How TV Can Effect Children Positively Essay

Introduction: I decided to see if television, which is notorious for having negative effects on children’s education and attitudes, could have any positive effects. Surprisingly, there is a fair amount of studies that have been done that have seen positive correlations between TV-viewing and academic and social success, though there are even more sources that point out the negative effects. Through my own observations of my little siblings and cousins viewing habits, I felt confident that I could come up with an idea as to which side of this debate was correct. In my experience, my relations tend to favor watching Disney Channel and PBS. As will be noted later these channels tended to get the highest ratings for positive influence upon children by their parents. The parents surveyed also claimed that their children watched TV for relatively short amounts in a day. I concluded in my hypothesis that television watching can prove to have positive influences on children depending on the channel and programs watched as well as how many hours it is viewed. Literary Review In order to support my hypothesis I looked into research that has already been collected on the subject. I found many sources that claimed that extreme amounts of â€Å"regular† television programming for young children can be extremely harmful. However, using school resources on the online databases, I was able to find multiple scholarly journals that support my hypothesis. In the first source, â€Å"One longitudinal study (Anderson, Huston, Schmitt, Linebarger & Wright, 2001) found that adolescents who watched educational programs as preschoolers had a positive effect on their grades, behavior, creativity, and social behavior during later years (Austin).† This finding is monumental because it not only shows that academia can be improved through television watching, but that social behaviors can also be positively affected. It is important to note, however, that this study specifically highlights that  Ã¢â‚¬Å"educational programs† are the TV shows that showed this positive success in young children. These are shows that specifically strive to improve children, rather than the cartoons and other less positively influential programs that children often chose to watch. These â€Å"educational programs† are, in fact, good for a child’s development, but they are not always a child’s or even a parent’s first choice of watching material. That same journal goes on to support this claim about the importance of â€Å"educational programs† while also highlighting that â€Å"moderate levels† of television viewing is important, â€Å"The utilization of informational television†¦can have a positive impact on student achievement if properly channeled. Moderate levels of meaningful and supervised television viewing may be better for children than too much or no viewing at all (Austin).† Television stays true to the old proverb that too much of a good thing is always harmful. However, it also is better than nothing which I found intriguing. Television has been proven to have positive effects and, fortunately, that cannot be denied. Many will argue that these proven positive effects are outweighed by the negative effects of aggression, lack of social interaction, and academic neglect. However according to this, â€Å"The report by Jonson Et Al. is interesting in that it presents an association between the amount of television viewed at young ages and subsequent aggressive behavior as adults; however, it does not show causation (Kids).† it is not as big a problem as it is usually perceived to be, since a lack of causation implies that the television did not necessarily cause the aggressive behavior. Those children could have genetically been aggressive individuals or have become more aggressive due to their environments which, it is important to note, allowed them to watch television longer than the average child. Another study counters those who point to television as the source of aggression, â€Å"Kenny makes a compelling case that†¦the advent of the TV era in the world’s poorest spots†¦can help make them better places to live, producing more thoughtful, less violent, and better-educated people (Forget Twitter).† Television can be a powerful tool, especially when it is being used to shape young minds. Before it was used to inspire and influence young children it was used quite powerfully, â€Å"In 1988, [by] Jay Winsten, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health and the director of the school’s Center for Health Communication, [who] conceived†¦to introduce a new social concept–the â€Å"designated driver†Ã¢â‚¬â€œto North America (Rosenzweig).† As we know today, designated drivers and the campaign to not drink and drive has become a widespread phenomena. Winsten was able to incorporate this idea of not drinking while drunk into TV shows for adults on many channels and in many different ways, and he found unprecedented success. The lessons that are taught in mainstream adult media are strong enough and prevalent enough to make a difference. Children programs are even more well known for trying to incorporate educational components and teach morality. Sesame Street, utilizing these ingrained messages, found similar success in children’s television, â€Å"Early research on Sesame Street found that†¦ preschoolers who watched the program extensively developed more positive attitudes toward people of different groups (Wilson).† Sesame Street is an educational program that specifically targets young children, and tries to teach them life lessons as well as academics. They are using their influence and power in the television industry to improve the lives and situations of toddlers globally. From episodes that teach tolerance in politically charged Israel and Palestine to education for children who would otherwise receive very little, Sesame Street is one of many television programs that has a positive effect on children. My Research Many of the more â€Å"educational† programs feature on PBS or Sprout where the more entertaining shows feature on Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and Disney Channel. I used my research to discover how many hours children watch these channel, how educational or influential parents found the varying channels to be, and which channel the child preferred to watch. This research will show how positive the parents felt the effects of certain channels are on  their children and whether or not they are influencing their children to watch these stations for the most amounts of time. I utilized a survey questionnaire to obtain my information because a questionnaire allowed me to ask a wider population in a shorter amount of time. I asked the age of the children in question, how many hours of TV they watched in a day, which kid-aimed station they watched most often, and then I asked the parents to rate the influence of the various channels as having a strong negative influence, moderate negative influence, no noticeable influence, moderate positive influence, and strong positive influence. I had listed the channels to rate as the most popular kids stations: Disney (including Junior, XD, and Channel), Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Sprout, and PBS as well as an â€Å"other† category that one parent added the Hub to. PBS, which is known for its educational programming, received the most strong and moderate positive ratings and did not get rated for any of the other, less positive, ratings. However, only one parent claimed that PBS was the station their child watched and enjoyed most often. The Disney Channel was the most popular station in terms of children watching it, but received as many moderately negative and no effects as it did positive ratings. Cartoon Network, which, unsurprisingly, features a mostly cartoon program, by far did the worst, getting no positive reviews and only one no effect rating. As importantly as the content children are viewing is the amount of time they are viewing it for. Only one family claimed that their child, a 10-year-old, watched over four hours of TV. This particular family also gave the most negative ratings to all of the stations except Disney, which the child viewed the most, and PBS. All the other families that gave PBS the highest positive ratings and the one family that cited it as their child’s most watched, had viewing hours of 30 minutes to 2 hours a day which are relatively healthy amounts of television for children to be viewing. By pairing PBS, the most education-aimed channel, with the smallest amounts of view time, parents were noticing high amounts of positive influence of television on their children in both academics and social skills. This information clearly supports my hypothesis. In conclusion, television has a surprising number of positive effects on children. But these rewards can only be reaped by certain programs and only  with healthy amounts of viewing times. By encouraging healthy viewing habits and healthy viewing choices parents can help improve the lives of their children even if they are in the poorest, most desperate situations. Works Cited Austin, William P., and Franklin T. Thompson. â€Å"Television viewing and academic achievement revisited.† Education 124.1 (2003): 194+. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 1 June 2014 â€Å"Forget twitter, think TV.† Foreign Policy 175 (2009): 1. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 1 June 2014. â€Å"Kids, TV viewing, and aggressive behavior. (Letters).† Science 297.5578 (2002): 49+. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 1 June 2014. Rosenzweig, Jane. â€Å"CAN TV IMPROVE US?† The American Prospect (1999): 58.Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 1 June 2014. Wilson, Barbara J. â€Å"The Future of Children, Princeton – Brookings: Providing Research and Analysis to Promote Effective Policies and Programs for Children.† – The Future of Children -. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 June 2014.

