Poverty in Philippines Essay

Life is a risking adventure. We commit a lot of obstacles and problems that sometimes pull our hopes down. Watching the documentary creates several feelings about the situations and it brings realizations after and while watching it. First of all, the documentary speaks about a family in Eastern Visayas wherein it reflects a serious poverty in the Philippines. The family experienced or still experiencing sufferings about their whole-life situation. The couples had ten sons and daughters all in all but only six of them were there current priorities. It must be easy for rich families to handle those six responsibilities but for them, it was a serious life challenge. Within a day, eating two meals is the best they can. Green vegetables with rice are considered a delightful meal for them. Because mostly, a piece of bread given by a neighbor or a soup considering rice mixed with water and salt was there food for breakfast while for lunch is still basing for the outcome of their unstable work. They are indeed suffering for poverty – or maybe beyond poverty. As an individual watching an uncommon documentary, I felt a lot of course. First, I felt pity for the whole family but mostly for the children. Children must be playing so free with a full tank – stomach with other kids, educating themselves in school, but what other children of their family do was working too, for the sake of the majority’s food. It was a punch on the heart to see those. Second, I feel so degraded yet fortunate. I am ashamed of myself because they really spend sweats and strengths for their daily benefits while most of us almost take spoon feed from our parents. But I felt so fortunate because even sometimes I feel so poor because of usual money-shortage; I realized how others’ seek hard for a one peso coin. Therefore, the documentary conscientisize most of us, but in a moral way I think. It aroused our conscience not to disgust ourselves because of realizations on mistakes but to change for the better. I am thinking that after watching the documentary, most of the viewer’s felt what I felt too, realized what I realized too, and will change as I’ll change. Starting now, I want to try giving importance with money. I want to encourage myself not to be hopeless in times of struggles. I’ll earn, try my best not to spoil and waste foods, and I will always ask for guidance to God for Him to help me conquer every obstacle. Because life is a risking adventure.

Branded? Fashion Counterfeiting Essay

A lot of leisurely items to date have been somewhat remodeled or refashioned into something that is more cost-friendly for consumers. These are counterfeited items, more popularly known as â€Å"pirated† goods, which are illegal, as authorities would suggest. However, there are a growing number of consumers for pirated goods, especially in developing or underdeveloped countries; even developed countries have their share of consumers of pirated goods. In the fashion industry, most apparels (e.g., T-shirts, pants, blouses, etc.) and textiles are apparently being produced in many developing countries—some underdeveloped—as the multinational conglomerates believe that labor is cheaper in these places. These countries, in turn, have benefited from the decision of many multinational conglomerates: â€Å"The clear winners given all of these industry trends are China and India with their long history in textiles, Pakistan with its current capacity for textile production† (Mead 423). With the production of apparels and textiles shifting from the developed regions like the United States and Europe to underdeveloped or developing countries, it would be so hard to assume that the occurrence of counterfeiting these products will be low. The consumers that could not seem to afford the expensive prices of high-end brands would generally resort to replicas of the same high-end brands. However, all of these multinational apparel-producing industries abhor the existence of pirated versions of their products, bidding for these â€Å"copycats† to be divulged and incarcerated. As a common thing on a global scale, stopping fashion counterfeiting could cause another economic downturn but its proliferation could lead to severe job cutting by companies that believe that they are losing money. The overseas production of the various apparels of American and European brands could be the best opportunity for â€Å"pirates† as these products are exposed and minimally guarded. Usually, people would assume that these pirates operate underground—some controlled by syndicates or any organized group. However, it could also be certain that some of these pirates work from inside the textile or apparel factories. After all, it can produce a better replica of the product. Such acts are despised by the multinational corporations as it breaches trade policies and laws as well as patent, copyright, and license laws. However, the existence of pirated goods prompts consumers to spend more as these products are considerably cheaper than the seemingly overpriced originals. It is believed that producers of pirated goods work underground under a syndicate or some organized group. However, these pirated goods are sometimes sold out in the open for people to see, as in the case of some developing (e.g. India and China) and underdeveloped (e.g. Philippines and Thailand) nations, and in some developed countries—although, rarely do these exchanges happen under the public’s watchful eye. The preconceived notion that consumers coming from developed countries abhor the consumption of pirated goods has been proved false. The following is an example from an article entitled â€Å"Consumption of Counterfeit Goods: ‘Here Be Pirates?’† which proves that consumers can also come from developed countries: â€Å"In France, the most common counterfeit products confiscated are shoes, representing 21 per cent of items, followed by clothes and watches; In Germany, clothes account for 90 per cent of impounded fakes† (Wischermann qtd. in Rutter and Bryce 1155). As unbelievable as it may seem, these circumstances can occur even in developed countries like the United States and European nations. However, the consumption of such products should not be regarded as a crime, or such products must not be confiscated from the owner. Even though it is a pirated good, it was still his or her money that purchased the good. Buying pirated goods does not also necessarily point out as a support for pirated goods nor does it entail any political ideology like an anti-capitalist movement against the multinational brands and their seemingly overpriced goods. Fashion Counterfeiting is considered a battle between the multinational capitalist companies that aim to make another hundred million or billion in sales and the pirates or syndicates that wanted to make money especially during a global economic crisis. It is an epic battle indeed, but which of the two started it? The trail from its origin does not seem too far off. Counterfeiting is an old trade that dates back as early as Ancient Rome (Rutter and Bryce 1147). As ancient as it may be, the act has been considered illegal through international trade policies and copyright laws that it seemed to breach. The cause that promoted the pirating of known fashion brands was the decision of these international apparel companies to build more factories overseas for cheap labor. Labor from the developing and underdeveloped countries attracted these multinational companies because it was cheap: â€Å"this drove down the price of labor around the world as firms relocated operations to China (soon, South Asia as well) because labor is cheaper† (Mead 419). This move resulted in the rebirth of an age-old illegal practice—only this time, it covered and affected the fashion industry. Syndicates and other organized group exploited the existence of factories in these areas—especially that they live under the â€Å"developing-nation state.† Then the process moved onto other parts of the region, usually in places where such prohibiting laws were rarely applied. Thus, the ones at fault were the multinational companies themselves as they gave an opportunity for these pirates to replicate their products. However, sometimes, their presence is not a cause for promoting this kind of piracy. The products can be bought by the pirates themselves—usually they do have the money—from legitimate stores and replicate these after analyzing the products. After all, fashion counterfeiting is simpler than that of software (music, games, programs, albums, videos) piracy. Whichever the case, the reason behind the existence of such products in the market is its affordability since its original counterparts are way more expensive. The production of these pirated apparels will continue as long as someone would consume them. However, is the piracy of these apparels—some of which people really do need—really a problem, especially with the world experiencing another global economic downturn? What happens to those who cannot afford the legitimate and original apparels? It seems they would have to walk around naked or in shabby clothing, or even resort to tailoring their own clothes.

