Intro to Accounting Notes

Business Environment Accounting: The information system that measures business activities, processes the information Into reports, and communicates the results to decision makers. Two Major Fields of Accounting: 1 ) Financial Accounting: The field of accounting that focuses on providing information for external decision makers. 2) Managerial Accounting: The field of accounting that focuses on providing information for internal decision makers. Certified Public Accountants (Spas): Licensed professional accountants who serve the mineral public.Certified Management Accountants (Camas): Certified professionals who specialize in accounting and financial management knowledge that typically work for a single company. Financial Accounting Standards Board (FAST): private organization that oversees the creation and governance of accounting standards. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC): the US government agency that oversees the US financial markets. Generally Accepted Accounting Principl es (GAP): the main US accounting rule book, created and governed by the FAST.Cost Principle: states that acquired assets and services should be recorded at their actual cost. Going Concern Assumption: assumes that the entity will remain in operation for the foreseeable future. Accounting Equation: Assets-Liableness + Equity Assets: an economic resource that is expected to benefit the business in the future. Liabilities: debts that are owed to creditors. Retained Earnings: capital earned by profitable operations off corporation that is not distributed to stockholders. Net Income: the result of operations that occurs when total revenues are greater Han total expenses.Revenues: amounts earned from delivering goods or services to customers. Expenses: the cost of selling goods or services. Steps to Analyze a Transaction Assets Liabilities + Equity (Contributed Capital & Retained Earnings) Cash + Acts Race + Supplies+Land = Acts Payable + Common Stock – Dividends + Revenue – Expenses 1) Identify the accounts & account type -Cash (Asset) & Common Stock (Equity) 2) Decide if each account increases or decreases 3) Determine if the accounting equation is in balanceAccounts Payable: a short term liability that will be paid in the future Accounts Receivable: business expects to receive cash in the future from customers for goods sold or services performed. 4 Types of Financial Statements 1) Income Statement: Reports net income/net loss of business for specific period 2) Statement of Retained Earnings: Reports how the company's retained earnings balance changed from the beginning to the end of the period. 3) Balance Sheet: Reports on the assets, liabilities, and stockholders' equity of the business as of a pacific date. ) Statement of Cash Flows: Reports on the business's cash receipts and cash payments for a specific period. Return on Assets (ROAR): measures how profitably a company uses its assets. Return on Assets = Net income/Average total assets Average Total Assets = Beginning total assets + ending total assets 12 4 Reasons Stockholders Equity Can Change: Stockholders equity is broken out into two components, contributed capital and retained earnings, as shown in the accounting equation. The basic component of contributed stock capital is stock.

The Planet Takes Care of Us, Not We of It

â€Å"The planet takes care of us, not we of it. † One could say that the planet earth is a system, interacting with objects in space such as the sun and the moon. The mass and diameter of these objects, their distance from earth and the amount of heat they radiates makes the conditions on earth ideal for life to exist. Over the years, humans have begun to consume at a much faster rate than before. Yes, fossil fuels like coal, natural gas and oil are being used at a greedy rate, but the ground is busy making some more.Yes, too many trees providing shade, oxygen, clean air and water, fruit and nuts are being cut down to produce wood products such as paper, furniture and housing, but it’s not like we’ve run out of oxygen†¦ the world always seems to work itself out. A problem is detected, the loophole discovered, and our planet renovates and replenishes itself. The earth doesn’t need our help, and even if it did, I don’t think we are prepared to o ffer it. Humans are greedy little children, and we never had to grow up because Mother Nature was always there for us even when we are not there for her.Saving the world is a grand gesture needs a large amount of energy and people, and it would never happen that all the people of the world come together with one goal, to save the planet. We don’t even know how to properly fend for ourselves, nor do we know how to keep peace with our neighbors, so how could we ever even attempt to take care of the biggest thing we know, our home, our planet, our earth, which had been standing tall as it still is, four and a half million years before mankind even existed?This of course, is only one approach to a hugely controversial topic, and the other side says we must live green and â€Å"reduce, recycle and reuse†. I do believe a lot of people want to see that happen and admire the concept, but they are just too lazy to go through with it. Either way, here comes my question, if we we re going to lend a hand and â€Å"take care† of our planet, would that truly be what we are doing?Or is that phrase just a witty twist of words used as a facade to conceal our self-centered nature†¦ Think about it, if we cease to reduce our carbon footprint and encourage global warming, say we melt the icecaps and increase the sea-level, ruin the soil with our chemicals and pollute every acre of the earth with our damned plastic bags to the point where the air is too dirty to breathe, the soil too tired to harvest on and the water too toxic to drink.What happens? Mankind will die out, life as we know it will never be the same, but the planet? The earth will still be here, only we will not. So are we really trying to take care of the planet, or are we just taking care of ourselves? Is us trying to take care of the planet a selfless, humanitarian act or is it just more evidence to our self absorbed nature?

Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7

Critique - Essay Example for her whereby she is treated by her stepmother like a servant in her own home when her father dies, she endures so that she can fulfil her mothers wish. That is before she died she told her to be kind to everyone. Cinderella who is Ella is one of the characters who shows kindness humility and respect to her stepmother and her step sister, despite them mistreating her. She does all the house chores. One day as she is in the woods, she meets a stranger who is the prince charming, whoever she does not know whether he is a prince instead she thinks that he is a servant in the palace. When the king calls for all maidens to the ball, she becomes happy, for she knows she will see the stranger again who is the prince. Unfortunately, her plans begin to fall apart when she is forbidden by her stepmother to go to the palace, and to make the matters even worse she rips off her dress. Cinderella dreams fall into doom place. However a Godmother fairy who is despised and be referred to as the kindly beggar appears with a pumpkin and several mice whereby she transforms them into a carriage and horses respectively. She even dresses Cinderella in a most beautiful dress and changes her forever. Due to this Cind erella dream of seeing the stranger again are arisen and she is able to meet the prince. The prince charming who is a loving character and a humble prince. He was so excellent in sword skills. Though he appears elegant both mentally and appearance wise, he is also swashbuckler. For instance, he challenges his father in a friendly sword fight. He also races his horse in order to go and save Cinderella. Surprisingly, despite his position as a prince and the royal status, he is shallow and accepts every person around her without judging by their background or their position instead he judges them by their personality. According to (Variety), prince charming meets Cinderella in the woods where he falls in love. He persuaded his father to welcome maidens to the ball with the

A Comprehensive Analysis Of Nike Company Case Study

A Comprehensive Analysis Of Nike Company - Case Study Example The company has invested a lot of resources in research and development, making the largest company in the category of sportswear. With the innovations, the company wants to be identified as the most recognized company in terms of differentiation. Nike has been faced with a series of problems, which has negatively affected the company’s business image, and consequently, its performance. Some claims include the violation of child labor laws and poor working conditions, such as low wages, long overtime hours without guaranteed payment, forced overtime work, no consultation with workers on matters that concern them, poor medical services and others.Nike Vietnam can take some steps to improve its working conditions in order to redeem its tainted image. The dynamism of strategic management is a continuous management. According to David, a change in any of the management component of a company can necessitate a complete change of the company progress. Nike can also find strategies t o hold onto Emerging Markets such as China and India. Considering that its competitors such Adidas, whose market share surges every day. The company can partner with the existing market leaders in these countries to gain entry into the new markets. The youths in the emerging markets should be targeted as they comprise the majority population. In order to redeem its image, the company needs to rebrand a section of its apparel to go in line with the modern management strategy where the ethics/ social responsibility form part of their themes.... Corporate social responsibility forms part of long term strategic management for any large company like Nike. Working Conditions at Nike Vietnam Company- Weakness Nike Inc. is the leading supplier of athletic shoes and equipment, as well as a key producer of sports equipment in the world (Marina 2008). The company is based in the United States, and its head office is in Beaverton, Oregon. Most people are familiar with various products offered at Nike stores, such as Nike Football, Nike Sportswear, and Nike Volleyball etc. It was from the sale of these products coupled with the company’s slogan â€Å"Just Do It† that Nike could get a profit of $15 billion in 2006 (Marina 2008). As of 2008, the company’s revenue was over $18.6 billion, an indication of its business success. It also has an excess of 30,000 workers globally. However, over the past few years, Nike has been faced with a series of problems, which have negatively affected the company’s business im age, and consequently, its performance. Some issues of concern include paying low wages to its workers, and using child labour among others. As expected, such grave claims are bound to affect the successful establishment of any business both locally and internationally, and Nike is not an exception. For instance, Nike’s sweatshop labour case resulted in numerous controversial debates concerning its ethical business practices. That painted a bad image of the company in the public eye. It is what Nike has been still struggling to overcome among American and other customers worldwide, even if it has tried to recover from bad press coverage. Literature Analysis Over the past few years, Nike has been faced

The History of the Lubicon Lake Band and the Case Against Canada Essay

The History of the Lubicon Lake Band and the Case Against Canada - Essay Example The community claimed that the government did not consult any of their representatives during its decision2. In addition, the group claimed that gas and oil exploration projects would compromise their habitat. The Lubicon lake community currently has approximately 500 members who are the among the indigenous community that lived in Canada before the arrival of the European immigrants. Members of this community depend on hunting and trapping as their main economic activity. Conflict between the community and the Canadian government began when the government failed to consider them in 1899 treaty3. The treaty aimed at identifying and protecting territories of indigenous communities who lived in the country. Following the government decision, members of the community failed to present a systematic or legal claim to the government to claim ownership of the land. Lubicon lake community may have assumed that the government was responsible in protecting the rights of every community particu larly the minority community. On the other hand, the government did not show economic interest on Lubicon band territory. The government may have ignored the incorporation of the community in the 1899 treaty in order to protect its interest in the region4. The struggle between the lake community and the nation attracted the interests of the international community in 1984. This followed a failed attempt by members of the community to achieve any political or legal settlement for their case concerning invasion of their indigenous land. The United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHCR) intervened in the case although, the community’s chiefs had previously requested for intervention from the international community. However, the Canadian government was against the decision claiming that they had not exhausted all domestic avenues that could be used to resolve such case5. After detailed investigations of the issue, the UNHCR concluded that available domestic remedies were insuffi cient to settle the case6. This is because the community did not have the ability to defend its interest against the country. In addition, the community was unlikely to win back their indigenous land back since Canada controlled the judicial system. In 1990, the UNHCR agreed that the state was a threat to the existence of the community by allowing invasion of their cultural land. The committee also agreed to include the Libicon community among threatened communities in order to attract the attention of the international community7. The committee also argued that the government had violated Article 27 of the international law concerning indigenous communities and indigenous territories. The Canadian government responded by increasing avenues for negotiation between the community and the government in relation to the controversial land. The government proposed resettlement of the community as the main solution to the case considering that the region was of national interest8. However, the Lubicon community declined the resettlement offers given by the government claiming that their traditions do not allow them to give up their ancestral land. Representatives of the community also argued that giving up their land would also be against the 1899 treaty. This is because the government pledged to protect the interests of indigenous community in cases involving land disputes. Community members also argued that currently the country did not have any

