Assertiveness Paper

Assertive Paper When faced with a dilemma at work or at school the way you handle and voice your opinion is crucial in communicating your level of assertiveness. There is a proper way of being assertive rather than seeming aggressive. It takes practice in order to properly accomplish a comprehension of this technique. Becoming better at speaking your mind verbally and nonverbally will allow you to interact as a leader amongst your fellow workers and colleagues. I can be an assertive person when the time is right and the surroundings ask for a certain level of assertiveness to be needed.If I am with a group of people and I disagree with someone’s opinion or point of view of a certain issue I will allow myself to speak my mind without attacking what the other person said. The most important part of being assertive to me is not being aggressive towards others when expressing thoughts. An example would be during my senior year in high school when we were placed into groups and had to discuss our opinion on gay marriage. The conversations were at the most very educated until a person bluntly stated that they believed gay people should never get married because it was disgusting.Surely this person was entitled to their opinion but the was they phrased their response was in an aggressive manner towards anyone who believed otherwise. I responded right away without directly referring to that person with the word you rather than spoke my mind using the word I. My opinion was that people should be allowed to do what they think it is best for them no matter what others might think. If their decision is not affecting anyone else then they are entitled to their own actions and decisions as human beings.Once I said that the person became angry in a way but not because I disagreed with them but rather in the way I formed my response they could not say I was directly meaning it towards them. The verbal messages I tend to always give out when being assertive has to be for the most part to seem sure of what I am saying backing it up with support but at the same time not sounding like I am attacking anyone’s ideas or opinions. Beginning my words with I makes people feel less threatened and allows them to also have an opinion.When the situation requires me to give an order I will be serious and communicate what needs to be done. The nonverbal messages that I give off when being assertive is to maintain eye contact with the person. This is really important to me because it lets the other person know you are serious and expect what you are telling them to be understood and also taken into consideration. My body posture when doing so is standing upright without moving around or making a lot of hand movements.I try to keep a steady posture which allows the person to stay focused on my message. What I consider to be doing well while being assertive are speaking with a direct tone to the subject in matter while maintaining eye contact. When beginning my message the first word I tend to use is I in order to stay away from people believing they are being blamed or accused. I refrain from telling people your wrong or that is not the way to do something unless it is required of me to do so in certain situations.The way that works the best when communicating a solution to a problem or an approach is to have a sense with the person that what your are saying is a good way but leaving the window open for them to have an opinion as well. I would like to improve myself in the area of giving speeches in front of people to seem very confident. I am not a bad public speaker but I tend to get nervous when doing so for a long period of time. I have tried practicing in front of the mirror speaking and it works out great but it is not the same as actually being in front of many people.That’s what I need more practice in order to be looked at as very assertive when giving a speech. Assertiveness is a learned trait that we all must be aware of and practice in our everyday lives. This quality will help you all through out school and work. It will also better your relationship with friends and family. Being confident and believing in yourself is an important attribute that must go hand in hand with being assertive. Communicating with proper grammar and adjacent nonverbal cues will allow you to be taken serious and provide a level complete with the perfect balance of a great assertive person.

The Secret of Ella and Micha Chapter 12

Micha â€Å"Dude, where the fuck is your head today?† Ethan asks and seconds later a grease rag hits me in the face. I throw it back at him, hard. â€Å"You're starting to piss me off with this crap.† Ethan widens his eyes exaggeratedly. â€Å"Whatever man. You've been so distracted for the last two days.† He sticks his head back under the hood. â€Å"And I'm not going to say why.† â€Å"Good, because I don't want to hear it.† I round the back of my car and eye over the tools on the wall of the garage. I grab a rusty toolbox, one of the few things my dad left behind, and toss it into the garbage can. He called again this morning, begging on the answering machine for either my mom or I to pick up. Ethan raises his head up and eyes the garbage can. â€Å"Wanna explain what that was for?† â€Å"Nope.† I pick up a wrench and start working on the car. We work on it for a while, but it's hot and I'm getting more pissed off at my dad by the second. Finally, I move back and throw the wrench down onto the concrete. Ethan doesn't ask questions this time. â€Å"We should have a party tonight,† I announce, unable to hold still. â€Å"A big one, like the one we had on graduation night.† â€Å"You really want to relive that night?† Ethan backs out from under the hood. â€Å"Because I'm not sure I do.† I step outside into the sunlight, determined to get my mind off stuff. â€Å"What you can't remember doesn't hurt, right?† â€Å"I don't think you want to go there.† Ethan walks next to me and we stare down the driveway at an old guy pushing a shopping cart. â€Å"There are plenty of times in my life I wish I could remember – that I'd give anything to remember – but I can't. I lost like a year of my life. It's better to stay within the boundaries of a semi-clear head. Besides, this doesn't sound like you at all. What's up?† â€Å"Nothing's up.† I sigh, raking my fingers through my hair. â€Å"I'm just thinking out loud.† Ethan returns to the garage and starts working on the engine again. Around sophomore year, he started hanging out with these kids at school, who had really heavy views on the world and liked to sit around and get high while they talked about it. Ethan somehow ended up being friends with them, and within a month, he had dropped out of school and got into some pretty heavy shit. A year later he made the decision to get some help. He cleaned up his life, cut the habits, and worked the hell out of himself to catch up in school. He was a grade behind, but managed to graduate with our year. Looking at him, you wouldn't guess. The side door of Ella's house swings open and Lila steps out. She looks upset, although not as bad as she did last night. She glances up the driveway at the house across the street, where there's a very loud game of tackle football going on in the front yard. Her eyes roam to my house and then widen when she sees that I'm watching her. She gives a tentative wave from the top step. â€Å"Hey, Micha.† â€Å"What's up?† I say with a nod of my chin. â€Å"Is Ella up yet?† Shielding her blue eyes from the sun, she looks up at Ella's window. â€Å"Yeah, she said she'd be out in a second. She's just talking to her brother.† â€Å"He's not being a dick, is he?† â€Å"I'm not sure what constitutes as a brother being a dick, since I don't have one.† A smile cracks at her lips. I walk toward the fence, pulling up my jeans that are riding low on my hips. â€Å"There's no yelling going on?† Lila shakes her head and meets me at the fence, plucking some of her blonde hair away from her mouth. â€Å"But Ella's not much of a yeller, is she?† I rest my arms on the top of the fence. â€Å"It depends on which one we're talking about.† Her face falls. â€Å"How could I know her for eight freaking months and not know anything about her. It must say something about me, right?† I feel bad for her. â€Å"I think Ella kind of made it her mission to keep who she was hidden from you. It's not your fault.† She eyes me over with this suspicious look. â€Å"Honestly, it seems like she's that way with everyone, except for you.† â€Å"We've known each other forever,† I say. â€Å"We have a comfortable relationship.† Her blue eyes twinkle with mischievousness. â€Å"One where you feel her up in the car?† â€Å"It feels like you're trying to start some trouble,† I say, liking the girl even more. â€Å"Maybe I am.† She leans over the fence to the side of me so she can get a better view of the inside of the garage. â€Å"Is that Ethan in there?† I step back so she can get a better look. â€Å"Yep, he's working on the car.† â€Å"I think I'll go give him some help.† A grin spans across her face and she hops over the fence, squealing as her shoe gets caught in the wire. Trying not to laugh at her, I unhook her shoe and she walks into the garage, surprising Ethan. The door to Ella's house opens and my attention centers on her as she steps out into the sunlight. She's wearing a tight, black and purple plaid dress, and knee high lace-up boots, but her hair is curled up neatly. It's like a mix of her old look and her new one. Her face is guarded as she ambles across the driveway, with this strange look in her eyes, like she's terrified yet excited at the same time. â€Å"Did Lila come out here?† She bites her lip and I want to lean over and bite it for her; taste her and feel her like I did last night. Without taking my eyes off her, I nod my head at the garage. â€Å"She's in there with Ethan. I think she might have a thing for him.† â€Å"I think you're right.† She pauses. â€Å"I think I might have freaked her out a little, just barely.† â€Å"You mean you and Dean might have freaked her out a little?† â€Å"She told you I was talking to Dean?† â€Å"She mentioned it.† I extend my hand to her. â€Å"Why don't you come over and join the party on this side of the fence?† â€Å"A party of four?† she asks, trying not to grin and looking as cute as hell. I snag her by the hip, jerk her toward me playfully, and dip my lips to her ear. â€Å"It can be a party of two. Just say the word.† She shivers from the feel of my breath on her neck. â€Å"I think we better keep it a foursome.† I press my fingers into the curve of her hips. â€Å"I didn't know you liked it kinky.† She swats my shoulder and I laugh, my dad problems feeling less heavy. â€Å"Relax, I was just kidding, even though you're the one who brought it up first.† â€Å"I was joking.† â€Å"I know†¦ I think I am going to have a party tonight.† â€Å"Don't you have one of those every night?† I cock my eyebrow. â€Å"Besides the night you showed up, have you seen one going on?† She wrinkles her forehead. â€Å"No.† She sits down on the fence, swinging her legs over to my side. â€Å"Micha, what have you been doing for the last eight months?† â€Å"Pinning for you.† I avoid the truth. That I haven't been doing much of anything besides looking for her and helping my mom take care of things. She tucks her dress underneath her legs and I get a small glimpse of the black lacy panties she has on. â€Å"Where do you work?† Against her protest, I spread her legs apart and put myself between them. â€Å"I work at the shop with Ethan a lot, but it's not going to be forever. I have plans. I'm still working on getting everything lined up.† She places her hands on my chest, holding me back. â€Å"I think the lines between our friendship are getting a little blurred.† â€Å"That happened a long time ago,† I tell her, gliding my palms up the sides of her bare legs. â€Å"At least for me it did.† Her jaw tightens. â€Å"It's things like that which make them blurry and things last night†¦ and things like in the car.† â€Å"There seems to be a lot of things, which I think might be a hint that you and I belong together.† Her eyes snap wide and I back off to try another tactic. She needs to smile and let those stressed lips free. I pinch her side and she squeals. â€Å"Don't do that,† she says, holding back a laugh. â€Å"You know I hate being tickled.† I graze my fingers across her other side and she squirms, before falling over the fence and landing on her back in the grass. I leap over the fence easily as she scrambles to her feet. She narrows her eyes, backing toward her back door. I run up to the side of her and she skitters out of my reach. She glances at the door and then at the front yard, which is closer to her. â€Å"Micha, seriously,† she warns. â€Å"We're too old for this.† I spread my arms out to the side innocently. â€Å"I'm not doing anything.† Her eyes flick to her house one last time and then shaking her head, she spins around and runs for the front yard. I give her a head start before I sprint off after her. When I round the house, she's up on the front porch, jiggling the door knob. I laugh at her. â€Å"Is it locked?† She heaves a frustrated sigh and hops over the railing, slipping on the grass. â€Å"Dammit Micha! I'm so going to kick your ass for this.† â€Å"I'm planning on holding you to that threat.† I jog after her across the neighbor's yard. She races across the grass, her hair falling out of a clip. She leaps over the brick fence into the next yard and smashes a row of flowers. Without using my hands, I hop onto the fence, but trip during my dismount and fall on my knees. She freezes in the middle of the lawn and starts to laugh at me. â€Å"You so deserved that.† I get to my feet, dusting the dirt off my knees, and a dark smile rises on my face. â€Å"You think that's funny?† Her eyes sparkle and it's worth the fall. â€Å"You look ridiculous.† â€Å"Do I?† I take a step toward her. She takes a step back. â€Å"You do.† Abruptly the sprinklers turn on, drenching the grass and her. She screams and covers her head with her arms. â€Å"Serves you right for laughing at me,† I say with a grin. She lets her arms fall to the side and smirks. â€Å"Well, at least it keeps you away from me.† Her dress is clinging to her body in all the right places and pieces of her wet hair stick to the sides of her face. She begins to twirl in circles with her hands up above her head. â€Å"You're beautiful,† I say, unable to help myself. Ella Micha looks ridiculous and I can't help but laugh. I haven't laughed in so long that it feels unnatural leaving my mouth. It's like we're kids again, as if this moment belongs in another time where things are weightless and full of sunshine. As I'm laughing at him, the sprinklers turn on and my clothes instantly get soaked. At first I squeal, but then I let go, lifting my hands above my head and twirling in the water, figuring he won't come in after me. He calls out something about me being beautiful and then he charges into the sprinklers, completely blind-siding me. His arms snake around my waist and we collapse to the ground but Micha holds my weight up, so I land on the wet grass gently. â€Å"Micha,† I say, trying to be serious. â€Å"Don't do it. You know how much I hate being tickled.† â€Å"Which makes it even more appealing.† Water beads in his hair, his long eyelashes, his lips. With one hand, he pins my arms above my head and presses his body against mine. My wet clothes cling to my skin and I can feel every part of him. â€Å"I take that back. This is more appealing.† He lets his hand move up my ribs, his thumb sketching along the ridges, sending my body into a frenzy. I stop fighting him and lay perfectly still. Water sprinkles our faces as he lowers his lips to mine. Our wet tongues twine together, full of desire as they collide. A strange, unfamiliar feeling opens inside of me again and my legs fall apart and hook around his waist, requesting more of him, like they did last night. Micha draws back, looking surprised as he glances at the house to the side of us and then at the street. Then he lets out an untamed growl and deepens the kiss, thrusting his tongue deep into my mouth. I suck on his bottom lip and trace my tongue along his lip ring. It sends a quiver through his body and I'm secretly pleased, but my pleasure confuses me. â€Å"Ella,† he groans and then kisses me fiercely. His hand travels upward and cups my breasts. His thumb circles around my nipple and through the wet fabric of my clothes, the feeling is mind blowing. It's driving me wild and my knees vice-grip against his hips. A moan laced with ecstasy crumbles from my lips. I'm starting to lose control again and it's alarming. I try to get past it this time, but it consumes me and I have to stop. After a lot of effort, I get my arms between our bodies and I push him away. â€Å"We should get back.† I look at the brick home of the yard we're laying in. â€Å"Besides if Miss Fenerly comes out, she'll have a heart attack.† Micha's aqua eyes penetrate me. There's mud on his forehead and grass in the locks of his blonde hair. â€Å"If that's what you want.† Maneuvering to his feet, he takes my hand and lifts me to mine. He plucks pieces of grass out of my hair and lets his hand linger on my cheek. Holding hands, we walk across the grass and down the sidewalk, leaving a trail of water behind us and something else. Something invisible to the outside eye, but to me it's more noticeable than the sun in the sky.

