Critical Analysis of Early Childhood Pedagogy Article Essay Example for Free

Critical Analysis of Early Childhood Pedagogy Article Essay Argument stated that early childhood curriculum needs to be analyzed because the old curriculum was introduced by another culture. â€Å"Early childhood curriculum as defined by Haliwell is also called â€Å"cultural construction work† (Ashby, Grieshaber, p 127) and trading post between boundaries of culture, generations, and sexes (Ashby, Greishaber, p 128). † Consideration is given to the child centered education in order to answer the questions on what to be taught, who decides and who are the learners to develop childhood curriculum into â€Å"person-making† (p128). 2. Is the statement of the problem clear in the beginning to the end? The readings concluded that early education in the past did not respond to the changing circumstances (p. 139) makes it unclear since the circumstance of Australia is becoming a nation with multi-racial population contradict the point that traditional education in the past brought by European countries and the west did not respond to change. Statement is incoherent towards a universal outlook or people go through a phase of â€Å"inculturation â€Å"which if traced back came out from the west or European in origin. See more: how to write a critical analysis outline 3. Evidences that support the arguments which is leading to the conclusion. The argument is to consider the present trend with regards also to the so called child centered learning elaborated in the examples by the PCF (see pages 137-138). However, it did not provide other evidence on the effects of the child centered learning option which undermines classroom behavioral patterns or the teacher and pupil relationship. 4. Relevance of the evidence that support argument is it up to date? Moreover, it criticizes that the old or early childhood programs legitimated diverse cultural viewpoints (page 138). Evidence gathered to answer the question about who to teach and be thought and what should be taught was not very well implicated in the succeeding arguments although it discusses on the aboriginal culture of the nation. 5. Is there sufficient evidence to prove the case? Relevance? What is missing? The argument is to determine the best approach in the present childhood curriculum. However, there are no sufficient evidences if the past or the present trends are successful. 6. What (if any) would be a better order to present to strengthen the line of reasoning? The paper is to consider the methods of teaching early childhood education. What is missing are the comparative analysis or the pros and cons of both the early trend and the new trend which is child-centered. The argument discussed several avenues of conflict especially when culture, sex and generation gaps are examined. 7. Are there examples of flawed reasoning? Attempts to persuade the reader through an appeal to the emotions? Is evidence interpreted and used correctly? The reader is appealed to the emotion of seeking identity to a fast changing world and competencies in teaching (page 137-138). Article did not answer the question on how early childhood education should be taught in Australia. Further there is no conclusion for instance concluding that Child centered pedagogy must also become teacher focused.

Social identity and the inevitability of conflict groups

Social identity and the inevitability of conflict groups The topic of this essay is that the Social Identity Theory (SIT) suggests that prejudice and discrimination against out-group members and, as a result, conflict groups may be inevitable; that all that is needed to trigger in-group favouritism and out-group bias is an awareness that one belongs to a particular social group and that another group, of which one is not a member, exists. The SIT was conceived by Henri Tajfel and his student John Turner to amend and supplement Campbells Realistic Group Conflict Theory (Tajfel Turner, 1979). The aim of the SIT was to provide a base level understanding of peoples social identities apart from their individual identities, that is, how people identify with groups that they belong to, the assimilation of in-group ideals as their own, the positive bias toward those of the same in-group, and negative bias (prejudice) toward those who identify with out-groups. It also explained inter group behaviour and its social context and also social comparison. The SIT suggests that the more extremely a person is associated with an in-group, the more likely they are to treat members of out-groups as objects comprised of traits universal to members of their out-group, rather than individuals comprised of both group and unique traits. It points out that, especially in our culture, intergroup conflict and competition is commonplace and easy to trigger. There is also suggestion that in-group bias is a universal trait affecting all social groups. The momentum that helped forge this theory comes from Tajfels own personal history. Born in 1919 as a Polish Jew, Henri was called away from his studies in chemistry to fight with the French against the Nazis. A year later he was captured and survived by not allowing his captors to learn that he was a Jew (The Nazis most despised out-group). After the war, Henri returned home to find all his close relatives had been killed. After a time of helping the aftermath Henri studied psychology with a focus on social identity and group conflict such as he had seen during the war (Reicher). The personal life and times of Henri Tajfel shows some insight into social identity and conflict groups. Such as a young Henri heeding the call to fight the Germans with the