Reflected Best Self Exercise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reflected Best Self Exercise - Essay Example I have the ability to adapt to any situation when carrying out any responsibility given to me. In this case, I can work in an environment filled with pressure and be able to deliver without compromising the required standards. Therefore, I am able to remain calm and work situations out while levelheaded instead of becoming a hothead and failing to deliver. This effectively means that I am patient and ready to face the situation despite any inauspicious existing circumstances, which may affect my performance of certain roles and activities. One of my friends supports this view and pointed to me that I â€Å"try to maintain calmness and ask your colleagues to exercise patient regardless of the prevailing situation.† I like understanding other people well, and one of the things that I try to do is to show people compassion. Hence, I like putting myself in another individual’s shoes in order for me to experience their emotions. This way, I will be able to help them since I have ensured that I experienced their emotions, and there is the connection between us, which is the bond that sets the foundation for cooperation. In addition, understanding people well by showing compassion ensures that I am able to influence the choices and decisions that they made. In one situation, my cousin remembers how I influenced her decision to study law by making sure that I listened to her, understood her emotions, and influenced her to making the right decision. In creating relationships with other people, I try to get the sense of the people during our first interaction. In this case, I try to be as candid and open as I can in order to create a feeling of trust, honesty, and good-natured between my acquaintances and me. This way, I am able to cultivate a relationship based on trust, openness, and honesty. In view of this fact, a colleague whom I have developed a deep relationship with while in school, told me that he regarded me as an open and

Psychoanalytic Film Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Psychoanalytic Film Theory - Essay Example Using Lacanian and Freudian psychoanalytic terms, Mulvey examined how women are portrayed in cinema, as she analyzes the â€Å"male gaze† and its aspects of pleasure and nonpleasure (309). Mulvey's essay can be asserted as a historical document, due to her examinations of the pleasurable and controlling dimensions of â€Å"vision† that several disciplines studied before her and extended after her work. She argued that the â€Å"unconscious† of the patriarchal system has projected itself unto the film narrative. The male gaze had perilously affected the discourse between the dominant and dominated sectors of society, where political binaries of man/woman and active/passive are present. This paper will discuss the reasons why feminist film scholars adopted psychoanalytic film theory. It will also use feminist psychoanalytic spectatorship theory in studying Hitchcock’s Rear Window (1959). Feminist scholars adopted the psychoanalytic film theory, because the l atter aims to examine and depict gender identity using cultural, instead of biological, concepts that are present in films, so that the exclusion of women in dominant film discourses can be identified and dismantled for purposes of political empowerment by breaking the domination of the male gaze and reversing spectatorship from male to female gazing. Rear Window (1959) depicts scopophilia through sexual stimulations of visual pleasures and narcissism, and its pervasive use of the sexual objectification of women, where the film sees them as sources of both pleasure and nonpleasure. Psychoanalytic film theory Feminist film scholars, during the 1970s, were interested in analyzing the diverse forms of gender oppressions that relegated them to a â€Å"secondary† social and political status (Kaplan 1238). Their takeoff was the â€Å"cultural,† and not the biological, aspect of negative female experiences, where cultural semiotic systems present relationships in how women ar e seen and consumed in films and in societies where they live in. These scholars noted that the â€Å"objectification† of women, which limited their desires and objectives, could be the root cause of their oppressed conditions in real and reel life. Spectatorship theory asserts that the spectator generally refers to the male spectator, who wants to see and â€Å"control† women, because of the visual pleasures that the feminine form can provide (Sherwin 174). Psychoanalysis broadens spectatorship theory by unlocking the unconscious impulses that drive the male gaze (Mulvey 305). Thus, it could be seen that ideological feminism has strongly driven psychoanalytic film theory (Kaplan 1238). The primary appeal of psychoanalysis is that it presented a concrete framework for understanding preexisting conventions of women from the patriarchal perspective (Mulvey 305). It is a fitting theoretical framework for the budding feminist film theory, which still needs conceptual found ations. Freud and Lacan, in particular, provided terms and processes that can help explain how the male unconscious embeds itself unto society through its dominating gaze (Mulvey 305). The â€Å"erotic† processes of â€Å"seeing† have a direct impact on consuming the female form, and they also have implications on how women are portrayed in narrative films (Mulvey 305). Lacanian theory argues that films present a â€Å"mirror image† that underlies symbolic infrastructures (McGowan 28). The â€Å"gaze† represents the male â€Å"imaginary† and this imaginary builds the illusions of pleasures and nonpleasures (McGowan 28).

