Research a civil society organistain and detail its main tactics and Assignment

Research a civil society organistain and detail its main tactics and approached in regards to business - Assignment Example CSOs are the legally constituted corporations created by natural or legal people for the purpose of societal welfare (Craig, Taylor and Parkes, 2004). However, these establishments work independently from the government. One of the major characteristics of CSOs or NGOs is that these forms of establishments are non profitable organizations. Hence, their principal aim is not to make profits but to look after the welfare of people (Fine, 2006). This report aims at illustrating the main tactics and approaches used by a CSO in its relationship with business. In addition, the report also aims to summarise if and to what extent its tactics have evolved over time and will elucidate the discernible changes in the tactics. Lastly the study will evaluate the strategies used by the CSO and on the basis of that recommendation will be provided to the CSO in terms of improving or strengthening its activities (Barratt, 2009; Child and Gronbjerg, 2007). The civil society organizations or the non-gove rnmental organization chosen for this study is Mercy Corps. Therefore for better understanding, the study will at first present a brief overview of the chosen CSO. Mercy Corps: A Brief Overview Mercy Corps is an international aid agency which works towards the betterment of transitional environments that has gone through certain kinds of jolts such as natural disaster, economic collapse, or conflicts. The principal intention of this CSO is to assist people who have been a victim of the environmental collapse. It was founded in the year 1979 by humanitarian Ellsworth Culver and Dan O'Neill (Bonn and Baker, 2000). The establishment is currently headquartered in Portland, Oregon and is currently headed by Neal Keny-Guyer, who is the present CEO of the company. It has around 3700 employees and operates in 40 countries around the world (mercycorps, 2013a). The employees of the company attempt to aid victimised people on an urgent basis. For instance, the employees try to bring in food an d supplies as early as possible in order to enable the people restore their previous situation. This is achieved by various kinds of market-led and community-driven programs. The activities of the employees clearly reflect the enthusiasm of the organization towards the welfare of the society. Mercy Corps mostly recruits local people. As per reports, the company has 93% local employees as they believe local employees will be beneficial for their local knowledge. The CSO works for the betterment of failing states, conflict zones and nations that endured natural disasters. It remains active in places such as Zimbabwe, Somalia, Congo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Haiti and Indonesia among others (Bichsel, 2008). In these countries, women education is usually ignored, livelihood of a family is a matter of doubt and a child’s health is always a cause of concern. Hence, to get rid of these issues, the CSO works proactively and responds immediately. Mercy Corps prioritizes its activi ties on the basis of the urgency of the situation and also listens to the local inhabitants (Migdalovitz, 2010). Interestingly, Mercy Corps caters an area or locality for extended time periods in order to foster local entrepreneurship opportunities, inspire marketplaces through "cash for work" programs and a range of lending models for rebuilding social capital. Mercy Corps initiates several programs which allow them to gain market reputation and simultaneously

The factors affecting the resistance of a metalic conductor Essay Example for Free

The factors affecting the resistance of a metalic conductor Essay I1 12 As I have found from my experiments, the results I obtained show that the factors I predicted of affecting the resistance of a wire have proved true. Firstly, the factor of length increasing and resulting in an increase of resistance of the wire held true, because, as I varied the lengths of the wire form 50cm to 200cm the resistance increased from approximately 5 to 20. Secondly, the factor of the cross sectional area increasing and resulting in a decrease of the resistance of the wire also held true, because as I varied the cross sectional areas of the wire from 0. 4mm to 0. 91 mm, the resistance went from approximately 5. 4 to 0. 9. The above-mentioned results occur due to the fact of how many free electrons are being conducted through the wires of different lengths and areas.   In the case of length; the resistance increases as the length increases because a wire with a shorter distance will have a smaller amount of atoms for the free electrons to hit. Whereas a wire with a longer distance will have more atoms for the electrons to hit and the resistance gradually increases as a result.   In the case of the cross-sectional area; a wire with a greater area allows more electrons to flow through it as well as having more channels for the electrons to flow through it. As a result the resistance decreases, because current can flow without any restrictions. Whereas a wire with a smaller area all a smaller number of electrons to flow through it resulting in diminished flow of current through the wire. Thus the resistance increases because the current is flowing with restrictions. From the graphs on the following pages, I have illustrated my results obtained from my experiments and done so with the relationship between the current [I] and the voltage [V]. As predicted earlier, the graphs explain how, as the length of the wire increases, the resistance also increases, as shown in the graph I. As well as explaining how, as the cross sectional area of the wire increases, the resistance decreases, as seen in graph II. I have also plotted a graph to the effect on the resistance of the wire when a specific type of circuit is being used. A series circuit effect is seen in graph III and a parallel circuit effect is seen in graph IV. GRAPH I:   Length as a factor affecting the resistance of a wire: From the graph, we can see that the shorter the wire, the steeper the slope. Each line represents the wires I used that were of lengths ranging from 50cm to 200cm. The 50cm wire line has the steepest slope, thus we say it has the lowest resistance, while the 200cm wire has the least steep slope and we say it has the highest resistance. However to verify this fact I calculated R from the graph and found: For the length of the wire: 50 cm GradientÃ'Ž Therefore; R =1/0. 05 = 20 Below is my observation table that compares the value of R from my tabular calculations and the value of R from my graphical results: Length [cm] Calculated value of R [] Graphical value of R [] R/L [] 50 5. 06 5 100 9. 83 10 150 14. 63 13 200 19. 87 20 This graph shows, that the length of the wire is directly proportional to the resistance. GRAPH II: * Cross sectional area as a factor affecting resistance of a wire: From the graph, we can see that the thicker the wire the steeper the slope. Each slope represents the various thickness of wires I used ranging from 0.4mm to 0. 91mm. The 0. 4mm wire has the least steep slope, and we say that it has highest resistance, whereas the 0. 91mm wire line has the steepest slope and thus we say it has the lowest resistance. However I must verify these facts form my graph and calculate the value of R from the graph. Therefore; R = 1/0. 54 = 1. 8 0. 91mm Gradient = 1. 03 0. 81/ 1. 0 0. 8 = 0. 22/0. 2 = 1. 1 Therefore; R = 1/1. 1 = 0. 9 Below is my observation table that compares the value of R from my tabular calculations and the value of R from my graphical results: Area [m ] Calculated value of R [] Graphical value of R [] R x A [] 0. 12 5. 49 4. 8 0. 25 2. 86 3 0. 39 1. 62 1. 8 0. 65 0. 97 0. 9 This graph shows that the cross sectional area of the wire is inversely proportional to the resistance of the wire. GRAPH III: * A series circuit as a factor affecting the resistance of a wire: From the graph, we can see that when we use a wire of length 50cm, and pass current through it, via a series circuit the resistance is slightly less, than when we pass current through two wires of lengths 20cm and 30 cm and connect them with a series connection then the resistance is slightly higher. This is because were doubling the length of the resistor, thus we say that the resistance increases with the total length of the resistors. To verify my findings   Below is my observation table that compares the value of R from my tabular calculations and the value of R from my graphical results: Length [cm] Calculated value of R [] Graphical value of R [] 2030 6. 04 6. 8 50 5. 06 6. 2 GRAPH IV:   A parallel circuit as a factor affecting the resistance of a wire: From the graph, we can see that when we use a wire with a smaller cross sectional area and pass current through it via a parallel circuit, the resistance is slightly higher than when using a normal circuit. This is because placing resistors in parallel is equivalent to increasing the cross-sectional area A through which current can flow. In my graph I have used a wire of thickness 0. 4mm and passed current through it using a parallel circuit, and the resistance is lower. The resistance for the 0. 56mm wire when passing current through it using a normal circuit is higher. However to verify my findings, I calculated the value of R from my graph and found: 0. 4mm Gradient =Therefore; 35 Therefore; R =1/0. 35 = 2. 8 Below is my observation table that compares the value of R from my tabular calculations and the value of R from my graphical results: Area [m ] Calculated value of R [] Graphical value of R [] 0. 12 2. 62 3. 33 0. 25 2. 86 2. 8 MATHEMATICAL DEDUCTIONS TO FURTHER PROVE MY RESULTS: Consider a wire of length l Where; A = cross -sectional area / number density of electrons n = electron density =number of free electrons per unit volume If voltage V, is applied to the wire, the electrons will drift to the positive terminal with a velocity, v. Volume of the wire = AlÃ'Ž Number of free electrons in conductor = n x A x l = nAl Total charge that is free to move = n x A x l x e =nAle Current = charge/time = Q/t Time required for all electrons to emerge out of the end of the conductor = l/v Therefore; I = Q/t = nAle/l/v = nAve Drift velocity (from battery cell) is the EMF, Therefore; Force = mass x acceleration (force to move current) Acceleration = velocity/time L = m x v / t Work is done by voltage in moving electrons i. e. acceleration: Work done = Force x Distance Distance = l Therefore; work done/electronic charge = w/e Work done per unit charge = V = w/e = lÃ'Ž Therefore; V = l x m x v/et R = V/I therefore; V = l x m x v/et = l x m x et I = nAve nAe From my analysis I can conclude that as the length of a wire increases, so does the resistance. This is because there is a larger amount of wire to travel up and therefore there will be more factors to increase resistance I can now sat that I believe my experiments were quite accurate as I performed them fairly and properly, this is demonstrated in the good results I have obtained. My measurements were accurate enough as I used digital ammeters and voltmeters, making them more reliable. In doing so I also avoided the possibility of parallax errors as well as zero errors. Were my results accurate to draw a conclusion? I was able to draw a valid conclusion for the measurements of current and voltage, as they were more or less what I expected to attain. I managed to prove that resistance is proportional to length as length increases, the resistance of the wire increases and that resistance is inversely proportional to the cross sectional area as cross sectional area increases, the resistance of the wire decreases. As well as that, for 2 wires connected via a series circuit combination, the resistance pattern will be the same as that when length of a wire is varied. Whereas for 2 wires connected via a parallel circuit combination, the resistance pattern will be the same as that for when area of the wire is varied. My results did not agree fully with my heat theory as they showed slight variations, such as a 14. 63 result instead of a result close to 13 for a wire of length 150cm. And a 19. 87 result instead of a result close to 18 for a wire of length 200cm. These were my anomalous results. This was probably due to the temperature variation of the wire. However these anomalous results were not big enough to change my final reading. I believe my results allowed me to cover a wide range of factors affecting the resistance of a wire, because I took a total of 4 lengths and eight readings for each length, giving me enough to analyse. I performed the experiment once, but I did take the reading of the current twice. Once in an ascending order, then in a descending order, thus I had two sets of results, which improved my accuracy. I also did a fair test because I followed the precaution of using the same equipment each time the experiment had to be carried out. Thus I can regard my results as being reliable values, as when compared to actual values, such as getting a 5 resistance for the 50cm wire as compared to supposedly having to get a 4. 5 resistance, or a 9. 83 resistance for a 100cm wire as compared to having to obtain a 9 resistance. I dont have any outstanding anomalous values that showed up on my graphs, only a few points did not quite fit on my line of best fit, which were quite close to it anyway. As I mentioned earlier these could have been caused by the heating effect of the equipment which resulted in slight variations of my readings. OTHER EXPERIMENTS TO MEASURE A CURRENT VOLTAGE RELATIONSHIP: Testing a silicon diode: I could connect a battery, a lamp, and a diode in series. Then connect the narrow end of the diode nearest to the negative terminal of the battery. Using an analog VOM type meter, I would set the meter to one of the lower ohms scales, say 0-2K, and measure the resistance of the diode both ways. If I get zero both ways, the diode is shorted. If I get INFINITY both ways, the diode is open. If I get INFINITY one way but some reading the other way (the value is not important) then the diode is good and I can measure the current and the voltage. As the graph shows, almost no current flows if the voltage applied is in the reverse direction. Testing the transistor: Testing a unijunction transistor (UJT) is a relatively easy task if you view the UJT as being a diode connected to the junction of two resistors, as shown in figure 4-21. With an ohmmeter, measure the resistance between base 1 and base 2; then reverse the ohmmeter leads and take another reading. Both readings should show the same high resistance regardless of the meter lead polarity. Connect the ohmmeters negative lead to the UJTs emitter. Using the positive lead, measure the resistance from the emitter to base 1, and then from the emitter to base 2. Both readings should indicate high resistances approximately equal to each other. Disconnect the negative lead from the emitter and connect the positive lead to it. Using the negative lead, measure the resistance from the emitter to base. From my mathematical deductions (to further prove my investigation) in my analysis section I calculated the value for resistivity for a nichrome wire and compared the calculated value with the actual standard value of rho. That is; LENGTH [cm] R from my experimental results R from my graphical results. REA [m] R from my experimental results [] R from my graphical results therefore; Material Length [m] Area [m ] Resistance [] Calculated [m] Standard [m] NichromeNichrome Nichrome NichromeÃ'Ž Thus we see that my results were not so different from the actual standard value of resistivity, and this is mainly because of the temperature variations that occurred during my experiment. This evidence does support a firm conclusion that if someone was to repeat the same investigation I would expect the to receive the same results. 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 Electricity and Magnetism section.

