Affluenza Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Affluenza - Essay Example Therefore, this is an apparent indication that the problem of affluenza has a rich history in human life. Greed is a major constituent of Affluenza, since individuals persistently possess a materialistic mindset. However, the exaggerated possessions initiate negative ramifications in society. it amounts to health hazards, economic stagnation, environmental pollution, amongst others. Evidently, this is an ancient social problem that requires remedies. Johnson is an anthropologist who conducted a study in a hunting and gathering society called Machiguenga. According to his findings, the society enjoys more merit than the modernized society. The people of this society practice subsistence, and they are content with the resources that are at their disposal. They are never in a hurry, and they are much cohesive in their inter-personal relationships. Different philosophers such as Aristotle, Jesus Christ, Jerome Segal, amongst others assert that more possessions bring more struggles than h aving enough. Affluenza definitely brings much decadence to the society. Affluenza is a persistent social problem that has four major solutions.... Excessive consumption is a key mannerism that manifests amongst the affluent individuals. Academic adjustments in schools would offer profound recommendations against affluenza. Consequently, children will achieve awareness about the ramifications of affluenza. The knowledge system would also inculcate a change in parent’s lifestyle. Parents would not have to invest immensely on snacks and soft drinks. Therefore, the parents’ culture of overconsumption would take a diminishing trend. Evidently, the curriculum adjustments towards environmental science in schools would be an outstanding remedy for affluenza. The government has a major role in curbing affluenza. It would do this through its strict regulations to protect the natural environment. Social vices such as pollution, resource exploitation, and recycle issues would be effectively tackled. Affluenza entails a materialistic mindset in an existent population. People are pre-occupied by the persistent ambition to attai n more possessions. Factory owners therefore focus on maximizing production and profits. They do not have a major consideration towards the environment. In an affluent society, factories pollute the environment due to their materialistic mindset. Manufacturing industries also exploit natural resources. They do not implement recycling techniques. Such business entities have no regard towards the ramification of depletion. In this scenario, massive consumption and material possession are the applied principles. The government ought to implement clear-cut policies that oversee the preservation of all resources. Violation of the policies ought to attract legal consequences on the offenders. Legal limitations of advertisement ought to be

The Airline Industry Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Airline Industry - Case Study Example (Berg, 2008). This achievement is indeed remarkable against the backdrop of escalating fuel prices, rising operating coats and fierce competition in the airlines industry, either leaving many airline companies to close shop, or seek mergers and strategic alliances with larger airlines, to save themselves from virtual extinction. Business strategy in terms of quick, short and multiple entry and departures from secondary airports, or short haul flights, which not only add to revenues but also cut downs operating costs and saves fuel dramatically. Larger airlines are committed to long haul services, especially over global skies, which, economically speaking, freezes revenues and incurred large burn-out of fuel. When a comparative analysis of short flights and long hauls are made, it is seen that the former serves profits and revenues more loyally and conscientiously than the latter. It is necessary for a no frill airlines like South West to work "with new schedule planning tools and processes and fleet flexibility," so that Southwest are " well-positioned to respond to a rapidly changing environment and have the flexibility to adjust our flight schedule, as necessary, to eliminate unproductive flying." (Berg, 2008). The Company has entered into understanding for hedging 80% of estimated fuel needs with values assigned being approx. $ 61 /barrel. Based on this, the present market value of fuel derivatives for 3Q 2008 to 2012 works out to around $4.3B, taking into account the conspicuous hike in fuel prices in recent years. The table shown below takes into account the futures hedging transactions scripted for forecast 2008 through 2011. Serial Year Derivatives contract as percentage of fuel consumptionAver Barrel Crude price US$ 1. 