Government backed initiatives to promote female participation in STEM The WritePass Journal

Government backed initiatives to promote female participation in STEM Introduction Government backed initiatives to promote female participation in STEM IntroductionReferencesRelated Introduction This essay aims to explore the UK based initiatives designed to promote female participation within Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematical (STEM) disciplines focusing predominately on Physics. The essay will consider the different teaching techniques and styles that have been researched and implemented in order to appeal specifically to a female audience and their relative success in terms of encouraging females to pursue both higher education in STEM based disciplines and careers. It has been well documented that women in STEM based subjects are under-represented which has lead to an absence of females actively employed within STEM careers. Women were only 12.3 per cent of the workforce in all STEM occupations including health and skilled trades in 2008. This is, however, an increase of 2.0 percentage points since 2003 (Kirkup, et al., 2010. Women and men in science, engineering and technology: the UK statistics guide 2010. Bradford: the UKRC) showing that there has been some successful work towards encouraging females towards STEM careers. This under-representation is no more apparent than within the science discipline of Physics, which displays the persistent problem of a lack of girls continuing to study physics after the age of 16 (physics is a compulsory part of the GCSE curriculum). A substantial number of girls do well at Key Stage 4 but do not choose to study physics post-16. In 2005, only 14% of girls who were awarded an A* or A for GCSE Double Award Science or physics progressed to A level physics (Hollins et al., 2006). Whilst there has been a small year-on-year increase in the number of A level physics candidates between 2006 and 2008 (Institute of Physics, 2008), there has been little change in the proportion of girls that have taken the subject post-16. In 2008, only 22% of the entries for A-level Physics were female (Institute of Physics, 2008). These statistics can be seen clearly in the appendix where the number of female entries in 2008 actually illustrates a decrease in female uptake in comparison to 2007 of -0.3%.   In addition, recruitment to biology has remained relatively stable with more females than males being entered for A-level examinations. Chemistry entries for both male and females are relatively equal and mathematics still sees a top-heavy male count, although less dramatically than physics. There has been an extensive amount of research into the potential reasons behind the consistently low numbers of females within Physics.   The development of institutionalised education in England was based on principles of class and gender differentiation (Purvis, 1981) and many scholars attribute existing gender culture today to their historical roots where middle-class girls were to be educated to take up roles as wives and mothers of elite men. Consequently, physics, with its high mathematical content and often abstract ideas, was a subject thought suitable only to males with girls focusing on the religious and moral aspects of science and the possibilities it provided for enhancing domestic accomplishments. Many still believe connotations of this attitude exist today and while it is important to recognise that although ‘educational policy may change, what students, their parents and their teachers have come to understand as appropriate ways for girls and boys to be, to k now and to behave, will continue to reflect the historical roots of the culture’ (Murphy,P.,Whitelegg,E .,2006).   In addition, research by Alison Kelly (1987) identifies three factors that appear to account for a lack of interest by women in science, namely women see it as likely to be difficult, masculine, and impersonal. A number of modern day initiatives and specific teaching techniques have been coined to address these misconceptions and will be explored, with their relative success critiqued, in the remaining body of the essay. Many initiatives to encourage female participation in science try to address the causes of the phenomena known in academia as the ‘leaky pipeline’. The phrase has been devised to illustrate what statistics clearly show, much like a leaky pipeline, women steadily drop out of the science educational system, which carries students from secondary school through university and on to a job in STEM. Figure 1 illustrates the risks that may be experienced by women already in the science pipeline upon commencement of a STEM based career. Source: International federation of university women [image online] Available at:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ifuw.org/imgs/blog/blog_leaky_pipeline.jpg [Accessed 16 April 2011]. Pell (1996) acknowledges that much of the selection between men and women has taken place even before academia is entered arguing that critical phases in the selection towards an academic career include early childhood, adolescence, school years and the job entry period. Pell gives development of self-esteem in early life-course, student-teacher interaction in classrooms leading to lower aspirations amongst girls, fewer female role models, and conflicts with family responsibilities, as some of the reasons for the ‘leak’ in the pipeline.