Digital Content Of Digital Media - 2877 Words

‘The term â€Å"new media† will in general refer to those digital media that are interactive, incorporate two-way communication, and involve some form of computing as opposed to â€Å"old media† such as the telephone, radio, and TV (Logan, 2010). Digital Media is a fluid term, not only is it a modern means of exchanging or distributing of information through electronic devices, but is also a constantly evolving one. This ‘information’ is known as digital content and it comes in numerous forms, which includes audio, video, texts and graphics. Typically, digital content signifies accessible data available for download such as e-books from Amazon’s ‘Kindle’ or music from ‘Google Play’. However, many in this digital content industry dispute that digital content is simply anything that can be circulated, digitally. Taking this into consideration, it’s Needless to say that for one to ‘surf the web’, he/ she will undoubtedly be viewing or listening to a chunk of digital content. When the dot-com bubble burst in Autumn 2001, it became a watershed for the history of the Internet, which led to the birth of web 2.0 and it’s evolving concepts. ‘Web 2.0 is a convergence of social and business practices rather than a technology transition’ (Sankar and Bouchard, 2009). Although this has truth behind it, there is no denying that web 2.0 imprinted a change on us, as a general public and the Internet as an innovative tool. In the beginning of the web, we utilised it as an instrument. Today, we aren tShow MoreRelatedWhat Is Digital Pr?689 Words   |  3 PagesDate: 5th of July 2011 DIGITAL PR Digital PR is the method of using the internet for promotional campaigns and spreading valuable information regarding one’s company. This term may also be referred to as Online PR. Online PR involves activities geared towards influencing media, communities and audiences that exist solely on the Internet, using online mediums. It includes search engines, blogs, news search, forums, discussion threads, social networks and other online communication tools. BrandRead MoreThe Between Mass Media And Digital Media Essay1501 Words   |  7 Pagesmultiple media forms. Broadly, convergence is the blending of multiple media forms into one platform for purposes of delivering a dynamic experience. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, media convergence can be described as a â€Å"phenomenon involving the interconnection of information and communications technologies, computer networks, and media content. It brings together the â€Å"three C’s†Ã¢â‚¬â€computing, communication, and content—and is a direct consequence of the digitization of media content and theRead MoreThe Impact Of Digital Media On The World Of Trade, Commerce, Education, And Politics1 250 Words   |  5 Pagestend to be more interested in popular trends and lean to updated elements. For example, prior to the emergence of mobile technology, people used to consume digital media contents by using their desktop or laptop computer. However, nowadays, people are using mobile phones more than any other types of devices to access any type of digital media (Small Business Authority, 2014). To exploit this trend, organizations must keep track with changing mobile technology to remain competitive. Design of responsiveRead MoreAnalysis : Tate Digital Strategy1050 Words   |  5 PagesCritial analysis of Tate Digital Strategy 2013-15. Introduction As one of the most excellent British modern museums, Tate Modern ran several digital strategies aim to creat incomes and build interactive communication with their audice. In that process, Tate proved how important that digital communication offered to museum to create and nurture an engaged arts community and to maximise the associated revenue opportunities. In the three years, Tate Modern had improvement on their incomes, howeverRead MoreThe Globalization Of Websites1284 Words   |  6 Pageswebsites and social media accounts to get information (Vision Critical, 2016). These statistics reflect a digital world, and peoples’ behaviors shed light on what marketers should put most of their focus. Studies show that organizations have made progress in the field of digital marketing over the last several years. A study conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2013 found that 99% of arts organizations in the study had their own website and that 97% had their own social media presence (Thomson,Read MoreCyber Bullying And Its Effects On Children866 Words   |  4 PagesThe Internet is another media outlet that is abundant with violent content. Studies show that 90% of American teenagers use the Internet which is vastly unregulated (Lenhart). Thus, children have easy access to pornography, websites with cruel and racist content, and real-life scenes of violence. With pornography and profanity just being a Google-search away, free, and mostly without age restrictions, children tend to develop sexual curiosity at a very young age. According to Network World Inc.Read MoreJob Security For Marketing Managers1614 Words   |  7 Pagesprojections don t give much insight into the growth of digital marketing, specifically the disciplines within digital marketing. As we know, marketing can refer to a variety of different specializations and methodologies. Since digital marketing is still relatively new compared to other fields, there is not much comprehensive research on job growth and trends in our industry. To gain a better understanding of the current state of digital marketing careers, Fractl teamed up with Moz to identifyRead MoreThe Internet And Its Effect On Society1371 Words   |  6 PagesThe introduction of the Internet to society resulted in the opportunity for people to produce, consume and share creative content. This culture of online production and consumption is bound to copyright and fair use laws. While these laws have the capacity to protect an individual’s ownership of intellectual property and creative content, they are not conducive to a vibrant culture of creativity. The Internet and its evolution of search engine engagement has cultivated an online community that canRead MoreCriticism Of Media Convergence1031 Words   |  5 PagesMedia convergence in the digital era constructs a global ‘flat earth’, allowing for interaction of old and new mediums across various media platforms. Technology has become an increasingly dominant means of communicat ion as it allows for information to be stored and shared across great distances. Flew (2005) suggests that this globalisation permissible through digital and online communication has effected cultural change. Individuals can communicate from any part of the world, irrespective of physicalRead MoreDoes Your Digital Marketing Blueprint Have The Power Influence On The Business Landscape? Essay1408 Words   |  6 PagesDoes Your Digital Marketing Blueprint Have the Power to Impact the Business Landscape? By Logan Nathan | Submitted On October 20, 2014 Recommend Article Article Comments Print Article Share this article on Facebook Share this article on Twitter Share this article on Google+ Share this article on Linkedin Share this article on StumbleUpon Share this article on Delicious Share this article on Digg Share this article on Reddit Share this article on Pinterest Expert Author Logan Nathan When clients

Franklin Delano s Inaugural Address - 1441 Words

March 4, 1933, the day Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s delivered his inaugural address to the country. A country suffering from depression, joblessness and from the fear of inevitable demise, Franklin D. Roosevelt comes to the stand and speaks words that would ring on in American history for decades to come. He first reassures the American people that he will be spear heading the problems that have besieged the nation and then exclaims the timeless phrase â€Å" There is nothing to fear but fear itself.† These words couldn’t come at a more pressing time in American history. The very essence of what America stood for was at risk and the only person that could truly stop this train from derailing into oblivion was FDR. FDR and his administration single handedly prevented the collapse of the economy, brought progressive change to the country that expanded liberty and made monumental political changes, which help sustain the U.S. from collapsing during the years of the depression through bills and programs such as the First and Second New Deal. The country that FDR inherited was in economic shambles due to the depression. Many factors lead to the depression such as poor international/national policies, unregulated financial sector and under consumption (The Great Depression: The Crash, 1929-1932, slide 4). One major factor was an ever-increasing rift amongst wealthy individuals in the U.S and the rest of the country. By 1929, a fifth of the wealthiest Americans owned more than half ofShow MoreRelatedAmerican History : Essential American Documents1353 Words   |  6 Pagesverbal. Three stand out to me: Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D Roosevelt, and Susan B Anthony. Franklin D Roosevelt s â€Å"Four Freedoms† speech and â€Å"Request for Declaration of War on Japan†, Abraham Lincoln’s â€Å"Gettysburg Address† and â€Å"Second Inaugural Address†, and Susan B Anthony’s â€Å"Women’s Right to the Suffrage†. These five speeches changed America at the time to what we have and live by today. The first, of the five, is Franklin Delano Roosevelt s â€Å"Four Freedoms† speech. â€Å"In the future days, whichRead MoreAmeric Essential American Document1356 Words   |  6 Pagesand verbal. Three stand out to me: Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D Roosevelt, and Susan B Anthony. Franklin D Roosevelt s â€Å"Four Freedoms† speech and â€Å"Request for Declaration of War on Japan†, Abraham Lincoln’s â€Å"Gettysburg Address† and â€Å"Second Inaugural Address†, and Susan B Anthony’s â€Å"Women’s Right to the Suffrage†. These five speeches changed America at the time to what we have and live by today. The first, of the five, is Franklin Delano Roosevelt s â€Å"Four Freedoms† speech. â€Å"In the future days, whichRead MoreAmeric Essential American Document1356 Words   |  6 Pagesand verbal. Three stand out to me: Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D Roosevelt, and Susan B Anthony. Franklin D Roosevelt s â€Å"Four Freedoms† speech and â€Å"Request for Declaration of War on Japan†, Abraham Lincoln’s â€Å"Gettysburg Address† and â€Å"Second Inaugural Address†, and Susan B Anthony’s â€Å"Women’s Right to the Suffrage†. These five speeches changed America at the time to what we have and live by today. The first, of the five, is Franklin Delano Roosevelt s â€Å"Four Freedoms† speech. â€Å"In the future days, whichRead MoreFdr And The Great Depression783 Words   |  4 Pageswhether we provide enough for those who have too little.† (Background) Franklin Delano Roosevelt quoted this at his second Inaugural Address on January 20th, 1937. (Explanation) Throughout his terms, FDR has had many successful outcomes during his presidency into what shapes our nation today. (Relationship) FDR progressed with many achievements to help America revive and prosper. (THESIS) The response of Franklin Delano Roosevelt s administration to the problems of The Great Depression was effectiveRead MoreEssay about Twists and Turns of the 1920s953 Words   |  4 Pages Depression Era Project. Throughout the 1920’s there were many bad times and many good times. From things like Flappers, women who began to do things that were considered â€Å"Un-lady like†, to the Stock Market crash all the way to the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 20’s and 30’s were full of twists and turns. Even the fact that Herbert Hoover, who was beloved during WWI, was beaten by newcomer Franklin D. Roosevelt was a surprise. Though, after the Stock Market had crashed FDR’s electionRead MoreNo Ordinary Time By Doris Kearns Goodwin1320 Words   |  6 Pages â€Å"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.† Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) said this famous quote at his first inaugural address, when he took one of the most important jobs in the world, becoming the president of the United States. He then went on to do what no other president had done before―be elected for more than two terms. The people elected Franklin for four consecutive terms during one of the nation’s hardest times, and he and his wife helped pull the nation to its feet. This periodRead MoreThe Great Depression By Franklin D. Roosevelt s New Deal Legislation1115 Words   |  5 PagesDepression was one of the longest and innermost economic downturn in the world of history between the years of 1929 and 1939. Also, The Great Depression led to the Federal Government having a more involved role in America s economy, this was done through the creation of Franklin D. Roosevelt s New Deal Legislation, which turned out to be effective because, he he lped the American people find more jobs, he created social security, and many more beneficial acts. On the other hand, The Great Depression hadRead MoreFranklin Delano Roosevelt Essay2497 Words   |  10 PagesFranklin Delano Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt is among the most remembered U.S. Presidents. Serving as President for more than twelve years, he was the only President to be elected four times. Roosevelt led the United States through its worst depression and its worst war. He tried his best to stay optimistic with our country and the decisions he made. In Roosevelts first inaugural address, he asked for faith in Americas future. He told the country, The only thing we have to fearRead MoreThe Great Depression : History1409 Words   |  6 Pagescaused another panic across the country. Afraid they would lose their own savings, people rushed to banks that were still open to withdraw their money. This massive withdrawal of cash caused additional banks to close. Since there was no way for a bank s clients to recover any of their savings, once the bank had closed, those who didn t reach the bank in time also became bankrupt.† history1900s.about.com/od/1930s/p/greatdepression.htm. â€Å"This way of buying stocks attracted the less wealthy. It allowedRead MoreSince The Beginning Of Times, In Every Group, Country,2047 Words   |  9 Pagesis crucial to listen and analyze the inaugural address of the person that is taking the power, because this is a preview of the government that will come next. To prove this, we are going to analyze and compare Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural speech and John F. Kennedy inaugural speech; also, how the opening speech of Barrack Obama, Franklin Roosevelt, and Ronald Reagan could define the government that followed. In Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural address, his main focus is for the United States

