Attitude Theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Attitude Theories - Essay Example 22). Katz emphasizes that when attitude is spoken out in the form of words, it becomes an opinion, which may not always be interpreted in the true spirit because the second person can not see the fundamental attitude that caused the opinion. For example, if someone says, â€Å"You look healthier than before†. We might not understand if he means to appreciate the other person’s health or just make him conscious by calling him fat. Kelman, on the other hand, speaks about opinion change which indirectly causes a modification of the original attitude. Kelman explains the phenomenon of opinion change with respect to three qualitative variables which are compliance, internalization and identification which are essentially a means of social influence on the attitude of the individual. Katz has adopted a functional approach towards the definition of attitude in contrast to Kelman, who has explained how social influence can induce changes in the behavioral constructs of people. Katz has identified two ways in which attitude functions to cause human reaction to the surroundings – a rational attitude that induces optimism in human approach towards the analysis of and reaction to the matters and an irrational attitude that misleads people and causes them to respond irrationally landing them in trouble. â€Å"The functions are those of adjustment, egodefense, value expression and knowledge.† (Fones, p. 23). On the other hand, the â€Å"compliance† referred to by Kelman is essentially an acceptance of the propositions of others in a hope to achieve a certain expected outcome. â€Å"Identification† means the modification of attitude in an attempt to make it compatible with that of the group to gain a sense of identity and affiliation with that group. â€Å"Internalization causes people to accept other’s opinion because they feel that the proposed opinions reaffirm their basic thoughts and values. Both Katz and Kelman have been quite

Critically assess the contribution made by the 1989 UN Convention on Essay

Critically assess the contribution made by the 1989 UN Convention on the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Waste and their Dis - Essay Example Greenpeace alerted all the likely ports which repeatedly turned away the ship. It is suspected that ship offloaded the remaining material in Indian Ocean. In November 1986, a Basel based pharmaceutical factory had a fire accident that resulted in an outflow of contaminated water into the Rhine River with some thirty tones of highly toxic material entering the river along with the contaminated water. This led to the Swiss based companies pushing for the Basel Convention so as to reverse the damage to the public relations caused by the contamination. In March 1987, a New York based ship carried 3,186 tons of solid waste and tried in vain to dump the waste in 6 U.S. states. By September 1987, the ship had traveled about 6,000 miles across Mexico, Belize and Bahamas and came back to its own base in New York without being able to unload the cargo of waste anywhere. By June 1987, the UNEP Governing Council in its 14th session brought out Cairo Guidelines and chalked out a programme to conv ene a global convention on the control of transboundary transport of hazardous waste. In June 1987, it was discovered by Greenpeace that traders in waste had tried to export more than 163,000,000 tons of waste by 1986. In August 1987-May 1988, Italian business firm sent eight thousand drums of hazardous chemical waste to a Nigerian port town mislabeling the drums as â€Å"relating to the building trade† and â€Å"residual and allied chemicals†. In their efforts to send the material back to Italy, the Nigerian factory workers experienced severe burns, nausea, vomiting blood and partial paralysis leading to Nigeria to recall its ambassador to Italy .and seized the ships to pressurize Italy to remove the wastes. After series of such incidents, by March 1989 Basel Convention was signed with Greenpeace denouncing it and Africa walking out. The U.S. opposed the ban to developing countries despite repeated requests of developing countries to impose the ban.1 Originally 116 pa rties signed the Convention which provides a global framework for transboundary movement of hazardous waste 2 It is equally concerned about the protection of global environment.3 The Single market in the EU introduced in 1993 regulates transboundary movement of goods including wastes.4 Three aims of the convention With the membership of 170 countries which do not include the U.S.A 5,the Convention’s three main aims are 1) reduction in hazardous waste generation, 2) reduced transboundary movements of hazardous waste and 3) hazardous waste management conducive to environment.6 Environmentally Sound Management (ESM) refers to treatment (management) of hazardous and other wastes in such a manner that human health and environment are protected from the adverse effects of the said wastes.7 In the context of Basel Convention, â€Å"wastes† refer to substances or objects that are disposed of, meant for disposal or those required to be disposed of, under national law. Managemen t in the context of ESM involves collection, transport and disposal of wastes including hazardous ones and the management also includes taking care of sites where the wastes are disposed. Disposal is referred to as actions contemplated under Annexure IV to the Convention document. Transboundary movem