Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Breastfeeding Versus Bottle Feeding

Question: Discuss about the Breastfeeding Versus Bottle Feeding. Answer: Introduction: Breastfeeding is the provision of nutrition to a baby through breast milk of the mother by the baby suckling. It is the most commonly used method of feeding infants by mothers due to various reasons as outlined throughout this writing (Hall, 2012). On the other hand, bottle-feeding is an alternative method of feeding a baby in which a baby is fed using a feeding bottle instead of the breast. Bottle feeding can be used to either feed the baby with breast milk that has been expressed or other prepared liquid foods. This method has increasingly gained popularity in most societies over time as one of the best alternatives for breastfeeding due to a number of reasons as well that are discussed herein. There are several other methods of feeding a baby, but this writing focuses on these two approaches and aims to outline reasons for using each of these techniques, advantages, disadvantages, procedures and instances under which they can or cannot be utilized (Samour King, 2012). Besides the benefits and cons of using these means of feeding a child playing a significant role in determining the choice of a method of breastfeeding, several other factors influence the choice as well. These factors include physical, social, economic, cultural and health issues (Biddy Gardner-Webb University, 2012). The mental status of the mother can, for instance, dictate the kind of feeding to be used. In some cases mothers develop puerperal psychosis son after delivery, a factor that hinders breastfeeding because of the injury risks posed by the mother to her baby and therefore bottle feeding is used. Breastfeeding as well requires a lot of support from the family members to the mother in order for it to be used reliably. Breastfeeding and nursing of the baby demand dedication and commitment besides being time-consuming. For that reason, the mother should be supported both socially and emotionally by other family members throughout this process by exempting her from performin g some duties. On the other hand, the physical well-being of the mother and the baby are crucial determinants in the choice of baby feeding. Breastfeeding can be impossible if a mother has an injury or tenderness on her breast due to some reasons. In such circumstances, they resort to bottle feeding. In extreme cases when a mother is hospitalized for severe medical conditions, they cant also breastfeed. Notably, exclusive breastfeeding is advocated for under normal conditions for at least six months before introducing other foods besides it (Cole, 2014). However, for mothers who are infected with HIV, breastfeeding is halted at the sixth month after conception before bottle feeding is used for the baby to reduce the chances of exposing the child to the HIV virus. Equally, bottle feeding is encouraged and carried out in situations when the mother is under medical therapy involving drugs that are secreted in milk and associated with some adverse effects on the child. Furthermore, nutritional status of the mother, educational levels, cultural background and beliefs impact the perception towards breastfeeding in various societies. Moreover, the babys condition influences the method of use. Infants born prematurely have no suckling reflex and therefore are unable to breastfeed. In the same way, those with mouth deformities such as cleft lip and palate fail to suckle hence breastfeeding may be contraindicated due to the risks of aspiration. It has also been noted that there is the higher tendency of breastfeeding in younger mothers as compared to those with advanced age. Moreover, economic status also plays a significant role in influencing the technique of use. Women with higher economic status in most instances consider bottle feeding as a better option of feeding their babies (Wambach Riordan, 2014). Despite all these factors, there are other associated advantages and disadvantages for each method. In the case of breastfeeding, it can be preferred since it is non-allergic; it meets the infants nutritional needs without supplementation besides boosting of their immunity by antibodies present in breast milk. Constipation is rarely experienced as milk is easily digested. It is also economical, easy to use; no need for preparation and it enhances mother-infant attachment. It has also contributed to eating a well-balanced diet by the mother, losing weight gained during pregnancy as well as oxytocin released during breastfeeding aiding in involution. However, certain shortcomings are associated with breastfeeding such as the need for more frequent food intake by the child as well as the time to time changing of diapers due to increased frequency of passing stools. Its also hard to determine the amount of milk consumed per day if such information is required (Newman, 2014). The medication secreted in milk can affect the health and development of the infant as some are less tolerated at that tender age. It poses a challenge to mothers too since some may have discomfort breastfeeding in public. On the other hand, there are benefits associated with bottle feedings such as the baby being fed by anyone who is available at any given time whether day or night. Infants too tend to feed less frequently approximately three to four hours. Besides, the amount of milk consumed per feeding is known, and such information can be useful in tracking input and