Economy of Finland Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 9000 words

Economy of Finland - Coursework Example This led to movements for independence and self assertion on the part of Finland as early as the First World War. In this regard, the relationship between the Soviet and Finland remained inconsistent, until Finland declared itself independent in 1912, following an upheaval by the Bolsheviks. This was a period when the Finnish German ties were looking up. Following Soviet aggression as well as expeditions in Finland in order to capture it, the Soviet began diplomatic negotiations with Finland in April, 1938. This was done basically to avert the possibility of a Finnish attack on Leningrad with the help of British or German backing. It was in this period that Soviet German ties were forged with the help of a non aggression pact in 1939. A similar non aggression pact had been signed between Finland and the Soviet in 1934, which was to be re affirmed after a decade. Yet, the hostilities began soon after with Ariel attacks, military expeditions as well as naval attacks between the two countries. While the fall of Soviet Communism was hailed by many as the beginning of good times, there are parallel theories that point towards the failure of democracy to take off completely. What must be considered here, is the emergence of the following in Finland after the fall of Communism: While not A Westward looking trend Conception of and Alliance with the European Union and NATO Parliamentary Democracy with the help of a constitution Stable market forces Globalization Privatisation of Banks Green Politics Emergence of global industrial players to make use of Social and Industrial Capital. This paper will discuss all these points in order to understand how Finland has grown and can continue to grow at an even higher growth rate in all areas - social, political and economic. Chapter 3 Change in Finnish Strategy Globalization While not so different from traditional villages in its desire to engage in a free exchange of ideas, the global village is one that thrives on the communication and transportation infrastructure that seems to be binding the world into one 'large, happy family'. This has been the foremost policy of Finland after Communism. What had started out as a speculation on the part of Marshall McLuhan in the 1960s, regarding the fact that the world was being transformed into a "global village" in the face of TV and new telecommunication technologies, has become a debate of much greater dimensions. His prediction has gone past mere "telecommunication technologies", to an arena where a new wave of digital technologies personified by the Internet and its offshoots, are proving to be as much a force for diversity as they are for similitude. While the spread of TV, radio and the telephone helped transform the third world countries to a great extent; a trend furthered by the advent of cell phones - the impact of the Internet has been

Global capitalism is the primary cause of world hunger Essay Example for Free

Global capitalism is the primary cause of world hunger Essay Evolution/ change are a way of life. People evolve, cultures evolve, and so do our economies. And with every change comes a considerable amount of resistance. The transition from feudalism to capitalism gathered its momentum in Western Europe in 18th and 19th centuries. Along with came chaos, ambiguities and insecurities. Numerous theories on Capitalism as good or bad also came along. Some include famous works by premier sociologists: Karl Marx and Max Weber. Though Karl Marx’s most popular theories on â€Å"class and conflict† made him a capitalist critique, it is mainly Max Weber who’s considered to have developed a more rational theory on capitalism. Defined in Max Weber’s term, Capitalism is a process where money becomes an end in itself consequently changing the values of society. Although capitalism is an age old phenomenon what makes it younger even now is the global face it has assumed over the past two or three decades. It is now used in combination with globalization hence, termed as global capitalism. It has largely dominated the discourse on poverty and human development. Patrik Aspers (1) defines global capitalism as, â€Å"an economy that connects capitalistic actors from all over the world via production and consumption markets. † The common attack on this phenomenon is that it has increased the disparity between the rich and the poor in the developing world and widened the gap between the developed and the developing world. What’s perplexing is to see how the same phenomenon that is acclaimed for the growing GDP in many emerging economies is also seen as the culprit in raising world hunger. Global capitalism does not function in isolation. There are many other factors that determine its nature making it good or bad for human development. This paper will delve on those factors that have made this phenomenon so unpopular especially in the developing world. Also, to establish that global capitalism is not alone a cause per se of world hunger. Free Trade: Global capitalism means integrating the national economy into the world economy through breaking down of artificial trade barriers. In other words, allowing a free flow of capital across the globe. A more popular term given to this phenomenon is that of â€Å"Free Trade†. Joseph Stiglitz (2)defines it as â€Å"the closer integration of the countries and peoples of the world which has been brought about by the enormous reduction of costs of transportation and communication, and the breaking down of artificial barriers to the flows of goods, services, capital, knowledge and people across borders. Free Trade versus small –scale Farmers: There have been tall claims made on the benefits