Social Policy Regimes

Table of Contents Introduction Historical Perspectives Current Perspectives Critical Perspectives Comparative Case Studies Conclusion References Introduction Social policy consists of legislation, principles and activities that countries employ to enhance the social conditions of their people.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social Policy Regimes specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Due to the emergence of democracy across the world, social policy has become an integral part of democracy as it supports human rights and further enhances the delivery of services in important sectors such as healthcare, housing, security, education, trade and labour amongst other essential social aspects of the society (Kennett 2004, p.91). The basic objective of a social policy is to enhance equity and to improve human welfare by ensuring the accessibility and affordability of essential resources to all members of society. Thus, th e kind of social policy possessed by a country reflects the extent of how its government satisfies the societal needs since poor social policy depicts a society deprived of its essential needs and deficient of human welfare. Kennett (2004) argues that although the social policy is a discipline on its own, it greatly interfaces with economics, political science, legal studies, history and health disciplines for they all have a significant impact on the welfare of humanity (p.91). Thus, social policy is a complex discipline that attracts other related disciplines making it a multidisciplinary field of study. Given the complexity of social policy as a multidisciplinary subject, this essay examines factors that contribute to differential evolution of social policy in various countries ultimately exploring comparative case studies of three countries, the United States, China, and Sweden. Historical Perspectives Social policy is a discipline that employs multidisciplinary approaches in th e study of problems that affect social processes and the welfare of human beings in society. Social policy seeks to ensure that people receive essential services such as healthcare, education, housing, security and provision of food, water and employment to improve the lives of people. Fundamentally, social policy aims at alleviating social problems that affect the wellbeing of humanity by ensuring that the government puts proper welfare structures in place to enhance accessibility and distribution of critical resources to the people. As a discipline, social policy is the study of social problems and wellbeing of humans.Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The discipline emerged after the realisation that, disciplines like political science, sociology, economic, and history do not effectively examine social issues that society is grappling with (Esping-Andersen1990, p.9). Thus, s ocial policy provides a wider examination of social issues, as it interfaces with all these disciplines. Therefore, social policy deals with everything that affects the wellbeing of humanity. Social policy has evolved tremendously in the last three decades since social issues have been increasing due to globalisation. The economic system of capitalism that has swept across the world has enhanced inequality in many societies, thus necessitating social policy to reverse trends of inequality and improve the wellbeing of marginalised communities. Although governments are making significant strides towards keeping abreast with the globalised forces of politics and economics, development have been trailing due to insufficient attention from policy makers. This means that the wellbeing of citizens has been gradually declining because social policy has not been created in tandem with the societal needs. Inefficiency of social policy is evident in the wellbeing of indigenous people or margin alised communities for they are lagging behind when mainstream society is embracing and reaping varied benefits from globalisation. Therefore, social policy helps in improving the wellbeing of marginalised communities and unprivileged citizens through the provision of essential resources such as: healthcare, housing, security, education, food, water and employment (Kennett 2004, p.91). If the government ensures that every citizen receives enough of these resources, it guarantees the wellbeing of the people and society. Disparity in social expenditure in different countries is due to dissimilar approaches that welfare public policy and administration use in enhancing the wellbeing of citizens. Comparative theory of social policy has shown that four main approaches of social policy exist and can effectively elucidate disparity of social expenditure among nations. Firstly, the deterministic approach views economic conditions as the determinant of social expenditure. In this approach, b oth local economy and international economy due to the advent of globalisation have a significant impact on social policy of a country. Secondly, political approach views that democracy enhances development of social policy because individuals have the freedom to advocate for the needs of the society.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social Policy Regimes specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The third approach views that cultural and social factors determine the nature of social policy of a country. This approach holds that social ideologies, cultural values and religious beliefs have a significant impact on the development of social policy. While the fourth approach holds that structures of institutions in policy development determine the nature of social policy in a country, it therefore implies that countries with excellent policymaking structures have good social policy, while those that have meagre policymaking structures have poor social policy (Mullard, Spicker 1998, p.186). Basing on regime theory, the welfare systems across the world depend on regimes for they have a strong influence on social aspects of society. According to the regime theory, three types of regimes exist that determine social policy systems in the society. These regimes are liberal, conservative and universal states (Hill 2006, p.25). The first type of regime is a liberal state in which globalisation factors of free markets take precedence over welfare systems, as markets forces self-regulate satisfying demands of the society. According to Esping-Andersen (1990), in a liberal regime, the government function is just to enhance efficiency of trade and economic growth through liberalisation, with minimal emphasis on development of social welfare systems (p.12). Countries like the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada are in this category. The conservative state is the second type of regime in which a state plays a vital role in the development of social policy institutions and structures that enhance formulation of social policy. In the conservative state, neither democracy nor globalisation trends of free markets determine formulation of social policy, but instead nationalism matters. Countries that fall in this category include China, Germany, Switzerland, and Japan. The third type of regime is the universal state because it seeks to uphold the highest principles that improve the wellbeing of humanity. Hill (2006) argues that these states are very democratic, valuing social rights for they seek to promote a high standard of equality in society (p.28).Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Countries under this category are trying to get out of globalising forces that seem to cloud many countries, preventing them from perceiving the importance of social policy. Countries like Sweden, Denmark and Norway fall under this category of regime. Current Perspectives Current trends of social policy across the world are under the influence of globalisation. Globalisation is a powerful political, economic and social ideology that is sweeping all countries to become one global nation, sharing common problems, demanding similar needs and requiring same policies (Pierson 2006, p.202). Under the context of globalisation, countries are finding it hard to adopt conservative forms of state that have their own social policy. Since politics have a significant impact in the formulation of social policy, the influence of globalisation in the political arena consequently affects the development of social policy. According to Kennett (2008), democracy is an overwhelming ideology in the global isation of politics (p.12). Developed countries that have mature democracies tend to create a political environment that favours establishment and development of social policies. For instance, a country like the United States have good social policy because of a mature democracy, while developing countries like Zimbabwe have an immature democracy, which reflect a poor social policy. Moreover, since the development of a social policy in a country is dependent on economic conditions, economic factors of globalisation affect the development of social policy. Globalisation’s trend of liberalising markets is threatening the economies of many countries because free markets offer stiff competition in the business environment and thus do not provide a chance for uncompetitive goods from developing countries. In essence, liberalised markets provided an opportunity for developed countries and mega companies to monopolise and dominate markets. If the globalisation forces of liberalised markets threaten the existence of small companies and market share of developing countries, it means that economic growth and development gradually declines. Pierson (2006) argues that nation-states are gradually losing their economic powers to international markets that regulate and determine the country’s capacity to survive in liberalised markets (p.201). This means that the welfare system of a country is subject to a globalised economy. Countries that are uncompetitive in the liberalised markets will experience a decline in economic growth and development, which consequently hampers the establishment of social policy. In contrast, social issues of globalisation such as the advocacy of human rights, cultural values and spread of religious beliefs enhance development of social policy. Due to technology, people living in the remotest corners of the world are able to keep abreast with social forces of globalisation that have transformed society into a global village. Modern s ociety can share common values and beliefs due to the advancement in information technology that hastens the transfer of information from civilized to uncivilized people. Castells (2000) argues that information technology is transforming cultural and social aspects of society very fast, leading to the globalisation of societal values and beliefs (p.8). Therefore, information technology as an aspect of globalisation is gradually establishing a global culture that favours formulation and development of social policy. Development of social policy in contemporary society is dependent on the efforts of various players such as individual, non-governmental organisation and government (Mullard, Spicker 1998, p.188). Individual members of the society play an integral role in the formulation, development and implementation of social policy, for they are at the receiving end of governance. When a government issues orders, laws or polices, all citizens have a legal and moral responsibility of ensuring that no one is breaching those laws. Moreover, given that social policy deals wellbeing of citizens, individuals should demand better services that enhance their wellbeing and in so doing they participate in the formulation and implementation of social policy. In times of crisis, non-governmental organisations help government in alleviating impacts of crises and improving wellbeing of the citizens. According to Larner (2005), government uses structures and systems such as families, schools, communities, companies, media and political parties in imparting social policy into the society for people to adopt (p.53). These structures and systems are very important in the society for they reduce the burden of dealing with individual members of the society. Critical Perspectives Diversity in the society in terms of gender, race, sexuality and disabilities is creating inequality that classifies people into various classes of economic status and power. Society for a long time has ge ndered roles that suite men and women, and mostly women have experience marginalisation since men dominate in various roles (Jenson 2008, p. 135). Since society perceives women as weak gender, issues and challenges affecting women have become part of social policy as a way of empowering them and enhancing their wellbeing. Feminists protest that the society has stereotyped roles of women to be inferior to the roles of men, thus undermining capabilities and wellbeing of women. The Anglo-Western perspective of gender is to empower women through formulation of social policy that provide for affirmative action. According to Jenson (2008), feminists are advocating for the rights of women in social, political and economic aspects of society (p.136). In the social aspect of society, feminists argue that women have the same abilities as men, but discrimination and stereotyping of their roles as inferior has been undermining their quest for a better life. Feminists also assert that men have d ominated politics and misused political powers in undermining women. Another view of feminists is that economic structure of society has placed women in low economic classes, thus receive economic oppression from their counterparts. Ethnicity and race has created inequalities, in that marginalised ethnicities or races are trailing in aspects of human development such: as social, political and economics. For the government to empower different ethnicities, it must have appropriate social policy in place that identifies specific needs of the people in certain communities. For instance, according to Morrissey (2006), the indigenous people of Australia suffered from marginalisation and discrimination for a long period because the government had no any social policy until prompted by other Commonwealth Countries (p.349). This means that social policy of indigenous or marginalised communities is not only a limited issue but also a global issue. Disability and sexuality is a social issue t hat is slowly gaining recognition in social policy. People with disabilities and aberrant sexual orientations have formed part of minority groups who need recognition and protection of their rights. In the case of people with disabilities, various governments have made significant progress in gathering for their needs in spite of poor social policies. Currently, many disabled people are receiving formal education and employment that have considerably improved their wellbeing in the society (Shima, Zolyomi, Zaidi 2008, p.9). Regarding aberrant sexual orientation, gays and lesbians are advocating for their rights based on their perception of the society as having marginalised and discriminated against them. Proponents of homosexuals are arguing that lesbians and gays need recognition in the society. According to Concannon (2008), the constitution and social policy provide good structures that would enhance wellbeing of homosexuals if formulated and implemented well (p.327). Therefore , social policy is central to promoting the rights and wellbeing of minority groups like homosexuals and people with disabilities in the modern society. Comparative Case Studies Comparative case studies show that different countries have different approaches of social policy depending on their social, political, cultural and economic conditions. Therefore, what are the approaches that countries like the United States, China and Sweden employ in their social policy? Regime theory classifies the United States as a liberalised state, due to their capitalistic economy and the liberalisation of their markets. The United States does not place much emphasis on development of the welfare system since free trade and capitalism favours individualism. Issues that mainly dominate the United States social policy are health insurance, security, education, employment and inequality, but mainly occur at state levels. Bailey, Harte and Sugden (1994) argue that the United States