A Study On Disability Social Problem Social Policy Essay

A Study On Disability Social Problem Social Policy Essay Disability excites interest because disability is seen as a social problem i.e. it is seen either in terms of personal tragedy or of blame. Social problems generate public concern and private misery and call for collective action to remedy this (Worsley, 1972). Disability has been theorised in a number of different ways, most of which locate the problem in the individual rather than the broader social, political, and economic influences. This has implications for the location of the blame for social problems, such that they become depoliticised. The rise in the idea of the politics of minority groups is well documented and implies that in the case of people with disabilities who are unable to work the Government should provide a whole range of services. Because most Governments are unwilling to commit themselves this far, disability is again defined as a social problem, and often the burden of care lies with the family (Moore, 2002). This paper will give an account of definitions of disability and the ways in which they impact on disabled people. There will be an exploration of the concept and history of the family and its contemporary diverse forms, and an examination of the ways in which the ideology of the family has problematised the concept of care. The paper will then assess how the family has been implicated in both solving and defining the problem of disability and to what extent the social problem that is disability is a matter of private concern for families. Models of Disability The medical model of health is the most powerful in western society, doctors introduced a curative model of health that concentrated on the body where the hospital became the space for such models were put into practice (Walsh et al, 2000). This model situates ill health in the individual and ignores the social circumstances that may give rise to ill health, furthermore it has impacted on government healthcare policy throughout the twentieth century. The situation is exacerbated by the medicalisation of many conditions making them into a problem that can only be addressed by experts, as Brisenden(1986) comments: The problem is that medical people tend to see all difficulties solely from the perspective of proposed treatments for a patient, without recognising that the individual has to weigh up whether this treatment fits into the overall economy of their life. In the past especially, doctors have been too willing to suggest medical treatment and hospitalisation, even when this would not necessarily improve the quality of life for the person concerned. Indeed, questions about the quality of life have sometimes been portrayed as something of an intrusion upon the purely medical equation. (Brisenden, 1986:176). The medical model leads to the treatment of people with disabilities as passive objects of medical attention. This is oppressive of disabled people and spreads to other social relationships, it sees disability as pathological i.e. rooted in a persons biology, and thus unchanging. Contained within this model is the perception of people with disabilities as problematic. Disability has also been theorized as a personal tragedy, resulting in individuals with a disability being seen as victims. This results in policy making whereby people with disabilities need compensating for their disability. This model also affects social relationships. The view of disability as personal tragedy individualises disability so that it becomes depoliticised and the disabled person must make his or her adjustments to that disability as best they can (Dalley, 1990). In locating disability within the individual society denies any responsibility to cater for the diversity of their needs (Oliver, 1990). The third way in which disability has been theorized is in the social model of disability. This model is becoming increasingly dominant in research on disability. Vassey (1992) has described it thus: redefining disability in terms of a disabling environment, repositioning disabled people as citizens with rights, and reconfiguring the responsibilities for creating, sustaining and overcoming disablism (Vassey, 1992:44).. Here the person is disabled because of the refusal of society to provide for example suitable access for the wheelchair user. This model stresses that a disabling society leads to the exclusion of people with disabilities. Oliver (1996) contends that this notion has been politically empowering for disabled people, and has allowed a previously contested notion to develop an agenda that has influenced policy making. Some people see disability as entirely a result of social structures and processes while others feel that society compounds the difficulties that disabled people encounter. Disability is not a universal category, people have different types and degrees of impairment, some can function well with technical aids while still others are, to a greater or lesser degree, dependent on the care of other people (Dalley, 1988). The Concept and History of the Family Parsons (1955) argued that the family is the primary place of socialization and