Reality TV a Poblem Essay

The Pop Culture phenomenon that is reality television has been expanding since its arrival in the early 1990’s. Reality TV is the newest television genre but not the weakest by far. After MTV launched the hit show Real World it was clear that realty TV is here to stay. Today reality television is bigger than ever any time of the day you can be sure that some sort of reality program is being aired on a network. Reality television has become so big that it has created whole television networks based around reality programing, networks such as Tru TV and E! Entertainment which is the mother network for hit shows such as Keeping up with the Kardashians and Girls Next Door. Despite the fact reality TV is very popular it can have negative effects on its viewers. Many media analysts believe although reality programing is entertaining it holds almost no redeeming social value whatsoever. When it comes to values of reality TV programs the only values that it seems to give people are su perficial or for profit. Reality TV’s foundation is their sense of vanity, even in shows like duck dynasty which is about a incredibly rich rural family living on a farm. Even though the show is about a red neck life style it doesn’t fail to show the wealth possessed by the family. Reality TV can often make an average person feel un average. When that average Joe tunes in to see three men in ugly beards (Duck Dynasty) spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on useless comities it can make him or her feel like their life isn’t good enough and that they too should be living like the people depicted on television. In the article Is reality T.V. so bad it’s good or just plain bad? By Sabrina Giancioppi she states â€Å"At face value, reality television is easily a reflection of everything that is wrong with society. The only thing worse than the housewives, bachelors, idols, kids from the shore, teen moms and toddlers, might just be those who tune in to watch these shows every week, fuelling our society’s great appetite for idiotism and humiliation (Giancioppi)† this shows that the possible reason for American’s over  indulgent us as Americans are so blinded by material objects and vanity that we often fail to acknowledge the great things our country has such has freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Many American’s have a mentality that is never satisfied we as a country seem to have a universal belief that nothing is ever good enough and reality television can be somewhat to blame. On reality TV we see rich house wives living a life of luxury and viewers think that if they are not doing these fabulous things like flying in private jets or going shopping for Bentley’s than we are not truly successful when success is based on one’s own perception n ot the perception of pop culture. Reality TV’s big demographic that it reaches out to is the teenager, because they are the ones usually watching the most television in the home ergo they are the best to appeal to. When a young mind of a teenager is exposed to unreal reality and scenarios depicted on reality programs such as Jersey Shore where a household of seven adults spend a summer on the New Jersey beach. The Show consists of drinking, partying, and copulation and was aired for over four years. Shows like Jersey Shore are bad for an older demographic let alone teens. When teens see shows like Jersey Shore it leaves an impression in their mind that this is what it is like to be an adult and they usually believe that because it is the only example they have seen. The problem with so many teenagers being engaged in reality TV programming is that it give false sense of life. When teens watch reality TV it more often than not makes them feel like they have a dull life. The show Laguna Beach: the real Orange County on MTV is about a local high school girl named Lauren Conrad and her clique of wealthy teen friends that live in Laguna Hills. In the show these kids have more problems and things going on than most adults. This is a prime example of how reality television can make a teens life seem awfully dull compared to the people’s on TV like Lauren Conrad who is constantly going to extravagant place and driving a sports car provided by her wealthy parents. Shows like Laguna Beach that are blatantly aimed to a younger audience should be showing kids and teens a role model and teach lessons that will help them in real scenarios rather than showing them a teenager and her friends alluring life filled with glamour that show lack of positive messages and no role models. Although reality shows can be  bad examples for kids and teens James Poniewozik of Time Magazine writes in his article titled â€Å"Why I Watch Reality TV With My Kids† he believes it is good to watch reality television with children and teens because it is the last type of family programming there is. In the article Poniewozik states â€Å"It’s no accident that many of the series I’ve mentioned are competition shows: like sports, it’s a genre that can appeal to kid and adult interests without denying either one. Most of these series are made for adults without any particular goal of being all-ages entertainment. But on their own terms, they reflect things that kids are interested in: competition, creation, performance. Maybe more important, they’re also a kind of structured introduction to the grownup world (Poniewozik)† the claim made by James reveals that there can be positive effects for kids and teens from watching reality shows if they choose to watch a particular show and watch it with their family, but this is not often the case. Usually the child or teen who is watching reality shows are watching with no parental guidance and choose to watch programs that are outrageous or most â€Å"grown up† show, they are not looking for the shows with least values not with the most. Being a teen that has gotten to see reality programming evolve to what it is now has shown me firsthand the lack of value the shows contain. In the Journal of Advertising Research authors Anthony Patino, Veltichka D. Kaltcheva and, Michael F. Smith write about the appeal of reality TV towards teenagers and preteens in the passage the authors state â€Å"With the number of hours spent in front of the television set increasing 6 percent annually (Nielsen Media Research, 2009) and the reality programming genre steadily growing, preteens and teens are more likely to be viewing reality programs. More important, there is evidence that young people emulate the behavior of reality stars (Patino, Kaltcheva, and Smith)†. This statement shows that teenagers are spending more time watching television and reality shows more and more. With the rise of teenage viewers in reality television it no wonder on why our youth seems to be growing up faster and faster. Now a days teenagers no longer want to stay kids for long they see these people on reality TV living an exciting life and they too want their life to be extravagant and exciting and they accomplish this by holding a semblance that depicts that of a reality TV star and doing things like holding  themselves to a higher caliber socially or do things they wouldn’t usually take part of like drinking or smoking but because they see these reality TV stars doing these things and thriving they too want that fame and success. Kids now a days are exposed to so much more grown up content mainly due to all the reality television that is going around. When my sister was younger probably in middle school she couldn’t get enough of MTV and VH1 reality shows from Jersey Shore to VH1’s competition shows like Flavor of Love and Bret Michaels Rock of Love. These type of shows were truly the definition of â€Å"Trash TV†; the shows consisted of a roller coaster of problems t hat at the times seemed enthralling. Shows like the ones my sister would watch made me feel like I was losing brain cells just by watching them, the shows had no plot, no good ideas, no good actors, no nothing. Now I don’t often watch reality television for multiple reasons the biggest simply being there is much better content on television. I would rather watch a such as Breaking Bad or Boardwalk Empire which contains a deep plot that calls for an engaged viewer and shows artistic traits such as cinematography, scoring and set design. Programs with a sense of meaning or artistic value seem more attractive than watching a group of people argue and stress over irrelevant situations. No matter who is watching reality TV or who isn’t they continue rise in popularity and spring out of nowhere by the masses. What makes these shows so attractive to all these viewers? Maybe it’s the enjoyment of seeing a stranger’s life play out in front of your eyes, or the convince of always being able to tune in and watch whether or not one saw last week’s episode. The best way to find out why audiences of reality TV get so enthralled with the programming is to interview with a fan of reality television shows. A super fan of reality shows that I know of is my sister Desirae Duran she is twenty-two years old, a junior in college, and has been watching reality television for as long as she can remember. The first questioned asked to Desirae was why do you like reality programs? Desirae said what she enjoys about reality shows is how they involve little effort from the viewer, when she watches reality shows she can be texting or on the internet on the same time and still understand what is happening in the episode unlike when she watches shows like CSI or Game of Thrones that require h er full attention. I then asked Desirae if she thinks reality  television has redeeming value in society. Her response to my question was rather surprising, she said that reality shows provide entertainment to people, that alone is enough for something to have redeeming value. Desirae then made a comparison to Game of Thrones and The Bachelor saying they both entertain her and fill her crave for good television. What my sister said about how entertainment is valuable is obvious and something I failed to realize and account for. I then asked Desirae a last question on why she thinks other people are so fascinated by reality TV and she gave me a short answer she said â€Å"people want what they can’t have and reality shows give them a taste of what they can’t have† This may be a key reason of why so many people enjoy watching shows about the rich and famous or maybe people just enjoy the entertainment aspect of the shows whatever it may be that attracts a viewers to reality televis ion the networks have no problem with it. It seems as if the only value that comes from reality television is the profit it provides television networks. One of the reasons why cable is flooded with reality programs is because they are so cheap for studios to make. If there is one thing television networks like ABC or NBC love more than a hit show it’s a hit show for the fraction of the price. In an article about the cost of reality television versus scripted television author Laura Jerpi of South University pulls information about reality programming from Scott Manville founder and president of TV Writers Vault in the article it states â€Å"An episode for a scripted series can be anywhere between a half-million and millions of dollars depending on the network and content involved,† in the article Manville also writes â€Å"budgets for reality shows can range from $100,000 to more than $500,000 per episode [depending on the network and content]†. With the amount of money being saved per episode it is no wonder why television is infested with reality shows. The dramatic drop in production cost in reality shows is due to an array of reasons. Reality TV often consist of one to no production sets, mediocre writers, a less than satisfactory director probably fresh out of film school and actors that work for less than an employee at Starbucks. Because of the low cost that goes into producing a reality show and the high profitability rate networks don’t mind having a surplus of them. The Failure of a reality has  far less risk than a failure of a Sit-com or prime time Drama because of the small cost and the large amount programs available so this lets studios and networks experiment with bizarre idea’s and unorthodox content. Reality TV is often called â€Å"Trash TV† mainly because of the lack of values it provides to the general audience. Reality shows fill a viewer’s head up with garbage content. Now a days when one channel surfs the overwhelming wave is the reality wave, reality programs have seemed to have gone to the point of no return. Shows like Jersey Shore and Laguna Beach will continue to thrive as long as people tune in to be passive and not active. It seems as if there are not enough hours in the day for reality television. Television use to be informative and artistic now all of those types of programs are being taken out to make room for reality shows aka â€Å"Trash TV†. If entertainment is considered a valuable commodity then I guess opium is John D Rockefeller. Work Cited Web articles -Giancioppi, Sabrina. â€Å"Pros and Cons: Reality Television | The Concordian.† The Concordian RSS. N.p., 09 Oct. 2012. Web. 02 Dec. 2013. . -Jerpi, Laura. â€Å"Reality TV – Low Cost Programming That Produces High Ratings.† Reality TV – Low Cost Programming That Produces High Ratings. South University, Jan. 2013. Web. 02 Dec. 2013. Television shows – â€Å"A Black & White affair† Laguna Beach. MTV. KBXV. Orange County. 28 Sep. 2004. Television -â€Å"A New Family† Jersey Shore. MTV.KBXV. New Jersey. 03 Dec. 2009. Television Interview -Duran, Desirae. Personal interview. 2 December. 2013. Magazine article -Poniewozik, James. â€Å"Why I Watch Reality TV With My Kids.† Time 181.23 (2013): 54. Business Source Elite. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. Academic Journal -PATINO, ANTHONY, VELITCHKA D. KALTCHEVA, and MICHAEL F. SMITH. â€Å"The Appeal Of Reality Television For Teen And Pre-Teen Audiences.† Journal Of Advertising Research 51.1 (2011): 288-297. Business Source Elite. Web. 2 Dec. 2013.

