ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Gender Differences in Climate Change The paper discussed in this precis is “Gendering Climate Change: Geographical Insights” by Farhana Sultana. It was published in the 2014 issue of The Professional Geographer after its initial submission in 2011. In the given article, the author discusses the implications of climate change on gender and social relations and encourages scholars and activists to think critically and engage in debates on a global scale. The leading argument of this publication is related to gender differences in the effects of climate change and adaptation policies. Sultana (2014) argues that “the majority of the policy discourses and debates as well as academic writing on climate change have been largely ungendered, yet the impacts of climate change are acutely felt along gender lines and adaptation to climate change is a gendered process” (p. 373). It means that policymakers and climate change scholars currently disregard the fact that climate change affects men and women differently. Yet, for adaptation policies to be truly effective and comprehensive, they should consider the gender-specific challenges experienced by women. Throughout the paper, the author provides numerous arguments to support her point. Firstly, she mentions the disproportionate effect climate change would have on different genders, increasing the existing divide (Sultana, 2014). Since gender relations are already made more difficult by other social factors, such as race and religion, the addition of climate change might bring irrevocable problems. Further, Sultana (2014) argues that women, particularly in South Asia, are more significantly affected by climate change because the patriarchal system limits their power and access to resources and knowledge. Finally, the author writes that current policies lack a gendered perspective because women do not participate in policymaking initiatives, which makes their voices unheard. Personal Reflection At present, gender equality is far from being achieved, and the article provides numerous examples of how gender inequalities are manifested in climate change. From this article, I learned that gender is one of the multiple social dimensions, along with class, r
Al-Ghazali is one of the well-known Muslim philosophers of the 11 th century. Al-Ghazālī expressed the distaste of the orthodox in his Incoherence of Philosophers (Tahāfut al-Falāsifa), in which he showed that reason could be used to destroy reason and that the philosophers could not prove the ideas which Islam condemned. In this work, Al-Ghazali refutes the philosophers and unveil the inability of philosophers to affirm God. It was al-Ghazālī who won an ascendancy in the Muslim world which ranks him as perhaps the greatest single force in Islam after the Prophet himself. Al-Ghazālī (1059-1111) was influenced by an atmosphere of Sufi mysticism, but turned, before the age of twenty, to the study of theology and jurisprudence. Joining the service of the Seljuq wazir Nizām ul-Mulk, he was appointed to the Madrasa in Baghdad and was soon recognized as the greatest contemporary authority on theology and law (Watt 20, 22). But he found no spiritual satisfaction in either (Watt. Reason merely destroyed reason; it proved nothing. Al-Ghazālī lost his faith and in his despair, he could no longer teach. Finally, he turned to Sufism and in mystical communion with God found peace and certainty. Al-Ghazali supposes that whatever exists, except God’s essence and attributes, is created, that is to say, it comes into existence from nonexistence and is not eternal. As proof, he uses the tradition of the Prophet. As proof too, he underlines that the world changes and is a place of many vicissitudes. Whatever is of this description is not eternal, and whatever is eter
Introduction Social psychology is the study of the influence of the genuine, obscure, and the anticipated presence of an individual on the emotions, contemplations, and actions of another. This essay highlights the concept of androgyny and its benefits in the society, and describes situations where an androgynous individual might be suited than either a masculine or feminine individual. The term Androgyny is derived from two Greek terms, Andras (man) and Gyne (woman). Therefore, an Androgynous individual is endowed with the female and male characteristic traits. Being an Androgyne in today’s society is difficult because one is viewed as an outcast. If people had a better understanding of what androgyny really is, they might not be so quick to judge. An androgyne is a person who exhibits traits, which are both masculine and feminine. These traits could be either physical or mental or even both. The society should be blamed for assuming that the male and female groups are the only genders. Some of these beliefs are attributed to the influence of the western culture, which disregards the existence of Androgynous individuals in the society. However, in other cultures, the situation is a little different. Gender is not a choice to be made because it is part of what and who individuals are in various societies. Therefore, there is the need to accept the existence of more than two genders in the society and live with that fact in mind. Society would be functional and better if more people were androgynous rather than being either masculine or feminine because they have a different perspective towards life. They are able to see things from both male and female perspectives. This benefits the society in the sense that they can perform duties from both sides, and this helps to save labor, time that the society cannot afford mainly because their characteristic traits have no gender value (Bem 114). There are