Sociology

The union of Arab Gulf Corporation Council (AGCC), commonly abbreviated GCC, is made of six member countries in the Persian Gulf including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE) (Louis, Balli, and Osman, 2008). This union was established in May 1981 with various objectives in mind some of them being to have the bloc that is rich in oil natural gas resources advance economically, politically and culturally as well as for security reasons in a war prone zone (Fasano and Iqbal, 2003). The GCC has seen its member countries go through rather challenging moments economically and with regard to security. With several achievements being accomplished already and others being in the process of accomplishment, there stands no doubt that the union of Arab Gulf Cooperation Council countries is a good step forward towards the future of the countries and its people. This is despite the fact that some conflicts may arise regarding the administration of the region among other interests. The loss of control over individual countries may seem as a loss but it is definitely beneficial to have the union.

This paper takes the position that the union of the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council countries is a good step towards the future. Various illustrations of the benefits such as economically, politically and socially are discussed. In addition, the various consequences resulting from the union are discussed.

A brief background of the GCC
The GCC was established in May 1981 with a main aim of strengthening the economic and military bonds between the six member countries. The countries not only share a similar political structure made of autocratic monarchies and in some sheikdoms but they also have very limited political participation if any (BBC NEWS, 2008). This was particularly due to the commonness in their resources particularly the oil resources in the region. As of 1980s, it was estimated that the oil reserves in the bloc amounted to about 274 billion barrels thus making the bloc reserve close to 52 percent of the worlds oil reserves (Haldane, 1985). Prior to the formation of GCC, the countries led by Saudi Arabia had come together in pursuit of ways of dealing with the common problems experienced in the region. This led to the formation of various institutions such as the Arab Gulf Organization, the Arab News agency and the Gulf Television Authority. With the continued need to have the region unified economically, politically and socially, the GCC came into establishment.

The GCCs highest body is the Supreme Council which comprises of the heads of the six states and is mandated with making decisions. Convening meetings annually, the Supreme Councils is headed on a rotational basis as per the Arabic alphabetical order of the six states. It is also possible to have an extraordinary session if necessary so long as a Member State seconds the request. The Ministerial Council which convenes at the intervals of three months in a year is made of foreign ministers and takes the role of overseeing realization of decisions in addition to coming up with policies. The administrative organ of the GCC is the Secretariat-General which plans for meetings as well as monitoring policy implementation. The GCC Charter is the Consultative Commission with a membership of 30 representatives (five from each state) and it is the advisory board to the Supreme Council. An ad hoc based Commission for the Settlement of Disputes can be instituted in case any conflicts arise among the member countries. The Supreme Council selects a Secretary General who serves for three years which can be renewed once (BBC NEWS, 2008).

There are various sectors that make up the Secretariat General. These include Political Affairs, Economic Affairs, Human and Environment Affairs, Military Affairs, Security Affairs, Legal Affairs, Office of the Secretary-General, Finance and Administrative Affairs, Patent Bureau, Administrative Development Unit, Internal Auditing Unit, and Information Centre (GCC-Secretariat General, 2010).

The establishment of the GCC was upon a number of objectives as per the GCC Charter. These include to have all the Member States coordinate, and integrate in every field by tightening the ties between the peoples in the different states. To come up with uniform regulations governing the economy in matters of trade, customs, tourism, legislation and governance and to advance their industries including mining industry, agriculture as well as livestock resources. It is also the objective of the union to set up common scientific centers, establishing joint ventures and bringing together the private sector across the member states (GCC-Secretariat General, 2010).

With these common objectives, the GCC bloc was formed with the hope that it would strengthen their voice amongst other international blocs such as the European Union and the United States. As such, the GCC would be able to put forward their case on equal grounds with the other regions.

GCC is a good step towards the future
The formation of the union of Arab Gulf Cooperation council is a positive step that is necessary for the future of the Member States. There have been various achievements that have been made through this cooperation over the last 29 years that no doubt show that this union is a necessary step towards a better future for the region. Most of these achievements and future prospects would be very hard to achieve with the countries standing individually.

At the time of its establishment, the GCC Member States were facing the threat of the Iran-Iraq war from their close neighbors. This was a security challenge that in fact stimulated the formation of GCC for the countries needed to shield themselves from the war which not only threatened the security of its people but also their rich oil resources (GCC-Secretariat General, 2010). With the union in place, it is possible for these Islamic countries to counter Islamic extremists and fundamentalists such as the Iranian activist Islamism. As a defense measure against these threats, a joint command was formed in 1982 under the name of Peninsula Shield. Despite its collapse in 1987, the efforts thereof were substantial to guarantee a reliable defense force against external invasion of any GCC Member State. With the strength and confidence of the military enforcement from the GCC, the Persian Gulf War of 1991 was not a great to the bloc as it would have been if the states stood individually (Global Security, 2005). This is a clear indication that the GCC is at least prepared to defend their interests from external military interference even in the future.

Were it not for the intervention of the GCC in during Iraqs invasion on Kuwait in the 1990s, the country would have suffered invasion and unrest. Kuwaits invasion was viewed as invasion against the whole of GCC and its call for the withdrawal of the Iraq troops in early 1990 saw the war come to an end. The GCC has also proved important in resolving conflicts involving foreign invasion of the Member States such as the support given to UAE in reclaiming the Tunb and Abu Musa Islands which Iran occupied in 1971. Not only is the GCC beneficial for the member states but also to the neighboring states as illustrated for its support of rebuilding post-war Iraq. This was done through insisting on the need to let Iraq stand as a sovereign nation and its citizens be shielded from brutal terror attacks. The GCC has also been a voice in the call for international peace and conflict resolution as indicated by the efforts to end Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It has also stood as a campaigner for peace and sovereignty through its support in resolving political and religious conflicts in Lebanon, Somalia and Sudan thus standing out as an important regional body now and in the future (GCC-Secretariat General, 2010).

The security of this region being of high priority due to the hostility experienced around this region, the GCC has amassed military strength from the Member States. Military cooperation has been strengthened with the formation of the Al-Jazeerah Shield Joint Forces. The GCC Member States are committed to collectively tackling and security issue facing any one of them as one that poses a risk to all the members. In fact the armed forces in each state are interconnected through cables thus enabling efficient response in any eventuality. The same has been done for the land, air and marine forces for the GCC nations (GCC-Secretariat General, 2010). With these in place, current and future war threats against any of the Member States would be handled with ease.

Economic cooperation is among the main objectives of the GCC. Through various strategies taken to boost the economic integration of this region, there is no doubt that the GCC is bound to be a beneficial union for its economy. For instance, custom duties among the six states were removed in 1983. By making the region a free trade area, citizens of the GCC member states started moving goods across national borders without paying custom duties on specific goods. This is good news to traders and everyone in the region for it creates a great chance to develop industrially and agriculturally. There is a marked increase in the flow of goods across the GCC states resulting from the introduction of the free trade area. It is noted that as from the enactment of the free trade area in 1983 to 2002, there was an increase in volume of trade with about US 14 billion (GCC-Secretariat General, 2010). Business persons from one country are able to invest in any other member states without prior restrictions. This is an opening for individuals and countries to expand economically. Access to infrastructure was also boosted out of a meeting in Kuwait in1984 which passed that rates for water, electricity and telephone services be standardized. With the approval of building a gas network across the Gulf, the GCC states are strategically placed to advance industrially and agriculturally. The availability of the infrastructure to all the member countries is an important means of economic integration and empowerment (Haldane, 1985).

In 2003, the GCC established the customs union thus strengthening the 1983 free trade area and economic integration. The custom union was a great move towards making trade amongst the GCC member states even more vibrant. Goods can now freely flow with no tariff barriers. There has been an immense growth in intra-GCC trade from the time the custom union was incepted growing at a rate of 20 percent per annum. As such, it is expected that even more growth would occur after the custom union regulations have been instituted in every country. The overall economy of the region is bound to be hefty as these countries adhere to the custom union.

The formation of the GCC is a great step towards economic strengthening of the Gulf region seeing that the GCC implemented a common market in 2008. With the common market, individuals and companies in the bloc are accorded a national treatment thus making trade and investment across the countries open. With a customs union and an open market, the GCC stands a better position of trading with other economic blocs such as the European Union. This places the region in a global position to gain from international trade (Kuwait Times, 2006). With the economic bloc in place, the GCC is able to trade with other economic powers such as the EU free trade agreement that was brokered in 1988. Increasing the strength of this region through common market, common currency and overall intraregional trade enhances the chances of being incorporated in international free trade areas (EU External Relations, 2009).

