The Philosophy Of Truth Making You Free Essay Example For Students

The Philosophy Of Truth Making You Free Essay The Philosophy of Truth Making You FreeThere exists a philosophy that, the truth will make you free. For example,exposing a conspiracy that does yourself and others harm can only set you freefrom further harm and related mischief. Whether or not the conspirators are thecriminals of society or the highest branches of our own government. Injusticespreads like a virus and it needs to be stopped while there is still a way. Theeffects of such an act can only free us and make us more aware of suchcorruptness. Moreover, a conspiracy spawned by criminals in society, to cause harm,will no doubt enslave the public both mentally and physically. The society willsee the injustice happening but will not know from where it is being caused. This effect will be expressed in the sort of decisions they make and companythey keep. A more defensive society cannot feel free until the conspiracy isbrought to light, that is until the truth is told and the harm is stopped,society cannot be free. We will write a custom essay on The Philosophy Of Truth Making You Free specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Furthermore, a harmful conspiracy in the highest levels of ourgovernments prevents freedom on a greater scale. If the truth cannot be found inthe government that we elect, then what hope have we for progress. Mistrust andsuspicion will be the tools of this brand of enslavement. If the truth isrevealed then the uncovered conspiracy will free the public from the secrets andlies and in essence keep the government honest. First, the truth will make you free, is an irresponsible statement. Toreveal the truth is not necessarily the best solution to a conspiracy. When youmake the public aware of all that goes on whether it be what the criminals areup to or the high officials of governments, then a little knowledge causes a lotof unnecessary panic. A public with a truthful knowledge of what criminals havebeen doing will become paranoid beyond belief. They become defensive andsuspicious of every person. That is how the truth can make you a prisoner ofyour own devising. Also, when this harmful conspiracy in the higher levels of societybecomes known, then a little truth can cause a lot of harm. The issues that thegovernment deals with are of such great consequence that, they will have to makeunpopular decisions and even make unscrupulous deals and from the products ofthis practice, the public in turn will cause an unparalleled uproar that wouldtear the fabric that holds a society together, if they knew the truth. Thereforethe truth cannot make you free, because the truth can do more harm than good. Next is the statement, man is condemned to be free. That is that man isfree to ruin the world. Everyone has the choice of doing something helpful orharmful in their everyday life. We are free to make others suffer and life a bitharder than it already is now. The freedom that runs rampant in society allowshate groups to form and march. It ties the hands of our officials and policemenfrom protecting us all in the name of freedom. We are condemning ourselves to aplace that allows almost anyone to get weapons and the most unscrupulous peopleinto our government because they were free to sling mud at their opponent. Therefore man is condemned by freedom because the fight for freedom is ongoingand the more we try to restrict harmful behavior, the more rules are establishedto get in the way of enforcement. First, it is unthinkable that man can be condemned to be free. Man hasmade great efforts to make the world better by spreading freedom. The freedomto choose what is right for you is the most fundamental freedom that exists. .u2af1140ccfc520c3a9d82553e45405b5 , .u2af1140ccfc520c3a9d82553e45405b5 .postImageUrl , .u2af1140ccfc520c3a9d82553e45405b5 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u2af1140ccfc520c3a9d82553e45405b5 , .u2af1140ccfc520c3a9d82553e45405b5:hover , .u2af1140ccfc520c3a9d82553e45405b5:visited , .u2af1140ccfc520c3a9d82553e45405b5:active { border:0!important; } .u2af1140ccfc520c3a9d82553e45405b5 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u2af1140ccfc520c3a9d82553e45405b5 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u2af1140ccfc520c3a9d82553e45405b5:active , .u2af1140ccfc520c3a9d82553e45405b5:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u2af1140ccfc520c3a9d82553e45405b5 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u2af1140ccfc520c3a9d82553e45405b5 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u2af1140ccfc520c3a9d82553e45405b5 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u2af1140ccfc520c3a9d82553e45405b5 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u2af1140ccfc520c3a9d82553e45405b5:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u2af1140ccfc520c3a9d82553e45405b5 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u2af1140ccfc520c3a9d82553e45405b5 .u2af1140ccfc520c3a9d82553e45405b5-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u2af1140ccfc520c3a9d82553e45405b5:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Punishment-Justice for the Unjust EssayRather than being weighed down by restriction of what you can and cannot do withyour life man has the freedom to decide on its own. It is because anyone canrun for office in government that we are free, life is not decided for us. Wehave the freedom to make a mistake and the freedom of whether we want to learnfrom it. This can only free a society, not condemn