Extent to Which Social Stratification Is Usefull and Inevitable in Society Essay

We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal. With these familiar words of the Declaration of Independence, the founders of America established social equality as a guiding principle. Yet for almost a century after the document was signed, slavery was common in much of the United States, and legal infringement of the rights of women and black Americans continued for almost two centuries. Today,the â€Å"Inalienable right† to â€Å"life,liberty,and pursuit of happiness† is still not equally awarded. For generations now there has been the American Dream of unlimited opportunities for all. The reality, however, has been closer to the underlying principle of the barnyard society in George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’: â€Å"All animals are equal,but some animals are more equal than others. † Therefore the essence of this paper is to critically discuss the extent to which social stratification is useful and inevitable in society. It will start off by providing definitions of technical terms. In order to arrive at a clear understanding of the subject under discussion,the concept of social stratification shall also be explained. In addition,the main systems involved in social stratification will be highlighted. Afterwards,the main subject matter will be discussed and in line with this,examples and theories that apply shall be given in support. Finally,a conclusion will be given. According to Harris and Scott (1997),social status is the position or positions occupied by individuals or groups of individuals in relationship to other groups or individuals in society. Each person occupies a great number of statuses and at the same time are continually changing. For example,one person may occupy the status of a husband,father,skilled worker and so on. However,the bottom line is that status can either be ascribed or achieved. Social mobility refers to the movement of individuals or groups from one status in society to another . Since there are several dimensions to social standing or status,people are able to change position by gaining or losing wealth,prestige and power. Upward mobility refers to movement up the social ladder,or a gain in status;downward movement refers to a movement down the social ladder,or a loss of status. Upward and downward mobility,collectively is what is called vertical mobility,an example of this type of mobility is an individual being promoted from a secretarial position to a management position,hence moves from the lower class to the middle class. Another is the horizontal mobility,this refers to movement within a social class. This happens when an individual moves from one job to another job of same social ranking,for example,an accountant moves from one firm to another. Individuals can also have a higher social status than their parents,this is referred to as intergenerational mobility (Coser 1983). Social stratification is a system by which society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy. The word stratification is derived from the word ‘stratum’ which is a geographical word meaning a layer of rocks of which each layer lies between similar layers of different texture. Sociologists use the term to describe a hierarchical ordering of people or groups as though were arranged in horizontal layers,one above the other. It means that people exist in layers of prestige,power and wealth. It is a structural ranking of people that perpetuate unequal economic rewards and power in society. Social inequality is an inevitable result of social stratification in that certain groups of people stand higher in society,control scarce resources,yield power and receive special treatment. Therefore,a stratified society comprises of members who are either rich, poor, powerful, powerless, high or low (Kerbo and Harold 1991). Social stratification is universal except that it varies from society to society. This means that the hierarchical arrangement takes place in all societies in the world but the criteria used differs from society to society. This is so because every society has its own norms and values hence different culture. For instance,most African societies value marriage or family life while European or American societies encourage working towards the obtaining of wealth. The differences in values and culture differentiates a society from another. Subsequently,in some societies,age and sex are used as systems of social stratification. Nevertheless,the most commonly used include the caste,the class,the colourbar and the estate systems of social stratification. (Ibid). The caste system is also called the closed system of social stratification. In this system,social stratification is based on ascription. It is closed on the sense that birth alone determines one’s social destiny with no opportunity for social mobility based on individual effort. People in this system are ranked in a rigid hierarchy and It is more concerned with religious roles and rituals and is practiced in Hinduism and Indian societies. There are five groups of people in this system namely:the Brahmin,comprising of priests;the Kshatrya, comprising of landlords;the Vaisya,made up of farmers;the Saundra,who are the peasants and the least group being that of the Harijans or the untouchables. In addition,this system is characterized by endogamy. Meaning that marriage outside one’s group is not allowed (Maines and David ,1993). The class system is called the open system. This system is so open that people who gain schooling and skills may experience social mobility. This system was looked at and recognized by Karl Marx and Marx Weber in their Conflict theories. In this system,social mobility drives class distribution. Everyone is believed to be entitled to equal rights and social position,therefore it is based on achievement rather than ascription. In both the cast and class systems people remain unequal but the class system rests on talent,opportunity and effort unlike the caste system which is by birth. In the class system, careers are an issue of individual choice and not moral duty. Consequently,individual freedom is allowed in the selection of marriage partners. (Ibid). The colourbar is another system of social stratification,this system is based on skin colour or race. People in this