The Role Of Students In Disabilities In Education - 837 Words

There is an increasing prevalence of disability in modern school populations. Only a small percentage of this group, however, attends post-secondary institutions to further their education, and an even smaller amount attends these for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education or careers. Recently, an article entitled â€Å"Postsecondary STEM Education for Students with Disabilities: Lessons Learned from a Decade of NSF Funding† was published, detailing a project spanning four years that was focused on increasing the participation of students with disabilities in STEM careers and education. This paper will analyze the purpose, research methods used, and the results of the project. Research Methods According to the†¦show more content†¦51). In the Citation Analysis Study, researchers collected data from the published works of the Principal Investigators to be analyzed for their influence. Results The Principal Investigators in the Research in Disability Education Synthesis Project found that there are several common challenges faced when it comes to increasing participation in the STEM field by people with learning disabilities. Students with learning disabilities were generally unprepared for postsecondary courses because they had previously had very low amounts of exposure to more challenging coursework. Also, it was found that there is a lack of understanding and acceptance of these students in postsecondary institutions., along with a lack of available accommodations and resources. In addition, â€Å"staff and tutors knew little about disabilities and were unable to assist or communicate effectively† (Thurston et al., 2017, p. 52). Some solutions to these challenges that have been implemented or could be implemented in the future include campus disability services and accommodations such as â€Å"additional exam time, provision of classroom notetaking, faculty-pr ovided written course notes or assignments†¦ and adaptive equipment and technology† (Thurston et al., 2017, p.Show MoreRelatedThe Historical Foundation Of People With Disabilities Essay1386 Words   |  6 PagesFoundation: The historical foundation of people with disability has evolved from a place where people with disabilities were hidden away to present time being involved member of their community. disability. One of the first changes for people with disabilities was the Kennedy Era of 1960. President Kennedy used his platform to challenge the quality of life of people with disabilities. When his MR panel found a non-existing care for people with disabilities, their was a removal of mental institutions forRead MoreThe Victims Of Children With Disabilities1331 Words   |  6 Pagesthe olden day, children born with disabilities were hidden or even killed. Shame and guilt often followed the birth of a child with disabilities. Most people believed that the disability was the result of a family member’s sins. Although society began accepting people with disabilities as time passed, a disability was still viewed as a personal tragedy. Many children were denied access to education and opportunit ies to learn. In 1967, 200,000 persons with disabilities resided in state institutions.Read MoreCritical Evaluation Of Both Positions Essay965 Words   |  4 PagesCritical Evaluation of Both Positions The interpretation of LRE where emphasis is placed on social inclusiveness for students with disabilities have long been the topic of intense debate. The argument that by moving closer toward a general education setting, students with disabilities would be challenged and held to a higher standard is not shown to be evident in the large body of research that have studied this particular area and the proposed increased likelihood for future success have similarlyRead MoreTeaching Methods For Students With Disabilities Essay1487 Words   |  6 Pagesschools are including special education in a general classroom setting. The subject of this inclusion has been placed on the forefront of not only the educational system but also on public consciousness. Still, there are debating questions that plague this very subject. What teaching techniques are being implemented to include students with disabilities in a general education setting? Many techniques have been implemented in the attempts to include students with disabilities. Some have been successfulRead MoreBecoming A Successful Higher Education Administrator988 Words   |  4 Pagesbecoming a successful higher education administrator started similar to most individuals working in student services but took a dramatic turn which could have led me away from higher education forever. While working towards my undergraduate degree, I worked for residence services, a role that often leads to a career in higher education and created a natural path for me to explore. When it came time for me to decide on a master’s degree I viewed a degree in higher education as a given fallback optionRead MoreAspects Of An Appropriate Inclusion Setting1442 Words   |  6 Pagessupport, collaboration between educators, the benefits and barriers and the roles of educators and families of an inclusion setting. According to the IDEA s LRE, school districts are required to educate students with disabilities in regular classrooms with t heir nondisabled peers, in the school they would attend if not disabled, to the maximum extent appropriate. There are still lots of controversial views in education as to how an inclusion setting is delivered, who is responsible, what makes thisRead MoreHelping or Hovering?1406 Words   |  6 PagesHelping or Hovering? Effects of Instructional Assistants Proximity On Students with Disabilities Across Canada, increasing emphasis has been placed on including students with disabilities in regular classrooms. Typically, schools assign an Educational Assistant to support them in the classroom. Recent research into this model has pointed to potential damage to students when schools rely too much on Educational Assistants. Several studies have suggested that too much of a good thing (EARead MoreImpact Of Students Disabilities On Families935 Words   |  4 PagesMs. Edwards discussed the impact students disabilities have on families. She mentioned multiple ways in which the family is affected, both positively and negatively. Ms. Edwards mentioned how the families play an important role in the student’s life which can positively impact the student with a disability. Ms. Edwards continued to explain how she is on a first name basis with many of the parents and guardians of her students. She knows the students backgrounds and home life fairly well. AccordingRead MoreImpact O f Students Disabilities Have On Families1171 