Plitical scienceNormative ideas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Plitical scienceNormative ideas - Essay Example Normative ideas can hence be defined as coming into existence when predicted development are connected with ideas about desired or undesired development, and when the insight of this connection consequently establish a concern about developments that will take place in the future and probably a need to make a choice (Scheuer & John 214). For instance, when one associates predictions about further technological innovation of the agricultural sector to ideals that hold that policies should be aimed at protecting against environmental exhaustion, concerns may be established about the escalation of agricultural production. It is suggested that normative ideas are either found among the public or directed to the public. Therefore, normative ideas may be seen as public sentiments on one hand that are basic and often implicit that sets boundary for an array of acceptable solution while, on the other hand, they may be used by decision makers strategically to frame policies that will be accep table among the public (Scheuer & John 214). ... Several scholars have tried to define more clearly how we can characterize ideas that have both normative and empirical character. Some classify ideas from the high normative level down to the empirical by distinguishing between principled beliefs, world views and causal beliefs. Ideas play a role both in the contested forefront of politics and in a more established background which is usually taken for granted (Scheuer & John 215). In a detailed empirical reality and analysis, there is detailed causal effect relationship with a more embedded background, wider world views and policy paradigms which are more taken for-granted ontological assumptions about reality and systems of theory used to interpret this empirical reality. Empirical analyses proximate reality and construct ideas as detailed empirics, causal beliefs and explicit empirical theories which are based on paradigms, deeper assumption and systems of thought about empirical reality and policy. On the other hand, normative l evels involve frames and ideas that are based on cultural sentiments, deeply held public sentiments norms and ideologies. An idea as a cultural value denotes normative setting, postulation about good and bad and about an ideal world (Scheuer & John 217). Frames, on the other hand, are foreground ideas symbols and spin images that package reality and, which help structure the terms of popular policy thinking and discussion (Jayapalan 254). Empirical analyses of political issues sometime may not serve the intended purpose fully well. It may lead to certain expectations about the future, but these expectations become falsified by occurrences. For instance, in 1980, there were parliamentary elections in Tamilnadu which were followed by assembly elections. From the observation of the

Literary Genres Essay Example for Free

Literary Genres Essay

Paris 1900 - Petit Palais :: Architecture History

Missing Image Paris 1900 - Petit Palais Along with the Grand Palais and the Pont Alexandre III, the Petit Palais served as one of the main focuses of the International Exhibition of 1900 and helped solidify the position of France as artistic world leader. Despite its inferiority in size to the Grand Palais, contemporary critics noted that the Petit Palais is of "equal importance in creating an impression of the artistic success of the Exhibition" (Boyd, 194). From its inception, it was built to serve as a permanent gallery of painting and sculpture. This black and white postcard represents the inner courtyard of the Petit Palais, which was established at the expense of the Palais de l'Industrie that had been erected for the 1855 Exposition. Architect Eugà ¨ne Hà ©nard (1849-1923) proposed the destruction of the Palais De l'Industrie. In 1894, Hà ©nard received one of three first prizes (others were granted to Charles Girault and Edmond J.B. Paulin) in the competition for the general plan of the Exposition. The final layout of the fair incorporated his suggestion of cutting a new street from the Champs-Elysees through the Palais de l'Industrie which would cross the Seine River on a new bridge and then terminate at the Dà ´me des Invalides (Wolf, 29). Although some Frenchmen opposed the destruction of the Palais de I'lndustrie, which was seen as one of the most conspicuous landmarks on the Champs Elysà ©es and served as an exhibition hall at the time, many agreed it was obsolete. According to Richard Morris Hunt, a prestigiou s American architect, "from the very day it began to rise above the ground the critics cried against the destruction of one of the finest perspective views that Paris afforded, and condemned this heavy and compact mask that was being interposed between the Champs Elysà ©es and the dome of the Invalides" (Hunt, 31). Hà ©nard recommended replacing the Palais de l'Industrie with two buildings, Palais des Beaux-Arts and Palais des Lettres (Wolf, 29). From Hà ©nard's idea came the establishment of the Grand Palais, Petit Palais, and the Pont Alexandre III. In 1896, Charles-Louis Girault (1851-1932) was nominated chief architect for the Petit Palais. He found his inspiration mainly in eighteenth century French architecture. The main faà §ade was located across from the Grand Palais on the East Side of the Avenue Nicholas II (today Winston Churchill). Of the three other facades, one faced the Seine River, another Avenue des Champs-Elysà ©es. The plan of the Petit Palais was that of a regular trapezoid and was arranged around a central closed courtyard.

Fun and Murder in Lord of the Flies :: Lord Flies Essays

Fun and Murder in Lord of the Flies Lord of the Flies is a story of hardships, death and ultimately, survival. The island on which the boys are on presented many difficulties. In this situation, there was no time for fun and games, work was much more important. The group consisted completely of pre-pubescent young boys and the thing that destroyed their democratic ways was the allure of having lots of fun, swimming, feasts and other enjoyable activities. If the splitting of the groups, i.e when Ralph and Jack went their separate ways, the bloodshed would have been prevented. But when the decision came to be made, the promise of "..having fun.." from Jack was too much for most of the boys, and that decision they made turned them into the bloodthirsty savages who murdered two innocent boys. In the beginning, when the boys first met and assembled at the platform, the conch was the symbol of power. The person holding the conch always had the attention of everyone. There was a leader, Ralph, who was elected by the children. "Let's have a vote." "Yes!" "Vote for chief!" "Let's vote------" This represented democracy, a government elected for by the whole population and they lived in a classless and tolerant society. There were rules which were to be obeyed by all. Nobody was exempt from them, they were agreed on by all. A fire was lit, to attract the attention of any passing ships or planes, huts were organised to be built. There were many plans for the boys but these weren't fulfilled due to the laziness and incompetence of the small children, the "littl'uns". Huts weren't built deadlines weren't kept. In theory, it was like anarchy. This is when the groups were starting to form, the people who enjoyed living like savages, for example Roger, and those who liked the idea of leadership, having a leader and following his instructions like Piggy. This, in my opinion, is a small-scale resemblance of the real world. If there was no law enforcement, or in Lord of the Flies, adults, people would be just like that. Society would collapse into chaos. The children, although they aren’t mature, they behave exactly as adults would in an environment in which they inhabited. Selfish, greedy always wanting more for themselves and not caring for others.

Unit 3: Screening and Assessment

The Assessment Process Maria Barrezueta Kaplan University The Assessment Process Many sources of energy exist all around us, the two main forms of energy are kinetic and potential. While potential energy is less obvious, kinetic energy can be easier to identify. Energy comes from different sources, some that are renewable and others that have a limited supply. The world that we live in has a high demand for energy, and it is important to find alternative sources that are renewable and cost effective.It is beneficial to reflect on the energy that is used daily, try to find ways of using renewable resources, and making it a personal duty to conserve energy by reducing daily usage. Energy is used in many different ways, anything that is able to do â€Å"work† exhibits energy (Trefil & Hazen, 2010). Humans rely on food for energy, as our bodies convert food into work (Trefil & Hazen, 2010). With so many technical advances, energy has a significant role in our everyday lives.The al arm that is used to wake up, the lights that we use when its dark, the hot water that we use in the morning, the electricity that is used for a blow dryer or straightener, to make coffee and toast, the gas that is used to drive to work†¦it seems as energy sources are in constant use, half the time it happens effortlessly. Electricity is a source of energy that is used for many different appliances that serve our daily needs. It is however a secondary source of energy because it originates from coal, natural gas, oil, and nuclear (energy4me. com, 2013).Electricity can be made from renewable sources such as solar energy and wind (Trefil and Hazen, 2010). As electricity makes many of the tools we need functional, gas is also an energy source that is used at home, during travel and at work. Living in California, the weather is not a subject to complain about. Nonetheless, we use the air conditioner in the summer time and the heater in the winter. Some homes use electric stoves whil e others use gas. All of these energy sources come from petroleum; the energy source that provides fuel for our vehicles, heat for our homes, produces electricity, and is used in many everyday products (energy4me. om, 2013). According to Trefil and Hazen â€Å"Fuels like oil (petroleum), coal, and natural gas are called fossil fuels because they are the result of processes that happened long ago† (2010). Consequently, petroleum a very high in demand source of energy, is not renewable. Renewable energy has become a very important topic, as the need to conserve fossil fuels has increased significantly. When considering renewable resources, different factors exist such as reliability and cost.As mentioned earlier, the two main forms of renewable energy come from wind and solar energy because these sources are reliable and there are no global warming risks involved (Trefil and Hazen, 2010). Wind energy is a renewable source of energy; with the use of wind turbines, it generates e lectricity with each turn of the blade (energy4me. com, 2013). Since electricity is produced with each turn, the amount of energy obtained depends on the amount of wind available to that region. California has 3 main wind farms and are located in Tehachapi, Altamont Pass, and San Gorgonio (California Energy Commission, 2013).Wind energy is generally higher around spring and summer, which doesn’t make it a reliable source all year long. Using wind energy for personal home use would only work if one lived by the coast. Wind energy is not a renewable energy source that is available to many populations, thus would not be appropriate to residents looking for alternative energy sources. A renewable source that can be more accessible is solar energy, especially in California since energy is obtained from the sun. The use of solar energy has been around since ancient times, the amount of solar power available is endless.The downfall is that when the sun is not shining, there is no po wer generated. However, living in southern California, using solar energy is more readily available than in other regions because it is typically sunny. To use solar energy, solar panels that produce photovoltaic cells are created, these panels turn sunlight into electricity (energy4me. com, 2013). Another source of renewable energy is hydropower, which uses water to create electricity. Generally hydropower projects consist of a strong flow of water that puts pressure and turns the turbines that generate electricity (energy4me. om, 2013). Hydropower is a reliable source, however it would not be appropriate for southern Californians because the area is too dry and a hydropower project would not work. The main energy source that is used is petroleum, we use it for transportation, heating, cooling, and for its many other benefits. The disadvantage of petroleum is that only a limited supply exists. There is also a possible risk of environmental damage whenever drilling for petroleum is done. The advantage of renewable energy sources is that the supply relies on the weather conditions.This means that as long as there is sunlight, solar energy can be produced. Wherever wet regions exist, hydropower projects can be set up, just as windy regions can use wind turbines to generate electricity. All of these resources are naturally available, thus allowing an endless supply of energy. Nonetheless, the main disadvantage of all renewable energy sources is that all of the methods discussed are quite costly. Building wind turbines can be expensive, however after they have been built, electricity is generated at no cost. The same with solar energy, it involves a high investment and only works with sunlight.However, the system does last 15-30 years which is a significant amount of time. The hydropower projects are not only pricey, but there is also a risk that it may have an environmental impact by changing the dam area (energy4me. com, 2013). Despite its disadvantage, it does has the capability of creating large amounts of power. It is important to take personal responsibility on the energy that is used, by practicing energy conservation. This can be done * In addition to using alternative forms of energy, energy conservation is also a significant way in which we can reduce our ecological impacts on the environment.Determine areas where you may already practice energy conservation and also identify at least 3 ways in which you can reduce your energy use both at home, at work, and in other actions you take on a regular Shawn_Edwards_Assignment2. doc References California Energy Commission (n. a. ) (n. d. ). Retrieved on April 18, 2013 from: http://www. energy. ca. gov/ Energy Sources (n. a. ) (2013). Retrieved on April 18, 2013 from: http://www. energy4me. org/ National Renewable Energy Laboratory (n. a. ) (2013) Retrieved on April 18, 2013 from: http://www. nrel. gov/