Revolutionary War Letter from a Patriot Free Essays

I began my journey in August under the leadership of the great General Washington after he received news that the French would join us in September. Although I was extraordinarily skeptical at first, I must admit that our former enemies have been vital to this war for independence. However, my dislike for them still holds somewhat true, being as they were always criticizing the not-as-well equipped Americans. We will write a custom essay sample on Revolutionary War: Letter from a Patriot or any similar topic only for you Order Now It seems to me that they were not here to fight for our independence, but that they were here to simply see the British lose part of their empire.I’m grateful for their help, but it irks me knowing that they were not here for the right reasons. Our regiment was stationed next to French General de Rochambeau in Rhode Island. Now I don’t know about you, but I find it quite ironic that I had to be positioned right next to the French. We then marched south in hopes that we would crush the British at Yorktown. During this march, I endured many hardships and had plenty of time to think about myself, the world, and this war. I didn’t have many friends in the army. I manly kept to myself. The French had an easier march than us, being as there always seemed to be sicker and injured people on the American side. We had such a small amount of supplies and almost no one had shoes. Morale was quite low and we had marched a very painful march. However, every night we had parties that sometimes led into the day. On September 1, 1781 we arrived in Philadelphia. I suppose British General Cornwallis was a little busy with the constant French attacks and for a second in this battle, he forgot about us. From what I had heard the French had blocked Cornwallis’s supplies and were preparing to attack. Once we heard the news we immediately celebrated (even though we had not even begun the battle). However, the French did not seem to be as jubilant as the Americans. It was then that I realized that all the French really wanted to do was win the war and go home, but that they did not think this was possible with such an inexperienced army fighting alongside them.Finally, we arrived at Yorktown on September 28. After we arrived, General Washington wasted no time in commanding us to build trenches. Our trenches took a lot of time to build but in the end it was well worth it. Mother, if you hadn’t already heard this, we won the battle! It was an easy defeat thanks to the French. We launched our attacks on October 9 and it ended on October 19. It was a ten day war that could have been merely two or three days long if it hadn’t been for Cornwallis’s tubborn hold. He seemed to be expecting to have reinforcements from General Clinton but, as you guessed they never came. In this battle I earned a newfound respect for the French. They do not always act according to our morals, but they do keep their word. They were a huge part of the Battle of Yorktown and for this, I will forever be grateful. My devotion to the American army has brought on a new sense of pride from within. I have a feeling that this nation will be great someday. Love, James How to cite Revolutionary War: Letter from a Patriot, Papers

Large families vs small families free essay sample

According to ask. com website, having a big family can be a disadvantage due to the fact that you may not get have the attention you want because there are so many people in one family, but you always have someone around. Having a small family you have no one around but you get all the attention in the world. Understanding that a family is the most important component for society worldwide, children can experience different difficulties when growing up that will affect their personalities and abilities to make them who they are later on their adulthood. Some individuals maintain that large families who have more than two children offer more rewards that are missing among smaller families who only have one or two children, whereas others claim that the advantages of a small family outweigh the benefits of a large one. Now that we comprehend the significance of a family, there are some differences between large and small families, like financial challenges, social integration, and parenting interaction are factors to be considered when deciding to have a large family or a smaller family. We will write a custom essay sample on Large families vs small families or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page One difference is the cost. To illustrate, small families require less money all around when giving their children a sense of economic stability for their performances. In contrast, the financial challenge for large families is considerable. Large families seem to struggle to provide their children a variety of opportunities affording after school activities, sports, languages, music, clothes, and toys. Despite the economic limitations of the large family, some parents decide to ignore this challenge due to their satisfaction of raising children who can play with each other, participate in outdoors activities, while stimulating the sense of benefits for the whole group. For example, going on vacations could be easier for a smaller family who can share a hotel room, and food. They can spend less money buying recreational tickets for their children, while large families might need more hotel rooms, more tickets for their children’s activities, clothes, transportation, and food, it increases the budget quickly and causes more stress rather than fun. Another difference between large and smaller families is social integration. Children’s ability to interact differs from each other within a large families. Consequently, brothers and sister in large families, although they frequently fight among themselves, also learn to share things with one another, to help their siblings when they can, and defend them from outsiders. Instead, children in a smaller family become more independent and self-sufficient. They benefit from meeting children from other families, while they share activities with their parents creating a profound family bond. In addition to financial challenges and social integration, parenting interaction differs between large and small families. For example, in large families, parenting interaction is rare to nonexistent. As a result, there is never enough time for children who learn to consider the needs of the whole family above their individualism, while not developing the sense of self. Even though large families experience rivalry among siblings, they usually remember their childhood with happiness. On the other hand, parents in smaller families focus all their affection and expectations on their children where it is less likely to have disagreements between siblings. Though parents try to pass their skills to children, it can create pressure on the individual child. In conclusion, it is important to keep in mind that whether you plan a large or smaller family, children are growing up with the same basic needs, whereas financial challenges, social integration, and parenting interaction can make a difference in regards to their opportunities to succeed in society. Both children can do just well in later life, as to if parents guide them through their childhood. Children can be as successful and happier in life, whether they grow up in larger or smaller families. They learn to share and give to each other and developed the sense of well-being.