does not have an inte grated welfare system because of factors such as federalism, capitalism and liberalised markets that favour individualism (p.9). Different states in the United States have their own unique social policy in sectors like health, security, education and housing due to federalism. Capitalism and liberalised markets have provided a lucrative environment for private enterprises and non-governmental organisations to venture into the welfare system making it complex and expensive. China’s social policy mainly has it basis in political stability making it fall under the conservative states according to regime theory. In China, democracy and liberalisation of trades have no any impact in the development of social policy since political figures and nationalists are only aiming to achieve political expediency and the stability of their nation. This means that the current wave of globalisation in terms of liberalisation of markets and democracy is threatening survival of China’s so cial policy. Li, Feng, and Gizelis (2008), argue that the current economic, social and political trends of globalisation have compelled the Chinese government to construct new social policies (p.6). New social policies became essential because the liberalisation of capital and labour markets have affected traditional labour and trade systems tremendously, thus necessitating restructuring of both social and economic policy. The restructuring of economic policy resulted in unprecedented unemployment, which aggravated inequality and increased the cost of living, hence compelling the government to formulate new social policies to address these issues. Moreover, family-planning policy of one-child significantly changed the demography of China in that extended families that provided support for the elderly diminished, leaving nuclear families that have no capacity to support the old in the society. Thus, the Chinese government had to gather for the needs of the elderly through social poli cy (Li, Feng, Gizelis 2008, p.5) Sweden is the ideal form of a welfare state, which belongs to the category of a universal state according to regime theory. Hantrais (2007) argues that the Swedish model of social policy is very advanced compared to the British model because it provides universal care to its citizens, enhancing equality (p.23). Comparatively, in the European Union, Sweden has the highest social expenditure relative to Gross Domestic Product per head. According to social expenditure database, Sweden spends 35.2% of Gross Domestic product, while it has Gross Domestic Product of $28100 per head, which is the lowest in Europe and the entire world (Hill 2006, p.20). Hence, factors that contributed to development of social policy in Sweden as a welfare state include its Good policy institutions, stable economy, political commitment to social issues, and culture that favour social protection. Therefore, comparative case studies have shown that social policy in different co untries varies according to political, social, economic and cultural factors. The comparative case studies have shown that variability in social policy and social expenditure in developed countries is attributable to political, social, and cultural factors, while financial factors do not have a momentous impact. For instance, according to Hill (2006), the United States has Gross Domestic Product per head of $37,600 and spends about 19.6% of this in public social expenditure, while Sweden has Gross Domestic Product per head of $28,100 but spends approximately 35.2% of it in social expenditure (p.20). The statistics shows that Sweden spends significantly higher on social expenditure as compared to the United States. Therefore, the disparity is in social expenditure across nations depends on economic, social, cultural and political aspects of government since they have a significant impact in the formulation of social policy. Conclusion Social policy is an integral type of policy that every government needs to enhance provisions of essential services and resources such as healthcare, education, security, employment, housing and food among other societal needs. Social policy has evolved considerably in the last three decades because inequality has been increasing following the globalising factors of capitalism, liberalised markets and economic crisis. Although globalisation seems to pose a harmful blow in the progress of social policy, it has benefits in enhancing democracies, providing information technology and creating a global culture that promotes the wellbeing of humanity. Literature reviews and comparative case studies have shown that different countries employ different approaches in developing social policy. Thus, the social policy possessed by any country depends on economic, social, cultural and political factors. References Bailey, D., Harte, G., Sugden, R., 1994. Transnationals and Governments:  Recent Policies in Japan, France, Germany, the United States, and Britain.  London: Routledge. Castells, M., 2000. The Rise of the Network Society. Malden: Blackwell Publishers Concannon, L., 2008. Citizenship, Sexual Identity and Social Exclusion: Exploring Issues in British and American Social Policy. International Journal of  Sociology and Social Policy, 28, (10), pp. 326-339. Esping-Andersen, G., 1990. The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism. United Kingdom: Polity Press Hantrais, L., 2007. Social Policy in the European Union. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan Press. Hill, M., 2006. Social Policy in the Modern World: A Comparative Text. London: Wiley-Blackwell. Jenson, J., 2008. Writing Women Out, Folding Gender In. Social Policy, 15(2), pp. 131-153. Kennett, P., 2004. A Handbook of Comparative Social Policy. Northampton: Edward Elgar Publishing. Kennett, P., 2008. Governance, Globalisation, and Public Policy. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. Larner, W., 2005. Analyzing Social Policy: A governmental Approach.  Cheltenham: E dward Elgar Publishing. Li, J., Feng, Y., Gizelis, I., 2008. China’s New Social Security System in the Making: Problems and Prospects. International Journal of Public Administration, 31(1), pp. 5-23. Morrissey, M., 2006. The Australian State and Indigenous People 1990-2006.  Journal of Sociology, 42(4), pp. 347-354. Mullard, M., Spicker, P., 1998. Social Policy in a Changing Society. London: Routledge, Pierson, C., 2006. Beyond the Welfare State? The New Political Economy of Welfare. United Kingdom: Polity Press. Shima, I., Zolyomi, E., Zaidi, A., 2008. The Labour Market Situation of People with Disabilities in Europe. European Center for Social Welfare, pp.1-18. This essay on Social Policy Regimes was written and submitted by user Norah Stuart to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The role which has been played by blogs and social networking in altering our daily usage of the internet and the World Wide Web

The role which has been played by blogs and social networking in altering our daily usage of the internet and the World Wide Web The development of the internet has been perhaps the best thing which has ever happened to human beings, as far as computer-based communication is concerned. Ever since its introduction in the world way back in 1965, the internet has continued to play a significant role in our lives.