Healthcare Reform in Vermont

Healthcare Reform in Vermont Vermont is one of the states of the United States and it is found in the region of New England. New England is on the Northeastern side on the United States. Vermont is the 2nd least populous state in the US, and the 6th least extensive. This is the only state in the New England region that does not have a border with the Atlantic Ocean. However, half of its Western border is found within Lake Champlain, and it shares this border with New York. On the south of Vermont lies Massachusetts, while on the east, there is the state of New Hampshire. On the north of Vermont lies the Canadian province of Quebec, while on its east, there is the state of New York. As of July 2013, the census Bureau of the US gives an estimation that the total population of this state of Vermont stood at 626, 630 people (Abrahamsen, 2012). This represented an increase of 0.14%, when compared to the census of 2010. The state of Vermont has an increase in the aging population, and on this basis, there is an increase in the provision of aging health care services within the economy of the state (Abrahamsen, 2012). The Allen Fletcher Health is considered as the biggest private health provider in the state of Vermont, with an employee base of around 7,100 people. As of the year 2010, the entire bill that patients in the hospital paid amounted to 3.76 billion dollars. Currently, 92,000 people have enrolled for the Medicare program. It is important to denote that as of 2011, Medicare was able to spend 740 million dollars on the health care of the state (Deary and sBrown, 2001). The financial capacity of the state is very stable, and it has been able to achieve a balanced budget, since the year 1991 (Deary and sBrown, 2001). The state has an enterprise fund, for purposes of sponsoring activities that would reduce social and economic problems like unemployment, drug abuse, etc. For purposes of understanding the economic strength of Vermont, the state has an individual’s per capita income of 38,306 dollars. On the other hand, the general size of the public sector is 24.3%, when compared to that of the private sector which amounts to 36.6% (Abrahamsen, 2012). Based on these grounds, the private sector is wider than the public sector. The tax system of this state is also favorable, and one of the unleast fair tax structure in the United States. This is because the tax structure gives income tax credit to low waged workers. This is for purposes of ensuring that there is an equitable distribution of resources. Prior Health Reform Policy: One of the health care reforms initiated by the state of Vermont is the Dynasaur programs. This is a program that is funded by the government of Vermont, and was formed in 1989. This program was aimed at providing universal cover to the children of Vermont, and when this was added up by the private insurance individuals that Vermont had, the state was able to ensure universal health coverage of all its children (Deary and Brown, 2001). Because of this policy, the state of Vermont was able to be regarded as having the best health care policies in the US. When this program began in 1989, the objective of the government was to provide health care services to children who were under the ages of six years, and to pregnant women who were unable to afford private health insurance programs. In 1992, the government of Vermont was able to increase the health care coverage of the Dr. Dynasur program. This was to cover children and teenagers who were under the ages of 17 years; this is up from t he previous six years covered by the 1989 Dr. Dynasur plan (Deary and Brown, 2001). The main aim of this policy was to ensure that children and pregnant women are able to access preventive care, and pre-natal health care services. Another important goal of this policy was to ensure that the state government is able to assist families in achieving self-sufficiency, by helping them carter for their medical needs (Abrahamsen, 2012). This was in line with the state’s welfare system that was assisting families that did not receive the welfare money. As discussed earlier, this policy was very efficient, and it resulted in the ranking of Vermont as a state with the best health care policy in the United States. In 2006, the government of Vermont introduced the Catamount Health care policy (Almgren and Lindhorst, 2012). This health care policy targeted people who were not insured by the Medicaid and Medicare policies. The main aim of this policy was to reduce the medical costs suffered by chronic patients. In 2011, the state government of Vermont introduced a new heal th care policy. This health care policy was to create a single health care payer system, under the Green Mountain Care program. The law that enabled the introduction of this policy is the H. 202 law. Under this policy, all citizens of Vermont are required to get a universal health care cover. This policy also helped to improve the technologies used to provide health care services to the citizens of Vermont (Almgren and Lindhorst, 2012). This policy is enacted to replace the system whereby only a segment of the society is able to access insurance health care policies. That is the pregnant women and children covered under Dr. Dynasur insurance plan, and chronic patients who were not covered by Medicaid and Medicare, under the Catamount policy. This policy hasn’t yet achieved efficiency due to a number of problems in its implementation. This is partly due to the passage of the affordable care act, and uncertainties on the methods of financing the program (Deary and Brown, 2001). Outcomes of past reforms: As of the year 2005, the Vermont Public Assets institute and the children’s forum released a report indicating that the minimum wage of Vermont’s public sector was unable to keep up with an increase in the cost of the basic needs of the people of Vermont (Almgren and Lindhorst, 2012). According to this report, the biggest factor that led to an increase in costs of living was the health insurance. This insurance cost doubled for the last five years, and this represented 25% of the house hold expenses (Maclean, 2007). This was during the period of 2003. It is important to denote that during this period, Vermont was implementing the Dr Dynasur insurance policy, which was very effective in catering for the needs of people eligible for the policy. It is very important to understand that the Dr. Dynasur policy was a very effective policy in reducing the health care costs of pregnant women, and children under the ages of 18 years old. For instance, since the introduction of the Dr. Dynasur policy, the Government was able to enroll 90,000 children who were under the federal poverty level (Maxwell, 2012). It is important to understand that the childhood population of Vermont at that time was 150,000 children. 