Critical Analysis of Turkey's Accession to the European Union Research Paper

Critical Analysis of Turkey's Accession to the European Union - Research Paper Example This essay will involve significant barriers and issues that have stood in the way of Turkey like human rights, law and other reforms they need to undertake. After this, the paper will try to predict the possibilities of EU entry for Turkey. The origins of the European Union can be traced back to the 1951 Treaty of Paris which established the European Coal and Steel Community. This came after the lack of cooperation and the alignment of old enemies in Europe had culminated in the two World Wars. The Second World War saw the utter destruction of the most civilized continent on the planet. The subsequent formation of the United Nations with the view of promoting human rights and global security formed the framework which gave the impetus for cooperation between nations in sub-regions. This paper stresses that the European Union is a supranational organization which is meant to build a common future for its member states through the coordination of policies within these nations. The European Union focuses on International Economic Integration of member states and this is done through free trade, customs unions, common markets and economic unions. The European Union is made up of people with majorities that are linguistically Indo-European and religiously Christians . Only Estonia is the nation that does not have these two features in its majority population. The enlargement of the European Union is done on a case-by-case basis. ... ean Union focuses on International Economic Integration of member states and this is done through free trade, customs unions, common markets and economic unions5. The primary goal or finalite politique of the European Union is to create a Federal Europe committed to welfare, security and prosperity to its member states and citizens6. This implies that the European Union is mainly focused on promoting important changes in the social and economic well being through the sharing of commonalities and the promotion of trade and other activities that promote wealth generation and economic growth. Culturally, the European Union is made up of people with majorities that are linguistically Indo-European and religiously Christians7. Only Estonia is the nation that does not have these two features in its majority population8. Entry to the European Union Although Turkey has strong connections to the European Union in both the historical and geographical sense, it is officially not a member of the European Union. This is because there are some important entry rules that all aspiring nations need to adhere to. Turkey's position on this subject wavers and they have to adjust to meet most of them. Traditionally, the enlargement of the European Union is done on a case-by-case basis9. This is because before a member state joins, members in good standing will need to examine their status and acceptability before granting them the right to accede into the Union. A notable case is that of the United Kingdom which had its application for membership vetoed by Charles de Gaulle's France on several occasions. However, in the case of the Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs), the extension was done through a systematic approach where a group of aspiring member states were given some

Organizational Theory, Design, and change Essay

Organizational Theory, Design, and change - Essay Example As such, it is common for organizations to improve their operations by minimizing production or operational costs for non-profit organizations. Such organizations are known to be efficient and will therefore charge low amount for their goods or services due to the low costs of production. The customers are also able to get quality services at affordable rates. Moreover, through motivation of employees, the company is able to retain loyal and efficient employees, which improves its social image within the community where it operates. Through proper social responsibility strategies, the government is able to associate with the organization and this will further enhance its image. A properly managed organization will consider an approach that will lay emphasis on initial impetus, focus, alignment, proper planning and adaptation so as to ensure value to the consumers. It is clear that entrepreneurship will set the foundation for creating value in an organization since the entrepreneur de fines the goals and the tradition of the organization. They provide the initial leadership in the organization by setting the objectives and acquiring the necessary resources. The entrepreneur also establishes the management of the organization. ... It could therefore be a conflict between the management and the investors or the management and the employees or even all employees against the investors. These conflicts could include difference in management ideologies between the management and other stakeholders, difference in targets set by different quarters of the organization and expected remuneration or reward for various achievements. In most organizations, agency problems normally occur when the management misuse the authority bestowed upon them by the other stakeholders. This is in such acts as using that authority for their own benefit at the expense of the company goals. The agency problems can be generalised as adverse selection where the investor doubts the capability of the management to promote his interest and moral hazard, where behaviour of the representative is deemed to be capable of causing harm to the organization. It is important to note that agency problem is mainly caused by mistrust and in some cases, neg ligence. Sadly though, the problem exists in every organization in one way or the other. Several efforts or actions are taken towards solving agency problems and they include: screening processes to reduce misbehaviour, offering incentives to the employees and management for positive results and achievements, well defined punishments for poor behaviour such as suspension and unpaid leaves to ensure strict adherence to the company’s principles. The company may even be forced to employ supervisors who are charged with the responsibility of checking such compliance. This method could be referred to as watchdog police. Other modes of solving agency problem are

