Safeguarding the Welfare of Children and Young People.

UNIT: TDA 2. 2 SAFEGUARDING THE WELFARE OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE. Question 1. TDA 2. 2: LEARNING OUTCOME 2. 4 Describe in detail the actions that you would take response to the following emergency situations in your setting to include: †¢ Fire †¢ Security incidents †¢ Missing children and young people *********************************************************************** EMERGENCY SITUATIONS FIRE: If i discovered a fire on the premises i would immediatly raise the alarm, if i was near to a phone i would also dial 999. On hearing the alarm the head teacher would dial 999 or instruct a member of staff to do so). I would only tackle the fire if possible using the appliance provided if it was a small fire and i knew how to use the appliance provided correctly and safely. On hearing the fire alarm, i would follow the instructions of the teacher in charge. I would calmly assist in gathering all pupils and guiding them out through the nearest fire exit immediatly. If i w as the last person out i would ensure i closed all doors behind me. All persons, staff and pupils would report to the assembly point (in my case it would be the front yard). A register would be taken. The school policy states any absentees an immediate search will be made. The policy also states do not take risks and do not return to the building until authorised to do so. I would closely listen and follow instructions from the head or teacher in charge. I know where all the fire alarms are and fire exits within the school and have read the fire notes that are on the wall in the classroom. SECURITY INCIDENTS: Any persons entering the school must do so through reception. At reception there is a signing in book any visitors to the school must sign in here. The visitor must indicate time of arrival, name, reason for visit, and if necessary provide i. d. All visitors are required to wear an i. d badge, and must sign out as they depart. If i noticed any unidentified people on the school premises i would challenge them immediately, and report to the teacher or head my concerns. All door are secure so people cannot enter from outside but they can be opened easily from the inside in the event of emergencies such as a fire. Should there be a security alert within the school i would follow the instructions of the person in charge and ensure all children are in the classroom, where a register would be taken. I would assist in keepin children calm and keeping them in the classroom. nobody would be allowed to enter or leave the building until the head gave permission. MISSING CHILDREN OR YOUNG PEOPLE.. If i realised a child was missing i would report to the teacher in charge immediately, i would state where and when i last seen the child. I would assist in keeping the children calm and gathering all the children together whilst a search was organised. I would follow instructions from the teacher in charge and assist in the search for the missing child if i was required to do so. The school would be put on lockdown and no one would be allowed to enter or leave the building. If the child was not found on the premises the childs parents/guardians and the police would be contacted.

