Obamas Rhetoric Essay Example

Obamas Rhetoric Essay Barack Obamas rhetorical style is broadly acknowledged to be one of the most outstanding examples of communication strategy in recent political oratory. His political success reinforces the thesis that language is a powerful tool to influence citizens. The relationship between power, discourse and cognition provides the theoretical framework for the present analysis of Obama? s Inaugural Address; a speech which relies on literal meanings, and above all on figurative ones. Using this speech I will demonstrate how metaphor is a powerful strategy since first, it facilitates the understanding of abstract concepts in a short time span; second, it conveys positive images that benefit the orator; and, finally, because the message conveyed is doubly powerful as it works through both auditory and visual channels. EL DISCURSO DE INVESTIDURA DE BARACK OBAMA: METAFORA Y VALORES COMO ESTRATEGIAS PERSUASIVAS PARA CELEBRAR UNA PRESIDENCIA LE DISCOURS D’INVESTITURE DE BARACK OBAMA: METAPHORE ET VALEURS COMME STRATEGIES PERSUASIVES POUR CELEBRER UNE PRESIDENCE We will write a custom essay sample on Obamas Rhetoric specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Obamas Rhetoric specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Obamas Rhetoric specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer RESUMEN: La estrategia retorica de Barack Obama es una de las mas sorprendentes en la oratoria politica mas reciente. Una victoria politica que refuerza la tesis del lenguaje como arma poderosa para influir en los ciudadanos. Las relaciones entre poder, discurso y cognicion constituyen el marco teorico del presente analisis en torno al Discurso de Investidura pronunciado por Obama en su toma de posesion como presidente; un discurso basado en significados literales y, sobre todo, metaforicos. Tal recurrencia mostrara el poder de la estrategia metaforica: Primero, porque la metafora facilita el comprension de conceptos abstractos en un breve espacio de tiempo; segundo, porque transmite imagenes positivas que benefician al orador; por ultimo, porque el mensaje metaforico es doblemente efectivo puesto que funciona a traves de un canal auditivo y otro visual. PALABRAS CLAVES: oratoria politica; poder; estrategia; metafora; cognicion. SUMARIO: 1. Introduccion 2. Procedimiento 3. Funcion antropologica de la metafora en el Discurso de Investidura de Obama 4. Las metaforas belicas, del edificio y el viaje en el Discurso de Investidura de Obama 4. 1. La metafora belica 4. 2. La metafora del edificio 4. 3. La metafora del viaje 5. La retorica de los valores 6. Conclusion RESUME: La strategie rhetorique de Barack Obama est l’une des plus surprenantes de l’art oratoire politique le plus recent. Une victoire politique qui renforce la these du langage comme arme puissante pour avoir de l’influence sur les citoyens. Les relations entre pouvoir, discours et cognition constituent la delimitation theorique de cette analyse autour du Discours d’Investiture prononce par Obama lors de sa prise de possession comme president; un discours base sur des significations litterales et, surtout, metaphoriques. Cette recurrence montrera le pouvoir de la strategie metaphorique: en premier lieu, parce que la metaphore facilite la comprehension de concepts abstraits dans un bref espace de temps; deuxiemement, parce qu’elle transmet des images positives qui profitent a l’orateur; enfin, parce que le message metaphorique est doublement effectif etant donne qu’il fonctionne par l’intermediaire d’un canal auditif et d’un canal visuel. MOTS CLES: art oratoire politique; pouvoir; strategie; metaphore; cognition. SOMMAIRE: 1. Introduction 2. Notre approche 3. Fonction anthropologique de la metaphore dans le Discours d’Investiture d’Obama 4. Les metaphores de guerre, du batiment et du voyage dans le Discours d’Investiture d’Obama 4. 1. La metaphore de guerre 4. 2. La metaphore du batiment 4. 3. La metaphore du voyage 5. La rhetorique des valeurs 6. Conclusion KEY WORDS: political oratory; strategy; metaphor; cognition. power; SUMMARY: 1. Introduction 2. Our approach 3. Embodied function of metaphor in Obama’s â€Å"Inaugural Address† 4. War, construction, and journey metaphors in Obama’s Inaugural Address 4. 1. The war metaphor 4. . The construction metaphor 4. 3. The journey metaphor 5. The rhetoric of the American values 6. Conclusion Fecha de Recepcion Fecha de Revision Fecha de Aceptacion Fecha de Publicacion 15/04/2011 17/10/2011 18/11/2011 01/12/2011 pragmalingiuistica 19 (2011) 44-55 45 Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address: Metaphor and Values as Captivating Strategies to Celebrate a Presidency M. PILAR GUITART ESCUDERO â€Å"The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms†. Barack Obama, Inaugural Address, 1-20-2009) 1. INTRODUCTION Language is the only tangible vehicle to access knowledge as well as a powerful tool that influences perceptions, and behaviors (Austin, 1962; Searle, 1969). Words that evoke emotion may have a strong psychological impact on the audience (Ullman, 1969). Additionally, discursive genres are embedded in the culture and society in which they are produced. Therefore, any speech with the purpose of persuasion requires the most careful choice of language and contextual adjustment. Thus, political discourse seems to be a clear piece of evidence where rhetorical language is seen in action. This article attempts to analyse Obama’s Inaugural Address as a means of transmitting the American Dream to argue that metaphorical representation is essential to the relationships between word and action. This work will demonstrate that one reason for Obama’s success is that his linguistic choices are conveyed in captivating metaphors which often emerge from the American values. Relationships between metaphor, rhetoric and politics along with methodology used in study will be discussed in the first section. Evidence of metaphorical instances in Obama’s Inaugural Address is shown through the whole article as devices which help connect him psychologically with his audience. The second section explores the connections between Obama’s metaphors and notions related to the human body and its surrounding experience. Section three demonstrates how some metaphors work as cognitive patterns which provide whole semantic fields (Lakoff, 1980: 36; Cuenca Hilferty, 1999: 72): Political activity will be conceptualized as a battle, a construction, and a journey. The last section analyses some of the American values underlying Obamas Inaugural Address, and how, through an extremely empathic speech, the messages conveyed help connect Obama with his audience. 2. OUR APPROACH Persuasive strategies in political rhetoric are found in literal meanings, and also often in figurative. Scholars have agreed that metaphor is frequent and diverse (T. Carver, 2008; Honohan, 2008; Pikalo, 2008; Fridolfsson, 2008), ranging from election time to celebration speeches (Mieder, 2009; Vertessen Landtsheer, 2008). The reasons for such abundance of metaphors lie in the fact that they serve as both powerful learning tools and persuasive devices. A metaphor has learning power because it facilitates the understanding of messages by converting abstract notions into concrete ones (G. Lakoff, 1980; Cuenca Hilferty, 1999). Its persuasive power lies in the subliminal meanings conveyed by unconscious associations of words. Therefore, metaphor is a major means of ideological transmission appealing â€Å"to our emotions (or pathos) through unconsciously formed set 46 Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address: Metaphor and Values as Captivating Strategies to Celebrate a Presidency M. PILAR GUITART ESCUDERO of beliefs, attitudes and values. † (Charteris-Black, 2005: 175) While it projects positive images that benefit the orator, it also conveys negative ones for his adversary. Consequently, it has the power to act as an emotional stimulus whose response may significantly change listeners attitudes and actions. Finally, the message conveyed by metaphor is doubly powerful as it works through both auditory and visual channels at the same time, a verbal message and a mental image. Metaphors embody basic motives and can even appeal to international audiences (M. Osborn, 2009:81). However, metaphors often need to be adapted to the culture in which they are uttered in order to be persuasively effective (J. Aitchison, 1997: 92). Hence, not only do metaphors have a cognitive nature, but they also need to be culturally grounded. For this reason, metaphors may vary under time and space constraints as shown by diverse oratory styles (Charteris-Black, 2005; Mussolf, 2004). The theoretical framework presented in Critical Metaphor Analysis (Charteris-Black, 2004) provides an adequate approach to determine and analyze a specific set of metaphors found in Obama? s Inaugural Address. The cognitive theory of conceptual metaphor mapping is closely related to patterns of source domains usually salient to the audience. This is the reason why political activity is often considered a journey, a war, and a construction. Moreover, understanding social, cultural and ideological values is central to account for certain metaphorical choices. According to Charteris-Black (2004: 12), metaphor is an effective persuasive tool because it â€Å"taps into an accepted communal system of values. † Regarding previous works on metaphor, persuasion and ideology (Charteris-Black, 2004, Guitart, 2005; Lakoff, 2006; Mussolf, 2008), this article will demonstrate that Obama? s choice of metaphors is conscious and often carried out under the influence of a set system of values. A qualitative approach is central to this work. Therefore, it takes into account Praglejazz and E. Semino’s Metaphor Identification Procedure (2007) to determine the metaphoricity which takes place in Obama’s victory speech. MIP is based on a comparison between contextual and basic meanings. If the meaning of a lexical unit can be understood by comparing it to its basic one, the unit can be termed as metaphorical. This method focuses on the distinction between words conveying metaphorical meaning and those which do not according to context as a wide range of words can be considered metaphorical depending on different contexts. For instance, the term crusade is metaphorically intended in Bush’s rhetoric, it is interpreted as literal by many Muslims (Charteris-Black, 2004). 3. EMBODIED FUNCTION OF METAPHOR IN OBAMA’S â€Å"INAUGURAL ADDRESS† As G. Lakoff M. Johnson (1980) stated, people categorize their surrounding reality by establishing boundaries according to their own experience. In metaphorical speech, abstract notions are usually organized in physical objects, spatial orientations, and fixed structures, relating to daily human experience. Therefore, the resulting notions become more familiar, easier to understand, and are processed much faster. The human body is a productive lexical field for metaphorical creation in political discourse as Obama’s Inaugural Address demonstrates. For example, in the following excerpt, â€Å"†¦ these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he uses an evaluative image related to the body term hand described as raw, and surrounded by verbs such as struggle, sacrifice, and work. In the next example, he refers to a metaphorical phrase containing pragmalingiuistica 19 (2011) 44-55 47 the words hand and fist, â€Å"To those who cling to power [ ] we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist. † Likewise, another metaphor combining bodily needs and nature appears as a parallel reference to body and mind, â€Å" ake your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. † Nature and natural phenomena terminology described in different ways, icy currents, rising tides, gathering clouds, water of peace and raging storms, lead us to associations with bad and good times, â€Å"†¦in this winter of our hardsh ip, [†¦], let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. † [†¦] The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. Many inanimate beings are conceptually, and linguistically, treated as humans. In other words, typically human features and actions are assigned to institutions, countries, and organizations. Relevant consequences arise from the analogy embodied in personifications. First, listeners feel a greater identification and a more positive attitude towards the object that has â€Å"become† human. Second, personification conveys more information than literal speech in a shorter utterance, which paradoxically is processed faster. In Obama? Inaugural speech, the word America undergoes a process of personification which results in a captivating metaphor because of its affectionate tone. For example, we read about ? Americas birth? , in other words, an America who is born into a new age of Obama? s victory; we also read about â€Å" a young nation †, and finally we read that â€Å" America is a friend † In the sphere of international politics, Obama? s Address depicts nations as humans, highlighting the need for good relationships in a globalized world: â€Å" reater cooperation and understanding between nations † where â€Å" the world grows smaller † Other abstract entities such as system, crisis, and economy undergo a similar process, â€Å"†¦our system cannot tolerate too many big plans †, â€Å"†¦this crisis has reminded us†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , and â€Å" the state of the economy calls for action†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Finally, one last personification which draws our attention is â€Å"†¦worn out dogmas that [ ] have strangled our politics. † This represents another captivating metaphor because of the negative associations conveyed in the gra phic idea of strangulation. Obama relates prior attitudes of intolerance with the deterioration of the Republican? s political activity. In addition to metaphor, metonym is another commonplace in political communication. The mental process involved in this strategy relates to the substitution of one entity for another without the use of an analogy. For instance, the name of a place is used instead of the activity which takes place there. In Obama? s speech, as in many other political speeches, words that name capital cities such as Washington or Madrid most frequently replace the word government. In turn, government is used instead of an explicit reference to â€Å"the elected and nonelected officials†. In both cases, this substitution takes place between a city and an institution, respectively, to refer to people and their activities. Metaphor and metonym often function together. For instance, the word government can be used for people, and at the same time to refer to human actions assigned to such institution, as stated in the following excerpt from the Inaugural speech, â€Å"The question [ ] is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works whether it helps families find jobs The same process applies to the term country, â€Å"†¦what this country has already done†¦Ã¢â‚¬  as well as institutions, â€Å"†¦our schools fail too many†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Likewise, America becomes the 48 Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address: Metaphor and Values as Captivating Strategies to Celebrate a Presidency M. PILAR GUITART ESCUDERO audienc e, But know this, America † A cause-effect metonym is also used by Obama to designate energy resources instead of its effect, â€Å"We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. Another metonymic connection has been found to name containers in the place of their content, â€Å"†¦the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together† instead of referring to energy itself. Synecdoche, a type of metonym that names a part for the whole, or vice versa, can also be traced to one of Obamas statements where the term heart replaces person, â€Å"†¦our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Likewise, he mentions particular institutions such as schools, colleges, and universities instead of referring to a faulty education system, â€Å" nd we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. † In sum, the use of these devic es could lead us to believe that the mental processes involved play an essential role as captivating strategies because of the psychological connections these devices build between orator and audience. 