International Relations: Western Centric Discipline

International Relations: Western Centric Discipline In examining whether IR is a Western centric discipline, this essay will firstly look into the significance of the fact that its central thinkers have resided historically in Western countries. It argues that this has an effect on the issues considered relevant to IR, while it also means that IR theory is grounded in a cultural and intellectual context that aggrandises the West, and Others the Third World. The essay secondly looks at the key ideas of Realism and Liberalism (the dominant traditions in the field) in all their forms, and explains how they derive from Western-centric presumptions. It thirdly examines the inherent Western-centrism of the Westphalian model in traditional IR. The majority of IR scholars have come from core countries. Third World scholars have largely been excluded because research and debate take place in specialist journals and academic associations, in English and in a particular language of IR. Financial scarcity in Southern academic institutions also affects Third World scholars ability to participate (Tickner, 2003, pp. 296-301, 311, 324). This has an effect on the discipline overall as scholars are inevitably influenced by their surroundings, both in terms of their distinct academic settings making them subject to particular frameworks and terminologies and their concrete working conditions. A scholar who every day witnesses phenomena such as poverty or war will undoubtedly reflect differently upon reality and prioritise different issues in their research agendas than a scholar in the core. The latters material benefits as well as autonomy accorded by tenure can serve to separate them from the worlds critical problems, enabling th em in conjunction with other academics to artificially construct boundaries to the field through self-referential interaction, and to ignore analytical categories and perspectives that do not sit with their worldviews. This can account for the marginalisation of the Third World in the study in IR (Tickner, 2003, pp. 300-311). Additionally, these Western IR scholars are writing against a cultural backdrop that is Western-centric. It is often implicitly assumed that world politics happens exclusively in the Northern hemisphere and the history regarded as important and relevant in popular discourse reflects this. For example the Holocaust takes a central position in Western historiography while colonial genocides, a routine feature of European expansion, are largely overlooked (Barkawi, 2006, pp. 334-343; Tickner, 2003, p. 307). This is interlinked with the popular and intellectual conception of the (particularly Anglo-American) West as a force for good in the world. WWII for instance is often portrayed as a battle of freedom against tyranny, in which the former supposedly came out victorious. This ignores that the principle of self-determination outlined in the Atlantic Charter was only intended by Western leaders to apply to Europeans; the Allies were fighting the war in the far East largely for control o ver China, and the British only granted India independence because of their realisation that it could no longer be held militarily (Barkawi, 2006, pp. 339-343). There are many examples of such double standards, which are symptomatic of the degrading view of the Orient (I use it here to mean the wider Third World) commonly held in the West (Said, 2003, pp. 1-12). This view was implicit within the writings of early progressive and cosmopolitan thinkers, upon which much modern thinking is based. Kant, despite one of the three major revolutions of his time being the Haitian struggle against slavery, omitted the aspiration of slaves for freedom from three major treatises on love for humanity, while Locke went as far as to justify the colonial seizing of land from Indians. The moral frameworks set out by such thinkers have sinister implications for the social institutions they inspired. If, for instance, Kants theories of international order were not really designed to foster peaceful coe xistence, then Liberal institutionalism becomes highly suspect. Axiomatic categories of international ethics and society are therefore to an extent rooted in concepts pertaining to imperialist and colonial perspectives (Grovogui, 2007, pp. 234-235; Locke, 1764, no page given). As a result the Orient has been defined in Western discourse by what it supposedly lacks rationality, development, and civilisation in contrast with the West. The construction of this dichotomy between the West and Others serves to falsely homogenise different regions, cultures, and histories analytically, thereby masking the complex nature of international reality and preventing nuanced analyses of phenomena in the Third World. This arrogant and narrow view can be seen for example in mainstream Western explanations for violence in periphery states, which is said to derive from a lack of modern Western institutions (Barkawi, 2006, pp. 336-347; Tickner, 2003, pp. 311-315). These public attitudes have indubita bly filtered into academia, and so claims to neutrality and objectivity among Western scholars are inevitably false, serving only to mask intellectual presumptuousness and sympathies with the powerful, imperialist core (Agathangelou and Ling, 2004, p. 36; Barkawi, 2006, p. 344; Grovogui, 2007, pp. 232-237). Western-centrism can clearly be identified in the Liberal and Realist traditions of IR. Liberalism is informed by ethical principles, giving it a normative agenda based on fostering peace and cooperation for mutual gain through international institutions. Yet these ethical principles are a product of Western intellectual histories, while the institutions at the core of their analyses, such as the UN, were founded, and are dominated, by Western powers (Barkawi, 2006, p. 331; Jervis, 1999, pp. 43-63; Powell, 1994, pp. 335-344). It can thus be said that Liberalism serves to rationalise Western hegemony by institutionalising and universalising Western laws, rules and ideas (Agathangelou, 2004, p. 31; Grovogui, 2007, pp. 235-236). Further than this however, these institutions can validly be accused of working in the interests of the West at the expense of the rest of the world. The League of Nations and limited government for instance were two institutions that served to uphold the inters tate commercial system. Liberals claim that this leads to corporate growth, which in turn generates prosperity. However, this ignores the pertinent criticism that it in fact may lead to prosperity solely for Western countries, thereby rendering the Third World economically dependent on an increasingly hegemonic Western order (Agathangelou, 2004, pp. 24-25; Tickner, 2003, p. 306). Realism on the other hand is Western-centric by open admission. It regards Great powers as the most important objects of study because it claims