The Phenomenon of Human Trafficking

Table of contents 1. Introduction2 2. Definition of Key terms;2 2. 1. Human trafficking2 2. 2. Victim2 3. Victims of human trafficking3 4. Trends in human trafficking3 5. Causes of human trafficking4 5. 1. Poverty and desire for better life of exploited victims4 5. 2. Corruption and the abuse of influence4 5. 3. High profits and Low risk. 5 6. Recruitment strategies for human trafficking victims6 6. 1. Being born in to slavery6 6. 2. Use of force6 6. 3. Fraud6 6. 4. Coercion7 7. SEVERE FORMS OF TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS8 7. 1. Sex Trafficking8 8. Prevention of trafficking in humans8 . 1. Economic alternatives to prevent and deter trafficking8 8. 2. Public awareness and information9 8. 3. Protection and assistance for victims of trafficking9 9. Case study10 9 held for human trafficking – News 2410 10. Conclusion11 11. References12 Introduction The phenomenon of human trafficking or modern-day slavery has received increased media coverage globally; this is because millions of peopl e around the world suffer in silence under slave-like conditions of forced labour and commercial sexual exploitation from which they cannot free themselves. Human trafficking not only continues but appears to be on the rise worldwide primarily because most countries are involved in human trafficking to some extent, either as a place of recruitment, transit or the destination for trafficked individuals. This essay addresses the phenomenon of human trafficking as a form of victimisation and will define key concepts, identify and discuss victims of human trafficking and its trends. The discussion will further look in to the causes of vulnerability to trafficking, reasons for trafficking, strategies for recruiting trafficked people and the responses or courses of action to reduce human trafficking. A case study of recent trafficking issue will also be provided to show the reality of the problem and lastly the conclusion will sum up the discussion in a nutshell. Definition of Key terms; 1 Human trafficking Hodge and Lietz (2007; 163) explain that human trafficking involves the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of people, by the use of force, threat or other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud, and deception. It also includes the abuse of power and position by giving or receiving payments to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation as explained by Hodge and Lietz (2007; 163) include forced prostitution and other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour and services, servitude and the involuntary removal of organs. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime explain human trafficking as an act of recruiting, transporting, transferring, harbouring or receiving a person through a use of force, coercion or other means, for the purpose of exploiting them (UNODC, 2010). 2 Victim According to Howley and Dorris (2007; 229) victims are persons who have suffered harm, including physical or mental injury, emotional suffering including grief, economic loss and/or substantial impairment of rights accorded them by the state law through acts or omissions that are in violation of the criminal law operating in the territory. Victims of human trafficking Winterdyk and Reichel (2010; 5) states that human traffickers tend to victimize the most vulnerable of the global community consisting mostly young women and children and to a certain extent men. According to Winterdyk and Reichel (2010; 5) victims live in desperate, brutal circumstances behind a wall of secrecy and deception and the victims are often sick due to physical and psychological trauma they experience especially when they try to escape. Bales (2004; 56) further elaborates that traffickers instil trauma through a sense of terror and helplessness and by destroying the victims sense of self. Perpetrators also threaten death and serious harm against victims and their families, they also isolate their victims from sources of information and emotional support where they can get help (Bales, 2004; 56). An explanation by Fichtelberg (2008; 151) clearly states that victims of human trafficking are forced into sex trade industry which includes prostitution, pornography, sex tourism, strip dancing, live-sex shows, servile marriages or illegal labour markets such as sweatshops, farm work, domestic work , industrial work, begging, child soldiers, participating in crime or other activities they did not agree to engage in. Fichtelberg (2008; 152) further elaborates that victims are often â€Å"invisible† as they are often isolated from their family members and other members of their ethnic and religious community and therefore unable to speak the local language and unfamiliar with the culture. Victims may not self-identify themselves as victims of human trafficking due to lack of knowledge about the criminal justice system of the host country, fear of retribution against themselves and their families by traffickers, fear of accusation within their families, post traumatic stress disorder and stigma (Fichtelberg, 2008; 152). Trends in human trafficking According to Hodge & Lietz (2007; 163) determining the number of individuals who are trafficked is difficult due to high levels of secrecy and corruption within the human trafficking industry. Furthermore, victims are often hesitant to share their experiences due to fear of reprisals and as a result estimates of the prevalence of trafficking have varied considerably. Hodge & Lietz (2007;163) further states that approximately 600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders annually, of which 70- 80% are female and approximately 50% are children. Among all females, approximately 70% are trafficked for prostitution and other forms of sexual exploitation, while the remaining are males trafficked for forced labour and performing criminal activities for their traffickers (Hodge & Lietz, 2007;163). Causes of human trafficking 1 Poverty and desire for better life of exploited victims According to Logan, Walker and Hunt (2009; 10) poverty is one most important factor in becoming a target of human trafficking because the poverty that the trafficked immigrants experience in their countries of origin is too extreme that it threatens even basic survival, thus making them vulnerable to any promises of better livelihood. Logan, Walker and Hunt (2009; 10) further elaborates that vulnerability to trafficking is on the rise due to a mix of poverty and high levels of population density, infant mortality rate, children younger than 14, civil unrest and violence, cultural acceptance of trafficking and lower levels of food security in those poverty stricken nations. In addition, Logan, Walker and Hunt (2009; 10) explain that impoverished people often want to go to stable and wealthy countries like America for a better life then criminals use their dreams against them and put them into trafficking as they are desperate and willing to accept any opportunity to better their livelihood and help their family members who are also struggling. Corruption and the abuse of influence Surtees (2008;49) explains that corruption of government authorities including politicians, state functionaries, law enforcement officers and immigration officials play a critical role in the operation of human trafficking networks and allows trafficking to continue from, through, and within their countries. Surtees (2008;49) further elaborates that these corrupt officials supports trafficking in many ways; through document falsification, illegal border crossings, overlooking prostitution venues in identifying victims, compromising criminal investigations, lack of investigation and judges dismissing cases or imposing minimal sanctions against international human trafficking networks. Lehti and Aromaa (2007; 125) also states that some individuals within international organized crime syndicates are current or former officials and use their position and/or experience to support criminal ventures. Former members of security agencies, for example, are able to combine their security experience (which includes intimidation and torture) with high-level connections to political, professional and law enforcement agencies, allowing them to function with impunity by hiring legal and business experts as intermediaries or brokers through which they recruit people for trafficking (Lehti and Aromaa, 2007; 125). 3 High profits and Low risk. According to the U. S Department of State (2004) human trafficking is the third most profitable form of international organised crime after narcotics and arms sales. According to this report the sale of trafficked people is generating massive profits for traffickers because unlike narcotics and arms, which are sold once, people who are sold into prostitution and involuntary servitude earn profits continually, year after year, for their exploiters while victims get minimal wages or basically nothing due to debt bondage imposed to them by traffickers (U. S Department of State, 2004). In addition to high profits, Hodge & Lietz (2007; 166) explains that the risks associated with trafficking are quite minimal because prostitution is legal in many places like Germany and Netherlands therefore complicating efforts to incarcerate traffickers. Hodge & Lietz (2007; 166) further elaborates that even in countries where prostitution is clearly illegal, traffickers often go unpunished for their crimes because cases regularly fall apart due to lack of protection for witnesses, family involvement in the trafficking activity and fear of deportation. Furthermore, enforcement efforts usually focus on the women instead of the exploiters, consequently people often attempt to remain unnoticed for fear of being charged, particularly if they are trafficked internationally (Hodge & Lietz, 2007; 166). Recruitment strategies for human trafficking victims A study by Skinner (2008; 131) states that people are trafficked in three main ways which include being born into slavery, use of force i. e. eing kidnapped, sold, or physically forced and by fraud or being tricked. 1 Being born in to slavery According to Skinner (2008; 131) in some countries families may be permanent servants because they were born into it. This is mainly because their families may have been slaves or in debt bondage literally for generations and when they bear children they are automatically under the same circumstances and may be sold to whoever is involved in the human trafficking business. 2 Use of force Skinner (2008; 131) contends that in some countries children are literally sold into slavery out of their will by parents or other caregivers mainly because of the economic situations of the families. Skinner (2008; 131) further states that victims are then raped, beaten, intimidated, tortured and confined so as to control them after they have being sold. Forceful violence as explained by Skinner (2008; 131) is used especially during the early stages of victimisation, known as the ‘seasoning process’, which is used to break the victim’s resistance so as to make them easier to control. In some cases, Skinner (2008; 131) states that people who are often approached to work in the sex industry often refuse and traffickers may kidnap or abduct such individuals and smuggle them to the country of destination to work as slaves or sold to other traffickers. 3 Fraud Hyland (2001; 31) states that traffickers use seemingly legitimate organizations to recruit young women and children in to trafficking situations. This often involves the use of false advertisements promising desperate people a better life in another, usually richer, nation that offers jobs to work as waitresses, maids, landscapers and dancers. In other cases, Hyland (2001; 31) explain that women who work in nightclubs may be approached and promised much higher earnings for doing similar work in wealthier nations only to find that they will be forced in to prostitution and sex related exploitations. According to Hyland (2001; 31) some victims may be made to sign false contracts to make the whole experience seem even more legitimate, and sometimes psychologically binding them even more to the trafficker to erase any suspicions from the victim. Hyland (2001; 32) further states that in some instances, victims are approached by individuals known to their families in their home countries who invite them to come along with them for a job offer but only misleading them into trafficking situations where are often subjected to debt-bondage, usually in the context of paying off transportation fees into the destination countries. 4 Coercion According to the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (2000), traffickers often make representations to their victims that physical harm may occur to them or others should the victim escape or attempt to escape. Such representations can have coercive effects on victims as direct threats to inflict such harm may cause victims to live in fear and become hopeless and hence easy to control. Coercion as explained by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (2000) means threats of serious harm to or physical restraint of any person, it also includes any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to make a person to believe that failure to perform an act would result in serious harm to or physical restraint against any person; or the abuse or threatened abuse of the legal process SEVERE FORMS OF TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS According to the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (2000), severe forms of trafficking in persons’’ involves sex trafficking in which a commercial sex work is imposed on someone by the use of force, fraud, or coercion. It also includes recruitment, harbouring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labour or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery. Sex Trafficking According to Hodge & Lietz (2007; 165) sex trafficking means the recruitment, harbouring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex. Hodge & Lietz (2007; 165) further states that sex trafficking is no longer primarily localized in one geographic region but has increasingly become a transnational and a global problem. For example, a young girl may be recruited in Botswana, sold and â€Å"trained† in Italy, with the United States being the ultimate destination. Moreover, Hodge & Lietz (2007; 165) states that traffickers primarily target young women and girls, who are disproportionately affected by poverty, the lack of access to education, chronic unemployment, discrimination, and the lack of economic opportunities in countries of origin. According to Hodge & Lietz (2007; 165) most trafficking victims originate in Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe and to a lesser extent, Latin America while destination countries tend to be wealthy nations like America in which large sex industries like pornography exist or where prostitution is legalized or broadly tolerated as in the case of Germany and Netherlands. Prevention of trafficking in humans 1 Economic alternatives to prevent and deter trafficking According to Beyrer (2001; 547) states that initiatives to enhance economic opportunities for potential victims of trafficking can be used as a method to deter trafficking since the traffickers often target people who live in poverty in the promise for better livelihood. Such initiatives may include microcredit lending programs, training in business development, skills training, and job counselling. Other alternatives as stated by Beyrer (2001; 547) are the provision of grants to nongovernmental organizations that can help to accelerate and advance the political, economic, social, and educational roles and capacities of women in their countries. Furthermore, countries should initiate programs that promote women’s participation in economic decision which can help to empower women economically as they appear to be the primary target and most vulnerable to human trafficking (Beyrer, 2001; 547). 2 Public awareness and information Beyrer (2001; 548) states that countries should establish and carry out programs to increase public awareness on human trafficking particularly among potential victims about the dangers of trafficking and the protections that are available for them. Beyrer (2001; 548) further elaborates that governments should initiate programs to keep children, especially girls, in schools to reduce vulnerability at an early age and to educate persons who have been victims of trafficking. Moreover the development of educational curricula covering issues of human trafficking can also help to create awareness at an early stage Beyrer (2001; 548). Protection and assistance for victims of trafficking According to Beyrer (2001; 549) victim protection begins when a victim is rescued and reunited with their family and continues when they are assisted to rebuild their lives. It may include keeping victims safe from threat, violence and abuse, counselling, help with income generation, education and vocationa l training. Beyrer (2001; 549) further states that prosecution of traffickers ensures the victim receives full justice, including meaningful prosecution of the perpetrator. It requires vigorous law enforcement, fighting corruption, identifying and monitoring trafficking routes, and cross-border coordination. Moreover, Beyrer (2001; 549) further states that protection and assistance of victims can be achieved through policies or framework including government and NGO guiding principles, plans and strategies, which support all of the anti-trafficking initiatives that assist victims. Case study 9 held for human trafficking – News 24 Ermelo – Nine Nigerian men arrested for alleged human trafficking have appeared in the Ermelo Magistrate's Court, Mpumalanga police said on Tuesday. Captain Leonard Hlathi said the men appeared in court on Friday, and their case was postponed to April 16 for a bail application. He said it was alleged that the men forcefully took a number of women from around the country to Ermelo, where they were forced into prostitution. They were given R30 a day for food, and from time to time they were forced to take drugs to ensure they remained addicts. The 12 women, between the ages of 18 and 30, told the police the men took all their earnings and they were not paid for the jobs that they were doing. Home affairs officials confirmed that the suspects applied for asylum in South Africa, and according to the information in their application forms, they do not qualify for asylum. † He said they were being charged under the Sexual Offences Act and for kidnapping. â€Å"These men can consider themselves a bit lucky as human trafficking laws are in the process of being legislated. These acts of the suspects were exactly equivalent to human trafficking. † Source; news24. com The above case study reflects on the reality of the problem of human trafficking in South Africa as it the case in all countries around the world. According to the case study it is evident that traffickers target mostly young women who are more vulnerable and defenceless. As already discussed trafficking is a sustained by huge profits due to exploitation of the victims, the case study further support that statement as it states that the victims were given only a little amount enough to buy food and the profit they make from forced prostitution goes to the perpetrators. Conclusion In conclusion, women, children and people in general are not property to be bought and sold, used and discarded. Rather, they are human beings with certain fundamental human rights that prevent them from being sold into slavery. People should therefore know their rights and exercise them and countries should unite and cooperate in the war against human trafficking because it is a very complicated problem that cannot be solved by one country as it is a multinational crime involving highly organised crime syndicates. Citizens should also assist in the war against human trafficking by avoiding flashy job opportunities which often offer unrealistic rewards. At last people should also report suspicious cases of trafficking as this victims often work in public places including restaurants, hotels and massage parlours. References Bales, K. , (2004). Disposable people: New slavery in the global economy. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press Beyrer, C. (2001). Shan women and girls and the sex industry in Southeast Asia: Political causes and human rights implications. Journal of Social Science and Medicine. Vol. 53. (6). Pp. 543–550. Fichtelberg, A. (2008). Crime without borders: An introduction to international criminal justice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Hodge . R. & Lietz . C. A (2007). The International Sexual Trafficking of Women and Children . Journal of Women and Social Work. Vol. 22 (2). Pp. 163-174. Howley, S. , & Dorris, C. (2007). Legal rights for crime victims in the criminal justice system. (3rd ed. , Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Hyland, K. (2001). Protecting human victims of trafficking: An American framework. Berkeley Women’s Law Journal. Vol. 16 (3). Pp. 29-71. Lehti, M. , & Aromaa, K. (2007). Trafficking in humans for sexual exploitation in Europe. International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice. vol. 31 (7). Pp. 123–45. Logan. T. K. , Walker . R. & Hunt . G. (2009). Understanding Human Trafficking in the United States. Trauma Violence Abuse. vol. 10. (1). Pp. 3-30 Skinner, E. B. (2008). A crime so monstrous: Face-to-face with modern-day slavery. New York: Free Press Trafficking Victims Protection Act (2000), Human trafficking. (URL accessed 21 march 2010); http://www. state. gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2007/86205. html United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2010). Human trafficking. URL (accessed 20 March 2010): http://www. unodc. org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/what-is-human-trafficking. html