4. WAR, CONSTRUCTION, AND JOURNEY METAPHORS IN OBAMA’S INAUGURAL ADDRESS Certain metaphors are known as structural metaphors (Lakoff and Johnson, 1980). They are named structural because they generate new metaphors out of a single semantic field in order to form a whole group of metaphors around the same topic. Some of the major semantic fields as speeches by European and American political leaders have proved are war, construction and journey. For instance, conflict metaphors are associated to M. Thatcher, journey metaphors, to M. Luther King and, construction ones to B. Clinton (Charteris-Black, 2005). This section will outline how this type of representation is used in Obama’s Inaugural Address to create captivating effects. 4. 1. THE WAR METAPHOR In general terms, POLITICAL ACTIVITY IS A WAR is a frequently used metaphor during election time (M. P. Guitart, 2005): Elections usually become battlefields; words turn to weapons; and opponents are enemies. Even when it is an inaugural speech, war lexicon is still evidenced like in the case of Obama? s, â€Å"†¦each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet. † In a subtle manner, Obama criticizes the lack of measures taken in the US to save energy. He references the negative consequences of such waste for the country and for their neighboring democracies while he condemns the profit made by other countries. Additionally, messages sometimes switch from a metaphorical meaning to a literal one, as seen in the previous and also in the following excerpt, â€Å"We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you. † Through this fragment, listeners evoke â€Å"real† battles in their minds. They join Obama’s courageous leadership in defense of justice, and against those who attempt to frighten them by references to terror and slaughter. The next metaphor â€Å"†¦the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington pragmalingiuistica 19 (2011) 44-55 49 whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty†¦Ã¢â‚¬  evokes the respect that should be devoted to every soldier killed in Vietnam and buried in the Arlington National Cemetery as they still safeguard the freedom of the North American people. The next rhetorical choice, â€Å"On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord † conveys a much gentler tone than other politicians? rhetoric. Obama? style offers more positive meanings compared to fellow politicians and to the traditional linguistic confrontation practice in Europe and in the United States (Charteris-Black, 2005; Mussolf, 2008). For example, as far as Obama’s predecessor? s administration is concerned, Professor W. Fields (2008), expert on presidential rhetoric, posits â€Å"One of the contrasts b etween the two administrations is the care with which Obama uses language†. Indeed, Obama has sought to avoid the controversial phrase â€Å"war on terror†, mainly because of its negative anti-Islamic and anti-Arab associations (Cordesman, 2008: 36). As opposed to the frequent use of â€Å"metaphors of separation†, Obama’s â€Å"metaphor of hopeâ€Å" has been present in his speeches since his Address to the 2004 Democratic National Convention because â€Å"hope is the chance for a better world that can be produced in a society that values both strong personal and communitarian values. † (Rowland Jones, 2007: 442). 4. 2. THE CONSTRUCTION METAPHOR On the opposite extreme of bellicose analogies, the structural metaphor POLITICAL ACTIVITY IS A CONSTRUCTION is also present in Obama’s Inaugural Address. The construction analogy refers to the positive connotations of creation and building. Its contrast to the conflict metaphor is easily acknowledged in the following excerpt, â€Å" to those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their societys ills on the West know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. † These words are a compelling example of how Obama pursues a more subtle way of communication. He addresses his opponents emphasizing the idea of building as positive and destroying as negative. The notion of construction is often used metaphorically for its anthropological features. In other words, metaphors very often refer to peoples’ everyday customs like getting up, working or cleaning. This is also true in the next passage, â€Å" starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America. † This phrase draws our attention for the several reasons: First, the idea conveyed in the metaphor â€Å" starting today, we must [ ] dust ourselves off † implies the abandonment of certain past habits to adopt new ones, and emerges from the literal meaning of removing dust from furniture. Second, it relates to the reconstruction of America as a consequence of Obama? s victory, â€Å" begin [ ] the work remaking America † In fact, Obama goes further with both metaphors as he applies the positive associations of building to a new era, the new America which has just begun with his election, and with the new policies which, in his own words, â€Å" begin and start today † The last metaphor concerning the idea of construction and its positive associations is â€Å"the levee metaphor† found in the next excerpt: â€Å"it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break†¦Ã¢â‚¬  In this passage, Obama references to the levees which were destroyed during Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, 2005, and the solidarity showed by many Americans. 50 Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address: Metaphor and Values as Captivating Strategies to Celebrate a Presidency M. PILAR GUITART ESCUDERO Through this metaphor; Obama attempts to convey two fundamental ideas: first, the importance of citizens to their country; second, the solidarity which the American people show towards others when a setback, problem or disaster arises. . 3. THE JOURNEY METAPHOR POLITICAL ACTIVITY IS A JOURNEY is another productive metaphor in political speech (M. P. Guitart, 2005). The main idea conveyed in this metaphor is that political activity is conceived as a journey. Accordingly, Obama’s Address regards life in politics as a journey full of ways, routes, and paths, â€Å"†¦it is the surest route to our commo n good. † He also refers to â€Å"†¦the road that unfolds before us†¦Ã¢â‚¬  as an equivalent of â€Å"a double opportunity. † On other occasions, he depicts life as a progression, â€Å" this is the journey we continue today. Likewise, his references apply to the long distances walked together after having overcome difficulties, â€Å"†¦how far we have traveled. † An evident persuasive effect lies behind the unity that Obama creates with his audience. This captivating strategy of closeness is also evidenced in the next metaphor, â€Å"Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted [ ] Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom. It is the metaphor of a journey where long, rugged paths are taken and shared, abov e all, by every hard-working American whereas short-cuts and easy paths belong to others. This metaphor is an obvious praise towards the people whose subsequent positive emotional reaction is predictable (Santiago, 2010). On the long journey of life itself and life in politics, a forward movement is most likely perceived as positive as in the previous phrase â€Å" path towards prosperity and freedom. †, as well as in the following two, â€Å"†¦we intend to move forward†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , and â€Å"†¦ we seek a new way forward, On the contrary, a backward movement is considered as something negative as shown in the following passage, â€Å"Let it be said by our childrens children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Positive and negative associations emerge from cultural meaning. Similarly, Obama employs the positive associations of the word future re inforced by the ideas conveyed in the combination of the terms peace and dignity. At the same time, he mentions â€Å"the weakest†, women and children, in a way that everyone feels included and important, â€Å"†¦every man, woman and child who seek a future of peace and dignity†¦Ã¢â‚¬  As opposed to the notion of light, the idea of darkness is a negatively associated determinant as in the phrase â€Å"†¦our darkest hours†¦Ã¢â‚¬  to convey people? s suffering metaphorically. J. Darsey (2009) states that the potency of Obama’s rhetoric lies in the concurrence of two metaphorical journeys, his personal journey and America’s journey, especially concerning the issue of race. In this manner, the Inaugural Address represents a personal victory and communal victory, where both journeys coincide and conclude with the first Afro-American elected president of the United States of America. pragmalingiuistica 19 (2011) 44-55 51 5. THE RHETORIC OF THE AMERICAN VALUES Politics and persuasion have been closely related since ancient Greece, and the role of Aristotles ethos, pathos and logos still remains central to political discourse. Accordingly, Obamas rhetoric can be characterized as extremely empathic. In other words, he capitalizes on the appeal of ethos because he addresses his audience in a positive and courteous manner that the nation easily identifies with his views (Charteris-Black, 2005; Santiago, 2009; C. Steel, 2009). As far as Obama’s â€Å"A More Perfect Union† speech is concerned, G. Lakoff (2008) points out that itâ€Å"works via the emotional structure built into the speech and into our national ideals. † His rhetorical success can be traced in a set of particular values which G. Lakoff (2009) called â€Å"The Obama Code†. In this way, his Inaugural Address often references values conveyed in words such as responsibility, unity, caring, hope and loyalty among others. Additionally, the original values stated by the Framers of the American Constitution are the most important issue in the US political life according to G. Lakoff. Thus, from the very beginning of the Inaugural Address, Obama stresses his link to the Framers of the Constitution by saying, â€Å"I stand here today [ ] mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. † Moreover, through the use of empathic forms of address such as â€Å"We the People Obama relates the importance of loyalty to both American national forbearers, and the founding documents of the US, â€Å"†¦because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents. † Signatories of the Declaration of Independence and drafters of the US Constitution are present ideologically as a driving force for the co untry, and linguistically as a metaphorical construction as shown in the next excerpt, â€Å"Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expediences sake. † This powerful image relates to dangerous work (charter full of perils) carried out by the Founding Fathers, and supported by the suffering and death (blood) of many courageous people. Consequently, such ideals are encouraging (light) and unforgettable. Another value referenced is a renewed notion of the American democracy, related to individual and, above all, social responsibility. A type of democracy which takes care of others as a way of â€Å" acting to make oneself, the country, and the world better because everybody deserves â€Å". protection and equal empowerment † from a moral government. Referring to the concept of framing, Obama has certainly given a renewed meaning to this word (D. Olive, 2008: 305). As expressed by Obama on CNN (2008), it implies â€Å"caring for the other† versus â€Å"extreme individualism†. Although emphasis is placed on societal respon sibility, personal responsibility is also necessary. In this way, Obama disarms the conservative criticism on liberals placing responsibility on the government and none on the individual (C. Rowland J. M. Jones, 2007: 441). Union is another value emphasized by Obama. M. S. Boyd (2009: 78) considers that â€Å"an all-encompassing message of unity [ ] makes his rhetoric more persuasive. † It is an idea of union as equivalent of inclusiveness, which applies to the issues of race and religion. Historically, race has been one of the hardest political issues to address in the United States. As 52 Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address: Metaphor and Values as Captivating Strategies to Celebrate a Presidency M. PILAR GUITART ESCUDERO Sharpley-Whiting (2008: 132) suggests, Obama’s speech on framing the race issue is a model which uses not only literal terms, but also metaphorical language. On the one hand, Obama deals with it as something that has already been overcome through his election as the following excerpt shows, â€Å"This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath. On the other hand, the next one indicates that he believes there is still more work to be done. This thought is conveyed by the tasting of â€Å"the bitter swill† which refers to racism as a â€Å"dark chapter† in history. Obama also refers to racism with another compelling image, â€Å"the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve†. This metaphor reminds American people that racism, which has created hate and divided people, will be soon eradicated, â€Å"†¦and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help ut believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve;† As for religious values, Obama wants to make clear that every creed is welcomed in the US, â€Å"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth;† In that way, a broad cultural scope of the audience could be emotionally touched in a positive manner. He praises the diverse religions, cultures, and languages in a more effective way through the metaphorical image of the â€Å"patchwork heritage†, â€Å"For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength not a weakness. † Emphasis on particular religious references may not be politically successful depending on cultural context. In the case of the Inaugural Address, overt references to Obama? s religious faith, such as â€Å"Gods grace upon us† and â€Å"the knowledge that God calls† clearly plays to the political narrative of the US. The Christian religious background that has long influenced in the congregations of powerfully effective preachers becomes present in B. Obama? s speeches (Higgings, 2009). Indeed, he has a particular rhetoric training based on the black American church, which captured the rhetorical tradition of educating people through sermons (Davidson, 2009). The following excerpt from the Inaugural Address reminds us of a religious sermon with explicit references to God and the Scriptures, â€Å"†¦in the words of Scripture, [ time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness. † Through several parallelisms such as â€Å" to reaffirm our [ ] to choose our †, â€Å" that precious gift, that noble idea † and â€Å" all are equal, a ll are free, and all deserve † the audie

