Academic Degree and College Essay

Is college really worth it? A question many students start to ask as the college cost increases and jobs are tougher to get. When considering college you have to reflect more about what you want out of it rather than what you have to do to complete it. Although getting accepted into a good college is a great start, getting a college degree may appear intimidating in terms of the educational responsibility, tuition, fees, and time commitments involved. However, there are many other ways in which a college degree can be a useful investment; with enhancing the value of your life in several ways. In the future, the education received from college will be very helpful to people in several ways. College is becoming a major decision with adults in America today because people are questioning whether or not if college is actually worth it. People are not doing their research on how a college degree is more beneficial than if you did not earn one. Numerous studies have revealed that a college education can lead to long-term financial returns and increase a student’s success in the future. According to Deanna Mascle â€Å"Individuals with bachelor degrees earn about 60 percent more than those with just a high school diploma, who in turn earn about 40 percent more than high school dropouts†( 2012). Receiving a college degree and bringing what you learned to the real world will benefit you in your pursuit for financial success. If you do not have a mindset that you are going to put your full potential in college. Cooper, argues that there is no reason to waste your time and money. In our society now a college education is no longer a choice or privilege, but rather a necessity or requirement. We are basically raised and accustomed to believe that one needs a higher education in order to succeed in life. The major reason why people go to college is not because they want to, but because they essentially have to. In the article â€Å"College is still worth it†, Anthony Carnevale states, that businesses pay more money to workers with degrees than to those without because employers believe that postsecondary educated workers are more valuable (Carnevale 8). Even though society has began to change that it’s basically a necessity to have a college degree to get a good job its well worth the money in the end. There are a numerous amount of waiters/waitresses, bartenders, plumbers, and so on who have college degrees and are working in jobs that don’t require advanced degrees. A cashier, for example, earns $19,000 on average, but with a college degree, earns $29,000 on average. Similarly, plumbers without a degree earn $37,000 on average, but earn $52,000 with a college degree. Nearly all high school seniors are pressured by their guidance counselors and parents to go to college because it is â€Å"the right thing to do. † In Caroline Bird’s essay â€Å"College is a Waste of Time and Money†, she states that students go to college because â€Å"Their mothers wanted them to go. † (481) The undergraduate may have different dreams about what he or she desires to do in life, but because they believe that these â€Å"mentors† make out what is best for them, they almost certainly end up doing something that they do not want to do, resulting in being unhappy with their life. Bird makes some good points in her essay, but if children did not get pressured they would have no idea about college, and probably would not even think about going. Bird argues that college is a waste of money because youngsters do not know what they want. No one wants parents, teachers or counselors telling high school students to aim low and skip college. College is expensive we all have established that, but it doesn’t have to be. If you have to take out, or plan on taking out more than $50,000 to go to college, you should consider searching for other colleges that will be able to fit your budget. According to Cooper, he has finished college and has a great job. He goes on to talk about how if he never decided to go to college and pay the high tuition that goes along with it. The Public Policy Institute of California concurs and predicts that â€Å"41 percent of jobs in 2025 will require a college degree. † If these counselors and parents did not push these students into looking, and going to college, then the question is who would? Even when applying for a job that will not use your exact degree, just having that degree gives you an advantage over the other applicants who do not possess a degree. The majority of the employers of the company are looking for students with a college degree since employers are looking for students who have the skill to learn new things which is essential in order to work in the corporate world. The degree reassures the employers that a student with a degree can be engaged since completing a degree, that means that he/she can handle the work environment, and also has the skill to settle in to constant change. A degree is said to be more significant than the degree type as such, so as long has one has the ability to learn, then they will have a more prone  chance of getting employed. The majority of college students would feel that college is a waste of money because they do not learn what they want to. Instead they have to take classes that have nothing to do with what they are majoring in, and are only taking these classes to complete the educational requirement to start their actual major. With the increasing costs of college tuition, as well as essentials such as books a college education becomes a burden somewhat more than an investment. Tuition costs continue to rise, and for a lot of struggling Americans, getting an education now means years and years of monthly debt payments. Alexander Thomas Public, two-year college tuition has gone up 7. 3 percent since last year and will no doubt continue to rise (2012). Thomas says â€Å"there are definitely ways to reduce the cost of college, and educating yourself on the federal student loan process in general is extremely useful in the long run†(2012). Although college is expensive, if it is approached the right way, students can get the education they need and desire without getting buried in tons of debt. Americans just need to be smart and do their research when it comes to paying for college. The main reason for attending college is to get a well-paying career, while being happy with that career choice. College prepares you with educational understanding in order to accomplish something in the future. According to Dale Coye the â€Å"New American College†, higher education is necessary for you future. He states that â€Å"In spatial terms, teaching and learning may begin in a classroom, but course work also spills over into the life of the campus and the community. Students engage in experiential learning and co-curricular activities that take abstract ideas and anchor them in real-life problems† (Coye 20). Time and commitment are very important in succeeding with getting a college degree. According to Cooper, if you are planning to have children you should wait until you finish college, as it is a big commitment and time consuming even without children. Parenting students tend to complete four-year degrees at rates far slower than other college students. â€Å"More than half (59 percent) of parents attending college earn less than $10,000 a year† (Sorensen 30). Parents cannot afford to support their children without getting some sort of education. Copper, explains that he probably would not have finished school if he decided to have kids before he graduated. The opposition to get a decent job is increasing; it is near to impossible to achieve a high paying job without at least a bachelor’s degree. Numerous amounts of jobs that only used to want their employees to have a high school diploma now need some type of college education. College is worth the money, nevertheless, is because it is one of the rare associations that frequently holds people of different cultural and racial backgrounds. This allows one to advance their social and communicative skills because they are exposed to unaccustomed cultures. College helps you to become a responsible adult because for the first time most people are nearly on their own. College helps students get ready for major linked skills. Thus, college helps in achieving skills linked to the business one looks to get into. It helps a student in figuring out how to do their job. It is entirely different from high school; you have to manage your private time and financial state as well. Proceeding with college teaches individuals how to handle their lives. Most college students are managing their college life between studying for their exams and earning money through low paying jobs to maintain their college tuition. In addition to this, they are enjoying the benefits of a good social life, parties and lots of friends. The experience one has in college really helps teenagers turn into adults. Going away to college you have to face situations like having to pay bills, time has to be managed well, and cutoff dates have to be met, just like the â€Å"real world. † College is just not about obtaining a good job, but about gaining knowledge. Sometimes it is good to be an intelligent person instead of being someone who just makes a lot of money. There are quite a few reasons why college is worth it in the end, the tuition and college costs are expensive in the beginning, but it pays off once you are earning the money in the future. Researching colleges and finding out the best option for you will only benefit yourself in the end, making wise choices and deciding if starting a family with your finances without a college education will be worth it in the long run, and doing research for yourself to see what will better benefit you and your family by getting some sort of college education. An education gives people an understanding of what they can do for themselves and how they can make needed changes in their lives. Simply just giving away money would not teach the skills or values that come with receiving an education. This is the value of education: that it makes lasting changes in the lives of those who seek it. Works Cited Bird, Caroline. â€Å"College is a waste of time and money. † The Case Against College (1975): n. pag. Print. Carnevale, Anthony. â€Å"College is Still Worth it. † Inside Higher ED 14 Jan. 2011: 8-10. Print. Cooper, Edward, Veterinarian. Personal Interview. 27 Oct, 2012. Coye, Dale. â€Å"Ernest Boyer and the New American College. † Connecting with the Disconnects 29. 3 (1997): 20. Print. Mascle, Deanna. â€Å"A College Degree in nearly a necessity. † Thinking about college? We can help! : n. pag. College Tidbits. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. . Sorensen, Kia. â€Å"Unmarried Parents in College. † Fragile Families 20. 2 (2010): 28-50. Print. Tutiion Breakdown: Is college worth it? HLNtv. com Turner Broadcasting System Inc, 16 Aug. 2012. Web. 19 Nov. 2012.

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We had Just gotten back from a very disappointing game. I don't remember what the score was but we got lose pretty bad. So there are a number of us chilling around the park talking afterwards and we all decided that we needed to get some weed and go hangout somewhere and try and forget about the beating we had Just gotten in the game earlier that night. We all chipped in and one of the guys made a weed run. When he got back we decided that it wasn't a good idea to stick around the park and smoke so we were trying to figure out someplace to go and chill.Then Dave chimes in hat his family had Just moved from their home a couple weeks earlier and the place was still empty and he still had his key. It sounded like a pretty good place to go to the rest of us so we Jumped in our cars and headed on over to Dave's old house. We pull up to the place and Dave Jumps out goes and unlocks the door for us. We all get inside and start playen some music and smoking and haven a good '01 time. So we'r e all having a pretty good time until after a while Dave, the guy whose place it was, starts throwing bottles around and trashing the place.My friends and I saw this and new something was up so we all decided to split. After we left it wasn't to late yet so some of us take a little Joyride around town before we head home. Well, when we got back to school the following Monday we thought it was going to be Just another day at school but later in the morning the cops show up. One by one all of us who had been at the party end up getting called down to the front office and are questioned by the cops. 5 guys ended up getting arrested that day (l wasn't one of them). It turns out that the house we went to that night wasn't actually Dave's.His Family had Just been renting the house and had been evicted from It a couple weeks earlier. The cops tracked us down because they got fingerprints from the house and a couple of the guys already had a record with the cops and they got pulled In first which lead them to the rest of us. It was a whole big mess, the cops had a paddy wagon there and News Crews were set up across the road filming as they took guys out In cuffs. Our football team Just kind of fell apart after that happened. We ended the season with 15 people on the team.

