Developing Cultural Competence in Nursing

Developing Cultural Competence in Nursing Christopher Mason Cultural Interview with Patrick de Mendoza The culture in which we are raised greatly influences our attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviors. Our families taught us how to believe about and treat people who were different than we are. In order to provide sensitive and effective care to persons from cultures that are different from our own, two things must occur: An awareness of one’s own cultural values and beliefs and a recognition of how they influence our attitudes and behaviors. An understanding of the cultural beliefs and values of others and how they are influenced by them (Wintz Cooper, 2009, p. 7). I interviewed Patrick de Mendoza, a 37 year old Mexican-American male. My intentions in conducting this interview were to learn more about how a person from the Hispanic heritage experiences health care in the United States compared to someone of the Caucasian background. Patrick and I are close friends with similar interests. I never saw him as Hispanic, only as American. I never considered us to be very different. The fact is, he is of Mexican and Spanish decent and I am of European and Native American decent. While we have similar ideas on our outlooks to the future, there are differences in the way we were raised and the views we were taught to believe. This article will compare and contrast our views of and encounters with healthcare. When asked about how closely he identified with his ethnic background, he stated, â€Å"90% of my friends are Mexican, as in either 1st or 2nd generation Mexican-American. There is an importance placed on how far away generationally we are from having lived in Mexico. First generation means both parents are full-blooded Mexican. I am 2nd generation.† (P. de Mendoza, personal communication, February 20, 2014) Even though Patrick has been raised in the U.S., his upbringing was based on Mexican traditions. In his home English and Spanish are spoken. He doesn’t speak Spanish fluently and is more comfortable speaking English. He says regarding personal space and dialogue, â€Å"there is very small personal space and dialogue can go to the male or female. However, you have to jump in and speak if you want to be heard. Typically the Spanish dialogue is very energetic.† (P. de Mendoza, personal communication, February 20, 2014) As a Hispanic, Patrick was raised Roman Cat holic. He was taught to not only respect his elders, but to pitch in and help wherever he could to help his family and community. When asked what his culture believed about health, Patrick said that most Mexicans in the United States get what they need when they are sick by crossing the border back to their family or physicians their family knows and uses in Mexico. â€Å"I have a jaded opinion of the American healthcare system knowing that I can get the drugs or treatment I need faster and cheaper in Mexico.† (P. de Mendoza, personal communication, February 20, 2014) Patrick says, â€Å"I personally have a bias against the old school white male clinician that I am likely to see during a doctor visit. It is more textbook question after question and less inviting.† (P. de Mendoza, personal communication, February 20, 2014) Having said that, he did explain that in Mexico you a more likely to see a physician who is more involved and interested in what will make you feel b etter. Funny enough, Patrick laughed and said, â€Å"That’s real too!† (P. de Mendoza, personal communication, February 20, 2014) When I asked Patrick if he would prefer to have a physician from his culture, he said, he would probably be more open with someone from his culture. However, if not, he would hope to see a qualified physician to whom he could relate. On a more positive note, Patrick told me that in the Latin culture mental illness such as schizophrenia and Down syndrome are not looked down upon but instead are accepted by the family and the community. â€Å"You come together as a community to provide whatever they need and to offer support for not just the mentally ill but also for the physically ill, grieving, and the indigent.† (P. de Mendoza, personal communication, February 20, 2014) I asked Patrick what role his culture and religion played in his up-bringing. In a very earnest response, he replied, â€Å"I think in Mexican heritage we really val ue family life.† (P. de Mendoza, personal communication, February 20, 2014) Society did not dictate how he was disciplined even though the Mexican population is Roman Catholic as a culture. When I asked him about his own health, he replied that he becomes quite overwhelmed with the stress of being a pre-school teacher. He added, how a person carries their stress determines how healthy or sickly they may be. Patrick felt he could be healthier and that he could better his own situation using diet, exercise, and stress management. In 2003, the Institute of Medicine recognized that an increasing number of studies focusing on disparities in healthcare validated the view of racial and ethnic minorities as credible assessments. For example the biased views often held by Mexican-Americans toward their physician have a true influence on the patient as well as the physician. While the patient questions competency and may disrespect the physician because he is culturally different and not of the same ethnicity, conversely the physician’s perspective is often influenced by the patient’s avoidance of treatment and difficulty in communication (Blendon et al., 2007). In my interview with Patrick he reinforced this point by saying, â€Å"The relationship you have with a physician or nurse determines the types of questions they are free to ask and how freely you will answer them.† (P. de Mendoza, personal communication, February 20, 2014) Very personal questions, sexual in nature or concerning abortion are purposefully not answered if a patient assesses the physician as not caring or trust worthy. Trying to get answers out of him as a patient would be very taxing for a physician with whom he felt no bond or trust, even to the detriment of his health. Latin heritage is structured with a religious upbringing of Roman Catholicism that deters conversations concerning contraception and abortion. Abortion is a religious belief not a physician’s advice or a recommendation of a healthcare practitioner. A first visit is very different and although Patrick says he would probably be very reserved, he would give that physician the opportunity to build a trusting relationship. With his healthcare experiences at Kaiser Permanente, in particular, he has had no continuity of care and has received most of his treatment from nurses and nurse practitioners. Exasperated, Patrick commented, â€Å"I am likely to see a physician for about 5 seconds, if at all.† (P. de Mendoza, personal com munication, February 20, 2014) Again he repeated, â€Å"†¦ and that’s real too!† (P. de Mendoza, personal communication, February 20, 2014) Contrary to most Mexican-Americans, Non-Hispanic whites in the United States are in some ways more compelled by logic than culture when sick and dealing with healthcare. As far back in time as I can remember, if I became ill my mother either called the doctor or took me to the doctor’s office for a visit. I believe in western medicine, but my physician spoke the same language I did and I had health insurance that helped to pay for services. Rationally, it makes sense to go to the person who has the knowledge to solve the problem you are having. If you are having car trouble you go to the auto-mechanic. If you are having issues with your roof leaking, you call the roofer. If you are having complications within your body, you call the person who knows the most about the human body. Traditionally, for Caucasians in America whose grandparents’ grandparents were U.S. settlers, that person is a physician. Whether for a slight cold or a broken limb, I saw the doctor. I never had any problems getting an appointment because I never really had to have one. I very simply went to the office and signed in. Usually there was somewhat of a wait, but the time was well worth the medical resolution. I saw the same physician my father always had. When he retired his son took over his practice and he is still my physician today. â€Å"Since our hospitals were built by European Americans for European Americans, their values such as autonomy, independence, and privacy prevail in our institutions. Patients who have immigrated†¦ often value the family over the individual or view the male head of household as the decision maker for the patient† (Galanti, 2001). The hospital staff maintains that patients should want to gain their independence as a part of a healthy outcome (Galanti, 2001). Health outcomes are certainly affected by socio-economic advantage and cultural non-minorities benefit from higher rates of employment, acquisition of insurance, as well as choice and quality of health services. Mental health is another area where Mexican-Americans and Non-Hispanic whites differ. Both populations seem to have contrasting ideas about the causation of psychiatric illness which affect the roles family members play in treatment and recovery. The Hispanic culture is accepting of the person regardless of the ailment. The Mexican perspective accepts and expresses less blame, embarrassment and stigmatization than what I have personally witnessed in my own culture. I had an uncle who was an alcoholic. In the community and in the family people expressed a common feeling of disgust for him. My brothers and I were always told, â€Å"Stay away from Paul, he drinks too much.