Should America as a country promote the use of a single language Essay

Should America as a country promote the use of a single language - Essay Example We can think of America as a colorful bride having colors and feelings of internal emotions, internal true love and adorance as America is a dreamland of all the cultures presenting multiple linguistics. It is rather to be found in the extent of the power of a language that power is lies in the numbers of speakers, which is directly bound to the power of the literary language by which means a language is able to extend its influence over large territories and to get more speakers, in ever-widening circles, until, of course, the language becomes a world language. The use of multiple languages should be promoted in American society because there is a need for the society to think about those criteria in which people from all over the world along with different colors of racial and cultural freedom bring with them their feelings to be communicated in their own language so that they think of America a

The Yellow Wallpaper Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Yellow Wallpaper Journal - Essay Example For one, the newly born baby could have implicitly provided the impetus for her nervousness and depression (postpartum depression): â€Å"It is fortunate Mary is so good with the baby†¦And yet, I cannot be with him, it makes me so nervous† (Gilman 381). Secondly, the woman felt that she was a burden to her husband, which could be an effect of her inability to raise the baby herself and not to be able to perform her role and duty as wife and mother: â€Å"I meant to be such a help to John†¦and here I am a comparative burden already!† (Gilman 381). Further, transferring temporarily to a new home, while their home is being repaired could also cause nervousess and depression: â€Å"The repairs are not done at home, and I cannot possibly leave town just now!† (Gilman 385). In addition, always being left alone, since the job of her husband as a physician was perceived to be demanding, could also have contributed to her condition. This was exacerbated by the f act that John does not want her to write or delve into other activities which could exhaust her and make her more nervous. The overbearing control was noted to have caused her to feel afraid of her husband: â€Å"The fact is I am getting a little afraid of John† (Gilman 386). Thus, the woman’s fears and anxieties to perform the role and responsibilities as a wife and mother increase the preponderance to stress and contributed to her nervousness and

Bullying in Schools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Bullying in Schools - Essay Example In general bullying can be defined as powerful child or group attacking those who are less powerful intentionally to cause harm. Bullying can therefore take three forms: physical which generally involve beating, punching kicking, pushing, taking personal belongings etc.; verbal which involve taunting, teasing, nicknaming, making threats; and psychological such as spreading rumors, manipulating social relationships, or intimidation through gestures or social exclusion (Ericson, 2001). Bullying in schools has become such a serious issue that most of the schools are taking steps to prevent it through anti-bullying policies. If we take a look at the statistics it is estimated that 30 percent of American children are regularly involved in bullying, either as bullies, victims, or both (NRCSS, 2001). Besides, researchers have also pointed out that about 15 percent of students are "severely traumatized or distressed" by one or the other bullying incidence, and about eight percent of the students report being victimized at school at least once a week (Hoover and Oliver, 1996; Skiba and Fontanini, 2000). It is a proven fact that bullying is one of the most serious anti-social activities that can harm individuals and groups. ... On the other hand, children who bully are more likely to become violent and aggressive adults (Banks, 2000). It is important to note that even those students who are not directly involved in bullying are affected. Children and teens who often witness bullying at school suffer from insecurity feeling and have a less secure learning environment. They fear that they may become the target of bullying some day. If we take into account the statistics of the real impact of bullying in schools, researchers found that 160,000 students miss school every day due to fear of attack or intimidation by a bully (Fried and Fried, 1996). Roughly about 20 percent of students are afraid of bullying during much of the school day (Garrity, et al., 1997). Weinhold and Weinhold (1998) estimated that 10 percent of students who drop out of school are because of repeated bullying. Besides, 60 percent of students according to Banks (2000) characterized as bullies in grades 6-9 had at least one criminal conviction by the time they reach the age 24. Hence, these statistics point out that there is an urgent need to bring in policies in the schools to control bullying. Strategies to combat bullying Several researchers have said that the most effective means of addressing bullying is through comprehensive, school-wide programs involving students, parents, teachers and counselors (Atlas and Pepler, 1998). It is also important to have special programs designed to reduce the bullying activities in schools. For instance, the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, developed, refined, and systematically evaluated in Bergen, Norway, in the mid-1980s, is one of the best-known initiatives designed to reduce

Maintaining safe classrooms and schools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Maintaining safe classrooms and schools - Essay Example They further declared that the best way to deal with the issue is to look at the broader spectrum of the matter and involved the whole community namely: faith-based groups, law enforcers, businesses, parents, students and school personnel in finding solutions (Pollack & Sundermann 2001). According to safe school coalition, bullying is an act of aggression, in form of physical attack, verbal and psychological behavior that is repeatedly and constantly done with the intent of harming an individual. It can be described as power display (Hafner 2003). In the year 2003 the state of California has made progress in addressing school bullying and violence by drafting a Bill called â€Å"Bullying Prevention for School Safety and Crime Reduction Act of 2003†. It has passed the Assembly and the Senate and finally was approved by the Governor in October of that same year (http://www.bullypolice.org/ca_law.html). It is defined in Article: 3 School Safety Cadre. Here is the summary of the article: It will be established within the whole state, a cadre that would ensure collaboration of all agencies to combat and end school bullying. Its aim is to improve school attendance and to promote good citizenry. It will employ 100 professionals from the education bureau, community-based groups, and law enforcement group. This joint venture will be responsible for training staff, equipping representatives to make them qualified to initiate school safety programs in all districts, youth agencies, county education offices and law enforcement in each region (http://www.bullypolice.org/ca_law.html). Maintaining school safety is responsibility of the whole community. Policies are clearly outlined to be followed and implemented at schools and community. Contrary to the notion that our children are no longer safe in schools, according to U.S. Department of Education and U.S.

