Sociology

Abstract

A slave narrative is defined as a type of memoir that was mainly fashionable during the last half of the 19^th century. In this case, the writers of these narratives outlined different themes including ignorance as a tool for slavery; education as a path to freedom, slaveholding as a perversion of Christianity; and family disunities among others. It can be argued that enslavers used slaves’ ignorance and Christianity to hold and maintain slaves.

Introduction

A slave narrative is a kind of memoirs that was mainly fashionable all through the last half of the 19^th century; particularly in the period before the Civil War. Based on this slave narrative more often than not; followed comparable arranged formats. In this case, they frequently began with an account of the slaves’ ancient record; the mistreatments and terrible situations coupled with slavery, and the major characters’ flee to liberty. It should be noted that, a conventional slave narrative often made use of themes including an evidence to genuineness, spiritual and biblical imagery; the consequences of slavery on household, and the learning chances throughout slavery and after achieving liberty.

It can be argued that, the key objective of a slave narrative was to create a story-like piece of script which concerned a white spectator, and promoted the elimination of pressure groups to stop slavery in the U.S. it is further of importance to note that; a slave narrative would frequently explain in bright particulars sights of rape; assassination, family breakages, whipping and hunger particularly among women and children. In such a narrative, there is frequently a rotating point at which the slaves were persuaded in the search for liberty in the North; as the only route of action to evade an absolute and entirety loss of religious wellbeing (Andrews & Gates 2000).

Main text

Based on these ideas, it can be argued that slave narratives utilized different themes which included ignorance as a tool for slavery. In this case as indicated in the Douglass’s narrative, the white slave-owners continued slavery by ensuring their slaves remained uninformed. Based on this, during slavery many people were convinced that slavery was a normal condition of human beings; and that the blacks were innately incompetent in partaking in social civilization and thus should be reserved as laborers for the whites. In this case, the slaves were kept uninformed of fundamental details about themselves like their dates of birth or parenthood.

In this case this imposed unawareness, took from children of their ordinary intellect of individual uniqueness. In this case, slave children were not allowed to gain education as it would have given them a sense of self-reliance and ability. On the other hand, slaves were not in a position to query the rights of the slave-owners for holding slaves; because they were illiterate. At the same time since the slaves couldn’t read and write, their mistreatments could not be known thus the rest of America was not informed about slavery.

It is of importance to note that, the slave owners were able to enslave and maintain slaves through sustaining ignorance among them, in order for the slaves to believe and feel satisfied under slavery (Douglass 2001).

In addition, knowledge as a path to freedom was another theme utilized by slavery narratives. In this case, while the whites maintained men and women as slaves by denying them information and schooling; slaves had to look for these tools in order to pursue their liberty. From the example Douglass; due to his own self-information was the key means by which he was capable of liberating himself, as well as his utmost device to toil for the liberty of all slaves. It can further be argued that, Douglass explained distinctive conduct prototypes of slave owners to illustrate the destructive consequences of slavery.

From this it can be seen that, many slaveholder men lured slaves to infidelity and rape; hence having children with their female slaves. It is of importance to note that, this theme encouraged the slaves to search for education and knowledge so that they can be better positioned to understand their rights.

In this case, through education slaves would be able to strategize on how they would attain their liberty through anti-slavery movements. It can be said that, when slaves got educated they were able to realize their rights and at the same time question the rights of the slave owners; for holding slaves. Based on this knowledge, the slaves were able to liberate themselves. From this it can be argued that, not unless the slaves strived to acquire information and skills; they would not be able to react against slavery and slave owners.

In this case the knowledge gained by slaves after liberation could be used to hoist further movements against slavery in America. It can also be argued from the statements of Douglass in his narratives that, the only escape from slavery was through gaining education. Based on this, slaves were forced to believe that they were not worth working in the civil society; because of their lack of education (Douglass 2001).

Further, slaveholding as a perversion of Christianity was utilized as a theme in slave narratives. In this case from Douglass’ description of Christianity, slave-owners’ type of Christianity was not in confirmation of their inborn kindness; but purely an insincere indication that dished up to boost their self-righteous cruelty. From this, to indicate this dissimilarity one can describe the fundamental disagreement between the generous as well as nonviolent doctrines of Christianity, and the brutal and wicked actions of the slave owners.

Based on the chapter of Thomas Auld, he experienced a transformation from an unkind slaveholder to a crueler one in the Douglass narrative. In this case, slave owners’ unkindness amplified after becoming religious as the case of Auld in the Douglass narrative; whose holiness raised his self-assurance in his ‘God-given right’ to keep and abuse slaves. In addition, the Southern churches were corrupt where for instance Auld’s church received profits from his funds made by means of slaves. Based on this, churches during the period of slavery were complicit in the human unkindness of slavery (Andrews & Gates 2000).

Additionally, the theme of family breakages was well utilized in slave narratives; where slavery damaged the continuation of any union among the slaves. In this case when the slaves were removed from their fellow Africans, varied tribes were mixed together on the ships uncovering their identities. It can further be argued that, slaves were not allowed to be unified in order to reduce their chances of rebelling against their masters. On the other hand, the slave masters used to rape slave women and girl children which resulted to family breakages. It can further be seen from the slave narratives that; slaves were not at all times taken from the same family to serve a common master; hence could serve different slave owners which promoted family disunities (Franklin & Moss Jr. 2000).

Conclusion

To wind up, slavery narratives through the different themes outlined how slave owners were able to hold and maintain slaves. In this case, slaves’ ignorance was a fundamental tool used to sustain slavery. It can further be said that, it was only through education that slaves were able to realize their rights thus started rebelling against slavery in America. In this case they realized that slave owners’ type of Christianity; only helped them to mistreat slaves but not liberate them.

Reference lists

Andrews, William, & Gates, Henry, 1^st edition. Slave Narratives. Now York: Library of America, 2000.

Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the life of Fredrick Douglass, An American slave Written By Himself. Yale: Yale University Press, 2001.

