A Social Problem and Perspectives Associated With Media, Government and Civil Society - Essay Example

? DEFINING UNEMPLOYMENT: A SOCIAL PROBLEM AND PERSPECTIVES ASSOCIATED WITH MEDIA, GOVERNMENT AND CIVL SOCIETY. By Donna Purcell Environmental StudiesInstructor University Date Introduction What is the social definition of unemployment? Research has found several varying meanings. 1. “Unemployment is defined as a situation where someone of working age is not able to get a job but would like to be in full time employment.” (economicshelp.com 2010, p. 1). This excludes such persons as a mother who left work to care for a child or someone who is seeking higher education; they are not working and not actively seeking employment. Another area that is not included in unemployment is voluntary unemployed. These are persons who by choice choose not to take a job at the going rate because of wrong job, wrong pay, location, etc. A grey area exists with these types of persons whether they could be counted as unemployed, because they are still seeking employment but for one reason or another have not taken jobs offered them. Another definition given from the economic/government standpoint states, 2. “Persons 16 years and over who had no employment during the reference week, were available for work, except for temporary illness, and had made specific efforts to find employment sometime during the 4 week period ending with the reference week. Persons who were waiting to be recalled to a job from which they had been laid off need not have been looking for work to be classified as unemployed.” (Bureau of Labor Statistics 2011, p.1). The labour force is defined as, “the number of people employed plus the number of unemployed but seeking work.” (tradingeconomics.com 2011, p. 1). The nonlabour force makes up those persons who are not looking for work, persons who are institutionalized, and military personnel. Many of these persons include self-employed persons working part-time because they could not find full time employment. (tradingeconomics.com 2011, p.1) The following information will show differing perspectives on employment, policy and how it has impacted society within the United Kingdom. The information will also show perceptions of media, government and civil society on unemployment both locally as well as globally. The Social Problem and Differing Perspectives According to Adrian Sinfield, when society has high unemployment there is an increase in other social ills such as ill-health, premature death, suicide attempts and actual suicide, marriage breakdown, child battering, racial conflicts and football hooliganism. (Sinfield 2002, p.1). There are statistics that link unemployment with poor health. 1. Unemployed persons who left school in Leeds had substantially worse mental health than employed persons who left school. 2. A British study in 1971 found that there was a 20% higher mortality rate among unemployed. 3. A study in 1982 in Edinburgh found that suicide and attempts among men were 20 times higher among the unemployed. 4. Studies have also shown that children of unemployed parents are not as tall as children of employed parents. (Sinfield 2002, p.4). Some of these studies are rather inconclusive; however, some studies do establish a correlation. It is obvious unemployment causes financial difficulty for those concerned as unemployment benefits have declined in recent years relative to current wages. According to Fagin and Little “employment gives people their sense of identity, especially their social identity.”(Sinfield 2002, p.4). Simply, people who work have structure in their lives and people who don’t find it hard to keep themselves occupied. Structured living is a means of psychological need; as the unemployed have less relaxed sleep patterns. Work provides a firm sense of purpose and income gives the means of freedom and control of ones own life outside of work. (Blacksacademy 2002, p.4). There are several theories of unemployment that have a direction effect on the problems. Frictional unemployment happens when people change jobs. Structural unemployment happens when changes in the economy force a long delay in the transfer of resources from one sector to another, This can be regional and force migration to another disadvantaged region when one part of industry is declining relative to others. (Blacksacademy 2002, p.2). Cyclical unemployment happens when there are fluctuations in economic activity that cause booms and recessions, which usually run in 4 to 6 year periods. (Blacksacademy 2002, p2). Before the 1970s Keynes claimed that there was demand deficient unemployment and that government should stimulate demand for jobs by increasing government spending. Arguments against this policy cause fear of inflation. Norman Lamont, chancellor of the exchequer under John Major, said “that unemployment was a price well worth paying in the battle against inflation.” (Blacksacademy 