Philosophy of life Essay Example for Free

Philosophy of life Essay There is only one way to live and achieve a meaningful life, and can be acquired by looking inside yourself and determining what is the best things you can do in your life. There are endless suggestions on how to live a meaningful life; however, these are not necessary guides or the only way because each person is different. This means that there is no one way that is correct or no one way that is false because each person is unique in their own way and have varying perspectives of life. According to Jobs, life is about living to connect the dots. He says that you can only connect the dots by looking back at decisions and things that have happened and that you cannot connect the dots for the future. He also says that you tell yourself that to live to connect the dots and that what you’re doing is setting up a dot to be connected that is when you can go with heart. He went to college and dropped out after six months and started going to classes that he was interested in instead of going to classes that were demanded and he did not enjoy. One of the classes he went to was a calligraphy class. He says that if he had not dropped out and went to this class that he would not have been so successful with the Mac. Jobs stressed the idea that without the inspirations attained in calligraphy class that were used in the design of Macintosh all personal computers would be non-existent because Windows copied Macintosh. Jobs may have started Apple in his garage with his friend but within ten years it became a $2 billion company. Shortly after the ten years, contradicting visions led to the divergence of the company and the firing of Steve Jobs. In the fall of his old job Jobs created two new companies, NeXT and Pixar, which both became very well-known and successful companies. Pixar, now the most successful animation studio in the world, went on to create the first computer animated movie â€Å"Toy Story. † NeXT was bought by Apple leading to the return of Jobs and the technology he developed at NeXT is now the heart of Apple’s renaissance. He rounds out this speech with the idea everyone should strive for what makes them happy, doing the things they enjoy. He also rejoices in the fact that enjoying the things he loves now motivated his comeback and redeemed himself in the public eye. Wallace’s speech was focused on finding a personal, deeper meaning. He gives a variety of examples of frustrating moments, while providing insight on how we react. For example: he talks about a woman in line yelling at her kids. To most people they think that’s how she treats her kids all the time leading to some misinterpretation. Instead of thinking that way, he provides alternate cases she might be dealing with, such as, suffering from extreme stress due to her husbands’ bone cancer or maybe she extended an act of kindness at her work for an individual dealing with tough circumstances. He talks about the roughness of everyday adult life, explaining the need to not jump to conclusions and extending grace, making the situation a much happier one. Wallace is not trying to give moral advice or strict guidelines to follow because this can become difficult, he only wants to give noteworthy insight to a stressful situation. He then goes on to talk about worship. Wallace explains how, in his opinion, atheism does not exist due to the fact everyone worships something, demolishing the basis behind atheism. The only choice individuals get to decide is the things they worship. If one chooses to worship money then they will never have enough of it; if one chooses to worship their body then they will always think that they are ugly and will never be happy. He says that the insidious thing about these forms of worship is not that they are sinful, but rather they are unconscious default settings. This type of worship allows beings to slip into a more lax way of thinking causing them to be more selective without ever being fully aware of what they are doing. Jobs’ approach to a skilled life is finding something one is passionate about doing and doing it no matter the route one takes. He dropped out of college after six months and just dropped-in on classes that sounded interesting to him. He found something that he really enjoyed in calligraphy class leading him to design the Macintosh and which ultimately led to the creation of personal computers. He loves the adaptability of technology and discovering the next best thing. Also, he stresses that connecting the dots is big because it leads you to your hearts desires. So according to Jobs, finding something that you love doing and living to connect the dots is the key to a prosperous, fulfilling life. According to Wallace, the approach to a more prosperous life is to think things through in a deeper more educated meaning. He talks about moments in our lives where we may get frustrated and what we can do to prevent from getting so mad. So overall, they are trying to convey the same message which is: obtaining a skillful and prosperous life. To me, I feel as though what makes life meaningful is living it to the fullest and learning from mistakes. I do not necessarily agree or disagree with either Jobs or Wallace ideals because they are not the main things to achieve a prosperous life but they are good things to incorporate in life. Life is so much more than finding something that you enjoy doing because I enjoy playing Xbox but that is not going to get me anywhere in life. Also, it is more than just thinking deeply about situations when I am going to get frustrated. I say you should always take opportunities presented in your life, not allowing them to pass you by. Take opportunities the first time and don’t be impassive assuming there will be another. With these opportunities there is always the decision to side between right and wrong. Now, I hope that everyone has a strong enough will to be able to pick the good opportunities rather than the bad ones. If you have a chance to make a difference in someone’s life or can change the outcome of a situation then why be passive and not pursue it? Life is all about choices and decision making. These things also come with responsibility and the decisions you make will lead to positive or negative consequences. Everyone makes bad choices in their life because no one is perfect and we are fallen people. With this falleness comes sin and with sin comes destruction, but we are given the opportunity to learn from our mistakes and continue to grow through them. All of these life situations leads us to be a better person to ourselves, others, and God. In order to live a thriving life, one must make conscious decisions, learn from their mistakes, and thank the Lord for opportunities and learning experiences. There is no guide on how to live a meaningful life. It is all up to the individual and whatever they see fit for themselves and their life. Though I have this view, it does not mean that it is the only way to live a meaningful life, the same goes for Jobs’ and Wallace’s opinions. Each person has some ideals that everyone can draw from to make their life better and happier, but it is not necessarily the only way to achieve a meaningful life. The true way to achieve a meaningful life is to look deep inside oneself and decide how to accomplish one’s own meaning prosperous life.