Women in Technology Fields

Introduction As society evolves to become more dependent on science and technology for growth and development, the occupational segregation of women in the sciences relative to men, not only in terms of absolute numbers but also in terms of visibility in the upper echelons of the professions, represents a misuse of scarce human capital and continues to alarm academics, policy makers and mainstream commentators (Hatchell Aveling, 2008).Advertising We will write a custom dissertation sample on Women in Technology Fields specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More That’s good writing. As observed by a number of scholars (e.g., Huffman et al, 2010; Benson Yukongdi, 2005), it is indeed true that the gendered segregation of jobs and occupations in these critical sectors of the economy is a persistent characteristic in many labour markets globally, and is the proximate foundation of many forms of gender inequality. An extensive and well es tablished literature documents the destructive outcomes of gendered occupational segregation in science and technology fields (Deem, 2007), which include lower wages, expansive income disparities, fewer promotions, and less significant wage increases (Schweitzer et al, 2011). The worrying trend being replicated in nearly all economies worldwide is that although more women are being absorbed in the fields of science and technology than ever before, they persist to be considerably outnumbered by their male counterparts (Jones, 2010; Bhatia Amati, 2010). It is the purpose of the present study to perform a critical analysis of why women continue to be underrepresented in the telecommunication industry in Europe and Middle East. Very good start! Towards the realization of this broad objective, this section sets out to review and analyze extant literature on women’s occupational segregation in technology fields, with specific focus on the telecommunication sector in Europe and Mid dle East. The section will, among other things, analyze existing literature on women in engineering and technology fields, the dynamics of occupational segregation of women in these sectors, barriers to gendered occupation equality, and issues that need to be addressed to encourage and retain women in technology fields.Advertising Looking for dissertation on gender studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is imperative to note that due to paucity of literature on women occupational segregation in the telecommunication sector, the analysis of critical literature will assume a broader scope to encompass segregation of women in technology fields based on the rationale that the telecommunication sector is technology-oriented. Women in Technology Fields Hersh (2000) cited in Kusk et al (2007) observed that although there have been marked increases in the number of women taking up technology-oriented occupations over the last two decades, women still remain a minority in these fields in nearly all countries across the world. Indeed, according to Gillard et al (2008), as many Western technology-oriented organizations endeavour â€Å"†¦to recognize and validate difference through diversity policies, they in fact leave the power mechanisms of conformity unchallenged and intact, individualize the inequities, bypass tensions of coexistence, and actually reinforce and homogenize difference† (p. 266). In particular, these authors note that although the telecommunication and information communication technology (ICT) workforce forms fairly new professional sectors, women persistently occupy a minority of positions and gender segregation that has been well documented in many other occupations is being simulated in the telecommunication/ICT industries. Available literature demonstrate that women in telecommunication/ICT industries tend to be concentrated in particular occupational spheres, which are norma lly the lower skilled information technology (IT) jobs related to data entry, implying that women in these critical sectors of the economy comprise a marginal percentage of managerial, design, and software development personnel (Gillard et al, 2008). Yet, according to Bystydzienski (2004), as increasing numbers of women get absorbed into the telecommunication/ICT professions, not only are they faced with a slump in salaries, status, and working conditions but they also have to contend with the domain of masculinity that is well entrenched in these sectors. In other words, men still dictate access to, and advancement in, paid employment in telecommunication/ICT fields (Benson Yukongdi, 2005; Hafkin Huyer, 2007).Advertising We will write a custom dissertation sample on Women in Technology Fields specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Trends in various countries and regions Trends in the United States According to a report released by t he U.S. Department of Labour (2005) cited in Oswald (2008), women currently make up approximately 50% of the total workforce, but they continue to be segregated in many occupations, particularly in engineering and technology-oriented occupations. This gendered occupational segregation, it seems, has its roots in the educational achievements of women. A report completed in 2007 by the National Science Foundation also cited in Oswald (2008) revealed that â€Å"†¦women earned only 29% of the bachelor’s degrees in math and computer science, 21% of the degrees in engineering, and 42% of the bachelor’s degrees in physical science† (p. 196). These disciplines form the foundation for a career trajectory in the telecommunication field. Available literature demonstrates that leading women engineers and ICT experts in the United Sates are regularly burdened with concerns about not being taken seriously, perceived non-performance, exclusionary social dynamics, reliance on hostile workmates or seniors, and excessive pressure to imitate the male paradigm of doing science (Etzkowitz et al, 2010). Such experiences, according to these authors, not only obstruct interpersonal relationships but frustrate the women’s capacity to reach their full potential, no matter how able or talented they are. A survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labour cited in Coder et al (2009) indicates that while women made up an estimated 43% of the information technology (IT) workforce in 1983, the percentage dropped to a paltry 26 % in 2008 in spite of the fact that the total IT workforce had more than doubled for the indicated period. Trends in United Kingdom Sappleton Takrui-Rick (2008) posit that â€Å"†¦despite 30 years of equality legislation, women in science, engineering and technology in the U.K. remain severely underrepresented† (p. 284). Indeed, the U.K. has one of the highest levels of gendered occupation segregation in the European Union, pa rticularly in science, engineering and technology domains. Available statistics contained in a report by the Engineering Council UK (2004) cited in Sappleton Takrui-Rick (2008) â€Å"†¦suggest that only 8% of those employed in engineering work and 15% of those employed in information, communication, and technology (ICT) work in the U.K. are female† (p. 285).Advertising Looking for dissertation on gender studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Current trends, however, demonstrate that organizations are increasingly realizing the intrinsic benefit of encouraging and retaining women in these fields though tangible results are yet to be achieved (Bhatia Amati, 2010). The limited success of intervention strategies aimed at achieving equal gender representation in these fields, according to Sappleton Takrui-Rick (2008), can be partially accredited to the fact that, after â€Å"getting in,† certain influences obstruct women in the U.K. from â€Å"staying on† and â€Å"getting on† in the sectors in parity with their male counterparts. In a recently concluded case study on network engineer training programs in Britain running the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) module, it was demonstrated that career openings commensurate with their skills were substantially restricted for women employees in general, but particularly so for women single parents (Gillard et al, 2008). A study conductad by Franzway(2 009), found that a large number of men are attracted to technical training programmes and courses. A study conducted by Hafkin Taggart (2001) cited in Gillard et al (2007) found that employers in the UK were reluctant to recruit women CCNA programmers and instructors ostensibly because women are poorly qualified and lack fundamental work experience. Indeed, according to Gillard et al (2008), the â€Å"†¦employers frequently maintained that not only were the supposed physical and computational demands of the job too exacting but that it was too risky to permit inexperienced personnel to tinker with the vital network infrastructure† (p. 272). Preferring to recruit men, this unconcealed stereotyped discrimination in expertise recognition has also been experienced by female telecommunication engineers and network administrators in other parts of the world, with job advertisements for telecommunication/ICT professionals frequently specifying male job applicants (Gillard et a l, 2008; Hafkin Huyer, 2007). Extant literature (e.g., Bystydzienski, 2004; Benson Yukongdi, 2005; Bhatia Amati, 2010) demonstrate that once in formal employment in these technology-oriented sectors, however, women perform as well as, if not better than, their male counterparts. Trends in Middle East Although gendered occupation segregation is far more entrenched in the Middle East and other Arab-dominated regions than in other areas, this is mainly because, the Islamic religion is the main religion in the Middle East region. The Islamic religion, believes that women should concentrate more on their household responsibilities than technical careers. Bhatia Amati (2010) note that it becomes hard to dissect the problem due to paucity of statistical data, particularly sex-segregated data on gender inequality in the Middle East. However, various rationales as to why the problem is so deeply entrenched in the Middle East have surfaced. Benson Yukongdi (2005) posit that owing to reli gious and socio-cultural barriers, many countries in the Middle East abide by a social convention in which women are widely expected to play a supporting role relative to men. According to Hafkin Huyer (2007) cultural prohibitions in many countries in the Middle East restrict women from undertaking any gainful employment outside the home. According to Benson Yukongdi (2005), men in the Middle East are traditionally placed in core occupations and departments, and this becomes the basis for gender divergences in recruitment, promotion, training, rewards and decision-making authority. Dynamics of Occupational Segregation in Technology Fields Available literature demonstrates that in spite of their talent, ability, and opportunity, women continue to be underrepresented in engineering and technology-oriented sectors of the economy (Schweitzer et al, 2011; Bhatia Amati, 2010). This notwithstanding, it is indeed true that unlike other historically male-dominated jobs that have registere d considerable gains in attaining gendered equality, many engineering and technology-oriented fields have remained noticeably unbalanced in terms of gender (Deem, 2007). Still, other studies (e.g., Kusk et al, 2007; Coder et al, 2009; Kotsilieri Marshall, 2004) have demonstrated that underrepresentation of women in engineering and technology-oriented sectors continue to widen as women engineers and technicians find themselves swimming against the tide of prejudice intrinsically reinforced by the social, cultural, psychological and economic realities of life. A study by Hatchel Aveling (2008) found that women telecommunication engineers are eight times more likely to be working part-time, while women working in ICT are six times more likely to be working part-time. This section aims to explore critical literature on the dynamics of occupational segregation in technology-oriented fields, with particular focus on telecommunication and ICT sectors. Consequently, literature on the pipe line theory, the social constructionist perspectives, meritocracy and its implications, and organizational policies and culture, will be evaluated with a view to understand why the problem of gendered occupational segregation in technology-oriented fields continue to persist despite the spirited attempts by governments and