Do all arguments about abortion come down to the question of what is Essay

Do all arguments about abortion come down to the question of what is the moral status of the fetus Explain - Essay Example Debate on abortion has two premises: pro-life and pro-choice. The pro-life argue in favor of the right of the fetus. The pro-choice school of thought is proponent for the mother has a right of choice on whatever she has to do with her body. They argue that the mother can decide to either terminate or keep her pregnancy. They recognize the fact that any being able to be pregnant can make autonomous choices and decisions regarding what they want to do with their body. Pro-life augments based on human reason: The reason why the bible does not speak directly about Abortion is because it was an unthinkable malady in the Israelite culture. Secondly, the bible views children as a gift from God and as such, life begins during conception and should thus be protected including the fetus. Secondly, Christians believe that God is in control of the womb and finally bareness is a bad omen. Apart from the biblical point of view on abortion, there are other arguments that are provided for non-believers. They include researched pro-life arguments whereby studies have been undertaken in medicine. In medicine arguments against abortion arise from the fact that after conception has taken place, this embryo is different genetically from its mother. A growing fetus has a DNA that is different from the mother. An embryo that is developing is scientifically dissimilar from the ova and sperms that created it. There are 46 or 47 chromosomes in a human being whereby a sperm egg is believed to have 23 chromosomes. Since geneticist can easily differentiate embryo’s DNA and that of sperms and ovum. However, there is no clearly distinct difference between the DNA of the fetus and the afterwards fully grown human being. In addition, the idea of defining death and life leads to a medical argument. It is known that death refers to the cessation of the heartbeat of an individual. In the embryo, the heart is formed on the 18th

Business Plan of Dohuk City

Business Plan of Dohuk City Vaheen Hayder Othman Introduction and Background Dohuk governorate is known as mountain resort destination. It has ancient archaeological sites during all four seasons Dohuk has beautiful views which made it to be one of the best tourism sector of Kurdistan. The city is the point of joint between three parts of Kurdistan (Syria- Turkey- Iraq) therefore it has a strategic location (About Duhok Governorate, 2014). This governorate is considered as one of the most significant and important governorates especially in historical and geographical sides. According to (Shingaly, 2013) because of some points like (the rapid pace of urbanization, moving from other cities to Duhok and the increasing migration from rural to urban areas) economic and social problems of population are increased. It needs commercial projects within the city with a clear plan scheme. The random distribution for commercial uses was due to the lack of a clear plan. Several issues rose from changing the Duhok master plan of land use from residential use to commercial . This affected traffic congestions change of the urban pattern and townscape, less contract of shopping and malls. This essay will address strategic action plan plans for developing the economy of the city of Dohuk with adequate developmental programs for the city. Local economic development makes it easy for Counterpart staff and partners to engage in the process of local economic development planning. This will help stakeholder to find common issues and develop a strategy that will fit key market opportunities. Also to identify quick-win projects to generate jobs opportunities, increase local competitiveness and attract more stakeholders to buy-in (Economic Development Economic Development Government of Yukon, 2014).according to (Ministry of Planning, Kurdistan Region, 2014) There are several factors that has affect or prevents the economic development. The first factor is lack of information and transparency. Dohuk’s directorates and main offices must dedicate itself to serve people in a clear way. To achieve this, the ministries should follow data and regulations. It will help local business owners and international investors to make informed decisions that will make economy grow if they have international standards of transparency and accountability. The second issue is inefficient banking system. Any country or city that wants to be successful in business and gain economic development needs a modern banking system. The banking system must be connected to world class financial institutions and build trustful relation with investors and business men/women. The third factor is educational system, which is a very important factor that needs to be taken seriously. Educational system must meet the demands of market economy. It needs to produce the skills and abilities that