Describe the roles of parents and carers Essay

The expectations of males and females in parenting and caring are constantly changing. Stereotypically, females are seen as the carer and males are seen as the provider. Societal changes such as equal pay for equal work, work environment policies and changing family structures, i.e. single parents are changing these traditional expectations. This discussion will show how the empowerment of women and men influences the way they function in society.  · Traditionally, a father’s role was in the public realm of work, while female roles were based around their husband’s household (known as the domestic sphere. Men are often viewed as assertive, aggressive and domineering, while the women were viewed as house-makers and child-bearers. Now tasks are shared equally around the home, such as discipline. Discipline is shared between both parents, whereas, men used to discipline and children were taught to fear their fathers. Both parents are now seen equally, as providers and carers for their families. Both should determine the child’s education, set appropriate societal limits and have legal, welfare and responsibility of the child. However, traditional roles still exist in older generations, which may be influential on younger generations.  · Prior to WW2, women did not work as they were told that their role was to care for their husband and family. If women did work, it was usually in hard physical labour repetitive tasks. However, women were called up to the workforce when their husbands were sent to WW2 to stabilise the economy. When their husbands returned, they were told to go back to their traditional roles. Many women protested for their rights are formed women’s liberation. Equal pay for equal work allowed freedom for women. Before this legislation was passed in Australia in 1975, women were receiving 54% of the male rate. Women embraced the workforce, freeing them of their traditional roles. Women are now encouraged to have a career, but policies such as maternity leave, which is available for up to 52 weeks also allow women to have a family. Thus, due to the introduction of equal pay, women are now encouraged to have a carer, and not expected to stay at home and look after their children as a career.  · The introduction of the contraceptive pill in the 1970s also gave women more freedom in their domestic lives. Women were and are able to control their family structure, i.e. how many children they have and when they have children. Women were able to establish their career before having a family. Thus, females were no longer expected to have children early and not have a career, due to the freedom of the pill.  · Males are embracing the â€Å"radical† notion of equality due to societal changes. The role of â€Å"father† has dramatically changed over the post-war years an now fathers are serving as role models who support their children in sports and arts. Many husbands have supported their wives returning to work and have become the primary carer of their child. Paternity leave enables fathers to take up to 51 weeks for the employee who is the primary care giver of the child allowing the father to bond with the child. David a lawyer choose to become the primary care giver of his child while his wife went back to work, to be involved in his child’s life, but admits that it is hard work as â€Å"there is no promotion†. Father support groups, such as â€Å"New Pin† in Western Sydney has been created to offer support by linking fathers together to discuss problems and provide strategies. Thus, societal changes such as paternity leave allows the mother to go to work and be the provider, and the father to take on the primary care giver role, with support offered to males who find the role challenging.  · Single parents are more accepted than they were 50 years ago. According to the ABS, 64% of male parents and 49% of female single parents work. Divorce is more common, but single-parenthood can also occur from a death of a partner, unplanned pregnancy or a planned pregnancy eg IVF. When individuals got divorced in the 1950s-1970s, women had sole custody of the child, as traditionally their role was the carer. Times have changed, however, and men are gaining sole custody of their children. Barry Hooker, a full time Dad and single parent of Leah â€Å"doesn’t regret his decision for a second† for leaving his job as a boilermaker. Thus, due to the acceptance of single parents, men are now gaining sole custody of children, which traditionally would not happen.  · However, in many aspects, our society has reinforced the traditional parenting roles for males and females. Generally, when children are sick, it is the mother who takes the day off. Women are the ones who drop of and pick up the kids from childcare and go to playgroup. Men support their son’s activities in sport, while women support their daughter’s activities in more passive arenas such as ballet. Currently, 20.9% of men are primary school teachers and 44.9% are high school teachers. Teaching may be unattractive to males due to the salary, status, and working with children runs counter to the male psyche. Parents are unintentionally or intentionally treating genders differently, which enforces these traditional gender roles through further generations. For eg, male babies are dressed in darker shades, while female babies are dressed in paler shades and boys are played with actively, while girls are handled more delicately. The concept of â€Å"male† and â €Å"female† develops from our experiences and observations. Household tasks should be shared equally, so children do not learn that one task is for males, while another task is for females.  · Pregnancy in teenage mothers is also now accepted by most parts of society, which may have been shunned in earlier years. Teenage mothers were not expected to have an education, but this has changed due to Principal Glenn Sargent’s young mothers program at Plumpton High. Here, young mothers are given an education, but the school also provides $5 a day day-care, support by counsellor Rebecca and shelter. He has created a suitable environment for young mothers to reach their full potential. His success is measured â€Å"for each individual’s marks and attendance†. Same sex-couples are also more accepted. Both parents can be free to parent equally, which forms intimacy with the child. Family and friends can form a network of social and emotional support as well as to offer their children suitable adult role models of the opposite sex. Mainstream organisations also support same-sex couple’s i.e. alternative lifestyle association in Australia. Whoever the parents, all children need love and supervision. They all need to be sheltered, fed, taken to school and so on, thus the daily routine of same-sex couples is largely similar to heterosexual families. Thus, due to the social acceptance of pregnant teens, young mothers can raise a child and  also gain an education due to Glenn Sargent’s young mothers programs, which would be unable in earlier years. Acceptance of same-sex couples has allowed individuals to create their own parenting skills in a nurturing and loving environment, similar to heterosexual environments. Both groups however are still often morally and socially stigmatised due to their lifestyle choices.  · Many employers in small and medium sized business provide a family friendly workforce. When women fell pregnant in the 1950s-1970s, women were forced to resign from their careers. But due to women’s liberation and workforce policies, women can now have a career and a family at the same time. Maternity leave is available for women up to 52 weeks. Work hours are changing to become more flexible for both parents, there are now split shifts and some business have child-care where parents can easily drop off and pick up their children. This places the stress off families who have both parents who work. Thus, many businesses have changed their workforces to accommodate to the changing expectations of men and women. Workforces now provide flexibility for both parents, and allow women to have a career and family. Thus, expectations of males and females are currently changing, due to societal changes such as post WW2, work friendly environments and changing family structures. However, stereotypical male and female roles are still being enforced by parents, whose children will pass onto their own families, thus their roles will not change.

Critical Analysis of the US Electoral College Essay

Electoral College is a term that refers to a selected group of representatives who perform the task of electing candidates for particular powerful offices such as presidents or church leaders. The selection process of electing candidates usually involves participants from different and competing political or religious entities. In the recent past, the Electoral College has been conspicuously practiced in electing the President of the United Stats and the Pope of the Catholic Church. It is the US Electoral College that has particularly drawn much concern as to its effectiveness and reliability in electing the president of the federal republic. This essay identifies some of the problems associated with the Electoral College and analyses the implications of the suggested modifications and alternatives. Analysis of the US Electoral College In the United States, the Electoral College system is used to elect the President from competing candidates from either the Republican Party, the Democratic Party of independent candidates. See more: how to write an analysis Rather than elect a president and a vice-president directly through national elections, the US conducts separate elections in all its 51 states during which the winner in each state is allocated the number of electoral votes proportional to the total representation of the state in Congress which has a total of 538 electoral voters. The winner of the presidential contests is expected to win a total of 270 votes of the Electoral College. Although the design of the Electoral College was clever and well intentioned, the system is susceptible to inherent flaws, some of which were resolved by constitutional amendments while others remain unresolved to date (Miller, 2008). Indeed, as Miller (2008) noted, the selection system established by the Electoral College has at its core the objective to foster fairness in the election of candidates in non-partisan environment, the motive was rendered irrelevant with the formation of competing political parties to compete in the selection process for the presidency. There is no doubt that the Electoral College system presents many challenges and problems to the fairness of the Presidential election in the US which include the problem of election reversal, problems with the voting power, partisan biasness, excessive focus on battleground states and the likelihood of pledge violations. One obvious problem that emerges from the Electoral College system is that the results of adding up the total electoral votes in the states may end up being different from adding up the total popular votes in all those states. Miller (2008) identifies the situation of the 2000 elections where the eventual winner, George W. had more electoral votes but less popular vote than the loser, Albert Gore. Moreover, in the event that there emerges a serious third party contestant, then it would be impossible for any candidate to garner the mandatory 270 electoral votes. According to the US constitution, the emergence of such an eventuality would require that the election process be taken to the Congress where voting should be conducted repeatedly until a victor emerges. Whereas there are concerns if the Electoral College represents adequate allocation of voting powers to all the states, there are also concerns as two whether the bipartisanship of the two-party system in the US is likely to represent non-partisan election of the president. Moreover, the focus of the Electoral College on the battleground states attracts disproportionate attention from parties and their candidates, effectively raising questions on the voting powers of the other states. Conclusion Some of the suggested proposals suggested include: (1) amending the constitution to empower the American with the constitutional rights to directly elect the president through a popular vote; (2) apportionment of the electoral votes fractionally according to the population of states so as to eliminate the problem of election reversal; and (3) equal apportionment of the electoral votes to all states to eliminate the problem of state voting powers. The proposal to amend the constitution so as to give American the constitutional rights to directly elect the president stands out as the most superior suggestion because it will eliminate all the problems and challenges associated with the Electoral College. References Miller, N. R. (2008). The US electoral college: Origins, transformation, problems and prospects. UMBC, retrieved on 22 May 2009 from: .

