Equity in the academic labor market has been a subject of in-depth sociological research. The findings of the different studies indicate that a person’s progress can be dependent on such factors as gender and race (Glazer-Raymo, 2001, p 39; Umbach, 2006). The purpose of this study is to examine the impacts of gender on a teacher’s perceptions of the compensations he/she receives, the level of organizational support, and opportunities for career advancement. The second task is to understand how academic discipline can affect the progress of an educator. A personal in-home survey will be selected as the main methods of data collection. They will be asked questions about the workload, compensation, and opportunities for career advancement. This research design has been chosen because it enables to better capture the attitudes and opinions of the respondents. Furthermore, among its advantages, one can single out a better turnaround in data collection (Cresswell, 2003, p 154). This study will be cross-sectional which means that it is aimed at observing a population at a certain moment. The key benefit of this approach is its relative time-efficiency.
Methods of data collection
In the course of this study, approximately 100 respondents will be interviewed. This sample size ensures an appropriate confidence level. The sample was determined based on the whole population size. The respondents will be stratified into two equal groups: 1) male educators and 2) female educators. These people will represent different academic disciplines. Each of the participants for this study will be randomly selected, this is essential for the avoidance of bias. These people will be asked a specific question about the degree of their satisfaction with the compensation package, the level of organizational support, workload, and promotion opportunities. The questionnaire will be developed independently. This research has to be carried out within 20 days. Moreover, we should allow some time for the pilot study, in the course of which a smaller number of respondents (20 people) will be surveyed. This will enable us to see whether the research design has any deficiencies.
Population and sampling
Thus the study will have two independent variables (gender and academic discipline) and a set of dependent ones: 1) satisfaction with compensation policies; 2) the level of organizational support; 3) workload; 4) promotion. The questionnaire will contain a set of Likert scale items that prompt a person to describe his/her attitude toward remuneration and workload in the organization, the degree to which administration supports him/her, and his/her perceptions of career opportunities.
Timelines for the study
Several statistical tests will be applied to analyze data, collected in the course of the study. First, Cronbach’s alpha will be used to measure the reliability of the scale, developed for the research. This test will be conducted after the pilot study. Cronbach’s alpha focuses on the number of items within the scales and variance of scores (Lehman, 2005, p 142). The T-test will be employed to determine the relationships between the variables. Moreover, we will rely on ANOVA since it helps the researchers to avoid type I error. In other words, this tool helps to see whether the relationships between the variables are statistically significant. While interpreting the data, we will focus primarily on the differences in the means of the two samples. Furthermore, it is necessary to understand how academic disciplines influence educators’ attitudes toward their job.
Reference List
Creswell. J. (2003). Research design: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method approaches. London: SAGE.
Glazer-Raymo. J. (2001). Shattering the Myths: Women in Academe. JHU Press.
Lehman A. (2005). JMP for basic univariate and multivariate statistics: a step-by-step guide. SAS Publishing.
Umbach. P. (2006). Gender Equity in the Academic Labor Market: An Analysis of Academic Disciplines. Research in Higher Education, 48, (2), pp 169-192.
In order to examine such topic as equity in academic marker, a research can apply several strategies. The choice depends on the type of objective that the study has to achieve. For instance, if the key goal is to test a certain hypothesis, quantitative research methods will be more appropriate.
They help to identify the relationships between several variables such as impacts of gender or race on the compensation, paid to the educators, promotion opportunities, workload and so forth. Similar studies have already been conducted. For example, one can refer to the study by Paul Umbach (2006) who examined statistical data about the salaries of teachers and determined to what extent they are determined by gender.
If a researcher is interested in the affects on gender (independent variable) on equity in academic labor marker (dependent variable), he/she can choose statistical survey or structured interview as a method of data collection (Aanerud et al, 2007). It will be necessary to determine the sample size of the population. Furthermore, the sample has to be divided into two groups: male educators and female educators.
Each of the respondents will be asked the same questions about the number of working hours, monthly wages, and promotion opportunities. The researcher should also establish several control variables which remain unchanged during the study. They will be work experience, degree, and academic discipline (Umbach, 2006, p 187).
The researcher must maintain control over these variables because their essential for the validity of the findings. The respondents of the participants should be codified and later these data will be analyzed with the help of T-test and ANNOVA.
In this way, one can determine whether the relationship between the variables is statistically significant. Again, we need to say that quantitative design is more suitable in those cases, when a researcher need to test an assumption or a hypothesis.
Qualitative design
It is also possible to choose qualitative research methods in order to examine equity in academic market. Qualitative design is more appropriate in those cases, when a scholar intends to describe a certain social phenomenon in order to form assumption about a specific topic (Creswell, 2003, p 15).
Such approach has also been adopted by researchers. We can mention the study by Kennelly et al (1999) who attempted to identify the sources of inequality in academic labor market. The relied mostly on interviews and group discussions rather then statistical methods.
Under such circumstances, unstructured interview can be the most suitable a respondents will be asked a set of questions that would prompt them to express their views about the problem of inequality in academic labor market. It will be necessary to use open-ended question since they enable an interviewer to explain and expand his/her ideas.
They will need to describe those challenges which they face on a daily basis. Additionally, the respondents will need to describe the factors that affect equity. The major advantage of unstructured interview is that it enables the interviewer to clarify both questions and respondents of the participants. However, it has some limitations, especially the so-called interviewer effect.
This means that the subject can behave or respond differently in the presence of interviewer. While analyzing the responses of interviewees, the researcher has to single out the most common themes or issues. On the basis of these findings, a scholar will be able to form a hypothesis about the factors that impact equity in academic labor market. Later these assumptions should be verified with the help of quantitative research methods.
Mixed method design
The third framework is mixed method design which relies on the combined use of quantitative and qualitative research methods. This model is most suitable in those cases when a scholar has certain assumption about the problem of inequality in academic labor market. Under such circumstance he/she can use both unstructured interview and statistical survey.
The first tool will be based on open-ended questions, whereas the second will rely on Likert scale items. As in quantitative research it is necessary to single out a set of variables, for instance, the gender (independent variable) on the one hand and compensation, workload, organizational support, on the other. Quantitative methods will help to determine if there is statistically significant relationship between the variables.
In turn, qualitative techniques will enable him/her to better understand the opinions and concerns of those people who may suffer from inequality in the workplace. They will be asked about the influence of gender on the compensation received by a teacher, his/her workload, and promotion opportunities.
It is necessary to determine the sample size and divide it into two groups. Each of the subjects will need to respond to the same question during interview and a survey. The researcher has to ensure that unstructured interview and survey are consistent with another.
This consistency will become crucial when he/she will analyze the findings. The analysis of quantitative data has to identify the most widespread patterns in the opinions of the respondents, whereas the purpose of statistical analysis is to understand to what extent two variables are related with one another.
Reference List
Aanerud, R., Morrison, E., Homer, L., Rudd, E., Nerad, M., & Cerny, J. (2007). Widening the lens on gender and tenure: Looking beyond the academic labor market Johns Hopkins University Press. Web.
Creswell. J. (2003). Research design: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method approaches. London: SAGE.
Glazer-Raymo. J. (2001). Shattering the Myths: Women in Academe. JHU Press.
Kennely I., Misra J., & Karides M. (1999). The Historical Context Of Gender, Race, & Class In The Academic Labor Market. Race Gender and Class, 6 (3), p 125-140.
Umbach. P. (2006). Gender Equity in the Academic Labor Market: An Analysis of Academic Disciplines. Research in Higher Education, 48, (2), pp 169-192.
Social equity is one of the critical issues in the contemporary public administration practices. The level of development in every country is determined by the level of equity in all aspects in the society. The higher the economic gap among the people the lower is the country in terms of development.
On the other hand, the smaller the gap among the people the higher is the level of development. Therefore, the issue of equity has a significant implication in public administration. In order to realize equity, the public administrators play a significant role in ensuring that all this has been realized. This is more so in the current situation where the gap between the poor and the rich is increasing with time. Most of the resources are ending up on the hands of few rich while the majority remains extremely poor.
In the contemporary world, the public administrators have a significant contribution in promoting a fairer, equitable, and more just system. This is despite of the many issues they have to settle. However, the issue of social equity still remains a problem. According to Pickett (2011), people are becoming less equal in terms of economic, social, and political aspects of life. There are large differences in the society. There is therefore need to have a clear analysis in order to understand and be able to come up with appropriate recommendations.
Application of the Social Equity
In the present-day world, social equity is viewed as one of the primary purposes of the public administration. This entails the efficiency in organisation as well as the management of public services. It involves equitable distribution in management of public services. In order to promote equity in the country, it is always necessary to practice fairness in its management and while delivering its services (Inter-American Development Bank 2000).
It is always important to observe closely any potential inequities of the social equity (Inter-American Development Bank, 2000). In order to be able to make correct inferences, it is always necessary to look beyond the differences in individual inclination. Equity is characterized by the condition where the administrators are not indifferent to the stated conditions.
In order to be able to realize equity in every economy, economic and social inequalities need to be rearranged in such a way that they provide the greatest advantage to the least advantaged in the society (Svara and Johnson, 2011). In order to achieve this, it is always advisable to prepare policy proposals in an effort to suppress both social and economic difficulties in the society. The social administrators are also expected to deal with the issue of discrimination in an effort to further reduce these gaps.
Kinds of Inequalities
One of the main types of inequalities is simple equity. The individual equality is composed of one class of equals, where one relationship of equality exists among them (Inter-American Development Bank, 2000). There are several cases where this kind of equality can be realized. A good example of this can be the principle of one man one vote. This is where every person has equal rights and none is above the other. Contributions from each person are considered. This mechanism maintains the equality among the people.
The other form of equity is segmented equality. This kind of equality can clearly be seen especially where there is high level of labor division. For instance, the farmers are taxed in a different way from the business people. Similarly, wage earners are taxed differently in a certain way depending on the income levels.
In order to promote equity among the people, all persons from the same category must be taxed equally. This promotes equity among the people. However, this is based on the assumption that all the people are in the same category. For instance, all the farmers are assumed to be equal.
On the other hand, segmented equality suffers from the fact that there is inequality that exists between different segments. It is however necessary to come up with measures to reduce these differences. For instance, the higher income segment can be taxed higher than the lower income segment. Again, this will help in minimizing the difference between various groups. This segmentation is of great importance to the policy makers because most of the public services are provided through these segments.
The other type of equality is the block equality. This is the type of equality that calls for parity between different groups (Inter-American Development Bank, 2000). However, the use of racism to define the blocks threatens the level of equity in the society. This is because it tends to bring about discrimination.
In an effort to deal with the problems of inequality in the economy, the public administrators are usually faced by several challenges. This is because the exercise always has the losers and the winners. For instance, the individuals with more resources in the society will lose while those who don’t have will gain. However, the losers in this case are more advantaged. Nonetheless, it is always necessary to take into consideration the protection test.
