How working with an editor helped me score a publishing deal

How working with an editor helped me score a publishing deal How Working with an Editor Helped me Score a Publishing Deal Leslie Heath recently secured a publishing contract for her novel "The Last Mayor's Son". She attributes a large part of her book's success to her editor. In this article, she shares glimpses into the editing process and her advice on how to maintain a good author-editor relationship.A good editor can take a mediocre story and help make it into something phenomenal, but that requires lots of communication, knowledge, and above all, a strong relationship between the author and editor.Important note: a good editor doesn’t actually change the story  - they make suggestions that the author can accept or refuse. It is ultimately the author’s responsibility to make any necessary revisions to the prose, storyline, or characters.Finding the right editorWhen working on my novel,  The Last Mayor's Son, I first tried finding an editor  on author forums and web searches - without much luck. I did begin to work with one individual, but that arrangement quickly fell apart for many reasons, some of which I should have seen coming. First, I figured out almost immediately that this "editor" was not a professional - despite the claims on his website. When I asked him about his cringeworthy grammar and punctuation, his response was that those things were not his concern. This might have been funny if it wasn’t so frustrating. Finally, I asked around for advice, and several people recommended Reedsy as the best place to find a genuinely professional editor.Reedsy's briefing process was simple, and  within no time, I had accepted an offer from one of their vetted editors, Maria D’Marco. Initially, I asked her for an editorial assessment to point out flaws in the plot and give me a general idea of where to improve. I expected a short two- or three-page overview, but I got so much more. Maria gave me an in-depth, twenty-page written assessment plus notes in the manuscript. She not only showed me the areas that needed work but also highlighted pl aces where the story shined.How to facilitate a good author-editor relationshipThis is a good place to point out the most important aspect of the author-editor relationship: the author must be willing to accept constructive criticism. It is astounding how many authors ask for input, then get offended and angry when the editor or reader finds an error or suggests a change. I didn’t agree with every suggestion, but I used them as jumping-off points where I could improve my story. Also, this is where the author needs to have a plan for the story. There were several places where Maria suggested something that wouldn’t work for my idea of the storyline. Instead of getting upset at her feedback, I saw it as an arrow pointing to a problem. Clearly, my idea didn't get across in that passage, so I rewrote it to say what I wanted it to. A good author-editor relationship requires  the  ability to accept constructive criticism. One instance of this is a scene where it necessary to the story for a character who is swimming in a lake to head for deeper waters. After reading this scene, Maria felt it was a bit random and that I needed to specify why this character dives deeper. She suggested the character notices something sinister in the shallow-end and therefore swims away. While this was intriguing, it didn’t fit the story. To fix the clarity problem, I added a few lines of dialogue at the end of the scene where the character explains that something brushed his leg, startling him into jumping toward deep water.The importance of editing for fantasy novelsFantasy stories can require more work than other types of fiction, especially when the author has to keep track of all the details about how the world works. The world I had created for "The Last Mayor’s Son"  has 3 moons which orbit in different directions and in different time schedules. This is an issue at one point in the story when two c haracters must  wait until the slowest moon is full again before they can be freed from their temporary prison. A sharp editor is essential in these situations, as they can see inconsistencies that the author may not have noticed.Several months after Maria’s initial assessment, I returned to Reedsy - and Maria - for a full developmental edit. I was eager to see what her reaction would be to the changes I had made. This time we got more into the nitty-gritty of each individual scene, and she also pointed out some bad grammatical habits I had fallen into. Specifically, she walked me through improving the flow and coherence of the final, epic battle scene, where the main character leaves his home to help defend a  forest village, he must face the enemy. While I had the major events of the battle already defined, Maria helped me organize them so the flow made sense and readers could easily follow what was happening. I would go more in-depth here, but I don’t want to give away the ending!Professional editing helped me score a publishing contractAfter more revisions and reworking those scenes, I started sending off queries to publishers and agents. Within a few short weeks, I received a request for a full manuscript, and then an offer for a contract with a small independent publisher. I have no doubt that Maria’s help was instrumental in landing the deal because she helped strengthen the weakest parts of the book. And after working with a talented professional, I can say with confidence that a good editor is instrumental in creating a book people will want to read. A good editor is instrumental is to creating a book people will want to read. Just remember - know the story you are trying to tell, but keep your pen open to suggestion and you will find working with an editor to be a fruitful and happy process.The Last Mayors son is available from Class Act Books, and on Amazon in paperback and  Kindle.  What have been your experiences working with an editor? Do you have any additional tips for creating a good author-editor relationship?  Leave your thoughts, experiences, or any questions for Leslie  in the comments below.