it. A world does not becomeruined by making those who enforce the law use a bit of human decency whendealing with those people whom have made bad decisions. Laws and regulations aremade to stop injustice, they should not be an excuse to infringe on anotherpersons life. Therefore the idea that man is condemned to free is ludicrous,man is privileged to be free to make the world what they want it to be good orbad. Next there is a statement of beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If youwere to ask a man what he considered to be beauty in a woman, perhaps he wouldsay it is the face, the body, or even the mind. However the quality of thesefeatures and even how they are judged depend on the particular taste of this man. Perhaps he enjoys the charms of a thin and fit woman of perfect shape or avariety of shape that exists in other women. He may prefer an intellectualperson or even one that is not so keen on conversation. The details are infinite,but regardless of what this man finds beautiful may not necessarily be the samefor every other man. Moreover, the opinion of this one man is simply the product of hiseducation, both formal and private by countless people that range anywhere fromparent to complete stranger. Therefore by this condition it is easy to see thatnot every man had his kind of education. However his view is his from what hehas learned, it does not mean that someone else with the same background willhave the same views, it simply means that these are his particular views that hehas formed based on that previous education. So beauty is truly in the eye ofthe beholder. Next, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, is simply not true. The manin question based his opinion of beauty on standards that have already been set. He most likely grew up seeing a particular kind of woman in advertisements,television shows, and countless other sources that depicted what is beauty. Human kind has been doing it for centuries, through artwork, literature, andfashion it has always been made clear what physical and mental attributes arecommonly desired in women. In particular if this man says that he likes womenwho are thin than this is because society has made great efforts to say thatobesity is not beauty. Health and beauty aids of a store supply products to makesomeone thinner not fatter. Also if he prefers blonde haired women it isbecause all the woman in the movies that were that were most desired had blondehaired. Therefore any quality that this man can think of as beauty is beauty toa great amount of men. So beauty exists in the woman that can meet societiesidea of what is beautiful. Lastly there is a statement, science is the only valid way of knowing. This is evident in the knowledge derived from scientific methods. When you usescientific methods, you eliminate all other variables and conduct tests that areobjective and specific. Science explains the mysteries of the world with soundtested theories that have not been conclusively proven wrong. When science findsprevious theories to be false, then it is false only because it has beenscientifically proven wrong. It is a practice that eliminates all doubts toarrive at a plausible solution to whatever problem is present. Therefore ifknowledge has been established by science then it is valid and should beaccepted until science proves otherwise. .u47fba6ca9a1f2c5ae516b2f9420b20e9 , .u47fba6ca9a1f2c5ae516b2f9420b20e9 .postImageUrl , .u47fba6ca9a1f2c5ae516b2f9420b20e9 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u47fba6ca9a1f2c5ae516b2f9420b20e9 , .u47fba6ca9a1f2c5ae516b2f9420b20e9:hover , .u47fba6ca9a1f2c5ae516b2f9420b20e9:visited , .u47fba6ca9a1f2c5ae516b2f9420b20e9:active { border:0!important; } .u47fba6ca9a1f2c5ae516b2f9420b20e9 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u47fba6ca9a1f2c5ae516b2f9420b20e9 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u47fba6ca9a1f2c5ae516b2f9420b20e9:active , .u47fba6ca9a1f2c5ae516b2f9420b20e9:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u47fba6ca9a1f2c5ae516b2f9420b20e9 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u47fba6ca9a1f2c5ae516b2f9420b20e9 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u47fba6ca9a1f2c5ae516b2f9420b20e9 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u47fba6ca9a1f2c5ae516b2f9420b20e9 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u47fba6ca9a1f2c5ae516b2f9420b20e9:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u47fba6ca9a1f2c5ae516b2f9420b20e9 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u47fba6ca9a1f2c5ae516b2f9420b20e9 .u47fba6ca9a1f2c5ae516b2f9420b20e9-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u47fba6ca9a1f2c5ae516b2f9420b20e9:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: aids/hiv EssayNow, the statement that says, science is the only valid way of knowing,is false. Scientific method is based on estimated standards that are basicallyestimated guesses. It is mere luck alone that makes it possible for scientifictheories to be proven true, otherwise why would there still be so many mysteriesto life, science cannot explain everything. It can eliminate variables and findand test a solution, but many solutions that were found to be true turned out tolater be false. Luck and a lot of convincing made scientific fact finding soundreasonable. For every explanation that science gives, there is an equal andopposite reason why it may not be valid. Scienc e cannot be the only valid way ofknowing because the knowledge gained from science is not completely valid.

