The Effects Of Drug Use

Maybe some of us have a good idea that the illegal drug business is still huge but covered somewhere among the â€Å"black† economy markets. After all the numbers one could hear tossed around, I am afraid that the sad truth could be, that no one really knows just how huge this business might be, how many people die, how much blood money has been made and than laundered into legal businesses. It is terrible to imagine how many subways and basements come to be â€Å"the places for being in the clouds†. According to the National Drug Prevention League drugs are an object of the fastest growing trade, except the Internet. Some of you might share my opinion that it is a billion-dollar industry that takes a comfortable place in our society. Drugs have always been with mankind as we seem to carry an inherent need to consume mind altering substances. Many people, who didn’t use drugs before, know only that â€Å"that thing† can make them feel in a strange way. But drugs could harm people when using them. It is not a secret that the consequences could be severe for the users. It is essential that people are educated at a very young age and presented with the appropriate social re-enforcers to understand that there are viable reasons that drugs are dangerous – they destroy lives. Drugs affect people’s thinking, awareness and senses. They have huge effect on people’s physical and mental health because of the chemical reactions they provoke in humans’ bodies. They lead to hallucinations, hearing voices, suspision and a feeling of â€Å"everyone is out to get me†. Also they make most of the organs in your body disfunction, poison blood, kill brain cells and finally, in most cases, kill the person that abuses them. Hallucinations can make people experience things that aren’t real. Probably drug users are looking exactly for that â€Å"escaping the reality† for a while. Don’t you think that until now, modes of life have been based on the material slavery of the masses? Does our society offer us a different life than working all day long and going home to get some rest for the next working day? Maybe not, and maybe that is why people who are using drugs do believe drugs are the magic formula that leads someone to a world totally different from the boring every-day life. There is a clich? that says – â€Å"People have the strange instinct to break every rule once it is established†. When I went to Holland 3 years ago, I found that the government had established some rules that were quite strange for me at first. In 1976, Holland decriminalized marijuana possession. From that time on one can go into a retail shop and purchase small amounts of marijuana. This could be one of the reasons why Holland has a low level of heroin use, a low level of cocaine use, much lower than most of the other countries do. What actually happened was that the marijuana became the filter, preventing harder drug use. But do people of our society really know where the drugs are going to and who are their greatest consumers? It is a pity that one of the easiest places to find some drugs could be in schools. Students who turn to more potent drugs usually do so after first using cigarettes and alcohol, and then marijuana. Maybe there are some people who know that drugs transform schools into marketplace for dope dealers. However, students who continue to use drugs learn that drugs can make strange things with their thoughts and feelings, and the greater a student’s involvement with marijuana, the more likely it is that student could begin to use other drugs in conjunction with marijuana. When talking about night parties, I got used to seeing guys smoking marijuana as imperturbably as they drink their beers. Can you think about somebody you know who has taken drugs in front of you? Here, the bad thing could be that you might have seen at least one person taking drugs freely. â€Å"This is a family problem†- some could say. And according Dan Check’s book † The Success and Failure of George Bush’s War on Drugs† the problem is coming rather from the family than somewhere else. Maybe the society has to rely on the family, as being the strongest entity in its structure to solve the huge-spread drug problem that exists. But here, the weird thing is that parents can’t really see the symptoms of drug addiction in their children. And it is a â€Å"public secret† that the gap between parents and kids is getting bigger and bigger. I don’t want to imagine what the difference between parents and children could be in the next generations. But parents shouldn’t wait until they think their child has a problem. Many young people in treatment programs say that they had used alcohol and other drugs for at least two years before their parents knew about it. Maybe their parents should begin to talk earlier about the effects of alcohol and other drugs use and keep the lines of communication open all the time. Isn’t it better to let your child know that you are concerned, and that you can work together to find answers of these so important questions? It is really harder to stop drug use among children once it is there. Most of the times, after students get involved with drugs, they start to sell them or begin to steal from family, friends, or employers in order to buy the next dose. Determining the consequences of harder drug use could help the new generation stop using them. Maybe facing the answer of this question will make people think about the real price they are paying when drugs are involved. Along with â€Å"escaping the boring reality†, the teeth rot out, the appetite is lost, and the stomach doesn’t function properly. The gall bladder becomes inflamed and eyes and skin turn yellow. In some cases, membranes of the nose turn a flaming red and breathing becomes difficult. Oxygen in the blood decreases, bronchitis and tuberculosis develop. Good traits of character disappear and bad ones emerge. Sex organs become affected too. Veins collapse. Nerves snap. Imaginary and fantastic fears blight the mind. Sometimes complete insanity results. Many times, death comes much too early. Such is the torment of being a drug addict and such is the plague of being one of the walking dead bodies. The statistics show that in the period 1994 – 1999 the rate of death caused by â€Å"hard-core† drugs use has increased with 6%. Maybe the answer for preventing humans and most of all the young people from taking dope is hidden somewhere among all these questions that are hard to be faced by the society. Who is responsible for this to happen? And who is really interested in preventing the dope disaster? Is there something that can be done if we, the human beings, do not realize the importance of the dope problem? Drugs have made a tremendous impact on American society over the past thirty to forty years, yet many Americans are ambivalent regarding their opinions relating to drugs in terms of decriminalization, availability, impact on society, and mental and physical health impacts.

