Social problems Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Social problems - Coursework Example On the other hand, the subjective element of social problems refers to the belief that a certain social condition is harmful to the society, or to a section of the society and it can be changed. Problems such as drug addiction, poverty, crime and pollution do exist. These conditions are not considered as social problems but they can cause a lot of destruction is a society (Eitzen and Zinn 2). What is the difference between norm violations and social conditions as types of social problems? Which is a person blame and which a systems blame approach? Why doe the authors of this book believe the focus should be on social conditions (system blame) rather than norm violations (person blame)? Do you agree with them? Why or why not? As social problems, norm violations tend to assume that there is a standard behavior. People studying norm violations are normally interested in failures in the society criminals, the school dropouts, and the mental ill. On the other hand, norm violations are symptoms of social problems and not the problem itself. For example, deviants are victims who need to entirely carry the blame. The second type of social problems involves conditions that tend to cause material and psychic suffering for some people. In addition, there is the person-blame approach which is the approach of understanding people’s social problems. In this approach, those who deviate are considered as the source of trouble. The authors of this book believe that the focus should be on system blame and not person blame since blaming an individual gives the government a chance to take control of dissidents more easily. In most cases, deviants are normally sent to hospitals or prisons for rehabilitation. It is th erefore right for the authors to base on system blame (Eitzen and Zinn 4). Welfare state capitalism is a type of capitalism is a type of capitalism that has

Which decision of the UK Supreme Court since 1st January 2012, Essay

Which decision of the UK Supreme Court since 1st January 2012, relating to any aspect of Commercial Law, do you think the court got wrong and why - Essay Example In this case, Virgin Atlantic used Zodiac Seats for allegedly infringing the European Parent. At the same time, Zodiac filed an opposition challenging the validity of this patent at the European Patent office. Initially, the UK court ruled that the patent was valid and had not been infringed. Upon an appeal filed by Zodiac, this ruling was reversed and the patent was found to be valid and infringed. Zodiac then appealed to the Supreme Court claiming that principle of res judicata should not apply (Slorach & Ellis, 2012). The Supreme Court assessed the effect of the patent that had been declared invalid. In its judgment, it decided that the invalid patent could not be infringed and that Zodiac was entitled to claim that Virgin had suffered no loss in terms of damages. The controversy in this decision lies in the fact that the Supreme Court challenged the rational of the commercial certainty principle that was used by the court of appeal. The Court commented that in any given situation, only half the parties involved in an action demand commercial certainty. This meant that the decision impacted on the damages and patent litigation in the United

