Poverty Revised Essay

Introduction Disability is recognised as one of numerous factors, for example gender, age and class that interact to deprive individuals and keep them poor. Nonetheless, with several competing main concerns on the development agenda, the relevance of disability to America’s national goals of reducing unemployment and poverty and attaining growth can not be ascertained. However it is clear that the poverty and disability are correlated. This paper will try and analysis the following question: Although poverty is both a cause and a consequence of disability, poverty and disability reinforce each other. Poverty Poverty is an imperative and an emotional problem. In 2006, the Census Bureau released its yearly report on poverty in the America stating that there were almost 36 million poor people living America in a small increase from the previous year. To comprehend poverty and disability in America, it is vital to look behind these figures and to look at the real living situation of the persons the government consider to poor to get the whole picture of the situation that is created by poverty and disability. Today, the issue of poverty and disability in America is creating a major concern as an issue that hinders the economic development goals of America. The issue is both an economical and a social problem. (Riis, pp120) What is disability? Defining the word disability is intricate and controversial. There is no collectively agreed upon meaning of disability. In the past disability was viewed as primarily a medical situation, with the medical or physical problem located in an individual. This medical or physical model was disputed by disability activists who later re-conceptualised disability as mainly a social occurrence. Although resulting from intellectual or physical impairment, disability as got social repercussions and also health ones, a full accepting of disability acknowledges that it has a great human rights aspect and is frequently connected with social segregation, and increased level and susceptibility to poverty. Disability a result of intricate interaction between the practical limitations resulting from an individual’s physical, mental or intellectual state and the social and physical surroundings, It has several dimensions and is far-off than a person medical or health problem. (Hoogeveen, pp 86) The impact of disability on poverty Poverty is both a consequence and cause of disability. The connections between poverty and disability are well known. Disabled people many amongst the poor according to the World Bank estimates, 20% of the world’s poorest people are disabled (Elwan, pp66) Disability affects both the individual and also their families and also carers too. Disabled persons are more susceptible to poverty- The beginning of disability normally has severe, bad financial costs for an individual and his/her household. One disabled person in America summed it up like this: â€Å"If people become disabled, they have to pay a lot for health care and rehabilitation† (Thomas 2005) The economic expenses of disability have got three aspects: direct expenses of treatment; foregone earnings from disability; and indirect expenses to others who offer care. A study in California found out that the average expenses of disability were more than 9% and it amounted to 2 – 3 times the output losses from poor nutrition (Colin. Pp98) Disability is both a cause and consequence of poverty. Eliminating poverty is unlikely to be attained except the rights and requirements of people having disabilities are responded to. According to the U.N one person in 60 people has a disability in America in many cases the young ones and the poor are many among the disable. The reason why disability contributes to poverty is that it; Disability confines access to education and employment, This results to economic power and social exclusion. Poor persons who have disabilities are then caught in a vicious cycle of disability and poverty, each one of them being both a cause and consequence of the other. A large amount of disability is avertable. Attaining the global development objectives for economic, social and also human growth will without doubt decrease the levels of disability in America.   Specific issues are still needed, not only for deterrence, but also to make sure that people having disabilities are able to take part wholly in the development course, attain a just share of the of development benefits, and assert their rights as complete and equal members of community. (Colin, pp100) Rights & Social Exclusion There is a significant and essential distinction between disability and other kinds of disadvantage. Individuals with disabilities can organise themselves to assert their human rights after their extra practical requirements, for example, mobility aids have been availed.   Persons with disabilities have got a right to be incorporated in all issues of life. For them to fight for the right of inclusion, persons with disabilities require to reside in an environment where they are  Ã‚   empowered.   However, persons with disabilities encounter several barriers in achieving equal openings; environmental and accessibility barriers, lawful and institutional obstacles, and attitudinal obstacles which result in social exclusion of these people. Social exclusion is frequently the toughest obstacle to surmount, and is typically associated with one feeling ashamed, fear and rejected. Negative stereotypes are normally associated to disability. People with disabilities are usually consigned a low social standing and in some other cases are considered worthless. Such treatment of people with disability in turn denies them opportunities thus increasing their level of poverty. More so as stated earlier the family members are left with the burden of carrying for these groups hence spending their income on health, medical and upkeep of such a person consequently reducing economic empowerment to the family. (Groce, pp32) The â€Å"social model† of disability An increasingly general criticism