Casual Analysis Essay Example

Casual Analysis Essay Example Casual Analysis Essay Casual Analysis Essay Essay Topic: Casual Child Abuse- Casual Analysis Throughout the world there are plenty of problems within countries and cities. One problem that is happening worldwide is child abuse. When most people think about child abuse they think of a child not being able to eat dinner or a child that doesnt have clean clothes. This is very stereotypical due to the facts in articles and statistics. Child abuse in America is seen every day on the news and in newspaper articles. Children are suffering from a hidden epidemic of child abuse and neglect. Every year more than 3 million reports of child abuse are made in the United States involving ore than six million (a report can include multiple children). The United States has among the worst records among industrialized nations-losing an average between four and seven children every day to child abuse and neglect. (National, Internet) America has tried to take a stand against child abuse but they cannot catch all abusers in this country. The general statistics are hard to believe since we dont notice it in our homes or within schools. A report of child abuse is made every ten seconds. It is said that more than four children die every day as a result of child abuse. It is estimated that between fifty to sixty percent of child fatalities due to maltreatment are not recorded as such on death certificates. Approximately eighty percent of children that die from abuse are under the age of four. It is hard to believe that about thirty percent of abused and neglected children will later abuse their own children, continuing the horrible cycle. (National, Internet) Some people are very sheltered when it comes to understanding what really is happening in the real world. They do not care to read the latest articles of newspapers or watch television o find atrocious news about how a child had accidentally drowned in the parents bathtub. In all seriousness, this is a never ending, horrifying problem that is always going to be worldwide. Child abuse is more than bruises or broken bones. While physical abuse is shocking due to the scars it leaves, not all child abuse is so obvious. Ignoring childrens needs, putting them in unsupervised, dangerous situations, or making a child feel worthless or stupid are also child abuse. Regardless of the type of child abuse, the result is serious. Smith, Internet) There is not any single fact which auses child abuse, abuse usually occurs in families where there is a combination of risk factors. Abuse and neglect occur mostly in families who are under pressure and lack of support. Most occur in families in which include: frequent changed of addresses, poverty, lack of education, loneliness, unemployment, serious marital problems and inadequate housing. (Causes, Internet) When people are assuming of what goes on in a childs life they never want to assume the worst. If a child has a broken arm they would never think their own parent would do that to them. Or a weet little girl would have bruises on her thighs and arms would be from a raging alcoholic of an uncle. Also, certain community attitudes may encourage child abuse. These include: acceptance of the use of violence and force, acceptance of physical punishment of children, acceptable of parents ownership of children, racism, inequality between men and women. (Causes, Internet) Although this is only some facts and statistics over something that has a much bigger role worldwide, it is still good to oe aware 0T wnat Is nappenlng every second 0T every minute 0T every cay.

Outsourcing Essays

Outsourcing Essays Outsourcing Essay Outsourcing Essay Outsourcing can be described as an agreement whereby a company provides services for another company that could hold traditionally been performed in-house. This tendency has been really common across industries and it is chiefly attributed to the increasing concern competition. Some of the services that organisations tend to outsource include planning A ; concern analysis every bit good as the installing. constellation. package development. direction and service of their information systems substructure. Organizations choose to outsource some of their services with some of the grounds cited being. anticipated cost nest eggs. enhanced accomplishments and direction. handling of overflow state of affairss and the demand for the organisation to concentrate on its nucleus scheme and maps ( Steven Bragg. 2006. p. 1 ) . Whenever outsourcing is performed. its reverberations can be both positive and negative. and it is upon organisations to larn on the best ways to efficaciously pull off their relationship with their service supplier while at the same clip placing state of affairss where outsourcing is appropriate in order to recognize a competitory advantage. this is so because the organisation in the long tally shall keep responsible for their ain merchandises and non the seller who supplied to them the outsourced labour ( Bill Ellmore. 2007 ) . Should governments ban the outsourcing of jobs to foreign countries? Explain your answer. 1- Who do you agree with? Why? I agree with Simon Prystay the director of education. if the government goes with outsourcing it will reduce employment opportunity and it will affect the welfare of Australian workers as they deserve to be valued in their country , to be paid well not depending in low wages India or Philippines take and to support the resources and the skilled employees they have. Should governments ban the outsourcing of jobs to foreign countries? Explain your answer. Yes, governments should ban the outsourcing of jobs to foreign countries as the companies should invest more in their countries , close borders and support themselves using the resources they already have Also for the reasons that I refuse outsourcing is that it might be difficult for the workers to understand the other culture they are dealing with. Cultural differences are also greater in case of off shore outsou rcing. Misunderstandings can occur due to differences in language. Outsourcing can also prove to be a threat to the security and confidentiality of issues of a company. Hidden Costs : the government will sign a contract with the outsourcing company that will cover the details of the service that they will be providing. Anything not covered in the contract will be the basis for you to pay additional charges. I think there are other ways to save money or improve services is to cut services or increase taxes than outsourcing of jobs to foreign countries.

