Did Women Enjoy a Higher Status in Early or Late Medieval Societies Essay

Did Women Enjoy a Higher Status in Early or Late Medieval Societies - Essay Example It is important to note from the onset that the family structure in the early Middle Ages was highly patriarchal in nature in that as much as women had rights; the rights of their male counterparts superseded theirs. Bennett (2000, p.142) while quoting the great feminist historian Eileen Power states that the overall status of women during the medieval periods was one characterized with serious problems rife with a culture of misogyny. This assumes female inferiority and a social structure that invests considerable power on the life of men over that of women (Power and Postan 2012, p.22). For example in some societies like Germany and the Roman empire during the medieval times women were of little significance and were seen as objects especially in marriage and family settings. Even in marriage, the man was seen as the head of the union that authoritatively shows that the freedom of the woman both in early and late medieval period was greatly curtailed. Although the women were consid ered inferior during the Middle Ages, some possessed extraordinary power and ability to perform some of the duties and privileges reserved for men. Some of the important and revered women of the middle ages include Hildegard of Bingen, Christine de Pizan and Eleanor of Aquitaine amongst others who were very successful in one aspect of the society or the other. While there is a common belief that women possessed no rights in the Middle Ages, there are situations that show that some societies treated women well especially with the introduction of chivalry that instilled respect for women. Women’s Inheritance during the Medieval Ages Women could not administrate directly their patrimony and laws on hereditary could not favour them whatsoever due to the fact that it was assumed that the women belonged to their parents while they were nubile and to their husbands while in matrimony. Also, the women in medieval period could not divorce their husbands and were not allowed to own any property unless they were widows or inherit property from their parents if they had male siblings. As much as inheritance was greatly controlled by men in the medieval society, some women could make decisions as to the inheritance of property. Most women with vast resources chose to give their property to charities while others sponsored projects such as the construction of roads and bridges that was deemed as missionary in nature. In historical discussions, a woman by the name Frideborg a rich widow who decreed that her daughter should distribute her inheritance to the poor upon her death while in the pagan Germanic society and the Old Icelandic societies, widows had more control over their own finances other women (Wicker 2012, p. 262). The fact that women were buried with their earthly belongings combined with competitive displays of wealth and abundance the women in medieval society lived in. According to Herlihy (1975, pp.1-22), the more the hopes of the woman surviving improv ed and her number of relatives improved the more her social position deteriorated. Therefore, in the early medieval property systems, women had a control over their inheritance and a role in controlling their assets. They however lost this control as the wealth trickled down generations where the control of the inheritance withered (Herlihy 1985, pp.11-13). For those women who wielded wealth and status in the medieval ages, their most important

The Corporate Manslaughter Reform Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Corporate Manslaughter Reform - Essay Example This is but a logical consequence of the very nature of corporations' artificial personality in connection with what possible penalty they could be made to suffer. But the famous case of R. v. P & O Ferries (Dover) Ltd. 93 Cr App Rep 72 (or the famous Herald of Free Enterprise case) have challenged this idea and the courts' decision was to formally recognise that these corporations can be made criminally liable for manslaughter. This decision is taken to mean as holding the corporation itself directly criminally liable for manslaughter (as if the corporation have acted independently on its own to constitute mens rea and actus reus) aside from the individual liabilities of its directors or officers. The US Supreme Court as well in 1909 (along the same line of thought on corporate criminal liability) held that corporations could be held liable criminally for acts or omissions including failure of an agent acting within the scope of his employment. From here, there were recent cases which have stated that a corporation will be held vicariously liable for the illegal acts of its employees if the employees act within the scope of their authority and intend to benefit the corporation. In both jurisdictions (UK and the United States), corporate criminal liability is without question recognised. The Problem of the Second Element of the Offence in Government's Proposed Draft Bill Reform on Corporate Manslaughter Corporate manslaughter is a homicide for a corporation. This means that a natural person is made to answer for criminal liabilities as if it were a natural person being held to answer for the consequences of a criminal act. Taken from... The researcher of this essay states that it is but proper to mention some basic concepts of corporate criminal liability as a preliminary before taking up the crucial issues involved in the Corporate Manslaughter: The Government’s Draft Bill for Reform. Corporate criminal liability is one of those hotly debated topics. One issue that attracts much attention is whether a corporation should be at "fault" before liability is imposed, and precisely what "corporate fault" means. In other words, what liability standard should be required before imposing liability on the corporation. For example, should liability be imposed when the corporation is negligent, when it acts "knowingly," whenever harm occurs regardless of the "fault" of the corporation, or some other liability standard? This essay addresses this issue and provides some deterrence-based insights into the choice of liability standards for corporate crime. The researcher mentiones that there were recent cases which have sta ted that a corporation will be held vicariously liable for the illegal acts of its employees if the employees act within the scope of their authority and intend to benefit the corporation. In both jurisdictions (UK and US), corporate criminal liability is without question recognised. The proposed Corporate Manslaughter Law aims to tackle the identification principle by providing a new basis - a test that focuses on management failure at senior level within the organization instead of focusing on the negligent act of an individual employee.

