Cardiff Bay – A brief history

The maritime history of the port of Cardiff dates back to Viking Times. At this stage it was only a small port which had a fairly constant flow of imports and exports. In 1794 the construction of the Glamorgan ship canal which resulted from the development of the iron industry meant that the export of iron through Cardiff became huge (350,000 tonnes a year). During the second part of the nineteenth century the port continued to grow at a fast rate, this was Cardiff's heyday. During the First World War Cardiff saw a dramatic decline in exports and the port and city. During the Second World War Cardiff had somewhat of a renaissance due to its key geographical location. After being passed to and from the public and private sectors and with the continuing decline of the Wales coal fields Cardiff left large areas of Cardiff useless as it all depended on the coal flow. Cardiff then diversified into activities such as oil, grain, frozen products and steel. This meant that there was no longer a demand for some of Cardiff's older dock facilities. The Glamorgan ship canal, which prompted the growth and prosperity of Cardiff, was filled in, in 1955. Then in 1964 the Bute West Dock was closed and shortly afterwards the Bute East Dock in 1970. It is this bleak history which prompted the plans for the transformation of Cardiff Docks into Cardiff Bay. The Cardiff Bay Regeneration Project The CBDC (Cardiff Bay Development Corporation) was set up in April 1987 by the then Secretary of State for Wales Nicholas Edwards. It was formed as part of the government's urban development program aiming to regenerate deprived and run – down inner city areas of Britain. The CBDC was given the task of regenerating the old docklands area of the city. Because of the scaled of the problem (only two of the five docks remain operational) this means this is the second largest redevelopment scheme in Europe. Read also History Quizzes The CBDC gave this mission statement; â€Å"To put Cardiff on the international map as a superlative maritime city which will stand comparison with any such city in the world, thereby enhancing the image and economic well-being of Cardiff and Wales as a whole† This was a brave statement and was followed up by these main objectives: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½To promote development and provide a superb environment in which people would want to live, work and play. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½To re-unite the city of Cardiff with its waterfront. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½To bring forward a mix of development which would create a wide range of job opportunities and reflect the hopes and aspirations of communities of the area. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½To achieve the highest standards of design and quality in all types of investment. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½To establish the area as a recognised centre of excellence and innovation in the Field of urban regeneration. These objectives were to be met by introducing businesses into the local area and building shops and amenities basically all achieved through huge amounts of government funding. Strategies (what has been done?) Some large companies have also decided to locate in Cardiff and are providing new jobs. One such company is NCM which is a Dutch insurance company, with large companies like this being based in Cardiff a sense of confidence will be built up and other businesses will also relocate. The transport system is now referred to as an â€Å"Ultasystem†. Basically there has been a huge improvement in public transport with regular busses taking you all round the city. The City is also connected via water fronts and you can travel by water around Cardiff if you want to. The traffic is also not as bad as in a lot of modern cities which leads to less pollution and a nicer atmosphere. There is a vast difference in the public and private residential areas. The public residential areas are rather ugly and drab, the surroundings are poorly kept and there is a lack of variety. However the newer private residential area is much nicer. Both in its appearance and its atmosphere rather than cramped it is spacious with well maintained surroundings. There are also many local amenities in the private areas. Full details can be seen in the table attached. The locals don't seem to like the newcomers that much but tolerate them all the same. It may be a long time before there is a sense of community spirit between the different fractions. But this said it is very hard to measure something like a sense of community and the relationship between neighbours because it is often the minority which is seen and heard whereas the majority don't have a problem with it. The job opportunities are quite good in the area. There are both low skilled jobs in which most people could get a job and also large employers such as NCM who offer a wide range of jobs and promotional opportunities. Having said that they is still quite a lot of unemployment around Cardiff but this is true in Wales as a whole and not a localised problem. But the employment situation locally has vastly improved since the CBDC have taken action. There has also been massive redevelopment. The Millennium waterfront provides entertainment which pubs and bars. From private investors there is also a sports village with many very good sporting facilities. There are also conservation areas. These all provide entertainment for the people living in Cardiff and also provide a nicer environment, keeping people happy. Cardiff Bays past can be seen all around, from older buildings with interesting architecture to disused warehouses. The main clue to Cardiff's historical past lies in museums and the design of buildings, indicating a rich and diverse past in which the port played a major role in the city. There is also a castle in Cardiff which somehow seems out of place in a port city. Most of the original buildings in the area now have different purposes. For example the Norwegian Church has now been converted into an art gallery and coffee shop, complete with a tourist shop. This is symbolic of how Cardiff has had to adapt, now replying on new business and tourism rather than on a single source (coal). I think the old buildings at first detract from the maritime environment until you realise that buildings like these were only built here because of all the different cultures coming in from the port. When you view them in that context you can plainly see that they stand as monuments to Cardiff's past as one of the major ports of the world. Evaluation There is strong evidence to suggest that this has not worked. One prime example is that of the emptiness in the shopping centre, most of the shops are up for rent and empty and the ones that are there are mostly coffee shops and aimed at tourists. This means that little has been done to the actual people of Cardiff apart from disguising the bay as a good place to visit for tourists. However I don't believe this is the case. The real question that has to be asked in any evaluation is, have the objectives been met? Well here are the objectives that were laid down by the CBDC: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½To promote development and provide a superb environment in which people would want to live, work and play. There are many local amenities which have been built including educational facilities such as â€Å"techniquest† which promote a better environment for children. People that were interviewed did like it where they were living, it was also evident that people were proud of their heritage, in my opinion this object has been met, perhaps not fully but at least a vast improvement. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½To re-unite the city of Cardiff with its waterfront. This is perhaps a harder task because it replies more on the people of Cardiff rather than any government schemes. But there has been a start regular ferries go along the water front to different parts of Cardiff establishing an important link. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½To bring forward a mix of development which would create a wide range of job opportunities and reflect the hopes and aspirations of communities of the area. There is not so much of a mix of jobs going as perhaps the CBDC wanted but there are certainly some good opportunities for jobs now. A good example are jobs large companies such as NCM provide. However the work is limited to a small amount of industrial work, tourism work and some small scale commercial work. So for people with skills outside those professions there is not so much of a scope for work. However this is still a great improvement and with growing confidence from other companies Cardiff's employment future is looking good. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½To achieve the highest standards of design and quality in all types of investment. This can't really be argued with; all the new buildings are well designed and colourful. The quality is good and a lot of work goes into maintaining them. But although buildings look good, as always its what's on the inside that truly counts (which isn't a lot in the shopping centre!) But the objective has been met. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½To establish the area as a recognised centre of excellence and innovation in the Field of urban regeneration. I think people can clearly see that there has been definite improvement. This is the second largest urban renewal in the whole of Europe so its going to take a little longer to achieve this objective fully, but the CBDC is well on its way. Conclusion To conclude I believe that the regeneration of Cardiff Docks into Cardiff Bay has been a success. But a limited success. This is because there is still a lot of work to be done. The CBDC now needs to look to the future and decide where it has made mistakes in the past, learn from them, and draw up some more defined objectives, as the last were not specific enough. Once it has obtained these objectives it should try to meet one at a time, not all at once which is what I feel they have done. With so much going on at once it would have been hard to manage and keep a clear view of the renewal situation as a whole, which lead to problems such as lack of interest in the shopping centre. They now have a strong foot hole and from this they can continue to improve Cardiff bay and eventually realise their dream-like statement. â€Å"To put Cardiff on the international map as a superlative maritime city which will stand comparison with any such city in the world, thereby enhancing the image and economic well-being of Cardiff and Wales as a whole†