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buy custom Environment Protection and Sustainable Development Environment Protection and Global Warming Introduction The environment is an essential part of human existence and people are required to protect the environment for future generations as part of sustainability. They have to take care of the environment even as they rely on its resources in their daily lives. However, the global warming debate has not lacked controversy as different ecologists come up with diverse perspectives on the actual nature of climatic changes. Admittedly, global warming has massively caused diverse changes to the environment, and this has led to the development of differing perspectives on its actual nature. In some quarters, human beings have been blamed to be the sole contributors to global warming. Other ecologists affirm that human beings cannot be solely blamed for the rampant global warming since it is a natural occurrence that has been in existence from time immemorial. The different perspectives raised on the nature of global warming have necessitated further research on global warming with a view to establishing the truth behind this disastrous happening. Other ecological perspectives on global warming relate to the actual effects on global warming on the Earth. Some believe that global warming is taking a toll on Earth a high rate while others opine that the real effects of global warming are bound to be felt centuries after now. It is vital for humans to gain an in depth understanding of their own environment and factors that might contribute to its degradation. This will be vital in the understanding of the association between human activities and global warming that has been the bone of controversy around the globe.

Introduction to Organisations and Management Essay - 7

Introduction to Organisations and Management - Essay Example The labour force is the one of the most crucial resources for a business organisation and its productivity depends on the organisational culture, structure, leadership, motivation, communication etc. Therefore, management has to take these necessary factors into account for bringing enhancement in productivity level contributed by the labour force. Traditionally, the business owners used to perceive the employees’ related expenses as an added cost of the company; whereas, as per the post-modern organisational concepts, the managements have realised the employees as vital investments for a company which will have return in future. Therefore, the nature structure and process of for completing a task has changed significantly in comparison to the earlier periods (Sole and Costa, 2001, p.2-3). Dodgson, Gann and Salter have identified the two paradigm of managements based on traditional and modern concept. The following the table depict the old paradigm of the managements and the c hanged paradigm of management. Table 1: Old and New Paradigm of Management (Source: Dodgson, Gann and Salter, 2008, p.42) As per the above table, it can be observed that the organisation in the post-modern age become very flexible and growth oriented. The organisations that have successfully understood and incorporated these changes are successful in an industry in comparison to companies following old paradigm of management (Dodgson, Gann and Salter, 2008, p.42-43). This paper will attempt to discuss organisation management of the separate companies i.e. Watsons Engine Components and H & M Consulting based on two case studies. The paper will focus on comparison of the certain areas of the both companies through analyses by using models and theories. The major areas relating to organisation management of the two companies will be organisational design and structure, teams and team working, approach to leadership and management, and approach to leadership and management. 2. Organisat ional design and structure The first step in the successful managing organisation is to create a healthy and smooth management decision making process which is crucial for achieving the organisational growth. Senior and Fleming has described that â€Å"the structure of an organisation is the formal way of identifying who is taking responsibility for what; who is to execute authority over who; and who is to be answerable to whom† (Senior and Fleming, 2009, p.78). Therefore, the organisation structure mainly focuses on the process of the decision making and it involves the top managements who are responsible for taking critical management decisions. For designing a growth oriented organisation, a favourable organisation structure is mandatory and each of the top level management must identify the plays their responsibility considering prevailing scenario for achieving the best possible outcome. Mcshane and Travaglione have identified two fundamental essentials for developing or ganisational structure. These two fundamental requirements are division of labour and coordination. The division of labour is helpful in shaping the specialized skills and coordination means the relationship status among the employees and top level managements. The coordination can be achieved through â€Å"Informal communication†, â€Å"Formal hierarchy†