4Q. '08 80% of fuel consumption58 2. 2009 70% of fuel consumption66 3. 2010 40% of fuel consumption 81 4. 2011 20% of fuel consumption 77 5. 2012 20% of fuel consumption 76 (Berg, 2008). The future of airlines is dependent upon American economy: The airlines industry in the US depends heavily upon the state of economic health prevailing in the country. This is because the predominance of good economy translates into greater economic activities, which could encourage air travel for business. In the present context, the world economy, and particularly, US is in a state of flux. Privatization of airlines had its share of economic prosperity, but is not without challenges. As a result of open skies policies, many small airlines companies came into the field, and more significantly, upturned the business prospects of large, established players, whose heavy overheads, spiraling operating costs and high ticketing structure resulted in unmitigated disasters.. Smaller, leaner and low cost airlines companies, with just the minimum infrastructure necessary, provided much better service at much lower costs. Larger companies were forced to merge or close operations. Moreover, it is also seen that the airlines industry in the US are highl y concentrated, with 90% of the revenues generated from just "the

Spanish-Speaking Groups in the United States Essay Example for Free

Spanish-Speaking Groups in the United States Essay This research paper will identify the linguistic, political, social, economic, religious, and familial conventions or statuses of Columbian Americans, Cuban Americans, Mexican Americans, and Puerto Rican Americans living in the United States.| Cultural Interests of Spanish-Speaking Groups in the United States Cultural interests of Columbian Americans, Cuban Americans, Mexican Americans, and Puerto Rican Americans that live in the United States of America are the focus because of the diversity and controversy that surrounds them. The United States grouped all the Spanish-speaking people that originate from Latin America, Central America, or South America together as one ethnic group referred to as Hispanics or Latinos. Cultural interests identified for each of these four groups will consist of their own group’s linguistics, political status, social status, economic status, religious status, and familial conventions. The first Hispanic group we will explore is Columbian Americans. Sturner (2012), â€Å"Spanish is the language of most Colombian-American households in the United States, where it serves as perhaps the surest means of preserving traditions† (Colombian Americans). Columbians do not believe they will remain in the United States because of the immigration restrictions, therefore Columbian Americans traditionally devote themselves to politics in Columbia, and most do not become very involved with American politics (Sturner, 2012). Columbian Americans pursued professional careers and took employment as laborers, factory workers, domestic servants, and opened small businesses (Sturner, 2012). According to Sturner (2012), In the mid-1990’s Colombian Americans had one of the highest average incomes among Latinos and many prospered in business, especially in in ventures in Miami related to trade with Latin America† (Colombian Americans). Socially, they develop strong ties with other  Latinos through informal networks because they share a commonality of Spanish-language media, which provides news, entertainment, and music from Latin America (Sturner, 2012). The Catholic church provides crucial support to Latin Americans throughout the United States and religious ceremonies are closely tied to important customs and traditions, such as compadrazgo (Sturner, 2012). Preservation has been assured in recent years as parishes have added Spanish-language services (Sturner, 2012). Columbian immigrants preserve their family traditions as a focal concern against pressures encountered in American society (Sturner, 2012). Their traditional roles are that the husband is the wage earner, the wife is the homemaker, and the children are taught to obey their parents and respect authority (Sturner, 2012). The second Hispanic group we will explore is Cuban Americans. Those born in the United States tend to be English Speakers and have less facility with Spanish, while those born abroad have greater facility with Spanish and more than half have some English ability as well (Buffington, 2012). Cuban American communities are well assimilated in the United Sta