The Value of Evaluating University Students Essay Example for Free

The Value of Evaluating University Students Essay Education can be referred to as the development of character together with the persons mental powers . It encompasses teaching as well as learning of specific skills . It imparts knowledge on a person who is getting educated. Education plays a very critical role in the development and growth of each and every person . It is considered to equip a person with the knowledge that is required in day-to-day activities that one may undertake. The potentials of a person are put into maximum use through the process of education. This is because education empowers a person to use his or her skills, or talents to maximum use. Education enables a human being to be in his proper sense. Education is very important in a person’s life. The values that education gives to a person are incomparable with those of an uneducated person. Education is considered important for several reasons. One is that, it trains a person `s mind. An individual can be able to learn and practice it. It also makes a person to become a right thinker. This means, that one can be able to think wisely and appropriately . It enables one to think and make decisions as required. Education is very crucial that in enabling people to receive information from the external world . One can be able to learn about different states or regions in the world and the occurrences in those particular places. Past history information can be acquired through education. Present necessary information as well. Education has different levels depending on the content of education at that level. Age also determines which level of education one should be in. Globally university education is the highest institution of learning. It offers knowledge and skills that are very specific to certain profession. For example students are trained depending on the profession that they want to be in after completing their education. In most universities, students are evaluated through examinations. In this essay, the subject of whether university students should be evaluated will be discussed. Evaluation assists tutors or lecturers to find out what knowledge, skills, attitudes or behaviour the course has instilled to the students (William, 2006). Through examinations as a way of evaluation, students are able to give to the lecturer what they understood or learnt from a certain course. Evaluation assists lecturers to set clear, measurable and realistic objectives of the course to be taught . The lecturer can be able to find out how much students can learn over a given period of time. For example, a course with a lot of content if covered over a very short period of time, students may fail to understand it better showed by poor performance in their examinations. Through evaluating students, a lecturer can develop and select the course content that can achieve the goals of that particular course. The students understanding of the course indicated by evaluating him or her shows this. This helps in ensuring the quality education given to the students in maintained at all times, or even improved. Evaluation encourages seriousness of the student to education. The methods of evaluation used demand that students must read thoroughly, as well as understand the content of the course. This means that the knowledge can be absorbed in the students mind. They can also apply the skills in their practical work correctly. Teamwork spirit is promoted amongst the students. This is whereby assignments that are down in teams encourage sharing of knowledge and ideas. They can work together to ensure they achieve their main objective, which is their success in that course. Evaluation encourages solving of problems in a course if they arise . For example failure of students to understand a particular course may be as a result of other factors . For example, poor lecturing or poor concentration of students in class. The problem can be addressed to ensure success. Evaluation promotes hard work in students Assignments or an exam obligates a student to research, learn and even understand much better. Evaluation has its negative face also . It may promote vices in the education system. The necessity of the student to pass evaluation tests may cause them to cheat during the examinations. This is whereby students may carry reference materials, where they can refer to for the correct and accurate answers. This lowers the value of education that the student gets. Selective reading and understanding of the course by the students may be encouraged by exposure to the evaluation tests. The students concentrate on reading and understanding, only what might be examined . The student cannot therefore acquire, all the required skills and knowledge that the course should give him or her. Evaluation may not always show the true ability of a student. For example, a student may be given a low grade simply because he or she never excelled in a certain test. Unfortunately, it might be that the student was only evaluated on few topics that he or she did not understand . If one would be examined all topics of the course, they would get a good grade. Students evaluation at the universities should be done but care should be taken to ensure there is high quality of education maintained. References William M. 2006. Research Methods Knowledge Base. Introduction to Evaluation. Education Evaluation 1

