Pritchett, Lant (2006) Center For Global Development Essay Example for Free

Pritchett, Lant (2006) Center For Global Development Essay Introduction: When the wings are strong, even the birds fly! Birds also, as a rule migrate, flying thousands of miles to the area and the climate of their choice every year. Even before the Christian era, adventurous traders and devoted missionaries have been moving from one country to another for their purposes in view. Migration is an age-old happening. The industrial and internet revolutions, the modern materialistic civilization have commercially shrunk the world. ‘Atlas has shrugged!’ When basic conditions are created for the people to move from one country to another, irresistible demographic forces are bound to exert their pressure. To check these forces through anti-immigration ideas is like blocking the furiously advancing avalanche with the fence of straw. Or trying to touch the moon by kite-flying! Or controlling the rising flood waters by filling pitchers! Statistical studies are no doubt needed, but it is no use digging the well when the house is on fire. In times of war, your goal should be to win the war, no matter how you win. I mean to say, all the relative efforts should be to tackle the root cause of the problem. It is no ordinary chat on the subject of migration by Pritchett†¦. Pritchett’s ideas are far-sighted. The world leaders talk about globalization and â€Å"the world is one family† concept, but the so-called national interests are entrenched too strongly in them. They wish to remain dry under water. Efforts are constantly on the anvil to check labor mobility.   Political interests are the main consideration; welfare of the common man is nicely swept under the carpet, by arguments and counterarguments. The governments are resisting the liberal ideas, because the rich people of the country protest against creating favorable conditions for the labor to immigrate! Some forward thinking statesmen/ politicians have to take initiative to break he deadlock if they really wish to do something tangible for the welfare of the people to whom employment means their livelihood. Temporary work-permits and protection of migrants’ fundamental human rights are the important issues. Lant Pritchett is touching the live wire! Your book will be controversial, Mr. Pritchett, but do not bother. All great ideas have been controversial. Some centuries ago, people and intellectuals did believe that the Earth is flat and the sun does the rotations! The book is not a voluminous work by page-count, just 151 pages, but they are sufficient to stir the thinking process of the individuals concerned, the politicians and the policy-makers. He tenders provocative ideas, on the issues where provocation is required.   The book has 5 chapters, i) Four Irresistible Forces for Increased Labor Mobility, ii) The Fifth Irresistible Force: Ghosts Zombies, iii) Immovable Ideas: Myths and Truths, iv) Accommodating Forces and Ideas to achieve development—Friendly Labor Mobility v) Conclusion: Let their People Come. To the fundamental question in Economics, what are the factors of production, the answer is, land, labor, capital and organization. Labor is the most important of them for capital without labor is dead! It is not that Lant is unaware of the political consequences of labor immigration. But he is an economist. He has soft-corner for the labor and it is not mere wishful thinking. He gives his favorable disposition towards the labor force and makes out a brilliant case for expanded immigration in rich countries. If you are thinking in terms of globalizing everything, why not labor, is the question posed by Lant. He has his own style of working on his projects. He is not concerned about the ideologies and methodologies. He will not stick to any special type of â€Å"ism†. He is a man without a label or a tag. He works with a pure heart and for the cause which he considers and concludes to be right. He is truly a global person with the global approach to his thinking. He doesn’t believe in half- hearted measures. He is the proverbial individual who believes—do not strike; if you strike, strike so hard that there is no need to strike again! He gives unassailable ideas and reasons in the very first chapter of the book: He says, â€Å"Four irresistible forces today cause observed increases in labor mobility—and each promises to become even more powerful in future. Those forces are wage gaps, demographics, â€Å"everything but labor† globalization, and the services future of labor demand in industrial countries. A fifth force—rapid and massive shifts in the desired populations of various countries†¦. Four preliminary observations are useful.†(Pritchett, 2006, p.13) Pritchett is on war with both left and right—and therefore, he invites controversy. His question to world leaders is why you stop at standard solutions, trade and aid. He stands solidly behind the guest-worker program. Why shouldn’t millions of the poorest of the world choose to work in richest economies? He is worried why people are so insensitive about this issue. He is willing to beat the national borders on this issue and paints the grim picture emerging on the curtain of the mind of an ordinary worker. â€Å"Gaps in per capita across countries are only suggestive of migration pressures, because the relevant question for a worker is the difference in wages that he or she would earn in two countries.† Pritchett, 2006, p.18) Pritchett’s critics say he thinks much ahead of his time; all great thinkers do think so! He is opposed for, Western countries do not wish to jeopardize their sovereignty, cause tremors in   the levels of domestic wages, terrorism is such a big question that involves national security, the developing countries would not like to drain their own talent on a large scale, with children migrating on such a large scale, what about the poor parents?—it is going to be such a big sociological problem, the cultural cohesion of all the affected countries will be disturbed beyond   repair, the churning process will be damaging—Pritchett has some soft   answers for many such important issues, but   his hard critics are not willing to listen. Pritchett says that the migrants are temporary workers; they are coming to return to their home country. They will stay 3 to 5 years, with no scope for regular citizenship, and they are coming as stop-gap arrangements to work in areas with certified labor shortages. They will not bring the families. So, the taxpayers of the host country need not take up the responsibility of educating the migrants’ children. A revolving labor pool will be created. Lant Pritchett is no ordinary think-tank and he is always battle ready to talk and write on global issues. He is a non-resident fellow at the Centre for Global Development and is a lead socio-economist with the World Bank, based in New Delhi, India. He is to take up the assignment of Professor of the Practice of Economic Development at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, shortly. (I think he has since taken up his assignment.) Conclusion: Labor unrest has been the cause of many devastating revolutions. Then pages of labor movements all over the world, daubed in bloodshed, ask a crying question. How to make this Planet Earth peaceful with plenty and prosperity? The answer is simple and direct. Eyes full of understanding, heart full of love, life that effuses conflicts, and employment opportunities and freedom of movement for one and all—these alone are enough!