90,000 represent more than half of the total population of Children in Vermont. Based on this ground, this program was able to achieve equity in terms of health insurance coverage (Deary and Brown, 2001). This is because the remaining 60,000 children could afford private insurance cover. However, this policy failed to reduce the insurance costs of all citizens of Vermont (Abrahamsen, 2012). This is because it was discriminatory in nature, because it did not cover the entire population of Vermont; hence an increase to health insurance costs. This is because the people left out in this policy resorted to acquiring private health insurance policies (Maxwell, 2012). On this basis, the Catamount health care policy was introduced in 2006 for purposes of catering for the needs of those people not covered by the Medicaid and Medicare insurance policies (Maclean, 2007). This policy was very effective in reducing the medical costs of people living with chronic diseases. This is because the government of Vermont catered for their needs, through this health care policy (Abrahamsen, 2012). On this basis, the Catamount Health Care policy was able to reduce the health care insurance costs for the citizens of Vermont. By reducing the health care costs of citizens of Vermont, the Catamount Health Care plan was able to fulfill the social welfare policy of Vermont, which is to make it possible for equitable distribution of health care programs (Maxwell, 2012). However, as of 2011, the government of Vermont decided to improve on its health care insurance programs, and hence the creation of the Mountain Care Program. This program is still under the implementation stage, to judge its outcome (Abrahamsen, 2012). This is because of the uncertainties over the funding of the program, and how to integrate the whole program, under the affordable care act. However, the intention of this program is to eliminate medical costs of all citizens of Vermont, irrespective of their social class. This is because it will make it possible for the entire citizens to enroll for an insurance program controlled and funded by the state (Maclean, 2007). Current Steps under ACA: In satisfying the provisions of the Affordable care act, Vermont has initiated a number of policies. One such policy is the introduction of the health insurance exchange. This is the market place for health insurance. Under this health insurance policy, an individual who purchases the policy before the 15th of January, then the person under consideration must enroll for the health care coverage that begins on the 1st of January, if the person purchases the policy on the 15th of February, and then the coverage of the person under consideration begins on the 1st of May (Alker, Brooks and Harbelein, 2014). What this refers is that the coverage normally begins 15 days, after the day of purchase. This policy further goes on to exempt people who have enrolled for the health care coverage before the 1st of May, from paying enrollment fees. By 31st of March 2014, the enrollment of people for this program came to an end, and those not enrolled would be barred from accessing the benefits of health insurance up to November 2014, when the next enrollment begins (Alker, Brooks and Harbelein, 2014). In bringing these services closer to people, the state has established a website referred to as the Vermont Health Connect. This website enables citizens of Vermont to make applications of the insurance policies, compare the prices and plans of various health care policies, etc. It is important to denote that the government of Vermont has shifted the responsibility of managing health insurance to Green Mountain Care Board, established by the 2011, H202 law. Previously, the responsibility of managing insurance health care was undertaken by the Banking, Securities, and Insurance Health Care Administration (Deary and Brown, 2001). The state has also initiated a number of policies in regard to Medicaid under the ACA. For instance in Vermont, any individual making below 139% Federal Poverty Level is eligible for Medicaid. This is under the expansion plan of Vermont in regard to implementing the provisions of the Obama care. It is important to denote that applications are only acceptable through the Health Insurance Exchange that is operated and managed by the Green Mountain Care organization. Under the Medicaid expansion program, there are a number of plans available, and these plans include the bronze, silver, gold, and platinum plans (Maxwell, 2012). The Bronze plan is a low cost plan Medicaid program offered by the government of Vermont. It has a very low actuarial value, and very low premiums. The actuarial value of this plan rests at 60%, and this means that 60% of all medical costs are catered for by insurance companies. The Silver plan on the other hand comes next, in terms of the costs that an insurer has to pay (Alker, Brooks and Harbelein, 2014). The silver plan gives an actuarial value of 70%. This is an indication that 70% of medical costs are catered for by insurance organizations, while 30% is catered for by the individual concerned. This plan is recommended for people who are reasonably healthy, and occasionally use medical services Alker, Brooks and Harbelein, 2014). The Gold plan on the other hand comprises an actuarial value of 80%, and on this basis, 80% of medical costs will be paid by insurance organizations. The beneficiary will therefore pay the remaining 20%. Finally, members holding the platinum plan contribute the highest premium, and it covers 90% of all medical costs incurred by the beneficiary. This plan is suitable to people who are sickly, and of poor health. It is important to denote that health insurers in Vermont are not obligated to offer all these plans, but they are required to offer at minimum, one silver, and one gold plan. Anticipated Effects: There are a number of anticipated outcomes for the enactment of the project under consideration. For example, in Vermont, the policies enacted will lead into an increase in the number of the insured people in the state. This is because the policies of Dr. Dynasur and Catamount policy did not adequately cover all the people in the State. For instance, statistics indicate that Vermont has a total number of 47,000 people who do not have any medical cover. This policy will ensure that these people are eligible for the cover, and hence reducing their medical costs. It is important to denote that this policy will have a lot of outcomes when it comes to Medicaid. For instance, initially, Medicaid had a variety of gaps, in the number of people eligible for enrollment (Alker, Brooks and Harbelein, 2014). This is because eligibility was only restricted to people with disability, low income individuals, children, and the elderly. However, with the expansion of Medicaid to involve other people, Vermont hopes that the policy will lead to an improvement in the medical conditions of its people. This is because there will be an increase in the number of people enrolled into the program. These are people, who were previously not eligible to access the services of Medicaid. Furthermore, with the implementation of this program, chances