Key Elements Of Webers Idea Of Sociology Sociology Essay

Key Elements Of Webers Idea Of Sociology Sociology Essay In my essay I argue that the key element of Weberian sociology is perception of the society as a complex system of individual actions, forming up the certain blocks of social life. Understanding of the attached meaning to these actions makes possible understanding of complex social phenomena, what ends up in the understanding of the whole process of historical development of the Western civilization. From the point of view of Max Weber historical process is understandable and its main tendency of development is constant movement from irrationality to further rationality. Understanding the society and its parts was a key element of Webers sociology that is why he needed to create an effective reference frame, in order to place different social and historical phenomena in corresponding locations on the big scale of social development of humanity. Max Weber looked at the society as at a very complex system of social interconnections, which are very difficult to be clearly understood. That is why it was very important for him to break down difficult social phenomena to single social actions and their subjective meanings. Development of the theory of Ideal Type gave an opportunity for Weber to categorize social phenomena, what favored to better understanding of social processes. In my essay I would like to analyze the key elements of Webers idea of sociology. I have divided this essay into three parts. Each of the parts analyzes different dimensions of Webers key elements of sociology. The first part covers the fundamental for Webers social research ideas, such as social action, ideal type, value-freedom conception, the notion of rationality. The second part of the essay is analyzing the most important ideas of Weber on the influence of religion (particularly Protestantism) on the development of the society. The third part of the essay covers the ideas of Weber in the political sphere legitimating of power, social stratification, phenomenon of bureaucracy. Part I. General Ideas of Max Weber. Max Weber perceived the world and society as a very complex and unpredictable system. This extremely broad and difficult system of social interactions could be brought down to single social action of an actor such social action represented for Weber a basic unit of social life. From the point of view of Weber, the main goal of sociology as a science is understanding of this basic social action, and what is more important understanding of subjective meaning or intention the actor attaches to his action. The dimension of understanding is crucial in Webers sociology he even calls this science understandable sociology. According to Ray (1999) Weber was mentioning that social sciences are very different from natural sciences as the object of social sciences can not be understand from simple observation, because of complex subjective meaning of social actions. In order to understand complex social structures and the whole picture of society Weber developed an idea of so called Ideal Type which represented different social units, categories and types of behavior united by common features. These Ideal Types were a certain categorization and generalization of social structures according to Weber, they did not exist in society in such a clear and pure form, but presence of such an instrument helps to categorize the phenomena of social life. The next important idea of Weber on sociology is a concept of value-freedom, which practically means that the social scientist should not make any interference into social processes in order to make them change their development. Ray (1999) mentioned that Weber was an advocate of an idea of separation of vocation of scientist and politician Weber believed that the scientist should conduct his researches being moved away from his partisanship and affiliations. The concept of value-freedom meant warning the actors of the consequences of their actions, but not influencing them to change their behavior the scientist should observe and study social processes, and his interference into them can harm the interests of the science. It is important to notice that Weber conducted his researches in very difficult for Europe times, and very often he showed his strong political position and sometimes to persuade others in its truthfulness it is very difficult for any social scientists to be ful ly away from influencing the other people. The key tendency of social development in Webers sociology is constant development of human society from irrationality to rationality. The whole history for Weber is a process of continuous movement towards rationality, which is showed up in intention attached to basic social action. The human society is very irregular on its way to rationalism the biggest progress was achieved by the Western civilization, which became a locomotive of rationality spreading in the world. The highest stage of social development for Weber is a shift within the types of rationality from value-rationality (taking decisions on the basis of established beliefs and values not considering the consequences) to purposive rationality, when a social action is performed by an actor on the basis of his knowledge and with consideration of the consequences of this action. From the point of view of Weber, such an evolution to purposive rationality made possible further development of Western civilization establishm ent of well-functioning capitalist system and appearance of modern states and science. Part II. Religion and Society. One of the most central questions in the sociology of Weber is the questions of origins of modern Capitalist system and the question of the fate of the West (Ray, 1999). According to Ingram (1987) Weber conducted a deep research to answer the question why was it Judeo-Christian civilization, that gave birth to modern Capitalism and modern society. He compared different kinds of societies organized around major World religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Judaism, Christianity) and tried to find the reasons for such successful development of capitalism in the West. Collins (1986) mentions that Weber could see the elements and features of capitalism and trade in all historical times and all geographical regions, but it was the West in the Middle Ages and after which gave birth to unique system of social and economic relations, unknown and impossible for any other society in the World. Webers sociology shows that modern type of Western capitalist society is a unique product of long-term evolution of Western society which could be born only in case of direct match of the long number of indicators and social tendencies. In his researches, Weber tried to name these most important factors that made possible the birth of modern capitalistic society in the West. The message of Webers Protestant Ethics and the Spirit of Capitalism is often understood in such way, that it Protestantism was the only important element for the establishment of capitalism. Such understanding is far from Webers reality, as after Collins (1986) Weber perceived Protestantism as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ only the last intensification of chain of factors leading to capitalism. In other words, Protestantism is a very crucial factor for the establishment of capitalist system in Europe, but there were a number of other very important historical steps that made capitalism possible. According to Collins (1986) Weber conducted a deep research on Medieval Europe, and came to conclusion, that there were two major chains of historical conditions that enabled the development of capitalism in Europe political sphere and social networks. All these spheres were deeply influenced by religion, but were not limited to it. There were a large number of factors not connected with religion that influenced the establishment of capitalistic system Weber was talking about certain trichotomy of economic, political and cultural factors, influencing the Western society (Collins, 1986). The role of religion in general and Christianity in particular, from the Webers point of view had two dimensions. On the one hand, it is institutional role of organized religions Collins (1986) mentions that Weber paid big attention to analyzing of the Church as separate and very influential economic and bureaucratic structure, which in the Middle Ages was the only well-organized social organization in Europe. On the other hand, Weber was concentrated on the key ideas and world-view patterns of major World religions, and the interactions between those ideas with the economy. The most significant thesis of Weber is the statement that the appearance and spreading of Protestant ethics has been one of the most important factors for the establishment of capitalist system in the West. In general the role of any religion was positive for Weber as it moved people