Politics Essays Gender Stereotypes Tudor

Politics Essays Gender Stereotypes Tudor Gender Stereotypes Tudor To what degree were gender stereotypes a factor in Tudor politics? The first thing to say is that Tudor monarchy was not idealistic, like all governments it was primarily pragmatic in approach, and the great changes in the relationship of Crown and Parliament in this period were a result of immediate needs and evolving precedent. Cromwell steered Parliament towards a considerable extension in its competence to include issues of religion, the succession and the unity of the Realm. I n doing so, he allowed MPs to declare Royal Supremacy and established a new focus of sovereignty, the King-in-Parliament. Edward’s minority made the nature of Cromwell’s Royal Supremacy clear. It was through Parliament that objections to Somerset’s rule were overridden and it was Parliament that was used to transform the official doctrine of England. Respect for statute was a key reason why so many leading Protestants accepted Mary as Queen in 1553. After Mary’s death, Elizabeth and William Cecil inherited a position in which Parliament was growing into a genuine political forum and the use of parliamentary consent became the norm but it is wrong to see in these developments the origins of Parliament’s seventeenth-century attack on divine right kingship. Parliament supported the Crown with money, counsel and by passing its laws. When unrequested advice was offered by MPs on matters which plainly concerned the royal prerogative, the Queen simply refused to be drawn into conflict and avoided a crisis. The Tudors had very clear expectations of men and women, and in general men were expected to be the breadwinners and women to be housewives and mothers. On average, a woman gave birth to a child every two years and having a child was considered a great honor to women, as children were seen as blessings from God, and Tudor women took great pride in being mothers. Many women in this period were highly educated. Women were not allowed to go to school or to university, but they could be educated at home by private tutors. Elizabeth I was tutored by the famous Tudor scholar Roger Ascham. Women were not allowed to enter professions such as law, medicine, politics, but they could work in domestic service as cooks, maids and were also allowed to write works of literature, providing the subject was suitable for women: mainly translations or religious works. Women were not allowed to act on the public stage or write for the public stage. Acting was considered dishonorable for women and women did not appear on the stage in England until the seventeenth century. In Shakespeares plays, the roles of women were often played by young boys.   Women, regardless of social position, were not allowed to vote (however, only men of a certain social position were allowed to vote). Neither could women inherit their fathers titles. All titles would pass from father to son or brother to brother, depending on the circumstances. The only exception was Royalty. The Crown could pass to a daughter, and this allowed Mary, and then Elizabeth, to reign. In some cases women could not inherit estates, but women could be heiresses to property. A man was considered to be the head of a marriage and was expected to look after his wife and children. There was no divorce in Tudor times and marriage lasted until one of the couple died. An Annulment could be obtained, which would mean the marriage was not lawful, but extensive evidence would have to be provided if this was applied for. Henry VIII only ever regarded Jane Seymour and Katherine Parr as his legal wives. The stereotypical idea of a Tudor woman being weak, frail, feeble and foolish has been drilled into our heads for centuries. Even Elizabeth Tudor is said to have appeared on the political stage apologetic for her femaleness. The purpose of this essay is to see to what degree gender stereotypes where an issue in the political factor of the Tudor times, and to what extent this has, if at all, changed. What roles did men and women take on and why where they different, or indeed, segregated? Do the ideals of the Tudor times affect society today? These factors will be seen during my conclusion. Women and their involvement in politics has always been an intriguing to those interested in the history of politics. Women linked with the Royals, or Nobility, -albeit wives, mothers, mistresses, offspring or siblings-have always been the subject of investigation, regarding the power the held over those the ruled, and even the authority they exercised from their concealed places behind those who ruled. Yet, even in the face of this focus, today’s historians seem cautious about laying the notion of power and influence, at the door of the female persuasion. To begin with an example of how gender was an issue, regardless of rank or station, we can look to the monarchy. In the Tudor century, two types of queen had control of the court. They were called Consorts and Regnant. A consorts’ role was one of reproduction. She would be married to a king, but because giving birth to a male heir defined the success of her reign; her inability to reproduce sometimes endangered her position as consort, as Henry VIIIs wives discovered. The consorts’ life narrowly reflected that of noblewomen: those who were expected to produce a male heir to continue their husbands line, to overlook the day’s work in the household, and to support the numerous charities and religious institutions that were seen as appropriate for women to support. A consort’s royal status allowed her opportunities to engage in court politics. Mary and Elizabeth Tudor were exceptions to this rule, as even though they took the title from marriage and succession, they were still expected to rule as monarchs. A Queen Regnant was one whose royal status was a birthright and not an outcome of marriage. These queens where seen as actually reigning and controlling the kingdom, and not with menial activities such as overseeing the running of the household. The notion that women were not able to govern their land, led to the idea that they must take their male