Troubled Youth Today

Youth today are dramatically different than the youth just fifteen years ago. Styles, schooling, resistance, and especially consequences have changed a lot. Children can no longer come home after school with a note from the teacher and receive a lashing with dad’s belt. No longer can they wear the dunce hat in class when misbehaving. Though this is a good thing, it has become much harder for parents to control and maintain their children. In â€Å"Children Should Be Seen Not Heard† by Gill Valentine, a single mother states, â€Å"I think children are allowed to get away with more because we’re so frightened of Social Services†¦they know there’s nothing you can do to stop it. † Without consequence children’s behaviors are going much farther down the â€Å"wrong† road then parents know how to handle. In light of this, now more than ever, drastic measures have been taken to help children. There are youth help centers where parents can send their children to receive the help they need to return to a more level headed state of being. In an article written by Bruce R Schackmann, it was stated that, â€Å"only one in ten adolescents who need treatment actually receives help. † Some of these programs are not as strict, and the child only goes in a few times a week for sessions. Other residential treatment centers are for a month or two, while the most extreme residential centers for youth are over one year long. Since this has become quite a popular trend for parents to do, there is more and more research showing the outcomes of these children and if it actually helped. For parent’s to really understand what their child needs they need to know if strict institutes or more loose help centers are more productive with enhancing and helping the youth’s individual and family life. There are pros and cons to each type of center. A residential treatment center, also known as an RTC is similar to Therapeutic Boarding Schools (TBS) with the exception of how long the program lasts, the intensity of the therapy, and the educational component involved. At Risk Teen-Residential Treatment Centers website). The RTC’s provide much more verbal contact with the family and physical family involvement. Usually in these types of facilities there are less rules, which helps the students to build closer friendship-like relationships with the staff, which can overall help the outcome of the student. The child is learning new things during every session and gets to practice his or her new knowledge within just a few weeks sometimes even hours. This gives the student the ability to test what they have learned and come back to the program to share how it went and work on how to make it better. There tends not to be as much resistance at these shorter, sometimes non-residential centers, which leads to less resentment being built up against the institute. Students at these types of programs have the ability to think for themselves. They are given a type of structure to follow, usually in the form of a certain amount of steps, however it is up to them how to succeed and progress through these steps to the end. Chris Conner from The Spot said, â€Å"discipline may not always be helpful because then the student cannot develop who they are by themselves and they won’t be able to really take their life into their own hands and create their own structure. † Another perk of these programs is that they tend to be less expensive. This allows students of lower class to be able to participate in the RTC services. â€Å"Positive outcomes for youth in RTC’s are [mainly] associated with stays that are relatively shorter, include family involvement, and involve aftercare. † (Brenda D. Smith) Though there seem to be many pros, there are also a few cons. Because the students are there for such a short time period it is easier for them to skim by, or fake what they are doing. Also they might not hold onto the information they have learned as deeply as a longer program. This can cause the students of shorter programs to relapse sooner than longer programs. In Teenage Wasteland by Donna Gaines a boy â€Å"was arrested for drunk driving and entered a rehab program. For a while he dried out, and then he tried getting his life in order. Things started to look up for him†¦but that didn’t last. † (The Kids In The Basement) The longer programs known as TBS’s have many pros and cons as well. Unlike RTC’s they tend to be over a year in length, which means they are residential and away from the family. There is limited communication with the family as well as limited physical contact. There is a loss of connection to the outside world, which can cause a student to build extreme resentment against the program. The therapeutic aspect of these programs is extremely intense and can be hard for such young students to deal with. â€Å"They try to discipline your whole life, to embarrass you out of being yourself, they put you on a routine, to make you normal†¦this structured pproach can be harmful to some extent. More often it gets abused. † (Teenage Wasteland-The Rock). After having stayed at a program away from your family, friends, and society for so long the student usually has the urge to break free when they get out. Unhealthy ways of rebellion are often seen among these youth. This can be seen in disobeying one’s parents, skipping classes again, and can mean â€Å"joints, beers, liquor, and if it’s a good night maybe something a little stronger-coke, dust, crack. † (Teenage Wasteland-Us and Them). The children who go to these programs are pretty equal when it comes to gender. One has to be in the middle to upper middle class to be able to afford the price of these programs which can range from â€Å"around $2,100 per month and can climb to $8,000 a month. † (At Risk Teen-Residential Treatment Centers website). Some pros of the long term program are that because they are longer the student has the chance and time to really work on their issues with the help of much more intensive therapy than an RTC. Instead of having to leave school for a month or two at these programs there is schooling offered to help the students to not fall too far behind and even catch up if they were behind. Though the structure can be seen as harmful at times, it also teaches the students the importance of structure in their lives and not just being a wild spontaneous party animal. The staff and students have more time to create bonds that can be lifelong along with student-student relationships. Having relationships with the people where you are living helps one to feel more at home and they have a better chance of becoming more open and letting people in emotionally to help them. Because of these aspects of longer programs they tend to have a very good outcome. The youth who are being sent to these programs are coming from all different backgrounds of race, gender, and class in particular. These youth tend to be children who have either not had enough rules growing up or too many, and they have found their own ways to resist society, especially in the face of their parents, and have been sent to these places to get help. Family life has changed dramatically along with our society and culture. â€Å"In the 1950’s, it [smoking cigarettes] was a mark of juvenile delinquency for boys, trampiness for girls. † (Teenage Wasteland-Us And Them). Now a child smoking a cigarette is one of the smaller worries of a parent. With drugs becoming so popular, affordable, and easily accessible, this trend has hit almost every youth sub-culture. It is a way for the youth to rebel from their parents and society, while gaining acceptance from their peers. With our culture having changed so much recently, especially in the last twenty to forty years, the youth has become extremely peer oriented. â€Å"Wherever they have been taught to look for good, they find evil. Families are falling apart, and the papers are full of atrocities perpetuated by adults on kids. (Teenage Wasteland-This is Religion I). It is becoming harder and harder for the youth to come home to their families to talk to them about the eighth graders picking on them at lunch time, when they are traveling between their father’s house and their mother’s house on alternate Tuesdays, every other soccer game, and every third weekend. The newspapers and shows are showing that is it dangerous for children to be alone on the street or any further than a block or two away from home, and â€Å"consequently, boys and girls increasingly are having their activities formally organized and timetabled. (Children Should Be Seen Not Heard, Gill Valentine). This type of lifestyle is very overwhelming for children. To have some sort of a release the child usually begins to spend more and more time with their friends to avoid the family life. Along with this, to really deepen the avoidance tactic, the child usually starts to use drugs of some sort. The burden of homework and being embarrassed to go to class because one is unprepared can be overwhelming enough for a child to start skipping classes, and in time drop out all together. The youth at these programs can be involved in the punk scene, the gangster scene, and the hippie scene, and all be going through these same issues. The youth are just finding their own way and different sub-cultures to associate with to avoid their own lives. When the youth get sent to these programs their sub-culture is completely torn apart and they are forced to create a new one with all of the other students at the program. This can actually be very healthy. When I was sent to my wilderness program I was stuck in the middle of Duchesne, Utah with five other girls. I had no choice but to be-friend these girls no matter if they looked different and acted different than me. This was the first step in helping me to step away from judgment. When I got to my TBS in Heron, Montana, I was given a sort of uniform and my make-up, music, and pictures from home were all taken from me. Everyone was shed of their outer appearance that they based friendship off of at home. Girls had to have their hair up at all times with no bangs or hair in their faces. Boys had to have short hair and wear belts at all times. We weren’t even allowed to talk about what type of music we listened to at home, to fully extinguish the images that we all had had. This really helped me to make friends with everybody and grow as a less judgmental person. The rules we were given were extremely strict. We were told they were not called rules but â€Å"agreements†. We were agreeing to live by this standard, and ironically we were being forced to say â€Å"agreements† and if we said rule we were punished. I had fifteen-minute phone calls with my parents every two weeks and was not allowed to talk to any other family members except for them. As time went one I was awarded privileges to be able to write my sister and grandparents letters and it wasn’t until I had been at the program for 18 months that I was allowed to use the phone to call my sister for 10 minutes every two weeks. Punishments included things such as doing extra chores, dishes, digging, weeding, shoveling snow, and the worst was digging a stump out of the ground. I had four stumps during both winters I was there. Extremely low temperatures and feeling sick were not taken into account when a child had broken a rule. I was ostracized three times during my 23-month stay. When I first got there I was not allowed to talk to anybody for one week. And then the two times I got in major trouble I was not allowed to talk to any other students. I was also not allowed to talk to any of the staff or teachers there except for my personal therapist, family therapist, and headmaster. I was forced to sit in the back of the dining hall facing the wall at all times. I was shamed and guilt tripped and I believe this to be an incredibly unhealthy technique to use with growing youth. The children who went to The Rock in Teenage Wasteland by Donna Gaines were very similar to me. Most of them were diagnosed with a disorder called ED, emotionally disturbed. Most kids going to the TBS or RTC programs today are diagnosed with either ADD, ADHD, or ODD. ODD stands for Oppositional Defiant Disorder. It has become prevalent since corporal punishment has become illegal. Most kids who went to The Rock had been given up on by the faculty at their other schools, and this was the only place for them. When I left home no one had given up on me as a person, they had given up on trying to control me and help me. Everyone supported me and wanted me to become healthy again. They sent me away because they loved me and that was what I needed. The kids who go to The Spot, in downtown Denver Colorado, are children with seemingly similar backgrounds. They have probably been given up on, or have given up on themselves. They have this help center to go to with not many rules, but that can really help them to lead a healthier and more successful life. I am similar to these youth because before I had gotten sent away I was no longer living at home. I was sleeping couch to couch and sometimes sitting on curbs until two in the morning when someone could sneak me into their house. I had given up on myself and was harming my own body with drugs and had stopped going to school all together. I feel that the homeless youth who are going to The Spot are taking the initiative to help themselves, however I feel that there might not be quite enough structure or help services for them to really start working on their life and turning it around. There needs to be a place with an amount of structure between a TBS/RTC and youth help centers such as The Spot and the YMCA. In general the youth who are homeless and attending the spot and the youth who are so out of control they are being sent to these residential treatment center can tell us a lot about the general youth in the United States today. â€Å"In contemporary Western societies we are witnessing a decay in childhood as a separate category and that the distinction between children and adults is becoming increasingly blurred. † (Seabrook, 1987). There is an incredible amount of resistance among the youth of the U. S. today towards the â€Å"norm†. Youth are being oppressed by the different laws that are placed on them, the inability to hang out in certain public spaces, and the overall mindset that we are hormonal and crazy teens. The youth are resisting this oppression by breaking the rules, by taking drugs, skipping classes, and hanging out and skateboarding in places where it is printed â€Å"not allowed†. However, through this resistance we are proving that the adults are extremely correct. The youth are beginning to gain more and more power out of this resistance mostly due to corporal punishment being illegal. Parents are being watched very closely to see that their children are not being abused. It has become very hard for parents to discipline their children, with the fear that any wrong move and their own child, neighbor, or passer-by could call Child Protective Services on them. It is very important for these youth to be studied because we are the future of this nation, of this world. Some of these children are being treated in unnecessary and unfair ways that can be economically harmful to the family, and in some cases can emotionally pull the family apart due to lack of communication. The population of the children going through these processes is becoming larger and larger by the year. If the adults of the society could start to look at what they are doing that could be helping to cause this â€Å"loss† of children in our communities, things could really start to change for the better. It seems as if â€Å"parents have become ‘overeducated. ’ But instead of becoming sensitive or acting rationally, they get hyper alert to ‘signs’ of ‘drug problem. ’ They start reading pathology into every little thing their kid does. † (Teenage Wasteland-The Rock). Give the children a chance to be themselves. As much as a child might yell when they hear that who they are is just â€Å"phase†, it usually is true, it is a â€Å"phase†. Let your children make mistakes and learn from them. Be there for them all the time to love them and to help teach them right from wrong. Try to understand and listen to them rather than preach from our own childhood. The gap between youth and adults will become much closer if we all begin to listen and love. BIBLIOGRAPHY Gaines, Donna. 1991. Teenage Wasteland: Suburbia’s Dead End Kids. New York: Harper Perennial Valentine, Gill. 1996. Urban Geography. Children Should Be Seen and Not Heard: The Production and Transgression of Adults’ Public Space. 205-220 Website: Residential Treatment Centers: http://www. selectown. com/oppositional-defiant-disorder. php Copyright 2004 Website: Residential Treatment Centers: http://www. selectown. com/residential-treatment-centers. php Copyright 2004 Interview with Chris Conner from The Spot Seabrook, Jeremy, 1987. The Decay Of Childhood. News Statesman. 10 July, 14-15 Schackman, Bruce R. , Erick G. Rojas, Jeremy Gans, Mathea Falco, and Robert B. Millman. â€Å"Does higher cost mean better quality? evidence from highly-regarded adolescent drug treatment programs. (Short Report). † Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy 2. 23 (July 31, 2007): 23. Academic OneFile. Gale. University of Denver. Smith, Brenda D. , David E. Duffee, Camela M. Steinke, Yufan Huang, and Heather Larkin. â€Å"Outcomes in residential treatment for youth: The role of early engagement. (Report). † Children and Youth Services Review 30. 12 (Dec 2008): 1425(12). Academic OneFile. Gale. University of Denver.