† Whether a genetic disorder such as Down syndrome or complication from drug use during pregnancy, the child is accepted with open arms and warmth. Patrick proudly stated, â€Å"The family and community comes together as one to pitch in and help those who suffer from perhaps schizophrenia or alcoholism. It is a cultural fundament to actively participate and help.† (P. de Mendoza, personal communication, February 20, 2014) Patrick’s mother suffers from schizophrenia. He says, â€Å"Every one of all ages is expected to chip in and make sure the person suffering is not left behind to suffer alone.† (P. de Mendoza, personal communication, February 20, 2014) Patrick continued with high spirits telling me that Latin America is very conversational rather than a more reserved culture where some things are not discussed. â€Å"There is a comfort in everyone chiming in; no one is labeled or shunned because they share a different opinion from the rest of the group. We are an open forum.† (P. de Mendoza, personal communication, February 20, 2014) Culture and ethnicity create a unique pattern of beliefs and perceptions as to what â€Å"health† or â€Å"illness† actually mean. In turn, this pattern of beliefs influences how symptoms are recognized, to what they are attributed and how they are interpreted, and effects how and when health services are sought. (Anderson, Scrimshaw, Fullilove, Fielding, Normand, 2003, p. 68) Utilization or lack thereof is not always due to an absence of medical facilities or health insurance. Sometimes there isn’t a language barrier that keeps someone from having a conversation with a healthcare practitioner. Even as there is a growing population of medical professionals of the Hispanic ethnicity as well as other minorities, generally most Mexican-Americans expect their primary practitioner to be an older white male. In Patrick’s view, this acts as a deterrent to the United States healthcare system for most Mexican-Americans. While Patrick’s idea of the physician’s ethnicity may inhibit most of his Mexican-American friends; this is an image of a provider that I am used to. As bravado as Patrick’s culture is, for 8 of 9 of his closest friends the head of the family is the grand-ma, abuelita. â€Å"We often take the opinion of our elders, grand-mother or uncle who you know are on your side.† (P. de Mendoza, personal communication, February 20, 2014) At this point Patrick has an HMO. He says, â€Å"Doctors are not advocating for me.† (P. de Mendoza, personal communication, February 20, 2014) If he sought a physician’s advice, the recommendation always comes from family and friends. Longstanding in Mexican culture, many tend to go over the boarder to have procedures performed. Patrick said, â€Å"I don’t know if it is of the same quality as U.S. healthcare, but unless you have a really good job with excellent insurance coverage and a strong bond with your physician, then you trust the people your family go to when they are sick.† (P. de Mendoza, personal communication, February 20, 2014) Shocking to me, he added, â€Å"I have friends that are in the military with great healthcare, but they still go to Mexico to get procedures they need because their families went there.† (P. de Mendoza, personal communication, February 20, 2014) The Clinical Nurse Leader character was formed by the AACN in 2006 to afford headship across all aspects of our health care organization (Shipman, Stanton, Hankins, Odom-Bartel, 2013). Patrick felt that miscommunication and a lack of cultural understanding leads to mistrust. He said, The more you trust a doctor the better relationship you have and the more inclined you are to talk about your personal issues and relationships. When I’m referring to going over the border, I’m speaking of seeing the family doctor. It does say a lot to have a family doctor because you have a history with someone who can identify with your beliefs (P. de Mendoza, personal communication, February 20, 2014). As a Clinical Nurse Leader, we are responsible for advocating for the patient and for fostering communication between patients, their families or care takers and nurses and physicians alike. The involvement of a CNL in patient treatment could soon be as prevalent in health care facilities as physician assistants and nurse practitioners are now. CNLs could put programs in place for retaining and recruiting diverse staff. This would provide a deeper well of knowledge of beliefs and practices from many cultures not just one or two. Another obligation of all practitioners and specifically Nurse Leaders is to ensure that educational materials are available that are culturally and linguistically appropriate for each clients’ cultural history. Our patients should feel as though their Clinical Nurse Leaders have given them the tools to actively be involved in their own health treatment. These are basic cultural competencies that, when implemented, further the cultural riches within he alth facilities already available to diverse communities. A Clinical Nurse Leader, having specific training in cultural awareness, will hopefully creatively lessen communication barriers, facilitate the integration of larger knowledge bases of ethnic health beliefs, as well as better conditions and practices. To provide an equal quality of healthcare to everyone hardly means treating all patients the same. In order to give optimal health care to everyone, all professionals must consider humanity’s many differences, attempt to know each client, and tailor treatment to the individual. We could also work with area providers in sensitivity training helping them to become aware of their beliefs that work to marginalize other ethnicities. (Anderson et al., 2003, p. 72) I hope that these accomplishments and goals toward quality of care are realized in the near future. It is senseless for a country as advanced as the United States is to have such a miraculous body of medical and biologic knowledge, if we fail to use that information to optimize the health situations of all the people that make-up our society. Patrick felt his health was not at its best due to the amount of stress he experiences. He felt his health could be transformed by more positive thinking, setting realistic goals, eating better, and exercising. As Clinical Nurse Leaders, we should be promoting inter-professional team care and embracing not an alternative system, but a complimentary treatment approach to the patient as a whole. References Anderson, L. M., Scrimshaw, S. C., Fullilove, M. T., Fielding, J. .E., Normand, J., (2003). Culturally competent healthcare systems: a systematic review. American journal of preventive medicine, 24(3), 68–79. doi: 10.1016/S0749-3797(02)00657-8 Blendon, R. J., Buhr, T., Cassidy, E. F., Perez, D. J., Hunt, K. A., Fleischfresser, C., . . . Herrmann, M. J. (2007). Disparities In Health: Perspectives Of A Multi-Ethnic, Multi-Racial America. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.26.5.1437 Galanti, G. A. (2001). The challenge of serving and working with diverse populations in American hospitals. Diversity Factor, 9(3), 21-26. Shipman, S., Stanton, M., Hankins, J., Odom-Bartel, R. (2013). INCORPORATION OF THE CLINICAL NURSE LEADER IN PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICE. Journal of Professional Nursing, 29(1), 4-10. doi: 10.1016/j.profnurs.2012.04.004

Bad Choices Essay -- essays research papers

Bad Choices Choices, everyone goes through them sometimes you make good ones and sometimes you make bad ones. In my case I’ve mad a lot of bad choices in my Junior year of High School. I’ve learned the hard way about making bad choices, lying, and being disrespectful to my family. In some ways I think learning the hard way was good for me, otherwise I might not have learned at all. After being in trouble and experiencing the worst of my past high school years, I have new motivation to get everything straight with my life. August 28th was the first day I decided to stay home from school and the start of my long and dreadful skipping school experience. I had no logical reason for not going to school, I just didn’t care at the time and needed a reality check. After the first couple days of not going to school it became a â€Å"I don’t care† and â€Å"One more day wont hurt† mentality. I was ditching 2 to 3 days a week in the beginning of the third week of school. On October the first I skipped school once again and surprisingly my mom showed up unexpectedly at home and got a notice from the school about my excessive absences at school. My mom was outraged and disappointed. When I got home, choked up embarrassed and feeling so stupid, I had to look into my moms eyes and tell her that I hadn’t been going to school and that I had lied to her about my grades and absences. I didn’t have a explanation for my mom or a excuse I told her straight out that I had no reason to and that she didn’...

