Compare and Contrast Health and Wellness

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Defying Tradition Essay

Article Title: Funny women flourish in female-written comedies What information seems the most important? Note key points mentioned in the article. Call it The â€Å"Bridesmaids† Effect: Ever since the R-rated 2011 comedy became a runaway hit †¦ a rash of female-written comedies are enticing viewers with provocative new characters who are more like women we know. â€Å"‘Bridesmaids’ I think opened up a door to allow women to show a bunch of different women in different ways of being funny. Since then, women have been finding a voice in comedy more than ever before. Headland says the new breed of funny female writers arose out of frustration, and feminism Actresses such as Kendrick, Snow, Wilson and others say these new female-created characters look and sound more like actual women they know. â€Å"You’re not going to solve the problem, but you can start the conversation,† Headland said. â€Å"I think part of your job, especially as a woman, i s to let yourself be a little ugly and to show uglier parts of yourself. That’s your job as a female artist.† Look at the key points and organize any that are related. Call it The â€Å"Bridesmaids† Effect: Ever since the R-rated 2011 comedy became a runaway hit †¦ a rash of female-written comedies are enticing viewers with provocative new characters who are more like women we know. Headland says the new breed of funny female writers arose out of frustration, and feminism. Actresses such as Kendrick, Snow, Wilson and others say these new female-created characters look and sound more like actual women they know. â€Å"You’re not going to solve the problem, but you can start the conversation,† Headland said. â€Å"I think part of your job, especially as a woman, is to let yourself be a little ugly and to show uglier parts of yourself. That’s your job as a female artist.† â€Å"‘Bridesmaids’ I think opened up a door to allow women to show a bunch of different women in different ways of being funny. Since then, women have been finding a voice in comedy more than ever before. What do the key points i n each group have in common?

James Baldwin Essay

Has writing ever changed your life? Have you wondered about the author of the amazing work? James Baldwin was the author of books, plays, and essays that broke literary ground. His work explored social and racial issues regarding discrimination. James Arthur Baldwin was born in Harlem, New York in August 2, 1924 to Emma Berdis Jones and an unknown father. His stepfather was David Baldwin, a Baptist preacher and a factory worker. Baldwin grew up with an abusive father and a poor family with eight siblings. He wrote and edited the school magazine at his middle school, Frederic Douglass Junior High, at the age of 11. At the ages of 14 through 16, Baldwin was a Pentecostal preacher at Pentecostal Church, delivered by the difficulties of life, as well as his abusive stepfather, who was also a preacher. At the age of 15, a running buddy, Emile Capouya, recommended the young Baldwin to meet Beauford Delaney, an American modernist painter. Delaney became Baldwin’s mentor, living proof that African-American artists exist and that he could become one himself. You might be wondering what Baldwin achieved in young adulthood as he matured into the revolutionary writer he became. After attending high school, Baldwin started a string of ill paid jobs, self-study, but earned a literary apprenticeship in New York City. Around the age of 20, Baldwin moved to Greenwich Village, New York a popular home of African American artists and writers. While in New York, he befriended Richard Wright, a fellow African-American writer. At the age of 21, Baldwin landed a fellowship through Wright. He started to publish his first essays and short stories (ex: The Nation, Partisan Review, and Commentary). Three years later, at the age of 24, Baldwin moved to Paris on another fellowship. His personal life was lonely. He once loved Lucien Happersberg, a Swiss artist that he lived with while he stayed in Switzerland. He was single and had no children. His personal hobbies included writing and reading which lead to his writing career. He enjoyed writing poems, essays, short stories, and plays that were against discrimination. Baldwin was one of the leading voices in the civil rights movement. His work broke literary ground by influencing others. Maya Angelou called Baldwin her â€Å"friend and brother† and was greatly influenced by his work. He was especially well known for his essays on the black experience in America. He provided an unflinching look at the black experience in America through his work. Nobody Knows My Name, one of Baldwin’s touching books, hit the best-sellers list, selling more than a million copies. Early on December 1, 1987, Baldwin died of esophageal cancer in Saint-Paul-de-Venice, France. He was buried at the Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, near New York City. Baldwin was cheerful and active days before his death, hosting a Thanksgiving dinner. He had continued to write until his death at the age of 63. He had finished Cross of Redemption: Uncollected Writings, and had published The Price of the Ticket in 1985, just two years from his death. James Baldwin was an influential person. I learned that anyone can change things within and without your reach with determination. I was impressed that he was eager to change people’s perspectives of the world around them. The lesson that I learned from him was that one should do the right thing in bad situations. James Baldwin was a truly amazing person.

Strategic Planning Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategic Planning - Assignment Example Irish colleges have changed their age old stance of focusing only on domestic students. Globalization of educational system has forced Irish colleges to think beyond domestic boundaries in order to attract international students. Higher educational system of Ireland has already experienced a boom due to rapid internationalization during the period of 1995 to 2007, which is known as ‘Celtic Tiger years’. In that era, China was an important source for student immigration in Irish colleges but supply of international student has reduced after the recession which has painstakingly reduced industrial output of Irish economy. As a result of industrial slowdown in Ireland, private parties have reduced higher education funding for universities and colleges (ICEF Monitor, 2012). In such context, Irish government has taken initiative known as â€Å"Education in Ireland† in order to market the existing education programme in Irish universities and colleges in international m arkets such as Argentina, Brazil, China, India, USA etc. Irish Government has planned to implement recommendations made by Hunt Report (2011) in order to attract international students... Hence, due to involvement of customer perception variables, Irish colleges need to build their brand among international students in order to convince them that Irish colleges are capable of delivering quality education. The researcher in the study is head of Strategic Planning Division of Irish owned and managed college and board of the college has asked the researcher to prepare strategic recommendation for the college on how to increase its penetration in Argentine educational sector and simultaneously increase its Argentine student base. Hence, following sections of the study will try to throw some light on issues like macro environmental analysis of Argentina, analysis of educational sector of Argentina, challenges regarding cultural and managerial practices in both countries, identifying strategic options etc. Part 1- Research Macro-environment To understand a country, one must take a step forward to analyze macro-environment of the country; hence the researcher will analyze ma cro-environment of Argentina in terms of PESTLE analysis. Political Argentina can be called as pariah state due to its unstable political environment which is complemented with nepotism, corruption and cronyism. Gabriel Torres (who is senior analyst in Moody's) has stated that, â€Å"Argentina's inability to solve its political differences is a problem, contentious politics make the country less able to cope with the impact of economic shocks† (Mercopress, 2009). Although political instability in the country has hampered the economic growth in the country but Argentine government has taken initiatives during 1990s to reform the educational sector in order to increase privatization and internationalization of higher education sector. Educational reform

Ectopic Pregnancy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ectopic Pregnancy - Essay Example Ectopic pregnancy occurs in various places such as cervix, ovaries, peritoneal cavity, or interstitial tissue but more than 96% of all ectopic cases occur in the fallopian tubes (McCulloch 2007 and Togas 2006). This tube is in-charged of carrying fertilized ovum from the ovary down to the uterus ('Ectopic Pregnancy'). However, when the fertilized ovum implants and grows inside the fallopian tube, this will weaken the wall and eventually rupture the tube (McCulloch 2007). A ruptured ectopic pregnancy is a true medical emergency. It is the leading cause for 10 to 15 percent of all maternal deaths (Tenore 2000). In 2001, the Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths (CEMD) 2001 reported that there are 5 women who die every single year from ectopic pregnancy. The report also revealed that one of the main reasons of maternal death was due to substandard care and the failure to detect early ectopic pregnancy. Indeed, it is important to be aware of the predisposing risk factors as well as investigate early signs and symptoms of ectopic pregnancy to prevent further mortality rates ('The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust'). There are a lot of predisposing risk factors associated with ectopic pregnancy and this include current or previous pelvic infection, primary infertility, history of ectopic pregnancy, prior tubal surgery, endometriosis, a history of abdominal or pelvic surgery, acute appendicitis, in-utero exposure to DES, vaginal douching, smoking, progestin pills, and use of an intrauterine device (IUD) (Tenore 2000 and Tay et al. 2000). In addition, assisted reproductive technology may compromise tubal structure and function which increases the risk of ectopic pregnancy. These include ovulatory induction medications, and in-vitro fertilization, or gamete intrafallopian transfer (McCulloch 2007). Here is a case study describing the experience of having an ectopic pregnancy. A 33year old female had been trying to conceive for four years, became pregnant with the help of fertility treatment (do not have details). At five weeks into her pregnancy she began to have one-sided pain and slight spotting. She was seen by her own consultant, follow-up tests were given, pregnancy test which was positive, a beta-Hcg test and a scan which showed her uterus to be empty. Later the same afternoon this lady was taken to the operating theatre and anaesthetised with cricoid pressure because she had eaten. A laparoscopy was carried out which show that she had ruptured tube. She lost her baby and one of fallopian tubes, which reduced her conceiving again by approximately 50% because she only has one fallopian tube now. This lady life was saved, but she was in grief for her lost child. She stays in the care of the hospital for two days, before going home under the care of the consultant. Her care has not been carried out by the NHS. This was her wishes. According to biopsychoscocial model, the patient's perception of ectopic pregnancy arises from a combination of her biological, emotional state, and concomitant social determinants. This model explains the phenomenon of signs and symptoms associated with ectopic pregnancy shifting to the patient's underlying psychological or social concerns (Geri et al. 2000 and Lakhan 2006). In the case study above, the patient was described to receive fertility treatme

Criminal Law Cases Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Criminal Law Cases - Essay Example In the case of Johnson v. Texas, the appellant shot dead his accomplice Lean Freeman after an argument in which the offender was demanding his illegitimate money. The trial court had sentenced the offender to seventy-seven years for a crime of murder, but in his appeal, the defendant pointed out three mistakes committed by the trial court. He requested the appellate court to reverse the ruling of the trial court against overruling defendants request for lesser included offense charges, ineffective assistance of counsel and prosecutorial misconducts. The appellant requested the lesser included charge of involuntary manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide by adding that his acts were in self-defense. The appellate court examined the issues under Royster test and decided that the appellant acted voluntarily and consciously with intent to cause harm to the victim. The appellate claim of self-defense was irresponsible because he took time to load the gun and shoot the victim. The c laim that defendant acted in self-defense cannot be substantiated because there was no evidence of any assault caused by the victim or any confirmation that he carried a gun with him (Pearson Education Inc., 2012). Furthermore, involuntary manslaughter would require a person to act involuntarily and recklessly. However, the appellant was not reckless considering the time he took to load the gun and point it at the victim after they had an argument. His actions were planned carefully after the argument.