The proposed common currency in the GCC region is among the most powerful means of economically stabilizing the region. The monetary unions proposal is targeted to be implemented by the end of 2010 and stands to succeed considering the already established common market and customs union (Al Hussaini, A, 2009). With the currency union, it is deemed to the non-oil economy which is made of agriculture and tourism industries stronger. The growth of the non-oil economy would be very vital on these countries which heavily depend on the oil sector thus making them prone to economic shocks especially while world oil prices fluctuate. In addition, the unification of currency in the GCC would end up solving the problem of a surging labor force by increasing employment opportunities (Fasano-Filho, 2003). In addition, Fasano-Filho (2003) suggests that by having a common currency, markets under GCC will end up expanding and in the process enhance competition. With competition will come diversification which will, with time, lead to the GCC integrating well into the global economy. It is also projected that a monetary union among the GCC states would eventually open economic cooperation across the countries in the Middle East.

The establishment of the GCC is a good step towards tackling environmental challenges that face the world. Tackling environmental issues as a bloc is deemed to be more effective in addition to having individual states handle their own environmental issues. The efforts of the union to conserve the environment by setting unified regulations regarding use of environmental resources and management of wastes among other conservative efforts are deemed to maintain a sustainable environment in the region. As a union, it becomes easier to present its case in the international arena in matters of environmental conservation. The GCC has gone ahead to institute initiatives that would promote individual as well as cooperate responsibility on environmental resources. These include the award of prizes such as the Best Environmental Awareness Programme as well as the Best Environmental Personality. Such initiative would promote environmental conservation and sustainability for the future of these countries (Oman Electronic Network, 2010).

The coming together of the six Persian Gulf countries under GCC is a step forward to promoting the social relationships between the peoples of these countries. Sharing a common social life as well as religion, the opening of border barriers and treating every individual as a national would enhance the preservation of these values. In any case, the bloc is governed under common Islamic laws such as the Common Law of Personal Status (GCC-Secretariat General, 2010).

Some negative aspects of the union
Despite the much praise given to the coming together of the six Persian Gulf countries, there are several negative effects that would result in the short term and the long term. It is no doubt that coming together as a union will mean that individual states will lose control over their territories and resources. Being part of the union thus means compromising even the advantages a country may have had over other member states in order to reach a common good for all. For instance, the proposal to have the region have a customs union affected UAE in that it was forced to adapt the proposed 5.5 rate on essential goods as opposed to its lower customs rate of 4. The fears were based on the argument that the tariff would see the UAE lose competitive advantage it had over Kuwait and Oman whose predicament came after opening free-trade areas (Bahaa, 1999). These worries are however superseded by the potential benefits.

By agreeing to the Cooperation, states also commit themselves to suffer together with any of the member states who may face external interference and conflicts. As such, it becomes quite disadvantageous to involve other uninvolved countries into the conflicts of the other. The disputed UAE Islands occupied by Iran poses a challenge to all members of the Cooperation.  Being in the bloc makes individual countries almost lose their autonomy in making major decisions. For instance, a rift occurred between some members such as Kuwait due to their support of Iraq invasion led by the US, a position that was against some of the GCC members (BBC NEWS, 2008).

Challenges of who will govern the region and the location of the central administration of the bloc also came up with formation of the union. The pulling out of the UAE in the plan of having a common currency was for instance based on the decision to locate the central bank of the region to Saudi Arabia (El-tablawy, 2009).

Conclusion
The establishment of the union of Arab Gulf Cooperation Council in early 1980s was undoubtedly a good step towards the future of the member countries. The Council has been able to stabilize the politics, economy and the security of the Persian Gulf amidst major wars such as the 1981 Iraq-Iran war and the Persian Gulf War. The union has also accomplished strong economic integration in the region thus facilitating free trade among the members. Setting up a common market and the proposed monetary union will definitely improve the overall economy and boost the global position of the region. Despite the few challenges and compromises that the member states would have to meet to make this union stand, the benefits more so in the future of the region are within reach.

Cheaper by the Dozen A Movie Review Using Family Systems Concepts

The central thesis and roadmap of this paper lies in showing the unique manner by which the movie Cheaper by the Dozen (2003) exemplifies and manifests the basic concepts found in the theory of family systems a notion chiefly propounded by notable social thinkers. As such, the nature of this paper transcends that of a typical movie review, in that the paradigm offered by the theory of family systems would be adopted as the specific lens into which Cheaper by the Dozen would be evaluated. Observations would be leveled in respect to different relational systems and subsystems portrayed in the movie. Specific attention, however, would be made pertinent to the existing parent-child system discernible in the movie characterization and plot. It is hoped that the paper would be able to show how that concepts in the theories behind parent-child system is applicable in the movie Cheaper by the Dozen.

Brief Summary of the Plot
Cheaper by the Dozen is a family-oriented movie adaptation of the novel (by the same title) which portrays a married couple  played by Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt  who, in what appears to be a rather peculiar leaning family size, have decided to raise 12 children on their own. Tom Welling, Piper Perabo and Hilary Duff were among the star-studded cast portraying how life, as children, revolves within the Baker household. Immediately, viewers are made to appreciate the adequate portrayal of the ups and downs inherent in having an unusually big family. The plot thickens when, in pursuing an invitation act as head coach of a local college football team, Steve Martin, in consultation with his wife and children, decided to move from their a small-town Illinois home to the city (Cheaper by the Dozen, 2010). This is on top of Bonnie Hunts impending book launch which would require her to leave home momentarily. Therein, conflicts and relational conflicts became inevitable a scene that is wrought by the parents evident inability to personally oversee the tasks of parenthood, specifically in view of the fulfilling the needs of their little children. The movie ends in a heartwarming resolution of conflicts, leaving the audience in a feel-good mood after all.

Parent-Child Subsystem under the Lenses of Family Systems Theory
As hinted hereinabove, this paper will focus on unraveling the intricacies involved in the parent-child subsystem palpable in the movie. For purposes of limitation, this paper will zero in on at least three chief components present in the parent-child subsystem (1) lifecycle transitions, (2) boundaries and (3) parental hierarchy and power.

First, one may take good notice of the fact that the movie Cheaper by the Dozen portrays relatively well the different lifecycles which families are undergoing. By lifecycles, one takes the concept to imply that, according to Carter and McGoldrick (1988), families undergo progressing phases of different lifecycles akin to the theory of Erik Ericksons Lifespan Development. This further connotes the idea that families undergo transitions characterized by expansion, contraction, and realignment of the relationship system to support the entry, exit, and development of family members in a functional way (Carter and McGoldrick, 1988, p. 16).  Carter and McGoldrick further delineate their proposed family lifecycle continuum into six distinct phases (1) the unattached young adults, (2) joining of families through marriage, (3) the family with young children, (4) the family with adolescents, (5) launching children and moving on, and (6) the family in later life (cited in Coady  Lehman, 2008, p. 127).

What is interesting about Cheaper by the Dozen is that, while under normal circumstances, when there are only 4 or 5 persons comprising a family, and there is a tendency to experience family lifecycle only in incremental phases, the movie portrays such lifecycles in a comprehensive manner. This means that audience can easily discern the different lifecycles present in the Baker household at once i.e., the member of the family are undergoing different lifecycle stages at the same time. For instance, Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunts older siblings represent those in the stage of unattached adults. Piper Perabo, in particular, plays an early mid-20 lady who has decided to move on and live with her partner in the person of Ashton Kutcher. Meanwhile, the presence of adolescents and little children within the household strongly suggests that the family undergoes lifecycle stages 3 and 4 of concurrently. That being said, what proves to be critical importance for this paper lies in arguing that the movie was able to successfully portray the couples admirable adjustment of their parent-child relations, in view of and in deference to the different lifecycles of their children.

Second, there are reasonable merits to say that Cheaper by the Dozen showed, in a manner being unique and understandable, the concept of boundaries operating in nearly all family systems. Boundaries, as the term suggests, pertain to the rules that determine who participates in a subsystem and how he or she participates therein (Mullis  Edwards, 2001, n.p). A boundary denotes limit and limit that must be observed in order to preserve the proper functions operative in a family system.

Mullis and Edwards (2001) further suggest that families must maintain a respectable level of clear boundaries because clear boundaries not only allow family members to be different from each other and to develop autonomy, but also allow contact, nurturing, and support among family members (Mullis  Edwards, 2001, n.p.).

The concept of boundaries could not have been more clearly set in the movie Cheaper by the Dozen than in the scene where Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt were in the process of deliberating domicile transfer. To soften the impact of sudden change of domicile, the couples decided to talk to their children about it. At one point, Martin is seen in the movie engaging in fierce arguments with his children over the possibility of transferring to the city. He finds himself deserted after the heated conversation turned into vote, where all the children, except for twin toddlers, disagreed to the plan. Boundaries were clearly set however when, in the privacy of their room, the couples decided with finality in favor of transferring to the city. Here therefore, one can clearly see that, on account of boundaries defining parent-child system, the deliberative power to decide on family matters belong to the parents, and that children, however fierce they may assert of their opinions, cannot impinge upon the same kind of authority towards parents.