organizations across the world to curtail the inequality progression. The unsuccessful Pipeline Theory According to Schweitzer et al (2011), â€Å"†¦the pipeline theory suggests that increasing the number of women in male dominated fields should lead to more equality in the labour market†¦This presumes that women and men in the pipeline expect comparable career outcomes† (p. 422). Given institutional, organizational and countrywide efforts to get girls into engineering and technology-oriented disciplines in institutions of higher learning, it was expected that, with a large proportion of women entering the engineering and technology fields, they w ould obviously filter into the traditionally male-dominated upper levels of these critical sectors in large numbers (Hatchel Aveling, 2008; Franzway et al, 2009). Indeed, according to these authors, the metaphor of the â€Å"pipeline effect† was based on the assertion that gender imbalances noted in engineering and technology-oriented occupations would be successfully dealt with once women overcame their reluctance to enter these sectors and acquire the requisite qualifications. However, as has been demonstrated in a number of research articles concerned with assessing the reasons behind gender-based underrepresentation in the labour market, the movement of more women into the pipeline failed to correspond with the attainment of enviable trends for women careers, particularly when it comes to engineering and technology-oriented sectors of the economy (Schweitzer et al, 2011; Coder et al, 2009). Hatchel Aveling (2008) are of the opinion that the pipeline theory promised â₠¬Å"†¦false hope as the pipeline turned out to be very leaky indeed† (p. 357). This view is reinforced by a host of other scholars (e.g. Coder et al, 2009; Bhatia Amati, 2010), who suggest that women are yet to achieve comparable outcomes relative to men in these sectors even after sustained efforts from various quarters, including organizations and governments, to â€Å"feed† the women into the pipeline. Various scholars have attempted to dissect why the â€Å"pipeline effect† failed to deliver the intended outcomes, particularly in the attainment of comparable career outcomes for women in engineering and technology-oriented occupations. Hatchel Aveling (2008) maintain that the pipeline theory has several limitations that make it impossible for women to achieve comparable career outcomes. According to these authors, the theory â€Å"†¦posits a straightforward linear career progression that is quite restrictive and does not easily accommodate the more complex life-patterns of females† (p. 358). Women employees have unique needs and demands, which in most occasions act as barriers to successful gendered occupation equality not only in the science fields but also in other areas (Gillard et al, 2008). These barriers will be discussed at length in the succeeding sections of this review. Other scholars have observed that the pipeline theory fails to take into consideration the multiple layers of culture in its attempt to guarantee comparable career outcomes for women relative to men. To understand the dynamics of occupational segregation and institute a framework which will enable women to achieve comparable career outcomes, therefore, â€Å"†¦gender must always be seen in terms of its cultural context, in which the intersection of gender and culture is closely linked to the issue of power† (Hatchel Aveling, 2008 p. 358). Lastly, the pipeline theory fails to account for why women are leaving science, engineering an d technology-oriented organizations in large numbers relative to their male counterparts (Screuders et al, 2009), even after successful efforts made by various agencies to encourage more girls into science and technology at the school and even the undergraduate level (Hatchel Aveling, 2008). The Social Constructionist Viewpoints Various scholars have attempted to explain the occupation segregation of women in engineering and technology-oriented occupations using the social constructionist perspectives. Kotsilieri Marshall (2004) are of the opinion that the experiences and characteristics accredited to women, portrayed in academia and industry as contributing to their current occupational segregation in engineering and technology-oriented fields, are not timeless and universal but are socially, historically, psychologically, and politically located. To deduce that all women judge, think, or relate in distinctive and universal ways when making career choices, particularly in fields traditionally considered as male-dominated, inarguably denies the contextualise that frames behaviour (Benson Yukongdi, 2005). To better understand the social constructionist perspectives in general and, by extension, the contextuality that denies behaviour, it is important to explain the difference between sex and gender. Gillard et al (2008) explain that â€Å"†¦while sex reflects biological difference, gender – although often based on biological sex – is a social construction† (p. 264). This therefore implies that individuals are born and straight away categorized as female or male, but with time obtain a gendered identity, that is, what it implies to be feminine or masculine. These authors further posit that â€Å"†¦both gendered concepts are relational, that is, they are construed in relation to each other by defining what the female is not in relation to the Western masculine norm; this varies from one environment to another and shifts over tim e† (p. 264). According to Bhatia Amati (2010), one of the most elaborated features of the social constructionist perspective is the recognition that women and men are located divergently in society and that not all women or all men share similar experiences or challenges. In pursuing the social constructionist line of thought, Gillard et al (2008) observe that the gendering of work, technology and indeed many other facets of occupational life and orientation â€Å"†¦constitute individuals as different types of value-added labourers can be made visible by documenting cultural values, beliefs, and activities, which contribute toward identity formulations, roles and responsibilities, and personal aspirations and opportunities† (p. 265). Consequently, these authors underline a value preposition suggesting that the micro dimensions of our everyday existence, reinforced by community, organizational and institutional hegemonic philosophies and processes that maintains th e normalized status quo, provides the basis for gendered occupational segregation not only in technology-oriented fields but also in other areas. Meritocracy its Implications The concept of meritocracy came into the limelight in the late 1950s to denote a social system that prescribes to merit, talent and capabilities as the foundation for recruiting employees into positions and dispensing rewards (Castilla Bernard, 2010). To date, opinion still remains divided on whether meritocracy promotes gendered occupation equality or occupational segregation. As observed by these authors, â€Å"†¦advocates of meritocracy stress that in true meritocratic systems everyone has an equal chance to advance and obtain rewards based on their individual merits and efforts, regardless of their gender, race, class, or other non-merit factors† (p. 543). This implies that men and women in engineering and technology-oriented occupations have equal opportunities for advancement despite the exi stence of gendered imbalances and barriers that may act to hinder one group, particularly women, to advance in their careers. Indeed, meritocracy has been culturally accepted as a reasonable and justifiable distributive standard in many developed capitalist countries and organizations (Castilla Bernard, 2010). In her research, Deem (2007) noted that meritocracy is a universal value that is absolutely compatible with gendered occupation equality, ensuring that recruitment and promotion in the workplace is through open competition rather than through concession or networks of associates. Critics of meritocracy, however, argue that the concept has failed to deliver equal gender representation in a number of occupations, particularly in the sciences. In their research, Castilla Bernard (2010) came up with what they called the ‘paradox of meritocracy’ to refer to a situation where organizations that prescribe to meritocratic principles were found to demonstrate greater bia s in favour of men over equally competitive and performing women. Many modern technology organizations, though based on meritocracy in recruitment and promotions, are heavily bureaucratized. Gillard et al (2008) note that â€Å"†¦the bureaucratization of gender guidelines all too often tends to reinforce institutional influence and silences those whose voices rarely get aired in the development forums where decisions are made† (p. 266). Recent empirical studies as quoted in Castilla Bernard (2010) found that occupational segregation continues even with the adoption of merit-based recruitment and reward systems, affirmative action and other diversity-oriented policies and strategies. Indeed, according to these researchers, some organizational practices and procedures instituted to entrench the meritocratic paradigm in the organization have been found to negatively affect employees’ opportunities and professions, particularly those practices developed to diminish i nequalities for women and ethnic minorities. This assertion leads Bhatia Amati (2010) to conclude that some organizational policies and practices supposedly adopted to enhance meritocracy are only factored in for symbolic reasons and do not in any way achieve their stated objectives. For example, research has revealed that some organizational recruitment programs and reward practices intended to reflect the meritocratic paradigm act to increase gender and racial inequalities by virtue of the fact that they introduce bias into employee recruitment and compensation decisions (Baron Cobb-Clark, 2010). Deem (2007) noted at least two challenges with the conception of meritocracy in relation to gendered occupation inequality. First, the researcher argued that meritocracy hindered women’s recruitment and progress in key sectors of the economy due to the â€Å"†¦individualistic focus of meritocratic judgments that reward the successful and stigmatize the unsuccessful† ( p. 617). Meritocracy, it was argued, has the supremacy to transfer the responsibility for unequal recruitment and promotional results back onto the individual and consequently to stigmatize the unsuccessful applicants as unskilled or incapable. A second challenge with meritocracy, according to this particular researcher, is the insinuation that it applies culturally and value-neutral standards to the recruitment and promotion of workers. However, it is unfeasible to develop totally neutral standards or evaluations by virtue of the fact that cultural and social ideals do enter into the recruitment and promotion processes. Organizational Policies Culture Organizational policies and cultures, of different societies, act as facilitators of gender segregation. A number of studies (e.g., Gillard et al, 2008; Bhatia Amati, 2010) have attempted to offer a gender construction in which critical reflection is applied to how occupational segregation of women in science and technology fields, of which the telecommunication sector is an integral component, is woven in organizational, national and international policies, business practices and concerns, and public and private employment configurations. Many organizational policies and strategies orient themselves to the unfounded paradigm that women posses less levels of human capital relative to men (Benson Yukongdi, 2005). Some organizational perceptions practiced in many countries, particularly in the Middle East, makes it permissible for occupations to be allocated along gender lines, implying that women are left with little prospect to develop the necessary work experience that is fundamentally needed in many technology-oriented organizations. On the other hand, there was something in the news last week about men being not allowed to serve customers in women’s clothing shops. For example, men in the Middle East are traditionally placed in core occupations and departments, and this becomes the basis for gender divergences in recruitment, promotion, training, rewards and decision-making authority. In a similar fashion a broad range of organizational policies and practices serve to prevent women