Vincent Van Gogh his artwork and life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Vincent Van Gogh his artwork and life - Essay Example â€Å"Vincent Van Gogh, for whom color was the chief symbol of expression, was born in Groot-Zundert, Holland. The son of a pastor, brought up in a religious and cultured atmosphere, Vincent was highly emotional and lacked self-confidence. Between 1860 and 1880, when he finally decided to become an artist, Van Gogh had had two unsuitable and unhappy romances.† His early life was less than ordinary. He worked as a clerk in a bookstore, as an art salesman, and a preacher. He was unsuccessful in all these ventures. The real start to his life as an artist was in 1886 when he went to Paris to join his brother Theo, the manager of Goupil’s gallery. His brother stood by him through thick and thin and offered valuable solutions to secular problems and gave financial support, when needed. â€Å"Van Gogh's finest works were produced in less than three years in a technique that grew more and more impassioned in brushstroke, in symbolic and intense color, in surface tension, and i n the movement and vibration of form and line. Van Gogh's inimitable fusion of form and content is powerful; dramatic, lyrically rhythmic, imaginative, and emotional, for the artist was completely absorbed in the effort to explain either his struggle against madness or his comprehension of the spiritual essence of man and nature.† The works of this post-impressionist painter had a far-reaching influence on the 20th century art for its emotional impact and vivid colors. His mental illness reflected in his paintings. He was not known and his paintings were not appreciated during his lifetime. Today he is ranked as one of the greatest painter in the history of art, and an important contributor to the modern art. Today his paintings are in great demand and fetch astronomical prices.

Should the EU be involved in a battle against the piracy problem in Essay

Should the EU be involved in a battle against the piracy problem in Somalia - Essay Example Even though only a political settlement in Somalia can bring a long-term resolution to this issue, the measures taken by the international community can significantly improve the situation (Middleton 10). The European Union Naval Force Somalia-Operation ATALANTA, launched by the European Council on the 8 of December 2008, aims to deter, prevent and repress acts of piracy and armed robbery off the Somali coast, and is a part of the global action conducted by the EU to deal with the Somali crisis (â€Å"Mission† 1). This operation has several benefits both for Somalia and for international entities affected by the issue of piracy. To start with, operation ATALANTA helps to protect vessels of the World Food Programme (WFP), which deliver food aid to displaced people in Somalia. Since the EU naval escorts for WFP ships began in November 2007, not a single pirate attack on a ship carrying WFP food has been reported. Under the operation ATALANTA, WFP has managed to deliver over 267. 000 metric tons of food to ports in Somalia. Given the increasing need for humanitarian assistance in Somalia, the EU operation contributes significantly to support for numerous victims of the Somali crisis (â€Å"Mission† 3). Moreover, operation ATALANTA protects vulnerable vessels in the Gulf of Aden and off the Somali cost. All shipping companies and operators that transit in this region have to register in advance of the website of the Maritime Security Center-Horn of Africa (MSC-HOA). This website facilitates the coordination of maritime traffic as it enables all vessels that observe EU NAVFOR recommendations to be aware of the arrangements taken. MSC-HOA also identifies particularly vulnerable vessels and provides them with close military protection, either from EU NAVOR, or other forces in the region (â€Å"Mschoa† 1). These arrangements significantly reduce the risks of pirate attacks or

World History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

World History - Essay Example The series of revolutions saw rise of the American Revolution from 1775 to 1783, leading to independence of America hence formation of the United States of America (USA) from British colonization. These revolutionary wars a protest against the tyrannical rule of the British and were led by General Washington and his army. The French Revolution also emanated during this period between 1789 and 1799 in which absolute monarchies were replaced by democracies and republics hence strengthening of France (Strayer, 2013). Although causes of the French revolution are still debatable up to date, issues revolving around taxation schemes and inequality were dominant factors. Napoleonic wars took center stage and the fall of major monarchies set stage for modern nations sparking new revolutions such as in Russia. The period between 1790 and 1804 saw the rise of Haitian Revolution leading to the independence of Haiti. Haitian Revolution is quite significant in the world history especially since it was the only slave revolution that experienced victory and led to formation of an independent state. The revolution had begun with the black African slaves who opposed the French leadership and after years of struggle defeated the French at the Battle of Vertià ¨res in 1903. All the revolutions that sprung during Atlantic Revolution period were arguably facilitated by the knowledge and need of sovereignty and freedom. As such, the revolutions were mostly orchestrated by the emergent elite group of people in the various societies that saw the need for equality and that no particular group of people deserved to be oppressed. Moreover, attempts to exert more oppression invoked the need for democratic leadership where people choose leaders from among themselves. Additionally, people realized that there was power inherent in unity and will of the people capable to change the course of leadership. For example, the French went

Use of scapegoating in Harry Potter Research Paper

Use of scapegoating in Harry Potter - Research Paper Example When someone talks about a character being human and fallible, one is talking about the type of character that the audience is going to be most likely to relate to, rather than a hero who is perfect and doesn’t make any mistakes they can learn from. And being used by others as a scapegoat is often a part of life, and growing up. This essay looks at how two characters from the Harry Potter series, Harry himself and the female foil Hermione, work as examples of this type of scapegoating, which makes the characters have more relation to the audience because they are not perfect, or because they have flaws that make people blame them, and turn them into martyrs. â€Å"The archetype of the scapegoat has, like all the others, has  different aspects. One can be a martyr in giving oneself to a cause, or one can be a martyr in that one forever feels one is being abused or used by others. There may be a sense of being asked too much by those around you or by the events of life† (Archetype, 2010). The two books that this report will concentrate on are Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, both of which contain the recurring characters, Harry and Hermione, who are both studying at Hogworts. It is the basic assumption of this essay that these characters demon strate the above assertions regarding scapegoating, but that in such, it is not totally negative. There are positive lessons that can be learned from their actions, and their tendency to be used and made martyrs by others (and in Harry’s case, by himself). The characters learn life lessons in their process of scapegoating, which mainly takes place externally to them, in the form of Hogwarts politics and factionalism. hero of the books and the series, he still has problems of being a scapegoat for various factions at Hogwarts, and these are problems that children

Poverty Essay Introduction Essay Example for Free

Poverty Essay Introduction Essay Poverty is a serious issue that has been going on for centuries. Every day there are people who die due to hunger but there are solutions to reducing, and even stopping, poverty. Global poverty comes in an abundance of shapes and sizes. One of the main sources of poverty is the lack of investment in the future at all levels. The manufacturer outsources to China because he does not want to invest in long-term employees. The government does not want to invest in quality employees through education, infrastructure, health care, etc. The potential employee does not want to invest in his future through education or training, but would rather have immediate gratification of leisure. A second main source is the lack of certain basic government functions. The government needs to be able to provide stability, through laws and establishing property rights. Without these basic things, there is little incentive for the people to develop new products, or work hard, because it will just be taken away by someone more powerful. I dont think government is the solution to everything, but it is necessary for a few basic functions.

The Roles Of Design User Interfaces

The Roles Of Design User Interfaces Projects of different sizes have different ways and requirements on how the people are organized. In a small project, little organization structure is needed. There might be a primary sponsor, project manager and a project team. The Designer is responsible for understanding the business requirements and designing a solution that will meet the business needs. There are many potential solutions that will meet the clients needs. The designer determines the best approach. The work of the designer is then handed off to the programmers and other people who will construct the solution based on the design specifications. Terms of appointment of design team and contractors should clearly identify roles and responsibilities. Qns:2 What are the roles and responsibilities of the content creators in a project team? Ans:- Content creation can start when the editors are prepared, and when the technical environment is sufficiently ready. The content work will then most likely continue beyond the technical delivery and acceptance of the Web site. Content can be of many kinds but is typically text and images in different formats web pages, documents , sounds, animations etc.A person who is responsible for entering content for a subject matter expert or for a group of subject matter experts. Content contributors ensure content is up-to-date and adheres to the Writing Style Guide and Graphic Standards. Qns:3 What are the roles and responsibilities of the programmers and coders in a project team? Ans:- A programmer, computer programmer or coder is someone who writes computer software.The term computer programmer can refer to a specialist in one area of computer programming or to a generalist who writes code for many kinds of software. A programmers primary computer language is often prefixed to the above titles, and those who work in a web environment often prefix their titles with web. The term programmer can be used to refer to a software developer, software engineer, computer scientist, or software analyst. The programmer builds the web sites functionality the things it can do. A web project may need just one or a number of different programmers, depending on the size of the site, what you want it to do, and which programming languages are required to make it work. Qns:4 What are the roles and responsibilities of the information architects in a project team? Ans:- In the Web industry, the architect title has long been hogged by Information Architects, and the Web Architect is generally called Tech Lead. That name is problematic, however, because it implies that the lead has evident authority on the development team, when the reality is often one of much responsibility, little authority: the tech lead seldom has authority by virtue of being a manager.Architects provide services that are designed to eliminate the most common causes of IT project failure. They work with management, business and IT staff to build solid project teams. Qns:5 What is the relationship between the technical and creative aspects and requirements of interactive media projects? Ans:- It allows to work in teams and produce an interactive media project that culminates in Both technical and creative aspects will be emphasized. Its communication,team work and literacy skills sufficient to interpret and clarify project specifications. Its roles and responsibilities of project team members e.g. designers, content creators, architects, programmers and coders. Sound understanding of the relationship between technical and creative aspects and requirements of interactive media projects. Qns:6 List 3 of the issues and challenges that arise in designing user interfaces? Ans:- 3D user inter-faces provide an attractive approach to support the user. Upcoming interaction techniquesenable faster and more intuitive interaction in comparison to standard interfaces. As 3D UserInterfaces gain more capabilities, new challenges and problems arise. But in the course of time upcoming technologies extended the standard parts of interfaces, so human-computer interaction in which the user tasks are performed directly in a 3D spatial context are enabled. This means the user interacts within the computer environment. Hence, in terms of 3D interaction the user is not interacting through an interface, he can actually be seen as a part of the interface. Qns:7 What are the principles of the visual design and communication, including user -centered design principles? Ans:- When evaluating a current user interface, or designing a new user interface, it is important to keep in mind the following experimental design principles: user-centered design (UCD) is a modern, widely practiced design philosophy rooted in the idea that users must take center-stage in the design of any computer system. Users, designers and technical practitioners work together to articulate the wants, needs and limitations of the user and create a system that addresses these elements. Often, user-centered design projects are informed by ethnographic studies of the environments in which users will be interacting with the system. This practice is similar but not identical to Participatory Design which emphasizes the possibility for end-users to contribute actively through shared design sessions and workshops. Principles of User Interface Design: these are seven principles that may be considered at any time during the design of a user interface in any order, namely Tolerance, Simplicity, Visibility, Affordance, Consistency, Structure and Feedback. Qns:8 What are the technical parameters of various platforms and how this impact on user interface designs? Ans:- Responsible for assuring that user interfaces to all HHS products and services designs, prototypes, and specifications across multiple platforms while working across multiple platforms; design and conduct usability tests at various stages The work of the incumbent will impact information dissemination . Being hardly more than data enclosures in XML files, the technical concept of podcasting and RSS feeds is very simpleandhardly anything that could be calledinnovative purely in atechnologicalsense.Podcasts, as well as RSS (often calledReally Simple Syndication but various alternative meanings also exist:Every aspect of the users interaction with a product, service, or companythat make up the users perceptions of the whole. User experience designas a discipline is concerned with all the elements that together make upthat interface, including layout, visual design, text, brand, sound, and interaction. Qns:9 What are the typical formats and techniques for documenting user interface designs? Ans:- In software engineering, a design pattern is a general reusable solution to a commonly occurring problem in software design. A design pattern is not a finished design that can be transformed directly into code. It is a description or template for how to solve a problem that can be used in many different situations. Object-oriented design patterns typically show relationships and interactions between classes or objects, without specifying the final application classes or objects that are involved. Many patterns imply object-orientation or more generally mutable state, and so may not be as applicable in functional programming languages, in which data is immutable or treated as such.Design patterns reside in the domain of modules and interconnections. At a higher level there are architectural patterns that are larger in scope, usually describing an overall pattern followed by an entire system.[1] Qns:10 What are the OHS standards as they relate to working for periods of time on computers? Ans:- Occupational Health And Safety:- Their workstation set up correctly, they are working ergonomically soundly but they seem to forget that working firms and companies must comply with the laws, standards and regulations which .. from a series of events over a period of time.