Concerns about the wars Essay

My Other poem that I have analysed is â€Å"Charge of the Light Brigade† written by Alfred Lord Tennyson about the Crimean war in 1855. In this poem Tennyson has a positive point of view which is the opposite of Owen. Tennyson shows a patriotic view with the words â€Å"Hero†, â€Å"Noble† and â€Å"Glory† to fight for and die for your country; ironically that is the meaning of â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est†. Owen has written â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† in stanzas. The pace of the first stanza is really slow â€Å"Bent double, like old beggars under sacks†. This shows the tiredness of the soldiers, therefore that they are really weak and tired mainly because of the lack of sleep during war. This therefore leads to fatigue, injury and disease. They would have been â€Å"Bent double† because of all the heavy equipment they have to carry during war. It is shocking how he compares the soldiers to â€Å"old† because normally you would expect a soldier to be fighting fit. The words â€Å"Trudged†, â€Å"Limped on† also help emphasise how tired the soldiers would have been. This also shows the effect of the war on the soldiers. The second stanza the pace quickens rapidly with the use of short sentences. â€Å"Gas! Gas! Quick, boys! † This how fast the soldiers react even though they are tired and exhausted but it wouldn’t just be there body’s that are tired there mind’s are as well. The words â€Å"Fumbling† and Flound’ring† help to show the state of panic and urgency of the men are in. â€Å"The charge of the light brigade† is written in a ballad form. The poem is about six hundred men who are on horse back during the Crimean war. He has written the poem in that form to help show and repeat key points. The first few lines say â€Å"half a league, half a league, half a league onwards†. The use of this repetition is to show how far the men have come to fight for there country, All the way through the poem there is a dactylic rhythm to emphasis the horse’s hooves on the ground. Tennyson also says that no one argued the decision to send them to fight he says that â€Å"someone had blundered† but still did not challenge the decision this therefore shows that they have respect for there senior offices and believed that it was their honour and glory to die for there country. When the soldiers were attacked in â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† they fled for their lives where as in â€Å"Charge of the light Brigade† they still rode ahead to fight. The use of repetition † Canon on the right of them, Canon to the left of them, Canon in front of them† shows that the men had no where to go and most of them new that they would not be coming back but still went ahead. Unlike â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† the men where organised and knew exactly what to do and when. This shows courage and bravery. In the poem â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† it focuses on the imagery of war and Owen uses similes to show the unpleasant imagery of war. â€Å"As under a green sea, I saw him drowning† This shows that the amount of gas is drowning the soldier as if he was in the sea. Owen gives us a graphic piece of imagery showing a soldier dying a slow and painful death. â€Å"White eyes writhing in his face†. This shows that he could only see the whites of his eyes which means he was either dead or in extreme pain. The word writhing shows how much pain the soldier is in because Owen could have used the word painful but instead he tries to make the reader understand the amount of pain the soldier is in. â€Å"Charge of the light brigade† focuses on the number of soldiers and also the number that died â€Å"Not the six hundred† This shows that there no longer â€Å"six hundred men† because many of them had died and there are only a few left. Tennyson also mentions The Six Hundred at the end of every stanza to make the reader remember the phrase. Tennyson also uses metaphors to show the horror of war. In both stanzas 1 and 2 he mentions â€Å"The valley of death†, and in stanza 3 he says both â€Å"Jaws of death† and â€Å"Mouth of hell†. By saying the â€Å"The valley of death† it suggest that the soldiers have no chance of surviving. This also makes the soldier look more noble and brave to the reader. Tennyson also states how many soldier died. â€Å"Then they rode back, but not, not the six hundred†. He repeats the word â€Å"not† to show how many of the soldiers died in the battle. Instead of focusing on the dead for to long he moves to how heroic the soldiers were with lines such as â€Å"When can the glory fade? † He uses the rhetorical question to say that they should always be remembered for their bravery. He has personified â€Å"death† and â€Å"hell† to help emphasis their ongoing battle with the devil. To help show how they do not want to give up even though they are fighting a losing battle. The Gas attack makes all the men feel guilty because they cannot save their companion from a slow and painful death. â€Å"As a green sea, I saw him drowning, in all my dreams, before my helpless eyes†. The word â€Å"helpless† help to show how the fellow soldiers couldn’t do anything to help. Owen changes to the past tense to show that his nightmares are just as real as when they actually happened. â€Å"We cursed through sludge†, makes his audience imagine how hard and tiring it is to walk yet alone fight in a war. Owen uses metaphors to help you imagine the horrific sights of war. â€Å"Under a green sea, I saw him drowning. † This makes the reader imagine the â€Å"Green gas† covering the soldier and also making his insides drown. There was no cure for the â€Å"green gas. † Then he describes the gas as, â€Å"obscene as cancer† he makes this comparison because there is also no cure for cancer this shows how bad it must have been because there is nothing worse than cancer. In my opinion Tennyson’s and Owens’s views are different, as Tennyson gives us a distanced account of the battle because he was not personally involved in the Crimean war. Tennyson uses collective terms like â€Å"They†, â€Å"Their† and â€Å"Six hundred† because he would not have known about specific cases like Owen does. However Tennyson does try to focus on the determination of the soldiers â€Å"while horse and hero fell† although their fellow soldiers kept falling they still had the determination to fight. In Tennyson’s eyes they are all â€Å"heroes† because they have died for their country. â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† and â€Å"Charge of the light brigade† differ because Owen actually took part in the war he is writing about where as Tennyson did not fight in the Crimean war. Owen seems have a negative approach to war saying there is no cure for the damage that war creates, â€Å"obscene as cancer†, and also includes sarcasm aimed at Jessie Pope and her poem â€Å"Who’s for a game† which said it was sweet and right to die for your country. Owen mocks this by saying that this is a â€Å"Lie† because he has experienced war first hand and also thinks that lots of innocent people are dying for no apparent reason. The use a capital L in â€Å"lie† is to help emphasises what he thinks of Jessie popes poem. Overall Owen shows a very negative view on the war but on the other hand Tennyson shows a view towards war. Owens negative view is based on him actually being there where as Tennyson’s positive views are based on him not fighting during the war. Owen has specific cases of horrific injuries, death, and sickening sights. Tennyson seems to focus on the group of soldiers collectively and does not have the same first hand accounts that Owen has. The poet that I believe more would have been Owen because of the use of his first hand cases such as the â€Å"Gas attack† and â€Å"Whites of the eyes in his head†. Where as Tennyson on speaks as a collectiveness not as individuals. This piece of coursework has helped to focus on both the bad sides and the good sides of war. It’s not the physical injuries that can harm you it’s also the mental injuries of seeing other people shot in front of your eyes. But it also shows me how brave and noble soldiers are to fight for their country. This has definitely changed my perception of war.

