The Call of Service
Malika Graham-Bailey Book Critique: Robert Coles' A Call to Service1 Robert Coles' designed his semi-autobiographical piece, The Call of Service, to reawaken idealism and an interest in doing good in the world. As public managers, I can't express how crucial it is that we remain steadfast and stolid in our spirit of service. However, Coles' book is open and clear about the various reasons why we all volunteer. His discussions problems in communicating with those we try to help are insightful. And, while I was not in complete agreement, he vigorously attacks the issue of real mentorship and who has the right to call themselves mentors. Service is without a doubt, our professional livelihood. Reading this book and discovering why volunteers choose the work they do can only help us to better serve our communities. This book does not tell us how to run an agency or how to do our work. Coles provides descriptions of concrete situations in many different kinds of volunteer activities, reporting carefully and avoiding a lot of unnecessary analysis. He writes about what gets said, how people look, and when volunteer gestures lead or don't lead to success. The first 3/4 of the book recount some of Coles' favorite storied from his life of service; a life spent living amongst, interviewing, studying and writing about community servants, volunteers, and service workers.
Social Exclusion / Social Inclusion
Social Exclusion / Social Inclusion Introduction This essay is about social exclusion in the UK and government policy to include this population and get them back into the work force. Notting Dale Technology Centre (NDTC) is funded to train 'socially excluded' adults and teenagers who have left the education system and are at risk of continuing the cycle of impoverishment. NDTC is working with the employability strands of governments life-long learning policy's. We work under the educational training banner to give skills to meet the challenges of the 21st century i.e. Information Communication Technology (ICT) for the work force. NDTC aims to address the low skills equilibrium by offering training to the people who make up this part of the population. Social Exclusion and the Skills Challenge The Government describes social exclusion as a shorthand term for what can happen when people or areas suffer from a combination of linked problems such as unemployment, poor skills, low incomes, poor housing, high crime environments, bad health and family breakdown. Notting Dale Technology Centre (NDTC) is a major Information and Communication Technology (ICT) training provider in the North Kensington and London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham areas. NDTC works very closely with a range of socially excluded people to address skills shortages. David Istance in an article on
Why are state and social institutions so concerned with the transgressions of young people? Give examples to explain your answer.
Joy Sharrock-Melrose Tutor: Jane Harris Module: CJ2004 Why are state and social institutions so concerned with the transgressions of young people? Give examples to explain your answer. This essay will begin to analyse the question so then it can determine the relevant issues that need to be discussed. The 'state' can be defined as the population within a particular political boundary in this case the UK, and the institutions include the government, churches the media and schools. To define the meaning of transgressions, a transgression is the breaking of a rule or the law and it can also mean going against social 'norms' as has been portrayed in such TV programmes such as 'Neighbours from Hell' on ITV. It is also interesting that anti-social behaviour has been incorporated into English law as a 'crime'. This essay will discuss middle aged to elderly people in society and the media moral panics that cause them to be concerned. The media is central to the aspect of hegemony which will also be discussed as an issue, also a comparison with the media attention, and to some extent, the amount of resources used in detecting 'young people's' crimes such as petty theft, to that expended on some white-collar crimes such as 'insider trading in stock market shares. Official statistics have an affect on the governments concern which will also be discussed, along with fear that
Five Theories of the Evolution of the Social Welfare System.
Five Theories of the Evolution of the Social Welfare System Industrialization and the Social Welfare System Social conditions changed during the industrialization era due to industrial expansion and the need for new types of jobs. Social services were needed and the new jobs allowed better resources to fulfill human needs. Industrialization led many workers to become dependent and run their own business. Therefore arose the concern over health care for workers, disability coverage, childcare, retirement, safety, fair working conditions and pay. Workers expected the government to make sure that there concerns and basic needs were accommodated and ever since the government has become a permanent part of the social welfare system. Social Values Two important social values are individualism and social responsibility and there is a continuous cycle shift between the two. The shift is a conflict between public purpose and private interest. Periods of public purpose require a high level of activity which people tire of and cause them to shift to their private interest and they become involved in their own personal lives. However during this period, some social classes tend to fall behind and believe the system isn't fair. Therefore they press for a change and thus the cycle shifts back to public purpose. Social Control The powerful use social control as a way to regulate the
Why have struggles over the nature and scope of welfare provision become such endemic features of contemporary societies?
Sociology Essay n° 4: Why have struggles over the nature and scope of welfare provision become such endemic features of contemporary societies? 'many believe that the welfare state has become incompatible with other cherished goals, such as economic development, full employment, and even personal liberties' (Welfare States in Transition, p.1) The crisis of the welfare state cannot be attributed only to economic crisis. Since the mid-seventies, although the levels of growth never became as important as those attained during the post-war period, western economies have grown significantly, and steadily. The conflict lays rather on the problems of equality vs. full-employment. There are three different ways in which the welfare state is generally thought to influence economies: according to the first, which Andersen calls 'market-distortion views', the welfare state stifles the market and erodes incentives to work, save and invest. A second popular interpretation says that the welfare state is unsustainable nowadays because of the problems of birth decline and greater life expectancy, which upset the ratio of contributors and that of dependent people. The third widespread conception sees the welfare state as incompatible with the new global economy, which punishes profligate governments and uncompetitive economies. For Esping-Andersen, despite the fact that neither of
"A Question of Justice?"
