Christmas Carol Essay

The light represents a sense of alertness to show that Scrooge has done great harm and hope. This quote also opens the sight to the audience of Scrooge’s past time and why he is the way he currently is. The Cratchit’s are an example of the impoverished people who, Dickens felt, were very honest. The poor people were never too worried about getting more than enough but just wanted something decent to live on. The clothes they whore were past down from parents or older siblings. The food was shared equally so that no one would be left too hungry, all these actions make the poor increase their love for each other. Dickens shows this when: ‘There was nothing very cheerful in the climate(†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ ) Yet there was an air of cheerfulness abroad’ This quote shows that even though the weather and atmosphere was very dull, the Cratchits still were happy for the sake of Christmas. This shows that Dickens is emphasizing that the poor had good characters, because they made the most of what they could and hardly complained whilst on the other hand the rich weren’t so graceful. Dickens clearly shows that the rich are greedy and do what will benefit them so they live in a crafty way to get more money. The rich do more and more to feel satisfied but they still want more which leaves them with corrupt lives. In this manner the rich never see the real wonder and beauty of life. This is shown by Dicken’s through the character of Scrooge when Scrooge has never been to Bob Cratchit’s house. Here he sees how the Cratchits, despite being very poor, can be happy at Christmas. Bob and Mrs. Cratchit struggle because their family is large: there are six children. Scrooge sees how frail Tiny Tim is and asks the Spirit if he will live. The ghost tells him that unless something changes in the future, the child will die. This makes Scrooge feel bad and some emotions in Scrooge’s feelings are shown. Later on in this stave the Ghost of Christmas Present takes Scrooge to Fred’s house. Fred is having a party and Scrooge is brought by the spirit to see and hear it to show him the benefit of a warm family life and that money could be used to share love and happiness. Scrooge’s nephew Fred says: â€Å"his offences carry their own punishment†. This quote shows that whoever does evil, then evil will come back to him, in this case Scrooge has no care for the poor and so he is punished by being lonely with no family or friends. It also shows how Fred does not have any ill feelings towards his uncle. This quote suggests that Dickens felt that the rich weren’t always happy and secure because of their possessions but needed respect for who they were, to be happy. Fred is a very generous rich man and Dickens shows that not every rich person was selfish and greedy but some were kind and caring. Dickens shows you could be rich of love and happiness with family and friends, even for the poor. Dickens explains this through the character of Fred when we are told: ‘Scrooge is to be pitied, not despised. He is rich but his money does him no good’ This quote shows that the rich were not always seen as the mighty, glorious people in the Victorian times but some were seen as being very low. The second part of the quote clearly emphasizes that money couldn’t buy everything. But in some circumstances money was a hindrance. Dickens also shows us that having all the money and wealth in the world cannot make you as joyous as being generous and kind. Dickens emphasizes this in his novel through the character Mr. Fezzywig, who is a very generous rich man, who had great love and joy. At this point in the novel, Scrooge is more emotional about how he has treated other people. He finds out that the Cratchits are happier than he had assumed but are suffering severely especially Tiny Tim. He finds out the truth of how his nephew really feels about him. However he knows that he has one more journey to go to and that is the future. The Ghost of Christmas future brings a sense of fear into the scenes, because of the way he only points but doesn’t speak and his head is covered with a hood. ‘The phantom slowly, gravely, silently approached’ This shows that Dickens was very serious about the issues of poverty and that he wanted everyone to know how horrific it was to be so greedy and not give anything to the poor. The quote shows us that something dreadful is to come. Similarly Dickens criticizes the rich who do not give to the poor by saying that they will have no one to care for them when they are feeble. Dickens shows this when the old woman says: ‘I thought he’d never die. ‘ This quote shows that Dickens is emphasizing how desperate people will be to get rid of such selfish, tight fisted people who have no care for others. The quote has a very strong message because it illustrates how worthless money can make a person. Dickens shows this worthlessness of money if not used properly can make a rich person worthless. This is shown when: ‘It’s likely to be a very cheap funeral’ This quote shows that people did not care about this person who has died. Dickens’ message here is that no matter how rich you are, you will not be worth a penny if you are careless and greedy. Scrooge gets scared and worried of what he sees. Scrooge shows lots of emotion, this is shown with: ‘In his agony he caught the spectral hand. ‘ This quote shows that Scrooge has become very feeble of his feelings because he has finally realized how dreadful of a person he has been. Dickens uses ‘agony’ to show the amount of pain and misery a greedy person’s death would be. In conclusion, Scrooge learned that money isn’t everything and that being generous and respectful to others is the most important thing. Scrooge also learns that family and friends come before money and business. In the following century society had many improvements such as benefits for the elderly and disabled. Most of these improvements were made into society after World War 2. This was mainly due to that in the world war, both the poor and rich fought together as one nation. Therefore the rich got to know the poor better and money was shared to provide for all the people so they could help in the war. Food rations were one of these schemes, so the world wars had a huge impact on how society was treated. In the modern society we live in there are many changes due to everybody contributing such as taxes. However in the Victorian times society was very closed and the message Dickens was trying to get over was that everyone should help each other whether poor or rich. There are many modern day Scrooge’s we can refer to even though it’s been over a century since Dickens era. However the Scrooge’s we can refer to in this century have been the more clever, sneaky one’s. An example of this is when DNA was discovered. The men who were seen as discoverer’s were Watson and Crick. However the real people behind the scenes actually made this discovery but the credit and glory was all given to Watson and Crick. Unlike in Dickens times, the modern society’s can get hold of money easily but nowadays it is more about pride and glory. Similarly of how poverty was present in Victorian England it still exists in the third world such as Africa but the Scrooge’s are known as the politicians however the poor are still the public.

On Goethe’s “The Sorrows of Young Werther” Essay

Every piece of literature which alludes to the foolishness, audacity, and perhaps, sheer naivety of the age-old play that is love, in its passions, pursuit, and myriad complex jubilations and devastations, is bound to appeal to at least one individual or the other. Humanity is inherently blessed or plagued by this encompassing sentiment, however fraught with woes and literary tremors it may appear to be, which is why poems, short stories, novels, and other literary works of fiction, in the flamboyant manner by which it recounts aspects of humanity, serve as fitting stages or platforms for the overplayed drama that is love. The German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe plays the aforementioned persuasion well, particularly in what many regard as a semi-autobiographical novel entitled, â€Å"The Sorrows of Young Werther† (1774). While the novel can be easily and automatically categorized as a ‘romantic’ piece of literary fiction based on the instance that it was published during the height of the Romantic period that is 18th century western Europe, it is also identified as such because it encompasses and reflects the spirit of the said era. â€Å"The Sorrows of Young Werther† constitutes, much like the title already aptly connotes, the pains of a young man named Werther, as he personally recounts the perennial tragedy of unrequited love, through a series of letters addressed to his friend Wilhelm. Werther is impassioned and consumed by attraction to a woman who doesn’t reciprocate his affections, much less pay attention to him, and who happens to be engaged to one of his friends. Werther culminates his long drawn poetic divulgings, outcries, and â€Å"sorrows† in the act of suicide. For most people, the concluding drama and tragedy which exists in Goethe’s novel is entirely plausible, or â€Å"realistic,† given that it was fueled by the obsessive nature of attraction. Goethe affords readers a perspective of an attraction, of a sentiment, of a proclaimed ‘love’ that may be juvenile and naive, but is far from healthy or harmless. It affirms and encompasses every romanticized idea or cliche of love as an immense force far greater than any individual; all-consuming and agonizing, especially – as in young Werther’s case – when it isn’t reciprocated. It also highlights the great lengths people rise or turn to for the sake of love, however convoluted, or different, and maybe even delusional, the form it takes may appear to be. These aforementioned â€Å"great lengths† aren’t always necessarily a good thing, in Werther’s case for instance, it meant death. It meant killing the pain, meant dying in flesh and bones in the same manner he already had inside. It meant consummating the proverbial death which he was only able to hold on to for so long. It may be achingly juvenile, and infinitely naive, but it is the German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s take and translation of love, in its purest and unabashedly raw form; devoid of necessary standards, strictures and responsibilities of â€Å"reasonable love. † One which lives, and as already apparent, dies for the sole purpose of the said circus or charade of an emotion; so much so that it ascribes the instance of death, and particularly of suicide, as a course of action or undertaking which is suddenly deemed romantic, noble, or at the very least acceptable, where the passions of attraction and the agony of love is concerned. While this may appear utterly heartbreaking and romantic on the leaves of a paperback book, I have reason to believe that it should be limited to the said confines, and not translate to â€Å"the real world. † While most readers, and myself, may sympathize with Werther’s plight, agony, and his aptly titled ‘sorrows,’ I have reason to believe that love can also manifest in less explosive and immensely imposing ways. I believe that it exists and abounds throughout the greater part of humanity and the world we live in, despite what hideousness and ugliness which surrounds the current state of our country and the rest of the world may connote. It exists in something as mundane as an e-mail or phone call, a free car ride, to seeming hallmark or kodak moments as the flying of kites, a little league team at play, a shared sandwich; and to the familiar trivialities but authentic and wholly heart-warming dependability of broad shoulders, thin lips, welcoming cheeks, and the warmth of an embrace. Love exists in more than one definition and translates in varying degrees and circumstances, an individual shouldn’t decide to end his or her life because of a romanticized version of it. People should live through and for love, not die for it. As for sorrow, people should endure and keep every exquisite agony, because ultimately and essentially, sorrows affirm our humanity, and our capacity to love. Works Cited Von Goethe, Johann Wolfgang. (2006) The Sorrows Of Young Werther. Mondial.