American Art Education in 1980s Through Today (2012) Research Paper

American Art Education in 1980s Through Today (2012) - Research Paper Example The move to institute uniform art education program addressed issues such as teaching materials, teachers training, curriculum guide, and books among other issues. Previously, art education in America did not address issues like teacher training, which influence the system adopted by teachers in teaching art education. In 1980s, art curriculum for K-12 focused on progressive education and self-expression. Through this education, American technology education on art was founded, which is based on the cultural industrial education history (Foster 2). This focus addressed the need to develop art talent in children while nurturing their natural abilities. Art teachers taught painting, sculpture, drawing, ceramics, and other forms of art skills. The result of this approach was quite impressive. Many children were able to grasp the skills and produce aesthetic work. Another notable thing with revising of the art education curriculum in 1980s is that it revitalized art education. Art educat ion looked at history, traditional systems, and broader aspect of art to make art education interesting to pupils and the teachers. The 1980s curriculum stressed on art making while blending it with studies of art history, aesthetics, and criticism. The art education curriculum of 1980s did stress on visual art education. ... This argument led to the push for more realistic studies in art over the formal system. Notably, art education in 1990s has emphasized the need for visual art in all aspect of art education (Mary 5). Curriculum developed to cater for the needs of pupils and students in post primary schools address current issues. For instance, visual art stresses on current events or realities. In other words, the curriculum does not stress on abstract art. The 1990s art education curriculum identified the need to incorporate place based art education. This is a reform in art education since it exempts traditional aspect of art education in previous decades. Another important observation about art education in 1990s is that art education incorporated other disciplines such as history, current environmental events among others in the art curriculum (Keyon 2). Scholars and lovers of art argued that this approach gave the learner the ability to use art to solve current issues in the society. For instanc e, music art education takes place in special classes while addressing current events in the society. In 1990s, art curriculum has developed various degree programs in art, which address individual needs (Mary 7). Other than professional development programs introduced in 1990s, art studies have created room for students to choose from a wide range of programs. Art education development led to the visual culture experienced today in art schools. Educators and stakeholders in art emphasized on the use of technology in visual art. For instance, National Standard, which was introduced in 1995 as per the California Teaching Standards has become a top producer in weld wire and several industrial wire

Human Development- Psychological and SocialConsequences of Obesity Term Paper

Human Development- Psychological and SocialConsequences of Obesity - Term Paper Example evelopment, this study will first discuss basic information about obesity followed by discussing the psychological and social consequences of obesity. After discussing the factors that contributes to high rate of obesity, some of the recommended ways on how obese individuals can effectively control their weight will be tackled in details. Obesity is defined as â€Å"an excess of body fat that frequently lead to a significant impairment over a person’s health and longevity† (House of Commons Health Committee, 2004). In general, a normal weight is computed using the Body Mass Index (BMI) wherein the normal range for an adult should be between 18.5 to less than 25 (BMI 18.5 to 25 kg/m2). BMI measurement between the ranges of 25 to less than 30 (BMI 25 to 30 kg/m2) is considered overweight and BMI measurement that exceeds 30 (BMI ≠¥ 30 kg/m2) is considered obese. The application of BMI method is computed based on the height of a person and age including the waist circumference. Based on the computation result, obesity can be classified either as: (1) Class I (BMI 30 to 34.9 kg/m2); (2) Class II (BMI 35 to 39.9 kg/m2); and (3) Class III (BMI ≠¥ 40 kg/m2) (Berg, 2003; NHLBI, 1998). (See Appendix I – Body Mass Index on page 20) There are quite a number of techniques that can be used in measuring body fat. Among these techniques include the use of bioelectrical impedance, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, and the total volume of the body’s water content (Berg, 2003). Since these methods are quite impractical to use, medical practitioners simply adopt the BMI method. Aside from the use of BMI method, medical practitioners can also use the formula â€Å"weight in pounds divided by height in inches squared multiplied by 703 or weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared† (Berg, 2003). Obesity is a serious health problem since it could lead to negative affects related to a person’s physical health, emotional well-being, and psychosocial functioning

Different Approaches Of Completing Tasks English Language Essay

Different Approaches Of Completing Tasks English Language Essay Culture is the continuum within which all communication takes place. Communication needs a certain platform shared by the sender and the receiver. Culture is the platform which makes sharing of cultural codes, values, icons, and symbols possible and meaningful. The medium of communication is after all a system of cultural codes that the sender borrows to express his/her ideas. The receiver must understand these codes in terms of the culture from which they have been borrowed and it is only then that s/he would derive maximum sense from it. Culture plays a major role by adding significance to apparently arbitrary conventions. Cultural conventions determine the way we communicate, how we communicate and what we communicate. If the conventions are broken, communication suffers a disjunction and there is great scope for ambiguity. Familiarly with the cultural codes enhances communication skills and allows people in that cultural context to exchange massages that are clear and more complete. Different culture-specific cues are called cultural variables. These bring in the social and cultural variations in the way we talk, dress, and conduct business, or even how we conduct ourselves. Cross-cultural communication is a field of study that looks at how people from differing  cultural  backgrounds communicate, in similar and different ways among themselves, and how they Endeavour to  communicate  across cultures. UNDERSTANDING CULTURAL DIVERSITY Different cultural contexts bring new communication challenges to the workplace. Even when employees located in different locations or offices speak the same language there are some cultural differences. In such cases, an effective communication strategy begins with the understanding that the sender of the message and the receiver of the message are from different cultures and backgrounds. Fundamental Patterns  of Cultural Differences: Different Communication Styles Different Attitudes towards Conflict Different Approaches of Completing Tasks Different Decision-Making Styles Different Attitudes towards Disclosure Different Approaches to Knowing As I work for a multinational IT company and have been transferred to Japan for five years on a project- I have to gather information as to how to avoid problems of cross-cultural communication for my successful stay in Japan. There are several ways to become knowledgeable about the culture of Japan and one of them is through information available on the Internet. I would also like to read books on Japanese culture, etiquette, food habits and about verbal and non verbal communication. Some basic features of Japanese culture gathered from different sources: Harmony is the basic philosophy of the Japanese in family and business matters and in society as a whole.   They value politeness, personal responsibility and working together for the group and society, rather than the individual good.   In their view, working in harmony plays a pivotal role in working meaningfully and productively. As the Japanese strive are group dependent, they depend on facial expression, tone of voice and gesture to express them what someone feels. They usually rely on non-verbal messages more than the spoken words.  Frowning while someone is speaking is termed as a sign of disagreement.   Inhaling through clenched teeth, tilting the head, scratching the back of the head, and scratching the eyebrow are watched closely. Staring into another persons eyes, particularly that of a senior person, is held as disrespectful. In any social event, the elder persons are served first. Since Japanese think that turning down someones request results in embarrassment and loss of face to the other person, if the request is not agreeable, they will say, its inconvenient or its under consideration.   http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQYGN3m_u_JzIijBzN6FUnryOIscnrvgKeifwp_a9md3z4glIm1 Knowing these key Japanese customs, Ill get closer to the locals and representatives of different business groups of Japan: 1. Addressing someone with due respect: For visitors like me a simple inclination of the head or an attempt at a bow at the waist would be a gesture of respect. 2. Manners while on dining table: If I am in a dinner party and receive drinks, I must wait before raising the glass to my lips. After everyone is served, and someone takes the lead, I must raise my drink, and say, kampai! (Cheers!). When I receive a wet cloth at Japanese restaurants, which is a common practice, I must use this to wash my hands before eating. Slurping noodles or making loud noises while eating is acceptable and reflects that the food is delicious. 3. No Tips Please: To tip someone in any situation is frowned upon as it is termed as insulting. 4. Chopsticks: One must learn to use chopsticks for taking lunch or dinner. 5. Visiting Homes and Houses: One has to take off ones shoes at the entrance to any home, and most businesses and hotels. Usually a rack is provided for keeping shoes. 6. Masks: Sterilized masks are generally used by salary men, office ladies, and municipal workers to protect other people from their germs. 7. Conformity: Drawing attention to oneself is a taboo. One must not blow ones nose in public, avoid eating while on the go and speak on mobile phone in crowded public areas. 8. Speaking English: Japanese generally assume the foreign visitor as a native English speaker until one proves otherwise. Although one may speak some or fluent Japanese, the default language of choice is English. Many Japanese still insist on using their own English language ability, however limited, to converse with foreign visitors. 9. Safety: Japanese generally warn tourists to be safe in their travels, to take care of their belongings. However, advise not to worry, nothing can go wrong, nothing will be stolen. APPEARANCE CODE One must dress to impress. For men, they must wear dark conservative attire. Business suits are most suitable. Shoes should be easy to remove, as one will be expected to do so quite often. One must avoid using large hand gestures, unusual facial expressions and any unusual movements. OK sign should be avoided; in Japan it means money. Pointing in not acceptable. One must not blow ones nose in public. Personal space is valued. A smile can have double meaning. It can express either joy or displeasure. The Japanese are not uncomfortable with silence. http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSR_EtxFTFJt0dtqajoy3IXY5N66m0sqhI8fmVqOgvF3VEZSSTDo755q_J1 BEHAVIOUR CODE Drinking is an integral part of Japanese culture. It is a way to relieve business stress. One must never pour a drink oneself, allow someone else to do it. Generally most business entertaining is done in restaurants or bars after business hours. Let the host order the meal and pay. Japanese generally refrain from entertaining in the home. If one is invited to the home of Japanese host, he should consider it a great honour and express gratitude. If one has to take ones host out, he must insist upon paying. It is generally acceptable to slurp ones noodles as it shows the food was delicious. Japanese term number 14 as bad luck, because in Japanese it sounds like the word hush-hush, pronounced like the word for death. Both business and personal gifts are happily accepted. But the gifts must be wrapped and should be given and accepted with both hands. Gifts should be given at the end of a visit. http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQfkdiWB0n9HpIMdoYngLmbYubELFaKHkAkSiR00A3gFU1RCyAh THERE ARE 10 STRATEGIES THAT HELPS IN MAKING CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATIONAL EFFECTIVE http://www.nynj-phtc.org/images/top10-400-white.jpg JAPAN RELIGION http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSP88Ii63ne9lM-6jI2gkVzEpMCM1Gyx7ktQcOJd43yRZlfP07W http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQmU1Hs97UlNqQ91YB6J20CpUUBNREzQ6kT26yD2-ptS7tpH_H3