Mike Tyson Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mike Tyson - Research Paper Example He lived in the Bedford-Stuveyesant district of Brooklyn but his family experienced tremendous hardship in this area which eventuated a move to the Brownsville region. Tyson was a poor student and struggled in his daily life. This was only compounded by the death of his mother when Tyson was sixteen years old. This event had a tremendous impact on Tysons personal and professional life and it eventually led to his involvement in boxing. He would later say, â€Å""I never saw my mother happy with me and proud of me for doing something: She only knew me as being a wild kid running the streets, coming home with new clothes that she knew I didnt pay for. I never got a chance to talk to her or know about her. Professionally, it has no effect, but its crushing emotionally and personally" (Heller, pg. 79). During this period Tyson became involved with boxing trainer Cus DAmato who would work with Tyson and hone his boxing skills in the amateur ranks. This relationship would come to be a str ong bond that would result in DAmato becoming Tysons eventual legal guardian. Its also been argued that later in life the loss of DAmato would have a tremendous adverse impact on Tysons direction and professional career. After the death of Tysons mother he became increasingly involved with juvenile delinquency and fighting. Its been noted by a number of researchers that Tysons first fight was with another individual who had killed one of his prized birds (OConnor). This juxtaposition of Tysons ferocious side with an almost childlike and sensitive innocence have become a recurrent narrative throughout Tysons life. Tyson also experienced a great amount of conflict that is related to the rather unique, high-pitched voice, as children would oftentimes tease him resulting in furthered shows of aggression. Eventually Tyson was sent to the Tryon School for Boys juvenile detention center, where he was discovered by a former boxer that would

Views against suicide Essay Example for Free

Views against suicide Essay Jessie mothers remarks to commit suicide is to accept the logic of the absurd but in some small way to triumph over it. (p. 24) Psychiatrists believe that committing suicide is self-abuse and self-murder (masturbation and suicide). Both behaviors became the bogeys of the psychoanalysts as well. In 1910, Freud concluded the first essay in which he specifically addressed the subject of suicide with these words: Let us suspend our judgment till experience has solved this problem. (Freud, 1910). What is the problem? It was know[ing] how it becomes possible for the extraordinarily powerful life instinct to be overcome. In 1917, Freud announced his famous solution self-murder is aggression turned against the self: [N]o neurotic harbors thoughts of suicide which he has not turned back upon himself from murderous impulses against others (Freud, 1917). Freuds far-reaching generalization is a sobering reminder of the influential influence of the religious-psychiatric tradition: He treats suicide as if it were a unitary occurrence. David Hume (1711-1776) would wholly disagree with Jessie, arguing that suicide is not contrary to love of self, of neighbor, or of God. Hume claimed that even assuming the truth of Aquinass theism, one requirement of not preclude suicide from being rational and moral. That is, if it is consistently permissible to encroach on divine providence by disturbing the operations of diverse natural laws (by curing diseases and the like), then, by parity of reasoning, it ought to be similarly permissible to commit suicide. Moreover, couldnt a person commit suicide while expressing gratitude to God for the good she has enjoyed and for the ability to escape her current misery? After all, Aquinas allowed self-inflicted killings when one is divinely commanded to do so! Hume, a known skeptic on religious matters, is being ever so ironical and sardonic in his essay. When I fall upon my own sword, therefore I receive my death equally from the hands of the deity as if it had proceeded from a lion, a precipice, or a fever. There is no being which possesses any power or faculty, that it receives not from its Creator, nor is there any one, which by ever so irregular an action, can encroach upon the plan of his providence, or disorder the universe. Its operations are his works equally with that chain of events which it invades; and whichever principle prevails, we may for that very reason conclude it to be most favored by him (Hume, 1783). Moreover, Ecclesiastic law still forbids suicide, and religious penalties against the act are, nominally, still in force. However, as soon as secular law recognized insanity as an excuse for suicide, so, too, did canon law. For approximately the past century, rabbinic and church authorities alike have classified suicides as ipso facto non compos, permitting them to receive normal religious burial services. The Encyclopedia of the Jewish Religion states: Judaism does not consider the individual as the owner or unlimited master of his own life; consequently, suicide, which amounts in rabbinic thought to murder, is strictly forbidden. . . . However, recent rabbinic ruling considers the suicide as being of unsound mind, and as such he is allowed to be interned [sic] with others. (R. J. Z. Werblowsky and G. Wigoder, p. 367). The Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant clergy use the same formula for annulling the sinfulness of suicide. After a well-known Catholic American killed himself