Harlequin Case Analysis Essay

Harlequin Enterprises has been able to capture 80% of the series romance market. Our great existing strategy (see exhibit 1) has allowed us to be the biggest player in the series romance market. Now we face the opportunity to capture a rapidly growing market of single-title women’s fiction novels. I recommend that Harlequin aggressively pursue the single-title market, using its extensive back list collection to reissue novels by best-selling authors. Even though the consistent, well defined product, combined with an optimized supply chain and distribution in the series market has provided valuable margins, the stagnant growth in the series market is insufficient to meet company growth objectives. Operating income is currently projected to grow at 3% for next 5 years (see exhibit 2). With the launch of MIRA, Harlequin can add an incremental $10MM in the next year, and $57MM in the next 5 years. This is 16%-19% incremental profit (see exhibit 3). We will have to focus on the women’s romance fiction segment of the market. At Harlequin, we have cost efficient printing resources, which allow us the flexibility to print single title. We will need to switch from same format printing, to match the need of each individual title. We also have great editor-author relationships. Using the backlist of best-selling authors will save the company $45MM in the next 5 years in author advances (see exhibit 3). Each unit is more profitable without an author advance. (exhibit 3). We will have to abandon our current process of front-list printing only. Coincidently, our editors will need to cultivate existing series authors into single-title authors, who ensure quality content to maintain our reader’s trust. Our editors will have to adapt the editing criteria to the strengths of each individual author. Harlequin will have to rely on single title solicitation, and no longer our standard order procedures. We will utilize our existing wide distribution network, but we will have to reduce our distribution to mass merchandisers while increasing our penetration in bookstores to significantly greater than 55% (exhibit 4). Offering greater distribution margins than our series novels will help us grow our volume, and our distribution partnerships, while still maintaining healthy margins. We will allocate and spend marketing funds to promote each individual book and author, rather than the just the Harlequin brand. We will use our existing large customer base, but promote with MIRA branded covers to build brand identity and loyalty, as we aim to become a strong player in the single-title romance novel market. We will create an order system for the direct to reader channel, and eventually, we will need to implement a system to be able to forecast demand to optimize supply and profitability. If within the first two years, Harlequin does not capture atleast 5% of the unit volume sales from the market using existing back-list collection, we will invest in current best-selling authors. Even after paying the large advances, we will be able to gain an incremental $12MM in profit in the next 5 years (see exhibit 6).

Strategic Management Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Strategic Management - Term Paper Example A structured definition of the term is provided by Ansoff and McDonnell. According to them strategic management is referred to â€Å"a systematic approach for managing strategic change which consists of positioning of the firm through strategy and capability planning and real time strategic response through issue management† (Cole, 2003). Different strategic tools like PESTEL, SWOT and Ansoff Matrix are usually used by the experts while strategically managing the operations of an organization. These tools enable the organizations to analyze their micro as well as macro environment where they are operating. Findings of such analyses have been found to be extremely helpful for the management in its decision making process. This report is comprised of a well-structured strategic analysis of Unilever which is one of the largest consumer goods manufacturing companies in the world. All the three above mentioned strategic tools are used in this report for the purpose of analyzing the operational as well as industry environment of the company. In addition to that a value chain analysis in the context of Unilever is also performed and included in this report. Before analyzing an organization and its environment it is crucial to have enough knowledge about the organization first. Considering this aspect, this report includes a brief overview of the organization i.e. Unilever and this overview can be found in the next section which is followed by all the strategic analyses. Unilever, one of the oldest and largest consumer goods manufacturing companies, has its operation in all the major markets in the world. Since 1930 the company has been taking care of people’s needs and demands regarding better foods and personal care products. According to the company, today, â€Å"160 million times a day, someone somewhere chooses a Unilever product† (Unilever-a, n.d.). The company’s 400 brands have made it an important member of millions of families

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The impact of foreign direct investment in China Thesis

The impact of foreign direct investment in China - Thesis Example His hypothesis was based on relative efficiency and opportunity cost that determined the production of commodities by each countries and eventual exchange of the same between them leading to trade between them that can easily be visualized in terms of international trade (Ricardo, 1821). However, much before both Smith and Ricardo, in ancient times China was a trade superpower and was involved in active trade transaction with many European and other Asian countries. This might resembles with theorists favoring bullions or monetarist’s theory of economic thought but neither of them extends an absolute explanation. Chinese indigenous goods that mainly comprised of valuable and costly silk of highest quality, extremely fine porcelain products, gun powder, and compass and last but not the least printed papers made their way into other Asian lands through the famous silk root. The same had also swum through the seas and oceans to knock the shores of the European countries where the y made huge profit, along with great reputation (Bodde, 1942; Chow, 2005, p.1). This sort of trade was technology driven and came out of certain resource monopoly. Not only those were mere goods that helped the Chinese economy to reach the pinnacle of its success but ground breaking inventions and innovations that held the Chinese head high at the global arena. Ironically most of those inventions were later credited to the western world. Historically China is a country with huge population; the most populated country of the world and in terms of area it also holds a substantial position. Both of these together created a huge market in China that was wealthy and a point of immense attraction for other countries to set up business ties with the same. It would not be an exaggeration that Chinese technology at that time was far more improved than the rest of the world but a technological backwardness soon crippled the nation as the Chinese monarchy was coming to an end. Inequality of we alth among the Chinese people and absolute ignore on behalf of the late monarchs as well as the upper class of the basic needs of the common people might be considered as the rime cause of this decline. The Chinese monarchy was riddled with undercurrents and mutual conflicts that added to the problem and especially the European businessmen cemented their feet taking advantage of this situation. Greed of the upper class that were busy to reap the last fallen fruits of Chinese monarchy took no care of the common Chinese and dreamt of building their glass house over the flesh, blood and bones of the common people (Mou, 2009, p.483). Once a flourishing nation; was thus turned into a lucrative playground for the European business bullies who were lurking as opportunist vultures to make the most out of this wealthy but technologically backward trailing country that was wrestling among their own class conflicts. Through this process China lost their dominant global presence and entered a s tate of stagnation. Amidst this catastrophic environment the emergence of Sun Yat-sen might be considered as the first fresh air. Though his life was short lived yet he fought the war lords bravely and is

U.S. and Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

U.S. and Terrorism - Essay Example A balance exists between the actions of the police and the needed approaches to ensure the Americans safety against terror and the liberties of the citizens. Patriotic act is one of the examples. In patriotic act, the content was designed in such a way that the country and the citizens are protected from any recurrence of the terror act like what happened on September 9th. The patriotic act seems dangerous to the liberties of the citizens when put in practice. This seems like an attack to the premises that founded the country. The act of cybercrime and terrorism has also risen to be a major concern in the country and the law enforcement agencies. This plot was to be used to bring down the government, and it prompted the establishment of the new act. As the government steps up its operation against terrorism, the enemy is taking advantage of our weakness. The enemy is aggressively taking advantage of the information that we post in our open sources and use it against our forces. Sensitive information is being post in the blogs and internet. Such operations security leakage places the lives of the American citizens at risk and degrades the effectiveness of the governments operation to fight against

INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOLOGY Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOLOGY - Research Paper Example Adler’s personality theories, in concert with the rest of his body of work, focused on human beings as individuals and worthy of study in terms of individual differences between people. But his theory on personality largely reflected the role of external events in shaping how we behave and how we react to certain stimuli. All in all, Alfred Adler’s creation of the field of individual psychology represented a leap forward in its basic assumptions, theoretical contributions, and informative concepts. The field of individual psychology has since become what is known as differential psychology, or the psychology of individual differences. This added notion of â€Å"differences† makes the subject matter clearer: namely, the study of how individuals are different from one another, rather than just of individuals’ characteristics. At its earliest stages under the classical Adlerian theory, individual psychology represented the theory of human behavior emphasizing the need to overcome feelings of inferiority by compensation and the need for personal striving. These kinds of claims would come to be reflected in the works of famous and influential psychologists like Viktor Frankl (also a psychoanalyst) and Abraham Maslow (Boeree, 1998). Adlerian psychology existed not merely as a scientific venture but also as a school of thought with applications: that is, because Adler theorized that human beings are goal-oriented, he thought psychology could help assist human beings (Pu get Sound Adlerian Society, 1999). Because Adler’s influence emerged so early in the history of psychology, he introduced a number of novel and innovative concepts to help explain his theories and findings. Among these concepts were (1) the creative self, (2) a lifestyle, and (3) an inferiority complex. With respect to the creative self, Adler meant that the responsibility for the individuals personality into his own hands. In other words, each

