ircumstances, they may encounter racism from the police, authorities, and general people among whom may be their own employers. A major result of child trafficking can be loss of lives, increasing prevalence of STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) including HIV/AIDS, increase in violence and crime rate, increased school drop-out, impaired child development, poor national image and massive deportation of Nigerians especially girls. And also, There are diverse reasons why many Nigerian children are vulnerable to trafficking, including widespread poverty, large family size, rapid urbanization with deteriorating public services, low literacy levels and high school-drop out rates The demand for cheap commercial sex workers in countries of destination strongly contributes to the growth of this phenomenon and the success of this criminal network. Parents with a large family, often overburdened with the care of too many children, are prone to the traffickers deceit in giving away some of their children to city residents or even strangers promising a better life for them. Traffickers exploit the trust of people rooted in a widespread, culturally accepted common practice in West Africa of placement and fostering as part of the extended family safety net. In some instances, desperately poor and uninformed parents willingly co-operate with the traffickers, giving away their children in exchange for a small fee. In the hands of unscrupulous guardians, these children are increasingly trafficked and exploited for money. But All hope is not lost as every problem has a solution. The government can still curb this evil practice in order to save children and the good name of the country. Firstly, government should provide free education in every government owned school in the country from the nursery to the secondary level so that parents will have no excuse of giving out their children to strangers in the pretext of taking them to learn new sill in new environment. Secondly, government should pay workers salaries at the end of each month because they have personal bills to foot; children to cater for and they depend solely on their salaries. Thirdly, the parliamentary arm of the government should make and amend law that all Nigerian families should not have more than 3 children and any found to go against the law would be punished because one of the causes of child trafficking in Nigeria is the inability of parents to cater for so many children. Also, government should make laws for children against child abuse and intimidation which should be strictly adhered to. Last but not the least, government should come to an agreement with leaders of other countries that any Nigerian child suspected to be abused or trafficked should be rescued and the trafficker, punished. In an effort   aimed at battling child trafficking within Nigeria and the sub-region, Nigeria and the government of Benin Republic have signed a memorandum of understanding to co-operate in the   area of prevention of child trafficking as well as the repatriation of offenders to countries of origin for prosecution. Executive Secretary of National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other Related Matters(NAPTIP), Mrs. Carol Ndaguba disclosed this at a one-day workshop on Anti Child Trafficking Network Project in Nigeria held at the UN House Abuja. According to her, Nigeria and the government of Italy, United Kingdom and Spain also have understandings on joint initiative on modalities for prevention of child trafficking and slavery, adding that the Italian government as well as UNICEF have been providing huge financial and capacity building support to the agency in carrying out its task. On the issue of house-help or domestic servants in the country, NAPTIP Executive Secretary regretted that the phenomenon had been exploited by traffickers to batter, sexually or emotionally traumatize victims, adding that the so called syndrome must now come to an end. She identified the challenges faced by the network project to include   expansion of the network from 22 states to 36, sustaining awareness campaign at the state and community levels, and capacity building of the state working groups. In her remark, Deputy Country Representative of UNICEF, Barbara Reynold said that although the anti-trafficking agency was already doing a lot to put an end to the menace of human trafficking, more needs to be done in the area of conscientisation and increased awareness by   a broader section of society.

The Trial of Socrates Essay -- Papers

The Trial of Socrates The trial of Socrates is an excellent source of events during the period in which Socrates lived and died. Athens was a democratic city with much pride in their freedom. Especially their freedom of speech. Socrates was a political philosopher who did not agree with these freedoms provided by the Athenic democracy. However, it is his trial in which both the democracy of Athens and Socrates himself show their hypocrisy. It is this hypocrisy that makes the trial and death of Socrates quite ironic. Athens, the city in which Socrates resided, was a free democratic city that was governed by all citizens in a fair democracy as seen in apology. It was said to be an association of free men with no single leader or king. The town prided itself on the freedom of its citizens and, especially, its freedom of speech. Most all citizens prided themselves on these views, although they respected the views of other people because of their own freedom of speech. This was the society in which Socrates lived. Socrates was a philosopher who believed that only those who are wise should rule the people. In other words, the people are not capable of government participation because they do not have the knowledge According to this philosophy; democracy is not a capable government. Other than his time spent fighting for Athens, Socrates rarely took part in any democratic actions. He spent most of his life preaching his philosophical views Socrates had many pupils to his preaching, although he denied being a teacher of philosophy. He proved this by showing them as witnesses in the court. He boasted about many topics. He also attacked the opinions of many others. He believed that one should give specific definitions o... ...ny listeners and pupils that agreed with his philosophy. He did not make any actions against the democracy that he despised so greatly. Throughout the events of the trial, both sides were quite hypocritical, although Socrates willingly became hypocritical in order to expose the hypocrisy of the government. Throughout the trial, Socrates did not deny the accusations exactly , because he actually wanted to be convicted. We can also see this in Socrates’ dialogues with his accusers. He made them talk and answer his questions which most of them were not exactly questions. His questions were as if they were answers. These are all the proofs of what he wanted to do in the trial. Finally, as for the question â€Å"Should Socrates have been convicted†, if I were the trial’s judge, I would have decided him to be guilty although he wasn’t. I think I would have awarded him.

