Bulling In Us Elementary Schools free essay sample

The research that has been carried on bullying internationally and in the United States focusing on elementary schools shows that bullying and victimization is most common in elementary school and becomes progressively less common by the end of high school with rates of bullied students decreasing from 14% of American 6th graders to only 2% of the 12th graders (Prinstein and Dodge, 2008) Victimization is in most cases found in schools but bullying in elementary school is likely to continue at the later age. A consistent growing empirical literature shows that adults bully adults in the workplace in the United States and other countries. (Prinstein and Dodge, 2008). With this findings in mind, there is need to enhance reporting of bully cases in schools so as to minimize the vice. According to Webb and Terr in 2007 shows that bullying affects nearly one in three American school children in grades six through ten and merely sixteen percent of them report to have been bullied. We will write a custom essay sample on Bulling In Us Elementary Schools or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Expected outcomes (Measurable Objectives) A positive relationship between having been bullied in school and being bullied in the adult workplace is evident since those who had been both bullies and victims of bullies in school were even more likely to be bullied as adults at work. Secondly, comparison on sex differences is expected to be the frequency of being bullies, victims, and bully-victims in elementary schools. American male students are more found to bully and are bullied more than female students in elementary schools. Males may consistently have been bullied more than females in many national American studies. As Prinstein and Dodge, 2008 found, American male students bullied more than female students, but were equally victimized. They reported that in their pick of a random sample, American 6th graders, boys were over three times more likely to be classified as bully-victims than were girls, and American middle school and high school students, males were six times more likely to be bully-victims than were female students. Prevalence Direct bullying is a form of physical or verbal attacks, and indirect bullying, or relational/social bullying in the form of deliberate social exclusion or isolation. There are more verbal bullying form elementary school boys and girls than physical bullying, and that physical bullying is more common among boys than girls. Verbal bullying is expected to be more common in both American boys and girls, and American boys may do more physical bullying than girls. Girls engage in more indirect or social bullying than boys, so gender differences is a determinant on the types of bullying used by bullies and experienced by victims in school at various levels, (Prinstein and Dodge, 2008). Analysis of Results Measurements of outcomes Data collection is important for continuous assessment of school crime and violence to give out better and more reliable solutions. A rather robust data collection system is important for educators, community officials, and policy makers at the local, state, and Federal levels to assess and implement school policies for safety. The best data mining and analysis procedure to be utilized here ought to incorporate demographics on students and also adults as participants and collection of their responses filled in questioners. A retrospective study need to be conducted on working adults to investigate whether they had been bullied in school and whether they were being bullied at their jobs. A reliable computer software program or application tool such as the Statistical Package for the Social Services (SPSS) or Excel will be used to analyze this data to come up with charts and graphs to give the clear picture on influences to bulling and current trends and effects. Finding data from the of students who skip school or practice truancy and finding correlation with gathered data on bulling is a key point to be utilized. The correlations also need to be done with respect to age and gender. Solution Strategy Problem Statement The problem is that bulling at school is on the increase with only a small number out speaking about it. Discussion In line with the undertaken surveys by Prinstein and Dodge in 2008, seven percent of students ages 12-18 were reported to be bullied at school during the previous six months. Therefore bullying behavior is most prevalent in the middle grades but as students get older, the prevalence declines so only a small number are bullied. Solution strategy Educators, parents, students, and community members need to find ways to curtail and prevent bulling behaviors from happening because of the growing evidence that leads not only to short and long term consequences for the victim and the offender, but also diminishes the moral climate of the school and its learning environment. The consequences or effects of bulling are equally felt by persons who do not engage in bullying-type behaviors. So these behaviors are far reaching and students who are bullied are at higher risk for truancy and subsequently dropping out of school. Bullied students are likely to skip school entirely or miss out on extra-curricular activities, have little self-esteem, feel isolated, experience depression and are less likely to report good grades. Offenders in bullying incidents are also more likely to engage in crime as adults, have poorer grades or test scores, and may be good abusers of tobacco and alcohol. They are