Sunday, October 6, 2019
Finance in Hospitality Industry Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1
Finance in Hospitality Industry - Assignment Example For some it might be a source of income while for others a source of joy. However the proposed restaurant is far from coming into being because of the absence of the budget required for the setting up of the restaurant from construction to serving the customers. The issue at hand is that the restaurant will require, according to a risk estimate, about thirty thousand pounds to start its services from the point of the buying of land for the restaurant. However, on five thousand pounds are available for the project and there are no assured sources of funding for the project. The quoted amount of thirty thousand pounds will only supply for the running of operations for the first few months of the restaurant services and does not cater for any financial risks. The five thousand pounds available for use must be utilized in the most effective way possible, even if that means using the money to acquire the required amount of funding for the project. The location that has been selected for t he restaurant lies in Leyton, East London. The restaurant is aimed at serving a part of the local community of the London Borough of Newham though there will be offerings to cater to the taste of people of all backgrounds. Hence it might be a good idea to solicit some funds from the local community of Newham as there is some value in the restaurant for that community. Newham residents are very hospitable in general because of the need for cohesion among the people of different races and origins living there. And it would be unsurprising if the residents are buoyed by the prospect of a restaurant opening in their area that is being set up specifically to serve the people of Newham. Also the Member of the British Parliament from the Newham area is very fond of supporting food-related projects from projects pertaining to feeding the poor to televised programs discussing lavish regional specialities. Therefore the most preferred source of funding should be the local community of Newham. It is to be realized though that this project is not a charity project, hence the method of approaching the public and the rationale for asking for funding should be different from those usually adopted for welfare projects. That is not to say that the project does not contain an element of welfare for the community of Newham at all, but the basic impetus behind the setting up of the restaurant is commercial. As stated earlier, the restaurant would need only thirty thousand pounds for the first few months of operation, by a rough estimate, even if it does not bring in any profit for the owner and only caters for the costs of running. However, in order to keep the proposed amount of funding for the restaurant low, it is planned that the restaurant would not need any more money and will fund itself from the profit it makes after the initial funding of thirty thousand pounds. The figure of thirty thousand pounds is not a big one if it is contributed to by a large number of people. Hen ce the solicitor does not have to ask for too much money from the Newham residents and chipping in with small amounts is all the members of the public will have to do to fund the plan, given that the number of people who chip into the project is sufficiently large. Therefore pamphlets explaining the restaurant proposal and asking for fundin
Saturday, October 5, 2019
Purpose of strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words
Purpose of strategy - Essay Example An effectively formulated strategy ensures that the resources, capabilities and competencies of the firms are integrated and allocated properly so that their alignment with the external environment works to the advantage of the firm. A basic requirement for the effective usage of strategies to the organizational advantage is the collection and analysis of a host of information about so many variables including markets, customers, technologies, changes in the worldwide financing structures and methods and also changes in the world economy. With this background this paper discusses the nature and organizational purpose of strategies. While detailing the rationale behind the strategic changes the paper also brings out a note on the formulation of strategies based on some strategic thinking process. There are various elements that make the orgnisational systems function effectively. Out of these systems some are considered important and contribute more towards the organizational success. As such these elements are complex in nature and need to be prioritized than the others. These elements form the basis of an organizational framework and add value to the organizational existence and purpose. ... Thus it can be said that strategy is an organizational process inseparable from the structure, behaviour and culture of the company in which it takes place. 3.0 Organisational Purpose of Strategies: "Purpose is derived from a person's or organisation's values and beliefs. It is defined in emotional and relational terms, and remains a constant even when the environment changes over time". (Ilia Van Roon) The strategies define the goals of an organization in terms of the direction in which the organization should march ahead. Goals are formulated in response to and in tune with the changes in the competitive environment in which the firm operates. The goals are often defined in quantitative or qualitative terms that drive organizational efforts to success. Thus strategies have the purpose of defining the organizational goals in both monetary and non-monetary terms. "Organisational vision yields an understanding of what the organisation intends to do; strategy is a translation into how the organisation intends to realise its vision" Successful organizations always are purpose driven, having identified the organizational purposes, aligned their goals, actions, responses and relationships with the purposes. Strategies defining the organizational purposes are required to motivate the people by using goal oriented language to relate the people's cognitive and emotional sides to make them understand the organizational purposes and coordinate their efforts towards achieving them. 4.0 Nature of Strategy: The strategy of a firm is the match between its internal capabilities and its external relationship. It also describes about the nature of its responses to its other stakeholders like the customers,
Friday, October 4, 2019
The Neo-Malthusian Population theory Essay Example for Free
The Neo-Malthusian Population theory Essay As stated the Neo-Malthusian population theory claims that poor nations are stuck in a cycle of poverty which they cant get out of unless some sort of preventative measures of population checks are engaged. The Malthusian model was developed two centuries ago by a man named Thomas Malthus. Malthuss model is based upon a relationship between both population growth as well as economic development. Empirical studies now-a-days show that the population theory model is quite flawed because of many factors that render even the two main variables in the theory (population growth and level of per-capita income) not fit to be used within the same conceptual frame work as there is no clear link between them. Egypt and Kuwait are perfect examples where the model would clearly fail to explain the unexpected link between population growth rate and comparative economic development respectively. As hitherto stated the Malthusian population theory is based on two factors; population growth and economic development. Primarily the theory at its core states that there is a tendency in countries unless there is a problem with the food supply that its population is going to double every 30 to 40 years. Based on this model of doubling growth rate; because of fixed factors such as land, food supplies and the population having less land to work on to because of the proposed growth rate, the individuals contribution to food production would go down. The theory further proposes that because the food supply could not match the growing population per capita incomes based at the time on an agrarian society, the end result accordingly would be a stable population which is barely leading a stable population that is living barely at subsistence level. Malthus felt that according to his theory that the only way to avoid being stuck in this loop of abject poverty was to engage in what he called moral restraint. Moral restraint is basically acknowledging the fact that our contribution to the population is leading the populous to a state of economic deprivation. In an indirect way as Todaro puts it Malthus was the father of the birth control movement, he furthermore stated that we are morally obligated to regulate birth rate because of the economic and social repercussions that accompany that growth. Modern day economists have namedà Malthuss theory perhaps justifiably as the Malthusian population trap; justifiably named in my opinion because of the difficulty is reducing birthrates let alone the actual size of the population and escaping abject poverty. The Malthusian population theory is based upon two important factors that formulate its ideology: population and per capita income (based on aggregate production). The theory in detail states that at a very low level of per capita income, the population change will be zero and a stable population