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The role which has been played by blogs and social networking in altering our daily usage of the internet and the World Wide Web specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The advanced use of the internet or the World Wide Web in the contemporary world has had a revolutionary impact to the people all over the world, thus helping to improve their lives in a special way. The human life in vast areas of accountability has been made easier through the possibilities of world wide communications currently offered by the internet. As it would be observed, culture and commerce are some of the key aspects involving humans to day that have been impacted largely by this modern trend of communication which continues to touch every part of our lives. On this particular note, the internet has played a major role in enhancing communication and interaction among people of different cultural backgrounds, through interactive elements like search engines and social networking sites found on the internet. More importantly, the evolution of the internet has continued to play a key role in today’s business arena in a number of ways. In regard with this subject, this paper examines how the use of blogs and social networking has altered our daily usage of the World Wide Web and the internet. The constant use of blogs and social networking as some of the main tools of communication offered by the internet has altered the way people use the World Wide Web. Just a couple of years ago, the internet would be seen as a platform for kids and idle adults to kill time in ways that could not be more useful. This would in clude things such as sharing of pictures and rants, email communication, and computer gaming, among other engaging activities. However, today, things have completely changed, and internet has emerged as one of the many things courtesy of the computer technology which have proved to be very useful to the human life. As a matter of fact, millions of people across the world have discovered just how the internet could be used for other beneficial ways, apart from simple communication and gaming (Goh Quek 2010). Today, people can interact freely with each other and even conduct business over the internet through blogs and social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In and My Space, among others. As it would be observed, most of these activities are based on social and economic grounds, and it is for such reasons why people would remain attached to the internet nowadays than ever before.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Blogs are interactive platforms through which people can communicate with each other and be able to share and discuss important things in life. Different people would tend to blog for varied reasons that would range from personal to commercial purposes. In this regard, blogging offers both personal and corporate benefits to its many users across the world. As it would be observed, there are diverse reasons as to why many people in the current world would prefer using blogging as a way of interaction and communication over the internet (Miura Yamashita 2007). First of all, blogging is an effective and first way of establishing relationships, and for that reason, it serves as a convenient way through which marketers and other business people could create links with potential customers. Another common purpose for using blogs is to build reputation and credibility online about one’s business. In this regard, busi nesses are able to provide information regarding their products and services to potential customers through an interactive basis where they can receive feedback and comments from the targeted audience. This, however, plays a significant role when it comes to understanding consumer interests better, thus giving marketers a better stand against their competitors in the market. Blogging also offers growing businesses an opportunity to create or establish community online. In this case, businesses can share their expertise, knowledge, and information on their products and/or services with a larger audience. More importantly, businesses can blog their new product updates, holidays, and other specials regarding their businesses, thus creating and maintaining good relationships with customers and clients. Apart from the benefits highlighted above, blogging also offers vast communication benefits to both the bloggers and the targeted people. Through this form of online communication, people can always be assured of effective communication all the time. Moreover, people would be sure to save much of their time when they use blogs to convey their message to the audience, than when they use other mediums of communication. More importantly, blogs are also known to offer a better solution for notification than email or websites. One common advantage of using blogs over other forms of online communication is that they are an inexpensive method of passing information to persons. Unlike the website, which involves many things which the users have to be familiar with before they can use them, operating a blog would only require one to have basic computer skills. Blog software is easy to operate, since they involve pushing of a few buttons on the computer keyboard, before the task is completed. This usually involves typing one’s thoughts or ideas, linking to relevant resources, and then publishing to blog for people to read. The idea of blogging is said to serve a wide a rray of purposes beyond what people are likely to realise via the use of social media. As a matter fact, it is for these specific reasons why many people in the current world have decided to opt for blogs as the effective ways of conveying information.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The role which has been played by blogs and social networking in altering our daily usage of the internet and the World Wide Web specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Social media has also played a very important role in changing the way humans use the World Wide Web or the internet. Sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and My Space, just to mention but a few, have emerged as very powerful platforms that have helped to transform the way we communicate and do business in the current world. These interactive sites have continued to play a key role in promoting and enhancing human interaction across the globe. As a matter of fact, social network si tes have proved to be useful in enabling people interact online easily. Unlike the traditional ways of communication and the other forms of internet communication that entails the use of forums, email, and message boards, the use of social networking sites closely resembles face-to-face conversations, and this makes communication more effective. Popular social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and My Space are altering the human fabric of the World Wide Web. As it would be observed, none of the above social networks appeared to be exciting for the last five years, where they were seen as just virtual sites fit for kids and idlers than anything else. This perception, however, has changed completely in the current world where a greater percentage of the global population is said to be very active on these sites. According to current statistics on internet, Facebook alone has amassed over 600 million members and users across the world. On the same note, over 200 million are s aid to be actively involved in matters involving twitter. The same high participation is also observable in other social networks. This massive usage is a clear indication that the social sites are taking humans somewhere exciting. One common aspect of the social networks is that they do enable people to stay connected all the time, regardless of the geographical barriers separating them in life, among other common obstacles of normal interaction and communication. In this regard, there are many ways through which social networks have changed our lives, thus altering the daily usage of the internet in the world. One significant way by which social networks have widely been used is for normal socialisation. Social networking sites have become useful platforms of modern interactions through which people having similar interests and goals can connect. In this respect, employers can easily get in touch with their employees in matters of work, thus enhancing performance and productivity in the workplace. Moreover, people can easily communicate with their friends and family members.