International Relations: Philippines and China on the Spratly Islands Issue Essay

For decades, the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, now called as the Philippine Western Sea in the Philippines, has long been debated by its claimants: Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Taiwan, Vietnam, China, and the Philippines (Baker, 2004). Among all these states, the most active and significant actors are the Republic of the Philippines and the People’s Republic of China. There are several reasons for the dispute: (1) the presence of natural gas and oil in some parts of the territories, (2) potential profit for commercial fishing1, (3) potential profit for commercial shipping2, and (4) extension of continental shelf claims – expansion of territory and a boost in the country’s sovereignty3 (Joyner, n.d.). The Spratly’s issue has always been crucial since it directly affects the different state’s national interests on profit and security. For one, the Philippines and China have each asserted their power on claiming the islands by installing their own flags over their claimed areas. The Philippines, following the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Seas’ – which empowers the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea – laws on the 200 nautical miles zone, claimed a number of Spratly islands since these islands are within the 200nm distance from Palawan. On the other hand, China claimed most of the Spratly Islands, using historical background as its basis (BBC, 2013). Also, both countries resorted to upgrading their military capabilities in the sense that they both deploy ships to take turns on guarding their claimed areas. These actions caused to increase the tensions and strains in the two countries’ relationship (Encomienda, 2011). Both the International Court of Justice and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea are under the United Nation’s efforts of bringing peace and unity among different nations or countries (ITLOS, 2013). Acknowledging the principles introduced by the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Seas4, both China and the Philippines have participated in ratifying it. However, both also have chosen not to follow the UNCLOS’ guide on settling boundary disputes closely (Yeneza, 2012). Even with the efforts of the Philippines on taking the conflict to the ITLOS and the ICJ and promote diplomacy, it has still been forced to resort to upgrading its military capacity in order to increase security over their claimed areas and to respond to China’s actions on asserting their claim over the Spratly’s. With this, it can be concluded that the international organizations involved as mediators to the issue are insufficient. The guide presented by the UNCLOS is too limited for the varying arguments that both the Philippines and China present in order to fully claim the Spratly Islands. However, these institutions should not be blamed fully for the failure of the conflict resolution. The governments of China and the Philippines have a big role in the conflict; none of the states wants to either compromise or interpret the UNCLOS in the same way (Jinming and Dexia, 2003). These international issues can be better comprehended by the realist theoretical framework. Realism denotes that the state aims to achieve national interest through acquiring more power; it gives more priority to the national interest rather than its ideology. If its national interest could not be gained because of other states, it has the right to go against them in order to assert its power and achieve its national interest (Morgenthau, 2006). Thomas Hobbes (1651), an author on realism, discussed that realism has three core assumptions: (1) the equality of men or states, (2) the interaction of states in anarchy, and (3) the actions taken by the different states are motivated by competition, hesitancy, and progress. In the case of the Philippines and China on the Spratly’s issue, the first assumption of Hobbes can be applied in the sense that neither China nor the Philippines will contend the islands in the basis of which state is more developed or has more alliances. For this territorial issue, using the state’s development or its capacity to enhance its development through the acquisition of the islands does not guarantee the resolution of the issue. China and the Philippines both have equal footing on their claims on the islands (Joyner, n.d.) On the second assumption, Hobbes mentioned of interaction among states. China and the Philippines have their own governments, however, in the Spratly Islands, there are mediators: the International Court of Justice and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. These mediators, as much as they try to pacify the conflicts, were not able to control the conflict; since, states are free of doing what they please to do to assert their power and sovereignty – thus, serving their own national interests (Furtado, 1991). For once, one of the proposed resolutions of China to resolve the conflict – to have the governments of each state deal with the conflict directly instead of having mediators – seem more compatible with the issue. Lastly, it is innate for states to compete with each other to get to the top. Even though every state wants to have good relations with others, one cannot deny even a hint of competition. Being critical and cautious, these states will not go against randomly; they will be vigilant enough to choose who to compete with. Succeeding in the particular competition, the state achieves progress (Hobbes, 1651). In the case of China and the Philippines, one of the main reasons for the fight over the Spratly Islands is profit. Aside from the presence of natural gas and oil, the islands are a good spot for commercial fishing and commercial shipping. Hence, investing in this area can give high returns of investment to the country who owns it. Plus, the prestige of being the first East Asian country to possess oil boosts its international image, let alone lessens its relying on the Middle East for oil and natural gas supply (Yeneza, 2012). Hans J. Morgenthau (2006) and his six principles on political realism can also be related to the case of the Philippines and China on the Spratly’s issue. First of all, the society is ruled by laws that are created based on the nature of man. The UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Seas) was created to solve and/or prevent conflicts such as the Spratly Islands issue. Therefore, it can be considered that the UNCLOS itself can be the solution to the problem only if that law was considered. However, even though such law – that brought about the existence of the UNCLOS – is implemented and expected to serve for the benefit of men, the men involved in the conflict, or the states rather, chose not to adhere with the UNCLOS (Yeneza, 2012). Secondly, realism is directed towards the use of power5. The Philippines and China demonstrated their power as they both valiantly expressed their claims on the disputed areas and how much they spent for them. As China asserted its claim on the Spratly Islands, the Philippines resorted to securing the areas it claimed (Encomienda, 2011). The third principle, according to Morgenthau (2006), power is not fixed. In the case of the Philippines and China, they controlled each other’s exercise of power on the claimed areas as they both measure and depend on each others’ actions in order to formulate and plan what to do next (Yeneza, 2012). The fourth principle of realism is related to the moral importance of the actions done by the two states – Philippines and China. At times, morality and success do not go together; some states tend to go down the path of impiety in order to achieve its national interests. In realism, states are innate of being mindful of the actions they are about to execute because of other factors that can be affected by its desired course of action. Thus, the Philippines and China can opt to wage war in order to acquire the disputed territories. Conversely, both countries have chosen the path of diplomacy rather than war, knowing full well that morally speaking, waging a war is not right since many civilians will be affected, as well as the fact that the costs brought by the war exceed the benefits that they will acquire from the Spratly Islands. Then, another principle Morgenthau (2006) explained is that states fail to recognize moral aspirations in relation to the moral laws that rule the universe. The state is self-centered; it only sees its own reasons and interests as the valid ones. Being self-centered, it does not give importance to the reasons and interests of other states. If only states can understand and compromise for others’ interests, the Spratly’s issue would have been solved decades ago. As each country present their claims on the areas, it is clear that no one wants to give up (Yeneza, 2012). Lastly, the sixth principle is that political realism is different with other schools of thought that states may adopt (Morgenthau, 2006). The conflict of China and the Philippines on the Spratly’s are grounded for the pursuant of their national interests (Yenez, 2012). Aside from the profit the Spratly’s may offer, another reason it is being fought over is that it affects the matters of security to both countries. Both the Philippines and China believe that in order to pursue security, they must secure their territories; thus, they each lay claim on the Spratly’s (De Castro, 2011). In summary, China and the Philippines have both resorted to upgrading their military capabilities in order to enhance security over their claimed areas. Through the years, China spent so much on military expenditure whereas the Philippines created more military capability programs. In the realist approach, as long as China and the Philippines hold on to their own claims on the Spratly’s, neither the International Court of Justice nor the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea will be able to calmly resolve the conflict between the two countries. With the Philippines maintaining a good relationship with the other ASEAN members, it garnered the support of other Southeast Asian countries in laying claim to the Spratly’s; thus, giving it more strength on its hold on the islands (Yeneza, 2012). Unless one of them give up on its claim, the conflict will not be resolved easily and without causing further strains among the countries’ relationship (Morgenthau, 2006). There are two possible solutions that can be taken to resolve the conflict: (1) share the claimed areas, whenever it is feasible, and (2) undergo a diversion process. For the first solution to work, the Philippines and China must be allowed to gather the resources and share them equally – e.g. fish and seafood, oil, natural gas, sites for commercial shipping. Bilateral talks should always be done; therefore, the countries must interact directly rather than use a mediator and then promote diplomacy. The second one will be that rather than focusing on the conflict itself, both the Philippines and China should focus on repairing and enhancing their diplomatic ties and cooperation. They may opt to engage in mutually beneficial bilateral agreements and allow their relationship to pacify or stabilize (Yeneza, 2012). In the realist approach, it can be seen that the different international institutions have delayed the resolution of the Spratly’s issue rather than fixing it quickly. The issue requires the states to interact and discuss the matter directly, rather than using a mediator, in which the clauses provided in the guidelines for settling territorial disputes are too limited and can be interpreted in varying ways depending on the ideology adopted by a certain state. REFERENCES: Baker, C. 2004. China-Philippine relations: cautious cooperation. Pacific Center for Security Studies. October 5, 2013. Accessed from: http://apcss.org BBC. 2013. Q&A: South China sea dispute. October 5, 2013. Accessed from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13748349 De Castro, R.C. 2011. Maritime security Asia. October 5, 2013. Accessed from: http://maritimesecurity.asia Encomienda, A.A. 2011. The south China sea: Back to the future through cooperation. October 6, 2013. Accessed from: http://www.southchinaseastudies.org Furtado, X.1991. International Law and the Dispute over the Spratly Islands:Whither UNCLOS? October 5, 2013. Accessed from: http://www.findarticles.com Jinming, L. and Dexia, L. 2003. The dotted line on the Chinese map of the south China sea: A note. October 4, 2013. Accessed from: https://circle.ubc.ca/handle/2429/6494 Joyner, C.C. n.d. The Spratly Islands dispute in the south China sea: Problems, policies and prospects for diplomatic accommodation. South China Sea Virtual Library. October 4, 2013. Accessed from: http://www.southchinasea.org Morgentau, H.J. 2006. Politics among nations: The struggle for power and peace. 7th Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Yeneza, Christine. 2012. The spratly’s conflict: Foreign policy implications to the people’s republic of china and the republic of the Philippines. Cebu City, Philippines: University of San-Jose Recolectos