Media Influence and Ethnic Identity

This paper gives a critical review of the literature on media depictions of minorities in Canada. I propose that the research tends to center on tabularize the under-representation and misrepresentation of ethnic minorities. Media Influence and Ethnic Identity The depiction of ethnic minorities in Canadian media serves to play an alarming part in determining the structure of Canadian minority identities. Researchers have insisted that it is imperative to research media-minority relations because the media play a crucial part in the creation of social identities (Henry). The media gives a vital source of data through which people gain information about their country, and our approaches and viewpoints are formed by what the media distinguishes as public information. The media is directly accountable for how Canada, in all its multiplicity, is interpreted among its people. Simply put, the media is accountable for the ways that Canadian society is interpreted, considered, and assessed among its habitants. The media influences attitudes in Canada by siphoning and selecting the data we receive to make choices about our day-to-day realities. Though, this selection procedure is governed by a series of vitals. Media images of Canadian ethnic minorities are not just a random panoply of depictions. Verdicts about depictions of cultural multiplicity must be envisaged within a series of opposing discourses taking place within media institutions. In spite of what we would like to consider, Canadian media is not just and democratic, nor objective in nature (Hackett, Gruneau, Gutstein, Gibson and NewsWatch). Ethnic Minority groups are regularly disqualified and marginalized, and the leading culture is reinforced as the custom. As researchers have established (Fleras and Kunz; Henry) the media push certain traits, most often negative, about ethnic minorities into the limelight, at the same time as others are downplayed or totally absent from depictions. How does this influence identity creation among ethnic Minority groups? Negative depictions of ethnic minorities teach ethnic minorities in Canada that they are hostile, abnormal, and inappropriate to country-building. Canadian media persist to transmit negative and conventional images that only serve to degrade ethnic Minority Canadians. In other words, ethnic minorities do not see themselves precisely mirrored in Canadian media, and that marginalization effects feelings of segregation. In Canada, questions adjoining the association between identity development among ethnic minorities and media are mainly weighed down because of multicultural policy. It has been recommended that in countries where official multiculturalism is legislated, multifaceted forms of racial discrimination can materialize through a variety of media depictions of ethnic minorities (Dunn and Mahtani, 163-171). Ethnic Minority Depiction: Under-representation And Mis-representation Since its beginning in the late 1960s to the 1980s, research on media-ethnic minority relationships was largely distant with probing the two main ways in which ethnic minorities are problematically treated in media accounts. First is the under-representation (or absence) of ethnic minorities. The second refers to the misrepresentation (or negative depiction) of ethnic minorities A) Under-representation The under-representation of a variety of cultural groups in Canadian media has been evocative of their insignificance or their nothingness. Most of the early research on ethnic depiction was concerned with inducting their nonexistence in the media sequentially to exhibit this argue. Different researchers have found that regardless of the culturally miscellaneous nature of Canadian society, that very multiplicity is frequently missing from media depictions (Fleras and Kunz 2001; Fleras 267-292). As Fleras (1995) spots out, the lack of ethnic minorities in the Canadian media is the law, rather than the exemption. In Canada, interracial relationships in spectacular series are rare. This efficiently reveals that the media is not exactly providing a mirror in which ethnic minority Canadians can see themselves — and their dating models — mirrored. In a study of ethnic minorities' depiction in Canadian amusement programs, MediaWatch scrutinized eight made-in-Canada dramatic series and exposed that only 4 percent of the female characters and 12 percent of the male characters were from diverse ethnic or racial locale (MediaWatch). This exposes that ethnic minorities (and in particular ethnic minority women) are relentlessly underrepresented in equally dramatic series and in news. Miller and Prince (1994) gave a comparable assessment from a news point of view by looking at the photos and news stories printed in six foremost Canadian newspapers. They concluded that out of the 2,141 photos printed, ethnic minorities were presented in only 420 images. Media researchers have specified that the impact of ethnic Minority eccentricity in the media merely serves to more embed the invisibility of ethnic minorities in the general public (Fleras 1995). Ethnic minorities in Canada do not see themselves mirrored in the media, and this effects feelings of refusal, belittles their assistance, and lessens their part as people in their nations (Jiwani 1995). For example, in their paper â€Å"Media (Mis)Depictions: Muslim Women in the Canadian Country,† Bullock and Jafri give extracts from their focus groups where Muslim women met to talk about the representation of Muslim women in the media. (35-40) B) Mis-representation A helpful result of these before time studies was that it gave a momentum for media researchers to examine how the media portrays ethnic minorities when they are actually represented. Researchers have recommended that the depiction of non-prevailing cultures normally prolonged in recent decades (Fleras 1995). One of the means in which Eurocentric domination is maintained is by restraining the kinds of depictions of ethnic minorities in the media to unconstructive or striking stereotypes. Ethnic minorities have persisted that media images of their elements disclose a remorseless pessimism in their description. Media researchers have pointed to the negative depictions of ethnic minorities in a variety of studies. In studies emerging in the 1970s, researchers in Canada have time after time pointed out that the media â€Å"rot †¦ on race-specific and culture cognizant characterizations of people†. Canadian media keep it up to rely on both negative and conservative depictions of ethnic minorities (Roth 1996; MediaWatch 1994; Fleras 1994; Zolf 13-26). Fleras (1994) has explained how ethnic minority images in Canadian media are constantly conservative ones, â€Å"steeped in groundless simplifications that swerve towards the comical or bizarre† (Fleras 1994:273), where the examples of ethnic minorities as â€Å"social problems† are regularly employed: namely, as pimps, high-school dropouts, homeless teens, or drug pushers in Canadian dramatic series. Fleras argues a modicum of media depictions of First Nations people, counting â€Å"the noble savage,† â€Å"the savage Indian,† â€Å"blood-thirsty barbarians,† and â€Å"the drunken Native,† among other damaging stereotypes (Fleras 1994; see also Fleras and Kunz 2001). In television and newsprint and political cartoons, media's fighters were altered primitives, colossal depictions of Indian activists† (Valaskakis 224-234). Gender is a relatively unfamiliar feature of studies about ethnic Minority depiction, as Jiwani (1995) has designated. Several actors and news anchors have spoken out candidly about their apprehensions about ethnic falsification in the media. Rita Deverell, senior producer of Vision TV, has expressed her views about the awkward interpretation of ethnic minorities in television. Deverell has pointed out that, compared to American images, â€Å"we have very few negative, wicked depictions of women of color. Undoubtedly, many researchers be in agreement that in typical media in Canada, ethnic minorities are offered as intimidation, with explicit positionings of â€Å"us† and â€Å"them† in which the former is an understood mainstream audience, and the latter is the ethnic minority (Fleras and Kunz 2001). This occurrence is unhappily not restricted to television dramas — it happens in newspapers and television news too. In a study of ethnic minorities and First Nations peoples' depiction in two major Winnipeg papers, a report conducted by the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg (1996) found that ethnic minorities are often shorn of admittance to the media and quote the problematical reportage of ethnicity when it is inappropriate to the event or incident. Tator (1995) has established that ethnic minorities are continuously being â€Å"singled out† and identified as the cause of a â€Å"social problem† in media depictions. Using the example of the â€Å"Writing Through Race† Conference held in Vancouver of 1994, she explains that the media continually misrepresents and distorts issues of importance to ethnic minorities. A few of the most inquisitive work on the continuation of typecasts has discovered the ways ethnic minorities have been normalized in Canadian news reports. Numerous government reports furnished through official multiculturalism have scrutinized the reporting of variety in the media, closing that stereotypes and negative images flourish (see Karim 1995). Ducharme (1986, 6-11) scrutinized national newspaper reporting of the Canadian immigration policy for a five-year period. Through the early 1990s, researchers gave a helpful Canadian equivalent to U.S. studies that were worried with anti-Islamic images reproducing in American news. Support groups have also added toward this discussion — a working example includes the report created by the Afghan Women's Organization, which appraises research, local activism, and community viewpoints on the portrayal of Muslim women in Canadian media. Supported on a six-month assessment of coverage of numerous Canadian newspapers, the MediaWatch Group of the Canadian Islamic Congress carried out a study of anti-Islamic media exposure, advocating results to the media industry (Canadian Islamic Congress 1998, 51). Henry et al. (1995) propose that this type of racism remains acutely surrounded within media institutions, where structuralist racism still permeates depictions, and regular patterns of under- and misrepresentation continue to strengthen uneven power relations. The tapered range of images of ethnic minorities has successfully reduced the aptitude of ethnic minorities to be distinguished as optimistic providers to Canadian society. Media researchers have pointed out that these unconstructive stereotypes are reason for concern because it creates a divide between ethnic minorities and so-called â€Å"real† Canadians — visible ethnic Minority Canadians are seen as â€Å"others† or â€Å"foreigners† who potentially have the power to threaten the country (Fleras 1995). The reinforcement of negative stereotypes ethnically pathologizes ethnic minorities, advancing racial divides. †¦Through examining the depictions of people of color in the media †¦ [it seems clear that the] dominant culture continues to establish its power and protect its supremacy by inculcating negative and conservative images of ethnic minorities †¦ generating a indistinct awareness on the part of the conventional of ethnic minorities. (Henry, 1999:135-136) Conclusion This paper maintains that the ways the media expose and account on ethnic minority groups in Canada very much affects the ways the public distinguishes ethnic Minority groups in Canadian society. Wide-ranging research crossways disciplines show that ethnic minorities are frequently typecasted in mass media. Media images can promote manners of acceptance and agreement or of fear and pessimism. When media representations fail to represent Canada's ethnic minorities with compassion, the entire country undergoes the consequences. Media workers require believing and creating substitute depictions of ethnic minorities and it may well be our duty to build up coalitions with them to give confidence other sorts of images. Works Cited Bullock, K., and G. Jafri. 2001. â€Å"Media (Mis)Depictions: Muslim Women in the Canadian Country.† Canadian Woman Studies 20 (2): 35-40 Ducharme, M. 1986. â€Å"The Coverage of Canadian Immigration Policy in the Globe and Mail (1980-1985).† Currents Spring: 6-11 Dunn, K., and M. Mahtani. 2001. â€Å"Media Depiction of Ethnic minorities.† In Progress and Planning 55 (3): 163-171. For a web version see Fleras, A. 1995. â€Å"Please Adjust Your Set: Media and Ethnic minorities in a Multicultural Society.† Communications in Canadian Society, 4th Edition. Toronto: Nelson Canada Fleras, A., and J. Kunz. 2001. Media and Ethnic minorities: Representing Multiplicity in a Multicultural Canada. Toronto: Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc. Fleras, A.1994. â€Å"Media and Ethnic minorities in a Post-Multicultural Society: Overview and Appraisal.† in Ethnicity and Culture in Canada: The Research Landscape, edited by J. W. Berry and J. A. LaPonce, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 267-292 Hackett, R., R. Gruneau, D. Gutstein, T. Gibson, and NewsWatch. 2001. The Missing News: Filters and Blind Spots in Canada's Press. Aurora: Canadian Center for Policy Alternatives/Garamond Press Henry, F. 1999. The Racialization of Crime in Toronto's Print Media: A Research Project. Toronto: School of Journalism, Ryerson Polytechnic University Jiwani, Y. 1995. â€Å"The Media, ‘Race' and Multiculturalism.† A Presentation to the BC Advisory Council on Multiculturalism. March 17. See web site: http://www.harbour.sfu.ca/freda/articles/media.html Karim, K. 1995. Women, Ethnicity and the Media. SRA Reports. Ottawa: Canadian Heritage MediaWatch. 1994. â€Å"Front and Center: Ethnic Minority Depiction on Television.† Media Watch Research Series, Volume 1. Toronto: MediaWatch Miller J. and K. Prince. 1994. â€Å"The Imperfect Mirror: Analysis of Ethnic Minority Pictures and News in Six Canadian Newspapers.† A Report available from the Authors, Toronto: The School of Journalism, Ryerson Polytechnic University Roth, L. 1996. â€Å"Cultural and Racial Multiplicity in Canadian Transmit Journalism.† In Deadlines and Multiplicity: Journalism Ethnics in a Changing World, edited by Valerie Alia, Brian Brennan, and Barry Hoffmaster. Halifax: Fernwood Social Planning Council of Winnipeg. 1996. Media Watch: A Study of How Visible Ethnic minorities and Aboriginal Peoples are Portrayed in Winnipeg's Two Major Newspapers Winnipeg: Social Planning Council of Winnipeg. March Tator, C. 1995. â€Å"Taking a Stand against Racism in the Media,† Text of a speech at â€Å"Racism in the Media: A Conference Sponsored by the Community Reference Group on Ethno-Racial and Aboriginal Access to Metro Toronto Services,† October Valaskakis, G. 1993. â€Å"Guest Editor's Introduction: Parallel Voices: Indians and Others — Narratives of Cultural Struggle.† Canadian Journal of Communication 18 (3): 224-234 Zolf, D. 1989. â€Å"Comparisons of Multicultural Transmiting in Canada and Four Other Countries.† Canadian Ethnic Studies/Études ethniques au Canada 21 (): 13-26