Accounting for Individual Differences in the Workplace

Accounting for Individual Differences in the Workplace Introduction In today’s society, there is little doubt that individual differences are certainly important in the workplace as one of critical predictors of training outcome, individual productivity or stress at work. For the reason it affects us most in every way to name a few, we perceive and respond information, our abilities and skills such as logic, creativity and critics, etc., it is necessary for an organisation to understand, value and enjoy the benefits it would bring. This essay would write about the definition of individual differences to begin with; analysis individual differences in demographics, intelligence, and personality; some commonly mistaken assumption in measuring them and recommendation for improving it in selecting and managing people. The aim of the paper in the end is to provide some suggestions for managers to mitigate any false assumptions’ impacts in person differences’ assessment. What are individual differences? Studying individual differences is concerned with variations between one person to another, in other words, it is defined by Ashleigh and Mansi (2012:68) as â€Å"those parts of â€Å"us† which differentiate â€Å"us† from others†. Investigating individual differences is a continuing concern within organisations enables us to, in the view of predicting people’s behaviours, making team formation easier, in turn, managing the team more effectively while there is a common goal and value among team members. The facts remain that each individual is likely to have a regular pattern of behaviour towards similar situation. While there are other key differences between individuals, such as creativity, values, emotions, the scope of this essay will be focused on 3 key points in demographics, intelligence and personality and the way to measure them in a setting of organisational behaviour. Individual differences in demographics According to a definition provided by Ashleigh and Mansi (2012:80), it refers to â€Å"differences within a population group-such as race, age, income, disabilities, educational level, experience, marital status and gender†. For work psychologists, it is important to take those factors into consideration in order to know the group of people involved in research, and their impact on finding results if any in the way to design data application in reality. For example, in the research carried out by Tsui and O’Reilly (1989), some demographic factors, namely age, sex, race, education level, job tenure were used to investigate their impacts on the relationship of supervisors and subordinates. This study outlined that a negative relation between differences and work effectiveness had been reported, not mention to increased role ambiguity for subordinates. Hence, reducing dissimilarity from those factors mentioned above in job allocation and team formation is likely to improve work effectiveness. Moreover, criteria in demographics like age or experience can be employed as supporting factors in the generation-specific HR strategies. For example, young employees are looking for an attractive and supportive environment in which offers learning goal orientation, in exchange, they will display job commitment; while, this environment, on the balance of it, should retain a wealth of valuable knowledge and skills from the older ones (D’Amato and Herzfeldt, 2012). Thus, proper and suitable HR strategies should be given differently to each group. Additionally, while younger employees are, in a way, more creative, fast action, quick response to changes, especially with modern technology, risk-loving, but do lack of professional experiences coming with prices, as against with a bit conservative, slower in response to new changes, but a more professional way of working, rational decision-maker for the older ages. Therefore, it is undoubtedly true that when HR managers fit the job w ith a person or design training strategies for staff, demographic differences should be given a serious consideration to provide suitable programs. Individual differences in intelligence To explain the definition of â€Å"intelligence†, let just put it versus â€Å"ability†. While Wiseman (1967:290) declared that ability â€Å"is defined operationally by the performance of an individual in a specific situation†, for Cooper (1999:6), in general, â€Å"are any behaviours that can sensibly be evaluated† by either monitoring behaviour or asking others to give evaluation such as typing, reading a map, cooking, etc. On the other hand, as for intelligence Binet and Simon (1905) agreed that it has shown the ability to judge, understand and reason easily, while Vernon (1956) added â€Å"the more general qualities of thinking, level of concept developing, reasoning and grasping relations†. By comparison, the term ability has a broader meaning than that of intelligence which means â€Å"mental ability†. There is also a room opening for ongoing debate whether it is fixed or not, or nature-nurture debate. In the study of Dickens and Flynn (2006), increasing amount of nutrition, test familiarity, educational games, TV show complexity, etc. have been attributable to intelligence improvement. However, Lynn Vanhanen (2006) found that such IQ discrepancies found in across ethnicities, races, and nationalities are proposing â€Å"a difference in innate brain capacity†. Furthermore, Marks (2010) analysed the association between IQ and situational factor like literacy skills across time, nationality, and race.In addition, regarding to the nature-nurture debate, there are those who believed that only environmental factor is absolutely qualified enough to account for individual differences in intelligence Karmin (1977), however, nearly 20 years later, Mackintosh (1995) declared that heritability should be taken into consideration as well. In more details to what extent, Cooper (1999) ar gued that, with constant conditions, intelligence is influenced by genetic component to the extent of 50 60%. These results are consistent with other studies (Plomin et al. 2001; Neisser, 1996) and suggesting that genetic factor may account for more in IQ differences than environmental factors. Therefore, if we are fortunate enough to be born by clever parents and have appropriate educational training, it is possible that our IQ score can be shifted. That leads to another question, i.e How to measure intelligence?. In order to measure it, cognitive ability test which is a part of psychometric test has long been used to reflect individual’s intelligence quotient (IQ) (William Stern, 1912) is calculated as follows: a mental age divided by chronological age, and then multiplied it by 100. One of the most popular and widely used tests of intelligence is Wechsler Scales of Intelligence first introduced by David Wechsler in 1955. A great deal of research and literature has been taken place in the relationship of intelligence and work performance. This combination of findings provides some support for the conceptual premise that general intelligence is certainly a good predictor in assessment of job performance and training proficiency (Sakett et all., 2008; Furnham, 2005; Drasgow, 2003). Nevertheless, it is undoubtedly true while other conditions should stay the same, otherwise, this criteria is absolutely not the only variable that influences performance, but job knowledge and motivation, do also rate a mention here (Kamin, 1995). One of the advantages associated with psychometric test is that it provides a comparison ability in scores which based on the same standard within a group of people. Secondly, this kind of test offers a prediction of performance in a various settings. For example, to assess one’s ability in the recruitment process, situational judgement