Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Why Should Minimum Wage be Raised or Why Not - 546 Words

Raising minimum wages is a contestable issue because it is debated in wide and varied audiences. Minimum wage is near the top of economists’ interest; they are looking for the connection between low wages and poor job markets. Each country sets its own laws and regulations regarding wages. For this reason, it has significant importance to policy makers and workers in each of those respective countries. Social activists have also found interest in the topic due to the fact that those who earn a minimum wage tend to come from poor minority families. Furthermore, the average American should have the strongest interest in the conversation because most citizens have been paid a minimum wage at some point in their life. Due to this fact, the idea of a significant federal minimum wage increase in America is open for debate specifically to rejuvenate the job industry, improve living conditions for citizens, and strengthen the economy as a whole. Minimum wage is currently the standard for the lowest wage a worker can earn that is acceptable within the American society. The earliest debates began in 1938 when President Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Standards Act that promoted â€Å"a minimum standard of living necessary for health, efficiency, and general well-being, without substantially curtailing employment† (â€Å"The Renewed Debate†); it was embraced by workers but opposed by upper level businessmen claiming it would hurt the economy. The debates have continued through the years with aShow MoreRelatedWhy The Minimum Wage Should Be Raised?1410 Words   |  6 PagesAmerica raised the minimum wage to $7.25. However, six years later the minimum wage rage remains the same. It is time once again for the federal government to raise the minimum wage to spur the economy. Raising the minimum wage would help the American economy and the daily life of the citizens for a variety of reasons. The first topic is that it not only would help the people but i t also would help the economy as a whole. The second topic is that companies are already raising the minimum wage becauseRead MoreWhy the Minimum Wage Should Be Raised1379 Words   |  5 Pageseight dollars an hour? Well, many minimum wage jobs involve such duties as these. However, the minimum wage here in Illinois is only $8.25 per hour (US Dept. of Labor, 2014). In Indiana, the state where I work, it is a dollar less than that (US Dept. of Labor, 2014). The following information will discuss reasons why this wage should be increased and the benefits that accompany an increase for all of us regardless to whether we earn the minimum wage or a higher a wage. According to the National EmploymentRead MoreMinimum Wage Should Be Raised1395 Words   |  6 PagesIn today’s society, minimum wage is an issue. It’s whether or not it should be raised or lowered. This interests almost everyone due to the fact that everyone wants to make money and the amount should reflect the work and skills that are put in. The minimum wage is a major antijobs policy. First things first, the minimum wage buys a lot less than it used to. Only Congress can adjust the federal minimum wage, and it doesn’t necessarily increase with inflation. As a result, its buying power has diminishedRead MoreShould Minimum Wage Be Raised?1062 Words   |  5 Pagesever pressing question regarding Minimum wage. Not many subjects can ignite a controversy as quickly as that of whether or not minimum wage should be raised, or by how much should it be raised or if it should remain the same. What is minimum wage? By definition, minimum wage is the minimum hourly wage an employer can pay an employee for work. (â€Å"MinimumWage.com†) America’s minimum wage was first introduced by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938. That minimum wage was introduced as part of the FairRead MoreMinimum Wage Persuasive Essay1106 Words   |  5 Pagesmore than the federal minimum wage? If you said yes then perhaps you are unaware of the many negative effects surrounding a higher minimum wage and after reading this you will be educated on why the minimum wage should not be raised. In the beginning, the minimum wage was created with good intentions. It was originally established in 1938 and was $.25 an hour (Sessions). It was created to make sure that businesses would not take advantage over workers. While the minimum wage was and still is a goodRead MoreBenefits of Raising the Minimum Wage Essay614 Words   |  3 Pageswho works year-round is less than $16,000 (about $15, 080) according to the current federal minimum wage (Rebuilding). To put into retrospect how out-dated the federal minimum wage is, consider that the mi nimum wage of 1956 amounted to exactly $7.93 in 2009 (Henderson). How progressive is it that our nation’s workers being paid less today than workers from the 50’s? The federal minimum wage should be raised in order to assist families out of poverty, to ensure the effort and loyalty of workers, andRead MoreMinimum Wage Should Be Raised935 Words   |  4 PagesMinimum wage is an ongoing debate in the United States. There are some people who think that it should be raised to a higher rate and others who think that it should not. There are many different pros and cons with raising minimum wage. Minimum wage is at a balanced rate that should not be raised due to lack of skill, low education, and economic problems. Jobs that require minimum wage are created for young adults who are in college or high school. They are to help one get one on their feet so thatRead MoreMinimum Wages During 21st Century America1649 Words   |  7 PagesMinimum Wages in 21st Century America In the United States the time has come for the next president to be elected and the political fervor has come early this year with an unconventional, surprisingly interesting primary race. With the coming of a new commander in chief the incessant grilling of the candidates has begun and issues, such as poverty in the United States, are being given the national spot light during debates. The issue of poverty has recently gained traction among citizens as wellRead MoreMinimum Wage And The Wage Essay1728 Words   |  7 PagesRoyer Political Science 120 7 November 2016 Increase Minimum Wage Introduction The United States’ minimum wage has been a concerning issue amongst the low wage earners because of the amount they earn is not enough for them to live on their own. Therefore causing the citizens who earn minimum wage to have an impossible time finding a place to stay and expenses for daily survival. Increasing the minimum wage will solve the issues that the minimum wage earners make, thus increasing the chances of survivalRead MoreThe Consequences Of Raising Minimum Wage1354 Words   |  6 Pagesof Raising Minimum Wage Many minimum wage workers are pushing for an increase in the lowest amount that they can legally get compensated per each hour worked. When it comes to raising the minimum wage, people do not take in consideration all the things that could happen as a result of it being increased. Raising the minimum wage could have a disastrous effect on businesses that have a large amount of unskilled workers. These businesses would have to increase not only their minimum wage workers but