to rationalism (in this case value-rationalism). For Weber the character of Protestantism is fundamentally different from other religions that kept believers in frames of value-rationalism. Protestantism was the religion that moved people beyond the borders of value-rationalism towards purposive rationalism. Ingram (1987) says that the most important normative factor shaping consciousness of the West was Protestant work ethics. Indeed, Weber studied carefully the messages of Protestant religious doctrine, and he came to the conclusion, that it was this Protestant doctrine that became the final condition for establishment of modern capitalist system. According to Weber, the Protestant doctrine considered a man as the most important act of creation of God, what made the world to be submitted to mankind. Ray (1999) says that unlike other world religions, that were either escaping from the world or resigned themselves to their fate, Protestant doctrine aimed its followers at the world mastery. Weber stressed the role of Calvinism, and especially its doctrine of predestination. This doctrine made a significant switch of religious zeal towards secular life. That time the believer could prove himself and other people that he was selected by God to be saved in order to prove it would be enough for such a believer to achieve professional and financial success in his life. In other words, before Protestantism people were dividing secular and sacred. Ray (1999) formulated this idea in the next way: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦once sacred goals become secular. Protestants start to treat their professional activities with religious zealotry once their everyday work became a real worshipping of their Creator and an evidence of their predetermined selectiveness to salvation. Weber also stressed the Protestant conception of calling or vocation where every believer had his personal assignment in his life, prepared for him by God. It means that for such a believer diligent realization of his everyday work was a religious duty. Additionally, Protestant religious doctrine included conceptions of asceticism and strict self-discipline of a believer. The combination of all the above mentioned conceptions of behavior gave birth to a new type of human who changed the entire world ideal capitalist. According to Weber, this ideal capitalist fanatically followed the doctrines of Protestantism, realizing them in his personal and professional life. This person works very hard, achieving high level of mastery in his profession, acquires high social position and what is most important, saves large amount of resources and keeps reinvesting it. Such Protestants were seeking profits, but they did not spend their money, but became investors (Ray, 1999). It was a turning point in the final establishment of capitalist system. Schluchter (1996) says that we can mention Benjamin Franklin as an example of spiritual father of Modern Capitalism, with his message of hard work, saving and reinvesting these requirements have a reli gious value for ideal Protestant-Capitalist. Part III. Politics and Society. According to Schluchter (1996), the work Politics as Vocation helps to understand the position of Max Weber on major questions of political sphere. For Weber politics is one of the most dynamic parts of social life and political processes is a very important area for social research. Weber lived in a very difficult time for the German state, and the challenges standing before Germany found their reflection in the ideas of Weber. Collins (1986) mentions that the question of legitimacy played the central role for Max Weber. Weber pointed out three types of legitimacy of power traditional (based on the faith in legality of the model because it has always existed), rational (conscious subordination to recognized and established laws and regulations) and charismatic (belief in extra-ordinary possibilities of the leader). As the society was constantly going through evolution towards rationality, the political sphere also introducing more and more rationality. By Weber, this evolution of political sphere ended in appearance of rational bureaucracy and new type of state state where the bureaucrats do not owe the state mechanisms of influence, but are hired by citizens to perform their will. Bureaucracy for Weber is a controversial phenomenon and can be a danger for the development of the state, as bureaucrats do not effectively hold responsibility and monopolize political decisions in the society (Siedman, 1998). State represents for Weber an institution that has monopolized the legal usage of power. After Weber, responsibility should be the main requirement for a politician only people with strong vocation to politics should participate in the rule of state. Weberian politician is a person thinking about long-term goals of the society, and strictly following the interests of the state, ignoring sometimes the needs of the citizens, in order to reach larger goals. Schluchter (1996) cites Weber where he says that political communication is always filled with the spirit of war this citation shows that Weber had very realistic view on political competition. Ray (1999) touched a question of relationship between charismatic leadership and bureaucracy two struggling between each other forces. According to Weber during the process of political competition charisma is never stable when it gets the power and start owe resources it gradually turns into bureaucracy or patrimonialism (Collins, 1986). In contrast to Marx, Weber determined multiple axes of social stratification social class, status, and party affiliation of a person. These three parameters Weber called social chances of a person. According to Collins (1986) status of a person was crucial for Weber it strongly determined the social mobility, market opportunities, and other influential factors. Social class is rather economic membership of a person; status is determined by social prestige and honor, and the party affiliation is an indicator of closeness of a person to the ruling in the country political force. The views of Weber on political sphere were largely influenced by the history and situation of the German state. Weber was a strong supporter of the idea of strong middle class, and he believed that the future of Germany strongly depends on the situation of middle class (Siedman, 1998). The ideas and views of Weber have been important not only for sociology, but also for political forces in Germany during his life and after death. Conclusion. The ideas of Max Weber have influenced the sociology in a very strong way. Summing up the key elements of Webers idea of sociology, I should mention the following: 1). In Webers sociology history and social development have a deep sense, and this sense can be understood. The society is developing in a certain direction overcoming certain stages of its social advance. It is very important to find out the real sense of social development and to keep in mind that all the human history has specific mission and goals in itself. 2). Understanding of social action and social phenomena become the main goal for Webers sociology and such understanding is possible. A sociologist should move himself away for judgments of the social processes, but he should precisely observe and try to understand irrational meanings attached to individual social actions in order to understand more complex social phenomena. 3). There is a criterion that determines the progress of society on its way of historical and social development and this criterion after Weber is constant movement towards Rationality. First this movement is represented by the shift from irrationality to rationality, and the second part of this movement is shift between value-rationality to purposive-rationality. Such a purposive rationality in individual social action would give to a sociologist an opportunity to understand clearly the meaning attached to such social action, as it will not be subjective any more. 4). Ideas influence economy in a very strong way it is one of the most important key elements of sociology of Weber. After the study of major world religions, he came to the conclusion, that it was the Protestantism, which made possible final establishment of capitalist system in the West. It is religion that shapes the most fundamental world-view of the people, and in different parts of the world ideas, through religions, produced different types of the societies and economic and social relations. 5). By Weber the political sphere and the society represent a very complex and interconnected system, with multiple axes of social stratification and different patterns of power legitimization. Political sphere is a subject of social development and under certain historical conditions (as it happened in the West) it can move towards larger rationality, producing a new type of state and switching to rational type of power legitimization.