Third, and in relation to the foregoing, it would be plain to argue that the concepts of parental hierarchy and power developed into an increasing conspicuousness towards the end of Cheaper by the Dozen. Parental hierarchy is an elemental concept which defines parent-child subsystem in the family. Whereas boundaries pertain to the limits of relational interdependence between parents and children, parental hierarchy is, on the other hand, chiefly concerned about the locus of decision-making authority exercised within that same parent-child subsystem. Mullis and Edward maintain that parental hierarchy is really about leadership exercised within the parent-child subsystem or, in cases where parents are unavailable, between elder-siblings and younger-siblings subsystems. Be that as it may, the authors believe that, in order that proper functions may be effectively discharged, families are necessitated to determine who is the ultimate decision maker within their system (2001, n.p.).

The Baker household unraveled immediately after transferring to their new home. This was, as mentioned, aggravated by the fact that Bonnie Hunt had to leave home for some weeks to launch her book. Children figuring into petty fights and pre-meditated mischievousness, as well as the fathers inability to instill disciple to his children because of the tasking nature of his job, highlighted the increasingly dysfunctional family type which marked the Baker household. The solution is to reassert parental authority. And while it may not be as easy to do as it sounds, Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunts judicious reassertion of their parental authority into the parent-child subsystem of their household  by instilling discipline, respect for rules, handing down punishments for naughtiness, among others  helped restore order back to the family.

Conclusion
Having developed the foregoing discussions, I therefore end this paper with an affirmation that the movie Cheaper by the Dozen was able to sufficiently depict  in concrete terms  the concepts family lifecycle, boundaries and parental authority as operative in the parent-child subsystem within the Baker household. Surely, there were scenes in the movie which were deemed indicative of the three aspects. First, the movie was able to show that Mr. and Mrs. Baker handled the parent-child subsystem relative to their childrens age bracket quite well. Second, it was also noted that boundaries between parents and children were also observed most notably, perhaps, in how the Mr. and Mrs. Baker took upon themselves the burden of deciding to change domicile, without untoward intrusion of roles from their otherwise disenchanted children, even when some of them were already at an advanced age of reason. Third and lastly, the presence of parental authority can be considered a recurring theme in the movie even if it became evident towards the end of the movie.

As a parting thought, I believe that this exercise has enabled me to appreciate more and more the uniqueness of each family, by seeing the lessons of family systems applied in the movie Cheaper by the Dozen. I realized that each family is a concrete expression of the family systems which work just fine for them. And that no matter how difficult family situations may from time to time become, I believe that there is always a room to mend all differences when there is a bond of compassion and love, as well as willingness to understand one another.

Family environment is not stagnant it grows and changes concurrently according to the development of each individual in the family.  Each member develops special, unique identities with the help of each individual in the family as well as the other members included in the systems in which they move about.  They do not live in isolation but are dependent on one another physically, emotionally, psychologically, and socially.

If I were an advocate of the multi-systems approach to family therapy, and working with a family that includes a father, mother, and two children a sixteen-year-old daughter and a ten-year-old son, I would first of all, help improve the son in his academic performance and disciplinary issues through careful collaboration of all the systems that are involved.  I would require multiple organizations and professionals to work cooperatively in treating the family, especially the son, and this involves the school system, the church, some medical agencies if there is one, the legal system, or other social services agencies that are available in the state.  I shall assist the family in identifying the other systems that are to be involved, so that the family, especially the son, develops the knowledge, the skill, and the confidence to access work hand in hand with these services.  I would include the school system, since there may have been problems that directly may have had led to the poor academic performance of the son.  The school should be a part of the overall treatment plan, especially since it is where the son and the daughter spend their time for most part of the day.  I would also include health care professionals, since the disciplinary issues of the boy may have been the effect of some psychological problem that triggered the boy into behaving impertinently.  I would also include some art therapists that can take into account the boys needs, interests, developmental level, and attention span.  By this, we would gain more understanding on why and how the boy acted in such a way that his academic performance and disciplinary issues had been duly affected.  The church may also be included as part of the overall system.    

Families are composed of individuals who share the same specific physical and psychological space.  As todays environment includes a diversity of forms and complexities, each of these systems contain specific properties and rules that create an organized power structure, and develops intricate forms of communication.  The Family Systems Theory puts a special emphasis on this multi-systemic approach used in developing a collaborative team to coordinate participants of the numerous systems included in the family environment.  This principle is most interesting in todays environment, especially since, in this system, the individuals are tied to one another by powerful, durable, reciprocal, multigenerational emotional attachments and loyalties that may fluctuate in intensity and psychological distances between members (Goldenberg  Goldenberg, 2008, p.1).  The technique, therefore, is to develop a collaborative team that would develop good relationships with the participating systems (e.g., school, hospital, mental health center).

From this model, I would most likely integrate the multi-systemic approach in family therapy because it is important to understand each of the systems active in the given environment, and for each of these systems to collaborate with one another, forming a collaborative team that would ease a number of constraints.  On the other hand, the aspect of the Family Systems Theory that I would least likely incorporate in my approach to family therapy would be the Stage Model, which states that there are stages through which families typically pass while predicting the approximate time when each stage is reached (Goldenberg  Goldenberg, 2008, p.31).  For me, there is no need to take into account the stages in which the individuals typically pass, especially since analysis of the individuals appear to be more important than analyzing the stages in which they pass.  The Managed Care Model would be more interesting, estimating that there should be a brief, time-limited therapy approaches integrated in the technique, one that is more holistic in nature.

Social justice is the responsibility of individuals to advance the well being of the vulnerable, particularly by the critique of social structure and social institutions (Alexander, 2005, p. 4). Elizabeth Martinez in her essay Seeing More than Black and White drew an evident concern on the influence of racism as a phenomenon of social interaction. She claimed that there is a need to have a fresh and fearless thinking about racism, which analysis might begin with U.S. racial issues in the strict Black-White terms. While it is true and according to Alexander in his book Racism, African Americans, and Social Justice (2005), many Whites have claimed that the existence of racism in society has long been gone, and in parallel to Martinez, the major challenge is to contextualize the impact of racism.

Martinez made it clear that while Black-White issue or framework is prevalent in the U.S., such influence of racism is a component of a wider structure of multiple disadvantage and exclusion. Suffice to say that while there has been no wide popularity of racism in the U.S. other than the Blacks, the minority population for lack of terms, AsianPacific Island-American, Latino, Native AmericanIndigenous, Arabs, who are neither white nor black, have been subjected to incidents on arbitrary violence to which the authorities have apparently turned a blind eye. It is at one hand a form of racism still.  The authors proofs on this are the statistics she presented as well as reports in newspapers citing the multiple incidents directed to each race.

The authors factual evidence, more importantly are enough to warrant that there has been an underlying concern with which each individual is challenged to be mindful about.  On the other hand, the authors claim, adverse it maybe, is a subtle attack to the Whites, and when she further advance on the advice as to knowing how Whites think, it may in the psychological sense consists a campaign against them. It is a form of attack when the author revealed how the Whites, in its attempt for economic advancement has exploited thousands of people in Chile, and Mexicans. It is contained in the wide range of how racism has been practiced.  It is condemning racism and could include warning people of White behavior.

The author presented her argument quite uniquely and purposively. After putting up her claim, she showed statistics, the demographic data as to who were the inhabitants of United States at present and the projection as to what will compose the U.S. community in the year 2050, following issues of migration.  Further, the author had inserted humor amidst a serious issue she raised. What humor could we not draw from a group of Korean restaurant entrepreneurs to hire Mexican cooks to prepare Chinese dishes for mainly African-American customers, as happened in Houston Texas In the end, she had to claim that such situation isnt unusual anymore.

Moreover, as readers, we might think and ask what is the relation between presenting the composition of U.S. society at present and projecting the future with regards to the presence of races other than the Blacks That is what the author is trying to convey. While there has been the presence of different races in the U.S. other than the Blacks, what was noted and mostly known or dominant to the parts of the globe relating to issues on racism is the Black-White terms of racial issue.  The Black-White racial issue models a complex racial issue the Whites are into - the racial treatment they give to non-blacks. Racism exists and is employed by Whites even if you are not Black. Could racism be a time immemorial practice by the Whites long before they migrated to their New World

The authors introduction moving into the second paragraph barely saying the requirement of knowledge and wisdom is a dominant appeal on the necessity of liberating ones mind to a social issue of a moral and political debate  racism.  It is sensible and meaningful enough to say that while racism is a denial of humanity and a means of legitimizing inequality, all who potentially witness it have a role in its identification, explanation, condemnation, and elimination (Brown and Miles, 2003, p. 11). Further, the author appeals to the emotions (Pathos) of the readers when she took into example two small Latino children in San Francisco who were found in 1997 covered with flour from head to toe. When asked for reasons, all they could say was to wish that their skins are white enough for school. Another instance is the case of the Chinese engineer who was killed by a shot by the policemen. The latter thought that victims gesture of waving a long stick puts them in danger because of the advanced thought that martial arts will be used against them. These are some revelation of how racism takes its form, nurtured by a dominating racist society.  In the authors employment of Pathos, she appealed not just to one emotion but specifically emotions situated at separate poles like pity and anger.