Jurisprudence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Jurisprudence - Essay Example The people affected in the new legislations include ethnic minority groups which in turn undermines civil liberties and the basic human rights of the individuals involved. In 2000, counter terror laws were passed which had serious drawbacks in relation to human rights. Some of the laws passed included indefinite detention without fair trial of any foreign nationals who by any reason were considered to have an involvement in terror activities. Another one included up to sixteen hours of house arrest without charge to individuals who the security organs considered a threat as far as terrorism was considered. Pre-charge detention which was passed into law at that time also allowed a fourteen day detention of individuals in terrorism cases which compared to any law was the longest in detention of individuals before trial. The Terrorism Act 2000 had many contentious sections especially the one which was later repealed that allowed stop and search on individuals without suspecting them. The laws set were found to be infringing on the rights of peaceful protestors and ethnic minority groups which should be allowed to hold their demonstrations in peace. The definition of terrorism in counter terror laws which includes individuals with religious, racial, or political cause that may be viewed as having or causing individuals to become radicals. For instance, the Islamic religion has been related to terror activities due to the involvement of some individuals found to be Muslims in terror activities. In countering terrorism, the speeches made by individuals that are purported to support terrorism were considered to be part of terrorism. This broad definition of terrorism have been found to be wrong since there are no strict measures put in place to categorize a piece of information as supporting terror. This could lead to some people being considered criminals due to the speeches they

Case in Marketing Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

In Marketing - Case Study Example Over the years, it has extended its business in each and every subcontinent. It has been observed that Danone has around 90,000 employees throughout the world and it has operated its business in 120 countries in three core segments. Apart from dairy products, it has biscuits and beverages amid its offerings of globally renowned products (Danone,†Our Mission†). According to research, it has been found that the organisation has used a few pertinent strategies to ensure a significant command on the global market. Throughout the last century, it has operated its marketing activities in a competitive global marketplace. Apart from core segment including food and beverages, Danone has found competition from Nestle, Pepsi and Coca-Cola among others. In order to compete with the concurrent leading players, it has upheld quality as a prime factor in its offerings. With these considerations, the study intends to critically evaluate a key issue faced by the Danone Company in its operations in the past few years. Subsequently, in keeping with the analysis made regarding the issue faced by the company certain prudent recommendations or solution will be offered to ensure that the issue does not linger on and create even severe hurdles for the company in the near future. During the phase of 1990s, Danone had emerged as one of the world’s leading and renowned food companies. It had taken 40 years of time to achieve that peak in the global market. However, before that phase Danone had failed to capture the China market during the initial entrance. It had faced several difficulties during that stage. In this regard, it is determined that Danone has been significantly reliant on the supply of baby milk from the New Zealand exporter of wholesale daily products namely Fonterra. Unfortunately, during 2013, a warning related to bacterial infection was provided by

The United Nations Role in World Wide Disasters Research Paper

The United Nations Role in World Wide Disasters - Research Paper Example The gradual technological improvements, though useful, have more than detached man from nature and doubled the vulnerability of the entire human population on the planet earth. The modern era disaster occurrences have only become more frequent and hazardous with partly irreparable consequences. The frequent reports by the United Nations showing a steady increase of disasters across the globe only serve to confirm the magnitude of suffering at hand (UN/ISDR, 2013a). Founded in 1945 after the catastrophic World War II as a replacement to the hitherto redundant League of Nations, The United Nations serves a fundamental purpose in ensuring that the humanitarian suffering caused by the natural as well as man-made disasters are not only prevented, but firmly brought under control when they occur. According to the UN reports, approximately 80 percent of the countries affected mostly by disasters are predominantly in the developing world (Alexander, 1991). Such areas rank low in terms of hum an development as indicative by their income per capita that ranges in the near survival levels. Disaster occurrences in such countries often leave behind a trail of high numbers of human casualties, sweeping away almost the entire property that suspends such livelihoods. The deadly tsunami that struck Asia in December 2004, for instance, left approximately 200,000 people dead, scores of hundreds missing and property worth millions of dollars in damages (UN/ISDR, 2006). Losses of such magnitude partly result from unsustainable development practices that do stand the tests of time (Mileti, et al., 1995). To be sure, proper land use planning is often non-existent. Even with the perennial environmental degradation that continues to bite hard into the daily livelihoods of the population, disaster preparedness is often relegated into the periphery (Aleskerov et al., 2005). Owing to the limited capacity to tackle major disasters, the United Nations roles out numerous initiatives and progr ams annually in a bid to ensure that efficient proactive planning approaches goes into helping those in vulnerable conditions. Disasters disrupt not only the livelihoods of those affected but also hinder national as well as international efforts in advancing development agendas aimed at eradicating poverty among the most vulnerable. The United Nations views disaster reduction strategies as an integral component of reducing world poverty and inculcating sustainable development practices. Through the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, the United Nations works across the globe with ultimate goal of â€Å"enabling societies to become aware of the dangers posed by the possible natural hazards as well as those related technological advancements within their surroundings with the view of minimizing any possible human, economic and social damages† (UN/ISDR, 2013c). To meet this objective, the office of United Nations via numerous agencies under its operational management provides proactive financial support to international disaster risk reduction actors to facilitate early warning activities and mitigation measures as recommended by the Hyogo Framework (UN/ISDR,

Counseling in Schools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Counseling in Schools - Essay Example The British government increased education funds from 60 million pounds in 1951 to 436 million in 1964 and supported child-centered education (Bor, Ebner-Landy, Gill and Brace, 2002). The 1960s were marked with the lifting of individual behavior constraints and the toleration of personal idiosyncrasies. Suicides, drugs, and sexual relationships caused many casualties in early 1960s, many under 25 years. This led to the proposal to provide secondary school students all the help they could get. One way of providing this help was the introduction of school counselors. The Schools Council formed in 1964 represented teachers in policy-making forums and promoting educational development (De Board, 1999). Recent studies have shown its resurgence as a non-stigmatization emotional support among pupils. The enactment of the Children Act in 2004 and the reshaping of children services give a prominent future for counseling (Cooper, 2009). Counseling services in schools are growing rapidly on a l ocal demand-led basis. Sources of counseling include school counselors, contract agencies such as Relate, and educational psychology referral services provided by LEA. Guidance from professional associations is not mandatory due to lack of a statutory base for counseling. The current restructuring of counseling provides new structures that can be challenging. Counselors have to provide therapeutic confidentiality through information protocols, shift towards multi-agency teams, and redefine their professional boundaries. School counselors provide therapeutic individual counseling that is distinct from other form s of support such as mentoring. Counseling is provided through several formats such as external counselors, members of teaching staff, or an external agency (Egan, 2002). Counseling provides pupils with an access to appropriate confidential service that has beneficial personal outcomes such as improved mental health. Students experience mental pressure after bereavement, bull ying, family breakup, and peer rejection. Counseling, especially by external counselors, provides an avenue for relieving mental pressure. These students eventually exhibit positive outcomes in education, behavior, and social and organizational activities. This helps them to enhance their social well being in the school. Confidentiality encourages students to open up to counselors and discuss personal matters that they may not discuss with parents or teachers. Solving individual problems helps enhance student self-esteem and improves their emotional well being. Counseling services are funded from the internal school budgets and provide students with a cost effective service for dealing with their personal difficulties. Schools hire individual external counselors, counseling firms, or utilize members of the teaching staff. This eliminates the need of visiting expensive counselors for students in need of counseling services. Schools provide the necessary funds and provide comprehensiv e support services. The school management has control of the counseling process and provides the overall direction for individual counselors and other pastoral support services. Previous research has shown that young people value having other people to turn to who include school counselors. Although several young people experience mental health problems, only a small percentage is

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Critical Analysis of Globalisation Implications on HRM and Future Challenges for People Management within Organisational Setting - Essay Example , this has resulted into unprecedented results such as increased competitiveness among private and public sectors in numerous countries around the world. There are significant measures that are taken by human resource managers to gather information regarding development strategies that are vital in human resource management. Therefore, in different organizations around, human resource departments are focusing on implementing strategies that facilitate transformation of business in order to cope with modern challenges and exploit opportunities in the business environment (Belcourt & McBey, 2010 6). Globalisation has facilitated significant transformation of human resource; in this case, businesses can connect to new places around the world, and managers can make decisions that are supported by information gathered from different parts of the world. In addition, globalisation is widening talents through development of pools comprising of marginal, permanent or fluid employees. Globalis ation has also promoted processes of establishing a market oriented development strategy, thereby creating more opportunities to world’s economy. In this case, the world has been converted in to a single interdependent global market place, which is attributed to increasing competition and economic change; in fact, these changes have a significant degree of unpredictability (Ozbilgin, 2005, 45). Competitiveness has been established on a state or enterprises level, where value is added to global economic products, services and process that involve human resources. Therefore, this competition calls for knowledge and skills, which are offered by human resources in organizations. Furthermore, knowledge and skills are crucial elements of a workforce, and they have become sources of competitive... This essay stresses that organizations are expected to comply with all rule and regulations formulated by the government. In this way, theses organizations can avoid facing challenges resulting from changes in legal and political environment. Different organizations around the world are competing with an aim of attaining good public image that can result high profitability. Therefore, considering challenges that have been identified, HR managers are expected to take responsibility of training workers on ways to offer quality products and services to customers. Through this way, organizations can generate sufficient profits that can support them during economic recessions. The paper has conducted a critical analysis of globalisation implications on human resource management, and it has identified and discussed future challenges that are likely to be faced by HR managers within organization setting. The paper began with introduction section that gave an overview of globalisation and future challenges of human resource management. The other section covered a critical analysis of impact of globalisation on the HR management. In this section, the paper outlined and discussed in great lengths, factors that has promoted globalisation in human resource field. Finally, the last section explored future challenges that are likely to be faced by human resource managers, thereby identifying remedies to solve these challenges.

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The Power of Judicial - Essay Example Judicial review refers to the authority of a court (the Supreme Court or its lower courts) to examine either an executive or legislative act whether it is lawful (constitutional) or not; if not, then the court declares such act as illegal and invalidates the said act as having no legal effect. It is a well-established legal doctrine by practice but it has not been adequately settled as an issue. There are two prevailing opinions on the supposed power of judicial review by the Supreme Court. The first view is that no such explicit powers had been granted or contemplated by the Founding Fathers since nowhere in the Constitution was such powers of judicial review clearly stipulated. The second and opposing view is that the Founding Fathers had intended to grant such powers of review but may have inadvertently omitted it by oversight or by mistake only. Opponents of judicial review cite Section II, Article III of the Constitution as not saying a power to review had been granted since wha t this section contains is merely a mention of judicial power (but not judicial review powers) while its advocates cite legal precedence in this regard. It had been decided when this issue came up in Marbury v. Madison (1803) when the U.S. Supreme Court for the very first time declared an act of Congress as unconstitutional. This act is declared illegal, hence this implies the power of judicial review by the Supreme Court. However, advocates of judicial review most often cite the article by Alexander Hamilton  in the Federalist (Paper No. 78) as the ultimate guide whether the Founding Fathers intended for a judicial review.  