Advertising media industry Essay

I am student in a work placement agency called STG Media Corporation, a company which dedicates their mission and vision in providing accountable advertising solutions. In my 7 week placement here in the corporation, I learned a lot and discovered that nothing beats on-hand experience in working. Week One (provide date) It was a week of anticipation, stress and learning. How does one person deal with work placement? The first day was dedicated with meeting the executive staff, the working staff, and introduction to what the company is. STG Media Corp. is an interesting work placement agency. I learned about the company through one of my friends and I thought that working for a media company will be so great; little did I know that it is a lot difficult. The first thing that came up in my mind when STG Media Corp. was mentioned is that it is just an advertising company. But it is different. The company details their service in the concept of accountable advertising, in which they refine print advertising media in context of the 21st century need. As a communication student, this was beginning to worry me. After the primary day of introduction, I get to know more about the company and the thought that it is not the conventional type of advertising agency made me overwhelmed with the job and the condition in the work place. This week, I was designated to the Print Media Research, print Media Planning and Market Analysis of one of the company’s client. The company of a branded sports drink is asking STG Media Corp. to help them with the advertising promotion in one of the new products they will launch in about 5 months time. The first thing I did was to interview the sports drink company representative about the nature of their company. I went to their office was so anxious to do the interview that I forgot to bring my recorder, which is considered as one of the great mistakes before doing an interview, coming unprepared. But the good thing is, I did the interview well. I was given the set questions of STG Media Corp., questions that are required to be asked to the client, and throughout the interview, I inserted some of the questions I thought myself to be able to get a good amount of fact for the company. As inexperienced as I am in working for the company, one of the greatest skill I learned is to communicate effectively and luckily I am able to do that with this interview. During the week, one of the great challenges I faced was inputting the vital information of the company’s client to their database called the Print Media Buying System. The PMBS which is the company’s own database generates detailed market research, analysis reports accounting for all aspects such as demographic information, buying trends and other print media recommendations. I really asked for help this time as since I was not acquainted with the kind of technology they used in the particular system. But later I got the hang of it and was commended for a job well done in collecting information from the client. Week 2 (provide date) Before the work placement began, I was told that I will be working full time in one of the company’s venture with a famous sports drink brand. I thought that would be easy since I don’t have to do all the other work, but the challenged I soon found out during the second week is that the process of STG Media Corp. as an advertising consultant is a process to which many steps are taken. This week I am part of the Creative Team designated by the company to help the sports drink brand. Although I must be clear that I was just a part of the team, doing menial job that the professionals are tasked to do. I learned one great thing about the print media industry, 75% of advertisement fail because of weak creative and non-compelling ad copy. It’s true that one of the strengths of a great brand is not just with its quality, but through rigorous and effective advertising that they create. Before working here, I thought that companies only advertise for the sake of advertising, but companies do take this strategy very seriously. On the third day of this week, I was asked to look at one print ad for five seconds during one of the meetings of the Creative Team. They asked me questions rigorously, whether it be based on the appearance or the content. I answered them frankly and mention the things that I would personally think about the ad if I was just a normal consumer looking at the advertisement. Several times, the Team will press and argue their points with me, but all was attributed to presenting a better advertisement for the client. During this week, as unprofessional to assume the role of being a advertiser consultant, I was placed in the position of the consumer, the Team’s viewpoint on the things they realize about the brand and how they can effectively approach working for the client. I really felt like my ideas were respected and included to the Creative Team’s analysis of the product. This week, I also was comfortable with the workplace. I am familiar with the different employees and get to have small talks with them through several breaks. Its interesting how some of them had assumed I am part of the Creative Team when in fact; I am just a student on work placement.

Conclusion Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Conclusion - Dissertation Example In the context of the political dimension and its correlation with the Saudi media, we infer that it is impossible to segregate the function of the information media from the general policy of the Saudi government, which is a written press policy. The SPA - Saudi Press Agency contributed as an intermediary between the agenda of the Saudi Arabian government and the work of the Saudi information media. The Saudi Ministry of Information appoints Editor-in-Chief who decides that what should be published and should not be published in the Saudi press and he is also completely accountable in front of the legal prosecutor of the state. The purpose of adopting this measure is to ensure that the newspapers in Saudi Arabia follow the path that has been designed for them so as to preserve the Saudi Arabian society as a conservative Islamic society, in its nature. The research findings through the content analysis shed light on why the Saudi press paid emphasis to the Bahraini conflict from the perspective of the military regime in Saudi Arabia. Firstly, the Saudi Arabian journalists were obligated by the Saudi Ministry of Information to provide state perspective or agenda to the Saudi people and Saudi society as a whole. Greater attention is given to the news belonging to the industrialized countries of the world such as the UK and the US. On the reasons for the dominance of Western and American news content could be the 'chess game' of politics as the Saudi Arabia supports these states and their governments. The 'geographic proximity', political and trade factors had influenced the amount of coverage given by the Saudi Arabian print media to the conflict in Bahrain. The Saudi media is viewed as an instrument of the state policy since it is governed indirectly by the Saudi government. It is can be expected that the policy of the Saudi government would be carried out from the media itself without showing any resistance. More particularly, the coverage of the activities of the Saudi government by the Saudi press would be positive in tone. Research Categories When creating categories for the content analysis, the newspaper content was classified with respect to the expanded and reformulated version of categories employed by Stevenson, et al. (Stevenson et al., 1990: 197-199). A brief description of these categories is provided below: Category A is classified as the main news topics, that include political, economic, military/defence, social service, education, religion, sport, crime/law/justice, natural disasters/accident, ecology/environment, multiple issues and many others. Category B is classified as the type of news. The selected types of news can be further divided into three categories: local or domestic news, international news that involves KSA and some other country irrespective of its geographical location and foreign news that has no association with KSA. Category C is classified as the tone of the main news topic, which can be further class ified as either positive or negative. This judgment was based on whether the news and its tone were favourable to the interests of KSA and the US. Therefore, the news items that emphasised only the causes or issues (such as discrimination, injustice, etc.) behind the situation in Bahrain were classified as having a negative

