Monday, September 30, 2019
Environmental Justice In Central America Region: A Critical Perspective Essay
This paper aims to talk a about the realities of life in the Central America region without withholding any truth about the situation in the country. The things that will be dealt with in this paper is very relevant in giving inquiries about how the economic and political intervention of superior countries affect the whole lives of the people in the Central America region. Introduction            Human needs do not only include the necessity to eat meals everyday. It also includes the right to live with dignity and self-reliance without the oppressive intervention of other countries. Life in the Central America region is just as simple as that of other third world countries, that are known to be developing in their status. People there are also hoping for a peaceful, harmonious and progressive existence on earth. That is why people are trying hard to cope up with the changes in the environment brought out by the decisions made by man.            The decisions that I am talking about has something to do with the ability to commit to the preservation of natural resources in the region. Without the will to choose preservation of natural resources, the next generation of the said region will suffer after the prior generation will harvest what nature has to give back. It is not debatable that the people in the region are suffering through the years due to lack of giving importance of natural resources. There may be different factors outside the will of the people, that has been considered as the causes of this event, but at some extent, it is still the fight of the people that will stop the environmental abuse in the region. The environment is no longer working in line with man’s needs but rather going against it. The said situation is very alarming that many scholars and authors like Roberts and Thanos who gave a very comprehensive and relevant criticism and analysis of the situation in Central American region. This paper then, would be guided by the way how the two authors attacked the environmental injustice that occurred in the region under study.            Basically, the needs of an individual alone will include food, shelter and clothing. These needs must be provided to the person because it will serve as one factor on how he would live his life. The moment these needs are not achieved, the individual will suffer physically, as he would get sick due to lack of food, shelter and clothing. The individual will also suffer psychologically and emotionally as he would be disturbed on the difficulty of his situation. Therefore, human needs must be met in all circumstances in life.            In connection with that, it is humbly and respectfully submitted that, the necessity of the development of long-term and sustainable alternative production mechanisms and the promotion that human needs must determine the distribution of food are the solutions to stop environmental crises and poverty in Central America region. Thus, politics and economics must not be the determinant factors or basis in the distribution of food in the region, but human needs in general. What has been the root cause of this submission? The authors of the book â€Å"Trouble In Paradise†, which are Roberts and Thanos perfectly pointed out the environmental problems in the Central America region which greatly affected the lives of the people and will surely affect the next generation. The book talks about Green Revolutions, Deforestation, and New Ideas, that are very much related with each other. Basically, it was pointed out in the article that the widespread adoption of pesticides and fertilizers as well as the rapid growth of biotechnology and genetic seed manipulations altered the human conditions in the region. With that, there is a need to work hard in order to solve the problem.            The purpose of the said changes and innovation in the said region is the attainment of modernization and economic progress at the expense of the environmental or ecological balance. It must be stated that without the preservation of the environment, the economic progress that has been achieved will become useless by the time floods, storms and other calamities will occur due to abuse in nature.            Deforestation has been done to be able to supply logging needs of other countries with the hope of gaining profits with the said import transaction without thinking that eventually, it will cause greater problems aside from poor economic condition. The problems of overpopulation, unequal distribution of wealth and land, as well as natural hazards occurred in the region affecting the lives of the people. If nothing will be done at the moment, the problem will become worse and worse as the time continue to roll. Environmental Justice in Central America Region            Roberts and Thanos practically stated that, the purposes of the modernization of agriculture are to develop the third world through United States aid projects, address poverty and economic stagnation as well as to create markets for United States products. Actually, there is something questionable on these purposes, as these has been the reason why many people are suffering in the Central America region. In the guise of United States aid projects, the countries in the region are affected by the results of widespread modernization of agriculture.            The main reason why it should be done is to augment the food supply system in the region and to sell the agricultural products surplus to other countries. But, the ends does not justifies the means, as the purpose was defeated in the long run. It is true that poverty is addressed in those ways, but there was no valid and diligent consideration on how the processes will affect ecological balance in the region.            What is more shocking is the very purpose of finding dumping grounds for the products produced by the Americans. The country tried to look for markets for their products by means of establishing connection with other countries, particularly third world countries through giving them numerous aid projects in return. The said underground purpose of the American nation is so oppressive and destructive that it should be stopped. Third world countries must be given their chance to govern their own economic and political development under environmental justice considerations.            There were so many problems that occurred in the region due to the Green Revolution, that is the modernization of agriculture. First, the said modernization of agriculture was not introduced into a social vacuum. The modern techniques for agricultural production was mainly confined on the rich and affluent families that are connected with political leaders that they are closely associated with. The poor and working tenants or the masses were not informed of the said modern techniques. This is because the modern techniques of agricultural production is the vehicle for producing export commodities. The local inhabitants were not taken into consideration as there will be no profits that can be taken from them. Their role in the situation is to become the working class as farmers and not to share with the fruits of their labor.            Second, the situation reinforced and worsened the economic and social divisions in the Central America region. The truth is, few of the elite landowners as well as wealthier peasant farmers and the poor are greatly divided as there was a great disparity of their income and social standing. The poor and working class, who were the people who caused the tremendous production of agricultural products were downgraded to wage laborer status instead of getting an appropriate share of the profits.            Third, there was a terrible states of erosion and contamination. This happened because there was a serious and heavy reliance on agrochemicals that created ecological damages. Merriam- Webster On line Dictionary simply defined agrochemicals as those belonging to fields or soil (â€Å"Agrochemicals†). Practically, agrochemicals were used to control the presence of pests in the agricultural fields worldwide to be able to prevent it from destroying the crops.            However, this solution to the problem was not really effective and there was no difference on the results when agrochemicals are used compared to its lack of use. Roberts and Thanos declared in their work that, pests continue to destruct around 37% of the world’s agricultural products and compared to the time before the modernization of agriculture, pests also caused the loss of 34-40% of all the global agricultural production (Roberts and Thanos, 2003, p. 70). Thus, due to the ineffectiveness of the use of agrochemicals, the environment was affected and the ecology with all its living things suffered imbalance. Now, what are other effects of this destructive practice in farming? What about the share of political agenda on this matter? Was it fair for the people in general?            Unfortunately, the answers of these questions were vague and we need to seriously deal with this. Roberts and Thanos correctly commented that, in the political arena, what happened was that, agricultural inputs such as seeds and machinery that are exported from wealthy countries are very expensive but agricultural products are sold cheap (Roberts and Thanos, 2003, p. 70). This means that aside from the environmental injustice that was brought by the use of agrochemicals, there was also an economic unfairness that was experience by those farmers who worked hard to till the land that may be owned by them or by rich large landowners.            What is worse is the fact that, there was a finding that pesticide poisonings known as nemoticide caused sterility in male laborers. This product was actually banned in the United States but was dumped or sold in the Central America region (Roberts and Thanos, 2003, p. 70). The product was obviously banned due to its negative effects in the health of the person. The farm workers who will be affected in the said pesticide will surely suffer.            Besides, regulatory agencies and United States manufacturers were aware of the danger of pesticide use but there was no care on the matter as long as profits can be taken from the export of pesticide activities (Roberts and Thanos, 2003, p. 70). The dumping ground of this product are the third world countries of which are trying hard to improve their agricultural production for economic advancement. Then, the third world countries are easy prey to the deception that was done in terms of exporting dangerous nemoticide chemical. In order to facilitate the export of these restricted pesticide products, the same were illegally shipped to third world countries without warning labels of its negative effect in their consumption pertaining to agricultural production (Roberts and Thanos, 2003, p. 70).            In addition to that, Roberts and Thanos also pointed out that, the said dangerous chemical can also affect women and children (Roberts and Thanos, 2003, p. 70).Going back to the scenario wherein the other poor and working peasants became the workers of the large lands to produce export commodities, there were many negative effects it would bring to them in particular. The owners of these farms only raked profits of the production but little did they know that the farmers who worked in the farm experienced health problems in the process.            Women and children can be seen in the farm helping in the production process. The children, young as they were, would help in harvesting the export commodities produced in the fields. Women also work, in addition to the activities they are confined with in their homes. In line with these, Pan International said that, short term economic interests greatly affects policy-making (â€Å"Dangerous Pesticide Use In Central America-Wanted A New Approach†, 2001, p. 1). The said interests of producers of those export commodities and the pesticide industry have prevailed over concerns of public health (â€Å"Dangerous Pesticide Use In Central America-Wanted A New Approach†, 2001, p.1). This was really a sad report and very unfair for that matter.            Another thing is that, theres was a directive to use pesticides safely but by all means use pesticides in the agricultural production (Roberts and Thanos, 2003, p. 70). Yet, the assurance was repeated by pesticide producers and backed up by scientific studies which was paid for and done by pesticide companies themselves (Roberts and Thanos, 2003, p. 70).That was also a case of utter deception. It was pointed out by Pan International that, pesticides are hazardous technology when used under conditions that cannot give a minimum of safety, and they have negative effects in the worker’s health (â€Å"Dangerous Pesticide Use In Central America-Wanted A New Approach†, 2001, p.1).            