Democracy in Combating Poverty

Democracy in Combating Poverty Democracy and Development in Combating Poverty Introduction The correlation between democracy and development in combating poverty stems from the European debate that has taken place since the early part of the last century. The significance of this debate has since been further amplified as a consequence of decolonization and the ability of international economic institutions such as International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to impose conditions on providing international aid to developing countries (Barsh 1992). The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the fact that combating poverty does not require the concurrent application of democracy and development. It follows on from the introductory work done by my group member Christopher Kaindi and leads onto the case studies done by Phonesavanh Sethanaphaixanh. It will show that the premature application of democracy in many of these developing countries leads to further problems and as such do not address poverty alleviation. It will do so by first taking a brief look at the argument in favor of democracy. It will then define the concepts of democracy and development in regards to combating poverty. Following that the paper will then illustrate the issues related to the premature implementation of democracy. Finally the paper will look at the implications of such a conflict on the provision of international aid to developing countries. Democracy and Development Defined Democracy and development alike are terms that have been conceptualized in various and often contradicting ways. As such, for the purpose of this paper, both these terms have been defined in their minimalist form. Democracy refers to a form of government that allows the citizens of a country to play a vital role in the creation and implementation of the countrys policies and laws through a system of representation (Shihata 1997). Typical features of a democratic government include the separation of State and Church, the separation of the legislative, judicial and executive powers, the protection of fundamental human rights, and due process of law (Shihata 1997). Development refers to the transformation of a society that features human progress in all its aspects. Aside from social and cultural growth development hopes to improve the nations economic growth, that is, to raise the per capita income of nations (Shihata 1997). Therefore, it would appear, from the above definitions that development, with its emphasis on economic growth, is an essential process necessary for the alleviation of poverty. As such, in an attempt to illustrate the non correlation between development and democracy in combating poverty the remainder of this paper will highlight some of the key areas in which the two have a conflict of interest. Why Have Democracy? Proponents argue that democracy helps the poor in three ways: democracies empower poor people through elections, and hence force governments to attend to their needs; democracies facilitate the free flow of information, and hence give governments better information about the condition of the poor; and democratic governments provide their citizens with more public goods. Why Not Have Democracy The type of political regime itself has no impact on economic development. It is in fact the policies undertaken by the governments of these developing countries that enable them to fight poverty. As such arguments that suggest authoritarian governments in countries such as Cuba, Burma and North Korea have lead to higher number of people in poverty is seriously flawed. Its their governments decision to implement import-substitution strategies and less involvement in global trade that has lead to them struggling with poverty eradication. Export-orientated strategies have been far more effective in promoting sustained economic growth. This is evident in countries such as South Korea and Taiwan where democracy came at a later stage of development. Furthermore, it is unrealistic to assume that democratic institutions can be set up easily, almost anywhere, at any time. Effective democracy isnt just about having elections; it needs a relatively developed infrastructure that includes not only economic resources but also widespread participatory habits and an emphasis on autonomy. The Bush administration ignored this reality when it attempted to implant democracy in Afghanistan and Iraq which as a result have left both these countries in a state of chaos. In a developing country the peoples main focus is survival, which includes basic economic and physical security such as food and shelter. During the process of development as these necessities are met there is a change in values which shifts from being one that is to meet the basic needs of survival to complex needs of self expression and freedom of speech, and participation in political decision making. This very shift in values creates the preconditions required for a healthy democratic regime to operate in a country. Among the countries that democratized between in 1970 and 1990, democracy has survived in every country that made the transition when it was at the economic level of Argentina today or higher, among the countries that made the transition at an earlier stage of development, democracy had an average life expectancy of only eight years. The structure of democracy, with its institutions of voting rights, an independent judiciary that often requires judicial review and leads to judicial restraint on legislative and executive power, and a free press, sets it apart from authoritarian rule. The restraint of arbitrary power can be a powerful source of development; but a well-functioning democracy can also undermine development. The structure of democratic participation relies on the creation and proliferation of interest groups that lobby for their views to be heard and their concerns to prevail. But a lobbying-infested democracy can lead to widespread waste and inefficiency through the effects of rent-seeking and unproductive profit-seeking  activities. There is also a danger of what Jonathan Rauch has called demosclerosis: the paralysis of gridlock afflicting a lobbying-infested democracy. The welfare gains that lobbies produce in allowing citizen participation in governance and in fostering balanced policymaking can be outweighed by their costs from gridlock and unproductive profit-seeking. That democracies are subject to this tradeoff is indisputable.

