Illiteracy Among African Americans Essay

Abstract The high rate of illiteracy is a major problem in the United States. Although there have been programs and initiatives started to eradicate this problem, illiteracy still plagues millions of Americans. Out of all ethnic groups, African Americans have a higher illiteracy rate. Within this project, the causes of illiteracy are revealed and viable solutions to this on-going problem will be discussed. Illiteracy Among African-Americans African-American adults do not have the ability or proper skills to read, write, or speak English correctly. African-Americans have the lowest level of literacy rates in the United States. The history of literacy among African- Americans depicts the levels of literacy today. Until the Civil War, it was illegal to teach Blacks to read and write. â€Å"Compulsory ignorance† as coined by writer Brent Staples relates to the reality that â€Å"Black† literacy was obstructed as a matter of law for more than a century. Until after the Civil War, it was a crime to teach â€Å"Blacks† how to read and openly literate â€Å"Blacks† were seen as destructive and even dangerous. † The stereotype of African-American adults are considered to be part-time workers, unemployed, and non-educated illiterate people. These African-American adults are individuals who make our society incapable of succeeding because of living their life on drugs or being violent. Some African-Americans choose to follow the road of poverty in the wrong direction by being caught in armed robbery, abuse, and prison. According to the 2000 US Census of Population, 15% of African-American in the poverty level are below the 8th grade reading level. An illiteracy study which focused on African- American communities to research the job opportunities, proper education, and drug usage in the urban area stressed that lifestyles have a dramatic influence on academic levels. The urban community stresses the issues of abuse, pregnancy, drugs, and violence, but few want to help the illiterate. African Americans need to have power and motivation to educate themselves and children at home. African Americans need to focus on homework, study habits, reading comprehension skills, and written English skills. African Americans need to invest in themselves and children having the power and education to read. While the slave experiences of African Americans make experiences markedly different from other citizens, we must move forward and utilize the system. It is time to demand more from our public education systems and more from us as parents and communities. Illiteracy among African Americans was people considered middle and low class families. These are African Americans with money to invest properly, productive in education, and have low paying jobs. In the South illiteracy among African American people rate at ages ten and over from the percentage level of 76. 2%-10. 7. Illiteracy among African American makes rate at ages 20 to 64 from the percentage level of 50. 0% to 9. 6%. During the 1870 to 1979 illiteracy has been a problems throughout African American culture. The government was concern whether African Americans were capable of keeping up with modern functions in the society. The literacy rate for blacks rose from 38. 2 percent in1880 to 71. 9 percent in 1910, whereas the literacy rate for whites rose only 1.9 percentage points from its 1880 level of 93. 2 percent. Literacy among African Americans has improved statistically showing things have changed in the 20th century. Individuals were capable of receiving jobs in the Civil War period compared to the African Americans then. The characteristics of African Americans ages 55-64 were tested on three documents of illiteracy were prose, documents, and quantities skills. Each African Americans within this age range scored below average. African American with a high school diploma or GED only scored poorly on the quantities literacy test. African Americans with illiteracy have lower paying jobs like service or labor, craft, and service occupation. These African Americans with low income rates are also receiving help from the government. African American illiteracy is common because researchers feel; this ability is from cognitive and physical effects of age. Researchers feel African American are not expand to assessments of printed material written. African Americans proficiencies results showed thirty-eight percent of them scored high on there examine. The United States has specialized a program in the schools, recreation centers, and after school programs from literacy. African Americans with illiteracy receive basic skills courses to enhance their reading, writing, and English skills. The African American programs illiteracy that supports the group by designing fundamental speaking and educational classes. These classes will better prepare and motivate African American to get their GED and workforce training. African Americans have the most students of 76% or more enrolled in these classes for illiteracy. African Americans also have outreach programs for illiteracy throughout the region. African American regions are processing new strategies for people below average functioning under level number one literacy. There are state officials, business leaders, and human resources who promote assessment class to determine the adequate needs for African Americans needing more help with illiteracy. The African Americans who developmental skills are not processing the schools and recreation centers conduct remedial educational opportunities for those reading skills are below average. The government has conducted two National Assessment of Adult Literacy and The National Center for Educational Statistics. The federal government has provided funds to assist states in establishing and expanding basic education programs for individuals age 16 and over who have not completed high school. The type of services and providers funded under federal legislation has changed a number of times since it began nearly 40 years ago. Originally established under the Adult Education Act of 1966, the adult education program is currently governed by the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), which is Title II of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998, as amended (P. L. 105-220). WIA makes the adult education program part of a new â€Å"one-stop† career center system that includes many federally funded employment and training programs. The government was trying to examine whether illiteracy is arbitrary or misleading to society. The government also was trying to develop a system where African -Americans’ English language skills through literacy would change tremendously. The regions are always stereotyping on whether the lower class of succeeding in the socioeconomic groups. African Americans are not able of reading books, newspapers and interact with their environment. African Americans are put down because their illiteracy habits are poor in average. Some African Americans illiteracy knowledge of phonics and vocabulary is on a elementary level. African American illiteracy is high in change because other ethnicities have a stronger and diverse chance of having a better job. African Americans are not pushed to get ahead because they are motivated to look to the future. African Americans are not successful because they do not have self-confidence or the proper attitudes to care about being illiterate. African Americans value the least concern for being illiterate. African Americans cultural identity is a problem for people with no social skills. African Americans have had to suffer by competing with other culture with illiteracy. African American culture of having a different sense of belief in religion affects people ways of being are very skeptical about advancing with education. Some researchers feel African Americans are failures to society. There are African Americans who prefer to be illiterate because of the mismatch languages advise throughout the country. African Americans and Hispanics are compared to each other because they are behind on the level of grade four. A quarter million of Africans Americans were treated for illiteracy. African Americans educational programs were taught to read (book, newspaper, and application) and write (proper grammatical papers). African Americans illiteracy rates went down five percent every year. Researchers receive notes of reading ability fail tremendously in directives, forms, education, and informed consent skills (Hunter & Harman). Their theories on African Americans were concern with adequate informational literacy. Hunter and Harman wanted to examine the autonomy of the informed consent of literacy. These researchers believe the rapid increase of literacy is caused by critical implication. Also, the researchers discovered literacy could be modified the health reasons. The National Adult Literacy programmed examines the process of comprehending newspaper articles, employment forms, and quantities skills. The NAL realizes the lowest of African American literacy skills will limit competing skills. The African Americans having two levels below average had disabilities and mental problems. Some had physical and disable needs to have full activity to think properly. Also, the NAL realized the older compared to middle age adults. Illiteracy and health explore different links between direct measures of learning. Researchers studies the process of education had influence the ability of illiteracy (Cumming, Smith, & Shrestha1994-2004). Illiteracy has access information and navigates in literate environments to process cognitive and linguistics process. Some illiterate African Americans access crucial information for health care without taking medication. Researchers feel different readability strategies measure out their health reasons. In conclusion the idea to try to change illiteracy for African Americans is very important. It is possible to recognize, focus, and understanding of learning. These studies are process to decrease the rate of African American knowledge of illiteracy. African Americans need to start early receiving the proper need or help. African Americans need to understand that having a deficiency is nothing to be ashamed of. African Americans to support their group by learning to read, comprehend, write, and speak correct English.