tes and have significant political influence because of their size (Buffington, 2012). Buffington (2012), Cuban Americans are reputed to being conservative politically and to vote overwhelmingly for the Republican Party Elections† (Cuban Americans). The most important political organization for them is the Cuban American National Foundation (CANF) because it is regarded as the representative of the Cuban American community (Buffington, 2012). Economically Cuban Americans closely resemble the total U.S. population and they have greater economic security than other Hispanic groups (Buffington, 2012). They are highly educated and a moderate percentage of their population has completed college or graduate schooling (Buffington, 2012). Most Cuban Americans report and perceive a non-discriminatory relationship with White Americans (Buffington, 2012). Cuban Americans overwhelmingly identify themselves as Roman Catholics, however a small percentage are some form of Protestantism, and one-quarter of native-born Cuban Americans say they either have no preference or have another religious affiliation (Buffington, 2012). Most Cuban American families have inherited the American way of life, which is significantly different from the tradition al Cuban family in many ways (Buffington, 2012). Compadres or grandparents are less likely to play significant roles of  Cuban American children and Cuban American women are more likely to have greater authority in the family because of joining the workforce to contribute to the household income for security and independence of the family (Buffington, 2012). The third Hispanic group we will explore is Mexican Americans. Spanish has remained their primary language of all Mexicans in the Southwestern United States. It became necessary for workers and students to become proficient in English to continue to work and get an education. The Political Association of Spanish-Speaking Organizations (PASSO) and Mexican American Political Association (MAPA) were created to articulate ethnic political goals (Englekirk Marin, 2012). Unhappy with both the Democratic and Republican parties in 1970, Mexican Americans created an alternative political party called La Raza Unida (LRU), which had remarkable success (Englekirk Marin, 2012). Traditionally the voting patterns of Mexican Americans have been Democratic at the presidential level. The majority of Hispanic-owned businesses existing in the United States are controlled by Mexican Americans, and this has contributed to the growth of the Mexican American middle class. Englekirk and Marin (2012), Despite the diversification in employment into sectors of the national economy, wages have remained low for most members of the Mexican American community† (Mexican Americans). Englekirk and Marin (2012), â€Å"Following the Mexican-American War, increasing violence perpetrated by Anglo Americans made Mexicans and Mexican Americans intensely aware of their subordinate status within the American Southwest† (Mexican Americans). Mexican Americans created a variety of social and political organizations that promoted ethnic solidarity to attempt to cope with their second-class status. The majority of the Mexican American population is of the Catholic faith with a small percentage that converted to Protestantism and other faiths. In the traditional Mexican American family their extended family and closest friends are just as much a part of their family as their immediate family because of a system of mutual dependence and respect for elders that creates a close-knit family unit. The last Hispanic group we will explore is Puerto Ricans. Proper Castilian Spanish is the native language of Puerto Ricans. Green (2012), Although English is taught to most elementary school children in Puerto Rican public schools, Spanish remains the primary language on the island of Puerto Rico (Puerto Rican  Americans). There is a substantially higher rate of voter participation among Puerto Ricans on the island than on the U.S. ma inland. There is political cynicism among the Puerto Ricans because of the lack of opportunity and education for the migrated population, but the Puerto Rican population can be a major political force when organized (Green, 2012). Some problems such as crime, drug-abuse, poor educational opportunities, unemployment, and the breakdown of the Puerto Rican family structure have caused them to be overall, the most economically disadvantaged Latino group in the United States (Green, 2012). Puerto Rican American social assimilation has been one of great success mixed with serious problems (Green, 2012). Green (2012), Because many Puerto Ricans are of