The Increasing Scientific Interest on the Importance of Human Sleep Dissertation

The Increasing Scientific Interest on the Importance of Human Sleep - Dissertation Example Sleep is defined as an altered awareness wherein the human body or the body of the organism that sleeps is in a different physical and psychological state as when it is awake. This can be attributed to the variation of the electrophysiological activity during sleeping as well as during the waking hours.Sleep is one of the most interesting subject matter in the field of scientific and social research. The research had been undertaken to explore the different topics and issues about sleep and ultimately present and discuss the importance of sleep for the human body. Due to the fact that sleeping is part of the daily activity of the human body, it had been given great attention in the medical, scientific and social researchers in the past few years due to the important role that it holds specifically in the proper functioning and health of the body. The main aim of the research then is to explore the meaning and mechanism of sleep so as to have a clearer picture as to why sleep is impor tant in the human existence. The main objective of the study is to define and explore the different aspects of sleep and to present the new advances in the results of the researchers and studies related to the topic. Specifically, there are individual objectives that will serve as the guiding outline of the research which is as follows: 1.To define the meaning of sleep which includes the mechanism and the different stages of sleep 2.To define one of the products of sleeping which is the dream and to discuss the mechanism of how dream works.

Succession Planning and Management in Governmental IT Organizations Dissertation - 1

Succession Planning and Management in Governmental IT Organizations - Dissertation Example It employed the use of three questionnaires to assess the provincial Government’s SPM structure, staff members assessment of current leaders who are products of the present SPM process and to test the applicability of the new process. Two hundred and forty participants participated in the Survey, participants included Human Resources Personnel, staff members from the different Ministries in the State and managers. Analysis of data was done using simple percentages . Survey results of the experiment indicates that even though Alberta Government has an SPM structure in place as it is uncommon with other State Governments; the structure has not really produced leaders with the desired management and leadership skills to develop the succession candidates; study also suggests that the current Alberta process is not really suited to the complexities of the IT organizations. The study therefore developed a process of SPM based on Ley 2002’s and Whittmore 2006 approach to SPM w hich includes eight elements altogether and the process tested. Results show that th

The Klondike Gold Rush Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Klondike Gold Rush - Research Paper Example The Klondike gold rush ended in 1899 after the discovery of another gold mine in Nome. The trade had a very remarkable impact to the economic and social conditions of people who resided in Seattle and Washington States. 2 The cultural beliefs were totally altered by the trade due to the introduction of foreign beliefs and ideologies. The economic input of the trade in these two states was equally significant. The essay below focuses on the outputs and benefits of gold trade to the Seattle and Washington state. Economic and Social Impact The Klondike gold mine changed the ways of living as well as the economic conditions of the people who resided in Seattle and by large the Washington state. The trade led to the development and growth of timber market in the Seattle state. The ship industry in the Seattle state expanded due to the increase in the number of traders who used ships to commute to Alaska.3The trade also led to the immigration of people to Seattle from North of Columbia bet ween the 1850s and 1860s. In 1850s, the gold rush to the Fraser River brought many California people to the North West, which led to the establishment of the mining industry that supplied gold to merchant in Victoria, Seattle, and Vancouver. It is the Klondike gold trade that led to the development of railway network in the Seattle state. As a result, the development of the railway network in Seattle was the facilitating factor which led to the development and growth of fish, timber, and wheat industries in the Northern part of the country. Additionally, the large number of immigrants to the area led to the immense development of the state. 4 As a result of discovery of gold rush trade in Klondike, the chamber of commerce of Seattle state met to discuss how to benefit from the trade. They planned to promote the state to an outfit center for the Northern goldfield. They formed a panel to advertise the state to the gold traders as well as other interested traders. The bureau was also mandated with the responsibility of encouraging local traders to join the trade for the benefit of the state. There was a huge campaign to inform the gold traders that Seattle was the only gate way to Alaska. The campaign has a very positive outcome because the Seattle state managed to attract more than three quarters of the gold seekers into their stores. Within the first three months of the trade, more than 15000 miners were using the Seattle resources in their trade. 5 The other business persons who operated in Seattle sold meat, clothes, and dried fruits to gold seekers. The city buildings and infrastructures also benefited from the gold trade. The houses, hotels, and other residential houses were overbooked by gold traders. This led to the construction of more houses to accommodate the traders. More job opportunities were created by increasing numbers of hotels, restaurants, and other related businesses. There was increase in the amount of money which was circulating in the Sea ttle state. In 1987, the state was trading with approximately $36 million. This increased to $ 68 million in 1898 and in 1899, the amount of money which were operating in Seattle rose to over$100 million. 6 In 1898, the Seattle chamber of commerce decided to increase the trade benefit by establishing an assay office. The idea was to help the state benefit from

British Literature Essay Example for Free

