Critique the Article Critical Thought Assignment

Critique the Article Critical Thought - Assignment Example The participants are not compensated of the losses that they undergo due to the unexpected strikes. Thought the whole article, the author shows disapproval of the trade unions and the roles that they play in advocating the rights of the workers. He simply agitates for proactive planning and foreseeing such events before they happen, and hence plan in good time (Jay, pg. 28). The labor unions play a very critical role in the life of the workers. It advocates their rights, which includes wages, allowances and good working environment. The author is not sensitive to the needs of the workers when he disregards the strikes and their agitation for their needs. Essentially, the management of the institutions that took place in the strike is to blame. Why could they not settle the issues with the workers and prevent the occurrence of the strike? Even as far as the workers have their right to protest against poor working conditions, they should be strategic in their planning. They do not want to call for a strike, and no step is taken to improve their grievances. They possess the power to power to dictate what they want as long as it is in line with the operations of the firm. There is no problem with the workers calling for a strike before a big event, as it likely to be felt more than before. In summation, the author’s opinion is contrary to the rights of the workers. He is too much on the unexpected losses caused due to the sudden

Evaluation of Early Supplier Involvement in Product Development Essay Example for Free

Evaluation of Early Supplier Involvement in Product Development Essay I certify that in the preparation of this thesis, I have observed the provisions of Purdue University Teaching, Research, and Outreach Policy on Research Misconduct (VIII.3.1), October 1, 2008.* Further, I certify that this work is free of plagiarism and all materials appearing in this thesis/dissertation have been properly quoted and attributed. I certify that all copyrighted material incorporated into this thesis/dissertation is in compliance with the United States’ copyright law and that I have received written permission from the copyright owners for my use of their work, which is beyond the scope of the law. I agree to indemnify and save harmless Purdue University from any and all claims that may be asserted or that may arise from any copyright violation. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Standing outside the Knoy BS440, I was waiting for the dissertation defense result. Few minutes later, Prof. Schmidt, my committee chair, came to me, gave me one big warm hug and said, â€Å"Congratulations!† Suddenly, the memory in the past two years, all the pains and pleasure at Purdue University, came up to me. This is the moment I had waited for so long, but this is also the moment I was unwilling to face because of the coming goodbye. Nevertheless, I knew things I learnt and people I met there will be the valuable asset in my life and will be with me all the time. For those who have supported the creation of the work, I would like to begin by thanking my principle advisor, Prof. Edie K. Schmidt, who has always encouraged me with her sharp insight and great patience. She is not merely a constant guide throughout my research but also a thoughtful friend. Additionally, I would like to show my gratitude to the members of my committee: Prof. Nathan W. Hartman, Prof. Patrick E. Connolly, and Prof. John A. Springer. Without their guidance, suggestions, criticisms and support, I would not make my thesis possible. One notable faculty in the Department of Aviation Technology I also owe a note of thanks. To Prof. Chien-Tsung Lu, I am grateful for your assistance in reviewing the cultural appropriateness of this research, which facilitated the IRB’s approval process. Thanks are also due to all my colleagues from College of Technology and from graduate office and all my friends at Purdue University, who made my two years life colorful. Having their company was the great encouragement when I felt frustrated. For the numerous industrial contacts and friends in Taiwan, thanks are due to them all. In particular, I would like to thank Yi-Hen Chen for his patience and backing me up. Finally, I am deeply indebted to my parents, who fully supported me when I made the decision to pursue higher education and who never lost faith in me. I love you.

Critique of Sexual Difference | Analysis

Critique of Sexual Difference | Analysis Sexual Difference Representation Explain how and why the critique of sexual difference intersected with a (postmodern) critique of representation in the later 1970s and early 1980s. Consider why photography had an important role and the significance of image-text relationship in this type of practice. As Craig Owens states in his paper ‘The Discourse of Others: Feminists and Postmodernism’ (Owens, 1983), the 1970s and 80s saw a coming together of the (mainly) feminist and queer theory critiques of sexual difference and the erosion of perspectivalist and univocal theories of vision and representation. As this paper shall assert, both of these positions can be seen to be traceable back to a single ontological and aesthetic rupture: the breakdown in what Lyotard was to term the grand or â€Å"meta narrative† (Lyotard, 1984: xxiv) and the subsequent rise in notions such as polyvocity (Deleuze and Guattari, 2004), heteroglossia (Bakhtin, 2000) ecriture feminine (Cixous, 1980) and differance (Derrida, 1997). This paper will also assert, through of the work of Roland Barthes especially, that photography had a major significance in exemplifying the kind of aesthetico-ontological concerns and strategies of postmodernity and poststructuralism; chiefly through such notion s as the punctum (Barthes, 2000); â€Å"the obtuse meaning† inherent within still visual images (Barthes, 1983) and the play of meaning between image and linguistic sign. This paper represents then an attempt to not only understand photography’s place within critical theory over the last two decades or so but how this provides a mirror to the wider movements of philosophical thought. The critique of sexual difference can be seen to emanate from a wide variety of authors (Foucault, Derrida, Kristeva, Wittig etc) however, within the mandates of this paper, I should like to look at two main theorists that have special relevance: Luce Irigaray and Helene Cixous, both of whom have been seen to challenge the phallic hegemony and its role in normative representation. As Elizabeth Grosz (1994) points out, one of the chief critiques inherent within the second wave feminist movement of the 1970s and 80s was its contention that the philosophical and social subject had always been thought of gendered, as Grosz states: The enigma that Woman has posed for men is an enigma only because the male subject construed itself as the subject par excellence. The way (he fantasizes) that Woman differs from him makes her containable within his imagination (reduced to his size) but also produces her as a mystery for him to master and decipher†¦ The construction of the male universal subject, asserted many feminist thinkers, resulted not only in the normalisation of phallocentricism but a privileging of its many dependants (reason, univocity, vision and so on). By positing Woman as the symptom of man through such notions as (among others) the castration complex and the psycho-sexual other, a phallocentric regime suppressed many of the discourses and thought processes associated with the feminine. Thinkers such as Luce Irigaray and Helene Cixous attempted to challenge this position by asserting the prominence of other discourses and narratives that avoided or sometimes even challenged, the dominance of the male point of view. In ‘The Laugh of the Medusa’ (1980) for instance, Cixous suggests that women’s writing and artistic creativity (disciplines such as photography for instance) should recognise the value of multiple readings, intertextuality and indistinct poetic expression, for her the notion of sexual difference was inextricably tied to textual and visual representation and both were dominated by a single, male-centred, vision, as Cixous details: Nearly the entire history of writing is confounded with the history of reason, of which it is at once the effect, the support, and one of the privileged alibis. It has been one with the phallocentric tradition. It is indeed that same self-admiring, self-stimulating, self congratulatory phallocentricism. This same theme is continued in the essay ‘This Sex Which is Not One’ (1985) by Luce Irigaray where the example of the female genitals is cited as existing as an intensive binary, each part relying and drawing stimulation from the other, thus challenging the oneness and singularity of the phallus. Irigaray also makes the point that, for female sexuality, touch is more meaningful that vision, the first suggestion that there maybe some cross over between the critiques of sexual difference and representation. As Owens (1983) suggests, postmodernity and the critique of representation also aimed to challenge the accepted (male dominated) field of vision by, firstly, exposing the links that exist between representation and phallocentricism and then by asserting the value of multi-perspectives, multiple readings and other modes of viewing. The postmodern image, as Jameson (1991) states, is one that has lost its originary connection to a real world and exists instead in a circuit of self referencing images whereby â€Å"The world†¦momentarily loses its depth and threatens to become a glossy skin, a stereoscopic illusion, a rush of filmic images without density.† The postmodern image elides notions such as authenticity and distinct critical reading because it has lost what Benjamin (2008) described as the aura of original authorial intent. Commensurate with notions such as the death of author (Barthes, 1988) the postmodern critical position asserts the validity of multiple readings and the inherent intertextual nature of image and text, as Owens (1983) states: It is precisely at the legislative frontier between what can be represented and what can cannot that the postmodernist operation is being staged not in order to transcend representation, but in order to expose the system of power that authorizes certain representations while blocking, prohibiting or invalidating others. Among those prohibited from Western representation, whose representations are denied legitimacy, are women. The critique of sexual difference, then, and the critique of representation are inextricably linked, being as they are both attempts at challenging traditional modernist and phallocentric modes of thinking. Each can be viewed as a strategy that seeks to overcome not only specific areas (gender inequality, monolithic modes of representation etc) but the regime that provides their ground. Each attempts to do this through a series of critical re-framings and theoretical positions that uncover the inherent inconsistencies and internal fissures in the dominant discourse. Roland Barthes’ work Camera Lucida (2000) is an ideal example of how such ideas can be translated into literary and photographic theory. In his notion of the punctum, for instance, Barthes details how time, sentiment and personal interest can alter our reception of a photograph far beyond the intents of either the photographer or the photographic model. The punctum, or as Barthes details â€Å"a partial object† (Barthes, 2000: 43) is that which exists outside of the normalised view of what is representable in a photograph, it elides direct visual recognition and changes with each viewer and viewing; Barthes describes his experience of a photograph by William Klein from 1954 of poverty stricken children in New York’s Little Italy for instance, despite the overtly socio-political message of the photograph (an adult hand holding a gun to a smiling boy’s head) what could be considered the traditional representational, rational meaning, Barthes can not help but â€Å"stubbornly see one child’s bad teeth† (Barthes, 2000: 45). In his notion of the â€Å"third meaning†, also from his essay of the same name, Barthes points to the ironic and sometimes comical accidental elements of a photograph or a still image of a film, what he calls the obtuse meaning, speaking of a still from Romm’s Ordinary Fascism, he says: I can easily read (in this still) an obvious meaning, that of fascism (aesthetics and symbolics of power, the theatrical hunt), but I can also read an obtuse meaning: the (again) disguised blond silliness of the young quiver-bearer, the flabbiness of his hands and mouth†¦Goering’s thick nails, his trashy ring†¦ For Barthes then, that which was not intended to be represented – the inherent phallic instability of the Nazi party – can be discerned in photography, not in the elements that form the centre of the picture (the ‘studium’) but those at the periphery that elide the rational and studied gaze. As Shawcross (1997) details, Barthes’ notions here reflect the desire to challenge the kinds of discourses we have looked at above, it stresses the importance of multiple readings when dealing with photographic images and also attempts to challenge traditional (Western phallocentric) notions of single point perspective. In allowing such multiple readings, asserts Barthes, the photographs brings into question the relationship between image and text and, more rightly, exposing the play that exists between the two. In a process that Barthes calls â€Å"anchorage† (Barthes, 1977: 38) text pins down the multi-faceted meaning of an image, suppressing the natural polyvocal nature of a photograph and re-establishing the rational search for a unique interpretation. In the series of photographs by Gillian Wearing, for example, where ordinary members of the public were photographed holding up textual messages such as â€Å"I’m Desperate† and â€Å"Help†, it is the text that is assumed to be the underlying truth behind the photographic image, highlighting the extent that textual and linguistic signifiers have historically dominated visual ones. Feminist photographers have often played with the inherent slippage of meaning within the photographic image; the work of Cindy Sherman, for instance, exemplifies many of the issues we have been discussing here. Photographed in a series of ironic and iconic poses and ‘disguises’ Sherman’s work is both postmodern, in that it is self referential and kitsch but it is also considered feminist in that it attempts to rediscover and reclaim patriarchally constructed images of womanhood (the housewife, the screen starlet, the victim etc). As Shawcross (1997) details, by using herself as a model, Sherman also deconstructs the notion of identity and surface appearances – who or what are we reacting to in these images, Sherman the photographer, Sherman the icon, Sherman the disguised housewife or the housewife per se as an image in itself? As Barthes would suggest, the contribution of the photograph to the debate on the relationship between image and text (Sherman tel lingly does not titled any of her photographs) is the very play of interpretation that such photographs expose. Ultimately, then, as we have seen, there could be considered a direct link between the failure of grand narratives such as sexual difference and perspectivalist representation and the rise in critical interest in photography. As an art form that is both indexical and open to manipulation, photography is ideally suited to exemplify debates on the nature of interpretation and semiotics, something that has had a marked influence on both critical theorists and photographers alike. References Bakhtin, M (2000), The Dialogic Imagination, Austin: University of Texas. Barthes, R (1977), Image Music Text, London: Hill and Wang. Barthes, R (1980), Barthes Selected Writings, London: Fontana. Barthes, R (2000), Camera Lucida, London: Vintage. Benjamin, W (2008), The Work of Art in the Age of Technological Reproducibility and Other Writings on Media, Cambridge: Harvard University. Cixous, H (1980), ‘The Laugh of the Medusa’, published in New French Feminisms, London: Harvester. Deleuze, G and Guattari, F (2004), A Thousand Plateaus, London: Continuum. Derrida, J (1997), Of Grammatology, Baltimore; Johns Hopkins University. Durand, R and Criqui, J.P (2006), Cindy Sherman, London: Flammarion. Grosz, E (1994), Volatile Bodies: Towards a Corporeal Feminism, Indianapolis: University of Indiana. Heidegger, M (2007), ‘The Origin of the Workd of Art’, published in Basic Writings, London: Routledge. Irigaray, L (1985), This Sex Which is Not One, New York: Cornell University. Jameson, F (1991), Postmodernism, or The Logic of Late Capitalism, London: Verso. Lloyd, G (1984), The Man of Reason, London: Methuen. Lyotard, J.F (1984), The Postmodern Condition, Manchester: University of Manchester. Owens, C (1983), ‘The Discourse of Others’ available online at http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache:Fb1ceOH6t0AJ:www.mariabuszek.com/kcai/PoMoSeminar/Readings/OwensOthers.pdf+the+discourse+of+othershl=enct=clnkcd=1gl=uk Paley, M (1997), Gillian Wearing – Signs that Say What you Want Them to Say and Not Signs That Say What Someone Else Wants, London: Interim Art. Shawcross, N (1997), Roland Barthes: On Photography, Gainsville: University of Florida.