tests would be given, e.g asking reaction of salesman towards customer’s complaint. Particularly, in the context of the organisation, a great number of organisations have found these tests are effective enough, both in the sense of cost and means for employee selection in recruitment and after-training seasion. On the other hand, there exists some special skills which can not be assessed quickly and accurately through psychometric tests, such as hand and eye coordination (Cooper, 1999). In fact, some previous study found that about half to two-thirds of large companies apply psychometric testing in senior managers’ assessment in Europe (Cook, 2004; Furnham, 2004; Salgado, 1997), and 72% of UK organisations employed ability tests in selecting and assessing process (CIPD, 2007). Individual differences in personality There is a degree of lacking consensus around the terminology of personality. For Furnham (1997:161), the term refers to â€Å"enduring traits or characteristics that account for consistent patterns of responses†, later on, Pervin added (2004:6) more details in the sense of feeling, thinking and behaving. Although there have been some other ways to elaborate its definition, they all shared the common feature is that making every human beings unique in their interaction with the environment. The key theories of personality can be listed as follows: psychodynamic, behaviourist, humanistic, biological, trait and type and social-cognitive. However, due to limited scope, this essay will focus on behaviourist (Pavlov, Watson, Thorndike and Skinner, 1849-1990) and trait and type (Allport, Cattell and Eysenck, 1916-1998). Regarding behaviourist theory, they put emphasis on psychological investigation in observable, measurable behaviour regarded as the merely appropriate method. They stated that through reinforcement either punishment or reward, all behaviours can be modified. The environment can, however, initiate our initial response; but on the account of reinforcement experiences, our behaviours are possibly shaped, thus creating learnt associations which, in turn, direct our future behaviours provided in the same settings. As for the type and trait theory, their approach’s similarity lies in the fact that both of them consider grouping people into personality characteristics. While the type theory places people into discrete groups, as against with seeing personality feature as a continuum for trait theory. For example, a person would be considered either introvert or extrovert in a view of the type theory. By contrast, the trait theory (Allport, Cattell and Eysenck) would find anyone can be anywhere in the between of introvert and extrovert included those towards the extremes (Matthewman, et all., 2009) and that amount and type of trait would be constant. Later on, Costa and McGrae (1992) discovered the essence of traits had been found in 5 factors which were developed into â€Å"Ocean theory† mentioning about 5 traits, namely Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism. It is regarded as a widely acknowledged template in explaining the human personality†™s structure (Arnold, 2010). Although Ashleign and Mansi (2012) agreed that â€Å"trait theory is considered the most useful of personality theories for organisational psychologists† so far for its pattern of behaviour detection and classification, its limitations can not be overlooked. In particular, this approach not only offers frameworks in major pattern of behaviours, in which personality assessment can be constructed and employed (Bayne, 1994). However, the fact remains that human behaviours are affected by lots of situational factors (Bandura, 1999), thus individuals are highly unlikely to behave in the same way all the time (Armstrong, 2003). That is the reason why this approach will probably have a limited prediction in value to typical behaviours (Pervin, 1994). Moreover, it fails to explain how these 5 factors develop and the way of their influence on human behaviours which is the centre of work psychology’s interest. Therefore, Makin (1996) claimed that their level of anticipation is no t quite high. One question that needs to be asked, however, is whether reading Big Five traits may make people jump into conclusion too quickly that Neuroticism is something least favourable among all. The answer is it should be dependent on the situation and job’s characteristics. There are actually some jobs requiring a high N scale. For example, Spencer Lord, a HR specialist, says highly neurotic people are often strong in roles that require attention to detail, e.g positions in finance or compliance. Due to their natural caution for avoiding worry about consequences, they can also be very effective in assessing risk (2013). By contrast, being too extroverted may be associated with try to be dominant, attention seeking which are possibly not a good thing in teamwork. In addition, Robertson (2001) claimed that the strongest predictor of job performance is Conscientiousness. However, it failed to consider in a situation demanding being creative and innovate which high C scale usually lacks of. Futhermore, not mention of the fact that, especially in such a rapidly changing world, being adaptive and flexible is certainly necessary (Maltby, et all., 2013:414). Personal characteristics’ measurement probably remains significantly important in the occupational assessment process in organisations. In fact, there have been some popular ways, such as personality questionnaires which is another part of psychometric tests, interviewing and behavioural observation. Firstly, a personality questionnaire contains a lot of standardised statements which need to be responded by candidates. Those statements are filtered from a large database to the target group based on essential characteristics that an organisation needs to know (Matthewman at all., 2009). Their scores would be compared with that of specific group which is â€Å"norms† tables. Therefore, this kind of measurement is also called as â€Å"normative personality measurement†. For example, 16PF5 was developed from the Cattell model of personality, as for NEO-5 was based on the OCEAN model (Costa and McCrae, 1985), or the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is also a commonly used one. The fact remains that 56% of UK companies using personality tests at some point of their assessment procedure (CIPD, 2007). On the other hand, despite the great benefits that it offers if being applied in the right way, personality tests can not be trusted as the only source of assessment in people selection. Firstly, candidates may give fake answers in the way they think that would score them up in employers’ eyes. However, this problem can be mitigated by three ways, namely through direction as â€Å"be honest, no right and wrong answer†, social desirability (Crowne and Marlowe, 1964) and answers whose choices are forced. Secondly, the interview has long regarded as the most commonly used forms of people selection (Keenan, 1995). Although it was brought into criticism for being subject to bias and unreliability, some recent researches show that a structured interview with well trained interviewers is highly likely to improve its validity (Dipboye, 2005; Posthuma et al., 2002). Therefore, it is essential to ensure that those questions in the interview should be a job analysis related and consistent. Moreover, as for the interviewer, he should keep set of assessing criteria constant among interviewees in general, and in their responses in particular (Arnord et al., 2010), e.g: rating each answer with multiple rating scale, taking special notes, asking multiple interviewers if possible. Conclusion â€Å"In most situations it is best to use a combination of several personnel selection techniques to ensure fairness and accuracy†.