of conventional approaches to disability in America, mainly from persons with disabilities is that, their requirements are marginalised by being classified as â€Å"special† or â€Å"different† from those of the populace as a whole. These conventional approaches are being criticised for being motivated by a view that persons with disabilities require assistance to adjust to society’s demands. Such an approach runs the danger of favouring technological or medical resolutions which emphasise variation rather than promoting inclusion. In return such an approach also may hinder the disabled to purse certain opportunities thus enhancing or confining economical status. (Groce, pp33) Increased level exclusion and vulnerability Poverty and disability strengthen one another hence, contributing to an increased level exclusion and vulnerability. The bulk of persons with disabilities discover their situation have an effect on their probability of schooling, working for a livelihood, enjoying their family life, and taking part as equals in the social life. Consecutively, disability aggravates poverty, through increasing seclusion and economic hardship, not only for the person but in times for the affected family also. Kids with disabilities are most possibly to pass away young, or be neglected, emaciated and poor. Persons with disabilities who can no get good education are later unable to find good/no employment, pushing them more severely into poverty. Getting out of the vicious cycle of poverty and disability turns out to be very hard, the consequence of the cycle of poverty and disability is that persons with disabilities are generally among the poor and their literacy levels are significantly lesser that the rest of the nation population. (Riis, pp120) Figure 1: The disability and poverty vicious cycle   Women with disabilities Women with disabilities experience a twofold discrimination on the basis of gender and of impairment; their literacy levels are lower than that of male. Recent researches illustrate that women having disabilities are twice or three times more probable to be victims of sexual and physical abuse compared to women without disabilities. More so the are likely to suffer greater susceptibility to reproductive health issues. There is some lack of responsiveness as regards to women with disabilities and reproductive health requirements. In many times, it is assumed that they are not part of the target groups since being disabled is linked with being sexless. Such discrimination and stereotype of way thinking condemn such women to poverty and thus increase the level of poverty they are already experiencing. In cases where disable women are sexual abused it becomes so difficult to handle physical and psychological instability at the same time. Thus many well be highly affected by such an issue and they may not recover they psychological stability this only compounds there present state. (Hoogeveen, pp 87) The costs of disability Disability not only affects the person, but it impacts on the whole society. The price of excluding persons with disabilities from getting an active participation role in community life is costly and has to be carried by society, in particular   those who take on the weight of caring. This segregation many times results to losses in productivity and individual potential. The United Nations estimates that 15% of the entire national population is negatively affected in one manner or another as a consequence of disabilities. The expenditure of disability has three aspects; The direct expenses of treatment which includes costs of travelling and access; The indirect expenses to those who aren’t openly affected (‘carers’); The opportunity expenses of earnings foregone from inability. Some of the major factors creating this association (on top of the capability limitations imposed by the disables themselves) are the incorrectly limited prospects and self-underpinning combinations of economic and social prejudice, unreachable built surroundings and costly, socially isolations, and counterproductive disability national policies and establishments usually faced by persons with disabilities. As an outcome, they are regularly denied access to learning and employment opportunities, and thus, are usually forced to depend on others especially in their families and also communities for support and economic sustenance. As a result, disabled persons, irrespective of their financial environments, seem to experience a higher than average probability of living in poverty (Riis, pp122) Conclusion Persons with disabilities seem to be amongst the highly economically and socially marginalized populations in America. Poverty and Disability seem to go hand in hand, creating a cycle of increasing causation (Ann, pp56) Disabled individuals are more possibly to be poor than those who are not disabled and individuals living in poverty are highly likely to turn into disabled than those who are rich (Ann, pp56) Many national, international aid organizations and scholars concurs that poverty and disability are underlying intertwined. In America the level of poverty has been on the increase and this is causing a lot of concerns to the society and the federal government. Basically this will continue to be an issue and it needs to be tackled as an economical and social issue.    Reference: Ann, E.: Poverty and disability: A review of the literature. Background Paper for the World Development Report 2002/2003 Washington, DC: World Bank; 2004, pp56 Colin, B: A Legacy of Oppression: A History of Disability in Western Culture. In Disability Studies: Past, Present and Future edited by Len Burton and Mike Oliver. Leeds, UK: The Disability Press; 2005, Pp98-100 Groce, N: Global Survey on poverty and Disability Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA; 2004, pp33 Hoogeveen, J: Measuring Welfare for Small but Vulnerable Groups: Poverty and Disability in America; Journal of America Economies 14, no; 2005, pp86- 87 Riis, J (2001): How the Other Half Lives; New York: Dover Press; 2001, pp120-122