are high that the living conditions of people will improve (Burkhauser and Lyons, 2011). This is because they will have the capability to save their incomes, and use it for other purposes, other than worrying on how they will pay for their health needs. Chances are also high that there will be a series of innovations, aimed at effectively implementing these policies. Take for instance in Vermont, the state managed to create a website whereby people can apply for the services of Medicaid (Alker, Brooks and Harbelein, 2014). This website is interactive in nature, and it is referred to as Vermont Health Connect. On this basis, it is important to understand that a series of such kind of innovations will occur. This in turn will improve the efficiency of service delivery. Barriers to Reform and Changes: The Health insurance exchanges serve as the main health insurance market places. At a start, these insurance health exchanges will provide insurance cover to people, and business organizations that have an employee base of around 100 people. Federal subsidies will play a great role in minimizing the insurance premiums charged to the middle and lower income people, and insurers will have to meet a variety of conditions set forth by the Federal government (Holtz, 2008). However, there are a number of challenges that the implementation process of these policies will face. One challenge is governing the health insurance exchanges. It might be difficult to govern these health insurance exchanges, and this is because they are new concepts that emerged. However, in managing these health insurance exchanges, there is a need of the state establishing an independent body that is exempted from certain administrative laws, and governmental regulations. The people in charge of governing this agency should be government representatives and representatives of insurance stakeholders, and the consumers in general. Another challenge that comes into place is the issue of high risk customers. These are customers whose health is very bad, and hence insurance providers will always be unwilling to give them insurance cover. The state will have to develop a policy such as subsidizing the premiums paid by these customers, for purposes of helping them access insurance cover. Politics is another serious challenge to the implementation of these policies, and this is because of the differences between the Republicans and democrats on the enactment of the ACA. To address this problem, there is a need of constant communication by the governor of Vermont, highlighting the importance of these policies to its people. References: Abrahamsen, E. (2012). Health insurance issues, challenges and perspectives. Hauppauge, N.Y.: Nova Science Publishers. Alker, J., Brooks, T., Harbelein, M. (2014). The new state-level health insurance exchanges  that are to be established under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) New York: Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured . Almgren, G. R., Lindhorst, T. (2012). The safety-net health care system health care at the  margins. New York, NY: Springer Pub.. Burkhauser, R. V., Lyons, S. (2011). The importance of the meaning and measurement of  affordable in the Affordable Care Act. Cambridge, Mass.: National Bureau of Economic Research. Deary, T., Brown, M. (2001). The USA. London: Scholastic. Holtz, C. (2008). Global health care: issues and policies. Sudbury, Mass.: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Maclean, N. (2007). Distributing health care principles, practices, and policies. Exeter: Imprint Academic. Maxwell, N. L. (2012). The health and wealth of a nation: employer-based health insurance and  the affordable care act. Kalamazoo, Mich.: W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.

How Can Literature Save a Nation Essay

To fully understand this question, we need to define first two things. One is, of course, what literature is; second, what it is that endangers a nation that can be negated by literature. Literature, per definition, is the art of written works. In Latin, it literally means â€Å"to be acquainted with letters†. So, in that context, every book, every journal, every thing written, loosely defined, is literature. Now, what can books, journals and papers possibly do to save a nation from, say, war? Or economic crisis? Or anything that can harm what we define as â€Å" community sharing a common language, a common culture†; simply, a nation? Take for example something written by a middle-aged American way back in the 1850’s. And she was a woman, nonetheless, by the name of Harriett Beecher-Stowe. It revolves around an African-American man who, today, would be a houseboy or a worker. Those times, he was called a negro slave. The book is, of course, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, with the story touching sensitive topics of slavery, racism, and religious faith. This simple book by a simple schoolteacher awakened the minds of the American people into realizing that, to quote Shakespeare’s â€Å"Merchant of Venice†, â€Å"If you prick me, do I not bleed? If you tickle me, do I not laugh? † This aroused a sense of disgust that what White Americans were doing to another actual human being, albeit of a different color, yet still another living person, what they themselves would not want to be put up with. In short, this book helped shape America’s future as a slave-free country by igniting the first sparks of the American Civil War. Coincidentally, some decades later, it was to be the same book that would ignite another revolutionary spark somewhere in the Pacific; in the Southeast Asian region to be exact. While in Madrid, our very own Dr. Jose P. Rizal was moved by Uncle Tom’s Cabin that he proposed writing a novel that would do the same for the Philippines (at that time under Spanish oppression) what that book did for America. The result was â€Å"Noli Me Tangere† (Touch Me Not). Now, to illustrate how those works saved a nation concretely would be illogical. For it is not paper and pencil that saves a nation, it is us, its people. We are the nations conscience and we act on our own consciences. Literature, whether it be the Bible, or Uncle Tom’s Cabin, or The Da Vinci Code, ignites in us thoughts and emotions.. Of course it cannot save us physically, but it is a catalyst. Literature is concentrated on saving the civilised human race. It keeps us who we are, points out what makes us different from animals: our thinking and our ability to not only change and adapt, but to change the situation we are in. It informs us, thus, giving us new points of view and a broader opinion on a subject leading to a better understanding of it. It generates ideas that move us into action, that influence us, that change us. This is what creates a force or a chain reaction of sudden awareness that causes the people of a nation to rise up and save that nation; either from slavery, from oppression, from economic downfall, or form anything a nation is to be saved from by its people.