Only a Girl in Boys and Girls by Alice Munro Essay -- Boys and Girls A

Only a Girl in Boys and Girls Alice Munro's short story, "Boys and Girls," explores the different roles of men and women in society through a young girl's discovery of what it means to be a girl. A close examination of the elements of a short story as they are used in "Boys and Girls" helps us to understand the meaning of the story. The story is set in the 1940s, on a fox farm outside of Jubilee, a rural area only twenty miles away from the county jail. The farm is a place that reflects the ingenuity of the narrator's father. The pens for the foxes are arranged in neat rows, inside a high guard fence like a "medieval town". The pens each contain a kennel, a wooden ramp, and dishes attached to the wire fence. The fox farm is the father's domain, a place of hard work and creativity, in which the narrator feels at home. The house itself is the mother's domain, but it is a place that the narrator shuns, as she shuns many elements of the feminine world. The contrast between the girl's concept of the farm and of the house demonstrates the conflict she experiences between her chosen position as her father's helper and her position in society as a girl. The point of view of the story is first person. The narrator is a young girl in the process of growing up, who is, at the end of the story, only eleven years old. She is a naà ¯ve narrator, being so young, and is unreliable in her view of the people around her, especially her understanding of her mother's motives. By writing the story in this way, Munro gives us a look at women's role in society through the eyes of a girl who is just finding out the effect that society's expectations have on her. The narrator is the main character of the story. As the protagonist, she is a ... ... as a girl, her role in society is different from her father's and brother's. Although limitations are placed on her, she is free to follow her own heart. This, to her, is the meaning of being "only a girl." In conclusion, the elements of this short story work together very well to demonstrate the theme of the story. The narrator's conflict between filling a masculine role and accepting a feminine one, the contrast between her mother and her father, and the setting that is divided between the mother's domain and father's domain all build the effect of the theme well. This story gives a fresh look at the question of women's role in society through the eyes of a young girl. Work Consulted: Munro, Alice. "Boys and Girls." The Norton Introduction to Literature. Eds. Carl E. Bain, Jerome Beaty and J. Paul Hunter. 6th ed. New York: Norton, 1995. 465-75.

Barangay Hall Information System Essay

Introduction Nowadays, it is very important to be one step ahead, to be able to cope up with the benefits of technology. Having a computerized system is a big use for the barangay halls for them to lessen the time for a certain operation that if done manually can consume so much time and effort. It can also decrease hassle in workplace and provide accurate and fast result that every barangay hall needs. The proponents have chosen information system entitled â€Å"Barangay Clearance Issuance System† for the distribution of barangay clearance as our target business, in hopes of providing better ways of monitoring records and transactions instead of having them done manually. San Jose’s barangay hall is one of the local government offices in San Miguel Bulacan. They were committed to serve and care the people for them to have a secured and a better way of living. In the nearly past it was only a residential infrastructure given by an old person (citizen of barangay San Jose). Then it w as founded as official barangay hall of San Jose up to date. Significance of the Study This study will help the selected barangay to have a more systematic and modern way of recording and searching records. This part of the study discusses about the importance of creating the system for the benefits of the following: For the Barangay Officials- it will lessen their paper works like manually adding and searching of records. For the Citizen- the system will serve as a primary source of documents for the people to save time and effort and to avoid a long queue. For the future barangay officials – It will reduce paper works in adding and searching of records in accordance to the proponents proposed system. Statement of the Problem The proponents came up with this study in the needs to lessen the manually adding and searching of records in the selected barangay hall. The general objective of this study is to lessen the manual system process of adding and searching of records. Specifically, this study aims to answer the following  question: What are the important features of the developed Barangay Clearance Issuance System? What operational requirements are needed by the system in terms of hardware requirements and software requirements? What process model shall be used in developing the Barangay Clearance Issuance System? How functional is the developed Barangay Clearance Issuance System in terms of the following software evaluation criteria; reliability, efficiency, accuracy, user friendliness; and security? Scope and Delimitation The proposed system will handle the adding, searching, viewing, and updating of the records in the selected barangay hall. A faster process of the said matters will be recognized until this system is implemented most importantly the system will store the data for the future use. The proposed system can perform such as: a) Maintenance of records in connection with the barangay clearance. b) Printing of the said document (barangay clearance). c) Printing of criminal records Concerning records that are not connected to the system is its limitations. The Figure 1 shows the capability of the admin and the end user into the system. Whereas the admin has the entire access to the system while the end user is capable of viewing and searching records only. Conceptual Framework The researchers aim to describe how the Information System can help in barangay hall. Consequently, this section describes the concept of the proposed information system to improve barangay hall and this starts with the citizen/complainant as an input. The Figure 2 shows the flow of the system and how it will work and to help the barangay to have a more systematic way of doing their work. Also it shows the input, process and output of the system throughout the whole procedure. Where the person or citizen will be ask by the secretary or the  user who is a legal officer of the barangay to know if he or she has a bad record. After that the secretary or the user will check the system’s list of records if the person has a clear or bad record in the barangay. If the person has a clear record, no violations committed, and no complaints from the citizens of barangay, the secretary or the user will release the barangay clearance. And if the person has a bad record the secretary or user will not release barangay clearance. In the other hand the complainant can request to file a criminal case to the secretary in the help of system. Definition of terms Database – a structured set of data held in a computer, especially one that is accessible in various ways. Database Management – storage that handles the storage, retrieval, and updating of data in a computer system. Graphic User Interface – is a type of interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices through graphical icons. Hardware – the machines, wiring, and other physical components of a computer or other electronic system. Information System- an integrated set of components for collecting, storing, processing, and communicating information. Microsoft SQL Server – is a relational database management system developed by Microsoft. Software – the programs and other operating information used by a computer. Systematic – done, acting according to a fixed plan or system; methodical. CHAPTER II Review of Related Literature and Studies This chapter presents related literature and writing of recognized experts, both of which have significant bearing or relation to the study. It also discusses the associated methods and researches that was read and reviewed which helped the researchers to have a better understanding and to find some important information that is connected with this study. In the process of system development, literature reviews conducted to theory, methods and technologies associated with systems that have been developed. Background research on the organization and comparative studies of existing systems were also done to understand more the requirements before the system was develop. Barangay Inventory System With our fast-paced developing society, many of our institutions optimize to perform their procedures in a computerized manner. They consider this as a great reliable process to lean on. They believe that this method will help them catch-up with this quick changing situations that they encounter each day. However, it is hard to imagine that many of us still stick to the manual method knowing that computerized system is just there waiting for them to take advantage of. There are several reasons that are forcing them to be stuck with to this traditional system. One of these is illiteracy; no one in this world is unable to understand and adapt to the computerized system if it will be properly introduced and taught. Another one is being