CH. 7 Psychology Test Essays

CH. 7 Psychology Test Essays CH. 7 Psychology Test Paper CH. 7 Psychology Test Paper Essay Topic: Literature Which is the most likely prototype for the concept vehicle? Car Which of the following test would be best suited to an 8 year old child? WISC-IV Most standardized tests have a distribution of scores that: Follows the normal curve Which of the following activities/sports is noted by your textbook as having a concerning number of head injuries and concussions? Cheerleading Which of these elements of the formal definition of intellectual disability? Adaptive behavior severely below a level appropriate for the persons age. Which of these is an element of the formal definition of intellectual disability? IQ below 70 In familiar retardation, the degree of retardation is typically? Mild Which of the following people would be classified as having a profound developmental delay? Someone with IQ below 25 Which of the following is a true statement? The mildly retarded can reach the sixth grade level and love independently. Which of the following statements is TRUE about Thurmans longitudinal study of gifted children? The same children were followed over the length of their life span and some are still being followed today. If intelligence is determined primarily by heredity, which pair should show the highest correlation between IQ scores? Identical Twins At the current time, which statement is true about our knowledge of whether animals can use humanlike language? It is still unclear if animals can show humanlike language at any level of development. Which of the following is suggested by your authors as helping to substantially improve cognitive health? Physical Exercise On September 6th, 2007, Alex the African Parrot died. He was an important part of the work conducted by researcher Irene Pepperberg in ______ and _______ research. Cognition and Communication _____ scans have demonstrated that when you are creating a visual image the areas associated with stored knowledge send information to the visual cortex. PET _____ are the ideas that represent a class or category of objects, events or activities. Concepts What are mental categories representing activities, objects, qualities or situations that share some common characteristics? Concepts Compared to formal concepts learned in science and math, ______ tend to be fuzzy with unclear boundaries. Natural Concepts The first thing that comes to mind when asked to name an example from a category is called the ______. Prototype The trial-and-error method of solving problems is also known as the _____ solution. Mechanical What systematic problem-solving method guarantees a solution, provided that one exists. Algorthmic Method What problem-solving strategies dont guarantee solutions but make efficient use of time? Heuristics In problem solving, the term rule of thumb refers to? Heuristics A seemingly arbitrary flash out-of-the-blue thought which the solution to a problem suddenly becomes apparent to you, buy you do not consciously know how you figured it out is called? Insight Kohler demonstrated Aha! or insight with ______ Chimps What term of psychologist use to describe our tendency to search for evidence that supports our beliefs and to ignore evidence that might disprove it? Confirmation Bias The tendency to perceive and approach problems in the same ways that have worked in the past is called? Mental Set The ability to solve problems by combining behaviors and ideas in new ways is called? Creativity _______ Thinking works well for routine problem solving but may be of little use when a more creative solution is needed. Convergent A person starts from one point and comes up with many different ideas or possibilities based on that point. The person is engaging in ______ thinking. Divergent A group of businessmen and women get together to try to solve the problem of decreased sales of their companys products. One of them suggests that they generate as many ideas as they can in a short period of time without being critical of any of them. This technique of stimulating divergent thinking is called? Brainstorming The divergent thinking technique of starting with a central idea and drawing a map with lines from the center to the other related ideas and then forming a mental image of the concepts and their connections is known as ______ or _____ mapping. Mind or Subject The divergent thinking technique of writing down everything that comes to ind about a topic without revising or proofreading until all the information is recorded and then organizing it later is known as ______. Freewriting The ability to think rationally or logically, and use resources effectively when faced with challenges or problems is the psychologists working definition of? Intelligence Charles Spearman believed that intelligence is composed of _____ intelligence and ______ General, Specific abilities