and was given an elaborate burial, a spokesman explained: Today it is the churchs feeling that a person must be crazy to commit suicide. And we place the insane in the hands of God, for his mercy and his judgment. . . . The church will not judge [him]. (San Francisco Chronicle, 22 October 1983, p. 3) Roman law expanded the criteria that made suicide morally acceptable. For example, tedium vitae a mental state we are likely to call depression, but is better rendered as having had enough (of life) -was a justification for it (A. J.L. van Hoof, p. 122). However, Roman law prohibited the suicide of slaves, because they destroyed not themselves but their masters property; and of defendants accused of crime, because their deed prevented the law from determining whether they were guilty or not. If their deed was interpreted as signifying guilt, the law required that their corpse be denied ritual burial and their property be confiscated. Christian canon law adopted the practice of denying religious burial to the suicides corpse, and medieval English criminal law reinstated the penalty of forfeiting the suicides property (A.J. L. van Hoof, p. 16). Views for suicide Jessie claims the decision to be a rational one, a logical conclusion to a life that has lost its true meaning; there are disturbing glimpses of another motivation. To begin with she is on medication, which has given her an apparent sense of clarity and equanimity. If she is herself, then, she is so by virtue of chemical intervention, though there are hints of an obsessive behavior not touched by her medicine. She has a notepad in her pocket which contains a checklist, a countdown to annihilation. She is, she explains, cold all the time, and longs for the dark and quiet of death, a place where nobody can get me †¦ Dead is everybody and everything I ever knew, gone. Dead is dead quiet (night Mother, p. 16). She likens herself to Jesus, whom she suddenly perceives as a suicide (I didnt know I thought that) (p. 17). Though, well known philosopher may agree with Jessie as Margolis takes suicide to be essentially a matter of choosing death for its own sake. In the case of genuine suicide, according to Margolis, the victims overriding concern is to end his own life. (1975) Moreover, Immanuel Kant claims that the exercise of freedom in self-destruction is self-contradictory. He seems to favor, however, the moral heroism of Cato (a Roman statesman who killed himself rather than surrender to Julius Caesar), but does not label it a suicide, since Cato was presumably attempting to rescue his personal integrity and not intending to destroy himself. That is, despite his antisuicide stance, Kant claims that there are times when life ought to be sacrificed. If I cannot preserve my life except by violating my duties towards myself, I am bound to sacrifice my life rather than violate these duties. He views humanity in ones own person as inviolable. Suicide, by contrast, treats our personhood as a thing; it reduces us to the stage of a beast. Persons, for Kant, are ends-in-themselves, having the capability for autonomy and rationality that comprise their humanity. Jessie suicidal act goes with Kant view of life. According to him, Life is not more important than virtue. To live is not a necessity; but to live honorably while life lasts is a necessity. Kant maintains that the fabric of society is destabilized by those who advocate a right to suicide and romanticize it somewhat in the progression. Nonetheless, pace his categorical imperative, it seems suicide can be universalized on Kantian grounds, e. g. , anyone whose situation in life is such that his or her continued existence would cause others a greater amount of suffering than his or her suicide must commit suicide. Conclusion According to the sources discuss, it can be said that argument against suicide are more powerful and it is definitely goes against Jesse’s suicide. Jessie chooses to shoot herself with her fathers gun, and if not with that then with her husbands. These were the two men she loved, the two men who might have saved her had they not left, derelict her in their different ways. There is no irony in the choice. The man who saw her into life, and perhaps tainted her blood with the seeds of epilepsy, now ushers her out. At the same time, Thelma, apparently disengaged, separated from her daughter by a sense of guilt and mutual incomprehension, and finds herself deeply committed to saving her. While her mother philosophy was Things happen. You do what you can about them and see what happens next (p. 39) is not without its logic or ethics. Moments before her daughters death, indeed, this woman, who until now has appeared content to drift through life, unquestioningly, can be explained as nearly unconscious from the emotional devastation †¦ so far beyond what is known as pain that she is virtually unreachable'(p.52). For the first time in her life she knows what she is living for and though she will be frustrated in her attempts to save Jessie, Jessie, perhaps, may have saved her in so far as she has lured her back into the world. Work Cited Catholic Church Says It Wont Judge White, San Francisco Chronicle, 22 October 1983, p. 3. A. J. L. van Hoof, From Autothanasia to Suicide, (London: Rutledge, 1990) p. 122. Freud, Contributions to a Discussion on Suicide (1910), in SE [Standard Edition], vol. 11, p. 232. Essays on Suicide, and the Immortality of the Soul, ascribed to the late David Hume, Esq. â€Å"Two Letters on Suicide†, from Rosseaus [sic] Eloisa (1783) Freud, Mourning and Melancholia (1917), SE, vol. 14, p. 252 Joseph Margolis, Negativities: The Limits of Life (Columbus, 1975), pp. 23-36. Marsha Norman, night Mother (New York, 1983). R. J. Z. Werblowsky and G. Wigoder, eds. , The Encyclopedia of the Jewish Religion, p. 367. Richard B. Brandt, The Morality and Rationality of Suicide, in Handbook for the Study of Suicide, edited by Seymour Perlin, pp 61-76, 1975. U S. News and World Report (April 9, 1984): 18.

