All Day Kindergarten Essay

After critically analyzing the current kindergarten scheduling trends, there is a shift in many schools from half-day kindergarten programs towards full day kindergarten programs. A full day kindergarten or all day kindergarten program is a program in which pupils attend school each weekday for approximately six hours. The growing number of all day kindergarten programs can be attributed to a change in the American society and education in general. To be specific the growing number can be attributed to the increase in single parents and dual employment households and finally a general belief that all day programs better prepare children for school. There has been a looming legislation, which is going to give powers to the local, state and federal governments to control standards of education. Kindergarten education is targeted by this piece of legislation because it promotes all day kindergarten programs at the expense of half-day programs. I fully support this piece of legislation that promotes all day kindergarten programs because of the benefits that are inherent with the program. It’s my prayers that the legislation is approved so that our schools can start churning out very competitive graduates. I believe all day kindergarten programs are the best because of the following: †¢ A research conducted in 1990s reported a consistent positive academic outcome for all children enrolled in all day kindergarten programs. A subsequent research also showed that children who attended all day kindergarten programs scored higher points on standardized tests than their half day counter parts. Hough and Bryde found out that there is more individualized instruction in all day programs when compared to half-day programs. Individualized training makes it possible for the teacher to understand each and every need of the pupil and therefore attend to them accordingly. A research carried out by Cryan and his friends found out that there was a positive relationship between participation in full day kindergarten program and later academic success. After comparing similar half day and full day programs in a nationwide study, Cryan found out that full day kindergarteners exhibited more independent learning, classroom involvement, and productivity in work with peers and reflectivity than half-day kindergarteners. †¢ Other researches pointed out that there is a clear relationship between the kind of kindergarten program and the children’s behavior. Teachers rated children in all day kindergarten higher. (Cryan et al, 1992). Other researchers who have studied social and behavioral outcomes found out those children in all day kindergarten programs were engaged in child-to-child interactions and this had a positive effect in building their learning, communication and social skills. (Elicker & Mathur, 1997). The full day kindergarteners were more likely to approach the teacher; they expressed less anger, shyness, withdrawal and blaming behavior than half-day kindergarteners. †¢ Both teachers and parents whose children were enrolled in all day kindergarten proved that all day programs better prepared children for their first grade. They also indicated preference for all day kindergarten because of the more relaxed atmosphere, more time for creative activities and more opportunity for students to develop their own interests. The teachers also concluded they had more time to know the children and their families thus enabling them to better meet the children’s specific needs. (Elicker & Mathur, 1997) It’s definite that there are more positives in all day kindergarten programs but it’s important to remember that what the children are doing during the day is more important than the length of the day. Experts are warning administrators and parents against full day kindergarten programs that are academically rather than intellectually engaging in tone. Some of the intellectually engaging activities that should be incorporated in all day kindergarten programs include the following: 1. Programs that emphasize language development. 2. Programs that offer balance of small group, big group and individual activities. 3. Programs that asses pupils’ progress through close teacher observation and examination of pupils’ work. 4. Programs that develop children’s social and interpersonal skills including conflict resolution strategies. 5. Programs that involve children in first hand experience and informal interaction with objects, other children and adults. (Rothenberg, 1995) To successfully implement this project, the government should commence creating space and teacher capacity. It should also set aside enough funds to make sure the schools can afford equipment necessary for all day kindergarten programs. References Cryan, J. R. , Sheehan, R. , Wiechel, J. , & Bandy-Hedden, I. G. (1992). Success outcomes of full-day kindergarten: More positive behavior and increased achievement in the years after. Early childhood research quarterly, 7(2), 187-203. EJ 450 525 Elicker, J. , & Mathur, S. (1997). What do they do all day? Comprehensive evaluation of a full-day kindergarten. Early childhood research quarterly, 12(4), 459-480. EJ 563 073. Hough, D. , & Bryde, S. (1996, April). THE EFFECTS OF FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND AFFECT. Paper presented at the annual conference of the American Educational Research Association, New York: ED 395 691.

A Thousand Acres – Summary

Major Works Study Form AP Question 3 Title: A Thousand AcresAuthor: Jane Smiley Biographical Information: Jane Smiley was born in Los Angeles, California and later moved to Missouri, where she went to school until college. She went to Art at Vassar College, and then traveled around Europe where she worked on an archeological dig. She returned to America and became a teacher. She had two daughters and a son. Author’s Style: The author’s style is used to display the mysterious and unsettling feeling in the novel.The book is told from the point of view of Ginny. The rape from the father keeps the tone of the book very disturbing and solemn because Jess and Rose want to keep their sister Caroline free of the problems they had to grow up dealing with. Plot Summary: The plot of this book completely parallels Shakespeare’s play â€Å"King Lear†. Larry Cook acts as the King of the novel, and he runs the farm. He has three daughters, Ginny, Rose, and Caroline. In t he beginning of the novel, Ginny thinks about the intersection and about the road overall where the farm was.Larry King wants love from his daughters to decide in how he should split up his farm. Ginny and Rose are sexually abused in the novel, but the youngest daughter, Caroline does not partake in this absurd scheme, and becomes a lawyer. She marries another lawyer and lives in Des Moines. Larry is respected by his neighbors and takes on the role of being the advisor but then retires for his children to fill his place. Caroline is cut out of the fathers will because he does not think that he is grateful for everything he has already given to her.Ginny and Rose have to take care of their father Larry, and deal with his rude behavior of drunk driving and wasting his money. Larry goes insane and one day runs out into a storm. The family has to go about their lives trying to cover up their family problems from the public, to make it seem like they are just another normal family. Larry curses Ginny with infertility. The storm in the novel displays the chaos of the family within the book, and the hope after the storm gives hope for the family. Larry goes to the farm of his friend Harold Clarke, where Harold’s son has just returned from a very long journey from.Pete ruins the farm equipment that Larry used, but instead of Larry being blinded, Harold is blinded. Caroline sues the farm, trying to say that they are not farming the right way, and Larry needs to run the farm again. Caroline ends up taking care of Larry as he goes crazy. Ty tries to save the farm from going into debt after Pete dies, but is unsuccessful when Ginny leaves in search of becoming a waitress. Then Rose takes over, but later dies from cancer in more debt than she began with. Ginny and Caroline end up having to sell the farm. Setting (describe each setting and its importance):The farm is the main setting of the novel, which parallels the kingdom of King Lear. Larry Cook owns the farm and raises his children on the land. Another setting in the book is the dump. It is where Ginny and Jess go to hang out, and later use it as a place to have sex. Symbols (describe how they contribute to the characterization, conflict, or thematic pre occupation) One of the biggest symbols of the novel is the dump. It is the place where Ginny and Jess have sex. Dumps in general are grimy and disgusting places, and the sex they had fell along the same lines.The foul act of having sex at the dump symbolizes that instead of having sex in a respectable place like a bed, the random objects in the dump hide their secrets. Another symbol is the white dresses. White dresses represent the innocence of the young girls, which is ironic because they are the opposite of pure. The storm represents the chaos in the novel, and arises during the conflict to parallel the chaos in her family life. Another symbol is the garden. After the storm, when she goes outside to look at her garden, she sees there is very little damage.This provides her with hope for the future, because she connected it to the way that if her precious garden can survive a storm, her family can get through their own storm. A final symbol is the farm, because is the kingdom of Larry Cook. It represents his own area that he owns the way King Lear had control over his own kingdom. Thematic Concerns: One of the main themes is that everything is not what it seems to be. Ginny, Rose, and Caroline all had to keep up the appearance with the farm that everything was normal in their family.In reality, everything was completely chaotic with their family life, but from the outside everything seemed fine. They wore white dresses when they went in public to give off the image that they were pure and clean girls, and kept up the farm so that it always looked neat. They have to try their best to hide their family problems, but ultimately Ginny cannot mask the chaos. Water is usually vital to life, but here the water makes Ginny unable to have a baby, and contributes to Rose’s cancer. Key Quotes: (Choose 3 with Page #) â€Å"While they were cooking, I went out to check my garden.Something that always has amazed me is the resilience of the plants. My tomato vines showed no ill effects from the onslaught of the storm weren’t even muddy, since I had made it a point to mulch them with old newspapers and grass clippings† (197. ) â€Å"Away from the farm, it was easier to think of how people went on from these sorts of troubles; it was easier to see a life as a sturdy rope with occasional knots in it† (248. ) â€Å"I told myself that I had to decide what I really wanted and settle for that- every course of action is a compromise, after all† (308).

Food Inflations-the Real Problem of Common Man in India

In simple terms inflation, or price rise is caused by too much money chasing too few goods, or, demand being more than supply. The free play of the twin market forces of demand and supply determine the price of any commodity or service. In a mixed economy like India, Government is also an important player in the market. Hence to search for the causes of inflation, becomes somewhat complex. The last couple of months witnessed a sudden and almost a run-away type of food inflation. The way the price of vegetables and other food items soared, it created doubts in the minds of the common people and the economists alike. Winter is generally the time when fruits & vegetables are at the lowest prices. This was not so this year. The prices were way above the expected normal. This happened in spite of the normal monsoon and average inflation in other sectors. It was the other way round this time. Inflation in the food sector spilled to other sectors causing the rise in overall inflation. The government and RBI are working on the lines of monetary regulations like change in the interest rates, CRR etc. But looking at the way the food prices are stuck at the higher side, don’t these monetary measures appear just temporary remedies? There are certain deeper, grass root causes which have to be actually tackled. India has come a long way in case of food grain productivity. There was a time when our Balance of payments, account was always weighed down by food grain imports and the debts incurred for these essential imports. It is not so anymore. We are self reliant now. In case of sugar, global prices are determined by the amount of India’s sugar production! States like Punjab, Haryana and Gujarat are doing well in the field of agriculture. Production may be slightly short of demand considering the huge population. Such inflation can be checked by importing. But our problem is actually the middlemen. There is a huge difference between the cost of production and the price the final consumer pays. The farmer gets a very small amount of this profit/difference of cost and final price. For example – If we are buying a vegetable for Rs. 40 per kg. , the dealer at the wholesale market gets Rs. 10 per Kg. , and the poor farmer gets a meager Rs. 3. Again this Rs. 40 too will differ depending on the locality it is being sold. Then there is always the problem of black marketing & illegal stocking of goods to get a higher price. So we actually need checks on the middlemen and the retailers. Secondly, the system of direct farm to shops has to be developed, so that the farmers are the real beneficiaries. This will also motivate the farmers to increase production. Wastage is another important avoidable problem, leading to shortage. Production we have raised. But so much is wasted because we still are a laggard when it comes to state of the art storage facilities. Even the government’s huge food buffer stock lies unused till it gets finally rotten. Why doesn’t the government release its buffer stock on time to check shortage and food inflation? Is the buffer stock merely for psychological security? The government has raised the support prices of some food items. This along with the rural employment schemes and high urban salaries has also infused excess money in the market causing the inflation. Lastly, does the government know or sincerely follow, what is happening to the prices which are subsidized or fixed by the government? There are cases where the inflation will not show in the Government statistics, but will certainly affect our household budget. As usual when the Union Budget is presented, all eyes will be on the Finance Minister and his speech will be thoroughly scanned for all the implications on the economy. But this time, there is one particular reason why ordinary citizens will be specially focused on the Budget: the hope that the Government is finally going to act decisively to contain food price inflation. It is not surprising that questions of food security and the right to food have become such urgent political and social issues in India today. Rapid aggregate income growth over the past two decades has not addressed the basic issue of ensuring the food security of the population. Instead, nutrition indicators have stagnated and per capita calorie consumption has actually declined, suggesting that the problem of hunger may have got worse rather than better. So, despite apparent material progress in the last decade, India is one of the worst countries in the world in terms of hunger among the population, and the number of hungry people in India is reported by the UN to have increased between the early 1990s and the mid-2000s. These very depressing indicators were calculated even before the recent rise in food prices in India, which is likely to have made matters much worse. Indeed, the rise in food prices in the past two years has been higher than any period since the mid-1970s, when such inflation sparked widespread social unrest and political instability. What is especially remarkable is that food prices have been rising even when the general price index (for wholesale prices) has been almost flat; thus, when the overall inflation rate was only 1-2 per cent in the past year, food prices increased by nearly 20 per cent. Sharp rise in prices It is evident that the price increase has been so rapid as to be alarming especially over the past two years, with rice prices increasing by nearly half in Northern cities and more than half in Southern cities. Atta prices have on average increased by around one-fifth from their level of two years ago. The most shocking increase has been in sugar prices, which have more than doubled across the country. Other food items, ranging from pulses and dal to milk and vegetables, have also shown dramatic increase especially in the past year. There are many reasons why food prices have risen at such a rapid rate, and all of them point to major failures of state policy. Domestic food production has been adversely affected by neoliberal economic policies that have opened up trade and exposed farmers to volatile international prices even as internal support systems have been dismantled and input prices have been rising continuously. Inadequate agricultural research, poor extension services, overuse of groundwater, and incentives for unsuitable cropping patterns have caused degeneration of soil quality and reduced the productivity of land and other inputs. Women farmers, who constitute a large (and growing) proportion of those tilling the land, have been deprived of many of the rights of cultivators, ranging from land titles to access to institutional credit, knowledge and inputs, and this too has affected the productivity and viability of cultivation. Poor distribution But in addition to production, poor distribution, growing concentration in the market and inadequate public involvement, have all been crucial in allowing food prices to rise in this appalling manner. Successive governments at the Centre have been reducing the scope of the public food distribution system, and even now, in the face of the massive increase in prices, the Central Government is delaying the allocation of food grains for the Above Poverty Line population to the States. This has prevented the public system from becoming a viable alternative for consumers and preventing private speculation and hoarding. In addition, allowing corporates (both domestic and foreign companies) to enter the market for grains and other food items has led to some increase in concentration of distribution. This has not been adequately studied, but it has many adverse implications, including the fact that farmers will benefit less from period of high prices even as consumers suffer, because the benefit will be garnered by middlemen. Sugar is slightly more complicated, as marketing margins appear to show different trends in different regions and also tend to be significantly lower than the other major crops. The dramatic increase in sugar prices is more a reflection of massive policy errors over the past two years, in terms of supply and domestic price management and exports and imports. Marketing margins So what exactly is happening? It appears that there are forces that are allowing marketing margins — at both wholesale and retail levels — to increase. This means that the direct producers, the farmers, do not get the benefit of the rising prices which consumers in both rural and urban areas are forced to pay. The factors behind these increasing retail margins need to be studied in much more detail. In addition to this, there is also initial evidence that there has been a process of concentration of crop distribution, as more and more corporate entities get involved in this activity. Such companies are both national and multinational. On the basis of international experience, their involvement in food distribution initially tends to bring down marketing margins and then leads to their increase as concentration grows. This may have been the case in certain Indian markets, but this is an area that clearly merits further examination. Many people have argued, convincingly, that increased and more stable food production is the key to food security in the country. This is certainly true, and it calls for concerted public action for agriculture, on the basis of many recommendations that have already been made by the Farmers' Commission and others. But another very important element cannot be ignored: food distribution. Here too, the recent trends make it evident that an efficiently functioning and widespread public system for distributing essential food items is important to prevent retail margins from rising. Food security A universal system of public food distribution provides economies of scale; it reduces the transaction costs and administrative hassles involved in ascertaining the target group and making sure it reaches them; it allows for better public provision because even the better-off groups with more political voice have a stake in making sure it works well; it generates greater stability in government plans for ensuring food production and procurement. It is clear that emergency measures are required to strengthen public food distribution, in addition to medium-term policies to improve domestic food supply. A properly funded, efficiently functioning and accountable system of public delivery of food items through a network of fair price shops and co-operatives is the best and most cost-effective way of limiting increases in food prices and ensuring that every citizen has access to enough food. In a context in which the inflation is concentrated on food prices, measures such as raising the interest rate are counterproductive because they affect all producers without striking at the heart of the problem. Instead, if he is serious about curtailing food inflation, the Finance Minister must provide substantially more funds to enable a proper and effect to public food distribution system. Inflation Statistics. Snapping the five week rising trend, food inflation softened to 16. 91 per cent for the week ended January 1, 2011, although vegetables, onions and protein-based items continued to remained costly. Food inflation fell by 1. 41 percentage points from 18. 32 per cent recorded in the previous reporting week. Even as the index of food inflation showed a meagre decline, vegetable prices soared by 70. 3 per cent on an annual basis in the wholesale market, official data showed. Also onions continued to pinch the pocket of the common man as the prices went up by 70. 70 per cent on a year on year basis. Among the individual items in the food inflation index, egg, meat and fish became costly by 16. 70 per cent, milk by 13. 20 per cent and fruits by 17. 71 per cent annually. However, prices of pulses declined by 14. 84 per cent, wheat by 4. 87 per cent, potatoes by 1. 67 per cent and cereals by 0. 12 per cent on an annual basis. Meanwhile, in the non-food category, the prices of fibers and minerals have climbed up by 36. 1 per cent and 16. 70 per cent, respectively. India’s food inflation rose marginally to 15. 57 percent for the week ended January 15 from previous week’s 15. 52 percent. According to official figures from country’s Commerce ministry, the primary articles price index was up 17. 26 per cent in the latest week, compared with an annual rise of 17. 03 per cent a week earlier. India has the highest food inflation of any major Asian economy, but other emerging markets such as China and Brazil are also battling double-digit food price rises.