Technology and Bullying Essay Example for Free

Technology and Bullying Essay I don’t know much about the topic I chose and I have never personally experienced bullying or cyber bullying myself. I have, however, seen on the news and read about cyber bullying and the growing trend it is becoming. I remember a very specific case that happened two years ago at Rutgers University where a closeted-gay college student’s roommate secretly videotaped him performing sexual acts. The roommate then released the video on the Internet and the gay college student committed suicide two days later. The case had just finished last month and the defendant was found guilty of a hate crime and sentenced to 30 days in jail. This definitely caught my interest toward cyber bullying and I started to take notice that it is happening frequently across the nation. I also know that currently forty-nine states have an anti-bullying law in effect. Part II – What I Want to Find Out From the research, I want to find out how technology is contributing to cyber bullying, or bullying. * How frequently do students bully other students? * When and where did the first cases of cyber bullying take place? * Is it just in the United States that cyber bullying exists? * Can bullying be prevented, and if so, how? Part III – The Search The word â€Å"bullying† is defined as using strength or influence to intimidate someone, forcing them to do what one wants. It is also used as a theme in many children and adolescent books such as Oliver Twist and The Chocolate War. Bullying has been around for as long as anyone can remember, possibly since the age of humanity began. However, only recently has bullying caught the attention of the public and scientific community. Dan Olweus, a Norwegian researcher, emerged with the first scientific studies on bullying in the 1970s. Bullying is now acknowledged throughout the world as an issue among children and youth, and research on the topic is increasing (Hymel, and Swearer). There is still scientific dispute as to the nature of bullying and why it begins. There are a multitude of reasons why someone feels the need or want to bully another person. Nevertheless, most researchers believe the aggression starts with wanting to cause deliberate harm to the victim, having the bullying occur repeatedly, and the difference of power between the bully and the victim (Olweus 422). One of the reasons may be because the person behind the bullying feels a â€Å"sense of power† when they harass someone. They like to become dominant in this situation and if the victim does become submissive, the bully feels as if they’ve fulfilled their goal and may repeat this process for a long time. Another reason may be that the bully wishes to befriend and feel close with the victim; to have a sense of belonging. As Dagmar Strohmeier states in her article Bullying and its Underlying Mechanisms, â€Å"If this wish for affiliation is a motive for bullying, the victim pl ays an important role in establishing and maintaining group coherence. If the harassment of the victim leads to a closer bond within the bullying group, the perpetrator reaches his goal and the negative behavior is reinforced.† As long as the victim is still submissive, the bully will constantly harass them until the bully is content (Strohmeier). When thinking of bullying, usually people think of a sort of physical interaction – the big kid picking a fight with a smaller kid. However, there are cases where numbers come into play; groups of students will pick on one individual. This is not uncommon and in fact, happens as often as one-on-one bullying (Hymel, and Swearer). There are, essentially, two types of bullying: physical and mental. Physical bullying is direct contact between the aggressor and the victim, and includes punching, kicking, pushing, or any physical contact with the bully and victim. The bully will not stop the violence until his or her victim is unable to retaliate back. Physical bullying is also not limited to school, and can occur at home, the office, or anywhere the bully chooses. Mental bullying may seem less harsh than physical bullying and may not physically damage the victim, but it can emotionally. Mental, or verbal, bullying involves name calling, making fun of a person’s appearance, a nd making offensive remarks to the victim. Making verbal threats of violence is also verbal bullying. There is also indirect bullying where the person will spread rumors and stories about someone else although it may not be true. This type of bullying accounts for 18.5% of bullying. Social alienation is another where the bully will intentionally exclude another from a group. But the type of bullying that is gaining ground is cyber bullying (Time for Tolerance). Cyber bullying is when a child or teen is being harassed, threatened, or embarrassed by usually another teen, and the bully is using the Internet, cell phones, or any other technologies. It includes sending threats or cruel messages to a person’s email account and cell phone. Cyber bullies also spread rumors online or through texts, and post unkind messages on web sites or social networking sites. Pretending to be another person using someone else’s account or making a fake account and sending harmful messages is another form of cyber bullying. Boys are more prone to take part in tradition bullying, physical bullying, whereas girls are more likely to cyber bully. (Bullying Statistics). Most cyber bullies and their victims are teens, and there are numerous cases where the victim being cyber bullied will harm themselves, and even commit suicide. Cyber bullying â€Å"has to have a minor on both sides, or at least have been instigated by a minor against another minor. Once adults become involved, it is plain and simple cyber-harassment or cyber stalking. Adult cyber-harassment or cyber stalking is NEVER called cyber bullying† (â€Å"Stop Cyberbullying†). In 2007, a mother created a fake account and posed as a boy to befriend a former friend of her daughter. The mother then began posting insults and creating posts about the daughter’s former friend which were hurtful and untrue. The teen, who was battling depression, soon committed suicide. It is hard to believe a parent or adult will do that to a child but there have been several cases where a parent will actually be the person cyber bully. Majority of the reason why a parent will cyber bully anoth er teen is because they believe they are protecting their children, but are, instead, harming another (â€Å"Stop Cyberbullying†). There are various reasons as to why teens feel the need to cyber bully someone. Sometimes the cyber bully is motivated by resentment or jealousy, and sometimes they do it for entertainment. Another reason may be because they are bored and have nothing to occupy themselves with. Some may do it unintentionally, and others do it for torment and to get a reaction from the victim. Although traditional bullying still occurs more than cyber bullying, the amount of cyber bullying happening in today’s world is consistently growing because of all the technologies being available. This means that cyber bullying happens worldwide and cyber bullies are sometimes strangers from halfway around the globe. (Patchin). Despite the seriousness and harmful effects of cyber bullying, it is common among teens and youth. According to a study done by the i-SAFE foundation in 2003, more than one in three teens have received and experienced cyber threats, and over 23 percent of teens are repeatedly through their cell phones or the Internet. Cyber threats are when teens post messages about harming themselves or another person and are sometimes followed by actual acts of violence. There have also been reports that cyber bullies will make FaceBook pages or web pages dedicated to insulting and bashing their victim, and 75 percent of teens have visited these sites. According to a UCLA study on cyber bullying, one in five teens report having been cyber bullied by someone they know or a complete stranger, and the study also found that 85 percent of teens that were bullied online are still bullied at school. Still, only 1 in 10 teens who have been cyber bullied tell a parent or adult and only 1 in 5 cyber bullying incidents are reported to law enforcement (Cyber Bully Alert). Currently, forty nine states have passed anti-bullying laws, and a number of state legislatures are proposing laws to require schools to have anti-bullying policies and programs. If someone is charged and convicted of bullying someone, they are charged with a misdemeanor and possibly serve time in jail. Cyber bullying is against the law but most of the laws in many states are not enforced because cyber bullying usually takes place outside of school. Still, that hasn’t stopped lawmakers from trying to enact and stiffen cyber bullying laws. At least five states want to add penalties to cyber bullying, and in 2009 North Carolina passed a law that criminalizes cyber bullying, making it a misdemeanor for youth under 18. Senator Jeffrey Klein of New York is one of the law makers that want to make sure cyber bullying can be punishable by law. Klein stated that â€Å"When I was growing up, you had a tangible bully and a fight after school. Now you have hordes of bullies who are terrorizing over the Internet or other forms of social media.† Under his proposed law, anyone that uses technologies to harass or stalk someone could be convicted of a misdemeanor or felony and face prison time. Some, however, oppose these laws believing that it limits freedom of speech (Alcindor). Although it may seem unlikely for anyone to not support anti-bullying laws, there are a few groups that are no in favor with the law at all. A group called Focus on the Family, a global Christian ministry, believes that these anti-bullying laws cross â€Å"the line in a lot of ways beyond bullying into indoctrination, just promoting homosexuality and transgenderism† (Hall). Focus on the Family has been a supporter anti-anti-bullying laws because they believe that these laws are a reason to teach children about gay marriage and not about bullying. Most of the groups that oppose anti-bullying laws are religious groups, and most agree with Focus on the Family. There have been a few states that have passed or tried to pass anti-bullying laws that protect bullies who use their religion as to why they bully others. This caused outrage among the public and most of these supposed anti-bullying laws have since been voted out or the specific clause has been removed (Hall). There are several ways to prevent bullying, or cyber bullying, from happening. First is beginning an educational campaign with children and teens, and informing others what exactly is cyber bullying and the steps to prevent it from happening to them. Teaching youth how not to unintentionally become part of cyber bullying will help slow down cyber bullies. Children need to be taught that being silent while another is being hurt is not alright, and if they stand up with the victims, cyber bullies can be stopped. Another way is keep personal information private. Children and teens should not share passwords with friends or strangers to keep themselves safe. Sharing this personal information can give cyber bullies the opportunity to hack into personal emails and social sites, and post damaging things online. And once things are posted on the Internet, it may be impossible to delete it permanently. Adolescents should also know that if they are targeted by a cyber bully to not respond and instead block the cyber bully and inform a parent or adult that can help them. Checking to see who they are sending messages and emails to is another way of preventing cyber bullying. Making sure that they are sending it to the right person and place will help stop cyber bullies from receiving private messages. Also, teens should know that it is not alright to forward and send other people’s emails and personal information without their permission. Teenagers also should not send emails or post messages online if they are angry. If they do, they may provoke the cyber bully and turn into a cyber bully themselves (â€Å"Stop Cyberbullying†). Part IV – What I Learned Through this research, I learned that cyber bullying is persistently becoming more known, and although traditional bullying still happens, cyber bullying is growing. Because of all the new technology becoming available to people of all ages, especially adolescent teens, it is easier for someone to become a cyber bully victim. Cyber bullying is also common in the lives of teens today, and happens worldwide. There are several effective ways to prevent cyber bullying and states in the United States are recognizing that bullying is a serious matter. Although bullying and cyber bullying cannot be stopped in a day, it is possible to stop bullies from hurting another person. Works Cited Alcindor, Yamiche. States look to enact cyberbully law. USA TODAY. Gannett Co. Inc., 19 Mar 2012. Web. 9 Jun 2012. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-03-18/state-cyberbullying-laws/53626736/1 Cormier, Robert. The Chocolate War. New York: Dell Publishing, 1974. Print. Cyber Bully Data, Statistics, and Facts. Cyber Bully Alert. Vanden Corporation, 23 May 2012. Web. 7 Jun 2012. http://www.cyberbullyalert.com/blog/2012/05/cyber-bully-data-statistics-and-facts/ Cyber Bully Statistics. Bullying Statistics. Bullying Statistics, 2009. Web. 7 Jun 2012.