The truth is, this is incompatible with principles of sustainable development. Global community defined sustainable development as the sound balance among the interactions designed to make a healthy economic growth, preserve environmental quality, make a wise decision on our resources and enhance social benefits (â€Å"Definition of Sustainable Development†). Another thing that was done by companies to produce export commodities was the biotechnology industry. Roberts and Thanos explained that, â€Å"many seed and biotechnology companies was bought by chemical producers who made species resistant to their own herbicides, so that other plants will die while only the modified species continues to grow after application of weed killers†(Roberts and Thanos, 2003, p. 70). This process will also destroy ecological balance as it will eventually make other living things extinct.            Moreover, the University of Texas Press also pointed out that, economic reform or liberalization in Latin America generally included the eradication of protectionist rules, the availability of international markets by decreasing tariffs and quotas, the privatization and or disbanding of government corporations for rural credit, infrastructure, commercialization and technical assistance, the end or even reversal of land reform rules and regulations and the radicalization or reorientation of food policies pointed on the internal market toward an export-based agricultural economy (â€Å"Food For The Few: Neoliberal Globalism and Biotechnology in Latin America†, 2008, p. 1). The effects on this pattern was directed to the constituents of the third world countries, particularly the Central America region. Aside from that, the University Press presented the fact that, â€Å"many people are excluded as producers by the new agricultural policies and technologies†(â€Å"Food For The Few: Neoliberal Globalism and Biotechnology in Latin America†, 2008, p. 1).            Furthermore, the ranks of the unemployed was increased due to this phenomenon and peasant farmers were made as wage workers (â€Å"Food For The Few: Neoliberal Globalism and Biotechnology in Latin America†, 2008, p. 1). The sad thing is that, third world counties possess the largest plant biological diversity on earth, as well as the largest problems of soil depletion and environmental problems (â€Å"Food For The Few: Neoliberal Globalism and Biotechnology in Latin America†, 2008, p. 1). The injustice that we knew through this fact is very evident and degrading on the part of developing countries that for so long, they were deceived and used by oppressive rules and polices.             This time, we will be informed of the effects of deforestation due to the efforts of agricultural modernization of countries. But before that, it is wise to define first the term modernization. Global Change defined deforestation, as â€Å"the conversion of forest to another use or the long- term decrease of the tree canopy to include below a 10% threshold†(â€Å"Deforestation†). It also implies the long-term or permanent loss of forest cover and its transformation into another land use (â€Å"Deforestation†). Some of the activities that are very much related to deforestation are forest clearing, degradation and fragmentation by means of timber harvest, conversion to agricultural road building and human-caused fire (â€Å"Deforestation†). Merriam-Webster also simply defined deforestation, as the action or process of clearing of forests, the state of having been cleared of forests (â€Å"Deforestation†).            Roberts and Thanos mentioned that, rich countries are considered consumers of forest timber and they contribute to deforestation in a large capacity (Roberts and Thanos, 2003, p. 77). The regular harvest of timber products without replacing them was exported to wealthy nations for their use. The Central America region is rich in its timber products resources and it follows that many of its forests were victims of rampant deforestation.            Aside from that, each generational increase in human numbers places additional demands on land and natural resources (Roberts and Thanos, 2003, p. 77). The people will cut more and more trees and clear the forest fro them to have additional place to live and land to till for survival. Those who are poor and cannot afford a land for their own, will be forced to go to the countryside to live. They would develop the forest area on their own way and live there with their extending families. As a result, in the Central America region, the forest was in the edge of disaster due to deforestation (Roberts and Thanos, 2003, p. 77). The living things that can be found in the area will loose its place to live. As a result, they would become extinct in the long run. Extinction of living things in the ecosystem will cause ecological imbalance affecting the entire place. Ecological imbalance will affect farming activities that will cause shortage in the production of food resources.            There are examples of forest in the Central America region that is known for its rich biodiversity features and natural resources. In Mexico, for instance, the forest named as Lacondona Forest was known for its rich natural resources and wide area (Roberts and Thanos, 2003, p. 78). Also, in Costa Rica their forests was famous for being full of bird species larger in numbers compared to other countries with the same land area. This fact is good to know but was disrupted by the fact that these forests has been used to produce timber products for export purposes without doubling its reforestation activities. It is alarming to note that trees were cut in these areas without giving much effort in replacing those trees that had been cut. The soil erosion is common in areas were tress are always cut and were forest were cleared. That would cause flood and storms that will affect the people living in the area. If there will be more floods in these areas, the lives of the people will be displaced. Many will die and get sick for that matter.            In line with that, Roberts and Thanos practically mentioned that, there were some research pertaining to this matter speaking that, when there is environmental degradation, social inequality increases (Roberts and Thanos, 2003, p. 78). As the natural resources become depleted, the rich nations will find more places to exploit almost destroying all forests, while the poor ones will eventually loose its home. More people will loose their jobs and others will continue working with timber companies having a low wage. Children will suffer from too much hunger and their development as a child will be affected. The women in the families will live within their means that is already too small for their families to survive. Their families will suffer diseases brought by famine and natural disasters while the rich ones continue to live comfortably. This social inequality had exists in the region for so many years and will continue to happen if the environmental problems will not be given priority for solutions. While the rich countries are the most benefited by the natural resources production of developing countries, they should be aware that if they will continue to do this practice, they would also be eventually affected because we are just living in the same planet.            With that, Roberts and Thanos pointed out that, transnational groups such as the World Wide life Fund, Conservation International and Nature Conservancy intended to give assistance and funding to countries that were politically â€Å"open†and where there were already active local conservation groups (Roberts and Thanos, 2003, p. 78). Now, what is the rationale for this one?Why is it necessary for the wealthy countries to select only those politically open nations to extend aid projects? That was very alarming and it means injustice. Admittedly, it could be logically said that wealthy countries would give help in the guise of financial aid for reforestation projects to get something in return. They like those nations who could give them favor while they extend funding to them. As such, the developing countries will believe with them because of the hope that they could use the extended or sponsored reforestation to rehabilitate their already destroyed forests. Yet, these purpose actually cause so many problems involving the same people who live in the areas where forests are rehabilitated to some extent by foreign aid projects.            In line with that, Roberts and Thanos were aware that, forest-dwelling individuals were relocated out of the protected areas and treated as poaches if they continued to harvest fuel wood, wildlife, medicines or other forest resources that had sustained them for generations Roberts and Thanos, 2003, p. 79). It would be unfair for this people who are the most holder of rights to live in the area knowing that they can no longer survive to live in the cities. Their only resort is to live in the forest and depend on the natural resources that they could get there. These natural resources are the only things that they could afford because they do not have the money to afford things that are sold in the city like medicines, foods and even clothing.            For so long, they were so dependent on the produce of the forest for food for their families to survive. Thus, any attempt to deprive them of the right to take resources in the forest and to live there give them no choice but to rebel. It is ironic that the people who occupied and called the lands their owned were not allowed to use the same for their benefits. Then, it was absurd to rehabilitate forests when the supposed to be recipients are driven away.            While it is true that there was a peasant- administered conservation reforestation projects, the same was not reasonable and fair. Roberts and Thanos confided with this respect that, large landowners were reportedly paid up seven times more than small landholders and squatters were paid less Roberts and Thanos, 2003, p. 79). The said disparity in payment is not acceptable in a society that loves freedom and self-reliance. That was an example of economic and environmental injustice to the prejudice of the people in the Central America region.            However, no matter how unfair the situation may be, as long as it can contribute to the rehabilitation of the forests, then it would be okay. The best thing that should be done is fight for the rights that is accorded to an individual so that injustice will not prevail. Yet, how said it is to say this, that if we succeed in saving an ecosystem but lose the people that are a part of it, what have we really won? No matter how we try to save the environment when the people are no longer surviving, it will be useless.            One solution to the problem is the introduction of ecotourism. This term was simply defined by the American Heritage Dictionary of the American Language as, a tourism involving travel to places of natural or ecological interest, typically under the guidance of a naturalist, for the purpose of observing wildlife and learning about the environment (â€Å"Definition of Ecotourism†). This means that, there were groups of people who are holding projects in this purpose for governmental profits or purposes and sometimes aided by foreign funding.            Tourists are the frequent visitors of places that are placed as ecotourism business and only few of the domestic people who availed of the said services. These people who avail services under ecotourism pay an indigenous community, government agency, or even private establishment to let them â€Å"experience nature†(Roberts and Thanos, 2003, p. 80). They would really enjoy the adventure as the forests in the Central America region are beautiful places to visit with and that it was known for its rich biodiversity and ecological resources.            Actually, the visitors will also be informed of the importance of ecological imbalance. However, environmentally benign projects, like observing or feeding wildlife, can be incredibly disruptive when repeated by flocks of ecotourists everyday, or even several times a day (Roberts and Thanos, 2003, p. 80). That means the living things that are preserved in ecological preservation projects are â€Å"preserved to death†as pointed out by Roberts and Thanos (Roberts and Thanos, 2003, p. 80). For instance, if there were many birds in the area for ecotourists, these species of birds will be disrupted by the constant presence of people who will sometimes feed them improperly. Besides, due to the increase of the number of tourists in the area, it could be possible that building other infrastructure within the area for commercial purposes could happen. The aim of preserving the ecology would become useless if this thing would occur.            