Legal Studies Essay International Crime

International Crime -Crimes against Humanity †¢ Using the case study of Srebrenica, evaluate the effectiveness of international and domestic legal systems in dealing with crimes against the international community International laws and mechanisms to deal with international crime are vast in number. They aid in promoting common moral and ethical standards to be administered worldwide. Tribunals such as the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) have provided a mechanism to deal with international crime.Collaborations of member countries allow these Courts to implement certain justice, but the limitations and ineffectiveness is highlighted when breaches of their administration occur leading to miscarriage of justice for victims, offenders and society. The International Criminal Court The International Criminal Court has been a legal mechanism which deals with international crime and which has had varying effectiveness. The ICC is the world’s first permanent international criminal court and 111 countries have ratified its Rome Statute.The media article â€Å"Effectiveness of ICC without US Support†, Radio Netherlands, 18 June 2009, argues that, even though major powers like India, China and Russia are still not party to the Rome Statue of 2002, the Court has at least managed to put an end to those who may have otherwise escaped punishment from crimes against humanity. Steven Freeland’s article â€Å"Eradicating Evil is on Trial†, The Australian, 2008, highlights the fact that without the ICC and other international tribunals, many thousands of victims and their families would receive no justice at all.However the ICC has limited effectiveness due to its limited ability to enforce international law. One aspect that hinders the effectiveness is the fact that the ICC and other international tribunals have no police force and are reliant on states to arrest indicted victims and bring them before the appropriate court. Without the political will to cooperate in this process the court’s effectiveness is limited.The arrest warrants issued by the ICC against President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan for genocide committed in Darfur, and Bashir’s ongoing contempt for them, are an example of the limitations of international courts in failing to provide justice. Al Bashir’s warrant is the first issued against a sitting head of state, however states lack the necessary will to ensure he is brought to the court. The ineffectiveness is also evident as the court’s warrant lacks enforceability.Further, the Court has only convicted one person during its ten years of operations, Thomas Lubanga, who was jailed for 14 years for recruiting child soldiers, as per the article â€Å"Congolese Warlord Sentenced for 14 Years† News Africa, 10 July 2012. The fact that the Court has arrested only six people and convicted one illustrates the struggles the court faces in delivering justice. The International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY) International courts are often criticised for being ineffective due to their lack of enforcement.However, the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia reflects an increase in effectiveness. The ICTY is effective as it delivers justice when there is non-compliance of international law. As reported in the Sydney Morning Herald on 20 July 2011, the last remaining fugitive, Goran Hadzic, was arrested by the war crimes tribunal, however it took 18 years to send him to trial. According to the ICTY’s website accessed February 2012, the Tribunal has indicted 161 persons for serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in the territory of the former Yugoslavia.Of this number, 64 have been sentenced, 13 referred to other jurisdictions and 35 proceedings are ongoing. An example of a sentence which provided justice was when Milan Lukic received life imprisonment. T he ICTY is effective as it is effective in delivering justice to offenders, though this has taken years to achieve and is ongoing. Domestic legal systems have been intermittently effective in dealing with crimes against the international community. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, September 2011, the Australian government extradited the accused war criminal Dragan Vasiljkovic to the Tribunal, despite his efforts to block deportation.However, the Sydney Morning Herald article â€Å"See No Evil is Australia’s Way on War Crimes†, October 2011, contrasts the poor performance on the David Hicks affair and argues that Australia has an inconsistent approach to dealing with international crime. Further, the ruling of the Dutch Court in July 2011 that the Netherlands was responsible for the deaths at Srebrenica is a landmark decision that countries contributing to peacekeeping can be held accountable for their actions. Therefore domestic legal systems can be effective in dealing with international crime.The ICTY is effective as it has delivered judgments which promote justice for individuals and society. A landmark ruling of the court was when it ruled mass rape in the time of war a crime against humanity, the first time a court had made such a ruling. As reported in The Guardian newspaper on 23 February 2001, this ruling gave hope to thousands of women abused in times of war. The Court is effective has it reflects moral and ethical standards. The ICTY is effective as it is promotes access to justice for individuals.The Court has a victims and witness section which provides meals and accommodation to witnesses. It also has a translation department and its own legal aid system. Many accused cannot afford legal counsel to gain a fair trial and, according to the ICTY website accessed February 2012, Legal aid accounts for 11% of the tribunal’s budget. Whilst these funds have promoted justice for individuals and victims, a factor which weakens th e Tribunal’s effectiveness is that of resource efficiency as the court cost nearly $301 million to operate in the 2011-12 year.Conclusion The ICC and the ICTY are examples of mechanisms which protect the rights of individuals. International Courts however rely on the cooperation of nation states to ensure accused are brought to justice. Limitations such as government sovereignty and a lack of enforceability means that after the war crime, justice may not be achieved in a timely manner (such as in the Srebrenica case). The ICC and the ICTY are therefore mechanisms which vary in their effectiveness in providing justice.

Interpretations of American History Essay

There has been a notable change in the American History from the last 400 years until now. At the beginning the American History the subjects that the historians interpreted were politics, diplomacy and war. The only people who could do the interpreting were only white male Americans. The contemporary American historians wrote nearly about everything that affected everybody. This times were very different from what they are now, when you read history, you are reading the historian’s point of view or encounter with the world. The historians were fully dedicated to this, they spend hours, days, years of their life’s to prove the reality comes away. They were characterized by nationality or their school of thought. The historians can be Jeffersonian liberal, nationalist, progressive, feminist or postmodernist; for example, Perry Miller in the twentieth century American liberalism, Kenneth Stampp’s was engaged with the civil rights movement, Kathryn Sklar’s ideas were feminist (p. 72). In those times everything was like they African American people couldn’t be historians, because they only accepted white male Americans, also they were male chauvinist, women couldn’t be historians and not only that, they were excluded from everything, they didn’t have the right to vote, to be in the politics, work, they Jimenez 2 could not do anything. History is successful when it tells you how things where, the only thing that could take you there was the imagination, but now, with all the technology that we have, we even can make a picture or a sketch of how the things were. basing on the things that had been found also. One of the things that the historians did, they constantly criticize, correct and supplement other historian point of view, they get closer to the truth arguing with one another. Historiography reminds you that history is not a closed book, is a reminder that there is always something to argue in history, it make us think or see what was before everything, the changes that have been in the growth of America, politics changes, racial justice, sex, differences in the society, education, labor. There has been a notorious change or evolution on how America has change. There are four stages in which the writing of American history has passed: the providential, the rationalist, the nationalist and the professional. The providential history in the United States from the seventeenth and eighteenth, ministers and magistrates and wrote a made of form of providential history. The puritans who settled in the United States believed that they were chosen by god that led to the form of their history to a holy chronicle one. Puritans used this form of writing for all men anybody that believed in god. The rationalism, they were very different with the providential because they didn’t believed that they were only chosen by god, they believed that opinions or actions should act on reason and knowledge not on their religious belief. They were ruled by the natural law was the idea of Newton, Locke, and the French philosophers (p. 75). The rationalist Jimenez 3 historians were the educated class in the colonies, the new story they told was of progress and reason. most of the historians of the eighteenth century were layer-politicians, planter-aristocrats, merchants or professionals. Tomas Jefferson was influenced by this movement and later on write a book named Notes on the State of Virginia in 1785. This book allow to men to discover and pursue their destiny and believed that they were free. After that, no one was free from slavery. This proves that the history during the rationalism the politicians only tells you what you want to hear, like right now it happens the same, everything was and is only about wealth, power, rights. In nationalist history changed the fact that in this stage the women contributed and argue in theirs perspectives or points of view. historians of women rewrote the story of America from the beginning to the recent past. They did not give women a place in the existing narratives, they just reconceived whole fields of history. An example of the women historians were Hanna Adams, Susanna Rowson, Elizabeth Peabody, and Emma Willard (p. 76) The professional historians started by the middles class that became educated through college or university which became commonly to only white males. History became a profession and the only way to access was to practice it and be at a advanced level in the subject. Their high opinion on distinguish scientifically and prove the truth from a romantic notion. In this time we can see through what has passed American History and learned about the different changes that our history has had, and also this has help to have America Jimenez 4 how is it now. Right now we see the thing different, for example, women can vote, women can do a lot more things that they couldn’t in the past, there is no slavery, everyone is free and follow their dreams and conquer their goals and that’s a big change.