British Literature Essay Literature is one of the most effective ways to protest against the society, iniquities in this society. From early times writers and poets used rhythms and stories for ridiculing the upper class of a society. Why do poets use poems to tell about social injustices? The answer is simple. This way a poet can catch and hold the reader’s attention, his emotions. Usually poets in their works present facts in order to capture attention of many people. These are not new facts that are presented to an audience. From early times poets used the words effectively to make people think about the situation and make want them to act in order to change the present state of things. Poets and writers know the exact words and phrases that can influence people’s attitude to this or that situation so that they start acting. Poems are always aimed to reach feelings of people and thus, to pull strings. Literature of every state shows all the complexity of every epoch. When the situation is the same at several countries, it has a worldwide significance. Before talking about poetry, we should answer the question: What is poetry? Poetry is a special way of describing situations, things, ideas, feelings. Poets present their ideas in short phrases. They use rhythm to emphasize their feelings and ideas. Besides, a poet can appeal to reader’s emotions via poems. That is why a poem is easily remembered. A poem can be compared to a photograph as it reflects real life, real situations and feelings. In a poem a poet captures the exact moment and represents it the way he/she has seen it. When you read a poem you see the poet’s subjective evaluation of facts, situations and the epoch in general. Poets of Romantic Movement wrote their poems to share their feelings. They wrote to help people understand their time from the poet’s point of view. This paper is about Romantic Movement in Great Britain. It is devoted to William and Dorothy Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lord Byron, William Blake, Robert Burns, Mary Wollstonecraft and Joanna Baillie who became a radical group in British literature of their epoch. In the paper special attention is paid to the use of lyric poetry (ballads) and blank verse in poetry of the nineteenth century. British poetry. â€Å"The poem on the page is only a shadow of the poem in the mind. And the poem in the mind is only a shadow of the poetry and the mystery of the things of this word.†    Stanley Kunitz Before analyzing the British poetry of the nineteenth century it is necessary to mention the changes in political, industrial, scientific and cultural spheres of life of that time and caused the changes in British literature having challenged the standards of form and structure in poetry. From 1776 the American and French Revolutions and later the Industrial Revolution astounded Great Britain and Europe and caused disturbances among people. In the second half of the century Charles Darwin published Origins of Species and The Descent of Man that caused the revolution in scientific thought. This was an unrest period and people were forced to evaluate their values and beliefs again. There is no wonder that the British poets changed their world outlook. The first stage of Romanticism in English literature began in 1790s. William Blake was the first major poet who reacted to these changes. His poems were far from standard patterns. The poetry of Blake is characterized by long, unrhymed lines, a steady interplay of opposites (Damrosch 458). A metaphor can be found in titles of Blake’s works. For instance, his series of poems: Songs of Innocence in 1789 and Songs of Experience in 1794; The Marriage of Heaven and Hell etc. Blake believed that opposites are integral parts of life. He wrote about things that we too often forget making the reader look at events from another point of view. Blake tried to use the joy of words. He used figurative language to describe things in an unusual, in a completely new way breaking down the traditions in poetry of his time. Blake’s beginnings were supported by the efforts of William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. They have written a collection of poems, anonymously authored, famous for its poems and its preface, entitled Lyrical Ballads in 1798. In the preface a poet deems that poems must regard ‘situations from life’ in ‘the everyday language’. Wordsworth describes poetry as ‘the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings’. This expression was the manifesto of the Romantic Movement in poetry presenting revolutionary idea for that time. Moreover, the poet emphasizes on the avoidance of artificial poetic style. He believes language must be understandable and enjoyable for ordinary people. Lyrical Ballads is one of the most significant books which became a major change in the history of English poetry (Damrosch 462). Poems from the collection are written in simple, everyday language. They are concentrated on the appreciation of the power of nature, examination of human personality, inner feelings, emotions and thought with an emphasis on imagination. Lyrical Ballads starts from Coleridge’s long poem Rime of the Ancient Mariner and continues with poems manifesting the nature appreciation, the superiority of emotions and feelings over reason. The romance emphasizes individuality, beauty of nature contrasting to formality and artificiality of the standards in poetry of that epoch. A collection contains Tintern Abbey, The Idiot Boy and other controversial poems of Wordsworth written in everyday language. Poets used an every day language before, thus, they did not use it so that they broke down the rules and standards. Samuel Taylor Coleridge is famous for marvelous The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and the ‘conversation poems’, for example, Frost at Midnight and This Lime-Tree Bower My Prison, as well as for his unfinished works Christabel and Kubla Khan, which is like an obsession that haunts your mind (Damrosch 466). Dorothy Wordsworth, William’s sister, is an English prose writer. Her famous Alfoxden Journal and invaluable Gramere Journals were published in 1897. Her works are full of imagination while describing nature and personalities of unusual qualities. Dorothy’s prose is sudden, clear and natural. You may disagree with her ideas or conclusions. However, the writer could possibly say that it is enough that a reader reflects on her ideas. William Wordsworth wrote many short poems which were aimed at breaking down neoclassical verse. He included new poems in the second edition of the collection – The Brothers and Michael. In his works the author tries to speak about life truthfully sharing his feelings with a reader. Sometimes they share ideas, sometimes – a question. These poems and marvelous lyrics were written in his great decade. Thus, the most famous poem of William Wordsworth is his autobiographical philosophical poem The Prelude. This is a spiritual autography in which the author puts questions of philosophical value, about the purpose of his existence, of his value as a poet. In this work William Wordsworth is the major hero. The author places imagination on the first place among human talents. This work is better to call an epic as it consists