system are arranged hierarchically on the basis of their skin colour. An example of a colourbar society is South Africa before its independence. There were four main categories of people in South Africa,they were hierarchically categorized as follows;at the top were the Whites,the Colourds,Asians and at the bottom,the Blacks. In addition,colourbar societies are characterized by high levels of segregation,slavery and racism (Goode ,1994). The last system of social stratification is the Estate system. This was a system created by law. Henceforth,laws provided clear distinctions between people. This system acknowledged only three categories of people in society. These were; the Nobles or landlords who owned land and means of production,the Clergy who were men of God and the Commons who worked on the farms of the Nobles in exchange for wages. (Ibid). Ordinarily,social stratification is inevitable in society because it is a characteristic of each and every society and not simply a mere reflection of individual differences. In all societies,people rarely control destinies but rather people’s lives are shaped by the prevailing system of social stratification. For example, children born in wealthy families enjoy better health, food, shelter, clothing, education and succeed in life and live well into old age than those born into poverty. Therefore, social stratification being part of society and not a reflection of personal talents and effort,is inevitable (Shapiro and Thomas, 1998). From the functional perspective,social inequality is both inevitable and necessary for allocating individuals to important social roles. The most persuasive argument for the functional theory of stratification was made nearly forty years ago by Kingsley Davis and Wilbert E. Moore. They contended that people are motivated to perform demanding or difficult roles through the unequal distribution of rewards. If surgeons did not have such high occupational prestige and incomes,Davis and Moore argued,not enough people would put up with the long years of training,life-and-death responsibilities or personal sacrifices that the surgeon’s role requires. On the other hand,Plumbers fulfill a social role that demands less effort and training,make less money and enjoy less prestige. Social inequality according to Davis and Moore is thus an unconsciously evolved device by which societies insure that the most important positions are conscientiously filled by the most qualified persons. Hence every society,no matter how simple or complex must posses a certain amount of institutionalized inequality (Coser ,1983). Further,the unequal distribution of power,prestige and wealth in society motivates individuals to aspire for significant jobs and to work hard and longer,leading to productivity in society. Because the significant jobs are limited,meritocracy is promoted in society. Meritocracy is simply the leadership by people based on quality abilities to do so,the term is derived from the word ‘merit’ which in this case is the quality of being particularly good at something and worth a social reward in terms of wealth ,power or,and prestige. Meritocracy implies excellence in the execution of services. The pursuit for meritocracy promotes equality in terms of opportunities and at the same time encourages inequality in rewards. For example,the zambian Ministry of Education only allows teachers with degrees to teach in high schools. As a result,teachers are compelled to advance their academic qualifications in order to be given a chance to work in such schools and for them to enjoy higher salaries. Because of this,pupils benefit quality education from highly qualified teachers. Societies that use meritocracy hold out rewards to develop the talents and encourage the efforts of everyone. In other words,a pure class system would be a meritocracy,rewarding everyone based on ability and efforts. Such societies would have extensive social mobility and varying social categories as individuals move up or down on the social ladder depending on their performance, (Ibid). Social stratification is necessary because it promotes a culture of corporation between people of the the same category. People tend to want to work together with those in the same position as them. For example,those who are underprivileged tend to work together in coming up with community initiatives for the betterment of their conditions (De Beer ,2000). While the functionalist perspective succeeds in explaining the importance of social stratification,several flaws are pointed out. Melvin (1953),argues that functional importance does not explain the high rewards certain people enjoy. Income and rewards seem to have little to do with functional contribution to society by the individual. For example,Hollywood actors earn millions more of dollars compared to Doctors and military personnel. Another critic is that it is impossible to say which social positions are more important than others. Which society would function better,the critics ask,one with no surgeons or one with no plumbers? Furthermore,it is quite possible that some unrewarded positions such as garbage collectors and ousewives contribute more to society than some highly rewarded positions like professional athletes and movie stars (Coser ,1983). Another critic is that,although societies reward individual achievements,it also allows families to transfer wealth and power from generation to generation. For example,the royal family in Swaziland ensures that its line of leadership is maintained by appointing only members of the royal family as supreme rulers of the nation. (Ibid) While functional theorists ar gue that inequality benefits the society as a whole,conflict theorists point out that it benefits some people more than others. According to this perspective, stratification exists because certain groups are able to exploit and dominate others through force or through traditional inherited privileges. Modern Marxists see classes as conflicting groups;rulers against ruled, haves against have nots. The conflict ideas depend heavily on the ideas of Marx and Weber. The dual contributed greatly to the study of social stratification. The scholars however had different views on social class and inequality. Karl Marx saw class as related to the means of production. Primarily,Marx viewed the structure of society in