Living Conditions During the life and times of William Shakespeare's Research Paper

Living Conditions During the life and times of William Shakespeare's era - Research Paper Example An author (playwright) sees reflection of one’s own experiences and surroundings while creating the characters. One cannot sweep it under the carpet and why should one? Authenticity about a character comes out of direct experience plus fertile imagination. This quote of Shakespeare is perfectly applicable to him. In Twelfth Night he writes, â€Å"Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them". (Act II, Scene V). William Shakespeare born in 1564 into a middle-class family, whose father was a glove maker in Stratford-upon-Avon, a small market-town, achieved greatness. That greatness is matchless and the world has not produced another playwright of his name and fame! The multifarious characters one sees in his more than 37 plays reflect the tragedy, comedy and history of the era (1564-1616) to which he belonged. Shakespeare had deep understanding of human nature, social, economic and cultural conditions of his time. His characters come from many walks of life and he uses their language in his creative style. He had deep, intuitive knowledge of music, military science, politics, and hunting etc. His characters are as big as kings and generals, and as low as pick-pockets, drunkards and hired killers. He excelled dealing with philosophical topics. His characters spoke straight from the heart, as per their level of progression in the society. Elizabethan England and Shakespeare’s era are synonymous. What was the era like? There are many shades of opinions as for the living conditions prevailing then. Pritchard writes, â€Å"One would portray ‘merry England.’†¦.Another would present a typical third-world developing country, with gross disparities of wealth, with the powerful few plundering the Commonwealth, the numerous poor with low-life expectancy, traditional cultural patterns crumbling under the

Nuclear materials trafficking Essay Example for Free

Nuclear materials trafficking Essay Terrorism acts have of late been on the rise in the world a trend which is attributed to the high rates of nuclear material trafficking along the borders of different countries. Nuclear weapons are the major tools used by terrorist which have made the issue of nuclear material trafficking become a major concern of the United States government especially after the September 11 attack of the world trade centre. Nuclear threat was also a major concern to the United States during the time of cold war. The subsequent Soviet Union collapse increased threats of terrorism attacks to the United States making the country intensify its measures of ensuring that terrorists did not have access to nuclear materials which could be used for creation of nuclear weapons. Ever since the era of cold war, United States as well as other countries has put measures to make sure nuclear materials trafficking is reduced thus ensuring the security of the nations as well as the citizens (Williams Vlassis, 2001). Nuclear materials trafficking Nuclear materials trafficking refer to the illegal sale of materials used for making nuclear weapons. The trafficking of these materials is usually carried out though the borders of a country through highly concealed means that at times pass all the tests which may be in place in a country’s border. In some instances, cross border nuclear materials trafficking may be aided by citizens of a country and/ or people working in the migration departments. Due to sophistication in technology being used by terrorists, it has become very difficult to detect some of the nuclear materials being trafficked to a country. This has necessitated implementation of tough and advanced measures to detect nuclear materials. In the United States, the forensic department is the one which deals with analysis of and research on nuclear materials thus making their detection easier. While analyzing nuclear materials in the laboratories of the forensic department, both the chemical and physical characteristic of the materials are analyzed so as to gain all the possible clues of nuclear composition in different compounds. Also, environmental links are also analyzed for the purposes of tracing the place of origin which may help in determining how such products were illegitimated (Cameron, 1999). Nuclear materials are widely categorized into three basic groups which include the SNM an acronym for special nuclear material, reactor fuel and lastly those from commercial radioactive origins or sources. The special nuclear materials contains the basic materials which are used for making nuclear weapons which include the highly enriched uranium commonly referred to as HEU and plutonium. The reactor fuels on the other hand include LEU-low enriched uranium, grade plutonium of mixed oxide and also grade plutonium of reactor and fuel. The mixed oxide commonly abbreviated as MOX is a combination of uranium oxides which are depleted and plutonium. It is usually used as a substitute for low enriched uranium. Commercial radioactive origins or sources of nuclear materials are meant for medical diagnostics, food irradiators, thermoelectric generators and equipments for radiography (LAnnunziata, El Baradei Burkart, 2003). Special nuclear materials are usually targeted and used by terrorists since when they are in plenty, no uranium enrichment or plutonium acquisition is required. This makes these materials the most highly trafficked around the world. Reactor fuels unlike the special nuclear materials cannot be used to directly build or create nuclear devices. However, they are more commonly available especially because they are found in almost all parts of the world. Reactor fuels in conjunction with some of the radioactive materials can be used in the manufacture of dirty bombs as well as devices for radiological dispersals. Terrorists are the major traffickers of these nuclear materials and also some countries which support terrorism activities. Nuclear materials trafficking have been on the rise for the past ten years posing a great threat to the security of the United States and the world in general. Iran for example was believed to manufacture nuclear weapons which made America go to war with this country. Nuclear weapons are dangerous as they can result to mass destruction (Cameron, 1999). Cases of nuclear materials trafficking and the response of the international criminal bodies According to the international criminal law, illicit nuclear materials trafficking as well as trafficking of other radioactive materials are categorized as one crime unlike in many countries where such crimes are separated. The international criminal laws have different treaties which a local prosecutor can use against a person implicated in nuclear materials trafficking. However, most of the treaties used against a suspected nuclear materials trafficker can only be enforced if this trafficking is linked to intended acts of nuclear terrorism. These laws contrast sharply with the United Nations laws which states that a person can be sanctioned if he or she is a threat to the security and international peace. Usually, the trafficked nuclear materials are sold in nuclear black markets (Hossain Shahidullah, 2008). One of the major cases which has been brought to light is the one which occurred in Georgia in the year 2007 involving a Russian citizen by the name of Oleg Khintsagov who was sentenced for a jail term of 8years after being in possession of 100 grams of highly enriched uranium in the republic of Georgia at a local black market. Oleg was detained for a period of one year before being sentenced. According to the report which was issued out from Georgia, Oleg confessed that he had faith that the uranium could received by a extremist Islamic group. He also claimed that he had large quantities of the highly enriched uranium which he said was kept somewhere in his apartment located at Vladikavkaz city, north Ossentia. An approximated 25 kilograms of this product which Oleg was in possession is required to manufacture of nuclear weapon. This estimate is according to the international atomic agency. By the fact that Khintsagov was a Russian and trading at Georgia as well as south Ossetia, this amounted to an international case thus raising international concern. However, by the time Oleg was being sentenced, the authorities in Georgia as well as those who were supporting the republic of Georgia had not established the origin of the materials. The international criminal justice bodies have set in to try and locate the origin of the materials in the quest of establishing how such sensitive nuclear materials could have been obtained by Oleg in such great quantities of more than 3 kilograms (Williams Vlassis, 2001). Another case which attracted international attention was the illegal sale of nuclear technology of Pakistan to Libya and Iran. Pakistan was the source of nuclear materials, weapons as well as technology which were designed in Iran, Libya and North Korea. This revelation has sparked different and troubling reactions in the international community especially the United States. This exchange of nuclear weapon manufacturing technology has contributed greatly to the increase in nuclear weapon manufacture in the world thus posing a greater threat of manufacture of mass destruction weapons. This ahs raised great concern in the international community as the security of the world is threatened and acts of terrorism have accelerated. In response to this discovery, the international community started carrying out investigation to establish the country’s role in this transfer of technology from Pakistan to the other countries. Despite the fact that these activities were carried long time ago and only came to light on the year 2003, Pakistan may face Charybdis situation and a classic Scylla which could be prompted by any foreknowledge by the past and the present governments concerning the above proliferation activities (Williams, 1989). An analysis of how international criminal bodies are tackling the above two cases of nuclear materials smuggling or trafficking The case in the republic of Georgia as well as the case of Pakistan mentioned above have attracted and increased international concerns on the ease by which an individual can acquire nuclear materials illegally. This has also raised the question of the measures and ability of the governments to ensure that nuclear materials as well as radioactive sources are well guarded and secured. The main task of the international criminal system since the revelation of the proliferation activities by Pakistan is to establish whether Pakistan was aware of such activities or not. Investigations were immediately launched to determine whether the countries which obtained this technology and nuclear materials were making or manufacturing mass destruction weapon (Angelo, 2004). After the 2003 revelations about nuclear weapon proliferation in Pakistan, the international criminal justice system apart from embarking on investigation, it formulated new policies to ensure that such actions were not repeated in the future by other countries. This policy was also meant to create avenues to deal with perpetrators who could have been found to have committed such crime. In the year 2004, resolution 1540 was adopted by the Security Council which sought to prevent any â€Å"non state actor† from acquiring or trafficking in any kind of NBC related weapons and equipment, delivery systems or materials. This term non state actor was used not only to refer to terrorists as it was under the earlier security code but also businesses or state officials who were unauthorized. In the nuclear proliferation in Pakistan, A. Q. Khan a nuclear metallurgist is believed to have coordinated this proliferation in which the government at of that time claimed it had no idea nor had it authorized Khan to carry out such activities. The government argued that nuclear proliferation by Khan was supported by different business networks around the world (Babcock, Chen Zhuang, 2004). The resolution 1540 which was included in the security code mandated all states in the world to ensure appropriate measures were put in place. Such measures included national criminal laws, border controls, export controls, efforts for law enforcement, physical security and also techniques of accounting for materials. This was meant to ensure that no non state actor acquired or even succeeded in trafficking NBC weapons and all other related weapons. Before this resolution was passed, there was no prior requirement which mandated the countries to criminalize acquisition as well as trafficking of biological and nuclear weapons (Williams, 1989). The United States also took stern measures against Pakistan after the nuclear proliferation saga was unfolded. When Pakistan started its nuclear weapon manufacture, it was deemed not to be harmful by the United States. United States under the leadership of Reagan had cooperated with Pakistan on military matters. However, after the nuclear weapon manufacture was realized to be potentially harmful, the country conditioned its support for the Pakistan government. This was meant to force Pakistan abandon the nuclear manufacture project. In year 2001, Pakistan was forced to make Khan retire and military was also tightened over the KRL where Khan had been working from. Khan’s network however has not been closed as investigations are still being carried out. Most of the countries where Khan had networks have so far taken interest in the case with most of these networks being closed (Williams, 1989). In the case of republic of Georgia, though the case is not as big as that of Pakistan, it has still attracted attention of international criminal justice. Non proliferation experts launched their investigations to ascertain the origin of the uranium which Oleg was in possession. However, this has not been identified so far especially because Oleg changed his initial confession which he had said he had obtained the materials form Russia. Russian officials were also involved in the investigation owing to cooperate with Georgia in fighting nuclear materials trafficking. According to Russian authorities, the uranium could have been obtained from the country but ten years earlier before it was confiscated in Georgia a finding the United States conferred with the findings of Russia. Although this case was publicized by the Georgian government, it did not attract much attention from the international criminal agencies and only as it did not amount to heavy charges of proliferation. Also, the publicity of this case was met with skepticism from different opinion group with the move to publicize the case by the republic of Georgia being seen as a political provocation on Russia. Also, the possibilities that later emerged that the uranium could have been stolen from a physics lab which had reported loss of about 2 kilograms of uranium in the 1990s made the case not to attract much international attention (Kelly, Maghan Serio, 2005). While conducting the investigation for the above two cases, the international criminal society was faced with several difficulties. In the case of Oleg in the republic of Georgia, it was difficult to obtain accurate information regarding the origin of the uranium. Also, Georgia lacked sufficient resources to help in the analysis of the uranium and had to rely on the findings of Russia and United States. Lack of resources and cooperation form the perpetrators were the main hindrance of this case. Also, politicization of the nuclear materials trafficking was also another reason which hindered compete investigation of the case by the international criminal justice. Georgia was seen like its only motive was to destroy the Russian reputation especially because of the timing of publication of the case. In the case of Pakistan, lack of willing witnesses was a major hindrance for the international criminal justice team. Also, the laws which were in place during that time were limited and could not thus cover the proliferation issue fully (Williams Vlassis, 2001). Conclusion Globalization which has been on the rise in the past few decades have led to improvement in technology for weapon manufacture. With rise in globalization, terrorism threats have also become more complicated and sophisticated necessitating creation of avenues to ensure and enhance global security. Nuclear materials are widely used for the manufacture of nuclear materials which are usually used by terrorists. Guarding these nuclear materials has thus become a vital task for all countries which have them and laws have been formulated by the international law society to ensure that nuclear proliferation does not occur. Nuclear trafficking has however been a major concern for most countries means of trafficking them continue becoming more complicated and high tech. however, it is the duty of a government to ensure that all its nuclear reserves are well guarded and that no unauthorized persons are allowed to possess them. Nuclear materials trafficking from a country whether knowingly or unknowingly may lead to devastating effects to the diplomatic relationships with such a country as well as heavy measures being undertaken by the international criminal law against such a country. To reduce incidences of nuclear weapon trafficking, it is important for all the governments to cooperate as well as establishment of stringent laws regarding this issue. Recommendation While dealing with issues of nuclear materials trafficking, it is vital to have the necessary equipment to enable a government track the origin and contents of such materials. One of the major recommendations is that all government should establish a research institute and a laboratory equipped with necessary machines to enable in easier analysis as well as identification of nuclear materials. Countries should also ensure that the immigration department is closely manned to eliminate chances of collaboration and collusion of terrorists and immigration officers. All individuals entering or leaving a country should be thoroughly checked and screened to reduce chances of nuclear materials trafficking (Babcock, Chen Zhuang, 2004). The government should also take the initiative of training its forensic team, militants, border controllers as well as individuals involved in nuclear materials analyses so as to help cases of nuclear weapon smuggling in a country. All departments involved in the fight of nuclear proliferation and trafficking should also be given adequate funding especially with the current rise in terrorism threats. In cases of nuclear materials trafficking, non proliferation expert teams from various countries should be sent to the countries affected to ensure that results obtained are not biased or prejudiced. A joint and independent team of experts should be formed to help in proliferation cases as well as other related nuclear materials trafficking cases (Wallenius, Peerani Koch, 2000). Cooperation by all countries around the world is vital in helping in the fight of nuclear materials trafficking. One of the ways that the countries can do to ensure cooperation is by instituting stringent measures and laws to cub this vice. The internationals criminal laws should impose heavy penalties on countries from which the materials originate. By imposing heavy penalties, countries may become keener in guarding their nuclear materials from being smuggled out of the country. Stringent measures should also be taken on individuals found to the trafficking nuclear materials. As it stands today, countries are more severely punished while perpetrators are only given to serve a short jail term which cannot act as a deterrent agent. Heavier punishment should be imposed on individuals who are caught trafficking nuclear materials (Williams, 1989). An international court to deal with nuclear materials trafficking and proliferations should also be established to ensure that all individuals and countries prosecuted with such crimes get uniform penalties (Phillips, 2007). Reference: Angelo, J. A. (2004): Nuclear technology. ISBN 1573563366, Published by Greenwood Publishing Group Babcock, H. P. , Chen, C. Zhuang, X. (2004): Using single-particle tracking to study nuclear trafficking of viral genes. Biophysical Journal Cameron, G. (1999): Nuclear terrorism: a threat assessment for the 21st century. ISBN 0312219830, Published by Palgrave Macmillan Hossain, M. Shahidullah, S. M. (2008): Global-Local Nexus and the Emerging Field of Criminology and Criminal Justice in South Asia: Bangladesh Case. Bangladesh e-Journal of Sociology Volume 5 Kelly, R. J. , Maghan, J. Serio, J. (2005): Illicit trafficking: a reference handbook. ISBN 1576079155, Published by ABC-CLIO LAnnunziata, m. F. , El Baradei, M. M. Burkart, W. (2003): Handbook of Radioactivity Analysis: Second Edition. ISBN 0124366031, Published by Academic Press Phillips, M. (2007): Uncertain Justice for Nuclear Terror: Deterrence of Anonymous Attacks through Attribution. Journal article of Orbis Volume 51 Wallenius, M. , Peerani, P. Koch, L. (2000): Origin determination of plutonium material in nuclear forensics. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry Williams, P. (1989): Russian organized crime: the new threat? ISBN 0714647632, Published by Routledge Williams, P. Vlassis, D. (2001): Combating transnational crime: concepts, activities, and responses. ISBN 0714651567, Published by Routledge

