Public Administration and Management: Advantages and Disadvantages of Partnerships in Terms of Improving Service Delivery and Accountability

Before weighing the pros and cons a partnership may bring in terms of improving service delivery and accountablity in public administration, definitions and more information regarding the topic must be laid out. Public administration is generally defind as the development, implementation and study of government policy.For the good of the public, it highlights civil society and social justice. It is also historically referred to as government management, it calls for non- government organizations that do not act out of self- interest.It has become area of discussion which talks about the meaning and purpose of government, bureaucracy, budgets, governance, and public affairs tha take place. Public management that hand in hand works with public administration in achieving public good is the economically driven side of operation of government.It attempts to reemphasize the professional nature of both fields that are connected with one another. Government and non-profit organizations woul d then resemble private sectors in some ways. Even with management tools which are appropriate for public and private domains, there are still differences that make public administration different from being a private sector for it emphasizes the social and cultural drivers of government that many contend (e.g. Graham T. Allison and Charles Goodsell).What should always be kept in mind is that there is always a need for a quality system of public management. This system has to deliver quality and speedy service to the citizens that it serves.When this can be done, a country may progress and prosper. Even after introducing public service reforms such as long queues, delays and bad attitudes of workers towards work and clients, there is still poor service delivery making the objective stated unachieved.Also, another explanation is maybe due to the lack of accountability wherein officials are not always accountable for their work, either to parliament or the citizens concerned. It is im portant that the public service both delivers what is expected of them to the public and at the same time be accountable for the work that they do.To further explain, for any government service, it is fundamental to have a service delivery. Citizens look up to government and its department for their needs and for any services they may need. What of then about public service?It has to fulfill the government’s broad economic and social objective in formulating economic and social policies and implementing public programs which will be used to achieve what is needed.Then it must be asked whether the public service has fulfilled their duties and satisfying citizens’ needs and expectations and whether the service they have delivered is quick, reliable and effective. Meanwhile accountability is imperative as a means in providing quality public service. It is how public bodies should be handled.

Frostbite Chapter 5

Five I HAD NO IDEA WHAT Dimitri was talking about, but I followed along obediently. To my surprise, he led me out of the boundaries of the campus and into the surrounding woods. The Academy owned a lot of land, not all of which was actively used for educational purposes. We were in a remote part of Montana, and at times, it seemed as though the school was just barely holding back the wilderness. We walked quietly for a while, our feet crunching through thick, unbroken snow. A few birds flitted by, singing their greetings to the rising sun, but mostly all I saw were scraggly, snow-heavy evergreen trees. I had to work to keep up with Dimitri's longer stride, particularly since the snow slowed me down a little. Soon, I discerned a large, dark shape ahead. Some kind of building. â€Å"What is that?† I asked. Before he could answer, I realized it was a small cabin, made out of logs and everything. Closer examination showed that the logs looked worn and rotten in some places. The roof sagged a little. â€Å"Old watch-post,† he said. â€Å"Guardians used to live on the edge of campus and keep watch for Strigoi.† â€Å"Why don't they anymore?† â€Å"We don't have enough guardians to staff it. Besides, Moroi have warded campus with enough protective magic that most don't think it's necessary to have actual people on guard.† Provided no humans staked the wards, I thought. For a few brief moments, I entertained the hope that Dimitri was leading me off to some romantic getaway. Then I heard voices on the opposite side of the building. A familiar hum of feeling coursed into my mind. Lissa was there. Dimitri and I rounded the corner of the building, coming up on a surprising scene. A small frozen pond lay there, and Christian and Lissa were ice skating on it. A woman I didn't know was with them, but her back was to me. All I could see was a wave of jet-black hair that arced around her when she skated to a graceful stop. Lissa grinned when she saw me. â€Å"Rose!† Christian glanced over at me as she spoke, and I got the distinct impression he felt I was intruding on their romantic moment. Lissa moved in awkward strides to the pond's edge. She wasn't so adept at skating. I could only stare in bewildermentand jealousy. â€Å"Thanks for inviting me to the party.† â€Å"I figured you were busy,† she said. â€Å"And this is secret anyway. We aren't supposed to be here.† I could have told them that. Christian skated up beside her, and the strange woman soon followed. â€Å"You bringing party crashers, Dimka?† she asked. I wondered who she was talking to, until I heard Dimitri laugh. He didn't do it that often, and my surprise increased. â€Å"It's impossible to keep Rose away from places she shouldn't be. She always finds them eventually.† The woman grinned and turned around, flipping her long hair over one shoulder, so that I suddenly saw her face full-on. It took every ounce of my already dubiously held self-control not to react. Her heart-shaped face had large eyes exactly the same shade as Christian's, a pale wintry blue. The lips that smiled at me were delicate and lovely, glossed in a shade of pink that set off the rest of her features. But across her left cheek, marring what would have otherwise been smooth, white skin were raised, purplish scars. Their shape and formation looked very much like someone had bitten into and torn out part of her cheek. Which, I realized, was exactly what had happened. I swallowed. I suddenly knew who this was. It was Christian's aunt. When his parents had turned Strigoi, they'd come back for him, hoping to hide him away and turn him Strigoi when he was older. I didn't know all the details, but I knew his aunt had fended them off. As I'd observed before, though, Strigoi were deadly. She'd provided enough of a distraction until the guardians showed up, but she hadn't walked away without damage. She extended her gloved hand to me. â€Å"Tasha Ozera,† she said. â€Å"I've heard a lot about you, Rose.† I gave Christian a dangerous look, and Tasha laughed. â€Å"Don't worry,† she said. â€Å"It was all good.† â€Å"No, it wasn't,† he countered. She shook her head in exasperation. â€Å"Honestly, I don't know where he got such horrible social skills. He didn't learn them from me.† That was obvious, I thought. â€Å"What are you guys doing out here?† I asked. â€Å"I wanted to spend some time with these two.† A small frown wrinkled her forehead. â€Å"But I don't really like hanging around the school itself. They aren't always hospitable†¦.† I didn't get that at first. School officials usually fell all over themselves when royals came to visit. Then I figured it out. â€Å"Because †¦ because of what happened †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Considering the way everyone treated Christian because of his parents, I shouldn't have been surprised to find his aunt facing the same discrimination. Tasha shrugged. â€Å"That's the way it is.† She rubbed her hands together and exhaled, her breath making a frosty cloud in the air. â€Å"But let's not stand out here, not when we can build a fire inside.† I gave a last, wistful glance at the frozen pond and then followed the others inside. The cabin was pretty bare, covered in layers of dust and dirt. It consisted of only one room. There was a narrow bed with no covers in the corner and a few shelves where food had probably once been stored. There was a fireplace, however, and we soon had a blaze going that warmed the small area. The five of us sat down, huddling around its heat, and Tasha produced a bag of marshmallows that we cooked over the flames. As we feasted on that gooey goodness, Lissa and Christian talked to each other in that easy, comfortable way they always had. To my surprise, Tasha and Dimitri also talked in a familiar and light way. They obviously knew each other from way back when. I'd actually never seen him so animated before. Even when affectionate with me, there'd always been a serious air about him. With Tasha, he bantered and laughed. The more I listened to her, the more I liked her. Finally, unable to stay out of the conversation, I asked, â€Å"So are you coming on the ski trip?† She nodded. Stifling a yawn, she stretched herself out like a cat. â€Å"I haven't been skiing in ages. No time. Been saving all my vacation for this.† â€Å"Vacation?† I gave her a curious look. â€Å"Do you have†¦a job?† â€Å"Sadly, yes,† Tasha said, though she didn't actually sound very sad about it. â€Å"I teach martial arts classes.† I stared in astonishment. I couldn't have been more surprised if she'd said she was an astronaut or a telephone psychic. A lot of royals just didn't work at all, and if they did, it was usually in some sort of investment or other moneymaking business that furthered their family fortunes. And those who did work certainly didn't do a lot of martial arts or physically demanding jobs. Moroi had a lot of great attributes: exceptional sensessmell, sight, and hearingand the power to work magic. But physically, they were tall and slender, often small-boned. They also got weak from being in sunlight. Now, those things weren't enough to prevent someone from becoming a fighter, but they did make it more challenging. An idea had built up among the Moroi over time that their best offense was a good defense, and most shied away from the thought of physical conflict. They hid in well-protected places like the Academy, always relying on stronger, hardier dhampirs to guard them. â€Å"What do you think, Rose?† Christian seemed highly amused by my surprise. â€Å"Think you could take her?† â€Å"Hard to say,† I said. Tasha crooked me a grin. â€Å"You're being modest. I've seen what you guys can do. This is just a hobby I picked up.† Dimitri chuckled. â€Å"Now you're being modest. You could teach half the classes around here.† â€Å"Not likely,† she said. â€Å"It'd be pretty embarrassing to be beaten up by a bunch of teenagers.† â€Å"I don't think that'd happen,† he said. â€Å"I seem to remember you doing some damage to Neil Szelsky.† Tasha rolled her eyes. â€Å"Throwing my drink in his face wasn't actually damageunless you consider the damage it did to his suit. And we all know how he is about his clothes.† They both laughed at some private joke the rest of us weren't in on, but I was only half-listening. I was still intrigued about her role with the Strigoi. The self-control I'd tried to maintain finally slipped. â€Å"Did you start learning to fight before or after that happened to your face?† â€Å"Rose!† hissed Lissa. But Tasha didn't seem upset. Neither did Christian, and he usually grew uncomfortable when the attack with his parents was brought up. She regarded me with a level, thoughtful look. It reminded me of the one I sometimes got from Dimitri if I did something surprising that he approved of. â€Å"After,† she said. She didn't lower her gaze or look embarrassed, though I sensed sadness in her. â€Å"How much do you know?† I glanced at Christian. â€Å"The basics.† She nodded. â€Å"I knew †¦ I knew what Lucas and Moira had become, but that still didn't prepare me. Mentally, physically, or emotionally. I think if I had to live through it again, I still wouldn't be ready. But after that night, I looked at myself figurativelyand realized how defenseless I was. I'd spent my whole life expecting guardians to protect me and take care of me. â€Å"And that's not to say the guardians aren't capable. Like I said, you could probably take me in a fight. But theyLucas and Moiracut down our two guardians before we realized what had happened. I stalled them from taking Christian but just barely. If the others hadn't shown up, I'd be dead, and he'd† She stopped, frowned, and kept going. â€Å"I decided that I didn't want to die that way, not without putting up a real fight and doing everything I could to protect myself and those I love. So I learned all sorts of self-defense. And after a while, I didn't really, uh, fit in so well with high society around here. So I moved to Minneapolis and made a living from teaching others.† I didn't doubt there were other Moroi living in Minneapolisthough God only knew whybut I could read between the lines. She'd moved there and integrated herself with humans, keeping away from other vampires like Lissa and I had for two years. I started to wonder also if there might have been something else there between the lines. She'd said she'd learned â€Å"all sorts of self-defense†apparently, more than just martial arts. Going along with their offense-defense beliefs, the Moroi didn't think magic should be used as a weapon. Long ago, it had been used that way, and some Moroi still secretly did today. Christian, I knew, was one of them. I suddenly had a good idea of where he might have picked up that kind of thing. Silence fell. It was hard to follow up a sad story like that. But Tasha, I realized, was one of those people who could always lighten a mood. It made me like her even more, and she spent the rest of the time telling us funny stories. She didn't put on airs like a lot of royals did, so she had lots of dirt on everyone. Dimitri knew a lot of the people she spoke of honestly, how did someone so antisocial seem to know everyone in Moroi and guardian societyand would occasionally add some small detail. They had us in hysterics until Tasha finally looked at her watch. â€Å"Where's the best place a girl can go shopping around here?† she asked. Lissa and I exchanged looks. â€Å"Missoula,† we said in unison. Tasha sighed. â€Å"That's a couple hours away, but if I leave soon, I can probably still get in some time before the stores close. I'm hopelessly behind in Christmas shopping.† I groaned. â€Å"I'd kill to go shopping.† â€Å"Me too,† said Lissa. â€Å"Maybe we could sneak along†¦.† I gave Dimitri a hopeful look. â€Å"No,† he said immediately. I gave a sigh of my own. Tasha yawned again. â€Å"I'll have to grab some coffee, so I don't sleep on the drive in.† â€Å"Can't one of your guardians drive for you?† She shook her head. â€Å"I don't have any.† â€Å"Don't have any †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I frowned, parsing her words. â€Å"You don't have any guardians?† â€Å"Nope.† I shot up. â€Å"But that's not possible! You're royal. You should have at least one. Two, really.† Guardians were distributed among Moroi in a cryptic, micromanaged way by the Guardian Council. It was kind of an unfair system, considering the ratio of guardians to Moroi. Non-royals tended to get them by a lottery system. Royals always got them. High-ranking royals often got more than one, but even the lowest-ranking member of royalty wouldn't have been without one. â€Å"The Ozeras aren't exactly first in line when guardians get assigned,† said Christian bitterly. â€Å"Ever since†¦my parents died†¦there's kind of been a shortage.† My anger flared up. â€Å"But that's not fair. They can't punish you for what your parents did.† â€Å"It's not punishment, Rose.† Tasha didn't seem nearly as enraged as she should have been, in my opinion. â€Å"It's just†¦a rearranging of priorities.† â€Å"They're leaving you defenseless. You can't go out there by yourself!† â€Å"I'm not defenseless, Rose. I've told you that. And if I really wanted a guardian, I could make a nuisance of myself, but it's a lot of hassle. I'm fine for now.† Dimitri glanced over at her. â€Å"You want me to go with you?† â€Å"And keep you up all night?† Tasha shook her head. â€Å"I wouldn't do that to you, Dimka.† â€Å"He doesn't mind,† I said quickly, excited about this solution. Dimitri seemed amused by me speaking for him, but he didn't contradict me. â€Å"I really don't.† She hesitated. â€Å"All right. But we should probably go soon.† Our illicit party dispersed. The Moroi went one direction; Dimitri and I went another. He and Tasha made plans to meet up in a half hour. â€Å"So what do you think of her?† he asked when we were alone. â€Å"I like her. She's cool.† I thought about her for a moment. â€Å"And I get what you mean about the marks.† â€Å"Oh?† I nodded, watching my footing as we walked along the paths. Even when salted and shoveled, they could still collect hidden patches of ice. â€Å"She didn't do what she did for glory. She did it because she had to. Just like†¦just like my mom did.† I hated to admit it, but it was true. Janine Hathaway might be the worst mother ever, but she was a great guardian. â€Å"The marks don't matter. Molnijas or scars.† â€Å"You're a fast learner,† he said with approval. I swelled under his praise. â€Å"Why does she call you Dimka?† He laughed softly. I'd heard a lot of his laughter tonight and decided I'd like to hear more of it. â€Å"It's a nickname for Dimitri.† â€Å"That doesn't make any sense. It doesn't sound anything like Dimitri. You should be called, I don't know, Dimi or something.† â€Å"That's not how it works in Russian,† he said. â€Å"Russian's weird,† In Russian, the nickname for Vasilisa was Vasya, which made no sense to me. â€Å"So is English.† I gave him a sly look. â€Å"If you'd teach me to swear in Russian, I might have a new appreciation for it.† â€Å"You swear too much already.† â€Å"I just want to express myself.† â€Å"Oh, Roza†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He sighed, and I felt a thrill tickle me. â€Å"Roza† was my name in Russian. He rarely used it. â€Å"You express yourself more than anyone else I know.† I smiled and walked on a bit without saying anything else. My heart skipped a beat, I was so happy to be around him. There was something warm and right about us being together. Even as I floated along, my mind churned over something else that I'd been thinking about. â€Å"You know, there's something funny about Tasha's scars.† â€Å"What's that?† he asked. â€Å"The scars†¦they mess up her face,† I began slowly. I was having trouble putting my thoughts into words. â€Å"I mean, it's obvious she used to be really pretty. But even with the scars now †¦ I don't know. She's pretty in a different way. It's like†¦like they're part of her. They complete her.† It sounded silly, but it was true. Dimitri didn't say anything, but he gave me a sidelong glance. I returned it, and as our eyes met, I saw the briefest glimpse of the old attraction. It was fleeting and gone too soon, but I'd seen it. Pride and approval replaced it, and they were almost as good. When he spoke, it was to echo his earlier thoughts. â€Å"You're a fast learner, Roza.†