In order to facilitate equity across the country, it is always advisable to ensure that there is fairness, equitable, and just management in all the institutions serving the government in one way or another. All services provided in these institutions must be providing in a way that promotes equity. The policy implementation must also be directed in such a way that it promotes justice, fairness, and equity in all aspects in the society.
Social Equity in Government Service
Another ground where there are critical issues on social equity is on the government services. Government services play a pivotal role in promoting equity among the people. This is because they have a significant implication on the well being of individuals.
Past studies have identified a number of cases where the government services have been unequally distributed. These include the municipal services like paved streets, gutters among others. Such services may be distributed in a discriminatory manner such that they don’t reflect the social equity.
For instance, these services were directed towards the white section while the blacks were left behind in poor conditions. A good example of such discrimination was seen at Shaw. At this region, only the white section enjoyed good municipal services like paved streets (Frederickson, 2005).
The other section occupied by the black never enjoyed equal services. This discrimination violated the 14th Amendment, which promised equal protection of the law. However, the court rejected this claim arguing that this form of distribution is municipal administration’s business and that it can be resolved at the ballot box (Frederickson, 2005). Through this kind of discrimination, inequalities are increased in the society. This problem was however resolved after which there was more equity in government services.
Another issue of inequity in the provision of the government services can be seen in the education sector. In US, desegregation of public schools following Brown V. Board of Education has resulted in varied and creative ways to define and achieve equality” (Frederickson, 2005).
One of the ways that has been applied in an effort to achieve equity in education is busing. Through busing, students are able to access schools far away from their residential areas. This has significantly helped in bringing about social block equity in the society. Equity in education has also been promoted through funding.
For instance, the states have used the equalization formula where more funds are geared towards funding of education in the poor districts. This equalization procedure played a major role in bridging the gap between the poor and the rich districts.
Over the past decade, questions have been raised on whether the existing separate but equal schooling system reflected inequality or whether it was unconstitutional. This raised major concerns on whether state departments for education can manage to eliminate the existing segregation.
The school system was separated based on races. The Court of Appeal in the United States made a significant effort in elimination of the racial based school systems. For instance, it ruled that the school officials had an affirmative role to bring about an integrated school system under the 14th amendment (Svara and Johnson, 2011).
Such integration was aimed at bringing about equity by elimination of the system of having Negro schools on one hand and the white schools on the other. In order to eliminate this dual schooling system, it required the authorities to facilitate integration of facilities, activities, and the students. This will help in elimination of the previous dual system.
One of the main factors that intensified racial segregation in schools was segregation of residential areas in the United States. This resulted in segregation in schools as a result of segregated neighborhoods.
Despite of these efforts, that were put to bring about equity among the people, there still remain some signs of inequality. This can be demonstrated through various aspects in the prevailing systems. For instance, the suburban schools districts around Kansas are dominated by white students (Svara and Johnson, 2011).
On the other hand, most of the all-Black schools are still dominated by black teachers and students. This means that there are still some aspects of inequity remaining in the community. These minor aspects have significantly led to differences among the people in the society and must be rectified.
There was a number of competing views that threatened the efforts of realizing equity in the society. One of the main areas where people varied was on the definition of the term equity.
It is important to note that everybody’s vote is equal to the other in this case. In addition, principle of democracy is that the majority vote wins. This point raised a critical issue because it is difficult for the majority to vote away minority’s constitutional rights to equal schooling (Svara and Johnson, 2011). This threatens the efforts geared towards the achievement of equality in schools.
Employment and Social Equity
The field of employment is one of the main areas through which the government can have a significant influence on the level of wealth. Consequently, it has a significant role in promoting social equity. This can be both nonpublic and public. The main issue here is the identification of those who should be employed as well as the criteria on which the selection process will be based.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended and the Equal Employment Act of 1972 were designed to guarantee equal access to public and private employment (Frederickson, 2005).
In Other words, this act played a significant role in promoting equality in employment. It provided equal opportunities to every person qualified for a particular position despite of their differences in other aspects. For instance, both children from the poor and rich families were given equal chances provided they had the required qualifications. This has significantly helped in reducing the gap between the rich and the poor.
It is also advisable for the concerned parties to adhere to the laws in order to promote fair measurement of the talent, ability, and skills in order to determine who gets the job (Frederickson, 2005). Employers are also discouraged by the law from engaging in discriminatory practices while recruiting employees. For instance, favoring candidates because they are either white or black violates this law.
In ensuring equity in employment, the affirmative laws have played a pivotal role where the court has the major responsibility of interpreting them.
For instance, it has ensured equity in employment for minorities, non-minorities as well as both the gender. However, it is predicted that the values of social equity may fall in the process of shifting towards a new balance in terms of employment which is more inclined towards efficiency level.
Several efforts have been applied in an effort to ensure that there is equity among the people, both minorities and non minorities. One of this can be seen through contracting. Back in the year 1977, in the Public Works Employment Act, the government proposed that 10 percent of all the public works must be reserved for the firms that were owned by the minorities in the United States. This was fully settled by 1980 and was being applied by them.
Again, this promoted equity among the people. It protected the minorities from bias that may deny them opportunities. Before then, contracts were mostly awarded to the non-minorities. As a result, only the firms that were owned by the non-minorities were progressing while these owned by the minorities continued to fall.
As a result, the gap between the minorities and the non-minorities continued to increase. The implementation of this act played a significant role in solving the problem of racial discrimination, which was prevailing by then.
“Today, by upholding this race-conscious remedy, the Court accords Congress the authority to undertake the task of moving our society toward a state of meaningful equality of opportunity, not an abstract version of equality in which the effects of past discrimination would be forever into our social fabric” (Frederickson, 2005).
Although this effort led to suppression of racial discrimination, it was opposed on the ground that it denied individuals the equal protection of the law.
The difference in the views was as a result of differences in the issue of what is to be equal. Different people have come up with differing approach, the fact which has led to disagreement on this proposal. Some argued that this Act just ensure block equity while it rarely emphasized on individual equity. The opposing groups here based their argument on whether block equity is better than individual equity.
Later, the 10 percent set aside by the provisions of the Federal Public Works Employment act in 1977 was interested to 30 percent by the U.S Supreme Court for the minority construction firms on contracts in the city of Richmond (Frederickson, 2005).
This move was received negatively by being regarded as impediment for the affirmative action programs of other states and municipalities. This was seen to be denying the whites an equal protection law. Although the proposed arrangement brought equity in the society, it was argued that the law used inequality in the means of achieving this (Svara and Johnson, 2011).
The Role of Public Administrators in Promoting Equity
The public administrators play a pivotal role in promoting equity in the society. By shaping the work of governance in their respective positions, the public administrators are able to promote equity in public administration. By practicing good judgment in their services, the public administrators abide with the raw that promotes equality in the society.
The public administrators also have the duty to partner with the elected leaders in ensuring that there is equity in every service provided (Svara and Johnson, 2011). The public administrators also interact with various individuals including the citizens and giving the elected officials advice and contributing by giving the recommendations on policy.
Promoting Equality in Distribution and Access of the Available Services
Another way through which the public administrators can promote equity in the country is through distribution and access. That is, to ensure that all services and benefits are equally available to every person in the community.
As already noted, the distribution of the resources must be in such a way that the poor get more than the rich. Such allocation will help in bridging the gap between the rich and the poor in the society. It is also necessary to ensure that the distribution and access of the existing programs and policies closely goes with the intended purpose (Vitez 2011).
For instance, in case there is a certain service to be provided to everyone, then this service should be equally available to all the people. In other words, every qualified individual in the society must have equal rights to access a certain service. For example, there should be no favor, discrimination or any other kind of bias that may significantly affect the ability of a certain fraction of the group from accessing the services.
In some cases, there are some requirements that determine the eligibility for a certain service. In such case, it is always advisable to measure that every eligible person is able to access the service. The legal procedures should be applied to include those who are in between the two extremes.
For instance, in case there is a certain allowance given to those people living below a certain income level, it is advisable to consider those at the boundary. While formulating the new policies and guidelines, it is advisable to ensure that only those policies that promote equality and compensatory redistribution are passed (Vitez, 2011). Any cases of previous discrimination must also be rectified to ensure that similar mistakes do not take place in the future. This will however be determined by the nature of the problem being addressed.
Any possible barriers that may prevent the people with fewer resources from accessing an essential service must be eliminated. Such barriers include access fees to certain services. Such barriers tend to open the door for those with higher resources while blocking access for those with fewer resources.
In case there must be access fee, this should only be in less important services and should be proportionate. While formulating the redistribution policies, it is necessary for the public administrators to consider the rule of law. The policies must also be directed in such a way that they promote maximum utilization of the available resources.
Promoting Equity in the Process of Providing Services
The public administrators also have a responsibility of promoting quality services to all the people. The process of providing services must be designed in such a way that it promotes equality in terms of quality in distribution of services. For instance, certain groups should not be given better services than the others. Discriminatory allocation will only contribute to increasing the gap among the people in the society. The administration of the services must reflect acceptable standards. This should be reflected in all groups in the community.
The intended outcome in this case is to realize equal level of outcome among different people in terms of economic and social conditions (Svara and James, 2004). It also seeks to eliminate the differences between the less disadvantaged and richer individuals in the society.
The public administrators must also consider the importance of individual’s behaviors on the outcomes and how they may impact or pose constraints on certain areas. This can clearly be demonstrated through the case of education. Poverty levels can significantly affect the level of performance in students. Students from the poor families are more likely to perform poorly than those from families with more resources.
It is the role of the public administrators to carry out the appropriate investigations to determine the causes of various disparities among the people. This will help them in coming up with appropriate measures in order to overcome these differences. It is necessary for the public admionistrators to recognize the acceptable level of inequality and the degree to which it should intervene to rectify such inequalities (Vitez, 2011).
The policy making process is one of the most important aspects that have a significant role in permuting equity in any country. Every person or group of persons must be given an opportunity to give their views concerning the most appropriate public policies and the service delivery.
There must be appropriate efforts to involve all the citizens in policy formulation and also providing the feedback appropriately in order to promote equity in provision of social services.
Recommendations
Procedural Fairness
Procedural fairness is one of the most important aspects of operations through which the public administrators can promote equity in the society. In order to achieve this, there must be due process. This ensures that every person is given an opportunity to access fairness and justice in all aspects.
It ensures that every person is given an opportunity to be heard and notified about the proceedings in any issue touching them. Procedural fairness also implies that all the people are exposed to equal human rights in spite of the differences in their personal characteristics. In case any deviations from these arrangements arise, then correction measures must be taken instantly.
It is also important to not that the world is dynamic in the social, economic, and political aspects. It is therefore necessary to ensure that the new and existing practices are re-examined to ensure that there is no any group that is denied procedural fairness.