output of the baby. The caretaker can thus plan well on the amount from such information by approximating daily intake in instances when the mother may be unavailable such as when attending to other activities (Cobb-Barston, 2012). The disadvantage of this method is that it is relatively expensive as compared to breastfeeding since the formula given and the feeding bottles are bought and maintained by refrigeration. The maintenance of these bottles involves washing them and disinfecting. One can also forget to carry with them the formula and feeding bottle when traveling. This method has also been implicated in the development of constipation in infants (Hall, 2012). References Biddy, D. A., Gardner-Webb University. (2012).Why do mothers choose not to breastfeed? Boiling Springs, North Carolina: Gardner-Webb University. Cole, S. (2014).Breastfeeding challenges made easy for late preterm infants: The go-to guide for nurses and lactation consultants. New York : Springer Publishing Company Cobb-Barston, S. M. (2012).Bottled up: How the way we feed babies has come to define motherhood, and why it shouldn't. Berkeley: University of California Press. Hall, T. (2012).Save our sleep feeding: A parent's guide to healthy eating from nursing to family meals. Sydney, N.S.W: Pan Macmillan. Newman, J. (2014).Dr. Jack Newman's guide to breastfeeding. New York: Pinter Martin Samour, P. Q., King, K. (2012).Pediatric nutrition. Sudbury, MA: Jones Bartlett Learning. Wambach, K., Riordan, J. (2014).Breastfeeding and human lactation. Burlington, MA : Jones Bartlett Learning

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Coffee and Company Overview Starbucks free essay sample

Starbucks is an international company which was started in 1971 at Seattle’s Pike Place Market. Today, Starbucks operates in around 60 countries around the world, and they have more than 18,000 stores. Starbucks keep expanding the number of retail stores, and as a result it is the largest and most well-known coffee shop in the world. In 1987, Howard Schulz bought Starbucks, and the company really took off in a dramatic way, and has continued to be successful from that time until today. Howard Schulz was determined to make Starbucks into a â€Å"place for conversation and community,† and this idea influenced the Starbucks mission, which is â€Å"to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time. † Starbucks has been working to increase customer satisfaction by improving beverage taste, the speed of service provided, the friendliness of Starbucks employees, and by bringing forth new retail and beverage items constantly. To Starbucks, providing service is more important than the quality of coffee. Starbucks strives to provide quality customer service and create an inviting atmosphere and an exceptional cup of coffee. 1. Identify the controllable and uncontrollable elements that Starbucks has encountered in entering global markets. According to the text, the controllable elements are those which are within the organization and are eligible to controlling the operation of an organization, which includes the management, or more detailed business plans or strategies they are carrying. The controllable elements that Starbucks has encountered in entering global markets would be higher price in Italy, and their promotion. Starbucks spends just 1% of revenue on Advertisement of new launches. There are many uncontrollable elements such as competition, culture economic forces and political/legal forces. Organizations cannot control the uncontrollable elements, but they must learn to adapt to them or, in other words, must manage them. One of those elements Starbucks has encountered in entering global markets is that 14% of economy down turn in Japan. Starbucks also have to compete with local rivals where they offer drinks at similar fare in Japan and this could be also one of the uncontrollable elements. 2. What are the major sources of risk facing the company? Starbucks are facing problems of changing generation. After riding the wave of successful baby boomers through the 1990s, they faces an ominously hostile reception from its future consumers, the twenty- or thirty-somethings of Generation X. People in this generation do not feel like spending $3 for a cup of coffee. Some young generation just find the whole Starbucks scene a bit pretentious and they would rather go to Dunkin Donuts for cheaper coffee and food. A possible solution for this problem would be offering new facilities to their customers. Starbucks continues to try fundaental store changes, such as expanding a high-speed wireless Internet service to about 1,200 Starbucks locations in North America and Europe. This offer might make new generation think that it seems reasonable to pay $3 per cup. Starbucks executives hope such innovations will be helping surmount their toughest challange in the home market: attracting the next generation of customers. 3. Critique Starbucks’ overall corporate strategy. Even though Starbucks have many stores around the world, eight cities in the U. S. and Canada remained unaccessed. Since U. S. is the starter of Starbucks, the company should expand their business to all the cities. The more outlets they have the more sales they would have. Starbucks is one of the companies which use very few advertising expenses. They rarly advertise in media and focus more on word of mouth which seems to be working but the company would improve in a better way by advertising more in media and public. If they spend more money on advertising the company would raise more in sales such as bilboard ads, commercial and public posters. Moreover, they pay low for their employees which is considered as a problem within their company. By paying the employees with more high rate, it would motivate the emplooyees to work harder which will lead to high sales. 