also more prone to carry a weapon to school for protection and engage in physical fights. Description of Selected Solutions/Calendar Plan The initiatives to be pursued to address the issue may include but not limited to first of all coordination. By solicit of funds and use of grants, effective drug and violence prevention programs can be implemented, secondly is through interagency campaigns to stop bullying and increase awareness about the problem of bullying among teens. Teaching young people that they can and should do everything possible to stop bullying is the key goal. The websites, television and radio public service announcements are some vital points these campaigns ought to focus considering that this are issues concerning people who are highly conversant with technology. Programs should avail access for information on bullying prevention and activities that can be implemented at school or community level. Conclusion Bullying is an act that erodes the schooling climate, impairs teaching and learning, and is hurtful to individuals, very often leading to short-term and long-term consequences, including suicide and homicide. As such, we must aggressively attack the problem. Education cannot take place in an environment of fear. All students deserve safe learning environment without being afraid of going to school because of the way they will be treated while there. It would be very unwise to depend on the government to do everything, but if everyone is committed to the issue and does what they can then there would be a decline or even demise of the offense and schools will be safe for everyone References: Webb N and Terr L, (2007), Play Therapy with Children in Crisis: Individual, Group, and Family Treatment. Guilford Press publishers, P. 251 Prinstein M and Dodge K, (2008), Understanding Peer Influence in Children and Adolescents. Guilford Press publishers, P. 239

Major General George H. Thomas in the American Civil War

Major General George H. Thomas in the American Civil War George Henry Thomas was born July 31, 1816, at Newsoms Depot, VA. Growing up on a plantation, Thomas was one of many who violated the law and taught his familys slaves to read. Two years after his fathers death in 1829, Thomas and his mother led his siblings to safety during Nat Turners bloody slave rebellion. Pursued by Turners men, the Thomas family was forced to abandon their carriage and flee on foot through the woods. Racing through Mill Swamp and the bottomlands of the Nottoway River, the family found safety at the county seat of Jerusalem, VA. Shortly thereafter, Thomas became an assistant to his uncle James Rochelle, the local clerk of court, with the goal of becoming a lawyer. West Point After a short time, Thomas became unhappy with his legal studies and approached Representative John Y. Mason regarding an appointment to West Point.   Though warned by Mason that no student from the district had ever successfully completed the academys course of study, Thomas accepted the appointment. Arriving at age 19, Thomas shared a room with William T. Sherman. Becoming friendly rivals, Thomas soon developed a reputation among the cadets for being deliberate and cool-headed. His class also included future Confederate commander Richard S. Ewell. Graduating 12th in his class, Thomas was commissioned as a second lieutenant and assigned to the 3rd US Artillery. Early Assignments Dispatched for service in the Second Seminole War in Florida, Thomas arrived at Fort Lauderdale, FL in 1840. Initially serving as infantry, he and his men conducted routine patrols in the area.   His performance in this role earned him a brevet promotion to first lieutenant on November 6, 1841. While in Florida, Thomas commanding officer stated, I never knew him to be late or in a hurry. All his movements were deliberate, his self-possession was supreme, and he received and gave orders with equal serenity. Departing Florida in 1841, Thomas saw subsequent service at New Orleans, Fort Moultrie (Charleston, SC), and Fort McHenry (Baltimore, MD). Mexico With the outbreak of the Mexican-American War in 1846, Thomas served with Major General Zachary Taylors army in northeastern Mexico. After performing admirably at the Battles of Monterrey and Buena Vista, he was brevetted to captain and then major. During the fighting, Thomas served closely with future antagonist Braxton Bragg and earned high praise from Brigadier General John E. Wool. With the conflicts conclusion, Thomas briefly returned to Florida before receiving the post of instructor of artillery at West Point in 1851. Impressing West Points superintendent, Lieutenant Colonel Robert E. Lee, Thomas was also given the duties of cavalry instructor. Back to West Point In this role, Thomas earned the lasting nickname Old Slow Trot due to his constant restraining of the cadets from galloping the academys elderly horses. The year after arriving, he married Frances Kellogg, the cousin of a cadet from Troy, NY. During his time at West Point, Thomas instructed Confederate horsemen  J.E.B. Stuart and Fitzhugh Lee as well as voted against reinstating future subordinate John Schofield after his dismissal from West Point. Appointed a major in the 2nd Cavalry in 1855, Thomas was assigned to the Southwest. Serving under Colonel Albert Sidney Johnston and Lee, Thomas combated the Native Americans for the remainder of the decade. On August 26, 1860, he narrowly avoided death when an arrow glanced off his chin and hit his chest. Pulling the arrow out, Thomas had the wound dressed and returned to action. Though painful, it was