Meaning of Gender in English Grammar

Meaning of Gender in English Grammar Gender is a  grammatical classification which in Modern English applies primarily to the third-person singular personal pronouns. Also known as  grammatical gender. Unlike many other European languages, English no longer has masculine and feminine inflections for nouns  and  determiners.   EtymologyFrom Latin, race, kind. Examples and Observations Although English and German are descendants of the same branch of Germanic, viz. West Germanic, they are characterized by rather different developments in the course of their histories. . . .While German preserved the system of grammatical gender inherited from Germanic and ultimately from Indo-European, English lost it and replaced it by natural gender, a development which is assumed to have taken place in late Old English and early Middle English, i.e. roughly between the 10th and the 14th century. . . .(Dieter Kastovsky, Inflectional Classes, Morphological Restructuring, and the Dissolution of Old English Grammatical Gender. Gender in Grammar and Cognition, ed. by Barbara Unterbeck and Matti Rissanen. Mouton de Gruyter, 1999)   The Loss of Gender in Middle English[F]unctional overload . . . seems to be a plausible way to account for what we observe in Middle English, that is, after Old English and Old Norse had come into contact: gender assignment often diverged in Old English and Old Norse, which would have readily led to the elimination of it in order to avoid confusion and to lessen the strain of learning the other contrastive system. . . .[I]n an alternative account, it was the contact with French that played the role of a catalyst in the eventual  loss of gender in Middle English: when French entered the English language, the distinction of gender became problematic, because speakers were confronted with two quite different gender categories. Since it is always difficult to learn gender in a second language, the consequence of this conflict was that gender was given up in Middle English.(Tania Kuteva and  Bernd Heine, An Integrative Model of Grammaticalization.   Grammatical Replication and Borro wability in Language Contact, ed. by  Bjà ¶rn Wiemer, Bernhard Wlchli, and Bjà ¶rn Hansen. Walter de Gruyter, 2012) Gendered PetsEven in English, which does not have a full-blown grammatical gender system, there is a tendency to ignore the sex of some animals but still refer to them with gendered forms. Many speakers use she indiscriminately for cats and he for dogs.(Penelope Eckert and Sally McConnell-Ginet, Language and Gender, 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press, 2013) American Males and Their Female Cars- I smiled back at him and toyed with all of the gadgets in the car.Oh, shes nice, aint she? This is top of the line here, he told me.Why do men refer to cars as she? I asked just for the hell of it.Because were men, Byron answered. He laughed, a strong hearty laugh. Maybe it was too hearty. He was really pleased with his sale.(Omar Tyree, For the Love of Money. Simon and Schuster, 2000)- American males often refer to their cars as a she, thereby revealing their dominance over the machines and women . . ..(Tony Magistrale, Hollywoods Stephen King. Palgrave Macmillan, 2003) Gender and Third-Person Singular PronounsThe 3rd person singular pronouns contrast in gender: - The masculine gender pronoun he is used for males - humans or animals that have salient enough characteristics for us to think of them as differentiated (certainly for gorillas, usually for ducks, probably not for rats, certainly not for cockroaches).- The feminine gender pronoun she is used for females, and also, by extension, for certain other things conventionally treated in a similar way: political entities ( France has recalled her ambassador) and certain personified inanimates, especially ships ( May God bless her and all who sail in her.).- The neuter pronoun it is used for inanimates, or for male and female animals (especially lower animals and non-cuddly creatures), and sometimes for human infants if the sex is unknown or considered irrelevant. . . . No singular 3rd person pronoun in English is universally accepted as appropriate for referring to a human when you dont want to specify sex. . . . The pronoun most widely used in such cases is they, in a secondary use that is interpreted semantically as singular.(Rodney Huddleston and Geoffrey K. Pullum, A Students Introduction to English Grammar. Cambridge University Press, 2006) Agreement With IndefinitesUnder close scrutiny, [the rule mandating singular agreement with indefinites] emerges as a pragmatically cumbersome, linguistically unreliable, and ideologically provocative rule, which entered the canon under false pretenses.(Elizabeth S. Sklar, The Tribunal of Use: Agreement in Indefinite Constructions. College Composition and Communication, December 1988) Pronunciation: JEN-der

Typical Course of Study for 12th Grade

Typical Course of Study for 12th Grade In their last year of high school, most students are wrapping up required courses, shoring up any weak areas, and using electives to explore potential career options.   College-bound seniors may need guidance  in selecting the best courses to support their secondary-education plans. Some students may be planning a gap year to allow themselves time to figure out their next steps while others may be going directly into the workforce. Because 12th-graders plans can vary so widely, its essential to help them customize their coursework for their final high school credits.   Language Arts Many colleges expect a student to complete four years of high school language arts. A typical course of study for 12th grade includes literature, composition, grammar, and vocabulary. If a student has not completed British, American, or World Literature, senior year is the time to do so. A focused study of Shakespeare is another option, or students may choose from other books recommended for high school seniors. It is common for students to spend a semester each researching, planning and writing two in-depth  research papers. Students should learn how to complete a cover page, cite sources, and include a bibliography.   It is also wise to use the time when theyre writing their research papers to ensure that students have a strong working knowledge of standard computer software and programs used to format and print their document. This may include word processing, spreadsheet, and publishing software. Students also need to continue writing a variety of essay styles across the curriculum on a wide range of topics. Grammar should be incorporated in this process, ensuring that students understand the difference between formal and informal writing, when to use each, and how to use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation in all types of writing. Math By 12th grade, most students have completed Algebra I, Algebra II, and geometry. If they have not, they should use their senior year to do so.   A typical course of study for 12th-grade math includes  a solid understanding of algebra, calculus, and statistics concepts. Students may take classes such as pre-calculus, calculus, trigonometry, statistics, accounting, business math, or consumer math. Science Most colleges expect to see only 3 years of science credit, therefore a fourth year of science is not required for graduation in most cases, nor is there a typical course of study for the subject. Students who have not already completed 3 years of science should work on completion during their senior year. Students who are going into a science-related field may wish to take an additional science course. Options for 12th-grade science include physics, anatomy, physiology, advanced courses (biology, chemistry, physics), zoology, botany, geology, or any dual-enrollment college science course.   Students may also wish to pursue purely interest-led courses in the science field, such as equine studies, nutrition, forensics, or horticulture. Social Studies As with science, most colleges expect to see only 3 years of social studies credit, so there is no standard course of study for 12th-grade social studies. Students may be interested in elective courses that fall under the category of social studies such as psychology, sociology, anthropology, geography, world religions, or theology. If they have not previously studied them, the following topics are good options for 12th grade: principles of U.S. government; primary documents of the U.S.; United States agriculture; urbanization; conservation; business and industry in the U.S.; propaganda and public opinion; comparative governments; comparative economic systems; consumer education; economics; and taxation and finance. Students may also wish to study topics such as international relations and organizations and  American foreign policy or take a dual-enrollment college course. Electives Most colleges expect to see at least 6 elective credits. College-bound students should consider courses such as foreign language (at least two years of the same language) and the visual and performing arts (at least one year of credit).   Students who are not college-bound should be encouraged to earn elective credit in areas of potential career interest. Students can study almost any topic for elective credit.   Some options include graphic design, computer programming, digital media, typing, public speaking, debate, home economics, test prep, or drafting. In many cases, students can count work experience for elective credit. Many colleges also expect to see at least one year of physical education credit and one semester of health or first aid.

How to Format Block Quotations

How to Format Block Quotations How to Format Block Quotations How to Format Block Quotations By Mark Nichol A block quotation is a distinct body of type set off from the default text (also called the running text), usually distinguished by insertion of line spaces above and below and formatting of a narrower margin (and sometimes even type of a different point size or a distinct font). When reproducing written text from another source, consider setting the quoted material off from the rest of the content in a block quotation if it is more than a hundred words long. consists of more than one paragraph. is made up of a number of shorter passages (so that it would resemble an indented list without numbers or bullets). constitutes a letter or other correspondence, complete with salutation, signature, and the like, or another type of templated form. requires any special formatting. However, determine whether it might be better to simply paraphrase a long quotation in one or more normal paragraphs with perhaps some partial quotations when phrases should be reproduced verbatim. When the first line of each paragraph in the running text is indented, block quotations of a single paragraph, and the first of multiple paragraphs, are not indented, but subsequent ones should be. When paragraphs in running text are distinguished not by indentation but by line spaces, follow the same format in block quotations. If the block quotation is inserted in a framing paragraph that continues after the quotation, do not indent the first line of the rest of the paragraph. If paragraphs are set off by line spaces, a new paragraph that immediately follows a block quotation should be separated from the quotation by two line spaces so that the new paragraph is not mistaken for a continuation of the paragraph in which the quotation is inserted. When a block quotation is the continuation of an introductory sentence, use punctuation or capitalization (or a lack thereof) accordingly. In this case, the quotation is a continuation of the introduction, so no punctuation or capitalization is necessary: â€Å"The writer described the apparition as a tall, thin wraith of diaphanous constitution, as if made of smoke . . . .† (Note also that a block quotation is not enclosed in quotation marks; it is assumed that such an excerpt is quoted material.) If the first word of the quoted material had originally been capitalized (â€Å"A tall, thin wraith . . .†), silently correct it, as above; it’s not necessary to call attention to the change, as is sometimes done in specialized contexts (â€Å"[a] tall, thin wraith . . .†). A lead-in line consisting of a complete clause, and the first word of the following quotation, should be treated otherwise: â€Å"The writer described the apparition as follows: It was a tall, thin wraith of diaphanous constitution, as if made of smoke . . . .† The same rules hold for run-in quotations (those that are assimilated into the running text): â€Å"The sage says that ‘a fool and his money are soon parted.’† (Though the adage, standing alone, would begin with an uppercase a, it is part of the framing sentence here and must be lowercased; alternatively, you could write, â€Å"The sage says, ‘A fool and his money are soon parted.’†) If the writer wishes to amend or comment on a quotation, several strategies are available: To clarify that a typographical error is in the original, insert sic (Latin for â€Å"thus,† or â€Å"so,† and meaning â€Å"as originally published†), italicized and in brackets, after the offense. Take care, however, not to employ this term as a textual smirk, and if the quotation is full of unconventional, outdated, or variant spelling, an explanatory note before the quotation is preferable to a quotation repeatedly interrupted by [sic]. When you don’t need the entire quotation to illustrate a point, you may delete irrelevant passages and indicate the elision with ellipsis points. However, it is not necessary to precede or follow a passage with ellipses to indicate that you are not reproducing the entire text from which the excerpt is derived; the reader will assume this. If you must make comment or clarify a point, enclose the note in brackets, but be as concise as possible, or provide a longer explanatory note outside the quotation. If you wish to emphasize one or more words or phrases, follow the quotation with the parenthesized note â€Å"Italics added† or â€Å"Emphasis mine,† or vice versa. But a quotation with extant italicization should be treated differently: Insert the comment in brackets immediately following your emphasis. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:16 Substitutes for â€Å"Because† or â€Å"Because Of†How to Punctuate Descriptions of ColorsTitled versus Entitled