History J5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History J5 - Essay Example In Burkes political career, he mercilessly defended constitutional limitation of the Crowns authority. He ignored the religious persecution of Catholics in his native land of Ireland. He aired the grievances of Britains American colonies. He contributed in American Independence and vigorously followed the impeachment of Warren Hastings, who was the General Governor of British India, for abuse of power and corruption. In his Reflections, Burke stated that the French Revolution would come to an end in very damaging way because its abstract foundations, being rational, ignored the importance of human nature and society. French Revolution was caused by the following claims, Internal struggle for leadership and empire outstrips for financial resources of the state, Political misunderstanding between the Monarchy and the nobility, over the restart of the tax system that they claimed, led to poverty and bankruptcy. The enlightenment, that is the impulse for reform intensified political conflicts and reinforcing traditional aristocratic constitutionalism. The introduction of new ways of good government and the prestige of being popular sovereignty has also led to bankruptcy. The attack on the catholic regime and advantageous class by the Literary Underground of the broadening influenced the of public opinion. Social differences between two rising groups, the aristocracy and the bourgeoisie. Removal of the ineffective leader Luis, economic hardship, especially the agrarian crisis of 1788-1789, generated general discontent and disorders caused by food shortages. This reflection was written immediately after the French Revolution. Burke’s primary antirevolutionary book questioned the motives of the actors and warned against the removal of all, which would prove amazingly prophetic. Edmund Burke expressed his views against the French revolution by criticizing it. The first was the Constitutional Society Edmund criticized this by saying that

Porject 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Porject 4 - Essay Example Numerous forms of tropes usually exist including film, fiction, and poetry and different companies usually apply different form of the same in their advertisement. For instance, Adidas AG, a German multinational corporation that is known for the designing and manufacturing clothing, sport shoes, and accessories have been using different tropes in advertising its products. The main competitor of the Adidas Corporation is Nike. It is worth noting that these companies are having nearly the same market strength and conditions. However, it was once noted that Nike never captured the interest of the customers exhaustively. Nonetheless, Nike had brilliant executions in the market that influenced the targeted customers greatly (Diehl and Terlutter 150). They had numerous Television advertisements among other advertising campaigns. The main storyline of the Nike’s ads was pegged on it heritage of technology and innovation among other big success stories of the company. To counter interact the Nike’s poor ads and marketing strategies, Adidas created a meaningful ad with the messages including â€Å"We know then – we know now† (Adidas). Later it came up with â€Å"There is nothing between you and success, so exceed your own expectations and limitations† and finally they had the message â€Å"Earn it† (Adidas). This rhet oric message led to the obvious success of Adidas and followed by its hard work, the company bounced back into the business earning a top position above its main competitor, Nike. Other than the rhetoric messages, Adidas also uses Television Commercials that may be classified as the film trope. The television commercials are considered to the most effective and far-reaching advertising format that Adidas uses to reach mass market. In the commercial TV ads, Adidas usually uses jingles or songs that make listeners to relate to its products effectively. It should

Changes in a major business organization Research Paper

Changes in a major business organization - Research Paper Example duct lines, and the changes made by the company in tune with the environment for survival, including the changes that may be required to be implemented in the light of the experience. Copier Business used to be the mainstay of Xerox, and they were market leaders in copiers business. The brand Xerox hold such a sway in the market place, that photocopying is referred to as Xerox or Xeroxing and found its way to dictionaries, verb & noun. Entry of IBM into the copier business and the Japanese products such as Ricoh and Canon into the markets in the beginning of seventies and mid seventies became a threat to its monopoly in the copier market. However, a perceptible shift in the technology, consumer preferences, competition from smaller players, changes in distribution patterns, introduction of low cost printers, fax machines with copying facilities, scanners, etc., coupled with downturn in work stations business and its subsequent closure forced the company into diversification. ‘In 1988 Xerox underwent a $275 million restructuring, cutting 2,000 jobs, shrinking its electronic typewriter output, dropping its medical systems business, and creating a new marketing organization, Integrated Systems Operations, to get new technologies into the marketplace more effectively.’ (International Directory of Company Histories, 1999). It is in this scenario of downtrend, we have to understand the changes that have been taking place in Xerox to face these challenges. In line with the emergence of social media and the new trends in the society, as explained in an interview with Christa Carone, the CMO of Xerox, ‘they encourage every employee to become part of the voice of the company. They developed friendly guidelines that empower employees and encourage them to use social media on behalf of the company.’Â   (Francois, March 3rd, 2010). We will find in this paper that this progressive policy of the company, as in the case of social media, has b een reflected in decision

The Hero(ine)'s Journey Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Hero(ine)'s Journey - Essay Example What is particularly interesting about this â€Å"mythological† approach to any given subject matter is that it nearly perfectly applies to the way that almost every story can be told. Evidence of this process can of course be seen with regards to the story of Odysseus. The author begins by recounting how the â€Å"ordinary world† presents the known reality and easy confines within Odysseus’ life will develop. In this way, the hero is presented as an entity that is uncomfortable and/or unaware of the underlying tension and struggle that brews beneath the surface. This develops the action into the secondary stage or â€Å"call to adventure†; represented by Odysseus choosing to â€Å"take the plunge† and embark upon his journey. ... tem with the â€Å"ordinary world†; acting as a type of buffer and constraint against the unknown dangers that very well exist within the confines of the unknown. This refusal is interesting in that it follows a spiritual undertone that often requires Odysseus to undergo a spiritual reassessment of morality in order to form a more realistic opinion with respect to the anticipated action that is awaiting him. In the fourth stage, the Odysseus receives mentorship; a fundamental aspect of the heroic development that he receives. The fifth stage revolves around the character stepping over the threshold which has thus far been the barrier for undertaking such an endeavor. This is of course a figurative and literal step in that it helps to define the way in which the character views their own circumstances as a function of the â€Å"mission† in which they are about to undertake. It is also not until this juncture that, according to the author, the character is fully committed to undergoing the demands and hardships that such a course of action necessarily implies. Similarly, the sixth step implies the character development that takes place once the character has stepped across the threshold. These developments are generally concentric around the tests, allies and enemies that the character encounters a function of endeavoring to complete his/her quest (Russel et al 22). Similarly, stages seven and eight refer to the lead up to and confrontation with the ordeal that has necessarily defined the struggle up until this point. As with any story and/or character revelation, the lead up to the action is oftentimes as intriguing to the audience as the action itself. In this manner, the author devotes some time to discussing the means by which screenwriters can further develop upon the

Services Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Services Project Management - Essay Example This can also be recognized as a total lack of transparency between the bidders, and that suits the client perfectly. The disadvantage in public projects is the often insufficient perception of potential pitfalls and showstoppers during the procurement process, as interaction and discussion prior to bidding is discouraged. As a result, some public projects fall prey to extensive and numerous design and specification changes, ruining their original time and cost estimates. Such projects are allowed to meander along as all involved tend to keep within the strict purview of their job description within the overall governmental framework, not willing to say or do anything to either rock the boat or to steady it. Such projects are orphaned very quickly, with a chronological propensity towards non-accountability. On the other hand, private sector procurement is made with a firm eye on deliverables, and technical vetting of bidders and a bidding process is less important than the need to get a contractor who will deliver in time to spec. Transparency is variable, especially if the contract is negotiated, as the ability and competence of the contractor is beyond dispute, and educating him about the project adds value. Private sector procurement also goes the open tender route, depending on the most suitable procurement mechanism for the particular project. The strongest case for open tenders is made by case for equal opportunity and enhanced transparency in such procurement, whereas a deeper understanding of the project and a stronger tendency to adapt to change characterizes the negotiated tender, making it popular with the private sector. A solution that offers is a hybrid of both styles of procurement, and works across the board for projects of any scale, complexity and ownership, is the process of procurement that consists of competitive tendering in one or two stage, followed by negotiations with the chosen / lowest bidder. However, such a technique is effective only if the chosen bidder is not aware of his status as the lowest, so as to keep him willing to negotiate. This technique is followed in public as well as private sector projects. Stage 1 is known as technical bid (open tender stage), followed by Commercial bid (negotiation stage). 2.2 The process of procurement is a series of exchanges between the client and the contractor, with an increasingly high level of exactness and clarity on conditions of contract, culminating with the actual execution of the contract. A contract consists of three parts, Offer, acceptance and consideration. Although Estimate, Quote and Tender are terms commonly used, there are distinct differences between the three. An estimate is the contractor's perception of the cost or a particular amount of work, and is approximate. It is prepared after taking a preliminary look at the work that is required to be done. An estimate may be prepared by a contractor or by the client on the basis of the bill of Quantities, to arrive at a rough cost of the project. It is not technical in nature, and is based on

Pointing Fingers in Refugee Responsibilities Assignment

Pointing Fingers in Refugee Responsibilities - Assignment Example ghts convention acts as the foundation of asylum and states that according of the basic rights to persons considered refugees in a foreign territory is important as it would aim at their well being. Such rights include prohibition from all manner of discrimination, procedural safeguards on situations of expulsion, protection of their private and family life and protection against any ill-treatment. In the case of Germany, denying the woman asylum was a violation of the refugee convention as her home country was in a state of turmoil engulfed in an ethnic civil war. The Secretary General of the UN, Ban Ki Moon had described the situation as a serious crisis that had led to the displacement of thousands of people. The lower administrative court’s decision to deny the woman asylum implied that she had to leave Germany and make a return to her home country, Libya. Germany, in that light, had out rightly violated the refugee human rights convention which granted the woman asylum. The doctrine of the Universal human rights declaration protects the right of refugees by allowing for individuals to seek asylum in areas they consider safe as opposed to staying in their home countries (Forsythe & David, 2009. 89). Furthermore, most of the asylum seekers in Germany arrive through the use of dangerous paths which involve sailing through the Mediterranean sea by use of packed boats, a situation that leads to many of them getting lost and even drowning. The adopted criterion is, however, not legitimate because before arriving in Germany, they go through various countries considered safe states. It is equally important to note that the appellant was right in challenging the Federal Administrative court’s decision as denying her asylum amounted to a violation of her right as well as the obligation of non-refoulement. Meanwhile, Germany on her part acted to counter the escalating influx of refugees in its territory and was vocal in stating that the clause of non- refoulement