A Comparison Of Perfect Competition And Monopoly Economics Essay

A Comparison Of Perfect Competition And Monopoly Economics Essay Introduction In order to answer the question of whether ‘the competition is always necessarily beneficial to consumers’, it is vital to address the operation of two extreme sides of the market organisation. The extreme sides of the market organisation are Perfect competition and Monopoly. Once we accustom ourselves with the working of this dichotomy of market organisation, only then we can compare monopoly and perfect competition on the basis of efficiency in the market and specifically its impact on the consumers. Thus, in this essay we would first go through a brief description of perfect competition and monopoly and how the resources are organised in these two different market structures to achieve the goal of profit maximisation. By the allocation of resources and the level of output to be produced in these two different markets, we would compare their efficiency and inefficiency and the possible benefits and limitations of these market structures in different indus tries to the consumers. Perfect Competition Perfect competitive markets are those where there are large number of small buyers and sellers dealing with a homogeneous product and a single small firm do not have influence on the price allocation and acts as a price taker (Mankiw & Taylor, 2006). In addition to this, in a perfectly competitive market the mobility of the factors of production is perfect in the long run and both the producers and the consumers have perfect information regarding the product (Frank, 2003). A competitive firm being the price taker, to achieve the goal of profit maximisation, it produces a certain level of output where the price is equal to the marginal cost of producing an extra unit of product, a ‘Pareto efficient’ output level (Varian, 2006). As the price is also the marginal revenue for a competitive firm, so the profit is maximised at the condition where marginal revenue is equal to the marginal cost (Frank, 2003). This means that for a com pany to remain in business, it has to cover its cost, which is to say the price must be at least greater than the ‘minimum value of the average variable cost’ (ibid.) Monopoly At the extreme opposite end of the market organisation is monopoly. Monopoly is a market structure, where a single firm serves the entire market and is the only seller of a particular product with no close substitutes (Frank, 2003). Moreover, being the only firm in the market, it does not take any price but instead it has influence over the market price and produces a level of output at a particular price where the firms’ profits are the highest (Varian, 2006). Monopoly is created when a firm either takes control of key resources or the government issues a license and give them exclusive right for the production of goods and services. An economy of scale is another source of monopoly for a firm, where a single firm has more efficient cost of production as compared to a large number of firms and creates a natural monopoly that arises with public utilities like gas, electricity etc (ibid.). Furthermore, a monopolist will set his price higher than his marginal cost at a point where his marginal revenue is equal to marginal cost, in order to make positive economic profit (Frank, 2003). However the demand curve is negative for a monopolist and being a ‘price setter’, it cannot just randomly set a high price. It would rather set a price that the market could bear and maximises its profit (Mankiw & Taylor, 2006).

Micro Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Micro - Term Paper Example Yet, in the economic cycle consumer is inevitable to business’s working and survival. As any produced good or service basically relies on consumer’s demand, who consumes it eventually. Thus, consumer’s demand, choice, preferences and decision making are significant aspects of micro economic system as they shed light on how any consumer chooses to exert his influence on any economic activity. Similarly, consumer is faced with the option of choosing from among the diverse products to meet his needs in most efficient way and likewise, utilizing his asset/cash in a prudent manner. Now how a consumer chooses and spends his earning to invest in the capital of the company is a comprehensive and diligent process, which mainly focuses on how two parties (business owner and consumer) involved take business and spending decisions. The main factors which impact the purchase inclination and decision of a consumer are price of the good or services, quality, reliability, durability and feasibility. However, there are many other factors as well, which influence the preferences of the consumer as well like fashion, marketing, government policies, and social or religious preferences. Yet, the core idea to learn about marketing strategy relies in the understanding of consumer decision making (when and how he decides to pay for goods or services). The term which describes how a consumer makes his decision t earn maximum advantage from the purchase any god or services is known as utility. This utility enables the consumer to spend more than usual on the goods/services, which benefit him in more than usual manner. However, not all the consumers can benefit any product/services in a similar way. Thus, diverse level of utility are associated with different types of consumers and this diverse nature of utility creates distinctiveness in the demand of goods/services too. However, this consumer inclination or decision making is received in the form of raw

Case Study on the Elements of Crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Case Study on the Elements of Crime - Essay Example During its 15 existence WorldCom acquired many companies and reached to a commanding position where only a few companies had reached can stand up to the situation. The fast growth in WorldCom was due to the efforts of former WorldCom chief executive officer (CEO) Mr. Bernard Ebbers. Because of his innovative ideas and contributions WorldCom reached to a commanding position. The companies it acquired were UUNET, MCI and CompuServe. WorldCom expanded its business to more than 65 countries very rapidly; due to boom in Internet in 1990's little thought was given to the fundamentals of the company. When Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sought an explanation from WorldCom in March 2002, slowly the scandal came to light. When credit rating agencies like Standard & Poor's, Moody's and Fitch downgrade WorldCom rating to a new low the company announced immediate job cuttings around the world. The CEO of the company Ebbers resigned after when SEC revealed that WorldCom had lent about $340 million to him as loans that he used to buy his own shares. The credit rating agency Standard & Poor's downgraded WorldCom credit rating to below investment grade that brought down company's status to a junk status. The result was its removal from S&P index and Nasdaq halted the company's trading of stocks of WorldCom Group and MCI Group.

Security Cameras in Building Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Security Cameras in Building - Essay Example Some of the justifications given by stakeholders within one of the test schools claim that face recognition cameras will protect their children against known criminal offenders and other types of dangerous persons. Another safety consultant in the schools that adopted the security system claims that they adopted the use of face recognition cameras in order to prevent another saga that occurred in a school in Columbia during the year 1999. Advantages of using cameras in buildings have also been put forward in the GSA (1997) article. Although this has been mentioned shortly, they assert that security cameras in public places and government buildings are essential in detecting assailants and criminals who may have intentions of causing harm. There are no such advantages mentioned by Lyon (2001). Keen (2006) also points out to some advantages of the cameras. She describes how bars in Chicago will be required to install cameras in buildings. She affirms that some business owners feel that this enhances their patron's confidence and security. In the article, the major of Chicago claims that security cameras in business premises such as bars have worked wonders for other cities that have done the same in the prevention of crime. He cites examples like London where they were able to prevent a bomb attack by a potential terrorist through their cameras. Keen (2006) affirms that security cameras in public places will help catch some seemingly passive crimes such as drivers who pass red lights or those who leave bomb packages in public places. The article also claims that placing cameras in buildings is easy and cheap consequently denying residents any excuses. Disadvantages of using cameras in buildings Three out of the four articles also examine some of the mishaps, inefficiencies and misgivings about the use of cameras in buildings. GSA (1997) is the only article that does not look at the disadvantages of using security cameras in buildings. Frank (2007) states that the cost that come with this new technology will only place undue burdens on the consumer of that technology. He claims that for a school to employ face recognition camera systems, they require finances reaching the tune of 30, 000 dollars. This is something that is rather costly considering the fact that those schools still have to go about their daily operations. Keen (2006) also points out to this same problem. She says that many business owners who in Chicago who are required to place security cameras in their premises will have to deal with the additional expenses that come with the system. This means that there will be greater costs for bar owners who may not necessarily see the direct benefits that come with the installation. Keen (2006) also says that security cameras in buildings do not necessary bring about positive effects. In her articles, one of the stakeholders (a president of the Chicago restaurants Association) claim that this is just another form of intrusion from the government since no tangible results are visible. In this same article, some representatives from the American Civil liberties Union claim that security cameras in buildings should only be allowed unless there is a direct link to the September eleven attacks. Since this is not possible, then the idea should be abandoned. The Union claims that The American

Introduction to resource management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Introduction to resource management - Essay Example These can be changed according to the passage of time. It will also occur by the change of environment and by the change of different factors and culture of the society. Technology is a thing that will always change its direction and bring new and innovative things for its users. 6. Industrial and International Relations. For e.g. courts, commissions, government etc. 7. Women Induction in Jobs. Women issues might occur i.e. harassment and discrimination. 8. Career Planning and Development. It is an important step while deciding or developing new business units. A proper and organized, planning and development strategy leads to a great success. 9. Lack of Opportunities. Should notice those opportunities that will give benefit to an organization by observing our competitors. 10. Product Diversification. Product always needs change and diversified strategy to bring improvement and innovation in a product line that will attract customers. Q.2. To what extend does the company need to overhaul the relationship between HRM and its core businesses Relationship between HRM and Business Performance of the Company: According the case study (Financial Times, 22 Dec'1999), Mark and Spencer was facing several problems in their business. They even suffered with great fall and they lost their revenues in a competitive environment of UK. They used the diversified strategy for their company in terms of developing a team of seven people who were responsible for the seven units of Marks and Spencer. As the answer of the question, the company should understand the practices of HRM clearly. They took several wrong decisions that affected their business badly. If they used correct strategies and followed the HRM rules rightly, the problems would not have occurred. Marks and... Team work is very important in human resource management; manager should take along his/her employees and also consult and take their opinions for taking good decisions for their company/organization. The resource management helps managers work together to manage large teams and projects as well. With reference to Pieter.A.Grobler (1996) Strategic HRM issues can occur according to change of environment around business organization. While deciding to create business units we should monitor the following issues: 5. Technological and Environmental Changes. These can be changed according to the passage of time. It will also occur by the change of environment and by the change of different factors and culture of the society. Technology is a thing that will always change its direction and bring new and innovative things for its users. According the case study (Financial Times, 22 Dec'1999), Mark and Spencer was facing several problems in their business. They even suffered with great fall and they lost their revenues in a competitive environment of UK. As the answer of the question, the company should understand the practices of HRM clearly. They took several wrong decisions that affected their business badly. If they used correct strategies and followed the HRM rules rightly, the problems would not have occurred. First of all, the biggest mistake done by Mark and Spencer was that while performing several functions within