Jackie Kay ”Owl” Essay

The faint, almost invisible, line between child and adult, carefree and responsible, becomes more and more blurry and grey the closer you get to it. First, it is said that you reach adulthood and step into the real world, when you confirm your faith in God, but thrusting that threshold yourself, you just know you are not yet an adult. So then, you postpone it until the age of 18. By then you should be starting your career, or at least have an idea of where you are going, and more importantly you are now legally an adult, with the right to vote and take care of others, but also with the hard realities of facing up to your mistakes. Coming to terms with who you are as you grow up and as an adult is not always the easiest thing. The short story â€Å"Owl† by Jackie Kay treats exactly this subject, of whom you end out to be, and what things you choose to hold on to in life. Jackie Kay chooses in her story to make use of the first-person narrator, and this makes it easier as a reader to identify yourself with the main character Anita. The reader reminisces to own childhood memories and feel like they are in close contact with Anita’s feelings, almost as if they were the reader’s own. When Anita tells her story, she does so by starting out in a flashback from her childhood, with the memory that started it all. The time she went on holiday with her parents and Marion and hers, and they first discovered the screeching barn owl, which would become the foundation for their lifelong friendship. This use of flashback gives the reader a more precise conception of who Anita was as a child, and what made her Barn. As most children Barn was selfish and unable to sympathize. She was not held back by leaving out Sandra when it came to who caused the crowd, and keen neither on giving her an owl-related nickname to include her or even changing her own. When it came to telling white lies to uphold the sacredness of her and Tawny’s new best friendship, she did so without the blink of an eye. As Barn retells the stories of their childhood she leaves little comments, which tells the reader that the pettiness and uncompromising attitude she possessed as a child is no longer with her. She has made a development from child to adult, even though she cannot see it  herself. She notices and analyzes, as she retells, the feelings she put Sandra through by excluding her. This also indicates the change she has made from her age of ten until her forty’s; in spite her own lack of recognizing it. It is later on revealed that the same holiday where Barn and Tawny discovered the barn owl, they also found out that their parents had swapped. This collision of two worlds and confusion over splitting parents keeps coming up in Barns mind. She tells Tawny that she cannot stop thinking about that summer, and at first, one might think that this has to do with the owl that tied their friendship together. However, when looking closer you will realize that her own recent split from a man causes her lingering to this memory. It is briefly brought up by her and Tawny but not really spoken of, which is caused by Barn’s conflicting emotions from her parents split. On one hand, their splitting brought her closer to her best friend and gave her something consistent in her life that she knew would never fail her. On the other, she is scared to be alone, and taking over all the responsibility for herself, becoming an adult. Therefore, she leans on Tawny to be the only trusty thing in her life. The owl in this story seem to have significant meaning to the friendship between Barn and Tawny, and while the owl does symbolize the friendship and the passage between child and grownup, it holds a deeper and more hidden meaning. It symbolizes the burden they have both been carrying on their shoulders ever since that night where they found out about their parents. They have never talked about it and the ignorance of what happened and insecurity about love that followed, all of which yet unexplained, is a contributor to Barns insecurity about who she is even now in her forty’s. As they talk about it and decide to move on they both wake up feeling like the weight have been lifted of their shoulders. And this sweet release is exactly what the heron by the Mersey river resembles. The burden flying away, soaring up, up, up in the sky releasing them from their agony, and taking them back to the simplicity of childhood. Therefore, it seems to be the owl that catches them, brings them in while it is yet another bird, the heron, that is bound to set them free. Tawny’s last comment on how Barn will soon need her wings is Jackie Kay’s way of saying that life is not over just because, you are middle-aged, or you split from your partner or your parents get divorced. Life is only just begun, and I believe that this is the message that Jackie Kay wishes to leave the reader with. You cannot, you must not let the bad things bring you down. Cause if you let them do that then how are supposed to fly?

My Last Duchess by Robert Browning Essay

In poem My Last Duchess, Robert Browning wants his readers to understand the conflict of art and morality. In the poem, the narrator talks about his dead wife, using eloquent words as though his word itself is a painting, but beneath his beautiful words, he tells a story of why and how he killed his wife, â€Å"I gave commands; Then all smiles stopped together† (Browning 2). He killed his wife because, she doesn’t appreciate him as much as he would like her to appreciate him, â€Å"as if she ranked/ My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name/ With anybody’s gift† (Browning 2). The significance of Browning’s title to the theme of the poem is the engagement of art and morality of the poem and the actions of the narrator, he wants his readers to understand the beauty of the poem and question the actions of the narrator. Browning wants to know weather the readers will deem his poetry elegant despite of the fact that the narrator in the poem killed his wife. Works cited Browning, Robert. My Last Duchess and Other Poems. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. (1993).