EU’s Policy for Former Socialist States of Central Europe

EU’s Policy for Former Socialist States of Central Europe Josef Borocz on the Basis of the EU’s Policy Toward Former Socialist States of Central Europe Based on the Legacy of the Cold War Integration of Eastern Bloc states into the European Union (EU) has been markedly slow in comparison to its Western counterparts. Borocz and Larry Woolf assert that the stagnant, near-blocking motion of Western European-dominated organizations such as the EU carries with it a sociological, longue-duree contingent, identified by the historical and intellectual alienation of Eastern Bloc nations as a pervading â€Å"other† as perceived from the Age of Enlightenment. While there is significant merit to this argument, the geopolitical realities facing EU expansion throughout the continent outweigh the human facilities of traditional discrimination. With conflicted parties considering Turkey in the periphery of EU membership, the paradox of exclusion through minimal membership as outlined by Borocz and Woolf lends more toward matters of security and economic development rather than a notion as simplistic as the longue-duree facility of Eastern Europe as the â€Å"other.† Sch olars such as Gale Stokes contend that inclusion of the Eastern Bloc brings more than just European unity, adding the need for new defense strategies as well as trade systems, the incorporation of which would require a degree of phased membership so as not to disrupt the development of existing EU member state economies. After considering both proponent and contrarian arguments to the longue-duree assertions of Borocz and Woolf, it becomes evident that the geopolitical ramifications of full Eastern Bloc integration outweigh the possibility of traditional exclusion. Borocz states firmly that it would be a â€Å"mistake to attribute the European Union’s evident reluctance, condescension, and aversion vis-à  -vis one of its immediate neighbors solely to the recent legacy of the Cold War†[1]. Though the menace of Communism and the burgeoning global influence of the Soviet Union and its satellite contemporaries during the Cold War certainly harvested alienation from the capitalist West, the specter of Eastern Europe as the â€Å"other† existed long before Stalin began the ascension of the USSR as a world superpower. As Woolf states, â€Å"the intellectual structures of half a century are slow to efface themselves, but above all the idea of Eastern Europe is much older than the Cold War,† the distinction between East and West â€Å"produced as a work of cultural creation, intellectual artifice, and ideological self-interest and self-pronunciation†[2]. Borocz agrees, adding that â€Å"as critical work on the histor y of European ideas shows, a rational-Western self-image has produced, since the Enlightenment, the notion of ‘East Europeanness’ [sic] as a rudimentary, ‘rustic’ and low-scale version of itself†[3]. Where France, Germany, and England found themselves exploring philosophy, trade, and science, the common Western perception of the East developed as a darker side of Europe, one bordering the outside forces of Africa and Asia. All this developed despite the military action of nations such as Austria and Spain preventing the further advances of forces such as the Turks and the Moors, arguably leaving the remainder of Europe in the peace required to become â€Å"enlightened.† Such alienation, Woolf argues, gradually pushed Eastern Europe indirectly, lumping its association in such a way that Eastern Europe became an intermediary between Asia and Western Europe. The East was therein belittled further, diminished in intellectual capacity to the perceiv ed â€Å"barbarities† of the non-European world. The concept of the â€Å"East† was therefore manufactured intellectually by Western European nations, a manifestation of alienation due to the proximity to and exchange with non-European countries. Future â€Å"admission of the Hungarian (Polish, Czech, Slovene, etc) society to full membership in European Union as equal [sic] partners would thus require no less than the erasure and re-inscription of an over two-hundred year-old† image of West European identity construction,† a lofty goal to achieve in the relatively small period of time in which deliberation regarding membership would hence occur[4]. The human agent in such an action, the longue-duree proclivities of transcending centuries-old prejudice would therefore â€Å"involve reimagining [sic] the weaker, ignored, belittled scientifically and officially apprehended and described—hence objectified—other as a dynamic, inspiring, lively, a nd exciting partner characterized by a complex subjectivity†[5]. Such an adjustment in policy and personal perception would therefore facilitate the delay Borocz describes in his account of Hungarian attempts at EU membership. Adjustments of the aforementioned type paradoxically are warranted by existing Western European member states, not the Eastern state in question applying for EU membership. Borocz and Woolf speculate on the erstwhile definition of integration into the EU and the implications such an action would carry. Borocz concludes that the â€Å"essence of the European Union’s strategy vis-à  -vis the central and eastern European applicants is integration without inclusion, participation in the