Violence in the Media and how it Affects Society Essay Example for Free

Violence in the Media and how it Affects Society Essay The effect of media is profound and far-reaching. All over the world, the media influences our values and intrudes upon our deep-seated ideologies and beliefs. Indeed the media has been a powerful force in influencing people’s perceptions, and more importantly, their behavior as well. Business, politicians, and showbiz personalities pay huge sums of money to media firms in order create an image or change an existing one. Politics in particular, has been making use of the media to generate public support for their campaigns and support for certain policies and legislations. Indeed, the power of the media to affect our behavior has long been proven. Among the most pressing issues about media nowadays is how the proliferation of media violence can affect society. People have long believed that constant and chronic exposure to violence through various forms of mass media can erode the values of an individual, especially if the person does not have a strong system of moral support. (Croteau Hoynes 23) However while it is easy to say that violence in media has an adverse effect in society, there are scholars who argue that it is not media per se that causes the negative effects, rather it is a complex interplay of many elements in society, and media is but one element in the issue. (Freedman 54) Media violence and its effect on society cannot be separated from these other factors and therefore, media alone cannot be held responsible for violence in society. As such, this paper intends to understand media violence and its effects on society by understanding the issues that underlie the argument. Violent behavior has long been a source of confusion among sociologists, psychologists and society in general. While there have been many extensive researches that have attempted to study, understand, and explain criminal acts, none thus far has been found to satisfactorily explain all the complex processes and the interplay of factors that pushes an individual to commit violence. Among these theories, the most widely-accepted is the constitutive criminology. According to this theory, violent behavior is the result of the complex interplay between man and the social structures that he interacts with on a regular basis. (Sanders Ferrell 146) As such, perpetrators of violence cannot be analyzed separately from the social processes that they interact with. Following this theory, it is easy to understand why media has often been implicated in the increase of aggressive or violent behavior. Media has been growing more powerful and omniscient by the minute. In particular the Internet, has amplified the power of the media to effect change and influence society’s behavior. The effects of these technological advances have been discussed by Croteau and Hoynes, â€Å"The increase in media options in recent years has even led to an increase in ‘multi-tasking’- using more than one form of media at a time. † (5) With the ubiquitous media surrounding us in all aspects of our lives, it is easy to realize that the media is a big and indispensable part of contemporary life. Indeed the media has become the most dominant and powerful force in our modern world, displacing religious and educational institutions as the primary molder of our individual and collective ideologies. (Croteau and Hoynes 6) And if media can be used to influence buying, voting, and other forms of behavior, it follows that is also affects violence and aggressiveness among people. How media influences people may be explained by Bandura’s social learning theory. According to Bandura (1977), the need to be accepted and conform to society is the main driving force for an individual’s actions. If media then creates the image of what is acceptable and popular, then it is only logical that society acts in accordance to this media-created image. The following figures are taken from the official website of the National Institute on Media and the Family (2006): ? Based on average viewing time, an individual would have seen some 200,000 acts of violence including 40,000 murders on television by the time he or she is eighteen years old (Huston, et al qtd. from the National Institute on Media and the Family). ? Children between the ages of 8 and 18 spend more time exposed to various forms of media (TV, computer, game consoles, music, etc) than any other activity in their lifetime. (Kaiser Family Foundation qtd. from the National Institute on Media and the Family). ? Of over a thousand studies that have been done on the effects of violence in television and movies, majority of them conclude that individuals, especially children who spend significant time watching violence on TV and movies are more likely to display aggressive or violent behavior, attitudes and values. (Senate Committee; Congressional Public Health Summit qtd. from the National Institute on Media and the Family) According to these figures, the younger the age of the individual, the more susceptible they become to the adverse effects of exposure to media violence. (Trend 93) The aggressiveness are often latent and presents later in life which is adds to the difficulty of measuring the actual effects of media violence. (Freedman 137) Women who spend long hours watching TV violence are more likely to respond violently towards their spouses. There is an increase in physicality among women with higher media violence exposure. (Partenheimer) In the same vein, men who watched more media violence exhibit increased physical violence and aggressive