serves to introduce and instill the norms and values of society. Parsons model was what is commonly known as the nuclear family, i.e. parents and children living together to provide the mutual love and support that individuals need to be productive members of society (Giddens, 2001). Murdock (1949 cited in Giddens, 2001) maintains that traditional concepts of the family are a universal phenomenon. Others criticise the nuclear model for being too narrow and for neglecting the fact that not all family members experience life in the same way (Abbott and Wallace, 1997). Whether the nuclear family is regarded as universal depends largely on how the family is defined, certainly it is no longer the norm in contemporary society. Gittins (1993) maintains that there are a wide variety of domestic relationships. Thus relationships may be universal but the forms they take can be infinitely variable. There are many single parent families, whether through death, divorce or choice, there are also second marriages that often result in reconstituted families. The nuclear model relates specifically to nineteenth and early twentieth century ideological views of the family (Giddens, 2001). The Family and Ideology Until the late seventeenth century there was little or no distinction between the public and the private sphere, families generally worked the land and they did this together. The rise of industrialization and the growth of the towns brought massive changes to what had constituted family life up until that time. Feminists argue that for centuries women have been the subordinate sex in society and this subordination is largely a result of the fact that they have been born women rather than men. This subordination increased with industrialisation and the separation between public and private spheres (Oakley 1982). The coming of the factory meant that the family was replaced as the unit of production. The growing dependence of children, Oakley (1982) states, led to womens increased dependence on men and their restriction to the private sphere. Throughout the nineteenth century there was a growing idealisation of the feminine. Women were regarded as both physically and emotionally weaker than men and unfit for the same roles. Victorian ideology said that women were created to help men and should thus remain at home. This primarily affected the middle classes but as the century progressed the working class were also influenced by this ideology, locking women into the housewife role (Oakley, 1982). Murdock (1949 in Giddens, 2001) argued that gender roles are the natural result of the biological differences between men and women. Mens superior strength and womens childbearing capabilities make the sexual division of labour the most sensible way of organising society. Delphy (1977) maintains that this results in sexual inequality. Gender differences are not innate but socially constructed to serve the interests of the socially dominant group. Delphy contends that women are a separate class because the categories of man and woman are political and economic, rather than eternal biological categories. Within the family particularly, women form a class who are exploited by men, as Delphy states: While the wage-labourer sells his labour power, the marrie woman gives hers away; exclusivity and non-payment are intimately connected. To supply unpaid labour within the framework of a universal and personal relationship (marriage) constructs primarily a relationship of slavery (Delpy, 1977:15). This relationship has been exploited by successive Governments and is implicit in many social policy initiatives. The Family and the Welfare State The post-war welfare state which promised universal welfare provision, was set up on the assumption of full employment and the notion that men would go out to work while women stayed home (Abbott and Wallace, 1997).. Moore (2002) maintains that this is an ideological view of the family and how it might function. In the late 1970s the Tories actively discouraged alternatives to the traditional family e.g. cohabitation and gay partnerships (Abbott and Wallace, 1997). Since the Thatcher Government public and policy debates on family life, parenting and health have centered around the idea of responsibility (Such and Walker 2004) Moore (2002) maintains that in the thinking of the seventies and also in Labours Third Way, family members have a duty to help each other as it is not the job of the state to look after them. The state takes over when no-one else is around to share the burden. The fact that the State has had to intervene, it is argued, is one of the reasons why the traditional family is on the decline. In a good society members should help each other without regard to personal benefit. The State should be there to provide a safety net when there is no other help available. New Labour advocate a mixed economy of welfare where welfare is provided in part by the state and partly by private companies operating for profit. The shift from public to private has received much publicity and contributed to social problems and to social exclusion. Previously highly subsidized, or universal, services have either become part of the