Saving Private Ryan Descriptive Writing Piece

The cold breeze ran down my spine. Fear flooded my veins. Freezing water hitting me like a thousand knives penetrating my body. We were all hoping, praying that we would get out of this alive. The unbarring pain in my legs was slowly moving up my body. Not knowing how much longer could with stand it. The repulsing stench of sick slowly traveled around in the air. Cold sweat ran down my face, my heart was thumping louder and louder I could barely hear myself think.As the landing craft drew closer towards Omaha beach I could barely breathe. I quietly prayed, knowing it was my only prospect of getting out of this alive. The craft came to a halt. I took what could be my last surviving breathes. Although the barrier between me and my fate was still up I knew was not safe. The ramp dropped. My heart beats slowly sped up, as started to see more of the beach knew what was to come was not good. Swiftly jumped from the landing craft into the sea.The scene on the beach was catastrophic. My lip was quivering from the cold. The distance to the beach slowly drew closer. My clothes were dripping with the blood red water. I felt hands pulling at my legs from underneath me. There was nothing I could do to help them. My heart was racing as drew further towards the beach. As the water got shallower I felt a sense of relief as it was a struggle to walk, even though I knew the worst was yet to come. A huge wave carried me closer to the shore.The tangy taste of salt was lingering in my mouth. Gasping for breath, I reached the surface only to see the battle continuing. But this time closer. The sky was a depressing shade of grey. The smoke filled air occupied my lungs. Smoke covered the whole battle field. When finally reached the beach I had a shear moment of panic. My legs went numb and it felt like was going to faint at any moment. The sound of screaming soldiers only made me and my men want to stay alive longer.