Gender inequality in the developing world

Gender inequality in the developing world Gender differences in labour market outcomes affect whether women enter the marketplace, care for children, or partake in other labour activities. In the developing world, gender differences in political access and wages can have large effects on the well-being of females and their families. Discuss gender differences that exist in the developing world, why they are important, and what role they play in shaping outcomes of females and children. Are there policy prescriptions that would increase societal welfare? TABLE OF CONTENTS: Introductionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦3 On Gender differences and well-beingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦4 Gender Discrimination, Property Rights and Investment in Agricultureà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..6 Impact of Reservations in India on Policy Decisionsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.8 Prevalence of adverse sex ratio à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.11 Where are all the Missing Women à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.12 Conclusionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..17 Referencesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦19 INTRODUCTION: For centuries, women have played the role of a homemaker, caring for her children. While men were the breadwinners of the family. This stereotypical image of men and women, though less profound is still to be found in many parts of the world. This is especially true of the developing countries. Biologically, women and men are different, beyond the obvious. Their brains function differently. Hormonal differences make them behave in different ways. However, the sexist attitude towards gender differences has been forced not only by the government, but also by almost all the institutions of public life. In the developing world, we frequently find that women are discriminated against by men. In many countries, a girl-child is considered to be a burden, and may not receive the same care that a boy would. A woman is often forbidden to work outside the house as the society frowns upon such activities. And also women continually receive lower wages than men for the same work. In the past decade, the governments of many countries have put into place many policies to help empower women. Some policies have been successful, while others have not done much to reduce this gender gap. Various studies have been conducted to see whether the policies were actually implemented, and if yes, what impact they had on womens welfare. Many studies have been conducted to measure the impact of these biases against women, on the welfare of their families, on their well-being, and their status in society. On Gender differences Well-being One such study by Esther Duflo (2000) measures the impact of a cash transfer, specifically old age pension, on the nutritional status of a child, depending on the gender of the recipient. Policies targeted towards improving womens position relative to mens are desired not only for equity basis, but also for the effects they may have on childrens welfare. Being malnourished can affect a childs physical and mental health. Hence, receiving adequate nutrition at a young age is important for economic growth, distribution, and welfare. Thomas (1990, 1994) found evidence that income or assets in the hands of women are associated with larger improvements in child health, and larger expenditure shares on household nutrients, health and housing (Duflo, 2000; pg.1). Her paper investigates whether redistributing resources from men to women would increase investment in children. With the end of the apartheid the benefits and coverage of the South African social pension program was expanded in the early 1990s to include the black population. The program was successfully implemented with almost a universal coverage. This led to a permanent exogenous change in income, after household formation. Most families are extended households, and over a quarter of African children under the age of five live with a pension recipient. The paper takes into account the weight for height, and height for age of children below the age of five to see whether the pension recipients gender has any effect on these indicators. The South African social pension was started in 1928, but it was only after 1993 that the same amount was paid to all racial groups. Women over 60 years, and men over 65 years are eligible for pension, subject to a means test. During the Apartheid era, the system was racially discriminatory in many respects. Firstly, different means tests were applied to each race. For Blacks benefits were withdrawn for incomes larger than R700, while for Whites the limit was at R2250. Secondly, benefits for Whites were 10 times higher than those for Blacks. Thirdly, Whites received pensions through postal offices, while Blacks had to collect their pension through mobile pay points that didnt cover much area. Finally, officials often intentionally took people off the list, or limited access of legally eligible Blacks to save the cost of pensions. The weight for height of children reflects short run nutrition and illnesses and recovers quickly once proper nutrition is resumed. The nutrition in turn is determined by individual preferences, non-labour income, the weights given to members of the household, and child specific variables. Before controlling for the presence of non-eligible members over 50, the coefficient for girls is positive but insignificant. However, when the controls are introduced it improves the weight for height of girls by 1.19 standard deviations, if pension is received by a woman. For boys, the coefficient is positive, but insignificant. However, a pension received by a man has a small, negative and insignificant effect on girls