Franklin, John, & Moss Jr, Alfred. From Slavery to Freedom: A History Of African Americans, 8^th sub edition. New York: Knopf Publishers, 2000.

Animal rights refer to a movement that ensures that animals are not used by humans in a way that causes harm to them. People cause a lot of suffering to animals, specifically domestic animals, with the argument that they are their property and thus they are entitled to treat them as they intend. From the defense that such people use, it is evident that the society suffers a serious misunderstanding of the meaning of ‘animal rights.’

Non-supporters of animal rights have the misconception that caring for the welfare of animals and imposing regulations so that they are not mistreated amounts to equating animals to humans. This ignorance has resulted to the death and suffering of a lot of animals all over the world and a substantial decrease in animal population. Animals have been greatly used in experimentation where they are exposed to a lot of painful procedures.

The procedures may involve, the sewing of animals’ eyes for a long period of time, dissection of animals, mutilation, starvation, isolation, electrocution, burning, poisoning of the animals etcetera. Since the start of medical research, millions of animals have been killed and a lot of others exposed to excruciating pain. The killing of animals in medical research amounts to productive animal use but it can confidently be considered as a serious violation of animal rights due to the questions related to its necessity.

In contemporary medical laboratories like the American College of Surgeons laboratory, students use simulators as a substitute of animals in their lessons. Thus students complete their courses without dissecting a single animal. It is therefore necessary that we evaluate the benefit that we get from animal use before engaging ourselves in it.

Animal rights activism is mainly concerned with differentiating between animal use and animal mistreatment. Most people who do not believe in animal rights use the negative effects of animal use to defend their mistreatment of these animals. For instance, people who cause severe injuries on the bodies of animals may argue that their actions are better than slaughtering the animals for food. To some extend, their argument makes sense; but it must be considered that the injuring of animals amounts to mistreatment without a good cause while the slaughtering of animals amounts to their use for a productive cause.

Despite the fact that animals are kept and owned by humans, it is inhuman to mistreat them. Their use is the primary objective of keeping them but we should always look for alternatives to harmful animal use like the mentioned use of simulators in medical laboratories. Before using an animal in a given way, we should always consider the impact our actions have on the animals. For instance, before stripping an animal its fur, one should consider the suffering the animal will go through without the fur.

With the current exponential decreases in animal population and the extinction of some animal species, it is clear that there is need for a serious course of action in animal preservation. Animal rights activists should fight for sufficient legislation protecting animals from mistreatment and also help in monitoring the treatment of animals. The society holds the key to a world in which animal mistreatment will be history. It is therefore the responsibility of each one of us to examine how we use our animals and how we relate with them.

Poverty can be defined as the state of lacking or not having the ways of getting the basic human wants like food, shelter, education, clothing, good health care and clean water. It can also be defined as the state of possessing less resources and income than other people in the community, country, or even in the comparison with worldwide averages. Currently almost half of the people living in the world, that is, approximately more than three billion people survive on less than $2.50 in a day; this means that an estimation of 80 percent of the population in the world today spends each day with less than $10. About 24,000 children who live in most of the poorest localities in the world are losing life everyday as a result of poverty this is according to the report given by UNICEF.

According to the research done in the united Nation it is estimated that approximately 25,000 people across the world die of hunger and hunger related diseases everyday that is to mean that in every three and a half seconds one person loses life. In the developing countries about 27-28 percent of children are approximated to be emaciated or stunted. In the 21^st century almost one billion people began the century being illiterate due to lack of finances to pay for education (Wesley, 2002, p.325).

Poverty has continuously been there in the rich and poor nations, the gap between the poor and the well-off people is increasingly widening. The causes of poverty across the world are numerous; they include failing to have individual responsibility, poor government policy, poor economy, demographics, social and environmental factors, and poor health care among other factors. There are numerous inter-related problems causing hunger, these issues are as a result of lack of rights of lands ownership, the rich grab lands from the poor people and use them for their selfish gain, for example, in the third world countries the rich grab lands and they use the land for raising wool in the upcoming and highly fruitful looms.

The poor are denied the entitlement of lands and this has resulted to immense lack of sufficient agricultural practices, hence, starvation is inevitable. Poverty is also as a result of diversion of land utilization to non-productive use, for example, where importation of food is high the rich people grab massive lands and use them for activities like tobacco production among others and as a result, the government has to import food and this has led to the rise in food prices.

Corruption is another main cause of poverty in the world that happens at all levels of the community, from local and state governments, civil communities, judiciary functions, big and tiny businesses, military and some other services among others. The hardest hit people are those people who survive below the poverty line. This is irrespective of whether they live in first world countries like Germany or third world countries like Mexico.

The economic system worldwide has currently shaped the recent form of globalization, this has caused conditions in a way that corruption can increase and worsen the state of people who have very little or nothing to suggest about their destiny (Wesley, 1989, p.235). The results of this mass corruption and the inequalities have already been passed into law. The examples include consensus on free trade and unequal trade, polices on organizational adjustments among others.

These laws are assumed that they are not part of corruption because the have been transformed into laws. The well-off countries take advantage of the third world countries by exploiting the natural deposits of things like oil, gold, copper, diamonds among others and the payments are made to the people in power who in return take a lot of money away for their own use and hence widening the gap between the rich and the poor.

The other major cause of poverty around the world is poor governance. According to the recent research poor governance carries the blame for project failures, and collapsing of major business transformation projects (Madeley, 1999, p. 68). Analysts have cited poor governance as a major reason for their low returns and lack of confidence in the markets. As a result there a great raise in prices of the human basic requirements hence promoting poverty especially to the people with very low income. In order to maintain the high levels of economic development, which many countries are experiencing, the governments have to be effective in their governance and address the issue of globalization, the leaders should encourage people to take part in decision making and application of various activities that affect their living (Neild, 2002).