Phantom Towers: Reconstructing the Normal Essay -- Personal Narrative

Phantom Towers: Reconstructing the Normal Every night before going to bed I used to stare at Manhattan at its best. The tall buildings with the lights on give you the impression of diamonds laid on black velvet. It is such a treat to live on the 26th floor, to not have the suffocating sight of walls and windows obstructing the view. But the scenery has changed drastically since September 11th. White smoke was everywhere. At night the smoke became even more apparent with the shine of the stadium lights at Ground Zero that aided the workers making it through the night. From my window you would not pay attention to the buildings that survived the attack, your eyes could not leave that spot where the fumes and light were glowing. In the same way you see a hurricane from a distance, its dimension, its movement, its strength; in the same way you could see that spot on the tip of Manhattan where light hit the tiny molecules of dust giving an eerie impression of death and spirits. The word "debris" was in the news, in my neighbor's mouths, in the press; but I couldn't think of debris per se, people were scorched to death. The Twin Towers became a crematory of innocents. The souls of the deceased were roaming about before going to the other world, the after-life. No matter the distance, you could see that uncanny cloud even from New Jersey. I stood at my window for hours, hoping to see the black smoke turn to white; a good signal that fire was being extinguished. For a moment, I saw it happening and felt relieved. But the sudden and unexpected surrender of the towers after those agonizing hours filled me with disbelief for I knew I was "witnessing thousands of deaths," as John Updike describes the tragic scene. The follow... ... Professor Gilbert explains, it is what one does with time. I wonder how long this country can live in the fallacy of predictable and understandable normalcy while seeing a world that is neither. Works Cited "Filling the Void." The New York Times Magazine 23 Sept. 2001: 80. Gilbert, Kathleen R. "What is Grief?" 2 Jan. 1997. 9 Dec. 2001. <http://www.indiana.edu/~hperf558/sprng97/unit1.html>. "Kearl's Guide to the Sociology of Death." Kearl's Guide to Sociological Thanatology. 9 Dec. 2001. <http://www.trnity.edu/~mkearl/death.html>. Longaker, Christine. "The Normal Process of Mourning."Spiritual Care Program. 9 Dec. 2001. <http://www.spcare.org/practices/suddendeath/bereavement- processofmourning.html>. Updike, John. Reflection. New Yorker. 24 Sept. 2001. 11 Nov. 2001. <http://www.newyorker.com/THE_TALK_OF_THE_TOWN/?01092ta_talk_wtc>.

Mark Twains The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn :: Mark Twain Adventures Huck Finn Essays

Mark Twain's "The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn"   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel about a young boy’s coming of age in the Missouri of the mid-1800’s. The main character, Huckleberry Finn, spends much time in the novel floating down the Mississippi River on a raft with a runaway slave named Jim. Before he does so, however, Huck spends some time in the fictional town of St. Petersburg where a number of people attempt to influence him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before the novel begins, Huck Finn has led a life of absolute freedom. His drunken and often missing father has never paid much attention to him; his mother is dead and so, when the novel begins, Huck is not used to following any rules. The book’s opening finds Huck living with the Widow Douglas and her sister, Miss Watson. Both women are fairly old and are really somewhat incapable of raising a rebellious boy like Huck Finn. Nevertheless, they attempt to make Huck into what they believe will be a better boy. Specifically, they attempt, as Huck says, to "sivilize" him. This process includes making Huck go to school, teaching him various religious facts, and making him act in a way that the women find socially acceptable. Huck, who has never had to follow many rules in his life, finds the demands the women place upon him constraining and the life with them lonely. As a result, soon after he first moves in with them, he runs away. He soon comes back, but, even though he becomes somewhat comfortable with his new life as the months go by, Huck never really enjoys the life of manners, religion, and education that the Widow and her sister impose upon him. Huck believes he will find some freedom with Tom Sawyer. Tom is a boy of Huck’s age who promises Huck and other boys of the town a life of adventure. Huck is eager to join Tom Sawyer’s Gang because he feels that doing so will allow him to escape the somewhat boring life he leads with the Widow Douglas. Unfortunately, such an escape does not occur. Tom Sawyer promises much—robbing stages, murdering and ransoming people, kidnaping beautiful women—but none of this comes to pass. Huck finds out too late that Tom’s adventures are imaginary: that raiding a caravan of "A-rabs" really means terrorizing young children on a Sunday school picnic, that stolen "joolry" is nothing more than turnips or rocks. Huck is disappointed that the adventures Tom promises are not real and so, along with the other members, he resigns from the gang.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another person who tries to get

Heart Of Darkness :: essays research papers

Every man, or woman --to be politically and socially acceptable-- has buried, within himself, beneath centuries of societal norms and restrictions, a dark side, a savage side. When a man is taken out of society, and left to create his own norms, he must rediscover those primordial instincts which have sustained his species since the beginning of its existence. Survival of the fittest, physically and intellectually, cliqued as it may be, is the foundation of these archaic yet prevalent instincts. Persons who dominate one or many through mental or physical prowess develop a sense of superiority. This feeling, if fostered by the environment, and intensified to the extreme, produces a sense of having god-like powers. A man believing himself to be a or the God is seen, by the society from which he was taken out of, as a monster. Since monsters can not be allowed to roam the civilized world, someone must be sent to destroy it. To find the monster, the person selected must take the same pat h as the monster. This path is a journey into one’s own mind, soul, or true-self. The person on this path will never see evil so singularly personified as in the face looking back at him. In taking this path, the person runs the risk of becoming the very thing he is trying to destroy. In Joseph Conrad’s macabre story Heart of Darkness, the protagonist represents the person selected to seek out and destroy the monster. Conrad uses many techniques to bring the reader into the darkness: archetype, symbolism, and foreshadowing. The theme of this classic tale is succinctly made through the words of the western philosopher Nietzsche; when fighting monsters the person fighting should be careful not to become one, and when looking into a void the person must be aware that the void also looks into him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The readers are first introduced to the protagonist, Marlow, as he is being commissioned --by the “Company';-- to hunt down the monster, Kurtz, who is considered by some to be the main character. Marlow, a boat captain, almost nomadic in his need to travel, is also a man of simple morals, simple to the point of religious, the most prevalent commandment seen in his character is “thou shall not lie.'; Marlow, after spending a little time in London, embarks on his journey. The purpose of this journey is to find Kurtz, a man who is also employed by the “Company'; --which is in the ivory business, and has its greedy hand spread over Africa like a malignant tumor (Gatten).