French even though he was Polish, in the Second World War the Nazi war machine and its subsequent expansion resurfaced a rift between the Nazis and the rest of Europe that was present in the First World War, leading to two main conflict groups, the Nazis and the Allied Nations. As Tajfel was not a Nazi, He identified with the French (part of his in group) and fought along with them. At the time of his capture, Tajfel had to change a part of his social identity in order to survive. As Nazis were more likely to torture and kill Jews over other captive groups Tajfel had to make sure that his captors never learned that he was a Jew. To do this He had to identify as a non-Jew which to him was an out-group, this however required no alteration physical changes (Providing that he didnt have to expose himself to his capto rs) and psychologically, he was still himself. Tajfel succeeded and survived until the end of the war. This provides a good example of discrimination based on social grouping rather than individual attributes. To this many people would say that those were the war days and that violence and emotion ran high, so it was easy to see such discrimination and hostility as commonplace, but times have changed and we are no longer like that. And, to an extent, they are correct. Though even now in Europe, many still consider the Jews as a powerful, threatening group of social and national outsiders (Werner, 2008), and there is still anti-Semitic violence taking place in this older, wiser world. But still, time has moved on and Western atrocities such as the vast commonplace racism of the early to mid twentieth century has dissipated, though not completely. Much of this is due to changing media portrayals of minorities, with thanks to such trail blazers as Sidney Portier (first black actor to play a lead in a major motion picture), The Cosby Show (first non-stereotyped black sitcom), and even Star Trek (first interracial kiss on U.S. television). By allowing people to identify with minorities in the m edia without stereotyping, aggression toward minorities reduces (Muller, 2009). However lessened, racial discrepancies and violence still occurs in the western world today. It seems that all our attempts to abolish social discrimination and conflict in the past few decades has come a long way, and if you think of things such as the fall of the Berlin Wall, the end of the partite, and the advancement of gay rights, the yes we have. However, if you look at the rise of the Mugabe Regime, the US War on Terror and its subsequent effects on the Muslim population, and even the psudoracism toward the ginger (ging-er) population, then no we really havent. Also, most attempts to abolish group conflict have at best reduced conflict, not ended it out right so long as both groups remain in existence. It seems that intergroup conflict is unavoidable, as we put aside our old differences with one group, we just as quickly discover new differences with another group. Even here in New Zealand in-group bias and out-group prejudice is not only tolerated, it is applauded. Take this personal anecdote for example. In 2005 My best friend and I travelled to the city for my bachelor party. At this time the UK Lions rugby team was touring the country, playing against our All Blacks. Neither my friend nor I were rugby fans of any sort, but when we saw that an English pub was just down the street from where we were staying we decided to don any black clothing we had and go to the English pub to watch the game and give the Lions supporters a hard time. When we arrived we noticed that all the customers inside the pub were dressed in black to support the All Blacks, my friend and I looked around to see if there were any Lions supporters around and indeed we did find them. They had congregated outsi de in a caged off smokers area on the cold July night, watching a T.V. that was barely audible over the sound of traffic. When we asked them if they wouldnt prefer a table inside they responded that they were quite happy where they were. My friend and I returned to our table near the bar to watch the game. Though when a Lions supporter came in to get a refreshment, they were met by a call to go back where they belong or they were informed precisely how useless their team was. During half time, the smokers in the bar went to the smokers area occupied by the Lions fans and once again were insulted for their taste in rugby teams, among other things. The Lions lost the game and at full time the smokers returned to the smokers area to boats their mighty victory to the puny Lions Supporters. This example has a clear cut in-group and a quite literal out-group, the in-group, through force of numbers had dominance in the situation initially. But why, you may ask, did the in group members have to ridicule the out-group members at every available chance? The answer quite simply is self esteem, just as the school bully will put down the smart kids to make themselves feel better, social groups will often discriminate out-groups as a means of enhancing self esteem (Lemyre Smith, 1985). This is not the only example of socially acceptable, intergroup conflict in this country either. The ever continuing Holden versus Ford debate is ever popular and in this case the group conflict is media driven with multiple televised Holden versus Ford races occurring annually and a seemingly unending supply of supporter gear as well as derogatory supporter gear designed to insult and degrade your particular out-group. Some members of both groups can take extreme measures in this conflict, such as disallowing out-group vehicles to park on their property. Attribution has a role to