My Family: A Subculture :: Sociology Sociological Papers

My Family: A Subculture Everyone in the world belongs to a subculture. Each subculture has its own sets of traditions, relics, and artifacts. Relics and artifacts are symbolic, material possessions important to one's subculture. Relics are from the past; artifacts are from the present. These traditions, relics, and artifacts help shape the personalities of individuals and how they relate with others. Individuals know about these items through storytelling in the subculture. Families are good examples of subcultures. My family, a middle-class suburban Detroit family of Eastern European heritage, has helped shape who I am through story telling about traditions, artifacts, and relics. Throughout my life, I've heard many different stories about my family. Because of these stories, I know about my background, and they have helped form my identity. Randall Bass, professor of English at Georgetown University, agrees that stories help shape people's identities. Bass states that, "Individuals derive their sense of identity from their culture, and cultures are systems of belief that determine how people live their lives" (Bass 1). Cultural stories about family history, religion, nationality, and heritage help influence people's behavior and beliefs. Identities of different people come from their cultures. Story telling begins at home. Stories help connect people to their systems of beliefs. They sculpt people's lives by giving them a model of how to live. People receive their earliest knowledge from different stories.(Bass) One great story my family has told me is my family's history. My maternal grandmother's parents came to the United States from Ukraine by boat around 1906 or 1907. They initially settled in Export, PA, because they had relatives and friends living there. My grandmother was born in 1921 and was the seventh of eight children. A year after she was born, they moved to Warren, OH, where they stayed until my grandmother graduated from high school. The family's religion was Ukrainian Orthodox. My grandmother grew up speaking Ukrainian and English. Ukrainian was spoken in the home, and English was spoken at school. My grandmother started kindergarten at the age five knowing no English. She picked up the English language from her classmates. My grandmother's family did not own a car. Every Easter, they walked about seven miles to go to church. My grandmother grew up during the depression. She was the only girl in her family to own a doll from a store. All of her sister's dolls were homemade.

Open Burning

Open burning Is the burning of unwanted materials such as paper, trees, brush, leaves, grass, and other debris, where smoke and other emissions are released directly into the air without passing through a chimney or stack. Open burning also includes incineration devices that do not control the combustion air to maintain an adequate temperature and do not provide sufficient residence time for complete combustion.Open burning pollutes the air and poses a fire hazard. The air pollution created by open burning can irritate eyes and lungs, obscure visibility, soil nearby surfaces, create annoying odors, and are a danger to those with respiratory conditions. Alternatives (car eminence): 1) Compose – compost (butt Baja) Instead of burning them (the garbage) clippings can be turned into food for your garden or houseplants. 2) Recycle ; Leaves and grass – process old/used materials (e. G. Per, metal, plastic, etc) into new product. 3) Craft (Kara tango) – use old material and create something useful 4) Reduce – Less stuff used, less stuff need to be burned – Look for Items with less packaging ; Buy items in packaging that can be reused or recycled 5) Reuse – Reuse everything can be reused (bottle, can, etc) – Donate old clothes, shoes, books, appliance, electronics, furniture and toys to charity. – Carry a coffee mug with you instead of disposable cups.Bring your own cloth bag to the store or reuse plastic bags. 6) Landfill (attempt bung sampan) – Items that cannot be reused or recycled should be taken to the landfill. Open Burning Outcomes: 1) Alarm pollution 2) Foggy Rebus) 3) Hazardous/ poisonous air/smoke from the burning of pesticides, detergent, etc. 4) Danger of explosion 5) Can result in uncontrollable burning (forest burning, house on fire, etc) 6) Can danger human being as well as animals

Effectiveness of Using Handouts as an Aide in Teaching English

THE BODY Some students now a day are not too serious in their studies; it is because of innovation of some bad vices that can affect the performance of a student in school. But, handouts itself can improve the studies of a student. It can persuade them to study well, because if you have handouts, you can easily catch up your lessons. It can be easier for a student to study because, it seems like in only one material, it may contained all your lessons, you can easily review for your exam and for your studies.Handouts is something given freely or distributed free. It can refer to materials handed out for presentation purposes or to a charitable gift, among other things. Always remember, handouts can be an aid and not a distraction when handled well. Effects of Handouts into Students Study Handouts gave big effect into our studies especially for those students who didn’t listen attentively during class discussion. According to Sazon, with the use of handouts, you are capable to r eview your lessons well, and it also serves as your reviewer or study guide every exam.Here are some effects of using handouts including Positive Effects and Negative Effects. Positive Effects. For most of us Handouts are staple of instructional life, but other say, 2 â€Å"Their development is often a trial-and-error process. † Like so many other aspects of instruction, we take the handouts for granted, their creation guided largely by intuition. The followings are some of the positive effects of using handouts into students study. 1. Serves as advance organizers, previewing and preparing students for what’s to come. 2.Introduce activities, describe the task, offer advice on process and identify outcomes. 3. Provide a break during a lecture, allowing students to read instead of listen. 4. Serves as study guides, containing summaries and highlights of key points covered in class or in the text. 5. Use principally to reduce the amount of time spend copying notes or diag rams from a board or screens. Negative Effects. The issue of whether to distribute handouts and materials has often been debated in National Union of Students (NUS) teaching seminars with valid arguments for and against the practice.The main objections to distributing handouts and materials are that recourse to them will encourage students: 1. to be distracted and inattentive and not write their own notes; 2. to spot examination questions 3. not to attend classes; 4. not to read beyond the contents as outlined and highlighted. Handout’s Purpose into Student’s Study The purpose of handouts in our studies is for us to be able to help ourselves to cope up to our lessons easily. It is written information about what lessons we are taking up.It also gives information about the current lessons. 