councilors’ advice to avoid disaster. There were even concerns about whether Philip II would dominate the decision making during Marys reign. Traditionally speaking, women in politics during the Tudor century where very marginal and hidden figures. Their domain was the household, and work was domestic, as opposed to the male world, a world of very public politics and business ventures. Women were awarded no accreditation for the parts played by them during an event of importance. Indeed, to George Bernard referred to Anne Boleyn as â€Å"nothing more than a flirt and loose living lady†, even after the controversial ideas of her religious influence, alleged adultery and consequential fall. Tudor society was patriarchal, meaning that men were considered to be the leaders and women their inferiors. Women were regarded as the weaker sex, in both physical and emotional values In general females, whether married or single, were seen as unable to think in political factors and were seen as genetically inferior to their male counterparts. Unmarried women would be chaperoned constantly by male relatives and guardians, as it was thought that without a husband to guide them, they would be incapable or looking after their household affairs. Women would spend most of their lives in the house attained by them through marriage. They would focus on the interests of their husbands, children and grandchildren, and those without children would often focus on the interests of siblings, especially sisters. On first perception, it is easy to perceive a woman’s world as narrow and confined to a small space, when in reality, their daily activities and contacts spread further than most could imagine. Built upon a woman’s family and complex network of friends and contacts, was weaved great resource and political influence that allowed these women to perform their motherly, wifely and widows duties with great flair. Their martial family gave them the power they needed to succeed in everyday life, while their birth families provided a safety net for them, if their marriages ever failed. A woman’s birth family was usual the most important in the line of contacts she kept. Her father would be involved with her life extensively, even after she was married to aid them as wives and mothers and to help them with financial issues. In contrast, the males in the Tudor times, held an authority which was officially known as â€Å"political†, although this could entail anything from attending the House of Lords, to arranging their sisters marriages and seeing to a respective suitor. The main parliamentary figure though, was the king, or Queen regnant. Elizabeth I was one of these queens, who took her political power seriously, and without a husband to guide her, much to the distress of Parliament. She gave the House of Commons control over certain authority but made it clear, that as the head of the institution, certain matters would be left to her and her Privy Council. When parliament demanded that she be married in 1571, she told them in no uncertain terms, that they had no right to discuss matters that directly affected her. Although Elizabeth didn’t allow the fact that she was a woman affect her working life, it did seem as though being female was an issue, as she constantly fought to portray herself as male. Rank seemingly played no part in the gender issues of the Tudor age. Upper-class and lower-class women alike attained authority through social standing, relationships and contact with those in higher power and woman’s incorporation into politics, although not the electorate, was the result of increased literacy skills-especially the ability to read- in women allowing them more access to news, information and ideas. In regard to the â€Å"political† goals, most men and women shared the same ideals. To make an advantageous match in marriage would secure money holdings and status which allowed both genders to equally gain influence over such factors as land accumulation, the holding of their reputation and status, and the ability to further family members in terms of careers and marriage. Professor Barbara Harris’s research into gender and Tudor times has been able to show that what was considered domestic, public, political and private where very hard to distinguish from each other during this time. The family was the quintessential political base for women. If you were a wife or mother, this would be considered your â€Å"career† which was politically significant. Women were constantly involved in activities which allowed them to build and maintain relationships with others, such as arranging marriages. Professor Harris rethought this â€Å"domestic chores† Of course, the issue concerning gender where not just rife in the household and in business ventures. Gender was a very common influence on sentencing a criminal as well. Tudor punishments were very severe and entailed hanging, burning to death, torture, whipping, being chained to stocks you would have all sorts of rubbish and rotten foods thrown at you before you eventually starved to death(if you were lucky),or some passing animal decided to have a bite, dunking in a river or branding with a hot iron. These are only a few examples of how a â€Å"criminal â€Å"would be treated. Whipping was sentenced for serious offences such as robbery with violence and begging. For this act, a â€Å"pillory† was often used. A pillory was made of two upright posts and two boards which were held together with each other. These boards had circular openings for the neck and wrists of the prisoner. The pillory had a roof, open sides and was placed on a platform. The prisoner would stand through his whipping, being fully exposed to the public. This form of punishment was usually reserved for male offenders. Women who were accused of being â€Å"scolds where taken to a device called a â€Å"ducking stool†, a highly popular form of punishment for the time. Historians have argued the meaning of the term scold relentlessly and have discussed its implications at length. The same questions always come to rise. Where these women independent, and was this type of punishment one brought by men to keep