Ideas and Issues †what creates a sense of belonging? Essay

The song ‘Took the Children Away’ by Archie Roach conveys the thoughts and feelings of many Aboriginal children that were taken and became the Stolen Generation. Throughout the song Roach talks repeatedly about the sense of loss and trauma suffered through the immense hardships of being taken from familiar surroundings and placed into a foreign setting. Although the song does not provide grim details of the incredible embarrassment of slave labour, Roach strongly focuses on the heartless taking of the children into a surrounding, where they could not ask themselves the basic belonging questions such as, who am I?, What am I worth? And what is my purpose? According to this song the Stolen Generation were left to ponder their identity especially with the words, â€Å"As we grew up we felt alone cause we were acting white yet feeling black†. I feel Roach particularly wanted us to feel sympathy for the Stolen Generation in this song because he focuses on himself as we ll as the Stolen Generation, making the song become personal as he details his own pain. Also, during the second verse Roach sings â€Å"You took the children away, the children away breaking their mother hearts†. This emphasizes that not only children were affected, but families and especially mothers too. For me this conveys his message of the inhumane treatment of the Stolen Generation even more powerful, because he doesn’t focus on one particular group of the Stolen Generation, but on all aspects of the family and how it is affected. â€Å"The children came back, back to their mother, back to their father†¦back to their people.† The song ‘Took the Children Away’ is a powerful song, because it gives an accurate as well as a personal view to the listener, about the hardships and the sense of alienation felt by the Stolen Generation as they could not belong to any race, aboriginal or European. The play, â€Å"Stolen† by Jane Harrison, also focuses on the trauma and psychological abuse suffered by the Stolen Generation. However instead of listening to a song like ‘Took the Children Away’, Stolen immerses the audience with various sounds, smells and sights to portray the incredible friction and alienation felt by many individuals of he Stolen Generation because of the way that they were personally humiliated, physically, mentally and emotionally. During the play Harrison reveals the damaging treatment that was inflicted on the Aboriginal children, in grim detail, to  not only emphasize their loss of identity but their worthlessness as individuals. For example, the character Jimmy, after hearing that his mother has died, feels so worthless that he hangs himself in the jail cell of the local police station. For me this made think twice before condemning an Aboriginal because of what I see on T.V, because the many images that are portrayed on the television depict Aboriginals as dole bludgers and losers. However, after reading this play and seeing the horrific and damaging treatment suffered by those five individuals it made me realise that the stereotypes that placed on them on television are wrong. The play immersed me in the pain and suffering that each one of the ‘Stolen’ children must have felt, being stripped from their parents and dumped in an unfamiliar environment to fend for themselves without the guidance and security of their family. For any individual the thought of being stripped from their loved ones and from the caring individuals in their community would be a nightmare. Yet it has already happened to the various individuals belonging to the Stolen Generation. During the play Stolen, one particular character, Anne, is taken to a nice white home where the parents take good care of her and she doesn’t receive any sexual or mental abuse as other Stolen victims have had in the play. However, in this seemingly ‘perfect’ circumstance, Anne is still left pondering what her identity is because of her different skin colour. This makes her life more traumatic as she comes to grips with the reality that she is an Aboriginal, the race that was despised. Also, during the play other characters experience this kind of treatment, showing not only that one person can be abused in this way. In the play we experience horrific and almost disturbing examples of the degrading of the Aboriginals. This brought into perspective the view considered by many people that this ‘Stolen Generation’ had no sense of belonging or identity because as a race of people they were not being valued as a human, being only for an object for which Europeans can use for slaves. The episode ‘The Afghan Experience’ from Tales from a Suitcase is a documentary about two refugees trying to make a life for themselves in Australia. As Australians we may think that Shafiq Monis and Khadem Nori are  a burden to our country and society, bringing with them only crime and becoming ‘dole bludgers’. However, the episode challenges this stereotype by showing images of Khadem and Shafiq surviving on a meagre salary, despite the psychological abuse suffered in Australia and being constantly viewed as criminals. Before I saw this documentary I thought some refugees abused their rights, especially the rape in Sydney by a group of Pakistanis earlier this year. However, this documentary shows Khadem and Shafiq working hard for their adopted country and even though Khadem was not as emotionally and mentally damaged as Shafiq, the documentary illustrated his will to go on and achieve great things for his new adopted country. Unlike many of the other characters studied in the other texts, Shafiq and Khadem have come from a country where they could answer the three questions of belonging and have not been as damaged as the tragic cases of the five children in Stolen. However, despite being abused and humiliated to the point of despair, these two men have pressed on and showed me in particular that refugees can be an asset instead of a burden to our society. To conclude, these three texts illustrate the extreme pain and trauma suffered by people in the Stolen Generation, as well as refugees marginalised by society who have tried to get a sense of belonging. All features in the play and texts work powerfully together to reinforce the psychological suffering that the children of the stolen generation went through as a result of the forcible removal from their family, as well as the alienation that Shafiq and Khadem endured in their society. The song ‘Took the Children Away’ is a dramatic song that portrays the instability and uncertainty that the children of the Stolen Generation face continually during their lives as well as the continual torment that still haunts them during their adult lives as a result of being marginalised in their own country. The play Stolen uses many of the audience’s senses with the use of a cold, dark and regimented settings throughout the play to emphasize the terrible conditions that the children lived in, as well as reinforcing the terrible sense of loss of contact with their own race and civilisation. Also, the various scenes in the documentary ‘The Afghan Experience’ showed me the alienation felt by most refugees in Australia as they try to make a new life after fleeing from persecution in their own land. Overall, these  texts accurately prove that these people were discriminated against and, without family, or other support, they do not feel valued or able to contribute meaningfully – which is an essential aspect in being able to belong.

