Marketisation of Social Care

Marketisation of Social Care The marketisation of social care will deliver efficient and equitable services. Discuss. Introduction Social care refers to a number of different aspects of social life including health, education, economic security etc. In the 1940s universal welfare provision was initiated in Britain. Universal welfare deals with all aspects of the population’s well being and the services that the state provides (Marsh, et al, 2000). The welfare state in Britain and in most of the western world was predicated on the work of the economist John Milton Keynes. In the last thirty years there has been a shift from Keynesian economics to a Neo-liberalist post-welfare state (Hursh, 2005) Keynes believed that when times were hard the state should intervene by putting more money into the economy and stimulating employment. However by the late nineteen seventies when Margaret Thatcher came to power it was evident that post-war policies were no longer working and thus there was a shift to a market based economy and welfare provision (Giddens, 2001). The full employment that had been envisioned by the p ost-war government had not happened and there was also a corresponding rise in inflation. Jessop (2001) maintains that in response to these happenings Western states began to make changes in the ways in which social care and welfare were provided. The Marketisation of Social Care and Efficient and Equitable Services Government leaders in Europe, Britain and America argued that the universal welfare provision that had existed since the Second World War was not working and what was needed was a return to the philosophy of a free market that had been the case prior to the war (Stiglitz, 2002). In 1979 the Conservatives won the election and Margaret Thatcher came to power. By this time arguments about a welfare state versus a free market economy had intensified. Introducing marketing principles into social care allow Governments to (hypothetically at least) improve services. It also enables a government to retain a greater degree of control (Stigliss, 2002). As a response to discourses on the value of a free market economy Regan’s Government in the United States and Thatcher’s in Britain began to introduce measure that would roll back the welfare state and control expenditure. This was done by the introduction of marketing and business strategies. In Britain the Government embarked on a massive process of privatisation because it was believed that public ownership of companies and the public sector generally inhibited and undermined market forces. It therefore follows, Stigliss argues, that there is a need to deregulate capital markets and to curb state spending. These policies stressed the importance of the internal market. Giddens (2001) says that: †¦the momentum of Thatcherism in economic matters was maintained by the privatising of public companies†¦Ã‚  (this)   is held to reintroduce healthy economic competition in place of unwieldy and ineffective public bureaucracies, reduce public expenditure and end political interference in managerial decisions (Giddens, 2001:434). It was believed that the introduction of market forces into social care would increase productivity and improve care while at the same time being cost efficient. It was considered the best way of allocating resources because free markets were considered to be self organising (Olssen and Peters, 2005). Within healthcare provision there was a shift from healthcare professionals and patients to the idea that there were service providers and there were clients (Giddens, 2001). Government discourses, both Conservative and New Labour have revolved around the notion that the introduction of market mechanisms would result in a more equitable system. However, policy making tends to be somewhat contradictory and Governments appear to give with one hand and take back with another. The instigation of NHS trusts has resulted in a somewhat haphazard distribution of care and there are inequalities across the system in some areas there are such discrepancies in care provision that commentators refer to a post code lottery, where the kind of care a person receives is determined by where they live. Some commentators were of the opinion that the policies introduced by the Conservative Government were implemented to widen inequalities in society (Field, 1996). Thus Marx’s dictum that laws are made to serve the interests of those who already have power in society are extremely relevant here. The Community Care Act of 1990 further exacerbated inequalities most especially for women as it assumed that the women (who were the main carers in the home) would shoulder the extra responsibility of care (Abbott and Wallace, 1982). Field (1996) maintains that the increase in inequalities whereby the rich got richer and the poor poorer created a social underclass who were denied the same rights as others in society. Under the Conservatives the tax burden shifted from the rich to the poor, along with this, changes to the benefit system such as job seekers allowance placed a good number of people into a poverty trap. Alcock (1997) supports Fielding’s views and maintains that the r oll back in welfare and changes in social care and benefits generally resulted in greater unemployment and a rise in the