Analysis of Rights and Duties in Nepal

Women's Property Rights Movement in Nepal by Binda Pandey Nepal is still running under strong feudalistic social values and norms. There were no clear provisions regarding Nepalese women and property rights until 1975. Following the UN Declaration of 1975, which was International Women's Year, the Nepali government began to celebrate International Women's Day on the 8th of March. That same year, the Civil Code was amended and a clause on women's inheritance and property rights included.The clause states that if a woman remains unmarried up to 35 years of age, she would have a right to inherit property. However, the amendment limits itself as it continues â€Å"if she gets marriage after having property that should be returned back to the brothers by deducting the marriage cost. † With the restoration of multiparty democracy in 1990, the new constitution guaranteed that no one should be discriminated against on the basis of sex. Furthermore, in 1991, the government ratified the UN Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW-1979).The nation's Women's Movement demanded that all inequalities in Nepali law be eliminated and focused attention on the equal right of women to inherit property. All political parties have included this demand in their respective election manifestos. The opposition party in parliament, the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist, has raised this issue repeatedly but the government has neither considered it seriously, nor taken any initiation to amend discriminatory laws. In 1993, a case was finally filed in the Supreme Court with a demand to amend the Civil Code to give women equal rights over property.After two years, in 1995, the Supreme Court issued a directive to the government to introduce a Bill in parliament that would guarantee a woman's rights to inherit property. Following the Supreme Court directive, the Ministry of Women and Social Welfare drafted a Bill, popularly known a s the â€Å"Women's Property Rights Bill† in order to amend the existing Civil Code. It was tabled for discussion in the 11th session of Parliament. It took almost six years more to be passed through parliament, despite a number of other Bills being adopted in this time parliament.During this period, different political parties and parliamentary committees have made a number of changes to the original Bill. On July 17, 2001, a parliamentary committee unanimously declared that women should have equal rights to inherit property. However, the ruling Nepali Congress party expressed some disagreement and proposed that inherited property â€Å"should be returned back to respective brother/s if she gets marriage†. The ruling party passed the Bill with a majority vote in the Lower House of Parliament in October 2001.But, the Upper House – National Assembly, which is dominated by the opposition party, failed the Bill and it was sent back to the Lower House for reconsider ation. In due process, the Bill came back to the Lower House. Here, the ruling party was pressing for the Bill to be adopted while the main opposition party, supported by almost all women organizations, was pressing hard to guarantee inherited property rights for women equivalent to that of their brother/s. In this situation, there was a risk that the Bill would not be passed again and it might take several more years to go through another round of discussion.At this point, the opposition party made the tricky decision to vote for a Bill with its reservation on the provision, which do not recognize the equal right of sons or daughters to inherited property after marriage. Major Achievements through 11th Amendment in Civil Code-2020 (1963) After all these turning points, the bill was finally passed in parliament on March 14, 2002. It was sent to the King for his seal of approval and came into effect from September 27, 2002. The major achievements of this amendment are as follows: â⠂¬ ¢ Women's Right to PropertyToday, women in Nepal can enjoy their right to inherit property from birth. But when they marry any property will be returned to the parent's family. The new law establishes a wife's equal right to her husband's property immediately after marriage, rather than after she reaches 35 years of age or has been married for 15 years as before. A widow's right to claim her share of property from the joint family after the death of her husband, and to use this property even if she gets re-married, is now also established in law. †¢ Women's Right to DivorceThe Bill gives women the right to seek divorce from her husband if he harasses her physically or psychologically; if he establishes sexual relationships with other women; if he is incapable of producing children; or if he is affected by and std, including hiv/aids. Previously, the law allowed a wife to claim only food stuff from her husband for the five years following their divorce. Today, a woman can als o claim property. †¢ Increase Penalty for Polygamy Polygamy is still rampant in Nepal, though it was declared illegal in 1975.Previously, those who violate the law in this regard face a punishment of 1 to 3 months in prison or a fine of 1000 to 2000 Rupees, or both. The new amendment increases these punishments, a man can now face 1 to 3 years in prison or a fine of 5000 – 25,000 Rupees, or both. †¢ Women's Right to Abortion Previously, abortion was illegal unless a doctor advised that a mother's life was endangered unless a foetus was aborted. Charged with this crime, more than five dozen women are imprisoned across Nepal. The new law legalizes abortion with some conditions.In normal cases a woman can make her own decision to go through with an abortion, though only within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. However, if the child's delivery endangers the mother's life, or if a women becomes pregnant through rape or incestuous sexual relations then abortions can take p lace within 18 weeks of pregnancy. Nepal is the first South Asian country to legalize abortion in this way. †¢ Stern Action against persons involved in Rape Rape is one of the major issues that has been raised by the women's movement in Nepal.In this regard, the amendments to the civil code make the law stronger and increase the punishment for rapists. According to the new provisions, a rapist can be imprisoned for 10-15 years, if their victim is below 10 years of age; 7-10 years of imprisonment, if their victim is between 10 and 16 years of age; and 5 – 7 years of imprisonment, if the victim's age is above 16 years. In each category, an additional five years of prison can be given if the victim is a pregnant or disabled woman. Lacunas still remain It is a big achievement that women have been granted more legal rights with this amendment. But, there remain issues to be addressed.One major issue is to establish equal rights of property inheritance regardless of a women's marital status. The struggle to achieve rights based on gender is ongoing. If gender equality has not been achieved even when important goals are met then the struggle should continue. Challenges ahead There is a bigger challenge ahead of the women's movement. Until and unless women and men in wider society are aware of these new legal instruments, they cannot bring any remarkable change to the real lives of Nepalese women. In this regard, it is the role and responsibility of the women's movement to make women and men aware of their legal rights.At the same time, social and bureaucratic structures including those in civil society and government must institutionalize these changes. Only in this way will feudal and traditional attitudes towards women's rights change. To ensure the impact of these legal rights, authority should be delegated in a practical way and the implementing apparatus should be correctly managed. The women's movement can lead the campaign to make people aware and to check that the law is implemented properly. We can prove that legal instruments are important tools and play a crucial role in creating gender equality in society. Updated version of the published article in Workers News 32, March 2002) Women's Movement Scenario in Nepal Nepal is one of the least developed countries in the world. Our socio-economic life and hence the national life is largely dependent on agriculture. 42 percent of the national income is being contributed by agriculture and almost 81 percent of the population is employed in this sector. However, agriculture itself is in a very miserable condition. It has become away of life to majority of the population, but its fruitfulness is decreasing every year.In the Nepalese context, the women struggle started against British imperialism. Patriotic struggle against British imperialism dates back to the battle of 1814 at Nalapani. Women marched shoulder to shoulder with men in the civil right movement of 1948. Women took act ive part in the democratic revolution of 1951 which overthrew the 104 year autocracy of the Rana family. Its goal was to overthrow the 104 years of Rana autocracy from Nepal. The first women organization the â€Å"Nepal Women Association† was established in 1948, it worked to inculcate political awareness among women.After the fall of the Rana regime and dawn of democracy in 1951, political parties became active. Women's organization began to be affiliated with various political parties. During the thirty year rule (1960-1990) of the party-less Panchayat system, all political parties and independent women 5 organizations were banned. However, the left democratic forces continued their struggle against the suppressive political system. The communist organized peasants and workers to fight against the exploitative regime. Women came out in large number during the struggle for democracy.The All Nepal Women Association (ANWA) functioning under the party, was very active in organi zing revolutionary women. It is during this period of struggle that ANWA established itself as a revolutionary wing of the party. Many members of ANWA were tortured by the rulers. The persistence in the struggle attracted women to join the movement. The movement was successfully expanded throughout the country. Also there were some sectoral women movements in existence against the feudal exploitation of landlord and Rana regime. But they were limited in coverage and could not take larger shape to include women from all over the nation.In order to understand the shaping of the movement, it is necessary to mention how the women's political and organized form of movement was connected with the political parties. The first underground mass meeting of All Nepal Women Association was held in 1980. The gathering discussed and analyzed situation of the country, set goals and strategies of women struggle to achieve the women's rights and liberation. It formulated the long term and short term national policy and programme for the women struggle. The period of eighties is the most active and important period for Nepalese women movement.The oppression from the then rulers was intolerable. Many women activists were jailed and tortured, more than 70 women activists were full-time underground and semi-underground activists. They developed thousands of activists who were over-ground, and they continued their underground activities. It played a crucial role in creating political awareness and played significant role in organizing women of different class, profession and strata. During its underground political training, the All Nepal Women Association equipped its cadre with true ideals in the struggles for