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Physician Query Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

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Deductive Argument Essay Example for Free

Deductive Argument Essay In this essay I will be arguing against Plato’s theory of knowledge given in the Republic’s divided line. I will distinguish the differences and similarities in the epistemological concepts of Plato and Aristotle intending to explain how one comes to have knowledge and the process through which it’s obtained. As support, I will explain Plato’s theory of forms and Aristotle’s theory of essence because they are a direct correlation to their view of knowledge through reality. Plato’s theory of Forms is a theory of knowledge and a theory of being. He describes, in the divided line, the division of existence. Plato believes the source of our knowledge is separate from this world. Participation connects us to this world. In the divided line he separates the visible and the intelligible or becoming and being. The top half is knowledge and the bottom half as opinion. The bottom half represent the lesser of reality, which includes perception and imagination, along with physical objects and shadows. The upper half includes metaphysics, higher forms, mathematical forms, epistemology, understanding and thinking. His theory of Forms involves images, sensible objects, concrete forms and abstract forms. Images are the lowest form of knowledge. Images only provide us with opinion and imagination. Sensible objects comes next which provides us with seeing something and having a belief about it by sensing it and perceiving it. Concrete forms allow us understanding, meaning we understand the parts of X by thinking. Finally, the highest form is the abstract form which is the most essential ‘pure thought’ of what X is. To Plato, this Essence is eternal and unchanging, making it necessary and true. According to Plato we know X, if and only if we have a direct grasp of X’s form or essence. Let’s break this argument down. So Imagination is a state of mind which takes sensible moral notions at face value just as it does sensible appearances or forms of the world at face value. For example, if you are viewing a palm tree you are using your imagination and Plato says is our opinion about what we are viewing, a palm tree. So imagination is perception and not knowledge. If A (Imagination is taking sensible notions and appearances or forms of the world at face value) then B (imagination is perception). A? B A ?B Using our common sense we have belief in the reality of the visible objects and concrete moral teachings (sufficient guide for action) without knowledge of the reason for such beliefs. Belief is faith and conviction, not knowledge. If C (Using our common sense we have belief in the reality of the visible objects and concrete moral teachings (sufficient guide for action) without knowledge of the reason for such beliefs) then D (belief is faith and conviction). C ? D C ?D If A (Imagination is taking sensible notions and appearances or forms of the world at face value), B (Imagination is perception), C (Using our common sense we have belief in the reality of the visible objects and concrete moral teachings (Sufficient guide for action) and D (Belief is faith and conviction), then E (Belief and imagination are opinion and not knowledge). A B C D ? E A B C D ?E Thinking is reasoning from premise to conclusion. This reasoning is the bridge from opinion to knowledge that is brought on by higher education, especially mathematics because pure mathematics and applied mathematics are tools used to understand X. Therefore, thinking is only understanding, not knowledge. So if F(thinking is reasoning from premise to conclusion and uses tools to gain understanding) then G(thinking is understanding). F? G F ?G From the â€Å"Good† or Episteme comes from intellect which consist of reason and dialect. This comes from philosophic conversation (dialect) by question and answer seeking (reasoning) an â€Å"account† of X. Therefore, knowledge or Episteme is the form of the ‘good’. So, If H (knowledge comes from philosophic conversation (dialect) by question and answer seeking (reasoning) an â€Å"account† of X) then I (we have knowledge or Episteme and the form of the ‘good’) H ? I H ?I If F (thinking is reasoning from premise to conclusion and uses tools to gain understanding), G (thinking is understanding), H (knowledge comes from philosophic conversation (dialect) by question and answer seeking (reasoning) an â€Å"account† of X) then I (we have knowledge or Episteme and the form of the ‘good’). F G H ? I FGH ?I Aristotle has similar concepts as Plato on knowledge that is best describes through his theory of Essence. He argues that scientific knowledge is the highest form of knowledge and is only concerned with this world and not a transcendent world like Plato. His forms include appearance, matter, concrete forms and abstract forms. He explains that we gain knowledge first through our senses and are able to view appearances. Using the senses activates our imagination that gives us opinion. After appearance is matter. When we engage in experience we come to know matter and by doing so we have belief. Similar to Plato, Aristotle claims concrete forms come next by knowing abstraction or the classification of X which provides us with understanding. And finally he agrees with Plato in that Abstract form is what makes X, X. By intellectually grasping the essence of X we have knowledge. Aristotle defines essence as the sense on matter and form. Matter is material and form is eternal. Appearances are imagination and imagination perceives only through the senses. Here Aristotle is in agreement with Plato in that if A (Imagination is a state of mind which takes sensible moral notions at face value just as it sensible appearances or forms of the world at face value) then B (imagination is perception). A? B A ?B Matter gives us belief because If C (Using our common sense we have belief in the reality of the visible objects and concrete moral teachings (sufficient guide for action) without knowledge of the reason for such beliefs) then D (belief is faith and conviction). C? D C ?D. The classification or abstraction of what distinguishes X over a different X is understanding. For example, to know what makes a palm tree, a palm tree and a coconut tree, a coconut tree. Therefore, thinking is understanding. So if F (thinking is reasoning from premise to conclusion and uses tools to gain understanding) then G (thinking is understanding). F ? G F ?G Plato argues knowledge comes from a ‘final good’ or â€Å"Goodness†, which is the level above scientific understanding to which the human mind is capable in rising. This rising to a higher level is called Episteme. He says that there is only one form (idea) of everything that only exists in the ‘thought universe’ or the ‘mind of the creator’. This intellectual truth is truer than physical truth. Aristotle on the other hand argues that knowledge come from the human essence tilos or rationality. So, knowledge is reaching rational activity excellently and scientific knowledge is the end of it. They both agree on essence being eternal and unchanging. They may separate from the matter, recycle and get involved with other matter but the forms are eternal and unchanging. I agree with Aristotle because Plato confuses the human ability of abstraction with independent existence. As humans we can generalize and find common features in separate objects such as red things but that does not mean that there exists somewhere something called redness. He is attempting to explain reality with the addition of a transcendent world. Aristotle is interested in explaining the world as a changing world; Plato’s forms do not change so they cannot help in explaining the phenomena of change in the empirical world. According to Aristotle, we do not acquire knowledge all in one moment but rather through a process. He says objects of real existence are the ones that we encounter through our sense perception, known as his theory of empiricism (which is too much to go further into) in this he argues again that all knowledge originates from experience. This contradicts Plato’s two world theory. I found it very hard to illustrate both views of knowledge because the extensive information they use to explain it so I broke it down in the way I understood it. In the end, I found myself becoming my own philosopher in researching the works of such great minds. I feel these arguments create the rationality that people forget to practice when it’s the one thing that separates us as humans. Works Cited Puanthanh Gangmei, Plato’s theory of knowledge and forms (www. blogcastor. com: October 16, 2011): http://blogcastor. com/plato%e2%80%99s-theory-of-knowledge-and-forms/, November 22 2011. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Epistemology http://faculty. washington. edu/smcohen/320/thforms. htm http://www. filthylucre. com/plato-versus-aristotle-theory-of-forms-and-causes http://www. iep. utm. edu/aristotl/ http://www. iep. utm. edu/aristotl/ http://www. iep. utm. edu/middlekn/

Sample Assignment Coca-Cola Global Marketing Strategy

Sample Assignment Coca-Cola Global Marketing Strategy Introduction As domestic markets mature, it is becoming more and more fashionable for organisations to seek growth through opportunities in foreign countries. Faster communication, new technologies and improved transport links are making international markets more accessible and businesses pursuing a global position can experience an upsurge in brand awareness and cost effectiveness. Global marketing is a relatively new concept linked to these developments. In the main, it is concerned with decisions for integrating or standardising marketing actions across a number of geographic markets. This does not rule out any customisation of the marketing mix to individual countries but suggests that organisations should capitalise on similarities between markets to build competitive advantage. Compelling cases can be put forward for both a standardisation or adaptation approach to international marketing practice. These arguments are keenly explored, drawing from examples of Coca-Colas international marketing programme to elucidate key points. Background of Coca-Cola As the worlds largest manufacturer and distributor of non-alcoholic beverages, Coca-Cola is certainly no stranger to global marketing. Established in the US, Coca-Cola initiated its global expansion in 1919 and now markets to more than 200 countries worldwide. It is one of the most recognizable brands on the planet and also owns a large portfolio of other soft drink brands including Schweppes, Oasis, 5 alive, Kea Oar, Fanta, Lilt, Dr Pepper, Sprite and Powerade. Despite this, Coca-Cola often struggles to maintain its market share over its main rival PepsiCo in some overseas markets, particularly Asian countries. Arguments for Standardisation †¢ Converging customer needs and preferences It is proposed by Levitt that the forces of globalisation driven by technology and wider travel are leading to more homogenised customer needs and wants worldwide. This paves the way for the building of global brand identities where companies are able to export their domestic brands to mass markets abroad and consumers will react to them in similar ways. In this sense, standardised marketing with a universal product and message can be an integrating force across national borders. To send out different communication messages across countries could lead to customer confusion and even dilution of the brand. In keeping with this, Coca-Cola sells virtually the same Coke beverage worldwide. The design of Coca-Cola soft drinks has changed little in its history, from the logo to the distinctive glass bottle. These unique and consistent characteristics evoke a strong brand image which has cross-cultural appeal. †¢ Economies of scale/experience In many industries, companies can reap cost advantages by operating on a global scale and ultimately improve their all-round competitiveness. Using a centralised structure, a firm can draw economies from bulk purchase discounts or by sharing functions such as product development, marketing, production and managerial resources among different markets. In Coca-Colas example, economies are gained through the competent running of a large-scale franchising system for its bottling operations. †¢ Technological viability In sectors where technological and production processes are homogeneous, extra weight is placed on standardisation of products as a prerequisite for success. As part of its vision that Coke should taste the same around the world, Coca-Cola has chosen to standardise its product and manufacturing process. The knock on effects of this are more streamlined procedures and greater cost efficiencies. It is worth noting Levitts argument that companies which opt to produce an assortment of products serving different customer segments would be unable to survive globalisation due to inefficiencies in their operation. Arguments for Adaptation †¢ Consumer Diversity Supporters of the adaptation view contend that, regardless of globalisation, consumers in different countries continue to vary dramatically in their geographic, demographic, economic and cultural characteristics. It is sensible to imply that, where there are differences in product preferences, product uses, attitudes, shopping patterns, income levels and education, a business will need to adapt its product offering or communication programme in some shape or form. By carefully singling out the most significant differences, organisations can tailor products to suit local tastes and conditions. Dennis and Harris pronounced that global branding strategy should actually be a local plan for each component market, as to apply a standard approach worldwide without considering local preferences and cultural differences is doomed to failure. Food and beverage organisations in particular, can easily fall prey to obstacles such as regional taste and category development issues. On the other hand, organisations that market internationally have to bear in mind that customising communication and product strategy will increase overall marketing costs. Traditionally, Coca-Cola used a standardised marketing campaign strategy where it would pull advertisements for specific markets from a common pool of adverts designed to have universal appeal. Lately, Coca-Cola has chosen to back away from a full standardisation approach and to instead tweak its efforts to accommodate local culture and nuances. Its former approach was deemed too rigid with some of its campaigns not always successfully transcending national borders. Although the branding and position of Coca-Cola remains consistent worldwide, its execution is based on what is judged to be best for each local market. This is evident in its Live on the Coke Side of Life advertisement campaign launched in 2006 where elements of local culture are included. On the product side, Coke bottles and cans include the target countries native language and are sized to match up to other beverage bottles or cans in that country. The company also offers a varied product line-up to capture different consumer tastes, for example, soy drinks for its Asian markets. †¢ Differences in Infrastructure and Regulations Several multinational companies, including Coca-Cola, have discovered that operating from a completely central and standardised perspective can impede the progress of the company, especially when it comes to understanding and integrating with local conditions. Coca-Cola is well known for its widespread accessibility through a variety of channels such as large supermarkets, petrol stations, restaurants, hospitals, cafes and so on. Having a strong brand gave Coca-Cola the supplier bargaining power it needed to break into the more complex and entrenched distribution systems of lots of countries. Adding the fact that food laws can vary tremendously from one country to another, it is not surprising that Coca-Cola describes itself as multi-local. Despite a standardised product, Coca-Cola is obliged to adopt different approaches to the global marketplace. This goes some way to disproving Levitts idea that one size fits all and emphasises a plan global, act local approach instead. Conclusion In essence, the arguments above reveal that global marketing is not necessarily an all or nothing proposition. Companies have the freedom to choose from many possibilities on the spectrum from total standardisation through to complete customisation. Clearly there are circumstances where multinationals can gain through increased standardisation of products and marketing, especially with respect to keeping costs down and building brand power. On the other hand, in conditions where national market differences are more marked, this strategy would harm the company and its reputation. By making standardisation decisions using target market conditions as its starting point, an organisation can ensure that, in the long-term, customers are being offered what they want. Although Coca-Cola can seemingly gain a great deal from a standardised agenda, its decision to combine global and local resources is ultimately more long-standing in a market where national customer differences are influential.

Gravity By Sara Bareilles | Review

Gravity By Sara Bareilles | Review Sara Bareilles is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She grew up in Eureka, CA, and at the age of 18 she moved to Los Angeles, CA to pursue her career (Sara Bareilles). According to She is a graduate of UCLAs Communication Studies Department. While in high school, she performed in community productions and also high school events. Although she was involved in numerous singing acts, she never had any training in either voice or piano. Bareilles has been a songwriter for almost all of her life. Her two first works, Star Sweeper and I Love a Parade, didnt win her any Grammies, but they are a representation of the fact that she has been song writing for a very long time (Sara Bareilles). According to Bareilles biography on Vh1.com, she began to perform in local bars and open-mic nights after she graduated college. After gaining enough confidence to feel comfortable on stage, she began to perform at local venues and musical festivals. She had made a CD, and began to shop it around and eventually signed a deal with Epic Records in April of 2005. A produced by the name of Eric Rosse worked with her the following February to help perfect her record. They worked on the record just over a year. Sara Bareilles second album was titled Little Voice and released in July 2007. Her first single Love Song and the album reached the Top Ten after being released (Sara Bareilles). She has been awarded four Grammies; two in 2008 and two in 2009. Historical Context Gravity was originally written for Bareilles first album entitled Careful Confessions (Careful Confessions). After she was signed to Epic Records and teamed up with Eric Rosse, the single was added to the track list for the album Little Voice. Gravity was written in the early 2000s. During this time there were many events happening which included George W. Bush being president, the major terrorist attack in New York, George Harrison died and the war in Iraq began (United States Timeline). These events probably didnt have much effect on Sara Bareilles reason for writing Gravity. Not much was found for her reasoning, but it was possibly based on past relationship that she has had, or a reflection on either one or multiple relationships. Analysis The overall theme of Gravity is how one can be drawn toward another person in their life, even if they dont want to. Sara Bareilles starts the song by Something always brings me back to you, It never takes too long, No matter what I say or do, I still feel you here til the moment Im gone (lines 1-4). Here she is saying that there is a force that is making her return to someone in little time, and it doesnt matter what she does to stop this or go in a different direction because there is always a feeling that she has that wants to be near, lets say, this man that is drawing her near. The second verse is You hold me without touch, You keep me without chains, I never wanted anything so much, Than to drown in your love and not feel your rain (lines 5-8). When she says You hold me without touch, she is saying that she can feel him even though he is not there. You keep me without chains, means that he can control her without him even trying to. The last two lines can be translated into that she has a strong feeling to want to be embraced in his love and not feel like she cant have it. The reason for this is because when you are drowning, you are fully covered in water, and when you are being rained on, you just get glimpse of water and youre not fully drenched in it. The chorus of the song is Set me free, leave me be, I dont wanna fall another moment into your gravity, Here I am and I stand so tall, Im just the way Im supposed to be, But youre on to me and all over me (lines 9-13). When the song goes into the verse, it seems that the song is switching gears a little bit. She wants to be set free from this force that she is feeling. She doesnt want to be pulled into him anymore. She wants to be her own person without him, but she feels it may be impossible to stop this force. The third verse is You loved me cause Im fragile, When I thought that I was strong, But you touch me for a little while, And all my fragile strength is gone (lines 14-17). She is saying that she thought she was strong enough to not need a man in her life, but she was actually weak, and all the strength she thought she had went away when the man came into her life. After the third verse the chorus repeats. The hook is I live here on my knees, As I try to make you see, That youre everything I think I need, Here on the ground, But youre neither friend nor for, Though I cant seem to let you go, The one think that I still k now, Is that youre keeping me down, Youre keeping me down (lines 18-26). This is the climax of the song. She is explaining that maybe she thinks she needs to have him in her life. He is not a friend or an enemy, but she cant let him not be a part of her life, because he is what keeps her sane. This song goes through multiple ups and downs. The artist seems to not be sure what this man is to her in her life, but in the end she comes to the conclusion that he is what keeps her grounded.

Essay examples --

Laura Greene SOC 421 Section 1002 Fall 2013 Dr. Mann Marxist Theories in Todays Society Karl Marx was a German philosopher whose work are thought to still have an influence even on todays society. Marx believed that material goods were the root of the social world and that social life is fundamentally about conflict over food, land, money, and other material goods. The ideal government for Marx would be a communist state where resources are equally shared. However, here in America it seems we will always have a democratic government where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. For my final paper I will use the marxist theoretical ideas to investigate how Wal-Mart uses their economic and financial power to exploit their workers and suppliers. I will use Marx’s theory to understand how Wal-Mart not only manipulates and exploits its employees and suppliers but, also how they are able to alienate their employees. Marx’s theories remain as powerful framework for explaining the actions of a billion dollar multinational company because of its focus Wage-La bor, Surplus Value and Alienation. By sharing with the reader the reasons why Wal-Mart should be considered a threat to our society by using Marx theories, I hope to bring attention the true cost of getting things for a bargain. For the purpose of this paper I will be focusing on his theories about Wage-Labor, Surplus Value and Alienation and using them to explain Wal-Marts actions. Throughout the course of his life, Marx came up with many theories. However, Marx was very interested in the topic of capitalism.nCapitalism can be defined as being an economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by th... ...ncome. However, today’s materialistic society is so obsessed with the idea of commodity fetishism that we are blinded by the effects of it. We only think of where we can buy great products at low prices? Wal-Mart is always the answer, but if only we knew at what price of exploiting and alienating their employees, would we change out minds. Consumers never see the work that goes into making the product or how the labor has turned the worker into nothing but another commodity. All the consumer sees is the status or wealth depicted by the product. In all capitalism is what keeps our society in order. Even though Wal-Mart has become the bourgeoisie that Marx was against and feared, he would be happy to say that his prediction came true. In all, through these examples, I hope to open the publics eyes and show them at what cost their bargains are costing the workers.

Essay --

Objective: We aimed to study the demographic Characteristics of the primary vasculitides in Northeast of Iran. Methods: We retrospectively studied the medical records of patients diagnosed with any kind of vasculitis at the Clinic and Department of Rheumatology of the Imam Reza Hospital, Mashhad, Iran between January 1, 2002, and December 31, 2012. Patients were classified according to the American College of Rheumatology 1990 criteria for the classification of vasculitis and the 2012 Revised International Chapel Hill Consensus Conference Nomenclature of Vasculitides. Results: A total of 721 patients (51.5% male, 48.5% female) with a diagnosis of primary vasculitis were identified. The frequency distributions of vasculitic disorders were as follows: Behcet’s disease, 63.6%; cutaneous leukocytoclastic angiitis, 8.2%; granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener’s), 6.8%; Takayasu’s arteritis. 6%; giant cell arteritis, 4%; polyarteritis nodosa, 2.1%; microscopic polyangiitis, 0.6%; eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Churg-Strauss), 1.8%; cryoglobulinemic vasculitis, 0.3%; and...

Out of Kansas :: Personal Narrative Papers

Out of Kansas I find it on the high bookshelf—Maus: A Survivor’s Tale. I’ve heard about it. It’s about the Holocaust. Mice play the Jews, and cats play the German Nazis. I understand it already. Cats are predators to mice. That’s easy enough. I start reading. The Polish people are pigs. Wait a minute, I don’t get it. Why are they pigs? I’m getting confused. I want to give up. Instead, I pick it up and start again. We begin as moody troubleshooters: we see a puzzle piece that doesn’t fit—we either chop off a corner or throw the thing away. What is a stereotype besides a way of grouping things in order to understand them in a complete and perfectly organized way? To say that something didn’t fit would be an admission that we are unsure of the world we are living in—a frightening thought. Further, we are often conditioned through art to recognize these stereotypes without thought and to react identically as a community—a means of creating and controlling an ideal society. Theater theorist and playwright Bertolt Brecht says of European theater, â€Å"It is well known that contact between audience and stage is normally made on the basis of empathy† (136). The goal is often to make audiences identify with the characters and the stories so that they will reach a natural state of controlled catharsis at the end. Many audiences have thus learned to expect and enjoy such a style. Audiences seek art that will pick them up and pull them along for the entire ride. Underground comic, illustrator, and magazine editor Art Spiegelman meets that desire in his novel-sized comic Maus. Spiegelman describes his work: â€Å"The goal was to get people moving forward, to get my eye and thought organized enough so that one could relatively, seamlessly, be able to become absorbed in the narrative† (Jun 10). A story that absorbs the audience into its own unslowing whirlwind sounds a lot like Brecht’s description of the cathartic theater of control. However, Spiegelman’s works haven’t always had the same goal. In his early career, the question that motivated his art was, â€Å"How many obstacles could you put in somebody’s path before the reader just caved in and couldn’t handle it anymore?† (Juno, 8). The goal was to stilt catharsis—to kill it in its tracks in order to provoke active thought. I read his 1972 comic strip à ¢â‚¬Å"Skinless Perkins.