Operations and Technology Management Assignment

Operations and Technology Management - Assignment Example This makes it very difficult to accurately forecast in advance the designs so they stick to the traditional and common designs. They will not purchase materials in big orders because of the uncertainty of the forecast. Hence, this management strategy could be considered as very conservative and inefficient operation style. The effect of this goes beyond the initial production. In the event that the forecast is correct and replenishments are in order, the same cannot be produced immediately. Materials were pre-ordered a year before and may not be in manufacture anymore or such other delays may occur. So even if the design becomes in demand, M&S will not be able to cater to it immediately. Their slow response will lead customers to shop elsewhere like Zara who can "copy a successful competitor model and get it on its shelves within 7 days and all at low-to-middle range prices." What is needed is a change. But it is not a piece meal change, as can be seen in the effecexplanation. It req uires changing to root causes of poor performance which according to Merrill Lynch is, "heavy organization, limited flexibility and over centralization." 1. He downsized in the effort to save costs and bring up the value of company stocks. This led to the closure of operations in Canada & 6 stores in France and Germany. This also led to the UK management staff cut of over 1000 employees including Simon Marks great grandson. The closure of operations and stores may be a smart financial move but in the long run may cost the company far greater losses in terms of customer "goodwill' and company profile. Peter Salisbury should have explored other avenues like selling by consignment of goods or maintain a booth within a large department store, or even franchising to maintain relations with customers and thus not to lose the important "goodwill." Without "goodwill" a company is nothing. Company employee goodwill should have also been maintained to make the employees feel secure in their work and thus work harder for the company. Downsizing even the number of management staff cannot be avoided but he should have maintained Simon Marks great grandson if he was worth it. How can a mere employee be secure in his work when even the relative of its founder who works as hard as him does not enjoy even a bit of leeway. Is the company going bankrupt that it can no longer give a little respect to the memory of its founding member What company profile does this action show the industry He forgot to look closely into the history of the company that it reached the peak of its glory when its patronage grew. People chose to buy M&S products because the company gave back to its employees in terms of social/ welfare services. 2. He moved to reorganize and decentralize through the "Return to Recovery Program" by rationalizing its supplier base. 77% of turnover was sourced from the UK which allowed close proximity to the buying team for controls and communication. This stopped or limited the sourcing of clothes to Hong Kong. Savings were obtained from having to obtain the sourcing from Asia, flying the same to UK for control

Respond to the videos, at least 4 pages paper detailing your take Movie Review

Respond to the videos, at least 4 pages paper detailing your take awaysdouble-spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman - Movie Review Example To begin with, it is largely suggested that the United States companies were among the first to point out the necessity to pay attention towards Ethics as well as engage it into the business activities. In other words, it would not be a mistake to suggest that this awareness originated in the West. There was another term mentioned in the video – the insiders. Indeed, insider trading is one of the negative phenomena that are witnessed in the modern business world and poses a great example of unethical behavior. In addition to that, this is a problem that has been largely addressed by the American businesses. What is more important is that the notion of business ethics is often associated with different scandals that appear around it. Indeed, the majority of publications use as examples the situations when companies violated ethical rule. In other words, the public tends to learn about existence of business ethics primarily through news about scandals and not when a company is c arrying out a successful ethical policy. Finally, the message that is sent in the first video can be best explained by the actions of one of the characters. A well dressed man, who is undoubtedly a business man, was unable to provide a comprehensive definition of what business ethics is and preferred to threat the audience with a gun in stead of answering the question. In spite of the fact that this situation is somewhat exaggerated, it shows that some people in the business world find the concept of business ethics extremely inconvenient. The second video is titled Business Ethics in the 21st Century and it focuses on the role this concept plays in the contemporary times. From the very beginning the present argues that some people suggest that business ethics should be regarded as oxymoron which is a combination of world with contradicting meaning. However, if one takes

Quantitative Easing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Quantitative Easing - Essay Example Quantitative easing has policies that when well implemented can result to reduction of systematic risks and improve market confidence. Consequently, it can contribute to higher inflation than desired in case policy makers overestimate the amount of easing required (Gibbons, 2011:224). This essay will seek to explain the extent in which the practice of quantitative easing threatens the independence of policymakers. Quantitative easing is another bank bailout. Money created in form of promissory notes or bonds and is available to only those banks that have received the quantitative easing (Biefang-FrisanchoMariscal, and Howells, 2011:98). When the rate of interests is high, there is an alternative method of influencing the price of money circulating in the economy. This alternate solution is quantitative easing whose aim is to lower the rates of interests affecting companies and households where the central bank takes the most important step, QE, by generating new money for use in an e conomy. Therefore, quantitative easing, dubbed printing money, assumes the definition of unconventional monetary policy acquired by the central banks in view of stimulating the economy at times when the conventional monetary policy fails. ... 2012). These unconventional measures had principle element in the United Kingdom whereby, their policy was to purchase assets with finances from the central bank, in short, quantitative easing (Howells and Hussein, 1997:378). Between March 2009 and January 2010, there were more than 200 billion Euros purchases of assets. Overwhelmingly, this amount comprised of government securities that ended up representing 14 percent of the annual Gross Domestic Product (Howells, 2010:314). The motivation and implementation of these central banks’ asset purchase had significant economical impacts and according to the Bank of England, quantitative easing made considerable uncertainty regarding magnitudes of the UK’s financial market (Douglas, 2011). Recently, the growth of broad money slowed dramatically within the economy of the United Kingdom since when recession commenced. Indicators of the recession were in part things like reduced borrowing by households and companies. Presumably , the Bank of England had to practice quantitative easing on behalf of Monetary Policy Committee in order to offset the UK’s economy from this weakness (Joyce, 2010). This practice boosted huge sums of money holdings into the economy. However, it threatened the independence of the policymakers since there is documented evidence from the monetary data depicted that the asset purchase program led to an increase in prices of assets (Biefang-FrisanchoMariscal, and Howells 2011:102). In addition, it ultimately contributed to increase in nominal demand in the UK’s economy making other evidence from other financial markets corroborative (Ellis, 2009:31). In 2009, the Monetary Policy Committee made a stern decision of making the economy of the United Kingdom an elaborate market with

Finance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Finance - Assignment Example This affects the interest rates. An interest rate is at the very basic the cost money. It’s how much you pay to receive money and how much you earn to sell money. Banks basically help determine the interest rate. While each bank may offer different interest rates to customers, the basic rate or the discount rate is determined by the Central Bank (Mathieu, 1995, p. 64). This is the rate at which the central bank lends to all other banks. And the central bank sets this rate by considering factors such as the demand and supply of money, interest rates, exchange rates, balance of payments and the growth rate. The financial sectors set the interest rate which affects the exchange rate of a currency. A high interest rate means that the currency essentially â€Å"costs† more. It also means that if foreign investors put their money in local accounts they will get higher returns. This is known as hot money inflow. As more investors buy the local currency, the currency appreciates. While high interest rates lead to hot money inflows it also means that the country’s exports are now more expensive for foreigners. This means that if previously an American had to pay $1 for PKR 80, now they might have to pay $80/70 since $1 is now equal to PKR 70 and not PKR 80. This means that if previously an item in Pakistan cost PKR 800, the American had to pay $800/80=$10. But now since PKR has appreciated he has to pay $800/70=$11.43. So it costs him more now and depending on the elasticity of demand, he might buy less or not buy at all. So an appreciation of currency is not necessarily a good thing. On the other hand imports become cheaper. E.g. if a barrel of oil cost $100, a Pakistani importer had to pay PKR 100x80=PKR 8000 per barrel. But now he has to pay PKR 100x70= PKR 7000 per barrel. However as imports increase this can create inflationary pressures in the economy and on the balance of payments. If exports are greater than imports, all things held

Socrates Political View Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Socrates Political View - Essay Example The Socratic philosophical approach posits that the central subject matter of philosophy is the human being and virtues are viewed as a form of knowledge. Additionally, the approach posits that people do not commit evil intentionally and that they can explain the different accounts that have transformed their lives. Socrates is considered as the most revolutionary political theorist in the history of politics. Socrates believed in the ability of a man being superego. Plato posits, â€Å"in [his] investigation of the service of the god†¦that those who had the highest reputation were nearly the most deficient, while those who were thought to be inferior were more knowledgeable†. Notable among his declarations is that the wisest man is the one that knows that he knows not. Socrates argued that human happiness is the product of the ethical knowledge on how people should live and not on the basis of material possession and wealth. His political theory argues that governments s hould not act as merely powerful organizational entities; rather they should adhere to the ethical principles that enhance the culture of moral uprightness. The government’s role, according to Socrates, should be to cater for the common benefit of all citizens rather than discriminating individuals over adherence to societal rules. His association with political change and activism is related to the fact his ideas attracted enthusiastic admiration from the youths who add participate in the political coup at Athens in the aftermath of the Peloponnesian war.