gained by the emerging countries out of free trade looking at their GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth over the past decade. While determining the effectiveness of Free Trade, most evidences are based on the number of jobs generated in emerging economies through this system. But this is also dovetailed by another question on whether these jobs also generate a livelihood option for the last common denominators in the developing world. The answer is quite evident from the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) that has taken a centre stage on the ongoing WTO (World Trade Organization) negotiations. The most affected lot of the multilateral trading system are the small scale farmers in developing countries who are largely being affected by huge subsidies provided to farmers in U. S and Europe. This in turn helps these farmers to sell their products at much reduced rates in international markets than the small- scale farmers of developing countries can afford to sell even in their own domestic markets. Hence, forcing these very farmers to sell their produce at a lesser price than that involved in production. One could argue that despite the farmer’s grievances, large flow of cheap food in developing countries could also mean that the poor and hungry benefit from floods of cheap food. The following fact answers this argument. World hunger strings from the current situation of small scale farmers in the developing world: The UN report on World Hunger 2000, revealed failure of the 1996 target of halving the number of people who do not have enough to eat within 15 years. Robert. Drinan (3) in National Catholic reporter, states that a total of 842 million hungry in the world during 1995- 1997 increased by 13 million in the 1999- 2001 period. The First Food Program Director, Kirsten Schwind points out that a vast majority of the world’s poor make their living off agriculture. Hence, failure in this sector also suggests that 50 percent of the people who live with hunger globally are these same small – scale farmers. United States and Europe: are they alone responsible for world hunger? Undeniably, the huge subsidies offered to farmers in the United States and Europe disrupts the global market. But this reason is not alone responsible for devastating farmer’s life in developing world. This era of global capitalism also calls for a global accountability. It isn’t right to put the entire blame on the US and Europe. Kenneth AJ (4) clearly states that â€Å"hunger is a multi-dimensional problem that requires a multidimensional approach and intersectoral interventions in relevant areas, such as health, markets, learning and emergency preparedness. But too often the necessary investments have not been made. National level strategies usually exist, but they often need to be modified to take hunger into greater consideration. † Simply judging the interventions made by international institutes, such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund is not enough. Unless country’s own systems such as, domestic policies, their implementation, and their transparency are not evaluated, the current situation on world hunger will not improve. It is a stated fact that serious policy mistakes are dovetailed by crisis in the economic sector. What keeps many developing countries from benefiting despite numerous development projects are their own infected methods. Many people and many governments have misunderstood the meaning of liberalization. They have mistaken it to mean liberating themselves off their responsibilities. The idea behind globalization was to make competition healthier. This could be done when each country facing an international competition ensures improvement on its infrastructure and provides its workers with latest knowledge on their skills. It is after all a country’s own responsibility. Unfortunately, the latest trend is to blame it all on the unhealthy competition led by free trade. Little have these governments done enabling their own citizens to face the global competition. It is after all these policy makers who hold key to development of their own nation. They are the wheelers of the society who link the modern, pre – modern and postmodern together. When we talk about agricultural competition, besides looking at debates engulfing the distortion issue, it is also important for us to assess the country’s own performance in these areas. It is after all government’s responsibility to improve upon its agricultural production meeting market needs by assisting its farmers with latest techniques and knowledge on new variety crops. Even if we agree for a while that many developing countries cannot afford the latest technologies, how do these governments then account for the dramatic increase in their GDP growth? India stands as the best example, where on the one hand many reports reveals the increased suicidal rate of the farmers, on the other hand there are reports flashing India’s growing GDP rate. A country with 60 percent population involved in agriculture, accounts for only 22 percent of its total GDP growth. Fair Trade involves paying a fair wage to the growers for their goods. Ironically, the larger retailers involved in the selling of these goods exploit these growers by buying their goods, like coffee, cocoa and sugar, at world low prices and then selling the same goods at international markets at highly marked – up prices. The unequal ratio between the production cost and selling cost forces the small – scale farmers in developing countries to borrow money from the local lenders. These lenders decide their own interest rates which unfortunately keeps the farmers in perpetual poverty. There is no supervisory authority that can help these farmers get a fair share for their produce. Caught