Effective Communication in Teaching Essay

Effective communication skills are essential for early childhood educators to ensure a high level of academic care is provided and to develop strong relationships both inside and outside the classroom. Without good communication there is no connection and a teacher will struggle to provide any type of educational experience to the children in their care. As stated by Johnson (1999)â€Å"communication is an ongoing process of sending and receiving messages that enable humans to share knowledge, attitudes and skills. Effective teaching depends on successful communication† (p4). Johnson (1999) believes that â€Å"communication is the driving force in any relationship or situation† (p3), therefore without effective communication the relationship and learning process will suffer. The two types of communication used by teachers are verbal and non-verbal. Verbal communication is the most obvious form and is used in an early childhood education setting constantly throughout the day. This can include teacher to child, teacher to teacher, child to child and teacher to parent. In an early childhood education setting, communication between teachers and children begins with a greeting in the morning as classes commence, and would continue constantly throughout the day. A typical day in a pre-school or infant’s school classroom would include activities such as roll call, group discussions and presentations like show and tell or news. These events would be a daily occurrence working to encourage communication between the teacher and the students, as well as between the students themselves, by giving each party a chance to speak and listen and exchange information and ideas. The day would continue with the teacher presenting new ideas and skills as part of the curriculum and, on a more casual basis, outside the classroom, during breaks and sport sessions. It is important for early childhood educators to be able to recognise the different learning styles of children and be flexible when communicating concepts and the content of lessons. A study by Geng (2011) discusses several different techniques that can be used when communicating with children and these include voice control, for example, using a certain tone  of voice to demand attention at the front of the class or a softer tone when trying to form a bond in the first phases of a relationship. Another useful technique when communicating with young children is to use short phrases and deliver instructions in a clear and concise manner. By using too many words, or words children do not understand the main message can be lost as they become confused or lose focus. Another way to ensure children follow along easily is to repeat instructions and new information, reiterating the main points to ensure they are heard and understood. Requesting a student to repeat the instruction back to the class allows the teacher to ensure they understand and is another chance for the instruction to be given to the class again. Visual clues are also used in a learning environment and within early childhood education these can include tools such as flash cards, pictures or posters and can be particularly useful when learning new words, spelling and basic mathematics, such as times tables. Non verbal communication is just as important as the more obvious verbal form. An early childhood educator must be able to communicate non-verbally. Johnson (1999, p.6) believes that children react better to this type of communication. Some examples of non verbal communication include facial expressions, touching and body movements, eye contact and use of personal space. By teaching children to understand non-verbal communication cues, their overall skills are enhanced as the two types of communication cannot succeed without each other. Knott (1979) defines the types of non-verbal communication in three categories: kinetic; body movements and gestures, paralanguage; voice qualities such as grunting and yawning, and the use of social and personal space. She states that these types of communication â€Å"play a significant role in the development of effective communication†¦ they are integral elements in all face to face communication† (p 227). It is essential that children learn to interpret these types of non-verbal communication. When combined with verbal communication, these skills will assist them to successfully communicate throughout life in many different situations, not just in an early childhood education setting. To enable educators to be the best they can be they must be able to communicate well with their peers. Exchanging ideas and information on the curriculum, teaching strategies, students, and problem solving ideas are daily occurrences for teachers. This will assist them in developing skills and furthering their knowledge. Both verbal and non-verbal communication is used between peers. An example of verbal communication between teachers would be colleagues exchanging ideas in staff meetings and discussions and a non-verbal example would include written reports and records about the students. Teachers play an important role in helping children develop relationships with one another. As an early childhood educator they are witness to the forming of many friendships between the children in their care. It is vital that these relationships are encouraged and guided to ensure all children feel happy, loved and secure with their place in the class or friendship group. Communication is the key to successful relationships and Kranyick (1975) believes that the ability to listen well is just as valuable as being able to project your message well. â€Å"The basic premise of the integrated day and family grouping is based on children learning from each other, they must listen to each other† (p 4). If children are not taught the importance of listening they may find their relationships suffer as it will be harder to form a bond if the other child feels what they are saying is not of value or importance. To support the education of communication within the early childhood years, the Australian Government has developed The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). It is an outline for teachers comprising of five learning outcomes. One of the outcomes is ‘Children are Effective Communicators’. The document states that â€Å"communication is crucial to belonging, being and becoming†¦ children communicate with others using gestures, sounds, language and assisted communication† (p 38). The document goes on to say that â€Å"Children feel a sense of belonging when their language, interaction styles and ways of communicating are valued†, which reiterates Kranyick’s (1975) beliefs discussed earlier. The importance of the relationship between teachers and parents must not be underestimated. A positive partnership is essential in order to ensure that a child’s education is supported and encouraged from not only inside the classroom but also at home. As stated by Hughes & MacNaughton (2001) â€Å"Communication between parents and staff is an important part of the daily life in early childhood centres†¦ research has shown that good staff-parent communication contributes significantly to the success of early childhood programs†. An effective way to reach out to a parent or carer is through an information and feedback session, commonly known as a ‘parent – teacher night’. This allows the teacher to discuss a student’s progress and development, as well as voice any concerns they may have. It is also an opportunity for parents and carers to ask questions and learn how to better support their children on their educational journey. In conclusion, good communication within an early childhood education setting is vitally important. It is essential that early childhood educators focus on developing strong and effective communication skills to be able to ensure a high level and successful educational experience for the children in their care. It is important that these skills are passed on to young children as when they develop good communication skills it can only help to build their foundation for learning and forming relationships as they go through the journey of life, including their future years of study and work, as well as their relationships with friends and family. In the words of Geng (2011) â€Å"communication is therefore a fundamental component in promoting positive behaviour†. REFERENCES Johnson, M. (1999). Communication in the classroom. Place, stateUS Department of Education. Geng, G. (2011). Investigation of teachers’ verbal and nonverbal strategies for managing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) students’ behaviour within a classroom environment. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, Volume 36 (Issue 7), 17-30. Kranyik, M. (1975). Teaching to listen and listening to teach. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Conference on the Language Arts in Elementary School., Boston, MA. publisher. Arnold, M. (1979). Early child-child communication. Theory into Practice, Volume 18 (Issue 4), 213-219. Knott, G. (2011). Nonverbal communication during early childhood. Theory into Practice, Volume 18 (Issue 4), 226-233. Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations for the Council of Australian Governments. (2009). Belonging, being and becoming: The early years learning framework for Australia. Canberra, Australia. Author. McNaughton, D., Hamlin, D, McCarty, J, Head-Reeves, D, Schreiner, M. . (2007). Learning to listen: teaching an active listening strategy to preservice educational professionals. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education. , Volume 27 (Issue 4), 223-231.

Discuss issues of reliability and validity associated

Discuss issues of reliability and validity associated with the classification and diagnosis of phobic disorders. ( 8+16) A phobia Is an irrational fear which Interferes with daily life. For a phobia to be diagnosed It must meet the criterion set by the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Reliability and validity are two Important factors when considering classification of mental disorders; they must be present for an accurate classification to be made. Rellablllty and valldlty are linked because a diagnosis that Is not reliable Is not valid.Rellablllty refers to the consistency, such as questionnaires or scales to assess how fearful a person Is about something. Reliability of questionnaires or scales can be measured In terms of whether the test items are consistent, which Is called test-retest reliability. Another way of assessing reliability is whether two independent assessors give similar scores, which is called interrater reliability. Test re-test refers to how consistent results are when the specific interview/questionnaire is repeated.Brown et al (2001) conducted study which involved interviewing 1400 patients twice, the second interview occurred within 2 weeks of the first one. The interviews were based on criteria for various disorders in DSM -IV. Brown found that reliability in inter-rater agreement was excellent for specific phobia, social phobia and panic disorder wit agoraphobia. Reliability could have been higher for the various phobias than for other mental disorders because all phobias are associated with clear behavioural symptoms (avoidance of feared stimulus) which makes them easy to diagnose.This suggests hat diagnosis of phobic disorders according to the DSM is reliable however largely because phobic disorders are easy to diagnose . Brown et al also examined factors associated with disagreement between 2 interviewers. He found that inter-rater unreliability was caused by interviewers disagreeing whether the fear was causin g sufficient distress/interference to a person's life to warrant a phobia diagnosis. It was also caused by patient's reports of symptoms changing between interviews which could have been genuine.Another cause of difference between the two interviewers as that they made errors, as the same symptoms were presented to interviewers however different diagnosis given however this could be because they missed Important information. Skyre et al (1991) also found high Inter-rater reliability, 3 cllnlclans assessed 54 patients using SCID-I. He found +72 Inter-rater agreement which shows that phobia diagnosis Is reliable. Diagnosis of phobic disorders ld also reliable as Hiller et al (1990) found satisfactory – excellent diagnostic agreement In a test- retest study using MDC.Valldlty Is the extent to which a classification system easures what It claims to measure. We can assess the valldlty associated with phobic disorders by looking at content valldlty. Content validity means how much the diagnostic system addresses all of the symptoms In a given disorder. Seml structured interviews have high content validity because they were made to the classification system is vaild is to look at criterion validity. This looks into if individual receiving a diagnosis e. g. social phobia are any different to the people who have not been given the diagnosis in predictable way .

Explorations of Astrology

One of astrology's first graces on human minds was with the Babylonians and Ancient Egyptians, and then spread throughout the Arab world. Since, there has been explorations of astrology through manuscripts and celestial objects made by Arab craftsmen. Many islamic ornamental motifs and architecture references astrological findings. The Islamic calendar says that the day begins at sunset and the five prayers start from that time. Adjusting times for prayer grew out of observing the heavens, a practice known since the ancient Egyptians and Babylonians. The Arabs, for centuries, studied the sky and examined the groups of stars and phases of the moon on their long desert travels. This education of space was adapted and developed to conform to the practice of Islam. During the medieval period of the Islamic world, the science of astrology as a branch from astronomy was translated by the Greeks into Arabic, along with Sasanian, Indian and ancient Egyptian influences, allowing more scientific and mathematical development by mathematicians and scientists of the Arab world. The subject came to be a very popular one, as it was taken interest in by scholars such as Abu Ma'shar al-Balkhi, al-Biruni, and Nasir al-Din al-Tusi. There is evidence of this topic being widespread throughout the Islamic world, such as manuscripts and astrological records found in al-Fustat in Egypt. Since there has proven to be much scientific evidence and involvement in the study of the stars and planets, how did this outbreak of information in the Islamic world affect Islamic Art? And why was it so significant?There is much architecture, objects and textiles from the Islamic World that express the significance of this topic, such as Qusayr ‘Amra (figure 1) in Jordan, built by Umayyad caliph Walid II in the early 8th century, which features a frescoed caldarium ceiling depicting the twelve Zodiac constellations. The exterior of the construction is very minimal; the only ornamentation being small domes and triple arches. Otherwise, the ornamentation becomes servant to the architecture. The techniques that were contributed into constructing Qusayr ‘Amra references the Roman and Byzantine techniques: predominately limestone and terracotta brick, along with other types of stones. The frescoed ceilings in the caldarium, or the hot plunge bath, is said to be the earliest depiction of the stars painted on a domed surface. It features 35 recognizable constellations along with, as mentioned previously, twelve zodiacs. There has been reported to be one mistake: the order of the stars in the counterclockwise direction, which tells that it is possible that the fresco was copied from a flat surface. This fresco, however, is not the only one in Qusayr ‘Amra: there were many brilliant murals in several of the other chambers that suggest that the caliphs of this â€Å"pleasure palace† lived a luxurious lifestyle. This luxury tells of an involvement in The use of imagery in relation to astrology began in the twelfth century, and eventually taken in for its visual decorative quality, by the Ghaznavids and the Seljuqs among others, and they adopted it with their own meanings and influences. The gilded and over glazed bowl (figure 2) depicts figures very close to those of the Kashan. There is Kufic inscriptions around the rim of the bowl, and the focal point is the sun-shaped face in the center, with a classical depiction of the six planets surrounding it. There are images of figures sitting on thrones, riding on horseback, and playing instruments composed in a radial composition, following the form of the object. The only two seated figures on thrones sit across from each other on the band, with the other figures surrounding it. This motif combines two different motifs that are common in Islamic art together: the image of figures performing activities or in a scene depicted centrally to the object, as can be seen in the Stain- and overglaze-painted bowl (Ettinghausen, Grabar, Jenkins-Madina, 175), for example, and images of a single figure repeated to create a visual pattern, as demonstrated in the outer rim of Glazed and lustre-painted composite-bodied bowl (Ettinghausen, Grabar, Jenkins-Madina, 174). This royal bowl is very similar to the Stain- and overglaze-painted beaker (Ettinghausen, Grabar, Jenkins-Madina, 176) in the way that it has different tiers showing different figures in action repeated across the band of the beaker. The copper-alloy mirror (figure 3) is another royal artifact that utilizes the zodiacs as symbols of power made for Artuqid ruler Artuq Shah. The heavy-relief bird in the center of the mirror

