Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Quest for Personal Identity in Toni Morrisons the Bluest Eye

Post World War I, many new opportunities were given to the growing and expanding group of African Americans living in the North. Almost 500,00 African Americans moved to the northern states between 1910 and 1920. This was the beginning of a continuing migration northward. More than 1,500,000 blacks went north in the 1930s and 2,500,00 in the 1940s. Life in the North was very hard for African Americans. Race riots, limited housing resulting in slum housing, and restricted job opportunities were only a few of the many hardships that the African American people had to face at this time. Families often had to separate, social agencies were overcrowded with people that all needed help, crime rates increased and many other†¦show more content†¦`Crazy foo...my floor, mess ...look what you...get on out...crazy...crazy...my floor , my floor.... Her words were hotter and darker than the smoking berries. The little [white] girl in pink started to cry. Mrs. Breedlove turned to her. `Hush, baby, hush. Dont cry no more (Morrison 109). Her mother viewed Pecola as an obstacle that had the potential to get in the way of her white charges happiness and consequently her happiness. Her mother refused to show any love to Pecola because it might interfere with more important things. For a little girl, the love of her mother is the most important love she can receive. Without that, how can she think that she is worth anything at all? Finally the rape by her father is the last evidence Pecola needs to believe completely that she is an ugly unlovable girl. While in most cases a father figure is one who little girls look to for guidance and approval, Cholly is the exact opposite. He hurts Pecola in a physical way that in one attempt measures up to the years of hurtful mockery. He took away from her the one thing that was utterly and completely hers. After the rape, Pecola was never even remotely the same: She was so sad to see. Grown people looked away; children, those who were not frightened by her, laughed outright. The damage done was total. She spent her days, walking up and down her head jerking to the beat of a drummer so distant only she could hear.Show MoreRelatedBeauty Is Pain And Its Effect On Society1401 Words   |  6 Pages1970’s disco, the definition of â€Å"attractiveness† continues to evolve. Toni Morrison’s Nobel Prize-winning novel, The Bluest Eye, explores themes of beauty and the power of appearance. During the 1940’s, amidst World War II conflict, the â€Å"Aryan race† was praised/idolized for fair skin, light eyes, and blonde hair. Pecola, a young, low-class black girl strives to achieve this standard of beauty in hopes of discovering happiness/personal fulfillment in a world full/plagued with of moral unease. But to whatRead MoreThe Bluest Eye, And Marilynne Robinson s Housekeeping2047 Words   |  9 Pagessociety have a consistent, unavoidable impact on the individual and our own sense of identity. Whether it is the home we grow up in, the societal standards we face, or the relationships we lose and make, self-identification is significantly inf luenced by our surroundings. This journey to find oneself is a central theme within both Toni Morrison’s novel, The Bluest Eye, and Marilynne Robinson’s, Housekeeping. The Bluest Eye tells the story of Pecola Breedlove, a young African American girl who yearns

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Solar Power Free Essays

string(54) " was the equivalent of about 20 nuclear power plants\." ABSTRACT The assignment is based on solar energy and the title is â€Å"Solar Energy: and infinite resource meeting our infinite demand. † Firstly, solar energy is then introduced where it states that the energy radiated from sun is the solar energy which is essential for Earth. The aspects to be covered and the motivation for choosing solar energy are then explained. We will write a custom essay sample on Solar Power or any similar topic only for you Order Now Pictures of solar cells are provided to have a better view of how solar power is generated. In addition, the importance of solar power is explained which says that solar energy is important to nature as it is the power source of life and a clean energy as it helps to keep the environment green. Secondly, the process of generating solar power from solar energy is explained with the help of a diagram. Next, real life examples of how solar power is harnessed in different countries are given. The examples are described in details and the use of solar power in Germany and Bangladesh is highlighted. Then, a table is included which represents the largest photovoltaic power stations around the world. You can read also Thin Film Solar Cell After that, some plans of using solar power in future are given in details. It further talks about the future of solar power in Bangladesh and India. Finally, the assignment is concluded with the thought that solar energy is a renewable resource which when used causes no pollution and for this reason, the world is watching that solar energy is not only capable of saving electricity but also it has many offerings that goes beyond what most people think. Solar Energy: An infinite resource meeting our infinite demand Introduction Sun had been the main source of energy since the Earth was born. It is the source for primary production. People have been using the energy of Sun in various ways. Apart from these usages, people have finally learnt to generate Solar Power from the solar energy. The Sun is 150 kilometers away, and amazingly powerful. Just the tiny fraction of the Sun’s energy that hits the Earth (around a hundredth of a millionth of a percent) is enough to meet our power needs many times over. In fact, every minute, enough energy arrives at the Earth’s surface to meet our demands for a whole year – it the energy could be harnessed properly. That is, Solar Energy is an infinite resource meeting our infinite demand. The sun produces a tremendous amount of energy. Every second, more than  4 million metric tons  of hydrogen is converted into helium. But even at this rate, the sun will continue producing solar energy for another  5 billion years. As a result, solar energy is considered the ultimate  renewable energy. Aspect to be covered: The use of solar energy to generate solar power (solar cells) and save electricity. Motivation: Nowadays, non-renewable resources are at crisis. In Bangladesh, electricity consumption is high and it fails to meet the demand. Bangladesh suffers load shedding at a high rate. Therefore, in order to save electricity, people must come forward and learn to harness solar energy in order to produce solar power. The more efficiently the solar energy can be harnessed, the more electricity can be saved. Using solar energy we will be able to reduce our carbon footprint and be free from rising utility rates. Importance of Solar Energy Generating Solar Power involves no pollution. Environmentally, it is the most Clean and Green energy. Solar energy is clean, renewable (unlike gas, oil, and coal), and sustainable, helping to protect our environment. Solar Energy Is Important In Nature: Solar energy is an important part of almost every life process, if not, all life processes. Plants and animals, alike, use solar energy to produce important nutrients in their cells. Plants use the energy to produce the green chlorophyll that they need to survive, while humans use the sun rays to produce vitamin D in their bodies. However, when man learned to actually convert solar energy into usable energy, it became even more important. Solar Energy Is Important As Clean Energy: Since solar energy is completely natural, it is considered a clean energy source. It does not disrupt the environment or create a threat to Eco-systems the way oil and some other energy sources might. It does not cause greenhouse gases, air or water pollution. The small amount of impact it does have on the environment is usually from the chemicals and solvents that are used during the manufacture of the photovoltaic cells that are needed to convert the sun’s energy into electricity. This is a small problem compared to the huge impact that one oil spill can have on the environment. The Conversion of Solar Energy to Solar Power Solar Cells (also called â€Å"Photovoltaic†, â€Å"PV†, or â€Å"Photoelectric† cells) convert sunlight into electricity. It is made up of three subsystems * The PV Devices generate the solar power by converting sunlight into direct-current (DC) electricity. * The BOS consists of all the equipment between the PV devices and the load. It includes the structure for mounting the PV devices, he power conditioning equipment to convert the DC electricity to alternating current (AC) for the use by the load, and batteries for storing the PV generated electricity if desired. The Load is simply the device that uses the electricity. The television is a good example of a load. Case Studies: * Germany has long been the world leader in producing solar electricity Some people believe that Germany’s walk away from nuclear power will lead it  down to more fossil fuel plants own  and all the CO2 emissions that come with them. But the country was cranking solar electric ity like it or no nation ever has, according to the International Economic Platform for Renewable Energies in Muenster. The group said in a press release last Saturday that photovoltaic operations in Germany were producing at 22 gigawatts for a cloudless stretch beginning at around noon on Friday, May 25, 2012. As the institute pointed out, that was the equivalent of about 20 nuclear power plants. You read "Solar Power" in category "Papers" Germany has long been the world leader in producing solar electricity, in large measure because over a decade ago it implemented â€Å"feed in tariffs† (FiTs) that essentially pay people and businesses for generating solar. Germany has been cutting those tariffs steadily, and at an accelerating pace as plunging prices of solar panels makes them less necessary. The FiTs have