What Is the Function of the Welfare State - 2096 Words

WHAT IS THE FUNCTION OF THE WELFARE STATE? The question set is so broad that I shall have to be selective. I shall conduct my answer in relation to the British Welfare State. Before we can successfully understand the function of the Welfare State we must first be clear of its definition. Although I recognise that Britain has a long history of providing forms of welfare to its citizens though relief like the poor-law between the sixteenth and twentieth centuries, I intend to look at the post-war history of the Welfare State. I shall then move on to looking at the main provisions that the British Welfare State makes and how it works in a constantly changing society. I shall focus on the intimate relationship between the Welfare State and†¦show more content†¦The second line of thought is that the State also has the duty to not only help the worse off but also help those who are better off. The State should help the better off to ‘safeguard and improve their position in economic and societal terms. This supports Sta te intervention in various formally private services, for example, State pensions and government grants for students wanting to undertake higher education. It aims to make benefits more or less proportionate to individual earnings. The third line of thought that Sleeman identifies ‘has in many ways conflicted with both of the first two. It involves using the social services to reduce inequality of income and opportunity. It implies providing social security to those who cannot earn, which is not merely a minimum income (as the first view implies) but rather an adequate amount so that they can have an average standard of living. It also conflicts with the second view in that it implies relatively high, but flat rate, standard rates of benefit. This is still considered by the majority as the most desirable view; however it is also very costly. (Sleeman, 1979). Many argue that the central function of the Welfare State is a commitment to full employment. Indeed Marsh argues that it is certainly a defining characteristic of a Welfare State. Since the well-beingShow MoreRelatedEvolution and Growth of Administrative Law1760 Words   |  7 Pagesreferred to as the sociology of law , as it is with the changes in the society and the functions of the administration, that the scope of the term has widened and evolved. The following project intends to define the various definitions of administrative law, as put forward by scholars, and then trace the development of Administrative Law, from its origin to the present date. The paper also lays down various functions of Administrative Law, and its growth in India. Further, the author intends to outlineRead MoreEssay Juvenile Delinquency1499 Words   |  6 Pagesofficers, their agencies, and State legislators. When deviant behavior becomes continuous, chronic and widespread it gets perceived as a significant part of the population as threatening to the general well-being of society (Thompson and Bynum, 2010, p. 44). This is a societal problem that requires attention from various forms of social control. However, a lot of the burden is absorbed by an imperfect Juvenile Justice System. As time has passed, argument has ensued over what should be done with theRead MoreAll Of World History : What Makes American Society?971 Words   |  4 Pagessignifica nt control in one of a few sectors of American society; this can be political, economical or military. What differentiates American society from the historical trend of power elites was that it was not required to be born into the power elite, middle class people could find themselves holding quite a lot of power depending on their profession. 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At the outset of the war was that all of the people were excited, they wanted action therefore praising the army, the people were very nationalistic. The war was caused by a buildup of nationalist ideas and growing tensions between countries. The people were bored and nationalism inspired the people to start wars. 2. What were the main · features of trench warfare for the troops involved? What would happen to peopleRead MoreThe Global Financial Crisis And Protectionism1454 Words   |  6 Pagesproducers. How might this have distorted international trade? Was this a reasonable thing to do given the circumstances? Introduction There was an empirical research study on the effect of protectionism on the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the United States (US). According to National Bureau Of Economic Research, â€Å"a generalized 10 percent hike against emerging Asia improves the US current account balance as a share of GDP by a mere 0.1 percentage point. The effect disappears after about two years, andRead MoreEssay about Animal Rights1553 Words   |  7 Pages The issue of animal experimentation is a widely debated topic in the United States. A fundamental question of this debate is whether the functions of animal testing and research are morally and ethically justified. In the viewpoint of the pro-research community, animal testing is a necessary practice. They support this position by stating that humans, instinctually, prioritize their own survival above other animals thus making any use of animals justifiable (Fox 5). The supporters of animal testingRead MoreChild Welfare Is A Program That Helps Impro ve The Lives Of Disadvantaged Children845 Words   |  4 Pagesparenting skills in the United States. In these types of examples, the children are put at risk of not having a stable home and even take the chance of being malnutrition amongst other health issues. Child welfare is a program that helps improve the lives of disadvantaged children (Dictionary.com website, 2016, para. 1). Often times all it takes is an intervention to help the families out in order for them to understand what needs to change so the family is able to function in a more positive manner.Read MoreAnimal Cruelty Should Not Be A