Monday, December 16, 2019

Gender Roles Free Essays

Gender role is a term used in the social sciences and humanities to denote a set of behavioral norms that accompany a given gendered status (also called a gender identity) in a given social group or system. (WHO, 2011) Gender roles are seen everywhere, everyday. There are many different ways to look at gender roles. We will write a custom essay sample on Gender Roles or any similar topic only for you Order Now Defining the terms that help you completely understand gender roles is necessary. Delving into the family aspect of gender roles gives you a better grasp on the different family structures and how they are used in daily life. We are used to the traditional gender roles in everyday America, but have you ever thought about the gender roles in different cultures? This paper will define different terms to help you better understand gender roles, look into the family aspect of gender roles, and looking into different cultures and how they are different from ours. Sometimes it is hard to understand exactly what is meant by the term â€Å"gender†, and how it differs from the closely related term â€Å"sex†. â€Å"Sex† refers to the biological and physiological characteristics that define men and women. While â€Å"gender† refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes a given society considers appropriate for men and women (WHO, 2011). To put it another way, â€Å"male† and â€Å"female† are sex categories and â€Å"masculine† and â€Å"feminine† are gender categories. Aspects of sex will not vary substantially between different human societies, while aspects of gender may vary greatly. Sex characteristics are very different from gender characteristics. Some examples of sex characteristics; women menstruate while men do not, men have testicles while women do not, men generally have more massive bones than women do. Now, some examples of gender characteristics; in the United States women generally earn less money than men, in Saudi Arabia men are allowed to drive while women are not (WHO, 2011). Can you tell the difference now? Your sex does not determine what gender you are. The way they are determined in the family setting can be drastically different depending on which family structure you belong in. There are four essential types of family structures. The first is the nuclear family that can be defined as a family consisting of a mother, father, and their biological or adoptive descendants, often called the traditional family. The second structure is the single parent. The single parent structure consists of the mother or the father and the child and/or children. The third type of structure is the extended family, which is two or more adults from unlike generations of a family, who share a household. The fourth and final structure is the childless family. The childless family is a group of people from all variety of backgrounds and all lifestyles who, for whatever reason, have never had children (Shelton, 2010). Depending on the family structure you grew up in, it could have long-term effects on your gender role attitude. In the single-parent structure, the parent has to fulfill both gender roles in the family. Research has confirmed that people raised by single parents tend to be more androgynous, as well as more mature and independent (Schenck, 2009). They learn from seeing their parent take on both roles. In the extended family, there are many generations of a family living under the same roof. In an extended family, there are many advantages, such as the big support structure. The big support structure has a strong influence in many facets of life (economic, social, emotional, and psychological). Talcott Parsons goes into detail with the nuclear family structure and the types of gender roles that can play out. In 1955, Talcott Parsons developed a model of the nuclear family. It compared a strictly traditional view of gender roles (from an industrial-age American perspective) to a more liberal view (Discovery Media, 2011). The Parsons model is used to contrast and illustrate extreme positions on gender roles. Model A describes total separation of male and female roles, while Model B describes the complete dissolution of gender roles (Skolnick, 1995). How to cite Gender Roles, Essay examples Gender Roles Free Essays Gender Analysis Essay Gender Roles? What Gender Roles? Throughout the endless generations and societies of the world the idea of gender roles can be found in each and every single one. Every human being, in their own time and own way, has had an image drilled into their head as to how the roles of each gender should be played out. On the outermost surface there are two distinct and recognizable types of gender naturally being male and female. We will write a custom essay sample on Gender Roles or any similar topic only for you Order Now However, that truly is only the surface as there are many types of gender roles either a male or a female may choose to, or be forced into assuming throughout their lives. Society uses whatever image it chooses in order to convey what it thinks the gender roles should be at the time and is very capable of controlling the way people think, act, and behave. However, our generation as well as the last few generations have had the interesting experience of living in a society in which long established gender roles are being challenged more and more everyday. We are deciding as a people that we are far more interested in being individuals then simply going along with the stereotypes set forth by society. My family, in which my father is responsible for the majority of cooking and cleaning while my mother is the main breadwinner and financial overseer, seems to be a perfect example of the new trend along which society is moving and the new opportunities and ideas that are becoming a reality when it comes to gender roles in society. Everyone knows the long and stereotypical list of jobs that guys do and jobs that girls do as well as the different toys that each are supposed to play with when they’re little. We all also know how the boy that plays with dolls and the girl that plays with trucks gets treated when they’re little. Seemingly, neither one of these things has really changed at all up until today, but why then does the idea of gender roles seem to be diminishing every single day? Personally, I believe it has almost everything to do with your family and the people that you are surrounded by at a young age. They’re the ones who dress you, decide what school you go to, what friends you hangout with, even what food you eat. They take the small clay ball that is you as a baby and begin to try and form it into what they (in many cases what society) want it to be. For me, this was not so