Effects of Low Health Literacy

Effects of Low Health Literacy Imogen Parker This assignment will discuss health literacy, its various influences and the effect of low health literacy levels on individuals and communities. The various methods and strategies that have been devised to alleviate low health literacy will also be examined. Since the World Health Organisation’s Alma Ata Declaration (WHO 1978), primary health care strategies and methods of effective communication have been established to promote health and improve health literacy. This essay will draw on examples of primary health care strategies employed in Australian communities and various methods for improving health literacy that can be actioned by health professionals and the wider health system. The concept of health literacy can be defined as the capacity of individuals to understand, access and apply health related information and services to maintain physical, mental and social wellbeing (WHO, 2009). Health literacy is essential in allowing individuals the ability to comprehend their own wellness or illness, make informed health decisions and seek appropriate and timely care through this comprehension. In 2012, 59% of Australians aged 15-74 years had inadequate levels of health literacy (AIWH 2012). Individuals’ health can be negatively affected in numerous ways and to different degrees by low health literacy levels. For example, individuals with poor literacy comprehension may be unable to complete personal detail or consent forms that are necessary for consultation or treatment by health care professionals. This may lead to the individual abandoning their attempt to access health care due to the embarrassment surrounding poor literacy skills, or for fear of being met with unhelpful condescension by health care professionals. Additionally, individuals with low literacy may be unable to comprehend essential information in mediums such as pamphlets, prescriptions or medication instructions. This lack of comprehension could have dire consequences for the individual; they may choose to take no medication, or incorrectly administer their medication which could result in harmful side effects. These consequences indicate a failure on the part of the health system or the health care provider, as they have either failed to clarify understanding during consultation with patients or have communicated or presented information in a way that is inaccessible for individuals with low literacy levels. Health literacy not only concerns individual health behaviour and lifestyle decisions, but requires an understanding of the wider societal influences on health. Social determinants of health such as income and employment, education and social exclusion (among a myriad of other factors) can affect an individual’s capacity to be health literate and health literacy itself is one of these determinants. (WHO 2009) Lower socioeconomic status has been historically attributed to lower literacy levels, which in turn affects the ability to be health literate. The social gradient is a prominent determinant of health; the lower the individual sits on the social class ladder often correlates with poorer health outcomes. (WHO 2003) It is evident that social, educational and economic inequalities contribute to the commodification of health care; something that the privileged can access and the disadvantaged may struggle to access and utilise. The effect of low health literacy in conjunction with socio-economic background can be observed through examining health status among the population of Australia. Chronic illnesses with high prevalence such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, respiratory disease and cancer can be influenced by risk factors such as obesity and tobacco smoking. (Department of Health 2012) Such risk factors can be inextricably linked to the aforementioned illnesses and may also indic ate the socio-economic status and health literacy level of the individuals who are affected. For example, an individual who was unemployed or had little income may be more likely to consume processed food as it is dramatically less expensive and less labour intensive to prepare than fresh, more nutritious ingredients. Inexpensive, processed food is often high in fat and low in nutrition, but can be purchased inexpensively and often in large quantities; making it an economical option. However affordable, regular consumption of these products can lead to individuals becoming over weight and potentially obese, which in turn can lead to subsequent conditions such as Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It is evident that societal and economic structures can influence health status profoundly and present barriers to good health that are fundamentally difficult for individuals to overcome (WHO 2003). The role of the healthcare system, health professionals and greater society must be examined and modified if health literacy is to be ameliorated. â€Å"If achieving health literacy is to be a goal, some rediscovery of the importance of health education needs to occur, together with a significant widening of the content and methods used† (Nutbeam 2006). The Primary Health Care approach aims to minimize health inequality between social classes and encourage good health for everyone. Primary health care ‘reflects and evolves from the economic conditions and sociocultural and political characteristics of the country and its communities’ (WHO 1978). Accordingly, health care providers must facilitate patients’ understanding and ability to self-manage their health by presenting health information that is accessible for individuals of all literacy levels. In direct communication with patients or clients, health professionals can employ the teach-back method to ensure comprehension by the patient. This provides an opportunity for questions to be asked and clarification to be achieved, thus promoting health literacy (Egbert Nanna 2009). The application of primary health care has been demonstrated as essential in addressing low health literacy and poor health status in Indigenous communities throughout Australia. One stra tegy for improving health literacy from a young age is the Family Planning Association of Western Australia (FPWA) Mooditj program: a community based sexual health education program for Indigenous youth in remote and rural areas. The program aims to educate individuals in early adolescence on sexual health and