from entering technology-oriented occupations. Benson Yukongdi (2005) point out the challenge of statistical discrimination, where organizations not only in telecommunication/ICT sectors but also in other fields make decisions on recruitment, promotion and training â€Å"†¦based on generalized data rather than on the actual experiences of individuals† (p. 287). For instance, absenteeism data for all women in the firm would be utilized to evaluate the commitment of particular women applying for promotion while not taking into consideration other dynamics that are unique to women, such as maternity leave and family responsibilities. Such an orientation only serves to enhance gendered occupational segregation. In line with this, it is indeed true that many organizations either do not have a statistical database on women occupational segregation or fail to collect such data in a consistent and regular manner, making it almost impossible to address the challenge (Franzway et al, 2009). As underscored by Hafkin Huyer (2007), the paucity of statistical data on gendered occupational segregation in the telecommunication/ICT sectors makes it difficult, if not unfeasible, to develop a case for the inclusion of gender issues in telecommunication/ICT policies, plans, and strategies to employers and policymakers. Extant literature demonstrate that although there is a substantial increase in the number of women joining engineering and technology-oriented firms (Morganson et al, 2010), the gains are being watered down by misplaced organizational policies and governance issues, which ensure that women do not stay longer in these critical sectors of the economy (Huffman et al, 2010). As noted by Hatchel Aveling (2008), â€Å"†¦the issue is no longer one of attracting women into the sciences but rather one of keeping them there† (p. 359). Morganson et al (2010) observes that when women complete undergraduate training in technical disciplines, they persist to be underrepresented in these fields and are more likely to leave the labour force than are men. A number of researchers (e.g., Bhatia Amati, 2010; Bystydzienski, 2004; Franzway et al, 2009) have blamed the gendered dimensions of organizational culture for the high turnover of women in engineering and technology-oriented organizations, while others (e.g., Gillard et al, 2008; Hafkin Huyer, 2007) argue that structural, cultural, interactional, and identity arrangements, even though irreversibly associated, are important classifications in understanding why women’s occupational segregation in engineering and technology-oriented fields can be fundamentally attributed to the gender subtext of organizations. Barriers to Gendered Occupation Equality in Technology Fields Many studies have be en conducted over time to understand the reasons behind the current gendered occupational segregation of women in engineering and technology fields. Kusk et al (2007) is of the opinion that women’s success in engineering and technology-related fields is often contingent upon them adopting an overtly male career pattern, implying that male domination in these sectors is barrier to entry of more women. This view is consistent with Morganson et al (2010) observation that the technology environment is often typified as a chilly environment, â€Å"†¦which tends to be male-dominated, highly impersonal and individualistic† (p. 169). According to these authors, the lack of support in the traditional engineering and technology working environments may be particularly destructive to women given that a number of researchers and theorists have continuously emphasized the fundamental importance of personalized relationships and interpersonal associations to women’s psyc hological development and well-being. The education system continues to be blamed for the swelling underrepresentation of women in technology-oriented fields, such as the telecommunication sector. According to Bhatia Amati (2010), girls in institutions of higher learning observe that there are few women in science and technology fields and, consequently, make a conclusion that a career trajectory in these fields is more suitable for men than for women. Indeed. Faced with the knowledge of both the bleak and subtle obstacles that face women in the male-dominated science and technology fields, girls in colleges and universities opt out of the disciplines and orient themselves for other fields that guarantee better opportunities of educational and career success. This view has been reinforced by Benson Yukongdi (2005), who observe that â€Å"†¦education, and particularly higher levels of education, has been denied to many women as families and society place more emphasis on wome n’s role as mother and homemaker† (p. 287). As a direct consequence, few women ever make it to technology-oriented occupations because these fields traditionally require higher levels of education. Historically, the image of technology fields have been perceived under the lens of complexity, time-intensive, challenging tasks, and involving machinery, and, consequently, both women and men continue to perceive engineering and technology fields as masculine both in nature and association (Kusk et al, 2007). Gillard et al (2008) describe how employees in telecommunication/ICT fields, interacting across time and space, are constantly obliged to work long hours to accommodate divergent time zones and regularly operate in crisis mode with strict project deadlines while having to continually update the job skills in response to rapid shifts in technology. In addition to these occupational demands, â€Å"†¦the mobile nature of these types of occupations often works to wome n’s disadvantage as they experience difficulties when faced with long hours, expectations of overseas travel, and participation in informal social networks† (Gillard et al, 2008 p. 271). Benson Yukongdi (2005) observe that even in instances where women have similar levels of education to their male colleagues, childbirth and family responsibilities implies that, for many women, gaining the pertinent and equivalent work expertise needed in technology-oriented occupations is impossible. Academics and industry view the gender pay gap as a strong contributing factor toward continued gender segregation of labour in science, engineering and technology sectors. As observed by Blau Khan (2007), women telecommunication engineers continue to earn substantially less than men even when they are tasked with the same responsibilities. Many research articles (e.g., Blau Khan, 2007; Franzway et al, 2009) have digested a positive correlation between gendered pay gap on the one hand a nd prejudice and discrimination on the other. Baron Cobb-Clark (2010) suggest that the notion of prejudice and its negative ramifications are readily transferrable to women versus men, while Etzkowitz et al (2010) conceptualized discriminatory preferences of women in engineering and technology fields as arising from an active desire by engineering-oriented organizations to maintain social distance from women due to their perceived family responsibilities, which negatively affect their performance and productivity. To reinforce this view of normalized discrimination in the workplace, Hatchel Aveling (2008) observe that many technology-oriented organizations are more likely to hire males than women, not mentioning that males working for these organizations are more likely than females to be given credit for ideas, concepts or work completed. According to Etzkowitz et al (2010), women are expected to work twice as hard to prove that they are capable of becoming productive telecommuni cation engineers, systems analysts and ICT experts. There is compelling evidence that women continue to be discriminated against in science and technology-oriented occupations due to their low levels of experience relative to men (Franzway et al, 2009). As rightly pointed out by Blau Khan (2007), â€Å"†¦the qualification that has proven to be quite important is work experience because traditionally women moved in and out of the labour market based on family considerations† (p. 9). Experience and the accumulation of skills that are fundamental in science and technology fields go hand in hand. Consequently, available studies (e.g., Blau Khan, 2007; Franzway et al, 2009; Deem, 2007) have demonstrated that women may particularly avoid career trajectories obliging large investments in skills that are distinctive to a particular endeavour mainly because of the fact that the returns to such investments are reaped only as long as the employee remains with that employer. Indee d, many employers may exhibit reinforced reluctance to hire women for such occupations because the organization bears some of the costs of such sector-specific training, not mentioning that their fear is further compounded by the fact that they may not get a full return on that investment due to higher turnover of women telecommunication engineers (Jones, 2010; Bhatia Amati, 2010). The lack of benefits perceived to be unique to women has worked to the disadvantage of women in technology-oriented fields. Indeed, Gillard et al (2008) posit that the majority of newly created technology and telecommunication occupations in developed as well as developing countries are predominantly found in the private sector, but the absence â€Å"†¦of benefits available means that women are unlikely to pursue these types of employment, instead having to opt for public sector work that is more likely to offer childcare provision, flexible hours, and maternity leave† (p. 272). As some gover nments formulate policies aimed at passing legislation for these benefits, which are perceived to encourage more women into technology and telecommunication occupations, the full responsibility for availing them often falls into the hands of private sector employers who are then inclined to discriminate against offering job positions to women in a bid to circumvent the financial cost of affording these services and benefits (Gillard et al, 2008; Baron Cobb-Clark, 2010; Franzway et al, 2009; Deem, 2007). Benson Yukongdi (2005) note that some organizations avail little in the way of family friendly policies or child care that would assist women professionals to deal with the role conflict arising from engagement with family related responsibilities as they perform organizational roles. According to Kusk et al (2007), â€Å"†¦explicit admittance of a belief in gender differences serve as a mechanism to sustain the status quo of the gender order by affirming current inequalities and prejudices as a natural difference† (p. 111). Women traditionally are perceived to be more oriented toward undertaking family responsibilities than engaging in paid labour. Where women engage in paid work, they nevertheless undertake major domestic responsibilities in addition to their organizational responsibilities. In many instances, as noted by Benson Yukongdi (2005), the gender-based division of family responsibilities and domestic work leaves women with few choices but to downsize their professional ambitions to fit with their family demands. In addition, some growth mind-sets have been found to influence girls into believing that they are not as good as boys in science and technology-oriented fields, and that men are more appropriate to venture into scientific careers than are women (Jones, 2010). Consequently, when girls and women take a stand that they only have a fixed amount of knowledge that is undesirable in scientific careers, they are more likely to believ e in the stereotype, lose confidence and self-belief, and eventually disengage from science, engineering and technology-oriented disciplines. This implies that women career trajectories in the mentioned disciplines become misplaced early in life due to the stereotype (Gillard et al, 2008; Schreuders et al, 2009). Inflexible and unfavourable organizational environment, reinforced by strategies and policies that are unfavourable to the progression of women in engineering and technology fields, have been blamed by leading scholars and practitioners as one of the foremost barriers to gendered occupational equality in these fields (Franzway et al, 2009). Indeed, Kusk et al (2007) observe that some of the best women telecommunication engineers are opting to retire early and set up their own businesses because they can create the type of environment that is free of unfavourable organizational policies and working environment. Encouraging Retaining Women in