Big Deal1415 Words   |  6 PagesSeeing an animal get brutalize by some humans seems to be cruel. Getting kicked in the ribs, left for starvation and even used for entertainment seems to be heartless. Why abuse animals when they have not done anything to harm a human. If one must see what they are really doing to these animals, then animal cruelty would not be a big deal. There are two types of animal cruelty, â€Å"cruelty can be manifested in two ways: actively and passively. Active behavior includes ‘acts of commission. Passive behaviorRead MoreThe Welfare System Within New Zealand1626 Words   |  7 Pagesgetting help through different resources and services. A reoccurring function that keeps arising within New Zealand society, however, is the unemployment factor, as it has lead to recent welfare reforms. Due to the cause of people being unemployed it then leads them to a welfare dependency which they then become more reliant on benefits and tend to pass this easy knowledge on to the next generation and so on. Thus, the welfare system within New Zealand has had a negative impact on health, social

Contemporary Art Movement Discussion Free Essays

Art movements possess varying definitions that are given by art critics, historians and even artists. They emerge from Classical period and then followed by escapes or transitions from the traditions or a mixture of two movements that eventually give birth to another movement of a period. We will write a custom essay sample on Contemporary Art Movement Discussion or any similar topic only for you Order Now Contemporary art which is personally defined as â€Å"art of the present,† encompasses a number of artistic movements; one of which is performance art, a contemporary art movement that focuses on the acts of the artists who utilize their body to demonstrate a certain work or piece of art. Art pieces that are created during the late twentieth and twenty-first centuries belong in the realm of contemporary art. These are the objects of outgrowth and rejection of modern art. When abstract expressionism’s power and drive shrinks, nouveau art movements and styles arise during 1960s and 1970s to summon and to displace the modernism in visual arts and other media (Contemporary Art, 2008). The definition of the term â€Å"contemporary art† varies from art critics to art historians because confusion lies amid the two concepts: â€Å"modern† and â€Å"contemporary,† due to the reason that contemporary art follows modern art. Therefore, no one seems to agree with regards to the exact meaning of the term because there has been no particular agreement on when â€Å"modern art† has ended (What is Contemporary Art? 2008). However, other descriptions regard it as a term that generally refers to the art crafted on the second half of the twentieth century (Harry Carlton School, 2009). On the other hand, three simple definitions cover the concept â€Å"contemporary art. † And these include the following characterization: First, contemporary art is the art created after 1945. It is the meaning that is adhered by most museums; on the contrary, historians affirm it as outdated. Second, contemporary art is art produced in our era or lifetimes. It is the definition used by general art historians; however, it is too vague for the functions and purposes. Third, contemporary art is art produced since the 1960s. It is the description that is commonly utilized by art historians and critics but disagreement materializes as to the accurate cut-off date (What is Contemporary Art? 2008). Contemporary art is comprised by a myriad of schools, styles and movements that come to the front during the mid-1960s until present. These are conceptualism, performance, installation, video art, minimalism, photo-realism, earthworks, supports-surfaces, contemporary realism, new subjectivity, London School, graffiti art, transavanguardia, neo-expressionism, Britart: young British artists, neo-pop, stuckism and new Leipzig School (What is Contemporary Art? 2008). Performance Art The concept â€Å"performance art† has commenced in the year 1960s in the United States. It is originally utilized to define and describe any live artistic incident that includes poets, musicians, artists and filmmakers. It is also referred as â€Å"Happenings,† â€Å"Events,† and â€Å"Fluxus concerts† (Esaak, 2009). The history of Performance art can be traced back to the Futurists and Dadaists who often promote their arts during the year 1910 with hilarious and shocking events. However, it is during the year 1950s when a French artist known as Yves Klein includes dragging naked women with whom he spreads and smears with paint across canvas on the floor of an art gallery. It is an accompaniment to one of his minimalist musical compositions. It is not until 1960s when performance art is acknowledged and recognized as a branch or art. Nevertheless, the term â€Å"performance art† is first used in 1970 (Performance Art, 2009). Performance art is a form of art that is concerned and focused with direct audience communication by the artists that can last from a few minutes to several days. There are cases when it is considered as a form of getting out to the institutional dominance of commercial galleries and aesthetic priorities of Modernism (Pookie and Newall, 2007, p. 225). It is the category when artists break away with utilizing only one traditional medium. Performance artists, most of the time, are exploring and seeking several artistic disciplines and creating works of art that may traverse traditional media borders such as works that comprise the aspects of theater, music and visual arts. There are also artists who are enthused in incorporating in their performance activities of everyday life and presenting it in an artistic manner (Byrd, 1998). Women in Performance Art During the advent of Performance Art, women have found their place and fame in the art world. Some of the women through the period have been known in the said branch of art. Among them are Laurie Anderson, Meredith