The Merchant of Venice Essay Example

The Merchant of Venice Paper If a man has prejudged, negative opinions against a group of people, because of race, colour, wealth or any other reason, can he be considered to be uneducated in the modern world or has society merely educated him with narrow-minded views? The concept of racism, prejudices and inequalities is dealt with throughout Shakespeares A merchant of Venice and although it was written around 1598, like most of Shakespeares works the themes are universal and timeless which makes them very relevant to contemporary society. The main themes of the play are justice and mercy and how these is given and received in the bitter relationship between Antonio, the Christian merchant and Shylock, a Jewish moneylender. The merchant of Venice is considered to be one of Shakespeares comedies as it has a happy ending for most of the characters and an Elizabethan audience would find Shylocks tragedies amusing, but in the last four hundred years society has drastically changed. Would a modern audience have a different opinion on the treatment of Shylock or would the Elizabethan values remain? Fear of the unknown is part of human nature and the Jewish religion and its followers were very unknown to the vast majority people in Shakespeares time. We will write a custom essay sample on The Merchant of Venice specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Merchant of Venice specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Merchant of Venice specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Jews started to enter England in 1066 and in the course of a generation they established communities in Bristol, York, Canterbury and London, and began to prosper by trading and lending money. However, in 1290 under the reign of Edward I, 16000 Jews were expelled from England although a few managed to stay in England by hiding their identity. This expulsion led to 350 years of Jewish exile from England, which means that there had been no Jews in England for about 300 years before Shakespeare was born! Few people knew a Jew and the majority of people were quite simple, uneducated and illiterate. It was easy to categorize Jews and tereotype them. Something that helped in the stereotyping process was a famous drama by Marlow called The Jew of Malta, performed in 1589. The lead character, Barabas refuses to pay tribute to the crown and so, his wealth is seized and his house converted into a convent. Enraged by these events Barabas sets out on journey of slaughter, which includes the poisoning of an entire convent. Elizabethan audiences loved the exaggeration and hyperbole of Barabass character and the conclusion of the story, were he is boiled to death in a cauldron of water while screaming was very much enjoyed by the audience! The Jew of Malta is not just an anti-Semitic play, but it clearly shows the hypocrisy shown by the Christian community in Elizabethan England. One of the few Jews in England was Dr. Lopez. He was the doctor for Queen Elizabeth I. Lopez was convicted of trying to assassinate Queen Elizabeth and was executed after he was tortured quite savagely, and during the interrogation the fact that he was Jewish became known. The causes for conviction were beliefs that Lopez had tried to poison Queen Elizabeth, but what was later discovered was that the facial makeup she used contained Mercury, a highly poisoned metallic element. However the lack of scientific knowledge in Elizabethan times meant that Lopez was killed. Significantly, Marlowes drama The Jew of Malta was performed shortly after the execution, some accounts claim it was merely ten days after, so the idea of Jews being evil, murderous creatures would have been highly inflicted into Elizabethan stereotypes. Shakespeares generation based their anti-Semitism on religious grounds. The Nazi program which climaxed in the Holocaust of World War 2 and resulted in the deaths of six million Jews was anti-Semitism on racial grounds. A Nazi does not care if a Jew believes in God or rays; A Jew is a Jew and they were considered racially inferior. Elizabethan England however, had inherited the Christian propaganda that the Jews had murdered Christ and so were connected to the devil and were actively trying to stop the spread of Christianity. Jewish people do not accept the blame for the crucifixion of Christ for various reasons: * Crucifixion was a Roman form of execution * People who lived decades after the event itself and were most likely to be biased against the Jews (so to take the blame from Christianity) wrote the accounts of the crucifixion and the events leading up to the crucifixion. Throughout its history, Christianity has tried to stop the following of other religions as well as Judaism. Paganism and other Earth based religions had been established hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus yet as Christianity began to spread, leaders of the Church claimed that the pagan horned God was the devil. This kind of religious propaganda has stayed in society for years as this is were the concept of the devil having horns comes from. Even Christians themselves did not live together well in Elizabethan times, and still today as can be seen in Northern Ireland; Catholics and Protestants onflict. When we see these points, it is no wonder that the Christian Church throughout history targeted Judaism. All this information is relatively clear to how Elizabethan society as a whole viewed the Jews, yet what is not so clear is what exactly Shakespeares image of a Jew was, as they had been banished from England three hundred years before his birth. This is a personal opinion, and the reader must come to his or her own conclusion after considering whether Shakespeare did satisfy the narrow-minded views the audience would have against the Jews. To do so, not just the text hould be analysed but also the dramatic devices used, stage history and the history of the Jews. The purpose of the first scenes is to inform the viewer of the main plot, e. . the bond, but Shylocks first scene not only tells us of this, but also we realise Shylocks character traits. These traits are quickly laid down and repeated his focus on money, (my meaning in saying he is a good man is to have you understand me that he is sufficient- lines 13-15) his