B2B to C2B Electronic Commerce

Electronic gives companies improved efficiency and reliability of business processes through transactions automation. The two major types of e-commerce these are Business to business (B2B) and Business to Consumer (B2C). In B2C consumer purchase products and services from industry while B2B deals with business dealing with another business. Many businesses today utilize these types of model. Some of the businesses that utilize B2B model includes: operating inputs markets-These deal with unfinished goods such as office supplies, spare parts and airline tickets.There good are referred to as maintenance repair and operating goods. Another type of market that utilizes B2B is manufacturing input businesses; these are raw materials which go directly into the product or processes. In B2C model, it deals with business such as Auction stores which offers electronic implementation of bidding mechanism (Paul Timer1998) and the other example is online stores. B2C has advantages and also disadvan tages. Some of these advantages can be divided into two forms those that benefits the company and customers’ benefit.Those that benefit the company include; Increased demand, due to the convenient way of serving the customers like in online the demand increases which consequently raise the company’s income. Also low cost is encountered because they use online shops which ensure low cost in transportation of good is encountered. Customers can also view the type of goods they need from internet and this enables reduction in the cost of promotion and sales. Generally the company enjoys reduced cost since their advertisement and delivery of their goods are always at least expenditure as possible. Benefits that the customers enjoy in B2C include;Low prices since the company have encountered minimum cost in production and delivery of goods. These low prices encourage the customer to continue using this model. Also customers experience a wider choice of what they want to purc hase, since he/she can be able to view these products before ordering them which enables him or her or make better choice. Better information in regard to product can be obtained from online shopping by going through the information provided by the company. Its also convenient for buyers who are B2C model since the products are delivered by just ordering for them online.Customers also experience flexibility in ordering their products through internet auction. Some of disadvantages experienced in B2C models are things like inspection of goods. This is a great challenge to buyer since its not possible to physically inspect the goods you want to purchase. Bidders always have to rely on information provided or electronic images of goods or auction. Also there is potential for fraud since internet bidder has to actually trust that the buyer will send goods he/she has paid for. B2B model also has advantages and disadvantages which adversely affect purchasing company or company.Some of the advantages include: Hosting of critical supply chain which is available to buyer to help them choose on which chain to use in ordering for their supplies. It also provide market to close enterprise collaboration- This results in synchronized industry coordination which enables the company to synchronize activities like product design, procurement, planning and so on (Peter Dicken,2003. ) It also provides participate with flexible, open, reliable, highly available and scalable environment. Some of disadvantages of using B2B model are based on challenges that are faced by the business.For example, at time buyer, sell and channel partners feel that the market is working against them which eventually result to loss of those companies purchasing their products. Buyers can also result the procedures to be followed when purchasing the products which makes the company to incur extra cost for procedures desired by the other company. Insecurity by the company purchasing the product since the y just trust that the products will be sent to them, once they are paid for. Suppliers of major consumer’s product should consider a number of factors when they decide to shift from B2B to B2C.First they should determine whether supplier has customization by offering capacity to offer goods and services in real time and ability to customize goods to the needs is higher. This is because the suppliers have been dealing with company or businesses and now they want to deal with individual customers. Suppliers should be aware of organizational changes in changing from B2B to B2C this enables successful transformation to a B2C e-business company. There should be a radical organization al change. This is difficult to implement as a result of strong resistance by employees. Also supply should be aware of redesigning business processes.The B2B processes should be redesigned and streamlined in order to suit the new B2C form of business. The system is also integrated because the real po wer of e-business comes up when the systems are integrated. Products that can lead to change from B2B to B2C are finished products which are readily usable by customers. Therefore the company prefers to deal with individual customers for large sales than dealing with company. Also when the industry start manufacturing finished products it can shift its model from B2B to B2C since its selling then to consumers who needs already finished products.Finished products lead to change of marketing model from B2B to B2C since the consumer can not purchase an assembled product unlike other business/industries who can purchase them so that they can assemble them and sell as a finished product. Products that have lead to this change include electronic and local phones and also services such as long distance and wireless telephones, cable television, internet service provider and so on are some of products and services that can be sold directly to consumer instead of selling to industry or other business because consumer can enjoy the benefit of avoiding middle man in the distribution chain.(Gopal Screeraman ,2002. ) Consumer demand can have great effect on suppliers. For example, some things like prompt delivery of goods desired by consumer at time is not met by supplier and this makes supply to deliver products that are not well finished to avoid delay. Consumer demand also enables the supplier to find ways to gain competitive advantages in factors other than just price. Some factors can increase demand of certain products by consumers which the supplier has to meet in order to gain marketability. Consumer demands also leads to expansion of larger services.This is evidenced in demand supply curve whereby the higher the demand the lower the supply and therefore through expansion of services the demand can be met. It also helps to find cost effectiveness ways to increase customer base and generate higher revenues. Therefore these types of electronic commerce have different impacts and while ordering for products one should consider which model suits best. Reference. Paul Timer, (1998), Business model for Electronic market London. Peter Dicken, (2003), Political Science, United Nations. Gopal Screeraman, (2002), Commerce server 2000, New York.