Human Relations Essay

Human relation is a thread which connects one human being with another. Such relations help us identify our position in society with respect to people around us. These relations provide ways to expose the hidden anthropological factor in all humans. Our appearances whether physical or emotional are often deceptive as they do not necessarily reflect true intentions. Studying human relations involves understanding the subconscious human thinking that influences our motivations (Henderson 17). The following essay deals with the importance of inter human relations on human growth and success. Keywords: social, interaction, people, relation, existence, communication, failure, understanding, business, knowledge, motive The evolution of human being from an unthinkable ape to a thinkable animal is a noteworthy phenomenon. We have learned, demonstrated and understood that man is a social animal. Several qualities which are dormant in him come to surface when man is exposed to similar creatures and situations which stimulate his brain cells. Communication capabilities and successful interaction with one another has made him share ideas and commodities for fulfilling his requirements since ancient times. Human existence is itself a struggle against our environmental conditions. To gain all that can be gained, to achieve all that can be achieved and to conquer all that can be conquered is the motto of human living today. Demand for success in every deed has become an inseparable aspect of human efforts. Man has tremendous potential to carve path for himself and achieve phenomenal success. We have known great people such as Edison, Newton, Einstein and many more who have stood rooted against all odds and such is their success that their names are at the tip of our tongue. It should be noted that although individual survival is possible but growth and success are fairly dependent upon establishing and maintaining human relations. For instance let us consider the case of a businessman trying to market a product to boost his company sales. Substantial improvement in productivity can be viewed with apt co-operation from people in various departments such as those concerned with product delivery, packaging, costing, advertising and ultimately the customer. A splendid combination of co-operation from everyone involved needs remarkable communication and a good understanding amongst participants. A failure in this will always have quantifiable repercussions on the businessman’s attempts to run his company. One also has to understand that entire chain of activities needs a wise action plan and wishful involvement of people. â€Å"It is a known fact that businesses become more effective as their employees become better adjusted emotionally† (Henderson 16). Maintaining an excellent rapport by keeping healthy human relations is significant for the success of every individual involved. As rightly suggested by Huczynski, human relations have the power and ability to firmly hold entire industrial society which was once considered a shaky fabric. This was considered possible because of inherent human desire for intimacy and predictability in day to day activities (127). We also know that unity adds strength. Unity arrives from strong bonding amongst a group of people. These strong bonds can be maintained by keeping good human relations. Maintaining good human relations facilitates co-operation and increases our power even as an individual. A good ensures support during adversities. Personal growth carries different meaning to different people. Few may find substantial growth and happiness in group work whereas some others may find it easier to tread their paths alone. Success and personal growth do not come on their own accord. They demand involvement, hard work, determination and perseverance. Success in certain field also requires knowledge of subjects from some other areas which are to be acquired with help from other people. This involvement from other people can only happen if a good quality of interpersonal relationship exists among them. Improper human relations create huge communication gap and dampen a person’s motivation and urge. What exactly is personal growth? Expanding our dimensions of knowledge and understanding without any involvement with others is nearly impossible. A bad relation stems from selfish motives, insufficient understanding between people and it often leads to conflicts. Such conflicts cause mental instability and are a major reason for war. A person is said to grow when he/she grows not only physically but also psychologically and spiritually. Let us understand this with the analogy of plants. A plant cannot grow on its own. Through years it has developed relations with sun, soil, water, fertilizers, oxygen, other plants for pollination, etc which are all essential for its growth. Same is the case with humans. The crux of entire discussion lies in attempting to focus on best possible human relations. A good human relation is very essential for individual growth and success. A good relation nurtures happiness, promises satisfaction and opens new horizons for success. As Butler-Bowdown writes about Covey; until one can understand others’ way of seeing, one cannot be truly successful. Personal growth isn’t always about doing something new but about doing something in new light and learning to see world with other’s eyes (93). An exemplary shift in human relations triggers personal achievements at a high level!

Rita Dove

The poet that I have chosen to do is Rita Dove. In her newest collection of poems, Sonata Mulattica, there were many to choose from. However the two that I wanted to look deeper into were Exit and Golden Oldie. In both poems she is able to convey strong emotions in the characters she described. Rita Dove was born in Akron, Ohio. Her father, Ray A. Dove, was a chemist, and a pioneer of integration in American industry. Both of her parents encouraged persistent study and wide reading. From an early age, Rita loved poetry and music. She played cello in her high school orchestra, and led her high school's majorette squad. As one of the most outstanding high school graduates of her year, she was invited to the White House as a Presidential Scholar. At Miami University in Ohio, she began to pursue writing seriously. After graduating summa cum laude with a degree in English in 1973, she won a Fulbright Scholarship to study in Germany for two years at the University of Tubingen. She then joined the famous Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa, receiving her Masters' Degree in 1977. At Iowa, she met another Fulbright scholar, a young writer from Germany named Fred Viebahn. They were married in 1979. Their daughter Aviva was born in 1983. From 1981 to 1989, Rita Dove taught creative writing at Arizona State University. Appearances in magazines and anthologies had won national acclaim for Rita Dove before she published her first poetry collection, The Yellow House on the Corner in 1980. It was followed by Museum (1983) and Thomas and Beulah, (1986) a collection of interrelated poems loosely based on the life of her grandparents. Thomas and Beulah won the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. In 1993, Rita Dove was appointed to a two-year term as Poet Laureate of the United States and Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress. She was the youngest person, and the first African-American, to receive this highest official honor in American letters. In the fall of 1994, she read her poem, Lady Freedom Among Us, at the ceremony commemorating the 200th anniversary of the U. S. Capitol. Other publications by Rita Dove include a book of short stories, Fifth Sunday, the poetry collections Grace Notes, Selected Poems and Mother Love, and the novel Through the Ivory Gate. Her verse drama, The Darker Face of the Earth had its world premiere at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in the 1986. Another production of the play appeared at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D. C. , in 1997. Dove has brought her poetry to television audiences through her appearances on CNN and NBC's Today Show. Public Broadcasting has devoted an hour-long prime time special to her life and work. She has shared television stages with Charlie Rose, Bill Moyers and Big Bird. On radio, she has hosted a National Public Radio special on Billie Holliday, and has been a frequent guest on Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion. She joined former President Jimmy Carter top welcome an unprecedented gathering of Nobel Laureates in Literature to Atlanta, Georgia for a Cultural Olympiad held in conjunction with the 1996 Olympic Games. That same year, a symphonic work for orchestra and narrator — â€Å"Umoja — Each One of Us Counts,† — was performed at Atlanta's Symphony Hall with Rita Dove's text performed by former Mayor and U. N. Ambassador Andrew Young. Dove's lifelong interest in music has taken other forms. She has provided text for works by composers Tania Leon, Bruce Dolphe and Alvin Singleton. Her song cycle Seven for Luck, with music by John Williams, was featured on a PBS television special with the Boston Symphony. In 2009, she published Sonata Mulattica, a book-length cycle of poems telling the story of the 19th century African-European violinist George PolgreenBridgetower and his turbulent friendship with Ludwig van Beethoven. Rita Dove is Commonwealth Professor of English at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, where she lives with her husband, the German author Fred Viebahn. They have one daughter. In her spare time, she studies classical voice and practices the viola da gamba, a 17th century forerunner of the modern cello. Now that a little more about her life is understood it is time to examine the poems themselves. In Golden Oldie Dove tells a narrative about her getting home. The emotions in this poem are clearly evident, and show that the speaker is confused about her life. The first thing I noticed was a irregular rhyming scheme. Often times poetry follows certain patterns, but in this case there is none. The words that rhyme are: swaying and playing, and sentiment and lament. Also, the words â€Å"alive† and â€Å"live by† are very similar sounding. Thus by having some things rhyme, in an irregular manner she shows that there is some consistency within randomness. This is similar to the girls life – very confusing. Moreover, her word choice is quite important in the poem. For instance, swaying is a specific choice because it has connotations of being lost or indifferent. Later on she reaffirms this thought by comparing herself in a simile to a blind pianist caught in a tune meant for more than two hands. The scenario she compares herself to is somewhat humorous to think about, because the pianist is basically completely helpless. Obviously the feat described is quite confusing. In the next few lines she describes the song playing on the radio in her car. It is being sung by a young girl who, in her opinion is dying to feel alive. Dying to feel alive is a pretty intense statement to make. It seems that to make such a drastic statement she may be feeling that same issue. It continues to say â€Å"to discover a pain majestic enough to live by. † This line is very interesting because most people don’t require a pain to live. Rather they try to avoid pain. But it appears that the girl singing, and possibly the author, want to feel something rather than nothing at all. She was getting very intimate with the song, as proven by her turning off the air conditioning, despite the hot temperatures. Also, she leaned back as if to block out everything else but what she heard. The line in the song so closely paid attention to is described as a lament. A lament is described as a way to express sadness, grief, or sorrow. Then, upon hearing the melancholy statement, the speaker says she greedily took in without a clue who my lover might be. This was the most confusing part of the poem to me. At first I didn’t understand how she could greedily take something in, when there was no actual object to get. However, it appears that she is hoarding the idea of having a lover who wants to know where their love went. Thus, it leads me to believe that she is in search of love when she concludes with â€Å"or where to start looking. † Searching for love can be really confusing. Therefore a theme statement for the overall meaning of the poem can be derived: Often times human beings can be very confused in their emotions. Sometimes they can find understanding in other confusing things because it is easy to relate to. The second poem by Rita Dove that I analyzed was Exit. In this case the author conveys that the emotion being felt by the speaker is anxious hopefulness. It is written from the speakers perspective about the reader, which I thought was very interesting. It's about â€Å"you†, the reader, who is going somewhere. There is no rhyming scheme and it is one large stanza. The speaker starts off by saying that a visa is granted. This tends to imply hat someone is going somewhere outside of their current country for an extended period of time. This can cause some anxiety. Moreover, it is said that the traveler wanted to get it, because there was hope that it would arrive. Then upon leaving, there is the realization that it is actually happening. The author compares the exit to that of in a movie. More information about the visa follows. It is has been granted, â€Å"provisionally. † Meaning temporary or conditional, the speaker describes it as a fretful, or scary word. Then a reference to the windows of the house is made. I think the author included this to reinforce the mindset that your leaving home, a very special place. However, an immediate contrast is made by saying â€Å"here it’s gray. † This is in regards to the fact that a feeling of sorrow is present due to leaving. A suitcase is described as the saddest object in the world, which seems odd because the person wanted to travel according to the hope for a visa. Although it may be the case where the traveler knows that it is best to go, but is still upset about leaving. The final few lines reference the childhood of the reader. A metaphor is used to compare the windshield of the vehicle too cheeks of the reader. â€Å"And now through the windshield the sky begins to blush as you did when your mother told you what it took to be a woman in this life. † This is a much more positive angle on the journey they're about to embark on. After reviewing the poems many times a general theme statement can be constructed: Often times human beings feel anxious about something they're going to do. However, despite their concerns they can still have some feelings of hope that they will be successful.