Four Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Four Questions - Assignment Example In much of the considerations and analysis of the international system, experts would always make reference to World War I, World War II and the cold war. Occurrences that resulted in these three wars can be used to explain the basis of international world order and the establishment of the international system. O’rourke & Williamson, (2004) gives a broader look at the History of Diplomacy inn their work When did globalization begin? In submissions made in this piece, the authors assert that three great wars a reflection of how the international system considered a state-centric. The treaties signed and alliances formed during the three great wars were attempts by nations of the world in taking control of world affairs. In the history of diplomacy and international relations, states have remained to be a key force in determination of world politics. Just before the First World War, the concept of realism was borne, bringing to the fore an objective and critical analysis on the need for world order. In this respect, the international system was analyzed on the basis of both collective interests and the interests of certain states. Realists are of the opinion that state actors in the international world system can be identified on the basis of sovereignty, recognition of statehood, and the control of territory and population. From this perspective, countries cannot be ignored when defining the international system. From a realist perspective, the international system is a product of various historical occurrences, most on which took place in the twentieth century. The First World War was a major factor that brought out the need for a global or international-based system. As many countries in the European continue began fighting for colonies during the imperial era in Europe, conflic5ts between and amongst these countries emerged. Most of the countries started looking beyond national influence to influence within a wider geographical area. The consequence o f such rivalry was the development of the First World War. The development of two groups, the Central Powers and the Allies, during the war was pegged on superiority fight between nations that believed they could command or have great influence in world affairs. The end of the First World War was major milestone in the development of the international system as the allies went forth to instill heavy punishment to the Central Powers, led by Germany. The effects of the war were so serious that the League of Nations was formed so as to help avert such magnitude of conflict and war. The Second World War had also its share on development of the state centric International system. After the League of Nations failed, World War I was inevitable. The United States, Britain and France as the winners of World War II played a bigger role than other nations in the preparation of background for the formation of the modern day United Nations. By the United Nations and Russia awarding their selves with veto power in the world body, they had an edge over other countries. The state-centric nature of the world’s system would not be stopped here as even after the formation of the United Nations, the United States and the Soviet Union would still engage in supremacy tactics that is famously regarded as the cold war. Today, the United States remains to be the single most super power after the collapse of the USSR Richardson (2006) asserts that the United States

The Politics and Sociology of Media and Culture Essay

The Politics and Sociology of Media and Culture - Essay Example However, a particularly vulnerable sector or demographic are adolescents, not only because of the access they have to virtually all forms of media – such as the internet, television, radio, newspapers and magazines – but also because they are at an age where they are particularly vulnerable. They have yet to develop sufficient maturity and discernment necessary to filter out potentially destructive messages and unhealthy ideas streaming in from various media sources. One such threat to adolescents in particular and to the general viewing public in general are reality TV shows. There have been a slew of reality TV shows out in the market over the past few years. Some of them test one’s physical mettle like Amazing Race, others have to do with the search for love like The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, others test one’s aptitude in various fields of endeavor like The Apprentice, and yet others talk about undergoing physical transformations like The Swan, a reality TV series in the United States produced by Fox TV. The show â€Å"The Swan† is rife with political and sociological meaning. While it is indeed very entertaining and riveting, it is loaded with so many negative messages that present trouble for the impressionable adolescent girl-child. First of all, it breeds stereotypes. It has long been established that factual and fictional media portrayals have a propensity to activate culturally shared racial and gender stereotypes and affect judgment involving those who belong to stereotyped groups

The Changing Meaning of Concepts Throughout History Essay Example for Free

The Changing Meaning of Concepts Throughout History Essay In this essay I will summarize how the philosophers Friedrich Nietzsche and Michel Foucault have recorded how the meanings of certain concepts have changed through history, paying close attention to the texts of Nietzsches Good and Evil, Good and Bad and Foucaults The Insane. I will also suggest what I believe are the philosophical lessons that they think we can draw from recognizing these changes. In the chapter from his book Madness Civilization,The Insane, Michel Foucault charts the changing conceptions of madness from the Renaissance through to the Neo-Classical Age. He notes how during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, though madness was sometimes treated as a personification of evil, it was something that was openly dealt with, the public outrage giving the perceived evil the powers of example and redemption. (Foucault, P. 66) The mad were neither a source of shame or taboo, madness was present everywhere and mingled with every experience by its images or its dangers. (Foucault, P. 66) However, during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the Enlightenment, and the emergence of the man of reason drastically changed peoples attitudes towards the insane: adness was shown, but on the other side of bars; if present, it was at a distance, under the eyes of a reason that no longer felt any relation to it and that would not compromise itself by too close a resemblance. After the Enlightenment a new set of values became prevalent, where reason was now considered the defining characteristic of being human, and therefore it followed that to be unreasonable was to be essentially inhuman. Foucault notes that to the enlightened men of the time: the) animality that rages in madness disposesses man of what is specifically human in him; not in order to deliver him over to other powers, but simply to establish him at the zero degree of his own nature. With their new perspective on the world, the people of seventeenth and eighteenth century Europe now felt a shame in the presence of the inhuman that the Renaissance had never experienced (Foucault, P. 68), the mentally ill were not seen as possessed or evil or ill but as a shameful sideshow, barely more than animals, provoking the mocking laughter and the insulting pity (Foucault, P. 9) of the regular spectators who at the time would regularly pay a small fee into the asylums to gawk at them. (Foucault, P. 68) Foucault draws further attention to the inhumane treatment of the institutionalized mad during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Considered by their unreasonable behaviour to have fallen into bestiality, and that their animality, in fact, protected the lunatic from whatever might be fragile, precarious, or sickly in man (Foucault, P. 4), they were treated as such and he records: It was common knowledge until the end of the eighteenth century that the insane could support the miseries of existence indefinitely. There was no need to protect them; they had no need to be covered or warmed. (Foucault, P. 74) Not simply did men of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries seen madness as a fall into bestiality, the frenzied behaviour and irrationality of the madman was to them a shameful lapse into mans basest level. It was important for their self image to disassociate themselves from the mad. Foucault notes that: Madness had become a thing to look at: no longer a monster inside oneself, but an animal with strange mechanisms, a bestiality from which man had long since been suppressed. (Foucault, P. 70) He contrast this to the view of the Church, who slow to take on the burgeoning attitudes of the Enlightenment, still seen madness with a humanity absent from from the attitudes of the men of reason. He suggests the Church found in madness a difficult but essential lesson: the guilty innocence of the animal in man. Foucault seems to be trying to show in his essay, through the descriptions of the treatement of the mentally ill, that we can learn a lesson from the irony that these enlightened attitudes towards madness, held with such firm belief at the time, now, in a modern context would be seen as extremely inhumane and cruel. A lesson that we must be careful in believing the prevalent conceptions of our time are free from our own inherent biases. In his essay Good and Evil, Good and Bad, Nietzsche calls attention to the fact that our conceptions of good and bad have changed drastically over the centuries. He traces the genealogy of the word good back to its origin in the Classical Age and records how it was was originally conceived as something wholly different to how it is today: The origin of the opposites good and bad is to be found in the pathos of nobility and distance, representing the dominant temper of a higher, ruling class in relation to a lower dependent one. (Nietzsche, P. 160) Nietzsche states that the morality of the nobility of the Classical Age was more immediate, where the notions of good, and pure were synonymous simply with their own being noble as opposed to plebeian, with their own natural dominance and impulsivity. The word pure, for example, was devoid of its current religious connotations: The pure man was originally one who washed himself, who refused to eat certain foods entailing skin diseases, who did not sleep with the unwashed plebeian women, who held blood in abomination hardly more than that.