Technology Fields While it is cl ear that some of the issues and challenges contributing to gendered occupational segregation in technology-oriented firms represent the unique situation in a particular country, various studies have concluded that, in most cases, the problems and challenges are more universal in nature and scope (Benson Yukongdi, 2005). This implies that the solutions to the gender inequalities can also assume universal dimensions. Upon undertaking a comprehensive review of extant literature on continued occupational segregation of women in engineering and technology fields, Kusk et al (2007) noted that â€Å"†¦encouragement from family, friends, teachers and advisors is pivotal both in choosing and succeeding in engineering education† (p. 111). Blattel-Mink (2002) cited in Kusk et al (2007) posited that â€Å"†¦true gender equality requires both that those individual women in scientific subjects should have strong career orientation and that structural, institutional and cultural environs should become more welcoming towards women† (p. 111). Benson Yukongdi (2005) posit that increased access to educational opportunities for women, particularly in tertiary-level course, could deal a major blow to gendered occupational segregation in technology-oriented fields. Organizations and countries need to pass legislation that will minimize gendered occupational segregation in technology-oriented field as â€Å"†¦legislative reform constitutes an important component of any strategy to achieve equality in employment† (p. 289). According to these authors, legislation can be instrumental in setting up a community standard, not mentioning that it can serve to demonstrate acceptable behaviour. However, legislation cannot avail a swift remedy to the embedded gender equality segregation in technology-oriented fields, and can lead to manifold informal strategies to outwit the intent of such legislation. Countries also need to pass legislation that would all ow the girl child to have access to technology in elementary schools with a view to downgrade or diminish the gendered stereotype that a career in technology is only meant for men. According to Hafkin Huyer (2007), â€Å"†¦ICTs impact men and women differentially, and in almost all cases, women have many disadvantages that result in their having less access to technology and therefore less use of it† (p. 26). Etzkowitz et al (2010) observe that the access to technology in many countries across the world has allowed women to enhance their economic conditions, progress politically and widen participation in science and technology-oriented occupations for future generations. Benson Yukongdi (2005) are of the opinion that increased marketization of childcare and domestic work could assist women to achieve equal employment opportunities in technology-related sectors by neutralizing the division of domestic labour and the role expectations placed on women. Increasing the ran ge of governmental and organizational support mechanisms through marketization of these services will go a long way to assist women institute a more focused and equitable balance between work roles and family responsibilities. This notwithstanding, the role conflict experienced by women as they attempt to balance their domestic responsibilities and organizational roles will only be assuaged when more substantial social, cultural and attitudinal change transpires within society (Benson Yukongdi, 2005; Deem, 2007; Schreuders et al, 2009). Coping skills and strategies should be taught in institutions of higher learning to make girls understand the barriers and limitations that women in engineering and technology-oriented curricula face and the coping strategies known to be effective in these environments (Morganson et al 2010). These researchers posit that â€Å"†¦coping is a transportable skill that can continue to assist girls and women in overcoming barriers as they move forw ard in their careers† (p. 170). It is important to note that men and women cope in different ways; while men tend to cope by attempting to either alter the stressor (problem-focused coping) or ignore it totally (avoidant coping), women, in contrast, engage in social support coping. Consequently, women must rely on others in the work environment not only for emotional support but as a way to deal with work or family related challenges and seek assistance from others to overcome the stressors (Morganson et al, 2010; Schreuders et al, 2009). Lack of adequate social support coping mechanisms in technology-oriented organizations, therefore, may translate into recruitment of fewer women and higher turnover of women. Conclusion From the analysis it is clear that despite spirited attempts by governments and organizations to achieve equal gender representation in engineering and technology-oriented fields, the problem is far from over. In countries which have achieved tangible outcomes in narrowing down the gap, â€Å"†¦the steady increase in participation of women in science is marred by the tendency of fields to lower in status as women achieve equality of representation, and by continued resistance to women reaching positions of authority† (Etzkowitz et al, 2010 p. 83). Consequently, these negative progressions must be reversed if women are to enjoy the economic and social gains that are attached to the highly prestigious fields of science, engineering and technology. Collecting and analyzing data on why women fail to, make a tangible impact in these fields is a necessary prerequisite to achieving more gendered occupation equality in the industry. As noted in a report by the United Nations Development Programme cited in Hafkin Huyer (2007), â€Å"†¦without data, there is no visibility; without visibility, there is no priority† (p. 26). It is this understanding that provides the impetus for the next section, which aims to collect data t o analyze why there are few women employees in the telecommunications sector in Europe and Middle East. Summary of Conceptual Frame Work From the analysis and statistics, carried out in various regions globally, it is evident that careers which comprise of; technology, engineering, computer science, mathematics, physics, telecommunication and ICT, have little or no women in them. This is because of the gender disparity that is exorbitant in diverse societies globally (Baron 2010, p.203). Whereby, the believes in these societies, define different careers in terms of being feminine or masculine. This has affected women in making career choices, where most of the women find it odd to choose careers that are more masculine in the society than they are feminine. Moreover, even when women take technical occupations, the job market prejudices them because it prefers men to do masculine occupations. Organisational policies that do not encourage women on technical careers have watered down e fforts to eliminate gender segregation in occupations (Schreuders 2009, p103). Meritocracy, which is a strategy developed to eliminate occupational gender segregation, has also failed due to this same prejudice in the job market. The pipeline theory, established to maximize and increase the number of women in masculine occupation, also failed since women who acted in reaction to this theory, did not take masculine and technological occupations (schreuders 2009, p110) On the other hand, unusually many societies globally have painted technical courses masculine. However, despite this, most men have shown a lot of unfading interest in these courses. This has raised a real, crucial question why it is so. Various sociological researchers have answered this critical intriguing question. First, the greatest fear of a man is to become a failure, and for man to overcome this fear he has to find something that is sufficient so as to overcome this fear. Hence or otherwise, most men go for tech nical courses because they are more prestigious in the society and moreover because the job market is remarkably open and diverse for technical course (Franzway 2009, p96). In addition to that, there’s an enormous guarantee that technical courses offer jobs to men. All in all, men have majorly many family responsibilities in life, and so it is necessary for a man to take a course that will guarantee the security of his family sufficiently. However, this is not enough reason for occupational gender segregation in technical courses. Lastly, occupational gender segregation can be eliminated with time if the systems of various organisations and associations globally can be changed to be more feminine friendly in relation to technical careers (Franzway 2009, p103) References Baron, J.D., Cobb-Clark, D.A (2010). Occupational Segregation and the Gender Wage Gap in Private- and Public-Sector Employment: A Distributional Analysis. Economic Record, 86 (273), pp. 227-246. Benson, J., Yukongdi, V (2005). Asian Women Managers: Participation, Barriers and Future Prospects. Asian Pacific Business Review, 11 (2), pp. 283-291. Bhatia, S., Amati, J (2010). ‘If these Women can do it, I can do it, Too’: Building Women Engineering Leaders through Graduate Peer Mentoring. Leadership Management in Engineering, 10 (4), pp. 174-184. Blau, F.D., Kahn, L.M (2007). The Gender Pay Gap: Have Women gone as Far as they Can? Academy of Management Perspectives, 11 (2), pp. 283-291. Bystydzienski, J.M (2004). (Re)Gendering Science Fields: Transforming Academic Science and Engineering. NWSA Journal, 16 (1), pp. 8-12. Castilla, E.J., Bernard, S (2010). The Paradox of Meritocracy in Organizations. Administrative Science Quarterly, 55 (4), pp. 543-576. Coder, L., Rosenbloom, J.L., Ash, R.A., DuPont, B.R (2009). Economic and Business Dimensions: Increasing Gender Diversity in the IT Workforce. Communications of the ACM, 52 (5), pp. 25-27. Deem, R (2007). Managing a Meritoc racy or an Equitable Organization? Senior Managers’ and Employees’ Views about Equal Opportunities Policies in UK Universities. Journal of Education Policy, 22 (6), pp. 615-636. Etzkowitz, H., Gupta, N., Kamelgor, C (2010). The Gender Revolution in Science and Technology. Journal of International Affairs, 64 (1), pp. 83-100. Franzway, S., Sharp, R., Mills, J.E., Gill, J (2009). Engineering Ignorance. Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, 30 (1), pp. 89-106. Gillard, H., Howcroft, D., Mitev, N., Richardson, H (2008). â€Å"Missing Women†: Gender, ICTs, and the Shaping of the Global Economy. Information Technology for Development, 14 (4), pp. 262-279. Hafkin, N.J., Huyer, S (2007). Women and Gender in ICT Statistics and Indicators for Development. Information Technologies International Development, 4 (2), pp. 25-41. Hatchell, H., Aveling, N (2008). Those same Old Prejudices? Gendered Experiences in the Science Workplace. Journal of Workplace Rights, 13 (4), pp. 355-375. Huffman, M.L., Cohen, P.N., Pearlman, J (2010). Engendering Change: Organizational Dynamics and Workplace Gender Desegregation, 1975-2005. Administrative Science Quarterly, 55 (2), pp. 255-277. Jones, J (2010). Closing the Gender Gap. Civil Engineering, 80 (7), pp. 60-63. Kotsilieri, F., Marshall, J (2004). Hellenic Women Managers in the Telecommunications Sector: Living in Transition. New Technology, Work Employment, 19 (3), pp. 177-191. Kusk, F., Ozbilgin, M., Ozkale, L (2007). Against the Tide: Gendered Prejudice and Disadvantage in Engineering. Gender, Work Organization, 14 (2), pp. 109-129. Morganson, V.J., Jones, M.P., Major, D.A (2010). Understanding Women’s Underrepresentation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics: The Role of Social Coping. Career Development Quarterly, 59 (2), pp. 169-179. Oswald, D.L (2008). Gender Stereotypes and Women’s Reports of Liking and Ability in Traditionally Masculine and Feminine Occupations. Psy chology of Women Quarterly, 32 (2), pp. 196-203. Sappleton, N., Takrui-Rick, H (2008). The Gender Subtext of Science, Engineering, and Technology (SET) Organizations: A Review and Critique. Women’s Studies, 37 (3), 284-316. Schreuders, P. D., Mannon, S.E., Rutherford, B (2009). Pipeline or Personal Preference: Women in Engineering. European Journal of Engineering Education, 34 (1), pp. 97-112. Schweitzer, L., Ng, E., Lyons, S., Kuron, L (2011). Exploring the Career Pipeline: Gender Differences in Pre-Career Expectations. Industrial Relations, 66 (3), pp. 422-444. This dissertation on Women in Technology Fields was written and submitted by user Diamond Bishop to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Race in Public Health