4. How might Starbucks improve profitability in Japan? Japan is one the countries in the world that have high a Starbucks consumer rates. However, the marketing strategy in Japan is improvable in many ways. First, the price positioning in is higher compared to other countries. A customer in Japan can only buy a small size coffee with the price where a customer in US can buy a grande coffee. This should be improved since the price in Starbucks is too high compared to other coffee shops in Japan. By reducing the prce, the sales would increase with benefits. Another problem is that Starbucks tend to have long waiting lines at many stores (unless it is not located in a very rural area) which can be a huge loss time for business people in Japan. Targeting those business people, they should launch an online ordering and pick-up system so that they can order without considering the time. Consumers would find the service useful to order online by reducing the time the consumers have to spend waiting in the line and for the coffee to be made. As a marketing strategy in Japan, Starbucks should offer services that fit into Japanese cultures and lifestyles.

Sunday, April 19, 2020

Media and Culture

Table of Contents Abstract Introduction Forms of media manipulation Conclusion Works Cited Abstract Media is a very powerful tool in any society and has the power to influence the public’s decision on important and sometimes very contentious issues. However, of late, the media has resorted to manipulating facts for its own good and that of various powerful persons or entities. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Media and Culture specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Media manipulation occurs all over the world has left everybody confused and helpless because no one can judge whether what is being reported is true or not. The media is taking advantage of the people’s trust in them by hiding and covering the most important news from them and this is unrepresentative and misleading the public on very important issues. The media seems to be the most essential source of information and news but people shoul d choose what to believe and what not to believe. The objective of this paper is to discuss the methods the media use to manipulate facts and what can be done to stop this manipulation by implementing laws that should govern the media. The media should stop being controlled by powerful elites. Media manipulation should be an offence that is punishable by the law so that integrity can once again prevail in the media industry. Introduction Media is the main source of information on news happening in an area, country, and in the international scene. However, many people have repeatedly mentioned that the media manipulates the information it obtains before availing it to their audience. Media manipulation can have many definitions, however, it can generally be defined as the act of making a news item favor a particular interest. It can also be defined as the suppression and omission of information by making the audience to believe or not to believe a story or deviating the audienceâ⠂¬â„¢s attention on another story instead of the issue at hand. Media manipulation is a powerful tool that is being used by contemporary media organizations to deceive the public and it is very unfortunate that the people with money and who own power are the people controlling the media. Most people in the media industry have constantly claimed that media manipulation of news is inevitable and that most of the perceived manipulations result from human faults, working under deadlines, insufficient printing space, limited financial resources, and the challenge of summarizing a long intricate complex news item into an abridged simple report. I differ with these excuses and instead argue that these are deliberate attempts to hide the truth from the public and if urgent and precarious measures are not put into place, it may reach unmanageable levels. Although the press has to be selective of what it airs, this does not give them an opportunity to favor other people or distort the truth. Media companies have been known to favor large corporations and wealthy people (Kuyper, 25). The problem is so rampant that it has become difficult to depend on any single media company for political, social and economic information. Media manipulation is being carried out mainly in three ways: distortion, concealing information and deceit (O’Shaughnessy Staedler, 114).Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Forms of media manipulation The media can persuade the public to buy certain products claiming that they are better than for their competitors through advertisements yet they know the products are not good, vote for particular political figures and even to support some courses yet they are sure that the course is not worthy and the political figures are not worthy of election. Their main aim is to sell the idea, product or publicize the public figure even if it means brai nwashing the public without caring about the needs of their audience and I suggest this should be declared punishable by the law. Distraction is another way the media manipulates facts. This can occur either through distraction by a phenomenon whereby the public is distracted from a very important subject at hand as was seen when the media tried to divert the public’s attention form the Clinton-Lewinsky affair by putting news regarding military attacks in Sudan and Afghanistan to the fore. Distraction can also occur through fear mongering whereby citizens are frightened if they engage in or do not engage in a certain act, a tragic end might result. For example, the media might try to coerce the public into voting for certain bills, claiming that failure to vote for such bills might lead to certain economic implications. The media has also been known to provide only a one sided story that favors certain interests. Most of the journalists tend to ignore the fact that there are always two sides to every contentious issue and base most of their stories on one side. They will always cover the one side of the story and make sure that their side is well represented (Wentworth, 116). Biasness is a common strategy used by the media to manipulate facts. This occurs when the media opts to support, favor or attack an individual, political party, religion, a particular race, ethnic group or an idea. Other forms of media bias are advertising bias whereby stories are chosen to please the advertisers and mainstream bias where they avoid what should be reported and report what others media companies are reporting. The media can also use biased polls that are misleading to support their positions and include them in news. For example, poll results may be skewed to favor certain persons or the research may not have been based on sound research methodologies. A final form of manipulation of facts occurs in the form of suppression and omission and this occurs when reporte rs deliberately omit some sections of their reports. The media can even lie about some issues or twist the stories that they are fully aware and claim not to have heard of such news.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Media and Culture specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Conclusion Instead of the media being a people centered institution, it has become a vehicle to distract people’s attention away from major issues and it is becoming more and more biased. Strict laws should be enacted to return honesty back into the news that are aired and read all over the world for most media outlets cannot be counted on to give true information and to provide unbiased argument of issues. The explanation that news bias is unavoidable should not apply here, our media should exercise honesty and give the right information to the public otherwise their competence cannot be approved as they are always misleading the masses. We a re not puppets in the hands of the media, instead of playing its role in informing the people what is going on, it has become a means of mass manipulation and we should build immunity to manipulation. Works Cited Kuyper, Jim A. Press Bias and politics. Westport: Praeger, 2002. Print. O’Shaughnessy, Michael Staedler, Jane. Media and Society. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008. Print. Wentworth, Willium M. Production of Culture in the Mass media. NewYork City: Allyn Bacon, 1998. Print This essay on Media and Culture was written and submitted by user Colton Harrison to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Sunday, March 15, 2020

Free Essays on Stayhome Dads

We hear about the famous scenario all the time. A working woman leaving her desktop for a laptop at home to better parent her children. However, have working men also been inserted in the real life scenario? The answer is YES! Many men have given up their jobs to become stay-at-home parents and I absolutely agree with their decisions to make a change to alter the future lives of their children. Times have definitely changed as well as the roles of women. America used to be viewed as the country with working fathers bringing home the financial means while the mother’s job was to raise the children. It is widely known that women stayed home and made sure the children were bathed, clothed, and fed. Women have risen up to the challenges of men in the work force, which means there is a demand for roles to be either shared or switched at home between the mother and father. I think that our society is changing so much that a stay-at-home father is uncommon but isn’t such a big deal. We are starting to get use to everything changing and women taking a stand. Now that our society is beginning to be open minded, fathers don’t even see it as a issue or as an interference in living their lives has â€Å"working† men. However, with all this said the question often arises, â€Å"Who’s taking care of the children?