will exist, this is seen in the case of absolute poverty where the birth rates are equivalent to the death rates. The equilibrium between birth rates and death rates is reached quite simply because higher incomes means less starvation and disease so the more the population expands the more people will die because of starvation or other causes because there is only so much food to cover their needs. The theory also states that if the population achieves its maximum rate at an even higher per capita income it is still assumed that the population will remain at the same size and unlikely that any real change will be noticed until higher per capita incomes are realized. The other part to the theory states that there is a link between growth rates of aggregate income (when there is no population growth) and the levels of per capita income. A directly proportionate conclusion might easily be reached that if aggregate income is rising then per capita income has to be increasing and if the total population is growing faster than the total income, per capita income must be falling. The ideology of the theory doesnt stop here because it is based on the positive assumption that saving increases with the incremental increase of income. Quite simply countries that have a higher per capita income are assumed to be able to generate a higher savings rate and rationally more money is available for investment. It is assumed though that beyond a certain point in per capita income is supposed to level off and in some cases decline as new investments are made and more people are forced to work with fixed amount of land and resources. This is called the point of diminishing returns in the Malthusian model, the aggregate income growth is analogous of the total production curve, at leastà thats how the basic theory of production goes. Quite simply when the population is growing faster than actual income, per capita will always fall, similarly when income grows faster than population it causes the equilibrium per capita income to rise. The pretence of the theory states that poor nations will never be able to rise above subsistence levels of per capita unless they apply a system of checks (birth control) upon the population. Without birth control nature has its own positive checks such as starvation, disease, wars that will do what humans fail to accomplish in birth control. The Malthusian trap as simple and as appealing as a theory concerning the relationship between population growth and economic development goes is based on simplistic assumption that Todaro and anyone with logic can curtail do not stand the test of empirical verifications. Malthus completely ignores the huge impact that technology has on hindering the growth-inhibiting factors of rapid population increase. Malthus had no way of knowing 200 years ago the effects that technology has on either raising the quality of land or the advancements that were to be made to tools to further enhance the production of the same amount of land. Rapid and continuing technological progress can be presented by a clear upward shift of income growth. Per capita has to grow over time hence giving a chance to all countries in escaping the Malthusian population trap. The second criticism of the trap is that he assumes that national rates of population increase are directly related to national per capita income. Clear research in LDCs show that there is no clear link between population growth rates and level of per capita income. With the institution of modern medicine and public health programs, death rates have fallen lower with no real relationship to per capita income levels. The real measure is not aggregate level of per capita but rather the real factor effecting population growth is how the income is distributed. If we were to take Egypt for example as you had suggested we would find that it had been trying to implement birth control programs as early asà 1966, even though Egypt is looked upon as a successful model in decreasing its population, per capita income more than anything has been going down, simply because a population cant be decreased over night. Another important point that falsifies the model when we look at Egypt we find a rather strong economic buffer for the poor since expensive goods like bread and many medicines are subsidized by the government making it more likely that the population will not be naturally thinned out by means of positive checks as the theory curtails. If we were to look at purchasing power per capita of Kuwait we would find it $ 15,000 as apposed to Egypts measly $ 3,700. Kuwait also has a growth rate of 3.33 % as apposed to Egypts 1.66 %. The mere stating of these numbers completely falsifies the Malthusian model by all means here is a country like Egypt with a low population growth rate and a very low per capita income whereas Kuwait has a much higher growth rate but also five time the per capita income that Egypt posses. The theory overlooked not only technological aspects but completely over looked rentee economies like Kuwait have populations that can never be effected by supply of food. The Malthusian model is well based in theory and looks quite good on paper however it hardly holds water when applied to either real life nations or when critically analyzed as I have attempted to during the writing of this paper. Quite notably countries like Egypt and Kuwait completely bring the theory to its feet without much effort. I believe that when Malthus wrote his theory 200 years ago this was by all means a complete revolution even in the ideology of thought when he tried to find out why some nations remained poor no matter what they did.
Thursday, October 3, 2019
Influence of Physical Punishment on Adolescents Self-esteem
Influence of Physical Punishment on Adolescents Self-esteem Introduction Disciplinary incidents are central to moral development because disciplinary practices assist to inculcate moral standards and values that provide the basis for self-controlled behaviour within the child (Brody Shaffer, 1982, p.32). Amongst the various disciplinary methods, physical punishment is widely practised across different cultures and countries. The present study focused on non-abusive physical punishment and adopted the definition by Straus (1994) that physical punishment ââ¬Å"is the use of physical force with the intention of causing a child to experience pain, but not injury, for the purpose of correction or control of the childs behaviourâ⬠(p.4). This definition was used to delineate non-abusive physical punishment from harsher forms of abusive punishment. The term ââ¬Å"corporal punishmentâ⬠is synonymous and has been used interchangeably with physical punishment. We used the term ââ¬Å"physical punishmentâ⬠in this study because it specifically indi cates that punishment is meted out in a physical and bodily manner. A survey conducted in Jamaica revealed that physical punishment is frequently practiced in home and school (Smith Mosby, 2003). Physical punishment is also common in south-west Ethiopia (Admassu, Belachew, Haileamalak, 2006). This disciplinary method, however, is not peculiar to developing countries. Even in socially privileged countries, physical punishment is also used as a disciplinary method. Approximately 60% of Hong Kong Chinese parents admitted to using physical punishment as a form of discipline (Tang, 2006). In America, 94% of 3- and 4-year olds have been physically punished by their parents at least once during the past year (Straus Stewart, 1999), and 85% of Americans believed that ââ¬Å"a good hard spanking is sometimes necessaryâ⬠(Bauman Friedman, 1998). Beliefs in its positive disciplinary effects contributed to the widespread use of physical punishment (Straus, 1994) and there are evidence-based studies supporting the idea that physical punishment suppresses undesired behaviour (Gershoff, 2002; Larzelere, 2000; Paolucci Violato, 2004). For example, studies in Larzeleres (2000) meta-analysis provided evidence that non-abusive spanking used by loving parents reduced subsequent noncompliance and fighting in 2- to 6-year olds. In relation to Larzeleres (2000) findings, Gershoff (2002) found a large mean effect size for immediate compliance following corporal punishment. However, as noted by Gershoff (2002), these beneficial outcomes are only temporarily because physical punishment neither teaches children the reasons for behaving correctly, nor does it communicate what effects their behaviours have on others. Hence, physical punishment may not facilitate moral internalisation of the intended disciplinary message (Gershoff, 2002). Moreover, the demerits may outweigh the merits of punishment because studies suggested that physical punishment carry with it unintended and adverse effects (Holden, 2002; Rohner, Kean, Cournoyer, 1991; Straus, 1994). In response to the increasingly condemnatory international views about physical punishment, 25 states, to date, abolished all forms of physical punishment on children (Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children, 2009). Burgeoning research has related physical punishment to a variety of negative effects. These effects ranged from social-emotional and psychological problems, such as mental distress and withdrawal (Eamon, 2001), to behavioural problems, such as antisocial behaviour and increased aggression (Deater-Deckard, Dodge, Blates, Pettit, 1996; Sim Ong, 2005; Straus, Sugarman, Giles-Sims, 1997; Tang, 2006). Straus et