Women’s Studies

Major Essay Women across the world face challenges and experiences such as gender class inequality, oppression, struggle with identity, sexual awakening, women's objectification, personal resistance, reliving women's history, female empowerment and etc. These are some of the themes that will be addressed In this essay. These themes will be supported by feminist short stories from books such as â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper and other stories† by Charlotte Perkins Gillian and â€Å"The Bloody Chamber and other stories† by Angela Carter.Through the use of aesthetic texts, women's challenges and experiences will be interpreted using the themes in these stories. In the story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gillian, focuses on women living In the 19th century where men have a high standing In the social hierarchy that oppressed women, Gender plays a big role In social hierarchy. Even a rich woman cannot exercise the same rights and privileges as men would . Women were not given the same equality as men. Gillian focuses on the themes such as personal resistance and women's history.As the narrator in this story battles with err own psychological mind and the outside world, she slowly falls into deep madness as her obsession grows with the yellow wallpaper. To relief herself from going Insane, she keeps a Journal that exercises her creative mind as her husband prohibits It. This act of writing In her Journal Is also similar to the movie, The Hours where the character Virginia Wolf wrote everyday to keep herself sane in her confinement. The wallpaper represented her sanity and freedom.As a show of resistance from her husband she tore the wallpaper, which made her feel free and powerful. â€Å"l wonder if they all come out of that wallpaper as I did? (Gillian 34) shows her longing of freedom and resistance. Women during this time period did not have much value as they were expected to be only wives and mothers and cannot carry on other r esponsibilities. â€Å"It Is so discouraging not to have any advice and companionship about my work† (Gillian 24) as her husband instructed her to stay in confinement and away from writing.She has spent her days confined in a room where there is only a window to look at which eventually made her insane. As a woman living In the 19th century, the narrator had no control over her own life and had let her husband dominate her. Women did not have the same opportunities as men did. The author's use of these themes gave the story a powerful message of women longing for freedom and equality in their society. In the story, â€Å"If I Were A Man† by Charlotte Perkins Gillian, focuses on a woman who fought social boundaries and â€Å"take risk to improve themselves and their material condition† (Hoofers 36).As in this story, women were not ready for business but Gillian challenged that. Gillian focuses on the themes such as gender Identity and empowerment, During this tim e period, women's roles were to stay confined In their preference in gender role was examined in this story, â€Å"Gerald had already about that bill, over which she- as Mollie- was still crying at home† (Gillian 39) shows how different the roles of men and women were. Women were the only subdue to be emotional who stayed at home while the men were the ones who held themselves together with pride and dignity.Mollie Matheson finds herself to be happy when she becomes her husband Gerald â€Å"walking down the path so erect and square- shouldered† (Gillian 35) as manly as she can ever be. The thought of being a man gave Mollie a sense of pride and dignity compared to when she was a woman. In Mollies sense to have equality amongst men, she â€Å"felt such freedom and comfort† (Gillian 36) in becoming Gerald as she has all these privileges a woman would not have. Empowerment became a big symbol once Mollie started to earn money and privileges only men would have had. She never had dreamed of how it felt to have pockets† (Perkins 36) shows how she realizes that she is powerful having money and being able to support herself without the need of having a man to rely on. The themes used in this story became an awakening for women to reach higher and climb the social hierarchy to have equal opportunities as men do. In the story, â€Å"The Cottage† by Charlotte Perkins Gillian, focuses closely on how traditional male and female roles are slowly evolving. In this story, despite of the old believe in women serving as wives and housekeepers was challenged.Gillian focuses on themes such as gender identity and status. Malta is expected to be nothing but a wife and housekeeper as â€Å"what they care for most, after all, is domesticity†¦ What they want to marry is a homemaker† (Gillian 55) according to her friend. This shows how inequality and lack of freedom plays along in traditional roles f women. Also, Mammal's lack of independe nce and longing for Ford's approval shows how she follows the traditional role of a woman. â€Å"l could cook. I could cook excellently†¦ But if it was a question of pleasing Ford Mathews- † (Gillian 56) as her goal was to please Ford and nothing but Ford.Women were expected to act polite and demure, as they do not want their status to be devalued. â€Å"†¦ She thought it would look better if we had an older person with us†¦ † (Gillian 57) shows how women are confined to act a certain way and are not able to show who they truly are. Women are also seen as trophies or objects a man can have whenever he wishes, â€Å"And woman? He will hold her, he will have her when he pleases† (Gillian 100). Women were treated nothing equally as men but in this story, this concept was challenged.The themes in this story reminds us that women do have traditional roles but can always do something more than being a wife or housekeeper. In the story, â€Å"The Bloody Chambers† by Angela Carter focuses on sexual awakening and women's objectification through fairytale storytelling. This challenges the typical fairytale story in which is structured as pleasant and happy into gory and violent. The heroine was blossoming into adulthood as she experiences her sexual awakening upon to losing her virginity. â€Å"†¦ Away from Paris, away from girlhood, away from the white, enclosed quietude of my mother's apartment†¦ (Carter 7) shows her freedom from childhood and practice her sexual curiosity. She also compares the act of â€Å"†¦ A tender, delicious ecstasy of excitement†¦ † (Carter 7) leading up to intercourse as meet her husband. She longs and waits the moment when her husband deflowers women â€Å"have been major targets of sexual stereotypical and detrimental orphaned† (Adams and Fuller 7) and seen as sexual objects. Marquis viewed the heroine as a sexual object that he can torture and violate. The heroine felt violated as Marquis in a way forced her to undress and deflower her like â€Å"disrobing of the bride, a ritual from the brothel† (Carter 15).The heroine is comparing the lost of her virginity as a ritual from a brothel depicts how disrespected and disgusted she felt while doing this act. Marquis was a power hungry who showed no respect to her brides. The heroine did not feel that losing her virginity was a special act but rather a aromatizing experiences as â€Å"watched a dozen husbands approach me in a dozen mirrors†¦ â€Å"(Carter 15). Although the story ended with a happy tone, the story still degrades women as the heroin was relieved that she was able to cover her red mark as the blind piano tuner â€Å"cannot see it†¦ T spares me shame† (Carter 41). The themes portrayed in this story shows that fairytale stories objectify women and given women a lesser value then they should have. In the story, â€Å"Puss in Boots† by Angela Carter exami nes the role of violence in sex and woman' objectification. The young woman was predicted as a poor girl who was arced to marry a rich man. In this case, gender and class play a role in social status in this story. As Signor Pantone symbolizes violence and sex for the young woman, as she wishes for sexual gratification she must submit to violence. L gave her the customary tribute of a few firms thrusts of my striped loins† (Carter 70). As Signor Pantone was murdered and passed away, the young woman and Puss' master proceeded with the act of intercourse despite having a dead corpse next to them. â€Å". They're at it, hammer and tongs, down on the carpet since the bed is occupy† (Carter 04) shows the young woman's absurd attraction of violence towards sex. It seems like the young woman is aroused by the acts of violence around her. Women were called unpleasant names and were treated as property by their masters or husbands.One of Signor Pantheon's servants was being call ed a â€Å"hag† and described as someone who is very ugly and useless. Also, Signor Pantaloon sees the young woman as property and a sense of please giver. She is also a prisoner of her own where she can only â€Å"sit in a window for one hour and one hour only' (Carter 101) shows how she doesn't have freedom and is being held captive by her own husband. The themes of violence in sex and women's objectification helped shaped the story poor outlook on women's value. In the story, â€Å"The Tiger's Bride† by Angela Carter focuses on women's objectification and sexual awakening.The heroine is a beauty whose father had a gambling addiction in which he had lost to the Beast. The heroine then was used as a wager for her father' gambling addiction. â€Å"My father lost me to The Beast at cards. † (Carter 60) shows how devalued the heroine is. There is also patriarchy played in this story. As the father and the beast holds the heroine in captivity and she has o voice i n her own life. â€Å"My father said he loved me yet he staked his daughter on a hand of cards. † (Carter 62) shows how helpless and out of control the heroine's life is.She is being used as an object and nothing more but a value of money and not life itself. The heroine's sexual awakening is measured when she transforms into a beast. This also signifies sex and birth as a way of her transformation. Losing her virginity lick the skin off me! † (Carter 69) she describes herself being reborn into a tigress. This act of rebirth signifies a man's reclaim in sex, as a man controls a woman during intercourse. This also ties in with violence in sex as she sheds blood during intercourse and sheds her own skin to become awaken.The themes delivered a powerful message of the pain and relief in finding one's awakening. Through the use of feminist themes and ideas, writers Charlotte Perkins Gillian and Angela Carter sent powerful messages in their short stories. Charlotte Perkins Gi llian mostly used the feminist themes such as personal resistance and gender identity to explain the underlying meanings in her stories. Characters in Sailing's writings were rebellious and did not conform to social norms. As they, freely expressed themselves in their own way with a positive ending.Contrary in Angel Carter's writings, focused on themes such as women's objectification and sexual awakening. The male characters usually portrayed having some essence of evil controlling the female character. The stories in Carter's books are very dark and sexual. Some descriptions in her writing almost have a sense of pornographic image. Both writers gave us a grasp on how themes powerfully send messages throughout the stories. Adams, Terrier M. , and Douglas B. Fuller. â€Å"The Words Have Changed But the Ideology Remains the Same: Misogynistic Lyrics in Rap Music. Women’s Studies Black Feminist Thought in the Matrix of Domination From Patricia Hill Collins, Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment (Boston: Unwin Hyman, 1990), pp. 221–238 Black feminist thought demonstrates Black women's emerging power as agents of knowledge. By portraying African-American women as self-defined, self-reliant individuals confronting race, gender, and class oppression, Afrocentric feminist thought speaks to the importance that oppression, Afrocentric feminist thought speaks to the importance that knowledge plays in empowering oppressed people.One distinguishing feature of Black feminist thought is its insistence that both the changed consciousness of individuals and the social transformation of political and economic institutions constitute essential ingredients for social change. New knowledge is important for both dimensions of change. Knowledge is a vitally important part of the social relations of domination and resistance. By objectifying African-American women and recasting our experiences to serve the interests of elite white men, much of the Eurocentric masculinist worldview fosters Black women's subordination.But placing Black women's experiences at the center of analysis offers fresh insights on the prevailing concepts, paradigms, and epistemologies of this worldview and on its feminist and Afrocentric critiques. Viewing the world through a both/and conceptual lens of the simultaneity of race, class, and gender oppression and of the need for a humanist vision of community creates new possibilities for an empowering Afrocentric feminist knowledge. Many Black feminist intellectuals have long thought about the world in this way because this is the way we experience the world.Afrocentric feminist thought offers two significant contributions toward furthering our understanding of the important connections among knowledge, consciousness, and the politics of empowerment. First, Black feminist thought foste rs a fundamental paradigmatic shift in how we think about oppression. By embracing a paradigm of race, class, and gender as interlocking systems of oppression, Black feminist thought reconceptualizes the social relations of domination and resistance.Second, Black feminist thought addresses ongoing epistemological debates in feminist theory and in the sociology of knowledge concerning ways of assessing â€Å"truth. † Offering subordinate groups new knowledge about their own experiences can be empowering. But revealing new ways of knowing that allow subordinate groups to define their own reality has far greater implications. Reconceptualizing Race, Class, and Gender as Interlocking Systems of Oppression â€Å"What I really feel is radical is trying to make coalitions with people who are different from you,† maintains Barbara Smith. I feel it is radical to be dealing with race and sex and class and sexual identity all at one time. I think that is really radical because it has never been done before. † Black feminist thought fosters a fundamental paradigmatic shift that rejects additive approaches to oppression. Instead of starting with gender and then adding in other variables such as age, sexual orientation, race, social class, and religion, Black feminist thought sees these distinctive systems of oppression as being part of one overarching structure of domination.Viewing relations of domination for Black women for any given sociohistorical context as being structured via a system of interlocking race, class, and gender oppression expands the focus of analysis from merely describing the similarities and differences distinguishing these systems of oppression and focuses greater attention on how they interconnect. Assuming that each system needs the others in order to function creates a distinct theoretical stance that stimulates the rethinking of basic social science concepts.Afrocentric feminist notions of family reflect this reconceptualizat ion process. Black women's experiences as blood mothers, other mothers, and community other mothers reveal that the mythical norm of a heterosexual, married couple, nuclear family with a nonworking spouse and a husband earning a â€Å"family wage† is far from being natural, universal and preferred but instead is deeply embedded in specific race and class formations.Placing African-American women in the center of analysis not only reveals much-needed information about Black women's experiences but also questions Eurocentric masculinist perspectives on family Black women's experiences and the Afrocentric feminist thought rearticulating them also challenge prevailing definitions of community. Black women's actions in the struggle or group survival suggest a vision of community that stands in opposition to that extant in the dominant culture.The definition of community implicit in the market model sees community as arbitrary and fragile, structured fundamentally by competition an d domination. In contrast, Afrocentric models of community stress connections, caring, and personal accountability. As cultural workers African-American women have rejected the generalized ideology of domination advanced by the dominant group in order to conserve Afrocentric conceptualizations of community.Denied access to the podium, Black women have been unable to spend time theorizing about alternative conceptualizations of community. Instead, through daily actions African-American women have created alternative communities that empower. This vision of community sustained by African-American women in conjunction with African-American men addresses the larger issue of reconceptualizing power. The type of Black