A Case Study Of Social Work With Families Social Work Essay

A Case Study Of Social Work With Families Social Work Essay This was my third contact with Mrs G however my first contact with Mrs G on her own without Ps presence. The purpose of the visit was to carry out a carers assessment which focused on Mrs Gs needs separate from Ps needs. It was important that I tuned into the visit in order to work with Mrs G effectively. The process of tuning in helped me consider the legal mandate for the intervention, it helped me prepare myself for areas Mrs G may have wanted to discuss, I was able to consider relevant theories, Mrs Gs feelings, my feelings as a worker and how I would address these feelings through the use of good knowledge, skills and values. Before meeting with the family I had read through the existing case file which allowed me to gain an insight into the social work involvement of MS the transition co-ordinator to date, other professionals involved and an insight into the family background. I had previously carried out a UNOCINI assessment on P, had been on a few visits to P and Mrs G and liaised with several other professionals involved with P such as the Renal Team at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children (RBHSC), the school, Ps G.P, Clinical psychologist etc. I had already gathered relevant information and thus obtained a good insight into the family situation, particularly through liaising with the Clinical Psychologist who had done some brief family work with the family. From liaising with him, I was able to determine that there were strained relationships within the home. As my role in this instance involved assessing the needs of a carer, I read around carers in Northern Ireland, their needs and what the y often experience etc. This allowed me to tune into what Mrs Gs life may involve with regards to caring for P and consider some of the challenges carers experience on a regular basis. As I had already been involved with the family and completed a UNOCINI assessment, I gained a great insight into the familys circumstances, history/background. During this contact I wanted to obtain a greater insight into how Ps disability impacted is currently impacting on Mrs G, the primary carer of P. I prepared myself for the contact by familiarising myself with the carers assessment form however I had already decided to approach the situation by allowing Mrs G to take control and explain openly how she was coping etc. My practice teacher also discussed her expectations with me during supervision. My primary purpose in this piece of work was: The purpose of the work was to meet with Mrs G in her home. Carry out an assessment of Mrs Gs needs as a carer separate from Ps needs by allowing Mrs G to talk openly about her situation, how she was coping as a carer etc, express any concerns she had and ask her how she feels we could best support her at this time. This allowed Mrs G to take control of the discussion and identify areas to discuss. My main aims and were they achieved I contacted Mrs G prior to the visit to explain the observation so that she was aware of the situation before we arrived at the house. On arrival, I discovered that Mrs G had forgotten about the visit and planned to go into town. I asked Mrs G if she would like to reschedule but she said she would prefer to go ahead with the visit. I did not have to introduce myself at the beginning of this contact as I had clarified my role and function within the agency during the first visit with the family. I firstly introduced my practice teacher, reassuring Mrs G that she was there to assess me and my practice and that anything she would be writing would be about myself and not her. I further reassured Mrs G that anything discussed within the visit would not be discussed outside of the visit. At this stage I feel I could have explained the boundaries of confidentiality. I explained to Mrs G she was entitled to a carers assessment under the Carers and Direct Payments Act and that this would focu s on her needs as a carer as apposed to Ps needs. On reflection I do feel I could have explained to Mrs G at this stage what the assessment involved and I could have summarised what I intended to cover during the visit. Instead I just explained her entitlement to a carers assessment and that it focused on her needs. I acknowledged how difficult life has been for Mrs G and her family up until this point and asked Mrs g what it was like caring for P. Mrs G gave a very detailed account of Ps medical history and how his condition affected him. Issues arising were Ps restricted diet intake, Ps noncompliance to take medication and his personal care. On reflection, although I did attempt to probe further on these issues as an attempt to determine if and what triggers may have been contributing, looking back I do feel I could have used more effective questioning as an attempt to determine the impact this has had for Mrs G as a carer. Other issues arising were Ps lack of self-esteem and body issues which clearly contributed to his low mood. Looking back I feel I could have explored into this area more through probing more however I recall the carer at this stage having given me allot of in-depth information. I had reacted by probing further on another topic and had forgotten to go back and explore this a rea. On reflection I feel it would have been important to have explored this area further to gain a greater insight into how Mrs G coped with knowing that her son was insecure and body issues. Does she attempt to talk to P? Does this worry her, make her feel stressed etc, how does she cope seeing how Ps disability impacts upon him? Looking back another issue which Mrs G explained was the fact that P had fell out with their local Church over his diet. This was a clear issue/concern for Mrs G, however looking back, I did not probe further on this issue as once again, I recall Mrs G explaining a number of issues at once. I explored further on one issue and again I forgot to go back and explore this concern. At this point I feel I should have listed back to Mrs G the concerns that were arising and explored each of them one by one. Instead I feel I became overwhelmed by all of the information she was giving me, I consequently responded by exploring into one issue, which then led into another issue and I forgot to cover the other issues arising a the beginning. This has been a big learning curve for me as a worker. From this in particular I have learnt that I need to be more assertive and take more control of the conversation, particularly if you are with a service user who is quite talkative. In future I plan to say , ok, mrs G, youve given me quite a lot of information there. You have raised concerns about this, this and this. I would then cover each of the issues separately to ensure I have explored all areas fully that the service user has identified as being problem areas. I will also ensure to take more control of the conversation by stopping the service user if I feel she has overwhelmed me with information and pace the flow of the interaction to ensure each area is being fully explored. I recall Mrs G explaining that P had been abiding by his restricted fluid and diet intake recently as apposed to what he had done in the past. Mrs G did however express that P would still sometimes push the boundaries. I recall just reassuring Mrs G that this was very positive, however on reflection, I feel that I could have picked up on the fact that she had expressed he still pushes the boundaries at times and explored more into how they managed this, how he reacts when she reminds him the importance of his restricted diet and how Ps reactions impacted on Mrs G and other family members within the home. Mrs G went on to explain that the clinical psychologist P had been to see recently had diagnosed P as being biologically depressed and not clinically depressed. I recall probing further as an attempt to determine how Mrs G felt about this diagnosis, and asked whether P would continue to see the psychologist. However on reflection I do feel I could have explored further with regard to the possible risks this presented for P, how P was behaving, had she noticed any significant changes in his mood, behaviour etc. Looking back I feel this would have been very important and usually I feel a very obvious area to cover however I recall reminding myself of my role within that visit and that was to focus on Mrs G as a carer and how she was coping as a carer. Looking back however I do feel it was important to have explored further on this issue as there evidently could have been risks involved which could have led me to determining how Mrs G felt and coped with these. I recall Mrs G explaining about Ps argumentative nature. I did attempt to explore this area further however again at this stage I recall Mrs G giving a lot of detailed information and again I do feel it would have been beneficial to have redirected the information she had given back to how Mrs G was affected and how she was coping. I summarised by explaining to Mrs. G the main issues which we had discussed during the visit and what Mrs G was currently dealing with. I then reminded Mrs G of the main reason for the contact which was an assessment of Mrs Gs needs as a carer, how things have impacted on her and how she was coping as a carer. I summarised by asking Mrs G to once again eplain what the main concerns were for her in coping and caring for P at the minute. Mrs G once again clearly highlighted that the main concern for her as a mother was the fact that P had no opportunities at the minute to meet, socialise and interact others his own age group. She further explained that she felt this would undoubtly help to promote Ps independence while giving her and her husband a little respite. I paraphrased this back to Mrs G to have her clarify what I understood in relation to Ps needs and how this would ultimately benefit them as carers. I summarised by acknowledging and explaining to Mrs G that I understood the l evel of Ps care needs, what the family have come through in their lives to date and the impact of caring for P and other family members. At this stage I recall advising Mrs G of some support groups which may be of support to Mrs and Mrs G. Mrs G however clarified that she felt it was not them as parents who needed the support but their son, P who would benefit from some sort of social outlet. Furthermore, she did highlight she felt this would additionally benefit her and her husband as P relied quite a lot on her and her husband to take him out. Mrs G expressed she felt it would be beneficial for P if someone Ps age were to come and bring P out for a few hours. I mentioned a voluntary befrienders scheme however I was unsure as to the likeliness of getting a befriender that age within the locality thus I reassured Mrs G I would follow this up and get back to her. At this stage I recall introducing the topic of direct payments. Looking back, I feel the conversation had flowed up until this point. On reflection I had no reason to bring up the topic of direct payments as the conversation up until this stage had been centred on Mrs G, her life as a carer and how this was impacting on her. I had prepared to cover this topic solely on the basis that this was one of the topics covered within the agencys Carers Assessment forms. Looking back, I feel there was no reason to introduce this topic as there was simply no purpose in this instance. I recall asking Mrs G if she was aware of direct payments and or if she received direct paymen ts. Mrs G was not and asked if this was the same as carers allowance. At this stage I recall going completely blank. I knew it wasnt however I went completely blank and I could not think and turned to my practice teacher for reassurance and ask her if they were the same. At this stage I felt quite nervous and found it hard to refocus my mind back on the topic of conversation. I then recall trying to explain the concept of direct payments to Mrs G. I was able to explain that It focused on empowering service users through allowing them to be employers and this was a payment paid to them which would allow them to effectively employ someone if for example they wanted to pay someone to come in and care for their disabled child. I recall stumbling through this explanation as I consciously knew I wasnt communicating my understanding of direct payments effectively in a way to ensure that Mrs G understood it and furthermore I doubted what I was saying. I feel I cold have tuned in better to w hat direct payments were, whether Mrs G and P would have been eligible for this service, what the options were for them and been able to explain to them in a way that they understood and have given an example of their circumstances as apposed to a child. i.e. considering the fact that P was turning 18 in a few months. I feel if I had prepared better by doing this, there would have been more structure and purpose to introducing the topic in the first instance, Mrs G would have grasped a clear and concise understanding of what direct payments were, I would have come across as a more competent and knowledgeable worker and this would have lessened the likeliness of confusion or unrealistic hopes and expectations on Mrs Gs behalf on their eligibility and entitlement for the service. Straight away following the visit I acknowledged how my responses could have potentially have given Mrs g unrealistic hopes and expectations with regard to what they could get. I feel nervousness and lack of concise preparation significantly contributed to my inability to explain the service effectively and concisely, particularly after I was unable to explain the difference between carers allowance and direct payments initially. I finally summarised what I was going to do for Mrs G such as looking into the befriending scheme, their eligibility for direct payments, as she queried if she would be able to pay someone to come and take P out for a few hours a week etc. I then explained Mrs G that I would be in touch to arrange a time and date to talk through the assessment once I had completed it and have her sign it. Mrs G agreed. Skills I do feel I listened to Mrs G and demonstrated respect by being empathetic towards her and her situation past and present. I was very aware of the sensitivity around what Mrs G has come through in her life to date and used silence allot to allow Mrs. G to gather her thoughts before answering the questions. When she was talking I continued to use silence as a means of letting Mrs G tell her story and express her feelings. I ensured to maintain eye contact. My non verbals I hope indicated to Mrs G that I was listening to what she had to say. Although I contently listened to Mrs G and what she had to say, I do feel she overwhelmed me with information a lot of the time. Although I managed to explore further some of these issues by probing further on certain issues, I feel I failed to probe further on all the issues/concerns expressed by Mrs G. I feel I could taken control of the interaction more by stopping Mrs G at times and sensitively saying for example, ok Mrs G, you have given me quite a lot of information there. You mentioned this, this, this and this.. Can you firstly tell me a bit more about (1st issue), how does this affect you as a carer etc. I would then have gone through each issue separately and have explored each issue fully. I then would have got Mrs G to proceed. This would have ensured that I was using my probing skills more effectively and ensured I was exploring and analysing equally all areas which arose. Furthermore, I feel I did probe further on certain subjects to gain a further insight into how G fe lt about certain things although in doing this I do accept that I still may not have kept the topics focused on Mrs G as much as what I could have. I do feel however that in this instance, the needs of Mrs G was very dependent on that of meeting Ps needs first