Liberty And Paternalism Essays -- essays research papers

LIBERTY AND PATERNALISM   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Stuart Mill and Gerald Dworkin have distinctly opposing views on legal paternalism in that Mill is adamantly against any form of paternalism, whereas Dworkin believes that there do exist circumstances in which paternalism is justified. Both agree that paternalism is justified when the well being of another person is violated or put at risk. Mill takes on a utilitarian argument, explaining that allowing an individual to exercise his freedom of free choice is more beneficial to society than deciding for him what is in his best interests. Dworkin, on the other hand, feels that certain cases require the intervention of either society as a whole or its individual members. He breaks Mill’s argument down into two distinct types, one based on utilitarianism and one based on the absolute value of free choice.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After reading both articles, â€Å"Paternalism† by Dworkin and â€Å"On Liberty† by Mill, I believe that Dworkin is correct in explaining that some intervention is necessary under certain circumstances. I have come to this conclusion based on the fact that there do exist circumstances in which an individual is incapable of making a rational decision considering not only the well being of himself, but also the well being of other members of society. Also, the argument that the protection of the individual committing the action in question is not reason enough to interfere with the action is ludicrous in that one of our governments main reasons for existence is to protect the members of our society. This protection includes protection from ourselves at times when we are unable to rationally decide what is in our best interests. This essay will consist of an examination of this controversy as well as an application of my proposed conclusion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Before addressing any opposing views to my conclusion, I will first explain my reasoning. As Dworkin explains in his essay, there are circumstances when a person is unable to make a rational and logical decision for himself. The inability to make such decisions has long been a justified reason to interfere in the process, such as in cases with young children. When a young child is about to run across a busy street in order to chase his ball, the child’s parent, or any other bystander, is rightfully justified in... ...f such a decision, the government has aright to step in and help the person. This is because at this understanding of the situation, the person is not capable of making a decision that he would likely consent to at after fully understanding the situation. As in the seat belt case, often times, a person does not fully understand that not wearing a seat belt contradicts his true desires and that no possible good or benefit can come from not wearing it. However, when a person is making a rational decision between two things that he values, he is the only person that can decide which is best for him. An important condition to remember in this conclusion is that all of this is assuming that no other individuals are being harmed or put at risk by the actions of these people. Under this condition I have come to the conclusion that there do exist certain circumstances where the government has a right to legal paternalism. These circumstances include times when an individual is unable to make a rational and logical decision for himself either because he does not fully understand the issue or because he is unable to logically assign value to specific possible consequences of a decision.

Mahathir’s Foreign Policy

The Foreign Policy of Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad during his premiership During eighties of last century, Malaysia was not widely known by the world. Only a few of politicians might hear about Malaysia not as an economic power, but as an agricultural country which is the main supplier of crude palm oil. This situation changed when Tun Dr. Mahathir became the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia who has changed how the world judges and treats Malaysia. Besides of Tun Dr. Mahathir’s enormous contribution on economic sector, in foreign affairs also Tun Dr. Mahathir was also a giant of the times during his premiership.During his 22 years of premiership, he successfully transform Malaysia become one of the Tiger Cub Economies after Four Asian Tigers. As one of the important spokesman in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), he aggressively promotes overall construction of ASEAN countries. This is a significant step to ensure the benefits of small countries are being protected b y forming a unified action guideline when having disputes with great power. In order to against with European Union and Organization of American States, there is a need for Asia countries to form regional alliances to protect loose countries’ benefits.This is what exactly the purpose of founding ASEAN. In spite of Tun Dr. Mahathir was not welcomed by western country during his premiership, yet his â€Å"Look East Policy† has inspired many Asia countries to learn from Japan and South Korea, not only blindly followed what western countries have done. This is highly related with Asian values, where it has catalyzed the progress of Look East Policy. In fact, Tun Dr. Mahathir did not neglect the influences of western country especially United States of America. He believe that USA is the main reason to ensure peaceful of Southeast Asia region, the deployment of the U.S. fleet in the Pacific is necessary yet at the same time he insist that no massive troops should be deploym ent at ASEAN. This is actually how Tun Dr. Mahathir weighs the influences of USA to benefit Malaysia and other ASEAN countries. Early in this century, as a sensible leader in Islamic world Tun Dr. Mahathir encourages the unity of Islamic world towards greater prosperity. He has been anti-state terrorism and anti-war all along his premiership and after Incident 911, he has suggested USA to set up a counterterrorism center in Malaysia.In issues of Israel and Jews, Tun Dr. Mahathir was a staunch supporter of Palestinian cause and he also named Israel as â€Å"the enemy allied with most powerful nations†. He condemns Israel who killed thousands of Muslims while some Jews are supporters to those killers. As a summary, the overall foreign policy under Tun Dr. Mahathir premiership is basically regional approach where most of his foreign policy is targeting prosperity of entire Southeast Asia. In spite many condemns from many people, yet Tun Dr. Mahathir still an excellence diplomat in heart of Malaysians.