Trends in Communication Technology

TechnoloCharlotte Cole XCOM 285 November 23, 2012 Technology Trendy Communication Technology changes constantly and it may be difficult for businesses to always be able to keep up with the new technological trends that arise. Many companies do what they are able to and try to use technology as much as they can to promote their business and communicate with their current and potential customers.In today’s technological world we have the internet, cellphones, and social media to communicate with customers in addition to the old fashion way of commercial and other ads. Many businesses use Facebook and Twitter to promote their business because they are and the only cost involved (if you do not work on these accounts yourself) would be the manpower to keep these pages up-to-date. Cell phones are another way to communicate with customers but sending out mass text messages and coupons that can be used; I am not sure what cost is involved with this method.I do see many businesses use social media and other forms, but the larger companies seem to take advantage of technology the most. Keeping up-to-date websites is extremely important, but again this can be costly due to hiring someone to keep the site up and time consuming. My company is having a problem with this, which I feel affects our business because I daily have to contact customers with corrections on designs and colors of our products.I see there is a cost in using some of the different methods, such as running a banner on specific websites, having your own website or having your business website appears on Google, so this may limit many smaller businesses from using technology as much as they would like to. I do think that businesses use technology as much as they can and try to constantly look into new ways to promote.

Personal Growth Response Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Personal Growth Response Paper - Essay Example In lieu of these situations they motivate and develop strategic responses. While being effective leaders the CEOs must actively engage themselves in the realization of action-oriented plans. This meant that leaders are vision oriented whereas the manager is objective oriented. He further emphasized that a leader works under unstructured environment and the manager is facilitated by a semi-structured environment under well-defined policies and guidelines. This lead to an important decision in my life which was a choice between a leader and manager and I came to realize that why should one settle for a manager whose goal is, basically, to maintain the status quo Thus I came to recognize that the true task of a leader is to reinvent strategies so that the organization and every person who works with him continuously become better. A leader should be flexible enough to be associated with the change in structure. To further explain this I would like to quote the example of Z.A. Bhutto explaining that Bhutto's downfall had come as a result of his inability to adapt to the changing political situation in the country. While the military and the U.S. backed out in supporting him, he persisted with his old policy eventually he failed. Therefore a leader needs to change oneself according to the environment and the structure. Sincerity: A leader has to be sincere to all stakeholders on all fronts ranging from

Cyber Threat in a Finance Organisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Cyber Threat in a Finance Organisation - Essay Example Identifying the loopholes in the existing regulatory framework for cyber crime will be the essence of the second part of this report. In the final part, the paper will try to recommend a viable solution which can at least decrease the magnitude of cyber threat in terms of identity fraud for financial organizations. Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 Introduction 4 1.1Aim and methodology 5 1.2 The report 6 Chapter 2: Identity Fraud in Cyber Space 6 Chapter 3: Are there enough safeguards? 8 Chapter 4: Strategic Interventions 10 Chapter 5: Conclusion 13 Reference 15 Figure Number Name Page Number Figure 1 Decision Check Box 10 Introduction Since the birth of World Wide Web (WWW) in the hand of Sir Timothy John "Tim" Berners-Lee, internet usage has traveled a long distance in the horizon of time. According to the report published by CNN News Story (2005), global cyberspace users have increased by more than 1 billion in last one decade. Although the internet has started its journey as the magic technology which provides information later on it has established its ubiquitous presence in all our daily life needs, for example, one can even conduct financial or banking transactions by taking help of internet without going to the bank. It will be erratic to believe that such development of internet age has only offered benefits for mankind and not given the means to wrongdoers to commit crime through an online platform. Rather the opposite scenario is true, crime through internet or cybercrime has increased manifold in last few years due to human civilizations overexposure to the internet. Fletcher (2007) has reported that in many countries such as Brazil, Russia, and UK etc internet financial fraud has outpaced the money lost through bank robbery. The surprising fact is that public awareness about the threat of cybercrime, internet hacking is pretty low despite being the fact that activities of hackers are creating a negative impact on the financial system of a count ry in a regular interval (Fletcher, 2007). Fletcher (2007) has also reported that cyber criminals or malicious hackers not only hack personal information of users but also rob the money from the account of users by using the hacked information. Hence, the situation cannot be taken in light-hearted manner rather stringent regulatory reform is required in order to restore the safety of internet usage. Now, readers of this essay might question that why government and cybercrime agency is not taking steps to regulate the cyberspace? Well, it is not so easy. For example, Sofaer and Goodman (2001) have reported that internet is a large hemisphere of information which has multiple information channels and transaction points hence creating standard investigative instruments for all these issues is almost impossible. The important fact is that the internet is a free source hence no can control it in 100% accurate manner; a company can create a firewall to prevent hackers to access user infor mation but there is no guaranty that the firewall will give 100% safety. Grabosky et al (2001) have argued that magnitude of cybercrime which threatens the internet security is far greater than the traditional criminal activities such as robbery, misrepresentation or theft berceuse cybercrime can be carried out in geographically boundaryless manner.  

Critical Thinking Assigment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Critical Thinking Assigment - Essay Example In order to obtain views of students facing this problem, a questionnaire has been developed, which is attached to this report. There are five types of sampling that can be used for academic research, and they are briefly discussed below. Simple random sampling is the basis method which suggests that every individual has equal probability to be included in the sample. Systematic Sampling allows every kth individual to have a chance to be included in the sample (Babbie 209). Stratified Sampling chooses a grouping of individuals on the basis of certain specifics and then sample can be selected using random sampling (Babbie 212). Convenience Sampling is when the researcher gives the questionnaire to individuals irrespective of any other requisite and hopes that higher response rate can be achieved (Bryman and Bell 197). Snowball Sampling implies that the researcher approaches a small group of individuals who then ask others to participate in the research (Bryman and Bell 200). Quota Sam pling is used when the researcher creates sample groups so that sufficient representation from the population on the basis of their demographics can be achieved (Bryman and Bell 201). For the purpose of the current study, convenience sampling has been used. The reason for this was that the researcher sent the questionnaire to 20 students and requested them to complete it in their own convenient time and submit it via email. This has allowed respondents to take their time and complete their questionnaire with ease. In comparison to this sampling technique that has been adopted for the study it is understood that if different methods of sampling had been used then the researcher could expect different outcome. For example, if the sample population was selected using quota sampling then results representative of different demographic classes could have been achieved. Moreover, for stratified sampling a list of car owners driving to the college would be required to select appropriate sa mple. The response rate was 100% as all respondents returned the questionnaire after completing it. The questionnaire consisted of 10 questions including four demographic questions. Findings are presented below. Out of 20 respondents, 15 individuals are females and 5 are males, and each of them owns a car and uses it to get to the college. Majority of the respondents are 18-23 years old. Respondents are taking different courses at the PCCC College. Since, the study is not focused upon segregating and analyzing data on the basis of the demographics of respondents therefore, no further discussion is made regarding them. All respondents feel that there is a shortage of car parking at the PCCC College. Majority of the respondents are of the view that they are often late in reaching the college on time because they cannot find suitable car parking and they have to park their cars at far locations. Due to the shortage of parking slots in the college, most of the respondents think they sho uld stop driving cars to the college and should use other modes of transport. Moreover, they feel that the PCCC College management should be held responsible for providing alternate car parking space. On the basis of the findings of this report, it is suggested that college administration should rent out nearby parking slots from their owners and assign a specific number of parking space to students who drive cars to get to the col

Single Market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Single Market - Essay Example The focus in this paper is on Single Market, also known as the Internal Market, a very well-known European Union project with an objective to mold Europe into a single economy and create free trade within the union. This influential project encompasses European Customs Union, the single currency and other policies which are proposed to unite the economy of EU into a single unit. It was in 1957 when the Treaty of Rome was established to provide the conditions for the economic community which includes progress of internal market, single agricultural policy and the structure of the institutions of European Community. The Treaty of Rome introduced the concept of qualified majority of voting. The Treaty of Rome set out four freedoms in Europe which include freedom of movement of goods, to provide services, of capital and of people. It was in 1968 when European Customs Union was created to further establish the provisions of the treaty. The creation of this treaty marked the end of the NTB s or non-tariff barriers. After the creation of this treaty, there was a clash between laissez-faire and interventionist as well as between regulated capitalism and neo-liberalism. In order to further take step in creating a single market, the European community created a policy of harmonisation to reconcile the differences in national regulatory practices and to create more common rules. However, this policy did not fully succeed because of complexity of the processes including Non-Tariff Barriers, the decision rule of the majority and lastly, it posted low political interest from the member states. (â€Å"The Single Market†). This common market or harmonisation was created by the Treaty of Rome in order to eliminate trade barriers and to ensure economic progress among the member states. The achievement of the full implementation of the policy did not succeed largely because of the selection of detailed legislative harmonisation (â€Å"European Parliament†). Since the member states wanted to have everything voted unanimously, harmonisation became very difficult to achieve. The European Court of Justice and Mutual Recognition In order to develop the purpose of creating a unified market in Europe, a crucial step was made by the European Court of Justice. The principle of mutual recognition was created to guarantee the free movement of goods and services. However, this principle does not require all members of the union to have a unified legislation. Both goods and services cannot be banned from sale on the territory of another member states except if there overriding of general interest such as health, consumer protection and protection of the environment (â€Å"The Mutual Recognition†). Aside from this very simple provision, it must be noted that the rules of the member state of origin of the goods and services must prevail. This is considered a practical and influential tool for an economic integration without sacrificing the local, regio nal and national tradition ( â€Å"The Mutual Recognition†). Though there is a move to integrate the market into a single market, the community still wanted to retain the diversity of the products and services offered by the member states. This crucial step promoted common reciprocity of standards than harmonisation policy. It is said that member states can only call upon national restrictions, traditions, customs and control free trade in areas considered not mutually equivalent (â€Å"The Single Market†). Neoliberalism and the European Union According to Hermann (n.d.),