At this juncture, it is expected that we will be informed of the contentious globalization touching the topic of international law, treaties, green labeling and human rights. This is a very important topic since it talks about the dynamics of the environmental problems in the Central America region. According to Roberts and Thanos, Justice Lloyd Doggett’s decision to allow the suit in a Texas court was a pivotal step in the international struggle to make transnational corporations more accountable to their employees (Roberts and Thanos, 2003, p. 81). This a practical solution to end utter oppression in the region leaving the indigenous inhabitants nothing in their hands as if their lives depends upon the whims and caprices of these transnational corporations.            In connection with that,this was considered an international struggle because the problem is not only existent in the Central America region but also in other third world countries. The said case proposed that, the principal determinants in the case were political, economic and social factors-not technical or procedural factors as claimed by Dow and Shell (Roberts and Thanos, 2003, p. 80). If the principal determinants of the case would be technical and procedural factors, the rationale that was built within the law used as the basis for rendering decision will be put to nothing.            There was a very strong argument that is connected of the case given as an example on how international law would come to the rescue concerning international struggle for environmental injustice. If we could remember the cases of laborers who are victims of sterility due to the dangerous chemical nemoticide produced by Dow and Shell Companies, thousands of farmers filed cases against them asking for damages (Roberts and Thanos, 2003, p. 71). In line with that, the dominance of profit interests as well as control over information and technology by the manufacturers who concealed early toxicological research evidence of the reproductive hazards and by the managers of the banana producer-companies influenced and ultimately determined the case (Roberts and Thanos, 2003, p. 81). Profit-oriented companies do not care with the health of the people and instead refuse to disclose the danger of said chemicals early on so that the peasants could prepare and be warned of its ill effects.            There were so many people who fought to solve these problems in the region. Many people also fall as victims of human rights violations as they magnified their struggles. Some died for that matter. With that, Roberts and Thanos wrote that, the deaths of these people gives us an idea that we must turn our focus to the social and political underpinnings of violence. It was so sad that individuals needed to shed blood in order to defend their own lands. For example, Sign On San Diego pointed out that, a leading human rights group said that, it had lost its faith in Mexico’s legal system and would take is efforts to clear the names of two celebrated anti-logging activists to an international tribunal (â€Å"Mexican Rights Groups Says It Will Take Environmentalists Case To International Court†, 2002, p. 1).            Finally, alternative production mechanisms should be done by the people in their own efforts with the assistance of their governments in the region. The organic food production was tried wherein the use of pesticides was lessened to some extent. However, Roberts and Thanos reported that only a few profit will go to the contract farmer and the rest of the fruit of his labor will go to the seeds producer, fertilizer companies and others (Roberts and Thanos, 2003, p. 81). Fair trade efforts was also done wherein farmers were paid a fair amount or living wage on their exported products. Conclusion            The destruction of the environment will result to the suffering of the people. It will create a dilemma that will haunt them as pervasive as to the next generation. That is why it is necessary to take good care of the ecological balance of nature. Deforestation must be stopped and reforestation must be done double time. This is because according to the Rotarian Fellowship for Population and Development, deforestation contributes to soil erosion, scarcity of water, and climate changes (â€Å"Population and Deforestation in Central America†). Aside from that, three fourths of Central America is hilly or mountainous and that when it would be stripped with cover and the trees would be cut, it would unable to hold water and soil (â€Å"Population and Deforestation in Central America†). As a result, the destruction from Hurricane Mitch was seriously caused by the deforestation because of overpopulation in the region.            It is also concluded that, the environmental preservation projects that was made in the forests of the Central America region was not sustainable because it could disrupt the existence of living things in places made and intended for ecotourism. The purpose of preserving the wild animals and plants will be defeated of the constant presence of visitors and adventurers in the area. Thus, environmentally-benign projects are indeed not sustainable.            Finally, we should learn lessons from this paper since it has something to do with our survival and the future of the next generation. We must admit that all things are interconnected that any destruction done in the other side of the globe would affect us in one way or another. The realization that the environment is the common factor that would help us solve poverty is evident and we should not discard the idea. It may be true that wealthy nations will live comfortably because of the wealth that was taken from deforestation and inappropriate farming methods, but time will come that they would experience calamities as a result of the ecological abuse. Therefore, all of us must unite in preserving the fragile planet in which all of us are housed. References Global Change. (2008). Global Deforestation. Retrieved March 23, 2008,           from            http://www.globalchange.umich.edu/global/change2/current/lectures/deforest/deforest.html. Global Community. (2008). Definition of Sustainable Development. Retrieved March 23, 2008 from            http://globalcommunitywebnet.com/globalcommunity/definitionsustainabledevelopment.htm Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.(2008). Agrochemicals. Retrieved March 23, 2008, from            http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/agrochemicals. Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. (2008). Deforestation. Retrieved March 23, 2008, from            http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/dictionary&book=dictionary&va=deforestation. Pan International Website. ( December 2001). Dangerous Pesticide Use In Central America-    WantedA New Approach. Retrieved March 23, 2008 from http://www.pomuk.org/pestnews/            issue/pn54p.12.htm Roberts, J. T. and Thanos, N. D. (2003). Trouble In Paradise. USA: Routledge. Rotarian Fellowship for Population and Development. (2008). Population and Deforestation:   Central America. Retrieved March 23, 2008, from            http://www.rifpd.org/overview/predicaments/enviroment/deforestation/deforestation.html. Sign On San Diego. (21 August 2002). Mexican Rights Group Says That It Will Take                                  EnvironmentalistsCase To International Court. Retrieved March 23, 2008, from            http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/mexico/20020821-1356-mexico-humanrights.html. The American Heritage: Dictionary of American Language. (2000). Definition of Ecotourism.                                                                                                                                                           20            Retrieved March 23, 2008, from http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/            ecotourism. University of Texas Press. (2008). Food For The Few: Neoliberal Globalism and Biotechnology in            Latin America. Retrieved March 23, 2008, from http://www.utexas.edu/utpress/excerpts/            exotefoo.html. Â
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Book review of The Hunger Games – Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins Katniss Everdeen has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark. Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a â€Å"Victor's Tour†of the districts. Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering, but the Capitol is still very much in control as President Snow prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games (Quarter Quell) – a competition that could change Panem forever.I enjoyed this book as it kept me reading on and wanting to know what's going to happen next ecause the story line and the descriptive detail on each page. I didn't really dislike any parts of the book as it kept me reading on and I wanted to read more of what going to happen. Katniss Everdeen – is Just trying to get her life back to normal. But people of District 12 look at her differently now, and she's always on the radar in the Capitol. Now that she's won the Hunger Games, Katniss' family gets to live in a nice house and will never go hungry.Her role as the family's breadwinner is no longer needed. The others in her district also get more food and will be better off for at least a year, hanks to Katniss and Peeta's win in the arena. To them, she's a hero, but to herself, she's anything but. It seems pretty obvious what the most dangerous option of these is. It's harder to tell what was really going on in her mind, though. Most of the time, Katniss is full of self-loathing, especially when she must decide whether to run away or stick it out in District 12 and try to fght the Capitol.She wants her old life back as she knew where she stood in life; ‘l mourn my old life here. We barely scraped by, but I knew where I fit in, I knew what my place was in the tightly interwoven fabric hat was our life. I wish I could go back to it because, in retrospect, it seems so secure compared with n ow, when I am so rich and so famous and so hated by the authorities in the Capitol. ‘ Peeta Mellark – Throughout the book, Katniss admires Peeta's ability to make speeches: and then I think of it, what Peeta can do much better than the rest of us.He can use words. He obliterated the rest of the field at both interviews. And maybe it's because of that underlying goodness that he can move a crowd – no, a country – to his side with the turn of a simple sentence. ‘ Peeta speaks as naturally as Katniss hunts, but his skill isn't called for in the arena like hers is. It's the luck of the draw that she ends up as the face of the revolution, all the while thinking that Peeta would be much better suited for the task.Peeta is a bit of a contradiction: he's one of the kindest and least selfish characters in the book, but he's also one of the best liars. When the tributes have their final televised interviews before the Quarter Quell, Peeta steals the show by pr oducing not Just one but two excellent lies. These lies, pregnant, are so effective that the audience seems likely to explode. Gale Hawthorne – He and Katniss understand each other because they're both from the poorest part of town. He's a great hunter and a responsible provider for his family.And he and Katniss have a long history together. Gale and Peeta are also very different guys. Where Peeta is selfless, Gale is selfish. He wants Katniss all to himself; while Peeta is prepared to let her go if it will save her life. Consider how Katniss approaches both guys with her plan of running away. Gale is all into it until he learns that Katniss expects Peeta to go, too. In contrast, Peeta expects that Katniss would ant to bring Gale along, and he's still willing to follow her. But Just because Gale is selfish doesn't mean he's bad.It's kind of flattering to Katniss that he wants her all to himself, although she wouldn't be able to live with herself if they left Peeta behind. Eve n though Gale hasn't suffered like Katniss has at the hands of the Capitol, he's more than ready to rebel. Whereas Katniss is usually wishy-washy and cautious about the opposing the Capitol, Gale is certain. He's sick of the rules, sick of watching his family go hungry, and sick of having no choice about his future. He's so firmly against the Capitol that he won't even accept a gift Katniss brings him from the region.Gale has always been one for breaking the law. Like Katniss, he's had to poach to find food for his family, so obeying the law wasn't really an option. Unlike Katniss, though, Gale gets caught and is whipped within an inch of his life. Rather than scare him into submission, though, Gale Just becomes even more anti-Capitol. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes action and romance books as this has both, action from the games and rebellion and the romance from Peeta and Katniss.