Issues in Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Issues in Education - Essay Example However, there are a number of cracks in the ladder which need to be looked at in detail. As Laurence J. Peter puts it, â€Å"Education is a method whereby one acquires a higher grade of prejudices.† People learn how to read and write and become literate, but are far from being educated. This is so because of the mechanical setup of learning which exists in every school and college today, where rote learning and high scores are given preference over innovation and brainstorming. Practical projects are eliminated to make way for innumerous assignments and teachers are only concerned with work completion, being least bothered about whether their students are actually learning something. ‘Good education is not to follow the pages of a workbook. It’s following the workbook that’s within the child!’ (Christoph Schiebold). This thoughtful quote beautifully sums up all the major issues surrounding the education of children all around the globe. Educating a child is not merely about teaching him/her the alphabets or the number system. It’s about developing children’s minds to bring out the best in them, to help them identify and nurture their talents, to prepare them to face the world by arming them with the flawless knowledge about the right and the wrong, the good and the bad. Unfortunately, education has just been reduced to a lame system of mugging up some facts and representing them flawlessly in the examinations to score handsome marks. ‘One of the biggest fallouts of this system of education is that it completely annihilates any imagination that the child may possess.’ (Meenakshi Narang) Education is not limited to the classroom or the school premises. It is a never ending and an all encompassing process. As Oscar Wilde put it, â€Å"You can never be overdressed or overeducated.† Thus, the teachers and professors who are given the responsibility to educate a child should consider themselves priv ileged and not burdened. They are like the forbearers of the flames of our future, and how bright these flames may shine is completely dependent on them. However, this is easier said than done. Those days are long gone when education was considered akin to prayer and teachers were worshipped like Gods. Today, education is nothing more than a booming business and the teachers are mere employees of this large enterprise for whom all that matters is their paycheck at the end of each month. Neither are they any divine people nor do they worship their work. Needless to say, they aren’t concerned whether a future Picasso or Einstein is under their care; all they are concerned about is their job and how to complete it as fast as they can. Good teachers are like gems in a bag full of pebbles; extremely rare and tiresome to discover! However, they are indispensable for providing a befitting education to our children. ‘What really makes a difference, what matters more than the cl ass size or the textbook, the teaching method or the technology, or even the curriculum, is the quality of the teacher’(Newsweek). If the person who is teaching the children does not have the qualities of patience, open mindedness and understanding, then even the best schools and the fattest paychecks cannot guarantee the successful education of a child. A teacher, who understands his pupils, inspires them and makes them open up their minds and hearts to the world outside is the one who really educates them. As they say, if the roots are strong, the plant grows into a healthy tree. Similarly, if a teacher has what it takes to truly educate a child, he/she can build a gentleman out of a farm boy, no matter what tools he/she has at his/her disposal. Opponents of this theory claim that these issues are minor and baseless and are

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis - Essay Example There is the sense that the speaker’s development of language determines the way they experience the world and that there are connections to the individual’s identity that foundationally links it to the speaker -- anthropologist Michael Agar compares it to a prison. An example of this version occurs in the text when the author discusses his difficulty learning the Czech time system, as it differed from English in the way parts of the hour were described: in Czech, 9:45 is described as three-quarters of 10:00. He surmises that the Czech people might be more future oriented, indicating an deep, cognitive connection between linguistic culture and the Czech experience of the unfolding world. The ‘weak’ version of the hypothesis offers a less strict connection between the individual and their use of language, but retains the direct connection between the user’s cognitive interpretation of the world and their specific language. The ‘weak’ vers ion is demonstrated in the deictic discussions of the Guugu-Yimidhirr language in northeastern Australia.

Pearl Harbor ( history ) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Pearl Harbor ( history ) - Essay Example Research suggests that the United States had been intercepting coded messages, one of which discussed the plans for the attack. Other information alluded that President Roosevelt wanted to enter the war and finally had a reason. Still others believed that Roosevelt manipulated the United States into the war by withholding information from the American people. This paper will explore if Roosevelt did or did not covertly maneuver the United States into the Second World War and if he had access to information that could have prevented the attack upon Pearl Harbor. In the 1930’s Japan’s aggressive actions were causing concern in the United States. Japan was in control of Manchuria by 1931 (DeAngelis, 13). By September of 1941, Japan had signed an agreement with Germany and Italy. Upon hearing of this pact, Roosevelt instituted an embargo on oil and gasoline shipments to Japan (DeAngelis, 13 -14). Essentially, the United States cut off strategic materials that Japan needed to keep up their war on China. Japan had claimed to represent global Asian interests, the racial beliefs at the time, when in fact they had only Japan’s military/economic interests in mind. As the supplies from the United States dwindled, Japan claimed they were forced to sneak attack the United States in hopes of forcing our economic hand. Japan expected the United States would be so stunned and would sue for peace after a cursory attempt at fighting back. The Japanese thought that the U.S. citizenry was soft and lacked the Japanese fighting spirit, called bushido. The basic argument at this time was Roosevelt attempted to use negotiations to force Japan’s back to the wall. However, the U.S. had a large interest group that eventually were known as the China First Lobby (Post World War II) that felt the Japanese were preying upon Chinese weaknesses at the time. It was politically expedient for Roosevelt to press the Japanese into backing off using the U.S.’s economic card

I Am the Grass Essay Essay Example for Free

I Am the Grass Essay Essay Am the Grass is a short story written by Daly Walker, who has also written other short stories for The Sewanee Review and The Sycamore Review. Born in Winchester, Indiana in 1924, Daly Walker is a surgeon by trade and started to write after he was forty. Daly also served in the Vietnam War from 1967-1968, it serves as an inspiration for I Am the Grass. The story details a mans struggle of life after the war in Vietnam, and returning to Vietnam. This includes painful psychological trauma, the feeling of guilt for his actions, and finally his attempt to redeem himself in his own eyes. At the start of the story we read about assorted atrocities committed during the Vietnam War by a nameless man, who is the main character. They include raping a thirteen-year old girl, decapitating a man with a machete, and throwing defenseless prisoners off of a helicopter. Along with the atrocities, the reader sees a battered past and something that haunts the main character . The story also goes on to explain how after the war, the main character goes on to medical school where he becomes a successful plastic surgeon. The main character also describes the fear that comes back to him when anti-war protestors blow up a classroom while he’s asleep. It takes him back to the attacks done on his base while he was in Vietnam, he goes on to explain that even though the he has left the war, â€Å"the war has followed him home† (316). The main character shows how he tries to redeem himself for the bad he has done. This includes going to impoverished countries to repair deformities on people who can’t afford plastic surgery. He explains â€Å"how it makes me feel like a decent man, a healer† (317). This shows how it feels good for him to heal people as opposed to feeling good killing them when he was younger. After the minor back-story and introduction to his past and inner-demons, the main character is on a plane headed to Vietnam. Ironically, this time to help the people he once did horrible things to. He is taken around the countryside, where he recognizes many of the nicknames of the roads soldiers gave. Then he is introduced to another surgeon, one who he would have originally called an enemy, to take him to those in need of the surgery. In nother twist of irony, the Vietnamese â€Å"surgeon† is missing his thumbs. This prevents him from performing surgery unlike the main character. They both talk about fighting each other in the war and then go forth to perform the surgeries on the people who needed them. As the story continues, the narrator, has been successful in 18 surgeries and feels good. Until he has to â€Å"make a difficult decision†(320) when the thumbless Vietnamese surgeon asks him to perform a â€Å"difficult surgery†(321) on him. A surgery where the big toe of the foot is transplanted to where the thumb once was. Despite the risk and lack of any more advanced medical tools, the narrator decides to go forward with it. This shows that the narrator is willing to do an extremely difficult surgery without the proper tools, so that perhaps he may find some peace in himself. Yet the dreams of the man he decapitated still haunt him, even on the eve of the big surgery. While he prepares himself, the narrator explains the feeling as â€Å"a sense of power that has been in no other place but surgery, except when my finger was on the trigger of an M60† (324). He starts and is meticulous in using the primitive medical instruments provided to him. He feels as if he has done a good job and even forms a steady friendship with the Vietnamese surgeon. However, the day he has to leave, it goes south. The main character goes to unwrap the bandages and finds that the transplant has failed, as the implanted big toe has rotted. Furious at himself, he removes it before he leaves. In an attempt to make himself feel better, it is shown how the main character hopes to see the thumbless surgeon at the airport. Perhaps saying bye to him and thanking him for his efforts. However there is no one there, on the flight home though, he realizes that the risk involved with Vietnam made him feel like a part of the country. He comes to see that he embraces the risk and everything that comes with it. I Am the Grass is presented as a story that is simple to understand, but also has an emotional effect. Walker gives us a character with a detailed past, a very good storyline, and the setting and theme of redemption which is present throughout the whole story. The theme of redemption is supported throughout the story. The main character tries to redeem himself in his own yes by doing surgeries for free in impoverished nations. Also, when he takes on the risky task of the toe transplant. It leaves the reader wondering, what if it would have worked? Would he have calmed his conscience of reminding him about the past atrocities he committed? The story, which begins by describing very graphic atrocities, turns into a story of more peace than war. One where the narrator has lost himself in the scourge of war, but is trying to find himself by using his talents for good. Trying to find inner-peace from his personal demons. It comes together near the end of the story. When he finds out the transplant didn’t work and he wants to leave immediately. But contrary to his expected reaction, the Vietnamese surgeon calmly tells him to remove it, which the main character does. In a way he faced his own inner demons despite the disappointment. Walker’s decision to make the setting a run down dirty hospital isn’t one that a lot of people can relate to. However, the message of redemption is one that a lot of people can. The conflict he delivers is one that is present in others, just not in the form of war crimes and surgeries. That’s something that a lot can relate to. In this story, Walker has shown a veteran who is haunted by his past and tries to redeem himself. It delivers a powerful message on how the road to the inner-peace of a person is faced with many challenges and setbacks. Ironically, amidst the moment of disappointment, the character realizes that he has come to accept the risks he took in life, along with the consequences. There he finds at that moment of redemption that he had long been looking for.