Critical evaluate the Outokumpu's practices in supply chain management Assignment

Critical evaluate the Outokumpu's practices in supply chain management and provide the Outokumpu with your recommendation - Assignment Example 20% of it is used to manufacture internal components and industrial products. These features allow the company to develop sustainable competitive advantage and prospective growth in the near future (Outokumpu, 2011). This paper is focused on Outokumpu’s approach to global supply chain, the advantages and disadvantages faced by them, and the detailed study of their supply chain process. The supply chain management is one of the vital parts of the operations management of a company. The operations strategy of Outokumpu looks at a long term prospective of the company. It underpins the organizational vision regarding the operational activities.The operations management in the other hand encompasses the entire production process including procurement of raw materials, processing them into final goods, taking care of logistics, managing the supply chain and meeting the demands of the customers in minimum possible lead time.It is mostly short term in nature and deals with the daily activities that helps the organization to reach its goals. The supply chain management of Outokumpu is overseen by the group level. The company constantly monitors the market to make accurate demand forecasts and it modifies its operational activities based on the market scenario and current demand level in the industry. Every business unit is operated by its own supply chain management system , which is overseen by the group level (Outokumpu, 2011). The supply chain management of Outokumpu ensures that it follows the five business imperatives which are, cost, opportunity, flexibility, quality and speed. The company specializes in producing at lower cost, by resource optimization thereby increasing profitability and offering a lower price. The company also ensures that its supply chain process is efficient enough to be dependable and flexible enough to respond to the sudden changes in the market demand by

Responses to the problem Of road accident deaths in Ireland Essay

Responses to the problem Of road accident deaths in Ireland - Essay Example Currently, Ireland has the third highest road and highway fatality deaths throughout the world and much of this has to do with how the law has been regulating the speed limit. The speed for traveling motorists is extremely high and concretes the growing problem of accidents taking place on the highways (RTE News 2006). Furthermore, the research that the National Safety Council has gathered shows that the majority of the problems are necessarily due to any lack of help from law enforcement, but rather from the civilians themselves. Research has proven that if more motorists would be willing to not drink and drive, buckle up, and refrain from speeding there would be far less fatalities on the highways, rural roads, and urban roads within the country of Ireland (RTE News 2006). Queensland Government spent $1.4 million on a media campaign of graphic TV advertisements last April 2006, ahead of the Easter Road Safety period. These advertisements show graphic images of maimed bodies and mangled car wrecks (King, 2006). The speed limit for vehicles towing trailers, caravans, etc.,is 80 km/h (or less where signposted). The speed limit for trucks (over 3.5 tonnes)and single deck buses is 80 km/h (or less where signposted). The speed limit for double deck buses is 65 km/h (Ireland, 2006). Random Breath Testing "Last year in NortThis test is only possible if there has been a road traffic offence, incident or the police suspect that the driver is drunk. FACTS The Positives "Last year in Northern Ireland, there was the lowest death rate in 50 years and certainly a huge amount of that is due to the fact that we did introduce shock advertising in 1994 and we have continued with

THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT IN EDUCATION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT IN EDUCATION - Essay Example Demonstrators are also rallying against the state of the war in Afghanistan, the state of the environment, and a wide array of other domestic and international issues.† (Mohsinzaheer, 2011) Similar protests to the one in New York have broken out in Washington, DC at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum to protest the adding of the Predator Drone to the exhibits. The Predator drone is responsible for killing innocents in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, during the protest a blogger, not particularly fond of the ‘Occupy Protests’, began making some noise and in the end everyone in front of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum during this particular protest wound up getting pepper sprayed by the police on hand. There have also been further protests as far South as Tampa, Florida and as far west as San Francisco, California. In Houston, the people protesting were fighting the big profiteering that government tries to do when raising taxes and cutting jobs lying off city workers. At one point this protest was moved, or forced to move, from its original location in front of City Hall to a nearby park which is twenty minutes from city hall. However once the festival was over, the protests returned to in front of City Hall. The protestors are just trying to show the government what they believe is best for them and not letting the government into railroading them. The protest in New York was showing the other cities across the Nation, that if you stand up for your beliefs you will be heard. People from all walks of life are joining in these protests from the rich to the poor. Everyone at these protests is just there to show their opinion to the public and hope for change to come to the way cities, states, and the U.S. is run. The protest on Wall Street wants to show, amongst other ideals, that it is not the people causing the economic downturn but the banks are the ones that have caused a Global Economic Downturn. In conclusion, the Occupy Protests

Chose one of them Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Chose one of them - Article Example In writing this, the author has ended up comparing apples to oranges to form a path of discovery. Later in the passage, the author admits to the limitations offered by stone tools in order to discover more about human origins. There the author relates that our pens, markers and personal digital assistants would be able to reveal little about us except that we write. In stating this, he is absolutely right. Stone tools can only indicate that human beings were using tools to achieve certain ends. Further down the line, the author has expressed sentimentally that recent investigation proves that stone tools can offer only limited insight into human evolution. However, the author seems disappointed in such an argument because he holds initially that stone tools offer sizable insight into human evolution. Given that this text is an academic investigation, it hardly makes any sense for the author to display his personal sentiments in order to deliver a point of view held by certain profess ionals. This text is also differentiated because the author has modified an excerpt from C. S. Lewis’ novella The Screwtape Letters. The modified text is satirical and has been used rather injudiciously to criticise fellow archaeologists and their unsound professional practices.