much the case. Every Sunday morning I would roll over in my bed to the sound of the vacuum cleaner humming up and down the hallway or the mop squeaking along the kitchen floor. Once I finally was able to pull myself out of bed and drag my way up to the kitchen table I was greeted by a plate stocked full of eggs bacon and pancakes all drowned in steaming maple syrup. If you were to ask almost anybody who it was making these noises and preparing this delicious meal they would undoubtedly say it was my mother. But they would be wrong. While my dad was busy cleaning and making breakfast, my mom was in her office starting on her work for the day, or filing taxes or balancing the checkbook. See, in my house, the term gender role was a very confusing one seeing as how it had a different meaning there then almost everywhere else. I would go to all my friends houses and see their dads, coming home all dirty and sweaty from work, cracking open a cold one while their moms would be scurrying around in an apron tidying things up and pulling hot buttery rolls out of the oven right before dinner. It never really dawned on me at such a young age though that the differences between my home and my friend’s home were so significant and that I truly have a different life because of these differences. To be completely honest, I have never really thought about the way in which experiencing gender roles in such a reversed way (thus perhaps not experiencing them at all) has actually affected me and the way in which I act. However, thinking about it now, there are definitely aspects of my life and personality that are different due to the circumstances under which I was raised. Most importantly, I think that growing up in a household in which all the gender rules were broken has allowed me to be much more open to new people, places, and things. Gender is more likely than not the very first thing you notice about someone. You use it as a basis for almost all of the forthcoming judgments you will make about someone based on things such as what they’re wearing, how they talk, where they work, what they eat. A person’s gender decides so much about them in they eyes of an observer, the only problem being many of those things may not even be true. Growing up ith the idea that men and women can fulfill whatever role they choose both within the home and outside of it has caused me to be a much less judgmental person. This is because if you take gender out of the equation it eliminates such a large portion of what you would judge a person on that you don’t judge them at all. Realizing something as simple as the fact that men can stay at home and cook and clean and women can work hard and be in charge of money allows you to realize that you actually have to talk to a person and get to know them before you really known anything about them, you can’t just take things at face value. Had I grown up with the stereotypical patriarchal family I have no doubt that I would be a different person. For every child that does grow up with one of these families, the roles assigned to each gender are becoming more and more solidified. Every parent that buys their little boys baseball gloves and a plastic tool box and their girls an easy-bake oven and doll house is simply placing another brick in the ever growing wall of gender roles and we are still, to this day, witnessing the negative effects these gender roles are having on our society. Men still dominate most higher up positions while women still receive lower wages then men in many cases. It’s a little crazy to think that something as simple as what toys you give your children to play with are contributing to the development and growth of gender discrimination isn’t it? So many people may be asking, what toys should my kids play with? Well, growing up I sure didn’t play with dolls or easy bake ovens, I also played with trucks and superhero action figures and baseball gloves. The difference is in the context in which I was playing with these toys. I was playing with my hot wheels while watching my dad scrub the bathroom floor and hitting baseballs through the window of my mom’s office while she was making major family decisions. It was being able to see the full spectrum of what both males and females could do that allowed me to never get sucked in to the idea of gender-designated roles. I hate to sound as if I’m bragging or over prideful when I say this but I feel as though it is family environments such as the one I was brought up in that are allowing for cracks to be formed in that brick wall of gender roles. Trying to teach people about true gender equality and cooperation when they’re already grown up and have had 30 or so years of â€Å"teaching† from the rest of society is something that is very hard to do. In Amy Truong’s essay, â€Å"Gender Expectations and Familial Roles Within Asian American Culture† she talks about how her ideas of gender roles were also formed at a very young age, â€Å" Within Asian culture, women are raised and taught to be silent and obedient†¦growing up I was told, ‘Do not comment or speak up,’ whenever I wanted to voice my opinion. My opinion was considered unimportant. And for many years of my life I believed that this was true. † It is clear that within our own culture, Asian culture, and more than likely every culture of the world, you are truly taught about gender roles within society as a small child when you don’t have the ability to teach yourself and thus you simply take what is given to you. Thus, I strongly believe that gender roles are specifically established within the first years of each new generation. They are then solidified throughout your childhood and teenage years and by the time you are an adult your beliefs about gender and society are already more than decided. This generation, now grown up, will pass down the exact same beliefs and ideals about gender to their children and the perpetual circle of assigned gender roles and discrimination against the non-conformists continues. Growing up with an alternate view of gender roles has allowed me to understand that we can change the old and out dated idea that because you’re a woman you stay at home with the kids and because you’re a man you bring home the paycheck. In almost all cases, excluding some jobs involving physical labor, women are more than capable of doing the exact same jobs men do, and in many cases a better job. Similarly, men are capable of doing all the same jobs commonly held by women. All it is, is a state of mind that has been so instilled in the heads of society that we have all but lost the will to change it. We are all created equal, it is a statement on which America was founded, but perhaps it should instead become a statement by which America actually lives. How to cite Gender Roles, Papers Gender Roles Free Essays Genders role between men and women are always present through history. During the 1930’s the time when this story takes place, men are usually the ones working for the money, and performing all the hard labor, while women