Gambling in The Stock Market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Gambling in The Stock Market - Essay Example NYSE was used as a platform to trade bonds and stocks. Following the establishment of stock and bond trading platforms, most people view it as a money tree, which creates wealth easy and quick. As a result, many people used their savings to invest in stocks and bonds. However, it is important to note that investing in stock market requires hard work and adequate research because it is unforgiving for amateurs or gamblers. Gambling in the Stock Exchange There are clear distinctions between gambling and investing in the stock exchange as indicated below. Gambling refers to putting money or other valuable assets into activities whose outcome involves chance. It can also refer to an immediate event or act, whose motive is immediate gratification. When the word gambling is mentioned, people easily identify casinos, gaming activities as well as lottery. However, they fail to identify that putting money into the stock exchange to buy stocks, bonds and other investment vehicles with no concr ete and clear goal may also qualify as gambling. Gambling in the stock exchange is not a new phenomenon among many new traders. Gambling can be addictive and destructive at the same time. Gamblers are risk seekers because they go for all or nothing. It is motivated by compulsion or entertainment. Little or no research, risk seeking, unsystematic approach, emotion like greed and fear is evident, motivated by entertainment or compulsion. Gambling is encouraged by introduction of internet enabled online trading making it cheaper and quicker to trade in the markets as well as easier and pleasant access to the market, which is provided by stock tickers and comfortable rooms. Investing in the stock exchange is characterized by long time investment horizon. It is a progressive process aimed at generating progressive net worth. With longer time, the value of stocks bought is likely to appreciate thus enabling long time investors to have higher chances of generating positive results in the m arket. Investment also involves putting money to purchase assets used to produce goods or services or spending in activities that promotes production of goods or services with an aim of making a profit. Therefore, investment involves provision of capital to companies which need to accomplish their goals. In addition, investment is about setting goals of building wealth in the future. Investors are usually risk averse as they try as much as possible to avoid risk unless they will be adequately compensated. Finally, investment is about risk aversion, systematic approach and is done after doing sufficient research. Who Gambles and Who Invests A person who invests in the long time horizon is an investor. Over time the value of the stock market is likely to increase, thus odds work in the favor of the investor. This indicates that the investor may lose money in the short term but gain in a longer time. Furthermore, in the stock market the outcome is not random. If a person takes a delibe rate step to research, and analyzes which stock to buy as well as develop a detailed plan and takes a much longer time horizon, then he or she is said to be an investor because he or she has better chances of succeeding or getting positive results. Doak (45) asserts that real investors invest after a rigorous research, they form their own opinions. Investors know and understand that well run companies will have the value of their stock rise while poorly

Professional Ethical Standards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Professional Ethical Standards - Essay Example The application process itself can be very lengthy and take several months to go through, with more than one interview, background checks, a driver’s license history, drug test and any other documents the Department of Corrections requires. The duties of the correctional officer: Provide security for public safety Provide security for staff and offenders To conduct counts and ensure all inmates are accounted for To pass out the mail to the offenders To collect the mail from the offenders To ensure that all inmates report to their job assignments To ensure that the dormitory is cleaned daily To ensure that the inmates are given the opportunity to eat meals To monitor the offender during yard time To search staff and visitors as they enter the prison, ensuring no contraband is brought in To search offenders in search of contraband To complete paperwork daily To inventory equipment daily Pass out medication Attend training classes Be flexible Be without actions, conducts, and beh aviors’ unbecoming or professional for an employee of the Department of corrections The shifts for all correctional officers’ start out the same, whether you are on first, second, or third shift. All officers entering a state prison or a county jail will be required to have their lunch bags searched and must clear a metal detector. Once clearing the security each officer will report to their assigned post. Count will be conducted to ensure that all offenders are accounted for upon arrival of the new shift. The officer will conduct an inventory of all equipment and medication on hand. The officer will then begin the daily log and tool check inventory. Work call will be announced and most of the offenders will exit the dorm to report to their own work area. The officer will now monitor the housemen to ensure that the dorm is cleaned and supplies have been issued. Housemen are usually inmates who have served a good amount of their time with good behavior, no incidents rep orts or write ups, and have been model inmates. Housemen gain the title of ‘housemen’ and are then allowed to stay in the dormitory and to keep the dormitory clean. The officer will check the security of all doors and windows and make thirty minutes radio checks to the control room, to ensure officer safety. The officer will enforce the rules and monitor the offender’s behavior. An officer must be alert and be willing to go into harm’s way to help other staff members and the offenders as well. Public safety is the number one task an officer must always be aware of. There are many visitors that go inside the prison and jails and officers must ensure their safety above all else. The officer must also be able to maintain their own stress levels and pay attention to the surroundings at all times. Medical emergencies do happen inside of prisons and jails. All officers are trained to perform CPR and expected to do CPR if the situation calls for it. Officers are required to hold their certification in weapons and have 40 hours of training a year to refresh their basic training. The ratio inside of a prison is usually about three to one; this is also the case in the jails. Inmates greatly outnumber officers so it is especially important that you be able to communicate effectively and treat inmates appropriately, while also being fair. Medical passes and issues may come up during your shift and you should know how to honor them

Strategic planning and Control Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Strategic planning and Control - Coursework Example This learning statement is dedicated to outlining the learning that took place and how the learning came about. The module exposed me to two types of learning which were desk learning and field learning. Each of these two brought about different forms of learning for me. For example the desk learning which involved reading from books, articles and the PPT files given by the lecturer exposed me to concepts about planning and control. Today, I know that planning is the fulcrum around which any successful organisation revolves (Bazin, 2012). I have also come to learn that without planning, an organisation cannot be said to have a future (Gunder, 2003). Planning is also very important in setting targets based on several areas of the organisation such as marketing, taxes, logistics, research and development, promotions, and production (Roy, 2008). Indeed through the PPT, I have come to learn how to use PEST analysis, SWOT analysis, Ansoff matrix, Porter’s five forces and many more to strategically plan an organisation (Allmendinger & Gunder, 2005). The field learning involved those concepts and knowledge I acquired whiles involving myself in real interaction with people including colleagues in my team and customers on the market. As a result of the field learning also, I have come to learn so much about market demographic dynamics where I now that the best way to serve any given market is to have a thorough understanding of the different forms of needs available to the customer (Das, Binod, Kar & Rauno, 2012). Indeed the field learning also helped in developing several soft skills in me, most of which focused on communication skills, leadership skills, interpersonal relations skills, time management, ethics and courtesy, and critical thinking skills. An example of instance that can be cited as accounting for the development of the soft skills is when I needed to interact with

Web Based Delphi Information System Research Paper

Web Based Delphi Information System - Research Paper Example Property management systems are computerized systems that are used in the manufacturing, logistic, government and hospitality industry for managing properties. PMS is single software capable of performing numerous services including, management of personal property, equipment, and the associated legalities. In this digital age where web based applications such as PMS provide a competitive edge over old-fashioned, paper-based management mechanisms, these applications should entirely be incorporated into the business environment of any organization. This paper attempts to explore the advantages the PMS software such as Delphi would have on the hospitality environment such as chains of hotels. The hotel industry is made up of ventures interlinked together to provide wholesome services to consumers. Starting from reservations all the way to check out, all this activities need to be documented in a harmonious way. The adoption of technology is therefore necessary to promote interoperabili ty as well as efficiency. The many hotel systems such as point-of-sale, telephone, security and room control, entertainment and ordering, telephone services, accounts, HR and payroll among others are comprehensively packaged together in single PMS software. By automating these services, better customer service is achieved, which encourages spending, and consequently better returns. The automation can be achieved at a single entity or/and integrated throughout a worldwide chains.