Gender Divisions and Differences in Work

Gender Divisions and Differences in Work Today, women have gained a new equality with men. This perspective is indisputable’ This review explores the contemporary literature on the theme of ‘women and work’ in the light of the suggestion that women have indisputably gained a new equality with men. Overwhelming evidence has been found for the persistence of gender inequalities which work to disadvantage women in the context of work, including domestic work, although it is clear that providing explanations for this phenomenon has shown that the issue is complex and highly contested. It is argued that a redefinition and re-interpretation of the inter-dependence between paid and unpaid work, care and leisure is needed. There seems no doubt that in order for there to be a greater measure of real gender equality, male identity, in particular, must beer-examined and changed. It seems clear that research and policy are focusing more on the ways in which caring, in particular, is perceived and constructed in gender terms. However, in order to effect real change in gender equality, it is argued that there must be recognition of the myriad of ways in which both masculinities and femininities are constructed and interact with each other in this complex field. Chapter One Introduction The focus of this literature review is upon the theme of women and work within the context of the premise that women have gained an indisputable equality with men. Whilst it seems, in theory, more ‘equitable’, to have included commentary and research in equal amounts from men and women, an exploration of the literature revealed a far greater contribution to the debate from women than from men, perhaps by virtue of women’s perception of their own disadvantaged position, and this bias is consequently reflected in the variety of sources cited. Literature search was conducted within a University library database, using the search criteria ‘women and work’ and ‘gender equality and work’ and this yielded access to a selection of books and articles. The sources selected for inclusion in the review were restricted to those which specifically focus upon gender differences and inequalities in the realm of work, defined in its widest sense to include that undertaken within the household as well as work in the formal labour market. Due to the plethora of writing and research in this field, the decision was made to restrict sources to those produced within the last ten years, thus maintaining a contemporary focus, although references are made to earlier works. Chapter topics reflect the themes which emerged from the literature. Chapter Two presents a historical overview of women’s employment and the major ideology by which it has been underpinned in British society together with the ways in which the different patterns of employment between men and women have served to disadvantage women, particularly in economic terms. Chapter Three explores women as employees in more depth, particularly the ways in which organisations, occupations and spheres of work are profoundly gendered and how this, again, seems to work against women, although it will be shown that this is a contested area. The focus in Chapter Four is upon domestic labour and the ways in which its traditional construction as ‘women’s work’ has been strongly contested. The different ways in which work is itself construed, in both the traditional world of work and the private domain, sets the scene for a change of emphasis. The literature reflects a movement, in Chapter Five, from a concentration upon the inequalities and injustices heaped upon women through patriarchal structures towards a redefinition of the key issues through an exploration of the increasingly blurred distinctions between paid work, unpaid domestic work, care and leisure. A reinterpretation of caring and how this may be incorporated into the discourse on gender and work has been highlighted. It is argued that there is a clear need for more serious account to be taken of the lived experiences of both men and women, to celebrate, rather than denigrate, gender differences and to strive to understand the ways in which such differences are constructed in ways which may disadvantage both men and women. Chapter Two The nature and extent of women’s employment Many commentators have noted the different ways in which women and men have organized their lives together and how the work that each undertakes has changed and developed over time (Crompton, 1997; Hatt,1997). Crompton (1997) describes how the gender division of labour originated from, and was profoundly reshaped by, the advent of industrialisation in Britain. By the turn of the 20th century, men became increasingly associated with paid or market work, whilst women were identified with the household and non-market work. This trend became intimately connected with an ideology of womanhood which effectively served to exclude women from ‘market’ work. As Crompton asserts, the male-breadwinner model emerged from the ideology of ‘separate spheres’ in which â€Å"the home and domestic sphere was defined as belonging to women, whilst that of the outside world including the workplace – was defined as that of men† (1997, p.8). There seems little doubt, as will become clear later in this review, that assuming the main responsibility for household tasks and child-rearing has had a significant impact upon women’s participation in market work. The idea that this responsibility is somehow ‘natural’ can be said to underpin many family-related explanations for women’s behaviour in the labour market, however, this is clearly a contentious issue. Those who support the view that the gender division of labour manifested in today’s society is rooted in biological differences between the sexes include Hakim (1995; 1996) and Browne (1998). Hakim (1995), for example, sets out to explain the particular patterns of women’s employment in Britain and how they are distinct from those of men. She draws on findings from the socio-biological field which cite male traits of aggressiveness, dominance and competitiveness as rooted in hormonal differences between men and women. These natural masculine traits are seen as instrumental in the disproportionate participation and success of men in the employment sphere. In similar vein, Browne (1998) argues, that biologically influenced sex differences in behaviour have important ramifications for the occupational choices made by men and women in the working sphere and their differential employment patterns. Whilst clearly decrying outright sexual discrimination, Browne suggests that â€Å"much of the glass ceiling and gender gap is the product of basic biological sex differences in personality and temperament acting in the context of the modern labour market† and that these differences are the product of â€Å"differential reproductive strategies followed by the two sexes during the course of human evolution† (1998, p.5). Browne argues that instead of denying the reality of these natural sex differences in the pursuit of socially constructed explanations for the ‘gender gap’, it will be more productive for feminists, in particular, to embrace them and incorporate them into future discourse about work. Hakim (1995; 1996) is also critical of feminist commentators on women’s employment, such as Wallaby (1990), who have suggested that occupational segregation, the construction of women’s jobs as separate from men’s jobs, has been a mechanism through which women have been systematically denied access to jobs by men. Hartmann (1982), as cited by Crompton (1997), described the rationale behind occupational segregation by sex as the mechanism through which men’s superiority over women is maintained by enforcing lower wages for women in the labour market in order ensure their dependence on men. Hartmann (1982) asserts that â€Å"men benefit from both higher wages and the domestic division of labour† and thus, the latter, in turn, serves to perpetuate women’s inferior position in the labour market (Crompton,1997, p.11). Hakim argues against this analysis, however, suggesting that the different pattern of women’s labour-force participation and work commitment is due to women’s choices according to their tastes and preferences. Hence, some women choose to give more priority to their domestic role and child-rearing and less to their employment careers, though, for example, working part-time rather than full-time or opting for less demanding occupations (Hakim, 1996). Hat (1997) discusses the issue of gender and work from an economic perspective and points out that the labour resources of an economy include women and men engaging in productive activity in both the labour market and the household. The working population, however, is term most often used, particularly by economists, to describe those women and men who are engaged in paid employment, self-employment, in Forces, on work-related training schemes or registered as unemployed. This effectively excludes all those women or men in the unpaid sector and full-time homemakers. Hat (1997) records that in1993, in the 16 to 64 age group, 71% of all men and 53% of all women were participating in the working population. The Equal Opportunities Commission report that in the same age group in 2004, over 83% of men and 70% of women were ‘economically active’ (EOC, 2005, p.8). Although caution is needed in comparisons between different sets of statistics, it seems clear that a larger proportion of men than of women participate in the working population but the gap would seem to be closing. It is notable, however, that patterns of labour force participation by women and men are both distinct and different. Hat (1997) notes that, in 1993, for prime age male workers aged 24 to 49, participation rates were over 90%, declining after the