doubtful with the system; they believe that manual system can perform less error than an automated system. But as the years goes by, a number of certain works have grown indicating that the manual method is not practical and efficient anymore. Nowadays, people have become more conscious with their time and they find essential ways on how they can do such work in less time or how they can do their number of works at the same time. This study aimed at developing a computerized system for a barangay that still practices a traditional way of creating a Barangay Clearance and management of database. We will do this by incorporating the technology of using camera and stylus pen for creating a Barangay Clearance. We will also use the computer to properly manage their files. By using our system, their barangay employees can have fast, more practical and efficient way of doing their tasks (HazelJane, 2012) Many people believe that manual method can perform less error than the automated one. But as years goes by, technology become more developed. Today, the computerized system is more applicable than the manual one because it can get a more accurate data and will lessen the time of work. Barangay Record System Barangay is the small administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village or district. Barangay are further subdivided into smaller areas called Puroks (English: Zone). A barangay is led and governed by its barangay officials. It is composed of a Punong Barangay or Barangay Captain/Chairman, seven (7) Barangay Councilors or  Barangay Kagawad and a SangguniaangKabataan Chairman. Together with this is the Barangay Secretary and a residing midwife or a doctor that manages and supervise the barangay health center. The barangay is in charge of keeping track of the records of resident in the place. These records are important for different purposes that the barangay is being used. The barangay has the manual based process for all the services it gives to its constituents. They manually handle files and information they get. For instances, in getting the barangay clearance, they issue a receipt form to the resident requesting the clearance. Same through with the storing of the files, they used folders to store the files. The organization experienced hard and long procedure in accessing the records they have when it is needed and the redundancy of the records were not strictly observed. The proponents proposed a computerized barangay information system that will help the barangay as well as the workers and the people of the place. The proposed system will reduced the hard and long-time procedure of accessing files and records they keep and store. The system will also be the census like system of the barangay for all of its constituents and new people to live in the place. The system will be effective in maintaining, searching and storing of records of all resident in the barangay. This will help the worker for having an easy time on accessing files and records they need (Elmer, 2013) Record System is helpful to the barangay in storing and keeping records or files easily. By the help of the system, they can search easily the record of a particular person. And they can avoid the redundancy of records. E-Blotter System The e-blotter system facilitates fast, easy, and paperless entering of crime information using the computer machine that is linked into one station to another up to the higher headquarters via internet connections. The e-blotter is designed as a stand-alone system which will be installed in all police stations as a means of reporting and monitoring all crime incidents that transpired within their respective areas as well as the results and records of the investigation. The system will allow enhancement in the course of crime prevention, detection, and solution as it enables easy access of data needed for an immediate action from the police officials. Crime investigators and personnel will instantly access crime reports and daily updates of what is happening in the ground, particularly in every  police station which is vital in mapping out strategies for quick response and crime prevention through internet using e-blotter system. The system will allow integration of crime reports for and accurate and reliable documentation which is needed for crime investigation and solution. The e-blotter system will render better police service through an improved and enhanced crime incident reporting system with the use of modern technology (Yhatskii, 2013) The e-blotter is a big help to monitor all crime incidents happened in the barangay. It will also help the secretary to know easily if a person has a crime records before issuing the barangay clearance. Residential Profiling and Recordkeeping System Through the years, the term web-based recordkeeping has blown up to encompass many aspect of recording the file of every resident, thus, the term become more recognizable. A general term that describes recordkeeping system is that collects, organizes, and categorizes records, facilitating their preservation, retrieval, use, and disposition. Software is developed to reduce the time consumed in a particular task to be accomplished with a high standard and accurate output or results. Web based applications are the ultimate way to take advantage of today’s technology to enhance organizations or community more productivity and efficiency. Web based application gives you an opportunity to access your business information from anywhere in the world at any time. It offers cross platform compatibility that is more manageable, highly deployable, give secure live data. It also facilitates to save time and money and improve the interactivity with the client. The main purpose of the study is to explore the development in making a web-based system. Technically, the term Web-Based system refers to those applications or services that the client/resident on a server that is accessible using a Web browser and is therefore accessible from anywhere in the world via the Web. Web-based system is used to secure the records of the residents that only the Barangay Captain and his/her Secretary are the only entities can access the record. Viewing and surfing the sites are the only role that the residents can do. (Boddie, 2013) The system can help to make the records or files more secure. Also, it is easy for them to update and access the records. And lastly, it is easily for them to monitor all of the barangay records. Barangay Information System This participatory action-research followed the reflection-input-action-reflection process in allowing barangays to evolve their own information system. Benchmark study, secondary data use, key informants interview and observations were the key data gathering techniques. Data analysis was basically descriptive. This project was implemented in nine barangays of Munoz, Nueva Ecija. Majority of the respondents perceived their barangay hall as very useful in terms of serving as venue for meetings and as source of vital information about the barangay and its people. However, they felt that the information is inadequate as basis for planning and in responding to information requests from local government offices. The project also described and documented the Barangay Information System (BIS) implementation process of the nine barangays. It covered the activities that the barangays did in implementing their BIS. There were commonalities among the barangays in following a basic implementation process from orientation meeting in the barangay to data storage and updating. However, there were also observed peculiarities on data gathering techniques and logistics wherein some barangay officials voluntarily used their own money for supplies and materials and even provided snacks for BIS team members during data gathering, data posting/tabulation and data presentation so the activities will not be delayed (Almario, 2012) This will improve the efficiency of filing reports and complaints in the barangay level. Storing barangay information in a central database allows for easy storing and updating of records. Retrieval of records will also be faster, translating to faster transaction time. With the records readily available in the server, this will allow concerned government agencies to gather data for planning and development. Furthermore, automation reduces the use of paper. Barangay File Management System Palayan City Local Government Unit (LGU) has long been provided all of its barangays at least a computer unit to upgrade the system of operation to a much enhanced way. That is, through computer technology. That was almost exactly four years ago. But up to now, those computers had not been used to  their fullest capabilities. Barangay offices still rely on manual labor not on the machines as their frontline of service and operations. Some things are neglected. One, Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) is not followed. Anyone can have his clearance signed or business permit released even if the authorized person to approve it, for example the Barangay Captain, is not present. The office has at least signed blank clearances and/or permits in this case. Thus, the reliability of such can be questioned. Two, it’s because all of the facts and information on the barangay is kept on papers, there should-be manifestation of the maximized usage of computer is not attained and therefore causes the slow retrieval of information