3 Serves as Study Guide. Some students now a day’s didn’t listen attentively during class discussion because of being bored listening into their teacher/professor. Other preferred to study alone. So, handouts that contain your lessons may help as a study guide. You can easily recall all of the topics that you didn’t take up. According to Millo, handouts are real effective as a study guide for students especially for those who didn’t listen attentively during class discussion.Persuades Students to Study. Handouts could be persuasive for those students, because it can easily capture the mind of one to review and study his/her lessons. According to Rufino, it (handouts) can persuades other to study well; it may help a lot in gaining high score during examinations and in understanding the lessons very well. Effectiveness of Using Handouts in Learning System Using handouts is one of the most important things in studying. It can give big effect into one’s study that can improve his/her performance in school.According to Arellano, handout serves as a learning guide to student in understanding and learning a lesson or topic. It can be à ¢â‚¬Å"effective† if students maximize the use of it. Moreover, using handouts can gave big help especially into student’s study like in academic performance and test results. Academic Performance. It (handouts) help students perform well during discussions and activity inside the classroom. Since handouts contain important concepts/terms about a certain topic/lesson in a summarized format, it may help students do better and perform in their academic subjects. Test Results. Previous researches on the effect of handouts on student learning indicates that students who are given skeletal handouts usually perform better in course examinations than students who take all their own notes. In the table 1 and table 2, we can see the difference of test results taken from those students who use and didn’t use handouts as reviewer. TEST RESULTS OF IV-VENUS (ESTIPONA HIGH SCHOOL MAIN) WITH THE USE OF HANDOUTS AS A REVIEWER. Table 1 WITH HANDOUTS| 1. Angelo Catalan -16/20 15. M ae Ann Pasetes – 12/20 2.Domimar Dulay -16/20 16. Einnor Ramil -14/20 3. Arvin Macasaquit -16/20 17. Jennylyn Ramilo -16/20 4. Marvin Palo -12/20 18. Karen Rose Ramilo -18/20 5. Gerald Pascua -10/20 19. Judy Ann Rufino -18/20 6. Aaron Paul Reyes -12/20 20. Ronalyn Salviejo -18/20 7. Mikee Balicao -16/20 21. Ma. Reiko Sawanaka -18/20 8. Danica Khresca Claudio -16/20 22. Allison Jane Sazon -18/20 9.Nica Cortez -16/20 23. Lizette Tagolog-16/20 10. Jeremiah Eclar -16/20 . 11. Arianne Joy Mallari -12/20 12. Ness Mateo -10/20 13. Christine Joy Millo -16/20| 5 Table 2 WITHOUT HANDOUTS| 1. Ninoy Pascua -8/20 9. Christine Reina David -8/20 2. John Michael Rivarez -0/20 10. Monica Briz -8/20 3. Renjunne Sagun -4/20 11. Christine Asanion -12/20 4.Nitt Ann Pascua -4/20 12. Jenkyn Pinili -12/20 5. Ma. Luisa Pascua -4/20 13. Emmanuel Mejia -12/20 6. Rowena Millo -6/20 14. Wendel Lacsinto -10/20 7. Analyn Lamique -10/20 15. Hero Guttierrez -10/20 8. Michelle Daal -10/20| From the illustrati on of test results, we can say that students who use handouts as a reviewer gets higher score than the other who didn’t use it. As you can see some students in the second line (WITHOUT HANDOUTS) fail the exam. 6

Increase In Natural Disasters Health And Social Care Essay

Extreme conditions temperatures and increase in natural catastrophes in recent old ages have eventually made the policy shapers think seriously about â€Å" Climate alteration and Natural catastrophes † . The austere reappraisal and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ‘s 4th ( revised ) assessment study in 2008[ A ]had clearly stated that addition in natural catastrophes due to climate alteration will hold inauspicious affects on societal and economic sectors. The study which had declared that clime alteration will do addition in natural catastrophes in approaching old ages, has lived up to its anticipation. Harmonizing to UNISDR from twelvemonth 2008-2011 natural catastrophes have been responsible for economic amendss deserving 730 Billion USD, have adversely affected 843 million people and killed about 598,000 people around the universe. There has been an addition of more than 50 % in the figure of inundations in the last decennary in comparing to the 1990s a nd likewise the happening of entire natural catastrophes has besides increased over the last decennary. [ Mistake: Reference beginning non found ] The addition in both the strength and frequence of inundations over the last decennary has raised concerns within development bureaus, authoritiess and regional co-operations ; natural catastrophe direction has gained precedence among all stakeholders. In 2005 U.N created â€Å" The Hyogo Framework for Action †[ B ]; a planetary design for catastrophe hazard decrease attempts with a ten-year program, the model was adopted in January 2005 by 168 authoritiess at the U.N World Conference on Disaster Reduction. [ 2 ] Although all 168 states did accept the model in rule, nevertheless there has been small done to cut down nursery emanations or adapt catastrophe hazard decrease schemes across the board. Similarly in response to the December 2004 tsunami and the temblor of December 2005 in South Asia, a Particular Session of the SAARC Environment Ministers ( Male , 25 June 2005 ) adopted the Male Declaration on a corporate response to big scale natural catastrophes. A SAARC Disaster M anagement Centre ( SDMC ) was established in New Delhi in October 2006, the SDMC was created to supply policy advice and facilitate capacity constructing including strategic acquisition, research, preparation, system development, expertness publicity and exchange of information for effectual catastrophe hazard decrease and direction. [ 3 ] Policy devising has besides been activated at the province degree, for illustration the authorities of Queensland in Australia has taken enterprise on a province degree of making a policy model to cut down and undertake natural catastrophes. The model called the â€Å" Disaster Management Strategy Policy model † includes Research, Policy and Governance, Risk Assessment, Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, Relief and Recovery, Post-Disaster Assessment. [ 4 ] One might be of the sentiment that catastrophe events are probabilistic events and their happening can merely be calculated on a chance footing and there is no flight from their devastation. However it is of import to understand the effects of the happening and what can be done to assist the affected public overcome the catastrophe natural catastrophes cause. Research has shown despite the graduated table of the catastrophe, a combination of national and international policy can assist guard off disease and decease in states with functioning authoritiess. This literature reappraisal investigates old surveies conducted on the socio economic impact of inundations in context to Gender.The 2010 inundations in PakistanThe geological section of the Australian authorities defines inundations as â€Å" the covering of usually dry land by H2O that has escaped or been released from the normal confines of: any lake, or any river, brook or other natural watercourse, whether or non altered or mo dified ; or any reservoir, canal, or dike. † [ 4 ] Floods chiefly impact the human community either straight through contact with the H2O or indirectly through the harm the H2O does to the natural and human built environment. [ 5 ] â€Å" Localized inundations can hold a important impact on people ‘s physical and mental wellness. † [ 6 ] The 2010 monsoon inundations were one of the largest inundations in the history of Pakistan doing unprecedented harm and killing more than 1,700 people. The inundations affected over, 20 million people, inundated about one fifth of the state ‘s land and caused loss of one million millions of dollars through amendss to substructure, lodging, agribusiness and farm animal, and other household assets. [ 8 ] The World Bank and Asian Development Bank estimated that the implosion therapy had caused the economic system $ 9.7 billion in losingss. [ 9 ] Cases of malnutrition, stomach flu, diarrhoea, skin infections, cholera, enteric fever, malaria, and hepatitis were reported. Food monetary values dramatically increased after the implosion therapy, seting an economic strain on the full population. The southern state of Sindh was hit rather to a great extent by