Gardner and his associates are known for proposing the theory of _____ intelligence. Multiple What three types of intelligence constitutes Sternbergs triarchic their of intelligence? Analytical, Creative and Practical Measuring intelligence by testing is a rather new concept in the history of the world. The idea of such testing came from? France Alfred Binet designed the first ______ test. IQ The correct formula for determining IQ as used in Termans development of the Stanfor-Binet test was? IQ = MA/CA x 100 Psychological test that yields relatively consistent results are said to be? Reliable A psychological test that measures what we intend it to measure is said to be Validity A test is said to be _____ if a persons score on a test is pretty much the same every time he or she takes it. Reliable What percentage of the population has an IQ below 100? 50% When soldiers in the military sustain head injuries, there is a _____% likelihood that the injuries would be categorized as moderate to severe. 50% People are termed gifted in terms of intelligence if their IQ is above? 130 All parents think their little kids are geniuses. However, to be classified as a genius, the IQ score must be above? 140 The term ______ refers to a sample of gifted children who were studied and followed into adulthood. Termans Termites ______ Intelligence has been suggested by Golemanto to be more powerful influence on life than traditional views. Emotional A group of psychologists reviews the literature on the heritability of intelligence. They conclude that most of the estimates indicate that _____ percent of intelligence is due to genetics 50% A system for combining symbols so that an infinite number of meaningful statements can be made is called? Language The rules that determine how sounds and words can be combined and used to communicate meaning within a language are collectively known as? Grammar The system of rules that governs how we combine words to form grammatical sentences is called? Syntax The basic meaningful units of any language are called? Morphemes What are the smallest units of meaning in a language? Morphemes The semantics of the sentence He ran refer to its? Meaning _____ are defined as the practical aspects of communicating with others, to the social niceties of language. Pragmatics The rhythm and emphasis on each word is called? Intonation Which developmental psychologist theorized that concepts preceded and aided the development of language? Piajet What do we call the hypothesis that language influences what we think? The Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis Researchers have found that both ____ and ____ are influenced by culture. Language and Thought Regular aerobic exercise has been found to increase neurogensis in the _______. Hippocampus

Price Discrimination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Price Discrimination - Essay Example According to the research findings, customers can benefit from research and development as a result of increased revenue that companies earn. In the service industry, some of the customers will benefit from the low price on off-peak time and the firms will benefit on the peak time due to high prices on services and products. Some of the firms will increase revenues and be able to be a going concern in business and even expand.According to the research findings, customers can benefit from research and development as a result of increased revenue that companies earn. In the service industry, some of the customers will benefit from the low price on off-peak time and the firms will benefit on the peak time due to high prices on services and products. Some of the firms will increase revenues and be able to be a going concern in business and even expand.Price discrimination may attract administrative cost when engaging in market segmentation and predatory pricing may be funded by the profi ts gained . Since P>MC, some of the higher prices charge may be allocated inefficiently to the unintended consumer. Some of the customers may be charged high prices. The high prices may be unintended for the rich but the poor may end up also paying that high price (Patel, 2012). In conclusion, the rationale of price discrimination on shelves in supermarkets would be influenced by the type, the strategies used in pricing and the methods that influence price discrimination. Products that are placed at the top of the shelves will have a different price to those at eye level and bottom shelves. Price elasticity of demand also influences the products placed on the shelves as those products place at eye level to have more demand at relatively cheaper prices. Also, certain reasons would influence price discrimination in a monopolistic market such as, service that involves specialization or professionalism and geographical distance. Lack of availability of information also has an impact on price discrimination.