1419 Work Related Learning

The Every Child Matters (2003) green paper also identified five outcomes that are most important to children and young people: being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and achieving economic well-being. These five outcomes are universal ambitions for every child and young person, whatever their background or circumstances. Following wide consultation with children’s services, parents, children and young people, the Government published Every Child Matters: the Next Steps in November 2004, and passed the Children Act (2004), providing the basis for developing more effective and accessible services focused around the needs of children, young people and families. The recently formed DCSF (Department for Children, Schools and Families) echo’s the points made in ECM (2004) and seeks to ensure that all children and young people stay healthy and safe, secure an excellent education and the highest possible standards of achievement, enjoy their childhood, make a positive contribution to society and the economy, have lives full of opportunity, free from the effects of poverty. These outcomes are mutually reinforcing. For example, children and young people learn and thrive when they are healthy, safe and engaged. The DCSF also aim to raise educational standards so that more children and young people reach expected levels, lifting more children out of poverty and re-engaging disaffected young people. This is particularly applicable to my practice as the socio-economic circumstances of most of my students disadvantage them. Most of my students live in Camborne, Pool, Redruth and Hayle. These are widely recognized as deprived areas regarding economic opportunities, high number of single parent households, low employment prospects, and the majority of employment being minimum waged, relatively insecure, part time, seasonal or flexi time. (SDRC 2004). This relates back to ECM (2003) in that this seems to be applied in context of the geographic and demographic circumstances of children and young people. For example, a student from a poor single parent household in a deprived area with high crime rates who participates in underage smoking and drinking may be majority behaviour or the ‘norm’ in certain subcultures in Camborne, Redruth, Pool and Hayle but would attract more attention and concern in a more affluent area where this was not the ‘norm’. 2 We Could be Left Behind In every decade children are maturing physically earlier than before resulting in a constant shortening of childhood in a biological and social sense. This has a converse repercussive effect involving the constant lengthening of childhood in an educational sense. Cunningham 2006) This is reflected in the proposals in the DfE (Johnson 2007) report Raising Expectations: staying in education and training post-16 are highlighting the need to continue study for 14-19 year olds and by 2015 the school leaving age will be increased to 18 years of age. The reasons the government have given for such policies being implemented are illustrated by the secretary of education; Johnson (2007:3) when he said ‘ the undeniable truth is that if a young person continues their education post 16 they are more likely to achieve valuable qualifications, earn more and lead happier, healthier lives’. A seeming contradiction to Johnsons (2007) policy of staying in education longer and its benefits have been researched by Walker and Zhu (2003:145) who asserted that ‘there is no evidence that raising the minimum school leaving age made people who have not intended to leave at the minimum age raise their educational standard. This is consistent with the view that education raises productivity and not with the view that productive people get more educated’ Johnsons (2007) statement seems concerned with happiness, health and wealth. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR 1948) has wider reaching concerns. The UDHR (1948) states in Article 26 that ‘education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human right and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among nations, racial or religious groups for the maintenance of peace’. However, Johnson (2007:18) goes on to explain ‘we have a duty to prepare all young people for the labour market’ as ‘the world economy is developing at an ever more rapid pace. If we do not act now we could be left behind’. So its seems that it is not just for the benefit of our children’s wellbeing that Johnson encourages the parents of the youth of today to continue in education and so ‘achieving valuable qualifications, earn more and lead happier healthier lives’ (Johnson 2007:3) but more to do with deeper issues of ‘the world economy’s development and the UKs position of power within it’. In the same report Johnson (2007) quotes research carried out by the National Institute for Social and Economic Research (NISER) that reinforces the idea that when individuals achieve higher levels of skill and qualification, businesses and the economy benefit. This is compelling evidence that increasing the educative stock of human capital raises productivity at the macro economic level. In relation to literacy for example, a study by Coulombe Trembley and Marchard (2004) found that if a countries literacy score increases by 1% relative to the inter national average a 2. % relative rise in labour productivity and a 1. 5% rise in GDP per year can be expected. 3 Surf’s up This emphasis on cultural superficiality, fragmentary sensations and disposability offers wide implications and questions; not least ‘what is postmodernism? Postmodernism itself is a much disputed term that has occupied much recent debate about contemporary culture since the early 1980s. In its simplest sense it refers generally to the phase of 20th century Western culture including the products of the age of mass television since the mid 1950s. More often, though, it is applied to a cultural condition prevailing in the advanced capitalist societies since the 1960s, characterized by a ‘superabundance of disconnected images and styles most noticeably in television, advertising, commercial design, and pop video’ (Baudrillard 1998:72) In my practice I notice that these media have a profound impact on defining student’s social standing and identity within their peer group. In my role as a lecturer I observe that the students are encouraged through media and peer pressure to consume. Children’s identities centre prolifically on brand names and icons (mobile phones and hoodies) which help to fulfil their aspirations to obtain products which make statements about who they are. The latest fashions all contribute to the identity of the youth of today where a distinct subculture and language exist involving Xboxes, ipods, beebo, Bluetooth, myspace, chavs, hoodies, emos, skaters and goths. I ensure that I participate and involve such subcultural language within my practice when explaining tasks, demonstrating skills or providing metaphorical illustrations. Whatever postmodernism is and however the term evades definition, what the intellectual highbrows have been lecturing on postmodernism are soon to become extinct by their own doing. The postmodernist wave of consumer students have climbed the ladder and are nipping at the heels of the old school who created them like Doctor Frankenstein who is dispatched by his creation. This wave of postmodernist students could also be seen as in a vast ocean of modernity where far from the shore one can see the formation of a wave. As the wave builds in popularity it slowly approaches the shore, the crest breaks; postmodernity is born. As we stand and watch, it slips beneath itself, down into the ocean, and there in time it becomes ‘the modern’, dissolved and replaced by yet another breaking new wave. Paradoxically the new wave will emerge in a significantly disposable, shifting, fragmentary postmodern society with expectations of structured, quantifiable, standardised educative processes. One of the latest waves to begin its postmodernist journey towards the shore before slipping back into modernism and the norm is the Qualification and Credit Framework (QCF) announcement in January 2008 by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) who have â€Å"allowed commercial companies the ability to award nationally accredited qualifications to employees, for the first time Network Rail, Flybe and McDonald’s all achieve the standards set by QCA for awarding accredited qualifications, enabling them to assess, track and recognise work-place learning† (QCA 2008) McQualifications This links to Ritzers (2000) notion of the McDonaldisation of education, where education is based on the premise of efficiency, calculability, and predictability and is partially governed by non-human technology. This perspective is rooted in both Fordian principles of mass production, mechanisation and assembly lines (Ling 1991) and Weberian (1968) principles regarding the growth of formal rational systems with its emphasis on the rules and regulations of large social structures. Ritzer (2000:2) applies this process of McDonaldisation not only to ‘restaurants but also to work, health care, travel, leisure, dieting, politics, the family, and virtually every aspect of society’; including, of course, education. This could be illustrated with the OFSTED standardisation of observations and grading, league tables, units of competence, knowledge requirements etcetera. For example, Young (1961) asserts that in a meritocracy, all citizens have the opportunity to be recognized and advanced in proportion to their abilities and accomplishments. The ideal of meritocracy has become controversial because of its association with the use of tests of intellectual ability, such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test, to regulate admissions to elite colleges and universities. It could be argued that an individual’s performance on these tests reflects their social class and family environment more than ability. Maybe this is what Chomsky (1989) would label a necessary illusion. One that allows the system to keep on running with the support of its members even if massive disparities and inequalities exist. Supporting a system that does not support you as an individual is a typical hegemonic regime of truth; a discourse that the society accepts and makes function as true (Foucault 1980:131). Excellence in Schools (DFEE 1997) and Meeting the Challenge (DFEE1998) were ntroduced as the Governments educational policies and marked the change from centralised control to educational intervention where direct involvement and partnerships with parents, schools, Local Authorities and businesses recognised them as stakeholders in an attempt to improve standards in schools and to find ‘radical and innovative solutions’ (Blair 1998:1 cited in Meeting the Challenge 1998) to problems of underachievement. Reference List Baudrillard, J. (1998) The Consumer Society: Myths and Structures. London. S age. Children Act (2004). London. HMSO. Chomsky, N. (1989) Necessary Illusions. London. Pluto Press Climbie Inquiry: Report of an Inquiry by Lord Laming (2003). London. HMSO. Coulombe,S. Trembley, F. and Marchard, S. (2004) Literacy scores, human capital and growth, across 14 OECD countries. OECD. Canada. Cook – Sather, A (2002) ‘Authorising Students perspectives: towards trust, dialogue and change in education’. Educational Researcher, 31, 4, p3 -14. Cunningham, H. (2006) The Invention of Childhood. London. BBC Worldwide Ltd. DCSF (2007). Department for Children, Schools and Families. Accessed online at dfes. gov. uk. DFEE (1997) Excellence in Schools. London. HMSO. DFEE (1998) Meeting the Challenge. London. HMSO. DWP (2006) Equality and Diversity: Age Discrimination in Employment and Vocational Training. London. HMSO. ECM (2004). London. HMSO. Every Child Matters (2004) Change for Children in Schools. Nottingham. DfES. HMSO ECM (2005) Change for Children: common core of skills and knowledge for the childrens workforce. DfES. ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council) ‘Consulting Pupils about Teaching and Learning’. Foucault, M. (1980) Power/Knowledge: Selected Interviews Other Writings 1972- 1977. Gordon, C. (ed) New York. Pantheon Books. Illich, I. 1973) Deschooling Society. Great Britain. Penguin. Johnson, A. (2007) Raising Expectations: staying in education and training post-16. DfE Kolb, D. (1984) Experiential learning as the science of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs. Prentice Hall. Laidlaw, M (1994) The democraticising potential of dialogical focus in an action inquiry. Educational Action Research, 2, 2, p223 â⠂¬â€œ 241 Ling, P (1991) America and the Automobile: Technology, Reform and Social Change, 1893-1923. Technology and Culture, Vol. 32, No. 3 p 627-628 National Institute for Social and Economic Research (2002). Britains relative productivity performance – updates to 1999. NISER Oplatka, I (2004) ‘The characteristics of the school organisation and the constraints on market ideology in education: an institutional view’. Journal of Educational Policy 19, 2, p143 – 161. QCA (2008) News release: Employers gain official awarding body status on line at http://www. qca. org. uk on 29/01/2008 Ritzer,G. (2000) The McDonaldization of Society. London. Pine Forge Press. Rudduck, J and Flutter, J (2000) ‘Pupil participation and pupil perspective: carving a new order of experience. Cambridge Journal of Education, 30, 1, p75 – 89. Schon, D. A. (1983) The Reflective Practitioner: How professionals think in action. London: Temple Smith Social Disadvantage Research Centre (2004) The English Indices of Deprivation 2004 HMSO Tomlinson, M. (2003) Tomlinson Report, The. Accessed online at qca. org. uk on 4. 12. 07. Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) General Assembly of the United Nations. Usher, R. Bryant, I and Johnston, R (1998). Adult Education and the Postmodern Challenge. London. Routledge. Walker, I. and Zhu, Y. (2003) Education, earnings and productivity: recent UK evidence. Labour Market Trends. Accessed online at www. statistics. gov. uk-article labour. Market-trends-education mar03pdf on 25. 6. 