Now we are down to the question why the Black-White model. As iterated by the author, there are sociological and psychological reasons for such models persistence. History tells us that before, while Whites are the dominant settlers of the place, next to come in a great number are the Blacks. It is a complex social process nurtured through time, and individual as well as collective differences across cultures. The main point is, the existence of such Black-White model could still be present until today, and in reality is extended in its sense not only to the Blacks but to the rest of the race that entered into the territory. To this point the author had the occasion to say that Black-White term could be inappropriate because racism has been employed by the Whites regardless whether you are pure Black or not. Moreover, racism indeed evolves, as what the author again pointed. To some point, it is unclear as to why the author is insistent upon the inclusion in the information wide enough to include the world as its audience that racism occurred to the rests of the race other than the Blacks.  The reason lays hanging and is left to the mind of the readers as to what and how much advantage the recognition of majority in print would affect issues on racism, its evolution, and perhaps against its advocates.  More importantly, the author could be relying on the importance of informing or educating the public.

Moving on, the dominant and convincing evidence that the author employed is her use of statistics, and factual documented reports throughout the essay.  These relevant facts, far more convincing as to real events support the authors claim.

In summary, the author has a convincing point in the presentation, and analysis in the existence of the social phenomenon  racism. She made the readers experience and be aware of how racism was employed, how it affects society, and dehumanizes individual.  In a subtle way, she also campaigned for awareness as the first step to set up a fight. Racism is not gone, it has evolved, and will continue to evolve and everyone is challenged to its condemnation, elimination, and move towards social justice.

A Sport can be defined as an organized, competitive and skillful physical and mental activity which should be dedicated and played fairly. As per oxford advanced learners dictionary, definition of sports is that it is an activity that is done for pleasure and requires physical effort or skill, usually done in a special area and according to fixed rules and standards. They started long back as a means to revitalize the body and mind and range from physical fights that were used to show individual power and exuberance in front of the king in the previous times up to the current generation online games.

Entertainment and pleasure is a basic necessity of life and human mind has always been sharp enough to develop an activity that could soothe him from the physical and mental pain that he has gone through. No doubt that in previous generation, human was involved in more physical tasks then the mental task and therefore physical fitness was one of his prime concerns. So generally more of the previous sport included tougher physical actions like wrestling, bull fighting etc. The Olympic Games were founded by the son of Zeus, Heracles. (Rosenberg, Jennifer).  The very first written records of the Olympic dates back to 776 B.C. and it is believed that Olympics had been already going from many years already by then. It was the first time ever that various countries of the world sent their representatives to participate in an event to develop and mutual cohesiveness and an ambience of harmony and peace.

Chess is one of the very popular sports and has been played from the medieval times. Chess has been used by psychologist like Alfred Binet and psychoanalyst like Sigmund Freud in order to study the mind development. (Dr. Ferguson, Robert. pp 1). Sigmund Freud stated that mastering chess was like learning psychoanalytic techniques. It is one of the most powerful sports which develop concentration power, exceptional visual memory, speed of calculation and logical thinking.  (Dr. Ferguson, Robert. pp 2).It is said to be originated from India and used to be played by kings in order to hone their mental skills with the name of Shatranj.   From India the game became popular in Persia and in Middle East. (Absolute Astronomy, Shatranj).The game is being played on an 88 square board having a sum total of 64 squares.

The game of Chess includes these pieces on either side-
A king
A Queen
Two Rooks
Two knights
Two Bishops
Eight Pawns

The game in too much senses represent the warfare in previous times in which the aim of both the sides is to capture and seize the King of other side at any cost. The person losing his King ends up losing the game. Queen is the next most powerful piece which is allowed to do horizontal, vertical as well as diagonal movement. Players while calculating individual positions in the middle of the game, calculate 10 points for survival of their queen. Rook is considered as the next powerful piece which is considered as possessing 5 points and is allowed to do horizontal as well as vertical movements but not the diagonal movement. Bishop is allowed to do diagonal movement and is considered to be possessing 3 point. Knight is considered almost as powerful as Bishop and is also said to posses 3 points. The pawn is the last in the hierarchy and is said to have one point. It can do only vertical movement and captures any piece in diagonally the very next square. However, a pawn can get promoted to a level of queen when it reaches the last square on the board which is also the very first square on opponents side. On international standards, both the players need to complete at least 40 moves in the allocated time of 4 hours- two hours each and if a person is not able to complete 40 moves in his stipulated time of 2 hours then that person loses the game, without hisher king being captured.

The game is considered as the game of only intelligent creatures and involves a very high degree of mental exercise. Individual needs to apply their brain to the fullest and heshe needs to apply a series of permutation and combination and mental vision of the board in his brain after every set of these moves in order to come up with the best possible move at any point in time. Grand masters in the game of chess are believed to think as far as 22 set of forward moves and imagine the complete board in their mind when every single move can have hundreds of various different moves emerging at every single stage of the game

As per current World Chess Federation FIDE ratings TOP five players in March 2010 are Magnus Carlsen, Veselin and Vladimir Kramnik, Viswanathan Anand and Levon Aronian.

A much difficult version of the game has also been very popular which is called as blind folded Chess. In this both the players have their eyes covered and they have to imagine the complete board only in their mind and have to speak out their moves only orally. A person then plays the move for them directly on board and is easily one of the most toughest exercise for the brain. Chess is taught to children in many schools around the world and are used to sharpen the minds of army officers and cadets.

Long time people have argued for the fun and recreation activities that could qualify as sports. Some of them believe that only the activities which include physical labor are good enough to qualify in the ambit of sports. They therefore argue that board games like Chess which involve only mental labor and no physical labor should not be considered as sport. However I have a different opinion on this. As per me any particular activity, be it as small as throwing stones in the river can qualify in sports as long as it serve following advantages to the human race-

Develop a fighting spirit in an individual and the trait of competitiveness.

Foster an individual to develop winning attitude in life and the mental toughness to accept loss from time to time.

Serves as a good way to develop harmony and peace between the participating nations.

If it is a good way to release body and mental pressure.

If it can provide pleasure and entertainment and a good means for socializing.

Children, who are not that good in academics, get inspired by this mind game and show their best results throughout.  There is an immense power in Chess to transform young minds. (National Scholastic Chess Foundation, NSCF). Therefore as per me, Chess should be qualified as one of the most important and powerful sports as it is one of the very few games that refreshes the most used part of the body in the present generation- the brain. It revitalizes the entire body by refreshing the mind and does include the full intellect of the involved layers. It needs an immense practice to develop mastery on various possible combinations of opening moves and the right move in every situation. It also includes a great work to take advantage of opponents single mistake in the game and does reveal that human is undoubtedly the most intelligent creatures on this earth. I therefore am in a strong support of Chess as one of the most important games in the present time. I thus consider the claims of Chess not being a sport being baseless and flimsy and can very well say that- Chess is not at all a Mess its a good sport

Thanks

One of the hottest debates in socialization today is the question on nature vs. nurture. According to Macionis (2008), socialization is the lifelong experience by which individuals develop their human potential and learn their patterns of culture. This involves the acquisition of language, the ability of people to adapt to your surroundings, the learning of cultural behavior regarding customs and traditions, and even on a persons specific personality (Macionis, 2008). Personality, according to Macionis (2008) is a persons fairly consistent patterns of thinking, feeling and acting. Of course, such practices are always evident whenever a person socializes and communicates with other people.

Every time you talk to other people, and every time you associate with them, your personality and your cultural behavior will always be evident. In this case, the question is which is a more dominant determinant to socialization, nature or nurture Macionis (2008) defines nature as the role of the biological sciences in human behaviorin that the elements of a society have a naturalistic look. Macionis (2008) noted that most advocates of nature viewed the instinctive nature of human as a primary determinant of behavior, wherein peoples behavior is determined at birth. For instance, some people may be born criminals, or the fact that women are born emotional as compared to men, explaining their respective behavior (Macionis, 2008).

Meanwhile, Macionis (2008) also said that behavior emphasizes the role of the environment, wherein most of who we are and what we are is social in nature, and is primarily learned. He also noted the theory of behaviorism, as expounded by John B. Watson, who argued that many behaviors where not biological but where learned (Macionis, 2008). In this case, Macionis (2008) also noted that ideas regarding the role of environmental factors in behavior started from the fact when western nations began to associate with people from other parts of the world who had a different behavior from their own.

Macionis (2008) argued that nurture is far more important in determining human behavior than nature, although it does not necessarily mean that biological factors have no role in determining human behavior. Macionis (2008) added that it is true that biological factors, especially the traits inherited by children from their parents, play a large role in the development of human behavior, in addition to its role in determining height, weight, color and physical features. However, he also argued that evidence shows much of the differences of human behavior is almost entirely determines by different cultural environments (Macionis, 2008). However, Macionis (2008) also said that nature and nurture are inseparable.