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Philips Maps Out a New Direction Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Philips Maps Out a New Direction - Case Study Example By cutting down to just 3 major divisions, the company's focus is likely to sharpen. Using multiple business units to produce a wide range of products would most likely result of wastage of resources, cost inefficiencies, and lack of a unified direction for the company as a whole. (A&AS, 2002) Cutting down to just 3 units therefore, among other things, aims to reduce operating costs. Divisions which need similar raw materials, man-power and expertise are merged into one unit so that resources can be utilized more efficiently. (A&AS, 2002) This sort of reorganization would also increase brand awareness and recognition, as the products would be better positioned in the minds of the consumers. Producing a wide range of products under one brand name usually creates confusion for the consumers as to what exactly to identify the brand with. By divesting low-margin products, and focusing a narrower and better defined product mix, this confusion would be minimized. (A&AS, 2002) The sort of r estructuring which entails divesting products and cutting down number of work units usually results in laying-off employees. This could result in unemployment, not to mention lower job security for existing employees. As is mentioned in the case, Philips faces problems when it comes to brand recognition, as Philips products are marketed in North America under a variety of names. Also, Philips LCD television technology currently has the No.2 spot in China, however, this success could be short-lived if China pumps.
Friday, September 27, 2019
The issue of how children should be treated in the tax system.and more Assignment
The issue of how children should be treated in the tax system.and more - Assignment Example The Canada Child Tax Benefit came to existence as a response to a commitment made by the parliament of Canada in the year 1989, to completely eliminate child poverty in Canada by the end of that millennium. For a person to qualify for this payment they must be living with and providing care to a child of bellow 18 year, must be Canadian residents, and must have a common-law partner or a spouse. This paper aims at discussing how children should be treated in the tax system. The first time Canada introduced financial assistance to families with children bellow the age of 18 was in the year 1945. This was made possible through the Family Allowance Act of 1944. In 1979 the monthly rate of family allowance was reduced from 25.68 dollars to 20.00 dollars. When income taxation was introduced in Canada in the year 1918, tax exemption was allowed for each child. The Canada Child Tax Benefit was introduced in the year 1992 and took effect in the year 1993. The Canada Child Tax Benefit aims pri marily at low income families with dependent children. The net effect of all these changes was that higher income families were treated the same way for tax purposes independent of the number of dependent children in the family (Hale, 2002). The Harper government reintroduced some modest tax breaks for higher income families with children, including tax credits for dependent children and children’s fitness and arts credits. The Harper Government also introduced the Universal Child Care Benefit which pays $1200 per child as taxable income to parents. According to Robert M. Haig and Henry Simons income is defined as values of commodities and services that a citizen consume minus or plus any change in net worth in a given period of time. This definition of income is commonly known as Haig-Simons definition of income. In this contest both outflow and inflow of resources are taxable (Hale, 2002). Given that children bellow the age of 18 do not have any activities that generate inc ome but have activities that require resources it will be unfair if their consumptions are taxed equal to the grownups. When parents or guardians spend money on commodities and services that relate to the upbringing of their children, there is a certain amount of money that is taxed. This might make life harder for families with children, especially those with low income. This explains the necessity of the Canada Child Tax Benefit. The Canada Child Tax Benefit highly contributes to the horizontal equity in the Canadian tax system. Horizontal equity in taxation refers to equal taxation of individuals with the same amount of income. In a case where two people have equal gross income, people with children will be taxed more. This is because they always have to spend more as compared to the childless individual. The increased expenditure is because they have extra person to take care of. The Canada Child Tax Benefit creates equality by making sure that those with children get some tax r elief thus making their general taxation almost the same to that of people who do not have children (Hale, 2002). This makes sure that no income earner is subjected to unfair taxation. It also ensures that the low income earners have an easy time bringing up their children. The Canada Child Tax Benefit can also contribute to vertical equity in taxation. Vertical equity is a principle which states that citizens with higher income should always pay more taxes as compared to those with low
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Social Welfare for Children in Kuwait Research Paper
Social Welfare for Children in Kuwait - Research Paper Example In general, the state is committed to providing the welfare of children as stipulated by the constitutional principles, as well as Kuwait’s international obligations under the conventions and treaties it has signed and ratified. Some of these treaties and conventions include the 1973’s International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention, which concerns the minimum age for admission to employment (No. 138), and the 1999’s ILO convention that concerns primary with the prohibition and immediate action for eliminating worst forms of child labor (no. 182). The government has taken the convention regarding the rights of children, and two optional protocol measures to protect the rising generation from any forms of exploitation, and spiritual or physical harm. In addition, it guarantees a right to education, introduced free compulsory education, and delivers treatment as well as healthcare for infectious diseases. Therefore, the government has taken up a number of mea sures as discussed below in order to keep up with these principles (Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations, 2007).  The government provides primary healthcare along with preventive services for children, in order to lower the mortality rates, and encourage healthy living behaviors. Furthermore, it also shields children from exposure to delinquency, neglect, bodily harm and infringements of their freedom through criminalizing such acts and imposing very high penalties on them (United Nations, 2011). In order to deal with these.