women's power discussed here does resemble feminist theories of power which emphasize energy and community.However, in contrast to this body of literature whose celebration of women's power is often accompanied by a lack of attention to the importance of power as domination, Black women's experiences as mothers, community other mothers, educators, church leaders, labor union center-women, and community leaders seem to suggest that power as energy can be fostered by creative acts of resistance. The spheres of influence created and sustained by African-American women are not meant solely to provide a respite from oppressive situations or a retreat from their effects.Rather, these Black female spheres of influence constitute potential sanctuaries where individual Black women and men are nurtured in order to confront oppressive social institutions. Power from this perspective is a creative power used for the good of the community, whether that community is conceptualized as one's family, church community, or the next generation of the community's children. By making the community stronger, African-American women become empowered, and that same community can serve as a source of support when Black women encounter race, gender, and class oppression. . . Appr oaches that assume that race, gender, and class are interconnected have immediate practical applications. For example, African-American women continue to be inadequately protected by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The primary purpose of the statute is to eradicate all aspects of discrimination. But judicial treatment of Black women's employment discrimination claims has encouraged Black women to identify race or sex as the so-called primary discrimination. To resolve the inequities that confront Black women,† counsels Scarborough, the courts must first correctly conceptualize them as ‘Black women,' a distinct class protected by Title VII. † Such a shift, from protected categories to protected classes of people whose Title VII claims might be based on more than two discriminations, would work to alter the entire basis of current antidiscrimination efforts. Reconceptualizing phenomena such as the rapid growth of female-headed households in African-America n communities would also benefit from a race-, class-, and gender-inclusive analysis.Case studies of Black women heading households must be attentive to racially segmented local labor markets and community patterns, to changes in local political economies specific to a given city or region, and to established racial and gender ideology for a given location. This approach would go far to deconstruct Eurocentric, masculinist analyses that implicitly rely on controlling images of the matriarch or the welfare mother as guiding conceptual premises. . . Black feminist thought that rearticulates experiences such as these fosters an enhanced theoretical understanding of how race, gender, and class oppression are part of a single, historically created system. The Matrix of Domination Additive models of oppression are firmly rooted in the either/or dichotomous thinking of Eurocentric, masculinist thought. One must be either Black or white in such thought systems–persons of ambiguous ra cial and ethnic identity constantly battle with questions such as â€Å"what are your, anyway? This emphasis on quantification and categorization occurs in conjunction with the belief that either/or categories must be ranked. The search for certainty of this sort requires that one side of a dichotomy be privileged while its other is denigrated. Privilege becomes defined in relation to its other. Replacing additive models of oppression with interlocking ones creates possibilities for new paradigms.The significance of seeing race, class, and gender as interlocking systems of oppression is that such an approach fosters a paradigmatic shift of thinking inclusively about other oppressions, such as age, sexual orientation, religion, and ethnicity. Race, class, and gender represent the three systems of oppression that most heavily affect African-American women. But these systems and the economic, political, and ideological conditions that support them may not be the most fundamental oppre ssions, and they certainly affect many more groups than Black women.Other people of color, Jews, the poor white women, and gays and lesbians have all had similar ideological justifications offered for their subordination. All categories of humans labeled Others have been equated to one another, to animals, and to nature. Placing African-American women and other excluded groups in the center of analysis opens up possibilities for a both/and conceptual stance, one in which all groups possess varying amounts of penalty and privilege in one historically created system. In this system, for example, white women are penalized by their gender but privileged by their race.Depending on the context, an individual may be an oppressor, a member of an oppressed group, or simultaneously oppressor and oppressed. Adhering to a both/and conceptual stance does not mean that race, class, and gender oppression are interchangeable. For example, whereas race, class, and gender oppression operate on the so cial structural level of institutions, gender oppression seems better able to annex the basic power of the erotic and intrude in personal relationships via family dynamics and within individual consciousness.This may be because racial oppression has fostered historically concrete communities among African-Americans and other racial/ethnic groups. These communities have stimulated cultures of resistance. While these communities segregate Blacks from whites, they simultaneously provide counter-institutional buffers that subordinate groups such as African-Americans use to resist the ideas and institutions of dominant groups. Social class may be similarly structured.Traditionally conceptualized as a relationship of individual employees to their employers, social class might be better viewed as a relationship of communities to capitalist political economies. Moreover, significant overlap exists between racial and social class oppression when viewing them through the collective lens of fa mily and community. Existing community structures provide a primary line of resistance against racial and class oppression. But because gender cross-cuts these structures, it finds fewer comparable institutional bases to foster resistance.Embracing a both/and conceptual stance moves us from additive, separate systems approaches to oppression and toward what I now see as the more fundamental issue of the social relations of domination. Race, class, and gender constitute axes of oppression that characterize Black women's experiences within a more generalized matrix of domination. Other groups may encounter different dimensions of the matrix, such as sexual orientation, religion, and age, but the overarching relationship is one of domination and the types of activism it generates.Bell Hooks labels this matrix a â€Å"politic of domination† and describes how it operates along interlocking axes of race, class, and gender oppression. This politic of domination refers to the ideolog ical ground that they share, which is a belief in domination, and a belief in the notions of superior and inferior, which are components of all of those systems. For me it's like a house, they share the foundation, but the foundation is the ideological beliefs around which notions of domination are constructed.Johnella Butler claims that new methodologies growing from this new paradigm would be â€Å"non-hierarchical† and would â€Å"refuse primacy to either race, class, gender, or ethnicity, demanding instead a recognition of their matrix-like interaction. † Race, class, and gender may not be the most fundamental or important systems of oppression, but they have most profoundly affected African-American women. One significant dimension of Black feminist thought is its potential to reveal insights about the social relations of domination organized along other axes such as religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and age.Investigating Black women's particular experience s thus promises to reveal much about the more universal process of domination. Multiple Levels of Domination In addition to being structured along axes such as race, gender, and social class, the matrix of domination is structured on several levels. People experience and resist oppression on three levels: the level of personal biography; the group or community level of the cultural context created by race, class, and gender; and the systemic level of social institutions.Black feminist thought emphasizes all three levels as sites of domination and as potential sites of resistance. Each individual has a unique personal biography made up of concrete experiences, values, motivations, and emotions. No two individuals occupy the same social space; thus no two biographies are identical. Human ties can be freeing and empowering, as is the case with Black women's heterosexual love relationships or in the power of motherhood in African-American families and communities. Human ties can also be confining and oppressive.Situations of domestic violence and abuse or cases in which controlling images foster Black women's internalized oppression represent domination on the personal level. The same situation can look quite different depending on the consciousness one brings to interpret it. This level of individual consciousness is a fundamental area where new knowledge can generate change. Traditional accounts assume that power as domination operates from the top down by forcing and controlling unwilling victims to bend to the will of more powerful superiors.But these accounts fail to account for questions concerning why, for example, women stay with abusive men even with ample opportunity to leave or why slaves did not kill their owners more often. The willingness of the victim to collude in her or his own victimization becomes lost. They also fail to account for sustained resistance by victims, even when chances for victory appear remote. By emphasizing the power of self-def inition and the necessity of a free mind, Black feminist thought speaks to the importance African-American women thinkers place on consciousness as a sphere of freedom.Black women intellectuals realize that domination operates not only by structuring power from the top down but by simultaneously annexing the power as energy of those on the bottom for its own ends. In their efforts to rearticulate the standpoint of African-American women as a group, Black feminist thinkers offer individual African-American women the conceptual tools to resist oppression. The cultural context formed by those experiences and ideas that are shared with other members of a group or community which give meaning to individual biographies constitutes a second level at which domination is experienced and resisted.Each individual biography is rooted in several overlapping cultural contexts–for example, groups defined by race, social class, age, gender, religion, and sexual orientation. The cultural comp onent contributes, among other things, the concepts used in thinking and acting, group validation of an individual's interpretation of concepts, the â€Å"thought models† used in the acquisition of knowledge, and standards used to evaluate individual thought and behavior. The most cohesive cultural contexts are those with identifiable histories, geographic locations, and social institutions.For Black women African-American communities have provided the location for an Afrocentric group perspective to endure. Subjugated knowledges, such as a Black women's culture of resistance, develop in cultural contexts controlled by oppressed groups. Dominant groups aim to replace subjugated knowledge with their own specialized thought because they realize that gaining control over this dimension of subordinate groups' lives simplifies control. While efforts to nfluence this dimension of an oppressed group's experiences can be partially successful, this level is more difficult to control t han dominant groups would have us believe. For example, adhering to externally derived standards of beauty leads many African-American women to dislike their skin color or hair texture. Similarly, internalizing Eurocentric gender ideology leads some Black men to abuse Black women. These are cases of the successful infusion of the dominant group's specialized thought into the everyday cultural context of African-Americans.But the long-standing existence of a Black women's culture of resistance as expressed through Black women's relationships with one another, the Black women's blues tradition, and the voices of contemporary African-American women writers all attest to the difficulty of eliminating the cultural context as a fundamental site of resistance. Domination is also experienced and resisted on the third level of social institutions controlled by the dominant group: namely, schools, churches, the media, and other formal organizations.These institutions expose individuals to the specialized thought representing the dominant group's standpoint and interests. While such institutions offer the promise of both literacy and other skills that can be used for individual empowerment and social transformation, they simultaneously require docility and passivity. Such institutions would have us believe that the theorizing of elites constitutes the whole of theory.The existence of African-American women thinkers such as Maria Stewart, Sojourner Truth, Zora Neale Hurston, and Fannie Lou Hamer who, though excluded from and/or marginalized within such institutions, continued to produce theory effectively opposes this hegemonic view. Moreover, the more recent resurgence of Black feminist thought within these institutions, the case of the outpouring of contemporary Black feminist thought in history and literature, directly challenges the Eurocentric masculinist thought pervading these institutions.Resisting the Matrix of Domination Domination operates by seducing, pressuri ng, or forcing African-American women and members of subordinated groups to replace individual and cultural ways of knowing with the dominant group's specialized thought. As a result, suggests Audre Lorde, â€Å"the true focus of revolutionary change is never merely the oppressive situations which we seek to escape, but that piece of the oppressor which is planted deep within each of us. † Or as Toni Cade Bambara succinctly states, â€Å"revolution begins with the self, in the self. Lorde and Bambara's suppositions raise an important issue for Black feminist intellectuals and for all scholars and activists working for social change. Although most individuals have little difficulty identifying their own victimization within some major system of oppression–whether it be by race, social class, religion, physical ability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age or gender–they typically fail to see how their thoughts and actions uphold someone else's subordination. Thus white feminists routinely point with confidence to their oppression as women but resist seeing how much their white skin privileges them.African-Americans who possess eloquent analyses of racism often persist in viewing poor white women as symbols of white power. The radical left fares little better. â€Å"If only people of color and women could see their true class interests,† they argue, â€Å"class solidarity would eliminate racism and sexism. † In essence, each group identifies the oppression with which it feels most comfortable as being fundamental and classifies all others as being of lesser importance. Oppression is filled with such contradictions because these approaches fail to recognize that a matrix of domination contains few pure victims or oppressors.Each individual derives varying amounts of penalty and privilege from the multiple systems of oppression which frame everyone's lives. A broader focus stresses the interlocking nature of oppressions that are s tructured on multiple levels, from the individual to the social structural, and which are part of a larger matrix of domination. Adhering to this inclusive model provides the conceptual space needed for each individual to see that she or he is both a member of multiple dominant groups and a member of multiple subordinate groups.Shifting the analysis to investigating how the matrix of domination is structured along certain axes–race, gender, and class being the axes of investigation for AfricanAmerican women–reveals that different systems of oppression may rely in varying degrees on systemic versus interpersonal mechanisms of domination. Empowerment involves rejecting the dimensions of knowledge, whether personal, cultural, or institutional, that perpetuate objectification and dehumanization.African-American women and other individuals in subordinate groups become empowered when we understand and use those dimensions of our individual, group, and disciplinary ways of kn owing that foster our humanity as fully human subjects. This is the case when Black women value our