Marijuana should be forbidden in the United States Essay

Marijuana should be forbidden in the United States - Essay Example alcohol or tobacco, its legalization would only result in an increase in its usage which could result in long-term addiction problems (DuPont, 2012). A study carried out in 2006 has found that marijuana is the most widely grown cash crop in the country with values exceeding that of corn and wheat combined (Marijuana Prohibition, 2008). While the plant was widely grown in the US, a federal law of Controlled Substance Act that was passed in the year 1970 prohibited the cultivation, use and trading of the drug within the country. The Act further classified the drug as a Schedule 1 drug by which the drug has more potential for abuse. However, in the following years certain states decriminalized the use of the drug and allowed medical use of marijuana as its use was found to be effective in the treatment of nausea, rheumatism and labor pains (Marijuana Facts and Statistics, 2012). Though the drug continues to be a controlled substance and users are subject to federal prosecution, research studies have shown that even teenagers have easy access to the drug with a particular study showing that popularity of the use of marijuana overtook that of cigarette tobacco over the past year (Marijuana Facts and Statistics, 2012; Marijuana Prohibition, 2008; Coffman &Dobuzinskis, 2012). An anti-legalization group has argued that marijuana use poses a great risk for the physical and mental development of young children (Coffman &Dobuzinskis, 2012; DuPont, 2012). A recent study showed a decline in the IQ levels among teenagers who used the drug regularly. The study further noted the harmful effects that the drug would have on the brain development in these teenagers. Thus the group is campaigning against legalization of the drug citing the negative effects it has on teenagers which would in turn affect their education and career later in life. There is also less awareness about the exact effects of the drug that has hindered efforts to prevent the use of the drug (Coffman

Arguments against abortion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Arguments against abortion - Essay Example Human rights are not a privilege conferred by government. They are every human being's entitlement by virtue of his humanity. The right to life does not depend, and must not be declared to be contingent, on the pleasure of anyone else, not even a parent or a sovereign." The aspect of abortion has been in vogue for centuries in all parts of the world and debated for and against ever since. While individuals arguing for abortion have been insistent on certain safety related issues and also often alleged business related factors, aspects against abortion too have various and even more credible grounds including religious, medical, legal, ethical and so on. While abortion is definitely a favourable decision in case of a medical emergency whereby at least the mother's life can be saved, in today's world abortion has actually become a matter of choice on various counts, and unfortunately, even a family planning tool. Across the country, people on both sides of abortion debate agree that women have a right to make informed decisions about their pregnancy. Women have a right to know what is right, safe and good for them and the child in the long run ethically, morally, medically and even psychologically. However, in honest opinion of this author, there are certain critical issues involved when terminating a pregnancy willingly, which may affect her for a long time. While there are adequate instances of medical practitioners and employers advising women regarding terminating pregnancies purely to save them monetarily through savings on maternity benefits, the abortion decision should not be taken under pressure from the employers. Unfortunately, even this happens far too often in modern world. "Coercive and unethical counselors lie to vulnerable women and pressure them. This has happened in some abortion clinics as well as some pregnancy care centers. Women have died from botched abortions, both before abortion was legalized and after, when it is supposed to be safe. After all, employers do not want to pay for maternity benefits or lose productivity when a mother takes time off to care for a newborn or sick child. "(Source: Feminists for Life, Serrin M. Foster, 1999) WHAT RELIGION SAYS Bible doesn't advocate anything against abortion for the basic reason that abortion was unthinkable in those days when a child was considered to be a gift from the god. Further, childlessness was seen as the greatest curse. Hence, there was no need to mention this aspect at all in the bible. However, "some verses appear to teach that if a woman gives birth prematurely, but the baby is not injured, then only a fine is appropriate. However, if the child dies then the law of retaliation (lex talionis) should be applied. In other words, killing an unborn baby would carry the same penalty as killing a born baby. A baby inside the womb has the same legal status as a baby outside the womb." (Arguments Against Abortion, Kerby Anderson, President of Probe Ministries International, 1997) Roman Catholicism: The popes have taught that abortion is

The relationship between the nations of the global north and the Essay

The relationship between the nations of the global north and the global south, both before World War II and especially afterwards - Essay Example Even the Global North was effected with the political scenario that prevailed in the scene of pre First World War events and the post Second World War events. Japan for example was totally destroyed by the events that took place in the Second World War. Prior to the Second World War, Japanese government undertook offensive intentions that were dangerous towards the world as well as their own prosperity. The occurrence of the event of Hiroshima and Nagasaki crippled the entire structure of existence and led to destruction in totality. In the post world war second scenario, Japan had to start from scratch in order to provide the people with a means of living and also support their basic needs. In the post world war Two Scenario, the North had an edge over the South. Since the South was economically and politically weak, the North aimed at cashing in on this weakness and in turn provided them conditional assistance. This assistance came about in the form of political dictions. The events of the Cold War in the post Second World War events led to the more suited atmosphere for the North part of the world to bring about their own dictated terms upon the South. The South, badly in need of resources, funds and other basic needs to maintain their economic growth and prevent themselves from falling below the poverty line, had to embrace the tough and vested conditions and interests of the North. The events that took place in the earlier part had a greater impact for the major part of the 20th century. Its traces can be felt even in the modern times in the different parts of the world. The South American continent that comprises of the states of the likes of Bolivia, Cuba, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and Peru are still in the throes of economic hurdles and obstacles. In the post First World One scenario, there were two distinct blocs within the Europe, United states of America and its other allies aimed at creating trust and partnership within. While the Central powers

Compare and contrast Drucker and Whyte's analysis of corporate Essay

Compare and contrast Drucker and Whyte's analysis of corporate bureaucracy - Essay Example In this case, the organizations had to make some changes, for instance, there was an introduction of cheaper cars, fast foods and smaller housing units, which were meant for the nuclear family (Whyte, 1956). This also led to a situation where managers became risk averse (Whyte, 1956). This was evident from the decisions that they took in the companies. The managers believed that if they made less risky decisions, the decisions would have no consequence on the firms, even if they had the potential of giving the best outcomes to the company. The aim was to maintain things as they were instead of changing the corporate world because, if something went wrong, they were the ones who would take the blame, and in doing this, they would maintain their jobs for a long time. This was the main reason for the bureaucracy in the companies. Whyte focused his research on many companies in finding the results indicated above. Conversely, Drucker focused on one company in doing his investigations. Drucker had worked for General Motors for several years, and he focused on this company for his research (Drucker, 1946). He specifically reviewed what happened inside the company and how this affected the performance of the company. He also studied the management of the company and the decisions that they made in order to access what caused the success or failure of the company (Drucker, 1946). Therefore, Drucker was interested the power structure, managerial decisions and its autonomy, and how other people in and out of the company reacted to these factors (Drucker, 1946). According to Drucker, the bureaucracy in companies started from inside the organizations where management aimed to maintain control of the organizations through centralizing power (Drucker, 1946). The management could dictate everything that was to be done a nd their orders were to be followed

Introduction to Global Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Introduction to Global Management - Assignment Example It is a multinational corporation since it operates in the 130 countries around the world and has employed more than 20,000 people. The products of the company are found in thousands of restaurants and supermarket freezers. Research shows that one of every three fries sold in different restaurants in the world comes from McCain and this in turn translates to one hundred million servings of the company’s fries every day (Cameron & Mike, 39). One of the strategies that McCain used to expand in China is the launch of a French fry processing plant in Harbin, the capital of North East China. This is the first processing facility in Asia and serves as the headquarters of the company in China. The construction of the plant will allow the distribution of the potatoes not only in China, but also in other North Asian markets like South Korea and Japan. This therefore makes McCain foods to be the company that is leading in the production of French fries. In addition, the company opened sales offices in Shanghai and introduced mechanical planters and diggers to the McCain way of growing potatoes. This includes the techniques used in the preparation of deep soil, and proper ways to irrigate therefore improving the quality of the yields thus increasing the margins compared to other crops. The purpose of the construction of the new plant in China was to make the company be a leader in the supply of potatoes to expand the Chinese mark et and help to meet the market demands of the country by providing products that are of high quality domestically. Moreover, the company needed to raise its presence in the big underdeveloped markets. Moreover, the spread of service retailers like the KFC and McDonald’s that have made their way extensively in the Asian markets has contributed to McCain constructing a plant in China. For new companies, it can be challenging to enter a foreign market. According to Hofstede works on global cultures, some of the challenges the Canadian