Demographics is another major cause of poverty, demographic can be defined as the quality of the human population as applied in the government, research or opinion on markets, among other factors. There is a great increase in the human population over time; this is as a result of lack of birth control methods, some religions like the Muslims do not believe in the family planning methods as a way of birth control, some other communities lack knowledge in the use of the birth control methods, others cannot afford to use birth control methods due to lack of finances, among other reasons (Malcolm, 2006, p.46).

This rapid increase in population is contrary to the available resources as a result the level of poverty has really increased due to lack of sufficient resources to feed the upcoming populations. The government in return has increased the market prices to cater for the higher taxes on the goods imported. As a result of the increase in the market prices the poor man has continuously become poorer (Hague et al., 2006, p. 85).

Social crimes like war, drug and substance abuse, pride and prejudice, assassinations, theft, among others have resulted to increased rate of poverty. Due to the above mentioned crimes many people have lost their lives living behind dependants. As a result of revenge many people who are the bread winners for their families have been assassinated, others sent to jail for lifetime imprisonment, as a result children have been left with no one to depend on and many die of hunger and poor health conditions.

Many people today have engaged in drug and substance abuse, this has resulted to psychological effects and hence they fail to provide for their families, others have finally been separated from their dependants and taken to rehabilitation centers. Due to social discrimination and social classes many people have been denied employment thus they lack income to support their families (Acemoglu, 2003, p.186).. In the countries where there is war, many people have escaped from their home countries to seek refuge in foreign lands where they have no rights to own property, as a result of these they have become dependant on food relief programmers.

Most of the low income earners have no access to proper health care for themselves and for their children (Fjeldsted, 2003, p.228).This has resulted to poor health nutrition hence leading to them being unable to work and provide for their families. In the poor countries there are few advanced health facilities, and the few that are available, the low income earners cannot afford, thus many people have lost their lives. In order for the H.I.V victims to extend their lives they requires proper well balanced health nutrition, many low income earners cannot meet this demand hence they lead to premature deaths, they also become so weak that they cannot work and support their families (Mauro, 1995, p. 684).

The other factor that enhances poverty is environmental disasters like soil erosion, earthquakes, landslides, deforestation, drought and famines, and climatic changes. Sometimes there is food shortage due to climate changes, in the countries where agriculture is the main source of income, many people are struck by drought and at times their members of families and animals die. Due to poverty many people have cut down the trees and burn them for charcoal, this has resulted to deforestation which in return has affected the climate negatively.

In the view of the above causes of poverty it is realized that poor governance is the major cause of the increased level of poverty, because if proper administration is applied and corruption brought to an end, then the gap between the poor and the rich can be minimized and the common man’s needs will be taken care of. The government should be in a position to provide proper health facilities, food relief services in case of natural disasters, give seminars to educate people on farming methods ands businesses among others, in order to control and reduce the levels of poverty. In conclusion it is recommended that the government works together with the common man to eradicate poverty in the world.

Reference List

Acemoglu, D., 2003, The Form of Property Rights: Oligarchic vs. Democratic Societies, Department of Economics, MIT, Cambridge.

Fjeldsted, O. H., 2003, Decentralization and Corruption: A Review of the Literature, U4 Report, Chr. Michelsen Institute, Bergen, Norway.

Hague, C., Wakely P., Crespin J. and Jasko C., 2006, Making Planning Work: A Guide to Approaches and Skills. Intermediate Technology publications (ITDG). Warwickshire, United Kingdom.

Madeley, J. 1999, Big Business Poor Peoples; The Impact of Transnational Corporations on the World’s Poor, Zed Books, Kansas.

Malcolm, J., 2006, Urbanization, Sustainable Growth and Poverty Reduction in Asia. Institute of Development Studies and Overseas Development Institute.

Mauro, P., 1995, Corruption and Growth, Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. 110 pp. 681-712.

Neild, R., 2002, The Dark Side of Social Evolution, Anthem Press, London.

Wesley, S. J., 1989, The World’s Wasted Wealth: the political economy of waste, New World’s Press, New York.

Wesley, S. J., 2002, Regaining Rights to a Modern Commons through Eliminating the Subtle-Monopolization of Land, New World’s Press, New York.

Introduction

Communication refers to the process by which information is passed from one entity to the other. This process needs a wide range of skills that include listening, making observations, asking questions, processing, carrying out an analysis, and evaluation. Employing all these processes undergoes development and spreads to all aspects of life. These processes are employed at home, at work, in school among other places. It is through the help of this process of communication that cooperation together with collaboration between or among people comes about.

The purpose of communication

The purpose of getting involved in the process of exchanging information is to fulfill your needs. These needs can be emotional or physical. The main goal of communicating is to effectively give out a message to the one receiving that message. Through this, people who believe in the same cause are linked together to make their relationships strong.

Good communication

Good communication concerns one person communicating the message to another or to others in a clear manner in order for the message to be understood. It also involves getting the information communicated that another person or people are passing across to an individual with minimal distortions possible.

In order to realize good communication, there is supposed to be the involvement of an effort by the one giving out the message and the one that is receiving the message. Successful communication can only be achieved when the sender of the information and one who receives get to understand the same information as an outcome of communication. There should be no misunderstanding of the information on the part of the receiving the information. When there is no good communication, the ideas, as well as thoughts, were given out by the sender may not actually give a reflection of what the sender thinks and this causes a breakdown in communication and creates barriers in the sender’s goals in a professional aspect or a personal one (Mind Tools, 2010).

Differences between verbal and non-verbal communication

According to Johnson (2009), verbal communication is the real words human beings make use of in the course of speaking. On the other hand, non-verbal communication refers to giving out messages from one person to the other or others without the use of words. In this case, messages are given out through such activities as eye contact, voice tone, silences and pauses, expressions on the face, hand gestures, body positioning, and body distances among other activities.

One of the main differences between the two forms of communication is that non-verbal communication is believed to be more reliable in expressing one’s true feelings. This is true especially in the case whereby the non-verbal messages and verbal messages are not consistent with one another. However, there are cases where people might carry out manipulation on non-verbal communication the same way they manipulate verbal communication in order to be relied upon.