self-definitions, participate in a Black women's activist tradition, invoke an Afrocentric feminist epistemology as central to our worldview, and view the skills gained in schools as part of a focused education for Black community development. C.Wright Mills identifies this holistic epistemology as the â€Å"sociological imagination† and identifies its task and its promise as a way of knowing that enables individuals to grasp the relations between history and biography within society. Using one's standpoint to engage the sociological imagination can empower the individual. â€Å"My fullest concentration of energy is available to me,† Audre Lorde maintains, â€Å"only when I integrate all the parts of who I am, openly, allowing power from particular sources of my living to flow back and forth freely through all my different selves, without the restriction of externally i mposed definition. Black Women as Agents of Knowledge Living life as an African-American woman is a necessary prerequisite for producing Black feminist thought because within Black women's communities thought is validated and produced with reference to a particular set of historical, material, and epistemological conditions. African-American women who adhere to the idea that claims about Black women must be substantiated by Black women's sense of our own experiences and who anchor our knowledge claims in an Afrocentric feminist epistemology have produced a rich tradition of Black feminist thought.Traditionally such women were blues singers, poets, autobiographers, storytellers, and orators validated by everyday Black women as experts on a Black women's standpoint. Only a few unusual African-American feminist scholars have been able to defy Eurocentric masculinist epistemologies and explicitly embrace an Afrocentric feminist epistemology. Consider Alice Walker's description of Zora N eal Hurston: In my mind, Zora Neale Hurston, Billie Holiday, and Bessie Smith form a sort of unholy trinity.Zora belongs in the tradition of black women singers, rather than among â€Å"the literati. † . . . Like Billie and Jessie she followed her own road, believed in her own gods pursued her own dreams, and refused to separate herself from â€Å"common† people. Zora Neal Hurston is an exception for prior to 1950, few African-American women earned advanced degrees and most of those who did complied with Eurocentric masculinist epistemologies.Although these women worked on behalf of Black women, they did so within the confines of pervasive race and gender oppression. Black women scholars were in a position to see the exclusion of African-American women from scholarly discourse, and the thematic content of their work often reflected their interest in examining a Black women's standpoint. However, their tenuous status in academic institutions led them to adhere to Euroce ntric masculinist epistemologies so that their work would be accepted as scholarly.As a result, while they produced Black feminist thought, those African-American women most likely to gain academic credentials were often least likely to produce Black feminist thought that used an Afrocentric feminist epistemology. An ongoing tension exists for Black women as agents of knowledge, a tension rooted in the sometimes conflicting demands of Afrocentricity and feminism. Those Black women who are feminists are critical of how Black culture and many of its traditions oppress women.For example, the strong pronatal beliefs in African-American communities that foster early motherhood among adolescent girls, the lack of self-actualization that can accompany the double-day of paid employment and work in the home, and the emotional and physical abuse that many Black women experience from their fathers, lovers, and husbands all reflect practices opposed by African-American women who are feminists. But these same women may have a parallel desire as members of an oppressed racial group to affirm the value of that same culture and traditions.Thus strong Black mothers appear in Black women's literature, Black women's economic contributions to families is lauded, and a curious silence exists concerning domestic abuse. As more African-American women earn advanced degrees, the range of Black feminist scholarship is expanding. Increasing numbers of African-American women scholars are explicitly choosing to ground their work in Black women's experiences, and, by doing so, they implicitly adhere to an Afrocentric feminist epistemology.Rather than being restrained by their both/and status of marginality, these women make creative use of their outsider-within status and produce innovative Afrocentric feminist thought. The difficulties these women face lie less in demonstrating that they have mastered white male epistemologies than in resisting the hegemonic nature of these patterns of th ought in order to see, value, and use existing alternative Afrocentric feminist ways of knowing. In establishing the legitimacy of their knowledge claims, Black women scholars who want to develop Afrocentric feminist thought may encounter the often conflicting standards of three key groups.First, Black feminist thought must be validated by ordinary Atrican-American women who, in the words of Hannah Nelson, grow to womanhood â€Å"in a world where the saner you are, the madder you are made to appear. † To be credible in the eyes of this group, scholars must be personal advocates for their material, be accountable for the consequences of their work, have lived or experienced their material in some fashion, and be willing to engage in dialogues about their findings with ordinary, everyday people. Second, Black feminist thought also must be accepted by the community of Black women scholars.These scholars place varying amounts of importance on rearticulating a Black women's standp oint using an Afrocentric feminist epistemology. Third, Afrocentric feminist thought within academia must be prepared to confront Eurocentric masculinist political and epistemological requirements. The dilemma facing Black women scholars engaged in creating Black feminist thought is that a knowledge claim that meets the criteria of adequacy for one group and thus is judged to be an acceptable knowledge claim may not be translatable into the terms of a different group.Using the example of Black English, June Jordan illustrates the difficulty of moving among epistemologies: You cannot â€Å"translate† instances of Standard English preoccupied with abstraction or with nothing/nobody evidently alive into Black English. That would warp the language into uses antithetical to the guiding perspective of its community of users. Rather you must first change those Standard English sentences, themselves, into ideas consistent with the person-centered assumptions of Black English.Although both worldviews share a common vocabulary, the ideas themselves defy direct translation. For Black women who are agents of knowledge, the marginality that accompanies outsider-within status can be the source of both frustration and creativity. In an attempt to minimize the differences between the cultural context of African-American communities and the expectations of social institutions, some women dichotomize their behavior and become two different people. Over time, the strain of doing this can be enormous.Others reject their cultural context and work against their own best interests by enforcing the dominant group's specialized thought. Still others manage to inhabit both contexts but do so critically, using their outsider-within perspectives as a source of insights and ideas. But while outsiders within can make substantial personal cost. â€Å"Eventually it comes to you,† observes Lorraine Hansberry, â€Å"the thing that makes you exceptional, if you are at all, is ine vitably that which must also make you lonely. Once Black feminist scholars face the notion that, on certain dimensions of a Black women's standpoint, it may be fruitless to try and translate ideas from an Afrocentric feminist epistemology into a Eurocentric masculinist framework, then other choices emerge. Rather than trying to uncover universal knowledge claims that can withstand the translation from one epistemology to another (initially, at least), Black women intellectuals might find efforts to rearticulate a Black women's standpoint especially fruitful.Rearticulating a Black women's standpoint refashions the concrete and reveals the more universal human dimensions of Black women's everyday lives. â€Å"I date all my work,† notes Nikki Giovanni, â€Å"because I think poetry, or any writing, is but a reflection of the moment. The universal comes from the particular. † Bell Hooks maintains, â€Å"my goal as a feminist thinker and theorist is to take that abstraction and articulate it in a language that renders it accessible–not less complex or rigorous–but simply more accessible. † The complexity exists; interpreting it remains the unfulfilled challenge for Black women intellectuals.Situated Knowledge, Subjugated Knowledge, and Partial Perspectives â€Å"My life seems to be an increasing revelation of the intimate trace of universal struggle,† claims June Jordan: You begin with your family and the kids on the block, and next you open your eyes to what you call your people and that leads you into land reform into Black English into Angola leads you back to your own bed where you lie by yourself; wondering if you deserve to be peaceful, or trusted or desired or left to the freedom of your own unfaltering heart. And the scale shrinks to the use of a skull: your own interior cage.Lorraine Hansberry expresses a similar idea: â€Å"I believe that one of the most sound ideas in dramatic writing is that in order to create t he universal, you must pay very great attention to the specific. Universality, I think, emerges from the truthful identity of what is. † Jordan and Hansberry's insights that universal struggle and truth may wear a particularistic, intimate face suggest a new epistemological stance concerning how we negotiate competing knowledge claims and identify â€Å"truth. † The context in which African-American women's ideas are nurtured or suppressed matters.Understanding the content and epistemology of Black women's ideas as specialized knowledge requires attending to the context from which those ideas emerge. While produced by individuals, Black feminist thought as situated knowledge is embedded in the communities in which African-American women find ourselves. A Black women's standpoint and those of other oppressed groups is not only embedded in a context but exists in a situation characterized by domination. Because Black women's ideas have been suppressed, this suppression ha s stimulated African-American women to create knowledge that empowers people to resist domination.Thus Afrocentric feminist thought represents a subjugated knowledge. A Black women's standpoint may provide a preferred stance from which to view the matrix of domination because, in principle, Black feminist thought as specialized thought is less likely than the specialized knowledge produced by dominant groups to deny the connection between ideas and the vested interests of their creators. However, Black feminist thought as subjugated knowledge is not exempt from critical analysis, because subjugation is not grounds for an epistemology.Despite African-American women's potential power to reveal new insights about the matrix of domination, a Black women's standpoint is only one angle of vision. Thus Black feminist thought represents a partial perspective. The overarching matrix of domination houses multiple groups, each with varying experiences with penalty and privilege that produce co rresponding partial perspectives, situated knowledges, and, for clearly identifiable subordinate groups, subjugated knowledges. No one group has a clear angle of vision.No one group possesses the theory or methodology that allows it to discover the absolute â€Å"truth† or, worse yet, proclaim its theories and methodologies as the universal norm evaluating other groups' experiences. Given that groups are unequal in power in making themselves heard, dominant groups have a vested interest in suppressing the knowledge produced by subordinate groups. Given the existence of multiple and competing knowledge claims to â€Å"truth† produced by groups with partial perspectives, what epistemological approach offers the most promise? Dialogue and EmpathyWestern social and political thought contains two alternative approaches to ascertaining â€Å"truth. † The first, reflected in positivist science, has long claimed that absolute truths exist and that the task of scholarshi p is to develop objective, unbiased tools of science to measure these truths. . . . Relativism, the second approach, has been forwarded as the antithesis of and inevitable outcome of rejecting a positivist science. From a relativist perspective all groups produce specialized thought and each group's thought is equally valid. No group can claim to have a better interpretation of the â€Å"truth† than another.In a sense, relativism represents the opposite of scientific ideologies of objectivity. As epistemological stances, both positivist science and relativism minimize the importance of specific location in influencing a group's knowledge claims, the power inequities among groups that produce subjugated knowledges, and the strengths and limitations of partial perspective. The existence of Black feminist thought suggests another alternative to the ostensibly objective norms of science and to relativism's claims that groups with competing knowledge claims are equal. . . This app roach to Afrocentric feminist thought allows African-American women to bring a Black women's standpoint to larger epistemological dialogues concerning the nature of the matrix of domination. Eventually such dialogues may get us to a point at which, claims Elsa Barkley Brown, â€Å"all people can learn to center in another experience, validate it, and judge it by its own standards without need of comparison or need to adopt that framework as their own. In such dialogues, â€Å"one has no need to ‘decenter' anyone in order to center someone else; one has only to constantly, appropriately, ‘pivot the center. ‘ † Those ideas that are validated as true by African-American women, African-American men, Latina lesbians, Asian-American women, Puerto Rican men, and other groups with distinctive standpoints, with each group using the epistemological approaches growing from its unique standpoint, thus become the most â€Å"objective† truths. Each group speaks fr om its own standpoint and shares its own partial, situated knowledge.But because each group perceives its own truth as partial, its knowledge is unfinished. Each group becomes better able to consider other groups' standpoints without relinquishing the uniqueness of its own standpoint or suppressing other groups' partial perspectives. â€Å"What is always needed in the appreciation of art, or life,† maintains Alice Walker, â€Å"is the larger perspective. Connections made, or at least attempted, where none existed before, the straining to encompass in one's glance at the varied world the common thread, the unifying theme through immense diversity. Partiality and not universality is the condition of being heard; individuals and groups forwarding knowledge claims without owning their position are deemed less credible than those who do. Dialogue is critical to the success of this epistemological approach, the type of dialogue long extant in the Afrocentric call-and-response trad ition whereby power dynamics are fluid, everyone has a voice, but everyone must listen and respond to other voices in order to be allowed to remain in the community.Sharing a common cause fosters dialogue and encourages groups to transcend their differences. . . . African-American women have been victimized by race, gender, and class oppression. But portraying Black women solely as passive, unfortunate recipients of racial and sexual abuse stifles notions that Black women can actively work to change our circumstances and bring about changes in our lives.Similarly, presenting African-American women solely as heroic figures who easily engage in resisting oppression on all fronts minimizes the very real costs of oppression and can foster the perception that Black women need no help because we can â€Å"take it. † Black feminist thought's emphasis on the ongoing interplay between Black women's oppression and Black women's activism presents the matrix of domination as responsive t o human agency.Such thought views the world as a dynamic place where the goal is not merely to survive or to fit in or to cope; rather, it becomes a place where we feel ownership and accountability. The existence of Afrocentric feminist thought suggests that there is always choice, and power to act, no matter how bleak the situation may appear to be. Viewing the world as one in the making raises the issue of individual responsibility for bringing about change. It also shows that while individual empowerment is key, only collective action can effectively generate lasting social transformation of political and economic institutions.

