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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Bywaters, P. and Ali, Z. 2002 â€Å"Disadvantage and discrimination compounded: The experience of Pakistani and Bangladeshi parents with a disabled child in the UK† Disability and Society Vol 17 (3) May 1st 2002 pp. 237-253 Gough, D and Elkbourne, D 2002 â€Å"Systematic research synthesis to inform policy, practice and democratic debate† Social Policy and Society 1 (3) pp. 225-36 Gregory, S. 1991 â€Å"Challenging Motherhood: Mothers and their deaf children† in Phoenix, A and Lloyd E, eds. 1991 Motherhood: Meaning Practices and Ideology London, Sage Macdonald, G 2003 Using Systematic Reviews to Improve Social Care London, Social Care Institute for Excellence Millar, J 2000 Keeping Track of Welfare Reform York, York Publishing Services for the Joseph Rowntree foundation Molyneux, J 2001 â€Å"Interprofessional team working: What makes teams work well?† Journal of Inter-professional Care 15 (1) 2001 p.1-7 Moore, S. 2002 Social Welfare Alive 3rd ed. Cheltenham, Nelson Thornes Morris, J 2003 â€Å"Including all children: Finding out about the experiences of children with communication and/or cognitive impairments† Children and Society Vol 17 (5) Oliver, P. 1990 The Politics of Disablement Basingstoke, Macmillan Oliver, M 1996 Social Work with Disabled People Basingstoke Macmillan. Such, E. and Walker, R. 2004 â€Å"Being responsible and responsible beings: childrens understanding of responsibility† Children and Society 18 (3) Jun 2004, pp.231-242 Swain, J. Heyman, B and Gilmour, M 1998 â€Å"Public Research, private concerns: Ethical issues in the use of open-ended interviews with people who have learning disabilities† in Disability and Society 13 (1) pp. 21-36 Walsh, M. Stephens, P. and Moore, S. 2000 Social Policy and Welfare. 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.

Macbeth - The Breaking Ball Of Clay :: essays research papers

A conscience and will power are all things we develop over a period of time. You are born pure, like an unshaped ball of clay that is just waiting for a sculpture to shape you. Everything you come into contact with, everyone that helps you grow up and everyone one that you meet seem to take a turn on how you are going to turn out in life. You, a ball of clay is shaped and the person you are today is formed. Although many things change through life, some traights you never thought you had may become apparent or you might acquire new ones. Such is the case with William Shakespeare's Macbeth. The lead character of this play is faced with many decisions and tempted by greed for the throne of Scotland. Many factors affect Macbeth and he slowly rips, committing himself to evil. Banquo and Macbeth meet three witches after defending Scotland against a rebellion. These witches represent evil and they are messengers of the devil. They are one of the factors that affect Macbeth and cause him to enter into a life of evil. They had fought nobly and were very excited. They could not believe their eyes and ask if they had "eaten from the insane root" and were having hallucinations. The witches prophesize that Macbeth, Thane of Fife will soon earn the title, Thane of Cawdor and after that become king of Scotland. Macbeth is "wrapt" in thought about this. At first he wonders if this oracle has any merit. But the true thought of it makes him wonder and starts his early thoughts of conspiracy. He expresses these thoughts to his wife, Lady Macbeth, in a letter. Macbeth rides in a hurry to get home on his horse to talk to Lady Macbeth about her thoughts on the matter. She is totally convinced that Macbeth should kill the king and take his thrown. However Malcolm, the King's son, has already been crowned Prince of Cumberland. Macbeth sees this and drops most thoughts of conspiracy. Lady Macbeth sees this and convinces herself to convince him to commit this crime. She uses a bombardment of arguments to do this against Macbeth. She questions his man hood, and talks about what she would do if she were in his position. Ruthlessly describing scenes of a hardened heart, Lady Macbeth becomes the major factor on Macbeth's decision.

