Polonius has sometimes been presented Essay

There has been much debate amongst critics and directors alike on the depth of Polonius’s character, and his purpose in the play. There are those, such as critic Myron Taylor, who view him as a more sinister persona, arguing ‘his ineffectuality does not excuse his moral deviousness. Appearance has become his reality’, thus implying he is used for menacing dramatic effect. However others take a more sympathetic view, for example Elkin Calhoun Wilson; ‘that dotage repeatedly amuses us in his fondness for lecturing and giving advice, however sound, to his meandering young;’, therefore interpreting him as a more bumbling and comical element to an otherwise serious play. Despite understanding both these views I still, like Hamlet, see Polonius as a ‘rash, intruding fool’ [Act. 3Scene. 4 line33]and believe anything done that may appear enigmatic or ominous can only have occurred unintentionally (in the script) or through exaggeration in directing. Similarly to Wilson, I can see how Polonius would add light-hearted, comic relief to the play, especially when paired with quick-witted Hamlet, highlighting the cracks in Polonius’s delusional ‘wise’ role he has adopted. Polonius has traditionally been played as a sinister character, with exaggerations on his spying and sneaking around castles, as is portrayed in Franco Zeffirelli’s version, though many productions in the 20th Century have instead portrayed him as older and more bumbling to bring a comic element to the play. There are two sides of Polonius shown in Act 1 Scene 3 and Act 2 Scene 1. These focus on his relationships with Ophelia and Laertes, and to me portray him as foolish again, though not unintelligent. He appears authoritative ‘Look to’t I charge you; come your ways’ [Scene3 line. 135 to Ophelia] and gives further instructions to Laertes ‘Aboard, aboard.. neither a borrower nor a lender be’ [lines55+75]. This particular line enforces the idea he is comical/foolish; advising Laertes to leave else he’ll miss his crossing, yet proceeding to bombard him with a lengthy advisory speech that states what is obvious. It does seem that he is rambling here as well, as of course Laertes is returning to university, not just starting, making the well-meant advice effectively knowledge that Laertes already has. Both his offspring create an impression of having to be patient with him, replying in just short sentences as if to make up for time lost ‘Most humbly do I take leave my lord’ [Laertes line 81]. The audience’s knowledge that he isn’t as respected as he thinks himself to be can be humorous, developing an almost ‘bumbling’ man who is held in higher esteem by himself than even his long-suffering, and in the case of Ophelia, oppressed, children. With Ophelia, there is a significant difference their relationship than that with Laertes; Polonius seems highly insensitive to her feelings, and Ophelia’s replies become more restrained and subservient. When speaking to Ophelia, for example, Polonius advises her on her relationship with Hamlet ‘Do not believe his vows, for they are brokers’ [Act 1 sc. 3 line 127]; in Kenneth Branagh’s production of the play, Ophelia has already slept with Hamlet, and Branagh makes use of flashbacks in Ophelia’s mind of their sexual relations as she listens absent-mindedly to her father. This helps back up an image of Polonius as rather ignorant, especially as Ophelia’s reply is so submissive, building an impression of an advisor of little use to anybody, which in turn strengthens his role as a comic. However, this display of likeability could be argued to be compromised in Act 2 Scene 1 as Polonius plots to send spies after Laertes ‘put on him What forgeries you please,’ [Act 2 sc. 1 lines19+20], potentially revealing a darker side to him, yet for me this is ruined later on in dialogue ‘And then, sir, does’a this-he does-what was I about to say? ‘ suggesting he puts on an act whilst playing up his deviousness, as the inconsistency in language, dashes and faltering punctuation portray an inconsistent mind that runs away too easily and is not to be taken seriously; quite like the character itself: not intended to be a serious one. With relevance to Claudius, when both in a scene, Polonius can either be argued to be more devious or even more of a fool. The former view could have been picked up on because of the spying and meddling that occurs between the two of them, such as in Act 3 Sc. 1 ‘Her father and myself, lawful espials, Will so bestow ourselves†¦ ‘ [ lines 32+33] and to some may show a more sinister shade to his persona. In Branagh’s full-length version, Polonius is shown to be slyer, with the including of his (spying) scene with Reynaldo; a scene some directors cut out to enhance their own, more positive view of the character, due to his scheming. Polonius is in a superior position in the court, which has been argued to be deliberate to use his status power to a menacingly-inclined advantage, but is this because of his wisdom (as critic Harry Levin believes â€Å"[Polonius is] quotable because of the wisdom of his comments†), or because Claudius just needs a friend? There is a theory which might explain his position, interpreting him as someone who once had a great mind, but is now losing control of it. This is Polonius in a more tragic light, though Claudius evidently still relies on him and trusts him, as he follows Polonius’s advice regarding spying, but also agreeing to a meeting between Hamlet and the Queen before Hamlet is sent to England. The latter theory is the viewpoint that perhaps Claudius and Gertrude see him as a fool. When Polonius in Act 2 Sc. 2 gets carried away in his own wordiness â€Å"Why day is day, night night†¦ † [line 88] unintentionally, he is opposing himself to the idea of his speech â€Å"brevity is the soul of wit† [line 90], and Gertrude even remarks â€Å"More matter with less art. † [line 95], in other words, bluntly pointing out that Polonius’s act as a wise advisor is conjured by himself; that he is not the mind he thinks himself to be. Act 3 Scene 1 reconfirms my original theory, as Polonius guesses-incorrectly and slightly hypocritically-that the cause of Hamlet’s madness is down to Ophelia’s rejection, again giving Hamlet, and the audience, the upper hand ‘yet do I believe The origin and commencement of his grief/ Sprung from neglected love’. Even when it is confirmed that hamlet’s madness has nothing to do with Ophelia, Polonius sticks to his theory despite all evidence pointing to the contrary. Far from appearing sinister then, the two (Claudius and Polonius) together appear foolish, like puppets with Hamlet as their master, manipulating and playing their minds. This is demonstrated earlier in the play, as Polonius tells Ophelia not to believe his vows â€Å"for they are brokers† [Act 1 sc. 3 line 127], yet here, he himself is taken in by Hamlet’s performance. It is also worth noting that Polonius had previously told Ophelia ‘Affection? Pooh, you speak like a green girl’ [Act 1 Sc. 3, lines 127, + 101], showing he is proving to be stubborn on a matter he previously disagreed with-and seemed so ready to persuade Ophelia likewise of- himself. Polonius is often contrasted with Hamlet. It could be argued his place in the play is to emphasise Hamlet’s quick-wittedness and intelligent nature. He seems not to understand the Prince is teasing him conversationally; ‘I did enact Julius Caesar, I was killed I’ th’ Capitol; Brutus killed me’ [Polonius Act 3 Sc. 2lines 105+106] ‘It was a brute part of him to kill so capitol a calf there’ [Hamlet lines 107+8]. Scenes like this also help to contrast Hamlet’s sharp dialogue with Polonius’s slow, lengthy style of speech, particularly when he is with the King or Queen and uses it to impress: as Elkin Calhoun Wilson has noticed ‘†¦ and over-elaborating it [his ‘wisdom’] in speech with the King and Queen’. Hamlet further makes Polonius the butt of his jokes in Act 3 Scene 2 ‘By th’ mass and ’tis, like a camel indeed’ [Polonius line 375] ‘Methinks it is like a weasel’ [Hamlet line 376] and has more fun at the old diplomat’s expense. It also quite blatantly makes a joke out of Polonius, the laughs in the audience this time actually being against him, as he remains too involved in the sound of his own voice to properly register what Hamlet is saying, establishing him unarguably as a comic character. Hamlet is a character with an excellent command over language in the play though, and is naturally clever without striving to be, whereas Polonius speaks in dragging, slow bouts and wants to be considered wise. There is clearly little respect towards Polonius from Hamlet (â€Å"you are a fishmonger† [Act.2 Sc. 2 line 174], and, as he is the protagonist of the play, this sways the audience’s opinion towards him. He is almost too cruel towards him at some points though, e. g. â€Å"old men have grey beards†¦ they have a plentiful lack of wit† [Act. 2 Sc. 2 lines 197-201], clearly describing Polonius, and so perhaps enforcing the idea of him as a tragic character. Right until the end, Hamlet still treats Polonius as a second-class person; showing no remorse at his death and branding him a ‘rash, intruding fool’ [Act 3 Scene 4 line 33] which of course he was. The words ‘intruding’ convey a completely different meaning to ‘cleverly inquisitive’ and ‘rash’ doesn’t invite the praise ‘spontaneous’ would. He was then labelled a fool during his time in the play, and labelled a fool again upon his exit. It is ironic Polonius’s death should be so unceremonious [Act 3 Scene 4, stage directions ‘Exit Hamlet dragging in Polonius’ line 219] given that his persona in the play was one of elaboration and false grandeur. This is almost like a last, bittersweet laugh against him, exactly the opposite of how he would have liked to have exited, the word ‘dragged’ being of particular importance, as when performed on stage this would have been so undignified as to have crossed slightly into black humour territory, depending on the director (â€Å"I’ll lug the guts into the neighbour room†, Hamlet, Act. 3 Scene. 4, line 213)It is also exposing that Polonius should have been killed from behind the arras, and in a foolish way too. It would have been wiser to remain hidden, and so by shouting, symbolically, perhaps Polonius was revealing the shallowness there was to his ‘sinister’ persona. Hamlet’s reaction is one of brevity and disrespect ‘I took thee for thy better’ [line 134]. However, his death does act as a catalyst for the race towards the ending of the play; Hamlet is sent to England to meet his death, though Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are killed instead. This proceeds to him finally taking revenge on Claudius, and results in the murders of Gertrude, Hamlet, Laertes and Claudius. Whether this increases his worth or not in the play is open to interpretation. Elkin Calhoun Wilson decides ‘Polonius has a minor tragic dimension as well as a major comic’ boasting ‘[my] eyes catch a more embracive view of him than Hamlet’s possibly can’ and with this I can, to an extent, agree. It is tragic he should be cast off in such a way, and in him there was not just the ‘doddering old fool’, but also, as Elkin writes, a ‘comic appendage’. Overall then, looking at various views and studying the text thoroughly, I can stick by my judgement of Polonius as a foolish, though comic, character. Although considered unimportant by those in the play, I believe him to bring a welcome relief from the drama and tragedy entangled in the plot which would otherwise make for a very depressing production. Of course, it is down to personal interpretation how a director would present the character, but to me the lengthy and self-important dialogue is unavoidable, and the undignified death inevitable, making Polonius -arguably- doomed to lack credible menace void of irony and humour, and therefore set firmly as a foolish ‘prating’ character. 1999 words Sophie Mayall. Bibliography: Websites used:http://www. metroactive. com/papers/metro/02. 20. 97/branagh-9708. html http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Polonius www. jstor. org- Studies in English Literature 1500-1900: Vol. 8, No. 2, Elizabethan and Jacobean England www. jstor. org- Shakespeare Quarterly: Vol. 9, No. 1 (Winter 1958), pp. 83-85 Films: Kenneth Branagh’s film version Hamlet: 1996 Franco Zeffirelli’s film version Hamlet: 1990 Copies of the text: Cambridge School Shakespeare First Edition, published 1994 Heinemann Advanced Shakespeare, published 2000 Journals: Shakespeare Quarterly: Vol. 9 (winter 2005), Vol. 8 No. 2 (spring 1968).