Fringe Benefits

Fringe Benefit – meaning: †¢ Any privilege, service, facility or amenity, directly or indirectly provided to employee by an employer †¢ Any reimbursement for any purpose . †¢ Contribution to approved superannuation fund The term Fringe benefits refer to various extra benefits provided to the employees, in addition to the compensation paid in the form of wage or salary. These benefits can be defined as any wage cost not directly connected with the employees productive effort, performance, service or sacrifice.Different terms are used to denote fringe benefits. They are welfare measures, social charges, social security measures, supplements, sub-wages, employee benefits etc. In addition workers commonly receive such benefits as holiday with pay, low cost meals, low-rent housing etc. Such additions to the wage proper are sometimes referred to as fringe benefits. Benefits that have no relation to employment or wages should not be regarded as fringe benefits even tho ugh they may constitute a significant part of the workers total income.Thus, fringe benefits are those monetary and non-monetary benefits given to the employees during and post employment period which are connected with employment but not to the employees contributions to the organization. Coverage: Fringe benefits covers bonus, social security measures, retirement benefits like provident fund, gratuity, pension, workmen’s compensation, housing, medical, canteen, co-operative credit, consumer stores, educational facilities, recreational facilities, financial advice and so on. OBJECTIVES OF FRINGE BENEFITS: The important objectives of fringe benefits are: 1.To create and improve sound industrial relations 2. To boost up employee morale. 3. To motivate the employees by identifying and satisfying their unsatisfied needs. 4. To provide qualitative work environment and work life. 5. To provide security to the employees against social risks like old age benefits and maternity benef its. 6. To protect the health of the employees and to provide safety to the employees against accidents. 7. To promote employees welfare by providing welfare measures like recreation facilities. 8. To create a sense of belongingness among employees and to retain them.Hence, fringe benefits are called golden hand-cuffs. 9. To meet requirements of various legislations relating to fringe benefits. NEED FOR EXTENDING FRINGE BENEFITS Most organisation have been extending the fringe to their employees, year after year, for the following reasons i) Rising prices and cost of living has brought about incessant demand for provision of extra benefit to the employees. (ii) Employers too have found that fringe benefits present attractive areas of negotiation when large wage and salary increases are not feasible. iii) As organizations have developed ore elaborate fringe benefits programs for their employees, greater pressure has been placed upon competing organizations to match these benefits in order to attract and keep employees. (iv)Recognition that fringe benefits are non-taxable rewards has been major stimulus to their expansion. v) The growing volume of labor legislation, particularly social security legislation, made it imperative for employers to share equally with their employees the cost of old age, survivor and disability benefits. vi) The growth and strength of trade unions has substantially influenced the growth of company benefits and services. (vii) The management has increasingly realized its responsibility towards its employees and has come to the conclusion that the benefits of increase in productivity resulting from increasing industrialization should go, at least partly, to the employees who are responsible for it, so that they may be protected against the insecurity arising from unemployment, sickness, injury and old age. Company benefits-and-services programs are among some of the mechanisms which managers use to supply this security.TYPES OF FRINGE BE NEFITS: Organizations provide a variety of fringe benefits. The fringe benefits are classified under four heads as given here under: [pic] 1. For Employment Security : Benefits under this head include unemployment, insurance, technological adjustment pay, leave travel pay, overtime pay, level for negotiation, leave for maternity, leave for grievances, holidays, cost of living bonus, call-back pay, lay-off, retiring rooms, jobs to the sons/daughters of the employees and the like. 2. For Health Protection:Benefits under this head include accident insurance, disability insurance, health insurance, hospitalization, life insurance, medical care, sick benefits, sick leave, etc. 3. For Old Age and Retirement: Benefits under this category include: deferred income plans, pension, gratuity, provident fund, old age assistance, old age counseling , medical benefits for retired employees, traveling concession to retired employees, jobs to sons/daughters of the deceased employee and the like. 4. For Personnel Identification, Participation and Stimulation: This category overs the following benefits: anniversary awards, attendance bonus, canteen, cooperative credit societies, educational facilities, beauty parlor services, housing, income tax aid, counseling, quality bonus, recreational programs, stress counseling, safety measures etc. CLASSIFICATION OF FRINGE BENEFITS 1. PAYEMENT FOR TIME NOT WORKED:-Benefits under this category include sick leave with pay, vacation pay, paid rest and relief time, paid lunch periods, grievance time, bargaining time, travel time etc. 2.EXTRA TIME FOR TIME WORKED:-This category covers benefits such as premium pay, incentive bonus, shift premium, old age insurance, profit sharing, unemployment compensation, deewali or pooja bonus, food cost subsidy, housing subsidy, recreation etc. 3. EMPLOYEE SECURITY:-Provided with the benefits of confirmation of the employee on the job creates a sense of job security. Further, a minimum and continuous wage o r salary gives a sense of security to life. 4. SAFETY AND HEALTH:-In India, the Factories Act, 1948, stipulated certain requirements regarding working conditions with a view to providing a safe working environment.FRINGE BENEFITS IN A MANUFACTURING FIRM To study the fringe benefits provided to employees particularly in a manufacturing concern , lets look at some of the major manufacturing companies. These are: i) Larsen and Toubro iii)Nokia ii)Mahindra and Mahindra iv)Tata Motors LARSEN AND TOUBRO: The governing theme in this organisation is the well being of employees. The salary and benefits offered are on par with the best available in Construction Industry.A few important perquisites & welfare schemes are highlighted below: Special Facilities for Site employees are provided. These special facilities include: ? Subsidized accommodation, ? Part furnishing of accommodation provided ? Free transport facilities for work. ? Special Medical Insurance Scheme – This scheme is in a ddition to other medical benefits available to employees. Employees have the option of covering their parents, aged upto 85 years under this scheme. ? Retirement Benefits – All staff members are covered under Provident Fund and Gratuity Scheme. L&T Institute of Technology, Mumbai is an exclusive facility for L&T employees' children. -The Institute conducts four-year industry-integrated diploma courses in Mechanical Engineering and Electronics Engineering. On successful course completion, students are awarded diplomas by the Directorate of Technical Education, Maharashtra to which LTIT is affiliated. Prize Money for Academic Achievement: To acknowledge and motivate meritorious wards of employees, the Welfare Department of L;T presents cash awards to students who have scored high percentage marks. There are several additional benefits at Managerial Levels.Several attractive benefits are available including ? Provision of company car, ? Loans for furniture, housing ? Childrenâ⠂¬â„¢ higher education ? Purchase of Personal Computer, ? Membership of Superannuation scheme ? Reimbursement of expenses on club membership MAHINDRA AND MAHINDRA: COMPENSATION RULES AND DESIGN GUIDELINES Monthly Components Guidelines ? Basic Minimum Basic figure for skilled, semi skilled and un skilled employees is a minimum of Rs. 2650, 2950 and 3250/-. However on the safer side, Basic figure less is not less than Rs. 3500/- p. m. Income Tax Benefit: NIL House Rent Allowance (HRA) Maximum 50% basic (Metro cities) 40% basic (non metro cities).Income Tax Benefit: Excess of Actual rent paid over 10% of Basic salary OR Maximum HRA allowed (50% or 60% of basic) OR Actual Rent Paid – whichever is lower is Exempt from Tax. ? Transport Allowance Conveyance allowance meant for transportation between office and residence only. Income Tax Benefit: Exempt maximum up to Rs. 800/- per month. No proof required. ? Children’s education allowance Income Tax Benefit: Rs. 100 per child subject to max 2 children. Hence maximum Rs. 200/- is exempt Special Allowance Balancing figure – after choosing all the above components with respect to their maximum limits absorbed, remaining amount can be named as Special Allowance. It is fully taxable. ? Medical Reimbursements Pay against medical bills Income Tax Benefit: Maximum Rs. 1250/- p. m. (Rs. 15000 p. a. ) is exempt only if Original Bills are provided ? Food Coupons Non cash component, exempt up to Rs. 1000/- p. m. ? Provident Fund (Retrials) Employer’s contribution (this is given to RPFC directly. However employee’s contribution is deducted from his Monthly salary above and sent to RPFC.Hence total deduction works out to be 12+12 = 24% of Basic. Income Tax Benefit: Employee’s contribution of 12% is eligible for Deduction from Taxable income. It can be treated as exempt investment. ? Gratuity(Retirals) It is an annual component. 15 days monthly basic per year. ? Leave Travel Allowance / Conc ession (Annual) Journey within India primarily by Rail – 2nd A/c class for employee and his immediate family (spouse, children, parents, siblings). ? Gift Vouchers Non cash component, these coupon companies like Sodexho Pass provide attractive Gift Vouchers, which is given on Diwali Festival Occasion.For junior employees amount can be lower, for seniors, amount can be higher up to Rs. 5000 or so. PERQUISITES For Senior Management Employees only ? Rent Free Accommodation Income Tax effect :Taxable perquisite – Value of rent free accommodation is considered to be taxable for the period of house occupied is either of the following: 10% of Salary (for metro cities) or (7. 5% for non metro cities) + Excess of Fair Rent Value (market rent) over 60% of salary (i. e. Market Rent – 60% of salary) = Total taxable value of rent free accommodation ? Car (For personal) Owned by the EmployerIncome Tax effect: Taxable Value includes the following – Actual Running ; Main tenance expenditure incurred by the employer + Driver’s Salary + Depreciation – any amount charged by employer to employee for personal use of the car. ? Employee Stock Option Plan – Employee exercises the option plan by buying out the shares during the exercise period however tax liability occurs only when an employee sells the shares on the value of sale made under the Capital Gains head of income. OTHER BENEFITS ? Personal Accident Insurance Scheme (For employee only) Medical Insurance Scheme (For employee ; dependents which can be spouse,first two children, parents or in-laws (either of them) etc. ? Performance linked insurance plan – The Performance Linked Incentive Plan is based on employee’s Performance Ratings during the Annual Performance Appraisal Plan in the month of March / April each year. Each employee would be eligible for a performance based incentive plan based on following guidelines. Maximum Potential Incentives under PLIP will b e 30% of Total Monthly Salary. OR up to Rs. 75000/- p. a. TATA MOTORS i) Gratuity – The Company has an obligation towards gratuity, a defined benefit retirement plan covering eligible employees. The plan provides for a lump sum payment to vested employees at retirement, death while in employment or on termination of employment of an amount equivalent to 15 to 30 days salary payable for each completed year of service. Vesting occurs upon completion of five years of service. The Company makes annual contributions to gratuity fund established as trust. The Company accounts for the liability for gratuity benefits payable in future based on an independent actuarial valuation. ii) Superannuation – The Company has two superannuation plans, a defined benefit plan and a defined contribution plan. Employees who are members of the defined benefit superannuation plan are entitled to benefits depending on the years of service and salary drawn. The monthly pension benefits after ret irement range from 0. 