that in an anarchical international system only they can account for change; and in modern times they have been concentrated in the West. The actions of the weak are regarded as marginal or derivative of those of the powerful (Agathangelou, 2004, p. 27; Barkawi, 2006, pp. 329-334; Tickner, 2003, pp. 300-301). Such an outlook however comes from an implicit prioritising of the security needs of the strong. Suggesting that only the Great powers have real agency means the weak, which make up the majority of the worlds population, are left out of the analysis altogether, and therefore their experiences and problems are disregarded. Furthermore, the strong do what they will while the weak do what they must attitude rationalises and justifies Western attempts to dominate other countries, while also ignoring the fact that modern Southern movements do have the ability to fundamentally change world politics as is shown by Al-Qaeda and 9/11 (Agathangelou, 2004, p. 24; Barkawi, 2006, pp. 329-334, 352; Grovogui, 2007, p. 244; Tickner, 2003, p. 300). Traditional IR is intrinsically Western-centric. Its scope is everything that goes on between sovereign states which are regarded as the primary actors to be analysed as opposed to within states. States being the basic units of analysis means that the international arena is regarded as anarchic; containing no supreme body above the state level. This idea is known as the Westphalian model (Barkawi, 2002, pp. 111-112; Tickner, 2003, pp. 299, 309). Yet the condition of international anarchy posited is one that only applies in some contexts. Weaker countries are in practice subordinate to more powerful Western countries; making the international system effectively hierarchical. It can only be seen as otherwise from the eyes of those competing for control of it (Tickner, 2003, p. 309). This Westphalian model relies also on an idea of sovereign statehood which is applicable only to particular times and places mainly the West (Barkawi, 2002, p. 110). In Africa for instance state borders are mostly artificial boundaries drawn up by the old colonial powers, with each national territory containing a variety of social, linguistic, ethnic and religious groups. Accepting the state as the foundation for analysis is the same as acknowledging the legitimacy of colonial territoriality and the institutional expression of colonialism. It also ignores the fact that many states in Africa have been usurped of many of their functions by other bodies, such as armed militias, organic nationalist movements, and international businesses, making them not the central political actors in the region (Grovogui, 2007, p. 236; Tickner, 2003, pp. 315-316). Traditional IR ignores the relevance of community for study, as well as the relations between local political and cultural groups, and therefore the constitution of states. It cannot comprehend, and therefore dismisses, the complex societal interactions that take place in the Third World (Barkawi, 2002, pp. 111-112; Tickner, 2003, pp. 309-3 10, 323). IR scholarship in recent years has attempted to overcome Western-centrism. Dependency theories for instance strove to break Third World economic and intellectual dependence on the core. Later Postpositivist theories acknowledged the artificiality of the disciplines borders and the narrowness of its discourses. However these theories have shown limited success in this regard because they are all based on Western intellectual traditions and analytical frameworks (Agathangelou, 2004, p. 28; Tickner, 2003, pp. 306, 324). It is apparent that IR is a Western-centric discipline. The fact that the vast majority of its scholars hail from the West has an inevitable distorting effect on academic study, in terms of: the issues considered important, the actors given attention, and the categories of Self and Others. These distortions all ultimately derive from Western intellectual tradition and popular and political discourse, which form the basis of the writers understandings and worldviews. There have been attempts in recent years to overcome these problems, but so long as the field of IR continues to be dominated by Westerners and excludes those born and raised in the Third World, it will remain Western-centric. Government Accountability: Child Labour Government Accountability: Child Labour INTRODUCTION: In this topic I have focussed on the Child labour problem in worst form in India, in India though Child Rights recognised and even many legislations passed to deal with the children rights but the children rights are continuously in one or other form violated. The topic try to expose abuse of children rights of those children who are working in hazardous work places like mines, firework industries and other informal (registered or unregistered small mines and quarries) and other sectors. In this topic I tried focus on the worst situation that children facing in the above sectors that the magnitude of the problem and conditions of the children are disclosed. The topic further discussed the role of the Government and Non Governmental Organisations eradicating this social disorder. India continuously facing the child labour problem, in India child labour is a socio, economic and political problem. As a developing nation India facing this problem and it is hampering the growth of the nation in many ways. Indias one of the main goals is to put end to child labour. There is a huge exploitation in the marginalised groups in other terms poor among poor is more or less vulnerable sections. And if we talk about child they are more vulnerable, childhood of these exploited sections are wiped, these tender buds are muscled to take burden of unwanted. Childs are many ways are exploiting like child trafficking, child prostitution, and child labour and child slavery. India is the example for the child labour curse. Since independence, India has dedicated itself to be against child labour. Article 24 of the Indian constitution clearly states, No child below the age of fourteen years shall be employed to work in any factory or mine or employed in any hazardous employment  [ 1]  . Article 39(e) directs State policy such that the health and strength of the workers and the tender age of children are not forced by economic necessity to enter avocations unsuited to their age or strength  [2]  . These two Articles illustrates that India has constantly had goals of taking concern of its children and ensuring the protection of workers. In regard to child labour the Indian government enacted the Child Labour Act in 1986. The purpose of this act is to prohibit the employment of children who have not completed their 14th year in specified hazardous occupations and processes  [3]  . Children life is miserable under fourteen who has to earn for their families and they have to work with great pain for little amount. Poverty and illiteracy are main causes in these segregated