Person-centred approach †Carl Rogers Essay

Person-centred approach is a psychological trend which was invented by Carl Rogers (1902-1987). Carl Rogers was an American psychologist and psychotherapist. His hypothesis was that each person owns a reserved potential of self-understanding and the power to change themselves positively. The task of psychotherapy and helping relationship is to help to mobilize those reserved potentials. The person-centred relationship has three main features: 1. Empathic understanding is when the helper is trying to understand the client’s world and the way the client lives his/her life. During my work I keep my behaviour and emotional responses positive. I do not try to influence the client’s decisions and choices. I accept the client’s choices, if that does not cause harm or dangerous to the client, to me or others. For example follow the client’s bedtime routines. 2. Unconditional acceptance is when the helper does not try to lead the client towards some imagined ideal, but accepts the client just the way he/she is. The helper tries to identify the client’s feelings and gently give them back to the client. The effective communication is very important and the active listening as well. In my work place I am trying to ask questions from the client when I can see something disturb her. For example emotional distress about a broken relationship. 3. Congruence is when the helper does not play a role in the relationship, but participate in it whit his/her whole being. The helper has to be valid while he/she expresses his/her emotions. The helper’s thoughts, emotions and words are also important, not just the client’s. Maslow Pyramid Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) was an American psychologist who developed the Maslow-pyramid, the hierarchy of needs. His theory was that there is a hierarchy of needs from the basic biological needs to the complex psychological motivations. If the basic needs are being satisfied then the person can reach the next level, and the next†¦ He categorised the basic human needs into five groups: 1. Physiological needs: The physiological needs are the most dominant needs like air, water, food, sleep. If these needs are not being met, or even just one of them unsatisfied, then all the other needs may cease or being downgraded. For example: If someone is hungry, this person’s only purpose is to get some food. In this case he/she will not care with the other motivation needs, such as buy a safer car. He/she will neglect all the other basic needs as well, the sexual desire and the need of sleep. The hunger completely fills out the person’s mind. -When I am working I cook meals to the client and assist her to eat. The client also has Fortisip (multi-fibre milkshake or nutritional milkshake) five times a day via PEG (Percutaneous endoscopic gastronomy feeding tube). -I take care of the client’s fluid intake. As District Nurse requested, the client has to have two litres fluids per day. -I check the client’s air pressure mattress each day. It has to be on the pressure relieve mode and set to the recommended load. This was specified by the District Nurse. 2. Safety needs: What is safety? I think the knowledge that we are protected from danger, from weather, from crime, from war, from epidemics, etc†¦ It also includes the sense of existential stability that we will be able to ensure to satisfy our basic needs in the future. When I am working I ensure that I read the client’s Care plan with all the risk assessments and I am aware all the possible dangers. The client I am working with has: -Medication risk assessment: Client has visual impairment she is not able to read the medication labels. Client has allergies. Client is using catheter and stoma. -Moving and handling risk assessment: Client is not able to move; carers need to use the ceiling hoist for all transfers. Carers use slide sheet for positioning. -Pre-assessment-Premises and Environmental Risk/s to staff: no risk found. -Infection Control: Infection in the peg site. Clogging of the tube. Peg tube comes out of the stomach. Client colonised with MRSA at catheter site and is being treated for it. Future infection in the body and stoma site. Keeping the Stoma area clean and caring for the Colostomy. -Health and Safety risk assessment: Client chokes when she is eating or drinking due to her condition. Incorrect diet and supplements will cause choking and health complications. -Heavy Load: Carer pushing the client in a carer controlled wheelchair as client is not able to use  electric wheelchair. Carer is at risk of hurting their back when pushing client up gradients. -COSHH: Storage of cleaning goods assessed. -Bed Rails risk assessment: Client can fall out of bed or hurt herself on the rail when having a spasm. -Pressure sore risk assessment: Client is not mobile and thus needs to ensure the use of pressure relieving equipment. -Nutritional risk assessment: To ensure client maintains a healthy nutritional intake. -Financial risk assessment: Client does not have the capacity or mobility to look after her finances. 3. Social needs: On this level, when the basic and safety needs are being satisfied the individual’s emotional needs come to the forefront. The individual’s desire to be surrounded with friends, family. The point is the affectionate, intimate, honest human relationship. Here the love is not to be confused with the basic sexual desire from Level 1. During my work I am trying to keep the client emotionally content. Although my client has a family which visits her as much as possible, but sometimes they just cannot make it for a week and my client becomes upset, worried and stressed. To avoid this situation I keep her company and try to distract her attention. I speak to her and share my memories with her. I entertain her and keep her positive. 4. Esteem: Individuals need to estimate themselves that is self-esteem. The need for positive self-esteem is common in everybody. An individual’s emotional well-being is based on their own self-image and self-esteem, the way they feels about themselves. Individual does also need the respect of others which should be gained by real capabilities and results and in this way the individual’s self-esteem will further nourish. While I am working I give as much attention as possible for the client. To promote the client’s emotional well-being it is important to show genuine interest in her person and to ask questions to find out more about her and to listening what she wants to say. I ensure that she feels herself listened to, understood and respected. 5. Self-actualisation: It is hard to achieve self-actualisation even for  everyday people. When the physiological needs, the safety needs, the social needs and esteem are being met than the individual can start to work to achieve self-actualisation. Maslow thought there is some behaviour whose can lead to self-fulfilment. They can be used well in my work in care. -Try new things do not stick with old, safe methods. For example try a new food it might taste good or try a new activity. -Be honest and real, do not play a role. For example take part in the client’s care with your whole being. (Just as Carl Rogers said in his Person-centred approach-congruence part.) -Be patient and steady to reach your goals. For Example support client to achieve what they wish. A number of people experience the moments of self-actualisations, Maslow called them peak experiences. The peak experience is an experience characterized by happiness and safety. It is a state of perfection, the cherry on the top. As every people different they experience these moments in different ways, just a few example: -Affectionate relationship with others, birth of a child. -Creative activity, an own exhibition. -Joy of the sport, to win on a competition. I have worked with my client as a live-in carer for over a year now, I know that she’s cherry on the top would be to see a live Lee Evans show. She adores stand-up comedy and she favours Lee Evans. Hopefully one day she’s wish will come true. I am sure if there will be a chance her family will take her to a show and she will be able to experience the fleeting moment of self-actualisation. (All of us can feel these peak experiences day by day not just in a long waited thing. I preferred to choose this example in my course work.)

The impasse situation

People want these concerns met (neither excessively nor minimally) but to the appropriate extent. Three standards can be used in measuring the extent to which others are treating these concerns. They are to determine whether the approach to these concerns is fair, is honest and is consistent with current circumstances. According to Webster’s dictionary, an impasse is a point in especially labor negotiations at which reaching an agreement is impossible because neither party is willing to compromise or change position.The impasse situation I would like to analyze is one where the technical and business teams are working on an initiative. The technical team is taking the lead role. The business team is not cooperative because they believe that the technical team always takes the glory on these types of projects. This conflict has now become an impasse because the business team is not forthcoming with the information that is needed to move the project forward. The concern I would address at such an impasse is that of Status.It appears that the business team believes that their relative standing is being treated as inferior to others. To meet this concern, as leader of the technical team, I would give full recognition to the business team. This recognition is well deserved because the business team is close to the operations and has a full understanding of the business requirements. I would introduce the business partners by status and designation and recognize their previous contributions at projects of this nature. I would even go as far as saying that these initiatives could not get done without the business partners.All memos and status reports would be co-signed by the technical and the technical team leaders to show contribution from both teams. By doing this I would be able to overcome any adversarial behavior due to this misconception. Instead, this would encourage co-operative behavior and creative solutions to the problem as well as trust between bo th teams. References Fisher R. , Shapiro D. , 2005. Beyond reason: using emotions as you negotiate. New York: Viking. pp. 15-21. impasse. (n. d. ). Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law. Retrieved August 07, 2007, from Dictionary. com website: http://dictionary. reference. com/browse/impasse

The British Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

The British Economy - Essay Example Eichengreen, B. (1995) stated that Britain's sterling devaluations in 1949 were a continuation of the effect of World War-II. After the war both Britain and Germany imposed exchange control. In 1949 Britain joined the NATO1, when it was a founding member of the UN. The most important significance of the year in world politics was rise of the CPG2 in China. Chinese Communist Leader Mao Zedong and Soviet President Joseph Stalin signed a Sino-Soviet Treaty that endow with economic and military aid from the Soviet Union to the new state of communist. Simultaneously the Chinese Nationalists established a new regime in the island of Taiwan after defeated on mainland by the military forces of Communists. Britain was concerned in this region foe colonial economic interest with Hong Kong. 3 Clement, P. (2006) mentioned that the Labour Government was in the power at the period of devaluations in 1949 and endorsed a political agenda entrenched in collectivism such as nationalisation of industries and state tracked economy. Both wars had learnt the lesson of the potential benefits of greater state attachment. The post war economy emphasise the future direction and was by the Conservatives. Nevertheless, the initiatives of nationalisation were not successes due to lack of more degree of understandings the economic management emerged. The economy practiced theories of Keynes and sustained state involvement such as state direction rather than state ownership. Reason of 1949 Devaluation Kaplan, J. J. and Schleiminger, G. (1989) added that both the world wars had serious effect on the British Empire. The Indian independence in 1947 has introduced decolonisation and the wave of independence followed in many countries of the British Empire. Colonies helped the British Empire in the wars with commitment of independence. British power was failed to resist the tide of independence that began within the Labour Government4 and sustained up to the Conservatives.5 With the exclusion of Suez Crisis, the Conservative government introduced a central feature of foreign policy expression with wind of change. Raghuram, G. R. and Zingales, L., (2003) and Schenk, C. R., (1994) agued that the breakdown of Empire, war expenditures and the material losses incurred in the both world wars had seriously injured the Britain economy. The prime effect was that British long-established markets were altering as Commonwealth states and finished mutual trade measures with regional countries other then Britain. Secondly the preliminary growths made by Britain in the world economy were relatively turn down to repairing some of countries infrastructure was gravely damaged in war. As well as they reclaimed a stake in world markets.6 Thirdly the British economy had shifted its structure to a service sector economy other then its industrial origins that caused some regions economically depressed. Finally part of political consensus supported