Music Industry Analysis Essay Example for Free

Music Industry Analysis Essay Analysis on Music Instrument Industry of Bangladesh Analysis on Music Instrument Industry of Bangladesh Submitted to: Mr. Md. Saif Noman Khan Assistant Professor Submitted by: Md. Mashrur Rahman Khan(Zr-11) (Group Leader) Contact No. 01675694513 e-mail:[emailprotected] com Sayeed Shorif Russel(Zr-08) Adib Iqbal Umit(Zr-12) Abdullah Al Muyid(Zr-18) Saif Hasan(Zr-21) Shah Shihab Sadman (Zr-27) Fahmid Shawon(Zr-28) Shamsuddin Muhammad Ishtiaque(Zr-30) Al Imran Bin Khodadad(Zr-46) Nafiz Alam Khan(Zr-47) BBA 18 Institute of Business Administration University of DhakA December 20, 2010 Mr. Saif Noman Khan Assistant Professor Institute of Business Administration University of Dhaka Dear Sir: â€Å"SUBMISSION OF TERM PAPER† It is our distinct pleasure to hand over to you our term paper that fulfills the partial requirement of the Business Communication course (C103). Being the students of Business Administration, it has been more of an opportunity for us to be able to work on this report. The knowledge and first-hand experience that we gained while going out there and collecting relevant data and the networks we made while interviewing different personnel, are undoubtedly going to prove to our advantage once we step into the corporate world. This report, and the investigation behind it, was prepared under your direct supervision. We pledge that under no circumstances will any part of it be reproduced for any reason or be shared with anyone else without your written consent. Furthermore, we pledge that this report has not been submitted to any other faculty member of the Institute of Business Administration We tried to accommodate your invaluable comments and suggestions in our report. In this connection, should you need any further clarification, please feel free to contact us (the contact details are included in the title page). We would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to you for providing us with a thorough knowledge base of how to come up with an excellent report while enjoying doing so. We have been very enthusiastic about doing a good job on this report and hence are hoping that it would meet up to your expectations. Sincerely, Md. Mashrur Rahman Khan(Zr-11)| Sayeed Shorif Russel(Zr-08)| Adib Iqbal (Zr-12)| Abdullah Al Muyid(Zr-18)| Saif Hasan(Zr-21)| Shah Shihab Sadman (Zr-27)| Fahmid Shawon(Zr-28)| Shamsuddin Muhammad Ishtiaque(Zr-30)| Al Imran Bin Khodadad(Zr-46)| Nafiz Alam Khan(Zr-47)| Table of Contents Executive summaryvii 1. 0Introduction8 1. 1 Origin of the report8 1. 2 Objective8 1. 3 Scope9 1. 4 Limitations9 1. 5 Methodology9 1. 6 Historical Background10 2. 0 Music Instruments11 3. 0 Industry Structure14 3. 1 Background of the industry14 3. 2 Sales Trend15 3. 3 growth rate16 3. 4 growth potential17 3. 5 Industry composition17 3. 6 product composition18 4. 0 Analysis of Consumer Preferences18 4. 1 Survey Procedure18 4. 2 Survey Results18 5. 0 Analyzing the Market24 5. 1 Market trends24 5. 2 Market share25 5. 3 Market Growth26 5. 4 Market Size29 . 5 Market leaders29 6. 0 Available Products in the Market31 7. 0 Value Chain Analysis35 7. 1 PORTER’S GENERIC VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS OF THE MUSIC INSTRUMENT INDUSTRY35 7. 1. 1 Core process36 7. 1. 2 Supporting process37 7. 2 Activity analysis37 8. 0 Value Chain System of Music Instrument Industry39 9. 0 Analysis from Investors Point of View40 9. 1 Porter’s Five Forces Industry Analysis40 9. 2 SWOT Analysis43 9. 3 Suggestions for Investors43 10. 0 Conclusion45 11. 0 Bibliography46 12. 0 Appendix47 List of Illustrations Figures: Figure 1: Preference of Music Genre19 Figure 2: Preference of Music Instruments19 Figure 3: Purpose of Purchase20 Figure 4: Consumer Budget Analysis21 Figure 5: Brand Preferenceof Guitar22 Figure 6: Brand Preference of Drums22 Figure 7: Brand Preference of Keyboard23 Figure 8: Acceptance of Second Hand Instruments24 Figure 9: Shop Preference26 Figure 10:Cost-Revenue Overview29 Figure 11: Porters Value Chain Analysis36 Figure 12: Value Chain process of Music Industry39 Figure 13: SWOT Analysis44 Tables: Table 1: Classification of Music Instruments10 Table 2: Price Variation27 Executive summary The rich musical culture of Bangladesh provides a solid base for the music instrument industry to flourish. Bangladesh has 27 genres of cultural music and in recent years modern music has become very popular in this country. Owing to these two factors the music instrument industry, although being small in terms of stature, is quite affluent in nature. The music instruments industry of Bangladesh has been growing at a steady growth ever since its arrival. But since the 90’s the growth rate has been exceptional. The major players in this market are Melody ; Co. Surashree, Sur niketan, Sangita, World Music etc. The characteristics of the market can be attributed to that of oligopoly. The existing major companies hold the major percentage of market share and thus entry of new companies in this industry is faced with various barriers. But there is ample opportunity for new investors to flourish in this market because of the constant flow of the customer. The value chain analysis of the industry also leads to a similar conclusion. The established companies have a widespread supply and distribution chain which helps them to gain cost advantage over other companies. This again bars the entry of new companies in this industry. The survey conducted on consumers has depicted similar findings. Consumers have a special consideration for the established brands and they generally use products depending on their previous experiences or being influenced by opinion leaders (Rock stars, Music Teachers). This hinders the entry of new companies as creating a brand image in consumers mind takes time which can prove to be very costly. In this report, concise description of the music instrument industry is provided for the investors to analyze the market themselves. Some analysis of this market are also included which we have done ourselves. By analyzing the market using SWOT and Porter’s five forces industry analysis, the opportunities and threats of the market were identified. If further investment is taken into consideration, this analysis should help the investors to understand the market trends and invest according to the demands of customers. vii|Page 1. 0 Introduction Entertainment is one humane quality that we possess and music provides the celestial emotions therefore, musicians are acclaimed everywhere. Music industry is growing all over the world and so is the need for professional and high quality musical instruments. Music is a big part of our culture as Bangladeshis. So, our music industry has grown considerably across time. The music instruments industry has met this growth alongside it. In the past decade the both industries have gone through some major changes. This report focuses on the current status of the music instruments industry. - 1. 1 Origin of the report The fulfillment of the Business Communication (C103) Course, taken at the Institute of Business Administration, requires the submission of a report assigned by the course instructor. Thus, by the kind approval and authorization of our honorable course instructor, Mohammad Saif Noman Khan, Assistant Professor, Institute of Business Administration, we, a group of students of BBA 18th batch, have prepared this report on the music instruments industry of Bangladesh. 1. 2 Objective The primary objective of our report is to provide a brief overview on the music instrument industry of Bangladesh. Through the report and its included value chain analysis of the industry potential investors may evaluate the profit prospects of investing in the sector . We will emphasize on the current situation of Bangladeshi music instrument industry and also compare it with previous years to analyze the market trend. We will focus on the key influencing factors of the music instruments industry of Bangladesh. Specific objectives: * State the music instruments available in Bangladesh * Understand the existing market structure of music instruments * Identify the market leaders Provide a value chain analysis of this industry * Determine consumers’ preference towards branded/non-branded products * Implementing our knowledge from this course in the real world scenario and getting a broader perspective * Analyzing the market from an investor’s perspective * Identify specific sectors where investment can be made * Determining the growth prospects of the sector. 1. 3 Scope This report is intended to provide adequate information on the music instruments industry of Bangladesh; the focus will be on both classical and modern musical instruments sector. The paper includes reviews of various literatures that are available and also in-depth analysis of the survey result that we conducted as a part of the report. The scope of the study encompasses the different music instruments shops around Dhaka. 1. 4 Limitations The main limitations faced while working for the report are: * The surveys carried out for the report were based solely on the capital city of Dhaka; other cities or even villages were not considered for surveying because of the geographical difficulties involved. * There were hardly any relevant journals or other secondary information sources on the topic. Some of the local companies were poorly structured and didn’t have adequate recording procedure; so much of the information was not possible to gather. * Some of the information gathered through the internet was backdated and up-to-date information was not available * The main source of information was interviews of owners of different shops. There is a possibility that the information provided by them was partial to their respective shops. 1. 5 Methodology While preparing this report both primary and secondary data sources were used. Personal interviews and informal discussions with individuals associated with the sector, served as the source of our primary data collection. Although formal questionnaires where used for the interviews, we were lenient in adhering strictly to facilitate the gathering of relevant information. * Primary Sources The primary information gathered for the report was basically questionnaire based. Two types of questionnaire served the purpose of gathering information for the report (Market survey questionnaire and consumer survey questionnaire). The methodology used in this report was a survey of 50 people from different walks of life. This wide sample was chosen in order to provide a more comprehensive study of the different music instruments and genre and to gather a broader array of opinions. For the market study our study was limited within the boundaries of Dhaka city. Most of the music instrument industry in Bangladesh is situated in Science Laboratory, Shakharibazar, Gulshan and Bashundhara City. These four locations comprise 90% of the whole music instruments industry. We interviewed approximately 10 different shop owners. The shop owners were highly co-operative. But the poor recording process practiced by those companies stood in the way of our gathering proper information. Secondary Sources Different books, Internet resources and newspapers were used for secondary data collection. Online resources were primarily used to know about the market structure, profit margin, brand names, the distribution system, key manufactures, and suppliers and to get the information provided by the companies themselves to know about the products. 1. 6 Historical Background Bangladesh has a rich music culture. There are over 27 genres of music which are prominent in Bangladesh. Now In keeping with the global growth Bangladesh has also adopted the different music cultures from outside the country. This has opened a new horizon for our music instrument industry as people started to move on to the rock culture. Due to this the market has shifted more to imported product. Classical and cultural music (Rabindra, Nazrul sangeet, Lalan Geeti etc. ) were popular since the inception of Bangladesh. Back in 1995, the underground band culture started growing. By 2001 it became so popular that the big players of the music industry took notice of the growing talents. To take advantage of high profitability of the industry, investors gathered and formed an oligopoly. The veterans of the industry began catering to the modern musicians and slowly moved towards modern instruments. A few companies which failed to change with the times went out of frame. Seeking this opportunity, new music instrument companies emerged. Till now music instrument industry in Bangladesh is in profit and there is practically in no loss. It may seem very profitable to invest in this rising industry, but the big names of the industry make it virtually impossible to attract a user base. 2. 