political rights, social justice and economic equality.It also made best use of the 8th March International Women's Day (started since 1972, 8th march), and national festival such as Tij (exclusive women festival) and Tihar (festival of light) celebrated each year for five days culminating the worshipping of brothers by sisters on the last day. On this day women folk gather at their parental houses, hence an opportunity to make best use of gathering. ANWA organized its first National Conference in 1989 in underground way, second National Conference in 1992 and the third National Conference in 1995 with the theme â€Å"Social Security and Employment, Equal Rights in all Sectors†.All members of ANWA and other women organizations cultivated a dream-a dream of new progressive and democratic Nepal where women participation in all walks of national life is ensured. In spite of all these struggles, sacrifices and enthusiasm, women have been marginalized in politics as in any other sectors. The paternalistic structures of the family, society and the male-dominated political organizations gave little space to women. There exist a big gap between saying and doing, preaching and practicing about women's participation and leadership in Nepal.Constitutional ly, 5 percent seats of the total candidacy in the parliamentary election are reserved for women, in each political party. Recently the government has decided to provide 15 percent reservation in each VDC and Municipality. Altogether there are 4000 VDCs and 58 Municipalities and in each VDC there are 9 Wards (Unit). Each ward of the VDC will have 5 members including chairperson elected. Among four members one seat is reserved for women. There is a provision of Advisory Committee in VDC and municipality and participation of women is provisioned.Thus, at the local level altogether more than 120,000 women will be mobilized representing all parties. It is a welcome step forward to include women in politics at the local levels. The position of women in civil service is also very bleak. While the 1990 High Level Administration Reform Commission gave suggestions to improve the situation, only 5 percent of the civil servants at officer level were women in 1992. National and international eff orts have been made to bring multilateral and bilateral agencies for aid and assistance for women's cause.In spite of all these efforts, gender gap is still very wide. Inequalities are rampant in all fronts–cultural, social, economic, political and in education. Women have no separate identity of herself. They are identified in relation to her father, husband, son and grandson. Women in the society The Patriarchal system is the root cause of social injustice in Nepal. Sons are preferred over daughters. Sons are considered economic insurance in old age. They carry the family name, perform death rituals and rites.Girls are considered as other's property to be given away in marriage. They are unwanted, neglected ad overworked. They are seen as auxiliary contributors to the household. Thus, the women are caught in the corrupt circle of the family system of exploitation and deprivation. The socialization pattern of Nepalese society is very discriminative. From the childhood, boys are groomed towards productive work and decision making and girls are confined to an â€Å"inside world† conditioned to be home makers, dutiful wives, loving mothers and service providers.A woman is subjected to the protection of man and has no mobility. Women are controlled by men and are considered as a property of men. Hence they do not have their own property. Even religion, education and rituals are denied to women. A women's life is not for her self. Health status of Nepalese women is deplorable. Nepal is one of the three countries in the world where the life expectancy of women is lower than that of men. In Nepal 20 percent of pregnancies are said to be in the â€Å"high risk† category. Violence on girl-child and child prostitution is alarmingly increasing.Trafficking of girls into India are increasing and of those trafficked 20 percent are minors under 16 years of age. The overall health condition is alarmingly poor in Nepal. The average life expectancy is 55. 9 for males and 53. 5 for females. Only 10 percent of the pregnant women get maternal service. The maternal mortality rate is 850 per 100,000 live birth. Average child bearing age among 40 percent of women is 15 to 19 years. The fertility rate is as high as 5. 7. Women have been the focus of population policies and the main target for family planning and fertility control.The girl malnutrition rate is double than that of boy under 5 years. 78 percent of rural women suffer by anaemia in the delivery period. 85 percent of women depend upon the traditional birth attendants instead of health post and hospital services. Even in the urban areas, the maternal mortality rate is 8. 5 per 1000 but in rural and geographically distanced rural area the MMR is 15. 4 per 1000. Economic Status of Nepalese Women Nepal is an underdeveloped agricultural country with a per capita GDP of US $ 202 (1994). Almost half of its population is below the poverty line.It ranks second among the poorest countries of the world. Studies have shown that women's contribution in the economy is large and significant with 57 percent of agricultural activities being carried out by women. They contribute about half of household income and work 11 hours a day. Despite women's substantial contributions both as cultivators and managers in the production process, all their labour is unnoticed, undervalued and unaccounted in the economy. Women as the workers Women constitute a little over one-half of the Nepalese population. 5 percent of employed women are confined to agricultural work compared to 75 percent for men. Besides agriculture, women are again mostly confined to traditional jobs such as sewing and knitting. They are rarely engaged in professional and technical jobs. Very few are in community services, commerce, manufacture etc. Jobs are low-paid, requiring relatively simple skills. In the service sector, women are mostly engaged in teaching, health and financial institutions. Women lag far behin d in the legal field and media service. Only 6 percent are found at officer level positions in the civil services.Women in Nepal generally work for longer hours compared to men, and rural women devote much longer hours than urban women. His Majesty's Government of Nepal has fixed the minimum wage and salaries in the industrial and organized sectors without any gender discrimination but in practice such discrimination are noticed. Discrimination in organized sectors are more prominent. Effective and in built participation of women in the development process, both as a producer and consumer of development output, has been accepted as a necessary condition for balanced, equitable and sustainable growth.But Nepalese women are yet to obtain such participation. In terms of labour force participation, women are behind men, are predominantly confined to agriculture, account for the majority of unpaid family workers, number predominantly among the unemployed and are heavily concentrated in l ow-paid jobs, The constraints against women's employment in industry can be summarized as follows, †¢ Women are poorly qualified or not suitably trained †¢ Protective legislation has acted as a deterrent to women's employment †¢ Women are prepared to work for lower wage Both women and men look upon women's income as supplementary †¢ There is no solidarity and no unions among women Women lack the collateral to become entrepreneurs, therefore have no access to †¢ They lack entrepreneurial knowledge They have dual responsibilities and lack societal support credit loans or Ninety percent of the employed women are confined to agricultural activities where as it is less than seventy five percent in the case of men. Less than 6 percent of them are engaged in personal and community services, 2 percent are found in commerce and 1 percent in manufacturing.The employment of women in sectors like electricity, gas and water, construction, transport and communication fina nce and business services is extremely low or negligible (table No. 3). Economically Active Population (10 years and above) by Major Industry and sex 1991 (in percent) Table 1: Occupational Structure of Women and Men (1991) |Occupation |Male |Female Total |Female as % of |Total | |Professional technical Workers |2. 5 |0. 7 |1. 8 |15. | |Administrative Workers |0. 4 |0. 1 |0. 3 |9. 3 | |Clerical Workers |1. 6 |0. 3 |1. 1 |10. 0 | |Sales Workers |3. 9 |1. 7 |3. 0 |22. 6 | |Service Workers |7. 8 |3. 8 |6. 2 |25. 1 | |Farm/Fish Workers |74. |90. 4 |81. 0 |45. 1 | |Production Labour Workers |5. 8 |2. 0 |4. 2 |18. 8 | |Others |3. 0 |0. 8 |2. 1 |15. 8 | |Not Stated |0. 3 |0. 2 |0. 3 |35. 9 | |Total |100. 0 |100. 0 |100. 0 |40. | Source: Population Census 1991 Table 2: Women in the Labour force 1991 |Describe |Male |Female |Total | |I. Population(in ‘000) |9221 |9270 |18491 | |2. Labour force |6445 |6554 |12999 | |(Population aged 10 years and above in ‘000) | | | | |3.Labour f orces% of total people |69. 9 |70. 7 |70. 3 | |4. Economically active population |4428 |2982 |7410 | |(Aged 10 years & above in ‘000) | | | | |5. Labour force participation rate |68. 7 |45. 5 |57. 0 | |(4 as% of2) | | | | |6.Economically inactive population |2017 |3572 |5589 | |(aged 10 years and above'000) | | | | |7. 6as%of 2 |31. 3 |54. 5 |43 | Source : Population Census 1991 Table 3:Economically active population (10 years and above) by major industries and sex, 1991(in percent) Industry |Male |Female Total |Female as % of |Total | |Agriculture |74. 9 |90. 5 |81. 2 |45. 0 | |Manufacturing |2. 6 |1. 2 |2. 0 |11. 9 | |Construction |0. 7 |0. 1 |0. 5 |10. 9 | |Commerce |4. 5 |2. 0 |3. |23. 7 | |Transport and communication |1. 1 |0. 1 |0. 7 |3. 9 | |Finance and business services |0. 4 |0. 1 |0. 3 |13. 4 | |Personal & community services |13. 6 |5. 3 |10. 2 |21. 0 | |Others |0. 6 |0. 1 |0. 4. |6. 7 | |Industry not stated |1. |1. 6 |1. 0 |23. 2 | |Total |100. 0 |100. 0 |100. 0 |40. 4 | Source : Population Census 1991 Women are facing problems created by government new economic policy of privatization and liberalization. The policy of privatization and liberalization is yet to show its full impact in Nepalese economy. Even then we expect to encounter the following problems in the field of women workers and employment in the days to come. 1. The employer may prefer men to women or unmarried to married one 2.Difference in salary of men and women may persist 3. Government may not be responsible for capacity building program for women 4. The dignity of women workers might erode as they will be treated as commodity by their employers. 