encouraged solar uptake and have led to lower prices through manufacturing economies of scale. On top of that, Chinese manufacturers have pushed prices down. German’s Parliament recently sped up FiT cuts in part because the subsidy has led to higher electricity prices,  a Bloomberg Businessweek story noted two months ago. The importance of solar is now greater than ever in Germany, following the country’s decision to abandon nuclear power after Japan’s Fukushima nuclear meltdown in March 2011. The world is watching this one. * Exploration of Solar Power In Bangladesh Bangladesh is a massively power-deficient country with peak power shortages of around 25%. More than 60% of its people do not have access to the power grid. The country only produces  3500-4200  MW of electricity against a daily demand for 4000-5200 MW on average, according to official estimates. Solar energy is an ideal solution as it can provide grid less power and is totally clean in terms of pollution and health hazards. Since it saves money on constructing electricity transmission lines, it’s economical as well. Little wonder that  it is becoming popular in Bangladesh. The number of households using solar panels has now crossed the one million mark, the fastest expansion of solar use anywhere in the world. In 2002, just 7,000 households in Bangladesh were using solar panels, but now more than one million households, or five million people, are benefitting from solar energy. The Government of Bangladesh has also withdrawn all the import tariff and VAT (Value Added Tax) on the raw materials of solar panels for the current fiscal year. In his budget speech, the Finance Minister Abul Mal Abdul Muhit said that Bangladesh gets about 250 to 300 sunny days on average per year (rainy days are not included). He added that since the maintenance cost is very low, we could massively increase the use of solar power in the country. The solar panel providers in Bangladesh are now expecting the price of batteries and accessories to drastically reduce. In fact, solar panels and accessories imported from countries in the developed world like Germany cost a lot, but the same panels manufactured in China cost much less. In the capital city, Dhaka, the power department has set a pre-condition of installing solar panels on buildings applying for new connections. In the villages, solar power is even being used to operate pumps for irrigation. Today both urban city dwellers and villagers in remote areas of Bangladesh are using solar energy. Photo Voltaic Power Stations World’s largest photovoltaic power stations (50 MW or larger)| PV power station| Country| DC peak power (MW)| Notes| Agua Caliente Solar Project| USA| over 200| 397 MW when complete| Charanka Solar Park| India| 214| Completed 2012| Golmud Solar Park| China| 200| Completed 2011| Sarnia Photovoltaic Power Plant| Canada| 97[24]| Constructed 2009–2010| Montalto di Castro Photovoltaic Power Station| Italy| 84. | Constructed 2009–2010| Finsterwalde Solar Park| Germany| 80. 7| Phase I completed 2009, phase II and III 2010| Okhotnykovo Solar Park| Ukraine| 80| Completed 2011| Solarpark Senftenberg| Germany| 78| Phase II and III completed 2011, another 70 MW phase planned| Lieberose Photovoltaic Park  | Germany| 71. 8| | Rovigo Photovoltaic Power Plant| Italy| 70| Completed November 2010| Olmedilla Photovoltaic Park| Spain| 60| Completed September 2008| Strasskirchen Solar Park| Germany| 54| | Puertollano Photovoltaic Park| Spain| 50| opened 2008| Possible future projections and recommendations: In Bangladesh, Gazipur Solar Panel Plant will be initiating soon BANECO Solar Energy Ltd. , a German-Bangladesh joint-venture, will start manufacturing European standard solar panel in the country very soon. The company has already set up a manufacturing plant at Gazipur at a cost of Tk. 27. 27 crore in effort to reduce country’s dependence on import of Solar Panel. In addition, BANECO has a plan to manufacture solar power station in each district, solar irrigation pump and solar streetlight gradually. * Powering Streetlights in Dhaka with Solar Power Currently, Dhaka uses around 22,000 sodium lights and 57,000 fluorescent lights for its streetlights. Plans are afoot to have solar-powered lights at 100 traffic intersections under a separate project funded by the World Bank. The solar panels will also power automatic time-countdown displays at intersections to tell motorists when the next change of lights will be. The power demands of traffic lights are insignificant, but officials said the project will raise awareness among the motorists about green technology. * Planning 1000 MW Solar Power Plant in Gujarat, India Taking cue from Gujarat, Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) proposes to set up solar power plant atop 2,494 kilometers long network of canals that has the potential to generate up to 1,000 mw green solar power. Setting up solar power plant atop water canal eliminates the need for land acquisition and water evaporation from the canal that is quite high in India with sunshine for nearly 300 days in a year. Future of Solar Power: The future of solar PV looks rather bright. The industry has consistently been able to lower the cost of solar panels. If this trend can be maintained for the next 10 years, and if subsidies are continued for that period, there is a real prospect for solar to become cost competitive on its own (that is, without a subsidy), at least for commercial installations. Utility-scale installations will take longer to become competitive. Conclusion Solar energy is lauded as an inexhaustible fuel source that is pollution and often noise free. The technology is also versatile. For example, solar cells generate energy for far-out places like satellites in Earth orbit and cabins deep in the Rocky Mountains as easily as they can power downtown buildings and futuristic cars. Today’s solar product offerings go way beyond what most people think of when they hear the term ‘solar power’ or ‘solar energy’ – typically they imagine solar electric panels on a roof converting sunlight into electricity. While these ‘photo voltaic’ panels do represent a piece of the solar pie, many more solar-powered products and technologies utilizing the sun’s energy now exist. Solar PV systems, battery-backed off-grid systems, solar farms and more are at the forefront of the solar power world innovations, with more to come. References http://environment. nationalgeographic. om/environment/global-warming/solar-power-profile/ http://www. solar-energy-at-home. com/why-use-solar-energy. html http://www. darvill. clara. net/altenerg/solar. htm http://www. smartplanet. com/blog/intelligent-energy/solar-electricity-world-record-germany-cranks-half-its-power-with-pv/16354 http://www. reuters. com/article/2012/07/05/us-banglades h-solar-idUSBRE8640DM20120705 http://www. energybangla. com/ http://cdkn. org/2011/07/explosion-of-solar-power-in-bangladesh/ http://www. mydigitalfc. com/news/dvc-plans-1000-mw-solar-power-plant-over-water-canal-network-586 How to cite Solar Power, Papers Solar Power Free Essays Peter Maloney writes in his article, † Environmentalists Against Solar Power† that solar power projects are facing major scrutiny, not from the coal or oil industry, but from environmentalists. Maloney says that Southern California is pushing for solar power in the desert cause the amount of sunlight with virtually no clouds, â€Å"but its also the home to the Mojave ground squirrel, the desert tortoise and the burrowing owl, and to human residents†. Maloney also states that the US Bureau of Land Management says that it had applications submitted for solar power that would cover 78,490 acres in the desert. We will write a custom essay sample on Solar Power or any similar topic only for you Order Now For the entire US, the number of applications grew from zero two years ago to more than 125 with enouch potential electrical power of 70,000 megawatts or the equivalent to 70 large coal plants. The rush to try and get this land is caused by a California Law that calls for 20 percent of the state’s electricity must come from renewable resources by 2010. Jim Harvey, who is the founder of the Alliance for Responsible Energy Policy, is quoted by Maloney saying, † Our position is that none of this is needed. We support renewable energy, and we support California’s renewable energy targets, but we think it can be done through rooftop solar†. Harvey also pointed out the success that Germany was having by using rooftop solar panels. The way it works is that the government offers payments for electricity generated from solar panels. The payment is roughly 50 cents per kilowatt hour. The average payment in the US in 11 cents per kilowatt hour, but the payments would not be as high as the German payments here. Maloney goes on to say not only would the solar panels destroy habitats, it would run the deserts small water supply, as it is, even more scarce. The mirror and solar panels would have to be washed, and some panels use turbines which would require more water. Terry Frewin, chairman of the Sierra Club’s California/Nevada desert commitee, says that † solar panels destroy all natice resources on site, and have indirect and irreversible impacts on surrounding wilderness†. At the current rate of adding 200 megawatts of rooftop solar panels a year, it would take â€Å"100 years to meet the 20 percent renewable [target set] by California†. The first major debate over a large solar power project was over the 250 acres of land, which was on the outskirts of Victorville, California, on the western side of the Mojave that was gonna be used for the solar panels. Inland hired people to look for the endangered ground squirrel and desert tortoise. No squirrels were found but some tortoises were, so the Inland, cmpany building the panels, said for every acre of lost habitat they would buy one acre of land to offset it. Although it would cost some â€Å"6.5 million to 10 million dollars† to buy the offsetting acreage. How to cite Solar Power, Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Care plan Management