could help develop economy. Some certain sectors should be given more attention; in addition of English and Arabic language there should be trainings within these sectors to gain more responsive to the market and local development needs. The last factor is not having a good infrastructure. KRG should upgrade basic infrastructure and invest in it as they are one of the important factors to help economic development. The purpose of this economic development plan is to give a better quality of life to the citizens of Dohuk city and attract more people to invest in new businesses. Creating more jobs and developing existing businesses. Mission statement: Dohuk city’s mission is to provide and strengthen the demands of economic market. As the population of the city grows it needs business creation and reducing the rate of unemployment by creating new jobs. Attract foreign companies to invest in the city’s development and retain the companies within the city. Also getting support from KRG to help develop the economy of the city is a major point. If the city can achieve businesses to invest in residential, commercial, industrial and institutional projects, the citizens will be able to enjoy a wide range of various outdoor activities. The mission is to make the city the most desirable place to live in in the region. The mission is to gain economic and social benefits (Tutor2u.net, 2014). Such as improving living standards it can cause capita income rise and reduce in poverty. The accelerator effect of growth on capital investment, rising demand and output encourages investment in capital – this helps to sustain GDP ( Tutor2u.net, 2014). Making the city richer also to have more resources available to spend on public and serving people including environmental benefits. Most important is the Benefits from growth driven by technological change (Tutor2u.net, 2014). Goal Statement: Dohuk city is encircled by mountains along the Tigris River. It has a growing tourist industry because of it beautiful weather and view though out the four seasons. The goal is to make Dohuk the main mountain resort destination. This will help economy development of the city, as well as financial and none financial support can be important point of this development. The other goals Dohuk city should achieve are, good quality of life for the citizen, better income, increasing the GDP, job creations, increasing investment. Economic Condition of Dohuk City and Recommendations for Economic Development: Urban: According to (Mop.krg.org, 2014) the urban population of the Kurdistan Region accounts for 79% of the total population. 41% referees to the three main cities Erbil, Dohuk Sulaymaniyah. But the idea here is that rural structure is suffering from low growth rates mainly in Dohuk and Sulaymaniyah. The population of Dohuk is around 280,40017 inhabitants. They occupies 67.2 square km. The city’s expansion to the west is fast and it is close to connect with the district of Sumel. Dohuk has the capacity to accommodate population growth beyond 2020 because of its vacant land. The plan is to develop the city until 2032. (Mop.krg.org, 2014) suggested these points for economic development of Dohuk city â€Å"†¢ A phasing plan for urban development based on realistic growth projections. †¢ An infrastructure assessment of the existing built up areas to identify gaps in service provision and potential infill capacities. †¢ Two priority investment projects: the urban upgrading of the informal Gejabara area and the urban rehabilitation of the Dohuk city center† Proposed Investment in Regional and Urban Development Planning 2013-2020 Tourism Sector: Tourism is considered as of the fastest and biggest growing industries in the world. It is an attractive option for emerging markets. Dohuk city is still in the process of developing in tourism sector. it needs to resolve the existing problems such as infrastructure and site restoration as well as protection. This can make tourism to be contributor to the economy of the city. It is important to facilitate access for people, for visitors and for trade including roads, airport, rail, waterways. these high quality transportation is considered as significant support for tourism development. Dohuk has many ancient and beautiful archeological sites and artifacts which attract many visitors, historical treasures are found in these governorate including (caves, ruins and other antique yet to be found). Let’s not forget that this city is surrounded with mountains and its variation of weather, wealthy of water makes it the land of agriculture and tourism. Factors that has negative impacts on Dohuk city’s tourism development: Unsuitable roads, electric power, solid waste disposal and telecommunications. Inappropriate facilities for tourists , including accommodations, food service, rest and relaxation settings, tourist information centers, and restrooms that meet tourists’ standards. Problems of land ownership Lack of tourism education including trainings, workshops