Langston Hughes Poem, Without Benefit of Declaration :: Without Benefit Declaration Essays

Langston Hughes' Poem, Without Benefit of Declaration "BE ALL THAT YOU CAN BE." This phrase is run on commercials in an attempt to try and recruit men and women to enlist in the United States Army. The commercial shows men and women completing obstacles and high tech training. Some other commercials for the United States Armed Forces use tactics, such as; awarding money for college after the recruit has spent a given amount of time in their Army, Navy, or Air Force. But, what the commercials fail to do is to depict the reality of any soldier's life post war. These commercials are not alone with false advertisement of war; Hollywood movies and books have also contributed. Society has come to glorify war and have forgotten the consequences of the men and women who went to fight for their country. In movies, a soldier's homecoming is depicted as one of honor and courage. Hollywood tends to glamorize war and not show the true effects of the mentality of a woman or man who have just returned home after the war. In the poem, "Homespace", by Anthony Grooms, the psychological state of the soldier's return home is displayed more true to that of Hollywood's. The boy returns home and is embraced by his mother. The family has a barbeque for the boy's homecoming. Even though he is at home, where he should feel safe and secure, the boy remains in war-like state of mind. He isolates himself from everyone else, "I made myself busy with the fire/ So I wouldn't have to talk," (Line 7-8). The young man, "heard screams" (Line 9), when fuel was added to the coals. Men and women of war are tormented by the images they seen and heard. No one person at this gathering seemed to take notice of the impression that the war left on this boy, mentally. It seems as though, because the boy was home and no physical evidence appeared on his body, they assumed everything was in good condition. Not noticing the boy's problem, "Women and children laughed from the porch/ Men sat under the elms" (Line 11-12). All the while these ignorant people sat enjoying themselves, the boy, "watched the sky for the enemy" (Line 13). This last line adequately describes the mind frame of the boy and in all probability many of men and women who fight in wars for their countries. Hollywood movies and book tend to also ignore the negative aspect of veteran's who come home to no family or a home to live in.