as she continually stated, if I thought that P was getting ready and looking forward to going out and meeting with others his age, I would be able to relax and when he would be away, this would act as respite for me. I truly feel this was the main issue for Mrs G and she clarified this towards the end of the visit. I was particularly ware of this as I had tuned into the fact that in a typical encounter involving two people, it is estimated that the actual spoken or verbal content is likely to carry only one third of the social meaning in any given event, whereas the non verbal forms convey roughly two thirds of the meaning (Birdwhistell, 1970). Communication is a two way process. It involves listening as well as speaking. Non- verbals used were: nodding, having an appropriate body posture, using eye contact, smiling and sitting in the SOLAR position. Allot of the time Mrs G was talking. I hope my non-verbals indicated to her that I was listening to what she had to say, respected the information she was sharing and demonstrated empathy and respect. I feel I used my interpersonal skills throughout the visit ad this contributed to a relaxed atmosphere and interaction. I do feel however I had developed a good rapport at this stage with Mrs G as I had been on a few previous home visits through carrying out the UNOCINI assessment. I feel I had a generally good structure to the contact however I do feel I could have explained at the beginning the content of what I hoped to cover with Mrs G instead of just summarising that I would be looking at her needs as a carer. I feel I demonstrated good non verbal communication through appropriate facial expressions, a good sitting position with an open posture, good eye contact and nodding my head to reassure Mrs G I acknowledged, was listening and understood what she was saying. I feel I laughed when appropriate and showed empathy when covering sensitive issues such as Ps past medical history of cancer and chemotherapy. I did ask various open questions which I had planned as a means of applyin g the exchange model and allowing Mrs G to talk openly about her life as a carer. This also allowed me to gain an insight into what Mrs Gs life was like, what her caring role entailed and how she coped with her caring responsibilities. I asked closed questions to gain more information on certain issues and clarify information. I feel my tone of voice was appropriate considering we were covering issues which were sensitive to Mrs G. Generally, I feel I effectively communicated with Mrs G. Effective communication is an essential component of traditional social work activities (Lishman, 1994, pg 1). I communicated clearly with Mrs G by explaining why I was there, introducing my practice teacher, explaining her role, reassured Mrs G my practice teacher was there to observe me and not her. I explained clearly what I hoped to cover during the contact and under ground she was entitled to a carers assessment. The process of engaging entails social workers being explicit about what we are do ing and why (Munro 1998a: 98). I feel I engaged well with Mrs G by clearing explaining my role and purpose. I paraphrased back to Mrs G what she had said at certain stages, particularly towards the end of the contact to show Mrs G that I understood what shed told me. This involved me paraphrasing or feeding back to Mrs G what theyd conveyed, in a meaningful way. This was also useful in having Mrs G clarify that this is indeed what she meant. Empowerment- Empowerment is more commonly used to describe service users being given meaningful choice and valuable options (Clark 2000: 57). I feel I provided Mrs G with choice and valuable options by providing her with information, informing her of the services available. I do feel I actively listened to G and responded by probing further on certain issues. On reflection, I feel the type of questions I asked G could have been more focused on the needs of G and Ge as apposed from having her explain about P. Initially I felt this may have given R an insight into what Gs life is like and I thought it may have been a good starting point however I feel I could have covered aspects such as how she coped when P was away to college, to dialysis. In saying this I do feel that G made it very clear particularly towards the end that the main concern for her at the minute was the fact that her son had no friends his age, was unable to get out and had nothing to look forward to. And continually expressed that this was the main issue for her and that if he had an opportunity to get out and socialise with others his age, this would positively impact on her as she would be able to relax if she felt P was happy and this would also act as a few hours respite for her as relationships in the family had been strained recently. I feel I did not communicate to Mrs G in a clear and concise manner what direct payments was and was unable to provide her with a clear distinction between that of carers allowance and direct payments. Looking back I went blank at this point and felt I could not think and panicked. As a result I looked to R for re-assurance. I do not feel I came across as a competent worker as on reflection I turned to my practice teacher when G asked me if a carers assessment was the same as a direct payment. Looking back on this I feel very silly as I knew the difference but I just recall going blank as I stumbled with how to explain the difference. I feel this was down to nervousness and as a result I panicked and turned to R for advice. I will definitely try to avoid doing this in future as it is not professional and service users expect that we as workers know what we are talking about. I feel I could have been better prepared with regard to knowledge in relation to direct payments and carers allowance etc. Although I thought I knew what they were, obviously hadnt read enough around them or had the information prepared in a way that would enable me to effectively communicate to the service user what they were. Although prior to the contact I felt I was prepared, On reflection, I feel I could have been better prepared with regard to familiarising myself better with direct payments and carers allowance etc. I should have prepared in my head how I would explain this to G in a way that was clear and concise that she would have understood. My main aims achieved were: I was successful in getting Mrs G to open up about her situation and her feelings I was successful in determining what it was she felt would best help and support her and her husband at the moment, which was providing them with respite by providing P with opportunities for social interaction. The main knowledge used and how it impacted upon my work: I had an understanding of Mrs Gs circumstances through previous visits with the family and carrying out a UNOCINI assessment and liaising with other professionals already involved with the family. I feel I tuned in thoroughly to Mrs Gs past history, current circumstances and her life and needs as a carer. I did not have a lot of knowledge about the appropriate way of completing the carers assessment form. From discussing the topic with my practice teacher and other work colleagues, I felt it was better to not bring the form in with me during the visit. I felt this may have put Mrs G of or have distracted her. I considered the sensitivity of some of the issues that Mrs G may be relaying to me and I wanted to give her my utmost attention, reassure that I was fully listening to her, engage fully with Mrs G and let her lead the interaction and speak openly about her situation. This then led me to apply the exchange model of assessment which looks upon service users as experts in their ow n lives. I tuned into the fact that no-one knew Mrs G and her life situation as well as herself and so I felt this model was ideal to apply as a method of assessment. The Life needs model is another model which informed my knowledge base prior to the visit. This is a developmental and social-ecological model and increased my knowledge base on key transitions in childrens lives. Although this model informed my knowledge base more so with regards to Ps UNOCINI assessment, it also allowed me to consider how Mrs G as a carer may be coping with Ps transition and current life stage of adolescence, as a carer and mother. Knowledge around assessment theory increased my knowledge base on what assessment is and what it involves. Erik Eriksons life stage theory increased my knowledge base around Mrs Gs life stage. Theories around loss increased my knowledge base as to how Mrs G had experienced loss as a consequence of Ps physical disability and his cancer. This was very significant as the focu s of the work was on assessing Mrs Gs needs as a carer, considering who she cares for, how that impacts on her life and how she effectively copes with her caring responsibilities. As a carer of a child who has a physical disability and who had had cancer and been treated with chemotherapy and has had two failed kidney transplants, this theory allowed me to tune into a number of losses Mrs G may has or may have had, losses in terms of lack of socialisation, independence etc. This knowledge allowed me to consider that Mrs G may have been affected psychologically, physically, emotionally and socially. One of my objectives for the visit was to discuss direct payments. I feel that I did not carry out sufficient research to allow me to explain this service clearly and concisely in a manner that Mrs G would have understood. I recognise that direct payments is a relatively new way of receiving services and other professionals are still learning about what they are and how they are used. How ever, this is an area I had planned to cover with Mrs G as it is one of the questions within the carers assessment form and thus I do feel I could have researched this area more concisely to ensure I was confident in explaining it in a way that Mrs G would have understood. I also feel I had a good grasp of the current family situation through completion of the initial UNOCINI assessment and thus I could have enquired into the familys eligibility for receiving direct payments prior to the visit. I feel I had already previously adequately researched into Ps renal condition, kidney dialysis, the effects, the importance of a restricted fluid and dietary intake and the consequences of not abiding by a restricted diet from completing Ps UNOCINI assessment. This information allowed me to further consider what life is like for Mrs G as a carer. I had already gained a great insight into the family circumstances through liaising with other professionals and completing the initial UNOCINI asse ssment. This knowledge was significant as it allowed me to consider the challenges Mrs G was facing as a mother and carer and thus I already had an insight into how she was coping with caring for P. I also done some research on carers of children who have disabilities which allowed to familiarise myself with what pressures and stresses carers are faced with on a daily basis. Throughout my work with this family I am constantly aware of overarching legislation such as the Childrens Order (NI) 1995, the Human Rights Act 1998, Disabled Persons Act (NI) 1989, and The Education (NI) Order 1996. The main piece of legislation that informed this piece of work however was the Carers and direct payments Act (NI) 1996. I must always be aware of the legal and statutory context in which I work. It is impossible to practice without coming up against the Law: it is impossible to practice effectively without an in-depth understanding of how the Law affects everyday social work practice (Johns, 2005:1). Looking back I strongly feel I could have increased my knowledge base more effectively around direct payments and familiarise myself with what the criteria is for eligibility for families. I have since spoken to other workers in the team and have read around the topic more and thus feel much more confident about the topic. The main values I used were: The NISCC Codes of Practice for Social care Workers underpins my professional value base and I felt this impacted when working with this family. I feel that I treated Mrs G and her home environment with respect by asking Mrs G prior to the visit if she would mind my practice teacher being present to observe my work. I feel I empathised with G by being understanding of her all that her and her family have come through in their lives to date. I felt I could easily empathise with her when she was referring to P and his medical history and his cancer. I considered prior to contact how devastating this particular time would have been in their lives and acknowledged the importance of showing empathy, particularly if this service user was willing to talk openly to me who she may have looked upon as a stranger, about such a sensitive area in her life. I empathised with her further when she talked openly about her older son also having been born with a renal condition and the ongoing everyday stresses and strains this had. I did not judge Mrs G. I listened openly to what she had to say and demonstrated empathy by being understanding of Mrs Gs circumstances at present and what she has come through to date. By being empathetic and understanding towards Mrs G, I feel she was more motivated to work in partnership with me. I feel I demonstrated respect by explaining the issue of confidentiality, explaining my student status, gaining consent and ensuring Mrs G was happy and content working with myself, a student, by reminding Mrs G of my student status and allowing her to clarify she was happy to proceed. Furthermore, I feel I respected Mrs G by pre arranging the appointment and turning up on time. I feel I demonstrated respect at all times throughout the visit by maintaining eye contact, listening to Mrs G, using silence when appropriate and allowing her to speak, gather her thoughts and express her feelings. I was genuinely interested in what Mrs G had to say, finding out m ore about her life and past experiences and I was honest and open which I feel contributed to an effective, positive working relationship with Mrs G. I made myself aware of any cultural/structural oppression that the service user may be experiencing, such as gender, religious issues. I also considered that Mrs G attended a Church group and that she and her family held firm religious beliefs and attended Church on a regular basis. Future learning requirements indicated by this piece of work What I hope to improve upon in the future: From looking back I can see that there are significant areas I need to develop my knowledge and experience in. For example I strongly feel I could have increased my knowledge base more effectively around direct payments and have familiarised myself with what the criteria is for eligibility for families. My lack of experience delivering direct payments is obvious here. I feel that my understanding on this topic could be improved through reading further on the topic and possibly shadowing other social workers in the team when they visit service users about direct payments. Being well prepared for what it is I want to cover during contacts is another significant area I need to work on. Looking back, I feel the contact had flowed up until the point at which I introduced the topic of direct payments. I feel, I already had an insight into the family situation through completing the initial assessment ad I knew that Mrs Gs main concern was that P did not have enough opportunities for social outlets and if I had prepared to introduce this topic, I should have previously enquired into whether this was an option for Mrs G and her family. On reflection this would have made much more sense as I would have had reasoning for introducing the topic and I would have been able to inform Mrs G of information that was clear, concise and accurate, preventing informing Mrs G of information that was inaccurate, risking false hopes and possible dis

