Is China a 'rule maker' or a 'rule taker' in the international system Essay

Is China a 'rule maker' or a 'rule taker' in the international system - Essay Example Such a multi-stakeholder system is classified by an increasingly liberal multilateral order and increasingly flexible attitude toward the sovereignty of the state. The perception that China has served as a rule-taker for a long time but is now undergoing a radical transformation to become a rule-maker that is making new game rules in favor of its national interests, is commonly help by both realists and neoliberals. â€Å"A more powerful China, the thinking goes, is likely to promote a statist and more hierarchical brand of international governance that is inconsistent with the open, multilateral governance architecture that has emerged and developed since the end of World War II under American and European guidance† (Kennedy and Cheng, 2012, p. 9). Transformation in China’s foreign policy since the mid-20th century In the Mao Era between 1949 and 1978, there was a fundamental opposition of China to the global architecture that was derided as the capitalist West’ s puppet. However, since the early 1980s, integration of China into the different regimes of the international system improved rapidly. ... enge the traditional regimes, though as soon as China gets in a more powerful position, it would inevitably reshape the international institutions and norms to suit its own preferences. Therefore, the engagement and compliance presently shown by China toward the international order cannot be thought of as long-lasting. â€Å"Since the 1990s China sought to improve relations with as many of its neighbors as possible, including settling leftover border disputes with the former Soviet Union† (Lanteigne, 2013, p. 3). The longevity of China’s global engagement There is a lot of subjectivity about goals and course in the recent foreign policy of China (Sutter, 2012, p. 3). The global engagement of China is not as temporal as it is perceived to be by some, and there are numerous reasons for that; firstly, in spite of the fact that the current international system was not invented by China, it is consistent with the interests of China in different ways. China has increased its military and economic power substantially within the current order’s context. Secondly, people and institutions that have more political and economic strength in China have taken advantage of the engagement of China in the present international system. China would continue favoring the status quo till the time these institutions are in power in China and the ruling elite favors them. Thirdly, over the passage of time, China has become so deeply grounded in the international order that outright opposition or disengagement is very difficult to achieve. A lot of Chinese companies have started to integrate into the networks of production on a global scale, and depend upon growing such linkages in order to survive and expand. The government of China has made a formal pledge to comply with numerous treaties

Gender Differences in the Use of Technology Essay Example for Free

Gender Differences in the Use of Technology Essay At the center of 21st century culture is computer technology which presence and use just decades ago, were limited for the government and some institutions. Today, computer technology steps out from such isolation pervading all institutions, industries, commerce and other areas of life at what appears to be logarithmic speed, making its mastery or at least working knowledge an essential requisite if one is to keep pace with time. The ubiquity of technology, continuous rise in the demands for technologically-advanced workforce combined with the application of basic economic principles make one think whether the study on gender differences as it relates to technology is really a matter worthy of anyone’s attention. Statistics say it is. Generally, in a technological workplace, women are still underrepresented: only five percent of computer programmers, ten percent of system analysts and ten percent of electronic technicians are females (Statistics: Women in Technology, 2008). In major companies in Silicon Valley, only 5-6% is led by females (Statistics: Women in Technology, 2008). There has been a decline in the number of females pursuing careers related to science and technology. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the number of women who earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science has decreased from 37% to 28. 4% from 1984 to 1995 (Statistics: Women in Technology, 2008). Female students who took the advanced placement computer examination comprised only 17% (Statistics: Women in Technology, 2008). From these statistics, one may speculate that females’ future career choices still fall along traditional paths. This was confirmed by a study done by Lupart and Cannon (2002) on students’ perceptions on desirable career characteristics and career choices. With the rising demand for high-tech jobs (Statistics: Women and Technology, 2008), knowledge and use of technology become an essential condition to improve women’s participation in the workforce and to enable them to pursue higher status and better-paying jobs in the future. However, the general belief is that not only are women underrepresented in the technology-related industry; they are also considered to be less interested, less confident and less skilled in this area. These three factors affect their usage of technology. Still, underneath these factors, women’s computer usage can be traced on socialization and upbringing. Boys and girls do not play the same games during childhood. While boys are usually made to play video games or games that promote problem-solving, hands-on skills and spatial-relationship skills, girls play with dolls, which tend to develop their value of relationships (Milgram, 2007). Problem-solving, hands-on and spatial-relationship skills are critical to the study of computer and technology-related subjects. As a result of this discrepancy in development, males become more interested in technology and become better-equipped with the necessary skills as they reach adulthood (Milgram, 2007). The males’ generally higher interest in technology, however, does not affect the possibility of improving females’ perception and attitude towards technology. The effect of ubiquitous computing on gender differences was examined in a study done in 2006. Here, the participants were given access 24-hour access to a laptop. Gender differences were observed in behavioral attitude towards future use of computers before the laptop program. Prior to the laptop program, males were more inclined to use computers. This changed after the laptop program. No significant difference was observed in the attitude towards the use of computers after the program (Kay, 2006). Before the program, males were observed to be more skillful in computer abilities compared to females. No significant difference was observed in computer abilities between males and females after the program, except for the skill in programming (Kay, 2006). In central Georgia middle school, the study on 8th grade students showed a statistically significant difference between achievements of males and females. In this experiment, the participants were instructed and given an exam both written and applied on two modules, information and broadcasting. A greater improvement was seen in females for the information module while the males showed greater improvement in the broadcasting module. This study partially debunks earlier findings that males generally show higher achievements compared to males, in the study of computer technology (Hale, 2005). These studies suggest that females’ do not have an inherently unfavorable computer skill, interest, and attitude which affect computer use. Provided with the right tools and knowledge, females may do as well or even better than males (Milgram, 2007). The comparatively lower use of technology by females can be attributed to the differences in perceptions on technology between genders. While the females see technology through its social function, the males’ perspective is more focused on the hardware itself (Brunner, 1997). Males, therefore, are more likely to study more on the intricacies and technicalities of the use of technology compared to females which in effect allows them to maximize its use. Meanwhile, the females’ perspective of technology limits their use to only a number of functions.. According to Milgram (2007), â€Å"[females] are much less likely to retain interest if they feel they are incapable of mastering the material. † Also, males tend to exaggerate their accomplishments while females tend to feel less comfortable even when they do well in tests (Milgram, 2007). The females’ initial lack of skill in technology affects their confidence and perception towards its use. However, like interest and attitude, these may be changed upon exposure. Nicolino, et. al. (2006) measured the confidence gain of male and female respondents in the frequency of use of computers at home and at work. No significant difference in computer use was observed between males and females. Significant differences were observed in the only in the applications used by the two genders. The possible change in perceptions and confidence which may affect usage is evidenced by the study by Wong and Hanafi in 2007. In this study, the attitudes of male and female student teachers in Malaysia towards exposure and use of Information Technology were measured in terms of usefulness, confidence and aversion. No significant differences were seen between the two genders were observed during the pre- and post IT course. Both genders showed improvement in their appreciation of IT usage after the IT course. Females exhibited greater confidence in IT usage after the course compared to their male counterparts (Wong and Hanafi, 2007). Given the males’ higher degree of confidence towards technology, the question now is whether such confidence really translates to increased use of technology. In a study on some 6,800 fourth and eighth grade students, it was reported that males significantly increase their use of technology with age while no such significant increase was seen in females (Barker and Aspray, 2006). It has been established that the males have a more positive attitude and higher degree of confidence towards technology. These, however, are not solely gender-based but more importantly, based on their differences in upbringing, with males having more background in problem-solving and spatial-relationship. Based on the general principles derived from studies on gender-gap in technology, strategies can be employed to address such gap, improve computer attitude, increase computer use and create a culture where everyone can participate and take advantage of the benefits of technology, regardless of gender. Milgram (2007) lists some of such strategies targeting the middle school where attitudes in computer use start to emerge. These strategies include the creation of same-sex groups in classrooms, the integrated and meaningful use of technology, the improvement of teachers’ computer skills, the use of gender neutral softwares, simulation games for all genders, and the discouragement of using technology and computers as a reward. Common among these strategies is their focus on building the confidence of females who often have less experience than males. Simulation games, for example, ensure that not only males are given the opportunity to develop problem-solving and spatial relationship skills. Simulation games also promote hands-on proficiency which is necessary in developing technological skills and use. The creation of same-sex groups in classrooms and the discouragement of using technology and computers as reward minimize the males’ aggressive, assertive and self-assured behavior which stem from their confidence in their skills. In sum, it is by simulating the environment that contributed to the development of males’ skills that the gender gap in the use of technology can be significantly reduced. The fact that females respond to technology more positively if given the right building blocks, as shown by previous studies support this. Works Cited Barker LJ and Aspray W. (2006). The state of research on girls and IT. In J. M. Cohoon and W Aspray (eds. ), Women and information technology (pp. 3-54). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Brunner C. (1997). Technology and gender: Differences in masculine and feminine views. NASSP Bulletin, 81(592), 46-51. Hale, KV. (2005). Gender differences in computer technology achievement. Meridian, 8(1). Kay R. (2006). Addressing gender differences in computer ability, attitudes and use: The laptop effect. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 34(2), 187-211. Lupart J and Cannon E. Computers and career choices: gender differences in grades 7 and 10 students. Gender, Technology and Development, 6(2), 233-248. Milgram D. (2007). Gender differences in learning style specific to science, technology, engineering and math. SelfGrowth. com. Retrieved 27 April 2008 from http://www. selfgrowth. com/articles/Gender_Differences_in_Learning_Style_Specific_to_Science_Technology_Engineering_and_Math_STEM. html. Nicolino, P. , Fitzgerald, B. , Maser, K. Morote, E. (2006). Gender Differences in Confidence about Using Technology: An Introductory Course. In C. Crawford et al. (Eds. ), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education International Conference 2006 (pp. 3544-3549). Chesapeake, VA: AACE. Statistics: Women in Technology. (2008). DeVry University Website. Retrieved 27 April 2008 from http://www. phx. devry. edu/outreach/her_world_stats. asp. Wong, S. L. , Hanafi, A. (2007). Gender Differences in Attitudes towards