The psychology behind child abuse and neglect

The psychology behind child abuse and neglect The Psychology of the Child deals with mental growth or, what amounts to the same thing, the development of behavior patterns (including consciousness) up to adolescence, the transitional phase marking the entrance of the individual into adult society. Mental growth is in- separable from physical growth: the maturation of the nervous and endocrine systems, in particular, continues until the age of sixteen. The psychology of a child must be regarded as the study of one aspect of embryogenesis, the embryogenesis of organic as well as mental growth, up to the beginning of the state of relative equilibrium which is the adult level. Child abuse is the physical and/or psychological/emotional mistreatment of children. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts or commission or omission by a parent or other caregiver that results in harm, potential for harm, or threat of harm to a child. Most child abuse occurs in a childs home, with a smaller amount occurring in the organizations, schools or communities the child interacts with. The mental health journal, states that child abuse is defined as any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation, an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm. There are four major categories of child abuse: neglect, physical abuse, psychological/emotional abuse, and sexual abuse. NEGLECT: Neglect is the instance in which the responsible adult fails to adequately provide for various needs, including physical (failure to provide adequate food, clothing, or hygiene), emotional (failure to provide nurturing or affection) or educational (failure to enroll a child in school). PHYSICAL ABUSE is physical aggression directed at a child by an adult. It can involve striking, burning, choking or shaking a child. The transmission of toxins to a child through its mother (such as with fetal alcohol syndrome) can also be considered physical abuse in some jurisdictions .The distinction between child discipline and abuse is often poorly defined. Cultural norms about what constitutes abuse vary widely: among professionals as well as the wider public, people do not agree on what behaviors constitute abuse. Some human service professionals claim that cultural norms that sanction/ support physical punishment are one of the causes of child abuse, and have undertaken campaigns to redefine such norms. In the United States, the National Association of Social Workers has issued statements that even the mildest forms of physical punishment, such as moderate spanking, can lower childrens self-esteem, constitute acts of violence, and teach children that physical force is an acce ptable way to resolve conflicts. Against this latter argument, the philosopher Prof. David Benatar points out that one might as well say that fining people teaches that forcing others to give up some of their property is an acceptable way to respond to those who act in a way that one does not like. If beatings send a message, why dont detentions, imprisonments, fines, and a multitude of other punishments convey equally undesirable messages? He adds. 3 PSYCHOLOGICAL ABUSE also known as emotional abuse, which can involve belittling or shaming a child, inappropriate or extreme punishment and the withholding of affection. CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE is any sexual act between an adult and a child, including penetration, oral sex and forced nudity in front of the adult. According to the (American) National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse, in 1997 neglect represented 54% of confirmed cases of child abuse, physical abuse 22%, sexual abuse 8%, emotional maltreatment 4%, and other forms of maltreatment 12%. A UNICEF report on child well-being stated that the United States and the United Kingdom ranked lowest among industrial nations with respect to the wellbeing of children. This study also found that child neglect and child abuse are far more common in single-parent families than in families where both parents are present. CAUSES OF CHILD ABUSE Child abuse is a complex problem which has multiple causes. Understanding the causes of abuse is crucial to addressing the problem of child abuse. Parents who physically abuse their spouses are more likely to physically abuse their children However, it is difficult to know whether marital strife is a cause of child abuse, or if both the marital strife and abuse are caused by tendencies in the abuser. Substance abuse is a major contributing factor to child abuse. One study found that parents with documented substance abuse, most commonly alcohol, cocaine, and heroin, were much more likely to mistreat their children, and were also much more likely to reject court-ordered services and treatments. Another study found that over two thirds of 4 cases of child maltreatment involved parents with substance abuse problems. This study specifically found relationships between alcohol and physical abuse, and between cocaine and sexual abuse. In 2009 CBS News reported that child abuse in the United States had increased during the economic recession. It gave the example of a father who had never been the primary care-taker of the children. Now that the father was in that role, the children began to come in with injuries. CAUSES OF CHILD ABUSE Children have that right to be loved. But there are those who suffer child abuse in the very sense of the word. Child abuse could either be physical, mental or sexual abuse to children. This might have certain adverse effects on the child so they must be given extra support and attention physical abuse concerns maltreatments of children in a physical way. This means hurting the children physically, or not giving them proper nutrition. Emotional abuse or mental abuse, on the other hand, is about abuse in children which affects primarily their emotions. This includes saying hurtful words to children, as well as scolding them often that lower their self esteem. Sexual abuse, however, is abuse that concerns the sexual attributes of a child. This is one of the worst cases of child abuse. Like any other abuse, child abuse also has a cause. There are many causes of child abuse. The most prominent one among the causes is mental illness, as well as psychological problems. The tendency is that people who are not in their right minds, could easily do harm to children, whether intentional or not. Also, family problems are major causes of child abuse. Parents under the power of drugs could easily hurt their children. Plus, financial problems could invoke parents or other 5 members of the family to abuse children as an outlet of their emotions. Stress could also be a root cause of child abuse. It is good to know the cause of abuse on a certain child so that the treatment and the actions could be well defined. EFFECTS OF CHILD ABUSE (SHORT TERM) Studies indicate that every day a significant number of children are exposed to serious maltreatment and neglect leading to physical and psychological injury and serious long-term consequences. Researchers are continuously examining the wide range of potential consequences of child abuse and neglect. Mounting evidence suggests that, in addition to the immediate negative effects on children, maltreatment is associated with a host of problems manifested in adolescence and adulthood. Child abuse is not, however, a short-term crisis in a childs life. Although children are removed from violent homes or leave home to live on their own, the effects of experiencing abuse in their childhood follow them through life. Child abuse can affect all aspects of a childs life and can spill over in there adult life as well. Effects of child abuse include the following: PSYCOLOGICAL EFFECTS Child abuse may permanently alter the psychological well being of a child. Following maltreatment, children are known to display the following problems: Extreme and repetitive nightmares, Anxiety. Unusually high levels of anger and aggression. Feelings of guilt and shame for sexually abused victims this can be quite severe, especially if the victim experienced some degree of pleasure during part of the abuse. Sudden phobias, such as a fear of darkness or water. 6 Psychosomatic complaints, including stomachaches, headaches, hypochondrias is, fecal soiling, bed wetting and excessive blinking. General fearfulness and a specific fear of others of the same gender as the abuser. Depressive symptoms, long bouts of sadness, social withdrawal. Self-reported social isolation and feelings of stigmatization.. After continued exposure to maltreatment, children may develop further psychological complications: Significant increase in rates of psychiatric disorders, Dissociation, intrusive thoughts suicidal ideation and more acute phobias, More serious levels of anxiety fear depression, loneliness, anger, hostility and guilt, Distorted cognition, such as chronic perceptions of danger and confusion, illogical thinking, inaccurate images of the world, shattered assumptions about the world and difficulty determining what is real, decreased effectiveness in comprehending complex roles. PHYSICAL EFFECTS In addition to the obvious physical injuries, such as broken bones, bruises and scarring, abuse is also related to several additional physical complications for children, including the following: Children who have suffered serious and chronic neglect are more likely to be smaller and lighter than non-maltreated children, which has been shown to affect long-term health. Children who are physically abused (or shaken in the case of very young children) may suffer permanent neurological damage, dramatically affecting their future development. Weight problems often emerging as eating disorders. Serious sleeps disturbances and bouts of dizziness when awake. 7 Other stress-related symptoms, such as gastrointestinal problems, migraine headaches, difficulty breathing, hypertension, aches, pains and rashes which defy diagnosis and/or treatment, Poor overall health. BEHAVIORAL CONSEQUENCES Abused children are known to display the following behavioral problems: Developmental delays, Clinging behavior, extreme shyness and fear of strangers, Troubled socialization with peers constant fighting or socially undesirable behaviors, such as bullying, teasing or not sharing, Poor school adjustment and disruptive classroom behavior,there is a growing understanding among researchers that child maltreatment is associated with a host of behavioral problems that manifest themselves in adolescence: School-age pregnancy, Self-destructive behaviors such as self-mutilation or burning, Truancy and running away behavior, Delinquency and prostitution. Early use of drugs/alcohol and substance abuse/dependence, Eating disorders, such as anorexia, bulimia or obesity primarily among female victims,Suicide and suicide attempts. Evidence suggests that many of these problems continue into adulthood and become ingrained patterns of behavior. It is believed that in order to deal with the trauma of being abused and neglected, children and youth develop such behaviors as coping strategies. And although these behaviors eventually become self-destructive, they are often extremely difficult to abandon. EFFECT ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE One of the most destructive consequences of child abuse may be the detrimental effect on 8 a childs school performance. Over and over again, research indicates that abused children demonstrate reduced intellectual functioning and perform very poorly in school. And poor school performance can have serious long-term consequences. Academic failure has been associated with antisocial behavior and quitting school. These behaviors in turn increase the risk of long-term decreased productivity, long-term economic dependence and generally lower levels of satisfaction with life as adults.58 Maltreated children may display the following: Lower overall schools performance test scores and lower language, reading and math scores. Grade repetitions, disciplinary referrals and a high number of suspensions. Working and learning at below average levels (as reported by teachers). Weaker orientation to future vocational and educational goals compared to non-maltreated children. It is understandable that maltreated children will perform poorly in school. Not only do they face the obvious complications associated with a violent home life, but neglectful and abusive parents are less likely to provide an intellectually stimulating environment for the child, read to the child, supervise homework and generally become involved in their childs academic life. EFFECT ON SEXUALITY In general, abuse adversely affects a childs concept of sexuality reduces his or her ability to set appropriate boundaries and often instills a fear or negative perception of sex. While the majority of sexual consequences are the result of sexual abuse, other forms of maltreatment can also be sexually destructive. For example, a neglected child may seek 9 sexual intimacy very early in life in order to fulfil an unmet need for parental intimacy. This creates a risk for teenage pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases. The following are the major sexual consequences of maltreatment reported in the literature: Engaging in open or excessive masturbation, excessive sexual curiosity and frequent exposure of the genitals. Simulated sexual acts with siblings and friends, inappropriate sexual behavior such as breast or genital grabbing. Premature sexual knowledge sexualized kissing in friendships and with parents. In adolescence and adulthood, maltreated children continue to display sexually maladaptive behavior: Orgasmic disorders and painful intercourse, Promiscuity, Dissatisfaction with sex and negative attitudes about sex. These problems are often the result of introducing a sexual component into a parent-child relationship, which affected the childs sense of sexuality and intimacy. In essence, a child who has suffered sexual abuse can, as a result, have difficulty distinguishing between a sexual and a non-sexual relationship and therefore introduce a sexual element into all relationships. INTERPERSONAL CONSEQUENCES Child abuse can interfere with a persons ability to develop meaningful and appropriate relationships from childhood through to adulthood. Abused and neglected children are consistently rated by their peers as demonstrating socially undesirable behavior. Children displaying multiple psychological and behavioral problems often have a difficult time 10 both developing and maintaining healthy relationships. Victimization reduces social competence and limits empathic ability, both of which are necessary to establish satisfying relationships with others. Maltreated children have been known to display the following interpersonal problems: Insecure attachments to parents and caregivers,loss of close friends, difficulty in trusting others. Relationship problems, such as overly sexualized or overly conflicted relationships. Chronic dissatisfaction with adult relationships and fear of intimacy. EFFECTS ON SELF PERCEPTION Parental abuse undoubtedly affects the self-esteem of a child. A lack of interest in a child or a violent attack on a child, for example, will likely lead the child to develop a sense of unworthiness. Maltreatment has been associated with distorted or extremely negative self-images starting in childhood and continuing throughout ones life. Maltreated children typically view themselves as bad, worthless or unlovable and may develop the following problems: Extremely low levels of self-esteem, Feelings of being out of control, Inaccurate body images which often lead to eating disorders, Overwhelming sense of guilt or self-blame for the abuse, Impairment of a cohesive sense of identity, Self-disgust, self-denigration, self-hatred.   SPIRITUAL CONSEQUENCES Often, children who have been abused and neglected report having lost their sense of faith, not just a religious belief in a divine being, but also their faith in themselves, other people and the world around them. It is common for maltreated children to display what 11 some authors have called a shattered soul or soul pain. Moreover, adults who have experienced maltreatment display less interest and participation in organized religion. Systematic battering, sexual abuse, emotional attacks or the long-term neglect of a child is likely to destroy his or her spirit or enthusiasm for life. While often overlooked in the literature, the shattered soul may prove to be an extremely significant long-term consequence of child maltreatment. SUBSEQUENT VIOLENCE Victims of child abuse often become further victimized as adolescents and adults and/or become violent themselves toward their own children and in intimate relationships. According to studies on the intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment, one third of all victims grow up to continue a pattern of seriously inept, neglectful or abusive child rearing as parents; one third do not; and one-third remain vulnerable to the effects of child maltreatment depending upon social stressors in their life. Adults and adolescents who report a history of child maltreatment may demonstrate the following: Maltreatment of their own children. A history of being a victim of a violent assault by a non-family member during adolescence. Perpetrating dating violence in adolescence and/or spousal violence in adulthood. Becoming a victim of an assaultive partner (most often a male abuser) and/or the victim of additional sexual assaults. CHILD ABUSE A PERMANENT AND LIFELONG TRAUMA When an orphan or adolescent experience trauma such as family violence, child abuse, or witnesses prolonged violence, several problems arise. These children might experience 12 anger, distrust, and fear commitment. Children who live through such childhood trauma often suffer permanently. Extensive studies about adults abused as children investigate the relationships between childhood trauma and problems including uncontrollable anger and a negative attitude. Miller, Villani and Sharfstein all discuss numerous factors that influence violence, including alcohol, violent threats, and a violent past (Miller, p. 61-62; and Sharfstein, p. 2). Miller (1998) presents several abuse and mistreatment studies concerning children who experience family violence at an early age and how this violence leads them to have behavioral problems as adults (p. 62). Child abuse, whether inflicted on orphans or children who live with biological parents, causes distrust, another problem and long lasting effect. Distrust can result with abused children. These children begin to distrust the people closest to them, their family, and this lack of trust carries over into adulthood. 13