Comparison Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Comparison - Personal Statement Example In addition, the Guardian reported that more than 50 million people had sufficiently prepared for the storm courtesy of early evacuation measures (Goldenberg). Moreover, emergency response teams of almost 5,000 personnel had been put in place the United States Air force and National Guard. In comparison with the Japanese Tohoku earthquake and Tsunami, the effects were far more devastating compared to Hurricane Sandy. Foremost, the casualties were more than 22,000 with thousands more reported missing. Furthermore, the economic costs were estimated to be over $300 billion (Choate). Over and above this, the tsunami had affected the nuclear power plant in Fukushima causing a meltdown. Among the lessons drawn included the failure to anticipate the occurrence of a high magnitude quake of 9.0 (Moskowitz). To this end, it should be noted the U.S early warning systems had anticipated a life threatening storm of with extensive ramifications. Moreover, the early warning system in Japan did not effectively reach all persons in the coastal towns due to a disruption in power. Moreover, the timing of the early warning system was late in conveying the threat of the tsunami in time following the massive earthquake. In addition, the nuclear meltdown occurred due to the underestimation of the sea walls built. To this effect, the sea walls built were only 25 feet in length since the government did not anticipate that any future tsunami would rise as high as 30 feet. Based on the two scenarios, it is quite evident that future disaster preparedness should always be planned through the anticipation of highly catastrophic disasters. In this respect, early warning systems should be updated beyond the contemporary, conventional detection mechanisms. Furthermore, in recognition of the loss of private property, governments of disaster prone countries should device an welfare scheme for persons adversely affected in

Analysis of Information Asymmetry Literature review

Analysis of Information Asymmetry - Literature review Example Owners of the corporations called shareholders, therefore, remain separate from the active management of the organization and managers manage the organization as custodian of the shareholders. However, this creates an issue of agency wherein though managers act as the agents of shareholders, they pursue their own interests. (Sau,2003) The actions of managers, therefore, are assumed to be in direct conflict with the interests of the shareholders. One of the key reasons for this conflict of interest is the availability of and access to information. Since managers are actively involved in the management of any firm, therefore, they possess relatively superior information as compared to outsiders. This, however, can also create corporate failures as shareholders may not be fully aware of the actions of the managers. One way through which both financial and non-financial disclosures can be improved is the effective regulations to make things more transparent. ( Baek, Kim, & Kim, 2008) Inf ormation asymmetry As discussed above, information asymmetry arises when one party to the transaction has superior or more information as compared to other parties to the transaction.  Ã‚   In adverse selection models, it is assumed that one party lacks the understanding and information about a transaction whereas, in moral hazards model, the ignorant party lacks the information about the performance of a transaction. (Chen, Berger, & Li, 2006). Moral Hazards and Agency Problems Information asymmetry becomes important within organizational context due to the agent-principal relationship between the shareholders and managers of the firm. One of the key reasons as to why moral hazards can arise is based upon the notion that if all the actions of employees are not monitored, there are chances that moral hazards may arise. This peculiar situation, therefore, outlines that shareholders may inherently be in a disadvantageous position because of their inability to monitor the actions of managers in an effective and comprehensive manner. (Heath, and Norman, 2004)  Ã‚  

FUTURE OF NEVADA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

FUTURE OF NEVADA - Essay Example Las Vegas became a link to California and the Pacific. The blaze of the new trail started peeking off when railroads, dams and buildings were erected. One of Nevada's highlight is its early adherence on the concept of divorce being legislated during the 1900's. By the year 1931, the strict law was reduced only to six weeks to obtain a divorce paper. In the same year, Nevada started legalizing gambling. Subsequently, several casinos were instituted, owned by many famous and elite classes as well as some wealthy criminals. More profoundly, in the year 1967, Nevada had allowed held corporations to own casinos through legislative enactment. The industry of gambling had attracted many visitors each year, hence there is a need for luxurious accommodation. Hotels and motels were constructed to keep pace with every year's visitors and sojourners. Also residential buildings were erected for those who wanted to stay around in Las Vegas. Now Las Vegas turns into a fancy place, where everybody y ears for good fortune being sought by the gamblers. As years pass by, several casinos and gambling place was set forth in Las Vegas, as a result thereof, many visitors lush each year, many of them awe in the beautiful buildings and huge gambling sites promising for large penny. However, this event does not guarantee a bright future of Las Vegas.

Talent Management Strategy Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Talent Management Strategy - Term Paper Example Conversely, it is through courtesy of proper talent management strategies that organizations have sprang from small corporate fledglings, to reputable multinationals. The blueprints of proper talent management may be seen in the ensuing discourse. Introduction The organization in point is a profit-making business entity which deals in food and beverages. The organization is still in the process of growth and development as it comprises 200 employees, of which 20 are identified as leaders and may be called Swift Foods Ltd. In itself, talent management denotes the anticipation of essential human capital that an organization may need at a given time, then setting a plan and then carrying out that that plan to meet organizational needs. So sacrosanct is talent management in aiming at specific performance target that it has become the science of employing strategic human resources [HR] to strengthen organizational value and to help the organization reach its value. Determining the Key Com ponents of Talent Management, Including Identifying, Assessing, and Developing Talent There are several components of talent management. The first component involves identification. ... Apart from academic credentials, Swift Foods Ltd may use overall individual performance of the potential recruit in the interview, experience and letters of recommendation, among others. Academic credentials for instance will help Swift Foods Ltd ascertain formal skills and expertise an individual candidate possesses, in light of the office to be filled, while experience will help the organization determine the degree of the candidate's ability to perform. Testimonials for instance will help ascertain the behavioral predisposition that a given candidate possesses, in relation to the role that he is to discharge. All these factors will be important in identifying talent since talent is an element compounded by other desirable attributes such as personal traits, skills and abilities. The second component of talent management is the assessment of talent. This involves, setting performance target for an employee and then analyzing his actual performance against the already-set target. It is from this juncture that measures may be taken to uphold and enhance the talent that is extant and to inculcate upon the employee, new talents that are desired in the organization. To develop talent, there are several strategies and approaches that may successfully apply. Swift Foods Ltd can use the compensation management system, where it maintains competitive remunerations while managing payroll costs, total compensation, compensation for planning and awarding and pay-for-performance arrangements. Going by the recommendations that Fayol (2010) makes, the organization can also use global human resources that help maintain and manage core elements of the global workforce- county-specific attributes also included. Swift Foods Ltd may

The Mobile Operating System Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Mobile Operating System - Dissertation Example Mobile phones today are used for personal and professional purposes. Preferred services apart from basic voice operations include massive data elements like messages (Short Message Service and Multimedia Messaging Service being the primary of them), live content (real-time content like sports updates, stock prices etc. Other applications include streaming media content, including audio, video, and media feeds. All these are resource intensive and successful operation, to the satisfaction of the user and optimal use of the mobile networks depends largely on the protocols controlling data management and negotiation with the network, that is an integral part of the mobile’s operating system. Â  A mobile phone’s operating system controls the data flow in and out of it. Features like Call Hold, On-Call functions and elements like the speed of access to phone book and records and messages and all other features that involve selection of signals and/ or their records, received or sent is controlled by the operating system. The ultimate outcomes of features like predictive or intelligent text for test and multimedia messaging depend on effective resource management of the mobile’s operating system. The variety of features is, in fact, dependent on the operating system running the phone. The operating system also decided the protocols the phone runs on, including the band(s) it operates on and supports for 2.5G or 3G technologies. Â  I would take up the latest versions of the preferred operating systems on today’s mobile phones. Other operating systems that may be available including phones that use a lower version of the upgraded ones as on date and less used operating systems have not been included as either they have already been improved upon or their use will be phased out, thus rendering their analysis insignificant in the quest for a better operating system. Â  

Business law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Business law - Assignment Example These financial crises led to privatization of banks in Iceland as well as the latter’s deregulation in the year 2000; following the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers and the collapse of AIG. According to this film, corruption violated a number of rules of law. An example of a rule of law that was violated by corruption is misrepresentation. Misrepresentation refers to untrue statement of law or fact that induces a representee to sign a contract (Adamson 130). Representation occurs when the statement is made on the course of signing the contract, but if the statement turns out to be false, misrepresentation occurs. The three types of misrepresentation include negligent misrepresentation, fraudulent misrepresentation, and innocent misrepresentation. The case of the financial service industry entering the contract with Iceland is classed under fraudulent misrepresentation. Some criteria must be satisfied in order to amount to an actionable misrepresentation; first, there must be existence of a false statement of law or facts rather than an estimate of a future event or an opinion. If the representer is in a position to know the facts, a statement of opinion may amount to actionable misrepresentation. Consequently, unless the representer did not intend to carry out the stated intent, a statement of a future intent cannot amount to an actionable misrepresentation. False statement of law and silence will not amount to actionable misrepresentation. After the verification of a false statement, it is vital for the representee to explain how the untrue statement induced/relied on him/her to enter a contract. Lack of awareness of the false statement by the representee can result to no reliance or inducement. Another element of misrepresentation is disclosure duty with an example of the case summary of Turner versus Green (1895). This element discourages the act of duty to disclose facts, which would affect the decisions of the other party, making him/her not to enter a

Niki Caros Whale Rider - An analysis in relation to journeys Essay Example for Free

Niki Caros Whale Rider An analysis in relation to journeys Essay The inner journey is one which involves the hurdling of psychological barriers, as well as cultural and social obstacles, rather than just a physical trek. The novel Things Fall Apart (1958) by Chinua Achebe and the film Whale Rider (2002) by Niki Caro both address the overcoming of emotional boundaries, while following the progress of the main characters. Issues such as cultural differences and gender equality are presented by the composers through the clever use of devices appropriate to the medium, while using the post-colonial context to accentuate these issues. Similar to Things Fall Apart, the film Whale Rider by Niki Caro explores the breakdown of Maori culture in post-colonial New Zealand. It follows the journeys of Pai, a young girl, and Koro, her grandfather, who both seek to uphold and preserve the Maori tradition, which has been negatively influenced by the European culture. During the film, Pai transforms from an unwanted child to the new village leader, while challenging the Maori customs through her curiosity, for example when she learns the sacred art of the taiaha. Koro, who disapproves of her actions, smashes a cup in his anger. Koros wife, Flowers, reprimands him, saying, You might be the boss out there, but Im the boss in this kitchen. Caro is addressing the gender barrier which exists in the Maori culture, an obstacle which Pai overcomes in her journey. Despite being reprimanded by Koro, Pai still retains great love for him, as seen in her speech on her ancestors, where she dedicates her words to Koro. The initial long shot places emphasis on Pai, while the camera is positioned at a low-angle, suggesting that she has gained authority and leadership. This scene symbolises one of the many emotional hurdles she has had to overcome in her inner journey. Moreover, her catharsis can be related to Okonkwos moments of compassion, thus highlighting the similarity between their journeys. Similar to Okonkwo, Koro progresses on a journey, beginning at the height of power, with Caro using several symbols to signify this, such as the whale tooth. The use of sombre music and close-up shots of Koro in the scene where he loses the tooth emphasises his sorrow. In the following scene, Caro  employs dark lighting to highlight Koros melancholy, while he strokes the staff, symbolising that it is his last shred of authority. Pais voiceover informs the audience on Koros plea for help and indicates a shift in power and authority as Pai begins to assume her role as leader, But they werent listening, so I tried. Koros discovery of the whales allows him to undergo an epiphany and continue on his journey. Caro has positioned the event during the night, with its dark connotations enhancing the negative atmosphere of the scene. Furthermore, Koros staff is washed away, symbolising that he has lost all of his power. Koro later realises the error of his ways and acknowledges Pai as their leader, Wise leader, forgive me. I am just a fledgling new to flight. Koros epiphany is thus one of the greatest differences between the two texts, as he is able to surpass the greatest obstacle in his journey and move forward, whereas Okonkwo is unable to change, leading to his death. Works Cited: Whale Rider. Directed by Niki Caro (2003). [Film]The Whale Rider. Ihimaera, Witi (2003)