Another difference between the two is that non-verbal communication goes on and on unlike the case of verbal communication. There can be starting of talking or writing and then stopping. But on the other hand, people will go on making adjustments on their postures and the expressions on the face (Wood, 2009).

Team/Group Communication

In order to realize effective group communication, the people in the team or group should strive to overcome personal differences and work towards the same goal and this calls for committing time and effort by each and every member of the team. Effective group communication can only be realized in the case where there is frankness, respect, sincerity, and integrity among all the members of the team. Where there is the realization of an effective team or group communication, there is mutual trust and respect that is established and facilitation of acquiring of knowledge (Payne, 2001).

Utilizing Formal Written Communication

Utilizing formal written communication involves spending more time composing a message and then extra time is spent to go over the message in a more careful way. This chance to go over the message is of great benefit that is derived from this kind of communication.

This benefit might not be realized when employing non-formal face to face communication since in this case, one has to come up with ideas and pass them over immediately and in case he or she delivers a wrong message or statement that has not been worded in a proper manner, even if he or she decides to withdraw the statement or message and make corrections, the listener might not fully forget the original message. In the case of written communication, a message that has been wrongly written can be deleted and corrections made before this message is presented.

Under formal written communication, the writer is able to find the transitional words that give an indication of the logic behind the message. There is a following of a logical sequence in formal writing without deviating from the track. A person who writes goes over the message in a more careful manner in order to ensure that the statements that are written can be read in the most convenient way possible. There is well structuring of the sentences and these statements flow together. Using this form of communication, one adheres to the rules of proper grammar, Informal vs. Formal Communication: Conversation Compared to Writing).

Conclusion

From the discussion, it has been seen that communication is quite important and plays a very vital role in ensuring that information is passed from one person to the other or to a group of people. Therefore, it is of great importance for each and every individual to practice effective communication skills in order to realize personal or professional satisfaction that springs out from good communication.

Reference List

Anon. (n.d). Informal vs. Formal Communication: Conversation Compared to Writing. Web.

Johnson, J. K. (2009). Communication – The Difference Between the Verbal and Non-Verbal Messages We Send to Children. Web.

Mind Tools, (2010). Why you need to get your message across. Web.

Payne, B. (2001). Effective group communication. South West Landcare Project, Colac. Web.

Wood, J. T. (2009). Interpersonal Communication: Everyday Encounters. Edition 6, revised. Cengage Learning. Web.

Introduction

Urbanization refers to the physical growth of urban centers due to globalization and increased rural-urban migration. Rapid urbanization, therefore, causes remarkable population growth in urban areas. Some of the causes of urbanization include the individual need to find better employment opportunities and social amenities such as schools and housing in urban areas rather than rural regions. People are motivated to move to towns and cities in pursuit of economic opportunities which cannot be found in rural areas (Price, Lewis & Rowntree, 2003). It is apparent from global migration patterns related to urbanization that the movement of persons is inspired by the need to improve their living conditions above subsistence lifestyles.

The rural area is limited by agriculture as the main economic activity. Consequently, farming is the principal career in such rural settings. However, farming is quite unpredictable since it is dictated by environmental conditions such as the presence or absence of rainfall and diseases. On the other hand, the urban areas are littered with a variety of economic activities which can sustain a considerable number of people. Modernization, globalization, and industrialization are the main factors contributing to the rapid urbanization of towns and cities in developing countries (Pacione, 2001). Business and employment opportunities are rife in urban centers. The notion is that towns and cities are the right places for wealth creation and opportunities for career development available to everyone.

Urban areas are actually the places where commerce is extensively carried out and foreign exchange transacted. The rapid exchange of goods and services in urban areas provides opportunities to make money more easily than in the rural setting. Advanced medical facilities are also found in urban areas rather than remote rural settings. The variety of job opportunities in urban centers and institutions of higher learning encourages rural-urban migrations. There are also entertainment facilities and social amenities which ensure that the quality of life and standards of living are improved. The sustained migration of people from rural to urban areas increases social diversity and interaction of people from different communities (Zeigler, Hays-Mitchell & Brunn, 2008).

Rapid urbanization is influenced by globalization and industrialization. Industrialization actually results in automation and mechanization of agriculture forcing manual laborers to seek for alternative employment opportunities in factories most of which are located in urban areas. The corporate presence of companies in urban areas is due to comparable developed infrastructure for transportation and communication. Factories and industries are therefore strategically located in urban areas due to accessibility to markets and ports. Advertising and marketing initiatives are also facilitated by the established network of communication systems.

The centralization of social amenities, administrative offices, and transport and communication networks encourages establishment of industries in urban localities. Rapid urbanization accompanied with pronounced population increase results in dramatic changes in costs especially the pricing of consumer goods. Status differentials are thereby created due to social stratification and disparities (Hilhorst, Frerks & Bankoff, 2004). The poor and unskilled workers are condemned to live in informal settlements characterized by low quality shanties and dilapidated infrastructure. On the other hand, affluent persons live in posh estates where they are provided with water tight security, decent housing and other social amenities. Social disparities arise from these economic inequalities in different social settings in towns and cities

China case study

China is considered to be the fastest growing economy in the world more than a quarter century now. This unprecedented rapid economic growth has resulted in a significant increase in per capita income in addition to a remarkable decline in poverty levels. Social inequalities have equally increased characterized by huge gaps between incomes in rural and urban areas. Disparities are also big between highly educated workers and unskilled employees in urban areas. There have also been significant inequalities in health and education parameters. There are restrictions on rural-urban migration in China due to a decentralized fiscal system which provides funding to health and education sectors through the local government. The rural areas are therefore impoverished since trade and employment opportunities are equally limited.