Report Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Report Summary - Essay Example There are so many things at stake with regards to the effect of the internet on people. Among others, a person’s social, psychological and intellectual behavior may be affected by the use of the internet. One of the questions asked by intellectuals and social critic is whether the internet makes people smarter (Greenblatt 777). Thompson agrees that the internet makes information accessible but is concerned about how this information is being filtered by Google (Greenblatt 777). On the other hand, Levy is worried that the information overload of the internet no longer gives people time to think and process the data that they learn (Greenblatt 778). The second question raised by the critics regarding the internet is whether it shortens the attention span. Some people have observed that they cannot read long documents anymore because they are distracted by different graphics, hyperlinks, email alerts and audios or videos that pop out while reading documents (Greenblatt 778). Lehrer meanwhile states that the internet helps develop the skill of paying attention to different things at the same time (Greenblatt 780). He goes on further to say that the internet â€Å"allows all sorts of new connections† (Greenblatt 780). For Thompson, it is not an addiction to the internet; rather, it is more of a need to communicate any time (Greenblatt 781). Staudenmaier states that excessive use of the internet cannot be considered an addiction because it does not involve drugs and alcohol use (Greenblatt 781). On the other Cash argues that internet use can be an addiction which can result in health, relationships and work problems. (Greenblatt 780). She goes on further to say that in China and Korea internet addiction is already a primary health concern. When logging off becomes an extreme difficulty with individuals, it can be considered an addiction already. A significant statistic that strikes one is that which showed that

Bariatric Surgery & Type2 Diabetes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Bariatric Surgery & Type2 Diabetes - Essay Example The American Diabetes Association has reported that Bariatric Surgery should be considered for adults with Type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, Advocacy and Outreach report that observational studies show that weight loss surgeries can improve glycemic control and cause diabetes remission in obese patients suffering from type 2 diabetes (Taylor, 2013). Evaluation takes into account factors like implementation, assessment of needs, technology, mode of delivery, program fidelity and staff and personnel. In the case of bariatric surgery and type 2 diabetes, evaluation design will consider the factors like the availability of qualified doctors, risks associated with a surgery, obesity prevalence, and the circumstances that might lead to the establishment of surgery as the solution. The effectiveness of Bariatric surgery relies on a number of factors that should be carefully analyzed prior to surgery. The research will use evaluation design to determine the impact of Bariatric surgery on type 2 diabetes. Evaluation research is used to determine if a social intervention has achieved the desired results. The research proposals seek to determine the effect of Bariatric surgery on type 2 diabetes reversal. Evaluation research can be defined as, the systematic process of collecting and analyzing data about the quality, effectiveness, merit, or value of program, products or practices" (Gay, Mills, & Airasian, 2012, pg17 ). The aim of research is to answer the question, â€Å"What is the impact of Bariatric Surgery in Type 2 Diabetes reversal?† Evaluation research is suitable because it will also unbiased analysis of data and effectiveness of Bariatric surgery in type diabetes reversal. It will permit a thorough analysis of all relevant data and history to determine the effectiveness of Bariatric surgery. Data will be collected from observation, past

Don't really have one Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Don't really have one - Essay Example All of this also happened to a man who is known to history as Frederick Douglass, the first black man to appear on a presidential ticket. In his early narrative Frederick Douglass: Life of an American Slave, the author details his early life and education in such a way that he illustrates both the dehumanizing effects of slavery as well as those factors that operated to inspire him to ‘become a man’ rather than remaining in the role of a slave. Douglass’s narrative begins with his earliest knowledge about himself, which is far less than most people’s knowledge and highlights the degree to which black people were considered beasts of the field. Douglass sadly informs the reader that he is uncertain of his age or the day he was born and, although his mother died when he was seven years old, he was relatively unaffected by the news as he had been separated from her since infancy. â€Å"Never having enjoyed, to any considerable extent, her soothing presence, her tender and watchful care, I received the tidings of [my mother’s] death with much the same emotions I should have probably felt at the death of a stranger† (Ch. 1). In highlighting this unnatural separation of mother and child, Douglass also points out that he never knew who his father was although there had been some rumors that he was a white man. However, the important element of these early chapters is the way in which the slave is creat ed from birth, separated from his family to destroy any natural human feelings of attachment and support and cruelly treated to keep him always in fear. By the time he was seven, he had learned of the death of his mother, watched his aunt brutally whipped and had taken his own place at work in the fields. He describes the life of the slave, illustrating its bestial level of survival existence and the types of behaviors they were expected to exhibit when they were in the presence of their masters. A turning point in the book

Corn Air Marketing Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Corn Air Marketing Strategy - Essay Example There is no doubt that marketing is an effective determinant of a business success in an industry, especially where there is high competition. Customers chose a particular product based on the information available and to which persuades them towards that product. Indeed, the information in the market is provided through the use of marketing. Marketing hence attracts consumers in many ways. Through marketing, the company creates image and branding that distinguishes them from the competitors, and as Shimp (2010) noted, differentiation is essentials especially to an industry where goods are similar. Accordingly, the public is aware of the existence of the commodity and the associated owner. Furthermore, establishing an effective marketing is a sense of pride to the employees while increasing stakeholder satisfaction. As a result, the employees are motivated leading to better service to the customers, particularly to the airline industry. Companies should so spend effectively if they a re to enjoy the benefits of marketing. The emergent of technology has seen many businesses implement various ways of strategy in marketing to promote their products. Most of the advertisements were conducted through TVs, radios, newspapers, journals to provide for public awareness and indeed, it did serve them well since the last decade there was no prevalence of technology as it is today. With the increased information technology, companies have combined the traditional ways and modern ways to spur their economic growth.

Veterans Health Administration NSQIP Program Case Analysis Coursework

Veterans Health Administration NSQIP Program Case Analysis - Coursework Example The benchmark standards were established by understanding and comparing the characteristics of best performers. The major criteria used were health status of patients after medical treatment; The morbidity and mortality rate in 30 post operative days; length of patients’ stay after operation; patients level of satisfaction; surgical and anesthesia techniques used; better supervision of residents in surgical training; and impact of technology and equipment. These benchmark standards were vital issues that reflected health status of patients and thereby, the level of services and impact of technology in surgeries. The program relied on using data comprising of pre-operative patient risk factor; key intra-operative process information; post operative 30 days morbidity and mortality rates; and length of stay. These were critical issues within the surgery that gave vital information about the outcomes of operations. The information collected from the database of surgical outcomes from 123 VAMS greatly helped to improve and improvise operations when the information was used to optimize surgical outcome. The NSQIP or Nation Administration Quality Improvement Program was highly successful that significantly contributed in the improvement of surgical outcome across VAMS. Indeed, while the morbidity and mortality rates were considerably reduced, the length of patients stay was also decreased from 10.2 days to 5 days. The length of stay was deemed important as it illustrated the efficacy of treatment and endorsed patients’ satisfaction. It clearly showed vast improvement in the health status of patients after the surgery, thus reaffirming the importance of new programs in developing an effective healthcare delivery system. Effective communication among the surgeons, nurses, administration and also with the patients was also one of the major factors that contributed to

