Taming of the Shrew Character Motivations Essay Example for Free

Taming of the Shrew Character Motivations Essay Many lives are ruled by a need to fit in and conform to the ideals of society. William Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew centers around the two sisters, Bianca and Katherine and their marriages. Kate, an unpleasant and undesirable woman, unwillingly marries Petruchio who attempts to tame her. Bianca is the ideal woman who is pursued by many men. The play was written in 1590 and set in Italy, when submission and obedience were expected of women while men took powerful positions. Societal expectations motivate men and women. Women were motivated by societal expectations. A valued woman was obedient, passive and sweet. Bianca epitomizes these qualities and shapes her behavior around them. She exchanges vicious words with her sister in private, but while in the company of suitors she turns mild. Bianca’s father and her suitors determine who she marries, showing her surrender to men’s power and acceptance of obedience. In Kate’s concluding speech, she says, â€Å"A woman moved is like a fountain troubled, muddy, ill-seeming, thick, bereft of beauty, and while it is so, none†¦will deign to sip or touch one drop of it. (5. 2. 151) Kate admits that an unpleasant, angry wife is undesirable and useless. Certainly no man will consider an ugly, rude woman worthy of his company. She finally relents to Petruchio’s taming and takes a woman’s normal place in the social hierarchy. Women conform to society’s strict expectations. The expectation that men are powerful and all-knowing influences men’s behavior. A m an’s masculinity and power was dependent on his control over his wife. Petruchio, Hortensio and Lucentio make a bet, â€Å"And he whose wife is most obedient†¦shall win the wager. † (5. 2. 15) This shows how much men value an obedient wife, which demonstrates their power. Each man hopes that he wins because a powerful man is valued. Baptista, the father of Kate and Bianca, arranges his daughters’ marriages and marries Kate off even though she is unwilling. Society’s standards permit this destructive and inconsiderate behavior. In their patriarchal society, women can’t show much preference in their suitors. Men are expected to make the best decision, and Baptista goes along with this standard. Wife taming was a common idea in this time and many men attempted it. Petruchio tries to tame Kate by starving, embarrassing, overruling and insulting her. Kate comments on the sun, but Petruchio contradicts her and says â€Å"Now, by my mother’s son, and that’s myself, it shall be the moon or star or what I list. †(4. 5. 6) Petruchio says anything he says is correct, enforcing the idea that women should surrender to a man’s authority. Petruchio tames Kate because of the social belief that men should be more powerful than their wives, therefore social expectations motivate him. Society’s standards motivate men’s behavior. Men and women modify their behavior to meet the ideals of society. Katherine transforms herself into a submissive wife and Bianca maintains her behavior as an obedient, charming woman. Petruchio tames Kate to show his masculinity and Baptista controls his daughters lives without regard for their feelings. In conclusion, societal expectations motivate characters in The Taming of the Shrew.

People are not free to make moral decisions Essay Example for Free

People are not free to make moral decisions Essay Is it right to say that our actions are determined, or are they free? Hard determinists argue that when we make a moral decision, we have no free will. This is significant because if we do not choose our actions we cannot be held morally responsible. Given our experience of decision making this determinist position is hard to accept and perhaps the compatabilist approach of soft determinism is more valid. Soft Determinists recognise that we can make a decision freely that is coerced but the choices in themselves may be determined themselves. This contrasts with libertarianism, which states that we freely choose our actions and rejects determinism. To fully examine whether we are in fact free or not to make moral decisions, we must first analyse what particular factors affect our decision making. When we debate over a decision we consider/ weigh up our options, we know that we have a choice and only we can make that choice, this is known as a libertarian view. Libertarians believe that we have full responsibility of our actions and nothing else affects our decision, however genes, environment, lifestyle and our upbringing affect or sometimes might determine our choices. Determinism objects libertarianism and believes that our choices are influenced by factors other than the will of the individual, events and actions are predetermined by other events therefore freedom of choice is an illusion. Free will is the term made up of ‘autos’ meaning self and ‘nomos’ meaning rule. Many philosophers such as Kant say that you can only be responsible for actions that you undertake of your own will, this is opposed to Determinism. Libertarianism is the belief that humans are free to make moral choices and therefore morally responsible. â€Å"By liberty we can only mean a power of acting of not acting according to the determinations of the will†. David Hume. In the definition of libertarianism a distinction between the persons character or personality and his/or her moral self. It is this moral self or will that is free. â€Å"Your destiny is allotted to you, but you shall choose it for yourselves†. Plato. There are many arguments that support libertarianism, the most predominant of these being the argument from experience, this states that we all experience making choices, such as the very fact that I am sat here writing this essay is the result of a choice, I did have another option so I could’ve chose otherwise. We are also aware of going through a decision making process, we can weigh up our options and act upon this. Libertarians also believe in the necessary cause stating that for Y to happen X must have caused it, without X Y will not happen. This is a determinist understanding, However Libertarians recognise that causes are contingent and not necessary, they may or may not cause Y, this is a libertarian view. However opposed to this Determinists would argue that if free will exists then what actually causes our actions, surely our actions are caused by something, for example what about our past experiences and emotions? Also a determinist would argue is it part of human nature to assume that we are free and what exactly is moral responsibility, and how is this separate from our personality. If it comes from the soul then what causes the soul. Hard determinism states that people do not have free will to act in moral situations. It also states that everything has a prior cause which precedes it; everything is a product of the cause which is unchangeable and fixed. Therefore we cannot be held morally responsible or blameworthy for their actions because their actions are determined. When we think that we are making a moral decision, hard determinists believe that this is an illusion that we are free but in fact we are not and the decision that we made was already determined. John Locke’s example of the man in the locked room shows that we believe that we are free but we are actually not. However libertarians would argue that we had the choice whether or not to go into the locked room. Psychological determinism is another form of Hard Determinism. This suggests that our characters are determined by our upbringing and experiences. There are many influencing factors on human behaviour such as hereditary, society, culture and environment. Freud taught that our early years have impact on our actions in the future, there is also much evidence to support this view such as Pavlov’s dogs which operant conditioning demonstrates that we can mould our behaviour through rewards and sanctions, it also demonstrates how our behaviour is determined. However a libertarian would argue that just because you can condition one element of decision making doesn’t mean that all behaviour is determined, we always have a