of 8000 lines and is separated into 14 books (Damrosch 471). It is necessary to mention Joanna Baillie, a poet and dramatist. She wrote plays in verse which were highly appreciated. However, she is famous largely for her first published work, a collection of lyrics Fugitive Verses in 1790. Another talented English writer is Mary Wollstonecraft. She is famous for her works about equality of women concerning education and social life. Mary Wollstonecraft was a member of a radical group together with William Blake and later William Wordsworth. All her life Mary Wollstonecraft remained a passionate defender of women rights. In her works she was bringing up a fulmination against social inequality of women. She wrote Thoughts on the Education of Daughters in 1787 and A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, which contains a fulmination and a plea concerning equality for women, in 1792. The second stage of Romanticism began in 1805 and was marked by appreciation of history value, attention to origins, to works of Renaissance time. One of the most noted poets of the second stage is George Gordon, Lord Byron. He put the poet in the central place and spoke about imagination in his works (Damrosch 458). Romantic Movement reached its high point of art in the works of Byron. In his poems he emphasizes the individual feelings, emotions of a person, not of several ones; expression of feeling opposes to morality and value of nature to a state. The works of Byron are unique and brilliant, his poetry is an outstanding event connected with the Epoch of Romanticism. When an artist puts paint on canvas, he/she attentively traces shapes and colours for attaining a needful effect. The same Byron does when he writes a poem – he arranges words so that a poem is simple and comprehensible. Byron uses language in unusual way: he chooses words for sound and meaning. He carefully selects and arranges each word to achieve the desirable sound and effect. His major hero is a romantic person who is out of the society. In his poems the author raises the question of immortality. Besides, his works are notable for their flippancy. In 1820s there was a third stage of Romanticism that spread romantic ideas in literature worldwide (Damrosch 458). Summarizing, the Romantic Movement in Britain has three stages; every of stages is famous for poets and their works. At this time poets broke with tradition and tried the relaxed rhythms, everyday language and imagination in their poems. Conclusion. The paper briefly analyzes the three stages of Romantic Movement in Great Britain in general and poets who contributed greatly to the poetry of their country in a more detailed way. Besides, the paper analyzes the peculiarities of literature of that epoch. Having examined the works of William and Dorothy Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lord Byron, William Blake, Robert Burns, Mary Wollstonecraft and Joanna Baillie, it is clear it was a new generation of poets in the British literature. References: Damrosch D., Wolfson S. J., Manning P. J. (2005). The Longman Anthology of British Literature, Volume 2A: The Romantics and Their Contemporaries, Longman, 3rd Edition, 1120pp.

Part Gender Discrimination Plays In Career Development Sociology Essay

Part Gender Discrimination Plays In Career Development Sociology Essay As defined by Ambassador, F. J, Gender is a concept that refers to a system of roles and relationships between women and men that are determined, not by biology but by the social, political and economic context. The socially determined differences between men and women are referred to as gender, whilst the biologically determined characteristics are referred to as sex. An important distinction between gender and sex is all that women and men do, and all that is expected of them, apart from their distinct sexual function (child bearing and breast feeding, provision of sperm, impregnation) which changes with time and varied social and cultural factors (Ambassador F. J. B, 2007). As defined by Wikipedia on the other hand, Discrimination is a sociological term referring to the treatment taken towards or against a person of a certain group in consideration based solely on class or category. It refers to the actual behaviour portrayed by an individual, group of individuals or society towards another. And basically involves the denial of one group from opportunities and rights that are available to other groups. There are varied forms of discrimination, but any form of discrimination involves the exclusion of one group from the other Wikipedia, The free encyclopaedia, (http;//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discrimination). Determined patterns of behaviour such as rights, obligations, and prerogatives assigned to females and males in society are referred to as gender roles. They differ with time, place and from one society to another. Gender roles are constructed on the stereotype such as; Men are better than women; Men are cleverer than women; Mens works are more valuable than womens work; Women are weak and dependent; Men are strong and independent; Furthermore, as culture is dynamic and socioeconomic situation change over time, so gender patterns change with them. What women and men do can radically changed as a result of war, famine or disaster. Gender does not address people but issues, issues such as relationships, roles, characteristics, differences and social expectations (Ambassador F. J. B, 2007, Abram, S. 2002). According to Ambassador F. J. B, (2007) , Gender issues in development concerns division of labour, inequality in access to resources, inputs and benefits. The questions to be asked are: Is there parity? Is access open to all? Is it close to some? Gender inequality is a development problem which refers to relations of power (between rich and poor, between women and men) that prevents equitable development and the participation of all. As a result, development moves at a slow pace, conflict, lack of interest, disunity, poor participation, opinion sharing becomes limited and there is a setback in society. The main concern about gender issues in development is the actions required to correct the imbalance between men and women. Gender issues are therefore not about womens participation or womens development per se. In the broader sense, they are about addressing imbalance in society. It is an important planning tool. The gender analysis of who does what or who controls what can assist p lanners in closing the gender gap since in planning the issue at stake is that of power relationship or power sharing (Ambassador F. J. B, 2007, Abram, S. 2002) . According to Ambassador F. J. B, (2007), a gender perspective looks not at women alone but at the relationship between women and men and how societies are structure along gender lines. It is concerned with: Womens involvement concerns, needs and aspirations as well as those for men; The impact of policies, plans and projects on women, men and children; Assessing to who the benefits accrue and in what ways, Financial and other qualitative and quantitative benefits may be assessed; The whole process of gender planning. According to Stuart Malkin, gender discrimination as the name implies, is a form of bias that is hurtful and to a great extent, it is as destructive as any other form of bias. In his Ezine article, Stuart Malkin stated that women and men are not created equal; they each have their God given strengths, focused on their responsibilities for procreation and family viability . These differences according to him are difficult to dismiss but are certainly not the cause for gender discrimination in the workplace in particular and society in general (http;//enzinearticle.com/?Gende-Bias-GenderDiscrimination-Gender-Equalityid=14755). Discrimination on the other is defined by Wikipedia as a term generally used by sociologists to refer to the treatment taken towards or against a person of a certain group in consideration based solely on class or category. It refers to a behaviour pattern portrayed by one group which involves excluding or restricting other group members from opportunities available them. There are various forms of discrimination, but all forms a virtually speaking the same language of rejection or exclusion (Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia (http;//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discrimination) 1.2 Statement of the problem. Women form the largest single sector of the population in the United Kingdom but yet form the minority group in the attainment of leadership roles in the labour force. For decades, women across the board have been battling against inequality between men in a bid to bridge the labour force gap, and yet face some form of gender discrimination in the workplace that limit their challenge to attain higher level management roles. The perception about womens recognition were based on stereotypical assumptions and prejudice such as; womens achievement was to a great extent attributed to luck or effort rather than the ability to perform, men are cleaver than women; Men are strong and independent; Women are weak and dependent; and a vast majority of people had the notion that child bearing and house maintenance are predominantly a womans social roles and responsibilities. Such perceived assumptions resulted to the vast majority of competent women that have excellence potential to stagnate in j ob assignments that lack challenge. Moreover, unlike men, women over the years have limited legal, political and economic rights which largely increased their dependency on men for financial and other means of support (Lyness and Thomson, 1997). However, with the advent of equal employment opportunity legislations and the formation of the Gender and career Development-UK, and the Equal Opportunity Commissions to enforce and implement these legislations in practice and promote equal opportunity, womens rights are now protected by law against any form of discrimination in the work place that tend to limit or restrict their aspirations and career advancement opportunities as well as enabling them to overcome prejudice. Even though women to a certain extent have experienced a positive change in their social status due to employment equality legislations and law enforcement, there is certainty among women as well as the ethnic minority that discrimination and inequality still exist in some form. A good number of women and ethnic minority group face artificial barriers in establishments that deter them from making the best use of their knowledge, skills and abilities to ascend the career lather. Unlike men, there is considerable number of occupations or positions that appeared impossible for women to attain. Therefore, the vast majority of women in the UK labour force are represented in middle and low managerial positions with less decision making, whilst senior level management and important decision making positions are held by men. It is because of this gender gap and imbalance in society that has brought the idea to investigate about the eminent barriers that prevent women from career advancement. 1.3 The Purpose of the Study This research study is an attempt to examine the part gender discrimination play in career development; a case study of maternity returners in the UK legal Profession. Therefore in this research study, career development in maternity returners is being evaluated and compared with the career development in men. From the aspect of career development in maternity returners in the UK legal profession especially in the area of promotion, the present literature suggests an incomplete attempt to identify and resolve the barriers women face in career development in the workplace. Therefore, this research study is an attempt to bridge those gaps in the present literature regarding the obstacles (barriers) women especially maternity returners experience within the UK legal profession. Successful identification and examination of these barriers will form a unique benchmark for recommendation in order to create a viable society that is discrimination free and thus create a frame work for career development of maternity returners in the UK legal profession. Research studies conducted by Killham et al (2005) concluded that present day organisations recognise the importance of developing women leaders for the twenty first century (Killhan, Hookah, and McCarty, 2005). ONeill (2005) highlighted that for any organisation to thrive and succeed in the future depends largely on their success in helping women leaders succeed. Although there appeared to be an increase in the proportion of women in the labour force according to Killham et al, 2005, an attempt to hire and retain this accelerating pool of talent requires the ability of organisations to identify and mitigate the potential threats women face in these establishments, and the ability of these establishments to meet the developmental needs of the said talent pool. A greater dexterity is achieved in every particular staff in establishments that target and successfully develop this increasing pool of talent, and hence achieve a comparative advantage over other establishments in attracting and retaining highly skilled and talented staff (killham, Hookhah, and McCarty, 2005). Recent research with regards to the glass ceiling suggested that Gender discrimination in career development have negative implications in the development of society in general and organisations in particular (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_ceiling). Although issues surrounding gender discrimination has been a part of the UK government and organisational policies and