Analysing The Effects Of Voting Apathy In Democracy Politics Essay

Analysing The Effects Of Voting Apathy In Democracy Politics Essay What is apathy and does it threaten our democracy? During the course of this investigation, I argue that ones understanding of apathy is dependent entirely upon ones interpretation of the term democracy. Beginning with an explanation of the ways in which apathy is apparent within politics, I then attempt to address its causes, concluding that feelings of disconnection and disenchantment with political parties, along with social status and education, are the main determinants of political participation. After doing this, I examine elitist and participatory attitudes towards democracy, finding the concept of apathy within both schools of thought to be radically different. The phenomenon of apathy within politics is usually seen to be expressed through a lack of participation during elections, a failure to engage in discussion and failure to contribute to matters of local significance. It is often measured by examining electoral turnout. Since the middle of the twentieth century many established liberal democracies have experienced declining electoral participation. Indeed, during the 2001 general election, the UK experienced its lowest level of turnout since the introduction of universal suffrage  [1]  . This situation has also been experienced throughout much of the Western world. As Hay (2007) suggests, democratic systems of government clearly require some form of participation in order to appear legitimate, with turnout rates having now fallen low enough to give considerable cause for concern  [2]  . Figure 1 (p.11) represents the average turnout during European and American elections since 1945, whilst figure 2 (p.12) displays the maximum and minimum levels of turnout over a similar period. As the figures show, to experience turnout of below 50% in any election raises many questions about the health of a democracy and the legitimacy of electoral results. How can a government which claims to represent the people be seen as legitimate if more than half of those eligible to vote did not do so? Political apathy as represented through non-voting would seem to have created a crisis of legitimacy. However, to concentrate on electoral participation as the only measure of a healthy democracy is to ignore the many other measurements which characterise a democratic state, such as access to free elections, freedom of speech, or the independence of the judiciary. The way in which one views the significance of participation depends entirely upon which democratic theory is found more convincing, and is an issue which is addressed in greater detail later. So why have participation rates declined so dramatically over recent decades? The Power Inquiry, a 2006 study into political disengagement within the UK, found the most significant factors to be a sentiment amongst voters that their views are simply ignored by politicians and that their opinions are not taken sufficiently into account by the process of political decision-making  [3]  , along with the widely held belief that the main political parties are too similar in character and lacking firm beliefs. Further to this, it was discovered that a lack of understanding or knowledge of political debate and the workings of democracy also increased non-participation  [4]  . A growing distrust of politicians and of politics in general within Western populations has also fostered apathetic sentiment. Within Britain especially, this corrosive cynicism  [5]  has been fuelled by decades of sex and political scandals, corrupt practices and abuse of the parliamentary system. Indeed, the 2010 British Social Attitudes survey found severe distrust of politicians had risen from only 11% in 1987 to 40% today  [6]  . It is perhaps no coincidence that declining participation has occurred during a period where distrust of politicians has risen. Social status and education also play significant roles in determining political participation. Lower class identifiers have historically felt less inclined to participate, either electorally, through conversation with peers, or through membership of an organisation. The link is confirmed by Beeghley (1986), who provides data suggesting a positive correlation between income and participation  [7]  . However, Hillygus (2005) finds that it is education which plays the decisive role as a determinant of future political participation  [8]  . She suggests that in the majority of analyses, education remains the strongest determinant of participation even when measured against other socio-economic factors such as class, gender or race  [9]  . Figure 3 (p.13) demonstrates the relationship between verbal SAT scores (US) and expected future levels of political participation, whilst figure 4 (p.14) shows the pattern repeated, but concerning voting only. We have outlined some possible causes of apathy, finding that non-participation has increased dramatically over recent decades. But is this phenomenon harmful to democracy? As touched upon earlier, the answer to this question depends entirely upon how one understands the meaning of the term democracy. The elitist theory of democracy, centred on a faith in the merits of representative democracy, is rooted in the belief that an enlightened few should control public policy- elitist theorists believing that the masses are too uneducated or uninterested to exercise judgement. Indeed, Bachrach (1980) states that the elite is enlightened, thus its policy is bound to be the public interest  [10]  . Rather than concentrating upon participatory opportunities to assess the health of a democracy, elitists view access to elections and the responsiveness of those elected as the key measure of a democracy  [11]  . All that is required to validate an electoral result is at least some degree of participation (voting). A degree of apathy is to be welcomed, as it is assumed that those who do vote are those with enough knowledge to do so. Elitist theorists such as Schumpeter argue against the classical conception of mass participation, believing that [m]any decisions of fateful importance are of a nature that makes it impossible for the public to experiment with them  [12]  . Matters of national importance, then, are better resolved by elites. Direct participation is not necessary, or desirable, from the public. A central argument of the elitist school is the belief that some measure of apathy within a society actually helps strengthen democracy by stabilising the system of elitist rule. Bachrach (1980) provides a succinct critique of elitist thinking regarding apathy; the ordinary man still plays a role in the system since he has the freedom to vote, to bring pressure upon political elites, and to attempt himself to rise to an elite position. But by and large he does, and is expected to, remain relatively passive in fact the health of the system depends upon it. For if he becomes too activeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦political equilibrium is thrown out of balance  [13]  . Berelson, Lazarsfeld McPhee (1954) add to this by suggesting that low participation rates help established political parties (elites), by preventing the fragmentation of votes towards smaller