Words   |  5 PagesMs. Edwards discussed the impact students’ disabilities have on families. She mentioned multiple ways in which the family is affected, both positively and negatively. Ms. Edwards mentioned how the families play an important role in the student’s life which can positively impact the student. Ms. Edwards continued to explain how she is on a first name basis with many of the parents and guardians of her students. She knows the students’ backgrounds and home life fairly well. According to Ms. EdwardsRead MoreThe Importance Of Inclusion In Education1530 Words   |  7 PagesIn education, the word inclusion means students with and without disabilities are taught in the same classroom setting. Many sources such as speech physical therapy, or assistive technology are provided in the classroom so the student or students are not pulled out of the classroom. (Murawski, n.d.)Some may say it is distracting to the other students or seem unfair that they are getting special attention. However, being in an inclusion class is beneficial to both students with disabilities and to

The United States And Nuclear Families - 927 Words

Though most people would believe that the majority of families in the United States are nuclear families, because that is what is considered to be normal, that is untrue. The majority of families in the U.S. deviate from nuclear households. My family is no different. My family has not been considered nuclear for several years now. My family constists of my mother, stepfather, my older stepbrother, me, my younger stepbrother, and my younger biological brother. As for extended family, I still have all four of my grandparents, one great grandmother, three aunts, three uncles, and several cousins. Each of these people all still play a role in my life, and I am very close to them. The people I live with—which are my mom, step father, brother, and youngest step brother, play the most significant roles in my life. They especially play the biggest parts when it comes to rule creation and enforcement and use of power within the family—more so than my extended family do in those areas. As with most families, the parents in my house were in charge of rule creation and enforcement in my household. When my step father first moved in to our house this was a big issue. His parenting style was extremely different from what my mom and dad’s was. I was fifteen and my brother was eleven when my mom married our stepdad; it was a hard age to be making an adjustment to a whole new parenting style. Our family went from a loving environment where the children had freedom as long as they provedShow MoreRelatedThe Decline Of The Nuclear Family1084 Words   |  5 PagesDecline of the Nuclear Family† In 1970, 40% of couples were married with children. 2013 marked a new low as only 19% of household were married with children. A nuclear family is usually described as a heterosexual marriage with the average of 2.5 children, became synonymous with the American dream philosophy in the mid-1940s. The nuclear family standard is rapidly on the decline in the United States. 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An Assessment of the Impact of Mortgage and Non-Mortgage Loans Free Essays

Toby Clark a senior financial analyst in MINTEL comments â€Å"There is a major need for financial education and for a drive to prompt borrowers to take a fresh look at their debts. Without a detailed understanding of exactly how much they owe and what rates they are paying, it is easy to see how the situation could spiral out of control†. This statement clearly highlights the position of the average British consumers as far as their mortgage and non-mortgage debts are concerned. We will write a custom essay sample on An Assessment of the Impact of Mortgage and Non-Mortgage Loans or any similar topic only for you Order Now It is observed by the report from MINTEL that the British consumers who have outstanding mortgage debts have a better control on the amount of their outstanding than the non-mortgage debt consumers. When the mortgage holders were asked to estimate the amount of the outstanding loan they could estimate the figure at ? 92,200 which matched with the estimation of ? 95,000 made by Bank of England and mortgage lenders. There are different purposes for which the consumers obtain mortgage and non-mortgage loans. The purposes also differ between different income earners. The high income earners borrow for paying a house, buying a second home or for paying the university or school fees of their children. Whereas the low income earners have totally different purposes of taking the loans like bringing up their children; paying their tax bills or meeting their regular commitments. Irrespective of the purpose for which the loans are taken the loans do have an impact on the financial soundness of the borrowers. On few occasions and for few consumers the loans become handy to take care of their financial struggle but in most of the cases the loans have had adverse impact only on the lives and finances of the consumers. Especially when the average consumer does not even know the extent of their debts the impact would be still worse. â€Å"Many debt problems are caused by poor decision making, with taking on more debt to pay back what debt you already have not always a wise move, according to the free and impartial debt advice organisation Debt Free Direct. † (Linkroll) In most of the cases the consumers get in to debt traps either due to poor decision making or not being accurately able to assess the impact the debts have on their financial capabilities and standing. This includes the decisions of debt consolidation. Quite often consumers think that debt consolidation is the best solution for solving their debt problems which will only aggravate the burden to the already debt trapped consumers. The loan burden on the borrowers is made to increase by the actions of the lenders also. Luring the customers in tot taking additional loans with the intention of just increasing their lending activities and without assessing the capabilities of the borrowers to pay back the loans often take the borrowers to a point of no return. â€Å"A number of Britons report that their debt problems are causing them difficulties in other areas of their life, according to a new study. In research carried out by R3 – the Association of Business Recovery Professionals – one out of six consumers are said to be unable to manage with repayments on secured loans and credit cards†. (Loan Arrangers) With this background I intend to make an analytical study of the British Loan Market and its impact on the average British consumers. In the process I also intend to study the kinds of mortgage and non-mortgage loans available to the consumers in the UK. 1. 