are supposed to do all the house work, and behave in a polite manner. In the story â€Å"Boys and girls† by Alice Munro the protagonist struggles with societies ideas of how a girl should be. We will write a custom essay sample on Gender Roles or any similar topic only for you Order Now This story is about a girl who prefers helping her father with chores on the field as opposed to helping her mother in the kitchen. As the story progresses her mentality changes as she starts caring about what she wears, how her hair looks, and doesn’t protest being called a girl. The relationship between men and woman in this story conveys how men see woman as inferior based on what roles society places on them. An incident showing how men see woman as inferior was shown when the mother said to the father † Wait till Laird gets a little bigger, then you’ll have a real help†. This conveys that men in this society can perform physical labor better than women. The mother tries to plot ways into getting the girl to help her around the house. Even though the girls doesn’t like helping around the house the mother believes that is what women should be doing. This relates back to what the mother said to the father, because she believes the girl is incapable of helping in the farm. Also shows how the mother fills the roles set for women in this society, and wants to enforce these roles onto the girl. Another incident was when the girl was thinking to herself. She said â€Å"A girl was not, as I had supposed, simply what I was; it was what I had to become†. This statement shows how her mentality was changing throughout the story. At first she was confident and happy helping her father out on the farm. The girl then became unsecure because of all the chatter circulated by her mother to other people, and the constant emphasis of what a ‘girl’ should be. This shows how woman in this society are inferior from the point of view of not only men, but also woman such as the mother. Another incident was when the girl could have shut the gate on the horse â€Å"Flora†, but instead she let the horse run away. When the father found about her letting the horse go from Laird he was frustrated at first, but then commented â€Å"She’s only a girl†. This further emphasizes the reality of how ‘girls’ are seen in this society. The girl felt free from guilt through her father’s tone of voice when he commented about her being only a girl. The girl at this point didn’t protest being called a girl, and thought it was possibly true. The father’s use of words conveys the overall perception of how men felt women in that society. Furthermore gender roles in this story gives a overall view of what men and woman should perform in society. The men in this story are the one working on the farm, and performing all physical labor. The woman such as the mother in this story performs all the kitchen work. These roles are enforced into the girl and also her brother Laird throughout the story. The emphasis of how male see woman as inferior is present from beginning of the story to end through many incidents. How to cite Gender Roles, Papers Gender Roles Free Essays The â€Å"long held stereotype of the typical family† has become a thing in the past. More and more do we see both men and women seeking work outside of the home in order to provide a stable household? In today’s society, a woman who stays home is often considered as lazy or useless, which is far from true according to the long held stereotype. Although men and women have had a history of pushing boundaries and breaking free of their specific gender roles in the past, our people as a whole haven’t learned from these courageous examples. We will write a custom essay sample on Gender Roles or any similar topic only for you Order Now Instead, there are traditional ways in which our children are molded from long held ideals which have survived throughout many years and continue to segregate men and women apart. Certain occupations and many careers continue to devalue women and glue them as far away from greater opportunities. The media has also become the biggest influence in pushing men and women to conform to their gender appropriate roles. As a child, we are raised by the ideals and beliefs that our family and for many generations have considered to be important. Such ideals include children identifying their sex and determining what is considered to be appropriate for their gender. For example, toy stores are typically segregated, often seeing the boy toys separated from the girl toys. The color trend is also apparent in which blue is identified with boys and pink will quickly be assumed for a girl. Boys are also burdened by a secret code, which is commonly titled as the â€Å"Boy Code†. The Boy Code is a somewhat strict set of rules in which they are expected to be rough, independent and rather emotionless. On the other hand, parents tend to be cautious around young girls because they don’t expect them to be any of those manners. Typically girls are given the approval to be vulnerable, gentle and clumsy. Women are definitely taught that they live in a male dominated society. Education provides very little detail of how women have contributed to history and employers continue see less value in a woman than in a man. Women are constantly cheated from what they deserve; especially women who earn less for the same job as her male counterpart. Not only do jobs lack equal promotional opportunities for women as well, institutions make it hard for a woman to keep her job or get one. For example, a mother is typically the first person a school or a daycare center will contact in regards to her child. Also, it is frequently the mother who stays home from work to care for a sick child or an ill relative. These expectations and obligations pushes women to conform to society’s gender roles. The media is all around us from billboards, magazines, commercials and the internet, the media is wherever we go. The media continues to enforce specific gender roles and it is by far the strongest enforcement. For example, in commercials that pertain to cooking and cleaning products, women are often employed to model the product’s use. Secondly, young girls are rarely seen playing with action figures or toy cars on television as well. Not only are women being taught on what is considered to be gender appropriate, but men are too. Men are often portrayed to be masculine in most types of media. Commercials frequently show a dozen women swooning over a man with body spray or handing a man a beer when he is doing something inappropriate for his gender. The â€Å"long held stereotype of the typical family† seems to be a practice that no longer exists. Although many families have strayed from this idea, it continues to be desired. Times have progressed and our people have changed as well. Our people seem to have seen it all, from the end of women’s suffrage to the United States’ first black president. Unfortunately, our progress as a union hasn’t guaranteed equality to men and women. Children are