Drexler’s Bar-B-Que

ENVIRONMENT OUTPUTS PROCESS INPUTS | 3. Apply the systems model to illustrate how Drexler’s Bar-B-Que operates within its environment. Before applying the system model to Drexler’s, first we will discuss a little bit about the system theory itself. The organization itself is an element of a larger system, the environment. Within time, every organization takes, processes and returns resources to the environment. The decisive factor of organizational effectiveness is whether the organization survives in the environment.In simpler meaning, systems theory is when an organization takes resources (inputs) from the larger system (the environment), processes the resources and returns them in a changed form (output). Input – Mrs. Scott talks to her customers, new and old, about what they are looking for within the restaurant. Process – Mrs. Scott gathers and analyzes the customers’ suggestions. Output – Mrs. Scott implements her action plan and the en vironment (customers) receive the service they suggested. This process is basically a revolving system to improve customer service and business activity. Due to Mrs.Scott’s actions, she has closed down the restaurant and upgrade to a bigger building to accommodate her new and regular customers. Managers need to possess two key ingredients: authenticity and social intelligence Mrs. Scott possess both of these assets because she makes sure that Drexler’s menu is the same with the same ingredients, she makes sure that the restaurant is original in its deliverance. She also knows that to be successful she needs her customers’ input to keep them coming back for more. There are 5 dimensions of social intelligence: Â   empathy, presence, situational radar, clarity and authenticity which Mrs. Scott all possesses.

Stock and Market Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Stock and Market Analysis - Assignment Example The data used in this report were formulated with the assistance of a mixture of tools such as journals, required books, Google, Yahoo, Finviz and general knowledge of the markets and companies. With the use of Finviz, I formulated some portfolios to research about the rate of performances of each stock over the past several months. The following chart portrays the total returns of each portfolio from highest to lowest. Data collection was stopped on December 3, 2014. According to the graph, the best overall performing portfolio was â€Å"Supermarket† and the worst performing portfolio was â€Å"Group†. Canada is a high tech industrial country which can be ranked as the trillion dollar class.The economic status of Canada is simillar to the united states econimic status whereby it contains certain economic features that simillar.The features include the pattern of production, market-oriented economic system and the high living standards.The growth of the Canada economic status is experienced since the world war II whereby the extensive growth of the mining, manufacturing and service sectors has made the country to transform from a rural economy into industrial and urban economic system. The 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the 1989 US-Canada Free Trade Agreement (FTA) significantly triggered the growth of the Canada’s economic nature. The treaty included the Mexican country. The treaty led to the dramatic increase in economic and trade integration with the United States making it the principal trading partner for Canada. The country’s score over tim e has been as shown below: Canada enjoys extensive trade surplus with the United States whereby the trade absorbs about three-fourths of Canadian merchandise exports each year. The United States largest foreign supplier of energy, including oil, gas, uranium, and electric power is Canada.

The Economic Growth of Developing Countries Assignment

The Economic Growth of Developing Countries - Assignment Example More recently WTO has focused upon the need to sustain an open multilateral trading framework, particularly in the light of the proliferation of regional blocs. In spite of some weaknesses and limitations of its strategies, WTO has benefited the economic growth of developing countries and involves them in free trade relations and international trade. The main question worried many nations and economists "Does WTO really promote free trade or just control the international trading relations and economic order The WTO was established on 1st January 1995 by the Marrakesh agreement. It was a new agreement between the global nations which improved and extended articles of GATT established in 1947. .WTO differs from GATT as it is based on different principles and policies of trade relations. GATT is just a set of rules while WTO is an international institution with governing bodies. In contrast to GATT, WTO commitments are full. GATT rules and principles of trade cover only retail trade while WTO regulates services and intellectual property industries. The main difference is that WTO is based on multilateral agreements applied to all members of the institution while GATT involved selective agreements applied to some local economies. The befit of WTO is that it is undeniable that trade policy leaders have their own bases of support, such as interest groups and the bureaucratic institutions they direct. As they depend on those bases to maintain their current position, policymakers' interests, pr iorities, and responsibilities in policy making are put by their support bases. In fact, the state-oriented approach underlines the importance of the demands of society on trade policymaking. In contrast to GATT, WTO has a stricter system of trade control and does not permit trade violations. Trade violations involve such impotent issues as labor relations and environmental concerns. These rules and principles can be seen as a response to dissatisfaction with the explanatory power of international trade relations that concentrate on international factors or assume country interests to be external. Such attempts are grouped by WTO into four, based on their characterization of the international and the domestic, and the lines of responsibility they draw between these political issues. WTO has a set of laws aimed to restrict the activity of those companies which violate accepted rules and norms of international trade. The domestic and international relations each possess different and distinct features and limitations on country action; thus domestic goals are more effectively pursued with international trade strategies.