Across the Universe †All you need is love Essay

â€Å"Across the Universe† is a musical film based on 34 compositions by the legendary rock’n’roll quartet – the Beatles. The movie is called after the same name song of the band, â€Å"Across the Universe†, which was released in 1969 and later as one of tracks of a charity album â€Å"No One is Going to Change Our World† at the label â€Å"Apple†. The plot has nothing to do with the Beatles’ members life. However the pictured in the movie events represent many characteristics of their era being set in the 60’s and revolve around the songs which match up a lot of great scenes. All main characters bear the names derived from its original lyrics: dwarfed in life Lucy (â€Å"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds†), ambitious Jude (â€Å"Hey Jude†), an amateur singer Sadie (â€Å"Sexy Sadie†), a good-for-nothing Max (â€Å"Maxwell’s Silver Hammer†), Prudence (â€Å"Dear Prudence†) etc. The first 45 minutes is hyper and let us meet the characters. It doesn’t really rely on plot, like most musicals, it relies more on character development. Jude moves to the USA in purpose to find his father. On arrival he accidentally meets Max who becomes his friend in a short time. Together the boys go to New York where they are joined by Max’s sister Lucy (she has just lost her boyfriend killed on the battlefield). They quickly find out that the dream of living independently and enjoying their lives as an adults has its own difficulties. The second act is different: Vietnam War, psychedelic trips caused by taking LSD, free love flavoured with rock’n’roll – that is the very scenery of the romantic and at the same time tragic storyline. In the third act we actually get to see the characters solve their problems, it deals a lot more with our feelings towards music and war. Across the Universe† is actually much different from most musicals. Where most musicals rely on either joy, emotion, or war, it relies on all three. There are some moments where you actually feel like you want to get up and dance. The music here is absolutely amazing. No seriously. It’s amazing. The cast members (and read how I say cast members and not vocalists) sang all of these songs and did such a great job that if I even had a choice, I would actually had to say that some of their versions of songs were better than the actual Beatles. Speaking about the strongest moments I would distinguish one perfect example of telling a story through the song that has profound significance to me and too intense for words – the scene where Jude paints a tore and nailed to the canvas bleeding strawberry during â€Å"Strawberry Fields Forever† being sang. The berry as a symbol of love, streams of blood as a symbol of war and death, flashing faces of the characters in the background and paint-made blood all over the screen – it’s all in red, the color of lust and destruction. While watching the movie I felt different emotions: laughter, happiness, excitement but also sadness, fear and anger. What I’ve got from â€Å"Across the Universe† is more than a film, it is an experience in itself. It could be any kind of experience — a fun and very different experience, or a deeply emotional and sensual experience. For me, it was more of the second. When â€Å"Hey Jude† played near end of the movie I had run out of tears. It felt like I knew all the characters forever but when the two hours and ten minutes were over I was dying to see more. I am actually planning on seeing this again and again.

How Physical activity affect the heart rate Assignment

How Physical activity affect the heart rate - Assignment Example Cardiovascular related complications occur mostly due to the situations that are work related. The body’s physical activities affect the rate at which the heart beats per unit time. The change in rate of the heart is resulting from the case where the body is trying to replenish the oxygen that is consumed during the metabolism when the food is converted to the energy and the carbon dioxide (Jackson, 2009). The energy that is produced during metabolism is used by the body during the physical activity. The physical activities of the body of a human being either little or high may pose a great danger to the heart of the individual (Moser and Riegel, 2008). A body which is subjected to the right quantities of the physical activities is less vulnerable to the heart diseases while the body that is subjected to the high activities or heavy weight lifting is more vulnerable to the heart attack. There has been a case where the heart diseases have been associated with the performance of excess work that means close monitoring of the rating activity may assist in the occupational risks assessment. The heavy weight lifting has a high risk of causing a heart attack. For the cases of manual activities, the body tends to have repetitive and fast exertions together with fatigue. The heart rate can be monitored using the electrocardiogram that records the rate at which the heart is beating per unit time. There are various factors that influence the heart rate both extrinsic and intrinsic. The external factors are the one that are responsible for causing the heart rate to change considerably. For a person who is involved in a more manual activity will tend to have higher heart beat compared to the one who is resting (Moser and Riegel, 2008). The heart rate may be argued to be directly proportional to the type of the activity the individual is engaged in. Wake

Media and Sexuality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Media and Sexuality - Essay Example Fashion magazines are a good example of how media represents sexuality. With particular interest to the Dolce & Gabbana; we are looking at how fashion will allow me to suppose about the specificity of the visual pleasures and forms of identification that will be extracted from such magazines. The dissimilar consumer habit that is assumed in lesbians and gay men in addition to their reading of fashion images is related to the difference in historical relationship to fashion (Lewis 19). Whatever the fashion, dress has become a huge marker to the identity of the everyday’s lives of gays and lesbians. They have served as an identity to other homosexuals or as a method of passing; for those who may be gay coded. Because of these reason clothes have been so important to the lives of gays and lesbians and so related pages may seem of more interests to them. It has also been an argument that lesbian viewers and readers have always had a mode of selfish identification with images of be autiful women images and producing desires to have or to be the displayed woman. As she gazes at the model she may synchronize at a fantasy level of desire to be like her, a desire to have her, and moreover, a longing to be because she is the receiver of another woman’s gaze. Besides, in the female world the fashion magazine produces logic female desires gazes whether she is consciously lesbian or not. This is referred to as paradigmatic lesbian viewing (Lewis 23). She can be imagining to be looking at the images so as to learn how to make herself desirable for her man. But this does not police the viewer against the lesbian pleasure. Although we are focusing on the lesbian visual pleasures, gay magazines have the habits of illuminating. ... But this does not police the viewer against the lesbian pleasure. Although we are focusing on the lesbian visual pleasures, gay magazines have the habits of illuminating. Previously, the male body has been documented in ways that thought to be connected with the body of the female alone. Gay magazines have done it in the reverse; they seek to sell the idea of homosexuality as a lifestyle which they openly celebrate. They try to make the readers to celebrate and participate in their mainstream culture, rather than to converse to them in an insulate of fantasized gay separation. It means that the advertising revenue is possible, more so when this campaign adverts look to be increasing at homes in a gay venue (Lewis 29). So while looking at the fashion coverage we are viewing it in the increasing queering of the popular gay culture. A single reading experience for a gay or lesbian will engage the reader in reading prevailing representational codes and this may more or less open them to same sex pleasures. To consume a gay or lesbian magazine is therefore, an experience of simultaneous reading with and against the grain. The re-reading of images that were previously consumed is laid with obviously homoerotic connotations in the homosexual context. There has been some debate on the nature of picture presentation in lesbian magazines. Popular lesbian magazines such as diva have brought up the naughty/nice composite of picture presentation that is a signification of the up to date awareness and style of the lesbian dress debates (Lewis 38). A look at the top figures invites a participation and identification. It is the policy of lesbian and gay magazines to use photographs of

Privatization of Solid Waste Management Case Study

Privatization of Solid Waste Management - Case Study Example Since time immemorial, the government (federal and state) took primary responsibility of dealing with the management of solid waste; however, this has since changed due to a lot of factors. One of these factors is the fact that most governments have been incurring huge amounts of costs in providing such services for the benefit of the public despite the minimal revenue generated after provision of these services. In order to cut down on expenses, most governments have resulted to privatization of such services. This in turn, facilitates the government’s ability to concentrate on providing services that are more crucial to the public such as security. The private sector can easily provide these services at low costs and even offer better and more efficient services as compared to the state.There are various ways in which privatization of solid waste management can be carried out. One of them is through the ownership of entire solid waste system by the private sector. Another wa y could be through ownership of portions of this system by the private sectors. This in turn, will enhance the government’s focus on providing more crucial services to the public (Bel & Warner, 2008).Over time, privatization’s appeal continues to increase with other sectors embracing the trend. Various reasons support the shift in thought among within different fields. This change is through the use of firms which have broad experience in solid waste management as compared to those in the public sector; as a result, such firms tend to offer better services.

How do ex-prisoners social exclusion impact upon access to Learning Essay

How do ex-prisoners social exclusion impact upon access to Learning - Essay Example An ex-prisoner can explain this best based on the experience the person had when behind the bars. Being denied so many privileges could also mean being denied to access learning. When such happens outside the prison circles, the ex-prisoner may take time to connect to the world hence denying the person chances to learn. Learning for an ex-prisoner is important for reconnection to the free world. Though such involvement has positive consequences for the person and the community, it might be faced by challenges (Portes 1998). One of the major challenges that face this venture is the society unwillingness to protect the ex-prisoner. This sense of social exclusion affects the person’s learning ability even after they are out of prison. According to Blewett (2005), too much power forms a chain of contradiction that isolates the subject hence leading to a form of instability. The instability caused by the power exercised in prison also affects them mentally and socially (Gaventa 2003). Most of the ex-prisoners find themselves in a state of exclusion where nobody wants to be associated with them. An ex-prisoner may have a desire to learn but the desire may die out of mental instability and the state of exclusion experienced outside prison. Social exclusion has an effect in creating accumulative experience of class oppression. This saturates around the entire social body in that both the ex-prisoner and the people around him feel the exclusion (Lucas 2004). Any efforts to access skills when such saturation has taken place are rendered futile since concentration is not guaranteed. The person’s feeling of oppression may act negatively towards concentration and willingness to participate in the learning process. Both the team and the ex-prisoner may not be at ease with one another for fear of the unknown. However, the above discussion does not dismiss the fact that access to learning for ex-prisoners may be attainable at certain instances. When

Diabetes mellitus type II care and management Term Paper

Diabetes mellitus type II care and management - Term Paper Example All these details are given below, reading which, will provide a clearer insight about the disease to the patients thereby increasing their awareness about it and also how to effectively manage this serious ailment. Unlike the people who suffer from type 1 diabetes, who does not at produce insulin, people with type 2 produce insulin but might not make adequate insulin or the body cannot use it well enough to manage blood sugar levels (called as insulin resistance). When the pancreas does not produce the required levels of insulin to manage the glucose, the resultant increase can enter your body cells leading to host of problems. As far as insulin resistance is concerned, insulin will not be able to play its role properly because the body’s cells remain unaffected by it (â€Å"The importance of monitoring blood-glucose levels,† n. d). Diabetes Type 2 and the resultant high blood sugar can cause series of ailments including heart disease, kidney failure, stroke, diabetic retinopathy affecting eyes, poor blood flow to the legs leading to amputations in certain cases, others. This presents a grave scenario for the patients. At the same time, although, there is no permanent cure for th is type 2 diabetes, it can be managed by eating aptly, exercising, and through medications or insulin therapy. Some patients suffering from type 2 diabetes will be able achieve their target glucose levels through apt diet management and effective exercise alone, however, majority of the sufferers will need oral diabetes medications or injection-based insulin therapy. The best suitable medication would differ from patient to patient because it depends on the individuals’ blood sugar level, their response to the initial treatment, other health problems, and so on, with doctors even prescribing a combination of drugs from different classes. In that direction, doctors are prescribing a combination of metformin and glyburide to help body cope up with high