sections causing exploitation. Families who are below poverty line do not have think about the any other issue of the society rather to how the day will go on every day. The governments have taken measures but they are lacking in implementation, there is a huge resentment in the civil society the application levels are very low in developing countries and they always try to escape in one or other ways give their accountability to international Agencies. India as signatory of international covenants trying to strengthen to its local and national laws to eradicate the problem. India is signatory to ILO forced labour convention, ILO abolition of forced labour convention and UN convention of the right of the child. As per the International labour organisation report 12.6 million  [4]  children are working in different sectors in India as per the census data on the child labour. NGOs and other social activist working remarkably to bring awareness in the society. Many activities holding awareness programmes in the society trying pull out the society from the plague of child labour. Judiciary also taking very stringent stand over the child labour issues. International covenant on convention on rights of the child recognises that children should be having special care and assistance to grow. Not only is that committee on the rights of the child the body of experts who monitors the implementation of convention by the state parties. The child must be spruced well in the decisive years of his life. He must receive education, acquire knowledge of man and materials and blossom in such an atmosphere that on reaching age, he is found to be a man with a mission, a man who matters so for as the society is concerned. The child rights violated in the form of child slavery or bonded labour, child trafficking, child prostitution and pornography, child soldiers, domestic child servants, hazardous child labour. As the topic mainly dealing with child labour, the children are exploiting as labour in mainly following categories field of work cultivation; agricultural labour; livestock, forestry, fishing, plantation; mining and quarrying; manufacturing, processing, servicing and repairs; construction; trade and commerce; transport, storage, and communication; and other services. Not only the above categories children used as labour, children are used to manufacturing explosives like making matches, crackers, gem polishing, paper bag making, manufacturing sport goods, handicrafts, carpet weaving, gas stations, silk cultivation, glass and brass manufacturing, leather tanning etc, these are the examples of worst form of child labouring these all are some examples that we can understand that in many forms chi ld can be abused and his rights are violated in everyday life. The topic mainly enlightening on child labour who works in mining and quarrying and Agriculture sectors in hazardous and other informal industries. Historical background of child labour laws in India: Before discussing further lets summarise the child labour laws and change in the course of developing nation. Any child under the age specified by law worldwide works full time, mentally or physically to earn for own survival or adding to family income, that interrupts childs social development and education is called child labour. After set up of the International Labour Organisation, in 1919 under the League of Nations there is clear consciousness to set up international guidelines by which the employment of children under a certain age could be regulated in industrial undertakings. And suggested a minimum age of 12 be to work. British India adopted the same Sir Thomas Holland had introduced in the legislative assembly. Though there were many furores by the members, it is the starting of the recognition of child care at work. We can say that the International Labour Organisation is playing a vital role in eradicating the child labour from industrial exploitation. A Royal Commission on Labour came to be established in 1929 to inquire into various matters relating to labour in this country. The report came to be finalised in 1931. It brought to light many inequities and shocking conditions under which children worked. The Commission had examined to conditions of child labour in different industries and had found that children had been obliged to work any number of hours per day as required by their masters. It was also found that they were subject to corporal punishment. The Commission had felt great concern at the placing of children by parents to employers in return for small sums of money; and as this system was found to be indefensible it recommended that any bond placing a child should be regarded as void. The recommendations of the Commission came to be discussed in the Legislative Assembly and the Children (Pleading of Labour) Act, 1933 came to be passed, which may be said to be the first statutory enactment dealing with child labour. Many statutes came to be passed thereafter. As on today, the following legislative enactments are in force prohibiting through various provisions of employment of child labours in different occupations. Factories Act, 1948 prohibit that no child under the age 14 allowed to work in factories. Plantation of Labour Act, 1951 prohibits children under the age 12 in the field of plantation. Merchant shipping Act, 1951 disallows who under age fifteen to carried or engaged to sea to work in any ship though there are some exemptions for who carrying family business and home trade with some restrictions. Mines Act, 1952 in this act prohibits any child to take part in any mining operations; there is total ban on child to take work in the mines in below the grounds or in open cast work. Motor Transport workers Act, 1961 bars no child be allowed to take any work in motor transport undertakings. Apprentice Act, 1961 prescribes the qualification to become apprentice that person shall not qualify unless he crosses the age fourteen. Beedi and Cigar Workers (Conditions of Employment) Act, 1966 prohibits of employment in the concerned industries. Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986. (A ct 61 of 1986). These regulations clearly show that legislatives have firmly considered necessary prohibition on Child labour. Though strong legislations in India there are many loopholes and ineffective administration authorities who splitting the wound continuously. Children rights are open to abuse in social, economic and political background of the society. Worst form of child labour some Illustrations: In many industries have been in the process of exploitation like match and firework industries, glass and bangle industries, stone quarrying industries etc., There are no registration industries who dealing with these kind of work in such places high hazardous situations where children were to take work quarries cutting stones brushing them loading and unloading not even shelters to take rest in all the seasons they have to work for more than 6 to 8 hours daily for meagre amount. Many diseases they have to face like bronchitis, lung and respiratory problems. The children are, as bonded labours have to work for little money or for sake of their family earnings. Child labour mostly exploited by informal industries like small mining and quarrying industries, here the large range of work activities and practices take place, like excavating, cutting, panning, processing, breaking, blending, carrying, transporting and marketing. Here one illustration is important to give that how the child workers are working and how they are in miserable conditions. That is in Sivakasi, Tamilnadu state, India it is known as home of Match and firework industries. The region is mostly located with these industries. There are around more than 450 match and firework manufacturers are located. But the exact number of child workers in this industry is difficult to work, but as per the official report Office of the Registrar General, District Profile 1991- Tamil Nadu (1991) more than thirty thousand child between ages six to fourteen in these manufacturing units  [5]  . But some other sources and social activists opine the number is much more than the statistics r eport. Children had had to work in dangerous and hazardous units many Non Governmental Organisations, media, and labour unions continuously drawing attention of the same to government and Merchant association. But their efforts put in to vain in many ways due to negligible administrative authorities, under the power politics of Merchants association. Due to fire accidents in these industries damage is very horrible; in reported news in one accident 23 children were born alive. There are many shivering and terrified incidents took place in these mining industries. Human right activist and Advocate Sri M.C. Mehta filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court of India vide W.P.465/1986  [6]  the Supreme court said that this is the example of worst offender who violating the prohibition of employing child in hazardous industries. Court constituted a committee for analyse and recommendations after considering the recommendations of the committee court directed that employment of childre n in match and firework factories is shall not be permitted. Children who are working in hazardous employment is violated the spirit of the constitution. The Supreme Court directed that the children employed in the match factories for packing purposes must work in separate premises for packing. Employers should not be permitted to take work from the children for more than six hours a day. The employers and State Govt. should provide proper transport facilities for travelling of the children from their homes to their work places and back. Facilities for recreation, socialisation and education should be provided either in the factory or close to the factory. Employers should make arrangements for providing basic diets for the children and in case they fail to do so, the Government may be directed to provide for basic diet one meal a day programme of the State of Tamilnadu for school children may be extended to the child worker. A National Commission for childrens welfare should be se t up to prepare a scheme for child labour abolition in a phased manner. Such a Commission should be to this Honble Court directly and should report to this Honble Court at periodical intervals about the progress. The court decision quite surprising one many other issues that not dealt in this case when there is clear prohibition court try to segregate work in to two different sectors like packaging and processing and working child allowed to packaging section difficult to understand the court view. The most difficult side of these decisions is that they did not afford relief for children employed outside of the enumerated hazardous industries But it show that how the miserable situations the child worker face reflects. The root cause is very simple but very strong one extreme poor condition of the families of those children, more than 75 percentage families eking their livelihood in those groups of society. These people exposed to extreme hazardous conditions no adequate measurements will take place even the prescribed laws are there. Violations are common, health conditions of the children are neglected every minute and day. Though there are many issues have to deal this is the first step towards protection of the child labour rights. This is only one situation where brought in to light where in many other industries like mines, quarrying, glass and bangle etc like many informal industries means non registered industries, are exploiting the childhood of the nation which is intolerable. In quarrying industries child labour situation is unjustifiable and inhuman small children between age 6 to 14 who are working where there is no monitoring and census record shows of their exploitation but it is true that they are openly curbing the child rights every day. Child labour in the quarrying industries works for more than 10 hours a day they are used to cut the stones in different sizes, load and unload the stones. Children are illegally forced to mining works, the mining contractors engage them in digging, breaking stones, filtering, load and unload, dumping, transporting, and processing activities. In iron ore mining child labour used to make a basin of iron ore child has to hammer and fill one basin of ore hardly he earns three pence in a day a child makes 5 to t basin of iron ore earning below 50 pence a day. Every iron basin the child filled up tells the story the magnitude of the problem that they are facing. In these industries very less or no safety equipments and no prescribed pay system even. In the working areas are always open to susceptible to accidents, injuries, and chronic mining leads to severe health problems. Children who engaged in granite industries faces the similar problem they used for collecting kerosene from mine tailing and in the washer pits from their bare hands handling toxic waste. In other hand the contractors, mine owners, traders and all other merchandisers escaping from the accountability easily though they are blatantly violating the child labour laws. The shift to privatisation and open market economy after Indias new economic policies has led to pushing women and children into the informal labour force, especially in sectors like mining where deregulation of laws for attracting foreign direct investment and private investments have led to mechanisation and retrenchment of workers and have diluted the legal protections towards labourers and marginalized sections. This calls for urgent investigation of all the mine s in the country. Hospet-Bellary mining industry in Karnataka is the example of such conditions 3 big mines ranging over 83 hectors, and 