Spinster Essay -- Literary Analysis, Sylvia Plath

In the poem â€Å"Spinster† by Sylvia Plath, a girl and her lover take a walk through the woods on a spring day. As they are walking, the lover attempts to make romantic gestures towards the girl, which frightens her. The girl’s physical withdrawal from spring and her act of embracing winter is a metaphor for her fear of love and longing for the predictability and control that is not found in love. While on their walk through the woods, the disorganization that the girl feels emphasizes the girl’s discomfort in embracing unpredictable feelings such as love. The speaker’s choice to begin the poem with the word â€Å"now† implies that this scene of the girl walking with a lover in the woods is not new and it has been seen before (1). The feelings of the girl throughout the poem are reoccurring ones and not just ones of this particular scene. The repetition of her actions further highlights the depth of her fear of love because she is so terrified by the idea of love that she cannot overcome her fear. The description of the girl as â€Å"particular† reveals the speaker’s critical tone as the word describes her as picky and peculiar (1). This foreshadows that the girl is unlike others in her actions. The speaker includes that the walk is occurring in â€Å"April† in order to illustrate that the time they are taking the walk is ideal (2). I nstead of seeing the setting of April as the perfect time to walk, the girl becomes â€Å"struck/By the bird’s irregular babel and the leaves’ litter† (4-6). The girl is irritated by all of the disorganization that is present in spring and love. The girl is unable to control the sound of the birds or the growth of the plants. Nature, like love, happens on its own. This reflects how she feels about love because she is also ... ...self (29-30). The word â€Å"love[‘s]† ability to stand alone on its own line expresses the great threat that love has to the girl. The other words that describe the threats of the man are harsh but grouped together. Love is such a great threat that it carries the weight of all of those threats combined by consuming an entire line. This again enforces the girl’s fear of love, as she believes it has the ability to completely ruin her. The girl’s fear of love causes her to long for control. The title of this poem, â€Å"Spinster,† highlights the speaker’s highly critical tone of the girl. While the girl may not be an old lonely woman yet, the continuation of her actions of withdrawal will cause her to be alone forever. The metaphor used in this poem as spring representing love and winter representing control is perfect because spring is variable while winter is monotonous.

Ebonics Essay -- essays papers

Ebonics Ebonics, which stands for Ebony + Phonics is a new term that Linguistics use to describe Black Dialect or Black English or many of the other names that it has been given for more than 350 years. Ebonics is a "language" that is a combination of "proper English" and a combination of African languages. This combination pattern was formed on how certain words are pronounced such as, this and that, would be pronounced dis and dat in Ebonics. In most Ebonics words with the "Th." sound has an "D" sound. These are just some of the many patterns that were created when Africans were forced to learn the English language. History states that around 1619, during the slave trade, ships collected slaves not just from one nation but from many nations. Some Africans spoke different languages like Ibo, Yoruba and Hausa. They were then separated from each other and had to travel with people whom the could not understand. Captain William Smith (A slave ship owner) wrote, â€Å"There will be no more likelihood of their succeeding in a plot†(lee, 1994,msn). The slaves then had to learn English so that they could have some form of communication with their masters. Their native language and English would be combined and they would speak African-English pidgin. As the slaves began to learn how to communicate with each other, their words would merge into one common word that they could all understand. This is one of the ways that the language became mixed with English. When the African slaves had children they talked to them in African English pidgin. The slaves taught the children both languages so that they could communicate with the slave owners and to other slaves. As each generation went on the Africans began to speak bette... ...tion to generation. Ebonics has improved from the early 1600's to now but some of the improper English still stands today. Bibliography: Fisher, Julene E "Don't Be a Geek; Learn How Black English Has Enriched The Language" The Salt Lake Tribune www.MSN.com Internet (1996) Lee, Felicia R "Lingering Conflict in the Schools: Black Dialect vs. Standard Speech," The New York Times www.MSN.com Internet (1994) Lewis, Brian C. " Black English: Its History and Its Role in the Education Of Our Children" The Three Twelve Group www.MSN.com Internet (1996) North Carolina Discovers, The Origin of Black Folk Music Snow Camp Historical Drama Society (1994) Smitherman, Geneva, "Talkin and Testifyin†: The Language Of Black America. Detroit; Wayne State University (1986) Stoller, Paul ed. Black American English. New York; Dell Publishing (1975) www.MSN.com