the inundations, it was reported that about Seven million people were affected by inundations in the state ; 1000s were trapped by inundation Waterss and had been in demand of aid. Our survey part the southern territory of Thatta was affected in a ruinous mode by the inundations, as the flow of the inundation Waterss touched 9,50,000 cusecs the lame butchs built to protect the territory ‘s public overflowed doing both Bankss of the Indus River to deluge doing tremendous sum of devastation. At the clip of deluging the province machinery which included both the provincial and federal authorities along with many international and national NGOs led the alleviation attempts and was able to avoid the happening of any larger calamity such as far dispersed hungriness or dearth. However in recent old ages uninterrupted Acts of the Apostless of terrorist act have kept the authorities preoccupied with affairs of public safety and security, this has diverted the authorities ‘s attending from institutional reform to affairs of ad-hoc nature. The presence of situational challenges has reduced province capacity to fruitfully supply basic services for which resources had already been lacking. This has limited authorities ‘s response to natural catastrophes largely to necessitate appraisal and immediate alleviation operations. The appraisals have typically focused on direct amendss of capital assets which includes figure of deceases and hurts, amendss to edifices and public substructure, loss of harvest and farm animal. Appraisals of catastrophe impacts on societal sectors such as wellness and instruction are besides limited to the measuring of amendss to school and infirmary edifices, the appraisals tend to disregard the long term affects on the wellness and instruction degrees of the affected public. Long term appraisals of societal sectors is critical even more so for a state similar Pakistan as it already struggles with low societal development indexs, ranking 145 out of 187[ C ]states in the Human Development Index and a Gender Development Index ( GDI ) ranking of 120 out of 146[ D ]states.Approachs to mensurate impact of natural catastrophesResearch workers across the universe have used diverse attacks to find the impact of inundations. In Pakistan the EU has antecedently employed the EMMA ( Emergency Market Mapping and Analysis ) , which is a rapid market analysis designed to be used in the short term wake of a sudden-onset crisis. A better apprehension of the most critical markets in an exig ency state of affairs enables determination shapers ( givers, NGOs, authorities, other human-centered histrions ) to see a broader scope of responses. The purpose of the attack is to estimate and understand the construction and operation of cardinal markets in the short term so that immediate recovery plans are in consistent to the on the land state of affairs. Although the research is utile in supplying immediate alleviation, nevertheless the attack does non take into consideration the long term effects of the catastrophe. [ 10 ] Similarly another attack which can assist givers aim their convalescence attempts is ECLAC, ECLAC ‘s methodological analysis is related to post catastrophe rating ; it focuses on rehabilitation and convalescence. It advocates utilizing a dynamic and sectoral position that enables the research workers to cipher future losingss derived by the devastation of productive constructions and forfeitures of concern chances and its middle/long term effects in different footings. The methodological analysis aims to enable its users to seek to specify if and which type of international cooperation the community affected demands. Although precise cognition of assorted sectoral amendss and losingss, present and future, suffered by the communities enables the catastrophe alleviation bureaus to put to death more specific rehabilitation undertakings, nevertheless use of a macro-perspective to estimate the amendss and provides losingss in pecuniary footings leaves out the impact on societal sect ors and chiefly focal points on economic costs. [ 11 ] In a Flood-site undertaking study on the Mulde River in Germany the research workers have taken the underside up perspective to analyse societal exposure posed by inundations. The methodological analysis seeks to categorise the fortunes that make an person or a community vulnerable and look into how some groups in these fortunes might be more vulnerable than others. The research workers who define societal exposure as â€Å" the features of a individual or group in footings of their capacity to expect, header with, resist, and recover from the impact of a natural jeopardy † chiefly concentrate on how communities and societal groups are able to cover with the impacts of a natural jeopardy. The attack provides valuable penetration into the kineticss of societal capital, but lacks item of sectoral appraisals. [ 12 ] Along with good targeted plans it is of import that recovery plans are sustainable. In Sudan, AIACC has employed a research method based upon the sustainable support conceptual model ; the research method aims to measure the public presentation of sustainable support and environmental direction steps. International Institute for Sustainable Development defines sustainable supports as being â€Å" concerned with people ‘s capacities to bring forth and keep their agencies of life, heighten their wellbeing, and that of future coevalss. Sustainable support appraisal is intended to bring forth an apprehension of the function and impact of a undertaking on heightening and procuring local people ‘s supports. It chiefly relies on a scope of informations aggregation methods, a combination of qualitative and quantitative informations indexs and, to changing grades, application of a sustainable supports model. The theoretical account focuses on five types of capital viz. ; natural, physical homo, societal and fiscal. The model employs the Livelihood Assessment Tracking ( LAST ) System to mensurate alterations in header and adaptative capacity. Quantitative and qualitative indexs are combined with the LAST system for its usage ; the LAST system is developed through creative activity of development indexs by the aid of the local community. [ 13 ] All the above mentioned models, even with their short-comings provide valuable inputs into the assessment methods of catastrophe impacts. However, the above discussed models which focus on immediate demands appraisal, macro-economic impacts, societal capital, and sustainable supports do non look to be gender sensitive and lack concentration on societal sectors in a gender sensitive mode. It has been clip and once more noted that adult females are most adversely affected by natural catastrophes. Sara-Bradshaw in her paper socio-economic impacts of natural catastrophes advocates the usage of a gender attack ; the paper states that the first measure to guaranting that the specific basic demands of adult females are addressed over the short and long term is to roll up informations broken by sex and age sections instantly after the happening of a catastrophe. This is of import because interrupting up of informations aids recognize the affects of the inundation on adult females in peculiar and aids in foregrounding the specific demands of the gender. For illustration in many instances in a Muslim state adult females might choose non to see a male physician, therefore if the research workers have the figure of adult females who need medical attending they can set up female physicians consequently. [ 14 ]Gender Aspects of Natural Disasters InternationalEnarson et al 1998, Fordham 1998, Morrow 1999 and Tapsell et al 2000 are of the position that inundations and other catastrophes can impact upon work forces and adult females in different and distinguishable ways. Similarly â€Å" It is believed