choice. Theological determinism is also another form of hard determinism. This is the view that the causal chain can be traced back to an uncaused causer, as shown in Aquinas’ Cosmological argument, and this uncaused causer is God. If God is, as suggested by Calvin through his predestination view which suggests that God has already determined a plan for us so we are either damned (going to hell) or elect (going to heaven) , an omnipotent and omniscient God then we cannot have free will as our actions must be predetermined because of this. There are many criticisms for this view that Libertarians would address as it conflicts with biblical teachings as in Genesis it states that God gave us free will and also for theological determinism to be accepted, libertarians would also argue that there is no proof of this God, so in their view we still have a choice. A form of Hard Determinism that contrasts and argues this view is scientific determinism; this approach states that science tells us that for every physical event there is a physical cause. If we consider the mind to be material activity in the brain, so then our thoughts are also pre determined. Another form of hard determinism is Biological determinism which states that our characters are determined by our genes, this is partly true as genes do give us our characteristics such as what we look like, even our IQ, all this can determine our behaviour for example the violent gene as evidence can be traced back to the genome (e. g. a violent gene recognised by the Italian supreme court). However libertarians would argue that because there is only 0. 2% variation in our DNA, so this doesn’t seem efficient enough to explain all the variations in human behaviour, it’s not just our genetic makeup that influences our behaviour, and they would argue that we always have a choice. Soft determinism states that we are morally responsible for our actions; this approach allows libertarianism and hard determinism to be compatible. It states that as long as no one forces you to make a decision then you are free, this can be described as internal freedom. However soft determinists make a distinction between internal and external causes, these explain why freedom and Jeremy moral responsibility are not only compatible with determinism but actually require it. Soft Determinism, unlike hard determinism, allows for moral responsibility, for example if person A does not save a drowning child because person A cannot swim, he is not morally responsible. However, if he chooses not to because of his personality, a combination of his conditioning, an upbringing and so forth, then he is to be held responsible. Soft determinists believe that all human actions are caused and when we say that a person acted freely we are not saying that there was no cause but rather they were not forced to do it, here they act as free agents even though their actions are still caused. A main philosopher associated with soft determinism is Hume whom was a soft-determinist. He stated that all things are necessary and believed that some things are uncaused or happen as the result of chance. Hume also believed that we are free, he goes on to say that we dont blame people for things they do ignorantly, and blame them less for things that are not premeditated, and any sense of moral blame can only come if something we do is the result of our character. Hume believed that free will, and moral responsibility, require determinism. Soft determinists are criticised by hard determinists for failing to realise the extent to which human freedom is limited and also by libertarians for failing to recognise the true extent of freedom. Whilst Soft determinism offers a ‘middle ground’ between hard determinism and libertinism an agreeable account of moral freedom, a line still has to be drawn between that which is determined and that which is open to choice. The major fault with soft determinism is that they have to try and agree on what is a determining factor and what is not and the complexities of genetics, psychology makes such a line difficult for them to draw. So In conclusion, through the arguments expressed in this essay, I believe that perhaps a Soft Determinist approach is more susceptible towards moral decision making, as although it allows us to make our own decisions, they are to an extent determined due to numerous factors such as our upbringing, environment and culture, however it also allows us to accept responsibility for our actions whatever they may be.

Child Labor in Pakistan Essay

Child Labor in Pakistan Essay Child labor refers to the employment of children at regular and sustained labor. It is the full-time employment of children under a minimum legal age. The practice of child labor is considered illegal by many countries and exploitative by many international organizations. (Child Labor at Distrcit Level, 2009)Child labor is one of the problems that occur as a result of the responses to the economic problems faced by vulnerable children. In most developed and emerging countries, use of children as labors is considered as violation of human rights and is outlawed, while some poorer and developing countries do tolerate and allow child labor. In Pakistan, a country where almost half of the population lives below the poverty line, child labor is deeply entrenched and pressing phenomenon. Child labor in Pakistan is prevalent in all sectors of the economy, thought it primarily exists in the informal sector of employment and home-based industry. Pakistans high population growth of around 1.6% poses multiple challenges and threatens to constrain limited resources and social and economic development of the country. According to the survey of Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) in 2002, the number of working children in Pakistan was approximately 3.5 million or 7% of the total workforce in Pakistan. However, the children under the age of 10 and those working in small and family businesses that are not registered with the government were not the part of the survey. So the actual figure is deemed to be much higher than the official figures. In Pakistan, children aged 5-14 are around 40 million. The survey conducted by UNISEF in 2003, estimated that 8 million children under the age of 14 are engaged as labors. Most of them are engaged as labors in brick kiln factories, carpet weaving centers, agriculture, small industries and domestic services. The survey also indicated that rural and urban ratio of child labors was 7:1. The province with most number of cases of child labor was Punjab with nearly 60% of the total child labor population. HISTORY AND IMPACT OF CHILD LABOR IN PAKISTAN Child labor has been prevalent in Pakistan in all the sectors of the economy, though it mostly exists in informal sector of employment and in the home based industry. In late nineties, the matter of child labor emerged as a serious consideration due to international exposure. In 1996, Pakistans Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto acknowledged the problem of child labor in the country and announced the plan to eliminate it. In his speech in April 1998, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif stated that the problem of child labor occupied a prominent place in the agenda of government of Pakistan. In 1999, Federal minister for labor and manpower, Shaikh Rashid announced a four point policy for curbing child labor in Pakistan. In Jan-99, government announced the draft of the labor policy. The policy envisaged that the government is committed to end child labor. It was also promised by the government of Pakistan in 2000, that the law to eliminate child labor and bonded labor at an economic level would be implemented in 2002 and till 2005; there would be no bonded labor or child labor in Pakistan. Even after so much regulations and promises by the government of Pakistan, the attempt has not been successful till now. Though the issue has received international attention and various organizations at international level like ILO and UNICEF are participating in the issue, still the improvement in this case is very slow. In eradicating and creating awareness against child labor in Pakistan many