Final Paper Topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Final Paper Topic - Essay Example With the growth of civil liberties, new situations and threats became flexible where poor preparations and public support declined. Many people believed that the aftermath of the Vietnam War had produced irresponsible and harsh civil liberties full of radicals, dissenters and foreigners. Therefore, the powerful orthodoxy and the military concluded that unrestrained press had undermined ability of Americans to fight in Vietnam. This led to exclusion of the press and civil liberties from the US invasion of Grenada in 1980s (Leone & Anrig, 45). In conclusion, it is evident that the violation of the freedom of the press and civil liberties in 1960s led to its restrictions. The press and civil liberties pursued their own preexisting agendas in the name of national security leadings to its restrictions. After the 1980s, there were exceptions of the war time infringements of civil liberties due to restrictions granted unto them by the Supreme

The management of organisational culture is central to contemporary Essay

The management of organisational culture is central to contemporary management ideas and practices - Essay Example â€Å"American management had been preoccupied by rational and systematic aspects of management like organizational structures and strategies whereas Japanese companies had a more holistic approach which included attention to people’s skills and management styles† (Grey, 2009, p.65). Along with the changes happening in the life styles, attitudes and philosophies of people, organizational culture is also undergoing constant changes. Scientific and technological advancements contributed heavily in rewriting some of the traditional and established organizational principles. The introduction of internet and computers has revolutionized the organizational world and the concept of business has changed a lot because of that. Organizational communication strategies underwent drastic changes because of computers, internet and mobile phones. Current organizations realized the importance of a healthy organizational environment for the better productivity of the organization. New techniques like teamwork, outsourcing, offshoring etc like business strategies have gained prominence in the current organizational world in place of the traditional concepts like individual work, insourcing etc. Moreover, current organizations are more particular about doing something for the comm unity in which it operates and also for environmental protection in order to demonstrate their corporate social responsibilities. This paper briefly analyses the current organizational culture existing in the global organizational world. Musacco Ph.D (2009) has pointed out that â€Å"harassment, mobbing, bullying, and emotional abuses are common at the workplaces which resulted in increased fear and minimal trust between workers† (Musacco Ph.D, 2009, p.2). It is difficult for an organization to progress rapidly if the environment does not provide the necessary atmosphere. Most of

Relationship in Cousin Kate Essay Example for Free

Relationship in Cousin Kate Essay The crisp summer air filled the local park, the sun burning down, everyone wanted some fresh air-the park was packed. A young couple lounging on the fresh grass having a barbecue, the juicy aroma of sausages floated through the park, making everyone hungry. Across from the couple parked precariously on an old patch of grass was an ancient ice-cream van. The old, decrepit van had been in the family for years, paint peeling, bodywork rusting, the ice-cream van was fit for the dump, but as if transfixed, everyone in the local park was swarming to the van, tired parents, bored teenagers-everyone needed some refreshment. The ice-cream van driver a sweaty OAP, looking worn and fed up, his eyes scanning the crowd,hoping for some refuge from the swarm of impatient customer. Beads of sweat dripping from his forehead, handing out melting ice-creams laden with sprinkles, the summer heat was all too much. Close to the van was a young mother, struggling to control her two troublesome toddlers fighting with their younger sibling,sitting in a rather worn looking pram. Her oldest child, seemingly unaware, was clicking away on her phone. Baby crying, mother screaming, she was quickly attracting the attention of passers-by. The young mother was trying to explain to her children she had no money for ice-cream. Tired and confused she attempted to calm down her noisy children, stopping to pick up her crying toddler who had just fallen over, whilst trying to make a run for it towards the trees;she narrowly missed being trampled by a passing runner and his personal trainer. The sweaty, runner, looked nervously around the park, his eyes longingly glancing towards the ice-cream van, licking his lips, wishing he could gulp down an ice-cold can of coke. Rather large in comparison to his personal trainer- a young, fit female. He was finding it hard to keep up, begging her to slow down. Tiredly trying to tug-down his sweat-drenched West Ham t-shirt he came to a stop, collapsing right in the middle of the worn patch of grass, a group of boisterous boys were playing a rowdy game of football. Out of the usual gang playing football, one boy was already perched on a nearby bench being comforted by his concerned mother, clumsily dabbing anaemic looking antiseptic onto his rather badly grazed knee. Other players were taking a break, sitting on patches of grass licking rapidly melting ice-creams, whilst watching the carnage occuring on the pathetic looking pitch. One over-excited boy lobs the battered ball towards a passing couple, hand in hand the old couple quicken their pace, retreating from the brutal match. The old couple carry on along the path, leaning on their walking sticks for support. The old lady’s dress softly flaps in the wind, exposing her swollen feet clad in thick socks with sandals. Their aged faces crinkling into smiles as they watch the sunset. Their eyes wide through their magnifying-glass shaped spectacles. The local park is gradually cloaked in datrkness, the park slowly clears, until all you can hear is the gentle laughter ringing from the late night barbecues and midnight strollers. Wandering through the park, engulfed by my thick coat, I stare around me with disgust. The once green and beautiful park is now grey and boring; damaged by youths. However, the park is the place where I can just come and think: its quiet and peaceful and I feel free; away from the bustle and noise of the city. There is a chill breeze in the air, therefore most people are inside their warm houses, clustering round their coal fires, but this is when I like it best. To me, wrapped up in layers and scarves, it only feels fresh, not cold and I can think better when Im alone. I stare at the climbing frame, once bright and colourful with a shiny slide, but now the only colour is the dull rusty red of the metal and the black of the graffiti covering it. My eyes glaze over while I reminisce about happier times spent on the climbing frame, and how I used to fly through the air, aided by the monkey bars, just like a chimpanzee swinging through a tree. The trees in the park creak and groan as the wind picks up. Leaves rustle at my feet and my hair is whipped around my raw face by unseen hands. I disappear inside my warm jacket and spy the swings over in the corner. As I sit on the only swing not broken by vandals, one gloved hand entwined round the chain, and my feet scuffing at the tarmac, I gently propel myself forward and back in gentle rhythm. I am lost in my own world. Absent-mindedly my free hand delves deep into the mystery of my pocket and finds a single, solitary chocolate truffle. I unwrap the truffle slowly, so as not to damage the shiny wrapper. It has a wonderfully rich smell that only chocolate has and the creamy centre of the truffle warms my frozen insides as it makes its journey to my stomach. The roundabout is twirling through the wind in the distance, but I cant see it. I am entranced. I cant tear my eyes away from the wrapper fluttering in my hands. Its iridescent quality is making me feel tranquil and serene. My eyes swim in and out of focus as my vision is replaced by one from a long time ago. Parts of Goole have been flooded following heavy rain. Firefighters were called to the East Riding Council offices in Church Street after the building was struck by lightning. Emergency services said flooding was localised and advised people to check the Environment Agency website for the latest flood warnings. At present the Met Office is forecasting Hull will escape the rain this evening (Thursday). However, heavy rain is forecast for the city and county from mid-morning tomorrow (Friday). John Skidmore, head of streetscene services at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: We have been alerted by the Met Office of heavy rain which will arrive on the east coast at 7am and move across the entire region which could lead to potential flooding issues. We have suspended all grounds, highway and street sweeping operations tomorrow so we have staff available should we need to activate any emergency plans. We will have staff at locations across the East Riding letting us know how heavy the rainfall is and if there are any areas of localised flooding so we can deploy services where we need them quickly. The rain is predicted to arrive on the east coast at 7am and move out of the area early afternoon. Driving conditions in tomorrow morning’s rush hour could be potentially hazardous due to surface water. I would urge drivers to allow extra time for their journey and drive accordingly. South Yorkshire’s public organisations have been widely praised for keeping people safe after last summer’s unprecedented floods. Now a new report aims to ensure any future flood would be met with an even better response for the people of South Yorkshire. The â€Å"Final Report on the Flooding of Summer 2007† highlights how the investment in emergency planning over the last decade proved its worth in ensuring that the response was of a high standard. Tragically, two people lost their lives in the early stages of the flooding, but the number of casualties would have been much higher had the response of emergency services, and other partners, not been so well co-ordinated. The report has been produced by South Yorkshire’s Local Resilience Forum (LRF), a high-level partnership of the area’s emergency services, local authorities, health authorities and other key partner agencies. The 13-page report praises the â€Å"prompt action by responding organisations† to keep people safe, and notes that effective recovery planning meant there has been â€Å"no large dislocation of communities to areas outside of the county as has happened elsewhere. The report also looks at areas of the response which provide lessons to be learned in the event of any future flood. The ‘Gold’ command which led the partnership’s response â€Å"proved effective in managing rapidly unfolding events such as the potential collapse of the dam at Ulley Reservoir,† but several improvements to the way that command structure operated have been identified. Steps are also being taken to improve the flood warning systems to provide a quicker indication that flooding might be on its way. Action is already under way to address 26 key recommendations, some of which provide an overlap with the recommendations of the national interim Pitt Report, which was published on 17th December 2007. The Environment Agency is already planning to install additional flood warning equipment to the north and west of Sheffield. A new, specially-designed ‘Gold’ command location is also being developed in the county. This means that in any future flooding – or similar major emergency South Yorkshire’s response will be informed not only by training exercises, but by improvements developed from real-life events. Chief Constable Meredydd Hughes, chair of the South Yorkshire LRF, said: â€Å"The flooding of summer 2007 led to a tremendous response by everyone involved, which demonstrated the value of all the planning and training that has taken place for many years. â€Å"However, no amount of foresight could have fully prepared us for such an unprecedented situation. It is right that we now reflect on the things we would do better in any future flooding events, as well as the excellent work which took place last summer. †