and tour guides. Security issues, which might not let just anyone from other parts of Iraq to visit the city. Recommendations and plans to develop tourism industry, (Business, 2014) suggests these point to be focused on. Set up adventure tourism program, with skilled and certified peoples in this area, especially in adventure in mountains, rivers and camping. Transportation services, high quality of services for tourists destinations Travel agencies, as they are the first stop for everything involved with tourists they must be up to standers. Accommodations. These include hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, hostels, rental houses, condos and any other place tourists may stay while travelling Guided tours and tour guides. A guided tour service or professional tour guide is a tourism business that specializes in providing informative and entertaining tours through an areas local attractions (Business, 2014). Hospitality. Marketing tourism business using social networking sites. Set up accounts/pages on free social networking sites, Advertise in print mediums this will help the market tourism of the city. It is also needed for the Dohuk city to have a proper business plan for any sector of tourism, Explains purpose of the business, name, location, personnel needs, tourism business management staff, market sector, competition, marketing plan and financial projections (Business, 2014). Agriculture: agriculture in Dohuk has been affected by poor government policies, conflict, international sanctions and not having technological and educational advances. There are different kind of tenures in this area. The first one is privet ownership, second is land leased by the governmentand the third one is herniated land. This makes the number of owner unmanageable. According to (Mop.krg.org, 2014) factors that have negative influence on agriculture are as following lack of good banking, financial services, and insurance industries unsuitable infrastructure Issues of land tenure Absence of food, safety, and health standards Lack agricultural education, training, and extension Lack of governmental transparency and administrative consistency Public Distribution System (food basket) Bloated bureaucracy Recommendation and Solutions: For land, infrastructure and resources, priority should be given to rational policy allowing for private ownership of agricultural lands. Resolving the issue of ownership fragmentation through legislation. Having a law for those lands should be legally restricted for agricultural use only and also to improve water development policy. Creating employable skills and improving infrastructure, should be undertaken. The city must give attention to improved education and training leading to longer-term private sector employment. Make regular visits or workshop for those who work in agriculture and develop their skills. Formal partnership should be forged between the university schools of agriculture and the Ministry of Agriculture to increase the knowledge and skills of extension personnel. Rural/Urban Migration to rebuild and develop the rural villages. Make their economic condition better. Providing them with necessary infrastructure such as hospitals and schools. Do what is necessary to facilitate return to the villages and farming. (Economics-exposed.com, 2014) suggests there are some stages where all countries should go through for growth. Traditional society, The Pre-conditions for take-off, The Take-off, The Drive to technological maturity and the Age of High Mass Consumption (Economics-exposed.com, 2014). Technology play important role in developing agriculture for those under developed countries to develop. Role of Unemployment and Job creation in economic development of Dohuk City: Rate of unemployment in Dohuk is high because creating business is a demand side theory for the growth of economy. Creating new business have advantages such as exporting goods and bringing money to the community, using available resources as an input in the production process, and community’s originality remains as its. Enterprise development is another beneficial factor for growth because it will provide jobs for citizens, layoff manufacturing workers, welfare to work requirements, and brings new technology to the market. It called second wave strategy of economic development. According (Koven Lyons, 2010) Job creation development tools are considered as following Financing assistance, this refers to the capital for making new business and there are several ways of growth capital such as, small business administration loan programs. Another financial assistance is venture and angel capital are two types of financial assistance venture capitalist is puts together funds of venture which is a large pool of capital that rich people invested, from pension funds, insurance companies, and other organization. Angel capitalist is smaller capital injection than venture capitalist, and it demand a smaller equity share of each