5. Prostitution, sex tourism and sexual harassment will grow together with success of privatization and liberalization 6. Women will have to be restricted to low skilled and low paid jobs. The new policy will reduce the opportunities for formal education and vocational training for upgrading the skills, with a result that women d o not qualify for promotions, job up gradation and higher wage.Education and Nepalese Women For a long time, education was a privilege for a few in Nepal. The first government school for girls opened in 1948 a year after the Civil Rights Movement. It was only in 1951 that education was gradually prompted throughout the country. The literacy rate in the country is 40 percent. Literacy rate among women is only 25 percent. In the schools the dropout and irregularity of girls are higher compared to that of boys. Progress in the promotion of girls education has been made as a result of international women's year and the international women's decade. Several measures have been taken to augment girls education.Female teachers were appointed in each school. Nevertheless, education is yet to be effective in empowering women in Nepal. Education in Nepal is not yet linked with the lives of the people. Equality and empowerment of women is simply a lip-service. Government Policy and Women's Adva ncement There has been some changes in the interests and attitudes of the policy planners after the change in the political system. However, the changes are not satisfactory and are still sectoral. A new ministry looking after women issues has been created. The ministry is to coordinate and further the policies and programs related to the women.Women constitute half of the population in Nepal. Unless they participate fully in the nation building task, economic development of the country will not be possible. Taking this reality into account sectoral strategy and working policy were outlined in the eighth plan (1992-97), the first plan of fully democratic. The strategies to be followed as outlined in the plan are; †¢ Encouraging women's participation in traditional as well as non traditional sectors †¢ Extending access to be formal and non-formal education to women †¢ Adopting affirmative action in training program Increasing women's access to health facilities especia lly FP/MCH facilities †¢ Increasing women's access to credit, technical knowledge, entrepreneurship development programs, marketing facilities and employment opportunities †¢ Extending to rural areas those kinds of technological changes which reduce the time spend in gathering an fetching fuel fodder, water and household work †¢ Revising laws discriminatory to women Though the government of Nepal started a policy on Women In Development (WID) since sixth five year plan (1980-85). The policy aimed to promote the status of women by recognizing women as development agent.The plans stressed on technical and non technical fields of training for women. The Women Training Centre was formed under the Ministry of Local Development (MOLD) for skill development of rural women. Of course there has been some changes in the interests and attitudes among politicians and policy makers. However the change is not overall satisfactory and still is sectoral. Women should be recognized as partner and not as subordinate to men. No doubt, the newly formed Ministry of Women and Social Welfare should take up a leading role in asserting this concept. Girls trafficking and prostitution as major Social Problems of Women in NepalIn Nepal girls trafficking and prostitution problem are becoming similar to that of problems in Thailand, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Taiwan. Over 200,000 Nepali girls/women are reported to be indulged into prostitution in India. It is said that between 5000 to 7000 young girls are trafficked to India annually; of which one-third are trafficked forcefully. According to the Indian Health Organization (IHO) 100,000 Nepali girls/women are working as prostitutes in Calcutta, Mumbai and New Delhi alone. IHO estimates that of the 15,000 prostitutes working in the state of Utter Pradesh, 12,000 are Nepali girls and women.The Girls, sold against their will, are subjected to severe mental and physical torture. Most of the girls and women engaged in prosti tution are usually from broken families while others come from poor families. Many innocent teenage girls are abducted or lured from their homes in the countryside and are forced into the job. They are either lured or deceived on fake promises and sold to the brothel houses in Indian cities by the middlemen. As such the Nepali girls/women are found serving as prostitutes in almost every city and towns of India and the practice is, unfortunately increasing.Intra-regional and Inter-regional trafficking has also increased rapidly as more and more people migrate to the cities. There are more than 5000 girls/women from surrounding countryside working as prostitutes in Kathmandu and it is said that there are more than 200 brothels in Kathmandu city alone. Similarly, major market centres work as transit centres for ultimate trafficking into India. The East-west Highway is a fertile ground for prostitution which is being called commonly as highway prostitution.Some reports and investigation s have revealed that large number of girls/women have been trafficked via carpet and garment factories. Many who fall victim are those destitute and helpless women who are neglected, abused and abandoned by their husbands and relatives. Many women belonging to lower castes are also made to be the victims. No doubt the trafficking of girls/women to the urban areas of Nepal and to the brothels of foreign countries tell us a story of fraud exploitation, domination as well as despair frustration and poverty.We need to look beyond the facade of economic problems and try to come with the possible reasons within a larger cultural, historical and socio-political framework. While the subjects of sex remains taboo in Nepalese society, prostitution has gained a big momentum. It is no longer limited to the traditional red light areas of Salyan, Pyuthan and Dang districts where the women of the â€Å"Badi† community adopt prostitution as profession. They adopt prostitution as a social pra ctice. Under the â€Å"Deuki† system the girls are surrendered to temples by people by the way of religious gift or â€Å"Bhakal†.The Deukies are not expected to marry and thus, they adopt prostitution as a means of livelihood when they grow up. The Deuki system has been operating under the guise of religious and cultural beliefs. The cultural practice of Deuki system and Badi community have given way to socially recognized prostitution in Nepal. In Nepal as banning of prostitution remains a matter of dispute, there can be no question on the urgent need to address the issue that force girls and women into the flesh trade.The immediate risk groups like the poor and ignorant girls in the countryside, girls children working in the carpet and garment factories and the children on the streets should be made the immediate target for protection activities. All the government and non government organizations and the conscious citizens need to act actively to abolish the practi ce of flesh trade. Everybody should realize the gravity of the problem which is posing a big threat to a very fabric of Nepalese society. Everyone should work to contribute for he prevention and control of prostitution and girls trafficking.Well coordinated efforts need to be made in creating the congenial environment to discourage the sexual exploitation of women. There should be an effective implementation of laws relating to trafficking of girls. Income and employment generating programs such as knitting, sewing, weaving, bamboo work, sericulture etc. are necessary so that economic status of women in the countryside, the fertile ground for the traffickers is bettered. The profession of flesh trade can not be checked with the legal measures alone.Alternative means for survival are necessary. Both income generating activities as well as programs generating awareness are equally important in this respect. Despite all the existing laws, the enforcement and the threat of AIDS, girls/w omen trafficking and prostitution still remain a growing problem in Nepal. Nevertheless, it is a matter of great satisfaction that since the last few years some of the NGO and INGOs have started taking keen interests on the issue of women trafficking and practice of forced prostitution in Nepal.Similarly, the international and United Nations agencies have also started creating an awareness against girls trafficking and immoral prostitution practices. In the western and far western part of Nepal there is residue of slavery system called Karnaiya. The bonded labourers do not receive their full labour cost. They have to work free of charge for 15-18 hours/day The system is spread in 5 district of Kailali, Kanchanpur, Banke, Dang and Bardiya. In all these districts there is approximately 50 thousands Kamaiya. Generally women from Kamaiya family are required to work free for the landlord.Women under Kamaiya system are more exploited even than the Kamaiyas themselves. Physical and sexual abuse are common among Kamaiya women. Global context of and its effect to Nepali Women In the present context globalization has inflicted its worse effect all over the world. Globalization is generally used t0 designate an aggregate of policy measures which seek to expand market relations on world level and to enlarge the scope for the free movement of capital internationally. Some of the key components of globalizations are trade liberalization i. e. reakdown of tariff barriers, privatization of formerly public sector companies and the reduction of state intervention and the promotion of export oriented production for instance pf cash crops agriculture. In the countries of the south , such policies are generally imposed by WB. IMF , in the name of structural adjustment. while the ideology of globalization states that such polities serve to promote human welfare an increasingly large body of literature migration from rural areas and to a shift from secure to insecure forms of employ ment and production.Under structural adjustment programmes, government world wide have been compelled to sell of public sector companies to the private sector, and such transfers to the private sector have frequently been accompanied but massive dismissals and the flexibilization of labour relations under structural adjustment and liberalization, workers loose various forms of minimal security previously provided by the state or state owned companies. The declarations and programs of action adopted at the four global women's conferences held since 1975 have added important dimensions on the empowerment of women.The second global conference in Copenhagen in 1980 and the third one in Nairobi in 1985 contributed to the adoption of the advancement of women by the year 2000. Now the UN is working on the fourth phase of progress of women. All the four conferences have the message that no progress is possible without a full and equal participation of men and women. Although in many countri es women remain most deprived, discriminated and powerless in most societies.With this global context we should raise some pertinent points regarding Nepalese women's movement which will give the picture of Nepalese women, their social, cultural, economic and political status who are the threshold for the 21st century. Conclusion From the mid 1980s women's movement in Nepal can be characterized in three distinct features. Firstly, women's movement was all activism. The role of academia was insignificant. But now there has been forging links between these two in a variety of ways in different fora, conferences, conventions, and demonstrations.A strong belief among many groups has emerged that the struggle against gender inequalities can not be waged in isolation from struggle in many other fronts. Thirdly, the women's movement is not secluded within the country and is increasingly interconnected with the international women's movement. The four international conferences on women have been successful in bringing women's all over the world in common platform of action (Country Report on International Women's Conference, 1-5 August 1997, Malmo, Sweden; prepared by Sujita Shakya & Umesh Upadhyaya)