age of 50. For women in 1993, the participation rate was 71% for the age range 24 to 34, falling to 54%for women with a child under 5 years old, increasing again as children enter school. Similarly, in 2004, 52% of mothers with children under 5years old were in employment, of these women, around 66% were working part-time. Crompton (1997) observes that almost all of the increase in women’s employment in Britain from the 1950s until the 1980s was impart-time work. This trend is further underlined in the latest statistics in that nearly half of all women (44%) and about 10% of all men work part-time (EOC, 2005). As the statistics show, clearly women are more likely than men to work on a part-time basis. Writers seem divided as to explanations for this phenomenon. Wallaby (1990), for example, has suggested that the expansion of part time employment represents a kind of capitalist, patriarchal conspiracy in which mainly male employers have secured women’s cheap and docile labour, whilst at the same time ‘freeing ‘women to continue undertaking domestic labour in the home. Crompton(1997), also, notes that â€Å"part-time work†¦.has a reputation of being insecure, low-paid and with little by way of training or promotion prospects† (p.33). She cites Beeches and Perkins (1987) who suggest that certain jobs were actually constructed as part-time jobs because they were seen as ‘women’s jobs’, invariably low graded and rarely defined as skilled (Crompton, 1997, p.33). Other writers, such as Hakim (1996), deny the assertion that employers have sought to construct ‘poor work’ for women, asserting instead that it is women themselves who have demanded part-time work to fit in with their other domestic responsibilities – employers have simply responded to meet this demand (Hakim, 1996). Evidence from research by Rubbery et al(1994), however, suggests that not only is part-time work less flexible than full-time work and of inferior quality, but also it has been developed largely to suit the needs of the employer. Since most part-time workers are women, it is women who are most affected by the disadvantages associated with this mode of work. Chapter Three Women as employees Hat (1997) traces the changes in the working population and employment patterns of men and women in recent decades, pointing out that whilst there has been a decline in male employment since 1980, female employment since that time has increased. She cites the official census data from 1994 which revealed that this latter increase was due to a greater proportion of mothers entering paid employment (Hatt,1997). It has been well-documented that within the labour market, women play a different role from men. As we have seen, women are more likely than men to work part-time and, as Hat observes, they also â€Å"work in different industries from men, occupy different positions even within mixed industries and are under-represented in senior positions†(1997, p.17). Many commentators have noted that women are concentrated in certain industries and occupations, such as clerical work, catering, cleaning and caring work whereas men are more often found in the manufacturing sector and the construction industry, for example (Hat, 1997; Franks,1999; Moe, 2003). Even when women and men are found in the same sector, men tend to occupy the more senior positions with women more often situated in the lower ranks of the hierarchy (Hat, 1997; Franks,1999). As Hat (1997) records, â€Å"women are under-represented at senior-levels throughout all occupational categories† (p.21). Crompton(1997) examines the banking industry, in some detail, as an example of the response to labour market demands for low-level clerical workers. She describes how this industry, along with others such as insurance and local government, helped â€Å"to generate a mass, feminized clerical labour force† (Crompton, 1997, p.107). Both direct and indirect discriminatory practices against women within particular banks came to light and pressure from the Equal Opportunities Commission forced some important policy changes. Crompton (1997) acknowledges that there have been major changes to employment practices in the financial sector in general, in later years, as far as gender equality is concerned. She cites structural factors, such as the demand for labour and the organization of the labour process alongside male exclusionary practices as the main contributors to the unequal position of female employees within the banking sector. She also concedes, however, that despite recent reforms, women continue to far outweigh men in occupying low-level positions in banking. It is useful, at this point, to identify the key pieces of government legislation in the UK which have been designed to directly address the issue of equal opportunities between women and men. The first is these Discrimination Act 1975 which promoted the basic principle that men and women should not be less favourably treated by virtue of their sexier marital status. The other is the Equal Pay Act 1975 designed to outlaw discrimination between women and men in the same employment, in pay and other conditions regarding their contracts of employment. This Act was later amended in 1984 to incorporate the Equal Pay for Equal Value principle. In addition to these Acts, the UK is also bound by Article 119 of the Treaty of Rome to uphold European Community equal treatment and equal pay directives (Griffin, 2002). The Equal Opportunities Commission, set up through the Sex Discrimination Act of 1975, functions as the expert organisation on equality between women and men, its main tasks being to â€Å"work towards the elimination of discrimination; to promote equality of opportunity and to keep under review the effectiveness of the Sex Discrimination and Equal Pay Acts† (Griffin, 2002, p.11). In the area of what has become known as the ‘gender pay gap’, it seems that, in general, the gap between male and female earnings has narrowed over the past 60 years, but the trend has been inconsistent. For example, female managers and administrators earned 55% of the annual earnings of their male counterparts on 1970, compared to only 33% in the mid 1920s (EOC,1999). However, this discrepancy narrowed by only 1% in this field of work between the mid 1950s and 1970. Since 1970, although this gap has narrowed significantly with women earning 63% of the pay of their male counterparts, compared to 81% for 1998, it was noted that â€Å"in all ethnic groups, men have higher average hourly earnings than women†(EOC, 1999, p.5). This statistical evidence for the steady narrowing of the gender pay gap appears encouraging in terms of the equality agenda. However, as Griffin (2002) observes, there are other relevant issues. She records that, when we look at all sources of income, including earnings from employment and self-employment, occupational pensions, investment and benefit income, women’s income is significantly lower than that of men, apart from state benefits. For example, figures taken from the EOC forth year 1996-7 showed that 45% of women had an income of less than £100 a week as compared with 20% of men (Griffin, 2002). More latterly, the EOC has recorded that the gender gap in terms of income has remained quite high, stating that â€Å"the gender gap between women and men’s mean individual incomes in 2002/3 was 46%† (EOC, 2005). The EOC (2001) records that despite improvements in recent years, stereotyping remains evident in many professional occupations. Notwithstanding the evidence that greater numbers of women are entering certain professions, such as higher education or the law, women’s share of higher level jobs remains generally low. Certain professional and technical occupations, the ‘occupational segregation’ noted earlier, apparently continue to be heavily dominated by either men or women(EOC, 2001). Empirical studies, especially within the feminist perspective over the past two decades, have moved away from the study of organizational structures per se in order to seek explanations for this persistence in the positioning of men and women in the workplace. Writers such as Pringle (1988), Chodorow (1989) and Halford and Savage(1995), for example, have instead demonstrated how specific kinds of masculinities and femininities, and discourses of gender, are constructed within the workplace. The emphasis here is upon recognizing the diversity of discourses on what it is to be a male or female employee and, ultimately, to avoid over-generalising about ‘all men’ or ‘all women’. One example of this is illustrated by Crompton(1997) in her exposition of different masculinities in the banking industry. She charts the movement within managerial positions in banking from a need for solid, paternalistic men towards the requirement for a more competitive, assertive masculinity within selling culture. Crompton (1997), however, argues that although these discursive, ‘post-modern’ insights do much to enhance our understanding of the pattern of women’s employment, and the different ways in which gender is constructed in the workplace, structural or material explanations remain important. Nazarko (2004) offers a contemporary analysis of the barriers faced by women in the workplace. She maintains that the drive for equal opportunities has hitherto failed to â€Å"challenge the premise that certain groups of workers such as women are less productive and less attractive to employers† (p.25) or the assumption that older workers, including women, are less valuable. Nazarko highlights the popularity of organisational initiatives which promote diversity and difference in the field of human resources. Wilson and Iles (1999), for example, have argued that â€Å"diversity management improves recruitment, retention and creativity within organisations† (Nazarko, 2004, p.25). Nazarkocites researchers such as Rosner (1995) who have