communities are having a stake. Some of these communities/autonomous bodies working for the cause are: Government of Pakistan Children Parliament Pakistan International Labor Organization UNICEF Other NGOs, Society and Media All the above government and private bodies are actively working for the eradication of child labor in Pakistan. The issue has been seriously addressed by the above bodies either individually or in conjunction with any other body. The role of each of the above mentioned body in the eradication of child labor in Pakistan is as follows: GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN: Government of Pakistan has been actively working for the eradication of child labor in Pakistan. Activities of government towards the issue have been gaining considerable attention since late 1990s, when the matter of child labor emerged as a serious consideration due to international exposure. In Jan-99, government announced the draft of the labor policy. The policy envisaged that the government is committed to end child labor. It was also promised by the government of Pakistan in 2000, that the law to eliminate child labor and bonded labor at an economic level would be implemented in 2002 and till 2005; there would be no bonded labor or child labor in Pakistan. Though the government has not been able to deliver on the promises made due to the increased political weaknesses in the company, still there have been continuous efforts made on their part. Government also identified poverty and lack of education for children as root causes for the child labor in the country. (Arshad)The present government in Pakistan has made elementary education compulsory for children. Along with that, the government has also made the policy of distributing free books in primary schools. This would help the parents, who cannot afford their childs education and school expenses can send their children to schools. Along with all of the above, the following laws are made by government of Pakistan to address the issue (Pakistan): National Child Labor Laws: In Pakistan a child is defined as a person younger then fifteen. The legal minimum age for employment of children is 14 for normal businesses and 15 for railways and mines. The constitution of Islamic republic of Pakistan prohibits forced labor, slavery, and employment of children below the age of 14. The government of Pakistan asserts that the labor inspectors are empowered to carry out regular visits to all employment places covered under employment of children act 1991 to check the compliance of the law at that places. Education Laws: Articles 37 (b) (c) of the constitution of Pakistan declares public policy to remove illiteracy and provide free and compulsory secondary education within the minimum possible period [and to] make technical and professional education generally available and higher education equally accessible to all on the basis of merit. Despite a law in 1962 requiring each province to designate areas where primary education is compulsory, none of the provinces have complied. As of now, the present government in Pakistan has made elementary education compulsory for children. Along with that, the government has also made the policy of distributing free books in primary schools. International Conventions: Pakistan is a party to ILO convention concerning minimum age of employment in the industry and UN convention for rights of the child. Through above legislatures and laws, and to some other timely regulations, the government of Pakistan is acting as an active community stakeholder in eradication of child labor in the country. Though in present scenario Pakistan is suffering through political weaknesses, but still government is committed to take the work one step ahead. CHILDREN PARLIAMENT OF PAKISTAN: The childrens parliament for Pakistan was launched on 14-Nov-08, by Society for the Protection of the Rights of Child (SPARC). The main aim of this parliament is to create awareness and promote child rights in the country. The members were elected from different schools of Peshawar, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Karachi, Lahore etc. Besides providing basic rights to every child in Pakistan other objectives of this parliament are: End child labor Educate every child Provide medical facilities to children Protect the children In addition, children parliament serves as their voice to convey the difficulties and problems faced by the children to government of Pakistan. INTERNATIONAL LABOR ORGANIZATION: With the matter of child labor in Pakistan gaining international attention, ILO has fastened its steps to address the issues. ILO does timely surveys within various industries in Pakistan suspecting large amount of child labor. (International Programme for elimination of child labor)Based on the survey they come out with survey reports addressing the issue and recommending ways to deal with the situations. Some of the latest surveys conducted by ILO in Pakistan are: Survey on Child Labor in Kasur Tanneries in 2004 Survey on Child Labor in Glass Bangles industry in Hyderabad-2004 Survey on child labor in surgical instruments manufacturing industry in Sialkot Survey on child labor in coal mine industries in Chakwal, Noshera and Shangla ILO has also been working with the government of Pakistan guiding them from time to time on this issue. It is also acting as a watch dog, inspecting the ways in which government is addressing the issue. UNICEF: The name UNICEF needs no introduction. United Nation International Childrens Emergency Fund, a UN organization has consistently working towards the development of children in underdeveloped countries. UNICEF conducts timely surveys to see the improvement in the case. The survey conducted by UNISEF in 2003, estimated that 8 million children under the age of 14 are engaged as labors. Most of them are engaged as labors in brick kiln factories, carpet weaving centers, agriculture, small industries and domestic services. The survey also indicated that rural and urban ratio of child labors was 7:1. The province with most number of cases of child labor was Punjab with nearly 60% of the total child labor population. UNICEF also set-up centers in the Pakistan, helping destitute children get home. Pakistan is also amongst the countries that get funding from UNICEF to promote the steps in eradication of child labor. OTHER NGOS SOCIETY AND MEDIA: This is another group of very important stakeholders in the issue of child labor in Pakistan. NGOs like ACM Apostolic Charismatic Ministry and Child Reach International has continuously worked towards the development of children in Pakistan to eradicate child labor. Though the NGOs in Pakistan dont get proper funding from government of Pakistan neither from any corporate bodies, still the work they do in crating awareness and providing elementary education to children is quite appreciable. Society and media as a whole has a major role to play in the eradication of child labor in Pakistan. These two stakeholders are still dormant in the issue, but for the development of children in Pakistan society and media have to play a major part. Poverty levels in Pakistan appear to necessitate that children work in order to allow the families to reach their target take-home pay. The lack of economic opportunity for adult employment in Pakistan needs to be studied and taken under consideration; the government also needs strict to inspect the strict implementation of laws made by it. Lack of education is another reason for the high rate of child labor in Pakistan. Thought government of Pakistan has made policies for providing free elementary education to children, the policies need strict implementation to address the issue. Also, other stakeholders of the issue specially Children parliament, ILO, UNICEF, Media and NGOs have to work in tandem to create awareness for the rights of the children in the country. REFERENCES (n.d.). Retrieved Aug 1, 2010, from www. unicef. org: www. unicef. org/ protection/ index_3717. html Ahmad, M. (2001). Child Labor: A time to reflect. In M. Ahmad, Child Labor: A time to reflect. UNICEF. Arshad, R. (n.d.). Child labor in Pakistan. Retrieved Aug 1, 2010, from