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Blickenstaff. J (2005) argues alternatively that ‘no one in a position of power along the pipeline has consciously decided to filter women out of the STEM stream, but the cumulative effect of many separate but related factors results in the sex imbalance in STEM that is observed today’. Many believe the ‘leakage’ from the pipeline requires a multi-faceted solution, and time is needed to allow innovati ons in teaching and learning to take effect, only then will this be evident within the statistics often used to prove such initiatives have failed. It can be questioned whether the merit of such initiatives can so quickly be analysed and concluded as failures if they have not had sufficient time to evolve. For example, the increase of girls choosing to study physics may only see an increase in numbers once teaching practices, academic relevance of the syllabus and functional support networks are truly aligned together and are sustainable. This issue has been further addressed by Cronin and Roger (1999) who point out that initiatives to bring women and science together focus on one of three areas: attracting women to science, supporting women already in science, or changing science to be more inclusive of women, however, some initiatives emphasise one or two of these possibilities and ignored the other(s). A.Phipps (2008) reasons that the important initiatives designed to address the problem are under-researched allowing little opportunity for educational practitioners, activists, policy-makers and scholars to analyse and learn from the practices and policies that were developed over the past decade. Outside of the classroom, many initiatives and organizations have been set up to encourage, support and engage women within STEM careers. One of the most prominent and long running initiatives, Women In Science and Engineering (WISE) was founded in 1984 with the aim of encouraging understanding of science among young girls and women and to promote choosing it as a career. WISE provide a range of different services and initiatives in order to achieve this aim, and engage with other organisations that provide such services. This includes resources for girls, teachers and parents. More can be found on their website wisecampaign.org.uk/. There is only limited work evaluating the impact of WISE policies since the organization began. Phipps (2008) suggests that although school visits by WISE did have a positive effect on girls opinions of science this was not translated into long term change in their career ambitions. Alternatively, WISE claim that the campaign has helped to double the per centage of female engineering graduates from 7% in 1984 to 15% today. They claim the success of the WISE programmes can only be measured using the proportions of engineering students and engineers who are female (WISE, 2010). To date, however, there has been no onward tracking of participants from the WISE outlook programme. This leads others to be more critical with Henwood (1996) claiming WISE have ‘inadvertently limited the ways in which girls and women could discuss the challenges they faced’ and with no detailed research evaluating whether various actions and policies by WISE have produced the impact, it can be hard to attribute the growth to WISE without questioning whether other factors were at play. Phipps (2008) echoes this uncertainty stating ‘it is difficult to definitely conclude that WISE policies have been the decisive or contributory factor in encouraging female participation in scientific careers’. The UK government made a firm commitment to remedy the current situation assisting with the launch, in 2004, of the UK Resource Centre (UKRC) for Women in SET (science, engineering and technology). This organisation aims to provide practical support and help in order to encourage more women to take up a career in STEM (UKRC, 2007; Wynarczyk, 2006, 2007a). However, the activities of the UKRC are predominantly focused on the participation of women in STEM careers and its responsibility does not include education. With the greater focus on evaluative data, the UKRC holds and actively records the numbers of women with whom it has engaged in its work, and also collects statistics on the outcomes for returners in its programmes (UKRC, 2010). Many have criticized the large number of non-governmental organisations and initiatives involved in the STEM sector stating that the process is fragmented and uncoordinated to the extent that policy and initiatives may be unable to reach their full potential. The STEM Cross-Cutting Programme also concluded that ‘at the current time there are far too many schemes, each of which has its own overheads’.