Rapid urbanization and industrialization does not benefit the job market adequately since the population is huge and beyond the government’s capacity to support (Hazary & Mohanty, 2007). The urban industries benefited a small number of educated professionals apart from condemning the poor in rural areas where poverty prevailed. Farmers in rural areas are merely peasants because of a weak land tenure system. The Poor rural families are therefore economically deprived from affording basic needs such as education and healthcare. Government restriction of people’s mobility from rural areas to urban centers has widened the gap between the incomes of the two restricted areas. Rapid economic growth and urbanization is therefore benefiting a limited number of people in China as a result of policy impediments and uncontrolled population increase. In essence, the cities only register skilled people who can work in the industries and other professional organizations.

The government is reluctant to register unskilled people from rural areas into urban localities. Economic disparities therefore continue to increase causing further social inequalities in China. The poverty that is evident in rural settings has forced people to use unlawful means in order to gain access into urban regions in pursuit of employment and business opportunities. Rapid economic growth is therefore not equally distributed in the country (Smith, 2006). The privileged few who secure jobs in cities and towns receive good salaries and allowances. Income distribution is curtailed by migration restrictions while unregulated labor migration continues to persist. Workers in cities and towns find it difficult to support their families because they cannot afford the cost of education, housing and accommodation. The composition of urbanized regions is therefore distorted causing serious inequalities in the society and the entire nation.

Opportunities for growth and development are hidden from the rural citizens who are legally restricted from seeking alternative economic activities and better living standards. It is legal for people who own land in urban areas to sell it or mortgage it while rural owners are prevented from doing so. It is also difficult to convert land from rural to urban use since Chinese economy is dependent on the manufacturing sector rather than agriculture. China is also densely populated and suffers from scarcity of water. Agriculture is therefore not a lucrative economic activity in China forcing huge migrations from rural to urban areas whether restrictions exist or not. This is because famers cannot convert their agricultural land for industrial use in remote villages. The restrictions have managed rural-urban migrations to an extent that urban population is ordered (Obudho & El-Shakhs, 2008). To this end, problems associated with the migration pressures on the urban centers are minimized. Such problems include slums arising from development of informal settlements by the cities’ poor.

The task of converting agricultural land into urban use is the responsibility of the state. Consequently, corrupt land officials take advantage of the peasant farmers during such land conversion transactions. Such oppression upon the poor has been resisted through violent protests against biased government policies. Another aspect of China’s big social disparities lies in its decentralized fiscal system which permits local governments to collect revenue within their area of jurisdiction in order to finance their budgets. The rich form the elite class of the society since resources are available at their disposal at the expense of the marginalized poor (Masson, 2008). Rich families consolidate wealth within their reach away from the poor. Income gaps between the affluent urban populations and the marginalized rural peasants continue to increase as globalization, industrialization and urbanization increase.

Decentralization in China has led to devolution of typically all government services to the local councils which carry out important functions such as provision of social security and financing education from local tax collection. Since there are disparities in economic levels between the rural and urban areas, revenue obtained from both extremes is world apart. The gap between the richest and the poorest region is enormous. People restricted to live in either region are equally apart in their spending patterns. The purchasing power of the affluent urban populations is way above the peasant farmers in rural areas (Rogerson & Nel, 2008). In essence, the poor lack enough disposable incomes to lead a fancy lifestyle. The local governments of the remote rural provinces do not have enough resources to finance basic social services such as education and healthcare like the richer urban provinces could. Poor households are therefore incapacitated from obtaining quality healthcare and a descent education altogether.

Zimbabwe Scenario

Rapid urbanization in Zimbabwe that followed its independence and subsequent economic growth led to significant rural-urban migrations. At the time nation was born, there were a variety of jobs for both skilled and unskilled migrants. The population was also manageable and access to social services possible. However, the population growth increased faster than the pace at which the economy developed, jobs became scarce and the prices of commodities increased. The main catalyst of the economic decline was the misrule that accompanied an authoritarian system of governance (Coleman, 2008). These factors combined to condemn Zimbabwe’s economy into a runaway inflation and social inequalities. As previously noted, rapid urbanization was necessitated by people’s hopes of obtaining better jobs in urban areas in order to improve their standards of living. The urban centers soon became congested with rural migrants some lucky to get jobs while the majority survived on casual employment.

The government’s inability to ensure equal distribution of resources in the country further impaired its credibility locally and internationally. Political unrests and violent confrontations between the state and desperate citizens became the order of the day. Reduced international investment and foreign aid hurt the economy further while causing untold suffering on the poor. Economic inflation continued to increase unabated since trade had been curtailed by sanctions (Price, Lewis & Rowntree, 2003). Industries already established in predominantly urban areas were unable to not only employ more workers but also maintain their current employees. Cities and urban areas are left unattended by the local government.

Consequently, refuse and sewage litters the streets of the urban centers. Worn out sewerage facilities flush out the effluents into the surrounding environment accumulating into heaps that are a major health hazard in the townships. City residents walk through this refuse in the neighboring congested slum dwellings. The outbreak of waterborne diseases is a common phenomenon in a country where poverty is at its worst in the entire continent. Provision of healthcare is therefore hindered by scarcity of resources and health professionals. Poor sanitation is therefore the main cause of diseases in urban areas where huge populations are congested in remote locations within cities without proper livelihoods (Pacione, 2001). Idle youths roam the suburbs of the cities with no hope of a better future. They are therefore susceptible to deviant practices and all manner of crimes to make ends meet. The affluent members of this corrupt society consist of the ruling political elite and their sympathizers who are privileged to access the nation’s wealth and resources for their selfish interests.

The rapid and unplanned urbanization in Zimbabwe is the cause of poverty, ecological degradation and social disparities. The government cannot support the population density of these urban areas. As a consequence, substandard housing and environmental pollution are associated with urban areas. Smoke emitted from factories and car exhausts causes air pollution. Chemicals disposed as industrial effluents into rivers pollute water that most urban residents drink and cook with. Respiratory and water-borne diseases are therefore prevalent in most urban areas in Zimbabwe. Lack of commitment by the government provide basic services to the city residents causes confusion and despair which is manifested through violent confrontations with law enforcement agencies. The combination of rapid urbanization and increased population growth results into a social problem which cannot be solved even by the government (Zeigler, Hays-Mitchell & Brunn, 2008). Social disparities continue to emerge in line with persistent corruption in the central and local governments.