Review Literary Terms Essay

Imagination is the power to create. It is the key component to literature. Without imagination, there won’t be an interesting story, I believe. Imagination is not only important to the writer, it helps the reader broaden their interpretation of the story. â€Å"When you allow reading to unlock your imagination, your connection sets the stage for intellectual engagement. It allows the experience of reading literature to include the pursuit of ideas and knowledge.† (Clugston, R.W 2010). With imagination comes genre. Choosing what category or type of literature. It can be a short story, poem, or drama. â€Å"It can be used to make broad distinctions or to identify specific categories within a broad category. The short story and the novel, for example, are specific literary genres within the broad category of fiction.†(Clugston, R.W.2010). I think another very important component to literature is the tone. Setting the tone will let the reader know what attitude the literary work is going. For example, â€Å"the final lines in Updike’s poem create an initial feeling of sympathy, which is likely to become empathy if the reader reflects on the dog’s predicament in not being able to communicate its final struggle.† (Clugston, R.W 2010). Tone is followed by image. Image represents the experience that go through your senses, the idea. Writers use specific language to describe the imagery. Again, in Frost’s and Updike’s poems about the dog, â€Å"In Frost’s image of an old dog there’s an initial feeling of sadness, but if the reader reflects on what the poem has to say about the inevitable life cycle that both the dog and the speaker face, sadness is likely to fade somewhat into acceptance.† Reference Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into literature. San Diego, California: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Albert Camus the Plague Essay Example for Free

Albert Camus’ the Plague Essay ? Can God possibly exist in a world full of madness and injustice? Albert Camus and Samuel Beckett address these questions in The Plague and Waiting for Godot. Though their thinking follows the ideals of existentialism, their conclusions are different. Camus did not believe in God, nor did he agree with the vast majority of the historical beliefs of the Christian religion. His stance on Christianity is summed up most simply by his remark that â€Å"in its essence, Christianity (and this is its paradoxical greatness) is a doctrine of injustice. It is founded on the sacrifice of the innocent and the acceptance of this sacrifice† (Bree 49). Camus felt that Jesus Christ was an innocent man who was unjustly killed. This does conflicts with all of Camus’ values. However, Camus did not believe that Jesus was the son of God. Camus’ inability to accept Christian theology is voiced in The Plague by Riex and juxtaposed against the beliefs preached by Father Paneloux (Rhein 42). Paneloux’s attitude toward the plague contrasts sharply with Rieux’s. In his first sermon, he preaches that the plague is divine in origin and punitive in its purpose. He attempts to put aside his desires for a rational explanation and simply accepts God’s will. In this way he is not revolting and therefore falls victim to the plague. Father Paneloux’s belief that there are no innocent victims is shaken as he watches a young boy die of the plague. Camus purposefully describes a long, painful death to achieve the greatest effect on Paneloux: â€Å"When the spasms had passed, utterly exhausted, tensing his thin legs and arms, on which, within forty-eight hours, the flesh had wasted to the bone, the child lay flat, in a grotesque parody of crucifixion† (215). Paneloux cannot deny that the child was an innocent victim and is forced to rethink his ideas. During his second sermon, a change is seen in Father Paneloux. He now uses the pronoun â€Å"we† instead of â€Å"you,† and he has adopted a new policy in which he tells people to believe â€Å"all or nothing† (224). Father Paneloux, as a Christian, is faced with a decision: either he accepts that God is the ultimate ruler and brings goodness out of the evil that afflicts men, or he sides with Rieux and denies God. The conclusion formed by Camus is that because this is a world in which innocent people are tortured, there is no God. Samuel Beckett does not necessarily deny the existence of God in Waiting for Godot. If God does exist, then He contributes to the chaos by remaining silent. The French philosopher Blaise Pascal noted the arbitrariness of life and that the universe works based on percentages. He advocated using such arbitrariness to one’s advantage, including believing in God. If He does not exist, nobody would care in the end, but if He does, a believer is on the safe side all along, so one cannot lose. In this play, either God does not exist, or He does not care. Whichever is the case, chance and arbitrariness determine human life in the absence of a divine power. This ties in with the two tramps’ chances for salvation. As one critic observes, â€Å"For just as man cannot live by bread alone, he now realizes that he cannot live by mere thinking or hanging on in vain to a thread of salvation which does not seem to exist† (Lumley 203). This explains Vladimir and Estragon’s contemplation of suicide after Godot remains absent for yet another day. One could also argue, in the absurd sense, that each man has a fifty-fifty chance of salvation. One of the two prisoners who were crucified with Jesus was given salvation. This element of chance for salvation can also be extended to Pozzo and Lucky in Waiting for Godot. When they come across the two tramps, Pozzo is on his way to sell Lucky because he claims that Lucky has grown old and only hinders him. In this way Pozzo is trying to draw that fifty-fifty chance of salvation for himself. One of the ways in which Lucky hinders him is that Lucky could be the one to be redeemed, leaving Pozzo to be damned. Even Lucky’s speech is concerned with salvation: Given the existence†¦ of a personal God†¦ outside time without who from the heights of divine apathia divide athambia divide apaia loves us dearly with some exceptions for reasons unknown†¦ and suffers†¦ with those who for reasons unknown are plunged in torment. (28) After removing all of Lucky’s nonsensical meanderings, the gist of his speech is that God does not communicate with humans and condemns them for unknown reasons. His silence causes the real hopelessness, and this is what makes Waiting for Godot a tragedy Albert Camus’ the Plague. (2018, Nov 08).

War of the third Coalition Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

War of the third Coalition - Research Paper Example The five articles were located using the Google search engine using key words such as â€Å"Third Coalition† and â€Å"Napoleon I.† Peer reviewed scholarly articles were excluded from the search results, along with encyclopaedia entries which were in any case usually rather superficial. The selected internet sources are briefly described in turn with an emphasis on deciding how accurate and useful they are for academic purposes. Text 1 â€Å"Napoleonic Wars† (FAMT, undated). This source is an aticle on the whole series of Napoleonic Wars which has a brief paragraph on each of the coalitions. There is no author mentioned, and no firm date, although the site does suggest that all articles have been written between 2008 and 2010. The most striking feature of the article is its breezy style, and use of imaginative and emotive language, for example â€Å"Napoleon taught the Austrians another lesson at the Battle of Ulm in 1805, but it didn’t last very longâ₠¬  (FAMT, undated, p.1) This kind of comment is not very specific, since the phrase â€Å"taught the Austrians another lesson† gives no quantitative details of troop numbers, or indication of tactics, or indeed any details at all about the apparently decisive Battle of Ulm. There are serious doubts about the objectivity of this article, and this can be seen both in the content and in the nature of the website which hosts it. The anonymous author’s conclusion is flagged as being controversial, and indeed the claim that â€Å"Anglosphere money power financed Napoleon’s remarkable career† (FAMT, undated, p.1) gives a hint that there is a hidden agenda. The author acknowledges that â€Å"this is not a popular view of Napoleon† (FAMT, undated, p.1) and hints that more research might produce evidence to support it! The website hosting the article is set up to resemble an information/news/reference site, modelled on a newspaper, as its title â€Å"The D aily Bell† suggests. Its express purpose appears to be â€Å"to promote and support the widespread advancement of laissez-faire economic principles† and this betrays a strong political and ideological bias. This site is not suitable as a secondary source for information on the Third Coalition and Napoleon but it is perhaps interesting as a primary source on the way contemporary political organisations are attempting to use the internet to re-write, or re-interpret history in order to support particular beliefs. Text 2 â€Å"The French Revolutionary & Napoleonic Wars† (Hickman, undated) This source is a formal narrative giving bare facts about the events in Napoleon’s career, including the War of the Third Coalition. It gives a few key dates, and provides hyperlinks for key persons and places such as â€Å"Lord Horatio Nelson† and â€Å"Trafalgar†, along with some images of classical works of art which illustrate scenes mentioned. As a histori cal source it is accurate, but much too superficial to be of any use to serious researchers. There are no sources given, and although there are further topic headings pointing the reader to other â€Å"Ask,com† pages, it is clear that this text is nothing more than a few bare facts with no analysis or theoretical debate. It is impossible also to check whether the author has selected the most important items to list, and indeed it could be argued that the extreme summary falsifies the complexity of the events described. One positive feature of the text is that the author’

Why Youth Join the Military Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Why Youth Join the Military - Research Paper Example This paper discusses why the youth join the military. The highest desire among the youths once they finish their high school education is to get away from the home environment. This is because if they stay in this environment for long, they tend to flounder around with lack of real direction in life. Staying at home makes them depend too much on their parents despite the fact that they would want to become independent. As a result, they end up joining the military which can remedy all these in the shortest time possible. While most of the youths are not ready to go off school, they have the need to get more education in future. Unluckily most of the American youth do not belong to the well-to-do families hence their parents’ capacity to help them in their education in the future is close to impossible. Thus, going to school at a particular period in their lives will require them to pay for their fees independently. On the same note, without a great GPA or high score in SAT’s, one is unable to get a scholarship according to Briggs (1). Therefore many find it important to join the military first in order to make money which helps them fund their education in future. Through the Montgomery GI Bill and the different college funds given by each of the military branches of services, one might find a good enlistment hence a better future. Moreover, while in the military, one is free to join college and get a degree if they wish. This is because in college one is free to attend college as they pursue their military career as the military pays for a part of the tuition. Young people are curious about travelling around the world to see it for themselves. However, most of them never get the opportunity due to lack of money, time and resources. Therefore, for them, joining the military gives way to the opportunities for global travel to different locations around the world. These locations range from exotic overseas areas to the exhilarating scenes of more