Analysis of “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin Essay

The short story â€Å"The Story of an Hour† was written by Kate Chopin and first appeared in 1984. It tells about the ‘one hour’ brief story of the main protagonist, Louise Mallard, and her reaction upon hearing the news of her husband’s death by a car accident. And because she had a heart problem, her sister Josephine and her husband’s friend Richards decided to break to her the news as gently as possible. Not long after the supposedly bad news was revealed, Brently, Louise’s husband, suddenly comes home alive disproving the former, causing death to her by heart attack. Majority of the story’s progression revolve around Louise’s reaction upon hearing the news about her husband’s death (Brian, 2001). The scenes where Louise isolate herself in her room and savor her new-found freedom add up to the hanging idea of the real reason behind her death. It seems that the author actually give two possible emotional state to answer the underlying question of Louise’s joyful death: one is that she has become too overwhelmed to see her husband alive in contrary to the news about his involvement in a recent car accident and the other one is that she is saddened by the realization of the freedom that she thought she will have after hearing her husband’s loss is completely taken away from her again. Contrasting Representations Suprisingly, the short-story is written in complete contrasts of the main theme. First of these contrasting representations within the story is Louise’s reaction upon hearing the news. The news about her husband’s death should bring her agony and tears but instead; she sits calmly â€Å"facing the open window, a comfortable, roomy armchair. † Here we see a strange approach to the situation with the word â€Å"comfortable† being used to modify the chair near the window. Louise, a new widow herself, must not see the chair as â€Å"comfortable† as it seems just right after hearing the unbearable news of her husband’s death. Added to this, the scene outside the window also symbolizes something in contrast to the story’s progression. The spring day from the view outside her window shows a contrasting image to the situation she has. The spring is a symbol of â€Å"rebirth† or â€Å"new life† thus the spring prognosticates Louise’s new life after Brently’s death. Another interesting symbol in the story is the description of the view laid upon Louise’s eyes as she sits near the window: â€Å"The delicious breath of rain was in the air. In the street below a peddler was crying his wares. The notes of a distant song which some one was singing reached her faintly, and countless sparrows were twittering in the eaves† (Brian, 2001). For the readers, the description made by Louise about the view she was seeing clouds what her true emotions were at that moment. It seemed that as she isolated herself in a room, she completely disregarded the news of her husband’s death. These representations had become tricky in contrasting the main theme the story supposes to have or tell. Kate Chopin’s idea of a Joyful Death: Appearance versus Conflict What the readers may discover in reading this story is the possibility that there is an ironic truth behind the death of the main protagonist’s beloved. In the main setting of the story where Louis sits in a comfortable chair, she mouth over the words we never expect to read or hear from her. She seems to be happy rather than being sad about Brently’s loss with what the story emphasizes on her shouting â€Å"free, free, free! † The freedom she pertains here signifies of her having the will to live a life all by herself, after her husband is gone. As she plays a youthful characteristic of a woman, it is a well played proof that she was indeed after the freedom, of doing what she want to do and make decisions for herself. With this fact, the story seems to have a conflict of its own: conflict between the ideas of appearance and reality. From the moment that the story emphasizes about Louise having her â€Å"freedom† at last, it could suggest the notion to the reader(s) that she is not saddened by the news. Unlike what she had shown in the central point of the story, Louise somehow is expected to grieve by the people around her, all having the idea that her marriage with Brently was a happy one. This is what her sister Josephine completely understood with her reaction as she misinterprets Louise’s behavior