http://www.hamariweb.com: http://www.hamariweb.com/articles/article.aspx?id=91 Child Labor at Distrcit Level. (2009, Sep). Retrieved August 1, 2010, from http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de: http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/17333/1/MPRA_paper_17333.pdf H.Zaidi, H. (2004, Jan). Baseline survey report on child labor. Retrieved Aug 1, 2010, from http://www.ilo.org: http://www.ilo.org/ipecinfo/product/viewProduct.do?productId=5225 International Programme for elimination of child labor. (n.d.). Retrieved Aug 1, 2010, from http://www.ilo.org: http://www.ilo.org/ipecinfo/product/searchProduct.do;?type=normaltitle=selectedMonthFrom=-1productYearFrom=selectedMonthTo=-1selectedCountries=342selectedMediaTypes=14keywords=userType=3selectedFieldOfficeId=-1resultPerPage=20selectedSortById=4 Pakistan. (n.d.). Retrieved Aug 1, 2010, from http://www.dol.gov: http://www.dol.gov/ilab/media/reports/iclp/sweat/pakistan.htm Population census organization. (n.d.). Retrieved Aug 1, 2010, from http://www.statpak.gov.pk: http://www.statpak.gov.pk/depts/pco/statistics/pop_sex_ratio_growth_rate/pop_sex_ratio_growth_rate.html COMMUNITY PROGRAM TO ADDRESS CHILD LABOR IN PAKISTAN ABSTRACT Child labor refers to the employment of children at regular and sustained labor. It is the full-time employment of children under a minimum legal age. The practice of child labor is considered illegal by many countries and exploitative by many international organizations. (Child Labor at Distrcit Level, 2009)Child labor is one of the problems that occur as a result of the responses to the economic problems faced by vulnerable children. In most developed and emerging countries, use of children as labors is considered as violation of human rights and is outlawed, while some poorer and developing countries do tolerate and allow child labor. In Pakistan, a country where almost half of the population lives below the poverty line, child labor is deeply entrenched and pressing phenomenon. Child labor in Pakistan is prevalent in all sectors of the economy, thought it primarily exists in the informal sector of employment and home-based industry. Pakistans high population growth of around 1.6% poses multiple challenges and threatens to constrain limited resources and social and economic development of the country. The paper designs a community program to address the issue of child labor in Pakistan. It identifies various stakeholders in the issue and based on certain strategies and programs, intends to bring an effective social change. The paper also addresses potential challenges in the way of eradicating the child labor in Pakistan and ways for addressing the issue. GOAL OF THE STUDY: The primary goal of the study is identifying the trends in the issue if child labor in Pakistan. Based on the issue, paper intends to identify various stakeholders of the issue. The aim of studying this is to a community program to address the issue of child labor in Pakistan. It identifies various stakeholders in the issue and based on certain strategies and programs, intends to bring an effective social change. The paper also addresses potential challenges in the way of eradicating the child labor in Pakistan and ways for addressing the issue. The goals had been made keeping in mind the resources available in Pakistan to bring a social change. Political weakness in the economy of Pakistan has also been kept in mind. The success of this community program depends upon the working in conjunction of the stakeholders of the issue. STRATEGIES TO BE ADOPTED In order to eradicate child labor in Pakistan both preventive and corrective strategies are proposed. Successful intervention models are also founded so that the change in knowledge would be easier to bring about, attitude change requires relatively longer time frame and finally the change in total mind set and behavioral change requires the longest time. Interventions are to be phased out in the time bound manner and change strategies are age specific and gender equitable. GENERAL AND POSITIVE ACTION STRATEGIES: The following general and positive action strategies are requires to be taken to address the issue of child labor in Pakistan: Change in attitude of stakeholders: Awareness campaigns, counseling sessions and advocacy workshops need to be geared towards parents for gaining their confidence and for raising their awareness about the ill-effects of child labor concerning their children. The campaigns and counseling would highlight the alternatives of child labor, including non-formal and formal education and apprenticeship. Parents would be educated about the benefits of schooling in terms of income and increased efficiency and guiding that child labor in many cases is futile with a very meager income associated with it. Similar services for gaining employers confidence would be arranged for building support for struggle in eliminating child labor. Carefully designed educational and informative conferences and/or seminars would be arranged to restore the self esteem and dignity of labor. Labor Department working with industry should work with missionary zeal in order to accomplish an eventual elimination of labor in a reasonable time frame. Poverty Alleviation: Numerous steps would be aimed at familys alternative income generation and poverty. Poverty alleviation would be addressed very seriously at different levels with the involvement of international organizations, various non-government agencies and Provincial, federal and district governments. The problem of child labor in Pakistan can be managed effectively only if the problem of poverty is worked out effectively, through income generation projects for society and parents and through equitable and fair access to safety nets such as zakat funds and other benevolent programs. Poverty alleviation efforts of provincial and state governments PRSP (Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper) would coincide well with time-bound program endeavors targeted at phasing out child labor from the country. (Beig, 2004)The survey carried out by ILO in 2004 in coal mine industries in Chakwal, Noshera and Shangla revealed following figures: Chakwal: Category Sample Plan Actual Interview conducted Working Children 450 126 Parents 12 16 Employers 60 27 Total 522 169 Chirat/ Noshera: Category Sample Plan Actual Interview conducted Working Children 400 48 Parents 5 4 Employers 10 13 Total 415 65 Drop-out Survey: Category Sample Plan Actual Interview conducted School-going 150 250 Drop-outs 15 27 Parents 27 22 Teachers 40 38 Total 212 337 Formal Schooling, Non-Formal Schooling and Vocational Training: (Kulsoom, 2009)Poverty being major reason for majority drop-outs, provision of fee and subsidized education would be recommended at formal schools. Formal school teachers need to be trained to adopt child friendly teaching methodologies and attitude in order to reduce risk of drop-outs. Apart from the traditional program of study, training at non-formal educational schools should include vocational training health and safety education. NFE schools would be a really essential measure because to stop the supply of labor at source, alternative sources of productive engagement needs to be available with children. Quality of education will also be enhanced and it needs to be attractive and relevant to help reduce the drop-out tendency in schools. Issues concerning child labor, including information about the hazardous nature of child labor and gender biases needs to be incorporated into the educational curriculum of non-formal and formal schools for both male and female students. Occupational health hazards and safety measures: Till the child labor is eliminated totally, the culture of occupational safety would be promoted in all industries by raising awareness through advocacy seminars. These awareness-related advocacy seminars should be arranged at the worksites and at community level, would also be used for educating children about the ill effects of child labor and raising awareness about the value of education and its other positive alternatives. The Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) study undertaken by ILO in 2004 also yielded