Essay on Machiavelli’s “The Prince” Essay

Since the beginning of civilization man has continually been faced with the complexity of creating a peaceful and unified existence for all, without resistance or violence. People have been trying to develop a system of how to rule effectively while acting ethically and morally to avoid chaos and destruction. However, as history has shown us this has not been an easy endeavor and very few rulers have been able to accomplish this. â€Å"This leads us to a question that is in dispute: Is it better to be loved than feared, or vice versa?† (Machiavelli, 51) An effective ruler would be one that relies upon fear without hatred, rather than love, as described by Niccolo Machiavelli in his book The Prince. In a perfect world all people would be good-hearted, all would treat each other equally, and all would follow and respect the rules of society. Machiavelli points out that people tend to focus how the world should be rather than how it is. â€Å"Let us leave to one side, then, all discussion of imaginary rulers and talk about practical realities.† (Machiavelli, 48) It is easier to complain about problems and society than it is to become a leader and produce positive change. All individuals have different perceptions of what it takes to keep order in a world where not all is good and not everyone gets along. It is easy for one to discuss ideals of how things ought to be, and to use reality to form a dream of something different that we believe would be better than the current state of affairs. Dreams though can not be actualized without action, and all the discussion in the world will accomplish nothing if everyone sits idly by. We all want peace, and in order to have peace there must be structure and in order to have structure you must have an effective leader that you trust to design the framework of how things will work. Ideally all would want a leader that is trustworthy, just, intelligent, compassionate, giving, and loyal to the people while at the same time having the ability to protect society from harm. â€Å"Now I know everyone will agree that if a ruler could have all the good qualities I have listed and none of the bad ones, then this would be an excellent state of affairs. But one can not have all the good qualities, nor always act in a praiseworthy fashion, for we do not live in an ideal world.† (Machiavelli, 48) Unfortunately in reality we can not have a leader that stands on a platform of extreme love or extreme hatred, if we expect to  remain safe and unharmed from the rest of the world. You need someone that is tough, and has the ability to enforce and maintain order upon people who are not always good and reliable, people who are selfish and have their own interests above all else. In reality people do not act responsibly out of love and consideration for others, but of fear what will happen if they do not act accordingly. It is important to keep in mind that to be feared is different than being hated. â€Å"But fear restrains men because they are afraid of punishment, and this fear never leaves them. Still, a ruler should make himself feared in such a way that, if he does not inspire love, at least he does not provoke hatred. For it is perfectly possible to be feared and not hated.† (Machiavelli, 52) If there were no consequences for bad behavior, people would have no reason to act any differently. It is not that punishment in itself creates hatred, but it is how the people are punished that will determine the fear or the hatred they have for their ruler. For example if one is caught stealing and then punished by having to serve some time in jail, that would cause them to fear you and to abide by the law. On the other hand if the punishment were death it would cause the people to hate the ruler for being so un-just and immoral. When a ruler becomes hated they lose all respect and control over the people, for they will reach a point that they can no longer endure the cruelty and rise against you. â€Å"Indeed, one of the most effective defenses a ruler has against conspiracies is to make sure he is not generally hated. For conspirators always believe the assassination of the ruler will be approved by the people.† (Machiavelli, 57) When people feel as they have been oppressed and abused for to long they will revolt and not think twice about getting rid of the ruler they are discontented with. For once the people have become determined to over throw their ruler, they have already lost all faith and feel there is nothing else to lose whether they are successful or not. It is not enough for a Ruler to be strictly feared, but to also appear to have some compassion and respect for the people that he oversees. It is imperative that an effective ruler is one that can balance fear, goodness, authority, respect, and compassion if he wishes to maintain harmonious  control. â€Å"So it is necessary for a ruler, if he wants to hold on to power, to learn how not to be good, and to know when it is and when it is not necessary to use this knowledge.† (Machiavelli, 48) The point Machiavelli makes here is that it is not enough to be completely good or completely evil, but to know when to do bad things in order to create good. Power is ultimately based on violence, and sometimes in order to preserve sovereignty and authoritative command, a ruler must engage in what society deems as immoral acts such as lying, betrayal, and even murder. So the conclusion is: If you take control of a state, you should make a list of all the crimes you have to commit and do them all at once. That way you will not have to commit new atrocities every day, and you will be able, by not repeating your evil deeds, to reassure your subjects and to win their support by treating them well. He, who acts otherwise, either out of squeamishness or out of bad judgment, has to hold a bloody knife in his hand all the time. A hated, thus unsuccessful ruler would be one that would not know his limits, and continue to use violence to obtain desired results. A wise ruler would be one who could look ahead and see when it is necessary to do harm so that he can know exactly what needs to be done, how to do it, and when to do it. Most importantly the ruler must have the ability to stop once what he has set out to do is accomplished. Violence and evil doing must be used sparingly to prevent the populous from hating you. A powerful leader needs the ability to equally rely upon intelligence and brute force, he must be able to discern when to use the different characteristics and be able to step into the role of either the lion or the fox at any moment. â€Å"Since a ruler, then, needs to know how to make good use of beastly qualities, he should take as his models among the animals both the fox and the lion, for the lion does not know how to avoid traps, and the fox is easily overpowered by wolves. So you must be a fox when it comes to suspecting a trap and a lion when it comes to making the wolves turn tail.† (Machiavelli, 54) Machiavelli is referring to the symbolism of the lion over the monarch power in England. The lion represented courage, strength, and  leadership; it was seen as being the dominant animal that could wipe out smaller animals. A fox on the other hand is timid, reserved, and clever; it thinks before it acts. There are only two ways to obtain power, either lawfully or un-lawfully. To do it lawfully is to be considered human and to do it un-lawfully by inciting violence is to be considered animalistic, so when stepping outside the law a ruler must choose whether to be lion and exercise brute force or to be the fox and exercise the mind. Nevertheless, you should be careful how you assess the situation and should think twice before you act. Do not be afraid of your own shadow. Employ policies that are moderated by prudence and sympathy. Avoid excessive self-confidence, which leads to carelessness, and avoid excessive timidity, which will make you insupportable. Machiavelli is reinforcing the significance of a ruler to have the ability to know when to act like a man and when to act like an animal. A feared but not hated ruler is one that does not act upon impulse but carefully calculates his moves in order to do what is necessary for the people, even if it means acting outside of the law. This essay began with the notion that if one wishes to be a successful ruler he or she must induce fear among the people to gain their respect as opposed to loving and being loved. How a ruler treats the people and how the people treat the ruler is the determining factor of how successful society will be. We have to look at the relationship between the people and the ruler as we would the relationship between a child and a parent. To be an effective parent you can not inflict harm upon your child, but you can inflict fear by imposing consequences to their negative behavior. If a child does something wrong we do not physically abuse him or her, but make them sit in time out or perhaps take away a privilege like playing video games. The child may be upset with you for a short time, but will not hate you and will respect your authority enough to abide by the rules in the future. On the other hand though, if you play the role of the best friend and consequences for negative behavior are non-existent then the child will go about doing what they please without regard for anyone else. Once the child realizes that he  or she will not be punished they have the ability to over power the parent. Religion also uses fear in order to enhance positive behavior and love among the people. No matter which religion one chooses to believe, he or she does not always willingly act with morals and ethics because in their heart they believe its right, but do so because they fear what will happen to their soul if they don’t. People fear negative consequences whether it is timeout, prison, or even hell and will most always act how they are told in order to avoid such punishments. Ruling with fear to create stability and harmony can be used in many everyday situations whether running the country, the household, the office, or the church. Bibliography Wootton, David, ed. The Prince. Indiana: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., 1995.

killing fields essays

killing fields essays This essay will discuss the events that happened in Cambodia and how these events were similar to the war events that occurred in Vietnam, the essay will also discuss the important differences in the wars in both countries. In the early 1960s many people thought that Cambodia was near to perfect place with such things as flourishing economy e.g.: Fertile rice fields. This can be also compared with a flourishing Vietnamese economy also with such things as rice fields flourished greatly and many other economical similarities. The Cambodian people went though many years of turmoil and suffering this was a very similar comparison that the Vietnamese had to suffer also with many years of being governed by different countries. The Khmer Rouge were a Cambodian activist movement which was led by Pol Pot. Pol Pot could be seen as a ruling similar to Diem, such as ruling with an iron fist. Diem would force people to do things and killing for unnecessary reasons; Diem was put in power by Americans and had worldwide condemnation. Diem would put peasants in strategic hamlets that were similar to the labour camp Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge had in place for the Cambodian peasants. In these strategic hamlets of Diems many of the peasants suffered and died, as did the Cambodians in the labour camps of Pol Pot. Many of the peasants in Pol Pots labour camps suffered greatly also, they worked hard on the rice and rubber plantations and a great number of them lost their lives. Cambodian went through a five year civil war, this can be compared to the for ever battles of the French or US backed South Vietnam against the Communist North Vietnam led by Ho Chi Minh. In Cambodia the Party center consisting of Pol Pot and some other leaders lead the Khmer Rouge to a victory over the US-backed Republic of General Lon Nol. The Communist North also had many success in defeating a well better equipped US- Backed force. The well better equipped fo ...