and thinking. She hysterically calls out her sister in the room, believing that Louise is heart-broken but in reality, Louise is more lightened up by the news. The doctors’ judgment about Louise’s death also deals with this conflict. For them, it seemed that Louise died after realizing that her husband is alive. This appearance of Louise’s happiness is more illustrated when they predicted that due to heart attack â€Å"of joy that kills† (Brians, 2001). Never did they think of the reality that she died because of another reason. That she dies because she was heart-broken to recognize the truth that she will not be able to gain her freedom as what she expected earlier. Role of Woman versus Man Another conflict in the story accentuates the role of woman versus man in the society. It is illustrated in the story that Louise is a submissive wife to Brently. But there is an internal struggle within her that tells that she was not happily married at all. As what Louise thinks, â€Å"What could love, the unsolved mystery, count for in face of this possession of self-assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being† justifies more to the idea that she, indeed, had loved Brently but more were the times she feel not. Maybe for Brently, Louise appeared to be happy with their relationship or he thinks and assumes that she is. Apparently, Louise wanted more the freedom she had felt for in that short while. After finding out the truth that she was not yet totally free, she had thought that only by death that she would took possession of it at last. There in death she would find peace and liberty. Ironically, Louise took the realization that her husband was alive and chose to die in able to attain the freedom she longed for. Character Analysis Chopin made her characters compliment along with the theme of the story. The main character, Louise plays a youthful wife who tends to have her freedom despite her marriage with Brently. Her youth marked up the end of her life and this irony of life, of choosing liberty by death, seemed to be one of the uncertain situations in the matter of choosing life over death. Brently, although his character is not discussed further on in the story, seemed to be playing a role of a husband who wants her wife under his control. Louise would never want liberation if he was a good man to her. His characteristic gives a deeper impact in the story, making Louise choose to die with freedom rather than living with him in a life full of despair. Josephine, Louise’s sister, was recognized here as a doting sister who takes care of her and all the matters that has a connection with her. Josephine, together with Richards, had taken care of gently telling to her the â€Å"death† of her husband Brently. She half-concealed the truth, in order for Louise to accept it without suffering her heart problem. Richards, Louise’s friend, is the one who brought the news to the house, he is responsible for assuring Brently’s death. As he rushes to tell the news to his friend, there is a suggestive truth that he was worried about what his friend’s reaction would be after hearing the news. If he had not rushed over to deliver the news, there is a possibility that Brently could arrive first in the house and justify that his name in the news is a big mistake, preventing Louise’s death and would have lived more. Apart from Brently, Richards is also responsible for the protagonist’s death. The story gives us the impression that not every death could bring grief to someone. It could be, in another way, a joyful event. Chopin had also brought about the issues of women and their role in the society. The story, written in the nineteenth-century, showed how women years back had no rights to be at their own will. Women then were still under the prying eyes of the society and men dominate over them. Chopin tackles a lot of moral issue within the story. Her story suggests that it would still be better if women of her own time maintain their roles in the society. In the nineteenth-century, men are expected to be superior over women and not the other way around, not what Louise wanted to be. Her insights within the story inspires us with the vision of what harmonious relationships are ought to be and the wide complexity in bearing the contrasting truth between appearance and reality. References: Brians, Paul. et al. Reading about the World. (Vol. 2) 3rd Edition. Texas: Harcourt Brace College, 2001.