Question: Explain Care plan for Mr. Lee. Answer: Care plan for Mr. Lee PROBLEM/ISSUE GOAL OF CARE NURSING INTERVENTIONS RATIONALE INDICATORS PLAN IS EFFECTIVE PHYSICAL Mechanical fall and risk of harm Prevention of fall for promoting independence, enhancing physical movement and providing safe environment Appointing a support worker to Mr. Lee. Assessment of his vision and physical ability Balance assessment- for promoting his muscle strengthening Assessing his eyesight is the primary intervention for Mr. Lee to reduce his fall risk because the blurred or impaired vision is general symptoms in older adults of his age. The blurred or impaired vision enhances the risk of fall and chances of physical injury (Morgan Yoder, 2012). As he has a history of fall from tool during gardening, reducing the risk of fall is necessary. Appointing a support worker would be helpful for Mr. Lee because the support worker would enhance his ability to complete his ADLs. the support worker can assess his mobility and physical ability regularly and based on the reports proper interventions can be recommended (Reuben Tinetti, 2012). Mr. Lee participated in a 12 week program for enhanced balance and muscle strengthening. The support worker reduced the harmful and hazardous materials from Mr. Lees house. Mr. Lee showed empowered behaviour and improved mobility Physical exercise including aerobic and walking interventions Physical exercise is necessary with age the normal muscle strength declines with increased risk of falling. It would also enhance his abilities of movement and completing ADLs (Rosemond et al., 2012) Eliminating hazardous materials from his surrounding areas within his home As Mr. Lee stays alone at his home, the chance of falling enhance along with risk of physical harm. The support worker would reduce harm through the elimination of hazardous elements including acids, knife, chemical strippers and fire extinguishers (Brownie Nancarrow, 2013). Enhanced mobility Gardening interventions Onder et al., (2012) analysed the role of gardening in mental and physical wellbeing of older adults. It enhances the hand strength and pinch force. Positive results from gardening would enhance the self-esteem level. Along with the exercise program. Gardening can be both energetic and relaxing for him MENTAL Deterioration in mental health, Loss and grief, Risky behaviour Enhancing mental relaxation decrease sympathetic outputs Tai chi intervention Tai chi is a traditional Chinese exercise which is used as martial arts for health benefits. The practice involves sequences of flowing movements along with changed mental focus, coordination, breathing and relaxation. It would help Mr. Lee to improve her mental health. The intervention has been reported as the meditative movements for enhancing mental functioning (Gillespie et al., 2012) Tai chi and person-centred care were useful for their enhanced recovery of mental health. After attending a 8 week counselling session, he showed enhanced self-confidence and decreased hesitation. Enhancing self--confidence Person-entered Health counselling Person-centred health counselling and therapeutic communication stimulation can be the best intervention for Mr. Lee to enhance his self confidence. Upon assessment, the person-centred counselling would help him to deal with his loss and grief for his wife and dear ones (Cameron et al., 2012) Making him aware of his status and promoting self-help Individual Health promotion Health promotion is necessary for Mr. Lee for enhancing his knowledge about his actual health status. In this health promotion, Mr. Lee would be provided all the necessary information about his health assessment, counselling and other health intervention along with their importance (Takahashi et al., 2012). It would help him to build sufficient knowledge to promote self-management and self-management is important at this age. Aged And Community Services Australia (ACSA) (www.agedcare.org.au, 2016/ 0396001988/ Blackburn North Victoria) is another organization which provides care to the patients by developing adequacy and development in both political and public areas. they are always ready with their legal advices for the patient whenever needed. They also provide different kinds of information like the eligibility and conditions for the location by giving the pamphlet. They also give design employment to the unemployed people by creating social clubs also provide home furnishing to the immigrants. Lee is excited to use this services as his friend has given positive feedback about this services. SOCIAL Social isolation, Less involvement with others, silent most of the time, Decreased self-confidence Enhanced social involvement Involvement with catholic groups at St. Pauls church regularly Mr. Lee has a background of migration from China to Australia at the age of 12 and he has lost his father at early age. Therefore, there was a cultural issue identified and at his end of life stage. Therefore, his involvement with his society can improve his health and well being (Smith et al., 2012). Therefore, the nursing intervention would be targeted towards his enhanced involvement with catholic church. Decreased social isolation would reduce the risk of depression Attending creative workshops and his involvement with his catholic society friends at St. Paul church enhanced his negative thinking towards his life as well as enhanced his creative thinking Enhanced interaction with others and mental wellbeing Group creative education Creative interaction with others is a great way to engage older people in community it also helps to enhance their self confidence and the urge of living. Creative education would include art and craft education which is a well known recreation activities suitable for aged care services. Creative practices like painting, participating in art and craft workshops and creation of art and craft would promote the critical thinking and judgement skills, thereby enhancing positive interaction with others (Zarit Zarit, 2012). EMOTIONAL Anxious nature Behavioural and communication improvement Behavioural activation and pleasant events, cognitive training The behavioural activation programs through the therapeutic communication stimulation can be helpful for Mr. Lee to improve his current health status. The therapeutic stimulation would initially need the establishment of positive relationship within the nurse and Mr. Lee (Wright Leahe, 2012). It would enhance his cognitive thinking and positivity which would be sufficient for his emotional well being. The support from the positive relationship with the nurse would promote his positive judgment and wellbeing. Carers Australia (www.carersaustralia.com.au, 2016/+61 262790200) is the foundation of the old aged homes. One of the Australias integral health care system. it is mainly responsible for the medication management. It provides social, financial and emotional support to the elderly patients. Mr. Lee is looking forward to this service to improve social connectedness. The organization help the patients to get organized, remind them with the dates of their appointments and with the dealing of the emergency. They also provide transportation assistance in case of medical urgency. They also look after the Holocaust elderly survivors. The sessions of therapeutic communication stimulation helped Mr. Lee to improve his communication and interaction which reduced his risk of anxiety. The relaxing and supportive exercise helped in improving his emotional wellbeing Decreased mobility and related depression Improving physical disability and related emotional wellbeing Exercise and walking Relaxing exercise and regular walking has been reported to enhance the emotional well being of geriatric patient. The physical disability is one of the most common causes of emotional issues. A walking programme for three times a week over six months can improve the mental and emotional well being (Li et al., 2012). It has been also reported that relaxing physical exercise improve the hormone regulation in the body and thereby controlling depression and anxiety related symptoms. Engagement in regular exercise and walking program would also help him to reduce his loss and grief related depression symptoms. Decreased sense of emotion Emotional health boost Computer games and brainstorming It has been proved that older adults, who are involved in computer games and brainstorming activities, have been shown to have positive results in recreation programs. It can also enhance his social involvement with others who plays videogame, thereby reduction of his loneliness and social isolation problem would also be resolved. The Aged And Care Assessment Team (www.myagedcare.gov.au, 2016/1800200422) is an independent multi disciplinary organization, which provides free care to the people with age above 65 years. It relates to respite and transition care, aged care of residential and packages of home care. The respite care is like an emergency or temporary care, which is given to the elderly people who have an intellectual disability. This care provides a positive feeling to the patients receiving this. Lee is excited to use this services as her friend has given positive feedback about this services ACAT gives continuous services by doing their daily tasks and looking after their personal care 24x7. They try to make the patients feel at home and comfort them in every means. HANDOVER TO ACAT RN Identify- Peta Harbour, registered nurse, New South Wales hospital Situation- The patient has been come for primary health care facility after completing his 75+ annual health assessment with a health care practitioner. He has been reported with decreased social, physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. Now, the major priority for the patient is to make a action plan for his health and well being after assessing his past history which has been reported by the health care practitioner. Background- Thomas Lee, the current patient is a 68 years old male who has been migrated from china to Australia when he was 12 years old and he is a retired carpenter. He can speak English fluently. He sold veggie at local market. He has lost his wife recently and has no children. It made him lonely as he stays alone at her house. However, he receives aged care pension. Analyzing his current health history, it has been revealed that he received tetanus, pneumonia and influenza vaccines till 2015. His family history revealed that he lost his father when he was a child and his mother died at the age of 89. He has a sibling who lives in another state, thus there is less chance to meet Mr. Lee frequently. Assessment- The current care plan of the patient revealed that improving his mobility, reducing the risk of fall and injury and enhancing his emotional and mental wellbeing are the care priorities for Mr. Lee. In this context, it has also been found that physical exercise plan, social involvement, reducing his loneliness and depression related to loss and grief is important for his palliative care services (Morgan Yoder, 2012). Request- The ACAT assessment and other two community service would provide emotional, financial along with personal care services at any time which is necessary for the older adult people (Reuben Tinetti, 2012). In addition, the ACSA institute helps in development of public and political support for meeting the current personal and medical requirements of Mr. Lee. Therefore, the service would be beneficial for Mr. Lee. Reference List Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT). (2016). Healthywa.wa.gov.au. Retrieved 23 May 2016, from https://healthywa.wa.gov.au/Articles/A_E/Aged-Care-Assessment-Team-ACAT Brownie, S. Nancarrow, S. (2013). Effects of person-centered care on residents and staff in aged-care facilities: a systematic review.CIA, 1. https://dx.doi.org/10.2147/cia.s38589 Cameron, I. D., Gillespie, L. D., Robertson, M. C., Murray, G. R., Hill, K. D., Cumming, R. G., Kerse, N. (2012). Interventions for preventing falls in older people in care facilities and hospitals.Cochrane Database Syst Rev,12. Gillespie, L. D., Robertson, M. C., Gillespie, W. J., Sherrington, C., Gates, S., Clemson, L. M., Lamb, S. E. (2012). INTERVENTIONS FOR PREVENTING FALLS IN OLDER PEOPLE LIVING IN THE COMMUNITY: FINDINGS FROM THE RECENTLY UPDATED COCHRANE REVIEW.Parkinsonism Related Disorders,16, S9. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s1353-8020(10)70034-1 Home   Carers Australia. (2016). Carersaustralia.com.au. Retrieved 23 May 2016, from https://www.carersaustralia.com.au/home/ Li, F., Harmer, P., Fitzgerald, K., Eckstrom, E., Stock, R., Galver, J. et al. (2012). Tai Chi and Postural Stability in Patients with Parkinson's Disease.New England Journal Of Medicine,366(6), 511-519. https://dx.doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa1107911 Morgan, S. Yoder, L. (2011). A Concept Analysis of Person-Centered Care.Journal Of Holistic Nursing,30(1), 6-15. https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0898010111412189 Onder, G., Carpenter, I., Finne-Soveri, H., Gindin, J., Frijters, D., Henrard, J. et al. (2012). Assessment of nursing home residents in Europe: the Services and Health for Elderly in Long TERm care (SHELTER) study.BMC Health Services Research,12(1), 5. https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-12-5 Reuben, D. Tinetti, M. (2012). Goal-Oriented Patient Care An Alternative Health Outcomes Paradigm.New England Journal Of Medicine,366(9), 777-779. https://dx.doi.org/10.1056/nejmp1113631 Rosemond, C., Hanson, L., Ennett, S., Schenck, A., Weiner, B. (2012). Implementing person-centered care in nursing homes.Health Care Management Review,37(3), 257-266. https://dx.doi.org/10.1097/hmr.0b013e318235ed17 Smith, S. M., Soubhi, H., Fortin, M., Hudon, C., ODowd, T. (2012). Interventions for improving outcomes in patients with multimorbidity in primary care and community settings.Cochrane Database Syst Rev,4. Takahashi, P., Pecina, J., Upatising, B., Chaudhry, R., Shah, N., Van Houten, H. et al. (2012). A Randomized Controlled Trial of Telemonitoring in Older Adults With Multiple Health Issues to Prevent Hospitalizations and Emergency Department Visits.Arch Intern Med,172(10). https://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archinternmed.2012.256 Welcome to ACSA Victoria ACSA - Aged and Community Services Australia (Victoria). (2016). Agedcarevic.org.au. Retrieved 23 May 2016, from https://www.agedcarevic.org.au/ Wright, L. M., Leahey, M. (2012).Nurses and families: A guide to family assessment and intervention. FA Davis. Zarit, S. H., Zarit, J. M. (2012).Mental disorders in older adults: Fundamentals of assessment and treatment. Guilford Press.