continued to be raised by the ideals that have survived through the male dominated eras, work institutions devalue their women colleagues and the media subconsciously steers us towards gender appropriate roles. How to cite Gender Roles, Papers Gender Roles Free Essays Gender Roles Gender roles are affected by the typical roles society expects both men and women to fit into because they determine how we should think, speak, dress, and interact within the context of society. Whereas I believe that men and women should be who they want to be. Society has many expectations on men; men are supposed to be brave and stronger than woman. We will write a custom essay sample on Gender Roles or any similar topic only for you Order Now An article on The Social Roles of Men and Women states â€Å"It is not enough for a man to be male; he also has to appear masculine. † People believe that men should be bold, strong, and powerful but that’s not always the case. Men should act the way they want! Just because society or their parents expect them to be masculine doesn’t mean they have to. Another example from The Social Roles of Men and Women adds â€Å"Traditionally, fathers teach boys how to fix and build things. † I’m sure everyone expects men to teach their sons how to fix or build things. Some fathers don’t even follow this concept with their sons. Sometimes when these kids grow up and don’t know how to build or fix things there are looked at differently as if they are worthless. Moreover from a different article Gender and Society says â€Å"Men have always been afraid that women could get along without them. † This quote is basically stating that men think that women can live without them, when in reality they can. Men are afraid of this because they believe that women should stay home, keep the house clean and have dinner waiting for them once they come back from work. Men shouldn’t be afraid that women can be independent; I think it’s great that women can be independent and not rely on anyone but themselves. Society also has many expectations on women too; women are usually looked at as being nicer than men. The article The Social Roles of Men and Women says â€Å"A woman, in addition to being female, must also be feminine. † Society believes that all women should be beautiful, smart, and lovely. I believe that all women are beautiful the way they are; they don’t have to try their best to look their best because having a beautiful heart is what really matters. Everyone in this world is smart in their own way so people in society need to stop judging because both men and women are smart. Another example from The Social Roles of Men and Women claims that â€Å"that women are naturally passive. I strongly disagree with this statement because women are definitely not lifeless and inactive. We women are very active and independent now a days. We support and raise our children without men. The last example is one that Thandie Newton mentioned â€Å"[We assume] that the self is an actual living thing, but it’s not. It’s a projection which our clever brains create i n order to cheat ourselves from the reality of death. † Newton shows us how she believes that society does have an effect on gender roles because she says our†self† is something created by our brains and ultimately society. Although men and women have different expectations in society, they both are affected by typical roles society expects them to live by. For example in the article Gender and Society it states â€Å"costume, a mask, a straitjacket in which men and women dance their unequal dance. † I think this quote is telling us that gender is not real because it’s saying gender is a â€Å"costume†. Also when the quote says â€Å"dance their unequal dance† it means that no matter if you’re a man or woman, they both are unequal. The last example from Gender and Society tells us â€Å"For instance, men and women who feel that they do not fit the masculine and feminine stereotypes, or who resent them as too restrictive, may also develop ambiguous feelings about their biological sex. † I believe that people shouldn’t care about what society expects from them. Just because men are supposed to be masculine and women are supposed to be feminine doesn’t mean you don’t fit in. You should not be confused about your sex because all that matters in the end is that you’re happy for the real person you are not the fake person you’re trying to be to fit in. To conclude gender roles are affected by the typical roles society expects us to fit into because they determine the context of society. Society has many expectations on men and women. Men are looked at as being strong, powerful, and bold; whereas women are looked at as being clean, smart and lovely. Although men and women have different expectations in society we should not care about what society thinks and care about what we think. Men and women should be able to be who they want to be! Not someone they don’t want to be. MLA â€Å"Gender and Society: A Matter of Nature or Nurture? Gender and Society: A Matter of Nature or Nurture? N. p. , n. d. Web. 06 Nov. 2012. http://www. trinity. edu/mkearl/gender. html. â€Å"The Social Roles of Men and Women. † The Social Roles of Men and Women. N. p. , n. d. Web. 06 Nov. 2012. http://www2. hu-berlin. de/sexology/ATLAS_EN/html/the_social_roles_of_men_and_wo. html. â€Å"Thandie Newton: Embracing Otherness, Embracing Myself. à ¢â‚¬  TED: Ideas worth Spreading. N. p. , n. d. Web. 06 Nov. 2012. http://www. ted. com/talks/thandie_newton_embracing_otherness_embracing_myself. html. How to cite Gender Roles, Essay examples

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Administrative Intelligence-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Intelligence Agencies are new but Intelligence is as old as time. How has Intelligence changed over time and what, if anything, about it has remained the same? Answer: There is no gain stating the obvious fact that human intelligence, since the inception of mankind, has experienced a steady evolution over a course of thousand years. The general intelligence of any individual is defined as his ability to acquire as well as to apply his knowledge in life, foreseeing the possible outcome, and adopting necessary strategies to fulfil or combat the same. With the advent of technology and scientific advancement, the intelligence acquisition method has also largely improved with time, and with the presence of spy agencies and smart thinking robots, the transformation of intelligence architecture has undergone a rapid, profound transformation. However, while scientific advancement has facilitated the invention of new machines and robots that have helped in the development of various branches of intelligence science such as cognitive science, artificial intelligence and brain science it should be remembered that the origin of intelligence can be traced back to 100 years (Mitra and Liebig 2017). As the most powerful advisor and popular dictator in the court of Chandragupta Maurya, Kautilya was the ultimate realist and