Literature Review on Personalized Web Improvement

On Personalized Web Improvement - Literature review Example О Ð ¿Ã'€Ð ¾Ã µÃ ºÃ'‚Ð µ Ð Ã ¾Ã ²Ã ¾Ã' Ã'‚Ð ¸ 21.02.2017ИÃ' Ã ¿Ã'€Ð °Ã ²Ã »Ã µÃ ½Ã ¸Ã µ Ð ½Ã µÃ ºÃ ¾Ã'€Ã'€Ð µÃ ºÃ'‚Ð ½Ã'‹Ã'… Ð ´Ã °Ã ½Ã ½Ã'‹Ã'… Ð ² Ã' Ã'‚Ð °Ã'‚Ð ¸Ã' Ã'‚Ð ¸Ã ºÃ µ Ð ¿Ã'€Ð ¾Ã' Ã'€Ð ¾Ã'‡Ð µÃ º Ð ¸ Ð ¾Ã'‚Ð ºÃ °Ã ·Ã ¾Ã ² Ð ¡Ã »Ã'Æ'Ð ¶Ã ±Ã ° Ð ¿Ã ¾Ã ´Ã ´Ã µÃ'€Ð ¶Ã ºÃ ¸ +7 (495) 789-02-33 Ð ­Ã »Ã µÃ ºÃ'‚Ã'€Ð ¾Ã ½Ã ½Ã °Ã'  Ð ¿Ã ¾Ã'‡Ã'‚Ð ° ПÐ °Ã'€Ð ¾Ã »Ã'Å' Ð’Ð ¾Ã ¹Ã'‚Ð ¸ Ðâ€"Ð °Ã'€Ð µÃ ³Ã ¸Ã' Ã'‚Ã'€Ð ¸Ã'€Ð ¾Ã ²Ã °Ã'‚Ã'Å'Ã' Ã'  PRO-Ð Ã ºÃ ºÃ °Ã'Æ'Ð ½Ã'‚ Ðâ€"Ð °Ã ±Ã'‹Ð »Ã ¸ Ð ¿Ã °Ã'€Ð ¾Ã »Ã'Å'? RU ПÐ ¾Ã ´Ã °Ã'€Ð ºÃ ¸! БÐ ¸Ã'€Ð ¶Ã ° Ð ºÃ ¾Ã ¿Ã ¸Ã'€Ð °Ã ¹Ã'‚Ð ¸Ã ½Ã ³Ã ° БÐ ¸Ã'€Ð ¶Ã ° Ã'€Ð µÃ'€Ð °Ã ¹Ã'‚Ð ¸Ã ½Ã ³Ã ° ÐÅ"Ð °Ã ³Ã °Ã ·Ã ¸Ã ½ Ã' Ã'‚Ð °Ã'‚Ð µÃ ¹ ÐÅ"Ð °Ã ³Ã °Ã ·Ã ¸Ã ½ Ð ½Ã ¾Ã ²Ã ¾Ã' Ã'‚Ð µÃ ¹ Ð £Ã ½Ã ¸Ã ºÃ °Ã »Ã'Å'Ð ½Ã ¾Ã' Ã'‚Ã'Å' Ã'‚Ð µÃ ºÃ' Ã'‚Ð ° ПÃ'€Ð ¾Ã ²Ã µÃ'€Ð ºÃ ° Ð ¾Ã'€Ã'„Ð ¾Ã ³Ã'€Ð °Ã'„Ð ¸Ã ¸ SEO-Ð °Ã ½Ã °Ã »Ã ¸Ã · Ð ¡Ã ¸Ã ½Ã ¾Ã ½Ã ¸Ã ¼Ã'‹ Ð º Ã' Ã »Ã ¾Ã ²Ã'Æ' Ð £Ã ½Ã ¸Ã ºÃ °Ã »Ã'Å'Ð ½Ã ¾Ã' Ã'‚Ã'Å' Ã' Ã °Ã ¹Ã'‚Ð ° Ð £Ã ½Ã ¸Ã ºÃ °Ã »Ã'Å'Ð ½Ã ¾Ã' Ã'‚Ã'Å' Ð ´Ã ¾Ã ºÃ'Æ'Ð ¼Ã µÃ ½Ã'‚Ð ° Ð  Ã µÃ ³Ã'Æ'Ð »Ã' Ã'€Ð ½Ã °Ã'  Ð ¿Ã'€Ð ¾Ã ²Ã µÃ'€Ð ºÃ ° API Ã'Æ'Ð ½Ã ¸Ã ºÃ °Ã »Ã'Å'Ð ½Ã ¾Ã' Ã'‚Ð ¸ ПÐ °Ã ºÃ µÃ'‚Ã'‹ Ã' Ã ¸Ã ¼Ã ²Ã ¾Ã »Ã ¾Ã ² SEO-Ð ºÃ ¾Ã ¿Ã ¸Ã'€Ð °Ã ¹Ã'‚Ð ¸Ã ½Ã ³ Ð ¾Ã'‚ Ð »Ã'Æ'Ã'‡Ã'ˆÐ ¸Ã'… Ð °Ã ²Ã'‚Ð ¾Ã'€Ð ¾Ã ², Ã'€Ð °Ã ±Ã ¾Ã'‚Ð ° Ð ºÃ ¾Ã ¿Ã ¸Ã'€Ð °Ã ¹Ã'‚Ð µÃ'€Ð ¾Ã ¼ Ð ½Ã ° Ð ´Ã ¾Ã ¼Ã'Æ' SEO-Ð Ã Ã Ãâ€ºÃËœÃâ€" Ð ¢Ãâ€¢ÃÅ¡Ã ¡Ã ¢Ã  The literature review "Literature Review on Personalized Web Improvement" discusses today personalised web portals. The paper also analyzes the ways that a program can offer personalisation and how to improve such a service. A personalized web portal lets them quickly check what they need and move on. There are numerous other advantages to the end user, of course. The issue is that there is an inherent tension between personalization and security (Lee and Cranage, 2010). As information becomes personalized, particularly if that information has to be stored on a remote server (like Google), the risk of someone's private data being stolen increases tremendously. If these portals end up governing the entire way that people surf the Net and use electronic services, then they become immensely valuable for marketers, spammers, hackers and phishers. As noted, the most common personalized web services are portals or applications that govern the way one relates to the Internet based on user input. Facebook, for example, is a modular system: It has its core functionality that can be changed according to the individual need of the user, particularly in terms of what information is being shared and what social networking features one uses, and then first and third-party applications can be installed to allow more interaction. Facebook can include news or stocks tickers, games, etc. Of course, Facebook's recent problems with privacy management also show some of the problems with these approaches (Vascellaro, 2010). The literature review "Literature Review on Personalized Web Improvement" discusses today personalised web portals. The paper also analyzes the ways that a program can offer personalisation and how to improve such a service. A personalized web portal lets them quickly check what they need and move on. There are numerous other advantages to the end user, of course. The issue is that there is an inherent tension between personalization and security (Lee and Cranage, 2010). As information becomes personalized, particularly if that information has to be stored on a remote server (like Google), the risk of someone's private data being stolen increases tremendously. If these portals end up governing the entire way that people surf the Net and use electronic services, then they become immensely valuable for marketers, spammers, hackers and phishers. As noted, the most common personalized web services are portals or applications that govern the way one relates to the Internet based on user input. Facebook, for example, is a modular system: It has its core functionality that can be changed according to the individual need of the user, particularly in terms of what information is being shared and what social networking features one uses, and then first and third-party applications can be installed to allow more interaction. Facebook can include news or stocks tickers, games, etc. Of course, Facebook's recent problems with privacy management also show some of the problems with these approaches (Vascellaro, 2010). Ð’Ã' Ã µÃ ³Ã ¾ Ã' Ã ¸Ã ¼Ã ²Ã ¾Ã »Ã ¾Ã ²: 1527 БÐ µÃ · Ð ¿Ã'€Ð ¾Ã ±Ã µÃ »Ã ¾Ã ²: 1290 КÐ ¾Ã »Ã ¸Ã'‡Ð µÃ' Ã'‚Ð ²Ã ¾ Ã' Ã »Ã ¾Ã ²: 240 ПÃ'€Ð ¾Ã ²Ã µÃ'€Ð ¸Ã'‚Ã'Å' SEO-Ð ´Ã °Ã ½Ã ½Ã'‹Ð µ ОÐ ¿Ã ¸Ã' Ã °Ã ½Ã ¸Ã µ ОÐ ¿Ã ¸Ã' Ã °Ã ½Ã ¸Ã µ Ã' Ã µÃ'€Ð ²Ã ¸Ã' Ã ° SEO-Ð °Ã ½Ã °Ã »Ã ¸Ã · Ã'‚Ð µÃ ºÃ' Ã'‚Ð ° Ð ¾Ã'‚ TEXT.RU - Ã' Ã'‚Ð ¾ Ã'Æ'Ð ½Ã ¸Ã ºÃ °Ã »Ã'Å'Ð ½Ã'‹Ð ¹ Ã' Ã µÃ'€Ð ²Ã ¸Ã' , Ð ½Ã µ Ð ¸Ã ¼Ã µÃ'ŽÃ'‰Ð ¸Ã ¹ Ð °Ã ½Ã °Ã »Ã ¾Ã ³Ã ¾Ã ². Ð’Ð ¾Ã ·Ã ¼Ã ¾Ã ¶Ã ½Ã ¾Ã' Ã'‚Ã'Å' Ð ¿Ã ¾Ã ´Ã' Ã ²Ã µÃ'‚Ð ºÃ ¸  «Ã ²Ã ¾Ã ´Ã'‹Â », Ð ·Ã °Ã' Ã ¿Ã °Ã ¼Ã »Ã µÃ ½Ã ½Ã ¾Ã' Ã'‚Ð ¸ Ð ¸ Ð ºÃ »Ã'ŽÃ'‡Ð µÃ ¹ Ð ² Ã'‚Ð µÃ ºÃ' Ã'‚Ð µ Ð ¿Ã ¾Ã ·Ã ²Ã ¾Ã »Ã' Ã µÃ'‚ Ã' Ã ´Ã µÃ »Ã °Ã'‚Ã'Å' Ð °Ã ½Ã °Ã »Ã ¸Ã · Ã'‚Ð µÃ ºÃ' Ã'‚Ð ° Ð ¸Ã ½Ã'‚Ð µÃ'€Ð °Ã ºÃ'‚Ð ¸Ã ²Ã ½Ã'‹Ð ¼ Ð ¸ Ð »Ã µÃ ³Ã ºÃ ¸Ã ¼ Ð ´Ã »Ã'  Ð ²Ã ¾Ã' Ã ¿Ã'€Ð ¸Ã' Ã'‚Ð ¸Ã' . SEO-Ð °Ã ½Ã °Ã »Ã ¸Ã · Ã'‚Ð µÃ ºÃ' Ã'‚Ð ° Ð ²Ã ºÃ »Ã'ŽÃ'‡Ð °Ã µÃ'‚ Ð ² Ã' Ã µÃ ±Ã' : âÅ"” Ð ¡Ã'‡Ð µÃ'‚Ã'‡Ð ¸Ã º Ã' Ã ¸Ã ¼Ã ²Ã ¾Ã »Ã ¾Ã ², Ð ¿Ã ¾Ã ´Ã' Ã'‡Ð µÃ'‚ Ð ºÃ ¾Ã »Ã ¸Ã'‡Ð µÃ' Ã'‚Ð ²Ã ° Ð ·Ã ½Ã °Ã ºÃ ¾Ã ² Ð ¸ Ã' Ã »Ã ¾Ã ² Ð ² Ã'‚Ð µÃ ºÃ' Ã'‚Ð µ Ð ¾Ã ½Ã »Ã °Ã ¹Ã ½ Ð ¡ Ð ¿Ã ¾Ã ¼Ã ¾Ã'‰Ã'Å'Ã'Ž Ð ´Ã °Ã ½Ã ½Ã ¾Ã ³Ã ¾ Ð ¾Ã ½Ã »Ã °Ã ¹Ã ½-Ã' Ã µÃ'€Ð ²Ã ¸Ã' Ã ° Ð ¼Ã ¾Ã ¶Ã ½Ã ¾ Ð ¾Ã ¿Ã'€Ð µÃ ´Ã µÃ »Ã ¸Ã'‚Ã'Å' Ã'‡Ð ¸Ã' Ã »Ã ¾ Ã' Ã »Ã ¾Ã ² Ð ² Ã'‚Ð µÃ ºÃ' Ã'‚Ð µ, Ð ° Ã'‚Ð °Ã ºÃ ¶Ã µ Ð ºÃ ¾Ã »Ã ¸Ã'‡Ð µÃ' Ã'‚Ð ²Ã ¾ Ã' Ã ¸Ã ¼Ã ²Ã ¾Ã »Ã ¾Ã ² Ã'  Ð ¿Ã'€Ð ¾Ã ±Ã µÃ »Ã °Ã ¼Ã ¸ Ð ¸ Ð ±Ã µÃ · Ð ½Ã ¸Ã'…. âÅ"” ОÐ ¿Ã'€Ð µÃ ´Ã µÃ »Ã µÃ ½Ã ¸Ã µ Ð ºÃ »Ã'ŽÃ'‡Ð µÃ ¹ Ð ¸ Ã' Ã µÃ ¼Ã °Ã ½Ã'‚Ð ¸Ã'‡Ð µÃ' Ã ºÃ ¾Ã ³Ã ¾ Ã' Ã ´Ã'€Ð ° Ã'‚Ð µÃ ºÃ' Ã'‚Ð ° Ð’Ð ¾Ã ·Ã ¼Ã ¾Ã ¶Ã ½Ã ¾Ã' Ã'‚Ã'Å' Ð ½Ã °Ã'…Ð ¾Ã ¶Ã ´Ã µÃ ½Ã ¸Ã'  Ð ¿Ã ¾Ã ¸Ã' Ã ºÃ ¾Ã ²Ã'‹Ã'… Ð ºÃ »Ã'ŽÃ'‡Ð µÃ ¹ Ð ² Ã'‚Ð µÃ ºÃ' Ã'‚Ð µ Ð ¸ Ð ¾Ã ¿Ã'€Ð µÃ ´Ã µÃ »Ã µÃ ½Ã ¸Ã'  Ð ¸Ã'… Ð ºÃ ¾Ã »Ã ¸Ã'‡Ð µÃ' Ã'‚Ð ²Ã ° Ð ¿Ã ¾Ã »Ã µÃ ·Ã ½Ã ° Ð ºÃ °Ã º Ð ´Ã »Ã'  Ð ½Ã °Ã ¿Ã ¸Ã' Ã °Ã ½Ã ¸Ã'  Ð ½Ã ¾Ã ²Ã ¾Ã ³Ã ¾ Ã'‚Ð µÃ ºÃ' Ã'‚Ð °, Ã'‚Ð °Ã º Ð ¸ Ð ´Ã »Ã'  Ð ¾Ã ¿Ã'‚Ð ¸Ã ¼Ã ¸Ã ·Ã °Ã'†Ð ¸Ã ¸ Ã'Æ'Ð ¶Ã µ Ã' Ã'Æ'Ã'‰Ð µÃ' Ã'‚Ð ²Ã'Æ'Ã'ŽÃ'‰Ð µÃ ³Ã ¾. Ð  Ã °Ã' Ã ¿Ã ¾Ã »Ã ¾Ã ¶Ã µÃ ½Ã ¸Ã µ Ð ºÃ »Ã'ŽÃ'‡Ð µÃ ²Ã'‹Ã'… Ã' Ã »Ã ¾Ã ² Ð ¿Ã ¾ Ð ³Ã'€Ã'Æ'Ð ¿Ã ¿Ã °Ã ¼ Ð ¸ Ð ¿Ã ¾ Ã'‡Ð °Ã' Ã'‚Ð ¾Ã'‚Ð µ Ã' Ã ´Ã µÃ »Ã °Ã µÃ'‚ Ð ½Ã °Ã ²Ã ¸Ã ³Ã °Ã'†Ð ¸Ã'Ž Ð ¿Ã ¾ Ð ºÃ »Ã'ŽÃ'‡Ð °Ã ¼ Ã'Æ'Ð ´Ã ¾Ã ±Ã ½Ã ¾Ã ¹ Ð ¸ Ð ±Ã'‹Ã' Ã'‚Ã'€Ð ¾Ã ¹. Ð ¡Ã µÃ'€Ð ²Ã ¸Ã'  Ã'‚Ð °Ã ºÃ ¶Ã µ Ð ½Ã °Ã  ¹Ã ´Ã µÃ'‚ Ð ¸ Ð ¼Ã ¾Ã'€Ã'„Ð ¾Ã »Ã ¾Ã ³Ã ¸Ã'‡Ð µÃ' Ã ºÃ ¸Ã µ Ð ²Ã °Ã'€Ð ¸Ã °Ã ½Ã'‚Ã'‹ Ð ºÃ »Ã'ŽÃ'‡Ð µÃ ¹, Ð ºÃ ¾Ã'‚Ð ¾Ã'€Ã'‹Ð µ Ð ²Ã'‹Ð ´Ã µÃ »Ã' Ã'‚Ã' Ã'  Ð ² Ã'‚Ð µÃ ºÃ' Ã'‚Ð µ Ð ¿Ã'€Ð ¸ Ð ½Ã °Ã ¶Ã °Ã'‚Ð ¸Ã ¸ Ð ½Ã ° Ð ½Ã'Æ'Ð ¶Ã ½Ã ¾Ã µ Ð ºÃ »Ã'ŽÃ'‡Ð µÃ ²Ã ¾Ã µ Ã' Ã »Ã ¾Ã ²Ã ¾. âÅ"” ОÐ ¿Ã'€Ð µÃ ´Ã µÃ »Ã µÃ ½Ã ¸Ã µ Ð ¿Ã'€Ð ¾Ã'†Ð µÃ ½Ã'‚Ð ° Ð ²Ã ¾Ã ´Ã ½Ã ¾Ã' Ã'‚Ð ¸ Ã'‚Ð µÃ ºÃ' Ã'‚Ð ° ДÐ °Ã ½Ã ½Ã'‹Ð ¹ Ð ¿Ã °Ã'€Ð °Ã ¼Ã µÃ'‚Ã'€ Ð ¾Ã'‚Ð ¾Ã ±Ã'€Ð °Ã ¶Ã °Ã µÃ'‚ Ð ¿Ã'€Ð ¾Ã'†Ð µÃ ½Ã'‚ Ð ½Ã °Ã »Ã ¸Ã'‡Ð ¸Ã'  Ð ² Ã'‚Ð µÃ ºÃ' Ã'‚Ð µ Ã' Ã'‚Ð ¾Ã ¿-Ã' Ã »Ã ¾Ã ², Ã'„Ã'€Ð °Ã ·Ã µÃ ¾Ã »Ã ¾Ã ³Ã ¸Ã ·Ã ¼Ã ¾Ã ², Ð ° Ã'‚Ð °Ã ºÃ ¶Ã µ Ã' Ã »Ã ¾Ã ²Ã µÃ' Ã ½Ã'‹Ã'… Ð ¾Ã ±Ã ¾Ã'€Ð ¾Ã'‚Ð ¾Ã ², Ã'„Ã'€Ð °Ã ·, Ã' Ã ¾Ã µÃ ´Ã ¸Ã ½Ã ¸Ã'‚Ð µÃ »Ã'Å'Ð ½Ã'‹Ã'… Ã' Ã »Ã ¾Ã ², Ã' Ã ²Ã »Ã' Ã'ŽÃ'‰Ð ¸Ã'…Ã' Ã'  Ð ½Ã µ Ð ·Ã ½Ã °Ã'‡Ð ¸Ã ¼Ã'‹Ð ¼Ã ¸ Ð ¸ Ð ½Ã µ Ð ½Ã µÃ' Ã'Æ'Ã'‰Ð ¸Ã ¼Ã ¸ Ã' Ã ¼Ã'‹Ã' Ã »Ã ¾Ã ²Ã ¾Ã ¹ Ð ½Ã °Ã ³Ã'€Ã'Æ'Ð ·Ã ºÃ ¸. Ð Ã µÃ ±Ã ¾Ã »Ã'Å'Ã'ˆÐ ¾Ã µ Ã' Ã ¾Ã ´Ã µÃ'€Ð ¶Ã °Ã ½Ã ¸Ã µ  «Ã ²Ã ¾Ã ´Ã'‹Â » Ð ² Ã'‚Ð µÃ ºÃ' Ã'‚Ð µ Ã' Ã ²Ã »Ã' Ã µÃ'‚Ã' Ã'  Ð µÃ' Ã'‚Ð µÃ' Ã'‚Ð ²Ã µÃ ½Ã ½Ã'‹Ð ¼ Ð ¿Ã ¾Ã ºÃ °Ã ·Ã °Ã'‚Ð µÃ »Ã µÃ ¼, Ð ¿Ã'€Ð ¸ Ã' Ã '‚Ð ¾Ã ¼: Ð ´Ã ¾ 15% - Ð µÃ' Ã'‚Ð µÃ' Ã'‚Ð ²Ã µÃ ½Ã ½Ã ¾Ã µ Ã' Ã ¾Ã ´Ã µÃ'€Ð ¶Ã °Ã ½Ã ¸Ã µ  «Ã ²Ã ¾Ã ´Ã'‹Â » Ð ² Ã'‚Ð µÃ ºÃ' Ã'‚Ð µ; Ð ¾Ã'‚ 15% Ð ´Ã ¾ 30% - Ð ¿Ã'€Ð µÃ ²Ã'‹Ã'ˆÐ µÃ ½Ã ½Ã ¾Ã µ Ã' Ã ¾Ã ´Ã µÃ'€Ð ¶Ã °Ã ½Ã ¸Ã µ  «Ã ²Ã ¾Ã ´Ã'‹Â » Ð ² Ã'‚Ð µÃ ºÃ' Ã'‚Ð µ; Ð ±Ã ¾Ã »Ã'Å'Ã'ˆÐ µ 30% - Ð ²Ã'‹Ã' Ã ¾Ã ºÃ ¾Ã µ Ã' Ã ¾Ã ´Ã µÃ'€Ð ¶Ã °Ã ½Ã ¸Ã µ  «Ã ²Ã ¾Ã ´Ã'‹Â » Ð ² Ã'‚Ð µÃ ºÃ' Ã'‚Ð µ. âÅ"” ОÐ ¿Ã'€Ð µÃ ´Ã µÃ »Ã µÃ ½Ã ¸Ã µ Ð ¿Ã'€Ð ¾Ã'†Ð µÃ ½Ã'‚Ð ° Ð ·Ã °Ã' Ã ¿Ã °Ã ¼Ã »Ã µÃ ½Ã ½Ã ¾Ã' Ã'‚Ð ¸ Ã'‚Ð µÃ ºÃ' Ã'‚Ð ° ПÃ'€Ð ¾Ã'†Ð µÃ ½Ã'‚ Ð ·Ã °Ã' Ã ¿Ã °Ã ¼Ã »Ã µÃ ½Ã ½Ã ¾Ã' Ã'‚Ð ¸ Ã'‚Ð µÃ ºÃ' Ã'‚Ð ° Ð ¾Ã'‚Ã'€Ð °Ã ¶Ã °Ã µÃ'‚ Ð ºÃ ¾Ã »Ã ¸Ã'‡Ð µÃ' Ã'‚Ð ²Ã ¾ Ð ¿Ã ¾Ã ¸Ã' Ã ºÃ ¾Ã ²Ã'‹Ã'… Ð ºÃ »Ã'ŽÃ'‡Ð µÃ ²Ã'‹Ã'… Ã' Ã »Ã ¾Ã ² Ð ² Ã'‚Ð µÃ ºÃ' Ã'‚Ð µ. Ð §Ã µÃ ¼ Ð ±Ã ¾Ã »Ã'Å'Ã'ˆÐ µ Ð ² Ã'‚Ð µÃ ºÃ' Ã'‚Ð µ Ð ºÃ »Ã'ŽÃ'‡Ð µÃ ²Ã'‹Ã'… Ã' Ã »Ã ¾Ã ², Ã'‚Ð µÃ ¼ Ð ²Ã'‹Ã'ˆÐ µ Ð µÃ ³Ã ¾ Ð ·Ã °Ã' Ã ¿Ã °Ã ¼Ã »Ã µÃ ½Ã ½Ã ¾Ã' Ã'‚Ã'Å': Ð ´Ã ¾ 30% - Ð ¾Ã'‚Ã' Ã'Æ'Ã'‚Ã' Ã'‚Ð ²Ã ¸Ã µ Ð ¸Ã »Ã ¸ Ð µÃ' Ã'‚Ð µÃ' Ã'‚Ð ²Ã µÃ ½Ã ½Ã ¾Ã µ Ã' Ã ¾Ã ´Ã µÃ'€Ð ¶Ã °Ã ½Ã ¸Ã µ Ð ºÃ »Ã'ŽÃ'‡Ð µÃ ²Ã'‹Ã'… Ã' Ã »Ã ¾Ã ² Ð ² Ã'‚Ð µÃ ºÃ' Ã'‚Ð µ; Ð ¾Ã'‚ 30% Ð ´Ã ¾ 60% - SEO-Ð ¾Ã ¿Ã'‚Ð ¸Ã ¼Ã ¸Ã ·Ã ¸Ã'€Ð ¾Ã ²Ã °Ã ½Ã ½Ã'‹Ð ¹ Ã'‚Ð µÃ ºÃ' Ã'‚. Ð’ Ð ±Ã ¾Ã »Ã'Å'Ã'ˆÐ ¸Ã ½Ã' Ã'‚Ð ²Ã µ Ã' Ã »Ã'Æ'Ã'‡Ð °Ã µÃ ² Ð ¿Ã ¾Ã ¸Ã' Ã ºÃ ¾Ã ²Ã'‹Ð µ Ã' Ã ¸Ã' Ã'‚Ð µÃ ¼Ã'‹ Ã' Ã'‡Ð ¸Ã'‚Ð °Ã'ŽÃ'‚ Ð ´Ã °Ã ½Ã ½Ã'‹Ð ¹ Ã'‚Ð µÃ ºÃ' Ã'‚ Ã'€Ð µÃ »Ã µÃ ²Ã °Ã ½Ã'‚Ð ½Ã'‹Ð ¼ Ð ºÃ »Ã'ŽÃ'‡Ð µÃ ²Ã'‹Ð ¼ Ã' Ã »Ã ¾Ã ²Ã °Ã ¼, Ð ºÃ ¾Ã'‚Ð ¾Ã'€Ã'‹Ð µ Ã'Æ'Ð ºÃ °Ã ·Ã °Ã ½Ã'‹ Ð ² Ã'‚Ð µÃ ºÃ' Ã'‚Ð µ. Ð ¾Ã'‚ 60% - Ã' Ã ¸Ã »Ã'Å'Ð ½Ã ¾ Ð ¾Ã ¿Ã'‚Ð ¸Ã ¼Ã ¸Ã ·Ã ¸Ã'€Ð ¾Ã ²Ã °Ã ½Ã ½Ã'‹Ð ¹ Ð ¸Ã »Ã ¸ Ð ·Ã °Ã' Ã ¿Ã °Ã ¼Ã »Ã µÃ ½Ã ½Ã'‹Ð ¹ Ð ºÃ »Ã'ŽÃ'‡Ð µÃ ²Ã'‹Ð ¼Ã ¸ Ã' Ã »Ã ¾Ã ²Ã °Ã ¼Ã ¸ Ã'‚Ð µÃ ºÃ' Ã'‚. âÅ"” ПÐ ¾Ã ¸Ã' Ã º Ã' Ã ¼Ã µÃ'ˆÐ °Ã ½Ã ½Ã'‹Ã'… Ã' Ã »Ã ¾Ã ² Ð ¸Ã »Ã ¸ Ã' Ã »Ã ¾Ã ² Ð ² Ã'€Ð °Ã ·Ã »Ã ¸Ã'‡Ð ½Ã'‹Ã'… Ã'€Ð °Ã' Ã ºÃ »Ã °Ã ´Ã ºÃ °Ã'… Ð ºÃ »Ã °Ã ²Ã ¸Ã °Ã'‚Ã'Æ'Ã'€Ã'‹ ДÐ °Ã ½Ã ½Ã'‹Ð ¹ Ð ¿Ã °Ã'€Ð °Ã ¼Ã µÃ'‚Ã'€ Ð ¿Ã ¾Ã ºÃ °Ã ·Ã'‹Ð ²Ã °Ã µÃ'‚ Ð ºÃ ¾Ã »Ã ¸Ã'‡Ð µÃ' Ã'‚Ð ²Ã ¾ Ã' Ã »Ã ¾Ã ², Ã' Ã ¾Ã' Ã'‚Ð ¾Ã' Ã'‰Ð ¸Ã'… Ð ¸Ã · Ð ±Ã'Æ'Ð ºÃ ² Ã'€Ð °Ã ·Ã »Ã ¸Ã'‡Ð ½Ã'‹Ã'… Ð °Ã »Ã'„Ð °Ã ²Ã ¸Ã'‚Ð ¾Ã ². 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ПÐ ¾Ã ´Ã'€Ð ¾Ã ±Ã ½Ã µÃ µ Ð ² API-Ð ¿Ã'€Ð ¾Ã ²Ã µÃ'€Ð ºÃ µ. Ð Ã ° Ð ³Ã »Ã °Ã ²Ã ½Ã'Æ'Ã'Ž О Ð ¿Ã'€Ð ¾Ã µÃ ºÃ'‚Ð µ Ð Ã ¾Ã ²Ã ¾Ã' Ã'‚Ð ¸ FAQ Ð £Ã ²Ã µÃ ´Ã ¾Ã ¼Ã »Ã µÃ ½Ã ¸Ã'   © 2017 ООО Â «Ã ¢Ã µÃ ºÃ' Ã'‚ » Ðâ€"Ð °Ã'€Ð °Ã ±Ã ¾Ã'‚Ð ¾Ã º Ð ·Ã ° Ã'€Ð µÃ ºÃ ¾Ã ¼Ã µÃ ½Ã ´Ã °Ã'†Ð ¸Ã ¸ Ã' Ã µÃ'€Ð ²Ã ¸Ã' Ã °! But there are innumerable other, more specialised, personalised web services. Pl@nteInfo is an agricultural and crop management personalised system (Jensen et al, 2000). â€Å"[T]he farmer and adviser subscribers are very dedicated users. Both the activity patterns and the preferences of subjects in the system are significantly different between these subscriber types, with farmers generally searching specific advice and advisors using the system to keep their knowledge up-to-date† (Jensen et al, 2000). Similarly, RecOrgSeed has real potential to advance democracy in the agricultural domain and help recommend organic seeds to growers (Markellos et al, 2009). In fact, one of the major advantages of personalised web services is the increasing array of options provided to businesses. TV listing services are likely to be increasingly popular in the digital age. â€Å"The Internet has brought unprecedented access to vast quantities of information. However, in recent times, the pr oblem of information overload has become more and more marked, and we are now reaching a point where it is becoming increasingly difficult to locate the right information at the right time† (Smyth and Cotter, 2005). Personalised webs are thus designed