0 Music Instruments Owing to the vast number of the music genres, the types of musical instrument have reached more than one can imagine. The popular musical instruments can, however, be classified in to two major categories: * Classical Instrument. * Modern Instrument. These instruments can be classified again into three major criteria: * Aerophones(Wind Instruments Vibrating air) * Chordophones(Stringed Instruments Vibrating strings) * Membranophones(Vibrating Membrane Instruments) In our report we will try to provide a brief view on different instrument for the potential investors who may not have sufficient knowledge about music instruments. In much of Europe, the term harmonium is used to describe all pedal-pumped keyboard free-reed instruments, making no distinction whether it has a pressure or suction bellows. In South Asia, the term generally refers to a hand-pumped instrument. Tablas: The tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument (of the membranophone family) used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres. The term tabla is derived from an Arabic word, tabl, which simply means drum. Sitar: Sitar is a Persian musical instrument. It is a member of the lute family. Two and a half centuries ago, a fourth string was added to the sitar, which has 25 27 moveable frets. It originated in Persia before the spread of Islam. Ektara: Ektara literally one-string, also called iktar, ektar, yaktaro gopichand) is a one-string instrument used in Bangladesh, India, Egypt, and Pakistan. In origin the ektara was a regular string instrument of wandering bards and minstrels from India and is plucked with one finger. The ektara usually has a stretched single string, an animal skin over a head (made of dried pumpkin/gourd, wood or coconut) and pole neck or split bamboo cane neck. The various sizes of ektara are soprano, tenor, and bass. The bass ektara, sometimes called a dotara often has two strings (as literally implied by do, two). Dotara: The dotara (or dotar) is a two or four stringed musical instrument resembling a small guitar. It is commonly used in Bangladesh and West Bengal, and dates from the 15th-16th century when it was adopted by the ascetic cults of Bauls and Fakirs. The equivalent as a traditional long-necked two-stringed lute is found in Central Asia as dutar. It has two main forms, the Bangla and the Bhhawaiya. The Bangla form originated in Rahr Bangla where it is still predominantly played. The Bhhawaiya form dotara is almost extinct in contemporary times and has a more primeval beginning than its Bangla cousin. Flute: The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening. According to the instrument classification of Hornbostel-Sachs, flutes are categorized as Edge-blown aerophones. Aside from the voice, flutes are the earliest known musical instruments. Electric guitars: An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric signals. Since the generated signal is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker. Since the output of an electric guitar is an electric signal, the signal may easily be altered using electronic circuits to add color to the sound. It served as a major component in the development of rock and roll and countless other genres of music. Acoustic guitars: An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only acoustic methods to project the sound produced by its strings. The term is a retronym, coined after the advent of electric guitars, which rely on electronic amplification to make their sound audible. Bass guitars: The bass guitar also called electric bass, or simply bass is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb (either by plucking, slapping, popping, tapping, or thumping), or by using a plectrum. The bass guitar is similar in appearance and construction to an electric guitar, but with a longer neck and scale length, and four, five, or six strings. The four string bass—by far the most common—is usually tuned the same as the double bass, which correspond to pitches one octave lower than the four lower strings of a guitar. Keyboards: A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include multiple types of organs as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments. In common language, it is mostly used to refer to keyboard-style synthesizers. Among the earliest keyboard instruments are the pipe organ, hurdy gurdy, clavichord, and harpsichord. Drums and Percussions: A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement, shaken, rubbed, scraped, or by any other action which sets the object into vibration. The term usually applies to an object used in a rhythmic context or with musical intent. In a musical context then, the term percussion instruments may have been coined originally to describe a family of instruments including drums, rattles, metal plates, or wooden blocks which musicians would beat or strike (as in a collision) to produce sound. Saxophone: The saxophone (also referred to as the sax) is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian Adolphe Sax in 1841. While proving very popular in military band music, the saxophone is most commonly associated with popular music, big band music, blues, early rock and roll, ska and particularly jazz. There is also a substantial repertoire of concert music in the classical idiom for the members of the saxophone family. Saxophone players are called saxophonists. Piano: The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal. Although not portable and often expensive, the pianos versatility and ubiquity have made it one of the worlds most familiar musical instruments. 3. 0 Industry Structure The Bangladeshi music instruments industry has been a long standing industry in the country. It may not be as big as the major industries, but it has certainly gone through enough expansion and evolution. 3. 1 Background of the industry Bangladesh has always had a culture heavily influenced by music. During the liberation war, music played a big part in rallying up the freedom fighters. So, after the liberation, the music industry suddenly boomed. To cope with the rising demand music instruments companies also needed to change. Pre-liberation, most companies were situated in the Shakharibazar area of Dhaka city. Classical instruments were the instruments of choice. Harmoniums, Tablas, Dhols etc. were popular with the music practitioners. After the war, the companies decided that they need to appeal to the more mainstream crowd, so they shifted to science laboratory, Dhanmondi, Dhaka. The new location offered them a lot of exposure to new music enthusiasts along with maintaining their established customer base. The new location helped the companies and the industry overall. Music instruments industry was on the rise. But the next big change was not far off. As Bangladesh changed with the world, the culture also morphed into a more west influenced one. Music preference was one of the first elements to change. In the 90’s, band music garnered a lot of popularity with the young generation. Underground bands were being formed by groups of young musicians who were ready to leave the old ways behind. Modern instruments such as guitars, keyboards and drums became the standard requirement of any band. Thus, a significant supply was also needed. Established companies saw that the new music mentality was not just a fad. They started making their own acoustic guitars, drums and flutes. However, the real market shift was made by imports. Several brand names were imported from various countries. Some were from nearby countries like India, China and Japan. But the truly expensive ones came from USA and Europe. Band music grew like wildfire and the music instruments industry expanded and changed for good. Soon, bands required more sophisticated and powerful instruments such as electric guitars and keyboards. These came only from imports. The industry became an import heavy industry to cater to the new crowd. So, the companies with import capabilities survived and thrived on the heavy shift while classical only based companies were forced to go out of business. Thus we come to our current status of the music instruments industry. 3. 2 Sales Trend The sales trend of the entire industry market has shifted over the years. Local instruments like harmoniums and tablas were the preferred music instruments. But the market was also smaller in size. Professional musicians and a few newcomers made the whole of the market. But with the transformation of the industry, the market has a much different scenario. Modern instruments take precedence over classical ones. The sales trend suggests that the newer instruments, especially the electric variations, are the big sellers. In the generation of frequent concerts, accessories like amplifiers and sound boxes are also a must. The modern instruments are very import heavy. So, the prices are also much higher. In the cases of customized guitars, the price of one guitar can be unlimited. Instruments from faraway countries such as USA, Germany etc. can be even more costly. For example, a piano form Germany can cost up to 8. 5 lac taka. The prices of the imported instruments maybe high, but that does not mean that customers will be discouraged to continue buying from this sector. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. One must not overlook the fact that the companies themselves are buying the instruments from abroad and then selling them here. They need a substantial amount of capital themselves to maintain their supply. So, the companies spend a lot of money in this regard. But that does not mean the cost outgrows the profit. The profit of the music instruments industry comes from the sheer quantity of the products sold. Bands are consistently buying the modern instruments for their use. Young people with an interest in music also want the best music instruments to fuel their passion. The band music scene is so large that the companies may not make a great profit on each of the sales they make, but the cumulative total of the instruments sold more than makes up for it in the end. So, it is safe to estimate that the sales trend will continue to grow in the same direction. The imported instruments will be the heavy sellers of the industry, but the local manufactured products will not be far behind. 3. 3 growth rate The growth rate of the music instruments industry overall has been quite substantial. From the early 70’s classical music era to the present band music era, the industry has grown multiple times in size. The big players of the industry have invested heavily on imports which continuously expand the market. The slightly less equipped companies are making the transition from classical to modern instruments to keep up with the trends. Some companies are trying to be entirely focused on modern instruments instead of classical. All of these companies keep adding to the industry. The customer base is also on the rise. Since the 90’s music has become quite popular as a profession. Many music enthusiasts try to become a part of the industry by either pure talent or raw passion. Some just want to keep playing music as an added skill. The young generation is not the only user base though. Veteran collectors may even buy music instruments just for adding them to their repertoire. People have many choices when it comes to music. So, their reasons for buying an instrument can be equally diversified. And all this is without counting the established bands and celebrities who will continue to purchase the high quality instruments for further advancement of their own carriers. 3. 4 growth potential The potential for this industry is variable. The big players of the industry have an oligopoly in place for the market in Dhaka. But the market outside of Dhaka is still fair game. People order via courier from outside Dhaka. A music instrument company with a big capital may seize on this opportunity to establish a brand name which will enable the company to pose a threat to the players of the industry. Another aspect to consider is the foreign market. Bangladeshi musical instruments have demand in the outside world as well. But no big company makes the effort to spread the music abroad with the help of instruments. Some foreign buyers come to Bangladesh and buy locally manufactured instruments which are relatively low in price. If a company exports local music instruments, the travel cost for the buyers may be added to the instruments’ pricing. This can garner a hefty profit. The number of customers from abroad may be low compared to the user base of the country, but it is large enough to give it growth potential. 3. 