number of homeless. The introduction of market forces into social care has had the effect of excluding some people from mainstream society and led to the setting up by the present Government of the Social Exclusion Unit in 1997. This Unit is an example of the contradictions engaged in by policy makers in a free market economy. On the one hand the general philosophical approach of both this Government and its predecessor has been on the responsibility of the individual. This is nowhere better expressed than in Labour’s New Deal Documentation which promises a hand up rather than a hand out. Young (1999) maintains that there is a move away from inclusive goals that are based on citizenship rights and this means a move towards policies that exclude some people. This results in people feeling undervalued and with no investment in society and this may be reflected in the rising crime among the young. Currie (1998) maintains that there are a number of links between social exclusion and crime. Shifts in the labour market and minimum wage and taxation policies result in a rise in the numbers of those living in poverty. Furthermore these things put added strain on family life and weakens social cohesion. Conclusion Clearly the introduction of market forces into social care has been problematic and has benefited some members of society at the expense of others. Pierson (1994) has argued that the attempts by the Thatcher and Regan Governments to roll back the welfare state were not entirely successful. He maintains that this was more difficult than they had thought and that governments were besieged by public outcry. Rolling it back was not the exact opposite of the expansion of welfare that governments had thought rather, Pierson argues Far more than in the era of welfare state expansion†¦struggles over social policy become struggles over information about the causes and consequences of policy change (Pierson, 1994:8). The New Labour Government that came into power in 1997 have continued the welfare reforms introduced by the Conservatives laid out their welfare to work policies in a 1998 Green Paper which have been further extended in policy documents such as the New Deal 2004 and Youth Matters 2004. These documents are aimed at getting welfare recipients back into work and reducing Government costs. It is arguably the case that the introduction of market forces into social care have not resulted in either better services or more equitable treatment. Rather these policies have reduced services and benefited the better off at the expense of the poor, a fact which has been pointed out by a number of theorists. To what extent does a countrys welfare regime type influence the form of social care provision? Illustrate your answer with examples from two countries. Introduction Welfare provision and spending on public services differs from country to country depending on the types of service offered. In many cases this will include housing, education, pensions and health (Giddens, 2001). There have been a number of different ways of conceptualising the welfare state. Marxist theories tend to take the view that governments provide welfare for the benefits of those in power i. e. investment in welfare is necessary to sustain a capitalist system (Stigliss, 2002). This will look at policies in both Finland and the United States to assess whether and in what ways the type of welfare regime that is adopted by a country affects the form of social care provision. Welfare Regimes The ideal model of welfare is one of universal welfare provision where the state provides for everything in time of need and health and education are fully financed by the state. Marshall (1960, 1973) viewed the development of citizenship rights as crucial to the emergence of a welfare state. Civil and political rights would be extended to the rights to education, healthcare and other service provision because everyone was entitled to a reasonable life and a reasonable income irrespective of their position in society. Esping Anderson (1990) devised his tri-partite system of welfare provision through an investigation of welfare regimes in a number of different countries. He also evaluated the extent to which welfare services were unencumbered by the introduction of market forces. He looked at the ways in which welfare services were organised and delivered in different countries when making decisions about what group they fitted in. The models Esping Anderson identified were Social Democratic, Conservative Corporatist and Liberal. In the first example welfare subsidies are entirely state funded and are available to everyone (the notion of universal welfare provision) Most Scandinavian States follow this model. Within Social Democratic States such as currently exists in Finland, there is generally no influence of market forces but things tend to differ depending on the type of welfare provision in Finland during the 1990s the country was moving towards a neo-liberal regime where people received free primary health care but were required to pay something towards their secondary healthcare (Ball, 2004). In a Conservative-corporatist state such as pertains in both France and Germany welfare services are only marginally influenced by market principles but they are not equally available to everyone. Entitlement is dependent