Community Assessment Essay

Lake County, Illinois is located on the shore of Lake Michigan and borders the state of Wisconsin, sitting in the northeast corner of the state of Illinois. Established March 1, 1839, Lake County consists of fifty-three villages, cities and townships. I have lived in Vernon Hills, one of the villages located in Lake County since 2005. Lake County is considered part of the Chicago, Illinois metropolitan area also referred to as the Chicagoland Area. Lake County is located north of and adjacent to Cook County, Illinois. According to the 2000 census, Lake County was the 31st richest county by per capita income. (Wikipedia, 2013) There are many affluent communities that are located in Lake County, including Lake Forrest, Lake Bluff and Highland Park which are all on the shore of Lake Michigan and referred to as the North Shore. According to 2012 census data, the population of Lake County was 703,462, which is an increase of 9. 2% compared to the 2000 census data. (Wikipedia, 2013) Headquartered in Lake County are many major medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturers such as Abbot Healthcare, Baxter Healthcare, Medline Industries, Astellas Pharmaceuticals and Takeda Pharmaceuticals which attributes to the growth and diversity of this county. Additionally, the Naval Station Great Lakes which is the Navy’s only training center for recruits is located in Lake County in the town of North Chicago. Additional major revenue sources for Lake County are the Six Flags Great America amusement park which is open approximately eight months per year and the many indoor water parks that are open year round. While a significant portion of the population that reside in Lake County also work in Lake County, a sizeable percent of Lake County’s population commute to Chicago for work. Conversely, due to the businesses located in Lake County, there are many people who reside in Cook County who commutes for work in Lake County. This is very evident based upon the number of people both riding trains and driving daily from Lake County to Cook County for work and vice versa. Population/Economic Assessment The demographics of Lake County show a significant increase in population and change from 2000 to 2010. While the Caucasian (White) population is only up by 2% it is still the predominate population of Lake County. The Asian and Latino populations have both increased 77% and 51% respectively. The Latino population accounts for 20. 5% of Lake County’s population. (Quick Facts, 2013) The African American population has increased 10% from 2000 to 2010. Lake County demographics are reflective of the changes occurring nationwide as diversity continues to change the landscape of American. (LakeCounty. gov, 2013) There is an equivalent proportion of male to female living in Lake County with 50. 1% of the population being female and 49. 9% of the population being male. County Demographic Profile form the US Census Bureau Decennial Census and American Community Survey 1990 Census 2000 Census 2010 Census Change 2000 to 2010 Percent Change 2000 to 2010 Total Population 516,418 644,599 703,462 58,863 9% White Population* 450,666 516,189 528,204 12,015 2% African American Population* 34,771 44,741 49,033 4,292 10% Asian Population* 12,363 25,103 44,358 19,255 77% Latino Population (any race) 38,570 92,716 139,987 47,271 51% Median Age 31. 6 33. 8 36. 7 2. 9 9% Number of Households 173,966 216,297 241,712 25,415 12% Average Household Size 2. 88 2. 85 2. 82 -0. 03 -1% Median Household Income (not adjusted to current dollars) $46,047 $66,973 $78,423^ NA NA Number of Housing Units 183,283 226,012 260,310 34,298 15% Source: US Census Bureau – 1990, 2000 and 2010 Decennial Census *Reporting only one race ^2005-2009 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates The median household income in Lake County is $78,423 according to the 2010 census data which is $27,406 higher than the median household income nationally which fell slightly to $51,017 per year in 2012. (Hargreaves, 2013) The percent of persons in Lake County who are below the poverty level from 2007 to 2011 was 8. 2%, compared to 13. 1% for the state of Illinois and more than 16% nationwide. (Hargreaves, 2013) In July 2013, the unemployment rate was 8. 5% as compared to 7. 4% nationally. This is concerning due to a personal observation of the number of large businesses which are hiring in Lake County, as compared to the increase in the number of small businesses who are closing in the county. Of note, the number of housing units is up 15% from 2000 to 2010 which correlates to the increase in census. The last count of the homeless population in Lake County that is found is from 2010 where 474 persons were found to meet the federal definition of homeless on January 28, 2010. (Castellanos, 2010) There are 42,012 individuals who receive food stamps which equates to 6% of the population receiving federal food assistance. (Frac. org, 2013). There are 11,942 recipients in Lake County receiving some form of public assistance. Of that 1,324 are considered aged, 6,053 are blind and disabled, 4,039 are age 18 to 64 and 1,850 are age 65 or older. $3,943 is the average amount of payments in thousands of dollars per recipient. (SSA, 2013). Cultural Assessment The median age of Lake County residents in 2010 is 37. 6 years of age. Below is a listing of population by age, as well as may other cultural statistics according to the 2000 U. S. Census Bureau. (FactFinder2, 2013) Subject Lake County, Illinois Number Percent SCHOOL ENROLLMENT Population 3 years and over enrolled in school 185,035 100. 0 Nursery school, preschool 16,850 9. 1 Kindergarten 11,513 6. 2 Elementary school (grades 1-8) 86,422 46. 7 High school (grades 9-12) 37,591 20. 3 College or graduate school 32,659 17. 7 EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT Population 25 years and over 398,265 100. 0 Less than 9th grade 23,819 6. 0 9th to 12th grade, no diploma 29,640 7. 4 High school graduate (includes equivalency) 85,056 21. 4 Some college, no degree 84,499 21. 2 Associate degree 21,525 5. 4 Bachelor’s degree 95,750 24. 0 Graduate or professional degree 57,976 14. 6 Percent high school graduate or higher 86. 6 (X) Percent bachelor’s degree or higher 38. 6 (X) MARITAL STATUS Population 15 years and over 483,528 100. 0 Never married 118,850 24. 6 Now married, except separated 300,474 62. 1 Separated 5,947 1. 2 Widowed 20,956 4. 3 Female 17,001 3. 5 Divorced 37,301 7. 7 Female 22,290 4. 6 GRANDPARENTS AS CAREGIVERS Grandparent living in household with one or more own grandchildren under 18 years 10,127 100. 0 Grandparent responsible for grandchildren 3,292 32. 5 VETERAN STATUS Civilian population 18 years and over 442,570 100. 