business. Nonfinancial assistance to the enterprises. Such as, small business development center, business information center, women’s business center. Business creation which is a development strategy for the economy of a country is also criticized in terms of quality of life and environmental concerns, social cost and redistribution of wealth. For Dohuk city to lower the rate of unemployment, the city must attract new business and facilitate for international companies to open their branch in the city, Encouraging people to make innovation and new ideas, Supporting people with new ideas with financial and nonfinancial issues. This will give chance for more business and less employment as a result. The above sectors are few of many sectors in Dohuk city that helps to develop the economy of the city. By focusing on major points and major boundaries that prevents economic development, resolving these issues and applying the law and policies will make growth of the economy of the city. References Business, H. (2014). How to Develop a Tourism Business. wikiHow. Retrieved 5 May 2014, from http://www.wikihow.com/Develop-a-Tourism-Business Economics-exposed.com,. (2014). Role Of Agriculture In Economic Development | Economics Exposed. Retrieved 5 May 2014, from http://economics-exposed.com/role-of-agriculture-in-economic-development/ Mop.krg.org,. (2014). Ministry of Planning, Kurdistan Region. Retrieved 4 May 2014, from http://www.mop.krg.org/ Mop.krg.org,. (2014). Ministry of Planning, Kurdistan Region. Retrieved 5 May 2014, from http://www.mop.krg.org/index.jsp?sid=1id=275pid=109 Business, H. (2014). How to Develop a Tourism Business. wikiHow. Retrieved 5 May 2014, from http://www.wikihow.com/Develop-a-Tourism-Business Economics-exposed.com,. (2014). Role Of Agriculture In Economic Development | Economics Exposed. Retrieved 5 May 2014, from http://economics-exposed.com/role-of-agriculture-in-economic-development/ Mop.krg.org,. (2014). Ministry of Planning, Kurdistan Region. Retrieved 4 May 2014, from http://www.mop.krg.org/ Mop.krg.org,. (2014). Ministry of Planning, Kurdistan Region. Retrieved 5 May 2014, from http://www.mop.krg.org/index.jsp?sid=1id=275pid=109 Koven, S. Lyons, T. (2010) Economic Development: Strategies for state and local practices. ICMA press: Washington, D.C.

How can the role of leadership be best understood in organizational cha

The role of leadership can best be understood in organizational change as a multi-dimensional phenomenon. Depending on the conceptualisation of organizational change you adopt, the leader’s role could be perceived to be a variety of things, from that of an initiator/visionary, the influencer of culture, a trigger for follower organizational identification, someone who redefines resistance, or a sense maker who introduces new discourses. The most useful approach can be to consider an issue from a number of different theoretical points of view before determining the most effective intervention. Leadership has been conceived of in a multitude of different ways varying from Great man theory (Borgatta, Bales and Couch, 1954; Cawthon, 1996), trait theories (), and style theories (). More recent conceptualisations of leadership include contingency theory (), and transformational leadership (). Each of these theoretical models has a contribution to make in forming a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between leadership and organizational change and we shall explore how adopting a definition for leadership or organizational change infers the role of the other. However we define leadership, the concepts of organizational change and leadership can be argued to be inextricably linked. If a leader was not able to effect any change within an organization then it is hard to imagine a way in which such a leader could be effective in their role. Thus organizational change is at the very heart of a leader’s role. This paper will argue that a pluralist approach to understanding leadership’s role in organizational change possesses the greatest utility in informing practice. In doing so, it will present a number of different concepts ... ...ind of universal sense as in doing so, one ‘mistakes the map for the terrain’. The role of leadership in organizational change is a multi-dimensional phenomenon which, it has been argued in this paper, can be most usefully understood by employing a pluralist perspective. That is to say, ‘a pluralist approach of comparing multiple plausible models of reality is essential for developing objective scientific knowledge’ (Campbell, 1988: 389, in Van de Ven & Poole, 2005). While there are a plethora of lens through which to understand both leadership and change it is more useful to consider a range of perspectives and only then assess the utility of each perspective and it’s appropriateness for informing a real world intervention. In the words of Pettigrew (2001) â€Å"In the absence of unambiguous foundational truth †¦ the only sensible way forward can be conscious pluralism."