5.2. American Revolution - Southern Campaign Essay

5.2. American Revolution - Southern Campaign - Essay Example They were motivated by a number of factors. First, they were pessimistic about the existence of a better future as portrayed by the patriots. Then, they were well established and did not feel much weight due to the existing tax schemes. In addition, they were afraid of violence that would result from such a rebellion against the king.1 Most loyalists resided in the southern and middle colonies. They included the tenant farmers in New York, Carolina and New Jersey. In view of this, the British decided to move to the South so that they could tap support from these loyalists. They established their Military base of operations in New York and Long Island. These areas had large concentrations of loyalists, most who were refugees from different states. The loyalists in this region offered them the support they needed. With the support of local governors, loyalists were recruited and helped to fight against the Patriots.2 However, the patriots recruited more member and were able to expel all the royal officials. The loyalists in the South were suppressed by local patriots who were leaders in the local government.3 With a greater number, the patriots were able to drive away the British out of Boston and surrounding. Eventually, the Patriots won after matching out the British army in the battle of Monmouth. This led to the formation of the modern United States of

Communication Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Communication Management - Essay Example This document particularly relate to the development of Communication Management Strategy for Digital Training Program at Wal-mart Corporation. Wal-mart has always given importance to the employee training and development programs as it has been an integral part of its employees’ career path (Working At Walmart: Training and Development, 2013). However, due to the advancing technology and increasing size of Wal-mart’s business the corporation now requires establishing a digital learning and training program in order to better improve its customer services and overall employee relationships. Following are the most significant objectives of Communication Management Strategy for Wal-mart’s Digital Training Program (Corporate Communications Policy, 2012). The scope of this document is actually restricted to different aspects of Wal-mart’s Digital Training Program which basically includes its unique business approach. This is further related with the organization’s ongoing communication procedures with all the stakeholders. This document will be helpful in evaluating the progress and effectiveness of the entire project while making a strict stakeholder analysis and the impacts of digital training project on the organization’s global image. Additionally, the communication management strategy aims to combine the organizational mission to its capabilities and resources (Tripathi, 2009). Formal business communication is based upon a comprehensive process which primarily emphasizes over message i.e. the actual content which has to be delivered. It can be either in verbal words or symbols (Means, 2009). For instance, in case of Wal-mart’s Digital Training Program the stakeholders would have to be informed about the training needs of employees, their skills, competencies etc. At a later stage the message might also be directed towards employees in order to gain their content regarding training strategies.

The Wagner Act Essay Example for Free

The Wagner Act Essay Prior to the enactment of the Wagner Act, the United States already had several labors. The Railway Labor Act, which was passed in 1926, required employers to enter into collective bargaining agreements with unions. It also prohibited discrimination on the part of the company against the unions. The RLA however, only applied to railroads and was subsequently amended in order for airlines to be included. Thus during this period, while it was legal to form unions, companies were not prohibited from firing employees for being union members. In 1993, at the behest of then President Franklin Roosevelt, the National Industry Recovery Act was passed. Among the provisions, specifically Section 7(a), employees were not only given the right to form unions but that joining or non-joining of a union would not be used as a requirement for employment. That particular section also required companies to abide by conditions of employment such as the number of work hours and minimum wage as set by the President. However, the Act came under fire due to concerns of its effectiveness as was eventually overturned by the Supreme Court in May 1935. In order to address the issue of employers and unions, the Wagner Act or the National Labor Relations Act was passed in 1935. Named after its proponent, Sen. Robert F. Wagner, the Act incorporated Section 7(a) of the former NIRA. This particular section became the pillar of the Wagner Act. Aside from giving employees the right to form unions, the Wagner Act also defined what it considered as unfair labor practice by an employer. Under Section 8, an employer is said to have committed unfair labor practice if it: interferes, restraints or coerces an employee from joining, dominates or interferes in the formation of a union, discriminates an employee for being part of a union, seeks reprisal against an employees for filing unfair labor practice charges, and refuses to enter into a collective bargaining agreement with the unions. With the passing of the Wagner Act, two important things happened. First, membership in unions began to increase dramatically. From a mere 10% prior to the act, more than 30% of the total US workforce became union members by the 1950s. The second was the formation of the National Labor Relations Board. The NLRB is the agency that is tasked with overseeing the implementation of the Act. By approving the Wagner Act, it was seen that the government was ready to go against the private sector by giving employees the right to form unions and enter into collective bargaining agreements. All these however changed after World War II. As a result of the war, certain groups raised the issue of balancing the power enjoyed by both the labor sector and the companies. Thus in 1947, the Labor-Management Relations Act or Taft-Hartley Act was passed. The Taft-Hartley Act is considered as an amended to the Wagner Act. Although the Taft-Hartley Act retained some of the provisions of the Wagner Act there were also some changes implemented.   Notable changes include the delay or suspension of a strike if it would lead to a national emergency situation. The act also excluded employees who were at the supervisory level from being covered by the provisions of the Wagner Act. A closed shop or a company that hires only union members was also banned. The Taft-Hartley act also protected non-union members from being discriminated by union shops. A union shop is a company that although allows non-union employees to join, eventually requires these employees to eventually join a union. While maintaining the list of unfair labor practice by employers stated in the Wagner Act, the Taft-Hartley Act now included a list of unfair labor practices by unions.   Among others, the amendment required unions to give a 60 days notice to mediators of a planned strike and enter into good faith negotiations with employers. The Taft-Hartley Act further protected employers from facing reprisals from unions if it expressed adverse opinions against the unions. The Act also made it illegal for companies to practice featherbedding. That is, forcing employers pay certain individuals wages despite doing no work. Under the amendment, the primary functions of the NLRB was now to prevent and find solutions to unfair labor practices that is by either the employers or the unions.   The NLRB was also tasked to determine if employees prefer to be represented by union for the purpose of conducting collective bargaining with the company. Currently, the NLRB is divided into two sectors. The Board, which is composed of five individuals, has the task of deciding on cases based on records under administrative proceedings. The General Counsel on the other hand, is in charge of investigating and prosecuting unfair labor practice cases. The General Counsel is also the group tasked to supervise the processing of cases in the field offices. The Board and General Counsel is independent of each other. Another law worth mentioning is the Landrum-Griffin Act or the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959. While it did not make sweeping changes like the Taft-Hartley, it nevertheless amended the Wagner Act by including additional unfair labor practices not included in the Taft-Hartley. The idea behind the Landrum-Griffin Act was to give further protection to the union members from their leaders. The Landrum-Griffin Act enabled a more open selection of union leaders. It also gave members the right to file legal charges against the union without fear of reprisal. While it is clear that the three laws mentioned are pro-labor, the passing of the Taft-Hartley Act tilted the scales somewhat in favor of the employers. However, membership in unions continued to increase despite the passage of the Taft-Hartley Act mainly because of the protection afforded by these laws. As seen from the laws that have been passed, the focus has always been on the employees. While the Wagner Act curtailed the abuses likely to be done by the companies, the Taft-Hartley Act restrained unions from becoming abusive and becoming a much bigger problem. The Landrum-Griffin Act effectively gave back the power of the union to its members and served as a warning for union leaders to ensure that their interests is in line with the general membership. While some sectors are saying that it may be time to repeal or amend these laws, particularly the Taft-Hartley Act, such a decision may not be good for now. While union membership may not be as high as it was before, the reason may not be entirely because of the provisions set forth in these laws. Currently, the labor force of the US is facing competitions form automation and outsourcing. Most companies nowadays prefer to use labor from countries outside the US since the wages are cheaper and the labor laws are lenient compared to those in the country. While the law encourages employers and unions to discuss collective bargaining agreements, it does not prevent companies from laying-off employees in the event of a financial problem. The labor union in the US has come a long way in order to be where it is right now. The laws, first and foremost, have always been there in order to protect the workers and ensure good working conditions. Union leaders should make good use of the provisions under the law. The Wagner Act and its amendments, the Taft-Hartley Act and Landrum-Griffin Act, were not enacted for aesthetic purposes. Unions should remind employers on why it was enacted in the first place. References National Labor Relations Act. National Labor Relations Board. 14 April 2008. http://www.nlrb.gov/about_us/overview/national_labor_relations_act.aspx