Mmw 13 Notes

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Inventory Management and Logistics Control at Pfizer Research Paper

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Managament Style Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

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Advertising Strategies Essay Example for Free

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Hong Kong Peoples Social Values Of Welfare Sociology Essay

Hong Kong Peoples Social Values Of Welfare Sociology Essay Topic: Critically examine the development and changes of social values of welfare held by Hong Kong people before and after 1997. What are the factors affecting the changes? Welfare is all collective interventions to meet certain needs of the individual and/or to serve the wider interests of society may now be broadly grouped intoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ categories of welfare (Titmuss, 1959). The development in the social values of welfare has always been changing throughout the centuries, particularly the 20th century. In traditional Chinese society, people used to believed that social welfare, or fuk lei, was given by kind-hearted philanthropists in society (N. Chow, 1994, p.325). In the early 20th century, the concept of social welfare was still very weak among Hong Kong people. Majority of welfare services were provided by non-government organizations before 1965 (W. S. Chow, 1993, p. 41). The situation changed after the publication of the white paper of the social welfare in 1965. Together with the rise of social worker, more people consider social welfare is part of their civil rights in the following decades. In 1997, the change in sovereignty of Hong Kong and the Asian financial crisis brought a significant impact on the social values of welfare. In the following paragraphs, I will briefly discuss the development of social welfare in Hong Kong and the corresponding social values of welfare, particularly the changes before and after 1997. As will be argued, there are both long term and short term factors that led the changes. The former would be the increasing consideration of civil rights and the latter would be the Asian financial crisis in 1997, the change in sovereignty of Hong Kong and the publication of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) Review. In the early 20th century, majority of people considered welfare was given by kind-hearted philanthropists in society. As Hong Kong was a colony of Britain at that time, the colonial government put their focuses on protecting the Britishs interest, particularly the British merchants. Hence, the living environment and welfare of local Chinese were not concerned by the colonial government unless it interfere the interest of British. With this colonial background, local Chinese rationalized the concept of welfare would not be given by the colonial government. The Chinese merchants used their wealth to establish and maintain their reputations and leadership roles through acts of charity (Leung, 1996, p.3). They set up organizations and gave welfare to the locals. Among these organizations, Tung Wah Hospital was the most noteworthy charitable organization which catered the medical services and welfare needs to the locals. Apart from these organizations, churches and clans man association would also give welfare to the locals too. In the post World War II period, the situation had a slightly change. In the post war period, a large number of non-government or voluntary welfare organizations were set up in Hong Kong. It is important to note that most of these welfare organizations had their parent-bodies overseas. A typical example of these organizations would be the Hong Kong Red Cross. During this emergency period, the internationally-linked welfare organization had probably done much more than the government in meeting the welfare needs of people (N. Chow, 1994, p.324). Although the concept of welfare is given by kind-hearted philanthropists was weaken, the majority of the Chinese in Hong Kong are still unable to wipe away the traditional notions of welfare and accept the modern idea that it should be the responsibility of the state to provide the necessary social welfare services (N. Chow, 1994, p. 325). Meanwhile, a large proportion of population was refugee from mainland China (Due to the civil war in Chin a). Part of them considered Hong Kong is there temporary shelter but not their home. Hence, welfare development would not be their consideration as they expected to leave Hong Kong soon. These factors made there were only little pressure groups would fight for the rights for the locals in that period. The situation further changed after 1965. In 1965, the colonial government published the White Paper on social welfare. N.Y. Chow (1993) suggests that to be exact, the beginning of social welfare policy of Hong Kong was after the publication of the first White Paper on social welfare in 1965 (p.41). The White paper was the first government document that discusses social welfare policy in Hong Kong. It explained the welfare development and integrated the experiences from the development. Also, it gives the stands of colonial government toward social welfare policy and reasons that made the government cannot implement comprehensive social policy in Hong Kong. Although the White Paper has been blamed for lacking in-depth discussion on the blueprint of social welfare development and the foreseeable challenges, but this White paper gives a foundation for the further development of social welfare system (W. S. Chow, 1993). The concept of social welfare and government were no longer disseve ring like the past. More people started to integrate social welfare into the role of government. The most rapid change was found in the 70s. There were two major factors that led the change, the Big Bang of social policy and the rise of social worker. The Big Bang of social policy was initiated by the 25th governor of Hong Kong, Murray MacLehose. After MacLehose take office the governor in 1972, he had a strong sense of responsibility towards social welfare, under his influence, amendment of social welfare policy was necessary (W. S. Chow, 1993, p. 52). Apart from it, the increasing social problems (i.e. the riot in 1966 and 1967, Corruption) led the demand for governments involvement in social welfare further increased. These factors urged the publication of the second White Paper of social welfare in 1973. The aim of the White Paper was giving a five year plan of social welfare development and dividing the responsibility in providing social welfare between government and voluntary organizations. The aspects of social welfare in the five year plan included education, housing, m edical service, social allowance, youth services etc. The comprehensive expansion of welfare services increased the involvement of people in social welfare system. The value of welfare would not be given by the colonial government was further weakening in this period. Apart from the Big Bang of social policy, the rise of social worker also led to the significant change in social value of welfare. The rise of social worker could be traced back to the professionalization of social work and the implement of professional training at the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong in the mid-1960s. In the 1960s, Fabian Socialism was the most fashionable approach taught in the social work schools of the two universities (N. Chow, 1994, p.327). Equality, freedom and fellowship are the central values of Fabian Socialism. The social work students in 60s and 70s were strongly influenced by these values. They had a strong sense of working towards a more equal and justice society. Hence, when the students became social workers in society, they would try to advocate policies that achieve to these two ideals. More people would consider welfare as a means to achieve an equal society. Meanwhile, the young social workers at that time also stres sed on civil rights. They believed that social welfare is one the important parts of civil rights. When they graduated, they would educate and advocate the public to uphold their civil rights through different social