07 Weber, M. (1968) Economy and Society. Totowa. Bedminster. Whitehead, J and Clough, N. (2004) ‘Pupils, the forgotten partners in education action zones’. Journal of Educational Policy 19, 2, p216 – 226 Young, M. (1961) The Rise of the Meritocracy: An Essay on Education and Equality. Great Britain. Penguin. Bibliography Donovan, G. (2005). Teaching 14-19. Great Britain. David Fulton. Vizard, D. (2004). Behaviour Solutions: teaching 14-16 year olds in colleges of further education. Great Britain. Incentive Plus. 1419 Work Related Learning The Every Child Matters (2003) green paper also identified five outcomes that are most important to children and young people: being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and achieving economic well-being. These five outcomes are universal ambitions for every child and young person, whatever their background or circumstances. Following wide consultation with children’s services, parents, children and young people, the Government published Every Child Matters: the Next Steps in November 2004, and passed the Children Act (2004), providing the basis for developing more effective and accessible services focused around the needs of children, young people and families. The recently formed DCSF (Department for Children, Schools and Families) echo’s the points made in ECM (2004) and seeks to ensure that all children and young people stay healthy and safe, secure an excellent education and the highest possible standards of achievement, enjoy their childhood, make a positive contribution to society and the economy, have lives full of opportunity, free from the effects of poverty. These outcomes are mutually reinforcing. For example, children and young people learn and thrive when they are healthy, safe and engaged. The DCSF also aim to raise educational standards so that more children and young people reach expected levels, lifting more children out of poverty and re-engaging disaffected young people. This is particularly applicable to my practice as the socio-economic circumstances of most of my students disadvantage them. Most of my students live in Camborne, Pool, Redruth and Hayle. These are widely recognized as deprived areas regarding economic opportunities, high number of single parent households, low employment prospects, and the majority of employment being minimum waged, relatively insecure, part time, seasonal or flexi time. (SDRC 2004). This relates back to ECM (2003) in that this seems to be applied in context of the geographic and demographic circumstances of children and young people. For example, a student from a poor single parent household in a deprived area with high crime rates who participates in underage smoking and drinking may be majority behaviour or the ‘norm’ in certain subcultures in Camborne, Redruth, Pool and Hayle but would attract more attention and concern in a more affluent area where this was not the ‘norm’. 2 We Could be Left Behind In every decade children are maturing physically earlier than before resulting in a constant shortening of childhood in a biological and social sense. This has a converse repercussive effect involving the constant lengthening of childhood in an educational sense. Cunningham 2006) This is reflected in the proposals in the DfE (Johnson 2007) report Raising Expectations: staying in education and training post-16 are highlighting the need to continue study for 14-19 year olds and by 2015 the school leaving age will be increased to 18 years of age. The reasons the government have given for such policies being implemented are illustrated by the secretary of education; Johnson (2007:3) when he said ‘ the undeniable truth is that if a young person continues their education post 16 they are more likely to achieve valuable qualifications, earn more and lead happier, healthier lives’. A seeming contradiction to Johnsons (2007) policy of staying in education longer and its benefits have been researched by Walker and Zhu (2003:145) who asserted that ‘there is no evidence that raising the minimum school leaving age made people who have not intended to leave at the minimum age raise their educational standard. This is consistent with the view that education raises productivity and not with the view that productive people get more educated’ Johnsons (2007) statement seems concerned with happiness, health and wealth. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR 1948) has wider reaching concerns. The UDHR (1948) states in Article 26 that ‘education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human right and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among nations, racial or religious groups for the maintenance of peace’. However, Johnson (2007:18) goes on to explain ‘we have a duty to prepare all young people for the labour market’ as ‘the world economy is developing at an ever more rapid pace. If we do not act now we could be left behind’. So its seems that it is not just for the benefit of our children’s wellbeing that Johnson encourages the parents of the youth of today to continue in education and so ‘achieving valuable qualifications, earn more and lead happier healthier lives’ (Johnson 2007:3) but more to do with deeper issues of ‘the world economy’s development and the UKs position of power within it’. In the same report Johnson (2007) quotes research carried out by the National Institute for Social and Economic Research (NISER) that reinforces the idea that when individuals achieve higher levels of skill and qualification, businesses and the economy benefit. This is compelling evidence that increasing the educative stock of human capital raises productivity at the macro economic level. In relation to literacy for example, a study by Coulombe Trembley and Marchard (2004) found that if a countries literacy score increases by 1% relative to the inter national average a 2. % relative rise in labour productivity and a 1. 5% rise in GDP per year can be expected. 3 Surf’s up This emphasis on cultural superficiality, fragmentary sensations and disposability offers wide implications and questions; not least ‘what is postmodernism? Postmodernism itself is a much disputed term that has occupied much recent debate about contemporary culture since the early 1980s. In its simplest sense it refers generally to the phase of 20th century Western culture including the products of the age of mass television since the mid 1950s. More often, though, it is applied to a cultural condition prevailing in the advanced capitalist societies since the 1960s, characterized by a ‘superabundance of disconnected images and styles most noticeably in television, advertising, commercial design, and pop video’ (Baudrillard 1998:72) In my practice I notice that these media have a profound impact on defining student’s social standing and identity within their peer group. In my role as a lecturer I observe that the students are encouraged through media and peer pressure to consume. Children’s identities centre prolifically on brand names and icons (mobile phones and hoodies) which help to fulfil their aspirations to obtain products which make statements about who they are. The latest fashions all contribute to the identity of the youth of today where a distinct subculture and language exist involving Xboxes, ipods, beebo, Bluetooth, myspace, chavs, hoodies, emos, skaters and goths. I ensure that I participate and involve such subcultural language within my practice when explaining tasks, demonstrating skills or providing metaphorical illustrations. Whatever postmodernism is and however the term evades definition, what the intellectual highbrows have been lecturing on postmodernism are soon to become extinct by their own doing. The postmodernist wave of consumer students have climbed the ladder and are nipping at the heels of the old school who created them like Doctor Frankenstein who is dispatched by his creation. This wave of postmodernist students could also be seen as in a vast ocean of modernity where far from the shore one can see the formation of a wave. As the wave builds in popularity it slowly approaches the shore, the crest breaks; postmodernity is born. As we stand and watch, it slips beneath itself, down into the ocean, and there in time it becomes ‘the modern’, dissolved and replaced by yet another breaking new wave. Paradoxically the new wave will emerge in a significantly disposable, shifting, fragmentary postmodern society with expectations of structured, quantifiable, standardised educative processes. One of the latest waves to begin its postmodernist journey towards the shore before slipping back into modernism and the norm is the Qualification and Credit Framework (QCF) announcement in January 2008 by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) who have â€Å"allowed commercial companies the ability to award nationally accredited qualifications to employees, for the first time Network Rail, Flybe and McDonald’s all achieve the standards set by QCA for awarding accredited qualifications, enabling them to assess, track and recognise work-place learning† (QCA 2008) McQualifications This links to Ritzers (2000) notion of the McDonaldisation of education, where education is based on the premise of efficiency, calculability, and predictability and is partially governed by non-human technology. This perspective is rooted in both Fordian principles of mass production, mechanisation and assembly lines (Ling 1991) and Weberian (1968) principles regarding the growth of formal rational systems with its emphasis on the rules and regulations of large social structures. Ritzer (2000:2) applies this process of McDonaldisation not only to ‘restaurants but also to work, health care, travel, leisure, dieting, politics, the family, and virtually every aspect of society’; including, of course, education. This could be illustrated with the OFSTED standardisation of observations and grading, league tables, units of competence, knowledge requirements etcetera. For example, Young (1961) asserts that in a meritocracy, all citizens have the opportunity to be recognized and advanced in proportion to their abilities and accomplishments. The ideal of meritocracy has become controversial because of its association with the use of tests of intellectual ability, such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test, to regulate admissions to elite colleges and universities. It could be argued that an individual’s performance on these tests reflects their social class and family environment more than ability. Maybe this is what Chomsky (1989) would label a necessary illusion. One that allows the system to keep on running with the support of its members even if massive disparities and inequalities exist. Supporting a system that does not support you as an individual is a typical hegemonic regime of truth; a discourse that the society accepts and makes function as true (Foucault 1980:131). Excellence in Schools (DFEE 1997) and Meeting the Challenge (DFEE1998) were ntroduced as the Governments educational policies and marked the change from centralised control to educational intervention where direct involvement and partnerships with parents, schools, Local Authorities and businesses recognised them as stakeholders in an attempt to improve standards in schools and to find ‘radical and innovative solutions’ (Blair 1998:1 cited in Meeting the Challenge 1998) to problems of underachievement. Reference List Baudrillard, J. (1998) The Consumer Society: Myths and Structures. London. S age. Children Act (2004). London. HMSO. Chomsky, N. (1989) Necessary Illusions. London. Pluto Press Climbie Inquiry: Report of an Inquiry by Lord Laming (2003). London. HMSO. Coulombe,S. Trembley, F. and Marchard, S. (2004) Literacy scores, human capital and growth, across 14 OECD countries. OECD. Canada. Cook – Sather, A (2002) ‘Authorising Students perspectives: towards trust, dialogue and change in education’. Educational Researcher, 31, 4, p3 -14. Cunningham, H. (2006) The Invention of Childhood. London. BBC Worldwide Ltd. DCSF (2007). Department for Children, Schools and Families. Accessed online at dfes. gov. uk. DFEE (1997) Excellence in Schools. London. HMSO. DFEE (1998) Meeting the Challenge. London. HMSO. DWP (2006) Equality and Diversity: Age Discrimination in Employment and Vocational Training. London. HMSO. ECM (2004). London. HMSO. Every Child Matters (2004) Change for Children in Schools. Nottingham. DfES. HMSO ECM (2005) Change for Children: common core of skills and knowledge for the childrens workforce. DfES. ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council) ‘Consulting Pupils about Teaching and Learning’. Foucault, M. (1980) Power/Knowledge: Selected Interviews Other Writings 1972- 1977. Gordon, C. (ed) New York. Pantheon Books. Illich, I. 1973) Deschooling Society. Great Britain. Penguin. Johnson, A. (2007) Raising Expectations: staying in education and training post-16. DfE Kolb, D. (1984) Experiential learning as the science of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs. Prentice Hall. Laidlaw, M (1994) The democraticising potential of dialogical focus in an action inquiry. Educational Action Research, 2, 2, p223 â⠂¬â€œ 241 Ling, P (1991) America and the Automobile: Technology, Reform and Social Change, 1893-1923. Technology and Culture, Vol. 32, No. 3 p 627-628 National Institute for Social and Economic Research (2002). Britains relative productivity performance – updates to 1999. NISER Oplatka, I (2004) ‘The characteristics of the school organisation and the constraints on market ideology in education: an institutional view’. Journal of Educational Policy 19, 2, p143 – 161. QCA (2008) News release: Employers gain official awarding body status on line at http://www. qca. org. uk on 29/01/2008 Ritzer,G. (2000) The McDonaldization of Society. London. Pine Forge Press. Rudduck, J and Flutter, J (2000) ‘Pupil participation and pupil perspective: carving a new order of experience. Cambridge Journal of Education, 30, 1, p75 – 89. Schon, D. A. (1983) The Reflective Practitioner: How professionals think in action. London: Temple Smith Social Disadvantage Research Centre (2004) The English Indices of Deprivation 2004 HMSO Tomlinson, M. (2003) Tomlinson Report, The. Accessed online at qca. org. uk on 4. 12. 07. Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) General Assembly of the United Nations. Usher, R. Bryant, I and Johnston, R (1998). Adult Education and the Postmodern Challenge. London. Routledge. Walker, I. and Zhu, Y. (2003) Education, earnings and productivity: recent UK evidence. Labour Market Trends. Accessed online at www. statistics. gov. uk-article labour. Market-trends-education mar03pdf on 25. 6. 07 Weber, M. (1968) Economy and Society. Totowa. Bedminster. Whitehead, J and Clough, N. (2004) ‘Pupils, the forgotten partners in education action zones’. Journal of Educational Policy 19, 2, p216 – 226 Young, M. (1961) The Rise of the Meritocracy: An Essay on Education and Equality. Great Britain. Penguin. Bibliography Donovan, G. (2005). Teaching 14-19. Great Britain. David Fulton. Vizard, D. (2004). Behaviour Solutions: teaching 14-16 year olds in colleges of further education. Great Britain. Incentive Plus.