relation to major classes and the struggle between classes as the engine of change . According to Becker and Howard (1973:278),Marx defined class in terms of ownership of property, â€Å" ownership vests on a person with the power to exclude others from the property and use it for personal purposes. † In relation to property,there are two classes in society that Marx identified; the Bourgeoisie who own and control the means of production and the Proletariat who own labour and sell it to the bourgeoisie for a wage. According to Marx class is thus determined by property and not by income or status. Further,Marx saw the development of class conflict as confined to individual factories. Therefore,the maturing of capitalism,the growing disparity between life conditions of bourgeoisie and the proletariate as well as homogenization within each class, struggles become generalized across factories. Increasingly,class conflicts manifest at societal level. Hence, class consciousness is increased, common interests and policies are organized and the use of struggle for political power occurs. Classes become political forces. The distribution of political power is determined by power over production. Capital confers political power which the bourgeoisie use to legitimize and protect their acquired property and consequent social positions. The State business is that of the bourgeoisie. In other words, the state rule, power and its distribution are all in favor of the ruling class (Garfinkel and Harold,1967). Meanwhile, Marx Weber agreed with Karl Marx but added that social stratification is more complex and based on three factors that are inter-linked. These factors are;class which is a person’s economic position in society, based on birth and individual achievement. Weber differs from Marx in that he does not see this as the supreme factor in stratification. Weber noted how managers of corporations or industries control firms they do not own; Marx would have placed such a person in the proletariat. The other factor is status, this is a person’s prestige, social honor, or popularity in a society. Weber noted that political power was not rooted in capital value solely, but also in one’s individual status. Poets or saints, for example, can possess immense influence on society with often little economic worth. And lastly is the factor of power, which is a person’s ability to get their way despite the resistance of others. For example, individuals in state jobs, such as an employee of the Office of the President (O. P) or a Member of Parliament (M. P) may hold little property or status but they still hold immense power. Unlike Marx,Weber claimed there to be in fact four main classes: the upper class, the white collar workers, the petite bourgeoisie and the manual working class. Weber’s theory more-closely resembles modern western class structures. The conflict theory also takes a one-sided approach to stratification. One of its major shortcomings is that it fails to recognize that unequal rewards are based partially on differences in talent, skill and desire. Not everyone is suited for every social position in the social structure. Consequently,society must have some way to argue the proper individuals into positions that are vital to the smooth operation of society. In conclusion, this paper has critically discussed the extent to which social stratification is useful and inevitable in society. As is alluded by the functionalist theory and the Davis Moore thesis,it plays a vital part in the operation of society and as such has beneficial consequences as discussed. And as alluded by the conflict theory that it is not entirely beneficial to the society as a whole but provides advantages to some people at the expense of others,hence brings about exploitation and increase in inequality. Therefore,it can clearly be concluded that firstly social stratification is inevitable as it exists in every society and secondly that it is to some extent useful as well as not to another because it has its advantages and disadvantages.

A Rose for Emily Summary

A Rose for Emily Summary A Rose for Emily Summary NOTE! The below paper is just an example written by one of our staff writers. If you need an original summary of A Rose for Emily or a paper on a different topic, feel free to place your order. â€Å"A Rose for Emily† by William Faulkner is one of the classics penned down in 1930. This short story appeared in a magazine at first and later rose to fame and glory. Faulkner called his story a â€Å"Ghost story† due to the lurid appeal of his piece of writing. In a gist, it can be said that this story depicts the broader ideas and is a marvelous portrait of how rigid social constraints impede the women from progressing. This story depicts anomalous psychology and necrophilia which force the audience to be dallied into the damp and dusty world of Emily Grierson (Perry, 1979). As stated above, William Faulkner wrote â€Å"A Rose for Emily† short story in the 1930’s and there are many recognizable references to that time period. One indication of this is when he mentions the veterans wearing their Confederate uniforms and the fact that Miss Emily had a Negro man servant who probably began as a slave to the family. Emily lived in the town of Jefferson all of her life, where the people of the township assumed she was a snob, one of the stuck-up elite, when they truly did not know the woman at all. Notwithstanding her money, she spent the majority of her life hidden away from society – of her own volition. William Faulkner’s â€Å"A Rose for Emily† is a short account from the point of view of one of the townspeople. When Miss Emily dies, he recounts for his readers the few major incidents in the old woman’s life that had any significant meaning to the people of the township. She rarely spoke to anyone and after having been given freedom from her taxes by the Mayor, refused to pay said taxes for the rest of her life, regardless of the persistent prodding of the elders in the town (A Rose for Emily, 1930). Characters in A Rose for Emily The characters in the story â€Å"A Rose for Emily† are well-drawn and easy to relate to, although Faulkner’s description of Miss Emily is really the only solid picture given. Emily Grierson Emily Grierson is the object of fascination in this short story. Emily’s stance in this story is that of a muted