Tackling Health Inequalities A Challenge Health And Social Care Essay

Tackling Health Inequalities A Challenge Health And Social Care Essay Tackling health inequalities is a challenge faced by policy makers and health practitioners This assignment will critically discuss how Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) may be tackled, drawing on the current evidence based thinking and social policies on tackling health inequalities. Over the past 30 years, there have been a number of strategies proposed to tackle health inequalities. They have all largely focused on improving the health of the most disadvantaged groups, reducing the gap between the best and worst off and improving health across the whole gradient. (Graham, 2004) The above will also be discussed below. The World health Organisation (WHO) 1999 global strategy of achieving health for all is fundamentally directed towards achieving greater equity in health between and within populations. This implies that all people have an equal opportunity to develop and maintain their health, through fair and equal access to resources for health. Targets in England also aim to improve the health of the disadvantaged groups and that of the population as a whole and also closing the health gap (Secretary of State for Health, 1999). Similar targets have been set up in Wales, Scotland and Ireland with the aim of tackling health inequalities (Graham, 2004). A health gradient approach in tackling health inequalities directs attention to the systematic differences in life expectancy and living standard associated with peoples position in the socio economic hierarchy (Graham, 2004). Tackling health inequalities needs to focus on the causes of health inequality and health damaging behaviours associated with peoples unequal position in the socio- economic hierarchy (Graham, 2004). Improving the health of the poor groups and improving their position relative to other groups is an important strategy in reducing the socio-economic gradient. However, the Department of Health (DOH) (2002a) emphasises that to meet national targets and make progress on tackling health inequalities interventions must reach more than the most disadvantaged. Marmot (2010) also points out focusing solely on the most disadvantaged will not reduce health inequalities Graham (2004) adds that, to improve the social gradient, policies need to be associated with absolute imp rovements in health for all socio-economic groups with a rate of improvement which increases at each step down the socio-economic ladder. The White Paper: Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation, published in July 1999, aimed to improve the health of the population as a whole, improve the health of the worst off in society and narrow the health gap (DOH, 1999a). Narrowing the gap between the worse and better off, requires absolute improvement, raising the health of lower socio- economic groups faster than the higher socio economic groups (Graham, 2004). However, Graham (2004) points out that in a society where overall rates of health are improving absolute improvement in their health may be insufficient to narrow the gap between the worse and better off. Wagstaff ,Paci and Van Doorslaer,(1991) also add that focusing on the worst off can obscure what is happening to intermediate groups, experiencing poor health consequently compromising health across the socio-economic hierarchy. The White Paper set targets to be achieved by 2010, of which included reducing the death rate in people aged 75 years from CHD by at least two fir ths (DOH, 1999). A budget of  £96m was allocated to these programmes, however the White Paper aimed at the population as a whole and didnt set any specific national targets for reducing health inequalities (Shaw et al, 1999).Consequently there was no significant improvement in health inequalities. Public health policy has been redefined to give more emphasis to tackling systematic health differences of advantaged and disadvantaged groups (Graham, 2004). Improving the health of the worst off and reducing poverty is the governments main target in tackling health inequalities. However, targeted policies may have negative effects on the health of other groups, either in absolute or relative terms (Graham, 2004). The Black Report (1980) and the Acheson Report (1999) recommended prioritising the health of families with children, reducing income inequalities and improving standards of poor households (Acheson, 1998). Reducing child poverty and improving circumstances of children would have long term effects on reducing health inequalities (Acheson, 1999). The government set targets to reduce Child poverty by half, by 2010 and eradicate child poverty by 2020 (DOH, 1999). The elderly people are more likely to be diagnosed with CHD, and if in poverty this can worsen the condition. The S tate Retirement Pension needs to high enough to provide a financial security in old age, however the current government have increased the retirement age to 67 years, which may increase income inequalities in the elderly people. The older one gets the less hours they work earning less income. Furthermore, getting the unemployed into jobs across the gradient is another way of tackling poverty. Marmot (2010) argues that jobs need to offer a minimum level of quality; a decent wage and flexible hours to enable people balance work and family life. Good working conditions can reduce the risk of developing CHD. However, getting people into low paid, insecure and health damaging work will increase the exposure to poor health therefore increasing health inequalities. For individuals such as the permanently sick or house bound, employment may not be the solution out of poverty. Furthermore, it would be impossible to reduce unemployment if there are no jobs available (WHO, 2008). In April 1999, the government also introduced the National minimal wage, this policy was aiming at reducing in work poverty and decrease the number of individuals dependant on social security (DOH, 1999). Deprivation during utero and childhood has lifelong consequences in adulthood life. It is important that all pregnant women are able to afford an adequate diet and have a continuum of care from pre- pregnancy and through pregnancy (WHO, 2005b). Shaw et al (1999) suggested that maternity allowances should be increased, especially for women dependent on income support or low paid jobs. Also to increase benefits to support families with children. However with the current government and its initiatives to cut cost, this may not be achievable. Furthermore, physical, social and emotional health is important in child development and these have an influence on education, occupational opportunities and life chances (Marmot, 2010). Marmot (2010) suggests that giving every child the best start in life is crucial in tackling health inequalities across the gradient. He recommended increasing the proportion of overall expenditure to the early years and ensuring that the expenditure is focused progressively across the social gradient. This includes providing good quality in early years education and childcare proportionately across the gradient. However, educational and other individual-based approaches tend to be taken up disproportionately by the more affluent, which tend to widen health gap (Bambra et al, 2010) Quality housing free of cold and damp is a basic need for healthy living. Shaw et al (1999) point out that poverty can be reduced by raising the incomes and standard of living of poor families with children, disabled and elderly people. The Central and Local government should increase the value of welfare benefits and pensions and improve social infrastructures including social housing and public services (Shaw et al, 1999). Marmot (2010) also recommended creating and developing healthy and sustainable places, which will improve social capital thus removing barriers to community participation and action across the social gradient. Authorities should ensure urban planning such as increasing street lights and safe pedestrian walkways in order to improve physical activity. This promotes good physical and psychological well-being and safe behaviours, which are essential for health equality. Furthermore, access to big supermarkets through investment in active transport can improve access to healthier food choices among low income groups. However, improving access to supermarkets and advising people on healthy food will not be effective solutions if the price of fresh fruit and vegetables is high. Having a balanced healthy diet that has low and fat will reduce the risk of CHD (Lindsay and Gaw, 2004). Central government could restrict the food industry on the amount of fat and salt levels put in foods (Shaw et al 1999). Maintaining physical activity for at least 30mins at a time can reduce risks to CHD. Investing in public services for example leisure centres, play areas for children, physical activity can be promoted. However some of these public services come with a cost. Worrral et al, (1997) points out that there is unequal distribution of health resources as the more health resources go out to the richer households than to the poorer households. To improve access to health resources authorities need to conduct regular audits to enable the redirection of resources to the disadvantaged communities. The government published the New White Paper, Choosing health: Making healthier choices in 2004, which aims to support individuals and promote informed healthier choices especially those in disadvantaged groups (DOH, 2004). However, making choice is difficult to exercise if lacking the resources necessary, particularly the disadvantaged. Tackling smoking is a key intervention that can rapidly reduce the number of early deaths among CHD incidences. There have been a lot of campaigns and educational programmes encouraging individuals to make healthier choices. These have included preventing people from starting to smoke; smoking cessation especially disadvantaged adults and pregnant smoking women, and protecting non-smokers from tobacco smoke through introducing Smoke free zones (DOH, 2010). And a regulatory control of alcohol consumption such public houses and bars closing early and minimal age limit on alcohol consumption. However, enforcing smoke bans and alcohol regulations are viewed to be effective methods but asking poor people to change risky behaviour when they cannot afford a proper meal or warm clothing and yet use smoking as a means of escape from their plight might not be sufficient enough to reduce health inequalities. Individuals from worse social circumstances have considerably high level of cardiovascular risk than those ones from better off circumstances (Bambra et al, 2010).Marmot (2010) recommended the need for early detection and prioritising prevention of chronic diseases related to health inequalities across the social gradient. Harkin et al (2010) estimated that an equal uptake of effective primary prevention across all socio economically disadvantage groups can reduce inequalities. However equality in health care services may not be sufficient enough to end health inequalities. The DOH (2000) proposed a national screening programme for all people aged 40-74 to assess their risk of developing heart diseases. The use of statins is another key intervention that can rapidly reduce the number of early deaths among CHD incidences The use of cholesterol lowering drugs is based on an individuals level of risk for future cardio vascular events. If everyone in the UK aged 45- 74 with clinical evid ence of CHD were treated with statins for five years, about 22,000 deaths and major clinical events would be avoided(Davey smith and Ebrahim, 1999;1097). Recently attention has been given to the role of the National Health Service (NHS) in promoting public health and reducing inequalities in health. The NHS aims to develop a systematic approach to treating people at risk from chronic diseases and encouraging more people to adopt a healthy life style (Macintyre, 2000). Part of NHS funding is spent on prevention; however most of the major influences on population health such as poor housing, unemployment and poverty lie outside the NHS. More so, health promotion strategies focusing on individual behaviours such as smoking, diet and exercise are more commonly taken up by those in the affluent societies (Macintyre, 2000). Therefore these intervention need to engage fully the deprived populations otherwise this may widen the health inequalities. While the health of the population may be improving, policy makers have a considerable duty to inform and develop strategies which can contribute to greater equality in health. Allocation of resources in tackling Coronary heart disease should consider cultural and behavioural lifestyles, material circumstances and, psychosocial pathways within social class and across the gradient. Focusing on the most disadvantaged will not reduce health inequalities dramatically. More so, to reduce the stepwise social gradient in health targets should aim at bringing levels of the lowest socio economic groups closer to the national average standard.