Monk and Linda Montano. Laurie Anderson is probably the most renowned performance artist. It is in 1970 when she emerges. Her works explore and illustrate the relationship between people and technology. Her masterpieces are usually comprised of spoken text, music, projected slides and videos. She has been known for employing an array of synthesizers to create sonic soundscape and a vocoder to change the sound of her voice when telling stories of her life in the late 20th century wherein laptops and ghosts exist side by side (Byrd, 1998). On the other hand, Meredith Monk is another artist who crafts interdisciplinary theater pieces. She is a composer who deals with inventive and pioneering vocal techniques. Her works are mixtures of free elements and images that are not related to one another. However, it is the combination of those unrelated elements that make her works unique (Byrd, 1998). Linda Montano, on the contrary, is the artist who explores the nexus between art and life. Rituals for her can change one’s perception of life. During those times of her artistic development, she manages to perform life ceremonies that transpire for several years. One of her renowned work is the one in which she spends an entire year tied to another artist known as Teching Hsieh. They have been united and joined by a seven-foot length rope. They did not touch each other for the whole year (Byrd, 1998). Those are just a number of performance arts that have been executed by female artists. There are other performances and pieces that make use of their bodies as a medium on demonstrating a work of art. They reveal issues such as feminism and role of women in society. Performance arts are often open-ended and can happen anywhere. They are usually presented in a live audience and only performed once. Its theme is usually in accordance to the artist’s viewpoints with regards to the link and relationship between art and life, art and technology, people and art or anything that the artist desires to illustrate. Performance art has given way to the feminist agenda during the year 1970s. It is an individual, instantaneous and greatly effective means of communication. Women’s objective when executing and performing a piece is to create an alternative vision for women and their power and status in the world (Gaulke, n. d. ). Their pieces tend to problematize female subjectivity, evaluate personal history, and alter the position of women in society because women are usually excluded from the art world. Women artists, thus, work on different media; performance art and video art are most likely appealing because the new media has no past accounts on eliminating and rejecting women (qtd. Troy, n. d. ). Feminist performance art in the year 1970s encompasses diverse functions and purposes. Women artists never endeavor and attempt to craft a single philosophical system in their works (Gaulke, n. d. ). Their works of art are usually a mixture of different philosophies with regards to the upliftment of women’s status and role in the society, as well as its identity and belongingness in the art world. The Performance art is also an essential movement during those eras because it summons the Formalism movement (Troy, n. d. ), where artworks are confined to canvases, paints and plasters. Performance art serves an exploration to the faction between art and life. Artists have made ways to explore and discover the dynamics between artist and spectators in order to comprehend art as social and experiential (Troy, n. d. ). Analysis and Conclusion Performance art belongs in the realm of contemporary art because of three essential reasons. First, it gives birth to a new media in creating works of art. One of those media is the body by which artists, especially women, utilize in order to demonstrate a blend of philosophies on the role of women in society. Another media is the use of technology and the incorporation other traditional media such as paints and canvas while performing and executing a piece. Second, performance art bestows an opportunity for women to articulate and fight for their rights. That a woman needs not be oppressed in society. While men are superior in the traditional arts and Modernism, women have grabbed the opportunity to find ways on how to express themselves and how to struggle for their status in society. Their creations offer new perspectives on how to look at women and how to value them. They reveal and delineate their struggles and efforts in the form of performance art so that their voice, angst and activism will be heard. Third, performance art provides a space for the women to be recognized in the art world. Because women are oppressed, their talents, skills and abilities are not acknowledged. However, because of the advent of performance art, women have found ways on how to present their endowments. Performance art is not just confined to well-known female artists. There are also a number of men who execute pieces of art in order to present and to articulate their point of views in life. Performance art has given chances to ordinary people who desire to expose their artistic inclinations. Those art pieces that have been showed have helped and aided them in their artistic developments. A myriad of artists especially poets, musicians and theater artists explore, try and manage to achieve a performance art. They may be controversial, shocking, hilarious, still, for them, it is a way of communicating with the audience with regards to their outlook in life and art. 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A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte free essay sample