weight for height. Also it seems that there exists an all female link, as the pension seems to be most effective if received by the mothers mother. Some problems which may bias upward the estimates of the effect of pension on weight for height are discussed and are as follows; Fir stly, being a three generation would mean that the household is relatively healthy. Secondly, the pension program might have led to a change in the composition of the household. For this Duflo examines the height for age of young children, as this reflects nutrition status over the life of the child. Height for age is different from weight for height, in the sense that it depends on accumulated investments over the life of the child. Nutrition at a very early age has long lasting consequences on child height. And the possibility of catch-up skeletal growth after an episode of low growth in infancy is limited (Duflo, 2000; pg.13). Her basic idea is to compare the differences between height of children in eligible and non-eligible households and between children exposed to the program for a fraction of their lives and children exposed all their lives. Results show that pensions received by women led to an increase of 1.16 standard deviations in the height of girls, and had a much smaller effect on boys. While pensions received by men didnt have any impact on the height of either girls or boys. Duflo concludes that the nutritional status of a girl improves significantly if the pension receiver is a woman, and has an insignificant negative effect if the pension receiver is a man. She tests for these by measuring the weight for height, and height for age of children between 6 to 60 months of age. Also this result rejects the unitary model of the household and suggests that pensions received to women may increase efficiency more than pensions received by men. Gender Discrimination, Property Rights and Investment in Agriculture It is often the quality of the economic institutions of a society that determine its economic growth. This is especially true of property rights, as investment incentives depend upon expectations of rights over returns to that investment. Goldstein and Udry (2004) conduct a study in Akwapim, Ghana and examine the connection between property rights and agricultural investment, and in turn to agricultural productivity. In much of Africa the Western notions of private property doesnt exist. Most of the land cultivated by farmers is controlled by the local leaders. It is allocated to individuals, and families based on their perceived need and political influence. In many African societies, agricultural production is managed by individuals or households. Soil fertility primarily depends on an individuals decision regarding the span of the fallow period, i.e. when the land is left uncultivated to regain fertility. Rights over a plot can be lost while it is fallow, and induces shortening of the fallow period. There also exist opportunity costs and transition costs associated with fallowing. They select four village clusters, and within each cluster they select 60 married couples. They measure productivity via returns to cassava/maize cultivation on similar plots of men and women within a household in a given year. Conditioning on plot characteristics and household fixed effects, they find women produce much less cassava/maize than their husbands. Hence, earn lower profits. They also find that education and age are not responsible for this difference in productivity. They do however find that duration of the last fallow period is strongly positively related to current profits. Gender of the cultivator has no effects on profits, once they condition for the duration of the last fallow. Tenure security seems to be closely related to fallow decisions. Due to the complex and flexible property rights women often rely on allocated household land, given by their husbands. Men are more active on the land market. A primary reason for uncertainty of tenure, especially for women, is that leaving the land fallow might weaken future rights over the plot. Leaving the land fallow, might signal a lack of sufficient need by the village heads. A second model is based on the idea that tenure security varies with the political position and method of acquisition of land. Their results reflect that tenure security depends highly on the individuals position in the political and social hierarchy. But even conditioning on the individuals position, it depends on the circumstances through which she obtained the particular plot. The complex and overlapping rights to land act as barriers to investment in land fertility. The difference in profits within a household, from similar plots can be attributed to the fact that women are generally not in a position of power. They tend to leave land fallow for a shorter duration, to maintain their rights over the plot. Impact of Reservations in India on Policy Decisions In a paper by Chattopadhyay Duflo (2004) they study the impact of political reservations on womens leadership and policy decisions. They show that reservation of seats for women impact the investment decisions on public goods and are biased towards the gender of the Pradhan. In 1993 an amendment to the constitution of India made it mandatory for all village councils (GPs) to reserve one-third of all positions of chief (Pradhan) to women. The paper focuses on two districts, Birbhum in West Bengal, and Udaipur in Rajastan, and compares investments made in reserved and unreserved GPs. The major responsibilities of the GP are to administer local infrastructure, and identify targeted welfare recipients. The main source of funding is the state, and the money is allocated through four broad schemes: the Jwahar Rozgar Yojana for infrastructure, a small drinking water scheme, funds for welfare programs, and a grant for GP functioning. The GP has full flexibility in allocation of these