Assessment Sheet Essay Example for Free

Assessment Sheet Essay Sheet What are three key things you learned about the Dark Ages in this lesson? Please be sure to include at least two complete sentences for each one. In Norman settlements, Lords controlled the villages as well as ruling and governing their land. Lords were oftentimes knights and served the king Norman settlements were surrounded by a wall that encompassed the lord’s house, and the rest of the village and the lord’s house usually had yet another wall. The village usually contained a stockpile of food, a well, and weapons. The idea is that they would have everything that they needed to survive within the walls, in case of an attack. Old English resembles modern English, but not very closely. One must remember that old English was only a component of the languages that formed together to make modern English. Latin, Celtic and German were blended together and reformed over time to make today’s English. Christianity wasn’t always the main religion of ancient Britain. It only became truly popular and dominant after the romans had been ran out of Britain and the Germanic tribes formed together to make the Anglo-Saxons. Explain two things that you would still like to know about the development of Old English. Please be sure to include at least one complete sentence for each one. I would like to learn more about the Modern English words that show roots in German Latin and Celtic. I would enjoy studying which language our grammar is based off of, and how we mixed certain rules in grammar from different languages. In one paragraph, describe how the language of English evolved during the Dark Ages. What were the influences that changed it over the years? Which ethnic backgrounds were involved in this evolution? Please write at least four sentences for this response. Old English gets its roots from the Celtic language that was spoken in ancient England. The romans invaded, and sent the Celtic population north and into Ireland. The clashes with the romans brought a little Latin into the language. When the Germanic tribes invaded the language also adopted a little German and the mix was known as Old English.