Adult Mental Health And Professional Practice Social Work Essay

Adult Mental Health And Professional Practice Social Work Essay Within my assignment I will demonstrate my understanding of mental health and the direct correlation to my professional practice. I will clearly define and critically evaluate two of the dominant perspectives which are significant in mental health theory and practice, the biomedical and the social causation perspective. By explaining my practice with regards to the case scenario 1 Ahmed, I will substantiate my understanding of both perspectives, examining the advantages and disadvantages of each by considering how I might undertake and assessment and how I might address issues identified from the case scenario including the impact of discrimination and the importance of anti oppressive practice. I will evidence my knowledge and understanding of relevant issues including reflecting the perspective of the individual, by drawing up an intervention plan, including identifying clearly my understanding of the legal framework within which I would practice. Issues of mental health are approached from a variety of different perspectives and using a variety of different terminologies. Many have the greatest confidence in scientific or biological approaches, whilst others prefer more holistic or social approaches. The biomedical medical model of mental health has been dominant simply because the dominant profession is psychiatry. Psychiatrists are medically trained and therefore tend to see the main purpose behind their work as the diagnosis and treatment of illness or disorder (Rogers and Pilgrim,2005).The simplistic view of cause and effect whilst beneficial if you have broken your leg or have diabetes, is not the same for mental illness. There are organic brain diseases or illnesses such as epilepsy and huntingdons chorea which may manifest in symptoms often associated with mental illness (Rethink,2007) and therefore it is vital that the possibility of underlying physical causes are examined. The bio medical model utilises ideas of a single underlying cause and therefore treatment of the cause will lead to a return to the pre existing state(Wade and Hallingan,2004).Another assumption is of a normal existing state, and therefore an ability to measure evidence of abnormality thus concluding w ith a diagnosis. Traditional bio medical models focus on the pathology of the illness rather than understanding the illness whether it is biological, social or psychological. Criticism of the biomedical model is that it is a simplistic model in a very complex arena. Reductionist explanations of mental health reduce mental health issues to the smallest possible factors, simplistic but clearly flawed (Crossley,2006). One of the most predominant arguments is the involvement of environmental factors in shaping our behaviour. A persons environment can shape their behaviour and this is a constant process. An individual may be born with certain genes but environmental factors such as society and a persons family can shape further behaviour (Nettleton, 2006). In reducing a concept to its component parts and simplest terms many important aspects are overlooked. Individual factors are hard to explain under reductionism, because reductionist explanations generalise behaviour. Each individual is unique and responds differently. A reductionist explanation would be genetics, but the same behaviour in two people could be caused by separate environmental and biological f actors and therefore limiting the reductionist explanation (Crossley,2006). Reductionist explanations can be useful, by reducing complicated concepts to their component parts but sometimes this offers a simple solution to an otherwise more complicated problem. For example giving anti-depressants to someone who is depressed may seem like the most favourable solution, but this may overlook the real problem such as bereavement, financial or work problems. Iatrogenesis is another arena that is problematic for the bio medical model. Iatrogenisis is often associated with adverse effects resulting from medical interventions (Heller et al, 1996) but can and is viewed as the direct result of the intervention which impedes a persons recovery, and therefore could include psychiatry which is the predominant force in the bio medical model. Labelling with regards to mental health diagnosis is another criticism of the bio medical model. Scheff (1999) understands mental illness as a result of societal labelling. Simplistic put, society has views on what is socially norm and acceptable, any deviation from these norms, results in a label of mental illness. The social causation model suggests links between social disadvantage and mental health problems. These social disadvantages are prevelant in many areas education, health, employment, income and social inclusion. Poverty and social class have been determined as the two significant factors of social causation and the link to mental illness (Murali and Oyebode, 2004). Lynch et al (1997) found people living with financial difficulties on a long-term basis, were much more likely to suffer from clinical depression than those who did not. Studies into mental health suggest there are stressors associated with low status and this creates an environment for increased risk of developing mental health problems. Payne(1999) in the 1999 PSE study provides evidence that people who live with various aspects of poverty, deprivation, unemployment and social exclusion are more likely to have mental health problems, although the relationship between poor mental health and these aspects are complex. I will examine employment in more detail. Research shows that less than 40% of employers would consider employing a person with a mental health issue (Rethink, 2009).Consequently the prejudice and discrimination people face as a result of a mental health diagnosis presents problems in itself. In 2002/ 2003The Citizens Advice Bureau conducted research regarding social exclusion and mental health and their results were stark. 60% of people with mental health problems gave up work as a result of discrimination, prejudice and stigma. 61% per cent of male adults with a psychiatric disorder are in full-time or part-time employment. Whereas the figure is 75% of men with no psychiatric disorder (Mind,2010b). If an individual has maintained a job or found employment then if they are affected by relapses this again impacts financially. With these statistics in mind it is clear to see that many who experience mental health issues will also be affected by economic hardship. Living on state benefits and sometimes less, as a result of an inflexible benefit system, can also result in a vicious circle of deprivation and poverty in all aspects of their lives, not only economic but in health, social activity and participation. The social causation model defined within the social model needs to be understood by practitioners as it acknowledges the experiences of individuals, as well as being the springboard for challenging the socio political environment which contributes to social problems, which in turn impact on an individuals mental health. This is fundamental for practitioners as one of the key roles of social workers is to challenge and champion social and political change (Horner,2006).According to Rogers and Pilgrim (2006) race, gender and age are all areas of disadvantage than can be investigated via social causation. This would support the findings of several studies which highlight the relationship between some of the identified areas and poor mental health. Examples to illustrate these links are, Irish men have three times higher psychiatric admission rates than the general population (Fitzptrick, 2005); women are more likely to be treated for mental health problems than men (Mental Health Found ation, no date) and in research by Beecham et al (2008) it was identified that fewer than 10% of older people with clinical depression were referred to specialist mental health services compared with about 50% of younger adults. These stark differentials question the basis of these statistical differences and one explanation is social causation. In recent years there has been a shift in Mental Health legislation. Although the Mental Health Act 1983 remains the primary legislation, there has been the addition of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 which provides a legal framework to protect individuals who lack, or may lack capacity. The Mental Health Act 2007 amended the MHA 1983 and the MCA 2005. Along with these amendments to legislation there has also been a radical shift in policy documents from central Government. These policy shifts demonstrate the need to understand mental health in a more holistic context. The emphasis is shifting from purely medical perspectives with a recognition of how the social perspective has an impact on a persons mental health well being. A plethora of policies from government such as Tackling Health Inequalities (DOH, 2001); Working Together UK Action Plan on Social Inclusion(DWP, 2008) and Child Poverty Review(H.M. Treasury,2004) have been designed to tackle social inequalities such as health, in come, work and education as well as a recognition for the need for more person centred approaches to delivering services. This does not detract from the clear message from legislation that risk and public safety are of paramount importance. The debates about care or control and rights versus risk are ever present particularly with high profile cases such as Christopher Clunis and Michael Stone were pivotal in the changes to the Mental Health Act in 2007. The Mental Health Alliance (2006) maintain that legislative reforms which enables individuals to access services within the mental health arena when they need it, as opposed to imposing treatment, would be a more viable option and address the issue of risk in a more proactive way. The Mental Health Act 1983 still remains the overarching legislation regarding mental health in the England today and is the only piece of legislation that permits the detention of an individual before they have committed an offence and purely on the basis that they might pose a threat to themselves or others(Golightly,2008).The changes in 2007 allowed for approved mental health professionals rather than the traditional approved social workers. One could argue that if this is eradication of the social worker role and the move to further medicalise mental health (as the approved mental health professional can be health background rather than social care). The Mental Capacity Act 2005 might be viewed by some as contradicting the Mental Health Act 1983. After all a person suspected of having a mental illness may fulfil the section 3 test of capacity under the Act, and under the principles of the act is able to make unwise decisions, but the Act makes no stipulation regarding these unwise decisions. Clearly committing a criminal offence is an unwise decision and a person committing the offence could clearly know and understand their action and face consequences laid down under criminal justice legislation. Under the Mental Health Act a person is not required to have committed an offence to be detained, a suspicion of possible harm to self or others is enough to warrant a section 2 assessment for involuntary admission. This arena has been addressed with and the Mental Capacity Act 2005 amendment to the Mental Health Act 1983 whereby an individual cannot refuse treatment if that treatment is deemed necessary under the conditions of the Men tal Health Act in that the MHA effectively overrides the MCA if the person is or deemed to be mentally ill. This is a contradiction regarding any other forms of medical treatment for a physical condition such as treatment for cancer or radical surgery(if a person meets the capacity assessment criteria), a person can refuse treatment for any other physical health condition but not for mental illness as a person can be detained to compulsory treat. New Horizons is a cross government programme which was launched in 2000 which identified not only the need of improved mental health services but the recognition the importance of maintaining good mental health and well being for everyone and covers childhood to old age (DOH,2009). It clearly recognises the impact of social factors aiming to address social inequalities identifying health, education and employment as important factors in an individuals well being and the impact on mental health. The Mental Health Act 1983 is the primary legislation which covers the assessment, detention, treatment and rights of people with a mental health condition. Following the psychiatric model the practitioner would need to make an assessment