Business Process Diagram Samples Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Business Process Diagram Samples - Essay Example 1.  The activities of the different departments of a company operate on a set of processes known as the Business Processes of the organization. The case of a retail company, ABC desiring to track its sales requires the creation of a business process. This business process is depicted by the construction of a flow diagram carving out the entire business process needed for tracking sales. (Business Process Diagram Samples). The diagram generated for a business process consists of graphical figures linked unto each other reflecting a constant flow of activities. (White, 1-3). 2.   The requirement to design a business process arises from the situation in solving a specific business problem which can range from operations to customer care and can even encompass the warehouse operations. (Business Process Diagram Samples).   However the design of the business process must be made keeping a focus that it helps in a better understanding of the complex business functions. Thus geometric al figures like square, circle, rectangle, and triangle are employed connected by flow lines depicting the various functions.   (White, 1-3). 3.   Designing the diagrams for business processes helps in probing into the details of the business operations with needful precision. This detailing of business activities helps in effective monitoring and controlling of business functions which in turn enhances the quality of goods and services produced. (White, 1, 8). 1.  

"Verbicide" Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

"Verbicide" - Assignment Example One challenge that people face is not the lack of knowledge of the language, but a lack of coherence in speaking it. This challenge has been occasioned, partly because the society is greatly specialized. This specialization has led to the division of language segments, each for a different and distinct sector of development for example. The language used, say in electrical engineering is strictly confined and distinct in that particular field. This confinement has meant that our language is sorted out based on the various accepted disciplines in our society. An electrical engineering student finds it difficult communicating on anything else besides electrical engineering. A person’s capacity to think as a whole has significantly been compromised as the language of the expert cannot explain the general state of our practical life. The battle against language is championed by people who subvert the vocabulary used by the general public. This selfish act is all in a bid to controlling others by availing biased meanings to particular issues. This has resulted in a gradual slow death of our vocabulary. The effect has been a situation where the people cannot define the problems that they face. This issue has brought about a quagmire of accumulated and unsolved problems. The words that the people cannot adequately describe these same imaginations. Another major problem is the decline in the experience of the world both in terms of range and depth. The decline has been so great that experience is rendered artificial. It is now hard to come across people who are skilled in working on farms or in forests. The vocabulary in such intimate areas has been rendered impoverished. Even when the people have the world’s experience, it is usually confined to non-participatory realms that make it artificial. Language plays a critical role in ensuring teamwork both in informal settings and at the workplaces. The issues affecting language are,

Children's Books Should be Censored Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Children's Books Should be Censored - Essay Example If publishers and distributors will not take responsibility for the content of their product, then we need to monitor our children's books, and censor those with the most violent and offensive content. Widespread censorship and wholesale book banning may not seem to be a practical solution in the complex world that we live in. Filtering out books that have offensive messages may be a never ending task for which there is no end. However, we can ban a book from our libraries and public schools when common sense tells us it runs afoul of accepted sensibilities. The Supreme Court may guarantee freedom of speech, but it does not grant an audience and it does not guarantee a space in a public school classroom. We regulate movies based on content, provide ample warning on the packaging, and restrict access to them based on age. Censorship goes beyond the simple act of forbidding production, it resides in the gray area of proper labeling and age appropriate access. Viewing material that is inappropriate for a young mind can have a profound and lasting impression on a child. As more violent and offensive material becomes available in our public schools and libraries, it filters down to younger children. A child's imagination will act out and emulate the characters they read about with the assumption it is fact and therefore acceptable. Left unchecked, violence and horror can have a severe psychological effect on children younger than 8 years old. The belief that children can tell the difference between reality and fiction at this age does not prove to be the case when subjected to scientific scrutiny. According to the University of Wisconsin's Joanne Cantor, "It's especially ineffective to try to calm children in this age group by telling them that what they have seen is not real" (Cantor). Children will believe what they have read and it can carry a lasting effect that will permanently mold a mind with an unrealistic view of the world and rein force crude, violent, and inappropriate behavior. Censorship should reach beyond the sexually charged, profane, and graphic violence that is only the most visible sign of inappropriate children's literature. Messages that are racist, sexist, and derogatory can desensitize children to the callus and inflammatory remarks that find their way into books and into our libraries. In the book "One Fat Summer" which the publisher says is appropriate for 12 and up, a young man fears jumping from a diving board. He laments in his fright, "... they kept screaming for me to jump, to show I was a man; if I didn't jump I couldn't be a man, I'd be a fag all my life" (Lipsyte, 207). A 12-year-old will likely repeat this slur against the gay community and use it with the mistaken belief that it is an acceptable form of public speech. Messages that are contained in derogatory images of social, ethnic, or racial groups are as common and just as powerful as overt violence, yet they may lay hidden in an otherwise placid story of kindness and sincerity. We control every other aspect of our child's education and we should also control what they read. We scrutinize their math, grammar, and history books for accuracy. Why should we treat children's litera