CPD in Health and Safety Practitioner Roles

CPD in Health and Safety Practitioner Roles Chapter 1 Introduction On the 1st January 1993 six regulations relating to health and safety came into force in Great Britain, these six regulations would ultimately have a major impact on how safety is managed today and would significantly influence the future development of the Safety and Health profession. The regulations themselves were based on European Community Directives, designed to create a common standard of health and safety legislation across all member states. In what has become known to Safety and Health Professionals as the six-pack regulations, it included; The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992 The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1992 The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 The introduction of these regulations realised a move away from prescriptive legislation, such as the Factories Act 1961, and Railways Shops and Premises Act 1963 which had traditionally â€Å"spelt out in detail what should be done† (HSE, 2003, p.4) to a risk assessment based approach to managing safety and health in the workplace. Importantly the introduction of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (MHSWR) required employers to â€Å"appoint one or more competent persons to assist him in undertaking the measures he needs to take to comply with the requirements and prohibitions imposed upon him by or under the relevant statutory provisions† (HMSO, 1992, p.3). Arguably the MHSWR focused many employers attention on the need to employ Safety and Health Practitioners in some capacity; this in turn heralded a period of unprecedented training and recruitment for such roles. Today the spotlight has turned to the future development of the profession, and the maintenance of individual competence through Continuing Professional Development (CPD). Aims and objectives The aim of this research document is to identify current attitudes towards the increasingly important task of Continuing Professional Development (CPD), for those employed as Safety and Health Practitioners or in professions that further the improvement of workplace safety and health standards. This may be through enforcement such as Environmental Health Officers (EHO), employed by local government or specialised roles such as Occupational Hygienists responsible for measuring workplace noise and dust exposure levels to ensure compliance with legislative standards. For clarity many but not all Safety and Health Practitioners employed to directly manage an organisations safety and health or consultants employed in this field would typically belong to professional bodies such as Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), or the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM). Whereas those employed as EHOs would firstly belong to the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, with perhaps secondary membership of IOSH as they may have elected to specialise in workplace safety and health over food safety. Other specialists that may hold membership of IOSH in addition to their own professional institutes may include Occupational Hygienists (British Occupational Hygiene Society) and Occupational Health Nurse Practitioners (Association of Occupational Health Nurse Practitioners UK). Background With the role of the Safety and Health Practitioner becoming increasingly important to businesses, the profession should rightly seek to, firstly attract and retain the best calibre of recruits to its ranks! For the Safety and Health profession this hasnt always been easy. Caught in what Harrison (2009) describes as the ‘Talent Wars the profession finds itself competing amongst many others that do not have the somewhat negative associations the world of Safety and Health has developed. As a result Safety and Health management has not been the career of choice of many individuals; Kletz argued that; At one time safety was considered a suitable job for one of the less able employees. Those days have largely passed and the standard of safety professionals has improved greatly over the last 20 years but many companies still think that safety is a suitable home for those for those who have a few years to go before retirement. Kletz, 1990, p. 321 One would argue the statement made in 1990 has just as much relevance today. Kletz identified that businesses should look beyond traditional stereotypical boundaries â€Å"perhaps companies will allocate more of their best people to safety and loss prevention when they realise that the right sort of person will not just worry about hard hats and tripping hazards.†(Kletz, 1990, p.321) From the latter part of this statement one conjures up the traditional view of the safety person as being a solitary policeman type figure in the workplace. This outdated view of how Safety and Health Practitioners work still contributes to the negative image of the profession held by certain sections of the national press, a number of which have wasted little time in publicising stories that have more to do with poor or ineffective management than improving actual workplace safety and health? In possibly the most widely carried story; the BBC including many national newspapers reported â€Å"a head teacher has bought safety goggles for his pupils to wear when they play conkers in the playground† (BBC, 2004, p.1). Although the decision to purchase the goggles was taken by the schools headmaster, when it came to reporting the story it became another example of health and safety gone mad! The press on this occasion preferring not to question the lack of any professional advice available to the Headmaster and how he came to his decision in its absence! In return should there be any surprise that the media is held in low esteem by Safety and Health professionals? In a recent reader survey in Health and Safety at Work magazine Safety and Health Practitioners were unanimous in their opinion both the media and risk averse decision makers were responsible for the professions poor image; Table 1 :Whos most to blame for health and safetys poor public image? 1. The media 44% 2. The HSE 2% 3. The safety profession 7% 4. Risk-averse decision-makers 47% HSW, 2008 If the profession is to break this cycle of negative public portrayal one would argue the modern day workplace requires an equally modern and professional Safety and Health Practitioner. One who is not only an expert in his or her field, but also possessing the traits of a diplomat, as well as a management and compliance systems specialist? The development of the modern day safety and health practitioner The introduction of the ‘six pack regulations in 1993 heralded an increase in the need for businesses to either employ dedicated or have access to professionals able to assist management in meeting their Safety and Health responsibilities. Since 1993 recruitment to the profession has been drawn from a vast mix of disciplines, including construction trades such as scaffolders and electricians; production staff and administrators to name just a few. Such a large influx resulted in an increasing the need for initial training and ultimately CPD courses to meet the developing needs of Safety and Health Practitioners. For those first entering the profession a wide range of qualifications currently exist, including the ever popular National Examination Board for Occupational Safety, National General Certificate, promoted by NEBOSH as a first step towards a career in health and safety, accepted by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) â€Å"in meeting the academic requirements for Technician Membership of IOSH† (Tech IOSH) (NEBOSH, 2009, p.2), and National Vocational Qualifications at levels 3 to 5. Further courses such as the NEBOSH Construction Certificate and Diploma are also on offer to prospective candidates and are held in high regard by employers. In addition training providers such as the British Safety Council have for a number of years offered their own awards including a level 6 Diploma award. Many have entered the profession because of transferable skills in areas such as engineering, which may be employed in the many technical aspects of the profession; such as machinery guarding design. However such routes into the profession do not exclude individuals from attaining accredited safety qualifications which are seen as the building blocks for future development. It is important to recognise that such courses provide initial development for individuals either in the early stages of their career or for those wishing to advance their careers. However the increasing drive for professionalism, new legislation technology and increasing movement of Safety and Health Practitioners between different sectors of the economy, has given CPD a critical role in maintaining competence throughout an individuals career. To attract new talent and support professional development opportunities there has been a veritable explosion in the variety and availability of courses accredited by IOSH in safety and health management. Higher education establishments across the United Kingdom increasingly offer courses including; Glamorgan University MSc Safety, Health and Environment Management University of Wales Institute Cardiff MSc Occupational Health and Safety Greenwich University BSc Occupational Safety, Health and Environment For those entering higher education or wishing to pursue a post-graduate degree course the profession has become an increasingly popular choice. It would however be unfair to focus solely on the university sector for the increasing availability of courses. Course providers registered with the National Examination Board for Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH) â€Å"now number 400 course providers across 80 countries† (NEBOSH, 2009, p.2). Similarly IOSH Course providers number over 300 globally who cover a wider range of industries such as construction, healthcare and public and service sectors. They include a diverse range of organisations including further education colleges, and large and small consultancies that have developed in response to increasing demand from businesses. More specialist organisations allied to specific industries, such as the UKs Mines Rescue Service, and local authority Fire and Rescue services have increasingly brought their specialist expertise and training skills to the wider marketplace to deliver either NEBOSH accredited courses or general fire and safety awareness courses. In addition to accredited courses most consultancies and organisations deliver numerous short courses typically of 1 or 2 day duration designed to either refresh and update knowledge or inform attendees of the latest legislative developments and their impact, which contribute towards individuals CPD. The professional safety and health practitioner The spread of industrialisation and the introduction of new technology has brought society many new professions over the last three decades, examples include social workers and information technology specialists, who are now readily accepted professionals in their own right. The challenge for the modern day Safety and Health Practitioner is to gain equal professional acceptance in the workplace and in wider society. This leads one to question our understanding of the words profession and professional in relation to the work of the Safety and Health Practitioner. As already identified poorly researched press reports have in the main presented a poor image of the profession. Secondly our image of professions are often linked with the traditional professions and professionals such as lawyers, pharmacists and accountants, who often work in small practices or partnerships in many cases readily accessible to the public through locally, based high street practices, if and when their services are required. When used the public rightly expect a quality assured service from such professionals, based on up to date knowledge, experience and ethical practices. In light of the growing need for multi-disciplined Safety and Health professionals and the requirement to demonstrate increased professionalism that expected from an organisation whose members are able to attain Chartered status, is the word clearly defined and understood by those of us who promote the concept? What is expected from a profession and professional person in the modern age? Firstly Madden and Mitchell define a profession as; A discrete body of individuals applying advances learning or scientific knowledge and expertise to provide a service to clients and bound together by a membership of a professional body which assumes responsibility for monitoring professional standards and which confers benefits and may impose sanctions on members Madden and Mitchell, 1993, p.8 One would argue this particular definition is heavily weighted to the client (customer) and the governing professional body, essentially missing out the beneficial impact that professions have upon wider society and the advancement of learning in their specific fields of expertise. A much more succinct and publicly recognisable definition of what it is to be a professional is given by McGill and Beaty who argue; The term ‘professional is associated with work which is valued highly in society. The professions lawyers, doctors, social workers, accountants- are highly trained and often highly paid members of society. In this sense the term professional is a kitemark given to those who complete a rigorous and demanding training and then continue to develop their speciality within the profession through further formal training and experience. The professions are characterized by codes of conduct which they require of their members and also a degree of individual autonomy and responsibility for their working practice. McGill and Beaty, 2001, p.184 The recognition of the importance of â€Å"further training, experience and individual autonomy† could almost have been written with the Safety and Health Practitioner in mind. Rapidly evolving health and safety legislation over the last 15-20 years coupled with advancing workplace technology, has introduced the potential for new risks to emerge in the workplace, such as stress. This has required Safety and Health Practitioners to constantly update their knowledge and skills, just as McGill and Beaty suggest. One would also add a further challenge that faces every ‘professional besides the maintenance of technical knowhow and that is maintaining the personal motivation to learn. When referring to learning in this particular context it is not based on short duration learning but the acceptance of lifelong continuous professional development. OHoule (1980) argued the need and commitment to lifelong learning was a reflection of the standing of a profession. Drucker captures the responsibility for learning and the autonomy of the professional in the following quotation; No one can motivate him(sic), he has to motivate himself. No one can direct him, he has to direct himself. Above all no one can supervise him. He is the guardian of his own standards, of his own performance and of his own objectives. He can be productive only if he is responsible for his own job. Drucker, 1973, p.47 Another key driver in the professionals quest for up to date knowledge is todays litigious society. The professional is more than ever being held accountable for his or her actions, and will find themselves increasingly questioned on the validity of the advice they give and to demonstrate competency to practice. Watkins and Drury argued that; The shift away from trusting professionals to do their work properly because they are professionally qualified, towards accountability, has resulted in the need for effective measures of competence, skills and service. This is welcomed by true professionals since it brings with it opportunities to establish more open relationships with customers to enhance personal growth and development. Watkins and Drury, 1995, p.31 A far cry from when the word of the professional in whatever field was accepted without question. The need for Safety and Health Practitioners to develop both their knowledge and professionalism throughout their career is clear. Employers expectations of the profession are high, and rightly so. Failure to develop ones knowledge ultimately brings doubt as to individual competence to practice. This over-riding need to maintain competency demonstrates the importance of CPD for Safety and Health Practitioners, but has such importance been recognised by employers? The mix of new legislation, maintaining competence and customer expectation regarding the delivery of a quality assured service creates a heady mix of priorities in addition to everyday work activities for the Safety and Health Practitioner. Educational researchers such as Field have provided some warning of the impact on continuing professional development that legislation alone can bring; â€Å"Environmental regulations, health and safety legislation and food hygiene regulation all require training to set standards and often generate further training needs as managers and other try to keep abreast of the implication of the latest legislation† (Field, 2000, p.74). Training in this case; creating a perpetual cycle of further training in ever more detail in an attempt to improve job related knowledge. The challenge for Safety and Health Practitioner is recognising the importance of CPD to professionalism and the planning and prioritising of the right mix of learning opportuniti es that develops competence, which as Renkema (2006) argued translates into improved lifetime employability in an ever changing workplace. 2 Literature Review Meeting the challenge of continuing professional development Continuing Professional Development has now become a familiar task for professionals, a point supported by research into professional associations in the UK by the Professional Association Research Network (PARN) at Bristol University who â€Å"found that of the 162 respondents, 62% had developed a CPD policy and programme† (PARN, 2001, p.1). With such a high proportion of institutions actively involved in developing and running CPD programmes, it is important to look at some of the key drivers behind such schemes. CPD for Safety and Health Practitioners has now become a well established activity, with a scheme established as far back as 1992 (IOSH, 2008). In addition to any employer funded training CPD is actively supported by IOSH through a network of monthly branch level meetings and activities that allows members to participate in what are generally free CPD activities. The development of a CPD scheme for IOSH members was integral in the decision to award Chartered status to the profession, which from 2005 has enabled members to attain Chartered Safety and Health Practitioner status after meeting the qualifying criteria set by IOSH. Establishing a CPD scheme is only one part of the equation, ensuring ongoing active participation is another. Like many other professionals Safety and Health Practitioners are faced with numerous demands on their time from either work or their home lives, all too often CPD must be fitted in as and when allowed. Research by Dowsell et al into CPD found that; courses made heavy demands on workers free time; 48 per cent of those interviewed thought their participation in continuing professional development put a strain on their home and family lives and 10 per cent thought it was causing a serious detrimental effect.Dowsell et al conclude that for those in employment, having time to engage in professional development is extremely important. Dowsell et al, 1999. P. 23 One would argue that the difficulties identified are not unique or specific. Safety and Health Practitioners are faced with the â€Å"same pressures as other occupations when considering responses: to changes in technology and knowledge; demands for quality and accountability† (Rapkins, 1995, p.49). IOSH (2008) have long campaigned for CPD to be viewed as an everyday routine activity and not as an additional burden, such a statement could be seen as an attempt to remove some of the everyday concerns that have grown up amongst Safety and Health Practitioners on the subject. This leads one to the question what barriers exist to participation in CPD? Research by Lifelong Learning UK an independent employer led skills council found that trainers in the lifelong learning sector identified specific barriers to CPD. Participants who took part in the research were able to choose more than one option; Table 2: Perceived barriers to CPD Lifelong Learning UK, 2008, p.14 Barriers to CPD are not unique to any one sector or profession. Research by Friedman et al identified the following barriers; Time, cost, and access were the most frequently cited barriers to carrying out CPD. Clearly, time pressures at work, combined with the demands of home and family, make undertaking CPD a difficult task for many, however motivated they may be. Another barrier affecting CPD participation is that professionals are not homogenous. A range of factors such as differences in career stage, preferred learning style, individual ambition affect the likelihood of taking part in CPD. The lower likelihood of older professionals participating in CPD was mentioned because of their comfortable positions or because they regarded themselves as carrying out activities which will achieve the aims of CPD without following a formal CPD programme Friedman et al, 2001, p.6 Employers increasingly need to recognise the benefits of CPD to their businesses and are ideally positioned to offer greater support to overcome the barriers that have been identified, but how should this be achieved? Francis et al (1997) argued for CPD to be linked to longer term business planning, also stating that companies viewed CPD in the narrow confines of cost to the business without looking at longer term benefits. Research by Friedman et al (2001) supported this point and argued for a greater link with company appraisal schemes as a means to encourage participation in CPD whilst at the same time offering an organisational support framework such as time and resources to the individual. Friedmans approach is backed by research by Kingston University Hull (2006) which identified the incorporation of personal development plans into CPD as a key element in the ability of professionals to align professional development needs with those of the employer. Importantly this supposes the act of appraisal is purely centred on personal development and not as Craft (1996) argued used to determine accountability, through audit cultures and numerous regimes relating to satisfying bureaucracy rather as Sachs (2003) argued, satisfying the professional needs of the individual professional. Importantly not all academics share Freidmans approach to CPD. Millar (1991) took the view that professional themselves should carry the burden of time and cost of CPD to advance their careers, to be recouped later through higher salaries. With such divergent views, significant barriers regarding responsibility for resourcing CPD remain to be overcome. To place oneself solely in the hands of the employer to achieve the required CPD criteria invites problems, especially when training is often the first activity to be cut when the corporate purse strings tighten (Adults Learning, 2003). As a result Safety and Health Practitioners risk having CPD activities limited or even curtailed for reasons outside their control. As the profession matures there should be increasing recognition that Safety and Health professionals have to take greater responsibility for their own learning following initial qualification, just as other professions such as teaching have done have done. This may only be achieved through improved planning for and practising a range of informal or formal CPD activities. Failure to develop professional knowledge can have a serious impact upon employers and the individual professional, a point recognised by IOSH â€Å"the outcome of failing to perform at an acceptable level can be critical. It is essential to refresh, maintain and develop the skills needed for competent performance† (Harvey, 2005, p.22). To adopt the mantle of a professional in ones chosen field, then participation in CPD should be ultimately viewed as a necessity and not as an â€Å"optional extra which only the high academic professional would posses, but in fact viewed by many as a necessity and a right to practice safely and effectively† (Davies, 1997, p.5). Harris (2009) supports Daviess view in that becoming professionally qualified should not be seen as the end of learning but in fact the beginning of a career long journey. The rise of continuing professional development Research by Eraut argued that the continual development of professional knowledge is ultimately linked to â€Å"moral probity, service orientation and codes of conduct† (Eraut, 1994, p.2). Erauts comments indicate that professionalism comes at a price in terms of time and dedication. This ultimately manifests itself through the delivery of a professional service to an employer or client, where advice and guidance is based on up to date knowledge and competence to practice. However as an upside Rueschemeyer argued that there were certain benefits associated with the status of a professional; Individually and in association, collectively, the professions ‘strike a bargain with society in which they exchange competence and integrity against the trust of client and community, relative freedom from lay supervision and interference, protection against unqualified competition as well as substantial remuneration and higher social status. Rueschemeyer 1983, p.41 Rueschemeyer comments support the importance of CPD as a vital component in demonstrating to those that use our services that post qualification, the professional has continued to update his or her knowledge. Rueschemeyers comments regarding the relative freedom of the professional must be accompanied by a degree of self discipline, and willingness to participate in CPD; not just for individual benefit but for the advancement of the profession as a whole. Both established Health and Safety professionals and new entrants to the profession could be forgiven for thinking that CPD schemes are a relatively new process in the quest to maintain professional standards! However research by Friedman (2000, p.23) identified that â€Å"CPD in the UK originated in the late 1970s, but was only formally adopted and defined by professional associations from the mid-1980s†. This is supported by Lester who states that it is â€Å"only in the last ten to fifteen years of the twentieth century have professional bodies taken systematic steps to ensure their members continue their development on an ongoing basis† (Lester, 1999, p.2) In the United Kingdom such schemes may now be found across a diverse range of professions including; Nursing, Teaching, Environmental Health, Legal and Occupational Safety Health to name just a few. Common to all CPD schemes is the maintenance of professional and ethical standards set by the respective professional body thereby ensuring public confidence in both the professional and the respective institution. What has driven this apparent explosion of interest in CPD in recent years? Firstly one would argue the current rate of technological change in our society remains significant, forcing a constant revaluation of our knowledge. This particular point is supported by Zia (2004, p.1) who argues; As a result of increase in the rate of evolution of knowledge, technology and industrial organizations, it is shocking to realize that while in the sixties the knowledge acquired in engineering schools remained valid for about fifteen years, today this time span has decreased to about 3 years. That is to say the average period of renewal of engineering knowledge has reached the same duration as that of studies in a school of engineering in Europe. Zia, 2004, p.1 Secondly the recognition by professional institutions of the need to further develop themselves, and in doing so enhance not only the organisations status and that of its members; but as Weightman (1994) argued, professional institutions should also influence the broad range of competencies required to practice effectively. Safety and Health professionals are no longer able to rest on their laurels following initial qualification; and as Friedman (2000) argued, in order to provide professional and competent advice the process of learning must continue after initial training. At the core of all CPD schemes is the need for professionals to embrace the much wider concept of lifelong learning. A phrase all too often used, but what does it mean in practice? Jarvis (2008) describes it as a number of processes that ultimately delivers a continually changing person. Kronkol (2005) viewed CPD as a structured approach to lifelong learning, arguably more comprehensive which involves greater self reflection and critical thinking, which leads one to question if they are one of the same. Some may even view it negatively as the latest in a long line of politically driven statements relating to education (Biesta., 2004). Cropley (1979) argued there were two distinct approaches to lifelong learning: minimalist and maximalist. â€Å"The minimalist approach equates with in service, recurrent formal education and training in what Attewell et al (2005) describes as achieving certificated training. The maximalist approach views it as involving â€Å"a fundamental transforma tion of society as a whole so that society becomes a learning resource† (Cropley, 1979, p.5). Research into lifelong learning by Smith et al supports Cropleys work in that it identifies the almost limitless boundaries for learning and promote the concept that it should include both informal and formal learning. Based on Cropleys comments the current status of lifelong learning in connection with CPD remains somewhat narrowly focused towards the minimalist approach, centred on formal training. One would argue this narrows the professionals view of what might constitute CPD, and creates a dependency culture where CPD should be provided to the professional, usually by the employer, based on narrow concept of traditionally run classroom based learning. Whereas the maximalist view requires the professional to look much more broadly as to where learning opportunities may come from, and seeking out a greater mix of experiential learning opportunities as opposed to the narrowly focused academic or classroom based route to learning. In support of Smith et al, Longworth (2003, p.12) argued that lifelong learning is a much wider concept â€Å"learning means giving ownership of learning to the learner him or herself and not the teacher a