mixed Spanish and African descent, they have had to endure the same sort of racial discrimination often experienced by African Americans† (Puerto Rican Americans). Most Puerto Ricans are Catholic, but dominance has been declining and the presence of many various form of Protestants has been increasing (Green, 2012). Among the Puerto Rican Catholics, a small minority actively practice some version of Santeria (Green, 2012). Green (2012), Puerto Rican family and community dynamics have an extensive Spanish influence and still tend to reflect the intensely patriarchal social organization of European Spanish culture† (Puerto Rican Americans). Both men and women have strong roles in childbearing and place a high value on educating their children. Since we have explored these four races, we can clearly understand the similarities and differences between them. They have been grouped together regardless of their origin because they share the Spanish language. We can be sure that Columbian Americans, Cuban Americans, Mexican Americans, and Puerto Rican Americans make up a very diverse ethnic group. Each race is unique in their cultural traditions about family and religious beliefs. Their economics, social status, and political views we explored are only a very small reflection of who they are and how they live their lives in the United States. References Buffington, S. (2012). Countries and their Cultures. Retrieved from http://everyculture.com/multi/Bu-Dr/Cuban-Americans.html Englekirk, A. Marin, M. (2012). Countries and their Cultures. Retrieved from http://everyculture.com/multi/Le-Pa/Mexican -Americans.html Green, D. (2012). Countries and their Cultures. Retrieved from http://everyculture.com/multi/Pa-Sp/Puerto-Rican-Americans.html Schaefer, R. T. (2006). Racial and Ethnic Groups (sixth ed.). Retrieved from University of Phoenix eBook Collection database. Sturner, P. (2012). Countries and their Cultures. Retrieved from http://everyculture.com/multi/Bu-Dr/Colombian-Americans.html

Child Language Disorder Factors and Treatments

Child Language Disorder Factors and Treatments What is Language Disorder? Difficulties associated with communication can be identified as language disorder. Child language disorder can be classified by language production skills that are lower than the age-appropriate level, which can be seen if the child is behind their peers in their progress of language skills. A language disorder is defined as the inability to utilise words to express thoughts (expressive language) and/or understand (receptive language). Expressive language disorder disturbs the childs written and oral language, which validates age-appropriate understanding of language. On the other hand, receptive language can be witnessed when the child is unable to comprehend language at an expected level and comprise complications with being able to answer questions, follow directions as well as understand words and sentences. There is also a possibility where the child can have expressive and receptive language disorder, which can be characterised by the complications with comprehension as well as production of language. Exchange, C. (2017). Language Disorders (Child Language Disorders) | International Encyclopedia of  Rehabilitation. Cirrie.buffalo.edu. Retrieved 16 March 2017, from http://cirrie.buffalo.edu/encyclopedia/en/article/31/ What is Language Disorder? Children diagnosed with language disorder are unable to: Use the precise grammar when speaking or writing Send the correct message to others when they are trying to communicate Identify the variances between likenesses and differences Breakdown words into sounds and syllables Recognize pronouns To repeat what happened in a story in order Start conversations Understand what others are saying through their facial expressions and body language Use gestures when speaking Exchange, C. (2017). Language Disorders (Child Language Disorders) | International Encyclopedia of  Rehabilitation. Cirrie.buffalo.edu. Retrieved 16 March 2017, from http://cirrie.buffalo.edu/encyclopedia/en/article/31/ Speech Pathologists role The first significant stage in understanding the childrens language requirements and strengths is comprehensive assessment. Expressive and receptive language, stuttering and phonological awareness are some of the areas that are assessed. Speech therapists can tailor suitable interventions appropriate to the childrens learning style and deliver beneficial tactics for the home and school environment. Whereas the screening assessment is utilised to deliver an effective way of detecting children who may be diagnosed of language disorders. Speech pathologists work cooperatively with a crew that involves parents caregivers and educational professionals (i.e. educators, teachers, and psychologists). Language-Based Learning Disabilities (Reading, Spelling, and Writing). (2017). Asha.org. Retrieved 26 March 2017, from http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/LBLD.htm Rosenbaum, S., Simon, P., Disorders, C., Populations, B., Board on Children, a., Medicine, I. et al. (2017). Treatment and  Persistence of Speech and Language Disorders in Children. Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 26 March 2017, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK356271/ Speech Pathologists role The role of a speech pathologists in working with pre-school children: Collect some information about the experience of literacy at home (are there any books or reading materials around the house? How often does the child witness their family members read or write?). Observe the children throughout their classroom activities. Assess if the child is able to comprehend directions. Observe if the child is able to recognise signs and is they can write their name. Determine if the child is able to tap out the different syllables in words. The role of a speech pathologists in working with older children: Assess if the student can read and comprehend information in books. Observe if the students can play with and hear sounds in words. Help the students connect syllable and sounds to form a word. Observe the childs memory by having them repeat words and numbers. Speech pathologists role is to prevent communication disorders by working cooperatively with family members and education professionals to diagnose children and help them to communicate with others and express their thoughts and feelings in words. Language-Based Learning Disabilities (Reading, Spelling, and Writing). (2017). Asha.org. Retrieved 26 March 2017, from http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/LBLD.htm Rosenbaum, S., Simon, P., Disorders, C., Populations, B., Board on Children, a., Medicine, I. et al. (2017). Treatment and Persistence of Speech and Language Disorders in Children. Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 26 March 2017, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK356271/ Impact on daily life Studies and research revealed that diagnosis on its own will not predict functional outcomes, length of hospitalisation, service needs and level of care. Therefore, relying on medical classification of diagnoses alone we will not provide the information that is required for health arrangement and management purposes. ICF is able to assemble those essential data in a reliable and internationally comparable manner. 4 Ways Language Disorders Can Affect Your Childs Social Life. (2017). Understood.org. Retrieved 26 March 2017, from https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/communication-disorders/4-wayslanguage-disorders-can-affect-your-childs-social-life Language Disorders OTFC. (2017). OTFC. Retrieved 26 March 2017, from http://occupationaltherapychildren.com.au/we-have-skills/my-childs-condition/language-disorders/ Impact on daily life- case scenario James, a seven-year-old, is diagnosed with Aphasia was referred to a speech pathologists by his parents during second grade, as well as receiving speech therapy at his public school. He began speaking at the age of three, which is below the age-appropriate level. Throughout kindergarten to second grade, he was consistently making grammar mistakes (referring to both females and males with the pronoun he and misusing past tenses of verbs). Furthermore, James had an issue with precisely articulating his thoughts and feelings to form accurate words and phrases. This had a significant impact on his word retrieval, organising his thoughts and choosing precise words to form sentences to express his intentions. In response to that issue, he experienced difficulties at school with spelling and reading comprehension. It gradually began to affect his social life as he found it difficult to understand the rules of polite conversation. Additionally due to him being literal-minded, he had difficul ties interpreting tone of voice and furthermore became shy due to his inability to express his thoughts into words. His speech pathologists and parents work cooperatively to diagnose, support and motivate him to deal with the issue in a positive way and ensure that he is able to work through these issue in the correct manner. 