Humanity of the Primitive in Heart of Darkness, Dialect of Modernism an

Humanity of the Primitive in Heart of Darkness, Dialect of Modernism and Totem and Taboo   Ã‚  Ã‚   The ways in which a society might define itself are almost always negative ways. "We are not X." A society cannot exist in a vacuum; for it to be distinct it must be able to define itself in terms of the other groups around it. These definitions must necessarily take place at points of cultural contact, the places at which two societies come together and arrive at some stalemate of coexistence. For European culture of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries this place of contact—this new culture by which to define itself—came from Africa, from those "primitive" cultures whose society was being studied and in some ways appreciated for the first time. The African natives became the new Other, the new way to define what Europe was at that time.   Ã‚  Ã‚   The way in which this redefinition took place was through the institution of a fundamentally hierarchical system. "Primitive" versus "sophisticated," "barbarous" versus "cultured." The anthropology of the time—articulated primarily by Frazer—espoused an evolutionary view of humanity. Societies passed through several stages of development on their way to true civilisation, and, while the Europeans had made it all the way, the Africans were lagging just a bit behind. This, however, created a problem for Europe. If Africans were fundamentally the same as Europeans (albeit farther back on the evolutionary ladder), what did that say about the roots of European society? This uncertainty created a very disjunctive view of primitives in the literature of the time. In his book, The Dialect of Modernism, Michael North suggests that, "The colonial subject is either a part of nature, utter... ... intensely inhuman, Freud shows us that these things are all one. This continuum of thought collapses into one inescapable fact: we are the primitive, and he is us.    Works Cited and Consulted Arnold, Matthew. Culture and Anarchy. Indianapolis: Bobs-Merrill, 1971. Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1988. Freud, Sigmund. Totem and Taboo. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1950. Greene, Graham. The Heart of the Matter. New York: Penguin, 1984. Mahood, M. M. The Colonial Encounter: A Reading of Six Novels. Totowa: Rowman, 1977. North, Michael. The Dialect of Modernism. New York: Oxford University Press, 1994. Raskin, Jonah. The Mythology of Imperialism. New York: Random, 1971. Watts, Cedric. Conrad’s Heart of Darkness: A Critical and Contextual Discussion. Milan: Mursia International, 1977.   

 How Does Eating Healthy Affect Your Life? Essay

You already know healthy eating can have a positive impact on your life, but just how far do these benefits extend? Evidence suggests regularly eating healthy, well-balanced meals contributes to sustained weight maintenance, a better mood, increased energy levels, positive inspiration to others and the potential for a heightened quality of life. Weight Maintenance Following a healthy eating plan — one which emphasizes many fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and lean proteins, as well as low levels of saturated and trans fats and low cholesterol, sodium and sugar — contributes to weight maintenance. Staying within your recommended daily calorie intake and eating moderately sized meals also helps you maintain a healthy weight throughout your life. A healthy weight is linked to a reduced risk of many debilitating, chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease, as well as improved self-esteem and mental state. Maintaining a healthy weight is also linked to a lower incidence of depression, meaning healthy eating can help significantly improve the quality of your life. Mood Healthy eating can have a positive impact on your life by leading to a more sustained elevated mood. According to Susan Biali, M.D., in â€Å"Psychology Today,† a healthy lifestyle — including a regular, healthy breakfast, balancing your lean protein consumption with whole-grain carbohydrates, getting enough folate and omega-3 fatty acids and cutting back on alcohol and simple sugars — has been linked to an improved mood and may even help alleviate depression. Carbohydrates allow the amino acid tryptophan to enter the brain where it produces serotonin — the mood-enhancing neurotransmitter, but whole-grain carbohydrates produce a more lasting effect on mood, while carbohydrates made with refined grains, like white bread, cause a quick crash. Energy Eating the right nutritive foods can also boost your energy levels, making you prepared to face each day. Sports nutritionist Rebecca Scritchfield  noted in â€Å"Washington Running Report† in 2009 that adequate levels of the mineral iron, which carries oxygen throughout the body, contribute to sufficient energy levels. Healthy, leafy greens, like spinach, are rich sources of iron. â€Å"Arthritis Today† recommends steering clear of fattening, fried foods — which give you a quick burst of energy but leave you feeling depleted soon thereafter — and stocking up on healthy snacks like nuts, fruit, yogurt and low-fat cheese for an energy boost. Drinking enough water and only consuming moderate amounts of caffeine and sugar also help regulate your energy levels. Inspiring Others Eating healthy doesn’t just directly impact your own life, it can help inspire those around you as well. Healthy eating, and even weight loss, is contagious, according to the â€Å"International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity,† and you can help the people you care about take care of themselves and achieve greater longevity. While eating better and maintaining your own weight, you can feel confident you have not only worked to improve your life, but also improved the lives of your loved ones. When the people around you — be they friends or family — are happy and positive, this contributes to a better quality of life for all. Healthy Eating Why should I make healthy food choices? Eating a healthy, balanced diet provides nutrients to your body. These nutrients give you energy and keep your heart beating, your brain active, and your muscles working. Nutrients also help build and strengthen bones, muscles, and tendons and also regulate body processes, such as blood pressure. Good nutrition can lower your risk of developing a range of chronic diseases. For example, eating more fruit and vegetables can help lower blood pressure and may lower your risk of certain types of cancer (such as colorectal, breast, lung and prostate cancer). Eating less saturated fat may also lower your risk of heart disease. Healthy eating can also help people that already have some types of disease or illness such as diabetes, high cholesterol and blood pressure. And, of course, improving your eating habits will contribute to you achieving and maintaining a  healthy weight. Try to achieve a balance with the foods you eat and include lots of variety and remember, all things in moderatio n.

Diesel vs. Electric Engines essays

Diesel vs. Electric Engines essays An engine is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. There is an engine at the head of the train and behind it there are several carriages. The engine and the carriage together are called a train. The train runs over a pair of steel rails. In contrast the first successful engine was built by Cornish inventor Richard Trevithick. In 1804 his unnamed steam locomotive hauled a train along the tramway of the Penydarren ironworks, near Merthyr Tydfil in Wales. After long time two new engine came in railway industry that totally changed the face of railway transportation and that was diesel engine and Electric engine.Both engine are capable to carry tonns of carriages and able to work in any weather condition.However Electric engine overriding the diesel engine according to circumstances of high speed,lack of emission into the atomsphere, After steam engine,Diesel engine is the popular engine in railway industry. A diesel engine is an reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel in 1983. Several types of diesel locomotive have been developed, the principal distinction being in the means by which the prime mover's mechanical power is conveyed to the driving wheels (drivers). A diesel engine (also known as a compression-ignition engine) is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber. This is in contrast to spark-ignition engines such as a petrol engine (gasoline engine) or gas engine (using a gaseous fuel as opposed to gasoline), which uses a spark plug to ignite an air-fuel mixture. The diesel engine has the highest thermal efficiency of any regular internal or external combustion engine due to its very high compression ratio. Low-speed diesel engines (as used in ships and other applications where overall engine weight is rel...

HBC Georges T-shirts Example

HBC Georges T HBC Georges T Darden Business Article 10thOctober George’s T-Shirts George Lassiter is said to be a project engineer. He is also managing an interesting sidebusiness on behalf of designing and manufacturing variety of T-Shirts for different occasions. It could be for the purpose of fund-raising or a special even like a musical concert for a renowned music artist. However, these T-shirts were not allowed to be sold with the boundaries of the arenas, where the events like concerts will be held. Furthermore, the T-shirts are perfectly designed and manufactured as well. They are also well priced and sold in the surrounding streets associated with arenas such as parking lots, etc. For this purpose, George obtained proper license from the local authorities to sell T-shirts in the local surroundings. Problem IdentificationIn this particular case of George’s T-Shirt, we have analyzed that George don’t have any proper track record in regards to past data, so he can perform the analysis or you can say forecast the future sales on behalf of his T-Shirts. He is not very realistic in terms of identification of number of T-Shirts to be sold. You can say that he doesn’t have the exact information in regards to how many people will be attending the concert, so he can manufacture the required number of T-shirts on the basis of certain percentage, which he has taken around 10% of overall total. If there will be 75,000 people attending the concert, then on the basis of above mentioned percentage, there will be 7,500 T-shirts will be sold. Solution to the George’s Problem According to the 2000 book, On Target: The book on Marketing Plans, by Berry, Tim and Wilson, Dough â€Å"when you have previous data to call on, so you can use it, further you can compare your forecast data with the past results, and look to the past as a reality check. You can understand what is changing, why, and what may remain the same. Basically, a forecast-to-past comparison is said t o be a quick practical and very powerful analysis as well.†In conclusion, I would say that one should have properly maintained past data, so it can be compared with the forecasted values. You can easily derive your desired values by doing such analysis. Berry Tim, Wilson, Dough. "On Target: The book of Marketing Plans." Eugene. Palo Alto Software Publications, (2000): 70. Document.