hatred of Christians, (I hate him for he is a Christian- line 38) his pride in his religion and also, his cunning mind. Shylock actually speaks less than Bassanio or Portia and appears in only five scenes but due to his audience-provoking character he is the most dominating character. Shylocks first appearance in The Merchant of Venice is in Act One Scene Three. From his entrance on stage the audience would identify him as a Jew, as he would be wearing traditional Jewish clothing such as a gabardine, which is a loose cloak worn by Jewish men. Shakespeare would emphasize the costumes in the Globe theatre and other theatre during his time, because the audiences were quite rowdy. People were known to shout at the villains, cheer for their heroes, nd comment on the play loudly. At the same time, food and drink vendors would be going around the audience selling their goods. Distinctive costumes made Shakespeares plots easier to follow for the viewers. However, as mentioned before, many spectators would jeer at the villains and Shylocks entrance on stage would receive a very negative response. What adds to the audiences aggression towards Shylock is what he is talking about in his debut. He is talking to Bassanio about lending three thousand ducats (form of currency) to Antonio. This marks him as a usurer, someone who lends money and charges interest, hich was hated in Elizabethan times. This may seem hard to understand as this is how major banks work today, but in the Old Testament the exacting of interest on a loan was forbidden to Jews who were lending to Jews and in the Middle Ages it was forbidden to Christian clerics and then to laymen. Medieval theory says that money cannot breed money and Aristotle taught that money was barren. After the rise of capitalism however, the sixteenth-century reformers relaxed in this teaching but some countries toleration of usury came late, and England was one of those countries. The way Shylock may be acting at this point in the play would also agitate the audience. Bassanio, a Christian and a good friend of Antonio, comes to Shylock the Jewish moneylender, whom he and Antonio have cruelly mocked many times before, to ask to borrow money on behalf of Antonio. For the first time, Shylock feels as though he has the upper hand. Nowadays most people would certainly be able to understand why Shylock would lengthen this superiority but not Shakespeares audiences. This would simply annoy them more as they would not be able to see that a Jew is still a human and would have uman reactions, just like a Christian, just like themselves. The main plot of the play is determined in this scene, as the forfeit of the bond is decided. If Antonio does not pay the bond back within three months then Antonio must allow Shylock to cut a pound of flesh from anywhere upon Antonios body. Shylock suggests the forfeit in a joking manner as he says: This kindness will I show. Go with me to a notary; seal me there Your single bond, and, in a merry sport, If you repay me not on such a day let the forfeit Be nominated for an equal pound Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken In what part of your body pleaseth me Antonio merrily agrees to the bond, but Bassanio cautions him; he doesnt want Antonio risking his life so that Bassanio can borrow money, however Antonio reassures Bassanio that My ships come home a month before the day. What he means by this is that as a merchant not only will his ships return home but his money also. What Antonio and Bassanio do not realise though is the fact that Shylock would much rather have a pound of Antonios flesh than any amount of money because Shylock seeks revenge upon Antonio for the way he treats him and his fellow Jews. Antonio and Bassanio, like the Christian audience, would not be able to believe that a Jew would want revenge on a Christian; their narrow-minded views would not comprehend that. Lines 102 to 125 in Act One Scene Three are of Shylock speaking to Antonio about the unfair way he has been treated in by Antonio and his fellow Christians in Venice. This speech is essential for the comparison of a modern audiences view on the treatment of Shylock compared to an audience of Shakespeares time. Shylock speaks to Antonio about the way he has received abuse from the Christians, verbal and physical. Shylock states that although Antonio as often criticised him about his business, he has borne it with a patient shrug, For sufferance is the badge of all our tribe. This again emphasizes his strong belief in his religion, and reinforces image that throughout history the Jews have often been singled out for persecution. More evidence of how Shylock is treated in Venice continues, as he states, You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog, And spit upon my Jewish gabardine, This shows how not only was he verbally abuse, but also physically. He is constantly insulted because of who he is, and Christians spit upon his religious clothing. He late in the speech claims that Antonio has foot me as you spurn a stranger cur, (Kicked me as you would kick a stray dog), and did void your rheum upon my beard. All of these points show Shylocks side of the story, and Shylock then questions Antonio, Hath a dog money? The way that Shylock mocks Antonio by asking this would anger Shakespeares audience, how dare a Jew speak to a Christian in such a way? It is clear now that the Elizabethans, like the Nazis, saw the Jews as an inferior race. Shylock asks if Antonio expects him to humble himself to Antonio and say: Fair sir you spat on me Wednesday last; You spurned me on such a day; another time You called me dog; and for these courtesies Ill lend you this much moneys? He would most likely speak in a sardonic, scornful tone as Shylock for probably the first time, has power above Antonio. Again, the audience are angered. After Shylock has spoken of his suffering, Antonio blatantly tells Shylock that he will most likely call him again! Antonio does not care about the pain Shylock has to go through because of him and his friends, because Shylock is a Jew. He obviously does not like the tone Shylock has spoken to him with and so he is trying to regain his ower. Antonio and Shylock settle on the bond and Act One, Scene Three ends, with Bassanio disliking the terms of the bond. The