to be the only wound that he would sustain throughout his long career. The Civil War Returning home on leave, Thomas requested a year-long leave of absence in November 1860. He suffered further when he badly injured his back during a fall from a train platform in Lynchburg, VA. As he recovered, Thomas became concerned as states began leaving the Union after the election of Abraham Lincoln. Turning down Governor John Letchers offer to become Virginias chief of ordnance, Thomas stated that he wished to remain loyal to the United States as long as it was honorable for him to do so. On April 12, the day that the Confederates opened fire on Fort Sumter, he informed his family in Virginia that he intended to remain in federal service. Promptly disowning him, they turned his portrait to face the wall and refused to forward his belongings. Labeling Thomas a turncoat, some Southern commanders, such as Stuart threatened to hang him as a traitor if he was captured. Though he remained loyal, Thomas was hampered by his Virginia roots for the duration of the war as some in the North did not fully trust him and he lacked political backing in Washington. Quickly promoted to lieutenant colonel and then colonel in May 1861, he led a brigade in the Shenandoah Valley and won a minor victory over troops led by Brigadier General Thomas Stonewall Jackson. Building a Reputation In August, with officers like Sherman vouching for him, Thomas was promoted to brigadier general. Posted to the Western Theater, he provided the Union with one its first victories in January 1862, when he defeated Confederate troops under Major General George Crittenden at the Battle of Mill Springs in eastern Kentucky. As his command was part of Major General Don Carlos Buells Army of the Ohio, Thomas was among those who marched to Major General Ulysses S. Grants aid during the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862. Promoted to major general on April 25, Thomas was given command of the Right Wing of Major General Henry Hallecks army. The bulk of this command was made of up of men from Grants Army of the Tennessee. Grant, who had been removed from field command by Halleck, was angered by this and resented Thomas position. While Thomas led this formation during the Siege of Corinth, he rejoined Buells army in June when Grant returned to active service. That fall, when Confederate General Braxton Bragg invaded Kentucky, the Union leadership offered Thomas command of the Army of the Ohio as it felt Buell was too cautious. Supporting Buell, Thomas refused this offer and served as his second-in-command at the Battle of Perryville that October. Though Buell compelled Bragg to retreat, his slow pursuit cost him his job and Major General William Rosecrans was given command on October 24. Serving under Rosecrans, Thomas led the center of the newly named Army of the Cumberland at the Battle of Stones River on December 31-January 2. Holding the Union line against Braggs attacks, he prevented a Confederate victory. The Rock of Chickamauga Later that year, Thomas XIV Corps played a key role in Rosecrans Tullahoma Campaign which saw Union troops maneuver Braggs army out of central Tennessee. The campaign culminated with the Battle of Chickamauga that September. Attacking Rosecrans army, Bragg was able to shatter the Union lines. Forming his corps on Horseshoe Ridge and Snodgrass Hill, Thomas mounted a stubborn defense as the rest of the army retreated. Finally retiring after nightfall, the action earned Thomas the nickname The Rock of Chickamauga. Retreating to Chattanooga, Rosecrans army was effectively besieged by the Confederates. Though he did not have good personal relations with Thomas, Grant, now in command of the Western Theater, relieved Rosecrans and gave the Army of the Cumberland to the Virginian. Tasked with holding the city, Thomas did so until Grant arrived with additional troops. Together, the two commanders began driving Bragg back during the Battle of Chattanooga, November 23-25, which culminated with Thomas men capturing Missionary Ridge. With his promotion to Union general-in-chief in the spring of 1864, Grant designated Sherman to lead the armies in the West with orders to capture Atlanta. Remaining in command of the Army of the Cumberland, Thomas troops were one of three armies overseen by Sherman. Fighting a number of battles through the summer, Sherman succeeded in taking the city on September 2. As Sherman prepared for his March to the Sea, Thomas and his men were sent back to Nashville to prevent Confederate General John B. Hood from attacking Union supply lines. Moving with a smaller number of men, Thomas raced to beat Hood to Nashville where Union reinforcements were heading. En route, a detachment of Thomas force defeated Hood at the Battle of Franklin on November 30. Concentrating at Nashville, Thomas hesitated to organize his army, obtain mounts for his cavalry, and wait for ice to melt. Believing Thomas was being too cautious, Grant threatened to relieve him and dispatched Major General John Logan to take command. On December 15, Thomas attacked Hood and won a stunning victory. The victory marked one of the few times during the war that an enemy army was effectively destroyed. Later Life Following the war, Thomas held various military posts across the South. President Andrew Johnson offered him the rank of lieutenant general to be Grants successor, but Thomas declined as he wished to avoid the politics of Washington. Taking command of the Division of the Pacific in 1869, he died at the Presidio of a stroke on March 28, 1870.