Obeying the law essays

Obeying the law essays Obeying the law is a general moral obligation. Usually, laws are written from societal ethical codes; therefore the law can embody morality. Obeying the law usually implies the greatest good for the greatest number of people and therefore complies with Mill's utilitarianism. Especially if the law reflects general morality or protects people from pain, such as the admonition against murder, utilitarian theorists would argue that obeying the law is a general moral obligation. However, there are certain situations in which morality transcends the law. Utilitarian philosophy, such as that of John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham, can be applied to situations in which disobeying the law can be actually considered morally acceptable if the consequence is pleasure for a great number of people. Obeying the law is a general moral obligation that should reflect the greatest good for the greatest number; the law can be broken if it results in pleasure or benefit for a large number of people. However, the law usually reflects the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Laws against killing, stealing, or driving drunk should be dutifully obeyed, according to both teleological and deontological theories. Obeying the law is an inherently moral act, according to deontologists like Kant. There is a categorical imperative to obey the law no matter what the consequences are. Cheating on taxes might enable a family to enjoy a few hundred more dollars that presumably the US government would not miss, but cheating on taxes is immoral because it is illegal. Even utilitarian theorists like John Stuart Mill would argue that cheating on taxes is immoral regardless of the short-term gains. Cheating on taxes could ultimately lead to prosecution, which would be a painful situation. Moreover, taxes are ideally applied to beneficial human services and cheating on taxes therefore steals money from...

Public administration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Public administration - Essay Example losed down model initiates order and security, therefore it can be said that all such organizations that spring up to nonconventional activities should go through rigorous approval processes and should comply with all the legal norms. Also, the responsible authorities should keep vigil over all the activities that take place in such organizations. In that way, the unfortunate deaths of two men and hospitalisation of other ten could have been avoided. The open model presumes that the discipline should not be imposed from top and this model advocates the self actualisation needs of the people. Referring to the concerned newspaper report, it might be presumed that the experiment by the doctor with drugs was more of an open model system but the fact remains that it also led to untimely death of people. As per the closed model, public organizations are viewed higher in importance than any other organization. It presumes that the society should be directed by public organizations. But the open model presumes that all the organizations are same as the objectives of society and the non-public organizations can not be very different. The newspaper report suggests that the people have very sarcastic view towards the organization of a nursing home. The organizational knowledge of a nursing home make people feel that one is bound to stay at the hospital and once one stays at hospital for more than a longer period like six or more months, it is almost certain that the person can not leave the hospital for ever. It can also be inferred that the organizational worth of any nursing home is minimum and one stays at nursing home only if he is compelled. The decision making in organizations have changed rapidly. Considering the decision making ability of Medicaid, it can be said that the organization has institutional bias for nursing homes for the poor and the needy. But off-late the same organization helped out lot many people out of the nursing homes to their respective homes

Role of Special Interest Groups Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Role of Special Interest Groups Paper - Essay Example Death penalty is such a big issue that has for a very long time affected formation of policies of most governments because Human Rights Activists are ever against this law because it at times is applied on innocent victims. In 1967 for instance, there were lots of cases revolving around crime in the U.S., which recorded a 16% increase. From this perspective, policies had to be formed to curb the rise in insecurity and for that reason; death penalty was the best option. However, most Human Right Activists still argue that death penalty is no deterrent to crime. While the policy can in one way or the other be an effective tool in reducing crime, there have been frequent complains that prosecutors pass judgment basing on race. Race has been a â€Å"mutant pest† in the U.S., whose eradication remains an uphill task. The U.S. signed three treaties to ensure justice is not administered on racial bias. The U.N. Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment was adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in 1984, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) that deters anyone from unconstitutional application of death penalty, and the International Con vention on the Elimination of All Forms of racial Discrimination, which requires administration of justice in accordance to human rights and not on the basis of race. However, in 1992, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights noticed that the U.S. had breached the treaties when it executed William Andrews in Utah, which indicates that there is racial discrimination in administration of justice. Most empirical research findings indicate that 90% of decisions made in the U.S. judicial system have geared influence by racial disparities (Dieter, 2012 p.27). The U.S. government should consider acting quickly on matters pertaining racial

Wireless Deployment Plan Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Wireless Deployment Plan - Term Paper Example Both users and administrators have experienced increased value in learning institutions. The efficiency is achieved by proper deployment of the wireless network through a wireless deployment plan. A wireless network provides an ideal and effective connection given the mobility of students and the staff (Cisco, 2010). This requires a wireless deployment solution that will address the wireless network security, management, deployment, and control of deployment aspects. It is important to note that the deployment should combine the best elements of secure wireless networking and wired networking that is capable of delivering scalable secure and efficient wireless networks on low total cost. This report provides a wireless deployment plan for a higher institution of learning with one campus but with several buildings (Cisco, 2010). The wireless deployment plan provides a framework through which the network can be installed and implemented. Additionally it entails the management, maintenance and control procedures for the network. Most importantly, the plan entails the requirements to implement the wireless network. The wireless technologies that can be adopted for such a network include 802.11 Standard (Cisco, 2010). Best wireless networks are delivered through a well-planned deployment strategy. This wireless deployment plan provides the structure for the campus wide wireless network solution that will be used by both the students and the staff. The deployment plan purposely addresses the strategy of implementing the wireless network. It enhances security in the wireless network and provides management and maintenance frameworks (Brocade Communications Systems, Inc., 2010). Wireless networks are highly sensitive to overlapping frequencies therefore; the use of wireless technologies must be planned. The purpose of this deployment plan is to

The Complicated roots of modernity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Complicated roots of modernity - Essay Example It is also critical to note that with rapid modernization, cultures became fluid and mass migration to urban areas created an atmosphere where people were ready to leave their old cultural values and practices to adapt to the new ways of living. Thus, modernism started to emerge out of the economic and social necessities of the individuals. The fastest growth of the urban areas as well as the rapid industrial progress gave economic power to the nations too. Thus, nationalism emerged as a result of the better economic power and a strong sense of association with the new cultural identity developed as a result of the economic progress. Nationalism, therefore, is another form of a concept which relates people with the origin. Similarly, liberalism as well as socialism also depicts a particular form of philosophical forms which are based upon modern thinking and a perception of the progressive development of the human societies. This paper will discuss and argue that nationalism, liberal ism, and socialism have roots in modern thinking, their connection to the French Revolution and how they expose the dark side of morality. Liberalism, Nationalism, and Socialism The French Revolution proved as a starting point for much of the later development of the modern thinking. ... idered as a step towards nationalism because it clearly made an attempt to reduce the influence of Church on the modern society and gave rise to a new concept of the collective identity to be developed under the banner of nationalism. What is also critical to note that the French Revolution was also a result of the failure of the monarchs to develop a modern and liberal society with the freedom of thought and expression. Liberalism as a philosophy actually opposes any form of oppression, be it from the state or some other entities. It advocates human freedom and suggests that humans and human societies should be free from any oppression or external force which can restrict the freedom. Liberal thought, though is relatively older than the French Revolution, however, culminated into a practical reality with the French Revolution. It is also critical to note that the French revolution brought to an end a restrictive economic system which was run under the control of the government which decided different aspects of economic life of masses. The emergence of nationalism, however, provided a uniform platform for the masses to develop their collective identity based upon different aspects of life. One of the key variables on the basis of which nationalism started to take its roots was the economic power. Nations, however, did not rely upon the economic power as the military power was considered as necessary too. Nations which became successful in amassing economic capital as well as the modern military forces, however, started to develop colonies and, hence, became an oppressive force. The wars between England and France, the occupation of various colonies across the whole globe exposed the darker side of the morality of the nationalism and nationalist thoughts. As Cortes