Max Weber: A Short Biography Essay

Being a man with great aspirations, Max Weber’s life was filled with complexities and complications. Therefore, it is worthy of one’s time to explore the reasons of his success, a revolutionary thinker of the 19th century whose theories still remained as the subjects of interest among academics of the new millennium. In this paper, we shall explore on his life, followed by what influenced and motivated Weber to achieve the milestone of his life: scientific management theories. Lastly, we shall critique on the relevance of his theories in modern management. Biography Born in Erfurt, Thuringia, on 21st April 1864, Max Weber was the eldest son of Max Weber Senior and Hellen Fallenstein Weber. Suffering from meningitis at the age of four, Max Weber adopted reading as his past time which developed his academic strength at a young age (Secher 1980). Max Weber studied at the University of Heidelberg in the year 1882, specializing in the subject of Law. However, his education was disrupted while volunteering for military training as an Officer. In 1884, he resumed his education and graduated in 1890 (Secher 1980). He took up an offer at Freiburg University as an Economic Professor in 1894, a year after his marriage with Marianne Schniger, the grand niece of Max Weber, Senior. Ironically, Weber was haunted by a long term psychiatric breakdown and withdrew from work during the peak of his career as in 1897(Gerth & Mill 1982). Although psychologically disturbed, Weber inherited a vast amount of wealth from his deceased father (Secher 1980). The monetary gains enabled Weber to recuperate from his conditions along with the time and space to develop one of his academic masterpiece, â€Å"The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism† in 1904, which contested on the relevance of capitalism in the absence of spiritual belief (Gerth & Mill 1982). Max Weber died of pneumonia in Munich, on 14 June, 1904. However, he kept the world in awe with the introduction of Bureaucracy. A term which was quoted from his work â€Å"Economy and Society† published by Marianne in 1922; which advocated logical and scientific research methodology known as ‘rationalisation’ (Casteel 2009). Bureaucracy was originated from his skeletal invention of a system of management hierarchy while institutionalising a series of hospitals during World War I, of which; in hope to remedy the inequality of hereditary su ccession and the abused of authority within the German empire (Gerth & Mill 1982). Influences: Political and Social Factors Hegelian philosophy had been the German paradigm for centuries, originated from Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel who advocated that Nations could only be prosperous when the state, the civil society and its citizens are managed with strong moral principles (Pippin, Hoffe & Walker 2004). Despite the grand notion, the Hegelian society became a system of corruption and abused, under the governance of the aristocrats. Defunct and degenerative, its relevance was threatened in the 19th century by the evolution of socialism. Unlike the Hegelian society, the mission of the modern socialism is to serve beyond self-interest, while promoting its non-affiliation between a society and its state; which resonated with the oppressed peasants and middle-classes of Germany (Steinmetz 1993). The problem was further intensified by the ruling of Kaiser William ll, whose political interests polarized from Bismarck’s political philosophy which has served as a political stabiliser in Germany (Burbank & Cooper 2010). During his reign, the Kaiser had developed his policies through public image and popular opinion of the Germans. Unfortunately, the approach proved to be unwise, given the autocratic nature of Kaiser William the II, policy making became a game of propaganda to glorify him along with the riddance of any negative publicity or criticism directed at the imperial family (Kohut 1991). Inspired by modern socialism and disappointed with the Kaiser’s and nobilities’ myopic view on politics, Max Weber began to question on the effectiveness of hereditary succession in political power versus meritocracy. In association with his first hand experienced on bureaucracy, Weber began to infuse it with the theory of Charismatic Leadership; where visionaries should be appointed as leaders and serve the nation, with an alteration to the original concept: that leaders should be elected based on merits and not chosen by birth (Wren & Bedian 2009). Economics Factors In the late 19th century, industralisation began to take flight across the western part of the world; however European industrialising nations failed to capture the economic advantages brought about by machinisation (More 2000). France was an exception who experienced spurring growth at the point of time in conjunction with the United State of America (USA). An economist by profession, Max Weber observed that the theory of capitalism and free competitions advocated by Adam Smith was the key for the two nations’ success (Gerth & Mill 1982). In 1904, Max Weber visited the USA on a mission to understand the true essence of capitalism, and noticed that Americans relied excessively on the convenience of technologies for profit generation; that moral ethics began to dissipate in the society (Gerth & Mill 1982). It was the fear of the dissipation which triggered Weber to theorise â€Å"The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism† to address the underlying moral hazards b rought about by technologies, in the absence of spiritual faith (Wren & Bedian 2009). Intellectual Factors John Calvin’s philosophy for Protestant reformation had been one of the rare ideologies which Max Weber adopted in his publications. The underlying reason for Weber to adopt Calvinism; which promotes economic growth and the specialization of labour under the context of the Protestant teachings (Wren & Bedian 2009), was associated with Max Weber’s mother, Hellen Fallenstein Weber. Being a strong proponent on humanitarian issues and the faith of a Protestant, Hellen had been the mentor of Weber in issues related to liberalism and spirituality (Gerth & Mills 1982). Hence, Weber’s choice of religious philosophy and his publication of â€Å"The Protestant Ethics and the Spirit of Capitalism† can be seen as a form of tribute to Hellen, in recognition for the undying care and love for her eldest son. Any educated German of the 19th Century would have read the two most important works of the century: â€Å"Communist Manifesto† and â€Å"Capital† writ ten by Karl Marx. In summary, what Karl Marx was trying to advocate is the forsaking of self-interest among entrepreneurs and workers in their quest for monetary profits, instead both parties should collaborate as a collective unit in achieving communal benefits where a man’s gain will not be another man’s loss (Patterson 2009). During the period where destitute and suffering prevails, the Utopian theory of Marxism were alluring to the masses; including Weber. However, given his critical nature, Weber discovered the fundamental flaws of generalisation in Marxist’s theories; the absence of actual steps to achieve the desired outcome. With the intention to prove the functionality of Karl Marx’s theory, Weber began to formulate concrete steps to identify individuals’ motivations at work and suggestions on how to improve the societal well being (ed. Wiley 1987) which are reflected on his publication of â€Å"Economy and Society† Relevance to Management Today In the 21st century, bureaucracy has become the corporate culture of large organisations. The system has been a darling in the business arena due to the ease of its implementation, which readily provides a hierarchical framework for governance. Albeit its popularity, formal communication has always been a problem associated with bureaucracy (Wallace 1998). According to Welch (2005, p. 115), ‘hierarchies tend to make little generals out of perfectly normal people who find themselves in organisations that respond only to rank’. However, the underlying problem of bureaucracy is never with the theory itself, but rather the failure of modern managers to rationalise that the system are built upon human relationship. In order to resolve the existing problem, one have to understand that business management is not solely about delegating task and supervision of the employees under a stipulated framework. Instead, success is greatly dependent on ‘who manages and motivates’ the employees (Drucker 2006, p. 56). With reference to Drucker (2006, p. 60), ‘Employees may be our greatest liability, but people are our greatest opportunity.’ The ideology was well adopted by Anita and Gordon Roddick of â€Å"The Body Shop†, who had successfully unleashed the potential of their workers; with the creation of a strong sense of belonging and camaraderie; resulted from the company strong mission and values which focuses on human relations (Tomer 1999). Therefore, one could contest that the success of a manager, are associated with his or her foresight to set visions and missions. Followed by the ability to garner support from the worker and lastly to motivated them in achieving the objectives. In relation to Max Weber’s theory, the idea is what we known as charismatic leadership. Although charismatic leadership has been the ideal form of management style, researchers of organisational behaviours have noticed that it may not be the best approach for adoption. The reason for such an argument is that charismatic leaders are rare gems within the labour market. In order to resolve the issue, a modified version of charismatic leadership known as transformational leadership was introduced as the new frontier. Unlike charismatic leadership, transformational leadership is a set theory which focuses on how different leaders lead and inspire (Mcshane and Travagoline 2007), which are widely used to developed business leaders of tomorrow. Conclusion In retrospect, Max Weber’s penetrative ability to analyse human behaviours, is the reason for his theories to remain highly relevant and widely adopted by modern managers of today. However, as discussed earlier, the theories must not be seen as separate and independent entity. Instead, managers must first understand the nature of Weber’s theories in relation to their respective organisations. Followed by the need to anticipate and rationalise the possible problems that might arise from the application. Only then, may the managers tailor a set of solutions in accordance to the existing need and requirements of the organisations. Reference List Burbank, J & Cooper, F 2010, Empires in World History: Power and the Politics of Difference, Princeton University Press, New Jersey. Casteel, P.D 2009, ‘Weber and rationalization’, Research Starters Sociology, pp. 1-5. Drucker, PF 2006, Classic Drucker, Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation, Massachusetts. Gerth, HH & Mills, CW 1982, From Max Weber: Essays in Sociology, Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd, Padstow, Cornwall Kohut, TA 1991, Wilhelm II and the Germans: A Study in Leadership, Oxford University Press, New York, viewed on 10 February 2011, Marx, K 1970, German Ideology, The Electric Book Company Ltd, London, viewed 9 February 2011, McShane, S & Travagoline, T 2007, Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim, McGraw Hill Australia Pty

Business overview of reliance travel agency

Business overview of reliance travel agency Reliance travel agency established since 1969 in the forefront of the Travel & Tourism business and is a leading Travel Management Company in Malaysia and is the first Tour and Travel Company listed on the KLSE (1993). Brand value for the company is Trust, Speed and Choice. They specialize in travel package around the globe with experience and quality service Reliance travel network expand to more than 200 destinations in locally and overseas. They provided widest choice of travel destination with great service value such as independent tour bookings, fight reservations, airline ticketing, accommodation bookings, customized tour package and car hire. Reliance senior management team is composed of professional with extensive experience from all aspect in travel field. Besides, with excellent relationship with airlines and travel suppliers, they can provide quality standard service with pair pricing that satisfied their customers. For Reliance, customer satisfaction is the most valuab le asset. Vision To be international well known travel agency brand by serve amazing journey destination and providing fun, leisure, holidays and vacations to customers (Reliance Travel, 2008-2010) 1.1 PESTEL Political Factors Government Policies Reliance has to obey policies of the government where they run their business activities. When nation or foreign company invest in Malaysia, Malaysia government will support them and welcomed their investment by provides many incentives for company that operating in Malaysia. Since the tourism industry is one of the top priorities, they have a bright future operating in Malaysia. Political Stability Political stability in Malaysia creates an opportunity for Reliance to expand their business worldwide. Reliance famous in many countries because of their brand value Trust, Speed and Choice. For political stability companies, represents an attractive expansion opportunity. With good brand value and political stability, this will help to increas e profit of Reliance as well. Economic Factor Malaysia government provides many incentives to national and foreign companies to stimulate further economic growth. Besides, inflation in Malaysia is very low because government controlling the situation cautiously. The latest report of inflation rate is Malaysia was 1.90%, reported in July 2010. The average inflation rate in Malaysia from 2005 until 2010 was 2.77 percent reaching an historical high of 8.50 percent in July of 2008 and a record low of -2.40 percent in July of 2009.   [ 1 ]    Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2010 1.30 1.20 1.30 1.50 1.60 1.70 1.90                2009 3.90 3.70 3.50 3.00 2.40 -1.40 -2.40 -2.40 -2.00 -1.50 -0.10 1.10 2008 2.30 2.70 2.80 3.00 3.80 7.70 8.50 8.50 8.20 7.60 5.70 4.40 * The table above displays the monthly average Source: Trading Economic, Inflation Rate 2010 If there is economic growth in the country and per capital income is increasing due to increase in GDP will create an opportunity for Reliance. This is because purchasing power of the people will increase and they can spend more on purchasing. There is a down fall in the economy of many countries. Growing inflation rate and unemployment rate has reduced the purchasing power of the people. There are many benefits that tourism industry brings to our economy. First of all, when governments promote tourism industry in Malaysia, it will bring foreign currency and generate wealth for country. Besides, it also helps to provide job opportunities and helps economies at district levels, such as improving urban and rural areas which in turn stimulates new business enterprises and promotes a more positive image in an area. For an example, when tourist come to visit Malaysia, their will bring business to Malaysia. This will help to create job opportunities and governments also will develop more infrastructures such as leisure mall to attract more tourists.