behavior towards others as well. Both men and women who watch violence on the Internet, movies, and TV are three times more likely to commit traffic violations and other misdemeanors and felonies. Regardless of any theory, there is no denying the fact that any violent actions or aggressive behavior is a product of a highly complex process, the mechanics of which may forever elude social scientists. However, while violence may indeed be just the end product of a series of interactions between the perpetrator and the world around him, the question still remains why some people who grow up watching the same levels of media violence grow up to be normal people while others become social deviants. As the individual makes the choice to commit an aggression, how much of this is because of media influence and other social and physical factors, and how much of this is purely the individual’s choice? For social scientists the challenge is to create theories that will help prevent violence rather than analyze the aggressive after the fact, after the harm has been done. As previously mentioned, learning does not take place in a vacuum; it does so within a social context. Young children are very impressionable, and they need constant supervision and explicit direction from their parents. Children should be made to realize what behaviors are acceptable and those that are not. Parents should exhaust all efforts to monitor what their children see and hear and provide proper and consistent guidance Indeed the media is very powerful and highly influential. But it is a neutral instrument and can be used for both good and bad. By virtue of its platform of delivery, films and television are highly accessible and are able to reach an enormous audience within a short span of time. The elements of compelling narrative, appealing characters, vivid imagery, and technological achievements, make a powerful combination that is able to stir deep emotions and leave lasting impressions in the psyche of the individuals who are watching. Shows and music that carry positive themes of justice, equality, and honor are very effective in shaping public opinion, and by extension, positive behavior as well. A well-made film or TV show can galvanize a society into action and initiate positive change. Media should temper violence by featuring shows that promote values as well. Works Cited Bandura, Albert. Social Learning Theory. Prentice-Hall. 1977 Croteau, David. Media Society: Industries, Images and Audiences. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. 2003. Freedman, Jonathan. Media Violence and Its Effect on Aggression: Assessing the Scientific Evidence. University of Toronto Press. 2002. Partenheimer, David. Public Affairs Office. Childhood Exposure To Media Violence Predicts Young Adult Aggressive Behavior, According To A New 15-Year Study. 2003. Retrieved on March 7, 2008 from http://www. apa. org/releases/media_violence. html

The Death of Creativity in Brave New World :: Brave New World

The Death of Creativity in Brave New World      Ã‚  Ã‚   Aldous Huxley, in his distopian novel,Brave New World, presents a horrifying view of a possible future in which society has become a prisoner of the very technology it hoped would save us.   In Brave New World Huxley's distortion of technology, religion, and family values, is much more effective than his use of literary realism found in his depiction of a savage reservation. Through his use of distortion Huxley tells a classic tale with the theme of, be careful what you wish for, because it may not truly be what you wanted.      Ã‚  Ã‚   Huxley effectively uses distortion in -Brave New World through his depiction of social values of the future. For example, when Barnard Marx hears somebody talking about Lenina in the locker room, he becomes upset. Leaving the building, everyone he passes recommends soma for his bad mood. Huxley shows the reader that drug use is becoming more and more an acceptable way out for a weak society.   He is showing society that we are becoming emotionally incapable of dealing with pain and hurt. Furthermore, the students, while speaking with the director of the London Hatchery, are told at one time people were viviparous, and were disgusted and outraged. Huxley is trying to warn society that its lack of commitment and endurance will eventually be its downfall.   Lack of the experience of pregnancy severs the emotional ties of the woman and her child.   An emotionless society feels no guilt.   In addition, Lenina, when accused of lack of promiscuity by Fanny while in the locker room, religiously denies it. Monogamy requires commitment, pain, and work.   Huxley is predicting humans progressing to a society of people who are unable to focus on anything but pleasure; unable to handle the work of a commitment.   He knew the road we were on would lead the wrong way.      Ã‚  Ã‚   Huxley also uses distortion to open peoples eyes to the world of religion.   For example, Bernard Marx hurries and frets about being late to his orgy-porgy session because he is running behind.   Huxley's prediction of the church moving away from God and towards man is becoming evident even sixty-three years after his book appeared.   Church figures, such as, Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggert, have appeared numerous times on the news and in the papers for using the church for money and sex.   Furthermore, when Bernard and Lenina visit the reservation they are appalled at the practice of a cross of Christianity and Hinduism.  Ã‚   A warning that lack of religious tolerance could be one of the greatest downfalls of our time.

