Social Inequality and Insecurity in Canada

Social Inequality and Insecurity in Canada ASSIGNMENT-2 Social inequality illustrates a scenario in a society where there is disparity that has limiting effect on a group’s social status and class. Inequality, in this reference, refers to the differences in status, experience, and outcomes among various groups of individuals in the society. The social inequality covers aspects like right to vote for every adult individual, right to speech, right to access property and right to education, quality of healthy living, quality of housing, traveling, vacationing and other social goods and services. It can also be viewed in the quality of family and neighborhood life, occupation, job satisfaction, and right to credit. Social insecurity refers to a condition in a society where people do not receive benefits because of their employment program. For instance privilege for retirement pensions, disability insurance and employment guarantee program. The provision of services may vary from country to country which may include health care, financial support during unemployment or retirement, safety at work. Insecurity rises from temporary work that does not give a commitment by the agency for permanent employment. This does not provide a reliable level of income or work for the workers. Temporary workers face dismissal at work place and lack job security. A recent study conducted in Canada revealed that the main difference between inequality and insecurity. Inequality describes the situation where the workers with equal labor productivity, ability, education, training and experience are treated unequal. They face inequality in employment selection procedure, job promotion, level of wages, training and other areas. However, insecurity is a situation where an employee has a perception that his or her job is uncertain and may come to an end sooner or later. This perception stands as a threat caused by the instability and unsteadiness of job or unsatisfied for possibly being fired at any time. The major causes of inequality and insecurity are different. Work inequality is affected characteristics like racism, gender inequality, skin color, age, family background, tradition, religion, physical fitness and the nationality of a person. However, work insecurity depends on work background, job importance, job content, work environment, job sat isfaction and career development. The effect of social inequality and insecurity on Canadian society is the division of labor market into good jobs and bad jobs. Social Inequality is dominated by professional and skilled workers and social insecurity is dominated by women and racist groups. The bad jobs provide little security of job and nearly about one tenth of the Canadian population is engaged in it. The birth of non-standard jobs is due to inequality as there is vulnerability of unemployment. Therefore, people hold multiple jobs at a time for survival. Temporary work is also a form of non-standard jobs wherein the job is dependent on the season and terms of contract with the company. A new type of agencies have been started which act as a broker between the employee and the employer. These agencies make arrangements for the temporary positions and individuals seeking jobs. The agency’s income is derived from the difference between what it charges the company and what it pays the individual worker. Self-em ployment is referred to as a means to achieve flexibility and freedom from the regular unemployment, low wages, and insecurity. It is segmented between a primary and a secondary market. In the primary self-employment market, companies run on full-time basis and often have few employees who have access to the benefits. This market segment mostly consists of older men who all have an established network of potential clients. In the secondary self-employment market, there is more uncertainty of work, lack of control of labor market and protection and inadequate incomes. Studies have revealed that insecurity in Canada has increased over the past 20 years. The possibility of unemployment is a significant reason for insecurity in Canada. It varies from workers in permanent full-time jobs to workers in temporary positions in contract. â€Å"Churn† refers to the very high turnover rates associated with certain occupations. A number of jobs, such as contract work and seasonal jobs show insecurity in their nature. Unemployment risk is higher for working individuals (25-64 years age) having a high school diploma or nothing. Unemployment risk is also higher for those in the primary sector than in the tertiary sector. But some areas of the tertiary sector, such as health and education, show low unemployment and infrequent job changes. While jobs like in hospitality and food services show higher unemployment and high turnover rates due to seasonal variations. In 2010, minimum wage levels ranged from $7.5 per hour in British Columbia to $9.5 per hour in Ontario. An individual earning $8.00 per hour and working forty hours per week will earn $16000 per year, if that individual does not take any off from work for the entire year. This individual living anywhere in Canada likely to have housing or other living expenses, job changes and will live below the low-income cut-off rate. The major causes of inequality in Canada were studied and deduced as follows:- Women: Women have always played a key role in the economy, yet their work, whether paid or unpaid, has never been recognized. Considerably, Women’s participation in the labor market has hiked since the end of World War II. The reasons being: desire for economic independence, less number of children per family, changed marital status, better access to education. Radicalized groups: The employment patterns of radicalized groups are similar to those of women. They experience a low average income, low participation rates, and higher unemployment rates. They also are less involved into white-collar jobs and are more in to the pink and blue-collar jobs. These groups of workers are more employed in non-union positions. They are likely to be absent in professional and managerial occupations. Persons with disabilities:- The majority of these people are excluded from school, work and society. This group has low participation and employment opportunities and the rate of low incomes is twice that of persons with no disabilities. They face more of the fluctuations in the labor market and social exclusion. Young workers, Aboriginal persons and old workers: Aboriginal persons have very low employment level because of the differences in education levels. As increasing numbers of Aboriginal persons are getting their post-secondary education, they find themselves alongside others who are seeking work and are not included in Aboriginal organizations. The labor market patterns of older section of people are also changing particularly due to the factors like loss of jobs, pensions and mandatory retirement. The income level due to these conditions has not allowed them to purchase property or save money for retirement. Young workers constitute another group who face unemployment in Canada due to lack of experience which plays the major reason for their condition. Fig 1:-The above graph is a study conducted in year 2009 showing the low income rate among various countries using MBM. Fig 2:-The above graph shows the income gap between the rich and the poorest groups in Canada over the past 10 years. The effective policies brought in by the Canadian government to reduce inequality in Canada are changes in wages and salaries distribution. The changes are as follows: Changes in work environment, part-time working opportunities, self-employed and non-standard labor contracts and an increase in division of work hours. Technological changes with the benefits of technical progress among the high-skilled. Regulatory policies targeted at promoting growth and productivity, which enhanced both employment and income inequality. Re-distribution through taxes and benefits in mitigating income inequality within all countries. Tax provisions being reviewed on top-income households to ensure the tax system is progressive and fair. Better education facilities for certain groups in Canada, certainly among Aboriginals. This is a major issue of concern requiring more efficient policy action. REFERENCES 1. http://www.conferenceboard.ca/hcp/hot-topics/caninequality.aspx 2. http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2013/09/26/growth_of_inequality_in_canada _cannot_be_denied.html 3. http://www.mqup.ca/social-inequality-in-canada-products-9780886292799.php 4. http://www.parl.gc.ca/content/hoc/Committee/403/HUMA/Reports/RP4770921/humarp07 /humarp07-e.pdf 5. http://www.caledoninst.org/Publications/PDF/594ENG.pdf 6. http://www.parl.gc.ca/content/hoc/Committee/403/HUMA/Reports/RP4770921/humarp07 /humarp07-e.pdf 7. http://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/reports/rise-canadas-richest-1 8. John Loxley, Public Service, Private Profits: The Political Economy of Public/Private Partnerships in Canada