famous pragmatist, whose eminent political treatise Arthasastra, intended to enlighten a wise king how best to govern and administer the empire, in the most discreet way. Although the treatise concerning itself with war and diplomacy seems to be most relevant at a time of empires and kingdom, it should be remembered that Kautilya still remains relevant in todays world. As one of the greatest and most popular political books of the ancient world, written back around the time of 300 BCE, Arthasastra remains highly relevant today. This widely read and well-received treatise is the source of wisdom and intelligence even in the 21st century, and needless to state that his ideas of a welfare state, economic policies and administrative reforms, good governance as well as foreign trade are even applied today. Before explaining how Kautilya remains relevant even today, when one seeks to define intelligence, it is important to see how has intelligence evolved and progressed over the ages. In many aspects the political intelligence in present world aligns with the concepts in Kautiliyan Arthashastra. According to Gautam (2013) the concept of punishment and discipline in the political system, the manner of appointment of ministers in 21st century aligns with the Kautilyas principles. Kautilya elucidated the method of recruitment of councilors, spies, priests, envoys and how to protect princes and educate them. Further, Arthashastra also highlighted how to keep the treatment of the prince under restrain. It explained the role and duties of the king towards state in detail, the personal safety of king and duties of king towards female quarters. In present world the recruitment of ministers based on certain educational qualifications and team of professionals hired for their protection and perso nal safety can be traced back to Kautilyas Arthashastra (Shoham and Liebig 2016). It can be concluded that todays political environment to a great extent is governed by the Kautilyasprinciples. Intelligence in present is as old as time although the intelligent agencies are new. As per Liebig (2014) Arthashastra emphasise on keeping the conduct of the ministers and prince under confinement. It is the concept of vijigisu, where the king takes the responsibility to defend the state. Its application in present day can be related with the Obamas overarching strategy in tracking Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda in Afghanistan. The strategies used by Obama to protect the state were confined and were disclosed only to operation team. Gautam (2013) studied the relevance of Kautilyasprinciples in modern India. First evidence of political intelligence originating from these principles in India comes from Jawaharlal Nehru studying Kautilya Arthashastra in Prison. Other evidences were given by the current President Pranab Mukherjee and NSA Shivshankar Menon who are discursively engaged with Kautilyasthoughts. It gain indicates that the intelligence is as old as time. In contempor ary Indian life, the symbolic representation of Kautiliyan thought in street names and names of educational institutions is found. The political strategic documents do not explicitly refer to Kautilya. It is argued that the latent presence of these principles in present day politics and primary socialisation due to its affinity with epics like Mahabharata. In Asia many countries like India are striving for great power status. The contemporary politico-strategic challenges in India seem to reuse the past as the political activities since 1947 appears to demonstrate, Kautilyan-realist learning curve. Not only India but the manner in which Japan, Germany, US and other countries are establishing the international relationships depicts the behaviour that aligns with the concept of Rajamandala theory in the Arthasastra. In this aspect the political intelligence has remained same (Warner 2014). On the contrary, the intelligence was also found to change overtime in some other aspects. The sixth book of Arthashastra deals with the seven factors of a commonwealth, which act as a source of the circle of kingdom. It is called the saptagna theory (Gautam 2013). The factors include the country, the minister, the king, the friend, the treasury, and the army. These factors also make the ideal of a well organised state in present world. This fact is less realised due to greater emphasis on political theory and thought put forward by Plato and Aristotle. Thus may have brought the deviation of modern day intelligence from the ancient time. There are seven constituent elements of the statecraft. However, only four of these elements are used in the western conception of state. In many western countries the concept of economy is the basis of state is missing. In Arthasastra, this aspect is considered an important constituent of the state (Goria 2017). The western discourse on peace finds military security as the precondition. On the other Indian discourse emphasise on establishing peace without the primacy of military hardware. Unlike India, the western thinkers do not consider peace as both means and the end. In western countries, peace is considered a goal that can be attained by having a high degree of military self-reliance. The war and conflict in the world is due to this fallacy of belief. Even Kautilya does not highly focus on the importance of military for state. It gives equal importance to all the seven constituents, where each one of them is interdependent (Crosston 2016).). The concept of war among neighbouring countries still exist today which accords to Warner (2014) may be misinterpretation of theory. It is argued that most people misinterpret this theory as considering neighbouring states as enemy and enemy of an enemy as friend (Shoham and Liebig 2016). In this aspect it can be argued that the official thinking in India is not influenced by the Kaut ilya Arthasastras foreign policy theories. However, many countries in west Asia follow its tenets in a serious fashion. It appears from the above discussion that intelligence is old as time in many aspects. It has evolved from the Kautilya Arthasastra. In present world this however differs from the Arthasastra in many aspects. It can be concluded that the Kautilyasprinciples are relevant in present times just like in ancient times. It continues to be relevant and may remain so in future generations. However, there is a need of great amount of scholarship because the world is changing dramatically and it is difficult to establish the relevance to Kautilyas work in terms of the present day intelligence completely. Kautilya has provided a detailed description about the responsibilities and duties of the king, ministers and the other state officials. Kautilya has also provided a detailed commentary on the state's political administration. He has explained how the political administration can be effectively undertaken and managed. He also gave instructions about the defense of the boundaries of the state, protection of the forts and the ways in which the infiltration