4 Ways Language Disorders Can Affect Your Childs Social Life. (2017). Understood.org. Retrieved 26 March 2017, from https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/communicationdisorders/4-ways-language-disorders-can-affect-your-childs-social-life Language Disorders OTFC. (2017). OTFC. Retrieved 26 March 2017, from http://occupationaltherapychildren.com.au/we-have-skills/my-childs-condition/language-disorders/ Bibliograpgy References 4 Ways Language Disorders Can Affect Your Childs Social Life. (2017). Understood.org. Retrieved 26 March 2017, from https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learningdisabilities/communication-disorders/4-ways-language-disorders-can-affect-your-childs-social-life (2017). Retrieved 26 March 2017, from http://ischsa=Xved=0ahUKEwja9L2E4fPSAhUP82MKHeuzBTAQ_AUIBigBbiw=1094bih=645#tbm=isc hq=child+language+disorder+and+speech+pathologist*imgrc=hf6KDI5yzjNOsM: child language disorder Google Search. (2017). Google.com.au. Retrieved 26 March 2017, from https://www.google.com.au/search?q=child+language+disordersource=lnmstbm=ischsa=Xved= 0ahUKEwja9L2E4fPSAhUP82MKHeuzBTAQ_AUIBigBbiw=1094bih=645#tbm=ischq=child+language+d isorder+and+speech+pathologist*imgrc=hf6KDI5yzjNOsM Exchange, C. (2017). Language Disorders (Child Language Disorders) | International Encyclopedia of  Rehabilitation. Cirrie.buffalo.edu. Retrieved 16 March 2017, from http://cirrie.buffalo.edu/encyclopedia/en/article/31/ Language Disorders OTFC. (2017). OTFC. Retrieved 26 March 2017, from http://occupationaltherapychildren.com.au/we-have-skills/my-childs-condition/language-disorders/ Language-Based Learning Disabilities (Reading, Spelling, and Writing). (2017). Asha.org. Retrieved 26  March 2017, from http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/LBLD.htm Rosenbaum, S., Simon, P., Disorders, C., Populations, B., Board on Children, a., Medicine, I. et al.  (2017). Treatment and Persistence of Speech and Language Disorders in Children. Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 26 March 2017, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK356271/

Essay --

La adiccià ³n al tabaco es un problema muy comà ºn, es un producto que se vende a libre comercio, una droga social, que no està ¡ mal vista, pero sin embrago es causa de muchas enfermedades que pueden acabar en la muerte. La adiccià ³n implica a su vez la existencia de tolerancia; sà ­ndrome de abstinencia y el consumo compulsivo de la droga. El principal componente por lo cual esta droga es tan adictiva es la nicotina, cada vez que inhala, el fumador promedio consume entre 1 y 2 mg de nicotina por tabaco (Jacome, 2012). Se involucra el factor social y psicolà ³gico del fumador que incrementa y justifica su consumo asociado a otras drogas como el alcohol, hacià ©ndolo una tendencia o costumbre, lo que provoca mayor consumo de tabaco y a su vez mayor dependencia; entre las costumbres mà ¡s comunes està ¡n el â€Å"fumar despuà ©s de comer†, â€Å"fumar mientras se bebe†, â€Å"fumar antes de dormir†, entre otras. 2.1.2 Historia del tabaco y situacià ³n actual El consumo del tabaco es un acto que viene producià ©ndose desde hace mà ¡s de 2000 aà ±os. En la actualidad se vive en un mundo mà ¡s comunicado y tecnolà ³gico que demuestra la magnitud de este problema, es una costumbre global. Se ha demostrado que la mayorà ­a de los fumadores comienzan el consumo del tabaco en la adolescencia. El mundo cuenta en la actualidad con aproximadamente 1300 millones de fumadores, lo que viene a suponer que casi uno de cada tres adultos del planeta fuman (Sanchez, 2010). Se estima la muerte de mas de 5 millones de personas al aà ±o por el consumo del tabaco, lo que indica una cifra de 14.000 cada dà ­a. Esto se da en mayor parte en paises en vias de desarrollo ya que tienen un menor grado de conciencia en comparacià ³n con los desarrollados que son mà ¡s realistas y saben mà ¡s de à ©sta epidemia. L... ...prioridad de salud pà ºblica?, s.f). Las tà ©cnicas aversivas tambià ©n son de mucha ayuda, estas se llevan a cabo a travà ©s de la asociacià ³n del tabaco con està ­mulos desagradables para asà ­ provocar una sensacià ³n de rechazo frente al tabaco. Otra tà ©cnica existente es la tà ©cnica de autocontrol, ideada para que el propio fumador pueda aplicarse estrategias que limiten su conducta con relacià ³n al tabaco, de esta forma el fumador puede analizar y tomar conciencia de los detalles de su forma de consumo para luego realizar modificaciones voluntarias del hà ¡bito. Existen tambià ©n terapias alternativas que pueden ayudar a dejar de fumar, como la hipnosis, la meditacià ³n, la acupuntura y el Tai Chi. Estas terapias pueden ayudar a las personas que necesitan superar crisis de ansiedad, irritabilidad, depresià ³n, y otros sà ­ntomas de abstinencia relacionados con el consumo del tabaco.