and mysterious figure, in totality. It can be said that she has been looked upon as the classic outsider and controlling woman by the author. The author has viewed Emily as a woman whose mind inhabits dusty and dark imagination. Faulkner has depicted Emily as a monument for whom he has two different perspectives to view her. On one hand, the narrator has used the instrument of pity and irritation to describe her, while on the other hand, he has also established a thriller to prove that the woman is a necrophiliac in reality. Although, the author has also portrayed Emily as a strong woman who has the courage to live life according to her own terms and conditions but at the same time she also has a strong desire to overpower others and control them which is the reason that she resorts to kill Homer so as to establish complete control over him. The narrator has showcased Emily as a woman who lacks stability. He has opined of her to be a traditional monument in herself who is steadfastly staying in the community despite the evolution and the changes that her community has been witnessing at a continual pace (Faulkner, et.al, 1958). She has two sides to her aura where the people wish to respect her due to her being the living tradition to the past while the people also consider her as a burden since she is completely aloof from the rest of the world with certain peculiarities in her character that the other people find it hard to understand. Emily is a woman with several eccentricities in her behavior. She lives in a world of her own creation and refuses to be at par with the reality or the modern developments taking place around her. For the narrator, Emily is nothing but a drowned woman who is rather a pale and bloated figure in existence, in reality; he has made a reference where he has already portrayed her as a dead corpse. Emily’s necrophilia (sexual orientation towards the dead bodies) is a tad bit strange for her bizarre relationship with the corpses is unusual. For Faulkner, Emily is the subject of intense gossip for all the people who reside in the town of Jefferson. There are quite a few misinterpretations about Emily in the town for the people who know too less about her. For most of the length of the story, Emily is only seen from a distance by the people. Emily has a murky relationship with the reality and refuses to accept it whatsoever. The protagonist tries to conceal her true nature and keep the secrets about her limited to herself. Emily is a living example of the perverse things that people do in pursuit of their happiness and her necrophilia is one of such things. In this multilayered prose, Faulkner has depicted Emily Grierson though a complex figure was yet the talk of the town for her eeriness. Many people even monitored the movements of Emily and spied upon her while some people felt obliged to protect her. Homer Barron Another character of some significance is Homer Barron, who was thought by the town folk to be a man who enjoyed other men’s company as opposed to women. It was obvious at one point that Miss Emily intended to marry him. But then, he disappeared (A Rose for Emily, 1930). William Faulkner’s Style and Tone in A Rose for Emily William Faulkner’s style and tone are very consistent. Many of his short stories are the simple telling of a tale in plain English. His work is never difficult to understand and he paints a lively picture of the eras, people, and places he uses to tell his stories. A definite master of his craft, William Faulkner gives luscious life to this story as he does all of his writings. While he gives his narrator a tone that is much like the gossip of the ladies in the town he speaks about, approving and disapproving in turn, it is also forgiving and respectful of Miss Emily. Setting of A Rose for Emily The setting of a ‘A Rose for Emily’ is basically a small town called Jefferson in the South and a big, old plantation set away from the other residents. The settings for Faulkner’s stories are always elaborate and detailed, while still letting the imagination see the old South as it was during his period. It is easy to picture this town of Jefferson that Faulkner has invented because while it is detailed specifically for his story, it could be any Southern township in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Symbolism in A Rose for Emily William Faulkner has specifically chosen the title of this story as â€Å"A Rose for Emily† due to symbolism that is used throughout the short story. Upon understanding the title step by step, it can be said that â€Å"rose† is a symbolism for love in reality. Thus, in this context, the rose represents love that Emily had for Homer Barron. In the lines where the narrator has mentioned, â€Å"And that was the last we saw of Homer Barron†, the meaning of the word rose in the title became very evident. It can be perceived that Emily did something to Homer which is quite evident through the discussion that Emily had with the drug store owner that she perhaps bought something that was bigger and more important than killing an ordinary rat. Emily was seen by others when purchasing arsenic that she was going to kill herself, however, no one thought that she would be murdering Homer Barron in actuality since she could have done anything to spend the rest of her life with Barron who was her â€Å"rose†. She deeply loved him and in order to be with him for the rest of her life, she killed him. Thus, the rose has been constantly continued in the story in the form of Homer Barron. Hence, the title is extremely important since it depicts and strings together the story through symbolism. If the story had been named differently, the strength of Emily’s love would not have been noticeable. The rose is thus the biggest symbol of importance in the story. However, for many people, a rose might simply determine the profundity of love, as in when someone wishes to convey, â€Å"I love you†. But in this case, love is simply extreme, as Miss Emily would have done anything just to keep Homer Barron around her for the rest of her life. Hence, the meaning of rose starts to become evident as one begins to read the story further and realizes the profundity of love that Emily had for Homer Barron. There are also several other images of symbolism in A Rose for Emily story that should be taken into account. For instance, the