Asylum in the Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Asylum in the Media - Essay Example Humanity has to be regarded to guarantee the wellbeing of individuals who have been influenced either by natural disasters back in their home countries or political instability making them to seek refuge. However, the kind of reception that asylum seekers have been receiving is much more worrying, considering factual reasons that have made them to flee their nation .This therefore means that such misconceptions by the media and the public at large have been baseless. In reality, asylum seekers are justified to seek refuge in any nation that they feel it’s secure for them as far as they do not contravene the laws governing that nation. In Britain, there has been media and public perceptions to try and lay bare issues of asylum seekers regarding their origin, race and their impacts on the economy of Britain. Growing misunderstanding on the level with which people and the media have been overestimating the number of asylum seekers who have been awarded the status of refugees in B ritain is evident. Speculations among the people on the number of asylum seekers who have been allowed refugee status left a lot to be desired when a survey conducted in 2009, which revealed that more than 100,000 of asylum seekers had been accepted as refugees with clear and credible sources reporting that only 4,175 people had been received as refugees. This point to the status accorded to asylum seekers with marginalization and skewed numbers evident in speculations. (Castillo, 2010). Compared with other destinations that asylum seekers target, UK is far much below in the acceptance rate for the haven seekers. During the period of 2001-2006 the acceptance rate for UK stood at 7.77 per cent compared to Canada which had an acceptance rate of 47 per cent during the same period. France, United States, Germany, Sweden and Canada are ranked as main countries that asylum seekers target with UK being sidelined on the verge of it low rate of giving room for asylum seekers. There has been conflicting views about asylum seekers in Britain, with a section of citizens expressing their views that it’s an identity of their country to accept asylum seekers. Others felt that the country had accepted too many of them back in 2008 with a bigger percentage believing that providing refuge to those people who have misfortunes had been a tradition among Britain. Trust in the process of accepting asylum seekers was faulted with many people speculating their uncertainness regarding the length through which the entire process was open to abuse by the authorities and the issue of UK being so accepting (Gant, 2007). This discussion will entail clear-cut assessment of the various issues that affect asylum seekers in UK and around the world, a justification of the claims and misconceptions that the media point to the asylum seekers and how international organizations and various groups of people have advised nations to reform their laws to ensure that asylum seekers are treated w ith all manners of humanity and respect as the international law and Conventions provide in their guidelines and deliberations which these countries are party to (Gilbert, 2006). Refugee Action and Asylum in the Media Journalists and media personnel have been keen to give reports that are conflicting and to some extent tainting the whole issue of asylum seekers. Many journalists give irresponsible reports about asylum and asylum seekers, attracting a lot of

HIV Testing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

HIV Testing - Essay Example On the one hand the need for prevention of HIV transmission clearly rectifies the need for antenatal scanning. On the other hand the choice of conduction of the test is in the hands of the patient and not the hospital or healthcare providers. To do so with out the patient's consent would be illegal and undesirable. The psychological and social disadvantages are one of the major concerns for the patients. (Mercey, 1998) Therefore in order to encourage patients, the testing must in these cases ensure protection against "discrimination, stigmatism and violence."(HIV in pregnancy, 1998) The guidelines put forward by the UK government state that by the 31December 2000, all women are to be offered an HIV test as part of their integral care. The guidelines also insist upon increasing antenatal HIV testing to 50% or more. Further, the guidelines state that these percentages must be increased to 90% so that 80% of the women can be identified for HIV during antenatal testing. (DoH,1999) the policy although well made fails to mention issues of HIV related to immigration, asylum, care for children living in the UK with the disease or parents with disease, and support for mothers who are HIV positive.(Kawonza, 2002) There is no doubt that the identification of the disease in a ... There is no doubt that the identification of the disease in a woman beforehand is better than discovering it late. The chances of reducing the baby's risk of getting HIV can be halved through avoiding breast feeding. (Dunn et al, 1992) These chances can be further reduced via the administration of Zidovudine. (Conner et al, 1994) The policy of universal testing has been introduces, so as encourage women in to taking the test. In this way patients living in area of high risk will be more willing to take the test, as oppose to targeting some part of the total population. (Kawonza, 2002) However, despite efforts, Nicoll et al reports antenatal detection rates of only 7%, with no signs of improvement over time.(Nicoll, 1996p 253). This could be due to patient's fear of breach of confidentiality, especially when the patient herself has just recently found our about her HIV status or when she has not informed anyone of her condition. The introduction of cesarean in cases of HIV positive mothers is currently one of the most recommended techniques to reduce the chances of the baby getting infected. This technique has gained much popularity and approval among the health care workers, and is now currently used in conjunction with antiretroviral drug therapy and avoidance of breast feeding. Clayden (2005) in reference to the renewed guidelines set by the UK relating to pregnancy states that the mode of delivery recommended in such cases is elective caesarean at 38 weeks. Although she does emphasizes on the maternal consent in this regard. (Clayden, 2005) Note that the risk of getting HIV is high at 34 weeks of gestation. (European study, 1992) Although the benefits of choosing caesarean as the mode of delivery does have its merits,

Please read the attachments carefully you'r able to know what I want Essay

Please read the attachments carefully you'r able to know what I want - Essay Example Moreover, the NoSQL databases are deployed in a distributed environment and open sourced (NoSQL. n.d). It is pertinent to mention here that there are four (4) types / categories of the NoSQL database include: the document oriented database, XML database, graph database and key-value store / database. In the document oriented database the data is stored in the documents, the examples include: the CashDB, MongoDB etc. In the XML databases, the data is stored in the XML format, the examples include: the BaseX, eXist etc. In the Graph database, the data is stored as the collection of nodes that connected using edges, the examples include: DEX, Stones GrapgDB etc. The key-value store refers to storing data without schema in the form of strings, hashes, stored sets etc., and the examples include: Riak, BigTable, etc. One of the NoSQL databases is developed by the Oracle Corporation. The Oracle NoSQL database is characterized by the BASE – Basically Available, Soft State, and Eventua lly Consistent. The Oracle database used to replicate data in a way that data would be always available to the users, moreover, to avoid unavailability it distributes / share data among several database storage servers. The soft state refers that the Oracle NoSQL database allows inconsistent data and assigns its responsibility to the application developers. The Eventually Consistent refers to the ability of the NoSQL database becoming and presenting consistent data with the passage of time and its usage. Generally, it can be stated that the NoSQL database management systems are used to deal with huge data where the data does not necessitate being relational. The NoSQL database has the capabilities of storing, retrieving and appending data in a highly efficient manner without discrepancy of the data size. It is pertinent to mention some of the organizations dealing with massive data and use the NoSQL database for manipulation of the data, these organizations include: the LinkedIn, Go ogle, Amazon, Twitter and Facebook (Oracle Corporation, 2011). NoSQL and Relational Database Management Systems – the Differences There are several diverse features of the Oracle NoSQL database that makes it different from the traditional Relational Database Management System (RDBMS). On the basis of the differences, the management of any organization can take an informed decision whether to employ the Oracle NoSQL database or the RDBMS. One of the main differences between the NoSQL and RDMS is scalability. The NoSQL data stores have the ability to scale it even on the distributed systems and it can be deployed over several database servers. Whereas, the RDMS can only be deployed and scaled over a single server and it is the reason that the NoSQL databases can handle a huge number of data. This is one of the main motives of the growing popularity of the NoSQL. Moreover, as the NoSQL database can be deployed on several servers, therefore, these databases offer high data availa bility with little or no unavailability. Moreover, the performance of the NoSQL database is highly efficient as compared to the RDBMS, because the data is being shared and processed on several servers. But in order to provide the data highly available along with high performance, the NoSQL databases compromise the data consistency, as the data is redundantly stored or replicated on the diverse servers (Strauch, n.d). The NoSQL databases have been developed focusing the BASE acronym of Basically Available,