† Many parents believe in hiring nannies for their children, but I do not feel this is right. I like the idea of a parent staying home or cutting hours to spend time with their children. Not many people are fortunate to have parents or to even have kids so to be able to have the best of both worlds just seems like a blessing and something that would be tragic to miss out on. I think children really benefit from having their dads home. That is a learning experience. We grow up automatically drawn to our mothers because they provide the nurture and love we need. I think having a father would be a different kind of nu... Free Essays on Stayhome Dads Free Essays on Stayhome Dads We hear about the famous scenario all the time. A working woman leaving her desktop for a laptop at home to better parent her children. However, have working men also been inserted in the real life scenario? The answer is YES! Many men have given up their jobs to become stay-at-home parents and I absolutely agree with their decisions to make a change to alter the future lives of their children. Times have definitely changed as well as the roles of women. America used to be viewed as the country with working fathers bringing home the financial means while the mother’s job was to raise the children. It is widely known that women stayed home and made sure the children were bathed, clothed, and fed. Women have risen up to the challenges of men in the work force, which means there is a demand for roles to be either shared or switched at home between the mother and father. I think that our society is changing so much that a stay-at-home father is uncommon but isn’t such a big deal. We are starting to get use to everything changing and women taking a stand. Now that our society is beginning to be open minded, fathers don’t even see it as a issue or as an interference in living their lives has â€Å"working† men. However, with all this said the question often arises, â€Å"Who’s taking care of the children?† Many parents believe in hiring nannies for their children, but I do not feel this is right. I like the idea of a parent staying home or cutting hours to spend time with their children. Not many people are fortunate to have parents or to even have kids so to be able to have the best of both worlds just seems like a blessing and something that would be tragic to miss out on. I think children really benefit from having their dads home. That is a learning experience. We grow up automatically drawn to our mothers because they provide the nurture and love we need. I think having a father would be a different kind of nu...

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Business communication Outline Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business communication - Outline Example They vary mainly in the decision making process, that is, in the Centralized Structure, the topmost management controls all the decision making and exercises strict control over the lower layers of the structure. In a Decentralized Structure however, everyone is involved in the decision making process A well designed Organization structure gives out the authority and responsibility to the respective individuals. If each person in the organization knows what his role is, a lot of chaos can be avoided in the organization. (organizationalstructure.net). With the help of the organizational chart, individuals can understand their roles and how to relate to one another in the organization. An organization chart gives the pattern of communication and coordination in the organization. This would also hinder the exchange of information and efficient problem solving. (taxarticles.info). Hopgood Sports Limited: Problems In spite of good business acumen of the management, there seem to be certai n problems with the running of Hopgood Sports Limited, in terms of organization, or technically, the lack thereof. Some of the problems are: 1. Staffing problems: Hopgood Sports Limited seems to be understaffed, in spite of the fact that they can afford it quite easily. 2. Inaccessibility of decision maker: The management, i.e. Mr. Hopgood, is not always easily accessible because he is always on the move from one store to another. This causes a lot of decision making to be put on hold and also may cost various opportunities for Hopgood Sports Limited. 3. Technological backwardness, with physical distances between the various stores acting as a major impediment for efficient management 4. The Organizational Structure of Hopgood Sports Limited also is not up to the mark. This has been discussed further below. Current Organization Structure of Hopgood Sports Limited: From the above illustrated current organizational structure of Hopgood Sports Limited, we can see that there is no unifo rmity in the structure, that is, in the different branches of the store. The structure of each store is different from the other in terms of number of employees and accountability. This might be fine for now but will lead to a lot of chaos and confusion in the future, when Hopgood Sports Limited is on the pathway to further expansion. A lack of uniformity in the structure also will leave the employees confused when it comes to inter store communication as they may not know with whom they must communicate what information. Also, it does not clearly explain the accountability of the employees. Recommendations for Hopgood sports limited Hopgood Sports is a good, stable business with few glitches that a well designed Organizational Structure can rectify. Here are some of the recommendations for Hopgood Sports Limited. 1. Mr. Hopgood seems to have bitten off more than he can chew. He is seriously overworked and the main reason for this is that Hopgood Sports Limited is not well staffed. He should hire more people for employment in his various stores. Since, he can afford to do that, after recruitment and apportionment, he can take a backseat and concentrate on supervising the running of the place instead of running all around the city that might make Hopgood Sports Limited more susceptible to expansion. 2. Mr. Hopgood’s inaccessibility can easily be solved with the above point. If he were to be at a particular store as head office, he could be