of Ahmeds functioning identify the signs and symptoms which he is exhibiting for Ahmed these would be his day to day functioning he has rent arrears, utilities have been cut off; personal care evidence suggests he lives on takeaways; social functioning he is a loner and he goes into the town centre shouting apparently aggressive; thoughts he appears to be having delusions that his mother is not his real mother, and possibly hallucinations evidenced with him shouting, but not directed at anyone. The psychiatric model uses judgements of normal which are not objective, but on agreed standards of normal within a cultural and social context (Esyenck,1994 and Giddens,1997). But the question has to be who is the predominant force in that society and how does this impact on individuals from differing cultural backgrounds in the teat of normality. Although the case study has not specified Ahmeds cultural background it is an area which needs due consideration. There are discussions regarding psychiatry as being colour blind and culture blind. Fernando(2002) examines the rationale for these concepts in relation to hearing voices, and explains perhaps cultural stereotypes which do not consider multi cultural dimensions are responsible. Fernando(2002) draws upon the studies relating to high proportions of British African Caribbean men being labelled as aggressive, perhaps due to the appearance or interpretation of symptoms leading others to define the symptoms within the mental health arena (Nazroo and King, 2002). Fernando (2002) expounds further by explaining this could also be related to society norms. The norms are dictated by the predominant forces within society. When individuals do not conform to social norms they are subject to sanctions in order to ensure conformity this is evident within the legal justice system a person commits a crime a punishment a fine or community service order or prison sentence is served. The parallels for m ental health could be seen that if a person does not conform then admission to hospital, intervention and treatment may be viewed as the sanctions to deviating from those perceived norms. Risk management is a highly politicised area with the primary objective in the political arena to manage risk, whilst improved outcomes for individuals appears to be in secondary (Holloway,1996). Holloway(1996) goes on to say in order to understand and therefore manage the risk then as a practitioner you need a very detailed understanding of the individual. Good practice regarding risk management is about a clear foundation for the decision and an expectation for the proposed outcome, as well as provision for change if the intended outcome does not occur (Petch,2001). A discussion with Ahmed regarding voluntary admission for assessment and treatment would be deemed appropriate given the assessment. The Mental Health Act 1983 clearly states in section 131 that voluntary admission should always be used if the person is willing. Should Ahmed resist treatment and admission to hospital then it would be necessary to address the need for detention under section 2 of the act. This provision is made with the agreement of 2 doctors ideally one who knows Ahmed perhaps his GP, and an approved mental health professional (AMHP). Under the Mental Health Act 1983 section 2 allows involuntary admission to hospital for assessment and treatment. Under section 2 Ahmed does not have the right to refuse treatment. Once Ahmed is admitted to hospital then assessment for a diagnosis would be paramount. The two diagnostic and classification tools used in modern psychiatry are the DSM IV codes and ICD 10 codes (Bolton, 2008). Although there are differences in these codes, the premise for these codes and outcomes are the same. These codes represent the bio medical model, the reduction of the illness to signs and symptoms to which a psychiatrist can determine a diagnosis and treatment based on that diagnosis. Whilst this may be useful for organic brain disorders for the majority of mental health problems where there is no definitive biological condition, the diagnosis simply reflects the individuals reflections on how they think and feel. The treatment plan would be developed based on the assessment outcome (diagnosis). Often treatment ranges are limited with a high emphasis on drug interventions, where the primary objective is to stabilise Ahmeds mental health condition in an effort to return him to a functional state. This medicalised response and the use of drugs could be viewed as a means of social control (Rogers and Pilgrim, 2005). By drawing on the theory of social causation this would enable me to support Ahmed to analyse the issues he is facing in a non judgemental way. Oppression and discrimination is observed in the lives of people from marginalised groups (Dalrymple and Burke,1995) and as practitioners we have an obligation to challenge discrimination and oppression. Personal experiences are clearly associated with social, cultural, political and economic divisions and therefore understanding these areas in context to the individual is vital in understanding and challenging the oppression and discrimination they may encounter (Adams et al, 2002). The stigma attached from having mental health problems cannot be underestimated. Research by the Department of Health Attitudes to Mental Illness in 2007 showed that whilst many of the negative pre conceived ideas and beliefs held by society about people with a mental health illness were diminishing, but the changes year on year were not significant. This may be due to education and understanding of mental illness and the understanding of the effects of discrimination and stigma. The Time to Change Programme (2008) is by its own admission, nationally and globally the most ambitious plan to stamp out discrimination faced by people with mental illness. Stigma poses a threat to all aspects of an individuals life if diagnosed with a mental illness, they contribute to social isolation, distress and difficulties gaining and maintaining employment. In a survey by Crisp and Gelder (2000) discovered there were consistent themes of perceptions of people who had a mental illness. Some views were common amongst the several diagnoses, namely they were difficult to talk to and they were unpredictable to assumptions of being dangerous. Completing a Community Care Assessment in accordance with the NHS and Community Care Act 1990 would be necessary in order to identify Ahmeds needs and how those needs would be best provided for. The assessment would include information from Ahmed as well as significant others where applicable and determine need on a short and / or long term basis (Sharkey, 2007). The assessment does not detract from the need of some immediate intervention, to work directly with Ahmed to address some of the immediate issues such as his rent arrears (which would immediately reduce the threat of eviction) and getting his utility services back in place. Acute and crisis services and intervention were designed to offer support in a less restrictive and stigmatising way than traditional formal of intervention such as compulsory admission (Golightly,2008). Crisis intervention is a model of intervention which ideally prevents the situation from deteriorating further and builds on existing resources and strengths in order to improve the situation (Ferguson,2008). This could assist Ahmeds mental health and well being as well as his environment and other social factors i.e. relationship with mum and neighbours. The intervention allows a recent Cochrane review found that home care crisis treatment, coupled with an ongoing home care package, was a viable alternative to hospital admission for crisis intervention for people with serious mental illnesses and probably more cost effective (Joy at al, 2006). Working directly with Ahmed using a task centred approach would be ideal as it is a very practical based approach. The work is time limited, structured and problem focused(Parker and Bradley, 2007, p.93). An example for Ahmed might be: Outcome : Pay off rent arrears so no longer in debt. Rationale: this would immediately reduce the risk of eviction as well as encouraging Ahmed to take responsibility for his situation in a supportive and empowering way. Steps: Agree a payment plan with Ahmed that is manageable within current budget ( £10 every 2 weeks) Once plan agreed Ahmed to visit housing provider to agree payment plan and request an update every month on arrears. Pick up benefits every 2 weeks, on a Tuesday, and immediately pay 2 weeks rent at paypoint in post offices along with agreed  £10 arrears and obtain receipt. For the purpose of this assignment I have listed some of the actions which could be identified in order to support Ahmed. Pay off rent arrears. Benefits assessment to ensure Ahmed is claiming his benefit entitlement. Tenancy support worker in order to support with tenancy related issues such as rent, utilities and maintaining a tenancy agreement. Support worker to assist with increasing his contact and reduce social isolation. This could be simply going out for a coffee or some other activity which Ahmed identified. To explore if Ahmed has concerns regarding psychiatry, and his reluctance to meet with the psychiatrist this is vital it may simply be he forgot about the appointment or further issues regarding his concept of psychiatry. To work with Ahmed to explore his thoughts regarding his mother and assess the foundation for his thoughts that she is not his mother. To gain understanding on any other significant relationships in the past (there is mention in the case study of children) and the possibility of re-connection with his children and wider family connections. Re-connection with community whether this would be utilising self help groups, classes which may hold a particular interest or active engagement in community/ voluntary projects to build self esteem and confidence and develop a sense of purpose and engagement. Explore training / employment options To support Ahmed to begin a life story book or consider psychology intervention. To offer support to examine Ahmeds current strategies of coping recognising his abilities through the strength model and supporting him to identify any patterns and how to deal with them. To develop a contract for future work in order to be clear of professional boundaries and expectations from both parties and how intervention might look in the future should this be required. Should the circumstances not improve or continue to deteriorate then there is a possibility of seeking hospital admission either, voluntarily or in accordance with the Mental Health Act 1983. More people than ever are being detained in hospital under compulsory orders. Admissions to hospital under the Mental Health Act 1983 have risen by nearly 30% in the past decade in England. According to a report from three national mental health charities, Rethink, Sane and the Zito Trust, this figure is a worrying reflection of the care for people with mental illness (Kmietowicz, 2004). A sobering thought for any professional. As a practitioner I have learnt that causes of mental health issues are often complex and can involve a combination of biological vulnerability, environmental factors, social stressors, social networks, supports and relationships, psychological orientations and learned behaviour. Coppock and Hopton (2000) state: each perspective on mental distress and therapeutic intervention has its own internal logic(p.175) and stress the importance of recognising the alternatives, otherwise, practitioners are in danger of becoming a rigid in their practice, not work in a pe rson centred way. Having a critical perspective and understanding of the variety of theoretical perspectives and approaches regarding mental health is beneficial. It is clear that these perspectives whether biomedical or social have added to our understanding of mental health. The relative merits of the various perspectives are constantly argued, most characteristically by pointing out the limitations of the differing perspectives. Such critiques can be productive but are only a step in a larger task to develop broader perspectives that can be productively incorporate the different useful insights reached from each of a variety of different points of view. A person centred approach to mental health would seem the optimum approach when examining mental health issues. It recognises the uniqueness of individuals and accounts for all the possible variables and their interactions from social causation, stress vulnerability, gender etc. which would enable practitioners to examine issues within a broader holistic context, instead of rigid simplistic processes of bio medical model (Freeth, 2007). Word Count : 4007

Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing Comparison

Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing Comparison Jignesh C Doshi Bhushan Trivedi ABSTRACT Business using internet has grown drastically in past decade. Attacks on web application have increased. Web application security is a big challenge for any organizations as result of increasing attacks. There exists different approaches to mitigate various security risks are defensive coding, hardening (Firewall), Monitoring and auditing. This solutions found more towards prevention of attacks or of monitoring types of. Vulnerability assessment and Penetration testing are two approaches widely used by organizations to assess web application security. Both solutions are different and complimentary to each other. In this paper comparison of these two approaches are provided. Authors found that penetration testing is better compare to vulnerability assessment as it exploits vulnerability, while vulnerability assessment is superior in terms of coverage over penetration testing. General Terms Vulnerability Measurement, Penetration Testing Keywords Attack, Vulnerability, Security Risk, VAPT, 1. INTRODUCTION Web application usage has increased as more and more services are available on web. Business using Web applications is also increasing day by day. On other side, web application based attacks have increased. Web application have become main target of attackers. Major impact of attacks is data loss or financial loss or reputation loss. Various types of countermeasures exists to protect system against attacks like defensive coding, firewall, Intrusion detection system etc. [15]. The solution exists in two categories: proactive and reactive. To secure web applications, thorough study of vulnerabilities is required. Study will help in taking effective actions. Vulnerability measurement and Penetration testing are widely used approaches by organizations for web application security assessment. In this paper, authors have compared vulnerability assessment and penetration testing. The rest of the paper is organized as follows. Vulnerability assessment is discussed in section 2, Penetration testing is discussed in Section 3. Section 4 describes comparison between vulnerability assessment and penetration testing. Conclusion is described in section 5. 2. Current Web Application Security Trends The number of internet users and websites are increasing rapidly in recent years [9]. Approximately 66% of web applications have problem as per Gartner. According to sophisticated vulnerability assessment tools 60% vulnerabilities can be found in most of web applications [12]. Security measures most commonly applied for web application security are firewalls, Intrusion Detection System (IDS), Anti-virus System and defensive coding [14][15]. This solution either requires developer skills or efforts in common [15]. These solutions provide a way to assess system, while organizations need a way to assess security countermeasure assessment. It is also necessary to assess web application periodically against security risks in order to take effective actions. 3. Vulnerability Assessment Vulnerability is a weakness or flaw in a system. Reasons for vulnerability existence are weak password, coding, input validation, misconfiguration etc. Attacker tries to discover vulnerability and then exploit it. Vulnerability assessment is a proactive and systematic strategy to discover vulnerability. It is used to discover unknown problems in the system. It is also required by industry standard like DSS PCI from compliance point of view. Vulnerability assessment is achieved using scanners. It is a hybrid solution, which combines automated testing with expert analysis. Figure 1: Vulnerability Assessment Process Vulnerability assessment is a one step process ( Refer to figure 1). We will learn more details about vulnerability assessment in section 5. 4. Penetration Testing A penetration testing evaluates the security of a computer system or network by simulating an attack. It is a proactive and systematic approach for security assessment. Figure 1: Penetration Testing Process Penetration testing is a two steps process (refer to figure 2). We will learn more details about penetration in next section. 5. Comparison 5.1 Generic 5.2 Resource Requirements 5.3 Testing 5.4 Results 5.5 Limitations Major limitations of Vulnerability Assessments are: à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Cannot identify potential access path à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Provides false positive à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Requires high technical skills for tester à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Hybrid solution à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Cannot exploit flaws Major limitations of Penetration testing are: à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Identifies potential access paths à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Identifies only those which poses threats à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · May not identify obvious vulnerability à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Cannot provide information about new vulnerabilities à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Cannot identify server side vulnerabilities 6. Conclusion With the exception of coverage, penetration testing is superior to vulnerability management. Key benefits of penetration testing over vulnerability assessment are: Technical capability required in penetration testing is low compare to vulnerability assessment Can be used runtime With penetration testing we can detect, confirm and exploit vulnerability. With penetration testing can determine the resulting impact on the organisation. For effective security, it is important to understand vulnerability in details. Both are complimentary strategies to each other and proactive. We suggest to use both together. 7. REFERENCES Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing: http://www.veracode.com/ security/vulnerability-assessment-and-penetration-testing John Barchie, Triware Net world Systems, Penetration Testing vs. Vulnerability Scanning: http://www.tns.com/PenTestvsVScan.asp Penetration Testing Limits http:// www.praetorian.com/blog/penetration-testing-limits Vulnerability Analysis, http://www.pentest-standard.org/index.php/ Vulnerability Analysis Open Web Application Security Project, https://www.owasp.org/index.php/Category: Vulnerability Penetration Testing: http://searchsoftwarequality .techtarget.com/definition/penetration-testing Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing: http://www.aretecon.com/aretesoftwares Ankita Gupta, Kavita, Kirandeep Kaur: Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing, International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology- Volume4 Issue3- 2013, ISSN: 2231-5381 Page 328-330 Konstantinos Xynos, Iain Sutherland, Huw Read, Emlyn Everitt and Andrew J.C. Blyth: PENETRATION TESTING AND VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENTS: A PROFESSIONAL APPROACH, Originally published in the Proceedings of the 1st International Cyber Resilience Conference, Edith Cowan University, Perth Western Australia, 23rd August 2010 available at : http://ro.ecu.edu.au/icr/16 You Yu, Yuanyuan Yang, Jian Gu, and Liang Shen, Analysis and Suggestions for the Security of Web Applications,, International Conference on Computer Science and Network Technology, 2011, 978-1-4577-1587-7/111, IEEE Andrey Petukhov, Dmitry Kozlov, Detecting Security Vulnerabilities in Web Applications Using Dynamic Analysis with Penetration Testing, https://www.owasp.org/images/3/3e/OWASP-AppSecEU08-Petukhov.pdf accessed on 31st January 2015 Parvin Ami, Ashikali Hasan: Seven Phrase Penetration Testing Model,International Journal of Computer Applications (0975 – 8887),Volume 59– No.5, December 2012 Aileen G. Bacudio, Xiaohong Yuan, Bei-Tseng Bill Chu, Monique Jones,an overview of penetration testing, International Journal of Network Security Its Applications (IJNSA), Vol.3, No.6, November 2011 DOI :10.5121/ijnsa.2011.3602 Jignesh Doshi, Bhushan Trivedi, Assessment of SQL Injection Solution Approaches, International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Science and Software Engineering, Volume 4, Issue 10, October 2014 ISSN: 2277 128X 1

Free My Antonia Essays: Importance of Landscape :: My Antonia Essays

Importance of Landscape in My Antonia In the book, My Antonia, the landscape along with Jim's reactions to it help us to feel all the emotions of the scene. His feelings of lonliness, sadness, awe and happiness are felt through his words and we can form a picture from the descriptions, adding to what we already know. He feels these emotions in the first few scenes. All because he wants a place to call home. The feelings we get when Jim arrives are awe with hints if lonliness. He pulls into town and is being taken to his grandparent's house. He is riding in a wagon and since he is having trouble sleeping and tries to look at the land and sees nothing. This can be seen in the lines: "There was nothing but land: not a country at all but the material out of which countries are made...I had the feeling that the world was left behind, that we had got over the edge of it, and were outside man's jurisdiction. I had never before looked up and at the sky when there was not a familiar mountain ridge against it...I did not believe that my father and mother were watching me from up there; they would still be looking for me at the sheepfold down by the creek, ... I had left their spirits behind me... I did not say my prayers that night: here, I felt, what would be would be."(pgs 11-12) We see that Jim is a state of awe. He does not see this place as land or a country, but the building blocks for such things. He thinks he is in the heavens, not on the planet. He feels like he is in his own universe. The landscape adds a sense of lonliness as well. He looks at the land and there is nothing he can hold onto so he will know where he is, no mountains or anything. The feelings of awe can also be read as lonliness. He is looking in wonder at this new land, but he feels so alone. He is in the middle of nowhere. He also believes that the spirits of his parents will not be there for him. I'm sure the fact that his parents died upset Jim, but he also think that they will no longer be there for him since he has left.

African Mythological Commonalities :: African Creation Myths Essays

African Mythological Commonalities Creation myths vary among African ethnic groups highlighting similarities and differences in belief systems and societal constructs. There are many factors that contribute to creation myths for each individual group. Survival issues dominate many my ths, suggesting the origins of land, the ability to cultivate land, and the benefit of existing off of what one has cultivated. Questions of where land came from, the purpose of man, and the relationship between the creator and the created are evaluated. The important issues of each African ethnic group became the focal point of their creation and origin myths. A predominant theme among African creation myth is the people's relation to the land, as a means of survival and origin. The shilluk myth, "An African Story of the Creation of Man" and the Yoruba people's myth, "The Creation of the Universe and Ife" state that man was first made from clay. Both creation myths indicate an awareness and a need for explanation of the physical differences among human beings. The Shilluk myth claims that there are different colored people because of the varying colors o f clay that Joak, the creator according to this myth, encountered as he wandered the world. The Yoruba people's myth explains the differences in the shapes of humans as a result of the god Obatala being drunk when he shaped man out of clay. In both myth s, the action of the creating god caused the variation in man's physical characteristics. The Shilluk myth attempts to explain why man's body is designed as it is. Each part of the body is designed, according to this myth, to fulfill a purpose related to survival.

The Boston Massacre Essay example -- essays research papers fc

The Boston Massacre was and is still a debatable Massacre. The event occurred on March 5, 1776. It involved the rope workers of the colonial Boston and two British regiments, the twenty-ninth and the fourteenth regiments. Eleven people were shot in the incident; five people were killed and the other six were merely wounded. The soldiers and the captain, Thomas Preston, were all put on trial. All were acquitted of charges of murder, however the two soldiers who fired first, Private Mathew Killroy, and Private William Montgomery, the two soldiers were guilty of manslaughter. The causes were numerous for this event. There had been a nation wide long-term dislike towards the British, and a growing hatred towards them by the people of Boston. Even before the two regiments were sent in to monitor Boston there was a growing feud before the two sides.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The population of Boston in 1765 was over twenty thousand people, and it was the second largest city in the country. The city was split up into two political factions, the loyalists, also known as the â€Å"Tories† were loyal to the British nation and respected and followed their policies. The other group was the Patriots, they too pledged alliance with the British, but they also believed strongly in their colonial rights, and more often then not went against parliamentary decisions. America still had not declared independence from England in 1765, and was expected to follow the rules of the parliament and the King. The government like all other states was structured differently, but the people elected their representatives. Unlike the British who let the people vote, but they are â€Å"indirectly represented† by Parliament. The stamp act was one of the first things Britain did to upset the colonies. John Adams who was a prospering young lawyer at th e time, called the Stamp Act â€Å"That enormous engine, fabricated by the British Parliament, for battering down all the rights and liberties of America.† The stamp act put a tax on legal documents, and other paper items. The Americans called this â€Å"Taxation without representation†, because they didn’t have any elected officials in Parliament, who were representing them. The Americans petitioned the administration, but the King and Parliament simply ignored our pleas. This act caused the formation of the loyal nine. The Loyal Nine were a group of several Bo... ... device that let first offenders off without punishment, priest used it. They were not put to death. They were set free, but only after they had been branded on the thumb. The Boston Massacre was an event that only strengthened colonial America’s hatred toward the British nation. People could answer the question of whether or no the Boston Massacre was truly a massacre differently. In my mind, yes, it was a massacre, I believe this because in the dictionary it states that a massacre is, â€Å"The unnecessary, and indiscriminate killing of a large number of human beings or animals.† I would have to say five people is a large number of human beings to kill in one sitting. BIBLIOGRAPHY Lukes, Bonnie L. 2000. The Boston Massacre. San Diego, CA: Lucent Books. Freedman, Russell. 2000. Give Me Liberty. Library in congress cataloging-in-publication data. Hull, Mary E. 1999. The Boston Tea Party. Springfield, NJ: Enslow Publishers. Stout, Neil R. 1976. The Perfect Crisis. New York, NY: New York University Press. http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761579296 http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0808436.html http://earlyamerica.com/review/winter96/massacre.html

Analytical Essay – Lochie Leonard

Awkwardness, rudeness and moodiness are stereotypes which are used to represent teenagers. In his novel â€Å"Locke Leonard the Human Torpedo', Tim Wanton explores the emotional development of teenagers. In the novel he represents teenagers as reckless. This is achieved through Locale's inappropriate actions, rude behavior and his bad language. The novel displays teenagers as reckless through their inappropriate behavior.In the chapter ‘Getting Serious' Locke and Vicki are alone in her house and they engage n sexual activities disregarding the possible consequences. This is also shown later on in the book in the chapter ‘Ocean Beach' where they again act without thinking. The two chapters give the reader a clear example that teenagers can be reckless due to their inappropriate behavior. At school Locke displays rude behavior towards his teachers.In the chapter ‘Everybody's Favorite Spread' Locke is in class studying his least favorite subject, Math, and is rude to his teacher by omitting to call him sir (pap-18). Also in the chapter ‘True Torpedoing' Locke is in his woodwork class and once again displays dude behavior and insolence to his teacher by suggesting that the teacher ‘does his block (pap-31). This insulting comment could enrage an already hostile teacher even more and is therefore reckless.In the first two weeks Locke has already acquired a bad reputation for himself. Locale's rude behavior is very risky. Teenagers are represented as reckless due to their use of inappropriate or bad language. Locke has been influenced to use bad language after reading a book about sexual development. In the chapter ‘Everyone's Favorite Spread' Locke is being bullied. Whilst being bullied he retaliates by calling them ‘a bunch of yellow vulvas! (pap), which might provoke them to attack him, rather than trying to calm them down, which would be more sensible. Locale's use of language clearly represents teens as reckless. In this novel Tim Wanton represents teenagers as reckless because of their inappropriate actions, rude behavior and bad language. He has focused on emotional development in adolescents. While this is only one aspect of the challenges faced by teens, the author has represented common stereotypes in characters and their actions to describe teenagers.

