Papers by Matthew Hoffman
With climate change a scientific fact, the possibility of international migration being affected ... more With climate change a scientific fact, the possibility of international migration being affected by extreme weather events becomes increasingly likely. As weather events become more prevalent and violent, the amount of people who will seek shelter abroad will potentially increase. Indeed, there are many reasons for why people migrate and they are not always explicit and immediately apparent. The argument of this paper is that climate change has a significant impact on international migration.
This research paper is designed to address the issues of gender inequality in Romania, which cont... more This research paper is designed to address the issues of gender inequality in Romania, which continues to grow and is now the largest gender gap in the European Union as of 2013. The main purpose of this paper is to compile an overview of causes and circumstances leading to the increased gender gap since Romania's accession to the European Union in 2007. This begins by examining the cultural and patriarchal history of modern Romania since Ceausescu's regime, including gender equality and attitudes towards women in early post-Communist Romania, and its contemporary effects. Next, the harsh austerity measures implemented by the Romanian government starting in 2008 have culminated into an attack on women and their rights in Romanian society. Such austerity measures were implemented by the Romanian government at the behest of top-down pressure by institutions such as the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. Like the gendered nature of poverty, there is a feminization of austerity, affecting women disproportionately, and the gender gap in Romania is widening despite promises and pressures from failing European Union and Romanian governance and economic oversight. Research suggests the austerity war waged against the public sector, social welfare, healthcare, as well as women's rights institutions and organizations within Romanian society are affecting women disproportionately. The findings of the paper reveal a perfect storm of circumstances threatening the present and future freedom of Romanian women. The paper argues that without aggressive policy changes and direct governmental action, women's rights in Romania, along with organizations and institutions aimed to fight for women's issues. The progress on women's rights Romania has made since the fall of communism, including joining the European Union, will continue to regress in a conservative climate prioritizing economic troubles while ignoring social ones, especially when traditional gender roles are ever more emphasized.
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Papers by Matthew Hoffman