Formal Informal Social Support Systems Health And Social Care Essay

Formal Informal Social Support Systems Health And Social Care Essay Realising that it is the natural right that all those who labour should enjoy to the fullest extent the fruits of their labour the Colonial Government of the Gold Coast initiated a package for public service workers who went on retirement after serving in the public service for over 30 years, passed an ordinance as part of the reforms in the colony. That ordinance came to be known as CAP 30. The following category of workers were entitled to enjoy this package, Ghana Armed Forces, Police Service, Fire Service, Ghana Education Service, Ghana Health Service, Civil Service etc. However, by 1972 the law was amended to allow another body, SSNIT to take responsibility of some category of workers contribution towards their retirement. After 1972, employees of the Ghana Education Service, Ghana Health Service, and Judiciary Service amongst others were directly under the SSNIT Pension Scheme with the exception of the Security Services. The Social Security Pension Scheme was established under the PNDC Law 247 of 1991. The Scheme is administered by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to cater for Civil and Public Servants, Employees in the private sector, Professionals, Traders, Artisans, Farmers and also the self-employed. The Social Security Scheme is the only basic Social Security Scheme that insures a worker against the following contingencies: Old Age, Invalidity and Death. The worker contributes 5% of his/her basic salary and the employer adds 12.5% of the workers basic salary, making a total of 17.5% which is paid to SSNIT. The rate of Contribution for Self-Employed or Voluntary Contributor is 17.5% of declared income. It would interest you to know that Government Pension or cap 30 attracts a huge sum of money than the SSNIT pension which is relatively lower. This disparity in the pension administration has brought about workers agitation for fairness in their retirement benefits. In the public sector a person qualifies for full pension at the age of 60years and you must have made a minimum contribution of 240 months in aggregate but can voluntarily go on retirement at age 55years for reduced pension and must have made a minimum contribution of 240 months. As a result of ill-health one qualifies for invalidity pension. In that case you must have made contributions for not less than 12months in aggregate within the last 36 months and you must have been declared permanently invalid and incapable of any normal gainful employment by a qualified and recognized medical officer and certified by a Regional Medical Board on which a SSNIT Medical Officer is represented. Since 1957 when the country gained independence expatriate officers in the Ghana Civil Service opted to retire and many vacancies occurred. This created the opportunity for Ghanaians who were on pension to be re-engaged in the Civil Service on contract. These officers enjoyed their pension in addition to their remuneration as contract officers. However, in 1968, the Government of Ghana ordered the cessation of the payment of the pension package in addition to the salaries attached to the contract appointment. This measure obviously did not go down well with the affected pensioners who considered it a stab at the back and a breach of faith. ( Tachie-Menson, 2003). In Accra, a group of pensioners engaged the services of lawyers to fight their cause for them. They succeeded and thus the emergence of the Ghana Government Pensioners Association for Accra which also assumed a national status. The way was then opened for branches in all the regional capitals to register members and make payment of part of their monthly dues to Accra. In Wa the pensions Association was formed in 1986 to cater for retired workers in the municipality. Pensioners under the Government Pensions Association are over six hundred as the number keep dwindling due to death. Pensioner with the SSNIT, as at February, 2010 stood at one hundred thousand four hundred and fifty eight with a retirement rate of 0.65%. It was my doubt that some retired public service workers would live uncomfortable lives after long years of contributing meaningfully to mother Ghana as those kinds of assumptions, suggestions, and my personal experience of my aged parents that prompted me to undertake this proposal in this area. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM There is a general perception out there that retirement from active service in Ghana renders one jobless and with nothing to do which often leads to frustration and early death in life if one does not plan life properly. This is attributed to the fact that people on retirement who do not plan well use their benefits to find shelter for themselves after which they end up living on their meager monthly allowance. It is claimed because most workers are not able to put up shelter during their working lives before they go on retirement. This has been the situation over the last decade and more and has rather impoverished retirees. Such claims are not hard to find in the municipality if one visits these retired workers at their homes. Therefore retired workers whose family members are not there to support them are left to their fate or are forced to put up with neighbours. It is also worrying to find frail looking pensioners go to their banks every fortnight to struggle for their allowance s. In some situations those incapacitated to the extent that they cannot make the journey to the bank would not have access to their money unless they prepare an authority note to be endorsed by the Association and countersigned by the Accountant Generals representative for the bank to effect payment, a process quite laborious. Calculation of retirement benefits of Government Pension which was originally based on the pension constant of 1/960th of ones terminal salary multiplied by the number of years served in months was reviewed in 1946 by the Harragin Salary Commission to 1/600th and has since been increased to 1/480th. The amount arrived at is spilt for 25% to be paid as gratuity and the remaining 75% as pension which is spread over 20 years and is payable monthly. On the death of a pensioner what is due him/her from the remaining period out of the twenty years is paid to his/her beneficiaries as commuted pension. (Tachie-Menson, 2003) For beneficiaries of a deceased pensioner to claim the unexpected portion of the twenty years pension there are three approaches towards that end:- (a)The nomination form filed with his Department while a civil servant in which he indicated his beneficiaries is the first to be used as authority for disbursement. However, the nomination forms can be revised at any time that the person wishes. (b)The will is the next authority to be used for disbursement, if it super cedes the nomination form. (c)In the absence of the two above, Letters of Administration prepared jointly by the head of the pensioners family on one side and the wife and children on the other, must be obtained from the Law Courts with which to claim the commuted pension. As