Perental Responsibilty Laws Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Perental Responsibilty Laws - Research Paper Example Furthermore, these liabilities do not intrude on the common law responsibilities of the parents that are connected to the failure of parents averting a child’s action that might be in any way harmful. Comparing the common law and the Parental responsibility laws, where the former does not put a parent responsible for their child’s actions by design, the latter acts as a medium where it puts the parent directly responsible for any minimum intentional damage caused by the child (Lehrer 2009). Combining it with criminal justice, Sage (2009) mentions the ‘duty of control’ view in which parents are liable for their children’s action if they have not adequately controlled the child. That is, if the control was adequate, they cannot be answerable. In such an instance, controlling the life of a child is limited to only stopping them from engaging in any criminal behavior. If the dos and don’ts are effectively controlled by the parents, then they are n ot responsible for the crime. According to Dr. Weatherburn (as cited in Loeber and Louber, 1986) in the US research, the criminal behavior is directly related to the parental control. This research stated that the parent factors that make way to such crime include the likes of neglect, conflict and discipline, deviant parental behaviors and attitudes, and family disruption. The research also stated that if the amount of neglected children rises to 1000, then the number of children involved in crime would increase to 256. Thus, with the positive relation revealed, it is eminent to control the above stated parental factors. However, these laws are not implied on the parents until their child reaches the age of 8 and 10. Also, the laws are no more applicable once the child crosses the age of majority which may differ with each border. This law first originated in the forties in the state of Hawaii. After 1846, it became one of the most widely implemented laws; those parents who were re sponsible for the intentional crimes of their children ended up following the statutes of civil liability (Weatherburn, 2004). After it originated in Hawaii, the first state to add to the law was Colorado in 1903. Since then, almost all of the states in the US have adopted such types of laws. The law divides the juvenile crime in two. One is the civil offense and the other is criminal in nature (Weatherburn, 2004). Considering the Australian courts, the Family Law Reform Act was applied in 1995 with several amendments. In 2006, a â€Å"friendly parent† provision was introduced that considered the overall relation each parent had with the other regarding the matters related to children (Benevolent society). As for UK, the first legislation was imposed in 1933 in which those parents whose child made an offence became the subject of penalty. In Ireland, the willful ignorance of parents on the behalf of their children, thus, leading to criminal behavior, is taken into considerati on under the Children Act 2001 (Roth 2006). Therefore, apart from the legislative measures in the above stated countries, it becomes evident that the significance of parent responsibility is becoming increasingly important (Roth 2006). It also becomes apparent that these legislations have been a part of the above mentioned nations for long. However, there was one incident that really gave pace to fighting youth crime. In 1996, one Provenzino case caught the attention of the entire

Fantasy Elements in The Rocking Horse Winner Essay

Fantasy Elements in The Rocking Horse Winner - Essay Example Her entire focus is on money and, as a result, her kids are being neglected. Through the house taking on the personality of the mother, Lawrence is able to show the effect it has on the children and how the mother’s mentality influences them. A few sentences later the reader learns that the toys as well as the puppy can hear the voice too. Lawrence writes that â€Å"even the [rocking] horse heard it† and â€Å"the big doll, sitting so pink and smirking in her new pram, could hear it quite plainly† (2). Lawrence likely puts this fantasy element in the story to show how much the mother’s attitude permeates the house and eventually leads to seemingly unnatural occurrences. After his mother tells him that the way to get money is by being lucky, Paul takes her philosophy to heart. He begins to think if he can have luck he can get money and give it to his mother so she can pay off her debts. He desires this because he thinks that once his mother has money, she w ill stop neglecting him and give him more attention. Later we learn that the catalyst for Paul’s luck is his rocking horse, hence the title, â€Å"The Rocking Horse Winner.† The house and the rocking horse seem to be magically possessed: The house is obsessed with getting more money while the rocking horse is obsessed with choosing a winner. Both have the same goal in mind -- making more money. As the house gets more demanding with getting money, Paul becomes obsessed and thinks that if he can just make more money the voices will stop.

Domestic violence outline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Domestic violence outline - Essay Example Domestic Violence (Outline) Table of contents Thesis statement Introduction and Background Statement of the problem Background and purpose Importance of the research Literature review Articles 1-5 Articles 6-11 Books 12-16 Methodology Study dynamic Study Limitations Power control theory Victimization Marginalization Theory description Examination of Data and Research Findings Ability to Explain Female Crime Causes of Domestic Violence So far, researchers have not been able to come up with one theory to explain why domestic violence takes place. However, there are various reasons that have been brought forward explaining why people especially women suffer in their spouses’ hands and fail to reiterate or extricate themselves from such relationships Brief description Economic factor Physiological factor Drug and alcohol abuse Social learning Consequences of Domestic Violence Gender violence as earlier stated has various consequences both to the victim and the criminal. Some of the consequences include: Premature death Unwanted pregnancies from forced sexual encounters. Permanent disabilities as a result of injuries sustained. Sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDs, both to the victim and the criminal. Health and behavior problems in children who grow up in such relationships. Miscarriage in pregnant women. Breakage of marriages especially after a violent partner is imprisoned for the crime or else when a partner decides to extricate herself from violent relationship. Denial of fundamental human rights such as the freedom of speech, association and right to own property. Combating Domestic Violence In order to control this vice, joint efforts between the government, individuals, religious institutions and the society at large are essential. This section will discuss the roles of these entities in promoting respect among couples to ensure that the dilemma is washed out of the society. For example; The Government Religious organizations Individuals Society Socio-Economic Costs of Domestic Violence Correction and preventive costs Effects on labor as a result of consequences involved such as imprisonment, disability etc. Impact on social relations and quality of life Non-monetary costs Conclusions and Policy Implications References

Ethical Obligations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ethical Obligations - Essay Example Rather, humans are able to determine courses of action which will benefit the sum whole of humanity and to perform those behaviors which, in their assessment, create the greatest general good regardless of the personal good created. The tendency of humans to perform these actions is called benevolence. Finally, there exists a third motivating factor, which must be taken into account to form a proper moral theory; this third factor will be called obligation. Obligation is the result of the social nature of humans. Suffice to say, for now, that obligations are the motivations to perform actions which result from explicit promises regarding what behavior one will engage in. Obligations have been a key aspect of many influential moral theories. Several great philosophers have heavily relied on the concept of obligations in their moral theories. Perhaps most notably are the ideas of contracts or covenants in Hobbes' Leviathan and Hume's discussion of promises in Of the Obligation of Promises. Both of these philosophers, as well as many others, have developed theories in such a way so as to incorporate obligations, though they often refer to them by another nomenclature, into them. Hobbes relies heavy on obligations, or covenants as he refers to them. According to Hobbes humans in the state of nature realize that it is in their best interest to each relinquish rights to others so as to establish some social order to escape from the aforementioned state of nature. These relinquishments of rights by an individual to another individual or to the group as a whole are covenants. Hobbes asserts that these covenants are brought about by two principles he claims to be laws of nature: "[t]hat every man, ought to endeavor Peace, as far as he has hope of obtaining it; and when he cannot obtain it, that he may seek, and use, all helps, and advantages of War," and, "[t]hat a man be willing, when others are so too, as far-forth, as for Peace, and defense of himself he shall think it necessary, to lay down this right to all things; and be contented with so much liberty against other men, as he would allow other men against himself." It follows, then, that in so far as one en tering a covenant will foster peace and the person with whom one is entering the covenant is equally willing to relinquish rights the covenant existence of covenants is dictated by the laws of nature. It is from these covenants that Hobbes seems to believe obligation arise. Hobbes has the following to say concerning the obligation created by entering a covenant: "he that is to perform in time to come, being trusted, his performance is called Keeping Of Promise, or Faith; and the failing of performance (if it be voluntary) Violation Of Faith." It is clear that Hobbes believes that entering into these covenants does in fact create an obligation and that one should endeavor to fulfill one's obligations. (Wilson, 2003) Hobbes puts such importance on the concept of obligation that he offers the creation and fulfillment of obligations as the only way to escape from the nearly unbearable state that is his conception of the state of nature. Despite his being on the right track in placing such importance on

Adolescents Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Adolescents - Research Paper Example ABC model of crisis intervention is one of the patterns recommended. The overall tragedy is a two step process. Once is that of the initial phases how it shocks the parents. The second is the aftermath and how the parents react to it, and how they live with it. Handling the trauma and coping with the surrounding environments is one of the core challenges faced. Engaging oneself in healthy activities also amount to the preventive and counter measures that the parents may undertake. Kristi Kanel has discussed the ABC model of crisis intervention (Kanel, 2014, 21). This particular model allows for overcoming the challenges faced in the form of therapy processes and other counseling guides. This allows facing the challenges bravely and overcoming them through confidence. The model is time tested one and large number f psychologists recommend it for therapy function in the wake of losses suffered by

Ethical Obligations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ethical Obligations - Essay Example Rather, humans are able to determine courses of action which will benefit the sum whole of humanity and to perform those behaviors which, in their assessment, create the greatest general good regardless of the personal good created. The tendency of humans to perform these actions is called benevolence. Finally, there exists a third motivating factor, which must be taken into account to form a proper moral theory; this third factor will be called obligation. Obligation is the result of the social nature of humans. Suffice to say, for now, that obligations are the motivations to perform actions which result from explicit promises regarding what behavior one will engage in. Obligations have been a key aspect of many influential moral theories. Several great philosophers have heavily relied on the concept of obligations in their moral theories. Perhaps most notably are the ideas of contracts or covenants in Hobbes' Leviathan and Hume's discussion of promises in Of the Obligation of Promises. Both of these philosophers, as well as many others, have developed theories in such a way so as to incorporate obligations, though they often refer to them by another nomenclature, into them. Hobbes relies heavy on obligations, or covenants as he refers to them. According to Hobbes humans in the state of nature realize that it is in their best interest to each relinquish rights to others so as to establish some social order to escape from the aforementioned state of nature. These relinquishments of rights by an individual to another individual or to the group as a whole are covenants. Hobbes asserts that these covenants are brought about by two principles he claims to be laws of nature: "[t]hat every man, ought to endeavor Peace, as far as he has hope of obtaining it; and when he cannot obtain it, that he may seek, and use, all helps, and advantages of War," and, "[t]hat a man be willing, when others are so too, as far-forth, as for Peace, and defense of himself he shall think it necessary, to lay down this right to all things; and be contented with so much liberty against other men, as he would allow other men against himself." It follows, then, that in so far as one en tering a covenant will foster peace and the person with whom one is entering the covenant is equally willing to relinquish rights the covenant existence of covenants is dictated by the laws of nature. It is from these covenants that Hobbes seems to believe obligation arise. Hobbes has the following to say concerning the obligation created by entering a covenant: "he that is to perform in time to come, being trusted, his performance is called Keeping Of Promise, or Faith; and the failing of performance (if it be voluntary) Violation Of Faith." It is clear that Hobbes believes that entering into these covenants does in fact create an obligation and that one should endeavor to fulfill one's obligations. (Wilson, 2003) Hobbes puts such importance on the concept of obligation that he offers the creation and fulfillment of obligations as the only way to escape from the nearly unbearable state that is his conception of the state of nature. Despite his being on the right track in placing such importance on