(DfES, 2006a: p.3).   Despite this, the Government has substantially increased its STEM education budget and activities in an attempt to reverse the current STEM trends including cash initiatives to encourage more physics trained teachers, (Jha,A,. Guardian online 2005 ‘New incentives for maths and physics teachers’ [Available online] guardian.co.uk/education/2007/oct/05/schools.uk2). Within the current UK educational system, educators have been working for many years to encourage more girls to participate in school science through programs like Girls Into Science and Technology (GIST) and Computer Clubs for Girls (CC4G). The later is a not-for profit employer led organisation licensed by the government with the Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) currently funding it. Furthermore, the UK Government is providing support for schools to encourage more girls to study physics and to help them to become more confident and assertive in the subject. Approaches to teaching physics with an emphasis on physics as a ‘socially relevant and applied subject has led to higher attainment for both males and females’ (Murphy and Whitelegg, 2006). Previous research has also indicated that girls are motivated to study physics when they can see it as part of a ‘pathway to desirable careers’ (Murphy and Whitelegg, 2006). Successful approaches t o making physics more relevant to girls included, as presented in ‘Girls into physics-Action research’: Integrating physic-related careers in class (e.g. through direct references, set assignments, posters and displays in the classroom). Creating opportunities in lessons for students to explore the social relevance of physics (including the roles of physicists). Real life experiences with work experience and role models were also effective in ‘bringing physics to life’. Source: Daly.A   et al 2009, Girls into physics- Action Research, Research brief. Page 2. [Available online] education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DCSF-RB103.pdf However, several challenges are related to these approaches. Some students, especially those of a younger age group, struggle to articulate their careers aspirations and there may also be a lack of knowledge about career options among teachers. This could add pressure onto the teacher as they feel the need to research and bring these elements into their lesson planning and schemes of work (SoW). It is already well documented about the time constraints many teachers experience with regards to sufficient planning and marking time. It could be suggested that with the low number of trained physics teachers available within the educational system at this time and their high demand (Institue of Physics, Physics and: teacher numbers, 2010), that additional content beyond that of the curriculum could put viable trainees off this career and potentially push them into other subject areas where there is less additional material to deal with. Availability of school resources could also be a prob lem. The ‘Girls into physics action research’ commissioned by the Institue of physics and undertaken by Daly.A., et al (2009) aims to address five key assumptions that girls have about physics identfied in prior research by Murphy,P and Whitelegg,E (2006). This essential practice (figure 2) is deemed to support female participation within physics and it is hoped that it will be adopted as part of the classroom management. Figure 2: Essential practice that supports girls participation in physics Source: Daly.A.,   et al 2009, GIRLS INTO PHYSICS – ACTION RESEARCH, Figure 2, page 6. [Available online] education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DCSF-RR103.pdf The research, also carried out on behalf of the Department for Education (DfES), recommends   numerous ‘top tips’ for successful teaching and learning with these suggestions available to view in the appendix. These tips have been identified by teachers who have shown some success in enagaing female students. Alternatively, B. Ponchaud (2008) conducted a review within schools where the female uptake of physcis was already particularly high. Ponchaud identified several top tips for teachers to use to engage female students. 1 Encourage collaboration in learning through more group discussion and activities. 2 Present the big picture whenever possible rather than just concentrating on individual ideas. 3 Give students the privacy and confidence to take risks in their thinking and responses by careful use of formative questions and the use of individual whiteboards for example. 4 Vary the grouping in class for practical and other activities to avoid some students dominating and others (often girls) becoming passive. 5 Don’t ‘talk equations’; develop ideas before using technical language and then use it in context. 6 Use a variety of illustrations based on male and female students’ interests. 7 Use a variety of analogies that help the student and accept, for discussion, any they suggest. 