IDENTITY THEFT CAN AFFECT Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

IDENTITY THEFT CAN AFFECT - Research Paper Example During 2012, more than 12 million reported being victims of identity fraud in America. The number showed an increase from that reported in 2011 and 2010: the figures reported were USD 11.6 and 10.2 million respectively (Javelin Strategy & Research, 2013). The average costs incurred by the victims of identity theft were USD 365 (Javelin Strategy & Research, 2013). This paper will explore the growth of identity theft, its effects on individuals and the wider community and the types of identity theft. The problem of identity theft and identity fraud is worsened by the lack of cyber borders and the increase in globalization, which make it possible for identity thieves to commit crimes within and outside the borders of the US. The commission of these crimes within and outside the country makes the work of investigating them more difficult. The fact that the criminals possess numerous identities and also the fact that they may use networks to engage in the crimes also challenges the investigative role of law enforcement officials (Finklea, 2013). Additionally, identity theft is often connected and committed in tandem with other crimes, ranging from bank fraud, credit card theft and employment and immigration fraud. More importantly, it is necessary to take into account that the impacts of identity theft and fraud felt by businesses and individuals are not only limited to financial burdens, but also other important areas (Javelin Strategy & Research, 2013). For example, in assessing the national impacts felt by the US, it is important to note that identity theft and the associated crimes affect the health of the national economy and also the security of the nation. It is necessary to take into account that, in many cases, policy makers have differed over the role of the federal government in preventing the crime, mitigating its effects, providing the best

Discuss what is the importance of sex education in early childhood Dissertation

Discuss what is the importance of sex education in early childhood (3-8 years) and what is parents' attitude and teachers toward - Dissertation Example Education related to sex is for mounting youthful proficiencies so that they formulate knowledgeable preferences about their activities, and sense assurance and familiarity about performing on these options. It is extensively established that children possess right to be educated about their body and also should be imparted sex education as it is a method that aids them to safeguard and protect self in opposition to mistreatment, utilization, unplanned pregnancies, or from sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), HIV and AIDS. By imparting sex education, they are empowered to discuss issues influencing them, they do possess right get their requirements meet up, also assist these children to take pleasure and in understanding sexuality as well as their affiliations (Sex Education That Works). Apart from family atmosphere and preaching, school atmosphere plays an essential role in educating students about sexuality. Some schools educate their students about the subject as they are well eq uipped and feel it is necessary for the child development, while other schools never like to handle the subject (Kirby, 1999). Humans have developed a society with different temperaments, perplexing environment of varying morals, contentment seeking and progressiveness and open-minded attitudes. It is observed that children are coddled in adult sexual performance enhancing the rate of divorces between couples. This is tragic for the children as they are being pulled by their parents (Ketterman, 2007). According to Wight and Abraham (2000), it is necessary to develop sex education on the basis of theoretical knowledge. This programme is undergoing controlled research trial in UK. Wight and Abraham (2000) further state that it is difficult to translate research based conclusions drawn regarding imparting sex education into acceptable, replicable and potentially effective classroom lessons. It is imperative to incorporate the theoretical ideas with high precision and care to create an awareness in the classroom culture. It is evident that every teacher has a different skill to teach and the incorporated information must be explicit enough to be transmitted in the manner and procedure it should be (Wellings,, 2001). It is essential to have the appropriate directions to safeguard the children and future generations from any kind of mishap (Ogunjini, 2006). Sex education is required to develop a healthy approach as well as to afford the budding minds with a vision and an outlook so that the mistakes that were done in the past could not be repeated. The mistake encompassed the birth of AIDS and STDs, had sex education would have gained magnitude in the past and concern about educating individuals would have been started a few dreaded diseases could have been prevented (Ketterman, 2007; Bryan, 1996). According to Eyre and Eyre (1999), children must be educated in an explicit manner about the sex and sexuality. It is essential for them to have complete information and it is always better to start early as soon as the child is three years of age and till the child is eight, the child must be able to be aware about many things in life and should grasp the situations, happenings going around. Sexuality begins at birth. As soon as the child is born everyone likes to know- "a boy or a girl?" Children are classified by their gender and thus they learn to discriminate between

The Complicated roots of modernity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Complicated roots of modernity - Essay Example It is also critical to note that with rapid modernization, cultures became fluid and mass migration to urban areas created an atmosphere where people were ready to leave their old cultural values and practices to adapt to the new ways of living. Thus, modernism started to emerge out of the economic and social necessities of the individuals. The fastest growth of the urban areas as well as the rapid industrial progress gave economic power to the nations too. Thus, nationalism emerged as a result of the better economic power and a strong sense of association with the new cultural identity developed as a result of the economic progress. Nationalism, therefore, is another form of a concept which relates people with the origin. Similarly, liberalism as well as socialism also depicts a particular form of philosophical forms which are based upon modern thinking and a perception of the progressive development of the human societies. This paper will discuss and argue that nationalism, liberal ism, and socialism have roots in modern thinking, their connection to the French Revolution and how they expose the dark side of morality. Liberalism, Nationalism, and Socialism The French Revolution proved as a starting point for much of the later development of the modern thinking. ... idered as a step towards nationalism because it clearly made an attempt to reduce the influence of Church on the modern society and gave rise to a new concept of the collective identity to be developed under the banner of nationalism. What is also critical to note that the French Revolution was also a result of the failure of the monarchs to develop a modern and liberal society with the freedom of thought and expression. Liberalism as a philosophy actually opposes any form of oppression, be it from the state or some other entities. It advocates human freedom and suggests that humans and human societies should be free from any oppression or external force which can restrict the freedom. Liberal thought, though is relatively older than the French Revolution, however, culminated into a practical reality with the French Revolution. It is also critical to note that the French revolution brought to an end a restrictive economic system which was run under the control of the government which decided different aspects of economic life of masses. The emergence of nationalism, however, provided a uniform platform for the masses to develop their collective identity based upon different aspects of life. One of the key variables on the basis of which nationalism started to take its roots was the economic power. Nations, however, did not rely upon the economic power as the military power was considered as necessary too. Nations which became successful in amassing economic capital as well as the modern military forces, however, started to develop colonies and, hence, became an oppressive force. The wars between England and France, the occupation of various colonies across the whole globe exposed the darker side of the morality of the nationalism and nationalist thoughts. As Cortes

Discuss what is the importance of sex education in early childhood Dissertation

Discuss what is the importance of sex education in early childhood (3-8 years) and what is parents' attitude and teachers toward - Dissertation Example Education related to sex is for mounting youthful proficiencies so that they formulate knowledgeable preferences about their activities, and sense assurance and familiarity about performing on these options. It is extensively established that children possess right to be educated about their body and also should be imparted sex education as it is a method that aids them to safeguard and protect self in opposition to mistreatment, utilization, unplanned pregnancies, or from sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), HIV and AIDS. By imparting sex education, they are empowered to discuss issues influencing them, they do possess right get their requirements meet up, also assist these children to take pleasure and in understanding sexuality as well as their affiliations (Sex Education That Works). Apart from family atmosphere and preaching, school atmosphere plays an essential role in educating students about sexuality. Some schools educate their students about the subject as they are well eq uipped and feel it is necessary for the child development, while other schools never like to handle the subject (Kirby, 1999). Humans have developed a society with different temperaments, perplexing environment of varying morals, contentment seeking and progressiveness and open-minded attitudes. It is observed that children are coddled in adult sexual performance enhancing the rate of divorces between couples. This is tragic for the children as they are being pulled by their parents (Ketterman, 2007). According to Wight and Abraham (2000), it is necessary to develop sex education on the basis of theoretical knowledge. This programme is undergoing controlled research trial in UK. Wight and Abraham (2000) further state that it is difficult to translate research based conclusions drawn regarding imparting sex education into acceptable, replicable and potentially effective classroom lessons. It is imperative to incorporate the theoretical ideas with high precision and care to create an awareness in the classroom culture. It is evident that every teacher has a different skill to teach and the incorporated information must be explicit enough to be transmitted in the manner and procedure it should be (Wellings,, 2001). It is essential to have the appropriate directions to safeguard the children and future generations from any kind of mishap (Ogunjini, 2006). Sex education is required to develop a healthy approach as well as to afford the budding minds with a vision and an outlook so that the mistakes that were done in the past could not be repeated. The mistake encompassed the birth of AIDS and STDs, had sex education would have gained magnitude in the past and concern about educating individuals would have been started a few dreaded diseases could have been prevented (Ketterman, 2007; Bryan, 1996). According to Eyre and Eyre (1999), children must be educated in an explicit manner about the sex and sexuality. It is essential for them to have complete information and it is always better to start early as soon as the child is three years of age and till the child is eight, the child must be able to be aware about many things in life and should grasp the situations, happenings going around. Sexuality begins at birth. As soon as the child is born everyone likes to know- "a boy or a girl?" Children are classified by their gender and thus they learn to discriminate between