Obesity in African American Culture Essay Example for Free

Obesity in African American Culture Essay Obesity has more that just a physical effect on the body. Obesity also greatly affects the mental and emotional part of the body as well. Although you cannot directly correlate metal and emotional health to obesity, you can see that its effects do in fact play a role in the mental and emotional health of an obese person. While the effects of obesity do indeed reach out to all races, it is easy to see that mental and emotional problems from obesity in the African American culture are present in the culture. Depression, anxiety, and discrimination, are all results that are caused by obesity in the African American community. Many people are familiar with depression, whether it be a friend or family member that went through it or that they themselves went though it. â€Å"Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can have a negative effect on a persons thoughts, behavior, feelings, world view and physical well-being† (Salmans 1997). African American obesity has a close tie with depression in African American people. When people are self-conscious about their weight they may think that people look down on them for this. This would cause them to think less of themselves or believe that others are better then them. In turn it can cause the obese African American to have a bad view of themselves, other people, and the world in general. This is exactly what depression is. You can see that depression can be caused by obesity in the African American culture. Anxiety is another emotional distress many people are familiar with. Anxiety is know as, â€Å"the displeasing feeling of fear and concern† (Davison 2008). Many people have felt the effects of anxiety in their own lives, whether it is before an important test, a speech in front of many people, or the big gam; many people feel anxiety. Looking only at anxiety caused by obesity in African American people is a different situation. Anxiety or nervousness before a big event is common and in many ways healthy because it motivates us to do the very best we can. Anxiety in African Americans because of obesity is not healthy; in fact it can be dangerous and destructive. By feeling displeased and concerned about their weight African Americans can struggle all through out life to over come these feelings. It could limit their goals and overall make them settle for less then they really can do. Anxiety do to obesity in the African American community is not a healthy and can severely constrain someone’s life. Discrimination in the African American community has always been a problem through out history. Slavery is a very obvious product of discrimination. Taking a more specific look at discrimination of the African American community because of obesity is a different situation. When people discriminate African Americans because of their weight it seriously prohibits their chances of succeeding in life. It could be in the work place or at school. By placing these barriers we are limiting the ability of the African American community and hurting their chances of having a successful and meaningful life. These mental and emotional effects of obesity in the African American community are unfair and wrong. People should not be judged on their weight. Davison, Gerald C. (2008). Abnormal Psychology. Toronto: Veronica Visentin. p. 154. ISBN 978-0-470-84072-6. Salmans, Sandra (1997). Depression: Questions You Have – Answers You Need. Peoples Medical Society. ISBN 978-1-882606-14-6.