house she lived in was huge, sprawling, and luxurious at one time. It was built in the 1870’s, which suggests that the Griersons were truly doing well for themselves after the Civil War. Unfortunately, the huge, beautiful house became a prison for Emily after Homer Barron died. Miss Emily’s hair is another example of symbolism that Faulkner used in this story. He states the color of her hair and its gradual turning to an iron-gray over the years many times as he tells the story. In the end, it was the iron-gray hair on the pillowcase that gave rise the unease of the visitors to the upstairs room that had been boarded off for forty years (A Rose for Emily, 1930). Although William Faulkner may or may not have intended to, his story A Rose for Emily gives reason for social interaction, for friends, and for outside activities. It shows how isolated a person can make themselves when they are in the depths of depression and fear. If anything, A Rose for Emily short story exemplifies how impossible it is to know exactly what is going on behind closed doors, unless you are on the inside. References A Rose for Emily. (1930). Retrieved from: http://flightline.highline.edu/tkim/Files/Lit100_SS2.pdf Faulkner, William. (1958). A Rose for Emily. Verlag F. Schà ¶ningh. Perry, Menakhem. (1979). Literary dynamics: how the order of a text creates its meanings [with an analysis of Faulkners A Rose for Emily]. Poetics today 1.1/2: 35-361.

Top 7 College Dating Blogs

Top 7 College Dating Blogs Dating and college – its easy to see why plenty of people think the two simply dont mix. Dealing with the emotional ups and downs of a relationship on top of papers, professors, essays and exams can be enough to send just about anyone running for the hills. But true love waits for no man – and no semester break – so when dating and relationships get to be a bit sticky, its time to turn to one of these 7 blogs about dating while in college to help see you through. You Can Get the Girl! Although this website focuses on how to get a girl, the advice is easily transferable for women looking to grab the guy of their dreams. However, since the focus is on women, this is an especially helpful website and blog even for those who simply dont know where to start. Their bloggers and writers focus on everything from approaching a girl for the first time to planning the perfect date and tips on how to follow up and turn that date into the beginning of something beautiful. The College Crush College may be a time for change, but some things always remain the same. When you find yourself in the throes of a full on crush, chances are youll feel like youre back in grade school. The College Crush crew are there to help with great information on how to tell if your crush might be flirting back or just leading you on along with tips on how to turn crushing on someone into a real life relationship. Once youve landed your crush, you can head on over to their helpful sections on developing a strong relationship and how to best blend your new significant other with the friends who have been there since Day One. College Gloss The College Gloss website offers a bit of everything and students can find help and advice on a wide array of topics, from the best way to make space in a cramped dorm room to how to maintain a relationship while youre dealing with a full class and work schedule. Although the feel and focus of the website will appeal mainly to women, men can find helpful advice on whether or not to wait a day to text, how sending good morning texts and email can boost a relationship and other relationship mysteries. Best of all, College Gloss offers a truly one stop experience from everything from getting dressed to finding an internship. College Candy College Candy tackles issues like relationships, hookups and style with the same passion other websites dedicate to studying, class selection and resume building. While their subject focus may be more light-hearted than most, the passion with which they write is second to none. The authors at College Candy help out with advice on overcoming shyness and difficulty breaking the ice as well as grappling with serious problems, stresses and strains that can seriously affect – and destroy – college relationships. They focus mainly on romance, style and friendships – all of which can make or break your college experience. When youve got your classes figured out but your fellow students are the real puzzle, College Candy comes to the rescue. College Passions Their name may sound like an afternoon soap opera, but College Passions is all about connecting students. Modeled after other popular dating websites, College Passions matches up co-eds based on location, major and shared interests. The website offers a completely free membership and its only open to college students so you wont have to worry about sifting through profiles looking for someone who understands where youre coming from in terms of the stress of college life. They also offer ways for members to chat online, a special email account and general resources to help with finding textbooks, saving money or just joining in their community forum. Her Campus Dont let the name throw you – Her Campus is there to help every student, albeit with a heaping helping of pink. Her Campus maintains an amazing amount of info and gets started at the beginning by helping high school students find the college of their choice, get tips on how to apply and ultimately how to survive the entire experience. In terms of relationship help, Her Campus provides readers by poking fun at the dating scene with lists like â€Å"The 8 Worst Pick-Up Lines Actually Attempted on Collegiettes† as well as help with more practical relationship problems like dealing with long holiday breaks and surviving through each others mid-term madness. Dating Advice As its name suggests, this is one of the most straight forward and simple dating websites around today. Featured on outlets such as CNN, the Huffington Post and HLN, Dating Advice delivers exactly what it says – advice on every aspect of dating imaginable. From negotiating your way through online dating to dealing with friends and significant others who just dont mix. They also offer a members forum and access to various studies and reports which will satisfy psychology majors and obsessive over-analyzers alike.