Biomolecules Notes

Carbohydrates, lipids and proteins 3. 2. 1 Distinguish between organic and inorganic compounds (2). Distinguish means to give the differences between two or more different items. ?Organic compounds are based on carbon and are found in living things. There are a number of exceptions including hydrogen carbonate (HCO3- ), carbon dioxide (CO2 )and Carbon monoxide (CO). ?Inorganic compounds are by default all the molecules other than those in the category above. Identify amino acids, glucose, ribose and fatty acids from diagrams showing their structure(2). Identify means to find an answer from a given number of possibilities. The following are examples of the most common organic molecules in living things: Monosaccharide sugars. These are the monomers from which larger polymer molecules are constructed. Molecules like glucose and fructose are metabolically active molecules usually stored in an inactive, insoluble polysaccharide form. ?Glucose: C6H12O6 this is a hexose sugar (six carbons) most commonly found in this ring structure. ?Glucose will be known to most students as a product of photosynthesis or the substrate molecule for respiration. Glucose is also found in a polymer as starch, glycogen or cellulose. ?All bonds are covalent. ?Glucose is a reducing sugar and will give positive (Brick red) precipitate in a Benedicts test. ?Glucose is metabolically active compound Glucose is soluble and has osmotic effects when in solution This is an alternative diagram of glucose where the carbons are assumed to be at each of the corners or end s of the lines (bonds). In this image the carbons are numbered so you can compare to the diagram above. Normally such numbers would be omitted form a diagram. These shorthand diagrams allow organic molecules to be drawn faster. There are examples further down the page of this type of diagram. ?Ribose: Pentose (5 carbon sugar). ?Ribose is part of one the important organic molecules in photosynthesis, ribulose bisphosphate. (RUBP) ? A modified version of ribose, deoxyribose is perhaps best known for its role in Deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA where it forms part of the sugar phosphate backbone. The chemical properties of deoxyribose are very different from the properties of ribulose ? Both Ribose and Glucose will attract water molecules (hydrogen bonding ) to form solutions. Amino Acids: There are 20 common amino acids found in the protein structures of living things. Amino acids are monomers which combine to form the larger polypeptides. In turn polypeptides combine to form proteins. Proteins molecules are the basis of enzymes and many cellular and extra cellular components. ? This model shows the structure of the general amino acid. If you build one in a molecular kit you will appreciate better the 3D structure. Each of the common amino acids has the same structure as the one shown except that the R group is different. ?Amino acids are soluble ? This is an alternative way to draw the general amino acid structure. ?This diagram illustrates the ‘amino' group which is -NH2 ? There is also the acidic group -COOH which ionizes in solution to form an -COO-and H+groups ? This acid group is known as a carboxylic acid group. ? This is an illustration of the smalles t of the amino acids, Glycine. ?Notice that Glycine has an amino group, carboxylic acid group and a R group = H ? A common source of glycine is sugar cane. This image shows a common amino acids, Alanine ?Note the similarity in structure with glycine but this time the R group is -CH3 ? Students are not required to know the structure of all 20 common amino acids Fatty Acids: These molecules are the basis of triglycerides and many other types of lipid. These molecules are also the basis of the phospholipid molecules that form the bilayer of the cell membrane. ? The image shows a basic saturated (no double bonds) fatty acid. ?There is a methyl group (-CH3) at one end of the chain. Chain is the formed from a series of covalently bonded carbons saturated with hydrogens. ?The chain is non-polar and hydrophobic ?The carbonyl group is polar making this ends of the molecule hydrophilic. ? The complex diagram of the fatty acid can be abbreviated to this simpler diagram. ? This image show the unsaturated double bond which is characteristic of animal fats. ?If there are many double bonds the fatty acid is kn own as polyunsaturated. Micelle ?In water fatty acid molecules arrange themselves into spheres called micelles. The polar carbonyl groups on the outside in contact with water molecules. ?The non-polar tail sections are in the centre away from water. ?This is an important aspect of fat digestion and membrane structure. List three examples each of monosaccharide, disaccharides and polysaccharides (1) List means to Give a sequence of names or other brief answers with no explanation. State one function of glucose, lactose and glycogen in animals, and of fructose, sucrose and cellulose in plants(1) State means to give a specific name, value or other brief answer without explanation or calculation.