Drawing Competition Award Ceremony Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Drawing Competition Award Ceremony - Essay Example Research shows that THALASSAEMIA has transformed from a fatal childhood disease into a mere chronic one. This shows that health authorities are concerned about improving the condition of the patients. Why then due to economic downfall have we neglected the necessity of financing an issue which has shown the potential for improvement? Healthy citizens are an asset to the nation; they help make a country grow and reach its goals. A country that does not see the importance of the wellbeing of its people cannot hope to prosper. It is an obligation for all of us to voice out this issue so that recession does not become a threat to our health. Let us be a part of the struggle that the health sector is making in trying to eradicate these diseases from the face of this world. Let us join hands and be the voice of the patients who suffer from such a disease. So that they have hope to see in the near future their children and grandchildren devoid of the pain they went through. Health is a basi c right for all the citizens and for patients it is a necessity. And so we as a nation should make sure that this sector does not go unnoticed due to the economic downfall. Creating awareness about the seriousness of the issue a drawing competition was held. The topic was â€Å"Economic Recession: Observe- Join Forces- Safeguard Health: The right to quality health care for every patient†. High School Students and Senior High/ Technical School Students were allowed to register for the competition. This competition aimed to create awareness about the attention not being paid to the health department with respect to Thalassemia due to the economic recession. It is a reminder to the people and authorities that quality health care is the right of every patient and it must be considered seriously when allocating budget for health. A big applause to these young men and women who have gathered here and made this competition possible. You feel strong when you see the youth of your cou ntry so ready to improve the health condition of the world. The people gathered here to make you believe that change is possible and we will make it possible.

Identification with Theory, Relating with Practice Assignment

Identification with Theory, Relating with Practice - Assignment Example To begin this reflective journey, one project management expert suggests that â€Å"if you cannot get people to use their skills appropriately, they are of little use to the project† (Gehring, 2007, p.45). The author is offering that it is the role of leadership (or management) intervention in order to allocate the right organizational staff member for the specific function as it contributes to a group or team project. This is something which I connected with strongly during the course of this programme, especially in academic environments where group work and team-based projects are commonplace. The class learned about different motivational theories which will be discussed later, however, it is important to recognize that if the right talents are not aligned for the right project, there is likely to be disorder in a project group or lack of efficiency. I think this is important to recognize, as a future business leader, that sometimes keeping efficiency and productivity is s imply about designing a project, group or organizational structure with the perfect fit of talent. For example, the author suggests that in projects, managers must realize that the temporary nature of projects is that they are short-lived and do not allow for ongoing leadership improvement (Gehring). Therefore, it would seem that a qualified leader must be well-developed with the fundamental understanding of how to structure groups to ensure that conflict is reduced as much as possible. Because the leader will not be able to utilize the theory of group development over an extended period of time, this also suggests a rapid decision-maker who is confident in their assessments and determinations. This is supported by Stogdill, from course learning, as a research redevelopment of trait theory, who suggests self-confidence as the main leadership capability.

Public Finance in the Health Care System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Public Finance in the Health Care System - Essay Example As of July 2013, the census Bureau of the US gives an estimation that the total population of this state of Vermont stood at 626, 630 people (Abrahamsen, 2012). This represented an increase of 0.14%, when compared to the census of 2010. The state of Vermont has an increase in the aging population, and on this basis, there is an increase in the provision of aging health care services within the economy of the state (Abrahamsen, 2012). The Allen Fletcher Health is considered as the biggest private health provider in the state of Vermont, with an employee base of around 7,100 people. As of the year 2010, the entire bill that patients in the hospital paid amounted to 3.76 billion dollars. Currently, 92,000 people have enrolled for the Medicare program. It is important to denote that as of 2011, Medicare was able to spend 740 million dollars on the health care of the state (Deary and sBrown, 2001). The financial capacity of the state is very stable, and it has been able to achieve a balanced budget, since the year 1991 (Deary and sBrown, 2001). The state has an enterprise fund, for purposes of sponsoring activities that would reduce social and economic problems like unemployment, drug abuse, etc. For purposes of understanding the economic strength of Vermont, the state has an individual’s per capita income of 38,306 dollars. On the other hand, the general size of the public sector is 24.3%, when compared to that of the private sector which amounts to 36.6% (Abrahamsen, 2012). Based on these grounds, the private sector is wider than the public sector. The tax system of this state is also favorable, and one of the unleast fair tax structure in the United States. This is because the tax structure gives income tax credit to low waged workers. This is for purposes of ensuring that there is an equitable distribution of resources. One of the health care reforms initiated

The history of cremation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The history of cremation - Essay Example "With the advent of the Bronze Age -- 2500 to 1000 B.C. -- cremation history moved into the British Isles and into what is now Spain and Portugal. Cemeteries for cremation developed in Hungary and northern Italy, spreading to northern Europe and even Ireland. In the Mycenaean Age -- circa 1000 B.C. -- the history cremation became an integral part of the elaborate Grecian burial custom." (Cremation History). By the time of Homer in 800 B.C., cremation turned out to be one of the most dominant modes of disposition and it became popular for reasons of health and expedient burial of slain warriors. Cremation was widely practiced during the time of the Roman Empire, i.e. 27 B.C. to 395 A.D. and the elaborate cremation urns containing cremated remains were found from this period. During the middle ages, cremation was forbidden by law all through Europe and it was used as a means of punishment for heretics by authorities. However, there were cases of mass cremations which were performed out of necessity during the times of contagious diseases, war etc.

Why Might The Rapid Expansion Of Trade And Foreign Direct Investment Essay

Why Might The Rapid Expansion Of Trade And Foreign Direct Investment In The Asia Pacific Be The Main Driver Of Economic Change In The Asia Pacific - Essay Example FDI-induced trade is an important component of international business of the multinational companies. Kawai and Urata (2002) states that at the time of pre-crisis ‘miracle’ period, the percentage share foreign trade in the (GDP) gross domestic product was significantly higher for upcoming market economies in Asia Pacific than for other emerging economies in other parts of the globe. Generally, new developments have been experienced in the international economic activities of the Asia Pacific economies since 1980s. For example, between 1980 and 1977, the share of East Asia’s foreign trade in GDP increased at significantly greater rates. Currently, the region is more economically integrated with other parts of the world than with itself. Since FDI and trade are more of complementary to each other than substitutes, large inflows of FDI to Asia Pacific have increased the region’s participation in international trade. A combination of FDI and international trade has therefore become the main driver of economic change in the Asia Pacific. The rise in the levels of FDI in Asia Pacific can be attributed improved regional and global economic environment. For example, emergence of global markets and globally integrated production, accelerated technological change and existence of investment treaties between Asia Pacific and other countries. There are other reasons why the rapid expansion of trade and FDI in the Asia Pacific might be the main driver of economic change in the Asia Pacific. First, there has been reduced lending from commercial banks due to debt crisis. This has caused economies of the Asia Pacific to reform their investment policies so as to attract foreign capital. The economic changes can therefore be linked to economic benefits gained from FDI as an attractive alternative to loans from commercial bank. Moran (1998) observes that FDI is the most stable and strong source of external finance for countries that are developing in th e Pacific and Asian regions. In agreement with this, Rajan (2005) states that FDI is a source of supplementary capital that is productive. This therefore denotes that it is a scarce source of capital in terms of deep structural changes of an economy. Rajan (2004) and Nunnenkamp (2004) point out that FDI is an advanced form of international cooperation. It is therefore one of the most effective ways of integration and transforming a local/national economy into a global one. One of the major advantages of FDI is that it helps in facilitating economic development of the country where the investment is done. In other words, the host country. This scenario is mainly applicable for developing economies like that found among countries comprising the Asia Pacific. FDI normally favours an increase in the foreign-trade turnover of the receiving country, lead to diversity of production, technical and scientific collaboration forms, and expansion trade in volume. This is to say that the higher levels of FDI in a country, the higher the chances of that country engaging foreign trade. Such multinational companies will be exporting their produce to other global markets. FDI flows that are induced/stimulated by transnational corporations (TNCs) investing in Asia Pacific have had great economic significance in the region. They have brought in technological know-how, attracted capital flows, created global production networks, and introduced advanced managerial,