Summer Intern at Haitong Securities Company Limited Term Paper

Summer Intern at Haitong Securities Company Limited - Term Paper Example Opportunity was awarded in the marketing department as to assistant marketing manager. During internship, it provided an extensive practical learning exposure to the investment arena. It was also very beneficial from point of view of applying theoretical concepts studied mainly in course UD. This report is aimed at providing detailed review of learning experience as internee at Haitong International Holdings Limited. It will provide overview of firm, its products, portfolios and its analysis, practices to entertain customer in satisfying manner, individual projects assigned and overall evaluation of learning experience. In the end it will also provide concluding note regarding suggestions to firm for improvements. INTRODUCTION INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LIMITED 1- ESTABLISHEMENT Haitong International Securities Group Limited (â€Å"Haitong International† or â€Å"the Group†; Stock Code: 665.HK) is a subsidiary of Haitong International Holdings Limited (â€Å"Haitong Intern ational Holdings†). It is incorporated in Hong Kong and wholly owned by Haitong Securities Company Limited (â€Å"Haitong Securities†). It was established in 1973 and enlisted on Hong Kong Stock Exchange since August 1996 (Haitong, 2010a). 2- SCOPE Haitong International Securities Group Limited is renowned group with standing as leader in the Greater China region. The group provides total quality services in the domain of corporate finance, asset management and brokerage services. It has broad clientele encompassing global and local institutional and corporate clients as well as individual investors (Haitong, 2012b). Its network has more than 210 sales offices spreading across over 120 cities with 13 branches in Hong Kong and Macau. Mainly in China the Group has 2 representative offices in Beijing and Shanghai and 5 investment consultancy centers in major cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hangzhou. Its broad network is serving over 4 million re tail clientele services with over 12,000 institutional and high net worth clients (Haitong, 2010b). 3- SERVICES Haitong International Securities Group Limited is striving to become a leading global player in the international financial services industry. Its goal also includes standing a leadership position in the Greater China region. It is dedicated to provide total quality corporate finance, asset management and brokerage services to its clients (Haitong, 2010f). The operations of Haitong Group can be broadly categorized in following three areas (Haitong, 2010e): A- Corporate finance: under this title Haitong Securities provide wide range of services including IPO sponsorship, underwriting and placements, financial advisory, compliance advisory, institutional clients’ services and research. B- Assets management Haitong Securities provide services with respect to public funds, mandatory provident fund, private funds, alternative investment funds, Capital Investment Entrant Scheme and discretionary accounts services. C- Brokerage services Under brokerage umbrella its serves client with securities and derivative products, futures and options, bullion and foreign exchange, IPO subscription and financing services, online trading, margin financing, wealth management, agency and trustee services, stock borrowing, equity-linked note, structured product investment, bond investment and research.   1- 2- 3- 4- CERTIFICATIONS AND REWARDS Being renowned and well known financial services

Impacts of Taxation on Small and Big Businesses Essay

Impacts of Taxation on Small and Big Businesses - Essay Example ne either by an individual who is self-employed in his or her own small business or by a person who owns, manages and is the employee of his or her own business. If the treatment of tax of the income is derived from such activities differs greatly depending on the legal form in which the businesses are conducted, then the system of tax is more likely going to have a strong influence on the ways small and bug businesses are structured. Without any good reasons for favouring one legal form over the other, such distortions ought to be avoided. This will need both the same treatment of income from employment and self-employment within the personal system of tax and a similar treatment of income derived from small business and from small unincorporated business within the whole tax system (Welsh & White 2001, pp.18 – 27). As well as having these variety of legal forms, a second fundamental reason as to why small business do present vital challenges for tax design is that the income derived from the activities of small businesses do reflects a mix of rewards for labour supplied by those who work for the business and returns to the supplied capital by those who invest in the business (Button 2009, pp.389–408). The United Kingdom business community makes a huge contribution to the treasury’s coffer every fiscal year in terms of tax contribution. In the previous financial year, a total of one hundred and sixty three billion sterling pounds was paid as taxes by the business that are operating in the UK. Breaking the contribution of the business further down shows that, in addition to paying tax on the profits, businesses also contribute. This is based on their roles as the owners of the property, consumer of goods and services, employers and the impact on the environment (Adams et al. 2008, pp.101–115). It is also important to note that businesses contribute to the efficient running of the system of tax and the economy of the country, on top of their direct

Ethical Issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethical Issue - Essay Example astically, or placing heavy import duties on raw materials essential for a company to prosper, the public looks at ways to save themselves and their insecurities, and the way to do that is to elevate corruption, thereby, the government is being held responsible for this atrocity(Eiras, 2003). The author has also used some of her own secondary research in the form of comparative qualitative charts, a couple of which are as follows: Dr. Dragoljub Kavran and Dr. Sherman M. Wyman, spokespersons for the UNO have raised superb questions about the issue at hand. The authors state that corruption is above even the harshest levels in many developing and under developed economies; mostly, the authors blame the poor political and legal systems for these circumstances, the author also blames politicians who use their own laws for personal benefits rather than those of the populace. This issue has reached far out of hand and even some of the most developed economies such as the UAE and the US face diminutive levels of corruption. Within this 20 page whitepaper, the authors have raised the issue of ‘patience’, or in this particular situation: The wait-and-watch experimentation scenario. The authors believe the within such weak economic conditions, corruption may also be seen as a way to overcome several problems faced by the economies within under developed countries, but this is a commonly rejected principle and the fact still persists which looks at corruption as an evil element. (Kavran, et al., N.D.) Even though this article is inclusive of rich content about the public service organization Ethics resource center, this also includes the chief ethical issues about the corruption problem within Dubai. The chief ethical issue is ‘ignorance’, â€Å"If you are a deputy minister you dont it see as a problem to purchase from a dealer that could be your cousin† (Stier, 2007), this context from the authors article explains it all, the politicians must understand their

FIN 300 - Principles of Finance for the Private Sector 1-8 Essay

FIN 300 - Principles of Finance for the Private Sector 1-8 - Essay Example 2009). Current ratio is obtained by dividing current assets by current liabilities while quick ratio is obtained the same way only that inventory is eliminated from current assets since it takes time to convert to cash. The two ratios indicate the level of liquidity and hence they help to maintain the required liquidity for retailers (Phillips et al. 2009). The higher the ratios the stronger liquidity is. Phillips, M. D., Volker, J. X., Anderson, S. J. (2009). A behavioral comparison of financial ratios for different size privately-held retail and service businesses. Journal of Behavioral Studies in Business, 1(1), 1-7. Residual value estimated is normally the amount that can be realized if the asset was to be sold after its useful life. However, most organizations take the estimated residual value to be zero. This method allocates equal amount to each year. Present value is the current value of a given future value of money or cash flow streams (Chiu2010). Compounding is process of finding the future value when the present value is given while discounting if the process of finding the present value when the future value is given. Gollier (2010) discusses the following differences. Future value of a lump sum is higher than future value of an annuity given similar factors. This is because the lump sum amount earns interest in all the periods while not all the annuities earn interest for the entire period. Long term bonds are those ones that have a longer maturity period. Interest rates are used as discounting rates in calculating the value of a bond. An increase in interest rate therefore reduces the value of a bond and this is a risk called interest rate risk. Short term bonds have a shorter maturity period and a fluctuation in interest affects income hence reinvestment risk. The value of a corporate bond is determined through the fundamental theory, where the value is the present value of the

Severity of Sanctions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Severity of Sanctions - Essay Example The implications of these two philosophies are quite different. Retribution focuses on the criminal's behaviour and stresses the need to punish him in proportion to the extent of damages caused or loss suffered. Conversely, the utilitarian stance focuses, not on the criminal, but on society as a whole with an aim at reducing crime and thereby ensuring the safety of society. Whilst both of these models are described in their pure theoretical form, in reality most cultures adopt a blended version of both. However, before we begin to fully examine the effectiveness of deterrence, an understanding of it is necessary. There are two types of deterrence: general and specific. Specific deterrence is aimed at eliminating the future criminal activity of the person being incarcerated or punished in order to avoid future punishment for repeating a similar crime whilst general deterrence's goal is reducing crime unilaterally by stopping others from committing like crimes for fear of receiving like punishment (Palmer 2005, p. 25). While it is impossible to argue that capital punishment is not a totally effective means of ensuring specific deterrence, its effectiveness as a deterrent to others is not so definitive. This leads us to the debate of the severity of sentencing and its effects on deterring criminal behaviour. Feinberg views punishment i... Instead of acting as a deterrent to preventing future criminal activity sentencing is merely a punishment and has nothing to do with deterring crime; rather its effectiveness as a specific deterrent only lasts as long as the prison sentence itself. In his explanation of the phenomenon of punishment Feinberg states: Punishment is a conventional device for the expression of attitudes of resentment and indignation, and of judgments of disapproval and reprobation, on the part either of the punishing authority himself or of those 'in whose name' the punishment is inflicted. Punishment, in short, has a symbolic significance largely missing from other kinds of penalties (1994, p. 74). He elaborates in greater detail by stating that greater than disapproval, punishment is, in effect, society's method of 'getting back' at criminals and further showing its "vindictive resentment" (1994, p. 76). From his position it is clear that criminal sentencing is not deterrent in intent; rather it is retributive in nature. Von Hirsh and Ashworth take a similar stance but further elaborate on what they view to be the causal effects of this 'vindictive resentment'. In their theory politicians use the public's fear of crime and criminals to create a heightened state of panic amongst the public. With this increased sense of fear and outrage the brunt of the retributive wrath falls upon those least able to defend themselves. Clearly seeking neither retribution nor deterrence, the political overtones and the media frenzy caused results in a public outcry for justice. As public sentiment grows more fearful and resentful, the severity of punishment rises proportionally. The sentence no longer deals with the specific nature or severity crime itself, but rather focuses