related issues. Mooditj uses informal discussion techniques to encourage participation and openness, and culturally relevant art and role playing activities to address sensitive topics concerning sexual and emotional health. The cultural and social relevance of the program was determined effectively through recognition of the various social determinants and cultural influences occurring throughout the community it served. The development involved extensive consultation with members of the community, parents and Aboriginal Elders regarding relevant health issues, effective methods of information delivery and ensuring that local language and customs were incorporated. Indigenous community members can be trained to deliver the Mooditj course and the sharing of information and experience between Mooditj facilitators and participants is encouraged in order to strengthen the integrity and scope of the program. The Pika Wiya Health Service in Port Augusta, SA provides the chronic disease self-management course, Life Improvements for Everyone (LIFE) to improve health literacy and health status in Indigenous communities. The LIFE program is peer-led and community focused, aiming to bridge health inequalities between the indigenous population and the wider Australian population. The program utilises individual care plans for clients with chronic illnesses (such as diabetes and heart disease) that are culturally appropriate and specific to their personal capabilities, health circumstances and goals. Both Mooditj and LIFE are consistent with the primary health care approach as the programs have been tailored to suit the health needs of the community with respect for culture and social circumstances. Furthermore, such programs can facilitate increased community capacity and engagement in health education, contributing to improving levels of health literacy. The essence of successful health education programs is empowerment; where individuals have greater control and confidence in their ability to manage their own health. Health education that is accessible to all literacy levels, is culturally reflective and developed with consideration of the social determinants of health has great potential to reduce the prevalence of preventable chronic illnesses in both the Indigenous community and the wider Australian population. Efforts to improve health literacy and encourage a healthy population must be holistic in nature and motivated by empowerment and equality across all areas of society. Effective promotion of health literacy among the individuals and communities which the health profession serves will need to reflect on the social determinants of health and how they are interconnected with health literacy and health status. References Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation 2007, Success Stories in Indigenous Health, pp.28-29, September 2007, viewed 1/4/15. https://antar.org.au/sites/default/files/successstories.pdf> Australian Government Department of Health 2011, Discussion of the four key health issues, National Women’s Health Policy, viewed 1/4/15. http://www.health.gov.au/internet/publications/publishing.nsf/Content/womens-health-policy-toc~womens-health-policy-key~womens-health-policy-key-literacy> Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2012, Australia’s Health 2012, Australias health no. 13., Canberra, 2012, viewed 1/4/15. http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/?id=10737422172> Department of Health and Families 2009, Revision of the Preventable Chronic disease strategy, Background Paper: Preventable Chronic diseases in Aboriginal Populations, Northern Territory, April 2009, viewed 1/4/15. http://health.nt.gov.au/library/scripts/objectifyMedia.aspx?file=pdf/47/68.pdf> Egbert, N., Nanna, K. 2009, ‘Health Literacy: Challenges and Strategies’, The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, vol. 14, no.3. Family Planning Association of Western Australia2004, The Mooditj manual: a sexual health and life skills program for Aboriginal youth, FPWA, Northbridge, W.A. Nutbeam, D. 2006, ‘Health literacy as a public health goal: a challenge for contemporary health education and communication strategies into the 21st century’, Health Promotion International, vol. 15, no.3, pp.259-267. Sexual and Reproductive Health, WA 2015, Mooditj Leader Training, viewed 1/4/15.  http://www.srhwa.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Mooditj-Leader-Training-2015.pdf> Strobel, NA., Ward, J. 2012, Education programs for Indigenous Australians about sexually transmitted infections and bloodborne viruses, Resource sheet no. 12 for the Closing the Gap Clearinghouse, Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies. World Health Organisation 1978, Declaration of Alma Ata, International Conference on Primary Health Care,Alma-Ata, USSR,12th of September 1978. World Health Organisation 2003, The Solid Facts, Social Determinants of Health, viewed 1/4/15. http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/98438/e81384.pdf> World Health Organisation 2009, Track 2: Health literacy and health behaviour, viewed 1/4/15.  http://www.who.int/healthpromotion/conferences/7gchp/track2/en/>

Existentialism in Albert Camus The Plague and Samuel Becketts Waiting

All of the characters in The Plague and Waiting For Godot exist in their fictional worlds. However, none is able to explain why. Neither work gives the reader an explanation of human existence except to say that humans exist. Providing an answer to the question of existence would constitute a paradox. To an existentialist, if you answer the question, then you've missed the whole point. Existentialism is a philosophy that emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of the individual experience in a hostile or indifferent universe, regards human existence as unexplainable, and stresses freedom of choice and responsibility for the consequences of one's acts (Bigelow 134). Basically, existentialism addresses man's existence. An existentialist believes that man does not exist under God or as part of a society or race. Man does exist, and that is all. An explanation as to why man exists cannot be found. Finally, an individual exists not as a function of a greater good or evil; thus, the individual is free to live his life (135). Existentialism as a literary movement is most often associated with post World War II France. The images that come to mind are of Frenchmen with uncombed beards, smoky