8 Have an explicit rationale for teaching, which includes social relevance. Table 1: B.Ponchard’s top tips to engage female students in physics Source: Ponchaud, B, The Girls into Physics project. School Science Review, March 2008, 89(328) Antonia Rowlinson from St Anthony’s RC girls’ school implemented the ‘top tips’ without the need to alter the curriculum. Physics was contextualised or illustrated in the areas of interest revealed by Ponchaud’s investigation. For example, within the forces module, questions on friction were set in the context of the then current Strictly Come Dancing television programme. The follow-up survey showed that ‘whilst this new teaching technique had not substantially shifted the students’ perceptions about physics there were improvements. More girls saw physics as relevant to their career aspirations’ (Ponchaud 2008). In conclusion, evidence clearly shows that an under-representation of females is a cause for concern. Girls perceive themselves to be less capable and less interested, than boys, in science and these attitudes can be attributed to historical views of women that are proving hard to dismiss. Many believe that science educators have a responsibility to change those factors under their control. Over time, individual actions by teachers will help girls to break down the filter in the STEM pipeline and result in equal participation, benefiting society.   Teachers should pay attention to the way they address and present physics, watching out for language and terminology, which has a vast psychological effect for females who may suffer from stereotype threat and believe they are not capable. I have also explored the idea that girls respond to physics when it is taught in an accessible and socially relevant way but countered this with the argument of teaching time constraints and available school resources. Work that examines the overall successful impact of initiatives and policies aimed at promoting the cause of women in science has provided a mixed verdict and can be open to critique. It seems apparent that although these initiatives specifically target the thoroughly researched reasons why females may disengage from physics and science as whole, they cannot systematically prove that the apparent incremental growth in participation figures are down to the programmes and measures they have put in place. Only recently, has initiatives such as UKRC began to collect evaluative data on the amount of women that have been effected by their work. Some texts have assumed a positive impact for various policies, citing increases in the proportions of women pursuing certain courses as evidence for different policies success (e.g. WISE, 2010). I have explored such critique on this view including Phipps (2008) who recognises the limited successes and impact of initiatives in general, but tempers t his with statements acknowledging the wide range of challenges facing these initiatives. I believe that when more organisations begin to record and monitor engagement rates as a direct result of exposure to a particular initiative, successful programmes will become more apparent. However, I also realize that many of these organisations have limited funding and capabilities disabling them from doing this as they focus budgets on areas addressing there inherit strategy. Until this is addressed with additional funding, I fear the exact effects of many of these initiatives will never be known and it will remain a subject for academic discussion. References Blickenstaff, J C (2005). Women and science careers: leaky pipeline or gender filter? Gender and Education Vol. 17, No. 4, October 2005, pp. 369–386 Cronin, C. Roger, A. (1999) Theorizing progress: women in science, engineering, and technology in higher education, Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 36(6), 639–661. Computer Club for Girls. Accessed on 16/04/2011 cc4g.net/ Daly.A ,Laura Grant.L2 and Karen Bultitude. K, GIRLS INTO PHYSICS – ACTION RESEARCH, Research brief. [Available online] http://education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DCSF-RB103.pdf Daly.A ,Laura Grant.L2 and Karen Bultitude. K, GIRLS INTO PHYSICS – ACTION RESEARCH,[Available online] education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DCSF-RR103.pdf DfES, (2006a), ‘The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Programme Report’, HMSO, ISBN: 978-184478-827-9 Henwood, F. (1996), WISE Choices? Understanding occupational decision-making in a climate of equal opportunities for women in science and technology, Genderand Education, 8 (2), 119-214. Hollins, M., Murphy, P., Ponchaud, B. and Whitelegg, E. (2006) Girls in the Physics Classroom: A Teachers’ Guide for Action. London, Institute of Physics Institute of Physics (2010) Physics and: teacher numbers, An Institute of Physics briefing note: iop.org/news/10/sep10/file_44832.pdf Institute of Physics (2008) Year on year increase of physics A-level entrants. Available from: iop.org/policy/statistics/education/file_43198.doc Kelly, A. 1987,Science for girls? Philadelphia, PA: Open University Press Kirkup, G., Zalevski, A., Maruyama, T. and