0 Civilian veterans 48,101 10. 9 DISABILITY STATUS OF THE CIVILIAN NONINSTITUTIONALIZED POPULATION Population 5 to 20 years 156,934 100. 0 With a disability 10,484 6. 7 Population 21 to 64 years 364,479 100. 0 With a disability 48,296 13. 3 Percent employed 65. 6 (X) No disability 316,183 86. 7 Percent employed 78. 9 (X) Population 65 years and over 51,714 100. 0 With a disability 17,878 34. 6 RESIDENCE IN 1995 Population 5 years and over 591,519 100. 0 Same house in 1995 308,970 52. 2 Different house in the U. S. in 1995 260,127 44. 0 Same county 130,584 22. 1 Different county 129,543 21. 9 Same state 70,156 11. 9 Different state 59,387 10. 0 Elsewhere in 1995 22,422 3. 8 NATIVITY AND PLACE OF BIRTH Total population 644,356 100. 0 Native 548,820 85. 2 Born in United States 541,781 84. 1 State of residence 379,444 58. 9 Different state 162,337 25. 2 Born outside United States 7,039 1. 1 Foreign born 95,536 14. 8 Entered 1990 to March 2000 45,092 7. 0 Naturalized citizen 35,300 5. 5 Not a citizen 60,236 9. 3 REGION OF BIRTH OF FOREIGN BORN Total (excluding born at sea) 95,536 100. 0 Europe 21,674 22. 7 Asia 19,849 20. 8 Africa 902 0. 9 Oceania 266 0. 3 Latin America 51,064 53. 5 Northern America 1,781 1. 9 LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME Population 5 years and over 591,519 100. 0 English only 464,971 78. 6 Language other than English 126,548 21. 4 Speak English less than ‘very well 58,966 10. 0 Spanish 76,049 12. 9 Speak English less than â€Å"very well† 42,631 7. 2 Other Indo-European languages 32,238 5. 5 Speak English less than â€Å"very well† 9,467 1. 6 Asian and Pacific Island languages 15,710 2. 7 Speak English less than â€Å"very well† 6,282 1. 1 ANCESTRY (single or multiple) Total population 644,356 100. 0 Total ancestries reported 747,907 116. 1 Arab 1,635 0. 3 Czech[1] 7,840 1. 2 Danish 5,348 0. 8 Dutch 8,724 1. 4 English 47,469 7. 4 French (except Basque)[1] 15,261 2. 4 French Canadian[1] 3,746 0. 6 German 138,880 21. 6 Greek 6,267 1. 0 Hungarian 4,561 0. 7 Irish[1] 82,286 12. 8 Italian 45,060 7. 0 Lithuanian 4,725 0. 7 Norwegian 14,612 2. 3 Polish 57,249 8. 9 Portuguese 477 0. 1 Russian 21,109 3. 3 Scotch-Irish 6,688 1. 0 Scottish 10,116 1. 6 Slovak 2,235 0. 3 Subsaharan African 2,356 0. 4 Swedish 21,202 3. 3 Swiss 2,154 0. 3 Ukrainian 4,026 0. 6 United States or American 27,800 4. 3 Welsh 2,809 0. 4 West Indian (excluding Hispanic groups) 1,884 0. 3 Other ancestries 201,388 31. 3 Source: U. S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 3, Matrices P18, P19, P21, P22, P24, P36, P37, P39, P42, PCT8, PCT16, PCT17, and PCT19 The percentage of Lake County that is affiliated with a religious congregation is 59. 18%. (City-data, 2013) There are 288 congregations in the county with 66% adhering to the Catholic Church, 7% to the Jewish faith and 27% to other denominations including both protestant and non-protestant religions. Parks and recreation. Parks and recreation in Lake County are abundant. The total area of the county is1,368. 48 square miles of which 443. 67 square miles or 32. 42% is land and 924. 81 square miles 67. 58% is water. (Wikipedia, 2013). There are a total of five (5) parks and ninety-one (91) lakes in addition to Lake Michigan which is border to a very large part of the county. There are several forest preserves and natural areas located within Lake County, including a long string that runs from north to south and healthincludes Half Day Woods, Old School Forest Preserve, Independence Grove and Van Patten Woods. These all form the Des Plaines River Greenway, which contains the Des Plaines River Trail where many in the community walk, run or bike. There are the traditional nature preserves, such as the Ryerson Conservation Area. Additionally, there are many golf courses and historic homes, such as the Adlai Stevenson historic home. Outdoor and indoor sports and activities are plentiful and do not forget Six Flags Great America and the indoor water parks. Health of Lake County. Lake County has created a Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) which included a health assessment of the community. The MAPP is a strategic planning approach to community health improvement developed through the cooperative effort of the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), the Public Health Practice Program Office of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, local health officials, community representatives and academicians. (MAPP, 2013). The strategic effort consists of the following components: Helping the community to take responsibility for its own health through a grass roots approach. Using the 10 Essential Public Health Services to define public health activities to create a strategic plan. Conducting four comprehensive assessments to identify what needs to be included in the plan and what needs to be worked on. The local public health systems are included in development of the plan. Ensuring that diverse voices and perspectives are including in constructing the plan. Ensuring a shared vision. Data is used to make decisions. Partnerships and collaborative are made. Successes are always celebrated. The community health assessment report created by MAPP has twelve sections as listed below. 1. Some General Attributes of Lake County’s Population and their Health-Related Characteristics 2. An Evaluation of Progress Toward the Community Health Improvement Goals from the 2006 Illinois Project for Local Assessment of Needs (IPLAN) 3. Births and Birth Outcomes / Maternal, Fetal, and Infant Health 4. Youth Health Behaviors 5. Environmental Health 6. Built Environment 7. Community Safety 8. Behavioral Health 9. Infectious Diseases 10. Mortality Rates and Stratified Incidence Rates 11. Age-Stratified Hospital/ER and Other Local Data 12. Chronic Conditions, Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions, and Hospital Usage Data In this report that total life expectancy for Lake County’s population is 79. 3 years. For males it is 77. 5 years and for females it is 81 years. Additionally, Caucasians and African Americans are listed with life expectancies of 80. 4 years and 79. 8 years respectively. No other population sectors are listed separately. All of these statistics are higher than national statistics from 2008 which was overall 78. 