dramatic tension increases as throughout the play as Antonios ships fail to return home and the audience informed of this revelation by the use of two minor characters. Shakespeare often used this technique, as it is an effective way to move on in the story. Salerio and Solanio are the minor characters used as in Act Two Scene Eight, they joke about Shylocks misfortune (his daughter Jessica has stolen a lot of his money and has ran away to marry Lorenzo, a Christian) and hen Salerio informs Solanio of how a vessel of our country richly fraught has crashed, and Salerio suspects it may be Antonios. The audience would presume that it was Antonios ship, as this would have to happen for the sake of the plot, and it is also clear that with his recent misfortunes, Shylocks need for revenge upon the Christians would be greater. Shylocks vindictiveness feeds on the news of Antonios sorrow and the conclusion of the story is the trial scene, Act Four, Scene One. Antonio could not pay the 3000 ducats back in time and Shylock demands that he takes the pound of Antonios flesh, it seems that no one can top him by persuasion nor legally can they stop him. The matter is brought to court where the comedy aspect returns, as Bassanios new wife, the beautiful Portia dresses as a young lawyer named Balthazar to represent Antonio in court. Comedies are based on convention of some sort, so an Elizabethan audience would have known Balthazar was actually Portia yet for the purpose of the story this would have been easily accepted, as would the fact that her husband doesnt recognise her. Shylock enters the courtroom and the Duke of Venice proceeds with a speech he presumes will make Shylock show mercy towards Antonio. He ends it with We all expect a gentle answer, Jew! This shows how not just the Christians and merchants see him and Judaism, but also the authorities, as the Duke represents political views. They all doubt that a Jew could ever want revenge upon a Christian no matter what the situation is they expect Jews to be meek towards them and never retaliate. Shylock is defiant and is sure he will have his bond. Again, his religion is part of the argument because by our holy Sabbath have I sworn. He believes strongly that he is standing up for the Jews, for all the suffering they have gone through. A main factor that adds to the delicate situation is concerned with the law of Venice. Venice had a good reputation of strictly enforcing its laws, even against its citizens. The bond between Shylock and Antonio was a legal one, and if Venice were to spare Antonios life and destroy the bond Venices reputation would be severely damaged. The courtroom sees shylock as an unfeeling man, but Shylock refuses to be intimidated and he is persistent that he wants his bond. At one point, Bassanio offers Shylock six thousand ducats, twice the money Antonio was to pay back, but Shylocks determination is shown with his eply: If every ducat in six thousand ducats Were in six parts, and every part a ducat, I would not draw them; I would have my bond! Clearly, there is no way that Shylock will show mercy at this stage, but the Duke asks him How shalt thou hope for mercy, rendering none? This may seem quite ironic as the same question could be posed to Antonio, but when Shylock replies it is plain to see that Shylock does not think he is doing any wrong, and he demands a decision. The Duke is obviously in a difficult position because Shylock does have a bond and so he ca lls for Bellario, a learned doctor but instead, Balthazar (Portia in disguise) comes on his behalf. Through out the courtroom scene Antonios behaviour has been patient and he is ready to face death if he can goodbye to Bassanio. An example of his self-pity is when he speaks to Bassanio, his close friend, and says: I am a tainted wether of the flock, Meetest for death The build up of dramatic tension continues in the trial scene as Shylock wets his knife, preparing to cut the pound of flesh. This shows how sure Shylock is that he will get his bond and it also adds to the underlying current of tension as the courtroom await a decision. This action by Shylock makes him seem inhuman; he is happily anticipating the opportunity to murder someone. Elizabethan opinions on Jews would be satisfied, and it would seem that Shakespeares interpretation of a typical Jew was the same bloodthirsty image as the audiences. This is then stressed by Gratianos insults towards Shylock in which he calls him a damned, inexorable dog and he also states that he is almost tempted to abandon his faith in Christianity and believe the ideas of Pythagoras, who was a philosopher who taught the belief of reincarnation. Gratiano states that Shylock would become wolf after death, as his desires are wolfish, bloody, starved and ravenous. Yet none of this affects Shylock, who would have greatly irritated the Elizabethan audience. He meets his match however in Portia. Upon her entrance in the courtroom she quite ignorantly states, Then must the Jew be merciful. She, of course, has the same view on Jewish people as the rest of the courtroom and when Shylock demands why he must be merciful, she tells not only Shylock, although her words are addressed to him, but the whole courtroom, about mercy. This is the strongest plea of the trial scene and it is also very mportant because it shows that Portia is not just a beautiful woman, but an intelligent one too. She says that: The quality of mercy is not strained; It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath; it is twice blest: It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes She continues to use very strong pleas of how mercy is at it strongest when it is a quality shown by those in power, in this case Shylock. Shylock demands justice and so Balthazar points out to Shylock one of the key points in her speech: Therefore Jew, Though justice be thy plea, consider this, That in the course of justice none of us Should see salvation Balthazar tells Shylock that if we all received justice and no mercy none of us would go to Heaven as we all have sins- Jews and Christians. This is Shylocks last chance to show mercy, take the money and be done with the situation but he will not turn back. He is very stubborn and to his delight Balthazar grants him is bonds. Shylock rejoices and pronounces