Domain Name Dispute Assessment Task Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Domain Name Dispute Assessment Task - Essay Example lso argues that the respondent has no right or legitimate interest in the domain name, and that the domain name is used by the respondent in bad faith.3 The complainant is seeking the only remedy available under the Policy, namely transference of the domain name in question. The respondent denies that the complainant has a common law tradename and argues that in the event that the complainant proves otherwise, the complaint is denied in its entirety. The arbitration decisions rests on determining whether or not the complaint substantiates a case of ‘cybersquatting.’4 The term cybersquatting refers to a situation in which a domain name belonging to one party is subsequently used for nefarious purposes by another,5or rather, a case of ‘abusive registration.’6 Essentially, in order to prove cybersquatting, the complainant must satisfy three elements: the domain name used by the respondent is identical or confusingly similar to either a trademark or ‘service’ to which the complainant has an interest or rights; the respondent does not have a legitimate interest or right in the domain name; and the respondent is using the domain name in bad faith.7 Before dealing with the three elements necessary for substantiating the complainant’s case, it is necessary to deal with the trademark issue raised by the respondent. What distinguishes the Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy (UNDRP) from the au. Policy is that under the au. Policy, it is not necessary for the complainant to have a registered trademark. All that the complainant is required to prove under the au. Policy is that he or she have acquired a common law trademark through ‘sufficient evidence of use or reputation in the trademark to justify reliance on a common law trademark’.8 The complainant has provided sufficient evidence of its common law trademark through evidence indicating that Quickileaks has been operating as a well-recognised and accessed online media outlet prior to the respondent’s

Information Technology Governance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Information Technology Governance - Essay Example The establishment of Information Technology Governance as regulatory framework focusing on the information technology infrastructure used in organizations worldwide has not supported the organizational needs in terms of information technology – at least not at the level expected. The reasons for this failure are analyzed in this paper; reference is made to the main aspects of Information Technology Governance but also to its relationship with other key organizational frameworks – especially the Corporate Governance. In order to understand the problems related with the development of Information Technology Governance it would be necessary to refer primarily to the characteristics and the role of this framework as part of organizational environment. The main role of Information Corporate Governance is to establish the criteria – or else the standards – on which the management of Information Technology Systems has to be based. In accordance with Solms et al. (p.9) Information Technology Governance can be characterized as ‘the leadership and organizational structure and processes that ensure that the organisation’s IT sustains and extends the organisation’s strategies and objectives’. In its above form, Information Technology Governance is of critical importance for the survival and the development of organizations in the context of the international community. Emphasis should be paid on the legal rules regulating the above framework but also to the challeng es/ problems that this framework may have to face. One of the priorities of rules regulating the Information Technology Governance is to ensure quality – in all its aspects; in this way, it is expected that risks and problems in all these systems’ operational aspects can be limited. Commonly, quality is the issue on which the relevant rules focus. Because organizational needs

German 1000 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

German 1000 - Essay Example It is a good idea to have different monuments for the different groups. Although all the groups were victims of the Nazi, they were murdered for different reasons. As such, it was a good idea to have the monuments of the different groups separate. It is a good idea to have an underground place of information on the holocaust memorial. This information centre lists the names of the Jews who were killed in the holocaust. It is a good idea to have the names of the victims for commemoration purposes, educational and research purposes (Blumer 67). The name â€Å"memorial of the murdered Jews† singles out the Jews that were killed by the Nazi. It does not include the Jews who died of old age and diseases in the concentration camps. I think a better name for the memorial would be â€Å"a memorial for the holocaust victims†. We have a holocaust museum in the United States, but we do not have a single museum fir slavery or genocide in the country. I think this is because while the Americans did not perpetuate the killing of the Jews, they helped end it and that is why we have a holocaust museum. However, in the case of slavery, the United States perpetuated slave trade and does not have a slavery museum. I think Americans want to wash away this part of their history. There have also been numerous arguments that Africans were both the perpetrators and victims of slave