on a person’s position in society. The United States is an example of a liberal welfare regime where means tested benefits are only available to the needy. Giddens (2001) maintains that there is a high degree of stigmatisation attached to these benefits, one has only to see media representation of the American poor and needy to know that this is the case. Welfare is, in almost every case, sold through the market and this is due to the expectation that everyone should pay for their own care through the market as for example in the form of health insurance such as Medicaid. America is the only country in the world where people do not have automatic access at least to primary healthcare in times of greatest need (Navarro, 1986). Navarro argues that when market forces are involved in welfare regimes and particularly with healthcare systems then there is a tendency for organisations such as drug companies to promote medicines and drugs that serve their own interests on the world market. Monopoly capital invades, directs and dominates either directly (via the private sector) or indirectly (via the state) all areas of economic and social life (Navarro, 1986:243). Mitchell (1991) identifies five main approaches to the analysis of welfare systems in different countries these involve a comparison of policy, inputs, production, operation, and outcomes. These involve what is intended, who pays for it, how it is run, how it is organised and who benefits. The American liberal regime relies on a laissez faire approach to welfare (Olssen, 2000) this is particularly evident in its stigmatising of those in receipt of benefits. The situation in America is not uniform however and some states do have state funded health schemes, what Klass (1985) has called decentred social altruism (1985:428). In Finland, as in much of Europe, welfare provision has been dependent on social solidarity or the view that both the state and the society have responsibilities of care. Many welfare rights are dependent on people’s circumstances and so there may not be the equality within such a system as one might suppose and can lead to social exclusion. Health in Finland has been along institutional lines i. e. secondary health care for example can tend to be selective and based on circumstance. Soumen Ash (2005) however, maintains that: The state of peoples health and welfare in Finland has steadily improved since healthcare and health promotion were established. The main challenges nowadays relate to disease prevention, mental health problems and the disparities in health, welfare among different population groups. Finnish health policy has become matched to international standards set by the World health organisation and the European Union (Suomen Ash, 2005). [1] In the 1990s educational provision was affected in Finland by its moves towards a neo-liberalist or Conservative-corporatist state. More recently however the Social Democrats have again espoused the universal provision of education and this is now entirely free of market forces and subsidised solely by the state. Thus there has been a return to a welfarist view of education that is available to all and which operates to bring an end to the social exclusion that pre-dominates in elsewhere. The United States may take a dim view of universal welfare provision but its educational policies are welfarist in that there is free basic education for everyone and it is subsidised by the state. People are responsible for their own further and higher education costs if they are not awarded scholarships. The United States spends a greater proportion of its GDP on education than most other countries (World Bank world development report, 1998) but its educational provision, while universal, is still greatly underfunded as is teacher training and this is reflected in the fact that its schools lag behind other countries (Nation at Risk Report 1983). Thus the Americans (under Clinton) introduced public/private partnerships in an attempt to inject life into their failing schools (Giddens, 2001). The introduction of market forces into education does not seem to have generated a great deal of improvement (Molnar, 1996). There has therefore been a huge growth in the private educational proj ects and it may be that this will prove a threat to the basic state education that has been on offer (Whatt, 1999). Conclusion The welfare regime that a country adopts does seem to have significant effects on its service provision. In Finland, where the Social Democrats have taken over what was a liberal state, commentators maintain that the health sector is improving and many countries would do well to take note of the improvements in the Finnish education system since the removal of market mechanisms in that area. America on the other hand appears to be going in the opposite direction. Never comfortable with the idea of welfare its liberal and laissez faire regime has now adopted market principles into its education system. The state system was seen to be failing dismally and now the private sector appears to be taking over. One can only wonder whether the United States will continue with policies that further exclude the already excluded or whether it will drastically order the type of welfare regime that is in operation. [1] http://www.suomenash.fi/sivu.php?artikkeli_id=178