Motorsport Technology A Subsystem Of A Modern Racing Car Essay

Motorsport Technology A Subsystem Of A Modern Racing Car - Essay Example By regulation, the tyres feature a minimum of four grooves in them, with the intention of slowing the cars down. A slick tyre, with no indentations, is best in dry conditions. Both front and rear tyres are typically 660 mm in diameter. They can be no wider than 355 mm and 380 mm at the front and rear respectively. Slick tyres are rumoured to be reintroduced as of 2009 but the FIA regulations (though they can be changed) still have Formula One using "grooved" tyres in 2008. There are several factors affecting the performance of formula 1 cars' tyres that should be considered before designing it. These factors include the road conditions, temperature, humidity, contact area with the ground and a few others. In tyre design, there are three main considerations - the profile and size, the tread, and the compound. Racing tires are highly specialized according to vehicle and race track conditions. Tyres are specially engineered for specific race tracks according to surface conditions, cornering loads, and track temperature. Tyres have also been specially engineered for drifting. Racing tyres are often engineered to minimum weight targets, so tires for a 500mile race may run only 300miles before a tyre change. In 2005, tyre changes were disallowed in Formula One, the compound was harder as the tyres had to last the full race distance (around 300km). Tyre changes were re-instated in 2006, following the dramatic and highly political 2005 United States Grand Prix. For the 2007 season Bridgestone is the sole tyre supplier and have introduced four compounds of tyre, two of which will be made available at each race. The harder tyre is more durable but gives lesser grip, and the softer tyre gives more grip but is less durable. Both compounds have to be used by teams in a race and the softer tyre has a painted white stripe in the second groove. Each team must use each specification during the race, unless wet or intermediate tyres are used during the race, in which case this rule no longer applies. In extremely wet weather, such as that seen in the 2007 European Grand Prix, the Formula One cars were unable to keep up to the Safety Car in deep standing water due to the risk of hydro planing. Rubbers used in tyres are generally styrene-butadiene co-polymers, natural rubber, or polybutadiene. These can be blended in whatever ratio is desired. The styrene content can be varied to give a hard wearing rubber, or a high styrene cling rubber to maximise wet grip at the expense of heat build up. Everything is a compromise aimed at giving the best performance for a particular application. For example, when a new circuit is laid down the surface is very abrasive, and polybutadiene has a superb abrasion resistance to sliding on sharp surfaces. However, it is hopeless in the wet, since grip suffers appallingly. In car racing of course, grip is everything. The second most important variable is the carbon black type that is used. As a general rule, the finer the carbon black, the higher the abrasion resistance, and the higher the heat build-up in the rubber compound in service. There is another variable, the "structure' of the carbon black, a measure of the agglomeration of

The Exemplary Leadership Style Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Exemplary Leadership Style - Assignment Example In order to discuss various dimensions of leadership and exemplary style of leader, Mahatma Gandhi, who is considered as the best example of an exemplary leader, has been chosen. In this paper, a brief synopsis of Mahatma Gandhi and his journey would be discussed, followed by his style of leadership, and a comparative analysis would be done with the other probable leadership styles. Then in the next part, the leadership models and theories would be discussed to understand the exemplary leadership style of Mahatma Gandhi better. The challenges that he had to face and developments or success that he achieved would be included in the later part of this study and a conclusive summary would be included. Exemplary leadership is considered as a difficult principle to be followed because of the amount of responsibility and hard-work attached to it. Though successful leadership styles have many characteristics in common, in case of exemplary leadership, the leader has to first blend and adapt those situations and contingencies before preaching others to follow. So it can be said that exemplary leaders are born leaders and there are some rare qualities in an exemplary leader which cannot be copied or cultivated. It is an attitude of a person since birth. Exemplary leadership is actually an approach of being, even when the person is not leading others. Exemplary leaders are facing, extending, centring, and blending the essential qualities. An exemplary leader symbolizes realistic wisdom, grounded compassion, and skilful action. Mahatma Gandhi is regarded as one of most popular exemplary leaders in the world.