actions. As a result, under this influence, it led to the rise of the awareness of welfare system as rights enjoyed by citizen. Another significant change of social values of welfare could be found in 1997. The major factor that led to the change is the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997. Before the crisis, the economy in Hong Kong was at boom. Majority of people were actively investing in property market and stock market. At that time, people emphasized on material values and short-term time horizon. Material values are the major criterion used to evaluate the worth of things and people (C.K. Wong, K. L. Chow K.Y. Wong, 2001, p.68). Meanwhile, majority of Chinese investor were looking for the maximum benefit in the shortest period of time. Topley states that many Chinese still prefer to invest in non-industrial property and trade because of the relatively quicker return of capital and profits. When investing in industry, the overwhelming desire of investors is to look for quick profits by whatever means present themselves as attractive in the short run rather than to look for opportunity for starting long-term investment. (as cited in Lau, 1982, p.70) As both of the property market and stock market were so flourished, the economic environment enabled people to achieve the above goals simultaneously. This in turn led Hong Kong became one of the wealthiest cities in Asia. The living standard in Hong Kong was one of the highest in Hong Kong history in the early mid 1990s. As most people could sustain their life in the market, they put less consideration on the welfare system. At that time, people would consider social welfare system was only for those who were in need in society, like elderly and disabled people. In other words, despite the underprivileged and the corresponding pressure group, majority in society would not care about the welfare system as they believed they could achieve self-sustentions in market. In general, social welfare development was overwhelmed by economic development at that period. But a significant change was provoked by the 1997 financial crisis. A great depression in both stock market and property market was provoked by the crisis. Lots of people were bankrupted because of the suddenly fall in the property market. Also, a massive unemployment was accompanied with the economic downturn, particularly in the financial sector. The decline in consumption led to further depression in other non-financial sector. The financial crisis brought two major impacts on the welfare system. First, it led to a significant fall in the tax income of the government. Second, more people fall into the safety net of the welfare system. In other words, it led an increase in demand for welfare services. Simultaneously, it would increase the welfare expenditure of the government. As these two factors happened at the same time, this brought heavy pressure on the financial budget of the government. At the same period, the sovereignty of Hong Kong changed back to China. One of the problems that foresee by the government is the increase in immigrants from China. In the review report of CSSA that published by the Social Welfare Department, it suggests that the increase in mainland immigrants would lead to an increase application for CSSA. It implies that the government believes that a number of mainland immigrants would rely on the welfare system for livelihood. Before the publication of the report, the government already spread this ideology through news and government press. At that time, the government disclosed different abusive cases of CSSA by the new immigrants. This made the public also be believed the new immigrants would bring pressure to Hong Kong welfare system. The economic downturn, mainland immigrants, together with the foreseeable aging population, these made the government believed a review for welfare system is necessary. As the government wanted to tighten the budget for social welfare expenditure, the publication of the review report was a means of government to the public support. This report brought a momentous impact on the social value of welfare. In particular, there were more people believed that abusive cases are common in the welfare system after the publication of the report. For example, the report suggested the level of benefits for four-person household is high. The average monthly payment for a four-person household increased in 120% from 1980s to 1990s. But the median wage of workers only increased 41%. The government suggested that this would create disincentive to work and lead to long term dependency on welfare system. According to a survey, 36.4% of respondents believed that the increasing number of CSSA cases becau se the criteria for application is too lenient (C.K. Wong, K. L. Chow K.Y. Wong, 2001, p.5). Although the way and method that government used to interpret and present the statistics had bias and hidden agenda, majority still believed that CSSA was breeding lazy people. Since CSSA has a strict income test and asset test, statistics of Suspected Fraud and Abuse was minimal. But the mass media created a negative image of CSSA recipients as they only reporting fraud and abusive cases. This, in turn, created a strong labeling effect on CSSA recipients. In a survey, 40.8% of respondents agreed that CSSA recipients are not deserved to be help (C.K. Wong, K. L. Chow K.Y. Wong, 2001, p.9). This reflected the fact that CSSA recipients were stigmatized. Apart from stigmatization of CSSA recipients, the role of welfare that interpreted by the public is also worth to discuss. Compare with giving direct welfare, people considered that self-reliance would be more appropriate. In a survey, 70.3% of respondents believed that people should satisfy their needs through self-reliance. On the other hand, only 8.6% respondents believed that people should satisfy their needs through social welfare (C.K. Wong, K. L. Chow K.Y. Wong, 2001, p.30). The development of the concept self-reliance could be explained by the Utilitarianistic Familism. Utilitarianistic Familism is social values of the Chinese people in Hong Kong (Lau, 1982). Chinese people would put the interest of family member in a higher priority over others. The bonding of the family members was strong. In addition to the extended family structure in the early mid 20th century, people would not look for help from government; rather, they would look for help from family members. As most problems could be solved without the help of government, it contributed to the development a sense of self-reliance. This concept is particularly prevailing value hold by the older generation (i.e. Those who born in the Post War Baby Boom). From the above discussion, we can see two sets of contradictory social values of welfare have developed in Hong Kong. On one hand, more people consider social welfare as their civil rights. On the other hand, people stigmatize some welfare recipients. It makes the rights of accessing welfare become alienated from the civil rights. These two contradictory values lead to different conflicts in society. Social workers, pressure groups and non-government organizations are striving for destigmatization of the welfare recipients. Lots of social actions like social demonstration and public forum are used to promote this civil rights. But at the same time, the government is attempting to marginalize the welfare recipients in order to reduce the welfare expenditure. From time to time, the government would publish the fraud and abusive case in CSSA. It seems that it wants to remind people that abusive cases are still common in welfare system. These, in turn, led to never-ending debates between the two interest groups. As seen in above discussion, it is hard to find a consensus towards the value of welfare in Hong Kong. The historical background, personal experiences and education would have a strong influence on the development of our value. But it seems that government would spread concepts and ideas that deviated from the principles of social welfare equality and equity, because its political agenda. Whether the ultimate goal of government is bring a stable and harmonious society in Hong Kong is questionable.