funds. The Panchayat is required to setup two meetings per year in which all voters may participate. Additionally, the Pradhan must setup regular office hours, where villagers can lodge complaints. In both Rajastan, and West Bengal the policy was strictly implemented. And women elected once due to the reservation system were not re-elected. A rationale for reservations for women is that, the cost of running for office is higher for a woman than for a man. These high costs can prevent women from participating in the political process in the absence of reservations. So the two candidates must have an equal chance of winning. The outcome will then be symmetric around the median voter. Also, when women run because of the reservation, this can increase womens utility and the median voters utility. Some limitations of this model are: Firstly, when the Pradhan is a woman it might be easier for women to influence policy process ex-post, moving policy in a pro-woman direction. Secondly, after reservation, relatively weak women with strong pro-women views will be as likely to run as strong women with more moderate preferences. Thirdly, the model ignores the possibility of strategic behaviour on the part of the elected official, which would exist in case of future elections. Chattopadhyay Duflo (2004) use the data on formal requests and complaints that are brought to the Pradhan. Since complaining is costly (time consuming), the complaints reasonably measure preferences of individuals. Women are more likely to have a higher cost of complaining given the social norms that limit their mobility, and conditions under which they can speak to a man. Hence, womens complaints will be more biased towards extreme preferences. In the model, allocations are made closer to womens needs in reserved GPs because of the selection of women candidates and possibly due to the reduced cost of speaking to a women, and not because women are more responsive to complaints of women. Authors find that in West Bengal, drinking water and roads were the issues most frequently raised by women. Next were welfare programs, followed by housing and electricity. Issues of roads, irrigation, drinking water and education were raised by men. In Rajasthan, drinking water, roads, and welfare programs were the issues most frequently raised by women. This pattern reflects the activities of both men and women in these areas. Women are in charge of collecting drinking water, and benefit from the welfare programs. In West Bengal, they work on roads. In Rajasthan, both men and women work on roads, and so have a common motive. But, men travel frequently in search of jobs and so have a stronger need for good roads. In both Rajasthan and West Bengal the gender of the Pradhan affects the provision of public goods. Individual women are not particularly more responsive to the needs of women and men in their communities. Rather it is because their own preferences are more aligned to the pr eferences of women that they end up serving them better. These results are unaffected when controlled for the Pradhans characteristics ( like education, experience, social status etc). This suggests that the allocation of public goods can be largely attributed to the gender of the Pradhan, rather than on its other effects. Prevalence of adverse sex ratio The aim of the paper by Khanna et al (2003) is to determine whether the skewed sex ratio in India can be explained by less favourable treatment of girls in infancy. They measure deaths from all causes in infants aged less than one year, in a community health project undertaken in urban India. According to the 2001 census in India, the sex ratio was at 933 females per 1000 males. Ordinarily, females outnumber males, possibly because the extra X chromosome makes them less susceptible to infectious diseases. However, the skewed sex ratio in India suggests the existence of sex discrimination. Despite the banning of sex determination tests, the practise of female infanticide has continued. Even after birth, mortality remains higher in females, and girls are more than 30%-50% more likely to die between their 1st and 5th birthdays. Various studies have shown that compared to boys, girls are often brought to health centres at a more advanced stage of illness, are taken to less qualified doctors, and have less money spent on them. The basis of their study is the record of deaths maintained by midwives working in St. Stephens Hospital in Delhi. The hospital caters mostly to the poor, who have an average per capita income of Rs. 600 per month. The combined population of the area is about 64000 people. The results find a significant difference in mortality between girls and boys for diarrhoea and unexplained deaths. But there was no significant difference between deaths from less preventable and less treatable diseases. For diarrhoea, the mortality for girls was twice that of boys. In the case of unexplained deaths, the parents werent able to give a satisfactory explanation for the cause of death. Most deaths were of females in this group, and were thrice as much as those in boys. Although the cause of these deaths is unexplained, improvement in access of health care, and education of health professionals to pay more attention to girls could be beneficial. Where are all the Missing Women In her paper Gender equality in Development Ester Duflo (2005) addresses the interrelationship between economic development and gender empowerment particularly in the spheres of education, health, employment opportunities and political power. Empowerment can accelerate development. It is estimated that there are between 60 to 100 million missing women in developing countries. The term missing women was coined by Amartya Sen to describe the observation that the proportion of women is lower than what would be expected, if women in the developing countries were not discriminated against. Economic