POLITICAL ECONOMY OF THE SINGLE EUROPEAN MARKET Essay

POLITICAL ECONOMY OF THE SINGLE EUROPEAN MARKET - Essay Example 195 billion budget was prepared by the European Union for the purpose of Structural Funds from the period of January 01, 2000 to December 21, 2006. This allocation of the budget was used in different sectors, especially the transport sector, and poorer regions of the continent were supported and integrated with different developing schemes of these structural funds. On the other hand, the budget for the Cohesion Fund was allocated to the amount of 18 billion, which was also used for different schemes and allocations in the European Union. (Halkier, 2004) In this regard, the major amount of the European Union's funding is spent on the Structural Funds, and the bulk of European Union's funding is made up these structural and cohesion funds. In addition, the Common Agricultural Policy is also included in the bulk of European Union's funding along with the abovementioned funds. (Artis, 2006) The areas and regions of the European continent, which are under the pressure of various difficulties are helped and supported by the European Union's Structural Funds. The decline of the local European industry could be the reason of these difficulties. Else, reduction of farm incomes due to the reduction in commodity prices could also be responsible for the lacking of resources to these regions. (Evans, 1999) In the result, sponsor projects are helped and supported by these structural funds, by which, locally identified needs would be addressed directly by it. Some of the sponsor projects that are fun by the structural funds are credited to train local people with different skills, which may help them in building their careers, or help them in setting-up their new businesses. Mainly, there are two objectives of the European Union's Structural Funds. Firstly, the regions with lack of development are enhanced and advanced by the adjustment of structural funds, which help in promoting development in these areas. Mostly, the lagging-behind areas are supported in the first objective of the European Union's Structural Funds. Secondly, local areas that are found to be facing structural difficulties are converted socially and economically by the support of these structural funds. The social and economic conversion is done in such a way that areas are provided with different developing opportunities, which help them in developing and advancing themselves and their areas. (Evans, 1999) Another objective was regarded in the structural funds of the European Union. In this regard, education, employment, as well as, the training systems and policies of the European regions are adapted and modernized by the support and coordination of the structural funds and their different planning and implementation of different projects in these areas. In all these three objectives, the transport sector has been specifically given a significant importance in the funding of these structural funds by the European Union. However, outside the specific areas of the first objective of the structural funds, the fisheries sector is also being restructured by the implementation of a special scheme. In addition, the European Union is witnessing the implementatio

Unit 2 HA499 Capstone Project Research On A Real-Life Healthcare Essay

Unit 2 HA499 Capstone Project Research On A Real-Life Healthcare Organization - Essay Example population, as of February 15, 2012, 25% of this actually belong to the so-called baby boom generation, which has already reached retirement (Rogers, 2012). In 2009, the number of American individuals aged 65 and above was almost 40 million, and this statistics is projected to become 72.1 million in 2030 based on the numbers released by the U.S. Census Bureau (Rogers, 2012). With the increasing number of the aging population, the medical wing of the U.S. faces a great challenge of addressing this proliferating number, which needs to be prioritized in terms of therapies, medicines, and other forms of medical support. In improving access to health care, there are lots of factor to be considered, such as addressing contextual and individual determinants (Andersen et al., 2011). The contextual determinant refers to the â€Å"circumstances† and â€Å"environment† in which healthcare is accessible, such as the availability of healthcare organizations including medical research facilities (Andersen et al., 2011, p. 4). On another perspective, writing theoretical research concerning the health care industry only generates solutions to problems that may or may not be applied in actuality. For instance, a research published by Anderson, Crabtree, Steele, and McDaniel, Jr. (2005) posed a question regarding the practicality of suggested solutions generated by hundreds of researches to the medical practice. Simply saying, the results earned out from prolific researchers remain abstract and a theory all throughout because physicians, nurses, and other health care workers failed to institute and implement those suggestions (Anderson et al., 2005). A lot of researches characterized the health care industry as a â€Å"mechanistic† organization (Anderson et al., 2005, p. 670). This means that the industry is a simple structure and can be predicted using a relational approach that a particular action is predicted to cause this effect (Miller, 1993 as cited in Anderson

Strategic Essentialism In Reducing Gender Inequalities Sociology Essay