5 Industry composition The music instruments industry at its current state is situated primarily in Dhaka. Areas like Dhanmondi, Gulshan and Shakharibazar are the prominent locations. The center of the entire industry is in Science Laboratory, Dhanmondi. The well established shops like Melody Co, Surasree, Sur niketan etc. have been there for decades and the majority of the market is in their grasps. A lot of medium and smaller size shops are also included there who use lower pricing to attract customers. Other notable locations include Bashundhara City Shopping Complex, Panthapath, and Dhaka which has World Music and Golden Music for a more modernized shopping experience. The big companies at Science Laboratory have their showrooms at the ground level and manufacturing factories on the floor above. Simple and local instruments like tablas, harmoniums and dhols etc. are made there. Complex instruments like guitars are made in a different factory. These factories are mainly situated on the opposite side of the river, outside of Dhaka, like Keraniganj for example. Imports are made through contacts for individual companies. Some companies use direct links abroad to ship instruments into the country. The others use third party importers to import their products. Most of the down payment is done by e-mail. Orders from outside Dhaka are taken via e-mail or telephone and the supplied through courier. The bigger companies of the industry also take responsibility for organizing stage shows for both the Government and NGOs. All of these activities amount to a flowing industry that has quite a profit margin. To top it all off, the big players of the music instruments industry claim to have no loss. The sales never decline and the user base keeps growing. The only drawback is that the cost of raw materials may increase over time, but that can be easily overlooked by the profits. 3. 6 product composition There are two types of products in the market-local and imported. Local products are manufactured by the companies themselves and are sold at a much lower price compared to the imported ones. The imports are much more costly and have a lot more variety. Renowned brands such as Ibanez, STK, Yamaha, Fender, Tama, Paiste, Pearl, Maxtone, Roland, Gibson, TGM, Korg, Kurzweil etc. are available in the market. These brands attract customers on a regular basis. 4. 0 Analysis of Consumer Preferences To understand the industry one has to understand the consumers. Consumer’s insight is critical when determining business strategy. This report contains first hand consumer opinion gathered by individual surveying. . 1 Survey Procedure The consumer survey was done through both online and direct method. A consumer questionnaire that contained questions about general consensus of the music industry was created. Customers at the various music instruments shops were asked to take part in the survey. Online surveys were taken by creating the questionnaire in on line form and conducted anonymously through the internet. Various contacts were used to conduct the online survey. We interviewed 50 people, some of them are professional musicians and the others are non-professionals. 4. 2 Survey Results The primary source of data used in the report was a questionnaire filled-up by a representative sample of participants. The representative sample was picked from different occupations, ages and educational attainment. The participants were asked to respond to a set of simple questions. The questions were designed to get raw data. The raw data on analysis were used to get an insight into the general structure and consumer behavior within the music instrument industry. The survey findings were concluded in different sections by relating the collected data with the demographic characteristics of the interviewees. A detailed analysis of the findings is explained below: * Preference of Music Genre: We surveyed a total of 50 individuals from different segments of the social strata and also conducted an open online survey to get greater response. The core decision characteristics which guide the buying behavior in this market are the preference of genre by the buyers. Through our analysis we get to know that majority of the buyers are still guided by the classical taste. This segment is mainly occupied by female customers who still have a heart for the classical music. Almost 50% of the users are aligned to classical genre. But we also observe that the modern genre is just tailing classical with a percentage user of 46% and there are few passionate users who have a taste for both genres and it comprises of a minute figure of 3% of the market. Figure 1: Preference of Music Genre * Preference of Music Instrument: Analyzing the market we can observe that the most desirable instrument is acoustic guitar followed by electric guitar. Together they occupy almost 60% of the market. There is also high demand for keyboard (19%), flute (19%), drums (18%) and bass guitar (17%). So observing the instrument preferences we can conclude that the modern instruments are in high demand and to be precise the imported instruments. Figure 2: Preference of Music Instruments * Purpose of Purchase Most purchases are made for personal use which is an astounding 98%. But still some purchases are made for commercial use like buying of sound systems and also there are many small business providing jamming facilities. These people make commercial purchases. Moreover many government institutions and NGO’s also make large scale purchases. But as we can observe from the survey results music instruments are still out there for the common to take pleasure in. Figure 3: Purpose of Purchase * Consumer Budget Analysis: As most of the purchases are related to personal use so the budget for buying instruments in not that high. The major portion of the budget is around TK. 4000- Tk. 10000 almost 45%. There are very few high rollers in the budget list who tend to spend lacs on instruments. But even then professional artists and few passionate collectors buy the real deal worth more than 1 lac. But even then as the survey shows the market is steady at around Tk. 000 -25000. Figure 4: Consumer Budget Analysis * Analysis of Brand Preferences: 1. Brand Preference of Guitar: As we can see the imported brands from china and Indonesia hit the chart at top. Brands like Ibanez and Gibson are in a high demand among consumers. Figure 5: Brand Preference of Guitar But still some influence is also made by Indian brands like Givson and Signa ture who also occupy a respectable share in the market. And for other brand there is very little demand for them but still due to specific brand preference from customers these brands are still available in the market. . Brand Preference of Drums: Analysing the market trend and through our survey we could conclude that there is a very tight margin between prefernce for brand while buying drums. This segment is leaded by two leaders Tama and Yamaha which are very popular brands worlwide and prefered by renowned musicians around the world. Others brands like pearl is also in the customers list. But other brands like paiste , maxtone and local brand like Bappi are still a bit less desiarble to customers. Figure 6: Brand Preference of Drums 3. Brand Prefernce of keyboards: As they results speaks this segment is ruled by yamaha and roland. This two are Figure 7: Brand Preference of Keyboard undoubtedly the most popular brands and also highly suggested by users and professionals. Yamaha with an astounding 50% on preference and Roland with 34% have captured the market. For others brands its still a long way to go and more customers to capture to overdo these two giant brands. * Acceptance of Second Hand Instruments: Observing the market trend and consumer behavior we can conclude that most people are for this second hand selling nearly 54% and 34% has no negative notion towards it. It’s quite clear that the market is open for second hand selling and customers are satisfied with this kind of activity. Figure 8: Acceptance of Second Hand Instruments Though this is not a recognized act but due to high prices and tax on imported musical instruments people fail to avail the original one. So when they get the almost new thing at a very cheap price they can’t resist it. So it is quite evident that unless there is a serious price cut this selling of second hand instruments will continue. 5. 0 Analyzing the Market It is better for both the consumers and the sellers to understand the premise of the music instrument industry. Market and consumer behavior is important for analyzing the industry. The study contains consumer and market opinions which were found through a survey in the market. It is crucial for the new investors as well to know the facts that control its consumers’ and competitors’ behavior. By analyzing the market is not a short process. The analysis of current market trends, market share, market growth, market size and analysis of the market leaders come into the procedure. 5. 1 Market trends The current situation at the music instrument industry offers a wide range of products to its customer. With the revolutionary change in the music industry last decade, the instrument industry also claimed its share of customers. Consumers are now more involved in choosing brands that they would buy. People don’t mind paying higher to attain a better performed and of desired outlook music instrument. Even a few days ago consumers were confined in buying basic instruments like guitars, harmonium, tablas etc. But with a change in music trend, consumers now look for dj turn table, multi-functional amplifier, upgraded accessories and many other modern instruments. This massive use of instruments results in more repairing work for the mechanics. This often leads customers towards using wireless electrical instruments. This allows the importer to introduce newer editions of product in the market. Thus the major trends currently observed are: * Tendency of buying brand As the music industry is growing at a rapid speed, it started a new era in the music instrument industry. Now –a –days people move toward hassle free products for which they won’t have turn to mechanic shop. So they are now more interested in buying big brands. The big brands offer guaranteed service and better performance. With differentiated products in the market musicians can choose their desired instrument outlook. * Selecting performance over price With number of brands in the market buyers get to choose theirs from a variety of products. Among these people are more prone towards choosing high performance instrument while caring less about the price. Another reason for such behavior in the consumers is their social status. This very sector has most of its customers either from the music world or from the well off class of the society. This enables these selected consumers to choose performance over price. * Use of the upgraded accessories and technology Marketers have brought upgraded accessories as the demand for it rose with the massive use of modern instruments. Consumers want the best for their instruments and always look for the upgraded versions. Moreover, the passionate young musicians are extensively using these products that consequently making this a prominent sector of music instrument industry. * Using modern technology With the world moving towards technology this sector is also having the touch of it. From the music makers to the music editors, all now depend on the newly added instrument to the industry to cope with the world. The wireless instruments, multi functional mixers and customized sound systems are essential for them to meet the standards that had been set across the world. Alongside the rise music industry, instrument industry is now heading for bright future. The current trend of the market makes this sector more promising 5. 2 Market share Market share is the percentage or proportion of the total available market that is being serviced by a company in comparison of the whole industry. According to the consumer survey, consumers tend to go the old names mostly because of their brand value. In the music instrument industry the majority of the market share is captured by Melody Co. the company demanded that it is the trust and faithful service that they provide to keep their customers satisfied. World Music, among the new companies, also holds a significant proportion of market share. The rest are shared by the other existing companies in the market. Though the companies declined to provide their exact financial information regarding their market shares because of their company policy, we were able to assume the current state through surveying the market and the consumers. Figure 9: Shop Preference . 3 Market Growth The music instrument industry is going through a rapid growth. This is because of the change in the music scene in the recent years. Reasons including young generation being more involved in the music industry and the trend of using newer version of big brands when performing in the public. Musicians now use instruments that have better sound quality and als o can be harmonized easily. Today the instrument industry offers choices in front of the buyers to select from. The increasing number of musicians is buying more and more instruments which are fueling the industry to grow larger. As there is no structured association of the music instrument industry, and many of the companies are independent ones, no up-to-date statistics on current market growth was found. But after studying the available market shares over the years it can be understood that this industry is expanding at a high rate and there is still scope for further expansion. Again surveying the market gave us an overview of the industry. As the number of consumers rose the demand for the instruments reached a certain level that made the marketers to increase the prices over the years.