Importance and uses of contrastive linguistics Essay

Introduction: Contrastive Linguistics, roughly defined as a subdiscipline of linguistics which is concerned with the comparison of two or more (subsystems of) languages, has long been associated primarily with language teaching. Apart from this applied aspect, however, it also has a strong theoretical purpose, contributing to our understanding of language typology and language universals. The study of two languages in contrast, here called contrastive analysis, has been referred to by a variety of names, not all of which mean the same to all writers. One can find the following terms used: contrastive studies, contrastive language studies, contrastive linguistics, applied contrastive studies, contrastive description and others. contrastive analysis investigates the differences between pairs (or small sets) of languages against the background of similarities and with the purpose of providing input to applied disciplines such as foreign language teaching and translation studies. With its largely desc riptive focus contrastive linguistics provides an interface between theory and application. It makes use of theoretical findings and models of language description but is driven by the objective of applicability. Contrastive studies mostly deal with the comparison of languages that are ‘socio-culturally linked’, i.e. languages whose speech communities overlap in some way, typically through (natural or instructed) bilingualism . Much progress has been made in classifying the languages of the earth into genetic families, each having descent from a single precursor, and in tracing such developments through time. The result is called â€Å"comparative linguistics.† Of even greater importance for the future technology of thought is what might be called â€Å"contrastive linguistics.† This plots the outstanding differences among tongues – in grammar, logic, and general analysis of experience.A major influence on the development of the contrastive analysis approach has been the interest shown in it by language teachers and learners, and much CA has been undertaken with language teaching rather than translation in mind. One can prevent development of errors through a prior contrastive analysis and error analysis, leading to the development of appropriate teaching materials to  reinforce correct language learning. Relevance and uses of contrastive linguistics: The relevance of CL to translation: The emphasis of much of the work on CL on teaching and language learning raises questions about its relevance to translators. At a practical level, it is probably most useful in pointing out areas where direct translation of a term or phrase will not convey accurately in the second language the intended meaning of the first. At a global level, it leads the translator to look at broader issues such as whether the structure of the discourse for a given text-type is the same in both languages. Furthermore, although Contrastive Analysis is widely practised, there are a number of theoretical and practical problems in its application, all of which must affect judgements as to its usefulness in preparing or evaluating translations. There is some overlap between these problems, but they can nevertheless be related to specific difficulties of identifying a common ground for comparison, comparing descriptions of different languages, taking account of psycholinguistic and sociocultural factors, and taking account of extratextual and intertextual factors. Identifying a common ground for comparison All comparisons require that there be a common ground against which variation may be noted, a constant that underlies and makes possible the variables that are identified. Fonnal similarity is unreliable for several reasons. In the first place, a particular grammatical structure in one language may be a requirement while in another it may be one choice amongst several; in the second place, the choice represented by a grammatical structure in one language may have a different significance in that language from the choice represented by an apparently equivalent structure in another language .in the third place, in one language a particular structure may be unmarked while in another it may be marked. A pair of sentences might be semantically and/or pragmatically equivalent but have widely varying likelihoods of occurrence in the languages from which they are drawn. A simple example of all these points is that of the Portuguese expression â€Å"muito obrigado/a and the English expressio n much obliged. These  are syntactically and semantically comparable but have a different likelihood of occurrence, muito obrigado/a being the normal way of thanking in Portuguese and much obliged being a rare and more restricted usage than thanks a lot (and other related expressions) in English. Comparing descriptions of different languages Apart from the real but unavoidable problems arising out of comparisons of descriptions that utilize different linguistic models, there are problems that arise even between descriptions that utilize the same categories and theoretical framework.Understanding between and among disparate cultures has challenged mankind throughout history; and clearly, communication, intercultural communication, is a key element in achieving