their women in check? After all, social conformity was extremely important during the Tudor times, and it was often felt that men had to keep their women at hand to save themselves from the embarrassment of having an unruly wife, mother, etc. For Women though, the most common crime was of witchcraft. It was common practice during this period to blame someone for cursing your cattle if one or more of your livestock died without an obvious reason. Witchcraft was considered a serious offence, and was punished in the most serious ways. The Witches of Warboys is an example of those involved in witch-hunting. The Witches of Warboys refers to Alice Samuel and her family between who where accused, taken to trail and then executed on charges of witchcraft in the village of Warboys, England. The accusations were first made by Jane Throckmorton, who had started having fits. She accused the 76 year old Alice Samuel of enchanting her and Jane’s four sisters and some household servants begin reporting similar symptoms. In 1590, Lady Cromwell, (the grandmother of Oliver Cromwell,) came to Warboys to visit. During this time, she met Mrs. Samuel and too accused her of being a witch. At one point, an argument ensued, which was quickly dissolved when Lady Cromwell cut off a lock of Mrs. Samuels’s hair. Lady Cromwell later became ill and later died in 1592.In 1592 Alice Samuel confessed to witchcraft, and was taken to Huntingdon where she was imprisoned with her daughter Agnes and her husband John. All three were tried on April 5th 1593 for the murder, by witchcraft, of Lady Cromwell, and were found guilty. They were sentenced to be hanged. In conclusion, it seems that in the Tudor Century, men and women were segregated in just about everything, from the way they performed daily duties, to what crime was applicable to them. Tudor politics was no different, with the exception of certain women given power in some circumstances, but they still had to appease male advisors and peers, if their influence was to go ahead. Queens such as Elizabeth I made up for her lack in a husband or any other close male relative with her dealings with her male councilors and through the image of her personality as male during contact with the public. In response to the Parliamentary request she marries, 1559: ‘I am already bound unto a husband, which is the kingdom of England and that may suffice you.’ This proved to society that although she was a woman, she was not ruled by her male peers. Gender issues were a factor in Tudor politics, but they were not totally oppressive. It seems that for some people, the gates where open to them, as long as they adhered to certain rules and conduct. It is probably fair to say that, despite the limitations, women had more freedom in the Tudor period than they had had previously and would have again for some time. The Renaissance brought with it a new way of thinking.   Elizabeth being on the throne also encouraged men to educate their daughters, in the hope that it would secure them a more advantageous match in marriage, further widening their political influence. References: Reed, K â€Å"Selected Writings of John Knox: Public Epistles, Treatises, and Expositions to the Year 1559† Presbyterian Heritage Publications, (1994) Carol Levin, the Reign of Elizabeth I (Palgrave, 2002). www.tudorbritain.org Elton, G.R. England under the Tudors. Routledge(1955) Daybell, J. Women and Politics in Early Modern England, 1450-1700 Ashgate.(2004)

Gay Marriage Should Be Legal Essay -- Gay Marriage, argumentative, per

The Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage. Yet, same-sex marriage continues to be a highly debated issue that leaves our society searching for answers. This has been very apparent during elections when politicians, in order to distract or sway conservative voters, all took a side and had an opinion on the issue of same-sex marriage. The debate has been presented on the left as a civil rights debate, equal rights. And on the right, as a morals debate, a referendum on homosexuality (Rauch, J. 2004). Everyone has an opinion on whether two men or two women should be allowed to get married, and in doing so, have all the same rights granted by the federal government to them as are granted to more â€Å"traditional† couples. It is my belief that gay, lesbian, and transgendered couples should be afforded the same privileges as any other citizens including the choice of marriage. Singling out and disallowing certain r ights to any person based on sexual orientation, just like race, ethnicity, or religious background, is discrimination. Also, religious views on homosexuality should not have an effect on our laws. By conservative estimates, there are probably about ten million gay men and lesbians in the United States. And they're going to be there. They're going to be having relationships and they're going to be having kids no matter what we do in our laws and no matter what courts say. And the question about whether gay and lesbian couples should have an equal right to get married under our state laws--we're talking about state laws here, we're not talking about private religious organizations. (Wolff, 2005) In the past marriage was something everyone was expected to do. ... ...arch 8). Hollywood: World of Wonder. Inalienable Rites? Gay Marriage in the Courts (2005, March 25). Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson [Radio News Program]. http://www.hoover.org/multimedia/uk/2934426.html Loving v. Virginia, 388 U.S. 1 (1967) Masci, D. (2009, May 21). A Clash of Rights? Gay Marriage and the Free Exercise of Religion. http://pewforum.org/events/?EventID=216 Masci, D. (2009, July 9). Public Opinion on Gay Marriage: Opponents Consistently Outnumber Supporters. http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=424 Rauch, J. (2004, April 1). Can Gay Marriage Strengthen the American Family? [Brookings Briefing]. http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/events/2004/0401children%20%20%20families/20040401.pdf Strasser, P. M. (1999). The Challenge of Same-Sex marriage: Federalist Principles and Constitutional Protections. Westport: Preager Publisher.