How Stock Market Prices Are Determined

At a very basic level, economists know that stock prices are determined by the supply of and demand for them, and stock prices adjust to keep supply and demand in balance (or equilibrium).  At a deeper level, however, stock prices are set by a combination of factors that no analyst can consistently understand or predict.  A number of economic models assert that stock prices  reflect the long-term earning potential of companies (and, more specifically, the projected growth path of stock dividends). Investors are attracted to stocks of companies they expect will earn substantial profits in the future; because many people wish to buy stocks of such companies, prices of these stocks tend to rise. On the other hand, investors are reluctant to purchase stocks of companies that face bleak earnings prospects; because fewer people wish to buy and more wish to sell these stocks, prices fall. When deciding whether to purchase or sell stocks, investors consider the general business climate and outlook, the financial condition and prospects of the individual companies in which they are considering investing, and whether stock prices relative to earnings already are above or below traditional norms. Interest rate trends also influence stock prices significantly. Rising interest rates tend to depress stock prices — partly because they can foreshadow a general slowdown in economic activity and corporate profits, and partly because they lure investors out of the stock market and into new issues of interest-bearing investments (i.e. bonds of both the corporate and Treasury varieties). Falling rates, conversely, often lead to higher stock prices, both because they suggest easier borrowing and faster growth and because they make new interest-paying investments less attractive to investors. Other Factors That Determine Prices A number of other factors complicate matters, however. For one thing, investors generally buy stocks according to their expectations about the unpredictable future, not according to current earnings. Expectations can be influenced by a variety of factors, many of them not necessarily rational or justified. As a result, the short-term connection between prices and earnings can be tenuous. Momentum also can distort stock prices. Rising prices typically woo more buyers into the market, and the increased demand, in turn, drives prices higher still. Speculators often add to this upward pressure by purchasing shares in the expectation they will be able to sell them later to other buyers at even higher prices. Analysts describe a continuous rise in stock prices as a bull market. When speculative fever can no longer be sustained, prices start to fall. If enough investors become worried about falling prices, they may rush to sell their shares, adding to downward momentum. This is called a bear market. This article is adapted from the book Outline of the U.S. Economy by Conte and Carr and has been adapted with permission from the U.S. Department of State.

How to Talk Sports in French

Are you that fan of European sports who gets up in the wee hours to watch games in France? If you just love sports in general or simply want to know more about talking sports in French, weve got you covered. We have the names of the sports, the verbs to use with each, and the terms for  players (usually with both masculine and feminine forms), equipment, and playing fields. Its a long, useful list, so buckle up. Note that we discuss exceptionally popular French sports like soccer, tennis, and cycling elsewhere on their own pages. Many of the words below are linked to audio files. Simply click on the link to hear the correct pronunciation and then repeat it a few times to commit it to memory. Names of Sports (Noms de sports) Note that, in many instances, the French and English words are nearly identical. archery le tir à   l'arc baseball le base-ball basketball (specific terms below) le basket biking or cycling le cyclisme boxing la boxe diving la plongà ©e fishing la pà ªche football le football amà ©ricain golf (specific terms below) le golf (ice) hockey (specific terms below) le hockey (sur glace) jogging le jogging sailing la voile skating le patinage rollerskating le patin à   roulettes or le skating skiing (specific terms below) le ski cross-country skiing le ski de randonnà ©e or le ski de fond downhill skiing le ski de descente or le ski de piste water skiing le ski nautique soccer le foot(ball) swimming la natation tennis le tennis volleyball le volley(ball) wrestling la lutte The French Verbs Used With Sports In French, playing or doing sports is normally expressed with  jouer au  or  faire. Sports That Use Jouer au 1. Jouer au  (to play): Just add the name of the sport after the verb, like this: to play golf   jouer au golfto play hockey   jouer au hockey to play... jouer au... baseball base-ball basketball basket soccer foot(ball) football football amà ©ricain golf golf hockey hockey tennis tennis volleyball volley(ball) Sports That Use Faire 2.  Faire  (to do):  The verb  is usually followed by de article noun, like this: to swim   faire de la natationto do archery    faire du tir  Ãƒ  Ã‚  larc ​There are exceptions where just the noun is used, without the partitive and article. For example: to hike faire  une randonnà ©e Some sports also have their own verb, which is a one-word verb form of the noun. Those are listed in the right-hand column below. For example: to wrestle   faire de la lutte  or  lutter Notice that le golf can use either jouer au or faire and is on both  lists. to do... faire... or this to box de la boxe boxer to ride a horse du cheval to bike du cyclisme or monter sur bicyclette rouler to golf du golf to jog du jogging to wrestle de la lutte lutter to swim de la natation nager to skate du patin(age) patiner to inline skate du patin à   roulettes or du skating to dive de la plongà ©e plonger to ski du ski skier to downhill ski du ski de descente or du ski de piste to cross country ski du ski de randonnà ©e or du ski de fond to water ski du ski nautique to shoot archery du tir à   l'arc to sail de la voile to hike une randonnà ©e Anomaly: la  Pà ªche Uses Aller But,  la  pà ªche uses neither of these verbs and goes on a separate list with aller, as in  aller à  Ã‚  la pà ªche (to go fishing), or its used with its own verb  pà ªcher (to fish). to go... aller... or this to go fishing à   la pà ªche pà ªcher Basketball (Le Basket) If you like basketball, youll enjoy learning essential basketball terms.  