Social security policy

Social security policy is a major, convoluted issue in all societies. Millions of people are heavily reliant on social security as a means of support to achieve a basic standard of living. There is thought to be three main welfare regimes, in western society. These regimes are corporate-conservative, socio-economic and liberal. This essay aims to give a brief description of these regimes in action, in relation to the USA, France and Sweden, respectively. Then, go on to compare the regimes, in relation to social security. It will take in to account unemployment, pensions and family policy. Social security is basically the procedure of benefits and transfers in the form of financial assistance as income maintenance which is funded by taxation and/or insurance contributions. (Baldock et al, 1999) There have been three principle types of welfare regime. These are corporatist-conservative, socio-democratic and liberal. The corporate-conservative regime is usually based on individual's contributions, therefore very work-orientated. The socio-democratic regime is usually based on universal values. The liberal regime is usually residualist. This means that the welfare is seen more as a bag-up, only to provide for those who would not manage at all without it. (Esping-Anderson, 1990) France is an example of the corporatist-conservative regime in action. Social security is hinged on solidarity. In this context, it means mutual responsibility, shared risks and common action. It was first brought in to place by the introduction of a regime general for social and health security. This was then expanded. In the 1970's additional measures were introduced to include all ‘excluded' people. The most significant measure was introduced in 1988. This was called the Revenu Minimum d'Insertion. It amalgamated a rudimentary benefit with a personal contract for social inclusion. The French regime is somewhat expensive. The control of expenditure has become the focus of social policy. Pensions play a very prominent part as they are very costly. (www2. rgu. ac. uk/public policy/introduction/wstate. htm) The French regime basically advocates the rights are in accordance status and class. Support comes mostly through private insurance, which is supported by the state. It aims to fortify civil society while limiting the market. (Esping-Anderson, 1990) Sweden is an example of the socio-democratic regime in action. This Swedish model is often judged as the exemplary form of welfare state. One of the integral components is the sense of organised co-operation. (www2. rgu. ac. uk/public policy/introduction/wstate. htm) The socio-democratic regime advocates equality and universalism of high standards. This is through the state. The state is the main way of support; there are high levels of benefits. It aims to amalgamate welfare and work and promote full employment. (Esping-Anderson, 1990) The United States of America is an example of the liberal regime in action. The liberal regime advocates residualism, laissez-faire, individualism and a severe stand on poverty. These are all dominant subjects in USA debates on welfare, yet the USA does not have a unified welfare system. The predominant measures of federal provision came in the 1930's from the Roosevelt administration. (www2. rgu. ac. uk/public policy/introduction/wstate. htm) it was called ‘the new deal'. It was instigated to be a safe-guard against market failures, which was desperately needed after the mass unemployment of the depression years. The main principle behind it was that the state should provide more than just support; it should actually protect the individual. (Miller, 2003) The liberal regime basically has a strong work ethic. Support comes through means-tested assistance. It aims to strengthen the market. (Esping-Anderson, 1990) Unemployment is a very contentious issue. The three countries all have differing ways of dealing with it. France has a twofold system of providing unemployment benefits. One of them is an unemployment insurance scheme. This scheme is when individuals are part of a national collective agreement, which is mediated by the state. This system is financed by contributions. The unemployed are allowed to receive benefits if they are a member of this scheme and it was not their own fault that they lost their job. The provision and duration of these benefits also depends on how long the individual has been part of the scheme. Its payment has two forms. These are either the basic benefits or post-entitlement benefit. (www. eurofound. ie/under. tm) The other system of unemployment benefit is a guarantee supplementary scheme. It is funded by the state and was set up in 1984. its aim is to provide unemployment benefits for widowed or divorced women, young people and other disadvantaged groups, who have not been in the job-market long enough to make substantial contribution. It also helps those who have had been in unemployment for a very long time and are no longe r eligible for the insurance scheme. Its payment comes in two forms, either a work programme allowance or a guaranteed supplementary benefit. (www. urofound. ie/under. htm) This rigid system is in stark comparison to Sweden. Their unemployment insurance benefit (UIB) has been thought to be one of the most generous in the world. It is controlled by the trade unions, finance by the state and administered by 40 voluntary societies. The level of contribution varies as it depends on the likelihood of unemployment. UIB encompasses about 3/4 of unemployed people, the rest rely on social assistance. In the 1990's UIB came under intense pressure because of an increase in unemployment and concern to limit social expenditure. This resulted in that by the late 1990's there was a decreased eligibility and the proportion of previous income received was slashed from 90% to 80%. There is now a far greater pressure on unemployed individuals to join in AMS schemes (Government training schemes) to indicate their availability to work. Involvement in AMS schemes permits the re-establishment of eligibility to UIB. This can be seen as a huge incentive! There is a three year benefit duration limit. Despite this limit, it is still safe to say that it is more generous and less disciplined than that of France. (Cochrane et al, 2001) In comparison to France and Sweden, welfare for unemployment is very complicated. The administration of social assistance is controlled by state or local government agencies, on a decentralised basis, even though funding does come from federal Government. However, USA welfare on employment is mainly through unemployment insurance (UI). Unemployment insurance varies significantly depending on state and local government. However, there are some principles which are relevant to most states. (www. tiss. zdu. uni) Unemployment insurance is not aimed at being long term support for the unemployed. It is designed to be a bridge till they obtain a new job. Unemployment insurance operates under very strict condition for limited periods of time. The number of covered people is relatively low. This is due to the fact that a lot of people are not eligible foe unemployment insurance. (www. law. cornell. edu/topics) Unemployment insurance is not available to the self-employed, domestic servants, farm workers, Government employees and those who have only been briefly employed. (www. buzzle. com) To actually receive unemployment benefits from the state is incredibly complex. The actual law on benefits and who is eligible to welfare schemes is very convoluted. In extreme cases, where vulnerable individuals do not even meet the criteria for schemes of federal support or assistance, may be entitled to state and local or purely state relief. This is called general assistance. (www. law. cornell. edu/topics) It has been found that the population age profile of western societies is changing. We are now living in an increasingly ageing population. The age structure of the population comes from past birth rates, increasing mortality rates, increased longevity and migration trends. This inevitably means an increase in the amount of people who will be eligible for a pension. (Baldock et al, 1999) Therefore, welfare regimes have to account for it. France has a pay-as-you-go system. (www. news. bbc. co. uk) The pay-as-you-go system is basically that the pensions that are being paid out today are being funded by taxing the employed of today. This is in stark contrast to private pension scheme (those favoured in the USA) as these are based on paying pensions out of the contributions an individual made during their entire working life. (Baldock et al, 1999) It is believed that this is going to be unsustainable. This is due to the increasing longevity and the declining birth rates. This means that in the future there will be far fewer workers to pay for the multiplying amount of pensioners. (www. news. bbc. co. uk) This is now worrying the French Government. They are now beginning to take steps to remedy the situation. One example of this can be seen by looking at a bill approved by the French Government, in May of last year. They approved a bill that meant that the amount of time that all Government employees must work in order to get a full pension increases from 37 years and 6 months to 41 years and 9 months. www. telegraph. co. uk) In comparison to Sweden, the French system leaves a lot to be desired. In Sweden, there are two mandatory statutory pension schemes. These are a basic flat-rate payment and a contributory earnings-related scheme (ATP). Both schemes are funded on a pay-as-you-go system. They are paid out of contributions from the current workforce. Every citizen and long-term r esident are entitles to the basic flat-rate pension. To get the ATP pension, they have to have a thirty year history of contribution. However, there is a supplement that can be obtained with the basic pension if an individual has no ATP or a very low level of ATP. For most of the people in Sweden, the two statutory pension schemes, replace or provide around 65% of pre-retirement gross salary. However, these pensions are liable for taxation. Also, 90% of employees in Sweden top-up the statutory schemes by covering themselves with extra occupational pension schemes. These cover various groups of employees and provide up to an extra 10% on replacement income. The extra occupational pension schemes encompass four main schemes and they work on a collective agreement. They cover people employed by local and central government as well as blue-collar workers and white-collar workers. In Sweden, in 1992, only 6. 3% of elderly households were defined as being poor after taxes, this is in stark comparison to the USA as in 1996; just over 20% of elderly households were poor. These are phenomenally different statistics. (Cochrane et al, 2001) There are two public pension schemes in the USA. They are the public flat-rate pension and the public earning related pension. The public pension scheme encompasses both the means-tested, basic-rate pension (Supplementary security income, or SSI) and the earnings related pension (Old-age, survivor and disability insurance, or OASDI). The flat-rate basic pension is financed by general federal Government revenues. However, some states give an additional small state-government supplement. All SSI pensions are subject to income and asset testing. The earnings related pensions (OASDI) are financed through contributions. It is broken down as follows: employee provides 6. 2% of earnings and the employers provide 6. 2% of payroll whereas the self-employed provide 24. % of earnings. The minimum eligibility requirement for OASDI pensions is ten years of contributions. This is also a pay-as-you-go system. However, occupational, private pension schemes are highly recommended. (www. reformmonitor. org) Family policy plays a very significant part in social security. In France, family allowance is assigned to all families with at least two children, under the age of 18, regardless of income. However, there are numerous supplementary means-tested benefits available. There is the family supplement, which is for families with three children, over the age of three. There is also the single parent allowance, adoption allowance, the parental education allowance, the special education allowance for children with disabilities and also the annual school allowance for children between the ages of 6 and 18. There is also the housing allowance; this is calculated by the expense of rent and the families' situation. Additionally, there are also birth payments, maternity benefits and parental leave benefits. These include a means-tested young child allowance; it is available from the fourth month of gestation until the child is three years old. Also, included is a maternity benefit that increases by the amount of children plus if the mother is insured there are even more benefits. There are also paternity leave benefits, where the mother or the father can be on leave up until the child's 3rd birthday. Since 1998, there have been means-tested allowances to decrease the cost of childcare for children under 3 years old. The childcare can be in the home (child minder) or at a registered facility. There are also allowances in childcare for 3 to 6 year olds. (www. reformmonitor. org) Like France, Sweden has a universal child allowance. This is for children under the age of 16 years. This goes up to 20 years, if they are in full-time education. Families, with more that 3 children are entitled to a large family supplement. There is also a family allowance for handicapped children who attend a public school. They also, like France, have a housing benefit. This benefit is also dependant on the expense of rent and the size of family. There are also birth payments, maternity benefits and parental leave benefits but the do not seem as good as France is. There is a paid parental leave for 450 days, which is divided up between the parents. Also, the mother gets special allowances because of reduced work ability. In Sweden, they can also claim a sick child benefit. This is available for a maximum of 60 days, per year, per sick child under the age of 12 years. There is a positive infrastructure of support services to help working parents meet their childcare obligations. It also includes the support of single parents. Since