Strategic Management Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Strategic Management Accounting - Essay Example Current Situation Electronic Boards plc is electrical engineering company and it has been in the business since 1970’s. Company has almost 200 employees and it has been profitable over the last several years. Since establishment to 1985 company has been conducting operations without maintaining true accountancy systems. However, financial crisis has hit the company and it recorded a loss of ?1.7 million. This loss also had an impact the liquidity position of the company. The company’s management director Jack Watson has recently decided to develop the management accounting system for the firm to keep the track record of entire operations and to make sure that the company is able to understand how different products are performing. This report will analyze and outline the main factors that the company needs to consider in establishing a useful management accounting function within the company. ... Investing In Different Projects It has been found that the company directly purchases new technology or equipment in order to improve the productivity without analyzing the cost and benefit ratio of the investment. Therefore after establishing accounting system, the management would be able to make decisions by analyzing the cost and return of the investment and thus it can be helpful in increasing the profitability as only profitable investment will be accepted and others will be rejected (Jaffe, 2007). Moreover, it will be helpful in reducing the interest charges and high bank charges as the company will not be investing in every other technology that comes up. Identifying Areas Of Improvements As the company will have proper management accounting system, so with this the company will be able to identify areas where it can reduce costs and thus it can be helpful in increasing profitability. CONCLUSION Management accountings system, once developed, will provide more insight about th e current status of business and would enhance its capacity to ability to develop and enhance its capacity to compete and forecast its future needs. Moreover, the company would be able to improve its profitability and at the same time manage situations like recession in a better way. References Jaffe, J. (2007). Corporate Finance, Pashupati Printers Pvt Ltd: Delhi. Keown, A., Martin, J., & Petty, J. (2011). Foundations of finance (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Prentice Hall. Johnson, G., & Scholes, K. (2001). Exploring Corporate Strategy: Text and Cases. 6edition, Prentice-Hall:

Treatment of Women in Medea by Euripides (431 BC) Essay

Treatment of Women in Medea by Euripides (431 BC) - Essay Example Aristophanes, the contemporary writer of comedies, included several mocking references to Euripides' plays, including Medea, in his works. (March p32) One of the reasons was that Euripides tended to go against the tide by taking up the cause of groups, which had no voice of their own (women and slaves, for instance). We must remember that Medea itself was a play written about a woman by a man for men. Euripides chose a subject/character-that of Medea-which was well known to the Athenian theatre going public. However, he took some liberties with the story-with the specific horrific detail of Medea murdering her young sons, which is the pivot on which the audience's (lack of) sympathy for Medea rests. According to legend, Medea did not kill the children (March p35). But Euripides constructed his plot in this manner probably for intensifying the dramatic effect, but more likely to point out what a person who had no power to control her own life could do, if pushed to the corner. Tyro is unmarried and pregnant. She leaves her baby to die in the woods. This child-Pelias-was rescued by shepherds. Tyro marries Cretheus, son of Aeolus, and has three children. Later on, when Pelias returns, his mother accepts him back into the family. When Tyro's husband dies, Pelias seizes the throne of Iolcos, although it legitimately belongs to his half-brother, Aeson. When Pelias tries to get the sanction of the oracle for his deed, he is warned of danger from a descendant of Aeolus "with one sandal". Jason, grandson of Aeolus is sent away by Pelias. Jason grows to manhood and returns-he arrives, having swum across the river, losing a sandal in it. He then claims the throne which is rightfully his. Pelias decides to send Jason on a mission to avenge the death of Phrixus. So Jason sets out with his crew in his ship the Argo. They reach Colchis. Here he meets the king's daughter, Medea, and they fall in love. Medea helps Jason with her magical powers, to outwit her father and o btain the Golden Fleece. Medea, while fleeing from Colchis with Jason, does not hesitate to kill her brother, Absyrtus, throwing his limbs one by one into the water, in order to slow down her father, who stops to pick them up. Thus they escape to Greece. But when they reach Iolcos, they find that Pelias has murdered Jason's family. So she plays a trick on Pelias. She butchers an old ram, and boils it with some herbs, bringing forth a young lamb. So Pelias' daughters attempting to make their father young, cut him up and boil him in the pot. This is a trick played by Medea on them to kill Pelias. The people of Iolcos, however, do not want Jason to become king. So Medea and he flee to Corinth. The action of Medea, the play, takes place here, many years later. (Classics Pages)From the background information, it is evident that Medea dabbles in magic-she is a sorceress; she is

Comparison and Contrast of ANCC and AANP Certification Process and Research Paper

Comparison and Contrast of ANCC and AANP Certification Process and Board Certification Examination - Research Paper Example The present study focuses on a comparison and contrast of these two certification and board examinations. ANCC and AANP: Comparison and Contrast: The nursing practitioners are allowed to take both the examination. However, it is a choice of the candidate to take either one of the exams or both (Difference Between AANP and ANCC, 2012). The ANCC is credentialing body of the American Nurses Association (ANA).The exams for credential presently being offered to nurse practitioners are for the following fields: adult, family, paediatric, gerontology, acute care, adult or family psychiatric and mental health, and advanced diabetes management. The AANP is a branch of learning organization that caters to only nurse practitioners. It is at present contributing in three specialty exams: adult, family, and geriatric nurse practitioner (Leik, 2008, p.1). The American Nurses Credentialing Center is the biggest and most esteemed nurse credentialing organization in the world (ANCC Certification Cent er, 2012). In general, the ANCC revises their examinations for the nurse practitioner in every 2 to 3 years. The questions in the exam are mostly suggested from most important textbooks, national expert panel guidelines, papers, and official governmental reports and statistics. The suggestion sources for AANP exams are not recognized in public. The substance of their examinations is supported on the results of a responsibility description learning that was carried out by both the AANP and the Professional Examination Service. The examinations for both the certifications are now computer based thus being online conducted within a particular time frame. However, the number of questions varies for the two tests. For ANCC examination, the total number of questions is 175, while for AANP, 150 questions are in total for the test. Both the certifications are in the same way acknowledged as national specialty organizations, and credentials granted by them are acceptable to governmental bodi es such as Medicare, local state agencies such as the state boards of nursing (BON), and private corporations (Leik, 2008, pp.2-3). The AANP examinations have been organized and developed by AANP itself and the Professional Examination Service (PES).  On the other hand, it is the ANCC that organizes the ANCC certification examination. The range of programs covered by AANP is lesser in comparison to ANCC. ANCC provides further diverse range of programs including the Acute Care, Adult, Adult Psychiatric & Mental Health, Diabetes Management, Family, Family Psych & Mental Health, Gerontological, Paediatric, School, Ambulatory Care, Cardiac Rehabilitation, Cardiac Vascular, College Health, Community Health, High-Risk Prenatal, Informatics, Maternal-Child, and Medical-Surgical Nursing among others (Difference Between AANP and ANCC, 2012). To study and analyse accurately, there are not many differences in the two examinations except the wide range of subjects covered under the ANCC certi fication. As far as the examinations are concerned, taking any one of the examinations would provide the nursing practitioner with the opportunity to serve in their choice of fields in nursing. However, in order to qualify for the certification examination both the tests require that the nursing candidates hold an active current licence of Registered Nurses (RN) within a state or territory of

Life and Death of the Salt Marsh Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Life and Death of the Salt Marsh - Essay Example They are of great importance, in that they control the flow of waters reducing the chances of flooding in mainland. They also utilize excessive nutrients that would otherwise pollute the environment by growing various plant species. This discussion covers the wetland marshes of the eastern coast of North America. The salty marshes cover the whole of the eastern coast of North America. The most interesting thing about these marshes is that it is very difficult to understand its nature. The marshes are observed to be partially of a solid form and partially of a mobile water form. It is barely possible to tell where the marshes begin and where they end in the coastal sea (Teal, J., and M., Teal 30). Any observer will definitely be treated to a rare spectacle, in that when the tide is low, the grass marshes sounds like wind and when the tides are rife, the sound changes to a musical tune of crackling marshes on in waters. However, one thing seems to be unusual about the marshes surroundi ng environment. The birds living in the grassy marshes are known to sing and make noises even when the other entire creatures are still. This leaves a question as to whether the marshes affect the behavior of the other living organisms within its surrounding environment. ... The fact that some people can consider the foul smell similar to that of rotten eggs to be pleasant, raises concern. The feel touch and feel nature of these marshes is also controversial (Teal, J., and M., Teal 30). Some of the marshes are solid hard while others are soft and spongy. While one can step on some parts of the marshes comfortably and walkover, at some parts, stepping on the marshes will open the ground and make the person go under. At some parts still, stepping on the marshes will cause a rebounce and spring back motion that resist the movement. While some marshes have roots that penetrate the ground and forms a hard surface, some lacks the rooting system. This creates two different scenarios, where one can walk comfortably on the marshes one hand and where one will sink into muddy ground so deep on the other hand. The combination of these features provides for the desired conducive environment of the animals living in marshes. Since some cannot live submerged on the sal ty waters of the marshes, they find refuge on the hard ground comprised of the marshes with the rooting system. The rest lives in the muddy ground, which is conducive for their survival. The greatest influence on the environmental surrounding of the marshes has been artificial rather than natural. Because of human activities, the nature of the marshes environment has always fluctuated. The human activities such as building has damaged the wetlands surrounding of the marshes and caused pollution. Though these activities are considered valuable to man, they cause him more harm than good. In their natural setting, the marshes are more beneficial to man than the subsequent converted forms. The marshes benefit both the fishermen at the sea and the