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Colgate and Buchanan (2005, p. 429), what makes the use of these interactive sites more interesting is the fact that, apart from them being virtual spaces upon which information can be managed in an efficient manner, the sites also enable their users to listen to music, share photos and watch videos, among other stuff. More importantly, just like such engines such as Google and Yahoo, social networking sites can also be educational and informational, and this keeps users updated on many things in life. Social sites such as Facebook and Twitter are also viewed as the most reliable communication platforms in the current world through which celebrities, and managers of non-profit organisations can reach out to their targets of interest. These social sites have also become the touchstone for politicians and other high-profile people who are willing to publicise and promote their causes. In this regard, the targeted people can also use the interactive platforms to share thei r ideas and voice their opinions. Moreover, they can also communicate with these people on a one-on-one basis. Social networking sites have become common among the younger generations in the world. For this reason, progressive politicians and other famous icons have seen them as the most efficient ways of reaching to the tech sawy youth of the current world, thus going for them without hesitation. Social networking sites have also proved to be useful tools in the modern business world. Things in this world are changing fast with times, and such is the business world which has taken every initiative possible to stay ahead in matters regarding technology. In the current times, progressive marketers and businesses allover the world have embraced the power of technology to reach their customers and try to engage them in useful communication that will help in improving their business relationships with them. In this case, marketers and businesses have turned to social sites as important platforms upon which they can advertise their products and services. Burn and Loch (2007, p. 39) claim that by â€Å"simply placing banners and advertisement texts about their products and services, companies and other businesses can be assured of reaching more customers in diverse regions, thus increasing their sales in the long run†. More importantly, social sites are cost inefficiency, thus enabling entrepreneurs and investors to draw insight on their businesses without having to incur much expense in terms of advertisement and publicity. The fact that sites such as Facebook offer much exposure to commercial advertisements, possibly owing to its great popularity across the world, has attracted many investors and entrepreneurs into the habit of using the social sites to promote their businesses. Both established and emerging businesses in the modern world have adopted the idea of social presence as a convenient way of testing their services on consumers. In this respect, cu stomers are able to air their views and give suggestions on products and services, among other aspects, thus helping businesses to understand their interests well. This plays a crucial role in facilitating future improvements to serve the customers better. Thanks to current advancements in the communication sector, an access to the internet has been extended to reach beyond computers to mobile phones. In this regard, internet users across the world are able to reach the internet and access social networking sites simply by pushing a button on their phones. This offers great opportunities to businesses, which are ever eager to reach an expansive market for their products and services. It is worth noting that social networking sites have also played a crucial role to modern journalism. Today, it is easy for the people in the media sector to reach large masses of people in the world, through social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. In this case, news and other important in formation would have reached the audience long before they are aired through traditional media. More importantly, some news websites offer people the opportunity to share their version of a news event before it goes on air, thus adding value to the report. The ability to sift through news and speculated events offered by the social sites gives everyone who can access the internet a better understanding of the information, compared with anyone who relies just on traditional media to get to know about news (Sohail 2012). The other notable place where the effective use of social media has applied is in the business and recruitment sectors. As a matter of fact, there are businesses that operate solely on social networking sites such as My Space, Linked In, and Facebook. This, however, enables them to interact well with their clients and other people that may be of interest to them. In this regard, the businesses would sometimes see these interactive sites as convenient zones to seek pot ential employees, thus placing employment advertisements on them for willing applicants to apply. Linked In, which specialises on career and professional matters, is known to have undoubtedly played a key role in advancing careers by helping Human Resource professionals in the world discover potential employees with the desired qualities. In just another perspective, some potential employers have adopted a new way of getting to know their potential employees better through the social networking sites (Kumar, Novak Tomkins 2010). This has the meaning that it is possible for the employers to sift through the applicants’ information using sites such as Facebook, and make informed conclusions about them, before they get to hire them in their companies. On this note, it should always be understood by everyone that social networks can sometimes play a significant role in our professional lives, and therefore, it would always be a good idea for people to be careful with the kind of information they post on the internet for others to see. While good images and information give the best reflection of someone, compromising information, images or any other details can severely hurt one’s chances to pursue employment. The use of blogs and social networking sites, as observed in this paper, has completely changed the usage of the World Wide Web in the world. Blogs and social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, and My Space, among others have completely reduced communication barriers in all aspects of human life. As observed in this paper, many people across the world have become great fans of the internet, owing to the many social and economic benefits associated with the trend. This, however, explains the current changes on the daily use of the internet in the current world. List of References Burn, J Loch, K 2007, ‘The societal impact of the World Wide Web-Key challenges for the 21st century’, Social Responsibility in the Informati on Age: Issues and Controversies, vol. 12. no. 29, pp. 34-39. Colgate, M Buchanan, O 2005, ‘Relationship benefits in an internet environment’, Managing Service Quality, vol. 15. no. 5, pp. 426-436, via Global Internet database. Goh, J Quek, C 2010, ‘An investigation of students’ perceptions of learning benefits of weblogs in an East Asian context: A Rasch analysis’, Educational Technology Society, vol. 13. no. 2, pp. 90-101. Kumar, R, Novak, J, Tomkins, A 2010, Structure and evolution of online social networks, Springer, New York. Miura, A Yamashita, K 2007, ‘Psychological and social influences on blog writing: An online survey of blog authors in Japan’, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, vol. 12. no. 4, pp. 1452-1471. Sohail, Q 2012, How social networks have changed our world, techi.com/