how wise Balthazar is. Unknown to Shylock is the extent of Balthazars wisdom, as she has led him into a written trap. Antonio and Bassanio say goodbye to each other as Antonio awaits his fate; he eems as though it really is the end for Antonio until Balthazar interrupts the proceedings: Tarry a little; there is something else: This bond doth give thee here no jot of blood; The words expressly are a pound of flesh; Take then they bond, take thou thy pound of flesh, But in the cutting it, if thou dost shed One drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods Are (by the laws of Venice) confiscate Unto the state of Venice Suddenly, it is not Shylock who is shouting O learned judge! but Gratiano. Balthazar finds another technicality to stop Shylock from taking the pound of flesh as he must take exactly one pound of flesh, o more or less, if not he will be executed and all his goods confiscated. Shylock changes his mind at this point and decides he wants to take the money instead now that he knows of the consequences if he does take the bond. Bassanio is willing to give Shylock the three thousand ducats but Balthazar will not let Shylock have it, as he has refused it in the open court. Yet another law of Venice is brought to light and used against Shylock because, as he, an alien (not a citizen of Venice) has plotted to kill Antonio, a citizen, Antonio should be given half of his goods and the other half to the Duke. Antonio asks the Duke to waive the States share, and says he will hold his half-share in trust for Lorenzo and Jessica, provided that Shylock becomes a Christian and leaves his estate to Lorenzo and Jessica. Shylock accepts, claiming to be content and he leaves the courtroom a broken man. His behaviour now is completely different to the start of the scene. He has lost his power, his wealth and most importantly, his religious freedom. Throughout the play Shylock is isolated and alone. He only has one friend, who is Tubal and his only relative is Jessica, but when Jessica elopes, taking the money and family jewels, we see him taunted y Christians and tortured by Tubals news. He, as a Jew cannot be a merchant yet he is abused because he is a usurer, and he is forced to live in a Ghetto along with the other Jews, a place he does not want to live. Shakespeares use of language further alienates Shylock. Shakespeare wrote in Early Modern English and his vocabulary included 30000 words whereas today our vocabularies only run between 6000 and 15000 words. Shakespeare wrote the way he did for poetic and dramatic purposes, and he wrote in both prose (language without metrical structure and verse (poetry) and in The Merchant of Venice Shylock requently speaks in prose while the Christians use the iambic pentameter. Shylock also speaks a lot less than Portia and Bassanio because they use long, flourishing and descriptive ways of talking while Shylocks language is often blunt and he uses harsh words to describe things, such as his comparison of Antonio to a rat to be poisoned. Shylock has his own prose, and uses special Jewish vocabulary, which marks him as different and he constantly uses Hebrew names: Jacob, Abraham and Leah. However, there is more Christian language in The Merchant of Venice than in any other comedy, partly because of its story of the Jew. Shakespeare also makes Shylock very anti-Christian and he mocks the New Testament. (The audience would take this very personally). Another way in which the Christian language is shown is the relation between the story of Bassanio coming to Antonio for forgiveness and the parable of the prodigal son. The audience would pick up on these different kinds of language used, as they do sound different. It would also please the audience because lesser characters spoke in prose, and they would believe that Shakespeare too saw the Jews as an inferior race. But did he? Shylocks downfall would have been greatly welcomed by the ast majority of Elizabethan society but from a contemporary point of view, The Merchant of Venice can be seen as a cleverly written satire, which effectively criticizes the anti-Semitic views of his time. One of the ways in which Shakespeare accomplishes this critique is by emphasizing Shylocks character as a man rather than his identity as a Jew. What the play reveals is how some Christians are terrible men, as are some Jews. But the genius of The Merchant of Venice is that it allows us see past the surface of the religious identity that defines Shylock the Jew; beyond that Shakespeare allows s to glimpse Shylock the man who hates and bleeds as does any Christian. Shylock proclaims this when he asks, If you prick us, do we not bleed? Shakespeares genius gave the Elizabethan audience what they wanted but looking back we can see how this is very ironic and sarcastic in its tone towards anti-Semitism. This Jew is no longer a caricature and though he remains the villain, the evil is on more than one character. Shylock is a paradox because he is both the bloodthirsty, ravenous wolf Gratiano described him as and also the human victim of abuse that makes his revenge understandable. With this in mind, I doubt that a modern audience would be glad of Shylocks downfall. We would recoil from the hatred he expresses but we would sympathise once we hear of the way he is treated by Antonio. Yet in the courtroom scene these mitigating circumstances were ignored and so Shylock did not receive a fair trial by modern day standards. This adds to a contemporary audiences compassion towards Shylock and I think many people would find Shylocks punishment too harsh. Religious freedom is taken for granted by many in the western world and I also think that many people would want Antonio to be given some ind of punishment. We can see the man behind the murderer and although two wrongs dont make a right, Shylocks actions are understandable if we see him as a human being. So when can we call someone uneducated? In my opinion, a person with unjustified prejudices is educated, but with narrow-minded views. The most uneducated point of a persons life is when theyre a child; when they are first born. Elizabethan society fed their children these views and so we cannot blame Antonio directly. Shylock may have been a cut-throat usurer but he was not a dog and did not deserve to be spat at.