Strategic Essentialism In Reducing Gender Inequalities Sociology Essay A position of strategic essentialism is important in ensuring that gender inequalities are reduced. Discuss with reference to the evolution of feminist theory and action in the Global South. A central issue in feminist debates over essentialism is whether there are any shared characteristics common to all women that unify them as a social group other than their biological and physiological predispositions. Many feminist theorists of the 1980s and 1990s (Scott, 1988; Fraser, 1989; Spelman, 1990) rejected essentialism on the grounds that human phenomena cannot be reduced to essentialist monolithic categories, and that universal claims about women presuppose an essential womanness (Spelman, 1990) that all women share, despite the racial, class, religious, ethnic and cultural differences among them, emphasizing instead questions of difference and identity. Essentialism was presumed to be a negative aspect of feminism: One use of a theory of discourse for feminist politics, then, is in understanding social identities in their full socio-cultural complexity, thus in demystifying static, single variable, essentialist views of gender identity. (Fraser, 1991, p. 99). To maintain that femininity predisposes women to certain (nurturing) jobs or (collaborative) styles of work is to naturalize complex economic and social processes and, once again, to obscure the differences that have characterized womens occupational histories. An insistence on differences undercuts the tendency to absolutist and essentialist categories. (Scott, 1988, p. 47). At the same time, an anti-anti-essentialist argument was raised (Stone, 2004), arguing that anti-essentialist claims denied women the motivation to work together as a collectivity. Within this current, strategic essentialism has been an influential strand. While it recognizes that essentialism is descriptively false as it denies the real diversity of womens lives and social situations, it defends essentialist claims in the sense that they are politically useful (multilateral organizations such as the United Nations tend to treat women as if they comprise a unitary group) and socially influential. This argument is especially relevant regarding (womens) social movements, which many believe require a deep notion of shared position and identity. Oppressed groups can deploy essentialism strategically as it enables them to organize common forms of identity and sustain a sense of solidarity. Throughout this essay I will use case studies from the Global South to argue that the emphasis on co mmonalities is especially useful when tackling gender inequalities, but that the possible solutions must adapt to local conditions (taking into account a countrys history and culture), and that the ideological neoliberalism has played an important role in fragmenting the representation of women as a homogenous unit of analysis. Mohanty (1998) argues that western feminist scholarship has produced an image of third world women as a homogeneous and powerless group, often represented as victims of particular socio-economic systems (women as victims of war crimes, women as refugeesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦), on the basis of a shared oppression. The focus should instead be on the common differences (the common experience of social exclusion, for instance) as the basis for solidarity and collective mobilization, which are achieved through an active engagement with diversity. Issues like poverty and (gender) inequality require collective bargaining despite the involvement of actors polarized along caste, class, gender, linguistic and ethnic lines (Emmerij et al, 2009), as is the case in the case study that follows. The Sangtin (literally meaning friendship in Awadhi, a language spoken in parts of Uttar Pradesh) writers, a group of seven female village-level NGO activists from the hierarchical state of Uttar Pradesh, in India , put forward a collective critique against institutional patriarchies, thus enacting a politics of solidarity among themselves, despite the differences within womens collectives the activists come from diverse caste and religious backgrounds. Their critiques are directed at Nari Samato Yohana (NSY), a donor-funded NGO and a World Bank Initiative that works to empower poor rural women. The writers highlight the paradoxes of NGO politics as these organizations can be both empowering in theory (through the encouragement of grassroots activism) and elitist in practice (in the form of donor-driven priorities and evaluations). They analyze processes of hierarchical character of donor-driven womens empowerment organizations that often disregard rural womens knowledge and expertise. Womens NGOs in Uttar Pradesh are being increasingly pressured by funding agencies, which attach no value to grassroots work until that work is measured by the standards of the funders. Furthermore, these NGOs that are aiming to empower poor women in rural communities are staffed and dominated by Hindu and upper-caste grassroots workers, while rural-based, less formally educated workers find themselves at the margins of institutional spaces, with little say on the running of the organization (Nagar Sangtin Writers, 2006). More generally, the activists challenge the popular perception that NGOs are potential agents for diffusing development and enabling empowerment, because hierarchical processes within NGOs can impede their stated goals of empowerment, class differences reinforced through the hierarchical structures of NGOs (male- and upper-caste-dominated). Thus, the Sangtin writers are not mere victims of the hierarchical processes as Mohanty would argue they are represented by some western feminist texts as they resist and challenge. The role of global initiatives and institutions in addressing gender inequalities is significant. Although the UN Decade for Women and the four global womens conferences held in Mexico, Copenhagen, Nairobi and Beijing between 1975 and 1995 did not find as much common ground between women worldwide as anticipated, the conferences elevated gender equality to the center of the global development agenda