Similarly, management as well as the service delivery must also be examined to ensure that every group of persons can easily access procedural fairness in the society. In case there is any behaviour detected to cause any form of unfairness, it is always advisable to take appropriate corrective measures to prevent any adverse impact in the society.
Progressive Taxation
Progressive taxation is another way through which social equity can be promoted. Through taxation, the public policy makers can significantly affect the distribution of resources. Progressive taxation is a kind of taxation where the public administrators impose tax proportionally.
The government imposes relatively higher tax rate on the wealthy individuals in the society. The more the income one has the more tax they are supposed to pay to the government. This form of taxation plays a role of reducing the tax burden for the less disadvantaged people in the community. This taxation can significantly help in bridging the poor and the rich in the community.
Since the progressive tax increases as the level increases, it has a significant role in promoting equality in the society. It leaves the highest burden to the high income class in the community. Therefore, this kind of taxation can be of great significance in promoting equality in the society.
Through progressive taxation, income is shifted from the rich to the poor. This reduces the gap between the two groups hence promoting equality among the people. Progressive taxation protects the poor group in the society from tax burdens. In relation to this, it is proposed that the wealthier people should pay more for the services provided by the government. This will promote equity in the society by shifting income from the rich to the poor.
From this discussion, it is clear that social equity is of great importance to the society. However, recent statistics indicates that the gap among the people is enlarging with time. It is therefore necessary to come up with the necessary measures that can promote equality in the society.
There are several ways through which the public administrators can increase the level of equality in the community. In order to realize equity effectively in the community, there is need to teach the issues of equity and diversity management to the public administrators.
Despite the adverse effects impacted by inequality on the society, very few people are aware of the increasing level of inequity among the people in the society. There is need to have campaigns on the adverse impacts that inequality can have on the society. People must be able to access statistics demonstrating how intensified the gap among the people has prevailed in the society.
Such kind of sensitization is of great importance in promoting understanding of the inequality issues in the society. The political parties must also be committed at formulation of the policies that can have a significant impact of reducing inequality among the people. This ensures that there are minimal differences among the rich and the poor in the society.
Significance of Promoting Social Equity
In many countries of the world, the issue of the social equality is highly upheld by many stakeholders. However, achieving this has been one of the major challenges in many nations. The idea that all men were created equally has contributed in reduction of the differences between the rich and the poor (Gutierrez, 2003).
In order to understand the importance of the social equality, it is always necessary to have a connection between the living standards and the well being in a particular society. Social equity promotes the standards of living and the well being in the society.
As already noted, social equity promotes the wealth in a country. When the level of health and development in a certain country is high, then the average level of the living standards of the citizens increases significantly. Consequently, this leads to the improvement in life expectancy levels.
The people are also generally happy because the level of disparities is high. However, it is important that the level of happiness will increase up to a particular point.
After a certain level of average income, there will be no marginal increase in well being or happiness as a result of an increase in the level of income (Rosenbloom and Carroll, 1990). This is because the importance of the material things on the well being reduces as the level of income increases. At this point, the main factor necessary is the psychological influences that affect the level of happiness.
Previous studies have indicated that there are a number of social evils associated with inequality (Blas and Kurup, 2010). For instance, there is a higher rate of imprisonment and more violence in the countries where there is high level of inequalities. As noted previously, inequalities lead to an increase in differences between the people in society.
This increases the level of poverty among the people because the resources will be ending on the hands of marginal people in the society while the majorities are left in poverty. When the level of poverty in the society is high, the rate of crime tends to be high (Gooden and Meyers, 2004). Past research has also revealed that the rate of teenage births is high in the countries where there are high levels of inequality (Accius, 2008).
Similarly, this is as a result of poverty. Most poor parents are unable to educate their children and therefore they are forced to drop out of school at a very young age. Consequently, they are forced to get married at a very early age. Due to poverty, teenagers may engage themselves in sexual activities as a way of earning a living. This may also lead to high rates of teenager birth.
Social equity also promotes the social mobility. This implies that it is easier for the poor to move out of poverty in a country where there is equity. On the other hand, there is no social mobility in economies where there is no equity in distribution of resources.
The level of well being is relatively higher in the countries where there is a high level of equity. This is because the living standards are higher and every family is able to access at least the basic goods. Therefore, there is low likelihood of starvation or malnutrition. Psychological problems are also minimal since people do not suffer from extreme poverty.
Consequently, there is high life expectancy. Child mortality is also minimal in countries where there is a higher level of equity. By promoting equality in the country, the administrators are able to deal with the increasing differences between the ideal and reality of equality. This helps in reducing the gap between the rich and the poor.
It is necessary to consider equity in all aspects of the society’s operations. It is also important to ensure that equity is practiced in all activities in which the members of the society are engaged in. For instance, there is need to have equity in the treatment of all the people from different races. In connection to this, the top management is required to ensure equity at all levels.
Conclusion
From the above discussion, it is evident that the public administrators have a significant role to play in promoting equality in the society. They have the responsibility of formulation of the policies that leads to reduction of the gap between those with more resources and those with fewer resources. This is because inequity has an impact of increasing disparities in the society. Equity can be maximized by reducing discrimination in provision of the public services and facilities as well as the employment opportunities.
References List
Accius, J. (2008). Toward a Demographic Divide? Equity, race, and Social Security. U.S.A.: ProQuest.
Blas, E. and Kurup, A. (2010). Equity, Social Determinants and Public Health Programmes. World Health Organization.
Frederickson, G. (2005), The state of social equity in American public administration. National Civic Review, Vol. 94, pp. 31–38.
Gooden, S., and Meyers, S. (2004). Social Equity in Public Affairs Education. Journal of Public Affairs Education 10: 91-97.
Gutierrez, R. (2003). Social Equity and the Funding of Community Policing. New York: LFB Scholarly Publishing LLC.
Inter-American Development Bank. (2000). Social Protection for Equity and Growth. New York: IDB.
Pickett, K. (2011). The Benefits of Equality. Web.
Rosenbloom, D., and Carroll, J. (1990). Toward Constitutional Competence: A Casebook for Public Administrators. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Svara, J., and James, B. (2004). Filling in the Skeletal Pillar: Addressing Social Equity in Introductory Courses in Public Administration. Journal of Public Affairs Education 10: 99-109.
Svara, J., and Johnson, N. (2011). Justice for All: Promoting Social Equity in Public Administration. New York: M.E. Sharpe.
Vitez, O. (2011). What Is a Progressive Tax System? Web.
In public administration, the term diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) refers to programs and policies which encourage the participation and representation of distinct groups of people by considering the inclusion of distinct races, religion, age, culture, sexual orientation, ethnicities, ability, and people with disabilities (Grubbs, 2020). Diversity entails all characteristics that make a group different from another such as religion, race, ethnicity, age, mental ability, marital status, gender, physical abilities, and disabilities. Equity involves ensuring fair treatment and access of opportunities among people while also doing away with barriers hindering others from full participation. Inclusion involves building a culture that makes everyone feel welcomed to participate by extending invitations to every individual or group (Grubbs, 2020). This paper presents a discussion about the definition of the term DEI as used in public administration, how DEI impacts ethics and how ethics impacts DEI and concludes with how the information impacts my personal ethics.
Previous research argues that one way of making decisions that are more ethical within an organization is by ensuring that the organization has a diverse group of employees (Grubbs, 2020). This is due to the fact that a diverse workforce will have different ideas, beliefs, and values such that when properly managed it should be capable of creating various options and solutions solving ethical problems. As mentioned earlier, DEI is concerned with providing an inclusive working environment for everyone while offering equal freedom of self-expression and respecting everyone’s actions irrespective of their background (Grubbs, 2020). This builds a culture of togetherness which facilitates the accommodation of various behaviors of people from different backgrounds. In the long run, DEI gives all employees a sense of belonging which creates employee job satisfaction and morale that enhances employee productivity.
Successful implementation of DEI depends on ethical decision makers in organizations. Efforts made to ensure the adoption of DEI would not be a spotlight now if it were not for ethical leaders within the field of public relations and communications. Ethics has seen ethical leaders push for the development of policies and programs that offer an inclusive working environment for employees coming from different backgrounds (Grubbs, 2020). The fact that DEI programs are developed and embraced by ethical leaders means that positive results of DEI are attributable to the influence of ethical leadership. It is important to note that DEI efforts do not make institutions ethical but ethical companies are associated with a diverse and inclusive workforce.
In conclusion, ethical decision making has become an area of interest to both organizations and researchers. This is due to the fact that individuals in workplaces have been facing ethical challenges which often require them to make decisions. It is for this reason that ethical leaders began advocating for the adoption of DEI in organizations to provide a wide range of alternatives that an employee could choose from in case of any ethical issue faced. The main concept of DEI is to provide an inclusive working environment and programs that promote fairness and equal chances to all. This information has helped me learn that the term DEI and ethics are closely related because DEI creates good ethics among employees and good ethics among decision makers promote the adoption of inclusive strategies. Lastly, the existence of DEI programs in an organization does not make it ethical but instead ethical organizations make diverse DEI programs.
In 1840, Te Tiriti o Waitangi was signed by the representatives of the Maori people and by the British Crown authorities as the treaty to state the governance and sovereignty of the Crown as well as the British protection over the Maori people. Nowadays, the functions of the Crown representativeness and protection are performed by the New Zealand authorities (Kingi, 2007).
Moreover, the health promotion practices are also realised with references to the partnership relations between the New Zealand authorities and the local representatives of the Maori people. Although Te Tiriti o Waitangi was signed more than a century ago, its role is still important for regulating the aspects of the social development of the country regarding the progress and well-being of the Maori people.
From this perspective, the issue of regulating the health promotion questions should be also examined while referring to Te Tiriti o Waitangi as the founding document in New Zealand. The Maori people discuss Te Tiriti o Waitangi as the treaty to state their equality to the non-Maori people, thus, the principle of equity is involved in the discussion.
In spite of the fact that there are several viewpoints regarding the effectiveness of Te Tiriti o Waitangi to regulate the health promotion practices for the Maori people, it is impossible to ignore this treaty because of its extreme role for determining the Maori people’s rights for health and well-being.
The Aspects and Importance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi
The aspect of protection which is discussed in relation to different interpretations of Te Tiriti o Waitangi is important to be analysed as the key concept to understand the role of the treaty for the health promotion practices in New Zealand during the past centuries and today. While signing the treaty in 1840, the Crown and the Maori people followed rather different goals and intentions.
The British Crown intended to declare the sovereignty in relation to the territories, and the Maori people could accept the conditions only with references to some social and economic benefits as the guarantees of partnership and protection (Health promotion competencies, 2011; Kingi, 2007).
That is why, the texts of the treaty’s translations, as well as the interpretations, differ significantly regarding the parties’ expectations from the treaty and associated advantages or outcomes.