between the vicious lenders and retailers, these farmers are constantly facing a blow. The government does little in bailing out these ill fate stricken farmers. The borrowing chain does end with the farmers. This trend continues even with the government who borrows money from international bodies to finance their development through several development projects. The supervisory authorities spend little time in monitoring the international capital inflows. These authorities also do not collect information on external borrowing by private corporations in their respective countries and in turn to use this information for managing their domestic policies. The excessive borrowing has direct link to hunger as these payments back to creditors outside the country are drawn from funds that should instead be invested in areas that need greater funding to lift people out of poverty and hunger. The money that is initially borrowed to invest its large portions in areas like agriculture, health care, education, job creation, etc. helps little in elevating these spheres and is rather used up in dealing with the fluctuating market interest rates. Asian Crisis : a result of excessive borrowing: Prior to 1997, eight East Asian countries-Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia experienced a rapid economic growth often called the â€Å"East Asian miracle†. Between 1965 and 1990, the GDP in these countries doubled. Their success was attributed to many factors such as free trade, macroeconomic policies and discipline, high saving and investment rates that attracted many foreign investors looking for a high rate of return. With increasing pressure felt in the foreign exchange market there was a sudden flow of Thai baht in market against the US dollar (the currency speculators rushed to buy US dollar against the Thai baht). This resulted in Thai currency devaluation followed by withdrawal of foreign capital from other East Asian countries as well. What followed was the Asian crisis in mid – 1997 affecting currencies, stock markets and other asset prices of several Southeast Asian economies. Foreign investors lost confidence and withdrew their invested money from these countries. Extensive borrowing in foreign currencies by corporations and other financial institutions while turning blind eye to currency fluctuation was the main culprit for this crisis. The ineffective financial supervision that encouraged short – term borrowing underestimating while the risk involved in exchange rate proved fatal. Role of the National Government: In several working papers much has been said about the international bodies and their role in the Asian Crisis. What is even a greater matter of concern is the role of national governments during the crisis. Nobody ever talks about their intervention. It is true while dealing with global market; one normally expects the global bodies to be accountable for its success or failure. If that being the case, why don’t we abandon the idea of even being governed by national bodies if every downturn is expected to be addressed by the international ones? It is evident from the East Asian case that the supervisory authorities spent little time in monitoring the international capital inflows. The authorities did not collect information on external borrowing by private corporations in their respective countries and in turn to use this information for managing their domestic policies. In earlier times whenever there was a failure in any sector, the only remedy seen for it was nationalization. Any failure in a sector in today’s time is handed over to privatized bodies with national government taking a back seat. The national governments have completely turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to its citizen’s problems. In fact for any rising problem it is the international market that is held responsible. Conclusion: The facts stated above clearly points out the loop holes existing in domestic policies and governance. Lian Greenfield (2001) has argued that the driving force behind capitalism is nationalism. Many countries saw a strong economy as a way of strengthening the nation making capitalism as a means in this process. Hence, it wont be wrong to say that it isn’t global capitalism that is the primary cause of world hunger, it is the improper governance that has led to this disaster. Food availability, food access, and asset creation are virtues of a responsible government for which we cannot hold world systems alone accountable. A good government is one that ensures a proper and organized lending to its farmers helping them to cope with international prices through establishing local banks with reasonable interest rates. This is just one of the many solutions a government can adopt to encompass failures in the agricultural sector considered one of the most important sectors of the emerging economies. A democratic country is one that lets the state make some of the economic decision, and the market and the civil society do others, though with different emphasis on these spheres. References: Aspers P, Edling C, Hobson B. A Note on Global Capitalism. Sweden: Department of Sociology, Stockholm University; 2005. Stiglitz J. Globalization and its Discontents. New York: Norton; 2002. Jesuit Fr, Drinan R. Report Shows World Hunger Increasing. USA (MO): National Catholic Reporter Publishing Company; 2004. Shwind K. Going Local on a Global Scale: Rethinking Food Trade in the Era of Climate Change, Dumping, and Rural Poverty. USA (CA): Institute for Food and Development Policy; 2005. Kenneth AJ. World Hunger Series 2006: Hunger and Learning. Italy: World Food Programme and Standford University Press; 2006. Reuven G, Moreno R. Government intervention and the East Asian miracle. Business Economics; 1997.