You can practice these words while playing or watching your teams. Learning a language is like sports: The more you practice, the better you get. Basketball  Team basketball team à ©quipe de basket basketball player basketteur (m) or basktteuse (f) guard arrià ¨re offensive player attaquant jumper sauteur Basketball Equipment   equipment matà ©riel basketball ballon de basket court terrain de jeu basket panier opponent's basket panier adverse rim, ring anneau backboard panneau Basketball Action to catch the ball attraper le ballon to block bloquer to dribble dribbler to steal the ball intercepter le ballon to handle the ball manier le ballon to guard a player marquer un joueur to pass passer Golf (Le Golf) You could practice this vocabulary the next time you hit the links. Golf Players golfer joueur de golf or golfeur (m)joeuse de golf or golfeuse (f) foursome quatuor The Golf Course golf course terrain / parcours de golf greens fee droit de jeu driving range terrain d'exercice fairway allà ©e grass bunker fosse d'herbe sand trap fosse de sable waste bunker fosse naturelle water hazard obstacle d'eau green vert hole trou Golf Equipment   equipment matà ©riel golf bag sac de golf caddie cadet(te) cart chariot, voiturette de golf golf ball balle de golf ball marker repà ¨re golf glove gant de golf set of clubs jeu de bà ¢tons de golf golf club club, crosse, canne (de golf) wood bois iron fer driver bois n ° 1 pitching wedge cocheur d'allà ©e sand wedge cocheur de sable putter fer droit Golf Action to golf faire du golf or jouer au golf tee tà © tee marker jalon de dà ©part handicap handicap golf stroke coup de golf swing à ©lan backswing montà ©e half swing demi-à ©lan chip approche roulà © pitch approche lobà © divot motte de gazon The Golf Score score card carte de pointage par normale birdie oiselet bogey boguey double bogey boguey double eagle aigle double eagle albatros hole in one trou d'un coup The Golf Ball ball trajectory trajectoire de balle hook crochet de gauche slice crochet de droite draw là ©ger crochet de gauche fade là ©ger crochet de droite Hockey (Le Hockey) Ice hockey, a popular sport in French-speaking Canada and elsewhere, has a special set of terms. Notice that when we speak of hockey players, French-speaking Canadians tend to use a different word than the French do. Both terms will be understood in both countries. Hockey Players hockey player hockeyeur/euse (France)joueur/euse de hockey (Canada) goalie gardien de but opponent adversaire The Hockey Rink   rink patinoire goal but or cage goal crease territoire de but Hockey Equipment equipment matà ©riel hockey stick crosse de hockey puck palet helmet casque protecteur face mask protecteur facial glove gant skate patin Hockey Action to play hockey jouer au hockey to check mettre en à ©chec to clear the puck dà ©gager le palet to score a goal marquer un but to shoot lancer or tirer Skiing (Le Ski) Skiing is another popular sport in many French-speaking countries. Types of Skiing and Skiers to ski faire du ski or skier cross-country skiing ski de fond downhill skiing ski de descente or ski aval cross-country skier skieur de fond or fondeur downhill skier descendeur forerunner ouvreur de piste freestyle libre classical classique jumping saut downhill descente giant slalom slalom gà ©ant slalom slalom super-G super gà ©ant Skiing Equipment equipment matà ©riel hat bonnet headband serre-tà ªte or bandeau goggles lunettes glove gant ski pole bà ¢ton de ski skis skis boot chaussure coverboot surchaussure binding fixation On the Hill ski course parcours de ski trail piste marked course piste balisà ©e hill tremplin or piste de saut start platform plate-forme de dà ©part length of the trail longueur de la piste flag fanion or drapeau jump tremplin mogul bosse finish time temps à   l'arrivà ©e control point poste de contrà ´le gate porte

Sociological Concepts Essay - 728 Words

SOCS 185 Week 5 Socioautobiography Assignment Information and Rubric Below are guidelines to follow as you work on your socioautobiography assignment: * Papers should be in APA format, with a title page. * Papers should contain 3-4 pages of text, double-spaced (this does not include the title page). * Refer to at least six sociological concepts covered in the lectures or textbook reading. Highlight these concepts in boldface. * Connect your concepts to the TCOs. Indicate the TCOs covered in parentheses, as demonstrated in the assignment instructions. Grading Rubric: Component | Points Possible | Submission refers to at least six sociological concepts covered in the lectures or textbook reading | 55 |†¦show more content†¦287) The socioautobiography invites you to consider, in the tradition of C. Wright Mills, how social influences have shaped you. As you contemplate your socioautobiography, you might ask, What were the social forces that constructed the riddle of my life? How did I negotiate the crisscrossing pressures of autonomy and conformity? The connection between the micro and macro realms is an important area to address in you socioautobiography. The socioautobiography also gives you the opportunity to place your life under the sociological microscope and apply the skills of sociological analysis. Try to understand who you are in your social context using a sociological perspective. As you write your story, use sociological concepts—such as social class, reference group, conformity, norm, role, deviance, subculture, and any others that are helpful—to interpret your life experiences. You may want to focus on several events, special moments, or important relationships in your life that have impacted you in significant ways. Recall key themes, events, or circumstances that have contributed to the construction of your identity. 