Women Position and Demographic Change

In “Women Position and Demographic Change” Federici, Mason, and Sogner discusses the possible implications or consequences when women’s position are altered. Additionally, the authors utilize demographic information and statistical evidence to prove that women’s position has a demographical affect. Their primary focus is fertility rates in relation to women’s position. Ultimately, they concluded …

            I am disinterested in their conclusion, because it does little to further my thesis that Afghanistan’s low literacy rate is a product of its demographics and famial construct. On the other hand, the authors included evidence correlating to the subject of demographics and their possible causes/effect. Thus, I am able to use the demographic analysis provided as evidence in my thesis paper a high rate to explain some phenomena and therefore, for my own thesis of what causes high illiteracy rate.

             Federici, Mason, and Sogner are extremely concerned with women’s status. I too, acknowledge, how women’s status affects their families. One of the most influential demographic is that 1.5 million widows exist in Afghanistan currently. The rate is expected to continue to grow. Martial status is a great signifier of women’s position. Single women, married women, and widows all maintain different status implications. That is that women are defined through the status of men that surround them (essentially, guardians). Thus, widows may experience a shift (negative or positive) in their status.

The authors claim “A change in women’s position directly and independently contributes to a change in fertility or mortality.” Essentially, the authors propose that as women gain independence their children’s survival increases because it may “increase the mother’s ability to provide her children with adequate nutrition and medical care and secondly, it also may increase the value of daughters and thereby encouraging greater nutritional and medical investments in daughters as well as son.” The basic premises that underlies this hypothesis is that because women give birth to and are responsible for the day to day care of young children when they have the ability to improve child nutrition (e.g. because they earn money and can buy food for their children), or have the ability to take advantage of medical services (e.g. because they have the freedom to make decisions on their own without having to consult their husbands, or mother’s in-law, they will act on this ability, and child survival will improve.” Basically, children are best off when their mothers have status.

Widows may experience a loss of status and position in Afghanistan because of the vale placed on family structure consisting of men as the lead providers; unless the husband’s family offers financial support. In following the author’s proposition then one might expect the children survival decreases when cared for by a widowed mother. If children are too sick or malnourished due to a decrease in nutrition they may not be able to attend school. Additionally limited financial resource may cause school to be less of a priority, specifically for girls, who do not provide sufficient financial reward.  Therefore, the high rate of widowed mothers means that children’s decreased survival negatively affects school attendance. Moreover, rare or minimal attendance may cause low grades and illiteracy. So that one may assume high widow rates in Afghan, especially due to women’s dependency on men, fosters an environment of high illiteracy among children.

            My conclusion that high widow demographic causes illiterate children could be furthered to specify that it likely that girls will be the most illiterate demographic. As previously mentioned, the authors found widespread infanticide of neglect of girls is most frequent in countries where women are dependent on men. Since it is already established that women are economically dependent on men, one can assume that girls are more likely too be neglected that boys are because boys provide financial gain for a family. Consequently, a high rate of widows not only means that children survival rate is compromised, but also, that a girl’s survival rate is further compromised. If this is so, than girls are far less likely to attend school than boys are and even more likely to be illiterate than boys are.

Understanding Iran: Everything you Need to know, from Persia to the Islamic Republic, from Cyrus to Ahmadinejad, by William R. Polk

Understanding Iran: Everything you need to know from Persia to the Islamic Republic, from Cyrus to Ahmadinehad by William R. Polk examines Iran’s ancient and modern history. Polk analyzes how Iran’s ancient history has helped shape the nations culture and ideals. Different factors such as geography, ethnicity, language, and religion are explained, as is the rise and fall of four Iranian empires.  Where the book really excels is talking about the events in the twentieth century. Polk actually visited Iran and spent time there in the 1950’s and 60’s. His experiences there, combined with his extensive knowledge on Iranian history led him to have a deeper understanding of the Iranian mentality. Polk feels that American policy makers simply don’t have a full grasp on Iran and Iranians and that is why so many policies fall short. Polk believes that if they had a better understanding of Iran, the Iranian regimes behavior would be less confusing and unpredictable to the American policy makers. Polk uses history to explain why Iran reacts the way it does to U.S. policy as an alternative to the mathematical approach policy makers use which disregard the emotions, perceptions, and fears that help  form their reactions to American policies. Overall Polk’s approach to Iranian foreign policy is very interesting and his analytical approach to Iran’s history can help one understand how and why things in Iran have become the way they are.