Critical Thinking Paper Abortion Philosophy Essay

Critical Thinking Paper Abortion Philosophy Essay It is undeniable that abortion is one of the most controversial topics. As is always the case, there are two sides to such a provocative topic. One is for free will and the ability to choose to have an abortion; the other is pro life and against abortion. However, very few advocates for either side truly know what is involved in the abortion process, but still do their best to oversimplify the issue at hand anyway. What exactly is abortion, then? By dictionary definition, abortion is the termination of a pregnancy. However, todays society would define it as getting rid of a mistake. An analysis of abortion reveals that there is more than meets the eye and only those who fully understand the process and consequences make decisions concerning abortion. The history of abortion is an extensive one. Although one of the most famous tide-turning legal cases for abortion was in 1973, abortion can be traced back even further than the 19th century. In fact, in Ancient Greece in 400 B.C., the Oath of Hippocrates stated that I swear by Apollo the physician, and Aesculapius, and Health, and All-heal, and all the gods and goddesses, that, according to my ability and judgment, I will keep this Oath. . . I will follow that system of regimen which, according to my ability and judgment, I consider for the benefit of my patients, and abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous. I will give no deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any such counsel; and in like manner I will not give to a woman a pessary to produce abortion (Facts About Abortion: Ancient Abortion History). Basically, any who swore by this oath realized the belief that abortion was harmful and would endeavor to aid the abortion process in any way. Around the same t ime period, Socrates also mentioned abortion in his books. His view, however, was opposite of Hippocrates. Socrates believed that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a man may not marry his daughter or his daughters daughter, or his mother or his mothers mother; and women, on the other hand, are prohibited from marrying their sons or fathers, or sons son or fathers father, and so on in either direction. And we grant all this, accompanying the permission with strict orders to prevent any embryo which may come into being from seeing the light; and if any force a way to the birth, the parents must understand that the offspring of such an union cannot be maintained, and arrange accordingly (Facts About Abortion: Ancient Abortion History). In much simpler terms, Socrates stated that abortion is justified in cases where a child is conceived in an incestuous union. The United States was also part of the broad history concerning abortion. In 1859, the American Medical Association condemned abortion except when preserving the life of the mother and in 1875, every state in America adopted laws that banned abortion (The History of Abortion in the United States). There were also many legal cases in which abortion was the main concern. As previously mentioned, Roe v. Wade was one of the most famous cases. Alex McBride stated on PBS, Controversial from the moment it was released, Roe v. Wade politically divided the nation more than any other recent case and continues to inspire heated debates, politics, and even violence today (the culture wars) (McBride). This case was particularly dividing because it was so controversial, and made people choose sides. There was the side that promoted free will and to have abortion as an option. On the other hand, there was the side that believed that all life is precious and that abortion is morally wrong. In the en d, the Court ruled that women have a right to privacy, which includes the right to have an abortion (McBride). Many people choose sides concerning abortion without having sufficient information to do so, such as knowing what the abortion process truly entails. Some choose to be against abortion without fully considering that there are certain circumstances that would require abortion, such as when the mother is in a life or death situation. Others choose abortions without realizing that it goes against many religions and beliefs. What most of them do not know is what is involved in the abortion process. Many might think that it would be similar to having a Caesarian section, perhaps removing the fetus through surgery. This, however, is not the case. As mentioned, the abortion process is more complex than one would think. There is more than one way to carry out an abortion; the type of process chosen is usually determined by how far into the pregnancy a woman is. The patient can choose between two options for abortion: through medication, or surgery (Types of Abortion Procedures). Although the first trimester is twelve weeks long, women can only choose to have an abortion through medication within the first nine weeks (Pregnancy Week by Week; Types of Abortion Procedures). This is most likely due to ethical reason, for example, because the fetus has developed and is considered a human being, therefore making abortion through pills unethical. There are various types of surgical abortion procedures. For example, Vacuum Aspiration, also known as Suction Aspiration, is through the use of a strong