Confederate :: essays research papers

The issue of the Confederate flag has created one of our countries age long debates. It stems from its presence during the Civil War; where it represented the Confederate states, all of which supported slavery. According to many the Civil war was fought in order to end slavery in the United States, so accordingly, to those the flag represents a past of slavery that they would much rather forget. In opposition to those who feel this way about the Confederate flag, others see it as just a symbol of their Southern heritage whether they are ancestors of slaves, slave owners or sharecroppers; their heritage is the Confederate South. The Confederate Flag should be outlawed and not used as a symbol to represent a state because it has a modern association with white supremacist, presents no positive contribution to those of this country, and those who flaunt the flag have an attitude which is â€Å"backward-looking, rejecting the diversity and dynamism of this country.†(ABC News.com)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The confederate flag should be outlawed because it has a modern association with white supremacist. White supremacist, are not an unorganized throng of individuals rather they are a political group known for being hateful to all those who are different from them, be it by race, religion, or even thought pattern. This group of individuals also feels that they are better than others just because of their skin color. White supremacist have a very narrow minded view on life in general and any symbol that represents them often offends others. The country, which we live in, is based on equality and a symbol of a group that does not believe in equality should not be used as a sign to identify a state. The Confederate flag in essence represents a political party whose overall priority is â€Å"to totally subjugate and dehumanize those different from their selves.†(Newsweek)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Furthermore, the confederate flag presents no positive contribution to those living in this country. Those who fly the confederate flag are often regarded as showing support for racist principles and a hurtful past. Surely all those who fly the flag are not racist or intentionally have a desire to hurt those who they fortuitously offend, but in many cases they are perceived this way. The representation that those who fly the flag take on often does more to cause a problem than it does to unite those of this country.