Analysis of Euthanasia Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis of Euthanasia - Assignment Example Most of the countries consider non-voluntary euthanasia illegal. Involuntary euthanasia is considered murder even if the patient has a terminal illness and is in great pain. Non-voluntary euthanasia is one in which there is no consent and takes place by terminating the medication of sufferer and it is against patient’s will and is illegal in the Netherlands under Groningen euthanasia rules. Euthanasia carried out with the consent of the patient is known as voluntary euthanasia. In Belgium, Luxembourg and Netherlands active voluntary euthanasia is considered legal by the law. Interchangeably the term assisted suicide is also used to describe a physician-assisted death. Many countries refuse treatment for patients who become comatose (Dowbiggin,13). Referring back to the history of euthanasia it started in the era of Emperor Augustus who died in the arms of his wife without suffering (Dean, 276). The term euthanasia was firstly used by Francis Bacon in the early 17th century. The main aim of this practice was to have an easy, painless and happy death. There is a great debate-related to euthanasia which discusses both its pros and cons. The points which favor euthanasia includes the patient’s right to have a peaceful end of life, helping the patient in dying might be more beneficial for the patient rather than leaving him to suffer. There are many social and moral values when the topic of euthanasia arises. There are a lot of controversies. Arguments regarding euthanasia often vary with the method adopted for the patient’s death. Oregon death with dignity act made it legal for their residents and they were allowed to request for lethal injection (Perrett, 368). Â  

The Product Differentiation Strategy Marketing Essay

The Product Differentiation Strategy Marketing Essay Excellent Shoes Manufacturing Pte Ltd has the options of using different strategies in their business; using appropriate examples, describe your understanding of these different strategies and suggest what strategy you might recommend the Company to use. In present day the economic is flexibility and the company that be able to survive in this field should know how to manage their own resource in the maximum efficiency and need to follow the market change and movement, the way to do this depends on the different technique and operating diversely on strategic management of the company. Especially, in the consumer markets which there is a high level of competitive. It is the essential that every single company should open up its market in new area, expanding further with modest ambitions or operating in additional differentiation products in markets annually. These factors are main causes to bring successfully to business which I believe that it depends on how the company maintain competitive advantage in business strategies? , What types of strategies are available in the business environment? Another important aspect is that the company can use flexibility standard strategies or develop its own strategy or not? In term of Excellent Shoes Manufacturing Pte Ltd, with the size of medium business, I feel that the company can use different of business strategies, according to its situation. For example, at the beginning, when the company was established, it may face different challenges than at the present. Moreover, the business strategies that it is implemented may be different from its competitor. In my point of view, I believe that there are four types of business strategies by following these: 1. Growth Strategy A growth strategy conduces introducing new products or adding new features to existing products. Sometimes, the company may be forced to modify or increase its product line to keep up with competitors. By using the new technology of a competitive company is a core concept to play on growth strategy. For example, the company is likely constantly adding new features or discovering new technology for shoes healthy design in order to save customerà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s feet while they are wearing. As a result, shoes companies that do not keep up with consumer preference would not stay in business long period. Moreover, the firm may also adopt a growth strategy by finding a new target customer group for its products. Sometimes, it can find new one for its products by chance. For example, as a result of the company is a specialises in the manufacturing and supply of high fashion leather shoes and the manufacturer may discover through marketing research that young teenagers in school like its products. Hence, in addition to selling fashion leather for students in order to distribute to retail stores or shoes shop in school, the company could design the shoes product in format of school styles. 2. Product Differentiation Strategy Most of companies will often use a product differentiation strategy when they have a competitive advantage, such as superior quality or service. For example, the shoes manufacturers may set themselves apart from competitors with their superior engineering design or manufacturing technology. Obviously, companies use a product differentiation strategy to set themselves apart from key competitors. However, I believe that a product differentiation strategy can also help a company build brand loyalty. It can see that today, the company is known in the local industry and it is amongst the top companies who can produce a high quality pair of sports shoes and ladies fashion leather shoes. 3. Price à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Skimming Strategy A price-skimming strategy involves charging high prices for a product, particularly during the introductory phase. The company will use a price-skimming strategy to quickly recover its production and advertising costs. However, there must be something special about the product for consumers to pay the excessive price. An example would be the introduction of a new technology. By doing this, it may be the first to introduce a new type of new sport shoes aerodynamic design or leather formal shoes modern styles. Because the company is the only one selling the product, customers that really want in trend by wearing new one and willing to pay the higher price. 4. Acquisition Strategy According to the size of company with extra capital may use an acquisition strategy to gain a competitive advantage. An acquisition strategy conduces purchasing another company. For example, the company may purchase a polyester factory or a leather factory in order to expand its operations and to control cost of shoes raw material. 