Airline regulation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Airline regulation - Essay Example deregulation of the industry, it is reported that many airline companies have opted to merge or engage in airline alliance, which are characterized as virtual mergers to circumvent government restrictions (Doganis, â€Å"Flying Off Course†). An implication of these mergers is that the few surviving consolidated airline companies may exhibit oligopolistic behavior. This may include monopolizing of routes and charging excessive rates for some fares. In this regard, the industry competition is somehow diminished. Other airline companies may experience substantial profit reduction as their service offerings become relatively less competitive as compared to big industry players. In view of the above, the government must intervene by implementing policies that would promote competition within the airline industry. By enforcing policies such as the prohibition of oligopolistic/monopolistic business practice, the government is able to promote greater efficiency in the market (Samuelson & Nordhaus). As the government deregulated the airline industry, airlines have become better equipped in negotiating their operating arrangements with different airports as well as their entry and exit routes. Furthermore, these airline companies have become better in levying airfares and supply flight based on market demand (Doganis, â€Å"The Airline Business†). The deregulation boded well for both airline companies and their customers. However, with the anti-competitive practices discussed above, the objective of the deregulation is being violated. Given this, the government should somehow tighten its control over the industry such that competition and consumer welfare are promoted. With the September 11 attacks, the airline industry experienced economic shock as people became traumatized of flying. Furthermore, security restrictions rendered traveling more difficult. Considering this, thousands of employees were laid off as major airlines filed for bankruptcy. To address

Media, Citizenship, Public Opinion and Spin Essay

Media, Citizenship, Public Opinion and Spin - Essay Example The television can be considered as public media also as there are entertainment channels in the television. When any media is capable of reaching of a large amount of gathering, it can be considered as mass media. The mass media includes the parts of cyber media like web sites, pod casts and blogs when they are capable to attract a vast amount of people. In general the commentators refer the mass media to the mass society. The mass society is formed due to lack of social connections influenced by good organization and susceptible to the influence of mass media techniques. The citizen will be a part of society and even the mass society. The person who have citizenship can be considered as citizen. The mass media influences the citizens. It is defined as a membership in a political community. The community may be a city, town, village, state, nation or a province. The person who have citizenship will have right to political participation. There are some citizenships that have no political participation. These citizens are the people, who are protected by the so called political community. These protected people by a particular community do not have political participation and thus have no direct influence on the community. When their number increases the citizens of the community may develop grievance against them and thus they can be influenced and influence the citizens in such a manner. 2 When the mass media When the mass media is considered, both type of citizens are influenced, but the citizens who have political rights only can influence the structure and course of the community. This is due to the public opinion. The public opinion can be considered as the collective opinion of the people of a community or a majority opinion of the people of a political community. Mass media is capable of creating, building and influencing the public opinion. 1930s can be termed as the era that gave birth to mass survey research in America. Polling companies, surveying companies analyzed the public on a variety of important issues. The polls are regarding the information on public opinion.3 2. Citizenship A citizen is an important and fundamental component of the political community. He is not only a component or constituent but the community is built with them. The participants, leaders and followers of the community come under the definition of a citizen. World wide there are different definitions and laws regarding citizenship in various countries. The common point in all those laws and definitions is that a citizen have a right to vote in a political society and he enjoys some rights ensured by constitution. Whatever may be the law and the definition the citizen is the person who influences the course of the political leadership and the in turn influenced by the media more particularly mass media. When it comes to United States, the citizens are of fundamentally three types. The native Americans, the people who left their home country looking for a better life and the naturalized citizens. The native Americans are the people who are citizens by birth and living in America from an unspecified time. When it comes to the people who left their country in search of a better life will be American citizens after living in that country for a stipulated period of time and by satisfying

Nurture debate in relation to the development of an individual Essay Example for Free

Nurture debate in relation to the development of an individual Essay The major debate concerning nature and nurture has been going on for decades and is still unresolved. Many people like to believe what we have inherited and our genes are what make us unique (the way we are and how we develop). Other people believe that the way we are raised and our experiences, that make us the way we are and how we grow. Physically the way we are built and look can be mainly due to nature. The genes that we inherit from our parents make the way of we look. For example, people say ‘Don’t you look like your mother?’ Genetic inheritance can define our eye colour (blue or hazel), whether we have straight or curly hair or how small we might be. We could also inherit certain genetic diseases which can seriously impact on our health. Though, we can still make decisions on how we look and how we change our appearance. There are multiple different cosmetic procedures available to alter our look. How we choose to live out our life and the choices that we make can have an influence on how we look. For ex, constantly eating junk food and not doing any exercising could lead to obesity. The environment that we are raised in and the experiences we go through can influence our health which contributes to physical growth. An ex of how nature and nurture can affect our physical growth is; we might carry genes that could lead us to be in danger of developing type 2 diabetes, but if we were to eat a healthy diet and get ample exercise , we might not develop the disease. Nature: Jades mother’s childhood was very unlike to what it is today, her life could have been called a difficult life, and her mother was bought up on her own by her own mother as her father died when she was 6 months old. As she grew up without a father figure in her life she closed herself off emotionally from males in general. Jades mother grew up around a lot of uncles and aunts so she was always well looked by her family. Jade grew very close to her gran over the years as she wasn’t getting the attention she wanted off her mother, as she had gotten remarried she had become very distant. When her gran died jades mother was very alone, she hardly ever spoke to her mother apart from at meal times and after she’d get in from being out with her friends. This got increasingly more awkward as time went on as the new husband never showed her any kindness so her mother stayed out  to avoid the arguments. Nurture: Where jades mother spent a lot of time in hospital during her life she was also slower to develop as a person as she wasn’t with her friends often enough to have developed personality traits. As she got older she started staying out overnight and going to parties where there would be lots of alcohol, drugs and sex. She also began hanging out with the older boys and girls; this meant that she was developing at a much faster rate than what she would normally have done. The environment that the she was raised in was very tranquil, peaceful and gentle neighbourhood; there was barely ever any trouble around where she grew up. Nevertheless as she got older she began to get more curious about the rough area’s around where she lived later on during her life she found herself surround by people who lived in these rough areas. This altered the way she saw her own life and what she has been taking for granted. Evaluate how the nature and nurture debate in may affect the p hysical, intellectual, emotional and social development of two life stages of the