are tackled with unique legislations within the frame work of developing future leaders, research targeting the barriers to career development of maternity returners in the UK legal profession are yet to be examined and addressed. The findings from the investigation of the barriers to career development of maternity returners in the UK legal profession will serve to mitigate the rising problems of women stagnating in lower managerial positions (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_ceiling). The gap in the research related to across gender relationships, which is typical of an organisation such as the UK legal profession where the vast majority of the senior positions are held by males, prompted the need to examine the specific limitations that deter women (maternity returners) from attaining senior positions as their male counterpart. The study seeks to fill some of the major gaps in the present literature by providing a frame work that addresses the barriers to career development in women, especially maternity returners. 1.4 Significance of the study The significance of this research study can be viewed based on the following reasons; There is a minute fraction of women in leadership positions that can be looked upon as role models. The conduct of this research study is to assist the UK legal profession in achieving better organisational performance through the reduction or otherwise elimination of gender discrimination barriers in order to enable women attain their desired objectives. Women to a great extent are playing a vital and diverse role within the UK legal profession. 1.5 Objectives of the study The ultimate objective of the present study is to investigate the likelihood of women to gain promotion on return from maternity. The immediate objectives are as follows; To examine the frequency of promotion; To examine potential barriers to development; To examine the utility of gender based initiatives; To examine justice perception. To evaluate the quality of work ; To examine the skills and qualifications acquired; To examine the length of service; To examine employee development and gender discrimination; 1.6 Justification of the Study 1.6.1 Lost Productivity: In an establishment where gender discrimination is prevalent, there is every tendency for competent employees with excellent potential to remain in-situ in non-challenging job positions. This to a great extent can lead to lost productivity and will result to the employee seeking for another job elsewhere. This to a great extent can lead to lost productivity and will result to the employee seeking for another job elsewhere. In most cases, the most competent employees are denied of adequate training, not considered for promotions and are denied of raises based on gender. The employees that face this type of discrimination often become dissatisfied and hence in most cases result in lost productivity. On a daily bases, employees who feel they are less appreciated or inadequately compensated will not give their best to the job but may rather spend paid work time on unrelated job activities like gossiping with co-workers about labour practices that seem unfair or j ob hunting, to name but a few. When employees feel they are been discriminated against at work, and are unable to find an immediate positive remedy, can increase their anxiety, increase dependence or result to substance abuse and cause depression. Company sick leave increase as a result, and can cause work to be limited and hence result to lost productivity (Julia, F, 2010). 1.6.2 Trained Personnel Leave: If trained and competent personnel do not see growth opportunities, they will eventually leave the company, thereby creating a void or gap that needs to be filled. Though employees are replaceable, it requires time and money to train one. Moreover, it requires a great deal of time to enable a new employee to develop a level of efficiency or productivity that is equal to that held by a previous experienced employee. By having to spend this additional time and money to train and develop new employees means lost production and increased work hours, and hence the profit potential of the company is reduced (Julia, F, 2010). 1.6.3 Decreased Profits: Lawsuits, public chiding and sanctions may arise as a result of discrimination at workplace. Dealing with issues surrounding these lawsuits and sanctions may lead to a considerable drain in company resources. These drained resources are sometimes more than just monetary. Attending hearing sessions and working on negotiations may require experienced personnel which tend to take expertise away from the company leaving the gap either void or less qualified personnel may need to tentatively fill the gap and hence production is at stake. The company can lose customer confidence if lawsuits become public knowledge. There is every tendency that customers may result to taking their business elsewhere and highly qualified personnel may seek for jobs elsewhere. This will ultimately cause the company to lose potential profits (Julia, F, 2010). 1.6.4 Lack of Team Work: Gender discrimination can cause employees to have a different perception about the job and hence working together as a team becomes ineffective in the workplace. This is more so when an employee realises that there are differences (parity) in compensation with his co-employee who has less responsibility, and yet received a better compensation because of gender. When asked to work together on a team project, the employee being discriminated against may not give his or her best. As a result, the individuals expertise and abilities are lost (Julia, F, 2010). 1.7 Research Questions. 3. LITERATURE REVIEW The focus of this research study is an attempt to examine what part does gender discrimination play in career development? A case study of maternity returners in the United Kingdom legal profession. The literature in this research is focused entirely on two broad categories; viz-a-viz gender discrimination and career development; and how gender discrimination affect potential career attainment of employees in establishments in particular and society in general. Women across the board are been discriminated at various fronts. Even though a lot has been done to bridge the gap on gender discrimination through Government legislation and organisational policies, there is yet more to be investigated and resolved in order to achieve the desired impact in development. Gender Discrimination in career development and attainment of leadership roles is a major concern facing women in organisations in the United Kingdom; and is the principal factor that causes women over the years to lag behind in the advancement to higher levels in most organizations ( ). A lot of research has been done on gender discrimination and the effect it has on the development of