Grey Marketing And Parallel Imports Economics Essay

Grey Marketing And Parallel Imports Economics Essay Parallel trade or Grey market is a thriving business that is growing in most underdeveloped and developing countries today. This paper looks into the issues surrounding the grey market such as its impact on the people and the manufacturers along with the advantages and disadvantages of such a market thriving within a locality. Additionally the research also looks into the future prospects of parallel trade along with the primary reasons behind its existence. Introduction Grey marketing or parallel importing basically refers to the distribution or selling of products and goods which are trademarked to the customers without the express approval or knowledge of the original manufacturers consent through unauthorized distribution channels. These kind of markets are not classified as illegal markets as they products and goods are not physically stolen but are actually original pieces. The only issue is that the way the products are being sold is not actually approved of by the manufacturers. These goods and products can be termed to be illegal only if they violate either the product regulations or the licensing contract of the original manufacturer. The main reason for the existence of such a market is the price differential that exists in two different markets. For example, the higher resale potential of a product in a different market is what drives the existence of such a market. The price differential between two markets give an opportunity for the products to be bought in a place where it is relatively cheaper and sold at a considerably higher prices where the product is not available (Engardio et al., 1988). There are certain other factors which lead to gray marketing, such as: 1. When the genuine goods have set a performance, price channel, and market recognition that ensure demand and minimize consumer education. 2. A lack of focus by the authorized channel in the markets. A particular product may not be available in a market which forces the consumers to look for alternative ways to acquire the product. People who are involved in gray marketing may see the imbalance of supply and demand as an opportunity to make profits. 3. A significant change in the behavior of the consumers which may lead to an increased demand for lower priced products which may be accelerated by the governmental policies (Mathur, 1995). In an international context however, it tends to have a unexpected impact on the branding and brand equity. However, it does lead to a increase in the market share of the products and also aids in penetrating a closed market (Mitchell, 1998). This type of markets provides access to parallel trades wherein products that are protected by a patent or trademark are generally purchased legally from the retailer and which is then exported to another country without the authorization of the local manufacturer of the original product (Maskus, 2000b). Parallel imports mainly occur due to international price differences which could in turn be caused due to price discrimination, national differences in governmental price controls or vertical pricing restraints. One of the main areas in which parallel imports are heatedly debated is in the pharmaceutical sector. Parallel imports can be seen all over the world among the European Union countries the United States etc. Losses due to grey marketing Grey marketing and parallel imports also can be seen in the service sectors such as Telecom sectors, Health industry etc. In fact according to (Philip, 2005), the Indian telecom sector has incurred losses amounting to Rupees 458 crores since 1998. According to data compiled by the department, over 60 per cent of the revenue losses have been reported from Delhi and Maharashtra, with violations to the tune of Rs 290 crores. Grey market frauds of about Rs 60 crores had been registered in Andhra Pradesh, followed by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Gujarat at Rs 36 crores, Rs 35 crores and Rs 15 crores respectively. These six states also accounted for over 95 per cent of revenue losses through illegal telecom set-ups, the Dept of Telecom added. Parallel trade can be extensively seen in the cell phone market. It all started with the emergence os the GSM international standard in 1990 after which the phones could be used anywhere in the planet prompting an increase in the demand for cell phones in markets where cell phone manufacturers still had not ventured into which in turn increased the size of the parallel market. According to (Sugden, 2009), about 30% of the cell phones traded are sold through a grey market and this statistics continue to be on the rise. This is about 500,000 cell phones which are bought and sold through unofficial channels every single day. An example of this is in the case of Apple iphones. These were released in select markets only. However, due to their popularity, they were in huge demand in other countries, where the consumers had no choice but to either procure it from a grey market trader or wait for the company to officially launch their products in that country. Theory of Parallel imports Parallel imports affect a wide range of industries, spreading from traditional luxury and brand- name consumer products (wines, cameras, and watches) to industrial products. Industry sources estimate that parallel imports account for 10% of IBM ¿Ã‚ ½s PC sales, 20% of Sharp ¿Ã‚ ½s copier sales, and 20% to 30% of the world cosmetics and fragrances sales (Ahmadi and Yang, 1995). Belgium, for example, despite the fact that it has no auto mobile industry is a major car exporter in Europe ¿Ã‚ ½more than 25,000 cars some years. This export success story is because cars are cheaper in Belgium than in nearby countries, due to tax differences (Weigand 1991). Another trend relating to parallel imports, is that this has evolved from basically a U.S. problem in the 1980 ¿Ã‚ ½s into a world -wide phenomenon in the 90 ¿Ã‚ ½s (Ahmadi and Yang, 1995). When the U.S. dollar was strong, during the 1981-1986 period, the number of cars purchased in Europe by U.S. tourists grew 2,000%. In 1986 the total value of products distributed through unauthorized channels in the U.S. reached a peak of $10 billion (Palia and Keown, 1991). This direction was reversed in subsequent years as other parts of the world, especially Asia and Europe, experienced rapid appreciation in their currencies and a corresponding surge of parallel imports (Ahmadi and Yang, 1995). A 1991 survey of U. S. exporters to Asia showed that 41% of 141 respondents reported having problems with parallel imports in the past five years (Palia and Keown 1991). In 1990 pharmaceutical parallel imports in the European Community stood at $500 million (Lynn 1991, quoted in Ahmadi and Yang, 1995 , p. 3). In an increasingly integrated world, the annual growth rate of parallel imports has been estimated to be 22%, and this is expected to rise as new trade agreements, like NAFTA and GATT, further lower trade barriers across nations. There are essentially two reasons why parallel imports occur in international markets. The parallel import or  ¿Ã‚ ½grey market ¿Ã‚ ½ exists because foreign manufacturers practice price discrimination among countries and grey market sellers arbitrage these price differences. Second, parallel importers are more efficient than authorized sellers because parallel imports compete with the goods of authorized sellers, in turn leading to lower prices that are beneficial to consumers. Those favoring parallel imports argue that international price discrimination restrict competition to the disadvantage of consumers in countries having higher prices. They say that parallel imports foster competition and efficiency, thus benefiting consumers in importing countries. Some researchers argue that, while it is clear that active parallel imports cannot exist without price differentials between countries, the source of these differentials is not quite so apparent (Weigand, 1991). Depending on the type of goods involved and the character of the market for the product, price differentials can be the result of a variety of factors, ranging from honest enterprise, such as a diverter who takes advantage of favorable foreign currency exchange rates and engages in a sort of product arbitrage, to a manufacturer who attempts to discriminate by price in different (usually foreign) markets. Therefore, in regard of the process of parallel imports, there is no end to the imaginative ways used to bring parallel imports to market. Four methods, however, represent the bulk of market imports and are focus of much of the economic and legal attention. First, are those products made overseas by for example American firms (see Figure 1). These foreign units may be subsidiaries, joint venture companies, or some other entity which have a commonality of interests with the American company. This foreign affiliate may sell to nearby authorized distributors, for example, a French firm. Somewhere in the authorized channel, however, distribution control is lost and the product gets into an unauthorized channel and some of it is exported back to the United States. Here it competes with identical domestically produced products. A second method (depicted