Grapes of Wrath Essay -- essays research papers

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck is a novel depicting the struggle and distraught brought towards migrant workers during the Great Depression. The Grapes of Wrath follows one Oklahoma family, the Joads, as they journey down Route 66 towards the earthly paradise of California. While on route to California, the Joads interact with fellow besieged families, non-hospitable farmers, and common struggles due to the Depression. Steinbeck uses these events to show strong brotherhood through biblical allusion, character development, and inter chapters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Biblical allusion is found extremely often in the pages of The Grapes of Wrath. Through biblical allusion, Steinbeck portrays the brotherhood of the migrant workers. For example, in the Bible, Moses’ mother puts baby Moses in a basket, which takes him down a river. Later, Moses tells his slaves that he will lead them to freedom. In The Grapes of Wrath Rose of Sharon, the Joad’s eldest daughter gives birth to a dead baby because of the starvation and poor conditions of the migrant farmers. The Joad’s do not have enough money to give the baby a proper burial so Ma, the backbone of the Joad family, instructs Uncle John to bury the baby himself. Instead of following Ma’s orders, Uncle John sends the deceased infant down a river in an apple box. He said fiercely, â€Å"Go down an’ tell ‘em. Go down in the street an’ rot an’ tell ‘em that way. That’s the way you can talk. Don’ even know if you was a boy or a gi...

Does Utopian Socialists offer an attractive political reform? :: essays research papers

Utopia is a term invented by Sir Thomas More in 1515. However, he traces the root two Greek words outopia and eutopia which means a place does not exist and a fantasy, invention. It is widely accepted that Plato was to first to picture a utopian order. In his masterpiece, â€Å"Republic†, he formed the principles of ideal commonsense and his utopia (Hertzler, 1922:7). After the classical age, Sir Thomas More assumed to be the first of the utopian writers in early modern period. As a humanist, he gave the world in his â€Å"Utopia† a vision of a perfect communistic commonwealth (the history of utopian thought). Utopia’s influence on contemporary and rival scholars is so deep that it has given its name to whole class of literature. Following the appearance of More’s Utopia, there was a lack of Utopian literature for nearly a century (Hertzler, 1922:7). This period ended with the works of Francis Bacon, Campanelle and Harrington. These early modern utopians, being the children of Renaissance, filled with a love of knowledge and high respect for the newly truths of science. Thus, they believed that the common attainment of knowledge means the largest participation of all members of society in its joys and benefits. After the period of early Utopians, continuation of a sprit of French Revolution and initial signs of industrial revolution resulted in the emergence of a new group of Utopians called Socialist Utopians (Hertzler, 1922: 181). The word â€Å"Socialism† seems to have been first used by one of the leading Utopian Socialists, St Simon. In politics utopia is a desire that never come true neither now nor afterwards, a wish that is not based on social forces (material conditions and production) and is not supported by the growth and development of political, class forces. This paper discusses the validity of this claim, tries to present and evaluate the political reforms, if any, offered by Socialist Utopians. In order to assess the degree of appeal for the political reforms offered by the Utopian Socialists, their ideals should be examined from both structural and programmatic point of view. Programmatic point of view helps us to clarify the basis of political reforms of the Utopian Socialists whereas the structural point of view forms the theoretical basis of these practical actions and reform plans. The period in which the early socialists were formulating their theories covers the development of industrialism which was causing the dislocation to the situation of existing social groups.