The Story of an Hour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

The Story of an Hour - Essay Example She recollects her married life, the good and the bad experiences of it! She screams, â€Å"Free, free, free.† This is, however, no indication that she does not love her husband. But the inevitable has happened. The death of her husband is a reality and he is gone for ever, never to return! She decides to live a new life and is willing to accept the changed patterns. She is quite emotional, comes down the stairs, only to see her husband return alive, hale and hearty. She is greatly shocked and suffers a heart attack that ends her life. An element of suspense is the hallmark of the plot of the story. The reader never expects that Mallard’s husband will return alive, whereas she had readied to charter her life in the absence of her husband. The plot is so constructed, the author leaves it to the judgment of the reader whether she is happy or not in her married life. When, the husband returns alive, she is not ready to face the situation, this shock is too strong for her, as is the shock when the news of the accidental death of her husband is revealed to her. The story pertains to the late 19th century, when male-dominated society prevailed. The life of a woman was confined to the four walls of the house, cook, bear and rear children. Women had no right to vote in the general elections. They were hired for menial jobs on payment on a lower scale as compared to men. Mallad’s husband dominated her. â€Å"Chopin deals with the issues of female self-discovery and identity in this story. After Mrs. Mallard learns of her husbands death, she is initially overcome with grief. But quickly she begins to feel a previously unknown sense of freedom and relief.† (The Story†¦.)The new-found awakening startles her—is it good or bad? Is it morally correct? She is possessed with her feelings. She is inclined to abandon her former self in search of the new identity her destiny has thrust upon her. After the brief spell of excitement, she regains her composure. She is

Poverty in Canada Essay Example for Free

Poverty in Canada Essay Poverty in Canada is a serious issue that needs to be effectively and efficiently addressed. Approximately one in six Canadians lives in poverty despite Canada being among the wealthiest developed countries. The poor live in poor housing conditions, earn minimal wages and overcrowded regions with some being forced into the streets, in cars or old vans. (www. kairoscanada. org). Poverty makes them live in fear, become malnourished, bad health conditions that make their lives a misery. Canada has a record of having the strongest economic growth especially from 1997-2003. What are the causes of poverty in Canada? Poverty rates for the minority groups’ for instance aboriginal people, new immigrants, single parents and one disabled are higher. These people lack secure employment from which they can earn a decent source of income. Without the finances they cannot cater for their basic needs like food, shelter and clothing. Lack of adequate and efficient government support also contributes to the higher rates of poverty. The poor get poorer when relevant authorities fail to provide or open channels through which they can access financial assistance. Poverty in Canada is highly correlated to gender, race and a citizen’s status in the society. (www. ccsd. ca). Those from families that are at a higher rank in terms of social power will be of better economic status compared to those from poor families. Poverty tends to be inherited as wealth and riches are. (www. kairoscanada. org). Education is a vital factor affecting or contributing to poverty. Parental education level affects how their children will be whereby those with tertiary education have the skills or knowledge to acquire decent employment that can enable them lead decent lives. The family size and structure also contributes to poverty. Single parents have higher chances of living in poverty as they have to single-handedly cater for their children. Large families also need more finances to cater for all their needs and small families generally tend to be better off. Cultural barriers and prejudice affects or influences government policies as well as social attitudes and economic structures. Distribution of wealth and not lack of it acts as a major cause of poverty in Canada. Poor pay act as a major determinant of poverty. The government allocates a minimal amount of resources for overall social transfers for instance on income assistance, child benefits, old age security, disability assistance, employment insurance and social assistance. New immigrants get poor wages and work under hostile conditions. Since they do not have permanent residency they are very susceptible to exploitation. They work for long hours, earn sub-standard wages, lack over time pay and are physically or verbally abused. (www. kairoscanada. org). Discrimination against women and people of colour hinders them from employment opportunities. Gender inequalities and domestic responsibilities, lack of appropriate childcare and language barriers hinder effective employment and consequently poverty levels rise. Family characteristics for instance the age of becoming a parent affects or rather influences family income levels and increases the chances of poverty. Research has shown that families of single mothers are generally poorer than families headed by men. In terms of wages paid women tend to earn less than males as they participate a lot in domestic chores and childcare (www. kairoscanada. org). They also tend to be more represented in the service and less paying employment opportunities as compared to men. What are the effects of poverty in Canada? Poverty in Canada has detrimental effects in economic, social as well as psychological aspects of those it involves. It deprives off the poor important things like food, shelter, clothing, education, health and employment. Inability to adequately provide for the poor is a cost to the government especially when cost of housing for example increases. Quality of healthcare provided is undermined as the demand for these services increases. Poverty is linked to poor health and since Canada provides universal health care it has increased expenses providing for more patients. Poverty and income inequalities have a major effect on health where health effects of poverty are felt more among the poor. The costs incurred on other services like education, recreation, transportation, security and pension also face a blow as the demand increases. (www. kairoscanada. org). Poverty affects people’s self esteem, dignity and belonging as it exposes them to hostile indecent living conditions. Those discriminated upon are emotionally affected by the way the society treats them. Poverty has a negative impact on social cohesion as well as economic prosperity. Poverty is also responsible for increased incidences of child labour and child abuse. Poor families can use their children to supplement their incomes. Criminal activities are aggravated by poverty since the poor may use illegitimate means to attain the basic necessities. How is poverty addressed or handled in Canada? Canadians fight or react to poverty in different perspectives. Direct donations and charity are offered to the poor and they include money, time, clothing and food. Economic based strategies are also developed for instance the creation of cooperatives and local businesses that are supported and run by the community in terms of funds or loans. This approach is beneficial to the community at large as what an individual could not have afforded is now affordable. Government protests and advocacy is another response to poverty. Churches and other non governmental organisations lobby to government to address vital issues like on income security where minimum wages can be set, employment insurance, childcare, social programs and fairness of taxation. Anti-poverty groups create or rather raise awareness of poverty and by so doing, keep the government in check. What are the strategies of fighting poverty in Canada? Government policies should be changed so as to increase more income supports for the Canadians. There should be increased security and remuneration in the labour markets whereby minimum wages as well as observance or adherence of human rights to part time and contract workers are considered. (www. socialjustice. org). There should also be increased accessibility to public facilities like housing, childcare as well as recreational programs. The children are a vulnerable population that ought to be adequately attended to. The Canadian government ought to be committed in setting targets of progress. Setting a parliamentary committee would also be appropriate especially in ensuring that there is transparency and effectiveness in the process of poverty eradication. It can establish fair tax systems for instance a low-income tax that can promote education to uplift the poor people’s living conditions. The government ought to assist single parents by increasing their benefits. Child benefits should also be increased so as to improve the living standards of children from poor families. Cultural transformation is also crucial if poverty is to be eliminated in Canada as cultural aspects influence poverty. (www. socialjustice. org). People can be encouraged to value and pursue academic goals so as to increase their chances of getting jobs that can enable them lead decent lives. An effective poverty eradication strategy is one that is made for the people and by the people. It is therefore very important to involve the minority groups like people of colour and women in the design and implementation of poverty eradication strategies. Families can be encouraged to raise small families so that their educational levels can be higher as their family incomes would be higher. Cooperative societies and other forms of community efforts to mobilize finances for the overall development should also be encouraged. They will be very important in ensuring that the status of the poor is uplifted. Education is very important in ensuring that people attain the necessary skills to fit in the job market. (www. conferenceboard. ca) Concerns of the poor should therefore be felt or reflected in the government policies as well as in its decision-making processes. Their human as well as economic rights should be fought for or respected. Reducing the gap between the rich and the poor would be an appropriate measure by the Canadian government. (english. napo-onap. ca). It only works to make the rich richer as the poor languish in poverty. Hiring processes should be fair and just so that the human rights are respected. Discrimination has negative effects, as it would result to under-utilisation of skills, capacities, talents and opportunities all of which are beneficial to the country as a whole.