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Meuse-Argonne Offensive Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Meuse-Argonne Offensive - Research Paper Example The battle led to the stronghold of Allies with a loss of German’s on the Western front.   The European states vied together for power and military alliance. Britain, France and Russia from Asia formed a strong block. It was now a must for Germany to find a suitable alliance that could eliminate the danger of its extermination. Austria and Turkey were there for her. Then an incident, in the city of Sarajevo, made the European nations face a situation that the western philosophers feared for years. The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand and his wife Sophie led to hostilities between Serbia and Austria. The involvement of Russia and Germany on the side of Serbia and Austria, respectively, made the situation worse. Things became uncontrollable, as more and more countries began to get involved in the matter. On August 4, 1914, the German army marched into Belgium. As the war got fierce, more and more war fronts opened for Germany. With the beginning of revolution in Russia in 1 918, Germany deployed its freed troops on the western front. Using remarkable tactics of long wars, Germany gained many achievements and the French armies were then in retreat. The Germans had to face mines and military of the American Expeditionary Force at Belleau Wood, which slowed down its advancement. Meanwhile, the French army reformed its front, together with the British army. The whole area from the Meuse River to the top of the Mountains of Argonne was under a stronghold of the Germans. The presence of mines, camouflaged trenches, heavy artillery and a large number of German troops made this area a difficult battlefield for the Allies. The Argonne forest provided a good shelter to the Germans, where they could rest without the risk of being attacked. It was so because the area was lined by guns, mines and trenches and supported by artillery fire. There was no place, on the western front where the German army could think itself more safe and sound than the Argonne forest. Th is was probably the reason, for the Allies, to think the battle at this field as a decisive one. With a fresh American army on the southern flank of the western front, the Allies could now think of an offensive on the German troops in the Argonne forests. At 5:30 on the afternoon of September 26th, the American 1st Army jumped off with the French holding their flanks. The U.S. Army and the French 4th Army shared the Meuse-Argonne offensive which proved to be the biggest and the deadliest one for the American Expeditionary Force in the World War I. The French General Mariano Goybet, commanding the 157 Red Hand Division, indulged in the Meuse-Argonne offensive on 28th September. (â€Å"Meuse-Argonne Offensive†) 371 and 372 were two of his African American regiments. During the first nine days, the 372 regiment progressed through 4.8 miles of enemy defense. They captured 600 prisoners, 15 heavy guns, 20 Minenwerfers and about 150 machine guns. (â€Å"Meuse-Argonne Offensiveâ₠¬ ) The 372 regiment’s part was very important in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. The regiment suffered total casualties of 500 men.

Friday, January 31, 2020

Neo-liberal Critique of the Welfare State Essay Example for Free

Neo-liberal Critique of the Welfare State Essay The welfare state refers to the initiative of the government in a country to take care of the wellbeing of the public. Under the welfare state, the government undertakes the responsibility of protecting and promoting the economic and social welfare of its people (Kuhnle 2000). The welfare state is based on the equality of all. In a welfare state, the government is involved in the lives of its people on all levels. The burden of providing for the physical and social needs of the people is almost fully placed on the government. The main objective of the welfare state is the creation of economic equability and striving to improve the standards of living. The government ensures fair distribution of resources, provision of equal opportunities, and provision of public services to those who lack the means to acquire them. The government in this case takes the accountability for the wellbeing of its people (Gooden et al. 1999). Hypothetically, the responsibility is supposed to be inclusive given the fact that the welfare of the people is generally considered as a right. This is to say that citizens are entitled to the welfare state. This can also be taken to refer to the establishment of â€Å"social safety net† (Rice, Goodin and Parpo 2006). Neoliberals have attacked the welfare state from different angles with some advocating for its complete abolishment and others claiming that it should be partially eradicated (Barrow 1998). They have given very many reasons as to why the welfare state should be reviewed and necessary measures taken. They have provided a number of reasons as to why the welfare state should be reconsidered. Neo-liberals are the advocates of economic liberalization as the means by which social progress can be achieved (Niggle 2006). This paper evaluates the neo-liberal critique of the welfare state. The neo-liberals advocate for a free and liberal economy where every person is involved. It is from this perspective that the welfare state is criticized for failing to give the citizens a chance to participate in the liberal market economy (Rice, Goodin and Parpo 2006). It is argued that the welfare state makes people