1 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES This study has among other things the following central objectives: 1. Studying the psychological and economical reasons for the British consumers getting in to the debt trap. 2. Analytical study of the impact of the various loans on the lives and financial wellbeing of the average consumers – including mortgage and non-mortgage loans. 3. Studying the role of the banks and other lending institutions on extending the debt burden of the average British consumer 1. 2 RESEARCH QUESTIONS This study by undertaking a detailed research in the subject tries to find plausible answers for the following research questions: 1. What are the prime reasons that make the British consumers to get into the debt trap? 2. What are the major impacts that the mortgage and non-mortgage loans have on the lives of the average British consumers? 3. What are the different ways that an average British consumer can manage the debts effectively? 1. 3 STRUCTURE OF THE DISSERTATION In order to present a comprehensive paper I intend to divide the paper into the different chapters. While chapter 1 introduces the subject matter of the study to the readers along with stating the research objectives and questions, chapter 2 makes a detailed review of the available literature on the subject of the impact of debts on the British consumer. Chapter 3 makes a detailed presentation of the research methodology adopted by this study for conducting the research. In chapter 4 I have included the findings of the research and a detailed discussion on the analysis of the findings. Concluding remarks recapitulating the issues discussed in the paper and few suggestions which will enable the British consumer to manage his debts are included in the chapter 5. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW CAPM, Bonds, Securities, Economics, Finance This chapter presents a detailed review of the available literature on the debt creation by the British consumers and the impact of such debt creation on the bond and securities market, on the finance and monetary policy and economic situation of the country apart from the life styles and financial status of the individual consumers. 2. 1 IMPACT OF DEBT CREATION ON BOND AND SECURITIES MARKET: A latest report from Bloomberg. com says â€Å"European 10-year bond yields held near a three-month low as an Australian hedge fund filed for bankruptcy protection on losses related to a slump in U. S. home loans, prompting speculation global economic expansion will slow. † (Lukanyo Mnyanda, 2007) There has been a widespread skepticism about the future of the bond market because of the higher levels of failure in the sub prime mortgage repayments. This phenomenon has also been felt in the UK which is evident from the statement of the credit rating firm Standard Poor. â€Å"Standard Poor’s said business conditions for securities firms are worse than in the second half of 1998 when trading revenue slumped 31 percent after Russia’s debt default. Revenue from investment banking and trading could fall 47 percent in the final six months of this year, the ratings company said. † (Lukanyo Mnyanda, 2007) 2. 1. 1USE OF OPTIMIZING MODELS IN THE CONTEXT OF CONSUMER DEBT: On the basis of micro economic foundations there are certain models that analyse the likely economic consequences of structural changes in the economy. Though in general these models help the analysts to comment upon microeconomic foundations, sometimes these models are found inappropriate for analyzing such consequences. â€Å"This is because their parameters are generally complicated functions of an economy’s technology, institutions and government policy, and the preferences of economic agents. Subsequent changes in any of these structural characteristics would mean that those parameters, and hence the relationships between key economic variables, would be expected to change. † (Bank of England) However the optimizing models enable the analysis of the deep structural relationship which is dependent upon the individual variables in relation to the economic shocks and their identification. The optimizing models â€Å"describe the intertemporal optimisation problems facing economic agents. They often try to capture the interactions between the different types of agent in the economy (consumers, firms, government, foreign sector), each of which is assumed to solve well-defined dynamic optimisation problems, subject to certain informational and technological constraints. These models can be used to analyse how economic agents might optimally respond to various demand and supply shocks that have or might hit the economy, or to changes in the structure of the economy. Equally, they can be used to examine likely explanations for observed patterns of behaviour in the data. † (Bank of England) These models are useful in †¢ Modeling consumer behaviour including consumer spending †¢ Applications to financial markets †¢ Analysis of the labour market †¢ Analysis of the role of money One of such models being widely used is the CAPM which can provide useful insights into the reasons behind the financial market changes. However there is a serious limitation of this model is that it does not perform well in the empirical tests. 2. 2 IMPLICATION OF THE RISE ON THE HOUSEHOLD DEBT ON THE MONETARY POLICY: It is observed that the increase in the household debt in the UK over the last three decades was the result of the continued increase in the owner-occupied buildings and the number of mortgages created as a proportion of the total households. The rise in the prices till the time of the sub prime mortgage issue was also because of this increased private ownership of the houses. However it is interesting to note that the increase in the household debt didn’t have much impact on the consumption growth. This was due to the fact that the households were focused on the accumulation of financial assets during the recent past. â€Å"Finally, while it is possible that higher levels of debt may make household consumption more sensitive to interest rate changes, this may easily be offset simply by moderating these same changes. † (Stephen Nickell) While there was some contraction in the economies of US and Germany, the UK economy remained strong during the year 2001. There was a significant relaxation in the monetary policies of the country during this period and hence the UK economy witnessed an increase in the domestic demand though the situation was different with the world economy which was weak and was suffering a fall in investments. The increase in the domestic demand made the overall growth rate of the economy positive. However some of