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Research Paper Format Essentials

Research Paper Format Essentials Hello there!  If you are reading this I may suggest that you’ve faced this unbearable at the first sight task. First of all, let me ensure you that it is not Ragnarà ¶k and the skies won’t fall down on you. It is obviously that research paper is not the easiest thing to write but knowing some essay hacks and subtleties you will be a success. Just remember: nothing ventured – nothing gained. Yes, you are to check and read huge amounts of information. Yes, it will take a lot of time and effort and at the end you may feel really tired and devastated for a while. But things are not that bad. If you are interested in your research paper topic and have some essay ideas to implement – you can even get a real pleasure while working on it. So keep calm and imagine yourself as a great researcher, investigator and†¦ well, is there anything bad in being Sherlock for some time? Research Paper Outline Format What do you know about research paper structure? It’s a lot like usual essay but the essay outline is quite easier. Of course you can find some essay hook examples and other writing hooks without any problems, but if you’re still reading this article I will tell you about them. There are title, introduction, main body and conclusion. In research paper, there is usually a list of references at the end, after the conclusion, and sometimes some additional contents after the references. Seems simply uncomplicated, but when it comes to life 95% of people are sitting with lost and desperate faces and be like listening whole Radiohead’s discography. The aim of this writing guide is to help you to sort out your task – to write research paper. By the way, in general all that you should know about the research paper structure is the following: Most of research papers have a title so make yours. A good plan is a half of your success, so plan it well. It will make your future work easier and will help to accelerate your writing progress. There’s no place for different writing styles in research paper. Only simple and clear explanations purely on the topic, at least nearly 80% of your research should be like that. Introduce the subject and general ideas which will be considered in main body. Main body should include detailed information, examples, and references to quotations if there are any. Also, you should support your thesis and explain the real value and relevance of your writing. While writing your conclusion follow your thesis, but not word in word so the reviewer wouldn’t get dà ©jà  -vu. Remember about generalizing and broadening at the end just like in essay conclusion but maybe more formal. It helps to emphasize all you’ve written previously in more common words. Acknowledgment, references, supplementary data are written after the conclusion. There are several styles of formatting, MLA and APA, but more detailed about them we will talk a little bit later. Creating the Title Most of the mere mortals may suggest that writing the title page is the easiest part of research paper. They are wrong (to some extent), because title page is the first to take the brunt of the watchful eyes of your professor, and the first impression from your writing depends exactly on this particular page. Fine dress helps to impress, right? So make your dress awesome, but don’t forget to be clever and resourceful underneath it. I hope it doesnt sound as a party-guide for dummies? Oh well, whatever. So here is your gorgeous title complied with all the rules of good manners. Congrats, the hardest part named â€Å"beginning† is done! Usually, the next page is contents with the pages of the chapters and subheadings, and conclusion and all that boring but still necessary stuff. As for me, the best way to cope with it is auto numeration after having all the things done, so it’s my piece of advice for you. If you don’t know how to do it – just google it and feel glad about such time economy. Alpha and Omega of Research Paper Format Just imagine, this is how I call the introduction and the conclusion. I found it slightly pathetic, but sounds not bad, so why not. The matter is that the intro and conclusion of research paper are closely connected with each other. One follows from the other. Writing your introduction think how you will beat it in the conclusion. Which words are better for attracting reader’s attention at first and which will be better for summarizing? Most likely, such things will come to your mind during the writing process. So get your writing inspiration and create. Introduce your topic to the reader. What is the aim of your research, what do you want to cover in it, what to discuss or explore? Describe it not in many words; usually introduction takes no more than two pages. Here you’re just actually speaking about your basic plans and expectations of your work. No special delights, no tricks or tracks. The conclusion may be a little bit longer than intro. And, unlike the introduction, the main aim of the conclusion is to emphasize and highlight the key findings of your research. Be objective and attentive here not to write word in word repeating of the introduction. And it seems like there’s nothing to add at this point. Main Body and What’s in it In research paper, the main body may contain several chapters and subheadings. Their number may depend on the requirements of your professor, so discuss such moments with him beforehand. But in some cases student himself makes a plan and just agrees it with his coordinator. The next part entirely depends on the subject of your research and the points of your plan. Following the plan will help you to follow main ideas and not to slide off the topic. So as I’ve said previously, good plan is a half of your research paper. After it you just have to find and process all the information on your topic, write everything you have learned in your own words, from time to time referring to the sources used. Carefully allocate the information on chapters and their subheadings so that everything will be harmonious and consistent. And it seems like that’s all about the main body. Research Paper Formatting There are two main formatting styles of academic writings – MLA and APA. MLA (Modern Language Association) Style is the most widely used format for documentation and citation of sources in the Humanities. APA (American Psychological Association) Style is used in general for arranging of the works related to social Sciences. This style is often used in courseworks, research reports, feasibility analyses, literature surveys etc. So let’s have a look what are the main differences between them. In MLA the title page is not always necessary, depends only on your professor’s requirements. Also, first and last name of the author are written, for example: Lastname, Firstname. The Title of the Work. City, State: Publishing House. Year. Major words in the title are capitalized, and the title is underlined. The source page is called â€Å"Works Cited†. In quotations, MLA uses the last name of the author and the number of the page. No commas to separate the material or p. and pp. before page numbers. In APA the title page should include 5 elements: running head, your paper’s title, your name, your University and author note (if required by professor). Only the last name of the author is written, first is abbreviated to initials, for instance: Lastname, F. (Year). The Title of the Work. City, State: Publishing House. Only the first word of the titles and subheadings are capitalized. Title is written in italics. The source page will be named as â€Å"References†. Only the last name of the author and the date mentioned in citing. Use of commas. If the pages are mentioned – p. and pp. are written. Editing and Repeating Now you know the most of what is needed to be known about research paper, it seems. What more should I say? I hope it was useful and helpful for you, my dear student. The only thing I can add, indeed, is that the edition of your work is a very important part of writing research paper; and any other academic writing too, by the way. Before printing or sending your research-masterpiece on your professor’s e-mail, make sure that everything you have written is worth reading and spending somebody’s time on it. When I was writing my coursework I’ve read it for only-god-knows-how-many-times beforehand, and still had some mistakes and missteps to fix. Well, and only then it seemed good enough to get my honestly earned B-point in a gradebook. But I hope that knowing everything I’ve just told you, you will get the highest mark. Rereading and double-checking of your work may seem desperately boring, but it’s really an essential part of any academic writing. Be brave, these are only the letters and words and sentences, and they like to be well-ordered and suitable. WI should say that when you will read it for the last time you may get this unbelievable feeling that everything in its right place. And this is the moment when you’ll be proud of yourself for really good reason, because you did it. Yes-yes, it’s definitely you. Maybe, it was complicated. Or vice versa, it was easy. Anyway, it is your achievement and now it’s unlocked. So read everything once again, check it for plagiarism and mistakes to make sure that you are really a good conscientious guy and breathe with relief. Well done!