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Crash makes you see how group life is affected by individuals andRead MoreSociological Concepts Of Identity And Globalization1083 Words   |  5 Pagesaround them, especially how it is changing. (Kreiken 2011, p2) thus it is only natural that sociologists are intrigued at how relationships operate and their evolution over the past century. This essay will endeavor to critically examine the sociological concepts of identity and globalization, and the manner in which they have swayed the aspect of human relationships in Australian society, over the course of history. My Japanese grandparents ’ generation, which will be referred to as ‘Generation X’,Read MoreHealth Care and Sociological Concepts1349 Words   |  6 PagesHealth Care and Sociological Concepts It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver. The American Health Care Industry is a very large social institution. The health care is the care, servicers, or supplies related to a person`s health. The three major sociological orientations are functionalist, conflict, and interactions; we will discuss each perspective as it pertains to the health care industry. Functionalism considers each aspect of society is interdependent andRead MoreSociological Concepts And Contemporary Concerns2748 Words   |  11 PagesASSIGNMENT ON SOCIOLOGICAL CONCEPTS AND CONTEMPORARY CONCERNS PAPER: 6102 SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS ARE UNIVERSAL AND SO IS DEVIANCE IN THESE INSTITUTIONS. CRITICALLY ANALYZE THE STATEMENT IN LIGHT OF DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES AND YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. ___ Submitted To: Submitted By: Dr. NeenaPandey AshvinaBasnet Dr. PushpanjaliJha ID No- SOCW 4490 Dr. MayuriGogoi Delhi School of Social Work University of Delhi SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS ARE UNIVERSAL AND SO IS DEVIANCE IN THESE INSTITUTIONSRead MoreThe Concept Of Sociological Imagination : Connecting History987 Words   |  4 PagesClaudia Rosado Professor Williams Sociology 3 October 2014 The Concept of Sociological Imagination: Connecting History to Biography C. Wright Mills believed that sociological imagination connects history and biography by means of cause and effect. Society and all things surrounding it have a particular interconnection when it comes to change. As a result, one major alteration to everyday society causes human relationships in history to adapt to change. History is altered by man, without human interaction

Jane Addams Free Essays

Along with her companion Ellen Starr, Addams founded the Hull House, which is located in Chicago. If that is not enough, she was also the first woman from America to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. You may wonder how this woman was able to fulfill all of her achievements, eing a girl from a small community In Illinois. We will write a custom essay sample on Jane Addams or any similar topic only for you Order Now She was from a large family; her father was a well-to-do gentleman; her mother was very kind, she also had five brothers and sisters. When her mother died, her father remarried and they had two new step- brothers. Jane and her father had a very special relationship; he was there to encourage her and pursue a higher education. Even though it was expected of most women to get married and become housewives during that time, Jane was not going to settle for an average life. She attended Rockford Seminary for young ladies. She was one of the smartest and well Ilked people In her school, yet she wanted more. Her parents discouraged her aspirations to obtain a degree In medicine by taking her on a trip to Europe. She became very ill on the duration of this trip and had to return home. upon arrival, her father passed away which sent Jane into a deep depression. After a long recovery period, she left home for Europe again, but this time, she visited the Toynbee Hall in England. This inspired her to open the Hull House with a friend, Ellen Starr. The Hull House, located in Chicago, outlasted the Depression of the 193ffs. The Hull House became the prime meeting spot for all sociologist’s no matter the race or gender, who simply wanted their voice heard. It did not matter what you said or how you felt. All that mattered was those who wanted something, were free to say whatever they wished, speaking their minds. These two served many people in need during times of chaos and despair, and knew just how to handle difficult situations. Also, during this time, she was advocating many things, and they were becoming policies under President Franklin Roosevelt’s reign. Addams had many great accomplishments in the sociological area of her life. She contributed greatly, but she was never considered as much as she should have been because she was a woman. She was looked down upon with her thoughts and ideas, and some began to question whether her Intentions were safe or not. In a typical life back In Jane Addams’ days, women were supposed to deal with the social work. hereas the men were to dominate the sociological portion. She was considered a social worker, but everyone knows that her greatest accomplishments dealt with sociology. Jane far succeeded the necessities of being labeled a sociologist, but she continued to be ignored. She was not the only one to go unrecognized. Even those she worked with or associated with were also paid no attention. Another famous sociologist specifically, W. E. B. DuBois, a black man of that time, was also overlooked. Although many ‘Of2 alsapprovea 0T ner, sne would never let tnem get to ner. ne Knew wnat sne wanted, and what she had to do to get to that point. Later in life, Jane Addams became a very passionate feminist by philosophy. This was before the time of Women’s Suffrage, so women did not really have a say. In order to be able to do this, she felt that going to the legislation would help solve this, meaning women would have the right to vote. She also thought that women should earn the right to produce aspirations in search of further opportunities to be made recognized. Jane Addams was a committed pacifist and early feminist, opposing to war and violence. Addams also participated in the International Congress of Women and established the Women’s Peace Party in 91 5, while continuing to maintain her pacifist beliefs even after the United States entered World War I in 1917. She supported campaigns for suffering women, and was an outspoken advocate of internationalism, and was always concerned about the needs of others. Her international efforts were actually noticed in 1931 when she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. She became the 1st American woman to receive the prestigious award. It is obvious that Addams was a very prominent fgure in developing sociology. Jane was an astonishing woman, and helped us construct ociety in a way that is still used today. She was still working hard in The Hull House and other organizations all the way up until her death in 1935. Addams went on to die of cancer, after only three days of even knowing of the illness. The funeral was held in the Hull House, bringing together thousands of people showing their appreciation and support. She lived a long successful seventy-five years. Jane Addams left this world with something to be proud of; knowing that she influenced thousands of lives with her many accomplishments. How to cite Jane Addams, Papers