Decreasing Child Abuse with Nurse Partnership Essay

Child abuse in America is not a new epidemic; our country’s history has been tainted with it since its inception. Children are abused at all ages, indiscriminate of gender, race, or culture. While the abuse of any child is appalling, the abuse of an infant is especially heinous. Dr. John Leventhal, a professor of pediatrics at Yale School of Medicine completed a recent study which highlighted the fact that â€Å"serious abuse-related hospitalizations are more common in infants under the age of one year old and tend to disproportionately affect families on Medicaid,† (Mann, 2012). These incidents occur because parents are ill-prepared for parenthood and lack the resources necessary to appropriately manage the stress of a new infant. A Nurse Partnership Program (NPP) is the answer to our nation’s call to significantly decrease the amount of child abuse cases for infants under the age of 1 year. If appropriately executed and managed, this program could also improve the quality of life for participating families as well as potentially decrease the number of families who receive aid from public welfare and assistance programs. Needs Assessment Child Abuse Statistics According the United States Department of Health & Human Services (USDHSS) (2011), Nevada is tied with Tennessee as the state with the third highest rate of child abuse per capita for children under the age of one year; 16. 9% of Nevada’s infants were abused in 2010, 47. 7% of those cases resulted in fatalities, and 81. 3% of the perpetrators were parents of the victim. The USDHSS (2011) also reports that the federal government’s Fourth National Incident Study of Child Abuse found that abuse is three times more common in poor families and neglect is seven times more common in poor families as well (poor as defined by national poverty line). Poverty Statistics The U. S. Census Bureau reports that 16. 4% of Nevada residents live in poverty, which places Nevada as 38th in the nation (2010). In terms of pure numbers, 306K people receive Medicaid in the state of Nevada (Haynes, Vogel, and Tetreault, 2012). Nevada has a large target population for this program and as the third worst state in the union for child abuse of infants, Nevada has demonstrated a dire need for action. Specific Target Population The target population for the Nurse Partnership Program would be expectant mothers who are Medicaid recipients. The Nevada State Department of Human and Health Services and the Prevent Child Abuse Nevada organization would serve as supporting agencies since both organizations already work to prevent and control child abuse in Nevada. The NPP would also benefit from the participation of dedicated social workers. Community Level Nursing Diagnosis Nursing Diagnosis One The target population is at risk for impaired parenting related to situational characteristics that precipitate child abuse. Previously mentioned statistics prove that a disproportional amount of child abuse cases for children under one year of age occur in families who receive Medicaid. Child abuse, neglect, and maltreatment are classified as impaired parenting. According to the USDHHS (2012), research has uncovered a number of risk factors or situational characteristics that create a higher probability of child abuse within families. These situational characteristics of parents or caretakers include previous trauma history, altered mental health, and an unhealthy or negative response to stress. Research also indicates a link between substance abuse and child maltreatment. There is also an increased risk when children are raised by a single parent, when one parent is already to victim of domestic violence, and when parents are socially isolated. Nursing Diagnosis Two Many young or teenage parents receive public aid and Medicaid, which places them in the target population. These young and teenage parents are at risk for ineffective coping related to lack of social and emotional support, lower economic status, high stress levels, and inadequate education. Brownridge and Douglas found that lack of or inadequate employment, education, social and emotional support, and self-esteem are associated with child abuse among children of adolescent mothers (2008, pp. 9-42). Without a sufficient support system or education to prepare young parents for the monumental task of caring for infants, they are rendered inadequately prepared to cope with the stresses of early parenthood. Cancain, Slack, and Yang (2012) state that researchers and policy makers have long recognized that children living in families with limited economic resources are at a higher risk for maltreatment than children from higher socioeconomic strata. Nursing Diagnosis T hree The children of the target population are risk for trauma related to their dependent role in the parent child relationship. Infants are especially susceptible to maltreatment due to their early developmental status and need for constant care. As Dr. Leventhal (2012) stated, when abuse occurs in children under the age of one year abused, they are more likely to incur serious injuries that require hospitalization than abused children over the age of one year. Project Goals, Objectives, and Interventions  A Nurse Partnership Program would match a registered nurse with an expectant mother, who would in turn provide education and mentorship throughout the pregnancy and first year of the child’s life. The nurse would perform home visits and help the mother prepare the home as well as herself for the safe arrival of the infant. The nurse would advocate for a healthy pregnancy and assist the mother in finding the resources she would need to facilitate that healthy pregnancy. While evaluation of the goals would include comparing the rate of child abuse cases among those enrolled in the NPP with those in the ontrol group, the overall evaluation of the program would include the rate of families who set and meet educational and professional goals as well as achieve and maintain economic independence of government aid programs. Project Goal One The first goal of this program is to improve pregnancy outcomes of the targeted population. This would start with matching an expectant mother with a registered nurse early in the pregnancy. This initial relationship builds the foundation for a successful therapeutic relationship and the overall success of this program. The nurse would educate the woman on preventative practices during pregnancy to include prenatal care, appropriate diets, and any behavior modifications that may need to occur such as the use of cigarettes, alcohol, or drugs. The success of interventions and determination of meeting this goal would be evaluated by comparing the rate of healthy births by mothers enrolled in the program with the rate of healthy births by mothers in a control group not participating in the NPP. Project Goal Two The second goal of this program would be to create a safe home environment for children to reduce the likelihood of accidental injuries. This process would also create confidence in young parents as they take control and responsibility for the safety of their child. Duva & Metzger (2010) found that a lack of confidence and self-esteem increase the risk of children suffering from abuse. Ongoing evaluation of this goal would occur during the home visits and overall evaluation of this goal would include the comparison of accidental injuries to children whose family is enrolled in the NPP to the control group. Project Goal Three Project goal three would include teaching the young parents how to build an appropriate support system. Young parents need to be able to communicate to others what their needs are. Something as simple as asking someone to watch their child so they can have a break could benefit the parents and child, providing a stress management tool which can decrease the likelihood of child abuse. Support systems include families, friends, and community networks (such as other parents, churches, etc. ). Evaluation consists of comparing the rate of child abuse cases among those enrolled in the NPP with those in the control group. Child abuse cases among the participants would be screened to determine if they were successful at building that special support system. Nurses can evaluate the progress of this goal during their home visits throughout the first year of the child’s life. Project Goal Four Project goal four includes improving child health and development. Nurses would work hand in hand with a licensed social worker to help parents provide responsible and competent care. This goal revolves around the main intervention of education. Their education would include stress management techniques, effective parenting skills, early childhood development, and the development of realistic expectations for themselves as parents and their children. This goal would include home visits by both the social worker and nurse throughout the first year of the infant’s life. Participants in this program are both students and parents. This unique compilation creates a situation ideal for the involvement of social workers. According to the Illinois Association of School Social Workers (2012), social workers help people understand themselves and others, cope with stress, develop decision making skills, help parents to meet and understand the needs of their children’s social and emotional needs, how to identify and utilize resources effectively, provide counseling services, and advocate for patients. They are a valued partner in the proposed program as the collaboration between the social worker, nurse, and parents are fundamental to the success of the NPP. Evaluation of this goal outcome includes comparing the rate of child abuse cases among those enrolled in the NPP with those in the control group. Project Goal Five Project goal five is the lynchpin for the overall success of the program. The final goal is to improve the economic self-sufficiency of parents. This would include the nurse and the social worker collaborating with the participants to develop goals for their own futures by completing their education, developing employable skills, finding employment, and planning future pregnancies. The success of this goal would be determined by the umber of cases who achieve economic independence, no longer utilize government aid programs, and have no unplanned pregnancies within two years of the child’s birth. That number would then be compared to the control group. Estimated Cost Discussing the cost of the program would by an injustice without discussing the possible savings the program could also produce. Child abuse and neglect costs the U. S. $124 billion from just one year of confirmed cases of child maltreatment and the lifetime cost for each victim of child maltreatment who lived was $210,012 (Fang, X. , Brown, D. , Florence, C. , & Mercy, J. 2012). The Nurse-Family Partnership organization reports that a recent cost-benefit update by Washington State Institute for Public Policy (2012) determined that long term benefits could equal as much as $23,000 per participant of a NPP. As families gain economic independence of government aid programs, the government saves money. This program would also decrease the amount of Medicaid dollars spent as children are expected to be born within a healthy birth weight and generally healthy overall when compared to the control group. In comparison, the cost of the program would be significantly less per family. The supporting agencies are already in place in the targeted community. The Nevada State Department of Human and Health Services and the Prevent Child Abuse Nevada organization both work to prevent and control child abuse in Nevada; the infrastructure is already established. The cost would be allocated to initiate a new program within the Prevent Child Abuse Nevada organization with the oversight of the Nevada State Department of Human and Health Services. The Nurse-Family Partnership organization has estimated the cost of such a program to be approximately $5,000 per family per year. Ideally, in order to establish and maintain continuity and oversight throughout the program, it would be managed by a single entity such as the Prevent Child Abuse Nevada organization. This is different than other programs which are managed individually by hospitals and smaller organizations. Some may balk at utilizing government funds, but funding this program is more economical than paying the price of child abuse. Fang et al. (2012) determined the lifetime cost for each victim of child maltreatment who lived was $210,012, which includes medical and legal costs, as well as other costs associated with child abuse (social services, etc. . It is definitely cheaper to teach them than it is to treat them. Collaboration With a Licensed Social Worker This program proposal was discussed with a licensed social worker, Mandy S. , in the state of Nevada. This licensed social worker stated individual programs exist through hospitals and smaller organizations, but agreed that a larger program w ith a single point of managerial oversight in the county would be the most beneficial. I proposed the ideal situation would include State Legislature mandating Medicaid recipients to participate in such a program in order to receive benefits of Medicaid and other public assistance programs such as welfare, food stamps, and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). WIC â€Å"provides Federal grants to states for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk† (Food & Nutrition Service, 2012). Mandy S. stated that this legislative push would be a goal to pursue after the success rate of the NPP could be established. Implementation The program would be administered and managed by the Prevent Child Abuse Nevada organization. The Nevada State Department of Human and Health Services would maintain oversight and monitor outcomes of the program. It also requires the cooperation of hospitals and physician offices as they will be the initial referral source for patients to the program. Ideally, if successful, patients would refer their friends and family to the program as well. There are only two qualification standards for participation in the program. First, the woman must be less than 24 weeks pregnant to ensure adequate time for prenatal care to maximize the success rate of project goal one. Second, the family must be at or below the government established poverty line. A registered nurse and licensed social worker would be assigned to the woman to complete the project goals and planning with the patient in her home. The same registered nurse and licensed social worker would complete home visits ever one or two weeks throughout the pregnancy and first year of the infant’s life. The frequency of visits would be determined during the initial assessment and re-evaluated as required to ensure participants are receiving the interventions they need to ensure success in the program. Each goal is monitored by the nurse and social worker throughout the family’s participation in the program and changes or new interventions are developed as required. The participation would continue during the pregnancy thru the child’s first birthday. During that year participants are armed with the knowledge and resources to ensure safe and healthy environments for their children, healthy support networks, reduce or eliminate negative behaviors, provide responsible and competent care to their children, and to be economically independent of government aid programs. If patients are determined to not be safely discharged from the program, they may be determined eligible for additional assistance. Evaluation of Project Overall evaluation of the program is difficult to ascertain as this program would take over a year to achieve results. However, nurse partnership programs have begun to gain popularity throughout our country and have achieved wonderful results. So much so, that the Centers for Disease Control have named these programs as effective with a great potential to reduce economic burden of child maltreatment. Further collaboration with the licensed social worker, Mandy S. , determined a weakness in this program. While the original goal was to decrease the number of child abuse cases in children under the age of one year, it was determined by the social worker that many of her clients had children under the age of two and required much assistance from her. My initial plan to provide services thought the first year of the child’s life was inadequate. Together, we determined participation through the second year of the child’s life would be most beneficial to participants. Mandy S. was a great resource as she stated that the majority of child abuse cases she personally supervises are due to a lack of support, resources, and most importantly, education. This program provides those things to participants, thus decreasing the risk of child abuse and trauma, increasing positive parenting skills, and developing positive coping skills. Interviews with young mothers proved positive. When asked if they would be interested in participating in a NPP program or would have liked to have a program available when they were expecting, 22 of the 25 polled stated yes, they would have been excited to participate. Those 22 mothers unanimously stated they felt they would benefit from such a program. Although the original program did not include support groups of participants, the polled mothers stated they would enjoy the social benefits of participating in support group comprised of participants. This would be a great resource for those participants who do not have a family or other social circle to rely on for support. The community overall benefits from a program that decreases the rate of child abuse. It breaks a cycle that research has proven exists. Many times people who have been abused continue the cycle of abuse; Clark County has the opportunity to stop that cycle. Children who are subject to abuse are at a higher risk of developing mental health issues, substance abuse problems, and overall negative health behaviors (Herrenkohl, R. Harrenkohl, T. , Moylan, C. , & Sousa, C. , Tajima, E. 2008). The community not only saves money with this program, but it builds a strong community where healthy families thrive and prosper. Summary Parenting can be a challenging and lonely experience. The course of this project has taught me that preparation is the key to success. The more we can prepare young mothers for the challenges of parenthood, the more we are likely to decrease the rate of child abuse among children under the age of one year. Young parents are often faced with the stress of financial dependence on others and government programs; the NPP provides resources to set and meet goals to complete education and achieve employment to maximize financial independence. This is not a lifelong program. The intention of the program is to provide parents the mental tool box and resources they need in order to provide a healthy life and economical independent life for their children. The concept is relatively new, and I am excited to see the proven long term effects in the years to come.