Alan Free

Alan Freed and the Payola Scandal Essay In the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, during a time of shifting cultural identity, many Americans who held conservative views found themselves caught in a socio-cultural predicament. The social dynamic of urban communities had begun to change as more African-Americans moved from the Southern United States into the Northern and Western regions of the country. This diaspora meant better jobs and homes for African-Americans and ultimately translated into more spending power among this portion of the population. While many sectors were positively impacted by this increase in African American spending power, participants of exclusionary practices were destined to suffer. An example of this suffering was evident in the music industry where the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) had monopolized the music licensing industry until the Broadcast Music Incorporation was formed and began to provide affordable music licenses to those musicians previously excluded by ASCAP. This development signaled a â€Å"changing of the guard† and the ASCAP found that the change was ultimately not in their favor (Hood-Ancklewicz 3). The individuals who supported and encouraged the proliferation of this social revolution were labeled responsible for the growing lack of â€Å"social stability† and would be contended with under the guise of a quest for morals and justice. In 1959 the House Subcommittee launched an investigation into the existence of rigging in popular game shows and at the urging of ASCAP expanded that probe into the music industry. Given his nonconformist attitude, unapologetic support of rock n’ roll music, interracial dance parties and â€Å"frenzied† stage shows, Alan Freed became the most popular fatality of the payola scandal. Alan Freed was not the only person guilty of accepting â€Å"payola†, but he was among the most visibly linked to the promulgation of rock n’ roll. Alan Freed has been credited with being the first to popularize the title Rock n’Roll in relation to this particular music genre. Additionally, he was the first to encourage integration by hosting wildly successful interracial Rock n’ Roll stage shows with solely African American performers. Freed also made no attempt to control the pandemonium created by his exhilarating lineup of performers, which generally resulted in teens dancing in the aisles, screaming wildly at performers and storming venues for the opportunity to participate by any means necessary. The â€Å"firsts† associated with Freed helped to solidify his image as the Father of Rock n’ Roll and conversely sealed his fate as the scapegoat of the payola scandal. Mainly targeting radio stations and well known deejays and record executives, including Freed, the â€Å"clean cut† Dick Clark and, others linked to the popularization of rock n’ roll music. The payola investigations made radio executives across the nation nervous. Many of the stations began to enact measures to ensure that they would not be implicated in any wrong doing and as a result began to require that their disc jockeys sign disclosure statements, divest themselves of questionable outside interests and cooperate with investigators as necessary. Those disc jockeys that refused to do so were fired. Many deejays resigned some suggesting that payola was as much a part of the system as any other widely held production practice, while others simply confessed to accepting cash and other gifts in exchange for promoting records. Alan Freed refused to sign documents on the moral grounds that doing so would negatively impact his â€Å"reputation for integrity† as a result Freed was fired from the radio station (Segrave 110). Freed admitted that he had accepted valuable gifts but, he explained â€Å"not in front. If I’ve helped somebody, I’ll accept a nice gift but I wouldn’t take a dime to plug a record. I’d be a fool to; I’d be giving up control of my program† (Segrave 80). The end of the payola scandal dawned with Alan Freed disenfranchised from his livelihood. Freed was forced out of the concert promotion business, blacklisted, arrested, fined three hundred dollars and given a six month suspended sentence and though by modern standards this punishment may seem mild, compared to the punishment of other deejays it was among the most calculating and exacting punishments delivered. While some critics argue that the scandal did not end Freed’s career it is clear that â€Å"justice† was not doled out equally among all offenders (Palmer 136). Dick Clark, who was also investigated, was questioned about outside interests that he held with various publication houses, record presses, talent firms, etc. Clark minimized the number of investments reported to the committee, his employers supported his claims that he had divested those interests. Following the investigation it was learned that the claims of divestment were not only false but that Clark had also deflated the number reported to the subcommittee. Clark was ultimately exonerated and never seemed to be in any real danger of losing his livelihood, while Alan Freed was left destitute (Segrave 110). By many accounts Freed’s success in the music industry was instantaneous and was bolstered by the unwavering support of his interracial teen audience. In 1952 when Freed held the Moondog Coronation Ball an estimated 30,000 teens stormed the venue causing the event to be closed down by the local police department. Soon after this incident Freed took his stage shows on tour and was arrested and charged with inciting a riot after a similar occurrence in Boston. Freed moved from Ohio to New York where his success continue to grow exponentially (Palmer 23). Of note among Freed’s perceived â€Å"shortcomings† was the fact that all of Freed’s performers were African-American and even when â€Å"sanitized† versions of African-American songs were available Freed still preferred and continued to promote the original versions (Palmer 136-139). The image of rock n’ roll (leather jackets and sideburns) upset the sensibilities of larger society and as a result when the investigations into payola, a practice that had existed in various formats for years, became public knowledge and the House Subcommittee on Legislative Oversight had the support and the fuel necessary to effect change, Alan Freed became target number one. Rock n’ roll was shunned by the more conservative personalities in American society and as a result was blamed for many societal ills. Few expected the genre to last, disgusted by the lack of perceived merit in the rock n’ roll genre, many of the ASCAP members and conservative American public denied its â€Å"staying power†. In her1956 article for the Miami Herald, Phyllis Battelle quotes an unnamed source as saying â€Å"Perhaps the only hopeful thing about rock n’ roll is that it’s so bad. It cannot endure indefinitely† (Batelle 4C+). This sentiment comforted few Americans while others focused on the reasons why rock n’ roll was not a viable music form. Rock n’ roll on the other hand continued to reinvent itself, to influence and morph into different genres. The influence of rock n’ roll is heard clearly in other genres now and has become as intrinsic to the American cultural legacy as payola in the music industry. Though rock n’ roll waned for a short period of time it ultimately was revived by the British invasion which also revived the folk and RB genres (Hood-Anklwicz 4). Ironically the integrationist mentality that was once a part of rock n’ roll music faded in the early sixties undoubtedly influenced by the newly sanitized radio and broadcast environment, the loss of charismatic personalities such as Alan Freed and the stress of the continuously changing cultural dynamic in American society. Fears like those expressed in segregationist propaganda like the American Nationalist went unfounded as rock n’ roll eventually became racially segregated once more. Dick Clark’s clean cut presentation of rock n’ roll minus the tilting pelvises and gyrations, minus the dancing in the aisles and frenzied pandemonium, minus the leather jackets and sideburns was to become the popular music among whites while African American performers performed for largely African-American audiences (Palmer, 146). Many African American performers of the rock n’ roll era have credited Freed with the breaking of social barriers and have recognized his attempt to encourage integration among young Blacks and Whites. Before concluding that Alan Freed was ultimately made the example for being all things rock n’ roll, it is imperative to note that the practice of payola was never absent from the music industry, it â€Å"has never been and is not now illegal†. The 1960 law passed, did not make the practice illegal but made the failure to report payola illegal (Segrave,vii). While the concept of payola presents an ethical flaw in the system it is nonetheless a flaw that is as inherent to the music industry as is manipulation to the industry of politics. The great professor and historian, Lord Acton, is quoted as saying, â€Å"power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely†. This notion is evident on both ends of the rock n’ roll spectrum on one end Alan Freed was said to â€Å"be drunk with power† (Palmer 23), so much so that he failed to see the danger in overbooking venues, was charged with encouraging riotous behavior among teens and a general failure to realize the detriment that would come to his livelihood if he continued to challenge the prescribed social norms of the 1950’s. On the other end of the spectrum is the American government who continues to support censorship and participate in the creation of scapegoats when suitable to the larger political agenda. Overall, Alan Freed was a trendsetter who was perhaps â€Å"before his time† and thereby was punished accordingly for going against the grain. He lived as the champion of rock n’ roll firsts and died tormented by opportunities unrealized.