The Fire in My Fathers Hands Essay Example for Free

The Fire in My Fathers Hands Essay When I was a kid, about 5 to 8 years old, my hands would always get cold whenever the surrounding air is chilly. My dad would always tell me to rub them together, like you would in order to make fire. And so I did it. I rubbed and rubbed and rubbed. My fingers grind against each other from the tips of my little fingers to the base of my palm, but none of this worked. My hands still are cold, stone cold. Then my dad said after watching me rub for a whole 3 minutes: You can stop rubbing your hands when they are warm again, as rubbing would make your skin raw. I replied: But theyre still cold. Then he told me to hold out my hand and he started rubbing warmth into my hands; his strong, rough hands massaging my palms, my fingers, then suddenly my hands are warm again. After a while, I wondered: will my hands ever become tough and strong like my fathers? Practice Till You Get Tired of It My Mom is my role model. I guess this is due to the fact that I used to scarcely see my Dad because he comes home really late; he still does, though not as late, while my Mother took care of me ever since she quit the job as the General Manager when I was in 2nd grade. She is the one who is there for me whenever I have a problem, like a robot on standby, but she is also a harsh whip with her discipline though she never hit me. My most notable memory of my Mom is when I sucked at math in 3rd grade. I dont know how to do a problem so naturally, I asked her. However, after she taught the same problem 4 times, I still didnt get it. I was afraid she would get mad, but she didnt and in the end when I finally got it, I asked her why she is so patient. She simply replied practice makes perfect, an old adage I hear very often to this day. The Playful Shadow Everyone in my family has different hair. My fathers, a hair like a bush or a vigilant meerkat or a comb. A comb with black and white bristles because my father is slowly aging. It stands tall and mighty nevertheless, and doesnt ever change no matter how many times you run your hand through the mass of black and white. Other times my father applies hair gel to his hair, though I dont see a point. After all, crew cuts dont have a lot of potential for shaping. In contrast though, my hair is like a playful shadow, flexible and could be shaped into anything. Its of medium length, though sometimes when I am too lazy or busy I dont pester my mother to take me to the hair salon in a nearby department store. Speaking of her, my mother has the smoothest hair in the family. Its silky and sleek almost all the time, and has a certain shine to it whenever light falls on her hair, like twinkling stars on a silent, dark night. Not The Usual It was around my mid-summer vacation. I went to my grandmothers in Taipei, but I stayed for a long time, about 2 weeks or so. I came back home eventually, but before the moment when I stepped through onto the white marble floor, I never realized the beautiful house that I considered as mundane was indeed quite nice. I immediately noticed the sunlight streaming through the tall windows that cover up a side of the spacious living room, as opposed to my grandmothers artificially lit house and the tiny space one is allowed to move in. You really have to pick your way carefully in order to not trip over something. Although this is mean for me to put it like this, especially since I have been accepting their hospitality for an extended period of time but after this time I learned to appreciate the place I live in. The next day, my mother started her usual sermons, Why dont you start doing your grammar workbook. Then I replied, But mother, its summer. Even if I finish it you wont give me any free time. Fine, you can have free time after you finish 5 pages in the workbook. Yes. I exclaimed. Then I thought to myself. Well, this is rare, mother is giving me free time. Home Ruler In German my name means home ruler. It means king. It is like the wind; strong, yet soothing. An energizing gust that one would welcome on a hot sunny day. It is like the symphonies that Beethoven conducted, vivid, strong symphonies. Henry was my fathers name and now I have it. Before that my fathers name is Eric, then he changed it to Chief during college years. But now he is Henry, and I am Henry Jr. On that lazy afternoon when he told me that he changed his name twice, I asked him why he wanted to be called Henry. He replied Because I like the sound of it. What?! You chose your name and my name only because you like the sound of it? Isnt there some kind of symbolism behind it like Chinese names do? I pressed. But he just simply said Nope. Personally though, I do not dislike my name. Its alright, though it could be confusing when people just say Henry when both Yu and I are present. Thats pretty much it, after all names arent good material for bullying anyways. All Alone On lazy days when Im bored, I daydream a lot. Just staring into space or look at the sky and the clouds or whatever that catches my intrest. I imagine various things, from the future, to the past. Sometimes I think of of the possibility of having a brother or sister since I am the only child in my house. I think of other people and their relationships with their siblings and sometimes I feel forlorn, because I never really had a person I can relate to at home. But other times when I see siblings fight I wonder if I would do the same. Chances are I would fight, be the peacemaker, or just let them go all over me. Perhaps I would try to maintain peace between me and my sibling. I suppose things get lively, crazy, and out of control sometimes when you have a sibling, but the more, the merrier right? Stop Judging! Shun is my old, old classmate, a classmate I had in 4th grade. He was a boy who had eyes that stare daggers and a posture or a physique that suggested he can fight well. I always took care to avoid him, for I am afraid of what he might do, especially since he got in a fight with my best friend, Kevin. The fight exploded suddenly with Kevin beaten down pretty badly. But in a strange twist of fate, I had to take the late bus with him, not to mention the small bus is very, very crowded. Time passed and passed, and eventually I had to go on the bus. It turns out that he isnt much of a bad person. I was apprehensive at first, but after a while I got the courage to ask him a few questions and we started talking. It was then I realized the true meaning of the saying dont judge a book by its cover. Party Pooper Rain, rain, go away. Go away so i can play I hate rainy days. The way it brings cool, humid air, and the way it forces me to stay indoors. The way it makes the skies dark, gloomy, and sometimes filled the air with static. It came when I went to Hualien the first time I went there. There wasnt much to do except to roam the department stores that was packed with refugees of the rain, just like my family and me. The rain prevented us from exploring Hualien Ocean Park, the amusement park I was so excited to go to, but the trip prematurely ended. We did stay in Hualien for an extra day though to compensate for the missing day, but that doesnt cover up the fact that the rain ruined half of my vacation. Just as it ruined the bicycling trip my dad and I planned to go on. And the trip to the Sun-Moon Lake. Oh, how I hate the rain. Different Things, Deep Meanings My mother tells me a lot of things. Family values, information, something about maintaing discipline, and many others. However, I find her small tales most intruguing. She once told me about a story about a kid and his mother. The story begins when the child was hit by his mother because he did something bad. Throughout his life, the child was always hit by his mother when he did something wrong. The strange thing is, the child never cried, not once when he was hit hard. He just held the tears in as the mother began her rentless attack, at least thats what I think she said, after all its been 3, 4 years. Anyway, the story goes on with the child finally reaches manhood, and the mother became an old lady, her hair streaked with dull gray, her hands and face wrinkly and her hands dont stop shaking. Then the child, now a man, did something to upset the mother again and of course the mother reaches to hit him as she did throughout her sons life. But this time when the blow landed, the son finally cried. Why? Because his mothers punch did not hurt, while in the past it hurt really bad. To this day, I still dont get the meaning of this little story. Work, Save, Relax I have a dream. A dream to be able to do anything i want. I feel tired studying for tests and doing homework all day. To go to school, back home like a an endless cycle which will likely change to go to company, return home when I get a job. Someday, Id like to travel to various countries, taste gorment food, and maybe even sip on wine. I want to see new things, experience them, and try them. Someday I will make this happen. When my dream turns to reality, this may be when my hair is all gone, streaked with whitish gray strands, and arms that are weakened by time, but I would be happy, happy that my dream is fulfilled. Being free of the bounds of duty, responsibility, and just be able to do anything I want is my lifetime goal. I have a dream. A dream to be able to do anything I want. I feel tired after studying and doing homework all day, and just doing work all day. Someday, Id like to just relax and enjoy, perhaps when I retire. I would travel to far-off coutries and taste gorment food.