production systems, and appendance to the consumption markets of EU corporations without the attendant political, economical, social, and cultural rights conferred by European Union citizenship†[6]. That the Eastern Bloc is aware of this inequity suggests the a cceptance of said fact, returning the EU as an organization to a reincarnation of Enlightenment-era prejudice, exclusion, and exploitation. The concept of â€Å"Europeanness† here would be nominal at best, as Eastern Europe would be included at face value, never accepted as a contemporary of its Western counterpart. Appendini and Bislev argue in their Integration in NAFTA and the EU that the phenomenon of European integration is â€Å"reminiscent of the classical historical process of state and nation building† as perceived from â€Å"European history: a set of regulations being established for a territory (an expanding one, but at each moment precisely defined)†[7]. Contrary to Borocz’s observation of deliberate Western procrastination in the acceptance of Eastern membership, Appendini and Bislev suggest the vast requisite regulations which would ensure stable integration into the existing EU framework take time to implement, and suggest that the dismissal of the necessary implementation procedures would compromise the legitimacy of Eastern bloc membership, hence reducing membership to the aforementioned paradoxical state Woolf and Borocz describe. Most prominent among the issues faced by Western Europe were addressed by Denmark, who, despite descriptions of being â€Å"th e most knowledgeable and well-informed about European matters,† are â€Å"just about the most negatively inclined towards integration† owing to the question of â€Å"the welfare state, broadly defined†[8]. The relative economic underdevelopment of the Eastern Bloc, from a macro-economical standpoint, would beg the question of fiscal compromise on the part of Western member states. At which point would European integration serve existing members? The longue-duree aspect of political weight here manifests itself in the conceptualization of national discourse and the common interest formed by the EU. If the EU serves as a means to galvanize the continent in matters of policy and economic decision-making, at which point would Eastern European interests counterbalance and take precedence over the interests of Western Europe? The integration of Eastern member states would have to provide at the very least the potential to benefit existing Western members. Moving past fiscal issues brings to the forefront the question of protocol in the realm of geopolitical and global security realities. Gale Stokes suggests that â€Å"nation inclusion opens borders, creating the need for new defenses and changes in strategy†; for instance, â€Å"Poland and the Baltic nations are still redefining their defense strategies in the wake of the Warsaw Pact’s dissolution†[9]. The integration of most Eastern Bloc states would include the â€Å"onerous burden of having to create a new national defense policy,† conceivably overshadowed by the added weight of having to develop â€Å"national welfare and infrastructure building† to meet EU standards[10]. Were these nations able to achieve such goals independent of the EU, they would already have done so, begging the question of the true value of integration. In adopting Western Europe’s â€Å"particular set of basic values and beliefs† regarding â€Å"nationhood, popular sovereignty and democracy,† Eastern states would provide the Western EU members with added stresses, disrupting the function of an already uncertain establishment. From a security standpoint, Western states would be naturally apprehensive of the geopolitical changes and new threats that have emerged since the Cold War; in this sense, Borocz’s assertions of Western hesitation would be justified. The conflict in Bosnia, for example, is a quintessential example of the types of wars that deter â€Å"most aligned countries from seeking† full integration, as Western Europe was intent at the end of WWII to avoid such â€Å"explosive territorial, ethnic, or religious conflicts†[11]. Lengthy but legitimizing measures such as the temporal associate-member status of the Eastern Bloc are regulations asserted to be â€Å"superior to others†; legitimacy can only be attempted through the â€Å"decision-making mechanisms established† in existing EU membership protocol[12]. Gale Stokes notes Lithuanian Defense Minister Andrius Butkevicius’ hierarchy of threats, citing: â€Å"†¦instability in the former USSR, followed by ethno-religious and territorial conflicts, followed by crime and industrial disasters. With the threat of high-intensity conflicts unlikely in the short run, nations face subtler threats, including disaster-relief operations, peace operations, international crime and drug trafficking, illegal migration, and terrorism. The escalation of such threats to regional conflicts is a threat to long-term security [for the EU as a whole]†[13]. Since Borocz crafted his article, various Eastern Bloc nations have begun their integration into the EU. Their experiences, however, should be duly noted in modern issues such as Turkish ascension and the political ramifications of European inclusion of states such as Serbia and Croatia. Assertions of longue-duree such as those intimated by Borocz and Woolf are not necessarily