Social Work Intervention | Race and Poverty

Social Work Intervention | Race and Poverty CHAPTER FOUR Evidence suggests that contemporary social work practice is faced with the dilemma of how to direct its efforts primarily to the poor and needy in the UK and at the same time to engage in social welfare policy to help promote social change. According to Okitikpi and Aymers (2003) social work professionals working with African refugees are often frustrated and poorly resourced to manage families who suffer from difficult lifestyle experiences due to poverty and social exclusions. Also Okitikpi and Aymer (2003) are of the view that problems of poverty and working in partnership with African families alleged of child abuse or maltreatment would be better and easier managed should social workers engage in open direct interventions. Bernard Gupta (2008) highlights the difficulties social workers face when assessing and making interventions regarding African children and their families whose cultures differ from the majority white population in the UK. Therefore the argument that the miss ion of social work is to promote social change and alleviate poverty in society by engaging with social welfare policy rather than interventions at family levels is currently the pivot of strong debate. The term social work intervention as defined by IFSW: Usually describes work undertaken with individuals, families, groups and communities. In this context the term is to cover the use of social work knowledge and skills when using it within a social care organisation to facilitate the provision of services and practice consistent with the Codes of Practice and with standards of service and practice, and to promote social inclusion and life opportunities of people using the services IFSW (2000). Types of Social Work Intervention According to Elde-Woodward (2002), there are three fundamental methods or stages of intervention. The first method of intervention, Elde-Woodward describes as macro social work intervention which involves directing social work practice to society or communities as a whole. This type of social work practice includes policy forming and advocacy on a national or international scale. The second method of intervention is mezzo social work practice, which involves working with agencies, small organizations, and other small groups directly or indirectly related to social work practice to make policies or developing programs for a particular community. The third method of intervention is the Micro social work practice which involves offering direct service to individuals and families. Hartnett et al (2005) research on the role perceptions of social workers and social work students shows that only very few actually engage in policy-practice that focus on social policy formulation and advocacy . There are a wide variety of activities that falls under the category of social work practice and social work professionals works in many different settings of employment. Basically social workers engage in clinical practice, find themselves working with individuals or families. However, social workers who serve in community practice are engage with the mezzo or macro stages of social work. Spratt et al (2004) findings shows that social work intervention with individuals or families is the most popular and effective method of intervention that bring about social change in individual lives. Social work intervention aims to help children or families to identify, and to establish appropriate relationships with social workers that will enhance their livelihood. The purpose of the intervention is diverse and ranges from increasing life skills or changing behaviour to increase life options and to cope with changing life situations and transitions (Smale, Tuson and Statham, 2000). Identifying and acknowledging child abuse Many schools of thought argue that social workers could assist families living in poverty to identify issues of child abuse by showing empathy, establishing working relationships and engaging in appropriate interventions. In any of the situations there are a number of factors making African families living in poverty to be alleged of maltreating or abusing their children. Some of these factors are poor parenting practices, lack of knowledge about the laws pertaining in the country of residence and ethno-centric discrimination and racism (Elder-Woodward, 2002). Child abuse cases referred by other agencies for the attention of local authority social services may result in interventions that usually draw children into child protection system. Such interventions do not always consider the financial and social situations such parents find themselves, but used by social work professionals in manner to comply with government legislation and the responsibility of protecting or safeguarding c hildren. For instance, parents living on meagre income hardly could sustain the family financial commitments, or such parents may not consider the legal implications of living children alone in the house for work, as often such children are seen wandering the streets or become school dropouts due to poor parental care and support. Social workers distinctive contribution for families living in extreme poverty and experiencing social exclusion is o employ empathy, communication and relationship skills to help identify and to acknowledge issues of child abuse (Spratt et al 2004). Intervention within the social work process is not a static, snapshot or a holistic process whereby social workers arrives at definitive answer to protect vulnerable children from further harm. However, the fundamental interpersonal skills require of social workers is the key to identifying the possible causes of child abuse or maltreatment in a family setting, through the building of appropriate relationship with the families and collaborating with other interested agencies (Lloyd and Taylor, 1990). Most often than not social workers take ethnocentric and prejudice approach at the initial contact with African families accused of child abuse and consequently arrive at a judgemental decision. With the right relationship with African families involve in child abuse cases social work professionals are positive to understand the needs of such families and what type of intervention is appropriate to help address their problems. Intervention skills used by social workers fits most easily i nto the traditional frameworks in which social work is usually taught to qualifying students, but less easily recognized as intervention by most social workers once in practice. Arguably, the core skills of intervention have not been grasped in its entity practising social workers and hence are not consciously transferred across situations where is most needed. Intervening child abuse Social work involves intervening children and familys situation and problems through appraisal of what information is available and what information is gathered from the family after initially assessing the familys financial and social status, with collaboration with other organisations and professionals working with the family. Many authors argue that social worker should lead families alleged of child abuse through the intervention process, highlighting and explaining the importance of working together to agree on the most appropriate intervention needed to bring social change. Furthermore, social workers use a range of knowledge, models and frameworks to decide what method of intervention is needed to achieve the desired result. To ensure that collated information from all quarters leads to informed intervention, social workers need to establish working relationships of trust with African families and other professionals. They must be able to understand the socio-economic status a nd parenting practices of African families, through their own knowledge and skill, or by drawing on that of others. Social workers recognition and understanding of parents behavioural patterns, complicated with poverty, understanding of diverse cultures and building of good working relationships are vital to successful interventions. There is evidence in the literature to suggest that social workers and other related professionals have difficulty fostering good working relationship with black African families alleged of child abuse cases as such families have no trust in the child protection system. Therefore social workers need to develop the requisite skills and behaviours to understand the problems of African families living under the poverty line, and who may have little or no knowledge of the child protection system in the UK. In recognition of the difficulties inherent in deploying effective interventions the Department of Health introduced the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families ( DH 2000). Macdonald (2002) notes the pitfalls that arise when conducting assessments leading to social work intervention. It is not just simple to follow a framework setting out the areas to be investigated, as social workers need to exercise professional judgement and be alert to unconscious bias which may creep into the work, distorting assessments and the degree of interventions. Social Work Intervention and environmental influences Bernard Gupta (2008) literature review on black African children and child protection system emphasize the adverse effects of poverty and social exclusion on parenting capacity and childrens development, which have been identified as a major factor in most families involved in care proceedings (Brophy et al, 2003). African families are proportionally more likely to live in poverty than majority whites in Britain as many undertake low-income paid jobs (Kyambi, 2005), have their rights to support services withdrawn under section 17 of the 1989 Children Act, (Kholi, 2006) and income, employment opportunities and access to support services are determined by their immigration and asylum status (Bernard Gupta, 2008). The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, recognises the need to protect children who experience a deprived childhood due to families living in poverty, and requires governments to ensure all children have an adequate standard of living as a basic right. The UN recognizes that deprivation during childhood undermines the fundamental rights which children, as well as adults, should enjoy, including access to key services such as health, education and social services (Monteith McLaughlin, 2005). Available evidence shows that poverty and social deprivation during childhood has adverse effects on children developments and limits their capacity to reach full potential and will perpetuate social inequalities across generations within populations. The Labour government pledge to reducing poverty in the country was a step forward to achieve social change among families, but did not explicitly define the target groups that are mainly living in extreme poverty. The Labour governments anti poverty strategy involves policies to increase the incomes of poor families by improving child-related benefits and tax credits and the introduction of a national minimum wage. The governments Sure Start initiative and the National Childcare Strategy in the UK provide affordable childcare provision for working parents. Moreover, the publication of the document Every Child Matters set outs the government approach to the wellbeing of children and young people (McLaughlin Monteith 2005). The sure start initiative provides a lot of support to parents struggling to care for their children, but the limited number of branches across the country only seems to assist the majority white families. Bradshaw (2001) and Stewart Hill (2005) argue that the go vernments child poverty reduction strategies may be easier to achieve in short-term basis but not achieving much in long term. The main official working document for many British child protection social workers is the Department of Health (DoH), 1988 document, Protecting Children: A Guide for Social Workers undertaking a Comprehensive Assessment, but has its limitations when working with black African families (Chands, 1999). It is arguable to say that taking children into public care because their parents are not capable of providing adequate care may be due to the withdrawal of all support services in accordance with section 9 of the 2004 Asylum an Immigration Act (Kelly Meldgaard, 2005). Evidence shows that basic physical care that families are expected to provide for children becomes limited by inadequate housing, unemployment, poverty, and social exclusion particularly with black African families living in poverty. It is argued that any assessment process that reflects the inadequate provision of care as the failure of black people and as indicator of child abuse rather than the effects of racial inequality is in itself racist. Furthermore, as black African families are disadvantaged in many circumstances, it is arguable that they will face higher levels of risk from the harmful effects of inappropriate social work intervention and misjudgement (Chands, 1999). Social Work Intervention and parental behaviours The history of over-representation of black children in the child protection system, according to Chand (1999) dates back to the 1960s. Research shows that black children are quick to enter into the child protection system than their white counterparts, for reasons such as parenting behaviours, culture and social and economic problems. Many research work relating to the differences in child-rearing and poverty in the UK show that black African families are often at risk of being stereotyped as not capable of parenting children in the most appropriate way. Therefore, social workers have a responsibility to understand issues framing the experiences of African children at risk of significant harm, ad not to create the general impression that all African families are not capable. According to Chand (1999) despite the very obviousness of the diversity of childhoods, we live and work in a society which tends to assume that there is just one kind of childhood that is normal and ordinary (Rogers, 1989, p. 97). The issues of punishment, parental behaviour and discipline, complicated with poverty are controversial concepts among black African families living in the UK, which often draw them into the arena of child protection system. According to Bernard Gupta (2008), the literature that exists focuses on the African families where their parenting is deemed to be below the threshold of what is considered proper. This dysfunction within African families can risk reproducing stereotypes of this group as deficient, thus fostering a pathological viewpoint of African family relationship. It is widely accepted that black African family relationships with white social workers working with them, is always strained with mistrust and non-acceptance. Available research shows that (Chands, 1999), different child-rearing practices, as a result of socio-economic status permeates different cultures and social workers working with families of different cultural values and beliefs may experience difficulty i n understanding what parental behaviours are acceptable and not acceptable. Thus, to distinguish whether a particular child-rearing practice is deviant to societal norm, social workers will always have to dwell on the knowledge acquired from both formal and informal training, experiences and their moral judgements, to employ the most appropriate intervention process applicable to the family. Bernard Gupta (2008) claims that African family relationships, like those of many minority ethnic groups, are often constructed differently from the conventional nuclear family model that exist in the majority culture in contemporary Britain. Cultural values and more importantly poverty influence the lives of many black African children and their families involved in the child protection system (Thorburn et al, 2005). In order for social