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Instead volunteers, community organisations and partner agencies should participate in the design and implementation process. Here empowering social workers might be another important aspect of community empowerment (Kirklees Partnership Involving Communities Framework, n.d). The Government should include the community at all stages of development projects to increase community engagement and community participation. Capacity building strengthening skills, potential and abilities of people in developing societies so that they can step out of their misery, and community participation actively engaged in designing, implementing and evaluating strategies to address a particular problem are essential to community empowerment (Debra, 2002). Both NGOs and the Government understand the need for community empowerment in Mauritius. Here are some examples of how the community is empowered: The Government has proposed to introduce a Community Empowerment Programme (CEP) with the objective of facilitating the community to make use of ICT to fully participate in the socio-economic development of the country. The CEP in line with the Government encourages the development of local content and creativity. The purpose of this initiative is to democratize access to information, provide comprehensive information about the country, namely its economic and social structure and stimulate the development and production of local content on the internet. This will enable Mauritians to use the internet more effectively and find solutions to the challenges in the community. It will provide a common platform for sharing local knowledge, a marketplace for project proposals, and discussion forums. People will also formulate and implement their own development projects by collaborating with other stakeholders (NCB, n.d). Another example would be the Work done by the Bel Ombre Foundation for Empowerment, which was founded in 2008. Their vision is to create an enabling 4 environment where each individual can realize his potential. This organisation aims at empowering the inhabitants of Bel Ombre to catch the development pace by investing in training, entrepreneurship and social integration. Ongoing projects include adult literacy programmes, supporting the local artisans and the fight against poverty (Bel Ombre Foundation for Empowerment, n.d). People should feel free to act upon their own ideas for the benefit of the community, so that they can be more creative and productive in their endeavours. For instance educating people is one initiative of community empowerment, which can be understood as aiding the individual to better understand his/her needs as well as societys needs, and find proactive measures to the challenges that society faces, without controlling the latter. At the same time, they feel a sense of belonging to the community. 2.2 Whom to empower? It is true that we are all part of society, and that we have needs, but there are other people who are in precarious situations and need a boost. However, it does not mean that they deserve better treatment than the common man. They should just be given a hand. For example; poor people, battered women, minority groups, the disabled and so on. Empowerment is also about sensitizing people who are in vulnerable positions or who are potentially weak in the social structure. As mentioned earlier, community empowerment sometimes necessitates campaigns to reach the target audience. However, there are sensitive issues that touch a large group of people and are not often discussed openly. E.g. Battered women. Hence, both the Government and NGOs focus on preventive measures. Due to the division of labour and stereotypes, women often occupy an inferior position in society and are victims of injustices by man. So, one initiative of the Government was to empower women. 5 Empower women According to reports from all over the world, women constitute a majority among activists in the community and a minority in leadership in the community (Sadan, 1997). The Ministry of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare insists on the reinforcement of capacity building of women, which can be achieved through education and training. The Government also provides the necessary support for women to launch businesses (Ministry of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare, 2010). The Ministry has organised workshops for women under the National Women Entrepreneur Council to enable them to develop their managerial skills and provide support to potential women entrepreneurs wishing to launch their own enterprise (Ministry of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare, 2010). The Women Entrepreneurship Development Programme has been launched in several regions of Mauritius, namely in Quartier Militaire, Triolet, Le Morne, Terre Rouge, Camp Thorel, Lallmatie, Ernest Florent and Pont Lardier and some 1800 women have benefitted from the programme (Ministry of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare, 2010). Empower the poor Since NGOs work at the grassroots level with the poor, they have been able to establish reciprocity, mutual understanding and build trust. The Government of Mauritius works in hand with NGOs to combat poverty. All stakeholders have come to realize that actions at the local level can be a first step to a national solution (Hurbungs, n.d). One of the first conditions for getting people out of the poverty trap is to make them take full responsibility for their lives. They should also be included in all stages of community projects, so that they feel valued and gain confidence. Another initiative adopted by the Government of Mauritius is developing actions based on the aspirations of the poor. For instance the poor prefer receiving aid to send their children to school with all the necessities 6 instead of receiving financial support to feed their hungry stomachs (Hurbungs, n.d). NGOs should help the poor become aware of their current realities and empower them to make their own choices about the future, initiate actions for their development and adopt a healthy lifestyle (Hurbungs, n.d). 2.3 Benefits of empowering a community When a community is empowered, people feel free to act within the society and at the same time associate a sense of belonging to it. Through community participation and capacity-building, they rediscover their own potential and gain confidence. They also feel worthy of the community, for the help they are providing to make a change. Community empowerment can initiate actions at individual level, which can reach community or even national levels. For example, someone victim of an accident, can gather a group of people it can be close friends, family, or even strangers who have joined for a good cause and help to sensitise others on road safety measures (Dr. Glenn, 2009). Development of small groups can initiate collective actions. It is also a means for practitioners to gain community service skills, leadership skills for some, management skills, develop empathy, broaden networks, form partnerships and bring about social cohesion (Dr Glenn, 2009). Community organisations offer the means to resolve societal problems. They include young groups, faith groups, community councils and associations. They have the power to mobilise resources. They development of community organisations requires some form of leadership and those who serve the community have better chances of developing community capacity and can become future leaders (Dr Glenn, 2009). Empowered individuals are able to influence the direction and implementation of a programme through their participation. They progress from a personal action to the point that 7 they are collectively involved. This can lead to gaining the power to influence economic, political and social action. They can therefore help others to empower themselves and gear them towards capacity building (Dr Glenn, 2009). 