Is Online Education Good or Bad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Is Online Education Good or Bad - Essay Example As the essay stresses learning is a basic constituent in a person’s general personal as well as working life. In the past, students would attend ‘bricks and mortar’ classes to attain an education before entering the workforce. While this is still the main trend in the acquisition of education, the latter part of the 20th century has seen more students take advantage of courses that are offered online. There are many universities today that offer lectures online for students who may be unable to attend classes for one reason or another. There are also online based colleges that promise degrees for a much less price than traditional bricks-and-mortar institutions.  This discussion highlights that  the online courses offered by bricks-and-mortar institutions are, for the most part, genuine because they identify with the recognized universities that offer them. Moreover, there are the online-based universities that offer all their lectures online. Many of such ins titutions are not usually accredited. The online environment provides numerous opportunities for people situated in different parts of the world to be able to benefit from various educational courses. Indeed, its original objective was to provide a more cost-effective way for people without the financial resources required by traditional colleges to be able to benefit from a college education. Moreover, there are people who have established universities online that claim to offer courses to all people at cheaper prices than those of bricks-and-mortar universities. For most such institutions, the delivery of high quality education is not an important objective. There are different factors that illustrate concerns about such institutions. Some of these include: The Role of Commercialization in Online Education. Lectures from online-based institutions are not appropriate for students because these institutions are mainly concerned with benefiting from commercialization, and are, thus, quite self-serving (Anderson, 45). Even though it is not a fact that is admitted often by the chief academic officers of online-based universities, most officials of such institutions are mainly concerned with the bottom line. This is because they get rewarded for creating policies that result in higher enrollments, greater retention of registered students, and higher levels of success. According to Noble, â€Å"universities are aware that they can get and keep more students by offering online courses which are cheap in comparison to traditional classes†, (Noble, 26). This is why they charge more for the introduction of newer courses which they then add to the curriculum. So far, online education from online-based institutions is the fastest growing industry in the for-profit sector (Donaldson, Agra, Alshammari, Bailey, Bowdoin, Kendle, Nixon, and Wressell, 49). It has also been aggressively promoted by for-profit universities and colleges. It is marketed because it saves cos ts by delivering lessons to thousands of students simultaneously, thus decreasing instructional costs.

Henry Clay's views of slavery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Henry Clay's views of slavery - Essay Example To put action to words, he, of his own free will, freed his slaves, many years before the Civil War and the emancipation (NPR para 4). Clay was one of the people who President Lincoln admired a lot, and his drive for the emancipation must have emanated from this. In fact, Clay and Lincoln seem to have shared the same socio-political philosophy when it came to leadership. For instance, Clay is quoted as having said that he would rather be right than president. This was indication of how his view on slavery was hindering his political career. There have been conflicting arguments on how the abolition of slavery affected the economy of the United States. Some feel that the abolition was a big loss to the economy, especially the southern parts of America which were too dependent on slave labour for their extensive agricultural activities. Slave labour was fundamental in allowing the southern farmers to be able to continue being large-scale producers. In fact, although the southern parts constituted only about thirty percent of the population at the time, it was able to produce a majority of the agricultural products such as cotton which was in great demand, and other food crops. With the abolition of the slaves, these farmers could not access the cheap and affordable labour the farmers were getting from the slaves. The economic impact of the abolition of slavery can also be considered in terms of the productivity of an individual. The question in this case would be, were slaves more productive while in slavery than they were while free? In one way, it can be argued that slaves, due to the fact that they were to work constantly, were more productive. A free person on the other hand, can do work in one day which will give him enough income to help his family for three days. In this regard, such a person may end up being idle for the rest of the days. This argument has however been countered, especially by modern research on human motivation. For instance, Abraham Mas low, a psychologist, established that human motivation changes from time to time in a hierarchical manner depending on the various levels of human needs. These conflicting issues of slavery can be best seen in Henry Clay’s attitude towards slavery. Henry was a representative who influenced a lot of issues in USA politics and economics and at one time was openly opposed to slavery. Yet, in spite of his stand on slavery, he himself owned slaves (NPR, 2010). This is an indication that although opposed slavery on moral grounds, he still could appreciate the economic importance of slavery. The other way in which the impact of emancipation can be considered is by looking at the value of a slave. Although the actual value of a slave could not have been calculated accurately, it can be estimated. A slave was bought at about $200 and was estimated to have a value of $800 to $100 when future value of his work is considered. It is estimated that there were four million slaves, giving a value of $400 of the slaves who lived during the time of emancipation. This would mean that this value of the economy was destroyed just by freeing the slaves. However, this argument is valid only in theory but falls short in practice. Freeing a slave did not nullify his or her economic value but only shifted the value from one owner to another (from the slave master to the slave). In this regard, it cannot be said that freeing the slaves nullified their

Interpersonal skills and team techniques Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Interpersonal skills and team techniques - Essay Example When we talk about teams, one of its qualities is the cohesive and interactive nature of team work. To build and amplify these characteristics, some of these interpersonal skills need to be developed. (Shepherd et al., 2007) Listen: Listening is more than hearing. It is the ability to understand what the other person is saying (Bostrom, 1997). Team members need to listen to others so that problems and solutions can be discussed effectively. Reflect: Reflection is the ability to reflect and think about the past and present situations. It also builds cohesion in teams as team members get the opportunity to analyze and think about their behaviors and actions against other team members. Facilitate: Facilitating includes helping out and aiding fellow team members. This skill creates trust between the team members as they know that if they require some assistance, other team members are there to watch one’s back. Communicate: Communication is considered the most essential skill that a person must possess to clearly put across one’s ideas and solutions. Clear and complete communication is required to remove any misunderstandings in teams. A person having a good set of interpersonal skills is expected to prosper working in teams or even independently. These skills must be taught and promoted throughout the organization for the following reasons. Reduces Conflict: A good and effective communication leaves no room for misunderstanding, hence there is lesser chance of conflicts arising in teams. In cases of disagreement, a team leader can intervene and clarify the situation to resolve the conflict. (AMA) Increased Participation: Communication and listening skills encourages team members to increase participation in meetings and be more social. This increases the input from all members thus they would feel comfortable working in the team environment. A

Critical Analysis of A Mother in Dubliners Essay Example for Free

Critical Analysis of A Mother in Dubliners Essay In the short story, A Mother, James Joyce highlights four different aspects: Theme, Style, Language used, and the Characteristics of the Characters. There are five different themes highlighted in the story. The first one is Paralysis, which is the central theme for all the stories in Dubliners. In this story, paralysis is shown with the storys main character, Mrs. Kearney, who is constantly relying and depending on her daughter, providing her with a very good education and making her follow a career in music. Paralysis could also be seen with Kathleen Kearney, who was forced by her mother to follow a musical career, and the way some people eventually say that she has no future in music whatsoever. The second theme, marriage, deals with the way it is portrayed in a negative way. Mrs. Kearney got married out of spite, and there isnt much romance in the relationship between her and her husband, although this doesnt suggest that she has completely given up her romantic ideas. We also see the portrayal of husbands and wives, or family life in general, in a negative way. See more: how to write a good critical analysis essay The third theme is class distinction. This is to do with how Mrs. Kearney keeps on bragging to her friends that her husband is taking her and her daughter to Skerries and they spend their money on Kathleens education and music lessons, to help prepare her for the concerts. Another aspect that highlights this theme s Ms. Kearnys use of language, which is that of an upper class, and this shows that she received an education that was as good as her daughters. The fourth theme is culture and religion. Certain aspects of culture are highlighted when we are told about the grand concerts, which are part of the Irish revival. Also, we see the way the Irish language is kept alive, like the way Mrs. Kearney and her friends say good-bye in Irish. As for religion, we find out that Mr. Kearney was very religious and he often went to church by himself. The final theme is materialism. This is to do with the way Mrs. Kearney is opportunistic, and how she is persistent with her daughter receiving money for all her performances. Joyce uses a satirical writing style in this story. This means that he is making fun of the characters indirectly/subtly. For example, the narrator refers to the concerts as grand, when in reality they are a failure, and the way Mr. Holohans friends call him Happy Holohan. Also, the way he refers to the artists in the concert as artistes. Another aspect of Joyces style is impressionism. This is to do with how the narrator just tells us about the story (gives us a feedback) without revealing anything to us. For example, the narrator tells us the story through the way he sees it. He does not state his opinion, but instead he leaves us with what information we received from him to come up with our own conclusions of the characters. Naturalism is another aspect of Joyces style. He uses real places and real names in the story to give the reader a sense of place. The language Joyce assigned to the narrator is simple and flamboyant. For example, People said she was very clever, a very nice girl and a believer in the language movement (p. 155). There are two forms of language spoken by the narrator: Speaking about the characters and providing information (Miss Devlin had become Mrs. Kearney out of spite She was educated in high-class convent ), and speaking on behalf of the characters (People said she was a very nice girl ). When reading the story, we reach a few conclusions about the characters. Mrs. Kearney is revealed as a snob, conceited woman living in middle-class Dublin, and received a high-class education. We see that she has a harsh and cold attitude (Her ivory manners were admired She sat among the chilly circle of her accomplishments). Mr. Kearny is a pious and sober man, he does not have a romantic relationship with his wife (not enough love), but he is always there to help and support his wife. Mr. Fitzpatrick represents the negative side of the male characters. Because of him, the concert ended in failure. In this story, Joyce has highlighted many aspects, ranging from themes to style, and he elaborated on them with detail, which helps the reader understand the way he portrays real life in Dublin.