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
ICS5 Extra Credit Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
ICS5 Extra Credit - Assignment Example The New Year flower fair marks the beginning of a year and the end of past events of the past year. The event is mainly associated with welcoming new things. Some of the common flowers that are purchased during the New Year flower fair event include orchids, snap dragons and chrysanthemums amongst other varieties. These flowers are provided fresh by the flower vendors hence symbolizing the start of a new era. The flowers that are provided in the Chinese Flower fair at the beginning of a new year have different meanings. One of the meanings is that the flowers act as a symbol of prosperity and wealth amongst the Chinese people. The flowers act as a symbol of high positions in ones career. Apart from the flowers fruits are also incorporated in the Chinese flower fair. Tangerines with some of the leaves intact symbolize that an individual’s relationship with others will remain secure and intact. For people who are newlyweds, it symbolizes the branching of a couple into a huge fam ily with many children. The flower fair involves dancing and display of various Chinese arts. It is an event worth participating because it reveals the strong culture of the Chinese people. San Jose - November 23-25, 2012 The San Jose Harvest festival is an event that takes place every November 23 – 25 at the San Jose convention center. ... These people meet and a lot of cultural and social exchanges are seen. The event includes the provision of different forms of art for kids. This creates the impression that the event does not discriminate on the basis of gender and this is the reason why it always has a lot of people attending for every year. At the kidzone section, there is also the provision of eco friendly forms of art that are not harmful to the state of the environment. There is also a section for bags and parcels. These commodities are mainly a target to the middle aged clients. The items are of the latest designs and the level of demand is very high. This event ensures that a lot of marketing is done for people with unique and different structures. The event is also associated with providing free children’s ID kits. The benefits of the event can hence be clearly seen. The event is also associated with charity where there are collections of food and clothing for charity. It is therefore not all about the money which is being made but the benefits that the event gives to the society. Vicente Fernandez performance art Vicente Fernandez is a cultural icon in Mexico who performs traditional Ranchera music. He is widely recognized in Mexico being quite an influential person. He has made good sales in his concerts in Mexico and in the United States. He holds an admirable record through his nominations for Grammy awards including the fact that he has collected quite a number of honors a good example being in the year 2002 the Latin recording academy naming him as the person of the year.  Vicente’s Costumes on stage speaks volumes of the nature of his performance and the message he wants to deliver to the audience. His voice characterized by some emotional aspects brings
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
The relationship between reason and democracy Essay
The relationship between reason and democracy - Essay Example In this time period, the Enlightenment, people began to believe that rationality was the most important thing, indeed, Immanuel Kant said at the beginning of his work â€Å"What is the Enlightenment?†that having â€Å"courage to use your own reason†was the â€Å"motto of the Enlightenment†(Kant 1). In this kind of classical liberal thinking about democracy, there is no way to separate the idea of democracy from the idea of idea of reason – democracy could only be successful as a form of government because the people who are choosing the leaders are acting in a rational way – either for their own self interest or because of morality or for some other, rational reason. Yet there might be other reasons why democracy is successful that these thinkers do not cover. So essentially, whether or not democracy relies on reason depends on whether or not one believes in the classical idea of the reasons for democracy. Under classical conceptions of democracy , where it exists as a kind of contract between the leaders and the people they lead, democracy cannot exist without reason; I would argue, however, that classical ideas do not actually describe why democracy is successful, and that alternative explanations could allow for democracy to exist and succeed without reason or rationality being involved in any way shape or form. Classical understandings of democracy come from the Enlightenment, and this classical understanding must be understood in its hirtorical context. This was a time when many rulers ruled by divine right – the monarchy was still the most powerful thing in Europe, and these monarchs used considerable power to shape and even abuse the people who they were in control of, for their own gain. As Locke notes the ability to â€Å"compel by the sword†was the power of the civil magistrate alone, which essentially means that the ruler is the only person who is able to force his people to do something based on fo rce and violence (Locke 2). Through this understanding, it was important to provide a basis for a new system of government that made a lot of sense in theory as well as working in practice, and the theory behind democracy relied on the idea that every person was reasonable. When trying to convince people that they should not be led by their current leaders (the kind of leaders who had been in control of the world for essentially the entire history of the world), one had to convince everyone that there was a better system, not just an alternate system. And the â€Å"betterness†of democracy relies on the idea that each person is rational and can act rationally when choosing a leader or deciding what is best for them – and will do so. So the basic idea of democracy, from a classical perspective, relies on reason in a very strong way, and so cannot be separated from reason – the classical defenses of democracy would fall apart if people were not reasonable. But thi s does not mean that the classical justification for democracy was the reason that democracy is a good system of government. I would argue that one of the main reasons democracy is a good system of government is that it does not give any one group or person the ability to form a tyranny, to get into complete control and begin making everything better for them
Monday, September 23, 2019
Human Trafficking Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words
Human Trafficking - Assignment Example During this historic period, children, adults, and women were abducted and were taken by force to other foreign countries to work as slaves. The individuals who were engaged in slave trade exploited the slaves by exchanging them for other economic commodities. Despite changes in policies, rules and regulations against the slave trade in 20th and 21st century which resulted to decline of slavery, a new type of slavery was born and that is human trafficking. Human trafficking emerged in different ways; through coercion to better life, underground abductions, and force servant-hood. The two major types of human trafficking facing the world today are trafficking for sexual exploitations and trafficking to provide forced labor. Data internationally indicate that other forms of human trafficking are ignored or not taken into consideration. In the United States for example, the law is discriminative because it only covers two types of human trafficking: sex and forced labor trafficking. The law provides a mutual relationship between trafficked victims in exchange for their assistance to prosecute offenders. Studies indicate that these two types of human trafficking are uneven; about 70% cases investigated by agencies showed that 34% involved only labor trafficking while 36% was only sex trafficking. Lack of all types of human trafficking data is another problem that makes nonavailability of data for policy makers to investigate and make reliable human trafficking management policies.
Sunday, September 22, 2019
The most basic structure for an essay Essay Example for Free
The most basic structure for an essay Essay If you feel confident about writing essays and usually do well at it, you may be able to skip this. There are other good ways to write an essay that will work just as well and be more interesting to read. But if you have any doubts about your ability to write a good essay and get a good mark, learn this pattern and follow it to the letter. It is the fool-proof, fail-proof method that you can use right up through English 3201 and possibly beyond (though university profs often require a more complex approach to essay writing than this basic outline). First, you have to understand what a paragraph is: three to five sentences that develop a single, clear idea. When youve finished with one main idea, you move on and start another paragraph. A good paragraph often begins with a topic sentence that sums up your main idea. The most basic structure for an essay includes just five paragraphs. Paragraph One The introduction. Here you state the main idea of your entire essay the point you are trying to make or prove. This paragraph should include your thesis statement a one-sentence summary of the main idea plus three reasons why you believe this statement to be true. Paragraphs Two, Three and Four. These are the body of your essay. Remember back in Paragraph One, you gave three reasons for your opinion? Three reasons, three body paragraph. Each of the body paragraphs should take one of your reasons and explain it in more detail, giving an example or illustration to back it up. Paragraph Five The conclusion. Former Newfoundland premier Joey Smallwood once said about giving speeches: First I tell them what Im going to tell them, then I tell them, then I tell them what I told them. Thats how you write an essay. In the conclusion, tell them what you told them. Sum up your argument by restating your thesis statement and reminding the reader what your three reasons were. In an argumentative essay, you can finish with a call to action tell the reader what you would like them to do as a result.
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Safeguarding the Welfare or Children and Young People Essay Example for Free
Safeguarding the Welfare or Children and Young People Essay Understanding current legislation, policies and procedures is essential to ensure that safe guarding is carried out effectively. Knowing the risks ad possible consequences that children and young people can be affected by is important within a supporting role. It is also important to fully understand the responsibilities and when to take action. Legislations, guidelines and policies are put into place to help protect the welfare and safeguarding of children and young people. Usually parents and carers have the primary responsibility for safeguarding their children but in certain circumstances agencies, families or friends have the responsibility to safeguard their protection. The following is an outline of current legislations, guidelines, policies and procedures within the UK. The United Nations convention on the rights of a child 1989 was approved by the United Kingdom in 1991. â€Å"Article 19 states children’s rights to be protected from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation including sexual abuse†(Burnham L 2008 P16) Children Act 2004 This act includes two important sections which focus specifically on children protection. Burnham (2008) says that section 47 states that the local authority has a duty to investigate when ‘they have reasonable cause to suspect that a child who lives, or is found, in their area is suffering, or likely to suffer significant harm. Section 17 states that services must be put into place by local authority to ‘safeguard and promote the welfare of children within their area who are in need’. The Children Act 2004 provides legal framework for ‘every child matters’. Burnham states the act includes the requirements for: Services to work more closely to form a integrated service A common assessment framework to help early identification of need Shared database of information which is relevant to the safety and welfare of children Earlier support for parents who are experiencing problems. Another legislation that is in place is the Education Act 2002. This legislation sets the responsibility of all people that work in schools to ensure that children are safe and free from harm. These include governing bodies, head teachers, teachers and supporting staff. These legislations are in place to help ensure all children’s safety and wellbeing is monitored. Schools develop policies to ensure the safety, security and wellbeing of their pupils. All staff are given different responsibilities that they must follow. Procedures are also put into place so staff no the correct way to report or support pupils that are in need or in significant harm. â€Å"Policies may be separate or incorporated into one health and safety policy but all must include sections which cover issues of; Safeguarding and protecting, and procedures for reporting E- Safety Bullying, including cyber bullying†. (Burnham L 2008 P17) â€Å"The department for education provides guidance for local authorities including schools. Schools use these guidelines to develop their own policies and procedures†(Burnham L 2008 P17). The department for education guidance are as follows; * Working together to safeguard children (2010) * What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused (2006) This guidance is given to help those working with children. It looks at the actions they should take if they are concerned for a child. This will include who to inform. Agencies such as the children’s social care will be contacted to help with support and caring for the child. The children’s social care, have the key role to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in need. Working together to safeguard children (2010) sets out duties of organisations and how they must work together. LSCB has particular roles and responsibilities to oversee the work of other agencies. If agencies work in partnership, more support and care can be given to children in need. The more professional help the children or young people receive, the less chance of them being affected later on in childhood or adulthood. UCCIS launched in 2008 after being concerned about the safety of the children and young people using the i nternet. There are now codes of practice in schools which will prevent pupils from entering unsafe sites. However their protection at home is their parent’s responsibility. Schools will try their hardest to support parents by promoting awareness to pupils about normal and not normal activities on the internet. All schools must have a E-safety code of practice and have software in place to prevent pupils from seeing unreasonable software. Schools have a key role in protecting and recognising children that are in need because they spend more time with the pupils than any other agencies or authorities. However it is only their role to protect and support the pupils and inform agencies. The agencies, normally children’s social care are the first contacted after a concern has been raised about a child or young person. Schools will help to show awareness to their pupils to show what is acceptable and not acceptable behaviour, this including awareness of e-safety. When children are using the internet schools have the responsibility to monitor what the pupils are looking at and making sure software is in place to safeguard the children. Schools will have the responsibility to provide additional support to protect pupils on the at risk register. They will have to give the opportunity to all members of staff about additional training in safeguarding pupils. All adults that work with children will have to observe for signs of abuse, monitor and record any concern. All concerns must be referred to, each school having different procedures in place on how to deal with a concern over a pupil. Another agency that works in partnership are the police. They have the responsibility to gather evidence on whether a crime has been committed and produce evidence to agencies or the court if necessary. They have the responsibility to take immediate action if they feel a child is in immediate danger. Health professionals have a major responsibility in the welfare of safeguarding children. They have direct contact within their establishments. Many doctors and emergency services tend to injuries in children and their role is to examine the child or young person and identify if there is a cause of concern that the injury was not sustained accidentally. They have the duty to report to child services if they feel a child has been harmed or may be in need of help and support. The NSPCC is a charitable organisation that works to protect children from harm. They have the power to take immediate action of they feel a child is at risk or being abused or being abused. The police and children’s social care have these powers alongside the NSPCC. NSPCC also support families and children. They promote awareness about abuse through advertising and training programmes. They offer an emergency helpline for children in distress or harm and provides a helpline to the public. They share their expertise with other professionals, For example they may go into schools to help promote awareness of abuse and show support. Finally children’s social care have the responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children who are in need. They work in partnership with other agencies and parents, giving support when needed. If the children’s social care feel a child is at risk they will follow procedures that are in place. These are as follows as Burnham (2008) states. * Carry out an initial assessment, to find out about the child’s needs, the ability of the parents to meet the child’s needs, family and environment factors. * Meet and conduct interviews with the child or family members * Gather information from other agencies about the child’s circumstances. * Take the lead during a child’s protection conference. * Take action when a child is in immediate danger. In conclusion all agencies work in partnership to safeguard the welfare of children and young people. Guidelines, procedures, policies and legislations are put in place to help people that work with children. They are put in place to prevent a wrong decision being made and to make sure the child’s safety is their priority. All adults that work with children must know all the current procedures so the child can receive the best support that is needed.