Pesonal Response Nicholas Sparks The Notebook Essay

What is this Novel about? The structure of the novel is told on two levels – one is the present day when Allie and Noah have grown old and live in a home; the other is the story Noah reads from the notebook in which he tells how he and Allie met, fell in love, lost each other, and then found each other again. The end of their love story is tragically altered by Allie’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis, but even that has no power over their love. Who introduced you to this novel? A friend called Emily introduced me to this novel; she was reading it in the library lessons we get at school and I remember her saying that it was very different to the movie. She stated a scene that was played near the end of the movie had already been written in the novel by the page number of 30. What appealed to you in this novel? This novel is a typical love story, of teenagers that fall in love over summer and are forced to part. What appealed to me in this novel was that I had seen and read some of Nicholas sparks other movies and books including Dear John, A walk to remember, and his newest book Safe Haven. Is it realistic? In my opinion no I don’t think it is realistic, the notebook and books similar to the notebook are giving teenage girls a different perspective on Love. The romance portrayed in the book represents both everything that’s wrong in relationships and what woman want in relationships. This is a bad example for young adults, 1 because it is getting there hopes up that everyone will find love just like Allie and Noah and 2 because Love isn’t going to be easy. What do you think the message is? The Message behind the notebook is simply true love, no matter what you go through, Allie got diagnosed with a disease called Alzheimer, but despite this Noah read a Notebook every day to Allie hoping for a miracle to happen. A quote I found that pretty much explains everything is ‘behind every great love, is a great story’ Who was your favorite character in this novel? My favorite character in the book is Noah, because he has pure commitment. Because he wrote to Allie after they had spent a summer together. He wrote her 365 letters one every day of the year, even with no reply because Allies mum had kept them from her. Why did the setting interest you? The book was set in early October 1946, and Noah Calhoun lived in North Carolina, in one of the largest homes in New Bern. The setting interests me because how the author describes the town that Noah lives in sounds a lot like the town I live in, very small, everyone knows everyone, people are so generous. This setting is where Noah meet Allies as Allies family were spending there summer in this town because her father worked for R.J. Reynolds. Was the Title a good one? Yes I do think the title was a good one, it perfectly describes the book in 2 words. The story is been read as a notebook and in fact it is a Notebook that Ally started writing when she was first diagnosed with Alzheimer so she would remember her life.

Analysis Of The Movie Maternal And Paternal Instincts

Maternal and paternal instinct drive many family obligations, a major one being caring for your children and making sure that they survive. This one theme is tested in both Force Majeure and Medea and if it wasn’t, there would be no driving plot to either works. In Force Majeure, Ebba and Tomas’s relationship strains are brought into the limelight as a result of Tomas abandoning his family in their hour of need during an avalanche. As a parent, one is expected to think of one’s children first in a life or death situation and preserve one’s offspring at all costs. Tomas tends to stray from that ideal from the very beginning, Ebba even hints that Tomas has not been the best father because he has â€Å"been working so much† and â€Å"now he has time to focus on his family†. From this the viewer gets a glimpse of what life has been like for the family outside of the parameters of the movie plot. One can see that maybe this is not just an out of t he blue occasion, for him to be leaving his family in a time of need. He might have been slacking on his responsibilities as a father and this event acted like the catalyst for Ebba to bring up the issues she might have been internalizing before coming on vacation. Now that Tomas is actually focusing on his family, he seems to reflect upon himself and his family and does not like what he sees. In the scene where he and Ebba are yet again talking outside of their hotel room he states that he is â€Å"really disappointed in him too† when apologizing toShow MoreRelatedThe Changing Nature of Family Life in Contemporary Society Essay3339 Words   |  14 Pagesattempts to transfer Horror fiction from the page to the silver screen, there have been moral panics in response to the horror genre. In 1973, The Exorcist (directed by William Friedkin, US, 1973) provoked outrage, and sections of the movie had to be removed in response to worldwide complaints and panic as to the overtly sexual and violent nature of its content, not to mention accusations of religious blasphemy. Similarly, throughout the 1980s, there were campaigns againstRead MoreI Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou6502 Words   |  27 PagesAnalysis: Chapters 1–5 The lines from the poem Maya cannot finish, â€Å"What are you looking at me for? I didn’t come to stay . . .