2.4 The role of the Government and NGOs in community empowerment The Government of Mauritius has the responsibility of catering for the people and has formulated laws to protect them and safeguard their rights. The Government acts as an authority figure. The political and administrative environment of a community directly affects the empowerment process (Phil, 2007) The environment includes a series of factors such as the laws, rules and regulations and practices of the civil society. The environment also covers the policies and practices of relevant Non-Governmental Organisations (Phil, 2007) In this regard, their task is to encourage community activities that enable the community to develop itself to be empowered. They should also help the community to initiate actions towards self-reliance, community empowerment and eradication of poverty (Phil, 2007). The Government should be able to modify Ministry regulations, modify legislative policies, support legislative committees responsible for legislative reform, provide guidelines and empower NGOs active in the related sectors, raise awareness through conferences, workshops, competitions and so on and pass relevant information through public media posters, radio, local TV, newspapers, and advertisements (Phil, 2007). NGOs are increasingly involved in capacity development. They lean towards developing skills and tools to strengthen the society. NGOs can have a significant impact on community development. However not all NGOs are in good terms with the Government and very often they lack resources and face many obstacles and unless they become partners with the Government, capacity building initiatives will continue to fail (Inger, 2009). 8 The Government should also offer training to practitioners so that they are well equipped at all phases of the process. More importantly the Government should provide support to NGOs which can lead to consistency and integration with each other. Support could be of financial and technical assistance for meetings, working committees and campaigns. According to the Mrs Sheila Bappoo (Â  Minister of Social Security, National Solidarity and Senior Citizens Welfare Reform Institutions), the Mauritian Government fully acknowledges the role of NGOs in community development. The Government has put in place an NGO Trust Fund which has the objective of helping vulnerable groups of the society so that they can lead a decent life. The Government provides support to numerous organisations who are actively involved in community empowerment. One such example is the the Youth Empowerment Programme which was implemented by a group of students from the University of Mauritius and the Force Vive des Quartier Reunies. The project had the objectives of developing leadership skills among children and at the same time encouraging community service by University students (MEF, 2011). The Government is actively involved in many such initiatives, and as we can see community empowerment begins with the common man. All we need is an idea and the will to bring about change. 9 3.0 Community empowerment strategies Community empowerment strategies include community development, community engagement, community participation and capacity building (Peter, 1996). Community development helps people to recognise and develop their abilities and potential and organise themselves to respond to problems and needs which they commonly share. It supports communities that control and use assets to promote social justice and help to improve the quality of community life (SCDC, n.d). In Maritius, the Community Development and Poverty Alleviation Project has been implemented by the Government and its budget extends to approximately 4 million Rupees. Community development requires the knowledge of people, their values and culture. People should be empowered to generate their own knowledge and use it to improve the quality of life. Therefore participation is necessary for community empowerment. Community development walks in hand with management. Community Services Management is a relatively new approach and it aims at empowering community workers and stakeholders to better assess and implement community based projects efficiently and cost effectively. Community Development also requires General Organisational Skills including financial skills. The emergence of professional management in such organisations denotes power. Community practitioners should be aware of the structure of the organisation to develop the required skills to effectively achieve its objectives. Finally, we cannot ignore the concept of Sustainable Development when speaking about development in Mauritius. The Government, NGOs, and the private sector recognise recognize that the environment, the economy and equity are irrevocably linked (Community Development and Poverty Alleviation Project, 2005). Community engagement is the process of involving people in decisions that affect them. This can mean involving communities in the planning, development and management of services. Moreover it consists of empowering the community to make decisions and to implement and manage change (DSE, 2011). 10 The Government envisioned the creation of a sustainable society with the implementation of the project Maurice Ile Durable (MID). In this regard, the Government encourages community members to initiate partnerships with multiple stakeholders and facilitates community engagement that supports people to express their vision for the community and initiate shared responsibility (Anneleos at al, n.d). Community participation refers to active engagement in designing, implementing and evaluating strategies to address a particular problem (Debra, 2002). The Government stresses upon the integration and participation of the youth in many aspects of the society. The Government also provides the opportunity for youngsters to engage in voluntary activities. One such programme is the National Youth Award which was launched in Mauritius in 1996. It is a sort of training programme which encourages personal delivery and growth, self-reliance, perseverance, responsibility to themselves and the community (Ministry of youth and sports, 2012). This programme under the Ministry of youth and sports supervised numerous activities which involved the participation of many national projects, namely Jeux de Lavenir, Jeux de Lespoir, Environmental Projects, Community Services and special vacances (Ministry of youth and sports, 2012). Capacity building involves strengthening the skills, potential and abilities of people in developing societies so that they can get out of their misery. Capacity-building programmes were established in Mauritius in view of poverty reduction. Since 2000, the IFAD (Funded Rural Diversification Programme) has been reaching out to more the 15 000 poor people. The programme has helped the poor to diversify their incomes and improve their standard of living. Under the Community Development and Poverty Alleviation Project, the Government adopts an approach to help the poor to get out of their own misery, by providing them with opportunities to generate their own income by empowering them (Community Development and Poverty Alleviation Project, 2005). 11 3.1 Limitations of community empowerment strategies Community empowerment strategies encompass several areas and require the participation, involvement, and commitment of various stakeholders. Implementing empowerment strategies also demands much time and effort. However they are good initiatives to empower the community, as explained previously. Community empowerment strategies have brought about numerous improvements in sectors such as poverty, health, environment, and society in general. The major obstacle to successful community empowerment is the lack of training in leadership development and organisational capacity building (Peter, 1996). NGOs NGOs have the possibilities to pass on information either by directly providing them to the public or helping the community to acquire access to information sources. NGOs can improve organisational assets by establishing new community organisations or improve on existing ones. They can also help people to get financial aid and material assets based on their needs and rights. Moreover, they do a great job in sensitizing and gathering people through health and education activities community engagement. Finally, since NGOs work at the grassroots level, they are more experienced and have genuine knowledge of the difficulties people find themselves in (Selibu, 2006). However, very often many obstacles hamper the empowerment process. Limitations to empowerment activities of NGOs arise from many sources. To start with, NGOs are constrained by the fact that they have little access to resources and less influence on policies and the law. Another factor would be that most NGOs are dependent on the developments made by the Government. NGOs are in most cases not in good terms with the Government, and this directly impacts their actions. Moreover, NGOs are limited by local factors such as inefficient institutional frameworks, weak relationships with the community and organisational problems within themselves. Consequently, in trying to respond to donors, the Government often lose sight of genuine empowerment needs of the community and cater for other demands from stakeholders (Selibu, 2006). 