of the enemies can be handled effectively. The Arthashastra of Kautilya differentiates legal issues into criminal and civil matters and gives importance over the specific guidelines for administering justice in terms of evidence, witness and procedures. Moreover, Kautilya strongly preached dignity. However, he maintained that the penalties must be fair and proportionate to the offence that has been committed. This principle of Kautilya is relevant even today's scenario because the need for comprehensive and sound administration for t he state has been uplifted by the propensity of the strong to flout the law and to perform the same repeatedly (Gautam 2013). A government can only be acknowledged as good if it is administered in a structured manner. Kautilya suggested that good governance must dodge any kind of extreme decisions and extreme actions. According to him, soft and the harsh actions must be taken accordingly depending on the prevailing circumstances. According to him, sovereignty is only practicable when there lays co-operation with others. He also preached that the administrative measures are required to be taken only after proper deliberations (Singh 2012; Liebig 2013). In present case political scenario, enemies are no longer a state actor but a non-state actor like terrorist so using a spy as stated by Kautilya is a good strategy to ascertain the motive of the enemies. Kautilya advocated of utilizing women as a weapon of war. He regarded women as source of sexual satisfaction for the enemies of the troops, participating in the war. According to him, women are a powerful addiction and a king must use them against an enemy (Prabhu and Dwivedi 2015). He proposed to use women as a source of assassination and thereby creating dispute among the enemies. Thus the prospective enemies end up killing each other as a result of lust against ravishing women. Kautilya also proposed to use women as spy (Vittal 2011). Women promised pleasure to the king or the higher authorities of the opposing enemies and at the time of the climax, the enemies would end up revealing their secret game plan to these women spies. These spy women then inform the same to the emperor, helping them to combat the attack of the enemy tactically (Vittal 2011). This game plan in warfare of using women is relevant in present day scenario as well. United States and United Kingdom intelligence agencies promote recruitment of female staffs and target middle-aged women for these jobs. However, the reason behind the use of the women as a spy in the political warfare has changed its perspective. Now-a-days, in the era of feminism, women are no longer treated as a symbol of sex or objectified as a symbol of sexual desire. On contrary women are recruited on the basis of high emotional intelligence and to create work place diversity (BBC News 2017). They now are provided with more flexible work environment in order to provide them career support and to encourage more women to join the council of foreign intelligence (Bhadu and Singh 2012).Kautilya believed that the heredity troops are more dedicated when comes to patriotism than that of hired troops. In other words, troops consisting of men born in the same kingdom are claimed to remain loyal to the king. However, this concept of Kautilya though stands strong on the psychological grounds but fails to stand out in present day socio-political scenario. Now the countries are separated as developed, developing or third world countries. With the advancement of the concept of outsourcing, increase in population, need for cheap labor and increase in the number of detention refuges, the developed countries are now using the citizens of the third world countries as the soldiers of war fare. For example, more than 100, 00 people of Iraq are working on a contractual basis with the United States Department of Defense. Two of the most common out sourced militant troops of US is Black water and Armor group. However, there are reports that these private armies are working as security agents in the day time and serving as terrorist at night, thus once again proving Kautilya's hypothesis as a true statement (Sihag 2017). A far-sighted visionary that Kautilya was, it is no wonder that his political treatise has withstood the test of time, and has proved to be crucial and useful in framing the administrative and military reforms of the present era. It is important to note how the Western thinkers and sociologists had expressed various views and ideas regarding political administration that had already been shared by Kautilya in Arthasastra. It should be remembered that Arthasastra spoke of practical realism, rather than mere political philosophy as spoken by Plato and Aristotle. It should be noted that although the Prince written by Machiavelli is also a remarkable political treatise, advising a king to follow steps that would help him in perpetuating his rule, Arthasastra is different as it enlightens one about how to create a sustainable, and productive state. This is precisely the reason why the ideas expressed in Arthasastra are even relevant today. The German sociologist Max Weber is always praise d for his theory of Bureaucracy, where he propounded that the key to running an efficient and highly productive state is to create a government administration system run, controlled and managed by the departments staffed with the non-elected officials, that will ensure maximum transparency and integrity in action (Malhotra 2014). Weber believed that organized hierarchies can only ensure the most efficient and rational form of administration and this systematic process of administration will only help in maintaining order as well as maximizing efficiency. Since the 18th Century, the international political system has witnessed a modern form of bureaucracy, whereby the inefficient and unfair practice of tax farming as was prevalent at earlier times, soon got replaced by an organized method of tax collection, whereby the Exchequers being enrolled to raise taxes, by exerting control over the system of tax revenue and government expenditure (Gautam 2013). Further, by the advent of 20th c entury, bureaucratic form of administration became highly popular amongst all the nations, with the public sector of almost all the countries employing over 5% of its workforce for working for the government. It is no wonder that some of the greatest critics and theorists of all time, such as J.S Mill has claimed that most of the successful monarchies of the world were based on the notion of bureaucracy, and he stated the chef reason behind the success of bureaucracy lies in the fact that its representatives are chosen solely on the basis of appointment, rather than direct, unfair election (Smith 2016). However, although the term bureaucracy is a recent one, coined in the 18th century only, Kautilya had already spoken about the importance of exercising control on the people of the state, even on the importance of creating a spy-network to keep surveillance over the whereabouts of