play in social conflict as well. Say for instance a Holden crashes during the Bathurst 1000 race the Ford supporters will commonly believe the fault to be in the car or one of the many short comings of its driver (who obviously must not be bright to be driving a Holden in the first place). The Holden supporters, however, would more likely believe that some external cause (or perhaps a stupid Ford driver cut ting him off) was to blame. This is due to in-group bias causing people to make similar attributions to in group members as they do to themselves (De Cremer, 2000). So far all the examples have involves high levels of emotional attachment toward the in-group. So is it fair to say that in-group bias and out-group discrimination are a result of heightened emotional commitment toward the in-group? To answer this, many experiments have been conducted based on arbitrary groups designed solely for the purpose of the experiment and in most cases the participants are randomly assigned to groups so that there is no predetermined affiliation between group members. The group members are then given simple tasks and the experimenters are looking for signs for in-group bias and out-group discrimination. The results of studies like these has shown that such discrimination does indeed exist, even when the groups are arbitrary and the group assignment is random (Brewer Kramer, 1985) (Sachdev Bourhis, 1985) (Aviram, 2007). This shows that no emotional bond is requires at all for there to be discrimination between in-group and out-group members. All that is real ly required for there to be out-group prejudice is the knowledge that one is in a social group and that another group, an out-group, exists. Summary To summarize the discussion as it stands. The topic was to discuss the SIT and the notion that discrimination and prejudice toward out-groups and intergroup conflict is inevitable, also, that all that is needed for there to be such discrimination is the knowledge that both an in-group and an out-group exists. The personal history of Henri Tajfel and his life during the Second World War was discussed, pointing out the group conflicts and out-group prejudices present during that time. The discrimination of out-group members based on group affiliation rather than individual traits was pointed out. This historical account also gave some insight as to the motives behind the creation of the SIT. Then the role of media in the lessening of racial discrimination and conflict in recent decades was discussed, though it was pointed out that the amount of prejudice and conflict the media had affected had dissipated, it was never truly abolished. There was some discussion on the recent milestones toward intergroup peace globally and also the new found intergroup prejudice and conflict arising at the same time. The view of the discussion then moved to a New Zealand perspective starting with a personal anecdote of the national rugby obsession and the ethnocentric discrimination that arises from the organised conflict of the game itself. It was then discussed how the media and commercial marketing can also induce conflict and discrimination between groups with reference to the local Holden Versus Ford conflict. In this it was pointed out how in-group bias and out-group discrimination can influence the locus of attribution in the inference of others behaviour. Finally, experiments involving out-group discrimination in arbitrary groups of randomly assigned members was discussed, the results of which being in support with the notion that all that is required for there to be in-group bias and out-group discrimination is the knowledge that an in-group (to which one belongs) and an o ut-group (to which one does not belong) exists. The discussion as a whole utilised a combination of empirical research and real life examples to illustrate facts that validate the SIT and support the suggestions that it carries. The SIT provides a good base knowledge of social identity, social discrimination and conflict groups. However this does not make it the be all and end all of knowledge on this subject. With an ever evolving social climate and the development of new experimental techniques, the Sit is rather a solid foundation to which we can build a more profound understanding of the social world.

The Origins Of The Welfare State

The Origins Of The Welfare State The term modern Welfare State comes from the Beveridge report of 1941. The words represent that Government provides a minimum level of taxed welfare support for citizens in need. Beveridge and his five giants showed a greater need for an active role by Government in the welfare of its citizens through better housing, education, benefits for the unemployed and an accessible National Health Service. The foundations of this started mainly with the Liberal Reforms of 1906 1914 but this can even go back to the 1601 poor law. The 1601 poor law had control over the poor with very little interference from Government, as it was locally administered by the parish overseers (P. Spicker 2008) but still required the Church to assist. In 1834 the poor law was changed by Earl Grey (Spartacus Schoolnet); workhouses were introduced which meant no able bodied person would receive money or help from the poor law authorities (M. Bloy 2002). Other changes happened to this law; children would get schooling and be clothed and fed while in the workhouse. However, some people spoke out against the workhouses and called them prisons for the poor. Seebohm Rowntree did a study in 1901 and found a number of people living in poverty even though they were working, their wages were below the poverty line and they were struggling