by Figure 2) of parallel importing is when a foreign manufacturer (e.g. German) licenses a company to be the exclusive importer of a product bearing a foreign name or trademark. Impact of Parallel Trade There are a number of effects of all of this parallel importing activity. Here, the predicaments and opportunities created by these parallel distribution channels are discussed in more detail. First, consumers may be prejudiced against buying products which have been parallel imported because sometimes they cannot be properly serviced or maintained. They also may be worried that the so-called technical requirements for certain products may not met by grey importers. It needs to be made clear that parallel imports are not counterfeits but genuine products that are often sold at a lower price to consumers than these distributed by regular channels (Ahmadi and Yang, 1995). However, these may not necessarily have a lower profit margin because they can free ride on the promotional efforts of authorized dealers. Consequently parallel imports may undermine authorized dealers ¿Ã‚ ½ selling efforts. For example, by discouraging their investment in a sales-force or shelf-space. Advantages and Disadvantages of parallel importing Parallel imports promote free trade, encourage healthy competition and act as price levelers. Non application of parallel importation may result in complete control in distribution channels thereby perpetuating monopolies (Ashwini, 2006). Hence application is vital to minimize monopolistic effect of the policies of the multinational enterprises who try to control distribution channels. The biggest beneficiaries of parallel imports are the ultimate consumers who have the advantage of buying genuine goods produced by another licensee, offered under an authentic mark at a much lower rate. However, parallel import often raises serious issues of unfair competition and piggy backing  ¿Ã‚ ½ which refers to the attempt by the parallel importer to encash the goodwill fostered by the owner to sell their grey products. Concerns of quality of the goods also arise when the gray goods have been manufactured for a different market comprising different tastes and demands. The raw materials used may also be from geographically different areas directly affecting the consumer health. Furthermore, the corresponding guarantees and after sales maintenance services attached with the goods may be different for the various regions. Future of Parallel Imports The trend towards the globalization of markets, which is being facilitated by the development of a global communication system, envisages the end to domestic territoriality because of global competition. Because of the speed of new technologies and communication developments, parallel importation may be a short-term phenomenon. The impacts of globalization on parallel importation are two folds. First, as trade barriers between nations decrease, it will become more difficult to implement price discrimination policies based on country boundaries. Implicitly, parallel traders are therefore likely to gradually disappear, as there will be fewer opportunities for arbitrage. The issue of parallel importation may therefore become less significant as globalization continues. Secondly, traditionally, under international law, nations have asserted sovereignty based upon the territory that they legally control. Advances in electronic communications, including the Internet, however, have begun to change this. This development suggests that, rather than sovereignty based on territory, sovereignty will be based on information flows or economic spheres of influence will become the norm in cyberspace. This hypothesized shift will however, require a re-evaluation of present legal doctrines, which in turn may  ¿Ã‚ ½re-establish parallel imports legality. ¿Ã‚ ½ Nevertheless, when the world economy becomes far more globally integrated, which is likely in a digitally based economy, it becomes necessary to harmonize the different transactional rules between nations. This means policy co-ordination among different governments will be a critical step in achieving this (Rothnie, 1993). Measures to combat parallel trade Grey markets are not looked down upon by many industries primarily because they are benefitted by the increase of exposure of their products in new economies. Therefore parallel trade is a sensitive issue and this issue is something that can be most effectively combated against by the company ¿Ã‚ ½s themselves. There are certain safeguards that an organization can take to track products final destinations, such as: 1. Volume Control: One way to control the grey market distribution is to keep an eye on the supply chain of a product and track its normal volumes on a monthly basis. Furthermore, this data should be cross checked with the import and export records which are kept by the countries trade organizations (Palia, 1991). 2. Auditing: Proper auditing would ensure that a company can identify whether or not its products are being diverted from one country to another. 3. Different Packaging: This technique is already being used by some manufacturers. Utilizing this technique may lead to an increase in the overhead costs of manufacturing the product but the ability to segregate the markets through a differentiated product or with a variable packaging is a viable answer to prevent diversion and grey market with its own products. 4. RFID: Using radio frequency identification a risk tracking system can be adopted which would be inexpensive and such a system would be able to flag a product by its code if it is diverted. 5. Government legislations: Governments can strengthen up their trademark and copyright acts which aids in preventing the flow of products which are trademarked. Stricter laws have to be formalized and these laws also have to be properly enforced to ensure that grey market activity is curtailed if not stopped completely (Lewin, 1986). Conclusions Grey market is a thriving world from all the evidence presented so far. With globalization and advancement in the technology and reduction in trade barriers, parallel import market has steadily been growing especially in the developing countries where demand far outpaces supply. So far this has been a small sized market however it has grown significantly, in the past decade or so, due to decrease in the transaction costs around the world, penetration of internet leading to cross border commerce and products harmonization. There are clear advantages to the end customers due to the presence of parallel imports primarily due to the fact that it opens up the avenue for them to a large international market. Therefore the people are not complaining about the presence of such a market in their midst. However, the main entities who are hurt due to the presence of such a market are the government and manufacturers both of them losing a large amount in revenues that is actually supposed to go to them from taxes and profit margins respectively. Therefore the impact on the consumers is negligible except in cases when there vis a fault with the product and the customer cannot have it checked or replaced since he/she bought it out of warranty. Overall, it seems to be benefiting people more than harming them. Furthermore, I believe that the global grey market scenario will reduce in its size by itself primarily due to increasing globalization. With the spread of internet and the presence of global marketing company ¿Ã‚ ½s are making products that can be used anywhere in the world. Therefore the risk of inadvertently buying a product that would not be functional in a particular geographical place in decreasing day by day. Moreover, with couriers like DHL and UPS, it has become a fairly routine habit to purchase products or source them from another country. Therefore, its impact will slowly be eroded because trade barriers will become non existent and people are gaining more knowledge day by day and therefore are becoming self aware of all the possibilities. Besides this even organizations tend to keep quiet about their products being sold at places not designated by them as it increases their exposure in new markets. Recommendations The organizations can take a few steps if they want to prevent such grey markets by:  ¿Ã‚ ½ Ensuring that the current regulations are being adhered to strictly throughout the supply chain.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Establishing a tamper proof packaging solution which would be hard to duplicate and which would be easily identifiable to a consumer indicating its legal status. The governments can take the following steps to safeguard against thriving of such a market:  ¿Ã‚ ½ The government must formally consult with all stakeholders, i.e. manufacturers, in order to get their opinion on the impact of such a market on them.  ¿Ã‚ ½ They must encourage and motivate its citizens against purchasing products through this market. The harmful effects of such a decision should be spread about in the community especially in the case of grey market related to pharmaceuticals. Parallel traders must also:  ¿Ã‚ ½ Cooperate in putting an end to the practice of de-boxing, and move instead to  ¿Ã‚ ½over-box ¿Ã‚ ½ the un-tampered product to ensure integrity of the medicine.