Assignment 1 Paramita Sutanto ID. 11103331 "A Question of Justice?" Poverty, the gap between the rich and the poor, ignorance and capitalism is what I see from the image of the cover from the Economist magazine that was given by Leslie last week. This image gives a clear image for us on how the people in developed countries are trying to collect more money and pursue their own happiness while as the poor people are getting even poorer and they could not pursue their happiness; which I will explain more in the passage. First, in the image, there is a young African boy (I assume that he's African because he has black colored skin), holding a bowl and a paper. This symbolizes that he is poor and he lack of food which made him very skinny, most probably malnourished. Also, it tells us that poor people could not grasp a good education due to the school fee is getting higher every time. It is very ironic, realizing that with our allowance fee, we could have help the people in need; we could pay their school fees or give them food. Second, at a glance, we can see that the boy is walking toward the developed city. This shows us that the boy doesn't belong to the community in the big city, he might have segregated into an undesirable area, in other words, a slum area; this indicates us that there is a huge gap between the haves and the have-nots. Those well-heeled people seems
"Changes in word usage and meaning in the English language reflect the evolving nature of society's values."Examine how societal and cultural values influence our language.
"Changes in word usage and meaning in the English language reflect the evolving nature of society's values." Examine how societal and cultural values influence our language. The English language has been formed and developed over many centuries into the form with which we now associate, and recognise, it today. The development and change of language can be primarily attributed to societal and cultural pressures, which are occurring and influencing its speakers, which is the primary claim of the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis. The pressures influencing language modification can be seen to arise from a multitude of sources, be it internal or external ones, with their overall result-varying dependent upon their impact on the population of that language region. Change within the English language can be seen to have come about as a result of the various influences it has seen, such as that of invasion and the movement of people, technological development, changing social attitudes, general changes in attitude to what is perceived to be acceptable or not and the changing of word usage and meaning. Language is a relative concept that is constantly adapting and changing to reflect the societal and cultural influences that affect its speakers. German philosopher Wilhelm von Humboldt summed up the changing nature of language in 1836 by stating that: There can never be a moment of true
"Classical sociological theory has likttle relevance in understanding contemporary employment" - discuss
"Classical sociological theory has little relevance in understanding contemporary employment" - discuss. Marx, Weber and Durkheim are three names that have had an enormous impact on our understanding of the social context of work. Karl Marx was the driving force behind Marxism - a political and sociological thesis which has influenced many policies and political parties throughout the last century. His writings on politics, the world of work and its social relevance have influenced the way employers treat their staff and run their companies, as well as how governments have legislated to give more socio-economic power to the workforce. In a similar vein, Max Weber and Emile Durkheim's writings question how companies work and how people respond to social situations. However, with the changed cultural and economic power structures of today (which have arisen partly due to these writers), it is debateable whether their ideas have such relevance today, although some modern sociologists try to apply classical theory to the contemporary world by building on their work. Marx lived during a time of great change. The world was entering what many social scientists called the first wave of globalisation. Industrialisation meant that the workforce was becoming more affluent, educated and sophisticated, yet, at the same time, obsessed with work. Better transport links also meant that it
"Community in Australia: What do we want from it: What do we get from it
Community in Australia: What do we want from it? What do we get from it? "Community in Australia: What do we want from it? What do we get from it?" In looking at this statement it is clear to the eye that the term 'community' needs clarification before I explore this topic further. According to the Macquarie Compact Colour Dictionary, the term 'Community' is defined as: "A social group of any size whose members reside in a specific locality, share government, and have a cultural and historical heritage". Some examples of what community is: Faith groups, schools, recreation clubs, pubs non-government organizations, friendship networks, local neighborhoods and interest groups such as sport, culture, spirituality, self-help and e-mail. Through a broad range of texts, personal experiences and interviews from members of my community, I aim to explore such concepts as, what 'community' means to people, their 'ideal visions' and their lived experience of it. I will investigate what people want and don't want from 'community' as well as what community is, and is not, giving to people in Australia. The content of this essay will also include thoughts on what has changed our experience of community in the last 50 years or more and how community in Australia, in this decade, compares to other times and places. Through exploring mine and other peoples views of what community means to
"Compare and evaluate Durkheim and Tonnies' accounts of social integration in modern societies"
"Compare and evaluate Durkheim and Tonnies' accounts of social integration in modern societies" Both Durkheim and Tonnies discuss their views on 'social integration' within society, and throughout this essay I shall critically assess both of these positions. As stated in Steve Chapman's Essential Word Dictionary, the term 'social integration' suggests a "sense of belonging to a particular social group, community or society". As society is progressively changing and adapting, so too are the communities within society. However it is important to state that there are different 'types' of community within society, the term must not be used too broadly. A 'geographical community' is categorised by people living within a geographical boundary, who are therefore connected as a result of where they live in relation to others. However in comparison, community may also be categorised as a result of 'social relationships' which is not determined by a person's geographical position in any way. Communities defined by 'social relationships' reflect a collection of people with very strong attachments to one another. An example of this may be a religious community, where members have similar norms, values and identities. Durkheim and Tonnies both discuss theories of social integration within society, showing how social behaviour develops and adapts over time. However, within this