The Outbreak Of WWI An Accident History Essay

The Outbreak Of WWI An Accident History Essay The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand occurred on 28th June 1914. It can be argued that the Archdukes assassination has led to the idea that the outbreak of World War One (WWI) was an accident, an event that led to the greatest war the world had ever seen at that point. However, no single event can be solely responsible for causing such devastating consequences. There were other factors that led to the Great War, tensions that had been building for some time, a result of issues derived mainly from the past centuries imperialism and the rapid industrialisation that was changing the face of the world. Alliances between countries had been leading to and causing friction between European countries for quite a period of time, namely between the years 1879 and 1914. These alliances were key in factoring towards the outbreak of World War One. Furthermore, a complicated web of alliances across Europe was in place in 1914. The main alliances on either side were; The Triple Alliance (1882), which was an alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy, which stopped Italy from taking sides with Russia and The Triple Entente that, was made between Britain, Russia, and France to counter the increasing threat from Germany. At the point of the outbreak of war, it was extremely clear who would be allied with one another. The building tensions between countries factored towards the outbreak of WWI, whilst the alliances in place throughout Europe contributed towards the size and scale of the First World War. Another key factor that contributed towards the outbreak of WWI was militarism. Countries competed were competing with one another in terms of military prowess. The period preceding WWI has been called ‘The Arms Race. In essence, the big four powers of Europe; Britain, France. Germany and Italy were competing to build the most effective battleship. ‘If Archduke Franz Ferdinand had been assassinated in 1904 or even in 1911, Herrmann speculates there might have been no war; it was the armaments race and the speculation about imminent or preventative wars which made his death in 1914 the trigger for war. Furthermore, the German naval build up is seen by some historians as the principal cause of deteriorating Anglo-German relations. The outbreak of the First World War occurred at a time of empires and imperialism. Furthermore, many of the economic causes of WWI can be attributed to a growing material dependency of advancing European nations on nationalism. France and Great Britain, for example maintained domestic economies and accumulated great wealth in the late 19th Century through trade, and their control of foreign resources, markets, territories and people. Moreover, Germany being a late arrival on the world stage, had a very modest empire compared to that of Britain or France. It was also locked out of the most valuable colonial regions in Africa and the Far East. There was also an upset in the trade balance with the rapid exhaustion of natural resources in many European nations. This exhaustion of natural resources made many nations eager to seek new territories rich in such resources. Out of this resentment intense rivalries developed between the emerging economic powers and the ‘great powers. Nationalism was another deep rooted factor that contributed to the outbreak of WWI. In Germany for example, Foreign Minister Bernhard Von Bulow adopted a policy called Weltpolitik in 1897. This policy aimed to seek ‘Germanys place in the sun commensurate with its rising industrial strength, namely by the creation of a colonial power to rival those of other powers. Furthermore, Germanys Weltpolitik policy contributed towards the arms race, another key factor in the outbreak of the First World War. When Wilhelm II became the new Kaiser in 1888 he had very different intentions for German diplomacy. Weltpolitik was essentially a plan that aimed to make Germany a large, strong and unbeatable empire in every possible way. The Agadir crisis was the international tension sparked by the deployment of a German gunboat to the Moroccan port of Agadir on July 1, 1911. The Agadir crisis occurred as a result of both imperialism and nationalism. The Triple Entente came into play during this cr isis with Britain at Frances aid as it had been in the first Moroccan crisis. Furthermore, on 21st July David Lloyd George delivered the Mansion House speech in which he declared that national honour was more precious than peace; ‘If Britain is treated badly where her interests are vitally affected, as if she is of no account in the cabinet of nations, then I say emphatically that peace at that price would be a humiliation intolerable for a great country like ours to endure The speech was interpreted by Germany as a warning that she could not impose an unreasonable settlement on France. Moreover the Balkan wars are commonly seen as an important precursor to WWI, to the extent that ‘Austria-Hungary took alarm at the great increase in Serbias territory and regional status. Germany also shared this concern, which saw Serbia as a ‘satellite of Russia. These events factored towards the outbreak of the First World War in the sense that Serbias rise in power contributed to the two central powers willingness to declare war following the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand. However, in terms of a counter-argument it can be argued that the outbreak of WWI was an accident, as from surface value it appears to have been sparked by a relatively small event in comparison to the devastation and turmoil that occurred afterwards. On 28th June 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and his wife Sophie, were assassinated in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia. The assassins ultimate goal was the separation of Bosnia-Herzegovina and possibly other provinces from Austria-Hungary and attachment to Serbia to form a greater Serbia or a Yugoslavia. This event essentially led to a chain reaction influenced by the alliances between the main European powers. The alliances made prior to the assassination of the Archduke meant that countries were obliged to go to war. Thus, Austria-Hungary attacked Serbia in retaliation for the assassination; Russia intervened to help the Serbians. Germany joined forces with Austria-Hungary, and France and Britain wer e bought in as a result of The Triple Entente an alliance between Britain, France and Russia. So in conclusion, I personally believe that the outbreak of WWI was not an accident to any extent. It was a result of deep-rooted factors that had been building tensions for some time, sparked off by a single event (the assassination of the Archduke) If other factors such as imperialism, nationalism, etc, did not come into play then World War One would almost certainly never have occurred. The nature of the period itself, very much a period about incredible power and wealth, a result of rapid colonisation and industrialisation would have also been a leading factor towards the outbreak of World War One. Bibliography Eric Hobsbawm, The Age of Extremes Bond, The First World War and British Military History History on the net The causes of WWI Wikipedia The origins of WWI History on the net, The causes of World War One History on the net, The Causes of World War One Bond, The First World War and British Military History History on the net, The Causes of World War One Bond, The First World War and British Military History Wikipedia, The origins of WWI Wikpedia, The origins of WWI History on the net, The causes of WWI History on the net, The causes of WWI