al. (1997) suggested that a ââ¬Å"dose responseâ⬠to physical punishment for children may exist, such that more frequent and longer usage of punishment will lead to increased probability of behaviour problems. These potentially adverse effects of physical punishment may also carry over into adulthood in the form of increased psychopathology and violent behaviour (Eron, 1996); substance abuse, depression, family violence, and suicide (Afifi, Brownridge, Cox, Sareen, 2006; Straus, 1995; Straus Kantor, 1994). Eron (1996) indicated that the more harshly 8- and 9-year olds we re punished, the more aggressive and antisocial they were in late adolescence and young adulthood. Afifi and colleagues (2006) also found individuals who were physically punished, as compared to those who were not, had higher risk for major depression, alcohol abuse or dependence and externalising problems in adulthood, and these effects were not attenuated after controlling for sociodemographic variables and parental bonding. In addition, Straus (1995) found significant positive correlation between the level of punishment experienced as a child and level of depressive symptoms and thoughts of committing suicide in adulthood, after controlling for socioeconomic status (SES), martial violence, and witnessing violence as a child. In the past decade, at least three meta-analyses were conducted to review research on the effects of physical punishment. Larzelere (2000) reviewed a total of 38 studies and found both beneficial (as discussed above) and negative effects of physical punishment. From 17 causally relevant studies, the author highlighted apparent detrimental effects of physical punishment. He first pointed out that physical punishment predicted increased subsequent negative externalising behaviour, supporting the ââ¬Å"violence begets violenceâ⬠viewpoint. One of the studies reviewed was the controlled longitudinal studies of the National Longitudinal Study of Youth (Larzelere Smith, as cited in Larzelere, 2000), which provided not only consistent but also causally relevant evidence that physical punishment is associated to subsequent increase in antisocial behaviour. Secondly, Larzelere (2000) indicated that physical punishment predicted increased mental health problems. The links between physic al punishment and both increased negative externalising behaviour and mental health problems were further supported by another meta-analysis, which evaluated 88 published works spanning a 62 year period. Gershoff (2002) found that physical punishment was indeed significantly associated to increased aggression, increased delinquency, increased antisocial behaviour, and decreased mental health, to name a few. All 20 studies involving mental health in Gershoffs (2000) meta-analysis found frequency of corporal punishment to be positively and significantly related to a decrease in childrens mental health. Straus and Kantor (1994) reported that after controlling for low SES, those who experienced corporal punishment in adolescence were still at higher risk for depression, suicidal thoughts and alcohol abuse. Although Paolucci and Violato (2004), who conducted another meta-analyses and evaluated 70 studies between 1961 and 2000, did not find exposure to corporal punishment led to increased risk of developing cognitive problems (e.g., suicidal thoughts and attitudes toward violence), they found that people who experienced corporal punishment were at a small but increased risk for developing behavioural (e.g., aggression and antisocial behaviours) and affective problems (e.g., psychological impairment and low self-esteem). Physical punishment appears to have a dampening effect on self-esteem in its victims. However, studies have been inconclusive and evidence-based literature in this area is much thinner, as compared to the large number of published articles on physical punishment and increased externalising behaviours, such as childrens aggression, which is one of the most studied in the literature on parenting (Paolucci Violato, 2004). Only 3 studies (Adams, 1995; Larzelere, Kein, Schumm, Alibrano, 1989; Sears, 1970) cited in Larzeleres (2000) meta-analysis, investigated the association between physical punishment and self-esteem. Specifically, Larzelere et al. (1989) found the amount of spanking received negatively predicted self-esteem but the negative correlations between punishment, self-esteem, and perception of fairness of punishment were reduced to non-significance after controlling for parental positive communication. The other study included in the meta-analysis did not find a significant correlation between physical punishment and subsequent self-esteem (Sears, 1970). Jouberts (1991) study, which was not included in the meta-analysis, also found no evidence indicating spanking to have any effect on childrens self-esteem scores, regardless whether spanking was administered by mothers or fathers, or both. On the other hand, one of the three studies as cited in Larzeleres (2000) meta-analysis found lower self-esteem among 6- to 12-year olds, especially those who were hit with high frequency (twice a week), even after controlling for ethnicity, cognitive enrichment and poverty (Adams, 1995). Furthermore, recent studies, which were not included in the meta-analysis, also found similar results. Using data from 1,397 children, Eamon (2001) found 4- to 9-year-old children who received more frequent spanking exhibited more socio-emotional problems like low self-esteem. In another study, Amato and Fowler (2002) investigated the relationship between parental use of corporal punishment and childrens self-esteem, using data collected from 3,400 households with a child within the age range of 5-18. Similarly, parents use of corporal punishment was found to predict lower self-esteem. Bauman and Friedman (1998) argued that physical punishment retards the development of self-esteem, and Paolucci and Violato (2004) used findings of corporal punishment being associated with psychosocial problems, such as depression, as supporting evidence that physical punishment is related to impaired self-esteem. Coercive disciplinary techniques are also linked to decreases in childrens level of confidence and assertiveness, and increases in feelings of humiliation and helplessness (Gershoff, 2002). One explanation for these findings is the fear of punishment makes people attempt to escape. However, when escaping from punishment is not possible, feelings of learned helplessness and depression may develop (Paolucci Violato, 2004). Self-esteem, as defined by Rosenberg (1965), is a positive or negative attitude towards the self. Interestingly, self-esteem stability in childhood and adolescence does not differ between genders (Trzesniewski, Donnellan, Robins, 2003). Research has shown that self-esteem has a pervasive impact on an individuals life in numerous areas. Emotionally, individuals with low self-esteem have a tendency to exhibit higher levels of anxiety, experience more frequent psychosomatic symptoms, feelings of depression, lack of personal acceptance and submissiveness (Battle, 1992). Low self-esteem is also an important predictor for disruptive and maladaptive behaviours (Aunola, Stattin, Nurmi, 2000; Vandergriff Rust, 1989). An individuals social functioning can also be affected by his level of self-esteem. Children with high self-esteem are more popular among peers and participate more actively in social groups, unlike those with low self-esteem, who experience more difficulties forming friendshi ps (Battle, 1992; Growe, 1980). Self-esteem has also been supported by research evidence, to be positively related to academic self-efficacy. This significant relationship is found in Western countries (Jonson-Reid, Davis, Saunders, Williams, Williams, 2005; Smith, Walker, Fields, Brookins, Seary, 1999), as well as in Singapore (Ang, Neubronner, Oh, Leong, 2006). An important trend in the international research focuses on the effects of physical punishment on children (Ripoll- Nà ºÃ ±ez Rohner, 2006). Considering that self-esteem has a wide range of influence on an individuals life and the current literature remains inconclusive on the effects physical punishment have on self-esteem, we chose to investigate the relationship between non-abusive physical punishment administered by adolescents main disciplinarian and adolescents level of self-esteem. Self-esteem plays a vital role in an individuals development, and if physical punishment has negative effects on adolescents self-esteem, it is likely that his level of self-esteem will affect his psychosocial and educational development, and his overall well-being. For instance, his academic success and ability to socialise contribute to his current and future well-being. The relationship between physical punishment and adolescents outcome cannot be simply described as two distinct categories, such that physically punished adolescents will experience negative outcomes, and adolescents who have never been physically punished will not. Instead, this relationship may lie on a continuum and the frequency of physical punishment may play an important role in the punishment-outcome link, such that increase in frequency of punishment will lead to increased probability of negative outcomes. Since a dose response towards physical punishment was suggested by Straus et al. (1997), and a positive relationship between the frequency of physical punishment and negative outcomes was concurred by Larzelere (2000) and