Effects of Vote Buying in the Philippines

Effects of Vote Buying in the Philippines It is common knowledge that once you enter politics you are ready to any eventuality, especially when it comes to funding. Money always play a major role in bringing about the chances of winnning of a candidate. Popularity per se is not enough to assure the vote of the electorate especially in local politics. Although the COMELEC has already set guidelines and rules regarding the expenditures of the candidadates for each voter, more often than not, they exceed much more than the set amount. Corruption and dishonesty is deeply rooted in our political system, so as the mentality and attitudes of the electorate. Before and during election period, voters flock to headquarters and leaders of politicians to take advantage of the situation: to ask for favors, influence and even money in exchange for a promise of vote. Vote buying become institutionalized in our political system. Those politicians who have money can device a program to identify and to assure that his or her money will be tra nsformed into votes. This situation is more evident in local elections where wealthy political clans are ruling. They organized leaders in every barangay to identify possible voters to be bought. To make sure, they furnish a copy of voters registration in COMELEC in the area, so as to identify a potential voter to buy or to corrupt the mind of the undecided. In a poor country like ours, it is not impossible to have a power because our politicians know our vulnerability to pressure and our hardships in life. Majority of our electorate are poor and no means of livelihood, no education to back them up and they just resign themselves to taking alms and reliefs. They take advantage of our weaknesses but we cannot blame those who sell their votes. Filipinos minds are set for any answers that are immediate. That is why even when the act is illegal and unlawful, like selling votes, they instanlty resort to it to easily come up with a solution to their problem, like poverty. On the long run, the vote buying will only be a stepping stone for corruption and fiefdom perpetration. WHAT IS VOTE BUYING? -Vote buying involves the individual, immediate, and private exchange of goods, services, or cash for electoral support, usually in violation of legal norms- Hickens, 2006 -most recurrent violation of election ethics Most prevalent form of election fraud. Dispensing of money to opinion-makers, leaders, and directly to voters economic exchange (Schaffer, 2002) -(page 1) research on electoral politics in San Isidro, Bataan- vote buying and vote selling can be understood no longer as an economic transaction between those who sell their freedom and those who buy them in the hope of regaining their investments when they get into powerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ from the standpoint of ordinary peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ elections are the times when equality and justice are temporarily achieved as their patrons fulfill their financial obligations to support them in times of need (Ibana, 1996, 130-131). -voters sells his or her vote to the highest bidder (Schaffer, 2002) apparent efforts by parties or candidates to influence electoral choices through the delivery or promise of material benefits to voters (Schedler, 2002) -Material favors are grabted to obtain electoral support (Schedler, 2002) TYPES OF VOTE BUYING Vote buying can be categorized into two types: direct vote buying and indirect vote buying. Both types are widely used in the case of the Philippines although the idea of direct vote buying serves as the more popular act. DIRECT VOTE BUYING It is the most common type of vote buying where direct payments, in many forms, are given to the voter. It may be in the form of cash donations, shares of stock or a promise of a particular plan of action or payment in exchange for a promise of vote (Dekel, E., et. al., 2004). INDIRECT VOTE BUYING It is a kind of vote buying done in a non obvious and staightforward approach. This type of vote buying uses campaign strategies that target the weaknesses of the electorate. Here in the Philippines, the strategy of the candidates is to use and take advantage of the different Filipino traits. Example of these traits are our values of utang na loob (an act of voluntary assistance that creates an obligation that the receiver must attempt to repay through reciprocal assistance), pakikisama, our close family and kinship ties, our religiousness, and other social values like loyalty, support and trust. They effectively use the various traits to influence and temp us to follow their selfish plans. Bava (1998) gave a concrete example on how this character capitalization happens. Different parties and candidates hire poll watchers and workers who are tasked to distribute sample ballots for their party. Each poll watchers and ballot distributors are given 1500 pesos and 500 pesos respectively, per day of work from 7 am to 3 pm. A poll watcher only needs 4 things in order to land the job: 1) a ballpen 2) a tally sheet 3) at least 18 years of age and 4) a registered vote (Bava, 1998). The last requirement is the most important and advantageous in the part of the candidates. If the hired person is a registered voter, the employer will be sure that the employers vote will go to him or her. A person offered with this kind of job will definitely take the oppurtunity given all the privileges and comfort that it can give.. They can earn almost 1500 pesos a day by just distributing pamphlets and sample ballots. Adding to the convenience is the free meals given to them by their employer. A nd if the candidate won in the elections, most of them are given permanent jobs in various government offices. This is where indirect vote buying takes place. This act, according to Bava (1998), displays the Filipino trait of utang na loob. If a person has done something good to us, we would do anything and everything to return that goodness. In this case, the poll watchers and other employees will feel obligated to vote the candidate/employer because of the job that was given to them. FORMS OF VOTE BUYING Money is the common type of material that the candidates use in order to buy votes. But vote buying not only takes the form of money. It can be other forms of material offers. Schedler (2002) and Schaffer (2002) made a list that summarizes the different kinds of offers into three categories. The first and the most common form is payment. A payment is an amount of money paid. Schedler (2002, p.4) described it as a commercial relationship in which partners trade equivalent values. The citizen trades his vote in exchange of money. The act of accepting money denotes that there is an indirect agreement between the giver and the receiver of the payment. The second kind of material offer takes the form of gifts. A gift is something that is given out of free will without paying something in return. In the context of vote buying, accepting a gift does not give you the responsibility and obligation of voting the giver. The last kind is in the form of wage. A wage is a amount of money paid in exchange of services rendered. Like gifts, it does not require any obligation to the candidate. FACTORS AFFECTING VOTE BUYING According to Schaffer (2002), there are three factors that affect the strategies of the candidates and the perception of the voters toward vote buying. These are socioeconomic, institutional and political factors. The first factor both affects the candidates strategies and the voters perception while the last two factors affect mainly the strategies of the candidates. SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS One of the socioeconomic factor is the social class (Hicken, 2006). The formulation of the different strategies are influenced by social classes existing in society. The candidate must make a strategy that can produce strong and favorable impressions on people from different walks of life. It should cater to the needs of the entire high, middle and low class population. But it is impossible to come up with such strategies given that there is a massive gap and conflicting interests present among these social classes. Different social classes connotes different needs and expectations. A strategy that might work to the lower class might be ineffective to the middle and higher class or a strategy that may be good to the higher class might harm those belonging in the lower class. Adding to the problem is the unequal number of population belonging to a certain social class. In the Philippines, the population of the lower class is greater than the population of the middle and higher class c ombined. The solution to these is to focus the strategy to those who constitute the majority. The easiest and most effective strategy to garner votes is to buy the votes of those who are included in this majority (which is the lower class). It will be very effective since those who belong in this class are financially unable who need money to sustain their everyday living. This scenario is very prevalent in the Philippines since many are members of the lower class. Almost all politicians who are running in office are focusing their campaign on the less fortunate because to them, greater number of voters means more number of votes and more number of votes means greater chances of winning. The second socioeconomic factor is education (Hicken, 2006) which affects the voters view about vote buying. For the high and some middle class voters, vote buying is a deviant and somehow an immoral behavior. Those in the higher and middle class are strong attackers of this practice. They are advocates of different anti-vote buying campaigns and they are known for organizing movements that educate the people about this kind of campaign strategies. They have this kind of opinion because education teaches them about this kinds of things. But for some middle class and most in the lower class (who cannot afford to have a higher education), they accepted vote buying because they perceive it as the time when they can receive free money that they can use to buy their necessities. INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS Hicken (2006, p. 48), stated that the rules and institutions under which candidates must operate can influence their incentives to purchase electoral support. Different institutional factors may encourage or discourage the use of vote buying. One institutional factor is the electoral system itself (Hicken, 2006). Under this factor is the district magnitude. It affects the strategy of the candidate because large constituency means larger amount of money needed to buy votes. Large district also has influence on the manner of distribution of the money. The strategy will be more expensive and costly since the distribution of money will take much longer and there should be an increase in the number of employees to properly accomplish the strategy. As a result, candidates will lessen the amount of money to be distributed to the people in order to prioritize other campaign strategies. POLITICAL FACTORS Political factors are different conditions and circumstances in society that affect the creation of various policies political choices. One of the variable under this factor are the election laws, particularly the anti-vote buying laws (Hicken, 2006). The degree of execution of different anti-vote buying laws affect how candidates device their strategy and distribution plans. In the Philippines, vote buying is illegal yet it continues to occur probably because of inefficiency of the laws and the law enforcers and the light punishments that will be given to the law breaker. There is no strict regulation of such laws in our country that is why the practice of vote buying is still a widespread act. More often than not, the law enforcers themselves are the protector of this scheme. BUDGET SOURCES The first thing that comes into our minds when we talk about vote buying is money. Money is the vital element of vote buying. It is the foundation of any vote buying scheme. We usually think that all vote buying funds are coming from the pockets of the candidates since most of them are members of the elite. But I think that the candidates are smart enough not to make use of their own wealth and to think of other alternative ways of budget sources. Some candidates most likely get their vote buying budget from their own political parties. Others accept donations from different business sectors given the condition that if they win the elections, they will repay them by giving them economic benefits and government protection. For example, the candidate accepted the donation from a construction company. If the candidate won the elections and plans to carry out road projects, he or she will be obliged to make the company the contractor of the said projects. Other candidates resort in getting illegal funds. Candidates who seek re-election have the advantage when it comes to money resources because they can easily tap pork barrel and other government funds. Some ask the help of drug syndicates, smugglers, kidnappers, gamblers and robbers to provide them with untraceable funds. It is true because we can observe that many crimes and illegal acts are happening during the election season. In return, the candidates give them financial support and protection. DIFFERENT STRATEGIES OF VOTE BUYING A carefully devised plan of action is needed to successfully carry out plans, especially if act is illegal. Candidates and politicians are wise in strategizing the effective way to buy the votes of the people. Usually, they even hire experts and professionals who are knowledgeable in fields concerning illegal campaign scheming. One specific strategy to ensure that the money given was translated into vote is what Bionat (1998) called Lanzadera system. In this strategy, the watchers give the voters an already completed ballot which will be dropped by the voters in the ballot box. After dropping the already completed ballot, the voter, then, takes with him or her the blank ballot and give it to the watcher. The watcher will complete that ballot and give it to the next paid voter. In this system, the money is given only if the voter returns with a blank ballot. I interviewed people from our barangay in Bulakan, Bulacan about the chronic vote buying in our place. They had first hand experiences on how vote buying takes place in our town. Based from that interview, I was able to learn other strategies and series of actions on how the scheme of vote buying happens. According to them, vote buying is usually conducted a night or two before the election day, usually around eight in the evening until midnight. Each politicians has their own leader per community who is responsible for the identification of supporters and potential vote buying targets. They are also responsible in delivering the money to the house of the identified voters, at times in the apperance of paying the watcher. The intense vote buying is very evident and common in our place that the people are the ones coming and lining up in front of the politicians headquarters to ask for the money. Another strategy done by the candidates is getting the trust of barangay officials and other community leaders. In this way, the candidate can almost assume his or her hold in the community. The local leaders, then, are given large amount of money in exchange of buying the votes of their constituencies on behalf of the politician or the candidate. One more strategy that was mentioned by my neighbors is buying non-supporters. Candidates will offer those non-supporters with a huge amount money. If they accept it, they will not be allowed to come out of their houses on the day of the election. There will be someone who will serve as a watchman that will ensure that the voter will abide to the agreement. Some politicians, in order to be extra sure, hire a bus that will take all the paid non-supporters to an out-of-town trip on the election day. Another startegy is the taking advantage of the politicians on our deep family and kinship ties. Some politicians use a relative or an influential member of a clan to convince members of the family and close friends to accept the money and to vote for that politician. Vote buying also happens during the election day itself as said by the interviewees. Buying may take the form of 100 pesos attached to the sample ballot. There are also ways in order to ensure that the paid voter will comply to the agreement. Before giving the money, they are required to give proofs that they voted that candidate. Usually, they bring with them a carbon paper or they are asked to take a picture of the ballot with a cellphone camera. Others asked the voters to make an agreed mark (a particular fold for example) on the ballot to serve as an identification in the course of the counting of the votes. REASON WHY POLITICIANS BUY VOTES The primary reason why politicians buy votes is the hunger for power. Vote buying is a form of desperation to remain in power. Many politicians fight for the privelege of power because it implies influence and control over other individuals. They see power as the easiest way to achieve fame and fortune. Candidates want to perchase the vote of the people to obtain domination on different public organizations as mechanisms. They are not afraid to spend a big amount of money because the moment they win the elections, they can recover much more money than that was paid to the individuals who sell their votes. REASONS WHY PEOPLE SELL THEIR VOTES According to the April 2007 of the Social Weather Station (SWS), one in two of the registered voters think that there is nothing bad in accepting the money offers from the candidates (refer to Figure 1). Others may not see this from of money-giving as an attempt to buy their votes. They accept the money but it does not necessarily mean that they will vote for that candidate. Another reason is the offer seems as an opportunity to get the money, that was stolen by the politicians, back to the people. They might as well accept the offered money since it came from the taxes of the people. The April 2007 SWS survey also found that those in the rural areas were more probable in accepting money compared to those who live in urban areas (refer to Table 1). This shows that the primary reason for the selling of votes is poverty. Those who live in or below the poverty line mostly are unemployed individuals. They accepted the money because they needed it. For the poor, payment for a vote can mean a week without hunger. They just accept the offer because for them, dignity and pride cannot create food and money. Some may see elections as the only chance to obtain something from the government. They have this view that it is an obligation of a candidate to give money and other material things to their supporters. There are some reasons that we can consider negative in the part of the voters. People accept payments because they are being threatened. Most of the times, material offers are accompanied with terror, making the offer difficult to refuse. Figure 1. In an election, it is not bad to accept money provided one votes according to ones conscience. Source: http://www.sws.org.ph/pr070503.htm Table 1. Rural areas approved accepting money compared to those in the urban areas. Source: http://www.sws.org.ph/pr070503.htm IS REFORM POSSIBLE? For the past few years, many have attempted to stop and eliminate the practice of vote buying in the Philippines. They even formed different organizations that promotes the values of an honest election. But none of them actually succeeded. Probably the most successful technique that was done to eradicate vote buying is the campaign against vote buying through different public service posters (see Illustration 1, Illustration 2 and Illustration 3). Successful in the sense that it enables the public to gain information that the act of vote buying is wrong. But it did not really help in the removal of this unacceptable practice. Illustration 2: 3M public service ad, May 2001. blinded by money. Vote with your conscience. Source: Schaffer, 2005 Illustration 1: Namfrel Public Service Ad, May 2001. Your vote is valuable, it doesnt have a price. Your character is priceless. So, in this election, dont sell your character, dont sell you vote. Source: Schaffer, 2005 Illustration 3: Red Horse Beer public service ad, May 2001. A little pocket change wont put you ahead. Dont ask for a bribe. Vote for a good candidate. Source: Schaffer, 2005 A reforms aims to change the behavior of the candidates and the the voters HISTORY OF VOTE BUYING IN THE PHILIPPINES Vote buying is not just a recent development in Philippine elections. Its existence started with the coming of foreign colonizers and continued to flourish and evolve with the advancement of new technologies and the development of new ideas. Pre-colonial elections in the Philippines did not have vote buying because the leadership was assumed not through election but through succession. The same thing goes probably with the elections during the early Spanish period (17th to 18th century). I did not find any account stating that there was vote buying but I assume that there was none because there was no elections and the leaders were only appointed by the Spaniards. In the late Spanish period (19th century), Spanish colonial control in the Philippines declined as the Philippine revolution started. The revolution led to the development of a government established by Aguinaldo. Under this government, most officials were selected individuals from the principalia class and elections were only held for higher positions. There was no large scale elections during that time so vote buying was not an option. The coming of the American period started vote buying in the Philippines. The Americans gave all Filipinos the right to rule and the right to vote. Act No. 60, which became the organic law for all municipal governments, started the elite rule in the Philippines (Tangcangco, 1988). The Act provided a requirement that only allowed the elites to vote and participate in elections. The elites became powerful and they may have realized the advantage that the position can give them.They became accustomed to the power that was once denied by the Spaniards. From then on, in order to sustain this power, they did whatever means and costs to be elected in office. Here are some of the documented instances of vote buying from the American period until the present period. In the 1929 Elections (during the American period), money was very essential in the campaign period. Money was used to pay-off rivals to withdraw their candidacy, to buy the votes of the people, to threathen the people, and to bribe campaign leaders of the rival candidate. (Banlaoi Carlos, 1996). In 1940 Local elections (Commonwealth period), Money was again a very important tool. Specific example for this one is the case of Pedro Abad Santos of the Socialist Party. He was predicted as the winner of the gubernatorial race in the province of Pampanga because of his massive popularity to his constituents but his wealthy opponent won the election by almost 7000 votes. There was no evidence of the strategies his opponent had used but the Abad Santos camp was really sure that his opponent used his money to buy the votes of the people. Another example was the electoral protest of Dr. Hilario Moncado against Tomas Cabili. They were fighting for a congressional seat in Lanoa province. Moncado accused Cabili of unlawful campaign by promising free legal services and employment for those who will vote for him. (Banlaoi Carlos, 1996) In the 1949 National Elections (during the post-independence period), all forms of fraud and manipulation were reportedly done by President Elpidio Quirino to ensure his position as president. Quirino and his other candidates used massive and whole-sale vote-buying in forms of money, jobs and pork barrel. It was reported that Quirino had used almost four million pesos during his election campaign. The three provinces where the massive vote buying occurred include Negros Occidental, Nueva Ecija and Lanao. (Banlaoi Carlos, 1996) The 1969 Presidential and Congressional Elections was between The Nacionalista Party and the Liberal Party. This was considered as the bloodiest and dirtiest election (Banlaoi Carlos, 1996, p.111) prior to the Martial law period. Both parties reportedly used different techniques to ensure their victory. These included cheating, ballot stuffing and massive vote buying. It was stated in the reports that the Nacionalista Party and the Liberal Party spent around 700 million pesos and 300 million pesos respectively. Those money came from the pork-barrel funds and was used as media fees and in buying votes. (Banlaoi Carlos, 1996). During the Martial law period, all kinds of wholesale fraud were committed including vote buying. In order to capture the loyalty of the rural people, Marcos personally distributed 4000 pesos to every barrio captain during his campaign. The barrio captains were tasked to divide the money among the inhabitants of the barrio. (Abueva, 1970). In the 1992 elections, there was a ban on media advertisements so the candidates had more cash to spend on their campaigns. Feliciano Belmonte, Quezon City congressional candidate at that time, was reported to have given cash and free tickets to Hongkong during his campaign. (Bionat, 1998) The media advertisement was also banned in the 1995 elections. According to Bionat (1998), mayors in Cebu received a bonus of 50,000 to 100,000 pesos for campaigning the 12 senatorial bets of the administration. Like what Marcos did, candidates also bought the votes of the grassroots leader. The difference is that the value of their support was more expensive. Barangay captains accepted a minimum of 500 pesos and a maximum of 20,000 pesos from the candidates. (Bionat, 1998) In the 2004 Presidential elections, Arroyo commited almost all kinds of fraud according to Tuazon (2006). One example is the Oplan Mercury that was exposed by Rudy Galang (one of the brains of this idea). The goals of this plan is to use public funds to the campaign, to provide money to local officials and to buy the support of those in the opposition. (Tuazon, 2006). Elections in the Philippines from pre-colonial era to the present shows how we incorporate influences of colonial rule into our political system. The good and bad effects of these interventions became part of the changes in Philippine elections. History tells us that the face of Philippine elections has never really changed. We still continue to perfrom the practices of the past. The difference now is that it just assumes new shape and form. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION giving up your rights to vote/ selling ones ethical standards -Vote buying-short term effects are long term. Soon after the election, its pay back time. Reform must start in the smallest unit of the society, which is the family. Our family should inculcate in us the values of honesty and transparency and the importance of a single vote to the development and progress of the country. Change must start within ourselves. Anti-vote buying campaigns will not succeedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Vote buying is not a native Filipino idea. It was only an reflection of our colonial experience. But this experience manifest in us that it became a constant scenario in every elections. History has an indirect effect on the start of vote buying in the Philippines. The desire for self-rule that was forbidden to the Filipinos for almost 300 years was suddenly bestowed to us that it might have created the idea of doing whatever it takes (may it be good or bad) to preseve and uphold this right.