Free Essays - Human Nature in Hamlet :: Shakespeare Hamlet Essays

Human Nature in Hamlet       The play, Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, shows human nature to be greedy, self-involved and vengeful. Claudius is driven by his greed to commit murder. Polonius is always looking out for himself, currying favor at the expense of anyone in his way. Hamlet thinks only of vengeance from the moment he finds out about Claudius murdering his father. Human nature has been all of these things, but it has also evolved through the ages. We can be base and cruel, but we can also show great compassion and kindness.    Claudius kills his own brother so that he can claim the crown and the queen. He disposes of a good and noble king to satisfy his greed. He sacrifices his brother, the good of the country, and the happiness of many to fulfill his ambition. He cares only for himself. Knowingly or not, most humans, at one point or another, will be driven by greed. Most, however, will not have the determination and desperation that Claudius displays. This is partly because of the differences of the times. In the time period that Shakespeare wrote the play, murder was heavily frowned upon as it is now. Greed is part of all people. They see something they want and they tell themselves that it is only what they deserve. It is inescapable, but we can control it to a certain degree.    Polonius characterizes the aspect of human nature that is self-concern. He is constantly looking for ways to ingratiate himself to the king. He sacrifices his own daughter's happiness so that he can prove his theories about Hamlet's madness to the king. Self-concern is another inherent trait that humans cannot escape. People are constantly thinking about themselves and how things are going to affect their lives. They care deeply for their own well being. Certainly they think about others occasionally, but their own person is always number one in their minds.    Vengefulness is yet another inexorable human trait. Hamlet's entire character is changed by his need for revenge. He starts out as a serene, learned young man but the need for vengeance twists his soul to the point where he is driven only by his need for pay back.

The Exorcism of Emily Rose Essay

Although demonic possession is not an appealing subject, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, directed by Scott Derrickson, presents many Catholic teachings and is important to watch and understand the reality of the Devil. This movie, in depth, shows the true evilness of the Devil and has many themes that go along with it. So what is it that makes possessed person so scary, its only actor’s right? The reality of demonic possession is so frightening in this film; there is no doubt about the reality of the devil after watching. The reality of the devil is displayed in many ways. For example, one of the most obvious displays is when the lawyer is affected. She goes home to her apartment and the devil starts â€Å"messing† with her, opening doors and intimidating her. Another way that the reality of this exorcism creates horror in the viewers is that it is based on a true story. The girl that was possessed was named Anneliese Michel from Germany. Both of these displays of the reality of the devil show the power of evil as well as the power of the divine. Emily, or Anneliese, is possessed by the devil and her body is taken over, showing this power. These events have many effects on the audience. It makes them think about the reality of possession and challenges them to come to their own understanding about possession. Another effect on the audience is the realization that â€Å"facts† are interpretations and not always concrete. Although the prosecutors brought in doctors to prove the priests neglect, they did not have anything that truly eliminated the supernatural possibility. Another major and important theme in the Exorcism of Emily Rose is the concept of the â€Å"victim soul† and redemption is possible. With this in The Exorcism of Emily Rose, it is seen that the good always overcomes evil. Erin Bruner, the defense lawyer says â€Å"Either these things exist, or they don’t.† This means that she believes it is a fact that if there is a God, there is a devil and if there is a devil, there is a God. This was a good defense because it was an emphasized point that the prosecutor was as methodist, therefore he believes in God, leading to him HAVING to believe in the Devil. The Exorcism of Emily Rose is such a worthwhile film to watch because of its accurate interpretation of the supernatural and evil world. Scott Derrickson developed the reality and conception of the â€Å"victim soul† phemonionally in  this movie. This movie is very important in demonstrating the true evilness of the devil, and true redemption offered by God.