Gerotranscendence as an alternative ageing theory

Gerotranscendence as an alternative ageing theory The theory of gerotranscendence has been chosen for the purpose of this essay as it represents an alternative ageing theory and can be useful when planning to carry out a research project in a nursing home with the aim to find out how elderly people experience their daily life in an institution. The theory of gerotranscendence may help provide a more balanced understanding of the quality of life of the older adult living in a nursing home (Tornstam, 1989: Tornstam, 1997b). A brief description of the theory of gerotranscendence follows. Fawcett (2000) argues that the theories on human ageing may be divided into two main categories: biological ageing theories, and  the psychological and social ageing theories. This essay aims to describe, analyze and present a critique of Lars Tornstams theory of Gerotranscendence. According to Tornstam (1992, 1994, 1996a) human ageing is characterized by a general process towards gerotranscendence. Gerotranscendence is a shift in meta-perspective, from a materialistic and rational view of the world to a more cosmic and transcendent view. It is a natural and individual process that leads to maturity and wisdom in old age (Tornstam, 1996b). Within this essay, the basis of this theory will be explored, together with the analysis of its development. Moreover, the theory of gerotranscendence will be viewed in the light of the nursing science and whether it is easy and logical to comprehend. Values and assumptions will also be reviewed. These are the topics that this essay will attempt to discuss in relation to the nursing practice, education and research. 2.0 Description of the Theory of Gerotranscendence The theory of gerotranscendence was developed by Lars Tornstam, professor of sociology at the University of Uppsala in Sweden. This theory has been developed as a reaction to the prevailing ageing theories within gerontological nursing (Tornstam, 1992). Tornstam (1992, 1994, 1996a) states that human ageing, i.e. living into old age, is characterized by a general process towards gerotranscendence. This process involves a change in the way individuals perceive basic concepts, and it occurs after a certain point in life. The definition of reality also changes as a result of this. In a normal ageing process this shift is made from the middle-aged persons definition of reality based on a materialistic and rational vision, to the ageing persons more cosmic and transcendent vision. Tornstam turned to eastern cultures and religion, in the form of Zen Buddhism in order to formulate his theory (Tornstam, 1992, 1994, 1996a). According to Tornstam (1994), a transcendent vision of life involves a change in the perception of time, so that the boundaries between past, present and future are erased. In the same way the boundaries between the self and other individuals may also become diffused. These boundaries between past, present and future, and between self and others, which in a materialistic and rational way of thinking are so important, become superfluous in old age (Tornstam, 1992, 1994, 1996a). As a consequence, the individual with a transcendent perspective experiences in old age a need to spend more time on meditation and less on material things and superficial social relations. The material world is avoided, whilst the older adult turns to spirituality a more important concept in life. A person who has experienced gerotranscendence view the younger generation as captured in a materialistic conception of the world, spending their time on superficial relationships and things (Tornstam, 1989). Thus, as Tornstam sustains, after mid-life there is a new conception of life, which in turn brings a change in how we look at life i.e. a shift in meta-perspective, as Tornstam labels it. This new meta-perspective provides the individual with an easy way to understand what to value in old age (Tornstam, 1994). The shift in meta-perspective is normal for all individuals according to Tornstam, since it is genetically conditioned. Gerotranscendence is the end result of a natural process towards maturation and wisdom in which reality is defined differently than in mid-life. Due to its natural origins, gerotranscendence lead the older adult to have an increased life satisfaction after mid-life (Tornstam, 1994). The progression towards gerotranscendence may be hindered or accelerated by cultural characteristics. The presence of predominant values of effectiveness, materialism and independence in Western culture may obstruct or retard such process (Tornstam, 1997c). Tornstam suggests that the theory of gerotranscendence is one of several valuable theories on ageing (Tornstam, 1994). Other theories, such as the social breakdown syndrome, may be relevant for some elderly people (Fawcett, 2000). This theory is meant as a supplement which represents another paradigm. However, Fawcett (2000) suggests that two paradigms may be valid at the same time, it is only necessary to know what they represent. 3.0 -Theory of Gerotranscendence: An Analysis 3.1 Concept Analysis No definition of the concept behind gerotranscendence is provided by the author (Thorsen, 1998). Rather than providing a definition, the author of this theory chooses to describe the concept by an analysis of social values combined with a portrayal of the distinctive features of gerotranscendence (Thorsen, 1998: Gamliel, 2001). One may argue that the lack of a direct definition of the concept behind this theory may itself cause vagueness in its usage both in education and practice. Within practice nursing, there is a general agreement within the literature that signs of gerotranscendence are often interpreted as pathological rather than a natural process (Gamliel, 2001: Wadensten Carlsson, 2000: Wadensten, 2007). Wadensten and Carlsson (2000) argued that a lack of a clear definition of the concept behind gerotranscendence may result in an incorrect and/or absent theoretical framework to relate to, influencing both nursing in practice and nursing research (Meleis, 1991). Perhaps Torn stam has chosen not to define the concept because he thinks that a brief description would only serve to narrow down the understanding of the concept (Fawcett, 2000: Watson, 1997). One may also argue that the lack of concept definition can be used as an advantage both in nursing research and practice as it will unconsciously increase its applicability in different contexts (Meleis, 1991). Is the Concept logically derived? The concept of gerotranscendence is in many respects a logical one since it is intuitively easy to understand as it may make the readers recognize their own ageing process and their experiences with older adults (Meleis, 1991: Wadensten, 2006). Within an academic point of view, this type of intuitive feeling for a concept is not considered very scientific, but is probably important since it makes it easier to grasp the general idea of  the theory. On the other hand, the lack of definition makes it more difficult to understand. Secondly, Tornstam derives the concept of gerotranscendence from concepts present in Eastern cultures and eastern Philosophy, such as Zen Buddhism which are rather unfamiliar and unscientific from a Western cultural and logical point of view. Concepts such as mystical, meditation, cosmic communion and especially his description of diffuse borders in time and between objects, makes the concept of gerotranscendence hard to understand in a logical sense both in nursing education and nursing practice (Thorsen, 1998: Wadensten, 2007a). The shift in meta-perspective i.e. past, present and future become diffused, whilst the self and others become indistinct are often denominated to be pathological in Western cultures (Wadensten, 2007a). From this perspective the concept of gerotranscendence may appear illogical. In line with these arguments, Wadensten and Carlsson (2000) investigated whether nursing staff in Swedish nursing homes could recognize signs of gerotranscendence. Qualitative interviews and an interview guide based on the theory of gerotranscendence were used. Findings showed that staff noticed signs of gerotranscendence; however most of these signs were interpreted as pathological sustaining previously raised arguments (Wadensten and Carlsson, 2000). If the theory of gerotranscendence is used to provide an interpretative framework, these signs would be seen as normal aspects of ageing. 3.2 Theory Analysis The basis of the Theory of Gerotranscendence Tornstam (1992 and 1997a) argues that within gerontological research there is a prevailing research paradigm which negatively affects nursing and gerontological research and alternitavely health care distribution. He (Tornstam, 1994) states that gerontology is encapsulated in a natural science paradigm, entailing that research is primarily focused on the behavior of the elderly, where the individuals are regarded as research objects only, discarding experiences, attitudes and behaviors. This research paradigm generally states that the researcher shall assess and analyze the actual facts concerning a phenomenon in an objective and unbiased manner. Tornstam (1992 and 1997a) argues that within this prevailing gerontological research the latter is not achieved. Gerontological and nurse researchers can modify the paradigm by asking the elderly themselves about their understanding and experience of their own situation, in other words a more phenomenological approach. Wadensten (2005) conducted a qualitative descriptive study in order to introduce the theory of gerotranscendence to older people. Participants were invited to participate in group sessions at a day centre during which they discussed their ageing process. A video on the theory of gerotranscendence was shown, and participants were asked to discuss the description of the ageing process described in the video with their own personal experiences. From this study, Wadensten (2005) concluded that involving the elderly in their own care is an opportunity to use aspects of the theory of gerotranscendence as an intervention in nursing. Wadensten (2005) argued that nurses are in an ideal position to improve the quality of life for the older adult and to promote health using a phenomenologic al approach, through discussions about ageing. Furthermore Tornstam (1992) claims that the anthropological research tradition may be useful in this respect. An immediate reaction in the nursing literature (Thorsen, 1998: Gamliel, 2001: Wadensten, 2007a; Roy, 1984 consider referencing actual article) proposes the following questions: Does Tornstam himself consider this criticism when formulating his own theory? Does reversing the prevalent paradigm mean that one is assuming the perspective of the elderly? Isnt it a researcher in mid-life who is performing this reversal? Does turning to Eastern religion and philosophy mean that the elderly in Western cultures are not being taken seriously? It is conspicuous that Tornstam, who criticizes gerontological research and theory development, appears to fall into the same trap as the other theoreticians. Some authors argue that the basis of the theory of gerotranscendence is acquired only from a little number of elderly. Others argue that such theory should be developed by asking elderly populations within a Western culture. However Tornstam (1989) justifies the latter as he thinks that they are captured in a materialistic and rationalistic world. Tornstam reverses the values he claims are predominant in the West, stating that they are the real values of the elderly. Tornstam also does not ask the elderly from a Western culture about their vital spiritual values. Most of the elderly in the West have their spiritual roots in this religion. Perhaps nursing practice, research and education would have felt more familiar with Tornstams ideas if he had based his theory on Christian philosophy and Western Cultures. What Kind of Theory and at Which Level is it Valid? Tornstam recounts his own increasing feeling of doubt when the theory of disengagement was rejected by the gerontological community. He had first agreed that the theory should be rejected, but later he felt intuitively that this theory had an explanatory force which gerontological researchers were unable to achieve. Tornstam thus used logical reasoning combined with his own feelings when formulating the theory, which indicates a theory based on deduction (Tornstam, 1989). On the other hand, empirical data have evidently been vital to the formulation of the theory. Tornstam reacted to the many myths on ageing that persisted even though empirical research proved the opposite (Tornstam, 1989). He also noted that the elderly themselves reported being very satisfied with their lives, even though they had evidently reduced their social activity, and also did not feel lonelier in old age than earlier in their lives (Roy, 1984). These empirical findings clearly contributed to the formulation of the theory of gerotranscendence. Moreover, it provides a new understanding of what is called passivity of the elderly (Tornstam, 1989). The theory of gerotranscendence is mainly developed through deduction, but also with input of empirical data, and hence is doubtless quite typical. It is hard to define the theory as either deductive or inductive, but it is probably primarily deductive (Gamliel, 2001: Wadensten, 2006). Generalisation Potential of the Theory? The theory states that all humans will naturally develop towards gerotranscendence, that this is a universal phenomenon. In other words, the theory aims to apply for all individuals (Wadensten, 2006). What about the difference between Eastern and Western values? The theory also includes strategies to explain why the expected development towards a transcendent existence does not occur. These explanations state that cultural characteristics may prevent such a normal development. On the other hand Thorsen (1998) argues that in Western post-modern cultures the ageing processes are becoming manifold, often contradictory. Elderly present versions of the selves that are becoming complex, multiplied (multiple selves), acting at different scenes, stamped by varied cultural values, presenting mixed versions of activity and passivity, engagement and retractment, wordliness and transcendence (Thorsen, 1998). This in turn sheds further doubts on the ageing process and how such process should be v iewed by the healthcare workers, nurse researchers and the elderly themselves. Redfern and Ross (2006) argue that despite numerous theories of ageing, interpretative frameworks and guidelines of care, the ageing process and the care involved cannot be standardized into one single definition and/or guidelines of care. What is the Aim and Intention of the Theory? The theory of gerotranscendence attempts to explain why a transcendent form of life is the most natural one. His explanation is that this is a biological necessity for everyone. Tornstam also explains why we dont see so much transcendence among the elderly in our Western culture (Wadensten, 2006). He claims that this is because our culture does not allow or appreciate transcendence, and instead regards such phenomena as unnatural and irrational. It may also be discussed whether the theory presents predictions about a positive old age. The theory states that a transcendent old age is positive and this may be understood as a normative prediction on old age. On the other hand, Thorsen (1998) warns that Tornstams theory should not be viewed as a universal process, applicable for every human being. Thorsen (1998) narrates that old age and its process are embedded within society as the latter contains notions about normative appropriateness to various age groups. 4.0 Critique of the Theory Is the Theory Coherent and Consistent? The theory is predominantly coherent, for a reader it is easy to understand what Tornstam means when he describes the ageing process as a development towards a more contemplative form of life. Thorsen (1998) highlights some unclear arguments from the theory presented by Tornstam. Thorsen (1998) argues that the theory of gerotranscendence points out that throughout mid-life an individual is more materialistic and rational. If it is true that we are more materialistic and rational in mid-life should that not apply to everyone, also those people living in the East? If this is a genetic factor it should apply to all people. Or do cultural characteristics take precedence over biological factors? (Thorsen, 1998). Thorsen (1998) considers this part of Tornstams theory to be somewhat vague and inconsistent. In line with this perspective Thorsen (1998) argue that old people, like young people, are undergoing an individual and social process of change. At the same time individuals of all ages are influenced by changes in the spirit of the age. Thorsen (1998) argues that irrelevant from the age group; changing cultural characteristics leave their stamp both on the individuals world-view and his/her perception of self. The main argument of Thorsen (1998) is that he rejects the notion proposed by Tornstam that transcendence is determined by intrinsic genetic factors. In fact Thorsen (1998) states that self is neither cultural, ahistoric, bodiless and genderless in the ageing process. This argument puts more doubts on how the older adult and the ageing person should be viewed within the society, more precisely within the healthcare system. Furthermore, one may question whether there is consistency between Tornstams own paradigm and his theory. According to his research paradigm the values and opinions of the elderly themselves shall form the basis of theories on ageing which in turn provide an interpretative framework in health care education and practice settings. The theory of gerotranscendence is logically derived from another theory and is based on empirical research with the elderly as research objects. One may argue that it is hard to find the consistency here between Tornstams theory and his paradigm. Likewise, the consistency becomes somewhat ambiguous between Tornstams research paradigm and his own research to verify his theory as the author applies the survey method (Tornstam 1994) to verify his own theory, which may seem rather peculiar viewed in the light of his severe criticism of the natural science paradigm. Tornstam (1996b) also states that phenomenological philosophy and anthropology may be useful poin ts of departure for approaching the theory. It can hardly be said that Tornstam himself employs such a theoretical basis; it was not before the qualitative study in 1997 that he introduced this approach. The implications of the above argument on nursing education involve that further research is required in order to test the validity of the theory of gerotranscendence, as research on the latter is limited. This is also sustained the nursing literature reviewed for the purpose of this essay (Gamliel, 2001: Wadensten and Carlsson, 2002: Wadensten and Carlsson, 2000). Within the practical settings, the implications of the above argument involve the revising of the practical guidelines provided by Tornstam, based on his theory (Wadensten and Carlsson, 2002). Although these guidelines provide an interpretative framework for nurses within nursing practice, when viewed in the light of lack of rigorous nursing research about the topic, one needs to consider their specificity and sensitivity to identify the signs of gerotranscendence in the older adult. Is the Theory Useful for Nursing? The theory of gerotranscendence is formulated in a gerontological research community and is not specifically linked to nursing (Gamliel, 2001: Tornstam, 1997b). Will the theory of ageing in general and this theory in particular be useful for nursing? In order to answer this question one must first explain what is meant by useful. Theory may be useful both for developing the theory structure of an academic subject and for the practical exercise of a profession (Meleis, 1991). In terms of theory structure this theory may lead to a more balanced understanding of the old patient. The theoretical bases that have been predominant within nursing are role theories and the activity theory. Role theories, such as the theory of the social breakdown syndrome, explain the withdrawal of the elderly as loss of role in society (Redfern Ross, 2006). The passivity of the elderly in institutions has also been interpreted with similar theories. Thus, there are grounds for stating that the theories which have so far been employed in nursing are based on one paradigm and mainly on one explanatory strategy loss of roles (Fawcett, 2000). When the withdrawal of the elderly is only considered a disadvantage and is explained to be caused by loss of roles, it is logical that activation is chosen as a means to curb a negative development. The theory of gerotranscendence may provide another interpretation and explanation of the withdrawal of the elderly (Wadensten, 2006: Wadensten and Carlsson, 2002). For practical nursing a new perspective may have concrete consequences, both for the occupation itself and for the nurse personally. Nurses, like other occupational groups, perform their occupation on the basis of theoretical knowledge, intrinsic values and practical skills. A practicing nurse is many years younger than the old patient and will probably be influenced by those values that Tornstam calls Western and which are predominant in mid-life. Because of all these factors the nurse may easily find that the old person has a passive and pathetic form of life, and consider the right remedy will be to activate the patient (Wadensten, 2006: Wadensten and Carlsson, 2002). Nurses have till now been trained to, and been socialized into a role in which everybody thinks that all elderly are to be activated whether they want to or not. Nurses have learnt that activity is healthy and we know that activity may prevent social isolation, physical decline and complications (Redfern and Ross, 2006). Thus, the nurse feels that her knowledge of this phenomenon gives her a right and duty to activate the old patient. The nurse can motivate and defend her choice of action by a theory which states that it is good for people, including the elderly, to be active. In this perspective one may argue that Tornstams theory may be a useful supplement. If his theory is emphasized as much in practical nursing as the above mentioned theories have been, the nurse will be entitled to let the patient choose what many of us would call passivity. The nurse will be able to explain on the basis of a theory why the patient has been given such a choice (Wadensten, 2006: Wadensten and Carlsson, 2002). Secondly, the nurse will have a better conscience while performing her job. Many nurses find they are forcing the elderly to be active. This type of coercion is against ethical principles such as the autonomy principle, and serves to give the nurse a bad conscience. The nurse is in an awkward position, between the benevolence principle based on the paradigm that Tornstam criticizes so heavily and the autonomy principle. The theory of gerotranscendence may help to lessen the conflict between these two principles. 5.0 Conclusion Tornstams theory of gerotranscendence introduces a completely new method of interpreting old age. What makes this theory special is his new interpretation of the withdrawal and passivity of the elderly as another form of activity. This activity is qualitatively different from the visible activity that we have focused on so far, in the form of social activity and engagement. Tornstam labels this form of activity transcendence and says that it helps to enhance the experience of a good life. Tornstam contributes to a balanced understanding of living into old age, and is obviously right in his criticism of how we have transplanted mid-life values into old age. His theory may to a large extent provide a new understanding of life in old age, for example old people who refuse to extend their social sphere, or who do not find activities in institutions meaningful. Tornstams theory is interesting and exciting to read and is extremely relevant for nursing. It can offer new ideas to nursing and insights into ageing and into those values and theories that influence the exercise of a practical occupation.