2002, p.2). Deindustrialization and structural unemployment is a long-term trend whereby the workforce switches from manufacturing to a more service-oriented workforce. Some contend that this is due to changes in technology while others claim it’s a weakness in the British economy. (Blacksacademy 2002, p.3). “Marx claimed that unemployment was endemic in the capitalist system.” (Blacksacademy 2002, p.3). Thus, there is a need in a capitalist society for a reserve army of labour, workers who can work during booms and be fired during slumps. Unemployment is the result of cyclical operations in a capitalist society. (Blacksacademy 2002, p.3). Contributors to Unemployment Migration is strongly tied to economic opportunities. People migrate to a specific place because they want to improve their own opportunities and those of their families. One might predict that during a recession the influx of migrants to be less to a specific area, however, several factors complicate this scenario. (migrationpolicy.org 2009, p.19) About 40 percent of workers who migrate to the UK are labour related. Other factors of migration are personal, social or political factors and have less to do with the effects on unemployment. Migration is more attractive when the opportunities are better in the source country. However, 40 percent labour related migrants play a major role in the unemployment picture in the United Kingdom. (migrationpolicy.org 2009, p.28). The unemployment rate for 16 to 24 year olds has risen sharply in the current recession to 20 percent in 2010. (poverty.org.uk 2011, p.1). In perspective unemployment for older workers has fallen in 2010 and is much lower than that of the early 1990s. However, the direction of this point is that unemployment for ages 16 – 24 year olds is now more than three times the rate for older workers. Contrasting this to the 90s, it was just twice the rate of older workers. “As a result, two fifths of those who are unemployed are under 25 years of age. (poverty.org.uk 2011, p.1). This number is the highest in London. Looking at the average for young men and women, the rate if much higher for men than women. There is little study of the effect of unemployment on women as they are still stereotyped in terms of housewives and mothers. (Blacksacademy 2002, p.5). “A study by War, Banks and Ullah (1982) claimed that unemployment in young people was linked to psychological distress.” (Blacksacademy 2002, p.5). Therefore, “unemployment for young people is a major cause of low income and deprivation.” (poverty.org.uk 2011, p. 3). These statistics convert to a higher mortality rates among unemployed young men and concerns about suicide rates and major depressive illnesses. Policy Options High unemployment may cause tensions between immigrants and native workers who feel their jobs are threatened. Therefore, a whole-of-society policy would bring greater rewards. (migrationpolicy.org 2005, p.68). Leadership at the local, regional and national levels of government will provide a supportive structural foundation. It is also vital to have a more flexible funding system, much of which is under development, to support policy changes. The government has a greater control over immigrant flows through the Points-Based System. There is also room for attracting talented workers to contribute to the economy from green engineers to low-carbon experts. (migrationpolicy.org. 2009, p. 70). More regulations regarding labour standards for low-skill occupations are important. This may bring in more taxable revenue, which benefit society in a broad perspective. Policy should address lower skilled workers who try to compete in the labour market. This can include training for low skilled workers, which has already been introduced. Wage insurance programs will assist workers who are displaced. Further intervention into on the job training programs will help newly qualified trainees to be more productive. (migrationpolicy.org 2005, p. 72). Looking at history in regard to policy, the recession that followed the 1973 oil shock encouraged some return migration. For example, in Germany 10 to 15 percent of all previously employed foreigners returned home. This return migration in the Western European countries was mainly dependent on migration elements of the country. Immigrants from wealthier countries were more likely to return home. (migrationpolicy.org 2009, p.30). Immigration in the United States has moved parallel to the business cycles; however, this is due partly to heightened US security climates. (migrationpolicy.org 2009, p.31). Unemployment Media, Government and Civil Society Does the public have the right to know? A spokesman for the White House said, “he believes that the average voter worries about his own job, and therefore, unemployment statistics will not affect his vote.” (idealtaxes.com 2011, p.1) He certainly will not worry if the media presents a cleaned up