Diegesis and Diegetic

Diegesis and Diegetic Diegesis and Diegetic Diegesis and Diegetic By Maeve Maddox This summer I enlarged my vocabulary while participating in an online film course. Among the words new to me are diegesis [DYE-uh-JEE-sis] and diegetic [DYE-uh-JET- ik]. The terms are barely a blip on the Ngram Viewer until the 1970s, when they were introduced into the context of film studies in 1973 by an essay written by a French film critic in the journal Screen. Diegesis does have an OED citation previous to 1973, but only one, dated 1829: The Diegesis, being a Discovery of the Origin, Evidences, and Early History of Christianity. Diegesis comes from a Greek word meaning narration or narrative. In the context of film studies, diegesis denotes the story of the movie. The diegesis includes the fictional time, place, characters, and events that make up the universe portrayed. Diegetic is an adjective that means â€Å"pertaining to diegesis.† The most frequent use of diegetic that I’ve seen so far is in the term â€Å"diegetic sound.† Sound that originates within the action of the story is diegetic sound. For example, when Spock plays his Vulcan harp in a Star Trek episode, the sound of the harp is diegetic. The characters in the story can hear it. The spooky music that signals something bad about to happen to the landing party is non-diegetic sound. It exists outside the story. The viewer hears it, but not the characters. Here are examples of the use of diegesis and its forms in critiques of film and written literature: In the film [Children of Men], sound supports this vision by remaining for the most part diegetic, emerging as everyday sounds of street noise, chaos, sirens, conversations, overheard music, and so forth. During After Hours, Scorsese appears diagetically in Club Berlin wearing a military uniform. Like the diegetic appearances by Scorsese in Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and The King of Comedy, the moment works reflexively in terms of Scorsese’s extra-diegetic role as director. The embedded worlds may be more or less continuous with the world of the primary diegesis, as in Wuthering Heights, or they may be subtly different, as in the play-within-the-play of Hamlet. I’ve even seen the term used in reference to a video game in which the â€Å"non-diegetic element† is a line of informational text that pops up on the screen, interfering with play: The non-diegetic elements fade in and out, out of the players control, which of course results in a complete lack of control for the player. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Synonyms for â€Å"Meeting†50 Types of PropagandaList of 50 Compliments and Nice Things to Say!

Percussion instruments essays

Percussion instruments essays The xylophone is played with a padded mallet (which looks like a hammer). In 1898, Barnum and Bailey's circus pigs were trained to play this instrument, among other feats. But don't be fooled by this humorous depiction. Playing the xylophone well requires great precision to hit just the right bar at the right time, which produces a musical tone. The xylophone is a percussion instrument (one that is played either by striking, shaking or scraping it) that likely originated in Southeast Asia or Oceania. It's one of the central instruments of the music of Africa, possibly being brought to that continent through trade or people migrating from other places. Slaves from Africa brought the xylophone with them when they were taken to Latin America, and from there it eventually made its way to the United States. Today's xylophone has bars arranged in two rows, sort of like the keys of a piano, and rests on a stand. Listen to some xylophone music from 1921. The marimba is another percussion instrument that is played with a rubber mallet. Marimba is the African name for xylophone. It resembles that instrument in shape, but it's bigger and has a wider range of notes. Many popular songs in the early 1900s were given a marimba "twist," such as this recording of the "Stars and Stripes Forever March." The fact that marimba songs were well liked by Americans shows the increased exposure the public had to foreign styles of music. The hammered dulcimer, in its simplest form, is an instrument with 13 strings, played by beating the strings with a small hammer. The name "dulcimer" comes from Latin and means "sweet sound." The hammered dulcimer developed from the cimbalom, an instrument from Hungary with 48 strings that is played with small hammers. The piano of today has evolved from both the cimbalom and the hammered dulcimer. Have you ever seen the inside of a piano? When someone presses a piano key, a lever raises a hammer that then strikes the str...