Benefit Payments to People who Misuse Alcohol

Benefit Payments to People who Misuse Alcohol Introduction Government policies and assistance for people who misuse alcohol raise controversial issues for legislators, policymakers and practitioners alike. Goodman (2007) highlights that government policy adopts both a ‘carrot and ‘stick approach. While individuals who misuse substances are encouraged to seek treatment, there is also the threat that for those who choose not to engage in programmes, they run the risk of being targeted if they continue in their addiction. Thus those whose alcohol addiction has caused them to become involved in criminal/illegal activities and who refuse to engage with alcohol interventions face agencies using enforcement and prosecution if they continue with their behaviours. Harm caused by alcohol is Scotlands biggest health challenge. Changing Scotlands Relationship with Alcohol: A Framework for Action was published to address Scotlands  £2.25 billion alcohol misuse problem. The governments focus is on reducing costs, recovery and making sure that people who need help are identified sooner and directed towards the right services (Scottish Government, 2009). In line with this, there have been significant changes in welfare policies for people who misuse alcohol. There is no clear of the number of people with drug and alcohol problems receiving social work interventions. Research is usually based on specialised practice teams, for example, teams working with children and families. Research suggests that approximately 25 per cent of children on child protection registers involve parental alcohol and or drug use. (Advisory Council on the Misuse of drugs (ACMD) 2003) while Hayden (2004) points out that higher estimates have been found among children and families services more broadly. Further research highlights that drug and alcohol misuse is prevalent with the many groups of people social workers often work with, for example, 44 per cent of people with mental ill health use substances in harmful or hazardous ways (Weaver et al, 2003) and among young people aged 14-15, research has shown that drinking alcohol is a regular occurrence (Institute of Alcohol Studies, 2009). Gender is also an important area in the field of substance misuse with rese arch showing that it is often thought for it to be worse for a woman to be drunk than a man (Sandmaier, 1992). It would appear that the experience of alcohol abuse may be different for a man and a woman. My interest in addictions developed whilst on placement with a voluntary organisation working with young people involved with offending and/or anti social behaviour. The placement demonstrated the increase in the extent to which drug and alcohol use influences the involvement of young people in offending (Rutter et al, 1998). An opportunity whilst on a mental health placement to work with a woman experiencing severe emotional, behavioural and financial difficulties who was alcohol dependent alerted me to the profound effects of addiction, the effect of proposed policy changes and to some of the difficulties experienced whilst working with this client group. By 2009, the harm caused by alcohol and the cost to UK society had become a topical debate. Current downturns in the UK economic climate coupled with large number of economically inactive individuals and an increase in worklessness created much cause for concern. It was decided to focus this study on alcohol dependent service users in light of the new legislation in the UK which aimed to support individuals with health difficulties in getting back to work. Aims of the Research This research aim is to explore the experiences and perceptions of front line workers regarding the implication of the new Employment and Support Allowance for people who misuse alcohol and the implications this has for social work practice and will broadly cover issues such as: What difference, if any, has the introduction of the new Employment and Support Allowance made to work carried out with alcohol dependent service users? Should the implementation of this Allowance be subject to specific conditions? What is the experiences of working with alcohol dependent service users? Outline of the dissertation A review of the relevant literature is presented in chapter two in order to set the study in its legal, political and practice context. The approach and methods used to collect the data will be explored in chapter three. Chapter four presents and discusses the findings and chapter five presents the final analysis, draws some conclusions and makes some suggestions for future practice and research. All names including the name of the organisation in which the research is based have been changed in accordance with confidentiality agreements. Chapter 1 Literature Review INTRODUCTION This literature review is divided into four sections. Section one addresses, understandings of alcohol abuse. Political responses to alcohol abuse is the focus of section two. Section three explores the reasons for change and section four discusses practice issues, challenges and dilemmas. The terms alcohol addiction, alcoholism, and alcohol dependence have the same meaning. No one term is more serious than the other. Different terms have evolved over the years to overcome the negative stigma of addiction. Some people are not addicted to drugs or alcohol, but abuse them. The American Psychiatric Association (DSM-IV) uses specific criteria over a 12 month period to differentiate between dependence and abuse. If an individual fulfils the criteria for substance dependency then a diagnosis of substance abuse does not apply (Petersen McBride, 2002). For the purpose of this research, the term alcohol abuse will be used to describe individuals who abuse alcohol as well as those who are categorised as alcohol dependent. SECTION 1 Understandings of alcohol abuse The use of alcohol is long standing within Western culture. As the research has a focus on alcohol abuse, consideration must be given to the reasons why such a growth in excessive drinking emerged. The social changes stemming from the industrial revolution are therefore significant. Previous to these, ideas centred on the view that human beings were thought to be rational and exercised free will in relation to self enjoyment. Individuals were seen to exercise choice; â€Å"Drunkenness was a choice, albeit a sinful one, which some individuals made.† (Levine, 1978, p146) The movement of people from rural to urban areas because of the need for organised labour together with the growth in population meant that there were significantly high concentrations of people. Social problems emerged on an exceptional scale with excessive alcohol consumption and related safety at work issues causing great public concern. Problems relating to alcohol abuse thus became more socially significant. Many theories exist in relation to understanding the causes of alcohol abuse. Early explanations to problems with substance misuse focused on moral issues and the idea that alcohol consumption and ungodliness were linked. Individuals who had problems with drink were viewed as being ‘weak willed or ‘sinful with ‘treatment focusing on punishment or religious conversion (Petersen McBride, 2002, p34*). During the nineteenth century, scientific explanations began to emerge in relation to understanding the spread of excessive drinking behaviour in society; this was the first time that the idea of alcoholism as a disease was considered (Collins, 1990). Applying such a medical analysis allowed for a new awareness, understanding and even sympathetic attitude towards alcohol consumption and its related problems. Pressure on the State to ensure that alcoholism was recognised as a disease which required specific medical attention was now evident. Petersen McBride (2002) highlight that substance use is different from dependence or addiction. When a person tries a substance once or for the first few times, it is seen as ‘experimental. Substance misuse can also be ‘recreational meaning a person may misuse a substance, for example, alcohol, occasionally or on a social basis. The individual is seen as ‘dependent if they have developed a dependent pattern on a substance and misuse it continually. Critics argue that the disease approach focuses the attention only on the dependent problem drinker, the drinker who is experiencing severe physical and social consequences. Problems can occur at any of these stages with different interventions available, for example, the ‘disease model supports the argument for total abstinence and is broadly supported by Alcoholics Anonymous. However this model will not work for everyone. Alternatively, models which focus on harm reduction through controlled drinking, for example , the ‘wheel of change model, are also accepted within drug and alcohol services (Goodman, 2007). Difficulties arise when categorising individuals and in relation to the language used; for example what constitutes recreational use? What is the difference between dependence and addiction? The language used within alcohol literature varies greatly. It is possible for someone to be in all three stages at once; for example someone who is dependent on alcohol may recreationally misuse cannabis. There appears to be a move away from socially constructed terms such as addiction, with research highlighting that terms such as ‘addict or ‘alcoholic carry with them a negative connation and are powerful labels. Goodman (2007) points out that it is better to call a person drug dependent, where the dependency is the compulsion to keep taking drugs. There is no one clear definition of alcohol abuse as a disease. Kessel Walton (1989) highlight that ‘alcoholism is a difficult subject to study and alcoholism is a term with multiple and sometimes conflicting definitions. Defining what constitutes an ‘alcoholic and what constitutes a ‘non-alcoholic is difficult. Collins (1990) highlights that; â€Å"It is now accepted that problem drinking exists on a continuum, with normal or non-problem drinking at one end and severe dependence at the other† (Collins, 1990, p49*) Developments in research into dependency have led to risk factors such as stress, social environment, emotional health, genetic predisposition, age, and gender being identified. For example, studies have shown that children born from alcohol dependent parents who are adopted into families with no dependency issues are at greater risk of becoming alcohol dependent than the rest of the population. This would suggest that there is some genetic predisposition to alcohol dependence. Children born and raised by alcohol dependent parents have an even greater rate of becoming alcohol dependent, although here learnt behaviour may also be a factor (ref). Psychological theories such as Social Learning Theory relate behaviour to processes that take place within the individuals mind rather than the physical structure of the brain. Behaviour is believed to be conditioned by the expectations of the individual in carrying out a particular action, for example, immediate short term effects of alcohol can create feelings of enjoyment or eliminate unpleasant withdrawals. In the long term the advantages of stopping may be less rewarding than the short term gratification of prolonged misuse. Certain studies question the idea of rewarded behaviour and that addiction is a consequence. Chein (1964) found that when normal subjects were given narcotics, although they found the experience pleasurable, they did not become compulsive drug users, suggesting that drugs are not inherently rewarding as Social Learning Theory purports. Furthermore, it was found that a percentage of people who developed dependencies became dependent anyway despite having found the initial drug experience unpleasant. Regardless of these concerns, the conditioning model is well supported and highlights once again that addictive behavior is complex and difficult to place into a single model. Social Learning theory is helpful in explaining the differences in social attitudes to alcohol abuse in women. Sandmaier (1992) surveyed attitudes towards alcohol abuse among four hundred women and men of varying socioeconomic classes, ethnicity and age in the United States and found that the majority thought it to be worse for a woman to be drunk than a man. Labelling someone as an ‘alcoholic can be stigmatising and affect an individuals self-efficacy and self-esteem (Goodman, 2007). Attitudes towards drinking are not homogeneous, however the stigma attached to female alcohol abuse significantly shapes the experience, rendering it different from the experience of a man. Alcohol abuse for women threatens societys formed image about women being good mothers or good wives. Problem drinking often goes undetected amongst women due to a fear of condemnation by society. Women experiencing alcohol problems can be viewed as ‘repulsive and disgraceful. Such cultural judgments can therefore adversely affect women seeking help (Sandmaier, 1992, p8). Theories of personality are located somewhere between the biological and psychological with suggestions that certain types of people will experience problems with alcohol dependency. The term ‘addictive personality is sometimes used but critics have questioned this, concluding that there is no one type of personality more likely to abuse substances or develop substance dependency (Nathan, 1988). What appears to be more accurate is that specific personality traits have been linked to substance misuse, for example, sensation seeking has been identified as a personality trait that may be common in those who choose to abuse substances (Zuckerman, 1979). Two main schools of thought appear to be evident in relation to understanding alcohol abuse; the biological standpoint and a more psychosocial belief structure. It is important to understand that theories provide useful contributions to understanding substance dependence but that no integrated theory exists. â€Å"As there is no one substance use experience and no one encompassing theory, there can be no one specific response.† (Petersen McBride, 2002, p36) What looks apparent is that society, for many years, has had an ambivalent attitude towards alcohol consumption. Confusion of attitudes inevitably result from shifts among policy makers in line with changes in dominant viewpoints. Predominant medical understandings of alcohol abuse which consider ‘alcoholism as a disease justify state intervention such as help through health care to address the damage caused to the body. Whatever the reasons behind substance abuse and dependency, research has shown there to be a huge cost, both financially and to human life. SECTION 2 Political responses to alcohol abuse In order to explore the States approach to tackling alcohol abuse, ideas around welfare are significant. As a result of the development of ‘alcoholism being recognised as a disease which requires treatment, distinguishable welfare needs have been identified. In reviewing ideas around welfare, the ‘welfare state in the UK differed from previous schemes of poverty relief due to its relatively universal coverage. The Social Insurance and Allied Services Report (1942) (the Beveridge Report) provided the proposals which allowed for the creation of the welfare state. The idea was to provide universal benefits to all and to address issues such as unemployment, poverty and disease. Critics argued that the creation of a ‘welfare state under Beveridges original proposal was excessively expensive, could not be financially maintained after the post war boom period and would create an unwillingness to work. Since 1979, reforms have been evident across all government sectors with more of an emphasis being placed on the responsibility of the individual. The Social Security Act (1986) brought about major structural changes to the social security system. In relation to benefits, means testing and compulsory conditions to specific benefits were established. For example, invalidity benefit for those who were unable to work due to ill health, which included alcohol dependent service users, was changed to incapacity benefit requiring all but the severely disabled, below pension age, to become job seekers. This brought about a new culture towards welfare which the ‘New Labour government elected in the 1997 election were quick to embrace. Alcock et al (2008) highlight that in analysing current political attitudes, an account of social policy now is an account of the shape it has been given by the New Labour Government in power. The Government believes that paid work has many rewards, for example, it increases independence, health and well being. The government wants to provide the opportunity for as many people as possible to access employment and share such rewards. Employment policies occupy a central but controversial place in debates about the future of welfare. Welfare-to work programmes for those who are able to work have been introduced in an attempt to move away from the ‘old passive benefit system (Alcock et al, 2008, p342). Developments have seen groups that had previously not been expected to find paid work, for example, people with disabilities, now being include d in this approach. The Welfare Reform Act (2009) which applies to England, Wales and Scotland sets out the framework necessary for the future abolition of Income Support, and the movement of claimants of that benefit to Jobseekers Allowance with differing degrees of conditionality, or to Employment and Support Allowance. The Act provides for those who have problems with alcohol to be directed to make, and comply with, a rehabilitation plan. Concern about the negative consequences of alcohol abuse has reached a significantly high point on the current political agenda. At a national level the problems associated with alcohol abuse is recognised as a priority by the Government. Local governments have developed their own frameworks for addressing alcohol related harm, for example, ‘Changing Scotlands Relationship with Alcohol: A Framework for Action (Scottish Government, 2009). The role alcohol plays in the UKs economy can be both positive and negative. There are wide-reaching economic benefits derived from alcohol and alcohol consumption such as the provision of employment and tax revenues. The total value of the UK drinks market exceeds  £30 billion. The justification for alcohol excise duties ensures that the consumer directly contributes to any costs that alcohol consumption imposes on society as alcoholic drink is subject to both excise and VAT. Revenue for the Exchequer is substantial and has been increasing for the last 30 years. The alcoholic drinks industry reports to generate approximately one million jobs across the whole supply chain. The British Beer and Pub Association reports that there are over one million people employed in hotels, restaurants, pubs and clubs (Institute of Alcohol Studies, 2008). It is evident that alcohol plays an important role in the success of certain parts of industry in UK society. In relation to the harm caused by alcohol in Scotland, there were over 40,000 hospital admissions in 2007-8 due to alcohol related illness and injury and deaths related to alcohol have more than doubled in the last 15 years. Rates of liver cirrhosis in Scotland are growing faster than anywhere else in the world and life expectancy in some parts of Scotland has fallen significantly short of life expectancy elsewhere. Research suggests that alcohol plays a significant part in these inequalities (Scottish Government, 2009). Research has shown that drinking alcohol in Scotland is a common occurrence for the majority of young people between the ages of 12 and 15 and that the problem with underage drinking is rising (Institute of Alcohol Studies, 2009). If people are drinking at a younger age they are at greater risk of developing dependencies, experiencing health difficulties or becoming economically inactive, all of which will have a detrimental effect on the economy. To address the problem of underage drinking initiatives and proposals are ongoing. In 2008, certain councils piloted local bans on under-21s using off-licenses. Results indicated that the level of assaults, vandalism and general complaints about young people fell significantly. These pilots were viewed successfully but critics argue that governments need to focus on wider issues such as poverty in order to change Scotlands attitude to alcohol (The Times, 2008). The regulation of the sale of alcohol has a long history in UK society. Whilst the minimum age of eighteen years old to purchase alcohol has remained the same, the variety of outlets licensed to sell alcohol and the opening times of these has changed dramatically. Tensions exist for government in relation to the deregulation of alcohol along with the wider availability of it and concerns about Scotlands problematic relationship with alcohol. Current government policy appears to be tailored towards the health benefits of reducing alcohol consumption and dependency and addressing the detrimental effects on health services and other related social problems. This appears to be the Governments focus regardless of the opportunity to