parties, which would otherwise gain popularity as a result of greater participation. Additionally, low interest provides manoeuvring room for political shifts necessary for a complex society in a period of rapid change  [14]  . Underpinning this is the belief that all societies will inevitably come to be dominated by small minorities, even those which have experienced proletarian revolution (such as the post-revolutionary Soviet Union). As Michels would have it, society cannot exist without a dominant or political class  [15]  . Further to this, Dye Zeigler (2009) believe that a strong democracy does not depend upon mass participation, stating that the masses tend to hold antidemocratic beliefs. They contend that an increase in participation would undermine democracy  [16]  , claim ing it to be à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the irony of democracy that democratic ideals survive because the masses are generally apathetic and inactiveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦all that is necessary is that they fail to commit themselves actively to antidemocratic movements  [17]  . Elitists, then, see apathy as essential as a means of shoring up their dominant position over the masses they certainly do not see it as a threat to our democracy. Contrary to the position of the elitists, participatory democrats champion the concept of direct democracy as opposed to the representative system present in liberal democracies today. They see existing institutional structures as being designed to discourage mass participation, wishing instead to foster a situation whereby citizens actively attend meetings, deliberate, discuss and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦participate in the executive arm of government and the workplace. For participatory democrats, The process of taking part becomes integral to democracyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the decisive test of a democracy is its capacity to encourage its population to play an active role in its government  [18]  . This is clearly in stark contrast to the elitist understanding of democracy, which views any form of direct involvement by citizens, with the exception of voting, as unnecessary and potentially dangerous. Pateman (1970) believes that it is a lack of participatory institutions which prevents political engagement in a representative system. Citing empirical studies, she argues that political efficacy and an increased willingness to participate are best fostered through direct participation at a local or workplace level, arguing that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the experience of participation in some way leaves the individual better psychologically equipped to undertake further participation in the future  [19]  . Bowler Donovan (2002) confirm this link, by suggesting that American states which make use of direct citizen initiatives help to increase the efficacy of their populations  [20]  . Barber (1984) and Pitkin Shumer (1982) see the main component of a strong democracy as active participation by citizens rather than through a reliance on representatives  [21]  22. Barber argues that citizens should be free to make political decisions not necessarily at every level and in every instance  [23]  , but often enough and in areas where significant issues which may affect them are to be considered. He advocates the creation of institutions designed to facilitate a civic participation, with the aim of fostering discussion, deliberation and eventually the formation of legislation the process of which he refers to as common work. He goes on to suggest that under the present form of liberal democracy, voters do not participate in the governing of a country at all the act of voting simply serving as a method by which to select various elites. It is only once masses start deliberating, acting, sharing, and contributing, they cease to become masses and become citizens. Only then do they participate'  [24]  . It is evident that apathy is certainly not a desirable feature within the participatory democrat interpretation of democracy. Any amount of apathy within a polity would create a situation whereby those who did actively participate would find themselves becoming a form of elite- those unwilling to contribute simply pass their responsibility to another, trusting them to make the right decisions. Evidently, this is not much better than the representative status quo. Apathy, then, is a symptom of a weak democracy, as the role of participation is paramount to its success. But should participation be defined as active involvement by the public, as participatory democrats argue, or is the simple act of voting enough? If participation is taken as meaning direct citizen involvement, then apathy is certainly a threat to legitimacy. If democracy is government by the people, how can a result hope to be considered legitimate in a situation where less than fifty percent of a population express an opinion? If however the elitist approach is followed and participation is limited to voting only, then to a degree the public does indeed take part in the democratic process via the choosing of the elites which are to lead them. It is through the act of voting during elections that a government can claim legitimacy. As long as there is some degree of participation, this is all that matters. As such, apathy should not be seen as a threat to the legitimacy of a result. Clearly, the gulf between elitists and participatory democrats is vast. They hold diametrically oppose d ideas as to the consequence of apathy within a democratic society. As we have seen, the phenomenon of apathy within democracies is a highly contentious subject perhaps essentially contested  [25]  . We have found that apathy presents itself within democratic societies most significantly in the form of non-participation, noting that turnout rates have declined dramatically since their peak in the middle of the twentieth century. Weve looked at the causes of apathy, discovering that social status and education along with a cynicism and distrust of politicians and the sense of remoteness and disconnection from the legislative process also strongly contribute to apathetic sentiment within a population. In regards to whether or not apathy threatens democracy, it is possible to conclude both ways by differentiating between both representative and participatory democracy. Representative democracy is strengthened by the existence of apathy and relies upon it to maintain political stability. Conversely, direct or participatory democracy is threatened by apathy, as it requires widespread interaction from the public. Because elitist theorists are describing the present state of liberal democracies, it is hard to conclude that apathy can be seen as a threat to the legitimacy of government a party still wins, regardless of turnout. It is only once democracy is viewed in terms of public participation that the issue of apathy becomes a threat, undermining the very meaning of the word. In short, apathy threatens the concept of direct democracy, but it doesnt threaten the existing system of representative democracy, it merely strengthens it. The answer to this question depends solely upon whic h theory of democracy one finds more convincing.