development leads to a reduction in poverty, by relaxing the constraints faced by poor households. This suggests that economic growth, by increase opportunity and alleviating poverty, can lead to more equity between women and men. Studies find that women are most likely to be discriminated against when ill or when the household faces a crisis, such as food scarcity. Here, an improvement in health services, or free medical insurance for the poor would disproportionately help the women. Also increasing the ability of poor households when they face a crisis would improve the condition of women more. Hence, economic development reduces poverty. It insures the poorest against sickness and hunger. Thus, economic development, though reducing the vulnerability of the poor, helps women disproportionately. Similarly, the increase in opportunities in the labour market has led to change in households, moving it towards greater gender equality. Earlier, it was perceived that since women dont work outside the house, they dont need to as strong and health, and dont require formal education. Many parents believed that girls dont need formal education as theyre expected to only marry and take care of the house. The rise in employment opportunities for women has led to favourable outcomes for women in terms of equity. Duflo finds evidence that economic development isnt enough to improve the condition of women. The skewed sex ratio favouring boys has persisted and even worsened in China, despite rapid economic growth and reforms. This illustrates the fact that economic growth, and availability of technology, can have perverse effects on gender equality, if it reduces the cost of discrimination against girls. Another aspect is the disparity in earnings at all levels of qualification. There is a widespread implicit bias, shared by both men and women, associating men with career and sciences, and women with family and liberal arts. And this stereotype has persisted despite increased women participation in these disciplines. This bias reduces rewards for women participation in the labour market, or for higher education, by persuading them that they arent as good as men. As long as these biases exist, gender equality will not be achieved. Similarly, while various factors hinder the representation of women in politics, one of the strongest barriers to greater participation of women in politics is the notion that women are not competent leaders. This bias is most pronounced when the leadership role is typically considered a male role. And although many studies confirm that women are better policymakers, and are less corrupt, it seems theres a significant cultural barrier to recognizing women as competent policymakers. Evidence such as those above, support the idea of reservations or quotas for women in policymaking positions, as perceptions are biased and womens achievements arent recognised by the electorate. To achieve a balanced gender representation in politics it seems that policy action need to be taken. Yet, the gains from policies targeted towards women, come at an expense for men. This is evident in politics. The reservation of seats for women means that a man doesnt get the seat. The gains are less explicit in the measures taken to improve access of girls to schools, through say, scholarships, or proper bathrooms in schools. These are expensive, and in developing countries these transfers to girls come, at the direct expense of boys. This transfer spent on scholarships could have alternatively been used to hire more teachers, which wouldve benefited both boys and girls. Thus, policies which favour women need to be justified, not only to bring about gender equality, but also their desirability taking in account their costs. In the second part of the paper, the author (Duflo, 2005; p.10) examines the justification that the trade-off between various people in the short run is transitory; in the long run there is no trade-off between helping women more and helping everyone, because increasing the share of resources going to women will increase the amount of resources so much that everyone will be better off. The basic arguments that support active policies to support women are; Firstly, women are currently worse-off than men, and this inequality is offensive in itself. Secondly, women play a fundamental role in development. The gender gap in education, politics, and employment should therefore be reduced not only for equity, but also to increase efficiency. The argument that empowerment raises efficiency has shaped economic policies the world over. Micro-credit schemes, welfare programs, transfers conditioned on school enrolment, reservations in politics have all been directed towards women. The argument for efficiency proposes that sending girls to school, or improving their employment opportunities is good because the development outcome is higher for a given increase in the education and earnings of women than from an equal increase in the education and earnings of men. Although substantial studies find a correlation between a womans education and earnings with child welfare, she (Duflo, 2005; p.11) points out that there are two fundamental problems with interpretation of these results. Firstly, a womans education, earnings, and political participation may be correlated with unobserved dimensions of her ability, family, and community background. Secondly, the comparison between the coefficient of husbands and wives education or earnings might be obscured by a correlation between wives education or earnings and unobserved characteristics of husbands. To get around these problems, researchers analysed specific circumstances that changed the distribution of power, education, or earnings between husbands and wives and had nothing to do with their individual choices. Duflo concludes that womens empowerment and economic development are closely interrelated. While