Oleanna Essay Example

Oleanna Essay Example Oleanna Paper Oleanna Paper Essay Topic: Literature Oleanna is in short one of the most complex plays of the 20th century. Oleanna is a particularly virulent battle in the war between women and men. Oleanna is deceptively simple in plot and only becomes complicated when you try to figure out exactly what happened. A lot is said, but a lot more is insinuated and even more is to be discussed about. (one on onethe best womens monologues for the nineties edited by jack Temchin.) Oleanna is a duologue, it is written in three acts, in which it manages to enrage the full audience. Men in the first act and women in the second, the third act is totally open-ended and is left to the audiences interpretation. This is why Mamet wants the dialogue to be kept exactly the same. He wants the audience to see his own views rather than the directors interpretation. Mamet has, with Oleanna written a polarising play. He lets the audiences past experiences determine their view of they play. Oleanna is a realistic piece of drama and like Stanislavski Mamet wants the audience to watch what is being presented to them and decide what their view is on the issues presented. In this case the issues would be the breakdown of relationships, political correctness, power and control, misunderstanding, intellectual freedom and the cynicism of education. Mamets play touches on many issues; but at heart is a despair over society that seems to deny intellectual freedom and resorts instead to ideological jargon and the force of law (The Life and Work of Harold Pinter by Michael Billington) The three acts of the play constitute the exposition, the development and the denouement. The end of act one is the end of the exposition yet the end of the development is less clear-cut. Some may say it is the end of Act two yet others may argue that because the end of Oleanna is not really a conclusion then the development does not end, the story is still developing. I think the third Act is the denouement with the climax where John holds up the chair to hit her and calls Carol a cunt. I wouldnt touch you with a ten foot pole. You little cunt. The anti climax is Carol saying thats right. The play starts with John, a college lecturer on the phone to his wife grace, whilst carol a student in his class waits to speak to him. Carol and John speak about how she is failing his class. She explains to him that she finds it difficult and blames it on being from a different social background and asks him for help. Act one is loaded with dialogue that can be interpreted differently by different people and it seems that Carol takes them the wrong way. In the middle of Act one John tells Carol that he likes her and that if she visits him more she will get an A in his class. Some people will think John is taking advantage because he knows she has to pass the class, I have to pass it. I have to pass this course. Yet some people will acknowledge he is only trying to help her. Another example of this is where he reminds her that Theres no one here but you and me During Act One Carol gets very frustrated about her lack of knowledge only to be comforted by John who calms her down only to be told that she doesnt understand him. The line sums up one of the main themes in the play, they dont understand each other and so their relationship breaks down. This is due to misunderstanding and misinterpretation. David Mamet has said that most of his plays are centred around people trying to connect with each other. My plays are about people trying to become connected. People who are confused trying to do good but no one knows how. (Changing stages) This quote sums up Oleanna perfectly. Depending on your view of the play you view either one of the character trying to do good, yet ultimately failing. If you empathise with Carol you believe she is doing good by speaking out about John and is confused about how he treats her about why he needs power. If you empathise with John you believe he is only trying to help and is confused by how she treats him in return. At the end of Act one Carol is trying to tell him, and the audience something about herself yet they are, once again interrupted by the telephone, a symbol of the outside world. At the beginning of Act Two Carol is much more confident after joining a new group. She accuses John of harassment, which gives her power over him, and she seems to enjoy this. John seems to be very hurt by the report and doesnt understand why she is doing this to him. From the beginning of the play John has said Carol behaves the way she does due to her anger. As they discuss the accusations they are once again interrupted by the telephone. John tells her that he is only trying to save her and she gets angry and tries to leave the room. Instead of letting her go John gets up and restrains her. In Act Three John has asked Carol to his office to speak about her further accusations, yet she is unreasonable because she knows she has power over him. I have you think, power over you It is the power that you hate She knows he hates his loss of power and plays on this by trying to bargain with him. She says that if he excludes his book from the University then she will drop the accusations. This seems to incriminate carol yet, at the same time makes her seem reasonable for not ruining his life, all she wants is understanding. You think I want revenge. I dont want revenge. At the end of the play Carol pushes John over the edge by telling him not to call his wife baby. John pushes Carol to the floor and picks up a chair as if to hit her, yet he changes his mind (whilst probably changing some of the audiences minds) and puts it down. The end of the act is not necessarily the end of the story, as we do not know what happens to the characters, Mamet wants the audience to decide about the play, how they view it and therefore the denouement of the play. The super- objectives of the play are the breakdown of relationships and the cynicism of education. The subplots are political correctness, power and control, and the interruption from the outside world. With Oleanna Mamet follows Pinters style No one has taken up the Pinter style with more adroitness, or extended it further, than David Mamet. His plays like Pinters are notated like musical scores with pauses capitals and italics for emphasis, dashes and dots for overlapping and interruption You can delineate the intention by correctly delineating the rhythm of the speech And like a composer Mamet demands that the actor study the score fastidiously and perform it without the intrusion of personality (Changing Stages pg 231) The play is structured using units and objectives. The unit objectives are linked together by the through line of action, which, in this case is misunderstanding. The unit objectives in the first Act are to show the interruption from the outside world via the telephone, to show the exposition, to alienate Carol and to establish a link between the characters. The unit objectives in the second act are to show Carols frustration at her lack of understanding, to show that Carol has brought charges of harassment against John, to show Johns lack of understanding as to why she has done this (maybe it was her aim to make him understand how she feels when she doesnt understand?) and to show that it is Carol who is now in control. Although Mamet has given Carol a little more power he never fully lets her takes control as he shows when he strips her of power at the end of the play. Also, she doesnt actually have a lot of power because it is her group who have power over her yet she doesnt seem to realise this. The unit objectives of the last Act are to show Johns frustration at Carol, to show that Carol only wants to be understood and to make the audience question whether John did it or not, to think about their view of the play. When Mamet wrote Oleanna Carol was a no hoper and John a caring professor. Carol takes revenge on John who lifts up a chair to hit her yet he doesnt. The play ends with him looking at her in a confused state. This was met with members of the audience shouting, Hit the bitch. When Pinter did Oleanna he used Mamets real ending where john hits Carol and she forces him to say, I have failed in my responsibilities to the young Both endings are hard hitting and you can argue that one is better than the other yet both have strengths and weaknesses. Mamets first ending makes it a drama of recantation in the line of Galileo and The Crucible; the version he staged in New York left you feeling as if you had witnessed a human tragedy. (The life and work of Harold Pinter) Oleanna is, in some ways a comedy of errors and although it is not funny it can be almost farcical depending on how you view the play. If you feel that John is saying one thing and Carol takes this in a completely different context then the play becomes almost farcical. Oleanna is a microcosm for the whole world, what we see when watching Oleanna happens everywhere, it is just another misunderstanding. It is also a microcosm about claustrophobia. The feeling of claustrophobia John has in his life is the same as what everyone else will feel in their own lives sometimes. What makes Oleanna so different as a play is that although Mamet is prescriptive so the director may follow some of Stanislavskis system to access realism he perhaps wouldnt use emotion memory There are no characters only lines on a page (changing stages) Because it will change the audiences perception of the play, you cannot play the character with your own emotion you have to BE the character. Another thing, which makes the play so endearing, is that we dont actually know the characters intentions. This means that the smallest thing can change the audiences perception. Another thing is that in the 20th century when Brecht wrote his list of differences between dramatic theatre and epic theatre he said that dramatic theatre has a beginning, middle and end whereas epic doesnt, this is not the case with Oleanna which doesnt have a specific beginning or end, also we are not sure if the issues brought forward are resolved.