July 2001, childcare expenses were lowered for families with children in subsidised childcare facilities. With this reform came a guaranteed 3 hours a day for childcare for unemployed people. This was so that they could actively seek employment. (www. reformmonitor. org) The USA is completely different from France and Sweden. In the USA, under the temporary assistance for needy families programme (TANF), benefit payments differ widely across states. The TANF programme is to support poor families with low incomes and dependant children. It is often reduced or even stopped after a family has received benefits regularly for 6 to 24 months. This is supposed to help reduce dependence on the state. The main family assistance, which is practically available in most states, is provided through federal income tax. Families with 1 or more children are provided with an ample amount off of income tax and people who earn a very low wage plus have children are given refundable income tax benefits. Unlike both France and Sweden, there are very few employees, who are given paid parental leave, when a child is born or is sick. However, since 1995, unpaid leave for both child birth and child illness has been mandatory. There are 5 states, which do provide income replacements, subject to certain conditions, for up to 52 weeks. Federal employees do benefit from 24 hours of paid leave a year, for child related activities. Some employers, in the USA, do offer subsidised childcare facilities for their staff. However, the majority of employers do not. Federal childcare funding was provided so that states could be flexible in designing inclusive, integrated childcare facilitates, to make it easier for unemployed or single parents to get back to work. (www. reformmonitor. org) To conclude, there are some major differences between each of the welfare regimes. The biggest differences come from looking at unemployment differences and family policy. The USA is probably the most diverse plus the have all had very different consequences. However, there are similarities between some of the aspects. This comes from pensions. All regimes are based on the pay-as-you-go regime, to a certain extent. However, they all have differing success. All in all, it would be hard to say for definite that any one of them would be superior but Sweden would be a definite contender. However, it is safe to say that welfare regimes in the future could benefit from utilising the most successful parts for the present regimes and learning for the unsuccessful parts. Social Security Policy New Labour promised to halve child poverty by 2010 and to eradicate it by 2020, (Walker, 1999). Social security is not merely about poverty relief, as the relief of poverty requires more than just social security reform, it is important to address the position of social security policy at present to see whether Labour can live up to this rather ambitious target it has set. The term ‘Social Security' is used to refer to the range of policies which aim to transfer cash resources between individuals and families. It is concerned with policies which govern the redistribution of resources within society. After coming to power in 1997 the Labour government reviewed the key principles of social security policy. They developed the ‘Welfare to Work' strategy, as they want people of working age to look for employment within the labour market and avoid dependence on the state. The maintenance of a high and stable level of employment was one of the fundamental assumptions of the Beveridge report, and an objective to which all governments were positively committed after 1944 (Lowe, 1993). Hills (1997) argues that since Beveridge, the objectives of social security have never been set out in a way allowing measurement of whether benefit levels are adequate to meet their aims. The original aim of the National Insurance system as introduced following the recommendations of the Beveridge report in 1948 was to set up a system of subsistence level flat-rate social insurance benefits which were intended to cover all the main causes of inability to earn, such as old age, sickness, unemployment, widowhood and orphanhood. It also included virtually the whole body of the populations, whether employed, self- employed or non- employed, as far as possible in the same terms (Sleeman, 1979). Changes in the welfare system have been needed for a variety of reasons, society has changed, and policies need to change to keep in tune with this, these changes include changing families, working women, an ageing society and rising expectations (Giddens, 1998; Hills, 1997). In the UK, the earliest form of social security was the Poor Law which was based around discretionary payments related to individuals' assessment of need, and this continued to play a part in the delivery of many means- tested benefits until the last two decades of the twentieth century (Alcock, 2003). The Elizabethan Poor Law (1598) distinguished between the deserving and undeserving, this is something which is still reflected in Social Security policy; Hewitt and Powell (2002) point out how the use of contracts can be taken back to the deserving and undeserving poor, only now the terms being used are responsible and irresponsible; and this is reflected in the ‘Security for those who cannot' (DSS 1998)- which means no security for those who can but do not. Another similarity between the poor law and the modern welfare state is that Parishes excluded the traveling poor from its boundaries; this is still evident today with the treatment of travelers and the single homeless. This argument is supported by Hills and Gardiner (1997). Within Social Security, Employment policy occupies a crucial position in the post- war reconstruction, and without which the welfare state could not exist. Full employment would both finance the development of the welfare state, and government welfare policy would help to maintain economic growth. Barr (1993) has outlined three social aims of state intervention in income distribution; the relief of poverty in order to protect a minimum income standard was the first. The second is the protection of accustomed living standards to ensure that none has to face an unexpected and unacceptably large drop in their standard of living and the third is, smoothing out income over the life cycle. However, as pointed out by Glennerster and Hills these three interact, the balance between them and the responsibility of the state can differ over time and between countries. The aims of Social Security policy are not merely to be measured in income terms. Social and political participation may be seen as important civic virtues by a broad spectrum of political opinion. Social Security maintains a standard of living that supports inclusiveness (Townsend 1979), the consequences of failure in this respect is ‘social exclusion'. The miseries of unemployment in a work- ethic society are well- documented by Sinfield, (1981). To these are added the harassment and insecurity of dependence on means tested welfare (Bradshaw and Deacon,1983) and the despair of living at a standard of living which steadily falls behind that of the working class in work. (Taylor- Gooby, 1985). Glennerster (1999) has criticized the critics, arguing that paid work brings dignity and respect. Social welfare imposes controls on society, social security regulations distinguish those who do and do not deserve support. As pointed out by Taylor- Gooby (1985) regulations which ensure that a household head is usually responsible for the living standards of family members defined as dependents encourage a certain household pattern. Social Security is traditionally divided into a contributory and a non- contributory sector, the former covers benefits such as sickness benefits, unemployment benefits, retirement pension, widows' benefit- those regarded as the important benefits. In the latter most benefits are allocated to those who can prove that they do through a mean test. Eligibility for social security has two elements, the first being the formal rules and regulations governing provision of benefits and secondly the perceptions of eligibility held by claimants and potential claimants. The contributory principle, whereby National Insurance benefits are linked to earnings established under rules of eligibility which disproportionately excludes those in intermittent or low paid work, those with a higher risk of unemployment as well as recent migrants. The establishment of such policy on the basis of a White, Male norm thereby formally excluded many of those in minority ethnic group from social citizenship rights to such benefits (Amin and Oppenheim, 1992). Post war welfare reforms and immigration legislation have continued to institutionalize racially exclusionary rules which determine eligibility to welfare benefits these include residence tests, rules on ‘recourse to public funds' and sponsorship conditions. This is well documented in the case of asylum seekers in Britain. Compared with some of the other developed industrial countries, Britain has been relatively successful in establishing a general and comprehensive welfare floor. (Sleeman, 1979) As argued by Hills (1997) benefits for those without work may ameliorate their immediate position but they do not solve the problem. A prime aim of social security policy should be for claimants, where possible to find independent sources of income. While the overall level of employment depends on wider economic factors, the social security structure may discourage employment under some circumstances. Under the Conservatives, due to rising unemployment and the recession in the early 1990's changes were made to social security policy with regards to the unemployed. Not only did the costs of paying unemployed people's mortgages reduced, but Income support (IS) payments for mortgages were withdrawn for the first nine months of unemployment. In 1996 Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) was created when contributory unemployment benefit and means- tested Income support were merged. With JSA for the first six months of unemployment there would be a contributory basis and after that it would be means- tested. It was decided that those under the age of 25 would receive a lower rate of benefit and that contract would be introduced between claimants and the benefits agency to formalise job searches and training criteria, as well as establishing availability for work. With regards to means tested benefits, we have all heard politicians expressing their concerns about benefit ‘dependency'. According to Glennerster and Hills (1998) unemployment benefit has been the largest single source of growth in means- tested populations, followed by lone parenthood. A major theme of policy has been to sustain a gap between income and benefits and in work to ensure incentives to work in the face of increasing levels of unemployment, decreasing relative levels of wages for the unskilled, and increased part- time and temporary working, Benefit policy has been changed to both decrease relative value of benefits for the unemployed and to increase use of means testing. This leads to two problems for ensuring incentives to work: one is to ensure that benefit rates are not close to or greater than in- work income and to ensure that those who are working on the margins of benefit entitlement are able to improve their incomes through work. The side- effect of means testing is that benefit is reduced as income rises alongside the incidence of tax and social security contributions on increased earnings. As benefits have fallen relative to incomes over time, the incentives to work, therefore, in general have been improved (Glennerster and Hills, 1998). The main theme of social security policy is ‘work for those who can; security for those who cannot'. Which consist of a rights and responsibilities discourse. Those who cannot work have a right to security. However, for those who can work, the right to benefit is more conditional. The basic philosophy is that work is the best route out of poverty. ‘Making work pay' includes a national minimum wage, tax reform such as Working families tax credits and nursery credits, which increase the return from low paid work and reduce the poverty trap. The government aims to achieve full employment, instead of paying people in poverty more benefit, New labour will redistribute opportunities and take a preventative approach, giving people the skills to escape poverty. Within Social Security policy is employment centred social policy which is based around the ‘New Deal' programmes; which target different groups. For example for young unemployed people there are four choices; education; a subsidized private sector job; a voluntary sector job or an environmental task force; the opportunity for sitting at home on benefits is not an option, as benefits will be reduced. For lone parents there are no penalties for not taking up employment, although they do have to attend work- focused interviews, in order to make them aware of the opportunities available to them. With regards to pensioners; pensions are uprated by prices rather than earning, the poorest pensioners do have a means- tested minimum pension guarantee that ties in with the increase in earnings. This represents a move from Universalism to selectivity. This also means that gradually pensioners will carry on falling behind workers (Powell and Hewitt, 2002). This in itself demonstrates the lack of respect for the elderly, and the fuels the argument that once someone passes working age, they are no longer deemed an integral part of society, and are pushed out of mainstream society. This essay aims to look at the provisions in place for younger people, of working age, for whom the government are trying to move into the labour market. What New Labour is trying to aim for is an active, preventative and intelligent rather than passive welfare state that encourages people to realize their potential rather than being chained to passive dependency (Powell and Hewitt, 2002). The bulk of National Insurance expenditure is on pensions, whereas for sickness and unemployment contributory benefits do still apply. JSA covers unemployment, for the first six months there is non- means tested support for hose who meet the NI contribution conditions and is linked to an