This is an essay on MSc International Finance Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

This is an on MSc International Finance - Essay Example If these two concepts are to be mingled, then it may end up as the wrong medicine for a disease and lead to misjudgment and misallocation of resources. IMS does not promise any corrective measure addressed towards the increasing global imbalance. For the past few years the strength of the dollar is declining against the floating currencies of Europe (more specifically against euro and pound) and that of the Anglo Saxon world. However this will lead to the leveling of the current account deficit of USA. It also ensures that US fiscal deficit has to be adjusted immediately resulting in a wide leap in tax rate and finally a 25 percent revaluation of US $. The Europeans are in need for structural reform to liberalize the sclerotic European labor markets. However, neither US nor the European nations are adopting any corrective measures, making the current order as unsustainable. If this continues, the central bank of the Asian countries refuses to accumulate more dollars then in no time it will lead to a global recession. A viable IMS has to mend this type of disaster.

National Economic Policy (macroeconomic) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

National Economic Policy (macroeconomic) - Essay Example The volatility in the spending of the consumers can be influenced by the volatility in terms of trade. After the middle of 1980s Australia has been subjected to less volatile terms of trade. The terms of trade is correlated with economic growth. The terms of trade rises when the economy is experiencing growth while the terms of trade takes the declining curve when there is no such progress in the economy. Question a The terms of trade consists of two prime components namely the world prices of the exports and imports and the goods variety that are offered to the consumers. Australia has been regarded as the country that has the potential to affect the global pries of the goods. The recent developments within the geographic boundary of the country can influence the terms of trade. Australia is net exporter of coal and therefore the rise in the global prices of coal compared to with that of other ICT goods will impact to raise the terms of trade. The terms of trade shares close correla tion with the prevailing exchange rates of the economy. The financial crisis in 1990s led to reduction of the nominal exchange rate. The regional influences can play a part in volatility of the import prices while the prices of exports are influenced only by change in global prices. In short period of time the imports prices fall more rapidly than export prices. The unstable productivity growth in either in tradable or in non tradable commodities sector contributed in boosting the exchange rate. The sectors of finance and insurance and some other sectors experienced rapid productivity growth after the decade of 1980s. The second factor that can be accounted for is the strengthening of the U.S. dollar which was driven by the inflows of capital. The exchange rate therefore remained lower than the fundamental levels in the short time span. The less volatility in terms of trade played a part in keeping the economic growth more or less at the stable state as well as contributed in mainta ining the rate of inflation at lower levels. The terms of trade followed the upward rising curve after 2000 (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 2011). Australia turned away from relative price impulsive properties towards more predictable exports of goods over the last fifteen years. The country now involves itself in export of wider range of rural goods. Vegetables, dairy products constitute the other varieties of exports and exports of such commodities have risen in due course of time. Question b The factors that have the potential to influence the terms of trade are as follows: The global demand fluctuations The commodity market shock Globalization shock The first shock and the second shock play their part in driving the prices for exports while the third shock raises the total productivity of output and at the same time reduces the import prices. The terms of trade line gets shifted as the exchange rate offer surplus to the external shocks. The demand shock will influence the inflation to rise up but the impact is expected to be felt only in the short period of time as the rates of interests are high enough and the real exchange rates appreciates. The IS and the LM curve forms the Mundell-Fleming model. The GDP of any economy is the sum of consumption, investment, government expenditure and net exports. The net exports are the difference between imports and exports. The LM curve uses the following

A Cross-Cultural Study of British, Indian, and Portuguese College Students Essay Example for Free