Financial Management - WHSmith PLC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Financial Management - WHSmith PLC - Essay Example However, WHSmith Retail sales fell by 1% to 1,453m from last year's 1,463m, driven mainly by a 2% loss in its High Street Retail business. This loss in high street retail was only mildly offset by the excellent performance in travel retail characterized by an 11% increase in profits to 21m from 19m in the previous year, and a 3% increase in sales. Reasons for the overall profit loss of the group were attributed to a significant decrease in sales due to unsuccessful marketing and promotions and the continued sale of products with decreasing demand; and an unsuccessful investment in technology, which contributed to the company's increased costs. Another aspect of the retail business is WHSmith Online. Launched in 2000, the retail website, www.whsmith.co.uk, has not been utilized by the company to its potential and is not integrated with the rest of the retail business. It experienced a loss of 2m in profit, similar to the previous year and sales of 7m. In order to turn the company around and increase retail sales, the company will focus on developing a multi-channel retail strategy, taking advantage of WHSmith Online's full potential to increase online sales, as well as sales in high street and travel stores. Shank and Govindarajan (1991) defines strategic cost management as "the process through which a sophisticated understanding of an organization's cost structure is developed and used in the search for sustainable competitive advantage." They argue that blending the three themes of value chain analysis, cost driver analysis, and competitive advantage analysis represents the most powerful way to determine which strategic direction will be most beneficial for an organization (Shank and Govindarajan, 1992). By applying Shank and Govindarajan's framework, one can understand why implementing a multi-channel strategy will benefit WHSmith's retail business in the long run. WHSmith Value Chain Analysis A value chain is "linked set of value-creating activities" (Shank and Govindarajan, 1992). Based on WHSmith's value chain, one can see that a multi-channel retail strategy is most profitable for the company. First, by analyzing WHSmith's internal value chain, one can infer that WHSmith Online has developed as a separated business division that is not integrated into the WHSmith Retail since its launch in 2000. WHSmith Online does not support any of the value chain activities of the group and its potential was not fully explored. Thus, it remains to be a traditional retail business. In the purchasing stage, products are purchased from its distributors based on the demand forecasted by the company. These products are then shipped to warehouses, which deliver them to the respective high street retail stores in the distribution and merchandising stages. High street retail stores then arrange these products, utilizing the available spaces and conduct marketing activities as directed by the central office in the store operations and marketing stages. At this stage, the point of sale is situated at cash registers in each store and mails received by the company from its loyal customers. Figure 2. WHSmith Internal Value Chain Analysis Based on the existing internal value chain and the performance during the previous year, the following improvements need to be employed (WHSmith, 2004): Purchasing: Discontinue purchase

Lincoln and Johnson vs. the Radicals Essay Example for Free

Lincoln and Johnson vs. the Radicals Essay The Civil War, which lasted up until 1865, was the bloodiest battle that this Nation had ever faced. Making it even sadder was the fact that this Nation was divided, North against South, and brothers were killing brothers, fathers killing sons. It was indeed a tough time for President Lincoln who was sworn into office in 1861. He needed to end the war and figure out a way to bring peace and rebuild the Nation. In order to end the war he devised a plan to free all slaves in the eye’s of the government, and on the first day of the year in 1863 he announced his â€Å"Emancipation Proclamation,† declaring all slaves owned under the Confederacy to be now free men. The Confederacy was beginning to crumble; Southern cities were destroyed and the Southern economy was in ruins. Lincoln now focused his attention on the idea of Reconstruction, and reuniting those Southern States back into the Union. It would not be easy for Lincoln, however, as he faced far different ideas than his, proposed by the Radical Republicans, led by Pennsylvania Representative Thaddeus Stevens and Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner. Despite being the Republican nomination for President, Lincoln was far more conservative than those Republicans taking the majority of seats in Congress. In December of 1863, before the war had officially come to a close, Lincoln began to devise his Reconstruction plan, which at the time was considered to be very lenient by those of the Union. His plan was very compassionate toward white southerners, except for major leaders of the Confederacy. He needed those Confederate Army generals and high-ranking officers to take an oath of loyalty to the Union, and verbally accept the Nation’s abolition of slavery. Lincoln’s plan was to institute new state governments in the South, under control of those southerners who had not aided to Confederacy. Lincoln also had the idea of granting voting rights to those freed African Americans who were educated, owned land, or had participated in the fighting for the Union. Under Lincoln’s plan, three southern states (Louisiana, Arkansas, and Tennessee) acknowledged the abolition of slavery, formed new Union-loyal governments, and were ready to be readmitted completely into the Union. The Radical Republicans were not pleased to the slightest with Lincoln’s plan. They demanded much harsher penalties for seceding the Union, and they refused to seat the representatives from those three states, reconstructed under Lincoln’s plan. Because they were so displeased with Lincoln’s leniency, they pushed what is known as the Wade-Davis bill through Congress in 1864. This bill instituted a temporary governor, from the North, to each of those 11 Confederate states. When the majority of men residing in those states had pledged their allegiance to the Union, the governor was to hold a â€Å"constitutional convention,† where only men who had never fought against the Union could elect delegates to represent them in Congress. Once this was accomplished, the new state governments had to acknowledge the total abolition of slavery, disenfranchise Confederate leaders, and pay off all of their war debts, mainly owed to England. After all of this, and only after all of this, could those southern states be readmitted into the Union. Dissatisfied with the Radicals bill, Lincoln overrode their authority with a â€Å"pocket veto.† As you would assume, the Radicals were utterly outraged with Lincoln’s actions, and demanded that Lincoln accept some of their ideas proposed by the Wade-Davis Bill. Unfortunately, we will never know how the President would have negotiated terms with those Radical Republicans. On the night of April 14th, 1865, Lincoln was shot from behind while watching a play with his wife, and died early the next morning. Andrew Johnson, Lincoln’s vice President, became the Nations new President shortly after the assassination. Johnson, who was originally a democrat, was now faced with the issue of Reconstruction, and like Lincoln, took a more moderate approach. While Congress was out of session in the summer following his launch into Presidency, Johnson quickly began to â€Å"R estore† (as he like to call it) those southern states back into the Union. His plan was very much like the Wade-Davis Bill in which he instituted a temporary governor to those southern states and had the governor allow qualified voters to elect delegates to represent them in Congress. When Congress came back into session in December, they began almost immediately to refuse seats to those elected delegates. Even though Johnson’s intentions were very similar to their Wade-Davis Bill, those Radicals were angered by the fact that most southerners still wished for slavery even though they took an oath against it. Many Confederate generals being voted in as Representatives in Congress also angered the Radicals. So they shot Johnson’s plan down, plain and simple. The Radicals began to gain more and more power in Congress due to several factors. First, Black Codes began to arise in southern states which authorized sate officials to apprehend unemployed blacks for vagrancy, and hire them out to mostly plantation owners in order to pay off their vagranc y fines. This angered many northerners as is basically violated southern states oaths of African American freedom. This caused Congress to pass the first Civil Rights Act, which gave the federal government the right to intervene in state affairs if blacks were not given appropriate rights. Johnson vetoed this bill but was easily overridden by the all-powerful Radical Congress. Next, Congress devised the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. It stated that all people born or naturalized in United States territory are considered citizens, and penalties would arise for states that denied the right to vote to any male citizens. It also stated that former Confederate officials were prohibited from holding any state or federal position unless they were pardoned for their treasonous Civil War crimes by two-thirds of Congress. Any state that ratified this 14th Amendment would be readmitted into the Union. Tennessee was the only state to ratify and be readmitted right away. Finally, those ten states that were still outstanding from the Union were divided into five different â€Å"military districts.† A military commander was assigned to each district and was responsible for registering citizens to vote (black males, and those whites who had not bore arms against the Union). Voters had to elect government bodies who would write their new state constitution, and have it passed by Congress. And finally, after all that, the state had to ratify the 14th Amendment. All but Virginia, Texas and Mississippi had reunited with the Union by 1868 and finally by 1870 those last 3 states were reunited only after ratifying 15th Amendment in addition to the 14th one. Alas, the Union was rejoined, blacks now had their freedom and right to vote, and peace was beginning to take presence. When we look at the similarities proposed by Lincoln and Johnson, we see that both men were in favor of leniency for those southern states. Lincoln only felt it was necessary for Confederate leaders to take an oath of loyalty as opposed to the Congressional decision that Confederate leaders needed to be pardoned by two-thirds of Congress (Which would likely never happen as Radicals held so much power in Congress) in order to take part in state or federal legislature. It is clear that Johnson also opposed this idea, and leaned toward Lincoln’s plan, in the way he vetoed Congress vigorously. This similarity in ideas between Lincoln and Johnson is also a major difference between the presidents and Congress’s final decision. Unfortunately for Johnson (and Lincoln), and the rest of the moderate northerners, his veto was no match for Congress. A key similarity between the presidents and Congress though, was the issue of African American rights. The final Congressional plan involved a federal Civil Rights Act and two new Constitutional Amendments, in order to protect the rights of African Americans. Lincoln obviously believed in equality when he delivered his Emancipation Proclamation, and stated that educated, land-owning, or allied blacks should be given the right to vote. And based on Congresses final decision, I would say the majority of people from the south who were qualified to vote on the new state governors were probably African Americans. In conclusion, when comparing the presidential Reconstruction plans, with those actually put into play by Congress, the main difference falls within the idea of leniency vs. anger. The presidents wanted the whole ordeal over and the states rejoined, whereas the Radicals wanted revenge on the South for seceding. As to which ideas would have worked better? It is very hard to say. All that can be said is that eventually, the Radicals gained too much power in Congress for the presidents to handle, and ultimately an all-powerful republican Congress overruled their ideas. Bibliography(EZbib.com) Brinkley, Alan. Reconstruction and the New South. The Unfinished Nation. 6th ed. Vol. 2. New York [u.a.: McGraw-Hill, 2000. 369-83. Print. 35b. Radical Reconstruction. Radical Reconstruction [ushistory.org]. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2013. Time Line of The Civil War, 1865. Time Line of The Civil War. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2013.