basement cafes, and beatniks conversing with one another on the subject of despair between sips of absinthe. However, many of the most prominent existentialist writers had rigorous and significant experiences in the Resistance during the Nazi occupation of France (Lottman 54). Out of true despair they formed ideas and posed questions of great importance. They sought to understand and explain human existence. They concluded that existence is to be acknowledged, but can never be explained. Two existentialist works are Samuel Beckett's Waiti... ... them to reevaluate their relations to others and to question their own existence. At first, most citizens assume that they will not get the plague, but they soon realize that even they are not immune to it. In this way they question their own humanity and are faced with something bigger than they have ever contemplated. They, like Vladimir and Estragon, are unable to come up with answers. All of the characters in The Plague and Waiting For Godot exist in their fictional worlds. However, none is able to explain why. Neither work gives the reader an explanation of human existence except to say that humans exist. Providing an answer to the question of existence would constitute a paradox. To an existentialist, if you answer the question, then you've missed the whole point. The key is in asking the question. The realization is in accepting that there is no answer

Leadership in Milton’s Paradise Lost, Cavendish’s Blazing World, and Ot

Leadership in Milton’s Paradise Lost, Cavendish’s Blazing World, and Shakespeare’s Othello and Hamlet Critical thinkers are the strongest people in the world—not only are they able to form their own opinions, but these individuals are also versatile enough to listen to their counsel for the best advice. They have learned when to be flexible and when to be stubborn—and they’ve realized who’s a snake in the grass and who deserves paramount respect. To live happily ever after, or even just to survive, a person must learn from the best. Leaders are no exception to the rule. Whether they come from a royal family, are spontaneously appointed, or are the only ones around and therefore lead by default, leaders must detect and discern the truth, using all of the empirical experience and intuitive senses that mankind has had bestowed upon them. In addition to all their duties, a good leader must be a critical thinker. Simply put, a leader’s ability to listen to another opinion speaks volumes about their character. In John Milton’s Paradise Lost, Margaret Cavendish’s Blazing World, and William Shakespeare’s tragedies of Othello and Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, there are a tremendous variety of leaders and counselors who all have different circumstances, yet all may be analyzed through twos common themes: The measures of innocence verses experience and passion verses reason in leadership positions. Some of the leaders that will be in focus don’t always play the part. Some aren’t always so innocent. But if we look at how characters with leadership roles treat their counsel—whether those advisors are family, friends, lovers or superiors—we will not simply learn more about the literature we study, but we may apply what we learn to o... ...25. Knight, G. Wilson. â€Å"The Embassy of Death: An Essay on Hamlet.† The Wheel of Fire: Interpretations of Shakespearean Tragedy. London: Methuen & Co. Ltd., 1930. Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Portable Machiavelli. Eds. Peter Bondanella and Mark Musa. New York: The Viking Press, 1979. McAlpine, Alistair. The New Machiavelli: The Art of Politics in Business. New York: John Wiley & Sons Inc., 1998. Milton, John. Paradise Lost. 1674. Ed. Scott Elledge. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1993. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. The Tragedies of Shakespeare. Players Illustrated Edition. Chicago: Spencer Press, Inc., 1955. Wood, Tanya Caroline. â€Å"The Fall and Rise of Absolutism: Margaret Cavendish’s Manipulation of Masque Conventions in ‘The Claspe: Fantasmes Masque’ and The Blazing World.† In-between: Essays and Studies in Literary Criticism. 2000.

Lifestyle – Then and Now

Lifestyle is the way a person lives. The human body and mind have adequately adapted to their changing lifestyle. Many factors have affected the lifestyle of a person – technology, health, environment, culture, society, etc. One of the biggest changes that affected mankind has been the discovery of fire and the wheel. Many years and discoveries later, it was the invention of electricity. Due to electricity, technology developed. Technology has changed all the fields such as – warfare, agriculture, transportation – air, sea and land travel, , manufacturing, medicine, communication, information, etc.With the advancement of the human race, many new inventions and discoveries were added to the ever growing list. But along with the advantages, it brought some disadvantages as well. Earlier people had more interaction with each other. There was no TV or computer to distract them. They were able to spend time with each other and they were more relaxed. The TV and the co mputer have become a kind of addiction for most of the people now and they find it hard to stop using it. Now most of the time both the parents would be working long hours and there is no time for them to be with their family.They are stressed out most of the time and are too tired to talk even when they get some free time. In earlier days not many people had a car. There might be one car in the whole neighbourhood. It was something that only the rich could afford. Most people used the public transport or walked if they wanted to go somewhere. Walking was a part of life and not considered to be a great task. Many people lived as joint families in large houses with many children, aunts, uncles, and other relatives.There was always someone to talk to, someone to share the household chores with, etc. With the advancement of technology, nuclear families have emerged. It has brought with it more independence for the individual but more loneliness as well. All in all, lifestyle has change d significantly from the days of the early caveman to the present day technology savvy man. There have been both positive and negative changes that have happened. In the years ahead, many more changes will still take place. The human race will continue to adapt and evolve to embrace these changes.