workers to establish a good working relationship when working with black African families and children living in poverty, Chands (1999) argues that it is param ount for social workers to have a sound knowledge and understanding of what is acceptable and unacceptable parental behaviours within the cultural background of the families. If not, social workers may intervene in alleged child abuse cases inappropriately. There are a few data on the impact of poverty and cultural values in influencing expectations, motivations, roles and approaches to parenting and perceiving what constitutes harmful behaviours (Barn et al., 2006). It is debatable to define in specific terms how children should be discipline from the view points of parents and professionals and what type and degree of punishments are deem appropriate for a misbehaving child. Barn et al (2006) findings show that African families do not punish their children any different from the majority white families and that there is no evidence of using more severe physical punishment (Thorburn et al., 2005). However, research shows that working-class white families presumably employ more smacking, which is a form of physical punishment, in an attempt to manage children behaviours and corporal punishment is still practise in schools outside the state sector, which are mainly occupied by middle-class children. Yet in general, as the vast majority o f African parents use physical punishment as a form of discipline to manage their children behaviours, they are inevitably alleged of abusing their children (Chands, 1999). These are related to their cultural background, their socio-economic status, and their own personalities (Phillips Dutt 2000). For example, Ellis (2006) maintained that in African culture there is little fondling and kissing of infants and any kind of caressing stops when the child is toddling. Black Africans express their affection and love in a different way, through good physical attention, such as bathing, skin-care and hair-care (Chands, 1999). This illustrates the necessity to understand different cultures in order to guard against misinterpretations of parenting behaviour, and to ask why a black African parent may not be showing any obvious signs of affection towards their child. Moreover, the unrealistic expectation by white social workers should be understandably measured in the light of the parents anx iety about their childrens future considering the poverty levels of many black African children living the United Kingdom (Beranard Gupta 2006). With regard to responsibility and independence, many research shows that most white social workers seem to adopt euro-centric approach when working with black African children and their families (Chands, 1999). In effect black African children are either not protected because they are seen to be able to cope with situations not deemed appropriate for white children, or where black African children are not taking on similar responsibilities to their white counterparts they are deemed to be at risk of abuse or deprivation (Chands, 1999). For instance, the issue of older siblings caring for younger ones in the case with many black African families may be decisive in the workers assessment of risk of significant harm to the child. According to Chands (1999) there is the need to question why this should be when a high level of both responsibility and independence by the older sibling can be clearly demonstrated. It must be emphasized therefore that although child abuse occurs in all races and cultures, workers must guard against viewing suspected abuse through the norms and values of their own background. A further point is that black African families unwillingness or resistance to the assessment and intervention process employ by social workers working on alleged child abuse cases should not be seen as evidence of guilt, as the system may be new to them or a good working relationship is not there. Finally, Chands (1999) explains that in order to make the intervention process fairer for all black African families, it is necessary for majority white workers and institutions to understand that most black African parents may be less aware of child protection procedures, may be living in poverty, and their experience in the UK make them more susceptible to the child protection system. Some researchers have identified the importance of understanding how poverty complicate different cultural values, which in many cases explains the motivation behind parental actions when managing unacceptable behaviours of their children (Barn et al, 2006) and in their research on normative parenting there is no significant differences between ethnic groups with regard to physical punishment of children (Bernard Gupta, 2008). CHAPTER FIVE IMPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE There is some evidence in the literature to suggest that social workers and other professionals struggle to manage the complex needs and social circumstances of many African families (Bernard Gupta, 2008). According to Hayes Spratt (2008), social workers are more engage with child protection work, but not in way that is readily understood by those who legislate, set policy and measure performance. Social workers may lack the necessary tools to adequately differentiate borderline cases from high-risk cases, couple with poor collaboration with other professionals, classifying certain parenting practices as politically and ethically unacceptable and their own personal cultural values, they turn to route all borderline child abuse cases through the child protection processes. It might seem paradoxical that in recent years social workers, who are seen as the force for conformity, are frequently criticized for acting more in the interests of society than in the interests of service users . However, when social workers relate more with families than just aiming to achieve governments target, they build good working relationships with those they serve and help liberate them from oppression, poverty and social deprivation. Thus, social workers engaging more with methods of intervention which liberate children and their families from poverty, deprivation and social exclusion are really working to the principles and ethics of social work practice as defined by IFSW in contemporary Britain. Social work professionals almost always draw exclusively on sociology and political science knowledge base, believing that individuals can be wholly human only within the context of a benign environment and a just social order. Evidence shows that changing the social system of African families who suffer oppression through poverty and social exclusion by empowering them, not only means liberating them from social injustice, but also promoting family dignity and happiness. According to Bernard Gupta (2008) the poverty and social circumstances experience by many African families pose challenges for parents and children, as well as social work professionals working to safeguard and promote children welfare. Therefore, it is the requirement of the social workers to consider African families poverty and social circumstances before deciding on what intervention process will most help change their life. Recent governments efforts to change the objective social work from perhaps overemphasi zes on child protection agenda to a more preventative approach in alleged child abuse cases, have not entirely favoured African families living in poverty who are accuse of being deficient in their child-rearing behaviours. Social workers invariably experience the dilemma of choosing between directing efforts to child welfare process or child protection process and not see children suffer further abuse under the context of poverty. The broader development of the new theoretical perspectives based on systems theory will assist social work professionals working with children and African families to consider a more specific view of their roles and to help develop effective relationships with African families with the view of understanding their individual, emotional as well as social needs. A lack of good relationship with African families will adversely impact on social workers ability to understand their parenting behaviours so as to employ the appropriate method of intervention (Bernard Gupta, 2008). There are four main reasons for the need for a new perspective. Policy changes resulting in a change in method of intervention The policy environment to which social work practice relates continues to change to bring about the necessary social change. According to Platt (2006) persistent demands on social workers from the government and including inadequate staff, the bureaucracy and central government targets, and policies on refugees and asylum seekers, creates difficulty for social work to offer a wide range of family support services. Research shows that many African families may benefit more when they are routed away from child protection system towards child welfare services (Hayes Spratt, 2008). However, the governments response to Lord Lamings Report in Every Child Matters following the death of Victoria Climbie, has strengthen child protection and increase the number of cases routed through child welfare processes. Therefore it is important for social workers to subject parenting practices influenced by poverty to thorough scrutiny during assessment process to help achieve better outcomes for Afric an children. Poverty can create forms of disempowerment for children when it is used to justify parental behaviours and practices that violate their right (Bernard Gupta, 2008). Further to this point, social workers sometimes face resistance when assessing parenting problems, and more importantly their judgements about what should be consider as significant harm, when parents use poverty as a yardstick for their behaviours. Chand (1999) argue that due to the large number of cases of child abuse and child protection issues among black African children and families, social workers should take the initiative and be proactive by liaising with the families they serve, informing them about where they draw their boundaries. Changes in the knowledge and skill base As with any profession there are both new approaches and new understandings about the effectiveness of specific interventions. Investment in research and the dissemination of knowledge and skills in health remains vast greater than in social care. But the strengthening of these resources in social work and social care should result in more knowledge based practice and management in the medium and long term. The case for recognising different sources of knowledge has been made and the multiplicity of information collected in various departments need to include that produced through the experience and expertise of people using the services and front line workers as well as from research. According to Chand (1999) training either formally or informally, is important for social workers working with black African families with child-rearing issues since it can raise the issue of how black African families meet their children needs differently. The training should be integrated into the so cial work training syllabus in higher education and this would broaden the understanding of students which may dispel some of the myths around black African families and their child-rearing practices and alleviate the potential of pathologizing them in child care practices (Chand, 1999). Technological and structural changes Recent technological changes, identification of gaps in knowledge and skills new areas of working are emerging which is resulting in the provision of services falling behind service demands. For instance global movements have necessitated the need for social workers to work with African children and families migrating to the UK with existing poor backgrounds, to work with asylum seekers or refugees escaping from own countries in political turmoil or at war (Newburn, 1993). New technologies and the growing familiarity of the public in using social welfare services opens up new forms of interventions particularly to assist African families living poverty in the UK. In areas where there is rapid development or new issues with social work practice there is the necessity in advance of theory. Strategies in these circumstances may include transferring existing knowledge and skills to the new area, drawing on any international experience and expertise, networking to share and learn from exp erience and research on needs and effective responses. Initially these may need to be done separately to structure a different perspective before it is possible to bring experience and learning together in new ways. Multi organisational or Partnership Intervention For intervention to meet the required target, it all depends on proper initial assessment, but many of the assessment tools that are employ such as DoH (2000) Framework for the Assessment of children in need and their families may disadvantage black African families due to the eurocentric approach of social workers. Research shows that partnership is needed to embrace both good working relationships and appropriate intervention process (Chand, 1999). Against this background, children in need may be given preventative supports and will prevent vulnerable children from abuse or maltreatment. Therefore greater attention should be given to support professional social work practice, and safeguarding the value base, the relationship and the process of good practice, expertise of social workers and related professions. Implications and issues for considerations Recent studies on African families and the child protection system show that these families are disproportionately represented at different levels in the child care system. The existing intervention tools for social work practice are grounded within ethnocentric epistemologies and, as the foundation for social work theory and practice, are not well equipped for the task of nurturing and developing African families and their children. This is evident, for example, in the sustained over-representation of black children in the care system and in the lack of supportive social work services designed to meet their needs. It is therefore important for the development of new theoretical perspectives based on systems theory to help social workers who work with African children and families. This will enable social workers to take a broader view of their role and to develop a vivid perception of parenting behaviours and practices of these families which are complicated with poverty so that a m ore appropriate method of intervention are employed in their judgement. The extreme poverty experience by many African families pose challenges for social workers working to safeguard and promote childrens welfare (Bernard and Gupta, 2008). The Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families (Department of Health, 2000) based on the ecological approach places a requirement on social workers to also consider the low income status of parents when intervening cases of child abuse. These approaches provide an essential framework for work with African children and families, both in terms of the context of their lives and the process of the work being undertaken. In order to safeguard and promote the welfare of West African children, a starting point must be an acknowledgement of sources of maltreatment of children in the context of poverty (Bernard and Gupta, 2006). The dissertation highlights the importance of social workers considering the poverty situations of many African families who have immigrated to the United Kingdom, particularly those who have recently arrived into the country. Most of the African families may be asylum seekers or refugees with insecure social status and may have very limited understanding of the child protection or welfare state system in the UK (Bernard Gupta, 2008). Therefore only throug