12 Risks factors When implementing empowerment strategies, risk factors should be anticipated and well-managed. The risk factors include time and planning limitations, possible lack of cooperation from stakeholders, incompatibility among methods used, diminished interest from community leaders, lack of additional funding and possible lack of resources for community leaders to impart their knowledge and skills (Community Development and Poverty Alleviation Project, 2005). Community organizations face enormous obstacles to repairing the social fabric of their communities, especially if society faces serious issues (e.g. high crime rate). This limitation is due in part to organizations inability to develop strategies and due to lack of resources (Peter, 1996). Moreover it is quite difficult to foster community participation and engagement, because people are not always free to participate in activities even if they can benefit from them. The community is also reluctant to form partnerships with stakeholders due to lack of trust. The community sometimes expects too much from the Government, and therefore is left with only aspirations and dreams. People have responsibilities and other concerns and they view community engagement and participation as an added burden. It can also be that information and whereabouts of campaigns and workshops are not evenly spread, considering low-budget organisations. Sometimes community leaders themselves are not committed to the project. Very often community activities are merged with politics, and are a means to monetary gain and enhanced image. As a matter of fact, community empowerment strategies fail their very own purpose due to lack of community involvement/participation/engagement. 3.2 Alternatives to increase community engagement and participation If an organisation wants to be truly accountable, it needs a strong system of organisational governance. Without a clear focus, it is impossible for community organisations to achieve significant impact. Hence, community organisations should be able to develop the element 13 of trust with the community (ICD, 2005). They should implement creative strategies so that the community is motivated to work with them. Both NGOs and Government organisations should address the different strategies including capacity building, physical projects, research and information and networking (ICD, 2005). Organisations should also display reliability, leadership and transparency. Empowerment programmes are not always easy to achieve. This is why organisations should review their own strategies. Participation and continuity It is necessary to work with the community in bringing awareness of the proposed activities and their benefits. It is also of significant importance to maximise community participation in planning, design, and implementation stages so that people develop sustained interest and ensure continuity of the particular project (Community Development and Poverty Alleviation Project, 2005). Management, supervision and monitoring The success of the projects will depend on proper management, supervision and monitoring. Practitioners should be given appropriate training in the field of project management. Progress should be monitored, to ensure that objectives are being fully achieved (Community Development and Poverty Alleviation Project, 2005). Engagement Community engagement is achieved if projects bear better outcomes. It is also very important to strengthen the relationship with the community. Community organisations should project the reputation of the organisation through their actions. Moreover they should develop increased understanding of community issues to form partnerships and broaden their networks (DSE, 2011). Leadership training Social workers and staff should possess the right skills to be able to reach the audience. Some practitioners often feel a lack of motivation and discontinue their service. Dealing with 14 people can be exhausting and frustrating. Therefore the Government should provide access to training sessions, information and networks. More than 20 training centres have been successful in teaching community organizations the skills needed to develop leaders and build strong community organizations in the US (Peter, 1996). Target vulnerable groups The Government should display involvement in the community. It should tackle issues that are of concern to the community education, emancipation of women, poverty, etc, and provide support by empowering them. E.g. Implementing poverty alleviation strategies. The Community organisations should also work with those who are potentially weak in the social structure. For example by educating the illiterates, providing economic support to vulnerable women, reduce vulnerability to HIV/AIDs and other health issues, and by collaborating with other organisations (SEM, 2012). Community organisations should themselves be empowered to adopt the best suitable approach to deal with people. The Government should promote community access to technology and information and also allocate a budget for community organisations to implement community empowerment programmes, for sensitization campaigns, workshops and working committees. Moreover, since media plays an important role in conveying information, media coverage of community initiatives should be improved. The common man should also be empowered to initiate action on a small basis and eventually be monitored for potential innovative ideas. It is also primordial to promote laws and regulations that give communities a voice (Peter, 1996). The Government of Mauritius has implemented the National Empowerment Foundation in this regard and has extended support and empowered numerous people. Some examples include; The Integrated Social Development programme setting up housing units at La Valette Bambous accounting to a total cost of Rs. 205 million and benefitted 200 families ; around Rs 1.1 billion allocated for programmes which include facilities for unemployed women, Integrated Social Development, circular migration, technical assistance to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) (NEF, 2009). 15 4.0 Critical Analysis Community empowerment strategies are effective measures to empower a community. Through community engagement, community participation, community development and capacity building, people are able to identify their potential and discover their abilities, participate in group discussion and activities, engage in implementation of important projects and can empower themselves so that they can overcome difficult social situations. As mentioned in the previous sections, community empowerment can benefit the community on a small basis as well as nationally. Community empowerment enables people to initiate actions based on their day-to-day experiences. It also creates a chain where the empowered individual in turn helps others to empower themselves by sharing experiences and forming partnerships. Community empowerment is a means for the community to broaden their networks and meet new and influential people. An empowered community can influence the social and economic aspects of a country to seek their rights. Moreover, when working with others for a collective cause, individuals acquire a sense of worthiness. Those actively involved in community work and community service can eventually become tomorrows leaders. Since community empowerment strategies deal with people, unforeseen events may arise. It is true that community empowerment is beneficial to the individual and the community, however people are not always free to engage in community activities. Moreover people are reluctant to indulge in community activities due to lack of trust, because very often activities are based on selfish grounds. For example; political parties showing interest in social activities for the sole purpose of enhancing the image of the Government. Other limitations of empowerment strategies include lack of cooperation from stakeholders, lack of funding and diminished interest from community leaders themselves. Finally, NGOs are limited in their actions due to lack of resources and dependence on the Gover