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 19

Globalization - Essay Example This has an impact on the capitalist social and economic relations through microeconomic and multilateralism phenomena like competitiveness of businesses globally. The consequential change of production systems has an impact on the labor process, class structure, technological application, and capital organization and structure. Globalization marginalizes workers that are less educated and less skilled. As a result of globalization, expansion of business does not automatically result in increased employment. The higher mobility in comparison to labor can cause high capital remuneration. Power in the global economy is a company’s ability to command the tangible as well as intangible assets that result in increased loyalty of the customers irrespective of location. A company can tap into global networks no matter what is its geographic location or size. Globalization has had mixed effects on world economy with the increase in trade and foreign direct investment on one hand, and increased labor and production costs and income inequality on the other hand. Globalization has mixed effects on currency as a result of which, certain countries become stronger economically while other countries loose economic strength. Acceleration of globalization has caused market conditions to change. This has affected the volatility and value of national currencies all over the world. For example, the euro EUR in the European Union has replaced a number of local currencies. The Renminbi RMB has challenged the power of the US dollar. Many other currencies are linked with euro and dollar to deter harmful volatilities and fluctuations. Countries like Germany and China have taken advantage of the power of global currencies’ unification to sustain their growth. On the other hand, countries like Spain and Greece have gathered huge national debt while other countries have become poorer. A range of factors

Container Store Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Container Store - Essay Example The analysis of the container store shows that they do not follow a single motivation theory; rather they shape these theories as per the needs of their organization. Container store not only has great employees but also has great leaders who have not only self actualized but also know how to get maximum output from others. Moreover, these leaders have created a highly rewarding and motivating environment for the employees. Also, it is the open communication at the container store which makes it one of the top 50 companies to work for. The container store fulfils all of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The physiological needs are fulfilled by high wages. Safety needs are fulfilled with the help of an environment where proper values are instilled. Moreover, Social needs are fulfilled because of the love and appreciation they get in the friendly and family like atmosphere. Recognition given to the employees for their small or large endeavors fulfills their esteem needs. Furthermore, employees work on self actualization because they are motivated to use their full potential. This can be proved by the number of part time employees who have turned into full time employees because of the satisfaction and motivation they got at the container store.