and internationalized the issue of womens equality (unless development is engendered, it is endangered). The consensus was that women should lead development rather than the earlier view, in which women were seen as being affected positively or negatively by economic development policies, and were integrated into the development process as victims. Both views, however, assume that all third world women have similar problems and needs. Despite this shift in the development discourse that has moved women from the periphery to the center and acclaimed them as the holders of solutions to glob al problems, the poverty of the worlds women has increased and intensified. Global economic and political processes (i.e. globalization) have exacerbated economic, racial and gender inequalities. Jain (2005) points to a restlessness within the womens movements that has led to a partial failure of the movement to reach the next stage of development. Differences of location, race, class, sexuality, and religion have at times been emphasized at the expense of the commonalities that can build strength to move forward. It is important to emphasize, however, that the existence of gender inequalities have radically different, historically specific explanations as the next case studies will show. Thus, superficially similar situations cannot be treated as identical. Furthermore, as Lourdes Arizpe argues, the construction of gender in every society is a cultural phenomenon. The way in which these differences are constructed will depend on the culture of every society, and it is through the use of cultural analysis that gender inequalities can be understood (Arizpe, cited in Jain, 2005). The case studies (based on Chant McIlwaine, 1998) involves analyzing the challenges women face in two very different countries Malaysia and Zimbabwe and to specifically see how gender inequalities need to be tackled and addressed in each case. On one hand, Malaysia has experienced high levels of economic growth in the last few decades, mainly due to export-oriented industrialization. It is an ethnically heterogeneous and pluralistic society. Social indicators reflect relatively high levels of human development, but when these are differentiated by gender it appears that men have made greater gains than women in most areas. The adult literacy rate among women is 75.4% compared with 87.8% among men. In terms of political participation, in 1994 women represented only 10% of seats at local and parliamentary levels and 7% of ministerial posts. Employment opportunities have increased and diversified in the context of rapid industrialization, but the ethnic Malay have been granted preferential access to opportunities. On the other hand, Zimbabwe is an ethnically homogenous country, in a transition from a white-dominated British colony to a democratic black republic. Although the government has focused on post-colonial restructuri ng and nation-building, gender issues have not been entirely sidelined. Women were of significant importance in the liberation war for Zimbabwe, by proving food, shelter, clothing and paramedical and intelligence services. Their active participation led to the new independence government to take active steps towards gender equality by setting up, in 1981, a Ministry for Community Development and Womens Affairs (MCDWA). Zimbabwe is still a predominantly rural country, with only 30% of its population residing in urban areas in 1992, and remains a patriarchal society. In the case of Malaysia, womens issues are then seen through the lens of political representation, and addressing gender inequalities should be put in the context of ethnic inequalities. A specific solution would be to introduce quota systems to increase the number of women in political office and to enable women to fully participate in and influence decision-making. In the case of Zimbabwe, land access for women is a maj or problem given the patriarchal nature of society where most of the land parcels are owned by men. As such, land redistribution should be incorporated into the debate on how to reduce gender inequalities. A countrys history, culture and ethnic diversity, among others, should be taken into account when addressing gender inequalities, because while women might share a common experience of oppression -whether in Malaysia or Zimbabwe the specific policy measures needed will vary significantly. Women in the Third World have had to bear the brunt of globalization this is not an essentialist claim, but a generalization based on statistical evidence. Poor women are hardest hit by the degradation environmental conditions, wars, famines, privatization of services and the dismantling of welfare states (Mohanty, 2003). The structural adjustment programs many poor countries have had to adapt in order to receive loans from the international financial institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have disproportionately squeezed women out of public sector employment, for example. Amy Linds (2002, 2003) research on Ecuador, however, challenges monolithic and globalized representations of women as victims of the globalization process, which have been made more difficult by a shift to neoliberalism and local women organizations most of which of a working-class and rural in nature becoming the new targets of development policy. Since the early 1980s successiv e Ecuadorian governments have received loans and implemented IMF/World Bank inspired structural adjustment programs (SAPs), which have had gendered impacts in the economy. These neoliberal policies affect women differently, the impact of which depends largely upon womens class, race, ethnicity and geographical location. As stated above, women in general have tended to lose out in this process, but this is particularly true for poor, rural indigenous