† capture two of the most significant issues she struggles with in her childhood and young adulthood: feeling ugly and awkward and never feeling attached to one place. First, Maya imagines that though people judge her unfairly by her awkward looks, they will be surprised one day when her true self emerges. At the time, she hopes that she will emerge as if in a fairy-taleRead MoreThe Five Dysfunctions of a Team a Leadership Fable46009 Words   |  185 Pagesthe Chairman’s sanity when he suggested they hire Kathryn. But he eventually wore them down. For one, the board believed their Chairman when he ï ¬â€šat out assured them that Kathryn would succeed. Second, he had been known to have extremely good instincts about people, notwithstanding the problem with Jeff. He certainly wouldn’t make two mistakes in a row, they reasoned. But perhaps most important of all (though no one would 11 07Lencioni/Kathryn 2/10/02 3:31 PM Page 12 The Five

Comparing and Contrasting George Washington and Donald Trump - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 610 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2019/03/27 Category Politics Essay Level High school Tags: Donald Trump Essay Did you like this example? George Washington, the first president of the United States, and Donald Trump, the most recent president of the United States, have some similarities and differences. They each show the qualities of a leader through their characteristics and their actions. These qualities include authoritative characteristics, their use of strategies and tactics, and their commitment while president. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Comparing and Contrasting George Washington and Donald Trump" essay for you Create order George Washington and Donald Trump both have very authoritative characteristics. In 1778, George Washington took control during the battle at Monmouth in New Jersey. This left the American troops dumbfounded because having a new leader came to them as a surprise. Washington knew all of the characteristics of a military leader, such as strategy, operations, tactics (Stazesky). After the battle, he was seen as a leadership genius. Washington was going to do everything he could in order to get a government controlled by the people, in a republican and independent government. Donald Trump does portray authoritative habits through his actions as well. Even before Donald Trump became president, he made his intentions very clear stating he will only rely on the United States allies. He states his goals and purposes in an authoritative way. In most of his actions, he uses his power and authority to carry them out. Even though both of these United States presidents use(d) strategies and tactics, they were used in specifically different ways. For example, although technology was not anywhere near advanced during Washingtons presidency, the use of ciphers and codes were of great significance during the Revolutionary War. With more knowledge than anyone else in this time period, Washington centralized intelligence operations, created spy rings, emphasized use of codes and invisible ink, and employed various other espionage tactics (Velie). The point of these ciphers, codes, and invisible ink was to guarantee that if the letters using these tricks were to be found, they would not be understood by outside people. Trumps attempts at using tactics tend to take more of a negative approach. For instance, when he was first introduced to the Chinese president, he complimented him and stated him to be a great man. However, when the Chinese president declined the offer to perform Trumps tasks, Trump used a backlash strategy on the foreign leader and changed their negotiating positions abruptly. Another example of strategy use is Trumps America First approach, which inevitably states that America is the most powerful country in the world, and will remain powerful against any possible rival in the future (Chellaney). Both presidents really committed to becoming president, and followed through with their promises. George Washington had the idea that the military should be willing to change based on control of the non-military citizen, which means the government or congress could make decisions for them and they had to follow through with them. He made this clear in innumerable letters, orders, addresses and especially by his actions (Stazesky). His commitment to this idea shows he has the qualities of a successful leader. One of the main reasons Donald Trump was elected president was because he was already showing commitment before the election. Most people voted for him because he was committed to rebuilding our country and disrupting the political status quo that had failed to deliver results (Donald J. Trump.). After his election, Trump showed his commitment through his actions, and by bringing all different Americans together. Although George Washington and Donald Trump are two very different people, in some ways they possess the same leadership skills and qualities, such as authoritative characteristics, their use of strategies and tactics, and their commitment while president. They have different ways of carrying these skills out, however they both use the same strategies to show leadership.