Switched Mode Power Supply Engineering Essay

Switched Mode Power Supply Engineering Essay ABSTRACT Switched Mode Power Supply (SMPS) is the most prevailing architecture for DC power supply in modern systems, primarily for its capability to handle variable loads. Apart from efficiency the size and weight of the power supplies is becoming a great area of concern for the Power Supply Designers. In this thesis an AC to DC converter SMPS circuit, having a power MOSFET for switching operation and a PWM based Feedback circuit for driving the switching of the MOSFET, is designed and simulated in NI MULTISIM circuit design environment. Further the same circuit is Hardware implemented and tested using NI ELVIS Suite. In this design the line voltage at 220V/50Hz is taken as input, this voltage is stepped down, rectified and passed through filter capacitor to give an unregulated DC voltage. This unregulated voltage is chopped using a MOSFET switch, driven by PWM feedback signal, to control the output voltage level. An Isolation Transformer is used to isolate the DC output from input supply. The transformer output is again rectified by the high frequency Diode bridge rectifier and is filtered using a capacitor to give the regulated DC output. A Voltage regulator is connected to give the precise voltage output. The feedback network generates a high frequency PWM signal to drive the MOSFET switch. The dc voltage at the output depends on the width of the switching pulse. The pulse width is varied with the changes in the DC output voltage level, this change in the pulse width cancels the output voltage change and the SMPS output remains constant irrespective of load variations. CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1. INTRODUCTION Power Electronics is the art of converting electrical energy from one form to another in an efficient, clean, compact, and robust manner for convenient utilisation. The never ending drive towards smaller and lighter product poses serious challenges for power supply designers. The aim of the project is to design, test and implement a switched mode power supply (SMPS) circuit for AC to DC conversion, having a power MOSFET for switching operation and a PWM based feedback circuit to drive the MOSFET switch using NI MULTISIM circuit design environment and NI ELVIS Breadboard. Figure1.1 BLOCK DIAGRAM :: SMPS CHAPTER 2 THEORITICAL BACKGROUND 2. THERORITICAL BACKGROUND Power Supplies: A power supply is a component, subsystem, or system that converts electrical power from one form to another; commonly from alternating current (AC) utility power to direct current (DC) power. The proper operation of electronic devices ranging from personal computers to military equipment and industrial machinery depends on the performance and reliability of DC power supplies. Power supplies are circuits that generate a fixed or controllable magnitude dc voltage from the available form of input voltage. Integrated-circuit (IC) chips used in the electronic circuits need standard dc voltage of fixed magnitude. Many of these circuits need well-regulated dc supply for their proper operation. Even a commodity switch-mode power supply must be able to survive sudden peaks that far exceed its average operating levels. Engineers designing power supplies or the systems that use them need to understand their supplies behaviour under conditions ranging from quiescent to worst-case. Todays power supplies are driving to a level of efficiency never seen before, requiring design engineers to perform numerous specialized power measurements that are time-consuming and complex. The power supply is integral to virtually every type of line powered electronic product, and the switch-mode power supply (SMPS) has become the dominant architecture in digital computing, networking, and communications systems. A single switch-mode power supplys performance or its failure can affect the fate of a large, costly system. SMPS The prevailing DC power supply architecture in most modern systems is the Switch-Mode Power Supply (SMPS), which is known for its ability to handle changing loads efficiently. The power signal path of a typical SMPS includes passive, active, and magnetic components. The SMPS minimizes the use of lossy components such as resistors and linear-mode transistors, and emphasizes components that are (ideally) lossless: switch-mode transistors, capacitors, and magnetic. Like a linear power supply, the switched mode power supply too converts the available unregulated ac or dc input voltage to a regulated dc output voltage. However in case of SMPS with input supply drawn from the ac mains, the input voltage is first rectified and filtered using a capacitor at the rectifier output. The unregulated dc voltage across the capacitor is then fed to a high frequency dc-to-dc converter. Most of the dc-to-dc converters used in SMPS circuits have an intermediate high frequency ac conversion stage to facilitate the use of a high frequency transformer for voltage scaling and isolation. The high frequency transformer used in a SMPS circuit is much smaller in size and weight compared to the low frequency transformer of the linear power supply circuit. The Switched Mode Power Supply owes its name to the dc-to-dc switching converter for conversion from unregulated dc input voltage to regulated dc output voltage. The switch employed is turned ON and OFF (referred as switching) at a high frequency. During ON mode the switch is in saturation mode with negligible voltage drop across the collector and emitter terminals of the switch where as in OFF mode the switch is in cut-off mode with negligible current through the collector and emitter terminals. On the contrary the voltage-regulating switch, in a linear regulator circuit, always remains in the active region. Details of some popular SMPS circuits, with provisions for incorporating high frequency transformer for voltage scaling and isolation, have been discussed in next few lessons. In this lesson a simplified schematic switching arrangement is described that omits the transformer action. In fact there are several other switched mode dc-to-dc converter circuits that do not use a high frequency transformer. In such SMPS circuits the unregulated input dc voltage is fed to a high frequency voltage chopping circuit such that when the chopping circuit (often called dc to dc chopper) is in ON state, the unregulated voltage is applied to the output circuit that includes the load and some filtering circuit. When the chopper is in OFF state, zero magnitude of voltage is applied to the output side. The ON and OFF durations are suitably controlled such that the average dc voltage applied to the output circuit equals the desired magnitude of output voltage. The ratio of ON time to cycle time (ON + OFF time) is known as duty ratio of the chopper circuit. A high switching frequency (of the order of 100 KHz) and a fast control over the duty ratio results in application of the desired mean voltage along with ripple voltage of a very high frequency to the output side, consisting of a low pass filter circuit followed by the load. The high frequency ripple in voltage is effectively filtered using small values of filter capacitors and inductors. SMPS technology rests on power semiconductor switching devices such as Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors (MOSFET) and Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBT). These devices offer fast switching times and are able to withstand erratic voltage spikes. Equally important, they dissipate very little power in either the On or Off states, achieving high efficiency with low heat dissipation. For the most part, the switching device determines the overall performance of an SMPS. Key measurements for switching devices include: switching loss, average power loss, safe operating area, and more. Choice of Topology There are several different topologies for the switched mode power supply circuits. Some popular ones are: Fly-back Forward Push-pull Half bridge Full-bridge A particular topology may be more suitable than others on the basis of one or more performance criterions like cost, efficiency, overall weight and size, output power, output regulation, voltage ripple etc. All the topologies listed above are capable of providing isolated voltages by incorporating a high frequency transformer in the circuit. Applications of SMPS To reduce cost, size and weight of a power supply. TVs, monitors, PCs, laptop and camcorder power packs, printers, fax machines, VCRs, portable CD players, microelectronics-based devices in automotive, computing, communications, consumer electronics, and industrial applications use SMPS. 2.5 PWM Concepts PWM or Pulse Width Modulation is the modulation technique where frequency and Amplitude of the pulse signal is not varied and the pulse width or the duty cycle is varied to encode the information. A common use of PWM is to control the average current or Voltage input to a device. In this project the PWM Signal is generated as feedback control signal for driving the switching of the MOSFET switch. The output Voltage is taken as the reference level. A sine wave is generated using LMH6622MA OPAMP and 555 Timer. This sine wave signal is compared with the reference voltage using LM311 comparator, and the pulse width of the PWM is determined by this comparison. This switching period determines the voltage at the output. Thus if there is any change at the output Voltage, the corresponding change in the PWM pulse width will nullify its effect and the output voltage will be restored to desired value. Figure2.1 PWM wave generation CHAPTER 3 ELECRONICS DESIGN TOOLS 3. ELECTRONICS DESIGN TOOL 3.1 NI MULTISIM NI Multisim  or formerly  MultiSIM  is an electronic  Schematic Capture  and simulation program which is part of a  suite  of circuit design programs, along with  NI Ultiboard. Multisim is one of the few circuit design programs to employ the original  BerkeleySPICE  based software simulation. MultiSIM was originally created by a company named  Electronics Workbench, which is now a subsidiary  of  National Instruments. Multisim includes a microcontroller simulation module called MultiMCU, as well as integrated import and export features to the  Printed Circuit Board  layout software in the suite, Ultiboard. Multisim is the chief competitor to  Cadence  OrCAD, another electronic schematic design and simulation software. 