George Seurats painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of la Grande Jatte is a widely known painting in the era of impressionism with the technique known as pointilism. This painting is so unique because it is a painting that has taken so much time and careful thought to make. It was a long process for George Seurat to make this painting, two years. A painting make by moving your brush around is an easy painting, but George Seurat had to use dots to create his masterpiece. Over a period of two years he carefully places the dots of different colors. He could not mix colors so he had to place different colors next to each other to create optical mixing. Another reason why this painting is a masterpiece is because of the meaning of the painting. Nobody really understands the exact meaning of what this art represents. I heard some critics express that everyone wonders what the lady in black is starring at, and why is she so important in this painting. People also question the monkey that she is holding, what can the monkey mean. To me this painting represents tranquility, and peace. Just looking at this painting I could see that everyone is relaxed. Everyone one is just enjoying a quiet sunny day with almost everyone looking in the same direction. The way the people are dressed show that they are sophisticated people. I enjoy watching this painting because feel as thought I can just live in a place like that. This painting is really good for a decoration piece in your house. Your visitors will be talking about this painting, and the painting is just a timeless work of art. Impressionism was a 19th century art movement that began as a loose association of paris-based artists whose independent exhibitions brought them to prommence in the 1870s and 1880s. (Wikipedia) The name of this movement started from a painting from Claude Monet entitled Impression, Sunrise , and a critic, Louis Leory, made the term when he published his review. The characteristics of impressionism are light brush strokes that depict the different lights. -impressionists paintings are usually modern life like portraits and landscapes. Ainting realistic scenes, let the author portray visual effects, by using short brush stokes. Some techniques of impressionism is to use short thick brushstrokes in order to catch an essence rather than the details. Colors are also applied side by side, less mixing, to create optical mixing, just like pointillism. In impressionism black is avoided, so grays and dark tones are made by mixing complementary colors. -mpressionists paintings are also drawn in the sunlight in order to get the shadow effects. In history many artists have used these techniques separately but impressionism was the first to use all of them together. The impressionist movement can also be a reaction to photography. Photography compared to paintings did not match. Photography was obviously better and the critics would undermine the artwork as not being able to express realism. Impressionism began, so it can show that they can draw realisitc paintings but also show a different point of view. Photography was like a challange to artists. Artists were able to use different art expressions and look for ways to show what photography cannot. The important people who contributed to this impressionism movement were Frederic Bizalle, Gustave Caillebotte, Mary Cassatt, Paul Cezanne, Edgar Degas, Armana. Guillaumin, Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, Camille Pissaro, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Alfred sisley. Impressionism was such a big movement that it inspired other art field to follow the movement like sculpture, music, and literature. From impressionism, post-impressionism was developed. Some of the artist considered the time of post impressionism were Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Gaugun, George Seurat, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. There are many realistic shapes being represented in this painting, it is so realistic, that you can picture yourslef in the painting and in some way relate the painting to your own life. In this painting. The entire art contains two dimensional shapes. Even though this painting is two dimensional, it does not look dull or flat, this is the reason why George Seurat, decided to paint using the pointillism technique because it gave the painting texture. The repeated shapes across the painting make the painting balanced. The people in this masterpiece are made of shapes, and since they are repeated in the painting they create balance, instead of having a couple of people that will distract your eye, if not positioned right, and the painting would be unbalanced. Eventhough the people are perfectly placed and perfectly balanced, the largest women, on the right, has a dominance over the rest of the people. Her dominance can be because of her larger shape or even because her darker colors. Shapes can also express many emotions. The shapes of the people are normal, but our first thought when we see them in the painting is, to think about what they are doing. Viewers start to observe, and wonder why are they positioned like that, and what does there body language express. The way the people are shped gives the people a sense of mystery and that is what a painting should be, something to talk about and for everyone to express their own opinion. ? line Even though this painting does not have a continuous line, because the painting is made of dots, when you look at the painting from a distance you can see that the colors create lines. The lines are all over the painting outlining the peopl, the trees, the land, and the lake. The measure of the lines in this painting are thin lines and that gives it a good balance because the element that stands out in this painting is color. In this painting, lines are also represented in the background where about seven trees are standing next to eachother. These vertical lines give the upper right side of the painting very dominant because the lines are thick and the trees a re creating shadow. The value of the lines, that outline the people in this painting, are dark. They are dark because they have to contrast themselves from the different colors surrounding them. It is not always necessary but having a contrast between a light and a dark will make the image