Empowerment in terms of theoretical perspectives: Exploring a typology of the process and components across disciplines Essay

Motivation and Empowerment Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Motivation has been defined as the various forces which can either be internal or external forces which cause an individual to become aroused and enthusiastic in their questing of pursuing a particular objective through a specific course of action (French, & Emerson, 2014). Motivational is normally brought about by the kind of reward that one is to gain after completion of certain actions. These rewards can be intrinsic which involves personal satisfaction; extrinsic rewards which are rewards given to another different person such as a pay increase and job promotions. A system-wide reward simply applies to all people within a certain category or group of people who perform similar duties within any given organization (French, & Emerson, 2014). Motivation leads to empowerment whereby empowerment simply means the act of sharing power or delegating of authority or power to the subordinates within an organization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Empowerment is part of motivation which helps in enhancing performance of the personnel within an organization (Hur, 2006). Empowerment has also been described simply as the ability and capability of an individual or a group of people to gain some form of understanding as well as the control over forces on issues related to their personal, economic, social and even political life. This is done in order for them to be able to certain actions which best suits them in improving and enhancing their situations in life (Bagheri, Matin, & Amighi, 2011). Empowerment is also considered as the process through which communities, groups of people and individuals are enabled to have a grasp on power and take effective actions in gaining social justice, efficacy and greater control in terms of changing the environment within which they live as well as their lives. Elements/ Components of empowerment   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are various components or elements of empowerment which include: Access to information and the flow of information from the source; Accountability; Strategy sharing; Inclusion and participation; Authority and power sharing as well as the relevant training. It is important that people should be provided with information that is relevant and the information needs to flow from the source to the recipient in a systematic manner (Hur, 2006). Empowerment also requires training so that one has got the necessary skills and knowledge that will enable to handling the power or authority delegated to them (Bagheri, Matin, & Amighi, 2011). Training will help to impart the skills required in achieving the goals and objectives set out within an organization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Accountability is also a component of empowerment whereby an individual is required to know what is expected. Individuals should be able to understand the impact and the meaning that their job has within the community or organization so that they are able to make decisions which are substantive and in line with the objectives of the organization or community. Another component of empowerment is inclusion and participation which leads to collaboration and teamwork (Bagheri, Matin, & Amighi, 2011). People or personnel to be empowered needs to be included and engaged in active participation in the operations within the organization. This helps in enhancing innovation and creativity within an organization as well as motivates the employees to take charge of their actions. For complete empowerment, there must be the component of authority or power sharing with the subordinates (Narayan, & Workshop on Measuring Empowerment. (2005). The people ne ed to be given the authority or power to perform certain duties and take certain course of actions so that they can be able to bring change to their situation and their environment. References Bagheri, G., Matin, H., & Amighi, F. (2011). The Relationship between Empowerment and Organizational Citizenship Behavior of the Pedagogical Organization Employees. Iranian Journal Of Management Studies, 4(2), 53-62. French, P., & Emerson, M. C. (2014). Assessing the Variations in Reward Preference for Local Government Employees in Terms of Position, Public Service Motivation, and Public Sector Motivation. Public Performance & Management Review, 37(4), 552-576. doi:10.2753/PMR1530-9576370402 Hur, M. (2006). Empowerment in terms of theoretical perspectives: Exploring a typology of the process and components across disciplines. Journal Of Community Psychology, 34(5), 523-540. Narayan, D., & Workshop on Measuring Empowerment. (2005). Measuring empowerment: Cross-disciplinary perspectives. Washington, DC. Source document

Beer Commerical Essay

When you cork off the top of a Guinness beer you inhale the smell of unroasted malted Marley. The smell and taste you experience gives you sense of satisfaction. The video persuades you that the types of individuals that drink this beer are ones who care and respect others. Individuals that believe that â€Å"The choices we make reveal the true nature of our character. † The introduction is the most important feature of this commercial. Because there is no dialog, the visuals are what tell the story. The commercial begins with the song playing right on cue of the ball missing the goal. If you notice, the video is in slow motion at this point. When the ball comes down and is rebounded the camera is repositioned on the guys rolling down the court to symbolize how strenuous these guys are working. Their dedication is displayed not only by the looks on their faces when the camera is zoomed in, but by the sweat dripping aimlessly down their brows. Consequently, the announcer comes on and states dedication when one of the men fall down in the wheelchair trying to retrieve the ball but instantly gets back up to get back in the game This is not only emotionally appealing to the audience because they are playing the diligent game of basketball, but because these guys have to work even harder due to the fact that they are paraplegics. The final goal is made and all but one of the guys gets up from their wheelchair which visualizes the devotion these guys demonstrate to the one guy who actually is handicap. Once again this an attempt from the creators of this commercial to emotionally appeal to its audience by representing the loyalty of playing basketball in the most unbiased way possible to a paraplegic friend. The music in the background plays an important role in this commercial. The Cinematic Orchestra – To Build a Home is very inspirational to the visuals to this commercial. The tempo perfectly aligns with the events in this storyline. It begins with this slow tempo to signify the sadness in the events but then climaxes when the goal is made and shows that not everyone in this video is actually in a wheelchair and it finalizes when the tempo becomes lowered and constant symbolizing a calm and collectiveness that we are all the same despite our differences. Guinness consumers alone are not the only intended audience of this commercial. This was meant to appeal to younger and older audiences. The younger audiences benefit from the choice of music which is The Cinematic Orchestra. The older audiences benefit from a beer commercial. This commercial is very simple. Its intent is not for you to focus on the fact that paraplegics have it harder in life, or the intensity from the sport of basketball. It’s merely about the three main principles these individuals exhibit. It’s about the Dedication, Loyalty, and Friendship. This character is defined as the type of people who drink Guinness Beer.