The Davids of the World :: essays papers

The David's of the World Sometime soon after the year 1430, a bronze statue of David stood in the courtyard of the house of the Medici. The work was commissioned of Donatello by Cosimo d'Medici himself, the founding father of the Republic of Florence. It was the first free-standing, life sized nude since classical victorious athletes of Greece and Rome. But soft, and some how oddly unheroic. And the incongruity of the heads: of hair and shaded by a laurel-crowned peasant's hat; Goliath's tragic, contorted expression, made sharper by the pentagonal helmet and coarse, disheveled beard. Innocence and evil. The weak triumphing over the strong. The city of Florence triumphing over the aggressive dukes of Milan? "David" as a civic-public monument. In the year 1469, Ser Piero from the Tuscan town of Vinci moved to Florence to become a notary. He rented a house on the Piazza San Firenze, not far from the Palazzo Vecchio. His son, who was a mere 17 years old upon their arrival, began and apprenticeship in the Florentine studio of the well known artist, Andrea Verrocchio. At this time, Veracchio was at work on a bronze sculpture of the young David. Might the head of this fine piece be a portrait of the young Leonardo da Vinci? For many years a block of marble lay untouched, tossed aside as unusable, irretrievable evidence of a botched attempt to carve a human form. It was eighteen feet high. A young sculptor, 26 years old, riding high after the enormous success of his figure of the Virgin Mary holding the dead Christ, decided to ask for the piece. The wardens of the city in charge of such things let the artist have it. What did they have to lose? Getting anything out of it was better than nothing. So this young sculptor named Michelangelo measured and calculated. He mad a wax model of David with a sling in his hand. And he worked on his David continuously for some three years, until, a man named Vasari tells us, he brought it to perfect completion. Without letting anyone see it. A century later, a young sculptor, 25 years old, stares into a mirror at his steeled jaw and determined brow. A contemporary source tells us that on this day, perhaps, the mirror is being held by Cardinal Maffeo Berberini while Bernini transfers what he sees in himself to the face of his David.