detailed insights on the same issue. In addition to seminars, group meetings and workshops would also be arranged on a sustainable basis for promoting norms and adopting preventive health measures. Improved Legislative Measures: Steps would be taken for enforcement of existing labor laws. Till the child labor is completely eliminated, increased protection to child workers would be provided upon the consent of the government against the violation of their rights and against unsafe industrial practices including child labor. High powered mystery clients would be requested to monitor adherence in safety standards along with labor departments and ILO monitors. PARTNERSHIPS AND CAPACITY BUILDING: ILO would be requested to build strategic alliances with Non Governmental Organization in Pakistan. ILO also need to consider alliances with consultation agencies working on child labor issues to use them as catalyst-facilitators, monitors and trainers in working towards the common goal of eradicating child labor and reducing its ill-effects. To rectify the problem of child labor, cross agency partnerships in Pakistan would be prompted till the operations are self sustained and fully streamlined. These partnerships would be supported by ILO and jointly partnered with government agencies in Pakistan and with relevant international agencies such as UNICEF, UN department for Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and other stakeholders like NGOs, Media etc. cost effective innovative transformations would be geared towards effective building of District level labor departments, Provincial planning, district governments and NGOs. The aim of training would be to i nculcate learning about a proactive work culture along with a missionary zeal in addressing the issue of child labor in Pakistan. MEDIA SUPPORT: Various media like T.V, Press, and Internet media would be involved in the broad-based awareness regarding the child labor issues, including vocational and formal education. Effective information, education and communication materials would be created and would be disseminated to press and other media in order to win their support and create awareness. Electronic media would be used later as an effective partner in the struggle against the child labor in Pakistan. Strategies will also be made to gain the confidence of electronic media through workshops, conferences and meetings. All the above strategies used for community engagement are based on the following model. Different Stakeholders that are involved in this program of community engagement are: Government of Pakistan International Labor Organization (ILO) United Nation International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Society, especially parents of the children UN Department for Assistance Framework (UNDAF) Non Government Organizations (NGOs) Schools and their staffs, especially teachers Employers Labor Union Media in all forms Children Themselves POTENTIAL CHALLENGES AND THE ROAD AHEAD Potential challenges in the way of making community engagement for eradicating child labor in Pakistan are: Weak Political and Economic Scenario in Pakistan: Pakistan is going through a period of weak political and economic scenario. So that will be the major potential challenge in making the community engagement because in an unstable economy implementing legislatures is a very difficult task. Also, making arrangements for funds in a weak political scenario becomes difficult because in this case government may not be ready to fund the program. For overcoming this challenge, fund needs to be raised from major corporate. They should be encouraged to fund the program as much as possible as the part of their corporate social responsibility. For implementing the legislatures, proper alliance needs to be made between Government bodies and foreign bodies like ILO and UNICEF who are already working for the cause. These bodies will help monitoring laws and legislatures formed. Poverty: Poverty is another major challenge in the effectiveness of community engagement in Pakistan. Most families send their children to work to reach their target take-away home pay. So making them understand about not considering the pay of their children as the major factor would be really difficult. To overcome this challenge, workshops would be held and proper counseling would be provided to parents about the harmful effects of child labor and benefits of elementary education for the future of their children. Attitudes of Employers, Parents and Children: This is another challenge in the effectiveness of the community program. In various industries children are considered as cheap labors. So changing the attitude of the employers about employing children by considering them as cheap labor would be difficult to change. Every business needs to be inspected at intervals along with counseling and advocacy meetings with employers to change the attitude of the employees. Same would be the problem with Parents and children. This would be addressed by showing the ill-effects of child labor and benefits of education. Though poverty levels in Pakistan appear to be a necessitate reason that children work in order to allow the families to reach their target take-home pay, effective community engagement can help raise awareness against the issue. The lack of economic opportunity for adult employment in Pakistan needs to be studied and taken under consideration; the government also needs strict to inspect the strict implementation of laws made by it. Lack of education is another reason for the high rate of child labor in Pakistan. Thought government of Pakistan has made policies for providing free elementary education to children, the policies need strict implementation to address the issue. Also, other stakeholders of the issue specially Children parliament, ILO, UNICEF, Media and NGOs have to work in tandem to create awareness for the rights of the children in the country.

Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Oedipus the King - Oracles and Prophecy :: Oedipus the King Oedipus Rex

Oedipus:   Oracles and Uncontrollable Fate  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   King Laios the ruler of Thebes, has a son with his wife Queen Iocoste. His name is Oedipus. The soothsayer Teiresias, a loyal servant to the King and Queen tells them some disturbing news. Teiresias tells King Laios and Queen Iocoste that their son, Oedipus will kill his father and marry his mother. The king and queen make a decision to take the baby boy up to a mountain far away from the town. King Laios gives the baby to a servant and instructs him to bind the babies ankles and leave him on the mountain side to perish. The servant follows his instructions but instead of leaving the boy on the mountain side he gives him to a shepherd and makes him promise to take the boy to a far away place. This is how King Laios and Queen Iocaste try to avoid their fate. They are threatened by the existence of their son so they try to have him killed, to end their problem. However this plan, almost foolproof does not work. The shepherd brings the baby boy back to his city and gives him to King Polybus because the King and Queen could not have a child. Oedipus grows up as the son of Polybus and Merope. When Oedipus was a young man he was told that he was not his father’s son. He tires to dismiss this horrible accusation as that of a drunken man, but it always bothered him. One day Oedipus decides to go to the Oracle to see his knowledge of Oedipus’ birth. The oracle tells Oedipus his fate is the death of his father by his own hands and that he will marry his mother. He does not answer the original question Oedipus asked as to who his true parents are. Upon hearing this Oedipus decides to leave the city and never return as long as his parents (Polybus, Merope) are still alive. Oedipus is running from his fate as he leaves the city and heads far from there. On his travel down the road he encounters a chariot drawn by horses and they force him off the road, and as the charioteer went by Oedipus hits him, the man swings back. Oedipus hits him with a blow that knocks him out of the chariot, and the man falls dead to the ground.

