What should the role of the state be in contemporary society Essay

What should the role of the state be in contemporary society - Essay Example A State is the main institution which exercises power on behalf of the people in the contemporary society. It is bestowed with legitimate authority by the society for preserving its institutions for the betterment of the welfare of all. The contemporary society has empowered the state to make and impose laws that are necessary for the harmonic existence of all members of the society (Woodrow, 2001). The main role of State is providing protection to the entire society (Petricus, 2009). This core role of the state arises from the fact that it is almost impossible to guarantee all members of society protection that is based on voluntary arrangement amongst individuals. There is need for an institution that is acceptable to the entire society to provide protection from both internal and external forces that may threaten the well being of individual members or the entire society. Protection by state refers to securing the rights, liberties and freedoms of the individuals as well as their property. This role is undertaken by one authority within a given society to avoid conflicts which may arise in dispensation of this important duty. However the state has other important roles which are related to its protective role such as promoting economic welfare of the society, provision of basic needs such as food, shelter and education. This paper is a critical evaluation of the roles of the state in the contemporary society. The Protective Role of the State The protective role of the state to the society can be understood by evaluating the status of security and human rights practices in stateless societies such as Somalia in comparison with a society which has an effective system of governance such as the United States of America. It is evident that there is widespread abuse of human rights and lack of protection in a stateless society. Somalia is a country in the horn of Africa, which has survived for more than 10 years without a formal authority to govern the citizens. A s a result, numerous criminal organizations such as Al-Shabaab have continued to terrorize citizens as well as committing atrocities against the country’s peaceful neighbors. As a result, Somalia has continued to lag behind in terms of development especially due to power struggles, which have created conflicts that have resulted to some of the citizens seeking refuge in some of the neighboring countries since there is no sufficient security. This has also created a loophole which has facilitated international terrorist organizations such as Al-Qaida with a ground to fulfill their violent missions around the world (Abukhalil, 2006). It is important to note that the powers of the state are at times abused for the benefits of the ruling class thus negating the core role of this important societal institution. Since, by design, some members of the society exert relatively higher control on the state, it is possible for such group to extract more benefits than the majority of the society who are under control through acts of corruption and nepotism. It is for this reason that recent developments in some of the Arab nations such as Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, have taken place, where civilians have taken it upon themselves to overthrow corrupt leaders, whose main agenda was to remain in power and continue to acquire illegal wealth. The western society and other societies which have adopted and successfully implemented democratic ideals have at their disposal three means by which they protect themselves from undue exploitation by the state. These are; restraint through judicial processes, voicing concern through voting in general elections and removing irresponsible officials through votes of no confidence as well as invoking the right to hold non violent

Language Issues in Public Discourse Research Paper - 1

Language Issues in Public Discourse - Research Paper Example This essay will explore three ways in which the English language is changing, and the discourse around those changes, as they are being debated and discussed in the media. Political language and how it changed during the Bush era in the United States is being discussed widely in academic circles and this phenomenon will be examined and analyzed briefly. The printed media particularly in Great Britain raises the question of American terms and their effect on English worldwide. Contemporary magazine and newspaper articles form the basis of the discussion of the British attitude to American language in this essay. Current discussions regarding spelling are examined, from the perspective of young people, citing as examples a web forum, and the transcript of a high school debate. Finally, the trend toward politically correct language is the focus, with spoken and institutionalized language being examined. In short, this essay will comment on the changing language and how these changes are perceived across a reasonably wide spectrum of English speakers. (Not included in word limit) The Essay When discourse is analyzed, the linguistic output of someone other than the analyst is examined (Brown & Yule, 1983: 2). This implies that the analyst also contributes his/her own meaning to the analysis, and that the context of more than just the words, and the grammar of the language are at play. Brown and Yule (1983: 3) further contend that the language may contain features such as â€Å"†¦ hesitations, slips and non-standard forms† so that an analysis of written text on its own is perhaps never altogether complete. It is, however, also true that â€Å" †¦ the task is this: to think more deeply about the meanings we give people’s words do as to make ourselves better, more humane people and the world a better, more humane place.† (Gee, 2005: 3). Hence it is necessary to examine many aspects of language if a fuller understanding of the meaning of s ocial worlds as all individuals experience them is to be reached. There are certain aspects of language that are clearly of some concern to analysts and general public commentators. Media, both print and electronic, carries a significant amount of comment on the changing nature of English. Sometimes these aspects are serious and of great importance in the formation of the societies and their attitudes, values and behaviors; sometimes they are less serious but still interesting from a social and psychological perspective. One area which does carry great weight is in the leadership of societies. The leaders of communities worldwide do use language to form meanings and the understanding of the public. Hence it is necessary that everyone remain aware of the possible hidden meaning and unrevealed intentions of leaders and particularly politicians. When politicians speak, it is widely accepted that their motives are not always directly connected to the words and language they are using. I nevitably, their language has characteristics that show the real intention of their words: to persuade the public that what they say is correct, and that they should be voted for in the next election. Elena Mihas of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has examined and commented on the language used during the Bush era in the United States. She highlights specifically the metaphoric and euphemistic forms of language used by politicians in this period, in addition to examining the coherence, arguments,