society. These include a comparative study conducted by the gender and career development-UK 2005/6, and the glass ceiling effect that examined the issue of gender and carer development and examine the continuing restrictions or limitations to achieving equality of opportunity in career development in the United Kingdom. This was a labour force survey conducted by the National Office for statistics (Labour force Survey Table 19 http://www.statistics.gov.uk). This is reflected on the data illustrated in table 1. The data suggests that female employees are less likely to gain managerial positions due to reasons yet undiscovered which this case study is attempting to investigate. The data (on segregation and mobility) below is taken from the Labour Force Survey published by the National Office for Statistics. Table 1. All in employment by socio-economic classification (%) Total Higher Managerial Lower Managerial Intermediate Small employer and own business Lower supervisory Semi-routine Routine All 28,812 14.4 28.5 12.3 9.9 10.7 14.3 10 Male 15,524 18.8 24.7 6.2 13.6 14.2 10.5 12.2 Female 13,288 9.3 32.9 19.4 5.5 6.7 18.8 7.4 Source: Labour Force Survey Table 19 http://www.statistics.gov.uk/ (Extracted, Table 2. Part time and temporary workers by socio-economic classification. Total Higher Managerial % Lower Managerial % Intermediate % Small employer and own business % Lower supervisory % Semi-routine % Routine % All 7,324 5.9 21.9 17.3 9.1 6.1 26.7 13 Male 1,996 10 19.3 7.1 19 6.1 21.2 17.3 Female 5,655 4.9 22.5 19.7 6.7 6.1 28.1 12 Source: NOS Table 21 http://www.statistics.gov.uk/ The Gender and career development -UK is working with employers and professional institutes to tackle the structured barriers that tend to deter women from working in certain SET profession. The focus of recent research has been on the glass ceiling effect that impedes the career development of women in the attainment of leadership roles. The situation is referred to as ceiling as there is a limitation blocking upward advancement, and glass (transparent) because the limitation is not immediately apparent and is normally an unwritten and an unofficial policy. The current research study is an attempt to examine the part that gender discrimination play in career development; a case study of maternity returners in the legal profession (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_ceiling). However, a comprehensive research conducted by Kathrine et al (1979) discovered that in principle there appeared a clear path of promotion, but in reality women seem to face impeding factors that limit or retard their career development path. Most women in the labour force cultivated this concept of career development limiting factors, and refused to penetrate and progress beyond these limits. Some authors refer to this situation as the glass ceilin. It is called Ceiling because there appeared to be a limitation or barrier blocking career advancement, and glass (transparent) because the barrier is not immediately apparent and is normally and unwritten and unofficial policy. To a greater extent, this apparent barrier continues to exist in an invisible nature; and is mainly targeted at women in a bid to prevent them from acquiring jobs at the top level. Since it is unlawful to discriminate by any means such as this, organisations tend to avoid outlining job specifications based on gend er discrimination on job adverts as Equal Employment Opportunity laws deter organisations from discriminating as thus. However, establishments exercise career development discriminatory barriers in a form invisible to the target group and would not accept responsibility if suspected of such act of discrimination. In many cases, establishments tend to use indirect form of gender discriminations to justify their actions. This limiting barrier of glass ceiling deters a considerable number of women from reaching and securing potentially lucrative and prestigious jobs in the labour force. This apparent and invisible barrier to a greater extent instills the concept of women feeling inferior, unworthy and lacks the confidence to aspire and secure positions of high ranks. The author further noted that this invisible barrier gives women the feeling that their bosses do not take them seriously by all means or do not see them as potential candidates for jobs of greater responsibility (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_ceiling). However, Carly Fiorina proclaimed that there is nothing that appears like a glass ceiling that prevents women from reaching the top upon becoming Chief Executive Officer and chairwoman of the board of HP. Upon completion of her tenure in office, she called her earlier statement a dumb thing to say. In an article written by Rebecca Traister (The truth about Carly, 2009), gave the idea behind Carlys statement (dumb thing to say) meaning that women shouldnt fixate on an invisible barrier thats going to get their way, they should focus on possibilities. (http://www.salon.com/life/feature/2006/10/19/carly_fiorina). As the name implies, glass ceiling is a term that many schools of thought used to describe the perceived barrier to career development (advancement) in most employment establishments and government parastatals due to gender or sex discrimination. The Glass Ceiling Commission in the United States, a government-funded group, provided significant findings regarding the persistence in gender discrimination in the industrial sector and service company employment. The commission presented a statistical analysis in the above mentioned sector employment status. As cited by the commission Over half of all Masters degrees are now awarded to women, yet 95% of senior-level managers, of the top fortune 1000 industrial and 500 service companies are men. In that light the commission recommended a reverse discrimination in a bid to end this form of discrimination. The recommendations strictly reflect hiring and promotional decisions and must not be based on gender perspectives but rather on qualification and experience of employees (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_ceiling). In another development, the United Nations presented a comprehensive literature in 2006 on account of women and the glass ceiling. Significant findings from the said research study suggested that the rate at which women around the Globe attain leadership and decision making position remains far too slow, and the fortunate ones underwent a deal of struggle to penetrate and break through the glass ceiling. As cited by Rachel Mayanja (Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues), The past ten years have seen the fastest growth in the number of women in parliaments, yet even at this rate, parity between women and men in parliaments will not be reached until 2040. (http://www.un.org/women.watch/daw/csw/50sess.htm), (http://www.un.org/women.watch/feature/iwd/2006/press releaseIWD8march.pdf). Ruderman et al provided an insight on how existing promotional norms can be investigated and challenged within organisations. His findings presented a comprehensive case analysis of decisions regarding promotion in an organisation.  