the years roll by for inflation to set in adjustments are made to salaries by the grant of allowances in various forms to the basic salaries of Civil Servants. However, when allowances are added to the basic salaries to mitigate the effect of the rising cost of living, it does not reflect in the pension calculation. This prompts the Ghana Government Pensioners Association to enter into serious negotiations with the Government for pension to be increase. When the consolidated salary was introduced pensioners were left in the lurch. The Associations negotiating machinery was put to the test with the bargaining power of the Public Services Workers Union of which the Association is a Division; Government then consented to the grant of 50%. Therefore to address the issue of social support for the retired public sector workers in the municipality, it is important to know that the enormous concern of this essay is focused on the poor adoption of measures on the part of local authorities and community members to provide additional welfare resources and other social interventions to support the retired. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY: This research would give an in-depth knowledge of the formal and informal social support systems of retired workers and to know the plight of retired workers so as to come out with remedies to assist these aged citizens. It would also contribute to prepare would- be retirees to adequately plan for their future retirement. Furthermore, before a research of this nature is meaningfully carried out in the municipality of Wa, it is imperative to have some knowledge about what the area under study is made up of. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The objectives of the study are as follows: Specific objective: A. To evaluate the adequacy of available formal and informal support and welfare resources to the retired persons at the community level. The investigation will be directed toward the identification of social support systems that would meet the growing and changing needs of the retired. GENERAL OBJECTIVES: 1. To determine, in some Ghanaian communities, social support systems for elderly persons. 2. To study both support providers and the beneficiaries comprehensively in order to understand how poverty and the needs of the retired are distributed, and how they are dealt with in practice. 3. To determine the degree of success of formal interventions of support provision to the elderly. 4. To ascertain the social pattern of relief and support, and to draw the social implications of the existing and changing patterns so that appropriate and adequate social policies may be formulated. RESEARCH QUESTIONS: These specific objectives above will be framed around the following specific and general questions: How adequate are the formal and informal social support and welfare resources of retired public sector workers? GENERAL QUESTIONS: 1. What are the general cultural expectations about the retired person in the community and how are these changing? 2. What resources are available to them? 3. To what extent do retired persons avail themselves of the community resources and at what cost? 4. What factors encourage or discourage utilization of such resources? 5. To what extent do the resources available complement one another to meet the needs of the retired and what needs are left unmet? 6. What are the principles of reciprocity involved in these various support arrangements in the family and the community? LITERATURE REVIEW: In reviewing literature, the study will triangulate conceptual and theoretical frame work of the topic understudy. The operational definition of key concepts include the terms formal, informal, social support systems and public sector workers. I am interested in defining formal as the official government situation in the line of events. Informal means private and unofficial initiative. Social support system means social interventions to the vulnerable. My construct of these concepts is similar to other concepts that are in use. However, in the past Social welfare protection, in the form of insurance and assistance programmes, emerged in Europe in the 1800s in order to provide citizens with an economic safety net during periods of illness, economic hardship, and other shocks as discussed (Palacios Sluchynsky, 2006). Today, nearly every country has some form of social protection developed to provide economic support in times of need (International Social Security Association, 2005). Assistance comes in the form of old-age pensions, survivor benefits, family allowances or other supports. In Africa, the author suggests that social welfare programmes were originally developed in the 1950s and 1960s as a safety net for white workers (Dixon, 1987). Employer-based contributory pensions were the dominant model. Still today, these pensions primarily serve the wealthiest workers who live in urban areas and have secure careers in the public sector (Palacios Sluchynsky, 2006). Those who are excluded from these benefits are left to rely upon the traditional safety net of family aid, mutual support, and communal living. For example, in Kenya, the clan system has operated as a labour union world, pooling resources and providing extra support during vulnerable periods (Dixon, 1987). This informal system has eroded. However, as countries have developed and urbanized, sources of livelihoods have diversified, family sizes shrunk, and the population aged. Moreover, throughout sub-Saharan Africa, poverty has further destabilized households, changed demographic patterns and orphaned enormous numbers of children (UNICEF, 2006). Vulnerable populations face a social protection vacuum when both formal programmes and informal practices fail to provide the safety nets that families need to survive, even though social protection is a proven component in fighting poverty and responding to families overwhelmed by disease or other shocks (Barrientos DeJong, 2004; Bourguignon, Ferreira, Leite, 2002; Chronic Poverty Research Centre, 2005; Skoufias di Maro, 2006). Throughout Africa, social protection programmes could well be mechanisms that enable families to economically survive and help children reach their potential. The reality that social welfare schemes in Africa exclude more people than they cover, has been established (Dixon, 1987; Fultz Pieris, 1999; Taylor, 2001) and yet there are important reasons to revisit this topic. He argues that in the last decade, a growing number of countries have expanded or developed new programmes in an effort to reduce poverty as well as to invest in human and economic development. Evidence of the growing momentum around social protection schemes include the Livingstone Call For Action (2006) where thirteen Eastern and Southern African governments pledged to draft costed national social transfer plans within two to three years. In a related situation, the African Union is driving and supporting efforts to promote the development of better social welfare systems; while heads of states throughout the world, have committed to building, where needed, and supporting the social security systems that