Smoking Cigarettes Should Be Banned - 1012 Words

With no doubt, it is almost common knowledge that smoking cigarettes can bring numerous negative effects. Because of this, many laws and regulations have been brought up to ban smoking. Despite all the positive effects from abstaining to smoke, many people are still against smoking bans. The critics of these laws, see it as an example of the government interfering in people’s lives. Ultimately, there is no right or wrong to this issue. It comes down to balancing the rights of the non-smoker to breathe in fresh air and the rights of the smoker to smoke freely. One side cannot simply outweigh the other. It is all a matter of opinion, thus creating a controversial topic for debate. Even though this is a topic that is constantly brought up. It is also a topic that stands out to myself greatly. Being raised in a family of smokers, I first-hand know the negatives of smoking and the tragedies that it can bring. Not only does it affect the user. It truly effects those around him or her. I cannot stress this enough. At the age of six, I had lost my grandfather to lung cancer. Even though I was at such a young age, I still vividly remember the pain that my grandfather was experiencing while he was in the hospital. Every time I heard him cough, my heart would sink. From hearing his cough, one would be able to tell that his lungs were poor and were badly damaged. My grandfather would have to muster all of his strength in order to let out one wheezing cough. He was a smoker for overShow MoreRelatedShould Cigarette Smoking Be Banned?1365 Words   |  6 PagesShould Cigarette Smoking be banned? The United States Surgeon General’s report stated that cigarette smoking is the major single cause of cancer death in the United States. This statement is so true today. Smoking a cigarette is an acquired behavior and that makes it the most preventable cause of death in our society. Cigarettes contain nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide, as well as formaldehyde, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, arsenic, and DDT. The main ingredient in cigarettes is tobacco. The nicotineRead MoreShould Cigarette Smoking Be Banned?1376 Words   |  6 PagesSurgeon General’s report stated that cigarette smoking is the major single cause of cancer death in the United States. This statement is so true today. Smoking a cigarette is an acquired behavior and that makes it the most preventable cause of death in our society. Cigarettes contain nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide, as well as formaldehyde, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, arsenic, and DDT. The main ingredient in cigarettes is tobacco. The ni cotine in cigarettes is very addictive and when smoke containingRead MoreShould cigarette smoking be banned?700 Words   |  3 Pages Should cigarette smoking be banned? Smoking is an expensive habit. People who smoke cigarettes can spend as much as $2,500 a year on them (Singletary). Smoking is a practice in which a substance, most commonly tobacco or cannabis, is burned and the smoke is tasted or inhaled. The most common method of smoking today is through cigarettes. Cigarettes remain primarily industrially manufactured, but they can be hand-rolled from loose tobacco and paper. Today we are more aware on how bad smoking is forRead MoreShould Cigarette Smoking Be Banned?899 Words   |  4 Pages Should Cigarette Smoking Be Banned Whether or not cigarette smoking should be banned completely, has become an object of controversy in many countries. Should cigarette smoking be banned for everyone in the United States? Smoking tobacco products have been around for decades and in many different forms. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. 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Politics Health Insurance Policy

Question: Discuss about the Politics for Health Insurance Policy. Answer: Historical Development of the Medicare Policy The Australian health insurance policy is such a health insurance policy that is being funded by the Commonwealth and it allows the Australian population to receive free hospital services from the public hospital (Aihw.gov.au. 2016). The Medicare policy of Australia was first introduced by the Whitlam Labor Government, Medibank started in Australia, in the year 1975 under the Whitlam Labor Government. Before the Medibank was set up in Australia, in the year 1974, Medibank legislation was passed in the same year. The Health Insurance Bill that helped in establishing the Medibank was passed in the year 1973, although it was not the only Bill that helped in establishing the Medibank but there are several other bills as well that helped in establishing it (Boxall and Gillespie 2013). The other bills that accompanied the health Insurance Bill include the Health Insurance Commission Bill and this particular bill too helped in establishing the Medibank in Australia. In this process there we re many such bills that were rejected, and later on all these bills helped in establishing the Medibank in the country for the public in Australia (Dunbar, Jayawardena, Johnson, Roger, Timoshanko, Versace, Shill, Philpot, Vartiainen, Laatikainen and Best 2014). The Medibank that was set up by the Whitlam Labor Government in Australia