The Maori people perceive Te Tiriti o Waitangi as a kind of the legal guarantee related to the promotion of well-being for the Maori. Thus, the Maori people refer to Te Tiriti o Waitangi when they are inclined to apply to the issue of protecting their interests in New Zealand. This approach is also relevant while discussing the case of health promotion within the country.
That is why, all the acts and legal norms associated with the health promotion issues within New Zealand should be correlated with the Maori people’s interests and needs fixed according to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Nevertheless, there are visions that the treaty cannot provide the Maori people with any advantages connected with the health promotion practices today because of the lack of direct references to the health care issues in the texts of Te Tiriti o Waitangi’s translations (Health promotion competencies, 2011; Kingi, 2007).
The Principle of Equity and the Role of Te Tiriti o Waitangi Regarding This Principle
The Maori people discuss Te Tiriti o Waitangi as the platform to protect their social interests in New Zealand because of suffering from definite social inequalities. That is why, the interpretation of Te Tiriti o Waitangi is closely connected with the principle of equity regarding the health promotion practices.
The principle of equity in association with the health promotion supports the idea that all the people in the country, without references to their social and economic statuses, should receive the equal health services because the focus on inequity violates the human rights (Whitehead, 1990).
The principle of equity depends on avoiding the concentration on differences in statuses and discrimination. However, the problem is in the fact that different social and ethnic groups can suffer from inequalities significantly. These people belong to the disadvantaged groups which can be discriminated in relation to the provision of health care services because of the weaknesses in laws and legal standards (Whitehead, 1990).
To guarantee the fact that the community and authorities follow the principle of equity in relation to the health and well-being of the Maori people, the ethnic group relies on Te Tiriti o Waitangi as the set of traditional legal norms signed by the two parties to state the Maori people’s equality to the other citizens of New Zealand.
As a result, the concepts of protection and equity are accentuated in the text of the treaty to prove the possibilities for receiving the equal health care services in reality. Nevertheless, the practical use of Te Tiriti o Waitangi to support the legality of definite activities is under question because of the uncertainties associated with the treaty’s texts and interpretations (Te Ture Whakaruruhau, 2012).
However, Te Tiriti o Waitangi is still the tool for the Maori people to state their equal rights to receive the health care services based on the developed health promotion practices in New Zealand.
The principle of equity is based on the idea that there should not be any gaps in providing the health services and practices for different ethnic or social groups of people because of rejecting the idea of discrimination according to the human rights norms. Still, disadvantaged groups remain to be the victims of the social inequalities in relation to many social questions, including the issue of health promotion.
To avoid the scenario typical for the disadvantaged groups, the Maori people focus on Te Tiriti o Waitangi as the key to promote the principle of equity for them. This treaty can be discussed as the first step to the Maori people’s self-determination and as their way to achieve the social equality in relation to such an important aspect as health (Kingi, 2007).
As a result, those interpreters of Te Tiriti o Waitangi who belong to the ethnic group of the Maori people or share their visions of the problem are inclined to discuss the treaty as the statement of the Maori people’s right for equity.
Applying the Treaty of Waitangi and the Principle of Equity in Health Promotion
During the 19th century, the Maori people were discussed as the declining ethnic group because of the people’s problems with health, high rates of mortality and low rates of birth. The supporters of the positive role of Te Tiriti o Waitangi for the ethnic group’s development state that the treaty could contribute to changing the situation and to providing more opportunities for the Maori to avoid poverty and health problems.
During the period of working out the treaty, the Maori people suffered from the social changes which influenced their health because of the observed decline in the people’s economic statuses (Towns et al., 2004). However, Te Tiriti o Waitangi was necessary to respond to the social and political needs of the Maori population because of the focus on all the aspects of the ethnic group’s social life.
Thus, it was stated in the treaty that the Maori could rely on the Crown’s protection. According to Kingi, “in the English version of the Treaty, Article 2 emphasises property rights and Article 3 stresses individual rights.
There is a guarantee of ‘royal protection’ and that Māori will be afforded the same ‘Rights and Privileges of British Subjects’” (Kingi, 2007, p. 7). In this case, protection is provided in relation to the issues associated with the individual rights or the persons’ well-being.
It is important to note that health issues were also meant while the well-being and protection aspects were discussed during the 19th century. Thus, the correlation between Te Tiriti o Waitangi and health promotion questions during the 19th century can be considered as obvious.
Nevertheless, it is necessary to refer to the modern situation and application of the principles reflected in Te Tiriti o Waitangi to the contemporary health promotion practices realised in New Zealand according to the idea of equity. The focus on human rights and on the improvement of health equity is typical for the development of the health promotion practice in the 2000s (Health promotion competencies, 2011).
This approach should be analysed with references to the statistical data on the health of the Maori people in New Zealand during the discussed periods. Thus, the recent life expectancy figures demonstrate the tendency according to which non-Maori people’s life is longer than the life of the Maori people because of the range of social and economic factors (Towns et al., 2004).
Moreover, different social and economic factors do not influence the health state of the modern Maori people completely because the fact of belonging to the disadvantaged group also means the violation of the principle of equity within the society in New Zealand. The evidences on the health of the Maori people prove the ideas that new approaches are necessary to regulate the situation and to achieve the positive outcomes (Kingi, 2007).
Te Tiriti o Waitangi can be discussed as a set of traditional legal norms which respond to the interests of the Maori people and follow the principles of protection and equity. This approach to interpretation of the treaty is rather controversial because many researchers are inclined to evaluate Te Tiriti o Waitangi as the treaty to limit the rights of the Maori people in New Zealand instead of expanding them (Towns et al., 2004).
From this point, the discussion of several perspectives can be relevant to conclude about the role of the treaty for the development of the health promotion practices.
Today, the Maori people suffer from more chronic illnesses than the other part of the population in New Zealand because of the problematic social and economic conditions. The declines in the well-being and health rates are also observed with references to the birth rates (Addiction Practitioners’ Association, 2011; Malcolm, 2002).
On the one hand, the statistics can be used to prove the argument that such acts and treaties as Te Tiriti o Waitangi cannot protect the ethnic minorities from the social discrimination in relation to the health services promotion (Carter-Pokras & Baquet, 2002; Theunissen, 2011).
On the other hand, Te Tiriti o Waitangi is the main source to consider the Maori people as the equal ones to the non-Maori persons because of the interpretations and the social focus on the problem (Carter-Pokras & Baquet, 2002; Ellison-Loschmann, King, & Pearce, 2004).
The issues are obvious, and they need to be resolved within the society in order to avoid inequity in the future. As a result, it is rather difficult to conclude about the effects of Te Tiriti o Waitangi on the health promotion practices in New Zealand today while referring only to one point of view.
All the representatives of the population in New Zealand have the equal rights to receive the necessary health services in spite of their status because of the human rights standards. However, the current situation in the country is correlated with the concept of inequality because of the low measures in relation to the health of the Maori people.
The Maori cannot receive the opportunity to realise their health potential because of a lot of social factors. Nevertheless, the provision of health services according to the national health promotion principles should be equal (Kingi, 2007). Thus, the ideas of the protection and equity stated in Te Tiriti o Waitangi should be realised appropriately.
From this perspective, Te Tiriti o Waitangi is directly applied to the national promotion practices because this treaty regulates the norms according to which the distribution of health services should be provided. Still, the problem is in the fact that these principles of equity and protection are not followed in the real life.
The representatives of the non-Maori population have more opportunities to receive the professional medical help when it is necessary because of the effects of certain social and economic factors. In this case, Te Tiriti o Waitangi cannot work effectively to guarantee the direct connection of the principles with the health services provided for the Maori people.
On the other hand, Te Tiriti o Waitangi is the basic document to guarantee the social attention to the problem and to influence the solution of the equity question within the society of New Zealand.
Although there are many points which should be improved in relation to the health promotion in the country today, Te Tiriti o Waitangi is applied to the health promotion practices because of the focus on protection, partnership, and equity (Towns et al., 2004). These ideas are stated clearly while analysing the aspects of the Maori people’s self-determination and health promotion issues.
Conclusion
It is important to distinguish between the perspectives from which it is possible to discuss the problem. Te Tiriti o Waitangi influences the principles of the health promotion services for the Maori people directly, but these principles cannot work effectively because of the practical flaws in realisation of health care services for different groups of population.
That is why, it is important to pay more attention to regulating the fact of the treaty’s realisation and work within the society. Thus, the role of the treaty for the development of health promotion practices in relation to the Maori is significant, but the weaknesses in interpretations and the approaches to the principles and norms’ realisation can be observed.
References
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Carter-Pokras, O., & Baquet, C. (2002). What is a health disparity? Public Health Reports, 117(1), 426–434.
Ellison-Loschmann, L., King, R., & Pearce, N. (2004). Regional variations in asthma hospitalisations among Maori and non-Maori. The New Zealand Medical Journal, 117(1188), 89-101.
Health promotion competencies for Aotearoa–New Zealand. (2011). New Zealand: Health Promotion Forum of New Zealand.
Kingi, T. R. (2007). The Treaty of Waitangi: A framework for Māori health development. New Zealand Journal of Occupational Therapy, 54(1), 4-10.
Malcolm, L. (2002). Major inequities between district health boards in referred services expenditure: a critical challenge facing the primary health care strategy. The New Zealand Medical Journal, 115(1167), 56-89.
Te Ture Whakaruruhau: Code of ethical principles for public health in Aotearoa New Zealand. (2012). Web.
Theunissen, K. (2011). The nurse’s role in improving health disparities experienced by the indigenous Maori of New Zealand. Contemporary Nurse, 39(2), 281–286.
Towns, C., Watkins, N., Salter, A., Boyd, P., & Parkin, L. (2004). The Orewa Speech: Another threat to Maori health? The New Zealand Medical Journal, 117(1205), 112-121.
Whitehead, M. (1990). The concepts and principles of equity and health. Copenhagen: World Health Organization.
Equity and trust are very essential when it comes to issues related to owning a property or transferring an asset. This action responds that the transfer segment did not intend to pass over the entire beneficial interest but rather a positive contemplation to retain it. The resulting trust seems to be a fallback because the handover does not cover the entire beneficial interests. Consequently, a void is filled, and no part of the story is left hanging. Furthermore, these sentiments can potentially undermine the equity and trust of various parties. Following the Chancery-based Court decision that created the complete Common Law, trust and equity are fundamental to English laws.
The purpose of trust and equity law is essential to fill in the gaps left by property law whenever a court determines that it would be equitable for one person to receive the financial benefits of another person’s securities or assets. The term “trustee” is generally used to refer to a legitimate owner or those entrusted with properties or assets. Discussing whether or not the aim is appropriate for all types of trust would be at the heart of this paper, which examines its role in building trust relationships. Having a clear goal in mind when making a relationship based on mutual trust is another aspect discussed in this paper. Also, the paper addresses the transformation of trust and how it affects power relations between beneficiaries and trustees.
