Capitalism and the Global Environment (Research Paper Sample)

Capitalism and Global Environment
Student’s Name
Institution Capitalism and Global Environment
The Postmodernism/Feminist Theory
The comparison between the social democratic and the Bismarckian or the conservative models of the social policy attracts many scholars since it revolves around the societal issues, which many developed countries cannot ignore. As strongly affirmed in this essay, the study of the social policy has great impact on the modern society. There still exist some distinctive features between the two systems, which bear some realizable benefits to both the country’s economy and the society.
Social democracy bases its arguments on the 19th-century society and doctrine advanced by Karl Marx and Friendrich Angels (Sykes, 2001). However, revisionist Marxist Eduard Bernstein rejected it, saying that they were incorrect in their proposals. Marxist claimed that democratic efforts have a rare building block to the welfare regimes, and that they do not necessarily mean that social freedom or lacking it is not relevant in the social governments (Palier & Martin, 2008). Many countries have developed different models of social and political democratic systems to protect and guard the interests of people. Social democracy operates among the values of equality, people’s rights, solidarity, and even liberty (Sykes, 2001). There exists many differences between socialists and democrats, but their relationships may coincide in the one way or the other. However, the two are of great importance. In the first place, a good number of social democrats are individuals rather than groups, who confine the goals of a government. Second, they emphasize on equality, the process of imposing it, and propose its effects to the people on the basis of the concerned parties.
Despite the delayed urbanization and industrial revolution, the social democracy in Sweden has great efficiency in its administration (Palier & Martiin, 2008). For instance, the country’s citizens have gained confidence with the current governance. This promotes a friendly environment for continuity. The economic growth of the country took a smooth course and became controllable, violence and other political disorders varnished, leaving the country free of numerous problems associated with the politics (Palier & Martin, 2008).
Sweden was the first country to introduce maternity leave, which later on graduated to the parental balance. Parents enjoy four hundred and eighty days when a child is born. During the first 420 days of this period, the government pays 80% of the salary up to a capped limit of 910 SEK a day. A paternity leave is also entitled to a male parent, which gives an equal right. It is, therefore, one of the generous countries on parental leave in the world. Sweden has the highest levels of gender equality on the continent (Palier & Martiin, 2008). The well-developed welfare system has made it easier for both sexes to equalize their work and family life. In Sweden for instance, men and women enjoy the same rights at school, workplace and at home. It means that men and women in all areas of life enjoy the same rights, opportunities and obligations. Gender equality still exists in preschools, where the children enjoy the same opportunities in life, regardless of their gender, through teaching methods that allow each child to grow up into a unique person. Gender equality is an important chapter addressed throughout elementary school to prepare the students for further education (Castles, 2010). Therefore, the social welfare system has strengthened the gender equality to the people of Sweden.
The Swedish economic crisis appeared due to overspending and inefficiency. This crisis, as argued by economists, emerged due to inefficient use of funds and government spending in running municipal activities. Too much paying of allowances and other employee benefits also contributed to the crisis. The solving the problem forced the government to cut the benefit entitlements of employees and reduce them considerably.
On the other hand, conservation means retaining an important or useful entity. In this context, it is a political philosophy, which facilitates retaining traditionalist. In a real life situation, some people tend to conserve things as they advance on others. Other reactionaries are rigid and happy, when things remain as they were before (Alcock & Craig, 2009). The meaning of the word conservative may considerably differ, depending on place, time and views as many can reason in different perspectives. Nevertheless, scholars usually pull its meaning to fit in different fields, in this case, political and social.
Conservatives hope in the benefits of social environment, hence encouraging its establishment. This clearly shows the efforts to identify the importance of religion, culture, and traditions (Alcock & Craig, 2009). It was first introduced in 1860s by a German man namely Bismarck, when he was a chancellor of the United Germany. He greatly managed the entire affairs of the country until Kaiser replaced him in 1890. Mr. Otto Bismarck used diplomacy in his regime and kept the country at peace. He ruled wisely and considered the many German workers’ problems only to propose the introduction of the insurance policy to cover them during and after their working period.
Germany also was the first country in Europe to introduce an old-age social insurance policy in 1880s initiated by Bismarck (Castles, 2010). This had numerous positive results including maximizing efficiency in the economy by advocating the well-being of its workers as well as introducing retirement benefits and disability allowances to its citizens. The contributions were compulsory requirements and they were collected from the workers, job providers and the government (Palier & Martiin, 2008). They also introduced compensation and sickness allowances in the policy, which enabled the people to live without fear of big hospital bills. As a result, it facilitated hard working and efficiency to the organizations, hence maximizing profits. Moreover, Germany government through the influence of Bismarck set the retirement age to sixty-five years, during which one can start enjoying his or her benefits based on the working duration and salary scale.
Germany is one of the nations, whose income distribution seemed remarkably stable for decades. The bismarckian system of social security weakened the social inequality and the level of poverty in the country. However, in the past ten years scholars have concluded that income inequality have been increasing more than in any other country. They proposed that the government social system was too generous in paying salaries and other benefits. A commission chaired by Hartz developed a host of proposals to make workers agree on small payments. Among the proposals was the coming up with the personnel service agency, where the government will act as a labor agency. Hertz II was aimed at relieving social benefits to unemployed people by creating mini-jobs. Hartz III aimed at speeding job placement and withstanding pressure of unemployment. Hartz IV proposed that all the unemployed workers should lose all the rights of getting payed due to full unemployment. This made them to take any job regardless of their qualification. Hatz’s traps made it difficult in evading poverty since the unemployed people were forced to take jobs with no security, pension entitlements and other benefits. Due to these implementations, Germany’s economy has grown and the country has become stable.
The refugees in Germany do not enjoy the same rights as the legal citizens. Social welfare benefits are usually limited. Asylum seekers do not access labour market, education, and hospital sufficiently, since they lack residence status. Right of the residence and permanent employment are not entitled to, since they temporarily live and possess low levels of education. They also face hostility from the legal citizens (Palier & Martiin, 2008). Nobody recognizes his or her presence in the country. The term “welcome but unwanted” is used to welcome them.
Despite the current access to health insurance services, the increase in elderly population in Germany will affect negatively on health care expenditure. This is believed to affect these services if no actions will be undertaken. Recently the Health insurance fund city BKK declared bankruptcy due to increasing number of costs and members exceeding the budget from the health care fund. As argued out, death has considerably high expenses than even the old age care costs. Notably, the old age care services have been recently on pressure over the increasing expenses, which drain the services in its financial status.
Security Theory and Peak Oil Theory
Foreign and defense policies should be formulated from considering certain security approaches. There are several theoretical approaches towards security. These include realism nerolism, liberalism and constructivism. The realism approach in the field of international relations has been a dominant theory. This theory is passed on contemporary international security studies. In the twentieth century, classical realism is derived from Hallett principles.
The realist views in anarchy and the absence of power regulations in the interactions between states and characteristics that are distinctive based on international politics. Due to the anarchy and in an antagonism state, this brings a distinction being the international domestic system based on how they conduct foreign security matters. In this case, realism has a number of schools based on three core assumptions. These groups include groupies, egoism, and power centrism. According to this theory, it states that bad things happen because people, who make foreign policy, are sometimes bad (Mills, 2008).<...