The Role of Civil Society in the

THE ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE DEMOCRATISATION PROCESS IN BOTSWANA INTRODUCTION One of the approaches to democratization is the fostering of civil society organizations. Botswana`s civil society organizations have a role to play in the country’s democratization process. As stated by Maundeni (2005) the argument is that the non-partisan character of Botswana’s civic organisations has not prevented them from participating actively in democratising the public space.In fact civil society has been portrayed as the prime catalyst for promoting democratisation process in developing countries, Africa in particular. This paper attempts to examine the above assertion in Botswana and posits the roles and contributions of civil society to democratisation process. CONCEPTS AND DEFINITONS WHAT IS CIVIL SOCIETY? The issue of defining what constitutes Civil Society is very controversial; it is defined in various ways. Indeed, the use of these terms in many instances depends on place and time, country and the existing legal framework for registering civil society organizations.Other factors include membership, mission, and form of organization and levels of operation. The World Bank defines civil society/NGOs as: â€Å"An association, society, foundation, charitable trust, non-profit corporation, or other juridical person that is not regarded under the particular legal system as part of the governmental sector and that is not operated for profit — viz. , if any profits are earned, they are not and cannot be distributed as such. It does not include trade unions, political parties, profit-distributing cooperatives, or churches. According to the Commission of European Communities â€Å"Civil society includes the following groups: trade unions and employers’ organizations (social partners); organizations representing social and economic players which are not social partners in the strict sense of the term†¦ non-governmental organizations which b ring people together in common cause, such as environmental organizations, human rights organizations, charities, professional associations, grass roots organizations; organizations that involve citizens in local and municipal life with a particular contribution from churches and religious communities.At one level, civil society can be described as all organized activity not associated with major institutional systems: government and administration, education and health delivery, business and industry, security and organized religion. They include religious/faith based organizations, cooperatives, trade unions, academic institutions, community and youth groups (Judge 1996). Civil societies are therefore created in the public interests and can do things which neither of the other national development actors-the government and the corporate sector-can do on their own.Civil societies would have as their main objective the improvement in the lives of the poorest and disadvantaged. This is where there is a role for the state: Harriss & de Rienzo (1997) suggest that the role played by civil society organizations will depend on the wider political setting, and on ways in which inequalities of power and resources are dealt with in the economic and political arena. DEMOCRACY The word is derived from the Greek word demos, which mean people rule. It can be defined as a system where the authority has its legitimacy in the will of what the people have expressed.Democracy at the same time puts demands on how the people’s will should come to expression. Two principles should apply political equality and principles of freedom. The first principle defines political citizenship and focuses on who should be involved in the political process. The second principle concerns freedoms of all kinds of political opinions that may be expressed during the political process. Democratic government aspires to serve under â€Å"the people† rather than ruling over them. Implemen ting some form of a voting system, usually involving indirect representation pursues this ideal.It shares links with the concept of a republic. DEMOCRATIZATION Like Civil society, the definition of democratisation has consistently been subjected to analytical scrutiny by social scientists, in particular, the political scientists. In his definition, Conteh-Morgan (1998) argues that democratisation is an increase in political equality and a decrease in coercive rule. Others argue that democratisation is synonymous to democratic consolidation and or the deepening of democratic practices (Diamond et al; 1995). It implies a process through which a political system becomes democratic.It is a process that is made up and caused by different factors; these can be connected with political or socio-economic structures and political institutions in which they act. It is a transition to democratic political systems, where democratic systems are taken to be those approximating to universal suffra ge, regular elections, a civil society, the rule of law and an independent judiciary. CIVIL SOCIETY AND DEMOCRATIZATION PROCESS IN BOTSWANA Civil society can be regarded as organisational life that is voluntary, self-generating, self-supporting, and autonomous from the state, and bound by a legal order or set of shared rules.It consists of a vast array of organisations, both formal and informal: interest groups, cultural and religious organisations, civil and developmental associations, issue-oriented movements, the mass media, research and educational institutions, and similar organisations. The difference between these groups and other society groups is that they are concerned with and act in the public realm, relate to the state (without seeking to win control over it), and encompass and respect pluralism and diversity.Civil society consists out of individuals from different groups who are seeking change within a society. Through organising themselves in various forms of protests to show that they demand their rights, civil society has proved to be powerful when a few societies have transformed from non-democracies into democracies. This implies that the functioning of democracy requires a strong civil society, but a civil society that is politicised, and interacts with the state through concrete participation in decision-making processes.TYPES OF CIVIL SOCIETY AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO DEMOCRATISATION Research and Advocacy Groups: these are few without a membership base but effective think-tank research and policy advocacy NGOs. They have easy access to the Botswana policy makers and have established cordial relationship with the foreign donors. Some of these organisations do not only participate in drafting key policy documents for the governments, they also consult for the present regime on governance, economic, security and development issues.They have contributed significantly through research and advocacy to deepen democratic practices under the pres ent government. In his 2005 edition, Maudeni outlined the role of Democracy Research Project (DRP consisting of a academics) in the democratisation process. He showed that the DRP brought together different stakeholders in a way creating a platform where debates would be initiated and set in motion discussion about ways in which Botswana`s democracy might be improved. Maundeni reckons thus,the non-partisan DRP seeks to spark a democratisation debate nationally and infact has done so on past occassions.It has brought together politicians, academics, civil servants, journalists and traditional chiefs were brought together in a forum in which government politicians and officials did not exercise control over its proceedings. Human Rights and Democracy Advocacy Groups: Women NGOs These organisations advocated for the equality and recognition of women in the society, they were headed by a group of educated and committed women who provided leadership and who have worked as volunteers to b ring these organizations to where they are today.The groups include Young Women Christian Association, or Botswana Council of Women. Somolokae (1988) relates that these organisations have been dealing with purely welfare matters for decades and they enjoyed a good relationship with the state. Then during the mid-1980s, radical women’s groups entered the political scene. Examples here included Emang Basadi, and Metlhaetsile. From the onset, these organizations set out to challenge the state on policy issues. Emang Basadi was formed in 1984 to pressure the government to repeal all legislations which were discriminatory against women.At first, the reception was bad. Overtime, Emang Basadi together with other