Race in Public Health Racial Categorization in Public HealthBy: Alex Thau2/10/14As humans of the modern age, it is within our internal instincts to categorize those around us into specific groups based off of a variety of factors. In terms of public health, disparities due to race and ethnicity have the ability to create many discrepancies within our healthcare system. The use of 'race' as a classification for humans has the potential to be extremely harmful when addressing various aspects of society such as public health and medical research.For many years racism itself has been portrayed as a negative aspect of American society; yet the concept of race has many flaws that people are unaware of. For example, the perception of race has not been clearly defined, and there is no consensus definition (LaVeist 17). Due to this lack of understanding of the term, it is often used out of context.WAIS-IV FSIQ Scores by Race and EthnicityThe understanding of a person's race cannot solely be determined based off of their skin color, which has become a common misconception in todays' society. We label people based off of their appearance, which causes us to put them into groups that they do not necessarily belong to. This concept pertains to many public health studies that take place within society all the time. Surveys and cross sectional studies that are distributed to various organizations such as schools, houses, and workplaces often contain few selections when determining race. If someone does not fall under one of the listed racial categories, they have no choice but to select an option that is incorrect. Many people are a combination of different races, which is also not taken into account within these investigations. This is harmful in terms of public health because specific norms are established based off of what people say in...

Case study of sleep disorder and sleep apnea

Case study of sleep disorder and sleep apnea Sleep disorder is one of the most vital problem face by many people in life. Mostly face by older generations and adults. Sleeping is controlled by hypothalamus which is one of the part of a human brain system. Body temperature in some way controls the activities of one’s body, playing a role like a switch for on/off. Higher temperature brings alertness while lower temperature causes sleep. Sleep disorder comes in many different forms like Bruxism, Delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS), Cataplexy Rapid eye movement behavior disorder (RBD), insomnia, sleep apnea, night terrors, nightmares and somnambulism. Interfering with normal sleeping habits frequently and continuously can be listed as sleep disorder. Sleep disorder are capable of influencing emotional, physical and mental health of a human being. Moreover, sleeping disorder not only causes trouble to the victim but the person staying in the same house at them. Polysomnography is one of the a test commonly use to test for sl eep disorders. Before the 20th century, sleeping problems are face by many people and there’s no cure and research about it but till this century, due to the rapidly increasing knowledge of mankind, many research have been brought up just to find solutions for all diseases. In the UK, most of the research are mainly focus on sleep apnea but not others as a proof that they are lagging on knowledge of sleep medicine and possibility of treatment in other sleeping disorders. There are some general principles of treatment that could be find worldwide but mostly in US. Treatments for sleeping disorders can generally be grouped into four different categories that are behavioural/ psychotherapeutic treatments, rehabilitation, medications and other somatic treatments. Treatments such as this does not provides a 100% success and not suitable for all sleeping disorders. History of different people and medical reports of everyone is so greatly different so it is best to say that specific treatment are given to specific patient’s diagnosis. Disorders such as narcolepsy are best treated pharmacologically. Chronic sleep disorder influenced 70% of children development and psychologically while sleep-phase disruption affects adolescents who could not attend regular school schedules. Effective treatment will begin with careful diagnosis and modifications in sleeping hygiene may reduced the problem. It si said that special equipments are used for several disorders( obstructive apnea). Research also shows that some sleep disorders are also found to be compromise glucose metabolism. Sleeping is absolutely the essential thing for a normal and healthy lifestyle, according to the United States, roughly about 40 million suffer from long term sleep disorder while nearly 20 million experience mild/ occasional sleep problems. Sleeping disorder suddenly became an important issue because many more people are facing it and body needs sleep to survive because study shown that s leep is essential for immune system and maintaining the ability to fight against diseases and sickness. Learning, growing, functions of brains also comes from the amount of rest absorb because it is said that sleeping helps regenerate and repair cells. Sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is one of the most well-known sleep disorder face by many and said to be one of the most dangerous disorder to be faced compare to others. Another name for sleep apnea is call sleeping breathing disorder. This disorder is a serious sleep disorder that occurs when a person’s breathing is influenced by some activities during sleep. Untreated sleep apnea patients will normally face stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep almost hundreds of time. Facing this disorders means that the brain and body are not getting enough oxygen. There are actually two different kind of sleep apnea: Obstructive sleep apnea(OSA) and Central sleep apnea. OSA is more common of the two forms of apnea and normal the causes is a blockage of the airway usually the soft tissue in the back of the throat collapses during sleep while Central sleep apnea is unlike OSA where there’s no blockage but the brain fails to signal the muscle to breath which will due to instant instability in the respiratory control centre. After having modern research from scientist, sleep apnea can affect anyone at any age even children, the causes of having sleep apnea are gender(mostly male) , being overweight, older after the age of forty, having a large neck size, large tonsils, family history and some other problems. Having untreated sleep apnea could cause quite severe effects like high blood pressure, stroke, heart failure, diabetes, depression and worsening of ADHD. Having poor performances in activities in many different places could be one of the sign of facing sleep apnea.

Employee Engagement Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Employee Engagement - Coursework Example 6). It refers to the amount of â€Å"discretionary effort† exhibited by the employees at work, in the form of extra time, brainpower or energy (Towers-Perrin, 2003 as cited in Carter, 2010). What it is not employee engagement is â€Å"staff satisfaction surveys† published by staff survey companies, because employees can give a high rating to surveys but do no meaningful work at al (Gable, et al., 2010). It is more about productivity and performance by a staff inspired to go the extra mile, willingly (Elsworth, 2011, p. 6). The T&D editorial staff concurs in their article â€Å"Employee Engagement Correlates to Career Advancement and Training† (T&D, 2011), where it affirms that â€Å"employee engagement needs to be part of the everyday culture of an organization, not addressed only through annual surveys† (p. 21). ... On the other hand, the Partnership for Workplace Mental Health, a project of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), reported in 2009 that only one in every five workers is engaged in their work. Viewed in tandem with the T&D article, then, it appears there has been an improvement in the number of engaged workers, from 20 per cent to 30 per cent of the work force, indicating the effectiveness of government and private sector efforts to encourage employee engagement. On the other hand, the Partnership for Workplace Mental Health, a project of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), reported in 2009 that only one in every five workers is engaged in their work. Certain organization responses were undertaken with the corresponding engagement ratios: Engagement Levels by Organization Responses Action Taken % Engaged Layoffs/downsizing 25% Salary reductions 26% Hiring freeze 27% Salary freeze 28% Reorganization/ restructure 28% Postponement of projects 30% New business venture 37% â€Å"Employee Engagement Report, 2011† by BlessingWhite, cited in T&D, 2011 From the foregoing table, it is apparent that the most radical and severe actions were taken in those companies for which the ration of engaged personnel were lowest; as the ratio increased, the action taken was seen to be more tempered and less drastic, creating less displacement for the business. 2. Terms of reference This body seeks to address the following course requirement: â€Å"Employee Engagement was described by one presenter as having a positive impact on their own Company performance. Your Chief Executive is keen for you to critically review the concept and to find evidence as to whether and how such an impact could be achieved.† (1st question). From the statement, it is

Dissertation article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Dissertation article - Essay Example Quality: The topic chosen in the paper is quite interesting. Studying security threats has always interested to the masses especially after the internet boom in the early 1990s. Protection of personal valuable data is one of the majors reasons for the developing interest in cyber security. Regarding research into earlier work the paper hasn’t identified a lot of previous works by different researchers especially considering the fact that there is so much literature present regarding computer security, vulnerability and cyber threats (Lowe & Byres, 2004). However the lack of literature can be explained due to the fact that VoIP has only recently gained popularity. In order to obtain maximum information regarding the threats the authors of the paper have conducted vast researches using various books and secondary sources. The paper also uses various case studies of companies that provide security to organizations and personal users using VoIP. The facts stated in the paper are c orrect and provide an excellent detail of all the threats that is faced by every organization and user making use of VoIP technology. The authors have also been able to identify and discussed all measures that can be taken against these threats. For future studies the authors of the paper have summarized required efforts into two categories. The first factor that the authors recommend is focusing on the improving the security structure of VoIP services. The second factor that the author points out is the need to set proper standards regarding the security of VoIP systems. Structure of the paper: The paper was very well structured in terms of headings. The paper started with the abstract where the author explains briefly the purpose of the paper and an overview of what VoIP is. The next section covers the introduction of VoIP technology in detail and provides details of its working. The main body of the article has been divided into two sections. The first section provides a brief in troduction of what security is and why is it important to VoIP. After introduction to security the first section then deals with discussing what the potential threats there are to the VoIP system. The second section then deals with recommendations made by the authors on how to prevent these attacks. The third section of the paper states the conclusion drawn by the authors from their research paper. Conclusion is one of the most vital parts of the research paper. The conclusion sums up all the work of the paper and sheds a light on whether or not the research question was answered (Wallwork, 2011). The last part of the paper covers the reference list and works cited by authors. The paper was written in simple English and could easily be understood by various readers who have slight knowledge regarding the field of computer science. The flow of the paper was also quite nice different parts of the paper were related to each other. As for the length of the paper the paper was of ten pag es which is regarded by many as the average length of research papers (Bing, 1988). Conclusion: The analysis of the paper brought three main factors about the paper into light. For the first factor is that is compared to the literature available on the subject, the authors have not provided enough support to their claims in the paper. Adding more references in a paper increases the credibility of