Dust Heaps in Our Mutual Friend Essay -- Charles Dickens Victorian Era

Dust Heaps Dust develops. The famed Dust Heaps in Our Mutual Friend are simply large mountains of †¦ well, dust. One cannot fully judge the purpose of Dickens’ incorporation of dust heaps in his novel without background information on them. The question being what is a dust heap? Apparently the answer â€Å"heaps of dust† is not good enough. In the Victorian era dust heaps were filled with useful garbage. Dust heaps were made up of many different things. One such ingredient – also the main ingredient – was fine cinders and ashes. These items, along with some soil, were sold to brick makers for making bricks, and to farmers for manure – especially for clover. The next item tended to be pieces of coal which were usually there because a servant’s carelessness. The coal was either resold or simply used. Another portion of the dust heaps was made from ‘breeze’. According to â€Å"Dust; or Ugliness Redeemed†, breeze was named after the cinders which were â€Å"left after the wind has blown the finer cinders through an upright sieve†. These ciders were also sold to brick makers, but for burning the b...

Essay --

Architecture without Architects Throughout time, the Roma settlements were perceived as 'the unknown' that might put at risk 'the known'. Therefore they are shoved to the edges of cities, as well as of society we live in. They become the slums we want to get rid of, by reshaping them according to our own expression of living. The examples of designs for Roma settlements were carried out using our techniques and regulations, without recognizing an imminent need for 'different'. The 'different' within a formal Modernist architecture was challenged through the means of various movements that were searching for alternative architectural practices. A relevant example is of the artist-architect Constant Nieuwenhuys, that took an interest in the organization of a Gypsy camp - that later became his first models in a series of maquettes of an utopian city prototype called 'New Babylon' - one shared residence, with moveable elements that allow for an-ever changing layout to respond to the inhabitants' needs; a symbol of temporality and an architecture that would instigate a transformation of daily reality. In this way, the Gypsy camps and the nomadism itself encouraged to explore new extents of architectural practice. Another example is of the architect Georges Candilis who designed a Gypsy settlement at the periphery of the French town of Avignon: "It was a very hard problem. The notion of ownership is entirely different in these people. The houses are inhabited in turn by different families. My design comprised four rings of 20 apartments each, a school and a social/cultural center. In the end, after 20 years without maintenance, these buildings fell to ruins and were torn down." His last statement appeared to reveal the temporality of mo... ...ovide a more pleasing atmosphere for the whole community. The installation at the Venice Biennale, and its later award of the Golden Lion, unveils that the architecture community is ready to contemplate the experience of Torre David, as an opportunity to learn and apply the acquired knowledge into daily practice and understanding. Coming back to the topic of Roma, we are facing the paradox - to focus not on how to reshape Roma habitation according to our way of living, but rather how to learn from them and even apply some of their practices to our formal living. What did seem repulsive or disturbing might turn into positive practical lessons of temporality and change, flexible habitation, recycling and community life. 1 Rory Stott, www.archdaily.com, 07.02.2013 2 Installation by Urban Think Tank, Justin McGuirk and Iwan Baan, Venice Biennale of Architecture 2011/2012

Survival Story *not Really A Research Paper Its A Creative Story*

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This isn’t happening. Things like this don’t happen to people like me. I sit on a log and look up at the canopy of trees hovering over me. I glance around, seeing only other confused faces glance at me. It’s quiet. The loudest quiet I’ve ever heard. My head floods with thought and I close my eyes, pushing back frantic images. I inhale my surroundings, trying desperately to make sense of the silent riot occurring all around me.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My attention is drawn to a noise. My eyes wander, searching for the source. It sounds like the cry of a small animal; it sounds too familiar to be dangerous. It becomes louder and I recognize the innocent scream. I rise from the dead stump and hurry towards the sound. It has stopped but still it echoes in my mind. A bright whiteness washes over me and I find myself sitting uncomfortably in my adjustable seat. A newspaper sits in my lap but I’m too anxious to notice. Something is wrong, I can sense it. My ears perk up at an obnoxious noise. It sounds like the cry of a small animal. Aside from my aisle is an infant. A smile runs across my face, hiding my fear.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My feet strike the ground, launching me faster heading for the sound. Finally I reach it, almost wishing I hadn’t. Here lies a mother, child in hand and a red stream flowing down her lifeless face. The bundle in her arms screams again, snapping me back into reality. Taking the infant in my arms, I silently pray for our survival. I retreat to the small clearing to find the same glances staring back at me. I take a glimpse, surveying the scattered items laying on the earthy floor. I see a small first aid kit lying open by a sapling. It is empty except for a roll of white gauze. I take it in my hands, swiftly wrapping it around the small child and hoping the warmth of the thin fabric will turn purple lips back to a healthy hue. I hold the newborn to my chest and wrap it further in my own clothes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"We’ll never make it.† A nameless voice utters, stabbing the silence. I glance up and glare at the thought. â€Å"It’s too cold, we have no supplies. We’ll never make it.† He repeats.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ignoring the obvious truth I recall the items I carried with me on the flight. Things useless every day, but now could determine life or death. A small pocket knif... ...ght, illuminating her round face with the artificial glow. Pulling the bottle out of my coat pocket, I curl my fingers around the cap and rotate it. With a few turns the cap falls into my palm. I put the rim to Olivia’s small lips and slowly tilt the bottle, allowing her to sip the warm milk. Suddenly, I was joined by the woman. There she was again, her face lit up with the glow of the fire. Her beauty almost made me forget everything that was happening. She has a devilish grin on her face and her eyes twinkled in delight. â€Å"After that dinner I’m sure everyone would prefer something sweeter.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My expression turns to confusion. â€Å"What do you mean?† I ask.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Under her coat she holds a box. I can’t think of what it is until I read the label. â€Å"Hershey’s?† I ask with a smile on my face. â€Å"Where did you find these?†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I was going to save them for myself,† she explains, â€Å"but there are enough to share.† Her smile was warm enough to allow me to forget the cold weather. I become distracted by Olivia’s quiet gurgling.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Looking into her deep brown eyes I find the hope to survive.

Advertising Strategies Essay

Advertising Strategies Advertising is used as a means to attract the buyer to follow a brand. There are many different advertising techniques that can be used depending on the demographics of the target market. As a 14-year-old, marketers have to understand what people my age like when it comes to advertising. For an advertisement to be effective for my age group, it needs to appeal to the audience. There are three main types of advertising used for people my own age, and they are celebrity power, lots of action, and the use of attractive women. Celebrity power is one effective form of advertising used for young teenagers. Because of the stage of life that I am currently at, I tend to look up to people who are famous. Most teenagers like to idolize musicians, sports players, and film stars. I am no different in this manner because I do associate myself with my favorite celebrities and try and follow them. If one of my idols is advertising a product, then I am more likely to pay that product some attention. I think that if my favorite celebrity is endorsing a product, then to be a true fan I should start buying that brand. This type of advertising is one of the oldest in the book, but it is also very effective for young people who are searching for an identity. Advertisements that have lots of action are also very popular with my age group. As a teenage boy, I enjoy watching television with great action scenes. This could either be a fight scene or a car chase. Marketers know that people my age like to see lots of action because it gets the adrenaline pumping. I am no different in that I enjoy watching advertisements that include a lot of action. There does not have to be much dialogue or any key message, just the inclusion of action appeals to young boys my age. Unlike the use of celebrities, using action sequences is a type of advertising that only works with males, particularly those around my own age. The third type of advertising that is effective for my age group is the use of sexy women. The saying that â€Å"sex sells† is a well-known one and it has been used ever since advertising first existed. The use of a pretty lady can set something going inside of teenage boys that make them take notice of the  advertisement. Scantily-clad women may be offensive to young females, but to guys like me it can make all the difference when it comes to advertising. I think that the use of attractive women will continue to be used by marketers because they know that it is an effective strategy and plenty of young men will approve of it. We are all bombarded by advertising every single day of our lives because marketers know the opportunities that it can bring. More than this, they also know that advertising can be extremely effective when trying to sell a product or service. For young boys of my age, this is no different. The advertising techniques used to attract people my age can be different from other target markets. The three main advertising strategies that are used to target someone like me are the celebrity factor, action sequences, and the inclusion of attractive young women.