private sector, or have been subject to means testing, some welfare provision has been handed over to voluntary organizations. This has increased the likelihood that welfare and caring are now a private rather than a public responsibility (Giddens, 2001). This tends to stigmatise further those who are forced to rely on benefits, e.g. the disabled and their carers, usually women. The State and Womens Caring Role Marxist feminists e.g. Walby (1990) argue that the gender ideology that has filtered down to the working classes has affected their solidarity as a class and this makes them more easily controllable by the Capitalist system. While Marxism gives an explanation of exploitation by the capitalist system it does not explain the inequalities between women and men. Delphy (1977) maintains that gender and sexual inequality should be the fundamental categories of feminist analysis. Marxism alone does not explain for example why women are seen as responsible for household tasks. Capitalism could still profit if men stayed at home. The Community Care Act of 1990 has imposed further responsibilities on women in the role of informal carers. Dalley (1988) argues that much Governments policy making has been based on ideologies of caring with the assumptions behind the idea of community care being based on outmoded notions of the family. In practice this notion of caring disadvantages women carers and also many disabled or older dependent relatives. Within such an ideology, the caring that women do in the home is considered to be a natural part of womens role within the family. Thus, her caring role become invisible and shouldering the burden increases the likelihood that women will themselves be in need of care (Graham, 1993). This is borne out by the increasing number of women who suffer from disabilities and mental health problems. Womens caring role is further undermined by the idea that any health care that matters is given by professionals. When this is accompanied by Government discourses of self-help, self-reliance and the responsibility of the family this adds to the social stigma that disabled people face. It focuses on the disability, not the person themselves, inevitably this places an added strain on families. The prevalence of the medical model of health and the ways in which families are kept under-informed regarding the disability of a family member, particularly a child, affects family relationships. Gregory (1991) maintains that when a person is diagnosed as diabled this affects the ways in which society and the family respond to and deal with that person. Families themselves can tend to see the disabled family member as sick and different. Gregory (1991) found that having a disabled family member also affected the way in which mothers viewed themselves because ideological images of motherhood focus on having an able child. Thus a woman may feel that she is somehow not a mother because of the ways in which society defines motherhood. Press reports on disabled children and their families usually present them in terms of sacrifice and heroism (Gregory, 1991). This can affect family members response to the disabled person, their forced reliance on the medical model, and the view of disability as a tragedy becomes universalized. This misses the individuals personal needs and circumstances. It seems that increasingly the social problem of disability is becoming a matter of private concern for the family. The NHS appears to take this view. While doctors may diagnose a physical or learning disability families are often left to cope without ei ther sufficient information or professional help. In a number of cases families have reported that hospitals have refused to admit non-emergency cases unless a parent or carer remains on site to provide additional support (http://www.cafamily.org.uk/rda-uk.html). A shortage of nursing staff and the increasing tendency to perform surgery on a day care basis means that many families are left with extra caring responsibilities once they take the disabled child or adult home. (http://www.cafamily.org.uk/rda-uk.html). Conclusion Back to: Example Essays Ideologies of the family and the medical model of disability exacerbate the social problems of disability. Discourses of family responsibility place a much greater burden on many people, particularly women who bear the burden of responsibility of care. Such discourses tend to make women who find it difficult to cope feel that they are a failure. This in turn reflects back on the disabled person who may feel that they are a burden. Clearly current policies and debates over partnership between the Government and families and family responsibility is moving closer to the view that disability is no longer a public concern but a private family one. Dalley (1988) argue that some form of institutional care e.g. supported living should replace care in the family. While there are support structures in place for people with disabilities, the extent to which informal carers have access to such facilities is very limited (Baldwin and Twigg, 1990).. Perhaps supported living arrangements along wit h family involvement in personal care would, arguably, take some strain