75% to 2% of the annual basic salary for each year of service. The Company accounts for the liability for superannuation benefits payable in future under the plan based on an independent actuarial valuation.With effect from April 1, 2003, this plan was amended and benefits earned by covered employees have been protected as at March 31, 2003. Employees covered by this plan are prospectively entitled to benefits computed on a basis that ensures that the annual cost of providing the pension benefits would not exceed 15% of salary. The Company maintains a separate irrevocable trust for employees covered and entitled to benefits. The Company contributes up to 15% of the eligible employees’ salary to the trust every year. The Company recognizes such contributions as an expense when incurred.The Company has no further obligation beyond this contribution. (iii) Bhavishya Kalyan Yojana (BKY): BKY is an unfunded defined benefit plan. The benefits of the plan accru e to an eligible employee at the time of death or permanent disablement, while in service, either as a result of an injury or as certified by the Company’s Medical Board. The monthly payment to dependents of the deceased / disabled employee under the plan equals 50% of the salary drawn at the time of death or accident or a specified amount, whichever is higher. The Company accounts for the liability for BKY benefits ayable in future based on an independent actuarial valuation. (iv) Post-retirement Medicare Scheme – Under this scheme, employees get medical benefits subject to certain limits of amount, periods after retirement and types of benefits, depending on their grade and location at the time of retirement. Employees separated from the Company as part of Early Separation Scheme, on medical grounds or due to permanent disablement are also covered under the scheme. The liability for post-retirement medical scheme is based on an independent actuarial valuation. v) Pro vident Fund – The eligible employees of the Company are entitled to receive benefits under the provident fund, a defined contribution plan, in which both employees and the Company make monthly contributions at a specified percentage of the covered employees’ salary (currently 12% of employees’ salary). The contributions as specified under the law are paid to the provident fund and pension fund set up as irrevocable trust by the Company or to respective Regional Provident Fund Commissioner and the Central Provident Fund under the State Pension scheme.The Company is generally liable for annual contributions and any shortfall in the fund assets based on the government specified minimum rates of return or pension and recognises such contributions and shortfall, if any, as an expense in the year incurred. (vi) Compensated absences – The Company provides for the encashment of leave or leave with pay subject to certain rules. The employees are entitled to accumu late leave subject to certain limits, for future encashment. The liability is provided based on the number of days of unutilised leave at each balance sheet date on the basis of an independent actuarial valuation.Some other benefits advanced to the permanent employees are: ? Allowances like Transport allowance, Education allowance, Sanitation allowance, ? Leave and travel allowance etc. ? Annual Performance linked Payment ? Free Medical facility for family ? Company loans ; advances NOKIA Nokia is the world leader in mobility, driving the transformation and growth of the converging internet and communication industry. Nokia started its operations in India in 1995 and since then has played a pioneering role in the growth of cellular technology in India.Today it is the leading brand in the mobile devices market in India with one of the largest distribution networks. COMPENSATION ; BENEFITS †¢ Nokia’s Total Compensation Package is tailored for each country. †¢ It typic ally consists of elements such as annual base salary, incentives, bonuses, possible stock options or performance shares, flexible Work-Life balance solutions, and other local benefits. †¢ Nokia rewards employees for good performance, competence development, and for overall company success. This creates a positive and encouraging environment with opportunities for employees to optimize their potential and be rewarded fairly. †¢ Higher performance and contribution leads to higher rewards. The Nokia global market competitive rewards structure addresses the need for flexibility, personalization, empowerment and commitment. The basic salary is set to meet market conditions, the demands of the job and individual competence and performance. The variable part may consist of incentives or bonuses and other compensation, such as overtime pay and call-out pay.Nokia provides compensation on competitive basis it provides employees with market competitive rewards through a flexible glob al structure. The Compensation package consists the following ? Basic pay, equity bonuses and incentives ? Health and welfare benefits ? Vacation and time off The compensation also includes various benefits: ? Insurance (healthcare and life) ? Transportation (free buses) ? gifts on special occasions (e. g. birthday, marriage) ? Relocation support (need based) ? Work related mobile phone ? Education assistance ? Creche support ? Bonus SystemShort-term incentive programs such as individual, team, project/program incentives and the Nokia Connecting People Bonus allow Nokia to offer immediate rewards for employee and team achievements. Eligibility for an incentive, bonus or stock option plans is defined by the content and nature of each individual's job. Local Benefits – Additional local rewards and benefits are also developed to complement the global programs and to ensure that the local market conditions are met. Annual Reviews -Nokia has implemented a global process, where the change in the pay level for each employee is based on the results of the annual performance review.Health -Nokia's Work-Life balance solutions provide health benefits and local retirement benefits are tailored to individual needs according to factors such as tenure, contribution, performance, roles and responsibilities. Nokia offers services, programs and guidelines to support employees? possibilities to maintain work-life balance according to their changing needs and life situations. Typically they include teleworking, mobile working, flexible working hours, sabbaticals, study leaves, health care services as well as recreational activities and other activity clubs.Flexible Working -Depending on the situation and needs, flexible working solutions can provide alternative modes of working such as teleworking at home or at other locations (e. g. working at remote sites). Nokia provide employees with innovative solutions aiming at having positive effects on the overall quality of life, job satisfaction and job performance. Flexi Time – Depending on the local market conditions, employees may take advantage of flexi time including flexible working hours and part-time working. Time Off- Nokia? s flexible working solutions include unpaid time off and sabbaticals.These solutions support Nokia? s philosophy of Employee Personal Growth and Self-management and enable employees to take extended leave from work. Health-care Services – Nokia aims to maintain and improve the working environment and well-being of its employees by offering medical check-ups, counselling and insurance programs to the employees. Volunteering – Nokia's global volunteer program Nokia Helping Hands gives employees a chance to contribute their time and effort to worthy causes in their communities. Nokia employees can use 1-2 working days per year for Nokia Helping Hands volunteering.Other Services – Sporting, social and cultural activities and workplace relationships are promoted within the company. These well-being services can also include laundry service, cafeteria, take-away food, day care and on-site concierge services etc. CONCLUSION Each company is pioneer in their own way of producing their products and equally compensating the employees. TATA Motors, L&T and most companies have evolved from the traditional fixed pay and more and more variable pay is introduced in every company. Nowadays we find that the variable component is quite large as compared to the fixed one.There are huge advantages due to a variable pay and fringe benefits which are as follows: ? Employee accountability ? Motivation to perform more ? Performance leading to rewards and recognition ? High self motivation to perform However, critics have argued that such a pay structure would always put huge loads of pressure on the employees and hence an employee is looked merely as a machine with no emotions. Some of the disadvantages may be as follows ? Increased stress levels due to heavy expectations ? Performance anxiety ? Employee worn-outThus the three manufacturing companies are equally good in compensating the employees. It should be noted that by giving only monetary benefits would not suffice the needs of the employees as not everyone is motivated only by money. Nokia has this ideology of overall growth of an individual which is the best way to compensate an employee. Thus the company should look after the overall growth of the individual and align his career aims with the goals of the company. [pic] ———————– Personnel Identification, Participation and Stimulation Old Age and Retirement Health Protection Employment Security Fringe Benefits Fringe Benefit – meaning: †¢ Any privilege, service, facility or amenity, directly or indirectly provided to employee by an employer †¢ Any reimbursement for any purpose . †¢ Contribution to approved superannuation fund The term Fringe benefits refer to various extra benefits provided to the employees, in addition to the compensation paid in the form of wage or salary. These benefits can be defined as any wage cost not directly connected with the employees productive effort, performance, service or sacrifice.Different terms are used to denote fringe benefits. They are welfare measures, social charges, social security measures, supplements, sub-wages, employee benefits etc. In addition workers commonly receive such benefits as holiday with pay, low cost meals, low-rent housing etc. Such additions to the wage proper are sometimes referred to as fringe benefits. Benefits that have no relation to employment or wages should not be regarded as fringe benefits even tho ugh they may constitute a significant part of the workers total income.Thus, fringe benefits are those monetary and non-monetary benefits given to the employees during and post employment period which are connected with employment but not to the employees contributions to the organization. Coverage: Fringe benefits covers bonus, social security measures, retirement benefits like provident fund, gratuity, pension, workmen’s compensation, housing, medical, canteen, co-operative credit, consumer stores, educational facilities, recreational facilities, financial advice and so on. OBJECTIVES OF FRINGE BENEFITS: The important objectives of fringe benefits are: 1.To create and improve sound industrial relations 2. To boost up employee morale. 3. To motivate the employees by identifying and satisfying their unsatisfied needs. 4. To provide qualitative work environment and work life. 5. To provide security to the employees against social risks like old age benefits and maternity benef its. 6. To protect the health of the employees and to provide safety to the employees against accidents. 7. To promote employees welfare by providing welfare measures like recreation facilities. 8. To create a sense of belongingness among employees and to retain them.Hence, fringe benefits are called golden hand-cuffs. 9. To meet requirements of various legislations relating to fringe benefits. NEED FOR EXTENDING FRINGE BENEFITS Most organisation have been extending the fringe to their employees, year after year, for the following reasons i) Rising prices and cost of living has brought about incessant demand for provision of extra benefit to the employees. (ii) Employers too have found that fringe benefits present attractive areas of negotiation when large wage and salary increases are not feasible. iii) As organizations have developed ore elaborate fringe benefits programs for their employees, greater pressure has been placed upon competing organizations to match these benefits in order to attract and keep employees. (iv)Recognition that fringe benefits are non-taxable rewards has been major stimulus to their expansion. v) The growing volume of labor legislation, particularly social security legislation, made it imperative for employers to share equally with their employees the cost of old age, survivor and disability benefits. vi) The growth and strength of trade unions has substantially influenced the growth of company benefits and services. (vii) The management has increasingly realized its responsibility towards its employees and has come to the conclusion that the benefits of increase in productivity resulting from increasing industrialization should go, at least partly, to the employees who are responsible for it, so that they may be protected against the insecurity arising from unemployment, sickness, injury and old age. Company benefits-and-services programs are among some of the mechanisms which managers use to supply this security.TYPES OF FRINGE BE NEFITS: Organizations provide a variety of fringe benefits. The fringe benefits are classified under four heads as given here under: [pic] 1. For Employment Security : Benefits under this head include unemployment, insurance, technological adjustment pay, leave travel pay, overtime pay, level for negotiation, leave for maternity, leave for grievances, holidays, cost of living bonus, call-back pay, lay-off, retiring rooms, jobs to the sons/daughters of the employees and the like. 2. For Health Protection:Benefits under this head include accident insurance, disability insurance, health insurance, hospitalization, life insurance, medical care, sick benefits, sick leave, etc. 3. For Old Age and Retirement: Benefits under this category include: deferred income plans, pension, gratuity, provident fund, old age assistance, old age counseling , medical benefits for retired employees, traveling concession to retired employees, jobs to sons/daughters of the deceased employee and the like. 4. For Personnel Identification, Participation and Stimulation: This category overs the following benefits: anniversary awards, attendance bonus, canteen, cooperative credit societies, educational facilities, beauty parlor services, housing, income tax aid, counseling, quality bonus, recreational programs, stress counseling, safety measures etc. CLASSIFICATION OF FRINGE BENEFITS 1. PAYEMENT FOR TIME NOT WORKED:-Benefits under this category include sick leave with pay, vacation pay, paid rest and relief time, paid lunch periods, grievance time, bargaining time, travel time etc. 2.EXTRA TIME FOR TIME WORKED:-This category covers benefits such as premium pay, incentive bonus, shift premium, old age insurance, profit sharing, unemployment compensation, deewali or pooja bonus, food cost subsidy, housing subsidy, recreation etc. 3. EMPLOYEE SECURITY:-Provided with the benefits of confirmation of the employee on the job creates a sense of job security. Further, a minimum and continuous wage o r salary gives a sense of security to life. 4. SAFETY AND HEALTH:-In India, the Factories Act, 1948, stipulated certain requirements regarding working conditions with a view to providing a safe working environment.FRINGE BENEFITS IN A MANUFACTURING FIRM To study the fringe benefits provided to employees particularly in a manufacturing concern , lets look at some of the major manufacturing companies. These are: i) Larsen and Toubro iii)Nokia ii)Mahindra and Mahindra iv)Tata Motors LARSEN AND TOUBRO: The governing theme in this organisation is the well being of employees. The salary and benefits offered are on par with the best available in Construction Industry.A few important perquisites & welfare schemes are highlighted below: Special Facilities for Site employees are provided. These special facilities include: ? Subsidized accommodation, ? Part furnishing of accommodation provided ? Free transport facilities for work. ? Special Medical Insurance Scheme – This scheme is in a ddition to other medical benefits available to employees. Employees have the option of covering their parents, aged upto 85 years under this scheme. ? Retirement Benefits – All staff members are covered under Provident Fund and Gratuity Scheme. L&T Institute of Technology, Mumbai is an exclusive facility for L&T employees' children. -The Institute conducts four-year industry-integrated diploma courses in Mechanical Engineering and Electronics Engineering. On successful course