Lesson 6

Key Question 6 a) The opening Act of King Lear evidently portrays Lear’s downward movement as it coincides with Aristotle’s structure of Greek tragedy. The play begins with Lear, a hero of noble birth and ruler of Britain, in an ordered society soon to be disrupted by a fatal flaw that is the result of his excessive pride. His journey from the ordered to the disordered world becomes apparent after he hands his land over to his two elder daughters and banishes his youngest daughter Cordelia from the kingdom.The initial situation began when Lear asks Cordelia, â€Å"What can you say to draw / A third more opulent than your sisters? † (I i 87-88), in which she answers â€Å"Nothing, my lord† (I i 89). This demonstrates Lear’s arrogance and triggers the rash decision he makes that would greatly impact the tragic events that follow. At the end of the scene, his two elder daughters immediately work to conspire against him so that he would be left with no power at all. Goneril says to Regan that they â€Å"must do something, and i’ th’ heat† (I ii 311).This foreshadows Lear’s impending downward movement and begins the reversal of his fortunes as things go from bad to worse. Lear’s recognition of the truth and the existence of his tragic circumstance becomes slightly clear to him when he wonders whether he has lost his mind and cries out â€Å"O let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heaven! † (I v 46). Act I leaves off at this stage where Lear is about to suffer tremendously before further stages of recognition, retribution, and restitution occur later in the play. ) In Act I of King Lear, references to the principle motifs of nature and the unnatural, sanity/madness, and â€Å"nothing† all reinforce the downward movement of Lear’s perception of his own identity. Lear’s Fool constantly tries to warn him of his mistake in a series of riddles, puns, and songs: â€Å"The hedge-s parrow fed the cuckoo so long / That it had it head bit off by it young† (I iv 221-222). Referencing the nature of animals in that song, the Fool is telling Lear that his two daughters resemble a traitorous â€Å"cuckoo† who betrays the one who raised them.This emphasizes the eventual downward movement of Lear’ perception of his own identity as a father who is so â€Å"loved† by his daughters. When Lear leaves Goneril’s castle and is preparing to visit his other daughter Regan, he prayed to heaven that he would not go crazy: â€Å"O let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heaven! Keep me in temper, I would not be mad! † (I v 46-47). Lear’s fear of going insane from his daughter’s betrayal demonstrates another downward movement of Lear’s perception of his own identity.Also, references to the motif of nothingness occur when the Fool is speaking to Lear in the presence of Kent. The Fool asks Lear, â€Å"Can you make no use of not hing, Nuncle? † (I iv 133-134), in which Lear responds, â€Å"Why, no boy. Nothing can be made out of nothing† (I iv 135-136). This is foreshadowing Lear’s inevitable downfall because he would soon have nothing to make use of since he has chosen to hand all of his formal authority over to his two daughters who do not actually love him.It appears that Lear’s perception of his positive, all-powerful identity is about to lead him into a tragic breakdown in the way the three motifs of nature and the unnatural, sanity/madness, and â€Å"nothing† are referenced throughout the first Act of the play. c) Lear calls upon his three daughters and announces that he intends to divide his kingdom among them, promising the greatest share to the daughter who declares that she loves him the most.Goneril begins with her speech telling Lear that she loves him â€Å"more than words can wield† (I i 57) and Regan makes a request to receive the same value of fortune s as her sister, telling Lear, â€Å"I am made of that same mettle as my sister, / And prize me at her worth. In my true heart / I find she names my very deed of love† (I i 71-73). Both daughters’ speeches, filled with exaggerated flattery and blatant lies, earn each one a generous portion of the kingdom, while Lear decides to banish his youngest daughter Cordelia for not flattering him as the sisters did.As a result, Kent intercepts to warn Lear, â€Å"Reserve thy state, / And in thy best consideration check / This hideous rashness. Answer my life my judgment† (I i 151-153). Kent stakes his life on his opinion that Cordelia is actually the most loyal of the three daughters and begs for Lear to reconsider his rash decision, but he too gets banished by Lear, showing us how Lear is causing his own downward movement due to his excessive pride. Goneril later insults the foolishness of Lear giving away his powers, when she tells Oswald â€Å"let him to my sister, / Whose mind and mine I know in that are one, / Not to be overruled.Idle old man, / That still would manage those authorities / That he hath given away† (I iii 15-19). This shows Lear’s downward movement as Goneril treats him poorly and is certain her sister will treat him the same way. The Fool also reminds Lear of his terrible decision in handing his fortunes over to his daughters. When Lear begins to realize his own mistake, the Fool tells him in a riddle that a snail has a house â€Å"to put ‘s head in; not to give it away to his daughters, and leave his horns without a case† (I v 31-32).All of these situations demonstrate the inevitable downfall of the noble King Lear as his two daughters conspire to strip him of all his remaining power and fortunes. Key Question 9 In an ordered society, both justice and mercy are fundamental. However, in many circumstances they cannot be simultaneously applied. On its own, justice is more essential than mercy in order t o maintain a civilized society. With a system of justice, we could prevent future crimes from taking place, maintain people’s rights and freedom, as well as prevent society from plunging into a state of destruction.With a justice system in place we could take preventive measures against future crimes and laws being broken. If people are punished for the crimes they commit, there would be fewer crimes and less mayhem in the world. People who demonstrate no mecy or remorse for the harm they inflict upon others deserve to be punished, otherwise they will continue their wrongdoings. In Act IV of King Lear, when Cornwall dies from the injuries inflicted by the servant during Gloucester’s blinding, Albany interprets his death as divine retribution.He cries out â€Å"This shows you are above, / You justicers, that these our nether crimes / So speedily can venge† (Iv ii 79-80). Since Cornwall has been punished for blinding Gloucester he can no longer harm other characte rs. Cornwall carried on with his evil intentions until he received his punishment (his own death) which finally put an end to his actions. Society