Irish Equality Acts 1998-2011

Critically evaluate the effectiveness of the relevant provisions of the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2011 (and their predecessors) in eliminating pay discrimination on the ground of gender within the workplace and thus reducing the gender pay gap. The European Union is founded upon core values including respect for human dignity, freedom and equality between men and women. This equality extends to the workplace where both men and women are entitled to equal conditions of employment and pay.Articles 20 and 23 of the charter of fundamental rights similarly states that all persons are equal before the law and that equality between men and women must be ensured in all areas â€Å"including employment, work and pay. † Despite this the average hourly gender pay gap within the European Union stands at 17. 1% but varies from 6%- 34% depending on the member state[1]. In an attempt to close the gender pay gap in the European Union, various legislation has been drafted and implemented o ver the previous forty years.The right to equal pay is set out in Article 157TFEU(formerly Art 141,Art 119) which expressed that â€Å"each member state shall ensure that the principle of equal pay for male and female workers for equal work or work of equal value shall be applied†. The subsequent legislation for preventing discrimination in the workplace was incorporated into Irish law by means of the Anti-Discrimination (pay) act 1974 and the Employment Equality act 1977.The jurisprudence for the right to equal pay is the landmark case of Defrenne v Sabena[2] which saw the European court of justice establish that the right to equal pay was legally binding in agreeing that the complainant’s right to equal pay derived directly from Article 119(now Art 157TFEU). The law in Ireland is now governed exclusively by the Employment Equality acts 1998-2004 which replaced the acts of 1974 and 1977.Article 8 of the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union states that in al l its activities the Union â€Å"shall aim to combat discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origins, religious belief, disability, age or sexual orientation. † The issue of discrimination in relation to equal pay can arise both directly and indirectly as has been seen in the case law and legislation surrounding this area. The case of Gillespie v Health and Social Services Board[3] efined discrimination as â€Å"the application of different rules to comparable situations or the application of the same rule to different situations†. Article 2(1) of the Recast equal treatment directive has defined direct discrimination as occurring in a situation where â€Å"one person is treated less favourably on the grounds of sex than another is, has been or would be in a comparable situation†. A necessary requirement of the test for direct discrimination is a suitable comparator that the complainant can compare themselves to in order to establish discrimination has occu rred.It is then the duty of the tribunal to consider the reasons for selecting that comparator and whether they are suitable as a relevant comparator in the given situation. Section 6(1) (a) of the Employment equality acts allows a person to select a hypothetical comparator as the scope extends to situations where a complainant â€Å"would be† treated less favourably, but this is not the case when concerning issues relating to pay[4]. It is important to note that there are exemptions to the prohibition on discrimination.Under section 25 of the Employment equality acts an employer may be permitted to treat employees differently based on gender. This is only non-discriminatory where the objective is legitimate and proportionate. The Employment equality acts also provide for the employer to promote equal opportunities for both male and female employees. This may come in the form of vocational training or improving working conditions which help create a higher skilled workforce a nd help to address imbalances evident in the workforce by the gender pay gap.Section 24 of the Employment Equality Acts allows an employer to implement measures which initially make it easier for an under-represented sex to pursue a vocational activity but also to prevent or compensate for disadvantages in professional careers. Promotion or the advancement of one’s career will be dependent on whether that employee is best suited to the position based on their skills and experience and this has been echoed by the European court of justice.Section 24 should be viewed with the understanding that female employees are not automatically entitled to a promotion and thus a higher rate of pay, but that any measures introduced by the employer are to ensure that equal opportunities are available to both sexes. Section 19(4) of the Employment Equality Acts prohibit indirect discrimination on gender grounds in relation to pay where it states â€Å"indirect discrimination occurs where an apparently neutral provision puts persons of a particular gender at a particular disadvantage in respect of remuneration compared with other employees of their employer†.It’s clear from this that indirect discrimination concerns a provision which appears to affect all employees in a firm but really favours or disfavours a category of employees. In Nathan v Bailey Gibson[5] indirect discrimination on the grounds of gender was evident where the complainant had been employed as an assistant to a machine operator and subsequently applied for his job after he retired. The employer had a â€Å"closed shop† agreement in place with the trade union and hired an unemployed male member of the union after the vacancy became available.The union itself was made up predominantly of male members. The Supreme Court held this amounted to indirect discrimination. Indirect discrimination allows for an employer to defend the imposition of an indirectly discriminatory provision as bei ng objectively justifiable. This is enshrined in section 19(4) which states that indirect discrimination on the grounds of gender will not occur where the act or clause is â€Å"objectively justified by a legitimate aim and the means of achieving that aim are appropriate and necessary†.The landmark case of Bilka-Kaufhaus GmbH v Karin Weber von Hartz[6] where differential treatment of part time and full time staff relating to pension rights was occurring and the employer attempted to justify the refusal to pay pensions to part time workers on the basis that it was necessary to discourage staff from working part time for economic reasons. The complainant argued that this breached Article 157TFEU in relation to equal treatment relating to pay.The European court of Justice rejected the argument of the employer but did state that an indirectly discriminatory measure may be justifiable if it is necessary to meet a real need on the part of the employer. The court went on to say that this would occur only if it is appropriate with a view to achieving the objective pursued. In order to understand how the legislation implemented has aided the elimination of pay discrimination, it is first necessary to understand the meaning of pay and ultimately what constitutes pay.Article 157TFEU provides that both male and female workers are entitled to receive equal pay for equal work, or work which has an equal value and the right of community members to equal pay is provided for in the Employment Equality Acts. This provision has both vertical and horizontal effect owing to the decision in Defrenne v Sabena, which allows employees to take actions before their national court.The Employment Equality Acts provide a clear and concise explanation of the right to equal pay in section 19(1) where it states that â€Å"It shall be a term of the contract under which A is employed that, subject to the act, A shall at any time be entitled to the same rate of remuneration for the work which A is employed to do as B who, at that or any other relevant time, is employed to do like work by the same or an associated employer†. However, both the European Court of Justice and the national courts have held there to be a broad scope as to what constitutes pay.These courts have held that sick pay, travel concessions, grading systems, inconvenient hours supplement, redundancy pay, bonus pay and share allocations all fall within the scope of pay[7]. The European court of Justice defined pay in the case of Arberterwohlfahrt der Stadt Berlin v Botel[8] where it was said to be â€Å"all consideration, cash or in kind, whether immediate or future, provided that the worker receives it, albeit indirectly, in respect of his employment from his employer, whether under a contract of employment, by virtue of legislation or on voluntary basis†.The European Court of Justice has also considered the less favourable treatment of part time workers which it considers to be indir ect discrimination on the gender ground. The case of Bilka-Kaufhaus features again here as the ECJ held that where a part time employee earns less pay for doing an equal amount of work as an employee working full time then this may constitute indirect discrimination on gender grounds as a vast majority of part time employees are female which is certainly in line with the legislation under section 19(1) of the Employment Equality Acts.Pay in relation to pregnancy and maternity leave has resulted in the European Court of Justice determining that any allowances paid will not constitute pay. Gillespie and ors. V Northern Health and Services board saw complainants fail in bringing a claim arguing that their employer was in breach of Article 141(now Article 157TFEU) by paying them less than their full salary during maternity leave. It was also the case in North Western Health board v McKenna[9] that the ECJ decided a female employee absent from work due a pregnancy related illness is not entitled to maintenance of full pay.This is the case currently but it should be noted that an amendment to Directive 92/85 has been proposed and if passed, would allow for a female employee to obtain her entire salary while on maternity leave subject to a Member state possibly placing a maximum level at the level of national sick pay[10]. This has not yet come into force due to opposition from various member states primarily on the ground of cost but also â€Å"limiting parental rights to mothers rather than to fathers and creating obstacles to the recruitment of women in the workforce†.It has been necessary for the ECJ and national courts to determine whether the complainant is doing equal or â€Å"like work† to their chosen comparator. Fortunately, the legislation clarifies the meaning of â€Å"like work† in section 7(1) of the Employment Equality Acts as being: 1. The same work undertaken by another person under the same or similar conditions 2. Where the wor k is of a similar nature 3. The work is of equal value taking into consideration such matters as skill, physical or mental requirements, responsibility and working conditions.From this it is clear that in order for the complainant to establish they are partaking in â€Å"like work† they must show that they are interchangeable with the comparator at any given moment and without any notice. In the case of Department of posts and telegraphs v Kennefick[11], a complaint was made by a female post and telegraph clerk that she was being paid less than her comparator who was doing like work. The employer argued that the male telegraph clerk’s job description included additional duties which he was seldom asked to perform. The Labour Court in this case refused to be guided y job description and ordered that the female employee was entitled to equal pay. However, it has been held that higher qualifications will justify a party receiving a higher salary. This was evident in the à ¢â‚¬Å"Austrian psychotherapists’ case†[12] where a group made up primarily of female psychotherapists who had psychology degrees sought equal pay with medical doctors who were employed as psychotherapists. The ECJ agreed that both parties undertook â€Å"seemingly identical activities† but found that the medical doctors were also qualified to undertake additional activities due to their qualifications.Therefore, the ECJ held that the difference in training and qualifications meant that the two parties were not in a comparable situation. The courts have also been faced with determining situations where the work is similar in nature or equal in value. For example, the case of Dowdall O’Mahony v 9 female employees[13] saw equal pay awarded as the court held that the differences in the positions were found to be of little importance in the context of the work as a whole.When dealing with issues where the work is deemed to be of equal value, it is the function of the court to look at the skill, physical effort and responsibility required to perform the work. In 24 women v Spring Grove Services[14] the female employees were employed in the finishing area of the linen maintenance section. They sought to compare themselves with a group of male employees who were employed to work in the wash house.The court subsequently compared the work undertaken by one male employee and one female employee and concluded that the male used more physical effort and skill than the female employee in the course of her work and therefore they were not doing equal work. Section 19(1) of the acts provides that the claimant and the comparator must be employed to do equal or like work by the same or associated employer at that or any other relevant time which under section 19(2 b) is defined as any time during the three years preceding or following the time at which the action is taken.Despite the benefits of the legislative provisions provided in the Employment Eq uality Acts, there are numerous problems with their effectiveness and enforcement. Despite the legislation there is a scarcity of discrimination cases relating to pay being taken to national court level and there are a variety of reasons for this. In some situations it is difficult to ascertain the scope of comparison for the wording of certain provisions in the legislation as it is not defined in statutory law, such as the meaning of work of â€Å"equal value†.Another issue is that the concept of the â€Å"hypothetical comparator† is not allowed in most countries and it’s also the case that the comparator must be employed by the same employer. The problem with this is that locating a real comparator can be difficult in segregated professions where comparators of the opposite sex are rare. In various European states it is the case that the citizens have no faith or trust in the judiciary to appropriately or effectively deal with a case of sex discrimination.Havi ng explored in detail where the relevant provisions of the Employment Equality Acts have been applied to eliminate pay discrimination on gender grounds, it is important to note that the employer is entitled to show that the difference of treatment in relation to pay is not indirectly discriminatory but valid on some other ground. This â€Å"defence† is provided in section 19(5) of the Employment Equality Acts. Under this section employers may pay different rates of remuneration to both men and women but it must be justifiable on grounds other than gender.The test for this stems from the BIlka Kaufhaus[15] case where the employer is required to show how and why the decision to discriminate was made at that point and it was subsequently decided that retrospective justification was unacceptable. The qualifications of the employee, worker flexibility and length of service may be objective grounds if they can be attributed to the needs of the employer. The case of NUI Cork v Ahern [16] concerned a pay differential between male security guards and female phone operators’.This was deemed to be justifiable as the female operators were paid more for doing less work. This was not due to gender as they had originally been doing an increased amount of work but due to family issues was now doing less. This thinking was continued in the case of Dept of Justice, Equality and law reform v CPSU[17] where the court held that the department had grounds other than gender for the payment of a higher rate to Gardai members performing clerical work compared with civilian clerical workers.Certain posts within An Garda Siochana are reserved for Gardai. Here, the majority of the 761 clerical posts in An Garda Siochana were female. This was deemed to be justifiable for â€Å"genuine operational reasons† and to ensure the continuity of services at all times. Employers may also be able to rely on a defence of market forces where they establish that the payment of a low er wage for some employees is part of the business strategy on economic grounds which can be objectively justified.This was developed in Enderly v Frenchay Health Authority[18] where a comparison was made between speech therapists who were predominantly women and pharmacists who were predominantly men being paid at a higher rate. The employer’s argument was that differential pay was due to a shortage of pharmacist candidates and not due to sex discrimination found favour with the court. Despite the legislation, the European gender pay gap still stands at 17. 1%, but there are a variety of innovative ways to help close the gender pay gap[19].The Finnish government has coined the concept of an equality pot, which is a sum of money set aside for municipal governments to fund pay rises in low paid, highly educated female sectors as low wages are traditionally paid to female workers in highly feminised branches of the public sector[20]. This would help to reduce the pay gap and pu t in place a greater level of equality relating to pay between the two genders. Another method of closing the pay gap is to support the continuity of female employment as they often interrupt their employment in order to manage both their family and professional life.This could be done by the reconciliation of both and could be achieved through the provision of child care facilities in the workplace ensuring female employees were able to bring their children to work[21]. It should also be noted that imposing an obligation on male workers to be involved in child rearing would allow for the continuation of women in employment and would help to close the gender pay gap. References †¢ European Gender Equality Law Review-No. 1/2011 †¢ Principles of Irish Employment Law: Brenda Daly, Michael Doherty 2010,Page 111. †¢ Employment Law in Ireland: Maeve Regan, page 459 published May 2009 †¢ European Gender Equality Law Review No 1/2011, â€Å"Equality Pay for Men and Wome n in Europe Anno 2011 The Gender Pay gap on the retreat? † Petra Foubert †¢ http://epp. eurostat. ec. europa. eu/portal/page/portal/eurostat/home/ ———————– [1] European Gender Equality Law Review-No. 1/2011 [2] Defrenne v Sabena (1976) ECR 455(C-43/75) [3] Gillespie v Health and Social Services Board (1996) ECR 475 4] Principles of Irish Employment Law: Brenda Daly, Michael Doherty 2010, Page 111. [5] Nathan Bailey v Gibson (1998) 2 IR 162 [6] (1986) ECR 1607 [7] Employment Law in Ireland: Maeve Regan, page 459 published May 2009 [8] (1992) IRLR 423 [9] North Western Health board v McKenna(Case C-191/03) [10] Principles of Irish Employment Law: Brenda Daly, Michael Doherty, 2010, p160 [11] Department of Posts and Telegraphs v Kennefick EP 9/1979 [12] Case C-309/97 (1999) ECR 2865 [13] Dowdall O’Mahony v female employees EP2/1987 [14] (1996) ELR 147 15] (1986) C-170/84 [16] (2005) SC IE 40 [17] (2008) ELR 140 [ 18] (1993) ELR 1-5535 [19] European Gender Equality Law Review No 1/2011, â€Å"Equality Pay for Men and Women in Europe Anno 2011 The Gender Pay gap on the retreat? † Petra Foubert [20] European Gender Equality Law Review No 1/2011, â€Å"Equality Pay for Men and Women in Europe Anno 2011 The Gender Pay gap on the retreat? † Petra Foubert [21] European Gender Equality Law Review No 1/2011, â€Å"Equality Pay for Men and Women in Europe Anno 2011 The Gender Pay gap on the retreat? † Petra Foubert

Free Essays on 360 Degree Feedback

What is 360-degree feedback? A process in which you evaluate yourself on a set of criteria, your manager evaluates you, as do your peers and direct reports. You receive a gap analysis between how you perceive yourself and how others perceive you. Effective 360-degree feedback processes also include coaching sessions and development planning. How can I easily refer to ratees and raters? The terms "ratee" (the person being evaluated) and "rater" (the person doing the rating) can be cumbersome. Team Builders Plus utilizes the word "subject" instead of "ratee" and "respondent" instead of "rater". This methodology is also easily transferable to other 360 processes where the subject is not a person but a thing, such as a organizational climate or customer satisfaction survey. What type of information should be targeted?  ·knowledge - familiarity with job, industry, company  ·skills - task proficiency  ·behaviors - patterns in relating to the environment (energy, optimism)  ·NOT personality traits or styles What are the benefits of 360-degree feedback degree feedback? To the individual:  ·Perception is reality and this process helps individuals to understand how others perceive them  ·Uncover blind spots  ·Feedback is essential for learning  ·Individuals can better manage their own performance and careers  ·Quantifiable data on soft skills To the team:  ·Increases communication between team members  ·Higher levels of trust and better communication as individuals identify the causes of breakdowns  ·Better team environment as people discover how to treat others how they want to be treated  ·Supports teamwork by involving team members in the development process  ·Increased team effectiveness To the organization:  ·Reinforced corporate culture by linking survey items to organizational leadership competencies and company values  ·Better career development for employees  ·Pro... Free Essays on 360 Degree Feedback Free Essays on 360 Degree Feedback What is 360-degree feedback? A process in which you evaluate yourself on a set of criteria, your manager evaluates you, as do your peers and direct reports. You receive a gap analysis between how you perceive yourself and how others perceive you. Effective 360-degree feedback processes also include coaching sessions and development planning. How can I easily refer to ratees and raters? The terms "ratee" (the person being evaluated) and "rater" (the person doing the rating) can be cumbersome. Team Builders Plus utilizes the word "subject" instead of "ratee" and "respondent" instead of "rater". This methodology is also easily transferable to other 360 processes where the subject is not a person but a thing, such as a organizational climate or customer satisfaction survey. What type of information should be targeted?  · knowledge - familiarity with job, industry, company  · skills - task proficiency  · behaviors - patterns in relating to the environment (energy, optimism)  · NOT personality traits or styles What are the benefits of 360-degree feedback degree feedback? To the individual:  · Perception is reality and this process helps individuals to understand how others perceive them  · Uncover blind spots  · Feedback is essential for learning  · Individuals can better manage their own performance and careers  · Quantifiable data on soft skills To the team:  · Increases communication between team members  · Higher levels of trust and better communication as individuals identify the causes of breakdowns  · Better team environment as people discover how to treat others how they want to be treated  · Supports teamwork by involving team members in the development process  · Increased team effectiveness To the organization:  · Reinforced corporate culture by linking survey items to organizational leadership competencies and company values  · Better career development for employees  · Pro...