vacuum; Dilation and Evacuation is through the use forceps (First Trimester Abortion Procedures; Abortion Methods). During the process of V acuum Aspiration, a tube attached to a vacuum type pump is inserted into the vagina; the fetus and placenta is torn apart as it is suctioned out along with the amniotic fluids (Abortion Methods). Dilation and Evacuation is vastly different, however. The previous method seems more clinical and less horrifying than this method. In Dilation and Evacuation, forceps are used to grasp at random fetus parts, which are then pulled out one by one until only the head is left (Abortion Methods). As the fetuss head is too large to removed in tact, it is crushed first (Abortion Methods). Although these are only two of many procedures, each is more inhumane than the previous. Despite the fact that death only occurs in 0.0006% of abortion cases, there are risks and complications involved. No abortion procedure is entirely one hundred percent safe or risk-free. These are the dangers of legal abortion procedures: allergic reactions, blood clots, infections, failed or incomplete abortion, heavy bleeding, injury, and etc (In-Clinic Abortion Procedures). If abortion was made illegal, women would have to resort to even more dangerous methods, such as illegal ones. Not all of the dangers are physical, however. There are issues of post-abortion syndrome, such as feeling deep regret and depression over choosing to terminate the life of ones child (The Case Against Abortion: Post-Abortion Syndrome). When it comes to an extremely controversial topic like this one, there are usually many biases. This can involve religion, ethics, income, age, and society. All of these can influence decisions concerning abortion. Religion plays a major role, as it is what people turn to for guidance in turbulent times. If their religion is against abortion, it is most likely that followers will be the same. Ethics is also a guide; abortion might be unethical to some because fetuses are considered human beings and all life is sacred. The matter of income is also important. Those who are impoverished would support to keep abortion legal because they can barely afford to keep themselves alive, let alone another human being. In fact, forty-two percent of women who have abortions have incomes below 100% of the federal poverty level (Facts on Induced Abortion in the United States). Those who are wealthy might agree with abortion because a laid back life full of partying would probably be more appealing w ithout having to raise a child. On the other hand, they might not agree because they have enough means for financial support. The elderly or people raised with traditional morals most likely would not even entertain the thought of abortion because they believe in taking responsibility instead of the easier way out. However, younger people, especially in todays society, would be more likely to embrace abortion because irresponsibility is much easier. These factors contribute to biases. For example, those who are against abortion create extremely graphic collages using a collection of real pictures or digitally created ones that show the entire abortion process. These images invoke heavy emotions that discourage abortions. Anti-abortion supporters even go as far as inventing lies that suggest abortion leads to cancer (Dudley, and Kruse). In contrast, supporters of abortion might downplay, oversimplify, and even hide the danger at hand. For instance, Planned Parenthoods website include s both information on the safety and risks of abortion procedures; however, the information on risks is in smaller text so it is not as noticeable (In-Clinic Abortion Procedures). Another example is in the form of a young womans experience. Lindsay, whose last name was not posted, stated that abortion clinics made her leave through the back door because they dont want anyone coming in to know what someone looks like going out (Finding Help: You Care About Me, Right?). There are many reasons why women choose to have or not to abortions. For example, a reason might be similar to Socrates case: a woman might have been in a nonconsensual incestuous relationship that has ended in child conceived. It might go against this womans religion or ethics to give birth to the child. Abortion might also be necessary when the life of the mother is endangered. That is not to say these all of these reasons are completely justified. Even though the fetus has not fully formed, it is still a human being and a product of ones flesh and blood. Termination could be considered child abuse. Nothing truly gives one, even a parent, the right to play God and decide whether or not to terminate a life. There are alternatives, such as giving the child up for adoption after birth. Even in todays society, the topic of abortion is an extremely contentious one. People are very divided on this topic although each side may not fully comprehend everything about abortion. This shows that many are eager to jump on the bandwagon of whichever side makes the best case. In order to make educated judgments on abortion, people must entirely comprehend the process of abortion and the results. Personally, I am against abortion because I believe in taking responsibility for our actions, and that even unborn children are humans and should deserve a chance at life.