Concepts of Media on Our Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Concepts of Media on Our Society - Essay Example Therefore, they have to design information in different languages to reach to different audiences (Berger, 2012). For instance, the media passes information in radio transmissions to cater for the people who are blind. As such, they are not excluded from the audience. Apparently, all media stakeholders will look for ways of ensuring the whole society is informed. Representation is a media concept which focuses on representing information as reality. Many media associates ensure they represent their information to look more realistic than the others. As such, they tend to be truthful in relaying information. As such, they will try to reduce biases and tend to be impartial (Berger, 2012). In making this look real, they will try to interpret the information with accurate statistics to convince the audience. The audience is considered a vital media concept as it creates the demand for information. Without the audience, the media will have virtually no one to give information. As such, th e media has to ensure it attracts a larger audience to spread the information. Therefore, the media will slot their targeted audience for particular information. They will address this particular audience and circulate vita information that will attract the stated audience (Jones and Holmes, 2011). In many instances, the media ensures it has information that makes sense to the stated audience. This attracts their interests as they are concerned with the information that is relayed. There are critical points that have to be considered in the media and media concepts. First, the media relays information that has passed through crafted productions. These crafted productions are incepted to ensure the information is pleasing and attractive to the audience. This is after making various decisions and other determining factors. Therefore, the information that is relayed in media is a presentation from a few people in the media who need an audience. The information is obviously not raw data as it has been crafted to appeal to the audience. A critique to media concept is that, media is influential in constructing reality. The media is particularly responsible for all the reporting and relaying information. Therefore, the media is responsible for observation and have firsthand experience in the events (Berger, 2012). Therefore, the audience will have an understanding

Exam on the book Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Exam on the book - Essay Example The thesis statement comes out strongly and is the point where the reader starts out on a long journey with Craig. However, from the start a weakness in the work is evident; it narrates political activities more like any other. It lacks the uniqueness and distinctiveness in the field of politics. Craig successfully introduces every part with determinations from German verses that catch the topic of the period. The creator sets the tone of his story by portraying Germany, not as the regular Faust, but instead as Hamlet, who symbolizes the lethally hesitant nature of German seeking to progress the nation. The nature of this political and social radicalism ended up being controlled by the rulers, dreadful of the masses, meek and isolated. Craig has used symbols all along his document; In 1866 Hamlet offers approach to Fortinbras, who symbolizes the egotism and inflexibility of Bismarckian and Wilhelmina Germany (Gordon). Craig successfully draws the attention of the book on political, individual, and social topics against scenery of social and monetary powers that places Craig in the extraordinary convention of liberal German historiography. The deeper understanding evoked here helps learners to understand clearly and is more convincing because it is well articulated. At the beginning of his excitingly composed story, Craig feels legitimately obliged to restore the antiquated accentuation on the part of identities from its close blankness because of social and financial students of history. Craig starts the story with the Prussian triumph over Austria in 1866 using a language full of war activities and introduces the concept of victory catching the attention of the reader. It made conceivable Otto von Bismarcks remarkable achievement of saving the tyrant structure of Prussia-Germany in an advanced world that was developing towards a more libertarian structures (Gordon). It is from the insufficiency of Bismarcks answers that

SYRIA MDG'S Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

SYRIA MDG'S - Annotated Bibliography Example El-Khatib et.al point out that the United Nations had less to worry about the Millennium Development Goals in Syria before 2007 (8). Apart from the effects on its own MDG, neighboring countries such as Jordan and Lebanon have been affected by the crisis. This shows the depth in which the crisis in Syria has affected the region’s economic condition (Allison, 801). In an argument by Alison et.al the impact on other countries has further cut down on the potential of Syria recovering from the effects of the war early enough (807). Shojaei, Amir, KazemYoussefi, and Hossein Shams Hosseini."A CDA Approach to the Biased Interpretation and Representation of Ideologically Conflicting Ideas in Western Printed Media."  Journal of Language Teaching and Research  4.4 (2013): 858-68. Print. The article presents a summary of the paper by pointing out that Syria’s MDG has been significantly affected by the crisis. Shojaei, Kazemand & Hossein point out that the UN has cited Syria as the worst affected country by internal violence in the modern day (863). The UN is also keen to note that the country has become less humanity friendly as refugees from Syria are on the increase in Lebanon and Jordan. UNDP."Responding to the Crisis in Syria."  Responding to Crisis in Syria.N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2014. . To further examine the impact of the crisis in Syria on its MDG, UNDP highlights data that show the effect on human development. About 100,000 persons have lost lives since the crisis in Syria. In addition, 4 million people are displaced within Syria and another 2 million are refugees in foreign countries. The article further points out that 3 million of 22 million populations of Syrians have been driven to extreme poverty as the poverty levels rise to 8% from almost 0% in 2007. United Nations

Ecological crisis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ecological crisis - Research Paper Example countries have on the other hand been transferring multinational companies to these countries because of the availability of cheap labor and resources (Dean 2005). This paper therefore will discuss the environmental crisis of Capital vs. Nature appropriation facing Latin America. This will be important in coming up with the possible solutions to the crisis. The history of environmental crisis facing Latin America dates back to the days that economy of United States became developed. United States enacted different laws that were aimed at guarding its natural resources from exploitation by multinational companies. As a result, multinational companies were forced to look for countries where laws were friendly to their activities. At that time, Latin America was facing political upheavals therefore; the countries had no stable laws. This saw mass investment being taken to these countries (Catro 1997). With economies of countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and Columbia growing tremendously the previous companies and other mushrooming companies have put a strain on natural resources while at the same time the these countries are in need of capital and labor to sustain the growing population (Roberts 2003) Currently, little has been done to reverse the condition with the impact of degradation of the environment in these countries affecting the whole world. Different summits have been held in these countries with the latest being the UN summit on environmental protection (Rio+20) which was held in Brazil. I believe that the solution to this crisis can be achieved by these countries themselves. These countries need to enforce laws that will force the companies to comply with the set measures aimed at improving the environment. In addition, more campaigns need to be conducted in order to sensitize the general public on the importance of taking the appropriate measures in protecting the environment (Dià ¡z 2005). In addition, this region needs to set up a specific

Should be banned or not smoking in the sociery Essay

Should be banned or not smoking in the sociery - Essay Example Some of these arguments are seen to include. Why Smoking should not be banned in Society Proponents of smoking point out that most societies accept that adults can be able to decide to cause some form of harm to their individual selves as long as such harm is not seen to extend to other individuals. As such, the imposition of smoking bans in public places is not essentially valid as passive smokers who do not wish to involuntarily inhale tobacco smoke should naturally avoid going to places where smoking has been allowed. Proponents of smoking point out that as a result of its being legal for individuals to be allowed to smoke, it is essentially not within the rights of governments to try and cause people to desist from smoking. Smokers are not a liability to anyone as they are able to find their own healthcare via the relatively high taxes that they happen to pay on tobacco and in any case, any efforts by the government to try and dissuade smokers from smoking would be extremely diff icult as heavy smokers are normally seen to be addicted to nicotine and cannot be able to give up on smoking easily. It is also pointed out that any attempts to ban smoking in public spaces would have the involuntary effect of driving most clubs, bars and pubs out of business as smokers would avoid going to such places. These businesses would also be seen to run the risk of generating less revenue by any bans on tobacco sales (Whittingdale 130). In most places, pubs are seen to be social communal centers that aid in bringing the members of a given community together and in addition to this function, they also provide ample job opportunities for individuals that might happen to be having relatively few job skills. As opposed to attempting to place a ban on smoking, pubs should be encouraged to set up non-smoking bars to cater for the needs of the non-smoking patrons. There is a relatively large number of non-smokers who are seen to be working in smoky environments and do not seem to mind it. Most individuals are of the view that it is better for them to be working in the smoky job environment as opposed to the unenviable option of not having any job at all. In the event that an organization happens to employ a large number of non-smokers, it is possible for the company to invest in the installation of ventilation fans to help in removing the smoke from the office. Why Smoking should be banned in Society Scientists have been able to show that smoking is fraught with a number of dangers as it can lead to cancer, heart disease and stroke. According to Hong, the use of tobacco is largely considered to be the single largest cause of cases of preventable cancer deaths across the world. Cigarette smoking is estimated to account for an approximated over 1 million cancer deaths in the world each year, with a staggering ninety percent of lung cancer incidents and mortality cases being attributed to smoking (386). In addition to this menace, smoking has been shown to not only harm the smokers, but also any people who might happen to be near the smoking individual in what is commonly referred to as passive smoking. Although the smoker makes the active decision to engage in smoking, the people around the smoker essentially do not make the decision to smoke in a passive manner and as such, a complete ban on smoking in society should be effected so as to effectively protect such individuals. The enforcement of a ban on smoking would serve to encourage smokers