to survive (R. Ensor 1980). This led to the Liberal Reforms of 1906-1914, with the introduction of free school meals in 1906 and medical inspections in 1907 paid for by the State, but the treatment was largely unaffordable and relied on the charity of others. This was the start of new ideas in the Social Service State and Liberals made sweeping changes in their reforms; the elderly received an old age pension in 1908 and the sick would be paid whilst being unable to work through the National insurance Act of 1911. Unemployed people did not have to wander the country looking for work with the new labour exchanges set up in 1909, which meant employers could advertise jobs in one place, much like the Job Centres of today. Even with all the laws to help the poor, it still required a lot of help from other sectors (pluralism); the Church still played a major role in providing housing, food and clothing; charities still had to ask the rich to help. Even the poor had to help by sharing what little they had. Families united and pulled together to survive and this built a community spirit. The State didnt want the poor to rely on State help alone. This is the foundation of the modern Welfare State today. The NHS (established in 1948) still relies on outside resources, with charities like St Johns Ambulance helping provide front line assistance and organisations such as BUPA taking some of the pressure off the service from those who can pay. Housing for the poor is now mostly run through charitable associations in most areas and the Welfare State relies on voluntary organisations like Salvation Army and Barnardos to help with problems in society. This partnership with state, church, private business, voluntary organisations and charities has created a safety net for the poor in which children and adults have protection from poverty, abuse, hunger; giving them security and care in times of desperation. Task 2: Explain the contents and evaluate the purpose of the 1834 Poor Law. (540 words not including titles) The 1601 Poor Law had controlled the actions of the poor; making it very difficult for the poor to travel the country begging for food and shelter and helping stop associated anti-social behaviour. The poor could only get aid from charities and the local tax payers from their place of birth. This was costing more every year and the middle and upper classes that were paying through taxes, started to think they were paying for the lazy and those who would not help themselves to find work and better their lives. Charles Grey (2nd Earl Grey) was prime minister at this time and had been making sweeping reforms throughout Government; he set up a poor law commission to examine the poor law. The commission felt that to relieve poverty, the poor had to help themselves. As a result of this the 1834 poor law amendment act was passed. This new act made it so the poor were only able to receive any aid if they entered a poor house. All the parishes of the previous 1601 law now had to group together and set up poor law unions. This gave greater control over the poor and even on the cost to the Government and local tax payers; this was called indoor relief as opposed to outdoor relief. Outdoor relief tried to get the poor to look for work themselves and made those who were lazy and avoided work less eligible for help, with the hope that the fear of the poor house would be a deterrent and make them find work. These places were unforgiving; you would have to work hard to receive any state or charity help. The masters and matrons were harsh and there to be a visible deterrent; conditions hit the papers of half starved inmates even eating the rotting flesh from bones at the Andover workhouse (September 1845; The Times). Parliament had to do something and created a select committee in 1846 and with the result of its findin gs the poor law commission was abolished in 1847. The poor law act of 1834 was intended to be the solution to pauperism and believed the moral character of the working man would be his own saviour. This was shown not to be the case. The Government had to make improvements to this law after anti-poor law propaganda in its early years, to social unrest and riots in Bradford in 1837 where troops had to control the Chartism threat (the peoples charter). These revolts made way for changes to improved conditions for the working populations, such that the threat of the workhouse could be avoided through better sanitisation and clean water to counter sickness. Medical Officers were also introduced in 1871 to control public health issues. The state would provide schooling for 5-10 year olds from 1870 1880 to educate the poor to better themselves and Hospitals were slowly being made available for the most needy, to aid those in the population on low wages. The amendment of 1834 did go some way to improving the poors conditions, but it would not be until a number of years later that the Government chose not to control the poor by harsh measures but by working in partnership with them. Task 3: Outline some of the Liberal Reforms and evaluate their contribution to welfare policy (791 words not including titles) In Manchester 1899, out of 12,000 men offering to fight in the South African war, 8,000 were rejected on grounds such as malnutrition and illness. This led Charles Booth and Seebohm Rowntree to undertake studies of the state of poverty in Britain between 1901 and 1902. Rowntree found that the number of people in York found to be in primary poverty, was 15.45 percent of the wage earning class. Investigations by AL Rowley and AR Burnet found that working class areas throughout England showed much the same (R. Esnor