5. Cost Leadership The benefit of formulation this business strategy is that the company will consciously choose to position its company as a provider of products or services at the low end of the pricing point compared to its competitors. Moreover, it could make up in volume what they may forfeit in terms of a high price point. On the other hand, Cost leadership is a business strategy that allows a company to become the lowest cost production company in an industry. Traditionally, businesses have two key options for improving profits by increasing sales or decreasing costs. By doing this, the company need focus more on acquiring raw materials that are the highest quality at the lowest price. Another important aspect is that the company must also use the best labour to transform raw materials into valuable consumer goods. Low-cost leadership usually translates into high-quality goods at low consumer prices. The capability to undercut a competitorsà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ price often leads to increases in market share. In term of suggestion, what types of strategies should be formulated for Excellent Shoes Manufacturing Pte Ltd; I claim that the company could bring the result from the step of strategy analysis and to consider in these questions, what the external and internal environments that are confronting are? How the company can organizes and combines its resources in order to build its strengths, to eliminate its weaknesses and to sustain core competencies? How the company can achieve to find good opportunities for growing the business and to keep changing of posing a threat. From the consideration in those questions, I feel that I could recommend the company to use cost leadership strategy. As of the issue that Mr. Pattakorn is worried about the return of the investment in terms of profit is not as good as it was during his fatherà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s time. Conversely, the firm seems to have grown bigger with the manufacturing of many more pair of shoes. It is likely that the firm would have the problem from too high production cost. I believe that if the company can review and to control production cost, it will bring back the outstanding profitability. To sum up, sometimes, businesses would look for a combination strategy to please customers looking for multiple factors such as quality, style, convenience and price.

Subliminal Messages :: essays research papers

Subliminal Messages in Advertising: The Case For and Against Lisa Caswell Syracuse University Running Head: Subliminal Messages Subliminal messaging and subliminal perception are controversial topics in the field of psychology. Many studies have been conducted to determine if subliminal messaging does in fact work. Many people think that subliminal messages in the field of advertising are much more successful than subliminal messages for self-improvement, such as tapes sold to help the consumer lose weight, gain intelligence, or do something else to improve themselves simply by listening to a tape. Subliminal advertising can be defined as "embedding material in print, audio, or video messages so faintly that they are not consciously perceived." Rogers and Smith (1993) surveyed 400 households. When asked if they believed advertisers deliberately included subliminal messages, 61.5% responded 'yes'. A 72.2% 'yes' answer was obtained when asked if subliminal advertisements were effective. Based on these results, it can be concluded that consumers are aware of subliminal advertising, and believe it is effectively used by advertisers to influence their decisions. The term "sub-threshold effects," first popularized by Packard in 1957, preceded the popular notion of "subliminal advertising," whose originator is James Vicary. Subliminal advertising first came to the public's attention in 1957 when Jim Vicary conducted a subliminal advertising strategy of interspersing "drink Coca-Cola" and "eat popcorn" messages on a movie screen so quickly that they could not be seen consciously by the audience. His research initially reported increases in the sales of both Coca-Cola and popcorn as a result of the subliminal messages. Later, however, when he was challenged and could not replicate or even produce the results, Vicary admitted that the results of the initial study had been fabricated (Weir, 1984). Key (1989) has more recently claimed that hidden or embedded messages are widespread and effective. Key's theories have been widely discredited by scholars who have examined marketing applications scientifically (Moore, 1982). Although a few scholarly studies have reported certain limited effects of exposure to subliminal stimuli in laboratory settings (Greenwald, Klinger, and Liu, 1989), most academic researchers on the subject have reported findings which indicate no practical or predictable effect in an advertising setting (Dixon, 1971). The 1957 Vicary study has been largely disregarded in the scholarly community due to lack of scientific documentation of methodology and failure to replicate. However, scholarly findings and industry assertions may have had little or no effect on the average American, who has been exposed to popular articles and books promoting the notion that subliminal advertising is used and is effective. In addition, Americans have been exposed to advertisements claiming that self-help audio-tapes and videotapes containing subliminal materials can help the purchaser with weight loss, better relationships, an improved golf game, quitting smoking, and even birth control. Awareness of Subliminal Messaging by the Public

Indigenous Religions Essay

(1) In chapter 2, the textbook author uses various terms for â€Å"indigenous religions†: traditional, aboriginal, indigenous, tribal, nonliterate, primal, native, oral, and basic. Select four or five of these terms and discuss why you believe each of those terms is applicable to the religions covered in this chapter. (2) Why do so many indigenous religions have such a reverence for nature? Indigenous religions have such a reverence for nature because they have deep respect for Earth. It has strong spirit, and lots of item that could contain spirit. Mother Nature offered them so much land to love and to do a favor back in return and shows their love to her. Nature is a living energy to some people belief the same as people. The word indigenous refers to land and earth as well, which involved nature itself. (3) Discuss several of the sacred practices that are common in indigenous religions. Some several sacred practices that are common indigenous religions are that they do are having dances around the fire. They sometime huddle together and do some kind of sacrifices or ceremony to show their holy respect for their belief. (4) Discuss the state of indigenous religions today. Short Answer Questions (2 points each): (5) What is animism? (6) In general, what is the relationship between the human and animal worlds among indigenous religions? (7) How do indigenous religions, in general, select their â€Å"sacred spaces†? (8) How are ancestors viewed in most indigenous religions? (9) What â€Å"big events† in life are usually marked by ceremonies in indigenous religions? (10) What is a taboo? What are some examples of taboos in our modern culture, and are they religious or cultural in nature? (11) What is a shaman, and what role does the shaman play in indigenous religions? Shaman is a scholar who help guide people on their spiritual journey.