Overview of My Cultural Identity Essays

Overview of My Cultural Identity Essays Overview of My Cultural Identity Essay Overview of My Cultural Identity Essay My parents were born and raised on the tiny islands of Tonga located in the South Pacific. My father worked alongside his father for most of his early life fishing and tending to the family farm before and after school. My mother lived in the city. She was a bright student and had many opportunities to excel during her middle and high school years. I was born and raised in Oakland, CA. Oakland is home to a large Tongan community and most of my early life was spent in this tight knit circle. My earliest memory of Oakland will always remain with me and is a reminder of how Oakland was then, and how it is even today. On our way to school one morning there was a commotion in the street as we walked towards the school. Two men began to fight and I remember each of them drawing knives and one of them stabbing the other as he laid lifeless in the street. This was my introduction to the environment I would be raised. Even today I am still proud to call Oakland, CA my home. I was raised in a very religious, strict and cultural home. My father was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, better known as the Mormon church during his first year of high school. To him, it became an even better decision when he found out school tuition would be less expensive. My mother was born and raised in the church. We attended church regularly, had family prayers daily, and many of the activities in our home were family oriented. The Tongan language was used in our home and English was only spoken outside of our home at school or at work. My mother tells me I had a difficult time the first few years of school becoming used to the English language. Family connections in the Tongan culture are very important. Cultural practices that were common during the early years of Tongan culture still exist today in the islands and in any part of the world you find us. I interacted with distant relatives as if we were brothers and sisters on a

Afforestation in Hong Kong

Afforestation in Hong Kong Afforestation in Hong Kong is one of the topics of the on-going debate on sustainability.Advertising We will write a custom dissertation sample on Afforestation in Hong Kong specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Chinese government is trying to address the problems related to environmental problems and afforestation is seen as one of possible effective ways to solve such issues as soil erosion, vast amounts of carbon dioxide, etc. (Xin, 2012). Though, it is necessary to note that these attempts are not new as afforestation policies were introduced as far back as the end of the nineteenth century when Government Gardens and Tree Planting Departments (Hamilton, 2008). Those were first initiatives aimed at securing forests from non-sanctioned felling (Demurger Yang, 2006). Nonetheless, massive afforestation policies were launched only after the World War II. The situation in the region was really alarming as the aftermaths of the war were dev astating and it was time to come up with effective solutions (Xi, Bi He, 2012). Another stage of afforestation began in 1979 when a number of strategies were developed to effectively develop ecosystem of the region (Harris, 2012). Those measures head a positive impact on the environmental situation in the region as the forest cover in the area increased from 8.6% in the middle of the twentieth century to 18.21% in 2003 (Zhang Song, 2006).Advertising Looking for dissertation on ecology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, Elliott et al. (2006) claim that the strategies used are not as effective as they could be and the policies should be reconsidered. Therefore, the afforestation strategies used have raised a number of questions. Thus, the reforestation in the region has been characterised by the use of exotic tree species. This approach is supported by some researchers, but it is highly criticised as it regard ed as rather ineffective. As far as positive effects of the use of exotic trees are concerned, it is possible to note that there is certain impact on the diversity in the region (Pullar Lamb, 2012). Willoughby et al. (2007) argue that exotic species are potentially favourable for development of biodiversity in a region. Though, it is necessary to note that the researchers focused on a specific area (Britain) and the time the trees were observed is insufficient to come to particular conclusions. Liu (2003) claims that planting exotic species of trees had a favourable impact on the rehabilitation of the area due to high productivity of the chosen species. The researcher notes that some species of bamboo can help restore forest coverage in limited periods of time. Yau (1997) also supports the idea that exotic trees can be useful to ameliorate the environment which will become a good basis for the future reforestation with native species. Lee, Hau and Corlett (2005) stress that exotic species can have favourable impact as they can be used for restoration of soil system, but the researchers also argue that exotic trees are inappropriate for restoration of biodiversity in the region and, due to this, native species of trees should prevail.Advertising We will write a custom dissertation sample on Afforestation in Hong Kong specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Obviously, the majority of researchers agree that the use of exotic trees is quite limited and is inappropriate for massive afforestation of the area. The use of native species of trees is seen as the most effective strategy to effectively restore biodiversity in the area. Chen et al. (2008) provide comprehensive evidence to support their argument that the use of exotic trees is ineffective for afforestation of areas. At the same time, Elliott et al. (2006) argue that the use of exotic species can negatively affect biodiversity of the area as such species can replac e native trees. Even though, this can have no negative impact on the soil, it can negatively affect the ecosystem as natural pollinators will not be able to adjust to the new environment (Clark, 2005). Hau (2000) notes that the effectiveness of the use of native species still needs certain research as time is needed to investigate all possible outcomes of the use of this or that strategy. Nagendra and Southworth (2010) claim that biodiversity is crucial to the environment and, therefore, the use of exotic species is hazardous. The researchers believe new strategies of afforestation should be used. In particular, the use of native trees should become the major strategy (Jim, 2012). Hau (2010) also stresses that native trees should be used to restore the ecosystem as the use of exotic trees can result in degradation of biodiversity in certain sites.Advertising Looking for dissertation on ecology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Therefore, it is clear that quite extensive research has been implemented on the matter. The majority of researchers agree that the use of native trees is of paramount importance for the restoration of the biodiversity in the region and it should be the core strategy of the afforestation policies in Hong Kong. Nonetheless, it is necessary to note that the experiments were carried out in quite limited periods of time. Admittedly, investigation of the development of ecosystems and biodiversity cannot be held within a decade. Therefore, further research is essential. It is necessary to analyse the effectiveness of policies used in the middle of the twentieth century. It is also important to have a closer look at the exact species used in particular areas. Reference List Chen, L., Tam, N.F.Y., Huang, J., Zeng, X., Meng, X., Zhong, C., Wong, Y. Lin, G. (2008). Comparison of ecophysiological characteristics between introduced and indigenous mangrove species in China. Estuarine, Coastal a nd Shelf Science, 79(1), 644-652. Clark, J. (2005). Preserving Hong Kong’s Biodiversity. Retrieved from civic-exchange.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/200508_EcologicalRestoration.pdf Demurger, S. Yang, W. (2006). Economic changes and afforestation incentives in rural China. Environment and Development Economics, 11(5), 629–649. Elliott, S., Blakesley, D., Maxwell, J. F., Doust, S., Sutthathorn, S. (2006). How to plant a forest†¯: The principles and practice of restoring tropical forest. Retrieved from forru.org/PDF_Files/htpafbook/htpafbook.pdf Hamilton, S. (2008). Watching over Hong Kong: Private policing 1841-1941. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press. Harris, P.G. (2012). Environmental policy and sustainable development in China. Bristol, UK: The Policy Press. Hau, B.C.H. (2000). Promoting native tree species in land rehabilitation in Hong Kong, China. In S. Elliott, J. Kerby, D. Blakesley, K. Hardwick, K. Woods and V. Anusarnsunthorn (Eds), Forest restor ation for wildlife conservation. (pp. 109-120). Thailand: Chiang Mai University. Hau, B.C.H. So, K.K.Y. (2003). Using native tree species to restore degraded hillsides in Hong Kong, China. Retrieved from aseanbiodiversity.info/abstract/52001396.pdf Hau, B.C.H. (2010). Using native plant species in forest restoration and slope rehabilitation in Hong Kong, China. Retrieved from rainforestation.ph/news/pdfs/Hau.pdf Jim, C.Y. (2012). Restoration of forests associated with new town development in Hong Kong. In J. Stanturf, D. Lamb, P. Madsen (Eds.), A goal-oriented approach to forest landscape restoration (pp. 129-149). London, UK: Springer. Lee, E. W. S., Hau, B. C. H. Corlett, R. T. (2005). Natural regeneration in exotic tree plantations in Hong Kong, China. Forest Ecology and Management, 212(1–3), 358–366. Liu, D. (2003). Rehabilitation of degraded forests to improve livelihoods of poor farmers in South China. Bogor, Indonesia: CIFOR. Nagendra, H. Southworth, J. (2010 ). Reforesting landscapes: Linking pattern and process. Bloomington, USA: CIFOR. Pullar, D. Lamb, D. (2012). A tool comparing alternative forest landscape restoration scenarios. In J. Stanturf, D. Lamb, P. Madsen (Eds.), A goal-oriented approach to forest landscape restoration (pp. 129-149). London, UK: Springer. Willoughby, I., Stokes, V., Poole, J., White, J.E.J. Hodge, S.J. (2007). The potential of 44 native and non-native tree species for woodland creation on a range of contrasting sites in lowland Britain. Forestry, 80(5), 531–553. Xi, W., Bi, H. He, B. (2012). Forest landscape restoration in China. In J. Stanturf, D. Lamb, P. Madsen (Eds.), A goal-oriented approach to forest landscape restoration (pp. 65-93). London, UK: Springer. Xin, Z. (2012, March 12). Afforestation to continue into next decade. The China Daily. Retrieved from chinadaily.com.cn/china/2012-03/12/content_14814759.htm Yau, F. (1997). Soil and afforestation in the Shing Mun Country Park, Hong Kong (M aster’s Thesis. The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China). Retrieved from http://hub.hku.hk/bitstream/10722/55287/3/FullText.pdf Zhang, Y. Song, C. (2006). Impacts of afforestation, deforestation, and reforestation on forest cover in China from 1949 to 2003. Journal of Forestry, 104(7), 383–387.

Comparison of Ingre's 'Grande Odalisque' and Titan's 'Venus of Urbino' Essay

Comparison of Ingre's 'Grande Odalisque' and Titan's 'Venus of Urbino' - Essay Example The depiction of the female nudity in history of art exists in plenty; as does the archetype from which these nudes got styled. Titian and Ingres were deliberated as some of the most significant artists of their time; accredited with being broad - minded and conservative (Gardner 290). Noting the painters and paintings, they stand as genius on their own considering their individual contributions which are monumental to the corresponding movements. Through identifying these works through their separate form content and context, the two works will be compared and contrasted. It remains easy to describe Ingres as a consistent supporter of the Neo - Classical stylishness from his period in David's studio to the mid19th century. Ingres returned to Neo - Classics after having overruled the lessons of David, his teacher, and after having set the foundation for the emotional Romanticism expressiveness, the new style of young Delacroix and Gericault that Ingres would ultimately defend. Ingres' early Romantic penchants can be seen most legendarily in his work â€Å"La Grande Odalisque† painted in 1814. On Ingres’, Grande Odalisque, a languid nude is outlaid in a sumptuous interior. On its first glance this nude appears to follow in the convention of the Venetian masters, for instance, Venus of Urbino (1538) by Titian. However, upon closer scrutiny, it seems that this is not a classical setting. Instead, Ingres has generated a distant eroticism emphasized by its exotic context. This work is full of sensuality, idealization and mystery. The background seems quite undefined with a purported black portion that makes it more attractive. The different shades of bluish clothing and decorations make the picture more striking to the viewer. The woman’s gaze, like Titan’s Venus, is directed straight towards the spectator and the fan made of peacock feathers in her hand looks as if it has just been used. Odalisque position and size gives a deeper meaning although, it is much more than a naked lady staring at the viewer. She reflects her life as a concubine, on her duties . She is believed to have been part of the sultan’s harem, she was there to satiate the lascivious pleasures of the sultan, despite what she may want or feel. She reflects a woman with deep thoughts, complex feelings and emotions (Lewis 328). In the cognizance of a 19th century French male observer, the sort of individual for whom this picture was made from, the odalisque would have made up not only a harem slave, being itself a fallacy, but a set of desires and fears connected to the long aggression history between Islamic Asia and Christian Europe. Certainly, Ingres' porcelain sexuality is acceptable even to a progressively prudish French culture due to its subject's distance. While the Renaissance painter Titan veiled his eroticism in myths, Ingres covered his piece of desire in a murky exoticism. Some art historians suggest that colonial politics played a role too on the work. France was expanding its African and Eastern possessions, often brutally at this time (Gardner 4 41). The myth of the barbarian served the French who would then claim a moral authoritative. Incidentally, on clear look, anyone can notice something "wrong" with the figure's anatomy. Titian is deliberated to have been an outstanding Venetian painter of the 16th - century, and the former of the Venetian colorist and painterly tradition. He remains one of the significant figures in the Western art history. Tiziano Vercelli got born in the northern Venice, in 1477. He got trained by both Giorgione and Bellini, and after

The Holocaust and Los Desaparecidos Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Holocaust and Los Desaparecidos - Essay Example In the case of Hitler, it is clear that he was responsible for the Holocaust. However, it is difficult to name the culprit for Los Desaparecidos because there are several people involved. Politically, Leopoldo Galtieri was the last president of Argentina during 1981-82 when Los Desaparecidos was active. This was the time when he ill-advisedly annexed the Falkland Islands and resigned subsequently when the British retook Falkland Islands through military action. However, he supported the coup to overthrow Isabel Peron in 1976, and steadily rose up in the military ranks ultimately becoming the Commander-in-Chief (Leopoldo Galtieri). Hitler was responsible for the extermination of six million Jews, an unparalleled action in history. He caused the deaths and mayhem of millions more in Germany and in the rest of the world. Los Desaparecidos may not equal Hitler in this regard. But Argentina had its share of horrors involving thousands of left-wing dissidents in the "dirty war" as the 1976-83 conflict came to be known. Hitler was repressive with his own people. Thousands disappeared in Argentina between 1976 and 1982. Some quote the figure as up to 30,000 people who disappeared. What happened to them There are chilling accounts of young dissidents being thrown from helicopters into rivers Certainly there are glaring differe... What happened to them There are chilling accounts of young dissidents being thrown from helicopters into rivers Certainly there are glaring differences. Hitler set the stage to conquer Europe. The dictator who ruled Argentina then, Leopoldo Galtieri, tried similar tactic when he closed the borders with Chile over a dispute involving two islands below the southern tip of South America, and annexed the Falklands Islands from the British Adolf Hitler was born on April 20th 1889 in Braunau-am-Inn, Austria. Leopoldo Galtieri was born into a working class family of Italian immigrants in Buenos Aires in 1926. Hitler served in the German army during the First World War. Galtieri was not born when World War I was fought. Hitler conquered Poland, Austria, Belgium, France, and Holland in quick succession. Galtieri had no such vision. He only closed the doors on Chile over two disputed islands (Isobel Hilton). Galtieri's military was not advanced enough for conquests. The Falkland War exposed the wide chinks in the Argentine army's armor. Hitler grew up with a poor record at school and left, before completing his tuition, with an ambition to become an artist. He continued to have troubled times as a youth and grew up hating the Jews, the Marxists, liberalism and the cosmopolitan Habsburg monarchy. Believing that fate had chosen him to avenge the humiliation of defeat by Germany in World War I, he founded the Nazi party and single-mindedly rose through its ranks using intrigue and fascinating promises to his countrymen to become the Chancellor of Germany (Adolf Hitler). Galtieri joined the Argentine military academy at 17 and graduated as an officer in 1949 from the United States School of the Americas in Panama. He drew praises from United States