The most common factors causing therapeutic compliance Research Paper

The most common factors causing therapeutic compliance - Research Paper Example The study problem is a discussion of therapeutic compliance among patients. This means that the research has to do with pharmaceutical issues. Coincidentally, all four researchers have professions relating to pharmacology. With a research problem that relates to the professional background of the researchers therefore, it was highly expected that the researchers would display personal pre-understandings of the research problem. Reading through the research article however, it can be seen that almost all ideas, findings and philosophical analysis presented in the research work were taken from secondary sources without any prelude to researchers’ existing knowledge or experience. The researchers worked around three major pharmaceutical terms, which were treatment refusal, patient compliance, and patient dropouts. All these are terms that relates to everyday patient-pharmacists interactions. It was expected therefore that the researchers would give broader overview of their perso nal understandings and previous experiences as practicing professional in this regard but this did not happen. Generally, the quality of the literature review will be said to be outstanding. The general approach adapted by the researchers was to conduct research searches to come out with expected results on factors leading to the achievement of the research purpose. In this regard, it was expected that the researchers would conduct a thoroughly researched literature review. On the whole, â€Å"a total of 102 articles was retrieved and used in the review from the 2095 articles identified by the literature review process† (Jin, Sklar, Oh and Li, 2008). A critical assessment of the 102 articles that were eventually selected and used by the researchers show that most of the articles were not more than a decade old. Some of these include Benner et al 2002, Apter et al 2003, Opolka et al 2003, Spikmans et al 2003, Butterworth et al 2004, Kaplan et al 2004, Dominick et al 2005, Horn e and Weinman 1999, Ghods and Nasrollahzadeh 2003 and Senior et al 2004. With such current literature works, the researchers were sure to have an updated portfolio of information to work with. In pharmaceutical circles, research on drugs and patient behavior keep changing by the day. For this reason, when

Youth on the Move. An Entrance Review Program Essay

Youth on the Move. An Entrance Review Program - Essay Example They tend to think of their families, of their jobs (for those who are working on a part time basis) and other financial matters. With this reason, a number of non-government organizations have been trying to look for possible solutions on how to assist these aspiring high school or college students. "Youth Sessions: An Entrance Review Program" can play a very important role in the achievement of these goal. This specific program deals more on the incoming high school and college students. This specific program aims to offer series of review sessions with the incoming high school and college students. More specifically, this program is aimed at: These students are those who, because of financial difficulties, were forced to stop from schooling. Now that they are about to continue their education, they really need this review session so that they may be updated with various school lessons. This program will also serve as a review for the lessons that they might have forgotten.. 2. Assisting the students who have just graduated from primary school or from high school. These students are those who have just graduated from primary and/or secondary school and are aspiring to go to a reputable university but will need to pass the entrance exam first. Methods and Strategies The role of this program is to provide a series of review sessions that will tackle the four major subjects in school - Mathematics, Science, English or Language and General Knowledge. A total of eight (16) teachers who can work on a part time basis will be the most important tool in this program. Two teachers will be teaching one subject matter everyday (one every half of the day). So, eight teachers will be teaching in the mornings and eight teachers in the afternoon. Each subject's session will last for one hour a day and will be done every Saturdays and Sundays and will run for two months. The days are chosen purposely so as not to affect the regular teaching schedules of the teachers. This also to accommodate the aspiring student-participants who are working on weekdays. So in a year's time, there will be 6 entrance review sessions. The teachers (because this is an NGO project) will be informed before hand that they will be doing this, not because of the salary, but because they are willing to help the youths. Nevertheless, these teachers will still be given transportation, food and other utility allowance. Meanwhile, the teaching materials - markers, white boards, pens etc. - will also be provided. These are the most basic teaching materials that will be shouldered by the program. Since the agency has already a room and LCD projectors that can accommodate a good number of students, the venue and the screens will not be a problem anymore. This program will also be providing lecture kit/manuals for each of the students which has a target number of 20 students per teacher per session. So, there will be 80 students for every 2-months review session. And a total number of 360 students will be reviewed in a year. The qualified students who can avail of this program will be base upon the economic status of the family. The facilitators will be verifying (from the records that the students will be presenting) if their family is really below the

The English Law on defences to a claim in negligence is a confused Essay

The English Law on defences to a claim in negligence is a confused muddle. Only contributory negligence makes any coherent sense at all - Essay Example This is patently inequitable, and under such circumstances the courts make serious efforts to discount the presence of contributory negligence (Murdoch, 2002). These judicial gymnastics, at times seem to defy the import of the evidence presented in the case. These observations are clearly brought out in the case of Astley v Austrust Ltd. In this case, a trustee company sued a firm of solicitors for breach of contract and for providing negligent advice. The trial court judge discerned contributory negligence on the part of the plaintiff, and ruled that the responsibility for the loss was to be shared equally by the plaintiff and defendant (Astley v Austrust Ltd, 1999). This decision was set aside by the Full Court in South Australia, which held that there was no contributory negligence. This court went on to rule that contributory negligence could not arise, in instances where the loss to the plaintiff was of the very nature that it was the duty of the defendant to prevent, by providing appropriate professional advice (Astley v Austrust Ltd, 1999). However, in the High Court, it was held that apportionment legislation was inapplicable to contributory negligence of the plaintiff; if the defendant had not protected the plaintiff from such damage. Thus, contributory negligence can be attributed to a plaintiff, in instances where the principal duty of the defendant is to prevent such damage to the plaintiff (Astley v Austrust Ltd, 1999). In addition to being able to predict damage and the closeness of the parties; it should be equitable and reasonable to enforce a duty of care. There have been several cases, where the courts have ruled that the duty of care, inherent in psychiatric injury that was caused on account of negligence, was present due to policy considerations (Victim of self – inflicted injuries owes no duty of care, 2000). In Caparo Industries plc v Dickman, the

Construction law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Construction law - Essay Example Spelling out the rights and responsibilities of the various parties thus becomes very difficult, because the main contract may exist between the client and the contractor, but may not take into account the rights of the other third parties. It may not also adequately represent the rights of the client if there is a violation by the third parties in question. Collateral contracts are required in construction contracts, where subcontractors perform services for the main contractor rather than the customers themselves and their rights need incorporation into construction agreements. Collateral contracts in effect, establish a connection between parties such as the client and the subcontractors who would not otherwise enter into a direct contractual relationship. When a contractor expresses an intent to utilize the services of a particular subcontractor, who commences work on this basis, it will be entitled to take legal action if the contractor fails to fulfil any of the implied terms, even if no formal contract exists. In the case of British Steel Corporation v Cleveland Bridge and Engineering Co Ltd (1984)1, the Court held that there was no true agreement between the parties, but the claimants were entitled to recover certain payments due to them on a quantum meruit basis2 and the defendants’ counter claims were not entertained. Collateral warranties are required to counteract the difficulty associated with establishing a liability in tort when a construction contract is in place; as stated by Lord Scarman, â€Å"Their Lordships do not believe there is anything to the advantage of the law in searching for a liability in tort where the parties are in a contractual relationship.†3 The extent to which the Courts could apply duty of care and the tort of negligence would be circumscribed within the contractual terms and