Ethics Essay Example for Free

Ethics Essay Businesses are concerned with their company image, breaking of the laws in work related duties and any doing that will involve a law suit against the company. This is mainly their reputation and restoring it will involve a lot of money. To avoid all of this, they adapt a moral behavior in knowing what is right and wrong for the company. Therefore ethics are derived from the moral obligations, profit maximization and in following the laws set. In human ethics, an individual is expected to prevent harm, be fair and just, respect the opinion of others, have a heart for others, to be honest and wiling to comply with the law (Pojman, 2004). In professionalism, there is need for objectivity and impartiality, avoidance of conflict of interest, confidentiality of information, duty of care respected, integrity and full disclosure of information. History of utilitarianism A proposition on utilitarianism lie with Hume but its formulation and understanding credit is received by Bentham. It was incorporated during the 18th century. It was intended to view the principle of utility and the motivation of human beings. They found out that happiness and pain were humans’ utility and that what generates more happiness to many people is the ultimate right. However, having a large number being happy was difficult thus they settled for principle of happiness to represent utilitarianism. Since then, it has been an influence to economics and used to support different political moves. Introduction Utilitarianism is a principle of moral ethics. It supports that a moral right action in a situation is the one that produces more advantages than disadvantages (Buckle, 2007). Many individuals use this type of ethics in daily decisions as it brings more benefits even if lies or manipulation of others were used. It is easily aid sin decision making process. The required courses of actions are identified then their advantages and disadvantages in value are highlighted and lastly the action that generates more advantages is then selected to be morally right. It is characterized by the relevant consequences, impartiality and neutrality of the action as every person’s happiness is counted the same. The act and rule utilitarianism are its types and have been competing on which real should be followed. In act, what benefits the people more is the right morals despite their different feelings. However, the rule type acknowledges the justice, fairness and benefits a large number of people. Therefore the rule values the people feelings, their laws and the benefits. They both have problems in comparing the exact consequences value in money and happiness since they all differ. They believe in obligation to the society and not the act of being a heroine. Since it is consequences on choice, they tend to predict the future. However, act type will be favorable to one today and may be unfavorable the next day. The rule type on the other hand, is very instable on what is actually morally right. Utilitarianism can be objective in supporting the effect that the rightness of an activity is whether it would indeed encourage and promote the goodness of the already available acts to the agents. On the other side, it can take the form of subjective utilitarianism. It involves that when choosing an activity one should first determine which activities of those available would mostly promote the good more than the others, then chose that activity. Critics against utilitarianism It is difficult t assign value in money form to certain items and acts such as human life, happiness, pain, pleasure and more feelings (Pojman, 2004). They could be representing opposition’s ideas in the sense that someone’s pleasure could be another individual’s pain. This does make the comparison of values difficult for a person to choose what action will give a high better pleasure. The benefits and costs value may be underestimated or overestimated. This principle violates the human conscious acts and the different personal ideas in interest of more valuable advantages of an action. It’s like it gives us permission to do harm but specifically little harm in order to gain. In protest then, little or more harm is still harm, it never changes. Lying for the sake of saving more benefits represents an injustice to human kind. It does not promote justice but rules in favor of injustice. It is difficult to know how right an action is when the law seconds some offences committed with the excuse of the principle of utilitarianism. It does not follow the law guide thus can at all times be interchanged to commit evil. The integrity, reputation and image of a person are lost with utilitarianism ethics. The consequences of a lie for the sake of creating more profits to a company, kills the integrity that was taught of being present. Maintenance of reputation is not easy and therefore loosing the little you have will mean a slow start in creating another image. It does not encourage creativity and development of products and services as it tends to cut out considerations of new ideas generation. To other individual this is a difference making on what and how they feel. They argue that each one is responsible for what hey do and not the value of how they do it. An individual might be creative and willing to undertake his idea a step ahead and fulfill it, may not succeed at all if the majority umber do not support his idea. Therefore, a chance of having had to grow an idea in other people no matte how good it would have been, is lost because of this system. It relies entirely on a single principle of ethics thus an action committed could either produce best or worst consequences despite the argument that it will provide more benefits. Different principles in deciding what is right or wrong have to be used on a single action so as to make the solution effective and efficient. It uses the human being as means to an end of suitable action by only considering happiness and equating it as the main pleasure of a person. By only counting happiness, it encourages individuals to do the right things for an entire wrong reason. After all, they can justify the evil doing as their happiness. The theory also concentrate on a belief that human are common in nature thus desires same things. It discourages the individual’s tastes and preferences. Some people even appreciate more things than others who do not even take an account of the thing presence. Humans are very different in personalities and their goals also differ. Grouping them a sonly one group of nature, is not justice and happiness at all. It does not take into considerations the potential intention of an individual in carrying out an action. An individual could be fulfilling his evil motives on an individual but ends up defending himself using the utility benefits thus being set free and innocent. Every action should be accounted for legally so truth of right and wrong could be identified. A person stealing money and justifying it that it was to be used for a sick person medical expenses, might b lying or not. He might be a thief in the making. Critics in support of utilitarianism In human moral life, majority value the self sacrificial factor and happiness. Utilitarianism supports these morals in their decisions as some are sacrificed and the happiness of the people affected by the consequence mattering a lot (Mayer, 2009). An individual known for self sacrificial mostly promotes peace, loyalty and unity. If an organization is willing to sacrifice some items for the entire society benefits, it is received well and brings happiness which is the goal of utilitarianism. It promotes equality, impartiality, fairness and neutrality in all its decisions (Buckle, 2007). This is because to them no one deserves special treatment at the expense of another as they are all equal. A decision is basically made from everybody’s point of view with consideration of the majority. If the majority needs a company closed down, then that percentage would be a representation that every individual of that area wants the company closed. The consideration of the outcome of an activity is important. This theory is in support of knowing the consequences first before undertaking an action. The consequences received should be of great value that would not contribute to pain but joy. These would prepare the users to face the outcome with an open mind as they had been expecting it. They could be outcomes based on researches or people personal experiences. In addition, it aids in future planning of activities leading to enhancement of efficiency. This system is straightforward and direct in evaluation because it conveniently uses one denominator in its evaluation calculations. Therefore, it becomes easy in resolving conflict interests for straightforward answers to the decision. An easy way to resolve things is many people choice as many of them understand it, support it and ready to conceptualize into their daily activities. This ensures less money and minimal time spent in evaluations process. Nietzsche on ethical concept, background and theories He explained that the existence of structure theories is as a result of leaders who dominate their decisions over others. He argues that it is through self consciousness that one can determine the evil and the good with its both doers. He did not support the utilitarianism principle of ethics and argued that it placed too much emphasis on the large numbers of people instead of an individual that his personal welfare is lost to the general crowd. In addition, his other reason was that humans do things just to survive in this world even if they were unpleasant or unhappy. Utilitarianism show there is a wrong and a right but according to him this are the terms men use to interpret a situation or experience. He believes human will be motivated by to many thing snot only pleasure, happiness and pain. Aristotle ethical concepts, background and theories He showed that conduct depended on the role of an individual habit. He said that it was in between pleasures and pain that allowed one to choose which indeed was right or wrong. Being a business minded person, he advices that the root to fairness, justice and happiness is in asking questions. He does not uses utility in his work but stresses that the behavior of a person is what is reflected on his performance and goodness, thus supporting the theory of virtue of ethics and not consequences (History of Utilitarianism, 2009). He campaigned that happiness of a person could only be known after his life and thus could not be short termed using utilitarianism. Conclusions Utilitarianism should take into account that not only making people happy is a pleasure but also involving one in the success of the project, institution, a career and a cause to ensure that they are committed. Many people though support it because it is easy to use, they have practice of using it daily and it tends to avoid the divine revelation of living morally but outside the belief in a supernatural being. A person deciding should include other principles and theories of ethics that are likely to affect an action and determine if they are right or wrong. They could use principle of; virtue, moral right, egoism, deontological, justice and fairness and their emotions reflected in their feelings. This would give a wide reflection balance of the choice picked. In all the actions an individual undertakes from a selection, he should first weigh their goodness and badness and not necessarily through its money value alone. One should be able to know how the action would affect him, the law and the society. An evil action such as killing a corrupt leader for money should not be justified that it made everyone evil that had fallen into his corrupt evils.