off of the family and give more independence to the person with disabilities thus making the social problem of disability a shared public and private concern rather than simply a concern for the family. Bibliography Abbott, P. and Wallace, C. 1997. An Introduction to Sociology: Feminist Perspectives. London, Routledge. Baldwin, S and Twigg, J. 1991 Women and community care: Reflections on a debate in Maclean, M and Groves, D eds 1991 Womens Issues in Social Policy London, Routledge Crowe, G. and Hardey,M.1992. Diversity and ambiguity among lone-parent households in modern Britain. In Marsh, C. and Arber, S. (Eds.) 1992. Families and Households: Divisions and Change. London: Macmillan. Dalley, G. 1988 Ideologies of caring: Rethinking Community and Collectivism London, Macmillan Delphy, C 1977 The Main Enemy London, Womens Research and Resource Centre Giddens, A. 2001. (4th ed). Sociology. Cambridge, Polity Press. Gittens, D. 1993 The Family in Question: Changing households and familial ideologies London, Macmillan Graham, H. 1993 Hardship and Health in Womens Lives Hemel Hempstead, Harvester/Wheatsheaf Gregory, S. 1991 Challenging Motherhood: Mothers and their deaf children in Phoenix, A and Lloyd E, eds. 1991 Motherhood: Meaning Practices and Ideology London, Sage Moore, S. 2002 Social Welfare Alive 3rd ed. Cheltenham, Nelson Thornes Oakley, A 1982 Subject Woman London, Fontana Parsons, T. and Bales, R. 1955. Family, Socialisation, and Interaction Process. Glencoe, Illinois: Free Press Oliver, P. 1990 The Politics of Disablement Basingstoke, Macmillan Oliver, M 1996 Social Work with Disabled People Basingstoke Macmillan. Such, E. and Walker, R. 2004 Being responsible and responsible beings: childrens understanding of responsibility Children and Society 18 (3) Jun 2004, pp.231-242 Swain, J. Heyman, B and Gilmour, M 1998 Public Research, private concerns: Ethical issues in the use of open-ended interviews with people who have learning disabilities in Disability and Society 13 (1) pp. 21-36 Thomas, C. eds 2004 Disabling Barriers, Enabling Environments London, Sage Vasey, S. (1992) A response to Liz Crow, Coalition, September, 42-44 Walby, S. 1990 cited in Abbott, P. and Wallace, C. 1997. An Introduction to Sociology: Feminist Perspectives. London, Routledge. Walsh, M. Stephens, P. and Moore, S. 2000 Social Policy and Welfare. Cheltenham Worsley, P and Chatterton, M 1972 Problems of Modern Society: A Sociological Perspective Harmondsworth, Penguin More Free Social Policy Essays

Motorola Mobility/Mgt 521

Business Analysis Part I – Motorola Mobility MGT/521 University of Phoenix Business Analysis Part I – Motorola Mobility Deciding whether or not to invest in Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. (MMI) requires critical and creative thinking. Research provides a greater understanding of business trending in order for stakeholders to make educated decisions regarding personal and business investments. The following passages present part one of a three-part business plan designed to aid the author, a mutual fund manager, in making a fundamental investment decision.A SWOT analysis of Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. proposes pertinent details, encompassing internal and external stakeholders' needs, and further providing a scope of investor needs and how they are met by MMI. SWOT Analysis â€Å"SWOT Analysis is a useful technique for understanding your Strengths and Weaknesses, and for identifying both the Opportunities open to you and the Threats you face† (Mind Tools Ltd, 2011, SWOT Analysis, para. 1). The subsequent paragraphs represent a snapshot of Motorola Mobility from an internal and external perspective. StrengthsOperational efficiency. Resourceful manufacturing is an integral component of an efficient operation. Motorola (2011) stated, â€Å"From the warehouse floor to product delivery, mobility solutions provide access to information in real time and help automate operations, ultimately creating a seamless, error-proof work environment† (Motorola, 2011, Manufacturing, para. 1). MMI will have no debt at spinoff. According to Brand (2011), the disjointing of Motorola's corporate business divisions, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions, means zero debt for MMI upon development.Therefore, the newly defined entity is more easily leveraged and less inclined to accrue disadvantageous debts. A pioneer of cell phones. – Motorola is a leader in the market for cell phone technologies and has forged a direct path to success. â€Å"Mot orola is one of the pioneers of mobile phones, and along with Nokia and Ericsson it has one of the biggest and most profitable phone patent portfolios in the world. † (Barak, 2011, Devices, para. 8). Innovative Products. Motorola Mobility has two of the most scientific smartphone products on the market.A Middle East news portal, Al Bawaba (2011), proposes one leading innovative Motorola product is highly regarded in Middle East and Africa: Motorola ATRIX  is the world’s most powerful smartphone with a dual-core processor that is the fastest yet offered in a mobile phone and is designed to essentially become a user’s primary digital hub to create, edit and interact with documents, media and content. (para. 7) Weaknesses Weak profitability. â€Å"Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. , spun off in January from Motorola Inc. declined in New York trading after the Droid smartphone maker forecast profit for this quarter and full year that trailed analysts’ estimat es† (Miller, 2011, News, para. 1). While the current financial forecast is stunted, long-term focus on profitability is the key. Poor Customer Service ratings. Customer satisfaction is a dynamic component of any business whether the business is corporate, entrepreneurial, or nonprofit. According to Customer Service Scoreboard (2011), an online review and rating system, Motorola Customer Service rates a disappointing score of 36. 