completion, students are awarded diplomas by the Directorate of Technical Education, Maharashtra to which LTIT is affiliated. Prize Money for Academic Achievement: To acknowledge and motivate meritorious wards of employees, the Welfare Department of L;T presents cash awards to students who have scored high percentage marks. There are several additional benefits at Managerial Levels.Several attractive benefits are available including ? Provision of company car, ? Loans for furniture, housing ? Childrenâ⠂¬â„¢ higher education ? Purchase of Personal Computer, ? Membership of Superannuation scheme ? Reimbursement of expenses on club membership MAHINDRA AND MAHINDRA: COMPENSATION RULES AND DESIGN GUIDELINES Monthly Components Guidelines ? Basic Minimum Basic figure for skilled, semi skilled and un skilled employees is a minimum of Rs. 2650, 2950 and 3250/-. However on the safer side, Basic figure less is not less than Rs. 3500/- p. m. Income Tax Benefit: NIL House Rent Allowance (HRA) Maximum 50% basic (Metro cities) 40% basic (non metro cities).Income Tax Benefit: Excess of Actual rent paid over 10% of Basic salary OR Maximum HRA allowed (50% or 60% of basic) OR Actual Rent Paid – whichever is lower is Exempt from Tax. ? Transport Allowance Conveyance allowance meant for transportation between office and residence only. Income Tax Benefit: Exempt maximum up to Rs. 800/- per month. No proof required. ? Children’s education allowance Income Tax Benefit: Rs. 100 per child subject to max 2 children. Hence maximum Rs. 200/- is exempt Special Allowance Balancing figure – after choosing all the above components with respect to their maximum limits absorbed, remaining amount can be named as Special Allowance. It is fully taxable. ? Medical Reimbursements Pay against medical bills Income Tax Benefit: Maximum Rs. 1250/- p. m. (Rs. 15000 p. a. ) is exempt only if Original Bills are provided ? Food Coupons Non cash component, exempt up to Rs. 1000/- p. m. ? Provident Fund (Retrials) Employer’s contribution (this is given to RPFC directly. However employee’s contribution is deducted from his Monthly salary above and sent to RPFC.Hence total deduction works out to be 12+12 = 24% of Basic. Income Tax Benefit: Employee’s contribution of 12% is eligible for Deduction from Taxable income. It can be treated as exempt investment. ? Gratuity(Retirals) It is an annual component. 15 days monthly basic per year. ? Leave Travel Allowance / Conc ession (Annual) Journey within India primarily by Rail – 2nd A/c class for employee and his immediate family (spouse, children, parents, siblings). ? Gift Vouchers Non cash component, these coupon companies like Sodexho Pass provide attractive Gift Vouchers, which is given on Diwali Festival Occasion.For junior employees amount can be lower, for seniors, amount can be higher up to Rs. 5000 or so. PERQUISITES For Senior Management Employees only ? Rent Free Accommodation Income Tax effect :Taxable perquisite – Value of rent free accommodation is considered to be taxable for the period of house occupied is either of the following: 10% of Salary (for metro cities) or (7. 5% for non metro cities) + Excess of Fair Rent Value (market rent) over 60% of salary (i. e. Market Rent – 60% of salary) = Total taxable value of rent free accommodation ? Car (For personal) Owned by the EmployerIncome Tax effect: Taxable Value includes the following – Actual Running ; Main tenance expenditure incurred by the employer + Driver’s Salary + Depreciation – any amount charged by employer to employee for personal use of the car. ? Employee Stock Option Plan – Employee exercises the option plan by buying out the shares during the exercise period however tax liability occurs only when an employee sells the shares on the value of sale made under the Capital Gains head of income. OTHER BENEFITS ? Personal Accident Insurance Scheme (For employee only) Medical Insurance Scheme (For employee ; dependents which can be spouse,first two children, parents or in-laws (either of them) etc. ? Performance linked insurance plan – The Performance Linked Incentive Plan is based on employee’s Performance Ratings during the Annual Performance Appraisal Plan in the month of March / April each year. Each employee would be eligible for a performance based incentive plan based on following guidelines. Maximum Potential Incentives under PLIP will b e 30% of Total Monthly Salary. OR up to Rs. 75000/- p. a. TATA MOTORS i) Gratuity – The Company has an obligation towards gratuity, a defined benefit retirement plan covering eligible employees. The plan provides for a lump sum payment to vested employees at retirement, death while in employment or on termination of employment of an amount equivalent to 15 to 30 days salary payable for each completed year of service. Vesting occurs upon completion of five years of service. The Company makes annual contributions to gratuity fund established as trust. The Company accounts for the liability for gratuity benefits payable in future based on an independent actuarial valuation. ii) Superannuation – The Company has two superannuation plans, a defined benefit plan and a defined contribution plan. Employees who are members of the defined benefit superannuation plan are entitled to benefits depending on the years of service and salary drawn. The monthly pension benefits after ret irement range from 0. 75% to 2% of the annual basic salary for each year of service. The Company accounts for the liability for superannuation benefits payable in future under the plan based on an independent actuarial valuation.With effect from April 1, 2003, this plan was amended and benefits earned by covered employees have been protected as at March 31, 2003. Employees covered by this plan are prospectively entitled to benefits computed on a basis that ensures that the annual cost of providing the pension benefits would not exceed 15% of salary. The Company maintains a separate irrevocable trust for employees covered and entitled to benefits. The Company contributes up to 15% of the eligible employees’ salary to the trust every year. The Company recognizes such contributions as an expense when incurred.The Company has no further obligation beyond this contribution. (iii) Bhavishya Kalyan Yojana (BKY): BKY is an unfunded defined benefit plan. The benefits of the plan accru e to an eligible employee at the time of death or permanent disablement, while in service, either as a result of an injury or as certified by the Company’s Medical Board. The monthly payment to dependents of the deceased / disabled employee under the plan equals 50% of the salary drawn at the time of death or accident or a specified amount, whichever is higher. The Company accounts for the liability for BKY benefits ayable in future based on an independent actuarial valuation. (iv) Post-retirement Medicare Scheme – Under this scheme, employees get medical benefits subject to certain limits of amount, periods after retirement and types of benefits, depending on their grade and location at the time of retirement. Employees separated from the Company as part of Early Separation Scheme, on medical grounds or due to permanent disablement are also covered under the scheme. The liability for post-retirement medical scheme is based on an independent actuarial valuation. v) Pro vident Fund – The eligible employees of the Company are entitled to receive benefits under the provident fund, a defined contribution plan, in which both employees and the Company make monthly contributions at a specified percentage of the covered employees’ salary (currently 12% of employees’ salary). The contributions as specified under the law are paid to the provident fund and pension fund set up as irrevocable trust by the Company or to respective Regional Provident Fund Commissioner and the Central Provident Fund under the State Pension scheme.The Company is generally liable for annual contributions and any shortfall in the fund assets based on the government specified minimum rates of return or pension and recognises such contributions and shortfall, if any, as an expense in the year incurred. (vi) Compensated absences – The Company provides for the encashment of leave or leave with pay subject to certain rules. The employees are entitled to accumu late leave subject to certain limits, for future encashment. The liability is provided based on the number of days of unutilised leave at each balance sheet date on the basis of an independent actuarial valuation.Some other benefits advanced to the permanent employees are: ? Allowances like Transport allowance, Education allowance, Sanitation allowance, ? Leave and travel allowance etc. ? Annual Performance linked Payment ? Free Medical facility for family ? Company loans ; advances NOKIA Nokia is the world leader in mobility, driving the transformation and growth of the converging internet and communication industry. Nokia started its operations in India in 1995 and since then has played a pioneering role in the growth of cellular technology in India.Today it is the leading brand in the mobile devices market in India with one of the largest distribution networks. COMPENSATION ; BENEFITS †¢ Nokia’s Total Compensation Package is tailored for each country. †¢ It typic ally consists of elements such as annual base salary, incentives, bonuses, possible stock options or performance shares, flexible Work-Life balance solutions, and other local benefits. †¢ Nokia rewards employees for good performance, competence development, and for overall company success. This creates a positive and encouraging environment with opportunities for employees to optimize their potential and be rewarded fairly. †¢ Higher performance and contribution leads to higher rewards. The Nokia global market competitive rewards structure addresses the need for flexibility, personalization, empowerment and commitment. The basic salary is set to meet market conditions, the demands of the job and individual competence and performance. The variable part may consist of incentives or bonuses and other compensation, such as overtime pay and call-out pay.Nokia provides compensation on competitive basis it provides employees with market competitive rewards through a flexible glob al structure. The Compensation package consists the following ? Basic pay, equity bonuses and incentives ? Health and welfare benefits ? Vacation and time off The compensation also includes various benefits: ? Insurance (healthcare and life) ? Transportation (free buses) ? gifts on special occasions (e. g. birthday, marriage) ? Relocation support (need based) ? Work related mobile phone ? Education assistance ? Creche support ? Bonus SystemShort-term incentive programs such as individual, team, project/program incentives and the Nokia Connecting People Bonus allow Nokia to offer immediate rewards for employee and team achievements. Eligibility for an incentive, bonus or stock option plans is defined by the content and nature of each individual's job. Local Benefits – Additional local rewards and benefits are also developed to complement the global programs and to ensure that the local market conditions are met. Annual Reviews -Nokia has implemented a global process, where the change in the pay level for each employee is based on the results of the annual performance review.Health -Nokia's Work-Life balance solutions provide health benefits and local retirement benefits are tailored to individual needs according to factors such as tenure, contribution, performance, roles and responsibilities. Nokia offers services, programs and guidelines to support employees? possibilities to maintain work-life balance according to their changing needs and life situations. Typically they include teleworking, mobile working, flexible working hours, sabbaticals, study leaves, health care services as well as recreational activities and other activity clubs.Flexible Working -Depending on the situation and needs, flexible working solutions can provide alternative modes of working such as teleworking at home or at other locations (e. g. working at remote sites). Nokia provide employees with innovative solutions aiming at having positive effects on the overall quality of life, job satisfaction and job performance. Flexi Time – Depending on the local market conditions, employees may take advantage of flexi time including flexible working hours and part-time working. Time Off- Nokia? s flexible working solutions include unpaid time off and sabbaticals.These solutions support Nokia? s philosophy of Employee Personal Growth and Self-management and enable employees to take extended leave from work. Health-care Services – Nokia aims to maintain and improve the working environment and well-being of its employees by offering medical check-ups, counselling and insurance programs to the employees. Volunteering – Nokia's global volunteer program Nokia Helping Hands gives employees a chance to contribute their time and effort to worthy causes in their communities. Nokia employees can use 1-2 working days per year for Nokia Helping Hands volunteering.Other Services – Sporting, social and cultural activities and workplace relationships are promoted within the company. These well-being services can also include laundry service, cafeteria, take-away food, day care and on-site concierge services etc. CONCLUSION Each company is pioneer in their own way of producing their products and equally compensating the employees. TATA Motors, L&T and most companies have evolved from the traditional fixed pay and more and more variable pay is introduced in every company. Nowadays we find that the variable component is quite large as compared to the fixed one.There are huge advantages due to a variable pay and fringe benefits which are as follows: ? Employee accountability ? Motivation to perform more ? Performance leading to rewards and recognition ? High self motivation to perform However, critics have argued that such a pay structure would always put huge loads of pressure on the employees and hence an employee is looked merely as a machine with no emotions. Some of the disadvantages may be as follows ? Increased stress levels due to heavy expectations ? Performance anxiety ? Employee worn-outThus the three manufacturing companies are equally good in compensating the employees. It should be noted that by giving only monetary benefits would not suffice the needs of the employees as not everyone is motivated only by money. Nokia has this ideology of overall growth of an individual which is the best way to compensate an employee. Thus the company should look after the overall growth of the individual and align his career aims with the goals of the company. [pic] ———————– Personnel Identification, Participation and Stimulation Old Age and Retirement Health Protection Employment Security