Public Opinion and Media Coverage of Labor Unions Article

Public Opinion and Media Coverage of Labor Unions - Article Example Print media, therefore, have the ability to shape new opinion and to influence and stabilize existing public opinions because of their reach to masses. Therefore, it should be mentioned that if media would portray the positive image of labor unions (an interest group) then the public would have positive perceptions, sympathetic attitudes, opinion, and moral support. In contrast, if media would indulge in the negative portrayal of unionism in the corporate sector (either unintentional or intentional) then the probability of negative public opinion when ould increase (excluding union members as they are least affected). Nevertheless, Schmidt’s actual argument is about the involvement ent of media in faulty coverage of labor unions, which then result in the creation of negative attitudes and opinions about unionism among masses. For instance, the independents and non-members followed by Republicans are ones who actually form negative opinions about unions, which is largely based on information provided incredible news the papers such as Times and others etc. The claim was valid as it had been statistically proved in the light of results that indicated the positive relationship between negative media coverage and unsympathetic public opinions. After analyzing the findings of Schmidt (1993), Meister (n.d), Puette (1992) and Chermak (1995), I would like to highlight that print media mostly focus on coverage of union corruption and violent strikes in a dramatic manner so that the news becomes spicy and entices more readers. In addition, it has been a proven fact (the reference to research by menti oned authors) that the journalists (during 1970 – 1995) have remained nonchalant to peaceful and uneventful dispute resolution. Indeed, a rational analyzer should condemn the past attitude of journalists because it led to a portrayal of the ly negative side (and biased) of labor unionism in a highly exaggerated manner. Hence, the public also viewed unions as more â€Å"socially unresponsive, elitist, nondemocratic and ridden by crime†. Meister (n.d) have called that news is presented, just to attract masses, then away as if there has been an inevitable tussle and war between unions and employers / firm owners. In fact, I would argue that it resembles yellow journalism because of exaggeration and dramatics involved.

Geography final project ( analysis of articles and question summary.) Research Paper

Geography final project ( analysis of articles and question summary.) - Research Paper Example The counter-contention is that if open arrangement can quicken development in medium-measure development focuses, and if critical parcels of the extra profits head off to expanded amounts of transients from slacking hinterland ranges, at that point this system is effective from a national perspective (Skop and Li). Decentralization of centermost government managerial exercises and open ventures from the biggest urban communities Movement to urban communities additionally evacuates repetitive work from horticulture; in spite of the fact that gainfulness may be flat and falling in the over-burden tertiary division of numerous urban areas, it is still higher than gainfulness in agribusiness. Furthermore living arrangement in the city lays open the vagrant to modernizing impacts and enhances his shots to get aptitudes, however unassuming. Due to the self-improving nature of squatter settlements the United Nations Center for Housing, Assembling, and Planning now focuses on the acknowledge ment and underpin of their longer run being and of sufficient preplanning for their fate advancement. Then again, it is affirmed that endeavors to clear such settlements ordinarily squander panic open assets and irritate the issues of the individuals concerned. Meeting of Japanese prefectural for every capita salaries began to show up around 1961 and proceeded in parallel with the most elevated rate of monetary development. This wonder seems to have been brought about by joining in pay rates around distinctive parts of the economy, which in turn came about because of tightening of work markets. Asians immigrants in New York State In spite of the fact that Asians remain a generally minor part of the aggregate populace, right now less than 5 percent-they are around the quickest developing racial/ethnic minorities in the United States today. In connection, the aggregate U.S. populace developed by 13 percent throughout the 1990s, from 248.7 million to 281.4 million. Fast and sizable pop ulace development is attributable basically to the way that Asians now explain just about one-third of all movement to the United States. In the most recent some decades, the mix of modifying worldwide economies, geopolitical settings, and movement approaches has set in movement new and noteworthy streams of relocation from Asia to the United States (Bergman). Workers from India and China, particularly, are decently ready for, and fit into, the occupation needs of the globalizing U.S. economy. Transients from the aforementioned two nations are actively selected by both the U.S. government and U.S. multinational partnerships for their specialized know-how, entrepreneurial abilities, and business associations with quickly developing abroad showcases. Information from the Citizenship and Immigration Service (once in the past the Immigration and Naturalization Service) demonstrate that India and China are the heading supporters of both work based outsiders (al-for the most part 39 perce nt of the U.S. add up to in 2002) and H-1b makeshift laborers (with a heightened of practically 60 percent in 2001) (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service 2003). Therefore, numerous Asian Indian and Chinese migrants land in the U.S. with the abnormal amounts of training, expert preparing, or money related assets