6 big mines in bellary regions and 37 other mines spread over the region. These mines excavate iron ore, manganese, gold, quartz, granite and decorative stones. Fact finding team who reported about the child labour violations is shocking shameful to the nation. In these mines Activity takes place with drawing out the ore, breaking the raw ore rocks into small stones and shingles and into fine powder. The mining area has vast extraction site stretching in acres. These areas consist of extraction sites, stone crushing units, stockyards, dump yards, weighing and permit yards, motor vehicle yards, and wagon laoding points across the railway line. These mines in Bellary district are on the hills stretching almost 180 km. The labour that works are migrant workers and mostly form Scheduled cast (Dalits) and tribes these poor labour were engaged by middle persons to work in the mines. In these mines to work the whole family of the poor labour migrates and whole family except old live at work place and work in the mines. In the work area again child labour divided girl labour work with women in breaking the ore into stones. When a heap of lumps is gathered girl children take them to process sieving the lump into iron ore powder. If a boy labour then he goes with men digging and loading and unloading work. And the wages depends on the child labour capability. In these mining areas labour are mostly woman and children more than half of the labour these sections only works. This situation is not only the iron ore mines, in the District Bellary and Hose pet and its surrounding areas children are engaged in granite mines. In these mines kerosene is used to cut the granite and children are used to constrict and strain kerosene tanks and children have to spend hours together dipped their waist in the kerosene tanks. How bizarre to hear and h azardous but this is the daily routine life for them who working in the granite mines in Hosepet, Bellary, Karnataka. From the surround villages of these mines children brought to work, some go to school and some dont, some children who are the sole earners for their families who used to work in the mines. Children are usually got in to expose to accidents and health problems apart from that the children are at high risk to trafficking and sexual harassment. Usually the mines are open cast form and children labour have to work open without any shelter whatever the weather may be, they do not use any safety equipments, even no drinking water facilities available all the labour have to walk a stretch of 2 to 5 kms. No toilets are provided woman and young children has to do their natural calls openly in humiliation conditions. Conditions in the mines are so pathetic, even after the work to wash or bath there is no water facility, and more over labour have to eat with their dirty hands, though the open site dust falls in their vessels. The mine sites are with full of mosquitoes and insects where the children and woman stay and live. Due contaminated and polluted atmosphere children and people who working in the mines usually get sick, while due to meagre amount of wages labour reluctant to go for medication, due to this mining labour developing chronic illness like tuberculosis, siliceous, cancer, respiratory problems and other disorders they are effecting from. These labour work as casual labours and as a curse they cannot use public health services, and they have to go private doctors treatment, and there wages go for medicines and only for temporary relief. These are the merciful conditions of the child labour in the mines industries, traders, owners of these mines very rarely respond on any severe issues raised on. Children rights are apparently abusing by these industries with no accountability and irresponsible authorities helpless with inadequate infrastruc ture. Many social activists and NGOs like HAQ  [7]  (means right in Urdu) ( centre for child rights), Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save the child movement)  [8]  organisations, M.V. Foundation a voluntary organisation, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, reacted and have taken some initiations to bring out the truth of the child labour conditions in these mines, and submitted report to Karnataka government, acting upon the report Government of Karnataka appointed high level of committee for recommendations. My main concern about the child labour and abuse of their rights, though there are many Acts and regulations land Apex court directions regarding the Child labour, like Mines Act, 1952 prohibits totally children to take any form of work who are below fourteen years. Who are to be blamed for the cycle of exploitation of women and child labour the society, the government, implementation body, parents, judiciary, traders, media we have to move forward in the civilisation society, we have to take collective responsibility, and try to correct every part of the section of society and with the cooperation with each of the institution we have to up lift the children rights. Its now nations duty to eradicate child labour abuses in all forms the above are only the worst form of abuse the child labour rights. In many other organised and unorganised, formal and informal, registered and unregistered industries these rights of children are violated every day. Agriculture sector is where child rights abused extensively, Agriculture is the main source in Indian economy, and in this field child labour is in the form of boned labour. Bonded labour in the farm sector arise when people who do not have any source of land to cultivate or those tenant farmers or small farmers takes loan from the landlords or other sources in return they offer their labour else their children as bonded labour until paid off. Who are considered to be in training to become adult bonded labourers, graze cattle and assist bonded adults. This system is widespread throughout the central India and south India. Bonded children are sometimes subjected to physical punishment and suffer from a high incidence of severe malnutrition, vitamin deficiency, anaemia, tuberculosis, and skin and parasitic diseases. They have no time for either leisure or education over 90 percent of bonded labourers in India, many of whom became bonded as children, have never had the opportunity to g o to school. Children working in Zari (embroidery work on dresses) Industries in Delhi, Delhi as National capital it are destination and transit point for the traffickers. Children from the different places from other States trafficked here for exploitation, they are converted as sex workers or labour in domestic works and zari industries. Fashion and export make Delhi an important business hub. Due to demand of the work contractors engage children as cheap labour to get more marginal benefit. Traffickers lure poor families promising for good earning to send children. Nearby villages