England). This came from low paid jobs in society which made them have a very low standard of living. The Liberals took power in 1906 under Sir Henry Bannerman with a huge majority. They had not promised to bring poor law reforms, but were influenced by Rowntree and Booths reports which showed the laissez faire solution was not working in Britain. In 1906 the Liberals started to reform the poor law starting with the (1906) Education Act; this meant free school meals for the poorest families, making sure a child would receive one healthy meal a day. This was a great success as it encouraged parents to make sure their child went to school and keep them off the streets, but some local councils did not follow it up as it meant they would have to increase local taxes. Some councils did not want to move forward with new reforms for the poorest in society (National Archives). Liberals took this act further with the introduction of compulsory school medical inspections in 1907; these ensured children would be healthy but the downfall meant if the child needed treatment, they would still have to pay. The poorest of families would not have been able to afford this and would have had to go to charities for help. This changed in 1912 with the introduction of School Clinics; by this time the Government had introduced the new Childrens Act of 1909 which protected children from persecution / neglect from the family or their environment. The Liberals also helped the old with the introduction of a Pension Act in 1908 for those aged 70; they would receive 5 shillings a week and if married, 7 shillings 6d. This took away the affects of the workhouse for the elderly and protected them to a certain extent from working themselves to an early death, whilst taking away the pressure placed on poor families to look after an elderly family member. This would be funded by general taxation and had many critics. Many believed that the elderly had wasted money throughout their youth (National Archives) and now it would be down to the middle to wealthy classes to pay for their old age. To qualify people had to live in Britain for twenty years. Criminals and those felt to be idle did not receive any pension. They would still have to find work or enter the workhouse. This seemed fair as if you contributed to taxes you would be entitled to the pension; if not then you would be looking for the charity of others or the workhouse. Under Lloyd George the National Insurance Act of 1911 (Part 1 Health) would protect the sick if they became ill whilst working and help them and their family avoid ending up in the workhouse or in poverty. The worker would contribute 4d into the scheme while the employer would add another 3d, while Government added another 2d; this would give the worker 9d for only paying 4d. If the worker became ill, he would receive 10 shillings per week for up to 26 weeks and after that if he still was injured, 5 shillings disability pension. This scheme relied on the worker to protect himself from possible sickness / injury and built a structured work ethic for the working classes with a safety net if required; this is what Lloyd George hoped. The National Insurance Act of 1912 then came in to protect those who worked in jobs that lasted for short periods, like ship builders and construction workers. They paid into the scheme and could claim 7 shillings for 15 weeks whilst out of work until they either went back to their previous job or found another job. This was made easier with the set up of the Labour Exchanges in 1909, where employers could advertise positions of work in a designated place to save time for the jobseeker travelling from area to area. By 1910 eighty three exchanges had been set up. This system can still be seen today with the local Job Centres helping skilled and unskilled workers find employment to keep the costs of welfare to a minimum and ensure no-one had the option to be idle. Task 4: Describe and discuss Beveridges 5 giant evils and outline the key points of the Beveridge report and evaluate their significance. (1,274 words not including titles) William Henry Beveridge (1st Baron Beveridge 1879 1963) studied law in Oxford and became interested in the social service state while writing for the Morning Post Newspaper. Under a Liberal Government of 1906 1914 he became a prominent member of Lloyd Georges pensions and National Insurance scheme and was also involved in setting up labour exchanges throughout the country. After his book called Unemployment (1909), he altered expert opinion from one where low wages were seen as the cause of poverty, to one where people only being casually employed and not working all the time, meant they were unable to get themselves out of poverty. At the time of the Second World War, Beveridge was asked by the coalition Government to commission a report of how to rebuild after the war. Beveridge published his findings in 1942, but the words welfare state actually entered print in the early part of the war in 1941. In December 1942, the BBC broadcast to Nazi occupied Europe that Britain is grappling with its social problems through Beveridges proposals, even through war. This could have been seen as propaganda. As part of his report, Beveridge identified 5 giant evils that caused poverty. They were: Want. He identified that people lacked the security of an income, which in turn left them short of funds to live off. These were usually unemployed, sick, old or widowed and possibly unable to work through no fault of their own. To counter this problem, Beveridge created a means tested benefit system that would give the poorest people a safety net in times of crisis. This would be paid