Batool, I. (2010). Women and men in science, engineering and technology: the UK statistics guide 2010. Bradford: the UKRC. Murphy, P. and Whitelegg, E. (2006) Girls in the Physics Classroom: A Review of the Research on the Participation of Girls in Physics. London, Institute of Physics Murphy., P and Whitelegg., E (2006) Girls and physics: continuing barriers to belonging, Curriculum Journal, 17: 3, 281 - 305 Pell AN (1996). Fixing the leaky pipeline: women scientists in academia. Journal of animal science, 74 (11), Phipps, A. (2008). Women in Science, Engineering, and Technology: three decades of UK initiatives. Stoke on Trent: Trentham Books Ponchaud, B, The Girls into Physics project. School Science Review, March 2008, 89(328) Purvis, J. (1981) The double burden of class and gender in the schooling of working-class girls in nineteenth-century England 1800–1870, in: L. Barton S. Walker (Eds) Schools, teachers and teaching (Barcombe, Falmer Press). Women in Science and Engineering (WISE). Accessed on 16/04/2011 wisecampaign.org.uk/ Women in Science and Engineering Research Project. A publication by The Scottish Government. Accessed on 16/04/2011 scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/12/15144458/6 Wynarczyk, P. (2006), â€Å"An International Investigation into Gender Inequality in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)†, Guest Editor, Journal of Equal Opportunities International, Special Issue, Volume 25, issue 8, December. Wynarczyk, P., (2007a), ‘Addressing the â€Å"Gender Gap† in the Managerial Labour Market: The Case of Scientific Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the North East of England’, Management Research News: Communication of Emergent International Management Research, v.30:11, 12 Wynarczyk, P and Hale 2009, Take up of Science and Technology Subjects in Schools and Colleges: A Synthesis Review. Commissioned by: Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF)

How to Talk about Your Career When Youre Out of a Job

How to Talk about Your Career When Youre Out of a Job In a culture where your job is often linked to your identity, being unemployed can make social interaction tough. You don’t want to put an awkward damper on the conversation, but you do need a quick answer to that inevitable question, â€Å"So, what do you do?† Here are some ideas on how to keep the conversation flowing (and possibly gain a new professional contact!):1. Avoid using the word â€Å"unemployed,† instead talk about your â€Å"transition.†Try statements like, â€Å"I was formerly with Company XY, but am looking to transition to a smaller, more focused company † or â€Å"I’m hoping to transition to a new department in my field, so I’m currently on the hunt for marketing jobs instead of admin.†2. Talk about your field–no need to mention a specific job.You don’t need to name a company when you talk about your career: â€Å"I’m in book sales–I specialize in young adult fiction.† Stateme nts like this are the truth, and can open the door to a conversation about your skill sets and what you might be looking for in the future.3. Change the subject to activities you take part in outside of your career.Responses like, â€Å"I’m currently looking for work, but in the meantime, I volunteer at my local animal shelter† are a graceful way to answer the question and discuss interesting projects close to your heart.Even if you’re unemployed, you’re still the same talented person with a collection of interests and skills to discuss in any social situation. Always present yourself as capable and confident about the future to come–and open to making new networking contacts!How To Introduce Yourself When You’re UnemployedRead More at Careerealism

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The Futility of Dreams in Of Mice and Men    Everyone has a dream they hope to achieve, but dreams are not always possible to attain. In John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, two ranch hands, George and Lennie, find work in Salinas Valley. Lennie, constantly getting into trouble, inadvertently causes the two of them to be run out of town and thus have to find new work regularly. George and Lennie's search for work in the hope of accomplishing their dream of a small farm of their own displays how futile realizing dreams can be. The major themes identified by commentators in Of Mice and Men are friendship and isolation, hope and futility(Votteler 334). Through George and Lennie's friendship, the hope to achieve their dream is kept alive. "George, little and clever, feels that Lennie has been given into his keeping"(Moore 341). "Simpleminded and gentle, Lennie possesses great physical strength and becomes unwittingly destructive when startled"(Votteler 334). Although Lennie is very strong, he is also very timid and has trouble remembering things, but under George's control, Lennie is calm and docile since he just does what George tells him to(Moore 341). According to Moore, "Of Mice and Men tells the story of two drifting ranch hands, George and Lennie, who dream, as rootless men do, of a piece of