A Cross-Cultural Study of British, Indian, and Portuguese College Students Essay Love Styles: A Cross-Cultural Study of British, Indian, and Portuguese College Students Love is a feeling known to many people. Sometimes, it becomes a goal for different individuals to find their love through different ways. Moreover, love is a feeling which helps individuals to be compassionate to other people. Hence, love is not a mysterious thing yet no one has really attempted to study such topic for its very vague concept. However, there is a study which presented varying aspects regarding love. The article Love Styles: A Cross-Cultural Study of British, Indian, and Portuguese College Students. Furthermore this article provides a very significant understanding towards the subject of love. Therefore, as stated by the author is categorized into six different types of love. The types of love which were mentioned are Eros, Ludus and Storge which are categorized as the primary styles of love. The secondary styles are Pragma, Mania and Agape. These are all composed of different categories which mostly provide the concept of love in the current society. Eros is known to be the romantic and passionate type of love. Ludus is known to be the game playing love. Storge is a love which is based on friendship. Pragma is meant to name the practical kind of love. Mania is the possessive or dependent kind of love while Agape is the unselfish kind of love. Thus, all of these kinds of love is dynamic that could interchange or develop through time (Neto, 2007). Hence, the author was able to create a study which does not focus on the concept of romantic love but also the varying kinds of love in the society. Hence, in order to understand the concept of love, the author view various culture such as the British, Portuguese and the Indians in order for to attain the accurate results of the data. In the conclusion, the author realized that the need to view love must go through a gender, cultural and psychological aspects for there are great differences in the ethnicity of varying individuals. The research question in the author’s mind is definitely leaning on the concept of love through utilizing the concept of Lee on various students from India, Britain and Portugal. Hence, this is the main basis utilized by Neto in order to derive to such study. In order to get the accurate data, the author used various students of different nationalities such as Indians, British and Portuguese that shall provide different view points of the study. The study was composed of 562 individuals who are not equally divided between male and female. The results stated that different cultures of people are important in predicting the kind of styles of love which they make. Furthermore, the cultural perspective mainly predicts what kind of love the participants wanted to experience. Moreover, the gender of the students who participated is significant in the study. Therefore, there are studies which show that Eros is important to both genders. Hence, in the study Indians is much leaning into three secondary type of love such as Pragma, Mania and Agape (Neto, 2007). Thus, the Portuguese and British participants are much active in the Ludus kind of love. In the whole study, I view that all the information provided is very interesting. The kind of love that is being practiced by different individuals from varying countries is truly affected by the culture and environment they have experienced. Furthermore, I find it very interesting that Indians tend to have a Mania style of love. Although I have learned their culture, I do not believe that Indians’ love style could lead into a very deep and possessive state. I have learned that although love is needed by everyone, the types of love could be different. Love is not only defined through an Eros relationship but also through different kinds of love such as Storge or Agape. Most people see love as a serious relationship that could end up in marriage. Friendly relationships and companionships are also love but with limitations. References Neto, F. (2007). â€Å"Love Styles: A Cross-Cultural Study of British, Indian, and Portuguese College Students. † Journal of Comparative Family Studies. Retrieved on May 13, 2010 from http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_hb3248/is_200704/ai_n32226385/? tag=content;col1