no specific situations where an androgynous individual might be better suited than either a masculine or a feminine individual (Bem 115). Bern (115) notes that a person has to be either feminine or masculine but not both. It all depends on the situational appropriateness of various behaviors. Individuals are limited in the range of behaviors available to them as they move from one situation to another. The Bern Sex Inventory theory distinguishes the sex typed person as someone who has internalized society’s sex typed standards of desirable behavior for men and women and these characteristics were selected as masculine or feminine based on sex typed social desirability. Masculine males are thus good in situations that call for instrumental orientation focusing on getting the job done. Since the BSRI was designed to measure the extent to which a person divorces himself from those characteristics that might be considered appropriate for the opposite sex, mascul
An example of an emergency experience where poor communication significantly affected operations is Hurricane Katrina. Although other similar disasters have occurred lately, this event of 2005 is memorable because it was devastating, and its intensity shaped a new approach to response and preparedness (Weil et al., 2018). For instance, after the attack, policies were proposed for substantial changes in the roles and mission of emergency response teams such as Homeland Security and the department of defense. The hurricane damaged precedented parts of key communication systems throughout the Gulf of Coast region. Local emergency services, for instance, the 911, were disrupted, many customers could not use the telephone services, and broadcasting stations were affected after utility poles toppled (Shittu et al., 2018). Although federal, state, and local agencies provided the ways and communication strategies to deal with disasters, the plans or assets were inadequate to respond effectively to the calamity. Communication resources available were not used fully due to a lack of national or regional plans to incorporate them. The costs and impacts that resulted from the hurricane were enormous, including undue deaths and property destruction, which caused more challenges to responders. Millions of individuals in the Gulf of Coast as well as in New Orleans were left homeless. More than 1800 people died in the disaster and flooding while vital equipment or services to communicate were lost (Shittu et al., 2018). A single action that could have prevented the problem is designing a communication plan before the disaster strike. Emergency response teams should have been prepared earlier by recognizing that infrastructures are vulnerable during disasters; hence, various means to coordinate and disseminate information should be devised (Howard et al., 2017). In case there is an outage in one network, other approaches to transmitting messages can be immediately adopted through regional plans. Implementing the strategy was feasible since responders could know how to contact one another and the community at national, local, or regional levels.
Social role valorization (SRV) is an analysis of people’s relationships and services. The theory claims that society tends to identify diverse groups of people, few of which are less valuable than others. SRV theory assets that people should have important social roles to enjoy life. This is especially difficult when it concerns individuals with learning disabilities, as it is often complicated for them to find a proper social role and be rightful members of society. Today, the value of such people is increasing, and experts are trying to find better ways for integrating disabled people into the system. SRV theory establishes a purpose of facilitating the lives of such individuals. The theory is originally based on the concept of normalization, which was developed by a German-American academic Wolfensberger. He defined it as “the utilization of means which are as culturally normative as possible to establish and/or maintain personal behaviors and characteristics which are as culturally normative as possible” (Matson, 2019, p. 79). This concept was used at the times when disabled people were deinstitutionalized, and it was aimed at creating a normal life for them. Based on that intention, the SRV theory was offered by psychologists and sociologists. One of the main differentiative features between it and normalization was an “increasing emphasis on the nature of the concept as empirically verifiable, objective, and essentially value-free” (Simpson, 2018, p.17). This new approach showed the critical necessity of changing public perception of disadvantaged people by helping them to achieve physical and social integration in the community. It is supposed that devalued individuals maintain important roles being in the relationships with non-devalued people, and it should result in life satisfaction and an increase of personal competencies. SRV is usually considered to consist of a few motifs which can be seen in all its implications. They are being conscious about devaluation, believing in people’s power, compensating for disabilities, identifying between valued and devalued groups, estimating the meaning of modeling and imitation, remembering the importance of individual social integration (Thomas, 2017). To make changes in society and include people with learning disabilities in the ordinary life of the community, it is essential to increase their social value. According to the project “Imagine More,” there are three important questions, which need to be answered to assist disabled people in occupying valued roles:   * what are the ways to help them develop their skills   * how to create an environment which would allow the more positive perception of them by th