and transactions. And lastly, hard copies of the files, transactions held and other matters require a large file cabinet to hold them which in many case, is a case of an unorganized file management system (wonderworldblog, 2005) The computerized system helps the authorized person in terms of managing the file. Because there are many information and records that they need to organize and secure, the computer machines has its capability of saving large file and providing ways on how to secure the files. CHAPTER III Methodology of the Study This chapter presents the methods and techniques used in the research for the development of Barangay Clearance Issuance System’s target clientele, population and sample, data gathering, instrument of the study, system’s development model used and criteria for system evaluation for this study are given importance in this chapter. Methods and Techniques of the Study The researchers used the Descriptive Research Method wherein the study focused on gathering of data. Based from (James P. Key, 1997) Oklahoma State University, he describes Descriptive research is used to obtain information concerning the current status of the phenomena to describe â€Å"what exists† with respect to variables or conditions in a situation. The methods involved range from the survey which describes the status quo, the correlation study which investigates the relationship between variables, to developmental  studies which seek to determine changes over time. The purpose of using the descriptive research method is to acquire accurate, factual, systematic data that can provide you with an actual picture of the data set that you are reviewing. This method illustrates a survey approach to the respondents from the barangay staffs, complainant and as well as the people in the barangay community. The proposed barangay information system will be beneficial because it will help the people to acquire the information their needed. Data gathering is very important in the study because it serves as a basis and pattern in making the system. Target clientele The target user of this study is the secretary, who will monitor the system and assists the citizens who will request a barangay clearance. The Barangay Clearance Issuance System will be a great help to the secretary to access the records easily. Population and Sample These respondents were asked by the researchers. The population of respondent came from barangay captain and other barangay officials, secretary and also the citizen of the barangay and the respondent will answer the questionnaires to determine the overall performance of the system. Data Gathering Procedures These are the things used for gathering information about the proposed study, the basis for making decisions and evaluations are the collected data and record. Interview – This is where the proponents ask a question and getting the information from the interviewee using direct communication. Questionnaire – It is a series of different question that will be given to the individual who have knowledge of the study, and used to get the information from the respondent and their opinions. Evaluation Form – It is an instrument used to estimate the research study. The following criteria were given to evaluate the developed system: (a) reliability; (b) efficiency; (c) accuracy; (d) user friendliness; and (e) security. Instrument Used in the Study The researchers used questionnaire in dealing this study. A research instrument used to collect data may be created by the researcher or based on an existing instrument. If the instrument is researcher created, the process used to select the questions should be described and justified and it contains indicators that asses of the overall performance of the system. System Development Model Used The System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) for the system development will be used. According to Taylor (2004), the project life cycle encompasses all the activities of the project, while the systems development life cycle focuses on realizing the product requirements. SDLC is used during the development of an IT project; it describes the different stages involved in the project from the drawing board, through the completion of the project. A number of system development life cycle models have been created: waterfall, fountain, and spiral build and fix, rapid prototyping, incremental, and synchronize-stabilize. The oldest of these, and the best known, is the waterfall: a sequence of stages in which the output of each stage becomes the input for the next. These stages can be characterized and divided up in different ways, including planning, system analysis, system design, development, testing, implementation and maintenance. Planning – During the planning phase, the objective of the project is determined and the requirements to produce the product are considered. An estimate of resources, such as personnel and costs, is prepared, along with a concept for the new product. All of the information is analyzed to see if there is an alternative solution to creating a new product. If there is no other viable alternative, the information is assembled into a project plan and presented to management for approval. System Analysis – During the analysis stage the project team determines the end-user requirements. Often this is done with the assistance of client focus groups, which provide an explanation of their needs and what their expectations are for the finished product and how it will perform. The project team documents all of the user requirements and gets a sign-off from  the client and management to move forward with system design. System Design – The design phase is the â€Å"architectural† phase of system design. The flow of data processing is developed into charts, and the project team determines the most logical design and structure for data flow and storage. For the user interface, the project team designs mock-up screen layouts that the developers use to write the code for the actual interface. Development – During the development phase developers execute the plans laid out in the design phase. The developers design the database, generate the code for the data flow process and design the actual user interface screens. During the development phase, test data is prepared and processed as many times as necessary to refine the code. Testing – During the testing phase all aspects of the system are tested for functionality and performance. The system is tested for integration with other products as well as any previous versions with which it needs to communicate. Essentially, the key elements of the testing phase are to verify that the system contains all the end user requirements laid out in the analysis phase, that all the functions are accurately processing data, that the new system works with all other systems or prior systems, and that the new system meets the quality standards of the company and the customers. Implementation – During this phase, the new or enhanced system is installed in the production environment, users are trained, data is converted (as needed), the system is turned over to the sponsor, and business processes are evaluated. This phase includes efforts required to implement, resolve system problems identified during the implementation process, and plan for sustainment. Maintenance – During the maintenance stage, the system is assessed to ensure it does not become obsolete. This is also where changes are made to initial software. It involves continuous evaluation of the system in terms of its performance. Data Gathering and Statistical Treatment After developing the system the information that are gathered, analyzed and tabulated will determine the level of perception of the overall performance of the system, descriptive statistical tools that employed such as weighted mean to determine the perception of respondents on Barangay Clearance Issuance System. Construction Procedures The researchers conducted a survey from the staffs of the barangay and the people in the barangay community, the objectives of this survey are; to know if this study will be a big help for them for the enhancement purposes and it will be easier to release the barangay clearance. The respondents will be given enough time to answer the survey forms that will help the researchers to gather some data for this study. The researchers constructed the survey form having ten (10) questions for them to answer. The procedures in gathering data were presented as follows: 1. The researchers submitted the authorization letter to the administration office for the approval in conducting the survey to the chosen respondents which is related to the present study. 2. The population or the respondents in this study were chosen exactly. Each respondent came from the administration, staffs, and people in the barangay. The total number of the involved persons in this study is 5 (five). 3. After submitting the letter and choosing the respondents, the questionnaires were constructed and distributed on the selected respondents. The researchers gave enough time to answer the survey form. The respondents were supervised by the researchers for further clarification about the survey form. 4. After conducting the survey, the researchers collected the survey form from the respondents to review and verify the answers to processed and tabulate the results of the form, to know if the objectives of this study were meet.