Food and Street Foods Essay

Bulacan was officially called â€Å"Bulacan Province†, is a first class province of the Republic of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Region (Region 3) in the island of Luzon, North of Manila (the nation’s capital), and part of the Metro Luzon Urban Beltway Super Region. Bulacan pries itself for its rich historical heritage. Bulacan has fast become an ideal tourist destination, owing to its vital role in Philippine history, and its rich heritage in culture and the arts. The province is popularly known for its historical sites; nostalgic old houses and churches; idyllic ecological attractions; religious attractions; colorful and enchanting festivals; swimming and various themed attractions; and a wide selection of elegant native crafts and sumptuous delicacies. It is also home to numerous resorts, hotels, restaurants, and other recreational facilities. (Wikipedia) The briskness of Street foods in Bulacan can be measured by the long queue of consumers’ everyday in the food outlets in strategic places where street foods like: â€Å"lugaw† or Rice Porridge, goto, mami, fish balls, barbecued banana, salted peanuts and chicken pops. (Toledo, 1988) Street Foods is a â€Å"Survival Meals†, maybe because it satisfies the gustatory sense for a temporary period of time. (Soledad Leynes, 1986) In such case, eating away from home due to the changes in occupation and activities created a demand for cooked meals and snacks at a cheaper and affordable price that are served quickly. Dual career, parents and small families who really have no time to prepare their meals at home resort to street foods for convenience. These people seem not to care for the food source whether it comes from the legitimate food merchants or from the informal sector, otherwise called black market. (Soledad Leynes, 1986) Street foods, whether snacks or meals are affordable and always available, which are very popular among the low income households to a large extent and increasingly a daily fare among the middle income groups. Households with working mothers are afforded ready to eat meals without the burden of cooking at home. Street food caters to the needs of the urban poor population by making food readily available and at low cost. Thus, street food vending is a traditional activity which can be considered a coping mechanism of the urban poor. Street foods are ready-to-eat foods and beverages prepared and/or sold by vendors or hawkers especially in the streets and other similar places. They represent a significant part of urban food consumption for millions of low-and-middle-income consumers, in urban areas on a daily basis. Street foods may be the least expensive and most accessible means of obtaining a nutritionally balanced meal outside the home for many low income people, provided that the consumer is informed and able to choose the proper combination of foods. (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)

Choose an important person that you have looked up to and who has Essay

Choose an important person that you have looked up to and who has helped you in your life - Essay Example He was an optimist who made things easy, even if it was so difficult. When I was small, I almost gave up on learning how to ride a bike. Paw made it look so easy to ride a bike that it made want to try and try again, no matter how many bruises or out balancing acts I made. Through this, he taught me how to persevere and work hard, no matter how difficult it would be. When I was having trouble in school, Paw was the one to defend me from some bullies. But at home, he taught me that fighting is not always the best solution to a problem. The act of goodwill and the power to always stay positive are only a few of the important virtues that make a person strong and must bear in mind when faced with adversities. And because of him, I managed to befriend the bullies who once made fun of me. Most of the time, Paw would tell jokes all day long. As I reminisce over his silly jokes, I never really got tired of hearing them, no matter how funny or how corny it would seem. To me, it was not the j oke that made me want his company, it was his eagerness to have a great time with me that always mattered. He always made sure that I was having a blast, from a silly board game or even to a melted ice cream we were eating. But, not all things turn out the way it should have been.