protects the aged (United Nations General Assembly, 2006). The purpose of this paper is to investigate the characteristics of existing social welfare policies in Ghana and countries throughout Africa. These policies are described and the characteristics of existing social welfare schemes are analyzed in order to facilitate dialogue on how governments, supported by the international community, can improve current welfare schemes and build new systems that are better aligned with the needs of vulnerable populations, in order to provide a meaningful social safety net. METHODOLOGY: In order to examine the characteristics of government and employer provided social support schemes to retired workers, the research must conduct an enquiry aimed at increasing knowledge based on facts. Therefore to achieve this, a systematic method and instruments of collating and collecting data should be used since the appropriateness of these methods and instruments to a large extent determine the validity and reliability of the data. Also the sample used should be a true representation of the population as well as the instrument utilized in the research. STUDY AREA The Wa Municipality is one of the oldest districts in the region, and the biggest of the nine districts. It is the capital town of the region. The estimated population of Wa Municipality for 2008 is 124,476 as against 105,065 in 2000, an increase of about19%. The population density of the area is 38 persons per square kilometers. It has about 32 communities. Because Wa doubles as the Municipal and Regional capital, it has a high population growth rate of 4% per annum with a greater proportion of the total population of the Municipality and the Region concentrated in it. Wa Municipality covers the Southwestern parts of the region. It stretches from longitude 1Ù’Â °40N to 2Â ° 45N and from latitude 9Â ° 32W to 10Â ° 20W. It covers an area of approximately 5899.30 square kilometers, which is about 32% and 2.56%of the region and the nation respectively. To the South, Southwest and Southeast, Wa Municipality shares common boundaries with Wa West/Wa East, Wa West and Wa East Districts respectively. To the north, Wa Municipality is bordered by Nadwoli District. It has more retired civil and public servants and also suitable in terms of providing sufficient sample sizes of retired persons. TARGET POPULATION The target population for this research is the retired civil and public sector workers in the municipality and their families. Retired civil and public sector workers are of two categories. The first category is made up of pensioners under Government Pension scheme and the second category is made up of pensioners under SSNIT Pension scheme. SAMPLE A number of samples will be drawn for the study. Unlike Census, where the entire population is covered by the study, sampling enables a researcher to study a relatively small part of the target population and yet obtain accurate and detailed data that are representative of the whole at a lower cost (Sarantakos, 2005). . The first sample of respondents will be made up of community members who are 60 years and above. The second respondents will be made up of family members, kin relationship and local authorities. SAMPLING PROCEDURE A snowball sampling procedure will be used. By this method a retired public sector worker is identified within the community and interviewed. This first respondent then leads the researcher to the next respondent who also falls with the target group. The process is continued until the required number of respondents is interviewed. CHOICE OF RESEARCH METHOD Considerable interest is shown in the choice of research methods to use in this research proposal. There is the quantitative data and method approach which often is associated with positivism, the prevailing paradigm in recent times. Under this approach scientific methods can more or less readily represent and measure concepts which seek to predict and explain causal relations among key variables. However, some critics are of the view that positivistic methods reduce the contextual meanings in the process of developing quantified measures of phenomena. Though the issue of empirical approach to research has been justified by its success in measuring quantitative research, in more recent years, scientists have been challenged to explain phenomena that defy measurement and their inability to quantitatively measure some phenomena, and the dissatisfaction with which the results of measurement of other phenomena have led to an intense search for other approaches to study human phenomena. A modern approach, which came to be known as post positivism, is a recent evolution of positivism which focus has been on qualitative methods, and is modeled on positivistic methods and experimental designs (Miles and Huberman, 1993). This approach has led to the acceptance of qualitative research approach which does not need empirical data to discover knowledge. However, one cannot help but to stuck by the success of qualitative research methods in the market place of academic ideas (Atkinson, 1995, p. 117). The tradition of using qualitative methods to study human phenomena is grounded in the social sciences. The tradition came about because aspects of human values, culture, and relationships were unable to be described fully using quantitative research methods. More recently, the practice of qualitative research has expanded to clinical settings because empirical approaches have proven to be of limited service in answering some of the challenges and pressing clinical questions, especially where human subjectivity and interpretation are involved (Thorne, 1997, p. 28). However, the use of qualitative research has its own flaws as well. It is unable to study relationships between variables with the degree of accuracy that is required to establish social trends. For the purpose of this proposal a triangulation of qualitative and quantitative methodology would be used to analyse data. However qualitative method has a more flexible approach in pr ocedure to construction of research design in the sampling, data collection and processing and reporting. DATA COLLECTION Data will be collected from a variety of sources within the selected community, from families, kin, neighbours, educationists, legal and health practitioners, from neighbourhood and community associations, religious groups, welfare agencies, specialised groups such as trade unions, from local councils and other organised groups. Further information gathered will come from retired persons themselves, from their families/kin, extra familial networks, neighbourhood, their community and from state agencies. The material gathered from these levels will be in a complementary relationship to one another in order to approximate a high degree of reliability and validity. The principal data that will be gathered include the followings: (a) Community profile: geographic, demographic, historical, political-social and economic conditions of the community, placed within the national context. (b) Prevailing cultural norms and the expectations concerning the retired persons and their care, conceptions