development of your chosen family member Nature As each cell in the body contains 23 pairs of chromosomes, one chromosome from each pair is inherited from your mother and one is inherited from your father. These chromosomes contain the genes you inherit from your parents. There may be different forms of the same gene. These different forms are called alleles. For example, for the gene that determines eye colour, there may be an allele for green eyes and an allele for hazel eyes. You may inherit a hazel allele from your mother and a green allele from your father. In this instance, you will end up with hazel eyes because hazel is the dominant allele. Those different forms of genes are caused by changes in the DNA coding. The same holds true for medical conditions, there may be a faulty gene that would result in a medical condition, and a normal version that might not cause any health anomalies. If your child ends up with a medical condition it will depend on certain biological factors including: What genes they inherit, whether the gene for that condition is dominant or recessive, their environment, including any treatment they may receive a genetic disease or  disorder is the consequence of changes, or mutations, in an individual’s DNA. A mutation is an alteration in the letters (DNA sequence) that makes up a gene. It’s more commonly referred to as a â€Å"spelling† mistake. Gene codes for proteins, the molecules that carry out majority of the work, perform most life functions, and make up the majority of cellular structures. When a gene is mutated so that its protein product can no longer carry out its normal function, a disorder can result. Genetic diseases can be inherited because they are mutations in the germ cells in the body the cells involved in passing genetic information from parents to offspring. Genetic diseases can also result from changes in DNA in somatic cells, or cells in the body that are not germ cells. Some genetic diseases are called Mendelian disorders they are caused by mutations that occur in the DNA sequence of a single gene. These are normally rare diseases; such as Huntington’s disease and cystic fibrosis. Many genetic diseases are multifactorial—they are caused by mutations in several genes compounded by environmental factors. Some examples of these are heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Adolescence: Physical Social development: Nurture affected the physical and social development of Katherine’s mother Emma. During her adolescence phase Emma thought that she’d have to change the way she looked to fit into society (as she was obese). Emma began to blame herself and others because of the way she looked, she has had to face a ton of criticism from her close family and some friends; as they used to say stuff like â€Å"you’ve got such a pretty face but if you lost a bit of weight you’d be so much better off†. Throughout this time Emma looked towards the rest of her friends for acceptance which meant that to fit in with them she had to have the same stuff that everyone else had (clothes, technology etc.). This was obviously very difficult because of the fact she was quite overweight she couldn’t purchase the same type of clothes that her friends wore; this made her stand out of the crowd which gave her that extra  attention that she didn’t want. Emma spent a lot of time trying to fit in during her teenage years but she found out being herself was more important than losing who she was just to fit in. Emma stayed up late chatting with her friends. A lack of sleep could also affect our body; it would increase blood pressure and cholesterol level, increase stress hormones, etc. Sleep is really important, at this age as she should be having at least 7-9 hours of sleep. Intellectual development: Nature affected Emma intellectually throughout this period as Emma wasn’t really sure on what type of career she wanted to do, however after some thought she decided she wanted to that pursue a career that would evolve helping the elderly. She accomplished in getting a job whilst being at school as this would help her to develop some new skills and allow her to make her own money, although she knew that wasn’t the career path she wanted to stay in. Emma also began to volunteer at a care home; this is what helped her to decide on what career path she wanted to go down. Emotional development: Nurture also affected Emma emotionally during her adolescence; Emma had poor self-image and low self-esteem. She also began to resent her friends and her mother as they both wanted her to be someone that she was not, when it was clear that she was never going to be able to keep the act up forever. During adolescence Emma began to question her own self-worth as some friends were also making snide little comments whilst her back was turned. Emma began to hang around with men as she went into this life stage as she thought that they were a lot less cruel. The boys accepted her more as part of their group so she began to build up her self-image up again, giving her more confidence and self-belief. Adulthood: Physical development: Emma was affected by nature during her adulthood. During her adulthood she discovered that she was at risk of developing a variety of different genetic diseases (diabetes type one, lung cancer, breast cancer, asthma etc.). Emma  also discovered that she may not be able to have children of her own because she has Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) which sometimes genetic. If any relatives, such as your mother, sister or aunt, have PCOS then the risk of you developing it is often a greater chance than usual. As she began to get older her hair began to get darker and she began to get grey bits through her hair, she also has had more problems with her teeth as they are falling out or being damaged due to decay. As she got older she also began to put on weight as her metabolism started slowing down. During this life stage Emma became pregnant with Katherine and there were some complications during the birth as she had to have caesarean due to preeclampsia. Intellectual development: Emma was less influenced by nature as an adult as she can make her own choices and decision. When she was deciding on what course is she was going take after finishing secondary school, she knew what she wanted to do after volunteering in elderly care home. When she turned 20 Emma got her first job in a care home she was working double shifts because of the love that she had grown towards her job. After working in a care home for the terminally ill, my mother decided that she wanted a change her job outlook and she started working in a domestic abuse centre for women. When Emma became pregnant with me she started doing hairdressing from home. This was more of a hobby for my mother as she would only do family or close friends. She had had to give up her job at domestic abuse centre because it would have meant putting Katherine in danger and the people at the centre wouldn’t allow it. Emotional development Social development: Emma was both emotionally and socially affected by nurture. Emma was influenced by friends and new work colleagues in adulthood, as you grow more work connections as you get older. Emotionally she began to ponder about life as a teenager, and recognized that the choices she made were the best for her. When Emma reached this life stage she found love and spent 20 years with Katherine’s father which ended after attempting to save their relationship for 2 years. Their relationship had been very successful for 18 years, but after Emma’s mother died he began to try to control her. Emma found it very difficult to deal with after her mother died as she had a few  regrets about the way their relationship ended. Emotionally Emma also found out that after her mother died that she could inherit a variety of genetic diseases. This made it hard for Emma to focus on the positives after splitting up with my father and her mother dying. Socially Emma relied on her friends a lot more as she got older as her family didn’t really contact her after her mother had died. Emma had several best friends that were there to support after her relationship had ended and her mother had died.