Crisis Of Governance In Pakistan Politics Essay

Crisis Of Governance In Pakistan Politics Essay The concept of governance is as old as human civilization. The word governance has its origin in Greek and it means to steer. In simple words the governance is the process of decision making and the process by which it is implemented (or not implemented). Good governance means that the affairs of the state are managed honestly, with every system in place, where merit is never ignored, rules are meticulously followed and where everyone is equal before law. This could only be achieved if public institutions are strong, independent and responsive to the sentiments of the public. Governance is generally conceived as the exercise of economic, political and administrative authority to improve the quality of life of the people. Governance is a continuous process where divergent opinions and desires are satisfied through compromise and tolerance in a spirit of cooperative action for the mutual benefit of the masses. The basic objective of good governance is to improve the quality of life of people, to ensure that their needs are met equitably. Politics is about the creation and distribution of power among organizations, tribes, communities or society at large. Governance is the mechanism, which controls the relationship between the two extremes the governed and the governors. The political process lies at the core of governance and this can be said to be efficient only if elections are free and fair, the elected are accountable, whereas authority is divided between the legislature, the bureaucracy and the judiciary with decentralization of power. 1.2 Why did I select this topic? Although there are a number of studies on the subject, yet they are generalized in nature and only a few researches have been made relevant to Pakistan. Therefore, emphasis of thesis would be on crisis of governance in Pakistan with special reference to the alien perception (to me, a misperception) of as a failed state because of its bad or misgovernance and its legal aspects. It will include the current situation, its causes and effects, its socio-economic and strategic aspect, the plight of common man and the causality between bad governance and incapacities of the state apparatus responsible for public service delivery and criminal justice system, as well as prospects of course of correction through reforms and institution building. For the preparation of this paper, numbers of research articles, journals and books written by national and international researchers and authors, and different case laws of the apex courts have been consulted. The concept of governance and crisis of governance have been discussed at length in these write-ups. Since the concept of governance in Pakistan has very recently gained focus, there are a few studies on this subject, available in public libraries. Some of the significant studies are briefly reviewed here. The Crisis of Governance and Human Development in South Asia  [2]  explains some of the main crisis of governance in South Asia, its causes and suggests ways to eradicate them. Panandiker has explained the main problems faced by the South Asian countries specially India and Pakistan relating to governance system  [3]  . Ehsan Niaz has discussed cultural aspect of the country right from 1947 and its affects upon governance. He has also explained the role of civil soci ety, politicians and bureaucracy to solve the problems of governance  [4]  . Jan Mohammad Dawood has explained the role and function of superior judiciary in the politics of Pakistan  [5]  . These views will be discussed with special reference to Pakistan. 1.3 Hypothesis/Research Question? Root cause of the crisis of governance in Pakistan is the failure on the part of our successive governments who did not focus their attention on institutional development. Instead, they weakened, corrupted and politicized the existing institutions to an extent that they have become almost non-functional. Research Questions What are the root causes of crisis of governance in Pakistan? What is good Governance and absence of it in Pakistan? Is the state willing to restrict itself to the sovereign functions and to restructure and reform the institutions of governance? What are the controls over Governance? How governance can be improved in Pakistan? 1.4 Scheme of the thesis The research has been divided into five chapters. Chapter 1 is introductory which explains the whole paper with its national and international context, its importance and objects etc. Chapter 2 explains how Pakistan has been facing governance problems right from its beginning. These problems were due to many reasons such as incompetent civil bureaucracy, frequent military interventions, incompetent politicians, lack of accountability system, and non independent judiciary. All these problems have not allowed to flourish Pakistan to become a developed state irrespective of that it has been blessed with both human and natural resources. Chapter 3 deals with the consequences of bad governance and problem of governance. Chapter 4 deals with the role of civil society, judiciary, media and other state building institutions. Chapter 5 deals with the conclusion and recommendations to improve the good governance. Pakistan has faced governance problem right from its very beginning. While most of the comparable countries of Asia which have prospered, started from a comparable low initial level of socio-economic conditions, but have over the period of several decades, created much more sound and stable social conditions. Even India has managed to come out of the classic image of low performance and governance ills, while Pakistan deteriorates on a continuing basis, despite claims of good performance and success. 1.5 Statement of the Problem Problems of governance have been endemic in our country ever since the unfortunate death of the father of the nation, Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, only a year after the creation of Pakistan. Problems of governance seem to emanate from the unholy alliance between the then so-called political elite and the bureaucrats involved in politics. 4 This state of affairs has adversely affected the quality of life of over 180 million people of this country, making their life and liberty miserable. This situation warrants an in-depth study of the causes and their effects on lives and liberties of our people to establish objective face of current crisis of governance and the prospects of reforms and institutions building. 1.6 INTRODUCTION TO GOOD GOVERNANCE Recently the terms governance and good governance are being increasingly used in modern literature. Bad governance is being increasingly regarded as one of the root causes of all evil within our societies. Major donors and international financial institutions are increasingly making their aid and loans depending on the condition that such reforms should be made that ensure good governance. Following paragraphs will try to explain, as simply as possible, what governance and good governance means. 1.7 Governance Meanings of governance: The World Bank defines governance as; The exercise of political authority and the use of institutional resources to manage societys problems and affairs. 6 An alternate definition suggests that governance is; The use of institutions, structures of authority and even collaboration to allocate resources and coordinate or control activity in society or the economy. English-speakers sometimes erroneously confuse the term governance with the term government. 6 David Bigman oxford publication ed:2011 The exercise of political authority and the use of institutional resources, p.1 5 According to the UNDPs Regional Project on Local Governance for Latin America: Governance has been defined as the rules of the political system to solve conflicts between actors and adopt decision (legality). It has also been used to describe the proper functioning of institutions and theft acceptance by the public (legitimacy), and it has been used to invoke the efficacy of government and the achievement of consensus by democratic means (participation). The concept of governance is not new, it is as old as human civilization. Simply put governance means: the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented (or not implemented). Governance can be used in several contexts such as corporate governance, international governance, national governance and local governance7. Since governance is the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented, an analysis of governance focuses on the formal and informal actors involved in decision-making and implementing the decisions made by the formal and informal structures that have been set in place to arrive at and implement the decision. Government is one of the actors in governance. Other actors involved in governance vary depending on the level of government that is under discussion. In rural areas, for example, other actors may include influential landlords, associations of peasant farmers, cooperatives, NGOs, research institutes, religious leaders, finance institutions, political parties and the military etc. The situation in urban areas is much more complex. 7. Khan, Hamid Carvan publication ed: March 4th 2004 Constitutional and Political History of Pakistan, p.1 6 At the national level, in addition to the above actors, media, lobbyists, international donors, multi-national corporations, etc., may play a role in decision-making or in influencing the decision-making process. All actors other than government and the military are grouped together as part of the civil society. In some countries in addition to the civil society, organized crime syndicates also influence decision-making, particularly in urban areas and at the national level. . Similarly formal government structures are one means by which decisions are arrived at and implemented. At the national level, informal decision-making structures, such as kitchen cabinets or informal advisors may exist. In urban areas, organized crime syndicates such as the Land Mafia may influence decision-making. In some rural areas locally powerful families may make or influence decision-making. Such, informal decision- making is often the result of corrupt practices or leads to corrupt practices. 8 1.8 Good Governance Good governance has eight major characteristics. It is participatory consensus oriented, accountable, transparent, responsive, effective, efficient, equitable, inclusive and follows the rule of law. It assures that corruption is minimized, the views of minorities are taken into account and that the voices of the most vulnerable in society are heard in decision-making. It is also responsive to the present and future needs of society. 9 8 http://www.unescap.org/pdd/prs/ProjectActivities/Ongoing/gg/governance.asp accessed on 23rd October 2012 9 Ibid. 7 1.8.1 Participation is key cornerstone of good governance Participation by both men and women is a key cornerstone of good governance. Participation could be either direct or through legitimate intermediate institutions or representatives. It is important to point out that representative democracy does not necessarily mean that the concerns of the most vulnerable in society would be taken into consideration in decision-making. Participation needs to be informed and organized. This means freedom of association and expression on the one hand and an organized civil society on the other hand. 10 1.8.2 Rule of Law Good governance requires fair legal frameworks that are enforced impartially. It also requires full protection of human rights, particularly those of minorities. Impartial enforcement of laws requires an independent judiciary and an impartial and incorruptible police force. The rule of law is the principle that governmental authority is legitimately exercised only in accordance with written, publicly disclosed laws adopted and enforced in accordance with established procedure. The principle is intended to be a safeguard against arbitrary governance. In continental European legal thinking, rule of law is associated with a Rechtsstaat. According to Anglo-American thinking, hallmarks of adherence to the rule of law commonly include a clear separation of powers, legal certainty the principle of legitimate expectation and equality of all before the law.11 10. G.W.Chaudhary Oxford publications Ed:2007 Constitutional Development in Pakistan, p.180 11. Sir Henry Wheeler, Report of the Government of India Secretariat Committee, ( Delhi: Government of India Press, 1937), p.1 8 Some authors, as J. Shklar, claims that the phrase the Rule of Law has become meaningless due to ideological abuse and general over-use. Samuel Rutherford was one of the first modem authors to give the principle theoretical foundations in Lex, Rex (1644), and later Montesquieu in The Spirit of the Laws (1748). Rule of law is opposed by authoritarian and totalitarian states. The explicit policy of those governments, as evidenced in the Night and Fog decrees of Nazi Germany, is that the government possesses the inherent authority to act purely on its own volition and without being subject to any checks or limitations. Dictatorships generally establish secret police forces, which are not accountable to established laws, which can suppress threats to state authority. 12 Critiques on rule of law The rule of law, i.e., the application of the body of law to the government, does not restrict the government in any way since any desired government privilege can be made by the government into a legal provision. The rule of law should be seen as a bureaucratic hope for the government to jump through, rather than as a material restriction on government power. This criticism is though mostly relevant where the principle of the separation of powers is not respected (i.e., where the legislative power and the executive power the government-are held by the same body). When the government is not also the legislative body, the principle of the rule of law may hold. Another critique is that the principle of legal equality can be easily subverted since many laws affect different people in different ways. 12. Rowland Egger, Pub: Karachi: The Inter-Services Press, 1953 The Improvement of Public Administration in Pakistan; p.10 9 A law giving the legislators a raise, for example, affects the legislators in a different way than it affects the rest of the public. But since such laws are not necessarily made in accordance with the rule of law, it remains unclear if this criticism is really aimed at the principle of the rule of law itself rather than to actual legislatures. Marxist theory analyzed the capitalist state as an instrument of oppression of the people at the hands of the bourgeoisie, which set the laws to suit it. Following this, some critical theorists analyze the rule of law as a judicial fiction which aims at disguising the reality of violence and, in Marxist terminology class struggle. This theory presumes that the bourgeoisie holds the power to set the laws13. The Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben argues that the state of exception is at the core of the concept of sovereignty, and not the rule of law as liberal thinkers have it. While the sovereign claims to follow the rule of law, any protection the people have, however fundamental, can be thrown away once the government finds it convenient to do so.14 1.8.3 Transparency Transparency means that decisions taken and their enforcement are done in a manner that follows rules and regulations. It also means that information is freely available and directly accessible to those who will be affected by such decisions and their enforcement. It also means that enough information is provided and that it is provided in easily understandable forms and media. 13. Rowland Egger, Pub: Karachi: The Inter-Services Press, 1953 The Improvement of Public Administration in Pakistan; p.18 14. Rowland Egger, Pub: Karachi: The Inter-Services Press, 1953 The Improvement of Public Administration in Pakistan; p.10 10 1.8.4 Responsiveness Good governance requires that institutions and processes try to serve all stakeholders within a reasonable timeframe. 1.8.5 Consensus oriented society There are several actors and as many view points in a given society. Good governance requires mediation of the different interests in society to reach a broad consensus in society on what is in the best interest of the whole community and how this can be achieved. It also requires a broad and long-term perspective on what is needed for sustainable human development and how to achieve the goals of such development. This can only result from an understanding of the historical, cultural and social contexts of a given society or community15. 1.8.6 Equity and Inclusiveness A societys well-being depends on ensuring that all its members feel that they have a stake in it and do not feel excluded from the mainstream of society. This requires all groups, but particularly the most vulnerable, have opportunities to improve or maintain their well-being. 1.8.7 Effective and efficient administration Good governance means that processes and institutions produce results that meet the needs of society while making the best use of resources at their disposal. The concept of efficiency in the context of good governance also covers the sustainable use of natural resources and the protection of the environment. 16 15. Syed Mujawar Hussain Shah, Pub: West view Press, Ed: 1995 Religion and Politics in Pakistan, p.68 16. Ibid 11 1.8.8 Accountability Accountability is a key requirement of good governance. Not only public institutions but also the private sector and civil society organizations must be accountable to the public and to their institutional stakeholders. Who is accountable to who varies depending on whether decisions or actions taken are internal or external to an organization or institution. In general an organization or an institution is accountable to those who will be affected by its decisions or actions. Accountability cannot be enforced without transparency and the rule of law17. Now it should be clear that good governance is an ideal which is difficult to achieve in its totality. Very few countries and societies have come close to achieving good governance in its totality. However, to ensure sustainable human development, actions must be taken to work towards this ideal with the aim of making it a reality. 1.9 Good governance: an ideal which is difficult to achieve in its totality However, to ensure sustainable human development, actions must be taken to work towards this ideal. Major donors and international financial institutions, like the IMF or World Bank, are increasingly basing their aid and loans on the condition that those reforms ensuring good governance are undertaken13. 1.10 What does Good Governance Ensures? Governance ensures that corruption is minimized, the views of minorities are taken into account, and the voices of the most vulnerable in society are heard in decision-making. 17. Dr. Rafique Ahmad, Pub: Asia Publishing House, 1964 Pakistan: Political History, p.102 12 It also makes certain, the participation by both men and women, participation could be either direct or through legitimate intermediate institutions or representatives. Participation also means freedom of association and expression on the one hand and an organized civil society on the other hand, other factors that good governance guarantees are full protection of human rights, particularly those of minorities, independent judiciary, an impartial and incorruptible police force. 1.11 International Pledges: Through United Nations Convention against corruption in its resolution 55/61, the General Assembly recognized that an effective international legal instrument against corruption, independent of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime was desirable. The text of the Convention was negotiated during seven sessions held between 21 January 2002 and 1 October 2003. The Convention was adopted by the General Assembly on 31 October 2003, and Pakistan is signatory of it. 18 18. http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/treaties/CAC/ accessed on 26th October 2012 13 CHAPTER 2 PROBLEMS OF GOVERNANCE IN PAKISTAN Pakistan inherited a well functioning structure of judiciary, civil service and military but a relatively weak legislative oversight at the time of its independence. Over time the domination of civil service and military in the affairs of the state disrupted the evolution of the democratic political processes and further weakened the legislative organ of the state. The judicial arm, with a few exceptions, clump along to purify the dominant role of the military and the civil service. 2.1 Constitutional Aspects Criterion of governance, as provided in the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973 is incorporated in the following articles. Article 4 of the constitution guarantees rule of law in Pakistan and it makes Government duty bound to deal with the rights of the individuals in accordance with law, it is to be noted that the article uses the word in accordance with law not in accordance with the law which means the framer of the Constitution wished to give this rule of law clause a wider scope rather than to be limited to some specified laws. Articles 8 to 28 provided in the Constitution are not only rights provided to the citizen but auto-limitations in these rights also provide guiding principles to the Government to go for Good Governance remaining within the auto limits of these Fundamental Rights. For instance in Benazir Bhutto vs. Federation of Pakistan19 it was held that the Constitution has provided auto-limitations, or in-built restraints, on the exercise of the Fundamental Rights guaranteed the Constitution. 19. PLD 1988 SC 416 14 Such auto-limitations or inbuilt restraints not only provide protection to the rights themselves, but also further the interest of social solidarity, sought to be achieved by the makers of the Constitution. Articles 78 to 88, and Articles 118 to 127 and Articles 160 to 171 provides practical procedure for the Financial Governance of the Government both at the Federal and Provincial level, the exact follow-up of the procedure results in Good Financial Governance. 2.2 Kinds of governance in Pakistan. Governance by Federal Government The Constitution provides Articles 90 to 100 for the Federal Governance for Federal Government. Governance by Provincial Government The Constitution provides Articles 129 to 140 for the Provincial Governance for Provincial Government. III- Governance by Local Government The Constitution provides Articles 140/A for the Local Body Governance for Local Government. 2.3 Conflict of Governance and their Constitutional Solutions: The conflict of governance and their solution are dealt in Articles 141 to 144, and article 143 especially deals with Federal, Provincial and District governance Article 152/A, and articles 153 to 159 also provide means to resolve conflict of governance. Here the council of common interest is worth mentioning. It also provides a plane to resolve conflict of Governance amount Federal and Provincial Governments. 15 The Council of Common Interest is a vital constitutional body. Its main object is to care for the common interest of all the provinces. It is the best tool available to resolve the differences, problems and disputes between the Provinces and the Federation. It regulates the policies in relation to the matters in Part II of the Federal Legislative list. The limits of the Council of Common Interest can be understood by the following Case Law. Shamsuddin Qurashi Vs. Finance Member, Railway Board20 It was held that functions of the Council of Common Interests is to formulate and regulate policies with regard to the matters relating to the affairs of the Federation. It has nothing to do with power of the Parliament to legislate or the executive authority of the Federal Government to deal with the employees of the Federal Government. 2.4 The Quran as a Guide line for Good Governance read with Article 227 of the Constitution of Pakistan 1973: O ye who believe! Stand out firmly for Qist (justice), as witnesses to God, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for Allah can best protect both. Follow not the lusts {of your hearts), lest ye swerve, and if ye distort (justice) or decline to do justice, verily Allah is well acquainted with all that ye do. [4/135] And O my people! Give measure and weight in Qist (justice) and reduce not the things that are due to the people, and do not commit mischief in the land causing corruption. [Prophet Shoaib (PBUH) to the people of Madyan 11:85] 20. 1980 PLC (C.S) 207 16 2.5 Civil Bureaucracy and Governance Civil Service in Pakistan is a permanent institution and has to be above party politics. Bureaucracy as a whole remains unchanged with the change of political governments barring transfers with the Ministries / Departments. The history of bureaucracy is not up to the mark, the years in which an elected civilian executive exercised control over bureaucracy. Later on the civilian bureaucracy more or less dominated at all levels of governance. After that the military bureaucracy assumed more or less direct command of all policy making. Then there were years when nobody was really in charge. In terms of performance, the period between 1947 to 1969 was probably the best. Pakistan overcame severe initial challenges and embarked upon an impressive modernization program. The Ayubs regime was better in terms of the countrys economic conditions but bureaucracy take over the key positions of the country which mostly proved to be corrupt and they adversely affected the governance of the country2 1. During the Zia era, bureaucracy was little comfortable with him and a marginal recovery of the conditions of service brought some stabilization in civil service. Bureaucracy was in line with government but it totally failed to provide justice, fair play and merit to the people of Pakistan. In both Benazir and Nawaz Sharif era bureaucracy was fully involved in politics and merit was totally ignored, Corruption was at its peak. As mostly bureaucrats were incompetent so they failed to deliver good governance in the country. During post 1999 era, bureaucracy was the worst hit segment of state apparatus. Musharraf in pursuit of perpetuation of his illegitimate rule tried to bulldoze anything and everything that he thought may hinder his adventure for power. 21. Panandiker, Sudha publishers Ed: 2009 Problems of Governance in South Asia, p 212-213 17 By introducing PCO judges in superior judiciary, he involved his military in routine administrative matters ranging from collection of electricity bills to managing state owned public enterprises. He introduced the Devolution of Power Plan 2000, doing away with the centuries old time-tested administrative service, without realizing its adverse consequences. Placing the civil bureaucracy subordinate to a local government representative namely Nazim of the district was an attempt to put the cart before the horse, which did not work22. 2.6 Frequent Military Interventions From the ancient centers of civilizations in China, Egypt, India and Persia to the classical Hellenic and Roman empires, feudal domains, medieval aristocracies and more recent enlightened despotisms of Europe, it was the sword that dominated the spirit18. It shows that whenever military interfered in the civil government, it has destroyed the whole system of governance the same holds truth for Pakistan. Military has interfered the country many times, much to the destruction of whole democratic system and governance. It has never allowed the state building institutions to flourish so that they could help to maintain good governance in the country. Had military not frequently intervened in the internal administration of the country, we would have a fully developed system of administration in the country and we would have not faced the governance problem. Once the military acquainted itself with the taste of political power, the entire fabric of the constitutional development came crashing down. 23 22. Ilhan Niaz, Karachi: Oxford University Press, Ed: 2010, The Culture of Power and Governance of Pakistan p138-141 23 Ibid 18 Due to clash of legitimacy and prudence, Pakistan has been trapped in a cycle of instability with the military and civilian political leadership destabilizing each other24. The age old Doctrine of necessity has paved the way for military for martial laws. The history of these doctrines can be traced in following cases. Dosso Vs. Federation of Pakistan25, In Dossos case (1958), the Pakistan Supreme Court used jurist Hans Kelsens theory that a revolution can be justified when the basic norm underlying a Constitution disappears and a new system is put in its place. Molvi Tamiz-ud-din Khan Case26, in Molvi Tamizuddin Khan case, the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Mohammad Munir backed Governor General Ghulam Mohammads action to dissolve the first Constitutional Assembly. This judgement of the Supreme Court is always strongly criticized by all democratic parties of Pakistan and is referred to as a root-cause of unstable democracy in Pakistan. Nusrat Bhutto Vs. Chief of Army staff and Federation of Pakistan27 On November 10, 1977 the Supreme Court unanimously validated the imposition of the martial law, under the doctrine of necessity. The law of necessity recognized and upheld by Pakistans highest judicial body, has proved an honorable protection for military adventure in civil government. 24. Shahrukh Rafi Khan, Fozia Sadik Khan and Aasim Sajjad Akhtar, Initiating Devolution for Service Delivery in Pakistan: Ignoring the Power Structure (Karachi: Oxford University Press, 2007), 4 25. PLD 1958 SC 533 26. PLD 1955 F.C 24 27. PLD 1977 SC 657 19 2.7 End of Doctrine of Necessity in Pakistan a good sign for governance in Pakistan In PCO Judges case on July 31, 2009, the full bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, decided once and for all that the doctrine of necessity is absolutely inapplicable in Pakistan and such precedent can never be cited in