Gay Marriage Outline Essay Example for Free

Gay Marriage Outline Essay In early times, same-sex marriage was not considered taboo and in many cultures, it was encouraged. Random History (2011) explains that in the early civilizations of Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt, the union between couples of the same-sex was recognized by the kingdom. During Greek’s early years, attraction between a man and another man was normal and was considered an expression of love. â€Å"The main considerations in same-sex relationships in early history were often love, beauty, and excellence of character rather than gender† (Random History, 2011, p. 1). Same-sex marriages were often believed to be more pure than a heterosexual marriage. Marriage was believed to be the union of two people based on love. A marriage consisting of two males or two females, if women had the right to get married, was not frowned upon. It was not until the rise of Christianity that a negative attitude towards same-sex marriage became introduced. The belief that marriage was based on procreation and any relationship that was non-procreative began to increase in many societies. Random History’s 2011 research describes how Eastern religions varied in their views about homosexual marriages. Japanese Buddhism records the most tolerant attitude toward homosexuality, praising it for its mystery. Today, there are no religious or political limitations on homosexual behavior in Japan. Sexuality is considered a private matter and lacks any restrictions. â€Å"The sacred texts in the Hindu tradition, the Vedas, did not restrict homosexuality, but rather viewed it as perverse† (Random History, 2011, p.1). Other things, such as mixed race relationships were considered more offensive than homosexuality. Random History (2011) also explains how in the thirteenth century, the first laws banning sodomy were introduced and were strictly enforced. Through the next centuries, homosexual behavior became deviant and was punished. Due to the belief that homosexual behavior was wrong, the belief that heterosexual relationships were normal became popular among the majority of countries. By the nineteenth century, heterosexuality became the most believed standard for relationships. Although the debate for same-sex marriage became noticeably public in the late twentieth century, it was not until 1993 during a Hawaiian case, that the issue became national news. The ruling of the case stated that the restriction of marriage and its benefits to  opposite-sex couples were unconstitutional. â€Å"The Defense of Marriage Act, which was introduced in 1996, was almost a direct response to the Hawaiian case, declared that no state would be required to recognize a same-sex marriage from another state, and also defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman† (Axel-Lute, 2002, p.1). By that same year, a majority of states passed laws prohibiting same-sex marriage. Since then, states have defined their own definition of marriage. Despite the fact that the debate over same-sex marriage is relatively new in the United States, five states have made same-sex marriage legal, as well as Washington D.C. According to the Florida’s Domestic Partnership (2010), currently, there are only two states that recognize same-sex marriages, New York and California. In California, the marriage is only recognized if it was before proposition 8. Ballot Pedias 2008 research explains how proposition 8 is a statewide ballot proposition in California. The people of California voted for the illegalization of same-sex marriage. Though some people are against same-sex marriages for religious reasons, not allowing same-sex marriages is discrimination. Same-sex marriages should be legalized because the discrimination same-sex couples receive is emotionally traumatic, and unfair. The most influential reason against same-sex marriage is based on religion. Many people believe that procreation is the ideal reason for marriage. Their belief is that same-sex couples do not have the capability to produce children which is the basis for marriage. However, when two of the most influential religious icons dis cussed marriage, child bearing was not a reason for two people to get married. â€Å"It is highly significant that Jesus and Paul, while both referring to the creation story, never once mention procreation or physical sexual difference in their teaching about marriage† (Sullivan, 1997, p.79). Both men stressed how the quality of a relationship was the most important aspect for marriage. If marriage is reserved for having a child, then same-sex marriages are not an issue. â€Å"There are countless ways to ‘have’ a child. Not all of them amount to doing the same thing† (Meilander, 1996). Many same-sex couples employ artificial insemination to conceive a child. Liz Tracy’s 2011 article interviews Maria and Vivian, a lesbian couple who were married in New York last year. The two have a 21 year old daughter by artificial insemination. During a marriage ceremony, the church’s only engagement is to  give its blessing. â€Å"The church does not, in fact, marry anyone. People marry each other. The state, not the church, defines the nature of legal marriage† (Sullivan, 1997, p.68). Sullivan (1997) also states how the church has blessed fields when crops have been planted, MX missiles, new houses, and warships whose sole purpose is to kill and destroy. There is no reason the church should not bless a relationship in which two people vow to be faithful and love each other for all eternity. Supporters of same-sex marriage believe the bill to allow same-sex marriage should be crafted in a specific way that will help win votes from people of faith. â€Å"The measure would not force religious organizations to grant marriages to same-sex couples, a move that would make the government benefits of marriage equal for gay and straight couples but still allow the sacrament of marriage to be defined by churches† (Groeninger, 2012, p.2). If the bill was written and carried out in a certain way, the church would not have any association with same-sex couples getting married because the process would be carried out in a courtroom. The American gay rights movement, which became heated in the 1970’s, defined marriage as oppressive, sexist, and a heterosexual institution, according to the National Organization of Women’s 2012 studies. By the government prohibiting same-sex couples from getting married, they are denying them rights that every other American has. â€Å"Marriage is a unique legal status conferred by and recognized by governments all over the world. It brings with it a host of reciprocal obligations, rights and protections† (National Organization of Women, 2012, p, 1). There are numerous rights and responsibilities that are associated with marriage. Same-sex couples are being discriminated against because they are not allowed any of these rights. The National Organization of Women’s 2012 research details many of the 1,138 federal rights, protections and responsibilities that come along with marriage, which same-sex couples are denied. Social Security benefits upon death, disability or retirement of spouse, as well as benefits for minor children, workers compensation protections for the family of a worker injured on the job, exemptions from estate taxes when a spouse dies, exemptions from federal income taxes on spouses health insurance are all denied to same-sex couples. The discrimination and denial of marriage and its benefits of same-sex couples can be emotionally traumatic at times. â€Å"Because literally hundreds  of important legal, economic, practical, and social benefits and protections flow directly from marriage, the exclusion from this central social institution wreaks real harm on real life same-sex couples everyday† (Sullivan, 1997, p. 129). Same-sex couples are denied the right to make decisions regarding their partner’s health or medical treatment. Sullivan (1997) also explains how same-sex couples are not allowed to adopt their partner’s children or how lesbian mothers are often denied custody of their children. One of the most common arguments against same-sex marriage is society’s image of the ideal family. â€Å"The public acceptance of homosexuality subverts the stability and self-understanding of the heterosexual family† (Sullivan, 1997, p.146). Conservatives believe that the ideal family includes one father and one mother. Both of the parents influence their children in a certain way. Many believe that a same-sex couple cannot raise a child properly because the child is not raised with both fatherly and motherly qualities. However, Sullivan (2012) also discusses how even though some parents may be disappointed that their child will not produce a grandchild, they would still prefer to see their child find someone to love and live with and share his or her life with. If a child is surrounded by two parents who love them, they will develop and grow as any other child would. Many states have legalized civil unions since 2000. Although civil unions provide legal protection to same-sex couples, they are only recognized at the state level. Many believe legalizing same-sex marriage is not an urgent issue because civil unions are becoming legal in more states. â€Å"Giving same-sex couples the right to visit a loved one in the hospital, make end of life decisions and inherit property through civil unions was considered the middle ground† (Groeninger, 2012, p.1). There is a vast amount of differences in a marriage and civil union. Debatepedia’s 2011 research explains how civil unions are separate and unequal because people in a heterosexual relationship have access to civil unions, yet same-sex couples do not have access to marriage. Civil unions are unequal because they are not recognized state to state. A same-sex couple in a civil union is denied the all of the rights that come with marriage. Also, civil unions do not receive any federal benef it. â€Å"Because the federal government does not respect civil unions, a couple with a civil union will be in a kind of limbo with regard to governmental functions  performed by both state and federal governments, such as taxation, pension protections, provision of insurance for families, and means-tested programs like Medicaid† (National Organization of Women, 2012, p.1). The debate over same-sex marriage will forever rage until it becomes legalized. Same-sex relationships have been a part of history since the ancient times. Not allowing same-sex marriage is discrimination. Couples are denied financial benefits heterosexual couples receive. Same-sex marriage should be legalized so couples will have the right to make decisions regarding their partner’s health and medical treatment as well as allowing them to adopt one another’s children. Designing the bill a certain way will enable to church to stay uninvolved, since religious reasons are the most common reason fo r people being against same-sex marriage. Legalizing same-sex marriages will create equality for all people in a relationship and defeat the injustice among same-sex couples.

Validity and Reliability Essay Example for Free

Validity and Reliability Essay The Monte Carlo simulation is used as a method that is used in projects to estimate the risk and uncertainty attached. In construction projects, engineers need to measure the time and the cost involved. These measurements are based on prior experience of the project manager. The time and the value of the project are estimated on the basis of certain assumptions. Monte Carlo simulation works in a way that a random number is selected for the each task. The model is then made which is based on the random numbers. The result that is generated from the model is stored and the process is repeated several times. A normal simulation done through the Monte Carlo method calculates thousands of values. This results in the large number of values which are generated through the random number of inputs. The results are in the form of numbers which are the assumption on which different probabilities are measured. This measure the chances of getting various result in a model (Taylor Francis, 1995). The information which the model yields is used to calculate the financing needed for the construction project, worker that need to be hired, insurance etc. Validity and Reliability: The reliability of the simulation is limited to the extent of its estimation. If the variables are estimated accurately then the simulation gives the best measurement of the variables. Moreover, it can be argued that it is a reliable method for estimation of risk in project because of its quantitative management techniques. The Monte Carlo simulation is used by the project manager to fit in every possible circumstance associated with a risk and to calculate the probability of success associated with that risk. It is also used for the purpose of designing a project, which is done with help of different variable used as inputs (Loosemore Uher, 2003). The strength of the simulation lies on the fundamental fact that the estimate of the variable must be accurate for the best result needed. Moreover the extent of its measurement of the probability is surprising. It can calculate the success rate of the project before the starting the project. This is an advantage to the engineers as they can see the future of the project. The limitations, however that affect its proper usage include the difficulty to find the hardware and the software that is needed to perform the simulations (Brenda, 2003). Then the engineers and the project managers involved are hesitant in using the simulation because they find it difficult to deal with statistical methods. Then many critics to the Monte Carlo simulation technique suggest that the method can yield the time schedule of the project that must be kept in reserve as well as the monetary aspect that must be stored as a reserve which can be disadvantageous to the cause of the project (Kwak Ingall, 2007). Another reason that acts as a barrier for the use of this simulation is common construction project is that the simulation uses multiple parameters thereby forming a complex model. It does not emphasize in the use of the single parameter which is used is most of the cases. Then in many cases the results that are generated through the simulation are perceived skeptical by the users, because of the psychological impact on the decision making. And finally, while making a model it is very difficult to define the connection between the activities which can never be estimated. So an approximation is used in the model to simplify the process. These approximations are uncertain and can at time be wrong. When the approximations are wrong the can affect the interval and manipulate the result of the simulation (Brenda, 2003). Conclusion: Monte Carlo Simulation method is a very supportive tool for the purpose of making engineering projects. The reason is that the complexity of the simulation can manage different variable affecting the project and can present an analysis of the probability of success associated with the project. Reference: 1. McCabe, Brenda. (2003). Monte Carlo simulation for schedule risk. 2. Kwak, Young H. , Ingall, Lisa. (2007). Exploring monte carlo simulation applications for project management. Risk Management , 9. Retrieved from http://home. gwu. edu/~kwak/Monte_Carlo_Kwak_Ingall. pdf 3. Taylo, , Francis, . (1995). Construction management and economics. E. F. N. Spon. 4. Hinze, Jimmie. (1998). Construction planning and scheduling. Prentice Hall. 5. Flanagan, Roger, George , Norman. (1993). Risk management and construction. Wiley-Blackwell. 6. Landau, David P. , Binder, Kurt. (2005). A Guide to monte carlo simulations in statistical physics. Cambridge University Press. 7. Loosemore, Martin, Uher, Thomas E. (2003). Essentials of construction project management. UNSW Press.