Use and analyse the use of a range of Lean tools ( Engineering Essay

Use and analyse the use of a range of Lean tools ( Engineering Business ) - Essay Example Bicheno & Holweg (2008) distinguished between four types of flexibility, namely process flexibility, product flexibility, volume flexibility and labour flexibility. These are detailed in the table below. The organisation can then devise its strategy according to the type of flexibility desired. Some other tools are histograms, Pareto charts, cause and effect diagrams, flow charts and control charts. It is pertinent to point out that strictly; lean is not merely a set of tools. Individual tools are useful for specific purposes, but they are designed to be used together in such a way that increases overall efficiency. The combination and synchronisation of tools allows for a wide range of strategic options. The improvement in competitiveness is made possible by â€Å"an end-to-end value stream† (Bicheno & Holweg, 2008). It is therefore a complete system, which involves processing for enhancing value by reducing waste. Lean tools serve to be applied such that they improve specific and overall efficiency. Mistakes could be made at any time during ordering, but most of these tend to be the result of human errors. It is important to prevent mistakes, for example because it could lead to producing defective parts, giving the wrong service, and ultimately to customer dissatisfaction. Moreover, â€Å"mistakes in one area have consequences in all others† (Nicholas & Steyn, 2008: 485). The alternative could be to make inspections but this itself is not mistake proof, and it is also an inefficient method. Preventing mistakes could eliminate the possibility of failures, and thus producing wastes. This could in turn avoid time wasting and prevent unnecessary costs. Mistakes with an order can be prevented by implementing a safety mechanism at any stage of the ordering process where mistakes would be likely to occur. The Japanese term for making processes protected from mistakes is ‘poka yoke’ (ãÆ' Ã£â€š «Ã£Æ' ¨Ã£â€š ±), which

Homemade Lava Lamp Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Homemade Lava Lamp - Essay Example Subsequently add 10 or more droplets of the selected food colouring to the mixture in the bottle until a rich colour is seen. In understanding how the lava lamp works, the first step would be to understand that oil and water do not mix. They are insoluble. The main goal in the liquids used in the lava lamp is to obtain two liquids that have very close densities but are insoluble in each other and that is why oil and water are most preferable (Cothron et.al 4). Oil and water will not mix in the experiment as water is made up of highly charged compounds while oil is made up of long carbon chains that have no charge. As a result, the water molecules are not attracted to the oil molecules hence rendering the two liquids immiscible. The immiscibility of the two liquids causes the separation that will be seen in the experiment just as observed in our everyday life such as the kitchen sinks and oil spills. Further, the oil being less dense than water will float on top of the water as will be exemplified in the experiment. The baking soda used in the experiment contains sodium bicarbonate. Baking soda is technical ly both basic and acidic. When the baking soda is mixed with water, a chemical reaction is formed that releases carbon dioxide gas (Heuer, 10). Carbon dioxide gas is produced in a bubbling manner which is seen in the coloured fluid that is in the bottle. Food colouring is used to merely add colour to the experiment. When added, the food colouring falls through the oil and mixes with the water at the bottom giving it the particular colour of choice that is to illuminate at the onset of the chemical reactions in the

'How far do you agree that poverty has a direct link to health' Essay

'How far do you agree that poverty has a direct link to health' - Essay Example Karl Marx, a great philosopher, believed that societies progress through a coherence of class struggle between the rich who controls societal systems and underprivileged members of society who act as their subjects. According to Marx, the scenery of societal systems could be improved through the idea of socialism where all members of the society enjoy a fair and equal share. The essay will examine how the societal systems contribute to poverty whose impacts are felt in access to health care. This essay offers valuable and elaborate guidance for health service providers. The assessment of the aspects poverty in relation to access to health care shows a close link both abstractly and operationally. Link between Health and Poverty Access to good health care is dependent on the financial status of an individual. Poor people have limited access to health care facilities as compared to the rich people. It is worth noting that material deficiency and the numerous social disadvantages associ ated with poverty makes it impossible for poor people to access health care (Pieratt-Seeley, 2002, p. 232). Due to the strong connection between poverty and health, there have been deliberate efforts to reduce poverty as one of the ways to make it possible for all people to access health care. ... These mechanisms can help clarify why the impacts of poverty on health may continue to hit if poverty is considered in relation provisions rather than as an absolute deficiency (Saunders, 1998, p. 13). Assessing the links between poverty and health is significant for policy makers since it draws consideration to the likelihood that poverty can be associated with adverse health outcomes. It also helps in examining the distribution of income and health inequalities. Moreover, social aspects of health and social environment give rise to the values and practices that control health conditions and costs (Saunders, 1998, p. 17). Since the health sector has minimal authority over most powerful influences on health, such as education, food, shelter, environmental risks, and work conditions, it meets the practical difficulties of recognizing how it can successfully work to disrupt the brutal cycle of poverty to access to health care (Pieratt-Seeley, 2002, p. 234). Marx criticized capitalism s ystem arguing that it resulted in class struggle where some enjoyed prime services at the expense of the underprivileged (Pieratt-Seeley, 2002, p. 234). The basic principle of human rights, which include health, upholds all people equally. The issue of the guidelines to be adopted in human rights has been controversial due to differing policies, culture and beliefs in the society (Young, 1999, p. 269). Marx stipulated that the human dignity should be respected including other necessities of life. He argued that capitalism results in discrimination, which may cause high poverty levels in a country due to poor policies and implementation of the government policies, high incidences of impunity, skewed

Entrepreneurship and Innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 2

Entrepreneurship and Innovation - Essay Example The people will be recruited and given jobs according to their strengths and skills in particular field. This report illustrates the estimated financial needs and total forecasted net cash flow in the first operating year. The venture will differentiate their products and services by innovative promotional activities to attract customer and increase their customer base. Part A Description of the Venture The venture is to open a clothing store that will provide people variety of clothes and accessories. It will offer most inclusive selection of clothes in stores as well as in online shopping. By offering a complete selection of fashionable items, the new venture will quickly gain good response among customers and also increase the sales. The new venture will certainly fulfil the need of customers by providing most inclusive selection and by having good educated employee force. The business venture will constantly monitor the competitive business condition to ensure innovation and diff erentiation in their products. The clothing venture will adhere to maintain strict control in financial activities. The major creativity which will distinguish the products of the new venture will be to provide multi-sport wear to match the lifestyle of customer, tailored customer service and variety of sizes to choose which can fit the potential customer. Major Issues of the Venture One of the chief issues for new clothing venture is the recent decline of apparel manufacturing industry. The chief reason for this demur is that the retailers are relocating their production offshore. Due to low cost advantage in other countries, several clothing brands relocated their production offshore that resulted in job cuts of employees in the UK. The new clothing venture will outsource their products from British manufacturing companies because the demand of British products is at present increasing. The outsourcing from British manufacturing company will help to boost the confidence of the app arel industry and determine the problems of producing apparel goods in the UK. The new clothing venture can create job opportunity for several people in the UK (Freitag, 2011). Feasibility Study of the Venture The fashion sector of the UK is active compared to many of the markets. The fashion market is influenced by international market and it is dominated by seasonal style, disparity and desire of people. Therefore, businesses related to clothing and fashion need to consider the diversity of people’s opinion and thoughts towards brand and fashion. The fashion sector of the UK provides complete view of customer’s purchasing behaviour (Experian Information Solutions, 2010). The clothing market of the UK has shown excellent growth. In between 2004–2008, the expenditure on clothing items in the UK had increased by 10%. The supermarket such as ASDA and Tesco had accounted for increasing in sales of clothing products than other outlets. In the year 2008, the supermar kets’ share had raised to 23% compared to 10% in the year 2000. It is expected that this expansion will continue because of increase in customer expenditure on non-food products. The clothing mar

Incident Command System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Incident Command System - Essay Example Common terminology pertains to the use of standard terms during disasters where every responding personnel understand one another because they have the same jargon or language which describes organizational functions, facilities, resources and position titles (FEMA, n.d). Modular organization is a description of the incident command organizational structure that is top-down in style. This kind of organizational structure is flexible to accommodate the magnitude and difficulty of the disaster. Management by objectives is the development of goals during the operation process that is practical, measurable and achievable; this is in relation to having reliance on an incident action plan (IAP) that provides means of communicating operational and support objectives (FEMA, n.d). Chain of command and unity of command entails reporting to one supervisor or head only to avoid overlapping of orders that may come from various heads or supervisors at different levels. Unified command on the other hand allows multiple agencies with different functions to work as a team irregardless of respective agency influence and accountability. Manageable span of control sets a limit to the number of personnel a supervisor can handle in an ICS, which is three (3) to seven (7) people only. Predesignated incident locations and facilities are the sites established to house operational and support facilities that can be found within the area of the disaster or incident. New locations or sites can be made as needed. Resource management includes the overall resources needed within the disaster vicinity in terms of ordering, tracking and recovery (FEMA, n.d). Information and intelligence management refers to the procedures for the management of information related to the incident. Integrated communications is the process of establishing a standard and interoperable communication system within the ICS. Transfer of command pertains to the transfer of command responsibilities that includes proper briefing of all pertinent information so that the operation can go on efficiently (FEMA, n.d). Accountability depicts following the standard operating procedures needed within an ICS. This includes reporting to receive assignments based on protocol by the incident commander; followed by adhering to the outlined IAP where every responder will be assigned under one supervisor only, who will also account for the changes in resource status. And last but not the least is mobilization where needed personnel and equipment at a disaster site will respond only as needed and directed (FEMA, n.d). As an incident commander for the disaster that occurred in Japan, I will first and foremost set up an appropriate location for the incident command center. Then I will make a preliminary estimate of the number of people and the type of facilities as well as equipment that is needed on site. Before any actual operation starts all responders will be given a list that contains common words or terms to b e used in communications. After which, I will assign all responders to their respective supervisors limiting three people only under one supervisor who will give their specific duties to perform. As the operation progresses, I will collate all