negated by Eastern admittance (albeit partial) to the EU; the potential still exists for furthered exploitation, as full membership is contingent on Western attitudes and political action. Theoretically speaking, Eastern nations are never fully guaranteed equality in such integration; ironically, unity seems to be a concept extending only to those who have the political and economical clout to take the steps to make it a reality. The modicum of exclusion still existing in the minds of Western Europe limit the EU’s scope and function, as it â€Å"is probably not going to be a nation-state in the classica l sense† owing to the â€Å"fragmented and disperse elements of European identities† preventing the assembly of â€Å"anything resembling even a modest version of a national identity†[14]. The â€Å"associate membership† Borocz describes still has the potential to retard the EU’s abilities to function as a cohesive whole[15]. While the policies of the EU may not be largely based on an isolated perception of the Cold War Eastern Bloc nations, the essence of the EU strategy remains integration without full inclusion, the fact remains that a degree of inequity will pervade the EU’s future functions and day-to-day dealings on the global stage. The degree of integration and the increment steps coerced upon Eastern member ascension therefore remains in the eye of the beholder, so to speak; for the optimist daring to believe in the potential of integration, the inequity of the present is attributed to a genuine concern for the future. To the cynic, however, the remarkably slow process of integration and Western Europe’s modern policies smack of the prejudiced perceptions of old. BIBLIOGRAPHY Appendini, Kirsten A. and Sven Bislev (eds). (1999) Integration in NAFTA and the EU:Deficient Institutionality. Basingstoke: Hampshire Palgrave Macmillan. Borocz, Josef. (2000) â€Å"The fox and the raven: the European Union and Hungaryrenegotiate the margins of ‘Europe,’† pp. 77-83. Goldman, Minton F. (1997) Revolution and Change in Central and Eastern Europe:Political, Economic, and Social Challenges. Armonk: ME Sharpe, Inc. Nabli, Mustapha K. (1999) Financial Integration, Vulnerabilities to Crisis, and EUAccession in Five Central European Countries. Washington, DC: World Bank P. Schimmelfennig, Frank. (2003) The EU, NATO, and the Integration of Europe: Rulesand Rhetoric. Cambridge: Cambridge U P. Stokes, Gale. (1998) Annual Survey of Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union1997, The Challenge of Integration. Armonk: ME Sharpe, Inc. Tang, Helena. (2000) Winners and Losers in EU Integration: Policy Issues for Centraland Eastern Europe. Washington, DC: World Bank P. Woolf, Larry. (1994) pp. 1-6. 1 Footnotes [1] Borocz 2000, p. 79 [2] Woolf 1994, p. 1 [3] Ibid [4] Borocz 2000, p. 81 [5] Ibid [6] Borocz 2000, pp. 81-82 [7] Appendini and Bislev 1999, p. 126 [8] Ibid [9] Stokes 1998, p. 130 [10] Ibid [11] Ibid [12] Appendini and Bislev 1999, p. 126 [13] Stokes 1998, p. 131 [14] Appendini and Bislev 1999, p. 126 [15] Borocz 2000, pp. 81-82

Marital Rape And Violence In The Family Social Work Essay

Marital Rape And Violence In The Family Social Work Essay These effects have a negative bearing on children and mothers since they affect self-confidence and ability to meet life goals. Separation, substance abuse, mental disorders and divorce are effects which adversely affect childrens development stages (Johnson Ferraro, 2004). Abused children may replicate abuse as adults, which lengthen the violence cycle. This paper will discuss family violence in Canada including marital rape. Statistics which reveal extent of abuse will be disclosed and various dynamics of abuse discussed, including relevant laws. Since family violence is normalized, processes of normalizing the vice will be evaluated. Brief recommendations on how abuse can be discouraged will be discussed, with a summary given at the end. Statistics There are more than five hundred shelters for children and women in abusive households in Canada (Gannon, 2006). Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Manitoba have among the highest number of shelters. In 2007 over 40,000 cases of domestic violence were reported to law enforcers. This comprised over 11% of the overall crime in Canada, which is a significant proportion. In addition to this, over 80% of victims were female, which shows that wives bear the brunt of violence in households. In most cases, assault was reported in family violence, with stalking, criminal harassment and threats being other forms of abuse committed. In over 80% of abuse cases, people familiar to victims performed abuse. More than 40% of women are also reported to have experienced marital rape. Law enforcers were also blamed for abuse, with over fifty thousand cases involving youth and children being committed by them (Wallace, 2009). Amongst adults, law enforcers reportedly abused over 1900 people, with this representing a third of abuse cases amongst adults (Gannon, 2006). Generally, these statistics reveal that both law enforcers and the public are responsible for abuse. Children and women suffer the largest proportion of abuse, with this being performed by men they are in relationships with. Domestic abuse comprises over 10% of the overall crime committed which reveals the severity of the issue. It