women. Some women (especially women working within the state) have gained as a result of privatization policies and decentralization. Neoliberalism has had two opposing effects. On the one hand, it has provided the framework under which diverse political movements and actors have converged to challenge and reflect dissatisfaction with the neoliberal economic model and the lack of democratic progress under Abdalà ¡ Bucaram Ortizs presidency. A visible womens movement emerged as women activist in political parties, NGOs, rural and community based organizations, in political parties and in human rights organizations became increasingly frustrated with their marginalized roles under the new politico-economic system. They all invoked a form of strategic essentialism in an attempt to challenge the state and remake the nation in order to give women a greater voice in state policy affairs, and participated in the national strike leading up to President Ortizs removal from office. At the same time that women (as a unitary group) were rising to challenge President Ortizs policies, neoliberalism has exacerbated the differenc es between the women movements and fractured them. In the neoliberal context, economic and social disparities between women working with the state (state feminists) and poor, rural indigenous women who are the targets of state policies have become more apparent. This may contribute to a further fragmentation of a unified feminist movement, Lind (2003) argues, which is now characterized more by separate struggles than by any unified notion of a social movement, in the process of becoming a remnant of the past. Since neoliberalism positions women as clients for the states resources they are positioned in competition with each other for such resources. In short, while there is overlap between all the feminist strands, there is growing disagreement between feminist policy makers and activists regarding where women fit in the development arena, and whether there speak with a single, or multiple, fragmented voices. In conclusion, essentialist and anti-essentialist positions are located at the extreme ends of a spectrum. Addressing inequalities from these extremes does not represent a viable position. In order to move away from the essentialist/anti-essentialist dichotomies it is important to understand women not as completely different from each other, and at the same avoiding to assimilate them into a single dominant identity. Therefore, we need to look to the middle ground between essentialism and gender skepticism to find ways of talking about women that neither do violence to our diversity, nor represent us as inconsolably different (Heyes, 2000). Furthermore, women should neither be portrayed as victims to be rescued or heroines that hold the key to lift their countries and communities out of poverty. These extreme stances do not help in understanding the solutions that are needed to address women discrimination and inequalities. It seems that the best way forwards is for the struggle for gender equality to be channeled at various levels and through a variety of initiatives from the involvement of local womens groups, to NGOs at local, regional and international levels, governments and multilateral institutions and by not homogenizing their experiences. There will always be a framework of collective solidarity through which women can address the issue of gender inequality. Word count: 2302

arab women :: essays research papers

For many generations, women vowed to give their all, and instead of receiving the equal treatment of love and appreciation, they were oppressed and degraded. In Egypt, a woman did not have the right to divorce herself; therefore, she had to put up with all the humiliation, mistreatment, unfairness, and inequality everyday. Today, women are celebrating the new law of â€Å"Khul’†, which gives the woman the right to divorce herself with or without her oppressor’s consent, but the question is: does the woman become really free? In our parents days, women had truly suffered extremely damaging marriages, being totally helpless and with no power. Some women tried to use their parents, others used the police, and some just accepted bad marriages as their fate. In the cases where the husband treats his wife aggressively by beating and causing injuries, the woman can provide evidence by police records and hospital certificates, but men always refute these evidence by saying that the wife caused these injuries herself. Thanks to the khul’ law women can finally move a step forward in gaining their rights, while moving closer to equality with men. However, we also see that many other factors still affect a woman’s decision of whether or not to get a divorce, and some consequences of freely taking this decision. In the Egyptian society, the marriage relationship is a very sacred one. It assembles between a man and a woman who are supposed to have common characteristics and their relation to be built on mutual understanding. Accordingly, almost all couples experience a happy and comfortable life in their earliest years of marriage. However, after they become accustomed to each other, the defects of each begin to appear and they may reach a point where they are unable to tolerate each other, let alone live and raise a family together. So, problems arise and lead to divorce. Yet, divorce is extremely problematic for women for several reasons. First, women’s families and the society do not accept divorce easily. Second, men have the right of divorce whenever they want. Third, according to the old divorce law, women used to face many problems in courts to obtain divorce. But according to the new law khul’, women will be able to obtain their freedom easily, and they will be able to f ace their families and society by the force of law and Islamic Shariaa.