Japan Buys More of Euro Bailot Bond Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Japan Buys More of Euro Bailot Bond - Article Example Unlike Japan, other countries are not inclined to buy the European bonds because of the increasing debt problems which confront Europe. Even China which bought the bonds previously has not shown any intention of purchasing additional bonds. The financial crisis in Europe has made the yen stronger, making Japanese products less competitive than other products in the world. Because of this, the Japanese government has intervened in the currency market to weaken the yen, which was opposed by the European countries. It is not clear though whether this opposition by European countries triggered the reduction in the purchase by Japan of the EFSF bonds. The Japanese Finance Ministry defends its position by saying that the reduction in the purchase is based on the euro â€Å"liquidity† in its reserves and the conditions of the EFSF securities (Nakamichi , par 10). As a background information, the European Financial Stability Fund was set up in May 2010 with $625M. It was set up  "to bail out Greece to keep the turmoil caused by its debt from spreading to the euro-zone’s weaker members† (The New York Times , par 1). ... This article shows the importance of rescuing the European countries. Even if Japan is also beset with the problem of reconstruction after the devastating earthquake and tsunami last March, it still purchased the European bonds because it is aware that a recession in Europe will have a domino effect. Once European demand falls, the American, Japanese and Chinese economies will be adversely affected. Japan realizes that if the market confidence on the euro falls, there will be financial and trade disruptions. This scenario will lead to another global recession which the Japanese government would not like because their economy is export-driven. Since Japan has excess foreign reserves, the Finance Ministry decided on purchasing the Euro bonds to help the European economy. Next to China, Japan is known to have the world’s second-largest foreign-exchange reserves. The move of Japan to buy the Euro bailout bond is very commendable because one sees the concern of Japan to avert a wor ldwide crisis. Japan’s move means that they want to do their share in stabilizing the global financial system. The purchase of Euro bonds by Japan will help sustain the euro which has declined versus the yen. Hopefully, with Japan buying more Euro bonds, other countries will trust the deal more and purchase the bonds too to help Europe get out of the crisis. It will boost confidence in the EFSF further. Regarding Japan’s intervention to weaken their currency, one sees this as a move to help the country’s exporters. Having a strong yen makes Japanese goods more expensive for foreign buyers and would result in a decline in profit margins for the exporters. However, one does not see this as an effective way to improve its

238SAM Contemporary Supply Chain Management , 253SAM Management of Essay

238SAM Contemporary Supply Chain Management , 253SAM Management of E-Commerce , 251SAM Business Decision Management - Essay Example Lately, everything is build around the concept of internet and most businesses, JLR included, are earning a fortune from the use of the internet. Almost all operations are conducted via the internet among various entities in order to satisfy the objectives of a given entity and ensuring that the desired profit has been earned from the operations. A key ingredient of e-commerce is the concept that involves electronic trading, the advertisement of goods and procurement of raw materials, goods and services over the internet. The success and volume of online marketing has been evidenced on the internet and more and more businesses and other activities have been conducted via the internet. With success in establishing such an environment on the internet, it is evident that every computer has become a window opportunity to all businesses and individuals that are involved in the businesses (Schniederjans & Cao, 2002). An electronic media that is known as internet has the potential to dimini sh transaction times and transforming time incredibly, while in the meantime making qualified data accessible all around and through this, most consumers and producers are able to access information about their various products that they need or are searching for. Internet electronic commerce has been embraced by most business people and consumers as a means of reducing operational costs to an organization and as a high potential of earning revenue from the various operations in an organization. Different departments in an organization are able to use and apply the medium so that efficiency can be achieved. The marketing department for example it is able to advertise the product as in our case, JLR will easily place the product in the market and more consumers are able to access it. It involves the placing of the product specifications and the major changes that have transformed it for consumers to value and make the right choice. To the production and manufacturing department, it e nables provision of the raw materials to produce the new model to be availed and requested for. To the finance and accounting departments, JLR will be able to utilize the systems of revenue accountability and be able to track the production, marketing and delivery costs of the entire products (Aka?li, 2005). The omnipresence of the web and the