pointed out that women and men have different styles of working and managing. Women, for example, tend to use interactional styles in management, encouraging participation, sharing power and information and energising others. In contrast, men tend to use transactional styles, seeing pieces of works series of transactions. Both styles are seen as equally valid and also, may be the preferred model for any individual, regardless of gender. It is argued, then, that both organisations and employees will benefit from initiatives which value diversity and difference, since people would be evaluated and treated as individuals, rather than asocial groups and associated stereotypical connotations. Nazarko(2004), however, fears that the diversity approach does not necessarily eliminate the power structures which persist in society. She argues that until female dominated professions such as nursing are valued as much as male dominated professions like the police force, it is difficult to see how gender equality can be attained. Chapter Four Domestic labour – women’s work? It is well-documented that the Industrial Revolution within the western world generated a distinction between paid work outside the home and unpaid domestic labour within the household. Men’s economic activity came to be focused upon paid work, hence the male breadwinner model, whilst women have commonly divided their working lives between the unpaid domestic sphere and activity in the labour market. Hat(1997) represents the feminist approach to this issue by highlighting the way in which women have long been disadvantaged, particularly in economic terms, by their traditional domestic responsibilities. Not only does their focus upon unpaid domestic task constrain their participation in paid work, domestic work itself â€Å"is an unpaid economic activity which has for too long passed unnoticed; the skills, which the successful homemaker acquires, go unrecognized in wage and promotion schemes† (Hat, 1997, p.50). The terms upon which both men and women are able to participate within the labour market are very different and in this respect, it would seem difficult to argue for a level of equality between the sexes. Many commentators have noted, household and child-rearing duties weigh more heavily upon women than men and have traditionally been excluded from economic analyses of participation in work in the widest sense(Crompton, 1997; Hat, 1997; Franks, 1999). As Hat observes â€Å"household responsibilities and paid employment are both valid productive activities but they are not equally rewarded by society†(1997, p. 49). DE et al (1995), in their analysis of the British Household Panel Survey in the mid 1990s, point out that very few men cited household or family responsibilities as affecting their labour market behaviour, whereas over 80% of women surveyed felt that their labour market participation had been adversely affected by these duties. As Franks(1999) points out, work has come to be synonymous with having a paid job and its counterpart is regarded as leisure. Thus, other kinds of activity such as cleaning the house, doing the shopping, cooking and caring for children and elderly relatives do not officially count as work, although for those involved, it may actually feel very much like work. Underpinning the traditional sexual division of labour is the idea that men’s paid work is dependent upon a shadow economy of women’s unpaid work (Franks, 1999). Thus, the increased participation of women in the formal paid workforce throws the spotlight onto the status of what had always essentially been regarded as a ‘labour of love’. Franks (1999) presents the example of widowed fathers who do not receive the lump sums, tax allowances and continuing state benefits received by widowed mothers. A missing father’s financial contributions recognised, whereas a widower’s deceased partner is considered to have had no economic value. One solution offered by some economists has been to officially regard this labour as a form of taxation whereby all of society benefits from it as if they were paying directly to the state (Franks, 1999). Other commentators (Charles and Kerr, 1999); Morris, 1999) have also stressed that despite the contemporary rhetoric of equality between the sexes, the traditional ideology which divides men and women into ‘breadwinner’ and ‘homemaker’ is still very much alive. Charles andKerr (1999), for example, point out that even where there may have been certain egalitarian sharing of domestic tasks within couples initially, once children arrive on the scene it is almost always the case that the woman takes on the responsibility for child-care and household tasks whilst the man takes on the role of breadwinner. It is argued that although, ostensibly, this arrangement may appear to be complementary relationship with roles being ‘different but equal’, there is a differential allocation of power which renders women disadvantaged. On giving up paid work outside the home, or taking on lower-paid, low-status part-time work, women relinquish their power and status, at least economically (Charles and Kerr, 1999). Having responsibility for decisions about food purchase, or other household necessities, cooking and childcare, it is argued, effectively constitutes the exercise of power by women in other people’s interests. As Charles and Kerr suggest, â€Å"most of them (women) carryout these tasks within a set of social relations which denies them power, particularly when they are at home all day with young children and are dependent for financial support on a man† (1999, p.192). There is a large body of contemporary opinion, evident in the literature, which calls for a redress of balance between the fundamental economic inequity between men and women, particularly within the family unit which includes dependent children. Franks(1999), for example, suggests that there will never be genuine equality between men and women â€Å"if male identity remains unaltered and unpaid work continues to be shuffled off onto women† (p.4). Franks goes on to assert that in a market system where unpaid work is invisible, there is no incentive for men to change their identity to encompass low-status, financially worthless activity (1999, p.4). Crompton (1997) presented her own analysis of the relationship between employment and the family with particular reference to the extent to which there has been any change in the domestic division of labour. She acknowledges that there has been some change, albeit very slow, and she cites research byGershuny et al (1994) who describe the process as one of ‘lagged adaptation’ in which changes tend to occur most often when women are engaged in full-time employment. Other researchers have found that although men, mainly middle-class men, have expressed a desire to become more involved in domestic and child care arrangements, there is little evidence that â€Å"equal† parenting is the reality (Lupton and Barclay, 1997). A more recent briefing by the Equal Opportunities Commission observes that there are many ways in which education, the family and access tithe labour market interact to produce different opportunities for women and men and which result in both men and women experiencing discrimination by virtue of gender. In relation to women in particular, this briefing comments that â€Å"women’s work should beer-evaluated, so that it is no longer undervalued and poorly paid†(EOC, 2002, p.1). Hat, in her analysis of gender, work and labour markets, concluded that â€Å"the domestic division of labour would certainly seem to lead to social injustice and it is debatable whether it furthers the efficient operation of the economy† (1997, p.50). Vogel and Pal (1999) present an interesting exposition of the connections between money and power and men and women within households. Their own research found that, in general, the partner with the greater income was likely to be more dominant indecision-making, with women partners in paid employment having greater power than those who work only in the home. There appear to have been few large-scale studies which have focused upon the experiences of social equality, or inequality, between individual members of the same household. The research conducted by Vogel and Pal (1999) draws on typology, constructed by Pal (1989), of household financial allocation systems, constituting the female whole-wage system, the housekeeping allowance system, the pooling system and the independent management system. In the female whole-wage system, women were given their husband’s pay packet, and had sole responsibility for managing the whole household budget. In the housekeeping allowance system, the women were given a fixed sum for housekeeping expenses, the men having prime responsibility for other expenditure. The pooling system was used where partners pooled their earnings and shared access to and responsibility for managing expenditure from the common, joint fund. Finally, the independent management system operated where both partners had independent incomes (usually dual-earner couples), each partner taking responsibility for particular items of expenditure, although this may vary over time. Vogel and Pal (1999) conducted a survey, combined with interviews, of1,211 couples across six British urban areas, covering Swindon, Aberdeen, Northampton, Coventry, Rochdale and Kirkcaldy. Respondents, aged between 20 and 60 years, were questioned on the household financial allocation system which came closest to their own mode of household finance management. By far the most common system used waste pool which was adopted by half of all the couples surveyed, with the remaining half choosing one of the other segregated systems (Voglerand Pal, 1999). The data was further analysed to determine the relationship between strategic financial control and access to money as a resource within the households studied. It was found that in the joint pooling households â€Å"joint management was associated with both equal strategic control over finances and also with equal access to money as a resource† (Vogel and Pal, 1999, p.143). In the female-controlled management systems, constituting just over two-fifths of the sample, a disjunction was found between control over finances and access to money as a resource. The researchers highlighted their finding that even where ostensibly, these women had greater financial control and power in decision-making, significantly higher levels of personal deprivation were experienced by the women with the men more likely to have more personal spending money than their female partners, especially in lower-income families. As Vogel and Pal observe, â€Å"where the opportunities for exercising financial power are heavily circumscribed by low income and by the husband’s expectation of personal spending money, ‘responsibility’ may be a more appropriate term than ‘control’!