This research study depicted cases where there  were some variations in the pattern of promotions of men and women.  As cited by Ruderman et al, one key difference was when decision makers spoke about promotions of men they often (75% of cases) mentioned a high level of comfort with the candidate.   For women the key issue was continuity where the person promoted should already have an intimate knowledge of part of the new job.   According to Ruderman et al, managers seem to have some amount of hesitation in promoting women as they require them to demonstrate personal strength, and being able to prove themselves extensively before a promotion is made.   Men on the other hand are less likely to have their promotion accounted for in terms of fam iliarity with job responsibilities. Conger, S. (2002) provided a justifiable argument for the formation of a career development culture as a means (among others) of addressing disproportionate numbers of women and other target groups at lower levels. The development of an organisation depends greatly on its career development culture as it helps in addressing the key organisational aspects of productivity, competitiveness, affirmative action, and succession planning. It gives employees the ability to redefine their talents to realize the full potential of their jobs. This can be achieved by supervision and appraisal, and organizing a system of mentorship. A managed career development culture can be rewardfull to the employee in particular and the establishment in general. Moreover, Congers argument offers the means to accomplish the reasons why both management and workers want a career development culture.  In another development, Conger developed five strategies which employees need to recognise, create and follow a s career opportunities which are beyond the scope of this research (Conger, S. 2002). According to Eagly et al (2007), there are a host of limiting factors that stop or prevent women from advancing to or aspiring for senior level positions which include domestic obligations and child caring, disparity in pay and resistance to womens leadership, and suggestions were offered to organisations on account of career development in women (advancing women into higher-level roles). Establishments that handle and manage work and work related (employee family) issues well, and do not discriminate against pregnant or potentially pregnant employees, have a greater tendency to attract and retain the talented staff and at the same time enabling them especially the female staff to reach their full potential and hence greater dexterity in every particular employee is attained. As a result, a high degree of return to work rate for women after maternity leave is expected. According to McMaster, F (2005), the rate of returns (benefits) from developing women returners into leadership roles is significant. This was an approach taken by IBM Asia Pacific in relation to workplace flexibility. A statistical analysis drawn by the Australian Bureau of statistics, suggested that an estimated number of 118 Australians return to paid work when their child is aged 6 months or even younger. In a bid to work in accordance with National Health and Medical Research Council recommendations of exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months and World Health Organisation recommendations for ongoing breastfeeding to two years and beyond, workplace support is crucial (http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/mfwp.html). As cited by Creagh et al (1998), three case studies were drawn from Sweden, Italy and the UK regarding flexible work practices. In their research, they were able to explore the advantages and disadvantages for both employers and employees. The research analysis suggested that flexible work practices can yield positive outcome if the required basic steps are followed. According to Sheridan et al (2000), a Human Resource Management model was developed and intended to be used to bridge the gap between employer and employee needs with regards to workplace flexibility. The model is intended to develop a process of change that reflects flexible work arrangements that is of mutual benefits to both employers and employees. Long term benefits can be achieved by the organisation when the full potential of the employees is realised. Kottke et al presented a paper that highlighted four key underlying processes for intervention to overcome the barriers women face in career development. These include;  Social cognitions, threat potential, justice perceptions, and how to utilise gender based initiatives.This findings suggest that an understanding of how social cognitions, perceptions of fairness, threat, and utility can individually and collectively impact the success or failure of programs to advance women, organizational leaders can develop and implement informed practices that are embraced by all members of the organization and which, consequently, further the advancement of all organizational members.These processes must be considered, followed and managed as part of the development, implementation and evaluation of initiatives targeting womens career development in a bid to achieve the desired goal.  Ã‚   Francis et al (2002) developed a paper in the construction industry that highlighted issues surrounding workers families that is equally relevant and applicable to other works of life. The paper outlined the need for the use of non-traditional management methods to cater for the increased number of women in the work force. Legal requirements and organisational performance were the reasons presented to justify why organisations should care about workers families. A number of initiatives that organisations in general can adopt and implement are then identified and described. According to Davey et al (1994), a research study was conducted that involved in depth interview of 16 women as well as completed and analysed questionnaires of a further 160 women who had taken maternity leave from one institution over an 8 year period.  The results obtained from analysis, offered an insight into who returns to work, what provisions and opportunities that encourage women to return and the benefits to the organization in providing these provisions. According to a research study conducted in Australia regarding circumstances surrounding pregnancy discrimination at work and progress to formal redress, 318 cases were explored of alleged workplace pregnancy discrimination which were reported to a community advocacy organisation