Takem’s Appliances and Electronics

LLCAuthor: Ashraf Bani Domi February 16, 2018 ACCT 511 – Advanced Business Law for Accountants Professor: Dean Poirier Liberty University Abstract I would like to start my research paper and point out the legality and the validity of the contract that Takem's Appliances and Electronics LLC. used to sell their electronics as he had this new idea of selling them door-to-door which was a success and that lead to take advantage of this success by increasing his prices to 30% more if he delivers them to the customer's house. Also, I will explain the ethical consequences that the procedure Takem used in the region he lived in. Also, explaining the meaning of breach of the contract and what constitutes the lowest requirements in search of remedies in these kinds of circumstances. And for the sales to be permissible, they must encounter every sector of the legal criteria. Also, Takem must have ethical accountability that takes place under the social responsibility to the small community he lives in. The legal case of Sally Walker vs. Takem's Appliances and Electronics, LLC will be analyzed and investigated regarding weather if the conclusion of this case is it legal, is it moral/ethical? IntroductionThe world of commerce and most business relationships are initiated on a contract. Understanding of contract law is crucial for all businesspeople, owners, and managers. Since most commercial arrangements are constructed on contractual relationships. A decent preliminary point would be an empirical definition of a contract. Contracts include more than an arrangement or an agreement between two or more parties. â€Å"A contract is a promise or a set of promises for the breach of which the law gives a remedy, or the performance of which the law in some way recognizes as a duty† (Restatement (Second) of contract chapter 1 meaning of the term).The contract can be simply described as a voluntary exchange of promises, creating obligations that, if defaulted on or failed to pay, can be enforced and remedied by the courts. It is imperative that we understand as when agreeing to terms of a contract, entities are created and defining their particular rules and obligations. This differs from other areas of the law, such as torts, where rules and obligations are imposed on them.Furthermore, a valid contract can create a situation in which parties to the contract can predict, with some certainty, their upcoming relationship because each party knows that the courts will hold them to their agreement. Despite the fact courts will enforce a valid contract after it has been created, what the parties agree to in the first place in commonly unrestricted. Mr. Takem's Business Model is it Legal?When we study contract law, the focus is usually on the problems that can arise. It may therefore appear that most contractual relationship experiences complications. In fact, most contracts are privileged or resolved to the mutual satisfaction of the parties, and the courts become elaborate in a slight amount of contractual agreements, when an unfeasible dispute arises. Hence, addressing our case study in this project we need to outline some basic terminology that we discussed above and trying to apply it to our client, named Takem's Appliances and Electronics, LLC. Takem's Appliances and Electronics, LLC owned and operated by Tommy Takem. Tommy Takem owns Takem's Appliances and Electronics, LLC that participates in what might give the impression to some to be a very profitable business. However, we need to read through the surrounding circumstances and the case scenario to see and advise our client what are the best business practice he could proceed with his business, and whether we agree with his business practices or not, our constrain her in this case is to provide a legal guiding in this section and then will see how to evaluate, and explain to him the legal consequences as well as his potentials, nevertheless from the first glance and the studying we can see that most of our client Mr. Takem and his business activities obeying to law, but still need to be examined, and also we to talk about some ethics practice that could prime unexpected results. Which is something we will cover in more detail later, in our case study. Takem's business (Takem's Appliances and Electronics, LLC) is located in a rural area of Southwest Virginia, and the majority of its customers are poorer residents of the Appalachian regions of Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and West Virginia. According to our case, Sally Walker vs. Takem's Appliances and Electronics, LLC, our client, Tommy Takem. interested in concentrate his business around these rural areas because due to different reasons, there isn't much competition for his business which was an opportunity for his business. But the disadvantage was, most of the people who lived in these areas were relatively uneducated enough to understand, poor credit, unsophisticated, and other reasons. Moreover, there was a demand for appliances and electronics. And because there weren't many appliances stores around those areas, people needed to buy them. Tommy took advantage of that and increased his prices between 10-20%. This process adapted by our client is widening the precise meaning of the contractual law. Tommy's business has been doing so well after the increase in the prices. Tommy newly came up with an idea for expanding his business. He decided to begin selling his appliances and electronics door-to-door in the above-described regions. Until recently, it had been working great. He hired some great salespeople who really know how to â€Å"apply the pressure and turn up the heat.† Further, since he is providing a service to these societies by transporting the goods to their homes, he charges about 30% more than he would if the customers came to the store. Apparently, the salespeople do not mention this fact to the customers. Lately, Tommy received a letter from a disgruntled customer named Sally Walker (an elderly widow lady who lives alone in the hills of Southwest Virginia—her children and grandchildren have all moved out of the area.) She has fallen behind on her payments on her new laptop computer, and Tommy had started collection efforts. He had not yet referred it to a lawyer. The letter is very well written (which would be unexpected since Sally is not very well educated.) It indicates that her granddaughter, who recently graduated with an MS in Accounting from Liberty University Online helped her with it. It argues that the entire deal is unconscionable and therefore unenforceable.Moreover, the letter emphasizes that Sally has paid enough for the computer that she purchased and will not pay any more. Finally, the letter indicates that if Tommy pushes the matter more, Sally threatens to sue for punitive damages and write letters to the editors of various local papers throughout the region to ruin his reputation. As we can see from the above surrounding circumstances and from the definition of the contract, our client has been operating with the compliance in accordance with the law and legality in most of his business transaction, as general roles, â€Å"The foundations of Corporate Governance demand that organizational practice follows the legal requirements. In current times, news reviews of industry wrongdoings have forged uncertainty on the bottom line that submission is definitely the widespread