Terrorism: Causes, Effects and Prevention Strategies

Terrorism: Causes, Effects and Prevention Strategies In the last quarter of the century, there is a dramatic change in most of the terrorist activities, as they are well-planned, with a purpose to accomplish a precise identifiable and seemingly attainable political goal. In the past, most of the terrorist activities involved incidents like high-jacking an aircraft or the taking of a hostage following which certain demands were made. Their aim was usually to release their friends, or group leaders from prisons. Terrorism in the last few decades has taken a more violent and destructive turn, and quite often the demands are not made. Terrorism today is an act which is sudden, unprovoked, sheer brutal attack on innocent civilians killing several people in a crowded market or a gathering. Most of there terrorist attacks have had a political objective, which have now become rather diffused since the 9/11 attack. It now seems that the idea is to create fear and panic, and primarily to get publicity through the television news and print media According to several orthodox cultures, the terrorists resorted to this particular type of extremism as the only way for accomplishing political change. Also it appears to be interconnected to globalization and the increased impact of the United States and other Western countries. This has added to the resentments of the people of that part of the world. Thus it is the larger developments, changes in the international political structure, and expansion of globalization throughout the world that explains this trend in terrorism. The sixty years of suffering of the Palestinians and their unsuccessful efforts to get an independent state is one of the major reasons for the unrest in the Muslim World. The recent siege (412 Palestinian children perished between the 27th of December 2008 and the 18th of January 2009 as a result of the bombings and atrocities carried out by the Israeli Occupying Forces The end year of 2009 inevitably This markeds the First Year Memorial of Operation Cast Lead, when almost 1,400 Palestinians, mostly civilians were killed during the course of a brutal military operation carried out by Israeli authorities. Thousands more were wounded or displaced. 412 Palestinian children perished between the 27th of December 2008 and the 18th of January 2009. These children were killed as a result of the bombings and atrocities carried out by the Israeli Occupying Forces) affected the Palestinian social fabric completely. As the trauma grows with every violent incursion into Palestinian communities; hatred and tendency of revenge also increases among them. During the Gulf War, and more recently in Afghanistan, the terrorist groups often resort to psychological warfare because its the only tactic they have available to them. They dont have M-16s, and we have M-16s. They dont have the mighty military power that we have, and they only have access to things like kidnapping, says Haroun, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego. (cited in Warner, 2005).1 In reality these terrorist attacks does not harm the enemy physically very much, as few people could be killed in an attack. But the repercussions are tremendous from the psychological point of view. Ordinary people viewing the terrorist attack in person or watching it on television, gets anxious, terrified, and often develop a sense of foreboding fear, which in turn may lead to demoralization in the entire society. Psychological Terror Whatever is their modus operandi, terrorists share very similar aims. Alexander and Klein (2006)[1] concisely identified the aims of terrorism as follows: To create pervasive fear, anxiety and panic To generate a collective and individual sense of helplessness, vulnerability and hopelessness To demonstratereveal the incompetenceineffectiveness and/or inabilityincapability of the authorities to provide security and protectionsafety against such opponents And provoke the establishment into errors or over-reactions which will disaffect the general public or specific influential bodies. The last point is essentially vital as observed by the widespread concerns as for example the shooting of an innocent man by the Metropolitan Police in London sometime ago (as a result of consequent to the wrong information that he was a suicide bomber); the incarceration of terrorist suspects in high security prisons of Guantanamo Bay and Belmarsh; and the introduction of repressive legislation. Moreno (2003)[2] has persuasively proven how easy it is in a democratic society to subordinate hard-earned civil liberties to the need to introduce counter-terrorist legislation. The terrorist attacks provide harsh reminders that in todays world, one does not know what news may come next on television or other news media. Particularly disturbing television images of horrific incidents can trigger the innate startle response no matter how close or far away from home the event happened. Historically, every military clash has led to psychological warfare in some form in one way or another as th e enemy aims to break the morale of their opponent. Due to progress in technology; the popularity of the internet; and increase of news coverage, the rules of engagement in this type of psychological battle have changed. Whether it is a substantial attack or a single dreadful act, the effects of psychological warfare are not restricted to the physical damage it produces. Instead, the intent of these attacks is to instillinstil a sense of fear that is much greater than the actual threat itself. According to Professor Richard Bulliet of Columbia University: There are various ways to have your impact. You can have your impact by the magnitude of what you do, by the symbolic character of target, or the horrific quality of what you do to a single person. Interestingly the way media covers the event in fact determines the effect on the people. For instance, according to Bulliet, the Iranian hostage predicament, in 1979, which though lasted for 444 days, was infact actually one of the most harmless of (word harmless) criticalthings events that occurredhappened in the Middle East in the last 25 years. All the U.S. hostages were released ultimately unscathed., butHowever this hostage event remains a psychological scarblemish for manyseveral Americans who watched powerlessly, each evenings newscast, they counted days the hostages were being held in custody. The terrorists often take advantage of images of a group of masked individuals coercing and intimidating exerting total power over their captives to sendconvey the message that the act is a collective demonstrationdisplay of the groups power rather than an individual criminal act. You dont have the notion that a certain person has taken a hostage. Its an image of group power, and the force becomes generalized rather than personalized. The randomness and the ubiquity of the threat give the impression of vastly greater capacities. (cited in Warner, 2005).[3] Remote Repercussions of Terrorist Attacks When a horrific event occurs, it is natural to feel disturbed, even if the act occurred thousands of miles away. The human reaction is to put oneself in the situation because as normal human beings, people have the capacity to empathize. And consequently these people may develop similar psychological symptoms. Witnessing an act of psychological terror can also disrupt our belief system, says Charles Figley, PhD, director of the Florida State University Traumatology Institute. (cited in Warner, 2005).[4] We walk around, psychologically, in a bubble, and that bubble represents our belief system and values. Most often we assume incorrectly that other people have the same values and social niceties as we do. When that is violated or challenged, the first response is usually an effort to protect our beliefs and, in other words, to deny that it actually happened. When A s soon as confronted with proof of terror, such as pictures of atrocities, Figley says there are a few different waysdifferent ways in which people typically react: They perceive perpetrators to be inhumane. Become fearful as they perceive they are living in a callous and unsafe world because the graph bar of inhumanityhumanity has been lowered even further. Believe that its only a fleeting incident which could be easily explained away or deconstructed by precise things that have taken place, such as if we hadnt done this, then that would not have happened. Its uncomfortable believing that the world is less safe, so we have to imagine or construct a scenario that will allow us to feel more safe again and resist change, says Figley. There is an interesting and strange symbiotic relationship between terrorism and the media. Bruce Hoffman, the director of the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence, in his book Inside Terrorism has written a clear summary of some of the major historical trends in international terrorism. He makes careful distinctions between the motivations that drive political (or ethno-nationalist) terrorism and religious terrorism, and he explains also shows why the rise of religious terrorism, coupled with the increased availability of weapons of mass destruction, may foretellpredict an eraepoch of even greater violence. In the past, Hoffman argues, the main goal of the terrorist was not to kill and destroy, but to attract media attention to his cause in the hope of initiating reform. For the religious terrorist, however, violence is first and foremost a sacred act or divine duty executed in direct response to some theological demand or imperative religious terrorists see themselves not as components of a system worth preserving but as outsiders, seeking fundamental changes in the existing order. (Hoffman, 2006).[5] In this context Hoffman does not choose sides, he refers to in this framework, pointing to the bombings of the World Trade Center ,and Oklahoma City and the Tokyo,to the Sarin nerve gas attacks, in Tokyo in order to demonstrate that radicalsfundamentalists of any religious denomination are capable of extreme acts of terrorism. Terrorism is an aggressive-hostile action which is mainly intended to harm and terrify civilians, in order to promote a particular aim, or with an the idea, which may be social political or other. The terrorist attacks, are now gaining major importance than wars in the news headlines worldwide Terrorism and its Effects on Mental Health Whether its a massive attack or a single dreadfulhorrific act, the effects of psychological warfare are not restrictedlimited to the physical damage inflicted. Infact the primary objectivestead, the goal of these attacks is to inculcate a sense of fear whichthat is much greater than the actual threat itself. Therefore, the impact of psychological terror depends largely on how the acts are revealedpublicized and interpreted. Typical reactions to major trauma on the individuals and communities are well-documented but the literature on the individual reactions to terrorist incidents is scarce. Most of the reactions at the initial phase following trauma are normal reactions and only few individuals display florid psychopathology. (Alexander and Klein, 2006).[6] Normal individual reactions to a terrorist attack are: Emotional Reactions : shock, numbness, denial , fear, anxiety , helplessness, hopelessness. Cognitive dysfunctions as disorientation, confusion ,intrusive thoughts, images, memories ,hypervigilance (i.e. increased sense of risk),impaired concentration and memory. Changes in social interaction, like withdrawal ,irritability ,loss of trust and faith , avoidant behaviour (i.e. of any reminders of the event). Physical reactions as autonomic hyperarousal , ,loss of energy. insomnia Autonomic hyper-arousal, insomnia, loss of energy. Emotional shock, numbness, denial, fear, anxiety helplessness, hopelessness. Cognitive disorientation, confusion, intrusive thoughts, images, memories.Hyper-vigilance, impaired concentration and memory. Social withdrawal, irritability, loss of trust and faith, avoidant behaviour (i.e. of any reminders of the event). These normal reactions comprise most of the core symptoms of PTSD, i.e. intrusive experiences, hyper-arousal and avoidant behaviour, as defined in the ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders (ICD-10; WHO, 1992).[7] For a formal diagnosis of PTSD, such symptoms must be experienced for at least a few weeks. (The fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [DSM-IV] also necessitatesrequires that such symptoms mustto be present for one month. (American Psychiatric Association, 1994).[8] In addition the impact on individuals, terrorism has mass psychogenic impacts. Mass psychogenic illness has been defined as: The rapid spread of illness signs and symptoms affecting members of a cohesive group, originating from a nervous system disturbance involving excitation, loss or alteration of function whereby physical complaints that are exhibited unconsciously have no corresponding organic aetiology. (Bartholomew Wessely, 2002). [9] As regards community reactions, they may present with distinct features. Tyhurst provides a three phase model of community response. (Tyhurst, 1951).[10] In Phase I, most individuals are liable to be stunned, numbed or even in denial. Denial was the commonly reported reaction among the office staff of Capital Hill, Washington DC following the anthrax scare in 2001. It took some time for the affectees to realize they might have been exposed to a toxic substance. North et al., 2005).[11] Widespread panic is not a typical reaction (though widely depicted in disaster films, etc.). Approximately 10 per cent of victims are likely to panic, and this reaction is most likely when victims believe they are trapped and feel helpless. Durodie Wessely, 2002).[12] In the 1987 Kings Cross underground fire most passengers did not panic; on the contrary, they sought out the usual methods of entry and exit. (Donald Canter, 1992).[13] Similar personal reactions were observedgiven after the London terrorist incidents of July 2005. Hence the civil contingency planning clearly should not be based on ill-informed assumptions about human behaviour. Even in extreme situations human behaviour can be rational, altruistic, and even heroic. In Phase II which is the Recoil Phase, individuals seek to make sense of what has happened. They seek reunion with their common sources of support, e.g. families, friends and colleagues. Even makeshift groups may develop as individuals seek understanding and mutual support. During this period, the community develops a sense of order and control, and the concerned relief authorities can do a lot much to facilitate this step towards recovery.. Phase III, the Recovery Phase is characterized by alternating episodes of adjustment and relapse and there may be some obvious examples of resilience and positive outcomes. Further comprehensive research studies must be A lot of research still needs to be done in order to understand how communities cope with chronic exposure to threat and adversity, but Jones and his colleagues have reassessed the social effects of air raids in Great Britain during the Second World War. They indicate a high level of civilian resilience developed during that period. (Jones et al., 2004).