Slavey Then And Now :: essays research papers

Slavery: Then and Now When we think about slavery many things come to our mind. There are many different ways one can describe slavery. If you were to look it up in a dictionary it would say that a slave is â€Å"one who is owned and forced into service by another,† this was the definition given in the Webster’s Dictionary. But then again if you were to look it up in the Oxford Dictionary the definition given here is of one who is an â€Å"obsessive devotee.† On the whole slavery can have different meanings to different people. The meaning of slavery has a different meaning today than it did years ago. As Alex Haley wrote, slavery was difficult to explain years ago because it was going on at the time. Today when someone says the word slavery more than half of the people would think of plantations and people being forced to work the land and being mistreated. But what do you say to a little child who comes up to you and asks you want slavery is? In today’s society we can take the word slavery and put it to the modern days. Would one say that slavery only existed years ago when plantation owners would buy people to force them to do hard labor and mistreat them, or would one mention about the slavery that goes on in today’s society? What about the people who are forced to do hard labor like many years ago? Many people do not realize it but indeed we do have modern-day slavery. What is today’s modern day slavery? There are several things that can be put into today’s slavery. This is one problem that is often over looked in today’s society. It may not have as much impact as it did years ago, but if we stop and think about it, this problem is still as harsh and crude as it was years ago. I would think that up to some extent the problem has grown now because it is in fact often overlooked. For example in Sudan, as a result of an Islamic vs. Christian civil war, women and children that are mostly black and Christian are captured in raids. They are later sold as chattel slaves in â€Å"modern day slave markets†. Now the question that I have is, â€Å" Does a human life have a price?† Well according to these people it does, and the price that they decided to put on a human life has been as low as fifteen dollars.

Risk and types of Financial Risk Essay -- Business, Banks, Insurance

Value at Risk -Introduction As Walter Wriston, former chairman of Citigroup, said â€Å"All of life is the management of risk, not its elimination† and nowadays modern banking is about controlling risk and returns. The ability of a financial institution to control risk is a key factor that determines its success or its failure in markets. As the late financial crisis has demonstrated institutions that were not properly prepared to face the crisis, failed and they were either bailed out by governments or serve economists as bad example. This is the reason risk management is an important field of every financial institution. -Risk and types of Financial Risk As Philippe Jorion (2007) mentions a definition for risk can be the volatility of unanticipated outcomes and can be created by natural disasters, such as the recent earthquake in Japan that is reported to cause a drop of 3% of the oil price in the first few days after it, or it can created by human activities such as technological innovation which might create unemployment. Phillip Best (1998) argues that risk matters only when it causes financial losses and financial risk is the one linked with financial assets and portfolios and is classified in broader categories; market risk, credit risk, liquidity risk and operational risk. There is evidence that these types of risk can affect one another. Market risk is the one linked with the movements of the price level of market. Credit risk is generated when parties involved in an economic contract are either incapable or reluctant to satisfy their commitments. Jorion (2007) classifies liquidity risk into two forms; asset liquidity risk and funding liquidity risk. Jorion (2007, p. 23): Asset liquidity risk†¦arises when a transaction can... ... effects than those expected. Nevertheless VaR is always a statistical tool, meaning that if using VaR is estimated a loss of  £10 millions in one month, it is known that there might be months with smaller losses and months with larger than  £10 millions. There is also the problem of identifying the right method because each method has its own strengths and weaknesses. So it is important for a risk manager to be able to identify the key factors of the market. These can be market rates and prices that can affect the portfolio and the necessity of this derives from the fact that without these factors is impossible to build a proper quantitative measure of market risk, due to the complexity of financial markets. So to start properly one has to recognize the instruments through which market risk factors will be embodied, such instruments may be options, swaps or loans.