accessibility of browsers over different platforms provide a common base or platform upon which the system has been able to maximally function, and this has increased the business potential of doing businesses. The platform has reduced incidents of software distribution and software installation, thus improving and encouraging the expansion of the electronic commerce. In order to understand how the company will benefit from the ecommerce, it is vital to be able to explain the importance that it brings as far as the business scenario is concerned. JLR has been in the market for a longer period, and this has been a major boost to its production and marketing departments. It is also important that we clearly understand the cost effectiveness and time saving that it has brought to most of the related businesses (Aka?li, 2005). Electronic commerce can be defined from four major perspectives; communication, as a communication aspect, businesses are able to minimize communication costs and also increase the reliability and durability of the information

Issues in Secondary Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Issues in Secondary Education - Essay Example This stage, which is preceded by the Concrete Operational stage, begins more or less at age 11, which is beginning of puberty and continues well into adulthood. (Abbeduto, 2006, 131)This stage is characterized by acquisition of the ability to think abstractly and draw conclusions from the information available. This stage is also important to our topic, because the students are entering puberty around this time, which leads them to many questions about themselves and their bodies; further leading to questions about just who they think they are. According to Erik Erikson, there are eight stages of human development. Along with the stages themselves, Erikson also states that a psychosocial crisis occurs during each of the stages; for this stage, the psychosocial crisis is titled Identity versus role confusion. As stated by Erikson, this stage is when the adolescent student becomes concerned with how they appear to others. Many adolescents ask themselves "Who am I? Where am I going in life?", and confusion occurs because of the cognitive and bodily changes happening to the learner. Peer groups also play a role in this stage, because they affect who a student thinks they are too. (Blair, 2006, 53) The confusion of trying to decide what peer group you fit into exacerbates the possible identity crisis. At last is Abraham Maslow, with his Hierarchy of requirements. At the same time, when above-mentioned theorists talked about various stages of development, Maslow's theory is a little bit different; his theory explains that regardless of the age of a person, everyone is willing to have their requirements fulfilled. (Cooper, P. & Mcintyre, 2008, 383) The requirements that relate the most to this topic are the Belonging and the Esteem Requirements.  Ã‚  

Domestic Violence in Kenya

Domestic Violence in Kenya Domestic violence is a problem that is rampant in most parts of the world especially in Africa. There is no standard definition of domestic violence in Kenya maybe because there are no express laws on the same. However several scholars have attempted to define domestic violence. The term violence against women means any act of gender based violence that results in or is likely to result in or is likely to result in physical, sexual, or psychological harm or suffering to women including threats of such acts coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty whether occurring in public or private life  [1]. FIDA (K) in the 1998 annual report on the legal status of women in Kenya states, physical abuse or battery consists of a wide range of activities. It can involve pushing, grabbing, scratching, slapping, hitting, punching, chocking, kicking, kneeing, sitting and standing on, burning, drowning, hair-pulling, arm-twisting, hanging by neck and arms or feet, handcuffing, biting or throwing, tying up with rope, clawing or scratching, locking one out of the home, driving recklessly while one is in the car, throwing objects, threatening to hurt with weapons such as knife or a gun, abandoning in dangerous places, refusing to help when one is pregnant , injured, or sick.  [2]  There is no clear definition of the crime and the present laws need to be amended to provide for the crime. For purposes of this project domestic violence against women includes any act to any woman or girl by an intimate partner that is physical in nature and likely to cause her physical injury and harm and this includes hitting, battering ,shoving and pushing, kicking, chocking among others. Background The problem of domestic violence can be traced in the Kenyan traditional system which is patriarchal in nature. In the Kenyan traditional setting a man was recognized as the head of the house hold and subsequently had powers to chastise the wife and children. A woman was seen as a lesser being and was therefore submissive to the husband and in some cultures it was even any man. Some scholars have done extensive research on domestic violence and their works have established that domestic violence is so rampant and is affecting many peoples lives and therefore laws needs to be amended and new laws made. Violence against women is both a historical and cultural phenomenon and a reality which has permeated all sectors of Kenyan society as a result of unequal treatment of women and men.  [3]  This shows that the historic and cultural aspects are the major pioneers of this problem. Wife beating is fairly prevalent in Kenya. The continuation of this practice maybe attributable to the fac t that every regime of customary law in Kenya, grants husbands the right to chastise their wives for misconduct. Under Kenyan customary laws only unjustified or excessive beating by the husband would be sufficient ground for divorce or for the wife to return to her family.  [4]  The only reason that would cause a wife to return would be excessive beating; there is no provision as to what would amount to excessive chastise. Violence against women is a manifestation of the historically unequal power relations between men and women which have led to domination over and discrimination against women by men and to the prevention of womens full advancement. Violence against women throughout the lifecycle derives essentially from cultural patterns in particular the harmful effects s of certain traditional or customary practices and all acts of extremism linked to race sex language or religion that perpetuate the lower status accorded to women in the family, the workplace, the community and society. Violence against women is exacerbated by social pressures, notably the shame of denouncing certain acts that have been perpetrated against women, failure to reform existing laws, inadequate efforts on the part of public authorities to promote awareness of and enforce existing laws and the absence of educational and other means to address the causes and consequences of violence.  [5]   Domestic violence is a widespread problem in the whole country and affects women from all classes and age. Violence cuts across all classes of women in this country: rich and poor, educated and illiterate, employed and unemployed, in urban and rural areas and in all ethnic communities.  [6]  It does not therefore mean that its a problem of a section of women but it affects all. This increases the magnitude since women are more than the men in this country. From the scholars we can appreciate that the problem of domestic violence against women is prevalent and it has its roots from cultural practice and would perhaps explain why its so common. The government made an attempt to address some of this problem in 1966 by setting up a commission to work on the law of marriage and divorce whose terms of reference included among other things the status of women in the society the commission found out that wife battery was pertinent to the issue of status of women in the society. After examining it the commission proposed a bill to criminalize wife battery but due to the dominated male parliament the bill was rejected and the parliament justified the practice of wife chastise as an inherent traditional right of an African man. A woman who has been battered can only seek redress for assault provided for in section 250-253 of the penal code.  [7]  In worse cases which result in death the perpetrator of the crime is charged with murder and mostly reduced to manslaughter which has a lighter sentence. From then, women in human rights organizations and in parliament have tried making several bills but none has succeeded so far. The two major bills on domestic violence against women were: national council for gender development bill 1999 and domestic violence (family protection) bill 1999. Here is a summary of what they entailed; National Council for Gender Development Bill 1999 This bill sought to establish a council to ensure gender mainstreaming in national development policies, initiate legal reforms on issues affecting women , and formulate programs on gender development and to prepare reports on Kenyas international obligations regarding women among other things. With regard to violence against women it could have pushed for Kenyas adherence to its international obligations to eliminate both discrimination and domestic violence against women. Domestic Violence (Family Protection) Bill 1999 This bill sought to provide for the grant, enforcement and variation of court orders for protection from domestic violence. In this bill the definition of a spouse encompasses persons living together who may not necessarily be legally married ensuring that women in cohabitation situation are protected from violence. The bill also provides for issuance of protection orders for victims of domestic violence. From this we can see that Kenya has gone a long way to ensure domestic violence is reduced but still the parliament is dominated by male members who are not ready to make the necessary reforms. Several statistics have been conducted by organizations and individuals to show the seriousness of the problem. According to Kenya demographic and health survey (KDHS) 2003, one out of every four women experience violence from husbands with 40% experiencing physical violence and 16% sexual violence.  [8]  From this statistics its clear that physical violence against women is more prevalent than any other type. In the innocenti digest no. 6 of 2000 by UNICEF 20 TO 50% of women are battered in every country worldwide 46% 0f 612 women surveyed in one district in Kenya reported of having been beaten by a partner of those 58%reported that they were beaten often or sometimes.  [9]  This statistics also show the explicitness of the problem and shows that it needs urgent attention. Research questions A big question to consider would be why is domestic violence so prevalent? It is clear that domestic violence is so rampant. This research will endeavor to establish why domestic violence against women is so prevalent Is it because there is a lacuna in law that leads to continued domestic violence against women? The research will seek to establish whether the lacuna in law is the cause of domestic violence against women. What can be done to benefit victims of domestic violence as well as curb its use in the future? The research will have conclusive findings and will make recommendations on the laws that need amends and new laws that need to be established to curb domestic violence against women. Presumptions Domestic violence against women is prevalent because of the lacuna in law. The male dominated parliament is the main cause of the lacuna in law since the men still acknowledge customary law which allows for chastisement of women. The constitution, to which all laws are subject to allows for use of customary law in civil cases. Limitations in the study I am limited only to tackle the legal part yet this problem has both legal and social aspects. I am limited in research since am supposed to handle mainly the Kenyan situation. Since there is inadequacy in law my research will be limited only to the few provisions in Kenyan laws which provide for the crime impliedly. Research methodology I will use both primary and secondary data. Primary data will include issuing of questionnaires to the affected members of the society; I will make observations especially to the affected women. I intend to conduct interviews in various institutes like federation for women lawyers (FIDA), coalition on violence against women among others and individuals who may have authority on domestic violence against women in Kenya especially the human rights activists. Further I will conduct interviews on the victims of domestic violence Secondary sources include textbooks and journals which have specialized on domestic violence against women, declarations, treaties, and the various statutes on substantive and procedural law, judicial authorities which cover for the crime of domestic violence as assault, bills of parliament which were not passed into law and the ones which are being debated on. The internet will also be a major source of my research. Literature review Although various organizations and individuals have focused considerable attention and effort on the subject of domestic violence against women, an in-depth study on the issue particularly dealing with the situation in Kenya need to be done, this is mainly so because most scholars seem to dwell more on the social aspect of the problem rather than the legal aspect of it. Empathy and sympathy cannot solve the problem alone, legal mechanisms have to be put in place to eliminate this problem. There are also no clear ways on which the perpetrators of the crime are to be punished. In its annual reports of 1997 and 1998 FIDA (K) observed the current situation of women in Kenya in terms of family issues. According to them women in the privacy of their homes are subjected to shockingly savage acts of violence which need to be addressed urgently. They have however not provided for the specific laws to be amended and the new law to be enacted. They have mostly dwelled on the social aspects and recommendations probably leaving out the most important aspect which is the legal aspect. Dr. Jacinta Muteshi in her book mapping best practices promoting gender equality and the advancement of Kenyan women highlights the problem of domestic violence however she has failed to bring out what constitutes to the crime of domestic violence against women. Without defining a crime it would be very hard or even impossible to come up with the perpetrators and the punishment for the same. In the book Kenyan country gender profile domestic violence against women has been highlighted as a problem that is both historical and cultural. The author tries to show the seriousness of the problem yet its being taken too lightly. The author has dwelled so much on the social aspects and has not mentioned anywhere what could be done to amend the laws or to draft others. He has not highlighted the legal status of the crime which is very important if this problem of domestic violence against women is to be addressed. In the Beijing declaration and the platform for action.  [10]  This journal provides mostly for the consequences of violence against women in a broader sense including situations of armed conflict. The journal dwells so much on the groups of women who are vulnerable who include refugee women, women migrants, destitute women, the elderly, women with disabilities etc. the author did not put into consideration the welfare of women in normal intimate relationships who suffer silently. However the journal has many recommendations which can help reduce or curb the problem of domestic violence against women. The recommendations can only be helpful if they are incorporated to Kenyan laws. In the book women of the world: laws and policies affecting their reproductive lives the author portrays the problem to be customary based and thats why it has strived mostly because the constitution of Kenya allow for use of customary laws. The author does not seek to address the problem in fact she just mentions the problem and leaves it at that. The convention on the elimination of all forms of violence against women (COVAW) which is the most extensive instrument dealing exclusively with the rights of women is an international instrument that Kenya is subject to. Although Kenya has ratified this instrument, its provisions