Creative Writing Essay Example for Free

Creative Writing Essay Muscles and staring blue eyes looked back at the Eliot zombie. Ellie screamed. Then fell to the floor. Eliot then started to rip up her face. He put it to his mouth and started chewing it. Back in the tunnel the group was getting bored. Ive had enough of this, said Harry, Im going to go and look for some food, anyone coming? Ill go, replied Beth, Im getting quite hungry myself. The pair walked out the tunnel and went right. There has to be some food round here, Harry said optimistically. Whats that? Beth said confused. On the horizon they saw a sort of shack. It looked like a bomb shelter. Harry and Beth ran to the building. They opened that door. It swung open with a creak. In front of them were some barrels at the back, some shelves on the side with some boxes on, and a trap door in the centre of the room. Have a look on them shelves, maybe there is some food in them boxes, Harry said bossily. The duo searched the shelves in search of food. Beth screamed. There was a spider. I hate spiders. Beth turned a shade of red. Harry found a flashlight. Come on, theres no food in here. Lets have a look under that trapdoor. Harry said, starting to get agitated by the lack of food. He pulled the door up above his head. A rusty staircase stood below them. They got to the bottom of the stairs. Harry turned on the flashlight. The torchlight showed stalactites hanging from the roof like the dead bodies of criminals that had been hung centurys ago, there was a pool of water at the back of the cave. Huge cobwebs went up the sides of the cave. Bones were scattered on the ground. Beth and Harry could hear scuttling behind them, they turned around. There was nothing there. Then something gooey dropped on Beths shoulder. They looked up and saw a twenty five foot spider looking down at them with its eight eyes. Beth screamed. The spider raised its abdomen and shot a sticky string at her. She tried to run but the web stopped her. Beths body was wrapped up in a silk tomb. Harry could still hear her screaming. HELP! The spider came down from its web. It stabbed its sting into her back, injecting her with a nerve poison. Beth screamed louder than before. Her body began to shake. She fell to the ground. The spider then dragged her body back up to its web. Harry could still hear faint screaming. Then it stopped. Her body was, twitching like someone who has just drank five cups of coffee. Harry ran backwards, but he tripped over a bone. Looking into the darkness, He heard a buzzing. A giant bug flew out and It grabbed him with two of its six hue legs, its large, bulbous eyes stared at him. The buzzing from its wings almost deafened him. It took him up to its nest. It pinned him down and spayed a liquid into his face. His face started to burn. His eyes started to melt. Harry started screaming. Giant maggots came out of the nest. They hadnt eaten in years. They bit into Harry. They ripped his body limb from limb. The maggots then ate the rest of his body while the bug flew back into the darkness. Waiting for the next unsuspecting victim to wander into is trap. Guy, Lorna and Laura were waiting in the other tunnel. They were starting to get hungry. Look over there, said Lorna, there is a light, maybe there is some food. The group moved down the tunnel. When the group got to the light hundreds maybe thousands of zombies were stumbling about in front of them. Laura screamed. The noise had attracted the zombies attention. Right you two, get out. Ill run down there and maybe the zombies will follow me. Said Lorna, bravely, Good luck. Thanks Lorna, said the pair. She ran off making loads of noise and waving her arms about. The zombies followed her down another tunnel. Come on, lets get out. Guy noticed an opening in the roof. Up there; an escape Guy said quickly. Guy and Laura heard a scream from down the tunnel. The zombies had caught up with Lorna. The pair ran up some ladders up to a metal platform. Quick move. Laura you first. Laura had gotten through the hole in the ceiling when a zombie came up behind guy and grabbed him. It pulled him to the ground. NO! GUY! screamed Laura. QUICK! SAVE YOURS Guy was cut off. The zombie ripped open his torso. Laura could see all of Guys internal organs. His heart was still beating slowly. Guy screamed. Then stopped moving. The zombie plunged his hand into Guys corpse like a policeman dunking a jam doughnut into a hot cup of coffee. He got a hand full of Guys intestines and brought it to its rotten mouth. It sunk its teeth into the organs. Blood dropped onto is ripped, stained shirt. No! Laura wept. She crawled out of the hole and stood on top of the mountain. She stopped and thought of all of her friends, Eliot, Lorna, Guy, Beth, Harry, Ellie, Sam and Nadim. Tears streamed down her face and dripped onto the sandy floor, making a small puddle. Suddenly a pair of blood stained hands burst out. They latched on to her foot. Holding on as tight as it could. Laura yelled. The zombie pulled Laura back towards the hole she crawled through. She dropped back through the floor. She could see guys body. He was pale. Laura was screaming. The zombies that were distracted had come back. Laura could see familiar faces in the crowd of death. Eliot, Lorna, Ellie and Nadim were lurching towards her. She looked back over to Guy. His body started to move. He stood up. His liver and stomach fell from his body and splattered on the ground. His ribcage swung back and forth like saloon doors in a gale. Laura jumped down from the platform. Come on! Youre going to have me, so have me! Laura shouted. She ran into the middle of the crowd yelling. A scream echoed through the cave. Then it all went quiet. Nothing could be heard apart from the groaning of the dead. By James Haselden 10T1 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Miscellaneous section.