Early Marriage in South Asia Essay Example for Free

Early Marriage in South Asia Essay Early marriage affects millions of children through the world. It is widely practiced in the countries of South Asia where every year millions of girls-preteens and teens- become the wives of older men. Young girls are married when they are still children and as a result are denied fundamental human rights. Early marriage compromises their development and often results in early pregnancy and social isolation, with little education and poor vocational training reinforcing the gendered nature of poverty. Required to perform heavy amounts of domestic work, under pressure to demonstrate fertility, married girls and child mothers face constrained decision-making and reduced life choices. Both boys and girls are affected by child marriage but the issue impacts girls in far larger numbers, with more intensity—and is wide ranging.[1] Early marriage, better known as child marriage, is defined as marriage carried below the age of 18 years, â€Å"before the girl is physically, physiologically and psychologically ready to shoulder the responsibilities of marriage and child bearing†[2]. Many factors interact to place a child at risk of marriage. Parents encourage the marriage of their daughters while they are still children in hopes that the marriage will benefit them both financially and socially, while also relieving financial burdens on the family. Strong correlations between a woman’s age at marriage and the level of education she achieves, the age at which she gives birth to her first child and the age of her husband have been well documented. Early marriage means also the individual becomes sexually active early, raising children while children themselves. The marriage of a young girl affects not only her life but that of the children she will bear. Early marriage is by no means a new phenomenon.[3] It is a socially established practice that has been carried on from generation to generation. This is despite the existence of international and regional instruments that all the States in South Asia have ratified. Governments in the region also settled upon 18 as the minimum legal age at marriage. However, they are often either unable to enforce existing laws, or rectify discrepancies between national laws and customary and religious laws. Most often, child marriage is considered as a family matter and governed by religion and culture, which ensure its continuity. It remains therefore a widely ignored violation of the rights of girls and women and exposes them to multiple risks, including to sexual abuse and exploitation. Compiled from a study undertaken by Mira, B. AGHI, this paper examines early marriage in the region in order to offer information for analysis and discussion. The Prevalence Of Early Marriage In South Asia It is very difficult to get accurate data on the true extent of early marriages. This is because most marriages are not officially registered, and many parents resort to falsifying girls’ ages. Such acts are made easier in rural areas where birth certificates are often non-existent or not properly recorded. There is also very little data on girls married before the age of 15. Available data are often outdated and fail to provide adequate information. Although early marriage is said to be declining in many parts of the world, the total number of girls at risk or affected is very significant and cannot be ignored. It is estimated there are worldwide more than 51 million adolescent girls aged 15–19 who are married and bearing the burden of domestic responsibility and the risks associated with early sexual activity, including pregnancy.[4] In South Asia in 2005, 48% (nearly 10 million) of young women were married before the age of 18[5]. Figure 1 Child marriage, 1987 – 2006. (% of women 20-24 years of age that were married or in union before they were 18 years old) [pic] Despite a shift towards later marriages in many parts of the world, in the countries of South Asia a majority of girls still marry before age 18 (65% in Bangladesh, 57% in Nepal, 54% in Afghanistan, and almost 50% in India). One problem in assessing the prevalence of early marriages is that many are unregistered and unofficial and hence, are not a part of any data collection system. Very little data exists on marriages of children under the age of 10, even less on those below that age[6]. Some countries do have data. According to Bangladesh’s demographic and health survey of 1996-1997, there are 28 million adolescents in Bangladesh, 13.7% of these are girls, and the survey reported that more than half the girls below 19 were married and 5% of 10-14 year old girls were married. Another survey of women 25-29 years old reported that in Bangladesh 81% were married before the age of 18[8]. The lowest age at marriage is to be found in the western and southern parts of Bangladesh – specifically those adjoining India. In India, more than 57 per cent of girls are reported to get married before they turn 18. According to the Reproductive and Child Health District Level Household Survey, 28% girls overall, with 34.5% in rural and 13% in urban areas, are being married before they turned 18. According to a Rapid Household survey conducted across the country, 58.9% women in Bihar were married before the age of 18, 55.8% in Rajasthan, 54.9% in West Bengal, 53.8 % in Utter Pradesh, and 53.2% in Madhya Pradesh. National Family Health Survey data suggests that the median age for marriage in India is 16.4 years. This survey also found that 65% of the girls are married by the time they are 18.[9] There are additional surveys like one in 1993 which reported that in the Indian state of Rajasthan, on 5,000 women 56% had married before age 15, and of these, 17% were married before they were 10.[10] Another report indicated that nearly 14% of the girls in India’s largest state (Uttar Pradesh) are married between the ages of 10-14 years, whereas in the central province of Madhya Pradesh, 11% of urban and 16.4% of rural girls are married between the ages of 10-14 years.[11] In Nepal, the law has helped in increasing the age at marriage. However, the data which included female marriages at all ages showed that ethnicity is the major factor of age at marriage in Nepal. The ethnic groups are mostly concentrated in the Terai region, which borders India, and where the cultural norms and practices are highly influenced by the culture of north India. In contrast to other groups, especially in the mountain region, women belonging to the Terai groups are generally confined to farming; they exercise comparatively less control over the economic resources and decision-making. The most notable data from Nepal is 83.1% of girls of some ethnic groups marry before they are 15 years old. 79.6% Muslim girls marry before they are 15 years old. 69.7% girls in the mountainous and hilly regions marry at the age of 15 whereas 55.7% in rural Nepal marry before they turn 15.[12] Early marriage is more common in Surkhet district of mid-western Nepal.[13] One of the findings of the study is that higher caste girls do not feel the pressure to marry at a very young age and while they are in primary school. But when they reach 13 years, pressure is put on them especially if they fail their school exams. If they are doing well their parents will often let them continue with their studies. Lower caste girls have much higher pressure and less choice.[14] A survey of adults 25-29 years old revealed that in Pakistan 37% of the girls were married before the legal age, which at the time was16.[15] In Pakistan, as in other countries of South Asia, early marriage is more common in rural areas. Also people living in rural areas observe traditions more closely than those who live in urban areas. Causes Of Early Marriage Many reasons are given by parents and guardians to justify child marriage. Economic reasons often underpin these decisions which are directly linked to poverty and the lack of economic opportunities for girls in rural areas. Girls are either seen as an economic burden or valued as capital for their exchange value in terms of goods, money or livestock. A combination of cultural, traditional and religious arguments also justifies child marriage. The fear and stigma attached to premarital sex and bearing children outside marriage, and the associated family honor, are often seen as valid reasons for the actions that families take. Finally, many parents tend to curtail the education of their girls and marry them off, due to fear of exposure to sexual violence and abuse encountered. Early marriage as a strategy for economic reasons Poverty is one of the major factors underpinning early marriage. In many of the cases, the families are in poverty and one less daughter is one less mouth to feed. Poor families may regard young girls as an economic burden and the practice of early marriage, as an act of unburdening and a coping strategy. When poverty is acute, a young girl’s presence in the house is felt as unbearable and her marriage to a much older or even elderly man who can pay a very high price may be seen in her interest. Child marriage is valued as an economic coping strategy which reduces the costs of raising daughters. In this sense, poverty becomes a primary reason for child marriage because of perceived benefits to the family and the daughter. |Ethnicity/culture has emerged as the most complex reason for girls’ early | |marriages. In fact at some places like the Terai region in Nepal, where | |the cultural norms and practices are highly influenced by the culture of | |north India, it has emerged even stronger than the socio-economic | |factors.[16] It has been observed that ethnicity affects not only the age | |of marriage but the timing of family formation and entry into motherhood. | Marriage arrangements and requirements, such as dowry payments in parts of South Asia where parents of the young woman are obliged to give gifts to the spouse and his family, perpetuate child marriages. This is because the dowry requirement often increases with the age and the education level of the girl. Additionally, poor families tend to marry off girls at the same time to help reduce the burden of high marriage ceremony expenses[17]. However, child brides are often more likely to experience domestic violence and least likely to take action against this abuse. The majority of affected girls become condemned to a life of financial and social insecurity. This is a real paradox for many parents, given that they marry off their daughters at a young age in the belief that this will enhance the girl’s and the family’s security. Poverty ultimately fuels child marriage, which in turn perpetuates the feminization of poverty. In many villages that practice child marriage in Tamil Nadu State in India for example, girls are married off before they attain puberty because of the social stigma the community attaches to marriage after puberty. Many such marriages end in divorce. In case there is a large age’s difference, the girls become widows at a young age. Custom forbids divorced or widowed women to remarry, further impoverishing them. Entrenched community norms and myths clearly help to perpetuate the practice of child marriage and related poverty. Son preference is very strong in many communities in South Asia, which may not be unrelated to the expenses involved when marrying off a daughter. The rising costs of marriage ceremonies force many families to marry their daughters at the same time to reduce costs. Boys forced into marriage early may also suffer financially. Economic responsibilities can place heavy burdens on them and curtail their education sooner than they might want. However, while boys can leave their wives at their parents’ homes and seek employment opportunities elsewhere, this option is not available to the majority of young wives[18]. Marriage alliances and traditions Often marriage arrangements are made between families for dynastic, business, property or conflict resolutions. In Pakistan, India and Nepal, children may be betrothed or even married while toddlers or well below the age of 10. This custom is a means of consolidating powerful relations between families, making deals over land or other property, or settling disputes in the way routinely conducted between royal houses and aristocratic families throughout history. It may be a way of maintaining or fostering business ties with them. It may also be arranged as apart of the deal to settle a feud between two families.[19] Early marriage as a way to ensure the protection of girls Early marriage is also one way to ensure that a wife is â€Å"protected† or placed firmly under male control; that she is submissive to her husband and works hard for her in-laws’ household; that the children she bears are ‘legitimate’ and that bonds of affection between couples do not undermine the family unit.[20] It has been observed that in child marriages there is invariably a large gap between married women and their husbands—between 7-9 years.[21] The customary age difference helps to preserve the traditional cultural pattern of an older husband dominating a much younger wife. Social pressure appears to play a significant role in the girl getting married early. If girls remain unmarried by 15, neighbors, villagers and relatives begin to doubt her chastity and health. Parents are under huge pressure not to give a chance to the society to pass any aspersion on their girls. Early marriage is often a way of ensuring that the daughter is not at risk of losing her virginity in an irregular sexual encounter.[22] For many communities, the loss of virginity in girls before marriage is the worst shame that can be brought upon a family. The desire to protect a girl’s virginity drives many parents to force their daughters into marriage at an extremely young age. For this reason and to control girl’s sexuality, girls are married to prevent pre-marital sex or pregnancy. Once it is known in the village that a girl had pre-marital sexual relationship, it could be quite difficult to find a suitable boy who will be willing to marry her. Therefore parents willingly/unwillingly arrange early marriages to avoid such unpleasant situations. In rural communities, fetching water and firewood are usually chores undertaken by young girls. There is frequently a serious fear of their being raped.[23] The rape will be devastating with enormous implications for the girl. In many communities the rape is not considered to be a crime against a girl but against her father, husband, or brothers. Situations of insecurity and acute poverty, particularly during disasters such as war, famine or the HIV and AIDS epidemic, can prompt parents to resort to child marriage as a protective mechanism or survival strategy. Among some populations which have been disrupted by war (Afghanistan), marrying a young daughter to a warlord or someone who can look after her may be a strategy for physical security or family support. In the worst cases, girls are abducted or kidnapped by armed militia or rebels and forced into temporary marriages which amount to â€Å"a combination of child prostitution and pure slavery.† Displaced populations living in refugee camps may feel unable to protect their daughters from rape, and so marriage to a warlord or other authority figure may provide improved protection.[24] Consequences Of Early Marriage The consequences of child marriage are often far wider than just their impact on the individual children affected. The marriage of children has negative effects on families and communities. The practice thrives on poverty and impacts adversely on a country’s health and education sector. Young girls are forced to marry men they have never met before and who may be many years older than they are. Once married, they are responsible for looking after their husbands, the house, and the children they give birth to while still children themselves. This is one of the reasons that offspring born too early in their mothers’ lives are at increased risk of illness and death. These girls often have little knowledge about the responsibilities of being a wife and no information about sex and childbirth.[25] Early forced sex as a violation of rights where a girl is married has not been recognized as a form of sexual abuse except where warlords or traffickers have recruited girls as sexual slaves.[26] Early marriage is associated with a number of poor social and physical outcomes for young women and their offspring.[27] They attain lower schooling, lower social status in their husbands’ families, have less reproductive control, and suffer higher rates of maternal mortality and domestic violence. They are often forced out of school without an education, their health is affected because their bodies are too immature to give birth. |Child marriage impedes the Millennium Development Goals | |(agreed by governments and the international community in | |September 2000). | | | |Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. | |Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education. | |Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women. | |Goal 4: Reduce child mortality. | |Goal 5: Improve maternal health. | |Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. | Health and related outcomes The younger the boy or the girl is at the time of marriage, the worse is the abuse of child and human rights, both on grounds of lack of consent and on grounds of forced early sex. However, the implications for the females are much more severe. The younger the girl at the time of her first sexual relations – with early sex much more frequent and less likely to be consensual within marriage than outside marriage – the greater the chance of severe pain, physical damage, and of birthing complications and injury. Pregnancy and childbirth It is common sense to assume that girls who marry before 18 will usually have more children. Early child-bearing has long been seen as a risk to maternity, contributing significantly to large families. Since girls who are married young have a large number of child bearing years, they are more prone to miscarriage, infant death, malnutrition, cervical cancer, sterility, and maternal death. Even when girls are closer to the age of 18 but not yet that age, the risk remains. Girls between age 15 and 19 are twice as likely to die of pregnancy-related reasons as women between age 20 and 24. Child marriage is the leading cause of young women between the ages of 15 and 24 dying during pregnancy. Figure 4 Percentage of women age 15- 19 who have begun childbearing Selected countries in South Asia, 2004-2006 [pic] Not only the mothers but offspring born too early in their mothers’ lives are at increased risk of illness and death. The babies of child brides are sicker, weaker and many do not survive childhood. Evidence shows that infant mortality among children of very young mothers is almost two times higher than among those of older peers. The health problems linked to early marriage not only affect the pregnant mother but also continue after child birth. Complications are more likely during pregnancy and birth purely because of the mother’s young age. A large proportion of reproductive and sexual health concerns of adolescent girls and women root from early marriage and early pregnancy. In the context of reproductive health girl spouses face well-acknowledged risks. These include the problem of giving birth when the pelvis and birth canal are still under-developed which leads to an increased risk of complications during delivery including protracted labor.[28] Mothers aged less than 15 are especially vulnerable to fistulae – relentless pressure from baby’s skull can damage the birth canal causing breakages in the wall. A girl or a woman with this condition ─ irreversible without surgery ─ is not only in constant pain but will be socially ostracized and may well be divorced because of this.[29] The perils of child marriage are not limited to only health complications during pregnancy and delivery period but in many cases during post-natal period as well. Because of the prolapsed uterus, they suffer from backaches, experience difficulties while walking, working and sitting for a long time. At times they had to give birth even after prolapsed uterus and this made the situation worse for them. [30] Child brides cannot negotiate the terms of sex with husbands who are usually older and have had previous sexual partners.[31] They cannot insist on fidelity or condom use.[32] Research in India (Calcutta) revealed that almost half of the women patients in the hospital interviewed had been married at or below the age of 15 with the youngest being married at 7 years. This age group has one of the highest rates of vulnerability to sexual violence in marriage, second only to those whose dowry had not been paid. The women had forced sexual intercourse before menstruation had started. The sex was early and painful and many still continued to be forced into sexual activity by their husbands. Although young girls had made their husbands aware of their unwillingness to have sex or of pain during sex, in 80% of these cases, the rapes continued.[33] Increased risks of contracting sexually transmitted diseases and HIV Early marriage threatens girls’ health and the health of their children and thwarts efforts to combat HIV/AIDS. Of substantial consequences, yet largely ignored, is the fact that the majority of the sexually active girls aged 15-19 in South Asia are married and these adolescent girls tend to have higher rates of HIV infection than their sexually active unmarried peers. Early sexual activity within marriage is even more likely to expose young people to sexually transmitted infections than sex outside marriage.[34] Crossing the threshold into marriage greatly intensifies sexual exposure via unprotected sex, often with an older partner, who by virtue of his age has an elevated risk of being HIV positive. This dramatic rise in the frequency of unprotected sex is driven by not only the implication of infidelity or distrust associated with certain forms of contraception such as condoms, but often also by a strong desire to become pregnant. Demographic and health survey data reveals that on an average 80% of unprotected sex encounters among adolescent girls occurred within marriage. Not only are married adolescents girls often isolated within their new households and from external public and private support but their needs have not been prioritized or sometimes even considered in current reproductive health initiatives. Moreover many of the most common HIV/AIDS policies and messages are not appropriate for them.[35] Denial of education It is believed that investment in a girl’s education is wasted when she simply going to be married and work in another household.[36] Girls reported that even if married girls are allowed to pursue their education, they cannot continue for too long because of the varied burdens imposed on her by early childbearing and the chores in the house. An important reason why girls in South Asia do not go to school or are withdrawn at puberty is for the assumption of domestic duties and confinement at home as prelude to marriage. Lack of exposure outside the immediate home environment means lower self-esteem, less sense of identity as an independent person with an independent mind, reduced socialization with peers and non-family adults, and considerably less knowledge of what early marriage entails.[37] There is a clear connection between early marriage and low educational attainment. Early marriage puts the young girl at a disadvantage by the loss of educational opportunity. Often girls are not allowed to go to school which diminishes her opportunity to acquire critical life skills. Children benefit as much as their families, since a school-going child has been observed to be an agent of change in rural societies.[38] A girl who is educated will most likely educate her daughter and thus establishes an inter-generational trend of educating girls. Besides, the correlation between the number of years of a girl’s schooling and the postponement of marriage is shown to be firmly established by demographic and fertility studies36. A one year postponement of marriage increases schooling by 0.32 years and literacy by 5-10%.[39]