Silas Marner :: essays research papers

Characterization George Elliot's Silas Marner tells a tale of basic human nature depicted through the words and actions of the characters. The characterization presented throughout Silas Marner is enhanced with the uses of point of view, human understanding, and literary devices. Using these techniques, she creates believable characters that develop along with the plot to create a story line that, not only seems real, but also appeals to the human senses of understanding and sympathy. George Elliot chose to write Silas Marner in the omniscient point of view (Holland, 57), meaning that the action could be viewed from any angle. In doing so, she creates an atmosphere in which any character is given the opportunity to display his or her feelings toward one another. This decision allows the reader to better understand why the characters feel the ways they do, because their reasoning is shown in their conversations and actions with others. Also, it allows the reader to realize that the characters' actions are dependent on the consequences one could face at the time it was written. This gave way for a more personal character to develop, because no one person was describing him or her. Certain traits are left for the reader to develop on his own. Since Elliot chose to write in the omniscient point of view, she allows herself to control certain traits about each character through her use of narration. This is essential in presenting certain knowledge to the reader that not every character is aware of. Therefore, a strong presence of irony exists within the novel, and is displayed numerous times. One such situation continually represented is the knowledge that Eppie is the daughter of Godfrey Cass and his secret wife who died in the snow. The fact that no one knows of this situation, besides Godfrey, are the source of much irony and eventually the climax of the novel. Another example f dramatic irony is that the reader knows, from the minute of its occurrence, that the robbery is the doing of Dunstan Cass. However, no one in the novel is presented with these details. This concealing of information is the source of much irony within Silas Marner. Along with point of view, literary devices are used to create and develop characters throughout Silas Marner. The use of speech is the most prevalent device found within the novel. The speech patterns of the "common man" are noticeably different from those of the "proper.

Intelligence led policing Essay

The terrorist attacks of September 2001 had several governments taken aback of their incapacity to detect and prevent crimes of such magnitude. The United State’s Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense, for example, have been working extra hard to detect and thwart such mishaps now and in the future. In order to realize this, most aspects of national security have been reviewed by various governments around the world (Wisler and Onwudiwe, 2009). One of these aspects is intelligence improvement and use for both internal and international security. Of most importance is internal security, given the fact that crimes such as international terror are planned and carried out by deterrents that are already living among us. Because the police have the mandate to provide internal security, they require effective intelligence to enable them to collect and act on any information related to looming attacks and dangers. Apart from intelligence led policing, there are numerous other types of policing. However, the main ones are: knowledge-based policing, problem based policing and community policing. For any crime type to be bunged, the intelligence used by police ought to be based on all possibly available information and data, collected and thoroughly evaluated. Intelligence has been defined in multiple ways. For the sake of this discussion, we will settle on a single definition: it is collecting data and information precisely touching on crime, analyzing and drawing conclusions on it. Therefore, intelligence is not any kind of information but that which has been studied and quality conclusions made on it. Intelligence can then be used to inform any concerned decision maker of the several available choices. The security personnel of any department, either the police or the military, can then draw on the analyzed findings to carry out their duties of preventing and stopping crimes by strategizing and laying good plans on how to achieve their set objectives. Intelligence led policing is a structured method of collecting, analyzing and evaluating data and information related to crime. The analyzed information is then used to guide the institutions which enforce law in determining their actions. It was first used in the United Kingdom in 1990 and later received a huge acceptance in the United States after the 2001 terrorist attacks. The Kent police in the UK used this kind of policing on car stealing, home breaks and certain types of crimes which were then considered high priority. The world’s governments later decided to use this method alongside others to curb international crime especially terrorism and to react effectively to simpler crimes at the domestic front (Wisler and Onwudiwe, 2009). The problem based policing is broad in its coverage bearing its stand on the notion that other types of policing are not committed to solving the basic criminal acts. While it concentrates on crimes that need the attention of the police and that it handles other issues other than implementing crime prevention programs, is not able to cover all sorts of crimes. On the other hand Public policing usually focus on a single type of crime for example street gangs only. It is normally used when certain crimes occur and their area of operation is the streets. It is also effective in the sense that the time, when the required information is obtained and when action is taken on it, is relatively short. Its mainstay is to deter and disable unlawful trends. Criminals are also profiled to help in analysis. Finally, its approach involves the use of tour of duty personnel, strategic divisions and detectives.