is imperative that abuse is analyzed in further detail and prevention measures developed to stem this rising crime. Canadian rape laws Initially, rape was regarded as an offense in common law. Common law is borrowed from England and it initially treated rape as abduction. It was regarded as an offense greater to fathers or husbands than to female victims. Marital rape was unheard of during this period and was not considered criminal. The society then, also marginalized women and their testimony alone could not prove evidence of rape. Their previous sexual conduct was heavily relied on in proving rape. However, this crime was unreported despite its rampancy. In 1983, weaknesses in existing laws led to changes which redefined nature and punishment for rape. There needed to be stricter punishment and higher convictions to encourage women to report rape. Changes included abolishing analysis of previous sexual history of victims, repealing of corroboration laws and redefining of rape to assault. Further legislation changes in 1992 outlined the shield on use of historical sex lives of victims in questioning their credibil ity. Reasons for domestic abuse Power and domination The quest for power contributes highly to cases of domestic violence. Some people need to dominate others to feel they have power. These people use oppression and abuse as tools to attain power. Physical abuse enables them to make victims powerless over them. Economic abuse ensures that victims are dependent and cannot escape abuse. Mental disorders, low esteem or stress may drive offenders who use violence to attain power. Such abuse may be reversed through medication and therapy with support from family (Babcock et. al., 2004). Drug abuse When people use drugs, they may be unaware of consequences of actions. They are unable to reason rationally and may resort to abuse. People who live with drug abusers suffer most from effects of drugs including increasing irritability, delusions, stress and other effects (Dutton, 2006). These may lead to domestic violence and can be treated through medication and therapeutic interventions. Socialization process Research reveals that children who undergo abuse when young may replicate the abuse as adults (Kitzmann et. al., 2003). Abused children have higher chances of practicing family violence as adults compared to those not abused. This is explained by the sociological theory where children practice things imparted on them during the sociological process. When they are abused, they may view it as part of socialization and they may commit the same to their families as adults. Normalization of family violence The widespread nature of family violence has created a perception of normalization, where violence against women is acceptable by society. Normalization of violence is seen in low reporting rates of violence at home. In Canada, over 50% of cases of violence in family settings are unreported, according to research. Since family violence is widespread, there are emerging trends where batterers are offered sympathy at the expense of victims. This trend began in the 1980s in US where intervention and support programs for batterers were created. These programs rationalize domestic violence and perceive batters as victims. The society is thus sympathetic to abusers and they become tolerable to certain degrees. In some cases, victims view themselves as having provoked abusers, hence rationalizing the crime. Since batterers are close family members, victims may also avoid reporting battery due to consequences on family units, especially if they are dependent on the batterer (Ellsberg et. al., 2001). Others fear societal perception of the abuse especially if it leads to divorce. They see it as shame and allow violence to be perpetuated against them. This gives the abuser leeway to commit abuse and normalization of abuse occurs as a result. Victims view it as normal and learn to live with violence. Weak laws governing violence also normalize violence since victims will not report abuse if there are few and light convictions. In addition to this, barriers to reporting, investigating and prosecuting abusers may lead to normalization of abuse. The laws governing rape in Canada in 1980s can illustrate this phenomenon. As was discussed, the society marginalized women, and their testimony alone could not prove evidence of rape. Their previous sexual conduct was also heavily relied on in proving rape. In addition to this, marital rape was unheard of. Weaknesses in such laws discouraged reporting of rape, and this normalized the crime. When changes were realized in 1983, reporting rates increased and rape cases decreased. Weaknesses and strengths of research sources There are different research used and these have diverse weaknesses and strengths. Most works used are journals and books which are scholarly in nature. Scholarly works are credible information sources since they are written by professionals in diverse fields. These works are sourced from the Internet, which is readily available and cheap, which is a strength of these sources. They also cover diverse topics and give various dimensions on topics discussed, which makes them accurate and credible. However, weaknesses include inability to corroborate information gathered due to difficulty in tracing the authors. This may create