T-Mobile Corporation Essay Example for Free

T-Mobile Corporation Essay T- Mobile is the German mobile network operator whereas â€Å"T† stands for Telecom and Team and is world’s sixth largest mobile phone service provider. It provides range of services to customer in form of voicemail, messaging and email to WAP and mobile office solutions. Despite its success, it is related to several major problems and issues, and most of them are related to network problems. Problems and issues related to T-Mobile: The major complaint of the user is that they are facing the problem of dropped calls. T-Mobile is aware of this problem and is not responding in proper way towards the problem. They are even unable to solve the problem in spite of knowing the fact that customers are facing problem. The customer representative does not want to note the complaint even when he is aware that company is doing mistake. In addition, it has shortest average tenure as compared to other service provider. The option to switch to other brands in front of consumers has increased manifolds in the recent years, which is the greatest problem. T-Mobile received highest rank from their subscribers in customer service but in recent years, it is providing weak customer service. In a very famous incident or case of Paris Hilton, it was found high tech wireless T-Mobile was taken over by the hackers; this denotes that T-mobile lacks in the field of providing security and authenticity to the customer. Solutions related to the problem faced by T-Mobile: As we know that T-Mobile is one of the leading mobile telecommunications companies and covers the fastest growth, therefore, some amendments are required in its system to get back its reputation. †¢ At first, T-Mobile needs to hire large number of call centre staffs who prepare the company to face recruitment challenges. Earlier, corporate Intranet and agencies were used for internal recruitment and external hires respectively. Therefore, reduction in recruitment expense was required. To solve this problem, company should incorporate alternatives such as Microsoft access database or paper filing system for the management of entire recruitment process. †¢ It also needs to lower the cost and to provide constantly best service than other service provider to occupy large part of market share. †¢ To expose the leading-edge image of the recruitment process, improvements are required in an on-line application process, not only to support corporate identity, but also to provide applicants with more information and a clear course of action. †¢ One of the greatest challenges faced by applicants was the understanding of recruitment process- especially tracking. This process was very complex and slow, as it required series of functions to be performed by different departments; this required large amount of administration and management time. This problem can be overcome by adopting Peopleclick’s web-based recruitment management solution because it follows centralized and standardized process to help reduce cost. In addition, peopleclick (global Total Workforce Acquisition provider) would move strategic shift from agencies to e- Recruitment. It facilitates the company with improved technology, reduced costs and quick and easy access. †¢ To gain customers attention, BPM solutions are required because it helps in establishing a unique insight into people-to-people, people-to-application and application-to-application interactions that constitutes business process. Who is the change going to affect, How will it affect them and How will it affect the company? With the help of above-mentioned solutions, prominent breakthroughs have been observed in several aspects of the company. T-mobile group is fully integrated which made its financial backing and has been renamed to T-mobile Czech Republic. It has provided a portfolio of services to the customers in all countries on a unified basis. The strategy of comprehensive customers care has helped in regaining popularity. This is evident by looking at the record of admitting 400 new clients only in one year. Tangible/Intangible benefits of T-mobile With the introduction of several amendments , T-Mobile kept its position with a market share of 46.2% and over 4 million subscribers at the end of 2004. Gross additions to tangible and intangible assets together with higher investments in subsidiaries and associates (eg, T-Systems Hungary purchased an additional minority stakes in Stonebridge) and partly offset by increased proceeds from real estate sales. Rebranding of Westel to T-Mobile Hungary was a real success. T-Mobile once again, was able to maintain its leading position in a highly competitive market with 46.2% market share. The customer base exceeded 4 million at the end of Q4 2004. The postpaid customer increased to 28.9% of the total customer base as compared to 26.1% at the end of year 2003. With introduction of new packages, a slight increase in usage was seen and the pressure on the employees was drastically reduced. Pros and Cons of T-Mobile: T-Mobile has smallest coverage areas in respect of all national carriers because it more new in comparison to other carriers. It is one of the two U.S carriers that have not launched its Third Generation network. Upgrading of network allow T-Mobile to provide facility to users to download internet content in more effective manner. Many benefits are also provided to the subscriber of T-Mobile by making availability of free phones after rebate and discount price. For eg. The Blackberry Pearl is the thinnest, lightest BlackBerry produced so far. Main features include a digital camera, a built-in music player, Bluetooth. Plus, a more accurate and faster QUERTY keyboard to get things done! Exclusive Pricing! T-Mobile also provides prepaid cell phones called as to Go Phones, which gave an offer of national and regional calling, and they do not require any credit checks or contracts. Conclusion: As we all known T-mobile is one of the leading service provider company to all the subscribers in U.S.A and Europe and its has some special features which makes it easy to stay connected and. It provides number of multiple facilities to its users in form of cameras with video pictures, Bluetooth connectivity, plus EDGE, Wi Fi and extra speed that need to access internet network. T-Mobile is a smart phone with excellent device and very attractive, powerful and effective display. Thus with the implementation of above stated recommendations it may attain much higher level. REFERENCE Referred to sites:- 1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-Mobile. 2. http://www.gartner.com/teleconferences/attributes/Americas wireless market overview. 3. http://www.peopleclick.com/clients/tmobile.asp/ people click. 4. http://www.the-cell-phone-advisor.com/t-mobile.html/pros and cons of T-Mobile wireless service. Dated on 10th July 2007