Use of Image and Text in Fun Home Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Use of Image and Text in Fun Home - Essay Example In Fun Home, images and texts are simple tools in the hands of a genius. Alison has crafted purity out of the ore about the same way an oyster conceives pearl involving internal and external forces and elements. Actually, Fun Home is the presentation of an individual and her family through the multi-media mix of texts and images. The choice and mode of the presentation are by themselves well thought out strategy and scheme conceived out of a mind possessing an array of personal and professional resources delectably executed with the characters and the end users in mind. The result is clarity of purpose, vision, mission and consummation. Alison has all the raw material in place borne out of her own familial experiences including tragic ones. She has this rare desire to portray the dilemma of man's reason d'tre through the eyes of her own family members. She nurtures the desire in silent secrecy for one full year, using the time to weave images and texts in her mind while recollecting and choosing incidents in the family from the past and present. It is not the form of images and text she is concerned with the formation stage. As a seasoned comic artist with twenty years experience behind her, it is not so difficult to organize style and sequence. The difficult part is to convince her family members why they must come under the gaze of the cartoonist. She is brutally frank about her own role in the story. In her own words, "It was a relief to go back to the comics and get my head out of my own ass because there's only so long you can obsess about your own childhood." (Shauna Swartz) Having buried her own past and proc livities, she is in the better position to empathize with her parents and siblings. Empathy is a strong feature in cartoons and characterization. Without empathy, one descends into an abyss of criticism and blame. Image and text This is the information age where people do not have time for details. Alison is generous with her visuals and economical with details. The characters in Fun Home are familiar to the reader because they happen to be the writer's family and develop rather quick rapport with readers who readily accept the "tragicomic" element in the book with a combination of amusement and sympathy. To Alison, it was important to strike the right balance between fact and fallacy. Facts were important because they exist, although sometimes it was difficult to explain why they existed in the first place. Fallacies also were placed side by side with facts as otherwise, it was difficult to do justice to the script. She took the blatant truth out of her life and that of her deviant father and deftly organized them side by side to highlight the paradox common to both fact and fallacy. Ultimately, the redeeming feature in the image and text is the bungling humour of the comic world where everything, everyone, and every event find peace and acceptance.  Ã‚  

Customized - (Will be sent in an e-mail as an attachment) Essay

Customized - (Will be sent in an e-mail as an attachment) - Essay Example In Roper v. Simmons, a seventeen year old by the name of Simmons confessed that he plotted the murder and burglary of an older woman. This case placed the question before the Courts as to whether or not a person younger than eighteen years old should be punished with the death penalty when convicted of crimes that would typically mandated capital punishment. The seventeen year old was originally sentenced to death for his crimes. This decision was later overturned by the Missouri Supreme Court and the defendant’s sentence was converted to life imprisonment. The Missouri Supreme Court stated that although there were cases that illustrated that there was a precedent set that allowed for capital punishment for those persons under the age of eighteen, that a ‘national consensus has developed against the execution of juvenile offenders’(2005). This case has since been heard by the United States Supreme Courts. Judicial activism and restraint are concepts that can be re adily viewed in the Roper v. Simmons case when it was decided by the Supreme Court in March 2005. The majority opinion addressed both the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments when considering the affirmation of the Missouri Supreme Court decision. The Eighth Amendment prohibits cruel and unusual punishment against those in the United States. The Fourteenth Amendment allows all citizens, even those that have committed heinous crimes, equal protection of the laws. Per the court’s opinion, neither the Eighth nor the Fourteenth Amendment disallows the use of the death penalty for either persons that are under the age of eighteen or that are deemed mentally retarded. The Court’s majority states that twenty-two of thirty-seven death penalty states permit the death penalty for the offenders that are sixteen years old. The same thirty-seven states permitted the death penalty for

Starbucks company Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Starbucks company - Research Paper Example Another short term objective for Starbucks Company is to increase the customer’s awareness on Starbucks environmental concerns. Actively planning and setting short term environmental goals will achieve a long term reputation of environmental appreciation for Starbucks. Functional Tactics Functional tactics can be used by Starbucks Company to implement a strong action plan that generates positive results for the company. Functional tactics include training employees, creating a new serving materials and common areas that are environmentally friendly. Including a recycling unit in every Starbucks is a functional tactic that will increase customer awareness and help achieve short and long term objectives. Implying these functional tactics will give Starbucks and increased competitive advantage over competitors who do not show environmental concerns. Policies to Aid Strategy Execution Starbucks Company has used policies in the past to aid in completing objectives. Policies ensure that employees are empowering the company and completely understand the objectives that the company is trying to achieve. Currently Starbucks Company has implemented a policy that focuses on the customers’ needs. Managers must follow a specific policy that enables them to properly handle any issues that arise with customers. Starbucks also has a policy that empowers the Starbucks brand.