During the Gilded Age (1876-1900), Were the Presidents More Successful with Domestic Affairs or Foreign Affairs Why free essay sample

The Gilded Age will be remembered for the accomplishments of thousands of American thinkers, inventors, entrepreneurs, writers, and promoters of social justice. The Gilded Age and the first years of the twentieth century were a time of great social change and economic growth in the United States. Roughly spanning the years between Reconstruction and the dawn of the new century, the Gilded Age saw rapid industrialization, urbanization, the construction of great transcontinental railroads, innovations in science and technology, and the rise of big business. Afterward, the first years of the new century that followed were dominated by progressivism, a forward-looking political movement that attempted to redress some of the ills that had arisen during the Gilded Age. Progressives passed legislation to rein in big business, combat corruption, free the government from special interests, and protect the rights of consumers, workers, immigrants, and the poor. During the Gilded Age I believe the presidents were more successful with domestic affairs. Domestic affairs, in relation to presidents refer to things that are happening in politics and government in the US the opposite of domestic affairs is foreign affairs, and that involves international politics. Domestic affairs, no president ever came to power who was better equipped to handle the management of a federal bureaucracy than Chester Arthur. Some of the affairs he would take care of are: reforming civil service policies, reducing tariffs, limiting expenditures and Chinese immigration, and renovating the White House. Some historians have dubbed the presidents of the Gilded Age the â€Å"forgotten presidents,† and indeed many Americans today have trouble remembering their names, what they did for the country, or even in which era they served. These six men—Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James Garfield, Chester Arthur, Grover Cleveland, and Benjamin Harrison—had relatively unremarkable terms in office and faced few if any major national crises during their presidencies. Some historians have suggested that these Gilded Age presidents were unexciting for a reason—because Americans wanted to avoid bold politicians who might ruin the delicate peace established after the Civil War. This is not to say politics were unimportant in the Gilded Age. On the contrary, Americans paid more attention to politics and national elections during the post–Civil War period than at any other time in history, because each election had the potential to disrupt the fragile balance—and peace—between North and South, Republican and Democrat. Voters turned out in record numbers for each presidential election in the late nineteenth century, with voter turnout sometimes reaching 80 percent or greater. The intensity of the elections also helps explain why Congress passed so little significant legislation after the Reconstruction era: control of the House of Representatives constantly changed hands between the Democrats and the Republicans with each election, making a consensus on any major issue nearly impossible. The increase in voter turnout was also partly the result of machine party politics, which blossomed in large U. S. cities during the Gilded Age. Powerful political â€Å"bosses† in each party coerced urban residents into voting for favored candidates, who would then give kickbacks and bribes back to the bosses in appreciation for getting them elected. Bosses would also spend money to improve constituents’ neighborhoods to ensure a steady flow of votes for their machines. In this sense, party bosses and machine politics actually helped some of the poorest people in the cities. Many politicians elected during the Gilded Age were the product of machine party politics. Driven by the North, which emerged from the Civil War an industrial powerhouse, the United States experienced a flurry of unprecedented growth and industrialization during the Gilded Age, with a continent full of seemingly unlimited natural resources and driven by millions of immigrants ready to work. In fact, some historians have referred to this era as America’s second Industrial Revolution, because it completely changed American society, politics, and the economy. Mechanization and marketing were the keys to success in this age: companies that could mass-produce products and convince people to buy them accumulated enormous amounts of wealth, while companies that could not were forced out of business by brutal competition. Railroads were the linchpin in the new industrialized economy. The railroad industry enabled raw materials, finished products, food, and people to travel cross-country in a matter of days, as opposed to the months or years that it took just prior to the Civil War. By the end of the war, the United States boasted some 35,000 miles of track, mostly in the industrialized North. By the turn of the century, that number had jumped to almost 200,000 miles, linking the North, South, and West. With these railroads making travel easier, millions of rural Americans flocked to the cities, and by 1900, nearly 40 percent of the population lived in urban areas. By the twentieth century, the rise of big business and the large migration of Americans from the countryside to the cities caused a shift in political awareness, as elected officials saw the need to address the growing economic and social problems that developed along with the urban boom. Progressives believed that the government needed to take a strong, proactive role in the economy, regulating big business, immigration, and urban growth. These middle-class reformers hoped ultimately to regain control of the government from special interests like the railroads and trusts and pass effective legislation to protect consumers, organized labor, and minorities. Politics in the Gilded