about reciprocity and exchange, family and kinship relationship etc. (c) Inventory and detailed descriptions of indigenous informal support systems and of formal support systems available within the community. Another source of data collection will be a historical review of formal and informal support systems available in the community and local levels. At the formal level, data will include the public services and programmes instituted by the government at different levels. At the informal level, data will include information on the traditional supporting roles played by family, kin, patrons and others. Data collection will proceed by means of primary sources of data such as interviews, questionnaire, and focus group discussions. Secondary data through existing literature will be used by the researcher. In terms of priorities, it is expected that questionnaires will be constructed and pretested. INTERVIEWS The interview is a face to face meeting between a questioner and a respondent, or an oral presentation of an opinion or attitude scale (Zikmund, 1994). Structured interview will be used for meeting the respondents. It will however be inter space with unstructured interviews when interacting with non pensioners. QUESTIONNAIRES A questionnaire is a written instrument that contains a series of questions or statements called items that attempts to collect information on a particular topic. It is useful for large scale surveys that involve collection of data from literate respondents. Questionnaire will be administered to pensioners as well. FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION Another source of data collection will be focus group discussions. This third phase about 9-12 pensioners will be grouped for discussions about their personal experience before and after active service. The selection of participant will be balance in terms of sex to give it a fair representation. DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION In recording the information or data gathered, I will employ both quantitative and qualitative analysis. Data will be described and in other cases subjected to quantitative analysis regarding trends in each dimension of the topic. Correlations between aspects of the topic and a series of other variables to establish more detailed results will be conducted. Beyond this, the researcher is expected to explain behaviours more extensively and more accurately. Where data needs empirical analysis quantitative model will be used and where it needs description and collection and analysis occur simultaneously, qualitative model will be suitable. INTENDED BENEFITS The Government under the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare is seriously considering the development of a national policy for the aged. Local authorities should compliment government effort by initiating social and community activities to engage the elderly in the community as well as supplement government efforts of finding welfare resources for them. The results of this study should identify and address gaps in existing interventions. My contribution to the study is to draw to attention that every worker dreams of going on retirement one day. Therefore adequate preparations should be made for the aged who have live most of their life working to develop the country so that they dont retire and still wallow in poverty. My motivation stern from the very experience of having to handle my aged parents who were once public servants and are now on retirement and in addition to relations and friends who are affected in one way or another of their aged relatives. The intention of spending time and money on this exercise is to bring about an improvement of the status quo. TIME PLAN PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3 FROM TO FROM TO FROM TO DATA GATHERING METHOD 1 use of questions 2 interviews 3Focus grp Dis. June-July. Pre test Decem.-Jan. Retired workers. June-July Cap 30 Retired Workers Oct. Nov. August-September Commty. profile Feb-Mar. Families Kin. Commty mmb August Sept. SSNIT Retired Workers Octob.- Novem. Prevailng cul. Norm April.-May edu, Leg., Health workrs ANALYSIS METHODS 1 Qualitative Mainly descriptive analysis of data. Often collection and analysis will occur simultaneously. METHODS 2Quantitative Mainly statistical analysis of data. Correlation between aspects of the topic and a series of variables will be established. BUDGET. Activity Quantity/number Frequency Unit Cost Total Cost GHÂ ¢ Internet Browsing Browsing and printing 20.00 Documents acquired 40.00 Travel expenses Fuel for local movement 20.00 Feeding accommodation Rent for two years and food GHÂ ¢ 120.00 240.00 Printing and photo copying questionnaires 15 pages 100 respondents 100.00 Printing 80 pages 8 copies 60GP 384.00 Binding of books 8 copies GHÂ ¢10.00 80.00 Grant Total GHÂ ¢884.00

Behavior Therapy Essay

Hence due to the diversity of views and strategies, is more accurate to think of behavioral therapies rather than a unified approach. Population Served: The approach has wide applicability to a range of clients design specific behavioral changes. If you problem areas for which behavior therapy appears to be effective are phobic disorders, social affairs, depression, anxiety disorders, sexual disorders, substance abuse, eating disorder, trauma, hypertension, children’s disorder, and many more. Goals of Counseling The hallmark of behavioral therapy is identification of specific goals of the outset of the therapeutic process. The general goals are to increase personal choice and to create new conditions are learning. And aim is to eliminate maladaptive behaviors nd learn more effective behavioral patterns. Pacific achievement goals should be concrete, measurable, and objective term. Techniques and Approaches Behavioral treatment interventions are individually tailored to specific problem experienced by different clients. Any technique that can be demonstrated to change behavior may be incorporated in achievement plan. Techniques such as role-playing, behavioral arsenal, coaching, guided practice, and homework assignments can be included in the therapist repertoire. Considerations (include strengths and weaknesses) Some of the strengths of behavioral therapy is that it is a short-term approach that as wide applicability. It emphasizes research into the assessment of techniques used, thus providing accountability. Behavioral approaches are in line with the movement towards evidence-based practice and manualized treatments, which fit well with managed care mental health programs. The concepts and procedures are easily grasped. Some ot the limitations ot behavioral therapy is that the success ot the approach is in proportion to the ability to control environmental variables. In institutional settings such as schools and mental hospitals the danger exists Imposing conforming behavior. Therapist to manipulate clients toward and they have not chosen. A basic criticism leveled at this approach is that it is not adjust broader human problems, such as meaning, the search for values, and identify issues, but focuses instead on very specific and narrow behavioral problems.