Theories of Female Victimisation

Theories of Female Victimisation In todays society crime is a constant. People that are well know, to people that no one has ever heard of fall victim to criminal activity on a daily basis. There has to be a reason why these things happen so often. Victim precipitation theory holds that the victim is the contributing fact of their victimization. Women, especially, can make themselves available to criminals and can effortlessly become easy targets. In a sense, every victim contributes to their own victimization in one way or another. Crime is very apparent in our everyday lives. It seems as though the average American cannot go a day without hearing about another atrocious crime that has happened in their community. According to the US Department of Justice, Criminal Justice Information Services Division, violent crimes accounted for 1,254,358 of the crimes committed in 2009. There are many different types of offenses that can be classified as a crime. The FBI, in its annual Crime in the United States report, publishes data for serious crimes in the Crime Index. The Index includes murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson. All of these crimes happen frequently to Americans, some reports show that some even happen on a minute to minute basis. Victims of crimes are those that are affected by the outcome of a crime that has been committed; these can include the primary victim, the secondary victims, and related victims. A whole community can be affected by just one crime. It is very common to know someone who has been the victim of a crime, especially in todays society. Many people may have empathy for these people and often speculate how something like this could have happened to a person, as many victims wonder the same thing. A primary victim is someone within the range of foreseeable physical injury, typically a participant in the accident; damages are recoverable for psychiatric injury as for physical injury, even if no physical injury has occurred. Secondary victims are those outside the range of foreseeable physical injury, such as witnesses or relatives of the accident victims. A related victim is a person who is a close family member, or a dependant, of a primary victim who has died as a direct result of an act of violence being committed against them. (www.justice.qld.gov) As you can see, when an offender commits a crime against one person, the primary victim, it can lead to domino effect. There can many victims for one crime. There are many theories on why crimes happen and why people fall victim to them. Some think that being victimized is just a matter of opportunity, that particular person that became a victim to a crime was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Shouldnt people this day in age be smart enough to where the wrong place is and what the wrong time is? Some people theorize just that. People should know the difference in right and wrong, and they should use their brains as to decide the difference. One theory that upholds these opinions is the victim precipitation theory. As in, the victim participated, in some way, to their own victimization. Victim precipitation theory views victimology from the standpoint that the victim themselves may actually initiate, either passively or actively, the criminal act that ultimately leads to death or injury. (www.associatedcontent.com) If a victim passively initiates in their own victimization, they unknowingly do so. On the other hand, if a victim h as an active role in their victimization, they might have consciously made the decision to do; by either provoking or instigating the crime that occurred. Either way, the victim precipitation theory blames the victim for their role in their victimization. Job promotions, job status, successes, love interests, and the like are examples of these unconscious behaviors and characteristics of passive precipitation. Additionally, political activists, minority groups, those of different sexual orientations, and other individuals pursuing alternate lifestyles may also find themselves as targets of violence due to the inadvertent threat they pose to certain individuals of power. Active victimization occurs under this theory through the threatening or provocative actions of the victim. One of the most controversial points of this theory is the idea that women who are raped actively contributed in some way, either through provocative dress, a relationship, or suggested consent of intimacy. Because of this viewpoint it is hard to convict an accused rapist who has had some form of relationship with the accused, or one that was behaving provocatively or suggestively. (www.associatedcontent.com) Generally speaking, there are two victims of crime; men and women. Some people still view women as the inferior sex, even in the 21st century. Even though men and women are both susceptible to crime, women are 8 to 10 times more likely to fall victim to rape and spousal abuse. A select few still perceive women as weak and not having the ability to think for themselves. Let every Man (in particular) be asked his thoughts of women and he will tell you without doubt, that they were not made but for man; they are fit for nothing, but to nurse; and breed little children in their low age; and to mind the house. (www.users.muohio.edu) Men, on the other hand, are considered to be the protectors of their home and are the ones that have the education to speak openly. Many times this can be a reason to why some men commit crimes against women; a male offender may say that a woman was out of place by speaking her mind, or doing other things that may seem normal to other people in todays society, so he felt that he had to do something about it. Even though these views seem dated, there are still many men, and women, that think this way. Because of the way that women are viewed it can make them an easy target for some offenders. Many rapists still believe that women should submit to a man, when he wants her to, and fear him for the things that he may do to her is she does give in easily. Men rapist usually have the need to punish, humiliate, dominate, overpower, and control their victim. Most of the time a rapist does not see their action as them doing anything wrong, and they do not even consider the feelings of their victim. Women are also more susceptible to scams than men are. People often use emotions to their advantage when they are trying to con someone, be it for money or a place to live. Women are known to be emotional beings because they are made to produce children and be motherly. People all over America, and neighboring countries, use email scams, mail fraud, or even just random telephone cons in order to receive money and other goods and services. An email scam can be randomized and sent out in to multiple inboxes at one time. People from other countries can collect email addresses from sites in which people sign up for updates about their favorite cookbooks or even pornographic websites. Either way, these scams can create dangerous situations. There is a scam known as the Grandparent Scam. This scam entails someone choosing a number out of the phonebook and if an elderly woman answers the person on the other end simply says, Grandma, is that you?, when the woman answers yes, the scam begins. The person basically tells their grandmother that they have gotten into some kind of trouble and are in need of money and asks her to Western Union the money to them. Without a question the grandmother sends the person the requested funds and doesnt even realized that they have been conned. Who wouldnt help their grandchild that was in need? Feelings are often used against women in this all of the time. Without delay a most women would he lp a person in need because it seemed like the right thing to do, and before their very eyes, that have fallen victim to another scam. Rape that occurs on dates or between people who know each other should not be seen as some sort of misguided sexual adventure: Rape is violence, not seduction. In stranger rape and acquaintance rape, the aggressor makes a decision to force his victim to submit to what he wants. The rapist believes he is entitled to force sexual intercourse from a woman and he sees interpersonal violence (be it simply holding the woman down with his body or brandishing a gun) as an acceptable way to achieve his goal. (Warshaw, 1988, pg.20) In 2005, 1,181 women were murdered by an intimate partner. Thats an average of three women every day. Of all the women murdered in the U.S., about one-third were killed by an intimate partner. (www.ojp.usdoj.gov) One- third of women killed in 2005 actually knew their attackers, which is an alarming rate. Victim precipitation theory holds that some women are subjected to this violence because they have brought it upon themselves. A mixture of body image, the way a wo men dresses, where a women hangs out, and the company that she keeps can attribute to her own victimization. Dissatisfaction with ones physical appearance can lead to a negative body image. (Lankford, 2010, pg.13) A womans negative perception of herself can lead to her to making poor life decisions. How a woman perceives herself can affect her everyday life, such as, her career, family life, and finances. Women that do not think highly of themselves tend to think that they do not deserve to be truly happy. Having a low self-esteem can cause a person to become depressed. Depression can lead to a number of self mutilating problems, such as, drug use, alcoholism, and eating disorders. (Wolff, 1999, pg.18) If a woman thinks that she may never be able to find a husband, boyfriend, or partner she may become licentious. Some of these women may think that if a man takes them out or was nice to them, that they are obliged to say yes to sex afterwards. Women with this condition may become an easy target, and they may even submit to an attacker. The way a woman dresses can contribute to the type of lifestyle that they live. We, as a society, know how many different people in different professions dress. A police man wear a blue uniform, a person in the military wears BDUs, and a prostitute wears a short dress and a low cut shirt. The way women dress is routinely cited as an encouragement to rape; the argument is that if a woman is dressed a certain way, then they were asking, or even inviting, a potential rapist to attack them. References to sheer and clinging fabrics, low-slung jeans and low-cut tops, bare midriffs, short skirts and liberally applied make-up are common in the context of rape trials. (www.thisisnotaninvitationtorapeme.co.uk) A common assumption is that if a woman wears revealing clothing they are considered to be either a whore or a prostitute. Prostitution is illegal in all states, but one, in the United States. About 80% of women in prostitution have been the victim of a rape. Prostitutes are raped, on the average, eight to ten times per year. They are the most raped class of women in the history of our planet. ( Hunter and Reed, 1990) Where a person lives can say a lot about them. If a person lives in project housing then we know that they are financially stable, if a person lives in a big house in a great neighborhood then we know that they have the resources to do so. Statistically speaking, the crime rate is higher in lower income neighborhoods than it would be in higher income neighborhoods. In theory, individuals are targeted based on their lifestyle choices which expose them to criminal offenders and situations in which crimes may be committed. If a woman lives in a lower income neighborhood or in known to venture in these types of places, they are subjecting themselves to become a victim of crime. The correlation between victims and the perpetrators of crimes is that they both exhibit impulsive and antisocial-like behaviors. These behaviors may contribute to their victimization since they cause the individual to put themselves at risk more so then more conservative lifestyle counterparts. (www.associatedcon tent.com) In a nutshell, if a neighborhood is deviant, the only way to lower a persons risk of victimization is for them to leave the neighborhood for a less deviant, low crime rate area. Drug use is more common in lower income neighborhoods. People who use drugs put themselves in dangerous situations every day. People who commit crimes, as drug use and distribution is a crime, are more prone to become victims because they are involved in precarious conditions. Those who choose high-risk lifestyles which include taking drugs, drinking, and participating in criminal activities run a much higher risk of becoming victims. (www.associatedcontent.com) If a woman is a drug runner, or is just purchasing drugs for personal use, she may be involved in situations where other women are being prostituted out. If a woman gets desperate enough, then she may start doing the same thing