Comics: A Better Means To An Artistic End Essays -- Argumentative Pers

Comics: A Better Means To An Artistic End If a line of symmetry were to be drawn down the center of the paper, it would seem that each character rests within his environment about to collide with the other. Even without words, a vivid story begins to formulate in my mind, and hopefully I share the artist's vision. Comic book art is the Pez dispenser of modernism. The aesthetics of this accessible medium walk side by side with pop culture. No other art form can reach so many people due to its incredible volume. Each Wednesday of every week brings new issues of titles that have been in circulation for decades. Despite the vast numbers that arrive at retailers each month and the respect they sometimes receive (like Art Speigelman's Pulitzer Prize winning Maus), comics are under appreciated in the literary world, but why? They use a clever organization of symbols to express concepts shared by all people in their own social environment, and provide more tools than conventional art to truly show artistic intention. Comic artists choose to express personal thought with universally complex themes through a symbolic medium. No one refutes the idea that comics do not demonstrate realistic form. Comic artists do not attempt to portray the simple beauty of the natural world; rather, they try to relate a universal idea with a stylistic approach. Magritte's painting of a pipe with the inscription, "this is not a pipe," at the bottom demonstrates the way in which comic books are misunderstood. In his explanation of the art form, Scott McCloud uses pictures of various characters following Magritte's structure. For example, he draws a picture of a cow and states that "this is not a cow" (McCloud 26). The pictures only resemble what we a... ... connection. A conventional expressionist must assume that the observer realizes the purpose of his or her art. Many people see a portrait as just a portrait, when the mood and the intricate detail of the face add to its meaning. Comics, on the other hand, are expected to be symbols enveloped in a detailed history that replaces the wobbling bridge between reader and artist with a strong one suspended by invisible messages from creator to potential viewer, messages anyone can see. Works Cited Carrier, David. The Aesthetics of Comics. University Park: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2000. Crain, Dale, ed. Batman: Black and White. New York: DC Comics, 1998. McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. New York: Harper Perennial, 1993. Thompson, Don, and Dick Lupoff, eds. The Comic-Book Book. New York: Arlington House, 1973. Comics: A Better Means To An Artistic End Essays -- Argumentative Pers Comics: A Better Means To An Artistic End If a line of symmetry were to be drawn down the center of the paper, it would seem that each character rests within his environment about to collide with the other. Even without words, a vivid story begins to formulate in my mind, and hopefully I share the artist's vision. Comic book art is the Pez dispenser of modernism. The aesthetics of this accessible medium walk side by side with pop culture. No other art form can reach so many people due to its incredible volume. Each Wednesday of every week brings new issues of titles that have been in circulation for decades. Despite the vast numbers that arrive at retailers each month and the respect they sometimes receive (like Art Speigelman's Pulitzer Prize winning Maus), comics are under appreciated in the literary world, but why? They use a clever organization of symbols to express concepts shared by all people in their own social environment, and provide more tools than conventional art to truly show artistic intention. Comic artists choose to express personal thought with universally complex themes through a symbolic medium. No one refutes the idea that comics do not demonstrate realistic form. Comic artists do not attempt to portray the simple beauty of the natural world; rather, they try to relate a universal idea with a stylistic approach. Magritte's painting of a pipe with the inscription, "this is not a pipe," at the bottom demonstrates the way in which comic books are misunderstood. In his explanation of the art form, Scott McCloud uses pictures of various characters following Magritte's structure. For example, he draws a picture of a cow and states that "this is not a cow" (McCloud 26). The pictures only resemble what we a... ... connection. A conventional expressionist must assume that the observer realizes the purpose of his or her art. Many people see a portrait as just a portrait, when the mood and the intricate detail of the face add to its meaning. Comics, on the other hand, are expected to be symbols enveloped in a detailed history that replaces the wobbling bridge between reader and artist with a strong one suspended by invisible messages from creator to potential viewer, messages anyone can see. Works Cited Carrier, David. The Aesthetics of Comics. University Park: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2000. Crain, Dale, ed. Batman: Black and White. New York: DC Comics, 1998. McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. New York: Harper Perennial, 1993. Thompson, Don, and Dick Lupoff, eds. The Comic-Book Book. New York: Arlington House, 1973.