3.2 Features of MULTISIM You dont need to be a SPICE expert to design with Multisim. With an intuitive capture environment and an easy-to-use interface to industry-standard SPICE simulation, Multisim software can help you immediately begin designing and validating your PCBs. You can prevent costly prototype iterations and lost development time, as well as ensure quality with simulation and measurements earlier in your design flow. The Multisim product family (Base,  Full,  Power Pro) provides a complete set of tools for professional PCB designers: Intuitive design environment Modeless wiring and placement Interactive virtual measurement instruments to view simulation and real signals Circuit wizards for automatically generating commonly used circuitry Rubber banding on parts/moves Fast-retrieval parts bin Easy export to  NI Ultiboard  for layout Complex designs can be accomplished with advanced Multisim features from 24 sophisticated SPICE analyses to a comprehensive component library all the while taking advantage of an easy-to-use design environment. Designers can incorporate the latest parts using a custom component wizard. They can also use NI LabVIEW measurement software to introduce real measurements into simulation for rapidly prototyping and testing designs. More than 16,000 components, all with models ready for immediate simulation Device models from leading manufacturers such as Analog Devicesâ„ ¢ and Texas Instrumentsâ„ ¢ Easy addition of new parts and simulation models Comprehensive suite of analyses, including Monte Carlo and Worst Case 3.3 NI MULTISIM 11 Multisim and Ultiboard 11.0 introduce a number of new features and enhancements to make capturing designs, simulating behaviour, and defining board layout faster and easier. Feedback circuit of this project work was designed in NI MULTISIM 11 and rest of the circuit was imported from version 10 to 11 and then integrated in MULTISIM 11 for final simulation. 3.4 NI ELVIS The National Instruments Educational Laboratory Virtual Instrumentation Suite(NI ELVIS) is a LABVIEW based-design and prototyping environment for Universities science and engineering laboratories. The NI ELVIS featuring an integrated suite of 12 instruments in one compact form factor is ideal for hands-on learning (http://www.ni.com/nielvis/). NI ELVIS is a primary component of the NI electronics education platform along with NI Multisim, the leading tool for SPICE simulation and schematic capture, and NI LabVIEW software. ( http://zone.ni.com/devzone/cda/tut/p/id/7159) 3.5 Components of NI ELVIS NI ELVIS includes 12 of the most commonly used laboratory instruments including an oscilloscope (scope), digital multimeter (DMM), function generator, variable power supply, dynamic signal analyzer (DSA), bode analyzer, 2- and 3-wire current-voltage analyzer, arbitrary waveform generator, digital reader/writer, and impedance analyzer in a single platform. This compact, yet powerful assortment of instruments translates into cost savings for the lab, both in terms of lab space as well as lower-maintenance costs.( http://zone.ni.com/devzone/cda/tut/p/id/7159) Figure 3.1 Following Components were used for this project work:: Figure 3.2 The Function Generator Figure 3.3 Variable Power supplies Figure 3.4 Digital Multimeter Figure 3.5 Oscilloscope Figure 3.6 Complete Circuit Setup with NI ELVIS CHAPTER 4 COMPONENTS SELECTION 4. COMPONENTS SELECTION For NI MULTISIM 4.1 Power supply AC power Figure 4.1 Voltage RMS = 230V Voltage offset= 0V Frequency (f)= 50Hz Time Delay = 0ns 4.2 Step-Down Transformer Transformer Rated available in multisim Library Figure 4.2 Primary Voltage (max) = 350V Primary Current (max) = 5A Secondary Voltage (max) = 15V Secondary Current (max) = 1A Output Power (max) = 5kVA Primary to Secondary Turns Ratio = 20 Leakage Inductance = 1mH Primary Winding Resistance =1Ohm Secondary Winding Resistance = 1Ohm 4.3 Unregulated Rectifier 1J4B42 Single Phase Bridge Rectifier Figure 4.3 Repetitive Peak Reverse Voltage (max) = 600V Average Output Rectified Current = 1 A Junction Temperature = -40 to 150 oC Peak Forward Voltage (max) = 1V 4.4 MOSFET for Switching Application BS170 N-Channel Enhancement Switching Transistor Low On- resistance High Switching Speed Low Capacitances Used for :: Analog and/or Digital Switch Switch Driver Converters/Choppers Figure 4.4 VDS max. = 20V VGS max. = +15/-40 V ID max. = 50 mA RDS (typ) = 25ÃŽ © ton = 1ns toff = 5ns 4.5 High Frequency Isolation Transformer Figure 4.5 4.6 Rectifier with high Frequency Diode IN4148, Fast Switching Diodes Figure 4.6 Repetitive peak reverse voltage = 100V Reverse Voltage = 70V Forward Voltage (max) = 1V Average Forward current = 150 mA Reverse Current (max) = 50 mA Breakdown Voltage (min) = 100V Diode Capacitance (max) = 4 pF Rectification Efficiency (min) = 45% Reverse Recovery Time = 8ns 4.7 Voltage Regulator LM7805CT 3 terminal-1A Positive Voltage regulator Figure 4.7 †¢ Output Current up to 1A †¢ Output Voltage of 5V †¢ Thermal Overload Protection †¢ Short Circuit Protection †¢ Output Transistor Safe Operating Area Protection Line regulation = 4-100mV Load regulation = 9-100 mV Quiescent Current = 5mA Dropout Voltage = 2V Peak current = 2.2 A 4.8 555 Timer Figure 4.8 4.9 LMH6622MA OPAMP Figure 4.9 4.10 LM311N comparator Figure 4.10 CHAPTER 5 TESTING CIRCUITS AND SIMILATION RESULTS 5. TESTING CIRCUITS AND SIMULATION RESULTS 5.1.1 Following Circuit was designed for AC-DC conversion Figure 5.1 5.1.2 Simulation Output of AC-DC conversion Figure 5.2 5.2.1 Circuit for Analysis of MOSFET Switch performance Figure 5.3 5.2.2 Simulation output for MOSFET Switch at 50kHz Figure 5.4 5.3.1 Circuit of Analysis of Voltage regulator combined with Rectifier Figure 5.5 5.3.2 Simulation Output of Voltage Regulator performance Figure 5.6 5.4.1 Open Loop Circuit Without Isolation Transformer Figure 5.7 5.4.2 Simulation Output of Open Loop Circuit Figure 5.8 5.5.1 Feedback Circuit Figure 5.9 5.5.2 Feedback Circuit Simulation Output Figure 5.10 5.6.1 SMPS Circuit Figure 5.11 5.6.2 SMPS Output Figure 5.12 CHAPTER 6 HARDWARE IMPLIMENTATION ON NI ELVIS 6. HARDWARE IMPLEMENTATION ON NI ELVIS The SMPS circuit designed in NI MULTSIM was further implemented in hardware using NI ELVIS as the suitable platform for circuit implementation and testing. 6.1 Component Used 6.1.2 Diode 1N4007 bridge Rectifier 6.1.3 BS 170 MOSFET Switch 6.1.4 Radio Transformer Isolation Transformer 6.1.5 Diode 1N4148 High frequency rectifier 6.1.6 555 Timer Square wave Generation 6.1.7 TLO6021 OPAMP Sine wave Generation 6.1.8 LM311 Comparator PWM Switch driver signal 6.1.9 LM 7805CT Voltage Regulator 6.1.1 Step down Transformer 1.6 AMP 12 0 12 configuration Figure 6.1 Figure 6.2 SMPS circuit on NI ELVIS 6.2 Simulation Outputs OPEN LOOP 6.2.1 Stepped Down AC Voltage from Transformer Figure 6.3 Stepped down AC input 6.2.2 Rectified Unregulated DC voltage from (IN4007) Diode Bridge Rectifier Figure 6.4 Rectified Unregulated DC 6.2.3 Output waveform from the Filter capacitor Figure 6.5 Unregulated DC From filter Capacitor 6.2.4 Chopped DC From the MOSFET switch Figure 6.6 Mosfet Chopped DC 6.2.5 Output from High Frequency (40-50 KHz) Transformer taking in chopped DC . This Transformer also Isolates input from output. Figure 6.7 High Frequency Transformer Output 6.2.6 Output from Bridge Rectifier designed from 1N4148 High frequency Diodes. An approximate DC signal Figure 6.8 High frequency Diode Rectifier Output 6.2.7 Final Output of the SMPS An stabilized voltage of 5 V maintained with aid of feedback mechanism and the Voltage Regulator LM7805 Figure 6.9 SMPS Output Feedback Circuit 6.2.8 555 Timer based Square wave generator circuit output 44.4Khz Square wave Signal Figure 6.10 555 Timer Generated Square wave 6.2.9 Sine wave generated from TLO6021 OpAmp based circuit taking as input the square wave generated from 555 Timer based generator circuit. Figure 6.11 Sinewave generated from Opamp TLO6021 6.2.10 The sine wave generated above is compared with the final SMPS Output And a PWM wave is generated to drive the MOSFET switch in a way that the output is regulated back to fixed desired value (5V) if it deviates. Figure 6.12 Feedback PWM Signal CHAPTER 7 CONCLUSION CONCLUSION Suitable components were selected and tested for desired performance. Functional verification was performed on combined circuit of the selected components for open loop network both in NI MULTISIM and on NI ELVIS. PWM based feedback network was successfully designed tested and implemented both in NI MULTISIM and in Hardware using NI ELVIS Suite. The Design and implementation of desired SMPS circuit was successfully completed.