people send their children for work attracting by agents. Children are forced to work long hours as up to 20 hours a stretch despite the consequences of their age and ability and of course with total ignoring of their physical and mental requirements. If they refuse to work they were beaten up badly. While working in the embroidery children every so often cut their fingers very badly. They have to work in confined ro oms, and at last children paid only 30 rupees a week (around 40 pence). And some children are trafficked to brick kilns where they have to work with adults making bricks. The families who effected with trafficking are mostly Muslim minorities. Social activists and child right defenders many times rescued these children but many times these children are re-trafficked. Developing countries always struggle with inadequate economic growth; child labour is one of the results due to inadequate economic growth. In one sense economic development, poverty and child labour are interlinked with each other. As a developing country child labour problem haunting India but this problem is not much is to eradicate in concern with economic growth policies. India must do more to combat child labour, primarily if the causes of child labour include caste discrimination, little or no educational opportunities for Young people and misconceptions about childrens work. Children working in the hidden sectors, particularly those in domestic work and prostitution, have become vulnerable to sexual abuse. This makes them more susceptible to unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS  [9]  . Active participation Cooperation of NGOs like Bachpan Bachao Andolan (save the child), Haq centre for the right of the child, international programme of elimination of child labour(IPEC), Global march against child labour, UNICEF India, M.V. Foundation, social activists, human right activists are remarkably working towards eradication of child labour problem. Many organisations working on child rights, they are focussed mainly in the tribal and urban informal child labours, and marginalised labour. Educating not only children their families, mobilising them to understand and bring awareness on their rights, exploitation. Social organisations try to bring fact findings of like situations in light and where enforcement authorities fail to do so, even after many fact finding reports submitted to concern administrative authorities if fail to take actions, bringing the inaction of those authorities filing public interest litigation in Supreme Court of India. Government role: India as large democratic country and as member of United Nation Committed to eradicate all social evils which violates Human Rights. And as party to International covenants and one of the main member of International Labour Organisation, as developing country India has many millennium Goals. Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is an international monitoring body monitors implementation of the convention on the rights of the child by state parties. Under this convention every state party has to submit their periodical report to the committee. 53rd session of the committee of right of the child will be help in Geneva January 2010. India as a developing nation and high birth rates and population child labour problem is identified as Socio, Economic and political problem and it is linked with poverty and illiteracy inextricably. Gurupadaswamy Committee  [10]  is the first committee on child labour problem constituted in way back 1974, the committee have suggested many recomme ndations to the government. The committee rightly opined that as long as the poverty and illiteracy continues in the society it is very hard to eradicate the child labour problem. On base of the recommendations of the committee The child labour (prohibition and regulation) Act, 1986 was enacted. The Act prohibits employment of children in certain specified hazardous occupations and processes and regulates the working conditions in others. To deal with the child labour problem Government of India has taken National Child Labour Projects  [11]  these projects are the main rehabilitation schemes for the child labour. The main concept of the project is to open at district level rehabilitation centres and schools through National project societies for the child labour. In these centres make available to children with vocational training, providing supplementary nutrition and non formal education, providing health care through trained doctors. Children are withdrawn from work and main streamed to schools. With the help of international programme of elimination of child labour programme an organisation of international labour organisation the main objectives of the programme to mobilising the society and bringing the awareness in the society in the process of elimination of child labour. The Ministry of Labour, Government of India and US, Deptt. Of Labour have developed a project under ILO-IPEC for Prevention Elimination of Child Labour in identified Hazardous Sectors  [12]  . The main objectives of these projects is to identify the children who are working in hazardous employment, it also insists a detailed survey to be conducted to identify these children. The second aim is those identified children from the age group 8-14 working in hazardous employment withdrawing them from the such employment and providing them rehabilitation facilities and education. These projects not only encourage children to withdraw from employment, these projects recognise the fam ily of the dependent children and assure to provide viable income sources. These projects also insist social education and awareness programmes. In the tribal areas Government of India started Girijana Vikas Kendras and Vidya Vikas Kendras these institutions educate and mobilise them to eradicate child labour. The right of children to Free and compulsory education Act, 2009, is enacted by the parliament of India amending the constitution of India, inserting Article 21-A, providing free and compulsory education for the children off age group 6 to 14 as Fundamental Right. Not only that it provides specific reservation in private schools 25% seats for poor families, without any hassle. Conclusions: Thus child labour is still a burning problem in India and we must be ready and, more importantly, willing to combat this evil which is spreading its wings larger day by day. However, the government is trying but without the concern of the people, this problem cannot be eradicated. The recently conducted surveys are decisive that laws enforcements leaves lot to be desired. On the other hand if a child or his/her parents are unaware of the rights they are privileged with, it makes the task harder. If the family is poor and illiteracy resides in the houses, it becomes a very difficult matter, if not impossible, to eradicate this problem solely by the government itself. Therefore, if the society and the government work together hand in hand, it would be an able effort to regulate and eradicate this problem from our country and make it a better country of our dream. The Latin Maxim boni judicis est ampliare juridictionem(meaning law must keep pace with the society to retain its relevance, for if the society moves but law remains static, it shall be had for both. ) must be followed practically. Children are our assets. The common people should consider this quote and the