Place of Employment I have been placed at March of Dimes Canada, a community-based organization. This organization is a foundation and a charity that focuses on aiding with rehabilitation and advocating for people with disabilities. The organization provides attendant care services, housing, and opportunities for individuals with disabilities to become as independent as possible and to lead a fulfilling life. There is a strong focus on helping individuals without a proper support system who are experiencing financial difficulties to the point of being unable to maintain a reasonable quality of life. The impoverished state of many clients and households is exacerbated due to a lack of access to essential disability services. The following proposal will argue that people with disabilities without a support system in place are often forced to live in poverty, which limits access to necessary care services. Canada Statistics Canada is directly affected by the cycle of poverty and disability. More than 23% of disabled adults live in deep poverty, and the median income is half that of the average worker (Citizens for Public Justice, 2017). More than 55% of disabled adults lack employment. Households often struggle to afford essential disability services or necessary support. Families with disabled children mainly rely on social assistance as the primary income source. This results in disproportionate rates of poverty, limiting access to social services and participation while facing public stigma (Canadian Association for Community Living, 2013). Social assistance is the largest source of income for practically all disability groups, but it is insignificant in comparison to employment. Welfare is meant to be short-term social assistance, but has been primarily used by governments to support a vulnerable population at the expense of the national budget and without viable solutions to address the underlying social issues (Crawford, 2013). Education and Economic Participation Poverty affects the post-school outcomes of students with disabilities. They are more likely to experience unemployment and face limited postsecondary opportunities, including access to education. The trend continues into adulthood as the employment rate for disabled adults is only one-fourth of the average (Hughes, 2013). A variety of factors are responsible, such as a lack of infrastructure or the proper environment for support of disabilities. Education and accessibility are interlinked with employment that could help support basic needs (Abidi & Sharma, 2014). Restricted access to education limits economic participation, which has prolonged adverse impacts on the social health of individuals (Margaret & Kas, 2015). Policy changes and rights-based movements are necessary to address the multi-sectoral inequalities facing people with disabilities in order to break
The learning event that took place in the workplace was associated with the coaching experience I had as an accountant when working in a company. Our management collaborated with a performance consultant whose primary duty was to boost the employees’ performance and promote organizational commitment. The rationale behind this strategy was based on the idea that a strong coaching culture is an essential aspect of a successful organization. As a result, the culture required improvements that were implemented with the help of a training program. This approach was believed to facilitate organizational development and foster change using preparing the employees to embrace the new experiences and participate in coaching practices The learning event that took place in our organization was made up of coaching sessions during which an independent performance consultant visited our workplace and gave lectures on how we, as employees, could boost our performance and contribute to the company’s key business goals. Our consultant played a key role in the activity by giving lectures on various subjects; employees made up the majority of the participants; however, managers also sometimes visited our sessions. Every coaching session ended with a team assignment (for example, one employee played the role of an HRD manager and had to select an employee fit for the open position). Our coach was effective in laying down the key principles of employment relationships that included trade unions and industrial relations. The main learning outcome of the experience was the development of team and leadership skills acquired due to the coaching sessions. In my opinion, the commitment of individual employees stimulates Human Resource Development. Therefore, one’s engagement in teamwork in an organization can contribute to the improvement of the overall commitment and enhanced performance of the workers. The strategic significance of the learning event was to improve the performance of employees in the accounting department and thus produce better results regarding their professional dedication and engagement, that way, helping the organization reach its major goals. This, in turn, helped our company to become more goal-oriented and facilitate an enhanced organizational culture where workers cooperate and help each other. After the coaching events had ended, our HRD manager gave away short questionnaires to evaluate whether the training was helpful. The feedback employees provided at the end of the program indicated that the coaching experience boosted their performance and gave them a better understanding of how they can effectively interact with each other and be more open to helping and work as a team. The key strengths of the learning experience were associated with the acquisition of new skills and factual knowledge. While learning is an ongoing journey, the coaching sessions gave a profound understanding