Functionalism Conflict Theory Essay

â€Å"Knowledge is shaped by the social world.† (Karl Mannheim.) Though trying to understand the social world may seem difficult, sociologists managed to create three theories on how different areas of the world fit with one another as well as working hand in hand with each other. The three theories are known as Symbolic Interactionism, Functionalism and Conflict Theory. Each theory serves as a significant perspective on how individuals view social life and how it effects society as a whole. The first perspective would have to be the simplest of all and is categorized as a micro level since it is focused on smaller scale than the remaining perspectives. Symbolic Interactionism was founded by Charles Horton Cooley (1864-1929), William I. Thomas (1863-1947) and George Herbert Mead (18-63-1931). According to the textbook, symbolic interactionism means a theoretical perspective in which society is viewed as composed of symbols that people use to establish meaning, develop their views of the world and communicate with one another. In other words, it means symbols have an attached meaning that effect the way we view the world and communicate with individuals. Examples of symbols are family members, relationships, language, co-workers, etc. If there were no symbols in our life, we wouldn’t know who we are related to or who to give authority to. For example, at your job you are required to respect the person of high authority which may be your manager or your boss, (depending on your symbol at your facility). In your family, the symbols would be your mother, father, brother, sister, aunts, uncles, etc. No matter what area, each symbol has a different behavior and interacts differently unlike the rest. To narrow this down, let’s compare the relationship with a boyfriend to a brother. A brother would be loving and caring but would not be as intimate as the boyfriend would be. If we didn’t have symbols, we wouldn’t be able to differentiate how to act with those two. The only positive side about not having symbols would be the fact that there would be no war since we wouldn’t be able to understand who our enemy is let alone knowing what an enemy is. The next perspective is focused on a macro level since it is aimed at the large scale of society. Functionalism was founded by Robert Merton (1910-2003), â€Å"The accomplishments of functional analysis are sufficient to suggest that its large promise will progressively be fulfilled, just as its current deficiencies testify to the need for periodically overhauling the past to build for the future† (Social Theory and Social Structure Page 74). According to the textbook, functionalism means a theoretical framework in which society is viewed as composed of various parts, each with a function that when fulfilled, contributes to society’s equilibrium. In other words, various parts work together as a whole to maintain society’s balance. Robert Merton defined functions as positive consequences based on human’s actions that benefit the society. Functions that are intended to help a system are known as manifest function. Followed by this would be the unintended consequence to adjust the system which is known as latent functions. The textbook breaks these two down using an example of giving married couples an extra $10,000 for child bearing (this is the manifest function). Unknowingly, this increases the products used to care for a baby which is known at the latent functions. Though manifest and latent functions are used to balance a system, there are also some dysfunctions that can actually break down the system. These consequences are unusually unintended and because of that, it’s referred to as latent dysfunctions. Referring back to the example stated in the textbook; a latent dysfunction about giving $10,000 to each married couple that bears a child would be the rise in taxes which the couples may not be able to afford since they will be living off of the bonus. Another example that many individuals can relate to is our family. Every family member plays a significant role in their household. Examining the financial state of the family, it’s the bread winner that holds the financial issues together. Without the bread winner, the family would struggle and even turn for help towards the government. If the function of the bread winner begins to take a turn for the negative, the family weakens and loses their ability to prosper as a whole. This is an important factor on how functions can either make or break society. The smaller units affect the larger units in both negative and p ositive ways. Last but not least, the next perspective would be conflict theory. References Cooley, Charles H. â€Å"The Roots of Social Knowledge.† American Journal of Sociology 32.1 (1926): 59-79. Print. Merton, Robert K. Social Theory and Social Structure. New York: Division of Macmillian Co &, 1968. The Free Press. Web. 14 Nov. 2012. . Coser, Lewis. â€Å"Chapter IX.† The Functions of Social Conflict. Glenoe, IL: Free, 1956. 151-57. The Functions of Social Conflict. Web. 18 Nov. 2012. .

Social Factors For Homelessness - 1425 Words

Homelessness can be defined as individuals without access to secure, affordable supportive decent housing (Crisis, 2005). If you do not have the legal authority to reside in your home or it is deemed unsuitable you can still be homeless (Shelter, 2016). The term homelessness is usually associated with rough sleepers. However, it has been identified there are additional categories of homelessness. In addition to rough sleepers there are sofa surfers and those in local authority or privately rented temporary accommodation, within this population are homeless children. The homeless people that meet the local authority criteria are statutory homeless. The remaining population are non-statutory homeless, usually referred to as â€Å"hidden†¦show more content†¦It will further seek to explore the health issues and health service issues associated with the homeless population. In addition discuss government legislation and reports that are implemented to protect the homeless population and efforts to tackle the issue of homelessness in housing and accessing services. Furthermore, explore the relationship with recent government reform and the rise in homelessness. Equity represents access to resources that are needed to enhance and maintain health and health outcomes. The World Health Organization believe reducing health equity is fundamental to reducing health inequalities, this can be achieved through law reform and social and economic relationship rebalance. Health inequalities are unjustifiable disparities in relation to health outcomes between individuals and groups. Inequalities in health are greatly influenced by a combination of social and economic circumstances (WHO, 2016) The Black report (1980) established the relationship of health inequalities and social class. 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