Examining Poverty And Child Protection Acts Social Work Essay

Examining Poverty And Child Protection Acts Social Work Essay The area of poverty and child protection with black African families has been the source of controversy in British social work research for many decades. Many researchers find a correlation between economic deprivation such as poverty and social exclusion and parenting behaviour and practice, child-rearing capabilities and skills which are a prerequisite for proper child development anywhere in the world. Moreover, according to Jordan (2001) poverty is strongly correlated with reports of abuse and neglect. For instance, the National Centre for Children in Poverty found in 1990 that the incidence of child abuse and neglect, as well as the severity of the maltreatment reported, is much greater for children from low-income families than for others (Jordan, 2001 p.1). As a large number of Africans in the UK live below the poverty line, it may be reckoned that most black African children on the child protection register live below the poverty line. Brophy et al (2003) argue that many families brought to the attention of the child protection system lives in extreme poverty and may experience social exclusion. Black African children living in the UK may be over-represented in the child protection system for reasons such as physical abuse or neglect; therefore it is understandable to say that there is a correlation between abuse and parenting behaviours and practices. The question is why African families and children living in poverty, who are alleged of child abuse, are over-represented in the child protection system? Sossou Yogtiba (2008) noted in their study that a child is the most valuable asset of any traditional African family, as children symbolise status, respect and completeness of the nuclear family, if that is the case, then it is ironical to see African families and their children to be over-represented in the child protection system. Many black African families in the UK still lives below the poverty-line though they undertake different types of unskilled or skilled jobs, they support large families in their countries of origin (Anane-Agyei, 2002). It is reckon that poverty is linked with other social disadvantages such as poor education, limited employment opportunities, and poor health and may have devastating consequences for childrens development and life chances. Research shows that many African families and their children have insecure immigration status and their existing financial predicaments only help to complicate their parenting behaviours and practices. Penrose (2002) study shows that African families seeking asylum in the UK are often forced to live at level of poverty that is just unacceptable, and this causes financial constraint in their duty to provide adequate childcare for their children. Unemployment levels are known to be very high among African families, and they are also subject of stigmat ization and prejudice by the larger community that are suppose to accept them. Some African families living in the UK are without jobs and are also not entitled to social and economic benefit and therefore find it difficult to raise their children as expected by the laws of the land. Children growing up with parents living in absolute poverty are deprived of proper childhood development as these poor parents go through financial, emotional and psychological trauma in their duty to care for these children. African families living in poverty and failing to provide good care for their children may be perceived by social work professionals as failing in their parental responsibilities. For this reason, social workers may intervene in such families and often than not they are drawn into the child protection system. Amin Oppenheim (2002) argue that the unfamiliar cultural expectation of black African families living in the UK somehow contribute to the high level of poverty they experience. Research shows that many African families suffer from institutional oppression including housing, employment, education and health which not only means that they are more likely to experience poverty and deprivation, but also more susceptible to social work interventions in child abuse or maltreatment allegations. Corby (1993) noted that it may be expected that black African children are over-represented in child abuse cases because their families are more open to surveillance as they show high levels of poverty that complicate their parenting behaviours. In a broader perspective, Pearce Bozalek (2004) emphasise that the child protection system that exist in Britain will be unfamiliar to many African families, especially those more recently arrived, as similar state systems do not exist in most African countries, particularly where socio-economic factors, political instability and violence overshadow intra-familial child maltreatment and effective intervention into child abuse and neglect (Bernard Gupta, 2006 p). Brophy et al (2003) study supports the above assertion that African families experience discrimination and insecurity in child abuse cases, as the tools for assessing abuse are often euro-centric bias and prejudice the families. Chand (1999) study expresses the awareness that black African families are disadvantaged through oppression in all areas of society and this should not reflect in social work practice. Gibbon et al (2003) findings show that the child protection system was picking up more alleged child abuse cases inappropriately and putting more families and children on the child protection register than children who are subject to social welfare procedures. Therefore the over-representation of African families on the child protection register somehow, undermines the government aim of keeping children with families and reducing the number of children that are drawn onto the child protection register. The Department of Health (1995) document on child protection identified some pertinent shortcomings with the child protection system. The system seems to encourage unnecessary child protection interventions in border-line child abuse cases, which in many instances may have emotional and traumatic effects on families and children. Bernard Gupta (2008) in their study of black African children and the child protection system suggest that there are a series of interactions between environ mental factors such as poverty, immigration status and social exclusion that affect the life chances of many African children and the capacity of their parents to provide adequate care. Dowling (1999) realise that social work practice in the UK focus less on poverty-alleviating strategies but throw more resources behind safeguarding and protecting vulnerable children from abuse or maltreatment. Social workers need to understand the context in which abuse occurs, irrespective of race and culture, to develop an assessment and intervention process that is fairer for black families as they are more likely to suffer racism and oppression. In view of the above argument, it is pertinent that social workers know when to employ preventative measures to support black African families who have financial needs and when to take such families through the child protection system in the quest for safeguarding children. All these factors together create complex needs for many African children living in the UK, and, in many circumstances increase their vulnerabilities which draw them into the child protection arena. It can be argued that social workers have limited training and skills to understand the consequences of poverty on parents capabilities to provide adequate care for their children and this usually reflects in social work practice. Bernard Bernard (2008) argued that only by developing effective relationships with African families can social work professionals begin to understand their parenting behaviours and practices. 2.2 Poverty and Child Welfare Services Current literature shows that poverty experience by most black African families living in the UK could be alleviated by social work services that offer a pragmatic welfare services rather than drawing these families and children into the child protection system. Brophy et al (2003) study suggests that immigration and asylum issues, combined with poverty, are likely to be the reasons for the increased complexity for social work professionals assessing and intervening child abuse cases involving black African children. The Department of Health challenges social workers with the responsibility to implement Section 17 of the Children Act 1995, to provide adequate financial and social support for children in need via the child welfare services (Platt, 2006). However, social work agencies have not fully achieved the government agenda of alleviating poverty experience by many families and children due to inadequate resources at all levels of social work practice. The Department of Health have indicated that most families, struggle to bring up their children in conditions of material and emotional adversity (DoH, 2001). For instance black African families experiencing poverty may fail in their responsibility to provide proper care for their children as they spent almost all their time working to make ends meet. Such children hardly experience family treats such as going on a family holiday trip, having birthday parties and they are deprived of having basic playing toys and games that help children to learn and grow into adulthood. The lack of affordable basic needs for children of poor families complicated with other social adversities may contribute to poor children developing aggressive behaviours, low self-esteem, picking up awkward attitudes, and may to suffer from social deprivation. Fontes (2005) realises that many traditional immigrant families, where black Africans are part of, may use an authoritative style of parenting, demanding tot al obedience and respect from their children. Although these parental practices may not necessarily constitute child abuse, it clashes with the child-rearing norms of British culture, and seems to bring African children and families to the attention of the child protection system. When social workers start acknowledging borderline child abuse cases and understand the difficulties families living in poverty experience in raising their children, there would be a correct balance between when to employ a child protection intervention and a child welfare intervention (Spratt Callan, 2004). It is evident that children living in poverty may benefit from the child welfare services as stipulated in section 17 of the 1989 Children Act, as it aims at alleviating poverty in families and children in need (Platt, 2006). According to Thoburn et al (2007) investigations of alleged child abuse cases tend to focus more on risk assessment rather than assessment about developmental and social needs of the child in entity. In particular, social wor kers carrying out an investigation into alleged child abuse may not pick up parental and child upbringing issues resulting from poverty or social deprivation (Farmer and Owen, 2005). Brophy et al (2003) study concluded that many black African parents, saw state intervention in parenting as a complete anathema and distrust.., especially where they have immigrated from countries in political turmoil and with no child welfare services (Bernard Gupta, 2008 p.481). Arguably social work intervention in child maltreatment or abuse cases seems to contradict Section 17 of the Children Act, as recent research reveals high levels of satisfaction amongst parents and children receiving social welfare services compare to those families drawn into child protection (Tunstill and Aldgate, 2000). The relationship between social work mission with regard to poverty and the type of social work practice poses a dilemma for social workers. The refocusing initiative of social work practice, as defined by Platt (2006), in child abuse cases may benefit families living in extreme poverty, only when social work interventions aim at promoting social change in families. Thus, social welfare interventions promote and empower families with financial difficulties and who also suffer social exclusion to develop appropriate parental behaviours and skill that encourage proper child care (Monnickendam and Monnickendam, 2009). 2.3 Poverty and Parenting Practices Poverty among many black African families affects the physical and emotional developments of African children living anywhere in the world. Poverty may influence parents behaviours and capabilities to provide for their families the basic needs of life. Bernard Gupta (2008) study highlights the limited attention given to child-rearing practices of African families in child welfare research in the UK. Different child-rearing practices exist in different cultures, but there is just one kind of child-rearing practice that is considered normal. Many research findings point out to the fact that poverty- related parenting practices influence the lives of many African children involved in the child protection system. Thus, Child (1999) comments that when differences in child-rearing and ethnicity are explored the black family is often pathologized and their strengths ignored. For instance black African families are too strict and beat their children or tend to punish their children in a mor e punitive way. Therefore according to Chand (1999) discipline is one area where African families are found to be over-represented in the child protection system. It is important, that social workers redirect attention from child protection interventions to the provision of preventative to support families in need. Shor (2000) argue that the relationship between values and child upbringing patterns illuminates the relationship between poverty and parenting behaviours, as parents from low social class differ in terms of the values they uphold for their children. Shor (2000) also argue that there is correlation between black African mothers with low income status using a more authoritarian approach of caring for their children than mothers with high income status. Thus, according to Fontes (2005), many traditional immigrant families may use an authoritative style of parenting, demanding total obedience and respect from their children, although this parental behaviour may not necessari ly constitute child abuse, but may contravene the norms of the land, and bring such parents to the attention of the child protection system. It is therefore paramount for social work professionals working with black African families living in the UK to develop the requisite knowledge and skills, not only across diverse cultures but understanding the affect of poverty and social exclusion on parental behaviours and capabilities. Poverty tends to breed a kind of parenting practices that make children experience unpleasant devastating lifestyle because their parents hardly can afford to care for them. Even where it is evident that a child has suffered significant harm and the child need to be removed from the family, the style of intervention process deploy by the social work team should be such that it empowers the affected families to develop new coping skills and behaviours for future parenting. It is therefore paramount for social workers to have some knowledge and understand the d iversity of parenting practices that exist in contemporary social work practice so as to discern unacceptable behaviours from unacceptable behaviours. The consequences of misconstruing what behaviour is unacceptable may either draw more black African children and their families into the child protection system or undermine the commitment by social workers to safeguard vulnerable children from the risk of significant harm. 2.4 The Government Regulatory Policies In the early 1990s there was an enormous government effort to develop and promote policies which challenge the influence of a child protection culture on management and social work practice, which has been perceived as distorting the balance of service provision to children and families (Spratt and Callan, 2004). The refocusing initiative necessitated the shift in social work practice from what appeared to be an overly child protection perspective towards a child welfare orientation in the United Kingdom (Platt, 2006). According to Platt (2006) the advocacy for a shift in social work practice from an overly focus child protection work perspective towards a child welfare practice shows a gradual move towards poverty alleviation among poor families living in the UK. Both Parton(1995) and Pelton (1998) research supports the need to overcome pertinent obstacles in the manner social work is practice to achieve social change at family or community levels, and emphasised the failure of the child-care systems attempt to manage child protection risks and meet the needs of children and their families. However, the governments policy as stated in the 1989 Children Act aims to integrate child protection and child welfare services. According to Platt (2006) many children who are subjects of section 47 investigations are also eligible for services as children in need. To reinstate public trust, the government have redefined the primary duties of local authorities within the context of the 1989 Children Act so as to safeguard and provide services needed by poor children by conducting initial assessments, rather than child protection investigations in borderline cases. This policy implementation has become possible by procedural adjustments to other legislative guidance such as Working Together to Safeguard Children and the subsequent implementation of the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families (Platt, 2006). The mid-1990s saw a growing consensus that many children who are subjects of Section 47 investigations due to alleged abuse or neglect are also eligible for services as children in need as in Section 17 of the 1989 Children Act (Platt, 2006). Often, Platt (2006) reckoned such children do not receive welfare services because local authority social work overly focuses on child protection rather than family support oriented services. In view of the refocusing initiative social workers have the legislative backing to approach families alleged of border-line child abuse to use the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families as guidance with a view to finding appropriate social work intervention practice that may address the needs of these children. In the UK the legislation on children welfare recommends all referrals of child abuse cases must initially be offered a comprehensive child in need assessment except in emergency cases or where it is suspected that a chi ld is suffering from significant harm (Platt, 2006). The Children Act (1989) is the main government legislation aiming to revolutionise social work practice and proceedings concerning the welfare of children in the UK. The Act considers the primary responsibility of child-rearing to rests with families and therefore, children interests will be served best by supporting them to grow up with their own family. Also the Children Act (1989) help harmonise family autonomy and to enable families to exercise their parental responsibilities without unnecessary state interference and for the state to support and protect children only where parents are failing to meet their children needs (www.dvon.gov.uk/child-protection-procedures accessed 09/01/2010). Under the Children Act 1989, local authorities have a general duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in need within their area. The legislation requires local authorities to assess a childs developmental needs so as to promote their welfare, and by doing so children are supported t o live with their families (www.dvon.gov.uk/child-protection-procedures accessed 09/01/2010). In the contrary Section 47 requires local authority to investigate when there is reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering, or is likely to suffer significant harm. The investigation will include an objective of the needs of the child, including the risk of abuse and need for protection, as well as the familys ability to meet those needs (www.devon.gov.uk/child-protection-procedures accessed 09/01/2010). Thus, social workers need to make judgements in child abuse cases on how to intervene so that children do not continue to leave in dangerous and risky situations or of removing children unnecessarily from their family. The dilemma of striking the right balance between child protection and child welfare services in child abuse cases is for social workers to base their judgement on pragmatic assessment of the needs of the children and the parental capability to cater for their children needs According to Spratt and Callan (2004) the Department of Health guidance documents Working Together to Safeguard Children and The Assessment Framework have been paralleled by initiatives to provide a steer on the direction of contemporary social work practice. CHAPTER THREE SOCIAL WORK PRACTICES In social work practice, it is important for social workers to base their work on theoretical assumptions, whether they are aware of them or not (Munro, 1998). This theoretical framework guides social workers in deciding who or what should be the primary focus of assessment or intervention and, as well as the objectives and the processes of social work practice (Healy, 2005). Many other writers like Fook et al (2000), who are of the view that social workers need to use theories in their work practice, also emphasized why social workers should develop the capacity to identify, use and develop social work theory in their practice (Healy, 2005). Social work has its roots in the struggle of society to deal with poverty and its consequential problems. Many researchers link social work practice to the ideology of charity work, but in a broader perspective social work embraces both the preventative and protective aspect of vulnerable people within society (www.globalvision.org Accessed on 1 4/12/2009). The term social work practice usually describes work undertaken with individuals, families, groups and communities. In the history of British social work practice, the term encompasses the use of social work knowledge and skills within the framework of social care organisation so as to enhance the provision of services and practice which is consistent with the BASW Codes of Practice. This concept of social work practice promotes protection, safeguarding and social inclusion and provides life opportunities for people using social work services. In the code of ethics, it is emphasise that for social work practice to be successful, social work agencies must work effectively with other affiliated organisations such as the police service, health service, and education service so as to promote children welfare (www.basw.co.uk/ accessed 01/02/2010). In the vast majority of instances social work practice is a collaborative activity not an individual activity whether as social worker employee or an independent social worker. Social work practice aims at changing peoples behaviours in the manner that will p rovide life options for people and to facilitate easy transitions of life situations (Smale et al, 2000). Social work is a demanding profession which is based on a body of values, knowledge, skills and personal attributes, and requires the commitment of social workers to continually upgrade their knowledge and skills in their field of practice. The International Federation of Social Workers states that: Social work bases its methodology on a systematic body of evidence-based knowledge derived from research and practice evaluation, including local and indigenous knowledge specific to its context. It recognizes the complexity of interactions between human beings and their environment, and the capacity of people both to be affected by and to alter the multiple influences upon them including bio-psychosocial factors. The social work profession draws on theories of human development and behaviour and social systems to analyse complex situations and to facilitate individual, organizational, social and cultural changes (www.ifsw.org accessed 14/01/2010 p.1). According Graham (1999) the history of African heritage in the development of social welfare and social work is found in the recesses of British history but it remains largely unacknowledged and sparsely documented as social work continues to be steeped in the professional milieu of an existing ethnocentric knowledge base and value system (p.263). Research evidence (Graham, 1999) shows that social work practice within the black African community in the UK has emerged out of concerns about the well-being of children and families whose experience of enslavement and servitude necessitated efforts to improve their life conditions. The Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work (CCETSW) recognises that the effects of racism on black African people are incompatible with the values of social work and therefore seeks to combat racist practices in all areas of its responsibilities (CCETSW, 1996). Dominelli (2002) advocates for anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory social work practice to delineate oppression and racism which breed some of the social problems that affect traditional social work target populations. Earlier research by Platt (1999) shows an increasing awareness among social workers that the traditional social work models are not effective in addressing the needs of African people in the UK. However, the current social work theory and practice which is founded on ethnocentric value systems, lack the necessary resources to address the needs of African families and their children. It is therefore pertinent for social work practice to be designed to reflect other diverse views and cultural values, particularly African families and their children who are more open to surveillance, as they also show high level of poverty. 3.1 Contemporary Social Work Practices It was not until the mid twentieth century when the International Federation of Social Workers, defined the core aim of social work to be alleviation poverty, liberating vulnerable and oppressed people with the ultimate aim to promote social inclusion (Horner, 2003). The Modernisation agenda introduced by the Labour government in 1997 set the foundation for the concept of collaboration and partnership to be established between professions and services. Following up to this, the concept of partnership and collaboration have become a working document for social work practice and underpin long term planning (Whittington, 2003). Crisp et al (2003) also found that when social workers engage with other inter-professional and multi-agency practice, it promotes prospect for common grounds with other professions, and the potential for professional differences to be recognised and negotiated. In contemporary social work practice, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) code of ethics emphasizes the importance for social workers to understand the centrality of relationships as an important vehicle for social change. Social workers are encouraged to engage service users as partners in helping them to attain the needed change. Most research shows that social work assessment and intervention are inherent features of contemporary practice in social work services. Social work assessment represents the entry of a systematic approach to establish a mutual relationship between a social worker and service users. Social work practice is characterised by the new balance in the relationship between the state and the family as social workers remain responsible for managing child protection risks and providing child welfare services within an integrated system. In Spratt and Callan (2004) study it is realised that the balance between safeguarding and promoting welfare services for children in need who are living with their families in the UK has not yet been achieved as set out in the government policy developments. Lord Lamings Report on the death of Victoria Climbie lead to the publication of the document, Every Child Matters, which set the priority for children not only to be protected from significant harm but to be safeguarded and their welfare promoted (Parton, 2006). A study paper published by the Department of Health (2001) indicates that many families regardless of their ethnicity and religion, struggle to bring up their children in conditions of poverty and social exclusions. Social exclusions and poverty make it extremely difficult for many African families to develop the appropriate parenting skills needed for proper child-rearing, and sometimes may overshadow child maltreatment. Pierce Bozalek (2004) suggest that many African families seeking asylum or migrated to the UK are unfamiliar with the British child protection system, as similar state systems do not exist in Africa, and therefore find the systems intimidating and unfriendly. Brophy et al (2003) argued that poverty among black African families may affect the development of many African children and their parents capacity to provide for them. It is therefore paramount that poverty is considered fully understand by social work professionals during the initial assessment of families i nvolved in alleged child abuse cases. Platt (1999) argued that the refocusing of social work intervention is a result of increasing number of child protection allegations referred into the system, and the proportion of cases leading to social work interventions. This type of intervention draws a large number of children into the child protection system compared to children who are subject to further welfare procedures. In the context of social work practices, it is important to consider the effectiveness of the child protection system, as it seems to achieve as much as could be expected in terms of the limited aim of preventing further abuse to identifiable vulnerable children. Social workers role may be considered as facilitating or empowering service users but, specialised skills and knowledge are needed to identify problems with families and their children involve in child protection and also to find sound interventions that would bring about the necessary social change. Crisp et al (2003) states that social work assessment involves collecting and analysing information about people with the aim of understanding their situation and determining recommendations for any further professional intervention (p.3). Monnickendam Monnikendam (2009) argue that the fundamental dilemma facing contemporary social work practice is the extent and manner to commit to social welfare policy or the extent to direct its efforts primarily to the poor and needy. Arguably social work practice that engage in social welfare policy tends to address poverty through macro-level intervention which aims at promoting social change, but social work practices aiming at individual families living in poverty result in poverty alleviation by assisting those in need to develop better lifestyle strategies. Thus, Monnickendam Monnikendam (2009) research shows that the aim of social work practice in attaining social change and dealing with poverty is hardly attainable only by micro practice. Henceforth the relationship between the mission of social work with regard to poverty and the type of social work intervention needed to protect and safeguard children from further abuse becomes a difficult challenge for social workers. .