Economic Problems And Issues Essay Example for Free

Economic Problems And Issues Essay Does big business own by corporations synonymous with monopoly? Let us first check the nature of the capitalist market how large firms dominated the market. When only a number of large companies dominated a specific market, what resulted would be an oligopoly. This means that only the larger and selected companies had the command in the market thus excluding smaller firms. This resulted in reducing competitive pressures in the market. In this manner, there is a tendency that the price of commodities may rise above what would be the market level. The oligopolistic producers do not have rivals or competitors coming into their market circle because of relatively high capital costs. The domination of a trade commanded by few big firms especially when they are incorporated into one large organization may result in exploitation and monopoly. In the market economy, if a market is marked by an oligopolies practice, exploitation affects the consumers because they will be charged with higher prices as compared to the price in the competitive market. The Big Businesses therefore are having a bigger slice of the oligopolistic profits because of this unfair competition at the expense of smaller firm. To know more why big business gets more profits due to oligopoly and monopoly, we need to look into the economics of production and marketing in relation to capitalism. Capitalism comes in a way that it focuses on distribution not on fair production. Instead of equal trade, capitalism is guided by hierarchy and inequality to all business concerns. Usually the privately owned businesses do their production mainly for profit where investments, income, distribution and pricing of goods and services are estimated through the operation in a market economy. In the world of business economics, this is how capitalism makes an impact in the regulation of the price of the commodity. Unfortunately due to the potential of the big business to engage in capitalism, they sometimes monopolize the market. According to the economic theory of Malcom Sawyer, within the market trade there exists a certain degree of monopoly. This indicates that profits come to those businesses with monopolistic power. As always, an increase in the monopoly of large firm always directed the profit to them instead to the small businesses. This explains that the degree of monopoly within a market will determine how poorly the small firms will be able to survive as compared to those small firms who are earning more in a more competitive market. The degree of monopoly can be graded with few factors being exhibited by the big business in the market. Their market power is obvious in the volume of their market share, the extent of their advertising, the barriers that prevent small businesses to enter the mainstream and so on. The higher and stronger of these factors, the higher the degree of monopoly. There is however an argument of the monopolistic practice of big businesses. Accordingly they put up higher prices in their product because of the prices of the materials being purchased and used in the manufacturing of goods. Another reason was the unpredictable inflation and the need for sustaining the salaries of their employees. However, any reason would still result in profits for them. Such alibis only undermine the status of their employees as according to their profits. If these companies are forced to lower their prices the employees will suffer due to lower wages and compensations. Also, poor quality materials will be used which result in poor quality products and the demand will fall as well as its production. Basically large firms can always maintain their prices and profits more than the normal price in the market without assistance from the government due to their big financial back-up and market power. The existence of Big Businesses and their influence in the economy has their impact on every nation’s future. In some ways economist always compare them to be practical capitalist building their market world in their own hands. Another bad effect of capitalism and oligopoly is that when big business are lording it over other business, the tendency would be for the smaller firms to also merge and have a fight for a competition. This is to improve their market power and have larger slice of the profits. In effect there is another monopolistic tendency in the market. Although competition is also beneficial to the consumer since they would have many choices with products, and the price would temporarily go down, the competition will most affect smaller and weaker firms. The formation of oligopolies within capitalism will result in the loss of profits for small capitalist directing the profit to Big Business. For this reasons, small and medium sized businesses ends up detesting Big Business and will be blaming the government for unfair and unequal treatment of trade (Mattick, 1974). In conclusion, the capitalists always have the tendency to use monopoly power so they can manipulate the price, the quality and quantity of the commodities. There is no real opportunity for smaller firms when the trade is being ruled by the oligopolistic and monopolistic big businesses. Although there are few advantages with competition, the smaller firms are always outside the room full of opportunities. What they lack is the power to push the big blockade blocking their road to