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

CSR

CSR CSR New trends and focuses that companies are trying to employ Concepts of social responsibility or alternatively corporate citizenship have formed a predominant business lexicon hence attracting the attention of the academicians especially due to advents of the technological advancements of the 21st century. Nelson and Jane (2004, p.3) notes that, â€Å"over the past decade, however they have grown to encompass a more complex, multidimensional and global set of issues, with strategic implications for both business leaders and policy makers.† The current trends in the CSR, encompasses organizations orientations so as to enhance CSR integration to form part and parcel of corporate strategies. To achieve these, the corporations attempt to mainstream CSR functions to transform them into fabric of values that remain evenly integrated within the business enterprise of the company.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on CSR specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The trends focus pinpoints on the need to â€Å"breakdown the silos, adopting a strategic vision, implementing and operationalization of CSR on a global basis, addressing CSR as a risk management as opposed to one that can be electively be avoided and addressing social risks in the context of total risk management† (Nelson Jane, 2004 , p.10). More critically, the modern trends are oriented to solve communication challenges: becoming cognizant of impeccably different communication demands for various stakeholders, and making decisions on appropriate strategies of communication. Among other crucial changes in the perception of the CSR concept include: self regulation and juggling regulation, solution of legacy issues that jeopardize the trust of future stake holders, strike of balance between the long term and short term business market pressures and â€Å"creating new forms of public/private collaboration and partnerships† (C apriotti Moreno, 2007, p.90). Consistent with the established demands that require to be fulfilled by the emerging businesses laid on the foundation of the CSR programs, the trends include focusing of CSR on the dimension of being a risk management tool by the potential investors. They further include the inculcation of social responsibility in the investment of funds of speedily developing the component of mutual benefit fund industry and addressing the interrogative of the governance crisis matters of the corporate CSR fund. Further trends entangles taking into consideration â€Å"reinsurers increasingly nervous and vocal concerns about climatic change† (Burke Logsdon, 1996, p.500). Consequently, NPF business establishment to aid the CSR programs with the intent to develop green products of an organization has chances of success due to support by various government and international policies of putting into place mechanisms to deal with the problem of environmental degrad ation.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Reasons why companies do not engage in more CSR The reason why companies do not engage in CSR activities can be broadly divided into government and financial institution and reasons related to human resources. Falck and Heblich (2007, p.249) notes that, â€Å"the first and greatest barriers to the broader adoption of CSR practices are of an institutional or governmental nature – the lack of an appropriate regulatory framework and the lack of government involvement, followed by a mix of financial and government related barriers.† In one or other impediments to success of CSR inclusions in the companies’ strategic plans are perceived to result to increased operation costs of an organization, absence of results that are visible from companies’ main business objective: to involve in activities that places it at a more competitive edge through profit generation, and lack of financial linkages. Barriers related to human resource entangles â€Å"lack of staff (middle management) incentives, (followed by current Government policy), cultural differences, employee resistance and management resistance† (Porter Kramer, 2006, p.81). In the light of all the corporate fare to incorporate CSR, the main ones include: escalated operating costs, hiked perceived risks, more exertion of stakeholders’ interests, competitive disadvantage, evidence of regulatory authorities interventions, decreased productivity coupled with devastating impacts to the companies’ profits with a consequence of diminished quality levels of company’s product qualities. Current risks for in-house CSR Risk associated with the application of CSR or current risks for in-house CSR fall into six categories entangling the issue of compliance, operational, employment market, extrinsic busines s relationships, reputation and stock markets. All these risks surrounding implementation of CSR programs need to be impeccably and or closely monitored and controlled if at all CSR initiatives have to be aligned with the corporation strategic plans of operation.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on CSR specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Some of the issues that need to be ardently addressed include â€Å"conflicting global laws and regulations that pose potential risks when organizations implement CSR initiative† (Sharma Talwar, 2005, pp. 35-45). Omissions, violation of laws governing CSR disclosures, in adequate performance in comparison with the goals and objective of the company have the capacity to cause substantial harm to the company’s reputation or brands. Other issues included in the spectra of CSR initiatives risks includes failing to give consideration to integration of objectives of CSR i nto the product , services and manufacturing process and non compliance to the established regulations on CSR. According to Matten and Moon, â€Å"Companies could also lose investors if they don’t qualify for socially responsible investment and reduce their pool of potential employees who don’t want to work for organizations without social and community commitment† (2008, pp. 40-42). Worse still a company may be in operation under relationships with organizations such as supplier companies, customers, among other business partners who do not pay any concern to CSR principles. Social media reputational risk Within a spectrum of stake holders, discontent exist with regard to ‘state of play’ in spite of amicable formulation of initiatives and standards to guide CSR globally. â€Å"NGOs and action campaigners want corporations to be legally responsible and accountable for human rights violations and CSR lapses† (Mullerat, 2005, p.40). Strides mad e with the aid of advocating green business or sustainability initiatives, various draw backs have been registered especially when addressing social and labor risks attributable to operations of corporations and in general those who are afflicted by them either for good or bad.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Going green can solve some of the challenges. However, this attempt may not be sufficient to ensure substantial company health since ignorance to non-green CSR concerns exposes a company to reputational and financial risks. As Fombrun, Gardberg and Barnett notes, â€Å"This is definitely a case where going green can leave you in the red management might suffer thinner coffers and embarrassment from a CSR oversight† (2000, p.101). Adequate capacity that ensure support, provide counseling and legal advice services so as to implement and sustain effectively CSR programs to companies while not disregarding stake holders that are sought to be protected so as to maintain social reputation of the organization. Society’s perception of companies linked to revenue Focusing on profit is agreed upon by many economists to amount to paramount businesses’ indulgencies. This is necessary for the success of any company. Nevertheless, how does the society perceive such companies ? According to Luo and Bhattacharya the word profit serves â€Å"to project images of greed, exploited workers, and rich capitalists† (2006, p.14). In the eyes of the consumers: who comprise what the company may term, as the target group for its products, have never welcomed the term profit with good regards (Trevino, Nelson, 2007, p.23). The society in most situations tends to focus mainly on cash profits as opposed on accompanying value it receives. To many members of the society, profit is attained at an expense of somebody else’s welfare. â€Å"Reducing company profits by contributing more to community organizations is frequently applauded by the public but however, company contributions almost always are made with some hope of a return or benefit to the company† (Carroll, 1991, p.43). Consequently, companies have come to the realization that to attain long term success, they ought to adjust their social corporate behavior enormously to levels that are cohe rent with societal anticipations in terms of norms and values. Increased corporate concerns in social interest alongside with the media in CSR Has got also the capacity to foster companies to embark on practices that help to cover their negative image before the eyes of the society. Michael Porter – perceived benefit Over a long time, capitalism ideologies had been deemed as a major causative of success of profit making organization since they are anchored on the need to maximize profits. Porter and Kramer believe â€Å"companies have been perceived to be prospering on behalf of the wider community† (Porter Kramer, 2011, p.3). Companies, on realizing the magnitude of blame they receive in contributing to societal failure, have embarked on methodologies of correcting the existing gap through deployment of value sharing tactics. With reference to Porter and Kramer’s work, companies deserve to extend their efforts beyond tradeoffs and create shared value between t hem and the society through â€Å"re-conceiving products and markets, redefining productivity in the value chain, and building supportive industry clusters at company’s locations† (2011, p.7). He further suggests that not all profits are equal where by profit that entails social purposes integrated within it depicts a greater form of capitalism that has the capacity to create community prosperity and company’s positive cycles. How companies propose business plans for internal CSR There is no specific plan for internal CSR for adoption universally by every corporate. â€Å"Each firm has unique characteristics and circumstances that will affect how it views its social responsibilities; and each will vary in its awareness of CSR issues and how much work it has already done towards implementing a CSR approach† (McWilliams, Siegel Wright, 2006, p.13). Proposed Plans streams widely from the corporate existing knowledge in certain other fields for example envir onmental management and quality control and assurance. With reference to, the work of Dicken (2006), â€Å"The framework follows the familiar plan, do, check and improve model that underlies such well-known initiatives as those of the International Organization for Standardization in the areas of quality and environmental management systems† (p.73). Plans are engineered to be flexible since any viable CSR implementation framework demand to have components of social, economic and environmental decisions, as the need to go green is critical. The decision making task is planned by many companies to stem from the board of directors to officials of the organization and finally to the contracted partners charged with supplies tasks. This is perceived as necessary since CSR program need be agreeable and coherent with all organizations stakeholders. As Ira and Jane (2003) lament, â€Å"A properly governed firm can reap optimal benefits for itself and its shareholders and in turn for those who are affected by the firms activities† (p.41). The plan contains six essential elements, which depending on the complexity level of an organization; some may be skipped while their implementation has already been begun. the plans entails conducting corporate social responsibility assessments, developing CSR strategies, developing commitments to CSR, commitment implementations, verifications and reporting the progress of the plans and finally evaluation so as to provide room for improvements where necessary. Competitive analysis CSR is a diverse field. In the private sector, within an organization CSR departments are placed within anything ranging from compliance, legal or public relations. In the public sector, USAID, UN, international labor organizations have all endorsed CSR career options. On the other hand, in the non-profit sector, â€Å"There are a wide variety of NGO’s, industry associations, think tanks, and academic institutions engaging in learning and/or advocacy within the CSR arena† (David, 2004, p.57). Social responsibility business groups and Harvard business schools for social enterprise do specialize in this arena. However, important element that ensures thriving in any business venture, whether profit oriented or non-profit making is the products differentiation. Therefore, the presented idea is viable in a free competitive environment inasmuch as the products remain well thought of clearly distinguished from what is on offer by charitable organizations. References Burke, L., Logsdon, J., 1996. How corporate social responsibility pays off. Long Range Planning, 29(4), pp 495-502. Capriotti, P., Moreno, A., 2007. Corporate Citizenship and public relations: The importance and interactivity of social responsibility issues on corporate websites. Public Relations Review, 33(7), pp. 84-91. Carroll, A., 1991.The pyramid of corporate social responsibility: Toward and moral management of organizational stakeholders. Busi ness Horizon, 34(3), pp. 39-48. David, B., 2004. How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Dicken, P., 2006. Global shift Reshaping the Global Economic Map in the 21st Century, London: Sage. Falck, O., Heblich, S., 2007. Corporate social responsibility: Doing well by doing good. Business Horizons, 50 (1), pp. 247-254. Fombrun, C., Gardberg, N., Barnett, M., 2000. Opportunity Platforms and Safety Nets: Corporate Citizenship and Reputational Risk. Business and Society Review, 105(1), pp 85-106. Ira, A., Jane, N., 2003. Profits with Principles: Seven Strategies for Delivering Value with Values. New York: Currency Publishers. Luo, X., Bhattacharya, C., 2006. Corporate social responsibility, Customer satisfaction, and Market value. Journal of Marketing, 70 (4), pp. 1-18. Matten, D., Moon, J., 2008. ‘Implicit’ and ‘explicit ’CSR: A Conceptual Framework for a Comparative Understanding of Corpor ate Social Responsibility’. Academy of Management Review, 33(2), pp 40–42. McWilliams, A., Siegel, D., Wright, P., 2006.Corporate social responsibility: strategic implications. Journal of Management Studies, 43(1), pp. 1–18. Mullerat, R., 2005. Corporate Social Responsibility: The Corporate Governance of the 21st Century. Kluwer Law International: The Hague. Nelson, A. Jane, T., 2004. Leadership, Accountability, and Partnership: Critical Trends and Issues in Corporate Social Responsibility. Report of CSR Initiative: Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative, Report no.1. Cambridge, MA: John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Porter, M., Kramer, M., 2011. Creating Shared Value: How To Reinvent Capitalism-and Unleash A Wave of Innovation and Growth. Harvard Business Review. Web. Porter, M., Kramer, M., 2006. Strategy and Society: The link between competitive advantage and Corporate Social Responsibility. Harvard Business Review (HBR) Spotlig ht, 53 (5), pp 76-94. Sharma, A., Talwar, B., 2005. Corporate social responsibility: modern visvis Vedic approach. Measuring Business Excellence, 9(1), 35-45. Trevino, L., Nelson, K., 2007. Managing Business Ethics: Straight talk about how to do it Right. New York: John Wiley Sons.