The Art of Prejudice essays

The Art of Prejudice essays Music is a form of art that allows lyricists to express themselves and through their personal feelings with words. Feelings that result from the loss of a family member to hating the dog for eating a favorite pair of shoes. For whatever the personal feelings may put into a tempo of beats then it is considered a form of music. What happens to feelings when they are too personal? For instance, hating of another race, using words such as bitch,hoe or nigga? What does this prove? These derogative lyrics can enforce racial stereotypes that are presented throughout the listeners of these lyrics. Some lyrics can cause problems of prejudice in the streets of the United States. Young children and their friends mimic the lyrics from their favorite rapper repeating the exact same profound language. In childrens minds, they will believe it is all right to repeat such language if their role model is doing it. Role models such as; Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and Kid Rock all have the same derogat ive lyrics that may be represented as contributing to the problems of prejudice. From rap to hip-hop to rock and roll, different genres of music are contributing to the problems of prejudice in our society today. For example, rapper and producer, Eminem, has been in the eyes of the media since the beginning of his career because of the language and visuals he portrays on his records. Songs such as Kim and My Name Is has brought controversy to the media because of the lyrics used on these songs. Constant name-calling and humility of gays, overweight people, and pop icons has contributed to Eminems popularity towards listeners. His hatred towards pop icons such as Christina Aguilera and NSYNC has basically shown his listeners that it is all right to hate people who are different. There is a huge dilemma with Elton John being gay, Eminem disagreeing with his decision to be ga...

When To Use Time Sensitive Salutations [Etiquette Mistakes]

When To Use Time Sensitive Salutations [Etiquette Mistakes] Two participants in our Effective Business Writing courserecentlyquestioned why using â€Å"Good Evening† was not best practice for an email salutation. We always want to engage our reader, and shape any document, including email, from our reader’s perspective, not our perspective. With email, when the recipient is likely to read the email is more relevant than when we send it. Good Evening Email Etiquette For example, if you work in London and send an email off at 9:00 P.M. to a colleague or customer in Los Angeles, the recipient would receive it 1:00 P.M. Los Angeles time. If the first words your recipient reads are â€Å"Good Evening† while he or she sees the sun shining and is midway through the work day, it fosters reader disconnect. If you do not know when your reader is going to read your email message, choose a time-neutral salutation: Dear, Hello, Hi – choosing whichever best matches the relationship and purpose of your email. (More on appropriatebusiness email salutions.) Using the salutation â€Å"Good Morning† can be particularly warm and engaging, if you are certain your reader will receive your message in the morning. For example, you have a phone conversation with your reader in the morning (reader time zone), and promise to email a document right after you conclude the call. In this case, â€Å"Good Morning† is a great salutation because it enhances the connection because it is immediate and warm and reader-focused. This same thought process should apply to description of your activities. My friend, based in Seattle, recently shared that she was momentarily concerned when her colleague, based in Glasgow, sent an email to her that began â€Å"I’m savoring a single malt and reading your proposal†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It was 6:00 P.M. in Glasgow, so a single malt was well deserved and in order, but it was a little jarring at first read for my friend in Seattle, who was sipping morning coffee at 10:00 A.M. Of course, any reader will understand with brief reflection, but we don’t want to require reflection or questioning. We want to engage our readers right away. Reader-focused writing requires that we keep content, organization and tone on our reader, not on our own thoughts. Good Night Use â€Å"Good Morning† and â€Å"Good Night† with care – they are engaging when you know your reader will read them at the right time, but will wedge an intimation of lack of awareness for your reader if you miss the time mark. Master Business Email in ThisEmail Course

Definition and Examples of Received Pronunciation

Definition and Examples of Received Pronunciation Received pronunciation, commonly abbreviated as RP, is a once prestigious variety of British English spoken without an identifiable regional dialect. It is also known as  British Received Pronunciation, BBC English, the Queens English, and posh accent.  Standard British English  is sometimes used as a synonym.  The term  received pronunciation  was introduced and described by  phonetician  Alexander Ellis in his book Early English Pronunciation  (1869). History of the Dialect Received Pronunciation is only around 200 years old, said linguist David Crystal. It emerged towards the end of the 18th century as an upper-class accent, and soon became the voice of the public schools, the civil service, and the British Empire (Daily Mail, October 3, 2014).   Author Kathryn LaBouff gives some background in her tome, Singing and Communicating in English: It was standard practice until the 1950s for university students to adjust their regional accents to be closer to RP. RP was traditionally used on stage, for  public speaking, and by the well-educated. In the 1950s, RP was used by the BBC as a broadcast standard and was referred to as BBC English. Since the 1970s, the BBC label has been dropped and RP has slowly been more inclusive of regional influences throughout the United Kingdom. By the turn of the twenty-first century RP was spoken by only 3 percent of the population. Today BBC broadcasters do not use Received Pronunciation, which actually today now sounds out of place; they use a neutralized version of their own regional accents that is intelligible to all listeners.  (Oxford University Press, 2007) Characteristics of RP Not every dialect in Britain has a pronounced h sound, which is one difference between them, among differences in vowels.  The prestige British accent known as received pronunciation (RP) pronounces  h  at the beginning of words, as in  hurt, and avoids it in such words as  arm. Cockney speakers do the reverse;  I urt my harm, explained David Crystal.  Most English accents around the world pronounce words like  car  and  heart  with an audible  r; RP is one of the few accents which does not. In RP, words like  bath  are pronounced with a long  a (bahth); up north in England it is a short a. Dialect variations mainly affect the  vowels  of a language.  (Think on My Words: Exploring Shakespeares Language. Cambridge University Press, 2008) Prestige and Backlash Having a dialect or manner of speaking  associated with different classes is called a  social dialect. Having esteem or social value to a manner of speaking is called linguistic  prestige. The flip side of that coin is called accent prejudice. In Talking Proper: The Rise and Fall of the English Accent as a Social Symbol, author Lynda Mugglestone wrote, Adoptive RP, a common feature of the past, is in this sense increasingly a rarity in modern language use as many speakers reject the premise that it is this accent alone which is the key to success. Reversing the polarities still further, RP... has regularly been deployed for those roundly depicted as villains in, for example, Disneys films The Lion King and Tarzan. (Oxford University Press, 2007) Afua Hirsch wrote in  The Guardian  about the backlash in Ghana: [A] backlash is growing against the old mentality of equating a British accent with prestige. Now the practice has a new acronym, LAFA, or locally acquired foreign accent, and attracts derision rather than praise.In the past we have seen people in Ghana try to mimic the Queens English, speaking in a way that doesnt sound natural. They think it sounds prestigious, but frankly it sounds like they are overdoing it, said Professor Kofi Agyekum, head of linguistics at the University of Ghana.There has been a significant change now, away from those who think sounding English is prestigious, towards those who value being multilingual, who would never neglect our mother tongues, and who are happy to sound Ghanaian when we speak English. (Ghana Calls an End to Tyrannical Reign of the Queens English. April 10, 2012)