Food Adultration Essay

Food Adulteration Food adulteration with poisonous chemicals has reached a dangerous proportion posing serious health hazards in the country, said experts and government officials yesterday at a discussion jointly organised by The Daily Star and non-government development organisation RDRS Bangladesh. Basic food items on the market like rice, fish, fruits, vegetables, and sweetmeats are adulterated with hazardous chemicals in an indiscriminate manner, though food-grade preservatives and colours can be safely used in permissible quantities, said the discussants. The discussion on â€Å"Hazards of Food Contamination in National Life: Way Forward† was held at The Daily Star Centre in the capital. Views about the proportion of adulterated food items on the market varied between 70 and 90 percent. RDRS put the proportion at more than 90 percent referring to test results of government laboratories published in newspapers, while the officials and researchers present at the discussion said it is 70 per cent. More than 76 percent food items on the market were found adulterated in a random survey by Public Health Laboratory of Dhaka City Corporation in 2004. There are approximately 150 food items in the country, said SK Roy, a senior scientist at the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B). Poisonous residues in food items leave the worst impact on children’s mental and physical growth and women’s fertility, cause cancer, and damage vital human organs like liver, kidney, and heart, the discussants said. Roy in his presentation said formalin is applied on fish for preservation; calcium carbide on fruits to ripen; brick dust in chilli powder; urea to whiten rice and puffed rice; sawdust in loose tea; soap in Ghee; and artificial sweetener, coal tar, and textile dyes in sweetmeats. Formalin applied on fish, fruit, meat, and milk causes throat cancer, blood cancer, childhood asthma, and skin diseases, he said. Poisonous colouring agents like auramine, rhodomine b, malachite green, yellow g, allura red, and Sudan red applied on food items for colouring, brightness, and freshness — damage liver and kidney, and cause stomach cancer, asthma, and bladder cancer, said Roy. Colouring agents chrome, tartzine, and erythrosine are used in spices, sauces, juices, lentils, and oils — causing cancer, allergy, and respiratory problem. Calcium carbide may lead to cancer in kidney, liver, skin, prostate, and lungs. Rye flour used in barley, bread, and wheat flour contribute to convulsion and miscarriage. Hormone used in cauliflower causes infertility of women. Agino moto or monosodium glutamate used in Chinese restaurant food items cause nervous system disorder and depression. Urea put in puffed rice and rice causes nervous system damage and respiratory problem. Sulphuric acid used in milk for condensation causes damage to the cardiac system. Dr Syed Humayun Kabir, director of Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institution, said not just anyone should get trade license to produce food items, and the mass media must check the authenticity of a food product before carrying its advertisement. Application of excessive and unauthorised pesticides also cause contamination of food, he said adding that additives used for making food items attractive can be lethal if those are cancerous. But some permitted preservatives, thickening agents, gelling agents, antioxidants, and stabilisers could be harmless if applied in appropriate quantity, said Kabir. Food grains, veget ables, and fish also get contaminated by industrial pollution of the soil, air, and water, he said. Burnt engine oil is used to fry Jilapi, while artificial fragrance is applied on flowers, said Khalil Ahmed, executive magistrate of Dhaka City Corporation, who operates a mobile court against adulterated foods in the capital. Dr Selima Rahman, executive director of RDRS, said most of the food adulteration occurs in the hands of middlemen in the process of transportation and marketing. Urea is dangerous for kidney, she said adding, â€Å"At present, a total of two crore people are suffering from kidney diseases for various reasons.† Food adulteration has been happening on a massive scale for the past half a decade due to increased investment, expanded market, and high consumer demand, according to Roy. Some items like guava, lemon, and hog-plum [amra] are however still free from chemical aggression, he said. Greed for fast super profit and moral degradation among food traders have led to today’s alarming situation, he added. †The pattern of diseases is changing. In our student life, prevalence of infectious diseases was high. Now the number of patients suffering from cancer, diabetes, and kidney diseases are on the rise due to food adulteration,† said Dr Md Golam Kibria Khan, asso ciate professor of Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

You are required to complete the following two exercises in the Essay

You are required to complete the following two exercises in the seminar class through reflection upon the learning developed from todays seminar activities & class discussions - Essay Example In sports, leadership is fuelled by motivation to be the best, make peers proud, and have the gratification to be the best. Leaderships is undeniably stemmed from an inner motivation to excel and lead a group of individuals to a collaborative success. This is such a crucial aspect because some crave leadership because it puts them in power. However, the author is quick to point out that good leaders will always A leader is a person who guides a group of individual towards a certain goal. Leading by example as the author states is a must for any leader. Successful leaders love being leaders, not for the sake of power but for the meaningful and purposeful impact they can create. This in fact is the manifestation of being a good leader. The author argues that leadership has some traits as critical towards any leaders. One of the key aspects I learned from this article was the fact that leaders do not always necessarily know everything, but they know how to deploy talent. As an individua l who seeks to be a leader, this is much valuable advice because most leaders feel that they should know everything. From an individual’s perspective, it is crucial to understand that leaders have a holistic view of their goals rather than knowing every micro-detail, which can harmful. That is not to say that leaders must be not knowledgeable in their respective areas, but to understand that what talent lies within the group. This has been becoming more evident in the corporate world where CEOs understand the whole picture rather than focusing in minor details. Without a doubt, this sheds a lot of light in successful traits of leaderships and has really allowed me to gain powerful insights on the attributes of being a leader. In the end, it is evident that these attributes allow leaders to fulfill their success and enhance the value of their organization’s brand. Managing people in the 21st organization

"Financing, Valuation, and Rating Agencies" Coursework

"Financing, Valuation, and Rating Agencies" - Coursework Example Equity financing involves the sale of ownership right to interested partners. The money raised through equity financing is much higher than any other form of funding and is not limited or regulated (Williams, 2012). Investors can pump in money that the convenience store can overcome startup hurdles and grow in a very short period. The money contributed by investors is not returnable; thus the store will run till it breaks even so as to start the cash recovery. Shareholders bring along valuable skills and information to the convenience store. It is easier to achieve a target when different people are working towards the goal than when alone (Chandra, 2010). There are high expectations of success and responsibility as compared to debt financing. Capital raised from debt financing is limited and returnable. Expectations are low for debt financing as compared to equity funding, and collateral may limit finance required. Convenience stores are excellent avenues for revenue generation. Capital required is high as the risk of running it also stands high. With equity financing, enough money can be raised to steer off high growth and develop a consumer-oriented

Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Journal - Essay Example Marketing management bases on the concept of situation analysis in which the manager has to keenly analyze and closely monitor the firm so that everything runs parallel to the firm’s objectives and mission. Since it is a broad field, situation analysis divides itself into the economic, competitive, cooperative, legal, social and political environments. The economic environment It is a major determinant of how the firm survives in a competitive market. This type of environment can bring with it marketing opportunities or constraints. For example, such factors as high inflation and unemployment can limit the size of the market that can afford to purchase a firm’s top-of –the-line product (Peter and Donnelly 17). The competitive environment Firms are after a similar raw material and target at same consumers. In this environment, the management must look out for competing firms, drive competitors out of the industry and aim at offering value sensible products to the consumers. Political environment It influences how the public views the product. It composes of the business critics, the public and other organizations. To guard the corporation image, the management must satisfy the standards set to avoid criticism. ... Operations management functions The functions are categorized under design and control issues (Mahadevan 16). For the design issues, the functions are realized in product and design development. This is a major importance since it facilitates creativity in production to withstand external competitions. In addition, there is improved quality management, which helps build trust with customers. Designing is important when locating and making layouts of facilities that enables efficiency in production. For control issues, operations management is a guide for forecasting, as it understands the flow and trends of products. This helps in controlling production such that there is neither surplus nor deficit. Supply chain management is put under control since it depends on the operations management decisions. Still, the operations management helps guide the maintenance management because the operations determine how frequent the maintenance practices are carried out. With all these summed up, there is a continuous improvement of operations in a company. The operations management faces competitive pressure. This is because of technological advancement today. This can be attributed to be a major challenge. On the same note, the pressure can be from the economic reforms. Organizational design Organizational design involves two complementary problems: how to partition a big task of the whole organization and how to coordinate the subunits so that they fit together (Burton et al). The problems make organizational design a continuous executive process that requires short-term and long-term resolutions. Since it is a continuous process, a systematic approach reveals what happens Step 1: getting started Every firm has a goal and mission

Mental Health Settings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mental Health Settings - Essay Example The quality of care management that a person with depression receives depends entirely on the policies and practices of the managing care individuals and organizations. Case management is integral responsibility of monitoring and active follow up of the condition of the patient. Case management also involves processes such as continual provision of care, systematic assessment, improved education and holistic approaches that can create awareness of the impacts of co-morbidity (Lockwood, & Michele, 1999). Subjects who are enrolled in impatient units are assigned to various treatment conditions. This includes brokers case management where the client’s needs are assessed and the health is monitored. Services are provided by multiple providers. Another case of management is assertive community treatment where the client is provided with comprehensive services for unlimited period. Lastly is assertive community treatment which supported by community workers (Cumming, 2005). Community nurses offers primary care to patients. They are involved in planning evidenced-based care and interventions of the personal decisions of the patient. Some of the interventions that primary care nurses make are development of the care pathway, assessment of the patients, assessing of risks and management of risk. All these practices are aimed at normalizing of the mental health problems. Nurses have the responsibility of monitoring and following the condition of the patient very actively. It includes systematic and accurate assessments of needs of the patient and provision of continued care to the patient. They assess the patient to understand what he or she requires in relation to care nursing. There are regular contact nurses in the community based treatment who are supposed to contact the patients regularly. As a person with severe depression, I expect the regular nurse to liaise with my family members who are concern with my health condition. The

Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 23

Reflection - Essay Example The development of the sporting activity was promoted by the technological advancement after the world war two, it was further supported by the car industry involvement in the sporting activity like Ford. From the video, it is relatively clear that the sporting activity was promoted by the increased interest of the teenagers in Southern California from the year 1937. These were further promoted by the development of the southern California timing association that was involved in organizing events. Young people in schools were crazy with the sporting activities with each student wanting to own a car. Those who had cars spent most of their time in the garage to ensure that they had working cars that can be used for car racing. The parents and the authorities could not be able to stop the behaviour that was getting rampant among youths in South California. It can be said, with relative conviction that the current view of the sporting activity is different from what people thought of it in the past. The drag racing had gained a bad reputation among parents, police and media. This was due to the fact there were a number of accidents that were involved at that time. The fatal one was when Bruce, Nick and Dennis lost their lives while racing in Los Angeles. Further the activity was not a sport, hence did not get that attention of a sporting activity. The racing activity attracted people who were there just there for fun. For instance, at this time, there was no timing of the events, there were no prices given to the winners and entrance fee. People participated just to win and have fun. Thus, I think that that was the reason as to why there was a poor reputation of the sporting adding to the fact that there were a number of road accidents associated with it. The period post-World War II, gave rise to more sophisticated cars that were developed from the then technological advancement. Most vehicle producing companies had invested in

On Eating Roadkill, the Most Ethical Meat Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

On Eating Roadkill, the Most Ethical Meat - Essay Example Some researchers argue that factory-farmed meat has various effects on the environment. Therefore, road kill meat should be made permissible for as much as it is less harmful to the environment. Also, according to (Buhler 1) most roadkill meat goes to waste since people do not consume it. By making it acceptable to eat road kill meat, the waste would be reduced, and less harm would be done to other animals. Game meat is also the healthiest among other meat and eating it would save lots of cash in many families.If the road kill meat is not fresh and healthy, it can lead to various complications. One, it can lead to foodborne illnesses. For instance, a deer killed by the roadside might offer risks of infections like Toxoplasmosis gondii, chronic wasting disease, and other deer specific infections. Moreover, other roads kill meat like raccoon and squirrel might be carrying diseases related to their species. Another risk that might be experienced if people are allowed to eat road kill me at is bacterial contamination. Bacterial contamination occurs due to vehicular collision and considering that most ruminants have E. coli 0157, a chance for torn intestines and ruptured bladder leading to a gut spillage would be a concern.If eating road kills meat would be made obligatory and socially acceptable, the following guidelines should be taken into consideration. First, if a person happens to run over an animal, he or she should report to the game authorities before handling it.

Demographics of Durango Local Coffee Houses Research Paper

Demographics of Durango Local Coffee Houses - Research Paper Example Durango is indeed a small city relative to the highly commercialized and highly populated cities in New York and California. Out of the 5492 households, 22.4% have children below 18 years old who are still living with them, 34.2% of the population are married couples that live together while those under the age of 18 compose 16.6% of the population, 26.1% of the population from 18-24, 27.2% from 25-44 years old, 19.4% aged from 45-64 and 10.7% aged 65 or older (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.). In terms of income, only 7.3% of the population live below the poverty line, the median income for Durango households $34, 892 and the median income for families $50,814, while male are recorded to have higher incomes than females by a discrepancy of almost $7000 (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.). Currently, there are five top local coffee shops in the city- Durango Joe's on College, Magpies Newsstand, Durango Coffee Company, Steaming Bean and Starbucks in Durango. I have done an individual study on these five local coffee companies to answer the queries regarding the demography of people who frequent these local coffee shops. To know their target customers is also one of the goals of the study. In addition to this, I have also observed the marketing strategies, specifically the advertising strategies that these coffee shops employ to attract their target customers, through direct observation and further research. Durango Joe's on College Starting the year with a bang was Durango Joe's, after its owner Joe Lloyd received the Entrepreneur of the year Award in January. Having a simple philosophy and goal of making each person's day alive with a cup of coffee, Durango Joe's branches are sprouting up all over the town to reach many of its customers (Durango Joe's Coffee). Durango Joe's has recently opened a branch in Farmington to add to its existing branches. Given my observations, Durango Joe's is frequented by diverse types of people specifically of females, who are at early age, particularly of 15-20, 20-25 and 25-30 age groups and with men who are at their late stage, 30-40,40-50 and 50-60 age groups. The younger women who visit the store are usually those who access the net for school or job requirements or who just want to enjoy the comfort and peace of the store. With available personal computers and internet access, these are possible for any consumer. These women are also the ones who usually bring in their books to the store and read while also enjoying a cup of coffee. This has been a habit among the young people especially the women and this explains the higher number of young women in Durango Joe's. Among the groups, older men at the age of 40-50 registered the highest frequency of Durango Joe's visit. The reason for this is that most of these middle aged men do come in groups, being friends or officemates. Durango Joe's has been the popular hub of this group of people who dine for precious chat and laughter. With the recently launched, online ordering, Durango Joe's is not just spreading market to diners but also to those who need instant coffee satisfaction away from retail locations. Magpies Newsstand What exactly makes the

Prisons As Industry Essay Example for Free

Prisons As Industry Essay What is the most profitable industry in America? Weapons, oil and computer technology all offer high rates of return, but there is probably no sector of the economy as abloom with money as the privately run prison industry. Prison industry in recent years has become a high-profit business and it competes with industries such as the oil and gas industry. The aim of this paper therefore is to examine the industry as a whole. In examining the industry therefore, there shall be a cursory analysis of some salient point vis-à  -vis the prison industry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A very important fact is that the prison industry came about because of the congestion in the various government-owned prisons in throughout the country. The demand for prisons seems to be ever increasing and the public prisons scattered all around the country are incapable of providing adequately for this. Nearly every prison in America is overcrowded and will continue to be so if new prisons do not spring up. So therefore, the aim of the prison industry is to make provisions for more space to keep dissidents at a lower cost than federal prisons can.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In other words, privately owned prisons are unique because demand for prisons is high, while supply of prisons is low.   That is what makes this industry so appealing. Thus, privately owned prisons are good substitutes for federally run services. Therefore, this brings us to the issue of prison privatization. This involves the transfer of running state-owned prisons to private industries to manage. Thus, by using the private sector to build or manage prisons, many states believe that they can reduce costs. Privatization of prisons can take various forms. This includes: Contracting out services: This is the most common form of prison privatization. Currently, 39 states in the US hire private firms to provide such services as medical and mental health treatment, drug treatment, education, staff training, and vocational training and counseling. Contracting out prison labor This also is another means of privatizing prisons. By putting prisoners to work and paying inmates competitive wages, many private companies are reducing prison costs for the government by withholding earnings for taxes, room and board, family support, and victims compensation. Such employment also gives prisoners the skills and work experience that will prepare them for the job market when they are released from prison. Construction and lease/purchasing Many states see private construction as a promising solution to the prison over crowding crisis. States normally finance construction by cash appropriations (a pay-as-you-go approach) or by issuing general obligation bonds The points above are some of the ways by which prisons by various states in the US. In another vein, privatization of prisons can also occur at the federal level. For instance, the Federal Government of the United States recently proposed contracting with a private firm for a new 500 bed minimum-secure facility for illegal aliens. In addition, the Bureau has considered contracting for facilities to house special needs prisoners, such as juveniles, women, protective custody cases, and for prisoners needing medical services. However, the federal government is wary in contracting out the more mainstream prisoners such as those imprisoned in the Federal Correctional Institutions and the U.S. Penitentiary System. Nevertheless, the prison industry has raises certain questions. These questions must be answered before a deeper understanding and full grasp of the objectives of the industry can be achieved. The first question is that has the federal government abrogated its responsibility by privatizing prisons. In other words, Should the private sector be responsible for a function traditionally performed by the government sector? Evidence has shown that that prison privatization does not mean that the government relinquishes its responsibility. The government still would select the inmates to be placed in private prisons, choose the type of facility to be contracted out, oversee the contractors disciplinary practices and, most important, evaluate the contractors performance. Furthermore, another good question to be asked is whether service quality and flexibility is maintained or not? This is because some policy makers maintain that the quality of management in private prisons will tend to be high at first, because of competition and the desire to win contracts. However, they question the private sectors ability to sustain high-quality standards. This is not true of the prison industry because contracting standards are likely to improve over time as more firms enter the market and competition increases. Periodic bidding creates incentives for firms to improve constantly the quality and cost-efficiency of their performance. These above questions, among others, are some of the questions to ask in order to have an enlightened grasp of the prison industry. Now, it is of necessity to look at the history of prison industry. Historically, prison population started to grow in the United States in the 70s. Statistically, one out of every hundred adults is now imprisoned. In order to curtail the unwanted rise in the number of inmates, larger sentences are being imposed on to act as deterrent and other policies, which are known as the ‘broken window’. They have introduced the ’three strike’ policy which means that if you are convicted of any 3 offences you will receive life which is a very good deterrent. The state of Virginia applies this always, and has managed to slow the growth of the population (Bratton 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In addition, the government has tried to seek alternative modes of punishing offenders instead of retaining them in the prison yards. Undauntedly however, the rate of offenders soars. This has gone a long way in boosting the prison industry. The industry is now much bigger than ever before worth around 40 billion dollars a year. Due to the overcrowding in state prisons and federal prisons, which are on average 34% over designed capacity according to the BJS report, the prison industry has to rely on private prisons. Many states enjoy the companies taking on the task of building the prisons and covering the costs and just charging the state per inmate, as the state tends to be a lot more lenient to a convicted felon in order to save money. So therefore, prison industry continues to soar high. Investors are now having good times because of their net profits from prison business. For example, the leading company in prison business, Corrections Corporation of America, has made a tremendous success in the business. The revenue of this company rose by 81% in 1995 alone. Again, Investors in Wackenhut Corrections Corporation, another leading prison industry,   have enjoyed an average return of 18 percent during the past five years and the company is rated by Forbes as one of the top 200 small businesses in the country as of today. The list goes on an on. Ten years ago, there were just five privately run prisons in the country, housing a population of 2.000. Nearly, a score of private firms run more than 100 prisons with about 62,000 beds today. Thats still less than five percent of the total market, but the industry is expanding fast, with the number of private prison beds expected to grow to 360,000 during the next decade. This could be said to be the reason why a recent headline in USA Today which says that; Everybodys Doin the Jailhouse Stock In view of this, the prison industry is now a lucrative business. In fact, almost 30 states in the US have 28 states have passed legislation making it legal for private contractors to run correctional facilities and many more states are expected to follow suit. God knows maybe one day, the prison industry will take over as the most lucrative and cost-effective business. To summarize it all, there are many reasons why America has incarcerated more of its population than any other country including China, which has a much greater population. The main reason is still the fact that the prison industry is being portrayed as a business and companies are making money from crime. Therefore, toughening of laws by both the federal and state governments does not help matter. Therefore, one can safely conclude that prison industry has come to stay. What is to be done now is for the government to tighten laws on the establishment of privately owned correction centers across the States. This would go a long way in ensuring that the privately owned prisons function effectively as their public counterparts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   REFERENCES Tonry M., 2004. Prisons and Imprisonment, International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences, Pages 12062-1206. Walker, S., Spohn, C., Dolone, M., 2004. The Color of Justice, Race Ethnicity, and Crime in America, 3rd Ed, Wadsworth Publishing. Scalia, J., August 2001. Federal Drug Offenders, 1999 with trends 1984-99, Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report, U.S. Department of justice. Samaha, j., 2001. Criminal justice, 5th ed. Wadsworth publishing. Renshaw, B., December 1982. Prisoners 1925-1981, Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report, U.S. Department of justice. Harrison, P., November 2004. Prisoners 2003, Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report, U.S. Department of justice.

Their Eyes Were Watching God - Rebirth of Transcendentalism Essay Example for Free

Their Eyes Were Watching God Rebirth of Transcendentalism Essay A century elapsed between the period of transcendentalism and the publication of Zora Neale Hurston’s novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. During this time, the philosophies of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau faded as the post-war era of social realism began to dominate American culture and American literature. Thus, Their Eyes, published in 1937, was scorned and criticized by many for not being â€Å"political or serious† enough. It was not until twenty years after Hurston’s death that people began to appreciate Hurston’s works, especially Their Eyes, as important literatures in the African American and the American feminist movements. With further analysis, although Their Eyes is a modern novel, it actually takes the readers back to the period of Thoreau and Emerson; Their Eyes Were Watching God possesses elements of transcendentalism – self-reliance, nonconformity, and the over-soul – as supported by the essays of transcendentalist thinkers. To begin, a fundamental idea of transcendentalism is self-reliance, which stresses a person’s own judgment and intuition. Janie, the protagonist of Their Eyes, shows self-reliance when she uses her own judgments for the struggles she faces. For example, as she realizes that her marriage with Jody is tumbling down, â€Å"she saw that it never was the flesh and blood figure of her dreams. Just something she had grabbed up to drape her dreams over. [†¦] She had an inside and an outside now and suddenly she knew how not to mix them† (Hurston, 72). Janie knows her goals and desires, both are which shattered by Jody, so she must now distinguish the difference between the lies and the truth of her dream. Together with courage, her intuition gives her the strength to speak up to Jody on his death bed. Moreover, when she finally finds the love of her life, she feels â€Å"a self-crushing love, [allowing] her soul [to] crawl from its hiding place† (Hurston, 128). She doesn’t hide her feelings but goes to pursue her lover, Tea Cake. She is strong-will and has control over her feelings and thoughts. Even Tea Cake encourages Janie to use her own mind, â€Å"‘Nobody else on earth kin hold uh candle tuh you, baby. You got de keys to de kingdom’† (Hurston, 109). As Emerson would say that Janie possesses transcendentalist ideals because, â€Å"[She has the] integrity of [her] own mind [†¦] What [she] must do is all that concerns [her], not what the people think† (Emerson, 80). Her past experiences and her present judgments lead Janie to maker her own path in the future. Only when Janie relies on herself and holds her â€Å"keys to de kingdom† does she find her happiness and reach her dream. Furthermore, another element of transcendentalism is nonconformity, or individualism, which stresses the importance of finding one’s identity instead of giving in to society. Emerson explains nonconformity as â€Å"the great man who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude (Emerson 80). Janie shows exactly this on the day she arrives back in Eatonville. Dressed in her blue satin dress, she confidently walks past the women and men, ignoring their hurtful gossips and leaving them in awe. Despite her solitude due to Tea Cake’s death, Janie welcomes her independence; she is perfectly at ease with herself. Moreover, Thoreau also writes about nonconformity; he writes, â€Å"The only obligation which I have a right to assume is to do at any time what I think right [†¦] They only can force me who obey a higher law than I† (Thoreau, 104). Janie shares Thoreau’s attitude when she stands up to both of her late husbands and declares what she believes is right. Logan tells her that she doesn’t belong anywhere but â€Å"‘It’s wherever Ah need yuh’† (Hurston, 31). This is probably the worst thing he can say to his newlywed; it’s hurtful, disparaging, and disrespectful. However, unlike all the other women, such as Nanny, during the time, Janie stands up for herself by yelling back at his wrongs so she can gain back her independence and dignity. As for Jody – a husband who makes her tie her hair back, denies her of speech and social interaction, and abuses her – Janie finally takes up the courage to tell the truth at his deathbed. â€Å"‘All dis bowin’ down, all dis obedience under yo’ voice—dat ain’t whut Ah rushed off down de road tuh find out about you’† (Hurston, 86). Jody has crushed her hopes and dreams and her image of love, and she’s not about to let him forget that. She would not obey; she has no obligation to obey. After Jody’s death, Janie is finally free. Even more, she feels no remorse and she doesn’t mourn because the lost of her husband gives her back her individuality. Last but not least, the over-soul is another focal point of transcendentalism; it connects God, Nature, and Man. Emerson writes in his essay, Over-soul, â€Å"We live in succession, in division, in parts, in particles. Meantime within man is the soul of the whole; the wise silence; the universal beauty, to which every part and particle is equally related; the eternal One† (Emerson, Over-soul). This over-soul connects the broken pieces of the universe together. Hurston’s Their Eyes contains many details that support the over-soul. For instance, in the beginning Janie â€Å"saw a dust-bearing bee sink into the sanctum of a bloom; the thousand sister-calyxes arch to meet the love embrace and the ecstatic shiver of the tree form root to tiniest branch creaming in every blossom and frothing with delight† (Hurston, 11). This imagery of the bee and the flower symbolizes Janie’s dream. The bee and the flower coexisted in harmony, just like what Janie hopes her marriage will be. This is Janie’s innocent soul as depicted by nature. Later on however, as she’s forced into marrying a man she doesn’t love, she begins to know â€Å"the words of the trees and the wind. She often spoke to falling seeds and said, ‘Ah hope you fall on soft ground’ [†¦] Janie’s first dream was dead, so she became a woman† (Hurston 25). As she begins to mature more, she also begins to understand the sound of nature. Nature and Janie’s souls appear to be one, united and growing together. She talks to the seeds, warning them, sympathizing with them of a world that can be disappointing and unfair. Finally, after she shoots her beloved Tea Cake in order to protect herself, Hurston writes that Janie â€Å"pulled in her horizon like a great fish-net. Pulled it from around the waist of the world and draped it over her shoulder. So much of life in its meshes! She called in her soul to come and see† (Hurston, 193). Although it was a tragic and sudden death, Janie is in peace. The love of Tea Cake will not be forgotten because he will always be with her. Janie now understands the mysteries of nature and her world; she is ready for whatever that may come. Janie has learned and grown, most importantly, she has found her soul. All in all, a century later, Their Eyes Were Watching God leads to the rebirth of transcendentalist ideas, including but not limited to self-reliance, nonconformity, and the over-soul. Throughout her journey, Janie begins to identify herself as a self-reliant individual with a soul, all of which are transcendental characteristics. In the mid 1900s, because of the on going civil rights movements, an African American woman is the least expected person to posses all these traits. Even so, Janie Crawford becomes a prominent literature figure that gives people hopes and dreams, while fulfilling those of Emerson and Thoreau. Bibliography Emerson, Ralph Waldo. From Self-Reliance. The InterActive Reader Plus. Illinoise: McDougal Littell, 2003. 78-83. Print. Ferguson, Craig. Ralph Waldo Emerson – Within Man Is the Soul of the Whole; the Wise Silence; the Universal Beauty Transcendental MeditationBlog. N. p. , 27 Mar. 2010. Web. 05 Aug. 2013. . Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God: A Novel. New York: Perennial Library, 1990. Print. Thoreau, Hentry David. From Civil Disobedience. The InterActive Reader Plus. Illinoise: McDougal Littell, 2003. 90-105. Print.

Introduction Of The Care Quality Commission Social Work Essay

Introduction Of The Care Quality Commission Social Work Essay The introduction of the Care Quality Commission arguably fixes  that which was not broken.   Editorial The Trials of Marriage, The Guardian, Wednesday 1st April  2009.   The CQC came into existence on 1st April 2009. Consider the intended  role of the CQC and evaluate this statement in light of the experiences  of the first full year of the CQCs existence. We need to see tougher action by the commission on poor providers. The commission can impose or vary conditions where older people may be at risk. It can cancel the registration if that is the only way to ensure safety. Areas highlighted as needing urgent attention include record-keeping, medication, care plans and staff supervision. Operating as from April 1st 2009 the Care Quality Commission (CQC) takes over from the role of the former Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) as the registration and regulation body for social care in England, as well as performing the functions of the former Healthcare Commission and the Mental Health Act Commission. The CQC requires all health and adult social care providers to register their regulated activities. Regulated activities that require registration are declared in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2009, Pt II, s 3(1). The intended role of the CQC is to make the general standard of care better, however concerns have been raised about the poor quality of health care for the elderly as almost one quarter of homes for older people provide inadequate care. The CQC has done a lot of juggling in its first year of existence which confirms the statement that it arguably fixes that which was not broken. First, its staff have had to cr eate an organisation from the merger of the Commission for Social Care Inspection, the Healthcare Commission and the Mental Health Act Commission. In addition, it has had to continue its predecessors functions in assessing adult social care provision, evaluating health services and monitoring the treatment of detained mental health patients. There are several health care regulators namely the Care Quality Commission (CQG), the Health Protection Agency (HPA), the Human Tissue Authority (HTA), the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the Medical Research Council (MRC), the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA). The CQG regulates all the health and adult social care in England and also protects the interests of those detained under the Mental Health Act. The most recently devised health care regulator is the CQC which seems to be an attempt at encompassing the role and functions of the other bodies. The CQC has made proposals for its approach to the assessments of quality in 2010/2011 for all institutions in England that provide healthcare and adult social care services, and for the National Health Service (commonly referred to as the NHS) and local authority organisations that commission those services. The proposals were set up in accordance with the Heath and Social Care Act 2008. From April 1st 2009 all organisations that are providers of healthcare and adult social care services in England will be required to be registered by October 1st 2010 with the CQC as stated by the Heath and Social Care Act 2008. Registration is not just about the initial registration. but includes initial registration, monitoring and assessment of ongoing compliance, inspection and implementation. The CQC has to undertake registration activities as well as to perform periodic reviews, and special reviews and studies and to publish information on its findings. A new legal framework has been created to facilitate the new regulation system that is the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Registration Requirement Regulations 2009). The Health and Social Care Act 2008 gives the CQC extended powers. It can issue enforcement notices, withdraw provider bodies rights to provide services entirely or can issue certain conditions of service/registration if it decides it is necessary to do so. Its enforcement options range from minor to very serious sanctions depending on the service affected degree of risk or service disruption. However the CQC stresses it wants the regulatory system to drive and support the healthcare and adult social services organisations to improve and raise standards and to be based on fairness and transparency. On its official website the NHS describes the intended role of the CQC a regulator which makes sure that the voices of people who use health and adult social care services are heard by asking people to share their experiences of care services. It makes sure that users views are at the heart of its reports and reviews. In some cases patients and their carers  work alongside inspectors to provide a users view of services. The reality and whether the CQC has successfully achieved the goals the NHS mentioned is arguable. The CQC is responsible to make sure that essential common standards of quality are met everywhere health care is provided, from hospitals to private care homes and work towards improving health care services. The Commission promotes the rights and interests of people who use services and have a wide range of enforcement powers to take action on their behalf if services are unacceptably below standards The CQC brought together (for the first time) independent regulation of health, mental health and adult social care. Before April 1st 2009, these tasks were carried out by the Healthcare Commission, the Mental Health Act Commission and the Commission for Social Care Inspection. The aim of the CQC is to ensure that better care is provided for everyone wherever it is provided. The Commission has greater powers and responsibilities to use and take account of peoples views and experiences of services, and this includes evidence from overview and scrutiny committees. In June 2009, a Statemen t of Involvement was published setting out the Commissions approach to involving people in their mission.   Overview and scrutiny committees working on health issues have been an important source of evidence of peoples views and experiences of health services for the Healthcare Commission. The Commission wants to build on this relationship and to encourage committees to develop an ongoing dialogue with them. Scrutiny committees have a fundamental role in bringing together and articulating the views of local people who use health and social care services in their area, and to check whether their needs and concerns are being addressed by service commissioners and providers. In many ways, scrutiny committees operate like a local regulator, holding services to account. During its first year the CQC has faced many challenges which sheds a doubt of whether the Commission has really fixed a prevailing issue or has fixed that which was not broken. The CQC has had to proceed with the roles carried out by its predecessors as stated in the Health and Social Care Bill, Part II. The CQC has also introduced a new registration system for health and social care providers in English which is the first time the NHS has been regulated in that manner. The new core standards imposed by the CQC will replace the regulations and relative National Minimum Standards under the Care Standards Act 2000 which will be void as from September 30th 2010. The regulations introduced by the CQC will apply from October 1st 2010 (the date when the providers must be registered in the new system). Under the new system introduced by the CQC, instead of being individually registered for each service, providers will have to register according to their respective regulated activity. In September 2009, the CQC had to face a serious allegation about manipulating survey findings. The head of the Development for Mental Health, Louis Appleby, accused the CQC of trying to attract the medias attention by portraying a distorted flattering image of the Commissions work hence undermining the intended role of the CQC which is to be factual and balanced and inform the public and patients. Professor Appleby expressed his concerns about the poor performance of the CQC which the Commission did not welcome. In December 2009, Colin Angel, the head of policy and communication United Kingdom Homecare Association and the Registered Nursing Home Association criticised the Commissions failure to communicate effectively over the system of registration: We are extremely disappointed about the handling of the registration process. We fear that CQC isnt adequately prepared for the enormous communication exercise facing them. Colin Angel also identified the fact that the CQC was missing the opportunity to use the extensive technical knowledge available from providers representative bodies which the Registered Nursing Home Association chief executive Frank Ursell approved. Some service providers have expressed their concerns about the fact that the Commission might have embarked on a mission which was too extensive and challenging to them as stated by the joint chair of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services standards and resources network: It has been stretched at senior management level and weve had quite short notice of a number of initiatives. Its been a bit hand-to-mouth in terms of its ability to make decisions. She points to the fact that final guidance on how councils were to be assessed in 2009-10 was only published three-quarters of the way through the year. Colin Angel, head of policy and communication at the UKHCA, says: The CQC has lost valuable time restructuring, leaving insufficient time for over 24,000 social care providers to adapt to new standards before they are required to re-register. But Amanda Sherlock, head of operations at the CQC, says it has been an outstanding achievement to pull together the three commissions, deliver business as usual as well as bring in a new regulatory model, while building a new organisation. She says that some things could have gone better, saying that the CQC has worked on how it handles national announcements, so councils and other bodies face no surprises when these happen. Norman acknowledges the CQC has shown itself willing to listen and accepted the concerns that weve had. On provider registration, Sherlock says: We are keen to hear how we can do things better and how we can tailor our approach and communication. She says the CQC has an absolute focus on making sure providers are clear what is expected between April and October when they must register. National Care Forum executive director Des Kelly says for its part the provider sector needs to work with the CQC to ensure registration succeeds. Sherlock admits the CQC has put a lot of time into organisational development but says this has paid off in establishing an organisation that has an absolute commitment to driving up quality and safety across health and social care without defining any sector as special. A year ago, many in social care, including former CSCI chair Dame Denise Platt, feared the health services high political and public profile would make it special. And since Johnstones departure last autumn, there has been no one with a social care background on CQCs executive team below chief executive Cynthia Bower, who left social services in 1995. Sherlock insists such fears have proved unfounded, but says the CQC has been helped by adult cares rising profile. Sherlock, who worked for the CSCI and its predecessor, the National Care Standards Commission, points to her own centrality to CQCs strategic direction, despite not being on the executive team. She also reveals that the CQC will soon appoint a national social care adviser, to provide external challenge and strengthen links with the sector. Kelly says the issue of social cares priority has gone better than I would have predicted 12 months ago. Concerns have also been raised that the CQC would not maintain the CSCIs focus on user involvement. Sue Bott, director of the National Centre for Independent Living, which provides users to act as experts by experience on inspection teams, says involvement is nowhere near as prevalent as it was in the CSCI. The CQC produced a statement on user involvement last June, pledging to conduct surveys and set up consultative panels. Sherlock agrees there is more to do but says the statement has been implemented and the CQCs user involvement team, led by Frances Hasler, who performed the same role for the CSCI, actively challenges all parts of the organisation. One of the key objectives of the CQC is to support the integration of health and social care. Kelly says he has not seen a great deal of evidence as yet of progress on this front. But Sherlock points to the special reviews that the CQC has been doing on issues that cross the divide, including the quality of healthcare for care home residents, which she says will identify good practice and any gaps. These will report in 2010-11, alongside the roll out of registration for adult care providers and a reformed performance assessment for councils. It will be another busy year. ONE YEAR OF THE CQC April 2009 The Care Quality Commission starts work. Outgoing Commission for Social Care Inspection chair Dame Denise Platt raises concerns over its potential to sufficiently prioritise social care and involve service users. May 2009 Former Association of Directors of Adults Social Services standards lead David Johnstone appointed director of operations at the CQC. He leaves the organisation after only a few months. June 2009 Statement on service user involvement published. The CQC announces series of special reviews for 2009-10, including of healthcare needs of care home residents and impact of recession on services. July 2009 The CQC says NHS trusts are failing to comply with child protection requirements in areas such as staff training in report sparked by Baby Peter case. September 2009 DH mental health director Louis Appleby says the CQCHYPERLINK http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2009/09/29/112717/appleby-accuses-care-quality-commission-of-seeking-headlines.htmHYPERLINK http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2009/09/29/112717/appleby-accuses-care-quality-commission-of-seeking-headlines.htms portrayal of results of an in-patient survey was HYPERLINK http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2009/09/29/112717/appleby-accuses-care-quality-commission-of-seeking-headlines.htmHYPERLINK http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2009/09/29/112717/appleby-accuses-care-quality-commission-of-seeking-headlines.htmdeliberately distortingHYPERLINK http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2009/09/29/112717/appleby-accuses-care-quality-commission-of-seeking-headlines.htm and simply highlighted negative findings. The CQC says many survey results were poor. October 2009 The CQC publishes draft standards for health and social care providers, and holds meeting with mental health leaders over its presentation of the results of its in-patient survey. December 2009 Adass criticises the CQC for its treatment of eight councils labelled HYPERLINK http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2009/12/04/113366/adasss-owen-attacks-cqc-over-treatment-of-eight-councils.htmHYPERLINK http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2009/12/04/113366/adasss-owen-attacks-cqc-over-treatment-of-eight-councils.htmpriority for improvementHYPERLINK http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2009/12/04/113366/adasss-owen-attacks-cqc-over-treatment-of-eight-councils.htmHYPERLINK http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2009/12/04/113366/adasss-owen-attacks-cqc-over-treatment-of-eight-councils.htm following annual performance assessment (APA). Councils improve for seventh year running. February 2010 The CQC says  £2bn could be saved a year from reduced hospital admissions if joint working improves between health and social care in first HYPERLINK http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2010/02/10/113768/cqc-health-and-socal-care-integration-can-save-2bn-a-year.htmState of CareHYPERLINK http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2010/02/10/113768/cqc-health-and-socal-care-integration-can-save-2bn-a-year.htm report. It promises 2010-11 APA for councils will be tougher. March 2010 Care provider bodies slam the CQC for an alleged lack of communication of the process for registration under its new system. The CQC claims it has engaged extensively. April 2010 The CQC is one year old. It starts process of registering adult care providers under new system. National social care adviser appointed. This article is published in the 8 April 2010 edition of Community Care under the headline Many happy returns?

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Epilepsy Essay -- Neurology Disorders Seizures Papers

Epilepsy Epilepsy is a condition characterized by recurrent seizures which are unprovoked by any immediately identifiable cause (Hopkins & Shorvon, 1995). It is also known as a seizure disorder. A wide range of links and risk factors are associated with the condition, but most of the time the cause is unknown. Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders, affecting approximately two and half million people in the US and about 50 million worldwide. Though seizures can occur at any age, epilepsy is most commonly seen in children and the elderly. Most respond well to treatment and can control their seizures, but for some it is a chronic illness. A clinical diagnosis is the first step to finding a potential cure for the disorder. The diagnosis of epilepsy is usually made after the patient experiences a second unprovoked seizure (Leppik, 2002). Diagnosis is often difficult, however, since it is unlikely that the physician will actually see the patient experience and epileptic seizure, and therefore must rely heavily on patient’s history. An electroencephalography (EEG) is often used to examine the patient’s brain waves, and some forms of epilepsy can be revealed by a characteristic disturbance in electrical frequency (Bassick, 1993). The variations in frequency can take form as spikes or sharp waves (Fisher, 1995). The variations are divided into two groups, ictal electrograph abnormalities, which are disturbances resulting from seizure activity, and interictal electrograph abnormalities, or disturbances between seizures. The EEG can also give clues as to which region of the brain the disturbances arise from. Interictal temporal spikes will predict the side of seizure origin in 95% of patients if three times as ... ...sy (pp. 201-211). New York, Plenum Press. McIntosh, G. (1992). Neurological Conceptualizations of Epilepsy. In T. Bennett (Ed.), The Neuropsychology of Epilepsy (pp. 17-37). New York, Plenum Press. Shorvon, S. (1995). Drug Treatment of Epilepsy. In A. Hopkins, S. Shorvon, & G. Cascino (Eds.), Epilepsy (pp. 171-213). London, Chapman and Hall Medical. Thompson, P. (1991). Memory Function in Patients with Epilepsy. In D. Smith, D. Treiman, & M. Trimble (Eds.), Neurobehavioral Problems in Epilepsy (pp. 369-383). New York, Raven Press. Upton, A. (2002). Vagal Stimulation for Intractable Seizures. In W. Burnham, P. Carlin, & P. Hwang (Eds.), Intractable Seizures (pp. 233-239). New York, Kluwer Academic. Vining, E. (2002). The Ketogenic Diet. In W. Burnham, P. Carlin, & P. Hwang (Eds.), Intractable Seizures (pp. 225-231). New York, Kluwer Academic.

Media Control: The Spectacular achievments of propaganda Essay

Media Control: The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda. Synopsis of the book. Chomsky examines and explores the use of propaganda in the mass media. His focus remains on the â€Å"elite† as he would call them, or the corporations and politicians that control the mass media in our country. He speaks of how the U.S. government used propaganda in order to gain support for our country’s involvement in wars from Wilson’s presidency to Bush Sr., and now in our so-called â€Å"War on Terror† brought upon by George W. Bush. He explains how he believes this elite group of people control the minds of those that are less educated, and without an open minds. He believes that propaganda has been used through the mass media to guide this population towards supporting political interests. Why I chose this book. I had heard from many of my friends about Noam Chomsky and how he may just be the most important intellectual alive today. So while I was helping my friend with an assignment of hers I came across this book at her house. I flipped through a couple of pages and decided to use this book for this project. I thought it would provide a new insight into the role of our government in the media. How this book relates to this class. This book discusses the governments role in the media. Although Chomsky’s views might be considered somewhat extreme by some standards, his message s important. We have discussed the government manipulation of the media. For example, President Roo...

Innocent Smoothies Essay

This report is aimed to examine and analyse the opportunities in the market for the ‘innocent’ brand. The research draws attention to †¦. the report evaluates and concludes†¦. it is recommended that †¦. ii. Introduction Innocent Ltd. is a fresh business that has been exceptionally successful in creating wholesome and natural smoothies. The company has appeared in the Sunday Times for four consecutive years in the ‘Fast Track 100’, a list of the fastest growing privates companies in the UK. The company has aimed to place itself on the side of the consumer as supporting green issues and responsible business practices and this has evidently proved to be in favour with the company’s brand image which has resulted to its success. On the other hand, it has faced criticism from cynics who argue that the company’s ethical position is a facade as they have sold a 20% stake to Coca-Cola which led to thousands of dissatisfied and betrayed customers who previously supported the company’s initial brand values. This has led to ‘White, Harte and Laine,’ a specialist in strategy and market development, who have conducted this report that will be researching and analysing the opportunities in the market for the ‘innocent brand’. This report will define what a ‘market driven organisation’ is and discuss how it compares to ‘innocent’ whilst addressing their customer relationships. It will also outline the trends in the macro environment by looking at the political, economical, social, technological, environmental and legal factors which created the opportunity for ‘innocent’ to initially build its firm position in the smoothie market. An analysis of the company’s main opportunities and threats over the next five years will be highlighted through a SWOT analysis. The report will additionally adapt Porters Five Forces analysis to the smoothie industry and finally, recommendations will be made about possible business strategies that ‘innocent’ could pursue in the next five years. iii. Main Body In an article by Bill Barrett, Uncles (2000) defines a market driven organisation as an organisation that has a thorough understanding of customers and potential customers, including their changing needs and wants. Uncles (2000) states that market-driven organisations continuously gather data in all environmental sectors – competitive, cultural, political, economic, technological, human resources, physical resources, and consumer. The market-driven concept is a managerial concept where close attention is given to business processes and activities. There must be an emphasis on an organisations ability to respond to environmental changes. All aspects of the organisation must be aware of and consider environmental changes and continuous process improvement is mandatory for a market-driven organization. Innocent’ has been described as a market driven organisation. Innocent’ is an ethical company whose initial idea was to produce its products from 100 per cent pure, fresh ingredients and no fruit concentrates. As defined by Uncles (2000), a market-driven organisation understands the customers, and potential customer wants and needs. In order for ‘Innocent’ to have c reated a market-driven organisation they had to put their customers first with the organisations objectives, goals and strategy. This is evident as their main aim is to take a social responsibility to the public and environment by producing 100 per cent natural products. It is established that ‘innocent’ promotes healthy eating and appeal to eco-friendly and health conscious consumers; therefore in order to put the wants and needs of these consumers into place, they had to come with strategies to uphold their brand name as well as delivering the desires if their consumers. Hodge, et al (1996) believes that by putting the customer first in an organization’s mission and goals, market driven organizations make providing value to the customer a top priority. Market-driven organisations also develop product strategies to deliver whole product solutions to customers and use strategic relationships to build synergy, create whole-product solutions, and gain support of stakeholders. ‘Innocent’ strategies put the interests of their health focused consumers at the heart of their organisation and gain support through various deeds such as: * Keeping all their ingredients natural. This strategy reinforces the initiative of the company only producing food that is healthy and good for their consumers. The fact that only natural products are used means that their product s has a positive health benefit minus the additives and therefore keeping the focus on the company’s brand name ‘innocent’ connatating purity. * The use of responsible ingredients. ‘Innocent’ tends to purchase their farms from ethical and environmentally friendly farms. Once more this is another way to strengthen their brand name ‘innocent’ to their consumers to portray their organisation as a green and a social responsible company. * Sustainable packaging. ‘Innocent’ uses 100 per cent recycled material as package for their products. This compliments their ‘green’ image and satisfies their eco-friendly and health-conscious consumers. * They are a resource efficient business meaning that they aim to produce as little carbon dioxide emissions as possible while manufacturing the products, growing the ingredients, transportation and packaging. This approach coincides with the interest of their consumers who are environmentally friendly. * Sharing their profits with charities. 10 per cent of the company’s profit at the end of the year is donated to charity which fund the rural developments projects in the countries in which their fruits come from. This highlight’s the caring nature of ‘innocent’ toward the environment as well as to their consumers. From the above points we can therefore establish that ‘innocent’ is a market-driven organisation. Their target markets are eco-friendly, health conscious consumers who value organic, natural and environmentally friendly products. Evidently, from their strategies it is indicated that ‘innocent’ puts the interests of their consumers at the heart of their strategies by taking into account the environmental factor of global warming. It must also be noted that back in 1998, the fate of ‘innocent’ was decided by people through a ballot by putting their empty bottle of ‘innocent’ drinks in a ‘YES’ or ‘NO’ bin depending on whether they should pursue the business. The outcome resulted in the majority of bottle being placed in the ‘YES’ bin. This demonstrates that ‘innocent’ has always valued the opinions of their consumers and act upon their wants which are the traits of a market organisation. The smoothie market

Arson Paper

ARSON†¦ WHAT IS IT? Krystle Lamb Houston Community College Criminal Justice 1301 ABSTRACT Arson is one of the world’s oldest known crimes. It can cost a life or a generous amount of money in damages. Even though it can take a person’s life, arson is classified as a property crime to law enforcement agencies. It is time consuming and very difficult to investigate. Only twenty percent of arrests result in a conviction because it is classified as a â€Å"property crime† rather than a violent crime. The motives of arson range from profit to murder. People who use arson use it because it’s a quick easy act of terrorism to a person or company they are trying to hurt. I believe there should be more and better adequate training for investigators and prosecutors to put away the people that can commit such a crime. The United States has one of the highest fire death rates in the world. In 1998 the â€Å"NFPA reported about 14. 9 deaths per million population. Between 1994 and 1998 about 4,400 Americans died and about 35,100 were injured yearly. Also about 100 firefighters a year lost their lives in their hazardous job related duties. (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Arson) Fires kill more Americans a year than natural disasters combined. Arson is the most expensive crime committed, this can be attributed to the several factors which are the lack of education on the problems of arson, and prosecutors do not want to take on the case because of circumstantial evidence, quick payments from insurance companies, and inadequate train ing for investigators. Legal arson is categorized in two categories; aggravated arson and arson. â€Å"Aggravated arson is burning of property while endangering human life. Arson is burning of property that does not include the risk of human life. â€Å" (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Arson) Fire crime scenes begin like any other investigation. The trick is to connect the suspect to the crime. There are clues to determine if a fire is suspicious or not. For example, the color of the flames has to do with the accelerant use. Like alcohol burn with a blue-orange flame. The descriptions are usually gained from the witnesses. The odor of smoke can explain what material was used to start the fire. Before a fire is visible, the smoke can be observed. If the smoke is black then it is petroleum based. If the smoke is a white color the vegetation material was used (hay or straw. ) If the structure is completely engulfed in flames then it is difficult to determine which material was set to burn. The size of the fire gives the investigator information if it was arson or not. For instance, if a building is engulfed in flames in a short period of time, then that might be because of arson. Natural fire tends to burn at a slower steadier pace with a natural pattern but this is circumstantial. One of the articles that I decided to write about was the incident that took place at the beginning of September in Needville, TX. â€Å"It was a fire that burned 400 acres and charred a barn in the Needville area and was intentionally set, officials  said. The blaze started at the corner of a pasture on Foster School Road near Brinkmeyer on Sept. 7, according to the Fort Bend County Sheriff's  Office. The blaze raced southwest and jumped Baker Road. It also destroyed a facility that housed two vehicles and travel  tailer. More than 100 firefighters from 20 agencies from nearby areas, including the Needville Fire Department, battled the  blaze. In conclusion, arson is a very serious crime and should be taken very seriously when one is criminally charged. Way too much money is lost, as well as the lives of others who are less fortunate. Works Cited Lezon, D. (2011, September, 7). $10,000 reward in arson fire near Needville. The Houston Chronicle. $10,000 reward offered in arson case. Retrieved September 15, 2011 from http://abclocal. o. com/ktrk/story? section=news/crime_tracker;id=8371513 Huge reward offered in Needville arson. Retrieved September 29, 2011 from http://www. fortbendnow. com/2011/09/28/56990 $10K reward out for anyone who turns in serial arsonist in Needville. Retrieved September 22, 2011 from http://www. yourhoustonnews. com/fort_bend/news/reward-out-for-needville-arsonist/article_74e0b30e-5347-5171-9852-b5f9002d0477. html Karki, Sameer , K. (2009, february 13). Arson. Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Arson

Stress, Anger, Time and Conflict Management Essay

1. Avoid unnecessary stress. Learn how to say â€Å"no†. Avoid people who stress you out. Take control of your environment. Avoid hot-button topics. Pare down your to-do lists. 2. Alter the situation. Express your feelings instead of bottling them up. Be willing to compromise. Be more assertive. Manage your time better. 3. Accept the things you can’t change. Don’t try to control the uncontrollable. Look for the upside. Share your feelings. Learn to forgive. 4. Adapt to the stressor. Reframe problems. Look at the big picture. Adjust your standards. Focus on the positive. B. Stress Reduction Tips 1. Nurture yourself Set aside relaxation time. Connect with others. Do something you enjoy every day. Keep your sense of humor. 2. Healthy stress reducers Go for a walk. Spend time in nature. Talk to a supportive friend. Sweat out tension with a good workout. Do something for someone else. Write in your journal. Take a long bath. Play with a pet. Work in your garden. Get a message. Curl up with a good book. Take a yoga class. Listen to music. Watch a comedy. 3. Adopt a healthy lifestyle. Exercise regularly. Eat a healthy diet. Reduce caffeine and sugar. Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs. Get enough sleep. C. Unhealthy Ways of Coping with Stress Smoking Self-medicating with alcohol or drugs Using sleeping pills or tranquilizers to relax Overeating or eating too little Sleeping too much Procrastinating Withdrawing from friends, family, and activities Filling up every minute of the day to avoid facing problems Anger Management Redford Williams’ 12-Step Approach for Dealing with Unconstructive Anger 1. Maintain a â€Å"Hostility Log†. 2. If you do, acknowledge that you have a problem managing anger. 3. Use your support network. 4. Use anger management techniques to interrupt the anger cycle. Pause. Take deep breaths. Tell yourself you can handle the situation. Stop the negative thoughts. 5. Use empathy. 6. Laugh at yourself. 7. Relax. 8. Build trust. 9. Listen. 10. Be assertive. 11. Live each day as if it is your last. 12. Forgive Time Management and Conflict Management A. How to Manage Your Time 1. Create a schedule or to-do list. Write down deadlines for accomplishing certain tasks. 2. Plan to tackle difficult projects at the times of day when you are most alert. 3. Schedule time for people, including time for yourself. Create some personal time by waking up half an hour earlier or going to bed half an hour later than usual; plan a weekly date with your spouse, or arrange to have lunch with friends. 4. Prioritize what you need to accomplish. â€Å"Pareto’s principle† states that 80 percent of your accomplishments come from 20 percent of your effort, so think strategically: Locate and isolate this valuable 20 percent, then focus your efforts on the tasks that promise the greatest rewards. A. How to set priorities Priority 1: Red: Today/Tomorrow (Day) Priority 2: Orange: 3-7 Days (Week) Priority 3: Yellow: 2-3 weeks (Month) Priority 4: Later this year†¦(Wish List) B. Be realistic when assigning priorities to your tasks. C. Start work on any red tasks first – however awful, boring or frightening they are. The trick to keeping calm and balanced is simple: forget about all the complex planning. Work out what truly needs to be done next and do it. When it’s done, repeat the procedure. D. Start on the orange task next. Don’t even think about any yellow ones until all the reds and oranges are done. If any new tasks arrive, give them a color and put them on the list. Next morning, make a new list and reallocate the tasks into the colors. E. Keep track of your progress. After one week, take 15 minutes to go through the yellow (month) items. Cross all those that have solved themselves off the list. Do the same for those  that you can now see were never important anyway. You’ll be amazed how many there are. Underline those you can remove by: delegating them, using technology rather than your time and attention, or creating a routine for handling them so you can delegate or pass them to someone else. Make a red item to deal with them right away by whatever means is appropriate. 5. Delegate as many chores as you can. Hand out projects to subordinates at work. 6. Learn to say no to nonessential demands on your time. Don’t volunteer for a committee if you don’t have time, and decline invitations to events you don’t have time to attend. 7. Overcome procrastination. Don’t procrastinate. Setting aside high-priority items just because you don’t like doing them, or are boring, etc will obviously make keeping a to-do list useless. Grind through your to-do list and finish all red items first and foremost no matter how boring they are. After completing these daunting tasks, you can feel relieved. They won’t hang over your head and cause you stress later. 8. Avoid perfectionism. Don’t waste time obsessively perfecting a task when you could better spend the time on something else. B. Time Management for New Supervisors a. Maintain a calendar of appointments and keep it with you at all times. b. Write things down so you don’t forget. Maintain a â€Å"To do† list and prioritize the entries. c. Set realistic deadlines for yourself. Then, promise small and deliver big. If you think your team can get a project done by noon, promise it for 2:00 p.m. but deliver it at noon. d. When you are on a deadline, use your voicemail. Filter out all but essential telephone calls. e. Use e-mail instead of the telephone whenever possible. This will avoid the tendency people have to talk longer than is necessary to convey their information. f. With paperwork, practice the principle of â€Å"Do  It Now.† g. Always plan to arrive at scheduled appointments ten minutes early. It almost always takes longer to get there than you think. h. Practice gently helping people get to the point when they are talking to you. Save superfluous chatting for excess time after work. i. Hold impromptu and unscheduled â€Å"drop-in† meetings standing up. This will convey a sense of brevity to the person who wants some of your time. j. When you call a meeting, specify both a starting and an ending time. This will keep participants on track and on schedule. k. Get rid of unnecessary paper clutter. More than 80 percent of the paperwork filed is never used again. Ask yourself if you really need it before deciding to keep paperwork. C. TIME MANAGEMENT FOR SUPPORT PERSONNEL I. What My Boss Could Do that Would Help Me Perform My Job More Effectively 1. Discuss my job priorities with me so that we both have the same understanding of how I should be distributing my time and effort over the various activities of my job. 2. Give advance warning when big jobs are coming up so I can prepare for them. 3. Let me know when you are leaving the office, where you are going, and when you will return. 4. Write messages legibly. 5. Draft or outline memos so that multiple revisions are minimized. 6. Let me know what your priorities are so I can help you with the most important items. 7. Discuss my job, my job duties, and my career with me. 8. Call in or send email messages while on a trip for important messages that have come in while you’re away. 9. Have us meet each morning to discuss projects and priorities of the day. 10. Let me show you our file system so you can retrieve files yourself. 11. Try to give me all parts of a big job at once rather than in bits and pieces. 12. Show a little appreciation when I do a good job. 13. Get your own coffee when I am swamped with work. 14. Let me set up a message center where you can pick up your mail and other things. 15. Protect me from other managers. If I can’t count on you then I can’t count on anyone. 16. Give me a list of your appointments so I can anticipate things to do and prepare. 17. Give me clear instructions and directions and precise assignments. 18. Let me know about changes in your schedule, meetings, appointments, etc. 19. Please don’t refer to me as â€Å"just my staff† or â€Å"my gal† or â€Å"my girl.† 20. Provide me with some career guidance; I am ambitious just as you are. 21. Don’t make me a clerk; I want to and can do more. 22. Attend a time management for managers workshop. 23. Make a daily â€Å"to do† list and share it with me so I can anticipate how to plan my day. 24. Ask for and at least consider my ideas. I am not stupid and I want to contribute more. 25. If multiple bosses, work a priority system for the work that you all give me and let me administer your system rather than force me to make priority decisions upward for all of you. 26. Give the larger projects and jobs as early in the day as possible so I have time for completion. 27. Don’t spend so much time on chit-chat with me. It prevents me from doing my job. 28. Please don’t question or challenge everything I do. I want to be responsible and have the responsibility of my job. 29. When you communicate, please be specific. 30. Let me know how you want callers and visitors screened. We can work a system that will benefit both of us. 31. Don’t have me file a lot of unnecessary papers. Let’s toss out stuff that we both know we will never refer to again. 32. Give me reasonable deadlines for jobs. It really hurts to rush to meet your deadlines and then see those jobs sit on your desks for days (or weeks) untouched. 33. Don’t be a perfectionist. It takes too much of your time and mine. 34. Set up a follow-up system so we can both stay on top of things. 35. Let’s try and agree on time frames for jobs and projects. 36. Try to block certain times during the day for meetings rather than have them chop up the both of us continuously. 37. Trust me with confidential information that I need to do my job effectively. 38. When we are talking, please try to listen better. II. What I Could Do As A Support Personnel that Would Help My Boss to Work More Effectively 1. All the things under Item I would help the boss to work more effectively. 2. Let the boss know where I am at all times. 3. Sort mail of boss into three groups: critical, important, routine and toss out junk mail. 4. Help boss to maintain a daily â€Å"to do† list. 5. Keep my own daily â€Å"to do† list and coordinate with list of boss. 6. Remind boss of upcoming meetings, appointments, lunches, etc. 7. Screen and always try to help callers and visitors so at least some of them will not interrupt the boss. 8. Update my skills in the use of present technology in my job, including my time management skills. 9. Answer routine correspondence or outline or draft answers for approval of boss. 10. Ignore petty and superficial annoyances. 11. Schedule staff visitors so boss is not chopped up all day. 12. Schedule vendor visitors; require an appointment and suggest certain days for batching. 13. Work out a system for interrupting boss stuck with long-winded callers or visitors. 14. Make up file out-card system so boss knows where all files can be located. 15. Take the initiative and make suggestions such as form letters, forms, to help boss. 16. Keep equipment used by boss in proper condition. 17. Help boss to organize and maintain a neat work area. 18. Function as a sounding board for ideas of boss. 19. Keep pending and follow files to prevent procrastination and crises for boss. 20. Keep boss informed through progress reports of long-term projects I am working on. 21. Be sure supplies used by boss are always available. 22. Help boss by making most of the arrangements for meetings held by boss. Conflict Management What is conflict? Conflict is a natural disagreement resulting from individuals or groups that differ in attitudes, beliefs, values or needs. It can also originate from past rivalries and personality differences. Other causes of conflict include trying to negotiate before the timing is right or before needed information is available. Common causes of workplace conflict Limited resources (You have your needs and I have mine.) Incompatible goals (I want this and you want that.) Role ambiguity (Who is responsible for what?) Different values (You and I have different beliefs.) Different perspectives (You and I see things differently.) Communication problems (What do you mean?) Important things to know about conflict: Conflict is inevitable; Conflict develops because we are dealing with people’s lives, jobs, children, pride, self-concept, ego and sense of mission or purpose; Early indicators of conflict can be recognized; There are strategies for resolution that are available and DO work; Although inevitable, conflict can be minimized, diverted and/or resolved. Beginnings of conflict: Poor communication Seeking power Dissatisfaction with management style Weak leadership Lack of openness Change in leadership Conflict indicators: Body language Disagreements, regardless of issue Withholding bad news Surprises Strong public statements Airing disagreements through media Conflicts in value system Desire for power Increasing lack of respect Open disagreement Lack of candor on budget problems or other sensitive issues Lack of clear goals No discussion of progress, failure relative to goals, failure to evaluate the superintendent fairly, thoroughly or at all. Conflict is destructive when it: Takes attention away from other important activities Undermines morale or self-concept Polarizes people and groups, reducing cooperation Increases or sharpens difference Leads to irresponsible and harmful behavior, such as fighting, name-calling Conflict is constructive when it: Results in clarification of important problems and issues Results in solutions to problems Involves people in resolving issues important to them Causes authentic communication Helps releases emotion, anxiety, and stress Builds cooperation among people through learning more about each other; joining in resolving the conflict Helps individuals develop understanding and skills Techniques for avoiding and/or resolving subordinate-supervisor conflict: Meet conflict head on Set goals Plan for and communicate frequently Be honest about concerns Agree to disagree – understand healthy disagreement would build better decisions Get individual ego out of management style Let your team create – people will support what they help create Discuss differences in values openly Continually stress the importance of following policy Communicate honestly – avoid playing â€Å"gotcha† type games Provide more needed data and information. Develop a sound management system Causes of subordinate-supervisor conflict: Trying to be administrators; overstepping authority Making promises as members individually Involving themselves in labor relations Not doing their â€Å"homework† and failing to prepare for meetings Not following procedures for handling complaints Not keeping executive session information confidential Failing to act on sensitive issues Failing to be open and honest with the supervisor Making decisions based on preconceived notions Not supporting the supervisor – lack of loyalty Springing surprises at meetings Having hidden agendas Why conflict resolution skills are important To improve employee performance To maintain good customer service/satisfaction To ensure employee safety To protect employee health To reduce absenteeism and tardiness How conflict should be handled Determine how important the issue is to all people involved Determine whether all people involved are willing and able to discuss the issue in a positive manner Select a private place where the issue can be discussed confidentially by everyone involved Make sure that both sides understand they are responsible for both the problem and the solution Solicit opening comments from both sides. Let them express their concerns, feelings, ideas, and thoughts, but in a non-accusatory manner Guide participants toward a clear and specific definition of the problem Encourage participants to propose solutions while you listen carefully. Examine the problem from a variety of different perspectives and discuss any and all solutions proposed. Evaluate the costs versus the gains (cost-benefit analysis) of all proposed solutions and discuss them openly. Choose the best solution. Reflect on the issue and discuss the conflict resolution process. Encourage participants to express their opinions as to how the process might be improved. Listening improvement checklist to help resolve conflict Remove all distractions Put the speaker at ease Look directly at the speaker Concentrate on what is being said Watch for nonverbal cues Take note of the speaker’s tone Be patient and wait Ask clarifying questions Paraphrase and repeat No matter what is said, control your emotions How and when conflict should be stimulated Team members always agree with you and tell you only what you want to hear. Team members are afraid to admit they need help or that they’ve made mistakes. Team members focus more on reaching agreement that on arriving at the best decision. Team members focus more on getting along with others than on accomplishing objectives. Team members place more emphasis on being popular than on high job performance and competitiveness. Team members are highly resistant to change. The turnover rate is usually low. Team members avoid proposing new ideas. Communication in conflict situations Communicate the following messages when handling conflicts or potential conflicts: This situation is an opportunity to solve a problem cooperatively. There are guidelines we will follow in handling this situation and these guidelines are†¦ We will not engage in blaming and finger pointing. â€Å"If the horse you are riding dies, get off and find another one.† We will not cling to old ideas that are no longer valid. If you say you will do something, do it. Trust prevents conflict. Conflict Management Strategies When it is used Outcomes Drawbacks Collaboration – results from a high concern for the group’s own interests, matched with a high concern for the interest of other partners. Best strategy when society’s interest is at stake Best approach for managing conflict when it’s aimed at reaching consensus Win/win Helps build commitment and reduce bad feelings Takes time and energy Some partners may take advantage of the others’ trust and openness Guidelines for Reaching Consensus through Collaboration Avoid arguing over individual ranking or position. Present a position as logically as possible. Avoid â€Å"win-lose† statements. Discard the notion that someone must win. Avoid changing of minds only in order to avoid conflict and to achieve harmony. Avoid majority voting, averaging, bargaining, or coin flipping. These do not lead to consensus. Treat differences of opinion as indicative of incomplete sharing of relevant information, keep asking questions. Keep the attitude that holding different views is both natural and healthy to a group. View initial agreement as suspect. Explore the reasons underlying apparent agreement and make sure that members have willingly agreed. Compromise – results from a high concern for the group’s own interest with a moderate concern for the interests of other partners. Generally used to achieve temporary solutions, to avoid destructive power struggles or when time pressures exist. Win some/lose some Partners can lose sight of important values and long-term objectives. Can distract the partners from the merits of an issue and create a cynical climate. When it is used Outcomes Drawbacks Competition – results from a high concern for the group’s own interests with less concern for others. Generally used when basic rights are at stake or set a precedent. Win/lose Includes most attempts at bargaining Can cause conflict to escalate and losers may try to retaliate. Accommodation – results from a concern for the group’s own interests combined with a high concern for the interest of other partners Generally used when the issue is more important to others than to you. Appropriate when you recognize that you are wrong. Lose/win â€Å"Goodwill gesture† Your own ideas and concerns don’t get attention One may lose credibility and future influence. Avoidance – results from a concern for the group’s own interests coupled with a low concern for the interest of others. Generally used when the issue is trivial or other issues are more pressing. Used when confrontation has a high potential for damage or more information is needed. Lose/lose Important decisions may be made by default.