soon experienced a fall. The fall or the dismissal of the Medibank took place under the new government of Australia, which was a coalition government of the Liberal and the National party (Faichney and Moore 2013). The coalition government set up a review committee, although most of the findings, rather all the findings of the review committee were not revealed to the public (Kay and Boxall 2015). The new Medibank II was established in the year 1976, and this new Medibank II charged 2.5% levy on the public, whereas in case of the previous Medibank such was not in the case (Sharman, Hensher, Wilkinson, Campbell and Venn 2015). The old Medibank charged 1.5% levies on the public income, although in case of this new Medibank the population in Australia. The people are allowed to use the private health insurances at the same time, and these health insurances too helped the public in availing proper health care servi ces from the hospitals (Aihw.gov.au. 2016). The change that is being introduced by the Liberal-National government of Australia also went through a change, in the year 1984, when the Hawke Labor Government came to the power. The Hawke Labor government introduced the previous or the original Medibank that was set up by the Whitlam Labor Government (Gray 2016). The financial arrangement although, went through certain changes along with the name. It was no longer termed as Medibank rather a new name is offered to this Medibank and that is Medicare. The financial arrangement of this particular Medicare policy included receiving public funding, or the 1% of the total income of the people as a levy, for this particular health insurance policy (Gardner, Yen, Banfield, Gillespie, Mcrae and Wells 2013). According to by Dr Blewett, the particular policy referred as something that would help in social reform. The reason behind saying this is the fact that the levy was imposed upon those people who are capable of earning $7110 per annum i f they are single and if they are married the amount is around $111803. People having an income level below this should not have to pay any levy to have an access to the health insurance (Harris 2016). The Australian government in the year 1996 introduced the 1 percent Medicare Levy Surcharge for those who are having an annual income of around $100,000. The personal having an annual income of $100,000 but not having any private health insurance could use this policy the 1% Medicare levy surcharge. In the year 1997, along with the Medicare Levy Surcharge the Australian government introduced the Private Health Insurance Incentive Scheme (Aihw.gov.au. 2016). The particular scheme, allowed the public to have rebate on hospital and ancillary health insurances. Critical Discussion of the Key issues andissue drivers within the Policy The health system in Australia is as complex as a spiders web and on this web there are different people on the different sides. On the one side there are the services, and on the other side thereare the service providers; the recipient and the structure of the organization lies on the two very different sides of the web (Sharman, Hensher, Wilkinson, Campbell and Venn, 2015). It is inevitable to escape these complexities and one of the major reasons behind this is that the complexities are there because, of the fact that the health system of the policy is based on the varied needs and diversity that is there in the country (Gardner, Yen, Banfield, Gillespie, Mcrae and Wells 2013). Thus, it is one of the key drivers that are there within the policy and the major drivers of the health policy of Australia includes; the gender, age, culture, socio-economical and even the behavioral and the health history of the people. The health policy, regulation, legislation all could go at a pace bec ause of the good governance that is being carried out by the people working in the health system of Australia (Foster and Mitchell 2015). In the year 2011 and 2012, the amount of money that is being spend by the Australians, is 1.7 times more than the money that is being spend by the Australians in the year 2001 and 2002 (Gray 2016). Today, the Australians spend almost 9.5% of the total GDP in health system. Along with this particular fact, another important fact should be remembered and that is, the health expenses in Australia have increased, and the increase is more than the population growth of the country. The major challenge that the Australia Medicare system faces is related to the challenges that are being faced by the Australian health care system. The reason behind this is the fact that the Australian health care system often goes through lots of reformation and thus it has an effect on the Medicare system (Aph.gov.au. 2016). In the recent years the most important problem that has been faced by the Australian health care system is the problem of increase in the average high life expectancy rate and a decrease in the average low infant mortality rate. Thus, there has been a growth of both the ageing population and the chronic illness, which requires immediate treatment (Aihw.gov.au. 2016). Along with these two problems the problem of inequalities between the most and the least advantaged people is there as well. The Australian governments aim is to provide services to each people in the