Friday, November 22, 2019

300 - a Gender Analysis

Gender The film industry has created the conventional gender roles of society into their movies; A majority of films have supported some of the male and female stereotypes. In the history of the film industry, the role of men is primarilythat of the stereotypical working class man or hero, while the roles of women are primarily portrayed as being somewhat inferior to men. In the 1930s through the 1970s, men held the leading roles in films while women played smaller roles. Men were typically employed, successful gentlemen, while the woman’s only job was a housewife. The film industry was mostly dominated by men. In terms of jobs, women were given mostly family roles and rarely were shown outside of their homes, while men had successful careers and did many activities outside of home. â€Å"Women were shown doing housework and men were the beneficiaries of their work† (â€Å"Women’s roles in the film industry† Women in film). As women were given a more active role in society, the gender roles in movies changed. However, many types of gender stereotypes in films still exist. Action genre movies in particular account for many of the gender stereotypes in the film industry today. Men are typically portrayed to be the hero, while women are often portrayed as sexual objects. In the movie 300, the Spartan men served and protected the city of Sparta, while the Spartan women did domestic chores and bred more warriors. Because this movie was set back in 480 BC society portrayed men to be superior to women. Some of the main characters in 300 are prime examples for the different gender roles. King Leonidas is the proud, triumphant King of Sparta. In the film, the character Leonidas possesed as a couple different male stereotypes. King Leonidas is portrayed as the hero throughout the different action sequences. Throughout the movie Leonidas takes charge of his troops and leads them into battle. Leonidas is hero not only because he is the King of Sparta, but also because he is the commander of the troops. Before King Leonidas leaves for battle with his three-hundred Spartans, he confronts his wife and refrains from saying â€Å"My queen, my life, my love,† because he, like all other Spartans, is not soft and does not want to show emotion to his queen (Zack Snyder. 00). The narrator speaks of how Spartan men are raised like brutes and are â€Å"hard warriors† (Zack Snyder. 300). This particular phrase is important to the story because it reflects the gender role of men during that time period. King Leonidas can also be classified as the family man stereotype. Throughout the film he trains his young son for battle. He plays the role of protector not only for his individual family, but also for Spart a. In the movie 300, King Leonidas represents many male stereotypes. In contrast, the character Queen Gorgo stands for many female stereotypes in the movie. The queen portrays the domestic female stereotype. In the film Queen Gorgo cares for her young son and stays at home while her husband, King Leonidas, is fighting for their country. Like many of the women in the film, Queen Gorgo performs many domestic tasks such as retrieving food and water for her family, as well as looking after her child. Queen Gorgo is also a sex object. She is easily seduced by her King. She bribesone of the councilmen with sex. At times in the film the Queen, among many other women, wear little clothing. The 300 Spartans also wear little clothing in the film. Due to the lack of clothing, the Spartans show their ripped and brute physique to reinforce the male stereotype of being brawny and strong. Lastly, the queen represents the female stereotype of beauty. The queen is an attractive woman with a small frame, much like how the media portrays what a woman should look like. Her attractive looks and sexual qualities are a large part of Queen Gorgo’s character. Queen Gorgo represents an abundance of the female stereotypes in society. The captain of the Spartan troops also shows male stereotypes. The captain is a close ally of King Leonidas. Throughout the film, the captain portrays the male stereotype of being a family man. The captain’s son, Astinos, is barely old enough to be in battle with the Persians. The captain is skeptical of allowing his son to enter battle, but decides to encourage him to serve their country. Throughout the different battles with the Persians, the captain protects his son from harm. When Astinos is killed by Persians, the captain goes on an extremely violent tirade and kills every Persian in sight due to his overpowering vengeance. After the death of his son, the captain proclaims to the king that his heart is filled with hate, and King Leonidas replies â€Å"Good. † King Leonidas feels that it is necessary for a soldier to feel hatred toward his enemies. This particular scene portrays another male characteristic of not showing emotion towards a certain subject. The captain is another character that shows the male stereotype present in this film. Although many of the characters in the movie portray the prevalent male and female stereotypes in society, there are a few characters that stray away from these social formalities. Councilman Theron is an example of one of the characters that does not abide to the brute and warrior stereotypes in the film 300. Theron is no older than the Spartan men who fight for their city, but he lacks the physical strength that the Spartan warriors possess. Because Theron is not a typical man in Sparta, he wears a gown that is similar to the gowns worn by Spartan women. Along with Councilman Theron, there are other men that are on the council of Sparta. These men are far less in physical size than the Spartan warrior and are given duties that are similar to women. The men in the council are unique to the majority of men in Sparta that serve their city. Since the men wear â€Å"woman-like† clothing, it labels women’s apparel to be very revealing. These men reinforce some of the women stereotypes prevalent in the film. There are also some specific scenes in the movie that break some of the male and female stereotypes. Directly after Astinos is killed in battle, the Captain begins to break down and cry. The captain immediately showed his emotion for the loss of his son. This scene in the movie shows how even the most masculine man has to show some emotion at some point in time. In the end of the battle against the Persians, after King Leonidas has been shot by many arrows, he stands up and shouts, â€Å"My queen, my life, my love† (Zack Snyder. 300). This phrase is contradictory to the general actions of Spartans, and men in general, because it shows emotion. Both of these sequences in the film show how every man must show emotion, regardless of who they are. 300 demonstrated the many male and female stereotypes in society. Although most of the men were relatively similar, there were a few men in Sparta who went against the normal gender role. Like many other action movies, 300 showed various roles that supported some of the gender roles in the film industry. The main characters primarily demonstrated the conventional gender roles, but they also expressed some contradictory qualities. The film industry provides arious different types of gender roles through movies. advertising. Home | Saint Marys College, Notre Dame, IN. 20 Apr. 2009 lt; http://www. diigo. com/05lfx Women in Film. Yahoo! GeoCities: Get a free web site with easy-to-use site building tools. 20 Apr. 2009 lt; http://www. diigo. com/05lfw 300 Movie Spartans. Mens Movie Guide. 20 Apr. 2009 lt; http://www. diigo. com/05lfv 300 (Widescreen Single Disc Edition). Dir. Zack Snyd er. Perf. Gerard Butler, Lena Headey. DVD. Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures International, 2006.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Factory System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Factory System - Essay Example The Factory System as it is known today when we refer to the onset of the industrial age of modern day England was the use of machinery for mass production (Boyson, 1970, pp. 34 - 52). Former cottage based industries or rather production that took place in the homes, cottages, hut (any form of residence of the workers) or any type of production that took place prior to the 1780s were moved to a centralized location that came to be known as a "factory". This was mainly caused due to the introduction of machinery for the production and manufacture of goods at the turn of the nineteenth century and since machines were too large to be housed in cottages of the workers and since it was too costly to provide each worker with an individual machine and also since several workers were necessary to operate one machine alone, the only option that was left to owners of the machinery were to house the machinery in a large buildings and have the workers manufacture the products in the "factory" un der the strict supervision of the machinery owners or supervisors who were hand picked by the owners (Thompson, 1967, pp. 81 - 93). Due to this centralization of labour and machinery, there was much migration from the villages to the industrial hubs in the country and thereby began the "factory system". And this migration from the village to the cities or the industrial centres were apparent in the early part of the nineteenth century The Impact of the Factory System on the Labour The onset of the factory system had many different impacts on the labour force, these impacts were both good and bad. By bringing workers under one roof it was easier for owners to supervise and manage the manufacture of products, they were also able to ensure that work was not duplicated and it was carried out in the most efficient manner possible. Also it was the factory system that was the cause of the development of modern day management theory through the studies that were carried out by individuals like Fredrick Taylor and others. By bringing labour under one roof the owners were able to discipline the staff appropriately and especially they were able to ensure that productivity was high, therefore as owners of the machinery they stood to gain a great deal. In the case of the workers the benefits and disadvantages that they faced were quite mixed. While the factory system gave them a steady income, living in such close quarters with so many different individuals, living in unsanitary conditions as the big cities turned out to be due to the convergence of workers and working in very unhealthy environments that were often inadequately lit up and ventilated caused much disease and also created an unsafe environment where workers were often prone to succumb to fatal accidents. While some opponents of the factory system insist that the machinery imposed discipline on the workers the author of this paper begs to differ on

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Greenpeace Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Greenpeace - Research Paper Example It seeks to expose global environmental problems and their causes†. Greenpeace conducts research and studies regarding environment issues and convey it to public and carry out protest to promote environmental peace. Greenpeace also boycotts companies which pollute environment and cause damage to it. â€Å"Greenpeace believes we need a thorough and radical overhaul of present international and national agricultural policies.   You can help urging your Representatives to pass laws that protect our health and eliminate genetic engineering† The key issue of Greenpeace is the protection of environment and preservation of wild life in order to maintain the balance of ecosystem. In the website (Lovelady) mentions that, â€Å"Greenhouse has a presence within 40 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific. Greenpeace focuses on the most critical global threats to biodiversity and environment†. Green peace also has focus prominently on global warming, fossil depletion and deforestation. It has influenced the industries worldwide to take action against the carbon emission which leads to â€Å"green house effect†. In order to act against green house emission Greenpeace have been continuously advocating the use of environmental friendly energy sources. Another key interest of Green peace is the campaign against the testing of nuclear weapons. It insists on U.S, Britain and Soviet Union to sign a nuclear ban treaty to promote global peace. As per (Vedder,85) â€Å"Green peace is committed to the principles of non – violence, political independence and internationalism†. Greenpeace is working towards the ending of environmental degradation with help of voluntary donation from individual supporters. Greenpeace does not accept any monetary assistance from government nor does it accepts donations which compromise on its integrity, objective or independence. Greenpeace is extremely transparent in its working system and provides information to the

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Advance strategic management. Consumerism Essay Example for Free

Advance strategic management. Consumerism Essay 1. What is consumerism? DEFINITION Consumerism can be defined in two different ways; 1. Consumerism is a theory which states that buying and consuming goods and services in a large amount are more beneficial to the economy. Thus this theory appreciates gradually increased consumption of goods and services. 2. Consumerism means ‘consumer protection’. It is a movement or policy that protects the interests of consumers via truthful packaging, honest advertisement, improved safety standards and product guarantees. Consumerism involves policies that regulate methods, products and services, standards, selling and advertising in the interests of the consumers. These protect buyers from defective products, misleading advertising, unfair practices etc. Such policies can be mandatory, legislative, institutional or voluntarily accepted by the industry. e.g., consumers’ interests can be harmed by mispricing, adulteration, artificial demand etc. IMPORTANCE Consumerism encourages economic growth by providing good quality goods and services to the customers. Increased consumption by the customers shows the economic growth level. Increased demand would lead to increased production thus raising the gross domestic production. It helps to make informed decisions through truthful advertising, environmental and safety standard laws. Thus consumerism provides protection to buyers. Implementation of consumer protection laws shield consumers against exploitation, discourage anti-social activities and unfair trade practices, provide complete and latest information to the customer which aids in buying  decision making process. 2. What IS STRATEGY? Why it is important? Choose a company, study its strategy and then make its competitive analysis. DEFINITION 1. Strategy is business game plan used by management to stake out market position, conduct its operations, attract and please customers, compete successfully and achieve organizational objectives. 2. It is a process through which a company concentrated its resources on optimal opportunities to achieve short term and long term goals and other competitive advantages. IMPORTANCE Strategy answers three central questions about the company (i) where are we now? (ii) where do we want to go? (iii) how will we get there? Strategy tells about the current position of the company, its future plans and the approaches it will follow to achieve its objectives. Strategy encompasses actions to attract customers, actions to deliver value at optimal price and cost equilibrium, actions to respond to changing market environment, approaches to pursue available opportunities and plans to gain competitive edge. A powerful strategy makes a company distinctive and provides sustainable and durable competitive advantage in creating, producing, distributing and marketing the company’s products/services. An effective strategy results in best possible business performance in terms of financial profitability and market position. Strategies are desperately needed to direct the activities of the company in a way that its goals and objectives are achieved in a right way through right approaches and at the right time. An excellent strategy that is excellently implemented is a good measure to evaluate the management competencies and performance. A strategy-focused company has a strong performance, profitable earnings, revenue growth and favourable return on investment. COMPANY : COLGATE-PALMOLIVE Colgate Palmolive has $17.1 billion consumer products and serves people around the world with renowned brands by offering four types of products/services: oral care, personal care, home care and pet nutrition products. This company operates globally and approximately 75 percent of its sales are from outside the home country while majority of its products are manufactured in its own facilities. Colgate-Palmolive 2011 to 2015 Strategy The main focus of Colgate-Palmolive’s five year strategy is on people, performance and planet with measurable goals in accordance with the company’s business objectives. 1. Promoting Healthier Lives The objective was to promote health and wellness in order to minimize employee health risks by 15 percent, to achieve 5 percent reduced health costs by improving on time diagnosis and treatment of diseases and to focus on safety of employees. 2. Contributing to The Communities Where We Live and Work This parameter of the strategy aims to increase the impact of company on the community by $300 million. For this purpose five objectives were set which will provide greater focus to the company’s contribution towards the community. Partnership is done with dental professions to improve the oral care of the community. A program of â€Å"Bright Smiles, Bright Futures† is scheduled to contact 1 billion children by 2020. To provide hand-washing awareness to over 50 million households. To work with 250 thousand veterinarians to educate pet owners and provide over $100 million pet food. Continue to provide company’s products after natural disasters and to invite more  volunteers in this community program. 3. Delivering Products That Delight Consumers and Respect Our Planet The objective is to increase the sustainability of all the products by (i) ensuring that ingredients continue to meet the standards of safety, health and quality (ii) reducing the impact of environment on the products and packaging. This is achieved by increasing the use of recycled contents and more usage of sustainable materials. 4. Making Every Drop of Water Count The strategy aims to reduce the consumption of water during manufacturing by 24 percent. The objective also aims to take steps to promote access of clean water and water conversation awareness among over two billion consumers. 5. Reducing Our Impact on Climate and Environment The intention was to reduce energy consumption and carbon emission during the manufacturing process by 20 percent. COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS The stated strategy of the company can be analysed on the bases of three broad terms. The following stated questions will determine the goodness of the strategy implemented by Colgate-Palmolive i.e. whether the strategy was able to improve the market position and financial performance of the company or not, how good was the company at handling the environmental dynamics and gaining competitive advantage. 1. How well does the strategy fits with the company’s situation? The main competitor of Colgate-Palmolive is Procter Gamble with the same strategy of sustaining products and environmental safety but Colgate-Palmolive has got a competitive advantage in the year 2011 and 2012 by having strong presence in personal care products and emerging markets in different geographical areas. Due to broad operation bases globally the company has got the strength to lead the market. 2. Is the strategy helping the company achieve a sustainable competitive advantage? Yes the strategy implemented by the company has made it to be a global leader in oral care. Colgate-Palmolive’s market is the single largest market by value shares and is insulated from the downturns. The company’s strategy focuses to meet market challenges, committed to increase product sustainability and focuses on segmentation by function. Colgate-Palmolive has improved sustainability profile in 24 percent of products. 3. Is the strategy helping in better company performance? The strategy has helped the company in attaining better financial and ethical performance. Colgate-Palmolive has shown best environmental performance in past years and is able to sustain its past competitive advantage. The company had $17.1 billion worldwide sales in 2012. Its gross profit margin was 58.4 percent in fourth quarter of 2012. Colgate-Palmolive won 100% Code of Conduct Certification, stood No. 1 in beauty and personal care products and was announced No. 1 at ‘Most Admired Companies in 2013’ by Fortune World. Colgate-Palmolive had operating profit of $4.02 million in 2012. 35 percent of its packaging material is from the recycled material thus fulfilling its goals of safeguarding the environment and reducing costs. Three different products of Colgate-Palmolive have won title of ‘Product of the Year 2012’ and Ethisphere magazine has given the company title of ‘ 2013 World’s Most Ethical Companies’ US E.P.A declared the company to be ‘Designed for the Environment’ for many of its home care products. The above analysis shows the strengths and the competitive advantage earned by the company due to its best performance and leading activities. Surely the above mentioned performance is only attainable because of an excellent strategy and its excellent execution. _________________________________________