understanding. We believe a disciplined, linguistic approach to the study of intercultural communication, an approach that includes the building of linguistic corpora, research in contrastive rhetoric, and practical, real life application of the best practices learned, can provide valuable insights toward achieving understanding among cultures The relationship between contrastive analysis and translation The relationship between CL and translation is bidirectional. On the one hand, the translation of specific pieces of text may provide the data for CL On the other, CL may provide explanations of difficulties encountered in translation.The crucial factors here are what size of language sample has been chosen for translation, whether it is naturally occurring or fabricated for the purpose, and whether the translation is the analyst’s own. Though the focus of CL may continue to shift towards pragmatics and discourse analysis, its use in translation is not inevitable. It is however unlikely that it can be dispensed with completely either in the training of translators or in the assessment of translations, even in its more traditional lexico-grammatical manifestations; CL has arisen as a result of the needs of the language teaching profession and this project is no exception in that one of its major objectives is to provide teachers with assistance in the use of parallel concordancing in the classroom.It gives valuable evidence for translators on the transferability of certain collocations and colligations from one language to another. The f uture of CL’s use in translation may well lie in projects such as this, which are capable of providing with equal  facility explanations of past translating decisions and guidance as to prospective ones. As a useful learning tool: Knowledge and understanding of languages is increasingly important, and this course focuses on how such knowledge can be applied. It helps learners know more clearly and finding similarities and differences between them, thereby detecting errors, which bilingual learners often make, and how to fix. This assignment is based on contrastive linguistics. It uses many methods, especially contrastive method and surveys on grammatical aspect of these words. This study uses one-way transfer. We find a lot of two languages’ differences which may be make errors in structure and semantics. It is useful for bilingual learners to find mistakes which they can meet. Contrastive linguistic gives a comparative method to translate a learner’s thinking in an informed way. Giving structure to his/her intuitive relationship to the language. This bilingual approach in cl saves the students’ infinite time and labour. It has been proven that students learn faster and more effectively us ing it.Since it is our nature to compare, Contrastive Linguistics is the technique that clarifies our understanding of the language. For learners, similarities between languages cause no difficulties, while differences cause interference to learning. Through Contrastive Linguistics we can target and resolve the typical difficulties and Common Mistakes of our students. We can examine aspects that would not normally be noticed without such comparison. Bi-lingual comparative courses overlap in fruitful collaboration with other approaches. They clear away students’ deep-rooted mistakes and empower teachers with the answers to many of their students’ doubts. In Language Teaching: The change that has to take place in the language behavior of a foreign language student can be equated with the differences between the structure of the student’s native language and culture and that of the target language and culture. The task of the linguist is to identify these differences. The task of the writer of a foreign language teaching program is to develop materials which will be based on a statement of these differences; the task of the foreign language teacher is to be aware of these differences and to be prepared to teach them; the task of the student is to learn them. Importance of CL due to growing demand: There is a growing demand from both public and private sectors for professionals combining excellent language skills and sound linguistic theory and methodology. You study linguistic theory, description and methodology with a particular focus on corpus approaches and a strong multilingual component with high relevance for language professionals, especially in the field of foreign/second language learning, teaching (and testing), linguistics focusing on usage-based models and methods in language research and their applications, especially in multilingual contexts. It help students acquire the ability to read, write, speak, and understand world languages reach maximum capability with respect to communications, effective reasoning, and analytical thinking; to educate students for living and working in a competitive global society.. As the field of linguistics became more accepted as a discipline, other scholars from different fields began to incorporate language-related topics into thei r work. Contrative Linguistics found its way into sociology, anthropology, language arts, foreign language learning and teaching. It helps the translators to analyse the basic meaning and gist of the second language giving them an edge in interpretation jobs .