Media Studies †Relationship between a media genre and society Essay

On one level, dystopian films have a direct relationship with society. By their very definition, dystopian films present a negative representation of a future or alternate society. They are often mis-labeled as science fiction films because of their futuristic setting but although here are obvious similarities, their overriding artisticness is more closely united to another genre: film-noir. Stylistically, many dystopian films hark back to the darkest times in Western Society’s recent past; indirectly referringto the struggles of the depression, the oppression of totalitarian governments and the horrors of World War Two, reinvented into a fictionalized, dark future. More recently, post 9/11 fears have informed the ideas of dystopian films. Wikipedia’s definition of ‘dystopia’ clearly illustrates this connection: A dystopia is any society considered to be undesirable and is most usually used to refer to a fictional (often near-future) society where current social trends are taken to nightmarish extremes. It is the second part of this definition that is particularity relevant to this essay –Dystopian films are inseparably connected to the society in which they are created, inducing a ‘nightmarish’ future by reflecting issues, concerns, fears or values that exist in the public consciousness of that particular society. The central premise of these films is of a world gone mad, sometimes through the greed, ignorance or stupidity of man, sometimes though external influences. These dystopian worlds may be shaped my social, technological, medical, environmental, political or economic forces. Within this environment, there is (usually) an individual who realizes the flaw and tries to challenge or rectify it. Depending on the filmmaker and the viewing ‘market’, it will either end happily, with the protagonist victorious; or not. Wikipedia’s definition concludes that, â€Å"a dystopian all too closely connected to current-day society.† Three dystopian films, created in different societies at different times, all display the connection between society and genre, albeit in very different ways. These films are Fritz Lang’s Metropolis (1926), Andrew Nichol’s Gattaca (1997) and Alfonzo Cuaron’s Children of Men (2006). Metropolis is widely regarded as the first science fiction film, although it also can be seen as the blueprint for Dystopian films, Inspired by the skyline of 1920’s Manhattan, Lang created a throbbing, dystopian uber-city of the year 2000, where a decadent aristocracy thrives on the swear of laboring hoards underground. Filtered through both German Expressionism and Christian symbolism, this dark fairy tale pits man against machine, and the head against the heart. Metropolis can be easily read as a criticism of capitalism and the social and economic divisions in post WW1 Germany. Its resolution suggests a socialist solution, built on mutual respect and closer link between the ‘head’, and the ‘hands’ . An economically depressed post World War one German society, including an ambitious politician, Adolf Hitler, certainly identified this story with their own lives. Ironically, Jewish Lang’s criticism of the ranked nature of German society and how the downtrodden masses in the city of Metropolis turn quickly to violence is a visionary vision of the rise of fascism. The ideas behind Metropolis were drawn from contemporary German society, although it was Lang’s visit to New York in 1924 that inspired his city of the future. He described this first real metropolis as, â€Å"a street as if in full daylight lit by neon lights and topping them, oversized, luminous advertisements, moving, turning, flashing on and off, spiraling†¦the buildings seemed to be a vertical veil, shimmering almost weightless, a luxurious cloth hung from the dark sky to dazzle. â€Å"From this impression, Land and his designers shaped their futuristic city by blending of all the latest artistic trends, of which Germany was at the forefront: Art Deco, Surrealism and Expressionism. Here we see society’s influence on this work. Another important cinematic technological advancement was the revolutionary special effects of Eugen Schà ¼fftan, who created advanced visual displays widely acclaimed in following years. Among the effects used are miniatures of the city, a camera on a swing, and most notably, the so-called Schà ¼fftan process, the use of models and mirrors to create the illusion of varying scale, later also used by men such as Peter Jackson in his Lord of the Rings trilogy. The scene where Rotwang creates the robot Hel in Maria’s likeness still amazes as a masterpiece of special effects, as well as commenting on the possible negative effects of technology when placed in the wrong hands. Mid to early 20th century Dystopian fiction/films were largely concerned with totalitarian governments, faceless bureaucracy, surveillance and control issues. They were a reflection of the political chaos of the middle of the century, where World War Two, the advent of the Cold War and other global conflicts threatened the democratic way of life. Films such as On the Beach and Forbidden Planet all referenced the growing conflict between the Soviet Union and the USA, and the threat of ‘alien’ invasion and nuclear holocaust. New Zealand director Andrew Nicols Gattaca is set in a near-future America where, non-enhanced babies are born only to the poor and the sexually reckless. Those who can afford it consult with a genetic technician before initiating a pregnancy, and select their future child’s traits for optimum success: sex, life expectancy, intelligence, and appearance. Children with pre-selected genes are classified at birth as â€Å"Valids.