version. In one Pittsburgh newspaper Associated Press claimed that employment fell by 14,000 in one week while another story reported that the private-sector jobs gained 157,000 in the same week. Obviously the media had skewed the information. (idealtaxes.com 2011, p.1). In the UK the headlines read “The Uk’s jobless total was 2.43 million after tumbling by 88,000 in the three months to April, the sharpest drop since the summer of 2000.” (indymedia.org.uk 2011, p. 1). Unemployment had fallen by 88,000 but figures showed that it came after the young people were reclassified as “economically inactive” rather than unemployed. (indymedia.org.uk 2011, p.2). The position the media has taken has been linked to politicians and unions to skew the unemployment figures. Even in the United States major US newspapers have shifted their attention from covering the unemployment to focusing solely on the national deficit. The media has decided that the public really cares about the federal deficit more than unemployment. With this feeling, the media shifts their attentions to what bring in the news. The political will to fix the labor market faded in 2010. It’s really hard to blame the media for not writing compelling stories about nonexistent efforts to fix a chronic unemployment problem. (Linkins 2011, p.1). It appears that the powerful people in government have abandoned the effort to fix the unemployment problem, therefore, less focus on the news. This, in turn, brings skewed, false and manipulated reports. (Linkins 2011, p.4). “A record number of Americans are unemployed for a record length of time.”(Reich 2010, p. 2). It is credited as a positive within a nation when many can receive unemployment benefits. It’s a good situation for the families as well as for the economy as a whole as it allows them to spend and keeps others in jobs. There are others that argue against this theory and seek to abolish unemployment benefits. . (Reich 2010, p.2). Within the United Kingdom unemployed young people can become important players by becoming active in politics and not simply being an object of state policies and interventions by civil society. (Giugni 2011, p.6). In an argument by Dale Mortensen comparing the US and the UK he showed that adopting UK labour market policies would raise the US unemployment rate by more than 2 percent, while adopting US unemployment policies in the UK would lower unemployment 1.5 percentage points. He further argued that UK employment entitlement should be reduced to a six-month period, as the US, which would eliminate further costs associated with employment protection legislation. (Mortensen 2011, p.2). In Conclusion We have defined unemployment from a social standpoint and economic/government standpoint. We have looked at the social problems effecting unemployment within the United Kingdom as well as other countries and globally. Studying unemployment as a social problem we have pointed out the negative aspects that effect a society laden with chronic unemployment, especially in their young people as well as immigrants. Contributors to unemployment have been pointed out as well as policies that the UK now faces and policies that can be improved. We have also noted that the media and government do not always abide by actual fact when reporting the statistics. Finally looking at unemployment in a civil society, those that accept long-term unemployment whose incomes remain relatively high are not likely to be as apathetic as those whose incomes remain low. (Blacksacademy 2002, p.5). References Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Unemployed Persons.” Viewed 21 July 2011. http://econmodel.com/. Definition of Unemployment. 03 June 2010. Viewed 21 July 2011. http://economicshelp.org/. Giugni, Marco. “European Policy Brief.” 01 May 2008 – 30 April 2011. Viewed 21 July 2011. http://younex.unige.ch/. Links, Jason. “The Media has Abandoned Covering the Nation’s Massive Unemployment Crisis.” 18 May 2011. Viewed 21 July 2011. http://huffingtonpost.com/. Mortensen, Dale. Unemployment Policy. “Centre for Economic Policy Research.” Viewed 21 July 2011. http://cepr.org/. Reich, Robert. “Why a Civil Society Extends Unemployment Benefits,” 31 August 2010. http://huffingtonpost.com/robert-reich/. Richman, Raymond. “Are the Media Massaging the Unemployment Data?” 08 July 2011. Viewed 21 July 2011. http://idealtaxes.com/. Somerville, Will; Sumption, Madeleine. “Immigration in the United Kingdom.” 03 2009. Viewed 21 July 2011. http://migrationpolicy.org./. The Effects of Unemployment: The effects on Society. “The British Record.” 12 2002. Viewed 21 July 2011. http://blacksacademy.com/. Unemployment Figures Con. 17 June 2011. Viewed 21 July 2011. http://indymedia.org.uk/. United Kingdom Unemployment Rate. 15 June 2011. Viewed 21 July 2011. http://tradingeconomics.com/united-kingdom/. Young Adult Unemployment. 2007. Viewed 21 July 2011. http://poverty.org.uk/. Read More