Free Trade and the Environment Essay -- Globalization Economics Pollut

Free Trade and the Environment Economic Implications of Free Trade Throughout the academic discipline of economics, much attention has been lavished on the purely economic benefits of free trade as opposed to autarky. Economists have argued that both consumer and producer stand to gain from uninhibited international trade. The consumer gains access to greater quantities of a specific good at a more competitive price, while the producer is able to shift his resources into the economy’s comparative-advantage industries. In addition to static gains from trade such as increases in economic well being, free trade brings about dynamic gains as well, which further increase the expand the economic resources of the involved country. Similarly, some researchers have also pointed out the detriments accruing from free trade, especially for highly industrialized and successful states, such as the United States. Since Heckscher-Olin predicts international factor price equalization, there has been alarm that low-skilled wages in the U.S. would soon approach the wage rates paid in developing countries. This has been a concern championed by protectionists such as Patrick Buchanan. Considering Long-Term Environmental Impact However, an equally important and perhaps somewhat neglected factor, in determining a course of economic policy vis-Ã  -vis international trade should be considerations about long-term environmental impact. In this paper, we will venture to discuss the effect of free trade on the environment, taking into account current trends in international economics, and comparing different perspectives on the issue. In 2002, The Commission for Environmental Cooperation of North America, a joint effort by the US, Canada, ... ...with an increase in available resources, will enable the country to curb pollution. Cleary, though the goal through all this is to bring the world’s poorest countries from the depths of failure to prosperity, all with the lowest possible damage to the environment. SOURCES CONSULTED Antweiler, Werner and Brian Copeland and M. Scott Taylor. 1998. Is Free Trade Good for the Environment? National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, MA Balko, Radley. 2004. Free Trade and the Environment. < http://www.aworldconnected.org/article.php/558.html> Commission for Environmental Cooperation of North America. 2002. Free Trade and the Environment: The Picture Becomes Clearer. CEC, Montreal Husted, Steven & Michael Melvin. 2004. International Economics. Pearson Addison-Wesley, Boston Kwong, Jo. 1994. Environment and Free Trade. The Freeman: Ideas on Liberty

A Doll’s House

A Doll's House, by Henrik Ibsen, portrays the lives of people who are dreadfully bound in their social settings. Nora is considered the typical example of feminine standards during this period. In the play, she is considered powerless and bounds herself to patriarchal expectations, which signifies women's social role as wife and mother. The plot format, characters, and theme play a vital role in contributing to the social hierarchy of this play. A Doll's House is written in three acts; instead, of the traditional five-act plays. The plot construction of this play is characterized by exposition, complication, and resolution. For example, in act one exposition takes place when Nora's character is exposed. She is determined to take care of her family; however, is also extremely conceded and completely dependent upon her husband, Torvald despite the way he treats her. The main events take place one after another with complication along with rising action occur in act two; the last act involves the steps to resolution as soon as the catastrophe takes place. â€Å"Listen, Torvald. I have heard that when a wife deserts her husband's house, as I am doing now, he is legally freed from all obligations towards her. In any case, I set you free from all your obligations.†(act III, 79) In Act III, Nora, finally, has the courage to leave her husband which leads to the resolution taking place.During this play, the audience is exposed to a variety of characters which result in the story being told from different perspectives. Nora is the protagonist of the play, and as the play goes on the audience views a mature in her. Torvald sees Nora as easily controlled like a pet or child. However, as the play goes on Nora emerges as a fully independent woman who abandoned her marriage and the burden of motherhood. Torvald is seen as unsympathetic and stiff throughout the play; as well as avoiding interaction with his children. Dr. Rank is introduced to the audience and is seen as corrupt when he expresses his desire for Nora. At the beginning of the play, Nora borrowed money from Krogstad without her husband's knowledge. Krogstad is the ultimate description of corrupt, he saw a chance to save his job at the bank when it becomes jeopardized by blackmailing Nora. All the characters described play a role in contributing to the social hierarchy of the play. A Doll’s House INST 2608-02 A Doll’s House response paper The two main characters in A Doll’s House that I am going to focus on are Torvald and Nora. They are a married couple living in a middle class home with three children and maids. Torvald has secured a position with a bank, after the New Year he will â€Å"get a big salary and earn pots and pots of money. † (Page 8) Nora has kept a large secret from Torvald regarding money borrowed to take a trip to Italy so Torvald could recuperate in a warm climate from an illness. The story centers on Nora trying to keep the secret from Torvald.Krogstad loaned the money to Nora and she forged the signature of her father as the co-signer on the contract. The plot thickens when Krogstad shows up at Nora’s house to blackmail her. Torvald refers to Nora as a little bird and talks to her like she is a lovely little doll. â€Å"What do we call little birds that like to fritter money? † (Page 9) Nora plays right along with all t he references to a lovely bird that needs her husband to approve everything she does. I was annoyed with their relationship because of the way he treated her and because she allowed it to happen.Nora is a strong, smart and independent woman, who allows her husband to dominate. She acted this was because society expected this of woman. She did not think for herself in fear of the men becoming angry. When Torvald discovers Nora’s secret and realizes he may be ruined by the blackmail of Krogstad, he turns on her. â€Å"I’ve really had my eyes opened, in all these years. You who were my pride and joy, a hypocrite! A liar! Worse! A criminal! † (Page 58) Nora realizes Torvald would not sacrifice his integrity for her. She proclaims that thousands of women sacrifice their integrity for men and she could not live with a stranger any longer.I was elated she made the decision to leave and stand up for what she believes. Nothing Torvald said would change her mind. She real ized her father had treated her like a doll and now her husband was doing the same thing. Nora walked away from everything in order to gain her independence and find out what she believed to be the truth. This took a very strong woman, because women were to be at home and raise the children. They were to look pretty and do as they were told. They were not to think or give opinions. Nora sacrificed everything to be free.