the economists were of the view that such a growth in the UK GDP as against the widespread recession in other developed countries was possible only at certain implied costs. For Example in an article in ‘The Observer’ dated 27th March 2005 Fred Harrison noted that â€Å"Encouraged by low interest rates, people went on a spending spree. They reduced savings and extracted equity from their homes to fuel a consumption boom† A similar view was expressed by Hamish McRae in his article in the ‘The Independent’ stated â€Å"What is, however, clear is that the credit-fuelled spending boom is, one way or another, coming to an end†. (The Independent dated 16th March 2005). Hence it was observed that booming consumption resulted in a rapid expansion of debt. Thus there has been a significant increase in the debt to income ratio which was a matter of serious concern to the analysts and the financial economists. In this context Philip Thornton made the following remark in the ‘The Independent’ issue dated 30th July 2003 â€Å"Britons piled on an all-time record amount of debt last month, triggering fears that consumers have embarked on an unsustainable borrowing binge that will end in a crash reminiscent of the early 1990s† 2. 2. 1 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INCOME, CONSUMPTION AND HOUSEHOLD DEBTS: Generally it is assumed that the macroeconomic policies of the UK government had resulted in a house price bubble coupled with a boom of the consumer spending. Thus the economy got missed out from the impact of the global recessionary trends. However Stephen Nickell argues that over the period 2000 to 2003 which was supposed to be the consumption boom the average quarterly consumption growth was only 0. 77 percent very similar to the average consumption rate of 0. 72 percent that was existed over the last twenty five years. The consumption rate was also below the average consumption rate in the previous period 0f 1996 to 1999. â€Å"From 1998 to the end of 2003, the proportion of post-tax income that was consumed was relatively flat, hardly evidence of a debt fuelled consumption boom. Nevertheless, mortgage equity withdrawal (MEW) plus unsecured credit growth rose from around 2% of post-tax household income in 1998 to over 10% in 2003. So there was indeed a significant rise in the rate of household debt accumulation from 1998 to 2003 despite the fact that the ratio of consumption to post-tax income remained stable throughout. † (Stephen Nickell) With this argument the author proceeds to state the majority of mortgage equity withdrawal leads to increased financial assets accumulation and not to increased consumption. Further it is also argued that there is a strong relationship between the aggregate secured debt accumulation and aggregate financial asset accumulation especially in a period of rapidly spiraling house prices. Similarly there is no strong relationship between the factors of aggregate consumption growth and debt accumulation. In that case the following will be the effect of the household debt on the monetary policy. 2. 2. 2 HIGHER LEVELS OF DEBT AND MONETARY POLICY: May et al (2004) observed â€Å"In 1975, household debt was around 38% of household post-tax income. By 2004, this had risen to around 125%. Currently, over four-fifths of household debt is secured on property, ie. consists of mortgages, and around 95% of all household debt is held by mortgagors. † As already stated the important factor causing the rise in the household debt was the increase in the number of owner-occupied buildings and the proportion of the houses carrying a mortgage. Another factor that contributed the increase in secured debts is the change in the mode of financing by leaving the front end loading of the repayment of mortgages. Such a method of financing has lead to higher loan to income ratios. It also resulted in higher mortgages relative to income. Based on these basic premise there are three arguments that can be support the view that the household debt is a predominant factor in the determination of the monetary policies. 1. The first argument is based on the concept that the there will be significant impact on the bahaviour of the economy due to shocks if there is a high level of household debts. As observed by Griffiths commission â€Å"Debt is a time-bomb which could be triggered by any number of shocks to the economy at any time† (The Griffiths’ Commission, 2005, Executive Summary). Though any adverse economic shock will have the impact on the employment and the consumption levels, higher levels of debts will make the conditions worse. â€Å"The excessive debt may still induce greater precautionary saving and a larger drop in consumption. Overall, it is hard to tell whether higher debt levels will generate a significant additional cut back in consumption which cannot be modified by easier monetary policy† 2. The second argument is based on the possibility that the there may be a cut in the consumption due to the sudden realization of the debtors about the real interest on the debts and their extent of exposure to the debts in spite of their efforts to reduce the level of debts. This will create severe macro economic problems leading to large scale adjustments in the monetary policies. However this argument is countered by indicating that the inexperience of the secured debt holders being young and there may be occasions that these people may behave in an irrational way to reduce the consumption. But such phenomenon can not be identified with a majority of debts. 3. The third argument was based on the fear that with more number of people the more will be the trouble when there is a collapse in the housing market. This fear has become true presently with housing boom bubble exploding. â€Å"If house prices fall by 30 or 40 per cent, more people with mortgages means more people in negative equity. Of course, the consequences of this depend to some extent on the behaviour of lenders. If the mortgage debt continues to be treated as secured, even though some is not, then debt service costs remain unchanged. So a lot will then depend on the collateral damage associated with the collapse in the housing market and what caused it in the first place. The issue is, if some disaster happens in the housing market, does the fact that more people have mortgages make the consequences very much worse? So much worse, indeed, that monetary policy should be used to discourage individuals from taking out mortgages. † 2. 