Pros and Cons of Mixed Methods Research

Pros and Cons of Mixed Methods Research For every job or task there is a specific tool befitting such work. Similarly, every researcher after having identified the scope of their research needs to apply a particular method of research in order to attain the best results. Interestingly, there are some methods of research that when applied or used together the acquired results will be forthcoming. Hence the concept of mixed methods in research, it refers to application of both quantitative and qualitative techniques in a single study. Currently, the fundamental study techniques which are widely used are quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods. Qualitative study involves evaluation of data, like different interviews, videos, pictures and objects such as artifacts. It is the descriptive data from observation or interviews which are not structured (Taylor, 2009). Quantitative study, on the other hand, is the analytical progression of figurative data from different fields. The disjointing of into quantitative and qualitative is a very common difference; the tendency has been due to the desire to link quantitative methods with a natural science (positivist) and qualitative methods with a social science (interpretivist) (Mingers, 2006). Nevertheless, the simple distinction has not gone down well with a lot of researchers, many researchers basing their differences on the lack of clarity on the issues of validity and accuracy. According to Yin (2007), the distinction between quantitative and qualitative methods applies to data and not so much into the methodology. Other researchers believe that the underlying paradigms are incompatible. Mixed method is the mixture of both qualitative and quantitative methodologies; it is the third research paradigm after qualitative and quantitative. The argument to use both quantitative and qualitative modes in one study has been based on over theoretical approach to research within the social sciences. (Jones, 2004) According to Fieldman (2005), in the comparison of quantitative and qualitative research methods, the attributes of the latter have been misidentified. The argument has been premised on the fact that the relationship between positivist paradigm and quantitative research have been blown out of proportion. Glaser and Strauss (2007) believe that the association of qualitative research with grounded theory is an excellent example of such misunderstanding. On the other hand, there has been the use of the exploratory factor analysis in the quantitative research. This has caused a lot of arguments within researchers and hence the outcry for the need to adopt the use of mixed research method. Glaser (2009) has further blurred the idea by stating that the grounded theory emanated from quantitative work and that it is some sort of general methodology for use on both qualitative and quantitative work. Tashakori and Teddie (2008) believe that the distinction between qualitative and quantitative methods of research is largely artificial. The view that is quite clear is that there is need some sort of paradigm wars over the adoption of the methodologies used in explaining the two methods of research. Pragmatism plays a pivotal role in the comprehension of mixed method as a research method. (Howe, 2009) The compatibility thesis postulates that both quantitative and qualitative methods are actually compatible, meaning that the two can be used within a single study. Pragmatism on the other hand, was started by Charles Sanders Peirce, William James and John Dewy promulgated that researchers should apply or use a mixture of approaches that co-ordinate best in a real-life situation. Therefore, what works best in a particular situation should always be used in that scenario regardless of any assumptions that can arise in relation to that particular situation. Nowadays researchers apply a fundamental principle of mixed research. This fundamental principle requires from the researcher to use a mixture or combination of methods that have some level of complementary pros and cons both of which are overlapping. In order to understand the mixed method research it is imperative to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods. Qualitative research Strengths Qualitative research has a lot of strengths which explain why it is still a favorite option for many researchers to use. Firstly, it focuses the data collected on the participants groups of explaining or expounding the particular meaning within the study. Secondly, a lot of researchers have heaped accolades on this method of research owing to its suitability for the study of a minimum number of cases in depth. Thirdly, in as far as describing complex phenomena is concerned; it is the best methodology for the job. Fourthly, at the point where the researcher needs to explain a particular area of the study by dissecting individual case information, qualitative research method offers a better clarification point than other methods of research. Fifthly, it is excellent in as far as conducting cross-case assessment and analysis is concerned. Sixthly, it provides a better focal point in as far as providing an understanding and description of peoples personal experiences of certain phenomena that happened to them. Seventhly, it can be used to describe a rich and well articulated as it is specifically situated and located within local contexts. Eighthly, by adopting qualitative method of research the user can study dynamic processes or assist in the documentation of sequential patterns and change. Nine, the researcher can use the qualitative method of grounded theory to inductively produce a tentative but descriptive theory about an occurrence. Ten, it is used to determine how the participants of the study interpret self-esteem, I Q and so on. Also, the data collected under this method of research is done so in naturalistic settings. In addition, the approaches adopted within this method of research are especially responsive to the numerous changes that usually occur within a study, mainly if the study requires a lot of extensive fieldwork, and it assists to shift the focus back to the study. Furthermore, qualitative data in the words and categories of participants lend themselves to exploring how and why particular occurrences happen. Also, owing to its variant intrinsic attributes the researcher can use an important case to clearly demonstrate phenomena to the general audience and more particularly the readers of the final report. Finally, qualitative research aids in the determination of idiographic causation or the determination of causes of particular proceedings. Weaknesses Sadly despite so many positive highlights, qualitative research also fails in its quest for a perfect research method. To begin with, the information produced from research conducted on the foundation of qualitative methodology might not generalize to other people or other settings. This is because some factors will remain unique from one individual to the next. Secondly, researchers who use this method usually find it difficult to make quantitative predictions. Further, since qualitative research ahs its tenets premised within large pools of participants, it makes it very difficult to test hypotheses and theories generated from the study. In addition, some commissioners of certain programs and administrators find qualitative research method to have low levels of credibility. Also, compared to its counterpart, quantitative research method, it is more time consuming when it comes to the collection of data. The same scenario applies when it comes to data analysis. Finally, due to its requirements of researcher and personal involvement, the data gathers is mainly plagued with biasness and idiosyncrasies. Quantitative Research In line with Denscobe (2007) the quantitative study is all about the quantifying relationships between variables. In the social sciences, quantitative study is the systematic empirical study of the quantitative properties and their relationships. Mathematical models, theories and other different hypotheses are employed in the process. The dimension progression is central in the process, as it provides the fundamental connection between the empirical observation and the mathematical expression of all the quantitative relationships. In the spheres of psychology, anthropology, sociology and political science the quantitative study method is employed regularly. In the sphere of mathematics and physics which are quantitative by the definition it is used, but the term is different in the context. In the case of the social sciences, the term is related to direct and empirical methods, and most crucial it deals in both philosophical positivism and arithmetical findings, and in many ways it is a direct contrast with the qualitative study methods. The qualitative techniques produce the data of the particular case studies that are assigned to the study and all other hypotheses are nothing but general conclusions. The techniques can be used to verify in different aspects (Denscobe, 2007). Strengths Many researchers find quantitative research methods better in application to their particular studies because it allows them to validate and test already constructed theories about how and why some occurrences happen. Also, it gives the researcher some edge in the actual research because they can test the hypotheses that are constructed before the actual data is collected. Moreover, researchers are in a better position to simplify research findings when the data is founded on arbitrary samples of sufficient mass. In addition, researchers are better off when they use quantitative methodology because of its ability to allow them to simplify research findings when it has been used and repeated on so many different populations and sub-populations. Unlike qualitative research method the data collected can be used for purposes of quantitative predictions. Also, the researcher, under quantitative format of research, has the ability to construct a situation that eliminates the bewildering sway of many variables, allowing one or more plausibly recognized cause-and-effect relations. Furthermore, in as far as pace is concerned; data collected under this method of research is a lot faster than qualitative methodology. More so, the data collected is more precise, concise and of course quantitative. As earlier highlighted, analysis of data under this method of research is a lot less time consuming. Unlike qualitative data, this method of research allows the results gathered to be more independent of the researcher and hence they are of statistical significance. Further, in as far as individuals in power are concerned; data gathered under quantitative research method can find favor and liking to such individuals who fund the study programs. Briefly, it is applicable in the study of masses. Weaknesses Similarly, quantitative research methodology also falls short in as far as being fully credible in the research world. Mainly, researchers find that the categories they use do not usually reflect local constituencies understandings. In addition, the theories propagated by researcher operating under this method of research might not as well reflect the local constituencies understandings. Furthermore, owing to the requirement of a lot of focus on the theory and hypotheses generation, researchers usually miss out on the happening of particular occurrences. Finally, the information gathered under this method of research might be too theoretical and general for direct appliance to particular real-life situations, contexts and individuals. Mixed Method Research Qualitative study is a type of scientific research. Generally speaking, in any According to Hesse-Biber (2010), there is basically an investigation which seeks answer of a specific question. The examiners systematically use a pre defined set of procedures to find the closest answer of the question. Collecting evidences and more crucially different kinds of data are two very crucial aspect of the research. Finally, a qualitative study aims to produce different findings that were not generally determined in advance, and also the finding can be applicable beyond the immediate boundaries of the study (Hesse-Biber, 2010). In addition to all these the qualitative study techniques tries to understand a given study problem or topic from the perspective of the general population with whom the study is mainly involved. The qualitative study method is very effective in obtaining the specific cultural data about the values, opinions, behaviors and other different social contexts (Hesse-Biber, 2010) of a specific population. Creswell (2009) indicated that when the results of qualitative study are combined with quantitative techniques it helps to interpret and better understand the complex reality of any given situation, along with the implications of quantitative data (Creswell, 2009). The findings from the qualitative study can often be extended to people with characteristics which are quite similar to those in the study population, which gains a rich and complex understanding of a specific social context or phenomenon, which typically takes precedence over eliciting data that can be really generalized to other geographical areas. In that light it is clear that qualitative study is slightly different from the scientific study progression in general (Nachmias-Frankfort Nachmias 2008). Strengths The third and more preferred method of research has an array of strengths that appeal to many researchers. To begin with, the combined strengths of both quantitative and qualitative research can be found when using this method of research. Further, terms, pictures and narratives can be used to add connotation to numbers. In addition, while using mixed methods of research, researchers have the advantage of using numbers to add precision to words, pictures, and narratives. Another advantage of applying the mixed method in research is that researchers can generate and actually test a grounded theory. Applying the mixed method of research allows the researcher to tackle a broader and a more complete range of research questions owing to the fact that the researcher is not confined within the tenets of a particular method of research. In