land of their own, where they will 'belong'"(341). George tells Lennie that the loneliest guys in the world are like them working on ranches, have no family, no place to belong for continually moving on to a new ranch, and have nothing to look forward to(Steinbeck 13). With them, it is not like that because they have a future, somebody to talk to, and are working toward getting their own farm with a couple ac... ...ited by Thomas Votteler, Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1993, p. 341-342. Rascoe, Burton. "John Steinbeck," in Steinbeck and His Critics: A Record of Twenty-Five Years, edited by E. W. Tedlock, Jr. and C. V. Wicker, University of New Mexico Press, 1957, pp. 57-67, in Contemporary Literary Criticism Vol. 75, edited by Thomas Votteler, Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1993, pp. 336-339. Shurgot, Michael W. "A Game of Cards in Steinbeck's 'Of Mice and Men'," in Steinbeck Quarterly, Vol. XV, Nos. 1-2, Winter-Spring, 1982, pp. 38-43, in Contemporary Literary Criticism Vol. 75, edited by Thomas Votteler, Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1993, pp. 362-365. Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York: Penguin Books, 1993. Votteler, Thomas. Contemporary Literary Criticism Vol. 75, edited by Thomas Votteler, Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1993, p. 334-335.   

Different behavioral pattern Essay

People from different countries have different behavioral pattern, depending upon their culture, values and ethics. They develop their mannerism from these factors. If we take into account Americans, Japanese, and Saudi Arabian and try and find out how they behave on one particular way, specially when making contact with each other while talking. We can make out amongst them who are who. An American will try and make himself stand at distance he will try to adjust himself at a comfortable position from the person he is talking to at the same time he will try and maintain eye contact. A Japanese may shake hand and stand very close while talking but he usually keep his gaze down, unlike American where his habit of constantly gazing will make you feel as you are been screened. An Arab will like to be at a very close distance from the person he is talking to, may be as close as you can feel his breath, they also like lot of check-to-check social kissing, the Hollywood style. The body language do half the talking, we all know that. But for that, we have to understand cross-cultural differences, like the one stated above in which how the people from three different countries are behaving in a different manner. If we do not understand that then we might make the people we are talking to feel uncomfortable. As an American can make a Japanese uncomfortable with his continuous gaze, and similarly Arab can make American uncomfortable with his closeness. In some South American and Mediterranean societies eye contact, touching and smiling and standing at a foot distance is preferred style of communication where on the other hand in Northern Europe, a lingering gaze may feel invasive, manipulative or disgraceful, they chat at a distance of two and a half feet. If we look at Estonians, they are non-contact people. On the other hand, Russians are high contact people. So the reaction for each other is like, Russian feels Estonians are cold and Estonians feels Russians are pushy. Caucasians feels averting eye contact may be a gesture to hide misbehavior, where for Asian it’s a sign of respect. An American will suspect an unknown person who took a elevator with him and tries to smile and stand at a very close distance, where usually he would have taken another corner and gazed in space. Thus a very suspicious feeling for such person will arise. It is mostly seen this kind of behaviour from a criminal or from the patients of schizophrenia where he approaches and get closer to the other person more than usual. Be very sure the closer you let your stranger to be the more vulnerable you become. The spatial differences amongst cultures points more than self-protection. In Middle East people get the information about the strangers by their sense of smell and touch, which requires close approach. Americans, rely on visual information, therefore, they don’t need to be so close to the subject. They rather step back and see an intelligent whole picture of the person. Conversational distance tell us the about the standard greeting distance in each culture. The need for more or less space means something of the cultural temperament. There is gender difference also other than country difference. A woman seems to have more eye contact than men. Also a woman feel neglected if this conversational distance is too much. They feel that the partner is indifferent. With the businesses growing global a need for a new breed of consultants has immerged, who interpret to these globe-trotters of all nationalities the meaning and use of personal space. There are special classes also for this kind of cultural behaviour, which will be a great help to understand each other.