[14] Similarly, law enforcement authorities have commented on the apparently low level of violence-related psychopathology reported in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. Clinical data is still not enough to identify It is unclear, as to what are the protective factors in these circumstances. Extensive denial, social cohesiveness, a united front against a common enemy or some other as yet undetermined influences could be termed as protective factors. Mental Health Studies Mental health research studies are conducted worldwide to explore the effects of terrorism both on the individuals and the community. Whereas some emphasize the psycho-pathological effects of terror (Galea, Ahern, Resnick et al., 2002),[15] others focus on the human suffering, which is not identical to psychiatric morbidity (Wessely 2003),[16] and on community and cultural factors that enable people to endure the stressful event (Hobfoll, 2003).[17] This conflict between two distinct approaches (Wessely, 2003) ishas yet to be bridged. Any horrific event can affect people directly or indirectly even if they are not the targets. Hence the target of the interventions is not the individual victim only, but all the people more indirectly affected by the incidence. An impartial approach may be suitable. The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued guidelines for action during emergencies which seem to support such a stand (WHO, 2003).[18] Experiencing or witnessing a violent attack does not necessarily mean that the individual will inevitably develop psychiatric morbidity (Curran, and Miller, 2001).[19] After the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York City, it was observed that: In the aftermath of terrorist attacks, many Americans regarded their distress as a normal reaction rather than a disorder needing [psychiatric] care. (Drus and Marcus, 2004).[20] Presently available data suggest that it takes more than the agent (e.g., threat to life) to lead to psychopathology. Indeed, the role of the environment is of significance, as a part of the epidemiological triangle that has been discarded by a greater focus on host-related factors (e.g., gender or age of the victim). ) A study on adults have recognized a group of factors, including religious beliefs, ideological commitment and social capital, that have protected communities which were highly exposed to terrorist attacks (like the loss of dear ones, physical injuries and property damage etc). Ideology and religion may be used as a healing power, but also as a weapon. This is especially true in the [Middle East] region. (Solomon, and Laufer (2005);[21] Shalev et al.; Shalev,[22] Tuval-Mashiach Hadar, 2004; Kaplan et al.; Kaplan,[23] Matar, Kamin, et al., 2005; Billig, Kohn, and Levav, 2004).[24] All the research data today gives hope that, by advancing research on the mental health effects of war-related activities will be conducive to the development of new techniques to counter the psycho-social aftermath of wars and other such traumatic events., Ppsychiatrists worldwide are joining the call by WHO member states to devise means to restore the psycho-pathological damage sustained by victimized populations. The World Psychiatric Association (WPA) has been active in the recent Gaza Massacre,by giving an official statement. (See Mario Maj. statement in Chapter 1V -Wars in the Muslim World1).[25] Nonetheless On the other hand, psychiatrists could play other roles even at the risk of raising idealistic initiatives which cynics might like to dismiss. There are several possibilities open for psychiatrists who, by the nature of their profession can, besides promoting health, support peace rather than war. Psychiatrists and other mental health professionals from countries in conflict could engage in alliance in a number of activities (e.g., teaching, exchange of experiences in program development and services, communication), while they are actively, tenaciously and continuously supported by WPA. Most importantly, psychiatrists must endeavour to make their societies even more ardently aware that in armed confrontations no one is a winner but that everyone is a victim. The model of collaboration in the Balkans, where mental health is a bridge to reconciliation within the framework of the Stability Pact, is a concrete example of what could be achieved when a unifying language is spoken, and when such an effort is reinforced by dedicated support from sources that are not part of the conflict. Terrorism is a paradox—a topicalcontemporary, high-profile subject with clear relevance to the real-world today relevance, yetNevertheless with limited authentic and desperate shortage of research data available es in the area. Therefield there is an urgent need to encourage the younger researchers to take a keen n interest in continuing maintaining research activities .y in the area. Psycho-Social Effects of Terrorism on the Muslim World While nothing is easier than to denounce the evildoer, nothing is more difficult than to understand him. (Mikhailovich Dostovsky) The Muslim World has endured a succession of terrorist attacks in the last decade and faced the war against terrorism with endurance and resilience. The countries most affected were Iraq, Gaza, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and particularly the FATA region in Pakistan which has been labelled as the centre of terrorist training. Pakistan also became the first line of defense in this War on Terror. The most distressing aspect of this war is the amount of destruction, damage and killing of innocent civilians of these regions. Ironically the damage done following the declaration of this war is to a large extent much greater than the loss which resulted due to the actual terrorist incident of 9/11 in New York. The Muslims worldwide have confronted the worst degree of terrorism from the powers who claim to bring peace and justice in the world. It is logical and justifiable to control and battle against those who are involved in such degrading and inhumane acts of terrorism, however, some contemplation is necessary to remodel unreasonable and illogical methods or strategies chosen to fight this terrorism. The international media has been a major partner in this war against terrorism and played a key role in portraying religious extremism in Islam as the major cause of present-day terrorism. But this is untrue since Islam is primarily a religion of peace, love and harmony. Unfortunately, clerics who have limited knowledge of the teachings and values of the Islam have misguided some people for their vested interests. The misinterpretation of the teachings of Islam by irresponsible clerics has led to fanaticism. Islam is the most practical religion of the world. As narrated by Dr Muzammil H. Siddiqi:[26] The concept of human rights in Islam is based on two important principles: dignity of human beings and justice. Islam emphasizes that all human beings are honoured by Allah subhanahu wa taala. Allah wants all human beings to live in peace and harmony and for this reason He wants us to establish justice in this world. Without justice there is no dignity and without dignity and justice there cannot be any peace. There are several passages in the Holy Quran verifying the above narration: If any do fail to judge by (the light of) what God (Allah) hath revealed, they are (no better than) unbelievers. (Holy Quran 5:44). o ye who believe! Stand out firmly for God (Allah), as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety: and fear God (Allah). For God (Allah) is well-acquainted with all that ye do. (Holy Quran 5:8). Human blood is sacred in any case and cannot be spilled without justification. Violating this rule is equivalent to killing all of humanity: if anyone slew a person — unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land — it would be as if he slew the whole people. (Quran 5:32). Hence the Holy Quran advocates that death of a single human being is a death of humanity. At present it is vital to understand that words terrorism and war against terrorism apparently seems to be propaganda against Islam and Muslims. Such perceptions against Islam and the Muslims have taken a toll on the social, psychological and emotional well-being of Muslims in different parts of the world. (Zafar, 2007).[27] Psycho-Social Impacts of Gaza Conflict: On 31 January 2008, the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP) organized a Conference on Effects of Siege on Life and Mental Health of Palestinians in Gaza Strip. Taysir Diab, Clinical Psychiatrist and Supervisor at GCMHP, talked about the mental impacts of the siege based on GCMHPs experience. He stated that there It is not one, but were a group of bio-psycho social factors that which caused mental illness. Diab of these factors under the siege on Gaza; and that the and its psychological, physical and social impacts of these factors were clinically identifiable. The siege, he said, had a direct effect on the appearance of new psychiatricmental cases and the relapse of old ones. There are personal differences on the physical and psychological levels; there are protective factors such as religion, patriotism, norms and values, as well as social support. All these factors along with others contributed in the protection of individuals. and the development of new mental illnesses in the Palestinian people. According to Diab, a vast majority of the Palestinian populations were suffering from symptoms of psychiatricmental disorders. He pointed out that the clients of GCMHPs Community Centers suffered from various psychological problems, including panic, insecurity feelings of insecurity, easily provoked aggressiveness, anger, easily provoked, psychosomatic disorders, depression, frustration, low morale, fear, poor concentration, lack of belonging or affiliation, lack of confidence in self and others, emotional numbness,numbness, and PTSD symptoms., various physical complaint, Oobsessiveon-Ccompulsive Disorders were common, and there was a definite rise in illness relapses.rise in illness relapses. Diab further mentioned that the siege affected the vulnerable groups, in particular children who suffer increasingly from fear, panic, and at times apathylack the feeling of risks, tendency of sadness and insecurity feelings of insecurity., as well as Bbed-wetting and stutteringstuttering, was also a common presentation. He also pointed that the siege affected the mental health professionals in term of increasing their mental stresspressures and state of frustration, avoidance, nervousness, and professional burn-out. Furthermore, Ahmad Abu Tawahina, Senior Clinical Psychologist and Director General of GCMHP, statedmentioned that the major aimplan behind the siege imposed by Israel wasis to implantinstil panic and fear among the Palestinians citizens. He said: We, as Palestinians, must never live a frustrating and despairing life and have to get rid of the negative impacts of siege since life goes on, and the professionals must exert all efforts in order to help people cope with the difficult situations. Twahina also stated that it was vital that Palestinians should not drown in terror and fear since most of the above mentioned symptoms are natural reactions to a madcrazy reality. He also addressed the concept of victimof victim psychology and commented on the importance of offering the mental services for people who suffer from frequent depressions, and increasing concerns. According to him the mental suffering affects everybody but at different levels, and that theere is depression, anxiety, tension, and despair is prevalent at the entirewhole community levels. In his work paper, . Samir Zaqout, a psychologist at GCMHP, discussedtalked about the social changes resulting from the siege. He statedadded that: the siege started in 1948 when Israeli Occupation practiced siege policy in an attempt to deny the Palestinians their identity: The siege is doubled as it is imposed by Israel and the international community since they didnt allow the Palestinians to practice their rights in a democratic way. Further, Zaqout pointed that the siege affected the Palestinian social fabric and domestic relations as hatred and tendency of revenge increased among the Palestinians. It also affected the moral values and accepting the other as well as increasing inter and intra familial disputes and conflicts. Summing up the proceedings of the Conference Eyad el Sarraj pointed to the significance of highlighting such statistics and showing the direct impacts of the siege on the citizens. He stressed on the importance of the accuracy and avoiding exaggeration in stating any statistics. Sarraj focused on the victim psychology. He said: Since we, as Palestinians, shouldnt adopt the role of victim, and exaggerate in blaming others and defaming ourselves. Our priority should be national reconciliation and unity and supporting the Palestinian resiliency so as to achieve our legitimate rights, endorsed by international conventions. Concluding the conference the mental health experts reiterated that it was crucial that the siege must end and professionals must undertake their roles in the field of education and mental health. This would be the first step in to bring some semblance of normality to the lives of the Gaza Community. This step was vital, in order to enable them to cope with negative consequences of the siege and minimize the resultant burdens. Moreover, it was agreed to work on the promotion of mental resilience programs for ending the siege and developing coping strategies to counter the negative mental health consequences. It was agreed that the Palestinian people are steadfast and live with dignity, and should not bend or despair and take matters positively and effectively in order to resist all schemes aiming at weakening Palestinian social fabric, and to achieve the Palestinian rights in freedom, independence and establishing the Palestinian state. Further, the attendants emphasized the importance of working, as specialists in various fields, on influencing the decision makers in the Palestinian society and acquaint them with the destructive impacts of the siege at all levels, especially the mental health of the future Palestinian generations. The physical and mental health needs of sufferers of Gaza are extremely challenging to address, particularly the psychological and emotional crises. During the last Israeli military strike in the period from December 2008 to January 2009, approximately 1380 Palestinians were killed, of whom 431 were children and 112 women. (United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) (2009). At least 5380 people were injured, including 1872 children and 800 women. In these improvised settings within health facilities such as maternity wards and operating theatres were transformed into trauma units. The consequences must be drastic in terms of maternal and child morbidity and mortality because 3500 deliveries were expected to have taken place during the twenty-three days of military operations. Findings from a recent UNFPA assessment indicate that, during that period there was an increased number of miscarriages in pregnant women (Shifa, Al Aqsa, Naser, Rafah), and an increased neonatal mortality in Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. (UNFPA, (2009). According to World Health Organization (WHO), only the rough estimates show that during the last Gaza crisis 25000 to 50000 people underwent severe mental stress and need some form of psychological intervention to address long-term effects. Women, separated children, elderly people, and people with prior physical or mental disabilities are at high risk of severe emotional distress than others. The restoration of normal socioeconomic conditions, secure living