The House Of The Seven Gables- Hawthornes Personal Reflections :: essays research papers

Nathanial Hawthorne. Considered to be one of the greatest American writers of the 19th century. But did you know that he hated portraits, and it is now thought that he was a mild manic-depressive? Born in Salem, Massachusetts on July 4, 1804. A decendant of a long puritan line of Hathorne's. His ancestry included his great-great grandfather, John Hathorne who was a judge at the Salem witch trials 112 years before Nathanial was born. Judge John Hathorne charged many with the crime of witchcraft,and condemned them to their deaths. Nathanial was embaressed by this and changed the spelling of his last name from Hathorne to Hawthorne. Alot of his family history, life experiences and where he lived influenced his writing greatly. Hawthorne had a cousin, Susannah Ingersoll. When he was young, in Salem, he would frequently visit her in her mansion, she lived there alone. The house had a secret staircase and once had seven gables. This house, Nathanial visited in his youth, was his inspiration for the house in his book " The House Of The Seven Gables". The story of The House Of The Seven Gables streches over two centuries. It's the classic scenario of two rival families, in this case the Pyncheons ( weathly aristocratic puritans) and the Maules ( humbler paupers). The story of these two families begins with Matthew Maule, who owned a certain amount of land and built himself a hut to live in, in this new puritan settlement. Maule was a hard working but obscure man, who was stubborn and protected what was his. His rival arrived at the settlement about 30 to 40 years after Maule had been there. Colonel Pyncheon, an ambicious and determined man, had a high position in the town. It was said that Colonel Pyncheon was very much for the execution of those who practiced witchcraft, and it was also said that he very strongly sought the condemnation of Matthew Maule for being a wizard. Pyncheon did manage to have Maule executed but not before Maule placed a curse on Pyncheon and his decendants. These were Maules exact words : " God, God will give him blood to drink !" Many of the characters in the book were influenced by actual people in and during Nathanial's life. For example : Colonel Pyncheon was based on The Reverend Wentworth Upham, a Minister and mayor of Salem. He wrote the books : Lecture's on Withcraft and History of Witchcraft and Salem Village. The Maule name was derived from Thomas Maule, a Quaker merchant living in Salem at the time of the trials.