Effectiveness of Ra 8049 or Anti-Hazing Law Essay

Under the Anti-Hazing Law, hazing is defined as â€Å"an initiation rite or practice as a prerequisite for admission into membership in a fraternity, sorority or organization by placing the recruit, neophyte or applicant in some embarrassing or humiliating situations such as forcing him to do menial, silly, foolish and other similar tasks or activities or otherwise subjecting him to physical or psychological suffering or injury. The physical, mental and psychological testing and training procedure and practices to determine and enhance the physical, mental and psychological fitness of prospective regular members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police as approved by the Secretary of National Defense and the National Police Commission duly recommended by the Chief of Staff, Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Director General of the Philippine National Police [are not] considered as hazing†. (Section 1) Requirements 1. No hazing or initiation rites in any form or manner by a fraternity, sorority or organization shall be allowed without prior written notice to the school authorities or head of organization 7 days before the conduct of such initiation. The written notice shall indicate: 1) the period of the initiation activities which shall not exceed 3 days, shall include 2) the names of those to be subjected to such activities, and shall further contain 3) an undertaking that no physical violence be employed by anybody during such initiation rites. (Section 2) 2. The head of the school or organization or their representatives must assign at least 2 representatives of the school or organization, as the case may be, to be present during the initiation. It is the duty of such representative to see to it that no physical harm of any kind shall be inflicted upon a recruit, neophyte or applicant. (Section 3) Liability for Hazing Section 4 of the Anti-Hazing Law defines those criminally liable as principals and accomplices. Criminal Liability 1. If the person subjected to hazing or other forms of initiation rites suffers any physical injury or dies as a result thereof, the officers and members of the fraternity, sorority or organization who actually participated in the infliction of physical harm shall be liable as principals. The person or persons who participated in the hazing shall suffer: 1) The penalty of reclusion perpetua (life imprisonment) if death, rape, sodomy or mutilation results there from. 2) The penalty of reclusion temporal in its maximum period (17 years, 4 months and 1 day to 20 years) if in consequence of the hazing the victim shall become insane, imbecile, impotent or blind. 3) The penalty of reclusion temporal in its medium period (14 years, 8 months and one day to 17 years and 4 months) if in consequence of the hazing the victim shall have lost the use of speech or the power to hear or to smell, or shall have lost an eye, a hand, a foot, an arm or a leg or shall have lost the use of any such member shall have become incapacitated for the activity or work in which he was habitually engaged. 4) The penalty of reclusion temporal in its minimum period (12 years and one day to 14 years and 8 months) if in consequence of the hazing the victim shall become deformed or shall have lost any other part of his body, or shall have lost the use thereof, or shall have been ill or incapacitated for the performance on the activity or work in which he was habitually engaged for more than 90 days. 5) The penalty of prison mayor in its maximum period (10 years and one day to 12 years) if in consequence of the hazing the victim shall have been ill or incapacitated for the performance on the activity or work in which he was habitually engaged for more than 30 days. 6) The penalty of prison mayor in its medium period (8 years and one day to 10 years) if in consequence of the hazing the victim shall have been ill or incapacitated for the performance on the activity or work in which he was habitually engaged for 10 days or more, or that the injury sustained shall require medical assistance for the same period. 7) The penalty of prison mayor in its minimum period (6 years and one day to 8 years) if in consequence of the hazing the victim shall have been ill or incapacitated for the performance on the activity or work in which he was habitually engaged from 1 to 9 days, or that the injury sustained shall require medical assistance for the same period. 8) The penalty of prison correccional in its maximum period (4 years, 2 months and one day to 6 years) if in consequence of the hazing the victim sustained physical injuries which do not prevent him from engaging in his habitual activity or work nor require medical attendance. 2. If the hazing is held in the home of one of the officers or members of the fraternity, group, or organization, the parents shall be held liable as principals when they have actual knowledge of the hazing conducted therein but failed to take any action to prevent the same from occurring. 3. The officers, former officers, or alumni of the organization, group, fraternity or sorority who actually planned the hazing although not present when the acts constituting the hazing were committed shall be liable as principals. A fraternity or sorority’s adviser who is present when the acts constituting the hazing were committed and failed to take action to prevent the same from occurring shall be liable as principal. The presence of any person during the hazing is prima facie evidence of participation therein as principal unless he prevented the commission of the acts punishable herein. Accomplices The school authorities including faculty members who consent to the hazing or who have actual knowledge thereof, but failed to take any action to prevent the same from occurring shall be punished as accomplices for the acts of hazing committed by the perpetrators. Liability of Owners of the Hazing venue The owner of the place where hazing is conducted shall be liable as an accomplice, when he has actual knowledge of the hazing conducted therein but failed to take any action to prevent the same from occurring. Administrative Liability The responsible officials of the school or of the police, military or citizen’s army training organization, may impose the appropriate administrative sanctions on the person or the persons charged under this provision even before their conviction. The maximum penalty herein provided shall be imposed in any of the following instances: 1. When the recruitment is accompanied by force, violence, threat, intimidation or deceit on the person of the recruit who refuses to join; 2. When the recruit, neophyte or applicant initially