Alcoholism in Ireland - Research Paper Example

Download file to see previous pages The society depended heavily on agriculture as a source of income and witnessed a touch of modernization when the British developed the agriculture and textile sectors. The economic boom of the ‘Celtic Tiger’ in the 90’s saw Ireland embracing globalization with its neo-liberal policies. (Fiona O’Donovan, November 2009) The economy opened up and Ireland witnessed increased immigration. This severe influx of multicultural cosmopolitan people caused the Irish orthodox society to restructure itself causing an identity crisis, which it is still trying to grapple with. (Val Gillies, June 2003) Sociological Concepts Economy Data reviewed from many countries in the European Union suggest that Ireland has the highest fertility rate. The incidence of child pregnancies in Ireland has also witnessed a sharp incline. While inequalities in income cannot be provided as the only reason it has been found that communities who fail to achieve a degree of economic and social success are not incentivised enough to avoid a teenage pregnancy. It is obvious that the issues that prevention programs seek to address like use of condoms, delaying the age of first intercourse, trying out word count 546 multiple partners, knowledge about safe sex and the risks associated with casual sex are not reaching out to a wider audience in Ireland. Education Education in Ireland has improved considerably post 1977 when the Public Service Management Act was put in place. The department of education and science (DES) body controls all aspects of public education right from the primary level to the secondary level. (European Commission, 2010) There are only few institutions that are autonomously run without state interference. Quality education along with research is also being promoted in universities with grants being provided extensively. However the increase in standards has also increased the pressure on the student community multifold. To reduce the stress on students completing the Leaving Certificate Examination, the Transition Year Programme and Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme are being incorporated into the curriculum. (European Commission, 2010) However there is no confirmation whether this has been able to boost student confidence and mitigate stress. Workforce However the globalization had its fair share of issues. With more woman folk continuing to enter workforce in the Irish society, joint extended families began to split and people started breaking itself from social norms of marriage and family. (Val Gillies, June 2003)This was being replaced with a form of intimacy which seeks to break down traditional norms of Irish society apart from leading to host of other social issues discussed in the next section. Marriage Studies have shown that with the traditional values of marriage breaking down, Ireland has witnessed a dramatic increase in divorces mostly in the urban areas than the rural. word count 838 Limerick city has highest percentage of divorce rates with one in every five marriage leading to a separation. (Iona Institute, 2007) Ireland-a Patriarchal society Ireland has often being characterised as a patriarchal society with its impact quite blatantly visible in the areas of employment, familial tasking and also in the states silent affirmation ...Download file to see next pagesRead More