raise substantial revenue through the taxation of alcohol. Such changes in political attitudes towards alcohol abuse have brought about firmer regulations governing the sale and possession of alcohol, for example, The Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 represents th e biggest changes to the Licensing System in Scotland in over thirty years. The Act increases responsibility for those who are involved in the sale of alcohol and places restrictions on drinks promotions, for example, Happy Hours and two-for-one promotions can no longer be used by licensed premises. Recent reforms relate to the Scottish Governments introduction of the Alcohol Bill. This Bill proposes a number of measures to tackle alcohol-related harm including a 40 pence per unit minimum price (Scottish Government, 2009). However critics argue that pricing measures will not tackle the underlying reasons why people drink harmfully. Changes in regulations have came about to address issues such as public disorder and underage drinking as alcohol abuse is significantly linked to these. Law and order and health are just some of many Government departments which are affected by alcohol-related harm. The total cost to UK society is vast. The National Social Marketing Centre in 2007 estimated a cost  £55.1 billion. This estimate was composed of  £21 billion cost to individuals and families/households,  £2.8 billion cost to public health and care services,  £2.1 billion cost to the Criminal Justice System, Education and Social Services,  £7.3 billion cost to employers (includes days lost to affects of alcohol abuse) and  £21.9 billion in human cost (reduced quality of life adjusted years) (House of Commons, 2009). The increasing cost of alcohol abuse and related concerns are therefore key considerations for government. SECTION 3 Need for change? During this time of economic recession, the government is paying significant attention to welfare reform. Government publications such as Raising Expectations and Increasing Support: Reforming Welfare for the Future (2008) detail plans for the future as part of New Labours vision for a personalised welfare state. There appears to be a number of reasons why the government wants to increase employment levels, helping to explain why the governments focus has been on welfare reforms. The rate of worklessness, that is, those detached from the labour market, for example, alcohol-dependent and economically inactive individuals is significant. The Office for National Statistics (2009) reported that the number of working-age people in workless households in April-June 2009 reached 4.8 million. This was a rise of 500,000 from the previous year. The number of workless households with children reached 1.9 million, highlighting a rise of 170,000. The percentage of households in which no adults worked also increased by 1.1 percentage points from the previous year. These s reflect the highest rates since 1999 and the highest year-on-year increase since 1997. Increasing the number of economically active in society is crucial for government as they fund the economically dependent. Worklessness is linked to poor health and poverty and both poverty and worklessness are intergenerational; a working household is not only less likely to be in poverty, but also children living in the household are less likely to be in poverty as adults (Centre for Longitudinal Studies, 2007). Some argue that benefit payments accompanied with weak or no work expectations trap the very people they are supposed to help. Worklessness and the increasing cost of alcohol abuse are therefore key considerations for current government and help to explain reasons for change. Recognition that the number of people over state pension age has exceeded the number of children has raised government concerns. The dilemma of an ageing population has caused alarm for both public and private sectors, for example, concerns relate to pensions, the size of the workforce and the capacities of the health and social services. Alcock et al (2008) point out: â€Å"For governments, high rates of employment boost tax revenues, reduce spending on social security benefits and make it easier to fund other social policies and meet the anticipated costs of an aging population† (Alcock et al., 2008, p.311). The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) points out that the new Employment and Support Allowance focuses on enabling disabled people and individuals with a health condition to engage in appropriate work, if they are able. The government has indicated that over 2.6 million people depend on incapacity benefits in the UK and that nine out of ten new claimants say that they want to return to work. The government cites this as one of the reasons why change has occurred (DWP, 2008). The idea that alcohol dependent service users are required to find suitable work raises questions about the availability, types of jobs and the level of pay required to help families out of poverty. Alcoholism is seen to have both direct and indirect effects on earnings and employment. Productivity and reliability in the labour market can be affected by the physical and mental health problems linked with alcohol dependency. That is, sickness, hangover or late arrivals are work characteristics that lead to reduced reliability and productivity. Indirect effects relate to a possible lack of education if a dependency has prevented an individual from completing or advancing at school. This possible lack of education could lead to lower wages and a limited selection of jobs. Difficulties in maintaining employment may also be experienced by individuals who are alcohol dependent, as reduced reliability leads to job loss and decreased employability. Consequently the lack of work experience ca n lead to lower wages and earnings (MacPherson, 1998). However, having someone in work does not necessarily mean the household will not be poor; thus, debates continue in relation to the role that employment policies play in reducing poverty. The new Employment and Support Allowance places obligations upon disabled people, including alcohol dependent individuals judged to be capable of work. Creating ideas that centre on having norms which is to be in full time paid work is perhaps stigmatising and disadvantaging to those people whose capabilities mean they have to work less or at a slower rate. Critics would argue that the new system will make it difficult for individuals to refuse a job if they consider it beneath their dignity, thus raising questions about the value of autonomy in our society. Increasing the degree of conditionality in the benefit system could perhaps add strength to the argument that too often ‘poor people can be treated as though they have no right to pursue a career of their choice, how to allocate time between family responsibilities or work outside their home or how to meet their family responsibilities. Some would argue that ‘poor people do not receive the same minimum respect as other citizens (Young, 2002). SECTION 4 Practice issues, challenges and dilemmas Some people with disabilities need extra resources, equipment or personal care to function independently and/or benefit from welfare-to-work government policies. In relation to people who misuse alcohol and claim Employment and Support Allowance on the grounds of incapacity, this section will examine some of the current practice issues and the main challenges and dilemmas that can arise. Many people with substance misuse issues appear to lack serious motivation to change behaviour that could be described as self-destructive. In relation to what works to motivate people to change, research has shown that scare tactics and confronting individuals are likely to lead to a defensive reaction, whilst labeling an individual as an ‘alcoholic or ‘addict is unhelpful and does not support the person to change (Goodman, 2007). Setting goals is important, but for any assistance to be successful, such goals must be a shared aspiration between the individual and worker. How successful the new system will be in helping people who misuse alcohol return to work will perhaps be more related to how well it works with individuals in assessing what they are capable of and how effective it is in assessing what help and support service users need to manage their condition, rather than the increasing conditionality and penalties. The Welfare Reform Act (2009) gives Job Centre advisers the power to assess individuals for alcohol problems and to force those with a dependency to undergo treatment. Individuals who refuse will lose benefits. Critics argue that job Centre advisers do not have the training for this role, and that specialised drug and alcohol professionals would need to carry out such assessments. There is also concern whether drug and alcohol services have the resources to deal with the increased number of perhaps, involuntary clients. The charity Alcohol Concern estimates that only one in 18 individuals who have an alcohol dependency can to access treatment (Hunter, 2009). The focus on what works best with alcohol and drug problems is of great importance. Challenges arise from frustrations felt by workers seeing people with alcohol or drug problems repeatedly in and out of the ‘revolving door of services. Attempting to change a long term pattern of drinking is extremely difficult, with research showing that several or more attempts can be required. Petersen and McBride (2002) highlighted that: â€Å"The inability to stop using drugs and especially the inability to avoid returning to use are at the heart of what we mean by addiction. In this respect, the problem of relapse is one of the defining features of the addictive disorders† (Petersen and McBride, 2002, p189) If relapse is a defining feature of the addictive disorder, how do welfare changes which make more condition and create more complex systems incorporate this known feature of the addiction cycle? Dilemmas arise in relation to the new system and the lack of sensitivity to the particular conditions such as alcohol abuse with its relapse and periodic ‘down periods. Critics point out that an individuals alcohol dependency might be an indication that he or she is struggling to cope and that removing benefits could have detrimental effects. Removing or reducing alcohol dependent service users benefits could create more strain in their lives and make their alcohol issues worse. This, in turn, would be less likely to help individuals in getting back to work, and therefore the new system would have achieved the opposite of its intended purpose. How individuals would Benefit Payments to People who Misuse Alcohol Benefit Payments to People who Misuse Alcohol Introduction Government policies and assistance for people who misuse alcohol raise controversial issues for legislators, policymakers and practitioners alike. Goodman (2007) highlights that government policy adopts both a ‘carrot and ‘stick approach. While individuals who misuse substances are encouraged to seek treatment, there is also the threat that for those who choose not to engage in programmes, they run the risk of being targeted if they continue in their addiction. Thus those whose alcohol addiction has caused them to become involved in criminal/illegal activities and who refuse to engage with alcohol interventions face agencies using enforcement and prosecution if they continue with their behaviours. Harm caused by alcohol is Scotlands biggest health challenge. Changing Scotlands Relationship with Alcohol: A Framework for Action was published to address Scotlands  £2.25 billion alcohol misuse problem. The governments focus is on reducing costs, recovery and making sure that people who need help are identified sooner and directed towards the right services (Scottish Government, 2009). In line with this, there have been significant changes in welfare policies for people who misuse alcohol. There is no clear of the number of people with drug and alcohol problems receiving social work interventions. Research is usually based on specialised practice teams, for example, teams working with children and families. Research suggests that approximately 25 per cent of children on child protection registers involve parental alcohol and or drug use. (Advisory Council on the Misuse of drugs (ACMD) 2003) while Hayden (2004) points out that higher estimates have been found among children and families services more broadly. Further research highlights that drug and alcohol misuse is prevalent with the many groups of people social workers often work with, for example, 44 per cent of people with mental ill health use substances in harmful or hazardous ways (Weaver et al, 2003) and among young people aged 14-15, research has shown that drinking alcohol is a regular occurrence (Institute of Alcohol Studies, 2009). Gender is also an important area in the field of substance misuse with rese arch showing that it is often thought for it to be worse for a woman to be drunk than a man (Sandmaier, 1992). It would appear that the experience of alcohol abuse may be different for a man and a woman. My interest in addictions developed whilst on placement with a voluntary organisation working with young people involved with offending and/or anti social behaviour. The placement demonstrated the increase in the extent to which drug and alcohol use influences the involvement of young people in offending (Rutter et al, 1998). An opportunity whilst on a mental health placement to work with a woman experiencing severe emotional, behavioural and financial difficulties who was alcohol dependent alerted me to the profound effects of addiction, the effect of proposed policy changes and to some of the difficulties experienced whilst working with this client group. By 2009, the harm caused by alcohol and the cost to UK society had become a topical debate. Current downturns in the UK economic climate coupled with large number of economically inactive individuals and an increase in worklessness created much cause for concern. It was decided to focus this study on alcohol dependent service users in light of the new legislation in the UK which aimed to support individuals with health difficulties in getting back to work. Aims of the Research This research aim is to explore the experiences and perceptions of front line workers regarding the implication of the new Employment and Support Allowance for people who misuse alcohol and the implications this has for social work practice and will broadly cover issues such as: What difference, if any, has the introduction of the new Employment and Support Allowance made to work carried out with alcohol dependent service users? Should the implementation of this Allowance be subject to specific conditions? What is the experiences of working with alcohol dependent service users? Outline of the dissertation A review of the relevant literature is presented in chapter two in order to set the study in its legal, political and practice context. The approach and methods used to collect the data will be explored in chapter three. Chapter four presents and discusses the findings and chapter five presents the final analysis, draws some conclusions and makes some suggestions for future practice and research. All names including the name of the organisation in which the research is based have been changed in accordance with confidentiality agreements. Chapter 1 Literature Review INTRODUCTION This literature review is divided into four sections. Section one addresses, understandings of alcohol abuse. Political responses to alcohol abuse is the focus of section two. Section three explores the reasons for change and section four discusses practice issues, challenges and dilemmas. The terms alcohol addiction, alcoholism, and alcohol dependence have the same meaning. No one term is more serious than the other. Different terms have evolved over the years to overcome the negative stigma of addiction. Some people are not addicted to drugs or alcohol, but abuse them. The American Psychiatric Association (DSM-IV) uses specific criteria over a 12 month period to differentiate between dependence and abuse. If an individual fulfils the criteria for substance dependency then a diagnosis of substance abuse does not apply (Petersen McBride, 2002). For the purpose of this research, the term alcohol abuse will be used to describe individuals who abuse alcohol as well as those who are categorised as alcohol dependent. SECTION 1 Understandings of alcohol abuse The use of alcohol is long standing within Western culture. As the research has a focus on alcohol abuse, consideration must be given to the reasons why such a growth in excessive drinking emerged. The social changes stemming from the industrial revolution are therefore significant. Previous to these, ideas centred on the view that human beings were thought to be rational and exercised free will in relation to self enjoyment. Individuals were seen to exercise choice; â€Å"Drunkenness was a choice, albeit a sinful one, which some individuals made.† (Levine, 1978, p146) The movement of people from rural to urban areas because of the need for organised labour together with the growth in population meant that there were significantly high concentrations of people. Social problems emerged on an exceptional scale with excessive alcohol consumption and related safety at work issues causing great public concern. Problems relating to alcohol abuse thus became more socially significant. Many theories exist in relation to understanding the causes of alcohol abuse. Early explanations to problems with substance misuse focused on moral issues and the idea that alcohol consumption and ungodliness were linked. Individuals who had problems with drink were viewed as being ‘weak willed or ‘sinful with ‘treatment focusing on punishment or religious conversion (Petersen McBride, 2002, p34*). During the nineteenth century, scientific explanations began to emerge in relation to understanding the spread of excessive drinking behaviour in society; this was the first time that the idea of alcoholism as a disease was considered (Collins, 1990). Applying such a medical analysis allowed for a new awareness, understanding and even sympathetic attitude towards alcohol consumption and its related problems. Pressure on the State to ensure that alcoholism was recognised as a disease which required specific medical attention was now evident. Petersen McBride (2002) highlight that substance use is different from dependence or addiction. When a person tries a substance once or for the first few times, it is seen as ‘experimental. Substance misuse can also be ‘recreational meaning a person may misuse a substance, for example, alcohol, occasionally or on a social basis. The individual is seen as ‘dependent if they have developed a dependent pattern on a substance and misuse it continually. Critics argue that the disease approach focuses the attention only on the dependent problem drinker, the drinker who is experiencing severe physical and social consequences. Problems can occur at any of these stages with different interventions available, for example, the ‘disease model supports the argument for total abstinence and is broadly supported by Alcoholics Anonymous. However this model will not work for everyone. Alternatively, models which focus on harm reduction through controlled drinking, for example , the ‘wheel of change model, are also accepted within drug and alcohol services (Goodman, 2007). Difficulties arise when categorising individuals and in relation to the language used; for example what constitutes recreational use? What is the difference between dependence and addiction? The language used within alcohol literature varies greatly. It is possible for someone to be in all three stages at once; for example someone who is dependent on alcohol may recreationally misuse cannabis. There appears to be a move away from socially constructed terms such as addiction, with research highlighting that terms such as ‘addict or ‘alcoholic carry with them a negative connation and are powerful labels. Goodman (2007) points out that it is better to call a person drug dependent, where the dependency is the compulsion to keep taking drugs. There is no one clear definition of alcohol abuse as a disease. Kessel Walton (1989) highlight that ‘alcoholism is a difficult subject to study and alcoholism is a term with multiple and sometimes conflicting definitions. Defining what constitutes an ‘alcoholic and what constitutes a ‘non-alcoholic is difficult. Collins (1990) highlights that; â€Å"It is now accepted that problem drinking exists on a continuum, with normal or non-problem drinking at one end and severe dependence at the other† (Collins, 1990, p49*) Developments in research into dependency have led to risk factors such as stress, social environment, emotional health, genetic predisposition, age, and gender being identified. For example, studies have shown that children born from alcohol dependent parents who are adopted into families with no dependency issues are at greater risk of becoming alcohol dependent than the rest of the population. This would suggest that there is some genetic predisposition to alcohol dependence. Children