How Was Successful Nazi Policy In The Years 1933 - 1945 Essay

How Was Successful Nazi Policy In The Years 1933 - 1945 - Essay Example Two major groups bind the youth of the nation during the reign of Nazis. These groups comprise the Hitler youth group and league of the German maidens. In the youth group under the reign of Hitler led Nazi Germany, boys at the age of 10 were influenced to join the Jungvolk. At the age of 14, it is expected that the boys will join the Hitler youth committee. The Hitler led Nazi mainly focused towards enhancing the physical fitness along with proper military training for the youth right from the very beginning of the Nazi era. In addition, the membership of the youth in the Nazi movement made compulsory for the boys. On the other hand, ‘League of the German Maidens’ predominately included the German girls. Nazi led German was also focused towards providing training to the teenagers so that they could join the Nazi defense force. Hitler also instructed schools that the girls should be taught about Nationalist as well as racist beliefs so that they could embed well into the Nazi culture. In this particular regard, Hitler started the youth movement where the young girls of age 10-14 needed to learn the ideologies of Nazi along with other activities such as camping and athletics among others so that they could be able to get physical fitness and enhance the prospects of future Nazi soldier. The Hitler led Nazi Germany considered the youth of the country to be among the most vital assets. Contextually, they attempted to control girls and embed them into the Nazi culture right from the beginner stage.

Writing in the Content Areas Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 12

Writing in the Content Areas - Personal Statement Example During the course of my English 101 category, we learned how to read attentively, how to write a reflective paper, and how to write a passage in context essay. Frankly, I noticed English 101, was easy for me; my instructor was really easy on us, and we were not at all fixed out of our comfort zones. At that particular time, I reflected how fortunately getting easy grades for a little hard work. I was astonished for this result because throughout high school, I always considered college English was going to be much trickier during the course of my English 101 category, we learned how to read attentively, how to write a reflective paper, and how to write a passage in context essay. Frankly, I noticed English 101, was easy for me; my instructor was really easy on us, and we were not at all fixed out of our comfort zones. At that particular time, I reflected how fortunately getting easy grades for a little hard work. I was astonished for this result because, throughout high school, I alw ays considered college English was going to be much trickier Now that with English 101 had ended, I had a task with English 102. Probably due to my approach towards my English 101 category, I deliberated English 102 was going to be alike. I was totally wrong. I can bear in mind the first few days of the course group. The emotion of being prone to the harsh and abrupt reality that I really had to work extremely hard this semester. Uncomfortable at first, I slowly caught on to the quick but the well-organized pace my teacher had set for us. Even though there was an incredible amount of work this time, I reflect back now with a smile. I feel confident now that I could write a victorious essay. I possibly have learned nearly all about writing in present this one semester, then my whole academic profession. In my outlook, I hope to take all of the skills I have learned during my English courses.  

Drunk Driving Essay Example for Free

Drunk Driving Essay Driving under the influence, driving while intoxicated, drunken driving, drunk driving, drink driving, operating under the influence, drinking and driving, or impaired driving is the act of driving a motor vehicle with blood levels of alcohol in excess of a legal limit . Similar regulations cover driving or operating certain types of machinery while affected by drinking alcohol or taking other drugs, including, but not limited to prescription drugs. This is a criminal offense in most countries. Convictions do not necessarily involve actual driving of the vehicle. In most jurisdictions a measurement such as a blood alcohol content in excess of a specific threshold level, such as 0.05% or 0.08% defines the offense, with no need to prove impairment or being under the influence of alcohol. In some jurisdictions, there is an aggravated category of the offense at a higher level e.g. 0.12%. In most countries, anyone who is convicted of injuring or killing someone while under the influence of alcohol or drugs can be heavily fined, as in France, in addition to being given a lengthy prison sentence. Some jobs have their own rules and BAC limits, for example commercial pilot, and the Federal Railroad Administration has a 0.04% limit for train crew. Some jurisdictions have multiple levels of BAC; for example, the state of California has a 0.08% BAC limit, which is lowered to 0.04% if the operator holds a commercial drivers license. The California BAC limit is 0.01% for those younger than 21 years of age and those on probation for a previous DUI conviction. Some large corporations have their own rules; Union Pacific Railroad has their own BAC limit of 0.02% that, if violated during a random test or a for-cause test — for example, after a traffic accident — can result in termination of employment with no chance of future re-hire. Many states in the U.S. and provinces in Canada have adopted truth in sentencing laws that enforce strict guidelines on sentencing, differing from previous practice where prison time was reduced or suspended after sentencing had been issued. Some jurisdictions have judicial guidelines requiring a mandatory minimum sentence. The specific criminal offense may be called, depending on the jurisdiction, driving under the influence, driving under intense influence, driving while intoxicated, operating under the influence operating while intoxicated, operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, driving under the combined influence of alcohol and/or other drugs, driving under the influence per se or drunk in charge . Many such laws apply also to motorcycling, boating, piloting aircraft, use of motile farm equipment such as tractors and combines, riding horses or driving a horse-drawn vehicle, or bicycling, possibly with different BAC level than driving. In some jurisdictions there are separate charges depending on the vehicle used, such as BWI, which may carry a lighter sentence. In the United States, local law enforcement agencies made 1,467,300 arrests nationwide for driving under the influence of alcohol in 1996, compared to 1.9 million such arrests during the peak year in 1983. In 1997 an estimated 513,200 DWI offenders were in prison or jail, down from 593,000 in 1990 and up from 270,100 in 1986. Blood alcohol level With the advent of a scientific test for blood alcohol content, enforcement regimes moved to pinning culpability for the offense to strict liability based on driving while having more than a prescribed amount of blood alcohol, although this does not preclude the simultaneous existence of the older subjective tests. BAC is most conveniently measured as a simple percent of alcohol in the blood by weight. Research shows an exponential increase of the relative risk for a crash with a linear increase of BAC as shown in the illustration. BAC does not depend on any units of measurement. In Europe it is usually expressed as milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood. However, 100 milliliters of blood weighs essentially the same as 100 milliliters of water, which weighs precisely 100 grams. Thus, for all practical purposes, this is the same as the simple dimensionless BAC measured as a percent. The per mille measurement, which is equal to ten times the percentage value, is used in Nor way, Sweden and Finland. The validity of the testing equipment/methods and mathematical relationships for the measurement of breath and blood alcohol have been criticized. Driving while consuming alcohol may be illegal within a jurisdiction. In some it is illegal for an open container of an alcoholic beverage to be in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle or in some specific area of that compartment. Drivers have been convicted even when they were not observed driving if it could be safely concluded they had been driving while intoxicated. Within the American system, citation for driving under the influence also causes a major spike in car insurance premiums – 94.1% in the first year, and still 63.5% higher by the third year. The German model serves to reduce the number of accidents by identifying unfit drivers and removing them from until their fitness to drive has been established again. The Medical Psychological Assessment works for a prognosis of the fitness for drive in future, has an interdisciplinary basic approach and offers the chance of individual rehabilitation to the offender. George Smith, a London taxi driver, was the first person to be convicted of drunk driving, on 10 September 1897. He was fined 25 shillings, which is equivalent to  £71.33 in 2005 pounds. Field sobriety testing Historically, guilt was established by observed driving symptoms, such as weaving; administering field sobriety tests, such as a walking a straight line heel-to-toe or standing on one leg for 30 seconds; and the arresting officers subjective opinion of impairment. The officer must correctly perform the Field Sobriety Tests that are approved by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration . The US Department of Transportation explains the Field Sobriety Test as, a battery of three tests administered and evaluated in a standardized manner to obtain validated indicators of impairment and establish probable cause for arrest. Starting with the introduction in Norway in 1936 of the world’s first per se law which made it an offense to drive with more than a specified amount of alcohol in the body, objective chemical tests have gradually supplanted the earlier purely judgmental ones. Limits for chemical tests are specific for blood alcohol concentration or concentration of alcohol in breath. Drunk driving law by country The laws relating to drunk driving vary between countries and varying blood alcohol content is allowed before a conviction is made. Comparison with cell phone use Studies show that cell phone use is comparable to driving while intoxicated in rate of increase of likelihood of causing an accident, yet is not even illegal in many locations. This comparison has led users of alcohol to question why DWI should be illegal, and others to consider making cell phone use while driving illegal. The penalties where this is done are never commensurate with the penalties for DWI. Texting while driving is very dangerous, as it takes eyes off the road for an average 4.6 seconds at a time. When laws against drunk driving were implemented in the United States in 2000, fatalities due to drunk driving increased, as was predicted by opponents.