Political Theories in Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins

Political Theories in Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins Karamveer Lalh From the beginning of Mockingjay, we are confronted with the prospect of a brutal conflict between the Districts and the Capitol for control of Panem. For both parties, the conflict is critical. For the capitol it is an opportunity to extinguish the flames of rebellion, and for the districts, it is an opportunity to win their freedom. In order to achieve these ends, control of the country is critical in order to either maintain, or acquire the power necessary to achieve their objectives. Power can be most simply defined as the influence that A has on B in order for B to do a task b that B would not ordinarily do without the influence, whether consciously or subconsciously of A. In Mockingjay, the interactions Collins develops all use power in its most basic form, and this effects every major interaction between the societies, individuals, and governments presented in the novel. These two societies, The Capitol, and The Districts (primarily District 13), provide the framework for the power structures within the novel to exist. District 13 is a highly regimented autocratic society, with each citizen having responsibility and purpose. It is unknown to us the exact government structure and mechanisms of District 13, but it is known that President Coin exerts near unlimited executive power over District 13. We are introduced to the makeup of this society when Katniss and the other refugees from District 12 arrive at District 13 where they are immediately instructed to conform to their new role. German sociologist Max Weber suggests that classes, status groups, and political parties are considered to be associated with power, attempting to achieve one’s will, even in the face of opposition from others. We see that District 13’s power structure is imposed on the newcomers rather swiftly, and met with mixed reactions. Most, such as Katniss’s mother, are grateful for District 13’s ‘generosity’ and conform quickly falling into the status group of â€Å"nurse† which is a valuable to the functioning of District 13, and is then accorded the privileges of that group as a reward for fulfilling her responsibilities. Others, such as Katniss, are more reluctant to do so. In the case of Katniss, we know that she does not need to conform to the expectati ons imposed on her by District 13, because she has power as a symbol. For Coin, being able to control or influence Katniss by winning her favour is more valuable to her goals than the possibility of alienating her by forcing her to conform to the societal expectations that would otherwise be imposed on her. It is important to consider why the District 12 refugees conform to the expectations of their new society. Weber argues that status honour is a more important source of group social action than is class or relation to markets. Status groups can do this in various ways. Status may be a means of maintaining the position of a group that does have privilege. The status group may be closed, with privileges available only to those in the group, and denied to those outside the group. Further, a status group may lead to the development of parties to further some specific interests of the status group. Thus, status groups may become the means by which power or authority is exercised. Social honour may be accorded those who behave in the manner considered desirable by the status group. In this way, the ends of a status group may be furthered. Social approval is a means of achieving the ends of the group while social disapproval may be used as a means of disciplining those who do not behave in the approved manner. (Weber 1920) Therefore, in order for the citizens of District 12 to be accepted into their new society, they must act in a way that would gain them entrance into new status groups within District 13. Due to Katniss’s privilege as the Mockingjay, and the alignment of Coin’s goals, Katniss finds herself in a far higher status group that affords her more freedoms that would not normally be available to most other citizens of Districts 12 and 13. The premise of the story is that there is a brewing civil war between the rebelling Districts (led by District 13) and the loyalists (led by The Capitol). The rebel vs. government relationship is important when discussing traditional vs. revolutionary power, which was outlined by Bertrand Russell. For Russell, all topics in the social sciences are merely examinations of the different forms of power – chiefly the economic, military, cultural, and civil forms. (Russell 1938, 35) Although Russell discusses many aspects of power in his book, a couple concepts stand out when discussing the power dynamics in Mockingjay. One of these is the concept of traditional power. By traditional power, Russell has in mind ways in which people will appeal to the force of habit to justify a political regime: traditional power is psychological and not historical. For many of the districts, rule by the capitol is a given, and their rule had gone more or less unquestioned since the first rebellion, with the apparent destruction of District 13. As Russell claims, traditional power need not be based on actual history, but rather be based on imagined or fabricated history. This falls in line with Capitol propaganda, which suggests District 13 was destroyed for disobeying their rule. Thus, the districts are quite content to submitting to Capitol rule. When District 13 deems itself formidable enough to wage another war, it quickly gains the support of many of the districts. With this, the traditional power of the Capitol begins to end alongside a corresponding change in creeds, heavily influenced by Katniss as the Mockingjay, and President Coin. If the traditional creeds are doubted without any alternative, then the traditional authority relies more and more on the use of naked power, or power by coercion. For the Capitol, this is presented as the games during times of peace, and as force used to supress the dissenting elements of the population in times of turmoil. Where the traditional creeds are wholly replaced with alternative ones, traditional power gives rise to revolutionary power: the goal of the rebel forces. Russell also tackles role of leadership within power, which is especially relevant within Mockingjay as it explores the dynamic between two powerful leaders, Snow and Coin. Russell claims that this impulse to power is not only explicitly present in leaders, but also sometimes implicitly in those who follow. It is clear that leaders may pursue and profit from enacting their own agenda, but in a genuinely cooperative enterprise, the followers seem to gain vicariously from the achievements of the leader, or at least believe the propaganda that is being fed to them. The existence of implicit power, he explains, is why people are capable of tolerating social inequality for an extended period of time (Russell 1938, 16). To extend upon this point, Noam Chomsky suggests that individuals use their individual agency to abrogate their responsibility to think and will actions for themselves. (Chomsky 1999, 53) Although this definition is very broad, it can be used to explain the popular uprisings that occurred whenever the District 13 armed forces entered into a new district, where they were generally greeted as liberators instead of conquerors. Chomsky asserts that authority, unless justified, is inherently illegitimate, and that the burden of proof is on those in authority. If this burden cannot be met, the authority in question should be dismantled. After the introduction of District 13 propaganda, this begins to reflect the view of the majority of the districts. This damages the legitimacy of the Capitol in the eyes of the districts, despite the once effective Capitol counter propaganda proclaiming that they bring security and stability. Institutions such as the hunger games and repressive rule primarily promote this illusion of security. The name of the country: â€Å"Panem†, itself is an allusion to the doctrine of the Roman Empire: panem et circenses, (bread and