Age were intense. In the years between 1877 and 1897, control of the House of Representatives repeatedly changed hands between the Democratic and Republican parties. Political infighting between the Stalwart and Half-Breed factions in the Republican Party prevented the passage of significant legislation. During this era, the political parties nominated presidential candidates that lacked strong opinions—possibly to avoid stirring up sectional tensions so soon after the Civil War. Some historians have dubbed Presidents Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, Chester A. Arthur, Grover Cleveland, and Benjamin Harrison the â€Å"forgotten presidents. † Indeed, it might be argued that the most notable event that occurred during the Gilded Age was the assassination of President Garfield in 1881. His death prompted Congress to pass the Pendleton Act, which created the Civil Service Commission two years later. This commission reformed the spoils system, which had rewarded supporters of a winning party with â€Å"spoils,† or posts in that party’s government. The Civil War had transformed the North into one of the most heavily industrialized regions in the world, and during the Gilded Age, businessmen reaped enormous profits from this new economy. Powerful tycoons formed giant trusts to monopolize the production of goods that were in high demand. Andrew Carnegie, for one, built a giant steel empire using vertical integration, a business tactic that increased profits by eliminating middlemen from the production line. Conversely, John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Company used horizontal integration, which put competitors out of business by selling one type of product in numerous markets, effectively creating a monopoly. These â€Å"captains of industry† cared little for consumers and did anything they could to increase profits, earning them the nickname â€Å"robber barons. The Depression of 1873, which effectively dissolved the National Labor Union, also threatened many new settlers in the Midwest. Plagued by steep railroad fares, high taxes under the McKinley Tariff, and soaring debt, thousands of small farmers banded together to form the Populist Party in the late 1880s. The Populists called for a national income tax, cheaper money (what Populists called â€Å"free silver†), shorter workdays, single-t erm limits for presidents, immigration restrictions, and government control of railroads. In 1892, Grover Cleveland defeated Republican incumbent Benjamin Harrison and Populist candidate James B. Weaver in 1892 to become the only U. S. president ever to serve two nonconsecutive terms. Although Cleveland’s first four years were free of any major change, his second term was a tumultuous one. The Depression of 1893 hit the U. S. economy hard, forcing Cleveland to ask Wall Street mogul J. P. Morgan for a loan of more than $60 million. In 1894, more than 500 protesters in â€Å"Coxey’s Army† marched on Washington demanding cheaper money and debt relief. Despite Morgan’s loan, Cleveland was unable to put the economy back on track, and it cost him the Republican Party presidential nomination in 1896. The Spanish-American War McKinley’s greatest challenge as president was the growing tension between the United States and Spain over the island of Cuba. Spanish officials had suppressed an independence movement in Cuba, its most profitable Caribbean colony, and forced Cuban men, women, and children into internment camps. Yellow journalists† like William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer published sensational stories about the atrocities in Cuba, partly to increase their papers’ circulation but also to provoke American ire for the Spanish. Although McKinley did not want go to war, he felt compelled to do so, especially after the mysterious explosion of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor, which he blamed on Spain. The war itself was over within a matter of weeks, but during that time, the United States seized the Ph ilippines, Puerto Rico, and Cuba, thanks in part to future U. S. president Theodore Roosevelt and his Rough Riders. After the war, American forces withdrew from Cuba according to the Teller Amendment but also forced the new Cuban government to sign the Platt Amendment, giving the U. S. Navy a permanent military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The passage of the Foraker Act, meanwhile, granted Puerto Ricans limited government; they would not receive collective U. S. citizenship until 1917. Foreign Affairs (1865-1920) â€Å"The period included in the following summary of the foreign relations of the United States may be divided into three parts. In the first, from 1865 to 1898, U. S. oreign policy was determined principally by the attitudes and actions of foreign governments. U. S. foreign policy during these three decades was strongly nationalistic; it did not concern itself with world issues, nor did it enable the United States to play an important part in world affairs. As a result of the Spanish-American War, however, the United States acquired territorial possessions outside its continental area , giving the nation problems of colonial government and control that, together with other factors, compelled it to assume an increasing role in world affairs. The outbreak of World War I in 1914 brought a period of diplomatic conflict between the United States and Great Britain and between the United States and Germany; in 1917 the United States was finally drawn into the war against Germany and its allies. The United States was influential in the writing of the Treaty of Versailles, which formally ended the war in 1919. The U. S. Senates rejection of the treaty and of U. S. membership in the League of Nations, the covenant for which formed part of the treaty, temporarily reversed the tendency toward U. S. involvement in world affairs. From the website: United States History: The Gilded Age (1890) to World War I http://www. emayzine. com/lectures/Gilded~1. htm Works Sited National Politics in the Gilded Age (1873-1896) http://theomahaproject. org/module_display. php? mod_id=148=yes#top (Accessed 6/10-19/2010) WWW-VL: HISTORY: UNITED STATES: THE GILDED AGE, 1876-1900 http://vlib. iue. it/history/USA/ERAS/gilded. html#Pres (Accessed 6/10-19 /2010) United States History: The Gilded Age (1890) to World War I http://www. emayzine. com/lectures/Gilded~1. htm (Accessed 6/10-19/2010)