Wollstonecrafts A Vindication of the Rights of Women Essay -- Gender

A woman’s job is to cook, clean, and bear children. Although it may not remain true now, many thought this for most of history. A woman had her duty to her husband and that served as almost all of her worth. During the Enlightenment, some women began to question this norm and to voice their unhappiness. The Enlightenment period was an intellectual movement that sought to reform society and advance knowledge (â€Å"Age of Enlightenment†). Even with all of the Enlightenment’s great advancements, women still did not possess many rights. Women continued to be â€Å"oppressed and kept to the private sphere,† separated from men (â€Å"Women in the Enlightenment†). Few women challenged these social norms, but a few existed such as Mary Wollstonecraft. Wollstonecraft changed European thought on women through the writing of her essay â€Å"A Vindication of the Rights of Women.† Her essay proposed controversial ideas on a womanâ€⠄¢s position as a wife, right to education, and rights in society. During the Enlightenment, a pamphlet war began called the Revolution Controversy. Edmund Burke started the Revolution Controversy when he published an essay that sparked debate over the French Revolution. After the publication, many authors such as Wollstonecraft responded and disagreed with Burke’s views. Wollstonecraft’s response was titled â€Å"A Vindication of the Rights of Men† (â€Å"Revolution Controversy†). Two years later, she also responded to Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Pà ©rigord’s report to the National Assembly of France. His report stated that women â€Å"should only receive a domestic education† (â€Å"A Vindication†). Wollstonecraft became infuriated at this claim and quickly began to write her essay â€Å"The Vindication of the Rights of Women.† She set out... ...pedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 11 Oct. 2011. Web. 20 Oct. 2011. . "Timeline of Women's Rights (other than Voting)." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 7 Oct. 2011. Web. 17 Oct. 2011. wiki/Timeline_of_women's_rights_(other_than_voting)>. Van Doren, Charles. A History of Knowledge: Past, Present, and Future. New York, NY: Ballantine, 1991. Print. Wollstonecraft, Mary. The Vindication of the Rights of Women. Boston: Peter Edes, 1792. Bartleby.com: Great Books Online. Bartleby Books, 1999. Web. 16 Oct. 2011. www.bartleby.com/144/>. "Women in the Enlightenment." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 17 Nov. 2011. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. Enlightenment>.