in order to get money to purchase more drugs. Women are much more frequently involved in prostitution to fund drugs habits than men. What exacerbates the danger to these women is the powerlessness they experience due to their intense need for drugs and severe poverty. Because many men seek out dangerou s sexual services from drug- addicted prostitutes, they are at a great risk. (Egendorf, 2003, pg.98) The factors previously mentioned are palpable. Most of the time the average person can identify a prostitute or a continuous drug user, but what about women that contribute to their own victimization in less obvious ways? Women who stay in violent relationships, their sexual orientation, walking down a street at night by themselves, or just being simply too nice are way a woman can contribute to being victimized and they do not even know that they are doing so. Woman need to prepare themselves for being victimized if they are making themselves an easy target. Women who stay in violent relationships, be it with a man or a women, contribute to their own victimization every day that they are with their abusive partner. Relationship abuse can include, but is not limited to, physical, mental, verbal, and emotional abuse. Some women may not even recognize that they are being abused at the time it is occurring. A woman may assume that they cannot do any better than the person they are with, and that it why they continue to be in a relationship with them, this can stem back to having self-esteem and being depressed about ones self. It is sad to know that most women cannot get out abuse relationships until it is too late for them to do so. There is a rising number of women being abused to a point to where they end up being murdered, and most of the time it is by an intimate partner. Physical abuse is defined as any behavior that inflicts harm on a person. (White, 2001, pg.14) Physical abuse can include; hitting, shoving, biting, throwing objects at a person to inflict harm, and even sexual abuse. Every year, domestic violence results in almost 100,000 days of hospitalizations, almost 30,000 emergency department visits, and almost 40,000 visits to a physician. (American Medical Association, 1991) Sexual abuse can fall under many different categories at one time, such as physical and mental abuse. An abuser can make a woman feel that it is their duty to have sex with their husband or boyfriend by saying If you loved me you wouldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, if the abuser makes a woman think that he will not love her if she does not provide him with sexual favors, then he is sexually and mentally abusing her. Mental and emotional abuse go hand in hand. Mental abuse is sometimes referred to as psychological or emotional abuse. Mental abuse is the intentional infliction of anguish, degradation, fear, or distress. Mental and emotional abuse can be used to brainwash someone into thinking that they are wrong if they leave an abuser. A mental abuser can be very distant from their partner at times, but if the woman decides to leave them, then they become very distraught with loving emotions. A woman may feel as if they are walking on egg shells around their partner, because they do not want them to become upset and argue with them. Fear is not part of a loving relationship, but it is a vital part of a mentally abusive relationship. It enables the abuser to maintain control over a woman. (http://ezinearticles.com) A woman who stays in a violent relationship can actually set themselves up for more victimization if their children are witnessing the abuse. Children who grow seeing a man abuse their mother will grow up and think that this type of treatment is acceptable. If the mother does eventually remove herself and her children from an abusive relationship, the abuse could continue to live through her children. Children who grow up in violent homes are: at higher risk for substance abuse and juvenile delinquency, bear emotional scars, as well as feelings of insecurity, guilt, and isolation, often experience difficulties in school such as inattentiveness, learning disabilities, and stress-related physical problems, fail to develop the experience they need to enter into healthy relationships as adults, and often grow up with low self-esteem and become easy victims of verbal and physical abuse. (www.heartlyhouse.org) Although we are now in the 21st century, it is still common to find people who do not agree with sexual orientations other than heterosexual relationships. People that participate in same sex relationships are at a higher risk for having hate crimes and hostility committed against them. There are people in America that suffer from homophobia and heterosexism. Homophobia is the unreasonable fear or disdain from of homosexuals and/or homosexuality. At its most extreme, homophobia is expressed through physical violence, including rape and murder. Heterosexism is the assumption that heterosexuality is the only form of sexual identity and family life. Although less stigmatizing than overt homophobia, the assumption of heterosexuality can alienate lesbians in mainstream institutions, including health care settings. (Liebschutz, 2003, pg.238) Yet another way that a woman can increase her chances of becoming a victim is not reporting a crime or violent act. Some women seem to be embarrassed that they were victimized in the first place, so they fail to report a crime that has occurred. When a woman does not report a crime that has been committed against her she increases her chances of being victimized again, she also leaves the door opened for another woman to be victimized. Since there was no reason to detain the criminal that committed the act, that person is still roaming free to commit another a horrendous crime and the next time it may be the initial victims neighbor, friend, or even her own daughter. A woman that is naÃÆ' ¯ve to situations in todays society can also put herself at a higher risk of becoming victimized. It is obvious that more and more people in this day in age are becoming victims of crime. If a woman were to walk down a low lit at night, by herself, in an ominous neighborhood; there is no telling what gang or rapist might see her, or what they might do to her. Woman who make it common knowledge that they live by themselves are also at a higher risk. Situations like this happen all of the time, which is one of the reasons why crime rate is so high in certain parts of the United States. Woman are victimized, in this case, by just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. If a woman were to tell a stranger that she lives by herself, then that stranger could easily follow her home and victimize her. It is that simple. Women have to take certain defensive precautions in order to not become a victim. There are cases where a person can be too nice. In todays society people tend to lose sight of morals to use to be upheld. There are more scams and cons than ever. A woman could just think that they are beginning nice to a stranger and not even know that person is really a rapist or murderer. There is a difference in being nice and being too nice. People tend to take advantage of people that do not have the ability to say no. If a woman works all day long and picks up her co-workers slack, and then comes home and complains that she is wore out, whose fault is it really? Being too nice, or vulnerable, can sometimes stab a woman in their back. Although it is nice to see a friendly face, a woman should never invite a stranger to come to her home where she lives by herself. This is one of the reasons that more and more people are becoming reluctant to help someone, because a person can never know what a stranger, or even someone they know, is capable of behind closed doors. The biggest way a woman can contribute to their own victimization is to think that it will not happen to them. Women who feel that they will never be attacked are the ones that get raped, kidnapped, murdered, or burglarized. The mistake that they make is not being prepared. Violent crimes happen to normal people every day. Why should it not happen to the girl next door, or the woman from two towns over? To offenders, they are all the same. Offenders do not care if the woman they are attacking is a mother, sister, or wife. This might even make them feel as if that particular woman is more important and they have a more valuable thing to take away from someone. Women need to be educated to become more sufficient in protecting themselves. A way that a woman can prevent serious victimization is to always be prepared. In todays society a person can never know what is lurking around the next corner waiting to pounce on their next victim that will fall prey. When a woman is too arrogant abo ut criminal activity, they make themselves an easy target. Some other ways that a woman could protect herself from becoming a victim is having the knowledge to know the different types of offenders. Some offenders victimize people out or pure self satisfaction, others offend in order to provide for their families. Multiple offenders have the knowledge to know how to get the act committed, since they have not been caught thus far, they think that they know what they are doing and how to get away with it. On the other hand, first time offenders could be easier to negotiate with and may easily feel sorry for their victims. When a man approaches a woman in a dimly lit parking lot and asks for her keys and her wallet, the best thing that woman can do cooperate with that person. If a woman was being robbed at gun point and did cooperate with the person committing the offense, then that person could easily shot the woman and take what they want. The most important thing is that a woman educates herself with the knowledge of know when to fight and when to do as the offender asks. Staying calm can produce better results for these types of situations. No material possession is worse losing their life for. Along with emotional, woman tend to materialistic. If approached by a stranger that asked for her jewelry, a woman might hesitate. Even the ring that her great-great-grandmother gave her would not be an acceptable reason to lose her life. The mental capacity of an offender can have an effect on how they will respond to ways their victim reacts to their actions. If a person holds the mental capacity of a 3rd grader they are liable to respond in different ways than an offender with a high I.Q. would. The problem with offenders with low mental capacities is that they could easily commit an offense because they do not know any better. Knowing the different situations that woman could find herself in, could be the difference in her surviving victimization. Knowledge is power to women that have no choice but to live in lower income neighborhoods that are surrounded by frequent drug use and violent crimes. The victim precipitation theory upholds that it is the victims fault that they became victimized in the first place. From a woman wearing a low cut shirt to a woman walking down a street late at night by herself, there is a reason that woman was victimized from the start. A woman can knowingly or passively contribute to her own victimization. Bad life decisions, staying in a violent relationship, and even a womans sexual orientation can contribute to her victimization. Criminals seek out women who make easy targets. Prostitutes and drug users are more prone to get raped and used for sexual favors. Women who make themselves available to crime are more likely to be victims of crime. Women should use common knowledge in order to stay safe and protect themselves. Overall, crime is a rising scenario in todays society. Crime can happen to an everyday average person in the blink of an eye. There are ways to prevent becoming victimized. Sources: Susan Kay Hunter and K.C. Reed, July, 1990 Taking the side of bought and sold rape, speech at National Coalition against Sexual Assault, Washington, D.C. Psychiatric injury primary victims, secondary victims, Page v Smith, Alcock v Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police http://law.jrank.org/pages/16981/psychiatric-injury.html#ixzz16jdchKYW [online] American Medical Association. 5 issues American Health. Chicago 1991 White, Katherine (2001) Relationship Violence, The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. Egendorf, Laura K. (2003) Chemical Dependency, Thomson- Gale www.associatedcontent.com The Four Theories of Victimization [online] Lankford, Ronald D, Jr. (2010) Body Image, Gale, Cengage Learning Warshaw, Robin (1988) I Never Called It Rape, Harper and Row www.thisisnotaninvitationtorapeme.co.uk This Is Not An Invitation To Rape Me [online] Wolff, Lisa (1999) Teen Depression, Lucent Books, Inc. Liebschutz, Jane M. (2003) Violence Against Women, American College of Physicians www.heartlyhouse.org Children From An Abusive Home [online]