† (1999, p.144). This more detailed analysis presented by Vogel and Pal (1999), together with that of other researchers, such as Morris (1999), provides evidence for the ways in which patterns of gender and class inequalities tend to interlock to increase the differences between women and men. A different perspective upon the issue of gender differences and gender equality in the arena of household work and parenting is provided bother researchers. Doucette (1995), for example, highlights the tendency for debates on this issue to become focused upon the relationship between women’s greater responsibility for household work and caring role, and their relative inequality to men in employment and public life. She argues that whilst this is an important issue, insufficient account has been taken of the â€Å"various configurations that gender differences may take within household life† (Doucette, 1995, p.271). Doucette suggests that much of the literature on the gender division of household labour is situated within an ‘equality’ or ‘equal rights ‘framework, which itself, tends to be constructed through a masculine perspective. For example, she argues that a â€Å"male model of minimal participation in housework and child care† is pitched in relation to a â€Å"male model of full-time employment† (Doucette, 1995, p. 274). Whilst it is clearly documented that women’s employment is compromised through the need for women, as a

Homosexuality: Is It A Choice? (Pro) Essay --

Homosexuality: Is It A Choice? (Pro) The term homosexual originated in 1892, to describe two people of the same gender that were attracted to each other. All though Homosexual behavior between species has been dated back to the beginning of time. Today in the United States based on Population surveys more then eight-million adults alone in the U.S are homosexual. Many people believe that Homosexuality is a scientific, and is no more of a choice then the color of your skin. Crystal Dixon , former Human Resources Administrator of The University of Toledo, who was fired after stating her beliefs in Toledo free press explains that â€Å" Gay is not the new black, Gay is about sex and genitalia, people we call gay make choices about what they do with their genitals, blacks do not make choices about their color of their skin.† That being said homosexuality is a choice, having an attraction to the other gender may be able to be explained by scientific principles, but the people you involve yourself with romantically and/or sexually is your choice. Many people argue that one DNA decides when they are born if they are heterosexual or not. Under this statement homosexuals would be given the same rights as heterosexual's because its not their decision in what gender they prefer. This argument is hardly debatable though because research has shown very little relationship between genetics and homosexuality. Studies have been recently taken, using DNA Microarray technology. These studies have failed to find any gene that may cause homosexuality. Even if there was a gene that caused someone to be homosexual, it would be exterminated rapidly because it wouldn't be able to reproduce. Many people also say homosexuality is caused... ...Can't we just judge them by the type of car they drive?† - Ellen Degeneres Being homosexual is a choice, but the morality of the choice shouldn't effect anyone but the person who made that choice. Works Cited Malory, M. N.p., n. d. 22 Nov 2013. . Gates, G. J.. N.p.. Web. 22 Nov 2013. . Oscar Lopez, R.. N.p.. Web. 22 Nov 2013. . . N.p.. Web. 22 Nov 2013. . Whitehead, N. E., and B. K. Whitehead. N.p.. Web. 22 Nov 2013. .

Ecuador Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ecuador is one of the smallest countries of South America. It lies on the West Coast of the continent between Colombia and Peru. The equator crosses Ecuador and gives the country its name. Ecuador is the Spanish word for equator.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Andes Mountains rise through much of central Ecuador. About half the people live in the valleys and on the plateaus of the Andes. Quito, Ecuador's capital, lies more than 9,000 feet (2,700 meters) above sea level on an Andean plateau. A flat, partly forested, tropical plain extends west of the Andes along the Pacific Ocean. This coastal plain is developing faster than any other part of the country. About half the Ecuadorian people live there. During the middle and late 1900's, many people moved to the coastal plain to farm its rich soil. Others moved to the coastal city of Guayaquil to find jobs. Guayaquil is Ecuador's largest city. It is also the country's leading commercial center and chief seaport. East of the Andes Mountains is a large jungle.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ecuador has had more than 15 constitutions since it gained independence from Spain. Most of these constitutions provided for an elected legislature, but in many elections few of Ecuador's people have been allowed to vote. Strong leaders have suspended or replaced many of the country's constitutions in order to stay in office or to increase their power. Most of Ecuador's rulers have been military leaders or hav...

John Wilkes Booth and the Politics of Assassination

The reading assignment from chapter 27 from our text entitled, â€Å"John Wilkes Booth and the Politics of Assassination† written by James W. Clarke discusses the authors belief that Abraham Lincoln’s death was brought on by political ideologies and not because of mental health issues as some have widely claimed. The author believes that what were happening at that period in time were the breeding grounds for Booth’s drive to assassinate Lincoln.Clarke writes, â€Å"political context of the assassination facts such as Lincoln’s unpopularity in the North as well as in the South, the vicious opposition within his cabinet and Congress along with the controversy surrounding his re-election of 1864† (306) were the true reasons behind his motives. Clarke uses examples from Booth’s childhood as everyone viewing him with a positive view and that view was shared by many including his friends and family. He points to his happy and health childhood as f act to his mental stability.Booth’s education was exceptional and along with his aspirations of following in his fathers footsteps into acting made him a very stable and intellectual man. He was considered to have gaiety and a passion for life. Clarke goes on to discuss how at 14 Booth lost his father and soon after, 3 years, he began acting. But when he began he had very harsh reviews that were critical of his ability in acting or his inexperience. Clarke believes he took these in stride and pushed forward in earnest to make a name all his own.Because the South seemed to praise his acting abilities more than the North, some theorize that this changed his attitude and he began to favor Southerner in lifestyle and beliefs that directed him to assassinate. Clark contends that although Booth did favor Southern audiences, the Northern audiences soon began to appreciate the actor’s abilities. Clarke asserts that women loved him and men from all walks of life wanted his frie ndship because they saw him as a man with wit and magnetism.The author maintains that this is the evidence for his motives being political instead of being pathological. Political events of 1864 such as the Civil War and the horrors of that bloody war along with the hatred the nation felt for Lincoln motivated the actor. So this sympathy for the South and because of his passions of justice and duty gave way to Booth’s actions. I find this very difficult to swallow. In my eyes and from what I read, Booth was a very self centered person and a very passionate actor that helped to make him feel invincible.The proof was in Clarke’s article when over and over he kept discussing Booth’s physical attractiveness and popularity among women as well as men. I believe that in Booth’s mind the assassination was a performance and felt he would gain even more popularity by his actions. I believe Booth did have some mental issues because anyone who kills another, for what ever motives has to have some level of mental illness. I’m sure that many at the time considered killing Lincoln, but only one person actually did the act.Charlie Manson was politically motivated when he told his followers to kill, but that didn’t diminish the fact he was totally insane. The same I holds true for Booth. Many can put excuses to another person’s actions, and especially when that person has been dead for quite sometime, but the fact remains that murder is an abnormal act in society; it’s against the societal norm and anyone who kills for whatever reason has mental health issues. Reference: Roberts, R. & Olson, J. S. (1986). American Experiences. Glenview, Ill. : Scott, Foreman.