Why school lunches should be picked up by the childrens parents Essay

Why school lunches should be picked up by the childrens parents - Essay Example Balanced diet not only helps them in their physical growth but also ensures mental alertness that facilitates their academic advancements. Also, the increasing concern of rapidly growing obesity amongst children in America has emerged as major social problem. In US, in the last three decades, and obesity in children and adolescent has nearly tripled (HHS News, 2001, ref.1). At the same time, lack of proper nourishment amongst children coming from impoverished families of immigrants, have compounded the problem of academia where children are not able to cope with the stress of the education curricula. In such a scenario, school lunches serve as vital linkages for creating facilitating environment for improved academic results and healthy eating habits. Thesis statement School lunches would help inculcate better eating habits amongst children and thereby help arrest the increasing tendency of obesity amongst American children. Rationale for the proposal Good nutrition and healthy food significantly contributes to a child’s proper growth and general well being that helps to improve his or her academic achievements. In the increasing pluralistic society, the diversity of race, income and nationality has brought forth huge social problems of conflicting ideologies and wide income disparity. The children living in impoverished conditions in the neighborhood colonies have inadvertently become innocent victim of the time. Delgade (2005) asserts that in 2000, 35.7% of Latino population was less than 18 years of age and therefore, in 20 years of time, there will be lot more younger Latinos. There is huge number of dropouts because of many reasons, not the least important being poverty and lack of will to educate themselves. US census corroborates his statement and confirms that that by 2050, Latinos will reach 25% of the total U.S. population (US Census, 1999). This is staggering number could create mammoth social problem if the low literacy problem amongst childr en of the immigrant and impoverished families is not addresses urgently. Mid day lunch in schools would provide them with healthy food and help meet their physical, mental and emotional need when they would be better able to contribute positively to their academic grades. Obesity amongst children of mainstream American population is another worrying aspect which must be tackled in more effective manner. CDC data reveals that from 1980 to 2008, childhood obesity had increased from 6.5% to nearly 20% for 6-11 year olds and 5% to 18% for 12-19 year olds. Studies have shown that fat intake of children in US has inadequate amounts of fresh fruits, vegetables, and complex carbohydrates, but excessive amounts of fats. The increasing tendency towards fast food promotes sedentary lifestyle which causes obesity (Ebbeling et al., 2002; Smith, 1999). The widespread ramifications of obesity considerably increase risks to life and health. Diseases like high blood pressure, heart problems, diabete s are some of the major by products of obesity. The children therefore must be encouraged towards healthy dietary habits and active lifestyle. Solution to the problem The advancing technology has covertly promoted sedentary lifestyle amongst children as children have become addicted to the computers, television and mobile phones. This has also resulted in bad eating habits and erratic schedule. The increasing consumption of fast food and aerated drinks by amongst children and adolescents are the major causes for their obese and overweight problems as they are high on calories and low on nourishment. The policy of school lunch for students during school hours, therefore, becomes highly relevant for children as it would encourage healthy diet at the right time. The

Lean management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Lean management - Essay Example For instance, the company’s board of directors could seek for crucial information from other board of directors from other companies on their preferred mode of production that has been successful in the other company. Secondly, they can conduct training on all the managers of the company on how to motivate employees and make better decisions affecting the company. Though the manager is not the only one entitled to making such important decisions affecting a company, their input is important. However, it is important for them to consider the input of other employees in the organization since the combined effort can bear better fruits than if a single entity was mandated to make such decisions. After some thorough investigation and gaining ample information on the required mode of production or service delivery, the board of directors, managers, and employees can then schedule a meeting and compare notes on the best alternative. They should ensure that the mode of production they come up with saves on cost but at the same time deliver quality products to customers. In addition, the mode of service delivery should enhance customer satisfaction for them to attract and retain more

Viewing Disability Binary vs. Continuum Coursework

Viewing Disability Binary vs. Continuum - Coursework Example In this regard, viewing disability in a binary sense would be unfair as persons who have suffered disabilities because of one reason or the other. Therefore, it should be seen as a continuum and hence set as a bio-psychosocial representation incorporating both social and medical forms of disability. A binary view of disability would further hinder an interactive and accommodative situation of the complexities of his or her impairment or disability and the environment. Viewing the disability as a continuum would afford the individual the chance to see all aspects of their body functioning. It would also open for them the opportunity to exploit their capacity and partake in various activities. On the other hand, a binary view of disability would not consider the interrelation between the resultant interaction of contextual factors and an individuals health condition where disability should be regarded as an injury. It should also be measured in the context of the limitations in the activities an individual can perform their capacity and their performance at society levels hence. Schelly, D. (2008). Problems associated with choice and quality of life for an individual with intellectual disability: a personal assistants reflexive ethnography. Disability & Society, 23(7), 719-732.