Why I Became A Nurse

Nursing was not always something that I wanted to do in the beginning. I wanted to be a Photographer. Looking back at that period in my life there were many areas of my life that I needed to assess. I already had a daughter and was currently going to school for Photography. So the question became do I keep my passion, and will it always pay the bills? Alternatively, do I change career paths and pursue a new career that I know will pay the bills and will always provide for my family?My JourneyI knew that I would be a good nurse. I was loving, kind, thoughtful, a good communicator, liked helping people, I was caring, and I also liked math and science. The Journal of Nursing Education states, â€Å"researchers found the concepts of caring and nurturance were identified as high motivators for choosing nursing† (Williams, Wertenberger, Hames, Gushuliak, 1997). At that time, I was working back office at a Urology office and was going to school. I decided one day that to be able to p rovide for my daughter if something were to happen between my husband and I that I could always support us. Therefore, my journey began. A Journey Amongst FriendsI was fortunate enough to go to nursing school with my best friend Harley. We had gone to school since Elementary school. I knew that if we did it together that I would make it to graduation. I was right we did make it to graduation. We had some difficulties and it was a very stressful time in our lives, but we made it.ConclusionNow, at this point in my life, I have been a nurse for eight and a half years, and I am very fortunate that I chose this career. I have not only been able to help provided for my husband and our three kids, but I also enjoy taking care of people and not just the paycheck. I have been able to help many pregnant woman through their painful childbirth. I have been able  to assist to comfort them when their babies do not make it, and so much more. I can say that after eight and a half years that I cho se the right profession, and I am pretty darn good at it.

The Broken Column essays

The Broken Column essays Words that come to mind when looking at The Broken Column are mesmerizing, compelling, capturing, anguish, distress, torment, pain. I was captured by Frida Kahlos portal of herself in The Broken Column as I found myself becoming aware of her pain with an intense passion. It was as almost, as if her eyes were looking directly at me, telling me the story of her sorrows. I was drawn to her suffering. Frida Kahlos was a Mexican painter. Her life was marked by physical suffering, started with the polio contracted at the age of five and worsens by her life-dominating event occurred in 1925. In 1925, Kahlo was involved in a bus accident that so seriously injured her that she had to undergo some thirty-five medical operations; this would set the pattern for much of the rest of her life. During her slow recovery from the trauma, Kahlo taught herself to paint. In 1926, during her convalescence, she painted her first self-portrait, the beginning of a long series in which she charted the events of her life and her emotional reactions to them. It is as though, through her paintings she would reveal herself or at least herself after her ordeal. She would marry and soon find herself in the artistic shadow of her famous husband, Diego Rivera. Diego a womanizer would have several affairs, including Fridas sister, Christina. Frida said to a friend, I have suffered two serious acciden ts in my life, one in which a streetcar ran over me. The other accident was Diego. [1] She became known for illustrating great pain and suffering, both mental and physical in her art. [2] Usually classed as a surrealist, the she had no special explanation for her methods. She said only: I paint my own reality. The only thing I know is that I paint because I need to, and I paint whatever passes through my head without any other consideration. [3] ...