development brings about women empowerment, empowering women changes decision making, which directly impacts development. She suggests that in order to bring about gender equality, it might be necessary to continue taking policy actions that favour women at the expense of men for a very long time. And while this might bring about some benefits, the costs associated with such redistribution might not always be sufficient to compensate for the distortions. CONCLUSION It can be concluded from the above literature that in the developing world, gender differences exist, and discriminate against women. All spheres of a womans life, from the time she is in the womb to the time she dies, are affected by this bias against women. The study conducted in South Africa (Duflo, 2000) finds that a non-contributory cash transfer to an eligible female pensioner actually significantly increases a girls welfare, measure by weight for height, and height for age. And that given to a male pensioner has a small insignificant negative effect on girls welfare. Similarly when it comes to property rights, women have almost no power and have to depend on their husbands to secure land for them to cultivate (Goldstein Udry, 2004). In Ghana, property rights are complex, flexible and overlapping. There is no notion of private property. Women also have almost no security of tenure as they are not in a position of power in the political or social hierarchy. This leads to a shor ter fallow duration, which means lower productivity and hence, lower profits than their male counterparts working a similar plot. This leads to inefficiency and lower economic growth. In the political sphere, women are under-represented, which has adverse impacts on womens utility (Chattopadhyay Duflo, 2004). Reservations however have changed the picture, but is not due to women being more responsive to womens needs, but rather depends on the gender of the leader. The study concludes that the reserved GPs invest more in public goods important for women than the un-reserved GPs. This helps to improve womens utility, even if indirectly. Another aspect is the skewed sex ratio observed in India, and many other developing countries. This is due to the perception that girls are a burden on their parents (Khanna et. al. 2003). This can be blamed on the lack of access for women to health, education, politics, employments, and biased societal norms. Finally, it can be conclude that policies that benefit women such as reservations in politics, scholarships for girls etc. are necessary, even if they come at the expense of men. Not only because they lead to efficiency gains and economic development, but also because the discrimination between men and women is not acceptable in itself. The stereotypical image of women has continued, despite the fact that more and more women have forayed into supposedly male dominated areas and excelled. This discrimination is present not only in the developing world, but also in the developed countries, like USA where the wage-gap between men and women exists till today.

How To Deal With A Person Who Essay -- essays research papers

How to deal with a person who is angry? We are taught to control our emotional feelings when we are young. We learn to be polite, patient, and hide our anger to people in everyday life. Most of us express our feelings indirectly: slamming doors, sullen silence, or snubbing others. Therefore, it is important to learn how to release anger in safe but effective ways. Unexpressed anger can smolder, causing stress and affecting physical health. After all, anger can escalate into violence. So, when we are dealing with a person who is angry, here are some strategies we can use: understand his/her anger, communicate with him/her, and help him/her to express the anger. First of all, when we are dealing with someone who is angry, try to understand what his/her anger is. If we are talking with an angry person, the first thing we have to do to control ourselves is not to be involved in his/her strong emotions. So, calm down, and ask why he/she is mad and listen to what he/she wants to say to us. Understanding the elements and the background that make this person angry makes it easier for us to communicate with him/her. Do not try to ask someone who is already angry to calm down; it is the same as asking someone who is sobbing not to cry. Secondly, try to communicate with him/her. It is possible to deal with anger by talking with someone. So, when we are trying to help an angry person, try to talk with positive manners. For example, avoid blaming, or accusing him by putting him on the ...

The Dragon Rises: China’s Growing Economy

China, both as a race and as a geographical place, is a something that the world cannot ignore. The size and population of the country is formidable, and as such, China’s recent economic reforms have called the attention of global market. In just a span of over two decades, China was able to turn its economy around and currently, stands among the world’s major economic forces. (Hui 2003) Its growth has been phenomenal and is still growing at an unprecedented pace. In the past twenty years, China has been able to increase its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by four times, and now is recognized as a global economic power. China has quickly worked its way up in the global economic scene and currently stands in the sixth position of the top trading countries of the world. These events have also lead to the influx of foreign investors which leads to even more growth. (Pei 2007) Experts believe that China’s potential is as large and wide as its physical size and population. (Wanwen 2003) The ebbs and ties of China’s economy have been directly related to the sociological changes that it has been going through, particularly in its more recent history. As such, this paper intends to look at how these sociological events have been