Gershoff (2002), and more specifically, Adams (1995) and Eamon (2001) found lower self-esteem, especially among those who experienced frequent use of physical punishment, we chose to investigate the punishment-self-esteem link by focusing on the frequency of punishment. With increased frequency of physical punishment, lower self-esteem can be expected. The weight of the existing research seems to favour the viewpoint that non-abusive physical punishment carries with it negative baggage. However, unlike physical abuse, the conclusion that non-abusive physical punishment indeed has detrimental consequences on adolescents well-being cannot be substantiated. Researchers at the opposite end of the debate cite conflicting evidence and physical punishment remains the most controversial topic in the domain of parental discipline (Holden, 2002; Larzelere, 1996). The main debate remains on whether non-abusive physical punishment is completely harmful or it has negative effects only when used within certain conditions. As summarised by Ripoll- Nà ºÃ ±ez and Rohner (2006), the ââ¬Å"conditional defendersâ⬠of corporal punishment argued that the effects of punishment may be positive, negative, or both depending on the conditions in which it was administered. As proposed in Gershoffs process-context model (2002), the link between physical punishment and its impact on the child is not direct and isolated. Instead, contextual factors of varying levels of influence may moderate the processes linking punishment and child constructs (Gershoff, 2002). This is supported by the fact that majority of the 94% of 3- and 4-year-old Americans who experienced physical punishment did not experience negative outcomes, such as developing into clinically aggressive adults or criminals. Critics of past research argued that many studies which linked physical punishment to negative effects have methodological flaws because they did not take into account the influence of moderating variables, which when included, tended to attenuate the relationship between punishment and negative outcomes (Rohner, Bourque, Elordi, 1996). Since not all individuals who experienced non-abusive physical punishment experienced negative outcomes, the present study further examined two potential moderators of the punishment-self-esteem link: namely, adolescents perceptions on the fairness of physical punishment and caregiver acceptance-rejection. Typically, research in this area has relied on parental reports of physical punishment. However, parents may underreport the use of physical punishment due to social desirability. Parents may feel threaten to disclose the frequency with which they physically punish their children because it is not advocated in contemporary society, hence providing inaccurate data (Shum-Cheung, Hawkins, Lim, 2006). Moreover, if parent is the source of data on both the punishment and childrens behaviours, they may attempt to justify their punishment through the parental report of child behaviour (Bauman Friedman, 1998). Following, we collected retrospective account of physical punishment from the recipients of the disciplinary practice, and further explored the possible moderating effect their cognitive perceptions on the punishment, may exert on the punishment-self-esteem link. The impact of punishment on adolescents is not unidirectional because adolescents are not simply passive recipients of the punishment. Instead how adolescents perceive the punishment may affect the impact it has on their outcomes. As noted by Holden (2002), noticeably absent from research is studies of childrens perceptions and reactions to punishment. It has been suggested that effects of physical punishment may be moderated by the meaning children ascribes to the punishment (Benject Kazdin, 2003). Ignorance of this may lead to an inaccurate picture on the effects of punishment because the key to understanding how physical punishment affects its victims lies in understanding how they react to the punishment physiologically, affectively, and cognitively (Gershoff, 2002). Holden (2002) further posited that this reaction involves at least two processes, namely, immediate physiological and sensory reaction, followed by the secondary cognitive appraisal stage. In line with Ripoll- Nà º à ±ez and Rohners (2006) suggestions on variables that are important in the research of physical punishment and its effects on children, we explored the potential moderating effect of adolescents perceptions of fairness of physical punishment, which has been considered to ameliorate the negative outcomes of punishment (Rohner et al., 1991; Rohner et al., 1996). Grusec and Goodnow (1994) suggested that children, who perceive punishment as fair, will be more willing to accept the intended disciplinary message, which then facilitates internalisation. Since adolescents are the recipients of parental disciplinary practices, the knowledge of their perceptions on the fairness of punishment will open the window to their internal mental processes, which is how they interpret and internalise the punishment. This provides a more complete understanding of the relationship between punishment and self-esteem. Concerns regarding whether adolescents are mature enough to make sensible judgments abo ut the fairness of discipline can be allayed because Konstantareas and Desbois (2001) found 4-year-old preschoolers capable of making judgments about the fairness of discipline by mothers, and in a study conducted in Singapore, parents and 10- to 12-year-old childrens responses on fairness of discipline were similar (Shum-Cheung et al., 2006). Therefore, if adolescents perceive physical punishment as fair, the effects of punishment on their self-esteem may not be deleterious. Following, the negative association between physical punishment and self-esteem can be expected to be stronger at lower levels, as compared with higher levels of perceived fairness. Little is also known about the conditions under which punishment occurs (Bauman Friedman, 1998) and if information regarding the context in which the punishment is meted out is not captured, only a snapshot of the impact of punishment on adolescents will be known. Opponents of physical punishment have acknowledged that physical punishment by itself is unlikely to produce negative child outcomes. However, when combined with other risk factors in the family, negative effects of physical punishment may surface (Bauman Friedman, 1998). Therefore, certain factors in the adolescents family may influence the cognitive appraisal process of the punishment and, consequently, buffer the negative effects. Corporal punishment is considered to be beneficial when administered by emotionally supportive parents who share positive interactions with their children (Paolucci Violato, 2004). As discussed above, Larzelere et al. (1989) reported that positive parental communication moderated the punishment-self-esteem link. Therefore, information regarding other aspects of parenting, such as the warmth dimension, will provide a much fuller understanding towards the relationship between physical punishment and self-esteem. As construed in the parental acceptance-rejection theory (PARTheory), parental acceptance and rejection form the warmth dimension of parenting (Rohner, 1991). Perceived parental acceptance-rejection may be one of the most important parenting dimensions to consider because no cultural or ethnic group was found where perceived parental acceptance-rejection failed to correlate with the predicted personality dispositions (Rohner Britner, 2002). PARTheory predicted rejected children, as compared to children who perceived themselves as being accepted, are more likely to have an impaired sense of self-esteem, amidst other negative effects (Rohner, 1991; Rohner Britner, 2002). Rohner (1991) used Meads (1934) significant other concept to explain how parental rejection may affect self-esteem. PARTheory assumed that everyone tends to view ourselves as we imagine ââ¬Å"significant othersâ⬠view us. Therefore, if parents who are childrens most significant other reject them, they are more likely to define themselves as unworthy, and consequently develop an overall sense of negative self-evaluation, including feelings of negative self-esteem and self-adequacy (Rohner, 1991). Although the term ââ¬Å"parentâ⬠is used in PARTheory, Rohner (1991) explained it refers to the major caregiver of the child, not necessarily the parents. Therefore, we used the term ââ¬Å"caregiverâ⬠instead of ââ¬Å"parentâ⬠in this study. Variations in perceived caregiver acceptance-rejection among adolescents may magnify or minimise the effects of physical punishment and this has been supported by cross-cultural evidence. Rohner et al. (1991), for example, found severe physical punishment to be related to psychological maladjustment among Kittitian youths and the effects became more substantial when it was paired with caregiver rejection. Similarly, results from another study conducted in Georgia showed that the association between perceived harshness of punishment and psychological maladjustment disappeared once perceptions of caregiver acceptance-rejection were accounted for (Rohner et al., 1996). In the context of Singapore, perceived parental acceptance-rejection was also found to play an important moderating role. Sim and Ong (2005) found perceived fathers rejection moderated the link between slapping and daughters level of aggression, and perceived mothers rejection moderated the