Education and Life Chances in Modern Education Essay

Public education, it can be argued, shapes society, instils social mores and indoctrinates the impressionable with those philosophies the elites value. This essay will focus upon three main areas intrinsic to the education system. These are the social reproduction of ideas, the life chances created and instilled through education, and the socialisation of the individuals undergoing the educational process. Two main sociological perspectives that are useful when studying the education system are Functionalism and Critical Theory, because they focus on macro issues and social structures more than the interactionist perspective. Functionalists believe that the school system is an agent of social reproduction, which operates to reproduce well integrated, fully functioning members of society (Webb, Schirato and Danaher, 2002: 114). Critical theorists, conversely, hold that education is the most effective mechanism for promoting social change and for giving opportunities to less privileged groups so that they can advance their social standing. However, education usually reproduces existing social divisions, maintaining the relative disadvantage of certain groups (Webb, Schirato and Danaher, 2002: 106). Munro (1994: 108) describes the different approaches by stating that, â€Å"functionalists tend to see education as synonymous with socialisation, while a conflict theorist is inclined to view education as ideological- that is, reflecting the interests of particular groups.† Functionalists hold that the major institution for social reproduction is the education system, whereas, from a critical perspective, teachers, who oversee this reproduction, have been made into administrators of programs that provide â€Å"manpower capitalisation† through planned and directed behavioural changes (Illich, 1973: 327). Illich (1973: 327) comments, from a critical perspective, that teaching and learning remain sacred activities separate and estranged from a fulfilling life. This is because the things being taught do not line up with the necessary knowledge needed for life outside of education, and that â€Å"learning from programmed information always hides reality behind a screen† (Illich, 1973: 324). This means that the knowledge provided is set to a secret agenda. The learning process, which supposedly passes on the values and mores necessary in society to students,  is not, however, meeting these needs effectively. Relevant information, that is, knowledge, which will add skills to the labour market, is becoming less practical and more theoretical, expanding the gap between study and work. Regardless of this, employers and social elites have attempted to use the schools for the reproduction of compliant workers (Davis, 1999: 65). This double standard has been discussed in a best selling song, ‘The Wall’ by Pink Floyd (1978) in which they stated that the reproduction received through the school system was set to a hidden agenda, and that society would be better off without it. Drucker (1973: 236) equates the influx of educated people to the potential for producing wealth in any given country. By stating this, educational socialisation and the development of educated people is the most important function education can have. He goes on to state that while this may be the case today, throughout history, being uneducated provided the wealth of a given nation, due to the class differences, and that education was for the rich and idle while the work was performed by the illiterate. This all changed with the Industrial Revolution, and the invention of moveable type in the 17th Century (Drucker, 1973: 232). The moveable type meant that education could be performed at a reduced rate, and words became a commodity that was necessary for improving the quality of the labour force. Education is purported to provide the best possible life chances for its graduates, yet in reality, in many ways education diminishes these chances. Heinz (1987: 132) points out that the life chances of graduates are in a state of flux, that when the labour market is depressed and work is difficult to find, then young people will opt for more education as a means of delaying their entry into a tight work force. â€Å"The school then takes on the function of a warehouse; it is a place to mark time. At the same time school acts as a socio-political instrument for reducing social and political conflict, and this function gains predominance over its main function of educating young people.† In many cases the academic credentials earned are unnecessary for working-class jobs (Furlong and Cartmel, 1999: 12), which changes the focus of education, making it oppressive and irrelevant (Davis, 1999: 83). Heinz (1987: 131) states â€Å"secondary  school-leavers face a worsening outlook when they want to start in working life, and joining a preparatory program is increasingly becoming the only alternative to unemployment.