buy custom The Health Care System essay

buy custom The Health Care System essay The health care system of America is unique, unlike any other health care system in the world. Usually in most developed countries, all the citizens are entitled to health care services under the national health insurance programs run by their governments. The case is not such in America. The truth is that there is no particular system of health care delivery. The health care system, as it is called, suffers from crisis and makes the delivery of health service a failure. The growing concern is that the healthcare is a huge business which is not being managed properly. This business is consuming over 17.3% of the gross domestic product of U.S.A and the costs exceed over $2.5 trillion (Truffer, Keehan, Smith, et al., 2010). The health care has been commercialized, which has created huge conflicts between the medical care providers, policy makers and the payers. The basic questions to be focused are the cost, access and quality of the health care. How much do we spend on medicine? How good is it? Who has the access? Only after answering these questions, the issue can be raised of improving the system. Cynicism about the healthcare system has grown rapidly due to the increased knowledge of the conflicts of costs, quality and access to the public. The highest quality of care is provided in the United States to most but not all individual patients. Almost 15% of the Americans still do not have a health insurance, which means that they are negated of the access to the best care and services. Another fact is that as compared to other developed countries, U.S. lags behind on a number of health measures pertaining to the population as a whole like the life expectancy and the infant mortality (Sultz Young, 2010). The issues of cost, quality and access still hold major significance relating to healthcare delivery in the United States. In 2000, the total national health expenditures were $1.35 trillion (Hartman, Martin, Nuccio, Catlin, et al., 2010) and in 2010, these expenditures were estimated to be $2.57 trillion (Truffer, Keehan, Smith, et al., 2010) which is an increase of 90%. According to the Institutes of Medicine, quality is defined as, the degree to which health services for individuals and populations increase the likelihood of desired health outcomes and are consistent with current professional knowledge. The quality of care can be reviewed through various issues but here the rate of infant mortality and life expectancy are being discussed. A higher rate of infant mortality may be due to many reasons but the basic impact is that it leaves a nation to suffer through. The number one and two of the deadliest categories of disease in America are heart disease and cancer. U.S. ranks 28th in infant mortality rate (Peterson and Burton, 2007). The life expectancy at birth and at the age of retirement also indicates the relative effectiveness of the healthcare services in the prevention and the management of the disease. According to a surveyconducted in 2001 published in Health Affairs, the patients showed very low level of satisfaction. U.S. ranks 23rd in t he life expectancy rate (Peterson and Burton, 2007); well below other industrialized nations. Although the quality of the medicine provided is best in the world and America is also considered excellent at acute care. America leads the world in research but, the truth is that it falls behind its peers in providing the quality care to a majority of its citizens. A study in 2006, by then Rand Corporation found that the rate of provision of the recommended care in America is only 50%. It also stated that not only the poor or the uninsured, but all the socio-demographic groups were at risk. In 2011, the estimated expenditure in healthcare was $2.7 trillion. The reason for such a higher share in GDP is due to much higher prices as indicated by Anderson et al. (2003). According to a study by Heyman et al. (2009), over 43 million Americans were without health insurance coverage in year 2008. Almost equal or more were without proper access to the health insurance. The reason for this huge gap is the high cost of premiums that is creating a financial barrier to both the health care and the health insurance. A survey in 2008 by Kaiser indicates that 29% of the uninsured usually postpone the health care decision due to the cost considerations (Kaiser Commission on Medicad and the Uninsured, 2009) as compared to only 7% of the insured. Delaying the health care services when required may lead to worsening of the case or even a premature death. Therefore, there is a clear link between the high cost and the poor access, which may lead to certain undesirable and threatening outcome s. The growing health care costs will place an enormous burden on the coming generations as their payroll taxes will have to meet the contractual obligations of the government. Health guarantees a happy and satisfied life along with high productivity at work. Therefore, access to health care should be considered the most important aspect. But, access means that people can easily afford the health care services, which means that access means affordable cost of the health service. Along with this the quality of the service is also very important. Therefore, all these three objectives are interdependent on each other. The provision of quality heath service at an affordable price is important so that each and every individual can receive it. According to Friedman (1991), the cost has been of great importance since the last decade and would remain so in the coming years. Cost has great influence on the access and quality of the service, which makes it difficult to deal with one leaving the rest untouched. The providers of the healthcare perceive the relation between the three as positive and look from the angle of more is better. Although this is the opposite of what should be in reality, where the high quality should actually lead to a reduction in mistakes, meaning lesser work and ultimately lesser costs. But, when the cost is higheer, lesser people afford them and the employers and insurers would limit their expenditures. The savings from the increased efficiency could be passed on to the consumers in the form of reduced insurance premiums, which means the consumers would have greater access to the health service. And of course, more efficient process means better quality would be practiced. This whole phenomenon can b e regarded as the total quality management. When addressing the healthcare reforms, it must be made sure that al the three issues are being dealt with. The starting point of the reform must be the lower cost or affordability of the health care. Rising cost makes it difficult for the people to get access to health insurance and increased pressure is put on the taxpayers. According to Senator John McCain (2008), a refundable tax credit of $2500 for the individuals and $5000 for the families would be provided. The people who would be purchasing their insurance coverage for the first time would get the same tax benefits as those under employer coverage. The senator also said that the control would be given to the doctors and the patients and the competition would be increased. The competition would bring up many choices and would drive the costs down. Having more choices, people would choose the best plans and can put pressure on the companies to lower the costs and provide better facilities. No American would be denies access to the coverage due to any preexisting condition like cancer (McCain, 2008). Where quality is concerned, the fact remains that America has the best doctors in the world, but the system of health care financing impedes their ability to practice. The reforms will be such that the doctors will be allowed to practice medicine with the interest of their patients on high priority. Another issue to be addressed is that there needs to be more research on diagnosing, managing and preventing chronic diseases like cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. The dilemma of obesity is growing at a higher rate and innovative ways should be found out to promote healthy habits and tackle the troubles. These reforms shall help in increasing the efficiency of the healthcare providers, which is one of the best approaches to address all the three issues (McCain, 2008). It can be deduced that cost, access, and quality have become functions of each other, as part of the natural progression of the system and the ever-longer shadow cast by cost on all other parts of health care. It is from this the campaign interweaving of the three that for broader access has become the campaign for "health care system reform," as analysts and advocates alike become more sensitive to the fact that the search for quality will inevitably have an impact on cost, and that the access crisis is rooted in the cost crisis. (Friedman, July-August, 1991). As already mentioned, the reforms should address the access rather than the cost, as addressing the issue of access would eventually lead to a cost reduction. Buy custom The Health Care System essay

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Submit Essay Submit Essay ANTHROPOLOGY TASK 1 One example of a non-Western culture which has been impacted by globalization is the Japanese hip-hop culture. Hip-hop music is a type of rhythmic music which people typically rap to. A Japanese DJ named Hiroshi Fujiwara visited New York City in the early 1980’s. During his stay he was introduced to hip-hop, took these American records back to Japan & began playing them (Wikipedia, 2014). Fujiwara along with the film Wild Style (a movie full of breakdancing, singing and graffiti paintings) are credited for starting the hip- hop culture in Japan (Wikipedia, 2014). Prior to hip-hop, rock music was popular for Japanese teens to dance and listen to. With this new type of hip-hop music break dancing, graffiti, and a new fashion of baggy clothing began to emerge with the Japanese adolescents. Today Tokyo resembles New York in an array of ways: there are stores with rap music playing in the background, spray painted artwork on sides of buildings and the youth of Tokyo break d ance in the streets (Condry, 2003). Nigeria oil extraction is another example of a non-Western culture who has been impacted by globalization. The oil companies Shell and BP discovered oil at the Niger River Delta. In 1958 after a contract was agreed upon between these oil companies & the Nigerian government, drilling commenced (Wikipedia, 2015). Prior to oil drilling Nigeria intensely depended on agricultural exports to other countries in order to supply their economy. As of 2000, oil and gas exports accounted for more than 98% of export earnings and about 83% of federal government revenue (Wikipedia, 2015). There are citizens living in land which became polluted by oil spills and gas flaring’s. Water which was clean prior to drilling is now polluted with oil products. Money from big oil companies such as Shell and BP are responsible for the globalization of oil in Nigeria. Extraction of oil products caused great friction between the Nigerian government and the poverty stricken regions of Nigeria. The Nigerian government has complete domination over property rights and the government has the ability to seize any property for use by the oil companies no matter what the residents view may be. Residents of the Niger River Delta reside in severe poverty even in the face of abundant material wealth found in the waters by their homes. The globalization of Nigeria oil extraction was achieved from a direct action. Oil companies were searching for new areas of oil to drill. The Western companies found oil in the Niger River Delta then approached the Government of Nigeria for extraction permission. The Nigeria government signed an agreement with the Western oil companies thereby directly introducing oil drilling to the Nigeria culture. Nigeria is one of the leading oil producers in Africa. Export is predominantly intended for U.S.A. and Great Britain (Wiese, Moar & Fleming, 2015) Both the oil companies & the Nigeria government knowingly and intentionally entered into a written form of agreement. Furthermore the government knowingly took land which belonged to its citizens in order to profit from the oil industry. Oil extraction has led to a heavy network of extraction plants and pipelines on the mainland. These were constructed without consideration for customary land rights or the availability of forest and cultivated land, resulting in clashed with the local residents. Preparations and talks with engineers could have mapped out more conscious and respectful routes. The Nigerian governments control over its citizens land property in addition to pollution issues cause this globalization example to be a negative one. Villagers continue to get their water right from the same rivers and streams that become catch basins for oil spills. Between 1989 and 2000, more than 536,000 barrels of oil were spilled; only 23,000 barrels were recovered (Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide, 2004).