Essay --

For D.D. Williamson the clear-cut blend of projects in a portfolio can signify the distinction involving organizational development and expensive setbacks. By strategically prioritizing projects, the company can capitalize on how it can move forward with major projects and properly assign resources that make certain only those projects that best line up with company’s vision makes the cut. Since reactions to the projects often ran high when making these kinds of decisions the idea of a structured senior management team to work through criteria selection process that allowed them to pick two project per senior management sponsor (Kloppenborg, 2012). This achieved the results the company was looking for and providing another strength in the company minimizing weakness. One tool used by the management team is a prioritization matrix it provided a way for the team to group an assorted set of items into an order of importance. It also recognizes their qualified importance by developing a numerical assessment for the priority of each item (Gosenheimer, 2012). Using a prioritization matrix...

Chemistry open book paper Essay

During radioactive decay, atoms of one element are changed into atoms of another element through the emission of alpha or beta particles from their unstable nuclei. With alpha decay the nucleus emits an alpha particle, which is essentially a helium nucleus; a group of two protons and two neutrons. It is a form of nuclear fission where the parent atom splits into two daughter products. The atomic nucleus emits an alpha particle and transforms (or ‘decays’) into an atom with a mass number 4 less and atomic number 2 less. For example: An alpha particle is the same as a helium-4 nucleus. Unlike beta decay, alpha decay is governed by the strong nuclear force. In beta decay, a neutron in the nucleus of an atom is converted into a proton and an electron. The electron is released as a beta particle. Below is the beta decay of Thorium to produce Protactinium. . In beta minus decay, the weak interaction converts a neutron into a proton while emitting an electron and an anti-neutrino. During beta-plus decay, a proton in an atom’s nucleus turns into a neutron, emitting a positron and a neutrino. Alpha rays can be blocked by a sheet of paper, shielding against beta rays needs a sheet of metal like aluminium. Nuclear fission differs from other forms of radioactive decay in that it can be harnessed and controlled via a chain reaction: free neutrons released by each fission event can trigger yet more events. Radioactive decay is spontaneous. Most nuclear fuels undergo spontaneous fission only very slowly. Nucleosynthesis in stars Hydrogen and helium are the most abundant elements in the universe. Elements heavier than lithium are all synthesized in stars. This first process of primordial nucleosynthesis may also be called nucleogenesis. In the Sun hydrogen is converted to helium in nuclear fusion reactions: 41H 4He + subatomic particles During the late stages of stellar evolution, massive stars burn helium to carbon, oxygen, silicon, sulphur, and iron. The production of small amounts of hydrogen and helium nuclei makes it possible for the star to synthesise most of the elements in the first three periods of the Periodic table. Two routes for the generation of lithium are: Route 1: 4He + 3H   7Li Route 2: 4He + 3He   7Be 7Be + electron 7Li The second route is interesting; this is because it is a form of electron capture. This is where the collision between an atom and an electron causes the proton to convert to a neutron and a neutrino is released. It is sometimes called inverse beta decay, the proton number and the structure of the nucleus is changed. Fission and Fusion Nuclear fission is the splitting of the nucleus of an atom into lighter nuclei often producing free neutrons and other smaller nuclei. The emission of these neutrons can cause further fission in other nuclei, thus producing a chain reaction. Fission of heavy elements is an exothermic reaction which can release large amounts of energy both as electromagnetic radiation and as kinetic energy of the fragments. Below is an example of nuclear fission, showing Uranium-235 splitting to create strontium-90 and xenon-143: Inside the reactor of an atomic power plant, Uranium atoms are split apart in a controlled chain reaction. This chain reaction gives off heat energy. This heat energy is used to boil water in the core of the reactor. So, instead of burning a fuel, nuclear power plants use the chain reaction of atoms splitting to change the energy of atoms into heat energy. This water from around the nuclear core is sent to another section of the power plant. Here, in the heat exchanger, it heats another set of pipes filled with water to make steam. The steam in this second set of pipes turns a turbine to generate electricity. Uranium-238 is used as a natural way to control the reaction due to the fact that it does not undergo fission. Two other mechanisms used for controlling the reaction are the graphite moderator and the control rods, which are made of boron coated steel. The neutrons that are produced when a nucleus splits are very fast moving; the graphite slows them down enough so that they cause fission reactions when they collide with Uranium-235 nuclei. The control rods which are made of Boron which absorb neutrons; they can be moved in and out of the reactor to control the rate of fission reactions. A typical absorption reaction is: Below is a cross section of the inside of a typical nuclear power plant: Notable advantages of fission include the fact that relatively little fuel is needed and the fuel is relatively inexpensive and available in trace amounts around the world. Also, it is not believed to contribute to global warming or other pollution effects associated with fossil fuel combustion. However, its major concerns include the possibility for a nuclear meltdown; an example could be the Chernobyl Disaster. Also, waste products can be used to manufacture weapons; waste from plutonium power stations remains dangerous for thousands of years. There is also high initial cost because the plant requires containment safeguards; even then, the power plants are still vulnerable from sabotage and attacks. Nuclear fusion is the process by which multiple atomic particles join together to form a heavier nucleus. It is accompanied by the release or absorption of energy. The fusion of two nuclei lighter than iron or nickel generally releases energy. Below is an example of a fusion reaction: Excess energy is released from the fusion reaction because of the lower binding energy of the helium nuclei compared to those in deuterium and tritium. The combined mass of the products is less than the mass of the reactants; the ‘lost’ mass is converted to energy, according to Einstein’s equation: E=mc2 For the below reaction to occur the particles need to form a high-density, super hot, ionized gas – plasma. 2H + 3H i 4He + 1n Tritium is produced by using lithium in the reactor, where neutrons from the deuterium-tritium reaction in the plasma will react with the lithium to produce more tritium: 6Li + 1n i 4He + 3H A way to control the plasma is to keep it away from the walls, which minimizes heat loss. To do this a tokamak is used. This device contains hot plasma in a doughnut shape within a vacuum vessel. Powerful magnetic fields created by large coils that run around the vessel keep the plasma away from the walls. Powerful electric currents heat the plasma as well as by microwaves that are directed into it and beams of fast neutron particles. Notable advantages to using nuclear fusion include the fact that there is significantly less chance of a fatal accident occurring than that of a fission reactor, because the fuel contained in the reaction chamber is only enough to sustain the reaction for about a minute. Also, Deuterium and tritium are virtually inexhaustible. Unlike fission reactors, whose waste remains dangerous for thousands of years, most of the radioactive material in a fusion reactor would remain dangerous for about 50-100 years. At present the disadvantage is merely the fact that scientists have not yet been able to contain a fusion reaction long enough for there to be a net energy gain. This is, in turn, causing many countries to phase out fusion research because of the failure to reach a breakthrough. Challenges to the future of fusion power stations The main challenge that scientists face is the growth of hydrocarbon films. Where plasma touches the walls, carbon tiles are eroded by deuterium and tritium ions, producing hydrocarbons. Further reactions result in the formation of reactive radicals, which combine with each other to form hydrocarbon films. These films cause problems because they trap the tritium and deuterium fuel ions in the walls of the device so that they are not circulating in the reacting plasma to produce any energy. Also if the film gets thicker, it begins to flake off, resulting in dust particles which can be absorbed into the plasma, affecting its purity and performance. Other issues include the potentially prohibitive costs of building, and the difficulties of repairing and maintaining the reaction vessel. This massive â€Å"blanket† of lithium and rare metals will degrade and become radioactive over time, requiring regular dismantling and replacement. No. Words – 357+368+294+145 = 1164 (excluding equations, titles, annotations and text in diagrams) – sorry! Sources http://www. answers. com/topic/nucleosynthesis? cat=technology – Nucleosynthesis http://helios. gsfc. nasa. gov/nucleo. html – Nucleosynthesis http://physics. bu. edu/py106/notes/RadioactiveDecay.html – Alpha and beta equations http://map. gsfc. nasa. gov/universe/bb_tests_ele. html – Nucleosynthesis http://chemed. chem. purdue. edu/genchem/topicreview/bp/ch23/modes. php. Alpha and Beta decay http://media. nasaexplores. com/lessons/01-060/images/Uran235. jpg – Fission of uranium-235 http://hyperphysics. phy-astr. gsu. edu/Hbase/nucene/fusion. html – Nuclear fusion http://www. iter-india. res. in/images/jet_tokamak. jpg. Tokamak image, Fig 5 http://www. newscientist. com/channel/fundamentals/dn8827-no-future-for-fusion-power-says-top-scientist. html – Problems for fusion power http://eazyvg. linuxoss.com/2007/08/21/fusion-is-the-future-choice-for-nuclear-power-generation/ – Fission and fusion diagrams, advantages and disadvantages of fission and fusion. Fig 1 and 3 http://www. physlink. com/Education/AskExperts/ae534. cfm – Bond energy per nucleon, Fig 5 Article 1 – Box 1 – pg3 Article 1 – Second paragraph under â€Å"Nuclear fission† – pg4-5 Article 1 – Box 2 – Used for finding out control mechanisms – pg6 Article 2 – Advantages of fusion power, ways it produces energy – pg8 Article 2 – Box 2 – Lithium generation and equations – pg9 Article 2 – Box 2 – Fusion reactions – pg10 Article 2 – Tokamak, problems facing scientists – pg10.