ambiguity or inaccuracy in research done. Duplication of error is another weakness which arises from use of inaccurate scholarly works. If works used are inaccurate, the research findings will be erroneous. Finally, these works may be outdated which makes research inaccurate. Conclusion Various aspects of family violence and marital rape have been evaluated. Marital rape and domestic violence is rampant, with 40,000 cases of domestic violence being reported to law Canadian enforcers in 2007. This comprised over 11% of the overall crime in Canada. Various reasons for violence including socialization process, power and domination and drug abuse have been advanced as reasons for abuse. However, there is no rational reason for commission of violence. Recent trends have also revealed normalization of violence in the current society. Weak laws, fear by victims and societal perceptions are to blame for normalization of abuse. This is dangerous for society as it encourages commission of crime. The statistical evidence also shows that law enforcers also practice abuse, and this is intolerable in society. This paper used scholarly works and books, and these are valid sources. The evidence provided is therefore accurate and several measures which discourage abuse should be tak en. Some of these will be discussed in recommendations provided below; Recommendations on reducing family violence Legislation Legislation plays a crucial role in acting as deterrent to crime. Many people cannot commit crime due to fear of repercussions. In tackling domestic abuse, a similar approach is effective since harsh repercussions will deter offenders. The Canadian parliament should develop harsher legislation to deal with marital rape and domestic abuse since it is a significant societal problem. This will reduce instances of abuse through long sentences to abusers. Rehabilitation Although Canada has over five hundred rehabilitation shelters for abuse victims, this figure is still inadequate (Taylor-Butts, 2007). More shelters for abuse victims should be constructed and stocked with necessary facilities and staff to help victims. This will enable victims to achieve their life potential through pursuance of individual dreams and goals. Public education According to Hamel and Nicholls (2007), education is very effective in reducing abuse. The public should be educated at individual, society and family levels on domestic abuse. Abuse signs and cooperation with law enforcers will help eradicate this vice. In addition, shelters for victims should be publicized to ensure victims seek justice. Education on abuse will prevent the normalization of abuse in families.

Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 Essay

Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 Both Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 portray hedonistic societies. The inhabitants of both societies seek to enjoy themselves for as much of the time as possible, however only citizens in Brave New World are truly happy. This leads to the conclusion that humans can never be truly happy, according to the authors, as their natural selves. The people in Brave New World enjoy themselves with promiscuous sex, complicated sports, movies called feelies that engage all the senses, and excessive use of the mind-altering drug called soma. Their schedules are always full. A Controller relates the workings of society to some adolescent boys, telling them happily that â€Å"the old men work, the old men copulate, the old men have no time, no leisure from pleasure, not a moment to sit down and think—or if ever by some unlucky chance such a crevice of time should yawn in the solid substance of their distractions, there is always soma† (Huxley 67). When they are awake they are working or playing sports with coworkers, during the nights they attend the feelies and the parties and go home with someone to have sex with. The people are conditioned to never want to be alone, to always be engaged, never thinking further than what their job requires. For the people whose jobs require little or no thinking, special castes are created with alcohol added to the brains, destroying cognitive functions. The hedonism portrayed in Fahrenheit 451 tends to be darker. People drive cars as fast as they can to get a sense of speed, regardless of who or what they may run into. The fun houses that people go to have â€Å"games† such as the window smasher, playing into ... ...tory system until the person can no longer breathe. The overdoses of soma are few and far between however, the Brave New World society appearing to genuinely believe in its happiness and the suicide rate being correspondingly very low in contrast to the nightly attempts in Fahrenheit 451. The majority of the aspects in the two hedonistic societies are equivalent. Conditioning the minds of the population appears to prove far superior to motivating them with fear. In Brave New World the only ones who are unhappy are those who do not respond to the conditioning, who do not receive conditioning, and those who are separated from society. No one is truly happy in the society of Fahrenheit 451. Works Cited Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: The Ballentine Publishing Group, 1953. Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. Garden City, NY: Country Life Press, 1929.