Gender and Education Sociology Essay

Gender and Education Sociology Essay Education is just as an important factor in a persons life now as it was in the past. Only, the difference between now and the past are the people that are able to receive a complete education. Education was gender segregated for hundreds of years. Men and women went to different schools or were physically and academically separated into coeducational schools. Both had separate academic subjects, separate classrooms, and separate expectations. Women were only taught the social graces and morals, and teaching women academic subjects was considered a waste of time. Men had the choice of continuing education after high school, while women had the household choices ranging from what to wear to what to cook. By being educated for the sake of family and society which needed educated mothers to produce knowledgeable and responsible male citizens, it was expected by men and society that women were to have children, raise those children, and to be the best homemaker. Although today, everyone is entitled to the right to peruse an education, sexism is still maintained in obvious and subtle ways. Ways in which show that gender inequalities are and have been shifting into a more female advantaged educational system. The inequalities between girls and boys are apparent even before a child begins elementary school. Girls are first introduced to the idea that they are unequal to boys, with girls being dressed in pink and given dolls for toys, while boys are dressed in blue and given toy cars and trucks to play with. Even different behaviors are acceptable for boys than for girls. For example, every time teachers seat or line-up students by gender, they are confirming that girls Page 2 and boys should be treated differently. While girls are distinguished for being neat, calm, and quiet; boys are urged to think independently, be active, and voice opinions. Girls are socialized in schools to believe popularity is most important and that educational performance and ability are of lesser importance. Girls in grades six and seven rate being popular and well-liked as more important than being perceived as competent or independent. Boys, on the other hand, are more likely to rank independence and competence as more important (Bailey, 1992). According to Dr. Sax, author of the book Why Gender Matters, what parents and teachers should really know about, is that the brain develops differently and is wired differently in each sex. In girls, the language area of the brain develops before the areas for open relations and for geometry. Emotion is processed in the same area of the brain that processes language making it is easier for most girls to talk about their emotions. But for boys, the area involving talking and the areas involving feelings are completely separate. Girls and boys also respond differently when it comes to stress. While stress increases the learning ability in males, the same exact stress actually makes learning more difficult for girls. Ignoring these differences between the male and female mind can increase the chance of misunderstanding among the youth and thus lead to dissocialized outcomes. Research shows that one is born with either a male or female brain and that nothing can change your brain from male to female. The lay-out of a young boys brain is so different compared to that of a young girl that it is easily visible with the naked eye. An example of how a male brain functions differently than that of a female can be seen through a task as simple as Page 3 giving directions. While the male tends to use distances and directions such as east, west, north, and south to map out the path, it is easier for women to use simple reminders such as landmarks. Knowing how the brain works has a lot to do with knowing how someone learns; it is where everything is stored. When it comes to learning, boys and girls do not learn the same way at all. Psychologists have found that girls set higher standards for themselves when it comes to school, and they look over what they have accomplished more critically than guys do. Recent evidence even shows girls becoming more academically successful than boys, despite reviews showing how boys and girls are still socialized in ways that work against gender equality. Because classrooms are microcosms of society, mirroring its strengths and ills alike, it follows that the normal socialization patterns of young children that often lead to distorted perceptions of gender roles are reflected in the classrooms (Marshall, 334). Gender bias in education is reinforced through lessons, textbooks, and teacher interactions with students; as well as, through the resources teachers choose for classroom use. For example, textbooks that leave out contributions of women or those that stereotype gender roles. Teachers should be aware of the gender bias hidden within such materials and texts and discontinue their usage. We need to look at the stories we are telling our students and children. Far too many of our classroom examples, storybooks, and texts describe a world in which boys and men are bright, brave, curious, and powerful, but girls and women are passive, silent, and invisible (McCormick pg. 41). Page 4 Girls enter school in the first grade with the same skills and ambitions as boys, but due to biased conditioning in the classroom, they suffer lower self-confidence and aspirations by the time they graduate from high school. Even though, two out of every three teachers may be women, they are usually for sexual stereotypes, favoring the assertive male students and the non-assertive female students. Typically, teachers call on boys more often, give them more detailed criticism, and compliment the quality of their work more than girls work, while more likely complimenting girls for their neatness. Such bias and stereotypes sparked ideas into many people over the injustice of these outcomes and because of this, equal education was a major theme to write about among many authors. Mary Wollstonecraft, a female writer in the late 1700s, took a firm position toward the empowerment of women. In 1792 she wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Women, which revolves around the idea that women should share equal rights with men relating to education. At the time, women were basically still invisible and secluded from outside activity and they had little to no contact with the world outside their own homes. In order for women to raise well-rounded intelligent children, Wollstonecraft suggested that mothers needed to be educated so that they could successfully raise their children to become contributing members of society (Wollstonecraft Para. 11). She pleaded that women should reject submissive behavior and educate themselves, building up their own self- esteem and respect, which would turn women into more affectionate sisters, more faithful wives, more reasonable mothers-in a word, better citizens (Para. 16). The education of women would have these positive effects bec ause women would be free from restriction, allowing them to find happiness in sharing common interests with Page 5 their husbands and allowing mothers to assist in the teaching of their children (Para. 14). Wollstonecraft felt that if women had independence in providing support for their own needs that they would be closer to their entitled freedoms and equality, as well as marry for love instead of support. Daniel Defoe, also a famous writer, expresses how women were taught to do housework and nothing else throughout his essay The Education of Women. Their youth is spent to teach them to stitch and sew or make baubles. They are taught to read, indeed, and perhaps to write their names, or so; and that is the height of a womans education (Defoe Para. 2). Defoe thought that if women were taught more than housework, then they may gain more wit. He talks about the possible reasons that men had to not educate women and expresses that if men were to give women the same education, women could possibly be smarter than men as the capacities of women are supposed to be greater, and their senses quicker than those of men (Defoe Para. 4). Thus, Defoe believes, men fear women battling for superiority resulting in his views of still restricting womens education. He limits their education to just learning music, dancing, learning the French and Italian languages, teaching women to hold an intellectual conversation, and learning history. Obviously, these are not the only things that men were educated in. The passage of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 banned single-sex education in American public schools, marking a huge landmark in the fight for gender equal education. It states, No person in the U.S. shall, on the basis of sex be excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving federal aid (Hansot pg. 19). Before Title IX, women Page 6 were not allowed to be admitted into certain colleges because of state laws prohibiting all women, married or single, from being accepted into their college. Only eighteen percent of women had completed four or more years of college compared to twenty-six percent of young men. Women were also less likely to be in high math or science classes and tended to drop out of school more than males. After the passing of Title IX, the effects on women became immediately clear within the educational system. The dropout rate of females as well as the number of females who became pregnant declined. There was a significant increase in the completion of bachelor, graduate and professional degrees. By 2004, women were earning 58 percent of all bachelors degrees in the United States and according to the Department of Education, the gender gap will only widen in the upcoming decade. It certainly seems clear that when women are provided with certain important resources and with opportunities to learn and practice specific skills, their academic achievement improves (Pollard pg. 104). These significant increases in statistics show how Title IX has opened many new opportunities for females. Title IX was originally enacted to impact high school and collegiate sports; although, it does not specify due to the statute covering all educational activities and complaints alleging discrimination. The statute shows how women can be just as successful as men by allowing both to have equal opportunities. It has made a large impact on the lives of many Americans today, by allowing them to make decisions and choosing any school they would like to attend. It applies to almost everyone, whether you go to an elementary school, or a university or college. Page 7 From all of this, it is clear that women have fought hard for the educational freedoms they are destined to have, but is it possible that women are changing the educational system more to their advantage? Researchers Thomas DiPrete and Claudia Buchmann seek to answer this question and discover the reasons for the growing gender gap. They explained how greater chances of getting and staying married, higher wage earnings, and a better standard of living resulted in the growing number of women achieving success in higher education. According to data from the General Social Surveys (DiPrete Buchmann pg. 522) which provides information on educational accomplishment and family background, in individuals born prior to the 1960s, daughters were only equal to sons in families where both parents were college educated. Whereas, in less educated families and female headed households, parents favored sons over daughters. Surprisingly, the female disadvantage was even greater in households where mothers had more college experience than fathers. For those born after the 1960s, the male advantage began to decline. DiPrete and Buchmann note, A shift appears to have taken place between these two periods such that the mothers level of education has become more important for daughters and the fathers level of education has become more important for sons(pg. 523). Their research shows that after 1966, the status of fathers within the family became a main influence in forming the educational outcomes of girls and boys. In families where the father was absent or only high school educated, a continual shift has occured, changing from a male advantage to a female advantage. Boys growing up in such households had, and continue to have, difficulties in obtaining a college degree, despite the fact that prior to 1966, a fathers education did not affect his sons educational achievement. On the contrary, daughters growing up under the same conditions demonstrated the highest increases in college enrollment and graduation, further influencin g future generations of women. Throughout hundreds of years, the educational system has been an absolute patriarchal system in which the male is in control. But recently over the past few decades we have seen a shift in this control; a change in the educational system that we as a society are so well adapted to. More women are becoming more academically successful then men and are graduating with honor at higher and higher levels. This can be attributed to many the factors mentioned previously; structure changes within the educational system, womens increase in labor participation, higher wages, the difference in each persons learning habits and brain make-up, and the effect of background on education. Each factor influences the academic outcomes of each sex. In a society where man once ruled academia and stood as the working figure, women have progressed throughout history to weaken the male role within education among other feats. They have taken gender bias in education and weakened it for the good of the peopl e to give themselves the overall advantage.