Pervious concrete and traditional concrete

Pervious concrete and traditional concrete CHAPTER 1 Introduction Background to Research Problem Once it has been established that a car park or driveway is required, it is then very important to ensure the client assesses which material of surfacing is required. The client needs to prioritise what is most important to them regarding time, cost, and availability and how sustainable the material may be. Majority of contractors within the UK construction industry will use traditional concrete with regular drainage systems unaware that pervious concrete is available (Offenburg 2008). Therefore, it is important to examine and perform a comparison between traditional and pervious concrete regarding cost, availability, durability, maintenance and sustainability. Pervious concrete is fairly easy to define; it is concrete that allows water to flow through it. Where traditional concrete is a very solid material, pervious concrete leaves void spaces throughout, allowing water to flow through it. Pervious concrete has a low water to cement ratio and contains none, or very little sand. It typically has a void content of 15% to 25% creating a structure resembling a Rice Krispies ® treat, allowing as much as eight gallons of water per square foot to pass through per minute (McMillan 2007). This type of concrete is traditionally used in driveways, car parks, greenhouses, pedestrian walkways and roads with light traffic. However, it can also be utilised for a variety of different paving projects. Pervious concrete has been around for approximately 20 years but has only recently started to expand further into the market due to the material meeting Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) storm water regulations. The increase in demand for pervious concrete used on projects has increased extensively in the US within the last three to four years, which during the last year has caught on here in the UK construction industry. The reason as to why the material has caught the eye of the UK construction industry may be due to the tremendous potential the material has had on scaling back the negative impact that traditional concrete has had on the environment, by eliminating storm water runoff, removing pollutants and even recycling the storm water captured. However, many developers fail to see beyond costs of impervious implementations and therefore adoption has been slow. Traditional concrete has been around for decades and has been the most popular type of concrete used in the UK, however a reform was needed as traditional concrete has many negative impacts such its negative effect on the climate and its ineffective drainage issues. Pervious concrete can be used in most situations as an alternative to traditional concrete. (Buller 2006). However the there are many issues which The core purpose of this research report aims to identify how pervious concrete compares to traditional concrete in relation to costs, availability, durability, maintenance and sustainability in the UK. Strategic Aim To conduct a survey to investigate how the pervious concrete has impacted the UK construction industry and how it compares to the already established traditional concrete in terms of cost, availability, durability, maintenance and sustainability. Tactical Objectives 1. To determine if pervious concrete is just as strong and durable as traditional concrete. 2. To analyse the costs involved in producing and constructing both materials. 3. To examine the available certified skilled contractors who are available to lay the products. 4. To critically analyse future outcomes of the pervious product and see if it measures up to traditional concrete in the long run in aspects of durability, maintenance and overall long term savings 5. To evaluate the sustainable properties between pervious and traditional concrete. Research Hypothesis The use of pervious concrete over the world has been on the increase over the past few years. While pervious concrete has become more and more popular, there are still many questions to be answered regarding the application of it before it becomes a widely accepted material. This dissertation will now go on with a critical review of the literature to investigate the real differences between pervious and traditional concrete. The methodology which has been used and the reasoning behind this will follow in a chapter. The final chapter of the dissertation will draw a conclusion from in depth information and results gathered subsequently recommendations will be made. CHAPTER 2 Literature Review Critical Review This section of the dissertation will look at the literature relating to pervious concrete and traditional concrete. It will review both materials in terms of terms of cost, availability, durability, maintenance and sustainability in the UK. Finally, this section seeks to understand if pervious concrete is just as good as traditional concrete and understand the subsequent attainments and problems with both materials. There has been a lot written on traditional concrete worldwide as its such a popular material however pervious concrete has little information available in the UK and most information is based from the USA where pervious concrete has been tried and tested and put into use. Concrete plays an essential part in civil engineering with most structures using it in one way or the other. Its evolution dates back to the Roman Empire as it was widely used in most Roman structures, thereby moving from stone and brick construction. However, since then the face of construction has radically changed with buildings built over tens of floors regularly and tunnels built underwater using pre-cast concrete. Hence, the array of construction materials available, including concrete, have evolved significantly since and improved. Concrete plays a very important role in the UK economy. It contributes to almost 10% of the overall economic growth and employs a significant amount of labour. According to Sustainable Concrete (2010), the UK exported 535,000 tonnes of ready-mixed concrete, which was worth  £9million to the economy. Traditional concrete is the most basic form of concrete and is very easily available for consumers. According to Popovics, S. (1992, pp. 1), concrete is composed of three to four basic ingredients. These include: * Hydraulic cement, otherwise known as Portland cement * Mineral aggregates * Water * Admixtures Hydraulic cement is one of the key constituents to forming concrete and greatly impacts the strength of the resulting mixture. Schwartz (1993, pp. 91) states ratio of Portland cement in concrete directly affects the strength and cost of the concrete. The more cement in a mix, the stronger and more expensive it is. Mineral aggregates typically consist of gravelled stones or stone-like solids. The purpose of aggregates is to significantly reduce the required content of cement, the costliest component within concrete. Additionally, it helps a constructor minimise the creep, or deformation caused over a long time, caused by the resulting mixture. Popovics, S. (1992, pp. 275) state that aggregates occupies roughly three-fourths of the total concrete volume. By adding water to this mix, the loose mixture of cement and mineral aggregates gel into a thicker and more solid mix. Schwartz (1993, pp. 91) states water/cement ratios may go from high-strength concrete, to 8.5 to 1 for a low-strength mix. By adding too little of the water, one can risk making the concrete too weak. Thus, based on the concretes usage and cost constraints the mixture of the underlying constituents can be varied. It is possible to engineer the mixtures property based on its intended use by adding admixtures. Perkins (1997, pp. 22) defines admixtures as a chemical compound that is added in small proportion to the concrete mixture to produce a desired characteristic. The types of admixtures used are accelerators, set retarders and water reducers. For example, the purpose of accelerators is to increase the initial reaction between the cement and the water, whereas the set retarders do the exact reverse. According to Perkins (1997, pp. 22), UK is well behind Continental Europe, USA and other developed markets in terms of extent of usage of admixtures within concrete. For decades, concrete has been one of the preferred construction materials owing to its excellent technical properties. One of its main traits is its high compressive strength due to which it is used in applications such as columns. However, its tensile strength is roughly one-tenths of its compressive strength. Thus, in order to improve its tensile strength it is reinforced with steel, which creates a strong bond with concrete. When loaded over a long period, traditional concrete can prove to be susceptible failure and in some case even eventual failure. From a UK context, concretes performance against cold and wet weather would be crucial. Pigeon et al (1995, pp 33) state that concrete can freeze in its saturated state and cause tensile stress within the material due to the formation of ice crystals in the pores of the concrete. However, if the concrete is not cured or reinforced effectively then it could cause its performance to weaken and, under worst cases, eventual failure. Typically, the strength of concrete is measured by its compressive strength, which is its strongest feature. According to Abeles et al (2003, pp. 21), strength of concrete increases with age, with the rate of increase dependent on the quality of cement and aggregates used. The content and cost of the concrete can be varied depending on its application. Commercially, the strength of concrete is quoted based on its weight and the compressive strength it would attain after 28 days. For example, C20 concrete would stand for a normal weight concrete and a compressive strength of 20 N/mm2. NRMCA (2003) quote that concretes compressive strength can be varied from 2500 psi, or 17 Mpa, for residential concrete to 4000 psi, or 28 Mpa, upwards for commercial structures. The variation in strength is primarily due to water-cement ratio, admixtures and curing process among others. Availability of concrete for commercial purposes typically depends on the constituents and the location of the building works. For example, admixtures work best when introduced immediately after the wetting of the cement and might require the mixing to be done on-site rather than in a factory. Additionally, the location of quarries and sourcing of materials (Contract Journal, 2008) is crucial in understanding availability and the distribution pipeline. Most UK concrete companies are fully capable of sourcing all components of concrete themselves. For example, Brett Group, one of UKs leading construction groups, provides customers with a wide range of options from type of aggregates to the type of job. However, it is even more dependent on its usage. For use in residential repairs, it is usually procured from local stores by components and mixed on-site, whereas if it is for a larger project then it would be pre-cast and delivered by the manufacturers. For example, the construction of Eurotunnel was made possible by use of pre-cast concrete supports embedded on a concrete track. Maintenance of traditional concrete is crucial to provide long-term serviceability for users. Failure to implement an adequate control process can result in expensive repairs. In some cases, cracks can start to appear on the concrete as load starts to increase over time. This would necessitate usage of sealants, which act to bridge the cracks with an adhesive material. In the UK, some of the common failures of concrete (St. Astier, 2009) are due to: * Poor maintenance incorrect diagnosis * Inefficient waterproofing capabilities causing excessive penetration of moisture * Excessive carbonation or chloride levels Traditional concrete is a resource and energy dependent material, as it requires material from large quarries and factories to prepare the concrete. The UK construction