reliant on the government and thus fail to labor for their own needs. Most developed countries have established welfare states for providing for the needs of their people. As a result, most people do not see the need to toil when their needs can be met freely. Nevertheless, there have been studies that have provided the claim that there is no connection between the economic performance and appending on welfare in the world economies. This means that there is no proof of the fact that the welfare state hinders social progress (Niggle 2006). When the progress of some of the developed countries that provide welfare is analyzed, it is clear that some of the countries that spend less on welfare are doing worse than those that spend more. For example, the US performs worse than a country like Netherlands. This is despite the fact that the latter spends more on welfare state than the former. This therefore shows that the welfare state could contribute, but is not responsible for uneven social progress (Gooden et al. 1999). The opponents of the welfare state claim that it tends to put the burden of providing for the citizens on some people while others sit back and enjoy. This is supported by the fact that the welfare state is financed through the taxpayers’ money (Kuhnle 2000). This is from the people who are employed and working hard to earn an income. Their income is taxed to provide for the people in the country who are not able to work through the welfare state. This can however be countered by the fact that there is a great income inequality in the society today. Inequality exists between executives and the average workers, between male workers and female workers and between people of different races. The welfare state is one way of ensuring that there is redistribution of resources and income for uniform development and also to take care of the marginalized groups in the society (Rice, Goodin and Parpo 2006). There has been criticism on the welfare state based on the dispensations made by the capitalists. This is done in the efforts to redirect the working class away from the need to follow an entirely socialist society and economy. This is what has been evident in a country like Germany. Additionally, the socialist class is a strong believer in patching up the inefficient capitalist economy and revealing the loopholes in the capitalist economy. They believe that the welfare system will not be necessary where government and ownership of the means of production is implemented (Kuhnle 2000). The critics also claim that the welfare state and the contemporary social democratic programs stifle the motivation of the market. This is so because of the provision of resources like unemployment insurance policies, minimum pay, profits on taxes, and reduction of the reserved labor. The result of this is that there is very little motivation to invest. Basically, the opponents claim that the welfare state demoralizes the capitalist economy and its incentive organization. There is no capitalist who will be motivated to invest his capital in order to feed the entire society (Itoh 1995). Another criticism views the welfare state as stealing of the wealth of slavery. This is based on the classical liberal fundamental right to obtaining and property ownership. From this point of view, it is a fundamental right of every person to be in ownership of his own body and thus be allowed to enjoy the fruit of the labor of that body (Cook 2001). This is where the transfer of money from one person to another by the state in the name of the welfare state is considered stealing. It is also a form of forced labor where some people have to work hard only for the benefit of others. Despite the fact that the welfare state is created by a democratically elected government, it infringes this fundamental right that every person is entitled to. This leads to less motivation to work, where one begins to view his or her labor as being for the benefit of others. The welfare state imposes what is referred to as Servile Law (Waarden and Lehmbruch 2003). This law shares the element of the ancient slavery. According to this law, positive law states that some individuals must toil for others, who in the same way must take care of them. This is unfair because one group of the public works for one that does not work. The group that is fed from the sweat of others is mostly comprised of people who have intentionally refused to work (Mendes 2003). Some other critics argue that the welfare state tends to offer its benefactors with the same rate of income as the minimum payment (Gould 1993). This has encouraged more people to sit back and wait for the welfare. The dependants of the welfare state do not find the need to work for minimum wage where even without working they will receive the same amount. This has led to the creation of a class of citizens that are fully dependant on the welfare state. This is despite the fact that the welfare is available only for the citizens who are not able to work. In the United Kingdom for example, the idea of the welfare state was aimed at poverty alleviation by offering certain individuals basic necessities (Niggle 2006). The state of affairs currently is that the welfare state has extended to provision of finances to a large number of individuals than the nation is able to afford. There is a feeling by some supporters that this argument is ideally untrue. They argue that in the United Kingdom, the welfare system offers people very little finances compared to the minimum