Active Voluntary and Nonvoluntary Euthanasia Essay Example for Free

Active Voluntary and Nonvoluntary Euthanasia Essay The term euthanasia originated from the Greek word for good death. It is the act or practice of ending the life of a person either by lethal injection or the deferment of medical treatment (Munson, 2012, p. 578). Many view euthanasia as simply bringing relief by alleviating pain and suffering. Euthanasia has been a long-standing ethical debate for decades in the United States. Active euthanasia is only legal in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. Assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland and in the United States in the states of Washington, Oregon and Montana (Angell). Several surveys indicate that roughly two thirds of the American public now support physician-assisted suicide, and more than half the doctors in the United States do too (Angell). Active voluntary and nonvoluntary euthanasia matter because they allow the patient or family to relieve them of pain and suffering, and to die with dignity and respect. In this paper I will argue that it is immoral and unethical to deny a patient the right to die and that active voluntary and nonvoluntary euthanasia should be a legal practice in the United States. When denied the right to die one can endure a tremendous amount of physiological and emotional pain. The 1973 case of Dax Cowart is a great example of this. Dax went through fourteen months of grueling, barbaric treatments of skin debriding, tank soakings, and dressing changes. He compared the debridements to being skinned alive and the solutions poured over his skin were like having alcohol poured over raw flesh except it burns more and longer (Asher). Dax requested on several different occasions to just leave him alone and let him die but all of his physicians’ refused his requests and kept going with their treatment plan. The physicians were going against the principle of non-maleficence, which states, â€Å" Physicians have an obligation to do no harm to the patient† (Munson, 2012, p. 892). Dax suffered through painful debridements for months without proper pain control because his physicians were too worried about him becoming addicted to the pain medications. They knew how painful these debridements were for their patient and they continued to maintain the same treatment plan with no modifications. They deliberately violated the principle of non-maleficence. If active voluntary euthanasia were an acceptable practice in society, Dax ould have been able to refuse the treatments and die by way of infection, or a physician could have given him a lethal injection. Either of these options would have helped Dax to die keeping his wishes of dignity and respect intact. In this case, death is less harmful than the barbaric treatments that Dax had to endure for countless months. Today, many Americans are so concerned about the possibility of a lingering, high technology death that they are responsive to the idea of doctors being allowed to help them die (Angell). This is why we need to legalize active voluntary and nonvoluntary euthanasia in the United States. In an article from The New England Journal of Medicine, Marcia Angell states, â€Å"The most important ethical principle in medicine is respect for each patients autonomy, and that when this principle conflicts with others, it should almost always take precedence† (Angell). To deny someone his or her autonomy is to treat that individual as something less than a person (Munson, 2012, p. 900). It is wrong to take control of someone else’s life and to dictate their actions. Each person has a right to act autonomously; in doing this they must have the ability to choose among different options. A forced option is no option at all (Munson, 2012, p. 901). Dax Cowart was denied his autonomy when the doctors would not listen to his wishes of wanting to die; instead they did what they wanted. Munson states that, â€Å"Making decisions for the good of others, without consulting their wishes, deprives them of their status as autonomous agents† (Munson, 2012, p. 902). Dax was not given options to choose from, nor was his voice heard at all in the process, which violated the entire principle of autonomy. It should have been his choice because it was his life. In a completely different case, Terri Schiavo was denied her autonomy when she was kept alive on a feeding tube, when she had previously stated this was not what she wanted if it ever came down to it. With our autonomy, we should have the right to say how and when we die. It should not be based solely on societies morals, values, and beliefs. No one else should have the right to decide how one ends their life, except for that person. We value our autonomy because we are more willing to live with our own choices then to have somebody else decide for us. Active voluntary and nonvoluntary euthanasia give patients their autonomy and right to die with dignity. Active voluntary and non-voluntary euthanasia should be an approved practice because it allows patients who are in a persistent vegetative state the chance to die with dignity, while allowing their loved ones to keep their morals and values in place. Patients that end up in such unfortunate circumstances are unable to use their autonomy and make decisions regarding their treatment and potential end of life care. Maintaining one’s autonomy is part of a dignified death. If these were approved practices, it would allow family members the chance to put an end to their loved one’s suffering the way they would have wanted. It is unethical to force someone to do something against their will, as it is also immoral to make someone live if it’s against their wants or beliefs. On February 26, 1990, Terri Schiavo collapsed and unexpectedly went into a persistent vegetative state, where she remained for fifteen years by sustaining artificial hydration and nutrition through a feeding tube. Terri lost all dignity and autonomy when her terminal illness came, requiring care around the clock. Michael Schiavo believed that his wife would not want to be kept alive in her condition, which ultimately lead to his decision of discontinuing her feeding tube. After a long, tortuous thirteen days, Terri starved to death. The way Terri died was very inhumane and unethical; however it is an approved practice in the United States that continues to be used even today. If active voluntary and non-voluntary euthanasia were an acceptable practice in the United States, patients like Terri would not have to die in such a barbaric way. It is unethical to allow a patient to starve to death, as it is also unethical to deny a patient the right to die (Munson, 2012). Non-voluntary euthanasia would have allowed Terri to die pain free with her dignity and wishes in place. In Timothy Quill’s article, Death and Dignity, A Case of Individualized Decision Making, he talks about his patient Diane, who was diagnosed with leukemia. Diane denied all treatments and eventually agreed upon home hospice care. It was extremely important to Diane to maintain control of herself and her dignity during the time remaining to her. She wanted to remain an autonomous person, and when this was no longer possible, she clearly wanted to die. She asked Dr. Quill for sleeping pills, which he wrote a prescription for knowing she had trouble sleeping, but also knowing it could be a means to an end when the time came for Diane. Diane was able to make an informed decision to take her own life and to die with dignity and her wishes respected in the end. Dr. Quill states, â€Å"I know we have measures to help control pain and lessen suffering, to think that people do not suffer in the process of dying is an illusion† (Quill 2). This is why people in our society should be more open-minded to active voluntary and non-voluntary euthanasia. These two concepts can allow our terminally ill, suffering, loved ones to die with the dignity and respect they deserve, like Diane was able to do. Patients who are diagnosed with a terminal illness such as cancer or progressive neurological disorders eventually become weak and debilitated. These patients end up relying on family, friends, and healthcare workers to help them do their activities of daily living such as batheing and eating. Many of these terminally ill patients lay in bed suffering, with zero quality of life, just waiting to die. These patients have lost their will to live and find no joy or simple pleasures left in life because their pain has become too unbearable. These patients suffer on a daily basis, while family and friends watch, helplessly; as their loved ones decline day by day. It is unethical for society to expect these patients to go on with the quality of life they are maintaining. Terminally ill patients should be allowed to control their demise and end their suffering at their own disposal. Therefore, active voluntary and non-voluntary euthanasia should be a socially acceptable and approved legal practice in the United States. One could oppose the original argument saying that active voluntary and nonvoluntary euthanasia should remain illegal in the United States because it is inhumane and barbaric. Patients do have other options such as hospice programs and pain control. These provide alternative options that can be ethically and morally acceptable in our society. There are a number of options to treat chronic pain such as narcotics. There are an enormous variety of narcotics on the market, all of which can be tried until a specific one is found to be to right for that patient. Palliative care and hospice programs are gaining more attention for the end of life care they provide for terminally ill patients. The goals of these programs are based on comfort care, dignity and respect to the terminally ill patient. These programs allow patients to die with their dignity, respect, morals, and values all in place. Due to the fact that there are other options available for terminally ill patients, other than death, active voluntary and non-voluntary euthanasia should remain an illegal practice in the United States. Another powerful argument made by Marcia Angell is that â€Å"people do not need assistance to commit suicide, with enough determination they can do it themselves† (Angell). People who are too debilitated for physical means can simply just stop eating and drinking and ultimately starve to death, while others given a terminal diagnosis, that have physical means, can end their lives by pills or a gun. This is another reason why active voluntary and non-voluntary euthanasia should remain an illegal practice in the United States. In response to this objection, a rule utilitarian could argue that, the taking of a human life is permissible when suffering is intense and the condition of the person permits no legitimate hope (Munson, 2012, p. 84). Pain cannot always be controlled by narcotics and pain-alleviating techniques, there will always be a small percentage of patients whose suffering simply cannot be adequately controlled. Palliative care and hospice programs are a great idea but are not available to everyone because not everyone has insurance and the means to afford them. They can be very pricy and space is very limited, even with insurance and affordab ility in place. Allowing active voluntary and nonvoluntary euthanasia would give patients more ethical options for death, rather then having to commit the ultimate sin of suicide by starvation or the use of a gun. It is unethical to make a person feel that starvation or the use a gun are their only options. Having the options that active voluntary and nonvoluntary euthanasia can give, would enable a patient to many more ethical options for death, which would ultimately, relieve family members from having to deal with the emotional pain and suffering of finding their loved one’s mutilated body after a self inflicted suicide by use of a gun. Based on the ethical dilemma at hand, my three points have proven that active voluntary and non-voluntary euthanasia should be a legal practice in the United States. One could object this, but I have proven my argument by the physiological and emotional pain one can endure when denied the right to die, by maintaining patients’ autonomy and dignity throughout the process, and by focusing on the quality of life for patients diagnosed with terminal illnesses. The long-standing ethical debate of euthanasia is decades old and will never have a perfect resolution, but one must take into account all sides of each argument to make an informed decision for their self. It is crucial that society remain open-minded regarding this issue. It is unethical to deny a person the right to die. Therefore, active voluntary and non-voluntary euthanasia should be made an approved and acceptable end of life medical practice in the United States.