Wid and Gad

COMPARE AND CONTRAST THE WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT (WID) APPROACH AND THE GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT (GAD) Gender by definition refers to the characteristics, trades, attributes or even roles that are expected for males and females by a given culture or society. Some can say the general social meaning of being male or female. The WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT (WID) this approach was developed in the early 1970’s this came to use during the United Nation Decade of women (1972-1985).This approach viewed women as passive beneficiaries of the development according to Miller, C and Razavi, S 1995 , in actual fact there was a growing realization that women were being left out of the economic development or that they were not benefiting significantly from it. The WID therefore views women’s lack o participation as the main problem. While on the other hand the GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT (GAD) approach emerged in the early 1980’s , it emerged from the limitations of both the WID and WAD (WOMEN AND DEVELOPMENT) its main objective was to remove disparities in social, economic and political equality between men and women.Back to the WID it mainly focused on women, the approach seeks to integrate women into economic development through legal and administrative support. The WID approach has enhanced peoples und erstanding of the women’s developmental needs particularly the need to improve statistical measures of women’s work and to provide women with more opportunities for education and employment. WID has helped mainstream gender issues in many developed agencies and polices as well as increase women’s visibility. However the GAD approach argues that women’s status in society is in the national, regional and global economies .It is not just on moment but also on the social relations between women and men, be it the workplace or in other settings. Gender relations are seen as the key determinant of women’s position in society , not as immutable reflections of order but as socially constructed patterns of behavior. The GAD approach sees gender division of labour the work done by women in the household. Women are usually in a disadvantage position in the work place as compared to men , promotion of gender equality implies explicit attention to women’ s needs , interest and perspectives .The GAD approach looks at the impact of development on both women and men, it seeks to ensure that both men and women participate in and benefit from development. However the GAD also recognizes that women’s may be involved in development but not necessarily benefit from it (Moyoyeta, 2004). The GAD also pays special attension to the oppression of women in the family or the â€Å"family sphere† of women’s lives as a result we have seen projects develop addressing issues such as domestic violence, and violence against women. The GAD approach assumptions were that they were unequal power ratios between man and womenPrevents equitable developments (Makombe, 2010) Moreover the biggest contribution of GAD is the inclusion of man into the approach, it does not exclusively emphasize the solidarity of women. This approach acknowledges that women spent a lot of time bearing, raising children , cooking , washing , fetching water caring for the sick and elderly attending to fields and small stock. It also observes that women have no control over their fertility and over productive resources. It also helped us to understand that the gender division of labor gives triple roles thus the reproductive productive and community to women in society.The WID had the following limitations that however as already mentioned led to the formation of the GAD, the limitations of the WID are by exclusively targeting women WID creates tension, suspicion and hostility. It also does not challenge gender relations and assumes that these will change as women become economic partners in development. Furthermore the approach focuses on integration of women into ongoing development strategies. In as much as the GAD was a better approach to WID it also had its limitations, the GAD advocates for the re-examination or deconstruction of gender roles hence it is likely to depend on the goodwill of men.In a nutshell the GAD approach was a better approach to the WID; therefore the gad approach liberates, empowers and promotes partnership and equitable distribution of resources and benefits. WHICH OF THE TWO APPROACHES HAS CONTRIBUTED MORE TO INVOLVEMENT OF WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT [4] The WID approach hoped to bring women into development through providing them with opportunities for employment or engaging them in income generating projects. This would, as it were, remove them from the private sphere into the public sphere.The GAD approach goes beyond seeing development as mainly economic well being but also that the social and mental well being of a person is important. It should also be noted that the biggest contribution of GAD is the inclusion of men into the approach. The approach brings in the part played by some women in perpetuating gender inequality when these women connive with patriarchy to exploit, subordinate and oppress young women in the third world. Women in Development wanted to remove