profiteering because of the giants in the trade. The answer to the question now would absolutely be, Yes. Free Trade against Ptotectionism? What is a Free trade and what is Protectionism? Free trade is defined as a market model in which trade in goods and services between or within countries flow freely by government to government laws and restrictions. Included on the restrictions are taxes (tariffs) and other non-tariff trade barriers. On the opposite side is Protectionism. Protectionism is the economic policy of controlling trade between nations or countries such as imposing high tariffs on imported goods, restrictive quotas and other government regulations made to discourage imports from other countries. It also includes anti-dumping laws to protect local industries from a certain foreign nation who could take-over the competition especially in business. Some people call protectionism as â€Å"fair trade† and it may sound alluring at first. Some supporters of protectionism agree that keeping out foreign commodities will save domestic jobs and give a chance for jobs to recover and enrich themselves. It will also sustain trade deficits as well. But are these claims have enough economic basis? Protectionism in effect raises tariffs and imposes quotas on the volume of commodities the government allows to come into the country. Although tariffs is one of the major financial resources of a country, such laws restriction control the choice of consumers to have freedom of choice as well as it also opens job to the trade. According to the US Department of Labor’s statistics, eight jobs are getting lost compared to one job saved in a protected industry due to protectionism Let us give an example, in Japan the government was protecting their own farmers against the influx of imported rice from other countries but in return they are paying five times more as compared with the rice in the world market. Even the European and U. S. consumers are paying more than double the price of their own commodities on certain products as compared to price in the world market take for example agricultural products such as sugar. When the U. S. Semiconductor Trade Pact pressured the Japanese to cut back production and exportation of their computer memory chips, the result was a worldwide shortage of this parts and the eventual rise of demand and short of supply. Eventually, this has caused price increase and the technology was badly hurt by such restriction. The laws of protectionism force you to pay more on taxes on foreign and imported commodities but also increase your domestic taxes as well. This happens when governments enlarge their Customs Department Bureaucracies to guard and enforce rules with trade restrictions. So if there is no benefit for protectionism, why is it being imposed and who gains from it? Those who gain specially from it are usually groups with their special interest. Such as big corporations, unions, and farmer’s groups whom they want to command higher prices as much as getting higher wages. Such groups are thought to have special political and influential clout to politicians which pass laws favorable to their counterpart. Who are the losers with protectionism? The answer would be very clear the people and their government. Then what are the benefits of a free trade? Substantially, all countries benefits from free trade. In the US, every agreement within the free trade must be checked and balanced critically. At present, the U. S. economy is being augmented by more than $12 trillion in gross income from tree trade. American exports in the 2005 has totaled to an estimated of $1. 2 trillion. Jobs that are connected with production of goods for export are 13 to 18 percent higher. The free trade policies have made competition today on a higher level in the open market. This led to better innovation and better products, higher salaries, new markets and more savings for the employees and the government. Free trade has been bolstering America’s high standard of living and there would be more opportunities and income if trade restrictions could be alleviated further. For the past 50 years, trade liberalization has made an extra $9,000 per year for each American household according to the study made by The Institute for International Economics. The relaxation of regulations by the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the Uruguay Round of the WTO—the two major agencies that impose agreements between nations has generated an annual additional benefits of $1,300–$2,000 for the standard American family of four. In conclusion to this, freer trade facilitates more goods and services to reach consumers at lower prices, providing families additional income which they can use to buy other consumer goods. It does not only help families but helps to widen global freedom, follows international law, and provide economic development especially on poor or third world countries. The World Bank also reported in 1990 that the per capita real income is three times bigger in developing countries that has opened their markets to free trade or loosen up strict regulations on certain imported products. Freer trade and market reforms have lifted more than 500 million people from poverty for the last 25 years. This in every opinion is enough to agree on trade liberalization rather than stayed embrace with the so called â€Å"fair trade† and remained stocked from a world full of opportunities (Markheim, 2007).