for by a compulsory flat rate National Insurance Scheme paid by the employee and employer. It would use the Rowntree calculations of basic needs to tackle poverty (Thane 1982). Beveridge also suggested that social insurance schemes like child benefit became universal and not means tested as this would help with the extra costs of having children preventing them becoming a burden to the family. Disease. Beveridge felt that better provision of non means tested health care by state funding should be comprehensive and available to everyone. This would improve the nations health and make people more able to get back into work and less dependent on the welfare system. Ignorance. This would be dealt with by a universal and compulsory state education system, particularly through provision of state funding with everyone able to have secondary education. This would improve the chances of the country, giving a better future for all. Squalor. Better housing and social environment improvements would provide subsistence and help the country become united for future prosperity, with the development of affordable homes as council houses for rent. This would also make jobs for the nation before and after the war through a building program. Idleness. Beveridge did not want what happened in the 1930s (mass unemployment) to be repeated again. This increased poverty and made some people become idle and brought back the problems of anti-social behaviour. He wanted more involvement from Government to create jobs and building programs to get the country to work, which would be self generating for prosperity. Beveridges report covered these 5 giant evils and aimed to address them. He proposed that the welfare state should focus on key points of; being comprehensive, universal for all, non means tested, compulsory for everyone, and funded through insurance type payments. The key points of his report guided changes in Government legislation in the following years, with huge significance for the country. Under Churchill, the Government moved on the Beveridge report with the undertaking of the Town and Country Planning Act (1943). The country needed to be rebuilt and this would go some way towards removing Squalor, but it wasnt until 1946 until most of Beveridges ideas of tackling this problem were undertaken by a Labour Government under Clement Attlee. Between 1946 and 1949, Housing Acts gave financial support to local authorities for rebuilding after the war. Between 1945 and 1951 1.25 million new council affordable homes were constructed. A Rent Control Act also came in in 1946 which would stop landlords increasing rents or providing shoddy housing; it also gave tenants the right to inform on unscrupulous landlords. Under this Act the councils could build new towns in the country and in 1949 Countryside Act, people had the right to roam, which in turn kept them fit and healthy. At much the same time, the Education Act (1944) was passed. This Act raised the school leaving age to 15 which later increased to 16. This could not be put into place as the Conservative Government had no way of funding it. When Labour came into power in 1947 the Act was passed and paid for by the state. This was a time of change and Labour started a nationalisation program to bring the country more in line with socialist ideas, being able to bring profits by other means than taxing heavily and creating a fairer society. In 1948 they introduced the Employment and Training Act which would tackle two of Beveridges problems, Idleness and Ignorance, making people go into work schemes, creating a skilled workforce for a better future. This was aimed at areas such as South Wales and the North East where there was high unemployment. This would make people feel part of the new ideas and make it hard for them to expect handouts. In 1945 the family allowance came into effect. This meant all those who had children would receive help from the state; this would be a universal benefit which would not be means tested which would make everyone feel it was comprehensive for all. In 1946 the National Insurance Act tackled the problems of the poor and Beveridges evil of Want. If someone became unemployed they would receive benefits to provide a minimum standard of living; this was also available to pregnant women and helped to fund old aged pensions. This also covered the sick and provided a comprehensive policy to solve the social problems from the cradle to the grave. To protect people from injuries at work, another act came into force, the Industrial Injuries Act (1946) which made employers take more care of the workers so they didnt claim compensation. In 1948 the National Assistance Act protected the poorest in society and this was the final nail that abolished the poor law. To fund this, everyone working and employers would pay into the scheme; this was compulsory and universal for all. The jewel in the crown for a more fair society in tackling Disease was the 1946 National Health Service. This provided free comprehensive health care, universal and regardless of means. This was put into place by Aneurin Bevan in 1948 under Labour. By 1949 187 million people had received prescriptions and another 8.5 million had free dental care which was very expensive for the country. By 1951 some services had to be paid for by its users to help fund the NHS but in general it still provided free health care for all while, in most cases, not being means tested. Beveridges ideas had now been introduced into society, with many changes since their introduction, but in general they accomplished their aims. They would provide a comprehensive package to all from cradle to grave. Benefits would