Gender Divisions and Differences in Work

Gender Divisions and Differences in Work Today, women have gained a new equality with men. This perspective is indisputable’ This review explores the contemporary literature on the theme of ‘women and work’ in the light of the suggestion that women have indisputably gained a new equality with men. Overwhelming evidence has been found for the persistence of gender inequalities which work to disadvantage women in the context of work, including domestic work, although it is clear that providing explanations for this phenomenon has shown that the issue is complex and highly contested. It is argued that a redefinition and re-interpretation of the inter-dependence between paid and unpaid work, care and leisure is needed. There seems no doubt that in order for there to be a greater measure of real gender equality, male identity, in particular, must beer-examined and changed. It seems clear that research and policy are focusing more on the ways in which caring, in particular, is perceived and constructed in gender terms. However, in order to effect real change in gender equality, it is argued that there must be recognition of the myriad of ways in which both masculinities and femininities are constructed and interact with each other in this complex field. Chapter One Introduction The focus of this literature review is upon the theme of women and work within the context of the premise that women have gained an indisputable equality with men. Whilst it seems, in theory, more ‘equitable’, to have included commentary and research in equal amounts from men and women, an exploration of the literature revealed a far greater contribution to the debate from women than from men, perhaps by virtue of women’s perception of their own disadvantaged position, and this bias is consequently reflected in the variety of sources cited. Literature search was conducted within a University library database, using the search criteria ‘women and work’ and ‘gender equality and work’ and this yielded access to a selection of books and articles. The sources selected for inclusion in the review were restricted to those which specifically focus upon gender differences and inequalities in the realm of work, defined in its widest sense to include that undertaken within the household as well as work in the formal labour market. Due to the plethora of writing and research in this field, the decision was made to restrict sources to those produced within the last ten years, thus maintaining a contemporary focus, although references are made to earlier works. Chapter topics reflect the themes which emerged from the literature. Chapter Two presents a historical overview of women’s employment and the major ideology by which it has been underpinned in British society together with the ways in which the different patterns of employment between men and women have served to disadvantage women, particularly in economic terms. Chapter Three explores women as employees in more depth, particularly the ways in which organisations, occupations and spheres of work are profoundly gendered and how this, again, seems to work against women, although it will be shown that this is a contested area. The focus in Chapter Four is upon domestic labour and the ways in which its traditional construction as ‘women’s work’ has been strongly contested. The different ways in which work is itself construed, in both the traditional world of work and the private domain, sets the scene for a change of emphasis. The literature reflects a movement, in Chapter Five, from a concentration upon the inequalities and injustices heaped upon women through patriarchal structures towards a redefinition of the key issues through an exploration of the increasingly blurred distinctions between paid work, unpaid domestic work, care and leisure. A reinterpretation of caring and how this may be incorporated into the discourse on gender and work has been highlighted. It is argued that there is a clear need for more serious account to be taken of the lived experiences of both men and women, to celebrate, rather than denigrate, gender differences and to strive to understand the ways in which such differences are constructed in ways which may disadvantage both men and women. Chapter Two The nature and extent of women’s employment Many commentators have noted the different ways in which women and men have organized their lives together and how the work that each undertakes has changed and developed over time (Crompton, 1997; Hatt,1997). Crompton (1997) describes how the gender division of labour originated from, and was profoundly reshaped by, the advent of industrialisation in Britain. By the turn of the 20th century, men became increasingly associated with paid or market work, whilst women were identified with the household and non-market work. This trend became intimately connected with an ideology of womanhood which effectively served to exclude women from ‘market’ work. As Crompton asserts, the male-breadwinner model emerged from the ideology of ‘separate spheres’ in which â€Å"the home and domestic sphere was defined as belonging to women, whilst that of the outside world including the workplace – was defined as that of men† (1997, p.8). There seems little doubt, as will become clear later in this review, that assuming the main responsibility for household tasks and child-rearing has had a significant impact upon women’s participation in market work. The idea that this responsibility is somehow ‘natural’ can be said to underpin many family-related explanations for women’s behaviour in the labour market, however, this is clearly a contentious issue. Those who support the view that the gender division of labour manifested in today’s society is rooted in biological differences between the sexes include Hakim (1995; 1996) and Browne (1998). Hakim (1995), for example, sets out to explain the particular patterns of women’s employment in Britain and how they are distinct from those of men. She draws on findings from the socio-biological field which cite male traits of aggressiveness, dominance and competitiveness as rooted in hormonal differences between men and women. These natural masculine traits are seen as instrumental in the disproportionate participation and success of men in the employment sphere. In similar vein, Browne (1998) argues, that biologically influenced sex differences in behaviour have important ramifications for the occupational choices made by men and women in the working sphere and their differential employment patterns. Whilst clearly decrying outright sexual discrimination, Browne suggests that â€Å"much of the glass ceiling and gender gap is the product of basic biological sex differences in personality and temperament acting in the context of the modern labour market† and that these differences are the product of â€Å"differential reproductive strategies followed by the two sexes during the course of human evolution† (1998, p.5). Browne argues that instead of denying the reality of these natural sex differences in the pursuit of socially constructed explanations for the ‘gender gap’, it will be more productive for feminists, in particular, to embrace them and incorporate them into future discourse about work. Hakim (1995; 1996) is also critical of feminist commentators on women’s employment, such as Wallaby (1990), who have suggested that occupational segregation, the construction of women’s jobs as separate from men’s jobs, has been a mechanism through which women have been systematically denied access to jobs by men. Hartmann (1982), as cited by Crompton (1997), described the rationale behind occupational segregation by sex as the mechanism through which men’s superiority over women is maintained by enforcing lower wages for women in the labour market in order ensure their dependence on men. Hartmann (1982) asserts that â€Å"men benefit from both higher wages and the domestic division of labour† and thus, the latter, in turn, serves to perpetuate women’s inferior position in the labour market (Crompton,1997, p.11). Hakim argues against this analysis, however, suggesting that the different pattern of women’s labour-force participation and work commitment is due to women’s choices according to their tastes and preferences. Hence, some women choose to give more priority to their domestic role and child-rearing and less to their employment careers, though, for example, working part-time rather than full-time or opting for less demanding occupations (Hakim, 1996). Hat (1997) discusses the issue of gender and work from an economic perspective and points out that the labour resources of an economy include women and men engaging in productive activity in both the labour market and the household. The working population, however, is term most often used, particularly by economists, to describe those women and men who are engaged in paid employment, self-employment, in Forces, on work-related training schemes or registered as unemployed. This effectively excludes all those women or men in the unpaid sector and full-time homemakers. Hat (1997) records that in1993, in the 16 to 64 age group, 71% of all men and 53% of all women were participating in the working population. The Equal Opportunities Commission report that in the same age group in 2004, over 83% of men and 70% of women were ‘economically active’ (EOC, 2005, p.8). Although caution is needed in comparisons between different sets of statistics, it seems clear that a larger proportion of men than of women participate in the working population but the gap would seem to be closing. It is notable, however, that patterns of labour force participation by women and men are both distinct and different. Hat (1997) notes that, in 1993, for prime age male workers aged 24 to 49, participation rates were over 90%, declining after the age of 50. For women in 1993, the participation rate was 71% for the age range 24 to 34, falling to 54%for women with a child under 5 years old, increasing again as children enter school. Similarly, in 2004, 52% of mothers with children under 5years old were in employment, of these women, around 66% were working part-time. Crompton (1997) observes that almost all of the increase in women’s employment in Britain from the 1950s until the 1980s was impart-time work. This trend is further underlined in the latest statistics in that nearly half of all women (44%) and about 10% of all men work part-time (EOC, 2005). As the statistics show, clearly women are more likely than men to work on a part-time basis. Writers seem divided as to explanations for this phenomenon. Wallaby (1990), for example, has suggested that the expansion of part time employment represents a kind of capitalist, patriarchal conspiracy in which mainly male employers have secured women’s cheap and docile labour, whilst at the same time ‘freeing ‘women to continue undertaking domestic labour in the home. Crompton(1997), also, notes that â€Å"part-time work†¦.has a reputation of being insecure, low-paid and with little by way of training or promotion prospects† (p.33). She cites Beeches and Perkins (1987) who suggest that certain jobs were actually constructed as part-time jobs because they were seen as ‘women’s jobs’, invariably low graded and rarely defined as skilled (Crompton, 1997, p.33). Other writers, such as Hakim (1996), deny the assertion that employers have sought to construct ‘poor work’ for women, asserting instead that it is women themselves who have demanded part-time work to fit in with their other domestic responsibilities – employers have simply responded to meet this demand (Hakim, 1996). Evidence from research by Rubbery et al(1994), however, suggests that not only is part-time work less flexible than full-time work and of inferior quality, but also it has been developed largely to suit the needs of the employer. Since most part-time workers are women, it is women who are most affected by the disadvantages associated with this mode of work. Chapter Three Women as employees Hat (1997) traces the changes in the working population and employment patterns of men and women in recent decades, pointing out that whilst there has been a decline in male employment since 1980, female employment since that time has increased. She cites the official census data from 1994 which revealed that this latter increase was due to a greater proportion of mothers entering paid employment (Hatt,1997). It has been well-documented that within the labour market, women play a different role from men. As we have seen, women are more likely than men to work part-time and, as Hat observes, they also â€Å"work in different industries from men, occupy different positions even within mixed industries and are under-represented in senior positions†(1997, p.17). Many commentators have noted that women are concentrated in certain industries and occupations, such as clerical work, catering, cleaning and caring work whereas men are more often found in the manufacturing sector and the construction industry, for example (Hat, 1997; Franks,1999; Moe, 2003). Even when women and men are found in the same sector, men tend to occupy the more senior positions with women more often situated in the lower ranks of the hierarchy (Hat, 1997; Franks,1999). As Hat (1997) records, â€Å"women are under-represented at senior-levels throughout all occupational categories† (p.21). Crompton(1997) examines the banking industry, in some detail, as an example of the response to labour market demands for low-level clerical workers. She describes how this industry, along with others such as insurance and local government, helped â€Å"to generate a mass, feminized clerical labour force† (Crompton, 1997, p.107). Both direct and indirect discriminatory practices against women within particular banks came to light and pressure from the Equal Opportunities Commission forced some important policy changes. Crompton (1997) acknowledges that there have been major changes to employment practices in the financial sector in general, in later years, as far as gender equality is concerned. She cites structural factors, such as the demand for labour and the organization of the labour process alongside male exclusionary practices as the main contributors to the unequal position of female employees within the banking sector. She also concedes, however, that despite recent reforms, women continue to far outweigh men in occupying low-level positions in banking. It is useful, at this point, to identify the key pieces of government legislation in the UK which have been designed to directly address the issue of equal opportunities between women and men. The first is these Discrimination Act 1975 which promoted the basic principle that men and women should not be less favourably treated by virtue of their sexier marital status. The other is the Equal Pay Act 1975 designed to outlaw discrimination between women and men in the same employment, in pay and other conditions regarding their contracts of employment. This Act was later amended in 1984 to incorporate the Equal Pay for Equal Value principle. In addition to these Acts, the UK is also bound by Article 119 of the Treaty of Rome to uphold European Community equal treatment and equal pay directives (Griffin, 2002). The Equal Opportunities Commission, set up through the Sex Discrimination Act of 1975, functions as the expert organisation on equality between women and men, its main tasks being to â€Å"work towards the elimination of discrimination; to promote equality of opportunity and to keep under review the effectiveness of the Sex Discrimination and Equal Pay Acts† (Griffin, 2002, p.11). In the area of what has become known as the ‘gender pay gap’, it seems that, in general, the gap between male and female earnings has narrowed over the past 60 years, but the trend has been inconsistent. For example, female managers and administrators earned 55% of the annual earnings of their male counterparts on 1970, compared to only 33% in the mid 1920s (EOC,1999). However, this discrepancy narrowed by only 1% in this field of work between the mid 1950s and 1970. Since 1970, although this gap has narrowed significantly with women earning 63% of the pay of their male counterparts, compared to 81% for 1998, it was noted that â€Å"in all ethnic groups, men have higher average hourly earnings than women†(EOC, 1999, p.5). This statistical evidence for the steady narrowing of the gender pay gap appears encouraging in terms of the equality agenda. However, as Griffin (2002) observes, there are other relevant issues. She records that, when we look at all sources of income, including earnings from employment and self-employment, occupational pensions, investment and benefit income, women’s income is significantly lower than that of men, apart from state benefits. For example, figures taken from the EOC forth year 1996-7 showed that 45% of women had an income of less than £100 a week as compared with 20% of men (Griffin, 2002). More latterly, the EOC has recorded that the gender gap in terms of income has remained quite high, stating that â€Å"the gender gap between women and men’s mean individual incomes in 2002/3 was 46%† (EOC, 2005). The EOC (2001) records that despite improvements in recent years, stereotyping remains evident in many professional occupations. Notwithstanding the evidence that greater numbers of women are entering certain professions, such as higher education or the law, women’s share of higher level jobs remains generally low. Certain professional and technical occupations, the ‘occupational segregation’ noted earlier, apparently continue to be heavily dominated by either men or women(EOC, 2001). Empirical studies, especially within the feminist perspective over the past two decades, have moved away from the study of organizational structures per se in order to seek explanations for this persistence in the positioning of men and women in the workplace. Writers such as Pringle (1988), Chodorow (1989) and Halford and Savage(1995), for example, have instead demonstrated how specific kinds of masculinities and femininities, and discourses of gender, are constructed within the workplace. The emphasis here is upon recognizing the diversity of discourses on what it is to be a male or female employee and, ultimately, to avoid over-generalising about ‘all men’ or ‘all women’. One example of this is illustrated by Crompton(1997) in her exposition of different masculinities in the banking industry. She charts the movement within managerial positions in banking from a need for solid, paternalistic men towards the requirement for a more competitive, assertive masculinity within selling culture. Crompton (1997), however, argues that although these discursive, ‘post-modern’ insights do much to enhance our understanding of the pattern of women’s employment, and the different ways in which gender is constructed in the workplace, structural or material explanations remain important. Nazarko (2004) offers a contemporary analysis of the barriers faced by women in the workplace. She maintains that the drive for equal opportunities has hitherto failed to â€Å"challenge the premise that certain groups of workers such as women are less productive and less attractive to employers† (p.25) or the assumption that older workers, including women, are less valuable. Nazarko highlights the popularity of organisational initiatives which promote diversity and difference in the field of human resources. Wilson and Iles (1999), for example, have argued that â€Å"diversity management improves recruitment, retention and creativity within organisations† (Nazarko, 2004, p.25). Nazarkocites researchers such as Rosner (1995) who have pointed out that women and men have different styles of working and managing. Women, for example, tend to use interactional styles in management, encouraging participation, sharing power and information and energising others. In contrast, men tend to use transactional styles, seeing pieces of works series of transactions. Both styles are seen as equally valid and also, may be the preferred model for any individual, regardless of gender. It is argued, then, that both organisations and employees will benefit from initiatives which value diversity and difference, since people would be evaluated and treated as individuals, rather than asocial groups and associated stereotypical connotations. Nazarko(2004), however, fears that the diversity approach does not necessarily eliminate the power structures which persist in society. She argues that until female dominated professions such as nursing are valued as much as male dominated professions like the police force, it is difficult to see how gender equality can be attained. Chapter Four Domestic labour – women’s work? It is well-documented that the Industrial Revolution within the western world generated a distinction between paid work outside the home and unpaid domestic labour within the household. Men’s economic activity came to be focused upon paid work, hence the male breadwinner model, whilst women have commonly divided their working lives between the unpaid domestic sphere and activity in the labour market. Hat(1997) represents the feminist approach to this issue by highlighting the way in which women have long been disadvantaged, particularly in economic terms, by their traditional domestic responsibilities. Not only does their focus upon unpaid domestic task constrain their participation in paid work, domestic work itself â€Å"is an unpaid economic activity which has for too long passed unnoticed; the skills, which the successful homemaker acquires, go unrecognized in wage and promotion schemes† (Hat, 1997, p.50). The terms upon which both men and women are able to participate within the labour market are very different and in this respect, it would seem difficult to argue for a level of equality between the sexes. Many commentators have noted, household and child-rearing duties weigh more heavily upon women than men and have traditionally been excluded from economic analyses of participation in work in the widest sense(Crompton, 1997; Hat, 1997; Franks, 1999). As Hat observes â€Å"household responsibilities and paid employment are both valid productive activities but they are not equally rewarded by society†(1997, p. 49). DE et al (1995), in their analysis of the British Household Panel Survey in the mid 1990s, point out that very few men cited household or family responsibilities as affecting their labour market behaviour, whereas over 80% of women surveyed felt that their labour market participation had been adversely affected by these duties. As Franks(1999) points out, work has come to be synonymous with having a paid job and its counterpart is regarded as leisure. Thus, other kinds of activity such as cleaning the house, doing the shopping, cooking and caring for children and elderly relatives do not officially count as work, although for those involved, it may actually feel very much like work. Underpinning the traditional sexual division of labour is the idea that men’s paid work is dependent upon a shadow economy of women’s unpaid work (Franks, 1999). Thus, the increased participation of women in the formal paid workforce throws the spotlight onto the status of what had always essentially been regarded as a ‘labour of love’. Franks (1999) presents the example of widowed fathers who do not receive the lump sums, tax allowances and continuing state benefits received by widowed mothers. A missing father’s financial contributions recognised, whereas a widower’s deceased partner is considered to have had no economic value. One solution offered by some economists has been to officially regard this labour as a form of taxation whereby all of society benefits from it as if they were paying directly to the state (Franks, 1999). Other commentators (Charles and Kerr, 1999); Morris, 1999) have also stressed that despite the contemporary rhetoric of equality between the sexes, the traditional ideology which divides men and women into ‘breadwinner’ and ‘homemaker’ is still very much alive. Charles andKerr (1999), for example, point out that even where there may have been certain egalitarian sharing of domestic tasks within couples initially, once children arrive on the scene it is almost always the case that the woman takes on the responsibility for child-care and household tasks whilst the man takes on the role of breadwinner. It is argued that although, ostensibly, this arrangement may appear to be complementary relationship with roles being ‘different but equal’, there is a differential allocation of power which renders women disadvantaged. On giving up paid work outside the home, or taking on lower-paid, low-status part-time work, women relinquish their power and status, at least economically (Charles and Kerr, 1999). Having responsibility for decisions about food purchase, or other household necessities, cooking and childcare, it is argued, effectively constitutes the exercise of power by women in other people’s interests. As Charles and Kerr suggest, â€Å"most of them (women) carryout these tasks within a set of social relations which denies them power, particularly when they are at home all day with young children and are dependent for financial support on a man† (1999, p.192). There is a large body of contemporary opinion, evident in the literature, which calls for a redress of balance between the fundamental economic inequity between men and women, particularly within the family unit which includes dependent children. Franks(1999), for example, suggests that there will never be genuine equality between men and women â€Å"if male identity remains unaltered and unpaid work continues to be shuffled off onto women† (p.4). Franks goes on to assert that in a market system where unpaid work is invisible, there is no incentive for men to change their identity to encompass low-status, financially worthless activity (1999, p.4). Crompton (1997) presented her own analysis of the relationship between employment and the family with particular reference to the extent to which there has been any change in the domestic division of labour. She acknowledges that there has been some change, albeit very slow, and she cites research byGershuny et al (1994) who describe the process as one of ‘lagged adaptation’ in which changes tend to occur most often when women are engaged in full-time employment. Other researchers have found that although men, mainly middle-class men, have expressed a desire to become more involved in domestic and child care arrangements, there is little evidence that â€Å"equal† parenting is the reality (Lupton and Barclay, 1997). A more recent briefing by the Equal Opportunities Commission observes that there are many ways in which education, the family and access tithe labour market interact to produce different opportunities for women and men and which result in both men and women experiencing discrimination by virtue of gender. In relation to women in particular, this briefing comments that â€Å"women’s work should beer-evaluated, so that it is no longer undervalued and poorly paid†(EOC, 2002, p.1). Hat, in her analysis of gender, work and labour markets, concluded that â€Å"the domestic division of labour would certainly seem to lead to social injustice and it is debatable whether it furthers the efficient operation of the economy† (1997, p.50). Vogel and Pal (1999) present an interesting exposition of the connections between money and power and men and women within households. Their own research found that, in general, the partner with the greater income was likely to be more dominant indecision-making, with women partners in paid employment having greater power than those who work only in the home. There appear to have been few large-scale studies which have focused upon the experiences of social equality, or inequality, between individual members of the same household. The research conducted by Vogel and Pal (1999) draws on typology, constructed by Pal (1989), of household financial allocation systems, constituting the female whole-wage system, the housekeeping allowance system, the pooling system and the independent management system. In the female whole-wage system, women were given their husband’s pay packet, and had sole responsibility for managing the whole household budget. In the housekeeping allowance system, the women were given a fixed sum for housekeeping expenses, the men having prime responsibility for other expenditure. The pooling system was used where partners pooled their earnings and shared access to and responsibility for managing expenditure from the common, joint fund. Finally, the independent management system operated where both partners had independent incomes (usually dual-earner couples), each partner taking responsibility for particular items of expenditure, although this may vary over time. Vogel and Pal (1999) conducted a survey, combined with interviews, of1,211 couples across six British urban areas, covering Swindon, Aberdeen, Northampton, Coventry, Rochdale and Kirkcaldy. Respondents, aged between 20 and 60 years, were questioned on the household financial allocation system which came closest to their own mode of household finance management. By far the most common system used waste pool which was adopted by half of all the couples surveyed, with the remaining half choosing one of the other segregated systems (Voglerand Pal, 1999). The data was further analysed to determine the relationship between strategic financial control and access to money as a resource within the households studied. It was found that in the joint pooling households â€Å"joint management was associated with both equal strategic control over finances and also with equal access to money as a resource† (Vogel and Pal, 1999, p.143). In the female-controlled management systems, constituting just over two-fifths of the sample, a disjunction was found between control over finances and access to money as a resource. The researchers highlighted their finding that even where ostensibly, these women had greater financial control and power in decision-making, significantly higher levels of personal deprivation were experienced by the women with the men more likely to have more personal spending money than their female partners, especially in lower-income families. As Vogel and Pal observe, â€Å"where the opportunities for exercising financial power are heavily circumscribed by low income and by the husband’s expectation of personal spending money, ‘responsibility’ may be a more appropriate term than ‘control’!† (1999, p.144). This more detailed analysis presented by Vogel and Pal (1999), together with that of other researchers, such as Morris (1999), provides evidence for the ways in which patterns of gender and class inequalities tend to interlock to increase the differences between women and men. A different perspective upon the issue of gender differences and gender equality in the arena of household work and parenting is provided bother researchers. Doucette (1995), for example, highlights the tendency for debates on this issue to become focused upon the relationship between women’s greater responsibility for household work and caring role, and their relative inequality to men in employment and public life. She argues that whilst this is an important issue, insufficient account has been taken of the â€Å"various configurations that gender differences may take within household life† (Doucette, 1995, p.271). Doucette suggests that much of the literature on the gender division of household labour is situated within an ‘equality’ or ‘equal rights ‘framework, which itself, tends to be constructed through a masculine perspective. For example, she argues that a â€Å"male model of minimal participation in housework and child care† is pitched in relation to a â€Å"male model of full-time employment† (Doucette, 1995, p. 274). Whilst it is clearly documented that women’s employment is compromised through the need for women, as a