canning-aggression link among S ingapore Chinese preschoolers of both genders. All these studies uniformly showed that childrens perception of caregiver acceptance-rejection has a significant impact on the association between physical punishment and its outcomes. Thus, at higher compared to lower levels of perceived caregiver rejection, a stronger negative association between physical punishment and self-esteem can be expected. We collected data on adolescents perceptions of caregiver acceptance and rejection, and frequency of physical punishment by their main disciplinarian, rather than their main caregiver. This is because our study used a Singapore Chinese sample, and it is common within this group that the main disciplinarian may not be the main caregiver. In Chinese societies, traditional roles of disciplinarian and caregiver are respectively played by fathers and mothers, and this role differentiation still applies in Singapore (Quah, 1999). In cases where the disciplinarian and caregiver are different persons, the adolescent may experience more punishment from the disciplinarian as compared to the caregiver, and the impact of punishment from the main disciplinarian will not be reflected if punishment administered by the caregiver was measured. Since the main disciplinarian is the adult who administers punishment, effects of punishment may be moderated by the adolescents perceived acceptance from his main caregiver, who plays the key caring role and spends the most time with him. Collecting data on adolescents perceptions of caregiver acceptance-rejection allowed us to examine the punishment-self-esteem link through the relationship between caregiver and adolescent. As pointed out by Larzelere (2000), one of the needs in the research on physical punishment is for studies to take a developmental perspective because reviews by Larzelere (2000) and Gershoff (2002) found outcomes of punishment varied by the childs age. For example, Gershoff (2002) found that with increased age, the association between corporal punishment and aggressive and antisocial behaviours became stronger. Following, we used a retrospective design to investigate the association between physical punishment and self-esteem, and the impact the two proposed moderators may have on this link, at two age frames, namely when the individual was 11- to 12-years old (early adolescence) and 15- to 16-years old (middle adolescence). Although physical punishment is at its zenith when children are aged 3-5 (Straus Stewart, 1999), and its frequency decreases as children grow older, physical punishment is still prevalent during adolescence (Straus et al., 1997). Straus (1994) found more than 6 0% of parents in America reported hitting 10- to 12-year olds, and even at ages 15-17, one out of four adolescents is still physically punished. The two age frames were chosen partly because this study was retrospective in nature, and memories of punishment incidents during early childhood may be weak due to the long time passage that passed. Additionally, an average Singapore student aged 11- to 12-years old and 15- to 16-years old, is in preparation for the national examinations, namely, the Primary School Leaving Examination and GCE ââ¬ËO Levels, respectively. Being the periods of their major examinations, memories during these periods may be much clearer and distinct, and this will provide the study with more accurate data. Children below age 8 have not developed the concept of global self-esteem, thus another reason for focusing at these two age frames is that at ages 11-12 and 15-16, adolescents will have developed the ability to ââ¬Å"view themselves in terms of stable dispositions, which permits them to combine their separate self-evaluations into an overall sense of self-esteemâ⬠(Berk, 2006, p.449). Moreover, unlike in early childhood, individual differences in self-esteem from early to middle adolescence become increasingly stable (Trzesniweski et al., 2003), which allowed us to explore the punishment-self-esteem link more precisely. According to Eriksons stages of psychosocial development (as cited in Berk, 2006), he organised life into eight stages that extend from birth to death, of which two stages were related to the present study. During the latency stage, where 11- and 12-year olds will be categorized, they enter school and are required to develop a sense of competence through the social interactions in school. With a wider range of socialisation opportunities, their relationships with parents may no longer be the most significant but it remains influential because little or no encouragement from parents, teachers, or peers may lead them to doubt their ability to succeed (Berk, 2006). However, 15- and 16-year olds are in the adolescence stage, where the need to develop an independent identity that is separated from the family, becomes the key developmental task, and relationships with peer groups become the most significant relationship. Hence the attenuation of familial influence for adolescents aged 15-1 6 may decrease as compared to when they were 11- to 12-years old. Moreover, 15- and 16-year olds fall in Piagets formal operational stage, which represents the apex of cognitive development (Siegler Richards, 1982). Unlike the subsequent stage, 11- and 12-year olds are in the concrete operational stage and can only ââ¬Å"operate on realityâ⬠. But formal operational adolescents developed the ability for abstract thinking and can engage in hypothetico-deductive reasoning and propositional thought, to conjure more general logical rules through internal reflection (Berk, 2006). Additionally, they can apply their abstract reason abilities to all areas of life (Siegler Richards, 1982). Following, it may be the case that adolescents perceptions of caregiver acceptance-rejection play a greater role, than perceived fairness of punishment, in moderating the link between punishment and self-esteem, when they are aged 11 to 12. Because their social circle though expanded, still centres around their parents and how accepted or rejected they perceived th eir caregiver to be may still play a significant role unlike during middle adolescence. At ages 15-16, adolescents perceived fairness of punishment may matter more than perceived caregiver acceptance because their relationship with their caregiver is not the most critical factor in their psychosocial development. Additionally, their growing need for independence from their parents as well as their capacities to think through their own best interests with their greater cognitive awareness, may influence them to place more emphasis on their personal thoughts, and on their friends views but less on what their caregiver thinks of them. Within the realm of punishment research, it is also important to acknowledge the existing attitudes towards physical punishment within the particular culture. As pointed out by proponents of physical punishment, aside from the family, the cultural context also buffers potential negative consequences of physical punishment (Bauman Friedman, 1998). Acceptance of physical punishment varies across cultures and it may contribute to variations in child outcomes across different groups because cultural values and beliefs affect whether punishment is used more instrumentally or emotionally, and how children emotionally respond to it (Gershoff, 2002; Larzelere, 2000). Larezeleres (2000) highlighted five studies which presented evidence of significantly differential effects of spanking by ethnicity. Deater-Deckard et al. (1996), for example, found maternal use of physical punishment predicted externalising behaviours only for European American, but not African American children. The authors s uggested that this may be due to the stronger acceptance and preference for physical punishment among African American, in contrast to European American parents, hence affecting the manner in which punishment is used and childrens perceptions of its appropriateness. Similarly, Gunnoe and Mariner (1997) found spanking to be negatively related to African American girls later aggressive behaviours, but positively related to European American boys later aggressive behaviours. Majority of the studies, which investigated the link between physical punishment and self-esteem, were conducted in Western countries, such as America. However, attitudes towards childrearing in Western countries are different from those of the Asian cultures in Singapore (Tong, Elliot, Tan, 1996). Unlike Western cultures, which display a lower tolerance of physical punishment, this form of discipline is popular within the Asian culture. ââ¬Å"Spare the rod and spoil the childâ⬠is an old saying which reflects the prevalent parental attitude, especially among Singapore Chinese parents, who continue using caning to discipline children and view physical punishment as an effective disciplinary method (Elliot, Thomas, Chan, Chow, 2000). Being a multi-ethnic society, ethnic differences exist in childrearing techniques, which may lead to differences in usage of physical punishment across ethnic groups. A study conducted by Quah (1999) on the Singapore family found Chinese parents t ended to use physical punishment more than other parents, while Malay and Indian parents were most likely to use reasoning, and authority was most frequently used by parents in the group Other. Considering that ethnicity may affect the outcome of physical punishment, this research recruited only Singapore Chinese participants.