addition, researchers have the ability to use the strength of one method of research to counter or overcome the weaknesses in another method. In other words it incorporates the concept of complementarity. In the advent of a researcher conjuring up a conclusion under this method of research, they are in a better position to provide stronger evidence in the conclusion bit through convergence and collaboration of findings. Furthermore, the method of research allows the researcher to add insights and methods that might be omitted when only a single method is adopted. Similarly, the method allows the researcher to simplify to increase the simplicity of the results. Finally, since the mixed methods of research is all about the incorporation of both qualitative and quantitative methods of research, the researcher can produce more complete knowledge necessary to inform theory and practice. Weaknesses Unfortunately, this method of research also has a few shortcomings despite its overwhelming support from researchers. Firstly, owing to its duplicity content, the application of the mixed methodology in one study can prove difficult to handle by any one single researcher. This is the case especially when the researcher has two apply two or more approaches concurrently. Furthermore, a researcher choosing to rely on this method of research has to learn about multiple methods and approaches and understand how to appropriately mix them. Similarly, a lot of researchers are of the view that any one researcher should work within either the qualitative or the quantitative method. Moreover, the mixed method of research is more expensive and time consuming than any other method of research due to its duplicity content. Finally, since it is a mixture of two relatively different methods of research, a lot of researchers and methodologists have as yet to fully workout problems of interpreting conflicting results, quantitative data and the paradigm mixing. Justification of combining qualitative and quantitative methods The paradigm war of the two methods of research has created so much chaos. On each side of the argument are proponents of one particular type of research method, well armed with reason and examples why it is better than the other research method. Such arguments caused the creation of some sort of middle ground, combining the two types of research methods, the result, mixed methods research. So what is the justification for amalgamating the two types of research methods? The rationale for the creation of a common ground was concretized and coded. The coding mirrored each sides legitimate views and by so doing the weakness of each side was revealed. A scheme was created to tabulate the justifications for the need to join the two methods of research. First, triangulation: which promulgated that there was need for some sort of convergence or corroboration since by so doing the emphasis would be shifted from the differences and moved towards the amalgamation of the research methodologies. Secondly, complementarity: which seeks the elaboration or the results acquired from one method with the results of another method. Thirdly, development: which highlights the need to use the results acquired from one method to either inform or develop the contrasting method. Fourthly, initiation: it seeks the unearthing of irony and incongruity, the remolding of questions from results gotten from one method with the replica of the other method of research. Fifthly, expansion: This seeks to increase the span and variety of enquiry by adopting different methods for different inquiry components. (Niglas, 2004) Design within the mixed methods Researchers usually face a daunting task while constructing a model design that will be suitable for their study. Nevertheless, it is imperative to point out that model designs do not exhaust the rationale of possibilities. (Creswell, 2003) However, their requirement and classification append to the thoroughness of mixed methods designs in primary care research. Instrument Design Model Under this design the priority is given to quantitative data collection and analysis. Implementation is premised in a two-phase project that starts with qualitative data collection and analysis and proceeds to quantitative device design and testing. Incorporation happens at the data analysis phase, then after researchers dissect the qualitative data and use this information to develop a device for information collection. The main use for this model is to come up with a device that is embedded in the views of the participants, instead of using an instrument that might not actually reflect the opinions of the participants. The approach used makes the use of the instrument design model logical and easier to carry out. Nevertheless, a lot of expertise is required to not only code the qualitative data but to also analyze it. In addition a psychometrically sound instrument is ultimately developed. (Kutner et al, 2008) Triangulation Design Model This particular type of design model is used mainly in primary care research. However, it is more difficult to incorporate compared to the sequential instrument design model due to the need to not only reconcile but to also bring back quantitative and qualitative information. The core use of this type of design model is to triangulate or rather bring both qualitative and quantitative methodologies simultaneously, and to incorporate the two paradigms of research in order to best comprehend the research situation at hand (Tashakori A. Teddie C., 2008). Concisely, this particular type of design model creates an equal platform for both qualitative and quantitative methods of research, both of which in other formats of research are usually found in separate columns which may or may not be set on equal footing. Furthermore, the triangulation design model usually integrates the information gathered from both the qualitative and quantitative methodologies into one final comprehensive and all-inclusive report. It is important to note that the same can either be summarized one conclusion, interpretation or results phase. The triangulation design model is structured in a manner that accommodates both qualitative and quantitative data albeit in different sections. The same format will apply for the analysis results for the two methodologies. This is then followed by an in-depth discussion of both data results which is summarized under neo conclusion heading. It is no wonder that he researchers adopting this type of design model present both results under different methodologies as conflicting evidence for results. Alternatively, the researchers can also convert one form of data under a particular methodology into another form in an attempt to conglomerate the results gathered. (Baskerville et al, 2007 and McVea et al, 2009) Data Transformation Design Model This type of design model is specifically preferred by the primary care researcher since it incorporates co-relational designs. Observational designs that are usually found under this type of design model are studies on retrospect, prevalence and prospective matters. It is imperative to note that this type of design model usually favors qualitative data over quantitative data. It allows the investigator collect qualitative information; dissect in attempts to understand codes and themes underlining it. All this is done in line with a predetermined code book or conceptual outline. In addition, the codes and themes there under are counted numerically. The foregoing notwithstanding, the design model can be formatted to also favor quantitative data compilation and analysis. The incorporation of the results is concurrent and the assimilation of the same happens at the data analysis phase. (Mcllvain, 2008). The above three models of design bring about the possibility of having mixed methods models within the framework of primary care. Moreover, it is important to highlight the fact that the three models do not in any way exhaust all the model designs available. Others not dealt with are the explanatory design model and the nested design model. In the former a pioneer quantitative stage is conducted in order to gather empirical or statistical results. (Creswell, 2006) The second stage is for the researcher to collect qualitative information that he will use to expound or explain the quantitative results. (Tashakori A. Teddie C., 2008). The nested design model is different from the explanatory method in that, a lesser qualitative information gathering phase is assimilated or contained within a larger quantitative interference trial. In as much as this type of model matches the criteria for a synchronized and quantitative design, it still represents to some extent, a disparity in which the bigger component addresses one issue and for the lesser components another issue. Using a mixed models method, which is inculcated into a rigorous design structure, makes one assume that the research has all the proper know how required in understanding a particular study. Such expertise is important when conducting research on a certain study. Further, it assists the researcher in knowing which design will best suit the study. Using mixed methods research is not only time consuming but also it is very tasking on the individual conducting the research. This is the case because mixed methods apply multiple variants in its data format and collection. (Goering PN, 2007) Grounded theory Sociologists Barney Glaser and Anselm Strauss (1967) have comprehensively articulated the grounded theory on the background of social science. The main purpose of grounded theory is to come with theories about social phenomena, meaning, to develop some level of comprehending which is more grounded in systematic data. The grounded theory is the most all-inclusive qualitative research methodology available. Grounded is viewed by many researchers and methodologists as a problem-solving endeavor concerned with understanding action from the perspective of the human agent. It is an approach to applying qualitative research, in that its procedures are neither numerical, nor quantitative in some other manner. It initiates its progress by targeting a particular area of study and collects information from numerous sources, for instance personal interviews and field observations. Grounded theory is more suitable when one is dealing with social interact s or experiences which are driven to explain a process. After collection of the needed data, the same is analyzed using coding hypothetical sampling measures. Then after theories are borne from the results garnered and interpretive procedures, having concluded that part everything is concretized and presented. Glaser and Strauss view grounded theory as a general theory of scientific method concerned with the generation, elaboration, and eventual validation of social science supposition. They further believe that grounded theory should meet the accepted canons for doing good science. However, the main reason for applying grounded theory in ones research is to construct theories in order to understand occurrences. The key features of this theory are that it must have an iterative study format, purposive sampling and a scheme analysis. An iterative study design encompasses cycles of simultaneous information collection and analysis. A good grounded theory must meet the following conditions; it must be inductively derived from data, subjected to hypothetical amplification and judged sufficient to its area with bearing in mind a number of evaluative criteria. (Kennedy, 2006) Purposive approach Under this approach which is extremely favorable in the docket of quantitative research. The issues or topics for research are chosen based on similar characteristics that they portray. The method it uses is quite simple, when taking a part of the sample, reject or ignore the participants who do not fit the required profile for the study. This approach usually starts with a rationale in mind, the sample is designed to include the people who fit the criteria of the research and exclude those participants who fail to achieve this target. This method is popular with researchers who use quantitative methodology because it offers results that are more concise and precise. However, since it is subject to non-probability it is susceptible to partiality and inaccuracy. For instance, marketing investigators adopt this line of approach when they are in quest of support for their new product. They will obviously start with persons in the streets, first approaching only likely suspects and then move on onto excluding individuals who do not match their particular criteria. Conclusion This paper has highlighted and dissected the tenets that determine the realm of the research domain. Initially, there used to be only two methods of research, namely qualitative method and quantitative method. However, over time, the proponents of either side so the need to combine the two in an attempt to strengthen each others weaknesses. The result was the mixed methods research. The latter is a research design encompassing a method and a methodology. As a methodology, it entails collecting, analyzing and amalgamating quantitative and qualitative methods from the initial to the conclusion stages of both. As a method, it deals with the collection, analyzing and joining qualitative and quantitative information into one study. This mode of research methodology highlights and encourages the gathering of more in-depth evidence for research problems. Furthermore, it assists in the answering of questions that could not previously be answered under either qualitative or quantitative methods. In addition, it does away with any form of adversarial relationships that previously existed between the two modes of research. Mixed methods approach is more favorable because it aids in multiple world views, besides, many researchers have deemed it more practical and easier to apply in research. Moreover, it is applicable to the research situations of today seeing that they are more complex and intricate. Its practical nature assists in exemplifying issues to larger audiences. It has grown through a number of phases: a formative stage, a paradigm contest, the procedural phase and the evolving interest in federal endowment, journals, disciplines, and unique workshops.