Communiction Theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Communiction Theories - Essay Example The standard journalistic practice of answering the four W’s and the how is comparatively mentioned with the philosopher’s dramatistic pentad which breaks down the content of a speech as act, scene, agent, agency and purpose. As answering the five important questions helps journalists compose effective reports, completing the aforementioned information in a speech helps a speaker to formulate well-versed and well-guided information expressed to his listeners so where they can picture events so that they would be able to identify with what is being said. In addition, Burke’s theory is also placed in juxtaposition with Martin Luther’s consubstantiation where the story of Ruth following her mother-in-law to a foreign land saying to her, â€Å"Where you go, I will go. Your people will be my people, your God will be my God† as an example of such identification. Indeed, when a person or group of people have similar sentiments as the speaker, they would spare there time to listen and join in the discussion of their beliefs as opposed to those who do not share the same conviction. This shows that there is much truth to Burke’s words that ‘without identification, there is no

Gothic Era and Neo-Gothic Exhibit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Gothic Era and Neo-Gothic Exhibit - Essay Example The display will be divided into two. The first is composed of the works of Gothic Art in Europe and the second is the Neo-Gothic or Gothic Revival works or architecture in United States. The reason why such artworks of Europe and America were showcased is because it was in Europe where the movement for Gothic Style started. The Americans, on the other hand, were traditionalists or conservatives and it took years before the Gothic style was adapted in the country. Gothic Art Gothic Art includes architecture, painting, sculpture and even music that started in France as a medieval movement. This movement from the Romanesque era to Gothic as well as Gothic to Renaissance was a stand point and marking of changes in periods in media. The Gothic era is considered a radical movement from the classical Roman Empire Culture. What is noted for this era is that it did not have any relation to the Goths. Gothic Art and Architecture Architecture during the Gothic era is considered one of the most significant and original art forms. An example of the earliest Gothic sculptures which is said to be a revolution in style is the Western (Royal) Portal at Chartres Cathedral (ca. 1145). Gothic style is characterized by verticality of structures or high buildings and light. This appearance includes the following features: grouped columns, flying buttresses and corrugated vaults. The Gothic architecture are mostly depicted in castles, town halls, fortresses and cathedrals. Gothic Works of Art EUROPE One of the finest Gothic Structure is the Chartres Cathedral. The Chartres Cathedral is almost perfectly preserved. Its architecture only went through minor changes since the 13th century. It is noted that majority of the original stained glass windows survive intact (www.touropia.com, 10 Gothic Cathedrals of Medieval Europe). It took 140 years for The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore to be completed. This church was built in Gothic style and known as one of Florence’s most beautiful cathedrals and symbol of the city. The external design of the church is made of polychrome marble panels in color green and pink surrounded by white. This very beautiful church is one of the largest in Italy and the dome is the largest in the world. The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore remains to be largest brick dome in the world (www.touropia.com, 10 Gothic Cathedrals of Medieval Europe). The Gothic Revival and the Conservative America Years after the Gothic period rose the era characterized by Victorian style on which details from Gothic Cathedrals and other medieval architecture were revived. In early twentieth century, Gothic Revival ideas were applied to skyscrapers. These twentieth Century Gothic Revival buildings are most commonly called Neo-Gothic. It was in early 1800’s when the recognition Gothic Architectural Revival surge. All throughout the entire United States, New York’s second Trinity Church was only one major building constructed that used Gothic Style. America remained relatively conservative in architecture thus any new styles have hard time gaining a hold. Gothic architecture took years to reach popularity of which it was capable of. If not because of the growing relationship of the United States with England, Gothic would not have gained a foothold in America. The Americans accepted the style because of the symbolisms behind it (Powell 1995). The United States is considered to have always been a melting pot of different cultures due to migration of people

Describing the American system of slavery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Describing the American system of slavery - Essay Example In order to exemplify on the various factors of slavery, it is imperative to focus on two points of view. The purpose for this project is to investigate the things that can be learnt from Jefferson’s and Jacob’s sentiments on the issue of slavery. Several things can be learnt about slavery from Jefferson’s point of view. For instance, the core aim of having slaves was to exploit them in all spheres of life, that is, economically, politically and socially (Jefferson and Nicholas, 493). Slaves were used to clear vast tracts of land and do all other activities pertaining farming. Unfortunately, they never benefited from any proceeds from farming. Most slaves were blacks and the whites had negative feeling towards them. The whites viewed the blacks as a desperate and inferior race that had no future. In fact, the whites saw very many features that differentiated them from the blacks, for instance, body, color, complexion, hair and many others. The blacks were preferred since they were less prone to diseases compared to the whites or other races. The blacks were brave and could work for long hours without getting tired. In addition, the blacks were considered stronger than other races and, therefore, could engage in hard labor without much complains. Some white scholars argue that the blacks have the same memory as that of the whites but when it comes to thinking and imaginations, they are very inferior. The whites believe that the blacks have hundreds of miles to cover as far as the music and entertainment industries are concerned. Their creativity and ability to harmonize different melodies to produce rich contents are yet to improve. The slaves are associated with all evil activates including theft and prostitution. Some whites argue that, due to the poverty experienced in most African countries, the incidents of theft among Africans must remain high. During

Why so many people return to college later in life Essay

Why so many people return to college later in life - Essay Example The cost of it is just too much for an average family to afford, and although student loans are available in most of the western countries, many still find it costly and therefore opt to not pursue college at all. Scholarship grants, on the other hand, are also available in most countries, but the stringent rules often discourage applicants. Besides, not everyone interested to avail are able to pass the qualifying examinations. Aside from the financial limitations which hinder many from pursuing college education, there have been other and very varied reasons. Some who have been lucky to have landed good-paying jobs reason that they are already earning good in their jobs and therefore feel that they do not anymore need a college degree to earn. There are also those whose main reason is that they are tied up to family obligations such as raising a child or caring for sick relative. Other reasons include personal fears, insecurities, or just plain excuses to avoid going to college. To mention a few of them: perceived incapability to cope with college life; indecisiveness as to what they want to do with their lives; or even perceived inferiority for having only average grades which they believe are not admissible in college. There are million other reasons why many go through life without college education. And while there are those who eventually find the happiness and contentment they seek in life even without college education, there are also many who wish to or are really working on going back to college later in life. It is interesting to understand why many people would want to or actually are going back to college later in life - to the stressful, fast-paced, mind-grueling life that so many among the younger generations would want so much to avoid. Why do people in their forties, fifties even sixties would add stress to their otherwise laid-back, stress-free lives? Most common reason why people go back to college later in life is

Economic and financial aspects of business Essay

Economic and financial aspects of business - Essay Example & FESS, P.E., 2005] Environmental accounting: - It shows the role played by natural environment in economy. It provides data which shows contribution of natural resources in economy and costs born by economy due to pollution and other environmental factors. Financial accounting is purely related to the record of daily transactions. In it only those transactions are considered in which money is directly or indirectly involved. It provides information to the present and potential shareholders and stakeholders of a business such as investors, creditors, debtors, suppliers, customers, financial analysts and government agencies, about the financial condition of the business. As it has to serve the information needs of a diversified base of users who have diversified needs, so it presents the financial accounts in a very structured manner and strictly follows certain rules, these rules are called â€Å"Generally Accepted Accounting Principles† or GAAP. Managerial accounting is defined in following words â€Å"The process of identifying, measuring, analyzing, interpreting, and communicating information for the pursuit of an organizations goals.†[INVESTOPEDIA] It fulfills the information needs of internal stakeholders of business as managers and employees. It provides useful accounting information to management of organization, to support them in making more educated and informed decisions. It is mostly related with such decisions as continue or shut-down a factory, make or buy decision, drop a product or not etc.. Financial accounting information is generated for the use of external stakeholders of organization such as stockholders, investors, creditors, debtors, suppliers, customers, government agencies, financial analysts and other regulatory bodies. Managerial accounting system generates information for the internal stakeholders of organization especially for management to support them in effective

Why so many people return to college later in life Essay

Why so many people return to college later in life - Essay Example The cost of it is just too much for an average family to afford, and although student loans are available in most of the western countries, many still find it costly and therefore opt to not pursue college at all. Scholarship grants, on the other hand, are also available in most countries, but the stringent rules often discourage applicants. Besides, not everyone interested to avail are able to pass the qualifying examinations. Aside from the financial limitations which hinder many from pursuing college education, there have been other and very varied reasons. Some who have been lucky to have landed good-paying jobs reason that they are already earning good in their jobs and therefore feel that they do not anymore need a college degree to earn. There are also those whose main reason is that they are tied up to family obligations such as raising a child or caring for sick relative. Other reasons include personal fears, insecurities, or just plain excuses to avoid going to college. To mention a few of them: perceived incapability to cope with college life; indecisiveness as to what they want to do with their lives; or even perceived inferiority for having only average grades which they believe are not admissible in college. There are million other reasons why many go through life without college education. And while there are those who eventually find the happiness and contentment they seek in life even without college education, there are also many who wish to or are really working on going back to college later in life. It is interesting to understand why many people would want to or actually are going back to college later in life - to the stressful, fast-paced, mind-grueling life that so many among the younger generations would want so much to avoid. Why do people in their forties, fifties even sixties would add stress to their otherwise laid-back, stress-free lives? Most common reason why people go back to college later in life is

Employee Relation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Employee Relation - Essay Example For instance, this strategy has attracted over 16% of professionals working in the private sector in 2014. Unions have developed several strategies for the attraction of new membership. One of the strategies is the development of a constant communication with the workers. This is one of the core activities adopted by trade unions. They maintain constant contacts with the members, especially in their workplaces. This helps in the attraction of new members through an assurance of the protection of their rights. The communication also aids in the creation of internal debates among the workers and the unions, for the identification of areas that are prone to limitations in terms of membership acquisition. These strategies have shaped the trade unions in relation to an increase in the membership base. In addition, different unions have created special committees that have specific roles that relates to a particular set of workers. For instance, most of the unions have created the women’s department that ensures the female workers of their representation and equal rights in the unions. This strategy has led to the implementation of particular processes for increased membership (Waddington, 2003). It also assumes that for it to succeed in attracting new members, the committees created need to address the issues of the particular groups. This has occurred in several unions that have considered the interests of the workers such as the improvement of their working conditions. The ultimate outcome is that the unions that have considered such interests have registered quite a huge number of new members. Finally, unions have developed interesting strategies that appeal to younger workers to persuade them into the membership (Hollinshead et al. 2003). For instance, the unions organize certain events, debates, and seminars that appeal