Project Planning - Integrating Professional Experience Essay

Project Planning - Integrating Professional Experience - Essay Example These same naysayer would also argue that the plan, once completed is disregarded and merely put on the shelf so the team can get down to doing some real work. To people management, we mean the planning activity that involves deciding on the types of people in form of resources that are required to fulfill the requirements of the project. In other words the types of skills and number of workers we need to complete the project (kwysocki, 1997). In this chapter, we will discuss about planning. What kind of role planning plays? Does it works in Governmental Infrastructure Projects? We will start this chapter with general talk about planning. Whenever we talk about the methods involved in the project management we normally refer those methods towards the management of people as well as resources. The management of people is the management of workers. Management of people guides us about the roles and duties that a worker can perform in a project for making a project successful. It also g uides management what type of staff should reserve for a specific project. How management will take advantage of skilled workers to making a project successful. Project Management plays an important role in Government Infrastructure Projects (Kerzner, 2003). Planning is a basic element of project management which allows management to make plan needed for the completion of project. As such, it is a most important feature of intellectual actions. This thought action is required to the creation and improvement of a plan, or integration of it with other plans, that is, it merge forecasting of developments with the research of situation of how to take action to them. The Word Planning is also used for explaining the appropriate actions used in such an effort, including preparation of documentation, designing work, or meetings to discuss about the main issues in project, how to achieve objectives, and what approach should be followed. Further than this, the

Andrew Jackson Essay Example for Free

Andrew Jackson Essay Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States, deserves to have his picture engraved on the twenty-dollar bill. Jacksons perilous military achievement and leadership as well as democratic principles demonstrated during his presidency have made a significant contribution to American history and political life. Andrew Jackson led his troops to decisive victories against the Creeks in Alabama and against the British in New Orleans. In the war of 1812 the Creek Indians, British allies, had threatened the southwestern borders of the United States. A major general in the Tennessee militia, Jackson with the help of his troops successfully defeated the Creek Indians in 1814 at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. He was able to overcome shortages of supplies and food. In addition, he was able to curb two potential mutinies and lead a successful campaign against the Creeks. A second major battle that brought recognition to Jackson was the Battle of New Orleans. An impressive aspect of this battle was that in spite of Jackson being greatly outnumbered with his army of 5,000 men against the British army of 8,000, Jackson was able to win with minimal casualties to his troops compared to the British who suffered greater losses. These two military triumphs earned Jackson acclaimed national military fame. After the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, Jacksons men acknowledged his toughness by calling him Old Hickory because he was as tough as Hickory Wood. His stunning victory at New Orleans gave Jackson status as a national hero because he gave Americans confidence in their ability to defend their new liberty. As a strong president, Andrew Jackson led reforms for the common man and created a more balanced central government. Jackson believed that the common man should have a place in society. He governed with the principle to let the people rule. Under his leadership, he and his followers issued reforms to reduce the long workdays and allow the average man to earn a greater share of the nations wealth. Wanting economic opportunity for all men, Jackson acted on his leadership skills to protect the rights of farmers, artisans, and small shopkeepers from the selfish interests of large  businesses and monopolies. Jackson wanted to help common Americans by letting them have a say in politics. He allowed many people to vote than ever before, therefore making the government more directly responsible to the people. He believed that the president should use full power as granted by the constitution. In that capacity, he made the most presidential vetoes than all the presidents before him. Jacksons use of the presidential veto was an effective measure to create a more balanced central government by decentralizing power in both the executive and legislative branch making them equal to each other. This set an effective standard for presidential procedure. Never hesitant, Jackson argued with the Supreme Court or Congress when their positions conflicted with the best interests of all the people. Jacksons efforts to make reforms for the common man and his ability to balance the power of the federal government made a lasting impression on American democracy. Jacksons achievements, as a military general as well as his leadership as the seventh president of the United States, give him the rightful recognition to have his image on the twenty dollar bill. As a general, Jackson was able to make quick and wise decisions to lead his troops to prevail through challenging military operations. As president, he left a lasting legacy to improve the conditions of the common man and to strengthen the office of the presidency. He shall always be remembered for granting people a greater voice in government by giving voting rights to non-land owners and replacing an aristocratic cabinet with people of more humble means. Jackson is regarded with respect for strengthening the office of the president through the use of veto, and rendering equality in power to both the executive and legislative branches. These aspects of his presidential administration have become a standard for todays modern presidency.