Lilys Choice in The House of Mirth Essay -- House Mirth Essays

Lily's Choice in The House of Mirth      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Near the beginning of The House of Mirth, Wharton establishes that Lily would not indeed have cared to marry a man who was merely rich: "she was secretly ashamed of her mothers crude passion for money" (38). Lily, like the affluent world she loves, has a strange relationship with money. She needs money to buy the type of life she has been raised to live, and her relative poverty makes her situation precarious. Unfortunately, Lily has not been trained to obtain money through a wide variety of methods. Wharton's wealthy socialites do not all procure money in the same way: money can be inherited, earned working in a hat shop, won at cards, traded scandalously between married men and unmarried women, or speculated for in the stock market. For Lily, the world of monetary transactions presents formidable difficulties; she was born, in a sense, to marry into money, and she cannot seem to come to it any other way. She is incapable of mastering the world of ec onomic transactions, to the point that a direct exchange is repulsive to her highly specialized nature. Finally, these exchanges and the obstacles they present prove to be the end of her, and Wharton's text joins naturalism's Darwinian rules to an economic world. Whether Lily's death is accidental or a suicide does not really matter in Wharton's vision, because the choice facing Lily at the end of the novel--to make a transaction or to make a transaction--necessitates her death. Near the end of the novel, Wharton's protagonist must make a choice--but both options are part of the environment in which Lily has not evolved to survive. In Lily's attempt at wage-earning and her moral dilemma regarding Rosedale's marria... ...1975. Lyde, Marilyn Jones.   Edith Wharton, Convention and Morality in the Work of a Novelist.   Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1959. Miller, Mandy.   Edith Wharton Page.   19 Nov. 2002  Ã‚  Ã‚   <http://www.Kutztown.edu/faculty/Reagan.Wharton.html>. Pizer, Donald.   "The Naturalism of Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth."   Twentieth Century Literature 41.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (1995): 241-8. Rehak, Melanie. Rev. of The House of Mirth, by Edith Wharton.   Amazon.com 28 Oct. 2002  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  <http://www.amazon.com/execs/obidos/ASIN/055321320/hallbook/>.   Ruschmann, Paul.   "Climbing the Social Ladder...In the Wrong Direction."   Rev. of The House of Mirth, by Edith Wharton.   Epinions.com 28 Oct. 2002   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   <http://www.epinions.com/./book-review-6AF6-7A25B6D-39DA>. Wharton, Edith. The House of Mirth. (1905) New York: Signet,. 1998.   

My Antonia :: Free Essay Writer

My Antonia 1. Jim Burden, a successful New York City lawyer, leaves an acquaintance a memoir of his Nebraska childhood in the form of a recollection of their mutual friend, Antonia Shimerda. Jim had first arrived in Nebraska at the age of ten, when he was made the trip west to live with his grandparents after finding himself as an orphan in Virginia. On this same train, Jim has his first glimpse of the Shimerdas, a Bohemian immigrant family traveling in the same direction. As fate would have it, the Shimerdas have taken up residence in a neighboring farm to the Burdens'. Jim makes fast friends with the Shimerda children, especially Antonia, who is nearest to him in age, and eager to learn English. At her father's request, Jim begins to tutor Antonia, and the two of them spend much of the autumn exploring their new landscape together. Shortly after Christmas, tragedy strikes with the suicide of Mr. Shimerda. After an emotional funeral, the Shimerdas retreat into despair, and the Burdens struggle to be as accommodating as possible. As a result of the hardships that the Shimerdas suffer, a wedge is driven between Antonia and Jim. A couple of years later, the Burdens decide to move into town, and shortly thereafter Antonia takes a job as a housekeeper with a neighboring family, the Harlings. Jim begins to see more of Antonia once again, especially when a dancing pavilion comes to town and enlivens the social situation. Jim's high school years quickly come to a close, and he is offered a spot at the university in Lincoln. He makes a great success of his commencement speech, and spends the summer hard at work in preparation for his course of study. Before leaving, he takes one last trip out to the countryside with Antonia and her friends, where they gather to reminisce about old times together. In Lincoln, Jim throws himself into his studies, which take up the majority of his time in the first year and a half of his course. In the spring of his second year, he begins to see a good deal of Lena Lingard; a mutal friend of his and Antonia's who has always intrigued Jim. After several months of theater going and dalliances about town, Jim decides he needs to make a fresh start of things and prepares to transfer to Harvard for his final two years of college.

college essay :: essays research papers

College will be a major change for me; in all likelihood, it will probably be the most significant transformation I will experience. It will be a time of growth and learning. In order to adapt to these many changes I hope to mature both emotionally and educationally. In doing so, I will influence those around me and the community as a whole. I anticipate that my life experiences will prove to be valuable to me and to those I come into contact with.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I have had many challenges to overcome thus far. I’ve had problems with my school work, but most significantly, problems with myself. I have made many wrong decisions and I have had trouble realizing what is important to me in the past. I now know what steps I need to take in order to become a better person and to stay on the right path that I have chosen. I hope to continue this pattern of maturation by accomplishing my goal of academic excellence while attending New Jersey City University. I have already promised myself that I will not participate in any activity that will lead me astray morally or academically. I am very good at meeting all of the challenges that I have to meet. I have already begun to take an initive on guiding myself in the right direction, by taking my school work seriously, looking for a job that would benefit my major, and working harder to make my self happy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I am interested in majoring in Media Arts at New Jersey City University. I am taking a Media Arts curse in High School now and I am really interested in the aspects that go on in the field of Media. I like the wide verity of oppurtunities someone can get with an education in Media Arts. A major thing that attracted me to your university was your great school on Media. I also took a tour of your campus and feel in love at first site. I am currently participating in my high school peer ministry program. Which is a program in our school that gives specially selected seniors an opportunity to show their leadership skills to the incoming freshman by giving them an opportunity to be comfortable at St. Mary High School. I stay active by playing sports such as basketball, baseball, & bowling. I’m also interested in music.

Chemical element

True The half-lives of unstable isotopes vary from milliseconds to billions of years. The combining of atoms is known as nuclear fusion. Multiple choice (271)mints) The man responsible for discovering that the atom is mostly space is: Rutherford false statement concerning matter is: All matter contains mass. The true statement concerning the atomic nucleus is: It is made up of electrons only. The element has how many protons? 7 has how many neutrons? 146 Which statement is true? Isotopes of a given element have very similar chemical properties. The atomic number of an atom is equivalent to the number of: protons Rutherford coined the term used for the simplest positive charged particle and called it the: neutron An alpha particle is: an electron Select all that apply. In the vertical columns of the periodic table: All the physical properties are identical.The number of positive charges in the nucleus of an atom is equal to: its atomic number Most of the mass of an atom is made up of: The protons and neutrons Movement of electrons about a central nucleus is a concept by: Boor Periodicity is best defined as: The repeating nature of physical and chemical properties with increasing The last element in any period always has: eight electrons in the outermost energy level The maximum number of electrons in a p sub-level is: 3 The 3 in up represent TTS: the number of electrons Name the element that corresponds to the following electron configuration. 2 , as , up neon 22 61 What does the p mean in Is as the p shell What causes the lines in the spectrum for elements? None of the above What is the maximum number of electrons found in any shell of the known elements? 8 A principal quantum number refers to: The numbered energy levels starting from the nucleus outward 2 2 The electron configuration of En is: Is In the vertical columns of the periodic table, as the atomic numbers increase: The numbers of electrons in the valence shell increase.