Does Social Inequality Exist in Jamaica

Introduction â€Å"Social Inequality allows for the exclusion of individuals and the formation of prejudices and discrimination. Carefully analyze and discuss the validity of this statement based on current events in the Jamaican society. † Social Inequality is the existence of socially created inequalities; it occurs when ideology and power combine to make one group of people feel inferior to another. From a sociological perspective people are able to assess both opportunities and constraints that characterize their lives as it relates to age, sex, gender, race and class and based on this, many ills that the world faces today are derived from some person’s blatant disregard for differences. A prejudice is a preconceived belief toward a particular group while discrimination is a behavior (an action), with reference to unequal treatment of people because they are members of a particular group. Some theories suggest that racism is a characteristic of an abnormal minority of the population and that this abnormality is psychological. This prejudice may lead to racial discrimination. We may be familiar with this form of discrimination being more prevalent in recent times (Apartheid, Hitler vs. Jews) than now. In answering the question this report will outline the causes of social inequality and show that Social Inequality is prevalent in all societies including Jamaica. Race & Ethnicity Within sociology, the term ethnic, race, minority, and dominant group have very specific meanings, different from the meanings the terms have in common, their usage. These concepts are important in the development of a sociological perspective on race and ethnicity. Race A race is a group of people treated as separate in society on the basis of certain characteristics, some of which may be biological, that have been assigned social importance. Because of presumed biologically or culturally inferior characteristics, a race is typically singled out for its uniqueness and unfortunately succumbs to unfair treatment. Therefore it is not biological characteristics per se that defines racial groups, but how groups ave been treated historically and socially over the years. Societies assign people racial categories such as Black, White, and so on. Not by science, logic or fact, but by opinion and social experiences. In other words, how racial groups are defined is a social process. This is what is meant when we acknowledge that race is â€Å"socially constructed†. The use of biological differences to judge an individual seems some what arbitrary. F or example we differentiate people based on skin color and not other characteristics such as personality traits or culture. Jamaica is made up of several races, but the majority is dark skinned. Most people interact with their own kind and do not get the opportunity to interface with others of a different race. However, for the ones who do, they may say that we are not a racist society but would more likely discriminate based on a persons’ socio-economic status. This may be true but there remains the irony that individuals with high socio-economic statuses are usually the light skinned (Caucasian, Indian, Chinese). Ethnicity This refers to a social category of people who share a common culture, for example a common language or dialect; a common religion; and common norms, practices, customs and history. Ethnic groups have a consciousness of their common cultural bond. Jamaicans, Americans, Trinidadians, Japanese, Mexican Americans and so forth, are examples of ethnic groups. However ethnic groups are also found in other societies, such as Pashtuns in Afghanistan or Shiites and Sunnie in Iraq whose ethnicity is based on religious differences. An ethnic group does not exist simply because of the common national or cultural origins of the group. These groups develop because of their unique historical, cultural origins or social experiences. These experiences become the basis of the group’s ethnic identity. PREJUDICE A prejudice is a preconceived belief, opinion, or judgment toward a group of people or a single person because of race, social class, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, disability, political beliefs , religion, line of work or other personal characteristics. It also means a priori beliefs (without knowledge of the facts) and includes â€Å"any unreasonable attitude that is unusually resistant to rational influence. Although positive and negative prejudice both exist, when used negatively, â€Å"prejudice† implies fear and antipathy toward such a group or person. †¢Cognitive Prejudice refers to what people believe to be true: for example, in adherence to a particular metaphysical or methodological philosophy at the expense of other philosophies which may offer a more complete theoretic al explanation. †¢Affective Prejudice refers to what people like and dislike: for example, in attitudes toward members of particular classes such as race, ethnicity, national origin, or creed. Conative Prejudice refers to how people are inclined to behave. It is regarded as an attitude because people do not act on their feelings. An example of conative prejudice may be found in expressions of what should be done if the opportunity presents itself. These three types of prejudice are correlated, but all need not be present in a particular individual. Someone may believe that a particular group possesses low levels of intelligence, but harbor no ill feeling towards that group. A group may be disliked because of intense competition for jobs, but still recognize no differences between groups. DISCRIMINATION Discrimination is a sociological term referring to the treatment taken toward or against a person of