industry currently uses 400 million tonnes of resources per year, of which 10% are unused product going straight to a landfill (Sustainable Concrete, 2010). Additionally, each year structures that are beyond repair are demolished and taken to the landfills. All this combined, yield a large wastage of resources. However, instead of letting this waste go unused it is possible to re-cycle them by crushing them and using them as aggregates within the concrete mixture. According to the Concrete Centre (2010), it is their vision to ensure that by 2012, the UK concrete industry will be recognized as the leader in sustainable construction, by taking a dynamic role in delivering a sustainable built environment in a manner that is profitable, socially responsible and functions within environmental limits. Traditional concrete, despite its many advantages, does not perform well in precipitous environment. Pervious concrete allows for air and water to flow freely through the mixture. This limits the runoff from its surface and enhances drainage features. SE Cement (2008) defines pervious concrete as a mixture of Portland cement, water, coarse aggregate and almost no sand. The key feature of this mixture is that it has 15-25% void within its volume. The air pockets within the concrete allow for water to seep through the structure and perform as normal. It is also necessary to ensure that the coarse aggregates are not too loose and get carried away with water. Thus, the mixing and placing process has to be carefully carried out such that the water and Portland cement are coagulated well to form a thick paste around the aggregates. This is crucial to maintain a well-connected system of voids to ensure effective drainage of water. Pervious concrete is particularly useful in parking lots, riverbanks and areas that are highly precipitous as it limits the interference of water and easy drainage of water. According to Limbachiya (2009, pp.554), the use of pervious concrete dates back to 1852. Its use became further widespread following the Second World War and increased construction activity. According to Brandt (2009, pp. 63), the porous nature of pervious concrete makes it less strong than traditional concrete. Even then, compressive strength of 50 MPa can be reached with small size aggregates and usage of the right admixtures. The reduced compressive strength has led to its restrictive use such as roadways with low to medium traffic. However, SE Cement (2010) estimates that for most applications compressive strengths of 3.5 to 27.5 MPa will suffice. Despite its strong performance in precipitous climate, there are questions that remain to be answered regarding its durability in colder climates. Traditional concrete is subject to cracking through the normal thaw and freeze cycle that occurs in colder areas of the country. Such conditions have been simulated to test the performance of pervious concrete and it was found by Delatte (2008, pp. 118) that the durability of pervious concrete was poor when the void system was filled with water. They have also indicated that the durability was improved when the moisture in the voids was drained and the cement paste air-entrained. The mixing process and labour costs for pervious concrete are far more involved than that of traditional concrete. Thus, Limbachiya (2009, pp. 556) expects the initial costs of pervious concrete to be higher than those for traditional concrete because of the thicker installed size of pervious concrete. However, it is worth noting that the additional investment made is for a particular purpose, i.e. the porous structure of the concrete. Thus, the extra cost should be weighed against this advantage gained over its lifetime. Since pervious concrete would need to be customised for the region and application by customers, most manufacturing companies use a large distribution system to minimize delays in batching for customers. Limbachiya (2009, pp. 556) states that maintenance of pervious concrete pavements is a highly debatable subject. They proceed to state that structures not maintained well continue to perform well, although not at the initial infiltration rates which is its key objective. However, one key concern within pervious concrete is to prevent any clogging of void structures within it, as this would fail one of its objectives, i.e. to be porous. Typically, proper maintenance of pervious concrete pavements includes vacuum sweeping or power washing. Pressure washing of a clogged pervious concrete pavement has restored it to 80-90% of its original permeability (Pervious Concrete, 2009). Structures such as shopping malls and buildings have roadways and parking lots around for vehicle use. If these pavements are built using traditional concrete, then they risk flooding under heavy rain. Thus, zoning regulations necessitate controls such as retention ponds, which essentially collect the excess water on the pavements from the rain. This requires extra capital investment and resources for setting up. However, if instead of traditional concrete, pervious concrete is used to create the pavements, then the excess water on the surface percolates through the voids in the concrete into the soil underneath. This eliminates ponding on the pavement and preserves more land, capital and resources for alternate use. However, the basic configuration of pervious concrete allows all liquids to go through the voids. A more environment friendly version of pervious concrete was developed in the UK, in 1999, where in surface water is allowed to pass through to a specially engineered sub-base while oils and other water pollutants are retained (Concrete Products, 1999). This ensures that the water table under the pavement does not get contaminated. Within the UK, a unique standard for drainage technology called Concrete Block Permeable Paving (CBPP) has been set-up. According to Paving (2010), this code has been championed by all the major pre-cast concrete paving manufacturers in the UK. Such developments will be positive for the progress of the sustainability within UKs pavement community and minimise damage to the environment from constructions. Critical Appraisal This literature review has analysed the features of two popular variants of concrete traditional and pervious. In particular, it has discussed the basic composition, durability, availability costs, and finally sustainability. It has been identified that both types of concrete have their advantages and drawbacks. Sustainability remains a very important subject within the construction industry in the UK, with the government imposing landfill and aggregate taxes to discourage resource-intensive manufacturers. Additionally, manufacturers are paying increasing attention towards climate change in order to provide protection to the pavements over the life cycle rather than repairing or replacing the structure frequently. Concrete repairs have been a major issue for the UK economy. This has been further accentuated by the rapid expansion of the UK construction industry, which contributes to roughly 10% of the GDP. According to Mays (1992, pp XI), approximately  £500 million is being spent annual on concrete repairs in the UK. This clearly stresses the fact that it is essential to understand the context of concretes application, as it is better to install the right type of concrete rather than to repair and re-install at a later stage. Product Design and Methodology Scope of the Chapter In order to investigate pervious and traditional concrete a suitable and relevant methodology had to be adopted to collect information required. For this procedure the most appropriate procedures seen were a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches. This allowed quantitative information to be collected on the respondents individual experiences with both pervious and traditional concrete together with their qualitative views on its effectiveness. The data collected was from a primary source. Rationale of the Research Questionnaire To investigate pervious and traditional concrete a number of different groups within the UK Construction industry could have been sampled such as contractors, clients and designers. A poor targeting of questionnaires would have revealed a lower response rate. A person with a limited knowledge of pervious and traditional concrete could have completed the questionnaire but this would have given misleading set of results. The best solution to overcome this would be to go straight to the correct References Popovics, S. (1992), Concrete materials: properties, specifications, and testing, 2nd Edition, Noyes Publication, New Jersey Schwartz, M. (1993), Basic Engineering for Builders, Craftsman Book Company, USA Perkins, P.H., (1997), Repair, protection and waterproofing of concrete structures, 3rd Edition, Chapman Hall, UK Pigeon, M., Pleau, R., (1995), Durability of concrete in cold climates, 1st Edition, Chapman Hall, UK St. Astier (2009), Concrete Repairs FAQs, http://www.st-astier.co.uk/concrete-repair-coatings/concrete-repair-faqs (Date viewed, 24 Jan 2010) Contract Journal (2008), The market for concrete products is ever-changing, 9 July 2008, http://www.contractjournal.com/Articles/2008/07/09/60162/the-market-for-concrete-products-is-ever-changing.html (Date viewed, 27 Jan 2010) Sustainable Concrete (2009), Sustainable Concrete, http://www.sustainableconcrete.org.uk/main.asp?page=4 (Date viewed, 26 Jan 2010) Abeles, P.W., Bardhan-Roy, B.K., (2003), Prestressed concrete designers handbook, 3rd Edition, Spon Press, London Brandt, A. M., (2009), Cement Based Composites: Materials, Mechanical Properties, and Performance, 2nd Edition, Taylor Francis, UK Mays, G., (2001), Durability of concrete structures: investigation, repair, protection,2nd Edition, Spon Press, London Southeast Cement (2010), What is pervious concrete?, Portland Cement Association, Concrete Products (1999), Porous concrete promotes greener water system, 1 December 1999, http://concreteproducts.com/mag/concrete_porous_concrete_promotes/ Pervious Pavements (2009), Inspection and Maintenance, 2009, http://www.perviouspavement.org/inspection%20and%20maintenance.htm (Date viewed, 26 Jan 2010) Limbachiya, M.C., (2009), Excellence in Concrete Construction Through Innovation, Taylor Francis Group, UK Delatte, N., (2008), Concrete Pavement, Design, Construction and Performance, 1st Edition, Taylor Francis Group, UK Paving (2009), Block Paving, http://www.paving.org.uk/block_paving.php (Date viewed, 27 Jan 2010) Offenburg, M. (2008, March). Producing Pervious Pavement. Concrete International. March, 2005, p 50, Retrieved 1 November, 2009 from proqest database, p 50. Schueler, T. R, (1994). The importance of imperviousness. Watershed Protection Techniques 1(3):100-111, pp 100-105 Ready mixed concrete (n.d), Retrieved 1 November 2007 from the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association Web Site: http://nrmca.org/aboutconcrete/types.asp Naoum, S G (2006), Dissertation research and writing for construction students, 2nd Edition. EPA Storm water technology fact sheet porous pavement (1999). Retrieved 5 December, 2009 from http://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/porouspa.pdf Natural approaches to storm water management permeable pavement. (n.d.) Puget Sound Action Team Publications. Retrieved October 2009 from the Puget Sound Action Team Online Website: http://www.psat.wa.gov/Publications/LID_studies/permeable_pavement.htm McMillian, T (2007), Comparing Traditional Concrete to Permeable Concrete for a Community College Pavement Application. 8.0 Further Reading Richard Kirkham. (2007), Ferry and Brandons Cost Planning of Buildings, Blackwell Publishing, London Chudley, R. (2002), Building Construction Handbook: Incorporating Current Building and Construction Regulations. Spons Press, London Construction News (2008), Pervious Pavements : 1st October, p32. Stenmark, C. 1995. An Alternative Road Construction for Stormwater Management. Water Science and Technology, 32(1): 79-84.