be universal, regardless of means. They would be funded by the people for the people by insurance based payments. It would be compulsory for all to pay a flat rate payment and would provide subsistence to those living below the poverty line. Even those who were above this line would receive universal non-means tested benefits. References: Spicker, P (Unknown): UK Social Policy: Available. An Introduction to Social Policy; www.rgu.ac.uk/publicpolicy ; Last accessed 14/10/2010 Bloy, M (2002): Workhouses and the Poor Law: Available. The Victorian Web; www.victorianweb.org; Last accessed 14/10/2010 Driver, F (1993): Power and Pauperism: Available. Spartacus Schoolnet; www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Lpoor1834.htm ; Accessed 14/10/2010 Sutton Pocket Histories: Class Handout Social Welfare 2010 Ensor, R (1980): England 1870 1914: Book Club Associates London; chapter 14; p 515

J. Edgar Hoover Essay -- essays research papers fc

For nearly half a century J. Edgar Hoover was one of the most powerful officials in the Federal government of the United States. As head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 1924 until his death in 1972, he was the nation’s chief law enforcement officer. His intimate knowledge of politicians and government operations made him a man to be feared by elected officials, and none of the eight presidents under whom he served dared fire him. J.Edgar Hoover was born on January 1, 1895, in Washington D.C. He attended George Washington University and earned a degree in 1917. In 1919 he became assistant to Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer in the Department of Justice. It was Palmer who instigated the post World War I "red scare," an anti-Communist hysteria that led to the deportation of many aliens. Hoover was put in charge of the deportations. When Hoover became director of the Bureau in 1924, he quickly formed an elite force of powerful law enforcement officers. He enhanced the FBI’s fame by capturing many gangsters, bank robbers, and other lawbreakers. After World War II he waged a relentless fight against internal subversion. The 1970’s often criticized Hoover for his authoritarian methods. He died in Washington, D.C., on May 2, 1972. In the rest of the paper I will explain more in depth of how J. Edgar Hoover rose to power and why he is considered one of the most corrupt men to ever hold a government position. It is not very difficult to figure out the most outstanding characteristic of J. Edgar Hoover. Out of all of his characteristics, the one that truly stands out is that he was extremely powerful. J. Edgar Hoover is the most famous law enforcement officer that the United States has ever known. J. Edgar Hoover began his adult life at the bottom of the ladder with a very limited amount of power. As he grew older and became more experienced his prestige and power skyrocketed. At the height of his prestige and power he was the most famous director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the history of the United States. One factor that helped J. Edgar Hoover gain more power, was that he had many connections with many important people (Summers 29). Another factor that aided J. Edgar Hoover in his rise to power was the knowledge he had about people (Kessler 449-450). This meant that he could control people, or in other words, blackmai... ...led in public life (Summers 45). If there is a moral here, it is perhaps the one drawn by future Vice President Walter Mondale while taking part in the senate probe of the CIA and FBI in 1975 (Summers 438). "The lesson we learn from this history," he said, "is that we cannot keep our liberty secure by relying alone on the good faith of men with great power" (Summers 438). I think that a very important lesson is taught by the life of J. Edgar Hoover. His life teaches that being powerful is not necessarily a good thing. If power is used intelligently and in moderation, it can be a good thing. However, Hoover used his power for his own benefit. Finally, it got to the point where Hoover would do anything to hold on to his power. That is why he is always shrouded in controversy and his name is synonymous with greed and corruption. Works Cited: Kessler, Ronald. The FBI. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster Inc., 1994. Powers, Richard Gid. Secrecy and Power: The Life of J. Edgar Hoover. New York, NY: Collier Macmillan Canada, Inc., 1987. Summers, Anthony. Official and Confidential: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1993.

A Comparison of Antigone and A Dolls House Essay -- comparison compar

Similarities in  Antigone and A Doll's House    Ibsen's A Doll's House has been called the first modern play. The play was considered "revolutionary" because it broke several "molds" which had endured for centuries. Incredibly, much of what was considered "revolutionary" first appeared in Sophocles' play, Antigone - one of the first plays in existence.    In merely looking at the surface, one notices right away that both plays are significant in that they avoid the social temptation of using a man as a protagonist. Looking deeper into the stories, however, one can see that in even more contradiction with society, the female characters go against men. Both Antigone and Nora step into the spotlight as the female hero who has been put in a compromising situation and is forced to decide whether it is more important to follow what society dictates, or go with what they feel is moral and just.    Antigone is faced with the death of both brothers, one who is to be buried with full military rites, while the other, under dictate of the king, is to be cast aside and allowed ...