Social disparities in India

India is one of the earliest civilizations in the world. There is an intact caste system in addition to economic inequalities associated with rapid urbanization and industrialization (Hilhorst, Frerks & Bankoff, 2004). According to Hindu traditions, the culture of the caste system is maintained in both rural and urban areas. Majority of the Indians depend on agriculture as the mainstay of the economy. The Indian subcontinent is therefore rich in food supply which is also sold to potential buyers. However, social interaction between Indians from different caste systems is restricted by the Hindu culture which empowers members of the upper caste over those in the lower caste. Majority of the citizens are famers who grow and sell rice in exchange for other goods.

Rapid urbanization is a product of a well-developed infrastructure particularly the road network which facilitated the exchange of goods and services. Markets are therefore accessible to farmers and businessmen. The caste system acts as a social impediment to relevant competition among citizens from different socio-economic backgrounds. The upper classes lead a luxurious lifestyle at the expense of the impoverished lower class (Hazary & Mohanty, 2007). There are sharp social disparities in the living conditions of the different classes in the caste system. The purchasing power parity between the rich and the poor is so wide that one quickly appreciates the social disparities brought forward by the primitive traditions.

Rapid urbanization and industrialization has increased the variety of employment opportunities to all Indians. Industrialization in India is a subject of further inequalities as foreigners invested much in industries that directly benefitted them while the traditional industries focused on the local content. Textile and rice are the main local products being processed for export and the internal Indian markets. The presence of road and rail infrastructure increases the speed at which exchange of goods and services takes place. Economic growth has been sustainable over despite of the financial crisis in the world. This unparalleled economic and industrial development has equally aggravated social disparities in India. The pronounced income gaps between the rich and the poor have been sustained by the rapid economic growth due to India’s population density and the caste system (Smith, 2006).

The culture of dividing the society through social classes persists in view of economic inequalities. Farmers work hard to produce surplus agricultural commodities which only benefit the industries and businessmen. Farmers continue to languish in poverty as returns on their investment is distorted by crafty businessmen and government officials. Different states have different economic levels but which are not synchronized. Wealth remains in the domain of the rich and the political aligned individuals. Economic growth and rapid urbanization simply expose the difficulties in this society to distribute resources equally. Migration from rural to urban areas by peasant famers seeking alternative employment and better living standards in urban areas is a common phenomenon (Obudho & El-Shakhs, 2008 ). The population is equally increasing at a faster rate than the economy.

It is therefore obvious to associate rapid urbanization with economic development without the inclusion of social disparities in the mix. Inability of poor children to afford education and basic health services renders them as slaves to child labor and human trafficking syndicates. Poor parents without the hope of improving their living conditions commit suicide in order to avoid the pain of seeing their children die out of hunger. It is also common to find poor people in India selling the organs such as the kidneys in order to get money for food. This alarming poverty is evident in a society where the benefits of economic growth are not equally distributed across the population.

The rapid increase in the population is another burden the government needs to shoulder in its budget and policy framework. Incentives and subsidies are not enough to support farmers to lead a descent lifestyle similar to the affluent class living in cities (Masson, 2008). The rich actually benefit more from the sweat of these famers since they purchase the bulk of the produce at a throw away price in India’s liberalized market. Poverty therefore drives the peasant farmers into urban areas with the hope that better jobs and living conditions are available there. The paradox is that the city is controlled by the affluent that prefer to employ skilled people to the casual workers. The struggle of living in urban areas without a proper job is equally frustrating since one is unable to find affordable shelter and other basic services with meager earnings.

Conclusion

Social disparities are part and parcel of urbanization. This is because economic inequalities in different societies cannot be bridged properly by the prospects of urbanization. Rural-urban migration is a consequence of economic imbalance and pressures which force people to seek for alternatives some of which are worse. Globalization and industrialization have mutually created job and business opportunities in urban areas making cities and towns the ultimate destination (Rogerson & Nel, 2005). Provision of basic services to the ever increasing urban populations is a challenge to authorities. Managing the social inequalities that follow rapid urbanization requires wisdom and expertise in order to avert a crisis which could arise from unchecked urban populations and overstretched social facilities. China has restricted rural-urban migration for this purpose while Zimbabwe whose governance systems are a subject of controversy has left its urban regions in ruins due to negligence. Rapid urbanization has therefore resulted in various social inequalities in the developing world instead of the perceived prospects of improving the general wellbeing of society.

Reference list

1. Coleman, J. W., 2008. Social problems: a brief introduction. New York: Longman.
2. Hazary, C. S. & Mohanty, B., 2007.Political economy of India: retrospect’s and prospects. London: APH Publishing.
3. Hilhorst, D. Frerks, G. & Bankoff, G., 2004.Mapping vulnerability: disasters, development, and people. Paris: Earth scan.
4. Masson, P. R. 2008. Migration, human capital, and poverty in a dual-economy model of a developing country, Issue 2001; Issue 2128. California: International Monetary Fund, Research Department.
5. Obudho, R. A. & El-Shakhs, S., 2008. Urbanization, national development, and regional planning in Africa. California: Praeger Publishers.
6. Pacione, M., 2001.Urban problems and planning in the developed world. London: Taylor & Francis.
7. Price, M. Lewis, M. & Rowntree, L., 2003.Diversity amid globalization: world regions, environment, development. New York: Prentice Hall.
8. Rogerson, C. M. & Nel, E. L., 2005. Local economic development in the developing world: the experience of Southern Africa. New York: Transaction Publishers.
9. Smith, D. A., 2006. Third world cities in global perspective: the political economy of uneven urbanization. London: West view Press.
10. Zeigler, D. J. Hays-Mitchell, M. & Brunn, S. D., 2008. Cities of the world: world regional urban development. New York; Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

Animal rights are one of the most controversial issues being debated upon. It is a classical dilemma in deciding whether animals should have rights. However, as much as this is a controversial issue, people seem to agree on one thing concerning animals, that animals should not be treated mercilessly and cruelly. The essay intends to illustrate that apart from mistreatment of animals, the other rights are applicable in the contextual world.