Democratization of Islamic Countries

Democratization of Islamic Countries Revolutionary events that engulfed a number of Arab countries in 2010 2011 (in the media, they were called the event Arab Spring), have introduced a wide range of radical changes in the political situation in the Middle East and for the whole region had far-reaching consequences. As a result of these events, instead of the authoritarian regimes in a number of countries came to power moderate Islamist forces (Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, An-Nahda in Tunisia), who set themselves the task of development in these countries regimes Islamic democracy , mainly due to the Turkish model. Moderate Islamists (the party Justice and Development) won the parliamentary elections in Morocco, the country that has remained a monarchy, but went to a certain democratization of their political institutions. In another country, the Arab Spring Libya as a result of the general democratic elections came to power liberal Alliance of National Forces. All of the above events led many experts to conclude tha t new prospects for democratization in the region, which eventually should lead to a homogenization of the Middle East into a single policy area, where the main role will be played by pro-Islamic democratic regimes. However, in other Arab countries such as Syria and Yemen, the event Arab Spring has not been so successful, because here they have exacerbated the internal contradictions and resulted in civil war. In 2013, the prospects for the development of Islamic democracy were at issue in Egypt, where on July 3 was a military revolt, which resulted in the management of Muslim Brotherhood was behind bars. Meanwhile, in late May, internal political situation deteriorated and in a relatively stable until now Turkey. All these events have reopened the debate on an issue that worries experts in recent years: whether moderate Islamic regimes to stay in power and to bring democracy and stability in the political process in the Middle East?Or region again waiting for the dominance of authoritarian rule and civil war?Unfortunately, experts forecasts are not as optimistic as it was a few years ago, because it is clear that the risk of political instability poses a serious threat to many countries in the region. Over 2011-2012, it was possible to observe how the democratic reforms in the countries of the Arab Spring began to gradually become a reality. In particular, in the elections to the Peoples Assembly, the lower house of parliament in Egypt, which lasted more than 2 months, won a landslide victory moderate Islamic Freedom and Justice Party, which is the political wing of the Islamist movement Muslim Brotherhood. For this political force voted about 47% of voters. In the upper house of the Egyptian Parliament, the Advisory Council, it took another 105 members of this party. It is not surprising that the presidential elections held in Egypt in May-June 2012 he was elected leader of the country the candidate of freedom and justice S. Mursi, collected in the second round, more than half of all votes. Fortunately events developed for the Islamists in Tunisia. Here in the parliamentary elections, which took place in October 2011, won a landslide victory moderate Islamic party Ennahda, for which voted 41% of voters. According to the results of the election, the Prime Minister was elected General Secretary of the party H. Dzhebali. Overall, as a result of the impact of the Arab Spring, the democratic process and intensified in a number of other Arab countries of the Greater Middle East. In particular, parliamentary elections were held in February 2012 in Kuwait, where Islamists have received 34 of the 50 parliamentary seats. In Algeria, the countrys parliamentary elections took place in May 2012. They moderate Islamists (Green Algeria Alliance), although a small number of votes received (48 of 426 seats in parliament), but they have been admitted to the election authority and thus were included in the political process. Party moderate Islamic orientation are also a number of other Islamic countries, in particular: The movement of the Islamic Action in Jordan, AK Party building in Libya, Hamas in Palestine, the party Justice and Development in Morocco and others. Unfortunately, all of the successes of new Islamic democracy were thwarted further developments. Since the revolutions of the Arab Spring has passed about two years, but the situation in these countries is still unstable. In particular, in Libya armed fighting between militants of various revolutionary brigades, carried out the attacks and armed attacks on government offices. In Egypt, mass demonstrations by the secular opposition led by the National Salvation Front led to bloody clashes with supporters of Islamist and began to threaten to escalate into civil war, resulting in power in the country again into their own hands took the military. In Syria still ongoing civil war which resulted in the already killed more than 100,000 people. But the main thing that became restless and exemplary country of Islamic democracy Turkey. May 28 at Taksim Square in Istanbul began a peaceful demonstration, which later resulted in the massive anti-government riots that swept a number of Turkish ci ties. On the streets of Turkish cities came mainly supporters of the Turkish secular parties and opponents of gradual Islamization of the country, who demanded the resignation of the leader of the Islamist Erdogan and Islamic forces removal from power. It is clear that all the events are not some spontaneous actions, they have deep historical roots. In general, the main difficulties faced by Islamic democracy, are as follows: The first problem is related to the existence of a deep split in most Islamic societies through secularism / Sharia. This split has developed historically: the processes of modernization, which covered most Muslim societies in the twentieth century, contributed to the formation of a new elite focused on the Western model of development. The latter, which is concentrated mainly in the cities, took an active part in the updated state institutions andbecome their mainstay. At the same time, another hourPart of society remained a supporter of traditional Islamic values. As a consequence, there was a split society through peripherals (province, traditional) and the center (urban, modern). Dissatisfied with existing secular regime organized in the Islamic movement and the beginning of democratization in the Islamic parties. 1980-1990 were the years of revival and the triumph of political Islam in Turkey, Tunisia, Algeria. However, in defense of secular regimes in these countries have beco me military, led to some curtailment of democratic processes. Now another round of such aggravation we see in Turkey, where the secular circles opposed the policy of the ruling Islamic party Justice and Development aimed at the Islamization of the country as well as in Egypt, where the secular parties and the military opposed the president S. Mursi. The second problem is related to the existence of a difficult socio-economic situation, which is observed in most of the Arab Spring. Experts believe that one of the most important factors in the success of democracy is to ensure an adequate level of economic development, which, unfortunately, is not present at a number of Islamic revolutionary countries. The emergence of civil society and democracy can not be there where people need to think about their vital necessities of life. In this context, the economic problems of Egypt, which in no way failed to weaken the government S. Mursi proved to be a factor that contributed to the exit of people on the street. The third problem is characterized by the existence in Muslim societies of the whole complex of inter-clan, inter-faith and inter-ethnic conflicts. Society of the Middle East have a pretty motley composition, because they consist of various religious groups (such as Syria, Iraq and Lebanon), the various ethnic and tribal groups (such as Libya and Yemen), patrimonial clans, etc. As part of an authoritarian regime, all these groups are under government control. But in the case of destabilization of the political situation, they actively intervene in the political struggle for power and tend to inflame tribal and religious struggle, which could result in civil war. In particular, in Syria faced the interests of a number of different groups: Shiite Muslims, Sunni Muslims, Kurds, Christians. Fourth obstacle to the development of democracy in Islamic countries stands stratum military circles that actively interfere in the internal political processes in their countries. The armys role in politics in the Middle East has always been significant. Military circles mainly act on the side of the secular community in their struggle against political Islam. In Egypt, the secular army positions were greatly strengthened by General G. Naserom that from 1952 to 1970 led the country. The armed forces in Turkey and have always played an important role in the political life of the country. Prospects for democratization of Islamic countries Arab Spring There are historical experience shows that any significant shocks and abrupt changes in the policies of individual countries are becoming a significant catalyst for peoples activity, pushing it to the protest. Free elections bring to the surface of the political forces that are most consistent with the interests of the masses. It is not surprising that such forces in the countries of the Arab Spring in the first place were the Islamists. But the imposition of its policies mainly towards realization of the Sharia inevitably leads to the emergence of opposition from secular circles and has the effect of further destabilization of the situation in a particular country. The level of this risk is not the same for all countries. It depends on many factors: the duration and nature of the tensions in society, especially the political groups that came to power, the state of the economy, etc But in any case it must be assumed that the current realities in countries emerging from popular uprisings and armed insurgencies characterized by imbalance and threaten to destabilize the political regimes in violation of inner balance. And this can happen in case of problems in the economy and the exacerbation of social problems. In Egypt, there was just such a situation. The revolutionary events and changes in the political regime drew deeper roots of general economic frustration, which was due to too straightforward strategy for market development in the context of significant lack of resources and numerous imbalances in the economy. The revolution led to a further decline in living standards and an increase in the number of unemployed. S. Mursi government failed to stabilize the situation, not of an economic success of the policy of Islamization of the country has caused discontent among a significant number of Egyptians and forced the military to take over power in their hands. Given recent events, the democratization of Egypt in the future looks pretty controversial. Most likely, military forces will continue to try to control the situation in the country. Tunisia, which all States Arab Spring looks most promising in terms of the development of democracy, is now also going through difficult times. Killing one of the leaders of the opposition Sh. Belaida caused outrage among many people. And after the military mutiny July 3, 2013 in neighboring Egypt guide Tunisia announced the introduction in the country for 3 months of emergency. Still among the Muslim countries in the region, the most successful looks Turkey. But much depends on the leadership of the ruling Islamic party Justice and Development. If its leaders will provide a balanced internal policies, taking into account the interests of minorities, including secular circles, the forecast further development of democracy in the country is positive. If the countrys leaders will ignore the interests of the minority, the country may also threaten political destabilization. Considering the broader context of the prospects for democratization of Islamic countries, it should be noted that some of the Arab world as a whole immune to political change. Saudi Arabia is undoubtedly the most striking example, when an authoritarian regime operates without any obstacles. Similarly, in other Gulf countries authoritarian regimes seem strong enough and immutable. Despite the existence of substantial domestic opposition, the events of the Arab Spring almost no impact on Iran. Local authoritarian regime seems to be safe, at least in the medium term. With regard to Iraq, after the withdrawal of US troops, the situation looks increasingly fragile and weak in the face of the fragmentation of the state. Undoubtedly, the war of 2003 and continued US military presence in Iraq has not led to the desired Americans democratic change, but on the contrary, caused a further aggravation of internal problems.