English-language films Essay

There is quote by Martin Luther King Jr that says â€Å" Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable, every step toward that goal of justice requires sacrifice,suffering and struggle , the timeless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals. So, the path to justice will always be a challenge as it is inevitable, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Along the line of justice , we may face challenges and must learn to face it head on in order to overcome this obstacle. Through the 3 texts studied, it can be concluded that along the line of justice there will always be challenges faced and one may succeed or fail based on their individual will to do so. For instance , Amir the protagonist from the Kite Runner shows this clearly when he faced many challenges that lied in front of him in order to bring justice and redemption for what he had done in the past . Amir had to encounter the problem of going back into Afghanistan, which at that particular period of time was a war-torn country and is potentially life threatening to anyone who can be said to be courageous or mentally deranged to do so. But , after learning from Rahim Khan that Amir and Hassan were actually half brothers ,Amir with devastation from the news pulled through with courage and marched into the country with the sole purpose of saving Sohrab from the evil grasps of Assef, whom at that time was the Taliban leader. Amir confronted Assef and in return Assef challenged him to a duel to the death. Amir had no choice to face his demons of the past by going against him head on in hopes that he can bring redemption and justice to Hassan. Amir was beaten to a pulp by Assef mercilessly and was at the brink of death. With the aid of Sohrab with his slingshot, both of them managed to escape. One challenge after another , Amir had to face the problem at the American Embassy when he could not get Sohrab a visa to bring him into America. When Sohrab heard about the news he could not bare with the news and decided to commit suicide. At all odds , Amir persevered through the hardships and managed to save Sohrab and brought justice for Hassan and Sohrab. Thus , it can be seen that challenges will always be faced as Amir went along the path to justice . Moreover , Molly from the Rabbit Proof Fence also shows that challenges will be faced in order to achieve justice. Molly was a young half caste girl had to face the challenge of escaping the camp that she was forced out , reason being that she wanted to go home back to her family and could not stand the injustice that was occurring there .It was evident that Molly was a strong willed leader who would not take failure as an answer. Molly who courageously escaped from the camp had the challenge of not only avoiding being captured and brought back to the camp where they beat up those who tried to escape but also had the responsibility taking her little siblings under her wing to ensure they were safe.Also, Molly had another challenge when she and her siblings realized they were following the wrong fence. Any normal person would at least show a hint of despair or depression, yet Molly kept a stern face of determination and continued to lead her siblings with a confident personality. On the way home, Molly also faced the problem of starvation where she could have faced the possibilities of death but still made the quick rational decision to move on and persevere. Luckily for her and her young charges , she met a traveler along the journey and was given some food .Hence, it can be seen that in the path to justice many challenges will be faced as Molly had to face challenges in order to obtain her justice which was her freedom . Lastly another good example of the path of justice will have many challenges is shown by the character Momm. Momm who had been pimped for five years and seemed near to cracking from the strain had been given justice by Nick and she was brought back to her hometown all the way across Cambodia. Momm faced the challenge of confronting her family, she feared that aft er not having kept in contact with her family for so many years her family would not accept her and felt that she herself had brought dishonor to her family. But , her family welcomed her home with open arms and was very supportive of her opening a business back in her hometown. This shows that the family is willing and able to support her and empower her.Even so, Momm had another challenge which was being addicted to drugs , specifically methamphetamines. Because of this she had to fight her inner demons back and forth, failing to do so. The addiction overtakes her and she failed to break off from this challenge thus leading her to go back to the very place that was filled with injustice. This showed that all the help resulted in failure and Momm was not able to take the bull by the horn and face the adversaries. In conclusion , it is crystal clear that in the path of justice there will be many challenges , as for Momm she had been given the chance of freedom and justice but addict ion took over her mind and body.