Women in India Essay Example for Free

Women in India Essay The status of women in India has been subject to many great changes over the past few millennia. From equal status with men in ancient times through the low points of the medieval period, to the promotion of equal rights by many reformers, the history of women in India has been eventful. In modern India, women have held high offices in India including that of the President, Prime Minister, Speaker of the Lok Sabha and Leader of the Opposition. As of 2011, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha (Lower House of the parliament) were women. However, women in India continue to face atrocities such as rape, acid throwing, dowry killings while young girls are forced into prostitution; as of late rape has seen a sharp increase following several high profile cases of young girls brutally raped in public areas. According to a global poll conducted by Thomson Reuters, India is the fourth most dangerous country in the world for women, and the worst country for women among the G20 countries. Historical practices Traditions such as sati, jauhar, and devadasi among some communities have been banned and are largely defunct in modern India. However, some instances of these practices are still found in remote parts of India. The purdah is still practised by Indian women in some communities, and child marriage remains prevalent despite it being illegal under current Indian law. Sati Sati is an old, almost completely defunct custom among some communities, in which the widow was immolated alive on her husbands funeral pyre. Although the act was supposed to be voluntary on the widows part, it is believed to have sometimes been forced on the widow. It was abolished by the British in 1829. There have been around forty reported cases of sati since independence. In 1987, the Roop Kanwar case in Rajasthan led to The Commission of Sati (Prevention) Act. Jauhar Jauhar refers to the practice of voluntary immolation by wives and daughters of defeated warriors, in order to avoid capture and consequent molestation by the enemy. The practice was followed by the wives of defeated Rajput rulers, who are known to place a high premium on honour. Purdah Purdah is the practice among some communities of requiring women to cover their bodies so as to conceal their skin and form. It imposes restrictions on the mobility of women, curtails their right to interact freely, and is a symbol of the subordination of women. It does not reflect the religious teachings of either Hinduism or Islam, contrary to common belief. Devadasis Devadasi is a religious practice in some parts of southern India, in which women are married to a deity or temple. The ritual was well-established by the 10th century A. D. In later periods, illegitimate sexual exploitation of devadasis became the norm in some parts of India. Women in independent India Women in India now participate fully in areas such as education, sports, politics, media, art and culture, service sectors, science and technology, etc. Indira Gandhi, who served as Prime Minister of India for an aggregate period of fifteen years, is the worlds longest serving woman Prime Minister. The Constitution of India guarantees to all Indian women equality (Article 14), no discrimination by the State (Article 15(1)), equality of opportunity (Article 16), and equal pay for equal work (Article 39(d)). In addition, it allows special provisions to be made by the State in favour of women and children (Article 15(3)), renounces practices derogatory to the dignity of women (Article 51(A) (e)), and also allows for provisions to be made by the State for securing just and humane conditions of work and for maternity relief. (Article 42). Feminist activism in India gained momentum in the late 1970s. One of the first national-level issues that brought womens groups together was the Mathura rape case. The acquittal of policemen accused of raping a young girl Mathura in a police station led to country-wide protests in 1979-1980. The protests, widely covered by the national media, forced the Government to amend the Evidence Act, the Criminal Procedure Code, and the Indian Penal Code; and created a new offence, custodial rape. Female activists also united over issues such as female infanticide, gender bias, womens health, and womens literacy. Since alcoholism is often associated with violence against women in India many women groups launched anti-liquor campaigns in Andhra Pradesh, Himachal  Pradesh, Haryana, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and other states. Many Indian Muslim women have questioned the fundamental leaders interpretation of womens rights under the Shariat law and have criticized the triple talaq system. In 1990s, grants from foreign donor agencies enabled the formation of new women-oriented NGOs. Self-help groups and NGOs such as Self Employed Womens Association (SEWA) have played a major role in the advancement of womens rights in India. Many women have emerged as leaders of local movements; for example, Medha Patkar of the Narmada Bachao Andolan. The Government of India declared 2001 as the Year of Womens Empowerment (Swashakti). The National Policy For The Empowerment Of Women came was passed in 2001. In 2006, the case of Imrana, a Muslim rape victim, was highlighted by the media. Imrana was raped by her father-in-law. The pronouncement of some Muslim clerics that Imrana should marry her father-in-law led to widespread protests, and finally Imranas father-in-law was sentenced to 10 years in prison. The verdict was welcomed by many womens groups and the All India Muslim Personal Law Board. In 2010 March 9, one day after International Womens day, Rajya Sabha passed the Womens Reservation Bill requiring that 33% of seats in Indias Parliament and state legislative bodies be reserved for women. Crimes against women Police records in India show a high incidence of crimes against women. The National Crime Records Bureau reported in 1998 that by 2010 growth in the rate of crimes against women would exceed the population growth rate. Earlier, many crimes against women were not reported to police due to the social stigma attached to rape and molestation. Official statistics show a dramatic increase in