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
Rhetorical Analysis of Martin Luther Kings I Have A Dream Speech
In a period of time where few were willing to listen, Martin Luther King, Jr. stood proudly, gathered and held the attention of over 200,000 people. Martin Luther King, Jr.ââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"I Have a Dreamâ⬠speech was very effective and motivational for African Americans in 1963. Many factors affected Kingsââ¬â¢ speech in a very positive manner; the great emotion behind the words, delivering the speech on the steps of the memorial of the President who defeated slavery. And not only was this message beautifully written for the hope of African Americans, but the underlying message for white people, revolution and peace. To stimulate emotion from both parties of his listeners, King used a selection of rhetorical devices such as allusions to historical documents, metaphors, similes, anaphoras and others. Martin Luther Kingââ¬â¢s use of allusions to historical documents helps his message of equality hit home for his audience. Most of the allusions were geared more towards the white people that it was towards the blacks because it provided printed evidence from past documents that were written by white males. His first, ââ¬Å"Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamationâ⬠is an allusion to Abraham Lincoln and the Gettysburg Address. His first reference to the Declaration of Independence: ââ¬Å"This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men would be guaranteed the ââ¬Ëunalienable rightsââ¬â¢ of ââ¬ËLife, Liberty and the pursuit of Happinessââ¬â¢.â⬠Another quote King uses from the Declaration of Independence is not quite as publicized, King incidentally slips in, ââ¬Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.â⬠King also mak es a few allusions to the Bible; ââ¬Å"... ... would be treated as equals and walk hand-in-hand with every one of every color. Martin Luther King, Jr. implies that his dream is none other than the dream of the Founding Fathers which he makes reference to several times during his speech. And ending with another powerful anaphora, ââ¬Å"let freedom ringâ⬠King look joyfully towards the day where ââ¬Å"all Godââ¬â¢s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentile, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and singâ⬠because he knows this is movement is greater than just for those of color. By expressing his emotions on the subject of racism, Kings persuasive speech influenced and impacted America, for the better in the early 1960ââ¬â¢s. With his many uses of different rhetorical devices such as allusions, metaphors and smiles, and anaphoras Kings speech truly changed the minds of hundreds of thousands of people. Rhetorical Analysis of Martin Luther King's I Have A Dream Speech In a period of time where few were willing to listen, Martin Luther King, Jr. stood proudly, gathered and held the attention of over 200,000 people. Martin Luther King, Jr.ââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"I Have a Dreamâ⬠speech was very effective and motivational for African Americans in 1963. Many factors affected Kingsââ¬â¢ speech in a very positive manner; the great emotion behind the words, delivering the speech on the steps of the memorial of the President who defeated slavery. And not only was this message beautifully written for the hope of African Americans, but the underlying message for white people, revolution and peace. To stimulate emotion from both parties of his listeners, King used a selection of rhetorical devices such as allusions to historical documents, metaphors, similes, anaphoras and others. Martin Luther Kingââ¬â¢s use of allusions to historical documents helps his message of equality hit home for his audience. Most of the allusions were geared more towards the white people that it was towards the blacks because it provided printed evidence from past documents that were written by white males. His first, ââ¬Å"Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamationâ⬠is an allusion to Abraham Lincoln and the Gettysburg Address. His first reference to the Declaration of Independence: ââ¬Å"This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men would be guaranteed the ââ¬Ëunalienable rightsââ¬â¢ of ââ¬ËLife, Liberty and the pursuit of Happinessââ¬â¢.â⬠Another quote King uses from the Declaration of Independence is not quite as publicized, King incidentally slips in, ââ¬Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.â⬠King also mak es a few allusions to the Bible; ââ¬Å"... ... would be treated as equals and walk hand-in-hand with every one of every color. Martin Luther King, Jr. implies that his dream is none other than the dream of the Founding Fathers which he makes reference to several times during his speech. And ending with another powerful anaphora, ââ¬Å"let freedom ringâ⬠King look joyfully towards the day where ââ¬Å"all Godââ¬â¢s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentile, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and singâ⬠because he knows this is movement is greater than just for those of color. By expressing his emotions on the subject of racism, Kings persuasive speech influenced and impacted America, for the better in the early 1960ââ¬â¢s. With his many uses of different rhetorical devices such as allusions, metaphors and smiles, and anaphoras Kings speech truly changed the minds of hundreds of thousands of people.
What Did We Learn from the Vietnam War? Essay -- Vietnam War Essays
ââ¬Å"Teaching the Vietnam War makes one realize how the shape of a narrative determines, and is determined by, its contentâ⬠(Franklin 246). The Vietnam War was one of Americaââ¬â¢s most controversial wars. Many of its aspects are still plagued with great uncertainty. Those aspects of the Vietnam War are argued and debated about, they were argued during the time of the war and the arguing has continued. The Vietnam War was indeed a time of confusion. Why did the war start? What was the United Statesââ¬â¢ real reason for getting involved? What was the objective of the war? What were the American soldiers really fighting, or in reality, dying for? How do you explain a war to someone who has not experienced firsthand, especially if you were not around yourself? There is no real answer. You can give the facts and figures, but that leaves out the true grit of a war. The human perspective must also be given. As with any war, the Vietnam War had many perspective: th e protestors, the politician, and lastly, but most importantly, the soldier (Although there are many other stories that could and should be told). Through the facts and figures and the eyes of those who were there, an individual could learn about the Vietnam War, although how many actually want to understand war is uncertain. The facts and figures are one of the first things that should be learned about the war (Although many would argue the facts). The Vietnamese waged an anti-colonial war against France between 1945 and 1954. They received $2.6 billion in financial aid from the United States to aid their efforts. The Geneva Convention followed the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu, where Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam all received independence. Vietnam was momentarily divide... ...n Vietnamese deaths. Still today, many Americans still ask whether the American effort in the Vietnam War was necessary, a sin, a mistake, or a noble cause, or an idealistic, if failed, effort to protect the South Vietnamese people from the North. In order to truly understand the war you and to determine your own answer to the many questions it is still pending, you must look at the war from every perspective and understand the many facts it produced. Dr. Carl Sagan wrote, ââ¬Å"You have to know the past to understand the presentâ⬠. The Vietnam War is a large part of Americaââ¬â¢s past. It is important to know of the Vietnam War and to know of those who experienced, so you may learn of how America came to be as it is today and were it may be heading, of whether or not we learned from our mistakes or if we are destined to repeats those made during the Vietnam War again.