a certain group that is taken in consideration based on class or category. The United Nations explains: â€Å"Discriminatory behaviors take many forms, but they all involve some form of exclusion or rejection. Discriminatory laws such as redlining have existed in many countries. In some countries, controversial attempts such as racial quotas have been used to redress negative effects of discrimination Farley also put discrimination into three categories: Personal / Individual Discrimination is directed toward a specific individual and refers to any act that leads to unequal treatment because of the individual's real or perceived group membership. †¢Legal Discrimination refers to â€Å"unequal treatment, on the grounds of group membership, that is upheld by law. Apartheid is an example of legal discrimination, as are also various post-Civil war laws in the souther n United States that legally disadvantaged Negros with respect to property rights, employment rights and he exercise of constitutional rights. †¢Institutional Discrimination refers to unequal treatment that is entrenched in basic social institutions resulting in advantaging one group over another. The Indian caste system and European feudal system are historical examples of institutional discrimination. As with prejudice generally, these three types of discrimination are correlated and may be found to varying degrees in individuals and society at large. Many forms of discrimination based upon prejudice are outwardly acceptable in most societies. What is Gender? Gender is a social classification that divides individuals into one of three categories (masculine, feminine, androgyny) as defined by behaviour, cultural and/or physiological traits learnt and expressed. The Difference between Gender and Sex Sex is a biological classification the divides individuals into categories (Male, Female, Hermaphrodite) as defined by their Chromosome make-up, reproductive organs, external genitals, hormonal states, internal genitals and secondary sex characteristics. Therefore sex is fundamentally different from gender on the basis that sex is determined by sex from birth and gender is determined by socialization after birth. Gender: Functional History The gender roles in society today are as a result of thousands of years of social evolution going back to the beginnings of society. Lets us take a look at how gender evolved into what it is today. The first type of society that existed, hunter/gatherer societies, men and women shared equal roles as the food gatherers in society. Women secured the more stable sources of food such as ground provisions grains and fruits while men secured the less stable sources of food from hunting game. This is due to the fact that hunting is a physically intensive activity and thus more naturally suited for the men in society however both sources of food were important to the welfare of the society and therefore both men and women had comparable roles. However while comparable, these roles would go on to influence society through the ages as the gathering of food tended to be relatively close to the settlement and the hunting of food would be further away. We see therefore that women were socialized to stay close to home and men were socialized to journey away from the home. This comparable role relationship remained similar in pastoral and horticultural societies however a huge shift came when people began to form agrarian societies. Men took the role of primary food gatherers in society freeing women from the task of food gathering. Thus women adopted alternative roles in the home to occupy their time. This however elevated the role of men in society while at the same time decreasing the roles of women. Men became more educated and took on more complex jobs within society. Women became the nurturers and home-makers of society. Thus the sexual division on labour became institutionalized ( Lengerman and Wallace, 1985) In industrial society women were reintegrated in the workplace however they were typically low paying unskilled jobs and their male counterparts were typically paid more for the same work. The role of women in society was slowly increasing at this point. Gender: Functional Analysis of Jamaican Society Traditionally in Jamaican society women are seen to be the home-makers and men the bread winners. This is due to the fact that the two genders play a complimentary role to each other (Talcott Parsons 141, 1964; orig 1951). In other words a complex Co-dependency between each gender that fulfils the economic social companionship, and social placement needs of a family unit thus holding and shaping society and. Each gender is socialized from birth to fulfil their respective roles. Boys are socialized to be competitive and aggressive through sports and aggressive role-models and yard work thereby allowing them to compete and survive in the working world as part of the labour force when they become Men. Girls are socialized to be sensitive and caring through dolls and house chores so that once they become Women they are better able to run the household and rear children. In a family unit these roles compliment each other and act as a stabilizing force for the unit and by extension for society. These stabilizing forces are perpetuated through various schemes of social control. Individuals who fail to show appropriate levels of masculinity or femininity are ridiculed and ostracised by society, this produces guilt and fear of rejection in the individual and serves to reinforce gender classes. Gender: Functional Analysis – Critical Comments The functionalistic view of gender is unable to proper explain many occurrences of modern society. With the post-industrial society we see that