agreement by claimants to take steps to secure a return to the labor market. Jobseekers allowance is no longer an Insurance benefit for the unemployed, after six months claimants remain on the benefit, and are subject to the same job search criteria, but their benefit moves onto a means- tested basis, which means any other resources (income from a partner) will reduce one's overall entitlement. In practical terms, means- tested JSA is Income support, given another title, as Income support has for some time been payable to unemployed claimants not covered by National Insurance benefits. It is still available for those out of work, who are not required to seek work under JSA rules, such as lone parents and people with disabilities and Carers. ‘Income support is a minimum income scheme for British citizens' (Alcock, 2003), payable only to those who are out of full- time employment (16 hours a week) and is reduced if there are any earning or any capital above à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½3000 in total. Housing costs are not covered, but claimants who pay rent can apply to their local council for housing benefit and council tax benefit, in some cases interest payments on mortgage debts are covered. For children of parents who are in receipt of Income Support or means- tested JSA free school meals are available. A major feature of social security protection was once sickness, but in the 1980's , under the Tories support for short term sickness (up to six months) was shifted to employment, employers were expected to pay workers a minimum level, whilst they were off sick. After six months, claimants with chronic illness or disability move to Incapacity benefit (NI protection) if they meet the contribution conditions with a medical test, which requires they are incapable of ‘all work'. For those who do not satisfy the contribution condition, they are paid Income Support which is means- tested, as long as they can satisfy the conditions for Incapacity Benefit. For those in low wage employment means- tested support is also available through tax credits, payable through employers, administered by the Inland Revenue. Alcock (2003) argues that there has been a significant shift in the operation of means – tested benefits under the Labour government since 1997. Family Credit was replaced by Working Families Tax Credit, made available to a wider range of low- income families. Not only does this act as a supplement to the wages of low income workers with dependent children, it also aims to make low paid work seem more attractive, to encourage labour market participation as part of the governments commitment to promote employment. The most important of the Universal benefits is child benefit which is paid to all parent or guardians to help them with the cost or rearing children. Critics would argue that, like all Universal services, Child benefit is a waste of public resources by paying benefit to wealthy parents, who do not need this money like poorer parents do. The benefit of Universal benefits is that there is no stigma attached to being in receipt of it. Jones and Novak (1999) argue that the whole benefits system operates to control and discipline citizens rather than support and protect them. There are a number of different theories and ideologies of welfare, the main traditional theories are the Classical Liberal theory; Marxist theories and Fabian theories. Classical liberal theories are based around ideas that see freedom as absence of coercion rather than protection from misfortune and hardship. Within classical liberal thinking there are two contrasting views on the state. Traditional or negative liberal defend the individual liberty while challenging what they perceive as the arbitrary misuse of power. Negative liberals say the role of the state should be minimal. On the other hand there are positive liberals who say that the state can adopt a more constructive role in dealing with social problems. Both positive and negative liberal thinking have been influential on the modern British Conservative party. It is important to make the distinction that not all classical liberals are opposed to the welfare state. Classical liberal theory points out that unwarranted state intervention will only amplify social and economic problems since the market system will be less efficient and economic growth will slow. It is also believed that individual freedom is of paramount importance and any attempt by the state to provide fiscal help to the poor compromises that individual freedom, this is said to be done in two ways; the first is by asking those who earn wages to pay extra taxes to support the poor and secondly, by creating the conditions under which poor individuals and the state will have a relationship of dependency. Classical liberals regard the causes of poverty to be personal, rather than structural; poverty is traced to personal feelings rather than to failings of the political or economic systems. They go on to say that individual rights must be preserved at all times, and go as far to say that people have the ‘right' to be poor. Barnett (1986) stated that the welfare state was necessary for a short time, following the problems created by the Second World War; that those who supported it did not take a long term view of the countries economic needs. The welfare state is no longer beneficial. A recurring objection to the welfare state is the belief that services provide benefit to those who do not need it; such as child benefit, which is a universal benefit and it paid to everyone, regardless of earning, some would see this as a waste. Sidney and Beatrice Webb were influential figures in Fabianism, they believed that collective welfare through the state was not only essential, but an inevitable development within British capitalist society. An early example of the influence of Fabian thinking was with regards to the Poor Laws, whereby in 1905 the Royal Commission was set up to review the old Victorian support system. The significance of this was the governments' recognition that it had to implement major changes to the welfare state. Fabianism is a variant of British Socialism. The ‘New Left' is a term used to describe a broad range of differing approaches to social structure and social policy from a Marxist perspective. In general many agreed that the achievement of the welfare state in Britain was neither as desirable nor as successful as had been assumed. Marxists argued that the welfare state had not been successful in solving the social problems or the poor and of the broader working class, in practice the welfare state supported capitalism, as opposed to challenging it (Ginsburg, 1979) The New Left has been criticized for its theoretical assumptions of the assumed desirability of state welfare services, arguing that for many of the working class social security was seen as being oppressive and stigmatizing. Hayek (1944) argues that despite the overwhelming influence of Fabianism within social policy, right wing critics of state welfare had always argued against the interference of state provision with the workings of a capitalist market economy. This neo-liberal thinking was referred to by Fabians and the new left as the ‘New Right; as it was interested in returning to the classic liberal values of a laissez- faire state, which advocated for self- protecting families and communities. The main argument of the new right was that state intervention to provide welfare services, and the gradual expansion of these which Fabianism sought, merely drove up the cost of public expenditure to a point at which it began to interfere with the effective operation of a market economy (Bacon and Eltis, 1976). They claimed that this was a point that had already been reached in the 1970's , where the high levels of taxation needed for welfare services managed to reduce profits, crippled investment and driven capital overseas (Alcock, 2003). Like the New Left, the New Right also challenged the desirability of state welfare in practice, arguing that free welfare services only encouraged dependency and provided no incentive for individuals and families to protect themselves through savings and insurance (Boyson, 1971). Hayek (1982) argued that state intervention involved unwanted interference with the freedom of individuals to organize their own lives. Neo- liberal thinking is opposed to extensive state intervention to provide public services; effectively they are opposed to the ‘welfare state'. They argue that it is undesirable on ideological, political and economic grounds; that is undesirable in theory and impossible in practice. Their ideological objections to it revolve around their concern about dependency culture; by providing welfare through the state, individuals are discouraged from providing these for themselves and their families, which could in turn trap them into relying on others for support. Murray (2002) makes the point that in social security if everyone is going to be provided with a basic standard of living, this makes it an attractive option for individuals to choose this, rather than seeking paid employment. Which applies to means- tested benefits, whereby entitlement is related to an individuals' income level, this means any increase in income means a loss in benefit. Economically speaking, the welfare state is undesirable because it interferes with the free working of the market, leading to failures in markets developing properly. Although neo- liberals argue that the welfare state is not practical, most recent neo- liberal theorists agree that a safety net should be in place, as it may still be needed. Neo- liberalism, therefore still remains within the mixed economy of welfare, which is found in all modern welfare capitalist countries (Alcock, 2003). Marxist theories are based around the idea of Marx (1970) whose claim was that capitalism is an inherently oppressive economic structure in which the working class are exploited by the capitalist class through the labour market. It is argued by Marxists that Socialism or Communism is the logical and desirable alternative to the failures of both capitalist markets and the welfare state. However, they do not provide any explanation as to how this is to be achieved, except that it needs to be done revolutionarily, rather than gradually and involves the overthrowing of the existing democratic governments. This ideology has never attracted much attention in Britain, making its political potential limited here. Marxists believe that the welfare state uses taxes paid by everyone to provide services and to foster the illusion that the state is altruistic and redistributiove, whereas in actual fact the stae is preserving and reinforcing certain norms and structural relationships. Ginsburg (1979) argued that institutions of welfare operated within British society to control and suppress people as well as to provide for them; arguing that the social security system in practice stigmatized claimants and forced them into low waged employment. This criticism of the British welfare state comes from a Marxist perspective. The strength of the Marxist critique of the welfare within Capitalism is its ability to demonstrate the contradictory nature of social policy as providing social control and social protection at the same time. In 1998, New labour developed a ‘third way', Blair argued that both the right wing pro- market approaches and the old left's support from state monopolistic services should be rejected in favour of a new (third way) which would be located between the state and the market. The new labour government was not interested in whether services were best provided by the state (the old, Fabian, left) or by the market (the right) instead it was looking to find the most effective way to meet social needs; which was a practical judgement based on empirical evidence of effectiveness. Hills (1997) has pointed out that some benefits, such as child benefit, state pension and unemployment benefit for some, go to people unaffected by means- testing, and argues that further means- testing would allow spending to be better targeted. Some have argued that elimination of universal benefits would free up sizeable sums of money, which could then be spent on those that need it the most, which would mean for New Labour that they could go a little further to achieve its targeted with regards to child poverty. Eliminating Universal benefits would mean a substantial reduction in the overall cost of welfare spending, meaning the government could put more money into other areas such as the National Health Service. Social Security is the largest element of public expenditure, greater than both health and education, and accounts for 11 per cent of gross domestic product (Alcock, 2003). Social Security is an important aspect of our society, through state intervention individuals are provided with a basic standard of living, and kept out of absolute poverty. An interesting Marxist theory of the purpose of the welfare state states that the state maintains a ‘reserve army of labour' , through which a certain portion of society are kept out of work , but may be asked to join the labour force when needed. By providing these people with benefits (the unemployed, disabled and lone parents) the welfare state is serving capitalism by maintaining these groups who can be called upon at short notice. Marxists would argue that welfare constitutes social control and ‘polices' the state. They claim that the unemployed and other members of the reserve army of labour are treated harshly, to remind others of the consequences of not working. Lowe(1999) points out that the history of postwar social security was riddled with contradictions. The promise of the Beveridge report was to realize the new ideal of social security, through a simplified system of state relief without resort to the unpopular means- test, aroused immense popular enthusiasm and lay at the heart of the new values and perspectives upon which the new welfare state was initially built. Yet within ten years the social security system was no longer popular. The means test did not wither away and the system started to become so complex that it became self defeating. Social Security has both positive and negative connotations, in practice it can be seen as a benefit and by others a cost (Alcock, 2003).