Historical Development Of The ECCE Sector In Ireland Essay

As part of this assignment I will write about the historical developments of the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) sector in Ireland, History of ECCE provision in Ireland Pre-school education did not really exist in Ireland apart from a few exceptions until the 1980s and 1990s. This was largely due to the fact that until quite recently the majority of Irish women did not work outside the home. Even if they did the childcare was usually provided by family members or childminders located in the community known to the family. Irish policy discouraged women from working outside the home. The ‘marriage bar’ meant that women working in the public service had to leave their jobs as soon as they go married and become stay at home mothers and wives. This ban was lifted in 1957 for primary school teachers, but it was 1973 before the ban was lifted for other women in the public service. Until resent years in Ireland, very few mothers worked outside the home. Therefore , there was little focus on pre-school education in Ireland until the late 1980s and 1990s Most of the progress in the area of pre-school education in Ireland has come from the privet rather than public sector. Outside the state –funded primary school system, investment in pre-school provision was traditionally targeted to support children in need of specific interventions, including educational disadvantage and children with special needs. The ECEC needs of babies, young children and their families were met instead by a broad range of community, voluntary and private enterprise. ECCE service provision was unregulated until 1997. When the Child Care (Pre-School) Regulations 2006 came into effect, no stipulation was made regarding qualifications necessary to deliver such service, especially those provided by community and  voluntary sector relied heavily on volunteer staff. Even in the private sector, salaries were low and conditions of employment poor. Opportunities for employment in state-funded services were very limited excluding primary teachers in infant classes and similarly characterised by low status and low wage. Working in childcare was not generally viewed as a desirable choice. One important initiative came from the public sector in 1969, with the opening of a state –run pre-school in Ruthland Street Dublin. The Department of Education worked with Van Leer Foundation – an organisation that promotes the early education of children living in  economically disadvantaged areas. Together they set up the pre-school in Ruthland Street as a template for other such pre-schools around the country. These pre-schools were known as Early Start pre-schools. A total of 40 pre-schools opened nationally – all of which are still open today. The aim of these pre-schools is to combat the effects of economic and social disadvantage on educational achievement. This is archived by giving children a good start to their education. In 1992 Ireland ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. This helped to bring public consciousness the rights of children. And in 2000, the Department of Health and Children published the National Children’s Strategy. This set out ten-years plan for improvement of children’s lives in Ireland . The strategy document stated that its vision was for: An Ireland where children are respected young citizens with valued contribution to make and a voice of their own , where all children are cherished and supported by family and the wider society; where they enjoy a fulfilling childhood and realise their potential. (DoHC 2000 10 ). One of the goals of the National Children’s Strategy is that children will receive quality  supports and services to promote all aspects of their development (DoHC 2000:30) The strategy aims to fulfil this by providing quality childcare services and family – friendly employment measures. National Forum on Early Childhood Education (1998) The National Forum on Early Childhood Education was established in 1998 by then Minister for Education and Science, Micheal Martin. The forum brought together organisations and individuals with an interest in early childhood education , and in this way it created a ‘think thank’ from which a number of very worthwhile initiatives came one being the White Paper  on Early Childhood Education , Ready to Learn (DES 1999 ). National Voluntary Childcare Collaborative (1999) The National Voluntary Childcare Collaborative (NVCC) was first established in 1999 which today comprises of seven national non – government agencies dedicated to the promotion of ECEC in Ireland. While the organisations involved are non-governmental, the NVCC can receive government funding. The seven organisations involved in the NVCC are Barnardos Childminding Ireland Children in Hospital Ireland Forbairt Naionrai Teo Early Childhood Ireland Irish Steiner Kindergarten Association. St Nicholas Montessori Society of Ireland White Paper on Early Childhood Education, Ready to Learn (1999) The purpose of this White Paper was to set out government policy on all issues relating to early childhood education. Quality of provision was the key theme of the White Paper. It recognised that while there was much quality provision in the ECCE sector, there was also a need to standardise provision. These findings led directly to the Child Care Pre- School Regulations (DoHC 2006) Siolta (CECDE 2006) and Aister (NCCA2009). All three of these initiatives are concerned with standardisation and quality of provision. Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education (2002) The Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education (CECDE) was established by Dublin Institute of Technology and St Patricks College, Drumcondra . It was launched by the Minister for Education and Science in 2002. CECDE aimed to achieve the goals set out in Ready to Learn (1999) . The organisation was disbanded in 2008, when it was seen by government to have achieved everything it was set up to do. Among other things, CECDE produced Irelands first quality framework entitled Siolta . The National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education (2006). Child Care (Pre-School) Regulations 2006 Child Care (Pre-School Services) (no2) Regulations 2006 was produced by the Department of Health and Children. This document set out pre-school regulations and put statutory basis ECEC services provision in Ireland. The regulations clearly list all the requirements that must be met by organisations or individuals providing ECCE services to children aged 0-6. The regulations cover such issues as first aid, management, staff –child ratios, behaviour management, fire safety measures, premises and facilities, heating, ventilation, lighting, facilities for rest and play. Fulfilment of the requirement of these regulations undoubtedly put much work and expense on ECEC providers , particularly those providing services from premises that were not purpose built. However many people believe these regulations have done more than any other initiative for the improvement of ECEC services for children. This is because they are on a statutory footing and they enforced by HSE inspectors. Siolta The Department of Education and skills published Siolta The National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education in 2006. The Siolta framework was developed by CECDE in a  process that took over three years and involved 50 different organisations representing childcare workers , teachers , parents , policymakers and researchers. Siolta aims to define , assess and support the improvement of quality across all aspects of practice in ECEC settings that cater for children aged 0-6. Settings covered by Siolta include full- and part-time day care, childminding services and sessional services e. g. Montessori classrooms and infant classes in primary schools. The inclusion of infant classes in primary schools represented a new departure for ECEC in Ireland. Up until the publication of Siolta (and Aistear in 2009) , pre-school and primary school children were treated very differently. It is now understood that children aged 0-6 require a developmental-based (as opposed to subject based) curriculum regardless of whether the child is in pre-school or primary school. Since December 2008 after CECDE was disbanded, the Early Years Education Policy Unit in the Department of Education and Skills has been responsible for the implementation of Siolta. Aistear (2009) Up until recent years, the curriculum followed by pre-school settings was largely undirected and unregulated. This has inevitably resulted in variation in the quality of the curriculum provided by settings. In 1999, the NCCA published the Primary School Curriculum, which did direct and regulate the curriculum followed in infant class. However, in 2004 the OECD conducted its Thematic Review of Early Childhood Education and Care Policy in Ireland. This review found that education provided in infant classes in primary schools in Ireland was too directive and formal (OECD 2004:58). In 2009, the NCCA published Aistear: The Early Childhood Curriculum Framework. The ultimate aim of Aistear is the development of the whole child. This is in contrast with the  previous Primary School Curriculum, which was more subject based. Infant classes in primary schools must now follow the Aistear curriculum. This is a huge departure for ECEC in Ireland. For years, Scandinavian countries have been using curriculum similar to Aistear and it is now understood that introducing children to formal, direct education at too young an age is counterproductive and can suppress children’s natural enthusiasm and curiosity for learning. American educator John Holt (1923-85) devoted much of his time researching this topic. It is important to note that Aistear is inspected in primary school settings only. It is not  inspected in pre-school settings , which may have reduced its impact. Free Pre-School Year Programme In 2010, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs introduced the Free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education Programme. Before this, it was only children in disadvantaged areas who could avail of free or subsided pre-school education. The Free Pre- School Year Programme recognises that all children benefit from quality pre-school education. The programme recognises that because pre-school education in Ireland usually comes from private providers, it is expensive and therefore not available to all children, e.g. parents not working outside the home. Under the programme, pre-school providers are paid per child enrolled . The provider must meet certain criteria before entering the scheme, e. g. staff qualifications. This has had the effect of incentivising providers to meet criteria, which in turn has increased the quality of provision. ECEC Services Currently Available in Ireland The types of ECEC services currently available in Ireland can be organised under these headings : Sessional services, which provide ECEC services for a set period of time during the day e. g. 9am 1pm. Full –time services which provide ECEC services throughout the day Part-time services which provide ECEC services for a total of more than 3. 5 hours and less than 5 hours a day . It may include a sessional pre-school service for pre-school children not attending the part-time day care services. Up to 80% of services in Ireland, whether sessional or full time, are owned and operated by the private sector. All registered services regardless of who operates or funds them must comply with the Child Care Pre-School Regulations 2006 and they must follow the Siolta and Aister frameworks. Sessional Services Playgroups  Playgroups operate in a range of settings and are usually open approximately three hours per day. Children usually attend playgroups from the age of two-and-a-half until they go to primary school. Some playgroups are privately owned. Community playgroups are primarily funded by government and run by community members. Many community playgroups are staffed by individuals on government employment schemes like Community Employment Scheme (CE). These staff members are encouraged to undertake further education and training. Montessori Schools Usually, Montessori pre-schools are privately owned and they operate for approximately  three hours per day. Some Montessori schools run two sessions’ morning and afternoon, with children attending one session per day. Montessori pre-schools are run according to the principles and educational methods of Maria Montessori. While Montessori pre-schools in Ireland do follow the Aistear framework, they also learn via the Montessori curriculum and practical materials. Naionrai Naionrai are pre-schools run through the medium of the Irish language. They are supported by an organisation called Forbairt Naionrai Teoranta and there are almost 200 of them nationwide. Naionrai also follow the Aistear framework, of which there is an Irish language version. Children between the ages of 3-5 attend for approximately three hours. Early Start The Early Start Programme is a one –year preventative interaction scheme offered in selected pre-schools in designated disadvantaged areas. The objective of the pre-school programme which is managed by the Department of Education and Skills is to tackle educational disadvantaged by targeting children who are at risk of not reaching their potential within the school system. The Early Start Pre-School Programme was introduced in 1994 in eight pilot  schools in disadvantaged areas. It expanded the following year to 40 schools and now caters for over 1,650 children in Ireland. Most Schools are located in the Dublin area, with 26 schools there. There are six in Cork, three in Limerick. There is one in each Galway, Waterford, Bray, Dundalk and Drogheda. Early Start implements the Aistear framework in effort to enhance the overall development of young children and to prevent school failure by trying to counteract the effects of social disadvantages. Pre-schools for Traveller Children Up to recently funding was provided for a number of pre-schools that catered for specifically Traveller children who might not otherwise have been able to avail of a pre-school year. However, since the introduction of the Free Pre-School Year Programme in 2010, all children can avail of one year’s free pre-school, so there is no longer separated provision for Traveller children. Pre-Schools for Children with Special Needs Local Health Officers and/or voluntary bodies provide services for young children with severe or profound disabilities. Services are provided in specialised centres around the country and are generally run by clinical director and staffed by nurses with an intellectual  disability qualification, ECEC trained teachers and often therapists. While pre-school children in Ireland do not have a specific right to education, they are entitled to certain health services that are related to education. The Health Service Executive (HSE) is responsible for providing psychological services and speech and language therapy services for pre-school children with disabilities who are assessed as needing these services. Assessments of children under 5 are carried out under the ‘assessment of need ‘provisions of the Disability Act 2005. The Visiting Teachers Service of the Department of Education and Skills (DES) provides a service to young children with visual and /or hearing impairment, from the age of 2. There are a small number of pre-school class units for children with autistic spectrum disorder. These unites are sometimes attached to primary schools. There are also a number of ABA schools in Ireland. These schools cater for children with autism by using a specific method of teaching called Applied Behavioural Analysis. Parent and Toddler Groups These are informal groups where babies and toddlers go with their parents to meet other  babies, toddlers and parents. They are aimed at providing play and socialisation opportunities for children and normally take place in settings such as community centres or parents homes. Parent and Toddler