Challenges That the Company Faces Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Challenges That the Company Faces - Essay Example This study stresses that  the company believes in innovating new types of products and services. Apple sells its products and services in different parts of the world. The company deals in electronic equipment industry. It is one of the strongest players in this industry. As per market capitalization Apple Inc became largest public trading company in 2014. In the electronic equipment industry new products and services are continuously developing. The companies in this industry use advanced technologies for developing innovative products. Apple wants to provide best experience to its customers by incorporating modern technology in its business and products.From this discussion it is clear that  Apple uses MR and MC for deciding the amount of goods it requires to produce. When the company thinks that MR is greater than MC then it produces one extra unit of output for getting additional revenue at a lower cost. But if the additional unit incurs more cost than the revenue it generate s, then the company prefers not to produce the extra unit of output (Hoag & Hoag, 2006). This condition arises when MR is less than MC. When MR=MC the company feels satisfied because at that stage it earns maximum amount of profit. This basic rule of profit maximization is followed by Apple. This profit maximization theory helps the firm in creating its strong position in the monopolistic market.  Apple Inc operates its business in different parts of the world and in various markets.

Strategic Perspectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Strategic Perspectives - Essay Example The paper also reveals the strengths, opportunities, weaknesses and threats of the Company. The value chain analysis and the resource capability analysis of Zara reflect the systematic and effective management of the products and services which has helped the company to achieve a successful position in the retail industry. This paper also provides insights on the current issues regarding the violence of the CSR activities by the company. It has been identified that the company should plan for an effective cost structure to overcome the recent problems. Recommendations have been provided using porter’s three generic strategies and Ansoff’s matrix to help the company make suitable strategies for achieving competitive advantage through market penetration and product differentiation. Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 Zara: A Company Overview 4 External Analysis 4 PESTEL Analysis 4 Industry Analysis: Porter’s Five Forces Analysis 6 Value Chain Analysis 7 Resource Capability Analysis 9 Issues related to the PR crises of Zara 10 Strategy Recommendation 11 Strategy Evaluation 15 Conclusion 16 References 17 Appendix 20 Zara: A Company Overview Zara is a well known Spanish clothing and accessories retailer. It’s headquarter is located in Arteixo, Spain. The company was founded by Amancio Ortea Gaona. It is one of the renowned brands of Inditex which was founded in the year 1975. The company had a slow growth in its initial years of operations but expanded to a great extent after the 1990’s. Zara is successfully operating in more than thirty different countries. Presently it is one of the leading fashions designing as well as manufacturing companies successfully providing services to the customers. External Analysis The environmental scanning of Zara will be done using the PESTEL Analysis. Pestel Analysis helps in analysing the issues related to the macro environmental factors (Lorat, 2009). PESTEL Analysis Factors Analysis Political UK is presently facing various problems related to high public debt, high unemployment etc. The government has taken important measures like cutting down the budget to an extent of 23 percent for media department, 22 percent for sports and culture department in order to reduce the overall financial deficit caused due to the sovereign debt crisis and the economic recession (Lynn, 2010). The Government has also planned to decrease the corporate tax rate in order to facilitate the companies operating in the country to recover from their financial crisis condition. Economic The economic recession has affected the European countries including United Kingdom. This recession has resulted in the increased unemployment rate for UK. Economists have also forecasted the future rise of the unemployment rate in the coming years. The recession has resulted in the decrease in the purchasing power of the customers as well. Thus the fashion retailers will have to face a situation of demand crunch du e to their operation in UK. Social The sovereign debt crisis along with the budget deficit in UK has decreased the purchasing capacity of the individuals and has also created a challenge in maintaining a standard life style. The working age population in UK is rising. The fashion retailers should focus on bringing a change in its product portfolio in future in order to satisfy the needs of the aging population of the country. Technological The retailers in UK are

Final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 20

Final - Essay Example The employees cannot go to the court or contact the legal authorities in case of being fired or released prematurely or without any previous notices dispatched. The first is the public policy exception. This is subject to a given employer and industry that is working in a given state and the overall ruling and standing of the state in that regard. The injury incurred during the working hours and various other conditions that are unforeseen and have little doing with regard to the employees work make up for the exception in the entire process. The second exception is that of employee’s case of being targeted based on the racial discrimination. In case of the client’s believe that anything of similar form may have taken place, the employer can be subjected to questioning and the employee may well go to the court or the legal entity and win the case against their employers. The labor unions provide for support and protection against this case and often the employees enrolled under the protection of various labor unions in a given state can enjoy this entitlement and protection in case of conflict between the two parties. As the Director of HR Golden Hospital I would have the concerns regarding the overall irregularities that are in practices and due to which one of the employees was terminated. I would be worried making sure these practices are stopped at once and professional practices are taken into account. Also the employees stance of questioning the overall cause of termination would be another point that would concern me. The H.R department should be notified about her termination and the reason for her termination should be mentioned. The concerned departments and individuals should also be told of the shortcomings that were faced in the form of her performance and the overall negligence that came forth in the event of the overall scenario. The situation would be handled in the

Motivation in the Workplace Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Motivation in the Workplace - Research Paper Example   The focus would be on the two categories of motivational theories; content and process. There has been no single definition of motivation universally adopted in the context of the workplace. But Teck-Hong and Waheed (2011) define it as conditions in an individual or the environment which influence persistence, direction, and strength of relevant organizational behavior, holding organizational constraints and individual abilities constant. This thus encompasses the decisions on why, how and when efforts would be allocated to an activity. While reviewing the similarity and distinction in constructs between personality and values, Parks and Guay simply adopt the definition of motivation as â€Å"an energizing force that induces action† (2009, p.679). These researchers appreciate motivation as a psychological process that involves arousal, intensity, direction, and persistence involuntary action for specific goals. A similar postulation by Lee and Tan (2012) appreciates that psychological empowerment would affect the intrinsic motivation of an employee. Of the three components that make up individual creativity (motivation, creative thinking skills and expertise), Lee and Tan (2012) singled out motivation as being the easiest and fastest to achieve. In their study to determine the factors that affect creativity and performance of an employee at the workplace, these researchers noted that intrinsic motivation would trigger stimulation of high-level creative effort and persistence at work. Extrinsic rewards complement intrinsic motivation to realize achievements of organizational goals and build efficiency among employees. In human resource management, a complex set of factors interrelated to each other have been noted to motivate humans and include the need for affiliation, money, and desire for meaningful work.  

Is there a need for Public Health Nutritionists to be accredited as a Essay

Is there a need for Public Health Nutritionists to be accredited as a regulated and professional body in the UK Discuss - Essay Example On the other hand, a growing number of information is now accessible through internet and various media types. There is then a conflict on who to believe when it comes to nutrition. In this case, although voluntary registration appropriately assesses capabilities of public health nutritionists, there is still a need for mandatory regulation and accreditation as a professional body in United Kingdom that will address the complex nutritional demands of its citizens. British culture in relation to food made some gradual alterations. As surmised by Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (2008), â€Å"there is a healthier pattern of intake†¦ but there is still need for immediate actions to ensure further improvements in patterns of food consumption and intake of several nutrients.† In this area, although progress has taken place, guidance to guarantee its continued rise is still required. The role of organizations is to keep up with the current trend. Presently, the Nutrition Society is the leading organization in the â€Å"advancement of scientific study of nutrition and its application to the maintenance of human and animal health† (Buttriss & Daniels, 2003). This ensures proper screening of individuals and legal organizations in nutrition and related fields. The said organization offers a voluntary approach in registration processes, wherein â€Å"assessment mechanisms focuses on attainment of minimum standard of compete ncy in knowledge, skills, and attitudes on the required tasks† (Davies, Margetts & Hughes, n.d.). The minimal techniques employed seemed to contradict the graveness of the situation involving the present overall nutritional status of British people. Specifically, Nutrition Society initially was in charge during the creation of voluntary registration for public health nutrition (PHN). In an article entitled Overview of the Public Health Nutrition Landscape (Anon., n.d.), it defined public health nutrition as