The Future of High Definition Television :: Expository Essays Research Papers

The Future of High Definition Television â€Å"DTV is a much bigger step for television than the change from black and white to color† (Epstein, 12/99). The idea of a â€Å"digital television† came about nearly a decade ago in the early 1990’s when scientists realized that much more data could be sent to televisions if it was in a digital format, or a long series of 0’s and 1’s. This is the same method that computers use to send data and this method is very efficient. In fact, the data stream going into the television would be so great that 5 or 6 different channels could be broadcasted at the same time on the same frequency, giving viewers more options. Not only will there be more channels, but some of the other benefits would include a crystal clear picture, cd-quality surround sound, 2-way data-transmission, stock quotes, the Internet, and maybe even telephone services one day. The last four things are possible; they just haven’t been tested to a great extent quite yet. Ho wever, researchers agree that all these things will be possible one day. It is just a matter of time. What it comes down to is that some higher power, in this case the government, needs to step in to help progress this whole transition along or it could be years before everyone has an HDTV in their family room. There are only two main reasons for why the new high-definition television sets haven’t caught on yet. To understand the first reason, it must be viewed from the point of the consumer. Why spend all this money on a new television set when there is no programming for it? This is where the government steps in. By spring of 2002, all stations are required to broadcast shows digitally. Stations ABC and CBS are leading the pack by offering nearly all of their primetime shows in high definition (Takiff, 2001). NBC and FOX are lagging behind and have almost no shows broadcasting in digital (Takiff, 2001). However, by the year 2006, all analog broadcasts will be cut off and only digital broadcasting will remain. So if you think this whole digital television phenomenon won’t affect you†¦ think again. The second thing is price. A new 50† plasma screen HDTV ready television can cost upwards of $20,000 (www.

Essay --

Sexual harassment is another subject of interpersonal communication that occurs in the workplace. Although sexual harassment violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and as amended by the Civil Rights Act of 1991, it is still a reality in all places of employment which is why it is something that everyone should have the ability to identify, understand, and effectively respond to. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission defines sexual harassment as follows: Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual's employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual's work performance, or creates an intimidating, hostile, and offensive work environment. Sexual harassment can take place between any two individuals: any gender to any gender, any business, school, place of social, religious, and political organization, authority to subordinate, subordinate to authority.The DeVito text separates this definiti...