Production Supervisor

KRA (Key Responsibility Area/Key Results Area): â€Å"Key Result Areas† or KRAs refer to general areas of outcomes or outputs for which the department’s role is responsible. A typical role targets three to five KRA. Value of KRAs: Identifying KRAs helps individuals:  · Clarify their roles  · Align their roles to the organisation’s business or strategic plan  · Focus on results rather than activities  · Communicate their role’s purposes to others  · Set goals and objectives  · Prioritize their activities, and therefore improve their time/work management  · Make value-added decisions Description of KRAs:Key result areas (KRAs) capture about 80% of the department’s work role. The remainder of the role is usually devoted to areas of shared responsibility (e. g. , helping team members, participating in activities for the good of the organisation). CORE KRAs of HR DEPARTMENT: -RECRUITMENT/ SELECTION -WORKFORCE PLANNING/ -DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT -PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT -REWARD MANAGEMENT -WORKPLACE MANAGEMENT -INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS -SAFETY AND HEALTH WORKPLACE -BUILDING CAPABILITIES AND ORGANIZATION LEARNING -EFFECTIVE HR MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS , SUPPORT AND MONITORING KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS:These are the areas within the HR DEPARTMENT, where an individual or group, is logically responsible / accountable for the results. To manage each KRA/ KPAs, a set of KPI are set . KRA and hence KPI is attributed to the department which can have effect on the business results and is self measured where applicable. THE IMPORTANCE AND WEIGHTAGE OF THESE ELEMENTS KRAs/KPAs/KPIs ARE GUIDED BY THE *VISION STATEMENT *MISSION STATEMENT *CORPORATE OBJECTIVES *CORPORATE STRATEGY *CORPORATE BUSINESS UNITS/ DEPARTMENTAL PLANS/STRATEGY. FOR THE BUDGET PERIOD, THIS IS USUALLY 12 MONTHS.What Are Key Performance Indicators (KPI): Key Performance Indicators are quantifiable measurements, agreed to beforehand, that reflect the critical success factors of an organization. They will differ depending on the organization. A business may have as one of its Key Performance Indicators the percentage of its income that comes from return customers. A school may focus its Key Performance Indicators on graduation rates of its students. A Customer Service Department may have as one of its Key Performance Indicators, in line with overall company KPIs, percentage of customer calls answered in the first minute.A Key Performance Indicator for a social service organization might be number of clients assisted during the year. Whatever Key Performance Indicators are selected, they must reflect the organization's goals, they must be key to its success,and they must be quantifiable (measurable). Key Performance Indicators usually are long-term considerations. The definition of what they are and how they are measured do not change often. The goals for a particular Key Performance Indicator may change as the organization's goals change, or as it gets closer to achieving a goal.Key Performance Indicators Reflect The Organizational Goals: An organization that has as one of its goals â€Å"to be the most profitable company in our industry† will have Key Performance Indicators that measure profit and related fiscal measures. â€Å"Pre-tax Profit† and â€Å"Shareholder Equity† will be among them. However, â€Å"Percent of Profit Contributed to Community Causes† probably will not be one of its Key Performance Indicators. On the other hand, a school is not concerned with making a profit, so its Key Performance Indicators will be different.KPIs like â€Å"Graduation Rate† and â€Å"Success in Finding Employment after Graduation†, though different, accurately reflect the schools mission and goals. Key Performance Indicators Must Be Quantifiable: If a Key Performance Indicator is going to be of any value, there must be a way to accurately define and measure it. â€Å"Generate More Repeat Customers† is useless as a KPI without some way to distinguish between new and repeat customers. â€Å"Be The Most Popular Company† won't work as a KPI because there is no way to measure the company's popularity or compare it to others.It is also important to define the Key Performance Indicators and stay with the same definition from year to year. For a KPI of â€Å"Increase Sales†, you need to address considerations like whether to measure by units sold or by dollar value of sales. Will returns be deducted from sales in the month of the sale or the month of the return? Will sales be recorded for the KPI at list price or at the actual sales price? You also need to set targets for each Key Performance Indicator. A company goal to be the employer of choice might include a KPI of â€Å"Turnover Rate†. After he Key Performance Indicator has been defined as â€Å"the number of voluntary resignations and terminations for performance, divided by the total number of employees at the beginning of the period† and a way to measure it has been set up by collecting the information in an HRIS, the target has to be established. â€Å"Reduce turnover by five percent per year† is a clear target that everyone will understand and be able to take specific action to accomplish. Key Performance Indicators Must be Key To Organizational Success: Many things are measurable. That does not make them key to the organization's success.In selecting Key Performance Indicators, it is critical to limit them to those factors that are essential to the organization reaching its goals. It is also important to keep the number of Key Performance Indicators small just to keep everyone's attention focused on achieving the same KPIs. That is not to say, for instance, that a company will have only three or four total KPIs in total. Rather there will be three or four Key Performance Indicators for the company and all the units within it will have three, four, or five KPIs that support the overall company goals and can be â€Å"rolled up† into them.If a company Key Performance Indicator is â€Å"Increased Customer Satisfaction†, that KPI will be focused differently in different departments. The Manufacturing Department may have a KPI of â€Å"Number of Units Rejected by Quality Inspection†, while the Sales Department has a KPI of â€Å"Minutes a Customer Is on Hold before a Sales Rep Answers†. Success by the Sales and Manufacturing Departments in meeting their respective departmental Key Performance Indicators will help the company meet its overall KPI.