Premarital Cohabitation Essay Example for Free

Premarital Cohabitation Essay Over the past 30 years countries have experienced a phenomenon that has raised many questions about the future of the institution of marriage. Western societies, such as the United States, Canada, and countries in Western Europe have witnessed a virtual explosion in the number of unmarried cohabitating couples. Quite a number of studies have been done to research what effect, if any, this trend has on the subsequent marriage, and how does this affect any children as a result of this union. According to some estimates, since the 1970s, the number of couples that live together has more than tripled. However, there are two sides to the story – one, proposes that premarital cohabitation is like a trial marriage and allows people to eventually marry the one they are more comfortable and compatible with. The other point of view is that premarital cohabitation leads to a higher divorce rate in the society and may also have other negative effects. However, research suggests that there is little merit to the claim that cohabitation effectively serves as a trial marriage. Furthermore, studies indicate that premarital cohabitation is actually detrimental because it leads to higher divorce rates and dissolution of marriage. Why Would People Prefer to Cohabit To understand the effects of cohabitation it is necessary to review why people cohabit in the first place. About 50% of cohabitating individuals express the belief that living together without is a way to determine compatibility before getting married. Based on the premise that premarital cohabitation allows couples to determine compatibility, this practice should result in more stable marriages. However, evidence suggests that the contrary is true. Cohabitation is linked to lower levels of marital satisfaction. Couples who previously lived together are reported to spend less time together in shared activities. They report higher levels of marital disagreement, less supportive behavior, less problem-solving, more marital problems, and greater perceived likelihood of marital dissolution (Amato 2003). Premarital Cohabitation Leads to Higher Divorce Rates Research has shown that cohabitation is extremely unstable. For example, Canada has experienced a ninefold increase in the numbers of cohabitating couples, as well as a fourfold increase in the number of divorces over the past 30 years. Recent studies have not only indicated that cohabitation is negatively linked to marital stability, but studies also indicate that living in common law is related to a decrease in quality of marriage (Hall 1995). In a survey conducted by the Australian Institute of Family Studies Family Formation Project showed that after 5 years of being married, 13 per cent of those who had cohabited before marriage would divorce, versus six per cent of non-cohabiters. Ten years later, the difference increased to 26 per cent for those who had cohabited and 14 per cent for those who had not. After 20 years, there was a further increase of 56 per cent of people who had cohabited versus 27 per cent of those who had not (Weston 2007). Many reasons are cited for the resulting instability and the higher divorce rate among former couples who formerly cohabitated. Cohabitators are thought to hold more unconventional values and attitudes than those who marry without cohabitating. Those who cohabitate are thought to have a weaker commitment to marriage in general, or they may have higher expectations about the quality of marriage than those who do not cohabitate. Cohabitators are also thought to have socioeconomic or personality characteristics that are linked to higher likelihood of union dissolution (Dourleijn 2006). Among these socioeconomic and personality factors which are thought to be linked to higher instances of marital dissolution are parental divorce, less education, lower income, premarital pregnancy and childbirth, being non-white, and having had a previous divorce (Cohan 2002). According to research conducted and published in the American Sociological Review, it was concluded that Overall association exists between premarital cohabitation and subsequent marital instability. The dissolution rates of women who cohabit premaritally with their future spouse are, on average, nearly 80 percent higher than the rates of those who do not. (Bennett, Blanc, and Bloom 1988). Based on the US data, researchers have shown that ‘marriages that are preceded by living together have 50 per cent higher disruption rates than marriages without premarital cohabitation. In Sweden, researched showed that cohabiters were more likely to divorce even if the period of marriage is counted from the beginning of cohabitation. A subsequent study also found that premarital cohabitation, regardless of the nature or reason; it is associated with an increased risk of marital instability. Based on the work of Bennett, Blanc and Bloom (1987) whose findings correspond with previous findings, the following conclusions can be made: knowing that cohabiters and non-cohabiters differ in the sense of higher risk of divorce, the researchers set about to explore if there are other characteristics which were unique to these two groups, or a factor which can show that it is not premarital cohabitation alone which leads to higher divorce rate. While no one factor was found to support the argument that cohabitation caused the difference, researchers did not find a characteristic to dispute the argument. According to their data sample, women who cohabited were younger than those who did not. They are also more likely to have had a premarital conception, and were twice as likely to have had a premarital birth. For those who marry at a young age, or who have had a premarital birth have higher divorce rates. However, the first birth within a marriage has a stabilizing effect, and for these couples divorce rates are one quarter lower. These results are consistent with previous research. In 1985, it was found that for every year of age an adult attains before marrying, the risk of dissolution decreases by 16%. Education achieved for women is negatively related with the possibility of divorce. However, for this aspect other factors may also be involved. When social background was considered, similar findings were found. Social background is measured by using the occupation of the main breadwinner in the household. This factor indicates level of education achieved, parent’s marital status etc. It was found that women in households with a white collar worker as the breadwinner had higher divorce rates than other women. Another interesting finding concerns the duration of how long the couple have been together. The researchers assume that people who cohabit can be roughly divided into two groups: those who believe in the institution of marriage, and those who don’t. In such a case, the less committed group should be seen to have higher divorce rates. This should be observable if the relationship between cohabitation and dissolution should decrease with increase in duration. This is proved by the data researchers had collected. Their findings show that for up to two years of marriage the divorce rates of people who had cohabited before was almost three times. This reduced to twice for people who were married for two to eight years. After eight years, the differences in divorce rates of cohabiters and non-cohabiters are statistically insignificant. Thus one interpretation of this is the fact that people who cohabit have characteristics that make them more likely to have higher chances of a divorce. Another finding points to the fact that women who cohabit premaritally for more than three years have a 54 percent higher divorce rate than those who have cohabitated for shorter periods of time. This is because the former groups of people have such characteristics which make them less willing to commit. These include valuing one’s independence and being more self-reliant (Bennett 1987). Other Adverse Effects The increase in the rate of premarital cohabitation raises important concerns about the institution of marriage from a societal perspective. One concern is that individuals may find cohabitation to be an attractive arrangement and will be more likely to view marriage as undesirable. Another concern is that the high rate of dissolution among couples will reinforce the view that â€Å"intimate relationships are fragile and temporary,† thereby reducing the view within society that marriage is a rewarding lifetime commitment. In addition, research shows that cohabitation is linked to delayed marriage, an increase in nonmarital fertility, less commitment to marriage, and greater approval of divorce and nonmarital cohabitation. Furthermore, societies which have experienced a sharp increase in premarital cohabitation rates have also experienced an upward trend in divorce, premarital sex, and premarital pregnancy rates, while marriage and marital fertility rates have declined (Balakrishnan 1995). Conclusion: Although a number of individuals believe that cohabitation provides a means by which couples may determine their compatibility before getting married, there is a vast body of strong evidence that suggests otherwise. Married couples who previously lived together report high levels of marital disagreement, spend less time together, and are more likely believe that their marriage will end in dissolution. These couples tend to be less supportive of each other, and they institute fewer problem solving skills. Cohabitation has been linked to lower commitment levels among couples, diminished views on the marital relationship in general, and a higher divorce rate. These ill effects are directly linked to the cohabitation trend, which has exploded over the course of the past few decades. Researchers believe that cohabitation leads to unstable marriages because those who cohabitate tend to have weaker commitment to marriage in general, or they may have higher expectations for the quality of married life. Cohabitators are also more likely to hold unconventional views on marriage. It has also been observed that those who cohabitate tend to have other socioeconomic and individual characteristics that are linked to a higher rate of marriage dissolution. In addition to the higher divorce rate that seems to be directly related to the dramatic increase in cohabitation, other undesirable effects have also resulted. Societies that have experienced a surge in premarital or nonmarital cohabitation have also seen a sharp increase in premarital pregnancies, delayed marriage, and greater acceptance and approval of divorce and nonmarital cohabitation.