Women In Agriculture In Palestine Sociology Essay

Women In Agriculture In Palestine Sociology Essay The project has as its principal question, What are the characteristics of women and men working in agriculture in Palestine and the impact on? different agricultural patterns and effect on roles, opportunities and gender relations? Having received financial support, the project has now embarked on its next stage and the development of a research methodology to identify this data from which policy recommendations will be made. To assist the development of this project, this literature review provides an overview of the material that is available on the subject. The approach taken has been both specific and comparative, by identifying previous material written about women in agriculture in Palestine as well as in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and beyond more generally. A broader perspective to the question is valuable in highlighting what work has already been done, including the main features associated with women working in agriculture, the methods taken to examine the issue and the policy recommendations that have been introduced to date. Of particular note across the literature is a seeming paradox regarding women in agriculture. On one hand there is recognition of the previously ignored position of female agricultural labour. As a result there has been growing awareness both in scholarly literature and policy interventions to ensure that women are less marginalised in the sector. On the other hand the greater attention to women in agriculture, both in terms of research and policy recommendations, has largely failed to reduce their marginalisation. This raises key questions about the nature of those policies (such as gender mainstreaming and female participation in their formation, development and implementation) and how the same mistakes are not repeated in the current project. This literature review is divided as follows: General overview of women in agriculture Social dimension of women in agriculture Economic dimension of women in agriculture Technical dimension of women in agriculture Political (and policy) dimension of women in agriculture Suggestions and next steps General overview of women in agriculture globally and in MENA As noted above, there is an underlying paradox at the heart of the literature and analyses of women in agriculture and which appears to hold across the world. On the one hand there is a growing recognition of women and their role in the sector. Among scholars feminist attention to gender issues had tended to focus on urban women during the 1970s. It was not until the mid-1980s that increasing attention was placed on rural women and their involvement in agriculture (Maman and Tate 1996). Among policymakers there was an increasing awareness of the feminisation of agriculture, given the rise of visible female agricultural labour and the disappearance of men, through migration and AIDS for example (Sweetman 1999). On the other hand though, there has been a concurrent oversight, awareness and development of effective strategies to enhance the role of women in agriculture. In practical terms and across the globe, many women have struggled for autonomy in the agricultural sector, facing restriction on land ownership and use, access to inputs and credit and other resources like education and training (Sweetman 1999). Even in locations where women appear to have more access to ownership and control of the land, the denial of that right is arguably the greatest contributor to a gender gap and womens weaker social, economic and political status (Arun 1999, Badr 2010). The use of the term gender has meant that the issue of women in agriculture has become largely subsumed into a broader debate about gender and gender relations. Gender constitutes the socially constructed roles surrounding men and women. In other words, it is not the biological differences between men and women that affect their involvement in human activities, such as agriculture, but rather the way that societies around them shape them. Moreover, gender is seen as increasingly important in development terms. The World Bank (2009) bases it on four main grounds: economic (in terms of enhancing efficiency); equity and distributional; food security and household welfare; and as a basic human right. Globally gender differences are apparent in various ways including access to assets and services, such as land, labour, finance, water, rural infrastructure, technology and other inputs. In MENA, there appear to be two main texts which are especially relevant to the projects focus: Lamia El-Fattels 1996 Women in Agriculture in West Asia and North Africa, and the regional study, Women in Agriculture in the Middle East, edited by Pnina Mozafi-Haller and published nearly a decade later in 2005. To these publications may also be considered the gender-related studies conducted by the PCBS over the same period. El-Fattel provided conducted a broad survey of the subject, ranging across several decades and noting several key points. First, she observed that agriculture in different West Asia and North Africa (WANA) countries shared some common themes. This included the fact that agriculture was primarily rain-fed and more technically advanced compared to other developing countries. While there is a greater use of mechanisation and fertilizers, weeding is still done by hand. Farms tend to be run in a patriarchal fashion and are small; the latter which make it hard to absorb labour outside the family. Second, in reviewing the literature El-Fattal commented noted that there had been relatively little systematic or comparative work done to date (12-14). What material was available tended to focus on single cases, usually at the level of the village or a region within the country rather than at country or regional level. Much of this was reflected in the anthropological or general social science studies nature of the literature. Women in agriculture were generally not the focal point of such studies, but rather as aspect of more specific studies into social dynamics within a community. Third, she summarised the literature as follows: (1) women play important roles in food production in WANA and their involvement is increasing, and (2) the extent of their participation, over space and time, is a function of numerous forces at play. (16) Those factors are both diverse yet inter-related and include land holding size and tenancy (as well as landlessness), the type of farming, the degree of mechanisation, available male labour and a womans social and economic status on both farms and in the community more generally (El Fattel 1996, UN 2001: 10). One of the important aspects of Mozafi-Hallers edited volume was its country and region-based focus. It was the only notable result of a decision in the late 1990s by the Danish governments Regional Agricultural Program to improve agricultural planning and technical assistance between Egypt, Jordan, the PA and Israel. The difficulty of achieving much more with the project was undermined by the second Intifada which reduced the scope for collaboration. Meanwhile, gender had not been initially central to the project, but grew in importance throughout the course of the work (Mozafi-Haller 2005). Of particular relevance to the project is the chapter on Palestinian women in agriculture, which was written by Rema Hammami. It is arguably the most comprehensive study on the subject to date. Given the date of publication, Hammimi makes use of data from the 1990s and early 2000s. She cites a 2000 survey on time use, in which agriculture is not disaggregated from primary production). In addition to this report are two others that make passing reference to women and agriculture: a 1999 survey on female ownership and access to resources (specifically through attitudes regarding female ownership and inheritance) and more recent publications on men and women; the latest of which was published earlier this year and notes that 20.5% of women were employed in agriculture and fishing compared to 9.9% of men (PCBS 1999, 2000, 2010). Beyond these publications the PCBS does publish agricultural statistics on a yearly basis, although the questionnaire is primarily concerned with agricultural products, such as livestock, crops and materials rather than any breakdown of farm labour and women. The only agricultural report that it has produced that has a breakdown by sex is in its 2004/05 Farm Structure Survey, where the issue was raised in its questions concerning land holders (PCBS 2006). Social dimension of women in agriculture Women tend to be marginal actors in agriculture. While women suffer discrimination from a wide range of sources, much of this can be traced back to social and cultural attitudes. In the case of Palestinian and Arab women this is apparent in the public role of women, which has been broadly limited to those of mothers, sisters or wives, or childbearers and childrearers. This is reflected in part by the emphasis towards early and universal marriage and high levels of fertility throughout the region (Salman 1987: 8; Zurayk and Saadeh 1995: 37-38). Such attitudes have persisted, even as Arab women have entered the public sphere (UNDP 2006: 91). Indeed, today Arab women generally have three choices of identity: as a housewife and mother; as a housewife and mother with home-based work; or as a housewife and mother with outside employment. Why females may be subject to such attitudes have been explained in MENA in several ways. This begins early, both within the family home and at school. The use of text books, teachers attitudes and methods, early marriage and high fertility, male dominance in the public sphere and arguably the role of Islam have all been cited in this regard (Rubenburg 2001, UNDP 2006, Posusney and Doumato 2003; El-Mikawy 1999). At the same time, Islam as a constraint does not suffice; Moghadam (1993: 8) claims that it is neither monolithic nor intrinsically patriarchal; at time its adherents have sought to bring women into the public sphere, during times of conflict or national hardship when their participation on the front or in the labour force may be seen as an asset (e.g. Sudan and Saudi Arabia). El-Fattal (1996: 15) notes that Islam has proved an unsatisfying framework to account for the position of women: opposing conclusions have been reached as to whether Islam suppresses or liberates wome n. At the same time there have been changes within Islam, such as Islamic feminism has emerged and which rejects the traditional position of women and promotes their empowerment, including the right to religious education and the use of conservative dress as a means of entering the public sphere even as their attempts to reform family law have largely failed (Posusney and Doumato 2003: 9-11). In the case of Palestine these social attitudes are especially entrenched, with women noting particular political/economic limits, social pressure and familial expectations. This may contribute to some of the rights that women have failed to take up, including to education, work, inheritance, freedom of movement, choice of marriage partner and domestic abuse (Rubenberg 2001: 122-3). The effect if also felt in the generally patriarchal nature of the household and the three main family types that exist: the nuclear (father, mother and unmarried children), the extended or hamula (an economic unit based on several related males and their families headed by the eldest) and a transitional type (which combines elements of the nuclear and extended families) (Manasra 1993: 7), which reflect differences between Palestines modern and traditional sectors and urban, rural and camp settings. Economic dimension of women in agriculture This section considers the experience of women in the formal labour market generally and in the agricultural sector. It begins with a broader perspective on the nature of development in the region and the distinction between the traditional and modern economies. Female labour is largely associated with a modernised economy and the shift from the traditional to the modern economy has posed several obstacles to the inclusion of women in the labour market. The second part outlines those limitations this section provides an overview of the current figures and state of female labour in the Palestinian agricultural sector. However, this section ends with a rider, noting the uncertainty surrounding official figures on female agricultural labour and the steps taken to resolve this, both globally and in Palestine. First, according to Motzafi-Haller (2005), in much of the literature on development there is a strong binary tension between the traditional and the modern, whereby women are discriminated against in the former and included in the latter. In addition, this perception implies a non-efficient traditional economic model versus an efficient, sustainable, just and modern version (Motzafi-Haller 2005). Sweetman (1999) notes the emphasis on efficiency in most rural development interventions, with the result that it largely overlooks notions of justice and equality between the sexes. The focus on efficiency (and modernisation) has meant that the prevailing form of female labour (i.e. informal, domestic) has been undervalued, especially in relation to that done by men. At the same time pressure for women to work both inside and outside the home has risen, especially over the past few decades as structural adjustment has reduced income for the poor and weakened household structures. The result has been a diversification of labour and activities as a means of coping. As a result, agricultural labour is but one form of gaining income (Sweetman 1999). Second, within MENA both the proportion and absolute numbers of women in formal employment have tended to be low. In the literature, various explanations have been put forward, including historic, economic and structural. Historically, the emergence of exploitative labour regimes in the colonial period weakened the role and status of women, especially as the demands of the international economy and wage labour in agricultural and industrial sectors grew. The result was female exclusion from the formal labour force and their unpaid or low-paid work in the informal sector (Shukri 1996: xii). Economically, both globalisation and growth rates have been held to account for poorer female participation. Although MENA is classified as middle-income, it has been subject to slow growth, thereby limiting demand for jobs (which affects women more than men) (UNDP 2006: 91). Structurally, the limited nature of female participation may be attributed to various reasons. First, states ideology and de velopment strategies may affect womens opportunity for employment with more capital-intensive measures benefiting male workers while women have found increased opportunities through subcontracting and home-based work (Moghadam 1995: 18-19, 28). Second, women may experience employment disadvantage as a result of economic failures. This may include the U-shaped nature of economic development, whereby at the initial stage female labour participation decreases as that of men increases, followed by a growing demand for jobs in the sector that are filled by women. At the same time women suffer from externality and common access problems, whereby their labour (especially within the household) is unpaid, freely available and largely misallocated (Vecchio and Roy 1998: 10-13). In the case of the agricultural sector, Razavi (2007) highlights several specific factors that have limited female agricultural labour in MENA. Despite noting the advances in the political and legal rights of women to land, she observes that liberalisation policies (which make it harder for low-income women to access land through the market), the predominant form of small scale