3 DIFFICULTIES OF CONSUMERS BECAUSE OF DEBT CREATION – AN OVERVIEW According to a research conducted by R3 – the Association of Business Recovery Professionals one out of six consumers find it difficult to manage the repayment of their secured loans and credit card payments. â€Å"Of those struggling the most with their day-to-day finances, 21 per cent of respondents were reported to have encountered debt problems as a result of becoming ill, with a third (33 per cent) highlighting redundancy as the source of their monetary difficulties. † (Secured Loan News) Educational loans taken for higher studies form a major proportion of debts to be repaid by the 50 percent people in the age group of 18 – 24 years. The same is the case with one third of the people in the age group of 25 – 34 years still struggling to settle the loans taken for their educational purposes. A study carried out by Abbey in early 2007 showed that the British consumers had to pay ? 48. 7 billion by way of unexpected bills and charges over the previous year. On an average 79 percent of the British people have spent money on unbudgeted things and the average cost of such spending is estimated at ? 1375. Some of the issues identified with the debt creation in the UK are: ? The personal lending figures stood at ? 1,318 billion as of July 2007 signifying that the British consumers are indebted on an average twice as the citizens of other European Countries. The people with serious debt management problem are estimated at 7 to 9 million Britons. ? A majority of the people have no savings or definite plans for savings to meet any unexpected future expenditure. A proportion of less than 50 percent of the people only have made adequate provisions for meeting the exigencies of a drop in their income level or other serious financial difficulties. ? Some important statistics indicate that a substantial proportion of the population suffer from serious financial worries and resultant stress due to the increase of their debt burden. These statistics show that â€Å"74% of British couples find money the most difficult subject to talk about; 32% lie to their partners about how much they spend on credit cards; 35% are kept awake at night worrying about their finances†. ? According to the estimate from Bank of England around 50 percent of the people who have identified their debts as a serious burden on them belong to the lower income groups. It is the case with those people who live in the housing provided by the loca authorities are likely to live in debt burden at two times the average person has. ? Debts being burdensome on their own are also responsible for several other social problems and debt and these problems are interdependent on each other in terms of their cause and effect. Groups of people like those out of work, school dropouts, people from single parent families or unemployed parents are more likely to have serious debt management problems. 2. 4 REASONS FOR DEBT CREATION Consumers obtain loans for different purposes. Similarly people in different income groups and different strata of life opt for secured and unsecured loans for various purposes depending on their life styles and needs for different purposes. The main reasons cited for increase in the debts of the consumers is the increased availability of the loans, overspending and the desire to ‘buy instantly’ doing major purchases like purchase of cars or spending on a foreign vacation. The debt management problems of majority of the British consumers have arisen due to these and other reasons most of which are emotional spending. However why people get into serious debt problem is a very complicated question to find the answers there for. Though there are several factors responsible for leading the consumers to severe debt problems the following are some of the major causes that create a ‘debt trap’ for the British consumers: 2. 4. 1EASY AVAILABILITY OF DEBT: In recent years the economy of the country was doing extremely well resulting in lower rates of inflation, low interest rates and low levels of unemployment. This economic buoyancy there had been an increased demand for the credit and the cost of such credit was low. The highly competitive financial services industry had been innovative to find many a number of products to suit the needs of various strata of people. â€Å"Today over 400 mainstream financial institutions compete fiercely to satisfy consumer demand. † (Lord Griffiths of Fforestfach) In this background it can be said that the easy availability of credit was the main reason for the creation of more debts by the average consumer. 2. 4. 2 DIFFERENT TACTICS OF THE LENDERS TO ATTRACT THE PEOPLE Although the banks do not explicitly solicit or lure the vulnerable people to sell their financial services products, the products themselves have been so designed in addition to the lending practices of the banks to target the vulnerable people. Such practices include â€Å"aggressive marketing; a lack of transparency in calculating the cost of borrowing; undue care in lending and a lack of data-sharing. † (Lord Griffiths of Fforestfach) Though it cannot be said that the banks and other lending institutions purposely target the vulnerable people â€Å"customers are often enticed into over-borrowing with disastrous consequences; research evidence suggests there is a strong correlation between serious indebtedness, drug and alcohol addictions and family breakdown. † (Lord Griffiths of Fforestfach) This often leads to a situation where the vulnerable people stand the chances of more likely to get into serious debt problems. 2. 2. 3 LOW FINANCIAL CAPABILITIES It is observed out of a poll conducted in the year 2004 that 33 percent of the people in the UK are not confident enough to handle money issues and only 30 percent of them even knew the basic interest calculations which forms the basis financial intelligence. If this is kind of financial knowledge that an average British consumer has then there is no doubt that such people may not be in a position to make sound financial decisions concerning their personal finances including availing of secured and unsecured loans. Such lack of financial knowledge will make them drown in serious financial struggle as a result of unmanageable debts they have contracted. 2. 4. 4 LACK OF SAVING CULTURE: The trend of today’s Britain is ‘buy now and pay later’ as against the traditional way of living of saving money to buy assets. This has seriously disturbed the saving habit of the people over the period of time. In the current scenario more than 50 percent of the British pensioners make a cut on their other needs to settle their annual fuel bills. The decline in the habit of saving is one of the main reasons for the increased debt problems. Unless the saving habit of the people change drastically the situation of debt problems is likely to grow into greater magnitude. 2. 4. 