wage in the country. However, the dependants of the social welfare in this country have the feeling that they need to access more benefits from the government. If the government bends to these demands, it is evident that the country could be in a very huge financial trouble. People have become so dependant on the welfare state until they feel that it is their right to make demands (Cook 2001). Neo-liberals criticize the welfare state for leading to increase in taxes. This criticism is logical because the finances for the welfare states come from taxes. Enough money has to be availed for the system to operate well and ensure that all the benefactors are covered. This can only be done through ensuring that enough money is obtained through taxation from those who are working. This leads to an increase in taxes. This is basically true from case studies like in Denmark, where the tax level went up to 48. 9 percent of the country’s GDP in the year 2007. Another similar case is Sweden where the tax level was as high as 48. 2 percent of the country’s GDP in the same year (Xu 2007). This however does not mean that there is a reduction in the income of the people in the countries in question. It is argued that this is so because the state taxes ideally return to the workers it is obtained from. This is from the fact that most of the money from tax is used in the provision of public amenities that are enjoyed by the same people who are the tax payers (Barr 2004). The opponents believe that the welfare benefits offered by the government are more costly and less effective than if the same were offered by the private sector. This is in line with a liberal economy where the private sector is offered an important part to play in the economy. In the year 2000, Louis Kaplow and Steven Shafell produced two articles with the argument that any social program founded on the elements of equality and impartiality would lead to an economical system that is Pareto inefficient (Barr 2004). It is obvious that every commodity that is offered free of charge at the consumption point would obviously be highly demanded. There would be efficient allocation of resources if stipulation reflects the charges (Mendes 2003). There have been arguments that the welfare system undermines the conventional family life. Dependence on welfare state encourages over-reliance on the government and increment of social evils. Single parenthood has been encouraged since people know that they will be taken care of by the state. It has been argued that the welfare state fails on moral, social and economic grounds. The welfare system has led many people to relax and wait for the free income. As a result, people have become reluctant to get education and employment. This has led to the increase of social evils as a result. This shows that the welfare state does the society more evil than good (Cook 2001). Conclusion The welfare state was established with the needs of the people who are not able to work in mind. It is a fact that most of the criticisms against the welfare state are true. The welfare state has led to over reliance on the government, making people less inclined to work. It is also true that they have tended to discourage capital investment where people will work to benefit those who are not working. The welfare state has also led to an increase in taxes, as more finances are needed to fund the welfare state. These are some of the neo-liberal criticisms of the welfare state. This does not mean that the welfare state should be completely abolished. As mentioned in the paper, there is great income disparity in the community today. This is not the fault of those who are unfortunate to have low income and those who are not able to access employment. There is dire need to redistribute resources and income in the society. There is no better way of doing this than taxation for provision through the welfare state. The welfare state was also created for a noble objective that is, benefiting those who are unfortunate and marginalized in the society. This group is still in the society and abolishment of the welfare state will be a problem to them. It is however undeniable that something needs to be done to make this system more effective and efficient for economical development. One of the ways forward is to restrict the spending on the welfare state. This will be achieved through restructuring of the policy and reviewing the benefactors. Neo-liberal critics agree that there is need for minimum provision for those in need. This means that the system cannot be entirely abolished, but there is need for serious changes on it. This way it will be able to meet its objectives to the society, while at the same time allowing for economical development. Studies need to be carried out to find the best way forward as far as the welfare state is concerned. Barr, N. 2004, Economics of the welfare state, Oxford University Press, New York. Barrow, C. 1998, State Theory and the Dependency Principle: An Institutionalist Critique of the Business Climate Concept, Journal of Economic Issues, Vol. 32. Cook, P. 2001, Discrediting Neo-Liberalism: The Social Democratic Welfare State Of The Netherlands. Available on May 12, 2010 from http://www. wlu. edu/documents/shepherd/academics/cap_01_cook. pdf Gooden, R. et al. 1999, The Real Worlds of Welfare Capitalism, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge Gould, A. 1993, Capitalist Welfare Systems, Longman, New York. 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