Reimbursement and Pay-for-Performance Essay Example for Free

Reimbursement and Pay-for-Performance Essay Introduction As we come into the 21st Century, we find Healthcare is at a crisis level. Every agency is working on healthcare reform from policymakers to the public and private sector, as well as federally funded Medicare and Medicaid. The business of Medicine is greatly influenced by the government (federal, state and local levels) and private health sections that initiate policies. Pay for Performance is a reimbursement method where physicians and hospitals can receive a higher reimbursement for duplicate services based on the fact that they deliver better quality care with better results and outcomes. This payment reform offers initiates intended to improve efficiency, value, and quality of health care (Hood, 2007). If all doctors receive the same dollar amount as a doctor with poor outcomes, then the doctor with great outcomes should receive a little more and there will be patients that do not mind paying a higher deductible for better medical services (Mayes, 2006). Definition for Pay for performance Kimmel (2005), Pay for performance is a payment approach used in healthcare that is based on clinical information-driven reform. The fundamental concept is to tie payment to how well providers adhere to practice standards. The practice standards are evidence-based and tied to clinical outcomes. The primary areas of focus are preventive care delivery and disease management for chronic illnesses†. Effects on Reimbursement Pay for performance (P4P) is literally a group of performance indicators that are coupled with an incentive. The performance indicators supports the performance aspect of P4P while the incentive indicator is the pay component. Measuring patient outcomes and understanding the variances that  they have, has in part lead to the increasing rise in how pay for performance reimbursement is looked at. This style of reimbursement allows health plans and employers to pay increasing reimbursements to medical providers that have the better outcomes, give average outcome medical providers a chance to improve, and pay those medical providers with the lowest outcomes the least amount of money or not pay them at all (Cromwell, Trisolini, Pope, Mitchell, Greenwald. 2011). In order to have a pay for performance system in place, you must decide what domains or areas you wish to track, measure, and reward. Some areas in this domain are clinical process, quality and patient safety, access to and availability of care, cost efficiency or cost of care, cost-effectiveness, administrative efficiency and compliance, adoption of information technology, and reporting of performance indicators. These can be set up as a single performance tracker or a multi-domain performance tracker and the measure needed for improvement, importance, and cost. Performance indicators should be valid, reliable, and informative (Cromwell, Trisolini, Pope, Mitchell, Greenwald. 2011). The Incentive Schemes reward the performance measures, and is another important part of a pay for performance system. Funding proves to be another important part of this type of a reimbursement system. Types of funding include redistributing existing payments where additional funds will not have to be made and the quality of service is already high; however, medical providers with a lower quality of service will receive lower reimburse ments. Generated Savings and New Money are other sources of funding for performance measures. Generated savings claim that an increased quality of service will generate savings, although there are others who feel that new money should be used to fund the performance system. (Cromwell, Trisolini, Pope, Mitchell, Greenwald. 2011). Impact of System Cost Reductions on the Quality and Efficiency of Health Care The Medicare Physicians Group Practice (PGP) was the first physician pay for performance model used by the federal government. The PGP believes that higher quality and better cost efficiency could be achieved by managing and coordinating patient care and by engaging in wider choices of care management that are able to improve cost efficiency and quality of health care. Interventions include; chronic disease management, high risk and higher cost care management, transitional care management, end-of-life and palliative care programs. If there were a more  successful payment and delivery method to increase the value of health care and improve quality of care, the cost would grow at a slower pace. The American people would be more likely to purchase health insurance coverage that is affordable and more valuable. (Kautter, Pope, Trisolini, 2007). More progress toward effective delivery and system reform is one of the key elements to achieving the goals to push expanded coverage. Information technology is one of these key elements and a major part of pay for performance system. Information systems uses electronic medical records and patient registries have been created to improve the efficiency and quality of health care delivery. These type of initiatives that are being tested to see if cost savings are generated by reducing avoidable hospital stays, cutting down on readmissions and emergency room visits, while simultaneously improving quality of care (Kautter, Pope, Trisolini, 2007). Effect of Pay for performance on Health Care Providers and Their Customers Meredith B. Rosenthal states, Pay for performance will not replace the existing payment structure in either system, but it does