procedure. â€Å"(Realistic Hypothetical Legal Scenarios Business Law for Accountants†, 2013) despite the allegation letter from Ms. Walker, and despite the ethical conduct regarding the transparency in the new adapted policy and increase of 30% on the delivered items in this section, but there is however still an exception to the legality of the later mentioned of the 30% this should be communicated to the other partiers of the contract. Whether the Argument in the Letter has any Merit?In response to a letter recently received which was written by Sally Walker's granddaughter of one of his customer, from lawyer standpoint of view, the indication of Sally's letter concerning and arguing the unconscionable act of our client (Takem's Appliances and Electronics, LLC) by excessively charging their customers. In analyzing the precedent there could thee potential legal obligations: first one, if Ms. Walker is serious enough about bringing this case to the court, the court may look upon the contract from the unconscionability part of it, while court applies this point very scarcely, but still feasible defense to the plaintiff side due to Ms. Walker conditions. The second one is that Ms. Walker could recall for the punitive damage claim, as explained below.The third one is regarding the undisclosed charges for the delivery services.Typically, court will enforce a valid contract after it has been formed, â€Å"In deciding the validity of consideration, courts will not look to the amount or type of considerations or the relative bargaining power of the parties (except in the rare case of a contract so burdensome on one party as to indicate unconscionability)† (ABLA, 2017). My concern here is to provide my client with a reasonable and accurate sound legal standpoint and preventing him from a further and a future legal consequence. On the other hand, when Ms. Walker's proclaimed that the installment and the amount she has paid for the computer so far, is enough, I see this all was agreed upon before forming the agreement with her. Obviously, I would advise that each one of us should read and go through any kind of contract in a way that can clear and remove any ambiguous completely, read through your paper one two or whatsoever, moreover, always seek for an expertise advise in most of your relationship areas, and save yourself of being an unexpected position. Should he Take the Threats Seriously?As react with caution in determining whether my client should take Ms. Walker's letter in a serious manner because we are afraid that the court might rule to her advantage. â€Å"When it is claimed or appears to the court that the contract or any clause thereof may be unconscionable the parties shall be afforded a reasonable opportunity to present evidence as to its commercial setting, purpose and effect to aid the court in making the determination. (106). The Restatement also has a similar rule which tracks the UCC provision. (107) The purpose of the unconscionability doctrine is to expressly allow courts to police contracts for terms they deem unconscionable. (108) Though â€Å"unconscionable† is not defined by the UCC, some definitions give a feel for what the originators of the doctrine may have intended. One court has defined it as â€Å"that which ‘affronts the sense of decency.'† (109) One dictionary definition is â€Å"lying outside the limits of what is reasonable or acceptable: shockingly unfair, harsh, or unjust.† (110)† (Bar-Gill, O., Ben-Shahar, O., ; Marotta-Wurgler, F. 2017).Another word from the law that needs to be added here is that the procedure in which my client (Takem's Appliances and Electronics, LLC) following by charges 30% more to delivering the appliances and electronics to the customer's door-to-door and the fact that his salespeople intended or might have been instructed by Mr. Takem not to mention it to the customers. Despite the fact that my client, Mr. Takem, intentionally instructed them to mention the 30% increase or not, while he is the owner of the business and all of his employees should follow his instructions. The court might obtain this conclusion from his business conduct and count this against him as a form of misleading, uncommunicated as one of the criteria to validate a contract, misrepresentation, misrepresentation fraudulent or other entrance to breach this contract or similar contract since the court will incline for the advantage of the plaintiff (Ms. Walker) party of this contract against my client (Mr. Takem). As we go more through Ms. Walker's letter while she emphasizes that she is going to sue for punitive damages, whereas, punitive damages cannot normally be granted in contract disputes, here I wouldn't worry about this phrase either my client (Mr. Takem), as this is merely a threaten word in Ms. Walker's letter. However, this part in some case could be unpredictable, and because they are usually compensated in addition of the plaintiff's demonstrable injuries, and are awarded only in distinct cases, but to act as a prudent defends of my client (Mr. Takem) we need to supply him with the sound of law regarding this point, as a part of a lawyer due diligence where â€Å"Jurors award punitive damages too often. The amounts they award are erratic and unpredictable, even though they start from shared moral intuitions about the reprehensibility of defendants' conduct. And when they deliberate and decide as juries, both the size and variability of the awards increase.† Feigenson, N. R. 2003). It's ambiguities which need to be corrected proximately before any serious consequences superficial. Furthermore, the major ambiguity in the business operated in this case is the lack of transparency in its transactions with their customers; this absence of transparency is most deceptive in the prices and the percentages of charge that they put on their products and their services. This lack of transparency, when visible, could cause serious issues to any business, and, an educated customer could very easily take them to court for misconduct and misleading if they don't change their method and honestly advise their customers of their business perfect. Should he Proceed with the Collection? To give my legal advice, I would recommend that my client (Takem's Appliances and Electronics, LLC) not to proceed with any further steps in collecting the remaining payments from Ms. Walker. However, this might result in having other customers doing the same as Ms. Walker. Which is refusing to pay and threatening Mr. Takem again by suing his business and sending letters to media to ruin his business reputation. We would advise that Mr. Takem take longer period of time than usual before making any efforts for future collection in general, I would propose that Mr. Takem take an initial step by offering a payment discount for certain customers with some certain conditions with that he can plan ahead of time for his future project of establishing his own financing company, in main time this will participate in reshape his reputation in the area and encourage his customers to pay one time. â€Å"Keeping the aforementioned trends, Takem needs to go beyond the literal meaning of the law and let go of unfair and /or fraudulent corporate conduct; this includes false advertising and/or ambiguous sales deals† â€Å"(Realistic Hypothetical Legal Scenarios Business Law for Accountants†, 2013) Would Mr. Takem Set up a Financing Company? And what Should he do to Protect himself?I