Total Rewards versus performance Essay Example for Free

Total Rewards versus performance Essay The aim of this report is to advice to, the Director of human resources at Midland Credit Management (MCM) a US based debt collection company, on the effectiveness of total rewards strategy in context to organisational performance though attracting, retaining and motivating intellectual  capital. This is achieved through the analysis of a total rewards function which is broken-up in to six segments total rewards defined, element of total rewards, model of total rewards, its organisational advantages and its linkage with organisational performance. Firstly, this report explains the meaning and objectives of total rewards and then describes the elements i.e. transactional and relational rewards. A model of total rewards is followed which portrays financial and non-financial tenets as well as individual and communal aspects of strategic reward. Further it covers the advantages provided to an organisation for the purpose of attaining competitive advantage on recruitment, development of performance management and integration between human resource strategies and business goals. Lastly, the impact of total rewards strategy is evaluated in terms of physiological contract with an employee. It includes the theory of motivation, employee commitment and engagement that culminates a sense of responsibility, respect, trust and personal growth, which increased individual performance and business goals are achieved by creating a performance culture. Thus, a successful total rewards strategy pays for the value individuals bring in an organisation with a wide range of financial and non-financial rewards which helps them to perform effectively and achieve competitive edge for the organisation. Total rewards defined 1.1. Introduction: In the era of globalisation/internationalisation people management has become a significant task for human resource (HR) unit. At present, in rapidly changing and competitive business environment, the role of self-motivated, engaged, skilled and committed employees is increasingly remarkable to achieve business goals and competitive advantage. Performance management and reward strategy are the key element to directly influence individual’s performance and ultimately organisational effectiveness within the industry. In recent year several internal and external factors, competitive business environment and developments in the field of reward management has introduced a different and most influential term called total reward. 1.2. Meaning: Strategic reward can be considered as an approach to the improvement and execution of reward schemes that validates their incorporation and clutch with the business strategy and other HR strategies and that they are in connection with other reward strategies for the benefit  of both employees as well as organisation. According to Armstrong and Murlis (1998) the essence of this notion of total reward is to manage reward policies in a way that considers the various components together to support one another to maximise employment satisfaction with the result of their performance. Brown (2001) suggests that strategic reward is a way of thinking and can be applied to any reward matter occurring in organisation to make out how one can create value from it. A reward scheme directly influences the level of motivation, satisfaction that leads to employee engagement and commitment towards organisational goals. 1.3. Objectives/aims: The aim of reward strategy is to produce a sensible purpose and guidance and foundation of improving reward policies, experiences and process. It is considered as a base to acknowledge and satisfy employees’ as well as organisation’s needs. According to Sibson Consulting (2009) the aims of a total rewards strategy can be determined as follows:- coerce business success by attracting talent, engagement and retention; Guide investment decisions for the employer while enabling informed choices for the employee; Clarify the employer-employee relationship; Build a distinctive employment brand; Increase the return on rewards and create value for the enterprise; Integrate reward and HR policies and processes; Align reward processes to business needs; Provide guidance for reward system design and implementation. 2. Elements of total rewards Total reward is an effective section of a reward system and emphasises to think about all facets of employment experience of value to employees instead of remuneration and employee benefits. The concept of total rewards identifies the necessity of getting paid appropriately in terms of pay and benefits and also encourages the significance of rewarding people for the work they performed, managed and developed in their work environment. It further adds to the performance of an employee value intention that provides an obvious, gripping cause that attracts capable workforce to remain with the organisation. The components of total rewards are shown in Figure 1.0. Figure 1.0 Elements of total rewards. The principle of total rewards mingles with two effective categories of reward as discussed below (Armstrong, 2007): 2.1. Transactional rewards: These are tangible rewards and more of financial offerings and occur from transactions between employer and employees in relation to remuneration and pay-out. Such rewards can be imitable by competitors and offered to individual employees in form of base pay, contingent pay and other employee benefits. These rewards are of extrinsic nature. 2.2. Relational rewards: Such rewards intangible (non-financial) and are related to work conditions i.e. quality of working life, the work, work-life balance, recognition, performance management and learning and development. These rewards are necessary to enhance transactional rewards and differ in different organisations as they can’t be easily copies. As described above total rewards system is a blend of monetary and non-monetary rewards offered to employees that can result in valuable business success in long term. Total rewards approach is a holistic insight of entire reward system to establish incorporation of reward elements in order to drive them so that they jointly support to achieve overall efficiency of reward system. Each component of rewards is sough in a way so that they integrate each other in all ways so that employees can be rewarded and have a sense of satisfaction from their work. A total rewards strategy is structured and joint together so that it can maximise the associated effect of various reward projects for employee motivation, commitment and job engagement. 3. Model of total rewards: Towers Perrin The effective component of total rewards can be concisely presented in the Towers Perrin model of total rewards shown in Figure 2.0. This is commonly used as foundation for the purpose of planning a total rewards approach. It includes of an environment with four quadrants. The upper two quadrants- pay and benefits those represent transactional or tangible (financial) rewards. These are financial rewards are mandatory recruitment and retain employees and can be copied by competitors. On the other hand, other two quadrants which are based on non-financial (intangible) or relational cannot be easily imitated and build both human assets and human development advantage in an organisation. These lower two quadrants are essential to boost the worth of the upper two. When organisations integrate both transactional and  relational rewards strategically it empowers the overall effectiveness to achieve business success. The model makes an important difference between individual and communal r ewards precisely in the later case which are result of work situation. Figure 2.0 Model of total rewards by Towers Perrin. As mentioned above that a total rewards concept integrates between financial and non-financial rewards to enhance a reward system, the importance of both considerations is described below: 3.1. Financial rewards: All monetary rewards those are offered in terms of money and are added up in total remuneration are the financial rewards. Base pay, contingent pay for performance, contribution, competency or skill, pay concerning to service, financial appreciation programs, and benefits like pensions, medical pay and health insurance are the core elements. 3.2. Non-financial rewards: Such rewards focus on the relational or intangible rewards those are related to people needs for various recognition, accomplishment, accountability, autonomy, influence and personal development. Such rewards are directly influenced by work environment i.e. quality of work life, the work, work-life balance, recognition, performance management and learning and development for personal growth within the organisation. Non-financial rewards can be extrinsic, such as praise or recognition as well as intrinsic if they are incorporated with job performance and attention and feelings that the work is valuable. 4. Organisational advantages of total rewards In current competitive business environment it must for an organisation to treat their employees with a sense of respect, fairness and ethically. Success of a business lies in the core value of its intellectual and it is necessary to enhance, develop and retain the same to achieve competitive advantage. Kaplan (2005) suggests the following advantages of total rewards strategy: 4.1. Congruency: The aim of total rewards strategy is that all rewards, including financial and non-financial must complement the business goals and strategies. It provides an incorporated, comprehensive sight of rewards to endorse equivalence and effectiveness of plan and implements, in alliance of business and people strategy. 4.2. Road map for HR specialists: An on paper total rewards strategy gives out as a reference guide to human resource managers to develop and compile new programs. An  evaluation helps business executives to get suggestions from HR managers to execute business strategies. 4.3. Competitive edge for recruitment: In order to attract talent a total rewards strategy helps organisation to differentiate it in a competitive talent pool by attaining competitive edge in terms of recruiting people. 4.4. Improved retention: Employment offerings focuses on people value, enhanced commitment and engagement and reduce turnover. They highlight the emotional bond between employee and employer to motivate and retain people. A strategic reward can increase engagement of work force and produce positive results. 4.5. Moderate labour costs: A reward policy may enable an organisation to moderate its labour costs by trading off several segments of employment package. This can promote flexible employ arrangements which would reduce cost of employment. 4.6. Enhanced organisational performance: Within a performance culture, a total rewards strategy can influence employees’ behaviours which lead to organisational success. A total rewards strategy that satisfies the employe e needs increases productivity, employee commitment and engagement. 5. Strategic rewards versus organisation performance An effective reward strategy attracts people, develops human capital, motivates employee, gains employee commitment and at last increases employee’s performance which ultimately results in organisational performance. So far it is covered that a total reward strategy is an important factor in terms of employee recruitment, retention, development of human capital and performance management. It establishes a performance culture and enhances individual performance. Thus total rewards can be directly incorporated to organisation performance though following: 5.1. Motivation: it an element of physiological contract which encourages, directs and energises a sense to perform extra-ordinarily in want of financial or non-financial interests. Hunter et al (1990) researched that high performance is achieved by well-motivated people who are prepared to practice flexible effort. Total rewards those are practical in deciding the several motivators of employees in an organisation are expected to result to increased employee satisfaction and trigger the desired behaviour which would ignite employees to accomplishment of positive goals by taking exact behaviour which are attractive performance. Further research by Namasivayam  et al (2007) through online survey of 1223 US hotels suggested that there is affirmative association between pay and individual benefits and organisational performance. According to Pink (2005) an extrinsic motivation is required in today’s work culture. Employees have a hectic schedule and the only motivation is the needs they have to fulfil which makes a monotonous work-life balance. 5.2. Commitment: Commitment can be considered at an attachment and loyalty that employees have for their company. Mowday et al (1982) there are 3 characteristics of commitment- 1) A strong desire to stay in the organisation, 2) A strong belief in and acceptance of the values and goals of the organisation, 3) A readiness to exert considerable efforts on behalf of the organisation. According to Walton (1985) traditional control-oriented style of employee management should be replaced by a commitment strategy which enables employees to respond best and most creatively. This is possible when they are given higher responsibilities, encouraged and helped to achieve satisfaction from their jobs. 5.3. Engagement: Performance of an organisation also influenced by the employee engagement towards the organisational design to obtain desired results though intellectual assets. Reilly and Brown (2008) suggest that a strategic reward process, including both extrinsic and extrinsic reward combination, may help to develop and increase employee’s engagement. Influence of total rewards strategy on performan ce by engagement can better demonstrated as modelled below in Figure 3.0. Figure 3.0 How reward policies influence performance through engagement. Conclusion Concluding the importance of total rewards strategy in context to individual performance and consequently organisational performance, it is necessary for an organisation to introduce a clear and achievable reward scheme. The reward functions like base pay, benefits, learning and development and work environment must be described in a way those can produce benefits to employees as well as organisation. A successful total rewards strategy is the one which is integrated with business strategies and designed considering each element of rewards in reference to employee needs. It must contain proper balance of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards to recruit, employee development, motivate, engaged and committed man power.