women are increasingly taking on more complex roles in society due to the reduction in the amount of physical labour needed to perform complex tasks through industrialization, the ability to control contraception, the feminist movement and poverty level (women in poorer household work out of necessity). Indeed most households now reply on a two person income. This however has left women with the dual roles of home-maker and breadwinners. This is a very daunting task as such many women remain single to avoid such a scenario. Alternatively since women have become a large part of the labour force we see that in couples, men have now either partly or in rare cases fully taken over the tasks of nurturing and caring for a child so as to fill the void created by the absence of the mother Traditionally androgyny was a socially ostracised gender however lately there has been a blurring of the roles separating the genders. We see this in ‘the sensitive new age guy', ‘the metro sexual', in women with short hair (short hair was traditionally a masculine feature), in male bleaching and male earrings (both of which were initially feminine traits). Gender Discrimination Though gender discrimination and sexism refers to beliefs and attitudes in relation to the gender of a person, such beliefs and attitudes are of a social nature and do not, normally, carry any legal consequences. Sex discrimination, on the other hand, may have legal consequences. Though what constitutes sex discrimination varies between countries, the essence is that it is an adverse action taken by one person against another person that would not have occurred had the person been of another sex. Discrimination of that nature in certain enumerated circumstances is illegal in many countries. Currently, discrimination based on sex is defined as adverse action against another person, that would not have occurred had the person been of another sex. This is considered a form of prejudice and is illegal in certain enumerated circumstances in most countries. Sexual discrimination can arise in different contexts. For instance an employee may be discriminated against by being asked discriminatory questions during a job interview, or because an employer did not hire, promote or wrongfully terminated an employee based on his or her gender, or employers pay unequally based on gender. In an educational setting there could be claims that a student was excluded from an educational institution, program, opportunity, loan, student group, or scholarship due to his or her gender. In the housing setting there could be claims that a person was refused negotiations on seeking a house, contracting/leasing a house or getting a loan based on his or her gender. Another setting where there have been claims of gender discrimination is banking; for example if one is refused credit or is offered unequal loan terms based on one’s gender. In todays Jamaican society, it is debatable as to whether ones sex influences their position or status in life. A feminist Shulamith Firestone believed that women were disadvantaged by their biology, due bto the fact that they bear children and as s result they become dependent on the male species for survival. This dependence ion men produced unequal power relationships. Local journalist Peter Espeute, believes that boys face challenges due to inequality from as early as Primary school level. He disputes that girls are usually seated at the front of the class, while the boys sit at the back where they idle and play instead of learning. He also states that the entrance test given to children to decide what High school they go to is given at the wrong stage in their life cycle. It is a fact that at age eleven (11), girls are mentally more developed that boys, therefore the girls would outperform the boys, get the scholarships and be placed at the â€Å"best† schools. A study done by Kevin Harper of Howard University show that gender biases occur even in doctor offices. Doctors are deemed upper class statuses in Jamaica, and see themselves as â€Å"the almighty healers† (Payne-Jackson 1997). The study revealed that doctors were more apologetic to male patients who were kept waiting. More so males of high statuses. Female patients tended to be treated more like children needing instructions. Another example of gender bias may be seen in the workplace. In Corporate Jamaica, males in high positions (CEO,GM, etc. ) are paid higher wages than their female counterparts. As you go down the scale you will find that the salaries are usually level. However in some institutions such as factories and industrial complexes, because of the nature of the job, men are favoured. Even if females are among them, night shifts and overtime are usually approved for the men. The United Nations had concluded that women often experience a â€Å"glass ceiling† and that there are no societies in which women enjoy the same opportunities as men. The term â€Å"glass ceiling† is used to describe a perceived barrier to advancement in employment based on discrimination, especially sex discrimination. Social Class The term social class refers to a system of social stratification which is based on individual achievements, resulting from the unequal distribution of wealth, power and prestige. A hierarchical distinction is made between individuals or groups of people within the society. Social stratification is regarded as structured inequality based on the characteristics of the society and usually persists over a long period of time. It is usually universal and often occurs on the basis of access to the scarce factors of production: it also occurs on the basis of other factors, such as race, gender, age, religion and caste. Social stratification