the number of reported crimes against women. Acid Throwing A Thomas Reuters Foundation survey says that India is the fourth most dangerous place in the world for women to live in. Women belonging to any class, caste, creed or religion can be victims of this cruel form of violence and disfigurement, a premeditated crime intended to kill or maim permanently and act as a lesson to put a woman in her place. In India, acid attacks on women who dared to refuse a mans proposal of marriage or asked for a divorce are a form of revenge. Acid is cheap, easily available, and the quickest way to destroy a womans life. The number of acid attacks have been rising. Child marriage Child marriage has been traditionally prevalent in India and continues to this day. Historically, child brides would live with their parents until they reached puberty. In the past, child widows were condemned to a life of great agony, shaved heads, living in isolation, and being shunned by society. Although child marriage was outlawed in 1860, it is still a common practice. According to UNICEF’s â€Å"State of the World’s Children-2009† report, 47% of Indias women aged 20–24 were married before the legal age of 18, rising to 56% in rural areas. The report also showed that 40% of the worlds child marriages occur in India. Domestic violence The number of incidents of domestic violence is higher among the lower Socio-Economic Classes (SECs). [citation needed] The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 came into force on 26 October 2006. Dowry In 1961, the Government of India passed the Dowry Prohibition Act, making dowry demands in wedding arrangements illegal. However, many cases of dowry-related domestic violence, suicides and murders have been reported. In the 1980s, numerous such cases were reported. In 1985, the Dowry Prohibition (maintenance of lists of presents to the bride and bridegroom) Rules were framed. According to these rules, a signed list should be maintained of presents given at the time of the marriage to the bride and the bridegroom. The list should contain a brief description of each present, its approximate value, the name of who has given the present, and relationship to the recipient. However, such rules are rarely enforced. A 1997 report claimed that each year at least 5,000 women in India die dowry-related deaths, and at least a dozen die each day in kitchen fires thought to be intentional. The term for this is bride burning and is criticized within India itself. Amongst the urban educated, such dowry abuse has reduced considerably. Female infanticide and sex-selective abortion In India, the male-female sex ratio is skewed dramatically in favour of males, the chief reason being the high number of females who die before reaching adulthood. Tribal societies in India have a less skewed sex ratio than other caste groups. This is in spite of the fact that tribal communities have far lower income levels, lower literacy rates, and less adequate health facilities. Many experts suggest the higher number of males in India can be attributed to female infanticides and sex-selective abortions. Ultrasound scanning constitutes a major leap forward in providing for the care of mother and baby, and with scanners becoming portable, these advantages have spread to rural populations. However, ultrasound scans often reveal the sex of the baby, allowing pregnant women to decide to abort female foetuses and try again later for a male child. This practice is usually considered the main reason for the change in the ratio of male to female children being born. In 1994 the Indian government passed a law forbidding women or their families from asking about the sex of the baby after an ultrasound scan (or any other test which would yield that information) and also expressly forbade doctors or any other persons from providing that information. However, in practice this law (like the law forbidding dowries) is widely ignored, and levels of abortion on female foetuses remain high and the sex ratio at birth keeps getting more skewed. Female infanticide (killing of girl infants) is still prevalent in some rural areas. Sometimes this is infanticide by neglect, for example families may not spend money on critical medicines or withhold care from a sick girl. Continuing abuse of the dowry tradition has been one of the main reasons for sex-selective abortions and female infanticides in India. Rape Rape in India has been described by Radha Kumar as one of Indias most common crimes against women and by the UN’s human-rights chief as a â€Å"national problem†. In the 1980s, womens rights groups lobbied for marital rape to be declared unlawful, as until 1983, the criminal law (amendment) act stated that sexual intercourse by a man with his own wife, the wife not being under fifteen years of age is not rape. Marital rape is now illegal in India but is still widespread. While per-capita reported incidents are quite low compared to other countries, even developed countries, a new case is reported every 20 minutes. New Delhi has the highest rate of rape-reports among Indian cities. Sources show that rape cases in India have doubled between 1990 and 2008. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, 24,206 rape cases were registered in India in 2011, although experts agree that the number of unreported cases is much higher. Sexual harassment Eve teasing is a euphemism used for sexual harassment or molestation of women by men. Many activists blame the rising incidents of sexual harassment against women on the influence of Western culture. In 1987, The Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act was passed to prohibit indecent representation of women through advertisements or in publications, writings, paintings or in any other manner. Of the total number of crimes against women reported in 1990, half related to molestation and harassment in the workplace. In 1997, in a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court of India took a strong stand against sexual harassment of women in the workplace. The Court also laid down detailed guidelines for prevention and redressal of grievances. The National Commission for Women subsequently elaborated these guidelines into a Code of Conduct for employers.