allow payors to take into account a set of quality indicators, in addition to volume of service (as fee-for-service does now) or the number of covered lives (in the case of capitation). In this view, pay for performance can be viewed as a mechanism to correct some of the distortionary incentives that already exist in the reimbursement system. Physicians in the United States are paid on a fee-for-service basis. This encourages high volumes of services, where there is no regard to the value of services in regards to a patient. When services are reimbursed more generously than others it allows the payment system to influence additional medical services with a heavy emphasis on procedure-based care. Since the physicians pay is not attached to medical services provided, there is really no direct incentive to provide any services (How Will Paying for Performance Affect Patient Care?. (2006, March). Virtual Mentor, 8(3), 162-165). Effects of Pay for performance on the Future of Health Care Goldberg lists three points regarding the most significant implications of the movement toward paying for quality outcomes. These are that the quality and value become real parts of contractual reimbursement, the differences based on quality outcomes will be more evident grouped with provider tiers,  and quality metrics evolve to outcome-based and chronic disease management (Goldberg 2006). P4P is an incentive-based reimbursement system that rewards the best players. This pay for performance system is currently active in health systems, managed care settings, and private and group physician’s practices. P4P is likely to impact the entire health care environment and will provide yet another opportunity for pharmacy to become an active role player and leader with improving quality and efficient health care. The focus is not on value but on quality and cost. Pay for performance is not a new program, but in the age of informed choice, evidence based medicine, and patient safety, it can become the solution to our current health care dilemma (Pay for performance (P4P): Evaluating Current and Future Implications). Conclusion These pay for performance systems and programs will lead expansion across the United States health care industry in the near future. With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, there has been a great amount of provision made to encourage continued improvement with quality of care. Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are groups of providers that agree to coordinate care and to be held accountable for the quality and cost of the services they provide (James, 2012). There needs to be a consensus as to how much of an incentive will have to be given in order to affect the needed change and how should these incentives be paid out monthly, quarterly, or yearly; and how can these improvements be sustained over time. Continued experimentation with the pay for performance model should begin to incorporate monitoring and evaluation in identifying design elements that will also affect outcomes in a positive way. Variations in health care markets should be evaluated and include comparison groups to isolate pay for performance from other types of factors. Pay for performance has some great attributes to it and could definitely be the beginning to improvements in quality of service. If physicians are receiving patients and referrals based on their ability to provide quality of service with reduced readmissions and more satisfied consumers, then the care they take in providing services to patients from admission to discharge will create positive change. References Cromwell, J., Trisolini, M. G., Pope, G. C., Mitchell, J. B., and Greenwald, L. M., Eds. (2011). Pay for Performance in Health Care: Methods and Approaches. RTI Press publication No. BK-0002-1103. Research Triangle Park, NC: RTI Press. Retrieved June 15, 2014, from http://www.rti.org/rtipress Goldberg, L. (2006). Paying for performance a call for quality health care. Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. Retrieved from http://www.deloitte.com/assets/Dcom-UnitedStates/Local%20Assets/Documents/us_chs_p4p_032806%281%29.pdf Hood, R. (2007). Pay-for-Performance-Financial Health Disparities and the Impact on Healthcare Disparities. Journal of the National Medical Association, 99, 1-6. James, J. (2012). Pay-for-Performance. New payment systems reward doctors and hospitals for improving the quality of care, but studies to date show mixed results.. Health Policy Brief, 1-6, Retrieved June 15, 2014, from http://www.healthaffairs.org/healthpolicybriefs/brief.php?brief_id=78. Kautter, J., Pope, G., Trisolini, M. (2007, Fall). Medicare physician group practice demonstration design: quality and efficiency pay for performance. Health Care Financing Review, 29(1), 15-29. Retrieved June 15, 2014, from http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Demonstration-Projects/DemoProjectsEvalRpts/downloads/PGP_D emo_Design.pdf Kimmel, K. (2005). Pay for Performance: An Economic Imperative for Clinical Information Systems. Retrieved June 15, 2014, from http://www.himss.org/content/files/PayForPerformance.pdf Mayes, R. (2006). The Origins of and Economic Momentum Behind Pay for Performance Reimbursement. Health Law Review, 15, 17-22. Pay for performance (P4P): Evaluating Current and Future Implications. Retrieved June 15, 2014, from https://www.ashp.org/DocLibrary/Policy/QII/Pay for performance.aspx Rosenthal, M. (2006). How Will Paying for Performance Affect Patient Care?. Virtual Mentor, 8, 162-165.