I think agree with Macionis that nurture is more important that nature in determining human behavior. As stated in Macionis (2008), Watson once said that give me a dozen infantsand I will guarantee to take one at any random and train himregardless of his (or her) talents emphasizing that human behavior, especially from childhood is more depended upon learned factors, upon nurture. In addition, Macionis (2008) also noted the statement of Margaret Mead, an anthropologist, who said that the difference between individuals who are members of different culturesare almost entirely to be laid to differences in cultural conditioning, while also arguing that differences among cultures are also determined by different conditioning factors (Macionis 2008).

In this case, I would like to pay attention to the relation of nature and nurture in child development. As we can see, the African-American population in the country knows how to speak English, although judging by their biological traits they obviously belong to a race that speaks Bantu, Swahili, or other African languages. In this case, using the theory of behaviorism, I argue that because of the fact that African-American children are exposed to the American environment wherein they learn English, and they learn how to live in an urban setting, they are able to speak the English language and behave like a common American urbanite, despite the fact that their more genetically related brothers (or sisters) in Africa may behave in a very different way. This cannot be solely explained by biological factors, or by nature. According to McCall (1981), there is almost no way to assess the heritability of a species-general developmental function.

However, there is also a strong argument on the more important role of nature, especially in the concept of nature in nurture (Plomin  Asbury, 2005). According to the study of Plomin and Asbury (2005) schizophrenia was originally thought to be environmentally determined, until it was proven that it may be genetically determined, especially due to the fact that schizophrenia clearly runs in families. They also noted that in many statistical studies, it showed that genetic factors substantially influence measures of behaviorally relevant environments such as parenting, stress or social support (Plomin  Asbury, 2005).

In this case, I think that nature can be a major factor in human behavior, especially in diseases like schizophrenia. However, I also thought that this study fails to emphasize that genetics may be able to determine ones biological traits, but environmental factors still play a major role on how people develop cultural behavior, especially in socialization with other people from a sociological perspective (Macionis, 2008). According to the study of Crain and Pietroski (2001), Children quickly settle on a system of linguistic principles equivalent to those of adults in the local community.

Although genetic factors may surely play a part on how children would have the ability to acquire linguistic data (Crain  Pietroski, 2001), in the end, I think that the child would still prefer to speak the learned language in able for him or her to communicate and socialize with his or her community.

In the USA, there are many people who live in poverty as there are in other countries in the world. In the year 2004, poverty rate was about 12.7, 8 being Whites, 25 being blacks, 8 being Asians and 22 being Hispanics (Naczelnic, n.d. para.1). However, there are very many myths about poverty in USA. It is believed that poverty is a minority issue and also that the government aids are enough to cater for the situation. The rich also believe that poverty is for the lazy who continue to have many children so as to qualify for more aid.

To curb this problem, the government has put in place various programs to help the poor. The assistance offered by these programs includes but not limited to, food aids, housing assistance and cash grants. Some of these programs are the Medicaid, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Women, Infants and Children, (WIC), Food Stamps among others. This paper shall only discuss about Women, Infants and Chidden (WIC) and the Technical Assistance to Needy Families (TANF).

Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
This is a program in the state of Oregon which is funded by United States Department of Agriculture. The main goal of the program is to provide nutrition support to the most risky members of the community, namely the pregnant mothers and young children. To achieve this, they use nutrition education as well as issuing of nutrition supplements to their target groups.

Categorically, those who benefit from this program are the breastfeeding women with children less than twelve months old, non breastfeeding women with children less than six months old, infants and children below five years of age and the pregnant women. Beneficiaries must also live in Oregon, have nutrition need risk and also have a house hold income of less than 185  of  poverty guidelines (Oregon gov., 2010 para.6).

Children are evaluated after every six months to determine their eligibility. They can continue to benefit until the age of five. For the breast feeding women, they remain in the program up to a period of one year after delivery, while their colleagues who are not breastfeeding remain in the program for only six months. Finally, the pregnant women remain in the program through their pregnancy period and also for the first two months after delivery (Oregon gov., 2010, para.12).

According to Oregon gov. report, not only does WIC improve health, but it is a program that is very helpful to the poor especially because it helps them save money. Further studies reveal that, in the year 2006 it was rated as the most effective program (2010). In addition, about a hundred thousand women and children in Oregon benefit from the program every month.

From the program, one can learn that the poor people are classified as those who cannot afford proper medical care as well as those who cannot take good care of their health and nutrition needs. Despite the fact that the program is very helpful to its target group, it also leaves out some groups of people that require specialized nutrition support like the elderly and also those suffering from the chronic illness like the HIV, who are also poor. One cannot deny the fact that this program is helpful since it is indicated that one hundred applicants benefit from it every month. However, it can only be termed as a short term goal of alleviating poverty.

Temporary Assistance for the Needy Families (TANF)
This is one of the United States programs to assist the needy in the society. Its main aim is to provide the poor families, who have children with financial assistance temporarily so as to reduce poverty through employment and also proper use of community resources. It is a program that is also very helpful as it provides other services like housing, employment, child care among others.

The members of the community that are eligible are those that possess very little or no assets at all and also those who do not have any income. Every month, these families are entitled to a grant in reference to the size of the family (Oregon gov, 2009, para.2). Further studies reveal that currently, a family consisting of three members gets a maximum of  528 every month. The program is divided in to two pre-TANF and post-TANF and thus the eligibility period is determined by the program the family is in. In the pre-TANF program a family may remain there for a period of one day to 45 days. In the post-TANF-program, parents who fail to qualify for the pre-TANF are given financial help to cover their expenses before they get fully settled, (Oregon gov, 2009 para.6 7). To some extent, the program is successful as it helps to minimize the number of families living below the poverty line.

Conclusion
From these programs, one can learn that poverty is determined by what a person owns and families with children are more prone to poverty especially in cases where both parents have no income. It is also a common belief that by working hard, poverty can be eliminated and that is the main reason why some of these programs help people to look for employment. Surprisingly, even with such programs people continue to live in poverty. The aids from the government cannot be enough to help people out of their poor conditions.

The world is becoming a global village. This statement is perhaps the most widely used statement of today by people from all walks of life and fields. One important change that we see today due to the shrinking of countries boundaries is the increase in the level of diversity. Be it the work place, educational institutes, or the society at large, diversity is spreading. The context in which were mentioning diversity is interestingly quite diverse too gender, ethnic, racial, cultural - diversity in society is present everywhere and is increasing at a fast rate. For the purpose of this paper we will maintain our focus on cultural diversity or multiculturalism. Obviously to manage such a society where many different kinds of cultures exist we need to formulate policies. This is done for a number of reasons which will be discussed later in the paper. These policies consequently have certain effects on the society. One of these effects is that it breeds social segregation. What is multiculturalism, why is there a need to have multicultural policies, and whether or not they promote social segregation is what this paper attempts to assess. The main topic of discussion will therefore revolve around the different multicultural policies and its role in advancing social segregation.

Multiculturalism and multicultural policies
Multiculturalism is quite a complicated word when it comes to defining it. However socialcollective identity or membership of, or identification with a particular group or groups is phrases that could be used in explaining the term (Benwell and Stokoe 2006, p. 24). Literally multiculturalism means a collection of two or more cultures. This consequently means multiple set of beliefs, values, languages, traditions as a result diverse societies are born within a larger society. Multiculturalism has been synonymously used with diversity and tolerance (Knight 2008, p.106).

In order to manage such a diverse society and to make sure tolerance and prosperity remains intact governments tend to formulate multicultural policies. These policies are formulated due to several political reasons. Ethnic minorities and other similar groups have little say in government related decisions and other policies which affect these cultures deeply (UNESCO-MOST, 1998). For this reason it is better to have separate policies so that rights of these ethnic and racial groups are not neglected. Formation of policies also encourages participation of these minority groups which is extremely important in protecting multicultural rights. Therefore formulating multicultural policies is a state level affair which needs to be given its due importance.

Another reason for having multicultural policies is to make sure the human rights of migrants are protected and they are able to live peacefully with the other members of the society (UNESCO, 2009). A society has a number of different people from different cultures living together, hence to avoid conflict of interests and ideas it is better to have set policies before hand to ensure a smooth way of living.

Multicultural policies promote social segregation
According to Merriam-Websters online dictionary segregation is the exclusion or the isolation of a certain group based on its ethnicity, race, or any aspect of ones culture by forcing the group to either live separately, not enter into wedlock with another group, visit separate places for education, worship and other activities, or by any other way that creates discrimination .  All these forms of discrimination create social and racial segregation therefore to avoid such inequity in the society, multicultural policies are formulated. It is however quite astonishing to say that multicultural policies promote social segregation. Policies exist to ensure no signs of intolerance occur in the society but one school of thought exists which support the statement that multicultural policies promote social segregation.