KSAO or Knowledge, Abilities, Skills, and Other Characteristics Essay

What does KSAO stand for with respect to training? Give one example for each letter in your explanation for the job of Professor of Human Resource Management. (Points : 35) KSAO or Knowledge, Abilities, Skills, and Other Characteristics (KSAO) tests are metrics used either during training or hiring processes to evaluate applicants and trainees. The KSAO will typically measure several areas of competency and will use a weighted metric for analysis. The following examples are what one might see in the explanation of the job of Professor of Human Resource Management. Knowledge- A degree of a PhD or higher in Human Resource Management would be a requirement in this area. Knowledge in a KSAO is typically measured in degrees of higher education and experience in the field in question. Skills- Typically, skills are measured by performance of competency tests. For instance, a Professor would need leadership skills and test could be devised that would test the leadership of the candidate. There are a variety of skills that may need to be tested for this position and each type of training would need to be customized for the competency in question, e.g., leadership, organization, management, etc†¦ Abilities- This area of the KSAO is typically measured by performance and the measure of one’s ability. The measure of competency will be based on answers derived from a position analysis questionnaire and or a management position description questionnaire (MPDQ). The position analysis questionnaire (PAQ) is organized into six areas of competency based on the job analysis formula for management positions in human resources: (1) information input (2) mental processes (3) work output (physical activities and tools) (4) relationships with others (5) job context (the physical and social environment) (6) other job characteristics (such as pace and structure) (PAQ, 2013) Using these metrics provide a clear view of the person’s abilities as required by the field of Professor of Human Resource Management. The concern with using KSAO in this manner is that competency modeling must be focused on the means of accomplishing tasks and duties rather than on what is accomplished or specific ways in which tasks or duties are accomplished  (Bernardin, 2007). For this reason there must be a high level of consensus concerning the definition of competencies for the Professor of Human Resource Management. This can be a problematic area for measuring competencies because there is a great deal of crossover between the competencies necessary to perform a job and the particular traits or characteristics of the applicant (Bernardin, 2007). For this reason, KSAO must remain focused on the occupation. References Bernardin, H.J. Human Resource Management, Fourth Edition, McGraw Hill, 2007 PAQ. (2013). job analysis questionnaire. Retrieved from http://www.paq.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Bulletins.Job-Analysis-Questionnaire 2. (TCOs 2, 8). Explain the basic steps to conducting a person analysis and how a person analysis is used in a needs assessment. Do a very basic person analysis on either yourself or on your professor, based on the job you or he or she is currently employed in (and your common knowledge). (Points : 40) The process for a person analysis involves examining the factors that influence performance and learning. These factors are inclusive of the person’s characteristics: knowledge, skill, ability, and attitudes. These characteristics are typically measured through KSAO or Knowledge, Abilities, Skills, and Other Characteristics tests. These tests measure the basic skills that a person needs to perform their occupation. The KSAO works cohesively with the needs assessment. The basic steps involved in a person analysis include Input- the information or instructions that relate what employees need to know in order to perform their jobs. This area also includes the resources available to employees that help them perform their jobs. For example, my job with the government requires that I understand customer service policies which are outlined clearly in my service handbook. However, I often lack the ability to answer enough customer service questions due to the lack of information provided for answering certain questions. Output- this area refers to the job’s performance standards. At my job, we are expected to answer questions for customers and not to place them on hold for extended periods of time. All calls are measured by the standard of hold times which is expected to be less than 45 seconds. However, this metric is often failed by employees due to lack of information provided to service operators. Consequences- This area refers to the types  of incentives that employees receive for performing well and also what they will not receive. For instance, at my job when callers are placed on hold for longer than 45 seconds, this action diminishes the ability of workers to receive bonuses at the end of the year. Feedback- This area refers to the ongoing information that employees receive in the performance of their jobs. At my job, we receive feed back, letting us know that we exceeded the standards for call wait times or if we have not met this standard. Feedback also goes back to the management in that they become aware of the situations. Through the steps in this analysis a need assessment can be constructed. In my situation, since I am not lacking in specific skills tested in the KSAO then I am in need of other tools to perform my job more efficiently. In this instance, there is a need for a greater access to information in order to meet the standards of the job. 3. (TCOs 3, 8). First, provide the meaning of the acronym SMART with respect to training goals. Then, consider these four training objectives. Rewrite them as two SMART training goals. a) The use of the software and documentation for better management tools to utilize with the system. b) The trainee will be able to explain the flow of data to other systems and begin to understand the administrative time spent on corrections. c) A better understanding by the trainees of the deadlines and the expectations involved in those deadlines. d) The trainee will learn some effective time management shortcuts and will understand the guidelines in using those shortcuts. (Points : 40) Using SMART (Specific, Measurable, Agreed to, Realistic an d Time phased) as the basis for training goals, a training program is designed to create training outcomes in which the goals are specific or focused (not too broad), measurable (comparable with standards set), agreed to (all members of the organization including the trainee recognize the importance of the training), realistic (the standards for measuring training are achievable), and time phased (training has a beginning and end which provides that the trainee has accomplished the training.) The SMART method can be seen in the following examples: A) The use of the software and documentation for better management tools to utilize with the system. SMART (specific): Trainees need to learn to use the computer software in order to provide more accurate information for decision making. SMART (time phased) The training for this computer learning will begin in April and end in June.  b) The trainee will be able to explain the flow of data to other systems and begin to understand the administrative time spent on corrections. SMART (Measurable) trainees will complete a skills assessment at the end of the training which will reflect their ability to explain the flow of data to other systems. SMART (Realistic) The process of implementation will be ongoing even after training is completed this will help develop the understanding of the administrative time spent on corrections c) A better understanding by the trainees of the deadlines and the expectations involved in those deadlines . SMART (Measurable) Trainees will need to take an assessment that shows they have developed and understanding of the deadline process. (Agreed to) This test will also measure the trainees understanding of the importance of meeting deadlines through this process. d) The trainee will learn some effective time management shortcuts and will understand the guidelines in using those shortcuts. SMART (Specific) Trainees will need to learn effective time management skills and the 12 shortcuts and guidelines for using those shortcuts. SMART (Measurable) Each trainee will be tested at the end of their training and will need to show that they can utilize these shortcuts within the guidelines stated. 4. (TCO 4, 5, 6) You are a training manager for a midsized corporation. You are working on a training proposal for your HR director when you get a call from the manager of the accounting department. He states that he needs training done for his team, which will assist it in learning the newest version of the Peachtree accounting software. He mentions that his boss, the CFO, told him to put together a proposal for training that incl uded a way to measure transfer of training. He is panicked and says, â€Å"First of all, I don’t know what transfer of training is, and second, how can I measure it?† What will you tell him? (Points : 40) I would explain to the manager that Transfer of training is a concept which is defined as the use of knowledge or abilities that were acquired in one area being useful in other areas of problem solving or occupation. For instance, trainees who are learning the new software from Peachtree will also be able to learn other aspects of accounting during this process. These skills are directly transferrable to other occupations within the accounting department. In order to measure transfer of training, job descriptions will need to be assessed for overlaps in skills and knowledge requirements. For instance, some working in payroll will undoubtedly need to  understand tax requirements which are transferrable to jobs working in tax areas. Once the overlaps are found training can be assessed to see how much knowledge is transferrable between jobs. This information can be used to strategically design training programs that maximize time and cost. 5. (TCO 7) Explain one similarity and one difference between training and performance management and between training and succession planning. Does training have a part of either performance management or succession planning? If so, give one example each. If not, explain why not. (Points : 40) Succession planning, performance management, and training are all similarly related in that they are proactive in their efforts to create a pool of highly qualified and talented personnel. Training attempts to increase the ability of personnel while performance management governs what is needed from training in order to bolster the ability of personnel to perform their jobs, e.g., compensation, knowledge, resources, etc†¦ Succession planning uses performance management and training assessments in order to determine which employees will be the best fit for taking over management positions. However, there is a difference between these management systems in that they are focused on accomplishing independent goals. Training seeks to make employees better at their jobs while performance management measures their ability to assess where changes might be needed. Succession planning is goal oriented in finding the best candidates for future positions but not in the process of training or measuring them in their current positions. For example: training a customer service representative is focused on making the representative the best that he or she can be in that position. The performance of the customer service representative is measure through metrics to determine if the individual is performing adequately and if not what areas are deficient. This metric can be used to make a needs assessment and determine what the person needs to perform better, i.e., more training. The succession planning will use data from training metrics and from performance management in order to determine if the person is the right candidate for a customer supervisor position.