Renaisance Art Essay -- essays research papers

I have a real love for Renaissance art. The reason I chose this topic is because I took a class on art a freshman, and really enjoyed it. The book I read was ‘The Art of the Renaissance.’ After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in about the 5th century A.D., Europe remained poor and in poverty until the 11th century. By then, Europe began to grow and flourish. While surrounding countries of Italy, such as France, Spain, and England were powerful centralized nations, Italy was still full of city-sized states.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Italy was now the center of trade and manufacturing. Noble courts and wealthy people criticized artists and scholars as they saw them as non-equals. Most Italian artists and sculptors modeled what the ancient Romans did in the way of art, and literature.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Florence was the place where art had a ‘rebirth’, following the masterpieces of Giotto in the 13th century. In the 15th century, a man by the name of Filippo Brunelleschi had turned his idea of art into architecture. New buildings and Cathedrals were being built in Florence, and Brunelleschi’s amazing sense of contrast of light, classical proportions, and spatial effects made him one of the best.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Later in the 1400’s there was a painter by the name of Masaccio. This amazing artist had a special was of creating 3 dimensions in all of his paintings. As time went on, more talented artists, architects, and sculptors had found thems...

The One Day of the Year Essay -- essays research papers

How are the main characters in a play constructed to represent the text’s underlying values and attitudes? Answer with reference to at least one stage drama that you have seen or studied. The One Day Of The Year explores a family’s relationships at the time of Anzac Day. It is the story of a son questioning the validity of Anzac Day as a true commemoration of our soldiers, while his father refuses to accept the changes in his son’s attitudes, Alf’s wife tries to anchor the family and Wacka, the true Anzac, remembers his experiences in his own way. In contrast, Alf and Dot, his parents, are obviously more traditional. The rest of the house is small, the furniture is dowdy, and their kitchen is primitive. It is then that the viewer is introduced to Alf's attitudes towards life. He is sitting at the table getting progressively more drunk and whingeing about all those more fortunate than himself. His language is slang, and his vocabulary includes words such as â€Å"wotcher†. He also has a strong ‘dinkum-di aussie’ accent. He is obviously uneducated and resents those who are. The family then begin to talk about Hughie and we realise that he has modern clothes and a ‘sports suit’. These are in contrast with Alf and Dot’s old clothes- Dot has just removed a large overcoat. In the next scene, the viewer is introduced to Hughie and Jan. Jan uses upper-class language and condescendingly uses words such as ‘marvellous’. Hugie’s language is not upper-class, but in comparison to Alf’s ...

Essay --

With the development of technologies, Cyber Attacks have been increased rapidly in the past few years. Probability of causing damage to critical state infrastructure like nuclear or defense system, air traffic control, other governmental institutions, business and citizens leads to the problematic issue of its attribution, which is being highly debated in international Law. This Article by Nicholas Tsagourias makes contribution in that debate and revolves around the question of ascription of cyber-attacks as an armed attack and the right of self defense by the victim state in response to such attacks. However, the law of war requires that the cyber-attack must be attributed before a counterattack is permitted. This Article critically evaluates different obstacles of attribution like anonymity (determination of attacker’s identity), attack from different jurisdictions, and presentation of evidence in order to exercise the right of self defense by throwing the light on various political, technical and legal aspects. Context Article 51 preserves the "right of individual or collective self defense if an armed attack occurs..." Therefore, the right of self defense can be exercised when an issue becomes complicated and reaches to a particular level of intensity between states or a state and organized and identified group, which may result into injuries of individuals and destruction of objects and properties. But in cyber-attack, chances are less to cause immediate human injuries. The author of the article provides brief detail on some important issues for example how to deal with a cyber-attack by a non-state actor. So this essay emphasizes that Cyber warfare laws require more development and a proper framework because states may fea... ... the response of armed attack, Burdon of proof and the state control over its entities. International Court of Justice in Nicaragua Cas holds that a state is liable for the actions of â€Å"paramilitaries or non-State actors only if the actors in question act in ‘complete dependence’ on the state. Whereas the opposing â€Å"overall control† standard set forth in Prosecutor v. Tadic which holds that â€Å"where a State has a role in organizing, coordinating, and providing support for a group, the group’s acts are attributable to the State. International Law has different view on burden of proof. ICJ has made criticism on the concept of overall control because there was no effective control by the Serbian government over the acts took place. Its finding regarding the culpability of Serbia was, Serbia’s guilt must be proven beyond any doubt, rather than beyond a reasonable doubt.

Views of Enineering Students Towards Te 2013 Election

Chapter 1 Introduction This chapter deals with the background of the study, statement of the problem, hypothesis of the study, significance of the study, scope and limitation of the study and definition of terms. Background of the Study The 2013 election to the Senate of the Philippine, where we will elect on the 12 of the 24 seats in the senate, will be held on May 13, 2013. Senators elected in this election will serve up to 2019, a total of 6 years in service to the nation.Of all the Filipino voters, the youth constitutes 60 percent, of which legal voters of the first year students of USeP will take part. Most voters of the freshmen of the University of Southeastern Philippines are first time voters and of no experience to a national election. And to vote, we do it wisely by taking necessary measures into knowing the righteous candidate through learning what she has done and will be able to do for the nation. We must know, understand and analyze the steps the first time voters do t o be able to choose the right candidates for the 12 seats in the congress.Deciphering how the first time voters view the 2013 senatorial elections is critical to understanding how they would vote and nevertheless who they would probably vote. Statement of the Problem How do registered voters of freshmen of the engineering department of the University of Southeastern Philippines take the 2013 senatorial elections? What steps are taken by the registered voters of the first year engineering students of the University of Southeastern Philippines towards the choosing the best candidate for the 2013 senatorial election. Significance of the StudyMost voters of the freshmen of the University of Southeastern Philippines are first time voters and of no experience to a national election. And to vote, we must do it wisely and with the right knowledge of what a senator could do to serve our country. We must know, understand and analyze the steps the first time voters do to be able to choose the right candidates for the 12 seats in the senate. Scope and Limitations This study covers how first year engineering students of the University of Southeastern Philippines view the 2013 senatorial elections.Also, this study covers the preparations and the readiness the freshmen of the college of engineering of the University of Southeastern Philippines had done towards choosing the deserving candidate for senator for the 2013 senatorial elections. This study also analyzes the results of the survey in order to understand the statistics of the actions done by the sampled voters of the freshmen of the college of engineering of the University of Southeastern Philippines.This study is limited to knowing and understanding and opinions of the freshmen of the college of engineering of the University of Southeastern Philippines towards the 2013 senatorial elections. This study will not cover the likely senators that the first time voters would vote for. Conceptual Framework This figure presen ted below shows the frameworks of the study. Review of Related Literature 2013 Election The 2013 Philippine general election on 13 May 2013 will be a midterm election, as the officials elected will assume office on 30 June 2013, or midway into President Benigno Aquino III's term of office.There will be elected twelve senators, 229 district members of the House of Representatives, 80 provincial governors, 80 provincial vice governors, 766 members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (provincial legislature), 138 city mayors, 138 city vice mayors, 1,532 members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (city council), 1,496 municipal mayors, 1,496 municipal vice mayors, and 11,972 members of the Sangguniang Bayan (municipal council). In the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), there will be elected one regional governor, one regional vice governor, and 24 regional assemblymen. Party-list representatives will also be elected.In total, there will be 18,022 national and local positions decided. B arangay officials, including barangay captains, will not be elected in May. The 2013 Philippine barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections are scheduled to be held in October 2013. Preparation to the 2013 Senatorial Election Major preparations made by the Comelec included â€Å"exercising the option to purchase the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines, cleansing the party-list system of representation, annulling the book of voters as well as the subsequent holding of a general registration of voters in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM),† Brillantes said.The Comelec also conducted registration of voters, mock elections, configuration and printing of ballots. Comelec is all set to get the job done armed with competency, transparency and unsullied integrity, Brillantes said. He also cited the start of the Comelec gun ban that coincided with the opening of the election period last January 13. â€Å"I am confident that the Comelec, with the usual support and trust coming from various sectors of the society especially from the general public, will bring about another historic and successful elections,†Chapter 2 Methodology This chapter deals with research design, the respondents, research corpora and research data gathering procedure. Research Design We have used Qualitative design for this research for our goals is to gain insight, explore the depth and gather specific date thought a systematic subjective approach to the views of the freshmen engineering student of the University of Southeastern Philippines to senatorial election this May 13, 2013. Respondents We were able to survey 30 students in College of Engineering, USeP, Davao City.We asked them what are their opinions and what kind of candidate would they vote for. Some of our Respondents opinions Margarito Benavente – Electrical Engineering student at the University of Southeastern Philippines I will vote for the candidate who cares for the country and not who care s for their pockets. For the government to change you need a new set of leaders with integrity and honest. James Vincent de Cadiz †¢ Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Southeastern Philippines Well for me, i'll vote someone who is true in what she does. I'll vote for Loren Legarda Research Corpora To gather information, the researchers asked Freshmen students in College of Engineering of University of Southeastern Philippines. Research Data Gathering Procedure These are the procedures in gathering data made by researchers: procedures in gathering data made by researchers: Finding the possible Respondents The Researchers first surveyed to find out who will be the first time voters among the first year engineering students. Asking the RespondentsThe researchers asked the respondents to conduct a survey . Collecting the Data from the Respondents The researchers asked a set of questions to the respondents. Analyzing the Data Gathered The researchers analyzed the da ta gathered. Chapter 4 Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation of Data Results MaleFemale Eligible to Vote1119 Registered Voter918 Prepared to Vote917 Total number Surveyed1119 Interpretation of Data In this study, we have surveyed 30 students in the first year college of engineering of the University of Southeaster Philippines.From the 94 students a total of 36 students were eligible to vote, 28 students were registered to vote for the 2013 Senatorial Election, 22 were prepared and knowledgeable of whom they would vote. Among the areas surveyed the female contributed to a larger percentage. Chapter 5 Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations Summary of Findings From the randomly surveyed population of the first year college of engineering of the University of Southeastern Philippines, 96% of the total registered voters have been taking the necessary preparations towards identifying deserving candidates to be voted during the 2013 election.Methods of their preparation included watc hing regular news about congress and seeking additional information of the candidates by using the internet. Conclusion The study concludes that the registered voters of the first year college of engineering of the University of Southeastern Philippines are ready to vote in the 2013 Senatorial Elections. Recommendations We recommend the significant number of students in the first year college of the University of Southeastern Philippines to register for 2013 Senatorial Elections to express every right of the Filipino.