consents to join but upon learning that hazing will be committed on his person, is prevented from quitting; 3. When the recruit, neophyte or applicant having undergone hazing is prevented from reporting the unlawful act to his parents or guardians, to the proper school authorities, or to the police authorities, through force, violence, threat or intimidation; 4. When the hazing is committed outside of the school or institution; or 5. When the victim is below 12 years of age at the time of the hazing. The law states that it applies to the president, manager, director or other responsible officer of a corporation engaged in hazing as a requirement for employment in the manner above mentioned. Lastly, the law specifies that any person charged is not entitled to the mitigating circumstance that there was no intention to commit so grave a wrong. Had the Anti-Hazing been in place in 1991, those acquitted of causing Lenny Villa’s death may still be languishing in jail. (Although, perhaps, had our prosecutors been more diligent in their prosecution of all accused in the death of Lenny Villa, there would at least have been more than 5 convictions – even without the Anti-Hazing Law.) But why do hazing deaths continue to occur despite the law? It is significant to note that the Supreme Court decision on the hazing-death of Lenny Villa, as quoted above, recognizes that: the hazing â€Å"rituals were performed with Lenny’s consent† and â€Å"even after going through Aquila’s grueling traditional rituals during the first day, Lenny continued his participation and finished the second day of initiation.† The law cannot prohibit some people from wanting to belong and willing to tolerate certain rituals to be accepted as a member of a group, nor can the law prevent some people’s inclination to violence or abuse. So at all times, the willing neophyte’s welfare depends on being hazed by a group of non-violent handlers. But that is never guaranteed. Since the risk exists that the neophyte will be hazed by a group of people prone to violence by nature, by pressure or some substance, it may be all left to the individual (or the family rearing him/her) to eliminate that risk by declining the membership (or convincing said individual to decline) as early as possible. We must see hazing as much more than a legal issue, say, like drugs. It is not enough to stop drug production and trafficking. People must learn to just say â€Å"No.† Those inclined to join should be aware that certain activities benignly termed as rites of passage may very well lead to funeral rites, of their own. (Siesta,2012) Statement of the Problem The purpose of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of a Fraternity or Sorority in a specific area, the benefits that an individual get from joining it and how it should be observed. Specifically, it sought answers to the following questions: 1. How effective is Republic Act 8049: Anti-Hazing Law? 2. Are the rules and limitations on practicing initiation rites under RA 8049 properly observed? 3. What are the perceived solutions proposed by the respondents to resolve the lack of implementation of RA 8049? Conceptual Framework 1. Hazing – Section 1. Hazing, as used in this Act, is an initiation rite or practice as a prerequisite for admission into membership in a fraternity, sorority or organization by placing the recruit, neophyte or applicant in some embarrassing or humiliating situations such as forcing him to do menial, silly, foolish and other similar tasks or activities or otherwise subjecting him to physical or psychological suffering or injury. The term â€Å"organization† shall include any club or the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Philippine Military Academy, or officer and cadet corp of the Citizen’s Military Training and Citizen’s Army Training. The physical, mental and psychological testing and training procedure and practices to determine and enhance the physical, mental and psychological fitness of prospective regular members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police as approved ny the Secretary of National Defense and the National Police Commission duly recommended by the Chief of Staff, Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Director General of the Philippine National Police shall not be considered as hazing for the purposes of this Act. 2. Rules and Limitation – Section 2. No hazing or initiation rites in any form or manner by a fraternity, sorority or organization shall be allowed without prior written notice to the school authorities or head of organization seven (7) days before the conduct of such initiation. The written notice shall indicate the period of the initiation activities which shall not exceed three (3) days, shall include the names of those to be subjected to such activities, and shall further contain an undertaking that no physical violence be employed by anybody during such initiation rites. Section 3. The head of the school or organization or their representatives must assign at least two (2) representatives of the school or organization, as the case may be, to be present during the initiation. It is the duty of such representative to see to it that no physical harm of any kind shall be inflicted upon a recruit, neophyte or applicant. 4. Problems due to hazing – Physical injury – Damage or harm done to or suffered by a person or thing:   humiliation- The state of being humiliated or disgraced; shame. depression- A psychiatric disorder characterized by an inability to concentrate, insomnia, loss of appetite, anhedonia, feelings of extreme sadness, guilt, helplessness and hopelessness, and thoughts of death. Also called clinical depression psychological disorder- a psychological disorder of thought or emotion; a more neutral term than mental illness death – a permanent cessation of all vital functions; the end of life. 4. Strict implementation of the R.A 8049 or the Anti-Hazing Law shall be observed by the government because sometimes the government forget about this Republic Act and set it aside. Significance of the Study T he researcher considered the following institutions that will sort benefit of the study. These are the following: Government for them to take action and lessen the crimes that were brought up by unlawful initiation process. Society gives awareness to what are the rules and limitations that should be observed in the initiation process. Neophyte gives them awareness and let them understand what the legal procedures in conducting initiation process are. Future Researchers results of this study maybe used as reference by future researchers. Scope and Delimitation of the Study The parameters of the study pertain to the effectiveness