Countries have different concepts and approaches towards formulating multicultural policies. One way it is looked upon is the protection of ones own culture. Racial segregation based on housing policies has been a major factor in promoting social segregation in America (Seitles 1996). City streets were divided by race and ethnicity and color which discriminated the African Americans from the White Americans. This form of social segregation based on race was made part of all government policies related to housing which was adopted and practiced by private landowners all across America (Seitles 1996). Minorities were not given the right to choose their area of residence or even live where other White Americans were living. Such policies on the federal and state level eventually gave rise to the black ghetto which to date has had an effect on the America we know today. These policies that segregated the American societies made it difficult for the minorities to afford houses not just in the cities but also in the suburbs due to the multicultural housing policies of the government that in turn promoted social segregation.

A report by U.S. Housing Scholars and Research and Advocacy Organizations submitted to the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (2008) reveal the U.S. policies that promote residential segregation and housing discrimination. U.S. government policies are formulated on the basis of color and other racial discriminators that clearly segregate the unwanted groups into poverty areas. Furthermore housing credit and other similar incentives are given in poor neighborhoods which are primarily occupied by minorities. Government programs and policies therefore have a major role to play in promoting social segregation in the U.S as far as housing is concerned. One of the policies excluded African Americans from a housing loan program that guaranteed mortgages (U.S. Housing Scholars and Research and Advocacy Organizations 2008, p.4). Other similar multicultural policies of the government, especially housing policies, tend to promote social segregation which consequently disrupts the process and all other initiatives that are taken towards achieving societal integration and cultural assimilation (U.S. Housing Scholars and Research and Advocacy Organizations 2008, p.27).

Multicultural policies promote social segregation when the policies are formulated in a way to protect only the rights and the ideology of the land of the government that is forming those policies. The policies of the UK government, especially after 911 and 7 July bombings clearly show the bias UK multicultural policies have towards the religious minorities present in the country, particularly Muslims (Malek, 2005). After the attacks the UK government has become even more self-protective in their policies. Their policies single out Muslims which separates them from other religious and ethnic groups hence giving rise to social segregation. Britain has a highly diverse society with different cultures operating in it however its policies are clearly mono cultural (Malek, 2005). Although the UK government initiated projects that communicated to the general public the difference between Muslims and extremist Muslims singling out Muslims in these campaigns in a way segregated them from the rest hence giving rise to social segregation (Malek, 2005).

U.K. chief Rabbi, Johnathan Sacks further describes how multicultural policies in the U.K. have promoted social segregation and has consequently become a threat to democracy. In his new book The Home We Build Together Recreating Society Sacks talks about the segregation process that started with the Jews and Blacks, followed by women, gays, and most recently the Muslims.  He argues that British policies have in a way always promoted social segregation as initially the policies excluded the rights of minorities, and now they are formulated in a way that treats the minorities in a special way.

One school of thought argues that by formulating multicultural policies that allow the different groups operating in a society to operate and live in ways they want to governments are in a way promoting social segregation as that separates them from the rest (Sniderman, 2007). Sniderman argues in his article Identity Crisis published in the Guardian, that by giving the right to people to pray in their own places of worship, gain education in their own religious institutes, and follow their own customs and traditions, governments are in a way promoting social segregation as that makes people see themselves as dissimilar from the rest.

A research conducted on the residential segregation and socioeconomic integration of visible minorities in Canada however did not reveal a strong correlation between government policies and promotion of social segregation (Balakrishnan, Maxim, Jurdi 2005). The Canadian policies were designed in a way that preserved cultures which helped integrate all the immigrants present in Canada as they accepted the values of Canada very easily hence not giving rise to any form of apparent segregation. However the level of segregation and the development of different neighborhoods based on ethnicity needs more probing as some sort of segregation is definitely visible.

The 13th International Metropolis Conference held in 2008 in Bonn talked about the different multicultural policies and developments taking place in the world with respect to mobility and integration. The multicultural policies of France, Denmark and Germany were discussed which clearly promoted social segregation. The urban policy of France regarding housing promoted social segregation which also became the basis for the 2005 civil unrests. Similar is the case for Greece for the migrants no housing policy exists however for the ethnic returnees there is one of which gives mortgage security on constructive provisions. Both natives and migrants are responsible for their lodging and accommodation whereas the Greek ethnicity is given preference. This clearly shows the level of discrimination Greek multicultural policies represent.

Cultural assimilation and cultural integration are two concepts that are synonymously used with multiculturalism. Cultural assimilation is the integration of different ethnicities into one broad principle culture that is politically assimilated. As opposed to multiculturalism which identifies all the cultures present in a single society as different and separate, cultural assimilation treats the entire society as one and then formulate policies accordingly.  Multicultural policies will therefore in some way or the other promote social segregation as it will always view the different cultural groups in a society as separate entities. Hence political and other policies should be formulated by viewing the entire society as one with minimum multicultural policies if social segregation needs to be minimized.

Policy issues regarding social integration have been debated over and over again. The problem in policy formation such that it does not promote social segregation is the fact that it is more of a qualitative issue than a quantitative one (Jeannotte 2008, p.8). Governments need to realize that multicultural policies are not an academic phenomenon but a social one where different perspectives according to the time in context need to be involved (Jeannotte 2008, p.8).

Conclusion
Multiculturalism tends to view the different cultures operating in one society as separate entities therefore multicultural policies tend to promote social segregation. This paper focused on the government policies of different countries regarding housing and accommodation of the people living in a particular country. These policies were multicultural i.e. different for the natives, the immigrants, the ethnic returnees, and the other groups that were different on the basis of their color, race, or religion. It was quite evident from the different reports and surveys that all housing related government programs and policies discriminated the minorities or the non-natives in some way or the other which consequently promoted social segregation.

Governments need to realize that in order to have a cultural assimilated society and a socially and politically integrated country, policies and other government related programs should not have a multicultural perspective. What is not realized are the problems that countries face due to multicultural policies that promote segregation such as July 7 U.K bombings and 911. If at all there is a need to distinguish certain groups in policy formation it should be fundamentally for the protection of the rights of that particular group and should not be directed towards their exclusion in any way or form.

Is There a Water Crisis in the Middle East
From the article, there is a water crisis clearly going on in the Middle East right now. Water is such a basic necessity of life and currently in Jordan, water shortages started to exist. The water supply cannot catch up with the growing population. Water pollution also causes potable water to decrease. Some would blame the influx of refugees for water shortages. This clearly showed that water supply is not adequate for all the peoples needs. Vast agricultural lands also require more water when dry seasons or lack of rainfall comes and would dry most of the lands. This year 2010, experts predicted that they would need a total of about 1.54 billion cubic meters of water. The solution however, involves teaching people to conserve water and also reduce activities that brings water pollution. The government has proposed projects like the Red-Dead project connecting the 2 large bodies of water and the pulling of waters from Disi aquifer among the solutions seen to resolve the water crisis in Jordan.

Could Oil Run Out in the Middle East
Oil and water shortages are related to each other as oil used huge amounts of water for production and vice versa. Others would not believed that there is a shortage or depletion of global crude supplies in the Saudi oilfield but just that the production does not seem to meet the growing demands. Again, the growing population in the Middle East is the primary reason why oil must be reserve for domestic use only therefore limiting oil exportation. To solve this possible shortage of oil supply, there are some alternatives to oil reserves. One of this is exploiting ocean energy. They believed there is a vast amount of energy stored in the ocean. This involves the production of gas from hydrates or concentrated ice-like natural gas found in sea beds. Others would also want to try offshore wind farms for power production. Lastly, nuclear power production could also be harness as another alternative for natural oil and gas consumption.

The present-day workforce is characterized by the influx of a new breed of workers collectively called  The Milennials.  Individuals belonging to this wave of workers are born between 1980 and 1995 and carry a set of characteristics different from those of the previous generation (CBS News). Some of the unique characteristics of this group include the wider acceptance for job hopping, a workplace that combines fun with work, and a feeling of importance that comes from within their selves.

Most of the arguments presented in the video bear truth based on personal experiences and observations. The new generation of workforce exhibits a dynamic attitude towards work that pushes organizations to reinvent the definition of corporate culture. However, the causes of this change can not be attributed to the Millennials alone or the way they are brought up. All parents, even those who raised individuals belonging to earlier generations, thought their children are special and that they can reach for their dreams. Pushing their children and motivating them towards their goals are instincts that can not be separated from parents whether they belong to the decades of 1950s or 1990s. From a personal point of view, there are other factors that contributed to the characteristics attributed to the Millennials. Firs, the advancements in information and communication technology added to the  techie  lifestyle that the Millennials possess. Second, the changes in the industry and the nature of businesses called for a different approach towards work processes. Third, research studies done on motivation are adopting a new direction, which is suitable for and is influenced by the Millennials.