Moreover, in some cases, the owner is not entitled to the sole beneficiary’s assets. The word “equity” connotes a sense of right and wrong. Equity, on either hand, is a legal term that refers to how the fundamental common law has been able to mitigate its drawbacks. Trust, and all beneficiaries are recognized by equity when an individual gives something to these trustees to benefit another person. The old concept or notion of trustees as owners has been reimagined by trust and equity regulations. The trust has upheld common law features like redemption-based principles and standards over the years. There exists an apparent bias favoring the violating party throughout the trust legislation is acknowledged and explained. Creditors can seize a party’s overall trust assets if they have the money to do so. The lenders can often not accept the mutual agreement in the initial declaration. The trustee must abide by the terms of the agreement, as mandated by the law.
How Transformation of Trust Affects Power Relations Between Trustees and Beneficiaries
While the above decision was made during the well-known Quist Close Investments Ltd v. Barclays Bank Ltd case, it led to additional advances within the equity and trust law. As a result of the magnificent House of Lords’ ruling, the economic correlation for advanced economies was established. The correlation served as a foundation and a requirement to be protected and implemented. This act suggests that the action of equity or fairness is composed of constitutional principles and solutions. Based on fairness and integrity, this particular judge-created rule is in place. Quist vs. Barclays Bank Ltd would be a good example of equity adaptability and trustworthiness in modern commercialisation. Due to the legitimate Settlor’s decision to transfer or move assets to a scenario that does not align with these Settlor’s beneficiaries’ goals, the presence of the entire Quistclose trusts, which is being defined as an overall trustee, is crucial for preventing the gaps in resolving beneficial interest.
In contrast, throughout the United Kingdom, the trust is regarded as a mutual agreement between the Settlors, Trustees, and Beneficiaries. The Settlor hands over the assets to their trustee in the trust agreement. The existing law governs trustees’ power, and the entire covenant trust could explain it in detail. The trust’s advantage is kept for the advantage of a specific individual, known as a legitimate Beneficiary, who may be eligible to receive money or revenue from the set trust. This trust’s properties would be transferred to an executor in favor of the beneficiary.
Due to our understanding of trust, it is easy to distinguish between legitimate and unjustifiable ownership titles. This act behaves like receiving the rightful title while snatching the defensive crown. Legally, the trustee might be considered the owner since they have legal tagging. Trustees no longer have ultimate control over the assets they hold in trust, thanks to a change in the law that gives the trust’s heirs the legal ability to manage those assets. Through Knight V Knight, all three essentials for establishing a contractual trust are outlined. As a first step, the overall testator’s objective must be stated clearly, suggesting that the wording used by the trustees should convey that the existing testator intends to place trust in their hands. The second requirement is that the topic is narrowly defined. Trust asset or property has to be identifiable in this way.
Trusts are void if the source material or matter is unclear, as seen in Simmonds v Palmer’s well-known case, and assets could be returned to the legitimate Executor. Therefore, as a result, the phrase “the preponderance of my estates” was interpreted as ambiguous. The description of the entire property’s kind, quantity, and locality were ambiguous due to ambiguous terminology. There was no mention of who would gain from the in-picture property. As a last consideration, each item should have a clear purpose. Beneficiaries are referred to as “objects” therefore in this particular context. A fixed or permanent trust can be preserved in certain circumstances. When it comes to the fixed trust, having a complete inventory of the beneficiaries is critical; however, with public-based trusts, the only thing that counts would be whether or not an individual can be linked to the group of beneficiaries.
Individuals who have a clear understanding of the importance of setting up trust again for the advantage of others are trustworthy. These individuals are said to have an “assurance of intention.” For legal beliefs to be valid, their intentions must be adequately documented and reviewed by a qualified legal expert { Trusts & Wil’s, 1948}. However, the fair principle, “Fairness concentrates on intention rather than form,” does not necessitate adopting any particular legal system. For that reason, the courts must evaluate any language utilised by the owners in their promise to execute those given assets and responsibilities.
Whether or not, Titleholders formally declare themselves as trustees is not required. Even if the overall owner’s behaviour demonstrates that he has no concerns about this, they must use phrases that convey the same message without reservation. Constance omitted to declare a trust in his name and his wife’s name. Regarding his wife, he possessed given the promise that any money they kept belonged to both of them. In addition, the account was treated as if it belonged to both the borrower and the payer. The jury trial found that Constance’s comments and deeds had confidence in their judgment of its unique mandate. Taking into account Re Kayfords’ 1975, One of Kayford’s customers had their cash moved to another account by Kayford Ltd.
A case concerning Re Adams and Kensington in 1884 had a husband who trusted his spouse to handle his money in the family’s best interest, including distributing the properties to their kids, and he kept all of his possessions in trust for the wife. Even if his wife was ethically bound to handle the assets in a particular manner, the court concluded that the circumstances did not create an adequate foundation for a contractual trust. Further, to generate trust, precatory statements can still get used effectively. In the Bowring-Hanbury vs. Comiskey 1905 case, “in absolute conviction” was frequently used. However, additional comments were thought to be trust-building throughout the agreement in the court’s system. There will always be numerous opportunities to review all relevant documentation and see if it is possible to decide whether there was any reasonable justification for determining the purpose to build trust between the two concerned parties.
An inter Vivo-based land trust or adequate attention to reallocating land requires a documented and signed declaration of convictions by the trust maker, lawyer, or Settlors. In this state, the legitimate Executor could hold the property parcel favoring the Settlors in circumstances where no compliance legalities exist. Except in cases where an example of Strong V Bird 1874 has been used, the law applies.9 The Settlor must have hoped for a quick and unfettered transfer of title towards the trustees when it came to this issue. Until his death, the Settlor’s intentions remained unchanged.
In some cases, it is suggested that trust could get built without any specific way of excellent communication given purpose could get established. Land trusts can be set up for interring Vivo-based lands and demonstrating trusts. Unless contemplation has been provided or an appeal of the particular instance judgment under Strong v Bird 1874 is made, the trust would be ineffective if the procedures are not supervised, irrespective of whether the Executor possessed good intentions. Composing the formalities should be perfect and unambiguous, a lack to which it could not be deemed a trust. This argument is acceptable since other phrases, behaviours, and conducts can convey the goal to develop trust, according to the judgement. However, the Law courts pay little attention to the substance of the terms employed. Three things can be relied upon while choosing terminology.
An extrapolation to the Saunders v Vautier of 1841 gets made in numerous situations where the beneficiaries are not eligible for an asset or land until they reach a particular age. Lawyers frequently utilise the term to imply that their clients and anybody else they represent should be aware of the implications. In other words, as soon as the trust beneficiary turns 18, they can no longer hold on to their inheritance because of this provision. While Saunders v. Vautier can be applied in this context, it might be incorrect to assume the rule is only applicable in this way.
Legally, the case of Saunders v. Vautier appears to have established that a beneficiary might overlook the testator’s intentions and substitute the terms of their trust. The trustees must act in line with beneficiary requirements if all likely trust receivers, together proving 100 percent of the projected “ownership” of these set trust’s assets, strongly direct its provisions to be changed or collapsed. Despite the Settlor’s intentions, the trustee is bound by the beneficiaries’ wishes when a trust is established. Even though they are termed as legal or consenting age and ability, the successors of an estate created by the Settlor will be responsible for giving in overall trust’s properties as proprietors and recipients. The Saunders v. Vautier ruling makes this scenario possible. According to Hayton and Underhill, the general Law of Trustees and Trusts (14th ed. 1987.), this particular rule is apparent. There is no need to consult the testator’s preferences or guardians with only one successor or above. They are all working towards the same goal with no proven incapacity.
Notably, the Saunders v Vautier ruling is invalid if some specified beneficiaries have a different view of how the trusts must be implemented. Consequently, the trust should get maintained by the intentions of the Settlors. Saunders v Vautier’s ruling will be applied if some successors are unable to act because of their age or fitness level. The disability of some of the recipients must fall within the Variation of Trust Act, which allows the court to accept the requested changes in favor of the affected beneficiaries who are legally disabled. All beneficiaries might have consented to the changes if the court delivered such a decision with all variables remaining unchanged. In this particular case, Saunders v Vautier was followed. Trusts and the use of overall intention. For example, trust can be shown in a variety of ways. Trusts both seem to be flexible and fixed inexpressive trusts. In what seems like a fixed trust, all beneficiaries get designated, and the size of property or amount of money everyone is entitled to receive has been established in advance.
In situations when there has been a lack of assurance in the purpose of creating trust, it is impossible to declare trust. However, if it could be proven that the legitimate trust’s founder did not intend to distribute the trust’s properties, the trustees could well be entitled to a portion of the trust’s investments. On the other hand, if an initiator had in mind a self-attestation of trust and overall legal outcome, Subject-based Matter Certainty would be insignificant. Trusts could be established over any form of asset, including pledges or responsibilities that are not tangible. Whenever this occurs, the source material of the trust agreement must be adequately delineated throughout the written form. Palmer described the phrase “the overall bulk within my property” in the Simmonds v Palmer case in 1854.
A trust could not be established based on this description. Using the word “bulk” as a descriptor leaves room for interpretation. For the trust to be valid, the asset should be recognized, and If not, the entire trust becomes void. The results will depend on the present level of uncertainty therein the subject-based matter if it is unclear. The trust cannot be linked to any asset if the uniqueness of the trust assets is apparent. As a result, the trustee may become the sole owner of the assets if the beneficiary’s identification is not specified. Fixed trusts necessitate certainty of items so that the trustees can divide the assets with both the maximum equity and fairness proportionately among all beneficiaries.
Conclusion
Settlors, Trustees, and Beneficiaries form a three-way covenant in creating the trust. The testator or Settler is the person or persons who transfer the trust’s properties or assets to it. Executors of the individuals or person’s estate are referred to as “trustees,” They are governed and supervised by the law. Individuals whose interests the trust serves are referred to as “beneficiaries.” Under the trust, these Settlor’s overall intention determines whether or not they intended to put one thing in possession of these existing trustees. Besides, Trust rules and conditions are examined and interpreted by courts while enforcing them. The trustees must adhere to the terms under trust to distribute the assets unless the recipients unanimously decide to change or modify the trust. The beneficiaries of these proposed adjustments must be of a sane mind and free of any incapacitation.
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Work equity is a major issue affecting most organizations around the world, regardless of whether they are public or private institutions. While everybody prefers being treated equally at workplace, there are numerous cases when employees are not treated with fairness, to a level of public concern.
Such cases have prompted the formulation of laws in different countries to deal with cases of unequal treatment especially in public organizations. Such laws define the manner in which workers are supposed to be treated, without favoritism in executing leadership or managerial authority (Peetz et al. 406).
This paper explores the issue of workplace equity, focusing on a wide-range of aspects like its background, benefits, disadvantages, and challenges among others.