Seminole Patchwork :: Essays Papers

Seminole Patchwork â€Å"Cross† or â€Å"sacred fire†, â€Å"arrow†, â€Å"zigzag†, â€Å"bird†, â€Å"wave†, â€Å"mountains† and â€Å"diamondback rattlesnake† all have something in common. What do all of these names have in common? They are all names of Seminole patchwork designs. What exactly is patchworking? It can be defined as the process of sewing pieces of solid colored cloth together to make long rows of designs, which are then joined horizontally to other bands of cloth to form a garment (Downs, 1995, 88). This Native American artwork is closely associated with the Florida Seminoles. The history of this tribe and how they came to make patchwork garments is rather interesting. In making patchwork garments, things to be considered include how it is done (process), what elements of design are used, whom the garment is to be made for and who actually makes it. Presently, there are less artists in this craft and the future of patchwork may be at risk. Seminole patchwork has been done for over a century, and it’s beauty and uniqueness needs to be revealed and recognized by Americans. The Seminole Indians were not always located in Florida. In the early 19th Century the Seminoles lived in the cool areas of Georgia. They wore animals hides and furs to keep warm. This all changed in 1830, when President Andrew Jackson passed the Indian Removal Policy of 1830, which forced the Seminoles to flee to Florida. In fleeing to Florida they left behind their homes, some relatives who refused to leave and their cool climate. In Florida, there was no longer a need for the warm furs and hides and they turned to the use of cloth. In 1840, they disappeared into the Everglades and lived there in peace, with no influences from other tribes. The Everglades were rich with exotic items that were worth a lot in trade markets. Once a year, the Seminoles would take a voyage on the Miami River to Miami. In Miami they could trade items such as alligator hides and egret plumes for rolls of cotton cloth. The Seminoles would use the cotton to make various pieces of clothing. One ye ar, a voyage could not be made to Miami to attain more cloth and the Seminoles were forced to use scraps of cloth, sewing them together to make a large piece of cloth or garment.

A Conflict of Cultural Values between Generations Essay

Two generations clash in Hanif Kureishi’s short story, â€Å"My Son, The Fanatic. † Parvez, the father, is an immigrant from Pakistan while his son, Ali, was born and grew up in England. In his adopted country, the father has exerted the effort to imbibe the English values and raise his son the English way; his son, meanwhile, suddenly decides to explore his familial roots and denounce everything Western. The story plays out the generational conflict between father and son in the context of their differing cultural values. Parvez is a good father according to traditional standards as to how a father should be. He grew up in his native Pakistan but left behind his old life when he migrated to England. He is hard-working. He has devoted his life to ensuring his son’s education and supplying his needs. He measures his accomplishments according to his son’s own. With an intelligent son who is also good at sports, he feels he has done well as a father. He is also concerned about Ali all the time. When he senses something wrong with his son, he immediately tries to find out the reasons for the latter’s behavior. While a good father, however, Parvez has forgotten his roots. He has renounced his old religion. He studied in a strict Islamic school as a boy, but has since stopped following its tenets. He is a taxi driver in England now and here, taxi drivers make â€Å"jokes about the local mullahs walking around with their caps and beards. † (Kureishi, 1196). The son, Ali, while he grew up in England, feels alienated with British culture. The story suggests, however, that the alienation occurs at a certain point in his life. The father’s dilemma begins when Ali starts throwing away his old toys, games and clothes. He gives up his sports and old friends, too. It is revealed later on that the reason for these changes is because Ali has embraced Islam. Along with his conversion is the realization that there is too much freedom in the west that is more destructive than liberating to the human soul. He sums up all that is wrong with the western civilization by declaring that â€Å"the west was a sink of hypocrites, adulterers, homosexuals, drug takers and prostitutes† (Kureishi, 1198). Furthermore, he believes that Muslims are being persecuted and thus should declare war against other religions. Ali’s fanaticism causes the conflict between him and his father. The latter begins to feel that his son’s mind has been convoluted with his newfound faith. Parvez tries to understand Ali and hopes to make him realize the wrong logic in his Islamic faith by inviting him out to dinner. It only worsens the conflict, though. Ali chastises his father for drinking and gambling, forbidden acts in the religion. He expresses his disapproval at the fact that his father eats pork in spite his still being a Muslim. Parvez explains his side by telling his son that they are in England now and they have to fit in. Ali, however, could not be swayed in his strong convictions against western civilization. The problem with the west, according to him, is being allowed too much freedom. He also tells his father that he is going to stop going to school because â€Å"western education cultivates an anti-religious attitude† (Kureishi, 1198). This totally crushes the father. After all, he has invested his entire life for his son and Ali’s decision would put to waste his dreams and the long hours he has worked. The story climbs to a climax when Parvez sees his son walking on the street on the poor side of town where there are two mosques. He asks Ali to get into the car. Beside him in the front seat is Bettina, the prostitute whom Parvez has made a close friendship. While Bettina tells Ali about how his father loves him, hoping to engage him in conversation, the son only responds with anger and comments on her profession. His son’s disgust and prejudice against Bettina humiliates Parvez in front of his friend. The night after this incident, Parvez forces himself into Ali’s room while the young man is praying. He kicks and hits him. He is disappointed and desperate with both his son and himself. He thinks that if reasoning with his son would not bring him to his senses, punishing him physically would. The boy, however, does not fight back but instead turns the table upon his father by asking; â€Å"So who’s the fanatic now? † (Kureishi, 1201). The final question which Ali accuses his father with begs an analysis as to who is in the right in the conflict between the father and his son. To Parvez, living in England is an escape from a life in Pakistan which he feels constricted him. To Ali who has become a devout Muslim, everything about England is a contradiction to the tenets of his newfound faith and the country, and others that practice the western culture, is prejudice to people like him. Each one has valid reasons for his actions, but any belief or value that is imbibed and led to the extreme—into fanaticism—could be harmful and cannot be acceptable. The concept of democracy as a western ideal is positive only up to a point as much as Islam is positive until it is taken to extremes. Furthermore, Parvez could not force his own beliefs and values upon his son at his age because Ali has already reached adulthood, that time in life when a person could already think for himself, when his will cannot be controlled as easily as when he was a mere child, and when can no longer be called his father’s child. If Parvez and his son could not meet halfway because they are consumed by their respective cultural beliefs and their fanaticism, they would only be at peace with each other if they learn to accept their differences. Work Cited Kureishi, Hanif. â€Å"My Son, The Fanatic. â€Å"