Public Events and Police Response: Understanding Public Order Policing in Democratic India by T.K. Vinod Kumar

Author T.K. Vinod Kumar in his book, Public Events and Police Response: Understanding Public Order Policing in Democratic India displays a series of studies, in which he investigates and analyzes controversial public events that have taken place in India and how the police proactively and reactively responds to them. Having worked as Superintendent of Police in Districts, Commissioner of Police of Calcutta City, Deputy Inspector General, Inspector General of Police in Kerala and being a reputable member of the Indian Police Service, Kumar presents an interesting insight when he takes a neutral stance and reveals both the positive and negative sides of the Indian police, varying on the events offered in the book. Public Events and Police Response: Understanding Public Order Policing in Democratic India demonstrates how certain unfortunate and controversial events in India and the response of police to these situations reflect and depict the disastrous reality and nature of political and social interaction within the country. One thing that catches the reader’s eye throughout this book is Kumar’s statement where he constantly admits and advocates for the Indian police to maintain law and order, without infringing the rights of the individuals. Kumar’s use of both quantitative and qualitative method of research in this book really helps the readers form their own opinion and understand each event thoroughly and what could have happened and has happened. In totality Kumar presents this book through the various events that have taken place in India and explains the role the Indian police force has played and where the mistakes took place, whereas what should have technically happened. This book really gives the readers an understanding of how India is lacking in the institutions of public enforcement and highlights the importance of reform, due to the frequency of increasing occurrences of such events and levels of violence and disorder associated with these high volumes of controversial cases.

Book Review: Tiger Bone & Rhino Horn by Richard Ellis

Tiger Bone & Rhino Horn: The Destruction of Wildlife for Traditional Chinese Medicine

Richard Ellis

Richard Ellis focuses his book on reasons behind why tigers are now an endangered species. He accredits this threat of extinction not only due to habitat loss, but also due to Asian medicinal trade. Although it is important to note that other states such as Russia also have poaching that is related to Chinese medicine, Ellis emphases India’s role in it.  The assertion that is made that majority of poachers are tribal people who make very little off the tiger parts was surprising. Ellis states that there are instances were poachers make only fifteen dollars for a killed tiger, while the traders are the ones that make majority of the profit. After discussing the methods and reasoning behind tiger poaching, Ellis continues with what the Indian government is doing to prevent the extinction of these animals. There are NGOs such as the Wildlife Protection society of India that work with various governmental agencies to stop tiger poachers and traders. These agencies work to examine and research unnatural tiger deaths and how tiger killings are being carried out. Although there are organizations in place to research and help put an end to tiger poaching, there is little done for convicting caught poachers and traders.  According to the magazine India Today, besides the operations of various task forces the law within India has become lenient against conviction and punishments for poaching. The article that Ellis mentions states that according to records, only 14 out of 1,400 cases of accused poachers were condemned.

Notes:

Ellis, R. (2005). Tiger Bone & Rhino Horn: The Destruction of Wildlife for Traditional Chinese Medicine. Washington : Island Press.

The Terror Courts by Jess Bravin

Jess Bravin does a really well job of articulating the situation surrounding Guantanamo Bay.  From the onset there was controversy surrounding Guantanamo Bay, but Jess Bravin exposes some horrible events in his book.  From controversial incarcerations with very little evidence to inhumane torture methods, everything is explained in depth.

Many of the prisoners in Guantanamo are material witnesses.  Material witnesses are basically individuals who were in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Person's classified as material witnesses are not directly involved with the horrible terrorist acts but are present in the vicinity with the wrong guys.  Jess Bravin does a good job of expanding on the concept of a material witness with the captured Salim Hamdann.  Salim Hamdan was Osama Bin Laden's driver but was never directly involved in carrying out any terrorist activities.  Jess Bravin discusses Salim Hamden's situation in depth from his capture to his release after the famous Supreme Court case named after him, United States of America v. Salim Hamden.