Diana – Cover Up or Accident?

Example of a Persuasive Speech : Diana Diana – Cover up or Accident? There are many conspiracy theories surrounding the death of the beloved Princess Diana. I would firstly like to say that these are not my opinions but facts and quotations that I have found in books or on the Internet. Since the Princess' death in 1997, there was immediate pressure from the public towards the Royal family, and towards MI6. [pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic]The first conspiracy theory is that the death was faked. The story goes that fed up with the constant intrusion into her private life by the media, Diana, aided by the resources of lover Dodi, staged a spectacular ‘death', in a hope that she could retreat to a life of privacy. A plan that went horribly wrong, leading to her death. But would this idea be possible? My view: No. Diana was famous all over the world. In this day and age it would not have been possible to avoid the press – Diana and Dodi would have known this all too well. Also, she loved her sons. In this plan she would have had to leave them. To me this theory is not what happened The second conspiracy theory is that of the evidence – one that stands out in particular for me. A) Bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones still lives, but testimony from Mercedes auto experts says that it would have been almost impossible for anyone to have survived a crash in the tunnel in a car going at 121 mph. Maybe, as driver Henri Paul's lawyers claim, the car was not going that fast. Maybe the crash was faked by the army-trained Rees-Jones who had previously deposited Diana and Dodi elsewhere. My view: Highly unlikely. If the bodyguard was to set up the accident, why be in the car at all? If he had set up the accident I am sure he would have set up an excuse/alibi to not be in the vehicle. And as is commonly known now, he was the only one wearing a seatbelt – the fact that this saved his life seems most likely to me. B) Dodi's usual driver was not used. Mystery still surrounds Henri Paul, the security officer, who stepped in at the last minute to drive the Mercedes S-280. It took a full two days for his name to be revealed, for instance. Co-workers at the Ritz Hotel say he kept himself to himself and never socialised with them. One version of this conspiracy has it that Paul simply did not exist, another that he was quickly whisked away from the hospital after being declared dead by doctors in cahoots with the Al Fayed family. My view: We know for a fact that the drivers were changed, but there is no solid evidence to say why. Also, surely the Al Fayed family had more than one driver. If I was them I would want to know the person driving me in my car. Wouldn't you? Now finally from the evidence: C) Just six hours before she died Diana let slip to Daily Mail reporter Richard Kray that she was about to withdraw completely from public life. My view: A funny one – but is the reporter just looking for a cheap story or has he got the proof? The truth is still unknown. The final conspiracy is the most popularly believed. That the British MI6 killed her. Some say that she was the target; some say that it was Dodi. Here's the evidence: Rogue elements in the British Secret Service decide that Diana is a threat to the throne, and therefore the stability of the state. They take her out. As for Dodi, business enemies of Dodi and his father Mohammed Al Fayed assassinate Dodi, with the death of Diana; a magnificent cover for their peration. My views are exactly that, and you should make up your own minds. But there is a mountain of evidence to say that The Lady Diana's death was no accident. Either way, the people of Britain have demanded answers for ten years now – after coming close, then having all the evidence stolen! Will we ever find out? My final view on this is, that as long as the people responsible don't wan t us to, then no, we will never find out the truth. Getting Civil I am against the government sanctioning same-sex marriages. Am I intolerant? Am I homophobic? Am I part of a fundamentalist religious sect of some sort? What if I tell you that I am against the government sanctioning marriages between a man and a woman as well? Am I against marriage? Am I an anarchist? Am I insane? Actually, I believe I have the sanest solution to the whole marriage debate and I don't hear anyone talking about it. My solution is to leave marriage where it belongs – in religious and private institutions. What business is it of the government to sanction relationships between consenting adults? Why is it up to the government to define what a marriage is? Why should the government be involved in promoting or discouraging particular types of relationships? We are a free country so why is it up to the government to tell us how we, the citizens, can define our relationships and which ones are acceptable in their eyes and which ones are not? My contention is that unless relationships chosen by consenting adults of their own free will endanger other individuals, the government has no business sanctioning them or preventing them. Am I saying that the government has no role in personal relationships? Well, not exactly. Legal arrangements are necessary for the purpose of expeditiously dividing property and providing for custody of any children resulting from a relationship if the relationship ends. Through legal arrangements, the rights of all involved can be protected. That's why I believe that all legal partnerships between two people who have committed to each other should all be civil unions in the eyes of the government. Whether these relationships are called marriages or not is up to religious institutions and the individuals themselves. pic][pic][pic]I have a friend who is a lesbian. The woman she loves is Dutch and they got married last summer in Holland where it is legal. I saw the pictures. They were happy, joyful. Their families and friends attended the ceremony and support them in their commitment to each other. They have a house together. They have jobs and pay taxes. They participate in civic activities. They are enjoying life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. B ut what if their families did not support their choice and their commitment to each other? If something were to happen to one of them, either a life threatening illness or even death, by law, the family could prevent the partner from being involved in making decisions for her loved one's care or even the arrangements for a funeral. Unless prior arrangements were made, the benefits of being a legal couple would not apply to these two committed partners who make every bit as much of a contribution to society as any heterosexual married couple does. I have a friend who has two children with her partner. If their partnership were to dissolve, it is possible that the woman who actually gave birth to the children could bar the other woman, the woman that the children have always known as their mother from having any contact with them. The non-birth mother would have no rights. Are the children's rights protected here? Some people argue that allowing same-sex couples to have civil unions would result in an undue financial burden on society, primarily because of the benefits that currently apply to married couples that would now have to be extended to same-sex couples. So are we trying to prevent people from having equal rights to save a few bucks? To me, that's like saying we should not have allowed women the vote because it would increase the cost of elections. Some people are concerned that allowing same-sex couples the legal rights of a civil union would require religious institutions to marry them. There would be no such requirements. Churches and other religious institutions would be free to exercise their beliefs and traditions as they have always been. Two people who love each other should be able to commit to each other and be protected by law in the relationship and in the case that the relationship ends. Any children who are the result of the relationship should have their rights protected as well. In my opinion, all people who want to have legal recognition of their committed status should have the option of a civil union and that all people joined in a civil union should have equal rights regardless of their gender. Whether a name is given to that union beyond the legal one should be up to religious institutions and the individuals themselves, not the government.

Adolescent Sexuality and Risk Factors Essay

Adolescence is that period between childhood and adulthood, when the adolescent is discovering his or her own identity and dealing with the transition. It is also a time of becoming more aware of sexuality and establishing patterns for future relationships. Those identifying as nonheterosexual i.e. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender (LGBT), face even more challenges than their heterosexual counterparts. One challenge is their health. Russell and Consolacion (2003) conducted a study on the topic of romance and emotional health of adolescents. The authors concluded that youth who had same-sex attractions and who were not in relationships showed increased measures of anxiety and depression. They also had more suicidal ideation than heterosexual youth. The dangers of smoking are well researched and documented. Easton, Jackson, Mowery, Comeau and Sell (2008) in their study concluded that same-sex and bisexual youth are at greater risk for tobacco use. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) notes that increased stress level, mental health and other physical health problems are common among LGBT youth (CDC, 2011). Ray (2006) in a study of homelessness among LGBT youth notes that they face a number of problems in additional to being homeless. They are at increased risk of mental health issues, high risk sexual behaviour to support themselves, substance abuse and victimisation. Education is important and LGBT adolescents face challenges in this area. Many of them are likely to be runaways so their education suffers as they are absent from school for long periods. Himmelstein & Brà ¼ckner (2011) noted that these young people were also at risk for being more severely punished at school and in the justice system. They are also victims of violence and discrimination at school, often being bullied, teased and harassed (â€Å"LGBT bullying† n.d.). Counsellors working with adolescents who are LBGT must be sensitive to the feelings of uncertainty, rejection and fear that these young people are experiencing.