12. Approximately 11% of residents in Lake County do not have health insurance. It is estimated that approximately 65% of Lake County residents are actively engaged in improving their health status based upon the accessibility and health care effort and education within the community. Overall, Lake County is very actively engaged in improving the health of the community. The community has the normal health concerns as most communities in the United States. The top five causes of death in Lake County from 2003 to 2007 were all cancers, followed by heart disease, dementia, cerebrovascular disease and chronic lower respiratory disease. (Health Department, 2013). There are ample number of community health resources with eighteen (18) community health departments, seven (7) hospitals and over a hundred of health clinics and offices located within easy access throughout the county. Mental health issues and substance abuse. There are two major growing concerns within Lake County according to the MAPP health assessment. Mental health issues and substance abuse are rising expeditiously and are attributed to stress and economic concerns that are facing many Americans. The existing behavioral health and substance abuse programs available to meet these rising needs are not adequate to handle the demand. This lack of services is based upon fiscal challenges, including the economic downturn, problems with Medicaid reimbursement at the state level, and political feuds at the state government level. (MAPP, 2013). Also according to the report, there has never been adequate supply of services and over the past four years, there have been state funding cuts that have either significantly limited or delayed access to care. Domestic violence and homelessness are both on the rise in the community and both are a result of the mental health and substance abuse growth. It is believed that all of these issues are rising in Lake County because there is lack of funding for prevention and treatment programs. Further, what is lacking is awareness in general by the public and policy makers of the prevalence and growth patterns in these conditions and the extent of the impact they have on families and the community. There is not a short term or long term plan that has been developed to address these issues. The lack of knowledge may be partly due to the demographics’ of this community with its history of affluence and growth where financial issues have not been as concerning in the past and/or because the private sector could afford private treatment and keeping such issues behind closed doors and thus politicians have historically not been made to care about these issues. Neighborhood/Community Safety The Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center among all of the data already expressed regarding the health of Lake County, monitors the air quality in Lake County. They monitor both indoor and outdoor air quality and have an on-line alert system to Lake County residents. They monitor ozone and ozone action days, they offer radon testing kits, they provide information about the Clean Air Act, they investigate inquiries about leaf and, or open burning, they help students with service projects related to the environment and offer advice regarding mold or mildew, asthma and flood or sewer cleanups. (LakeCounty. gov, 2013). The air quality index for Lake County is reported as good by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Every year Lake County produces a water quality report. It is found on the lakecounty. gov web site and easily accessible by any one as is all vital information needed statistic for the county. Lake County is a strong supporter of the Safe Drinking Water Act. Because of the support of this act, they are required to publish an annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) describing the sources, treatment and chemical analysis of each water distribution system. (LakeCounty. gov, 2013). In Lake County, Lake Michigan supplies most of the water source for Lake County. More than 750 million gallon of water is supplied to the village where I live in Lake County. Lake Michigan water is disinfected by using the ozone, which has been proven to be highly effective in removing contaminants and in deactivating disease-causing pathogens. After the water is treated, it passes through filters of granular activated carbon which removes any remaining contaminants and particles from the water. This also takes out bad tastes and odors. (LakeCounty. gov, 2013). To prevent the spread of disease from wildlife, the Lake County government monitors animal care and the control of the animal care populations with the goal of preventing the spread of rabies through their Animal Care and Control division. They enforce county ordinances and state laws related to any animal complaints. They investigate nuisance complaints, complaints of animal cruelty or neglect, as well as reports of stray, roaming, injured, dangerous, vicious or biting animals. They also provide spay and neuter assistance to low-income families in Lake County. Because of all of the lakes in Lake County there is a high potential for water related injuries. These potentials include injuries from boating, swimming and drowning. In addition, water quality is at risk because of all of the development along the water fronts, inappropriate sewage disposal, storm water runoff that becomes polluted. The lakes are monitored by Lake County’s Lakes Management Unit which is part of the Health Department. The Lakes Management Unit monitors the quality of the county’s surface water in order to: – Maintain or improve water quality and alleviate nuisance conditions – Promote healthy and safe lake conditions – Protect and improve ecological diversity (LakeCounty. gov, 2013). Lake County also has a food safety division to protect its food supply. Community services division. The Community Services Division which is also part of Lake County government is responsible for educating the public in ways individuals can help prevent crime and cooperate with law enforcement. They make programs available to help reduce criminal victimization and improve the quality of life of residents in Lake County. These programs include the following: 1. Community Policing Contact Program 2. Neighborhood Watch Program 3. Home Security Program 4. Home Security Survey 5. Traveling Alone Program 6. Safety on Call Program 7. McGruff the Crime Dog 8. Bicycle Safety Program 9. Career Shadow Day 10. Personal Safety and Security Program 11. Illinois Sherriff’s Association Scholarship Program 12. Child Fingerprinting Program 13. R. U. O. K Program 14. DUI Awareness Program 15. Volunteer Senior Advocates Program The Crime Prevention Division within the Sherriff’s Department is responsible for handling many of the community services and provides public safety education and information along with the Community Services Division. The Lake County MAPP also addresses community safety and prescribes following the World Health Organizations (WHO) Collaborating Center on Community Safety’s six indicators for safe communities. 