that work forces and adult females will be faced with different exposures to climate alteration impacts due to bing inequalities such as, their function and place in society, entree to resources and power dealingss that may impact the ability to react to the effects of clime alteration † ( WEDO 2007 ; Commission on the Status of Women 2008 ; Carvajal et Al 2008 ; Bridge, 2 008 ) . [ 15 ] [ 16 ] [ 17 ] [ 18 ] [ 19 ] It is a basic fact that bulk of the adult females in developing states and peculiarly in the South Asiatic part are at a disadvantage when compared to their male opposite numbers. International Literature such as Tapsell et al 2003 illustrates that adult females suffer markedly more than work forces at the worst clip of deluging. Research has shown that due to socially constructed functions and duties, adult females seem to bear the most loads ensuing from clime variableness impacts. Due to the traditional gender functions in many developing states, it is seen that adult females are in charge of the house and responsible for family demands such as cookery, rinsing, hygiene, kids and raising little farm animal. Children, in peculiar misss portion these duties. In Africa, adult females do 90 % of the work of roll uping H2O and wood, for the family and nutrient readying. It is noted that adult females have to work excess work loads when faced with natural calamities as they try to pull off their mundane undertakings during an exigency state of affairs. [ 20 ] [ 21 ] Qualitative research suggests that this is because adult females have the chief duty for, and like ly, a greater emotional investing in the place than work forces. They besides normally have the cardinal duty for the attention of kids and the aged in the place, for illustration even in a station inundation state of affairs it is the cardinal duty of the adult female for acquiring the place back to normal after the inundation. [ 22 ] In many developing states and particularly in the south Asiatic part, nutrient hierarchies favor male nutritionary demands and frequently adult females nutrition and wellness demands are ignored. In Bangladesh it has been reported that â€Å" Give the already unstable nutritionary province of big Numberss of misss and adult females in BangladeshaˆÂ ¦any farther addition in favoritism would hold serious effects. † In hapless families, throughout the universe, adult females go without nutrient for the benefit of their kids or male household members. [ 30 ] [ 31 ] Furthermore an ADB study in 2001 found that in Bangladesh of the 20-30 % female headed families, 95 % are populating below poorness line. Even in developed states such as the U.K, lone parent and individual pensionary households-the bulk of which are female headed are most likely to be populating in poorness. It is noted that in some cases force per unit area on households has been so terrible that there have been studies of kids being offered for domestic employment, and of female kids being sold. The grounds informs us that adult females headed families already tend to hold limited economic resources and therefore a natural catastrophe can hold a greater impact on their supports in comparing to others. Other than the over-all poorness rates, wellness and instruction are two sectors where adult females in the part still lag behind work forces. The hapless nutritionary position of adult females makes them more susceptible to disease infection, peculiarly in developing states where there is small societal proviso and limited or no entree to proper medical attention. Poor nutrition besides makes adult females more vulnerable to catastrophes, and makes the physically strenuous undertakings of H2O and fuel aggregation more hard. Research in India has found that misss ‘ nutrition suffers most during periods of low ingestion and lifting nutrient monetary values, which is common during catastrophe state of affairss [ 36 ] [ 37 ] . Fewtrell and Kay ( 2006 ) provide grounds of inundations doing Bacterial, fungal, respiratory disease, and GI infection along with otalgia and skin roseolas among others. It is widely acknowledged in wellness research that some groups, such as adult females ( particularly pregnant adult females ) , the immature, the aged and immune compromised people are more vulnerable to wellness impacts ( particularly infection ) than other people ( e.g. Flynn and Nelson, 1998 ; White et al. , 2002 ; WHO 2004 ) . [ 28 ] Furthermore inundations can besides hold an impact on the mental wellness of the affectees. It has been suggested that adult females may endure more mental strain in certain state of affairss, due to cultural norms. Womans in hapless wellness prior to the inundation are more likely to see the implosion therapy as traumatic. When whole households move to urban slums or alleviation cantonments the adult females face challenges accommodating to the new environment. Problems include to rment, deficiency of security, undependable H2O supplies which increases their work load, and gender insensitive conditions such as deficiency of privateness besides have a tolling consequence. Long journeys to the alleviation cantonments can do both physical and mental emphasiss when coupled with experiences of sexual torment on these journeys. Women ‘s ‘ dramatically expanded attention giving functions following a catastrophe, and seting household demands before their ain, may explicate overall diminution in emotional well being. [ 29 ]Gender Aspects of Natural Disasters PakistanThe international literature on adult females in relation to climate alteration clearly highlights the terrible exposure and inauspicious exposure natural catastrophes pose to adult females in peculiar. Similarly research surveies have been conducted by different development organisations to estimate the impact of the terrible inundations that hit Pakistan late. The research consequences are in line with international research literature. As Pakistani adult females peculiarly tend to chiefly hold generative and domestic functions in the families and are hardly seeable in the public domains, peculiarly in rural countries, these features make manner for a greater impact on their socio-economic conditions from natural catastrophes. The bing state of affairs of adult females in Pakistan can non be to the full valued without an apprehension of the ways in which faith, civilization and traditions have organized societal dealingss and fractured society along category, racial, cultural and gender lines. Pakistan hence, presents a typical state of affairs from a socio-economic position. In Pakistan Men and male childs are given more weightage over the household resources in comparing to adult females and misss. A study conducted by OCHA as a Needs Assessment survey on the 2011 inundations in Sindh found that 37 % of families had reduced or skipped nutrient consumption ; pattern ad opted by adult females and misss in the family to run into the ration demands, which is similar to findings mentioned earlier from Bangladesh. [ 32 ] Nazish brohi et Al have analyzed emerging tendencies and informations, trusting chiefly on the Gender Needs Assessment ( GNA ) , the Multiaˆ?cluster Rapid Assessment Mechanism ( McRAM ) , instance surveies and emerging secondary information. Their survey includes instance surveies based on the assorted experiences of adult females to inundations. The adult females respondents in the survey have insisted that they had no anterior information about the inundations and many were taken back by surprise. The surprisingness of the inundations magnified its impact and besides increased the exposure of the inundation victims. The survey present penetrations into the experiences of adult females through instance surveies, for illustration â€Å" in Mianwali, a 30 twelvemonth old adult female, Jawwahi, rushed out with