instrumental in creating the China that we know today and how its history as a nation continues to shape its people’s collective and individual destiny. In terms of our collective history, China has always been a major world presence, not just in terms of economy, but more so in terms of the legacies that the Chinese civilization has given to us. However, whatever presence that China has had over the course of its history has been obscured by internal conflicts and divisiveness which resulted in China falling to communist rule. Distracted by domestic conflicts and territorial disputes, China failed to keep pace with the Industrial Revolution that swept Europe during the 18th and 19th centuries. China fell too far behind and was unable to recover. When the last of its emperors fell, China was left to languish in the shadow of communism which was at its height during Mao Zedong’s rule. (Pei 2007) The failure of communism to provide a better life for the Chinese sowed the seeds of discontent. China’s communist government initiated a series socioeconomic policies that brought more suffering to the people, and an already stumbling country to its knees. Mao’s Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution left what is left of China in ruins. (Mackerras, 2001) After barely half a century of communism, China was ready for a change. When Zedong and his first-generation Chinese communist hardliners died, they were replaced by Deng Xiaoping, a more liberal ruler who laid the foundations for political and societal reforms, which in turn created an environment more conducive to economic growth. As a society, China was gradually emerging from its isolationist and repressive communist past with a government more cognizant of the need for change and openness. In 1979, after decades of isolation, China opened its doors to foreign investors. This was a turning point in the country’s economy. The tremendous size of China’s population, as well as its cheap labor costs made it a haven for production. (Wang 2003) Soon, other multinational businesses followed suit, realizing the cost-effectiveness of manufacturing in China, and the country never looked back since then. Of course, the act of opening China for foreign investments would not have been successful without the creation of more liberal policies that made China attractive to businesses. The government began laying the foundations that would encourage a more market-oriented economy, while maintaining a tight political structure that characterized its socialist orientation. Aside from allowing foreign business to operate in China, these social and economic reforms also included the privatization of agricultural lands. The change from communal farming to individual operations allowed farmers more freedom in so far as the production of their crops is concerned. Mackerras, 2001) More authority and responsibility were passed on from the central government to local officials, who in turn created an environment that encouraged backyard business to develop and flourish. (Wang 2003) Indeed, these massive and sweeping reforms have been successful in effecting the desired changes in China. However, Xiaoping and his followers have been keen to emphasize that the liberalization of society and economy as well as the easing of institutionalized control structures were done not so much to abandon socialism, but to improve it. Tianyu 2003) The Chinese, while eager to embrace change, is more reluctant to admit that socialism is wrong. In the end, the main goal of these reforms was to create a strong socialist country through democratization and modernization of society. The main tenet was that rather than struggle with the West, socialist China had better chances at proving its worth by cooperating with the West, through common economic interests. (Tianyu 2003) China was able to benefit from the initial attempts at reforms made by the European socialists, primarily the Soviet Union and Poland. Coming after their heels, China was able to learn from the mistakes their predecessors have made. China was able to maintain a strong centralized government, while allowing for the decentralization of economic functions. (Tianyu 2003) These societal and economic reforms continued unabated from the late 1970’s until the early 1990’s when China was ready to enter the second phase of its reform campaign. In 1993, Deng Xiaoping announced China’s main goal: that of becoming â€Å"a socialist market economy. † (qtd. n Wang 2003) After successfully laying down the necessary social and legal infrastructures for a free-market, China was now ready to stake its claim in the global market stage. The main characteristic of this second phase revolved around the gradual shift from a planned or constructed economy to one that is more spontaneous and free-flowing. (Wang 2003) Privately owned business flourished, alongside foreign businesses. The goal was to advance the gro wth and penetrate the global arena. In 2001, China marked a milestone with its acceptance in the World Trade Organization (WTO). Finally, the global recognition China has been yearning for has been given, and it was well worth the long wait. By 2003, the third wave of reforms was laid out, with the main goal of creating a stable socialist market economy by 2010 and a perfect socialist market economy by 2020. (qtd. in Wang 2003) The goals are indeed lofty, and while much still remains to be done, it is apparent that China is on the right track, based on the sustained growth the country has been experiencing as of late. Indeed, the social changes that have been put in effect in China have resulted in the economic growth and political power that the country enjoys in the world community. Had China remained a repressed and isolated society, it would still be trapped in the chaos and darkness of its communist past. Of course that is not to say that these changes did not come at