Meaning of Life Susan Wolf Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Meaning of Life Susan Wolf - Essay Example The meaning of life comes from within us and is not granted from without. I find this as the most convincing as regarding the question to the real meaning of life. This is surely the greatest way to perceive life-one’s own life, the life of a nation, a species, the world, and all living things. The meaning of life comes to us when we do things that our heart and mind desires, things that seem of importance to us. Otherwise, doing things that draw boredom since they seem not of much interest ton us does not bring the meaning of living into us. We can realize the idea of meaningless existence and the meaningless of life if we keep on doing things that bear no fruits to us and brings nothing (Taylor 433). It surely has no meaning to perform an activity that has been drawn repeatedly but, have no direction and purpose of it. With this, the objective of existence is meaningless. Richard Taylor draws this idea from our lives, and that of the animals, the endless activities that get nowhere. However, he also says that if this is what one is willing to per sue then the idea of meaning of life comes in. At one point, we ask ourselves why we do things repeatedly without getting anything out of it, a perfect image of meaningless existence.... t that he wants to work on, he must have the ability to be able to contribute in a positive manner to that project, and lastly the project that he is working on should be worthy in an independent manner of its own. A man must be able to have the strength to look back at his life when it is about to get over, and at that time, be satisfied truly to an extent that he feels as if his life has had some meaning or the other. (A., 2010) â€Å"What is perhaps most distinctive about my conception of meaning, or about the category of value I have in mind, is that it involves subjective and objective elements, suitably and inextricably linked. â€Å"Love† is at least partly subjective, involving attitudes and feelings. In insisting that the requisite object must be â€Å"worthy of love,† however, this conception of meaning invokes an objective standard: it is implicit in insisting that an object be worthy of love (in order to make a contribution to meaning in the lover’s life) that not any object will do.† (Wolf, Susan) The main aim of living one’s life, writes Wolf, should be of an objective worth and not subjective worth. Wolf writes that most people try to base or model their lives on people who inspire them and make them feel as if their lives were full of and ‘in’ meaning. Most people pick and motivate themselves by understanding actions of people who have benefited humanity at large, for example Mother Teresa and Albert Einstein. She writes that people must be able to feel satisfaction and fulfilment in order to find a sense of meaning in their lives. However, a person must carry out his own actions and achieve everything that he does on his own and according to his own merit in order to feel like he has done something meaningful which will make him happy and worthy

Motivation in the Workplace Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Motivation in the Workplace - Research Paper Example   The focus would be on the two categories of motivational theories; content and process. There has been no single definition of motivation universally adopted in the context of the workplace. But Teck-Hong and Waheed (2011) define it as conditions in an individual or the environment which influence persistence, direction, and strength of relevant organizational behavior, holding organizational constraints and individual abilities constant. This thus encompasses the decisions on why, how and when efforts would be allocated to an activity. While reviewing the similarity and distinction in constructs between personality and values, Parks and Guay simply adopt the definition of motivation as â€Å"an energizing force that induces action† (2009, p.679). These researchers appreciate motivation as a psychological process that involves arousal, intensity, direction, and persistence involuntary action for specific goals. A similar postulation by Lee and Tan (2012) appreciates that psychological empowerment would affect the intrinsic motivation of an employee. Of the three components that make up individual creativity (motivation, creative thinking skills and expertise), Lee and Tan (2012) singled out motivation as being the easiest and fastest to achieve. In their study to determine the factors that affect creativity and performance of an employee at the workplace, these researchers noted that intrinsic motivation would trigger stimulation of high-level creative effort and persistence at work. Extrinsic rewards complement intrinsic motivation to realize achievements of organizational goals and build efficiency among employees. In human resource management, a complex set of factors interrelated to each other have been noted to motivate humans and include the need for affiliation, money, and desire for meaningful work.  

Meaning of Life Susan Wolf Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Meaning of Life Susan Wolf - Essay Example The meaning of life comes from within us and is not granted from without. I find this as the most convincing as regarding the question to the real meaning of life. This is surely the greatest way to perceive life-one’s own life, the life of a nation, a species, the world, and all living things. The meaning of life comes to us when we do things that our heart and mind desires, things that seem of importance to us. Otherwise, doing things that draw boredom since they seem not of much interest ton us does not bring the meaning of living into us. We can realize the idea of meaningless existence and the meaningless of life if we keep on doing things that bear no fruits to us and brings nothing (Taylor 433). It surely has no meaning to perform an activity that has been drawn repeatedly but, have no direction and purpose of it. With this, the objective of existence is meaningless. Richard Taylor draws this idea from our lives, and that of the animals, the endless activities that get nowhere. However, he also says that if this is what one is willing to per sue then the idea of meaning of life comes in. At one point, we ask ourselves why we do things repeatedly without getting anything out of it, a perfect image of meaningless existence.... t that he wants to work on, he must have the ability to be able to contribute in a positive manner to that project, and lastly the project that he is working on should be worthy in an independent manner of its own. A man must be able to have the strength to look back at his life when it is about to get over, and at that time, be satisfied truly to an extent that he feels as if his life has had some meaning or the other. (A., 2010) â€Å"What is perhaps most distinctive about my conception of meaning, or about the category of value I have in mind, is that it involves subjective and objective elements, suitably and inextricably linked. â€Å"Love† is at least partly subjective, involving attitudes and feelings. In insisting that the requisite object must be â€Å"worthy of love,† however, this conception of meaning invokes an objective standard: it is implicit in insisting that an object be worthy of love (in order to make a contribution to meaning in the lover’s life) that not any object will do.† (Wolf, Susan) The main aim of living one’s life, writes Wolf, should be of an objective worth and not subjective worth. Wolf writes that most people try to base or model their lives on people who inspire them and make them feel as if their lives were full of and ‘in’ meaning. Most people pick and motivate themselves by understanding actions of people who have benefited humanity at large, for example Mother Teresa and Albert Einstein. She writes that people must be able to feel satisfaction and fulfilment in order to find a sense of meaning in their lives. However, a person must carry out his own actions and achieve everything that he does on his own and according to his own merit in order to feel like he has done something meaningful which will make him happy and worthy

Discussion Board 2 - Apologetics Essay Example for Free

Discussion Board 2 Apologetics Essay 1. What are some ways the Christian gospel is perceived in our culture? To many individuals, the Christian gospel is seen as selective and intolerant. Although we are all free to accept the gift of salvation through Christ, He tells us in John 14:6 that He is â€Å"the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.† To many, this will seem intolerant and almost haughty. How can a God who wants nothing more than to have a relationship with us say that there is only one way to do so? 2. What are some specific moral reasons people may reject the Christian gospel? Many individuals who will reject the Christian gospel do so for moral reasons such as their sexual preferences (gay, bi, or straight), their marital status, or the apparent intolerant moral code found in the Word of God. People believe that you have to give up everything that is worldly to follow Christ, and that Christians think they are more righteous than others. The fact is, you will have to give up living in sin, and you will have to give up treasures of the world, but the heavenly treasures that you gain will outshine any possession that you will have on this earth. 3. What are some specific emotional reasons people may reject the Christian gospel? One specific emotional reason that people will reject the Christian gospel is that they cannot grasp the concept of God’s unconditional love. God loves each and every one of us, even the worst sinner, and tells us in His Word. People will say things like â€Å"God would not let me be poor, or God would not have let me be abused like I was.† Even though we are all loved by God, and He wants us to have a relationship with Him and be happy and well, even the most devout Christian has to go through trials and tribulations. 4. What are some specific intellectual reasons people may reject the Christian gospel? For most Christians, believing in God is â€Å"faith-based,† and that there is no room for science and fact in Christianity. Many non-Christians will say that the Bible is nothing more than a collection of fairy tales for those who are easily enchanted and to make the people who read them feel good. The intellectual non-believer’s insistence that the Bible has no basis in fact  is one reason that they will reject the message, even though there is historical proof to show that Christ lived, died, and was resurrected, as well as that many other Biblical places and people existed at one point in time, even if they do not anymore. 5. What can Christians do to address these objections and better communicate the Christian gospel? As Christians, when we approach someone and begin to talk about our faith, it may seem like they are a little frightened, or maybe just upset and unwilling to take a leap of faith. They maybe feel like we have come on too strong, even though we know that we are just eager to talk about our faith. It is important for Christians to learn that we need to be patient with others but also diligent as we share the gospel of Christ.