Book Review on Imagining India Essay

Monday morning, it is chaos. Despite its pristine new metro and expanding highways, the city can barely contain the morning hubbub, the swarm of people all trying to get somewhere. By the time I reach Kaushik Basu’s home—set a little apart from the highway, on a quiet street that is empty except for a single, lazy cow who stops in front of the car, in no hurry to move—I am very late, a little grimy, but exhilarated. Kaushik and I chat about how the crowds in the city look completely different compared to, say, two decades ago. Then, you would see people lounging near tea shops, reading the morning paper late into the afternoon, puffing languorously at their beedis and generally shooting the breeze. But as India has changed— bursting forth as one of the world’s fastest-growing countries—so has the scene on the street. And as Kaushik points out, it is this new restlessness, the hum and thrum of its people, that is the sound of India’s economic engine today. Kaushik is the author of a number of books on India and teaches economics at Cornell, and his take on India’s growth—of a country driven by human capital—is now well accepted. India’s position as the world’s go-to destination for talent is hardly surprising; we may have been short on various things at various times, but we have always had plenty of people. The crowded tumult of our cities is something I experience every day as I navigate my way to our Bangalore office through a dense crowd that overflows from the footpaths and on to the road—of software engineers waiting at bus stops, groups of women in colourful saris, on their way to their jobs 38 at the garment factories that line the road, men in construction hats heading towards the semi-completed highway. And then there are the people millin g around the cars, hawking magazines and pirated versions of the latest best-sellers. * Looking around, I think that if people are the engine of India’s growth, our economy has only just begun to rev up. But to the demographic experts of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, India’s population made the country quite simply a disaster of epic proportions. Paul Ehlrich’s visit to Delhi in 1966 forms the opening of his book The Population Bomb, and his shock as he describes India’s crowds is palpable: ‘People eating, people washing, people sleeping . . . people visiting, arguing and screaming . . . people clinging to buses . . . people, people, people’. But in the last two decades, this depressing vision of India’s population as an ‘overwhelming burden’ has been turned on its head. With growth, our human capital has emerged as a vibrant source of workers and consumers not just for India, but also for the global economy. But this change in our attitudes has not come easily. Since independence, India struggled for decades with policies that tried to put the lid on its surging population. It is only recently that the country has been able to look its billion in the eye and consider its advantages. ‘MILLIONS ON AN ANTHILL’ For most of the twentieth century, people both within and outside India viewed us through a lens that was distinctly Malthusian. As a poor and extremely crowded part of the world, we seemed to vindicate Thomas Malthus’s uniquely despondent vision—that great population growth inevitably led to great famine and despair. The time that Thomas Malthus, writer, amateur economist and clergyman (the enduring term history gave him would be ‘the gloomy parson’), lived in may have greatly influenced his theory on population. Nineteenth-century England was seeing very high birth rates, with families having children by the baker’s dozen. Malthus— who, as the second of eight children, was himself part of the population explosion he bemoaned—predicted in his An Essay on *Tbe Alchemist, Liar’s Poker and (Tom Friedman would be delighted) The World Is Flat have been perennial favourites for Indian pirates. the Principle of Population that the unprecedented increases in population would lead to a cycle of famines, of ‘epidemics, and sickly seasons’. India in particular seemed to be speedily bearing down the path that Malthus predicted. On our shores, famine was a regular visitor. We endured thirty hunger famines* between 1770 and 1950— plagues during which entire provinces saw a third of their population disappear, and the countryside was covered ‘with the bleached bones of the millions dead’.1 By the mid twentieth century, neo-Malthusian prophets were sounding the alarm on the ‘disastrous’ population growth in India and China, and predicted that the impact of such growth would be felt around the world. Their apocalyptic scenarios helped justify draconian approaches to birth control. Policies recommending ‘sterilization of the unfit and the disabled’, and the killing of ‘defective’ babies gained the air of respectab le theory. 2 India’s increasing dependence on food aid from the developed world due to domestic shortages also fuelled the panic around its population growth—in 1960 India had consumed one-eighth of the United States’ total wheat production, and by 1966 this had grown to onefourth. Consequently, if you were an adult in the 1950s and 1960s and followed the news, it was entirely plausible to believe that the endgame for humanity was just round the corner; you may also have believed that this catastrophe was the making of some overly fecund Indians. Nehru, observing the hand-wringing, remarked that the Western world was ‘getting frightened at the prospect of the masses of Asia becoming vaster and vaster, and swarming all over the place’. And it is true that Indians of this generation had a cultural affinity for big families, even among the middle class—every long holiday during my childhood was spent at my grandparents’ house with my cousins, and a family photo from that time has a hundred people crammed into the frame. Indian families were big enough to be your *Amartya Sen and others have pointed out, however, that while these famines may have seemed to be the consequence of a country that was both poor and overpopulated, they were in fact triggered partly by trade policies and the lack of infrastructure. Lord Lytton exported wheat from India at the height of the 1876-78 famine, and the lack of connectivity across the country affected transportation of grain to affected areas. Main social circle—most people did not mingle extensively outside family weddings, celebrations and visits to each other’s homes. The growing global worries around our population growth created immense pressure on India to impose some sort of control on our birth rates, and we became the first developing country to initiate a family planning programme. But our early family planning policies had an unusual emphasis on ‘self-control’.3 In part this was influenced by leaders such as Gandhi, who preached abstinence; in an interesting departure from his usual policy of non-violence, he had said, ‘Wives should fight off their husbands with force, if necessary.’ This focus on abstinence and self-restraint continued with independent India’s first health minister, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, who was in the odd position of being at the helm of a family planning programme while opposing family planning ‘in principle’.4 As a result Indian policy during this decade emphasized the rhythm method. Rural India was targeted for raising awareness of the method, and one villager remarked of its success, ‘They talked of the rhythm method to people who didn’t know the calendar. Then they gave us rosaries of coloured beads . . . at night, people couldn’t tell the red bead for â€Å"don’t† from the green for â€Å"go ahead†.’ 5 Not surprisingly, India’s population continued to grow through the 1950s and 1960s, as fertility remained stubbornly high even while infant mortality and death rates fell rapidly. This was despite the massive awareness-building efforts around family planning that the government undertook. I still remember the ‘small family’ songs on the radio and the walls of our cities, the sides of buses and trucks were papered with posters that featured happy (and small) cartoon families, and slogans like ‘Us Two, Ours Two’. And yet, each census release made it clear that our population numbers continued to relentlessly soar, and we despaired over a graph that was climbing too high, too fast. SNIP, SNIP As the global panic around population growth surged, the Indian and Chinese governments began executing white-knuckle measures of family planning in the 1960s. ‘Our house is on fire,’ Dr S. Chandrasekhar, minister of health and family planning, said in 1968. If we focused more on sterilization, he added, ‘We can get the blaze under control.’ By the 1970s, programmes and targets for sterilization of citizens were set up for Indian states. There was even a vasectomy clinic set up at the Victoria Terminus rail station in Bombay, to cater to the passenger traffic flowing through. 7 But no matter how Indian governments tried to promote sterilization with incentives and sops, the number of people willing to undergo the procedure did not go up. India’s poor wanted children—and especially sons—as economic security. State efforts to persuade citizens into sterilization backfired in unexpected ways—as when many people across rural India refused to have the anti-tuberculosis BCG, Bacillus Calmette-Guerin, injections because of a rumour that BCG stood for ‘birth control government’.8 In 1975, however, Indira Gandhi announced the Emergency, which suspended democratic rights and elections and endowed her with new powers of persuasion, so to speak. The Indian government morphed into a frighteningly sycophantic group, there to do the bidding of the prime minister and her son Sanjay—the same hotheaded young man who had described the Cabinet ministers as ‘ignorant buffoons’, thought his mother a ‘ditherer’ and regarded the Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos his role model.9 In the winter of 1976, I, along with some of my fellow IIT Bombay students, had arrived on the ‘festival circuit’ in Delhi to participate in the student debates and quizzes (yes, I was an inveterate nerd). It meant going from college to college for competitions, from Hindu to St Stephen’s to Miranda House to IIT Delhi. Most of us from the sylvan, secluded campus of IIT Bombay were not as politically aware as the Delhi students—the only elections we followed were those for the ITT hostels and student body. But in the Delhi of the Emergency years, sitting around campfires, one heard the whispered tale s of Emergency-era atrocities, and of one particular outrage—’nasbandi’. Sanjay, who had discovered a taste and talent for authoritarianism with the Emergency, had made sterilization—specifically male sterilization or nasbandi— his pet project. The sterilization measures that were introduced came to be known as the ‘Sanjay Effect’—a combination, as the demographer Ashish Bose put it to me, of ‘coercion, cruelty, corruption and cooked figures’. Ashish notes that ‘incentives’ to undergo the sterilization procedure included laws that required a sterilization certificate before government permits and rural credit could be granted. Children of parents with more than three children found that schools refused them admission, and prisoners did not get parole until they went under the knife. And some government departments ‘persuaded’ their more reluctant employees to undergo the procedure by threatening them with charges of embezzlement.* The steep sterilization targets for state governments meant that people were often rounded up like sheep and taken to ‘family planning’ clinics. For instance, one journalist witnessed municipal police in the small town of Barsi, Maharashtra, ‘dragging several hundred peasants visiting Barsi on market day off the streets’. They drove these men in two garbage trucks to the local family planning clinic, where beefy orderlies held them down while they were given vasectomies.10 This scene repeated itself time and again, across the country. It was difficult to trust the sterlization figures the government released since there was so much pressure on the states for results. Nevertheless, the Emergency-era sterilization programme, Ashish notes, may have achieved nearly two-thirds of its target—eight million sterilizations. But democracy soon hit back with a stunning blow. When Indira Gandhi called for elections in 1977—ignoring Sanjay’s protests, ‘much to his ire’11—the Congress was immediately tossed out of power. The nasbandi programme was the last gasp of coercive family planning in India on a large scale, and it became political suicide to implement similar policies. The Janata Party government that followed Indira even changed the label of the programme to avoid the stigma it carried, and ‘family planning’ became ‘family welfare’. While sterilization programmes have occasionally reappeared across states, they have been mostly voluntary, with the focus on incentives to undergo the procedure, f *Asoka Bandarage describes the target fever in India’s sterilization programmes, which gave rise to ‘speed doctors’ who competed against each other to perform the most number of operations every day, often under ghastly, unhygienic conditions. One celebrated figure was the Indian gynaecologist P.V. Mehta, who entered the Guinness Book of World Records for sterilizing more than 350,000 people in a decade—he claimed that he could perform forty sterilizations in an hour. tThese sweeteners for the procedure have at times been very strange and a little suspect, such as Uttar Pradesh’s ‘guns for sterilisation’ policy in 2004, under which scheme Indians purchasing firearms or seeking gun licences were told they would be fast-tracked if they could round up volunteers for sterilization. A district in Madhya Pradesh also made a similar ‘guns for vasectomies’ offer to its residents in 2008.