33 out of a possible 200.Lag in LTE technologies (4G products). Motorola Mobility is slacking in the production of LTE technologies, causing a decrease in the company's market shares. MMI is currently working toward the manufacturing of patented silicon for the 4G products in the lineup. However, according to Woyke (2011), the competitors are taking the lead in the LTE market. Opportunities Google to acquire Motorola. â€Å"The acquisition of Motorola Mobility, a dedicated Android partner, will enable Google to supercharge the Android ecosystem and wi ll enhance competition in mobile computing† (Google, 2011, Investor Relations, para. ). Merging two well-established entities which complement one another will prove to enhance an already-flourishing group of technologies at the core of the mobile industry. Strong demand for Android. â€Å"A  recent report from Nielsen  showed that Android controlled 39% of the domestic smartphone market, with Apple’s iOS controlling 28%† (Meyer, 2011, Devices, para. 4). The statistics are favorable for MMI's existing innovations and are suspected to increase with the sales of the upcoming lineup. Expanding smartphone lineup.Atrix, Droid X2, Droid Bionic, Droid 2 Global, and Photon 4G are five Android-based smartphones Motorola has in the lineup with the potential to compliment the Google's acquisition of Motorola Mobility (International Business Times, 2011, para. 2-8 ). With the current demand for the Android platform and technologies in the mobile arena, the five forthcomi ng Motorola smartphones are expected to stir up the competitive market. Threats Competitive Pressure. According to a current Yahoo Finance posting of a Dow and Nasdaq report, Motorola Mobility's primary competitors are Apple, Cisco Systems, and Nokia (Yahoo!Finance, 2011). As the demand for even more enhanced technologies become greater, Motorola Mobility will also find a need to stay ahead of not only the existing competitors, but competitors in the making. Pending US litigation. Motorola is in a longstanding power struggle against several top companies in the mobile technology and electronics industry. Google acquired three pending US litigations along with the acquisition of MMI. According to United States' leading patent law blog Patently-O (2011), Google also acquired awaiting lawsuits with TiVo, Microsoft, and Apple regarding patent infringements.Investment Decision The decision to invest in Motorola Mobility is not an easy assessment to make. However, as a mutual fund manager , the educated decision is based on the information gained from the SWOT analysis conducted. Internally, MMI is strong with above-average manufacturing efficiencies. Additionally, the quality of smartphones made by Motorola significantly compliments Google's existing Android platforms. Externally, with Google's acquisition of MMI, the business decision to invest in Motorola Mobility is a secure long-term decision accompanied with only a few risks.Internal and External Stakeholders and Needs Motorola Mobility is a spinoff company which separated from Motorola and then merged with Google. Internal stakeholders include both Motorola and Google along with the employees, shareholders, manufacturers, customers, suppliers, traveling consumers and home consumers of the innovative mobile technologies. External stakeholders of MMI include device manufacturers, service providers, social media, marketers, advertisers and application developers. Every stakeholder has a need which, ideally, must be met by the coupled organization.MMI's internal stakeholders need increased sales, economical supplies, and efficient processes. However, external stakeholders seek efficient and effective platforms and software in order to make use of the mobile technologies supplied. Need Fulfillment and Implications At the present time, Motorola Mobility is deficient in profitability, but is excelling with product manufacturing efficiencies and processes. Profitability can be expected to increase over time as the merge with Google stabilizes and leverages the overall company portfolio.Furthermore, the sales can be expected to increase with the introduction of Motorola LTE products once the company establishes and patents the unique silicon currently in the works. Finally, the existing Android-based platforms Google has already patented are complimentary to Motorola Mobility's offered products and also the devices in the lineup to be launched. On the