and implementation of Republic Act 8049 which is known to be the Anti-Hazing Law. The researcher studies about the perception of law-makers and individuals expert in the field of law. The researcher prepared interview questions that will be answered by 5 or more respondents which happen to be law-makers and individuals expert in the field of law. The set of questions prepared by the researchers are bound with the questions in the statement of the problem, for example how effective is Republic Act 8049: Anti-Hazing Law, are the rules and limitation in conducting initiation rites are properly observed. Definition of terms Accomplice refers to one who knowingly, voluntarily, or intentionally, and with common intent and criminal purpose shared with the principal offender, solicits or encourages another to commit a crime or assists or attempts to assist in its planning and execution. Brotherhood refers to an association of men, such as a fraternity or union, united for common purposes. Congeniality refers to having the same nature, disposition, or tastes. Connation refers to a commonly understood subjective cultural or emotional association that some word or phrase carries, in addition to the word’s or phrase’s explicit or literal meaning, which is its denotation. Conviviality refers to fond of feasting, drinking, and good company; sociable. Curriculum refers to all the courses of study offered by an educational institution. Disdained refers to regard or treat with haughty contempt; despise. Dissipation refers to wasteful expenditure or consumption Fraternity refers to a chiefly social organization of men students at a college or university, usually designated by Greek letters. Freemason refers to an international fraternal and charitable organization with secret rites and signs. Initiation refers to a ceremony, ritual, test, or period of instruction with which a new member is admitted to an organization or office or to knowledge. Insignia refers to a badge of office, rank, membership, or nationality; an emblem. Law refers to a rule of conduct or procedure established by custom, agreement, or authority. Masonry refers to a work done by a mason. Menial refers to a person who has a servile or low nature Neophyte refers to a novice or beginner Protection refers to the state of being protected. Solidarity refers to a union of interests, purposes, or sympathies among members of a group; fellowship of responsibilities and interests. Sorority refers to a chiefly social organization of women students at a college or university, usually designated by Greek letters.

Ghanas Independence - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1540 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/09/23 Category Advertising Essay Type Argumentative essay Level High school Tags: Independence Essay Political Essay Did you like this example? Abstract This paper looks at the recent history of Ghana and explains the series of events that led up to Ghanas independence in 1957. The paper specifically discusses the effects of colonization in terms of economic and social development and the cultural tensions and tribal divisions in the newly independent Ghana. The paper then looks at the current population and government and concludes that while Ghana is still very much a developing country, Ghana is significantly better off than its West African peers. From the Paper The country of Ghana was the first dependent African country to achieve independence. Various factors contributed to the effective push for independence. These factors included constitutional reform as a means by which to slowly erode British influence, the stirring of the masses by African political elites, and the general post-WWII concern over colonization and its destructive forces. Growing nationalist sentiment unleashed itself in the riots of 1948, though the consequences of such violence sent a message to the British and promoted a more controlled and systematic push towards independence. Under the leadership of Mr. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Ghanas Independence" essay for you Create order Kwame Nkrumah, a bright and devoted politician, Ghana found its way towards independence through relatively bloodless means. Sub-Saharan Africa began its journey of decolonization in 1956 when the Sudan won independence after the Egyptian revolution in 1952 (Findley/Rothney 387). One of the first African countries to gain independence was Ghana, in 1957. Ghana is located in West Africa near the equator and on the Greenwich meridian. The colonial power that ruled Ghana until their day of independence was Britain. The Portuguese were the first to arrive and they named the place where they settled the Gold Coast. This became the name of the country till independence when it was changed to Ghana. The British were not the first Europeans to arrive in Ghana but they were the last to leave. The capital of Ghana was moved from Cape Coast to Accra by the British in 1876. The beginning struggle for independence began in the mid 40s when a British Civil Service and Legislative Council was established. This group called many of the Ghana people to fight Britains wars in Europe and North Africa. This they did with valor and great courage, only to be denied compensation and benefits upon their return to the Gold Coast. This single act began the beginning of the end for the British in Ghana (Brody Since the 1950s and 1960s, especially after independence, Ghana has joined numerous world-wide and regional organizations, e. g. the United Nations Organizations (UNO), International Labour Organization (ILO), World Health Organization (WHO), Organization of African Unity (OAU) (now transformed into African Union – AU), the Economic Commission of West African States (ECOWAS) and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) respectively. This has been done in a bid to demonstrate her interest in being integrated into the world or African communities and to allow for integration into Ghana of foreign nationals. Before Ghana attained her independence the peoples who now form Ghana were used to the running of states, empires and kingdoms. These peoples co-existed and were bonded by kinship and principles. The arbitrary borders drawn by colonialists only succeeded in forming artificial a multiethnic nation Ghana. Ghana lacks the internal political cohesion that is absolutely necessary for her survival as a nation. It lacks the moral core that would otherwise be provided by ethnicity, thus the ingredient required for constructing one nation with local roots. There are competing ethnic nationalisms that are hardly prepared to relinquish their hold onto their freedoms and self-determination. Apart