Background
Workplace equity is a broad aspect of management, which ensures that there is fair representation of people in an organization. This therefore means that workplace equity can be described variedly, depending on parameters of representation.
In most cases, workplace equity strives to ensure that the minority groups are well-considered in all aspects of employment, starting with the manner in which employees are recruited to how they perform their duties (Peetz et al. 406). In order to comply with laws and create a positive public image, most institutions offer equal chances for men and women in cases where there are vacant positions to be occupied.
Even though this is the case, some countries may have cultural beliefs, which limit the opportunities of members of a particular gender. Under such circumstances, women are known to suffer most because nearly all societies limit the opportunities of women.
Besides gender, workplace equity ensures that people with disabilities are treated equally with dignity and respect, regardless of their physical situations. Since disabled people are limited, it is important for institutions to have a fair approach, starting with recruitment, training, remuneration, and overall relationship between employees and employers.
People with disabilities can compete effectively if they are provided with the physical aid that they may require (Anenson 1). This ensures that tasks assigned to them are well-done within the provided time. In other words, institutions have the obligation of providing facilities, which promote the effectiveness of disabled people with regard to hiring and performance of different tasks at workplace.
Another factor which determines workplace equity is race, especially in cases where the society is made up people from different ethnic backgrounds. In order for this to happen, it is important to consider potential candidates fairly during recruitment, training, and payment. Where equality is not observed, minority ethnic groups may be disadvantaged due to poor representation in different government institutions (Anenson 1).
While private organizations may have customized approaches, relating to the hiring of employees and their retention, public firms need to exercise high degree of fairness to the entire country. Although it is not easy for an entire institution to be fair to all employees in every aspect, it is the responsibility of senior managers to be the ambassadors of equity in all their decisions and actions at workplace.
Theory of equity
The issue of workplace equity has been discussed by various theorists and experts throughout history. Following such surveys and researches, John Stacey Adams proposed ideas, which have found significant application in the understanding of quality at workplace. In his theory, Adams mainly addressed the issue of equity in relation to motivation of employees in an organization.
His findings have been found to match with those of other psychologists like Charles Handy and Maslow among other experts in the field (Pravin 316). According to Adams, equity at workplace plays a major role in defining an employee’s attitude towards his or her work. In other words, the theory has a wider view of certain factors that are likely to affect the entire workforce, even though a few people might be directly affected.
This can be qualified based on the fact that fairness and equity are defined in comparison with how other employees are treated under the same working conditions. Furthermore, fair treatment motivates workers, because they feel appreciated for their efforts in advancing the aims and objectives of the organization (Pravin 316).
In describing workplace equity, Adams focused on what people give and receive in return as inputs and outputs respectively. Inputs may include skills and energy, which employees use in performing their tasks, assigned by the management of the organization (Pravin 316). Nevertheless, such efforts are not offered free-of-charge, especially in cases where a person has been hired to receive outputs after offering specified services.
In this context, it is equally important that to note that inputs go beyond the number of hours people spend at their workplaces. Similarly, outputs comprise of other factors beyond money, which is viewed by most people as the sole output.
The main focus of the theory is the state of those we compare ourselves with in order to establish whether they are treated fairly or not. According to the theory, there are several factors within a workplace, which determine the source of motivation for most people, working in any institution. It is for this reason that people tend to establish a balance between what is given and the reward received as a result of effort and skills.
Through comparison with others, people develop better relationships with friends and colleagues as a way of understanding personal fairness at workplace. Most people get affected when they realize that their workmates are being treated in a different manner (Pravin 316). The response is likely to be negative in cases where their colleagues are rewarded with better terms as compared to what they earn.
This can be used to understand why employees get discouraged when a section of the workforce is exempted from pay-rise or promotion. In understanding workplace equity, it is essential to note that people respond to unfair treatment at workplace differently, depending on the impact of varied treatment accorded to employees.
Discouragement and total hatred are common in cases where a person learns that the kind of rewards offered are less than those given to another group yet they belong to the same professional level (Pravin 316).
Workplace Equity in Canada
Workplace equity is highly encouraged in Canada, to ensure that nobody is treated unfairly for reasons, which are not related to one’s ability. The success of equity starts with identifying various forms of discrimination in public institutions before addressing ways of overcoming them.
As mentioned before, women, Aboriginals, and those with disabilities are highly prone to unfair treatment while at work (Zanko 73). In order to promote workplace equity, it is important to establish a way of dealing with the vice and the ability to accommodate people with differences.
Canada is one of the countries with a proud history of workplace equity. In 1970s, the country witnessed wide-spread efforts in support of human rights law, which addressed intentional discrimination. During this time, most Canadians found it hard to secure employment because of existing barriers, which they had to deal with.
There was need for a proactive approach in promoting employment opportunities through change of practices and culture (Zanko 73). It was until 1978 that the government introduced an affirmative action for the private sector. Nevertheless, these efforts bore little fruits as it turned out that employers had not initiated programs to deal with workplace equity.
As a result, the Royal Commission on Equity in Employment was established, chaired by Judge Rosalie Abella. The commission recommended a mandatory program known as Employment Equity, which recognized women, Aboriginals, and disabled people as the designated groups in the country (Zanko 73).
The Employment Equity Act
The first Employment Equity Act was ratified in 1986 before it was amended in 1995. The main purpose of the act, which is upheld to-date, is to promote workplace equity in Canada through equal employment and promotion opportunities for all citizens (Catano 80).
In essence, the act ensures that there is full representation of the designated groups in public institutions, based on the needs of the market and the availability of those seeking employment.
In order for the act to be effectively implemented, employers are required to eliminate all forms of employment barriers against minorities, emanating from unauthorized practices and policies. Additionally, employers are supposed to make adjustments within their systems in order to reflect equal representation within the workforces based on eligibility, geography and qualifications (Catano 80).
Even though the sole purpose of establishing the Employment Equity Program is to improve the representation of designated groups in the labor force, it is worth noting that there are benefits, which employers experience as a result of implementing such programs. The following segment discusses some of these benefits.
Advantages of workplace equity to employers
The first benefit of promoting workplace equity is that it enhances large markets for goods and services. This is based on the fact that the success of any organization or business is based on its continuous expansion of its customer base (Bailyn 97).
The rise in globalization in the 21st century has led to a significant shift in demographic trends around the world. An institution, which is committed to expansion, ought to widen its scope of customers and employees in order to take advantage of the growing market. Large markets increase the demand for what is being produced thus creating the need for higher levels of institutional production.
Besides the expansion of a country’s market, workplace equity promotes an expanded labor pool to meet the needs of the country. For instance, when equal opportunities are given to all the citizens for specific positions, the government gets an opportunity to select the best candidates from a variety of applicants (Bailyn 100).
It is paramount to note that minorities in the society may also possess relevant skills, which could be needed in a given sector. However, their skills and knowledge can only be recognized if they are considered during recruitment and equal treatment at workplace.
A larger pool of talents ensures that the hiring institution gets a wide-range of options in order to meet the ever-changing needs of the market due to evolving technology and market trends.
Another important benefit of workplace equity is that it promotes good public relations. Institutions, which are known for unfair treatment of its employment, are likely to develop a negative public image, which may have far-reaching effects on its performance and future expansion opportunities (Cadrain 44).
In most cases, citizens are keen to identify with institutions, which seem to address existing employment hardships in the market by offering equal opportunities to potential candidates. As good corporate citizens, such institutions are likely to win the confidence and trust of its employees.
Since public institutions carry the image of the government, workplace equity further presents a positive and likeable image of the government.
Through such initiatives, citizens are able to witness the commitment of the government in promoting equity among people with different needs in the society (Cadrain 44). As a result, the public would be more patriotic and willing to defend their nation because of the equal opportunities it endeavors to offer within the labor market.
Furthermore, workplace equity guarantees better legal benefits, especially in countries where employers are required by law to consider all designated groups of people during hiring and at work. Institutions, which do not comply with the legal requirements, regarding equity, are likely to pay hefty fines or face the punishment recommended by the federal government, which may include sanctions and limited operating space (Budd 2).
When an institution remains committed to workplace equity, it means that there will be no complaints from employees and the public.
In addition, workplace equity promotes motivation among employees. In other words, they feel recognized by their employers and remain committed to performing their tasks effectively. Besides this, institutions are able to minimize retention costs since employees will be satisfied with working conditions (Budd 2).
For this reason, most of them will not have the urge to resign or seek better opportunities elsewhere. As a result, organizations minimize their turnover, thus avoiding unnecessary expenditure on hiring and training of new employees frequently.
Besides the retention of employees, workplace equity plays a major role in pulling qualified candidates who get attracted to the organization because of its fair treatment of employees. Talented people usually prefer working in places where they are treated with dignity regardless of their shortcomings.
Additionally, they value how their colleagues are treated, in order to establish the company’s fairness in handling its employees (International Labor Organization 63). When talented people get attracted to an organization, high skilled manpower is guaranteed to drive the firm’s performance in a competitive world.
This further ensures that labor needs are met with minimal expenses, which are commonly incurred in advertising jobs, hiring, and training. Through such savings, a firm gets an allowance to expand its operations and improve its services without spending a lot of money.
Government Role in Workplace Equity
In understanding workplace equity, it is imperative to note that it can only be achieved with collective responsibility. In other words, it calls upon the input of the government, individual institutions, and citizens to ensure that employees are treated fairly. For instance, the government’s role ranges from the formulation to the implementation of laws, which promote equity at workplaces in the country.
In essence, the government drafts laws, describing the need for workplace equity, designated groups, penalties for defaulters, and the implementation process (International Labor Organization 63). Without such initiatives by the government, it would be hard for institutions to promote equity at different workplaces.
Besides formulating laws, which govern workplace equity, the government is mandated to ensure that the laws are followed as stipulated in the act. In other words, no achievements would be realized if no mechanisms are instituted to enhance the implementation process (Zanko 73). In most cases, governments adopt compliance review, which allows institutions to present their progress in terms of workplace equity.
Similarly, follow-up compliance review may be undertaken as a way of assessing the efforts initiated by institutions in implementing workplace equity plans. Depending on the provisions of the law, compliance reviews can take place after a definite period of time, say, after every two years or randomly, to ensure that employers remain committed to complying with the law.
The government also plays a pivotal role in initiating reviews of the law, in order to address the changing needs of the labor market and the dynamic demographic patterns. Such reviews are important in addressing new issues and eliminating errors, which may have been witnessed during the implementation of the laws (Zanko 73).
Moreover, through its implementation, the government takes legal action against those who do not comply with the law through court decisions or fines as stipulated by the law. Such legal actions discourage other institutions from engaging in practices, which go against the law.
In addition, the government creates awareness among its citizens in order for them to understand their rights. Public education is therefore necessary in enlightening the public and the employers on the need of having a fair working environment. Through such forums, citizens also realize their responsibility in the overall process of implementing employment equity programs (Zanko 73).