† There are a growing number of young people who are finding it harder to find a place, whose prospects on the labour market are poor, being qualified but underemployed, or drifting between unemployment and occasional jobs (Heinz, 1987: 131). This increases social inequalities and the gap between rich and poor. By acting as a warehouse education is not preparing students for life but rather crippling their life chances. The alternative to this are to reassess the curricula and teaching methods, reintegrating skilled workers into vocational education, ensuring that knowledge will be of direct benefit to graduates in obtaining a place within the work force. There are fewer and fewer opportunities becoming available, and school leavers have to undergo more and more relevant vocational training. However, fewer school-leavers are able to go directly into the vocational training they want. Heinz (1987: 130) noted a growing trend 16 years ago that â€Å"Depending on the region, only between one-third and one-half of these school leavers succeed in getting a training place†, and in 1994 Munro (1994: 109) observed that the â€Å"school-to-work transition† had failed which had major ramifications for everyone involved, causing â€Å"underemployment of school leavers† (Munro, 1994: 116). The seriousness of this trend is made even more apparent by the fact that school-leavers are even ready to enter apprenticeships that lead them into dead-end occupations (Heinz, 1987: 129). Drucker (1973: 232) however, states that while this may be so, to be â€Å"uneducated is an economic liability and is unproductive,† even though education is producing an â€Å"unemployable, overeducated proletariat.† (Drucker, 1973: 233) According to Mehan (1973: 240) education is a â€Å"major socialisation agency,† which moulds the individual’s self-concepts into a socially accepted format, allowing each individual to be slotted into a specific function (Sargent, 1994: 240). Sargent (1994: 240) points out that in the function of education â€Å"values are essentially involved† and are taught beside worldly knowledge. However, this knowledge interprets the world, but does not necessarily  correspond with any external state (Sargent, 1994: 232). The transmission of knowledge, skills and values, helps to sort and rank individuals, that they might be better placed in the labour market (Munro, 1994: 96). This raises a paradox, however, where education is seen by many as the best possible means of achieving greater equality in society (Sargent, 1994: 233), yet it categorises the graduates into job specifications, personality types and the opportunities granted to each. Sargent (1994: 231) furthers this thought by explaining that the education system is an integral part of determining position and power in our society (Sargent, 1994: 231), and that through education the class structures are compounded, making it more difficult for those in the working classes from advancing in the social hierarchy. The education institution both absorbs and perpetuates the ideology, â€Å"masquerading as ‘knowledge’, which legitimises inequality† (Sargent, 1994: 231). Regardless of the inequalities produced, it has become the â€Å"absolute prerequisite of social and economic development in our world† to have a highly educated pool of people ready for the labour market (Drucker, 1973: 232). In conclusion, the failure of the education system to reduce social inequality and produce better workers, raises serious doubts as to its effectiveness. Life chances created through education appear to be diminishing, despite the extension of education. The knowledge taught seems to be ineffective in preparing students to cope with life. Functionalists need to reassess the structure of education, as it loses its ability to effectively provide for graduates, becoming dysfunctional in its goals to remove inequality and give a head start to people entering the work force. When looking at the education system, it is necessary to ask if the cost spent on educating people is being effectively used, considering the increasing number of educated poor. The gap between knowledge taught and life experience needs to be bridged, for education to effectively function. If, as it appears, schools are to socialise and reproduce effective and functioning members of society, the curricula has to be ad dressed. Bibliography Davis, Nanette J. (1999). Youth Crisis: Growing up in the High Risk Society. Praeger Publications, Westport Drucker, Peter F. (1973). ‘The Educational Revolution’, Social Change: Sources, Patterns, and Consequences (2nd ed) Amitai Etzioni and Eva Etzioni-Halevy (Eds). Basic Books Inc., New York. pp 232 – 238 Furlong, Andy, and Cartmel, Fred (1997). Young People and Social Change: Individualisation and Risk in Late Modernity. Open University Press, Buckingham Heinz, Walter R. (1987). ‘The Transition from School to Work in Crisis: Coping with Threatening Unemployment’, Journal of Adolescent Research (Vol 2). pp 127 – 141 Illich, Ivan (1973). ‘The Breakdown of Schools: A Problem or a Symptom’, Childhood and Socialisation Hans Peter Dreitzel (Ed). Macmillan Publishing Co. Inc., Canada. pp 311 – 336 Mehan, Hugh (1973). ‘Assessing Children’s School Performance’, Childhood and Socialisation Hans Peter Dreitzel (Ed). Macmillan Publishing Co. Inc., Canada. pp 240 – 264 Munro, Lyle (1994). ‘Education’, Society and Change: A Sociological Introduction to Contemporary Australia Brian Furze and Christine Stafford (Eds). Macmillan Education Australia Pty. Ltd., South Melbourne. pp 96 – 128 Pink Floyd (1978) ‘The Wall’, The Wall. Mushroom Records, California. Sargent, Margaret (1994). ‘Education – for equality? employment? emancipation?’, The New Sociology for Australians. Longman Cheshire Pty. Ltd., Melbourne. pp 231 – 256 Webb, J., Schirato, T. and Danaher, G. (2002). ‘Bourdieu and Secondary Schools’, Understanding Bourdieu pp 105 – 106 (Reprinted in Sociological Reflections on Everyday Life: GSC 1201 Reader). Allen and Unwin, Sydney. pp 227 – 238