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
Child marriage Essay
Throughout the world, marriage is considered to be a happy moment in everyoneââ¬â¢s life and is a moment of celebration but sadly, the practice of child marriage gives no such reason for celebration. Many young boys and girls get married before they can reach the age of 18. This shocking act takes place for a number of reasons. In order to get benefitted socially, physically and to decrease financial burdens, many parents and families throughout the world, promote the marriage of their young sons and daughters. Throughout the years, we have seen that child marriage targets more girls than boys. Boys are affected as well but in totality, the number of victims and the intensity of their sufferings are way higher for girls. After their marriage, girls live an exclusive life where they do not receive any kind of education, they are forced for performing huge amounts of household works, are impregnated without their approval and are forced to take the big responsibility of raising and taking care of a child when they themselves are not mature enough and are still kids. What problems can child marriage lead to? Read more:à Child Marriages Essay Child marriage is caused when two young or one young and one adult individuals are forced into the institution of marriage without their consent. According to researches by PBS, ââ¬Å"Although the definition of child marriage includes boys, most children married under the age of 18 years are girls.â⬠The kid or kids getting married are totally unaware of its significance and consequences it can lead to in future years. Usually when a child, commonly girl, is married and brought into the husbandââ¬â¢s family in such a young age, they think they can design and built up her personality into anything and everything they want her to be. The girl child is then forced into various activities which harms her both physically and mentally. (PBS, II). Health problems After getting married, the girl child is then pressurized by her new family to do things that she doesnââ¬â¢t want to. She is forced by her husband to get into sexual activities and to have kids soon after. As she is not mentally prepared and physically mature, she faces various complications and health issues in the future and sometimes it also leads to death. The connectionà between the maternal death and the age of the mother is very strong as the child bride is highly likely to get pregnant in a little while after her marriage causing their pregnancy to be premature. According to the digest by UNICEF, ââ¬Å"Girls ages 10-14 are five times more likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth than women aged 20-24. Girls ages 15-19 are twice as likely to die.â⬠Such young mothers also face a very high chance of getting into complications such as heavy bleeding, various infections, diseases like anemia etc. which can lead to death. As first time mothers, girls also face a high r isk of a disease called Obstructed Fistula, which is lead by obstructed labor. Obstructed labor is when a it is hard for a mother to give birth to a child and push it out of her body. This causes great pain and ofter results in death of the mother. According to PBS, ââ¬Å"There are approximately 2 million girls living with fistula, and 100,000 new cases every year.â⬠Girls suffering from this disease are usually neglected by their husbands and kept away from the society. There is this myth, according to which a lot of people around the world think that by marrying the child early, they can reduce the chances of their kid getting HIV aids but the opposite is true. Married girls are more likely to get HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases compared to the ones who arenââ¬â¢t married. This is mostly because they are not enough educated about sex, its consequences and the use of contraceptive and if by any chance they are aware about this, they are not able to obtain the sa me as because of limited autonomy or freedom of movement. They are also abused by their family, which is a form of domestic violence, and this makes them mentally ill leading to depression.(UNICEF). Domestic violence There is a very close relation between child marriage and Domestic violence. Most of the cases about domestic violence are of people who were married early ore were married forcefully. According to studies, ââ¬Å"Girl child is usually married by a man who is much more older than herâ⬠thus proving that her in laws and husband is much more stronger than her and she possesses less control. Sometimes the young bride thinks that it is justified that she s getting beaten up by her husband as she is too young to differentiate between right and wrong. Studies by UNICEF say that, ââ¬Å"women who marry early are more likely to be beaten or threatened, and more likely to believe thatà husbands might sometimes be justified in beating his wife.â⬠Also in Kenya, 36 percent of girls married before 18 believe that a man is sometimes justified in beating his wife, compared to 20 percent of married women .Girls who get proper education and are married later take more mature decisions an d raise their voices against such abuses. According to research by ICRW, ââ¬Å"Girls who were married before 18 were twice as likely to report being beaten, slapped or threatened by their husbands as girls who married later. They were three times as likely to report being forced to have sex without their consent in the previous six months.â⬠This indicates how girls have less power compared to the men in such kind of marriage. Girls who get into the institution of marriage after the age of 18 are much more knowledgeable compared to the young ones and they have a health husband-wife relationship as they use contraceptives and contains the strength to go and talk to their husbands about the future and their likes and dislikes. This creates a better understanding between them making them have a happy life ahead. While on the other hand, the child bride is like a puppet for their husbands as they can use them whenever they want and the child bride is too shy to go and talk to him about her life and her needs. (ICRW). What are the socio-cultural and economic reasons that lead to child marriage? There are a lot of reasons that lead to Child marriage. An integration of various cultural, regional, economical, social and religious causes makes up the roots of this act. Poverty Poverty is considered to be one of the most basic reasons for a girl getting married off in an early age. According to a fact sheet released by UNFPA, ââ¬Å"The practice of child marriage has decreased globally over the last 30 years, it remains common in rural areas and among the poor.â⬠There are a number of poor men who are not able to feed and run their family well. In order to feed their other children, clear debts or in exchange of some money, they decide to marry off their child, usually a girl to a man who is way older than her hoping for a better future. Such a decision just makes the life of the girl child difficult like hell and satisfies the needs of the brideââ¬â¢s family just for a short term but in no way helps anyone have a well settled life. (McGluain). Protection of Familyââ¬â¢s honor Some parents and families also think that it is a good way to save their familyââ¬â¢s honor by marrying their girl child in an early age. There are various cultures where there is a belief that if a girl loses her virginity before she marries someone, then it is very shameful for the family and thus spoils its reputation and honor. Therefore by marrying a girl in an early age presume the girlââ¬â¢s sexuality and that she is being married as a virgin protecting the familyââ¬â¢s honor. This is very discouraging for the girls as by imposing familyââ¬â¢s respect and honor on them; there family doubts her nature and this harms her self-respect and dignity. Girls are also expected to marry older man as they are more knowledgeable and sensible and can take care of the girl child as a parent but this is not the truth for almost all the cases in fact the opposite happens breaking the girlââ¬â¢s morals and leading her into depression.