requires a justice system in order to maintain people’s rights, freedom, and equality. In the play, Edgar, Cordelia, and Kent are three characters who have been treated unfairly and were left with no opportunity o prove themselves innocent. Cordelia is fortunate to have her own freedom after leaving the kingdom and marrying the Duke of France. However, Edgar and Kent were left to fend for themselves in order to survive and be accepted by others. When Edgar runs into his father Gloucester, he cries, â€Å"Who is ‘t can say ‘I am at the worst? ’ / I am worse than e’er I was† (Iv i 24-26). Edgar, who must disguise himself as â€Å"poor mad Tom† (IV i 27) in order to be accepted, considers the condition he is in as being the worst ever, compared to anyone else.These characters should be able to s tand up for themselves and voice their opinions without being wrongly punished when it is not what other people want to hear. Edgar and Kent are left to suffer from other people’s mistakes because there is no righteousness in the way they were treated. In an ordered society, everyone deserves to have their own freedom of speech and be treated as equal, regardless of their opinions on different matters. Social justice can ensure that every individual receives the same treatment.An all-merciful society would lead the world to a state of ultimate chaos and destruction. Human existence would constantly be threatened by the dangers of society without a proper system of justice. Regan and Goneril continue to pose as a threat towards Lear and those who are on his side. When arguing with his wife, Albany points out that â€Å"If the heavens do not their visible spirits / Send quickly down to tame these vile offenses, / It will come, / Humanity must perforce prey on itself, / Like mo nsters of the deep. (iv ii 46-49). Albany implies that if the gods do not quickly bring justice everyone will eventually turn against each other, so without someone serving justice to all the evil people, humanity would be threatened by our own human race. Justice would prevail over mercy. In order to maintain a civilized society, people should receive proper punishment and suffer the consequences for their crimes so that we can prevent further crimes in the world, promote freedom and equality, and prevent tyranny in the world.If the Lear universe had a system of justice in place much like in our world today, many of the events leading to the tragic ending could have been avoided. Justice, in all aspects, makes a better resolution than mercy and will continue to serve to make society safe and secure. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. King Lear. Toronto: Signet Classic Shakespeare, 1998. Well expressed but a bit overstated! Justice involves more than punishment so the concept of just ice that you were working from is skewed. 45/50

Do Not Go Gentle to That Good Night by Dylan Thomas Essay

Dylan Thomas was a well-known poet and writer whose poems were very famous, such as â€Å"And Death Shall Have No Dominion† and â€Å"The Play for Voice.† He was born on 27 October 1914, and he died on 9 November 1953. He was very popular in his lifetime, and he is still known by his works after his death. One of his works that I think is the most significant poem is â€Å"Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night.† This work had been published about two years before his death – 1951, and it is also a part of the collection In Country Sleep. Dylan used the poem to express his feeling while his father was losing health and strength, encouraging his father to hold on to life. The theme of this poem is death. At the first line of the poem, â€Å"Do not go gentle into that good night,† he wants to tell the unknown listeners not to go into that good night. We can easily find a poetic device of metaphor when he used the word night for death. We also have an extended metaphor in which day is life and night is death. The first line is also the title of the poem, repeated four times throughout the poem. The next two lines are â€Å"Old age should burn and rave at close of day/ Rage, rage against the dying of the light.† In the second line, we can see what the poet wants to show us about how the elderly should fight death with their remaining health. In addition, when he says â€Å"Rage, rage against the dying of the light,† he wants to clearly confirm that this is the processing of the age – the death of old age. The first stanza is the thesis statement of the poem about aging and death. The first line of second stanza â€Å"Though wise men at their end know dark is right,† the metaphor of darkness is continually used; dark represents death. The meaning of this sentence is the clever men think that we are all going to die – it’s totally a natural process. However, at the second line â€Å"Because their words had forked no lighting they / Do not go gentle into that good night.† This sentence has an implication. The â€Å"word† in this line is the action of the clever people. The poet shows the unknown listener that though the clever men know that the death of aging is natural, they still try to fight it; they â€Å"do not go gentle to that good night.† This idea is continually developed in the next two stanzas: â€Å"The wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight grieved it on its way† and â€Å"the grave men who see with blinding sight.† They still fight against the dying of light – the death of aging. In the final stanza, â€Å"And you, my father, there on the sad height,† we know the unknown listener is the poet’s father, and he is dying. The poet by this poem, tries to beg and encourage his father to fight against the â€Å"dying of the light.† The speaker ends the poem by two lines: â€Å"Do not go gentle to that good night / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.† These are also the two lines that were repeated throughout the poem. This poem is one of the famous poems in Dylan Thomas’s collection. The poem not only is an encouragement that tells us not give up but fight against the dying of aging, but also he wants to tell his father not go to the darkness – â€Å"Do not go gentle to the good night†. Work Cite Shmoop Editorial Team. â€Å"Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night: Stanza 6 Summary† Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 5 Feb. 2013

Social Policy In Canada