Friday, September 20, 2019
Impact Of Organizations Culture Values On Strategic Leadership Management Essay
Impact Of Organizations Culture Values On Strategic Leadership Management Essay Organizational culture is created by the strategic leadership provided by an organizations founder or top management. An organizations founder is particularly important in determining culture because the founder designates values and management styles on the organization that lasts for a long time. This may be good for a certain period but it can also be stifling over the long haul. For example, Walt disneys conservative influence on the company he established continued until well after his death. Managers were afraid to experiment with new forms of entertainment because they were afraid Walt wouldnt like it. It took the installation of new management under Michael Eisner to turn around the companys fortunes and allow it to deal with the realities of the new entertainment industry environment. The leadership style established by the founder or top management is transmitted to the companys managers, and as the company grows, it typically attracts new managers and employees who share t he same values. Thus, a companys culture becomes more and more distinct as its members become more similar. The virtue of these shared values and common culture is that it increases integration and improves coordination among organizational members. For example, the common language that typically emerges in an organization because people share the same beliefs and values facilitates cooperation among managers. When organizational members buy into cultural norms and values, this dynamic bonds them to the organization and increases their commitment to find new ways to help it succeed. The primary responsibilitiy of strategic leadership is to create and maintain the organizational characteristics that reward and encourage collective effort. Perhaps the most fundamental of these is organizational culture An organizational culture represents the shared sense of the way we do things around here, a critical factor in guiding day to day behavior and shaping a future course of action. Handy (1986) believes that it is these last two forms of culture, role and task, which are most frequently found in organizations. Handys categorization of types of culture is useful for giving a picture of different organizational cultures. It serves to highlight both the difficulty of clearly defining cultures and the profound implications of the cultural approach to organizations.Organizational Values can help employees find meaning and purpose in their work and link their individual efforts to those of the entire company. Our culture is the theatre in which we play out our lives. It is a major part of who we are. Robbins (1989) describes the culture of an organization as performing a number of functions within the organization as follows 1.It provides a boundary defining role separating one organization from another. 2. It conveys a sense of identity. 3. It enhances social system stability. Culture is the social glue that helps hold the organization together. 4. It serves as a sense making and control mechanism that guides and shapes the attitudes and behavior of employees. Organizational culture defines the rules of the game. 1.2 Discuss the organizational specific , legal , regulatory and ethical requirement impact on strategic leadership demands. Each company, business and organisation must by law have a policy in place, based upon the law regarding equality, diversity, and discrimination they must, hand in hand with these, also have a policy on company procedures of how they are to be implemented should an employee wish to bring a complaint based on any one or all of these premises. both policies must be freely available to employees, whom should be informed of their existence available as on request or as part of their contract . The legal status of your organisation may affect how you can use different types of finance. It is therefore useful to briefly review the limitations that different legal structures impose on the use of debt or equity finance. Many social enterprises are structured as companies limited by guarantee, as this is the most widely used structure for a registered charity. 1.3 Evaluate current and emerging social concerns and expectations impacting on strategic leadership in the organisation In todays competitive business climate, it is imperative that executives know how to make key decisions quickly and decisively. Strategic decisions often entail considerable risks and can have long-range implications for the organization. In this course, participants will learn how to apply formal decision-making processes in order to reduce risk and choose the best course of action for their organization Organizations that understand the creative process and foster this with employees find themselves at the top of their industry. They know how to harness the creative power of their workforce to develop new products and services. Creativity, however, is as much a matter of technique as intelligence. 2.Be able to understand strategic leadership styles. 2.1 Evaluate the relationship between strategic management and leadership. Strategic management is the art of managing employees in a way that maximizes the potential of achieving your business objectives. Good managers start with a personal agenda and use their leadership skills to spread it throughout the organisation. One of the important aspect in strategic managemement is Evaluation and control.It consists of performance data and activity reports .The information must be relevant to what is being monitored, one of the barriers to effective control is the difficulty in developing appropriate measures of important activities and output. Leadership has been described as the process of social influence in which one person can focus on the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task. Managers have subordinates By definition, managers have subordinates unless their title is honorary and given as a mark of seniority, in which case the title is a misnomer and their power over others is other than formal authority. Authoritarian, transactional style Managers have a position of authority vested in them by the company, and their subordinates work for them and largely do as they are told. Management style is transactional, in that the manager tells the subordinate what to do, and the subordinate does this not because they are a blind robot, but because they have been promised a reward (at minimum their salary) for doing so. Work focus Managers are paid to get things done (they are subordinates too), often within tight constraints of time and money. They thus naturally pass on this work focus to their subordinates. Seek comfort An interesting research finding about managers is that they tend to come from stable home backgrounds and led relatively normal and comfortable lives. This leads them to be relatively risk-averse and they will seek to avoid conflict where possible. In terms of people, they generally like to run a happy ship. Leaders have followers Leaders do not have subordinates at least not when they are leading. Many organizational leaders do have subordinates, but only because they are also managers. But when they want to lead, they have to give up formal authoritarian control, because to lead is to have followers, and following is always a voluntary activity. Charismatic, transformational style Telling people what to do does not inspire them to follow you. You have to appeal to them, showing how following them will lead to their hearts desire. They must want to follow you enough to stop what they are doing and perhaps walk into danger and situations that they would not normally consider risking. People focus Although many leaders have a charismatic style to some extent, this does not require a loud personality. They are always good with people, and quiet styles that give credit to others (and takes blame on themselves) are very effective at creating the loyalty that great leaders engender. 2.2 Evaluate the leadership styles and their impact on decision making. Leadership Styles Rao (1986) has classified the leadership styles, on the basis of the earlier research at the Indian Institute of Management, into the following: A Benevolent or Paternalistic leadership style in which the top level manager believes that all his employees should be constantly guided treated with affection like a parent treats his children, is relationship oriented, assigns tasks on the basis of his own likes and dislikes, constantly guides them and protects them, understands their needs, salvages the situations of crisis by active involvement of himself, distributes rewards to those who are loyal and obedient, shares information with those who are close to him, etc A Critical leadership style is characterized as closer to Theory X belief pattern where the manager believes that employees should be closely and constantly supervised, directed and reminded of their duties and responsibilities, is short term goal oriented, cannot tolerate mistakes or conflicts among employees, personal power dominated, keeps all information to himself, works strictly according to norms and rules and regulations and is highly discipline oriented. A Developmental leadership style is characterized as an empowering style, where the top manager believes in developing the competencies of his staff, treats them as mature adults, leaves them on their own most of the times, is long term goal oriented, shares information with all to build their competencies, facilitates the resolution of conflicts and mistakes by the employees themselves with minimal involvement from him. developmental style by nature seems to be the most desired organization building style. However some individuals and some situations require at times benevolent and critical styles. Some managers are not aware of the predominant style they tend to use and the effects their style is producing on their employees. Results Relationship between Leadership Style and Subordinate Feelings and Reactions The coefficients of correlations obtained between the three leadership styles taking into account all the nine situation and the six type of feelings or emotional climate generated by each of styles is presented below: Benevolent style Benevolent or paternalistic style was correlated with feelings of loyalty and dependence of subordinates on the manger. (r = 0.51) Benevolent style was also related to feelings of dislike for the boss and tendency to avoid work ( r = 54) Benevolent style was negatively related to feelings of development, empowerment, growth and independent thinking ( r = -0.5), learning (r = -0.4), morale (r= -0.5) and satisfaction (r = -0.4) These indicate that those who are close to the leader develop dependency on him/her while those who are not close to him/her develop resentment and other associated negative feelings. Critical Style Critical style highly and positively related to resentment and dislike for the boss and work (r = 0.75) It was moderately and positively correlated with dependency and personal loyalty (r = 0.47) It was negatively correlated with empowerment and growth (r = -0.6), learning (r= -0.5), morale (r= -0.6) and satisfaction (r = 0.6) These indicate hat critical style also is not a desirable in general and leads to disastrous