other hand, one of MMI's chief focal points s hould include a goal of improving the quality of service provided to the consumers. Increased orientation time and interactive training would provide more involved and knowledgeable employees.Conclusion Motorola Mobility Holdings is currently struggling with profits, customer service standards, and competition; however, the judgment to invest in the newly-acquired company is sound regardless of the existing risks. As shown in the provided SWOT analysis, MMI has several favorable factors in the immediate mobile technology market. With MMI's historical cell phone quality, current and future innovations, lack of current debt, recent merge with the prominent Google Company, and ever-growing demand for mobile technology, the decision to invest stands firm. After all, between Motorola nd Google, even the company's minor flaws and external pressures are presently under control and projected to stay that way. References Al Bawaba. (2011, February 6). Motorola to showcase most powerful innov ative mobile devices. Retrieved from http://www. albawaba. com Barak, S. (2011, August 15). Google's bid for Motorola Mobility – a play for patents only? Retrieved from http://siliconvalley. rcrwireless. com Brand, C. (2011, January 11). Motorola Doubles Down on Cell Phones with Mobility Unit Spin-Off, But Should Investors Tread Carefully? Retrieved from http://www. peridotcapitalist. om Customer Service Scoreboard. (2011, September 5). Motorola Customer Service. Retrieved from http://www. customerservicescoreboard. com Google. (2011, August 15). Google Investor Relations. Retrieved from http://investor. google. com International Business Times. (2011, September 2). Top 5 Android-based Motorola Smartphones That Could Compliment Google-Motorola Deal. Retrieved from http://www. ibtimes. com Meyer, D. (2011, August 15). RCR Wireless. Retrieved from http://siliconvalley. rcrwireless. com Miller, H. (2011, July 29). Motorola Mobility Drops as Profit Forecast Trails Estimates.Retri eved from http://www. businessweek. com Mind Tools Ltd. (2011). SWOT Analysis. Retrieved from http://www. mindtools. com/pages/article/newTMC_05. htm Motorola. (2011). Manufacturing. Retrieved from http://www. motorola. com Patently-O. (2011, August 15). Google's Purchase of Motorola Mobility. Retrieved from http://www. patentlyo. com Woyke, E. (2011, July 15). Motorola Seeks To Shore Up Weakness In LTE Devices. Retrieved from http://www. forbes. com Yahoo! Finance. (2011, September 2). Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc. (MMI). Retrieved from http://finance. yahoo. com

Marketing Analysis Products And Services - 1616 Words

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Facts and Figures About Pikaia

During the Cambrian period, over 500 million years ago, an evolutionary explosion took place, but most of the new life forms were strange-looking invertebrates  (mostly weirdly legged and antennaed crustaceans like Anomalocaris and Wiwaxia)  rather than creatures with spinal cords. One of the crucial exceptions was the slender, lancelet-like Pikaia, visually the least impressive of the three early fishlike creatures that have been found preserved from this span in the geologic record (the other two are the equally important Haikouichthys and Myllokunmingia, discovered in eastern Asia). Not Quite a Fish Its stretching things a bit to describe Pikaia as a prehistoric fish; rather, this inoffensive, two-inch-long, translucent creature may have been the first true chordate: an animal with a notochord nerve running down the length of its back, rather than a protective backbone, which was a later evolutionary development. But Pikaia did possess the basic body plan that stamped itself on the next 500 million years of vertebrate evolution: a head distinct from its tail, bilateral symmetry (i.e., the left side of its body matched up with the right side), and two forward-facing eyes, among other features. Chordate Versus Invertebrate However, not everyone agrees that Pikaia was a chordate rather than an invertebrate; theres evidence that this creature had two tentacles jutting out from its head, and some of its other characteristics (such as tiny feet that may have been gill appendages) fit awkwardly in the vertebrate family tree. However you interpret these anatomical features, though, its still likely that Pikaia lay very near the root of vertebrate evolution; if it wasnt the great-great (multiply by a trillion) grandmother of modern humans, it was certainly related somehow, albeit distantly. You may be surprised to learn that some fish alive today can be considered every bit as primitive as Pikaia, an object lesson in how evolution is not a strictly linear process. For example, the tiny, narrow lancelet Branchiostoma is technically a chordate, rather than a vertebrate, and clearly hasnt advanced very far from its Cambrian predecessors. The explanation for this is that, over the billions of years that life has existed on earth, only a tiny percentage of any given species population has actually been given the opportunity to evolve; thats the reason the world is still chock-full of bacteria, fish, and small, furry mammals.