farming and its restrictions on achieving access to land mean that agricultural labour can only provide a complementary role in livelihoods alongside other income-generating measures. She also notes the use of customary and decentralised systems of land tenure which can be used by strong interest groups to work against womens rights. In Palestine, women face several social pressures that have economic consequences, both generally and in terms of their full participation in the agricultural sector. Women face greater social restrictions than men, including social stigma following divorce and a weaker right of inheritance (Manasra 1993) although differences do exist between women who pursue their inheritance, with brotherless daughters, widowed mothers and daughters of wealthy households those who most actively advance their claims (Moors 1996: 82). Generally though, Palestinian women (and female heads) face many of the challenges that others in the developing world experience, including restricted property rights and family law constraints on women that persist (Vardhan 1999; Vecchio Roy 1998). In the case of Palestine, access to land is mainly through inheritance and traditionally women tend to waive their rights in favour of their brothers who were expected to reciprocate by looking after their sisters (Hammam i 2005: 69). The rarity of womens ownership of land is apparent in the Palestinian Farm Structure Survey 2004/05, which distinguishes between male and female holders. Female holders vary between 3% in Gaza and the southern West Bank to 5.7% in the northern West Bank (PCBS 2006), although the survey does not provide any data that suggests to what extent female holders exercise control of their land in terms of key decisions. This is reflected in the three main types of female agricultural worker. The first type, male members of the household work off the farm while the women work part of the family land. The second type is women who are full-time farmers. In many cases they are entirely responsible for the farm following the death or abandonment of their husbands. The third type is agricultural labourers who work for others, including both Palestinians and Israelis (Hammami 2005: 61). In terms of figures available on Palestinian female agricultural labour, in 1996 29.1% of women in the labour force worked in agriculture compared to 9.9% of men (although in absolute terms men outnumbered women), highlighting that in terms of employment opportunities, agriculture is much more important for women than men and less connected with pressures from poverty than rising productivity even though the characteristics of such women tended to be older, less educated and lower paid than men in the same sector. The bulk of women in agriculture were based in the West Bank, opportunities being less in Gaza as a result of intensive and irrigated farming and the lack of cultivable land (Hammami 2005). However, by 2009 the same number of men worked in agriculture but the number of women employed in the sector had fallen to 20.5% (PCBS 2010). Third, these official figures need to be taken with a pinch of salt. At the global, regional and national level, numbers regarding womens involvement in the agriculture has been largely underreported. This reflects both womens greater participation at working on their family farms and assumptions by both men and women that their participation is not work (UN 2001: 8). The impact of this underreporting is not only a persistent theme in material related to women in agriculture, but is increasingly being addressed by practitioners. For example, in 2003 the FAO held an international workshop on the subject, recommending that the collection of such data would be best served through the national census in different countries. This meant that greater awareness was needed regarding the concepts associated with agriculture, including: holdings, holders (who makes the primary decisions), legal status of holdings (i.e. public, private and the variations of each), holders household (and the diff erentiated activities that exist within it) and economic activity as a permanent or occasional worker (FAO 2003). In Palestine efforts to get around the problem of underreporting including recognition of the informal nature of agricultural labour and the use of time use surveys as an alternative way of yielding data. This was last done in 1999 and 2000 in which agricultural labour was included under a heading of primary production. According to Hammimi (2005) though, this data was insufficiently disaggregated to provide sufficient data on the issue of agricultural work. Technical dimension of women in agriculture Technical advances in agriculture have created their own challenges. The green revolutions of the 1960s and 1970s involved the modernization of land cultivation and more intensive use of pesticides to increase production and since the 1990s the use of GMOs. The relationship of this development to gender has been notable in two ways. On one hand, it has been the well-off who have largely benefited rather than everyone (Sweetman 1999). Among those who have benefited are men, who largely control technical knowledge. However, such knowledge is imperfect which can lead to adverse results and the mismanagement of various resources in terms of land, water and female labour (Morvaridi 1992). On the other hand, the various factors that have marginalised women in agriculture, including a lack of access to resources, lower educational levels and lower rates of productivity are felt in their inability to manipulate more productive, technically advanced agricultural methods. This keeps them ghettoized in less capital intensive and more labour intensive activities (Hammami 2005: 70-71). At the same time it has placed women at greater risk to their health. While the ILO notes that agriculture is one of the most hazardous occupations in health terms, womens lack of technical knowledge is bound to work against them, through the potentially incorrect use of pesticides that can lead to poisoning (Cole 2006). Specifically in the case of Palestine, greater use of technology in agriculture has reduced the burden of work on women but rather increased it while maintaining inequalities in terms of power and income. In many respects it is men that have taken up the more mechanised and productive techniques, with female labour being largely focused at the more time-consuming, labour-intensive end (e.g. planting, transplanting, weeding, harvesting and packaging) (Hammimi 2005: 67). On the other hand, while women generally have been visible in environmental and consumer actions against the green revolutions globally, it is not evident that this is a gender issue rather than a politically-oriented one (Sweetman 1999, Pedersen and Kjà ¦rgà ¥rd 2004). Political (and policy) dimension of women in agriculture The literature review began with a tension at the heart of the topic: that there is growing attention given to women in agriculture but that measures to rectify the gender gap have not worked to date. However, this is not solely limited to the agricultural sector: across MENA there have been general advances in the political and legal rights for women. At the same time, social and economic pressures have worked against womens rights and been institutionalised through the creation of instruments such as personal status laws and officially sanctioned gender discrimination (Badr 2010). In Palestine, a range of political pressures have worked against women in agriculture. First and uniquely there are challenges presented by the occupation, which challenge men as much as women. These include land confiscations, movement restrictions, a lack of an external market and the administrative division and control of the land, all of which was exacerbated even further by the second Intifada, resulting in sieges, invasions, curfews and internal closures. For women, the responses to these processes have involved the search for coping strategies to help support the household (Hammami 2005: 49, 53). Second, compared to women in other MENA countries, those in Palestine appear to be in a more advantageous position relatively. Women are well represented in the education system and in the public sphere, especially through womens organisations and lobby groups. However, at the same time, female involvement in formal institutions is low. This includes both the formal (as opposed to informal) labour force and representation in formal political institutions, such as the legislature and agricultural unions (Hammami 2005: 54-55). The problems faced by Palestinian women (and women more generally) is reflected in the largely failed policy interventions that have resulted in the agricultural sector, which owe much to practitioners world view and failure to implement gender-related solutions effectively. First, Motzafi-Haller (2005: 8-9) draws attention to the concept of paternal feminism and the work of Boutheina Cheriet, an Algerian professor of comparative education. Rather than reducing gender discrimination by including women and modernising the economy, this more critical view maintains women in a submissive position. In the absence of any wider public debate concerning female roles in development, women are either imposed from above or from outside rather than treated as full equals and partners. Second, efforts that aim at gender-mainstreaming have tended to fail, largely because of what Sweetman (1999: 7) notes as a result of mechanistically integrated gender issues in planning and implementation, without [a] commitment to challenging injustice. Moreover, this means not only being gender aware, but also being prepared to tackle all forms of discrimination, from the overt and direct to the less clear and indirect (ILO 2006: 78). In part the absence of accurate data (see above) can mean that development interventions based on them will be undermined (Sweetman 1999). Much of this may be picked up through the use of statistics, surveys, cost-benefit analyses, research and gender-impact analyses (i.e. examine specific activities and their impact on men and women) (UN 2001: 4). This last point emphasises the importance of incorporating men into gender analysis, since the opportunities and constraints facing men and women will be different. El-Fattel (1996: 47) suggests asking spe cific questions of men and women, such as (1) who does what, when and where? (2) who has access to or control over resources? and (3) who benefits from each enterprise? Grace (2004) argues that understanding the roles of men and women means going beyond their sex, to consider other factors such as age, wealth, marital status and stage of their life cycle. Regionally, across MENA the UN has noted different policy measures (2001: 10, 36). In Syria the focus has been on enhancing rural womens status through rural development programmes and reforms in the educational, legal, social, health and economic sectors. In Lebanon attention has been given to income generation and vocational training for rural women and forms of protection in the informal sector. In Jordan the primary aim has been to increase female participation in the labour market. However, in the absence of strong government will to enforce these measures, the position of rural women will remain weak. Globally, awareness of these failures is reflected in the World Banks Gender in Agriculture Sourcebook (2009: 3-4), which provides tools and case studies of practical examples and best practices to incorporate gender into planning processes. The aim of this literature is to support all kinds of practitioners, from those who are aware of gender issues but do not know where to start through to others that require more training and assistance in devising such mechanisms. Specifically, it uses the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach developed by the British Department for International Development as its conceptual framework for gender-related development. Specifically this has involved drawing attention to assets, markets (for products, labour, finances, land and water), risk and vulnerability, and knowledge, information and organisation related to these issues. For Palestine, a good starting point would be that outlined by Hammami (2005: 74), who notes a current lack of sufficiently gender-specific information. She argues that good intentions and development programs alone will not guarantee an improvement in womens situation in agriculture and hence increase in farm productivity. Among the measures that would need to be addressed include: enhanced opportunities in rural areas (more resources and infrastructure), development programs to strengthen rural peoples role and their participation, more gender-related data in agriculture, adaptive and appropriate research and technologies for women, qualified and professional female extension agents, womens access to land, access to credit and other agricultural inputs, better education (to understand technical information) and more incentives to encourage greater risk and productivity (an aim that is undermined by womens general lack of ownership on the land). That Hammimi highlights these recommendations suggests the relatively unsuccessful efforts to integrate gender awareness to date, despite the formation of a Womens Division within the Palestinian Authoritys Ministry of Agriculture in 2000. Before that date, agricultural support services were largely gender-blind and overlooked the role of women as agricultural workers in their own right. Growing awareness that this needed to be addressed took place with the formation of a Womens Extension Division inside the Directorate of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development in 1998 and a general Womens Division in 2000, even as concern persisted that a specific womens unit might ghettoize gender issues as it appears to have done until now. Suggestions and next steps The review of the literature on women in agriculture generally and in Palestine specifically highlights some common themes. Politically, economically and socially, Palestinian female agricultural workers share similar experiences to those of women working in agriculture in other parts of the word. This includes their relative marginalization and lack of access to resources and inputs, such as training, credit, water, land and others. At the same time though, in contrast to previous decades, the issue of gender has become an increasingly important one in studies on agriculture; even if the status and role of women has been overlooked, there had been plenty of attention given to highlighting the situation along with recommendations to implement greater gender awareness and mainstreaming in policy terms. This is apparent in global efforts to incorporate women into the research and policy design process through participation in development planning. That the situation of women is paradoxical overlooked in practical terms yet increasingly considered in scholarly work and policy recommendations suggests a new path forward is necessary. The coordinators of the current project do not presumably want to produce another analysis and report that will result in additional data and policy recommendations that will fail to combat the discrimination that women in agriculture continue to face. Consequently, as a starting point, in the case of Palestine, this might involve the following: Develop more robust data on the state of women in agriculture This would require both quantitative and qualitative forms of data. In addition to revision of the measures to be addressed in the national census, smaller-scale surveys could be done to include disaggregated data that took account of gender and temporary/permanent labour. In addition qualitative data would include descriptive insights by men and women in the agricultural sector, through i