consequences. Development al Style Developmental style was positively related to empowerment, growth and independence (r = 0.73), learning (r = 0.77), morale (r = 0.85) and satisfaction (r = 0.84) It was negatively correlated with dependence (r= -0.4) and feelings of resentment or dislike for the boss or work (r= -0.7) The findings make it clear that developmental style is the most desired style in terms of creation of a growth oriented, developmental, and learning culture. These data indicate that it is the developmental style that creates most positive emotional climate. This is in very similar to the findings of McClelland on the characteristics of an Intuitional Leader. Relationship between situational style and the overall style Item total correlations were computed between each of the items and the overall style across all the nine styles. Table 1 presents details. The coefficients of correlations are indicative of the predictive ability of each situation for the overall style of the candidate. The table indicates that all except one of the items dealing with management of mistakes have a reasonable high predictive ability as indicated by the item total correlations. The coefficients of correlation re rather high. Table 1: Coefficients of correlations between the style shown in each situation and the overall style scores across all the nine situations. S. No. Item Content or situation Item total correlation between the item dealing with the style Benevolent Critical Developmental 1 Goal setting or assignment of tasks .79 .57 .75 2 Information sharing .75 .59 .83 3 Managing mistakes .05 .68 .86 4 Managing conflicts .52 .61 .78 5 Rewarding or recognizing good performance .81 .71 .89 6 Decision taking .7 .76 .86 7 Performance monitoring .75 .76 .81 8 Resource and support giving .81 .74 .82 9 Responding to failures .74 .67 .84 2.3 Discuss why leadership styles needed to b adapted in different situation and evaluate the impact on the organization. There are many different ways to be a good leader and studies conducted have identified several distinct styles of leadership. These can be categorized in a variety of ways, each using different methods, techniques and tools to achieve the same result of providing direction, implementing plans and motivating a group. Each leadership style will have varying degrees of success in different situations and their effective use will also depend on the personality and personal skills of the leader involved. Leadership styles are commonly divided into 3 major types: Authoritarian Or Autocratic Leaders using this style will have total authority over any decision making and will basically tell their followers what needs to be done and how the tasks should does have its place and its uses it is particularly effective when time is limited, such as in an medical emergency, when it is vital for someone to take charge and prevent any chaos or confusion. It is also good for groups that need close supervision and would not necessarily have much useful to contribute to any decision-making process, such as when dealing with young children or very inexperienced employees. This style can also work well in a normal workplace setting if your employees already well-bonded and well-motivated and have trust in you as their leader. However, it is not generally recommended to use the autocratic style all the time as this can lead to loss of motivation from followers, as resentment builds. This is particularly true when dealing with creative employees and team players, who may be keen to participate in the decision-making processes. Participative or Democratic This kind of style prioritizes team participation and because each member is allowed to contribute his/her ideas and feels that their input is considered seriously, there is increased employee satisfaction and ownership. The democratic leader will listen to his groups ideas and give them fair consideration, although the ultimate authority for the decision will still rest with him. This style is often used in the workplace when the leader has some of the information needed and the employees have the other necessary parts, so that a better decision can only be taken when everyones input is considered. It is especially effective when you have knowledgeable and skilled employees. However, one drawback of this leadership style is that it can make it difficult to make quick decisions when time is short or there is an immediate urgency to a problem. Delegative Or Free Reign This leadership style is also often called laissez-faire leadership, meaning that followers are effectively given free reign to make decisions and do what they think is appropriate. There is no continuous supervision or feedback from the leader to the group. Although this sounds risky, this leadership style can work if team members are highly-experienced and require little supervision to achieve the expected outcome. It is also useful because a leader isnt always able to do everything and often needs to delegate certain tasks, therefore, this style of leadership works well if the leader is able to trust and have confidence in the abilities of the people below him/her. Leadership Styles In Real Lifeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ In reality, most good leaders will use a combination of these main 3 types of leadership styles to achieve the best result in each specific situation. Naturally, one style may be more dominant or more often used than others, due to the leaders personality and personal skills, but often, the situation and environment will also dictate which style is more suitable. In some cases, all three styles may be used at the same time such as a leader informing the group that a current procedure is not acceptable and that a new one needs to be established (autocratic), then asking for their ideas in creating a new procedure (democratic) before finally delegating certain tasks to different team members, for the implementation of the new procedure (delegative). 3.Be able to secure achievment of organization involvment and objectives through strategic leadership. 3.1 Develop a culture of professionalism, mutual trust , respect and support within the organization. Matching individuals to organizations is a crucial part of success for any company. The match between people and the companies for which they work is determined by the kind of organizational culture that exists.A culture of professionalism is essential for the progress of any organization. The degree to which an organizations values match the values of an individual who works for the company determines whether a person is a good match for a particular organization. The collective rules by which an organization operates define its culture. These rules are formed by shared behaviors, values and beliefs. Culture forms the basis for how individuals operate within the context of the organization. In large organizations, vision statements, mission statements and statements of values are often formalized to describe the companys culture. On the most basic level, culture is observable as a set of behaviors. Examples of culture at this level include the degree of formality with which employees conduct themselves, the organizations dress code, and the type of technology used. Beneath the level of observable behaviors are the values that underlie behavior. Though these values determine behavior, they cannot be directly observed. At an even deeper level are the assumptions and beliefs that determine values. While an organization or individuals values may remain within awareness and can be stated, assumptions and beliefs often exist beneath the surface and out of conscious awareness. Being aware of an organizations culture at all levels is important because the culture defines appropriate and inappropriate behavior. In some cultures, for example, creativity is stressed. In others, the status quo is valued. Some cultures are more socially oriented, while others are task-oriented. In some companys teamwork is key. In others, individual achievement is encouraged and valued. An organizations culture also determines the way in which employees are rewarded. Management tends to focus on a dominant source of motivation, such as pay, status, or opportunity for personal growth and achievement. The accessibility of management and the ways in which decisions are made are reflections of an organizations culture as well. It is important for individual values to match organizational culture because a culture of shared meaning or purpose results in actions that help the organization achieve a common or collective goal. An organization will operate more productively as a whole when key values are shared among the majority of its members. To that end, employees need to be comfortable with the behaviors encouraged by the organization so that individual motivation and group productivity remain high. High functioning organizations are comprised of individuals whose overt behaviors are consistent with their covert values. All of this is of crucial importance to managers. Senior executives usually set the tone by exerting core values that form the overall dominant culture shared by the majority of an organizations members. So, if management does not take the time to understand the culture that motivates an organization, problems are inevitable. New procedures and activities will be very difficult to implement if they do not mesh with the organizations culture Steps to ensure that individual are responsive to the goals and operating procedure of the organization start with the hiring process. Managers can foster the development of a positive culture by employing people who share the same values and vision that the organization represents. To do this, employers can spend time with prospects before they enter the organization as new employees. Once new hires are indoctrinated with the organizations values, they will form an objective perception of the environment that will solidify the organizations personality or culture 2 Evaluate the impact of a strategic leaders clear focuss in leading the organization in the achievement of objectives. The benefits of good organisational skills in a leader will performance of the workforce.. An effective leader will be able to steer a course around and through these challenges leading to successful implementation of service improvements. Leaders must have a clear understanding of both the formal and informal aspects of their organization as well as all their responsibilities for strategic development and change management. Then they will be able to get the most out of the organization and its workforce. The formal organisation includes the hierarchy and accountability arrangements, information systems, committee structure and meetings, employment and pay issues. The informal features include relationships, the kinds of behaviours that are expected and reward, communication, distribution of power and how conflicts are handled.The development of a learning culture is a practical measure to enable the work force to regularly polish their skills and knowledge and address their organisations objectives through their delivery of high quality services. The destructive influence of hiring someone who does not share the same set of values, goals and commitment employed by the organization will weaken a strong chain of links and bonds. An employees performance depends on what is and