from this reluctance to let go their grip on their valued raison d’etre as independent peoples, certain ethnic groups believe that they are superior to others, thus making consensus-building even more difficult. Ethnic loyalty also makes it difficult to build â€Å"strong and viable resources of political association and mass-based political parties, [since selfish politicians can easily manipulate] ethnic loyalty as the cheapest and most reliable strategy to acquire and consolidate power† (Yoh, 2004: 2). As already demonstrated above, violent conflicts have erupted and will continue to erupt in areas where traditional states, traditional land tenure, chieftaincies are collapsing or there is a fragmentation of communities. Examples of such situations are shown by many young nation-states, e. g. Nigeria, Ethiopia, Pakistan and Rwanda, which have been shaken and partly divided or destroyed by power struggles caused by ethnic and religious conflicts. Education and Development in Nation-Building Lack of education is one of the most serious factors hindering development in nation-building. This fact was realized in the early days of nation-building in Germany. Also, when Ghana became independent in 1957, the first President realized the need for the promotion of education in Ghana. In the case of Germany, for instance, it can be said that: â€Å"From 1763, against resistance from the nobility and citizenry, an ‘enlightened absolutism’ was established in Prussia and Austria, according to which the ruler was to be ‘the first servant of state’. The economy developed and legal reforms were undertaken, including the abolition of torture and the improvement in the status Jews; the emancipation of peasants began. Education was promoted† (Wikipedia, History of Germany, 2008: 12). In Ghana education has been considered very essential for nation-building. Even during the colonial administration educational policies, were formulated, e. g. through Advisory Committees on Education, to accelerate the development of the indigenous people. During the first government Nkrumah and the CPP embarked vigorously upon the promotion of education. For example: â€Å"For the first time in the history of the country, the Central Government was to assume full responsibility for educational policy and practice. Educational development itself had passed the where it was a political project of the greatest magnitude. It had been both fundamental and crucial to the political economy, and was to find full expression in the Seven-Year Development Plan of 1964, the CPP’s programme for ‘work and happiness’† (Haizel, In: Arhin, 1991: 60-61). Since the CPP regime a couple of educational reforms have taken place, notably the 1987 Education Reform by the PNDC Government and the 2007/2008 Education Reform by the NPP Government. However, in many cases governments have paid lip-service to education, initiated inappropriate reforms and made arbitrary changes not backed by sound reflection and preparation. Thus, education is still developing effectively to boost nation-building. Education Education, together with language, forms the all-important keys to participation in society. Education is relevant to work/employment, rural development, modernization, national identity, cultural identity, ethnic identity, national identity, citizenship, exercise of civic rights and responsibilities, and political awareness which all lead to effective nation-building. Gender issues Gender issues are essential in nation-building and ought to be tackled vigorously. In both Germany and Ghana women are ceasing to mere play the second fiddle in society and are assuming highly responsible positions. For example, for years now, Dr. Angela Merkel has been the German Chancellor, the first female Chancellor indeed. Also, another prominent German female political figure worth mentioning is Prof. Dr. Maria Bohmer, Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees and Integration and Minister of State in the Federal Chancellery to boot. In Ghana we now have the first woman Chief Justice, Mrs. Georgina Wood, the first woman Speaker of Parliament, Mrs. Justice Joyce Adeline Bamford-Addo and the first woman Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mrs. Elizabeth Mills-Robertson (since the establishment of the Ghana Police Service in 1874 by the British Colonial Administration). These new developments with regard to gender issues go a long way to enhance the image not only of women but also of their own society and nation. References Andah, B. W. and Anquandah, J. (1988): The Guinea belt: the peoples between Mount Cameroon and the Ivory Coast, In: Elfasi, M. , Hrbek, I. (eds. ) General History of Africa III: 488-529. California: UNESCO, Heineman Anderson, Benedict (2005): Die Erfindung der Nation. Campus Verlag, Frankfurt am Main/New York, ISBN 3-593-37729-2 Arhin, Kwame ed. (1991): The Life and Work of Kwame Nkrumah. Papers of Symposium organized by the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Legon Accra: Sedco Pubishing Ltd. Bade, Klaus J. (2008): Immigration and Integration in Germany. The Three Main Waves of Migration and their Effects, In: Deutschland, E6 No. 5/2008 October/November: 50-52. Frankfurt/Main: Societats-Verlag and Federal Foreign Office, Berlin Deutschland, E6 No. 5/2008 October/November (2008): Integration and Diversity. Living Together. Frankfurt/Main: Societats-Verlag and Federal Foreign Office, Berlin Elfasi, M. , Hrbek, I. (eds. ) (1988): General History of Africa III: Africa from the Seventh to the Eleventh Century. California: UNESCO, Heineman Ghana â€Å"https://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Ghanaâ€Å" Hagan, George P. (1991): Nkrumah’s Cultural Policy. In: Arhin, 1991: 1-25, Papers of Symposium organized by the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Legon Accra: Sedco Pubishing Ltd. Haizel, E. A. (1991): Education in Ghana, 1951-1966. In: Arhin, 1991: 55-87, Papers of Symposium organized by the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Legon Accra: Sedco Pubishing Ltd. Hippler, Jochen Hrsg. (2003): Nation-Building – ein sinnvolles Instrument der Konfliktbearbeitung? Dietz Verlag, Bonn Schayan, Janet (2008): Living Together in Germany. Opportunities for Immigrants. In: Deutschland, E6 No. 5/2008 October/November: 50-52. Frankfurt/Main: Societats-Verlag and Federal Foreign Office, Berlin Yoh, John G. Nyuot (2004): Notes on Ethnicity, Democratization and Nation building: Experience in Africa and relevance to West Asia: The Case of Cameroon and Ghana. Pretoria: Department of Political Sciences, University of South Africa. Amman, Jordan Presidential Diary (2007): History of Ghana. Golden Jubilee Edition: 35-41