Muslims and non Muslims interactions in the world Essay

A Muslim is a person who claims to follow the Islamic teachings while Islam is the people ‘s way of life of the Muslims. The Qur’an is the source book of the Muslims and contains in it the message that Allah gave to his prophet. Islam’s beliefs, goals and values have been controversial in the modern world and the media has been reporting on it more so after the11th September 2001 in USA (Ahmad 2011). This has been followed by many misconceptions associated with their way of life. Islam continues to be practiced all over the world by the many diverse cultures. This paper will look into the countries that Islam is practiced and its effects to the general population residing in these countries. Some of these countries will include USA, India, Pakistan and others. This will lead to the differences between other main types of worship like Christianity and Judaism with Islam. Due to the diverse understanding of Islam by the people, there are different reactions from dif ferent groups in the world. Many of the misconceptions about Islam are due to lack of adequate knowhow of its beliefs mostly of the non-Muslim. Misconception on Islamic beliefs, goals and values The Quran teaches on the equality and the marrying those without husbands and being faithful to them. On the issue of inheritance, it is the sole duty of the man to work and provide for the family. The woman on the other side is to be provided and is not to support the family. This explains why men should have twice the amount of inheritance as compared to women. This clears the misconception that women are not valued in Islam. Another main misconception about Islam is that it is meant to the Arabs. This is because the Quran is written in Arabic and most of the Muslims are Arabs. This is a misconception because only 18 percent of the Muslims are Arabs. The country with the highest number of Muslims is Indonesia followed by Bangladesh both of which are not Arabic countries. Islam has spread in all corners of the world and does not include Arabs only, although the Quran was first written in the language. There is also the belief that Muslims kill innocent people in the form of holy war. The Quran teaches about the need to preserve life and no one should take away life apart from the one who gives it. Islam stands firm that a real Muslim will observe this order from the Quran and Sunnah. Anybody who does kill innocent people is not a Muslim by deeds, but by the word of the mouth. Many people in the world believe that the Muslim community worship a man by the name of Muhammad. On the contrary, it is lack of knowledge of Islamic teachings since he is only a messenger from Allah. Quran and Sunnah teach of a monotheistic Islam mode of worship and only a non-Muslim would argue that they do worship a prophet. The Quran continues to erase the misconception that they do not recognize Jesus. But the main truth is that the Muslims recognize Jesus, but not as the son of God, but as just one of the prophets that served Allah. Teachings of Islam and its effects in different countries According to Dabashi (2012), in the USA, Many of the Muslims believe that Religion is a vital part of their worship. Many of the Muslims pray every day with many praying the five Salah. Others attend the weekly religious meetings in the mosques and many of the Muslims in this country believe that it is not Islam only that can take people to the paradise. USA is characterized by many groups of Muslims with different beliefs. Some believe in Muhammad, angels, God and others in the judgment day. Women have their separate place of worship like in other countries, although women do not wear hijab mostly as compared to other countries. They have been seen negatively since the 11th September issue, but they have remained resilient and remain active in the economic and political activities. In the United Kingdom, the Muslim community has involved itself in the creative lifestyle as many are artists. The women have followed the fashion diversity of the country. They have raised Islam by use of creative arts and have even started a newspaper under their name. Many of them continue to be arrested, affected by diseases and poor educational levels. This shows how they have been neglected and seen as outsiders. India has experienced violence against the Muslims. This has been attributed to socio-political and historical reasons with the Hindus. This has been brought by competition in business where Muslims businesses are targeted plus they are seen as a political threat to the Hindus due to their increasing numbers (Dabashi 2012).) Pakistan’s population is made up of Muslims raging to 96 percent. There are Islamic schools that teach people on the modern education. Due to media influence, women have been forced to wear Hijabs. There has also reduction in the number of attacks due to the intervention of the government and agencies of intelligence.In the middle East part of the world, Muslim enjoys a huge following with Judaism and Christianity also having following but not as Islam. Sunni is the major part of the Muslim and Shi’a is the minority. Violence has always been there due to the two having conflicts on who is to lead the Muslims in general. Judaism in Middle East is commonly found in Israel while Christians migrated into the area long time ago. The number of Christians has been decreasing due to the persecution by the majority who are the Muslims.This is due to Jihad as anybody who does not believe in Allah deserves not to live. Relationship between Islam, Christianity and Judaism All the three religions have one God and are as a result of one father who is Abraham(Peters 2008). The source books are the Bible, Quran and Hebrew Tanakh. According to the Christians, Jesus Christ comes to reconcile people and forgive sins, in Islam was to spread the gospel while Judaism does not attach any relevant role of Christ. He is the second in the trinity born of a virgin in Christianity, a prophet sent by Allah for the Muslims and Judaism does not attach any relevant tittle but takes him as an ordinary Jew. In Christianity, sin is inherited from Adam, Muslims believe they were born without sin while Judaism does not show any knowledge of sin that is original. Interaction of Muslims and Non-Muslims Allah did not object to the idea of Muslims mixing with non-Muslims in the Quran. He, however,proposes that such a relationship should be to promote peace and order. For this reason, Muslims in the world mix freely with the non-believers. This is an exception of countries with different understanding of the non-Muslims who view them as not worth living for example in the Middle East. Islam teaches on peaceful coexistence and love to the mankind. This is the reason most of the Muslims in USA and Great Britain live in love with those who are not Muslims. They are taught not to take behaviors of the non-Muslims more so on the issue of dressing (Thomas et al 2009). Even when the enemies are against them, Islam teaches about finding amicable peaceful solutions and not war. Those who fight are not true Muslims, according to their belief and teachings. Muslim socializes with the non-Muslims to establish, compassion, justice and tolerance. They visit their sick, socialize during happy moment s, greetings in the form of handshake and hugging, sharing and giving them gifts. They also offer condolence messages when struck by a disaster. Conclusion Islam is a religion with a following in many countries in the world. Many of its believers are found in the Middle East part of the world. The religion has been full of misconceptions by the non-Muslims on their general beliefs and way of worship. Most of the people believe that women are not valued, that the Muslims do not recognize Jesus, Worship a person in the name of Muhammad and are mostly Arabs. These misconceptions are only to the people who do not know the teachings of the Quran. Islam is practiced by people of diverse cultures from USA to Great Britain, Pakistan and India. The teachings of Islam makes them relate well with the non-Muslims as it teaches on peaceful existence and love to the neighbors. Outline The research paper shows how Islam is a sensitive part of the general public in the country today. It has been associated with many misconceptions which are only false beliefs. The introduction in brief, explains the difference between Islam and Muslims and the different areas the paper will dwell on. The first part of the paper describes the main misconceptions that are there in the society. Many believe that Islam is a religion of the Arabs whereas the country with the highest number of Muslims is not Arabic speaking. There is also the misconception that Islam does not recognize Jesus and that it does not value women. It is also a misconception that Muslims worship a person. The second part shows the different areas and the reactions of Muslims towards the non-Muslims. These areas have different approach due to the diverse cultural beliefs in the areas. The third part describes the relationship among the three major religions which are Islam, Christianity and Judaism. This part shows a similarity among the three and some differences. This shows the different beliefs of the different groups in the different religions. This leads to the next part of the paper which is how the Muslims interact with the other groups which are not Muslims. This is based on the teachings of the Quran which insists on peace and love of the mankind. It also cautions on the influence of the non-Muslims to their beliefs and code of conduct. The conclusion concludes the main points that are discussed in the research paper. Reference Ahmad, S. D. (2011). Islam in perspective. S.l.: Authorhouse. Dabashi, H. (2012). Being a Muslim in the world: Rethinking Islam for a Post-Western History. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Peters, F. E., & Esposito, J. L. (2008). The Children of Abraham: Judaism, Christianity, Islam: A New Edition. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Thomas, D., Roggema, B., Monferrer, S. J. P., Chesworth, J., & Azumah, J. (2009). Christian Muslim relations: A bibliographical history. Leiden: Brill. Source document