is usually prevalent in most societies. Usually a person’s status is either ascribed or achieved. An ascribed status is usually fixed at birth and depicted by ones sex or race. An achieved status is depicted by ones achievements throughout their lifetime, usually occupational. An open society usually fosters social mobility between the different social classes. Social mobility is the movement of individuals between, or up or down the different class structures over time owing to improvements in their fortunes. Social mobility is usually achieved through the following avenues: 1. Education, the attainment of higher tertiary education leads to more expertise and usually higher income paying jobs. 2. Hard work 3. Marriage, an individual marries into a rich family 4. Family status, the name of a rich family member usually opens doors for that individual 5. Talents and skills 6. Physical attributes, e. g. Miss World, usually marries into a powerful or rich family 7. Luck A closed system does not foster social mobility. Social positions are ascribed at birth and the system is very rigid with clearly defined structures. The caste system in India is a very good example of a closed system of stratification. In this system an individual is born in caste and this determines their occupation, education, social interaction and power. No amount of hard work and achievement can change their status or caste over time. The best example of the open system is the class system. This is found in most modern industrial societies around the world. One’s class in this system is largely determined by ones occupation, education, income, wealth and power. There are four classes in this system. They are the upper-class, the middle class, the service class and the underclass. The upper class is usually made up of the top ten percent (10%) of the wealthy people in the society. This class is also broken down into two classes: the upper and the lower class. ?The upper- upper class is made up of people who normally have â€Å"old money† and are set apart by their wealth and power. These persons have been born and raised with wealth; mostly consists of old â€Å"noble† or prestigious families. The Royal Family of England would be a prime example of the upper – upper class. The lower- upper class is made up of people who have extraordinary large income, which is achieved through occupational means. These people are usually referred to as having â€Å"new money†. These individuals have become rich within their own lifetimes. This class consists of people who own large companies or are CEO’s of large companies. It also consists of entrepreneurs, mo vie stars, top athletes, as well as some prominent professionals). The middle class is divided into three different groups. They are the upper -middle class, the service- class and the lower- middle class. The upper middle class is usually made up of people who have prestigious occupations, such as doctors, lawyers, politicians and entertainers. These people usually earn very high incomes and live in prominent neighborhoods and are able to send their off springs to colleges and universities abroad. These people usually accumulate lots of wealth overtime. ?The service- class is made up of highly trained people who are usually managers at their place of work. These people usually have secured careers and earn very good incomes on the job. Business consultants, teachers, and small business operators are good examples of persons who fall within this class. ?The lower- middle class is reserved for people who earn an average income and enjoy a decent standard of living. These people work in mainly less prestigious white collar jobs and include Sales Representatives, Supervisors, Bank clerks and Office clerks. Most of these people have not acquired a tertiary level education. The working class is usually those people who live from paycheck to paycheck and are called blue collar workers. These people usually earn what is known as â€Å"minimum wage† and are normally the first set of workers to be affected in times of recession. The underclass is those people who fall below the poverty line. They are usually temporarily employed or unemployed and are usually dependent on the state for survival. Conclusion As our motto rightly states â€Å"Out of Many One People†, we are diverse in race, ethnicity, and socialization. Based on our research which included a questionnaire (Appendices), we can clearly state that Social Inequality exists worldwide and Jamaica is no exception. The questionnaire was issued to twenty persons which included two Rastafarians, Two Chinese, three Mixed race individuals, one Caucasian and the rest were Negros. Half were male and the other half females. The results were as follows:- Age discrimination was felt by one young man (22 years old) who was a bus driver by profession. He expressed that persons were not willing to take his bus when they saw that he was the driver. The Rastafarians who were ironically from the lower class said they faced discrimination from every aspect (class, beliefs). Most of the females stated that men are preferred for jobs in the corporate world. One lady in particular related an experience of being in an interview and was told that she did well but they want to hire a male, as too many women were in the office. The only white man that did the questionnaire expressed that he felt discriminated just because of his colour; he was not comfortable going out alone because some people thought that he had something to offer them and were constantly begging. Therefore the question is answered Social Inequality does lead to people forming prejudices which may influence their actions toward person of a particular group or groups.