Cybercrime in Indonesia Essay Example for Free

Cybercrime in Indonesia Essay Even if Indonesia has not ratified or signed the Convention on Cybercrime yet, officially Indonesia has implemented almost all cyber crime provisions set forth in the Convention. These provisions are set out in several articles in Law No. 11 Year 2008 on Information and Electronic Transaction. The seven provisions, among others; offense related to child pornography, illegal access, illegal interception, data interference, system interference, misuse of devices, and computer related forgery. The provisions of computer-related fraud and attempt and aiding or abetting are no longer regulated under this Act due consideration has been accommodated by the existing provisions in the Penal Code. Likewise, some offenses related to infringements of copyright and related rights are deemed to have been sufficiently set forth in the Law on Intellectual Property Rights. In addition to the above provisions, the Law No.11/2008 is the merely cybercrime statute in Indonesia, which also includes provisions on e-commerce and e-signature referring to the UNCITRAL Model Law and the EU Directives on such subjects. This is by virtue of the awareness of regulator about inevitable legal convergence of telecommunications, media, and informatics. By means of the principle of neutrality and efficiency, this product of law will be able to encompass the three specialties. Moreover, hacking, according to BATAN is defined as ‘infiltrating or breaching activities into an electronic system without rights, which usually aim to misuse or damage the system.’ Identical definition of hacking is also proposed by David S. Wall which is ‘deliberate unauthorized access to spaces over which rights of ownership or access have already been established.’ Therefore, hacking can be incorporated into illegal access provisions. In the Article 30, there are three paragraphs that organize illegal access, inter alia; 1. ‘Setiap Orang dengan sengaja dan tanpa hak atau melawan hukum mengakses Komputer dan/atau Sistem Elektronik milik Orang lain dengan cara apa pun.’ It means ‘any person intentionally and without right or unlawful access to computers and/or electronic system belongs to any other person in any way.’ 2. Setiap Orang dengan sengaja dan tanpa hak atau melawan hukum mengakses Komputer dan/atau Sistem Elektronik dengan cara apa pun dengan tujuan untuk memperoleh Informasi Elektronik dan/atau Dokumen Elektronik. It means ‘any person intentionally and without right or unlawful access to computers and/or electronic system in any way aim at obtaining electronic information and/or document.’ 3. Setiap Orang dengan sengaja dan tanpa hak atau melawan hukum mengakses Komputer dan/atau Sistem Elektronik dengan cara apa pun dengan melanggar, menerobos, melampaui, atau menjebol sistem pengamanan.’ It means ‘any person intentionally and without right or unlawful access to computers and/or electronic system in any way by infiltrating, trespassing, surpassing, and breaking through a security system.’ The first offenses are to be punished with imprisonment up to 6 years either with or without an administrative fine of up to IDR 600 million. Meanwhile the second offenses are to be sentenced by imprisonment up to 7 years either with or without an administrative fine of utmost IDR 700 million. The latter is to be sanctioned by imprisonment up to 8 years either with or without an administrative fine of up to IDR 800 million. During the past four years since enactment, a myriad of hacking incidents have taken place in Indonesia . However, only two cases were successfully expressed and processed in court. The first case is a case of hacking (defacing) the Election Committee website in 2004 by Dani Firman. While the second case is a similar case against the website of one Indonesias largest party, Golkar, by Iqra Syafaat. In fact, according to data from the Association of Indonesian Internet Service Provider (APJII), in 2003, it has recorded 2267 cases of network incidents and in 2004 there were 1103 such cases. It can be concluded that the cases which fails to trial far less. Furthermore, another concern is phishing, defined as ‘the pursuit of personal financial information that is subsequently used to defraud the victim and relies upon the recipient’s inability to distinguish a bogus email from a real one.’ Hence, it should be categorized into ‘computer related forgery’ provision. Article 35 states ‘Setiap Orang dengan sengaja dan tanpa hak atau melawan hukum melakukan manipulasi, penciptaan, perubahan, penghilangan, pengrusakan Informasi Elektronik dan/atau Dokumen Elektronik dengan tujuan agar Informasi Elektronik dan/atau Dokumen Elektronik tersebut dianggap seolah-olah data yang otentik.’ It implies ‘any person intentionally and without right or unlawful manipulate, create, delete, alter, or suppress any electronic document and/or information with the intent that it be considered as if it were authentic.’ Accordingly, this breach is to be sentenced up to 12 years in prison and a maximum fine of IDR twelve million. Unfortunately, there is no case hitherto which is brought to court proceeding. Finally, rare incidents of cybercrime exposed and processed in court trial as the aforementioned are caused by several factors, inter-alia; the lack of awareness among users, the absence of single identity number, the reluctance of victims to report, the limitedness of infrastructure or equipment and devices in the field of IT, and also the lack of law enforcement officers who have expertise in the field of IT. [ 1 ]. Indonesia Law Number 11/2008 about Information and Electronic Transaction, entry into force on April 21,2008 [ 2 ]. See (n 1) art 27 and art 9 in Convention on Cybercrime, Council of Europe, entry into force on July 1, 2004 [ 3 ]. See (n 1) art 30 and art 2 in Convention on Cybercrime, Council of Europe, entry into force on July 1, 2004 [ 4 ]. See (n 1) art 31 and art 3 in Convention on Cybercrime, Council of Europe, entry into force on July 1, 2004 [ 5 ]. See (n 1) art 32 and art 4 in Convention on Cybercrime, Council of Europe, entry into force on July 1, 2004 [ 6 ]. See (n 1) art 33 and art 5 in Convention on Cybercrime, Council of Europe, entry into force on July 1, 2004 [ 7 ]. See (n 1) art 34 and art 6 in Convention on Cybercrime, Council of Europe, entry into force on July 1, 2004 [ 8 ]. See (n 1) art 35 and art 7 in Convention on Cybercrime, Council of Europe, entry into force on July 1, 2004 [ 9 ]. art 8 in Convention on Cybercrime, Council of Europe, entry into force on July 1, 2004 [ 10 ]. (n 9) art 11 [ 11 ]. (n 9) art 10 [ 12 ]. Indonesia has several Laws on IPR such as Law No.12/1997 about Copyright, Law No.29/2000 about Vegetal Variety Protection, Law No.30/2000 about Trade Secrecy, Law No.31/2000 about Industrial Design, Law No.32/2000 about Layout Designs of Integrated Circuits, Law No.14/2001 about Patent, and Law No.15/2001 about Trademark [ 13 ]. See UNCITRAL Mode Law on E-commerce on http://www.uncitral.org/pdf/english/texts/electcom/05-89450_Ebook.pdf and UNCITRAL Mode Law on E-signature http://www.uncitral.org/uncitral/uncitral_texts/electronic_commerce/2001Model_signatures.html accessed September 28, 2012 [ 14 ]. (n 1) Explanation [ 15 ]. BATAN is an Indonesian government institution which constitutes one of consulting agents of ICT, http://www.batan.go.id/sjk/uuite.html accessed September 29, 2012 [ 16 ]. Wall, David S, ‘Cybercrime: The Transformation of Crime in the Information Age’, (Polity Press 2008) 53 [ 17 ]. (n 1)

Urban Essay -- essays research papers

Urban Decay: barricading our cities, And our minds Everyone bemoans the way street crime, visible poverty, deteriorating infrastructure, decaying homes and boarded-up businesses are becoming increasingly common features of city life, but we rarely ask ourselves how this deterioration in the world around us is affecting the way we look at the world. In not asking that question, we underestimate the importance of urban decay as a problem in its own right, and the degree to which it promotes other social ills. Inner city decay is part of a dangerous and silent progression that is not being given the attention it deserves: the fragmentation of our society into potentially or actually hostile camps, barricaded off from each other. And it has the potential, in the end, to exercise an important influence on the course of national politics. In order to see why, we have to start by looking at how decay happens. It begins with an anti-urban bias, a belief, deeply-rooted in Canada and the United States, that cities are, at best, a necessary evil, and the likely scene of violence, social disorder, dirt and tension. Rural and small-town life, by contrast, is associated with cleanliness, sturdy reliability and family values. The conclusion: We may need cities for our livelihoods, but they are not good places to live. These conceptions have been promoted by a profusion of media images. Consider The Waltons, Little House on the Prairie, Anne of Green Gables, or that odious MÃ ¼slix comme...

HCS 483 Final project: health care robots Essay

Types and Uses of Health Care Robots Health Care Information Systems HCS 483 September 08, 2013 Types and Uses of Health Care Robots Health care robots are exciting advancements in health care delivery by providers. The future of robots in health is promising and the different types of robots are growing. Using robots helps the providers give better care to their patients and using robots behind the scenes for more accurate delivery of care as well. Surgical robots The da Vinci is currently the most known surgical robot. It is the only surgical robot available for commercial use. The da Vinci robot is in use for gynecological, prostate, and cardiac surgeries. The da Vinci allows the surgeon to work from a computerized workstation across the room from where the patient is prepped on the operating table. The surgeon maneuvers the robotic arms to perform the surgeries. Using the da Vinci eliminates the natural hand tremor that surgeons have through the software in the computer system created specifically for that function. â€Å"’Penelope’ has been developed at Columbia University by general surgeon Dr. Michael Treat with funding from the US Army’s Telemedicine and Technology Research Center, in Fort Detrick, MD† (Schimpff, 2013, p. 1). Penelope is not currently in use but is a promising robot on the health care horizon. Dr. Michael Treat created Penelope to replace the current surgical assistant that hands the surgeon instruments during surgery. Penelope is equipped with electromagnetic grippers that allows for picking up the instruments the surgeon needs. Penelope arranges the instruments for the procedure, recognizes voice commands, and verbally can respond back to the surgeon. Pharmacy robots Pharmacy robots currently are in use for dispensing medications. The uses  are beneficial to the entire hospital staff by reducing medication errors, orders are entered in by the physicians using computerized physician order entry (CPOE), and charging the cost of the medication to the patients account. The ROBOT-RX is currently in use in 34 states around the country. â€Å"The ROBOT-Rx ® automated medication dispensing system prevents medication errors, reduces pharmacy labor, and lowers drug inventory. The hospital pharmacy robot automates medication storage, selection, return, restock, and crediting functions for 90 percent or more of a hospital’s daily medication volume† (â€Å"ROBOT-RX,† 2013, p. 1). Telemedicine robots Remote Presence Virtual + Independent Telemedicine Assistant (RP-VITA) is used to assist physicians who are not on-site when a critical patient is admitted to the hospital. The robot is used to connect the off-site physician to the bedside of the patient to assess the patient and give orders to the staff for tests and medications needed for immediate care. Especially useful in the immediate care of stroke patients in the emergency department when time is crucial for the delivery of medicines. If the physician is off-site or across the hospital helping other patients, the RP-VITA allows for faster face-to-face response between the physician and the patient. References Improves patient safety and process efficiency with robotic medication dispensing. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.mckesson.com/pharmacies/hospital-and-health-system/inpatient/pharmacy-automation/robot-rx/ Schimpff, S. C. (2013). Robotics can revolutionize the delivery of medical care. Retrieved from http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2012/01/robotics-revolutionize-delivery-medical-care.html