School Administrator Public Relations - Comparative Critique of 10 Essay

School Administrator Public Relations - Comparative Critique of 10 Articles - Essay Example s are being voted down, teachers are striking, graduates are suing schools because they cannot read, parents demanding revised curricula, students and teachers being attacked in the classroom. The growth in news coverage of education reflects in part the public’s increased awareness of schools and their impact on society (Wilder, 2000). With the rapid evolution of protests in the streets, the discovery of the poor, the rise in industrial technology, and swiftly changing patterns, the social urgency of education has been firmly established in the public mind. The list of problems in our school can go on. Most large school districts now realize that part of their responsibility as social institutions is to keep the public informed about their operations. There are three basic groups of school leaders/administrators which the 10 articles have in common. First, the teachers, this includes primary and secondary and college/university professors. The next group, which we will refer to, in this article as the principal will include school principals, superintendents and university and college presidents, the last group, consist of the members of the school board. Wilder (2000) also mentioned that, if a school leader says that he does not care about what the public says about his school, that teacher, administrator or member of the board is a liability to all the schools. He explained that no school, public schools to be exact, has any moral right to allow itself to be unexplained, misunderstood or publicly distrusted for by its unpopularity it poisons the pond in which we all fish. Before going into details about the specific roles of the different groups, let us first take a closer look on accountability. This concept is one of the similar functions of the three groups and therefore needs special attention. The performance and costs of schools has generated increasing dissatisfaction which in turn lead to a greater demand for accountability and transparency on the

Leading Figures in American History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Leading Figures in American History - Essay Example Benjamin Rush - Monticello, Sep. 23, 1800) perfectly reveal his visionary ideas. He believed in an ever changing society, in the power of every new generation to make better laws, better constitutions, he believed in a form of progress which can only become possible if the man has the freedom of thinking and expressing ideas. If he came to our century he would realize that he had given America an identity and drafted the individuality of this nation. The Declaration has been the foundation on which his descendents continue to build the dream. Benjamin Franklin was acknowledged by many writers as a "versatile genius "as he had notable achievements in many areas. He was prolific not only in writing, but also in science, as he invented The Franklin stove, bifocals, a flexible catheter and the lightning rod. As a statesman and politician he is known as the only person who signed three major documents in the American history: the Declaration of Independence, the peace treaty with Britain, and the Constitution. He would proudly read his ideas and principles in today's Constitution, the most important book in the American legislation, to the writing of which he actively participated almost 250 years ago. Frederick Douglass, another remarkable figure in the American history, once said: "What was possible for me is possible for you. Do not think because you are colored you cannot accomplish anythingSo long as you remain in ignorance, so long will you fail to command the respect of your fellow men." He was a freethinker who really believed in the power of knowledge and fought for equal rights among all people, becoming a leader in the abolitionist movement and the first black citizen who hold a high rank in the American government. The present would offer him his envisioned perspective of this nation, where the Afro-Americans have equal rights, and unlimited, in any form, possibilities in the actual emancipated society.Abraham Lincoln had a difficult task to accomplish in leading the country through the Civil War. "With malice toward none, with charity for all" (Second Inaugural Address, Mar.4, 1865), he led his fight for the abolition of slavery. He spoke the words later, but they had been living in his dream long before they were expressed. Were he able to join us today, he would see a united nation, the greatest power in the world, who adopted his beliefs and struggles to act accordingly, by giving fair opportunities to all his people. Elizabeth Cady Stanton dedicated her life to the constant fight for women's rights especially for the right to vote. Gifted with a brilliant mind she had to suffer because she was born in a time when women had no right to receive proper education and had no political power. She struggled to put an end to this unjust situation, but unfortunately she died before her dream came true. Nevertheless, it did come true, 20 years after her death, and nowadays, America has a new, moral and ethical face to show to this brave freethinker. Her fight was not in vain, the American women won their right to express themselves not only in politics but in all other existing areas. These were the promoters of the freedom of thinking, they put the basis of a country where racial, sexual and religious discriminations no longer exist. Devoted to their dream, they would see it come true if the time machine drove them to the present, because