A Study On HNC Social Care Social Policy Essay

A Study On HNC Social Care Social Policy Essay Values are standards and principals by which we live our lives. These standards are many and often depend on people`s background e.g. Culture, class, religion, gender, age. Values are extremely individual attitudes that direct people`s responses to the world around them. Amongst some of the values I live my life by and respect are privacy allowing me to have space to myself and respecting the fact that others may desire privacy, to be safe and also allowing others the same, having self respect, being trustworthy, being non judgmental, being anti discriminatory, respect life and faith, value freedom and equality, value choice and others points of view. I have learned to live my life this way from my parents and their families. The schools and church where I was taught , espoused the values of  Ã‚   human dignity, solidarity for the common good , charity , and the family,   all of   which I continue to hold dear. I therefore try to ensure that I treat people the way I would like to be treated. Because of these values, I am able to work happily alongside the organization I volunteer for, as their policies and procedures represent many of these common values. We ensure the right to dignity, choice, respect, privacy, and protection. I must consider my clients beliefs and preferences. I currently volunteer as a Befriender for a group that helps adults with learning disabilities become included within the community through socialization, by matching Befriendees with supportive Befrienders. I, as a volunteer for this organization, provide their service participants with the opportunity to take a full and satisfying part in their community. I also help to raise awareness of issues affecting adults with learning difficulties in community participation. I did this in a major way by participating in the collection and presentation of our petition to the Scottish Parliament to request that Befriending is to be financed with core funding. Although Befriending, to help social inclusion was briefly mentioned as a means of supporting adults with learning disabilities in â€Å"Same as you Strategy†2000, this article has never been defined by the government as a core service to be provided by councils. As a result, Befriending for Adults with Learning Disabilities has rarely been financed or delivered by statutory services. However, the social work department is the main means of referral to our organization and so for the moment receive this service free, financed by charitable donations. I feel this is a form of statutory discrimination against our client group and hope our petition resolves this situation. This petition has received a positive reaction from the petitions committee and is still going through the committee processe s. The core values of our organisation are underpinned by the National Care Standards, which were set up under the Regulation of Care (Scotland)Act 2001. This Act came about to regulate the care and social work force and set out the principals of good care practice. The Care Commission was set up under this Act to register, regulate, and inspect all care services listed in the Act. It also established The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC). The SSSC has aims and objectives to protect the service users, raise standards, strengthen, and support workforce professionalism. There are six main standards laid down in National Care Standards that are at the centre of any care practice. Dignity â€Å"making someone feel worthy and impressive† as defined in the Oxford English Dictionary. I ensure that I give dignity by respecting individuals for who they are. I recognise all individuals are different and I am sensitive and aware of this. Privacy and confidentiality is the need and right to privacy. The principle of confidentiality between me and the service user is built on mutual respect and trust. Confidentiality is further reinforced by the Data Protection Act 1998. This allows our service users to see any information that is held on them. I must ensure that this information is held securely in a locked filing cabinet. Any information I write in an activity plan must be truthful, factual, and accurate with my opinions to be objective. Choice means giving and explaining different options to individuals. I support our service users by encouraging their right to choose. By offering they limited options that will encourage them to look at positive alternatives within a safe environment. Safety means that I must ensure my service user when in my care, is protected from harm and abuse. If I suspect or observe that harm and abuse has or is taking place, against a service user, I must report the incident in an Incident Report   Form within 36 hrs of the episode to my line manager. I also complete a risk assessment form before any activity. Realising Potential ensures that I must allow my service users the chance to aim to achieve things great and small within their abilities. These core values are represented within our organisations policies and procedures. To ensure client safety we have a Health and Safety Policywhich is designed to comply with the Health and Safety at work Act 1974. Risk Assessments are used on a daily basis before an activity to ensure that the staff and clients are safe on the premises. We also have Accident and Incident Reporting procedures which are required under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases, and Dangerous Occurrences Regulation 1995(RIDDOR), Social Security Regulations 1979 (SRR),Data Protection Act, to be reportedin an efficient manner. I must complete relevant forms and report to my line manager. If an event requires reporting directly to RIDDOR the records should be kept securely for at least three years. Our Equalities policy complies with the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and 1986, the Race Relations Act of 1976 and the Race Relation Amendments Regulations of 2003, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Our organization opposes all forms of unfair and unlawful discrimination on the grounds of colour, race, religion, nationality, social background, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, age and disability. It also promotes the principle of equal opportunities in paid employment, voluntary work, and service provision. Although it is important to apply positive values within my practice, it is sometimes difficult to do so. Giving someone choice needs to be balanced by ensuring that this choice is safe and positive. Giving Adults with Learning Disabilities too many choices can cause confusion and sometimes fear. So I give limited positive choices to ensure that this does not happen. Safety issues can also limit choices, as under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and National Care Standards it is important that I ensure my client is safe from harm and abuse. If a risk assessment shows that an activity is not suitable to the client because of safety issues then the choice of doing that particular activity is reduced. The values conflicting here are my clients health and safety and his right to choice. Privacy and confidentiality is dealt with in our Confidentiality policy. Our organization requires information about clients, volunteers, staff other organizations and our own organization. I am therefore committed to ensuring that all information is stored safely which also allows appropriate retrieval. Confidential material must be kept in a locked cabinet. Volunteers are only able to see files â€Å"on a need to know basis only†. Computer access is limited to authorized staff and information backed up. All of these policies are compatible with the Data Protection Act 1998.If a client discloses something to me and asks me not to tell anyone then I must respect his/her wishes as a matter of trust. However, sometimes this can be difficult, especially if abuse is disclosed. Under these circumstances I am obliged to tell him/her that I understand his/her need for confidentiality, but the circumstances require me to advise my line manager in writing and that this will be in his/her best interests and to try not to worry. The values conflicting here are protection from harm and abuse and confidentiality. As we do not supply a care service, we are not required to regi ster with the Care Commission, but we ensure all our policies and procedures meet their standards. As all clients under these standards are legally allowed an individualized care plan, we instead have an activity plan. To ensure no discrimination takes place the client is assessed using (Ref1)PIES.   We take into account, our clients Physical needs, Intellectual needs, Emotional needs, and Social needs. Needs were first described as requirements for our survival in the model put forward by (Ref 2) Abraham Maslow, a Humanist Psychologist. He stated that human needs can be arranged in a stepladder pyramid and that the lower level needs must be satisfied before higher levels can be met. Starting from the basic psychological need , then moving to safety and security, social, esteem, and self- actualization. He suggested that not satisfying these needs the person could become frustrated and emotionally distressed, with possibly poverty and crisis taking place. He also suggested that these needs must be met in order.  Ã‚   Prejudice as (Ref3) defined in the Collins dictionary â€Å"is an unreasonable dislike of a particular group of people or things, or a preference for a one group of people or things over another†. Prejudice is caused by a lack of understanding of something, causing the wrong impression to be created. (Ref4)The Functionalist perspectives state that society can be likened to the human body, with different organs (institutions) having different functions yet all working together to keep the body (society) alive. The negative aspects of discrimination according to the functionalists state that it exacerbates poverty and crime, that society fails to use the resources of all individuals, discourages good will, and discourage the resolution of disputes. These negative aspects can provide jobs by having to employ police officers, justice system, and civil servants. Although not to be encouraged, the functionalists state that the positive aspects of prejudice keep people in their prope r place within society and discourage them from questioning their place within society. The functionalists believe that it is normal for one group to be superior to the other, that society is unequal and competition within society is natural. Discrimination happens when one group does not want to have another group change their set roles. Changes in the economy can see prejudice affecting those in poverty because other groups may feel that the benefit system budget is being abused by those who are out of work. Prejudice can be seen in my client group, which has a definite need of the benefit system. Working with people with learning disabilities has shown me that prejudice arises amongst some of the local community. This is a small section of the community pre- judging those with learning disabilities through lack of knowledge and so they hold unfavourable views or opinions towards people who are different and so bullying can take place. Adults with learning disabilities are a section of society that tends not to be able to stand up for themselves. They rely on family, social workers, advocacy workers, and support workers to advise them on their rights, choices, and responsibilities. Unfortunately, through no fault of their own, some sections of this community may not receive this relevant information. They do not receive the care, benefits, and advice that they need, or they do not receive the statutory services they deserve. This can be caused by certain people denying our client group their rights and so discriminate against them. Harassment, bullying, and hate crimes of those with learning disabilities takes place in many areas. The recent death of a mother and daughter burned to death in England after numerous threats and harassment is an excessive example and result of discrimination. Discrimination takes place through fear, misunderstanding, misinformation, and so as well as laws against discrimination, we need to educate and provide training against it. To try to ensure that the incident that took place does not happen in our community, our organization is involved in providing a training service to the community. I have taken part in training to try to educate youths from the local secondary school about Learning Disabilities. This resulted in them becoming peer volunteers to younger children with Learning Disabilities from the local school for autistic children. A music group was set up to bring these two groups of youngsters together, with positive results. (Ref 5) Adults with Learning Disabilities are more likely to develop health problems. Therefore, without support, they may not be able to make their feelings known and so screening and or treatment may be denied. The need for support to allow them to lead as normal a life as their abilities allow and to access services, has a financial cost to society. The belief that people with learning disabilities, are a financial burden to society, and not providing relevant support is evidence of discrimination.Their ill health has my client group adults with learning disabilities relying on benefits. Therefore, being able to afford the use of transport and taking part in social activities are reduced for those who are on benefits. This is more evident in those with learning disabilities in rural areas. They are socially excluded and marginalized, through the lack of affordable and regular transport services. The chances of employment for this group of individuals are rare as most do not have the capacity to engage in work and so they will continue to live on benefits. Psychologically that can result in depression, low self- esteem, frustration, or anger. Causing their behaviour to be affected, by them becoming withdrawn or violent. Through legislation, social care organizations now have to be more accountable and have increasing responsibilities to write and maintain policy and procedures. These have to comply with current legislation and exist to protect people`s rights and ensure quality services are provided. Our policies and procedures must have specific guidelines, for example, they cover confidentiality and privacy, equal opportunities, health and safety, abuse policies, lone working practices, activity planning and reviews and risk assessment and management. I have a responsibility to read the organizations policy and procedures thoroughly and integrate them into my practice. I should query any uncertainties and report any infringements. If I am uneasy about the practice of others within the organization or within any other agency I come into contact with, I must report to my line manager and seek advice. My manager has a responsibility to produce these policies and procedures ensuring they incorporate current legislation. Management ensures that staff and service users have easy access to them. Discussion and reflection of policies and procedures to ensure they are justified and explained to staff is encouraged. I receive continued training, support, and supervision and engage in partnership working with relevant agencies. References. 1. Elizabeth Bingham +. (2009). Social Care: Group Award Graded Unit. In: Heinemann HNC in Social Care. Edinburgh: Heinemann. 147. 2. Elizabeth Bingham +. (2009). Psychological perspectives and Theories on development and needs. In: Heinemann HNC in Social Care. Edinburgh: Heinemann. 86-89. 3. http://dictionary.reverso.net/english-cobuild/prejudice 4. Eliz Bingham + (2009). HNC in Social Care. Edinburgh: Heinemann. 112 5. http://www.learningdisabilities.org.uk/media/news-releases/newsreleases-2005/14-july-2005/?locale=en