John Dillinger :: Essays Papers

John Dillinger On June 22, 1903 a man named John Dillinger was born. He grew up in the Oak Hill Section of Indianapolis. When John was three years old his mother died, and when his father remarried six years later, John resented his stepmother. When John was a teenager he was frequently in trouble. He finally quit school and got a job in a machine shop in Indianapolis. He was very intelligent and a good worker, but he soon got bored and often stayed out all night. His father began to think that the city was corrupting his son, so he sold his property in Indianapolis and moved his family to a farm near Mooresville, Indiana. John reacted no better to rural life than he had to that in the city and soon began to run wild again. At the age of 21 he attempted his first robbery, robbing a grocery store, in his home town. He was caught and imprisoned for nine years until 1933. Soon after he was released, Dillinger robbed a bank in Bluffton, Ohio and was arrested by the Dayton police. He was put in Lima county jail to wait for his trial. The Lima police found a document on John which seemed to be a plan for a prison break, but he denied everything. Four days later, using the same plans, eight of Dillinger's friends escaped from the Indiana State Prison, using shotguns and rifles which had been smuggled into their cells. During their escape, they killed two guards. On October 12, three of the escaped prisoners and a parolee from the same prison showed up at the Lima jail where Dillinger was. They told the sheriff that they had come to return Dillinger to the Indiana State Prison for violation of his parole. When the sheriff asked to see their credentials, one of the men pulled a gun, shot the sheriff and beat him into unconsciousness. They took the keys, freed Dillinger, locked the sheriff's wife and a deputy in the cell, and left. Leaving the sheriff to die on the floor. These four men’s fingerprint cards were pulled, indicating that they were wanted.

Power and Social Work

This essay shall begin by defining power, then will go on to discuss Marx Weber and Parson's theories of explanations which will in turn demonstrate how and to whom power is distributed. I shall then go on to discuss how this distribution of power applies to social work and the service users. Power and powerlessness go hand in hand as to have one the other must exist. As society is not egalitarian and never shall be, there will always be inequalities. These inequalities can be on both personal and structural levels. To enable us to understand power and social work we must firstly understand the theoretical explanation of the distribution of power, privilege, prestige and powerlessness within western society by looking at social divisions, class and their positions within society. Marx was interested in the theories of economic development, he believed that economy was dominated by agriculture and power was held by the aristocratic landowner, in the period when manufacture was the dominant mode of production which he called the ‘bourgeoisie age'. According to Marx the history of human society past and present, has been that of class struggles. There has always been a subdivision within society into different ranks, where social positions have come into grades. The ‘bourgeoisie age' has been split into two classes, the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. Marx defined class in the term of dominant ‘mode of production' and the position within the social organisation of the means of production, within industrial capitalism it was the bourgeoisie who owns the means of production and as a result exploits the proletariat who sells his labour to the owners of the means of production. The industrial middle class had created an industrial proletariate and the success of the middle class would ensure other classes would slip down into the proletariat, the lower middle class would be excluded from the bourgeoisie as they did not have enough capital to compete, this combined with the immersation of the proletariat to keep costs down was a mechanism , which would create the simple two class structure. Hence his theory that the labour process the bourgeoisie dominating and controlling the proletariat and a ‘legal and political superstructure (the political system of parliament etc government was neatly characterised as ‘managing the committee of bourgeoisie' this is how social stratification came about. Marx clearly believed that social stratification is an objective reality, which follows inevitably from the process of economic change. The welfare state is a result of struggle by working class people to achieve collective benefits within the system and is accepted by capitalists because it maintains the system, which strengthens their wealth. Social workers are thus put in a contradictory position as representatives of the welfare state, they help working class people but whilst doing so maintain the power of the owners of capital. Weber had a different analysis of the nature of classes, he allows the possibility of a multiplicity of economic classes. He found that as well as the bourgeoisie there were other intermediate groups. Weber would call these ‘status' groups. Weber suggests members of status groups have certain rights, privileges (or lack of it ) and so on. These create many social classes consisting of people in different occupations, requiring different skills and qualifications, hence, it has been accepted that occupation is used in defining class. According to Weberian theory: â€Å"authority is the legitimate exercise of power, ie the people whom that power is exercised accept it is legitimate and therefore recognise it's authority† Wiles, M in Power and Social Work Lecture notes Webers analysis of authority is that of Tradition (customs and practices of a group i.e. the royal family). Charismatic (the possession of leadership often related to religious leaders) and Rational-Legal Authority (institutionalised) this organisation is seen as the distinguishing form of organisation and legitimate authority in industrial society. This authority comes with rights and responsibilities of office when procedures are made and followed by subordinates hence the authority does not come from the individuals or traditions of the office but the responsibilities and procedures are designated within the position itself. Parsons the functionalist seeks to explain the structure of society, he views society as a system that is made up of a set of inter-connected parts, put together, form a whole. These parts are the institutions of society, the family, education system, political institutions etc, all of which share common goals and together work for balance and consensus and order in society. Parsons idea was that social groups need and will co-operate with one another therefore becoming interdependent, he finds it difficult to see how members of society could effectively work and co-operate together without social inequalities. The inequalities of power serve to further collective goals based on shared values will benefit members of society and hence integrate rather than divide societies. The ranking of individuals is based on a consensual view of the importance of positions. Today in western society class differentiation does exist and has an impact on life chances and determines how we live. The inequalities that exist are not only in class and status but also race, gender, age etc, people from these minority groups are often discriminated against and powerless. The majority of service users are those who are living in poverty and as stated in by Becker and MacPherson 1988 indicates service users are likely to be: ‘Old or young, able-bodied or with a special need, an offender, a single parent, an abused child or partner, black or white, service users are more likely to be poor and most likely to be drawn from those sections of the population which enjoy the least status, security and power.' Adams et al (2002) page 42 Authority is within the hierarchy of organisations, when the authority of one superior is then subordinate to the other. The bureaucracy is about rules set regulations and procedures and in turn promotes functions. Social work has seen the provision and development of new and somewhat complex structures e.g. highly developed and formalised division of labour, extensive hierarchies of command, rules and procedures, transactions are noted and recorded and that of trained officials. These try to combine specialisation with integration and co-ordinated direction whilst providing standardised services to meet the needs of the service users at the same time. The service users may perceive the social worker as a symbol of power who holds authority from a bureaucratic state. The negative aspect of this perception could be detrimental for the service user as this may hinder communication and co-operation between the service user and the social worker, therefore identification and resolve of the service users difficulty could be adversely delayed. Although the social worker has a degree of power within their profession, they are governed themselves by state legislation and legitimate authority, they are at times constrained by their agency as to how much power they actually have. If a service user who has been hospitalised and is now on his way to recovery but has physical impairments, therefore, requiring specialist equipment to be installed before he can return home the social worker although seeking to empower the service user cannot do so as constrained due to the lack of his/her agencies financial resources for the necessary equipment hence disempowering the service user. The agency itself is financed and budgeted by state, this may limit resources that the social worker may eventually offer or not offer the service user. As they work as part of a bureaucratic state they must follow procedures, guidelines and policies whilst striving amongst all this to serve the service users in such a manner as to never lose sight of the fact that they are individuals who have rights that must be respected and to ensure that the service user is empowered. Conclusion As social workers we are bound by the government's legislation on what we can and can not do for these individuals. The government has made social work a profession hence giving social workers the status then the power. Social workers are conditioned and controlled by the state as social workers are governed by the state to maintain the smooth functioning social order, in my opinion maintains the ‘status quo' on behalf of the state. Therefore social workers are in fact in alliance with the state and are instruments of state power who may at times be, themselves tied and bound by the power given to them, as stated by Harris â€Å"Social Workers s power is expressed not just by what they do but by what they are, and they are subject to the very power they are themselves exercising† in Davis ,M (2000) page 28 Social workers may very well find themselves at times in a no win situation whilst they are striving to empower the service user.