Domestic Violence Act in UK Essay

Domestic can be defined in many ways but the simplest meaning is ‘involving the home or family’ whereas violence means an ‘act of aggression as one against a person who resist’. In addition, violence does not relate to relationship problem or issue but is social context of reflection of a man overruling woman. It happens to all walks of people in life despite of age, sex, race, assets and cartography. Notwithstanding, scoop by both male and female endure hurts during intimate relationship, domestic violence is greatly impact by both gender. Before the existence of the Acts and provision protecting the victim from the abuser many victims had suffer severe injury physically and mentally some had resulted death due to insufficient time to seek for help. Hence, in 1994 the United Kingdom the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service in its ‘Domestic Violence Policy’ applies to domestic vehemence in the limit of violent and abusive attitude. The civil remedies for these offences can be refereed to Domestic Violence and Matrimonial Proceeding Act 19761, Domestic Proceeding and Magistrate Court Act 19782, Part VI of Family Law Act 19963, Protection and Harassment Act 19974. Independent domestic violence counsellors assist victim and their children away from grievous harm from their spouses or family. There are a few organisation and agencies had achieved to get funds to support the victims of Independent Domestic Violence Advisers (DVAs) and Multi- agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARAC) committee. To keep the interests of children at the centre of this research, the analysis was structured around the categories of rights set out under the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)5 such as protection from abuse, fair treatment without discrimination, help in conquer emotion from abuse, stoppage of violence and involving in arrangement for children’s welfare. As time pass, in year 2004 the legislature had extend and amend the provision in Domestic Violence protection order (DVPO) under the scheme the authorities can allowed the victim to calm down and prevent them from harass of the spouses or family for 28 days as before there had been a lacuna due to the lack of evidence against the accused. The DVPOs were intended to solve implication gap in service by providing the victims shelter and counsel and other aids they need. With the implementation of these Acts the victims are able to receive protection and remedies from the right channel of people. The latest Bills and legislation was the Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) 6Act was present in 2003 and came into force in March 2004. The Act make prohibited to performing FGM in UK, prohibits girls from British national or permanent residence of the UK abroad o perform FGM whether legal or illegal in that country, prohibits aid, abet, counsel or procure the carrying out of FGM abroad and lastly sentence up to 14 years in jail ,or, a fine. According , to Lord Laming’s7 article and Eileen Munro’s analysis of protection against children were both found in spite of the differences8, as insufficient help are given to children who needs the essential care and help9. As children need’s will be ignored when most of the attention were placed on the adults disputes as a results what are the remedies were enforce to solved the children problem which brings great influenced in helping to grow in a positive environment and best method to help both abused children and parent. Protection to victims (married / unmarried) The sections in the Family Law Act 1996 10are made to protect victims and not abused them physically, sexually or psychologically against the victim. In addition, threaten in means of physically or mentally and sexually against the victim are protected under this section. The properties such as the orders dealing with who lives in the home, orders regards to their furniture, and other properties belonging of the victim are been protected from damage by any person and the section also spur on for victim to apply for such order in court for their safety. Non- molestation order In section 42 of the family law Act 1996 prohibits one (respondent) from molesting another person who is associated with the respondent include partners and former partners, family relations (including in-law), people who live(d) together, and, people who have children together. For instances forbids the abuser from threatening physical violence, intimidating, harassing, pestering. There is section requesting immediate protection against a child under s 44 of the Children Act 1989. This act may be made for a period of 6-12 months and an arrest can be made if the abuser breaches the order. The victim can however, a non-molestation order which is made in other family cases is terminated as the effect if those trials are withdrawn or dismissed. Occupation Order In section 33- 41 11governs the domicile of the victim and gives them the home rights such as restrain the rights to occupy or visit, force the abuser to move out of the house, avoid the abuser from coming into the house and a 100 meter protection length from the house. As this section can regulates for 6-12 months depending on the courts order. There is also an emergency order in this section which can apply within the last 1week. Magistrates Interpret Order Strictly and Reluctantly To Apply Ouster Clause In section 18 states the ground for magistrates court to give jurisdiction as according to the Domestic Proceeding and Magistrate Courts Act 197812, neglect or defection to be grounds on which a petitioner for financial provision order may take place. There won’t be any excuse for the judge to give jurisdiction out of the provision stated in the constitution. Appendices Financial Costs of Violence against Women Country or Region Total Cost Estimate Year Type of Violence Type of costs included New South Wales, Australia US $1 billiosn (A$1.5 billion) 1991 Domestic Violence Individual, government, employer and third party: health care, legal, criminal justice, social welfare, employment, childcare and housing. Canada US$2.75 billion (C$4.225 billion) 1995 Physical violence, sexual, rape, incest and child sexual Individual, government and third party: social services, education, criminal justice, labour and work, health and medical. Finland US$53.4 million (FIM296 million) 1998 Female victims of violence who sought help Direct costs incurred by health sector, social sector and criminal justice system. Netherlands US $80 million (NLG165.9 million) 1997 Domestic Violence Police and justice, medical, psychosocial care, labour and social security. New Zealand US$625 million to 2.5 billion (NZ $1.2-$5.3 billion) 1994 Family Violence Individual, government, third party and employer: medical care, social welfare and assistance, legal and criminal justice and employment. Switzerland US $290 million (Sfr.409 million) 1998 Physical and sexual abuse of women and children Police, civil justice, housing, refuge, social services and healthcare. United States US $5.8 billion 2003 Intimate partner violence Medical and mental health care, lost productivity and lost lifetime earnings. Source: UNIFEM (2003) Children and Domestic Violence Finding Source Method In 90% of domestic violence incidents children are present in the same or next room Hughes, 1992 A study of children living in shelters (refuges), USA 75% of mothers reported that that their children had directly witnessed domestic violence, 33% had seen their mothers beaten up and 10% had witnessed sexual violence NCH, 1994 A survey of women distributed via NCH Family Centres, UK In 25% of cases of domestic violence the male perpetrator has also been violent towards the children in the home NCH, 1994 A survey of women distributed via NCH Family Centres, UK 1 in 3 child protection cases also show a history of domestic violence in the home Hester and Pearson, 1998 Hester and Pearson, 1998 UK Data Finding