a great price. Some sacrifices had to be made, and none of them were easy to do. The modern Chinese society that is modern and liberal was built upon the sacrifices of those who were willing to risk their lives in order to demand for change. Also, while the economy of China is generally healthy, it does not mean that every Chinese individual is experiencing this prosperity. These changes have also created an imbalance in society, where people in urbanized areas enjoying a better standard of living than people living in rural, undeveloped areas of the country. This inequality must be addressed by the Chinese government if it is to be successful in achieving the goals that it has set for itself. In the final analysis, the liberalization of China has been a long time coming. For so long it has languished under ineffective and cruel governments and an oppressive society that has no respect for the individual; a society that China has created for itself. Albeit belatedly, China has now come to its senses and has woken itself up. The winds of change have blown over this great country, awakening the dragon that has been sleeping for so long. For better or for worse, the rising of the dragon is completed and for China, there is no looking back. References Hui, Q. (2003). The Issues of the Chinese Economy Changing Tracks, Social Justice, and Democratization at the Turn of the Century. Chinese Economy, Volume 36, Number 2. pp. 21-89. Lin, Y. (2000). State and Markets under China’s Transformation: Rethinking China's Economic Transformation. Contemporary Sociology, Vol. 29, No. 4. pp. 608-613. Mackerras, C. (2001). The New Cambridge Handbook of Contemporary China. Cambridge University Press. Pei, M. (2007) Changing State-Society Relations in China. Retrieved on November 28, 2007 from http://www.ceibs.edu/ase/Documents/EuroChinaForum/minxin.htm Tianyu, C. (2003). The Theory and Practice of the Chinese Path. Chinese Economy, Volume 36, Number 4. pp. 67-98. Wang, J. (2003) China and the World Economy. CIEBS. Retrieved on November 28, 2007 from http://www.ceibs.edu/ase/Documents/EuroChinaForum/China's_Economy_World_files/frame.htm. Wanwen, C. (2003) Globalization and Economic Development. Chinese Economy, Volume 36, Number 1. pp. 48-88.

Gender Roles in Bless Me, Ultima

In Bless Me, Ultima Antonio understands gender as a very black and white issue. Just as he struggles with the ideas of religion, good and evil, death, and nature. Antonio struggles with how gender affects his life, and how he eventually must become a man. The most obvious example of Antonio’s perspective on gender roles comes with his view of the Virgin and God. â€Å"God was not always forgiving. He made laws to follow and if you broke them you were punished. The Virgin always forgave†¦The Virgin was full of a quiet, peaceful love†¦she was a woman†¦Her voice was sweet and gentle†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (44). Antonio believes firmly that The Virgin is the most pure form of woman. He prays at her feet every night in his living room. At one point, he notices that the paint on the statue is chipping, revealing a layer of white underneath. He uses this to indicate that she is pure in every form. Whenever Antonio thinks about religion, he thinks about the Virgin, and how forgiving she is, and how kind she is. Later on in the book, as he is considering if there can be other types of Gods, Antonia wonders if The Virgin is her own kind of God, and that is better because she is a woman and will understand more easily. Antonio is constantly reminded of the fact that he must become a man. His mother is worried, and his father is counting down the days. But no one seems to be giving him much of a choice. He will be educated, he will be a priest, he will be a farmer, he will be a Luna, he will be a Marez†¦ â€Å"My man of learning!†¦ My baby will be gone today,† she sobbed. â€Å"He will be all right,† Ultima said. â€Å"The sons must leave the sides of their mothers,† she said almost sternly and pulled my mother gently. † (53). Antonio is never allowed to be anything but a man of learning. Even in his times of struggle with the issue of becoming a man, Ultima is there to help him. She has no doubt that he will become a good man in time. At one point in the book, Antonio’s mother tells him it is a sin that he become a man, and yet she is also telling him that he must become a man. Her contradicting statements do not help Antonio with this struggle at all. His older brothers are also a bad influence. All they value is booze, money, and women, and they choose to go wander through foreign cities. Antonio sees the effect this has on everyone, and decides early on that he won’t be like them. The most important woman in Antonio’s life is Ultima. He holds her to the same standard as he does the Virgin; that she is forgiving, wise and full of love. â€Å"Ultima has sympathy for people, and it is so complete that with is she can touch their souls and cure them. † (248). To Antonio, Ultima’s pure form of sympathy is equivalent to the pure forgiveness of The Virgin. â€Å"There isn’t a family she did not help,† she continued, â€Å"no road was too long for her to walk to its end to snatch somebody from the jaws of death, and not even the blizzards of the llano could keep her from the appointed place where a baby was to be delivered†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (3). This is the first time Antonio hears of Ultima, so when he meets her, he is already full of expectations. He is expecting a miracle worker, and he gets one. Antonio learns that his other struggles; religion, life, and death are not so simple. They are more than just black and white. However, he never seems to move beyond the idea of gender role strictness. Women are soft and forgiving, and men are strong. But maybe in his future, he will lean that the roles of men and women are not as black and white as they seem.