Picturing the Perfect Essay by Tim Bascom Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Picturing the Perfect by Tim Bascom - Essay Example With the help of this written piece, I have been able to develop understanding regarding visual models that encompass our mindset of bringing abstract to words and expression. It is no less than an astonishing experience of mine after reading this piece that I came to know about literal nature of design. Visual models such as braids and dipping into the well immersed a whole new experience of mine about writing and expressing (Bacom).   If such visual models are generally used by the essay writers then it is expected that essays would not just deliver a body of words but incorporate communication in a two-way mode between the essay writer and reader.   The tone that has been used by the author in the paper is very clear and easy to understand. General public will be able to gain understanding about the subject being discussed without getting misled by the designs and its relation with essay writing (Bacom). I would agree with almost every claim that had been made by Bascom in his written piece because I believe clarity about writing is much needed. By implementing visual models, one can easily expect an effective piece of writing or essay. I would suggest my peers to make use of this written piece in learning the art of essay writing. If such visual models are generally used by the essay writers then it is expected that essays would not just deliver a body of words but incorporate communication in a two-way mode between the essay writer and reader.  

Integrated academic report-the innovation and change of BP(British Essay

Integrated academic report-the innovation and change of BP(British Petroleum - Essay Example The project presents the experience of the organisation through the process of innovation and change and benefits that it has been able to gain through the process. The main area that the project tries to explore is the organisation’s present innovative position in the industry. This includes the changes that it has incorporated since the last five years. It also explores the company’s future vision and strategies towards innovation and the components contained in the vision. The next part of the project aims to identify the various competencies and cultures that organisations must to enhance and remain innovative in its operations. Following this, the project identifies the different avenues of learning existing in British Petroleum. Finally, the entire process of change management has been explored which includes the role of change agents, the different barriers and enablers and the internal and the external communications. Part 1: The organization’s need for i nnovation The new age of 21st century also demands a fresh understanding of the nature of its society and its responsibilities. A shared responsibility should be taken by all the citizens of the world in order to have a sustainable development for its own future. Adaptation efforts are going on and it must be expanded also, but these adaptation techniques are very costly and less effective with the growing magnitude of the climate change. The global climatic change has been recognized as the most intractable and most dangerous of all the environmental impacts of the energy. Another problem adding to it is the macroeconomic vulnerability which is arising due to the oil dependencies overall. It’s high time to innovate new processes now to cope with the situation. On an average worldwide, 12 warmest years out of the last 150 years have occurred since 1990. The warmest 50 years were the last 50 in 6000 years. Over the last few years it is also seen that sea ice shrinking, places like Greenland, Antarctic ice is melting. Wildfires, heat waves, storms and flood damages have also get increased in the last few years. On the other hand Oil dependencies are also rising for different countries. According to reports in 2005 United States was dependent for about 65.4 % of its total oil required on imports. This was the highest amount of oil dependence percentage in imports in US history. The cost incurred for this oil imports in 2005 was around $231 billion which accounts to 30% of the U.S net trade deficit on the same year (Holdren, 2006, p.7-10). One of the major motivations for innovation in British Petroleum is the need to retain or increase its profitability which will provide incentives for innovation to cut costs provide new services and thus in turn improve their market share. With the new innovation strategies there is better quality services and also gaining trust with the shareholders. Over the last 10 years BP has radically changed its strategies in ever y aspects of the company. After the tragic events of 2010 there is a severe impact on the BP trust. In order to gain trust again from the people and gain market share BP is developing and then implementing comprehensive processes to strengthen more safety

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 10

Case Study - Essay Example Leaders create visions and goals whereas the managers and administrators work towards achieving them. The fast changing pace of the technology can be observed in the study of the organizations and the changing role of leadership within the organizations. The role of leaders, managers and the administrators of the organizations become more challenging when new technologies are introduced in the organizations. The good leadership ensures effective communication with the employees with shared vision of the new technology, thus promoting better understanding among the employees for easy changeover. The managers and the administrators need to be guided by the group leaders within the organization to implement the changes in a smooth manner. In the contemporary environment of competitive business, the leadership style and leadership initiatives become major propellant of gaining effective leverage against business rivals. Discussion of leadership with reference to large organization is as important as that of small one for the simple reasons that the leaders within the organizations, not only provide an intangible stability among the employees and facilitate integration with the system, but they have been known to promote collective vision of the organization and provide the necessary impetus to the employees to strive towards it. Scholars assert that in the increasingly changing environment of global competitiveness one needs to ‘approach managerial leadership as a relational, ongoing social construction process rather than as a single clear cut phenomenon’ (Sjostrand and Tyrstrup). The emerging new managerial leadership has encompassed a very important aspect of organizations, that of making effort to involve employees in the decision making process. The leadership has recognized the importance of people’s participation in the overall strategy of having collective goals through shared

Research literature review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Research literature review - Essay Example (Waters, 2010). Duddy (2008) says â€Å"women have assumed increasingly indispensable roles in the economy and their contribution to family income has enabled poor families to cope with financial hardship.† Robbins (1999, p. 354) argues that â€Å"women do two-thirds of the world’s work, receive 10 percent of the world’s income and own 1 percent of the means of production.† Caraway (2007) also says that despite the huge influx of women in the workplaces as a result of globalization, the gender inequalities at work have remained largely in tact. Tatchell (cited in Paton, 2005) identifies that unless businesses change their discriminatory attitude towards women, men will continue to dominate and a huge pool of talent will go wasted. More women are working than ever before, but they are ever more likely than men to get low-productivity and vulnerable jobs, with no social protection and basic rights. (International Labor Organization, 2008). Mehrotra (2010) sa ys that in case of increased feminization of workplaces, children may feel neglected and seek stimulation outside the house. Regarding the increase in the number of women in the workforce, work attendance is at chance to be negatively affected since women also have primary responsibility for home and family matters. (Heathfield, 2007). Disagreeing, Joachim (2005) says that the rate of working women who can also be admirable mothers is growing now and it is unfair to suggest that they prioritize their jobs over families. According to Waters (2010), women run many of the world’s great companies, from PepsiCo in America to Areva in France. Feminization has extended from the once infinitesimal feature to a quite considerable and imposing feature obvious in the workplace settings. The increasing encouragement shown from side of the employers to the women is a positive and appreciable trend that no doubt, on one

Integrated academic report-the innovation and change of BP(British Essay

Integrated academic report-the innovation and change of BP(British Petroleum - Essay Example The project presents the experience of the organisation through the process of innovation and change and benefits that it has been able to gain through the process. The main area that the project tries to explore is the organisation’s present innovative position in the industry. This includes the changes that it has incorporated since the last five years. It also explores the company’s future vision and strategies towards innovation and the components contained in the vision. The next part of the project aims to identify the various competencies and cultures that organisations must to enhance and remain innovative in its operations. Following this, the project identifies the different avenues of learning existing in British Petroleum. Finally, the entire process of change management has been explored which includes the role of change agents, the different barriers and enablers and the internal and the external communications. Part 1: The organization’s need for i nnovation The new age of 21st century also demands a fresh understanding of the nature of its society and its responsibilities. A shared responsibility should be taken by all the citizens of the world in order to have a sustainable development for its own future. Adaptation efforts are going on and it must be expanded also, but these adaptation techniques are very costly and less effective with the growing magnitude of the climate change. The global climatic change has been recognized as the most intractable and most dangerous of all the environmental impacts of the energy. Another problem adding to it is the macroeconomic vulnerability which is arising due to the oil dependencies overall. It’s high time to innovate new processes now to cope with the situation. On an average worldwide, 12 warmest years out of the last 150 years have occurred since 1990. The warmest 50 years were the last 50 in 6000 years. Over the last few years it is also seen that sea ice shrinking, places like Greenland, Antarctic ice is melting. Wildfires, heat waves, storms and flood damages have also get increased in the last few years. On the other hand Oil dependencies are also rising for different countries. According to reports in 2005 United States was dependent for about 65.4 % of its total oil required on imports. This was the highest amount of oil dependence percentage in imports in US history. The cost incurred for this oil imports in 2005 was around $231 billion which accounts to 30% of the U.S net trade deficit on the same year (Holdren, 2006, p.7-10). One of the major motivations for innovation in British Petroleum is the need to retain or increase its profitability which will provide incentives for innovation to cut costs provide new services and thus in turn improve their market share. With the new innovation strategies there is better quality services and also gaining trust with the shareholders. Over the last 10 years BP has radically changed its strategies in ever y aspects of the company. After the tragic events of 2010 there is a severe impact on the BP trust. In order to gain trust again from the people and gain market share BP is developing and then implementing comprehensive processes to strengthen more safety

Research literature review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Research literature review - Essay Example (Waters, 2010). Duddy (2008) says â€Å"women have assumed increasingly indispensable roles in the economy and their contribution to family income has enabled poor families to cope with financial hardship.† Robbins (1999, p. 354) argues that â€Å"women do two-thirds of the world’s work, receive 10 percent of the world’s income and own 1 percent of the means of production.† Caraway (2007) also says that despite the huge influx of women in the workplaces as a result of globalization, the gender inequalities at work have remained largely in tact. Tatchell (cited in Paton, 2005) identifies that unless businesses change their discriminatory attitude towards women, men will continue to dominate and a huge pool of talent will go wasted. More women are working than ever before, but they are ever more likely than men to get low-productivity and vulnerable jobs, with no social protection and basic rights. (International Labor Organization, 2008). Mehrotra (2010) sa ys that in case of increased feminization of workplaces, children may feel neglected and seek stimulation outside the house. Regarding the increase in the number of women in the workforce, work attendance is at chance to be negatively affected since women also have primary responsibility for home and family matters. (Heathfield, 2007). Disagreeing, Joachim (2005) says that the rate of working women who can also be admirable mothers is growing now and it is unfair to suggest that they prioritize their jobs over families. According to Waters (2010), women run many of the world’s great companies, from PepsiCo in America to Areva in France. Feminization has extended from the once infinitesimal feature to a quite considerable and imposing feature obvious in the workplace settings. The increasing encouragement shown from side of the employers to the women is a positive and appreciable trend that no doubt, on one

Message to Garcia Essay Example for Free

Message to Garcia Essay In the short writing, Message to Garcia, the author Elbert Hubbard writes of a man named Rowen, who is tasked with delivering a letter to the leader of the Cuban resistance forces, General Garcia. But the story is not about his trials, or his mishaps. Its not about his journey nor his thoughts about the situation at all. The story actually mentions Rowan only a few times throughout. The author instead focuses on the qualities of Rowan, not on what he says, but, rather on what he didnt. The narrator of the story, who is never actually named but whom can be assumed to be in close conjunction with those who were tasked with reaching Garcia, speaking of Rowans undeniable loyalty to the cause. The situation was seemingly impossible. Trying to reach Garcia who was actively trying to stay hid to deliver a message asking for his cooperation. With no questions asked Rowan sats out on his three week journey to deliver the message. The connection between Rowans silence on the details of the mission, and his loyalty to the task and the ones giving it to him are explained further in the story. In fact later on, it becomes less of a story and more of a guidance manual to the readers. It explains that how many times nowadays, or perhaps most times, success is gained through back ended means. People in general sense do not possess the mindset to focus on a task, nor have the willingness to gain that mindset. When told to accomplish a task, they wither go do it halfheartedly is at all, or simply shift it to the side, or the gutter as the author put it. The main connection that the author made was that Rowan did not ask where General Garcia was. Not because he already knew, but that he knew enough about the situation that he had already made the determination that he was tasked with the mission because nobody else knew either. To put it simple, it did not matter whether he asked or not. His success of the mission relied purely on his skills and accomplishing the task. Asking questions like who  and how ere of little consequence. He had to do it and he would do it. As I said before, the author was not concerned with the journey, but his willingness and loyalty to mission accomplishment to begin the impossible journey at all. The author also goes into details about another man, to describe the polar opposite of Rowan. He describes the man as impervious to reason, unable to take orders, nor give them. Basically describing a large portion of todays society. The people with a society of people such as that is that progress is halted, not because the means arent there, but that there is not initiative to find the means and put them into effect to get things done. To a logical thinking person, the conclusion is this, that Rowans qualities of dedication to the mission, and his comrades that would more the likely be benefited by his actions, even if he could not immediately see it, are qualities that we should all strive to possess. To better ourselves and those around us is a mission in itself, one that we should all be loyal too, not just for us, but for everyone, For is everyone shared this sentiment, perhaps the need to send a letter to General Garcia would not have existed at all. The need for us to observe situations, or missions, if you will, from a third person point of view, rather than looking just at how they will benefit us, or take us out of our comfort zones, becomes more necessary as we receive more responsibility to get the mission accomplished.