country, and there should not be any kind of compromise for any people of any socio-economic bac kground in the country. Thus, in case of identifying the major drivers of the policy these points should be kept in the mind because these points act as a major driver of the Medicare policy that is there in Australia, and that provide financial benefits to the people living in Australia (Jolley, Freeman, Baum, Hurley, Lawless, Bentley, Labontand Sanders2014). The Medicare policy in Australia is designed in such a way that if a person visits the public hospital then the patient will be provided free treatment, and they would be treated as public patents. According to the Australian Healthcare Agreement the finding cost of the public patient will be handled by the Australian Federal, as well as by the State and the Territory government of Australia (Aph.gov.au. 2016). In case of the private patients the Medicare policy would provide 75% of the total schedule fees. The structure of funding may look as simple as this but it is not that simple. The Australian health care system consists of a complex web; which include those factors that act as a major driver of the policy (Baum and Dwyer 2014). The factors that are there in the health care system of Australiaincludetwo different kinds of health care, the primary and the secondary. The primary health care is something that is most of the time avail by the people and often the treatment that is being provided to the people are provided in a different setting other than the hospital (Foster and Mitchell 2015). The various settings where the particular health care system is being provided include the places where the physicians carry on their general practices (Javanparast, Baum, Barton, Freeman, Lawless, Fuller, Reed and Kidd 2015). The primary health care could be provided in the Aboriginal and Community Control health care centre and it could even be provided in the other community health care centre as well (Sharman, Hensher, Wilkinson, Campbell and Venn 2015). In the year 2011 and 2012, almost 36.1% of the total expenditure of the Australian population is spend for the primary health care services; whereas the total amount the population has spend on the hospital services is around 38.2%. It is one of the most important driver, or key issues behind the Medicare policy that is there in the country (Harris 2016). The second important key issues or the drivers of the Medicare policy are related to the secondary health care system. The secondary health care systemis unlike the primary health care system, where all kinds of other services are related to it (Aph.gov.au. 2016). In the secondary health care system there are specialists, who are referred by the people in the primary health care system. Along with the services provided by the specialists the secondary health care system includes the services that are being provided by the hospitals at the same time (Javanparast, Baum, Barton, Freeman, Lawless, Fuller, Reed and Kidd 2015). Therefore, the secondary health care system is the most important driver or the issues that plays an important role in the Medicare policy. The hospitals too play an important role in influencing the Medicare policy in Australia. The country has both the private and the public hospitals and the rate of hospitalization has increased in the year 2011 and 2012. In the year 2011 and 2012, the rate of hospitalization increased from 4.6 million to 9.3 million (Dunbar, Jayawardena, Johnson, Roger, Timoshanko, Versace, Shill, Philpot, Vartiainen, Laatikainen and Best 2014). The rate of hospitalization in the year 2010 and 2011 is 4.6 million, whereas in the year 2011 and 2012, the rate of hospitalization is around 9.3 million (Faichney and Moore 2013). Along with the increase in the rate of hospitalization, there has been an increase in the rate of emergency department as well. The rate of emergency department in the year 2012 and 2013 is around 6.7 million (Javanparast, Baum, Barton, Freeman, Lawless, Fuller, Reed and Kidd 2015). Evaluation of the Medicare Policy The Medicare policy in Australia is a debatable topic and this particular topic became the issue of the political election every year (Harris 2016). In the present scenario the changes that has been brought to the country with the Medicare policy is more or less positive (Ivythesis.typepad.com. 2016). The co-payments, which is being provided to the public of Australia over the or above the Medicare rebate has increased, and this increase in rebate has taken place in the past 20 years. Along with it there has been reimbursement of the specialist care with the Medicare (Aph.gov.au. 2016). The Medicare policy in Australia consists of both the strengths and the weaknesses, and these strengths and weaknesses have been discussed below: Strengths: 1. Most of the funds that the Medicare policy in Australia receives come either from the federal government or from the state and the territory government (Gray2016). Thus, most of the time people receives health care services at free of cost. Therefore, people of all the cultures, socio-economic background and even the immigrants of the country could avail the health care services at free of cost and they do not have to pay much to receive the health care services (Boxall and Gillespie 2013). 