Student Democratic Party Platform Essay -- Political Science Politics

Preamble As we look back upon the 20th Century we see the birth of American prominence. The century is marked with glorious American achievements ranging from the birth of the Space Age to the development of the Information Age. Now, as we venture through the new millennium, the potential of further American prosperity is enormous. At times this journey will be a perilous quest, but with valiant leadership this nation shall flourish. Only the Democratic Party is prepared to guide America towards this future. Under the watchful guidance of President Bill Clinton and the Democratic Party, America is finally moving in the right direction. In 1996, we, the Democratic Party, adopted and enacted a platform that has reinvigorated the American spirit of opportunity, responsibility, and community within our national character. Along with the hard work and determination of the American public this nation has achieved an unprecedented level of prosperity. Currently, the American economy is on a record setting pace that is continuously strengthening our economic security. The level of unemployment in America is at a record low. Almost every able-body American is on the job working towards their American dream, and we, the Democratic Party, will not be satisfied until everyone can enjoy their American dream. Through Democratic leadership the quality of life in America has vastly improved. America’s education system is improving, the environment is cleaner, families are healthier, and our streets are safer. Today, any American can claim that their lives are better off than they were 8 years ago. All across America the success of the Democratic Party platform can be seen. But we want more. The Democratic Party is determined to giv... ... first two years of college are free at any State or City University. This will result in a stronger economy and nation because as a whole society, we are strengthening the knowledge of our youth. A substantial amount of Americans are without health insurance. We propose tax credits for small businesses that provide health insurance, retirement benefits, and employment and internships to students. We also propose that tax credits be given to businesses that practice clean air and environmental safety. We believe that our youth is a key concern of the nation and we need to set certain measures to make them feel safe and secure as Americans. A measure that we feel that needs to be taken is to raise taxes on such products as cigarettes and guns. The Democratic Party believes in helping American families economically and socially through more equitable tax benefits.

Shipping

This has Included the level of effort and costs associated with several courses of actions. I have also considered our obligations both legally and morally to our customer and our future customer. Our business has always held Itself and Its products to the highest quality standards and our customers in turn have rewarded us with continued trust and business. Our reputation and image should be a considering factor with any course of action that we take. I have carefully considered possible options and have identified three viable capabilities which would keep our reputation intact and provide the service our customers have come to expect.We can remake the whistle in question and repackage the entire collection; remove the whistle and ship the collection with a replacement of similar or higher value from our catalogue; keep the whistle Included but add a separate replacement of similar or even higher value with Instructions to discard the whistle and replace. Any solution should ensure the utmost customer satisfaction and provide our customers with the care and consideration, not to mention value, our customers rely on when they chose our company. It is also important to try to minimize the cost and effort required to remedy.This will not only minimize financial impact to the company but will help ensure we can remedial quickly in order to fulfill our shipments on time. All three have advantages and disadvantages which I will elaborate. The first option, remake the whistle in question and repackage the entire collection, has the advantage of providing our customer with exactly what they ordered and thus not Jeopardize the relationship we have In place. It would however be a significant undertaking as we would experience a great amount of labor for the remunerate and unpacking and repacking of the product.Legally and ethically there would be no issues but the financial impact of this approach would be about The second option, remove the whistle and replace with an item from our catalogue of equal value would allow us to utilize stock on hand and ship quickly. If the customer requests, we can ship the remade whistle at a later date. This option would remove the ethical and potentially legal concerns of shipping an unsafe reduce and if the customer accepts the replacement without requesting the shipping of the whistles to follow, would be significantly less costly than remaking the whistles in urgency to meet the shipping deadline.However, by substituting the whistle, even offering to ship the replacements at a later date, our reputation of accurate and timely shipping may be compromised with this customer. The third option, keep the whistle included but add a separate replacement of similar or even higher value with instructions to discard the whistle would save costs f remunerate and additional shipping. The schools could keep or discard the whistles as the whistle would pass any safety issues in South America.This would eliminate any legal concerns and would provide the best value to the customer and lowest cost to the company. However, knowing that these would not pass safety levels in the U. S. I feel that this would be highly unadvisable. If the schools chose to keep the whistles there could be resulting health issues to the children. My recommendation would be to proceed with the first option, to remake the whistle and repackage immediately. Although it is the most costly to the company upfront, the loss of reputation or customer faith would prove more costly in the long run.Our company prides itself on delivering to the highest levels. Compromised quality or orders the customer may feel are incomplete could damage the relationship and potentially future business. Additionally, any solution that may allow the tainted whistles in the hands of children could result in a more serious lack of confidence in our company. Our company is built on providing for educational and safe experiences for children worldwide. Anyth ing less would be unethical.In order to get in front of future issues of this type I recommend that we put in place a formal notification and escalation process for concerns of toy safety. We should clearly spell out what each employee is responsible to do and how the company will respond. If we consider potential issues before they occur and address the remediation it will remove any chance that we will be pressured into a fast and poor choice which may have long term impact to our company or our customers. I also recommend that we formalize the company ideals into a code of conduct that is available for our employees and customers.An excellent example that addresses responsibility to all stakeholders internally and externally is the code of conduct for the Matter Company. The Matter Company code of conduct addresses legal and ethical concerns and how to respond if there are concerns. (Matter Inc. , 2011) The Matter code of conduct removes any cloud of Judgment in a tough situation by addressing the concerns of the company, its stakeholders and its customers. It provides a clear explanation of the need and is easily understood. It includes core assign and play to grow.It also includes a value statement â€Å"act with unwavering integrity' that makes the company's emphasis on ethics to be paramount. The code of conduct addresses the responsibilities of all employees and additional responsibilities of leaders to be role models. In addition it spells out the consequences that should be expected if the code of conduct is not adhered. I strongly suggest that we develop a complete code of conduct such as this that will provide a guideline for the company and its employees for any future events as well as the day to day expectations.

Comprehensive Annual Financial Report Breifing

It is very grave to compreh residuum how disposal write up full treatment in comparison to for profit accounting. organization accountings foundation is computer storage accounting, where the giving medication has disparate stemmas, which are for the most part mandated by federal and state laws, in order to trace the full stop of superior holdd on a daytime to day basis (Copley, P. A. 2011). Every store gener every last(predicate)y has a required predict that it must work within the limits of. This ceiling is then detailed on schoolwide yearbook caudal financial report to a fault known as the CAFR which describes the whole political sympathies entity.One of the major differences between organization and for-profit accounting is how the accumulate tax in experience and expenses (Copley, P. A. 2011). With for-profit accounting they make a profit from the bargain of products and run. For-profit accounting utilizes what is c tout ensembleed the matching concept when it comes to documenting and work out profitability. The use of this type of concept identifies capital letter when it is made and spent when it breathes. The use of fund accounting, as a government entity calculates the flow of present profitability.Income is the inflow and expenses are the outflows of the governments present state of stinting resources. This type of accounting is known as the modified-accrual basis of accounting (Copley, P. A. 2011). The CAFR is the official one-year report of the city of cabbage which is a government agency. Taking a come out at the management discussion and depth psychology in any case known as the MD&A we will explore all(a) the contrastive things that could be found in the CAFR and how they are customaryly reported.Looking at the MD&A city of gelt has government funds that come from different types of income and business activities that are the result of services provided to the community. Revenue that the city of lettuce repo rts beam into two categories one being programs gross and the other prevalent. Under the program family they have, Licenses, Permits, Fines and charges for services, operating grants and contributions, and capital grants and contributions.In the general revenue category you will find, plaza tax, and other taxes, non restricted grants and contributions and other (Ahmad, Emanual, & Scott, 2010). To get-go these revenues they have expenses such as general government, public safety, streets and sanitation, transportation, health, cultural and recreational, interest and languish term debt, water, sewer, midway international airport, simoleons OHare international airport, and lucre skyway (Ahmad, Emanual, & Scott, 2010).Government-Wide Financial Statements are rig up on the accrual basis, where they calculate the flow of all of the city of dineros financial income as a whole on both a long term and a briefly term basis (Ahmad, Emanual, & Scott, 2010). The services that condesc end under governmental activities are all the things listed under the citys revenue and expense. Majority of the cities incomes comes from taxes, the grants they city receives differ apiece year depending on the amount of consumption can be done in the program. Public safety was the biggest expense which change magnitude due to the increase in stipend and benefits.As of 2010 the city was governmental exercise deficit was at almost 3300 zillion dollars (Ahmad, Emanual, & Scott, 2010). The services that fall under copyrighted funds also known as enterprise activities are, water, sewer, midway international airport, boodle OHare international airport, and clams skyway. The proprietary funds unlike government funds are funds back up by charges paid by users establish on the amount of the service they use. This also uses an accrual basis to report that provided the very(prenominal) type of information but in better detail.These funds created an increase for the city of Chicag o of about 250 million dollars because of the legal injury increase of services and rent. According to the cities CAFR they use their general fund income and expenses at the end of 2010 had a balance of about 81 million in unreserved which happen to be an increase of about 78 million from prior year (Ahmad, Emanual, & Scott, 2010). once more, each fund is independently responsible for its budget of income and expenses and the CAFR reports this right.According to GASB the financial insurance coverage objectives public accountability is believe to be the foundation that all other financial reporting objectives are built upon. In the MD&A we were able to view the managements opinion of all the information and different aspect of the entity provided in the comprehensive annual financial report. With this we were provided great detail about the city of Chicago and how they budget, what they find important, where their resources come from, and where the fall in reporting. REFERENCES Ahmad, A. Emanual, R. , & Scott, L. ( 2010). City of Chicago Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. Chicago http//www. cityofchicago. org/ national/dam/city/depts/fin/supp_info/CAFR/2010/CAFR2010. pdf. Copley, P. A. (2011). Overview of Financial for State and Local Government. In Essentials of Accounting for Governmental and Not-For-Profit Organizations, 10e https//ecampus. phoenix. edu/content/eBookLibrary2/content/DownloadList. aspx? assetMetaId=a89920bb-8e04-4cd3-bb43-6fc9358dbce9&assetDataId=b8792931-36bf-44f8-8666-81ede819e563.