Human beings do not necessarily need to use these animals in doing several things that will end up benefitting them and instead causing harm to the animals. Having animal rights would prevent human beings from using them due to the moral sense that some people want to attach to the animal kingdom. The essay will state the moral issues and their significance and then give opposing and proposing sides regarding the issue.

There is need to understand exactly what these animal rights are before an argument of whether animals deserve to have rights or not is raised. The animal right is an interest group with the main intention of providing protection to animals against the exploitation in addition to the abuse that human beings inflict on them. The movement is against any activity done by a human being to an animal that results into pain in addition to suffering.

There are lists of things that the movement has come up with, which are considered to cause pain and suffering to animals. This includes the imprisonment of animals in secluded areas to provide pleasure for human beings such as zoos and circuses, other things that are considered are the production of clothing using fur, killing animals for the purpose of acquiring meat for pleasure and the use of animals in medical research and experimentation.

There are also animal welfare activists who advocate for the proper treatment of animals in a humane way but the animal rights movement advocates for the treatment of animals like individuals rather than the way in which human beings treat them as property. The aim of these animal rights is to bring to a close animal suffering by bringing in the issue of animals having human rights just as human beings have rights that protect them against cruelty (Clark 25).

Animals need to have rights just as human beings need to have rights. Most people claim that rights are accorded to human beings due to the fact that human beings have the capacity to think and reason. However, there are two categories of human beings which include the standard paradigmatic humans who have the capacities that human beings have which is the ability to think while there is the other class of human beings which is the marginal human.

This class of humans lacks the capacities to reason and think. Examples of this are toddlers, the psychotic and the senile. Since rights are accorded to human beings on the basis that they can reason, then what about this ones that lack this capacity. Will they be treated cruelly and lack rights just because they lack the capacity to think? This is usually not the case and in the same way, animals cannot be denied their rights just because they lack the capability of thinking and reasoning.

Due to this fact, just as toddlers, infants and the senile cannot reason but they still can feel pain, then it is the same with animals. Therefore, there is no reason for animals to be denied animal rights on the basis that they lack the reasoning capacity. If so, then the marginal humans also have no right to possess human rights since they lack the reasoning capacity.

The marginal humans also possess the inherent values that standard paradigmatic humans possess. Inherent value is in itself a reason as to why human beings have rights. By having inherent value, it means that each person has their own unique qualities and these unique qualities render a person the right to have human rights. In just the same way that the marginal human beings have inherent value, so do animals possess this same value (Frey 58). It is thus justified for animals to be granted animal rights because they also have inherent values that make them have a right to have animal right so that they can be protected by these rights against the cruel acts of certain human beings.

There is only one thing that both proponents and opponents of the human rights agree upon and this is the fact that animals should not be treated cruelly and maliciously since it is an abhorred and emotionally affecting experience to see any creature being treated mercilessly for pleasure.

This is just where the agreement ends for both sides. Those opposing animal rights believe that the animal rights movement does make an unbelievable argument, just to think that animals can be accorded rights and be treated like individuals just like human beings are considered individuals. The fact that human beings can think rationally about the things that are happening around them is the main reason why human beings have rights (Narveson 169).

Human beings hold the capability of reasoning while this is a quality that lacks in animals. Therefore, due to the reason that human beings have the capability of reasoning and animals do not have this capability, individual rights cannot be granted to animals. Rights cannot be accorded to animals in the sense of causing pain, since animals do not have the ability to converse and discuss, any dispute that arises between a human being and an animal cannot be solved peacefully without force being introduced. This force has to be initiated by a human being because failure to do so will result to harm caused by the animal to a human being which is not morally acceptable.

In order to prevent animals for example lions and dogs from causing physical harm to a human being, force has to be applied and this is not the same case when it comes to human beings because human beings have the capacity to reason and this would enable them to solve the issue without necessarily having to use force. Animals cannot in any way be responsible for their acts, therefore, they exist for the sole purpose of being instruments that have to be utilized by human beings, may it be to acquire food, clothing or for medical research.

However, this does not offer any reason for a person to cruelly treat an animal. Especially if the animal is being used for reasons such as providing fancy clothing that people can do without and providing pleasure foods that are not necessary for consumption and most of all, the brutal use of these animals in labs for experiments and research. An animal is a creature with the right to life just as a human being has the right to live.

The fact that animals have life and the right to live then it also adds up to the fact that animals have inherent value. Because of this inherent value, due respect must be accorded to this animals and this means that human beings cannot just mistreat animals just so that they can have their selfish ends met. Due to this inherent value, animals have rights just as human beings have the right to life (Williams 153).

Apart from the above reason, some people may be of the opinion that since animals are not rational in nature and neither are they autonomous nor self-conscious then this gives human beings the privilege of having rights and at the same time deserving to have moral status in the society. This three qualities that human beings posses over animals does not necessarily provide reason for human beings to mistreat animals in any fashion that they seem to think right such as holding animals hostages in zoos and circuses.

What human beings have to remember is the fact that animals are also sentient. This fact alone shows that human beings should avoid causing pain and harm to animals merely by the fact that animals are not rational. Animals have feelings just as human beings have feelings of pain and pleasure. Just as a human being can differentiate between these two, so can animals, do the same. Therefore, animals need to have rights that protect them against cruelty just as human beings have rights that protect them against malice (Wilson, par. 4)

Human beings must come to the realization that just as they have human rights that protect them, so should animals have their own animal rights. These rights will ensure that the cruel treatment of animals is brought to a halt. Just as human beings experience pain and pleasure, in the same way do animals experience pain and pleasure. Therefore, there is no reason why a human being who has the same response to a certain stimuli should be protected by rights while the same stimuli have the same response in an animal and the animal should not be protected. Just as human beings are protected by human rights so should animal rights protect animals.