are not applied in Kenyan courts in practice. The provisions are therefore not helpful in anyway unless the judiciary would apply its provision in our courts in practice. Kenyan statutes which provide for the crime of domestic violence against women provides for use of customary law in Kenyan courts so long as they are not repugnant to justice and morality gives room for broad interpretation which could lead to tolerating the crime to some extent. The penal code cap 63 laws of Kenya, provides for the crime of assault that shoulders domestic violence against women. This act should provide expressly for the crime this is because many perpetrators get a light sentence or worse go free which makes it hard to curb the crime. The criminal procedure code cap 75 laws of Kenya which provides for the procedure of arrest, search and sentencing of a suspect. The procedure is complex and complicated and has a lot of loopholes that lead to perpetrators to go free. The civil procedure act cap21 of the laws of Kenya which provides for rules in seeking legal redress in civil court for compensation for acts of domestic violence against women. The rules provide for comp lex procedures that delay justice and cause many cases to be struck out on technical grounds. The evidence Ac  [11]  t in sections 107-109 provide that the burden of proof is borne by the prosecution most of who are incompetent and its male dominated leading to acquittal of perpetrators for lack of evidence beyond reasonable doubt. I however agree with the annual FIDA(K) reports on the family issues affecting the lives of women. Their recommendations can only be useful only if they are put into law. The various international agreements have good provisions but can only be useful if they are incorporated in the Kenyan laws to be used by the domestic courts. Chapter breakdown My research project will have four chapters which include; Chapter 1: introduction This will include the sneak preview of the topic of domestic violence, the background, the hypothesis and objectives of the study Chapter 2: international standards that are set on the problem of domestic violence This will include analyzing the various laws especially the international standards present that provide for domestic violence against women. Take a case study on a state where domestic violence has been provided for in the laws and done away with successfully. Use and quote works of philosophers who have shunned domestic violence against women. Chapter 3: Kenyan situation Here I will critically analyze the situation of domestic violence against women in Kenya, the magnitude of the problem and what has been done or what is being done to eliminate this problem. Chapter 4: Recommendations This will include various suggestions of amendments that need to be made to eliminate the problem of domestic violence against women. The recommendations will be strictly legal based.

weapons of the weak :: essays research papers

In James Scott’s novel Weapons of the Weak: Everyday Forms of Peasant Resistance he plainly describes what can only be viewed as the worsening of the lives of the village poor in Sedaka, Malaysia. He attributes the increase in economic inequality to Malaysia’s green revolution. Consequently, Scott analyzes the impact of these changes on the poor, sighting several causes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The green revolution began in the 1970’s in Malaysia. It was brought about by an advance in technology, a new form of high yielding seeds. These new seeds led to the ability to double crop, or have more than one crop yield per season. Also, many of the large farmers opted to bring in combine harvesters to increase the speed at which they could harvest, making it easier for them to double crop. These new technologies may seem economically beneficial to all if viewed by the untrained observer. However, those who benefited were few. These new developments only benefited the wealthiest in society, consequently leaving the poor even poorer for many reasons.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  More than anything the combine harvesters led to the increased troubles of Sedaka’s poor. â€Å"Combine harvesting has meant, then, a loss of nearly half the wages previously received for paddy work by the poorer strata of Muda’s peasantry (76)†. Combine harvesters were valued by many large farmers as brilliant new technology. It allowed for them to eliminate the need of a labor force for cutting and threshing. â€Å"By the irrigated season of 1979 †¦ they (combine harvesters) were harvesting fully 60 percent of Sedaka’s patty land. A year later they were harvesting more than 80 percent (115)†. Transplanting was the only work left for patty workers in Sedaka. Thus a problem presented itself for the one-quarter of Sedaka’s population who subsisted solely from wage labor. Combine harvesters also allowed for large farmers to take up the practice of broadcasting, which took work away from those who helped with the pre-season planting. The lack of work led to a decrease in the need for laborers. Since there was less demand for laborers, the price of wages went down. This greatly affected those who did not have enough land to provide year round subsistence for their families. This group of poor who farmed less than 3 relong, in other words those considered below the poverty level, had to struggle to survive. Some peasants had to move temporarily or permanently to larger cities to find work to provide for their families.