NGOs, began to network and push as a united front. When not much progress was being made, the groups under the leadership of Emang Basadi switched focus to a political agenda. The organization came up with a political education project to sensitize women about their politica l rights, encouraging them to vote for candidates who are committed to addressing the issues and concerns of women. This strategy seems to have worked as more women than ever showed interest in political power. Ditshwanelo – Botswana Center for Human RightsThe Botswana Centre for Human Rights was established in 1993 and since then has remained the only organisation in Botswana dealing with all aspects of human rights. It advocate for changes in laws, policies and practices, and to raise public awareness of rights and responsibilities and also provide paralegal services to those earning less than the minimum wage. Ditshwanelo also targeted its campaigns on the death penalty. In its recent statement commemorating World Day against the Death Penalty on October 10 2012, the NGO remains opposed to the death penalty vows to continue to campaign for its abolition in Botswana. t states that it is particularly concerned about the secretive and arbitrary conduct by the Government of Bo tswana, in its administration of the death penalty. The group also has partnership with other rights-focused organisations in Botswana, such as those focusing on gender equality or the rights of those affected by HIV/AIDS, complementing the work of its partners, and focusing on issues least supported by others, including the Basarwa / San (Bushmen), sexual minorities and domestic workers. Trade Unions These are organisations established to influence policies in favour of their members.They are very active in influencing economic and less of political policies. One of the leading and effective members of this group is the Botswana Federation of Public Service Union BOFEPUSU,it is popular in mobilizing workers to go on strike when the need arises and the government is aware of this strength as experienced in 2011. Inaugurating a New Trade Union Education Centre at Gaborone, Botswana on July 10, 1971, President Seretse Khama discussed the role of trade unions – present and futur e – in his country.He states â€Å"Free trade unions are an essential instrument of participatory democracy. It is through such unions that the workers can not only defend their interests but also make a positive contribution to national development. And if this contribution is to be effective trade unions must be free. They will not be an effective instrument of participatory democracy if they are manipulated by government, or by a political party or by any external agency. A trade union movement must seek to maintain the confidence of all its members irrespective of party affiliation.It must not become the agent of a political party. We in Botswana have given trade unions freedom to represent their members' interests and to guide the aspirations of our workers so that they make a productive contribution to national growth. We have not given them freedom to promote the interests of political parties or external powers. † In summary, below are the four broad roles that the civil society has been playing to deepen its contribution to the democratisation processes. Monitoring Role- This varies from one programme and organisation to another.The monitoring of the executive and legislatures for accountability and good governance for instance are most prevalent among the specialised research and advocacy NGOs while census, elections and budget implementation monitoring are common among the Network and coalitions. They have been performing this role, pointing to mistakes and how governments can overcome such mistakes. Capacity Building Role- Training and sensitization of citizens on their democratic and human rights and how these rights can be protected e. g. he rights of the citizens to hold accountable the elected representatives etc. This capacity building is not restricted to the citizens alone, the elected representatives have also benefited from such trainings e. g. , democratic control of military and security establishments, the making of partic ipatory and gender sensitive budgets etc. Another remarkable, although, ongoing contribution of civil society to the process of democratisation in Botswana; is the campaign for a new constitution for the country through the convocation of a sovereign national conference.Disciplinary Role- finally, the civil society has also been mobilising the citizens and call on government to discipline some of the elected representatives and bureaucrats for misconduct while in office through recalls and dismissal (though they have not been successful in this role). More efforts and capacity building- training and fiscal resources are needed to be successful in this role. The challenges of civil society Usually they represent only those sections of the population that are strong and self-aware.The viewpoints of civil society sometimes are conflicting and contradictory and there is a high possibility of susceptibility to foreign governments or foreign groups particularly if the CSO/NGO receives Int ernational funding. Sometimes, people working or serving in civil society are drawn to this sector due to the potential incomes they expect to receive rather than the ideology. This is particularly true with people working in NGOS. CONCLUSIONThe paper critically analysed the roles and contributions of civil society to the process of democratisation in Botswana and argued that the types of civil society and its advocacy strategies to a large extent determine the level of civil society’s contribution to democratic process. Investing in civil society groups whose activities have found resonance with the population is one way to promote the democratization of politics and the full participation of the citizenry in public life.The civil society must continue to employ a collective advocacy role to mobilize consensus for a national agenda of democratization, peace building and national reconciliation. Moving away from individualized, fragmented and disorganized advocacy to collecti ve advocacy is essential to becoming a strong countervailing force. It can also be concluded that civil society plays a critical role in strengthening democracy in that, it brings about the movement from a bureaucratic administration to a more representative administration.Civil society brings about active co-operation and an on-going commitment in the process of policy formulation and implementation between politicians, senior management, frontline workers, and citizens. Civil society encourages the divergence from the traditional regime-driven policy process to one where there is a multiplicity of negotiated determinants of the problem identification, formulation of policy principles, setting of objectives, development of options according to agreed criteria, and the formulation of an implementation strategy.The manner in which this is done and the contribution at various stages in the process characterize democracy. The dynamism of linkages underscored above ascribes to democracy as being about partnerships of all stakeholders in an endeavour to bring about synergies of efforts and resources. The civil society also strengthens democracy through fostering of complex relationships, not only among different institutions of state, but among all the stakeholders, from the most powerful titans to the poorest and most vulnerable people on society's marginsREFERENCES I. Commonwealth Foundation (1995): â€Å"Non-Governmental organization: Guidelines for Good Policy and Practice,† London. II. Conteh-Morgan Earl (1997), Democratization in Africa: the theory and dynamics of political transitions, Preager Pub. Westport, USA III. Diamond, L; Linz Juan; and Lipset Seymour (1995) Politics in Developing Countries: comparing experiences with democracy (Second Edition), Pub Lynne Rienner, London. IV. Emang Basadi (1998) Political Education Project: A Strategy that Works Gaborone: Lentswe la Lesedi. V. Judge, A. 1996) Interacting fruitfully with uncivil society: the Dil emma for Non Civil Society Organizations, (Transnational Associations, Washington DC, ) VI. Holm J. (1996) â€Å"Development, Democracy and Civil Society in Botswana,† in Leftwitch (ed). I. Policy Press, U. K. II. Maundeni Z. (2005) 40 Years of Democracy in Botswana 1965-2005 III. Somolekae G. (1998) Democracy, Civil Society and Governance in Africa :The Case of Botswana IV. The World Bank (1997): International Center for Not-for-profit Law, 1997. Handbook on Good Practices Relating to Non-Governmental Organizations, Washington