5 MATERIALISTIC ATTITUDE OF THE MODERN SOCIETY The attitude of the society towards borrowing and its effects on life has considerably changed over the last few decades. Credit is no more considered as dangerous as it was perceived once upon a time. Now it is considered as more neutral and beneficial to the society. With this change in the attitude people have become more materialistic to obtain loans to buy the things irrespective of the need for such things in their lives. This is evident from the buying habits of British consumers exhibited in the following section. In one of the surveys conducted by Abbey, the financial service provider, it is learnt that â€Å"Britons have spent more than ? 169 billion on items that they rarely, if at all, use. Overall the average consumer has paid out some ? 3,685 through unnecessary objects, which could consequently impact upon their ability to handle their day-to-day finances. † (Secured Loan News) The survey also revealed that half of all consumers own an expensive clothing item which they wear only occasionally and over 35 percent of them have unworn shoes. â€Å"However, women were reported to be driving pointless fashion spending. Some 58 per cent of females were said to have unused garments, with this figure falling to 45 per cent for footwear. Meanwhile, spending on such products accounted for 45 and 23 per cent respectively among men. † (Secured Loan News) Electronic items, computer game console or video cameras and cooking equipments, repeated purchase of fine china items, exercise equipments, beauty gadgets that are not frequently used are some of the other items on which the British consumers spend their money and create debts for themselves. â€Å"However, financial problems could be particularly increased for those 288,000 people who have bought a second home in Britain which they claim to make little use of, which as a result may see them to struggle to make secured loan repayments. † (Secured Loan News) 2. 5 LEVEL OF CONSUMER CREDIT There has been a steady growth in the consumer lending in the period during the 1990s to early 2000s. But the growth has been sluggish after the climb in the last decade. According to the statistics released by Datamonitor â€Å"unsecured Loans and borrowing via other forms of consumer credit fell by 4. 5 per cent over the course of last year (2006) to ? 207. 8 billion†. (Secured Loan News) Maya Imberg the financial service analyst from Datamonitor says â€Å"A weaker labour market, combined with high consumer debts and weakened consumer confidence, meant that consumers cut down considerably on spending and aimed to repay more of their debts over 2006. † The study also indicated that the debt outstanding for an average customer stood at ? 4,522 in Consumer credit debt for the year 2006, which is against the ? 4,510 recorded for the year 2005. This outstanding debt figure was corroborated by the statistics released by the financial charity Credit Action which estimated the debt due by an average Briton at ? 4,550 by way of debts obtained on unsecured personal loans, credit cards, overdrafts and other forms of borrowing. This amount was estimated as at the end of March 2007. Credit Action has compiled the following statistics on the UK personal debt as on 1st of September 2007 which is alarming: ? â€Å"Total UK personal debt at the end of July 2007 stood at ? 1,355bn. The growth rate increased to 10. 1% for the previous 12 months which equates to an increase of ? 117bn. ? Total secured lending on homes at the end of July 2007 stood at ? 1,140bn. This has increased 11. 0% in the last 12 months. ? Total consumer credit lending to individuals in July 2007 was ? 214bn. This has increased 5. 3% in the last 12 months. ? Total lending in July 2007 grew by ? 10. 3bn. Secured lending grew by ? 9. 2bn in the month. Consumer credit lending grew by ? 1. 1bn. ? Average household debt in the UK is ? 8,856 (excluding mortgages). This figure increases to ? 20,600 if the average is based on the number of households who actually have some form of unsecured loan. ? Average household debt in the UK is ? 56,000 (including mortgages). ? Average owed by every UK adult is ? 28,550 (including mortgages). This grew by ? 210 last month. ? Average outstanding mortgage for the 11. 8m households who currently have mortgages is ? 96,560 ? Average interest paid by each household on their total debt is approximately ? 3,700 each year (this equates to 9% of take home pay). ? Average consumer borrowing via credit cards, motor and retail finance deals, overdrafts and unsecured personal loans has risen to ? 4,515 per average UK adult at the end of July 2007. ? Britain’s personal debt is increasing by ? 1 million every 4 minutes. † (Credit Action) A pictorial representation of the growth in the UK personal debt is depicted below How to cite An Assessment of the Impact of Mortgage and Non-Mortgage Loans, Papers

Music in society - is classical music elitist free essay sample

It can also be defined as the sense of entitlement by such a group or class or control, rule or domination by such a group or class. Specifically classical music emerged and developed in the classical era of 750-1825, culminating in the exquisite works of Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven and Schubert However, classical is used in a general sense to mean enduring or lasting.. . Len everyday parlance, the term classical covers the repertoire of Western art music, irrespective of the time when it was written, (Williams, 2003, p. 35).The underlying arguments which accuse classical music as being elitist involve Borides idea on value referring to rarity and accessibility of educational opportunities, analysis of musical value of classical music in performance and listening and the level of understanding which classical music requires. In Pierre Borides work Distinction, A Social Critique of the Judgment of Taste he argued that class distinctions teach aesthetic preferences to their young and artistic dispositions are the result of social origin rather than accumulated capital and experience over time. Broodier does not neglect the importance of necessary finance and available time. However this theory does not examine classical musical works themselves. Illustrations of Borides argument of class distinctions and the implications of social origin are shown in the lifestyles and upbringing of some famous classical imposers and musicians. For example; Mozart first musical experiences were hearing his child prodigy sister Their father gave up his career to promote their talents before the astounded royalty and cognoscenti of Europe (Burrows, 2005 p. 49). In 1762, Leopold took Wolfgang and Maria Anna on tour throughout Vienna performing for nobles and ambassadors. Later in 1763, Leopard took Wolfgang and Maria Anna on a three