Multi Tasking Madness

Digital native is a term used to describe a person who has grown up and been attached with the immersion of technology. In the article â€Å"Multitasking Madness†, the digital natives have been known with the ability of multitasking at which previous generations are surprised. The digital natives are able to do many tasks at the same time because they strengthen brain cells to carry out specific activities. However, the question has been addressed: â€Å"How will businesses need to change to capitalize on the multitasking ability of the digital natives?In a few years later, the baby boomers will get retired, then businesses will replace them with the younger generations, among them are digital natives who are much better in multitasking than previous generations. Also, technology has rocketed since the mid of 90's, which requires businesses need to update and catch up with the rapid development of technology; as a result, businesses have to consider of hiring employees who ar e familiar with new technologies and adapt them into work efficiently.With those two reasons, business organizations must come up with hanges, such as creating a new work environment in which the digital natives can maximize their abilities, and allowing them to work in their personal time. Creating such a good work environment to capitalize the abilities of the digital natives is making them comfortable at work. Their work area is no longer limited in a small cubicle but any place in the building so they don't feel narrowed down in the small area. Also, they only need a thin slight laptop instead of a big screen desktop computer to carry around with them so that they can work anytime and anywhere.For example, as an accountant for a website security company, I'm responsible for business transactions between the company with our clients and vendors, having a laptop with me all the time, I quickly respond urgent inquiries from them while interacting with other employees on IM windows. Allowing the digital natives to work in their personal time is one of changes that businesses should consider too, such as providing them with access so that they can work at anywhere and anytime. For instance, they can work at home and still are able to take care of their kids.Or as my situation, full-time employee and attend school as part-time student, to be able to catch up with school and work projects, a permission of working on my own time would be a great idea for me. Creating a work environment at the workplace to capitalize the abilities of the digital natives is the best solution that business should consider because a company still hold the control of their employees, which is knowing if they show up for work and attend conferences and meetings frequently as requested. Businesses don't need to spend much money on office furniture and big flat screen monitors.