† They are the ruling elite, eligible for top careers and entitled to high social status. â€Å"In-Valids† labor at unskilled jobs with no way up or out. Clearly, the ideas of genetic selection has direct links to the ‘unlocking’ of the DNA Genome (Gattaca itself is named after the letters used in describing DNA) and the explosion of gene science taking place in the late ‘90’s. Gattaca acts as a warning to western society about this fast-advancing area of science, and where it could all lead. The film celebrates the stubbornness and cunningness of Vincent, an In-Valid, with a serious heart defect who defeats his genetically superior brother and the ‘system’ through determination and belief. Gattaca is a celebration of the triumph of human spirit over a pre-ordained existence. Like many other mainstream dystopian films, Gattaca’s narrative construct follows an individual’s struggle and victory against ‘the system,’ offering hope over defeat for its audience. It seems that most Dystopian films are aim to frighten and provoke. And what makes these films, and this genre work, is their ability to tap into the ideas and beliefs of contemporary society. As a rule, the more realistic and alarming a dystopia is, the more frightening and provoking it is. One such recent film that explores the possibilities and probabilities of its society’s future is Alfonzo Cuaron’s Children of Men. The 2007 film set in 2027 shows that for the past 18 years, no humans have been born, due to some medical disaster. It is the end of the human race and civilization has collapsed, apart from in Britain, where the film is set. However, to keep a semblance of order, draconian laws control who may stay in Britain†¦shades of pre-war Germany, where fear of outsiders is used to control the populated. What makes this film so plausible is not necessarily the plot but world that has been created around the characters and storyline. There are references to post 9/11 America and their government’s ‘Homeland Security Bill’, where the removal of freedoms by the government are justified for the greater good. This always leads to â€Å"the Uprising† of the deprived and downtrodden. Curaon populates this world with a present-day who’s who of ‘pressure groups’, which allow the audience to make connections with society. Like all dystopian films, Children of Men show how those things that already exist in our society could lead to if left unchallenged. Regardless of when these films are made, they take contemporary concerns of the society in which they are created and take them to a nightmarish conclusion. Philosopher Slavoj Zizek’s summaries of dystopian films do not point toward alternate reality, they simply make reality more that what it already is. The nightmare that we are expecting is here. This is a genre that has captured the imagination of the filmmakers and audiences alike as it is in our nature to speculate on where the events of today will lead. It is the creativity and imagination of the filmmakers that will determine how successful their vision is.

Most Interesting Day of My Life Essay

But, culture is something that you cannot actually see, except through its physical manifestations in your work place. Culture is especially influenced by the organization’s founder, executives, and other managerial staff because of their role in decision making and strategic direction. Culture is the behavior that results when a group arrives at a set of – generally unspoken and unwritten – rules for working together. Culture is not usually defined as good or bad, although aspects of your culture likely support your progress and success and other aspects of life. â€Å"Employees learn the culture of their workplace by seeing how people react in various situations and by understanding what is important to management by observing what they do (more than by what they say)†. â€Å"Culture is made up of the values, beliefs, underlying assumptions, attitudes, and behaviors shared by a group of people†. How employees learn culture? Culture is transmitted to employees in a number of ways . An organization’s culture is made up of all of the life experiences each employee brings to the organization. The following points is more significant in learn culture. * Stories * Rituals * Material symbols * Language Stories: Stories such as these circulate through many organizations. They typically contain a narrative of events about the organization’s founders, rule breaking, rags-to-riches successes, reduction in the workforce, relocation of employees, reactions to past mistakes, and organizational coping. These stories anchor the present in the past and provide explanations and legitimacy for current practices. The stories reflect what made progress and what it will take to continue that success.

Mix of Journalism and Fiction in Truman Capotes In Cold...

John Hollowells, critical analysis of Truman Capotes novel In Cold Blood focuses on the way Capote used journalism and fiction to try and create a new form of writing (82-84). First, Capote involves his reader. This immediacy, this spellbinding you-are-there effect, comes less from the sensational facts (which are underplayed) than from the fictive techniques Capote employs (Hollowell 82). Capote takes historical facts and brings in scenes, dialogue, and point of view to help draw the reader in (Hollowell 82). Capote also took into consideration which parts of information to use by how dramatic of an appeal they had (Hollowell 82). His talent led him to figure out what would have the most significance and impact to make the†¦show more content†¦Smiths portrayal if analyzed in detail will encompass all of the aspects that Capote uses to create literature rather than journalism. Smiths dialogue and scenes are the major ways Capote meshes a real person into literature (Hollowell 83). Capote creates sympathy for Smith in the reader by comparing him to a wounded animal, a creature who is not able to be responsible for his actions, an outcast from society, and a psychic cripple (Hollowell 83). These character traits are added to the book to advance the dramatic heightening. Both killers are given sympathy and are treated as individuals by Capote to bring it beyond the average thriller novel (Hollowell 83). Next, Capote puts the fiction tool of symbols to use. Overall, the way he webs together the facts creates a pattern of violence that is part of American life (Hollowell 83). He also has selective repetition of certain images, landscapes, and atmospheric details [to] create a cumulative impact (Hollowell 83). Through these symbols he provokes the reader to come to ones own decision on moral interpretations and meanings of events. The Clutter family is written in a fashion to show they were the normal American family and by fate were entangled with killers (Hollowell 83). Hollowell states, Capote creates a mythic dimension through this portrayal (83). The dimension shows the reader how this crime completely disturbs the community of Holcomb and anShow MoreRelatedCold Blood by Truman Capote900 Words   |  4 PagesIn 1965, Truman Capote created the infamous tale known as â€Å"In Cold Blood†. The book created the illusion of fantasy while based on reality. Many people were floored at the brilliance Capote demonstrated within the pages. The book took the literary concept of a novel with the literary elements of designed scenes, characters, a story formed with an introduction, rising action, climax and resolution to the real events surrounding the murder of the Clutter family. Those that worked in the field of