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Comparing Abortion in Morrisons Beloved and in America Today :: comparison compare contrast essays

Abortion in Morrison's Beloved and in America Today      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the novel Beloved by Toni Morrison, the main character, Sethe, commits a crime unthinkable and incomprehensible to most people today.   She murders her own child, her own flesh and blood.   The institution of slavery drove Sethe to make this drastic decision.   Comparing the situations of slavery to today's society is impossible.   Yet, we still see mothers killing babies (or fetuses).   The issue of abortion has been a constant in our society for years.   Is the emotional struggle to kill a baby made out of love or selfishness?      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The cruelties of slavery from which Sethe plans to save her children are manifold in Beloved.   Sethe was living in a time completely different from our own.   She and other slaves experienced things that none of us could ever imagine; having breast milk stolen from her own body, being whipped by a chokecherry tree to the point of leaving permanent scars.   Other cruelties for Sethe are to know that her friends were hurt.   Sixo was roasted alive and Paul A hung.   Paul D is locked onto a chain for eighty-three days in a prison camp in Georgia.   These pains for her friends can be just as painful for Sethe.   All in all the life of a slave is dehumanizing.   Constant hiding and being on the run plays tricks on the mind of slaves.   Shown by Paul D in his most discouraging conflict comes in contact with a rooster, Mister.   Humiliated by the fact that an animal was walking around with more power, he doesn't understand how an animal can have a better life, and place judgement on a human.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During the time of slavery the love between a mother and her children dims.   Through scars mothers and children were to have secret relationships.   In Sethe's only memory of her mother she was introduced to a scar underneath her breast which could always identify her mother.   After her mother was hung, Sethe did examine her corpse, but was unable to locate the symbol on the decaying flesh.   Imagining how these images design a psyche for a child, this memory would bruise them for eternity.   These morbid rememories for Sethe are reminders for her that she is living in an

Monday, November 11, 2019

Borders and Amazon Business Approach Essay

Describe the history and core business of each company. Traditional book stores have been around for ages. Evidently, public libraries and private stores like Barnes and Nobles, Waldenbooks, and of course Borders are often the main places where people go to purchase or borrow their books. Nowadays, with the rise of technology, many more options are available to readers. For instance, we now have the choice to go online to look for volumes we might want to read or buy; thus, one of the leading companies captivating the attention of many is Amazon which alone with Borders constituted two of the most prolific book organization in America. According to research, Borders started in as a small used bookstore in Ann Arbor, Michigan by Tom and Louis Borders who initially intended to help supplied academically the University of Michigan (Borders Group Inc., 97). Over the years, after several movements and stores being opened, the company was acquired in 1992 by K-Mart which happened to own the chain of Waldenbooks as well. Unfortunately, the relationship did not last long because three years later Borders book became 100% publicly owned and still conducting business that way (Borders Group Inc., 97). Meanwhile, propel by electronic commerce, Amazon which started in 1995 is considered the pioneer of online book selling (Press, 2004). Being the first internet retailer securing one million customers, Amazon, kept on progressing as the years go by. It got into the music and video business in 1998 and acquired some companies in England and Germany that same year; started to sell toys, electronic tools, and hardware in 1999; and finally, made some profit in 2001 (Press, 2004). 2- Compare and contrast the management approach each took to Internet marketing and sales. Most people would agree that a company’s success or failure has a lot to do with the way they conduct their business from top to bottom. For instance Henri Fayol, a managing director of a large steel company stated the following, â€Å"The success of an enterprise generally depends much more on the administrative ability of its leaders than on their technical ability (Williams, 2010).† In this regard, it is important to try to understand the management approach of Borders and Amazon.com. The principle surrounding Borders’ success is due to its roots as an independent company focusing on strong educational values. First and foremost, Borders target a wide and complete variety of books and titles appealing to real readers and buyers (Borders Group Inc., 97). In addition to the comfortable setting allowing readers to enjoy their visit, its customers would find actively marketed document allowing them to always have an upgraded view of things. Secondly, the company shows its flexibility by trying to accommodate its environment (Borders Group Inc., 97). For instance, the setting of a store located near colleges may not be the same as that of an elderly neighborhood because of the fact that their interests are totally different. Lastly but not least, servicing the customer to the utmost has been the company’s motto. Thus, being proactive and responsive propels Borders’ management to be very successful despite the company’s previous set back. On the other hand, Amazon.com started its business online meaning their initial approach is to reach everyone. Despite not being profitable for more than five years, the company continued to invest in infrastructures. For instance, over $750 million were spent in state-of-the –art material in order to handle many new distribution facilities’ systems in the United States with similar investment to come in Europe (Amazon.com inc., 2000). Evidently, this is an approach of spending money in order to make more (Amazon.com inc., 2000). Also Amazon.com believes in personalizing its online stores to be exclusively set to meet each customer’s need. With that in mind, each customer is able to create his or her own virtual store according to interests, and needs. As far as solving certain problems like recommendation, the company uses the following algorithm approach: traditional collaborative filtering, cluster models, and search-based methods (Linden, Smith, & York, 2003). 3- Analyze 3 reasons for Amazon’s success despite not turning a profit for the first five to six (5-6) years. Successful companies often use similar strategy to captivate and maintain their customers. Thus, major online companies like Amazon.com provide their clients the type of products and services envision by many. Amazon.com remains attractive despite the lack of profit for more than half of a decade. Its user friendly website is one of the reasons for such success where customers don’t need to beat themselves up in order reaching their destination (Hogan, 2011). Furthermore, the search engine allows customers to sort their request accordingly and find what they are looking for quickly. Another reason for such success would be attributive to the payment system used by Amazon (Hogan, 2011). Users are enchanted to know that most form of electronic payments are accepted on the company’s site and can easily be cancelled (Hogan, 2011). Being a thriving organization may not easy; however, with good work ethic, great method, and dedication, it is hard not flourish even in today’s economy. 4- Discuss 3 reasons Borders, although initially successful and profitable, ended up in Chapter 11. The current world economy has affected many businesses. Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy code would be viewed as a way for a company to restructure itself by having some kind of agreement with its creditors which is monitored by a court (Moran Law group, 2008). The series of events causing the reorganization of Borders started back in 2001 when the company decided to enter a partnership with Amazon.com. In quest of an effective business online, Borders decided to allow its customers to purchase books from amazon.com which basically controlled everything (Norris, 2011). The relationship escalated internationally where Borders and Books teamed up this time with amazon.co.uk in 2004 (Norris, 2011). Unfortunately for Borders, Amazon had the control of both its customers and Borders’ (Norris, 2011). Therefore, there was no reason for Amazon to encourage or promote relationships for Borders. Also, the company despite having a free membership could not compete with the like of Barnes and Nobles and Amazon.com. Even tough, those other two companies charged $25 and $79 for their respective memberships, customers felt that they were well taken care of and they could get whatever they need contrarily to Borders’ (Norris, 2011). Lastly but not least, Borders’ Sony reader was not well connected with the customers (Norris, 2011). The association with its manufacturers was never in sink. Comparatively to the Nook released in 2009 by Barnes and Nobles, the Sony reader has been around since 2006 with limited knowledge of the e-book business. That is the reason why, the device did not look appealing to many (Norris, 2011). 5- Discuss the extent to which the management of each company adapted to changing market conditions. Change may be extremely challenging for any company in pursuit of prosperity. Evidently, management needs to be very proactive by considering all the factors or obstacles surrounding the existence of a business. Certain things like economic set backs, technological advancement, are inevitable. With the globalization of business, it is imperative for an organization to show its strength pertaining to adapting with new ways of life. Research states, â€Å"The purpose of adaptive strategies is to choose an industry-level strategy that is best suited to changes in the organization’s external environment (Williams, 2010).† As far as Borders is concerned, its management team was not ready for the 21st century. It took them too long to establish the online presence with Amazon.com which may not even make a difference considering the fact that Borders had no shot at building relationship with its customers. The e-commerce world was apparently too much for Borders and the competition was already a few steps ahead. According to research, â€Å"Borders was slow to adapt to the changing industry and lost book, music, and video sales to the internet and other competition (Msnbc.com staff and news service reports, 2011).† Meanwhile, being an already establish online company made easier for Amazon to remain competitive. Indeed, its management just had to keep being vigilant and practical by continuing to achieve both the awareness and the loyalty of its customers. Contrarily to Borders, Amazon always remains positive and innovative. For example, Amazon is building for the future by spending a lot of money in creating new infrastructure for a better future (Amazon.com inc., 2000). 6- Recommend 3 ways a company should build in flexibility to back up its decision-making process so as to adapt to changing market conditions. The importance of building flexibility to back up a company’s decision-making is extremely vital to its existence. An organization is often measured by its competitiveness, its dynamicity, its turbulence, and its complexity (Brown, 2011). Often time, a decision may not be the right one for a company; therefore, adjustments must be made in order to fix the problem even when it may pertain to bend a little the company’s policy and procedures (Noble, 2007). For instance, if a company’s policy is not to smoke in its premises causing lost business. It would not be a bad idea to create a smoking section for those who wish to do so. In addition, exceptional measures can be taken on a case by case basis to fulfill the necessary (Noble, 2007). Finally, an organization must always allow itself to create new ways of being operational (Noble, 2007). Such initiative would often show positive results. References Amazon.com inc. (2000, May). The frontline poll. Amazon.com’s spending on infrastructure; Approach to financial managagment , 1 (5), p. 8. Borders Group Inc. (97). The bookstore in America: Borders. Review of contemporary fiction , 17 (2), pp. 216, 35p, 3. Brown, S. P. (2011). Forces and trends in business. Retrieved November 1, 2011, from Ezine@articles: http://ezinearticles.com/?Forces-and-Trends-in-Business&id=708724 Hogan, G. C. (2011). Why Amazon is such a successful ecommerce site. Retrieved October 31, 2011, from Ezine@articles: http://ezinearticles.com/?why-amazon-is-such-a-successful-ecommerce-site&id Linden, G., Smith, B., & York, J. (2003, January/February). Internet computing, IEEE. Retrieved October 31, 2011, from ieeexplore digital library: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/freeabs_all.jsp?arnumber=1167344 Moran Law group. (2008, September 16). Bankruptcy in brief. Retrieved November 1, 2011, from MoranLaw.net: http://www.moranlaw.net/chapter11.htm Msnbc.com staff a nd news service reports. (2011, July 18). Final chapter: Borders to close remaining stores. Retrieved November 1, 2011, from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43797505/ns/business-retail Noble, K. (2007). Building a culture of flexibility. Retrieved November 1, 2011, from Work Span: http://www.wfd.com/PDFS/Culture%20of%20Flexibility Norris, M. (2011). Borders: A case study of bookselling gone wrong. Book rublishing report , 37 (2), 1-9. Press, J. (2004). Company histories and profile. Retrieved October 30, 2011, from Fundinguniverse: http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Amazoncom-Inc-Company-History.html Williams, C. (2010). Management (Custom ed.). (M. Staudt, & M. Stranz, Eds.) Mason, Ohio, USA: Cengage Learning.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Psycosocial Assessment of the Soloist