Introduction Starting January 2011, the people in the UK have had to pay more for their everyday purchases of different goods and services. This follows an increment in their VAT to 20% from the previous 17.5%. The increment will have effects on every player in different industries but the heaviest burden will lie on the end consumer. “While businesses will have to pay more VAT on what they buy, they will be able to reclaim this against the amount of VAT the charge on sales” (HM Revenue & Customs, 2011). Impact on goods and services organizations Manufacturers and other traders will be forced to increase their prices by 2.5% to accommodate the extra cost. Price increment will affect their sales especially in this season, considered a busy one for traders. January and February usually attract many shoppers due to the post-holiday offers and traders will have a hard time deciding on whether to pass this cost to them or not. Many shoppers will reduce the number of goods and services they buy to fit their budgets. Salary rates have remained the same for a long time in the region, meaning most people will have to cut their consumption levels to accommodate the price changes. Another effect of the increase of VAT is increased inflation rates (Wetherley and Otter, 2011). A high inflation rate results in increased interest rates, a factor that may pose a challenge to organizations seeking capital funds. Inflation affects commodity prices, which could result in fewer purchases when prices go up. Increased inflation rates will also put more pressure on employers to increase their employees’ salaries, in addition to their expenditure column of the balance sheet. A more long-term effect will be a change in the rates at which organizations will have to pay their benefits, meaning increased expenses for them. For businesses that rely on export trade, an increase in VAT will pose a challenge, especially in today’s competitive global markets. A slight change in prices puts them in a disadvantaged position against their competitors from different regions with better prices. This translates into fewer volumes, especially for middlemen who have to buy from manufacturers then export. Though the increased VAT rate has many negative effects on goods and services organizations, it has a long-term advantage for them. Increased VAT means that the government has more money at its disposal to fund more developments. The country will have better government-funded services such as medical care, reducing the amount of money spent by organizations on their employees’ medical care. Improved infrastructure will mean better and more affordable supply management and accessibility of goods. A government with better services and infrastructure developments offers a better environment for business and a reduced cost of doing business. Conclusion According to King and Rebecca (2011), “The increase from17.5% to 20% in the UK will cost each household around ₤520 a year”. Considering the salary rates will remain the same, this could mean reduced purchases for many goods and services. Long-term effects will include increased inflation rates, which could furth
Introduction Freedom refers to the ability of people to act or undertake any activities without undue restrictions or coercion. In the 19 th century, some philosophers disqualified the presence of real or genuine freedom in the world. The philosophers described freedom as an illusion, which exists in the ideal world only. However, in the 20 th century, philosophers highlighted that genuine free will, which is not counterfeit exists in the world (Bowie, Michaels, and Solomon 18). The philosophers further elucidated that due to democracy, people are free from different forms of restrictions such as slavery, subjugation, colonialism, and other forms of domination. On the other hand, determinism theory explains that there is an order that leads to occurrences of events in the world and in the universe. Thus, according to proponents of determinism, actions that people perform determine outcomes. Freedom and determinism have major differences. While freedom encourages people to perform activities in a democratic manner, determinism brings to fore the fact that actions lead to predictable results. Conversely, as much as people are free from many forms of coercion, dictation, or subjection, freedom is limited to those actions that are legal and ethical. Hence, express freedom is not in the world, since the state determines legality of actions and morality in the society. The sovereignty of a state in determination of choice is evident from the existing variance of rights and wrongs in various nations, societies, and states. According to Bowie, Michaels, and Solomon, determinism implies that as much as humans are free to perform any activity, they must know that these actions have outcomes (64). For instance, when an individual throws a stone into a glass window, the expected outcome is breakage of the glass and destruction of the window. Thus, determinism elaborates the need to examine a likely outcome from an event before engaging in it. In this view, the essay assesses the relationship between freedom and determinism in contemporary society. Freedom Freedom is the ability of people to perform activities or make choices without any limitation, coercion, or dictation. Freedom has its basis on the fact that human beings can make choices in a manner that is free from any form of compulsion. In the 18 th and 19 th centuries, many countries were under colonial and tyrannical rulers who applied dictatorship in their regimes. Therefore, philosophers and other scholars of that time could not see the