would strongly recommend that Mr. Takem should go ahead in adopting this step, in order to prevent and protect his business from any future consequences. But the best would be if he can collaborate with an outside financing company to take over this portion of his business, in a separate entity form, to avoid and mitigate future obligations and losing his customers. Alternatively, seeking for an external collection agency to handle in arrears or uncollected payments. â€Å"Seeking a collection agency-or evaluating the one you have-can improve bottom-line results while maintaining your professional image. Overall, be sure to find a company that delivers results and matches the image you want to project. Use this list as a guide of what to expect† (Anonymous, 2015). With this step-in mind Mr. Takem should put more consideration to the law that regulates and the requirement to establish this kind of business from the participation of the comprehensive openness, full disclosure and the complete condition associated with any arrangement. Finally, he wants to Know What do you Think About his Business Model- Regardless of whether you Conclude that it is Legal, is it Moral/Ethical?I believe the majority of us will agree in response to Mr. Takem's ethics, and the way he is conducting his business is unethical, according to the given case events. Unethical behavior that is not illegal frequently falls in a grey area between right and wrong that makes it difficult to decide what to do when it is encountered. Furthermore, different people have different perspectives regarding what is ethical and what is unethical. Though, there is sometimes a difference between behaviors that are unethical and activities that are actually illegal. â€Å"The definition of business ethics and the answer to the question of â€Å"What is Business Ethics in Sales?† is the principles, morals and standards that guide the behavior in the world of business and in sales relationships too (Spro, 2013). Ethics in sales is receiving a lot of attention over recent years even more so, as it is the correct way to conduct business in the long term and produce long-term sales results for the company and for the sales team. Moreover, â€Å"Business ethics in sales can either come from the company itself, this means that the companies ethics guidelines are written into their policies and therefore can be reflected or reproduced through their sales team management and then the sales team too† (Ivan, C. D. 2014). Therefore, â€Å"Doubt regarding corporate commitment to ethical obligations has always existed, particularly when maximization of profits might be at risk. However, despite such doubt two views have singled hope. First, a view has persisted that corporations at least feel compelled to comply with the law. At times violations of law might occur. However, this was not thought to be the pattern of behavior for corporations generally. Conscious violation of law was not the behavior expected. Second, a view has begun to be echoed that business corporations are increasingly cognizant of ethical obligations beyond literal compliance with law, and increasingly feel compelled to act accordingly† (Di Lorenzo, V. J Bus Ethics, 2007).

How modern society changed women’s lives Essay

The position of women is often considered to have improved during the last few decades. There is, however, considerable debate as to the extent of change and the reasons for it. This essay will look at how women’s lives have changed in terms of employment, pay, education, household, sexuality and the state. I will conclude that the most important changes for women are in education, but that the basic pattern of inequality remains in most aspects of the social structure, from paid work to the household divisions of labour, from sexuality to violence. Ann Oakley (1981) has traced the changing status of women in British society from the eve of the Industrial Revolution to the 1970s. She claims that ‘the most important and enduring consequence of industrialization for women has been the emergence of the modern role of housewife as ‘the dominant mature feminine role’ Thus a combination of factors which included ideology, the banning of child labour, and restrictions of the employment of women, locked the majority of married women into the mother housewife role. This led to the idea of a ‘cornflake packet family’ where the male was the breadwinner, the wife was the housewife, and the family consisted of two children – a boy and a girl. The mother had an expressive role, while the father had an instrumental role of going out to work. The inequality, and the extent to which the different aspects of this are interconnected, mean that is some use the concept of patriarchy to describe this set of social relations. Patriarchy is a social system through which men dominate, exploit and oppress women. However, in recent decades, changes in the economy and society have altered the situation – several of these changes will be outlined below. One of the most important areas to look at for the changes in women’s lives is in terms of pay and employment relative to men. Women are less likely than men to be in paid employment, but the gap has closed steadily over recent decades. The proportion of those in employment who are women rose from 38.1% in 1971 to 49.6% in 1995. However, most of the increase in women’s employment has been in part time work. The proportion of women working part time has increased steadily, from 34% in 1971 to 47% in 1995. Women workers are concentrated within a very narrow range of occupational groups, although there have been some significant changes in this recently. Over 40% of full time women workers are to be found in clerical employment. In contrast, men are spread through a much wider range of occupations. Women are confined both to lower grade jobs (vertical segregations) and to different jobs (horizontal segregation). The pattern of segregation however has changed significantly over recent years. At the top end of the hierarchy the number and proportion of women in the managerial and professional grades have substantially increased. However, in the most powerful positions in public life, women continue to be seriously under-represented. Walby notes that in 1992 only 9.2 per cent of MPs were women, there were no women Chief Constables until the 1990s, and in 1994 only one in 25 High Court judges was a woman. In 1996, there was only one woman among 50 British ambassadors or heads of overseas mi ssions. Linda McDowell uses the theory of post-Fordism to understand changes in the labour market. This theory argues that businesses have moved away from mass production towards the flexible production of small batches of specialized products. In doing so, they employ a core of highly skilled workers who are capable of using their skills to produce a wide variety of products. Other work is carried out by part-time workers, or workers on short-term contracts, or is contracted out to other firms. McDowell argues that these changes are reflected in the increased use of part-time female labour and the reduction in the employment of males in full-time permanent jobs. But while it is clearly important to take account of changes in the labour market and the economy as a whole in order to understand the changing patterns of gender inequality, it is necessary to be cautious about basing an analysis on the theory of post foridsm. This