Managerial Functions Essay

Managers create and uphold an internal environment, commonly called the organization, so that others can work efficiently. In any organization, a manager’s job consists of planning, organizing, staffing, motivating, leading and controlling the resources of the organization. These functions also include counseling and coordinating with subordinates and peers. These resources include people, jobs or positions, technology, facilities and equipment, materials and supplies, information, and money. Managers work in an energetic environment and must foresee and adapt to challenges.† Eight Managerial Functions Planning Planning involves selecting missions and objectives and the actions to achieve them. It requires decision-making. For every organization, planning process is rational and agreeable to the scientific approach to problem solving. It consists of a logical and systematic series of steps. Managers of higher level have to follow these steps: * Define the mission. * Conduct a situation analysis by assessing strengths and weaknesses and identifying opportunities and threats. * Set goals and objectives. * Develop related strategies. * Monitor the plan. Almost every manager, junior or senior is involved in planning process, directly or indirectly.† (Principles of Management) Organizing â€Å"It is that part of managing that involves establishing an intentional structure of roles for people to fill in an enterprise. The purpose of the organizing function is to make the best use of the organization’s resources to achieve organizational goals. Organizational structure is the formal decision-making skeleton by which job tasks are divided, grouped, and harmonized. It is the extent to which the units of the organization are explicitly defined and its policies, procedures, and goals are clearly stated. It is the official organizational structure envisaged and built by top management and supervisors.† (Allen, 1998) Leading It influences people to strive willingly and passionately toward the accomplishment of organization and group goals. Since leadership involves the exercise of influence by one person over others, the quality of leadership showed by supervisors is a critical determinant of organizational success. If a manager is able to influence people to achieve the goals of the organization, without using his or her formal authority to do so, then the manager is demonstrating leadership. Thus, leading is a major part of a manager’s job. Yet a manager must also plan, organize, and control. Generally speaking, leadership deals with the interpersonal aspects of a manager’s job, whereas planning, organizing, and controlling deal with the administrative aspects. (Kevin & Jackie, 1996) Staffing Managers in all types of organizations are responsible for the human resources in their departments. Selecting competent, high-performing employees capable of supporting their performance over the long run is a competitive advantage. The Staffing consists of forecasting employment needs, recruiting candidates, interviewing applicants, and hiring employees. The managers develop a team of job candidates from which to select qualified employees. The local labor market, the type or level of position and the  size of the organization decide which source is used to find prospective job candidates.† (Allen, 1998) Coordinating Manager depends on collaboration from their employees, because without group support, the chance of achievement is slim. Effective supervisors empower employees by giving them more decision making power and by seeking ideas from every worker. He is the liaison with external constituencies such as upper management, other internal teams, customers, and suppliers. It is the supervisor’s job to build and sustain an effective team. Managers, as team leaders, share information, trust others, surrender authority, and understand when to intrude. (Likert, 1967) Motivating Since motivation influences productivity, manager understands what motivates employees to reach maximum performance. It is not an easy task to increase employee motivation because employees respond in different ways to their jobs and their organization’s practices. Motivation is the set of processes that moves a person toward a goal. Thus, motivated behaviors are intentional choices controlled by the individual employee. The supervisor (motivator) wants to influence the factors that motivate employees to higher levels of productivity. Counseling In any organization, managers use controls to help employees achieve objectives. An employee’s problem performance is often related to non-job factors. The supervisor is in the best position to spot and handle problems when they arise. He can use counseling to provide relief for the troubled employee. Counseling is a behavioral control method used by the manager to solve performance problems. As a counselor, the supervisor is a helper, discusses the employee’s private problems that are affecting his or her job performance, aiming to resolve them. The manager helps staff help themselves. Controlling â€Å"Control is the process through which standards for performance of people and processes are set, communicated, and applied. The manager observes what happens and compares that with what was supposed to happen. Efficient control systems allow managers to know how well implementation is going. Since managers are eventually held responsible for their employees’ performance, well-timed feedback on employee activity is essential.† (Allen, 1998) Expected changes in future As time and requirements of an organization change, there is always a need to change managerial functions. Mangers at all levels must anticipate and adapt to changes. In any ordinary but expanding organization the next future change might be to restructure the organization. For this purpose of course more staffing is required and the whole setup and functions will be needed to change according to the particular requirements of organization. Conclusion The job of every manager involves what is known as the functions of management: planning, organizing, staffing, motivating, leading, counseling, coordinating, and controlling. These functions are goal-directed, interrelated and interdependent. The intensity of these functions always changes with the circumstances and requirements of the organization. Works Cited Kevin Freiberg and Jackie Freiberg, 1996 Southwest Airlines Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success, 1996 Bard Press Allen, Gemmy, 1998, Modern Management: Supervision. Principles of Management. McGraw Hill Likert, Rensil, 1967 New York McGraw Hill