Indeed, most of the arguments found in the video can be observed in the present-day workplace. Millennials possess a different set of characteristics compared to the previous generations. Nonetheless, the causes for this difference should include external forces that called for the changes in the lifestyle of the Millennials and consequently affected the approach of organizations towards motivation and work.

The main aim of this paper is to analyze the events that led to this situation, and what transpired before the event itself started. We will be looking into the reasons why the residents of this area are opposed to the move by the church, to open up a centre for the mentally challenged. The purpose of this is to establish the relationship between the mediator and the parties that are involved in the dispute. Another purpose is to be able to know exactly what went wrong with the negotiation process and what could have been done differently to ensure that the negotiation process went as planned. The paper will be divided into the occurrence of the events and the reasons as to why, the implications of the events and what the two parties agreed or disagreed on, the issue or the bone of contention and the position taken by each of the parties involved, the preparation that the parties involved made, the communication strategies that were used, the strategies that aided to move the dialogue in the right direction and the strategies that stalled the dialogue process. The phases in the mediation process will also be looked into and the changes in approach that the mediators have taken.

A link will also be established between what transpires in this situation and the concepts in the broader literature of this concept. An explanation into why these strategies used did not work or worked will also be looked into. The solutions and how they measured up to the initial stages will also be analyzed. Finally, the mistakes both parties made will be looked into and those that the mediator did, considering that no one is free from mistakes.

The Analysis
The events that transpire in this despite involve residents of a particular neighbourhood, and a local church. The neighbourhood is against the churchs recent activities and they think that the church presents its self as a threat to the existence of a peaceful neighbourhood. The current dispute concerns the church planning to open up a centre or a home for the mentally handicapped. According to the residents of the area, this is unacceptable and they demand that the church keeps the sanity of the area, by not doing so. The residents argue that the presence of these mentally retarded individuals will disturb the peace and quiet that they have seemingly enjoyed for the past 25 years, and that they deserve the peace and quiet especially since they pay their taxes. They also argue that the presence of mentally challenged individuals within their neighbourhood is bound to attract trouble and that the elderly within the neighbourhood will be defenceless and this will force the residents to stay confined to their homes. The crime rate is also a major concern to the residents of this area with claims that the presence of these individuals is bound to increase the already high crime rate. Another concern of these residents is the increase in traffic within their neighbourhood which will lead to an increase in the noise level, hazards, parking space will be a problem and the value of their property will also reduce. The residents also argue that the church has been constantly expanding its activities without further consultation from the residents of the area, despite the fact that strangers have been frequenting the neighbourhood at odd hours. The residents also believe that the company that is being leased the space to is unable to offer full time supervision to the patients and this will lead to the patients wondering off into the neighbourhood. They also believe that the church is not a conducive place to place such disturbed individuals.

The events imply that this is a dispute since the church is also not willing to back down and just halt their plans of setting up this facility by leasing their land. This also implies that if the two parties dont reach a consensus on their own, a mediator will have to intervene to quell the dispute. Now, a mediator is a neutral party who assists in the resolution of conflicts through negotiation. This is done through the process of mediation which happens to be the alternative if the two feuding parties fail to disagree, thus it is an alternative dispute resolution. Mediators may involve the community, organisations or even individuals. This implies that the mediator will not have to accept any other settlement that a third party other than those in dispute, may try to impose (Dana, D. 2001).

According to the residents, they are vehemently opposed to the fact that mentally retarded individuals will be roaming their neighbourhood, while the church insists that this is their property they are leasing and not the whole neighbourhood. These two disputing parties thus have taken different positions with the residents taking the position that these individuals deserve to be at a GP clinic and not in a church. They also believe that a day care centre would be much better as compared to a church especially in their neighbourhood.  The churchs position in this matter is that their clients dont have a major problem, implying that they are not mentally retarded as such, but are rather people who have been released from mental hospitals, and are recovering. They claim that the clients just have minor psychological issues and impairments and that people should live in the community in harmony (Woolford A.  Ratner R. 2008). The church also claims that the facility is open to any member of the community that is willing to pay it a visit. Further more, the church states that the capacity that the facility is projected to hold is a maximum of 30 at any particular time and this should form any sort of immediate problems to the immediate community. The residents are also seemingly confused as to what service the church is really keen on offering to these mentally challenged people. Another concern of the community is who will be supervising these individuals, considering the church doesnt have any medical staff that is readily available at all times. The church claims that supervision will be provided by psychologists and that the church will provide security training and responsibilities. The church also claimed that the ratio of the staff and that of the clients will depend on the activities that will be taking place. The community also believe that the patients should be transported with a bus and that the activities should only take place between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m from Monday to Friday only to minimize contact with the patients. The community also believes that crime is a major issue in the area and that the presence of these patients will only serve to aggravate the problem. The church believes that crime is not an issue and that even if it is they are not to blame for the problem (MacKinnon D. 2008).

The residents are ready to go to court to settle this dispute there, if it can not be settled at a local level. They have contacted their representative and demanded that the Board of Aldermen undertake an investigation to ensure that the company being leased the land is qualified to run such a facility. The residents are also concerned that why cant the government intervene by of erring a building or space for free to these organisation to facilitate this kind of cause. The residents also offered to approach the church to negotiate on the terms of service if they are to implement their plans or if they can forego their plans. To do this, the residents sent a member to represent them and meet with a representative from the church and a mediator from the Neighbourhood Justice Centre to negotiate the problem. The interest that the two parties had were discussed such as to who the facility is intended for, to which the church responded by saying that it is for the general community. The residents also wanted to know how many patients the facility will hold at a given time. The residents were also concerned as to which service the church was offering, considering it was not qualified to host such a facility. Another interest that the residents had was why start such a facility when there were numerous other ways the church could serve the community without endangering the welfare of the residents of the area.

The strategy of communication that the two parties used was direct dialogue, which they managed to achieve by sending two representatives to represent them they could not all meet since there could have been a sense of confusion and this would have jeopardised the reconciliation process. Also, the rule was that one person was to speak at a time to allow for effective communication, and for the mediator to be able to get both sides of the story without getting confused. This form of strategy was effective since both parties get to get immediate feedback and also they get to react to the issues that are raised almost immediately. The only setback that this form of communication has compared to others is that the other members of the community and the church will get second hand communication of the proceedings and this could be distorted (Abramson H. 2004).

The dialogue generally was a smooth one and some of the factors that contributed to this were the fact that both parties were wiling to compromise on a number of issues. For example the residents had to allow the facility to be set up, and this left the church with no option but to also compromise on a number of factors such as issue training to ensure that the patients are handled professionally. Although some factors that the parties couldnt agree with stalled the negotiation process even longer and this issue could only be solved by the direct intervention of the mediator (Doherty N.  Guyler M. 2008).

During the course of the mediation the issues up for negotiation or the bargaining mix changed from time to time due to the fact that both parties at some point had to reach a settlement zone and this could only be done through compromise. The issues that the residents defined as the bargaining mix was the issue of crime while the church believed that crime was not the main issue. The phases in mediation involved the parties first stating their interest and stating their goals and objectives the mediator had to listen and an agreement had to be reached, but the mediator could impose his views to affect the outcome of the agreement. The form of mediation that took place was a mix of a number of models of mediation. It could be termed as compromise mediation, due to the fact that the both parties reached a central point through compromise. The definition of the dispute was also based on the different positions that the disputing parties held. The negotiation process also used the compromise model due to the fact that the mediator rare intervened in the mediations and the bargains by the parties were based on positions. Another model used in this mediation process is the facilitative model, due to the fact that the problems were interest based and the mediation was aimed at solving a problem. The model used can also be termed as facilitative due to the fact that mediator only encouraged them to form creative solutions to the problems that could be of benefit to both the parties (Cloke K. 2001).

The negotiation process went well owing to the fact that the process was well managed and organised and due to the fact that both parties were willing to compromise in a bid to mend their relationship. The mediation process also went well considering that both parties were able to reach a consensus, and their problem was finally solved amicably. The solutions that both parties were able to reach can be attributed to the fact that both parties were determined to solve the dispute considering that initially neither of the parties were ready to reach a compromise. Even though the mediation went well, it is important to note that the mediator could have done more in regards to intervention and advice. The mediator played the role of a listener more than that of an active mediator due to the fact that he rarely intervened in the problem. Also, both parties should have brought in more representatives than just one, since one representative may only pout his or her interests on the table and ignore those of the whole party at large (Dobson C. 2003).

Conclusion
The solutions that both parties reached was due to the fact that the model of negotiation that they used was effective, and also due to the fact that they combined two models that is facilitative and compromise mediation. Though I believe that this should not have been a dispute that should warrant a mediator, the mediator played an important role in ensuring that matters did not get out of hand by constructing a dialogue between the parties as it should be in the facilitative model.