1. â€Å"An infrastructure based on partnerships and collaborations, governed by a cross-sectoral group that is responsible for safety promotion in their community; 2. Long-term, sustainable programs covering both genders and all ages, environments, and situations; 3. Programs that target high-risk groups and environments, and programs that promotes safety for vulnerable groups; 4. Programs that document the frequency and causes of injuries; 5. Evaluation measures to assess their programs, processes, and effects for change; 6. Ongoing participation in national and international Safe Communities Networks† Each community within Lake County has their own police and fire departments. No deficiencies in service or in quality are found. In 2008 crime rate was 2132 and in 2009 it was 2160. While crimes among juveniles are declining, the crime rates for adults are increasing. The most frequent crime is theft, followed by burglary, aggravated assault/battery and motor vehicle theft. The rate of aggravated assault/battery has increased by 18. 3% and is primarily due to increased in domestic violence. There are 52,756 total law enforcement employees in Lake County dedicated to enforcing the law preventing crime but there appears to be a need for prevention programs to address the increase in domestic violence. Disaster Assessment and Planning Lake County’s Emergency Management Agency (LCEMA) requests that they be called for all types of emergencies including train derailments to hazardous materials spills. The LCEMA has a well-trained HAZMAT team as well as other specialized training that can deal with natural disasters and even biochemical events. LCEMA coordinates the primary response for everything non-medical. Lake County is located in an area where there can be extreme weather related events from tornado’s to flooding to extreme cold weather and snow events. LCEMA will establish alerts and provide educational information when Lake County experiences extreme weather and during extreme weather seasons. They also coordinate with shelter sites mass evacuations if needed. Should the type of disaster require a specific expertise, LCEMA will call in appropriate county organizations as needed. For example, in the case of a medical emergency, such as a bio-weapon attack or a pandemic outbreak, Lake County’s Health Department’s Emergency Management Agency (LCHDEMA) would take the primary role is responding to this type of event. The most resent event such as this was in 2009 when the H1N1 flu pandemic hit and LCHDEMA set up fifteen (15) mass vaccination clinics and vaccinated over 27,000 residents. LCEMA prescribes to the theory that disaster preparedness starts with the individuals within the community. They see their role as education, coordination and alert notification. Because they believe that is true disasters, there will not be enough available employed first responders to address the needs of the community, they have organized community they have organized Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) which are made up of members of the community with specific talents and training who have committed to be available during an emergency. LCEMA functions are summarized in five (5) categories: Prevention Preparedness Response Recovery Mitigation Lake County has an all-natural disaster mitigation plan that is found on the Lake County government website. Communities that adopt the plan are eligible for pre- and post-disaster funding from three (3) FEMA mitigation grant programs. The committee responsible for this plan meets annually to review and update the plan to comply with FEMA’s required five (5) year plan process. The state of Illinois has developed a state-wide emergency preparedness plan that includes Lake County titled the Illinois Emergency Operations Plan (IEOP). While the local government is charged with dealing with emergencies and disasters, the state plan is there to take over when the local plan is not sufficient to meet the needs of the local community(s). A specific emergency operations plan for Lake County was not found. There is a link on their home page that when accessed goes to FEMA’s Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101. Also located on the link is a plan analysis tool which is like a checklist to evaluate a plan, as well as many other links to local, state, federal and national emergency and disaster management resources. Also, there are links to several volunteer agencies on the website that can assist in the event of a disaster or emergency. Alert Lake County is another resource that provides information to residents of Lake County to prepare for disasters. If residents follow them on Twitter, they provide minute by minute information regarding impending or immediate disasters. On their website there are checklists, risk assessments, emergency plans and contacts for medical and other emergency resources that are very beneficial when disaster strikes. LCEMA refers residents of Lake County to Alert Lake County to become prepared for emergencies and disasters. On the Lake County Emergency Management Agency website are located the following five (5) videos intended to prepare and educate residents: Lake County Flooding Response Tips To Get Your Vehicle Ready For Winter Weather Conditions Stormy Weather Safety Tips Lake County Blizzard Response Cold Weather Preps When residents of Lake County were questioned about emergency and disaster management, I did not find anyone who was aware of the specific provisions that Lake County Emergency Management Agency provides to this community. Most assumed they existed, but no one had visited the website or accessed any information on this topic. I could not find anyone who knew about Alert Lake County and their services. I checked with my daughter who went to high school in Lake County and she vaguely remembers some information being distributed in school regarding disaster preparedness, but only as it elated to what they were to do in the event of an emergency while they were at school. The apparent lack of concern among Lake County residents who were questioned may be due to the long history of Lake County and the Chicagoland area for that matter providing alerts and information in a very timely manner and adequately addressing all emergencies and disasters that have historically happened in recent history. There appears to be a lot of confidence in the systems and processes in place. In fact, many older residents will refer to an event that happened around 1979 when a great blizzard occurred in Chicago and then mayor, Michael Bilandic was accused of not removing the snow in a timely and appropriate manner and therefore was not re-elected to a new term. Since that event, all of the government agencies in the Chicagoland area go above and beyond to respond to all impending or immediate emergencies in an appropriate manner. Genogram of Lake County How to gnifican Interpretation of Genogram The Genogram presents a summary of a thorough assessment of the Lake County, Illinois community and has been very enlightening and provides a copious amount of information. Getting to know the community better has shown light on needs for this community that should be addressed. This is analogous to performing a thorough assessment on a patient. The health indicators in this Genogram points to a need to address substance abuse and mental health issues in Lake County with both conditions on the rise resulting in an increase in crime statistics for the community, specifically violent behavior and domestic abuse. While that are ample hospitals health care facilities to treat the population, there is a shortage of prevention and treatment resources to address both substance abuse and mental illness. Further assessment of the disaster preparedness plan needs to occur to assure that having only a plan for natural disasters while relying on other state and volunteer resources are sufficient to address future needs of the community. Community diagnosis. The community diagnosis is that of an affluent community with excellent access to hospitals, clinics healthcare facilities but with a shortage of access to mental health and substance abuse prevention and care. The community assessment performed by MAPP suggests that this is due to a lack of knowledge by politicians that the problem exists and therefore a lack of funding to provide such services. Further the diagnosis shows that this lack of prevention programs and treatment for these health issues has resulted in an increase in crime, domestic violence and homelessness. This diagnosis supports the need for additional funding to provide the necessary prevention and treatment programs.

Marketing Management- Marketing Plan Essay

2 Introduction This report is prepared as part of the course submission for Marketing Management (460-741) a core subject towards international Master of Business Administration Program at Prince of Songkhla University. The intention of this report is to create a Marketing Plan to outlines a strategy for success, and breaks it down into comprehensible, actionable components that will enable Seoul-Roy Korean Restaurant to implement marketing activities to provide a solid return on investment. This plan is designed to report the external and internal factors that will influence the company’s success in Hatyai market. The topics covers in this plan include situation analysis, marketing strategy, tactical programs, implementation and budgets in carrying out the marketing activities which differentiate the business and product offering from our competitor and marketing strategy that drive the business to earn above average profit. 3 Company Summary 3.1 Company Overview Seoul-Roy is a Hatyai based restaurant serving Korean cuisine, the name Seoul-Roy is easy to remember and easy to pronounce. Seoul reflects the theme of the restaurant for serving Korean cuisine which is a famous destination in Korea, a megacity with a population of over 10 million and a leading global city in the world. Furthermore, â€Å"Roy† means â€Å"Delicious† in southern Thai dialects, to have a name meaning â€Å"Delicious Seoul†, conveyed the message that the restaurant having very high standard food. The restaurant name Seoul-Roy will surely leave an impressive memory in potential customer first impression that will attract the customer to visit the restaurant for the first time. Seoul-Roy will be operating seven days a week inclusive public holiday in operation 365 days throughout the year to ensure that customers have the opportunity to enjoy our delicious whenever they feel like it. Seoul-Roy is a medium size restaurant enhanced with cozy, comfy, friendly, and appetite tempting atmosphere for patrons through its  modern contemporary casual dining style to unearth the feeling of refreshing and energizing to dinners. The facility will be divided into indoor area for customer that is seeking cool comfy ambient and outdoor area for customer seeking a breath of fresh air. The cafà © will feature seating for approximately 100 patrons, desert bar, water fountain and liquor bar. 3.2 Location This restaurant is planned to be situated at the empty land on Thumnoonvithi Road, in Klong Rein area which is approximately 500 m from Tesco and Prince of Songkhla University. With hundred and thousand of local resident, university student and shoppers from other suburb visiting this area on everyday basis, it does instigate this area to be the perfect sites in town. Marketing Management Seoul-Roy marketing Plan Furthermore, Thumnoonvithi Road is one of the major connector between the roads on the external circuit to the Hatyai city which have high traffic concentration. In spite of this, there is ample parking space along the road that makes it handy for by passer to stop for dine in and appear to be a profit potential site. Moreover, the rent in this area is much cheaper comparing to the retail shops in major shopping complex such as Tesco, Big C, Lee Garden Plaza and Central. 3.3 2.1 Objective The objective to startup Seoul-Roy includes the following: A. B. C. D. E. Become premier food franchise serving fusion of Korean food and Thai Food. Provide highest quality fresh and delicious food. Ensure that every prospect in promoting â€Å"Seoul-Roy† brand are explore and implement. Maintain and expand every possibility to achieve outstanding reputations. Create an ideal working environment for employee in promoting good communication and great team work. F. Achieving profitable investment return between 4-6 years. G. Achieving total daily customers of 7,000 patrons/month by the end of second year of operation. The objectives of marketing activities include:   To  introduce Korean Cuisine to Hatyai community and Songkhla Province area. To attract 50% of the target market and forecast potential customer. To be perceived as the cleanest restaurant in the region. To be perceived as restaurant serve delicious, quality, and tasty Korean cuisine in the region. 