Affirmative Action in the Hospitality Industry

Affirmative Action in the Hospitality Industry Abstract The paper explores how affirmative action influences employment decisions of managers in the hospitality industry. Affirmative action involves a process of ensuring fairness and justice in order to cultivate the spirit of diversity. The hospitality industry includes numerous types of corporations that provide vital services to the society. Therefore, it is imperative to understand how affirmative action is executed in the industry. Similarly, affirmative action has spread to virtually all industries; therefore, it will be appropriate to evaluate the status in the affirmative action. Human resource is an important section, not only in the hospitality industry but also other industries as well. The paper endeavors to understand how the function of human resource is handled with regard to affirmative action. The government has established a number of laws and policies that govern affirmative action in the hospitality industry as well as other industries. The paper aims at appraising the condition of affirmative action in hospitality industries. Special reference will be given to the process of appointing employees. Whether the industries appoint employees on the foundation of ensuring diversity or not will be the main focus. Introduction Affirmative action is a program that provides for the consideration of the minorities, marginalized and protected sections in the society. Therefore, fulfillment with affirmative action should result in the hiring of men and women at an equal rate. Similarly other factors like race and religion should be evaluated so as to ensure that all sections get an opportunity to obtain employment. The human resource function plays a vital role in affirmative action since hiring is a central theme in ensuring equal opportunities. The hospitality industry covers a wide range of service providers that operate throughout the world. These include hotels, restaurants, food chains and transporting. Therefore, a number of plans have been developed to effect affirmative action in the hospitality industry. Most of them have centered on the process on recruitment of employees. The essence of all these programs has been the cultivation of diversity in the work force. This has been driven by the growing tr end of affirmative action in all industries, government regulations requiring compliance with its affirmative action policies as well as the industries endeavor to have an inclusive approach to human resource. Aspects of the golden rule have had a far reaching effect on the industrys approach to hiring. In their endeavor to achieve unprecedented success in business, hospitality companies have endeavored to be inclusive in their process of hiring staff. This involves the consideration of women and other sections in the society that are considered marginalized. The development of affirmative action policies has been the trend in most companies. Therefore, the hospitality industry has joined other industries in embracing affirmative action. Affirmative Action in the Hospitality Industry Affirmative action has changed the manner in which human resource sections in companies carry out their operations. This is due to the increasing trend towards the aspect of diversity in the workforce. Therefore, corporations have realized that in order achieve success, an atmosphere of fairness must be created in the process of admitting employees into the companies (Herdman, Grubb Capehart 2009). This is gradually translating into diverse workforces who have been touted as healthy and therefore, a trajectory to success. This trend has also been inspired by the enactment of several laws that regulate the employing processes. These laws contemplate the fair consideration of all sections of society during hiring as well as the humane treatment of workers. This involves remunerations, work state of affairs and dismissal. Affirmative action has also resulted from the pressure of numerous activists and trade unions. Most of them have pushed for the introduction of fairness in the proces ses of employment in the industry. In compliance to these programs, the hospitality industry has gradually clinched affirmative action. This began with the considerations of all sections in the hiring progression (Makulilo 2009). As much as the process is still far from complete, the hospitality industry has established a number of frameworks through which affirmative action can be achieved. First among all is the inclusive recruitment course. Bargaining councils have been instrumental in entrenching affirmative action practices in the hospitality industry. Bargaining councils comprise of trade unions as well as organizations representing organizations. The councils have been instrumental in championing for the rights of workers at the work place. As much as this had little effect of the hiring procedure, it eventually led to the extension of fair treatment in the recruitment. The councils handle a number of tasks that involve compatible agreements (Kennedy 2010). They mitigate disputes and come up with numerous schemes and policies of employees. Such endeavors have contributed to the aspect of equality throughout the hospitality companies. Examples of these councils include The Tearoom, Restaurant Catering Bargaining Council and the Restaurant, Catering Allied Bargaining Council. Sectoral determination plays a significant role in the achievement of equality and better handling of staff. The hospitality industry has therefore, achieved a lot with regard to fairness especially in wages through the pressure of sect oral determination. Sectoral determinations have provided for the wage rate to be based on the number of employees in an organization. Therefore, organizations with small numbers of employees pay more. Several acts that are relevant with the hospitality industry have been instrumental in the practice of fairness and equality in the sector. Most of the acts have programs that ensure the achievement of good care and treatment for the employees (Taylor 2010). The Occupational Health and Safety Act endeavors to ensure that employees are accorded adequate healthcare and safety in the working environment. Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Deceases Act aims at ensuring that employees who incur sicknesses and injuries at the work place are taken care of. The act discourages discrimination of these workers and prescribes the kind of treatment that should be given to them. The Employment Equity Act seeks to uphold evenhandedness in the work environment. The act also promotes equivalent chances to all employees. All corporations that deal in hospitality attempt to realize merit in their operations. However, only companies that ultimately make use of the ability of racial and sexual diversity achieve their objectives. The diversity of the population provides for equal approach to hiring (Lickstein 2010). Therefore, only companies that consider the diversity of talent and society manage to navigate beyond normal performance. Furthermore, in order to compete favorably since the 1990s, companies have been forced to embrace equality in job opportunities at all stages. The job environments must conform to the standards of equality by all means. The demographic inclinations that are responsible for changes in personnel stipulate the skill of managing diversity be cultivated in all levels of administration (Lickstein 2010). The demographic indicators predict an increase in diversity of the society in the future. Therefore, corporations must cultivate the aspect of managing diversity among the managers at all levels. This will ensure that the corporations continually carry out their operations in the future. Without an open approach to diversity it will not be possible for hospitality organizations to operate. The indicators show that the majority of jobs in the future will arise from the service industry. Most of them will be about information. This shows that the jobs require intellectual prowess alone. As a result, gender, race and age will not be barriers. Corporations must therefore, embrace affirmative action since future jobs will be suitable for men and women as well as all races and groups. The rate of immigrants is going to increase (Kahlenberg 2010). This means that the number of immigrant workers will increase. Organizations must put in place equality mechanisms so as to take advantage of the increase in potential workers. Only those corporations that will have adopted affirmative action will benefit from the services of migrant workers. The hospitality industry is on the spot since projections indicate that economic development will rely directly on the claim of products are sensitive to incomes. These include restaurant meals, tourism, healthcare, and travel and luxury foods. Therefore, the industry must ensure that its operations are not obstructed by traditional approaches to employment and discriminations. Affirmative action remains the best way forwards in the restructuring of hospitality organization. Most of the fresh workers in the future will be minorities. Therefore, without a prudent approach to employee hiring based on equality, organizations will miss out on the new employees. The fact that, most new employees will be minorities indicates that, hospitality organizations must fully embrace affirmative action so as to be in a position to manage a diverse workforce. Diversity must be cultivated in the management and operation of the corporations. Most importantly, hiring decisions together with the managem ent of employees must be changed to confirm to norms of equality. The number of black women will rise unexpectedly. Black women will account for the largest share in the nonwhite work category. Consequently black women will surpass black men in the labor force. Gender based discrimination will have no place in the work force since most potential workers will be women. Affirmative action is the only way for companies to operate in the future. Accordingly racism must be brought to an end since blacks will form an integral account of the entire labor force. Similarly white males who have been the major component of the work force are slated to reduce drastically. They will only comprise of 15% of the entire workforce. Therefore, black and other minorities must be ready to take the dominant position in the workforce. Affirmative Action Support and Challenges Affirmative action has the backing of many people; it is perceived as the only means towards equality. Affirmative action is essentially founded of a moral and equitable platform with the best objectives. As a result, several organizations and sections of the public and society support the concept (Dodson 2010). This has been the key driving force in the success of affirmative action in the hospitality industry. Numerous corporations have initiated programs that aim at ensuring the full implementation of the affirmative action. This has led to the creation of several affirmative action policies by organizations. The policies have been informed by several consultations between these organizations and the relevant stakeholders. The role played by the government in setting guidelines has also been instrumental. The most viable transformation has been the attitudinal change. The society has fully come to embrace the aspect of equality as envisaged in the affirmative action. Most of these involve racism, sexism and other shapes of inequity. The work place has been the major battleground for all these forms of inequality. However, industry players have come to recognize the importance of initiating equality programs in their operations (Anim 2010). The most visible application of affirmative action has been identical opportunities during the appointing process. However, the implementation of affirmative action in the hospitality industry has been subject to a number of challenges. The greatest challenge has been the aspect of racism. The concept of racial preference has complicated efforts to cultivate equality in employment and workplace relations (Krotoszynski 2010). This has been brought about by the connection of race and preference. It has been burdensome to society since through this link racism is inculcated in society in the name of stigma that ought to be eradicated. Partisan treatment to certain races in the name of ensuring equality has been counterproductive. In fact quotas have been a setback in the affirmative action endeavors. This is because quotas and other forms of partisan treatments institutionalize inequality. In order for affirmative to be successful organizations must move away from any counterproductive practices that undermine equality. Equality in organizations can only be achieved through the adoption of structures that establish equal prospects for all. Any practice that seeks to assist certain sections of the society at the expense of others cannot achieve affirmative action. Therefore, the biggest threat to affirmative action in organizations is the focus on short-term goals. Some organizations have evolved a system of creating reservations and quotas for certain sections of the society. This practice might be fruitful in the short run; it has negative effects on affirmative action. Such organizations soon institutionalize inequality through the favoritism. Affirmative action in the organizations requires the culture of diversity coupled with prudent management of the same. Rigidity in organizations is another aspect that limits the implementation of affirmative action. To counter this trend, organizations ought to develop an atmosphere that cultivates diversity in the workplace. Such an arrangement will leave no room for unnecessary hindrances in the implementation of affirmative action. As much as the major attitudinal obstructions are found in societies, business organizations can play an important role by cultivating diversity and equality in their operations (Alam and Roy 2007). The first way is to ensure that hiring remains a transparent and equal forum for all sections of the society. This should be complemented by the provision of equivalent chances for all employees irrespective of their gender and racial background. The establishment of structure that favors affirmative action remains the best way to achieve equality in the organizations. Minorities ought to be accorded equivalent opportunities so as to allow them to grow and compete favorably in the organizations. The equal treatment of minorities will have several benefits in the organizations apart from ensuring equality. First will be the perpetuity of organizations. With respect to future projections, only organizations that provide equal treatment to minorities will survive. This is due to the fact that most potential worker will come from minority category. Organizations with no meaningful structures for diversity and equality often find it difficult to achieve their goals in the midst of the changes. It is virtually impossible to achieve growth in modern times without credible affirmative action policies. Equality can also not be achieved with the necessary structures in place. Companies in the hospitality industry that fully embrace equality mechanism as far as opportunity is concerned succeed because of the inherent mutual culture and structure. Through the commitment of the companies, right from the highest levels of management and accountability of the personnel development and the provision of equal chance, an inclusive diverse atmosphere is founded in which all people irrespective of their gender and race can make their contribution to the organization (Winston 2008). Through the success of their workforce, accommodative organizations often realize the efficiency, innovativeness and synergy to effectively compete and realize financial breakthrough. Therefore, such organization comprehend that unfairness is harmful to the individuals, corporations as well as the society. Organizations that wholly build and manage culturally diverse abilities of its employees normally derive benefit associated with them. Similarly rigid organizations cannot benefit from the services of culturally diverse workforce. Employees in culturally diverse organizations work in broadly environments. Their tasks are defined widely and they have the liberty to perform their jobs as well as come up with groups and methodologies they deem fit. Furthermore, the employees have the freedom to participate in new tasks. Diverse organizations concentrate of the development of their employees (Reistad et al., 2010). Therefore, such organizations often have efficient communication systems across the different departments of the organization. These corporations react constructively to change, have effective workers and encourage the growth of minorities. Great prominence is laid of training of workers. The benefits from these endeavors, pose these organizations for financial success as well as better future prospects (Reistad et al., 2010). Conclusion Affirmative action has taken root in several business organizations. This trend has been necessitated by the need to cultivate equality and diversity in the workplace. Companies in the hospitality industry have not been left behind. A number of measures have been taken by organizations in the hospitality industry, to entrench affirmative action in their operations. This has mostly involved the hiring practice. Organizations have evolved to ensure that all sections of society irrespective of gender and race obtain their equal share of opportunities of jobs. Furthermore, the working situations in several organizations from the hospitality sector have inducted diversity in their systems. The cultivation of a culture of diversity in these organizations has resulted in equal management of staff at the workplace. Most importantly, it has involved the uplifting of minorities through the opportunities for their growth. The entrenchment of structures that guarantee diversity and equality has been of great success in the organizations. The trend of affirmative action has been boosted by a number of factors. These include future projections which indicate an increase in minorities in the potential workforce category. Government policies have also pressed corporations to clinched affirmative action. Affirmative action has fully been embraced by most organizations in the hospitality industry.