Importantly, this education ensures that the public is aware of the designated groups of people, and how they ought to be represented at workplace. In essence, it would be hard for an employee to realize the unfairness of the manager if the rights of workers are not known. On the other hand, an enlightened citizen can easily evaluate the performance of an institution, depending on established parameters.
Workplace Equity Challenges
Whilst workplace equity has a wide range of advantages, it has been found that its implementation is faced with various challenges, which may vary from one institution or country to another. For instance, some institutions resist equity programs because they believe that the quality of people hired is likely to be compromised.
While this may be the case, it has been argued that the presence of a limited characterization of potential candidates further complicates the issue (Gottfried and Laura 256). In some cases, employers tend to ignore the immense role of employee diversity during recruitment and the manner in which the management relates with its employees.
When qualified candidates do not portray fair representation with regard to existing designated groups, it becomes hard for the institution to comply with employment regulations. This is also based on the fact that one cannot be forced to apply for a given job position, merely because he or she belongs to a minority group.
Another challenge emanates from the perception of most disadvantaged people who resist being considered in a special way because of their shortcomings. Others argue that such appointments and promotions are likely to promote stigma and discrimination against the minorities in the society (Gottfried and Laura 256).
Since disadvantaged people may have equal needs with other groups of people, there is usually a likelihood of people thinking in terms of favoritism. In this line of thought, promotions done within such a context may be considered to be biased.
Implementation of workplace equity challenges also face public and private organizations, some of which may have streamlined command structures. In particular, implementation of such programs highly require the input of senior managers, who have to be convinced exhaustively about the value of intended moves in advancing the agenda of the firm.
This has been found to be hard especially in organizations, which are characterized by decentralization and cultural diversity (International Labor Organization 63).
When the organization is highly diverse, a single policy on workplace equity may not be effective in promoting equal representation of designated groups of people. In some cases, professionals believe in their autonomy, a state, which cannot easily be changed by allowing disadvantaged people to join them.
Similarly, most equity efforts around the world face intersectional challenges. For instance, a program, which is aimed at increasing the number of women, may end up recruiting more white women than black (Peetz et al. 406). Furthermore, efforts to promote gender equity face a wide-range of challenges in cases where the workplaces are dominated by men, coming from traditional societies that undermine women.
In such a state, it might be hard to convince employees and other managers about the need for gender equality at workplace.
Nevertheless, religious diversity equally plays a major role in implementing workplace equity in most parts of the country. This is widely common in cases where faith intersects with sexuality, thus limiting fairness in handling employees. For instance, traditional religionists consider homosexuality and gender non-conformity as sinful and harmful.
In the event that a workplace is dominated by such employees, who strongly subscribe to religion, it would be hard to accommodate people with contradictory behavior and religious standards (Peetz et al. 406).
Even though, there have been efforts to promote equality, discrimination of this nature is still common in most parts of the world. Resistance of this nature is usually strong in cases where the condemnation comes from a traditional Christian or ethno-religious minorities.
Workplace Equity and Politics
It is evident that politics play a major role in country, especially in making national decisions and formulation of laws. Based on this, it is important to consider the impact of politics in addressing the issue of workplace equity. Leaders of political parties may influence the kind of laws to be ratified in promoting employment equity.
Importantly, politicians primarily influence the society through decisions taken by the government in implementing and reviewing workplace equity rules (Peetz et al. 406). It is therefore important for such leaders to understand the need for equity and existing factors to be addressed by managers in public and private institutions when recruiting, promoting and relating with employees.
In rare cases, some employees or potential candidates may be discriminated based on their political affiliations. Even though this might be the case, people have the freedom to belong to a given political party without being undermined at their workplaces.
The future of Workplace Equity
With the changing labor needs and demographic patterns, the world is likely to experience an array of changes regarding workplace equity. This will also be determined by the growing awareness of different designated groups of people in the society and the need of treating them with dignity.
For instance, governments around the world identify the classes of people who require consideration during recruitments, training, remuneration, and promotions (Bailyn 97). This is likely to be achieved through public awareness, which equally helps minorities to champion their rights in a competitive working environment.
Monitoring of public institutions is likely to improve, especially with advanced technology. During follow-up and compliance review, better methods can be employed in order to obtain a more accurate view of how different managers consider employment equity while running public institutions (Anenson 10).
A good example would be the use of the internet to carry out online surveys in order to determine the achievements realized in promoting fair treatment of workers. Online surveys may save time since the process does not involve the movement of supervisors from one place to another.
Recommendations
As seen from the case of Canada, legislation plays a major role in promoting workplace equity in the world. In essence, it gives expansive guidelines on how institutions are supposed to address the issue of minorities in their labor forces.
Of great significance is the need for these legislative statutes to be expanded in order to address the changing demographic patterns like the growing number of lesbians, gay, bisexual and transgendered (Cadrain 44).
With regard to compliance, the review should address all questions of representation at all levels within the hierarchy of the institution. Additionally, these legislations ought to be tougher in order to compel institutions to consider equal representation of demographic constituents of a given society or country.
Additionally, massive public education is highly recommended in equipping the masses with knowledge about workplace equity. Even though one may belong to a group of minorities, it might not be easy for them to push for their rights in terms of being treated by the employer (Budd 2).
Through training forums, people will understand the meaning and implication of workplace equity. Besides equipping the public, managers need to be trained in order to implement workplace equity laws effectively. This would also help them in understanding the fines and consequences of breaching the law.
Conclusion
From the above analysis, it is evident that workplace equity remains a debatable issue in most parts of the world. Oftentimes, workplace equity is encouraged to motivate employees and bridge the gap among employees. Of great significance is the fact that workplace equity has a wide-range of benefits, which enhance the performance and growth of institutions.
For instance, organizations are able to retain employees, develop a larger market and promote cultural diversity. On the other hand, the process of implementing workplace equity has always been faced with challenges, including cultural and religious differences. Additionally, equal representation of various minority groups may be hampered by the attitude of employees.
Nevertheless, the effectiveness of workplace equity can be achieved through several approaches, including but not limited to training, public awareness, strong legislation, and compliance review strategies. Above all, the success of workplace equity requires collective responsibility for all the parties involved.
Works Cited
Anenson, Leigh. “The Role Of Equity In Employment Noncompetition Cases.” American Business Law Journal 42.1 (2005): 1-63. Print.
Bailyn, Lotte. “Redesigning Work For Gender Equity And Work-Personal Life Integration.” Community, Work & Family 14.1 (2011): 97-112. Print.
Budd, John. Employment With a Human Face: Balancing Efficiency, Equity, And Voice. New York: Cornell University Press, 2006. Print.
Cadrain, Diane. “Sexual Equity In The Workplace.” HR Magazine 53.9 (2008): 44. Print.
Catano, Victor. Recruitment and Selection in Canada. Connecticut: Cengage Learning, 2009. Print.
Gottfried, Heidi, and Reese Laura. Equity in the Workplace: Gendering Workplace Policy Analysis. Maryland: Lexington Books, 2004. Print.
International Labor Organization. Equality at Work: Tackling the Challenge : International Labour Conference 96th Session 2007, Report I. Geneva: International Labour Organization, 2007. Print.
Peetz et al. “Workplace Effects Of Equal Employment Opportunity Legislation: The Australian Experience.” Policy Studies 29.4 (2008): 405-419. Print.
Pravin, Durai. Human Resource Management. New Delhi: Pearson Education India, n.d. Print.
Zanko, Michael. The Handbook of Human. United Kingdom: Edward Elgar Publishing. Print.
While many would recognize equity in healthcare as a noble principle, there are still notable barriers on the path to its implementation in practice. Among those barriers are institutions and ideologies that govern social life and regulate people’s access to social determinants of health. Canadian neoliberalism makes income and education essential social determinants, and while I am lucky enough to have reasonable access to these, they are not equally accessible in Canada, much less the developing world.
Ideology and institutions currently prevailing in Canada do not pursue equity in distributing social determinants of health. As Jacobs noted, contemporary Canada leans heavily toward neoliberalism with its emphasis on personal freedom and the restricted prerogative of the government (37). In the neoliberal – as well as classical liberal – paradigm, the core social value is a person’s “right to choose and the right to pursue one’s own self-interests freely” (Visano 177).
As a result, neoliberal ideology demotes healthcare from a common concern to a constellation of individual choices: healthcare becomes not as much a subject of consistent policy as everyone’s personal affairs. In terms of institutions, the dominance of neoliberalism led to the gradual abolishment of the Keynesian welfare state, which oriented on helping those most disadvantaged in a market economy (Jacobs 37).
According to Health Canada, income level and education – the latter being directly conducive to better job opportunities and higher income as well – are essential social determinants of health (Jacobs 40). This fact stresses that health inequity closely mirrors economic inequity in Canada. Thus, neoliberal ideology and institutions of contemporary Canada do not promote equity in the distribution of social health determinants.
As a resident of Ontario, I have reasonably good access to social health determinants, but it is not based on equity. As noted above, income level and social status constitute the most important social determinant of health, and I fare reasonably good in this respect. A social support network that includes my family members and relatives allows me to partake in the resources accumulated by it for better health status (Jacobs 40).
Finally, I also have access to education – the third most important social determinant of health in Canada – as evidenced by the fact of me writing this essay (Jacobs 40). Thus, social determinants of health impact my health status positively, but it does not obscure the fact that they are not distributed evenly. For instance, prices of college enrollment mean that higher education as an institution restricts access to an essential social determinant of health. Therefore, my experience is an example of a relatively successful adaptation to neoliberal ideology and institution, but it highlights rather than obscures its inherent inequity in terms of health.
The same health status would be unachievable in the developing world due to the issues with several social determinants of health. For instance, developing parts of the world face the problem of “undernutrition in the early stages of life,” thus adversely impacting such a determinant as healthy child development (Jacobs 36). Sufficient nutrition in early life – something natural for most residents of Ontario – may constitute a problem in the developing world and, thus, make a health status of an average Canadian socially unachievable in the developing world.
To summarize, neoliberal ideology and institutions in contemporary Canada do not promote equity in health. An example of my health status illustrates the barriers in access to social determinants of health these institutions create. As the developing world has problems even with sufficient nutrition in early life, it further illustrates how health status available for certain social groups remains inaccessible for others.
Works Cited
Jacobs, Merle A. “Social Inclusion.” Race In-Equity: Intersectionality, Social Determinants of Health, and Universal Rights, edited by Merle Jacobs and Awalou Ouedraogo, APF Press, 2017, pp. 33-41.
Visano, Livy A. “Ideologies, Institutions, and Law.” Race In-Equity: Intersectionality, Social Determinants of Health, and Universal Rights, edited by Merle Jacobs and Awalou Ouedraogo, APF Press, 2017, pp. 172-181.