The Minister of Finance, Paul Martin, announced that Canada had a record a surplus of $2. 9 billion, their promises of tax relief have been executed and the unemployment rates has fallen to 7. 5 per cent, its lowest level in more than nine years (Finance Canada). The costs of this good news are the budget cut of the federal government on social welfare programs in recently years. Hospital rejected to accept new patients. Toronto High Schools was shut down. Homeless people sleep outdoors. Is the monetary policy that Mike Harris exercising harms the people? The aim of this article is to look at historical reason of Canada being a welfare state and being changed to a more capitalistic society. The era of Keynesian Welfare State (KWS) and contemporary Neo Liberalism and the effects of Mike Harris† government policy will be discussed In 1878, McDonald national policy was introduced. McDonald introduced a set of import tariffs to protect the domestic market. This policy became the diving force of Canadian economy until 1930†³s with the problems of the great depression, world economic crisis and government deficit. In 1936, John Maynard Keynes published his book â€Å"The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money†. He argued that a depression was a short run phenomenon because of a lack of demand. If the government could inject money to the private sector, the private sector would be better off and spending money and the government could collect tax. It has been called as demand-management policy. The crises were solved by the breakout of the Second World War (WWII) in 1937. After WWII, many governments (including Canada, UK and US) pursued Keynesian demand-management policy. On the level of production, in 1940†³s, Henry Ford decided to bring a new method of production, assembly line production, with a 5 dollars day policy. His idea was to create a new type of workers who could afford to own cars and to avoid alienation of workers. Ford also brought along many workers† benefits such as consultants to make the workers concentrating on their jobs. This concept, Fordism, became a system that there was a matching of mass production with mass consumption. Fordism also led to the recognition of collective bargaining power. Unions were established to bargain for their rate of wages and everyone automatically became a union member. The power of unions was continually growing up while word output grew at an unprecedented rate of 3. 9 per cent annually during the golden age (1950-1973) (Held 164). On the level of finance, the Bretton Woods agreement was also signed during KWS period in 1944. The core of Bretton Wood System (BWS) was the agreement of International Monetary Fund (IMF). † The purpose of IMF is to promote international monetary cooperation, exchange stability†¦ o provide temporary financial assistance to countries under adequate safeguards to help ease balance of payments adjustment† (IMF). With the BWS, capital outflows were strictly controlled. For nearly three decades, governments were relatively free from the constant treat of capital withdrawal as today. Away from the treat enabled them to â€Å"be far more responsive to demands from the electorate – demands that usually involved policies aimed at achieving full employment and developing social programs. † (Howlett 540). In Canada, government introduced new social and welfare programs, for example, unemployment insurance, family allowance, Canada assistant plan and health care program. Post-secondary education was funded. By the demand management policy, the fund to welfare programs would be automatically adjusted with the number of unemployment. These were the origin of our existed social welfare program. Capital controls also created stable currency values that helped to promote World Trade. After1945, the size of government sharply increased as new government institution and new programs were added. The government grows and the government expenditure made up to around 40% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Any major decision made by the government would have a great influence to the market. On the other hand, business corporations lost their influence to government as they had during the era of National policy. On the level of trade, the primary international trade agency, General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was formed for tariff negotiations in 1947. The aims of GATT were â€Å"Raising standards of living, ensuring full employment and a large and steadily growing olume of real income and effective demand, developing the full use of the resources of the world and expanding the production and exchange of goods, Being desirous of contributing to these objectives by†¦ the substantial reduction of tariffs and other barriers to trade and to the elimination of discriminatory treatment in international commerce† GATT formed the framework for seven rounds of global tariff reduction negotiations. During the golden age, the Canadian experienced a low unemployment rate, low inflation rate and small deficit on government. However, with the increasing activities between nations, KWS started to face new problems. Firstly, the rise of the Eurocurrency market in the 1960s placed increasing strain on the BWS. US dollars became under the pressure the inflation and a growing trade deficit and finally on 15 August 1971 President Nixon shocked the world financial market by announcing that the dollar was no longer to freely convertible into gold, effectively signally the end of fixed change rates. This action increased the pressure on BWS. By 1973, the BWS had collapsed. Secondly, the collapse of Bretton Woods was compound in 1973 by the decision of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to quadruple the price of oil, effecting a huge transfer of funds from oil-importing countries to oil-exporting countries. Oil-exporting countries were left with a large surplus to invest on international money market. The banks lent increasingly to developing countries. In the process both the intensity and the extensity of global flows were transformed. (202). Thirdly, the rate of growth is declined as Fordism reached its maximum marginal value of production. The rise of the price of oil also played a role in the declining marginal value. In 1970†³s, the economy experienced a stagflation that there were both high inflation and high unemployment rate existed. There was an increasing deficit because of decreasing tax revenues and increasing expenses on welfare programs as the function of automatic stabilizer. Since Keynesian provided no explanation and solution to stagflation, monetarism helped to explained it. Milton Friedman was a monetarist and he argued that â€Å"any attempt to manage the level of demand in a Keynesian way would simply be destabilizing and make things worse. The role of government is simply to use its monetary policy to control inflation and supply-side policies to make market work better and reduce unemployment† In 1975, the bank of Canada officially adopted monetary policy. On the level of production, Multinational Corporations (MNCs) have grown there has been a significant transnationalization of production expressed in the emergence of global production and distribution networks. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) encourage the development of three major market: Canada, Mexico, US such that â€Å"MNCs have been induced to locate production insides each of these blocs† (David 243). Since Mexico have little regulations toward employment†s welfare, environmental protection and US has been the major investor of Canadian manufacture sector, Canada has to deregulate many laws in order to attract US and other foreign investments to continue investing on Canada. In 1989, the trade relationship between Canada and US have moved forward, culminating in the establishment of†¦ Canadian – American Free Trade Agreement (FTA) (Howlett 540). In worldwide, many production sites were shift to the Third World Countries where had no unions or little power on unions and no regulations on working condition and environment protection. On the level of finance, during the 1970†³s and 1980†³s the national capital controls became less and less effective because of grow of Euromarket and the collapse of BWS. One of the aims of World Bank, which is founded in1944, is to â€Å"Promoting reforms to create a stable macroeconomic environment, conducive to investment and long-term planning† (World Bank). World Bank provide nearly $30 billion in loans annually to its client countries, therefore we can see the political and economic influences it has on these countries. IMF also plays an important role on providing financial help to its client countries. However, the rules accompany the agreement on the loan may not a good news to the people. One of the rules is to decrease deficits of the government and the most efficient way to decrease deficits is to cut social welfare programs. Reducing the subsidy to certain industries will lead to lose of jobs. An argument which come up lately is that US government argues that the health programs in Canada is a form of subsidy to industries because in US, workers need to buy health insurance and hence increasing the cost of production. This is violating the agreement of FTA. This kind of rule is seriously hurting the benefits of the workers in Canada. Knight noted that â€Å"ceilings on interest rates reduce the efficiency of financial intermediation and the signals for profitable investment† (Knight 17), but not for the benefit of working class. If the interest rate is high, the working class have to pay more interest on their mortgage payment. On the level of trade, the formation of Business Council on National Issues in 1976 has a long-term effect on Canadian policy making. Since most of the members of BCNI are large corporation, they have the power to influence government policies though business action. It had helped to solve the Albert oil crisis and the establishment of NAFTA. When the politics are making decision that will effect business realm, they will concern the reaction of those investment companies, but they do not spend so much concern on unions. 0 per cent of Canada-U. S. trade is concentrated in the hands of just 200 companies. A survey of the employment practices of companies belonging to BCNI shows that 37 members of this powerful group that lobbied so hard for the FTA and NAFTA have reduced their payroll by a total of 215,414 employee between 1988 and 1994 (Dillion, 95). Social programs cut over the last seven years, big business has successfully campaigned for less government regulation and for the weakening of social programs in â€Å"the name of leveling the playing field number† (Dillion, 96). we are to stop the headlong race to the bottom for our economic, social and environmental affairs as well as the erosion of our culture†said Dillion (98). Now, we are not racing for our public goods. If we continue to allow corporation lobbies to influence our government decision making, our existing public goods will be disappeared too. Though 1980†³s to 1990†³s, many government programs were cut, industries like communications were deregulated, and many government services and corporations were privatized at both the federal and provincial levels. According to McQuaig, even though governments were powerless to bring down unemployment by using the key levers of monetary and fiscal policy, they were able to reduce it by taking away crucial social support systems, thereby making the worker feel more desperate to work. † (McQuaig 37) This is the policy that Mike Harris† government doing right now. During 1995 to 1996, these two year, Federal Government cut her health expenditure from 9024 millions to 1077 millions, education expenditure from 6254 millions to 3355 millions (drop nearly 45 per cent), transportation and communication expenditure from 5192 millions to 3306 millions. Only General-purpose transfers expenditure was increased from 10429 millions to 23834 millions dramatically (Statistics Canada). By 1998/99 the liberals will have cut $7 billion in social transfers to the province (Red book, p. 74). When the government cut the budgets on welfare and on the other hand cut the tax together, the victims will be the lower class family. Cutting the education funds presents students have to pay more tuition fees and increase the burden of their family. Cutting the health expenses lead to hospital refuse to accept new patients and hurt the people who need medical attention. Since the government does not provide low rent housing, many families, not a single person, cannot afford to live in a decent home and need to live outdoor with the danger and harsh weather nearby. Only 34. 9 per cent of unemployment workers received UI benefit (Godin). Federal government also sets new rules that people who are receiving UI need to do volute works but they ignore the fact that some people need to take care the children and cannot go to work. People also need to pass drug test to be eligible for receiving UI. Privatizing public corporations such as hydro will eventually lead to increase the fees and thus in add burden to the poor. Ontario sells Highway 407 to private company and about half years later the fees are increased. â€Å"Canadians values have moved away from the socially responsible and pragmatically interventionist liberalism that had for decades been their dominant characteristics† (Pratt). It is true that Canadian economy is benefit from these changes and brings our economy away from the crisis of the deep depression. However, we will lose the public good that have been existed in our society for nearly 50 years if our society approach the format of capitalism. Although adopting monetary policy hurts the benefit of the workers, it is clear that we cannot go back to the period of KWS. Howlett noted, â€Å"Keynesianism also includes the concept of market failures and economic efficiency† (Howlett 540). If we can find a balance between Keynesianism and Neo-Liberalism, we can still have the benefits of our welfare and economic efficiency.