Movie vs books Essay Example for Free

Movie vs books Essay From our mouths, to writing and finally to film, the way we tell stories has evolved over time and I must say thank God for its advancements. Reading a book can be nice but thanks to movies all the work of deciphering the message of the story is done through the director of the motion picture. He is responsible for researching the story to find the intent of the writers and will often consult with the writer to bring you the true meaning of the story. The director brings the story to life on screen with words, images, and sounds, leaving little to wonder, taking out the questions of what the story is about and leaving us with little or no debate. Examples of this can be seen in the Hollywood productions of the movies â€Å"Holes† and â€Å"The Great Gatsby†. The movie Holes (2003) was directed by Andrew Davis who used the writer of Holes, Louis Sacher as a consultant on the set during production (Movie Hole Interview October 6, 2003). The movie follows the life of a boy, Stanley, who due to a family curse, ends up in a juvenile detention center out in the middle of nowhere after being falsely accused of stealing shoes. A witch has placed a curse on Stanley’s family causing this turn of events; the curse can’t be removed until he completes certain tasks for his best friend. At the detention center he is brought together by fate with a boy named Zero who will become his best friend. Through trials and tribulations he and his friend are able to stay united, break the family curse, and get out of the juvenile detention center. Holes was one of my favorite movies growing up, and I have also read the book, I believe the movie follows the storyline of the book down to its minutest details. The movie provided all of the key factors that the book Holes was trying to convey, and in comparing the two I was almost stunned at the realization that the two were one in the same. The movie gives the reader and viewer the same theme time and time again throughout the story; friends will get you through the day, and stick to your goals. The Great Gatsby is another movie that I’m sure many people are familiar with and the story is one I myself have fallen in love with. Like holes I have also read the book that was based on the most recent Great Gatsby (2013) movie remake by director Baz Luhrmann. It is a marvelous movie that evokes a person’s passion, yet wills you to move on past lost love. In the movie we follow the narrator who takes us into the world of Gatsby, a Debonair Millionaire. From watching the movie we may conclude that everything Gatsby does throughout the story is for a woman name Daisy, whom is in love with and desires. To impress her he throws luxurious parties and to be closer to her he buys a mansion across the bay from her. Unfortunately due to his misplaced love, a love that should have been for God, he moves to corruption and swindling to attain his love, alas the only love he receives is the one who loves all, Death. Director, Baz Luhrmann tells the New York Times (May 9, 2013) â€Å"That he sticks close to the details of the story and lifts dialogue and description directly from the novels†. In doing so he is helping to provide us with a view of the story that the writer envisioned. Yet personal interpretation can be a problem within itself when comparing a movie to a book. While there is normally one message you can take away from a movie, with a book readers are able to decipher messages differently possibly coming to a conclusion the author never intended in the first place. Take the book 50 shades of Grey, which is rumored to be a movie soon, while discussing it with several women I have gotten several different interpretations of its meaning. Many saw the book as a romance novel with a main character that falls deeply in love. While some saw the main character as a scary control freak who liked to beat up his women. As for myself, I took it as a trashy love story reminding us of things we all secretly wish for, like the change to be a millionaire and to have incredible sex. So in conclusion, I can say with certainty that movies are the media in today’s society that can create a clear and concise message closely delivering what the writer had intended for its audience. While books can tell a story and allow the reader to use their imagination when determining the message of the writer we are often unsure about what message the writer was truly trying to convey when we finish the book. Movies provide us with words, sights and sounds that give us a clearer picture as to what the writer is trying to tell us. When we finish watching a movie we are left with little room for interpretation or argument and when we leave the theater we are satisfied that we have a good understanding of the writers true message was.