Critical Thinking â€Factors that Influence Adult Learning Essay

Being able to read and understand research studies requires quantitative reasoning. The purpose of this assignment is to help you get accustomed to identifying the various parts of a research study. Be sure to review the module homepage and background information before you begin any of the assignments in this course. In general, the best way to approach the assignment is to read the article through rather rapidly in order to get an impression of its general content; then read it more slowly and make appropriate notes so you can complete the assignment as directed below. Organize your paper using these headings, in this order. Your paper should look like the following list/outline, with these same subheadings listed in the same order. Just provide the information for each section. I already know that the authors of the article can identify their purpose, hypothesis, etc. so you will not earn credit for copying the information from the article. Show me what you understand after reading the article. Explain each section very briefly so I can see what you learned from reading the article. Your summary of each section must be written in your own words. Do not copy or simply paraphrase. Reference: This should be so accurate that the reader can go directly from your abstract to the original article. Give a complete APA style reference. (Hint: the reference above is in APA style, so your reference should like that) Purpose of the study: Sometimes the purpose is stated as an aim, an objective, or a goal. At other times, it is incorporated in a statement of a problem, leaving the reader to infer the purpose has a stated problem, a purpose, or both. If the purpose is inferred, you may state it in your own words. Participants: The term â€Å"participant† refers to the sample studied. Under this heading, you should include a description of ages, sexes, socio-economic status, school grade, mental level, number, and/or any other demographic characteristics given in the article to describe the particular sample used in the study. Type of Study: Was it a quantitative or a qualitative study? Or were both types of data used? Please explain why you think so. Hypothesis: What is the hypothesis of the study? If the hypothesis is inferred, you may state it in your own words. Procedure: Sometimes the procedure is referred to as the â€Å"method† and includes a description of control techniques, measuring devices, materials used and ways of proceeding, in attempting to achieve the purpose or purposes of the study. Statistical Tests: Identify the statistical tests used in the article; examples might be chi square (x2), t-test, f-test, Mann-Whitney, etc. Results or Findings: What actual data was reported by the author of the study? Explain the results — don’t just copy them. Conclusions: What does the author of the research article believe the results or findings mean? Critique: In each of the previous sections, you have been reporting what the article said. Now, I want you to think critically about what you’ve learned, and give me your own thoughts. Briefly describe your reaction to the article. For example, was it well-organized? Easy or difficult to understand (please explain why)? Did it present diverse perspectives about the topic? Don’t limit yourself to just these questions — be reflective about what you read. Critical Thinking –Factors that Influence Adult Learning Reference: Vonderwell, S. , & Zachariah, S. (2005). Factors that influence participation in online learning. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 38(2), 213-230. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/274761283? accountid=28844. Park, J. , & Choi, H. J. (2009). Factors influencing adult learners’ decision to drop out or persist in online learning. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 12(4), 207-n/a. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/1287038599? ccountid=28844 Purpose of the study: Vonderwell and Zachariah conducted a study to look at the factors that influenced learner participation. They looked into several sections at the Midwestern University. They found that for online comprehension must have common goals as all the members are dependent on each other for success creating a learning community and not just an individual (Vonderwell, S. , & Zachariah, S. 2005). P articipants: This study encompassed 147 learners that discontinued in one to three online courses between the fall of 2005 through the summer of 2007. This study was conducted with males and females from the ages of 20 to over 40. Type of Study: This was a quantitative and a qualitative study. This study was a quantitative study as it showed the number of learners that drop out due to varies variables: scheduling conflicts, family and personnel issues, financial problems, managerial support. This study is also expressed as a quantitative as its goal is to show the dropout rate and change the behavior from a broader perspective and a more personable way as to check on the students and see their status. Hypothesis: I believe from this study that adult online learners are more likely to drop out when they do not receive support from their internal and external structures and sources that lead guide and motivate their lives independently along with enrolling in course that are able to effect and are relevant to their lives. Procedure: The method of this study was conducted was population and sample Statistical Tests: This study used the longitudinal process of dropout distance education test, the estimated marginal means of relevance, estimated marginal means of satisfaction. Results or Findings: This study showed that there are many factors that affect online learners such as external factors (family), internal (to themselves) and the difference in what the learners desires in an online course and resolving to remain motivated in the course if it is relevant to their life in some way. Critique: As I am not best person with reading comprehension and am a bottle line up front (BLUF) this article was a dry read to me and rather difficult to pick out all the test that were conducted. Although, the overall result were very plainly stated that online learner has outside influences that guide them in the completion of a course and their motivation to remain. I thought it was interesting that the study addressed administrators and instructors roles strictly to support the student on all levels where possible. Conclusions: This study concluded that online learns are more likely to drop out when they don’t receive support (weather internal, external, and personal). Also, it showed that online student are less likely to drop out when they are motivated by the course and are content with and the practicality to their own lives.

Key Sectors of Economic Growth in Kenya Essay

Economic growth is the increase in the amount of the goods and services produced by an economy over time. It is conventionally measured as the percent rate of increase in real gross domestic product i.e. real GDP. In Kenya the key main sectors to achieve economic growth are agriculture which is the mainstay economic growth drivers, energy sector, manufacturing and industry, service sector which is mainly tourism, financial services and banking and also the private sector. All of these sectors are in line with the Kenya Vision 2030, the economic pillar. The key sectors are as discussed below: 1. AGRICULTURE: Agriculture has been the key factor of economic growth of Kenyan economy. It continues to be the key factor that will drive the economic growth of Kenya as it contributes to about 24% of Growth Domestic Product. And for this reason the government should increase budgetary allocation to the agricultural sector up from the Kshs 53.5 billion allocated in National Budget 2012/201 so as to be in line with the Maputo Declaration which requires the budget allocation to agriculture to be atleast 10% of total Government budgets and The government should also subsidize the farm inputs such as fertilizers for the farmers, this will maximize production. Livestock farming also has to be considered. If the government increases funding to the agricultural sector, such occurrences as food shortages, seasonal inflation and unemployment would be curbed if not avoided. Agricultural sector which includes; †¢Livestock sector and dairy farming: The livestock sector provides employment opportunities while also increases income. Kenya exports from hides and skins for leather industry earned Kshs 4 billion. Also reforms need to be made on the Kenya Meat Commission. †¢Fisheries: Kenya earns around Kshs 4 billion from this sector. The sector also employs about 60000 people and also over half a million people depend on this sector for livelihood through trading and fish processing thus thee number of fish processing plants should be increased. 2. TOURISM SECTOR: The service sector of Kenya contributes 63% of Growth Domestic Product and it’s mainly tourism industry which is the country’s principal source of foreign exchange thus the government. The tourism industry along with the government has to take steps to address the security problem and to reverse negative publicity especially after the post-Election Violence of 2007 following disputed General Elections. Such steps among others should include establishing a tourist police and launching marketing campaigns in key tourist origin markets. Former minister of Tourism Najib Balala ran such campaigns in CNN. 3. ENERGY SECTOR: The energy sector an important sector to drive the smooth growth of the economy hence there is need for the Government to put up measures that would help the sector to grow thereby, contributing to the growth of the economy as the sector is depended on by manufacturing and industrial sector and also the agricultural sector. There exists limited power generation and transmission capacity in the country. This is caused by lack of adequate investment in power systems and infrastructure development. This combined with rapid economic growth, new customer connections and unreliable rainfall patterns have caused the current electricity shortage in Kenya. Though Kenya is not natural resource endowed, the natural resources the country can boast of for energy generation are small hydro, geothermal, coal, biogas, tidal waves, solar, wind and recently the oil exploration in Turkana. The government needs to invest heavily in the energy sector so that there is no over reliance on Hydro power. The government should implement a policy to attract private sector investments in the energy sector i.e. the Kenya Private Sector Power Generation Support Project. In doing so it will boost economic growth and in job creation. 4. INDUSTRY AND MANUFACTURING SECTOR: Kenya boast of being the industrialized country in East Africa, the manufacturing sector contributes to about 15% of Growth domestic Product, this percentage doesn’t as the manufacturing sector is hampered by high energy costs, shortages of hydro telemetric power, poor infrastructure and counterfeits products i.e. cheap imports. Industrial and manufacturing sector has become increasingly significant to Kenya economy due to increased urbanization. Most industrial plants are located in urbanized towns which has led to the reason Kenya has three cities i.e. Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu; they include food-processing industries such as grain milling, beer production, and sugarcane crushing. These plants contribute significantly to national income as well as generate employment. Also the oil refinery which processes imported crude petroleum into petroleum products, mainly for the domestic market. In addition, a substantial and expanding informal sector engages in small-scale manufacturing of household goods, motor-vehicle parts, and farm implements. 5. FINANCIAL SECTOR AND BANKING: Kenya is East and Central Africa’s hub for financial services. Most of the banking institution and other financial services firms are located in the urban centres as it is considered that urban people have higher income which is not the case, thus innovation and opening of banking sectors should be put in place in rural areas. Such innovations includes mobile banking which where now rural populations have daily access to financial services as most people now own mobile handsets. MPESA is the widely used mobile banking, it is estimated that MPESA has given access financial services to about 75% of the people. Government thus needs to encourage other mobile money transfers such as Tangaza, Yu cash, and Airtel money. In doing so it will create a competitive environment and thus many people will get access to the financial services. The Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE) ranks fourth in Africa in terms of Market capitalization. Stock markets provide market liquidity that enables implementation of long term projects with long term payoffs thereby promoting a country’s economic growth. Moreover, efficient capital markets not only avail resources to investors, they also facilitate inflow of foreign financial resources into the domestic economy. Government needs to institute reforms in the financial sector as capital market development is an important component of financial sector development and supplements the role of the banking system in economic development. Capital markets assists in price discovery, liquidity provision, reduction in transactions costs, and risk transfer.