easier to be seen. Contrast in values is what allowas us to see the lines and shapes. Chiaroscuro , naturally blending lights and darks, is partially represented in this picture. The sunlight is directly hitting the lake, that is the highlight because you can see a very light color, and as you keep on looking down to the direction of the lower right, the painting starts gradually decreasing the value until it reaches its darkest value. The patterns in this paintng are very organized. The values in this painting do not have a drastic change. ? Texture In this painting a lot of texture is happening. This painting looks better this way than if it where made by solid colors. There kind of tex0ture that is used in this paint is simulated texture because the surface of this painting looks real but it is not. The texture and pattern that is cause by the pointillism is very helpful in detailing the trees and water and given the painting life. This painting is not three dimensional, but witht the texture that is being caused by the dots, it makes it look more interesting. COLOR Color is one of the most important part of a painting. Being ble to see the colors can affect our emotions directly. The better use of color in the painting, the more realistic it will look, the brighter the colors than maybe the affect can be happier rather than dark colors usually representing sadness. Colors are affected by light. If there is little light than there is little color, and if there is more light than the color would be more intense. There are many hues that are in this painting, the green is oviously more dominant because of all the grassland, and then there are the reds, blues, and yellows. This painting has every color and by the intensity of the light, this painting looks like a happy painting. Overall,based on the type of colors, this painting contains cool colors. It is cool colors because the most that I see are green from the grass and blue from the lake. Another positive to this painting is that there is color balance. There colors are not positioned in only one location, and also not like other paintings where they limit themselves to some colors. This painting has a diverse types of color and it makes the painting have harmony. Space is also important in a painting. Distributing what about of space you want will give it balance or depth. On eye level, this painting you are able to see people, and its perfectly balanced that the empty space between the people is positive because the painting does not seem clutterrd up. Some could say that this paintings is blurry because you cannot see the face clearly but it is clear enough to see some of the peoples facial expressions. ?

The Protestant Reformation Was Primarily an Economic Event free essay sample

The Protestant Reformation was a 16th century movement originally aimed at reforming the Catholic Church. Indirectly, its original motives were realized through the Catholic Counter-Reformation. However, the Protestant Reformation soon sought to break away from the Catholic Church for a variety of different reasons. Despite beginning as a religious movement, the Protestant Reformation came to incorporate political and economic motives as well. Martin Luther’s posting of his Ninety-Five Theses sparked the Protestant Reformation. Luther’s Theses were in direct response to the Church’s selling of indulgences, the sale of an exemption from sin. Luther felt that one could not simply buy oneself out of hell or purgatory. Further, his beliefs were born out of Luther’s deeply religious character, forever frightened by God’s impending judgment. With the advent of the printing press, Luther gained many genuine, religious followers. For example, Luther felt that women should not be required to confess their sins through a male priest; rather, women could confess directly to God. We will write a custom essay sample on The Protestant Reformation Was Primarily an Economic Event or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Luther also had other followers who had ulterior, political motives, like the German princes. German princes, like Luther’s protector Frederick the Wise, saw in Luther a patriotic mascot for their fight for power and independence against the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. The Valois kings of France also supported Protestantism despite being Catholic. Because France was involved in a war with Charles V, the French kings sought to use Protestantism to further splinter the German territories, weakening Charles V. Another king, Henry VIII also had political motives for breaking from the Catholic Church. Despite Catholicism being healthy in England, Henry VIII decided to steer England to Anglicanism, so that he could legally divorce his wife. Henry VIII, like many other Protestant political allies, also had economic side-motives. After imposing the Reformation in England, Henry VIII proceeded to dissolve English monasteries. Before, these church lands were tax-exempt. After dissolution, these monasteries became land for Henry VIII to sell and gain allies with. Another economic motive was to stop the flow of money from Europe to the Catholic Church’s city of choice: Rome. Many rulers resented the high taxes and inordinate tithes the Church demanded. Politics, economics and religion all played a part in propelling the Protestant Reformation forward. However, although the Protestant Reformation began as a religious event, it began to use economic reasons to fuel its ultimately political goals. For instance, Henry VIII and the German princes wove economic and religious incentives to serve their respective goals of divorcing and gaining power. Further, the Reformation as a mainly political event paradoxically supported secularism, despite being a religious movement. The subordination of economics and religion under politics foreshadowed the emergence of a new political character: the politique, a moderate willing to sacrifice personal beliefs for the good of the state.