circuses) which suggests that a distracted populace that’s well fed and entertained will not be willing to rise against the existing power structure, despite any other greivances. (Collins 2010) While the form of government Panem had prior to President Snow is not stated, it is clear that Snow is a demagogue and likely the office of President grants Snow absolute power. Mayors within the districts act simply as governors, ensuring the districts fulfill their quotas of goods to the Capitol and serve no representative roles as a parliamentarian or senator. As a result, the massive poverty, starvation, and brutality witnessed in the districts is either enforced, or ignored. This concept of direct power that Snow expresses is the one-dimensional view of power. This is called the pluralist approach and emphasizes the exercise of power through decision-making and observable behaviour. Robert Dahl, a major proponent of this view, defines power as occurring in a situation where A has power over B to the extent he can get B to do something that B would not otherwise do (Lukes 1974). As power therefore is defined in terms of B and the extent to which A prevails is determined by its hi gher ratio of successes and defeats over B. This kind of overt power is the most observable by an outside party. In the context of the novel, it describes almost all interactions between the governments and their people, be that between Snow and his troops, or Coin and her apparent influence over Katniss. This critique of the behaviourial focus and the recognition of unobservable factors of power is discussed in the two-dimensional view of power developed by Bachrach and Baratz by which power is exercised not just upon participants within the decision making process but also towards the exclusion of certain participants and issues altogether (Lukes 1974). The first dimension claims there is an open system and although admitting that political resources are not distributed equally, they are not centralized in one group’s hands. The second approach however, sees a monopolistic system of inequalities created and maintained by the dominant power. The elite have the means and the political resources to prevent political action that would not benefit themselves. Therefore, the elite determine the agenda of both decision-making and non-decision making. In doing so, they establish their dominance and the subordinance of those on the bottom of the power hierarchy. The capitol, and more directly, Snow, was able to maintain power via use of both legitimate, and during the war, illegitimate means. The government made extensive use of propaganda during the conflict, and maintained the doctrine of panem et circenses to pacify and control the populations. In order to maintain order during the second rebellion, the 13th district, at least in the view of the Capitol, deployed an array of conventional weapons, using unconventional tactics, in order to attack capitol forces and loyalists representing illegitimate power. Although the two dimensional approach to power delves deeper than the first into the nature of power and powerlessness by involving analyses of potential issues, grievances, nondecision-making and non-participation, Lukes finds that it is inadequate because it emphasizes observable conflict only. Nonetheless, an affinity between the two results in their belief that where there is conflict, there is an element of power in both decision-making and nondecision-making. Barach and Baratz (Lukes 1974) states that if there is no conflict, overt or covert, the presumption must be that there is consensus on the prevailing allocation of values, in which case nondecision-making is impossible. Here, there is no consideration of latent conflict or attention as to how interests not consciously articulated may fit into the power relationship. Lukes identifies manipulation and authority as two forms of power, which do not necessarily involve evident conflict. People abide by the power of authority b ecause they either respect or accept its legitimacy. Compliance to the power of manipulation often goes unrecognized by the conformer because focus is placed on irrelevant matters and the key aim is downplayed. In neither is there observable conflict, but latent conflict occurs because the individual may be agreeing to something contrary to their interests without even knowing. The example that best illustrates this in the novel is that the Capitol government is aware of the citizens of the districts suffering, and primarily enforces suffering, (ex: The Hunger Games), as a means of control, and to essentially use the district citizens as slaves to provide for the Capitols exorbitant greed. District 2 is of particular note, as they are viewed favourably by the Capitol and typically are more receptive to Capitol policies than other districts, and earnestly believe in serving the Capitol loyally, despite the repressive and subservient nature of their relationship with the Capitol. This is likely not in their interests. The third dimension of power seeks to identify how A gets B to believe and choose to act in a way that reinforces the bias of the system, advancing the cause of A and impairing that of B, usually in the form of compliance. (Lukes 1974) Such processes can take place in a direct and intended way through media and communication. A takes control of the information channels and B is socialized into accepting, believing, and even supporting the political notions instilled by A. The shaping of individuals conceptions can also take place indirectly or even unintentionally through ones membership in a social structure. Patterns of behaviour, norms and accepted standards apparent in the action and inaction of the group are automatically adopted. This is relevant when examining the District 13 government and what power it holds. President Coin holds significant executive power over the citizens of 13, as well as other rebel forces. In essence, Coin mirrors Snow especially in regards to the power structure of both governments. Both rule over largely ignorant societies who assume that their leaders have the best interests of the entire nation in mind when they follow them. This, according to Lukes is the highest form of power: one where the subjugated do not consciously realize they are actively being controlled by a higher power. In contrast, Katniss retains power in herself in this form as she has the ability to influence the opinions of the populations of other districts, in her role as the Mockingjay. These districts follow Katniss because she symbolizes their cause: freedom from oppressive rule. As for what Collins views as the most effective form of power, it is quite clear that her purpose in writing the novel is by no means a treatise on power, rather a soft sci-fi thriller with an otherwise strong and complex female lead. Collin’s inclusion of power is instead a reflection of Russell’s perspective that all relationships and conflicts can be viewed as a power relationship. With that in mind, Collins chose Katniss to be the primary agent in the novel, thus she is the individual that wields the most power, especially as a propaganda tool, as the war is one where the legitimacy of both governments are called into question. Both sides in the conflict are aware of this, and by using primarily Peeta as a pawn, they are able to have an influence over Katniss. Another potentially useful example is the influence that Snow still had on Katniss immediately before he was scheduled to be executed, or the huge influence Katniss as the Mockingjay had over the general popul ation by appearing as a symbol to unite behind. Therefore, it can be said that Collins implicitly demonstrates that the third dimension of power, or power over shaping opinions, is the most significant form of power. References Chomsky, Noam. 1999. Profit over People: neoliberalism and global order. New York: Seven Stories Press. Collins, Suzanne. 2010. Mockingjay. New York: Scholastic. Lukes, Steven. 1974. Power: A Radical View. Palgrave MacMillan. Russell, Bertrand. 1938. Power: A New Social Analysis. London: George Allen Unwin LTD. Weber, Max. 1920. Politics as a Vocation.