Views on Feminism and Modern Culture Essay Example for Free

Views on Feminism and Modern Culture Essay According to Webster Dictionary’s, feminism is â€Å"the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes† (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2012). So if one adheres to this definition then feminism is about equality for ALL sexes not just females. But I think feminism started out as a way for females to revolt against the perceived inequality to the fairer sex and over time evolved into a need for equality of all sexes, race, and ethnicity. As Feminization . Although anabolic steroids are derived from a male sex hormone, men who take them may actually experience a â€Å"feminization† effect along with a decrease in normal male sexual function. . our Declaration of Independence states, â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness† (Declaration of Independence, 1776). So even at the creation of our nation, the great leaders of the time declared equality for all. So if this is true when did this feminist movement begin and why? My paper feminism The word feminism has many connotations. Some include lesbian, feminazi, man-hater, and baby killer. It is interesting to note that all these words convey a negative feeling. will focus on the three waves of feminist movement and how each, in their own part, contributes to the overall progression of the movement. The feminist movement originally started in Europe (France and the Netherlands) in the late 19th century as a campaign for woman’s right to vote (About Famous Feminists in History). The modern western feminist movements were divided into three â€Å"waves† with each wave dealing with a different aspect of the same feminist issues. Before the Feminism The word feminism has many connotations. Some include lesbian, feminazi, man-hater, and baby killer. It is interesting to note that all these words convey a negative feeling. It is rare â€Å"first wave,† during the late 1700’s a group of women publically called for equal rights of women, in particular education opportunities. Women, such as Judith Sargent Murray and Mary Wollstonecraft, of middle and upper class were leading the way as men  of social station were asserting that â€Å"all human beings had equal rights by nature†¦and that everyone should have an equal chance of free development as an individual† (Klein, 1984, p. 530). But all this talk appeared to FEMINISM What is feminism? By general definition, feminism is a philosophy in which women and their contributions are valued. It is based on social, political and economical equality for women. not apply to women nor mattered to anyone other than White men. Even though women of middle-class acquired more educational opportunities in the 1980s, they found that professional opportunities were closed to them leaving them to either sit at home or join voluntary organizations (Renzetti Curran, 2002, p. 13). The â€Å"first wave† of feminism covered a period from 1830 to 1920. At the first international anti-slavery conference in London, women delegates were prohibited from publically speaking and Feminism What is feminism? By general definition, feminism is a philosophy in which women and their contributions are valued. It is based on social, political and economical equality for women. Feminists were segregated from the men in the conference hall. This outraged many women, including Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who resolved to hold their own conference in the United States to focus on women’s rights as well as abolitionism (Renzetti Curran, 2002, p. 15). The Women’s Rights Movement began on July 13, 1848, when a young housewife/ mother, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, invited four friends to tea. Stanton expressed her discontent on her own limitations and Feminism Of what historic and contemporary concern is it that the architecture profession has been, and continues to be, strongly male dominated in Australia (currently 90% of registered architects in NSW her friends agreed with her passionately. Within a few days on July 19 and 20, 1848, they found a suitable location in Seneca Falls, New York, to hold â€Å"a convention to discuss the social, civil, and religious conditions and of rights of woman† (Eisenberg Ruthsdotter, 1998). Led by Mott and Stanton, about 300 women and some sympathetic men adopted a â€Å"Declaration of Sentiments† modeled deliberately after the Declaration of Independence, as  these were patriotic women wanting to Feminism Feminism was a very political movement during its first and second waves. Thenew Third Wave of feminism is quite different from the previous two. These threefeminist share the ideal of improving the new republic. This sentiment enumerated areas of life where women were treated unjustly, listing eighteen grievances, just as their forefathers had in the Declaration of Independence from England (Eisenberg Ruthsdotter, 1998). Over the two-days of convention discussion, the Declaration of Sentiments and 12 resolutions received unanimous endorsement with a few amendments. The only resolution that did not pass unanimously was the call for women\s right to vote. This was Feminism Feminism Paper The goal of this paper is to describe and analyze gender inequality, focusing on the history of feminist ideas. I will start with a basic overview of the inconceivable to many and brought about heated debates over the woman\s voting rights. Nonetheless, the resolution was accepted by the majority and the Seneca Falls Convention became known as the official launch of the campaign for women’s suffrage (Renzetti Curran, 2002, pp. 15-16). Conventions were held annually until the start of the Civil War often drawing over capacity crowds that people had to be turned away due to lack of sufficient meeting space (Eisenberg Ruthsdotter, 1998). Feminism In In A Doll s House, Ibsen presents a view of the world that is unconventional to say the least. He breaks from tradition to compose a play that deals Once the Civil War broke out, many activists began to neglect the movement to devote their time and energy to the war effort. But activists like Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Lucy Stone, and Sojourner Truth traveled the country lecturing and organizing for the next forty years. The central issue emerging was the right for women to vote (Eisenberg Ruthsdotter, 1998). It was felt by many that the women’s hard work during the war effort that the Feminism IS THERE ANY CONSISTENCY AMONG THE VARIOUS FEMINISMS OR IS FEMINISM  INCOHERANT? Without fear of contradiction one can successfully collate the feminist philosophy, both as a progressively forward-looking movement, and Republican administration would reward them for their wartime support by granting women the right to vote. But not only did this not happen, Congress added a sex distinction to the Constitution by using the word â€Å"male† in the second section of the Fourteenth Amendment (Renzetti Curran, 2002, p. 16). Angered and disappointed, the feminists took up the fight by going state-to-state calling on two referendums, one to enfranchise Blacks and one to enfranchise women. In Kansas, their Feminism Physiological differences provide the material base of status between the two sexes, but it is the determined processes of social practices that transform these sexes into genders. Male and female first state, the Republicans supported the vote for Blacks but not women ;whereas the Democrats let racism get the better of them and supported woman’s suffrage. Both measures lost at the polls. Feminists were appalled by the blatant hypocrisy and racism (Renzetti Curran, 2002, p. 16) and in May 1869, Anthony and Stanton formed the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) whose sole objective was the right to vote for women and Blacks. Followed in November 1869, Feminism Feminism Feminism can be roughly defined as a movement that seeks to enhance the quality of women’s lives by impacting the norms and moves of a society based on Stone, Henry Blackwell, and others formed the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA) (Imbornoni, 2000-2012). In 1890 these two organizations merged to become the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), pooling their resources to win women the right to vote (Black men were enfranchised in 1870) (Renzetti Curran, 2002, p. 16). After 72 years of campaigning that included thousands of political strategists, capable organizers, administrators, activists and lobbyists (Eisenberg Ruthsdotter, 1998), women finally won the right to Feminism Feminism Feminism can be roughly defined as a movement that seeks to enhance the quality of women’s lives by impacting the norms and moves of a society based on male vote with the passing of the 19th Amendment to the  Constitution, signed into law by the Secretary of State, Bainbridge Colby, on August 26, 1920 (Imbornoni, 2000-2012). Several activists whose names and accomplishments standout during this â€Å"first wave† and should be remembered in history are: †¢ Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Matilda Joslyn Gage, Lucy Stone. They were pioneer theoreticians of the 19th-century women\s rights movement. †¢ Esther Morris, the first woman to hold a judicial position, who feminism Mary Wollstonecraft is held as being the first modern feminist. She was born in 1759 to a gentry farmer and an unloving mother and is said to have began her led the first successful state campaign for woman suffrage, in Wyoming in 1869. †¢ Abigail Scott Duniway, the leader of the successful fight in Oregon and Washington in the early 1900s. †¢ Ida B. Wells-Barnett and Mary Church Terrell, organizers of thousands of African-American women who worked for suffrage for all women. †¢ Harriot Stanton Blatch, daughter of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Alice Stone Blackwell, Lucy Stone\s daughter, who carried on their mothers\ legacy through the next Feminism Of what historic and contemporary concern is it that the architecture profession has been, and continues to be, strongly male dominated in Australia (currently 90% of registered architects in NSW generation. †¢ Anna Howard Shaw and Carrie Chapman Catt, leaders of the National American Woman Suffrage Association in the early years of the 20th century, who brought the campaign to its final success. †¢ Alice Paul, founder and leader of the National Woman\s Party, considered the radical wing of the movement. †¢ Ruth Bader Ginsburg, now a Supreme Court Justice, learned the story of the Women\s Rights Movement. Today she says, \I think about how much we Feminism Mary Wollstonecraft is held as being the first modern feminist. She was born in 1759 to a gentry farmer and an unloving mother and is said to have began her owe to the women who went before us legions of women, some known but many more unknown. I applaud the bravery and resilience of those who helped all of us you and me to be here today\ (Eisenberg Ruthsdotter, 1998). The â€Å"second wave† of feminism did not revitalize until the 1960s, a  period of mass mobilization for movement both in the United States and abroad. This was activism that appeared in the public consciousness, Feminism In the past and present women have had to endure sexism as a part of everyday life. This is unfair and unjust to the female species. In this paper fueled by several seemingly independent events of that turbulent decade. In 1961, Esther Peterson, director of the Women’s Bureau of the Department of Labor, considered it the government’s responsibility to take an active role in addressing discrimination against women. President Kennedy convened a Commission on the Status of Women, with Eleanor Roosevelt as chair. This commission issued a report in 1963 that documented discrimination against women in every aspect of American life. Local and state governments Feminism Both Virginia Woolf, in a speech addressing a graduating all women class, and Naomi Wolf, in her text The Beauty Myth, contemplate feminism from an economic viewpoint. While quickly established their own commissions for women to research and recommend change (Eisenberg Ruthsdotter, 1998). Another factor was the publication of Betty Friedan’s book, The Feminine Mystique, in 1963 which evolved from a survey she conducted for her 20-year college reunion. In this book, she voiced the unhappiness and boredom of White, educated, middle-class suburban housewives. Friedan referred to homes as â€Å"comfortable concentration camps† who found their personal growth stunted. This book inspired thousands of Feminism Feminism And Gender Equality In The 1990s Overall, the rights and status of women have improved considerably in the last century ;however, gender equality has recently been threatened within the women to look beyond the role of homemaker for fulfillment (Eisenberg Ruthsdotter, 1998). The federal government took action to draw attention to the problem of sex discrimination and President Kennedy appointed a Presidential Commission on the Status of Women.