and a half year tour throughout Germany, France, England, and other countries In 1 770 Mozart (only 14) was commissioned to write an opera (Immediate, redid Pont) that of December http://classicisms. About. Com/odd/accelerometers/p/Mozart. HTML). Beethoven was also born into a family of musicians at the Royals Court of Cologne.His father, was aware of his sons extraordinary talent and to provided Ludwig with a musical education. Beethoven was given a thorough music grounding by the Bonn court organist Christian Gothic Neff and was soon acting as his deputy At the age of 17 he left for Vienna to further his studies. (Burrows, 2005 p. 149). Borides theory of class distinctions and social origin is one of the reasons which validate the description, that classical USIA is described as elitist.To some extent this argument would be a fair description of some musical practices during the classical era. This is because higher class status would deny many people from pursuing a classical music education and career. In an aristocratic society, a lack of understanding or appreciation of art was considered proof of the lower classes inferior sensibilities and intelligence (Johnson, 2002 p. 19). Today there is more accessibility for everyone to acquire classical music tuition and listening experience. Throughout musical history the age of enlightenment (1750+) radically increased the access to classical music but this usually had to be paid for. Music was profoundly responsive and affected by the social economic and cultural changes sweeping across Europe Music was on its way to becoming democratic and available to many and composers worked to a certain degree in compliance with public taste and the rising of middle class (Tibias, 2003, p. 41 -42). The implication of the age of enlightenment has resulted in more accessibility to classical music today. The work of educationalists and bodies like the Arts Council or National Education Authority is designed to make the high arts ore accessible, suggests that the charge of elitism as willful exclusion is unfounded (Johnson, 2002, p. 17). According to Borides view of accessibility which attempts to validate the elitist concept of classical music through social classes, the greater access to classical music contradicts Borides theoretical assumptions that classical music is elitist.Although the argument that classical music is far more accessible to wider social classes and audiences this is not a hundred percent justifiable and true for everybody. Today only parents with sufficient financial capital and a certain educational background are likely to fund and encourage their children to participate in it p 1 9 WYNN Today almost every symphony orchestra and opera house has an educational department. (Johnson, 2002, p. 1 19).An article in the Guardian has the headline UK shamed by musics elitist label and says, Its an age-old criticism classical music is elitist for white people only and does little to engage young people more at home on their Play, station 3 The virtuoso cellist Julian Lloyd Webber has demanded an end to such tired assumptions. .. He said we need to give access to this music and to orchestral instruments Lloyd Webber said that the performance by the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra from Venezuela was frankly shaming to the British cultural establishment. This concert showed that classical music can be hip and that it is enjoyed by young people from every kind of background (http://www. Guardian. Co. UK/UK/2007/gag/26/Venezuela. Classicisms/print). The article goes on to say why should it be assumed that young people will not enjoy it? The problem is that they cant afford lessons The problem is nothing to do with music itself. It is about access.. . While the same thing is rarely said about the largely white and comfortably off crowds at rock concerts. It is a question of economics, not race, the musician argues. Therefore one could say that participation in classical music is elitist to a fair extent, despite the fact that there are signs of greater efforts to make classical music more accessible to everyone. There is the underlying logical argument that if there is greater accessibility Of classical music to all social classes, the implication fifths would result in an expanse of public demand, thus diminishing the elitist accusation and promoting a bridge gap for equality. Unfortunately, reality does not convey significant participation of this style of music.As Julian Johnson stated The charge of elitism should be leveled at those forces in society that hinder the development and opportunity of all its members. So why is it today so often the sign of entrenchment, a refusal of opportunity, a denial of cultural or intellectual expressions of the aspiration that we might individually and collectively realize our greater human potential? (Johnson, 2002, p. 5). The refusal of participation in the new age of opportunity still depicts a conflicting presence of opposing views suggesting lassie music is still portrayed as elitist.For many people today Classical music does not connect with everyday life and as such is not relevant. People consider it so full of negativity that they avoid it altogether. It is seen as a relatively closed world defined by formal ritual and practices that divide it from the everyday/ p 7 WYNN. This view is not entirely true because, Classical music has a connectivity to life and the living of it which is unrequited. Existing beyond words and visual stimuli classical music communicates in a voice like no other. (Williams, 2003, p. 4).However there is some classical music which describes all sorts of specific life topics such as The Miraculous Mandarin Slalom and Romeo and Juliet portraying the common aspects of love in everyday life, Saint-Sheens Carnival of the animals relating to every-day fun in a zoological fantasy, Catholicisms fifth symphony portraying political strife and conflict as experienced today and Vivaldi four seasons depicting the physiological changes within the year. It is unfair to say that Classical music is elitist because it does not communicate with everyday life.Some people may also dismiss Classical music because the music is old and Hereford of little value today. However this does not mean that it is only of value for old people. Typical Classical music can be engaged in by babies before and after birth by means of Cads, specific examples include Mozart for Mothers-to-be and Baby needs Beethoven. Similar works related to classical music can also be engaged in during child development at Nursery Schools and it has been suggested that Classical Music can increase ones IQ level and increase the standard of intellectual development.In his