The Usage of Landscape in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein :: Mary Shelley Frankenstein Essays Papers

The Usage of Landscape in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein When reading Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, I was struck by how Mary makes use of the landscape to parallel Victor Frankenstein's shifting mental condition. In the story, Victor Frankenstein is an overly ambitious scientist whose curious tinkling with alchemy leads him to create a giant monster and ultimately compromised Frankenstein's own destruction. After Frankenstein created his monster and witnessed the horror that was his own making, he is traumatized in a "painful state of mind," which leads him to isolate himself from the outside world. Frankenstein's power to create life from dead body parts proves to be so extreme and so immoral that nothing in society seems to be able to encompass such an enormous feat, not even Frankenstein himself after he finished his creation. Thus, because of his inability to accept the fact that he has successfully brought something so grotesque to life, Frankenstein takes his dark secret and retreats within himself. Frankenstein's self-discovered powe r is so great that it successfully disassociates him from all the things he has once held dear in his life, such as family and the beautiful familiar landscapes. From here on, Frankenstein can only identify with big, immense, sublime landscapes because these are the only landscapes extreme enough to communicate what Victor is feeling inside. From the time Frankenstein created his monster, he finds little comfort in the beauty of nature. One passage that I find particularly striking was when Victor exclaimed, "Dear mountains! My own beautiful lake! How do you welcome your wanderer? Your summits are clear; the sky and lake are blue and placid. Is this to prognosticate peace, or to mock at my unhappiness?" (106). It is as if Victor is offended by the beauty and calmness of the landscape simply because it conflicts with the inner turmoil he is feeling inside. He continues through the story to "pass through many beautiful and majestic scenes [with] eyes fixed and unobserving" and "shunn[ing] the face of man; all sounds of joy or complacency [being] torturous to [him]; solitude [being his] only consolation -- deep, dark, death-like solitude" (210). One probable reason why he finds beautiful, peaceful scenes offensive can be found in the passage where Victor laments, "Nothing is more painful to the human mind, than, after the f eelings have been worked up by a quick succession of events, the dead calmness of inaction and certainty which follows, and deprives the soul both of hope and fear" (127). The Usage of Landscape in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein :: Mary Shelley Frankenstein Essays Papers The Usage of Landscape in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein When reading Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, I was struck by how Mary makes use of the landscape to parallel Victor Frankenstein's shifting mental condition. In the story, Victor Frankenstein is an overly ambitious scientist whose curious tinkling with alchemy leads him to create a giant monster and ultimately compromised Frankenstein's own destruction. After Frankenstein created his monster and witnessed the horror that was his own making, he is traumatized in a "painful state of mind," which leads him to isolate himself from the outside world. Frankenstein's power to create life from dead body parts proves to be so extreme and so immoral that nothing in society seems to be able to encompass such an enormous feat, not even Frankenstein himself after he finished his creation. Thus, because of his inability to accept the fact that he has successfully brought something so grotesque to life, Frankenstein takes his dark secret and retreats within himself. Frankenstein's self-discovered powe r is so great that it successfully disassociates him from all the things he has once held dear in his life, such as family and the beautiful familiar landscapes. From here on, Frankenstein can only identify with big, immense, sublime landscapes because these are the only landscapes extreme enough to communicate what Victor is feeling inside. From the time Frankenstein created his monster, he finds little comfort in the beauty of nature. One passage that I find particularly striking was when Victor exclaimed, "Dear mountains! My own beautiful lake! How do you welcome your wanderer? Your summits are clear; the sky and lake are blue and placid. Is this to prognosticate peace, or to mock at my unhappiness?" (106). It is as if Victor is offended by the beauty and calmness of the landscape simply because it conflicts with the inner turmoil he is feeling inside. He continues through the story to "pass through many beautiful and majestic scenes [with] eyes fixed and unobserving" and "shunn[ing] the face of man; all sounds of joy or complacency [being] torturous to [him]; solitude [being his] only consolation -- deep, dark, death-like solitude" (210). One probable reason why he finds beautiful, peaceful scenes offensive can be found in the passage where Victor laments, "Nothing is more painful to the human mind, than, after the f eelings have been worked up by a quick succession of events, the dead calmness of inaction and certainty which follows, and deprives the soul both of hope and fear" (127).

A Rose For Emily: Fallen From Grace :: essays research papers fc

A Rose for Emily: Fallen from Grace A comparative essay on the use of symbolism in William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily." Authors traditionally use symbolism as a way to represent the sometimes intangible qualities of the characters, places, and events in their works. In his short story "A Rose for Emily," William Faulkner uses symbolism to compare the Grierson house with Emily Grierson's physical deterioration, her shift in social standing, and her reluctancy to accept change. When compared chronologically, the Grierson house is used to symbolize Miss Emily's physical attributes. In its prime, the Grierson house is described as "white, decorated with cupolas and spires and scrolled balconies in the heavily lightsome style of the seventies" (Faulkner 69). This description suggests that the house was built not only for function, but also to impress and engage the attention of the other townspeople. Similarly, the wealthy women of the era, Emily Grierson not withstanding, were dressed in a conspicuous manner. This, for the most part, is because their appearance was perceived as a direct reflection on their husbands and/or fathers. This display of extravagance was egotistically designed by men to give an impression of wealth to onlookers. Emily was regarded by her father as property. Her significance to him was strongly ornamental, just as their overly lavish home was. As the plot progresses, the reader is clearly made aware of the physical decline of both the house and Miss Emily. Just as the house is described as "smelling of dust and disuse," evidence of Emily's own aging is given when her voice in similarly said to be "harsh, and rusty, as if from disuse" (70-74). Ultimately, at the time of Emily's death, the house is seen by the townspeople as "an eyesore among eyesores," and Miss Emily is regarded as a "fallen monument" (69). Both are empty, and lifeless. Neither are even remotely representative of their former splendor. Just as their physical characteristics, Faulkner uses the Grierson house as a symbol for Miss Emily's change in social status. In its prime, the house was "big," and "squarish," and located on Jefferson's "most select street" (69). This description gives the reader the impression that the residence was not only extremely solid, but also larger than life, almost gothic in nature, and seemingly impervious to the petty problems of the common people. The members of the Grierson family, especially Emily, were also considered to be strong and powerful. The townspeople regarded them as regal. And Emily, as the last living Grierson, came to symbolize her family's, and possibly the entire south's, rich past. The townspeople's reveration of Emily soon decayed, however, once it

Groups Opposing Active Euthanasia For Robert Wendland :: Euthanasia Physician Assisted Suicide

Groups Opposing Active Euthanasia For Robert Wendland On September 29, 1993, Robert Wendland, then age 42, was involved in a vehicle accident. He was in a coma for 16 months. In January 1995, Mr. Wendland came out of the coma, but he remains severely cognitively impaired. He is paralyzed on the right side. He communicates using a "Yes/No" communication board. He receives food and fluids through a feeding tube. During rehabilitation, he has been able to do such activities as grasp and release a ball, operate an electric wheelchair with a joystick, move himself in a manual wheelchair with his left hand or foot, balance himself momentarily in a "standing frame" while grabbing and pulling "thera-putty," draw the letter "R," and choose and replace requested color blocks out of several color choices. The Probate Court appointed Robert Wendland's wife, Rose, as conservator of his person under the Probate Code. Rose sought authorization from the court to remove the feeding tube, thereby starving him to death. Robert's mother (Florence Wendland) and sister (Rebekah Vinson) objected. Various groups opposed to active euthanasia became involved in the case with amicus briefs: Not Dead Yet is a national grassroots organization of people with disabilities formed in response to the increasing popularity of, and laws permitting, physician assisted suicide and euthanasia in the United States and around the world. Not Dead Yet's mission is to advocate against legalization of physician assisted suicide and euthanasia, and to bring a disability-rights perspective and awareness of the effects of discrimination to the legal and sociological debate around euthanasia and physician assisted suicide. Formed in 1996 in Illinois, Not Dead Yet has worked to educate, support, coordinate and lead the disability community's effort to stop the "right to die" from becoming a duty to die or a right to kill. While it is impossible to determine how many people with disabilities, family members and allies, call themselves members of Not Dead Yet, members have undertaken specific activities in the name of the organization and in support of its mission in at least 30 states. Not Dea d Yet has given invited testimony before the U.S. Congress three times, once before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee and twice before the Constitution Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives. When Not Dead Yet members attended the long awaited 1999 trial of Jack Kevorkian (the first after three years of non-prosecution, and scores of assisted suicides of people with non-terminal disabilities) and silently demanded the equal protection of the law, he was convicted.