Business Communication: Social Issues Critical Review - Semester 1

This report presents a critical review of two key social issues: unemployment benefits and the death penalty, with a focus on the Australian context. The first part of the report argues for an increase in Australian unemployment benefits, citing potential benefits for unemployed youth, the banking sector, and overall economic development. The author supports this claim by discussing the potential for increased skills development, poverty reduction, and boosted morale among job seekers. The second part of the report critiques the death penalty, arguing against its effectiveness as a crime deterrent and highlighting its violation of fundamental rights. The author emphasizes the need for education and advocacy programs focused on empathy and the value of human life, advocating for rehabilitation and reform over capital punishment. The report concludes by referencing several academic sources to support its arguments.

Running head: SOCIAL ISSUES: CRITICAL REVIEW
SOCIAL ISSUES: CRITICAL REVIEW
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author Note

1SOCIAL ISSUES: CRITICAL REVIEW
Question 5
With respect to unemployment benefits, my argument is that the new Australian
Unemployment Benefit scheme should be increased as it poses a number of advantages for the
unemployed youth of Australia. I also believe that not only would the youth be provided social
security, sectors such as banking and other economic sectors would also be enhanced and
stabilized with increase in such schemes. As there is an opportunity of holistic economic
development of the nation, therefore, I place my argument in favor of increase in unemployment
benefit scheme providing the reasons hereafter. The labor parties of Australia have argued about
the fact that Newstart (popular Australian unemployment scheme) has not reached up to the
average poverty line of Australia. An increase in unemployment benefits and incentives,
according to me, is essential for the unemployed people so that they get ample scope to make
themselves skilled in a better way and get hold of a higher paying job (Morris and Wilson 2014).
A rise in unemployment benefits means a few factors such as access to educational and
professional resources so that the unemployed candidates get well- informed and prepared for the
job market and also helping the family of unemployed youth combat with poverty. With the
increase in unemployment benefits, the lifestyle of the struggling families might be enhanced to
a certain extent. With the persistence of economic downturn, unemployment problem can be
tackled with the effective usage of unemployment benefits and an increase in unemployment
benefits would boost and increase the morale of the candidates. They would be ensured about the
fact that the government is concerned about them and want them to be economically independent
and strong. The candidates would thus get more enrolled in professional courses and enter into
the labor industry as quickly as they can and the economic condition of the country can come
into a state of balance. During the time of recession, the Australian employee benefits should be

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increased up to a certain extent to make sure that the candidates have a “stop gap arrangement”
to survive with their financial conditions. I believe that reduction in mortgage defaults and an
improved and enhanced access to credit that would eventually be beneficial for the banking
sector of Australia as well. There have been a plethora of researches conducted by different
institutions that prove the fact that unemployment benefits had direct impact on improved
financial conditions (Phillips and Nepal 2012). Nevertheless, There are certain factors that are
needed to be taken into account that might prove disadvantageous for the nation. First of all, the
anti-thesis of the statement “increase in unemployment benefits would boost the morale of the
candidates” is that while the candidates see that unemployment benefits are increased
consecutively, they may lose the sense of importance of holding a job and might become
disinterested in finding jobs, which can prove harmful for development of aboriginal population
(Sanders 2018). Another anti- thesis also states that Newstart has been built to provide short term
financial support to the unemployed people. If public expect long term financial support, the
country might lose its financial funds in the time of economic downturn and constriction of
markets.
Question 6
Death penalty is not credible or commendable evidence that it would serve as an effective
dose to deter crimes happening in our society (Hood and Hoyle 2015). Committing heinous
crime is traditional to human nature, according to criminal anthropologists. Death penalty is also
an inherent violation of constitutional ban against cruel and unusual punishment and directly
violates the fundamental rights which every citizen (even convicts) is entitled to have.
Furthermore, a state does not have the discretion to claim any human’s life on the basis of any
crime that is committed by him/ her. Crime is a social evil which needs to be eradicated

3SOCIAL ISSUES: CRITICAL REVIEW
systematically and institutionally. Crime is an evil and animalistic instinct of humans which
needs to be dealt medically and pathologically. The state, in spite of killing lives, has more
responsibilities, such as making a safe society and eradication of crime. Capital punishment is a
blatant denial of civil liberties and does not go by the democratic attitude of the nations such as
Australia. The act of killing a person because he/she might have committed another act of killing
is similar to “an eye for an eye which will make the whole world blind”. There have been dime-
a-dozen movements and questions regarding such barbaric establishment of the state and much
legislation have been passed down in order to curb the system from its roots. However, the
capitalistic establishment with feudal mindset in certain parts of the world still glorifies the act of
capital punishment as a “purifying” act for the society. Capital punishment cannot be tolerated in
a civil society which has humanistic ideals and sensitivity (Derrida 2013). In order to change the
law and order of a country, proper education and advocacy programs should be conducted on the
subjects such as empathy, importance of life, helpfulness, care and altruism and also gender
sensitivity. With the help of proper implementation of such programs from the grassroot level of
society, which is family, school, colleges and universities, we would be able to teach our people
the importance of life of everyone and why do human beings deserve a better living condition,
society and world. It has been found out through in-depth researches by psychologists and social
scientists that society has failed to control crime by posing death penalty on the offenders /
convicts. In fact, it has also been noticed that when a country executes criminals more, crime
rates are least effected and it remains as it is. The reason for such paradoxical behavior is still
unknown, but it can be assumed that the criminals tend to become more unapologetic when they
know that they will eventually be hanged if they are caught of the crime red handed, and in turn,
commit more vicious crime. Therefore, it can be said that for an ultimate punishment for even

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the most heinous crime, death penalty is not the answer. The prisoners and convicts have every
right to understand, apologize and repent for their crime and reform themselves into a better
human being. They should be given another opportunity to become a better citizen of the nation
and society (Van den Haag and Conrad 2013).

5SOCIAL ISSUES: CRITICAL REVIEW
References:
Derrida, J., 2013. The death penalty (Vol. 1). University of Chicago Press.
Hood, R. and Hoyle, C., 2015. The death penalty: A worldwide perspective. OUP Oxford.
Morris, A. and Wilson, S., 2014. Struggling on the Newstart unemployment benefit in Australia:
The experience of a neoliberal form of employment assistance. The Economic and Labour
Relations Review, 25(2), pp.202-221.
Phillips, B. and Nepal, B., 2012. Going without: financial hardship in Australia. NATSEM.
Sanders, W., 2018. Opportunities and problems astride the welfare/work divide: The CDEP
scheme in Australian social policy. Canberra, ACT: Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy
Research (CAEPR), The Australian National University.
Van den Haag, E. and Conrad, J.P., 2013. The death penalty: A debate. Springer Science &
Business Media.