theory has been heavily criticized on a number of grounds, and the work of Lovering and others suggests that post Fordism cannot be seen as a general trend that has affected all employers. A different explanation for the changing nature and pattern of women’s employment in countries such as Scandinavia has been the shift to state  policy. Talcott Parsons had proposed a functionalist explanation of women’s disadvantaged position in the labour market, which focused on the impact of the household. He argued that men get paid more because women’s domestic responsibilities adversely affect their involvement in paid work. However, in Scandinavia, there is a much greater public provision of childcare together with higher rates of female employment and a smaller wages gap between women and men. Thus changes to state policy can improve the nature and pattern of women’s employment. But has there been any change in women’s pay relative to men’s? The implementation of the Equal Pay Act between 1970 and 1975 reduced the wages gap a little. In 1970 women earned only 63% on men’s hourly rates, and only 55% of men’s gross weekly pay. In 1997, women working full time earned 81% of men’s hourly rate, but those women working part time only earned 59% of men’s hourly rates. Thus the size of the gap has been closing steadily for those working full time, but not for those working part time. It does seem therefore that the position of women in employment has transformed itself in recent years, though there remains considerable inequality and the picture is not one of simple progress. One area where there have been considerable changes for women’s lives has been in education. Education has seen a transformation of the position of girls and young women. In schools, not only has the traditional gender gap in examination performance been closed but girls have overtaken boys; while in higher education the gender gap is closing steadily. One reason for the change is the discrimination against women in education was made illegal in the 1875 Sex Discrimination Act. A further reason was the increase in the opportunities for women in the world after education as the labour market gradually opened up. These changes in education have potential implications for other aspects of gender relations – since access to good jobs as some relationship to educational qualifications, women might anticipate taking a higher proportion of top jobs. It may also have an impact on wages, in so far as lack of qualifications, rather than discrimination, was a reason for women†™s poor rates of pay. However, while girls are learning in new areas,  boys are not learning those subjects traditionally learned by women eg at present, only 15% of all boys do home economics. A further important issue to look at when considering the changing lives of women, is in the area of the household. The most striking change is the increased likelihood of families being formed of only mothers and children, which reflects to a large degree the large increase in divorce rates. The number of lone parents increased from 8% in 1981 to 21% in 1996, and the vast majority of these are women. One of the most significant features of one-parent families is their tendency to live in poverty, leading to many forms of social exclusion. The poverty largely results from the lack of a male income into the household, but is compounded by the lower propensity of lone mothers to be in employment as compared with married mothers. Changes in the welfare state are also important in that they have disproportionately affected women because more of them head single parent households and more live to pensionable age. Women in old age are thus particularly vulnerable to the risk of poverty. A further change in the household has been in attitudes towards housework. Men are now more likely to accept that women should not be responsible for all the housework. However, it does seem that while there has been a change in attitudes, this is not to a great degree played out in action. The UK is in contrast to some countries such as Sweden where there is more shared parenting and childcare is part of education for boys and girls. Changes in sexuality have been a further impact upon women’s lives. Giddens argued that there has been a ‘transformation of intimacy’ in recent years. It is widely suggested that women have made great advance towards equality with men in the area of sexuality. The sexual double standard, whereby non-marital sex was acceptable for men and not for women has reduced. Other changes include the much greater availability of contraception and safe abortion, which has made unwanted children much less likely. Furthermore, there has been greater acceptance of a wider range of sexual practices, such as gay and lesbian relationships. Feminist movements have also helped to change and shape women’s lives. The  1970s was the second wave of feminism in the twentieth century, the early one being instrumental in winning political citizenship for women. Many of the feminist ideas of the 1970s which had been considered outrageously radical when first expressed are now widely accepted. For instance, male violence is now recognized as a significant problem and the subject of serious discussion by the police as well as feminists. Equal pay is also an early feminist demand now accepted into mainstream policy initiatives such as Opportunity 2000. In Gender Transformations(1997), Walby reviews changes in patriarchy in the 1990s. Although she discovers plenty of evidence that patriarchal structures remain in place in Britain, she also finds evidence of important changes. In particular, she claims that there is evidence of a generational difference between older and younger women. Older women tend to be restricted by the constrains of private patriarchy, which was the dominant form of patriarchy in their early lives. They are likely to have few qualifications and therefore have limited opportunities in the labour market. Younger women, on the other hand, have benefited from some of the changes that have taken place. They are likely to benefit from increased qualifications and improved labour market opportunities. Walby thus points to polarization between the younger and older women, while convergence between younger women and men. In conclusion, there have been many changes in the transition to modernity, which have shaped women’s lives. While some of these changes have reduced gender inequality n recent years, especially in the field of education, the basic pattern of inequality remains in most aspects of the social structure, from paid work to the household divisions of labour, from sexuality to violence. This essay has pointed to many changes in women’s lives, but whether their lives have improved has been a matter of debate: Liberal feminists tend to see these changes as progress, while radical feminists tend to argue that little has changed and patriarchal domination remains firmly intact. Marxists usually claim that industrialization and the advent of capitalism led to a deterioration in the position of women and since the Industrial Revolution little has improved. Bibliography Mcdowell L ‘Father and Ford revisited: gender, class and employment change in the new millennium’ Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers 2001 Walby Gender Transformations Abercrombie, Warde et al, ‘Contemporary British Society’ Haralambos and Holborn ‘Sociology’