Socio-Cultural Theories Of Crime

Socio-Cultural Theories Of Crime The sociological or socio-cultural model provides a macro-level analysis of criminal violence. This model examines criminal violence in terms of socially structured inequality, and social and cultural attitudes and norms regarding anti-social behaviour and inter-personal relations. Besides the two well-known theories, viz. the Structural-Functional Theory and the Theory of Sub-culture of Violence, the Learning Theory, the Exchange Theory, the Anomie Theory, and the Resource Theory also come under socio-cultural analysis.  [1]   Structural Theory This theory asserts that social groups differ in respect to their typical levels of stress, deprivation and frustration and in the sources at their disposal to deal with these stresses. It explains that those individuals would be more violent who combine high stress with low resources. This theory thus explains an individuals action in terms of the ways it is shaped or determined by social forces of one kind or another. Among the possible sources of stress are economic conditions, bad housing, relative poverty, lack of job opportunities and unfavourable and frustrating work condition. Men and women are socialized into particular roles to which are attached a set of socially determined expectations. If structural faction prevents these expectations from being realized, frustration results and violence may ensue. Furthermore, in a variety of ways violence is socially legitimated. Criticism One consequence of accepting this position is that the action of individuals has nothing to do with their personalities and values, and that violence cannot be described in terms of conflict, suppression, sublimation, guilt, and so on. The role of rationality also has to be rejected in social action. The structuralistic perspective, thus, leaves some questions unanswered because of which it is criticized. It should also be observed, however, that while stress resulting from poverty, inequality and various forms of deprivation may be contributory factors in domestic violence, only a small proportion of those who experience such conditions behave violently and many of those who do behave violently are neither poor nor deprived. The identification of structural factors gives a more political flavour to explanations of domestic violence. For example, a study by Straus revealed: that there was a lower incidence of domestic violence when the inequalities between men and women were less marked, and that weaker social bonds gave rise to increased domestic violence.  [2]   System Tension and Feedback System Theory This theory was developed by Straus (A General Systems Theory of violence between Family Members, 1973) to explain intra-family violence. Straus accounts for violence in the home by viewing family as a purposive goal-seeking, adaptive social system. Violence is seen as a system product or output rather than an individual pathology. Straus specified positive feedback in the system which can create an upward spiral of violence, and negative feedback which can maintain, dampen, or reduce the level of violence. According to this theory, violence is precipitated by factors such as stress and inter-individual conflict and is followed by consequences which maintain or escalate violence in family and in society. Criticism This theory has been criticized on the basis that there has been little research specifically concerned with the learning of marital violence. It also over-emphasizes the social system and completely ignores the role of individuals personality.  [3]   Resource theory Resource theory was suggested by William Goode (1971). Women who are most dependent on the spouse for economic well being (e.g. homemakers/housewives, women with handicaps, the unemployed), and are the primary caregiver to their children, fear the increased financial burden if they leave their marriage. Dependency means that they have fewer options and few resources to help them cope with or change their spouses behavior. Couples that share power equally experience lower incidence of conflict, and when conflict does arise, are less likely to resort to violence. If one spouse desires control and power in the relationship, the spouse may resort to abuse.  [4]   Criticism This theory does not explain all forms of violence against women. Various arguments can be given against this theory when applied to wife battering, dowry deaths, murders, rapes, and so on. Patriarchy Theory This theory developed by R.E. Dobash and R. Dobash (Violence Against Wives, 1979) maintains that throughout history, violence has been systematically directed towards women. Economic and social processes operate directly and indirectly to support a patriarchal social order and family structure. Dobashs central theoretical argument is that patriarchy leads to the subordination of women and contributes to a historical pattern of systematic violence directed against females. Criticism Dobashs theory, while perhaps the most macro-level approach to violence against women, has a major drawback of being a theory that is essentially a single factor (patriarchy) explanation of violence (towards women). Conflict and Control Theories Scholars like Foucault (1975), Thompson (1977), and Rothman (1980) have presented a domination model of deviance. They have talked of rules imposed on the powerless by the powerful. Radical and conflict sociologists like Quinney (1977) have argued that the purpose of controlling deviance is to protect the interests of the dominant classes and to prevent access to their resources by outsiders. In other words, the control apparatus is created to prevent the powerless from pursuing their interests, particularly if that pursuit involves gaining access to resources monopolized by the powerful. Imposing varied restrictions on women and compelling them to remain dependent on men economically, socially and emotionally to make them realize that they are weak and powerless in all respects, stands as an example of this argument. To the extent that the agents of control belong to the dominant group, an overall system of devaluation of the powerless group (women) can easily be implemented. Schurz (1983) contends that male control of deviance labelling results in their continued dominance in most spheres of life. The constraints on womens rights can be interpreted as function of the successful definition of women as different from and inferior to men. Man talks of woman not in herself but as relative to him. She is not regarded as an autonomous being. She is differentiated with reference to man and not him with reference to her. She is the incidental, the inessential as opposed to the essential. He is the Subject, he is the Absolute; she is the other. Sex role norms clearly differentiate men from women. When these norms become internalized, they are accepted as facts and seldom questioned. Millet (1970) has said: Because of our social circumstances, male and female are really two cultures and their life experiences are utterly different. Women live in such a different economic, cultural and social world from men that their reactions cannot be understood from a master model developed in male society. Criticism What is in question is not the existence of gender differences but the extent to which such differences justify restrictive role assignments to each gender. There is little disagreement regarding the cultural construction of gender, but there are conflicting views on the role biological factors play in such development. Thus women are: declared as different, defined as inferior, and women stereotypes are justified, and they are systematically deprived of rights, and all attempts at change are restricted. Inter-actionist Deviance Theory This theory, exemplified by theorists such as Erikson (1964), Becker (1963) Schurz (1971), and Lemert (1978) has three characteristics: it cites sex roles as causal factors of why engage in crime and deviant behaviour, it maintains that societal expectations about appropriate sex role behaviour influence the diagnosis and labelling of certain actions as deviant or criminal, and it holds that gender affects the response to such (deviant) behaviours by society (Wisdom, 1984), Since women tend to be less powerful and of lower social status than men, they are easily labelled as deviant in cases of domestic violence. This theory explains family violence in terms of sex role or gender norms, i.e., differential expectations for values, attitudes and behaviours as a function of ones gender. These norms serve as important standards against which women and men are evaluated through application of various sanctions (Schur, 1984). According to the prevalent sex role norms, a husband expects a good wife to behave in a certain manner. She has to run the household smoothly, ensure childrens well-mannered behaviour, avoid assertiveness and remain submissive to elders in family. Any show of independence on her part would violate sex role expectations for female behaviour. According to deviance theory, norm violations tend to trigger forces aimed at making the violator conform to expected standards of behaviour. Thus, when women do not behave like the males ideal of wife, husbands use violence against them to make them conform to norms.  [5]   Social Learning Theory Social learning theory while still concentrating on individual perpetrators, introduces a social element by attempting to explain mens violence towards women as learned behaviour. This phenomenon is seriously referred to as intergenerational transmission of violence. What it purports to demonstrate is that those who witness violence between their parent, or who themselves experience abuse as children are likely to resort to violence in adulthood.  [6]   This theory asserts that human aggression and violence are learned conduct, especially through direct experience and by observing the behaviour of others. According to this theory (Albert Bandura, Aggression: A Social Learning Analysis, 1973) the individual learns violence through imitation. Individuals pick up the behaviour patterns of those they are taught to respect and learn from. Whether observed in the flesh or via visual media, the behaviour of aggressive models is readily imitated by individuals. Aggressive behaviour patterns learned through modelling and imitation remain part of our repertoire of social responses over time. Rewards and punishments also play a crucial role in the learning and expression of behaviour patterns. One might think that physical aggression directed against ones fellows could hardly have any rewards, actual or anticipated. But it is not so. Violence offers abundant rewards and one learns it very early in life. This theory explains both the variations of persons and situations in their tendency to respond aggressively by reference to prior experience, reinforcement patterns, and cognitive processes. Steele and Pollock (1974) and Bennie and Sclare (1969) have maintained that abusive male adults are likely to have been raised in abusive homes. In fact, this family determinism approach maintains that all victims of childhood violence will grow up to be violent adults.  [7]   Criticism Such and Flit craft reject the notion that violence is transmitted from one generation to the next; they argue that the studies which claim to show this are methodologically flawed and base their conclusions on inadequate evidence and unsound interpretation. Widom points to methodological weaknesses in the research, including in retrospective nature and the lack of an adequate control group. Dr. Ram Ahuja applied this theory in studying a wife-batterers history of abuse as a child and found that about half of the batterers (55%) had faced conditions of manifest physical brutality or severe emotional rejection in their childhood. The data thus supported the social learning theory. Yet, violence which is the result of victims provocation or victims complicity, etc., cannot be explained on the basis of this simple theory. Cognitive Behaviour Theory The cognitive behaviour theory postulates that men batter because: They are imitating examples of abuse they have witnessed during childhood or in the media, abuse is rewarded, it enables the batterer to get what he wants, and abuse is reinforced through victim compliance and submission. This theory is same as social learning theory. Advantage and Criticism of the Cognitive Behaviour models One advantage of the cognitive behavioural model is that its analysis of battering and its intervention strategy are compatible with a criminal justice response to domestic violence. The approach holds the batterer fully responsible for his violence and fully responsible for learning and adopting nonviolent alternatives. Without trying to solve larger issues of social inequality on the one hand, or delving into deep-seated psychological issues on the other, the cognitive behavioural approach simply focuses on the violent acts themselves and attempts to change them. The feminist perspective criticises the cognitive behavioural approach for failing to explain why many men with thought patterns or skills deficits that allegedly explain their domestic violence are not violent in other relationships, how culture or sub-cultures influence patterns of violence, and why some men continue to abuse women even when the behaviour is not rewarded.  [8]   Exchange Theory Rechard J. Gelles feels that the Exchange Theory is the best theory of violence because it integrates the elements of the diverse theories of human violence. According to the Exchange Theory, interaction is guided by the pursuit of rewards and the avoidance of punishment and costs. In addition, an individual who supplies reward services to another obliges him to fulfil an obligation and thus the second individual must furnish benefits to the first. The exchange does not pertain to concrete or tangible things; rather, it involves intangibles such as esteem, liking, assistance and approval. If reciprocal exchange of rewards occurs, the interaction will continue, but if reciprocity is not received, the interaction will be broken off. Thus, actors expect rewards to be proportional to the investments (distributive justice). The costs and rewards are judged in the light of alternatives.  [9]   This theory explains the growth of resentment, anger, hostility and violence when the principle of distributive justice is violated. In applying the principles of the Exchange Theory to explain violence in a family (in our case wife beating, dowry death and rape by a family member), we expect that people will use violence in a family if the costs of being violent do not out-weigh the rewards. Goode suggests that force is used more by those in the poorer classes partly because they have less alternative resources and partly because their socialization experiences teach them to depend more on force. However, all researchers do not agree that the poor classes do use more force, though statistics show more violence in poor classes are there because of the fact that greater proportion of the population belongs to lower classes or it may be that middle classes have more resources or have greater motivation to hide their offences. Criticism Intra-family relations are more complex than those studied by Exchange Theorists. A wife cannot break-off interaction with her husband and parents cannot break-off interaction with their children, even if there is no reciprocity. Goode (1971) however, believes that violence is used as a last resort to solve problems in the family. But Nye (1979) does not accept Goodes viewpoint. In applying this theory to intra-family violence, we find some costs for being violent. First, there could be the chance of the victim hitting back; second, a violent assault could lead to an arrest and/or imprisonment; and finally, using violence could lead to loss of status. Thus, since the cost greater than the reward, how does the reward, how does the Exchange Theory explain violence against women?