what is not proper among his or her peers, which in turn affects that individuals behavior and motivation to participate and contribute within the organizational framework. An effective means of keeping employees aligned with the values and goals of an organization is by developing a culture that encourages employees to focus on a higher purpose for their work. Values that support this kind of cohesive operation include the idea that people Creating an environment where people enjoy and value their work is key. To do this effectively, leaders must be sure to communicate clear expectations for every member of the organization. These expectations should be supported by the words and actions of managers who regularly let people know how their work is important to the organization. Individuals should be given assignments that are consistent with their strengths and interests, and opportunities for continued learning and growth should be provided as well. Strategic leader provides the vision, direction, the purpose for growth, and context for the success of the corporation. The two important parts of strategic achievement are formulation and implementation. While both parts are essential to achieving superior organizational performance, the implementing strategy is where most companies succeed or fail. Strategic skills are necessary in order to define and achieve specific goals and objectives. Strategic thinking involves the ability to identify a relevant desired state, assess the starting state, and then establish and navigate the appropriate path of transition states required to reach the desired state. A key element of effective strategic thinking is determining which operators and operations will most efficiently and effectively influence and move the present state in the direction of the desired state. Successful leaders know and accept themselves and are able to be present in someone elses world without judgement. They are people who see linkages and trends in situations, to trust themselves,and are able to think multi-dimensionally, being focused and expansive at the same time. They can manage ambiguity, they can enter a situation at any point, easily cope with future requirements. Another level of process involves the strategies, skills and capabilities by which the organisation or individual selects and directs actions within their environment i.e. how they generate and guide their behaviours within a particular context. For an individual, capabilities include cognitive strategies and skills such as learning, memory, decision making and creativity, which facilitate the performance of a particular behaviour or task. On an organisational level, capabilities relate to the infrastructures available to support communication, innovation, planning and decision making between members of the organisation. 3.3 Analyze how strategic leader support and develop understanding of the organizations direction. Leadership is an interactive process, the collective energy of a group, organization, or nation is focused on the attainment of a common objective or goal. Through leadership, clarity of purpose, direction, and means is achieved. There is also a perception of shared commitment by members. However, leadership tasks at the top of a large scale organization are different from those at lower levels because the nature of work changes as an individual moves up through the hierarchy of an organization The major functions performed by increasingly higher levels of the organization are increasingly indirect, complex, and ill-defined. The lower levels deal with well- understood procedures. The resource requirements are modest, and expectations of performance are clear. Leadership is direct; leaders are expected to influence the course of events by their own actions. At higher levels, requirements are less clear, problems are less defined, and there are situations where developed procedures or precedents do not exist. Leaders at higher levels must be creative in problem solving, more innovative in their thinking. They must also be more proactive, in the sense of looking further forward more perceptively to set directions that play out over long periods. Organizational leaders may influence several hundred to several thousand people. They do this indirectly, generally through more levels of subordinates than do direct leaders. The additional levels of subordinates can make it more difficult for them to see results. Organizational leaders have staffs to help them lead their people and manage their organizations resources. They establish policies and the organizational climate that support their subordinate leaders. Organizational leadership skills differ from direct leadership skills in degree, but not in kind. That is, the skill domains are the same, but organizational leaders must deal with more complexity, more people, greater uncertainty, and a greater number of unintended consequences. They find themselves influencing people more through policymaking and systems integration than through face-to-face contact. Organizational leaders focus on planning and mission accomplishment over the next two to ten years. Getting out of their offices and visiting the parts of their organizations where the work is done is especially important for organizational leaders. They must make time to get to the field to compare the reports their staff gives them with the actual conditions their people face and the perceptions of the organization and mission they hold. STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP Strategic leaders are generally responsible for large organizations and may influence several thousand to hundreds of thousands of people. They establish organizational structure, allocate resources, and communicate strategic vision. Strategic leaders work in an uncertain environment on highly complex problems that affect and are affected by events and organizations outside their own. Strategic leaders apply many of the same leadership skills and actions they mastered as direct and organizational leaders; however, strategic leadership requires others that are more complex and indirectly applied. Strategic leaders, like direct and organizational leaders, process information quickly, assess alternatives based on incomplete data, make decisions, and generate support. However, strategic leaders decisions affect more people, commit more resources, and have wider-ranging consequences in both space and time than do decisions of organizational and direct leaders. 3.4 Discuss how strategic leadership styles are adapted to meet changing needs, and to enable organizational development and commitment. In order to determine what the effective leadership styles are, it is essential to have a basic understanding of what leadership is. Various Types of Leadership Styles You may discover that some of the following are effective leadership styles that you can use in managing people. Charismatic Leadership Some believe that charisma is inborn. This is the characteristic of a person who inspires without trying very hard. He or she appears to have a natural ability at leading others. This is such a leadership style that can inspire others. This is usually associated with demagogues. Charismatic leaders need to focus on leading others to attain the objectives of the organization. If they are not careful, this ability may go to their heads. Participative Leadership This style is important in making teams work effectively. The leader is both leader and active participant. Contingency leadership This is the type of leadership where plans are made in taking care of any possibility that something may go wrong. Risk management is part of this. Autocratic Leadership style This involves use of position, power and authority. Simply put, What I say is the law
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Stephen Kings Influence On American Literature Essay -- essays researc
Stephen King is one of the most influential authors of today. His award-winning novels and short stories are known world -wide. His many awards and nominations have created a space for him in the literary world. King is a true â€Å"Horror King†, for his books, turned movies, have scared millions world- wide. Stephen King has helped bring America to prominence through his many books, essays and short stories. Stephen Edwin King was born on September 21, 1947 at the Maine General Hospital in Portland, Maine. His parents were Donald Edwin King and Ruth Pillsbury King. Stephen being the only natural born child in the family and his older brother David having been adopted at birth two years earlier. â€Å"The Kings were the typical, â€Å"nuclear†family of the fifties until one night when Donald King said he was stepping out for cigarettes and was never heard from again.†At this point Ruth took over raising the family with help from other relatives of the family. They traveled throughout many states over several years finally moving back to Durham, Maine in 1958. (P.R. 5 pg.1) Stephen King began his actual writing career in January of 1959 when David King and Stephen decided to publish their own local town newspaper named Dave's Rag. David bought a mimeograph and they created a paper that sold for five cents an issue. Stephen King attended Lisbon High School, in Lisbon, Maine in 1962. Collaborating with his best friend Chris Chesley, in 1963 they published a collection of 18 short stories called People, Places, and Things-Volume I. King's stories included "Hotel at the End of the Road", "I've Got to Get Away!†"The Dimension Warp", "The Thing at the Bottom of the Well", "The Stranger", "I'm Falling", "The Cursed Expedition", and "The Other Side of the Fog." A year later King's amateur press Triad and Gaslight Books, published a two part book titled "The Star Invaders". Stephen King made his first actual published appearance in 1965 in the magazine Comics Review with his story "I Was a Teenage Grave Robber." The story ran about 6,000 words in length. In 1966, Stephen King graduated from high school and took a scholarship to attend the University of Maine. Looking back on his high school days, King recalled that "my high school career was totally undistinguished. I was not ... ...p; In conclusion, Stephen King is not an easy person to write about. There are thousands of websites and books devoted to him and yet, none mention his international fame. Though my findings were slim, I feel that, given the information available, I have successfully proved that Stephen King has helped bring America into prominence through his writings. King is a dedicated writer and there is no end to his writing in site. â€Å"†¦And aside from being a force of nature, he’s a pretty good guy.†As said by Robert Parker, introducer of speakers at a benefit, Voices Louder Than Words, at Harvard. (P.R. 1 Pg. 161) 1. Beahm, George. America’s Best Loved Boogeyman Stephen King. Andrews McMeel Publishing Kansas City 1998. 2. Beahm, George. The Stephen King Story. Andrew’s McMeel Publishing Kansas City 1991. 3. â€Å"Accident Recovery Update.†Stephen King Official Web Presence. http://www.stephenking.com (30 Jan. 2000) 4. â€Å"Novel Database.†http:///www.geocities.com/Area51/Cavern/1947/kingworks.htm (10 Feb. 2000) 5. â€Å"Stephen King Biography.†http://utopianweb.com/king/bio.html (10 Feb. 2000) 6. King, Stephen. ‘Salems Lot. Doubleday and Company New York 1975.
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