2. The particular fact that the Medicare system is the countrys high budget system proves that the country provides highest priority to the health care system (Baum and Dwyer2014). The message is a positive message for the people living in the country and thus, with the increase in the ageing population and with the increase in the chronic illness, the Medicare policy act as a driver that would help in providing health care security to the people living in the country (typepad.com. 2016). 3. The Medicare policy is such a social policy in the country, which is being used by the majority of the people living in the country (Gardner, Yen, Banfield, Gillespie, Mcrae. and Wells 2013). The particular policy allows the maximum number of people to receive treatment from the general practitioners or from the GP. The Medicare policy also allows the public to receive free treatments from the medical specialists at the same time (Baum and Dwyer 2014). Weaknesses 1. The Medicare policy in Australia has gone through lots of changes since 1976, and it has always being the centre of political debate as well. Thus, it is one of the most important weaknesses of the Medicare policy along with the complexities that are there in the system (Faichney and Moore 2013). The Medicare policy involves a complex system and these at times are not very helpful for the public in Australia. Thus, it adds to the negativity or rather to the weaknesses of this particular policy (Dunbar, Jayawardena, Johnson, Roger, Timoshanko, Versace, Shill, Philpot, Vartiainen, Laatikainen and Best 2014). 2. The continuous structural changes in the Medicare policy could affect the policy to a great extend and not only that the continuous change in the structure of the policy could actually increase the public expenditure at the same time (typepad.com. 2016). 3. In Australia, many times the Medicare policy is being utilized in a wrong way, especially by the hospitals (Kay and Boxall 2015). As a result of which, there are many hospitals in the country, which the government has decided to close down because they have not paid the medical supply bills (Sharman, Hensher, Wilkinson, Campbell and Venn 2015). Thus, the Medicare policy in Australia is a policy that has gone through many changes and will be going through many changes in the future as well. The particular policy helps the public in Australia in more than one way (Kay and Boxall 2015). There are truly, certain drawbacks of this particular policy but there are some accompanying policies as well such as the Medicare Levy Surcharge policy and the Medicare Rural Bond Scheme that try to provide the best support to the Medicare policy that is there in the country (Gray2016). References Aihw.gov.au. (2016). Australia's health system (AIHW). Aph.gov.au. (2016). Medicare - Background Brief Parliament of Australia. Baum, F. and Dwyer, J., 2014. The accidental logic of health policy in Australia. Australian public policy: Progressive ideas in the neoliberal ascendency, pp.187-207. Boxall, A.M. and Gillespie, J., 2013. Making Medicare: the politics of universal health care in Australia. UNSW Press. Dunbar, J.A., Jayawardena, A., Johnson, G., Roger, K., Timoshanko, A., Versace, V.L., Shill, J., Philpot, B., Vartiainen, E., Laatikainen, T. and Best, J.D., 2014. Scaling up diabetes prevention in Victoria, Australia: policy development, implementation, and evaluation. Diabetes Care, 37(4), pp.934-942. Faichney, M.K. and Moore, M., 2013. Public Health Association of Australia submission on Review of Medicare Locals. Foster, M.M. and Mitchell, G.K., 2015. The onus is on me: primary care patient views of Medicare funded team care in chronic disease management in Australia. Health Expectations, 18(5), pp.879-891. Gardner, K., Yen, L., Banfield, M., Gillespie, J., Mcrae, I. and Wells, R., 2013. From coordinated care trials to medicare locals: what difference does changing the policy driver from efficiency to quality make for coordinating care?. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 25(1), pp.50-57. Gray, G. (2016). Health policy in Australia. Australian Policy Online. Harris, M. (2016). Who gets the care in Medicare?. Ivythesis.typepad.com. (2016). SWOT Analysis to Health Care System of Australia, US, China and Model of Care for Hong Kong Health Service System. Javanparast, S., Baum, F., Barton, E., Freeman, T., Lawless, A.P., Fuller, J., Reed, R.L. and Kidd, M.R., 2015. Medicare Local-Local Health Network partnerships in South Australia: lessons for Primary Health Networks. Jolley, G., Freeman, T., Baum, F., Hurley, C., Lawless, A., Bentley, M., Labont, R. and Sanders, D., 2014. Health policy in South Australia 200310: primary health care workforce perceptions of the impact of policy change on health promotion. Health Promotion Journal of Australia, 25(2), pp.116-124. Kay, A. and Boxall, A.M., 2015. Success and Failure in Public Policy: Twin Imposters or Avenues for Reform? Selected Evidence from 40 Years of Health care Reform in Australia*. Australian Journal of Public Administration, 74(1), pp.33-41. Sharman, M.J., Hensher, M., Wilkinson, S., Campbell, J.A. and Venn, A.J., 2015. Review of Publicly-Funded Bariatric Surgery Policy in AustraliaLessons for More Comprehensive Policy Making. Obesity surgery, pp.1-8.