Sustainable Transport Policy

1. Developing Countries and Transportation Transportation in developing countries is considered to be a significant influence on major global issues, many of which are associated with the state of the environment and of human life. According to Gwilliam (2003), developing countries â€Å"are taken to be those that qualify as borrowing members of the World Bank, including the transitional economies†, but the developed countries â€Å"are taken to be the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries, excluding Mexico†. Cities within developing countries are different in their economic, political and demographic aspects. However, economic improvement can lead to growth in the road and transport infrastructure but vehicle ownership slows this rate (Gwilliam, 2003). The existing city structure and political history means that most of these cities are unable to provide efficient mass transports services due to â€Å"scatter pockets† (Gwilliam, 2003). The quickly increasing popul ation is related with a below average proportion of the land that is allocated for transport. Whilst other sectors, such as education and sanitation, improve with economic progress, transportation problems can be seen to worsen with economic development (Transport Policy Advisory services, 2010). It can be difficult to examine common urban transportation issues in developing countries due to the contribution of interlinked trends in its operations. For instance, one of the important trends is population growth; the population density rate in urban areas was almost 45% in 1995 and it is expected to increase to 60% by 2025; developing countries have a massive share of this rate of about 90% (Road Management & Engineering Journal, 1998). Furthermore, any increase in the population leads to an increase in transport problems, such as car ownership – which has risen in developing countries in recent years along with an increase in the number of personally owned cars; this also relates to economic growth (Gakenheimer, 1999). The number of vehicles with two or three wheels is also rising, especially in Asia (Gwilliam, 2003). These vehicles are characterized by easy mobility and affordability, but they are also a primary source of pollution (Abuhamoud et al., 2011). The absence of suitable public transportation to match the population growth is another issue. This failure to develop these services is associated to its contrast with capital costs. Hence, another phenomenon emerges which is a city’s sporadic growth without following a regular pattern. It makes it difficult for people to gain use from mass transportation and means that the city needs additional provisions for public transport and to improve the access to transport. However, these transportation trends are influenced strongly by environmental and social standards which are completely linked to life quality and production. These involve â€Å"congestion, energy consumption, air pollution, and traffic crashes† (Road Management & Engineering Journal, 1998). 2. Transport problems The fundamental social and economic actions are people’s mobility and commodities. For this purpose, cars and trucks are the most common and important means of transportation used worldwide and their numbers have grown massively in developing countries; especially in cities where conventional transport is incompatible with the city structure development and road infrastructure. Consequently, the system is exposed to a number of problems (Transport Policy Advisory services, 2010). According to Gwilliam (2003), the problems of transport systems in developing countries are traffic congestion, environmental issues, safety and poverty. 2.1. Congestion This phenomenon is common in developing countries, especially in megacities. The rate of urban growth and increasing car ownership has produced excessive congestion in developing countries. Few cities reach the rate of car use and congestion as those in developed countries, according to the per capita income (Kutzbach, 2009). As Gwilliam (2003) states, congestion makes a reduction in the average travel speed in the daytime in the city centre. For instance, in Bangkok, Manila, Mexico and Shanghai it dropped to 10km/hr or less, and 15km/hr or less in Kuala Lumpur and Sau Paulo. These resulted in increased travel time and a decrease in accessibility. In Rio de Janeiro and Bogota the average travel in one-way roads is 107 and 90 minutes respectively (Gakenheimer, 1999). Notwithstanding this, the number of cars in the majority of developing countries did not exceed 100 cars per 1000 persons, while in developed countries this has overtaken 400 cars per 1000 persons (Kutzbach, 2009). Car ow nership growth in non-OECD countries is conceivable to be faster than population growth; it reaches 15-20% (Gwilliam, 2003). According to Abuhamoud et al. (2011) there is a complex relationship between urban growth and transport services. Currently about 50% of the population live in cities and this is raising increasingly, and developing countries share approximately 95% of this growth (Candiracci, 2009). It has also to be shown that as the city grows, the distance from home to the worksite is increasing with a lack of appropriate transport and road facilities (Abuhamoud et al., 2011). As a result, car ownership and congestion is inevitable. In this context, Africa makes up about 14% of the planet’s population, equivalent to about one billion people; in 2007 the urban population rate was 38.7% with the change of 2% per year from 2005 to 2010, and the increase of vehicles during these 5 years was observed. Urbanization could be observed at a higher level in North Africa, which was more than 80% and in Libya, South Africa and Botswana more than 55% but the countries still faced a lack of road facilit ies and poor vehicle quality (Abuhamoud, ibid). This type of urbanization can also be noticed in Asia. For example, China is exposed to a rapid urban growth which is currently about 43% and is associated with the country’s rapid economic growth. It is expected that this figure will increase to 70% in 2050. This is due to people’s immigration into urban areas which will affect the economy because the city energy consumption will be higher than rural areas. This will also be another factor contributing to the overall city congestion (Cheng and Hu, 2009). As Dargay at el., (2007) presents, the overall vehicle stock was 0.8 billion in 2002, but this is expected to increase to about 2 billion in 2030, of which 56% of vehicles will be owned by developing countries; this was 24% in 2002. Consequently, vehicle ownership growth may cause excessive congestion which can lead to side effects on the transportation system. Much more can be done to combat congestion, such as: encouraging markets to be more active in supplying goods in active areas; improving transport quality between cities; stopping transport subsidies in cities; improving road management and structure by devoting a sufficient land for roads; improving traffic management and improving planning institutions (Gwilliam, 2003). According to Kutzbach (2009), reducing costs and the wait period in bus stations by rising bus frequency can cause an increase in bus users, and then mass transit would be improved and congestion will decrease. Also, improving rail transport could offer a further option (Gakenheimer, 1999). 2.2. Environment problems Transport and movement have a direct impact on the environment of cities in developing countries. As a result, it impacts on human health. According to studies conducted in Bangkok, Cairo, Mexico City, Quito and Santiago, small matter particles are common and when their volume is less than 2.5 microns of lead this can inflict serious damages to the public health. In addition to this, the level of NO2 is still lower then WHO guidelines outline and there is also a high level of SO2 that is coming from increased coal use. This can damage the ozone which can be considered another threat to people’s health, especially in Mexico City and Santiago (Gwilliam, 2003). According to Transport Policy Advisory services (2010), transport growth and congestion leads to an increasing in the consumption of oil which means an increase in CO2 emissions which directly causes environmental pollution. As Candiracci (2009) states, pollution can cause the of death of people worldwide; for instance, about 6500 people in Mexico and 170000 to 280000 a year in China are facing life threatening situations because of these conditions. Furthermore, urban transportation is the main cause of increasing noise which is another type of pollution. Transport contributes about 25% of overall energy using and is continually increasing. The CO2 emissions from 1990 to 2004 have grown by almost 36.5% and it is expected to increase to approximately 140% in 2050 with the greatest increase coming from developing nations (Transport Policy Advisory services, 2010). CO2 emission from vehicles did not exceed 6% in tons; however, it impacts 32% of people. Urban transport is the main sourc e for 80-90% of lead spreads in these cities (Gwilliam, 2003). Additionally, there are a large number of motorcycles with 2 to 3 wheels which provides a wide range of transportation needs in Africa. For example, in Togo these vehicles provide 80% of transportation requirements, but also pollute the environment (Abuhamoud et al., 2011). It is also common in most Asian cities where it makes up about 75% of the fleet in Hanoi (Gwilliam, 2003). Generally, the poor environment condition is an outcome of the high levels of congestion in developing countries. The structure of today’s transport seems unsatisfactory in the sustainability point of view, this is mainly by the reason of its disadvantages to the environment and to humanity’s health (Transport Policy Advisory services, 2010). The environment can be improved by working to improve the quality of vehicles, implementing the honest â€Å"inspection and maintenance (I/M) programme†, using new motorcycle technology, improving system management and non-motorized modes, and running the â€Å"own-price elasticity for gasoline consumption† (Gwilliam, 2003). 