her household in waist high H2O and saw her house crumble before her ; in Charsadda, adult females awoke to calls and found H2O hotfooting into their houses † . Simila rly the survey besides illustrates how adult females hygiene had been affected due to inundations. For illustration in Kalabagh territory, â€Å" Baghat Bibi, a 60 twelvemonth old adult female with her three girls and three girls in jurisprudence visited the river every few yearss and submerged themselves ‘ in the H2O to clean themselves and their apparels, and so dry themselves while have oning the same apparels – it is reported that the they had been making it for over three hebdomads † . As adult females in rural countries are non used to traveling approximately in public infinites other than their small towns ‘ ; misss and adult females are frequently embarrassed to be seen accessing toilets and therefore do so during twilight or early forenoon. Such overpowering fortunes coupled with instances of torment can hold profound impacts on mental wellness. [ 35 ] The Preliminary Gender Needs Assessment study by UNIFEM[ E ]studies that the adult females were under terrible emphasis as the desolation caused by the inundations destroyed their limited assets, worsened their personal security state of affairs, and changed their duties as they were forced to react to exigency conditions. The study stresses upon the fact that even though adult females ‘s wellness is critical to the wellbeing of their households, after catastrophes, traditionally as health professionals, they tend to put their demands last. It besides affirms that in certain states, cultural norms such as ‘purdah ‘ bound adult females from being able to show their demands, to boot adult females besides tend to hold a opportunity of traveling unnoticed in the compensation procedure as their economic parts are normally unobserved. Similarly the adult females interviewed by IDMC in Sindh alleged that entree to income-earning chances has been their biggest challenge and a major concern for adult females caputs of family. The slow gait of recovery from the extended harm the inundations caused to the agricultural sector was expected to hold a major impact on adult females ‘s employment. Women besides lacked the certification to turn out their belongings rights. As a consequence, widows and adult females caputs of family interviewed by IDMC reported great trouble in claiming heritages, land and ownerships left at place when they fled. [ 23 ] A March 2011 study by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs ( OCHA ) found that internally displaced adult females and misss across the state could non venture out to have exigency nutrient assistance without being threatened for go againsting solitude. [ 24 ] Women complained that most wellness services available in the wake of the inundations concentrated on primary wellness attention with small specialised focal point on generative wellness for adult females. [ 25 ] A 2010 appraisal by the UN Development Fund for Women ( UNIFEM ) quoted adult females as describing sexual torment in inundation supplanting cantonments where different folks, households and small towns were placed together. [ 26 ] Hence it is indispensable that research workers while measuring the effects of inundation take both long term and short term wellness impacts into history. It is of import for the research survey to depict the characteristic impacts of inundations on wellness results, depict the factors that influence human wellness as a consequence of inundations, depict the direct wellness impacts of inundations and develop a conceptual model to assistance in the direction and rating of inundation related wellness direction. The literacy rates of adult females in developing states are much lower than their male opposite numbers. A survey by UNICEF in the wake of the 2010 inundations showed that there are gender disparities in supply side factors in Sindh including handiness of schools for misss and male childs. Pre flood establishment interrupt up by gender, degree and sector shows that at the primary degree there are 60 % assorted schools in the populace sector and 42 % assorted schools at the in-between degree. At the primary degree parents are more comfy with directing their miss kid to blend school ; nevertheless there is reluctance when it comes to middle school when the miss attains pubescence, the dropout rates are besides highest at that point and bulk of the dropouts occur when misss move from primary to middle degree. Similarly the survey provides grounds of gender disparities bing in Thatta ; the survey demonstrates the tendencies in pre and station inundation state of affairss in primary regi stration. [ 38 ] Lack of entree to instruction is n't ever related to scarceness of schools nevertheless the inaccessibility of this supply side factor can play a major function in diminishing entree to education along with the inaccessibility of female instructors every bit good. Economic costs, societal traditions, and spiritual and cultural beliefs besides limit misss ‘ educational chances peculiarly when it comes to middle and high degree schooling. As these societal development indexs become worse due to the affects of clime alteration it is of import for the governments to non merely mensurate them but besides address them with sustainable development plans. Given that work forces and adult females in the survey country are destitute with dependence on agribusiness and natural resources for their supports, natural catastrophes pose a high hazard for them. As apparent by the literature reviewed exposure seems to be higher for adult females as they do non hold alternate agencies of employment and most of all employed adult females in the survey country are employed by the agribusiness sector. More and more research workers have concluded that it is of import to choose for a gendered analysis when researching on inundation impacts, Sarah Bradshaw in her survey Socio-economic impacts of natural catastrophes: a gender analysis states â€Å" The first measure towards guaranting that the specific basic demands of adult females are addressed over the short and long term is to roll up informations broken down by sex and age section instantly after a catastrophe. † The interrupting up of informations helps research workers understand adult females specific demands better, which in bend can assist policy shapers design and implement adult females specific schemes and plans. [ 27 ] Even though the grounds provided above from both international and local research literature clearly advocates the instance for greater exposure of adult females from natural catastrophes ; non much has been done to measure the station catastrophe impact of inundations on adult females. Research surveies have remained limited to rapid appraisals or demand appraisals, station catastrophe impact have non been concentrated upon. In order to plan long term sustainable gender sensitive recovery plans it is important to understand the station catastrophe impact of inundations on adult females, maintaining this in head the present survey â€Å" Social-Economic Impact of Flood in District Thatta: A Gendered Analysis † is a pioneering work in Pakistan in which SPDC ‘s research workers have gone a measure in front from other surveies and have tried to measure the station catastrophe impact of one of the worst inundations of the century. Furthermore, research has shown that despite obstructions faced by adult females, they are already developing effectual header schemes which include accommodating their agriculture patterns. Literature such as ( WEDO, 2003 ; Gurung et al. , 2006 ; Mitchell et al. , 2007 ) pointed out that adult females are really knowing and experient with respects to get bying with clime related impacts. They are cognizant of their