Rosa Parks :: essays research papers

Rosa Parks Rosa Parks is an extraordinary person because she stood up against racism and stood up for herself. It was even harder for her because she is a woman, and in those days, things were much harder for woman. Rosa Parks hated the ways of her life. She had always dreamed of having freedom in her life. As she grew up, she went through different experiences that gave her courage and strength. One day, Rosa Parks had so much courage and strength that when her bus arrived to pick her up, she got on the bus, put her money in the slot, and sat in the front of the bus. Black people were supposed to sit in the back. The bus driver told her to move to the back, but she just sat there and refused to move. The driver called the police and they arrested Rosa Parks. The next day, Raymond Parks went to pick up Rosa from jail. When they got home, Rosa spoke about her time in jail. She had stood up to get a drink of water and the guard told her the drinking fountain was only for white people. This made her furious. On December 5, 1955 Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr. and JoAnn Robinson looked out of their windows, and stood on street corners watching all of the yellow buses drive by. There were hardly any black riders since Rosa Park's arrest. It was a miracle. People stopped riding the buses all because of Rosa Parks. Soon, the police were informed of the people standing on the street corners watching the buses drive by. The police watched the streets to make sure that the black people were not bothering the other bus riders. They tried guarding the bus stops. The police failed and the boycott was a success. A few months later, Rosa Parks once again started to climb aboard a bus. She stopped when she noticed a sign that read, "People don't ride the bus today. Don't ride the bus for freedom." Finally the rules for riding the buses were changed. 1. Black and white people could sit wherever they wanted to sit. 2. Bus drivers were to respect all riders. 3. Black people were now allowed to apply for driver positions. A lot of people wrote hate mail to Rosa Parks.