book Classical Music, why bother? the author Joshua Finger reflects on the lack f audience for serious music such as his own compositions. He observes that in the world of classical music the trend towards an increasingly historical repertoire and an older audience has worsened continually in recent decades. We could ask, does an older audience necessarily make Classical music elite? No, not if one examines the audience who support the proms each year. We See many young people (probably students) of all social classes participating in the music.An article in the guardian state s An education in Classical music is not elitist It goes on to say How often do we meet people who are otherwise cultured ND educated, who have no awareness whatever of even the very existence of serious music. .. L would like to mention certain attitudes within the professions of music and music education that have disturbed me most The first and most common abuse hurled at the likes of me is that an education towards an understanding of, and working with, serious classical music is elitist.. .Michael Billing, discussing this years Edinburgh Festival in the Guardian, wrote there is a strange reversal of values, particularly in the media. A concert or opera attended by 1 ,OHO people or more is seen as elitist, a small-scale event attracting a dedicated handful is regarded as popular, I. E. Inverted snobbery at its most pungently destructive. (http:// www. Guardian. Co. U k/ music/musicologist/2007/par/1 0/). This article demonstrates that the perceptive elitist group of people even consider the accusation of elitism out of the question and that it is totally unfair to the general population.Classical music to some extent can be heard on a regular, informal basis, to support an activity or in an atmospheric background such as in stores on commercials. It could be argued that we eve relegated this genre to a supportive or an atmospheric background and we are in danger of losing its musical impact and status. However this could be viewed as something good in that it equates the general public (all social classes) with something that could be described as elite. However in doing this we can be deprived of experiencing classical music on its own terms with its aesthetic value, stature and relenting. Julian Johnson describes To be elitist implies that someone is snobbish and pretentious but also out of touch with contemporary culture, with its disregard for old divisions of high and low, art ND entertainment (Johnson, 2002, p. 47). The lack of participation and interest of Classical music amongst people upholds the elitist accusation due to its devaluation, this therefore would support Julian Johnnys economic evaluation of Classical music in which if the act of buying confirms the value of the musical object, then the higher the number of the objects sold, the higher the level of value it is.A lack of participation in classical music by a collective would without any doubt be incorporated with a devaluation or scrutiny towards its products. Sometimes this genre of music is difficult to understand and may require a little study and imagination to fully appreciate but that is the point. Learning expands the mind and using imagination is both fun and exciting. Another factor which u nderlines the accusation of classical music being elitist and enhances the aspect of scrutiny towards engagement in it, is the level of understanding and intellect required when listening and playing to classical music. There are differences between the modernized popular music and the traditional classical. For the collective group unfamiliar with this higher level of musical depth, this to some extent can provoke a sense of frustration and ordered implicating in an unwillingness to engage in this style and so it can be described as being elite. The greatest difference between classical and popular music lies in content and behavior. In popular music we usually hear a single tune which stays the same from beginning to end.In classical music, the theme (or tunes) are not only presented but developed. (Williams, 2003, p. 14). A typical example of the contrast between the complicated and the simple that requires less thought is the popular X factor show. This so called lower level of musical standard is evidently very popular amongst the elective which may feel classical music is brain demanding. So is popular music for entertainment whilst classical music is for the serious? The differentiation of the two opposing musical characteristics implicates in the judgmental value of entertainment.Classical music (serious) can be perceived to be less entertaining to those unable to cope with the serious demands. There are typically specific examples of works which are described to require an intensive level of concentration as Julian Johnson describes. The high seriousness and aesthetic idealism that usually characterize todays peer house demanding this high seriousness, for writing music that was increasingly beyond the technical abilities of the amateur and demanded the concentration or rows of passive listener s (Johnson, 2002, p. 8). The lack of artistic knowledge in this segmentation of people would also have an incorporated lack Of understanding for the nature Of practices in the concert halls diacritically. This reinforces a sense of class distinction and two conflicting segmentations of people, thus supporting the case for elitism. The concert practices that are not encoded through the popular music would thou a doubt require time and effort to digest if one were to engage in the classical music dominant culture system consisting of attitudes, values and beliefs.Julian Johnson emphasis this, No amount of marketing strategies, outreach programs and grants for new audiences can get around the fact that art is difficult stuff It can also require time, care and a non appetitive approach that most people associate with study or work (Johnson, 2002, p. 88). In conclusion there are a variety of factors which may cause a perception of elitism in classical music. To some extent it can be true that those who wish to articulate in the genre can be restricted by the aspects of finance, support and knowledge.However accessibility is derived away from how it was historically determined through social positions and not by a purely independent choice thus giving allowance for egalitarianism. Classical music can effectively be enjoyed by anybody irrespective of the individuals location I. E. Home or concert hall and can therefore be perceived no different from a question of personal taste. This would then value the genre of music solely by the individuals and not a collective, therefore advocating the removal of a ultra barrier.