born and raised by alcohol dependent parents have an even greater rate of becoming alcohol dependent, although here learnt behaviour may also be a factor (ref). Psychological theories such as Social Learning Theory relate behaviour to processes that take place within the individuals mind rather than the physical structure of the brain. Behaviour is believed to be conditioned by the expectations of the individual in carrying out a particular action, for example, immediate short term effects of alcohol can create feelings of enjoyment or eliminate unpleasant withdrawals. In the long term the advantages of stopping may be less rewarding than the short term gratification of prolonged misuse. Certain studies question the idea of rewarded behaviour and that addiction is a consequence. Chein (1964) found that when normal subjects were given narcotics, although they found the experience pleasurable, they did not become compulsive drug users, suggesting that drugs are not inherently rewarding as Social Learning Theory purports. Furthermore, it was found that a percentage of people who developed dependencies became dependent anyway despite having found the initial drug experience unpleasant. Regardless of these concerns, the conditioning model is well supported and highlights once again that addictive behavior is complex and difficult to place into a single model. Social Learning theory is helpful in explaining the differences in social attitudes to alcohol abuse in women. Sandmaier (1992) surveyed attitudes towards alcohol abuse among four hundred women and men of varying socioeconomic classes, ethnicity and age in the United States and found that the majority thought it to be worse for a woman to be drunk than a man. Labelling someone as an ‘alcoholic can be stigmatising and affect an individuals self-efficacy and self-esteem (Goodman, 2007). Attitudes towards drinking are not homogeneous, however the stigma attached to female alcohol abuse significantly shapes the experience, rendering it different from the experience of a man. Alcohol abuse for women threatens societys formed image about women being good mothers or good wives. Problem drinking often goes undetected amongst women due to a fear of condemnation by society. Women experiencing alcohol problems can be viewed as ‘repulsive and disgraceful. Such cultural judgments can therefore adversely affect women seeking help (Sandmaier, 1992, p8). Theories of personality are located somewhere between the biological and psychological with suggestions that certain types of people will experience problems with alcohol dependency. The term ‘addictive personality is sometimes used but critics have questioned this, concluding that there is no one type of personality more likely to abuse substances or develop substance dependency (Nathan, 1988). What appears to be more accurate is that specific personality traits have been linked to substance misuse, for example, sensation seeking has been identified as a personality trait that may be common in those who choose to abuse substances (Zuckerman, 1979). Two main schools of thought appear to be evident in relation to understanding alcohol abuse; the biological standpoint and a more psychosocial belief structure. It is important to understand that theories provide useful contributions to understanding substance dependence but that no integrated theory exists. â€Å"As there is no one substance use experience and no one encompassing theory, there can be no one specific response.† (Petersen McBride, 2002, p36) What looks apparent is that society, for many years, has had an ambivalent attitude towards alcohol consumption. Confusion of attitudes inevitably result from shifts among policy makers in line with changes in dominant viewpoints. Predominant medical understandings of alcohol abuse which consider ‘alcoholism as a disease justify state intervention such as help through health care to address the damage caused to the body. Whatever the reasons behind substance abuse and dependency, research has shown there to be a huge cost, both financially and to human life. SECTION 2 Political responses to alcohol abuse In order to explore the States approach to tackling alcohol abuse, ideas around welfare are significant. As a result of the development of ‘alcoholism being recognised as a disease which requires treatment, distinguishable welfare needs have been identified. In reviewing ideas around welfare, the ‘welfare state in the UK differed from previous schemes of poverty relief due to its relatively universal coverage. The Social Insurance and Allied Services Report (1942) (the Beveridge Report) provided the proposals which allowed for the creation of the welfare state. The idea was to provide universal benefits to all and to address issues such as unemployment, poverty and disease. Critics argued that the creation of a ‘welfare state under Beveridges original proposal was excessively expensive, could not be financially maintained after the post war boom period and would create an unwillingness to work. Since 1979, reforms have been evident across all government sectors with more of an emphasis being placed on the responsibility of the individual. The Social Security Act (1986) brought about major structural changes to the social security system. In relation to benefits, means testing and compulsory conditions to specific benefits were established. For example, invalidity benefit for those who were unable to work due to ill health, which included alcohol dependent service users, was changed to incapacity benefit requiring all but the severely disabled, below pension age, to become job seekers. This brought about a new culture towards welfare which the ‘New Labour government elected in the 1997 election were quick to embrace. Alcock et al (2008) highlight that in analysing current political attitudes, an account of social policy now is an account of the shape it has been given by the New Labour Government in power. The Government believes that paid work has many rewards, for example, it increases independence, health and well being. The government wants to provide the opportunity for as many people as possible to access employment and share such rewards. Employment policies occupy a central but controversial place in debates about the future of welfare. Welfare-to work programmes for those who are able to work have been introduced in an attempt to move away from the ‘old passive benefit system (Alcock et al, 2008, p342). Developments have seen groups that had previously not been expected to find paid work, for example, people with disabilities, now being include d in this approach. The Welfare Reform Act (2009) which applies to England, Wales and Scotland sets out the framework necessary for the future abolition of Income Support, and the movement of claimants of that benefit to Jobseekers Allowance with differing degrees of conditionality, or to Employment and Support Allowance. The Act provides for those who have problems with alcohol to be directed to make, and comply with, a rehabilitation plan. Concern about the negative consequences of alcohol abuse has reached a significantly high point on the current political agenda. At a national level the problems associated with alcohol abuse is recognised as a priority by the Government. Local governments have developed their own frameworks for addressing alcohol related harm, for example, ‘Changing Scotlands Relationship with Alcohol: A Framework for Action (Scottish Government, 2009). The role alcohol plays in the UKs economy can be both positive and negative. There are wide-reaching economic benefits derived from alcohol and alcohol consumption such as the provision of employment and tax revenues. The total value of the UK drinks market exceeds  £30 billion. The justification for alcohol excise duties ensures that the consumer directly contributes to any costs that alcohol consumption imposes on society as alcoholic drink is subject to both excise and VAT. Revenue for the Exchequer is substantial and has been increasing for the last 30 years. The alcoholic drinks industry reports to generate approximately one million jobs across the whole supply chain. The British Beer and Pub Association reports that there are over one million people employed in hotels, restaurants, pubs and clubs (Institute of Alcohol Studies, 2008). It is evident that alcohol plays an important role in the success of certain parts of industry in UK society. In relation to the harm caused by alcohol in Scotland, there were over 40,000 hospital admissions in 2007-8 due to alcohol related illness and injury and deaths related to alcohol have more than doubled in the last 15 years. Rates of liver cirrhosis in Scotland are growing faster than anywhere else in the world and life expectancy in some parts of Scotland has fallen significantly short of life expectancy elsewhere. Research suggests that alcohol plays a significant part in these inequalities (Scottish Government, 2009). Research has shown that drinking alcohol in Scotland is a common occurrence for the majority of young people between the ages of 12 and 15 and that the problem with underage drinking is rising (Institute of Alcohol Studies, 2009). If people are drinking at a younger age they are at greater risk of developing dependencies, experiencing health difficulties or becoming economically inactive, all of which will have a detrimental effect on the economy. To address the problem of underage drinking initiatives and proposals are ongoing. In 2008, certain councils piloted local bans on under-21s using off-licenses. Results indicated that the level of assaults, vandalism and general complaints about young people fell significantly. These pilots were viewed successfully but critics argue that governments need to focus on wider issues such as poverty in order to change Scotlands attitude to alcohol (The Times, 2008). The regulation of the sale of alcohol has a long history in UK society. Whilst the minimum age of eighteen years old to purchase alcohol has remained the same, the variety of outlets licensed to sell alcohol and the opening times of these has changed dramatically. Tensions exist for government in relation to the deregulation of alcohol along with the wider availability of it and concerns about Scotlands problematic relationship with alcohol. Current government policy appears to be tailored towards the health benefits of reducing alcohol consumption and dependency and addressing the detrimental effects on health services and other related social problems. This appears to be the Governments focus regardless of the opportunity to raise substantial revenue through the taxation of alcohol. Such changes in political attitudes towards alcohol abuse have brought about firmer regulations governing the sale and possession of alcohol, for example, The Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 represents th e biggest changes to the Licensing System in Scotland in over thirty years. The Act increases responsibility for those who are involved in the sale of alcohol and places restrictions on drinks promotions, for example, Happy Hours and two-for-one promotions can no longer be used by licensed premises. Recent reforms relate to the Scottish Governments introduction of the Alcohol Bill. This Bill proposes a number of measures to tackle alcohol-related harm including a 40 pence per unit minimum price (Scottish Government, 2009). However critics argue that pricing measures will not tackle the underlying reasons why people drink harmfully. Changes in regulations have came about to address issues such as public disorder and underage drinking as alcohol abuse is significantly linked to these. Law and order and health are just some of many Government departments which are affected by alcohol-related harm. The total cost to UK society is vast. The National Social Marketing Centre in 2007 estimated a cost  £55.1 billion. This estimate was composed of  £21 billion cost to individuals and families/households,  £2.8 billion cost to public health and care services,  £2.1 billion cost to the Criminal Justice System, Education and Social Services,  £7.3 billion cost to employers (includes days lost to affects of alcohol abuse) and  £21.9 billion in human cost (reduced quality of life adjusted years) (House of Commons, 2009). The increasing cost of alcohol abuse and related concerns are therefore key considerations for government. SECTION 3 Need for change? During this time of economic recession, the government is paying significant attention to welfare reform. Government publications such as Raising Expectations and Increasing Support: Reforming Welfare for the Future (2008) detail plans for the future as part of New Labours vision for a personalised welfare state. There appears to be a number of reasons why the government wants to increase employment levels, helping to explain why the governments focus has been on welfare reforms. The rate of worklessness, that is, those detached from the labour market, for example, alcohol-dependent and economically inactive individuals is significant. The Office for National Statistics (2009) reported that the number of working-age people in workless households in April-June 2009 reached 4.8 million. This was a rise of 500,000 from the previous year. The number of workless households with children reached 1.9 million, highlighting a rise of 170,000. The percentage of households in which no adults worked also increased by 1.1 percentage points from the previous year. These s reflect the highest rates since 1999 and the highest year-on-year increase since 1997. Increasing the number of economically active in society is crucial for government as they fund the economically dependent. Worklessness is linked to poor health and poverty and both poverty and worklessness are intergenerational; a working household is not only less likely to be in poverty, but also children living in the household are less likely to be in poverty as adults (Centre for Longitudinal Studies, 2007). Some argue that benefit payments accompanied with weak or no work expectations trap the very people they are supposed to help. Worklessness and the increasing cost of alcohol abuse are therefore key considerations for current government and help to explain reasons for change. Recognition that the number of people over state pension age has exceeded the number of children has raised government concerns. The dilemma of an ageing population has caused alarm for both public and private sectors, for example, concerns relate to pensions, the size of the workforce and the capacities of the health and social services. Alcock et al (2008) point out: â€Å"For governments, high rates of employment boost tax revenues, reduce spending on social security benefits and make it easier to fund other social policies and meet the anticipated costs of an aging population† (Alcock et al., 2008, p.311). The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) points out that the new Employment and Support Allowance focuses on enabling disabled people and individuals with a health condition to engage in appropriate work, if they are able. The government has indicated that over 2.6 million people depend on incapacity benefits in the UK and that nine out of ten new claimants say that they want to return to work. The government cites this as one of the reasons why change has occurred (DWP, 2008). The idea that alcohol dependent service users are required to find suitable work raises questions about the availability, types of jobs and the level of pay required to help families out of poverty. Alcoholism is seen to have both direct and indirect effects on earnings and employment. Productivity and reliability in the labour market can be affected by the physical and mental health problems linked with alcohol dependency. That is, sickness, hangover or late arrivals are work characteristics that lead to reduced reliability and productivity. Indirect effects relate to a possible lack of education if a dependency has prevented an individual from completing or advancing at school. This possible lack of education could lead to lower wages and a limited selection of jobs. Difficulties in maintaining employment may also be experienced by individuals who are alcohol dependent, as reduced reliability leads to job loss and decreased employability. Consequently the lack of work experience ca n lead to lower wages and earnings (MacPherson, 1998). However, having someone in work does not necessarily mean the household will not be poor; thus, debates continue in relation to the role that employment policies play in reducing poverty. The new Employment and Support Allowance places obligations upon disabled people, including alcohol dependent individuals judged to be capable of work. Creating ideas that centre on having norms which is to be in full time paid work is perhaps stigmatising and disadvantaging to those people whose capabilities mean they have to work less or at a slower rate. Critics would argue that the new system will make it difficult for individuals to refuse a job if they consider it beneath their dignity, thus raising questions about the value of autonomy in our society. Increasing the degree of conditionality in the benefit system could perhaps add strength to the argument that too often ‘poor people can be treated as though they have no right to pursue a career of their choice, how to allocate time between family responsibilities or work outside their home or how to meet their family responsibilities. Some would argue that ‘poor people do not receive the same minimum respect as other citizens (Young, 2002). SECTION 4 Practice issues, challenges and dilemmas Some people with disabilities need extra resources, equipment or personal care to function independently and/or benefit from welfare-to-work government policies. In relation to people who misuse alcohol and claim Employment and Support Allowance on the grounds of incapacity, this section will examine some of the current practice issues and the main challenges and dilemmas that can arise. Many people with substance misuse issues appear to lack serious motivation to change behaviour that could be described as self-destructive. In relation to what works to motivate people to change, research has shown that scare tactics and confronting individuals are likely to lead to a defensive reaction, whilst labeling an individual as an ‘alcoholic or ‘addict is unhelpful and does not support the person to change (Goodman, 2007). Setting goals is important, but for any assistance to be successful, such goals must be a shared aspiration between the individual and worker. How successful the new system will be in helping people who misuse alcohol return to work will perhaps be more related to how well it works with individuals in assessing what they are capable of and how effective it is in assessing what help and support service users need to manage their condition, rather than the increasing conditionality and penalties. The Welfare Reform Act (2009) gives Job Centre advisers the power to assess individuals for alcohol problems and to force those with a dependency to undergo treatment. Individuals who refuse will lose benefits. Critics argue that job Centre advisers do not have the training for this role, and that specialised drug and alcohol professionals would need to carry out such assessments. There is also concern whether drug and alcohol services have the resources to deal with the increased number of perhaps, involuntary clients. The charity Alcohol Concern estimates that only one in 18 individuals who have an alcohol dependency can to access treatment (Hunter, 2009). The focus on what works best with alcohol and drug problems is of great importance. Challenges arise from frustrations felt by workers seeing people with alcohol or drug problems repeatedly in and out of the ‘revolving door of services. Attempting to change a long term pattern of drinking is extremely difficult, with research showing that several or more attempts can be required. Petersen and McBride (2002) highlighted that: â€Å"The inability to stop using drugs and especially the inability to avoid returning to use are at the heart of what we mean by addiction. In this respect, the problem of relapse is one of the defining features of the addictive disorders† (Petersen and McBride, 2002, p189) If relapse is a defining feature of the addictive disorder, how do welfare changes which make more condition and create more complex systems incorporate this known feature of the addiction cycle? Dilemmas arise in relation to the new system and the lack of sensitivity to the particular conditions such as alcohol abuse with its relapse and periodic ‘down periods. Critics point out that an individuals alcohol dependency might be an indication that he or she is struggling to cope and that removing benefits could have detrimental effects. Removing or reducing alcohol dependent service users benefits could create more strain in their lives and make their alcohol issues worse. This, in turn, would be less likely to help individuals in getting back to work, and therefore the new system would have achieved the opposite of its intended purpose. How individuals would