2.3. Safety Safety is also another problem of transport systems in developing countries that is directly related to transport crashes and criminal accidents which occur on roads or its surrounding. The amount of people who are fatally injured due to road transport accidents is almost one million people annually, while 85% of this figure is in developing countries and 50% in urban areas. However, pedestrians and cyclists are exposed to safety issues much more than cars and those who ride on mass transport such a buses and trains. Accidents can remain a side effect on the victim’s psychological state and can affect the rate of travel and journeys made (Gwilliam, 2003). The bad quality of roads and vehicles in developing countries are the main reasons for safety problems, environment pollution, and congestion. For instance, the roads in the majority of cities in Africa are congested with motorcycles, which is the vehicle that is involved in the most accidents. This is primarily because a dri ver license for a motorcycle is not mandatory in this country (Abuhamoud et al., 2011). Public safety is also influenced by other aspects of road transport, such as air pollution, which is directly related to human health. Another impact on safety is insufficient pedestrian space which should be as far as the road space. This has been applied in most cities in China. The deficiency of bicycle paths in developing countries also decreases road safety (Transport Policy Advisory services, 2010). However, transport safety and security can be improved by considering a number of interactive approaches. Studies indicate that most traffic accidents in developing countries occur in the mid-link of roads and at junctions (Gwilliam, 2003). Therefore, road safety can be enhanced through improving road quality and developing road space that is suitable enough for all road users. 2.4. Poverty The distributional impacts of transport developments which have declined to an unusual degree are another significant issue faced in developing countries. Poor people live in areas that have a lack of transportation facilities. Poor people depend on walking although and public transport services are not as required, therefore, walking or non-motorised vehicles such as bicycles are the main modes of transportation (Gwilliam, 2003). Poorer people tend to make fewer trips poor, take longer on their journeys and have worse safety. Studies have shown that in poorer areas there are 20 to 30% fewer journeys. These journeys take longer due to the lack of roads and transport for pedestrians at all times. The poor people in Rio de Janeiro spend on average more than 3 hours commuting to reach the worksite (Transport Policy Advisory services, 2010). Better safety for poorer people can be achieved through the introduction of a number of actions such as the provision of better quality transport which can increase the opportunity for poor people to access jobs, also improving the non-motorised and pedestrians’ path surface and pavement design could help safety issues. Subsidizing the public transport sector to raise attention to public passengers and their available means of transport would also help benefit poor people, as would the construction of non-motorised transport network in cities (Gwilliam, 2003). 3. Transport and life As the Transport Policy Advisory services (2010) states, the concept of urban transport problems appears to be important because it is directly linked to the sensitive and essential spheres of life, such as the environment, society and economy. The transport can impact the environment through pollution emissions, especially in urban areas. Thus, it affects biodiversity. Transport impacts social life because it is strictly associated with accessibility levels, clean air, noise effect, and traffic accidents. However, there is also a strong relationship between transport and the economy in which it impacts on goods and people’s mobility. Accordingly, in implementing any program for the purpose of transport sustainability it should be taken into account what necessitates the satisfaction of all these elements. 4. Transportation and the Future 4.1 Climate Change The transport sector is defined as a rapid growth source of greenhouse gas emissions. In this context, the monumental increase of motorization and car ownerships has influenced economic growth which leads to the occurrence of a big change in greenhouse gas emissions, where this increase then causes global warming and climate change (Wright and Fulton, 2005). Climate change may be seen as a considerable problem which faces transportation currently and also in the future (Chapman, 2007). However, while there are modes of public and non-motorized transport in developing cities, the poor quality of public transport and the inadequate service for non-motorized and pedestrians encourages people’s tendency to use private cars (Gwilliam, 2003). This then causes an increase in greenhouse gas emissions which represent a main reason of climate change occurrence. According to Wright and Fulton (2005), the greenhouse emissions from the transport sector globally is estimated to be about 24% , which grows 2.1% annually, and grows 3.5% in developing countries. It is expected to increase by about 30% by 2030. Therefore, the impacts may include dramatic weather changes, increasing sea-levels, floods and health risks in the long-term. Therefore developing countries should work to sustain the current public and non-motorised transport to develop future sustainable transport. As the Road Management & Engineering Journal (1998) states, to mitigate the impacts of climate change in the future by 2050, the CO2 emissions needs to be cut by 50% globally. This goal can be achieved through â€Å"improving fuel technology† and finding a â€Å"mode-shifting solution† (Wright and Fulton, 2005). 4.2. Peak Oil Peak oil is another issue worth mentioning. It is strongly related to transportation in terms of fuel consumption. In 2003 the rate of demand of oil increased by 3% which is equivalent to about 101 million barrels annually (Aleklett, 2007). The decline in production of oil in the three greatest exporters – Saudi Arabia, Russia and Norway – is estimated to be 4 to 6 million barrels per day by 2030, and the implications of an enormous oil shortage will appear in the transportation sector by the same year (Aleklett, 2007). Human health is influenced by these changes in economic and social aspects, more than which results from policy interferences. However, the peak oil impacts on the economy in terms of increasing the demand and price of oil, also impacts on increasing transport prices and the freight of food, goods and medicine. Therefore, it can create a health crisis even if half of the spare oil has been spent. In contrast to this, there are positive impacts such as the reduction of congestion and pollution emissions which can reduce climate change (Hanlon and McCartney, 2008). Conclusion: It is felt that transportation problems vary from other problems plaguing the developing countries due to it is worsening with economic development. Vehicle ownership growth may cause excessive congestion which leads to side effects on the transportation system wholly. The congestion can be reduced through improving the road quality and public transport, thereby increasing safety and decreasing environment pollution. The environment can be improved by improving vehicle quality, implementing the inspection and maintenance system (I/M), using new motorcycle technology, non-motorized modes, and running the own-price elasticity for gasoline. It is recommended that implementing any program for the purpose of transport sustainability should take into consideration the elements affecting the environment, society and the economy. It is recommended that developing countries should work to keep the current public and non-motorised transport running, in order to developing future sustainable tr ansport and to protect the climate and the energy. References Abuhamoud, M. A. A., Rahmat, R. A. O. K., & Ismail, A. (2011). Transportation and its concerns in Africa: A review. The Social Sciences 6(1), pp. 51-63. [online] http://docsdrive.com/pdfs/medwelljournals/sscience/2011/51-63.pdf [accessed October 22th 2013]. Aleklett, K. (2007). Peak oil and the evolving strategies of oil importing and exporting countries (No. 2007-17). Discussion paper. [online] http://www.internationaltransportforum.org/jtrc/DiscussionPapers/DiscussionPaper17.pdf [accessed October 26th 2013]. Candiracci, S. (2009). Climate change, urbanization and sustainable urban transport in developing country cities. Energy & transport Policies Section. 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