groups are supported by Early Childhood Ireland. Full-Time Services Creches, Day Care Centres and Nurseries These terms are used to describe services offering full-time care and education for babies and children. Services are usually provided for children aged 6 months to school going age. Childcare regulations state that the adult-baby ratio must not exceed 1:3 this ratio increases to  1:5 for babies over 12 months. Because of this many settings will not accept children less than 12 months. Many facilities also offer afterschool care and/or homework clubs for primary school children. This means that creches, day care centres and nurseries now cater for children aged 6 months to 12 years. While most full-time services are privately owned and funded by parental fees, a small number are government funded, i. e. community creches. Some large employers and also many of the larger colleges and universities provide creche facilities at subsidised rates for their staff and students. These usually operate a long day (8am-6pm) to facilitate working parents. Some city creches open as early as 6am. Family Day Care/ Childminding This is the most common form of ECEC service in Ireland. According to Childminding Ireland (2012) approximately 70% of children in out of home settings are cared for in this way. It is estimated that there 37,900 childminders working in Ireland today. (National Childcare Strategy 2006) Childminders who care for three or fewer children are exempt from the Childcare (Pre-School). Regulations 2006 however they are encouraged to register  voluntarily with their local Childminder Advisory Officer (CMO) , whose name and contact details are available through the local City/ County Childcare Committee (CCC) Under the Childcare Act 1991 , childminders caring for more than three pre-school children are required to register with the HSE . However many not do so. All childminders whether registered or not are encouraged to follow the National Guidelines for Childminders, which were published by the Minister for Children in 2006 and updated in 2008. Recent government initiatives had tried to regulate their services. These initiatives have tried to  regulate this area by offering a number of different incentives to childminders who register their services. These incentives include training by CCCs; financial support like childminding development grant 1000 euro and capital grants 75,000, and tax exemptions childminders can earn up to 15,000 per year tax free. If childminders register, they are included on the CCC list of registered providers. This can be a useful way of advertising childminding services, since many new parents look to the list of registered providers when investigating childcare options. Occupations within the Childcare Sector Nursery nurses. These practitioners provide care for children in day or residential nurseries, children’s homes, maternity unites and similar establishments. Related job titles include creche assistant and nursery nurse. Playgroup leaders These practitioners deliver and facilitate play opportunities for children in a age range of formal and informal settings, including play groups, play schemes, free play locations and after-school activities. Related job titles include play leader and playgroup assistant. Educational /Special Needs Assistants These practitioners assist teachers or relieve them of a variety of non-teaching duties. Job titles include classroom helper, education care officer, non-teaching assistant , school helper and special needs assistant. Childcare manager/supervisor These practitioners ensure that the care and education of the children is being maintained at all times. They take care of any issues that arise and they are in direct contact with parents. They are responsible for the day-to-day running of the childcare facility. This role requires childcare qualifications well experienced in the area. The role also requires excellent interpersonal and organisation skills and the ability to manage a team of employees. Montessori teacher These practitioners ensure efficient day-to-day running of a Montessori education setting. They follow Montessori guidelines regarding the education of young children. They present different exercises to children using the Montessori materials and they practise observation on a regular basis. Other childcare and related occupations There are many other childcare practitioners who perform a variety of domestic activities in the day-to-day care of children. They supervise and participate in children’s play, educational and other activities. Related job titles include childminder, nanny and au pair  City/County Childcare Committees (CCC’s) There are 33 City/County Childcare Committees that were established in 2001 to encourage and facilitate the development of childcare locally. They provide information and advice on setting up your own business in the childcare sector, training courses for people interested in working in the childcare sector and useful information for parents about local childcare facilities. In Budget 2006, the Irish government announced the establishment of the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010 (NCIP), which succeeded the previous earlier Equal  Opportunities Childcare Programme. City/County Childcare Committees are open to members of public who wish to apply for grant assistance and support information under the National Childcare Investment Programme. Public Health Nurse The public Health Nurse is employed by the HSE. Their role is to serve the community with a range of healthcare services; they are also registered general nurses. They are based within the community and will cover certain local areas. They may visit schools. They may visit the elderly people who require help to dress a wound. They also visit newborn babies and their  mothers within six-week period of them being discharged from hospital. Public Health Nurses engage in regular contact with GPs, hospitals and other healthcare providers about a patient in their care. This will ensure that other healthcare providers have up to date knowledge so they can ensure best practice. Special Need’s Assistants Special Needs Assistants (SNA’s) are employed to facilitate learners with a disability related to education. SNA’s may work in a special or mainstream school either on a part or full-time basic. They take on a non-teaching role and are always under the supervision of the class  teacher. An SNA may help a child to get on and off buses. They may also help with feeding and toileting. SNA’s are required to have an appropriate qualification to work as a special needs assistant. Primary Teachers Primary teachers are qualified are qualified to teach the primary school curriculum to children aged 4-12. Primary school teachers have a number of important roles. They ensure the social and academic development of the children in their care. They plan and deliver lessons within the primary school curriculum and they have regular interaction with parents and guardians. Educational Psychologists. The role of educational psychologist is to assess the needs of children and young people who have problems relating to behaviour, learning and/or social /emotional development. This may be done by observing and/or interviewing the child. The appropriate methods of helping the child will be established e. g. different therapies, counselling or learning support programmes. Educational psychologists work in many different settings, within schools, the HSE, private practices and third –level institutions. Family Support Workers The Family Support Worker Service offers practical and emotional support to families if it is  required. The aim of this service is to ensure where possible that children remain with their families. This service also offers home-based support to families for a certain number of hours per week. The support service includes parenting skills, information on diet, nutrition and healthcare, budgeting and family finance, and confidence and personal development. If the family support worker has concerns regarding the family, they will report this information to a social worker. Social Workers The Social Worker in childcare services can work in four main areas: child protection, child  placement, child and adolescent psychiatry, and family support. Social workers often work with families and individuals that require support with a number of problems such as emotional, social, psychiatric and behavioural. They may also work with individuals and their families on a regular basis regarding issues such as child abuse and domestic violence. Childcare Organisations and Non-governmental Agencies Barnardos Barnardos children’s charity delivers a variety of services and work in close proximity with children and their families depending on their specific needs. The aim is to promote family learning and development and, therefore, to enhance the families overall wellbeing. Barnardos strives to give children positive childhood experiences. If a child’s learning and development, and his or her emotional wellbeing is successfully and measurably improved through our work. Then the child’s ability to benefit from life opportunities and manage life challenges will be improved and therefore, the path of his or her life will be changed for the better. Barnardos aims to improve government laws, policies and procedure across all areas that affect children’s lives. They do this to ensure that the knowledge and experience they gain through working with children and their families in areas such as education and health is heard at government level. They also engage in regular political meetings with government and opposition parties and relevant policy makers. There are a number of ways in which people can learn about the work of Barnardos. Internet, posters, media interviews and articles. Barnardos offers services across three stages of child development : Children aged 0-5 (‘best start’) Children aged 6-12 ‘(best chance’) Children and young people aged 13-18 (‘best choice’). Barnardos may work with a child’s family in order for the child to experience a happy family life with good relationships with parents and siblings. This work include: Providing group sessions with parents and children to practise skills such as listening and problem solving skills. Providing help and advice to parents in different areas like challenging behaviour. Engaging with children of different ages on reverent and often sensitive issues e. g. a family affected by alcohol misuse Providing a guardian ad litem: a person who is qualified and experienced in working with  children that are involved in family law proceedings. This service gives children involved an independent voice in court. This person can speak on behalf of the child and explain what their particular wishes are. The guardian ad litem works in conjunction with the child’s family at all times. Providing an origin tracing service, this is especially for people who spent some or all of their childhood growing up in an Irish industrial school. This confidential service provides them with the necessary assistance in finding information relating to their relatives. Staffs who deliver this service are highly trained. Providing a confidential post adoption service for adults such as a helpline or e-mail service for birth family and adoptive family members. A mediation service is available for people who were adopted and have come in contact with birth relatives and want to begin correspondence. There are training and support meetings for parents who have adopted children from various countries outside of Ireland. The service may also be useful for adoptive parents to discuss any questions they may have about their adult adoptive child seeking birth relatives. Barnardos provide a range of parenting programmes and talks. These are designed for parents  of children of every age 0-18. These programmes can offer support to parents in managing their child’s needs and understanding their child. Topics will be selected to address the needs of parents and their child’s stage of development. Teen parent programmes are another important part of the work Barnardos do. In these programmes, Barnardos works in careful collaboration with teenage parents both male and female, together with their children to assist them with advice on financial /educational support. Services Provided to the Community Barnardos works with children in disadvantaged areas. They provide many services,  including the following. Early Years/Tus Maith Service These are programmes suitable for children aged 0-5. The main principle is to support children and to manage transition into primary school. This programme works using the HeighScope approach, where children have direct experiences based on their own interests and ideas, along with a programme called REDI programme (research –based, developmentally informed) Friendship group Barnardos realise the importance of children having friends particularly friends of their own age . Therefore; they offer a friendship group which facilitates children in learning the  necessary skills to establish genuine and meaningful relationships. These friendship groups are typically suited for children aged 6-9 . Each group is made up of six children and two staff who meet every week for two hours over the period of a week. Vetting service Barnardos provides a vetting service that assists in the processing of Garda vetting applications for a number of groups/organisations that are not directly registered with the Garda Vetting Unit. This is at the request of and in collaboration with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA) Wizard of Words. Barnardos provides a service known as Wizard of Words (WoW). The programme is a paired literacy improvement programme. It is suitable for children in first and second class in primary school. The programme is delivers one-to-one tuition with older volunteers during school time and on the school premises. The trained volunteers who are typically 55 and over meet with children who have been nominated by the teacher, three times a week during school hours. The volunteers provide reading supports in the implementing of the programme, monitors progress and ensures that the programme is run effectively. WoW is  currently hosted in eight schools in Dublin and Limerick. Training and consultancy Barnardos offers training to childcare professionals, parents and all people that work in the childcare area. The training given is within the important context of Siolta , the National Quality Framework . Bereavement counselling Barnardos has bereavement counselling service for children and young people who have lost someone close to them. They try and help them through the grieving process and give them the opportunity to talk. Counsellors are based in Cork and Dublin, but work with children from across the country. Childminding Ireland Childminding Ireland aims to promote quality childminding as a benefit form of non-parental care for children of all ages, from infancy to school –age. Childminding Ireland explains that childminders are dedicated to offering constant care in small, home like settings in which children are most comfortable. Childminding Ireland, as the National Association, is committed to promoting the development of quality in family –based care for children by providing a range of services for childminders, promoting Siolta quality standards, development of local childminding networks (www. childmindingireland.ie). Childminding Ireland has a number of objectives in relation to childcare. They aim to : Promote high-quality ECEC standards for children and ensure that all their development needs are met Support and advise childminders and parents in the area of ECEC Maintain a code of standards for family-based care for children Encourage the recognition of childminding as a positive care facility for young children. Childminding Ireland strives to ensure that their knowledge is heard at government level; they have direct contact with the Minister for Children and the officials who design policies that are direct.