Social Exclusion and Discrimination

Do we, as citizens, have the ability to be included, to function and to participate fully in the varied aspects of today’s society? This essay will look at defining the terms described in the title by exploring research and theories that measure these problems. The essay will identify a group of people who experience one of these struggles, citing evidence to confirm this. The essay will also look at what can be done to prevent people being excluded, oppressed and co.uk/our-changing-society/">discriminated against.Sociology is the study of human social behaviour, especially the study of the backgrounds, groups, establishments, and development of human society, and some theories help to decide why and how to choose between alternative distinctions (Payne 2005). Theories are statements of ideas, and Fook (2002) states that putting names to things help provide explanations and understanding of practice. Payne (2005, p6) stated that â€Å" Because social work is a practical actio n in a complex world, a theory must offer a model of explicit guidance. † There are different sociological theories on social influences, and these are interesting in their comparisons. Emile Durkheim was a structural functionalist. He was also a positivist, believing that society conforms to unwavering laws and that there is an objective reality(Giddens 2001). He operated within a framework that sees society as a complex structure or system in which the parts work together to promote cohesion and stability (Dubois & Prade 1990). Structure in this context refers to any stable pattern of social behaviour; the function aspect is the examination of the consequences of individual actions for the operation of society as a whole. This perspective basically perceives all different parts of a society come together and work as one whole part, in which power is underplayed. This could mean that if an individual or group does not work with the rest of society then they may be excluded. Howe (2002) explains that sociology would be the backbone of the structural perspective within social work and would look at the political, economic and material environment in which people find themselves. He goes on to say that this theory encompasses an anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory perspective and that poverty, inequality and lack of social justice can seriously disadvantage some people and that these disadvantages can contribute to poor social functioning. Structural theorists maintain that these people are not a problem to society but that society has become a problem for them. However, functionalism is often criticized for not adequately explaining change, and placing too much order on order and stability. (Haralambos et al 2004) The conflict theorists view the society from an objective and hierarchical point of view. In this perspective some individuals are inferior to society. The basis of social order is power or intimidation and the only way to change within the society is through a power struggle in which there is a lot of competition. Social class is extremely important in this perspective for it defines an individual’s place in the pyramid of power. Karl Marx was the originator of the conflict theory and described societies like Britain as capitalist systems whereby rich employers and business owners with capital set up businesses which exploit working classes to generate maximum profits (Macionis & Plummer 2008). Therefore, according to this theory, the working classes could be discriminated against. Social exclusion is a multidimensional, dynamic concept which emphasises the processes of change through which individuals or groups are excluded from the mainstream of society and their life chances reduced. (Philip & Shucksmith 1999. ) There is no agreed definition of social exclusion, but there are considered to be conditions that many agree are contributing factors. Shaw et al (2006) described social exclusion as affecting individuals or areas that suffer from linked problems such as unemployment, poor skills, low income, poor housing, bad health, high crime and family breakdowns. So it has been found that living in a deprived area can drive a person into extreme poverty and/or social exclusion. (Haan et al. 1987, p 989). Therefore, we can conclude that social exclusion is mainly associated with the above circumstances but it is also linked to a lack of social support, social position and empowerment. White (1998) describes the processes leading to social exclusion – including economic change, demographic change, changes to welfare systems and processes of segregation and separation of certain minority groups. Social exclusion is not just about individuals, it can refer to whole communities within which everyone can be affected. For example, areas with high levels of unemployment and deprivation. Sooman & Macintyre (1995) reported that studies in Glasgow showed differences in self-reported health between local areas, with more advantaged areas showing fewer health problems. In the mid 1990’s, this country was distinguished by high levels of social exclusion, with the highest rates in Europe of jobless households and teenage pregnancies (www. socialexclusionunit. gov. uk). Many of these figures worsened during the 1990’s and crime, poverty, exclusion from school and drug/alcohol dependency became significant problems. Nowadays, the concept of social exclusion is taking over from poverty. It does not just mean poor income, it suggests something more than social inequality and so it carries the risk of a multi-tier society or the relegation to the status of the welfare dependent. Robbins, cited in Alcock, 1997). We could, of course, ask the question why is social exclusion a problem? Why should we care about someone who does not participate in key activities of the society in which he or she lives? (Burchardt et al, 2002). After all, not everybody chooses to conform to social norms. So, what if an individual has used their personal autonomy to deliberately exclude themselves from society? A recluse who prefers solitude to company, a youth who chooses to join a criminal gang rather than pursue a career, or the rich people who lock themselves away at the other end of the social scale? Do all these people constitute a social problem, and if so, is it the same kind of problem as those who are socially excluded for reasons beyond their control? (British Journal of Psychiatry 2007. 191). There is, in society, an expectation that people conform to social norms, and if someone behaves or looks differently from what is expected then they could be subject to discrimination, whether their lifestyle is their own choice or has been forced upon them. To discriminate, briefly defined, means to victimize or favour a group or individual because of social, economic, race, gender or religious reasons. The law in Britain recognises two kinds of discrimination; direct and indirect. Direct discrimination occurs when, as defined above, a group or individual is targeted for specific reasons. Indirect discrimination can happen when there are rules or regulations set in place which could exclude certain people. For instance, an employer may state that no hats or headwear are to be worn in the workplace. This could indirectly discriminate against people of certain ethnicity whose religion states that they cover their heads. Discrimination and social exclusion have certain similarities and can be compared by drawing attention to the different types of social discrimination experienced by people. Discriminatory behaviours take many forms but they all involve some sort of exclusion or rejection. These behaviours can be looked at in different ways – for example, anthropologically. Anthropology as a discipline gives powerful insight to personal views and asks the fundamental question, how and why do human beings behave the way they do (Bronowski 1952) and compares the historical development of human society. This can be used in social work by enabling workers to understand different human behaviours and why they may be a product of society. As stated above, discrimination and social exclusion can have similar aspects but a key difference between them are the consequences that can come from discrimination, such as the policies put in place to ensure fair practice for those people who could be discriminated against by illness, age or gender. The core examples of these are the Disability, Age and Sex Discrimination policies now in place. These policies ensure that, legally, people can no longer be discriminated against for having a disability, being too old or too young or because of their gender. The social composition of a population affects the ways