Dementia Of Alzheimers Type Health And Social Care Essay

Dementia Of Alzheimers Type Health And Social Care Essay Ageing brings with it changes in number of domains, including attitudes, health, self-image, relationships, status, generational changes, sexual functioning and an awareness of time and mortality. These general themes all appears regularly in clinical work with older people as they come to terms with the realities of retirement or illness. (Wattis and Curran, 2006) The National policy on older persons confers the status of senior citizen to a person who has attained the age of 60 years (Ministry of Social Justice website). An estimated 77 million people or 7.7 percent of the population are senior citizens (Help Age India website) Many of our aged senior citizens live with their families. Hence any physiological and psychiatric changes affect these family members. (Handbook of Psychiatric Social Work,2007) Understanding Dementia The word dementia is an umbrella term which describes a serious deterioration in mental functions, such as memory, language, orientation and judgement. Numerous definition of dementia has been suggested. Roth proposed that it is an acquired global impairment of intellect, memory and personality. A more comprehensive definition has been suggested by McLean, namely, an acquired decline in a range of cognitive abilities (memory,learning, orientation and attention) and intellectual skills (abstraction, judgement, Comprehension, language and calculation), accompanied by alterations in personality and behaviour which impair daily functioning, social skills and emotional control. There is no clouding of consciousness, and other psychiatric disorders are excluded. Dementia usually has an insidious onset, with most people developing symptoms gradually over a period of years. The progression of these diseases is largely unpredictable for each individual. How and what symptoms develop depend on what parts of the brain are affected by which illness, and the unique characteristics of each individual. Dementia has a life changing physical, emotional and mental impacted on the affected person and their primary caregiver and family. Dementia is a neuropsychiatric condition in elderly, disabling illness of late life, which is a hidden problem in India, demanding immediate attention from professionals (Shaji Iype, 2006). Different type of dementia: Some types of dementia are irreversible and progressive. This is not true for all types of dementia, especially if detected early. Types of dementia include: Dementia of the Alzheimers Type Approximately 50 percent of all cases of dementia are caused by Alzheimers disease. Vascular Dementia Vascular dementia is cause by small strokes that stop blood flow to parts of the brain. Dementia Due to Other General Medical Conditions Medical conditions that can cause dementia include HIV, head trauma, Parkinsons disease, Huntingtons disease, Picks disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, metabolic disorders, and hypoglycemia. Substance-Induced Persisting Dementia The use of a substance such as alcohol or the sudden withdrawal from a substance can cause dementia. This is diagnosed only if the symptoms last beyond normal withdrawal time for the substance. Dementia Not Otherwise Specified This is the category for dementia that doesnt fit in an above category. Dementia differs from delirium, which is characterized by a state of sudden confusion. Dementia is not part of the normal aging process nor is it mental retardation or psychosis. There are medications and therapies that can help manage the symptoms of the disease, making life easier for the patient and his/her family. Dementia of Alzheimers Type (DAT): Alzheimers disease is the most common form of dementia. Alzheimers Disease is named after the German Psychiatrist, Alois Alzheimer, who in 1906 first described the changes caused by the condition. The diagnostic criteria for DAT as mentioned in DSM-IV-TR: A. The development of multiple cognitive deficits manifested by both   (1) memory impairment (impaired ability to learn new information or to recall previously learned information)   (2) one (or more) of the following cognitive disturbances:  Ã‚      (a) aphasia (language disturbance)      (b) apraxia (impaired ability to carry out motor activities despite intact motor function)      (c) agnosia (failure to recognize or identify objects despite intact sensory function)      (d) disturbance in executive functioning (i.e., planning, organizing, sequencing, abstracting) B. The cognitive deficits in Criteria A1 and A2 each cause significant impairment in social or occupational functioning and represent a significant decline from a previous level of functioning.   C. The course is characterized by gradual onset and continuing cognitive decline.   D. The cognitive deficits in Criteria A1 and A2 are not due to any of the following:   (1) other central nervous system conditions that cause progressive deficits in memory and cognition (e.g., cerebrovascular disease, Parkinsons disease, Huntingtons disease, subdural hematoma, normal-pressure hydrocephalus, brain tumor)   (2) systemic conditions that are known to cause dementia (e.g., hypothyroidism, vitamin B or folic acid deficiency, niacin deficiency, hypercalcemia, neurosyphilis, HIV infection)   (3) substance-induced conditions   E. The deficits do not occur exclusively during the course of a delirium.   F. The disturbance is not better accounted for by another Axis I disorder (e.g., Major Depressive Episode, Schizophrenia).   Code based on presence or absence of a clinically significant behavioral disturbance: 294.10 Without Behavioral Disturbance: if the cognitive disturbance is not accompanied by any clinically significant behavioral disturbance. 294.11 With Behavioral Disturbance: if the cognitive disturbance is accompanied by a clinically significant behavioral disturbance. (e.g., wandering, agitation) Specify subtype: With Early Onset: if onset is at age 65 years or below   With Late Onset: if onset is after age 65 years   ICD-10 diagnostic criteria for dementia: The primary requirement for the diagnosis is evidence of a decline in both and thinking which is sufficient to impair personal activities of daily living. The impairment of memory typically affects the registration, storage and retrieval of new information, but previously learned and familiar information may also be lost, particularly in later stage. Dementia is more than impaired memory. There is also impairment of thinking and of reasoning capacity, and a reduction in the flow of ideas. The processing of information is impaired, in that the individual finds it increasingly difficult to attend to more than one stimulus at a time. (e.g. taking part in a conversation with several people), and to shift the focus of attention from one topic to another. If dementia is the sole diagnosis, evidence of clear consciousness is required. However, a double diagnosis of delirium superimposed on dementia is common. The above symptoms and impairments should have been evident for at least six month s for a confident clinical diagnosis of dementia to be made. Alzheimers disease (F00) In ICD-10, Alzeheimers disease (AD) is divided into Dementia in AD with early onset (F00.0) and Dementia in AD with late onset (F00.1). These categories include the definition of dementia discussed above. For Dementia in AD with late onset, onset is after the age 65years. AD has an insidious onset with a gradual decline in the mental stage, Memory difficulties, especially with regard to new memories, are usually the first symptoms to be noticed. Memory problems may be attributed to old age or absent-mindedness. The onset is so gradual that even a close relative living with the patient the early stages, previous personality may strongly influence the presentation. Patients with a tendency to be suspicious of others or to deny their own limitations may upset carers by accusing them of stealing misplaced items. Others may react to these early changes by becoming extremely dependent on relatives, especially if family patterns of behaviour encourage this. Mood disturbance is not a diagnos tic feature of AD. It may also be common in more advanced AD. Here it may not be reported by the patient, but may be inferred from behavioural changes and response to treatment with antidepressants. The patient usually lacks insight, and as the disease progress their behaviour may become more erratic. Disorientation with regard to time, place and person will also increase, usually in that order. The combination of disorientation in time and place and topographical disorientation may cause the patient to wander, resulting in considerable distress for the family, risk to the patient and the involvement of neighbours, other individuals and the police, who may have to bring the patient home. Patients may get up in the early hours believing that it is time to go to work or get the children ready for school. Hallucinations (usually visual) are fairly common, but are not usually evident except through the description of careers (e.g he spends a lot of time picking up imaginary food from th r floor). As the disease progress, the patient will become unable t recognise their relatives, who often finds this distressing. The patient may then become distressed, as they may believe that their spouse or son or daughter in a intruder. In addition, the patient may fail to recognise him or herself , and this can also cause considerable distress. Carers often find that removing mirrors solves the problem. Other difficulties with moderate to severe impairment include apraxia, which presents with difficulties in dressing and washing and other tasks involving visuo-spatial skills. Dysphasia (inability to express oneself in words or to understand words) can lead to severe frustration when combined with all of the other impairments and confusion. Incontinence (both urinary and faecal) usually develops late in the disease and for many carers is the final straw. Eventually the point is reached when the patient is unable to or anything from him- or herself including the following: dressi ng, personal hygiene, domestic tasks, toileting and feeding. There are characteristic changes in the brain: a marked reduction in the population of neurons, particularly in the hippocampus, substantia innominata, locus ceruleus and temporopareital frontal lobe cortex; appearance of neurofibrillary tangles made of paired helical filaments; neuritic (argentophil) plaques, which consist largely of amyloid and show a definite progression in their development (although plaques without amyloid are known to exist); and granulovacular bodies. Neurochemical changes have also been found, including marked reduction in the enzyme choline acetyltransfearse, in acetylcholinse itself, and in other neurotransmitters and neuromodulators. Causes of AD AD is a primary degenerative cerebral disease of unknown etiology, with characteristics neuropathological and neurochemical features. The precise aetiology of AD is poorly understood. However, it is important because such an understanding may have implications for both prevention and treatment. The relationship between cause and effect may be difficult to establish, particularly with regard to neurotransmitter deficits and the characteristics of neuropathological changes that are seen in AD. On the basis of epidemiological research, the most important risk factors for AD are old age and a family history of dementia and Downs syndrome. Alzheimers and the Brain Alzheimers disease leads to nerve cell death and tissue loss throughout the brain. As the disease progresses, brain tissue shrinks and the ventricles (chambers within the brain that contain cerebrospinal fluid) become larger. The damage disrupts communication between brain cells, crippling memory, speech, and comprehension. Alzheimers Medications There is no cure for Alzheimers disease, and no known way to slow the nerve damage within the brain. But there are a variety of medications that appear to help maintain mental function and slow the disease progression. If these treatments are given during the early stages of Alzheimers, your loved one may be able to remain independent and carry out daily tasks for a longer period of time. Prevalence of Dementia: Global Impact: Worldwide, there is a new case of dementia every seven seconds. As of 2008, there are an estimated 30 million people with dementia worldwide. By 2050, it is projected that this figure will have increased to over 100 million. Much of the increase will be in developing countries. Already more than 60% of people with dementia live in developing countries, but by 2040 this will rise to 71%. The fastest growth in the elderly population is taking place in China, India, and their south Asian and western Pacific neighbours. (Ferri et al, 2005) Stages of Dementia/AD Knowing a persons disease stage helps health professionals to determine the treatment approach and aids communication between health providers and caregivers. Sometimes the stage is simply referred to as early stage, middle stage or late-stage dementia, but often a more exact stage is assigned, based on a persons symptoms. Geriatric population is more affected by dementia of Alzheimers Type (DAT) or Alzheimers Disease (AD) 60-65 % and other related disease. Therefore, when choosing a suitable intervention model for dementia one has to keep in mind stages in dementia, context and circumstance, as care needs vary with stage to best help both the elderly people and their families. The below table demonstrates the changes in persons with Alzheimers disease and related disorders that usually occur during the progression of the illnesses. As patients move through stages, family issues are also changing. The type of clinical intervention that is most appropriate and effective for a particular family should be determined by the types of problems and issues the family needs to address. Early/Mild Stage: mild memory loss and deterioration of skills 1-5 years Changes occurring in patient Effect on family members Clinical Intervention Forgets familiar names Unable to name familiar objects Unable to retain what is read Unable to perform simple calculations Decreased knowledge of current and recent events Becomes careless in grooming habits Becomes anxious and frustrated in demanding situations Denies memory problems and inability to perform tasks Withdraws from challenging situations Gets lost in familiar surroundings Denial used as defense mechanism in coping with pain of relatives diagnosis False hope of improvement Fear of future Fear that they will also get dementia Concern about the effect on their life Conflict over care planning decisions Family assessment to include: genogram, influence of pre-existing family patterns, cultural items, quality of relationships, family conflict, support system, and socioeconomic level. Educate about disease process Validation of feelings (e.g anger) Refer to caregiver support group Evaluate environment of dementia victim Refer for information on legal and financial issues Explore care options Middle/Moderate Stage: Pronounced and severe decline of skills 5-15 years Unable to recall addresses, phone numbers, names