Works Cited

Clark, Stephen. The Moral Status of Animals. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1977.

Frey, Roger. Interests and Rights: The Case Against Animals. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1980.

Narveson, Jan. “Animal Rights”, Canadian Journal of Philosophy 7(1977): 161-78.

Williams, Meredith. “Rights, Interests, and Moral Equality”, Environmental Ethics 2(1980): 149-61.

Wilson, Scott. Animals and Ethics. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2010.

Introduction

Working in a group is considered as normal and part of the life irrespective of the position held by an individual. Managers, CEOs chairpersons and even volunteers need to work as a team in order to be able to solve problems (Adair, 1997). The extent of failure or success in a team is the responsibility of each an every team player. There are instances whereby an individual may not realize the role of teamwork but the participation of such an individual in a team determines the productivity or the performance of the team. Every word or gesture from a team player can have an outcome or effect to other members of the team. One word of wisdom from a team player can result to cooperation among the other members, create cohesion and can heal a team (Adair, 1997).

Working in groups is one of the most challenging things in life. There are few people who are trained on how to solve group problems. Most people in teams join groups without good communication skills to apply in problem solving (Caroselli, 2000). There is need for teams to be provided with communication skills and the basic knowledge to enhance easy solutions to problems that arise in teams. The purpose of this essay is to emphasize the importance of proper communication, how members of a team can express themselves, learn how to develop and train and finally illustrate the importance of learning in teams.

Discussion

Importance of Communication

The importance of expressing feeling and thought effectively in a team is fundamental. This is because not every word or message that is delivered to a team is received with accuracy. This is a very important consideration especially during heated group debates that are meant to come up with solutions to a group problem. When communicating, special emphasis should be made on the speaker so that he/she can own the message and put issues like gender in mind. Acquiring skills to convey effective and clear messages to a team leads to creation of an effective interaction in a group (Fujishin, 2007). For a speaker to be effective some guidelines should be followed such as: the speaker should be specific, communicate about behaviors not the person, share ideas and but not give advice, match verbal and nonverbal communication and reduce anxiety when speaking (Fujishin, 2007).

Since communication is a two way process, there is need for the team players to realize the importance of listening. Fujishin (2007) observed that ‘we were given two ears and one mouth so that we might hear more than we speak.” Many cultures consider talking as more important than listening, as a result of this, people who have better persuasive skills, articulate and are more inspirational while speaking influence a group to pay attention to them. Studies show that human beings listen to 45% of the information in every communication being made, speak 30% of their day’s time, write 16% and engage 9% of the time to reading. However, studies also reveal that only 25 % of what is heard is remembered (Fujishin, 2007). Members of a team should accept to listen to speakers in order to encourage them to deliver their message, the importance of proper listening is that; all that is said can be understood.

Active listening has several advantages, first it proves that one understands what is being said. The listener get involve in active listening. Through active listening, the listener does not act as a judge, the listener therefore does not give advice or judge the speaker but rather reflect the message back to the speaker.

How to develop and train teams

People who join groups are driven by three basic principles namely; affection, inclusion and control. Inclusion refers to the feeling or desire that one need to be part of a something which is larger than him. Control is the ability that one has to make personal influence on the environment around. This makes an individual to feel involved in the acts of problem solving. Other people find it important to be linked and maintain good relationships with others; this is a form of affection (Fujishin, 2007). Group development involves four phases:

Orientation: This is the time spent for new members in a group to know each other; this takes place during the first two meetings. This is an important phase because group members have high anxiety for they have never had past experience of staying together. During this phase, the social dimension of the group is important to be stressed on in order to create a supportive and a warm environment for the future purposes.

Conflict phase: During this stage the members know and understand one another and they can therefore start expressing their views. At this stage, problem background is debated, solutions proposed and debated so that the best solution can be decided. Opinions that are raised by members are debated and this involves a lot of arguments in trying to settle the differences.

Emergence: Team members at this stage have resolved on possible solutions to a problem after debate. The members involve themselves in negotiations that will lead to a common solution that is acceptable to all. The decisions of the members merge at this stage and they can therefore adopt a common solution.

Reinforcement: At this final stage the members have made positive contribution to the solutions to a problem. The group’s social dimension is emphasized in order to develop an implementation strategy for a solution. Members feel high levels of group membership because all the conflicts and disagreements were resolved.

Importance of Learning and Learning Components

Sharing Common Task

The members of team should be aware of the task of problem solving which involves the contribution made by everyone. The members should be aware that the task is the major goal for the formation of a team. The responsiveness and creativity of every member vary from one person to the other. There is need therefore for every one to come up with ideas that are all focused to the solution of the task ahead of the group.

Mutual influence

All responses and behaviors in problem solving should interchangeable. One solution to address a problem is taken from a previous solution to address the same problem. This component of learning in a team is explained by theories like nag/withdraw syndrome theory. Fujishin (2007) illustrated the theory as “a wife withdraws because her husband nags but the husband nags because the wife withdraws”. In this case there is no need to put blames on one of the couples because their behaviors are intertwined. The same case applies to problem solving whereby, there is no need to assign blames to the any member of a team because any view by a team member is focused to provide solutions to the problem just like the view of any other member.

Equal-finality

This is component of the problem solving strategy in a team. Every member should be allowed to put forward their views regarding the solution to a problem. There are many approaches to solve a problem. Therefore by allowing every member to make contribution, the possibility of finding the most potential solution is high.

Conclusion

When more than three people decide to work together in order to find solutions to problems they form a group. This paper has discussed how such a group can be developed. The paper has considered communication as a major component in a team. Members of a team should agree to communicate and actively participate in the task of solving problem. Lastly, this paper has discussed what members of a team should learn in order to make a team successful.

References

1. Adair, J. 1997. Leadership skills. London: Cromwell Press.
2. Caroselli, M. 2000. Leadership skills for managers. New York: McGraw-Hill Publisher.
3. Fujishin, R. 2007. Creating effective groups: The art of small group communication. New York: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers.