Media assignment †Of Mice and Men Essay

Task: compare the opening sections of the two films versions of Of Mice and Men – the 1939 black and white film starring Lon Chaney Junior and Burgess Meredith, and the 1981 colour version starring Randy Quaid and Robert Blake. You should look at the sections from the beginning of each film to the point where in each one Lennie says, â€Å"I’m shutting up,† on the night before they go down to the ranch. The 1939 version starts off with George and Lennie running away from a group of angry men. Both sets of people are running on foot, this is different in the 1981 film because the pursuers are on horseback. The 1939 film is obviously shot in a studio because the back projection is easy to make out, also there is no sense of distance between the chasers and the chased because they are never seen in the same shot because the studio is not big enough to have a long shot so all of the shots are close-ups. However the 1981 film it is shot outdoors and the pursuers are on horseback in the 1981 film to make it more exciting and to shorten the odds on George and Lennie’s escape. Having horses would be impossible in the 1939 film because it is shot in the studio and it would have been very hard for them to shoot a chase with horses in. There is a very different use of music in the opening sections, in the 1939 film there is little use of music and it does not change during the chase however the 1981 film uses music very obviously to â€Å"make the viewing more pleasurable.† Whenever George and Lennie are on shot the music is all jumpy as if the characters are being chased (which they are!) this gets the viewers attention up and helps them to feel part of the chase. Whenever the chasers are on screen there is â€Å"bad-guy music† and this shows the viewer that they are the bad-guys and George and Lennie are the good guys. This is a very simple technique to use but the 1939 film does not even need to. The only technique it uses is it has a very peaceful scene with some rabbits at and this peacefulness is broken up by the thrill of the chase. There is a big contrast here and it is designed to take the viewer surprise and keep them interested. This is significant and symbolic because George and Lennie are peaceful and all of their plans are made and then they are destroyed as if horses have trampled on them. There are also clouds that are seen usually at the start of a storm and this could signify the start of the storm for George and Lennie. The 1981 film was made for television, to keep the viewer interested they have the credits over the top of the action and because of this the credits are done with just text over the picture, they are presented very simply and this is because it is faster to do it this way so that it takes up less of the film and it can be done over the action without ruining that action. In the 1939 film it was one of the first films ever to have action before the credits. This meant that they took time over the credits because they were actually in the middle of a scene. An extract from the poem that the book and therefore the film are connected to is written of the side of the train carriage as if it has been written there. Then the writers name comes up in what looks like a handwritten font to look like a signature. The 1939 film mentions the poem by Robert Burns, which goes: â€Å"The best-laid plans o’ mice an’ men Gang aft a-gley, An’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain For promised joy.† This is significant because the film is about plans made by George and Lennie which seem to be god and nothing could go wrong with them but something goes drastically wrong and leave George and Lennie with nought but grief an’ pain. The 1939 film does mention this however the book on which the film was based and the 1981 film do not. This could be because the 1939 film considers its viewers intelligent enough to understand and that they are at the cinema for a bit of culture however the 1981 film was made for television and so just for the action of it and it would not want to bore its viewers with poetry since most of the viewers will be watching for the action of the film rather than the significance of a link to a poem. The remaining credits are done skilfully and use the motion of the train and the objects that go past as wipes to change the credit picture so that it almost looks like they are actually written on the train. The way that the credits break up the action and are in between two sections of the film show us that time has elapsed and that the beginning was just setting the scene and the rest of the film is the main storyline. In the 1981 film there is a whole section with Aunt Clara that is not in the original film on which the later one is based. When George and Lennie are walking to Aunt Clara’s the music in the background is â€Å"Red River Valley† played on the mouth organ. This tells us a lot because the mouth organ was an instrument used a lot in â€Å"old school† western movies so tells us where and when this film is set. A more important point is that the song is about going home and that implies that Aunt Clara is â€Å"home.† At Aunt Clara’s we are shown by his actions what Lennie is like when he says, â€Å"I’ve been here before† and â€Å"Aren’t you going to eat your pie George?† This is a comical thing to say and produced some laughs while we were watching it but also shows that Lennie acts like a small child in the things that he says and does. Lennie obviously hero-worships George when he repeats everything George says and he is shown to be not so bright when he calls his own Aunt ma’am. George â€Å"moans† to Aunt Clara and the words are nearly exactly the same as when he moans to Lennie in the woods later on in this film and in the same place in the 1939 film. This could show that George is bitter about having Lennie tagging along with hi but the fact that he uses the same words again means that it is rehearsed and the words do not come from the heart so he does not really mean them. This also sets the scene for us when George says, â€Å"He ain’t no kin.† This tells us that George and Lennie are not related. The writer feels that he might need this scene in the film because Aunt Clara is mentioned later on and the fact that the film is intended for television where you get people watching who are not paying a lot of attention means that actions and characters need explaining more thoroughly. This also explains the music and some of Lennie’s comments such as â€Å"I’ve been here before.† George is presented a lot differently in the 1981 film than in the earlier version. The fact that George could even consider leaving Lennie would be impossible in the 1939 version. Even in the 1981 version George stutters when e tells Lennie to sit and wait as if he is not sure whether he should be doing it and that it is not planned. George then looks at Aunt Clara whose expression is impossible to read which tells us that she perhaps can understand why George would want to leave Lennie (backed up by her agreement to George’s moans earlier on) but does not think that he will go through with it (which he doesn’t.) Lennie then fidgets and looks helpless when George gets a lift, George has always been around and is Lennie’s â€Å"comfort blanket.† Lennie has complete faith in George when he mutters, â€Å"I know you’re going to come back† but this is heard when an image of George on the truck seen and this makes the viewer very doubtful to whet her Lennie is right to place his faith in George. There is more use of music when George walks back after changing his mind. There is music playing when George walks back which suggests that time has passed and it is used so that it is not silent. The music stands still when George stands still and jumps when Lennie jumps and there is â€Å"bad-guy music† when the bad-guys are on and â€Å"chasey† music when Lennie has to run. This music is to try and get the viewer involved and to help them understand the film. This is a literalist use of music but is also a simple technique and it provides the viewer with a sense of excitement and involvement. The 1939 film does not use this technique at all. The following chase in the 1981 film is very similar to the original chase in the 1939 film and the later film could even start there and miss out anything before it if it wanted to be the same as the film that it was based upon. It is shot outside and the chasers are on horseback, they are running a different way and there are long shots indicating distances and George and Lennie lose them in a different way but simply George and Lennie are being chased and are almost caught but somehow they manage to get away. Both films then have George and Lennie travelling, in the 1939 film they are on the bus and in the 1981 film they are walking down the railway track. Both films suggest that they have travelled a long way, they fact that they are on the bus shows that it was too far to walk and on the railway track you can se for miles backwards and that implies that they have walked for miles from â€Å"backwards.† When George throws the stone at the advert in the 1939 film it is a very good shot to hit the face and this is not very good film making – simply too good to be true. He throws the stone because there is an advert for the railway and by taking the bus they will have to walk for ten miles. The person on the advert is smiling a lot so this will irritate George because he will not be in the mood for smiling. Other examples of shots being done artificially include the huge amount of back-projection used in the 1939 film and the small amount used in 1981. The 1939 back projection includes: the original chase; jumping onto the train shown by the actors running on the spot and then stopping when they get on to the train and on the bus, first when sitting down and next when near the driver, shown by the phoney movement of the drivers arms on the wheel (there are fake bus noises when it stops, using brakes and then pulls away again.) The scene by the watering pond it is shot in a studio where again fake running water noises are used and fake bug noises that are â€Å"supposed† to be realistic but in the 1981 film it is shot outside in the real open air and there are no bug noises there because none have been added in. The only place where back-projection was obvious in the 1981 film was when George was sitting on the truck and behind him was back-projection, cleverly edited with long-shots that were real and real film when he got on and off. Back-projection was used a lot more in the earlier film because by 1981 it was possible to do a lot more filming outside because technology had improved. The 1981 film uses other techniques though. The choice of music is very important because the music nearly always has meaning, this can be as explained above or by the actual piece of music itself. â€Å"Red River Valley† is used again when George and Lennie are by the river and because it is a song about going home it suggests that George and Lennie are going t their new home, which will be the ranch. â€Å"New World Symphony† is used when George and Lennie are walking along after the visit to Aunt Clara’s and the second chase. â€Å"New World Symphony† is based on a song â€Å"Going Home† which is used at funerals, this could mean that George and Lennie are on a trip to take one of them (Lennie) home for good. All the music is played on the harmonica, which is a plaintive instrument that amplifies the point that the songs are making. The last scene by the river are almost word-for-word the same in both films. The second film is an adaptation on the first film so this is to be expected. Even the acting of the four men is very similar and the moving around is the same. This could be because the adaptors of the second film have liked the way the first film does this part of the production and could not think of a better way to do it so they did it in exactly the same way as the first film.

Allama Iqbal and the Concept of Muslim Nation

IQBAL' S CONTRIBUTION TO THE REAWAKENING OF THE MUSLIM WORLD Muhammad Aman Hob ohm Some time before his death the poet and philosopher Mohammad Iqbal, in whose memory this meeting is held, wrote the following quatrain: â€Å"When I depart from this world everyone will say: â€Å"He was known to me But in truth, none knows this traveller, Or what he said, and to whom nor whence he came. â€Å"I have neither the good fortune of knowing Iqbal personally nor am 11 an Iqbal scholar. When I was asked by the Honorary General Secretary, Pakistan Cultural Group, to participate in this meeting and to share with you some of my thoughts on the contribution made by Mohammad Iqbal to the renaissance of the Muslim World in general and to the re-awakening of Muslims of pre-partitioned India in particular, I accepted, mainly for the following two reasons:Firstly I feel that as a Muslim whose own understanding of Islam has been deeply influenced by Iqbal it was my duty to join you in paying homage to this great and noble soul repaying some of the debt of gratitude I owe him for enlightening me through his writings on so many aspects of Islamic teachings and for in-creasing my love and respect for the Messenger (peace be upon him) — and his message through Iqbal's inspired exposition of the religion of Islam, — the religion of my choice.Secondly acceptance of your kind invitation to address tonight lies in the fact that I hail from a country for which Iqbal has always had the highest esteem and what is more, a deep and abiding love and admiration i. e. Germany. Iqbal himself tells us in the preface to Payam-e-Mushriq the book in which his art has probably reached the height of power and perfection, that of the two great sages who have influenced him more than anyone else in his career as a thinker and poet, one was Maulana Jalal-ud-Din Roomi — who hailed from the East, the other was Goethe, who came from West.Iqbal went to Germany in 1906 when he studied p hilosophy at the Universities of Heidelberg and Munich. He presented his doctoral thesis entitled â€Å"The Development of Metaphysics in Persia† to the Munich University which, in November 1907, conferred on him the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. His thesis was an original contribution to the subject and it still retains its importance. During his stay in Heidelberg and Munich he developed deep admiration for Germany, German thought, and poetry.As every scholar of Iqbal knows there are innumerable instances in his writings, his letters and in recorded conversation with him which clearly indicate that the works of German philosopher and poets have been a source of great inspiration to him. I have in my possession a number of letters which Iqbal wrote to his German tutor in Heidelberg. These letters, some of them written in fluent German, express his love and admiration for Germany in a most touching and convincing way. â€Å"It is impossible for me†, writes Iqbal to h is tutor â€Å"to forget your beautiful country where I have learned so much†. My stay in Heidelberg is nothing now but a beautiful dream. How I'd wish I could repeat it†. â€Å"I am very fond of Germany. It has had great influence on my ideals, and I shall never forget my stay in that country†. Never shall I forget the days I spent at Heidelberg, where you taught me Goethe's Faust, those were very happy days, indeed†. — And a final quotation, â€Å"Germany was a kind of second home to my spirit. I learned much and I thought much in that country. The home of Goethe has found a permanent place in my soul†.Iqbal's stay in Europe from 1905 till 1908 has had, I think one can call it, â€Å"revolutionizing† effect on his attitude to life, and nowhere does this find a more forceful expression than in his poetry. Iqbal's career as a poet began during his school days. His earlier poems show him as a lover of nature and as a patriot to his count ry, undivided India. Iqbal was, indeed, an ardent Indian nationalist, until he went abroad. However, during his stay in Europe he had an opportunity of studying modern nationalism at close quarters in its arious manifestations, with the- result that he came to realize the fundamental, antithesis between the narrow creed of racial and geographical loyalty and the broad humanistic outlook of Islam. Now he was no longer the poet of a particular nations. Despite he became the poet of Islam, and as such I dare say the poet of humanity. Likewise, his penetrating study of Western philosophy and social thought at their source, so to say, his stay in Europe enabled him probably as the first Muslim in Modern lines, — to study Islam in the light of modern philosophical concepts.In this process and this is significant as it shows the mettle of which Iqbal was made, his faith in his religion — Islam and significance and lasting character of the fundamental values of Islam which far from weakening, gained so much in strength and conviction and assumed such dimensions that from now on he devoted himself wholly and solely to The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam — to use the title, of his well known collection of lectures on the subject — he became the foremost Muslim thinker of our age.But we cannot say him the philosopher of Islam, for he was far more than a mere lover of wisdom. His feet were too firmly planted in the earth. The very essence of his teachings was movement, dynamism, creative activity and not passive contemplation. Art thou alive? Be enthusiastic, be a creator, Be a conqueror of the Universe like me Smash the World into pieces if it does not suit thee And bring forth another world from the depth of thy being It is irritating for a free man to live in a World made by othersHe who is devoid of creative power Is naught for me but an infidel and a heretic. This is the spirit which made him take upon himself the gigantic tas k of rousing millions of fellow countrymen, millions of human beings and making them cast off the moral inertia which had paralysed their mind and spirit in the course of centuries. And this is also the spirit which prompted him, perhaps even compelled him to associate himself actively with politics from the later 1920s till the day of his death. It is because the political ideas such as are taking shape in India today, may affect the structure of Islam†, Iqbal is reported to have said, â€Å"that I am interested in politics†. And he said elsewhere: â€Å"Politics has its roots in the spiritual life of man — Religion is a force of great importance in the life of the individual as well as of nations†. â€Å"And religion which in its highest manifestations is neither dogma nor priesthood nor mere ritual, can alone ethically pre-pare modern man for the burden of the great responsibility which the advancement of modern science necessarily involves†¦.It i s only by rising to a fresh vision of his origin and future, his whence and whither, that man will eventually triumph over a society motivated by an inhuman competition and a civilization which has lost its spiritual unity by its inner conflict of religious and political values†. So far Iqbal, the political thinker and visionary, who in this capacity too has found a place in history, through his famous presidential address at the Annual Session of the All India Muslim League at Allahabad in December 1930, in which he gave the world the concept of a consolidated, independent Muslim State in the Indo-Pakistan Sub-Continent.He thus became the founder, the originator of the Pakistan idea, though the word â€Å"Pakistan† was not coined by him. Iqbal's unique contribution to Muslim thought is his concept of the Ego and of the perfect man, as other speakers tonight are likely to dwell upon at length. This is a point, should like to make according to Iqbal –man can achie ve his highest possibilities only within and through society. This society must, however, fulfil certain conditions which Iqbal has formulated very clearly and which I may be permitted to enumerate, because of the importance which I personally attach to them.The ideal society must have a spiritual basis which is provided by the principle of Tawhid. â€Å"The state according to Islam, is only an effort to realize the spiritualism in a human organization†. â€Å"Islam, as a policy, is only a practical means of making this principle, the principle, of Tawhid, a living factor in the intellectual and traditional life of mankind. It demands loyally to God, and, this in my opinion is a pointed reference to British raj in lndia, not to thrones. And since God is the ultimate spiritual basis of all life, loyalty to God virtually amounts to man's loyally to his ideal nature. Iqbal further insists that it must centre around the Prophet (peace be upon him), that it must have a code †” the Holy Quran and a focus — Mecca, and it ought to apply itself to conquering the forces of nature. Iqbal was convinced that the decadence of the East as it obtained in his days and before, its economic and political disintegration were caused to a large ex-tent by its neglect of science. But let us not forget that he also demanded that his ideal society must maintain traditions, for traditions are a factor of stability. His ideal society is the Ummah as envisaged by Islam.His ideal man the Prophet (peace be upon him). At a time when the East was in an extremely distressing and difficult situation, defeated and humiliated by an adversity who seemed to be all powerful while the West stood at the apex of its glory, when no one would have given a frame for the Muslims and their future – he brought out in verse/and rhyme/and prose — thus laying the foundation for the resurgence of Islam of which we are witnesses — he brought out restated fundamentals, na y essentials of Islam in a clarity which cannot be surpassed.And by doing so he restored confidence in the hearts of millions of our brethren, fortified their belief and gave them new hope for the future. A future — and that was Iqbal's most cherished vision — in which alI Muslims would form an indivisible community, united in the belief that their religion, the religion of Islam — and here I may be permitted to quote Iqbal once again — that their religion, i. e. Islam is not a departmental affair. That is neither mere thought nor mere feeling, nor mere action; that it is the expression of the whole man. May God bless his soul.

The Dos and Donts of Guidance Counselor Recommendations

One of your greatest sources of information during the applications process, as well as throughout your high school experience, is your guidance counselor . Your guidance counselor can not only provide you with information about what colleges are best suited to you and give you helpful advice about requirements, financial aid, and other college-related matters, but also play a crucial role in the admissions process—providing you with a letter of recommendation. By now, you probably know that you need teachers to provide letters of recommendation on your behalf. (If you’re struggling to decide which of your teachers will write the best letters for you, check out our â€Å" What Makes a Good Recommendation Letter ?† post.) But why exactly do you need a letter of recommendation from your guidance counselor? Most schools ask for one to three teacher recommendations and one guidance counselor recommendation. In some cases, you may provide an additional letter , but you should only do so if you believe that letter can offer additional information that will contribute to your application. While the teacher recommendation provides insight on your abilities, strengths, and accomplishments as a student , the guidance counselor letter offers understanding about you in the context of your entire class. Since high schools vary significantly in terms of rigor, student body, and courses, admissions committees want to compare you to your classmates to provide context for grades and other academic accomplishments. For instance, if you are a mostly B student, but the average grade in your high school class is a C-, colleges are likely to understand that you are closer to the top than it might initially seem, and that your courses are particularly challenging. On the other hand, if you are a mostly A student, but so are the majority of your classmates, admission committees might see your high school as a grade inflator that easily hands out high marks, and will want to pay closer attention to your test scores and other application materials. Both your teacher and guidance counselor recommendations are very important in the admissions process; they simply provide the admissions committee with different aspects of your academic background to consider. Another key difference is that unlike with teacher recommendations, you cannot choose the person who will write your guidance counselor recommendation. It must be the guidance counselor you have been assigned. (Keep in mind that some high schools call this person by a different title, such as school counselor or academic advisor.) Estimating your chance of getting into a college is not easy in today’s competitive environment. Thankfully, with our state-of-the-art software and data, we can analyze your academic and extracurricular profile and estimate your chances. Our profile analysis tool can also help you identify the improvement you need to make to enter your dream school. Students in especially large high schools or class sizes may not know their guidance counselor very well, since he or she is responsible for advising so many students. Additionally, while your teachers only need to write letters for students they see regularly, your guidance counselor must write letters for an entire class, or large portion of a class if there are multiple counselors assigned to your high school. If this is the case for you, you might want to take the opportunity to reach out to your guidance counselor personally to chat with him or her about your goals, ambitions, academic work, and other aspects of your life. Some schools might already have prearranged meetings for students and counselors in place, but it never hurts to put in the extra time to build a strong relationship. Even if you don’t attend a large high school or already feel that your guidance counselor knows you well, you may still want to schedule a meeting to discuss factors that may influence your school report that you haven’t covered until now. Building a strong relationship with your guidance counselor is essential; if you want them to write a recommendation that shows off your strengths, they must know you well in order to best identify them. What you look like on paper is only part of the story; looking at your grades and honors may not convey the full story on what you hope to do in college and during your career, or what is most unique about you. Developing a strong relationship will also help you stand out among your classmates and allow your counselor to write a recommendation that is unique and personal. At the same time, remember to be courteous when communicating with your guidance counselor, and avoid coming across as overly demanding. They are likely responsible for advising many students, and may not always be available to meet with you one-on-one or respond to your requests immediately. Be respectful of your counselor’s time, and make the most of the sessions you do spend with them. In addition to setting up meetings with your guidance counselor, you should provide a resume or list of your classes and recommendations. This will give your recommender a clearer sense of your accomplishments so far and what your strengths and interests are. And of course, as with teachers, you should always thank your guidance counselors for their hard work throughout the process. But what if you are homeschooled? The application process tends to be a bit different for homeschooled students . Most colleges will offer special application instructions to homeschooled students, so be sure to investigate the admissions process for the schools to which you are applying thoroughly. In general, it is never a good idea to ask a parent or other relative for a letter of recommendation ; relatives are have inherent biases, and colleges want to see a more objective perspective. However, some colleges, such as MIT, explicitly make exceptions for parent recommendations in the case of homeschooled students. Be sure to do your research before ruling out this option. Depending on the particular college’s rules, an admissions committee may not separate recommendation types by teacher and guidance counselor, since you probably don’t have a guidance counselor. Therefore, you should think about the various adults in your life—coaches from athletic or academic teams, community services or religious leaders, or other types of mentors—and try to get multiple perspectives. For instance, consider asking a sports coach and a community service leader, rather than two coaches. If you have taken courses elsewhere, such as a college or academic program, the educators who taught you are good choices for providing an academic perspective to replace teacher recommendations, while a mentor or leader in another area might replace a guidance counselor recommendation. For more advice on applying to college as a homeschooled student, take a look at our â€Å" Homeschooled Student’s Guide to Applying to College † or â€Å" How Do Colleges Evaluate Homeschooled Students? † posts.

Vietnam and Iraq Wars Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Vietnam and Iraq Wars - Essay Example The invasion of Iraq was started in an attempt to stop the rise of international terrorism, which started after the attacks of September eleventh, in the year 2001. The invasion was started on the grounds of allegations that there was cooperation and coordination between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda. This paper seeks to analyze the two invasions, which were carried out by the American forces in the lights of broad and diverse academic resources. Furthermore, this paper will seek to compare and contrast between the things, which the American soldiers carried with them in Vietnam to the things, which they carried in Iraq. The US was embroiled in the Vietnam conflict during the 1960s and 1970s. Vietnam had been partitioned into North and South after the French withdrawal. North Vietnam had begun to sponsor a communist insurgency in the South (Barbier, 34). This was considered to be a threat to US interests which feared a domino affect that would result in communist revolutions in neighboring countries. The United States deployed its military forces in Vietnam. It used classical counter insurgency tactics like sweep and search operations, resettlement of hostile villages, torture of suspected insurgents, air strikes against North Vietnamese forces, and assassination campaigns against communist collaborators. However the North Vietnamese continued to fight back by creating a large pain threshold. They were able to absorb heavy casualties and sustain a war of attrition against the United States. By 1973, the US had retreated from Vietnam by signing a negotiated settlement with North Vietnam. The United S tates retreat from Vietnam was considered to be a major military setback. It would spawn decades of reluctance inside the US to commit ground troops into any major conflict. Iraq War The Iraq War was launched in the year 2003 with the specific purpose of overthrowing the regime of Saddam Hussein. US forces quickly overthrew the regime within twenty one days but were embroiled in a guerilla conflict with local insurgents. The US has deployed massive numbers of troops in order to achieve its military objectives. It has formed collaborative relationships with local Iraqi forces in order to tame the insurgency. US forces in the year 2007 launched a massive troop surge which was an attempt to pacify the county. The key strategy was to conduct a section by section sweep of suspected insurgent areas. US forces would ensure a permanent presence by establishing checkpoints and outposts. The surge has relatively pacified Iraq with a number of insurgent groups joining the US led allied government (Barbier, 45). Standard Issue Weapons and Equipment US forces in Vietnam were not adequately trained to handle guerilla warfare. The US military doctrine considered guerillas as mere nuisances during conflict zones. The average US soldier was a draftee who had been pushed into the Vietnamese jungle for a couple of months. However the Kenney Administration deployed Special Forces in order to fight the guerilla threat. US Special Forces were involved in pacification campaigns that involved searching and destroying guerilla positions. The UH-1 (Huey) helicopter was extensively applied for such missions (Barbier, 32). US troops in Vietnam carried M-16 rifles which enabled rapid fire against concentrated

Discuss how the father-daughter relationship is important in Essay

Discuss how the father-daughter relationship is important in Cinderella, how it's relevant - Essay Example This paper will focus primarily on the father-daughter relationship and its significance and relevance in different versions of Cinderella. For masses, the daughter-father relationship is almost absent in the story and one does not come across a direct evident relationship of the two in most of the versions. However, from a critical point of view, there exists somehow a negative relationship between the two (Neilsen, pp. 20-23), as most of the versions have shown an ignorant father who did not interfere when stepmother/s and stepsisters were mistreating Cinderella in the story. In one of the earliest versions of Cinderella, the father is shown as a widowed one who ends up marrying a woman who always mistreats Cinderella also known as Zezolla in some of the versions of this fairytale. This version has shown an absent relationship of father and daughter as the father is always silent when it comes to mistreatment of her daughter. Later on, Zezolla plots killing of her evil mother with the governess (Nielsen, pp. 22-25) and subsequently, father marries the governess who is shown as the worst stepmother resulting in harsher treatment for the Cinderella. Almost all versions of the story except the Disney’s film version, the father is portrayed as a cruel one who takes the side of the evil stepmother and forces Cinderella to perform all the nasty house chores while the stepmother and stepdaughters enjoy bounties of the world (Silvey, pp. 136-139). Some of the versions of Cinderella story have moved a line ahead by showing an incestuous father (Nielsen, pp. 25-28) that resulted in huge criticism from educators, as it portrayed a wrong image of fathers to children, especially daughters. To show incestuous intention of the father, Alan Dundes briefed one of the versions of Cinderella while saying: Usually the queen on her deathbed makes the king promise to marry only someone who

Recommendation report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Recommendation report - Essay Example Another important concept is that of saving and maintaining face. Losing face has negative consequences one’s reputation. To avoid losing face, Singaporeans publicly control their behavior and emotions. They do not criticize others openly and do use plenty of non-verbal communication. Sometimes, it is just as important to save the face of others one’s own group among Singaporeans. Nevertheless, being aware of such idiosyncrasies will keep you abreast of those without this knowledge. Singaporeans often rely upon facial expression, tone of voice, and posture to communicate feelings (Warnstam, 2007). They tend to communicate subtly or implicitly. For example, instead of saying â€Å"no,† they may just say, â€Å"I will try.† Silence also communicates. For example, a pause before response to a question means the respondent has given appropriate thought to his or her response. Furthermore, intense eye contact with a senior person is a sign of disrespect. These are just some of the more important cultural realities to keep in mind while doing business in Singapore. Most of these will help make doing business less confusing for both you and your counterparts. Personal relationships are the cornerstone of business relationships in Singapore (Kwintessential, 2004). Once recognized as part of a group, you will be accepted and expected to obey group standards.   Nevertheless, relationships take time. Be patient to demonstrate Nothing Ventured is there for long-term gains. Make appointments at least two weeks in advance when possible. Arrive at meetings on time. Punctuality is a virtue. Make small talk before business discussions, and make presentations complete with charts, figures, and resources. These things show Singaporeans you are committed to the business relationships you are building and that you are not fly-by-night. Business cards hold specific behavior mores. Business cards are

Health Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Health Psychology - Essay Example While the biomedical model is good in gaining a comprehension of the purely medical aspects concerning a patient's health the biopsychosocial is being found to be fundamentally imperative because it incorporates the actual mental states and physical states of the human being. For example, the biopsychosocial model introduces the emotional state, personal issues, family issues, and community issues that might have an affect on a patient's health and medical diagnosis. Therefore the acceptance of this model has stemmed from the fact that medical providers have now come to the realization that the psychological influences in an individual's life can alter the medical care and affect the patient outcome (Borrell-Correlo et al 2004, pg. 577). 2. Investigate Cultural differences in the incidence and prevalence of various diseases, such as HIV/Aids, and Cancer and of life expectancy. What factors do you believe are related to these differences. present, many different cultures approach these based on their religious beliefs, social customs, and over all societal views of them (Martin & Kukall 1996, pg. 993). For instance with Alzheimer's disease, those with a Latino background are more apt to care for their family member at home rather than placing them in a nursing care facility. This is in comparison to how Americans often care for a relative with this medical prognosis. Australian culture follows much the same type of philosophy; with diseases such as AID's, and even Cancer having an influential factor in the life expectancy that might present itself. This is due to the fact that these two cultural bodies carry a collectivist attitude instead of an individualistic one such as Americans have. Therefore, obviously the factors that play a pertinent role in disease and how different cultures relate to it are listed as follows, religion, family bonds, social perception, personal values, societal view, and community support. This clearly shows that some cultures focus more on the psychological aspects of the medical diagnosis; more so than what the actual biological bearing is going to be. 3. What is the Placebo Affect, and why is it often important to include a placebo in health research A placebo is simply an inactive element in medicine that has absolutely no affect on any medical outcome. It is or can be a pill that holds no medicinal qualities, a liquid of the same quality, or even an intravenous fluid that is used in medical studies and other experiments to see if the patient or individual in a study perceives there to be an actual affect. The main purpose is to test the strength of the actual drug and to compare the two too see if the real medicine does promote improved health and destroy cells in the body that can promote more health complications, depending upon what it is being developed for (Hrobjartsson & Gotzsche 2001, pg. 1594). The importance of including a placebo in medical

Finding a solution for Underage Drinking in Miami Essay

Finding a solution for Underage Drinking in Miami - Essay Example In the same population, 24% of them had confessed to have taken alcohol in the past month while 9% reported to have been drunk in the course of the month. This level of consumption is undoubtedly higher than that of other drugs such as tobacco and any other illegal drug. The other concern on alcohol consumption is its high correlation with myriad social, emotional and behavioral problems such as accidents, stealing, depression, involvement in violent behavior, use of illegal drugs and missing school among others (Richard et al 2012). Besides these immediate problems early initiation of alcohol is also associated with complex alcohol related problems in later years. Early consumption of alcohol that is by age 15 also represented a very high likelihood of developing alcohol dependence (Scott Tippetts, et al 2009). This is a likelihood of 4 times more than those who start drinking at age 21. A more current study reveals a similar picture among the youth. A 2005 survey went further and i ndicated that 5400 young people below the age of 16 get initiated to alcohol on a daily basis (Lipperman-Kreda, Grube & Paschall, 2010). These statistics as well as other more recent and growing studies on alcohol consumption reveal a worrying trend among young people. This calls for prompt action to arrest the growing numbers of underage drinkers. This study focuses on finding a long lasting solution which would complement the ongoing efforts to curb underage drinking in Miami. In United States the legal drinking age is 21, yet the number of underage drinkers’ remains high begging several questions, one of these questions is where do these underage drinkers get alcohol? This is mainly worrying as the law demands that no single establishment should sell alcohol to an underage (Main, 2009). Irrespective of this directive 92.2%, 82.6%, and 62% of 12th, 10th, and 8th grades respectively attested to the fact that accessing alcohol was fairly or very easy. The focus on alcohol sup ply and access is fundamental to any study seeking to stop the supply of alcohol to the underage (Lipperman-Kreda, Grube & Paschall, 2010). This is because cutting short the supply is the single most effective means of ensuring that under age drinking is curtailed. Studies reveal that alcohol supply to this group mainly comes from social or economic sources. Economic sources represent commercial establishments dealing with alcohol meaning that some of them blatantly ignore the established laws. In regard to social sources, these are mainly home set ups, where this group accesses alcohol when the adults are absent or during parties (Richard et al 2012). Most effort has been directed to curbing alcohol supply to underage drinkers from the commercial set up. This has been targeted through law and directives which are manifested through compliance checks and cops-in-shops. Similar effort has been made in the social settings through such activity as party dispersal programs (Wachtler, 20 11). The success of these measures has been evident overtime and it would be misleading to point out that these have not helped in deterring use and possession of alcohol by this grouping. Evidence overtime has shown that tackling of underage drinking through stringent laws and policies is quite effective (Maimo & Christopher, 2012). The evidence of this is seen in cases where a given policy is properly enforced, for instance the school anti-smoking policy was seen to

Expla.in what happens in each of the three stages of the birth Assignment

Expla.in what happens in each of the three stages of the birth process. Explain the changes which must occur for the baby to sur - Assignment Example BH contractions come at irregular intervals, with varying lengths and intensity; while early labor pains are regular, short, and mild like menstrual cramps. Another point of difference is that BH contractions stop with a change in position; while, early labor contractions do not vanish whatever position the woman tries. These contractions start when the cervix begins to dilate and efface. Labor officially starts with the effacement and dilatation of the cervix. Effacement refers to the thinning or ripening of the cervix; while dilatation refers to opening of the cervix to the birth canal. Early labor may long several hours, and thus, there is no need to rush to the hospital, as these pains can be taken at home more comfortably. The woman reaches the end of early labor when the contractions become closer and longer, like when they are five minutes apart and are of about one minute duration. Bloody show/discharge of mucous plug may also be seen. The cervix should be dilated 4 cm at the end of early labor. 2.2. Active Labor In active labor, contractions become more regular, and become closer, longer, and intense. The cervix dilates more progressively until it reaches 10 cm. Complete dilatation is the transition phase. The baby starts descending in the pelvis. The doctor will now break the amniotic sac if it has not yet broken. For first time moms, active labor may be several hours longer; while, for experienced moms, active labor may be much quicker, ending in an hour or even in some minutes. Women may also go for epidural which is given in active labor, to diminish the pain. Natural remedies for pain management include breathing deeply and some other relaxation techniques taught in childbirth classes. It is better to lie on left side to ensure proper blood circulation to the baby. 3. Stage Two Stage two starts when the transition has occurred; the baby is in the pelvis; and, the mother is feeling the urge to push the baby. That is why this stage is also known as pushing. The contractions may now seem easier to cope, as the pushing sensation is different from the pain of contractions in the active labor. During this stage, the contractions of the uterus apply pressure on the baby, due to which it moves down into the pelvis or the birth canal. The woman may be told to start pushing with every contraction, if she does not feel the urge itself. The baby’s head will start showing. The pressure of the baby’s head is hard on the perineum, so the doctor will have to incise the perineum to escape a natural cut. Perineum is the space between the vagina and the rectum. When the head emerges, the doctor looks for the umbilical cord, and cuts it if it is wrapped around the neck. The baby turns sideways so as to come out easily. Another contraction will move the whole baby out, followed by bloody discharge. The umbilical cord is clamped. Once out, the baby’s mouth and nose are checked for mucous through suction. The mother takes a si gh of relief because the contractions end, taking away all the pain. The second stage of labor is quicker for mothers who have had vaginal deliveries before. 4. Stage Three Stage 3 is the delivery of the placenta, which occurs some minutes after the birth of the baby. This happens with some uterine contractions, which are

Individual project 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Individual project 5 - Essay Example ‘Women Matter’, a study by McKinsey & Company clearly points to the fact that an organization with 2 or more woman executives at the top level was ranked highest in operation excellence and financial performance. (Desvaux, Devillard-Hoellinger, & Baumgarten, 2007) The relevance of ethnic diversity at workplace is as important as the gender diversity. But it is still very less embraced by the corporates. Its relevance is always debated upon in the corporate world. Some of the benefits of ethnic diversity in workplace are innovation, better business expansion, productivity, motivation, profitability etc. (Bell, 2012) The diversity factor of sexual orientation is important too on a different perspective. There is no specific study that has proved that the presence of LGBT crowd in an organization will increase the organization’s productivity, nor is there a study that it will reduce the productivity. Therefore, based on moral grounds, LGBT community will be allowed t o be part of organization. Discrimination against LGBT group might result in a qualified or innovative individual from being hindered to progress. Moreover, a diversity based on sexual orientation will help an organization to develop better reputation. (Feigenbaum, 2012) A concluding statement will be drawn based on a comprehensive literature review on these three factors. Desvaux, G., Devillard-Hoellinger, S., & Baumgarten, P. (2007). Women Matter. Retrieved November 4, 2012. From: http://www.mckinsey.com/locations/paris/home/womenmatter/pdfs/Women_matter_oct2007_english.pdf Bell, M. (2012). Ethnic diversity in workplace: the business benefits. Retrieved November 4, 2012. From: http://www.hrmonline.co.nz/article/ethnic-diversity-in-the-workplace-the-business-benefits-141661.aspx Feigenbaum, E. (2012.) What Are Some Diversity Issues Found in the Workplace & in America. Retrieved November 4, 2012. From:

What Does It Mean to Be Well Educated Essay Example for Free

What Does It Mean to Be Well Educated Essay What it is that constitutes a well-educated person is a much-debated topic. The answer to this question has got to be more than simply the amount of time that a person has spent gaining knowledge. What use is that knowledge is the person is not able to use and apply it to their everyday lives? By looking at and defining certain terms we can come to a conclusion that people who exemplify the title of being well educate are able to show some level of success in the area of their learned knowledge. There are people that have had little formal education that could be considered well-educated, while there are others who have had extensive formal education who wouldn’t be able to carry that title. A person who is considered well educated shouldn’t be able to hold that title just because they have attended a large amount of schooling. Education should be near to the heart of every person on the face of the planet. Without education of some level we’d still be hunting caribou with spears and beating two rocks together and hoping to get a spark for a fire. But the question, though, isn’t â€Å"is education important†, but rather â€Å"what constitutes a well-educated person? † This is a highly discussed topic. But I believe the answer to it is quite clear. A well-educated person is someone who can be successful in real life application of what he/she has been taught. The dictionary defines well educated as being highly educated or having extensive information or understanding. (thefreedictionary, 2012. ) It would be presumptuous to claim to be more intelligent than a dictionary, but I disagree with this definition. The key to accurately defining this term is correctly understanding one word, well. In going back to the dictionary we see that the word well is translated as meaning satisfactory. (thefreedictionary, 2012. ) We have to say that the appropriate question then is not what is well-educated person, but does this person have satisfactory education. So how do we know is a person has a satisfactory education? It has got to be more than just the amount of education or information that the given person has received. Just because a person has been in a higher education course for 10 years doesn’t mean that when a task comes up the person proves to be satisfactorily educated. Well-educated means a person has a quality education and not just a quantity of education. Two close friends of mine prove this point. Bobby is an incredible seventy-five year old man in who much is to be respected. At first glance you wouldn’t know it, but his â€Å"proper† education level only reaches the eighth grade. He was forced to drop out of school to help provide for his struggling family as a teenager. He is one of the most well respected and honored leaders in our community. Through a series of events he started a company that was very successful. His net worth is over five million dollars. Bobby’s wisdom and knowledge would take a college degree to even begin to dissect. On the other hand I have a friend named Anthony. Anthony is in his thirties and is really an incredible person. He has committed much of his life to furthering his education and now has two masters’ degrees. If Anthony were to write you a letter you wouldn’t even recognize half the words because he is such a bad speller. Also, he often seeks the guidance of others in his job because he lacks confidence to do it well in spite of his vast education. There, then, is a big difference in the definitions of the words well education and highly educated. If being well educated is more than just a great amount of knowledge given to a person, what are the signs of a well educated person? The first indicator that a person is well-educated is that they have learned how to learn. Anyone can be force feed an immense amount of information, but what really makes someone successful is being able to be a life long learner. Douglas Everett said, â€Å"A mark of a well educated person is not necessarily in knowing all of the answers, but knowing where to find them†. This describes a person who doesn’t just know stuff, but instead knows how to learn and the process it takes to do so. Another way to gauge if someone is well educated is by looking at their competency in the area of their education. It is different to be able pass a written exam on a subject and to truly understand how to apply what is that has been taught to the real world. The term well educated alludes to competency while highly educated refers to the amount of education given regardless of the retention or pplication of that knowledge. If you don’t understand what it takes to use what has been learned, then the time spent gaining the knowledge was to no avail. The last thing that for me that exemplifies a well-educated person is by looking at their level of success in their area of study. It doesn’t matter how much you know if what you know isn’t useful to make you successful. This brings the last point to a higher level. It says that you are not just competent in your understanding of a subject but you are successfully implementing that in your life. What’s the point of education if it doesn’t help us succeed in life and how can we be considered well educated if that knowledge isn’t breeding that success? If this definition of well education were adopted, would that have to change the way that students are being taught? Students need to be taught by first looking through the filter of this definition. Are these students learning the art of learning? Do these students really grasp what is being taught? Do students understand what it takes to make this principal successful in real life applications? When answering these questions, I believe it’s safe to say that most high school graduates aren’t well educated, but have rather had a lot of information given to them over a long span in a â€Å"career† of education. The key is finding the way to bring students from just â€Å"knowing facts† to being well education and successfully performing tasks that reflect that. For me, the best was to learn something well is by doing while learning. The term for this style of learning is experiential learning. But that’s just it, it takes looking at the individual student and teaching to his/her learning style and that’s not going to look the same every time. So what really is it to be well educated? In order to have a satisfactory education you must be able to perform successfully in the areas that you have been taught, if you cannot, then the time and effort put into learning was of no use. Even in stating that, I agree with Alfie Kohn in his article â€Å"What does it mean to be well educated† (2003) when he states that its really more important to figure out the qualities of a school that gives a good education instead of debating what it is to be well educated.

History and Comparison of Windows, Linux, and Apple Essay Example for Free

History and Comparison of Windows, Linux, and Apple Essay An operating system is a set of programs containing instructions that work together to coordinate all the activities among computer hardware resources. Most operating systems perform similar functions that include starting and shutting down a computer, providing a user interface, managing programs, managing memory, coordinating tasks, configuring devices, establishing an Internet connection, monitoring performance, providing file management and other utilities, and automatically updating itself and certain utility programs (Shelly p. 398). There are three major operating systems that exist today that are going to be compared to decide which operating system could be best for different user purposes. The three operating systems are Windows, Linux, and Apple. Windows operating system is developed and maintained by Microsoft in Seattle, WA. The Microsoft Company was developed by Bill Gates. The first version of the Windows operating system was released in 1985, and has been the leading operating system used by 90% of users (Satyam). It is used by the Server 2008 R2 (Satyam). Windows is a Graphical User Interface (GUI) which allows its users to manage files and run software programs easily on desktop and laptop computers (Satyam). On the desktop, icons are used to represent programs that are easy to find and can be clicked to easily access and run the program of choice. Windows is also very popular because of its user interface programs such as Microsoft Office, which include Microsoft Word, Microsoft Power Point, and Microsoft Office Outlook. Windows also has a great reputation for its high and efficient security. Some popular Windows editions are Win 98, Win 2000, Win Me, Windows NT, Windows CE, Win 2003, Win XP, Win Vista and Windows 7 ( Satyam). Windows 8 is now the new successor of Windows 7 and is now available. Linux (Linus’ Unix) is a leading server operating system, and is used for running the top 10 fastest supercomputers in the world (Satyam). Linus Torwalds created Linux, and is the current owner of the Linux Trademark (Satyam). LIndows, Lycoris, Red Hat, SuSe, Mandrake, Knopping, Slackware are the various companies that distribute the Linux operating system (Satyam). NASlite is a version of the Linux operating system that runs off of a single floppy disk and converts an old computer into a file server (Satyam). Some popular versions of Linux include Debian, Fedora, and Red Hat. This operating system is ranked just below Windows operating system, but is quickly becoming popular and is predicted to give future Windows some tough competition. Since 1984, Mac OS 9 had been Apple’s primary operating system, but has been recently succeeded by Mac OS X. Mac OS X is a sequence of Unix-based operating systems and GUI’s developed, marketed and sold by Apple (Satyam). Mac OS X is user friendly, and is popular for its plug-and-play support, which means the operating system automatically configures new devices as they are installed (Shelly p. 408). As stated in the beginning of this paper, Windows, Linux, and Apple are the three most popular operating systems with Windows as the most popular of the three with 85% to 90% of personal computers using this operating system (Satyam). Compared to Windows, Mac is used by fewer people, but is more reliable and less likely to fail than Windows OS because of Mac regularly monitoring and the software and hardware add-ons. Linux is the least popular of the three and is based on UNIX, which has been used for more than three decades that now powers about 90% of Web sites (Satyam). Compared to both Mac and Windows, Linux is an open source project, meaning anyone can modify the Linux Code (Satyam). Linux offers great security and flexibility compared to Windows and Mac, but it takes a great deal of knowledge to install and operate the Linux operating system. Linux is also very much less expensive or even free compared to Windows operating system. When using a server, Linux is much cheaper compared to Windows because Microsoft only allows only a single copy to be used on one computer. However, once Linux is purchased, it can be used on any number of computers at no additional charge (Satyam). Windows can make it difficult for users to store user information and settings and switch to a new computer, but Linux stores the user’s data in the home directory, making it easier to transfer from an old to a new computer (Satyam). In conclusion, Linux is much more secure, reliable, flexible, and more cost efficient than Windows or Mac, but much more difficult to install, understand and operate, it is ideal for industry sectors. Windows and Mac operating systems are much easier for personal use and require less knowledge than Linux operating system. Windows and Mac, however, are more expensive, but are more widely used than Linux, with Windows leading the three in popularity. References Shelly, G. B., Vermaat, M. E. (2011). Discovering Computers 2011: Living in a Digital World, Complete (pp. 398-408). Boston, MA: Course Technology, Cengage Learning. Satyam. (2011, June 29). Windows, Linux or Mac OS A Comparison. In HackDigital. Retrieved September 26, 2012, from Google.

Black Children in the Child Protection System

Black Children in the Child Protection System INTRODUCTION In recent years, child abuse among black African families has attracted a lot of attention, academically and politically in British social work practice following the tragic death of Victoria Climbie (Laming, 2003) and Adam (Sale, 2005). Many of the research and literature on child abuse since the 1989 Children Act have not extensively discussed the aspect of poverty and child abuse. For many years social work interventions with black African families and children alleged of cases of child abuse have been a controversial topic. The difficulties black African families experience are not limited only to the foreign culture they find themselves in, but other issues may be significant, such as cultural differences in child-rearing, poverty, government policy and the intervention tools and processes. Research evidence suggests that black African children in the UK are over-represented in the child protection system for a variety of reasons such as physical and sexual abuse or neglect. Chand (1999) research on black African families and the child protection system highlights the over-representation of black families (58%) compared to white families (42%) on referrals involving physical injury. Another research shows that referrals involving inadequate supervision of children are disproportionately higher among black African families than white families. Some black African children are involved in the child protection system because their families are unable to provide adequate care for them. Bernard Gupta (2008) study also found that black African children and families are more likely than white families to be drawn into the child protection system on the basis of inherent differences in beliefs and child-rearing practices. The aim of this work is to suggest that black African children and families, due to a number of reasons, are more or less likely to be investigated of child abuse by social workers and other professions. The possible implications for black families being more or less likely to be investigated are either black African children will become over-represented in local authority care under the child protection system or they will not receive the appropriate intervention by social workers under the child welfare system and make children to be subjected to further abuse or neglect by their parents (Chand, 1999). According to Chand (1999) even when abuse among black families is identified, the service provision for the abused children are hampered by lack of resources and this cause delays in assessment and the provision of treatment where specialized services are required. The 1989 Children Act may classify many African children on the child protection register in the UK as children in need as their parents are more likely to live below the poverty line (DoH, 1989). Poverty is linked with reports of abuse and neglect and African families are proportionately more likely to live in poverty than many of the other communities in the UK (Bernard Gupta, 2008). According to Fontes (2006) people who are affected by child abuse are nestled by a variety of social and material domains that are highly interconnected and interactive. Therefore the poverty status of African families living in the UK is an important factor to be considered by social workers working with African families alleged of child abuse. Many African families have negative perception about social workers who work on cases of alleged child abuse, as they employ an assessment and intervention process that is based on euro-centric child protection procedures and as such view black families, their culture and lifestyle as inherently problematic and need correcting (Chand, 1999). This negative perception of social work practice by African families and children living in the UK breed grounds for mistrust and apprehension and make working with such families a major challenge for social workers. Bernard Gupta (2008) argued that black African children and their families are more likely than white families to be investigated of child abuse and therefore are over-represented on the child protection register under the category of poor parenting behaviours. However, black African families are also under-represented in receiving preventative supports such as housing needs, financial benefits that is required to address any family needs and to improve children welfare. Singh (2006) findings show that African families and their entrenched cultural and social perceptions of parenting behaviours are difficult to understand in the context of contemporary social work practice and therefore social workers may be quick to intervene in such families. Bernard Gupta (2008) also found in their research work that the majority of black African families who have migrated to the UK because of war, poverty, and tribal anarchies in their home countries, also have difficulty not only how to adapt to the western culture in which they find themselves but how they may be viewed by social workers involved in child care. Most social work professionals working with black African families do not appreciate the poverty background of such families and would feel justified to make judgements resulting into mistrust and disengagement from both parties. However, according to Bernard Gupta (2008) the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families places a requirement on social workers to consider families backgrounds and cultural perspectives when dealing with cases of child abuse. Korbin (2004) argues that social workers face difficulties in employing appropriate intervention in child abuse cases as the processes involved in chi ld abuse assessment may be complex and parental behaviours may not be the same in different cultures and socio-economic settings. In view of this perception, Bernard Gupta (2008) states that a focus on maltreatment or dysfunction within African families can risk stereotyping this ethnic minority as deficient, thus fostering pathological viewpoint of African family relationships'(p 478 ). This raises the question of what type of social work intervention is needed to be used by social workers working with black African families living in economic poverty so that vulnerable children are fully supported and protected, and not just drawing these children into the child protection system. This professional dilemma in social work practice presents a major challenge and therefore, calls for a new perspective in work ideologies and practices, the way information is disseminated on how the child protection system works, training on child-rearing differences in black African culture, social work values and enhancing collaboration with other professions. With a change in social work practice, social workers will develop the skills to distinguish between the styles of parenting inherent in African families which is not necessarily harmful to children and those parenting behaviours that are harmful. This point will be further discussed in chapter two. The dissertation will draw on social work theories, policies and practice, key models and literature search from electronic journals to web search on child abuse, social work intervention and child protection system. The main emphasis of this dissertation looks at the available literature on black African families involved in the child protection system, focusing on specific poverty-related parenting practices that give rise to issues of child abuse. The methodology for this work is mainly qualitative and the literature obtained from both primary and secondary sources. The dissertation examines various issues such as how social work professionals should perceive and manage child abuse among black African families living below the poverty-line, what interventions social workers need to employ that would support these families to provide adequate child-care for their children and the possible reasons why black African children and their families may be over-represented in the child pro tection systems. The first chapter examines the literature on black African children and the child protection system. Chapter two provides a discussion on the increased complexity of social work intervention in child abuse cases involving black African families living in poverty. It also analyse how poverty could complicate parenting behaviours that impact on child-rearing which, tends to draw black African children living in the UK into the child protection arena. Then chapter three draws on legislations and policies regulating social work practices in the UK. It also examines contemporary social work practice in child abuse cases among African families. Chapter four critically analyses the various methods of interventions available to social workers when working with black African families. Finally chapter five discusses the implications of social work intervention among African families living in poverty. CHAPTER ONE BLACK AFRICAN CHILDREN AND CHILD PROTECTION SYSTEMS The prevalence of Black children in the child protection system Many children are drawn into the child protection system for many different reasons. The majority of these children go through distressing and damaging experiences, which may include physical, emotional, sexual abuse and neglect. Some children living with poor families come under the child protection system as result of families parenting behaviours and practices, oppression, discriminations and cultural values. Considering the child protection system and black African families, Bernard Gupta (2006) have critically analysed the evidence on the disproportionate representation of black African families on the child protection register. Brophy et al (2003) study highlights the proportion of minority ethnic families and their children represented on the child protection register involve several allegations about parental behaviours and practices. Chand (1999) states that different child-rearing methods used in different cultures mean that as an outsider, understanding what is the norm a nd what is deviant is problematicand trying to distinguish the risks in one family from the another, social workers may fall back on moral judgements'(p.72). In contemporary social work practice many social workers are faced with difficulty situations when assessing and making decisions on child care issues among African children and their families who are living in poverty. It is paramount in view of available literature to say that when social workers acknowledge and understands these families financial backgrounds and their cultural identity through effective communications, it is possible they will come to terms with some of their parenting behaviours and practices. However, where families go over the boundaries of child-rearing to inflict physical and emotional harm on their children, which is evident in Victoria Climbie inquiry, it should be understood that such families have gone beyond what is acceptable not only within the western culture but in their own culture (Chand, 1999). Therefore, if social workers understand the causes of parental behavioural patterns of African families, they will be well-informed to determine whether a particular parenting behaviours should be considered within the protection process or to provide advice and support for such families under children in need (Chand, 1999). The challenges social work practitioners experience when using the assessment processes as detailed in the Climbie Inquiry (Laming, 2003) is crucial to the safety and protection of black children whose families have immigrated into the UK. Sometimes social workers may be stereotyped as racist and ethnocentric, as they do not acknowledge and address issues of poverty-related parental behaviours of African families in the assessment process of a child abuse case (Chand, 1999). Under the Governments Every Child Matters policy, social workers first priority is to ensure children live with their families if it is best to do so. In addition to this policy, it is the responsibility of the social services or local authorities to create the enabling environment for the provision of preventative services to families so that these families can provide appropriate care for their children. According to the Department for Education and Skills (2006b) statistical data a significant proportion of bl ack African children are on the child protection register. A number of studies tend to support the view that families of these children lives in poverty and struggle to raise their children to the standard set up by government legislation. Therefore it is difficult to say whether social services are meeting the agenda detailed in the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families (Department of Health, 2000) which places on social workers the responsibility to consider families backgrounds and cultural values when dealing with child care issues. Thoburn et al.s (2005) review of the nature and outcomes of child welfare services for black children concluded that African children are almost twice as likely to be looked after than the white majority children in the population as a whole, which then suggest, that some of these children will be accommodated under section 20 of the 1989 Children Act, by virtue of being raised by families living in poverty. However, there are a number of contributory factors which could be perceived as important in understanding the involvement of black African families with social work agencies and the resultant over-representation of their children in the child protection system. Child abuse and neglects may be linked to poor parental practices and poverty by families who are supposed to be responsible for looking after these children. Therefore the poverty experienced by many African families and children may be resolved through a more preventative welfare services rather than child protection se rvices. Platt (2006) study on the refocusing initiative on social work practices from the child protection orientation to a child welfare orientation underpins government legislation, policies and procedures and management efforts to redirect social work interventions more towards welfare services. Also through child welfare practices social workers may appreciate the difficulties that families experience and may endeavour to meet children and their family financial and social needs through a range of social and preventative services. The government legislations and policies The most relevant legislation in the UK that aims to protect children from abuse and harm is the Children Act (1989), of which Section 47 expects local authorities to make enquiries into cases where they have reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm and Section 17 makes provision for a child to be assessed with a view to the provision of services to children in need (Platt, 2006). Therefore there are two definitive objectives of the Children Act (1989), the child protection focus and the child welfare focus. Many black African children referred to social services under the child protection system may not necessarily be suffering from any harm or neglect if the situation is considered in the context of parenting behaviours and practices (Chand, 1999). According to Platt (2006), the Audit Commission recommendation to shift from the popular investigational work use by social workers to a family support services, was a result of many fail ings identified by many other government bodies. This wind of change for social work practice was accepted by the Department of Health, after examining the publication, Child Protection: Messages from Research (Department of Health, 1995). Chand (1999) argues that the child protection system tends to draw too many cases inappropriately onto the child protection register, of which many may be classified as border-line cases, that could have being managed under the children welfare services. Whilst other research findings support the view that the child protection system seems to have achieved as much as could be expected in terms of preventing further abuse of vulnerable children. Hayes and Spratt (2008) argue that such achievement is not in ways most readily understood by those who legislate, set policy and measure performance. Bernard Gupta (2008) highlights in their study that, in situations in which there is a risk of abuse or neglect of African children, as with other minority ethnic children, the literature suggests that fear of difference, combined with racist stereotypes, may both exacerbate defensive practice, leading to avoidance that can leave children unprotected (p486). The Department of Health (1995) emphasises that social work professionals need to rely on various policies and measures since child abuse is not an absolute concept and most family behaviours have to be seen in context before decisions of abuse are made (Chand 1999, p. 70). Although child protection social workers in the UK are trained to follow the official guidance as set out in the Department of Health (1988) Protecting Children: A guide for Social Workers undertaking a Comprehensive Assessment, this guidance in the context of black African children and their families, fall short in addressing their basic needs (Chand, 1999). Against this background, the quality of social work assessment and, hence intervention process used by social workers may stereotype black African families, their parenting behaviours and practice and culture as inherent indicators of child abuse and need correcting (Chand, 1999). The fundamental dilemma facing contemporary social work practice is the manner and extent social workers should engage in social welfare services rather than in investigational procedures and processes, so as to redirect its efforts primarily to the poor and needy in society (Karger Hernandez, 2004). From the 1990s there have been proactive and sustai ned efforts on behalf of the UK government to develop and promote legislation and policies, which challenge the influence of a child protection culture on management and social work practice, which notably are perceived as distorting the balance of service provision to children and families (Spratt Callan, 2004). Pringle (1998) argued that the family support strategies may focus on the generalization of responses compared with child protection procedures that target actual nature of the alleged abuse. Cleaver Walker (2004) argued in their research, that the implementation of this switch from child protection to child welfare services by social work agencies can have negative and difficult impact on the government Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families. According to Hayes Spratt (2008) the government has seen a remarkable reduction in the number of children drawn into the child protection system, which commends local authorities effort to help achieve performance targets. Spratt Callan (2004) criticized the reductions in number of children on the child protection register, as being achieved largely due to modern governance and measures to promote compliance with performance targets. However, following Baby P report childrens services watchdog, Ofsted, reported t hat a review of 173 serious cases in April 2009, found that social workers and other agencies, failed to act swiftly to put children suffering from physical and neglect abuse onto the child protection register (www.ofstednews.ofsted.gov.uk/article). Ofsted also identified certain poor social work practices such as the failure of social services workers to identify and report signs of abuse, poor recording and communication, and limited knowledge and application of basic policies and procedures (www.ofstednews.ofsted.gov.uk/article).This report has since seen an increase in the number of children drawn into the child protection system. According to Chand (1999), the UK government reiterated that the primary and official duties of local authorities within the context of the 1989 Children Act is to focus more on safeguarding children through the provision of advice and support services under children in need. In Spratt Callan (2004) study the Department of Health estimates four million children living in England are vulnerable to harm or neglect, due to their families living far below the poverty line, yet only 300-400,000 of these children are known to social services at any given time. Thoburn et al (2000) study on families, whose children were at risk of suffering emotional abuse and neglect, shows that 98% of the children brought to the attention of child protection system, their families live in poverty. Parton (1997) argued that due to the correlation between poverty and the need for provision of public services, only the very small number of vulnerable children who are designated as children in need receive s ervices under the welfare service. Spratt Callan (2004) suggest that a more effective way social work can help such vulnerable children, particularly black African children, who may be over-represented on the child protection register, is the government increasing resources to local authorities, increasing the number of social workers and reshaping the social services system. Therefore, with regard to the governments provision of resources, legislation and policies, the model or intervention approach social workers may employ when working with black African families living in extreme poverty, will determine whether a family receives a child protection service or a child welfare service. CHAPTER TWO POVERTY AND BLACK AFRICAN FAMILIES Poverty and Child Protection The area of poverty and child protection with black African families has been the source of controversy in British social work research for many decades. Many researchers find a correlation between economic deprivation such as poverty and social exclusion and parenting behaviour and practice, child-rearing capabilities and skills which are a prerequisite for proper child development anywhere in the world. Moreover, according to Jordan (2001) poverty is correlated with reports of abuse and neglect. For instance, the National Centre for Children in Poverty found in 1990 that the incidence of child abuse and neglect, as well as the severity of the maltreatment reported, is much greater for children from low-income families than for others (Jordan, 2001 p.1). As a large number of Africans in the UK live below the poverty line, it may be reckoned that most black African children on the child protection register live below the poverty line. Brophy et al (2003) argue that many families brought to the attention of the child protection system lives in extreme poverty and may experience social exclusion. Black African children living in the UK may be over-represented in the child protection system for reasons such as physical abuse or neglect; therefore it is understandable to say that there is a correlation between abuse and parenting behaviours and practices. The question is why African families and their children living in poverty, who are alleged of child abuse, are over-represented in the child protection system? Sossou Yogtiba (2008) noted in their study that a child is the most valuable asset of any traditional African family, as children symbolise status, respect and completeness of the nuclear family, if that is the case, then it is ironical to see African families and their children to be over-represented in the child protection system. Many black African families in the UK still lives below the poverty-line though they undertake different types of unskilled or skilled jobs, as they support large families in their countries of origin (Anane-Agyei, 2002). It may be reckon that poverty is linked with other social disadvantages such as poor education, limited employment opportunities, and poor health and may have devastating consequences for childrens development and life chances. Research shows that many African families and their children may have insecure immigration status and their existing financial predicaments only help to complicate their parenting behaviours and practices. Penrose (2002) study shows that African families seeking asylum are often forced to live at level of poverty that is just unacceptable, and this puts financial constraint on them to provide adequate childcare for their children. Unemployment levels are known to be very high among African families, and they are also subject of stigmatization and prejudice by the larger community that are suppose to accept them. According to Bernard Gupta (2008) immigration and asylum status determines income, employment opportunities and access to support services for many African people in the UK and these issues of entitlement to services only complicate their cases. Some African families living in the UK may be without jobs and may not also be entitled to social and economic benefit and therefore may find it difficult to care for their children. Children growing up with parents living in poverty may be deprived of proper childhood development ( Montith Eithne, 2005). African families living in poverty and failing to provide good care for their children may be perceived by social work professionals as failing in their parental responsibilities (Chand, 1999). For this reason, social workers may intervene in such families and often than not they are drawn into the child protection system. Amin Oppenheim (2002) argue that the unfamiliar cultural expectation of black African families living in the UK somehow contribute to the high level of poverty they experience. Research shows that many African families suffer from institutional oppression including housing, employment, education and health which not only means that they are more likely to experience poverty and deprivation, but also more susceptible to social work interventions in child abuse or maltreatment allegations. Corby (1993) noted that it may be expected that black African children are over-represented in child abuse cases because their families are more open to surveillance as they show high levels of poverty that complicate their parenting behaviours (Chand, 1999 p73). In a broader perspective, Pearce Bozalek (2004) emphasise that the child protection system that exist in Britain will be unfamiliar to many African families, especially those more recently arrived, as similar state systems do not exist in most African countries, particularly where socio-economic factors, political instability and violence overshadow intra-familial child maltreatment and effective intervention into child abuse and neglect (Bernard Gupta, 2006 p481). Brophy et al (2003) study supports the above assertion that African families experience discrimination and insecurity in child abuse cases, as the tools for assessing abuse are often euro-centric bias and prejudice the families. Chand (1999) study expresses the awareness that black African families are disadvantaged through oppression in all areas of society and this should not reflect in social work practice. Gibbon et al (2003) findings show that the child protection system was picking up more alleged child abuse cases inappropriately and putting more families and children on the child protection register than children who are subject to social welfare procedures. Therefore the over-representation of African families on the child protection register somehow, undermines the government aim of keeping children with families and reducing the number of children that are drawn onto the child protection register. The Department of Health (1995) document on child protection identified some pertinent shortcomings with the child protection system, as it seems to encourage unnecessary child protection interventions in border-line child abuse cases. Bernard Gupta (2008) in their study of black African children and the child protection system suggest that there are a series of interactions between environmental factors such as poverty, immigration status and social exclusion that affect the life cha nces of many African children and the capacity of their parents to provide adequate care. Dowling (1999) realise that social work practice in the UK focus less on poverty-alleviating strategies but throw more resources behind safeguarding and protecting vulnerable children from abuse or maltreatment. Social workers need to understand the context in which abuse occurs, irrespective of race and culture, to develop an assessment and intervention process that is fairer for black families as they are more likely to suffer racism and oppression. In view of the above argument, it is pertinent that social workers know when to employ preventative measures to support black African families who have financial needs and when to take such families through the child protection system in the quest for safeguarding children. All these factors together create complex needs for many African children living in the UK, and, in many circumstances increase their vulnerabilities which draw them into the child protection arena. Bernard Gupta (2008) argued that only by developing effective relationships with African families can social work professionals can begin to understand their parenting behaviours and practices. Poverty and Child Welfare Services Current literature shows that poverty experience by most black African families living in the UK could be alleviated by social work services that offer a pragmatic welfare services rather than drawing these families and children into the child protection system. Brophy et al (2003) study suggests that immigration and asylum issues, combined with poverty, are likely to be some of the reasons for the increased complexity for social work professionals assessing and intervening child abuse cases involving black African children. The Department of Health challenges social workers with the responsibility to work with Section 17 of the Children Act 1995, so as to provide adequate social support for children in need via the child welfare services (Platt, 2006). However, social work agencies have not fully achieved the government agenda of alleviating poverty experience by many families and children due to inadequate resources at all levels of social work practice. The Department of Health have indicated that most families, struggle to bring up their children in conditions of material and emotional adversity (DoH, 2001). For instance black African families experiencing poverty may fail in their responsibility to provide proper care for their children as they spent almost all their time working to make ends meet. Such children hardly experience family treats such as going on a family holiday trip, having birthday parties and they are deprived of having basic playing toys and games that help children to learn and grow into adulthood. The lack of affordable basic needs for children of poor families complicated with other social adversities may contribute to poor children developing aggressive behaviours, low self-esteem, picking up awkward attitudes, and may to suffer from social deprivation. Fontes (2005) realises that many traditional immigrant families, where black Africans are part of, may use an authoritative style of parenting, demanding tot al obedience and respect from their children. Although these parental practices may not necessarily constitute child abuse, it may clash with the child-rearing norms, and thus seems to bring African children and families to the attention of the child protection system (Fontes, 2005). When social workers start acknowledging borderline child abuse cases and understand the difficulties families living in poverty experience in raising their children, they would be able to strike a good balance between when to employ a child protection intervention and a child welfare intervention (Spratt Callan, 2004). It is evident that children living in poverty may benefit from the child welfare services as stipulated in section 17 of the 1989 Children Act, as it aims at alleviating poverty in families

Comparing F. Scott Fitzgerald and Jane Austen Essay example -- compari

Comparing F. Scott Fitzgerald and Jane Austen Undisputedly, F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of the world's great writers, with a unique style of writing recognisable to any learned reader. His use of similes and metaphors is distinguished, and the issues he presents to the reader and the way in which he conveys them are both effective and thought provoking. Fitzgerald makes many profound statements in his work, and his comments on society and values are subtle, yet unmistakable. Jane Austen too makes comments on society, however they are of different time periods and therefore have ideas distinct from each other. Undoubtedly Austen is a source of high culture also; on account of her characterisation, strong sense of satire, and contrast of ideals, Austen has certainly contributed to the society's remembrance of past worlds and elapsed social values. One of the contributing factors to Fitzgerald's writing was the era in which his plots, and indeed his own life, were set. His first novel, 'This Side Of Paradise', was published in 1920, a time when the younger generations, who had fought in the first world war, turned to wild and extravagant living to overcome the shock of death. After this novel, Fitzgerald became a celebrity, and fell into a wild, reckless lifestyle of parties and decadence. Many of the events from this early stage of his life appear in "The Great Gatsby', which was published in 1925. It is the issues presented in this novel that illustrate the main context of his work- adultery, depression, social facades, death, crime, self-deception, infatuation, and of course, the American Dream. Austen's works were written in a completely different timeframe where social attitudes towards women, ma... ...rtfordshire with the design of selecting a wife, as I certainly did.' Austen illustrates the trivial yet proud nature of this man by his choice of language- his loquacious, garrulous style ultimately makes the reader lose any respect they may have had for him in previous chapters, and his words do not serve to make him a believable, genuine character- the repeated use of personal pronouns such as 'I' and 'my' also futher this conclusion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although these methods are contrasting, both are effectual, and indeed this can be said about both authors, whose different techniques and approaches to their work are each effective and certainly contributing influences on today's literature. Works Cited: Fitzgerald, F. Scott. This Side of Paradise. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1975. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Macmillan, 1992.

Essay --

Scope of practice is defined as the broad framework of procedures, actions and processes that are permitted under a specific licence of an allied health professional. This medical terminology is used by both the national and state licensing commissions for various professions, including nursing, midwifery and paramedicine. The scope of practice restricts and limits the allied health professional, under an act of law, to have undertaken specific education, followed regulation guidelines and registered under licensing bodies in order to practice in their individual health profession. Additionally, every individual health profession (nursing, paramedicine, midwifery, doctor, surgeon, etc.) has specific requirements and levels which define the scope of practice for each individual. The definition of each individuals scope of practice is important, as it ensures the safety of both patient and professional. The scope of practice ensures the individual does not participate in practices that they may be deemed unsafe and ensures the individual does not partake in unskilled practices. ...

Man vs. Woman in A Streetcar Named Desire :: Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire

During the time period Tennessee Williams, author of the play A Streetcar Named Desire, lived in, men were typically portrayed as leaders of the household. Through Williams' usage of dialogue, specific descriptions of each characters, as well as sound, he illustrates to readers of today's society how differently a man and woman coexisted in the mid-1900s, compared to today. Through the eyes of a topical/historical theorist, who stresses the relationships between the story and the time period it takes place, the distinction between today's society and that of five decades past, can be observed with depth and precision. Â   Stanley Kowalski, a main character in A Streetcar Named Desire, is a common man who is simple, straight forward and brutally honest. He treats his wife with no respect, for she does not deserve it because she is a woman. To him, her duties are to obey his commands and tolerate his intolerable actions. If she chooses to disobey or challenge his orders, it is then his duty to abuse her physically if he deems it necessary. He insincerely apologizes for it afterwards, and expects his wife to learn from her mistakes and to continue with her duties as though he did nothing wrong. During this time period, domestic violence is not uncommon and is widely accepted as a means in obtaining a desired behavior from one's wife. Stanley is clearly aware of this. Â   After an attack, his wife states to her sister, "He was as good as a lamb when I came back and he's really very, very ashamed of himself (Williams, 2309). Due to human nature, he does show that he feels sorry for his wife, in order to make sure she doesn't get any ideas to leave. Stanley is unaware of this, but the fact that he fears his wife's departure is an insecurity we will never admit to (psychological/psychoanalytic approach). Â   Stella, Stanley's wife in the play, is a passive woman. She is displayed this way through how she responds to the people and situations around her. When she is beaten by Stanley, she understands that his drunkenness takes hold of him and he has no control over his actions. She knows he never means her harm and his intentions are good.