Disabled Childrens Access to Childcare Programme

Disabled Childrens Access to Childcare Programme The Services Available to Disabled Children Introduction Disability is all too often seen as a social problem i.e. it is seen either in terms of personal tragedy or of blame. Disability has been theorised in a number of different ways, most of which locate the problem in the individual rather than the broader social, political, and economic influences. This has implications not only for the location of the blame for social problems but also for the ways in which services for certain groups are delivered and accessed. All too often access to services is hindered for children with disabilities and the burden of care is left to the family (Moore, 2002). In many cases it would seem that if a child has a disability then this is seen as a matter of private concern for families. The present Government advocates a mixed economy of welfare where welfare is provided in part by the state and partly by private companies operating for profit. The shift from public to private has received much publicity and contributed to social problems and to social e xclusion (Giddens, 2001).The mixed economy of care (largely as a result of the 1990 NHS and Community Care Act) has meant that access to care for children with disabilities has become problematic. Thus families who are already stretched both financially and emotionally face further stress as the result of being unable to access appropriate care and services for their child. This tends to support the view that having a child with a disability results in the family as a whole being disabled by the unjust society in which it is situated (Fazil et al, 2002).. Within the human services great emphasis is placed on the rights of the service user, and this discourse is also evident in Government debates on social support and caring for people with disabilities. All too often however, this remains at the level of discourse and is not followed through when it comes to policy making. This assignment will therefore undertake a critical review of research into the services available to disabled children to assess whether the problem is as broad as some theorists would have us believe, and what might be done to alleviate the problems faced by families who have a child with a disability. Research Question What services are available to children with disabilities and what are the difficulties associated with accessing them. Protocol The area of interest is children with disabilities. The outcomes are what services are available and what if any difficulties might be associated with accessing those services. Objectives To carry out a critical review of literature to discover what services are available to children with disabilities. To ascertain whether it might be argued that perceptions of disability might affect what services are on offer and how these might be accessed. To assess whether parents receive accurate information from professionals To make recommendations Search Strategy A broad search was undertaken of the following: Disability and Society Community Care British journal of social work – Child: Care, health and development www.doh.gov.uk/research www.socresonline.org.uk www.jrf.org.uk www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies/archiveuk/archframe A broad search of Taylor Francis journals and Google Scholar was also undertaken. Key word and key word phrases were, disability, family, service users, disabled children, disabled children and their access to services, access to services for disabled children, effects of disability on family life. Part of the problem for disabled children and their families has been an over-reliance on the medical model of disability which locates the problem within the person. Inclusion discourses and debates about discrimination tend to suggest that this pathologising of children with disabilities is further extended to their families for example Bowler and Lister Brook (1997) when speaking of children with Downes Syndrome say that: The identification of a genetic basis for Downes Syndrome led many researchers to explore the possibility that there might be behavioural phenotypes in addition to physical phenotypes that result from specific genetic abnormalities (Lister and Brook, 1997 p.13). Clearly this is locating the problem within the child and does nothing to improve perceptions of either the disabled child or his/her family thus discriminating against the family as a unit. Most of the studies looked at in the following review, and the ones concentrated on in the analysis, report distorted perceptions of disabled children and their families. They also report that services for disabled children are not consistent nor easily accessible. The key concepts that were present in the literature were an assumption that people have plenty of extended family support, use of formal and informal care arrangements, any difficulties in securing access to appropriate services, and the effects that having a child with disabilities has on families. Most of the research indicated that across the board service provision for children with disabilities was at best patchy and at worst lamentable and that it was this, along with perceptions of disabled children and their families that affected access to appropriate services. The review begins with an indepth assessment of three studies in particular and then reviews the concepts generally. Families and Children with Disabilities Fazil et al (2002) undertook a triangulated study (i.e. one that uses both qualitative and quantitative research methods) into the circumstances of twenty Pakistani and Bangladeshi families in the West Midlands who had at least one disabled child. The aim of the research was to try and understand whether and in what ways the discrimination that these families might face was compounded due to the fact that they had a child or children with disabilities. The researchers used a combination of structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews to obtain their results. The research focused on parents’ experiences, their use of formal services, their material circumstances, and the ways in which having a child/children with disabilities affected their lives. A significant finding of this research was that while Government discourses centre on the integration of service provision in Birmingham (where these families live) there was: The absence of systematic services which came across most strikingly (Fazil et al, 2002,p.251) This view is supported by research undertaken by the Audit Commission (2003) whose findings suggested that across the country, rather than the integrated and joined up services that are promised, service provision was a lottery. How much service and what kind of services offered to disabled children and their families depended very much on which part of the country they lived in. Clearly the move to make partnership working the norm does not always succeed. Molyneux (2001)[1] maintains that this only works when certain guidelines are established at the outset. His research into successful inter-professional working established three areas that contributed to the success of such partnerships. Staff needed to be fully committed to what they were doing and personal qualities of adaptability, flexibility and a willingness to share with others were high on the agenda. Regular and positive communication between professionals was seen as endemic to good working relationships and service delivery. This communication was enhanced (in the study) by the instigation of weekly case conferences which allowed professionals to share knowledge and experiences (2001, p.3). Dowling and Dolan (2001) undertook secondary analysis of a qualitative study using the social model of disability as an analytical frame. Disability is usually defined too ways, as a medical model where the problem is located in the person and the social model where the problem is located in society i.e. as a social problem. The researchers found that having a disabled child in a family could marginalize the whole family who then suffered from unequal opportunities and outcomes. Through their use of the social model of disability as an analytical framework the researchers found that these families often suffered financial hardship along with stress created by social barriers, prejudice and poor service provision. Some studies tend to suggest that much of the care that is on offer is discriminatory – that is to say it takes the view that disabled children and their parents have a tendency to be over reliant on services. This article was a summary of the work undertaken in Leicester and it did not therefore, contain the views of parents and their children. Bush (2005) is a senior manager in children’s services and in his summary of what are called ‘inclusive’ services for disabled children he points out that the services are only on offer for a short while so as to discourage over-dependence on the service. This is not to say that some of the tasks undertaken by this partnership group are not beneficial, but there is no guarantee that any of the services would be ongoing. Fazil et al (2002) focused on the problems faced by members of two specific ethnic groups, the study was included because it was felt that the problems and feelings expressed within the study were quite representative of the feelings and experiences of many parents who have a child or children with disabilities. Although the study was very small, consisting of only twenty people, the use of both qualitative and quantitative data gave the study a breadth that it might not otherwise have had. Certainly the implications of the study were that services are difficult to access and all too often professionals make assumptions about the level of care and support that parents are able to give – these assumptions were also made in relation family support systems that the respondents may have had. The research also found that lack of support and the continuing struggle to access services and make ends meet affected parents’ views of themselves and their abilities to cope. Bryman (2004) has this to say about the use of both quantitative and qualitative methods It implies that the results of an investigation employing a method associated with one research strategy are cross-checked against the results of using a method associated with the other research strategy (Bryman, 2004, p.454). All in all the study was fairly well balanced, and did not for example, appear to exaggerate parent’s fears. The use of data triangulation tends to add weight to the findings of this particular study. Dowling and Dolan’s (2001) study tends to support the findings of Fazil et al. There appears to be a common feeling that when families have a disabled child or children then they, along with their child, are marginalised. Such marginalisation leads to stress in families and problems in accessing care. In many cases professional assumptions about these families increase the stress involved in obtaining appropriate services and care. This in turn supports the findings of Gregory (1991) that perceptions of disability and the assumption of parental responsibility has a huge impact on family relationships and on respondents’ own views of themselves as parents. Bush’s (2005) summary of a particular project in Leicester supports the idea that parent’s of disabled children are in some way responsible. The services in Leicester operate to help parents cope with their disabled child in the short term and then the onus is placed back on parents in the long term. The project aims to prevent what it terms as an over dependence on service provision. It seems to be the case that the feelings that the parents of disabled children have expressed in other studies are generated by the kind of services that treat parents as though they are trying to shirk their responsibilities to their children. This was a very short article that briefly described the services on offer, some of which would need to be continued even though they were only provided on a short term basis, for example physiotherapy. As the author of the article states: Each intervention is administered with the intention of ensuring that the services are short-term and discourage dependency (Bush, 2005, p.128). This may seem overly critical of the project because until its inception two years ago many of the services that it offers were not available at all in Leicester. The fact that even now they are only available in the short term tends to support the notion that access to services for disabled children is often problematic. Access and Attitudes in Service Provision Case (2001) found that parents of children with learning disabilities were often dissatisfied with the professionals with whom they came into contact and when services were provided they tended to be reactive to the problem rather than proactive in solving it. Perceptions of children with disabilities, and particularly learning disabilities are often devalued by society and this devaluation is evident in poor service provision (Chappell, 1997). King et al (1997) maintain that service provision often reflects how children with disabilities are perceived by medical and social work professionals rather than the needs of an individual child. This follows the view among many researchers that the medical model of disability is still at the forefront of most professionals’ minds. The problem is that medical people tend to see all difficulties solely from the perspective of proposed treatments for a patient, without recognising that the individual has to weigh up whether this treatment fits into the overall economy of their life. In the past especially, doctors have been too willing to suggest medical treatment and hospitalisation, even when this would not necessarily improve the quality of life for the person concerned. Indeed, questions about the quality of life have sometimes been portrayed as something of an intrusion upon the purely medical equation. (Brisenden, 1986:176). The medical model leads to the treatment people with disabilities as passive objects of medical attention. This view is oppressive of people with disabilities and spreads to other social relationships, it sees disability as pathological i.e. rooted in a person’s biology, and thus unchanging. Contained within this model is the perception of people with disabilities as problematic. As an adjunct to this model, disability has been theorized as a personal tragedy, which means that individuals with a disability are seen as victims. Treating children with disabilities as victims arguably leads to their becoming almost invisible in service provision. Goble (1999 cited in Case 2001)) maintains that the needs of disabled children and their families are often not addressed because issues that are important to service users, rather than service providers, are not really considered and are under researched. Hornby (1994 cited in Case 2001) has argued that professionals often neglect to provide parents with all the information that they should have when it comes to the needs of their child. If children with disabilities are to get the correct treatment and have access to appropriate services then the parents should be fully informed. Clearly disabled children’s access to services is hampered by social perceptions and by the perceptions that professionals have. This has resulted not only in problems accessing services, but when services are accessed they are not always appropriate to a particular service user’s needs. Research tends to focus on perceptions of disability and the disadvantage that it brings but as yet there is little evidence of what disabled children and their families actually want from service providers. Conclusion and Possible Policy Implications The prevalence of the medical model of health and the ways in which families are kept under-informed regarding the disability of a family member, particularly a child, affects family relationships. It also affects the attitude that professionals may take to disabled children and their families. Gregory (1991) maintains that when a person is diagnosed as ‘disabled’ this affects the ways in which society and the family respond to and deal with that person. Families themselves can tend to see the disabled family member as ‘sick’ and different. Gregory (1991) found that having a disabled family member also affected the way in which mother’s viewed themselves because ideological images of motherhood focus on having an able child. Thus a woman may feel that she is somehow not a mother because of the ways in which society defines motherhood. While doctors may diagnose a physical or learning disability families are often left to cope without either sufficient information or professional help. In a number of cases families have reported that hospitals have refused to admit non-emergency cases unless a parent or carer remains on site to provide additional support (http://www.cafamily.org.uk/rda-uk.html). A shortage of nursing staff and the increasing tendency to perform surgery on a day care basis means that many families are left with extra caring responsibilities once they take the disabled child or adult home. (http://www.cafamily.org.uk/rda-uk.html). In conclusion it would appear from the literature that service provision is sporadic and often not appropriate to the individual needs of disabled children and their families. It might be recommended that more research is needed into what users actually want from service providers and that perhaps as one study suggested users fare much better if they are assigned a single key worker who will liase with all service providers. 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Cheltenham http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache:7JMuRPBUQgMJ:www.audit-commission.gov.uk/Products/NATIONAL-REPORT/EE944EBA-B414-4d76-903E-A4CA0E304989/Disabled-report.pdf+access+to+services+for+disabled+childrenhl=enct=clnkcd=6gl=uklr=lang_enclient=firefox-a www.doh.gov.uk/research www.socresonline.org.uk www.jrf.org.uk www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies/archiveuk/archframe 1 Footnotes [1] Molyneux is a social worker who was part of the inter-professional team on which the study was based.