demands and are really advanced in the face of alteration. Communities on the frontline in accommodating to the effects of natural catastrophes need but so far frequently lack, equal information about clime alteration and version schemes. Due to the adult females ‘s lower literacy degrees in many parts, and other barriers to accessing information, such as civilization, it is critical that adult females ‘s demands are addressed in attempts to supply necessary information. [ 43 ] Ariyabandu and Wickramasighe ( 2005:26 ) suggest that although adult females are frequently more vulnerable to catastrophes than work forces ( owing to conventional gender duties and dealingss ) nevertheless they are non merely incapacitated victims as frequently represented. Womans have valuable cognition and experience in get bying with catastrophes. Yet these strengths and capablenesss of adult females are frequently ignored in policy determinations and in extenuation, thereby, leting these valuable resources to travel to waste and sometimes making dependence state of affairss. Ignorance of gender differences in the yesteryear has led to insensitive and uneffective alleviation operations that have non been able to aim adult females ‘s demands and their possible to help in extenuation and alleviation work. [ 44 ] Hence this research is besides of import because non all is glooming, as international research has suggested that in developing states already sing negative effects of clime alteration, adult females have been identified as peculiarly adaptative and advanced, hence the current research survey shall play a valuable function in doing policy shapers better understand the long term issues of Pakistani adult females in peculiar and place their strengths and failings. Taking the above into consideration, SPDC has designed a gender sensitive research survey to find the impact of the 2010 inundation of Thatta. A gender sensitive primary study is critical in assisting place Gender spreads, therefore SPDC research workers created separate questionnaires for work forces and adult females. The survey helps understand the differences in the socio-economic impact of the inundation on adult females, work forces, misss and male childs. This includes garnering gender sensitive informations on the sectors of instruction, wellness, economic, flood header capableness and the overall impact of the inundation. In order to measure and measure the consequence of inundation on the family public assistance and behaviour, the survey collects single and household information from both male and female respondents individually, doing usage of gender sensitive attacks which in the yesteryear have been limited to demands appraisals or rapid assessment surveies.

Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King Jr Essay

There is no doubt that there are many similarities between Martin Luther King Jr. and Henry Thoreau though they did not live in the same century. King himself declared that he was greatly influenced by Thoreau’s essay on civil disobedient. The two civil right activists had similar ideas on justice in the society. It is also believed that Thoreau’s work was also influenced by Ralph Emerson who initiated the thoughts about transcendentalism in him. Although some people believe that King was more influenced by Mahatma Gandhi, the great Indian leader, it is important to note that the ideas of Gandhi were based on the ideas put forward by Thoreau. Moreover, King stated that while in college, he read Thoreau’s essay on civil disobedient which inspired very strong feelings on him (Arsenault, pg 62). The main difference between Thoreau and King is the context in which each one of them operated. It is also important to note that King was most vocal a century after Thoreau had left the scene. Thoreau was an author historian and a philosopher in the 19th century. One of his most famous books other than the civil disobedient essay was the Walden which had the main theme as simple living. Thoreau was also a white American since his grandfather was a Frenchman. He was opposed to the injustices against the minority in the society in the mid 19th century which included African Americans being used as slaves and the Mexican American war. On the other hand, King was a clergyman. He is considered to be the greatest civil activists in America in the 20th century. He was the leader of African Americans civil rights movement. In the mid 20th century, there was no slavery in the United States but the African Americans were segregated and discriminated by the dominant race. King mobilized African Americans in protest matches and civil disobedient as a way of fighting for justice in the society (Powell, pp 26). Despite the two activists working in different centuries, they changed the civil rights traditions of civil rights and reforms in the American society. Thoreau was the first person to introduce the idea of civil disobedient as channel of pushing for reforms in the American society. Since the publication of his essay on civil disobedient in the mid 19th century, his ideas have transformed activism in the whole world. The most famous influence of Thoreau ideas was on King’s letter which he wrote while in prison in Birmingham. In the letter, King states that Thoreau essay convinced him that not cooperating with what is evil is as essential as cooperation with what is good. This is a clear indication that King’s ideas on civil rights movement were directly borrowed from Thoreau’s ideas. The letter did not only support the idea on non violent civil disobedient in human rights protest but also expounded on the ideas introduced by Thoreau in the 19th century (Schroeder, pp 1). Thought the two activists had different views on the rights and freedom of all in the society, their views were based on the same idea. The basic idea was that the oppressed need to take an active role in the fight against their rights. They were more concerned about the unequal treatment of the minorities in the society either being enslaved or segregated. While Thoreau advocated for personalized rights, King advocated for public awareness of the freedoms and rights for the good of all (Chernus, pp 305). Though the letter from Birmingham by Martin Luther King Jr. was based on the same idea with the civil disobedient essay by Thoreau, the two authors were different on all aspects. However, this does not negate the fact that both played an important role in securing freedom for the African Americans. Thoreau aided in securing freedom for the fugitive slaves in the 19th century through his strong criticism against slavery while King led non violent protest matches and civil disobedient against the Jim Crows laws that segregated African Americans. They both held a strong position that unjust laws should be opposed by the masses (Powell, pp 26). The effectiveness of civil disobedient and peaceful direct action in the second half of the 20th century led by King was inspired by the effectiveness of the approach in India led by Gandhi. Thoreau’s ideas had been proved to be effective in India. King reintroduced Thoreau’s ideas into the American protest traditions which were very effective. The legacy of the two great men is still evident in the American society as well as other societies of the world today. It is common for environmentalists, civil rights activists and same sex marriage supporters to invoke the words of King and Thoreau to defend their positions (Powell, pp 26). It is indisputable that Thoreau in the 19th century and King in the 20th century played an important role in the fight for African American rights. They introduced the idea of civil disobedient in the American society which proved to be effective. Though both of them were radically different, there ideas on civil rights and civil disobedient were very similar.