(UNFPA). Discrimination based on gender Another main reason for child marriage is discrimination based on gender. In various cultures and society, people regard girls as the week ones or the one who holds less or no power and devaluates and discriminates against them. According to a research by UNICEF, ââ¬Å"often manifests itself in the form of domestic violence, marital rape, and deprivation of food, lack of access to information, education, healthcare, and general impediments to mobility.â⬠In many cases of child marriage, the family gives the child bride less value and restricts her from doing things she want. The child is usually not enough educated to fight for her rights so she stays quiet and takes goes through the troubles her husband and in laws put her through. They are also disrespected by the society if they do a small mistake. They are not able to live a normal life and are forced into various unacceptable activities. They are also beaten up by their husbands and they use the girl the way they want. Thi s way either the girl ends up being destroyed mentally or sometime even dying. (UNICEF). Violation of laws In various countries there are various laws which restrict child marriage and are against them for example Pakistan and India. Even though such laws exist, the constitutions of these countries donââ¬â¢t take any strict actions if people violate them. The legal age for marriage in India is 18 years for girls and 21 for boys. Under the Child Marriage Prevention Act, 1929, any marriage before these ages is banned. Despite in presence of such laws, a huge number of child marriages take place everywhere and no one tries to stop it. According to the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) ââ¬Å"100 million girls will be married before the age of 18 in the coming decade.â⬠(ICRW). What are the similarities and dissimilarities between present day child marriage and the ones in the past? There is not much difference between present day child marriage and the one that took place years back. People follow the footsteps of their ancestors and blindly believe them. In the past, people were married off early as they were unaware about the fact that it is a harmful practice and causes various problems. Year after year, as the time passed, people followed the same rules without changing or checking whether it is legit or not. In some places, people got educated and they studied about it. They understood about its good and bad points and on based on that they started changing the rules. Still in various parts of the world, there exists a lot of places where people, mainly the girls, are being married at a really young age. This is happening as these places are very backwards and lack education. According to UNFPA, ââ¬Å" more than 100 million young girls will be marrie d off in the next decadeâ⬠. (UNFPA). How does child marriage differ in different parts of world? Child Marriage is common in various places throughout the globe and is much more common with girls than boys. According to a survey by UNICEF, ââ¬Å"One of every seven girls gets married before they turn fifteen and one of every three girls gets married under age, that is before they turn eighteen. The Highest rate of child marriage is in West Africa. It is followed by southern Asia, the Middle East and then the Latin America. The condition of some countries are so poor that they more than a half of the under aged female population f the country are married or are about to get married. According to UNFPA fact sheet, ââ¬Å"76 percent of girls in Nigeria , 74 per cent of girls in Democratic Republic of Congo, 54 per cent of girls in Afghanistan , 50 per cent of girls in India and 51 per cent of girls in Bangladesh are married under age, that is before turning 18.â⬠These countries lackà education and schools in rural areas so the most of the crowd is illiterate and are also la gging economically. Hence, it is proved that poverty and education is inversely proportional. There are customs in India which allow people to give away the kids on the auspicious day and event of ââ¬ËAkha Teejââ¬â¢. Families use this to get money and property. A lot of kids under the age of 10 are involved in it and some are toddlers of age 3 or 4. When it comes to Nigeria, studies by UNICEF shows that ââ¬Å"44 percent of 20-24 year old women in Niger were married under the age of 15â⬠. These people follow the idiosyncratic and traditional laws setup by their ancestors. Even in Bangladesh, girls are married as soon as they hit puberty just to save their familyââ¬â¢s honor and to release financial burdens form the parents. As education increases, people get aware of the problems caused by such acts and they emphasize on learning which in return makes them prosperous and ensures a secure life ahead. Studies also shows that countries in East Asia like Taiwan, South Kore a, Japan etc. have almost removed the tradition of child marriage their prosperity is increasing rapidly day by day. These places are characterized by economic growth, opportunities, declines in death and birth rates, Increase in employment and educational options for girls etc. (UNICEF). How can it affect the lives of the future generations? One of the most essential and basic reasons because of which child marriage still exists is education. Studies have shown the important role that education plays in child marriage. Research by UNICEF shows that ââ¬Å"the more education a girl receives, the less likely she is to be married as a child. Improving access to education and eliminating gender gaps in education are therefore important strategies for ending the practice of child marriage.â⬠It is clear that if more and more girls will be educated, the will be more aware about the things going on around them and can have the power to stand for themselves and judge between right and wrong. (UNFPA). To conclude, child marriage is generally seen as one of the easiest ways established by poor to lower middle class families to make their and their childââ¬â¢s future safe but in almost all the cases, it is not true. It onlyà secures the family from poverty for a short time period but destroys the life of the girl child forever. With the marriage comes various issues and problems which the young brides go through and in most of the cases they end up dying as they are not strong enough mentally or physically to go through such pain. It also affects the future generations. The babies born to girls under 16 years of age are more likely to die during their first year of life and if they survive, they arenââ¬â¢t healthy like a child who is born from a 20 year old woman, and goes through various deformities in future. As the girls are being married in an early age, they are not able to get educated and this makes a big difference. Works Cited ââ¬Å"Childinfo.org: Statistics by Area ââ¬â Child Marriage ââ¬â The Challenge.â⬠Childinfo.org: Statistics by Area ââ¬â Child Marriage ââ¬â The Challenge. Web. 13 May 2013. ââ¬Å"Child Marriage.â⬠Forward. Web. 13 May 2013. Child Marriage ââ¬Å"Child Marriage Factsheet: State of World Population 2005 ââ¬â UNFPA.â⬠Child Marriage Factsheet: State of World Population 2005 ââ¬â UNFPA.Web. 14 May 2013. . ââ¬Å"Child Marriage a Cultural Problem, Educational Access a Race Issue? Deconstructing Uni-Dimensional Understanding of Romani Oppression.â⬠ââ¬â ERRC.org. Web. 13 May 2013. ââ¬Å"Child Marriage: Facts, Causes and Consequences.â⬠Child Marriage-Facts Causes and consequences.Web. 13 May 2013. ââ¬Å"Early Teen Marriage and Future Poverty.â⬠Early Teen Marriage and Future Poverty. Web. 13 May 2013. ââ¬Å"Early marriage, a harmful traditional practiceâ⬠Early marriage. 13 May 2013. Web. McLaughlin, John. ââ¬Å"Medieval child marriage:abuse or wardship?â⬠Untitled Document. Web. 13 May 2013. ââ¬Å"Marriage, Child Spouses.â⬠Early marriage, child Spouses. Web. 13 May 2013 ââ¬Å"Preventing Child Marriages: First International Day of the Girl Child ââ¬Å"My Life, My Right, End Child Marriageâ⬠.â⬠Reproductive Health. Web. 13 May 2013.
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