The concept of fair distribution entails equitable distribution of available resources to different members of a community. When expounding on justice in healthcare, it is imperative to distinguish between equity and equality in order to be in a better position to comprehend the fundamental ethical issues that are related to healthcare provision. Equity refers to fairness as well as justice in the distribution of resources. It refers to the approaches that are undertaken in order to avoid biasness in the provision of services. Equity should be put into consideration while addressing health care issues in relative to the society as a whole (Calman & Downie, 2011). For instance, the United Kingdom has well established frame works that ensure that equity prevails in health care facilities. For example, the United Kingdom public health care ensures that all patients are given equal treatments, favoring the worst off, maximizing total benefits as well as promoting and rewarding social usefulness. The United Kingdom healthcare does not consider the ability to pay as the determining factor for the scarce-life saving interventions. Equal treatment of people is important especially in situations where many scarce interventions like organ transplants are indivisible. For such undividable services, provision of equal chances at the scarce intervention is paramount in ensuring equality of opportunities (Emanuel, 2009).
The United Kingdom uses the approach of lottery to ensure that the available scarce resources are allocated fairly. The adoption of the lottery approach to intervene in cases of scarce resources has several benefits. For instance, the approach gives all the concerned individuals equal opportunities to gamble for the few available resources where the lucky person wins despite his/her social background. Similarly, lottery is a quick method for allocating scarce resources as it requires very little knowledge about the patients. Subsequently, the lottery approach is rarely affected by corruption issues. However, the major shortcoming of lottery is found in its inability to determine the most appropriate individual to receive the scarce resource. For instance, it is not regarded very appropriate to allocate a scarce resource/organ to a person who is approximated to live for less than a year even after receiving the scarce resource, whereas the same resource could have been more beneficial to a person who can live for approximately 40 years if given the organ. Most health care facilities in the United States of America adapt the approach of first –come –first –served instead of using lottery in allocation of health care scarce resources. This means that the healthcare scarce resources are allocated with regards to those who come first. Some people regard this approach as more appropriate in ensuring equity. They argue that the use of the concept of first-come-first-served strategy helps to prevent doctors from discontinuing interventions like the respirators even when other criteria dictate so. Nonetheless, this strategy has got some challenges in the allocation of scarce resources as people who are able to push to the frontline stand a better chance of survival, while they may not be the neediest. Moreover, the concept of first –come –first –served, encourages corruption in that, the most influential people or those with the right connections are preferred for scarce interventions. For this reason, the United States of America should abolish this strategy and adopt the United Kingdom concept of lottery in scarce resources intervention in healthcare facilities in order to ensure that they operate in accordance to the principal of fair distribution in health care.
The United Kingdom healthcare approach of ‘favoring the worst off’ involves giving priority to the sickest patients as this gives them some hopes for future. Some people argue that it is imperative to give attention to those people who are most affected first, as patients who are not very sick have a probability of recovering unaided or while being served or through the use of other interventions (Emanuel, 2009)
Equality is another important aspect that is related to health care provision. In health care, equality refers to the comparison between the cost of health care and the ability of individuals or communities to access health care. Health care insurance provisions are very important in helping all citizens to afford appropriate medical services. Approximately all developed nations provided universal healthcare coverage to their residents apart from United States of America that has only a public universal coverage referred to as Medicare for the poorest adults as well as an insurance coverage known as Medicaid for its poorest children. In addition, the United States of America has embraced the United Kingdom approach of ‘favoring the worst off’ where it requires all its hospitals to give the first priority to the sickest people (Emanuel,). The United Kingdom National Health Service provides health care to all United Kingdom residents. The National Health Service is committed to providing equal services to all residents despite their diversity in terms of age, social economic status, geographical, among other factors. The facility offers healthcare services to most UK residents free of charge. In UK, people pay for their health care service in form of taxes. All people in UK receive equal treatment because they make equal contributions as they pay their taxes (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2008).). This is contrary to what happens in health care systems in many other countries such as U.S. The United Kingdom healthcare enables one to receive diagnostic care as well as treatment for any disease free of charge. This includes receiving free pre-natal as well as post-natal care services. The only amount of money that some people are required to pay is a negligible prescription fee. The Healthcare provision in the United States of America is poor. A great fraction of Americans are not entitled to appropriate health care services since they do not possess any health care insurance. The 2006 Census statistics revealed that about 47 million Americans are not entitled to any health insurance coverage. Consequently, the United States of America will need to amend its healthcare system in order to reflect that one of the United Kingdom that guarantees affordable health insurance for all. Although, the uninsured receive health care at public hospitals, the care they receive is often very little and often too late (Daniels, 2011).
The Cuban health care system is another appropriate model the United State can borrow from. The Cuban government has established community-based polyclinic as its centerpiece. These clinics have greatly boosted the country’s health care results. The Cuban government usually provides adequate credits to the countries health care system which has enabled its healthcare system to be similar to that of developed nations. With the help of the polyclinics, the Cuban government has succeeded in the provision of universal healthcare that is of better quality, integrated service as well as well organized (Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 2008).
Statistics reveal that, even though the European nations are as well affected by inequality in the heath systems, it is not as pronounced as in the case of the United States of America. Therefore, the U.S. is in a dire need to ensure equitable distribution of healthcare system. In order to achieve this, it should restructure its healthcare system in order to reflect the one in the United Kingdom or that of Cuba.
Reference List
Bulletin of the World Health Organization. (2008). Cuba’s primary health care revolution: 30 years on. Web.
Calman, K & Downie, R. (2011). Ethical Principles and Ethical Issues in Public Health. Web.
Daniels, N. (2011) Justice and Access to Health Care. Web.
Emanuel, A. (2009). Principal of Allocation of Scarce Medical Intervention. Web.
Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2008). Public health nursing: Population-centered health care in the community. St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier.
Health equity refers to when every individual has the chance of being as healthy as everyone else. It is the action to guarantee that every population group living in an area has access to the resources that enhance and protect health. Nurses are in the best position in society to ensure that every individual achieves this. However, some things have to be in place to ensure that the nurses have helped. For instance, the lack of diversity in many hospitals has led to numerous individuals not receiving the ideal treatment and care in hospitals (Gomez and Bernet, 2019). For instance, an African American nurse understands the dynamics within their community better than anyone else. The perceptions and other kinds of information available in that society are familiar to them. Using such nurses to help the patients open up more and assist the hospitals in treating them would be great (Collins, 2005). Using the eight-step policy analysis framework, I plan to show how diversifying the workplace can help achieve full health equity.
Definition of Context
The first step is defining the context: American hospitals are filled with more white nurses than people of color, including black or Latino nurses. We must realize that to achieve health equity for every individual, we have to start working in hospitals (Collins, 2005). There are individuals in society who can only open up about their health to fellow people of color. This is not because they are racists or think white nurses are incapable but because they feel better at understanding them. For instance, all nurses working in the hospital have a home and surroundings they are familiar with. They understand their surroundings better than anyone, and when it comes to health matters, they are the most equipped to understand what will work and what cannot. It is thus proper that the United States hospitals improve on diversifying the workplace.
Problem
The second step is sating the problem, which is we are trying to achieve full health equity by encouraging diversity in the workplace. Looking at the current situation, the rate at which people develop chronic conditions is high and continues to rise by the day (Goode & Landefeld, 2018). Diversifying the workplace would ensure that this rate goes down to ensure that everyone lives a healthy life. Let us take the example of cancer which is an illness that is killing many individuals in the twenty-first century (Gomez and Bernet, 2019). The best method of fighting it is early detection through screening that is available to everyone. The black community suffers more from this disease than other people. In addition to early detection, individuals require treatment that they need to follow to ensure a healthy life. Both solutions in fighting cancer require individuals who can speak to certain people and encourage them to care for themselves. Many people in the African American community fail to detect cancer early on because they are not used to having checkups. Having nurses from this community to help them understand the benefits of early detection guarantees their seriousness toward a healthy life.
Evidence
The third step is searching for evidence which means looking for proof about the topic. Studies continue to show that many organizations in the U.S. are making little progress in trying to achieve diversity. Statistics by ethnicity show that approximately sixty-four percent of the workforce are not people of color, while twelve percent, sixteen percent, and five percent are black, Hispanic, and Asian individuals, respectively (Vera, 2020). Many managers in the organizations cite the lack of insight on how plus where to get minority talent. Studies show that this has led many to believe they are not in the safest hands to receive treatment.
Alternative Policy
The fourth step is considering different policy options after collecting evidence on the issue. With every problem, there are always alternatives concerning how to deal with them. Diversifying the workforce in hospitals can help achieve full health equity, but also there are options, for instance, permanent removal of barriers (Goode & Landefeld, 2018). It would be important for patients of the minority to understand that the nurses, regardless of their ethnicity, are there to help and not cause harm. Ensuring that individuals eliminate their wrong perceptions of white nurses would be a great start (Gomez and Bernet, 2019). Even if diversity is achieved fully, there are times when a patient will need urgent care, and the only available nurse is one from a different ethnic group. Also, making the hospitals operate so that patients only want nurses from a certain group to treat them is wrong.
Projected Results
The fifth step is projecting the outcomes, including the benefits to the recommendation’s health sector. Diversifying the workforce in American hospitals would guarantee more minority groups visit the hospitals for checkups and screening to prevent certain illnesses, as indicated in (Ulrich 2021). Going back to the example of cancer, diversifying the workforce would ensure that more people are encouraged to visit health centers for screening. Screening ensures that the illness is detected early and has a higher chance of treating it.
Evaluative Criteria
The sixth step is applying the evaluative criteria, which means assessing the intervention based on five categories. By looking at the projected outcomes of the intervention, it is clear that it contributes to the medical needs of the target group. It is also consistent with policies and priorities, ensuring that more minority groups seek medical assistance (Ulrich, 2021). Also, the actual and projected results are similar, and there is no great difference between them which is a good sign. Another good sign is that the intervention gives a great return even after implementation, which is encouraging. Achieving diversity will ensure a great increase in visits among patients from minority groups, which improves overall health.
Weighing Outcomes and Decision Making
The seventh step is weighing the outcomes because every intervention can lead to different kinds of interventions. It is true that more people of color could be encouraged to visit the hospitals and that the health status in the communities would be improved. However, increasing the number of people of color nurses in hospitals might also lead to many white individuals distrusting the system, which leads to the final step, which is deciding, as suggested by (Collins 2005). It is important before the intervention happens that it is done progressively but not in a rush. Doing the latter would bring question marks to society and scare away patients who may think that the nurses are just hired to achieve diversity but are incapable.
Conclusion
From the paper, we have seen that health equity is when every individual in society can claim that they are living healthily. Nurses are among the healthcare providers in the ideal position to help in achieving this. However, some measures have to be in place to ensure this happens—for example, issues like diversity in the workforce in promoting health equity. In the paper, we have also seen how more patients from minority groups will get encouraged to seek medical attention more often by achieving diversity in the workforce.