of family members Disorientation to time or place Has difficulty choosing the proper clothing to wear Decreased ability to travel, handle finances, make decisions Flattening of affect (facial expression) Sleeping pattern affected Behaviour changes- may become delusional, obsessive, easily agitated, depressed Role changes Social Isolation Anger, resentment over caregiving responsibilities Embarrassed by patients behaviour Guilt over relinquishing caregiving responsibilities Conflict over care planning decisions Overwhelmed by caregiving responsibilities Marital problems Depression Help to prioritize caregiving tasks Assist family with feelings associated with caregiving and/or institutional placement Encourage family members to continue contact with the person in an institutional setting, participating in their care plan Problem-solve to alleviate conflict by resolving issues Encourage participation in a caregiver support group Be supportive to family members who are providing care Increase family support network Use crisis intervention strategies when necessary Educate about behaviour management Individual, marital or family therapy Late/Severe stage: Complete loss of functioning and basic skills 3-5 years Unaware of recent events and experiences Unaware of surroundings, the year, the season Verbal abilities are lost Incontinence of bowel and bladder Loses basic psychomotor skills Requires assistance in feeding, difficulty in swallowing Unable to acknowledge recognition of family members, friends Weight loss Grief over the loss of the person they once knew Conflict over care planning decisions Guilt over this desire for the disease to progress to death Support the familys decisions on terminal care. Problem-solve to alleviate conflict by resolving issues Address the long term grief of caregivers and help them to prepare for their future without the patient Provide case management services as needed, continually assessing the patients needs and the familys coping ability Give the family permission to let go Encourage funeral arrangements Effects of AD As people with dementia need sustained care, it becomes important to provide services for patients with dementia also provide support and guidance to their caregivers. The burden of looking after patients with AD is immense, and carers and families become physically and emotionally exhausted and socially more taxing. At this time families need support from the multidisciplinary team. For the better quality of life of both AD patients and caregivers, there is need for research and intervention models specific to individuals (familys) culture. Most of the time the caregivers are family members, they are encouraged to learn about the principles of long term care in general and dementia care in particular. In India, caregivers have their own strategies for care giving suitable to the family member of dementia. What is lacking is the knowledge of AD, therefore educating them is important, which will change their perception and attitude toward the family member (support with research). In rural areas, lifestyle, physical activity (farming) and environment difference could have contributed to the lower percentage of dementia. This is in particular reference to research done in Ballabgarh (New Delhi, India), there exist no case of dementia in this area, as studied in comparison with/to Pennsylvania community of elderly people, USA. Developing countries are also reaching the statistics of developed countries of increased life expectancy and stress related lifestyle, therefore, increasing risk of Dementia/AD. Some of the Intervention programs for caregivers are mentioned in the next session. This includes different models of intervention based on theory and research. Details of family intervention programs for caregivers of AD includes Educating about dementia, providing support-family counseling, group home support ,skill training. number of sessions, time period, and objective, content, success rate/effectiveness of the session/model. Family Intervention/treatment Caregivers of AD Role of caregivers Challenges faced by caregivers Intervention programs Caregiver: In our society more and more responsibility is placed on the family to provide care. The family caregiver is that significant person in the family, who looks after the basic needs of the patient throughout the day. The care for the caregiver is of immense importance as this population suffers more psychological effect than the patient. With the onset of a disability, the family is forced to take on new roles and greater responsibility. This causes high levels of stress in an already stressful situation. Caregivers are sometimes forced to give up their own needs in order to care for a family member. The caring for someone and constantly giving up ones own personal interests can affect the caregiver both physically and emotionally which, in turn affects the patient. The caregivers need to be aware of their own feelings, judgements, and different ways of reacting to the patients behaviour. They must also take care of their own physical and emotional health in order to provide care to their loved one. Ethnicity and culture issues also play a greater role in care giving. In society today, we have many different types of families. Some cultures tend to have extended and blended families, which can offer more support to the caregiver. Some cultures also view care-giving as an expected family function that can put added pressure and stress on the family. It is important for treatment team to understand the patients needs, but it is also important that they understand the families (caregivers) needs. Stress and caregiver burden: The negative phenomena associated with caring for victims of illness and injury is defined as caregiver burden. Caregiver burden may be further categorised into objective burden and subjective burden. Objective burden included changes in the patients personality and behaviour which are seen by the caregiver as well as financial strain, changes in the daily routine, changes in living conditions, and changes in social activities. Subjective burden is defined as the caregivers negative reaction in response to the presence of objective burden. A study conducted by Mitrani et al (2006) on the role of Family Functioning in the Stress Process of Dementia Caregivers: A Structural Family Framework. It was conducted on One hundred eighty-one family caregivers from the Miami site of the Resources for Enhancing Alzheimers Caregiver Health (REACH) project participated in this study. They assessed socio demographics, burden, depression, anxiety, and perceived health for each caregiver. The results of the study indicated that family functioning significantly contributed to distress in the overall sample and partially mediated the relationship between objective burden and distress. The implication of the study is that Family structural functioning is one contributor to the caregiver stress process. This suggests that interventions targeting structural family problems may reduce caregiver distress. The disease follows a predictable irreversible progression that lasts from between three to twenty years. NonPharmacologic Management of Dementia: The first line of treatment for an older person with dementia, especially one who has recently been diagnosed, is pharmacological, that is medication with cholinesterase inhibitors. Family systems Model: The family systems model is based on the premise that members of family groups influence and are influenced by all other members. Each family is a unique system, with its own set of rules that specify power structure, roles, communication techniques, and problem solving (Bowen, 1971; Haley, 1971; Minuchin, 1974; Kerr, 1981). Family treatment from a systems framework begins with an assessment of family organization and functions. An understanding of the familys structure and dynamics is necessary for making decisions regarding change strategies. From a family systems perspectives, the changes in health and functional status that are associated with dementia affect all members of the family unit. Although a primary caregiver usually assumes the daily care of the dementia patient, all family members experience some changes in roles, relationships, and goals. In some cases, the burden on the family can become excessive, jeopardizing the familys physical, emotional, and social stability (Niederehe Fruge, 1984) Interventions based on the family systems model can be focused on cognitive, emotional, and/or behavioural levels of functioning in families (Wright Bell, 1981). These interventions are directed toward change within the structure of the family, altering the postions of family members and resulting in individual changes as well. The following types of interventions have been found to be effective with families of dementia patients and can be used alone or simultaneously. Cognitive interventions: Directed at the cognitive level of family functioning, these interventions provide new information or a new perspective on a problem. They can include educating the family about the dementing illness and discussing the potential effects of the disease on family members. The next step is to suggest ways in which the family can respond to these effects and to provide information about community resources. It may be extremely painful for the family of a dementing patient to make the decision to place her in a nursing home. The clinician can provide an objective viewpoint, alleviating some of the familys guilt in making the final decision. Emotional interventions: These interventions validate a familys emotional responses and often affect feelings that may be blocking their efforts at problem solving. Validation of family members emotions, such as sadness, anger, and guilt, can help them understand the connection between the dementing illness and their stress. In the validation process, it is important to emphasize that the whole family is affected by the illness. Behavioural interventions: Aimed at the behavioural level of functioning, these interventions can assist family members in modifying behaviours that cause problems in their interactions. This type of intervention attempts to change such behaviour by teaching new adaptive skills. Families area also encouraged not to make sudden and major adjustments in their daily routines following a diagnosis of dementia. Family members do not all react in the same way to this illness; whereas some tend to exist in a state of denial throughout the initial stages and fail to recognize the real needs of the patient, others overcompensate and encourage dependence by the patient. To avoid a continuous state of family disruption, it may be necessary to assign specific behavioural tasks to family members. At the same time, it is important to emphasize that family members should try to continue their regular activities and maintain their accustomed role responsibilities for as long as possible. Before intervening in a family system that is dealing with a dementing illness, clinicians need to understand the familys perception of the illness. The clinicanss objectives is to help the family to adjust t it, not necessary to accept it. Tracy was a 30 year old teacher who sought help for her recent anxiety attacks. During the initial interview with the social worker, she focused on her mother, who was caring for Tracys grandfather, an Alzheimers patient. Tracy and her mother had always had a good relationship, but Tracy had now become focused on how her mother was coping with her grandfathers illness and was making recommendations on how she could get some respite from her caregiving responsibilities. Her mother refused to consider Tracys recommendations. Problem: Originally sympathematic to her mothers caregiving situation, Tracy was now frustrated and angry because she thought her mother was neglecting herself and other family members while caring for grandfather. Tracy reacted to her grandfathers illness by focusing intensely on her mothers cargiving responsibilities and taking on her mothers problem as her own. This focus on her mother allowed her to avoid dealing directly with her feelings about her grandfathers progressive illness and eventual death. Tracys mother reacted to her fathers illness by overcompensating and enmeshing herself in the role of caregiver. Although she often complained that caring for her father was exhausting and left her with little time and energy for herself or other famly members, she refused to consider assistance from her family or community services. Treatment approach: Advise Tracy to stop giving recommendations to her mother, but to continue to be supportive. Encourage Tracy to discuss her feelings about her grandfathers illness and any perceived expectation that she would assume the same caregiving responsibility for her mother in the future. Open communication between Tracy and her mother (and other family members, if possible) to share contents about the patients illness. Suggest meeting with Tracys mother. Encourage her to set time aside for herself and her family, providing support and information on resources and care options. Giver her permission to acknowledge the negative as well as positive feelings of caregiving. Goals: Open lines of communication between Tracy, her mother, and other family members. Acknowledge Tracys and her mothers feelings associated with the patients illness. Remove Tracys self-imposed responsibility for solving her mothers caregiving problems. Family Mediation Family Mediation is a family- oriented, problem-solving, task completion model that was originally used as an intervention in child custody and divorce situations, child-parent conflicts, and family disputes (Parsons Cox, 1989). A model that empowers mediation is an effective strategy for many of the caregiving problems that occur during the course of a dementing illness. The mediator role is based on conflict theory. Three dimensions of conflict have been identified with these caregiving families: a. Family members perceptions of illness and strategies for care. b. Their attitudes and behaviour toward the patient; and c. Their attitudes and behaviour toward the primary caregivers (Miles Huberman, 1984, Semple, 1992). Conflict often results from interaction between systems such as individuals, families, organizations, and communities, and may grow out of differences in values and power that make it difficult for the parties involved to define ways to agree or disagree. The role of the mediator is to move the conflict from the emotional and values level to a more objective level that provides the opportunity for negotiation. Families involved in the care of a person with dementia are faced with many options for difficult decisions, such as relocation, assignment of caregiving responsibilities, home health care, assisted living arrangements, and nursing home placements. Participants in the decision-making process may include dementia patients spouse, children, friends, neighbours and professional care-givers. Decisions involving several participants are usually not unanimous, with conflict resulting throughout the process from feelings of guilt, grief connected with the progression of the deme