3.4 2.2 Vision and Mission Seoul-Roy mission is to bring to the market finest, freshest, and tastiest Fusion Korean cuisine that is inspired by a combination of Korean and Thai cuisine in the Hatyai. In conjunction to Seoul-Roy high standards of quality and cleanliness will ascertain Seoul-Roy growth into a reputable premier Korean cuisine in Hatyai. The mission of Seoul-Roy includes the following: To bring to the market finest, freshest, and tastiest Korean cuisine. To ensure that all foods are serves to its highest level of freshness, nutrition, and gastronomic. To ensure that all order are serve with efficiency and effectiveness. To consistently provide exceptional dining experience by demonstrating warmth, welcome, efficiency, professionalism and integrity in performing our duty. To ensure finest customer service experience that exceed their expectation and excited to revisit the cafà © again. To continuingly developing innovative and creative products that conform to customer desires. To ensure cleanliness, comfy, warmth and friendly environment in the cafà ©. To provide appropriate training and knowledge to employee in ensuring that the qualities and services standard of the company are achieved. 3.5 Startup Cost The total startup cost of Seoul-Roy for the first year of implementation is as presented in Description Facilities Design Rent Renovation Furniture Equipment Marketing Expense Year 1 Staff Salary (10 person) Training Insurance Utilities Miscellaneous Total (Baht/Yr) Table 1 Seoul-Roy Startup Cost 4 Positioning Seoul-Roy provides differentiated products and services through its superior customer service experience and high quality culinary. Therefore, Seoul-Roy will position the company as restaurant offering service at 50% premium price. The value proposition that the target market will pay for this 50% premium price is the superior customer service experience and high quality Korean cuisine. The company will ensure that the restaurant is always has a clear proposition of the claimed benefit for the services and products. In this, the company will always monitor the quality of the food produce to Marketing Management Seoul-Roy marketing Plan ensure mouth watering experience is offered to the customer and consistly advertise on the value proposition of the restaurant through advertising media. 5 Situation Analysis Situation analysis involves evaluating the situation and trends in of Korean Cuisine in Hatyai City which defines and interprets the state of the environment of the organization. A situation analysis provides the context and knowledge for planning and achieve above average profit for the organization. The analysis describes Seoul-Roy competitive position, internal environment, external environment and critical issues. In portraying a clearer understanding of the situation of Korean Cuisine  industry in Hatyai, the report further outline SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats) analysis of the organization. The situation analysis includes in this marketing plan includes: External Environment Internal Environment SWOT Analysis 5.1 External Environment The external environment affects firm growth and profitability which also a condition that creates threats and opportunities for firms that have major effects on organization strategic actions. The organization understands of external environment coupling with knowledge on internal environment form its vision to develop its mission and to take actions that result in strategic competitiveness and above-average returns. As shown in Figure 1, an organization’s external environment is divided into three major areas which include the general, industry environment and competitor environment. The general environment is composed of dimension of broader society that influences an industry. These dimensions can be group into six environment segments which include demographic, economic, political/legal, socio-cultural, technological and global. The industry environment is a set of factors that directly influences a firm and its competitive actions and competitive responses which include treat of new entrants, power of supplier, power of buyers, and threat of product substitutes and intensity of rivalry among competitors. Understanding competitor’s environments complement prediction on the dynamics of competitor’s actions, responses, and intention.

Are Video Games Educational - 6233 Words

Are Video Games Educational? (based on 27 ratings) By Jayel Gibson Video games. While they may seem like the bane of every parents existence, they dont have to be—many of them offer unique learning features. And with increased requirements in schools placing unprecedented demands on children and parents, it may be time to start thinking about video games as teaching tools. The learning component of gaming can be optimized with parent involvement. That means understanding what makes a game both fun and educational. What makes a game fun? * Challenge and strategy – this is the core of the game. It includes the objective, the play and the scoring. The game should provide a challenge for its players and allow them to use†¦show more content†¦This requires the use of critical thinking and math skills. Management games have elements that help teach science, social studies and language arts. Most management games are rated â€Å"E† for everyone. * Role-playing games are based on exploration and the completion of quests. Role-play games such as â€Å"Tomb Raider† and â€Å"Half Life† require reading dialogue and directions, inventory and maps. There may be elements of fighting, but in many instances the player must decide whether fighting, or avoiding the fight, is the best choice. Online versions of role-playing games include the extremely popular â€Å"World of Warcraft,† and long running â€Å"EverQuest† series. This genre is suitable for teens. * Strategy games feature an array of activities, from building historical vehicles to creating the history of new worlds or replaying the history of our own. These include games like â€Å"Model Trains 3D†, Microsofts â€Å"Flight Simulator X,† â€Å"Empire Earth,† and â€Å"Age of Empires.† Players experiment and discover how things work, or dont work, as they set goals and labor to achieve them. Strategy games involve many of the same skills used in todays science exploration. They are suitable for most children 10 and older. For parents who are wary of just handing over the console carte-blanch, there are ways you can get involved to make sure your child is getting the most out of the learning game experience. * Play games with your child. BeShow MoreRelatedVideo Games : An Educational Institution1481 Words   |  6 PagesVideo games. School. One is an entertainment platform while the other is an educational institution. At first glance, they appear to standing obsoleted in a spectrum. One might even claim the video games like hinders the education process or cause the younger generation socially isolated. However, couldn’t the same be said out the core curriculum place in the majority of school? Schools and video games like Papers, Please might even share similar structure and lessons. 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