Running Head: Strengths Based Assessment 1 Strengths Based Assessment: The Soloist By Colleen Austin SOWK 587a University of Southern California Professor Brittani Morris Strengths Based Assessment2 Character Identification Describe the character you choose as your focus. Include race, ethnicity, age, religion, sex, marital status, living situation, educational level, internal strengths (coping mechanisms, skills, experience, ability to connect to others, resilience, determination, flexibility, commitment, loyalty, etc. ). Mr. Nathanial Anthony Ayers is a middle aged, black African-American man.He is spiritual but identifies with no specific religion, he does pray in the movie, saying the Our Father. He is unmarried, and is homeless. He displays signs of mental illness, most likely schizophrenic as evidenced by his paranoia and he hears voices. He began to hear voices in adolescence. At one point he thought his sister was trying to poison him, so he forced her to eat the food she bro ught to him. He lived in the basement of the home he grew up in. It wasn’t obvious, but he must have remained living with his sister after his mother died.When he went to Juilliard, he got an apartment and the voices became more prominent. There is no evidence that he was ever diagnosed with a mental illness. He has a difficult time maintain relationships with others because he is mentally ill and continually talks to himself. Nathanial has a high school education. He was also accepted and completed some classical music training from Juilliard, according to a teacher there, he just stopped showing up. What happened in his life from that point until the present is unknown. Although he is homeless, one of his possessions is a violin, which only has two strings.In doing this, Nathanial shows determination, because even though he doesn’t have a complete instrument he stills continues to play it. Strengths Based AssessmentPage 3 Nathanial shows loyalty to his music. He is a lways playing his violin and in fact talks about his loyalty to his music when he states that â€Å"he is holding on to his faith in the power of his music. † (The Soloist, 2009) Nathanial shows a lot of inner strengths. He has determination, which is evident by the fact that he continues to play the violin, although it only has two strings.He is resilient, evidenced by the fact that he has been homeless for many years, schizophrenic and yet he is surviving on the streets of L. A. Nathanial shows no flexibility. When Lopez brings him to the apartment, he says that he will play the violin there, but he will not stay there. It was not his apartment he said. II. Significant Relationships Describe 2-3 significant relationships this character has to other characters in the film, both in terms of role and in terms of the resources and/or challenges that this character offers to your focus character.Nathanial’s most significant relationship is with Steve Lopez, a reporter for the Los Angeles Times newspaper. Lopez is fascinated by Nathanial when he discovers that he is a classically trained musician, who is homeless and writes a column with Nathanial as his subject. It isn’t clear at first what Lopez’s motives are, other than to write a column that is entertaining and widely read by Los Angeles. Initially, it is obvious Lopez is using Nathanial as his focus. Lopez is divorced although he continues to have a relationship with his ex-wife who is also Strengths Based AssessmentPage 4 is boss at the Times. In fact his ex-wife tells him that there is possibly a book that could be written about Nathanial and essentially accuses him at one point in the movie of exploiting Nathanial. This relationship shifts over time. He is single and finds himself thinking about Nathanial’s â€Å"plight. † He becomes emotionally invested in Nathanial, in that he feels that he can help this homeless, mentally ill man toward a better life. What he do esn’t understand is that Nathanial is comfortable in his life. He has become accustomed to his homeless life.Lopez, although his latent motives appear to be altruistic, actually causes Nathanial a great deal of stress. He tries to convince the manager of the Lamp Community that he should force Nathanial to see a psychiatrist and be put on medication. David, the manager of the Lamp Community could be another of Nathanial’s significant relationships. He allowed Lopez to leave the cello that was donated by a reader at the facility, because that was the only place that Lopez would allow him to play it. He didn’t want him to have it on the street.David was instrumental in helping Lopez to finally learn what the best thing was that he could do for Nathanial. Lopez needed to be his friend, David told him. That was really what Nathanial needed. Someone he could trust. David was, in this sense, an advocate for Nathanial. He made Lopez understand that Nathanial didnâ€⠄¢t want to see a psychiatrist and even if he did, there were no guarantees that he would even take his medication. It is possible that Nathanial knew that on medication he would not be the same musician. Strengths Bases AssessmentPage 5Graham Clayton, the music teacher, was another character whose relationship to Nathanial was significant. He was teaching Nathanial to play music other than Beethoven, Nathanial’s favorite. In fact, there was a statue of Beethoven in a square and that was where Steve Lopez looked to find Nathanial. Not only did Clayton offer music lessons, but he also offered him spiritual guidance. He set up a recital for Nathanial, however when Nathanial showed up to play, he began to hear voices and when Clayton put his hand on his shoulder, Nathanial reacted with such fear that he nearly assaulted Clayton.Nathanial ran, which was one of his best coping mechanisms, that and playing music III. Community Analysis Describe the two most significant groups/commu nities that your focus character belongs to and/or aspires to belong to in the film. There is one significant community to which Nathanial belongs. And one community that it appears he would like to belong. The first community is the Lamp Community, a shelter for the homeless and often these homeless people are mentally ill. The other community is the music community. Nathanial wanted to be a classic cellist when he was younger.He was excited when Lopez brought him the cello and wanted to keep it with his grocery cart full of belongings. The Lamp Community offered Nathanial food, shelter and clothing. However, he spent most of his time sleeping on the streets, going to the facility only when he needed something. They did offer group sessions for the homeless, but it wasn’t clear what the topics of the group discussions were. The music community would have offered Nathanial the opportunity to advance his career as a musician, however because of the schizophrenia; the audience was a Strengths Bases AssessmentPage 6 barrier to Nathanial’s playing his cello.Lopez found an accomplished music teacher who was willing to teach Nathanial to bring him back to the level he was at when he was at Juilliard, and even brought him new music to play. Playing music and being part of the music community was something that Nathanial desired, however, his illness prevented him from becoming fully invested in pursuing it. I think the Lamp Community was a valuable community resource for Nathanial. It was a safe place for him to go, and in fact the night after the disastrous recital, Lopez found him there having a meal and David told him that he had spent the night in his apartment.When asked why he spent the night there, Nathanial alluded to the fact that he wasn’t a young man anymore and that his body couldn’t take the streets. I think that if Nathanial wanted to see a doctor and take medication, he could have gotten those resources from the Lamp Communi ty. The music community could have provided a less intimidating arena for a recital. Although it seemed to be a very relaxed outdoor atmosphere, putting Nathanial up on stage was asking for disaster. Perhaps the music community could showcase musicians like Nathanial in a much less intrusive setting.Analysis of the Symbiotic Relationship. (This wasn’t required but I wanted to add it. ) I think the relationship between Steve Lopez and Nathanial Ayers worked both ways. The scene where Lopez falls off his bike, goes to the hospital where everything is chaotic, then goes into an MRI and is claustrophobic has so many similarities to Ayers’ life it may have been purely coincidental. I think that was an experience that Lopez had to draw upon while he was trying to â€Å"help† Nathanial. Just like Steve Didn’t want the help at the hospital, neither did Nathanial want Strengths Bases AssessmentPage 7Steve’s help. The mere act of trying to get Nathanial out of his comfort zone was enough to trigger a schizophrenic episode. At the end of the movie, Steve realized that the best thing that he could offer Nathanial was his friendship. Nathanial trusted Steve by the end of the movie. When they first met, Nathanial wouldn’t shake Steve’s hand, but at the end of the movie when Steve offered him his hand, Nathanial took it. Strengths Based AssessmentPage 8 Resources Foster. G. , and Krasnoff, R. (Producer), & Wright, J. (Director). (2009). The Soloist  [Motion picture]. United States: Dreamworks Pictures.