in which social discrimination is exercised. In a society with people of multiple identities, for example ethnicity and religion, individuals or groups are likely to face discriminatory problems in multiple ways. The extent and types of discrimination will depend on peoples’ status in the population. Similarly, oppression is also multifaceted and can be caused by fear of someone different, or someone who does not conform to what is thought to be the norm in social standing. It is important to recognise the common themes across the areas of exclusion, discrimination and oppression. Thompson (2006, p40) stated that: â€Å"Oppression can be defined as inhuman or degrading treatment of individuals or groups; hardship and injustice brought about by the dominance of one group over another. There are many parallels between the experiences of people with disabilities, gender issues, homosexuals and ethnic minorities but oppression and discrimination cannot be explained merely by peoples’ personal prejudices. Oppression does not derive simply from individual actions, it can be built into structural and institutional patterns and organisational policies. (Thompson 2001) The fact that we live in a highly stratified society means that inequalities are part of the social order and there are inevitably winners and losers. (Thompson 2001) Rooney (1987) gives an example of this. He describes how a local authority used a word of mouth process to recruit home-help staff. When there were vacancies for these jobs, the existing predominantly white employees would be asked to pass on information of the vacancies to friends and/or family. This meant that knowledge of the posts would only be passed on to a predominantly white group of people, some of whom would be interviewed and consequently employed. Because of this, black and ethnic minorities were systematically excluded, even though it may have been unintentional. There are many authorities and organisations that can be seen as being guilty of this kind of institutional oppression, with the ideas of powerful groups becoming dominant over the minority as quoted by Marx in 1845 â€Å"The ideas of the ruling class are, in every age, the ruling ideas. † Whilst anyone can experience social exclusion, discrimination or oppression, it has been found that certain groups are more vulnerable to them and that they are all linked to a certain degree. It is usually a combination of factors that contribute to social exclusion, thus making it a multidimensional process and not caused by a single unique factor. Madanipour et al 1998, cited in Byrne 2005). One group in particular that experience social exclusion are people that suffer from mental illness. It could be that the majority of negative attitudes towards mental illness are simply a reflection of the lack of understanding of various mental health conditions, and this could have a bearing on any initiative to combat such prejudice in the future. Link et al (1999) reported that though there has been some improvement of general understanding, the public, largely, does wish to maintain social distance from the mentally ill. Hocking (2003) found that people with schizophrenia, specifically, were subject to discrimination in housing, education and employment. Although the public perception of mental illness has been studied vastly, there are few studies to date that concentrate on how the public perceive mental illness within the workplace. Williams and Wilkins (1998) reported that when human resources officers were given vignettes of job applications where the applicants had very similar skills and qualifications, applicants who described themselves as having depression significantly reduced their chance of employment compared to that of applicants with diabetes. Baldwin and Johnson (2004) stated that workers with mental health problems were subject to a greater discrimination and suffered a lower employability ranking than workers suffering from a physical illness. Research also acknowledges that mental illness receives a greater amount of negativity than that of a physical illness. Britt (2000) reported that among military service members there was a strong belief that admitting to psychological or mental health problems at work would make them more discriminated against than admitting to physical problems. Over half of the participants of the report believed that a military service member’s career would be negatively affected by admitting a psychological problem and just under half actually admitted that they would maintain a distance from a co-worker has he or she disclosed a psychological problem. Rush et al (2005) identified 3 known misconceptions linked to people with mental illness: i)They are homicidal maniacs that should be avoided ii) They are rebellious free spirits iii) They have childlike perceptions of the world The most measurable of these is the first one – which could explain some of the exclusion, discrimination and oppression suffered by people with mental health problems. The government has encouraged action in the employment of people with mental illness through its action plan on social exclusion (Social Exclusion Task Force 2006), but levels of unemployment are still significantly high for sufferers even though most of them want to, and are able to work. They usually end up on long term benefit and suffer social exclusion in the form of deprivation, isolation and physical, as well as mental, ill health. Social support is of crucial importance to individuals and groups with mental health problems, and, maybe if there was more trust between people, along with more community cohesion and empowerment, there might be a greater understanding of the difficulties encountered by people with mental health problems and society would discriminate less. In conclusion then, it would seem that there are many similarities between social exclusion, discrimination and oppression. All of these subjects evoke a strong, emotive response from those affected by them. In the UK alone, there are still thousands of people who are in poverty, homeless or have mental health problems and who are consequently excluded from aspects of society or discriminated against. This is despite interventions from health and social care workers from all sectors, the government and educational facilities. PCTs and providers are working hard and making significant progress in improving the accessibility and quality of primary health care in order to keep people healthier for longer and reduce health inequalities (www. wdc. org. uk). Community social work, which was used at the introduction of the welfare state, is going through a regeneration period and the introduction of Sure Start and Family Centres on what the government describes as ‘Sink Estates’ enables the socially excluded to access services and skills to enable them to feel part of society. As with all government initiatives, people regard services with suspicion but social workers are in a position to build trusting and therapeutic relationships within the community. Therefore, although progress is slow, it is not unattainable. There is now evidence, however, which demonstrates that we need to go further to improve the way we meet the primary health care needs of the most socially excluded people within our society, as socially excluded clients often do not show up on needs assessments. The ‘Inclusion Health study (www. swdc. org. uk) has also produced an excellent supporting evidence pack which commissioners can use to help build the case for improvement. There is a clear need for people who work with socially excluded people to stay within a framework of guidelines. For example, social workers need to develop an understanding of the problems that can occur within people’s lives and employ anti-oppressive practice in all aspects of care. It is possible that socially excluded groups feel disempowered and unable to do anything to help themselves and it is the duty of the social worker to hand back power to the service user whilst recognising the personal, cultural and social factors affecting the individual or family in question. There needs to be adequate assessments linked to helping people to solve problems and a sound knowledge of what can cause exclusion or discrimination by using research based evidence. Howe (1993) emphasized the importance of process in evaluation and there are several ways to implement this; for example through personal perceptions, evidence from service users, colleagues and supervisors and advice from other professionals or individuals involved. In short however, the only way to eliminate exclusion of any sort is to raise awareness in the shortfalls of society and eradicate prejudice, bigotry and ignorance.