Source Method 59% of young women and 27% of young men have experienced at least one sexually intrusive* incident before the age of 18 Kelly, Regan and Burton, 1991 Survey of 1,244 young people attending Further Education colleges, Britain 21% of young women and 7% of young men have experienced sexual abuse involving physical contact before the age of 18 Kelly, Regan and Burton, 1991 *includes ‘flashing’, being made to look at pornography etc. ** defined as acts ‘to which they had not consented or where â€Å"consensual† activity had occurred with someone 5 years or more older and the child was 12 years or less’. International Data individuals, USA Convicted male sex offenders reported an average of 533 offences and 336 victims each Abel, Mittleman and Becker, 1985 Self-reports of 411 convicted sex offenders, Canada 1 in 2 (49%) adolescent girls had been touched against their will Coker-Appiah & Cusack (1999) Ghana National Study on Violence 1998, survey of 2,069 women and girls suplemented by a five-year review of official records. International Data on Sexual Abuse   NOTE: prevalence and incidence findings vary widely according to the definition of sexual abuse that was applied in each study, the ages at which childhood is deemed to end (14/15/16/17/18), and the data collection methods employed. ï » ¿Domestic Violence Act in UK Essay Domestic can be defined in many ways but the simplest meaning is ‘involving the home or family’ whereas violence means an ‘act of aggression as one against a person who resist’. In addition, violence does not relate to relationship problem or issue but is social context of reflection of a man overruling woman. It happens to all walks of people in life despite of age, sex, race, assets and cartography. Notwithstanding, scoop by both male and female endure hurts during intimate relationship, domestic violence is greatly impact by both gender. Before the existence of the Acts and provision protecting the victim from the abuser many victims had suffer severe injury physically and mentally some had resulted death due to insufficient time to seek for help. Hence, in 1994 the United Kingdom the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service in its ‘Domestic Violence Policy’ applies to domestic vehemence in the limit of violent and abusive attitude. The civil remedies for these offences can be refereed to Domestic Violence and Matrimonial Proceeding Act 19761, Domestic Proceeding and Magistrate Court Act 19782, Part VI of Family Law Act 19963, Protection and Harassment Act 19974. Independent domestic violence counsellors assist victim and their children away from grievous harm from their spouses or family. There are a few organisation and agencies had achieved to get funds to support the victims of Independent Domestic Violence Advisers (DVAs) and Multi- agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARAC) committee. To keep the interests of children at the centre of this research, the analysis was structured around the categories of rights set out under the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)5 such as protection from abuse, fair treatment without discrimination, help in conquer emotion from abuse, stoppage of violence and involving in arrangement for children’s welfare. As time pass, in year 2004 the legislature had extend and amend the provision in Domestic Violence protection order (DVPO) under the scheme the authorities can allowed the victim to calm down and prevent them from harass of the spouses or family for 28 days as before there had been a lacuna due to the lack of evidence against the accused. The DVPOs were intended to solve implication gap in service by providing the victims shelter and counsel and other aids they need. With the implementation of these Acts the victims are able to receive protection and remedies from the right channel of people. The latest Bills and legislation was the Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) 6Act was present in 2003 and came into force in March 2004. The Act make prohibited to performing FGM in UK, prohibits girls from British national or permanent residence of the UK abroad o perform FGM whether legal or illegal in that country, prohibits aid, abet, counsel or procure the carrying out of FGM abroad and lastly sentence up to 14 years in jail ,or, a fine. According , to Lord Laming’s7 article and Eileen Munro’s analysis of protection against children were both found in spite of the differences8, as insufficient help are given to children who needs the essential care and help9. As children need’s will be ignored when most of the attention were placed on the adults disputes as a results what are the remedies were enforce to solved the children problem which brings great influenced in helping to grow in a positive environment and best method to help both abused children and parent. Protection to victims (married / unmarried) The sections in the Family Law Act 1996 10are made to protect victims and not abused them physically, sexually or psychologically against the victim. In addition, threaten in means of physically or mentally and sexually against the victim are protected under this section. The properties such as the orders dealing with who lives in the home, orders regards to their furniture, and other properties belonging of the victim are been protected from damage by any person and the section also spur on for victim to apply for such order in court for their safety. Non- molestation order In section 42 of the family law Act 1996 prohibits one (respondent) from molesting another person who is associated with the respondent include partners and former partners, family relations (including in-law), people who live(d) together, and, people who have children together. For instances forbids the abuser from threatening physical violence, intimidating, harassing, pestering. There is section requesting immediate protection against a child under s 44 of the Children Act 1989. This act may be made for a period of 6-12 months and an arrest can be made if the abuser breaches the order. The victim can however, a non-molestation order which is made in other family cases is terminated as the effect if those trials are withdrawn or dismissed. Occupation Order In section 33- 41 11governs the domicile of the victim and gives them the home rights such as restrain the rights to occupy or visit, force the abuser to move out of the house, avoid the abuser from coming into the house and a 100 meter protection length from the house. As this section can regulates for 6-12 months depending on the courts order. There is also an emergency order in this section which can apply within the last 1week. Magistrates Interpret Order Strictly and Reluctantly To Apply Ouster Clause In section 18 states the ground for magistrates court to give jurisdiction as according to the Domestic Proceeding and Magistrate Courts Act 197812, neglect or defection to be grounds on which a petitioner for financial provision order may take place. There won’t be any excuse for the judge to give jurisdiction out of the provision stated in the constitution. *includes ‘flashing’, being made to look at pornography etc. ** defined as acts ‘to which they had not consented or where â€Å"consensual† activity had occurred with someone 5 years or more older and the child was 12 years or less’. International Data Convicted male sex offenders reported an average of 533 offences and 336 victims each Abel, Mittleman and Becker, 1985 Self-reports of 411 convicted sex offenders, Canada 1 in 2 (49%) adolescent girls had been touched against their will Coker-Appiah & Cusack (1999) Ghana National Study on Violence 1998, survey of 2,069 women and girls suplemented by a five-year review of official records. International Data on Sexual Abuse NOTE: prevalence and incidence findings vary widely according to the definition of sexual abuse that was applied in each study, the ages at which childhood is deemed to end (14/15/16/17/18), and the data collection methods employed.