Individuals such as George Bush, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfield were ready to protect  America by any means necessary.  With John Yoo's legal mind, inmates at Guantanamo Bay were able to avoid trials and other rights until the Supreme Court got involved.

The methods used at Guantanamo were very skeptical and harsh.  Because of these harsh and inhuman methods many prosecutors such as Lt. Couch, refused to carry on with the cases.  Individuals such as Lt. Couch were not able to allow security take over morality.

Protests in Bosnia

Roots of Bosnian Protests Lie in Peace Accords of 1995

In Bosnia, are outsiders the answer, or the problem?

Bosnia is experiencing its most intense public protests since the end of the civil war in 1995. Bosnians, as well as the EU and the United States, struggle to figure out how much of the problems that plague the country are due to the outside influences. The New York Times, and Reuters offer two takes on the debate.

Book Review : Social Media in Political Participation.

The Australian Electoral Commission has taken an interest in

using social media to engage potential voters to participate politically. 

In Australia it has been demonstrated that social media has afforded benefits and new opportunities for engaging citizens in democratic processes. 

Due viewership of traditional media are dwindling down among most demographic groups, especially among young people, the use of social media is increasingly rapid and offers increased access to voters and potential voters.

Another benefit is social media provide an engagement with citizens. Specifically it allows citizens to have a say and be heard. 

Also social media can offer cost savings compared with the use of traditional mass media. 

As there are always negatives to a positive.  Social media has its downfalls. Social media use is personal and entertainment oriented. So some may question the truthfulness and severity of an issue put onto a  social media network. There will always be that question. 

Social media can spread criticism it can also facilitate disruptive information like spoofs,parodies, and fakes. Which means social media sites need to be managed. But social media can spread the good just as fast as it can spread the bad. 

In a recent political analysis  of political participation among youth in Australia concluded that 

"The Internet is significant in shaping the relationship between youth participation policies and new political identities in the following ways: it is a unique and autonomous platform for the realization of project based  political identities; it is a legitimizing space for new political practices of young people." 

The use of the Internet and social media has changed the concept of political participation. If we pin traditional forms of political participation and new forms against each other  you will  see the change. 

Traditional political participation included:

1. Membership of a political youth group , political party, union, etc. 

2. Attendance at official political meetings and rallies

3. Formal submissions and Ministerial Letters

4. Voting

5. Reading traditional media.    

New forms of political participation include:

1. Single issue and cause support 

2. Online following, such as liking, viewing videos

3. Online commentating such as Wall posts, and blogs,

4. Informal protest voting or not voting. 

5. Social network peer to peer interaction.

In Australia, the New South Wales state has a political party known as the Nationals or NSW Nationals. The leader of the party is Andrew Stoner. Not only does the leader of the party  have a twitter but the party itself has one as well.  The party's twitter is NSWNationals. On twitter the party leader and the party as a whole can reach out to its members and potential members to keep them updated on events and political matters. 

The party is not only reaching its general audience of members but the Nationals party created a twitter account specifically for its young members. NSWyoungnats. Social media engages people to participate in politics. 

As their is a decline in people going out and physically joining political parties and attending political rallies, the social media have increased membership thru Internet. The old or traditional forms of political participation are dwindling. 

There is a trend leading towards the personalization of electoral systems. This trend is being complemented by the spread of social media. 

With old media such as TV broadcasting and print news , politicians couldn't directly get in contact with potential voters. Social media such as Facebook and twitter allows politicians to directly get in touch with voters  and potential voters. Social media allows for Interactivity which creates strong ties between a candidate and its followers. 

The Australian government is having success in engaging citizens online thru social media

Notes:

Macnamara, Jim. Beattie, Jenni. Sakinofsky, Phyllis "E-lectoral Engagement-maintaining and enhancing democratic participation through social media".  University of Technology Sydney, 2012