Last Day at School

The last days of one’s long stay anywhere are usually as sad as memorable. The place oneloves to stay in cannot be left for good (forever) without thoughts that bring tears to theeyes and grief to the hearts. Who will not accept that the college is a place which astudent will never like to leave happily? It was perhaps my saddest experience that Iunderwent on my last day in college, just before the preparatory holidays before the present examination. I got lip early in the morning thinking that I should go to college early and stay there latefinally to say farewell to the mother of knowledge, that is, my college.When I reachedthere on the sunny April morning, the flowers were smiling and the trees were welcomingme by stretching out their branches far into the air. Passing by the flowerbeds along thelong road covered with the most attractive trees of the area, 1 reached the main buildingwhere I was to attend my first class of the day. It was the English language class and thete acher, Mr. Tayyab Siddique, was standing before us smiling in his usual frank andhomely way. He shook his head at us, laughed a little and then kept quiet. †What day is itmy students? he asked us. †Sir, it is Tuesday. † †No,† he replied,† It is the last day for allof us together. † Our teacher taught us a short poem by Wordsworth in a most movingway, and then engaged us in conversation. He recalled some incidents in our class of some minor quarrels and his own anger at them. Then he asked us to forget all past bitterness and be friends again. He brought to our minds some pleasant happenings,especially our outings together into the countryside and our cricket and football matchesin the college grounds.The classes on the last day following the English class were full of interest and funr There was teaching, but there were jokes and discussions too leading to some hearty promises between teachers and students not to forget each other. After the classes, someof us decided to go round the most favourite spots on the campus. The first place we went to was the college cafeteria, the usual centre of refreshments, jokes, gossips and petty quarrels. Mir Sahib sitting at the counter welcomed us feelingour passionate moods.We had some cold drinks and snacks together and exchange^ our addresses and discussed our future plans. As 1 stood up with my class-fellows to leavethe cafeteria, I felt the burden of thoughts and feelings crushing me heavily as we werestepping out amidst the loud talk and clamour (loud confused noise) of other studentseating and drinking and making merry. Inen we started for the college hostel, and passing over the green lawns and throughsymmetrical hedges, reached the New Hostel. There I found several of our juniors,ra year students, perhaps waiting for us anxiously T’^v were clapping and waving a ! envelope directed at us. I went close to them, took the envelope, and at once pened it upto find a beauti fully written invitation to a variety show in the evening. About half an hour later, I returned home from the hostel after a familiar chat with the junior students and other friends. In the evening, I returned to college to watch the variety show in the hostel which was, infact, a farewell show for the departing fourth year students. The singers and actorssurprisingly included our English and science teachers and junior and senior students.Afew guest singers from other colleges also took part in the variety i -†¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ -aj-. ime. ThePrincipal and Vice-Principal at the end spoke over the microphone narrating some fine jokes and reproducing some experiences of their stay in the college concerning especiallythe performance of the outgoing fourth year class in studies and sports. And, with the endof the speeches, ended all our formal connections with our beloved college. The teachersand students bade farewell to us with the best of wishes, and we bade farewell to themwith respect and love.From the noises and laughter of the grand gathering in the spreading lawns of the collegewe came out into the stillness of darkness and night. Weighed down with a heavy heartand moving along the lonely road on my bicycle late at night, I was feeling the greatestloss of my life-the loss of college life, for my parents were already planning to send me toa university for post-graduate studies-and the maturity of university life was perhaps nocomparison with the simplicity and innocence of college life

Spina Bifida Research Paper

Spina Bifida A type of birth defect that affects the skeletal system is Spina Bifida. Spina Bifida is a nueral tube defect that occurs when the bones of the spine or the vertebrae do not form accurately around the spinal cord. In severe cases it can inhibit a persons walking or daily activities. There are three basic forms of Spina Bifida. The mildest form is Occulta, the next would be Meningocele and the most severe is Myelomeningocele. (http://www. uptodate. com/contents/overview-of-the-management-of-myelomeningocele-spina-bifida 2012) Myelomeningocele is the case that affects the skeletal system the most.With this, the nerves in the spine protrude out of the spinal canal and a bulge in the skin may appear. If nerves become damaged, there may be a high chance that there could be problems with walking, coordination and bowel and bladder control. The exact cause of Spina Bifida is not known. (Foti 2012) Some say that it could be genetic and is more likely to happen in women that are obese and have diabetes. Symptoms that may indicate that a child has Spina Bifida, include, a curve in the spine, nerves coming out of the back and swelling of the spine.Also, the child will have nerve damage, which can mean that they will have little or no feeling in the legs, feet and or arms. (http://www. mayoclinic. com/health/spina-bifida/DS00417 2012) Another indicator could be a build up of fluid in the brain. Spinal deformity occurs most frequently in patients with Myelomeningocele. It can manifest as kyphosis, scoliosis or lordosis. Most children diagnosed with Spina Bifida also have an allergy to latex. (http://www. everydayhealth. com/health-center/spina-bifida-symptoms. aspx 2012) The diagnosis for Spina Bifida is usually determined by a blood test that a woman has during pregnancy.Most people find out that their child has this defect before he or she is born. If it is not determined before birth, it may be diagnosed by how the baby’s back looks and as they get to the pint of where they should start crawling and standing. You will be able to notice how the weekness in the muscle and bones are. Children that are born wih Spina Bifida may also have mental disabilities as well because it affects the brain just as much as it affects the spine and nerves. (http://www. spinabifidaassociation. org/site/c. evKRI7OXIoJ8H/b. 8029563/k. 83B2/