There are several factors surrounding the issue of feminization of poverty, and some of these factors have a direct influence on the equality of opportunity in education.  To begin with, feminization of poverty is a change in the levels of poverty biases against women.  There is indication of an increase in the difference of poverty levels among women and men.  In this paper, I will discuss the feminization on poverty as well as the impact it has on equality of opportunity for education.
Generally, poverty is defined as not having enough income to pay for basic needs, such as food, clothing and shelter.  The term feminization of poverty refers to the sex differences in poverty rates and the fact that they have grown in the last half-century (E. Wratten, 1995).  Feminization describes both the imbalanced state of mens and womens poverty rates, and the processes in which womens risk of poverty has increasingly exceeded that of mens.

We must examine why feminization of poverty has come into play, and why women are more likely than men to be poor.  We must acknowledge that the feminization of poverty has an impact on the equality of opportunity for education, but the inequalities present in education also directly impact the feminization of poverty.  We must understand that cause and result are quite interconnected.  Gender inequality is definitely a contributing factor to this problem.

According to a 1992 UN report, the number of rural women living in poverty in the developing countries has increased by almost 50 over the past 20 years to an awesome 565 million -- 374 million of them in Asia, and 129 million in Sub-Saharan

Africa (United Nations, 1996, p. 37) .  Consideration of poverty often neglects differentials between men and women in terms of their access to income, resources and services. Such differentials may occur within households between men and women, or between individuals (i.e. between single men and single women), or between households with women-headed households at a disadvantage to male-headed households. There are also gender-based differentials in vulnerability to illness and violence (Wratten, 1995).  It is important to note that this term refers to changes, and should not be confused with the existence of higher levels of poverty among women or female-headed households.        
Feminization refers to a process in which higher poverty is brought forth. It is also a relative concept based on a women-men comparison, where importance is based on the differences between women and men at each moment.  It has been argued that anti-poverty strategies have tended to focus on the concentration of women amongst the poorest groups in society. This is attributed partly to the lack of a gender analysis into the causes of poverty as well as the effectiveness of poverty eliminationeradication strategies. The persistence of poverty is closely associated with the feminization of poverty. The poorer the family the more likely it is to be headed by a woman (Snyder  Tadesse, 1995).

With regard to impact on equality of opportunity in education, we must take a closer look at the educational systems.  In her article, Jane Gaskell points out that positions at the top of the educational hierarchy are overwhelmingly held by men.  Principles, superintendents and top ministry officials are almost always men, as are most educational researchers and commentators (Rees, 1990).  She points out that gender is implicated in the organization of work in our society, and it is implicated in how education is organized.  Education and access to it can certainly be a contributing factor to the feminization of poverty, as well as inequality in society in general.  It is clear that men predominate in managerial jobs, as doctors, electricians, lawyers, as well as in sales sectors. In Canada, women working full time earn about sixty percent of what men earn.  Women dominate secretarial jobs as well as particular segments of the sales and service sector, and these jobs are usually the first target when downsizing.

Feminist theorists have raised questions regarding how traditional beliefs about males and females have been used as inappropriate and inequitable ways of sorting and sifting.  Schools continue to be institutional sites for producing gendered identities.  Feminist theorist, Smith, argues that some forms of knowledge have come to be seen as more legitimate than others.  She states that when we look at where women are in the educational system, our focus should go beyond issues of social justice, and that equality of opportunity is only one aspect of the problem.  Attention should be drawn to the significance of the inequalities regarding how women are located in the process of setting standards, producing social knowledge, acting as gatekeepers over what is admitted into the system of distribution, innovating in thought, knowledge or values, and in other ways participating as authorities in the ideological work done in the educational process (Smith, 1987, pp.26-27).  Womens invisibility in many parts of the educational curriculum reproduces the gender differences that education is indeed seeking to eradicate.

As Gaskell states, in the past twenty years, the womens movement has challenged many assumptions regarding educational issues should be conceived.  She states that educational scholarship and research has reflected its influence, as well as having influenced public policy.

A study on sex role imagery in the textbooks sponsored by The Royal Commission concluded that womens creative and intellectual potential was ignored and underplayed in the education of children from their earliest years.  The sex roles portrayed in the textbooks provided few challenging models for young girls.  This verdict was confirmed by many studies subsequently done by ministries, teachers federations and academics (Gaskell, 1993, pp. 151).

However, some feminists have argued that denying difference and getting rid of stereotypes has led to a climate in which everyone was expected to achieve in a masculine image.  Co-education meant male education for everyone.  There had been no shift in the power of or value attributed to women just a recognition that they should be treated like men (Gaskell, pp. 152).

Jane Roland Martin (1985) makes a broad philosophical argument about how education must be reconceived to include womens work.  It is important to note that organizations of educational institutions and the ways knowledge is transmitted to students have a male bias because institutions have failed to incorporate the ways women prefer to organize and learn (Briskin, 1990).  Gaskell points out that the emphasis on revaluing womens experience and work lead to a different analysis of connections between education and work.  Evidently, equal pay legislation recognizes that the work women have done is underpaid in relation to the skills, education, and responsibility it entails.  She argues that school should be inclusive, embrace differences among students, and represent this difference in curriculum so it can be talked about.  She states that it must represent womens understanding of the world, but make sure no single version of the female or the male is taken as representative and normal (Gaskell, pp. 157).  She argues that gendered patterns of interaction are a main point in the students experience of school.  It should be noted that in addition to inequality in education, womens lower salary and compensation for paid work is also a contributing factor to the feminization of poverty.

In his article, George Perry states that many thousands of single rural women were hired as teachers in Nova Scotia between 1870 and 1960.  He points out that their qualifications and salaries were among the lowest in Canada.  Apparently, women were recruited as teachers because they were cheap to hire, and were believed to be suited to the care and teaching of young children.  These women were hired due to teacher shortages but it soon proved to be temporary relief.  In the decades surveyed in Perrys article, thousands of women with slight amounts of high school education, and with few employment alternatives, were made into teachers.  However, it became clear that the cost of these concessions was high, and served to confirm the low pay and status of teachers (Perry, pp.358).  Perry points out that during the economic downturns, salaries remained low, and were even reduced in some cases.  When times were more prosperous and employment opportunities arose, officials lowered standards in order to maintain a flow of new teachers.

It is important to note that at the turn of the century it was quite common for teachers to barely even have a high school diploma.  However, by the early part of the 20th century, secondary education and a period of specialized training were required.  Knowing that the feminization of poverty has an impact on the equality of opportunity for education, we must take a closer look at the inequalities that continue to be present in the educational system, as well as differences of gender in education.  Men have continued to outnumber women in full time graduate studies.

Clearly, gender emerges as a significant factor when areas or programs of study are taken into account.  Despite womens increased educational participation, there continues to be an existence of gender segmentation.

Women constitute at least three-quarters of the students enrolled in fields such as education, secretarial science, social work programs, and nursing, all of which to lead to jobs with higher chances of layoffs and cut backs.  The literature on educational processes shows evidence of segmentation within educational programs.  Gaskell argues that differentiation according to gender occurs both through streaming and in the different signals and messages transmitted within the educational experience.  These signals can often contribute to the production of distinct educational paths or careers for male and female students.  Female students also perceive signals from teachers, in the form of comments or attitudes, to channel them into gender-segregated occupational tracks (Crysdale et al., 1999, pp. 33).

As we know, for both women and men, average earnings increase for each level of education attained, more so with higher levels of education.  However, we must acknowledge that relatively few women possess doctoral degrees compared to men, and this can be in part blamed on the gender-biased channeling in earlier years of education.

Wotherspoon states that education will continue to be a significant basis through which women can gain entry into non-traditional jobs that will contribute to greater gender parity in regards to labor force participation and wages.  He also points out however that there are still limitations to potential advances in areas produced by internal labor market dynamics and persistent gender discrimination, as well as more general economic restructuring that create pressure to downsize the labor force, deskill workers, and minimize labor costs, all of which can be contributing factors to the feminization of poverty.  As Wotherspoon points out, the changing occupational structure has definitely contributed to the prospects of work being highly uncertain for substantial proportions of the population.

It is clear that people with higher levels of education will be more successful in job markets.  Education is directly linked to finding a job, and securing a better income.  Wotherspoon argues that as labor markets become more volatile and competitive, there is additional pressure to achieve greater levels of education and training.

Clearly, there are many issues surrounding the feminization of poverty.  Education in general is quite important in relation to this alarming issue.  Inequalities in education can contribute to the feminization of poverty, while the feminization of poverty can have a direct impact on equality of opportunity for education.

Knowing that inequality in education can lead to poverty levels for women, it is our duty to do something about it.  In the best-case scenario, feminization of poverty can give a nudge in the right direction for issues concerning equality of education.  Clearly, the feminization of poverty has made the opportunity for education unequal as compared to men.

It is also clear that the inequalities in education directly affect the feminization of poverty.  Here, the cause and result are quite interconnected.  Gender inequality is definitely also a contributing factor to feminization of poverty.