Ruth Chris: Fine Dining Experience Of A Lifetime

Page 1 Sydney Wright Dr. Bridget Brennan English 1000 13 February 2013 Ruth Chris: Fine Dining Experience Of A Lifetime There are alot of places in the DC-metropolitan area that not only I but others as well find interesting and intriguing. A resteraunt was brought to mind that fits this description. It was the none other Ruth Chris Steakhouse located in Baltimore Maryland just walking distance away from the inner harbor. Although a very popular resteraunt, not many people in my age group have had the opportunity to dine at Ruth Chris. The best aspects of this resteruant are hands down its atmosphere, service, and their famous steaks.The atmosphere of Ruth Chris gives off a classy, romantic, upscale vibe. Through out the resteraunt featured relaxing warm red and gold tones providing the perfect ambience. The walls are comlemented by beautiful modern art and paneled walls. The background music is nice and soft setting the mood to relaxing and comfortable. The lights are dimmed to set that romantic mood and also relaxing mood. Everything about this resteraunt is impressive. Even the bathrooms are impressive. They have hand soap and lotin for your hands. The dont just have the average paper towels that you use to dry your hands, but they have cloths. here was not a spec of dirt anywhere to be found. This upscale enviroment will make you feel like royalty. This comfortable yet chic atmosphere is perfect for you if you want to be somewhere calm and settled. Not only does the atmosphere gives off a comfortable vibe, the servers do as well. Ruth Chris has excellent service. The servers already know your name when you are introduced to them. The staff are very kind and patient, they have an anwser to all of your questions. They have great listening skills, and give great recommendations if you are indecisive as to what it is you want.The servers are very attentive to your every need. They make sure that your food is perfectly how you wanted it. They do not mind going b ack in the kitchen for a recook. You do not have to call on them for refills or more napkins, for they already do so themselves. They will even wrap your food up for you if you have left overs. They will not let you lift a finger, only to eat of course. You can automatically tell that all of the staff has had alot of expericence in the food industry. You can look at the way they carry themselves and how they talk to you. These are the type of people you want to serve you.One more thing you must know about the service is that all entree plates are served to you piping hot with the food on the plate still sizziling. So for the love of your fingers DO NOT TOUCH THE PLATES!! Even thought they provide you with excellent service, the all time best aspect of this resteraunt is what they are most famous for, THE STEAKS! Its not an opinion, its a fact that Ruth Chris has the best steaks. If you are a steak lover you will no doubt love all of their steaks. Ruth Chris has a variety of entees t o choose from off the menu. The one you absolutely must try is their filet mignon and lostertail entree.This melt in mouth, juicy, flavorful steak is the king of all steak. Its tender texture is just perfect. So tender that it can literally be cut with a fork. The lobster tail perfectly compliments the steak with its juicyand chewyness. This resteraunt has so mush to offer from their relaxing atmosphere to their wonderful juicy steaks. Wheather its a steak dinner for two, a business meeting, or even for a romantic evening out, Ruth Chris is the place to be. Everybody shud visit there at least once in their lifetime. I promise you its worth your your every penny. This is the utimate fine dining experience ofa lifetime!

Americans with Disabilities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Americans with Disabilities - Essay Example Additionally, a potential employer or labor union may not require medical examinations for any position unless that employer requires a medical examination of every candidate for that position. Employers are not required to treat alcohol or drug addiction or abuse as a disability (Facts about the Americans with Disabilities Act). This legislation is certainly the opposite of the way that disabilities have been handled throughout history. Even as early as the fourth century, hospices were created for such disabilities as blindness (in Caesarea, a city in modern-day Turkey) (Davis 89). Even though disabled persons have made up the largest physical minority in the American population for many years now, though, very little attention has been paid historically to the rights of the disabled. There has also been little attention paid in the academic community to disability studies, a lacuna in academia that is slowly being filled as time goes by (Davis 1). This may be based on the fact that the vast majority of the public discriminates against the disabled, on more levels than majorities discriminate against ethnic or lifestyle minorities, and it may also be based on the fact that people with disabilities are less in the public eye than members of ethnic or lifestyle minorities, because they are not as active part icipants in public society because of their perceived, or actual, limitations. This is not to say that the Americans with Disabilities Act has not has positive effects for the disabled living in the United States. Progress has been made on many fronts. For example, government regulations for buildings now include requirements for such accommodations as elevators and ramps. As a result, the physically disabled now are able to be far more visible in society than they once were (Potier). However, the law has not had all of the effects that its writers and supporters had hoped. Of the discrimination lawsuits filed since the bill was signed in 1990, 90 percent have ended up in favor of the employer, rather than the alleged victim. As a percentage of the population, the disabled are represented in the ranks of the employed at about the same level that they were in 1990 (Potier). One reason for the low success rate of these lawsuits may be the quality of legal representation. Because plaintiff's attorneys in damages cases are paid a percentage of the damages, and because damages are so infrequently rewarded to disabilities rights victims, it is difficult to get lawyers of quality to take their cases. Other reasons include a reluctance by the American judiciary to interfere with the ways that employers operate their businesses - a laissez-faire approach, that, on the surface, goes back to the desire for independence that was one of the philosophical building blocks of our nation. Cases that request accommodations, for this reason, are very rarely successful, while cases that focus on the discrimination that comes with stigma, on the other hand, are more often successful (Potier). This ambivalent set of effects that the Americans with Disabilities Act has had for disability rights is typical of many of the advances made by the disability rights movement. One example is the Jerry Lewis telethon, held every Labor Day to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association. While this event brings in millions of dollars for muscular dystrophy research and treatment every year, it