Gender Roles In Pakistan Sociology Essay

Gender Roles In Pakistan Sociology Essay Gender reflects the socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities, and attributes that are considered apt for men and women in any society. Mostly the terms gender and sex are not differed and taken as closely related terms. Sex relates to the biological and physiological characteristics that define men and women while gender refers to cultural differences rather than biological ones between men and women. Male and female are sex categories while feminine and masculine are gender categories. Moser (1993) says that the differences between women and men within the same household and within and between cultures are socially and culturally constructed and can be altered over time. These differences are mirrored in social roles, responsibilities, access to resources, social limitations, opportunities, needs, perceptions, views, etc. Thus, gender does not take only women, but considers both women and men and their interdependent relationships and responsibilities. Reversal A reversal can be taken as change whether the change is a positive or negative against the prevailing trend. It is a change from one state to the opposite state turning the situation into an opposite direction or situation. Gender Roles A gender role defines the appropriate social and behavioral norms adopted by men and women in a social setting. Gender roles vary from culture to culture and traditions and roles can change over time even in the same cultural settings. Gender roles are cultural and personal to determine the speaking, dressing and communicative styles of males and females within a society. These cognitive frameworks are deeply embedded within the minds of males and females to define the masculine and feminine roles. Various socializing agents like parents, peers, teachers, television, movies, music, books and religion influence determining the gender roles within a society. Parents are the biggest factor to decide the gender roles especially of their young offspring. Parents usually treat male and female infants differently. Expectations for males and females are set in a very early age. Traditionally, boys are taught how to fix and build things and how to earn for household and girls are taught how to cook, sew and manage the household. Children then receive parental and social approval when they conform to gender expectations and adapt themselves to the cultural and conventional roles which are reinforced by the additional socializing agent, media. In other words, gender roles and the values pass from one generation to the successive generation in a society. Linda L. Lindsey and Sandra Christie (n.d.) say that as long as the girl infant is wrapped in the pink blanket and the boy infant is wrapped in blue blanket, the development of gender roles gets started. The pink and blue colours are the first indications given by the society to distinguish a female from male. As they grow up, the other cultural factors assure the distinction to remain intact. Girls are given dolls, doll houses and tiny stoves to pretend run a whole household system while boys are given toy tools to construct buildings and toy weapons and tanks to wage wars. In the teen and adult age, girls buy cosmetics and clothes while boys buy sports components and stereo components that is a result of gender role socialization. Commonly the gender roles espoused in childhood remain constant in adulthood. Gender Roles in Pakistan According to a Gilani Research Foundation survey carried out by Gallup Pakistan (april 27, 2009), majority of the Pakistani males and females have distinct roles to play in the society. In the recent years although womens status and role has been uplifted beyond being a housewife, the priority is still given to men in politics, education, employment, and related walks of life. Dr. Rakhshinda Parveen (n.d.) expresses that the constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan dictates equal rights for men and women. However, men are more equal than women in reality. The reality shows women in lower status than men in every sphere of life whether its education, food, health care or freedom of choice of partner. According to the Human Development Report 1999 of UNDP, the Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM) rank of Pakistan among 185 countries is 100. This rank determines the empowerment of women on a country basis. This measurement results in unequal status of women in economic resources, participation in political decision-making and economic decision-making. In spite of the fact that the Holy Quran dictates the equal rights for women wellbeing and development, women have always been the main target of rights violation in the Muslim countries. The typical subjugated image of Pakistani women reflects the centuries old patriarchy deeply rooted in the sub-continent. Alt hough, emancipation and empowerment has always been documented in the legal documents, this has not come to the reality to its full extent yet. The two fundamental perceptions establish the gender relations in Pakistan that women are inferior to men and that a mans honour is determined by the actions of women of his family. In the Muslim societies, women bear the honour of the family name. To ensure that honour, they are not supposed to dishonor their families, their mobility is limited and they have restrictions on their behavior and activities and have very limited contact with the opposite sex. Women are constrained to have Purdah (veil) to restrain their protection and respectability. Purdah creates physically and symbolically different spheres for men and women by separating their activities. Mostly women spend their time at home to do homely tasks and go out only for serious and approved reasons. Social life generally revolves around the activities of men in society. In the most parts of the country, except in Islamabad, Karachi, and wealthier parts of a few other cities, those families are considered shameless who do not restrict their women. Purdah is practiced according to the family tradition, class and rural or urban residence but men and women do not mix freely anywhere without serious reasosn. The most extreme restraints can be found in parts of the North-West Frontier Province and Balochistan, where women are not allowed to almost leave the house before they get married and are not allowed to meet the unrelated men and they cannot contact with their male cousins on their mothers side, because these men are not classed as relatives in a strongly patrilineal society. In the rural areas of Punjab and Sindh, gender relations are relaxed because women are equally responsible with men fosr transplanting, rice seedlings, weeding crops, raising chickens and selling eggs. When a family aspires a higher status, it entails stricter purdah as a first social change. (Jone Johnson Lewis, 1994) Some urban women, residing in the close-knit communities in the old cities of Lahore and Rawalpndi, generally wear a burqa(fitted body veil) or a chadar (loosely drapped cotton cloth used as a head covering and body veil) when they leave the homes. They usually live in a multistory (havelis) building constructed to accommodate large extended families. The places where people do not know their neighbours, there are less restrictions on womens mobility. Reversal of Gender Roles In the modern times, the old perceptions of a patriarchal society are destabilized that has shifted the earlier unequal power dynamics between males and females and has resulted in the empowerment of women over men. The traditional gender roles have given a way to totally reversed roles to reserve the rights and emancipation of women. Now a days, wives are earning as much as 20% more than their husbands in the whole world that dictates the changing power dynamics that shows that women have got the power to harness the economic power upsetting the old traditional patriarchal beliefs. Traditionally, the women used to need physical protection and economic stability provided by men to save their submissiveness. (Kandiyoti,1988). The traditional patriarchal hierarchy has been shattered and resulted in females patronizing their male counterparts in courtship. Modern women have become more educated and successful, that education and awareness has empowered women resulting in displacing men from their gendered position in society. The emergent trend of educated women out-earning their partners has led to changes in social perceptions and household roles. It has gradually shifted the institutionalized and privileged status of males in society. If women become the breadwinners, the domestic order shifts automatically to men because there is not any other option and this can give both men and women a sense of purpose and identity. Alongside the empowerment of women, the emasculation of men redefines the masculinity and femininity which has determined the gender activities of society. Men, who have become domestic, have redefined the masculinity by entitling them as providers who provides not only economically but also emotionally and logistically. The traditional notion of masculinity of a father has been limited to begetting protecting and providing for children. The difference between what is masculine and what is feminine is what is determined by the gender roles adopted by both the genders. However, by bearing the role of childrearing and household chores, the masculinity of males comes into question that results in confusion in the individual males social identity. As a result, unemployed husbands preserve their masculinity by claiming that they are still provider if not economically but emotionally as they spend more time with their children than their own fathers. (Liza Mundy, 2011) Deccan Herald (2012) conducted a research to study the effects of massive social changes on gender relations. The study has found that men today want babies and commitment, while women are more likely to want independence in their relationships. The study was conducted on over 5,000 American adults and the results revealed that more than half of the single men wanted to have children as compared to just 46 percent of women. The results showed the effects of the growing gender role reversal. History of Gender Roles Reversal The gender ideologies have changed since 1970s. Women became aware of their rights and emancipation with the emergence of feminist movement in 1970s. In 1960, 19 percent of married women with young children were in the paid labour force (U.S. bureau of the Census 1999). By 1998, the ratio of working women was up to 64 percent. This movement of mothers into the work places in the time span of 40 years left a profound effect on the attitudes towards the working women in the public and private spheres. The most of the American men approved and expected their wives to be active in working outside homes as the paid labour force. At the same time the provider role ideology continued to have great effects on males and females. The modern men and women are more receptive for women participation in working places than they were in 1970s. The nostalgia for breadwinner/homemaker family can still be found but more in men than women. Although some men resent the constricted definition of masculin ity that narrows their role as economic providers, they stick to their roles as emotional providers among their children. (Teresa Ciabattari, n.d.) A minority of U.S men resisted changes in womens roles that could result as harmful for children and family life. These rapid changes in the roles of women have resulted in the widening gap between mens and womens attitudes. There is a larger gender difference in attitudes than it was 25 years before. (Teresa Ciabattari, n.d.) Reversal of Gender Roles in Pakistan Gender roles have not been altogether revolutionized in Pakistan but have still been treading the way to transform. The contemporary socio-political and economic conditions in Pakistan are restrained in the paradigm of patriarchy and capitalism. The envoys of women rights movements have been shouting out loud the revolution in the gender roles that has resulted in women working in every field of life. Women have come out of their spheres at home to take part in the tread of progress but they have instigated some initial stages yet and have a long way to trek on. (Pak Tea House, 2012) The women of Pakistan had confronted great challenges in the early 1990s such as increasing practical literacy, gaining access to employment opportunities at all levels in the economy. This development promoted a change in perception about womens roles in society. Women status in society gained public voices from within and outside the political process. The twentieth century has seen various attempts to bring social and legal reforms to improve the Muslim womens lives in the subcontinent. Islam has played very important role to develop the rights of women since partition. Muslim reformers in the nineteenth century introduced women education to ease some of the restraints on womens activities to ensure womens rights under Islamic law. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan organizes the Mohammedan Educational Conference in the 1870s to endorse modern education for Muslims, and he founded the Muhammadan Anglo- Oriental College. Many of the early proponents of education improved the status of women education by initiating cooking and sewing classes initially in a religious framework to advance women knowledge and skills. Still the literacy rate was very low as in 1921, there were only four out of every 1,000 Muslim females were literate. (countrystudies.com, n.d.) Different organizations have been developed for the betterment of womens rights. The Gender and Development (GAD) was introduced as a replacement to the Women in Development (WID) approach. Both organizations aspire to construct the gender equality and tackle the subordination of women in the home and in the public sphere. WID was established in the late-1970s, when it was acknowledged that women were left at the sideline in the process of development and progress of country. WID tended to examine women in isolation while GAD developed the female gender roles maintained by many facets of society, community, economy and not least of all, men. Gad aims to empower women to increase women self esteem, to encourage women organizations. (Jenny Mason, 2009). GAD challenges the social norms which dictate the women subordinate position to men. The educational gender gap in Pakistan is the result of the specific historical, political and cultural forces. (Jafar, 2002) The movement for independence from the British colonization in 1947 was very significant for women who challenged their traditional, domestic gender roles in the male patriarchal society to actively participate in the fight for common Muslim rights. (Jafar, 2002) During the period from independence to the beginning of Zia ul-Haqs rule in 1977, there was a coalition between the womens movement and the state with a common goal to create a modern Pakistan by equalizing womens rights: by granting them government jobs and increasing educational rights for women. (Jenny Mason, 2009) In 1977, General Zial ul-Haq overthrew the government of Zulfiqar Bhuto thinking it to be un-Islamic and aspired for Pakistan to return to Islam. General Zia ul-Haq emphasized the dichotomy of Islam versus the West. This Islamization approach appealed many anti-colonialists and nationalists who supported patriarchy in the country. They accentuated the symbol of Pakistani women as traditional and a symbol of honour for their male partners. Women were taken as ideological boundary makers between Muslims and the western World. (Jafar, 2002) These laws and norms moved women to the private sphere and those who continued to work in the public sphere were portrayed as the symbols of moral decay. In spite of Zias efforts to restrict womens liberty in the public sphere, the womens movement in Pakistan continued to develop during his rule. The Womens Action Forum (WAF) was established in 1981, which fought for the policies created by Zia and their promotion gained international attention which placed a negative pressure on Zias government which helped to avert the further discrimination of womens rights. After the suspicious death of Zia in 1988, Benazir Bhutto, the daughter of Ali Bhutto, was elected as the first female Prime Minister of Pakistan which was a big step towards the growth of women in Pakistan. (Jenny Mason, 2009) Although today womens rights movements and organizations are active in fighting for gender equality, only few are willing to touch the family traditions and honour. Others tend to remain traditional when it comes to the family honour and name. Islam as well as Pakistans constitution has dictated equal rights for man and woman but the society greatly violates women rights. Despite all these violations, Pakistani women have elevated their status in society with the help of some organizations, enlightened groups and government. It has happened just because of the increase in awareness of girls education Now in Pakistan women are working everywhere as in schools, colleges, universities, offices, factories, hospitals etc. they are students, workers, teachers, doctors, nurses and pilots. Pakistani women have proved to do whatever they are capable of despite all the hardships they face in society. These working women are seeding a silent revolution in Pakistan. A silent social revolution has seeped in with rising number of women joining the workforce and moving up the corporate ladder in Pakistan. (Fehmina Arshad, n.d.) They are doing everything from pumping gasoline and serving burgers at McDonalds to running major corporations. Women now hold 78 of the 342 seats in the National Assembly. The cultural norms regarding the women in the workforce have been changed. Despite all the enlightenment and development regarding the rights of women and their being in the workforce, the society has still been captured into the old shackles of conservatism and the working women have to face criticism and condemnation from some for being bold enough to stand up for their rights. Working women are always blamed for being poor mothers and condemned to bring a bad name on the honour of the family in Pakistan. (Fehmina Arshad, n.d.) Despite women taking earning responsibilities, men do not take any attention about household chores. Women have to bear outside as well as inside home responsibilities. Pakistani Television Dramas (History) The Pakistan Television Corporation or PTV is Pakistans first national television broadcaster. PTV transmitted its first live program on November 26, 1964, in Lahore. Pakistan started its broadcasting from a small pilot TV Station which was established at Lahore from where first transmission was beamed in Black and White with effect. Television centres were established in Karachi and Rawalpindi/Islamabad in 1967 and in Peshawar and Quetta in 1974. (Rafay Mehmood, 2011) Pakistani media has played a foremost job in programming many unforgettable Pakistan classical dramas which inspired the generations in the past history. PTV started the tendency of making classic dramas with the help of intellectual writers, powerful direction, and multitalented actors.(Anum saulat, 2010) The decades of 1970s, 1980s and 1990s have seen the tremendous success of dramas and telefilms in the Indian Subcontinent. There was only one TV channel, PTV, at that time which had touched the peak of success in drama making. PTV telecasted many popular dramas like dhoop Kinary, ankahi, tanhayian and dhuan. The whole concept behind telecasting such dramas is to present a well prepared family drama with a strong script to provide a clean environment. The credit of such classic dramas goes to the brilliant story writers like Haseena Moen, Seema Ghazal, Ashfaq Ahmad etc. Their stories mirrored the heart touching issues of society. This was the magnificent time for Pakistani classic dramas which won many national as well as international awards. (Anum Saulat, 2010) The most famous drama serials of this time include Khuda Ki Basti, Unkahi, Tanhaiyaan, Akhri Chatan, Zair Zabar, Aangan Terha, Fifty Fifty, Studio Dhai (2-1/2), Studio Ponay Teen (2-3/4), Andehra Ujala, Sona Chandi, Uncle Urf i, Taleem-e-Baalighan, Alif Noon, Waaris, Dhoop Kinare, Sunehray Din, Alpha Bravo Charlie, Ana, and block buster serials like Pesh, Dhuwan, Kath Putli, Wafa Ham Nibhaein Gai, Bandhan, Kaghaz Kay Phool, Muqqdas, Bint-e-Adam, Malangi, Sawan, Sheela Bagh, Tinkay, Aisa Bhi Hota Hai bhar, rasta de zindgi, and many others. Many programs were very popular even in India. Indian streets used to become deserted when few of the most popular Pakistani TV dramas were broadcasted. Although Pakistan and India are always at daggers drawn with each other, still the dramas of PTV were very popular and still are studied in the acting academies in India. In the early 90s, the private produces entered the territory of Pakistani TV for the first time and presented some phenomenal programs such as drama serial Jaal and Kashkol, cooking shows like potluck and sitcoms including family Front and Teen Bata Teen that enthralled the viewers for a long time. Though Indian programs like CID and Ekta Kapoors Hum Panch created a small cult of their own but the local channel STN and PTV kept the countrol. Whether the field was drama , sitcom or crime stories, the 1990s gave a tough time to Indian Programming because of the quality, cultural relevance of the local dramas and because the access to the satellite channel wasnt easy In Pakistan and was considered a luxury. (Rafay Mehmood, 2011) As the sun was setting on PTVs golden era, Family Fronts Sumbal, Nusrat and Bobby; Alpha Bravo Charlies Faraz, Kashif and Gulsher; Samsung VJs Faisal Qureshi, Jawad Bashir, Ahsan Rahim, Amna Khan and Ahmad Ibrahim; Teen Bata Teens Lucy, Johnny and Shaffu became a cult icon and are still remembered for their brilliant performances to make the characters everlasting. (Shiza Nisar, 2010) There came a time starting from 2001 when Indian dramas showed on a channel, Star Plus, were immensely popular that they not only attracted the women but also children started watching them. But now Pakistani dramas once again have touched the peaks of fame. Indian dramas got famous because of the glamour and family politics shown in them. These dramas affected the Pakistani cultural norms values and traditions so badly that the living styles of the viewers became Indian and they corrupted the society as they were so unreal. They showed the unrealistic lives of industrialists, elites and landlords through glamour. In the start Pakistani dramas started copying their style but soon they turned back to their own identity with the arrival of new competitive private producers in the industry. With the realization that the Indian dramas had corrupted the society, these drama makers extinguished the Indian elements from the productions to follow their old trends of limited episodes and powerful story line. Many writers started writing many powerful stories for different TV channels like Geo, Hum TV, PTV, ARY digital. (Anam Saulat, 2010) Now a day, expression in media has resulted in a lot of channels and variety of Pakistani dramas for the viewers and every channel is now struggling hard to provide the audience with the best dramas ever. This competition has aggravated them to make good serials which reflect and mirror the true picture of Pakistani culture and traditions. Because of this sudden revival of Pakistani dramas, the audience loves the new dramas very much. (Shiza Nisar, 2010) The modern dramas that have gained popularity are meri zaat zarraye be-nishan Ainee ki aygi barat series on Geo and , nur pur ki rani malaal wasal nur bano ,qaide e tanhai, ,humsafar and many others on Hum TV. These dramas are realistic with powerful direction and script. They mirror the societal issues that actually exist in the society. Moreover, dramas like wasal, ishk junoon deewangi doraha and malaal focus on the problems that are faced in a marriage because of modernity and reversal of gender roles. These problems do prevail these days. The reason why the ratio of divorces has increased is well depicted in these dramas. People should be well aware of the bitter realities that prevail in society. (Anum Saulat, 2010) Reversal of Gender Roles in Pakistani Dramas The electronic media in Pakistan has become an avenue for women to be seen shoulder-to-shoulder with men where they can work as diligently as they can to be an active part of the society. However, the role of women in our media seems to be heading in a direction where only their looks and attractiveness can be rewarded. (Zirgham Nabi Afridi, 2010) Most of these dramas revolve around the family, especially women, often as independent individuals and most often as mothers, sisters and wives. The majority of Pakistani dramas today are a strange mix of progress and retreat. Some of the serials hold a few liberal, progressive and gender-sensitive messages, most of them emphasize patriarchal values existed in society. The Pakistani dramas reflect two main streams to depict the gender roles. One is to portray women as dependent on their male partners in a male patriarchal society. Women are shown being brutalized by men, slapped, beaten up, disgraced and ill-treated and men are depicted as the decision makers of the family, who simply dictate women what to do and what not to do. The other stream is to show the women indulged in working shoulder to shoulder with men to be an active participant in the progress of society. They are well aware of their rights and can stand for their liberties if ill-treated but the working women are also portrayed negatively who are the main source for a home breakup. It is rather difficult for the general viewing public to understand the contradictory messages lying within the modern day drama. Working women are depicted as strong and independent, yet also negatively portrayed as cunning (In Durr-e-Shawar the male lead, Haider, laments the fact that his wife, Shandana, is a working woman). (Tasneem Ahmar, 2012) Television dramas can be considered as important tool to propagate gender equality. The dramas depicting equality of gender roles do not expose the overt victimization of women in them. Female characters in these serial are strong, independent and intelligent. How women are portrayed on TV is linked to the prevalent trends set by the management of entertainment television channels. The women who have reached the top in management struggle to change the prevailing trends. They act like new trend setters. Sultana Siddiqui, for example, established a policy that no woman will be slapped in the dramas aired on the TV channel she heads. Moneeza Hashmi, as managing director of the state-run television in Lahore, supported extensive programming intended to guarantee the womens rights and gender equality. After she left, the policy unfortunately seems to have disappeared. (Bushra S, 2012)