American Lion (Panthera Leo Atrox) Facts and Figures

American Lion (Panthera Leo Atrox) Facts and Figures Name: American Lion; also known as Panthera leo atrox Habitat: Plains of North America Historical Period: Pleistocene-Modern (two million-10,000 years ago) Size and Weight: Up to 13 feet long and 1,000 pounds Diet: Meat Distinguishing Characteristics: Large size; lithe build; thick coat of fur About the American Lion (Panthera leo atrox) Contrary to popular belief, the saber-toothed tiger  (more accurately referred to by its genus name, Smilodon) wasnt the only feline apex predator of Pleistocene North America: there was also the American Lion, Panthera leo atrox. If this plus-sized cat was, in fact, a true lion- some paleontologists speculate that it may have been a species of jaguar or tiger- it was the largest of its kind that ever lived, outweighing its contemporary African relatives by hundreds of pounds. Even still, the American lion was no match for Smilodon, a more heavily built predator (only distantly related to the Panthera genus) that employed an entirely different hunting style. On the other hand, the American lion may have been smarter than Smilodon; before the advent of human civilization, thousands of saber-toothed tigers became mired in the La Brea Tar Pits in search of prey, but only a few dozen individuals of Panthera leo atrox met such a fate. Intelligence would have been a valuable trait in the competitive landscape of Pleistocene North America, where the American lion had to out-hunt not only Smilodon but also the dire wolf (Canis dirus) and the giant short-faced bear (Arctodus simus), among other megafauna mammals. Unfortunately, by the end of the last Ice Age, all of these vicious carnivores occupied the same dismal playing field, hunted to extinction by early humans at the same time as climate change and a reduction in their usual prey thinned out their populations. How was the American lion related to another famous big cat of Pleistocene North America, the cave lion? According to a recent analysis of mitochondrial DNA (which is passed on only by females, thus allowing for detailed genealogical studies), the American lion diverged from an isolated family of cave lions, cut off from the rest of the population by glacial activity, about 340,000 years ago. From that point on, the American lion and the cave lion coexisted in different North American territories, pursuing different hunting strategies.

Sexual Harassment in the Work Place Research Paper - 1

Sexual Harassment in the Work Place - Research Paper Example sue caused by different factors arising from the socialization, power, and politics among others, making the harassment sometimes to be inevitable in many occupations. Sexual harassment used to be a key concern in government and state related jobs, but due to the rising cases and poor measures to control the issue in both public and private employment areas, the governments had to step in to protect the victims and enforce order. Sometimes co-workers, managers, and employers find themselves in compromising and violating situations, because they overlook the harassment and its impact in the workplace. There are many things, unwanted pressure, looks, feel, touches, verbal, non-verbal, and physical communications and actions that would create sexual harassment, either intentionally or unintentionally that would provide the legal definition of a harassing conduct. Title VII is enforced by the (EEOC) Equal Opportunity Employment Commission that has built up large body of regulations and g uidelines, which avails the legal meaning of harassing behavior and lays out the standard to be followed by courts, and enforcement agencies in handling sexual harassment charges (ICRC factsheet 1). As part of a social context in working environments, employees get to socialize better, which could have either a positive or negative effect in the long run. As a benefit, it improves team work and support in job performance; sometimes the relationships go beyond the work domains and employees could get married and have families of their own, since there are few or no such laws that restrict them. Similarly, the law works to ensure integrity and morality in workplace, such that if the employee is not willing to engage in a sexual relationship with his or her co workers, employers, supervisors,... This paper approves that business sexual harassment training programs and establishment of complaints committees, possibly outside the line of management, with gender equality and expertise in leading and counseling people is required by law in the business level, Businesses consist many rules and regulations that govern the employees and management. However, some of those rules are optional and may not be strictly enforced; instead the federal, state, labor, and international laws require establishment of some policies such as in sexual harassment, which should enforce and comply with the requirements of the law. Businesses regardless of the size have to option but to deploy such policies, because they are part of the necessary policies regulated by the law. This report makes a conclusion that workplace sexual harassment affects individuals psychologically, and their behavior in their social lives and in the workplace. It is a problem that puts indirect pressure on the people to terminate their jobs, due to the hostile working environment and when control measures are lacking. In some cases, it causes trauma to individuals making them unable to perform their roles, due to emotional and physical stress. It also demoralizes the workers involved and may cost them their self esteem. The international, federal, state, and business rules and regulations put measures to define, prohibit, and control sexual harassment among other discriminations, which must be enforced through set procedures and institutions in filing complaints and seeking protection. The employer and their employees also have responsibilities in administering and complying with the laws in solving sexual harassment disputes.