The Siege of the Iranian Embassy Essay -- Papers

The Siege of the Iranian Embassy On April 30th 1980 a six man Iraqi terrorist group burst into the Iranian embassy. The embassy in Princes Gate, London, contained 20 people, which included a police constable. The terrorist wanted the release of 91 political prisoners from jail in Iran and a plane for them to escape. If their demands were not met they would execute all the hostages and blow up the Embassy. The Metropolitan Police invited B Squadron, 22 SAS onto the scene. Within hours of the siege starting they had set up observation posts and where monitoring the terrorists. Major Jeremy Phipps who had been in the SAS for 15 years, and had fought in Borneo and Oman now commanded B squadron. He started developing plans to break into the embassy and free the hostages. A high-ranking group of government ministers and officials decided that it would be best to negotiate. For five days the SAS practiced their plans for the siege as the negotiations dragged on. On May 5th the terrorists' patience cracked and they shot dead a hostage, Abbas Lavasani. Listening devices inserted by the SAS picked up the terrorist plans, which included killing more hostages. The time for talk was over. The order to attack came from the top, the Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, 'The Iron Lady'. The police handed responsibility for the operation to the SAS at 19:07. Fourteen minutes later the assault began, operation 'Nimrod' was now underway. Four SAS men broke into the front of the Embassy after jumping over an adjoining balcony. They blew out the armoured windows with a 'frame charge' (A long strip of C4 explosives). An eight-strong rear team abseile... ...re hostages might have died. The demands could have been met but this would leave the door open for further terrorist demands. The SAS had to protect the innocent and they did it. Even though some of the terrorists could have been arrested there was no practical way of doing this without them still being a risk to the hostages and SAS members. 39 bullets is a lot to kill one man, but if fired from more than one soldier in the heat of battle 39 isn't that many. Terrorists are dangerous; they have a single aim and their target has to be met without regard to life or property. Terrorists lose their right to a fair trial when they use innocent people in an attempt to get their demands meet. I believe the actions of the SAS and the fact that they are still active and operational allows people like us to sleep soundly.

Westward Expansion Essay -- essays research papers

WESTWARD EXPANSION The movement of people that has resulted in the settlement of America is one of the most fascinating and significant topics in the history of the United States. Nowhere else has an area of equal size been settled as a result of the initiative of small groups and individuals. Westward expansion helped stimulate the American economy. The first organized migration to California originated in Platte County, on the far western frontier of Missouri. Reports described California as "a perfect paradise, a perpetual spring." The people of Platte County formed the Western Emigration Society, which sent out information about California throughout the Mississippi Valley (Wexler,139). Several merchant and landowners were concerned about the number of prospective emigrants that they launched a campaign disparaging California. This act proved to be effective, in 1842 and 1843 relatively few emigrants followed the first migration to California. The first wagon train was led by John Bidwell, the organizer of the Western Emigration Society. Bidwell let the pioneers across the Rockies, a party of 69 adults and children who divided into two groups after crossing. One group headed north into Oregon, while the other, led by Bidwell continued west to California. By 1842, the currency system of the Republic of Texas was in such dire straits that even the government would not accept redbacks for payment of taxes. Other plans were attempted to get the republic fiscal house in order, but these plans achieved only slightly better results. However, as the economy in the United States improved and the Texas annexation movement gained momentum, currency in Texas slowly recovered some of its values before Texas was annexed in 1845(thewest@pbs.org). Slavery was a big issue, many anti-slavery leaders came out strong against adding another potential slave state to the Union. The basic concerns were - war with Mexico and the division over slavery(Remini). Clay argued against incorporating Texas into the Union when he was almost assured of the Whig Party's nomination for president. In the election Clay, who hedged on his annexation position, was narrowly defeated by James Polk, a former Tennessee senator who ran on a strong expansionist platform( Bender212). The Senate rejected the Texas annexation treaty submitted by John Tyler in 1844. Tyler resubmitted... ...overed gold on the American River at Coloma while building a lumber mill for John Sutter, in the lower Sacramento Valley. A brief report of the discovery appeared in a San Francisco newspaper in mid-March, where it went mostly unnoticed (thewest@pbs.org). By signing the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, on February 2, 1848, ending the Mexican- American War. The United States acquired an immense western territory stretching from Texas to the Pacific and north to Oregon, which included Upper California, Utah. The United States gained 1.2 million square miles, virtually doubling its territory. The human cost for the United States was 13,238 killed and 4,152 wounded. (6) The United States agreed to pay $13 million for land and assume payment of $3.25 million in claims that American had brought against Mexico (Wexler,210). The United States from the days of independence has adopted the project of extending its dominions, and since then, that line of policy has not deviated in the slightest degree. There is still considerable movement of people westward. In most respects the movement lost its typical characteristics when there could no longer be said to be a frontier line.