the officials, and the ultimate aim behind the same was fair and transparent administration. Further, it is important to note that Kautilyas maxims of administration already included features such as hierarchy, defined competence of each office, selection and appointment of employees by merit, promotion by seniority-cum-merit, compensation, training and discipline, which were later being discussed by Weber. However, it should be remembered at present, many countries are trying to shift focus away from bureaucratic system of administration, and make their ways towards privatization, as the former is often being accused of paralysing individual initiative resulting in stagnation, while the latter allowing sufficient room for progress and improvement (Gautam 2013). Hence, considering the problem of suppressed creativity, many countries are however moving away from bureaucracy. However, even today in many countries, bureaucracy is the most acceptable form of public administration. Though it is a less acknowledged fact, but the mass surveillance policy of the government is of indispensible importance in smoothly administering a nation. In order to ensure national security, and offer protection to the residents of a country from the terrorists, the government of various countries has also initiated various surveillance programs. For example, only a very few days back, the US government was in news for collecting highly confidential data from the phone logs and Internet data from millions of Americans as part of its mission to keep the United States safe, and with the advent of technology, the domestic spying technique has already reached another level. However, it is less known a fact that Kautilyas Arthasastra had already spoken about the importance of mass surveillance program, considering it to be a key component of any efficient administrative system. Kautilya sternly believed that the spies should keep a close eye on the high officials of the country to exa mine their loyalty and commitment towards the government, as well as the citizens of the country to know their reaction towards the abilities and competence of the administrator. Kautilya believed that this would help the ruler gain comprehensive knowledge about the functioning of the administrative staffs as well as the loyalty of the employees working there (Kumar 2016). At present, in order to tighten up the vigilance system, the government of many countries is not only monitoring the whereabouts of its people through recording systems, but also monitoring and evaluating the performance of the government representatives by installing CCTV cameras in office rooms as well as across the streets. A large number of mass surveillance programs as carried on by the government of various countries such as BULLRUN (USA), Magic Lantern (USA), GhostNet (China), Frenchelon (France) make use of advanced technology, including commercial software such as NarusInsight, that helps in instant ident ification of the culprits, or flaws in the system, and as a system is much more time-saving and effective (Tanwar 2014). However, all these government bodies, while monitoring the internet and telephone communication or supervising staff performance, are necessarily employing the use of the time-tested statecraft intelligence designed by Kautilya in his Arthasastra. One of the most impressive aspects of Arthasastra is its detailed account of the importance of effective fiscal management, which alone can ensure the creation of a highly productive and financially sound nation. At present, the economists believe in increasing the tax base as it is the only way of creating more assets on the tax rolls (e.g., new or improved business properties, homes, and rental properties) to spread the cost of operations across more entities (Murthy and Rooney 2016). There is no gain stating the fact that this will result in more money to enhance government-funded community features that in turn can add to higher quality of life. However, this is not a new concept, and such scientifically proven techniques have already been discussed by Kautilya as he was the first one to advocate that the tax base should be increased, rather than the tax rate. An efficient and financially sound fiscal management policy was initiated by Kautilya who deeply believed that the functi on of a ruler or an administrator is to collect sufficient taxes to sustain the kingdom, rather than collecting too much tax that end up overburdening and destroying its people. Further, it is equally important to note here that Arthasastra was the first book that spoke about the importance of creating distinct tax structures for people belonging to different financial backgrounds, whereby the wealthy persons should always pay higher tax than the poorer people (Manrai and Goel 2017). At present, the tax policy of the government of all the countries is completely based on this idea, whereby the federal tax rate is based on the income level of the citizen, and exemption is provided to an employee earning below a certain level. Unlike former times, when the ruler of a kingdom followed a set of administrative rules and policies, duly communicated to the ministers, at present a well-written constitution states the laws of the country, and lays forth the roles and responsibilities of the government and each of its representatives in serving the nation. Although a well-written Constitution is a unique addition to this, it is important that the essential content of the Constitution of most of the countries is derived from Kautilyas Arthasastra. First of all, akin to the function of the President in todays administration, Kautilya stated that the functions of a king are to act as the military, legislative, executive and judicial head of the State. At present, most of the economists speak of the importance of a Welfare State, and yet it is important to note that Kautilya was the first one to have stated that the king was like the Father and all the people or subjects of his country were his children. That is how h e is supposed to take care of them. Again, it is no less important that the three important internal issues for the ruler to attend, as mentioned in Arthasastra are: Rakshawhich literally implies the kings duty to protect life and liberty within his state; Palana that states the kings commitment to ensure national law and justice; and, Yogakshema or to ensure absolute welfare of the people. In todays world, as absolute monarchy has got replaced by democracy, these three characteristics are found to be subsumed in the constitutions of all modern states in the form of preservation of Life, Liberty, Justice, Equality and Property. Kautilyas Arthasastra was composed long back in the year of 321 BCE, and yet it has not lost its relevance, as the oldest and most exhaustive political treatise enlightening the modern administrators on a variety of issues, right from diplomacy, war and peace, to military statecraft and political intelligence. 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