The Changing Image of Women Position in Chinese Film Since 1950s Essay

The Changing Image of Women Position in Chinese Film Since 1950s Since 1950s, after the Chairman Mao Zedong’s Yanà ¡n conference, art and literature had strictly become tools of promoting the ideology of Communist Party, that is, the product of art and literature in China can be classified as highly popanganda. Chairman Mao Zedong and his Communist Party strongly suggested the equality of both genders - male and female. To promote Mao’s theory, certain kind of strong female character's image had been created in films since 1950s, and furthermore, the images of these female characters were changing during the time period. The common features of the female characters in Chinese film are usually being victimize, they always suffered under certain convention feudal rules, the effect of capitalism, the landlord, or fall victim to certain politics. And the films always targeted on how these female characters fight against those reasons of suffering, and creating tensions to the narrative because these confrontations. During the Cultural Revolution, a very popular female image had created, it is the White Hair Girl (Baimao Nà ¼) (1972) This female character image is a tough, strong and full of hatred to the feudal landlord who insulted her and her family. Her desire is very obvious -- to revenge. And finally, she ended up with a heroic image in the film with the help from Chairman Mao Zedong and his Communist Party. However, this film rarely announced the realistic of a female character, that is, despite the obsession hatred of White Hair Girl toward the landlord, and the joy of starting a new life with the Communist Party, audience can rarely feel the other kind of emotion from this female character, for example, the desire of to be loved, is absent in this film. Therefore, in the other hand, another question had been raisen: Do the White Hair Girl necessary to be a female character when she hasn’t shown any of the desire of female? In this film, White Hair Girl is not necessary to be a female, only the reason for it is , a victimized female is more easy to grip audience’s sympathy. And this also suggested the position of women as women itself is not important during that period. But obviously, this film is just purely a popanganda from the Communist Party during the Cultural Revolution - a model performance (geming yangbanxi) ... ...story. The conflict of old convention and the suffered women are only just part of the problems in China. However, from the popularity of The Yellow Earth and The Red Sorghum in China, we can knew that the problems that similar to the films are still existed quite often in the recent China. This suggested that although the position of women image in the recent film had being risen, but still there are many women and social problem remains in China today. Bibliography: McDougall, Bonnie S., The Yellow Earth, The Chinese Univrsity Press, Hong Kong, 1991 Ng, Yvonne, Imagery and Sound in Red Sorghum, 1996 Filmography Cheung, Yimou, Red Sorghum, (1987) Chen, Kaige, The Yellow Earth, (1984) The White Hair Girl (Baimao Nà ¼) (1972) Bibliography: McDougall, Bonnie S., The Yellow Earth, The Chinese Univrsity Press, Hong Kong, 1991 Ng, Yvonne, Imagery and Sound in Red Sorghum, http://www.arts.uwaterloo.ca/FINE/juhde/yvo951.htm, 1996 Filmography Cheung, Yimou, Red Sorghum, (1987) Chen, Kaige, The Yellow Earth, (1984) The White Hair Girl (Baimao Nà ¼) (1972)

Considerations When You Buy an Existing Web Site :: Sell Websites Buy Websites

Considerations When You Buy an Existing Web Site Reprinted with permission of VotanWeb.com Almost everyone in the business of selling new websites offer impressive presentations projecting future sales and growth, but it's really just an educated guess about what may happen with any particular website in a given market niche. When all is said and done, all projected revenue and earnings on a new website are, to a certain extent, just hanging on a hope and a prayer. If you want to greatly improve your chances of success on the internet then should buy an existing website. A website that's already established and successful will allow you to get on the internet quickly while already having a track record of success. It just makes sense that your chances for success will be much greater. While it is not always easy to locate successful websites that the owners are willing to sell, there are still plenty of them around. The best way to find one is to use the services of an established website marketplace. We developed VotanWeb as the ideal platform to allow website owners to present their websites to the public. It is also the perfect tool for anyone with an interest in purchasing established turn-key websites. What is your perception of a "turn-key" website? Do you believe that if you purchase a turn-key website then you can just sit back and let the money roll in? Remember, although the table has been set by the current website owner, the website still requires your input and management to ensure it is a success. Buying an existing website does have some advantages, but it is by no means a guarantee of success. The website developer may have already done demographic and marketing studies evaluating the existing customer base, profile of website traffic, etc. Of course, the website seller cannot guarantee your success nor will they guarantee any projected revenues or profits. Probably the most attractive feature of buying an existing website from the buyer's point of view is that you can investigate any existing website much easier than you can research an idea for a non-existing website. The reason for this is because you will be able to research the existing website as well as other websites in the same or similar markets. You can also communicate with the current website owner and they will be a wealth of information for you. Considerations When You Buy an Existing Web Site :: Sell Websites Buy Websites Considerations When You Buy an Existing Web Site Reprinted with permission of VotanWeb.com Almost everyone in the business of selling new websites offer impressive presentations projecting future sales and growth, but it's really just an educated guess about what may happen with any particular website in a given market niche. When all is said and done, all projected revenue and earnings on a new website are, to a certain extent, just hanging on a hope and a prayer. If you want to greatly improve your chances of success on the internet then should buy an existing website. A website that's already established and successful will allow you to get on the internet quickly while already having a track record of success. It just makes sense that your chances for success will be much greater. While it is not always easy to locate successful websites that the owners are willing to sell, there are still plenty of them around. The best way to find one is to use the services of an established website marketplace. We developed VotanWeb as the ideal platform to allow website owners to present their websites to the public. It is also the perfect tool for anyone with an interest in purchasing established turn-key websites. What is your perception of a "turn-key" website? Do you believe that if you purchase a turn-key website then you can just sit back and let the money roll in? Remember, although the table has been set by the current website owner, the website still requires your input and management to ensure it is a success. Buying an existing website does have some advantages, but it is by no means a guarantee of success. The website developer may have already done demographic and marketing studies evaluating the existing customer base, profile of website traffic, etc. Of course, the website seller cannot guarantee your success nor will they guarantee any projected revenues or profits. Probably the most attractive feature of buying an existing website from the buyer's point of view is that you can investigate any existing website much easier than you can research an idea for a non-existing website. The reason for this is because you will be able to research the existing website as well as other websites in the same or similar markets. You can also communicate with the current website owner and they will be a wealth of information for you.

Mexican Immigrant Life and Americanization in the 1920’s

In his book, Major Problems in Mexican American History, Zaragosa Vargas describes the Mexican Immigrant experience from 1917-1928. He begins by assessing the Protestant religious experience for a Mexican in the early 1920’s, and then describes Mexican life in both Colorado in 1924 and Chicago in 1928. After defending Mexican Immigrants in 1929, he includes an outline of an Americanization program, followed by an anecdote of a Mexican immigrant in the 1920’s. Vargas uses these documents to show the evolvement of Americanization of Mexicans from a community goal to a societal demand. Vargas begins with the Mexican Immigrant experience in the early 1920’s, and describes it mostly as a community project spearheaded by the Church and called for the aid of volunteers. The children learned and studied English in school, so the programs focused mostly on courses in English for the wives and mothers of the community. These English courses consisted mostly of vocabulary for familiar and most frequently seen objects. Sunday schools resulted from this process, and in turn made way for the development of night schools, clinics, an employment bureau, and a boys and girl’s club. In Colorado in 1924, Mexicans played a respectable role in society as not only a decent part of the population, but also the labor force. Spanish-Americans took a notable part in politics, and were involved in many occupations that included mostly agriculture, mining, and steel works. The recreation was also important to Spanish-American life in Colorado; the somewhat newly developed buildings were a source of community for many. Mexicans in Chicago in 1928, Vargas argues, lived a very different lifestyle and endured different hardships than the Mexicans in the Southwest. They were a much smaller part of the community, consisting of small, well-defined neighborhoods and several smaller less defined colonies. These Mexicans lived in the poorest houses in these neighborhoods, and most buildings guaranteed poor living conditions for these families. Employment only came certain times during the year when demand for labor was high, and it was the Mexicans who suffered most when certain industries reduced labor. In the words of Anita Edgar Jones, â€Å"They are the last to arrive and the first to be laid off† (Vargas). Mexican Life in Chicago during this time period served as a temporary solution for many families as they moved from recent arrivals to a more desirable place with better opportunity as they became more established and stabilized. Some neighborhoods were poorly organized for recreation, and even lacked Spanish-speaking employees at their community or recreation centers. Communities also lacked a Spanish-speaking priest, which is evidently different from early Americanization programs implemented in the Southwest in the early 1920’s. After addressing and defending most of the problems of Mexican Immigration in 1929, Vargas moves on to an outline of a typical Americanization program in 1931, where the Mexican Immigrant experience evolved from a community project that supported and encouraged Mexican assimilation, to a list of demands and requirements for Mexican and Spanish Americans to be acceptable members of society. Vargas uses these documents to show the progression of assimilation of Spanish Americans and Mexican immigrants into American society in the 1920’s. The life of a Mexican Immigrant during this time was very taxing, and these Americanization programs were used as a tool to attempt to create a society that operated under certain ideologies and values. As a result, this created an even stronger division between cultures, and prevented assimilation of the two groups.