patriarchy and replace it with matriarchy as they believed that every man has a woman to exploit, oppress and subordinate.GAD concentrate more on the idea that women must be lifted from poverty and contribute more to the developments efforts. It argues that women have a role to play both in reproduction and in production process, it acknowledges their economic roles and class decisions for development to take place. GAD argues that understanding women and men`s roles and responsibilities as part of the planning of development interventions helps to improve project effectiveness and ensures that both men and women plays their part in national development activities.GAD approach does not only concentrate on economic development for women and men only but it also views the social and mental being of person as very important. 1. Boserup, E (1970) Women's Role in Economic Development. St. Martin’s Press, New York 2. Hazel Reeves and Sally Baden, (2000) Gender and Development: Concepts and Definitions, ins titute of Development, Brighton 3. Schaefer, RT 2006 , Sociology: A brief introduction, 6th Ed , McGraw Hill, New York. 4. Makombe K . (2010) â€Å"Young Women Speak† Sable Press : Harare 5.MIDLANDS STATE UNIVERSITY Faculty of Science and Technology Name Christine T Mhike Reg Number R12960Y Programme BSc Computer Science Mode of Entry Conventional ModuleGS 201 – Gender Studies Lecturer Mrs Mukoni Level 2. 1 Due date22 March 2013

Free Essays on Education Summary

Education in our society is concerned with very repetitive systems of learning. Such as the â€Å"three R’s† reading, writing, and arithmetic as well as many morals and values. The rise of education in the U.S. came about very slowly. Even after the Emancipation Proclimation came about black still could not attend schools. State laws prohibited schooling for blacks, hispanics, american indians, and chinese immigrants. Attendance was enforced at least till Eight grade for whites. In 1910 less than 10% of American 18 yr. olds graduated high school. It rose steadily but by the 1930’s it was less than half. After WWII college and high school attendance rose. The main cause was the GI bill, which gave 20 million american who participated in the past war to attend college, federal loans and the growth of community colleges also helped. The rate were not equal between races. Whites increased from 26% in 1940 to 93% in 1990. Blacks increased from 9 % in 1940 to 88% in 1998. In the US it is common that kids are sent to schools. But in other societies such as the pastoral, parents teach kids how to gathwer food and take care of land. Functionalist theories state education accomplishes certain functions. Among these functions are socializtion, occuipational training, and social training. Socialization is brought about through the paaing of cultural hertiage. The heritage include book smarts, and morals, ethics, poltics, religion, habits and norms. Occupational training is important in industrialzed areas like the U.S.. Jobs were passed on through out the family. Alot of jobs and occupations are still being passed on today, particularly among the upper class. Social control is also a function of education, but not as obvious. They are called latent functions. Increased immigrantion and urbanization brought about increased crime as well. In conflict with the fundementalist theory, which state... Free Essays on Education Summary Free Essays on Education Summary Education in our society is concerned with very repetitive systems of learning. Such as the â€Å"three R’s† reading, writing, and arithmetic as well as many morals and values. The rise of education in the U.S. came about very slowly. Even after the Emancipation Proclimation came about black still could not attend schools. State laws prohibited schooling for blacks, hispanics, american indians, and chinese immigrants. Attendance was enforced at least till Eight grade for whites. In 1910 less than 10% of American 18 yr. olds graduated high school. It rose steadily but by the 1930’s it was less than half. After WWII college and high school attendance rose. The main cause was the GI bill, which gave 20 million american who participated in the past war to attend college, federal loans and the growth of community colleges also helped. The rate were not equal between races. Whites increased from 26% in 1940 to 93% in 1990. Blacks increased from 9 % in 1940 to 88% in 1998. In the US it is common that kids are sent to schools. But in other societies such as the pastoral, parents teach kids how to gathwer food and take care of land. Functionalist theories state education accomplishes certain functions. Among these functions are socializtion, occuipational training, and social training. Socialization is brought about through the paaing of cultural hertiage. The heritage include book smarts, and morals, ethics, poltics, religion, habits and norms. Occupational training is important in industrialzed areas like the U.S.. Jobs were passed on through out the family. Alot of jobs and occupations are still being passed on today, particularly among the upper class. Social control is also a function of education, but not as obvious. They are called latent functions. Increased immigrantion and urbanization brought about increased crime as well. In conflict with the fundementalist theory, which state...